Page:Two Treatises of Government.djvu/222

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208
Of Civil-Government.

when he had a fancy to it; for no body can deſire to have me in his abſolute power, unleſs it be to compel me by force to that which is againſt the right of my freedom, i. e. make me a ſlave. To be free from ſuch force is the only ſecurity of my preſervation; and reaſon bids me look on him, as an enemy to my preſervation, who would take away that freedom which is the fence to it; ſo that he who makes an attempt to enſlave me, thereby puts himſelf into a ſtate of war with me. He that, in the ſtate of nature, would take away the freedom that belongs to any one in that ftate, muft neceffarily be fuppofed to have a defign to take away every thing elfe, that freedom being the foundation of all the reft; as he that, in the ftate of fociety, would take away the freedom belonging to thofe of that fociety or common-wealth, muft he fuppofed to defign to take away from them every thing elfe, and fo be looked on as in a ftate of war*

§. 1 8. This makes it lawful for a man to kill a thief who has not in the leaft hurt him, nor declared any defign upon his life, any farther than, by the ufe of force, fo to get him in his power, as to take away his money, or what he pleafes, from him $ becaufe ufing force, where he has no right, to get me into his power, let his pretence be what it will, I have no reafon to fuppofe, that he, who would take away my liberty > would

not,

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