Chapter the eighteenth.
Of CORPORATIONS.
WE have hitherto conſidered perſons in their natural capacities, and have treated of their rights and duties. But, as all perſonal rights die with the perſon; and, as the neceſſary forms of inverting a ſeries of individuals, one after another, with the ſame identical rights, would be very inconvenient, if not impracticable; it has been found neceſſary, when it is for the advantage of the public to have any particular rights kept on foot and continued, to conſtitute artificial perſons, who may maintain a perpetual ſucceſſion, and enjoy a kind of legal immortality.
These artificial perſons are called bodies politic, bodies coporate, (corpora corporata) or corporations: of which there is a great variety ſubſiſting, for the advancement of religion, of learning, and of commerce; in order to preſerve entire and for ever thoſe rights and immunities, which, if they were granted only to thoſe individuals of which the body corporate is compoſed, would upon their death be utterly loſt and extinct. To ſhew the advantages of theſe incorporations, let us conſider the caſe of a college in either of our univerſities, founded ad ſtudendum et orandum, for the encouragement and ſupport of religion and learning. If this was a mere voluntary aſſembly, the individuals which compoſe it might indeed read, pray, ſtudy, and perform ſcholaſtic exerciſes together, ſo long as they could agree to do ſo: but they
