8. Lastly， the greatest inconvenience that can happen to a commonwealth， is the aptitude to dissolve into civil war. and to this are monarchies much less subject， than any other governments. For where the union， or band of a commonwealth， is one man， there is no distraction； whereas in assemblies， those that are of different opinions， and give different counsel， are apt to fall out amongst themselves， and to cross the designs of commonwealth for one another's sake： and when they cannot have the honour of making good their own devices， they yet seek the honour to make the counsels of their adversaries to prove vain.
And in this contention， when the opposite factions happen to be anything equal in strength， they presently fall to war. Wherein necessity teacheth both sides， that an absolute monarch， (viz.) a general， is necessary both for their defence against one another， and also for the peace of each faction within itself. But this aptitude to dissolution， is to be understood for an inconvenience in such aristocracies only where the affairs of state are debated in great and numerous assemblies， as they were anciently in Athens， and in Rome； and not in such as do nothing else in great assemblies， but choose magistrates and counsellors， and commit the handling of state affairs to a few； such as is the aristocracy of Venice at this day. For these are no more apt to dissolve from this occasion， than monarchies， the counsel of state being both in the one and the other alike.
第一章Chapter 25 That Subjects are not Bound to Follow Their Private Judgments in Controversies of Religion
1. Having showed that in all commonwealths whatsoever， the necessity of peace and government requireth， that there be existent some power， either in one man， or in one assembly of men， by the name of the power sovereign， to which it is not lawful for any member of the same commonwealth to disobey； there occurreth now a difficulty， which， if it be not removed， maketh it unlawful for any man. to procure his own peace and preservation， because it maketh it unlawful for a man to put himself under the command of such absolute sovereignty as is required thereto. And the difficulty is this： we have amongst us the Word of God for the rule of our actions； now if we shall subject ourselves to men also， obliging ourselves to do such actions as shall be by them commanded； when the commands of God and man shall differ， we are to obey God， rather than man： and consequently the covenant of general obedience to man is unlawful.
2. This difficulty hath not been of very great. antiquity in the world. There was no such dilemma amongst the Jews； for their civil law， and divine law， was one and the same law of Moses： the interpreters whereof were the priests， whose power was subordinate to the power of the king； as was the power-of Aaron to the power of Moses. Nor is it a controversy that was ever taken notice of amongst the Grecians， Romans， or other Gentiles； for amongst these their severAl civil laws were the rules whereby not only righteousness and virtue， but also religion and the external worship of God， was ordered and approved； that being esteemed the true worship of God， which was kata ta nomima， (i.e.) according to the laws civil. Also those Christians that dwell under the temporal dominion of the bishop of Rome， are free from this question； for that they allow unto him (their sovereign) to interpret the Scriptures， which are the law of God， as he in his own judgment shall think right. This difficulty therefore remaineth amongst， and troubleth those Christians only， to whom it is allowed to take for the sense of the Scripture that which they make thereof， either by their own private interpretation， or by the interpretation of such as are not called thereunto by public authority： they that follow their own interpretation， continually demanding liberty of conscience； and those that follow the interpretation of others not ordained thereunto by the sovereign of the commonwealth， requiring a power in matters of religion either above the power civil， or at least not depending on it.
3. To take away this scruple of conscience concerning obedience to human laws， amongst those that interpret to themselves the word of God in the Holy Scriptures； I propound to their consideration， first： that no human law is intended to oblige the. conscience of a man， but the actions only. For seeing no man (but God alone) knoweth the heart or conscience of a man， unless it break out into action， either of the tongue， or other part of the body； the law made thereupon would be of none effect， because no man is able to discern， but by word or Other action whether such law be kept or broken. Nor did the apostles themselves pretend dominion over men's consciences concerning the faith they preached， but only persuasion and instruction. And therefore St. Paul saith 2 Cor. 1， 24， writing to the Corinthians， concerning their controversies， that he and the rest of the apostles， had no dominion over their faith， but were helpers of their joy.
