Quote: the soveraign makes the laws, and hence is not subject to the law; otherwise have an infinite regress of authority

Quotation

A fourth opinion, repugnant to the nature of a Common-wealth, is this, That he that hath the Soveraign Power, is subject to the Civill Laws. It is true, that Soveraigns are all subject to the Lawes of Nature ... But to those Lawes which the Soveraign himselfe, that is, which the Common-wealth maketh, he is not subject. For to be subject to Lawes, is to be subject to the Common-wealth ... Which errour, because it setteth the Lawes above the Soveraign, setteth also a Judge above him, and a Power to punish him; which is to make a new Soveraign; and again for the same reason a third, to punish the second; and so continually without end, to the Confusion, and Dissolution of the Common-wealth.   Google-1   Google-2

Published before 1923

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