Read A Letter Concerning Toleration Online

32/John Locke 


from his conduct therein. 

But besides their souls, which are immortal, men have also their 
temporal lives here upon earth; the state whereof being frail and fleet- 
ing, and the duration uncertain, they have need of several outward con- 
veniences to the support thereof, which are to be procured or preserved 
by pains and industry. For those things that are necessary to the com- 
fortable support of our lives are not the spontaneous products of nature, 
nor do offer themselves fit and prepared for our use. This part, there- 
fore, draws on another care and necessarily gives another employment. 
But the pravity of mankind being such that they had rather injuriously 
prey upon the fruits of other men’s labours than take pains to provide 
for themselves, the necessity of preserving men in the possession of 
what honest industry has already acquired and also of preserving their 
liberty and strength, whereby they may acquire what they farther want, 
obliges men to enter into society with one another, that by mutual assis- 
tance and joint force they may secure unto each other their properties, in 
the things that contribute to the comfort and happiness of this life, leav- 
ing in the meanwhile to every man the care of his own eternal happiness, 
the attainment whereof can neither be facilitated by another man’s in- 
dustry, nor can the loss of it turn to another man’s prejudice, nor the 
hope of it be forced from him by any external violence. But, forasmuch 
as men thus entering into societies, grounded upon their mutual com- 
pacts of assistance for the defence of their temporal goods, may, never- 
theless, be deprived of them, either by the rapine and fraud of their 
fellow citizens, or by the hostile violence of foreigners, the remedy of 
this evil consists in anus, riches, and multitude of citizens; the remedy 
of the other in laws; and the care of all things relating both to one and 
the other is committed by the society to the civil magistrate. This is the 
original, this is the use, and these are the bounds of the legislative (which 
is the supreme) power in every commonwealth. I mean that provision 
may be made for the security of each man’s private possessions; for the 
peace, riches, and public commodities of the whole people; and, as much 
as possible, for the increase of their inward strength against foreign 
invasions. 

These things being thus explained, it is easy to understand to what 
end the legislative power ought to be directed and by what measures 
regulated; and that is the temporal good and outward prosperity of the 
society; which is the sole reason of men’s entering into society, and the 
only thing they seek and aim at in it. And it is also evident what liberty