On the Foundation of Civil Government, 457 



caufe we think his confcience is mifinformed 

 would be agrofsadofinjuftice; and equally appli- 

 cable againft ourfelves as againft him. Moreover, 

 the right of repelling an injury, would have be- 

 longed to the perfon injured on v^-hatever pretence 

 it were offered, had fociety never exifted. This 

 reafoning is agreeable to the common axioms of, 

 ftc utere tuo ut alieno non ledas. And, rights in- 

 confident with, or deftruftive of each other, 

 cannot exift. 



The fix laft propofitions, are applicable to the 

 fubje(5l o( religious liberty. 



XIV. Society is intended to promote the 

 happinefs of the individuals who compofe it. 

 Hence the intereft (J. e. the happinefs) of the 

 majority, is to be preferred to that of the mino- 

 rity. Otherwife fociety would produce a de- 

 creafe, and not an addition to the fum of tem- 

 poral happinefs. It is poffible indeed, that 

 promoting the intereft of the minor part, might 

 in fome particular cafe produce a degree of hap- 

 pinefs equal to ten, while promoting the intereft 

 of the major-part, in that particular cafe might 

 produce a degree of happinefs equal only to nine. 

 In fuch a cafe the degree ten ought perhaps to 

 be preferred. But as we are not in poffeflion 

 of a fufficient number of data, in the prefent 

 ftate of tiuman affairs, to afcertain fuch a point 

 as this, it cannot practically be noticed. So 

 that the general rule in this propofition holds 

 true. 



Vol. Ill K k XV. Hence, 



