5o8 On the Foundation of Civil Government, 



XXXIII. But as it cannot be fuppofed that 

 tfie majority of the people will rife at one and 

 the fanne inftant of time, there muft be fome rife 

 before others. So that if the common and 

 peaceable methods to obtain a compliance with 

 the requifitions of the people, have been unfuc- 

 cefsfully repeated, any number of men however 

 fmallr are juftified in making a beginning, where 

 a beginning mult neceflarily be made : nor can 

 any general reafonings, nor do any hiftorical 

 fads warrant the opinion that fucif changes or 

 alterations will ever be attempted on light 

 ground : that burden muft be heavy indeed 

 which a whole people unite to fhake off. 



XXXIV, But -as every member of fociety 

 ought to aim at the welfare of the community, 

 and of courfe fhould endeavour to produce the 

 greateft balance of good upon the whole j in cafe 

 any alteration although defirable to the majority 

 of the nation, if attempted by force, is likely to 

 produce a confiderable degree of refillance from 

 the officers in power, the good to be obtained 

 by the alteration ought to be compared with the 

 evils likely to enfue from the enforcement of it-, 

 and if the latter, obvioujly preponderate, no man 

 can be juftified in attempting fuch alteration by 

 force at that opportunity. 



In all cafes however, it is to be confidered in 

 the comparifon, that the evils, will moft probably 

 afflift the prefent generation only : the good, will 



moft 



