CIVIL SlJCIKTÏ AM) CllKlSTlANITi'. lio 



God ;"'' and it is not free to the several lieiids of families to refuse 

 their assent to the institution of it. But this institution is not 

 effected directly by God. Only one such instance is furnished by 

 history; — the Jewish nation, Avell styled tlic miraculous nation. 

 This nation was formed by God, at Sinai ; but the nation was 

 itself the Church of Jesus Christ in a preparative stai^e. The 

 historical ori.i^in of civil society has considerably varied in differ- 

 ent time.^ and places, with dilferent races and in ditrercnt cir- 

 cumstances; but the underlyini!; reason which has produced aud 

 maintained it, is the need felt by families of a new organization 

 to regulate and protect their rights. This takes place often in 

 consequence of the change from the wandering pastoral life to 

 the settled life of the husbandman. Aljraham and Lot, nomadic 

 shepherds, may separate from each other on the face of the earth : 

 the tribes descended from Jacob, and planted on the soil by 

 Joshua, need, if they would dwell in peace, judges, and by and 

 by kings. War, also, was a potent means of organization for po- 

 litical society : blood is the primitive cement of the most of them, 

 and the earliest kings were soldiers that had been crowned by 

 victory. Sometimes it is the defender of a group of families 

 against outside aggressions who, victorious, becomes the organ- 

 izer of society; sometimes it is the enemy himself Avho becomes 

 iirst conqueror, then legislator.] 



II. But whatever the fiicts may liavc been "with regard 

 to the historical origin of civil society, we liave now 

 reached the philosophical notion of it. It is the union 

 of a certain number of heads of families, in order that 

 the mutual exercise of their rights may be regulated 

 by common arbitrament, and, if necessary, protected by 

 force. This union supposes an agreement, implied if 

 not expressed, between the heads of families, which 

 hears no resemblance to the ^' social compact," since it 

 is ordained by Providence, demanded, at a certain stage 

 of development, by human nature, and governed by 

 tlie absolute principles of justice. 



* Romans, xiii. 1. 

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