Page:Two Treatises of Government.djvu/221

 a paionate and haty, but a edate ettled deign upon another man's life, puts him in a tate of war with him againt whom he has declared uch an intention, and o has expoed his life to the other's power to be taken away by him, or any one that joins with him in his defence, and epoues his quarrel; it being reaonable and jut, I hould have a right to detroy that which threatens me with detruction: for, by the fundamental law of nature, man being to be preerved as much as poible, when all cannot be preerved, the afety of the innocent is to be preferred: and one may detroy a man who makes war upon him, or has dicovered an enmity to his being, for the ame reaon that he may kill a wolf or a lion; becaue uch men are not under the ties of the of reaon, have no other rule, but that of force and violence, and o may be treated as beats of prey, thoe dangerous and noxious creatures, that will be ure to detroy him whenever he falls into their power.

§. 17. And hence it is, that he who attempts to get another man into his abolute power, does thereby put himelf into a tate of war with him; it being to be undertood as a declaration of a deign upon his life: for I have reaon to conclude, that he who would get me into his power without my conent, would ue me as he pleaed when he had got me there, and detroy me too when