4 - Of a commonwealth in general, and power civil

Summary

The subject of a commonwealth being a community, which is twofold, civil and ecclesiastical. It remains, and order requireth, that I say something of a commonwealth. You heard before that the subject adequate of politics, was a state or commonwealth, and that the parts of this act are two: […] the constitution [and] the administration. The constitution, as you may remember, is the first part of politics, whereby an order of superiority and subjection is settled in a community; wherein three things were principally to be examined: […] what a community in general, […] what a community civil, [and] what a community ecclesiastical is: and all this is done. Therefore to proceed, observe, that a community is like a matter without form in respect of something that it must receive, yet a matter and a subject disposed and in proximo, potentia to receive a form to perfect it: and this form is that we call a commonwealth, a polity, a state, wherein we may observe four things, i. That it is an order. 2. An order of superiority and subjection: this is the general nature of it. 3. An order of superiority and subjection in a community. 4. Such an order tending to the peace and happiness of a community. [First] it's [taxis] an order, or as some understand the philosopher (an ordination) which is a disposing of things in their proper place.