§. 166. Such God-like princes, indeed, had some title to arbitrary power by
that argument that would prove absolute monarchy the best government, as that
which God Himself governs the universe by, because such kings partake of His
wisdom and goodness. Upon this is founded that saying, "That the reigns of
good princes have been always most dangerous to the liberties of their
people." For when their successors, managing the government with different
thoughts, would draw the actions of those good rulers into precedent and make
them the standard of their prerogative — as if what had been done only for
the good of the people was a right in them to do for the harm of the people, if
they so pleased — it has often occasioned contest, and sometimes public
disorders, before the people could recover their original right and get that to
be declared not to be prerogative which truly was never so; since it is
impossible anybody in the society should ever have a right to do the people
harm, though it be very possible and reasonable that the people should not go
about to set any bounds to the prerogative of those kings or rulers who
themselves transgressed not the bounds of the public good. For
"prerogative is nothing but the power of doing public good without a
rule."
