Secondly, But this privilege belonging only to the kingās person, hinders not, but they may be questioned, opposed, and resisted, who use unjust force, though they pretend a commission from him, which the law authorizes not; as is plain in the case of him that has the kingās writ to arrest a man, which is a full commission from the king; and yet he that has it cannot break open a manās house to do it, nor execute this command of the king upon certain days, nor in certain places, though this commission have no such exception in it; but they are the limitations of the law, which if anyone transgress, the kingās commission excuses him not: for the kingās authority being given him only by the law, he cannot empower anyone to act against the law, or justify him, by his commission, in so doing; the commission or command of any magistrate, where he has no authority, being as void and insignificant, as that of any private man; the difference between the one and the other being that the magistrate has some authority so far, and to such ends, and the private man has none at all: for it is not the commission, but the authority, that gives the right of acting; and against the laws there can be no authority. But notwithstanding such resistance, the kingās person and authority are still both secured, and so no danger to governor or government.
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