concerning civil government-第14节

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assembly；　and　the　variety　of　opinions　and　contrariety　of　interests

which　unavoidably　happen　in　all　collections　of　men；　it　is　next

impossible　ever　to　be　had。　And；　therefore；　if　coming　into　society　be

upon　such　terms；　it　will　be　only　like　Cato's　coming　into　the

theatre；　tantum　ut　exiret。　Such　a　constitution　as　this　would　make

the　mighty　leviathan　of　a　shorter　duration　than　the　feeblest

creatures；　and　not　let　it　outlast　the　day　it　was　born　in；　which　cannot

be　supposed　till　we　can　think　that　rational　creatures　should　desire

and　constitute　societies　only　to　be　dissolved。　For　where　the

majority　cannot　conclude　the　rest；　there　they　cannot　act　as　one

body；　and　consequently　will　be　immediately　dissolved　again。

　　99。　Whosoever；　therefore；　out　of　a　state　of　Nature　unite　into　a

community；　must　be　understood　to　give　up　all　the　power　necessary　to

the　ends　for　which　they　unite　into　society　to　the　majority　of　the

community；　unless　they　expressly　agreed　in　any　number　greater　than　the

majority。　And　this　is　done　by　barely　agreeing　to　unite　into　one

political　society；　which　is　all　the　compact　that　is；　or　needs　be；

between　the　individuals　that　enter　into　or　make　up　a　commonwealth。　And

thus；　that　which　begins　and　actually　constitutes　any　political　society

is　nothing　but　the　consent　of　any　number　of　freemen　capable　of

majority；　to　unite　and　incorporate　into　such　a　society。　And　this　is

that；　and　that　only；　which　did　or　could　give　beginning　to　any　lawful

government　in　the　world。

　　100。　To　this　I　find　two　objections　made：　1。　That　there　are　no

instances　to　be　found　in　story　of　a　company　of　men；　independent　and

equal　one　amongst　another；　that　met　together；　and　in　this　way　began

and　set　up　a　government。　2。　It　is　impossible　of　right　that　men

should　do　so；　because　all　men；　being　born　under　government；　they　are

to　submit　to　that；　and　are　not　at　liberty　to　begin　a　new　one。

　　101。　To　the　first　there　is　this　to　answer：　That　it　is　not　at　all

to　be　wondered　that　history　gives　us　but　a　very　little　account　of

men　that　lived　together　in　the　state　of　Nature。　The　inconveniencies　of

that　condition；　and　the　love　and　want　of　society；　no　sooner　brought

any　number　of　them　together；　but　they　presently　united　and　in

corporated　if　they　designed　to　continue　together。　And　if　we　may　not

suppose　men　ever　to　have　been　in　the　state　of　Nature；　because　we

hear　not　much　of　them　in　such　a　state；　we　may　as　well　suppose　the

armies　of　Salmanasser　or　Xerxes　were　never　children；　because　we　hear

little　of　them　till　they　were　men　and　embodied　in　armies。　Government

is　everywhere　antecedent　to　records；　and　letters　seldom　come　in

amongst　a　people　till　a　long　continuation　of　civil　society　has；　by

other　more　necessary　arts；　provided　for　their　safety；　ease；　and

plenty。　And　then　they　begin　to　look　after　the　history　of　their

founders；　and　search　into　their　original　when　they　have　outlived　the

memory　of　it。　For　it　is　with　commonwealths　as　with　particular　persons；

they　are　commonly　ignorant　of　their　own　births　and　infancies；　and　if

they　know　anything　of　it；　they　are　beholding　for　it　to　the

accidental　records　that　others　have　kept　of　it。　And　those　that　we　have

of　the　beginning　of　any　polities　in　the　world；　excepting　that　of　the

Jews；　where　God　Himself　immediately　interposed；　and　which　favours

not　at　all　paternal　dominion；　are　all　either　plain　instances　of　such　a

beginning　as　I　have　mentioned；　or　at　least　have　manifest　footsteps

of　it。

　　102。　He　must　show　a　strange　inclination　to　deny　evident　matter　of

fact；　when　it　agrees　not　with　his　hypothesis；　who　will　not　allow

that　the　beginning　of　Rome　and　Venice　were　by　the　uniting　together

of　several　men；　free　and　independent　one　of　another；　amongst　whom

there　was　no　natural　superiority　or　subjection。　And　if　Josephus

Acosta's　word　may　be　taken；　he　tells　us　that　in　many　parts　of

America　there　was　no　government　at　all。　〃There　are　great　and

apparent　conjectures；〃　says　he；　〃that　these　men　＇speaking　of　those

of　Peru＇　for　a　long　time　had　neither　kings　nor　commonwealths；　but

lived　in　troops；　as　they　do　this　day　in　Florida…　the　Cheriquanas；

those　of　Brazil；　and　many　other　nations；　which　have　no　certain

kings；　but；　as　occasion　is　offered　in　peace　or　war；　they　choose

their　captains　as　they　please〃　（lib。　i。　cap。　25）。　If　it　be　said；

that　every　man　there　was　born　subject　to　his　father；　or　the　head　of

his　family。　that　the　subjection　due　from　a　child　to　a　father　took　away

not　his　freedom　of　uniting　into　what　political　society　he　thought　fit；

has　been　already　proved；　but　be　that　as　it　will；　these　men；　it　is

evident；　were　actually　free；　and　whatever　superiority　some　politicians

now　would　place　in　any　of　them；　they　themselves　claimed　it　not；　but；

by　consent；　were　all　equal；　till；　by　the　same　consent；　they　set　rulers

over　themselves。　So　that　their　politic　societies　all　began　from　a

voluntary　union；　and　the　mutual　agreement　of　men　freely　acting　in

the　choice　of　their　governors　and　forms　of　government。

　　103。　And　I　hope　those　who　went　away　from　Sparta；　with　Palantus；

mentioned　by　Justin；　will　be　allowed　to　have　been　freemen

independent　one　of　another；　and　to　have　set　up　a　government　over

themselves　by　their　own　consent。　Thus　I　have　given　several　examples

out　of　history　of　people；　free　and　in　the　state　of　Nature；　that；　being

met　together；　incorporated　and　began　a　commonwealth。　And　if　the　want

of　such　instances　be　an　argument　to　prove　that　government　were　not　nor

could　not　be　so　begun；　I　suppose　the　contenders　for　paternal　empire

were　better　let　it　alone　than　urge　it　against　natural　liberty；　for

if　they　can　give　so　many　instances　out　of　history　of　governments　begun

upon　paternal　right；　I　think　（though　at　least　an　argument　from　what

has　been　to　what　should　of　right　be　of　no　great　force）　one　might；

without　any　great　danger；　yield　them　the　cause。　But　if　I　might

advise　them　in　the　case；　they　would　do　well　not　to　search　too　much

into　the　original　of　governments　as　they　have　begun　de　facto；　lest

they　should　find　at　the　foundation　of　most　of　them　something　very

little　favourable　to　the　design　they　promote；　and　such　a　power　as　they

contend　for。

　　104。　But；　to　conclude：　reason　being　plain　on　our　side　that　men　are

naturally　free；　and　the　examples　of　history　showing　that　the

governments　of　the　world；　that　were　begun　in　peace；　had　their

beginning　laid　on　that　foundation；　and　were　made　by　the　consent　of　the

people；　there　can　be　little　room　for　doubt；　either　where　the　right　is；

or　what　has　been　the　opinion　or　practice　of　mankind　about　the　first

erecting　of　governments。

　　105。　I　will　not　deny　that　if　we　look　back；　as　far　as　history　will

direct　us；　towards　the　original　of　commonwealths；　we　shall　generally

find　them　under　the　government　and　administration　of　one　man。　And　I　am

also　apt　to　believe　that　where　a　family　was　numerous　enough　to　subsist

by　itself；　and　continued　entire　together；　without　mixing　with

others；　as　it　often　happens；　where　there　is　much　land　and　few

people；　the　government　commonly　began　in　the　father。　For　the　father

having；　by　the　law　of　Nature；　the　same　power；　with　every　man　else；

to　punish；　as　he　thought　fit；　any　offences　against　that　law；　might

thereby　punish　his　transgressing　children；　even　when　they　were　men；

and　out　of　their　pupilage；　and　they　were　very　likely　to　submit　to

his　punishment；　and　all　join　with　him　against　the　offender　in　their

turns；　giving　him　thereby　power　to　execute　his　sentence　against　any

transgression；　and　so；　in　effect；　make　him　the　law…maker　and

governor　over　all　that　remained　in　conjunction　with　his　family。　He　was

fittest　to　be　trusted；　paternal　affection　secured　their　property　and

interest　under　his　care；　and　the　custom　of　obeying　him　in　their

childhood　made　it　easier　to　submit　to　him　rather　than　any　other。　If；

therefore；　they　must　have　one　to　rule　them；　as　government　is　hardly　to

be　avoided　amongst　men　that　live　together；　who　so　likely　to　be　the　man

as　he　that　was　their　common　father；　unless　negligence；　cruelty；　or　any

other　defect　of　mind　or　body；　made　him　unfit　for　it？　But　when　either

the　father　died。　and　left　his　next　heir…　for　want　of　age；　wisdom；

courage；　or　any　other　qualities…　less　fit　for　rule；　or　where　several

families　met　and　consented　to　continue　together；　there；　it　is　not　to

be　doubted；　but　they　used　their　natural　freedom　to　set　up　him　whom

they　judged　the　ablest　and　most　likely　to　rule　well　over　them。

Conformable　hereunto　we　find　the　people　of　America；　who…　living　out　of

the　reach　of　the　conquering　swords　and　spreading　domination　of　the　two

great　empires　of　Peru　and　Mexico…　enjoyed　their　own　natural　freedom；

though；　caeteris　paribus；　they　commonly　prefer　the　heir　of　their

deceased　king；　yet；　if　they　find　him　any　way　weak　or　incapable；　they

pass　him　by；　and　set　up　the　stoutest　and　bravest　man　for　their　ruler。

　　106。　Thus；　though　looking　back　as　far　as　records　give　us　any　account

of　peopling　the　world；　and　the　history　of　nations；　we　commonly　find

the　government　to　be　in　one　hand；　yet　it　destroys　not　that　which　I

affirm…　viz。；　that　the　beginning　of　politic　society　depends　upon　the

cons