concerning civil government-第15节

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

consent　of　the　individuals　to　join　into　and　make　one　society；　who；

when　they　are　thus　incorporated；　might　set　up　what　form　of

government　they　thought　fit。　But　this　having　given　occasion　to　men

to　mistake　and　think　that；　by　Nature；　government　was　monarchical；

and　belonged　to　the　father；　it　may　not　be　amiss　here　to　consider　why

people；　in　the　beginning；　generally　pitched　upon　this　form；　which；

though　perhaps　the　father's　pre…eminency　might；　in　the　first

institution　of　some　commonwealths；　give　a　rise　to　and　place　in　the

beginning　the　power　in　one　hand；　yet　it　is　plain　that　the　reason

that　continued　the　form　of　government　in　a　single　person　was　not　any

regard　or　respect　to　paternal　authority；　since　all　petty　monarchies…

that　is；　almost　all　monarchies；　near　their　original；　have　been

commonly；　at　least　upon　occasion；　elective。

　　107。　First；　then；　in　the　beginning　of　things；　the　father's

government　of　the　childhood　of　those　sprung　from　him　having　accustomed

them　to　the　rule　of　one　man；　and　taught　them　that　where　it　was

exercised　with　care　and　skill；　with　affection　and　love　to　those

under　it；　it　was　sufficient　to　procure　and　preserve　men　（all　the

political　happiness　they　sought　for　in　society）；　it　was　no　wonder　that

they　should　pitch　upon　and　naturally　run　into　that　form　of

government　which；　from　their　infancy；　they　had　been　all　accustomed　to；

and　which；　by　experience；　they　had　found　both　easy　and　safe。　To

which　if　we　add；　that　monarchy　being　simple　and　most　obvious　to　men；

whom　neither　experience　had　instructed　in　forms　of　government；　nor　the

ambition　or　insolence　of　empire　had　taught　to　beware　of　the

encroachments　of　prerogative　or　the　inconveniencies　of　absolute　power；

which　monarchy；　in　succession；　was　apt　to　lay　claim　to　and　bring

upon　them；　it　was　not　at　all　strange　that　they　should　not　much　trouble

themselves　to　think　of　methods　of　restraining　any　exorbitances　of

those　to　whom　they　had　given　the　authority　over　them；　and　of　balancing

the　power　of　government　by　placing　several　parts　of　it　in　different

hands。　They　had　neither　felt　the　oppression　of　tyrannical　dominion；

nor　did　the　fashion　of　the　age；　nor　their　possessions　or　way　of

living；　which　afforded　little　matter　for　covetousness　or　ambition；

give　them　any　reason　to　apprehend　or　provide　against　it；　and；

therefore；　it　is　no　wonder　they　put　themselves　into　such　a　frame　of

government　as　was　not　only；　as　I　said；　most　obvious　and　simple；　but

also　best　suited　to　their　present　state　and　condition；　which　stood

more　in　need　of　defence　against　foreign　invasions　and　injuries　than　of

multiplicity　of　laws　where　there　was　but　very　little　property；　and

wanted　not　variety　of　rulers　and　abundance　of　officers　to　direct　and

look　after　their　execution　where　there　were　but　few　trespassers　and

few　offenders。　Since；　then；　those　who　liked　one　another　so　well　as

to　join　into　society　cannot　but　be　supposed　to　have　some

acquaintance　and　friendship　together；　and　some　trust　one　in　another；

they　could　not　but　have　greater　apprehensions　of　others　than　of　one

another；　and；　therefore；　their　first　care　and　thought　cannot　but　be

supposed　to　be；　how　to　secure　themselves　against　foreign　force。　It　was

natural　for　them　to　put　themselves　under　a　frame　of　government　which

might　best　serve　to　that　end；　and　choose　the　wisest　and　bravest　man　to

conduct　them　in　their　wars　and　lead　them　out　against　their　enemies；

and　in　this　chiefly　be　their　ruler。

　　108。　Thus　we　see　that　the　kings　of　the　Indians；　in　America；　which　is

still　a　pattern　of　the　first　ages　in　Asia　and　Europe；　whilst　the

inhabitants　were　too　few　for　the　country；　and　want　of　people　and　money

gave　men　no　temptation　to　enlarge　their　possessions　of　land　or　contest

for　wider　extent　of　ground；　are　little　more　than　generals　of　their

armies；　and　though　they　command　absolutely　in　war；　yet　at　home；　and　in

time　of　peace；　they　exercise　very　little　dominion；　and　have　but　a　very

moderate　sovereignty；　the　resolutions　of　peace　and　war　being

ordinarily　either　in　the　people　or　in　a　council；　though　the　war

itself；　which　admits　not　of　pluralities　of　governors；　naturally

evolves　the　command　into　the　king's　sole　authority。

　　109。　And　thus；　in　Israel　itself；　the　chief　business　of　their

judges　and　first　kings　seems　to　have　been　to　be　captains　in　war　and

leaders　of　their　armies；　which　（besides　what　is　signified　by　〃going

out　and　in　before　the　people；〃　which　was；　to　march　forth　to　war　and

home　again　at　the　heads　of　their　forces）　appears　plainly　in　the

story　of　Jephtha。　The　Ammonites　making　war　upon　Israel；　the

Gileadites；　in　fear；　send　to　Jephtha；　a　bastard　of　their　family；

whom　they　had　cast　off；　and　article　with　him；　if　he　will　assist　them

against　the　Ammonites；　to　make　him　their　ruler；　which　they　do　in　these

words：　〃And　the　people　made　him　head　and　captain　over　them〃　（Judges

11。　11）；　which　was；　as　it　seems；　all　one　as　to　be　judge。　〃And　he

judged　Israel〃　（Judges　12。　7）…　that　is；　was　their　captain…general…

〃six　years。〃　So　when　Jotham　upbraids　the　Shechemites　with　the

obligation　they　had　to　Gideon；　who　had　been　their　judge　and　ruler；

he　tells　them：　〃He　fought　for　you；　and　adventured　his　life　for；　and

delivered　you　out　of　the　hands　of　Midian〃　（Judges　9。　17）。　Nothing

mentioned　of　him　but　what　he　did　as　a　general；　and；　indeed；　that　is

all　is　found　in　his　history；　or　in　any　of　the　rest　of　the　judges。

And　Abimelech　particularly　is　called　king；　though　at　most　he　was　but

their　general。　And　when；　being　weary　of　the　ill…conduct　of　Samuel's

sons；　the　children　of　Israel　desired　a　king；　〃like　all　the　nations；　to

judge　them；　and　to　go　out　before　them；　and　to　fight　their　battles〃

（1　Sam。　8。　20）；　God；　granting　their　desire；　says　to　Samuel；　〃I　will

send　thee　a　man；　and　thou　shalt　anoint　him　to　be　captain　over　my

people　Israel；　that　he　may　save　my　people　out　of　the　hands　of　the

Philistines〃　（ch。　9。　16）。　As　if　the　only　business　of　a　king　had　been

to　lead　out　their　armies　and　fight　in　their　defence；　and；　accordingly；

at　his　inauguration；　pouring　a　vial　of　oil　upon　him；　declares　to

Saul　that　〃the　Lord　had　anointed　him　to　be　captain　over　his

inheritance〃　（ch。　10。　1）。　And　therefore　those　who；　after　Saul　being

solemnly　chosen　and　saluted　king　by　the　tribes　at　Mispah；　were

unwilling　to　have　him　their　king；　make　no　other　objection　but　this；

〃How　shall　this　man　save　us？〃　（ch。　10。　27）；　as　if　they　should　have

said：　〃This　man　is　unfit　to　be　our　king；　not　having　skill　and

conduct　enough　in　war　to　be　able　to　defend　us。〃　And　when　God

resolved　to　transfer　the　government　to　David；　it　is　in　these　words：

〃But　now　thy　kingdom　shall　not　continue：　the　Lord　hath　sought　Him　a

man　after　His　own　heart；　and　the　Lord　hath　commanded　him　to　be　captain

over　His　people〃　（ch。　13。　14。）。　As　if　the　whole　kingly　authority

were　nothing　else　but　to　be　their　general；　and　therefore　the　tribes

who　had　stuck　to　Saul's　family；　and　opposed　David's　reign；　when　they

came　to　Hebron　with　terms　of　submission　to　him；　they　tell　him；　amongst

other　arguments；　they　had　to　submit　to　him　as　to　their　king；　that　he

was；　in　effect；　their　king　in　Saul's　time；　and　therefore　they　had　no

reason　but　to　receive　him　as　their　king　now。　〃Also；〃　say　they；　〃in

time　past；　when　Saul　was　king　over　us；　thou　wast　he　that　leddest　out

and　broughtest　in　Israel；　and　the　Lord　said　unto　thee；　Thou　shalt　feed

my　people　Israel；　and　thou　shalt　be　a　captain　over　Israel。〃

　　110。　Thus；　whether　a　family；　by　degrees；　grew　up　into　a

commonwealth；　and　the　fatherly　authority　being　continued　on　to　the

elder　son；　every　one　in　his　turn　growing　up　under　it　tacitly　submitted

to　it；　and　the　easiness　and　equality　of　it　not　offending　any　one；

every　one　acquiesced　till　time　seemed　to　have　confirmed　it　and　settled

a　right　of　succession　by　prescription；　or　whether　several　families；　or

the　descendants　of　several　families；　whom　chance；　neighbourhood；　or

business　brought　together；　united　into　society；　the　need　of　a

general　whose　conduct　might　defend　them　against　their　enemies　in

war；　and　the　great　confidence　the　innocence　and　sincerity　of　that　poor

but　virtuous　age；　such　as　are　almost　all　those　which　begin　governments

that　ever　come　to　last　in　the　world；　gave　men　one　of　another；　made　the

first　beginners　of　commonwealths　generally　put　the　rule　into　one　man's

hand；　without　any　other　express　limitation　or　restraint　but　what　the

nature　of　the　thing　and　the　end　of　government　required。　It　was　given

them　for　the　public　good　and　safety；　and　to　those　ends；　in　the

infancies　of　commonwealths；　they　commonly　used　it；　and　unless　they　had

done　so；　young　societies　could　not　have　subsisted。　Without　such

nursing　fathers；　without　this　care　of　the　governors；　all　governments

would　have　sunk　under　the　weakness　and　infirmities　of　their　infancy；

the　prince　and　the　people　had　soon　perished　together。

　　111。　But　the　golden　age　（though　before　vain　ambition；　and　amor

sceleratus　habendi；　evil　concupiscence　had　corrupted　men's　minds

into　a　mistake　of　true　power　and　honour）　had　more　virtue；　and

consequently　better　g