concerning civil government-第16节

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sceleratus　habendi；　evil　concupiscence　had　corrupted　men's　minds

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

consequently　better　governors；　as　well　as　less　vicious　subjects；　and

there　was　then　no　stretching　prerogative　on　the　one　side　to　oppress

the　people；　nor；　consequently；　on　the　other；　any　dispute　about

privilege；　to　lessen　or　restrain　the　power　of　the　magistrate；　and　so

no　contest　betwixt　rulers　and　people　about　governors　or　government。*

Yet；　when　ambition　and　luxury；　in　future　ages；　would　retain　and

increase　the　power；　without　doing　the　business　for　which　it　was　given；

and　aided　by　flattery；　taught　princes　to　have　distinct　and　separate

interests　from　their　people；　men　found　it　necessary　to　examine　more

carefully　the　original　and　rights　of　government；　and　to　find　out

ways　to　restrain　the　exorbitances　and　prevent　the　abuses　of　that

power；　which　they　having　entrusted　in　another's　hands；　only　for

their　own　good；　they　found　was　made　use　of　to　hurt　them。



　　*　〃At　the　first；　when　some　certain　kind　of　regimen　was　once

approved；　it　may　be　that　nothing　was　then　further　thought　upon　for　the

manner　of　governing；　but　all　permitted　unto　their　wisdom　and

discretion；　which　were　to　rule　till；　by　experience；　they　found　this

for　all　parts　very　inconvenient；　so　as　the　thing　which　they　had

devised　for　a　remedy　did　indeed　but　increase　the　sore　which　it

should　have　cured。　They　saw　that　to　live　by　one　man's　will　became

the　cause　of　all　men's　misery。　This　constrained　them　to　come　unto　laws

wherein　all　men　might　see　their　duty　beforehand；　and　know　the

penalties　of　transgressing　them。〃　Hooker；　Eccl。　Pol。　1。　10。



　　112。　Thus　we　may　see　how　probable　it　is　that　people　that　were

naturally　free；　and；　by　their　own　consent；　either　submitted　to　the

government　of　their　father；　or　united　together；　out　of　different

families；　to　make　a　government；　should　generally　put　the　rule　into　one

man's　hands；　and　choose　to　be　under　the　conduct　of　a　single　person；

without　so　much；　as　by　express　conditions；　limiting　or　regulating

his　power；　which　they　thought　safe　enough　in　his　honesty　and　prudence；

though　they　never　dreamed　of　monarchy　being　jure　Divino；　which　we

never　heard　of　among　mankind　till　it　was　revealed　to　us　by　the

divinity　of　this　last　age；　nor　ever　allowed　paternal　power　to　have　a

right　to　dominion　or　to　be　the　foundation　of　all　government。　And

thus　much　may　suffice　to　show　that；　as　far　as　we　have　any　light　from

history；　we　have　reason　to　conclude　that　all　peaceful　beginnings　of

government　have　been　laid　in　the　consent　of　the　people。　I　say

〃peaceful；〃　because　I　shall　have　occasion；　in　another　place；　to

speak　of　conquest；　which　some　esteem　a　way　of　beginning　of

governments。

　　The　other　objection；　I　find；　urged　against　the　beginning　of

polities；　in　the　way　I　have　mentioned；　is　this；　viz。：

　　113。　〃That　all　men　being　born　under　government；　some　or　other；　it　is

impossible　any　of　them　should　ever　be　free　and　at　liberty　to　unite

together　and　begin　a　new　one；　or　ever　be　able　to　erect　a　lawful

government。〃　If　this　argument　be　good；　I　ask；　How　came　so　many

lawful　monarchies　into　the　world？　For　if　anybody；　upon　this

supposition；　can　show　me　any　one　man；　in　any　age　of　the　world；　free　to

begin　a　lawful　monarchy；　I　will　be　bound　to　show　him　ten　other　free

men　at　liberty；　at　the　same　time；　to　unite　and　begin　a　new

government　under　a　regal　or　any　other　form。　It　being　demonstration

that　if　any　one　born　under　the　dominion　of　another　may　be　so　free　as

to　have　a　right　to　command　others　in　a　new　and　distinct　empire；

every　one　that　is　born　under　the　dominion　of　another　may　be　so　free

too；　and　may　become　a　ruler　or　subject　of　a　distinct　separate

government。　And　so；　by　this　their　own　principle；　either　all　men；

however　born；　are　free；　or　else　there　is　but　one　lawful　prince；　one

lawful　government　in　the　world；　and　then　they　have　nothing　to　do　but

barely　to　show　us　which　that　is；　which；　when　they　have　done；　I　doubt

not　but　all　mankind　will　easily　agree　to　pay　obedience　to　him。

　　114。　Though　it　be　a　sufficient　answer　to　their　objection　to　show

that　it　involves　them　in　the　same　difficulties　that　it　doth　those　they

use　it　against；　yet　I　shall　endeavour　to　discover　the　weakness　of　this

argument　a　little　farther。

　　〃All　men；〃　say　they；　〃are　born　under　government；　and　therefore

they　cannot　be　at　liberty　to　begin　a　new　one。　Every　one　is　born　a

subject　to　his　father　or　his　prince；　and　is　therefore　under　the

perpetual　tie　of　subjection　and　allegiance。〃　It　is　plain　mankind　never

owned　nor　considered　any　such　natural　subjection　that　they　were　born

in；　to　one　or　to　the　other；　that　tied　them；　without　their　own

consents；　to　a　subjection　to　them　and　their　heirs。

　　115。　For　there　are　no　examples　so　frequent　in　history；　both　sacred

and　profane；　as　those　of　men　withdrawing　themselves　and　their

obedience　from　the　jurisdiction　they　were　born　under；　and　the　family

or　community　they　were　bred　up　in；　and　setting　up　new　governments　in

other　places；　from　whence　sprang　all　that　number　of　petty

commonwealths　in　the　beginning　of　ages；　and　which　always　multiplied　as

long　as　there　was　room　enough；　till　the　stronger　or　more　fortunate

swallowed　the　weaker；　and　those　great　ones；　again　breaking　to

pieces；　dissolved　into　lesser　dominions；　all　which　are　so　many

testimonies　against　paternal　sovereignty；　and　plainly　prove　that　it

was　not　the　natural　right　of　the　father　descending　to　his　heirs　that

made　governments　in　the　beginning；　since　it　was　impossible；　upon

that　ground；　there　should　have　been　so　many　little　kingdoms　but　only

one　universal　monarchy　if　men　had　not　been　at　liberty　to　separate

themselves　from　their　families　and　their　government；　be　it　what　it

will　that　was　set　up　in　it；　and　go　and　make　distinct　commonwealths　and

other　governments　as　they　thought　fit。

　　116。　This　has　been　the　practice　of　the　world　from　its　first

beginning　to　this　day；　nor　is　it　now　any　more　hindrance　to　the　freedom

of　mankind；　that　they　are　born　under　constituted　and　ancient

polities　that　have　established　laws　and　set　forms　of　government；

than　if　they　were　born　in　the　woods　amongst　the　unconfined　inhabitants

that　run　loose　in　them。　For　those　who　would　persuade　us　that　by

being　born　under　any　government　we　are　naturally　subjects　to　it；　and

have　no　more　any　title　or　pretence　to　the　freedom　of　the　state　of

Nature；　have　no　other　reason　（bating　that　of　paternal　power；　which

we　have　already　answered）　to　produce　for　it；　but　only　because　our

fathers　or　progenitors　passed　away　their　natural　liberty；　and

thereby　bound　up　themselves　and　their　posterity　to　a　perpetual

subjection　to　the　government　which　they　themselves　submitted　to。　It　is

true　that　whatever　engagements　or　promises　any　one　made　for　himself；

he　is　under　the　obligation　of　them；　but　cannot　by　any　compact

whatsoever　bind　his　children　or　posterity。　For　his　son；　when　a　man；

being　altogether　as　free　as　the　father；　any　act　of　the　father　can　no

more　give　away　the　liberty　of　the　son　than　it　can　of　anybody　else。

He　may；　indeed；　annex　such　conditions　to　the　land　he　enjoyed；　as　a

subject　of　any　commonwealth；　as　may　oblige　his　son　to　be　of　that

community；　if　he　will　enjoy　those　possessions　which　were　his　father's；

because　that　estate　being　his　father's　property；　he　may　dispose　or

settle　it　as　he　pleases。

　　117。　And　this　has　generally　given　the　occasion　to　the　mistake　in

this　matter；　because　commonwealths　not　permitting　any　part　of　their

dominions　to　be　dismembered；　nor　to　be　enjoyed　by　any　but　those　of

their　community；　the　son　cannot　ordinarily　enjoy　the　possessions　of

his　father　but　under　the　same　terms　his　father　did；　by　becoming　a

member　of　the　society；　whereby　he　puts　himself　presently　under　the

government　he　finds　there　established；　as　much　as　any　other　subject　of

that　commonweal。　And　thus　the　consent　of　free　men；　born　under

government；　which　only　makes　them　members　of　it；　being　given

separately　in　their　turns；　as　each　comes　to　be　of　age；　and　not　in　a

multitude　together；　people　take　no　notice　of　it；　and　thinking　it　not

done　at　all；　or　not　necessary；　conclude　they　are　naturally　subjects　as

they　are　men。

　　118。　But　it　is　plain　governments　themselves　understand　it　otherwise；

they　claim　no　power　over　the　son　because　of　that　they　had　over　the

father；　nor　look　on　children　as　being　their　subjects；　by　their　fathers

being　so。　If　a　subject　of　England　have　a　child　by　an　Englishwoman　in

France；　whose　subject　is　he？　Not　the　King　of　England's；　for　he　must

have　leave　to　be　admitted　to　the　privileges　of　it。　Nor　the　King　of

France's；　for　how　then　has　his　father　a　liberty　to　bring　him　away；　and

breed　him　as　he　pleases；　and　whoever　was　judged　as　a　traitor　or

deserter；　if　he　left；　or　warred　against　a　country；　for　being　barely

born　in　it　of　parents　that　were　aliens　there？　It　is　plain；　then；　by

the　practice　of　governments　themselves；　as　well　as　by　the　law　of　right

reason；　that　a　child　is　born　a　subject　of　no　country　nor　government。

He　is　under　his　father's　tuition　and　authority　till　he　come　to　age

of　discretion；　and　then　he　is　a　free　m