second treatise of government-第8节

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。　47。　　And　thus　came　in　the　use　of　money；　some　lasting　　thing　that　men　might　keep　without　spoiling；　and　that　by　mutual　　consent　men　would　take　in　exchange　for　the　truly　useful；　but　　perishable　supports　of　life。　　　　　　Sec。　48。　　And　as　different　degrees　of　industry　were　apt　to　　give　men　possessions　in　different　proportions；　so　this　invention　　of　money　gave　them　the　opportunity　to　continue　and　enlarge　them：　　for　supposing　an　island；　separate　from　all　possible　commerce　with　　the　rest　of　the　world；　wherein　there　were　but　an　hundred　　families；　but　there　were　sheep；　horses　and　cows；　with　other　　useful　animals；　wholsome　fruits；　and　land　enough　for　corn　for　a　　hundred　thousand　times　as　many；　but　nothing　in　the　island；　either　　because　of　its　commonness；　or　perishableness；　fit　to　supply　the　　place　of　money；　what　reason　could　any　one　have　there　to　enlarge　　his　possessions　beyond　the　use　of　his　family；　and　a　plentiful　　supply　to　its　consumption；　either　in　what　their　own　industry　

produced；　or　they　could　barter　for　like　perishable；　useful　　commodities；　with　others？　　Where　there　is　not　some　thing；　both　　lasting　and　scarce；　and　so　valuable　to　be　hoarded　up；　there　men　　will　not　be　apt　to　enlarge　their　possessions　of　land；　were　it　　never　so　rich；　never　so　free　for　them　to　take：　for　I　ask；　what　　would　a　man　value　ten　thousand；　or　an　hundred　thousand　acres　of　　excellent　land；　ready　cultivated；　and　well　stocked　too　with　　cattle；　in　the　middle　of　the　inland　parts　of　America；　where　he　　had　no　hopes　of　commerce　with　other　parts　of　the　world；　to　draw　　money　to　him　by　the　sale　of　the　product？　　It　would　not　be　worth　　the　enclosing；　and　we　should　see　him　give　up　again　to　the　wild　　common　of　nature；　whatever　was　more　than　would　supply　the　　conveniencies　of　life　to　be　had　there　for　him　and　his　family。　　　　　　Sec。　49。　　Thus　in　the　beginning　all　the　world　was　America；　　and　more　so　than　that　is　now；　for　no　such　thing　as　money　was　　any　where　known。　　Find　out　something　that　hath　the　use　and　value　　of　money　amongst　his　neighbours；　you　shall　see　the　same　man　will　　begin　presently　to　enlarge　his　possessions。　　　　　　Sec。　50。　　But　since　gold　and　silver；　being　little　useful　to　　the　life　of　man　in　proportion　to　food；　raiment；　and　carriage；　has　　its　value　only　from　the　consent　of　men；　whereof　labour　yet　　makes；　in　great　part；　the　measure；　it　is　plain；　that　men　have　　agreed　to　a　disproportionate　and　unequal　possession　of　the　　earth；　they　having；　by　a　tacit　and　voluntary　consent；　found　out；　　a　way　how　a　man　may　fairly　possess　more　land　than　he　himself　can　　use　the　product　of；　by　receiving　in　exchange　for　the　overplus　　gold　and　silver；　which　may　be　hoarded　up　without　injury　to　any　　one；　these　metals　not　spoiling　or　decaying　in　the　hands　of　the　　possessor。　　This　partage　of　things　in　an　inequality　of　private　　possessions；　men　have　made　practicable　out　of　the　bounds　of　　society；　and　without　compact；　only　by　putting　a　value　on　gold　and　　silver；　and　tacitly　agreeing　in　the　use　of　money：　for　in　　governments；　the　laws　regulate　the　right　of　property；　and　the　　possession　of　land　is　determined　by　positive　constitutions。　　　　　　Sec。　51。　　And　thus；　I　think；　it　is　very　easy　to　conceive；　　without　any　difficulty；　how　labour　could　at　first　begin　a　title　　of　property　in　the　common　things　of　nature；　and　how　the　spending　　it　upon　our　uses　bounded　it。　　So　that　there　could　then　be　no　　reason　of　quarrelling　about　title；　nor　any　doubt　about　the　　largeness　of　possession　it　gave。　　Right　and　conveniency　went　　together；　for　as　a　man　had　a　right　to　all　he　could　employ　his　　labour　upon；　so　he　had　no　temptation　to　labour　for　more　than　he　　could　make　use　of。　　This　left　no　room　for　controversy　about　the　　title；　nor　for　encroachment　on　the　right　of　others；　what　portion　　a　man　carved　to　himself；　was　easily　seen；　and　it　was　useless；　as　　well　as　dishonest；　to　carve　himself　too　much；　or　take　more　than　　he　needed。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAP。　　VI。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　Paternal　Power。

　　　　　Sec。　52。　　IT　may　perhaps　be　censured　as　an　impertinent　　criticism；　in　a　discourse　of　this　nature；　to　find　fault　with　　words　and　names；　that　have　obtained　in　the　world：　and　yet　　possibly　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　offer　new　ones；　when　the　old　are　　apt　to　lead　men　into　mistakes；　as　this　of　paternal　power　　probably　has　done；　which　seems　so　to　place　the　power　of　parents　　over　their　children　wholly　in　the　father；　as　if　the　mother　　had　no　share　in　it；　whereas；　if　we　consult　reason　or　revelation；　　we　shall　find；　she　hath　an　equal　title。　　This　may　give　one　reason　　to　ask；　whether　this　might　not　be　more　properly　called　parental　　power？　　for　whatever　obligation　nature　and　the　right　of　　generation　lays　on　children；　it　must　certainly　bind　them　equal　to　

both　the　concurrent　causes　of　it。　　And　accordingly　we　see　the　　positive　law　of　God　every　where　joins　them　together；　without　　distinction；　when　it　commands　the　obedience　of　children；　Honour　　thy　father　and　thy　mother；　Exod。　xx。　12。　　Whosoever　curseth　his　　father　or　his　mother；　Lev。　xx。　9。　　Ye　shall　fear　every　man　his　　mother　and　his　father；　Lev。　xix。　3。　　Children；　obey　your　　parents；　&c。　Eph。　vi。　1。　　is　the　stile　of　the　Old　and　New　　Testament。　　　　　　Sec。　53。　　Had　but　this　one　thing　been　well　considered；　　without　looking　any　deeper　into　the　matter；　it　might　perhaps　have　　kept　men　from　running　into　those　gross　mistakes；　they　have　made；　　about　this　power　of　parents；　which；　however　it　might；　without　any　　great　harshness；　bear　the　name　of　absolute　dominion；　and　regal　　authority；　when　under　the　title　of　paternal　power　it　seemed　　appropriated　to　the　father；　would　yet　have　founded　but　oddly；　and　　in　the　very　name　shewn　the　absurdity；　if　this　supposed　absolute　　power　over　children　had　been　called　parental；　and　thereby　have　　discovered；　that　it　belonged　to　the　mother　too：　for　it　will　but　　very　ill　serve　the　turn　of　those　men；　who　contend　so　much　for　the　　absolute　power　and　authority　of　the　fatherhood；　as　they　call　　it；　that　the　mother　should　have　any　share　in　it；　and　it　would　　have　but　ill　supported　the　monarchy　they　contend　for；　when　by　　the　very　name　it　appeared；　that　that　fundamental　authority；　from　　whence　they　would　derive　their　government　of　a　single　person　　only；　was　not　placed　in　one；　but　two　persons　jointly。　　But　to　let　　this　of　names　pass。　　　　　　Sec。　54。　　Though　I　have　said　above；　Chap。　　II。　That　all　men　　by　nature　are　equal；　I　cannot　be　supposed　to　understand　all　　sorts　of　equality：　age　or　virtue　may　give　men　a　just　　precedency：　excellency　of　parts　and　merit　may　place　others　　above　the　common　level：　birth　may　subject　some；　and　alliance　　or　benefits　others；　to　pay　an　observance　to　those　to　whom　　nature；　gratitude；　or　other　respects；　may　have　made　it　due：　and　　yet　all　this　consists　with　the　equality；　which　all　men　are　in；　　in　respect　of　jurisdiction　or　dominion　one　over　another；　which　　was　the　equality　I　there　spoke　of；　as　proper　to　the　business　in　　hand；　being　that　equal　right；　that　every　man　hath；　to　his　　natural　freedom；　without　being　subjected　to　the　will　or　　authority　of　any　other　man。　　　　　　Sec。　55。　　Children；　I　confess；　are　not　born　in　this　full　　state　of　equality；　though　they　are　born　to　it。　　Their　parents　　have　a　sort　of　rule　and　jurisdiction　over　them；　when　they　come　　into　the　world；　and　for　some　time　after；　but　it　is　but　a　　temporary　one。　　The　bonds　of　this　subjection　are　like　the　　swaddling　clothes　they　art　wrapt　up　in；　and　supported　by；　in　the　　weakness　of　their　infancy：　age　and　reason　as　they　grow　up；　loosen　　them；　till　at　length　they　drop　quite　off；　and　leave　a　man　at　his　　own　free　disposal。　　　　　　Sec。　56。　　Adam　was　created　a　perfect　man；　his　body　and　　mind　in　full　possession　of　their　strength　and　reason；　and　so　was　　capable；　from　the　first　instant　of　his　being　to　provide　for　his　　own　support　and　preservation；　and　govern　his　actions　according　to　　the　dictates　of　the　law　of　reason　which　God　had　implanted　in　him。　　　From　him　the　world　is　peopled　with　his　descendants；　who　are　all　　born　infants；　weak　and　helpless；　without　knowledge　or　　understanding：　but　to　supply　the　defects　of　this　imperfect　state；　　till　the　improvement　of　growth　and　age　hath　removed　them；　Adam　　and　Eve；　and　after　them　all　parents　were；　by　the　law　of　　nature；　under　an　obligation　to　preserve；　nourish；　and　educate　　the　children　they　had　begotten；　not　as　their　own　workmanship；　　but　the　workmanship　of　their　own　maker；　the　Almighty；　to　whom　　they　were　to　be　accountable　for　them。　　　　　　Sec。　57。　　The　law；　that　was　to　govern　Adam；　was　the　same　　that　was　to　govern　all　his　posterity；　the　law　of　reason。　　But　　his　offspring　having　another　way　of　entrance　into　the　world；　　different　from　him；　by　a　natural　birth；　that　produced　them　

ignorant　and　without　the　use　of　reason；　they　were　not　presently　　under　that　law；　for　no　body　can　be　under　a　law；　which　is　not　　promulgated　to　him；　and　this　law　being　promulgated　or　made　known　　by　reason　only；　he　that　is　not　come　to　the　use　of　his　reason；　　cannot　be　said　to　be　under　this　law；　and　Adam's　children；　　being　not　presently　as　soon　as　born　under　this　law　of　reason；　　were　not　presently　free：　for　law；　in　its　true　notion；　is　　not　so　much　the　limitation　as　the　direction　of　a　free　and　　intelligent　agent　to　his　proper　interest；　and　prescribes　no　　farther　than　is　for　the　general　good　of　those　under