concerning civil government-第30部分

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et　molitur　serio；　omnem　regnandi　curam　et　animum　ilico　abjicit；　ac

proinde　imperium　in　subditos　amittit；　ut　dominus　servi　pro　derelicto

habiti；　dominium。

　　236。　〃Arlter　casus　est；　si　rex　in　alicujus　clientelam　se　contulit；

ac　regnum　quod　liberum　a　majoribus　et　populo　traditum　accepit；　alienae

ditioni　mancipavit。　Nam　tunc　quamvis　forte　non　ea　mente　id　agit　populo

plane　ut　incommodet；　tamen　quia　quod　praecipuum　est　regiae

dignitatis　amisit；　ut　summus　scilicet　in　regno　secundum　Deum　sit；　et

solo　Deo　inferior；　atque　populum　etiam　totum　ignorantem　vel　invitum；

cujus　libertatem　sartam　et　tectam　conservare　debuit；　in　alterius

gentis　ditionem　et　potestatem　dedidit；　hac　velut　quadam　rengi

abalienatione　effecit；　ut　nec　quod　ipse　in　regno　imperium　habuit

retineat；　nec　in　eum　cui　collatum　voluit；　juris　quicquam　transferat；

atque　ita　eo　facto　liberum　jam　et　suae　potestatis　populum　relinquit；

cujus　rei　exemplum　unum　annales　Scotici　suppeditant。〃…　Barclay；　Contra

Monarchomachos；　I。　iii。；　c。　16。

　　Which　may　be　thus　Englished：

　　237。　〃What；　then；　can　there　no　case　happen　wherein　the　people　may　of

right；　and　by　their　own　authority；　help　themselves；　take　arms；　and　set

upon　their　king；　imperiously　domineering　over　them？　None　at　all　whilst

he　remains　a　king。　'Honour　the　king；'　and　'he　that　resists　the

power；　resists　the　ordinance　of　God；'　are　Divine　oracles　that　will

never　permit　it。　The　people；　therefore；　can　never　come　by　a　power　over

him　unless　he　does　something　that　makes　him　cease　to　be　a　king；　for

then　he　divests　himself　of　his　crown　and　dignity；　and　returns　to　the

state　of　a　private　man；　and　the　people　become　free　and　superior；　the

power　which　they　had　in　the　interregnum；　before　they　crowned　him　king；

devolving　to　them　again。　But　there　are　but　few　miscarriages　which

bring　the　matter　to　this　state。　After　considering　it　well　on　all

sides；　I　can　find　but　two。　Two　cases　there　are；　I　say；　whereby　a　king；

ipso　facto；　becomes　no　king；　and　loses　all　power　and　regal　authority

over　his　people；　which　are　also　taken　notice　of　by　Winzerus。　The　first

is；　if　he　endeavour　to　overturn　the　government…　that　is；　if　he　have

a　purpose　and　design　to　ruin　the　kingdom　and　commonwealth；　as　it　is

recorded　of　Nero　that　he　resolved　to　cut　off　the　senate　and　people

of　Rome；　lay　the　city　waste　with　fire　and　sword；　and　then　remove　to

some　other　place；　and　of　Caligula；　that　he　openly　declared　that　he

would　be　no　longer　a　head　to　the　people　or　senate；　and　that　he　had

it　in　his　thoughts　to　cut　off　the　worthiest　men　of　both　ranks；　and

then　retire　to　Alexandria；　and　he　wished　that　the　people　had　but　one

neck　that　he　might　dispatch　them　all　at　a　blow。　Such　designs　as　these；

when　any　king　harbours　in　his　thoughts；　and　seriously　promotes；　he

immediately　gives　up　all　care　and　thought　of　the　commonwealth；　and；

consequently；　forfeits　the　power　of　governing　his　subjects；　as　a

master　does　the　dominion　over　his　slaves　whom　he　hath　abandoned。

　　238。　〃The　other　case　is；　when　a　king　makes　himself　the　dependent

of　another；　and　subjects　his　kingdom；　which　his　ancestors　left　him；

and　the　people　put　free　into　his　hands；　to　the　dominion　of　another。

For　however；　perhaps；　it　may　not　be　his　intention　to　prejudice　the

people；　yet　because　he　has　hereby　lost　the　principal　part　of　regal

dignity…　viz。；　to　be　next　and　immediately　under　God；　supreme　in　his

kingdom；　and　also　because　he　betrayed　or　forced　his　people；　whose

liberty　he　ought　to　have　carefully　preserved；　into　the　power　and

dominion　of　a　foreign　nation。　By　this；　as　it　were；　alienation　of　his

kingdom；　he　himself　loses　the　power　he　had　in　it　before；　without

transferring　any　the　least　right　to　those　on　whom　he　would　have

bestowed　it；　and　so　by　this　act　sets　the　people　free；　and　leaves

them　at　their　own　disposal。　One　example　of　this　is　to　be　found　in

the　Scotch　annals。〃

　　239。　In　these　cases　Barclay；　the　great　champion　of　absolute

monarchy；　is　forced　to　allow　that　a　king　may　be　resisted；　and　ceases

to　be　a　king。　That　is　in　short…　not　to　multiply　cases…　in　whatsoever

he　has　no　authority；　there　he　is　no　king；　and　may　be　resisted：　for

wheresoever　the　authority　ceases；　the　king　ceases　too；　and　becomes

like　other　men　who　have　no　authority。　And　these　two　cases　that　he

instances　differ　little　from　those　above　mentioned；　to　be

destructive　to　governments；　only　that　he　has　omitted　the　principle

from　which　his　doctrine　flows；　and　that　is　the　breach　of　trust　in

not　preserving　the　form　of　government　agreed　on；　and　in　not

intending　the　end　of　government　itself；　which　is　the　public　good　and

preservation　of　property。　When　a　king　has　dethroned　himself；　and　put

himself　in　a　state　of　war　with　his　people；　what　shall　hinder　them　from

prosecuting　him　who　is　no　king；　as　they　would　any　other　man；　who　has

put　himself　into　a　state　of　war　with　them；　Barclay；　and　those　of　his

opinion；　would　do　well　to　tell　us。　Bilson；　a　bishop　of　our　Church；　and

a　great　stickler　for　the　power　and　prerogative　of　princes；　does；　if

I　mistake　not；　in　his　treatise　of　〃Christian　Subjection；〃

acknowledge　that　princes　may　forfeit　their　power　and　their　title　to

the　obedience　of　their　subjects；　and　if　there　needed　authority　in　a

case　where　reason　is　so　plain；　I　could　send　my　reader　to　Bracton；

Fortescue；　and　the　author　of　the　〃Mirror；〃　and　others；　writers　that

cannot　be　suspected　to　be　ignorant　of　our　government；　or　enemies　to

it。　But　I　thought　Hooker　alone　might　be　enough　to　satisfy　those　men

who；　relying　on　him　for　their　ecclesiastical　polity；　are　by　a

strange　fate　carried　to　deny　those　principles　upon　which　he　builds　it。

Whether　they　are　herein　made　the　tools　of　cunninger　workmen；　to　pull

down　their　own　fabric；　they　were　best　look。　This　I　am　sure；　their

civil　policy　is　so　new；　so　dangerous；　and　so　destructive　to　both

rulers　and　people；　that　as　former　ages　never　could　bear　the

broaching　of　it；　so　it　may　be　hoped　those　to　come；　redeemed　from　the

impositions　of　these　Egyptian　under…taskmasters；　will　abhor　the　memory

of　such　servile　flatterers；　who；　whilst　it　seemed　to　serve　their　turn；

resolved　all　government　into　absolute　tyranny；　and　would　have　all

men　born　to　what　their　mean　souls　fitted　them…　slavery。

　　240。　Here　it　is　like　the　common　question　will　be　made：　Who　shall

be　judge　whether　the　prince　or　legislative　act　contrary　to　their

trust？　This；　perhaps；　ill…affected　and　factious　men　may　spread　amongst

the　people；　when　the　prince　only　makes　use　of　his　due　prerogative。

To　this　I　reply；　The　people　shall　be　judge；　for　who　shall　be　judge

whether　his　trustee　or　deputy　acts　well　and　according　to　the　trust

reposed　in　him；　but　he　who　deputes　him　and　must；　by　having　deputed

him；　have　still　a　power　to　discard　him　when　he　fails　in　his　trust？

If　this　be　reasonable　in　particular　cases　of　private　men；　why　should

it　be　otherwise　in　that　of　the　greatest　moment；　where　the　welfare　of

millions　is　concerned　and　also　where　the　evil；　if　not　prevented；　is

greater；　and　the　redress　very　difficult；　dear；　and　dangerous？

　　241。　But；　farther；　this　question；　Who　shall　be　judge？　cannot　mean

that　there　is　no　judge　at　all。　For　where　there　is　no　judicature　on

earth　to　decide　controversies　amongst　men；　God　in　heaven　is　judge。

He　alone；　it　is　true；　is　judge　of　the　right。　But　every　man　is　judge

for　himself；　as　in　all　other　cases　so　in　this；　whether　another　hath

put　himself　into　a　state　of　war　with　him；　and　whether　he　should　appeal

to　the　supreme　judge；　as　Jephtha　did。

　　242。　If　a　controversy　arise　betwixt　a　prince　and　some　of　the

people　in　a　matter　where　the　law　is　silent　or　doubtful；　and　the

thing　be　of　great　consequence；　I　should　think　the　proper　umpire　in

such　a　case　should　be　the　body　of　the　people。　For　in　such　cases

where　the　prince　hath　a　trust　reposed　in　him；　and　is　dispensed　from

the　common；　ordinary　rules　of　the　law；　there；　if　any　men　find

themselves　aggrieved；　and　think　the　prince　acts　contrary　to；　or　beyond

that　trust；　who　so　proper　to　judge　as　the　body　of　the　people　（who　at

first　lodged　that　trust　in　him）　how　far　they　meant　it　should　extend？

But　if　the　prince；　or　whoever　they　be　in　the　administration；　decline

that　way　of　determination；　the　appeal　then　lies　nowhere　but　to　Heaven。

Force　between　either　persons　who　have　no　known　superior　on　earth　or；

which　permits　no　appeal　to　a　judge　on　earth；　being　properly　a　state　of

war；　wherein　the　appeal　lies　only　to　heaven；　and　in　that　state　the

injured　party　must　judge　for　himself　when　he　will　think　fit　to　make

use　of　that　appeal　and　put　himself　upon　it。

　　243。　To　conclude。　The　power　that　every　individual　gave　the　society

when　he　entered　into　it　can　never　revert　to　the　individuals　again；

as　long　as　the　society　lasts；　but　will　always　remain　in　the　community；

because　without　this　there　can　be　no　community…　no　commonwealth；　which

is　contrary　to　the　original　agreement；　so　also　when　the　society　hath

placed　the　legislative　in　any　assembly　of　men；　to　continue　in　them　and

their　successors；　with　direction　and　authority　for　providing　such

successors；　the　legislative　can　never　revert　to　the　people　whilst　that

government　lasts：　because；　having　provided　a　legislative　with　power　to

continue　for　ever；　they　have　given　up　their　political　power　to　the

legislative；　and　cannot　resume　it。　But　if　they　have　set　limits　to

the　duration　of　their　legislative；　and　made　this　supreme　power　in

any　person　or　assembly　only　temporary；　or　else　when；　by　the

miscarriages　of　those　in　authority；　it　is　forfeited；　upon　the

forfeiture　of　their　rulers；　or　at　the　determination　of　the　time　set；

it　reverts　to　the　society；　and　the　people　have　a　right　to　act　as

supreme；　and　continue　the　legislative　in　themselves　or　place　it　in　a

new　form；　or　new　hands；　as　they　think　good。





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