concerning civil government-第7部分

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right　that　every　man　hath　to　his　natural　freedom；　without　being

subjected　to　the　will　or　authority　of　any　other　man。

　　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　are　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。

　　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　instance　of　his　being　to　provide　for　his　own　support　and

preservation；　and　govern　his　actions　according　to　the　dictates　of

the　law　of　reason　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

had　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。

　　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　nobody　can　be

under　a　law　that　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　that　law。　Could　they　be　happier　without　it；　the

law；　as　a　useless　thing；　would　of　itself　vanish；　and　that　ill　deserves

the　name　of　confinement　which　hedges　us　in　only　from　bogs　and

precipices。　So　that　however　it　may　be　mistaken；　the　end　of　law　is

not　to　abolish　or　restrain；　but　to　preserve　and　enlarge　freedom。　For

in　all　the　states　of　created　beings；　capable　of　laws；　where　there　is

no　law　there　is　no　freedom。　For　liberty　is　to　be　free　from　restraint

and　violence　from　others；　which　cannot　be　where　there　is　no　law；　and

is　not；　as　we　are　told；　〃a　liberty　for　every　man　to　do　what　he　lists。〃

For　who　could　be　free；　when　every　other　man's　humour　might　domineer

over　him？　But　a　liberty　to　dispose　and　order　freely　as　he　lists　his

person；　actions；　possessions；　and　his　whole　property　within　the

allowance　of　those　laws　under　which　he　is；　and　therein　not　to　be

subject　to　the　arbitrary　will　of　another；　but　freely　follow　his　own。

　　58。　The　power；　then；　that　parents　have　over　their　children　arises

from　that　duty　which　is　incumbent　on　them；　to　take　care　of　their

offspring　during　the　imperfect　state　of　childhood。　To　inform　the　mind；

and　govern　the　actions　of　their　yet　ignorant　nonage；　till　reason　shall

take　its　place　and　ease　them　of　that　trouble；　is　what　the　children

want；　and　the　parents　are　bound　to。　For　God　having　given　man　an

understanding　to　direct　his　actions；　has　allowed　him　a　freedom　of　will

and　liberty　of　acting；　as　properly　belonging　thereunto　within　the

bounds　of　that　law　he　is　under。　But　whilst　he　is　in　an　estate

wherein　he　has　no　understanding　of　his　own　to　direct　his　will；　he　is

not　to　have　any　will　of　his　own　to　follow。　He　that　understands　for　him

must　will　for　him　too；　he　must　prescribe　to　his　will；　and　regulate　his

actions；　but　when　he　comes　to　the　estate　that　made　his　father　a　free

man；　the　son　is　a　free　man　too。

　　59。　This　holds　in　all　the　laws　a　man　is　under；　whether　natural　or

civil。　Is　a　man　under　the　law　of　Nature？　What　made　him　free　of　that

law？　what　gave　him　a　free　disposing　of　his　property；　according　to

his　own　will；　within　the　compass　of　that　law？　I　answer；　an　estate

wherein　he　might　be　supposed　capable　to　know　that　law；　that　so　he

might　keep　his　actions　within　the　bounds　of　it。　When　he　has　acquired

that　state；　he　is　presumed　to　know　how　far　that　law　is　to　be　his

guide；　and　how　far　he　may　make　use　of　his　freedom；　and　so　comes　to

have　it；　till　then；　somebody　else　must　guide　him；　who　is　presumed　to

know　how　far　the　law　allows　a　liberty。　If　such　a　state　of　reason；　such

an　age　of　discretion　made　him　free；　the　same　shall　make　his　son　free

too。　Is　a　man　under　the　law　of　England？　what　made　him　free　of　that

law…　that　is；　to　have　the　liberty　to　dispose　of　his　actions　and

possessions；　according　to　his　own　will；　within　the　permission　of

that　law？　a　capacity　of　knowing　that　law。　Which　is　supposed；　by　that

law；　at　the　age　of　twenty…one；　and　in　some　cases　sooner。　If　this

made　the　father　free；　it　shall　make　the　son　free　too。　Till　then；　we

see　the　law　allows　the　son　to　have　no　will；　but　he　is　to　be　guided

by　the　will　of　his　father　or　guardian；　who　is　to　understand　for　him。

And　if　the　father　die　and　fail　to　substitute　a　deputy　in　this　trust；

if　he　hath　not　provided　a　tutor　to　govern　his　son　during　his　minority；

during　his　want　of　understanding；　the　law　takes　care　to　do　it：　some

other　must　govern　him　and　be　a　will　to　him　till　he　hath　attained　to

a　state　of　freedom；　and　his　understanding　be　fit　to　take　the

government　of　his　will。　But　after　that　the　father　and　son　are

equally　free；　as　much　as　tutor　and　pupil；　after　nonage；　equally

subjects　of　the　same　law　together；　without　any　dominion　left　in　the

father　over　the　life；　liberty；　or　estate　of　his　son；　whether　they　be

only　in　the　state　and　under　the　law　of　Nature；　or　under　the　positive

laws　of　an　established　government。

　　60。　But　if　through　defects　that　may　happen　out　of　the　ordinary

course　of　Nature；　any　one　comes　not　to　such　a　degree　of　reason　wherein

he　might　be　supposed　capable　of　knowing　the　law；　and　so　living

within　the　rules　of　it；　he　is　never　capable　of　being　a　free　man；　he　is

never　let　loose　to　the　disposure　of　his　own　will；　because　he　knows

no　bounds　to　it；　has　not　understanding；　its　proper　guide；　but　is

continued　under　the　tuition　and　government　of　others　all　the　time

his　own　understanding　is　incapable　of　that　charge。　And　so　lunatics　and

idiots　are　never　set　free　from　the　government　of　their　parents：

〃Children　who　are　not　as　yet　come　unto　those　years　whereat　they　may

have；　and　innocents；　which　are　excluded　by　a　natural　defect　from

ever　having。〃　Thirdly：　〃Madmen；　which；　for　the　present；　cannot

possibly　have　the　use　of　right　reason　to　guide　themselves；　have；　for

their　guide；　the　reason　that　guideth　other　men　which　are　tutors　over

them；　to　seek　and　procure　their　good　for　them；〃　says　Hooker　（Eccl。

Pol。；　lib。　i。；　s。　7）。　All　which　seems　no　more　than　that　duty　which　God

and　Nature　has　laid　on　man；　as　well　as　other　creatures；　to　preserve

their　offspring　till　they　can　be　able　to　shift　for　themselves；　and

will　scarce　amount　to　an　instance　or　proof　of　parents'　regal

authority。

　　61。　Thus　we　are　born　free　as　we　are　born　rational；　not　that　we

have　actually　the　exercise　of　either：　age　that　brings　one；　brings　with

it　the　other　too。　And　thus　we　see　how　natural　freedom　and　subjection

to　parents　may　consist　together；　and　are　both　founded　on　the　same

principle。　A　child　is　free　by　his　father's　title；　by　his　father's

understanding；　which　is　to　govern　him　till　he　hath　it　of　his　own。

The　freedom　of　a　man　at　years　of　discretion；　and　the　subjection　of　a

child　to　his　parents；　whilst　yet　short　of　it；　are　so　consistent　and　so

distinguishable　that　the　most　blinded　contenders　for　monarchy；　〃by

right　of　fatherhood；〃　cannot　miss　of　it；　the　most　obstinate　cannot　but

allow　of　it。　For　were　their　doctrine　all　true；　were　the　right　heir

of　Adam　now　known；　and；　by　that　title；　settled　a　monarch　in　his

throne；　invested　with　all　the　absolute　unlimited　power　Sir　Robert

Filmer　talks　of；　if　he　should　die　as　soon　as　his　heir　were　born；

must　not　the　child；　notwithstanding　he　were　never　so　free；　never　so

much　sovereign；　be　in　subjection　to　his　mother　and　nurse；　to　tutors

and　governors；　till　age　and　education　brought　him　reason　and　ability

to　govern　himself　and　others？　The　necessities　of　his　life；　the

health　of　his　body；　and　the　information　of　his　mind　would　require

him　to　be　directed　by　the　will　of　others　and　not　his　own；　and　yet　will

any　one　think　that　this　restraint　and　subjection　were　inconsistent

with；　or　spoiled　him　of；　that　liberty　or　sovereignty　he　had　a　right

to；　or　gave　away　his　empire　to　those　who　had　the　government　of　his

nonage？　This　government　over　him　only　prepared　him　the　better　and

sooner　for　it。　If　anybody　should　ask　me　when　my　son　is　of　age　to　be

free；　I　shall　answer；　just　when　his　monarch　is　of　age　to　govern。

〃But　at　what　time；〃　says　the　judicious　Hooker　（Eccl。　Pol。；　lib。　i。；　s。

6）；　〃a　man　may　be　said　to　have　attained　so　far　forth　the　use　of　reason

as　sufficeth　to　make　him　capable　of　those　laws　whereby　he　is　then

bound　to　guide　his　actions；　this　is　a　great　deal　more　easy　for　sense

to　discern　than　for　any　one；　by　skill　and　learning；　to　determine。〃

　　62。　Commonwealths　themselves　take　notice　of；　and　allow　that　there　is

a　time　when　men　are　to　begin　to　act　like　free　men；　and　therefore；　till

that　time；　require　not　oaths　of　fealty　or　allegiance；　or　other

public　owning　of；　or　submission　to；　the　government　of　their　countries。

　　63。　The　freedom　then　of　man；　and　liberty　of　acting　according　to

his　own　will；　is　grounded　on　his　having　reason；　which　is　able　to

instruct　him　in　that　law　he　is　to　govern　himself　by；　and　make　him　know

how　far　he　is　left　to　the　freedom　of　his　own　will。　To　turn　him　loose

to　an　unres