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liberty-第3章

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f none; but those to whom the supreme hath committed the interpretation of his Lawes; surely he will not only shew us the high way to peace; but will also teach us how to avoyd the close; darke; and dangerous by…paths of faction and sedition; then which I know not what can be thought more profitable。     Concerning my Method; I thought it not sufficient to use a plain and evident style in what I had to deliver; except I took my begining from the very matter of civill government; and thence proceeded to its generation; and form; and the first beginning of justice; for every thing is best understood by its constitutive causes; for as in a watch; or some such small engine; the matter; figure; and motion of the wheeles; cannot well be known; except it be taken in sunder; and viewed in parts; so to make a more curious search into the rights of States; and duties of Subjects; it is necessary; (I say not to take them in sunder; but yet that) they be so considered; as if they were dissolved; (i。e。) that wee rightly understand what the quality of humane nature is; in what matters it is; in what not fit to make up a civill government; and how men must be agreed among themselves; that intend to grow up into a well…grounded State。 Having therefore followed this kind of Method; In the first place I set down for a principle by experience known to all men; and denied by none; to wit; that the dispositions of men are naturally such; that except they be restrained through feare of some coercive power; every man will distrust and dread each other; and as by naturall right he may; so by necessity he will be forced to make use of the strength hee hath; toward the preservation of himself You will object perhaps; that there are some who deny this; truly so it happens; that very many do deny it。 But shall I therefore seem to fight against my self because I affirm that the same men confesse; and deny the same thing? In truth I do not; but they do; whose actions disavow what their discourses approve; of We see all countries though they be at peace with their neighbours; yet guarding their Frontiers with armed men; their Townes with Walls and ports; and keeping constant watches。 To what purpose is all this; if there be no feare of the neighbouring power? Wee see even in well…governed States; where there are lawes and punishments appointed for offendors; yet particular men travell not without their Sword by their sides; for their defences; neither sleep they without shutting not only their doores against their fellow Subjects; but also their Trunks and Coffers for feare of domestiques。 Can men give a clearer testimony of the distrust they have each of other; and all; of all? How since they doe thus; and even Countreyes as well as men; they publiquely professe their mutuall feare and diffidence; But in disputing they deny it; thats as much as to say; that out of a desire they have to contradict others; they gainsay themselves。 Some object that this principle being admitted; it would needs follow; not onely that all men were wicked (which perhaps though it seeme hard; yet we must yeeld to; since it is so clearly declar'd by holy writ) but also wicked by nature (which cannot be granted without impiety)。 But this; that men are evill by nature; followes not from this principle; for though the wicked were fewer then the righteous; yet because we cannot distinguish them; there is a necessity of suspecting; heeding; anticipating; subjugating; selfe…defending; ever incident to the most honest; and fairest condition'd; much lesse do's it follow that those who are wicked are so by nature; for though from nature; that is from their first birth; as they are meerly sensible Creatures; they have this disposition; that immediately as much as in them lies; they desire and doe whatsoever is best pleasing to them; that either through feare they fly from; or through hardnesse repell those dangers which approach them; yet are they not for this reason to be accounted wicked; for the affections of the minde which arise onely from the lower parts of the soule are not wicked themselves; but the actions thence proceeding may be so sometimes; as when they are either offensive; or against duty。 Unlesse you give Children all they aske for; they are peevish; and cry; I and strike their parents sometimes; and all this they have from nature; yet are they free from guilt; neither may we properly call them wicked; first; because they cannot hurt; next; because wanting the free use of reason they are exempted from all duty; these when they come to riper yeares having acquired power whereby they may doe hurt; if they shall continue to doe the same things; then truly they both begin to be; and are properly accounted wicked; In so much as a wicked man is almost the same thing with a childe growne strong and sturdy; or a man of a childish disposition; and malice the same with a defect of reason in that age; when nature ought to be better governed through good education and experience。 Unlesse therefore we will say that men are naturally evill; because they receive not their education and use of reason from nature; we must needs acknowledge that men may derive desire; feare; anger; and other passions from nature; and yet not impute the evill effects of those unto nature。 The foundation therefore which I have laid standing firme; I demonstrate in the first place; that the state of men without civill society (which state we may properly call the state of nature) is nothing else but a meere warre of all against all; and in that warre all men have equall right unto all things; Next; that all men as soone as they arrive to understanding of this hatefull condition; doe desire (even nature it selfe compelling them) to be freed from this misery。 But that this cannot be done except by compact; they all quitt that right which they have unto all things。 Furthermore I declare; and confirme what the nature of compacts is; how and by what meanes the right of one might be transfer'd unto another to make their compacts valid; also what rights; and to whom they must necessarily be granted for the establishing of peace; I meane what those dictates of reason are; which may properly be term'd the Lawes of nature; and all these are contain'd in that part of this booke which I entitle Liberty。     These grounds thus layd; I shew farther what civill government; and the supreme power in it; and the divers kinds of it are; by what meanes it becomes so; & what rights particular men; who intend to constitute this civill government; must so necessarily transfer from themselves on the supreme power; whether it be one man; or an assembly of men; that except they doe so it will evidently appeare to be no civill government; but the rights which all men have to all things; that is the rights of tarre will still remaine。 Next; I distinguish the divers kindes of it; to wit; Monarchie; Aristocratie; Democratie; and paternall Dominion; and that of Masters over their Servants; I declare how they are constituted; and I compare their severall conveniences and inconveniences each with。 other。 furthermore; I unfold what those things are which destroy it; and what his or their duty is who rule in chiefe。 Last of all; I explicate the natures of the Law; and of sinne; and I distinguish Law from Counsell; from compact; from that which I call Right; all which I comprehend under the title of Dominion。     In the last part of it which is entituled Religion; lest that right which by strong reason I had confirm'd the Soveraigne powers in the preceding discourse have over their Subjects; might seem to be repugnant to the sacred Scriptures; I shew in the first place how it repugns not the Divine right; for as much as God overrules all rulers by nature; (i。e。) by the Dictates of naturall reason。 In the second; for as much as God himselfe had a peculiar dominion over the Jewes by vertue of that antient Covenant of Circumcision。 In the third; because God doth now rule over us Christians by vertue of our Covenant of Baptisme; and therefore the authority of Rulers in chiefe; or of civill government; is not at all; we see; contrary to Religion。     In the last place I declare what duties are necessarily requir'd from us; to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven; and of those I plainly demonstrate; and conclude out of evident testimonies of holy writ; according to the interpretation made by all; that the obedience which I have affirm'd to be due from particular Christian Subjects unto their Christian princes cannot possibly in the least sort be repugnant unto Christian Religion。 You have seene my Method; receive now the reason which mov'd me to write this; I was studying philosophie for my minde sake; and I had gathered together its first Elements in all kinds; and having digested them into three Sections by degrees; I thought to have written them so as in the first I would have treated of a body; and its generall properties; in the second of man and his speciall faculties; and affections; in the third; of civill government and the duties of Subjects: therefore the first Section would have contained the first philosophie; and certaine elements of physick; in it we would have considered the reasons of Time; Place; Cause; Power; Relation; Proportion; Quantity; Figure; 
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