concerning civil government-第14章

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inconsistent　with　civil　society；　and　so　can　be　not　form　of　civil

government　at　all。　For　the　end　of　civil　society　being　to　avoid　and

remedy　those　inconveniences　of　the　state　of　Nature　which　necessarily

follow　from　every　man's　being　judge　in　his　own　case；　by　setting　up　a

known　authority　to　which　every　one　of　that　society　may　appeal　upon　any

injury　received；　or　controversy　that　may　arise；　and　which　every　one　of

the　society　ought　to　obey。*　Wherever　any　persons　are　who　have　not　such

an　authority　to　appeal　to；　and　decide　any　difference　between　them

there；　those　persons　are　still　in　the　state　of　Nature。　And　so　is　every

absolute　prince　in　respect　of　those　who　are　under　his　dominion。



　　*　〃The　public　power　of　all　society　is　above　every　soul　contained

in　the　same　society；　and　the　principal　use　of　that　power　is　to　give

laws　unto　all　that　are　under　it；　which　laws　in　such　cases　we　must

obey；　unless　there　be　reason　showed　which　may　necessarily　enforce　that

the　law　of　reason　or　of　God　doth　enjoin　the　contrary。〃　Hooker；　Eccl。

Pol。；　i。　16。



　　91。　For　he　being　supposed　to　have　all；　both　legislative　and

executive；　power　in　himself　alone；　there　is　no　judge　to　be　found；　no

appeal　lies　open　to　any　one；　who　may　fairly　and　indifferently；　and

with　authority　decide；　and　from　whence　relief　and　redress　may　be

expected　of　any　injury　or　inconveniency　that　may　be　suffered　from　him；

or　by　his　order。　So　that　such　a　man；　however　entitled；　Czar；　or

Grand　Signior；　or　how　you　please；　is　as　much　in　the　state　of　Nature；

with　all　under　his　dominion；　as　he　is　with　the　rest　of　mankind。　For

wherever　any　two　men　are；　who　have　no　standing　rule　and　common　judge

to　appeal　to　on　earth；　for　the　determination　of　controversies　of　right

betwixt　them；　there　they　are　still　in　the　state　of　Nature；　and　under

all　the　inconveniencies　of　it；　with　only　this　woeful　difference　to　the

subject；　or　rather　slave　of　an　absolute　prince。*　That　whereas；　in

the　ordinary　state　of　Nature；　he　has　a　liberty　to　judge　of　his

right；　according　to　the　best　of　his　power　to　maintain　it；　but　whenever

his　property　is　invaded　by　the　will　and　order　of　his　monarch；　he　has

not　only　no　appeal；　as　those　in　society　ought　to　have；　but；　as　if　he

were　degraded　from　the　common　state　of　rational　creatures；　is　denied　a

liberty　to　judge　of；　or　defend　his　right；　and　so　is　exposed　to　all　the

misery　and　inconveniencies　that　a　man　can　fear　from　one；　who　being

in　the　unrestrained　state　of　Nature；　is　yet　corrupted　with　flattery

and　armed　with　power。



　　*　〃To　take　away　all　such　mutual　grievances；　injuries；　and　wrongs…

i。e。；　such　as　attend　men　in　the　state　of　Nature；　there　was　no　way

but　only　by　growing　into　composition　and　agreement　amongst

themselves　by　ordaining　some　kind　of　government　public；　and　by

yielding　themselves　subject　thereunto；　that　unto　whom　they　granted

authority　to　rule　and　govern；　by　them　the　peace；　tranquillity；　and

happy　estate　of　the　rest　might　be　procured。　Men　always　knew　that　where

force　and　injury　was　offered；　they　might　be　defenders　of　themselves。

They　knew　that；　however　men　may　seek　their　own　commodity；　yet　if

this　were　done　with　injury　unto　others；　it　was　not　to　be　suffered；　but

by　all　men　and　all　good　means　to　be　withstood。　Finally；　they　knew　that

no　man　might；　in　reason；　take　upon　him　to　determine　his　own　right；　and

according　to　his　own　determination　proceed　in　maintenance　thereof；

in　as　much　as　every　man　is　towards　himself；　and　them　whom　he　greatly

affects；　partial；　and　therefore；　that　strifes　and　troubles　would　be

endless；　except　they　gave　their　common　consent；　all　to　be　ordered　by

some　whom　they　should　agree　upon；　without　which　consent　there　would　be

no　reason　that　one　man　should　take　upon　him　to　be　lord　or　judge　over

another。〃　Hooker；　ibid。　10。



　　92。　For　he　that　thinks　absolute　power　purifies　men's　blood；　and

corrects　the　baseness　of　human　nature；　need　read　but　the　history　of

this；　or　any　other　age；　to　be　convinced　to　the　contrary。　He　that　would

have　been　insolent　and　injurious　in　the　woods　of　America　would　not

probably　be　much　better　on　a　throne；　where　perhaps　learning　and

religion　shall　be　found　out　to　justify　all　that　he　shall　do　to　his

subjects；　and　the　sword　presently　silence　all　those　that　dare　question

it。　For　what　the　protection　of　absolute　monarchy　is；　what　kind　of

fathers　of　their　countries　it　makes　princes　to　be；　and　to　what　a

degree　of　happiness　and　security　it　carries　civil　society；　where

this　sort　of　government　is　grown　to　perfection；　he　that　will　look　into

the　late　relation　of　Ceylon　may　easily　see。

　　93。　In　absolute　monarchies；　indeed；　as　well　as　other　governments

of　the　world；　the　subjects　have　an　appeal　to　the　law；　and　judges　to

decide　any　controversies；　and　restrain　any　violence　that　may　happen

betwixt　the　subjects　themselves；　one　amongst　another。　This　every　one

thinks　necessary；　and　believes；　he　deserves　to　be　thought　a　declared

enemy　to　society　and　mankind　who　should　go　about　to　take　it　away。

But　whether　this　be　from　a　true　love　of　mankind　and　society；　and

such　a　charity　as　we　owe　all　one　to　another；　there　is　reason　to　doubt。

For　this　is　no　more　than　what　every　man；　who　loves　his　own　power；

profit；　or　greatness；　may；　and　naturally　must　do；　keep　those　animals

from　hurting　or　destroying　one　another　who　labour　and　drudge　only

for　his　pleasure　and　advantage；　and　so　are　taken　care　of；　not　out　of

any　love　the　master　has　for　them；　but　love　of　himself；　and　the

profit　they　bring　him。　For　if　it　be　asked　what　security；　what　fence　is

there　in　such　a　state　against　the　violence　and　oppression　of　this

absolute　ruler；　the　very　question　can　scarce　be　borne。　They　are

ready　to　tell　you　that　it　deserves　death　only　to　ask　after　safety。

Betwixt　subject　and　subject；　they　will　grant；　there　must　be

measures；　laws；　and　judges　for　their　mutual　peace　and　security。　But　as

for　the　ruler；　he　ought　to　be　absolute；　and　is　above　all　such

circumstances；　because　he　has　a　power　to　do　more　hurt　and　wrong；　it　is

right　when　he　does　it。　To　ask　how　you　may　be　guarded　from　or　injury　on

that　side；　where　the　strongest　hand　is　to　do　it；　is　presently　the

voice　of　faction　and　rebellion。　As　if　when　men；　quitting　the　state

of　Nature；　entered　into　society；　they　agreed　that　all　of　them　but

one　should　be　under　the　restraint　of　laws；　but　that　he　should　still

retain　all　the　liberty　of　the　state　of　Nature；　increased　with　power；

and　made　licentious　by　impunity。　This　is　to　think　that　men　are　so

foolish　that　they　take　care　to　avoid　what　mischiefs　may　be　done　them

by　polecats　or　foxes；　but　are　content；　nay；　think　it　safety；　to　be

devoured　by　lions。

　　94。　But；　whatever　flatterers　may　talk　to　amuse　people's

understandings；　it　never　hinders　men　from　feeling；　and　when　they

perceive　that　any　man；　in　what　station　soever；　is　out　of　the　bounds　of

the　civil　society　they　are　of；　and　that　they　have　no　appeal；　on　earth；

against　any　harm　they　may　receive　from　him；　they　are　apt　to　think

themselves　in　the　state　of　Nature；　in　respect　of　him　whom　they　find　to

be　so；　and　to　take　care；　as　soon　as　they　can；　to　have　that　safety

and　security；　in　civil　society；　for　which　it　was　first　instituted；　and

for　which　only　they　entered　into　it。　And　therefore；　though　perhaps

at　first；　as　shall　be　showed　more　at　large　hereafter；　in　the　following

part　of　this　discourse；　some　one　good　and　excellent　man　having　got　a

pre…eminency　amongst　the　rest；　had　this　deference　paid　to　his　goodness

and　virtue；　as　to　a　kind　of　natural　authority；　that　the　chief　rule；

with　arbitration　of　their　differences；　by　a　tacit　consent　devolved

into　his　hands；　without　any　other　caution　but　the　assurance　they　had

of　his　uprightness　and　wisdom；　yet　when　time　giving　authority；　and；　as

some　men　would　persuade　us；　sacredness　to　customs；　which　the　negligent

and　unforeseeing　innocence　of　the　first　ages　began；　had　brought　in

successors　of　another　stamp；　the　people　finding　their　properties　not

secure　under　the　government　as　then　it　was*　（whereas　government　has　no

other　end　but　the　preservation　of　property）；　could　never　be　safe；

nor　at　rest；　nor　think　themselves　in　civil