liberty-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　measure　what　was　just　by　the　sayings　and　judgements　of　private　men；　but　by　the　Lawes　of　the　Realme；　nor　were　they　kept　in　peace　by　disputations；　but　by　power　and　authority：　yea　they　reverenced　the　supreme　power；　whether　residing　in　one　man　or　in　a　councell；　as　a　certain　visible　divinity；　therefore　they　little　used　as　in　our　dayes；　to　joyn　themselves　with　ambitious；　and　hellish　spirits；　to　the　utter　ruine　of　their　State；　for　they　could　not　entertain　so　strange　a　phansie　as　not　to　desire　the　preservation　of　that　by　which　they　were　preserved；　in　truth；　the　simplicity　of　those　times　was　not　yet　capable　of　so　learned　a　piece　of　folly。　Wherefore　it　was　peace；　and　a　golden　age；　which　ended　not　before　that　Saturn　being　expelled；　it　was　taught　lawfull　to　take　up　arms　against　Kings。　This　I　say；　the　Antients　not　only　themselves　saw；　but　in　one　of　their　fables；　they　seem　very　aptly　to　have　signified　it　to　us；　for　they　say；　that　when　Ixion　was　invited　by　Jupiter　to　a　banquet；　he　fell　in　love；　and　began　to　court　Juno　her　selfe；　offering　to　embrace　her；　he　clasp't　a　clowd；　from　whence　the　Centaures　proceeded；　by　nature　halfe　men；　halfe　horses；　a　fierce；　a　fighting；　and　unquiet　generation；　which　changing　the　names　only；　is　as　much　as　if　they　should　have　said；　that　private　men　being　called　to　Counsels　of　State　desired　to　prostitute　justice；　the　onely　sister　and　wife　of　the　supreme；　to　their　own　judgements；　and　apprehensions；　but　embracing　a　false　and　empty　shadow　instead　of　it；　they　have　begotten　those　hermaphrodite　opinions　of　morall　philosophers；　partly　right　and　comely；　partly　brutall　and　wilde；　the　causes　of　all　contentions；　and　blood…sheds。　Since　therefore　such　opinions　are　daily　seen　to　arise；　if　any　man　now　shall　dispell　those　clowds；　and　by　most　firm　reasons　demonstrate　that　there　are　no　authenticall　doctrines　concerning　right　and　wrong；　good　and　evill；　besides　the　constituted　Lawes　in　each　Realme；　and　government；　and　that　the　question　whether　any　future　action　will　prove　just　or　unjust；　good　or　ill；　is　to　be　demanded　of　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