And so by this
their own principle, either all men, however born, are free, or
else there is but one lawful prince, one lawful government in the
world. And then they have nothing to do, but barely to shew us
which that is; which when they have done, I doubt not but all
mankind will easily agree to pay obedience to him.
Sec. 114. Though it be a sufficient answer to their
objection, to shew that it involves them in the same difficulties
that it doth those they use it against; yet I shall endeavour to
discover the weakness of this argument a little farther. All
men, say they, are born under government, and therefore they
cannot be at liberty to begin a new one. Every one is born a
subject to his father, or his prince, and is therefore under the
perpetual tie of subjection and allegiance. It is plain mankind
never owned nor considered any such natural subjection that they
were born in, to one or to the other that tied them, without
their own consents, to a subjection to them and their heirs.
Sec. 115. For there are no examples so frequent in history,
both sacred and profane, as those of men withdrawing themselves,
and their obedience, from the jurisdiction they were born under,
and the family or community they were bred up in, and setting up
new governments in other places; from whence sprang all that
number of petty commonwealths in the beginning of ages, and which
always multiplied, as long as there was room enough, till the
stronger, or more fortunate, swallowed the weaker; and those
great ones again breaking to pieces, dissolved into lesser
dominions.
Pages:
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108