concerning civil government-第10章

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than　one　husband　at　a　time？　or　in　those　parts　of　America　where；　when

the　husband　and　wife　part；　which　happens　frequently；　the　children

are　all　left　to　the　mother；　follow　her；　and　are　wholly　under　her

care　and　provision？　And　if　the　father　die　whilst　the　children　are

young；　do　they　not　naturally　everywhere　owe　the　same　obedience　to

their　mother；　during　their　minority；　as　to　their　father；　were　he

alive？　And　will　any　one　say　that　the　mother　hath　a　legislative　power

over　her　children　that　she　can　make　standing　rules　which　shall　be　of

perpetual　obligation；　by　which　they　ought　to　regulate　all　the　concerns

of　their　property；　and　bound　their　liberty　all　the　course　of　their

lives；　and　enforce　the　observation　of　them　with　capital　punishments？

For　this　is　the　proper　power　of　the　magistrate；　of　which　the　father

hath　not　so　much　as　the　shadow。　His　command　over　his　children　is　but

temporary；　and　reaches　not　their　life　or　property。　It　is　but　a　help　to

the　weakness　and　imperfection　of　their　nonage；　a　discipline

necessary　to　their　education。　And　though　a　father　may　dispose　of　his

own　possessions　as　he　pleases　when　his　children　are　out　of　danger　of

perishing　for　want；　yet　his　power　extends　not　to　the　lives　or　goods

which　either　their　own　industry；　or　another's　bounty；　has　made　theirs；

nor　to　their　liberty　neither　when　they　are　once　arrived　to　the

enfranchisement　of　the　years　of　discretion。　The　father's　empire　then

ceases；　and　he　can　from　thenceforward　no　more　dispose　of　the　liberty

of　his　son　than　that　of　any　other　man。　And　it　must　be　far　from　an

absolute　or　perpetual　jurisdiction　from　which　a　man　may　withdraw

himself；　having　licence　from　Divine　authority　to　〃leave　father　and

mother　and　cleave　to　his　wife。〃

　　66。　But　though　there　be　a　time　when　a　child　comes　to　be　as　free　from

subjection　to　the　will　and　command　of　his　father　as　he　himself　is　free

from　subjection　to　the　will　of　anybody　else；　and　they　are　both　under

no　other　restraint　but　that　which　is　common　to　them　both；　whether　it

be　the　law　of　Nature　or　municipal　law　of　their　country；　yet　this

freedom　exempts　not　a　son　from　that　honour　which　he　ought；　by　the

law　of　God　and　Nature；　to　pay　his　parents；　God　having　made　the　parents

instruments　in　His　great　design　of　continuing　the　race　of　mankind

and　the　occasions　of　life　to　their　children。　As　He　hath　laid　on　them

an　obligation　to　nourish；　preserve；　and　bring　up　their　offspring；　so

He　has　laid　on　the　children　a　perpetual　obligation　of　honouring

their　parents；　which；　containing　in　it　an　inward　esteem　and

reverence　to　be　shown　by　all　outward　expressions；　ties　up　the　child

from　anything　that　may　ever　injure　or　affront；　disturb　or　endanger　the

happiness　or　life　of　those　from　whom　he　received　his；　and　engages

him　in　all　actions　of　defence；　relief；　assistance；　and　comfort　of

those　by　whose　means　he　entered　into　being　and　has　been　made　capable

of　any　enjoyments　of　life。　From　this　obligation　no　state；　no

freedom；　can　absolve　children。　But　this　is　very　far　from　giving

parents　a　power　of　command　over　their　children；　or　an　authority　to

make　laws　and　dispose　as　they　please　of　their　lives　or　liberties。　It

is　one　thing　to　owe　honour；　respect；　gratitude；　and　assistance；

another　to　require　an　absolute　obedience　and　submission。　The　honour

due　to　parents　a　monarch　on　his　throne　owes　his　mother；　and　yet　this

lessens　not　his　authority　nor　subjects　him　to　her　government。

　　67。　The　subjection　of　a　minor　places　in　the　father　a　temporary

government　which　terminates　with　the　minority　of　the　child；　and　the

honour　due　from　a　child　places　in　the　parents　a　perpetual　right　to

respect；　reverence；　support；　and　compliance；　to　more　or　less；　as　the

father's　care；　cost；　and　kindness　in　his　education　has　been　more　or

less；　and　this　ends　not　with　minority；　but　holds　in　all　parts　and

conditions　of　a　man's　life。　The　want　of　distinguishing　these　two

powers　which　the　father　hath；　in　the　right　of　tuition；　during

minority；　and　the　right　of　honour　all　his　life；　may　perhaps　have

caused　a　great　part　of　the　mistakes　about　this　matter。　For；　to　speak

properly　of　them；　the　first　of　these　is　rather　the　privilege　of

children　and　duty　of　parents　than　any　prerogative　of　paternal　power。

The　nourishment　and　education　of　their　children　is　a　charge　so

incumbent　on　parents　for　their　children's　good；　that　nothing　can

absolve　them　from　taking　care　of　it。　And　though　the　power　of

commanding　and　chastising　them　go　along　with　it；　yet　God　hath　woven

into　the　principles　of　human　nature　such　a　tenderness　for　their

offspring；　that　there　is　little　fear　that　parents　should　use　their

power　with　too　much　rigour；　the　excess　is　seldom　on　the　severe　side；

the　strong　bias　of　nature　drawing　the　other　way。　And　therefore　God

Almighty；　when　He　would　express　His　gentle　dealing　with　the

Israelites；　He　tells　them　that　though　He　chastened　them；　〃He　chastened

them　as　a　man　chastens　his　son〃　（Deut。　8。　5）…　i。e。；　with　tenderness

and　affection；　and　kept　them　under　no　severer　discipline　than　what　was

absolutely　best　for　them；　and　had　been　less　kindness；　to　have

slackened。　This　is　that　power　to　which　children　are　commanded

obedience；　that　the　pains　and　care　of　their　parents　may　not　be

increased　or　ill…rewarded。

　　68。　On　the　other　side；　honour　and　support　all　that　which　gratitude

requires　to　return；　for　the　benefits　received　by　and　from　them　is

the　indispensable　duty　of　the　child　and　the　proper　privilege　of　the

parents。　This　is　intended　for　the　parents'　advantage；　as　the　other

is　for　the　child's；　though　education；　the　parents'　duty；　seems　to　have

most　power；　because　the　ignorance　and　infirmities　of　childhood　stand

in　need　of　restraint　and　correction；　which　is　a　visible　exercise　of

rule　and　a　kind　of　dominion。　And　that　duty　which　is　comprehended　in

the　word　〃honour〃　requires　less　obedience；　though　the　obligation　be

stronger　on　grown　than　younger　children。　For　who　can　think　the

command；　〃Children；　obey　your　parents；〃　requires　in　a　man　that　has

children　of　his　own　the　same　submission　to　his　father　as　it　does　in

his　yet　young　children　to　him；　and　that　by　this　precept　he　were

bound　to　obey　all　his　father's　commands；　if；　out　of　a　conceit　of

authority；　he　should　have　the　indiscretion　to　treat　him　still　as　a

boy？

　　69。　The　first　part；　then；　of　paternal　power；　or　rather　duty；　which

is　education；　belongs　so　to　the　father　that　it　terminates　at　a　certain

season。　When　the　business　of　education　is　over　it　ceases　of　itself；

and　is　also　alienable　before。　For　a　man　may　put　the　tuition　of　his　son

in　other　hands；　and　he　that　has　made　his　son　an　apprentice　to

another　has　discharged　him；　during　that　time；　of　a　great　part　of　his

obedience；　both　to　himself　and　to　his　mother。　But　all　the　duty　of

honour；　the　other　part；　remains　nevertheless　entire　to　them；　nothing

can　cancel　that。　It　is　so　inseparable　from　them　both；　that　the

father's　authority　cannot　dispossess　the　mother　of　this　right；　nor　can

any　man　discharge　his　son　from　honouring　her　that　bore　him。　But　both

these　are　very　far　from　a　power　to　make　laws；　and　enforcing　them

with　penalties　that　may　reach　estate；　liberty；　limbs；　and　life。　The

power　of　commanding　ends　with　nonage；　and　though　after　that　honour　and

respect；　support　and　defence；　and　whatsoever　gratitude　can　oblige　a

man　to；　for　the　highest　benefits　he　is　naturally　capable　of　be

always　due　from　a　son　to　his　parents；　yet　all　this　puts　no　sceptre

into　the　father's　hand；　no　sovereign　power　of　commanding。　He　has　no

dominion　over　his　son's　property　or　actions；　nor　any　right　that　his

will　should　prescribe　to　his　son's　in　all　things；　however；　it　may

become　his　son　in　many　things；　not　very　inconvenient　to　him　and　his

family；　to　pay　a　deference　to　it。

　　70。　A　man　may　owe　honour　and　respect　to　an　ancient　or　wise　man；

defence　to　his　child　or　friend；　relief　and　support　to　the

distressed；　and　gratitude　to　a　benefactor；　to　such　a　degree　that　all

he　has；　all　he　can　do；　cannot　sufficiently　pay　it。　But　all　these

give　no　authority；　no　right　of　making　laws　to　any　one　over　him　from

whom　they　are　owing。　And　it　is　plain　all　this　is　due；　not