concerning civil government-第28章

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weak　hands　of　justice　in　this　world；　and　have　the　power　in　their　own

possession　which　should　punish　offenders。　What　is　my　remedy　against

a　robber　that　so　broke　into　my　house？　Appeal　to　the　law　for　justice。

But　perhaps　justice　is　denied；　or　I　am　crippled　and　cannot　stir；

robbed；　and　have　not　the　means　to　do　it。　If　God　has　taken　away　all

means　of　seeking　remedy；　there　is　nothing　left　but　patience。　But　my

son；　when　able；　may　seek　the　relief　of　the　law；　which　I　am　denied；

he　or　his　son　may　renew　his　appeal　till　he　recover　his　right。　But

the　conquered；　or　their　children；　have　no　court…　no　arbitrator　on

earth　to　appeal　to。　Then　they　may　appeal；　as　Jephtha　did；　to　Heaven；

and　repeat　their　appeal　till　they　have　recovered　the　native　right　of

their　ancestors；　which　was　to　have　such　a　legislative　over　them　as　the

majority　should　approve　and　freely　acquiesce　in。　If　it　be　objected

this　would　cause　endless　trouble；　I　answer；　no　more　than　justice　does；

where　she　lies　open　to　all　that　appeal　to　her。　He　that　troubles　his

neighbour　without　a　cause　is　punished　for　it　by　the　justice　of　the

court　he　appeals　to。　And　he　that　appeals　to　Heaven　must　be　sure　he　has

right　on　his　side；　and　a　right；　too；　that　is　worth　the　trouble　and

cost　of　the　appeal；　as　he　will　answer　at　a　tribunal　that　cannot　be

deceived；　and　will　be　sure　to　retribute　to　every　one　according　to

the　mischiefs　he　hath　created　to　his　fellow…subjects…　that　is；　any

part　of　mankind。　From　whence　it　is　plain　that　he　that　conquers　in　an

unjust　war　can　thereby　have　no　title　to　the　subjection　and　obedience

of　the　conquered。

　　177。　But　supposing　victory　favours　the　right　side；　let　us　consider　a

conqueror　in　a　lawful　war；　and　see　what　power　he　gets；　and　over　whom。

　　First；　it　is　plain　he　gets　no　power　by　his　conquest　over　those

that　conquered　with　him。　They　that　fought　on　his　side　cannot　suffer　by

the　conquest；　but　must；　at　least；　be　as　much　free　men　as　they　were

before。　And　most　commonly　they　serve　upon　terms；　and　on　condition　to

share　with　their　leader；　and　enjoy　a　part　of　the　spoil　and　other

advantages　that　attend　the　conquering　sword；　or；　at　least；　have　a　part

of　the　subdued　country　bestowed　upon　them。　And　the　conquering　people

are　not；　I　hope；　to　be　slaves　by　conquest；　and　wear　their　laurels　only

to　show　they　are　sacrifices　to　their　leader's　triumph。　They　that　found

absolute　monarchy　upon　the　title　of　the　sword　make　their　heroes；　who

are　the　founders　of　such　monarchies；　arrant　〃draw…can…sirs；〃　and

forget　they　had　any　officers　and　soldiers　that　fought　on　their　side　in

the　battles　they　won；　or　assisted　them　in　the　subduing；　or　shared　in

possessing　the　countries　they　mastered。　We　are　told　by　some　that　the

English　monarchy　is　founded　in　the　Norman　Conquest；　and　that　our

princes　have　thereby　a　title　to　absolute　dominion；　which；　if　it　were

true　（as　by　the　history　it　appears　otherwise）；　and　that　William　had

a　right　to　make　war　on　this　island；　yet　his　dominion　by　conquest　could

reach　no　farther　than　to　the　Saxons　and　Britons　that　were　then

inhabitants　of　this　country。　The　Normans　that　came　with　him　and　helped

to　conquer；　and　all　descended　from　them；　are　free　men　and　no

subjects　by　conquest；　let　that　give　what　dominion　it　will。　And　if　I　or

anybody　else　shall　claim　freedom　as　derived　from　them；　it　will　be　very

hard　to　prove　the　contrary；　and　it　is　plain；　the　law　that　has　made

no　distinction　between　the　one　and　the　other　intends　not　there

should　be　any　difference　in　their　freedom　or　privileges。

　　178。　But　supposing；　which　seldom　happens；　that　the　conquerors　and

conquered　never　incorporate　into　one　people　under　the　same　laws　and

freedom；　let　us　see　next　what　power　a　lawful　conqueror　has　over　the

subdued；　and　that　I　say　is　purely　despotical。　He　has　an　absolute　power

over　the　lives　of　those　who；　by　an　unjust　war；　have　forfeited　them；

but　not　over　the　lives　or　fortunes　of　those　who　engaged　not　in　the

war；　nor　over　the　possessions　even　of　those　who　were　actually

engaged　in　it。

　　179。　Secondly；　I　say；　then；　the　conqueror　gets　no　power　but　only

over　those　who　have　actually　assisted；　concurred；　or　consented　to　that

unjust　force　that　is　used　against　him。　For　the　people　having　given

to　their　governors　no　power　to　do　an　unjust　thing；　such　as　is　to

make　an　unjust　war　（for　they　never　had　such　a　power　in　themselves）；

they　ought　not　to　be　charged　as　guilty　of　the　violence　and　injustice

that　is　committed　in　an　unjust　war　any　farther　than　they　actually　abet

it；　no　more　than　they　are　to　be　thought　guilty　of　any　violence　or

oppression　their　governors　should　use　upon　the　people　themselves　or

any　part　of　their　fellow…subjects；　they　having　empowered　them　no

more　to　the　one　than　to　the　other。　Conquerors；　it　is　true；　seldom

trouble　themselves　to　make　the　distinction；　but　they　willingly

permit　the　confusion　of　war　to　sweep　all　together；　but　yet　this　alters

not　the　right；　for　the　conqueror's　power　over　the　lives　of　the

conquered　being　only　because　they　have　used　force　to　do　or　maintain　an

injustice；　he　can　have　that　power　only　over　those　who　have　concurred

in　that　force；　all　the　rest　are　innocent；　and　he　has　no　more　title

over　the　people　of　that　country　who　have　done　him　no　injury；　and　so

have　made　no　forfeiture　of　their　lives；　than　he　has　over　any　other

who；　without　any　injuries　or　provocations；　have　lived　upon　fair

terms　with　him。

　　180。　Thirdly；　the　power　a　conqueror　gets　over　those　he　overcomes

in　a　just　war　is　perfectly　despotical；　he　has　an　absolute　power　over

the　lives　of　those　who；　by　putting　themselves　in　a　state　of　war；

have　forfeited　them；　but　he　has　not　thereby　a　right　and　title　to　their

possessions。　This　I　doubt　not　but　at　first　sight　will　seem　a　strange

doctrine；　it　being　so　quite　contrary　to　the　practice　of　the　world；

there　being　nothing　more　familiar　in　speaking　of　the　dominion　of

countries　than　to　say　such　an　one　conquered　it；　as　if　conquest；

without　any　more　ado；　conveyed　a　right　of　possession。　But　when　we

consider　that　the　practice　of　the　strong　and　powerful；　how　universal

soever　it　may　be；　is　seldom　the　rule　of　right；　however　it　be　one

part　of　the　subjection　of　the　conquered　not　to　argue　against　the

conditions　cut　out　to　them　by　the　conquering　swords。

　　181。　Though　in　all　war　there　be　usually　a　complication　of　force

and　damage；　and　the　aggressor　seldom　fails　to　harm　the　estate　when

he　uses　force　against　the　persons　of　those　he　makes　war　upon；　yet　it

is　the　use　of　force　only　that　puts　a　man　into　the　state　of　war。　For

whether　by　force　he　begins　the　injury；　or　else　having　quietly　and　by

fraud　done　the　injury；　he　refuses　to　make　reparation；　and　by　force

maintains　it；　which　is　the　same　thing　as　at　first　to　have　done　it　by

force；　it　is　the　unjust　use　of　force　that　makes　the　war。　For　he　that

breaks　open　my　house　and　violently　turns　me　out　of　doors；　or　having

peaceably　got　in；　by　force　keeps　me　out；　does；　in　effect；　the　same

thing；　supposing　we　are　in　such　a　state　that　we　have　no　common　judge

on　earth　whom　I　may　appeal　to；　and　to　whom　we　are　both　obliged　to

submit；　for　of　such　I　am　now　speaking。　It　is　the　unjust　use　of

force；　then；　that　puts　a　man　into　the　state　of　war　with　another；　and

thereby　he　that　is　guilty　of　it　makes　a　forfeiture　of　his　life。　For

quitting　reason；　which　is　the　rule　given　between　man　and　man；　and

using　force；　the　way　of　beasts；　he　becomes　liable　to　be　destroyed　by

him　he　uses　force　against；　as　any　savage　ravenous　beast　that　is

dangerous　to　his　being。

　　182。　But　because　the　miscarriages　of　the　father　are　no　faults　of　the

children；　who　may　be　rational　and　peaceable；　notwithstanding　the

brutishness　and　injustice　of　the　father；　the　father；　by　his

miscarriages　and　violence；　can　forfeit　but　his　own　life；　and

involves　not　his　children　in　his　guilt　or　destruction。　His　goods　which

Nature；　that　willeth　the　preservation　of　all　mankind　as　much　as　is

possible；　hath　made　to　belong　to　the　children　to　keep　them　from

perishing；　do　still　continue　to　belong　to　his　children。　For

supposing　them　not　to　have　joined　in　the　war　either　through　infancy　or

choice；　they　have　done　nothing　to　fo