concerning civil government-第31章

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of　the　forms　and　rules　of　the　government；　for　if　the　usurper　extend

his　power　beyond　what；　of　right；　belonged　to　the　lawful　princes　or

governors　of　the　commonwealth；　it　is　tyranny　added　to　usurpation。

　　198。　In　all　lawful　governments　the　designation　of　the　persons　who

are　to　bear　rule　being　as　natural　and　necessary　a　part　as　the　form

of　the　government　itself；　and　that　which　had　its　establishment

originally　from　the　people…　the　anarchy　being　much　alike；　to　have　no

form　of　government　at　all；　or　to　agree　that　it　shall　be　monarchical；

yet　appoint　no　way　to　design　the　person　that　shall　have　the　power

and　be　the　monarch…　all　commonwealths；　therefore；　with　the　form　of

government　established；　have　rules　also　of　appointing　and　conveying

the　right　to　those　who　are　to　have　any　share　in　the　public

authority；　and　whoever　gets　into　the　exercise　of　any　part　of　the　power

by　other　ways　than　what　the　laws　of　the　community　have　prescribed　hath

no　right　to　be　obeyed；　though　the　form　of　the　commonwealth　be　still

preserved；　since　he　is　not　the　person　the　laws　have　appointed；　and；

consequently；　not　the　person　the　people　have　consented　to。　Nor　can

such　an　usurper；　or　any　deriving　from　him；　ever　have　a　title　till

the　people　are　both　at　liberty　to　consent；　and　have　actually

consented；　to　allow　and　confirm　in　him　the　power　he　hath　till　then

usurped。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　XVIII

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　Tyranny



　　199。　As　usurpation　is　the　exercise　of　power　which　another　hath　a

right　to；　so　tyranny　is　the　exercise　of　power　beyond　right；　which

nobody　can　have　a　right　to；　and　this　is　making　use　of　the　power　any

one　has　in　his　hands；　not　for　the　good　of　those　who　are　under　it；

but　for　his　own　private；　separate　advantage。　When　the　governor；

however　entitled；　makes　not　the　law；　but　his　will；　the　rule；　and　his

commands　and　actions　are　not　directed　to　the　preservation　of　the

properties　of　his　people；　but　the　satisfaction　of　his　own　ambition；

revenge；　covetousness；　or　any　other　irregular　passion。

　　200。　If　one　can　doubt　this　to　be　truth　or　reason　because　it　comes

from　the　obscure　hand　of　a　subject；　I　hope　the　authority　of　a　king

will　make　it　pass　with　him。　King　James；　in　his　speech　to　the

Parliament；　16O3；　tells　them　thus：　〃I　will　ever　prefer　the　weal　of　the

public　and　of　the　whole　commonwealth；　in　making　of　good　laws　and

constitutions；　to　any　particular　and　private　ends　of　mine；　thinking

ever　the　wealth　and　weal　of　the　commonwealth　to　be　my　greatest　weal

and　worldly　felicity…　a　point　wherein　a　lawful　king　doth　directly

differ　from　a　tyrant；　for　I　do　acknowledge　that　the　special　and

greatest　point　of　difference　that　is　between　a　rightful　king　and　an

usurping　tyrant　is　this…　that　whereas　the　proud　and　ambitious　tyrant

doth　think　his　kingdom　and　people　are　only　ordained　for　satisfaction

of　his　desires　and　unreasonable　appetites；　the　righteous　and　just　king

doth；　by　the　contrary；　acknowledge　himself　to　be　ordained　for　the

procuring　of　the　wealth　and　property　of　his　people。〃　And　again；　in　his

speech　to　the　Parliament；　1609；　he　hath　these　words：　〃The　king　binds

himself；　by　a　double　oath；　to　the　observation　of　the　fundamental

laws　of　his　kingdom…　tacitly；　as　by　being　a　king；　and　so　bound　to

protect；　as　well　the　people　as　the　laws　of　his　kingdom；　and

expressly　by　his　oath　at　his　coronation；　so　as　every　just　king；　in　a

settled　kingdom；　is　bound　to　observe　that　paction　made　to　his

people；　by　his　laws；　in　framing　his　government　agreeable　thereunto；

according　to　that　paction　which　God　made　with　Noah　after　the　deluge：

'Hereafter；　seed…time；　and　harvest；　and　cold；　and　heat；　and　summer；

and　winter；　and　day；　and　night；　shall　not　cease　while　the　earth

remaineth。'　And　therefore　a　king；　governing　in　a　settled　kingdom；

leaves　to　be　a　king；　and　degenerates　into　a　tyrant；　as　soon　as　he

leaves　off　to　rule　according　to　his　laws。〃　And　a　little　after：

〃Therefore；　all　kings　that　are　not　tyrants；　or　perjured；　will　be

glad　to　bound　themselves　within　the　limits　of　their　laws；　and　they

that　persuade　them　the　contrary　are　vipers；　pests；　both　against　them

and　the　commonwealth。〃　Thus；　that　learned　king；　who　well　understood

the　notions　of　things；　makes　the　difference　betwixt　a　king　and　a

tyrant　to　consist　only　in　this：　that　one　makes　the　laws　the　bounds

of　his　power　and　the　good　of　the　public　the　end　of　his　government；　the

other　makes　all　give　way　to　his　own　will　and　appetite。

　　201。　It　is　a　mistake　to　think　this　fault　is　proper　only　to

monarchies。　Other　forms　of　government　are　liable　to　it　as　well　as

that；　for　wherever　the　power　that　is　put　in　any　hands　for　the

government　of　the　people　and　the　preservation　of　their　properties　is

applied　to　other　ends；　and　made　use　of　to　impoverish；　harass；　or

subdue　them　to　the　arbitrary　and　irregular　commands　of　those　that　have

it；　there　it　presently　becomes　tyranny；　whether　those　that　thus　use　it

are　one　or　many。　Thus　we　read　of　the　thirty　tyrants　at　Athens；　as　well

as　one　at　Syracuse；　and　the　intolerable　dominion　of　the　Decemviri　at

Rome　was　nothing　better。

　　202。　Wherever　law　ends；　tyranny　begins；　if　the　law　be　transgressed

to　another's　harm；　and　whosoever　in　authority　exceeds　the　power

given　him　by　the　law；　and　makes　use　of　the　force　he　has　under　his

command　to　compass　that　upon　the　subject　which　the　law　allows　not；

ceases　in　that　to　be　a　magistrate；　and　acting　without　authority　may　be

opposed；　as　any　other　man　who　by　force　invades　the　right　of　another。

This　is　acknowledged　in　subordinate　magistrates。　He　that　hath

authority　to　seize　my　person　in　the　street　may　be　opposed　as　a　thief

and　a　robber　if　he　endeavours　to　break　into　my　house　to　execute　a

writ；　notwithstanding　that　I　know　he　has　such　a　warrant　and　such　a

legal　authority　as　will　empower　him　to　arrest　me　abroad。　And　why

this　should　not　hold　in　the　highest；　as　well　as　in　the　most　inferior

magistrate；　I　would　gladly　be　informed。　Is　it　reasonable　that　the

eldest　brother；　because　he　has　the　greatest　part　of　his　father's

estate；　should　thereby　have　a　right　to　take　away　any　of　his　younger

brothers'　portions？　Or　that　a　rich　man；　who　possessed　a　whole　country；

should　from　thence　have　a　right　to　seize；　when　he　pleased；　the　cottage

and　garden　of　his　poor　neighbour？　The　being　rightfully　possessed　of

great　power　and　riches；　exceedingly　beyond　the　greatest　part　of　the

sons　of　Adam；　is　so　far　from　being　an　excuse；　much　less　a　reason　for

rapine　and　oppression；　which　the　endamaging　another　without

authority　is；　that　it　is　a　great　aggravation　of　it。　For　exceeding

the　bounds　of　authority　is　no　more　a　right　in　a　great　than　a　petty

officer；　no　more　justifiable　in　a　king　than　a　constable。　But　so　much

the　worse　in　him　as　that　he　has　more　trust　put　in　him；　is　supposed；

from　the　advantage　of　education　and　counsellors；　to　have　better

knowledge　and　less　reason　to　do　it；　having　already　a　greater　share

than　the　rest　of　his　brethren。

　　203。　May　the　commands；　then；　of　a　prince　be　opposed？　May　he　be

resisted；　as　often　as　any　one　shall　find　himself　aggrieved；　and　but

imagine　he　has　not　right　done　him？　This　will　unhinge　and　overturn

all　polities；　and　instead　of　government　and　order；　leave　nothing　but

anarchy　and　confusion。

　　204。　To　this　I　answer：　That　force　is　to　be　opposed　to　nothing　but　to

unjust　and　unlawful　force。　Whoever　makes　any　opposition　in　any　other

case　draws　on　himself　a　just　condemnation；　both　from　God　and　man；

and　so　no　such　danger　or　confusion　will　follow；　as　is　often　suggested。

For…

　　205。　First。　As　in　some　countries　the　person　of　the　prince　by　the　law

is　sacred；　and　so　whatever　he　commands　or　does；　his　person　is　still

free　from　all　question　or　violence；　not　liable　to　force；　or　any

judicial　censure　or　condemnation。　But　yet　opposition　may　be　made　to

the　illegal　acts　of　any　inferior　officer　or　other　commissioned　by　him；

unless　he　will；　by　actually　putting　himself　into　a　state　of　war　with

his　people；　dissolve　the　government；　and　leave　them　to　that　defence；

which　belongs　to　every　one　in　the　state　of　Nature。　For　of　such　things；

who　can　tell　what　the　end　will　be？