concerning civil government-第35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！


rebellion。　To　which　I　answer：

　　First：　no　more　than　any　other　hypothesis。　For　when　the　people　are

made　miserable；　and　find　themselves　exposed　to　the　ill　usage　of

arbitrary　power；　cry　up　their　governors　as　much　as　you　will　for　sons

of　Jupiter；　let　them　be　sacred　and　divine；　descended　or　authorised

from　Heaven；　give　them　out　for　whom　or　what　you　please；　the　same

will　happen。　The　people　generally　ill　treated；　and　contrary　to

right；　will　be　ready　upon　any　occasion　to　ease　themselves　of　a

burden　that　sits　heavy　upon　them。　They　will　wish　and　seek　for　the

opportunity；　which　in　the　change；　weakness；　and　accidents　of　human

affairs；　seldom　delays　long　to　offer　itself　He　must　have　lived　but　a

little　while　in　the　world；　who　has　not　seen　examples　of　this　in　his

time；　and　he　must　have　read　very　little　who　cannot　produce　examples　of

it　in　all　sorts　of　governments　in　the　world。

　　225。　Secondly：　I　answer；　such　revolutions　happen　not　upon　every

little　mismanagement　in　public　affairs。　Great　mistakes　in　the　ruling

part；　many　wrong　and　inconvenient　laws；　and　all　the　slips　of　human

frailty　will　be　borne　by　the　people　without　mutiny　or　murmur。　But　if　a

long　train　of　abuses；　prevarications；　and　artifices；　all　tending　the

same　way；　make　the　design　visible　to　the　people；　and　they　cannot　but

feel　what　they　lie　under；　and　see　whither　they　are　going；　it　is　not　to

be　wondered　that　they　should　then　rouse　themselves；　and　endeavour　to

put　the　rule　into　such　hands　which　may　secure　to　them　the　ends　for

which　government　was　at　first　erected；　and　without　which；　ancient

names　and　specious　forms　are　so　far　from　being　better；　that　they　are

much　worse　than　the　state　of　Nature　or　pure　anarchy；　the

inconveniencies　being　all　as　great　and　as　near；　but　the　remedy　farther

off　and　more　difficult。

　　226。　Thirdly：　I　answer；　that　this　power　in　the　people　of　providing

for　their　safety　anew　by　a　new　legislative　when　their　legislators　have

acted　contrary　to　their　trust　by　invading　their　property；　is　the

best　fence　against　rebellion；　and　the　probable　means　to　hinder　it。　For

rebellion　being　an　opposition；　not　to　persons；　but　authority；　which　is

founded　only　in　the　constitutions　and　laws　of　the　government：　those；

whoever　they　be；　who；　by　force；　break　through；　and；　by　force；

justify　their　violation　of　them；　are　truly　and　properly　rebels。　For

when　men；　by　entering　into　society　and　civil　government；　have　excluded

force；　and　introduced　laws　for　the　preservation　of　property；　peace；

and　unity　amongst　themselves；　those　who　set　up　force　again　in

opposition　to　the　laws；　do　rebellare…　that　is；　bring　back　again　the

state　of　war；　and　are　properly　rebels；　which　they　who　are　in　power；　by

the　pretence　they　have　to　authority；　the　temptation　of　force　they　have

in　their　hands；　and　the　flattery　of　those　about　them　being　likeliest

to　do；　the　proper　way　to　prevent　the　evil　is　to　show　them　the　danger

and　injustice　of　it　who　are　under　the　greatest　temptation　to　run

into　it。

　　227。　In　both　the　forementioned　cases；　when　either　the　legislative　is

changed；　or　the　legislators　act　contrary　to　the　end　for　which　they

were　constituted；　those　who　are　guilty　are　guilty　of　rebellion。　For　if

any　one　by　force　takes　away　the　established　legislative　of　any

society；　and　the　laws　by　them　made；　pursuant　to　their　trust；　he

thereby　takes　away　the　umpirage　which　every　one　had　consented　to　for　a

peaceable　decision　of　all　their　controversies；　and　a　bar　to　the

state　of　war　amongst　them。　They　who　remove　or　change　the　legislative

take　away　this　decisive　power；　which　nobody　can　have　but　by　the

appointment　and　consent　of　the　people；　and　so　destroying　the　authority

which　the　people　did；　and　nobody　else　can；　set　up；　and　introducing　a

power　which　the　people　hath　not　authorised；　actually　introduce　a　state

of　war；　which　is　that　of　force　without　authority；　and　thus　by　removing

the　legislative　established　by　the　society；　in　whose　decisions　the

people　acquiesced　and　united　as　to　that　of　their　own　will；　they

untie　the　knot；　and　expose　the　people　anew　to　the　state　of　war。　And　if

those；　who　by　force　take　away　the　legislative；　are　rebels；　the

legislators　themselves；　as　has　been　shown；　can　be　no　less　esteemed　so；

when　they　who　were　set　up　for　the　protection　and　preservation　of　the

people；　their　liberties　and　properties　shall　by　force　invade　and

endeavour　to　take　them　away；　and　so　they　putting　themselves　into　a

state　of　war　with　those　who　made　them　the　protectors　and　guardians

of　their　peace；　are　properly；　and　with　the　greatest　aggravation；

rebellantes；　rebels。

　　228。　But　if　they　who　say　it　lays　a　foundation　for　rebellion　mean

that　it　may　occasion　civil　wars　or　intestine　broils　to　tell　the　people

they　are　absolved　from　obedience　when　illegal　attempts　are　made　upon

their　liberties　or　properties；　and　may　oppose　the　unlawful　violence　of

those　who　were　their　magistrates　when　they　invade　their　properties；

contrary　to　the　trust　put　in　them；　and　that；　therefore；　this

doctrine　is　not　to　be　allowed；　being　so　destructive　to　the　peace　of

the　world；　they　may　as　well　say；　upon　the　same　ground；　that　honest　men

may　not　oppose　robbers　or　pirates；　because　this　may　occasion

disorder　or　bloodshed。　If　any　mischief　come　in　such　cases；　it　is　not

to　be　charged　upon　him　who　defends　his　own　right；　but　on　him　that

invades　his　neighbour's。　If　the　innocent　honest　man　must　quietly

quit　all　he　has　for　peace　sake　to　him　who　will　lay　violent　hands

upon　it；　I　desire　it　may　be　considered　what　kind　of　a　peace　there　will

be　in　the　world　which　consists　only　in　violence　and　rapine；　and

which　is　to　be　maintained　only　for　the　benefit　of　robbers　and

oppressors。　Who　would　not　think　it　an　admirable　peace　betwixt　the

mighty　and　the　mean；　when　the　lamb；　without　resistance；　yielded　his

throat　to　be　torn　by　the　imperious　wolf？　Polyphemus's　den　gives　us　a

perfect　pattern　of　such　a　peace。　Such　a　government　wherein　Ulysses　and

his　companions　had　nothing　to　do　but　quietly　to　suffer　themselves　to

be　devoured。　And　no　doubt　Ulysses；　who　was　a　prudent　man；　preached

up　passive　obedience；　and　exhorted　them　to　a　quiet　submission　by

representing　to　them　of　what　concernment　peace　was　to　mankind；　and

by　showing　＇what＇　inconveniencies　might　happen　if　they　should　offer　to

resist　Polyphemus；　who　had　now　the　power　over　them。

　　229。　The　end　of　government　is　the　good　of　mankind；　and　which　is　best

for　mankind；　that　the　people　should　be　always　exposed　to　the　boundless

will　of　tyranny；　or　that　the　rulers　should　be　sometimes　liable　to　be

opposed　when　they　grow　exorbitant　in　the　use　of　their　power；　and

employ　it　for　the　destruction；　and　not　the　preservation；　of　the

properties　of　their　people？

　　230。　Nor　let　any　one　say　that　mischief　can　arise　from　hence　as　often

as　it　shall　please　a　busy　head　or　turbulent　spirit　to　desire　the

alteration　of　the　government。　It　is　true　such　men　may　stir　whenever

they　please；　but　it　will　be　only　to　their　own　just　ruin　and　perdition。

For　till　the　mischief　be　grown　general；　and　the　ill　designs　of　the

rulers　become　visible；　or　their　attempts　sensible　to　the　greater　part；

the　people；　who　are　more　disposed　to　suffer　than　right　themselves　by

resistance；　are　not　apt　to　stir。　The　examples　of　particular

injustice　or　oppression　of　here　and　there　an　unfortunate　man　moves

them　not。　But　if　they　universally　have　a　persuasion　grounded　upon

manifest　evidence　that　designs　are　carrying　on　against　their

liberties；　and　the　general　course　and　tendency　of　things　cannot　but

give　them　strong　suspicions　of　the　evil　intention　of　their

governors；　who　is　to　be　blamed　for　it？　Who　can　help　it　if　they；　who

might　avoid　it；　bring　themselves　into　this　suspicion？　Are　the　people

to　be　blamed　if　they　have　the　sense　of　rational　creatures；　and　can

think　of　things　no　otherwise　than　as　they　find　and　feel　them？　And　is

it　not　rather　their　fault　who　put　things　in　such　a　posture　that　they

would　not　have　them　thought　as　they　are？　I　grant　that　the　pride；

ambition；　and　turbulency　of　private　men　have　sometimes　caused　great

disorders　in　commonwealths；　and　factions　have　been　fatal　to　states　and

kingdoms。