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second treatise of government-第21章

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ther: and therefore their  first care and thought cannot but be supposed to be; how to  secure themselves against foreign force。  It was natural for them  to put themselves under a frame of government which might best  serve to that end; and chuse the wisest and bravest man to  conduct them in their wars; and lead them out against their  enemies; and in this chiefly be their ruler。      Sec。 108。  Thus we see; that the kings of the Indians in  America; which is still a pattern of the first ages in Asia and  Europe; whilst the inhabitants were too few for the country; and  want of people and money gave men no temptation to enlarge their  possessions of land; or contest for wider extent of ground; are  little more than generals of their armies; and though they  command absolutely in war; yet at home and in time of peace they  exercise very little dominion; and have but a very moderate  sovereignty; the resolutions of peace and war being ordinarily  either in the people; or in a council。  Tho' the war itself;  which admits not of plurality of governors; naturally devolves  the command into the king's sole authority。      Sec。 109。  And thus in Israel itself; the chief business of  their judges; and first kings; seems to have been to be captains  in war; and leaders of their armies; which (besides what is  signified by going out and in before the people; which was; to  march forth to war; and home again in the heads of their forces)  appears plainly in the story of lephtha。  The Ammonites making  war upon Israel; the Gileadites in fear send to lephtha; a  bastard of their family whom they had cast off; and article with  him; if he will assist them against the Ammonites; to make him  their ruler; which they do in these words; And the people made  him head and captain over them; Judg。  xi; ii。  which was; as it  seems; all one as to be judge。  And he judged Israel; judg。  xii。   7。  that is; was their captain…general six years。  So when lotham  upbraids the Shechemites with the obligation they had to Gideon;  who had been their judge and ruler; he tells them; He fought for  you; and adventured his life far; and delivered you out of the  hands of Midian; Judg。  ix。  17。  Nothing mentioned of him but  what he did as a general: and indeed that is all is found in his  history; or in any of the rest of the judges。  And Abimelech  particularly is called king; though at most he was but their  general。  And when; being weary of the ill conduct of Samuel's  sons; the children of Israel desired a king; like all the nations  to judge them; and to go out before them; and to fight their  battles; I。  Sam viii。  20。  God granting their desire; says to  Samuel; I will send thee a man; and thou shalt anoint him to be  captain over my people Israel; that he may save my people out of  the hands of the Philistines; ix。  16。  As if the only business  of a king had been to lead out their armies; and fight in their  defence; and accordingly at his inauguration pouring a vial of  oil upon him; declares to Saul; that the Lord had anointed him to  be captain over his inheritance; x。  1。  And therefore those; who  after Saul's being solemnly chosen and saluted king by the tribes  at Mispah; were unwilling to have him their king; made no other  objection but this; How shall this man save us?  v。  27。  as if  they should have said; this man is unfit to be our king; not 

having skill and conduct enough in war; to be able to defend us。   And when God resolved to transfer the government to David; it is  in these words; But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord  hath sought him a man after his own heart; and the Lord hath  commanded him to be captain over his people; xiii。  14。  As if  the whole kingly authority were nothing else but to be their  general: and therefore the tribes who had stuck to Saul's family;  and opposed David's reign; when they came to Hebron with terms of  submission to him; they tell him; amongst other arguments they  had to submit to him as to their king; that he was in effect  their king in Saul's time; and therefore they had no reason but  to receive him as their king now。  Also (say they) in time past;  when Saul was king over us; thou wast he that reddest out and  broughtest in Israel; and the Lord said unto thee; Thou shalt  feed my people Israel; and thou shalt be a captain over Israel。      Sec。 110。  Thus; whether a family by degrees grew up into a  common…wealth; and the fatherly authority being continued on to  the elder son; every one in his turn growing up under it; tacitly  submitted to it; and the easiness and equality of it not  offending any one; every one acquiesced; till time seemed to have  confirmed it; and settled a right of succession by prescription:  or whether several families; or the descendants of several  families; whom chance; neighbourhood; or business brought  together; uniting into society; the need of a general; whose  conduct might defend them against their enemies in war; and the  great confidence the innocence and sincerity of that poor but  virtuous age; (such as are almost all those which begin  governments; that ever come to last in the world) gave men one of  another; made the first beginners of commonwealths generally put  the rule into one man's hand; without any other express  limitation or restraint; but what the nature of the thing; and  the end of government required: which ever of those it was that  at first put the rule into the hands of a single person; certain  it is no body was intrusted with it but for the public good and  safety; and to those ends; in the infancies of commonwealths;  those who had it commonly used it。  And unless they had done so;  young societies could not have subsisted; without such nursing  fathers tender and careful of the public weal; all governments  would have sunk under the weakness and infirmities of their  infancy; and the prince and the people had soon perished  together。      Sec。 111。  But though the golden age (before vain ambition;  and amor sceleratus habendi; evil concupiscence; had corrupted  men's minds into a mistake of true power and honour) had more  virtue; and consequently better governors; as well as less  vicious subjects; and there was then no stretching prerogative on  the one side; to oppress the people; nor consequently on the  other; any dispute about privilege; to lessen or restrain the  power of the magistrate; and so no contest betwixt rulers and  people about governors or goveernment: yet; when ambition and  luxury in future ages* would retain and increase the power;  without doing the business for which it was given; and aided by  flattery; taught princes to have distinct and separate interests  from their people; men found it necessary to examine more  carefully the original and rights of government; and to find out  ways to restrain the exorbitances; and prevent the abuses of that  power; which they having intrusted in another's hands only for  their own good; they found was made use of to hurt them。      (*At first; when some certain kind of regiment was once  approved; it may be nothing was then farther thought upon for the  manner of governing; but all permitted unto their wisdom and  discretion which were to rule; till by e
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