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of which that land is a part; it has been commonly fuppofed, that a father could oblige bis pofterity to that government, of which he himself was a fubject, and that his compact held them; whereas, it being only a neceffary condition annexed to the land, and the inheritance of an estate which is under that government, reaches only those who will take it on that condition, and fo is no natural tie or engagement, but a voluntary fubmiffion : for every man's children being by nature as free as himself, or any of his ancestors ever were, may, whilft they are in that freedom, choose what society they will join themselves to, what common-wealth they will put themselves under. But if they will enjoy the inheritance of their ancestors, they muft take it on the fame terms their ancestors had it, and submit to all the conditions annexed to fuch a poffeffion. By this power indeed fathers oblige their children to obedience to themselves, even when they are past minority, and most commonly too fubject them to this or that political power: but neither of these by any peculiar right of fatherhood, but by the reward they have in their hands to inforce and recompence fuch a compliance; and is no more power than what a French man has over an English man, who by the hopes of an eftate he will leave him, will certainly have a strong tie on his obedience : and if, when it is left him, he will enjoy it, S

he

he muft certainly take it upon the conditions annexed to the poffeffion of land in that country where it lies, whether it be France or England.

§. 74. To conclude then, tho' the father's power of commanding extends no farther than the minority of his children, and to a degree only fit for the difcipline and government of that age; and tho' that honour and respect, and all that which the Latins called piety, which they indifpenfibly owe to their parents all their life-time, and in all eftates, with all that support and defence is due to them, gives the father no power of governing, i. e. making laws and enacting penalties on his children; though by all this he has no dominion over the property or actions of his fon: yet it is obvious to conceive how easy it was, in the first ages of the world, and in plaçes ftill, where the thinness of people gives families leave to feparate into unpoffeffed quarters, and they have room to remove or plant themselves in yet vacant habitations, for the father of the family to become the prince of it; he had

been

*It is no improbable opinion therefore, which the archphilofopher was of, that the chief perfon in every houfhold was always, as it were, a king: fo when numbers of houfholds joined themselves in civil focieties together, king's were the firft kind of governors amongst them, which is alfo, as it feemeth, the reafon why the name of fathers continued till in them, who, of fathers, were made rulers; as

alfe

been a ruler from the beginning of the infancy of his children: and fince without fome government it would be hard for them to live together, it was likeliest it should, by the express or tacit confent of the children when they were grown up, be in the father, where it feemed without any change barely to continue; when indeed nothing more was required to it, than the permitting the father to exercise alone, in his family, that executive power of the law of nature, which every free man naturally hath, and by that permiffion refigning up to him a monarchical power, whilft they remained in it. But that this was not by any paternal right, but only by the consent of his children, is evident from hence, that no body doubts, but if a stranger, whom chance or business had brought to his family, had there killed any of his children, or committed any other fact, he might condemn and put him to death, or otherwise have punished him, as well as any of his children;

S 2

alfo the ancient cuftom of governors to do as Melchizedec, and being kings, to exercife the office of priests, which fathers did at the firft, grew perhaps by the fame occafion. Howbeit, this is not the only kind of regiment that has been received in the world. The inconveniences of one kind have caufed fundry others to be devifed; fo that in a word, all public regiment, of what kind foever, feemeth evidently to have rifen from the deliberate advice, confultation and compofition between men, judging it convenient and behoveful; there being no impoffibility in nature confidered by itfelf, but that man might have lived without any public regiment, Hooker's Eccl. P. lib. i. fect. 10.

1

children; which it was impoffible he should do by virtue of any paternal authority over one who was not his child, but by virtue of that executive power of the law of nature, which, as a man, he had a right to and he alone could punish him in his family, where the refpect of his children had laid by the exercise of fuch a power, to give way to the dignity and authority they were willing fhould remain in him, above the reft of his family.

§. 75. Thus it was eafy, and almost natural for children, by a tacit, and scarce avoidable confent, to make way for the father's authority and government. They had been accustomed in their childhood to follow his direction, and to refer their little differences to him; and when they were men, who fitter to rule them? Their little properties, and lefs covetousness, seldom afforded greater controverfies; and when any should arife, where could they have a fitter umpire than he, by whose care they had every one been sustained and brought up, and who had a tenderness for them all? It is no wonder that they made no distinction betwixt minority and full age; nor looked after one and twenty, or any other age that might make them the free difpofers of themselves and fortunes, when they could have no defire to be out of their pupilage: the government they had been under, during it, continued ftill to be more

their

their protection than reftraint; and they could no where find a greater fecurity to their peace, liberties, and fortunes, than in the rule of a father.

§. 76. Thus the natural fathers of families, by an infenfible change, became the politic monarchs of them too: and as they chanced to live long, and leave able and worthy heirs, for feveral fucceffions, or otherwife; fo they laid the foundations of hereditary, or elective kingdoms, under feveral conftitutions and mannors, according as chance, contrivance, or occafions happened to mould them. But if princes have their titles in their fathers right, and it be a fufficient proof of the natural right of fathers to political authority, because they commonly were those in whose hands we find, de facto, the exercife of government: I fay, if this argument be good, it will as ftrongly prove, that all princes, nay princes only, ought to be priefts, fince it is as certain, that in the beginning, the father of the family was prieft, as that he was ruler n his own boufhold.

CHAP. VII.

Of Political or Civil Society.

§. 77. GOD having made man fuch a

creature, that in his own judg

ment, it was not good for him to be alone,

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