登陆注册
4132500000059

第59章 CHAP. XIX.(4)

Sec. 224. But it will be said, this hypothesis lays a ferment for frequent 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 authorized 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.

Sec. 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 born 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 rouze 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.

Sec. 226. Thirdly, I answer, that this doctrine of a power in the people of providing for their safety a-new, 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 probablest 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 properest way to prevent the evil, is to shew them the danger and injustice of it, who are under the greatest temptation to run into it.

Sec. 227. In both the fore-mentioned 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 no body can have, but by the appointment and consent of the people; and so destroying the authority which the people did, and no body else can set up, and introducing a power which the people hath not authorized, they 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 a-new to the state of war, And if those, who by force take away the legislative, are rebels, the legislators themselves, as has been shewn, 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.

Sec. 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 neighbours. 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 a kind of 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. VVho would not think it an admirable peace betwix the mighty and the mean, when the lamb, without resistance, yielded his throat to be torn by the imperious wolf?

同类推荐
  • 陶庵梦忆

    陶庵梦忆

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Sketches by Boz

    Sketches by Boz

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编皇极典皇极总部

    明伦汇编皇极典皇极总部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 聊斋小曲

    聊斋小曲

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 建炎复辟记

    建炎复辟记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 实用行政文书写作大全(现代常用文体写作全书)

    实用行政文书写作大全(现代常用文体写作全书)

    本书内容包含:公文的起草、校核和签发;办公文书的写作,会议文书的写作,行政公文的写作,规章文体的写作、其他公文写作八章。
  • 国宝

    国宝

    为了使广大读者对国宝有一个比较清晰的了解,本书从各个领域选取了六十余件有代表性的国宝,进行系统的编排,力求突出知识性和趣味性。每件国宝都配有精美的图片,便于读者阅读和欣赏。我们希望通过这本书来激发广大读者,特别是青少年朋友对国宝的关注和热爱,从国宝中了解我们民族的历史、文化,并自觉地去保护我们的国宝。包罗万象的名家字画、精美的陶瓷器、金银器……这一片片历史的残骸,它们记录了大量的文字信息,诉说着时代的变迁,自己也成为了传奇。不管是历史的残简碎片,还是体系完备的煌煌巨制,都是民族的魂魄,中华的瑰宝。本书中介绍的每一件国宝,都是一个鲜活的生命,它们向人们展示了我们国家辉煌灿烂的文化。
  • 体辽师

    体辽师

    一个少年,偶的上古传传承,从此一飞冲天,主宰诸天万界。
  • 沧弄玉

    沧弄玉

    同历年间,荣逸王朝开始由盛转衰,西北,西南,及东南地区的国家开始崛起。边疆战事频繁,樊帝为拉拢右相,将四公主许配给右相的嫡长子。四公主为逃婚与青梅竹马私奔。樊帝当即派人追回。逃亡途中公主被救,却也身受重伤,而此时,四公主已身怀六甲……
  • 上仙留步,有只狐妖爱上你

    上仙留步,有只狐妖爱上你

    当顽皮小狐妖爱上不知情为何物的酷帅男神仙……“即使上天入地,我也要捕获男神。”小狐妖双眼冒着星星、握拳宣誓。真的会那么简单么?我们拭目以待……
  • 庶女国色

    庶女国色

    胡非非表示很无辜,随便逛个街都能碰上“电梯逆天故障”这种事。她做自由落体运动被穿越后,发现……总而言之,这是一个普通公司小职员,穿越成绝色小庶女,各种幸福卖萌秀恩爱,扁扁渣男,揍揍碧池,最终抱得美男归,还顺便把小日子过得有滋有味的“励志甜宠”故事!
  • 我能申请退货吗

    我能申请退货吗

    桑倪真的很忧郁,进入娱乐圈后总是被一个可恶的家伙百般“调戏”Sun:为什么拒绝我?桑倪:因为我有我家竹马了,我家竹马上得了厅堂下得了厨房,打得了色狼护得了妹纸!看百变大灰狼如何捕获一只呆萌小白兔!
  • 古龙文集:火并萧十一郎(下)

    古龙文集:火并萧十一郎(下)

    《萧十一郎》问世三年后,因古龙不满意结局,又作《火并萧十一郎》以续之。全篇故事极尽离奇曲折之能事,但前后照应,环环相扣,皆在情理之中,意料之外,却绝不荒唐无稽,是一部“讴歌至情至性、鼓舞生命意志的超卓杰作,具有永恒的文学价值”。在《火并萧十一郎》中,萧十一郎再次出现在风四娘和沈璧君面前,但他却从不修边幅的落拓浪子,摇身一变,成了衣着华丽的富家公子。萧十一郎是不是还是从前那个萧十一郎?在敢爱敢恨的风四娘和为他舍弃一切的沈璧君之间,他究竟会作何选择?
  • 妈咪,爹地太坏了

    妈咪,爹地太坏了

    订婚前夕,她满心欢喜地应约未婚夫地邀请,却不想遭人陷害,落尽了闺蜜的圈套,名声尽失,犹如丧家之犬。五年后,她携子归来,并无心报复,仇家却一个个找上门。“妈咪,这种事情不需要你做,我和爹地会搞定他们的!”腹黑儿子霸气护妈。“小乖,我说了,那不是你爹地——”“不是?那这亲子鉴定是什么回事?”某男将一纸鉴定扔到她的跟前,痛心疾首地哭诉,“女人,找了我这么极品的男人,你竟然还想逃跑,你是不是蠢啊?”
  • 晨时晚刻

    晨时晚刻

    “如果给我个机会回到过去的机会,我想我会回到初三那年,不离开她,就算最后我会失去性命,我也想陪她度过那些年。”那是沈括在一次回到母校的一次演讲。程晨那时已怀了身孕,而演讲完的沈括陪在她身边回忆着属于他们的共同青春。幸好最终历经磨难,他们还是在一起了!