You have seene my Method,receive now the reason which mov'd me to write this;I was studying philosophie for my minde sake,and I had gathered together its first Elements in all kinds,and having digested them into three Sections by degrees,I thought to have written them so as in the first I would have treated of a body,and its generall properties;in the second of man and his speciall faculties,and affections;in the third,of civill government and the duties of Subjects:therefore the first Section would have contained the first philosophie,and certaine elements of physick;in it we would have considered the reasons of Time,Place,Cause,Power,Relation,Proportion,Quantity,Figure,and motion.In the second we would have beene conversant about imagination,Memory,intellect,ratiocination,appetite,till,good and Evill,honest and dishonest,and the like.what this last Section handles,I have now already shewed you.Whilest I contrive,order,pensively and slowly compose these matters,for I onely doe reason,I dispute not,it so happen'd in the interim,that my Country some few yeares before the civill tarres did rage,was boyling hot with questions concerning the rights of Dominion,and the obedience due from Subjects,the true forerunners of an approaching tar.And was the cause which (all those other matters deferr'd)ripen'd,and pluckt from me this third part.Therefore it happens that what was last in order,is yet come forth first in time,and the rather,because I saw that grounded on its owne principles sufficiently knowne by experience it would not stand in need of the former Sections.
I have not yet made it out of a desire of praise (although if I had,I might have defended my selfe with this faire excuse,that very few doe things laudably,who are not affected with commendation)but for your sakes Readers,who I perswaded my selfe,when you should rightly apprehend and throughly understand this Doctrine I here present you with,would rather chuse to brooke with patience some inconveniences under government (because humane affairs cannot possibly be without some)then selfe opiniatedly disturb the quiet of the publique;That,weighing the justice of those things you are about,not by the perswasion and advise of private men,but by the Lawes of the Realme,you will no longer suffer ambitious men through the streames of your blood to wade to their owne power;That you will esteeme it better to enjoy your selves in the present state though perhaps not the best,then by waging tarre,indeavour to procure a reformation for other men in another age,your selves in the meane while either kill'd,or consumed with age;Farthermore,for those who will not acknowledge themselves subject to the civill Magistrate,and will be exempt from all publique burthens,and yet will live under his Jurisdiction,and look for protection from the violence and injuries of others,that you would not looke on them as fellow Subjects,but esteeme them for enemies,and spies,and that yee rashly admit not for Gods Word all which either openly or privately they shall pretend to bee so.I say more plainly,if any preacher,Confessor,or Casuist,shal but say that this doctrin is agreeable with Gods word,namely,That the chief ruler,nay any private man may lawfully be put to death without the chiefes command,or that Subjects may resist,conspire,or covenant against the supreme power,that ye by no means beleeve them,but instantly declare their names.He who approves of these reasons,will also like my intention in writing this book.
Last of al,I have propounded to my self this rule through this whole discourse;First,not to define ought which concerns the justice of single actions,but leave them to be determined by the laws.Next not to dispute the laws of any government in special,that is,not to point which are the laws of any country,but to declare what the laws of all countries are.Thirdly not to seem of opinion,that there is a lesse proportion of for obedience due to an Aristocraty or Democraty,then a Monarchy;though I have endeavoured by arguments in my tenth Chapter to gain a belief in men,that Monarchy is the most commodious government (which one thing alone I confesse in this whole book not to be demonstrated,but only probably stated)yet every where I expresly say,that in all kind of Government whatsoever,there ought to be a supreme and equall power.Fourthly,not in any wise to dispute the positions of Divines,except those which strip Subjects of their obedience,and shake the foundations of civill government.Lastly,lest I might imprudently set forth somewhat of which there would be no need,what I had thus written,I would not presently expose to publique interest,wherefore I got some few copies privately disperst among some of my friends,that discrying the opinions of others,if any things appeared erroneous,hard,or obscure,I might correct,soften,and explain them.
These things I found most bitterly excepted against:that Ihad made the civill powers too large,but this by Ecclesiasticall persons;that I had utterly taken away liberty of conscience,but this by Sectaries;that I had set princes above the civil Laws,but this by Lawyers;wherefore I was not much moved by these mens reprehensions,(as who in doing this did but do their own business)except it were tye those knots so much faster.
But for their sakes who have a litle been staggered at the principles themselves,to wit the nature of men,the authority or right of nature,the nature of compacts and contracts,and the originall of civill government,because in finding fault they have not so much followed their passions,as their common sense,I have therefore in some places added some annotations whereby Ipresumed I might give some satisfaction to their differing thoughts;Lastly I have endevoured to offend none beside those whose principles these contradict,and whose tender mindes are lightly offended by every difference of opinions.
Wherefore if ye shall meet with some things which have more of sharpnesse,and lesse of certainty then they ought to have,since they are not so much spoken for the maintenance of parties,as the establishment of peace,and by one whose just grief for the present calamities of his country,may very charitably be allowed some liberty,it is his only request to ye Readers,ye will deign to receive them with an equall mind.
Philosophicall Elements of a true Citizen.
