On the Foundation of Civil Government. 485 



dudt over a fon of forty years of age for inftance? 

 Suppofe the fon fhould think the parent wrong 

 and himfelf right, ought he to ad according to 

 the diftates of his own confcience, or according 

 to the commands of a father poflibly of lefs 

 underftanding, and of decayed faculties ? In 

 fad it is now univerfally agreed that there are 

 cafes and times when parental authority ceafes 

 to become abfolute, and changes into advice. 



4. The acquiejcence of a parent under any exifting 

 government binds the family. 



(a) This does not relate to the origin and foun- 

 dation of civil government, for there could be 



no fuch acquiefcence before the government in 

 queftion exifted. (b) The parent cannot bind 

 the fon to perpetual fubmiffion even to parental 

 authority, and much lefs to the authority of 

 others, (c) If this fource of authority were 

 well founded, then would the acquiefcence of 

 a parent under tyranny and defpotifm, bind the 

 fon to obey likewife. (d) It is always allowed 

 that no parent can deprive his fon of his perfonal 

 rights ; he may limit what belongs to himfelf, 

 the property he miCans to tranfmit, as he pleafesj 

 but he has no right to what belongs to the fon. 

 (s) This fource would preclude all additions to, 

 or diminutions of, the governing power, in any 

 way whatever after the death of the father ; for 

 to fuch, the parental acquiefcence could not 

 I i 3 apply. 



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