116. This has been the practice of the world from its first
beginning to this day; nor is it now any more hindrance to the freedom
of mankind, that they are born under constituted and ancient
polities that have established laws and set forms of government,
than if they were born in the woods amongst the unconfined inhabitants
that run loose in them. For those who would persuade us that by
being born under any government we are naturally subjects to it, and
have no more any title or pretence to the freedom of the state of
Nature, have no other reason (bating that of paternal power, which
we have already answered) to produce for it, but only because our
fathers or progenitors passed away their natural liberty, and
thereby bound up themselves and their posterity to a perpetual
subjection to the government which they themselves submitted to. It is
true that whatever engagements or promises any one made for himself,
he is under the obligation of them, but cannot by any compact
whatsoever bind his children or posterity. For his son, when a man,
being altogether as free as the father, any act of the father can no
more give away the liberty of the son than it can of anybody else.
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