over　him？　But　a　liberty　to　dispose　and　order　freely　as　he　lists　his
  person；　actions；　possessions；　and　his　whole　property　within　the
  allowance　of　those　laws　under　which　he　is；　and　therein　not　to　be
  subject　to　the　arbitrary　will　of　another；　but　freely　follow　his　own。
  58。　The　power；　then；　that　parents　have　over　their　children　arises
  from　that　duty　which　is　incumbent　on　them；　to　take　care　of　their
  offspring　during　the　imperfect　state　of　childhood。　To　inform　the　mind；
  and　govern　the　actions　of　their　yet　ignorant　nonage；　till　reason　shall
  take　its　place　and　ease　them　of　that　trouble；　is　what　the　children
  want；　and　the　parents　are　bound　to。　For　God　having　given　man　an
  understanding　to　direct　his　actions；　has　allowed　him　a　freedom　of　will
  and　liberty　of　acting；　as　properly　belonging　thereunto　within　the
  bounds　of　that　law　he　is　under。　But　whilst　he　is　in　an　estate
  wherein　he　has　no　understanding　of　his　own　to　direct　his　will；　he　is
  not　to　have　any　will　of　his　own　to　follow。　He　that　understands　for　him
  must　will　for　him　too；　he　must　prescribe　to　his　will；　and　regulate　his
  actions；　but　when　he　comes　to　the　estate　that　made　his　father　a　free
  man；　the　son　is　a　free　man　too。
  59。　This　holds　in　all　the　laws　a　man　is　under；　whether　natural　or
  civil。　Is　a　man　under　the　law　of　Nature？　What　made　him　free　of　that
  law？　what　gave　him　a　free　disposing　of　his　property；　according　to
  his　own　will；　within　the　compass　of　that　law？　I　answer；　an　estate
  wherein　he　might　be　supposed　capable　to　know　that　law；　that　so　he
  might　keep　his　actions　within　the　bounds　of　it。　When　he　has　acquired
  that　state；　he　is　presumed　to　know　how　far　that　law　is　to　be　his
  guide；　and　how　far　he　may　make　use　of　his　freedom；　and　so　comes　to
  have　it；　till　then；　somebody　else　must　guide　him；　who　is　presumed　to
  know　how　far　the　law　allows　a　liberty。　If　such　a　state　of　reason；　such
  an　age　of　discretion　made　him　free；　the　same　shall　make　his　son　free
  too。　Is　a　man　under　the　law　of　England？　what　made　him　free　of　that
  law…　that　is；　to　have　the　liberty　to　dispose　of　his　actions　and
  possessions；　according　to　his　own　will；　within　the　permission　of
  that　law？　a　capacity　of　knowing　that　law。　Which　is　supposed；　by　that
  law；　at　the　age　of　twenty…one；　and　in　some　cases　sooner。　If　this
  made　the　father　free；　it　shall　make　the　son　free　too。　Till　then；　we
  see　the　law　allows　the　son　to　have　no　will；　but　he　is　to　be　guided
  by　the　will　of　his　father　or　guardian；　who　is　to　understand　for　him。
  And　if　the　father　die　and　fail　to　substitute　a　deputy　in　this　trust；
  if　he　hath　not　provided　a　tutor　to　govern　his　son　during　his　minority；
  during　his　want　of　understanding；　the　law　takes　care　to　do　it：　some
  other　must　govern　him　and　be　a　will　to　him　till　he　hath　attained　to
  a　state　of　freedom；　and　his　understanding　be　fit　to　take　the
  government　of　his　will。　But　after　that　the　father　and　son　are
  equally　free；　as　much　as　tutor　and　pupil；　after　nonage；　equally
  subjects　of　the　same　law　together；　without　any　dominion　left　in　the
  father　over　the　life；　liberty；　or　estate　of　his　son；　whether　they　be
  only　in　the　state　and　under　the　law　of　Nature；　or　under　the　positive
  laws　of　an　established　government。
  60。　But　if　through　defects　that　may　happen　out　of　the　ordinary
  course　of　Nature；　any　one　comes　not　to　such　a　degree　of　reason　wherein
  he　might　be　supposed　capable　of　knowing　the　law；　and　so　living
  within　the　rules　of　it；　he　is　never　capable　of　being　a　free　man；　he　is
  never　let　loose　to　the　disposure　of　his　own　will；　because　he　knows
  no　bounds　to　it；　has　not　understanding；　its　proper　guide；　but　is
  continued　under　the　tuition　and　government　of　others　all　the　time
  his　own　understanding　is　incapable　of　that　charge。　And　so　lunatics　and
  idiots　are　never　set　free　from　the　government　of　their　parents：
  〃Children　who　are　not　as　yet　come　unto　those　years　whereat　they　may
  have；　and　innocents；　which　are　excluded　by　a　natural　defect　from
  ever　having。〃　Thirdly：　〃Madmen；　which；　for　the　present；　cannot
  possibly　have　the　use　of　right　reason　to　guide　themselves；　have；　for
  their　guide；　the　reason　that　guideth　other　men　which　are　tutors　over
  them；　to　seek　and　procure　their　good　for　them；〃　says　Hooker　（Eccl。
  Pol。；　lib。　i。；　s。　7）。　All　which　seems　no　more　than　that　duty　which　God
  and　Nature　has　laid　on　man；　as　well　as　other　creatures；　to　preserve
  their　offspring　till　they　can　be　able　to　shift　for　themselves；　and
  will　scarce　amount　to　an　instance　or　proof　of　parents'　regal
  authority。
  61。　Thus　we　are　born　free　as　we　are　born　rational；　not　that　we
  have　actually　the　exercise　of　either：　age　that　brings　one；　brings　with
  it　the　other　too。　And　thus　we　see　how　natural　freedom　and　subjection
  to　parents　may　consist　together；　and　are　both　founded　on　the　same
  principle。　A　child　is　free　by　his　father's　title；　by　his　father's
  understanding；　which　is　to　govern　him　till　he　hath　it　of　his　own。
  The　freedom　of　a　man　at　years　of　discretion；　and　the　subjection　of　a
  child　to　his　parents；　whilst　yet　short　of　it；　are　so　consistent　and　so
  distinguishable　that　the　most　blinded　contenders　for　monarchy；　〃by
  right　of　fatherhood；〃　cannot　miss　of　it；　the　most　obstinate　cannot　but
  allow　of　it。　For　were　their　doctrine　all　true；　were　the　right　heir
  of　Adam　now　known；　and；　by　that　title；　settled　a　monarch　in　his
  throne；　invested　with　all　the　absolute　unlimited　power　Sir　Robert
  Filmer　talks　of；　if　he　should　die　as　soon　as　his　heir　were　born；
  must　not　the　child；　notwithstanding　he　were　never　so　free；　never　so
  much　sovereign；　be　in　subjection　to　his　mother　and　nurse；　to　tutors
  and　governors；　till　age　and　education　brought　him　reason　and　ability
  to　govern　himself　and　others？　The　necessities　of　his　life；　the
  health　of　his　body；　and　the　information　of　his　mind　would　require
  him　to　be　directed　by　the　will　of　others　and　not　his　own；　and　yet　will
  any　one　think　that　this　restraint　and　subjection　were　inconsistent
  with；　or　spoiled　him　of；　that　liberty　or　sovereignty　he　had　a　right
  to；　or　gave　away　his　empire　to　those　who　had　the　government　of　his
  nonage？　This　government　over　him　only　prepared　him　the　better　and
  sooner　for　it。　If　anybody　should　ask　me　when　my　son　is　of　age　to　be
  free；　I　shall　answer；　just　when　his　monarch　is　of　age　to　govern。
  〃But　at　what　time；〃　says　the　judicious　Hooker　（Eccl。　Pol。；　lib。　i。；　s。
  6）；　〃a　man　may　be　said　to　have　attained　so　far　forth　the　use　of　reason
  as　sufficeth　to　make　him　capable　of　those　laws　whereby　he　is　then
  bound　to　guide　his　actions；　this　is　a　great　deal　more　easy　for　sense
  to　discern　than　for　any　one；　by　skill　and　learning；　to　determine。〃
  62。　Commonwealths　themselves　take　notice　of；　and　allow　that　there　is
  a　time　when　men　are　to　begin　to　act　like　free　men；　and　therefore；　till
  that　time；　require　not　oaths　of　fealty　or　allegiance；　or　other
  public　owning　of；　or　submission　to；　the　government　of　their　countries。
  63。　The　freedom　then　of　man；　and　liberty　of　acting　according　to
  his　own　will；　is　grounded　on　his　having　reason；　which　is　able　to
  instruct　him　in　that　law　he　is　to　govern　himself　by；　and　make　him　know
  how　far　he　is　left　to　the　freedom　of　his　own　will。　To　turn　him　loose
  to　an　unrestrained　liberty；　before　he　has　reason　to　guide　him；　is
  not　the　allowing　him　the　privilege　of　his　nature　to　be　free；　but　to
  thrust　him　out　amongst　brutes；　and　abandon　him　to　a　state　as
  wretched　and　as　much　beneath　that　of　a　man　as　theirs。　This　is　that
  which　puts　the　authority　into　the　parents'　hands　to　govern　the
  minority　of　their　children。　God　hath　made　it　their　business　to
  employ　this　care　on　their　offspring；　and　hath　placed　in　them
  suitable　inclinations　of　tenderness　and　concern　to　temper　this
  power；　to　apply　it　as　His　wisdom　designed　it；　to　the　children's　good
  as　long　as　they　should　need　to　be　under　it。
  64。　But　what　reason　can　hence　advance　this　care　of　the　parents　due
  to　their　offspring　into　an　absolute；　arbitrary　dominion　of　the　father；
  whose　power　reaches　no　farther　than　by　such　a　discipline　as　he　finds
  most　effectual　to　give　such　strength　and　health　to　their　bodies；
  such　vigour　and　rectitude　to　their　minds；　as　may　best　fit　his　children
  to　be　most　useful　to　themselves　and　others；　and；　if　it　be　necessary　to
  his　condition；　to　make　them　work　when　they　are　able　for　their　own
  subsistence；　but　in　this　power　the　mother；　too；　has　her　share　with　the
  father。
  65。　Nay；　this　power　so　little　belongs　to　the　father　by　any
  peculiar　right　of　Nature；　but　only　as　he　is　guardian　of　his
  children；　that　when　he　quits　his　care　of　them　he　loses　his　power
  over　them；　which　goes　along　with　their　nourishment　and　education；　to
  which　it　is　inseparably　annexed；　and　belongs　as　much　to　the
  foster…father　of　an　exposed　child　as　to　the　natural　father　of　another。
  So　little　power　does　the　bare　act　of　begetting　give　a　man　over　his
  issue；　if　all　his　care　ends　there；　and　this　be　all　the　title　he　hath
  to　the　name　and　authority　of　a　father。　And　what　will　become　of　this
  paternal　power　in　that　part　of　the　world　where　one　woman　hath　more
  than　one　husband　at　a　time？　or　in　those　parts　of　America　where；　when
  the　husband　and　wife　part；　which　happens　fr