by　a　law　antecedent　and　paramount　to　all　positive　laws　of　men；　whether
  they　have　just　cause　to　make　their　appeal　to　Heaven。　And　this
  judgement　they　cannot　part　with；　it　being　out　of　a　man's　power　so　to
  submit　himself　to　another　as　to　give　him　a　liberty　to　destroy　him；　God
  and　Nature　never　allowing　a　man　so　to　abandon　himself　as　to　neglect
  his　own　preservation。　And　since　he　cannot　take　away　his　own　life；
  neither　can　he　give　another　power　to　take　it。　Nor　let　any　one　think
  this　lays　a　perpetual　foundation　for　disorder；　for　this　operates　not
  till　the　inconvenience　is　so　great　that　the　majority　feel　it；　and
  are　weary　of　it；　and　find　a　necessity　to　have　it　amended。　And　this　the
  executive　power；　or　wise　princes；　never　need　come　in　the　danger　of；
  and　it　is　the　thing　of　all　others　they　have　most　need　to　avoid；　as；　of
  all　others；　the　most　perilous。
  Chapter　XV
  Of　Paternal；　Political　and　Despotical　Power；
  Considered　Together
  169。　THOUGH　I　have　had　occasion　to　speak　of　these　separately　before；
  yet　the　great　mistakes　of　late　about　government　having；　as　I
  suppose；　arisen　from　confounding　these　distinct　powers　one　with
  another；　it　may　not　perhaps　be　amiss　to　consider　them　here　together。
  170。　First；　then；　paternal　or　parental　power　is　nothing　but　that
  which　parents　have　over　their　children　to　govern　them；　for　the
  children's　good；　till　they　come　to　the　use　of　reason；　or　a　state　of
  knowledge；　wherein　they　may　be　supposed　capable　to　understand　that
  rule；　whether　it　be　the　law　of　Nature　or　the　municipal　law　of　their
  country；　they　are　to　govern　themselves　by…　capable；　I　say；　to　know　it；
  as　well　as　several　others；　who　live　as　free　men　under　that　law。　The
  affection　and　tenderness　God　hath　planted　in　the　breasts　of　parents
  towards　their　children　makes　it　evident　that　this　is　not　intended　to
  be　a　severe　arbitrary　government；　but　only　for　the　help；
  instruction；　and　preservation　of　their　offspring。　But　happen　as　it
  will；　there　is；　as　I　have　proved；　no　reason　why　it　should　be　thought
  to　extend　to　life　and　death；　at　any　time；　over　their　children；　more
  than　over　anybody　else；　or　keep　the　child　in　subjection　to　the　will　of
  his　parents　when　grown　to　a　man　and　the　perfect　use　of　reason；　any
  farther　than　as　having　received　life　and　education　from　his　parents
  obliges　him　to　respect；　honour；　gratitude；　assistance；　and　support；
  all　his　life；　to　both　father　and　mother。　And　thus；　it　is　true；　the
  paternal　is　a　natural　government；　but　not　at　all　extending　itself　to
  the　ends　and　jurisdictions　of　that　which　is　political。　The　power　of
  the　father　doth　not　reach　at　all　to　the　property　of　the　child；　which
  is　only　in　his　own　disposing。
  171。　Secondly；　political　power　is　that　power　which　every　man
  having　in　the　state　of　Nature　has　given　up　into　the　hands　of　the
  society；　and　therein　to　the　governors　whom　the　society　hath　set　over
  itself；　with　this　express　or　tacit　trust；　that　it　shall　be　employed
  for　their　good　and　the　preservation　of　their　property。　Now　this　power；
  which　every　man　has　in　the　state　of　Nature；　and　which　he　parts　with　to
  the　society　in　all　such　cases　where　the　society　can　secure　him；　is
  to　use　such　means　for　the　preserving　of　his　own　property　as　he
  thinks　good　and　Nature　allows　him；　and　to　punish　the　breach　of　the　law
  of　Nature　in　others　so　as　（according　to　the　best　of　his　reason）　may
  most　conduce　to　the　preservation　of　himself　and　the　rest　of　mankind；
  so　that　the　end　and　measure　of　this　power；　when　in　every　man's
  hands；　in　the　state　of　Nature；　being　the　preservation　of　all　of　his
  society…　that　is；　all　mankind　in　general…　it　can　have　no　other　end
  or　measure；　when　in　the　hands　of　the　magistrate；　but　to　preserve　the
  members　of　that　society　in　their　lives；　liberties；　and　possessions；
  and　so　cannot　be　an　absolute；　arbitrary　power　over　their　lives　and
  fortunes；　which　are　as　much　as　possible　to　be　preserved；　but　a　power
  to　make　laws；　and　annex　such　penalties　to　them　as　may　tend　to　the
  preservation　of　the　whole；　by　cutting　off　those　parts；　and　those　only；
  which　are　so　corrupt　that　they　threaten　the　sound　and　healthy；　without
  which　no　severity　is　lawful。　And　this　power　has　its　original　only　from
  compact　and　agreement　and　the　mutual　consent　of　those　who　make　up
  the　community。
  172。　Thirdly；　despotical　power　is　an　absolute；　arbitrary　power　one
  man　has　over　another；　to　take　away　his　life　whenever　he　pleases；　and
  this　is　a　power　which　neither　Nature　gives；　for　it　has　made　no　such
  distinction　between　one　man　and　another；　nor　compact　can　convey。　For
  man；　not　having　such　an　arbitrary　power　over　his　own　life；　cannot　give
  another　man　such　a　power　over　it；　but　it　is　the　effect　only　of
  forfeiture　which　the　aggressor　makes　of　his　own　life　when　he　puts
  himself　into　the　state　of　war　with　another。　For　having　quitted　reason；
  which　God　hath　given　to　be　the　rule　betwixt　man　and　man；　and　the
  peaceable　ways　which　that　teaches；　and　made　use　of　force　to　compass
  his　unjust　ends　upon　another　where　he　has　no　right；　he　renders　himself
  liable　to　be　destroyed　by　his　adversary　whenever　he　can；　as　any
  other　noxious　and　brutish　creature　that　is　destructive　to　his　being。
  And　thus　captives；　taken　in　a　just　and　lawful　war；　and　such　only；
  are　subject　to　a　despotical　power；　which；　as　it　arises　not　from
  compact；　so　neither　is　it　capable　of　any；　but　is　the　state　of　war
  continued。　For　what　compact　can　be　made　with　a　man　that　is　not
  master　of　his　own　life？　What　condition　can　he　perform？　And　if　he　be
  once　allowed　to　be　master　of　his　own　life；　the　despotical；　arbitrary
  power　of　his　master　ceases。　He　that　is　master　of　himself　and　his　own
  life　has　a　right；　too；　to　the　means　of　preserving　it；　so　that　as
  soon　as　compact　enters；　slavery　ceases；　and　he　so　far　quits　his
  absolute　power　and　puts　an　end　to　the　state　of　war　who　enters　into
  conditions　with　his　captive。
  173。　Nature　gives　the　first　of　these…　viz。；　paternal　power　to
  parents　for　the　benefit　of　their　children　during　their　minority；　to
  supply　their　want　of　ability　and　understanding　how　to　manage　their
  property。　（By　property　I　must　be　understood　here；　as　in　other
  places；　to　mean　that　property　which　men　have　in　their　persons　as
  well　as　goods。）　Voluntary　agreement　gives　the　second…　viz。；
  political　power　to　governors；　for　the　benefit　of　their　subjects；　to
  secure　them　in　the　possession　and　use　of　their　properties。　And
  forfeiture　gives　the　third…　despotical　power　to　lords　for　their　own
  benefit　over　those　who　are　stripped　of　all　property。
  174。　He　that　shall　consider　the　distinct　rise　and　extent；　and　the
  different　ends　of　these　several　powers；　will　plainly　see　that　paternal
  power　comes　as　far　short　of　that　of　the　magistrate　as　despotical
  exceeds　it；　and　that　absolute　dominion；　however　placed；　is　so　far　from
  being　one　kind　of　civil　society　that　it　is　as　inconsistent　with　it
  as　slavery　is　with　property。　Paternal　power　is　only　where　minority
  makes　the　child　incapable　to　manage　his　property；　political　where
  men　have　property　in　their　own　disposal；　and　despotical　over　such　as
  have　no　property　at　all。
  Chapter　XVI
  Of　Conquest
  175。　THOUGH　governments　can　originally　have　no　other　rise　than
  that　before　mentioned；　nor　polities　be　founded　on　anything　but　the
  consent　of　the　people；　yet　such　have　been　the　disorders　ambition　has
  filled　the　world　with；　that　in　the　noise　of　war；　which　makes　so
  great　a　part　of　the　history　of　mankind；　this　consent　is　little　taken
  notice　of；　and；　therefore；　many　have　mistaken　the　force　of　arms　for
  the　consent　of　the　people；　and　reckon　conquest　as　one　of　the　originals
  of　government。　But　conquest　is　as　far　from　setting　up　any　government
  as　demolishing　a　house　is　from　building　a　new　one　in　the　place。
  Indeed；　it　often　makes　way　for　a　new　frame　of　a　commonwealth　by
  destroying　the　former；　but；　without　the　consent　of　the　people；　can
  never　erect　a　new　one。
  176。　That　the　aggressor；　who　puts　himself　into　the　state　of　war　with
  another；　and　unjustly　invades　another　man's　right；　can；　by　such　an
  unjust　war；　never　come　to　have　a　right　over　the　conquered；　will　be
  easily　agreed　by　all　men；　who　will　not　think　that　robbers　and
  pirates　have　a　right　of　empire　over　whomsoever　they　have　force
  enough　to　master；　or　that　men　are　bound　by　promises　which　unlawful
  force　extorts　from　them。　Should　a　robber　break　into　my　house；　and；
  with　a　dagger　at　my　throat；　make　me　seal　deeds　to　convey　my　estate
  to　him；　would　this　give　him　any　title？　Just　such　a　title　by　his
  sword　has　an　unjust　conqueror　who　forces　me　into　submission。　The
  injury　and　the　crime　is　equal；　whether　committed　by　the　wearer　of　a
  crown　or　some　petty　villain。　The　title　of　the　offender　and　the
  number　of　his　followers　make　no　difference　in　the　offence；　unless　it
  be　to　aggravate　it。　The　only　difference　is；　great　robbers　punish
  little　ones　to　keep　them　in　their　obedience；　but　the　great　ones　are
  rewarded　with　laurels　and　triumphs；　because　they　are　too　big　for　the
  weak　hands　of　justice　in　this　world；　and　have　the　power　in　their