power to make laws, and enforcing them with penalties, that may reach
estate, liberty, limbs and life. The power of commanding ends with
nonage; and though, after that, honour and respect, support and defence,
and whatsoever gratitude can oblige a man to, for the highest benefits he
is naturally capable of, be always due from a son to his parents; yet all
this puts no scepter into the father's hand, no sovereign power of
commanding. He has no dominion over his son's property, or actions; nor
any right, that his will should prescribe to his son's in all things;
however it may become his son in many things, not very inconvenient to
him and his family, to pay a deference to it.
Sec. 70. A man may owe honour and respect to an ancient, or wise man;
defence to his child or friend; relief and support to the distressed; and
gratitude to a benefactor, to such a degree, that all he has, all he can
do, cannot sufficiently pay it: but all these give no authority, no right
to any one, of making laws over him from whom they are owing. And it is
plain, all this is due not only to the bare title of father; not only
because, as has been said, it is owing to the mother too; but because
these obligations to parents, and the degrees of what is required of
children, may be varied by the different care and kindness, trouble and
expence, which is often employed upon one child more than another.
Sec. 71. This shews the reason how it comes to pass, that parents in
societies, where they themselves are subjects, retain a power over their
children, and have as much right to their subjection, as those who are in
the state of nature. Which could not possibly be, if all political power
were only paternal, and that in truth they were one and the same thing:
for then, all paternal power being in the prince, the subject could
naturally have none of it. But these two powers, political and paternal,
are so perfectly distinct and separate; are built upon so different
foundations, and given to so different ends, that every subject that is a
father, has as much a paternal power over his children, as the prince has