The Second GROUND.
That the Nature of Man reacheth not to the perfection of Governement.
NOtwithstanding this inclina∣tion be so naturall to us, yet
The grounds of obedience and government by Thomas White ...
About this Item
- Title
- The grounds of obedience and government by Thomas White ...
- Author
- White, Thomas, 1593-1676.
- Publication
- London :: Printed by J. Flesher, for Laurence Chapman ...,
- 1655.
- Rights/Permissions
-
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- Subject terms
- Political ethics.
- Political science -- Early works to 1800.
- Cite this Item
-
"The grounds of obedience and government by Thomas White ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A65787.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 16, 2024.
Pages
Page 10
Nature is not able to make it perfect in most both persons and actions. Children are not come to the ability of judgeing; some others are so grosse of capacity, they cannot bee brought to understand their owne good, at least in that time and cir∣cumstances which Nature hath pro∣vided them; Most spend so much of their day in some one Businesse, which they have chosen either for their Livelyhood or pastime, that they have not sufficient Leasure to attaine the Knowledge necessary for other occurrences of their life: Even the greatest Wits are not capable to understand the nature of all things necessary to their owne pri∣vate conditions. The Prince him∣self must trust the Physician, the Lawyer, the Mariner, the Soldier, the Merchant, the Cook, the Brewer, the Baker, and divers other Trades and Knowledges, which he hath no
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possibility to understand so perfect∣ly as to be a Master in them.
Neverthelesse, Nature doth not recede wholly from her Principle, in thus subjecting one mans under∣standing to anothers, and the grea∣ter most times to the lesser. For it doth not this, otherwise then by making the party subjected see, it is his owne good to trust another's skill. Wherefore, it is true, that he followes his owne inclina∣tion, and is ruled by his owne un∣derstanding; and so governes him∣selfe; onely, hee is a degree higher, not busying his thoughts about the particular worke, but onely about chusing the master of the worke, or about his own submission, that is, his owne action, as he is a man, and his action as that of a man, and not of a Physician or Pilot, or such o∣ther particular discipline or Quali∣ty. It remaines therefore still that
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hee is free, and Master of his owne action and the commanding part of it.