Assignment Two

"For the other point concerning liberty, I observe a great mistake in the country about that. There is a twofold liberty, natural (I mean as our nature is now corrupt) and civil or federal. The first is common to man with beasts and other creatures. By this, man, as he stands in relation to man simply, hath liberty to do what he lists; it is a liberty to evil as well as to good. This liberty is incompatible and inconsistent with authority and cannot endure the least restraint of the most just authority. The exercise and maintaining of this liberty makes men grow more evil and in time to be worse than brute beasts: omnes sumus licentia deteriores. This is that great enemy of truth and peace, that wild beast, which all of the ordinances of God are bent against, to restrain and subdue it. The other kind of liberty I call civil or federal; it may also be termed moral, in reference to the covenant between God and man, in the moral law, and the politic covenants and constitutions amongst men themselves. This liberty is the proper end and object of authority and cannot subsist without it; and it is a liberty to that only which is good, just, and honest. This liberty you are to stand for, with the hazard (not only of your goods, but) of your lives, if need be. "

           This quote states that there are two types of liberty. The first type is natural liberty. According to Winthrop natural liberty is the liberty that man is born with and is evil and immoral. Nature liberty is what allows man to be evil or good, just like beasts or animals. He states that even though natural liberty includes both good and evil, evil will shine through more then good. So if man has a choice, they will naturally turn to evil and only get more evil as time goes on. This natural liberty is also what prevents peace and truth and is what God has man fight against. The second type of liberty that Winthrop speaks on is Civil Liberty. This liberty is the kind of liberty that is moral, good, just and honest. This is the liberty that man and society should follow in order to live in peace and justice. This is also the only liberty that God wants man to live by. Without this form of liberty man will eventually become worse then beast. 

      

         This reason why I picked this quote is because I found it interesting that Winthrop thought man was naturally evil. I don't completely agree with the quote, especially the part where he says man will become worse then beast if they follow their natural liberties. I do agree that man has the power to do both good and evil, but it doesn't mean that evil will always prevail. Some people try to live their lives around was morally good no matter what a law tells them to do. Then there are who no matter what a law may say, tend to do what they want. And then there some who don't even care about good or evil, but about the consequence that may arise from disobeying a civil law or law in general. I believe that man would have been able to coexist without any civil laws if it was necessary. If anything common sense would have stepped in and made man come to some sort of agreement, so they we can live in relative peace. Even all types of beast know a way to coexist with their species and others species on earth. I don't think that man would be any worse off. If anything they should be better off then beast. Due to the fact that man has some concept of what is good and evil, compared to beast. Moreover sometimes man's laws are not moral, just, good or honest. There have been many laws within this country that have stop the progression of man and have taking away ones natural liberty without giving a better alternative. If someone was to break a civil law that was unjust would that make them a immoral beast or evil? I don't believe it would but, I think Winthrop would say it might. I believe he thought that not one civil law could be unjust or dishonest, which we know isn't true.