Page:A discourse upon the origin and foundation of the inequality among mankind (IA discourseuponori00rous).pdf/220

 Intrument of any. Beides, the Right of Property being of mere Human Convention and Intitution, every Man may dipoe as he pleaes of what he poees: But the Cae is otherwie with regard to the eential Gifts of Nature, uch as Life and Liberty, which every Man is permitted to enjoy, and of which it is doubtful at leat whether any Man has a Right to divet himelf: By giving up the one, we degrade our Being; by giving up the other we annihilate it as much as it is our Power to do o; and as no temporal Enjoyments can indemnify us for the los of either, it would be at once offending both Nature and Reaon to renounce them for any Conideration. But tho' we could transfer our Liberty as we do our Subtance, the Difference would be very great with regard to our Children, who enjoy our Sutance but by a Ceion of our Right; whereas Liberty being a Bleing, which