April 2020

ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
April 9, 2020

This is a letter to our friends –

Property

“Property … The exclusive right of possessing, enjoying and disposing of a thing; ownership. In the beginning of the world, the Creator gave to man dominion over the earth, over the fish of the sea and the fowls of the air, and over every living thing. This is the foundation of man’s property in the earth and in all its productions. Prior occupancy of land and of wild animal gives to the possessor the property of them. The labor of inventing, making or producing any thing constitutes one of the highest and most indefeasible titles to property. Property is also acquired by inheritance, by gift or by purchase. Property is sometimes held in common, yet each man’s right to his share in common land or stock is exclusively his own. One man may have the property of the soil, and another the right of use, by prescription or by purchase.” Noah Webster 1828]

In the beginning God gave life to men. Because they had life, they must be free to move around and gather the things needed to sustain life. But – –

Since all those things were held in common, it would see that I must get universal permission before I can nourish my body with so much as an apple. Not possible! So when does the apple become exclusively my property?

The labor of my hands is exclusively my property. When I pick the apple (i.e. remove it from the state nature left it in common) I have mixed my property with the apple. I am free to eat it. But – –

If I do not make use of the apple and it rots in my possession, I have cheated someone else of that apple. What shall I do?

I will take the apple while it is fresh and exchange it in the market for walnuts with a longer shelf life. But – 0

The walnuts will dry up and I will have still cheated commons. I will exchange the walnuts, while they are good, for yellow nuggets of gold with an indefinite shelf life!

Thank you John Locke. It males sense to me.
These columns are archived since 12/10/09
See www.ACHStudyGroups.com
“Ben’s Blog”

ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
April 7, 2020

This is a letter to our friends –

Liberty

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” [2nd Corinthians 3:17] “To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.” [John Locke 1632 – 1704]
“Natural liberty, consists in the power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, except from the laws of nature. It is a state of exemption from the control of others, and from positive laws and the institutions of social life. This liberty is abridged by the establishment of government.” [Webster 1828]
Locke’s straight forward philosophy is woven deep into our American governmental form and our culture. The first time I read that paragraph it fueled a whole day’s meditation! May I share my thoughts.
“To understand political power right” – Political power refers to person to person relationships. “Horizontal” as opposed to “vertical” relationship with God.
“And derive it from its original” — Like peeling an onion back to the seed. – Digging back to the very beginning.
We get so involved in day to day activities that we tend to lose contact with the fundamentals. Locke reminds us of the natural state of man, state of perfect freedom.
Then he defines that state for us, “… to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, … without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.”
Noah Webster’s American dictionary became the standard of excellence in the English-speaking world. The similarity in texts illustrates Locke’s influence in American colonial life.

Some people think, “I am free to do anything I wish until I reach a boundary. The ‘Golden Rule’ is a boundary.”

Others think, “I must get permission before I take any action.” They have lost track of their liberty.

To derive liberty from its source, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
Without the presence of that Spirit there is bondage to sin, that is, “rebellion”.

These columns are archived since 12/10/09
See www.ACHStudyGroups.com
“Ben’s Blog”