On the Revolution of 1638, Locke returned to England in the fleet which conveyed the Princess of Orange. In reward for his sufferings in the cause of liberty, Locke now obtained, through the interest of Lord Mordeunt, the situation of commissioner of appeals, with a salary of 200/. a-year. In 1690 his reputation as a philosophical writer was established by the publication of his 'Essay concerning Human Understanding,' which met with immense success. Inde pendent of the merits of the work itself as an attempt to apply the Baconian method of observation and experience to establish a theory of human knowledge, many circumstances contributed to its success: among others, the personal celebrity of the author as a friend of civil and religious liberty, and the attempt made at Oxford to prevent its being read in the colleges, a measure which could not fail to have a contrary effect. Numerous editions passed rapidly through the press, and trenslations having been made of it into Latin and French, the fame of the author was quickly spread throughout Europe. In the same year Locke published a second letter on ' Toleration,' in answer to an attack on his first letter by Jonas Freest, a clergyman of Queen's College, Oxford, as well as two treatises on 'Government? These essays were intended generally to answer the partisans of the exiled king, who called the existing government a usurpation, but particu larly to refute the principles advanced iu tho 'Patriarelia ' of Sir Robert Filmer, who had maintained that men are not naturally free, and therefore could not be at liberty to choose either governors or forms of government, and that all legitimate government is an abso lute monarchy. The first essay is devoted to the refutation of the arguments by which Sir Robert supports these principles, and which are ultimately reduced to this, that all government was originally vested by God in Adam as the father of all mankind, and that kings, as the representatives of Adam, are possessed of the same unlimited authority as parents exercise over their children. In the second essay Locke proceeds to establish, what had been the leading dogma of the Puritans and Independents, that the legitimacy of a govern ment depends solely and ultimately on the popular sanction or the consent of men making use of their reason to unite together into a society or societies. The philosophical basis of this treatise formed a model for the 'Contrat Social' of Rousseau.
The air of London disagreeing with Locke, who suffered from a constitutional complaint of asthma, Ito accepted the offer of apart ments in the house of his friend Sir Francis Meehan], at Oates in Essex, where he resided for the remainder of his life. In this retire ment be wrote his third letter on Toleration,' which called forth a reply from Locke'e former antagonist on the subject; in answer to whom a fourth letter, in an unfinished state, was published after the death of Locke. In 1693 he first gave to the world his ' Thoughts upon Education,' to which likewise Itousseau is largely indebted for has 'Emile? Though appointed one of the commissioners of trade and plantations in 1695, Locke still found leisure for writing. The treatise, which was published in this year, ' On the Reasonableness of Christianity,' was intended to facilitate the execution of a design which William III. had adopted to reconcile and unite all sects of
professing Christiana, and accordingly the object of the tract was to determine what, amid so many conflicting views of religion, were the points of belief common to all. This work being attacked by Dr. Edwards, in his "Socinianism unmasked,' Locke published in defence of it a first and a second ' Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity,' &c. In 1697 Locke was again engaged in the contro versy, in consequence of the publication of a 'Defence of the Doctrine of the Trinity, by Stillingileet, bishop of Worcester, iu which the bishop had censured certain passages in the ' Essay concerning human Understanding,' as tending to subvert the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. Against this charge Locke ably vindicated his Essay; end the controversy, after having been maintained for some time, was at length terminated by the death of Stillin,efleet.
Locke's' health had now become so impaired, that ho determined to resign his office of commissioner of trade and plantations. Ile refused to receive a pension which was offered him, and which his services iu the public cause had amply merited. From the time of his retirement he resided always atDates, and devoted the remainder of his life to the study of the Holy Scriptures. Among others of his religious labours at this period, a ' Discourse on Miracles,' and Paraphrases, with notes, of the Epistles of St.. Paul,' together with an Essay for the Understanding of St. Paul's Epistles by consulting St. Paul himself,' were published among his posthumous papers. These contained also the work, Of the Conduct of the Under standing,' and an Examination of Father Malebmncho's opinion of Seeing all things in God.' He died on the 28th of October 1704, in the seventy-third year of his age, and was buried in the tomb of the Masham family at High Layer Church, where is a marble tablet, on the outside of the church wall, to his memory. The mansion of Oates, which was in High Laver parish, was pulled down several years ago.
The personal character of Locke was in complete harmony with the opinions which he so zealously and so ably advocated. Truly attached to the cause of liberty, ho was also willing to suffer for it.. Perfectly disinterested, and without any personal objects at stake in the political views which he adopted, he never deviated from modera tion, and the sincerity of his own profession rendered him tolerant of what he believed to be the conscientious sentiments of others.
As a writer Locke has a happy facility in expressing his meaning with perspicuity in the simplest and most familiar language. Clear ness indeed is the leading character of his composition, which is a fair specimen of the best prose of the period. His style however is rather diffuse than precise, the same thought being presented under a great variety of aspects, while his reasonings are prolix, and his elucidations of a principle occasionally unnecessarily prolonged. These are faults however which, though they may materially detract from the merits of his composition as a model of critical correctness, nevertheless greatly tended to make his Essay concerning Human Understanding' a popular work : though they must necessarily interfere with its permanent value.