nate one to the other, with all thofe inconve→ niences which he mufters up against the power of the people, Obfervations, 158. which I fhall fet down in his own words, only changing property for people. All power on earth is either derived or ufurped from the fatherly power, there being no other original to be found of any power whatsoever for if there should be granted two forts of power, without any fubordination of one to the other, they would be in perpetual frife which should be fupreme, for two fupremes cannot agree: if the fatherly power be fupreme, then the power grounded on private dominion must be fubordinate, and depend on it; and if the power grounded on property be fupreme, then the fatherly power muft fubmit to it, and cannot be exercised without the licence of the proprietors, which must quite deftroy the frame and course of nature. This is his own arguing against two distinct independent powers, which I have fet down in his own words, only putting power rifing from property, for power of the people; and when he has answered what he himself has urged here against two distinct powers, we shall be better able to see how, with any tolerable fenfe, he can derive all regal authority from the natural and private dominion of Adam, from fatherhood and property together, which are diftinct titles, that do not always meet in the fame perfon; and it is plain, by his own confeffion, presently fe parated parated as foon both as Adam's and Noah's death made way for fucceffion: though our author frequently in his writings jumbles them together, and omits not to make use of either, where he thinks it will found beft to his purpose. But the abfurdities of this will more fully appear in the next chapter, where we fhall examine the ways of conveyance of the fovereignty of Adam, to princes that were to reign after him. CHAP. VIII. Of the Conveyance of Adam's fovereign Monarchical Power. §. 78. SIR Robert, having not been very happy in any proof he brings for The the fovereignty of Adam, is not much more fortunate in conveying it to future princes, who, if his politics be true, muft all derive their titles from that firft monarch. ways he has affigned, as they lie scattered up and down in his writings, I will set down in his own words in his preface he tells us, That Adam being monarch of the whole world, none of his pofterity had any right to poffefs any thing, but by his grant or permission, or by fucceffion from him. Here he makes two ways of conveyance of any thing Adam ftood poffeffed of; and thofe are grants or fucceffion. Again he fays, All kings either are, or are to be be reputed, the next heirs to those first progenitors, makes inheritance or ufurpation the only ways thefis ་ thefts and difcourfe about Adam's royal authority, as the fountain from which all princes were to derive theirs: and he might have spared the trouble of speaking so much as he does, up and down, of heirs and inheritance, if to make any one properly a king, needs no more but governing by fupreme power, and it matters not by what means be came by it. §. 79. By this notable way, our author may make Oliver as properly king, as any one elfe he could think of: and had he had the happiness to live under Maffanello's government, he could not by this his own rule have forborn to have done homage to him, with O king live for ever, fince the manner of his government by fupreme power, made him properly king, who was but the day before properly a fisherman. And if Don Quixote had taught his fquire to govern with fupreme authority, our author no doubt could have made a most loyal fubject in Sancho Pancha's ifland; and he must needs have deferved fome preferment in fuch governments, fince I think he is the first politician, who, pretending to fettle government upon its true bafis, and to establish the thrones of lawful princes, ever told the world, That he was properly a king, whofe manner of government was by fupreme power, by what means foever he obtained it; which in plain English is to fay, that regal and fupreme power is properly and truly his, who 1 who can by any means feize upon it; and if this be to be properly a king, I wonder how he came to think of, or where he will find, an ufurper. §. 80. This is fo ftrange a doctrine, that the furprise of it hath made me pafs by, without their due reflection, the contradictions he runs into, by making sometimes inheritance alone, fometimes only grant or inheritance, fometimes only inheritance or ufurpation, fometimes all these three, and at laft election, or any other means, added to them, the ways whereby Adam's royal authority, that is, his right to fupreme rule, could be conveyed down to future kings and governors, fo as to give them a title to the obedience and fubjection of the people. But these contradictions lie fo open, that the very reading of our author's own words will difcover them to any ordinary understanding; and though what I have quoted out of him (with abundance more of the fame ftrain and coherence, which might be found in him) might well excufe me from any farther trouble in this argument, yet having propofed to myfelf, to examine the main parts of his doctrine, I fhall a little more particularly confider how inheritance, grant, ufurpation or election, can any way make out government in the world upon his principles; or derive to any one a right of empire, from this regal authority of Adam, had it been never |