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never fo well proved, that he had been abfolute monarch, and lord of the whole world.

CHA P. IX.

Of Monarchy, by Inheritance from Adam

§. 81.

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Hough it be never fo plain, that, there ought to be government in the world, nay, fhould all men be of our author's mind, that divine appointment had ordained it to be monarchical; yet, fince men cannot obey any thing, that cannot command; and ideas of government in the fancy, though never fo perfect, though never fo right, cannot give laws, nor prefcribe rules to the actions of men; it would be of no behoof for the fettling of order, and establishment of government in its exercise and ufe amongst men, unless there were a way alfo taught how to know the perfon, to whom it belonged to have this power, and exercise this dominion over others. It is in vain then to talk of fubjection and obedience without telling us whom we are to obey: for were I never fo fully perfuaded that there ought to be magiftracy and rule in the world; yet I am never the lefs at liberty ftill, till it appears who is the perfon that hath right to my obedience; fince, if there be no marks to know him by, and diftinguish him that hath right to rule from H other

other men, it may be myself, as well as any other. And therefore, though fubmiffion to government be every one's duty, yet fince that fignifies nothing but fubmitting to the direction and laws of fuch men as have authority to command, it is not enough to make a man a subject, to convince him that there is regal power in the world; but there must be ways of defigning, and knowing the person to whom this regal power of right belongs and a man can never be obliged in confcience to submit to any power, unless he can be fatisfied who is the person who has a right to exercise that power over him. If this were not fo, there would be no distinction between pirates and lawful princes; he that has force is without any more ado to be obeyed, and crowns and fcepters would become the inheritance only of violence and rapine. Men too might as often and as innocently change their governors, as they do their phyficians, if the perfon cannot be known who has a right to direct me, and whose prescriptions I am bound to follow. To fettle therefore men's confciences, under an obligation to obedience, it is neceffary that they know not only, that there is a power fomewhere in the world, but the perfon who by right is vefted with this power

over them.

§. 82. How fuccefsful our author has been in his attempts, to fet up a monarchical abfolute power in Adam, the reader may judge

by

by what has been already faid; but were that abfolute monarchy as clear as our author would defire it, as I prefume it is the contrary, yet it could be of no ufe to the government of mankind now in the world, unlefs he also make out these two things.

Firft, That this power of Adam was not to end with him, but was upon his decease conveyed intire to fome other perfon, and fo on to pofterity.

Secondly, That the princes and rulers now on earth are poffeffed of this power of Adam, by a right way of conveyance derived to

them.

§. 83. If the first of these fail, the power of Adam, were it never fo great, never fo certain, will fignify nothing to the present government and focieties in the world; but we must seek out fome other original of power for the government of politys than this of Adam, or elfe there will be none at all in the world. If the latter fail, it will destroy the authority of the prefent governors, and abfolve the people from subjection to them, fince they, having no better a claim than others to that power, which is alone the fountain of all authority, can have no title to rule over them.

§. 84. Our author, having fancied an ab-. folute fovereignty in Adam, mentions feveral ways of its conveyance to princes, that were to be his fucceffors; but that which he chiefly

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infifts

infifts on, is that of inheritance, which occurs fo often in his several difcourfes; and I having in the foregoing chapter quoted several of these paffages, I fhall not need here again to repeat them. This fovereignty he erects, as has been faid, upon a double foundation, viz. that of property, and that of fatherhood. One was the right he was fuppofed to have in all creatures, a right to poffefs the earth with the beafts, and other inferior ranks of things in it, for his private ufe, exclufive of all other men. The other was the right he was fuppofed to have, to rule and govern men, all the reft of mankind.

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§. 85. In both these rights, there being fuppofed an exclufion of all other men, it must be upon fome reafon peculiar to Adam, that they must both be founded.

That of his property our author fuppofes to arife from God's immediate donation, Gen. i. 28. and that of fatherhood from the act of begetting now in all inheritance, if the heir fucceed not to the reafon upon which his father's right was founded, he cannot succeed to the right which followeth from it. For example, Adam had a right of property in the creatures upon the donation and grant of God almighty, who was lord and proprietor of them all: let this be fo as our author tells us, yet upon his death his heir can have no title to them, no fuch right of property in them, unless the fame reafon, viz. God's

donation,

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donation, vested a right in the heir too: for if Adam could have had no property in, nor use of the creatures, without this pofitive donation from God, and this donation were only perfonally to Adam, his heir could have no right by it; but upon his death it must revert to God, the lord and owner again; for pofitive grants give no title farther than the exprefs words convey it, and by which only it is held. And thus, if as our author himfelf contends, that donation, Gen. i. 28. were made only to Adam perfonally, his heir could not fucceed to his property in the creatures; and if it were a donation to any but Adam, let it be shewn, that it was to his heir in our author's sense, i. e. to one of his children, exclufive of all the rest.

§. 86. But not to follow our author too far out of the way, the plain of the cafe is this. God having made man, and planted in him, as in all other animals, a strong defire of felf-prefervation; and furnished the world with things fit for food and raiment, and other neceffaries of life, fubfervient to his defign, that man fhould live and abide for fome time upon the face of the earth, and not that fo curious and wonderful a piece of workmanship, by his own negligence, or want of neceffaries, fhould perifh again, prefently after a few moments continuance ; God, I fay, having made man and the world thus, fpoke to him, (that is) directed him

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