infant, before the younger fon, a man and able? Whether the daughter before the uncle? or any other man, defcended by a male line? Whether a grandfon by a younger daughter, before a grand-daughter by an elder daughter? Whether the elder fon by a concubine, before a younger fon by a wife? From whence alfo will arife many questions of legitimation, and what in nature is the difference betwixt a wife and a concubine ? for as to the municipal or pofitive laws of men, they can fignify nothing here. It may farther be afked, Whether the eldeft fon, being a fool, fhall inherit this paternal power, before the younger, a wife man? and what degree of folly it must be that shall exclude him? and who fhall be judge of it? Whether the fon of a fool, excluded for his folly, before the son of his wife brother who reigned? Who has the paternal power whilft the widow-queen is with child by the deceafed king, and no body knows whether it will be a fon or a daughter? Which shall bę heir of the two male-twins, who by the diffection of the mother were laid open to the world? Whether a fifter by the half blood, before a brother's daughter by the whole blood?

§. 124. Thefe, and many more fuch doubts, might be propofed about the titles of fucceffion, and the right of inheritance; and that not as idle fpeculations, but fuch as in

history

history we shall find have concerned the inheritance of crowns and kingdoms; and if our's want them, we need not go farther for famous examples of it, than the other kingdom in this very island, which having been fully related by the ingenious and learned author of Patriarcha non Monarcha, I need fay no more of. Till our author hath refolved all the doubts that may arise about the next heir, and shewed that they are plainly determined by the law of nature, or the revealed law of God, all his fuppofitions of a monarchical, abfolute, fupreme, paternal power in Adam, and the defcent of that power to his heirs, would not be of the leaft ufe to eftablish the authority, or make out the title, of any one prince now on earth; but would rather unfettle and bring all into question: for let our author tell us as long as he pleases, and let all men believe it too, that Adam had a paternal, and thereby a monarchical power; that this (the only power in the world) defcended to his heirs; and that there is no other power in the world but this: let this be all as clear demonstration, as it is manifeft error, yet if it be not paft doubt, to whom this paternal power defcends, and whofe now it is, no body can be under any obligation of obedience, unless any one will fay, that I am bound to pay obedience to paternal power in a man who has no more paternal power than I myself; which is all one as to say, I obey a man, because he has a right to govern;

and

and if I be afked, how I know he has a right to govern, I fhould anfwer, it cannot be known, that he has any at all: for that cannot be the reason of my obedience, which I know not to be fo; much lefs can that be a reason of my obedience, which no body at all can know to be fo.

§. 125. And therefore all this ado about Adam's fatherhood, the greatnefs of its power, and the neceffity of its fuppofal, helps nothing to establish the power of those that govern, or to determine the obedience of fubjects who are to obey, if they cannot tell whom they are to obey, or it cannot be known who are to govern, and who to obey. In the ftate the world is now, it is irrecoverably ignorant, who is Adam's heir. This fatherhood, this monarchical power of Adam, defcending to his heirs, would be of no more ufe to the government of mankind, than it would be to the quieting of mens confciences, or fecuring their healths, if our author had affured them, that Adam had a power to forgive fins, or cure difeafes, which by divine inftitution defcended to his heir, whilft this heir is impoffible to be known. And should not he do as rationally, who upon this affurance of our author went and confeffed his fins, and expected a good abfolution; or took phyfic with expectation of health, from any one who had taken on himfelf the name of priest or phyfician, or thruft himself into thofe employments, faying, I acquiefce in

the abfolving power defcending from Adam, or I fhall be cured by the medicinal power defcending from Adam; as he who fays, I fubmit to and obey the paternal power defcending from Adam, when it is confeffed all thefe powers defcend only to his fingle heir, and that heir is unknown?

S. 126. It is true; the civil lawyers have pretended to determine fome of these cafes concerning the fucceffion of princes; but by our author's principles, they have meddled in a matter that belongs not to them: for if all political power be derived only from Adam, and be to defcend only to his fucceffive heirs, by the ordinance of God and divine inftitution, this is a right antecedent and paramount to all government; and therefore the pofitive laws of men cannot determine that, which is itself the foundation of all law and government, and is to receive its rule only from the law of God and nature. And that being filent in the cafe, I am apt to think there is no such right to be conveyed this way: I am fure it would be to no purpose if there were, and men would be more at a lofs concerning government, and obedience to governors, than if there were no fuch right; fince by pofitive laws and compact, which divine inftitution (if there be any) fhuts out, all these endless inextricable doubts can be fafely provided against: but it can never be understood, how a divine natural right, and that of such moment as is all order and peace in the world, should be con

L

veyed

veyed down to pofterity, without any plain natural or divine rule concerning it. And there would be an end of all civil government, if the affignment of civil power were by divine inftitution to the heir, and yet by that divine inftitution the perfon of the heir could not be known. This paternal regal power being by divine right only his, it leaves no room for human prudence, or confent, to place it any where else; for if only one man hath a divine right to the obedience of mankind, no body can claim that obedience, but he that can fhew that right; nor can men's confciences by any other pretence be obliged to it. And thus this doctrine cuts up all government by the roots.

§. 127. Thus we fee how our author, laying it for a fure foundation, that the very perfon that is to rule, is the ordinance of God, and by divine inflitution, tells us at large, only that this perfon is the heir, but who this heir is, he leaves us to guefs; and fo this divine inftitution, which affligns it to a person whom we have no rule to know, is just as good as an affignment to no body at all. But whatever our author does, divine inftitution makes no such ridiculous affignments: nor can God be fuppofed to make it a facred law, that one certain perfon fhould have a right to fomething, and yet not give rules to mark out, and know that person by, or give an heir a divine right to power, and yet not point out who that heir is. It is rather to be thought, that an

heir