thence but what connection has this with Adam's creation, to make him fay, that as foon as he was created, he was monarch of the world? for it may be as well faid of Noah, that as foon as he was born, he was monarch of the world, fince he was in poffibility (which in our author's fenfe is enough to make a monarch, a monarch in habit,) to outlive all mankind, but his own pofterity. What fuch neceffary connection there is betwixt Adam's creation and his right to government, fo that a natural freedom of mankind. cannot be fuppofed without the denial of the creation of Adam, I confefs for my part I do not fee; nor how thofe words, by the appointment, &c. Obfervations, 254. how ever explained, can be put together, to make any tolerable fenfe, at least to establish this pofition, with which they end, viz. Adam was a king from his creation; a king, fays our author, not in act, but in habit, i. e. actually no king at all.

1

§. 20. I fear I have tired my reader's patience, by dwelling longer on this paffage, than the weightiness of any argument in it feems to require: but I have unavoidably been engaged in it by our author's way of writing, who, hudling feveral fuppofitions together, and that in doubtful and general terms, makes fuch a medly and confufion, that it is impoffible to fhew his mistakes, without examining the several fenfes wherein

his

his words may be taken, and without feeing how, in any of these various meanings, they will confift together, and have any truth in them for in this prefent paffage before us, how can any one argue against this pofition of his, that Adam was a king from bis creation, unless one examine, whether the words, from bis creation, be to be taken, as they may, for the time of the commencement of his government, as the foregoing words import, as foon as he was created he was monarch; or, for the caufe of it, as he fays, p. 11. creation made man prince of his pofterity? how farther can one judge of the truth of his being thus king, till one has examined whether king be to be taken, as the words in the beginning of this paffage would perfuade, on fuppofition of his private dominion, which was, by God's pofitive grant, monarch of the world by appointment; or king on fuppofition of his fatherly power over his off-fpring, which was by nature, due by the right of nature, whether, I fay, king be to be taken in both, or one only of thefe two fenfes, or in neither of them, but only this, that creation made him prince, in a way different from both the other? For though this affertion, that Adam was king from hi creation, be true in no fenfe, yet it ftands here as an evident conclufion drawn from the preceding words, though in truth it be but a bare affertion joined to other affertions of the fame kind, which confidently put together

C 4

gether in words of undetermined and dubious meaning, look like a fort of arguing, when there is indeed neither proof nor connection: a way very familiar with our author: of which having given the reader a taste here, I fhall, as much as the argument will permit me, avoid touching on hereafter; and fhould not have done it here, were it not to let the world fee, how incoherences in matter, and fuppofitions without proofs put handsomely together in good words and a plausible stile, are apt to pafs for ftrong reafon and good fenfe, till they come to be looked into with attention.

CHA P. IV.

Of Adam's Title to Sovereignty by Donation,

21.

Gen. i. 28.

AVING got through the foregoing paffage, where we have been fo long detained, not by the force of arguments and oppofition, but the intricacy of the words, and the doubtfulness of the meaning; let us go on to his next argument, for Adam's fovereignty. Our author tells us in the words of Mr. Selden, that Adam by donation from God, Gen. i. 28. was made the general lord of all things, not without fuch a private dominion to himself, as without bis grant did exclude his children. This determination of Mr. Selden, fays our author, is

confonant

confonant to the hiftory of the Bible, and natural reafon, Obfervations, 210. And in his Pref. to his Obfervations on Ariftotle, he fays thus, The first government in the world was monarchical in the father of all flesh, Adam being commanded to multiply and people the earth, and to fubdue it, and having dominion given him over all creatures, was thereby the monarch of the whole world: none of his pofterity had any right to poffefs any thing, but by his grant or permiffion, or by fucceffion from him: The earth, faith the Pfalmift, hath be given to the children of men, which shew the title comes from fatherhood.

§. 22. Before I examine this argument, and the text on which it is founded, it is neceffary to defire the reader to obferve, that our author, according to his usual method, begins in one fenfe, and concludes in another; he begins here with Adam's propriety, or private dominion, by donation; and his conclufion is, which fhew the title comes from fatherhood.

§. 23. But let us fee the argument. The words of the text are thefe; and God blessed them, and God faid unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and fubdue it, and have dominion over the fifh of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth, i. Gen. 28. from whence our author concludes, that Adam, having here dominion given him over all creatures, was thereby the monarch of the

whole

whole world: whereby must be meant, that either this grant of God gave Adam property, or as our author calls it, private dominion over the earth, and all inferior or irrational creatures, and fo confequently that he was thereby monarch; or 2dly, that it gave him rule and dominion over all earthly creatures whatsoever, and thereby over his children; and fo he was monarch: for, as Mr. Selden has properly worded it, Adam was made general lord of all things, one may very clearly understand him, that he means nothing to be granted to Adam here but property, and therefore he fays not one word of Adam's monarchy. But our author fays, Adam was hereby monarch of the world, which, properly fpeaking, fignifies fovereign ruler of all the men in the world; and fo Adam, by this grant, must be conftituted such a ruler. If our author means otherwife, he might with much clearness have faid, that Adam was hereby proprietor of the whole world. But he begs your pardon in that point: clear diftinct fpeaking not ferving every where to his purpofe, you must not expect it in him, as in Mr. Selden, or other fuch writers.

§. 24. In oppofition therefore to our author's doctrine, that Adam was monarch of the whole world, founded on this place, I fhall thew,

1. That by this grant, i. Gen. 28. God gave no immediate power to Adam over men,

over