in present (for the text fays, into your hands they are delivered) may best be understood with a fubordination or in fucceffion; because it is poffible, that in fubordination, or in fucceffion, it may be enjoyed. Which is all one as to fay, that a grant of any thing in prefent poffeffion may best be underflood of reverfion; because it is poffible one may live to enjoy it in reverfion. If the grant be indeed to a father and to his fons after him, who is fo kind as to let his children enjoy it prefently in common with him, one may truly fay, as to the event one will be as good as the other; but it can never be true, that what the express words grant in poffeffion, and in common, may best be underflood, to be in reverfion. The fum of all his reasoning amounts to this God did not give to the fons of Noah the world in common with their father, because it was poffible they might enjoy it under, or after him. A very good fort of argument against an exprefs text of fcripture: but God muft not be believed, though he speaks it himself, when he says he does any thing, which will not confift with Sir Robert's hypothefis.

:

§. 33. For it is plain, however he would exclude them, that part of this benediction, as he would have it in fucceffion, muft needs be meant to the fons, and not to Noah himself at all: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, fays God, in this bleffing. This part of the benediction, as appears by the fequel, concerned

D 3

cerned not Noah himself at all; for we read not of any children he had after the flood; and in the following chapter, where his pofterity is reckoned up, there is no mention. of any; and fo this benediction in fucceffion was not to take place till 350 years after : and to fave our author's imaginary monarchy, the peopling of the world muft be deferred 350 years; for this part of the benediction cannot be understood with fubordination, unless our author will fay, that they must ask leave of their father Noah to lie with their wives. But in this one point our author is conftant to himself in all his difcourfes, he takes great care there fhould be monarchs in the world, but very little that there should be people; and indeed his way of government is not the way to people the world: for how much abfolute monarchy helps to fulfil this great and primary bleffing of God Almighty, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, which contains in it the improvement too of arts and fciences, and the conveniences of life, may be seen in those large and rich countries which are happy under the Turkish government, where are not now to be found one third, nay in many, if not most parts of them one thirtieth, perhaps I might fay not one hundredth of the people, that were formerly, as will eafily appear to any one, who will compare the accounts we have of it at

this

this time, with antient history. But this by the by.

§. 34. The other parts of this benediction, or grant, are fo expreffed, that they must needs be understood to belong equally to them all; as much to Noah's fons as to Noab himself, and not to his fons with a fubordination, or in fucceffion. The fear of you, and the dread of you, fays God, fhall be upon every beaft, &c. Will any body but our author fay, that the creatures feared and stood in awe of Noah only, and not of his fons without his leave, or till after his death? And the following words, into your hands they are delivered, are they to be understood as our author fays, if your father please, or they fhall be delivered into your hands hereafter? If this be to argue from fcripture, I know not what may not be proved by it; and I can scarce fee how much this differs from that fiction and fanfie, or how much a furer foundation it will prove, than the opinions of philofophers and poets, which our author fo much condemns in his preface.

§. 35. But our author goes on to prove, that it may best be understood with a fubordination, or a benediction in fucceffion; for, fays he, it is not probable that the private dominion which God gave to Adam, and by his donation, affignation, or ceffion to his children, was abrogated, and a community of all things inftituted between Noah and his fons-----Noah was left the fole heir of the world; why should it be thought D 4

that

that God would difinherit him of his birth-right, and make him of all men in the world the only tenant in common with his children? Obfervations,

211.

§. 36. The prejudices of our own ill-grounded opinions, however by us called probable, cannot authorife us to understand scripture contrary to the direct and plain meaning of the words. I grant, it is not probable, that Adam's private dominion was here abrogated: becaufe it is more than improbable, (for it will never be proved) that ever Adam had any fuch private dominion: and fince parallel places of fcripture are most probable to make us know how they may be beft understood, there needs but the comparing this bleffing here to Noah and his fons after the flood, with that to Adam after the creation, i. Gen. 28. to affure any one that God gave Adam no fuch private dominion. It is probable, I confefs, that Noah fhould have the fame title, the fame property and dominion after the flood, that Adam had before it but fince private dominion cannot confift with the bleffing and grant God gave to him and his fons in common, it is a fufficient reason to conclude, that Adam had none, especially fince in the donation made to him, there are no words that exprefs it, or do in the leaft favour it; and then let my reader judge whether it may best be understood, when in the one place there is not one word for it, not to fay what has been above proved, that

the

the text itself proves the contrary; and in the other, the words and fenfe are directly against it.

§. 37. But our author fays, Noah was the fole heir of the world; why should it be thought that God would difinherit him of his birth-right? Heir, indeed, in England, fignifies the eldest fon, who is by the law of England to have all his father's land; but where God ever appointed any fuch heir of the world, our author would have done well to have thewed us; and how God difinherited him of his birth-right, or what harm was done him if God gave his fons a right to make ufe of a part of the earth for the fupport of themselves and families, when the whole was not only more than Noab himfelf, but infinitely more than they all could make use of, and the poffeffions of one could not at all prejudice, or, as to any use, streighten that of the other.

§. 38. Our author probably foreseeing he might not be very fuccefsful in perfuading people out of their fenfes, and, fay what he could, men would be apt to believe the plain words of fcripture, and think, as they faw, that the grant was spoken to Noah and his fons jointly; he endeavours to infinuate, as if this grant to Noah conveyed no property, no dominion; because, fubduing the earth and dominion over the creatures are therein omitted, nor the earth once named. And therefore, says he, there is a confiderable