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part of the fubjects have an abfolute unlimited power over the other by the natural right of parentage.

§. 70. If any one will fuppofe, in favour

of our author, that he here meant, that parents, who are in fubjection themselves to the abfolute authority of their father, have yet fome power over their children; I confefs he is fomething nearer the truth: but he will not at all hereby help our author: for he no where speaking of the paternal power, but as an absolute unlimited authority, cannot be fuppofed to understand any thing else here, unless he himself had limited it, and fhewed how far it reached. And that he means here paternal authority in that large extent, is plain from the immediate following words; This fubjection of children being, fays he, the foundation of all regal authority, p. 12. the fubjection then that in the former line, he fays, every man is in to his parents, and confequently what Adam's grand-children were in to their parents, was that which was the fountain of all regal authority, i. e. according to our author, abfolute unlimitable authority. And thus Adam's children had regal authority over their children, whilft they themselves were fubjects to their father, and fellow-fubjects with their children. But let him mean as he pleases, it is plain he allows Adam's children to have paternal power, p. 12, as alfo all other fathers to have paternal power

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over their children, Obfervations, 156. From whence one of these two things will neceffarily follow, that either Adam's children, even in his life-time, had, and fo all other fathers have, as he phrases it, p. 12. by right of fatherhood, royal authority over their children, or elfe, that Adam, by right of fatherhood, had not royal authority. For it cannot be but that paternal power does, or does not, give royal authority to them that have it: if it does not, then Adam could not be sovereign by this title, nor any body else; and then there is an end of all our author's politics at once: if it does give royal authority, then every one that has paternal power has royal authority; and then, by our author's patriarchal government, there will be as many kings as there are fathers.

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§. 71. And thus what a monarchy he hath fet up, let him and his disciples confider. Princes certainly will have great reafon to thank him for these new politics, which fet up as many abfolute kings in every country as there are fathers of children. And yet who can blame our author for it, it lying unavoidably in the way of one difcourfing upon our author's principles? For having placed an abfolute power in fathers by right of begetting, he could not easily refolve how much of this power belonged to a fon over the children he had begotten; and fo it fell out to be a very hard matter to give all the power,

as he does, to Adam, and yet allow a part in his life-time to his children, when they were parents, and which he knew not well how to deny them. This makes him fo doubtful in his expreffions, and so uncertain where to place this abfolute natural power, which he calls fatherhood. Sometimes Adam alone has it all, as p. 13. Observations, 244, 245. & Pref.

Sometimes parents have it, which word fcarce fignifies the father alone, p. 12, 19. Sometimes children during their fathers life-time, as p. 12.

Sometimes fathers of families, as p. 78, and 79.

Sometimes fathers indefinitely, Obfervations, 155.

Sometimes the heir to Adam, Obfervations,

253.

Sometimes the pofterity of Adam, 244, 246. Sometimes prime fathers, all fons or grandchildren of Noah, Obfervations, 244.

Sometimes the eldeft parents, p. 12.
Sometimes all kings, p. 19.

Sometimes all that have fupreme power, Obfervations, 245.

Sometimes heirs to thofe firft progenitors, who were at first the natural parents of the whole people, p. 19.

Sometimes an elective king, p. 23.

Sometimes thofe, whether a few or a multitude, that govern the common-wealth, p. 23.

Sometimes

Sometimes he that can catch it, an usurper, p. 23. Obfervations, 155.

8.72. Thus this new nothing, that is to carry with it all power, authority, and government; this fatherhood, which is to defign the perfon, and establish the throne of monarchs, whom the people are to obey, may, according to Sir Robert, come into any hands, any how, and fo by his politics give to democracy royal authority, and make an ufurper a lawful prince. And if it will do all these fine feats, much good do our author and all his followers with their omnipotent fatherhood, which can ferve for nothing but to unfettle and deftroy all the lawful governments in the world, and to establish in their room disorder, tyranny, and ufurpation,

CHAP. VII.

Of Fatherhood and Property confidered together as Fountains of Sovereignty.

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§. 73. N the foregoing chapters we have feen what Adam's monarchy was, in our author's opinion, and upon what titles he founded it. The foundations which he lays the chief ftrefs on, as thofe from which he thinks he may best derive monarchical power to future princes, are two, viz. Father

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bood and property: and therefore the way he proposes to remove the abfurdities and inconveniencies of the doctrine of natural freedom, is, to maintain the natural and private dominion of Adam, Obfervations, 222. Conformable hereunto, he tells us, the grounds and principles of government neceffarily depend upon the original of property, Obfervations, 108. The fubjection of children to their parents is the fountain of all regal authority, p. 12. And 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, Obfervations, 158. I will not stand here to examine how it can be faid without a contradiction, that the first grounds and principles of government necessarily depend upon the original of property, and yet, that there is no other original of any power whatsoever, but that of the father: it being hard to underftand how there can be no other original but fatherhood, and yet that the grounds and. principles of government depend upon the original of property; property and fatherhood being as far different as lord of a manor and father of children. Nor do I see how they will either of them agree with what our author fays, Obfervations, 244. of God's fentence against Eve, Gen. iii. 16. That it is the original grant of government: fo that if that were the original, government had not its original, by our author's own confeffion, either from property or fa

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