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 it, it was due to him by the right of nature, to be an author, as much as it was to Adam to be governor of his children, when he had begot them : and if to be uch a monarch of the world, an abolute monarch in habit, but not in act, will erve the turn, I hould not much envy it to any of Sir Robert's friends, that he thought fit graciouly to betow it upon, though even this of act and habit, if it ignified any thing but our author's kill in ditinctions, be not to his purpoe in this place. For the quetion is not here about Adams actual exercie of government, but actually having a title to be governor. Government, ays our author, was due to Adam by the right of nature : what is this right of nature ? A right fathers have over their children by begetting them; generatione jus acquiritur parentibus in liberos, ays our author out of Grotius, Obervations, 223. The right then follows the begetting as ariing from it ; o that, according to this way of reaoning or ditinguihing of our author, Adam, as oon as he was created, had a title only in habit, and not in act, which in plain Englih is, he had actually no title at all.

§. 19. To peak les learnedly, and more intelligibly, one may ay of Adam, he was in a poibility of being governor, ince it was poible he might beget children, and thereby acquire that right of nature, be it what it will, to govern them, that accrues from Rh