Page:Two Treatises of Government.djvu/39

 cononant to the hitory of the Bible, and natural reaon, Obervations, 210. And in his Pref. to his Obervations on Aritotle, he ays thus, The firt government in the world was monarchical in the father of all fleh, Adam being commanded to multiply and people the earth, and to ubdue it, and having dominion given him over all creatures, was thereby the monarch of the whole world : none of his poterity had any right to poes any thing, but by his grant or permiion, or by ucceion from him : The earth, aith the Palmit, hath he given to the children of men, which hew the title comes from fatherhood.

§. 22. Before I examine this argument, and the text on which it is founded, it is neceary to deire the reader to oberve, that our author, according to his uual method, begins in one ene, and concludes in another ; he begins here with Adam's propriety, or private dominion, by donation ; and his concluion is, which hew the title comes from fatherhood.

§. 23. But let us ee the argument. The words of the text are thee ; and God bleed them, and God aid unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenih the earth and ubdue it, and have dominion over the fih of the ea, 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