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26
Of Government.

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 ſo conſequently 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 ſo 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 ſays not one word of Adam's monarchy. But our author ſays, Adam was hereby monarch of the world, which, properly ſpeaking, ſignifies ſovereign ruler of all the men in the world ; and ſo Adam, by this grant, muſt be conſtituted ſuch a ruler. If our author means otherwiſe, he might with much clearneſs have ſaid, that Adam was hereby proprietor of the whole world. But he begs your pardon in that point : clear diſtinct: ſpeaking not ſerving every where to his purpoſe, you muſt not expect it in him, as in Mr. Selden, or other ſuch writers.

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

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

over