ſiderable difference between theſe two texts ; the firſt bleſſing gave Adam a dominion over the earth and all creatures ; the latter allows Noah liberty to uſe the living creatures for food : here is no alteration or diminiſhing of his title to a property of all things, but an enlargement only of his commons, Obſervations, 211. So that in our author's ſenſe, all that was ſaid here to Noah and his ſons, gave them no dominion, no property, but only enlarged the commons ; their commons, I ſhould ſay, ſince God ſays, to you are they given, though our author ſays his ; for as for Noah's ſons, they, it ſeems, by Sir Robert's appointment, during their father's life-time, were to keep faſting days.
§. 39. Any one but our author would be mightily ſuſpected to be blinded with prejudice, that in all this bleſſing to Noah and his ſons, could ſee nothing but only an enlargement of commons : for as to dominion, which our author thinks omitted, the fear of you, and the dread of you, ſays God, ſhall be upon every beaſt, which I ſuppoſe expreſſes the dominion, or ſuperiority was deſigned man over the living creatures, as fully as may be ; for in that fear and dread ſeems chiefly to conſiſt what was given to Adam over the inferior animals ; who, as abſolute a monarch as he was, could not make bold with a lark or rabbet to ſatisfy his hunger, and had the herbs but in common with the beaſts, as is plain from i Gen. 2, 9, and 30. In the
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