6. SIR R. F's great Position is , that Men are not naturally free , this is the Foundation on which his absolute Monarchy stands , and from which it erects it self to an height that it's Power is above every Power , Caput inter nubila , so high above all earthly and human Things , that thought can scarce reach it , that Promises and Oaths which tye the infinite Deity , cannot confine it . But if this Foundation fails , all his Fabric falls with it , and Governments must be left again to the old way of being made by contrivance and the consent of Men ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) making use of their reason to unite together into Society . To prove this grand Position of his , he tells us , p. 12. Men are born in subjection to their Parents , and therefore cannot be free . And this Authority of Parents , he calls Royal Authority , p. 12 , 14. Fatherly Authority , Right of Fatherhood , p. 12 , 20. one would have thought he would in the beginning of such a Work as this , on which was to depend the Authority of Princes and the Obedience of Subjects , have told us expresly what that Fatherly Authority is , have defined it , though not limited it , because in some other Treatises of his , he tells us 't is unlimited , and unlimitable , he should at least have given us such an account of it , * * In Grants and Gifts that have their Origiginal from God or Nature , as the Power of the Father hath , no inferior Power of Man can limit nor make any Law of prescription against them , O. 158. that we might have had an entire Notion of this Fatherhood or Fatherly Authority when ever it came in our way in his Writings ; This I expected to have found in the first Chapter of his Patriarcha . But † † The Scripture teaches that Supreme Power was Originally in the Father without any limitation , O. 245. instead there of having , 1. en Passant made his Obeysance to the Arcana imperii , p. 5. 2 o made his Complement to the Rights and Liberties of this or any other Nation , p. 6. which he is going presently to null and destroy ; And 3o made his Leg to those Learned Men who did not see so far into the Matter as himself , p. 7. he comes to fall on Bellarmine , p. 8. and by a Victory over him , Establishes his Fatherly Authority beyond any question ; Bellarmine being routed by his own Confession , p. 11. the day is clear got , and there is no more need of any Forces : For having done that , I observe not that he states the Question or rallies up any Arguments to make good his Opinion , but rather tells us the Story as he thinks fit of this strange kind of domineering Phantom , called the Fatherhood , which whoever could catch presently got Empire and unlimited absolute Power . He assures us how this Fatherhood began in Adam , continued it's course , and kept the World in order all the time of the Patriarchs till the Flood , got out of the Arch with Noah and his Sons , made and supported all the Kings of the Earth till the Captivity of the Israelites in Egypt , and then the poor Fatherhood was under hatches till God by giving the Israelites Kings , Re-established the Ancient and prime Right of the lineal Succession in paternal Government . This is his business from p. 12 to 19. And then obviating an Objection , and clearing a Difficulty or two with one half reason , p. 23. to confirm the Natural Right of Regal Power , he ends the first Chapter . I hope 't is no Injury to call an half Quotation an half Reason , for God says , Honour thy Father and Mother , but our Author contents himself with half , leaves out thy Mother quite , as little serviceable to his purpose , but of that more in an other place .

7 I do not think our Author so little skill'd in the way of Writing Discourses of this Nature , nor so careless of the Point in hand , that he by oversight commits the fault that he himself in his Anarchy of a mix'd Monarchy , p. 239. Objects to Mr. Hunton in these words . Where first I charge the A that he hath not given us any Definition● or Discription of Monarchy in general , for by the Rules of Method , he should have first defin'd . And by the like Rule of Method Sr. Rob. should have told us , what his Fatherhood or Fatherly Authority is before he had told us , in whom it was to be found and talked so much of it . But perhaps Sr. Rob. found that this Fatherly Authority , this Power of Fathers and of Kings , for he makes them both the same , p. 24. would make a very odd and frightful Figure , and very disagreeing , with what either Children imagin of their Parents , or Subjects of their Kings , if he should have given us the whole d●aught together in that Gigantic Form , he had Painted it in his own Phancy , and therefore like a wary Physician , when he would have his Patient swallow some harsh or Corrosive Liquor , he mingles it with a large quantity of that , which may delute it ; that the scatter'd Parts may go down with less feeling and cause less Aversion .

8. Let us then endeavour to find what account he gives us of this Fatherly Authority , as it lies scatter'd in the several Parts of his Writings . And first as it was vested in Adam , he says not only Adam , but the succeeding Patriarchs , had by Right of Fatherhood , Royal Authority over their Children , p. 12. This Lordship which Adam by Command had over the whole World , and by right descending from him , the Patriarchs did injoy ; was as large and ample as the Absolute Dominion of any Monarch , which hath been since the Creation . p. 13. Dominion of Life and Death ; making War and concluding Peace , p. 13. Adam and the Patriarchs had Absolute Power of Life and Death , p. 35. Kings in the right of Parents , succeed to the Exercise of supream jurisdiction . p. 19. As Kingly Power is by the Law of God , so it hath no inferior Law to Limit it , Adam was Lord of all , p. 40. The Father of a Family governs by no other Law , then by his own will , p. 78. The Superiority of Princes is above Laws , p. 79. The unlimited jurisdiction of Kings , is so amply described by Samuel . p. 80. Kings are above the Laws . p. 93. And to this purpose see a great deal more which our A — delivers in Bodins's words . It is certain that all Laws , Priviledges and Grants of Princes have no Force , but during their Life ; if they be not ratified by the express Consent or by sufferance of the Prince following especially Priviledges . O. p. 279. The reason why Laws have been also made by Kings , was this ; when Kings were either busied with Wars , or distracted with Public Cares , so that every private Man , could not have Acc●ss to their Persons , to learn their Wills and Pleasure , then were Laws of necessity invented , that so every particular Subject , might find his Princes Pleasure Decypher'd unto him in the Tables of his Laws . p. 92. In a Monarchy , the King must by necessity be above the Laws , p. 100. A perfect Kingdom is that , wherein the King Rules all things according to his own Will , p. 100. Neither Common nor Statute Laws , are or can be any Diminution of that General Power , which Kings have over their People by right of Fatherhood , p. 115. Adam was the Father , King and Lord over his Family , a Son , a Subject and a Servant or Slave , were one and the same thing at first . The Father had Power to dispose or sell his Children or Servants , whence we find that at the first reckoning up of Goods in Scripture , the Man-servant and the Maid-servant , are numbred among the Possessions , and substance of the Owner , as other Goods were . O pref. God also hath given to the Father a Right or Liberty , to alien his Power over his Children ; to any other whence we find the Sale and Gift of Children , to have been much in use , in in the Beginning of the World , when Men had their Servants for a Possession and an Inheritance , as well as other Goods , whereupon we find the Power of Castrating and making Eun●chs● much in use in Old times . O. p. 155. Law is nothing else but the will of him , that hath the Power of the Supream Father , O. p. 223. It was Gods Ordinance , that Supremacy should be unlimited in Adam , and as large as all the Acts of his Will , and as in him , so in all others that have Supream Power . O. p. 245.

9. I have been fain to trouble by Reader , with these several Quotations in our A — s own words , that in them might be seen his own Discription , of his Fatherly Authority , as it lies scatter'd up and down in his Writings , which he supposes was first vested in Adam , and by Right , belongs to all Princes ever since . This Fatherly Authority then or Right of Fatherhood , in our A — s sence is a Divine unalterable Right of Sovereignty , whereby a Father or a Prince , hath an Absolute Arbitrary unlimited and unlimitable Power , over the Lives , Libertys , and Estates of his Children or Subjects , so that he may take or alienate their Estates , sell , castrate , or use their Persons as he pleases , they being all his slaves , and he Lord and Proprietor of every thing , and his unbounded Will their Law .

10. Our A — having placed such a mighty Power in Adam , and upon that supposition , founded all Government , and all Power of Princes , it is reasonable to expect , that he should have proved this with Arguments clear and evident , suitable to the weightiness of the Cause . That since Men had nothing else left them ; they might in slavery had such undeniable Proofs of its necessity , that heir consciences might be convinced , and oblige them to submit peaceably to that Absolute Dominion , which their Governors had a Right to Exercise over them , without this ; what good could our A — do , or pretend to do , by erecting such an unlimited Power , but flatter the Natural Vanity and Ambition of Men , too apt of its self to grow and increase , with the Possession of any Power ? And by perswading those , who by the consent of their fellow Men are advanced to great , but limited degrees of it , that by that Part which is given them , they have a Right to all that was not so , and therefore may do what they please , because they have Authority to do more then others , and so tempt them to do what is neither for their own , nor the good of those under their Care , whereby great mischeifs cannot but follow .

11. The Sovereignty of Adam , being that on which as a sure basis , our A — builds his Mighty Absolute Monarchy , I expected that in his Patriarcha , this his main supposition would have been proved and established , with all that evidence of Arguments , that such a Fundamental Tenet required , and that this on which the great stress of the business depends , would have been made out with reasons sufficient to justifie the confidence , with which it was assumed . But in all that Treatise , I could find very little tending that way ; the thing is there so taken for granted without Proof , that I could scarce believe my self , when upon attentive Reading that Treatise , I found there so mighty a Structure , rais'd upon the bare supposition of this Foundation ; for it is scarce credible , that in a Discourse where he pretends to confute , the Erroneous Principle of Mans Natural Freedom , he does it by a bare supposition of Adams Authority , without offering any Proof for that Authority . Indeed he confidently says , that Adam had Royal Authority . p. 12 , and 13. Absolute Lordship and Dominion of life and death , p. 13. An Vniversal Monarchy , p. 33. Absolute Power of life and death , p. 35. He is very frequent in such Assertions , but what is strange in all his whole Patriarcha , I find not one pretence of a reason , to Establish this his great Foundation of Government ; not any thing that looks like an Argument , but these words ; To confirm this Natural Right of Regal Power , we find in the Decalogue , that the Law which injoyns Obedience to Kings , is delivered in the Terms , Honour thy Father , as if all Power were Originally in the Father . And why may I not add as well , that in the Decalogue , the Law that injoyns obedience to Queens , is delivered in the Terms of Honour thy Mother , as if all Power were Originally in the Mother ? The Argument as Sr. Rob. puts it , will hold as well for one as tother , but of this more in its due place .

12. All that I take notice of here , is that this is all our A — says in this first , or any of the following Chapters , to prove the Absolute Power of Adam , which is his great Principle , and yet as if he had there settled it upon sure Demonstration , he begins his 2 d. Chapter with these words , by Confering these Proofs and Reasons , drawn from the Authority of the Scripture . Where those Proofs and Reasons for Adams Sovereignty , are , bateing that of Honour thy Father above mentioned , I confess , I cannot find unless what he says , p. 11. In these words we have an evident Confession , viz. of Belarmin , that Creation made Man Prince of his Posterity , must be taken for Proofs and Reasons drawn from Scripture , or for any sort of Proofs at all : though from thence by a new way of inference i● the words , immediately following . And indeed he concludes ) the Royal Authority of Adam , sufficiently settled in him .

13. If he has in that Chapter , or any where in the whole Treatise , given any other Proofs of Adams Royal Authority , other then by often repeating it , which among some Men goes for Argument , I desire any body for him to shew me the Place and Page , that I may be convinced of my mistake , and acknowledge my oversight . If no such Arguments are to be found , I beseech those Men , who have so much cryed up this Book , to consider whether they do not give the World cause to suspect , that 't is not the Force of Reason and Argument , that makes them for Absolute Monarchy , but some other by interest , and therefore are resolved to applaud any Author , that writes in Favour of this Doctrin , whether he support it with reason or no. But I hope they do not expect that rational and indifferent Men should be brought over to their Opinion , because this their great Dr. of it , in a Discourse made on purpose , to set up the Absolute Monarchical Power of Adam , in opposition to the Natural Freedom of Mankind , has said so little to prove it , from whence it is rather naturally to be concluded that there is little to be said .

14. But that I might omit no care to inform my self in our A — s full Sense , I consulted his Observations on Aristotle , Hobs , &c. To see whether in disputing with others he made use of any Arguments , for this his Darling Tenet of Adam's Sovereignty , since in his Treatise of the Natural Power of Kings , he had been so sparing of them : And in his Observations on Mr. Hobs's Leviathan I think he has put in short , all those Arguments for it together , which in his Writings I find him any where to make use of , his Words are these . If God Created only Adam , and of a piece of him made the Woman , and if by Generation from them two , as parts of them all Mankind be propagated : If also God gave to Adam not only the Dominion over the Woman and the Children that should Issue from them , but also over the whole Earth to subdue it , and over all the Creatures on it , so that as long as Adam lived , no Man could claim or enjoy any thing but by Donation , Assignation or Permission from him , I wonder , &c. O. 165. Here we have the Sum of all his Arguments , for Adams Sovereignty and against Natural Freedom , which I find up and down in his other Treatises , which are these following , Gods Creation of Adam , the Dominion he gave him over Eve : And the Dominion he had as Father over his Children , all which I shall particularly consider .

18. To this foreseen Objection , our A — answers very logically , he was Governour in Habit and not in Act : A very pretty way of being a Governour without Government , a Father without Children , and a King without Subjects . And thus Sir Robt. was an Author before he writ his Book , not in Act 't is true , but in Habit , for when he had once Publish'd , it was due to him by the Right of Nature , to be an Author as much as it was to Adam to be Governour of his Children when he had begot them ; And if to be such a Monarch of the World , an absolute Monarch in Habit but not in Act will serve the turn : I should not much envy it to any of Sir Robts . Friends that he thought fit graciously to bestow it upon , though even this of Act and Habit , if it signified any thing but our A—'s skill in destinctions , be not to his purpose in this place ; for the question is not here about Adams actual Exercise of Government , but actually having a Title to be Governour , Government says our A — 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 , says our A — out of Grotius , O. 223. The right then follows the begetting as arising from it , so that according to this way of reasoning or distinguishing of our A — , Adam as soon as he was Created , had a Title only in Habit and not in Act , which in plain English is he had actually no Title at all .

19. To speak less Learnedly and more Intelligibly , one may say of Adam he was in a possibility of being Governour , since it was possible he might beget Children and thereby acquire that Right of Nature , be it what it will to govern them that accrues from thence , but what Connection this has with Adams Creation to make him say , that as soon as he was Created he was Monarch of the World ; for it may be as well said of Noah , that as soon as he was born he was Monarch of the World , since he was in possibility ; which in our A — s Sense is enough to make a Monarch , a Monarch in Habit , to out live all Mankind but his own Posterity , I say what such necessary Connection there is betwixt Adams Creation and his Right to Government ; so that a Natural Freedom of Mankind cannot be suppos'd without the denial of the Creation of Adam , I confess for my part I do not see . Nor how those words by the appointment , &c. O. 254. however explain'd , can be put together to make any tollerable Sense at least to Establish this Position , with which they end , viz. Adam was a King from his Creation , a King says our A — not in Act but in Habit , i. e. actually no King at all .

20. I fear I have tired my Readers Patience by dwelling longer on this passage then the weightiness of any Argument in it , seems to require : but I have unavoidably been ingag'd in it by our A — s way of Writing , who hudling several Suppositions together , and that in doubtful and general terms makes such a medly and confusion , that it is impossible to shew his Mistakes without examining the several Senses , wherein his Words may be taken , and without seeing how in any of these various Meanings , they will consist together , and have any Truth in them ; for in this present passage before us , how can any one argue against this Position of his , that Adam was a King from his Creation , unless one examin whether the Words from his Creation , be to be taken as they may for the time of the Commencement of his Government as the foregoing words import , as soon as he was Created he was Monarch , or for the cause of it , as he says , p. 11. Creation made Man Prince of his Posterity . How farther can one judge of the truth of his being thus King , till one has examined whether King be to be taken , as the words in the beginning of this passage would perswade , on supposition of his Private Dominion , which was by Gods positive Grant , Monarch of the World by Appointment ; or King on Supposition of his Fatherly Power over his Off spring which was by Nature , due by the Right of Nature , whether I say King be to be taken in both , or one only of these two Senses or in neither of them , but only this , that Creation made him Prince in a way different from both the other ; for though this assertion , that Adam was King from his Creation be true , in no Sense yet it stands here as an evident conclusion drawn from the preceding words , though in truth it be but a bare assertion joyn'd to other assertions of the same kind , which confidently put together in words of undetermined and dubious meaning , look like a sort of arguing , when there is indeed neither Proof nor Connection : A way very familiar with our A — of which having given the Reader a taste , here , I shall as much as the Argument will permit me , avoid touching on hereafter , and should not have done it here , were it not to let the World see how Incoherences in Matter and Suppositions , without Proofs put handsomly together in good Words and a plausible Stile , are apt to pass for strong Reason and good Sense , till they come to be look'd into with Attention .