- of Adam's poſterity, being ſo long ſince utterly loſt, that in the races of mankind and families of the world, there remains not to one above another, the leaſt pretence to be the eldeſt houſe, and to have the right of inheritance:
All theſe premiſes having, as I think, been clearly made out, it is impoſſible that the rulers now on earth ſhould make any benefit, or derive any the leaſt ſhadow of authority from that, which is held to be the fountain of all power, Adam's private dominion and paternal juriſdicition; ſo that he that will not give juſt occaſion to think that all government in the world is the product only of force and violence, and that men live together by no other rules but that of beaſts, where the ſtrongeſt carries it, and ſo lay a foundation for perpetual diſorder and miſchief, tumult, ſedition and rebellion, (things that the followers of that hypotheſis ſo loudly cry out againſt) muſt of neceſſity find out another riſe of governwent, another original of political power, and another way of deſigning and knowing the perſons that have it, than what Sir Robert Filmer hath taught us.
§. 2. To this purpoſe, I think it may not be amiſs, to ſet down what I take to be political power; that the power of a magiſtrate over a ſubject may be diſtinguiſhed from that of a father over his children, a maſter over his ſervant, a huſband over his wife, and
a
