the whole, left it to his heirs, in whom it continues to this day. When this is done, I wilLacknowledge the foundation to be well laid, and admit of all that can be rightly built upon it; but if this fails, all fails: the poison of the root continues in the branches. If the right heir be not in possession, he is not the right who is in possession: if the true heir be known, he ought to be restored to his right: if he be not known, the right must perish: that cannot be said to belong to any man, if no man knows to whom it belongs, and can have no more effect than if it were not. This conclusion will continue unmoveable, though the division into seventy-two kingdoms were allowed; which cannot be without destroying the paternal power, or subjecting it to be subdivided into as many parcels as there are men, which destroys regality; for the same thing may be required in every one of the distinct kingdoms, and others derived from them. We must know who was the true heir of Noah, that recovered all: how, when, and to whom he gave the several portions; and that every one of them do continue in the possession of those, who by this prerogative of birth are raised above the rest of mankind; and if they are not, it is an impious folly to repute them so, to the prejudice of those that are; and if they do not appear to the prejudice of all mankind, who being equal, are thereby made subject to them. For as truth is the rule of justice; there can be none, when he is reputed superior to all who is certainly inferior to......

[In this place, two pages are wanting in the original manuscript.]

....degenerated from that reason which distinguisheth men from beasts. Though it may be fit to use some ceremonies, before a man be admitted to practice physic, or set up a trade, it is his own skill that makes him a doctor, or an artificer; and others do but declare it. An ass will not leave his stupidity, though he be covered with scarlet; and he that is by nature a slave, will be so still, though a crown be put upon his head and it is hard to imagine a more violent inversion of the laws of God and nature, than to raise him to the throne, whom nature intended for the chain; or to make them slaves to slaves, whom God hath endowed with the virtues required in kings. Nothing can be more preposterous, than to impute to God the frantic domination which is often exercised by wicked, foolish and vile persons, over the wise, valiant, just, and good; or to subject the best to the rage of the worst. If there be any family therefore in the world, that can by the law of God and nature, distinct from the ordinance of man, pretend to an hereditary right of dominion over any people, it must be one that never did, and never can produce any person that is not free from all the infirmities and vices that render him unable to exercise the sovereign power; and is endowed with all the virtues required to that end; or at least a promise from God, verified by experience, that the next in blood shall ever be able and fit for that work. But since we do not know, that any such hath yet appeared in the world, we have no reason to believe, that there is, or ever was any such; and consequently none upon whom God hath

conferred the rights that cannot be exercised without them.

If there was no shadow of a paternal right in the institution of the kingdoms of Saul and David, there could be none in those that succeeded. Rehoboam could have no other than from Solomon: when he reigned over two tribes, and Jeroboam over ten, it is not possible, that both of them could be the next heir of their last common father Jacob; and it is absurd to say, that ought to be reputed, which is impossible for our thoughts are ever to be guided by truth, or such an appearance of it, as doth persuade or convince us.

The same title of father is yet more ridiculously or odiously applied to the succeeding kings. Baasha had no other title to the crown, than by killing Nadab the son of Jeroboam, and destroying his family. Zimri purchased the same honour by the slaughter of Elah when he was drunk; and dealing with the house of Baasha, as he had done with that of Jeroboam. Zimri burning himself, transferred the same to Omri, as a reward for bringing him to that extremity. As Jehu was more fierce than these, he seems to have gained a more excellent recompence than any since Jeroboam, even a conditional promise of a perpetual kingdom; but falling from these glorious privileges, purchased by his zeal in killing two wicked kings, and above one hundred of their brethren, Shallum inherited them, by destroying Zachary, and all that remained of his race. This in

plain English, is no less than to say, that whosoever kills a king, and invades a crown, though the act and means of accomplishing it be never so detestable, does thereby become father of his country, and heir of all the divine privileges annexed to that glorious inheritance. And though I cannot tell whether such a doctrine be more sottish, monstrous, or impious, I dare affirm, that if it were received, no king in the world could think himself safe in his throne for one day: they are already encompassed with many dangers; but lest pride, avarice, ambition, lust, rage, and all the vices that usually reign in the hearts of worldly men, should not be sufficient to invite them perpetually to disturb mankind, through the desire of gaining the power, riches, and splendor that accompany a crown, our author proposes to them the most sacred privileges, as a reward of the most execrable crimes. He that was stirred up only by the violence of his own nature, thought that a kingdom could never be bought at too dear a rate :

................" Pro regno velim

"Patriam, penates, conjugem flammis dare:
"Imperia precio quolibet constant bene."

Senec. Theb. vers. ult.

But if the sacred character of God's anointed or vicegerent, and father of a country, were added to the other advantages that follow the highest fortunes; the most modest and just men would be filled with fury, that they might attain to them. Nay, it may be, even the best would be the most forward in con

spiring against such as reigned: they who could not be tempted with external pleasures, would be most in love with divine privileges; and since they should become the sacred ministers of God, if they succeeded, and traitors or rogues only if they miscarried, their only care would be so to lay their designs, that they might be surely executed. This is a doctrine worthy of Filmer's invention, and Heylin's approbation; which, being well weighed, will shew to all good and just kings how far they are obliged to those, who, under pretence of advancing their authority, fill the minds of men with such notions as are so desperately pernicious to them.

SECTION XV.

THE ANCIENTS CHOSE THOSE TO BE KINGS, WHO EXCELLED IN THE VIRTUES THAT ARE MOST BENEFICIAL TO CIVIL SOCIETIES.

If the Israelites, whose lawgiver was God, had no king in the first institution of their government, it is no wonder that other nations should not think themselves obliged to set up any if they who came all of one stock, and knew their genealogies, when they did institute kings, had no regard to our author's chimerical right of inheritance; nor were taught by God or his prophets to have any; it is not strange,