take care of their own Common Preservation, against the unauthoritative attempts of Him in whom the Power is lodg'd. There is not the leaft appearance of Inconfiftency in this: And this Superiority is what is contended for. In this Senfe therefore Humane may be fuperior to Humane: And confequently, notwithstanding this Argument, the Foundation of Government may be voluntary Compact, and Agreement.

3. If the Ends of Government may be anfwer'd, fuppoling Humane Compact the firft original of it; this Objection fignifies nothing againft this opinion. But the Ends of Government may be answer'd this way: Therefore this Objection is of no importance.

4. If it be true that whatever founds Government must be fuperior to it, as is here affirm'd; then the juftness of the Confequence drawn from Mr. Hooker's Principles is most evident, viz. That the Governour, tho' major fingulis, yet is univerfis minor; tho' Greater than any particular Member of the Body, yet is lefs than the whole put together.

5. Suppofing I fhould deny, for the prefent, that what founds Government muft neceffarily be Superior to it; and only maintain that it must be equal to it; then this Argument (which confifts in playing with the word Humane) must fall to the Ground; and yet the Ends of Society may be anfwer'd too. For it cannot be deny'd that Humane may be equal to Humane. We may argue, therefore, after the following manner. What foever founds Government must indeed be equal to it. But Humane is equal to Humane. Therefore Humane Confent may be the Foundation of Humane Government; as far as this way of reasoning is concern'd. And upon the Suppofition of this Equality only, there will ever remain in the Govern'd Society a Right to defend themselves from Ruine. Nay, fuppofing this Univerfal Confent of no force against that part of the Government of a particular Governour which is agreeable

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to the Conditions of the Contract, and not equal to his Authority in this: Yet it may, notwithstanding this, be at least equal to that part of his Government, which is difagreeable, and contradictory to the Conditions of this Contract; and of force enough to fecure the Society from being ruin'd by fuch Evil Adminiftration, as hath nothing in the Contract to bear it out.

Object. 2. All acknowledge that a Divine Right is ne ceffary; even they who make the Voice of the People the Voice of God: But Humane Compact cannot give a Divine Right; and therefore there must of neceffity be fome higher Original. In anfwer to this,

1. If that Maxim, concerning the Voice of the People, implies in it that there is a Divine Right in Governours; it must be, either in that Senfe in which those who make this Objection contend for it, or in a different Senfe. If in the fame Senfe; then there is no need of any difpute. For, if all allow the thing, what need of any farther debate about Words? If in a different Senfe from those who argue thus; then this is not allowing the thing itself, but only using a word, which is us'd by them, in a Senfe very different from theirs. For Divine Right in this Question is Divine Right in one particular Senfe, as understood by thofe who oppose the Scheme of Humane Compact; and confequently, in a Sense inconfiftent with Humane Compact. But in this Senfe no one can allow a Divine Right, who pleads for Humane Compact: because this is pleading for it, and against it in the fame Breath. The Foundation therefore of this Objection is quite remov'd: Since, if the Followers of Mr. Hooker allow a Divine Right, in the fame Sense with those who oppofe him, there can no difference remain but what lies in Words only; and if they allow it, in a Sense different from his Oppofers, this is not allowing the thing contended for, or granting any thing to them. Both thefe ways the Objection is wholly invalidated. 2. The

2. The true meaning of that Maxim, as apply'd to the Cafe now before us, and that alone in which any Perfons of Common Senfe use it,is this, viz. That whatfoever methods of Government,or Perfons to Govern, a whole Society, or Community, do voluntarily pitch upon, for the good, and fupport of themselves, and carrying forward the Ends of Human Society, are approv'd of by God, as refulting from the good ufe of that Reafon which is his Voice, and his Law; and as confirm'd by his Revel'd Will, to those who enjoy the Light of it. This is the Voice of God, or the Divine Right imply'd, and acknowledg'd, in this Maxim. But the Divine Right contended for by our Opponents is an immediate Divine appointment of the Form of Government to be adhered to; and the immediate communication of the Authority to Govern, from God himself. Now what relation the one hath to the other, I cannot fee: nor how it can follow that the allowance of a Divine Right in the former of these Senfes, can lead to the allowance of it in the latter: which is indeed fo far from being a confequence of the other, that it is directly contrary to it. Humane Compact, it is plain, therefore, can give, or draw after it, fuch a Divine Right as they contend for,who plead for Humane Compact: And confequently there can be no need, in their Opinion, for any Higher Original of Government. For thofe indeed,who contend for it,in another Senfe, there may be a neceffity for another Original: Buc their way to convince others of this neceflity, is to prove to them from other Arguments that there muft be a Divine Right in the Senfe in which they deny it; and not to argue from their allowing it under one Notion, that therefore they must allow it under the quite contrary.

3. Upon Humane Compact, and Voluntary Affociation of Mankind into Societies for Civil Government, the Powers that are neceflary for the Happiness aim'd at

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by Civil Government, are convey'd to the Perfon, or Perfons, call'd to the Office of Governing. And it is God's Will, and the Voice of Reason, that they should' have all Authority neceffary to the Ends of their Office: As it is his Will, that Perfons concern'd in any other Compact, fhould have all Powers neceffary to the Ends propos'd by that Compact. A Divine Right, therefore, all are free to grant in this Senfe; a Right founded upon Reafon,and confirm'd by the Will and Approbation of God. And methinks this Scheme might be as easily embrac'd and adhered to as that other, in which, upon mere taking and keeping poffeffion of what belongs no more to one than to another, Almighty God is intio duced as willing this poffeffion to be a Right; and as difpenfing fuch unlimited Powers, as deftroy the very Ends of all Civil Government. If fome Perfons take the Liberty of making a long Poffeffion,tho' obtain'd by Force, or Fraud, to be the Voice of God; one would think it need not be fcandalous for others to make the voluntary agreement of a Community of Men, for their common good, the Voice of God, who approves and confirms every thing that is juft, and reasonable.

Object. 3. This Judgment of Mr. Hooker concerning the Original of Government cannot be true; unless there were a Time, and a Number of Men in the World, before the Inftitution of it. But no fuch Time can be nam'd. And confequently, this Judgment cannot be wellgrounded. I answer,

1. There is no neceflity at all that fuch a Time fhould be nam'd; nor doth the Truth or Falfhood of this Scheme at all depend upon the naming, or not naming it: Because there might be such a Time, and yet not mark'd precifely in thofe fhort accounts of the first Ages, which are tranfmitted down to us by Antient Hiftorians, whether Sacred or Profane. That there fhould have been a State of Things in fact, not

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particularly noted by the Sacred Hiftorian, is no ftrange or unaccountable thing to any one who confiders that the Transactions of many hundreds of Years before the Floud, take up but a few Lines (comparatively fpeaking) in his Hiftory. Neither will it appear more ftrange that the Variations with refpect to Civil Government, or No-Government, fhould not be exprefly remark'd by Him, if we consider that his business and defign doth not appear fo much as to have led him to one thought concerning that matter. And as for the Profane Hiftorians; fuppofing that they give us no accounts of any fuch time,it is manifeft that their Hiftories go not fo high as the Confufion of Languages, and Divifion of Nations. There are but few things related of the Oldeft Times, either by the Sacred or Profane. But it doth not follow from their being filent, that therefore nothing but what they relate, happen'd in fact. Suppofing therefore that no time can be fix'd, in which Men were without Civil Government, because no fuch time is precifely noted by Hiftorians; this is no good Argument that really there was no fuch time.

2. This Objection may with much more Juftice be retorted upon the Objectors, who this way defign to introduce a pofitive Inftitution of Government, by the immediate interpofition of Almighty God himself. For this pofitive Institution being a matter of io great and univerfal Concern; of fo fingular and undoubted Importance; it is hardly poffible to fuppofe,that the Sacred Hiftorian, whofe defign was to give fome account of the immediate Tranfactions between Almighty God, and Mankind, fhould have omitted this, had He known any thing of fuch an Inftitution. It is reasonable therefore to ask those who are fo zealous for fuch an immediate Divine Appointment, in what part of the Sacred History it is to be found. If they answer, that it is imply'd in the Duty laid upon Eve, and the Children of Adam; I have already fhewn that this is a matter wholly di