Page:Two Treatises of Government.djvu/60

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46
Of Government.

as I, when he ſays, God gives us all things richly to enjoy, which he could not do, if it were all given away already, to Monarch Adam, and the monarchs his heirs and ſucceſſors. To conclude, this text is ſo far from proving Adam ſole proprietor, that, on the contrary, it is a confirmation of the original community of all things amongſt the ſons of men, which appearing from this donation of God, as well as other places of ſcripture, the ſovereignty of Adam, built upon his private dominion, muſt fall, not having any foundation to ſupport it.

§. 41. But yet, if after all, any one will needs have it ſo, that by this donation of God, Adam was made ſole proprietor of the whole earth, what will this be to his ſovereignty ? and how will it appear, that propriety in land gives a man power over the life of another ? or how will the poſſeſſion even of the whole earth, give any one a ſovereign arbitrary authority over the perſons of men ? The moſt ſpecious thing to be ſaid, is, that he that is proprietor of the whole world, may deny all the reſt of mankind food, and ſo at his pleaſure ſtarve them, if they will not acknowledge his ſovereignty, and obey his will. If this were true, it would be a good argument to prove, that there never was any ſuch property, that God never gave any ſuch private dominion ; ſince it is more reaſonable to think, that God, who bid man-

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