§1. Governments have existed in a great variety of forms. The earliest
governments of which we have any knowledge, are the patriarchal.
_Patriarch_, from the Greek, _pater_, father, and _arkos_, chief, or
head, means the father and ruler of a family. This kind of government
prevailed in the early ages of the world, and in a state of society in
which the people dwelt together in families or tribes, and were not yet
formed into states or nations. The patriarchal government existed before
the flood, and for a long period afterward. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
the fathers of the Hebrew race, as also the sons of Jacob, the heads of
the twelve tribes, were called patriarchs.

§2. After their departure from Egypt, the government of the Hebrews was
a _theocracy_. This word is from _theos_, God, and _kratos_, power, and
signifies a government by the immediate direction of God. The laws by
which they were governed were given to them on Mount Sinai by God
himself, their leader and king. This theocratic form of government, with
some changes, existed until the coming of the Messiah.

§3. But the forms of government which have most prevailed, are
designated by the terms, monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy, or
republic. These words severally indicate by what persons, and in what
manner, the governing power of a state is exercised. This power is
usually called the _sovereign_, or _supreme_ power. Where kings rule,
they are called sovereign; and where the power is in the hands of the
people, the people are sovereign. In the strict sense of the term,
however, entire sovereignty, or supreme power, exists only where power
is exercised by one man, or a single body of men, uncontrolled or