A brief view and survey of the dangerous and pernicious errors to church and state, in Mr. Hobbes's book, entitled Leviathan by Edward Earl of Clarendon.

The Survey of Chapter 40.

WE are not bound to believe, and Mr. Hobbes would find it a hard task to prove, that all Christian Princes have the same power and autority over their Subjects, that Abraham had over his Family, which we do not find to exceed the number of three hundred and eighteen men; and that all Subjects are bound to obey the dictates of their Soveraigns with the same resignation and submission as the Children of Israel were oblig'd to submit to the commands of Moses: however, it seems to have no Logical consequence in it, that because God spake only to Abraham, and not to his Family, therefore his Family was to re∣ceive Gods commands only from him. Yet Mr. Hobbes might have remembred that God did appear likewise to Hagar, one of Abrahams Family, even after he had expos'd her to the unjust severity of his Wife; and communicated his pleasure to her, and inform'd her of many particulars which he im∣parted not to Abraham; however, I say, the in∣stance of Abraham is no Argument, that all Subjects, who have no supernatural Revelation to the contra∣ry▪ ought to obey the orders of their own Soveraigns in the external acts and profession of Religion, except it were as evident that God hath spoken to those Soveraigns, as it is confessed that he spake to Abraham. And there was in those daies no other way for men to know the immediate pleasure of

God, what they were, or were not to do, but by his Communication to some person who had credit to be believed. Whereas from the time that God hath manifested his pleasure to all men in his Scripture, what will please and displease him, and intrusted Princes to advance his Service, and provide for his Worship according to the rules which he hath like∣wise prescrib'd to them, he hath discontinued that immediate Communication. Nor doth any Prince pretend to that conversation with God, as Abraham and Moses had, who did not interpret, but relate, and report what God would, or would not have don from himself. And the Salvo which he provide s••or the Implicite Faith which he prescribes by a mental reservation, is so destructive to common honesty, that it is not only unworthy of a Christian, but of a moral man, who desires to live with any credit a∣mongst men; which we shall be obliged to enlarge upon in another place, where he more confidently calls for it, and therefore shall decline it here. And God be thanked, no Christian Prince doth himself believe, or wishes that his Subjects should believe, that he is in Abrahams place, to be the sole Interpret∣er of what God hath spoken.

Mr. Hobbes is so much addicted to the sole obli∣gation of Contracts and Covenants, that he will hardly allow God himself to have a title to our obe∣dience, but by virtue of some Contract on his part, and Covenant on ours; which that he may the bet∣ter make good, he assumes a Jurisdiction to himself to give what signification and interpretation he plea∣ses to words, whether they have bin generally under∣stood to signifie so, or no; without which he would not have determin'd, that (pag. 250.) Moses had no

autority to command the children of Israel, nor they any obligation to obey him, until in the terror of the thun∣dring and lightning, and the noise of the Trumpet, and the smoaking of the mountain, they said unto Moses, Exod. 20. 28. Speak thou with us, and we will hear, but let not God speak▪ with us least we die; by which he saies, (pag. 251.) they obliged themselves to obey whatsoever he should deliver unto them for the com∣mandment of God: whereas the most that can be drawn from that engagement is, that they would hear, and receive what he should say. Notwithstand∣ing which, it doth not appear that they paid more obedience to Moses, after this profession of theirs, then they had don before; nor can it be imagin'd, that the promise to Moses was more binding, then all former obligations to God. And surely he who as∣sumes this licence of Interpreting, is much to blame if he doth not make many places in Scripture to si∣gnifie what conduces to his purpose; and he may from Moses having leave to go up into the Mount, declare, not only that the Scriptures are the Mount, and therefore that the Soveraign only may interpret them, but that they may not be look'd into; which would increase the Prerogative, and is as near the signification and intention of the Text, as what he gives to it. But then how Mr. Hobbes will ex∣cuse himself for violating his own Doctrine, which concludes, that (pag. 252.) no man ought in the in∣te••pretation of Scripture, to proceed farther then the bounds which are set by his Soveraign, I cannot ima∣gine, except he hath refuge to Cromwell, whom he did then acknowledge to be his Soveraign. And in∣deed it was of no small advantage to him, that all Persons under him (by what Oaths or Obligations

soever they were bound to administer Justice to the people, according to the known Rules of Law and equity) should understand themselves to be in the same capacity that the Seventy were to Moses, to whom God took of the Spirit that was upon Moses, Num. 11. 25. and gave it to them; the sense of which place, he saies, is no other, (pag. 252.) (as he hath formerly declar'd, that spirit signifies mind,) then that God endued them with a mind conformable▪ and subordinate to that of Moses, that they might prophesy, & speak to the people in Gods name, in such man∣ner, as to set forward such doctrine as was agreeable to Moses's doctrine. And in truth so absolute an au∣tority in all spiritual matters, as high as it is, is not more then is absolutely necessary to support his o∣ther power in the temporal.

He administers occasion enough in this Chapter to induce me to repete what hath already bin said upon the Covenant made by Abraham, which is a principal corner stone upon which he still persists to erect his building, which I shall forbear to do, persuming the Reader will not forget it; only I must observe the activity and restlessness of Mr. Hobbes his fancy, and that, as the first mention of the Covenant and Contract as to the end for which he formed it, was a pure dream of his own, so he adds to it, and makes it larger, as new matter oc∣curs to him that requires such a supply. As in the beginning of this Chapter, that he might make the Soveraignty of Abraham to appear the more unque∣stionable, he saies, that (pag. 249.) by his Covenant he obliged himself, and his seed after him, to acknow∣ledg, and obey the Commands of God, not only such as he could take notice of (as moral Lawes) by the Laws

of Nature, but also such as God should in special man∣ner deliver to him by dreams, and visions, of which before he makes no mention, tho he mention'd more then he had autority for; for he saies, (pag. 249.) that no contract could add to, or strengthen the obliga∣tion, by which both they, and all men else were bound naturally to obey God Almighty, and therefore the Co∣venant that Abraham made with God, was to take for the commandment of God, that which in the name of God was commanded him in a dream, or vision, and to deliver it to his Family, and cause them to observe the same. Yet notwithstanding this great additi∣on, tho Abraham and all the Soveraigns who suc∣ceeded him, were qualified to govern, and prescribe to their Subjects what Religion they should be of, and to tell them what is the word of God, and to punish all those who should countenance any do∣ctrine which he should forbid, from which he con∣cludes that (pag. 250) as none but Abraham in his family, so none but the Soveraign in a Christian Common-wealth, can take notice what is, or what is not the word of God; Yet, I say, neither that, nor the renewing the same Covenant with Isaac, and afterwards with Ja∣cob, he saies now, did make that people the peculiar People of God, but dates that Privilege, which before he dated from the Covenant with Abraham, to be∣gin only from the renewing it by Moses at the mount Sinai; by which he corrects his former fancy by a new one as extravagant, upon the peoples contract in those words, which he had mention'd before with∣out that observation and gloss that he makes upon it, nor did God at that time promise more to them by Moses, then he had before as expresly promis'd to Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob.

This shall suffice to what he hath so often urg'd, or shall hereafter infer from the Covenant with A∣braham, and by Moses, and of the peculiar domini∣on over that People by vertue of that Contract. Nor will I hereafter enlarge any more upon their pre∣tended rejection of God, when they desir'd a King, which he now confirm's by a new piece of History, or a new Commentary upon the Text by his Sove∣raign power of interpreting; for he saies (pag. 254.) that when they said to Samuel, make us a King to judg us like all the Nations, they signified, that they would no more be govern'd by the commands that should be laid upon them by the Priest in the name of God; and con∣sequently in deposing the High Priest of Roial autori∣ty, they deposed that peculiar Government of God. (pag. 255.) And yet he confesses in the very next page, that when they had demanded a King after the manner of the Nations, they had no design to depart from the worship of God their King, but despairing of the justice of the Sons of Samuel, they would have a King to Iudg them in civil actions, but not that they would allow their King to change the Religion which was recommended to them by Moses. By which he hath again cancell'd and demolish't all that power and jurisdiction, which he would derive to all Sove∣raigns, from that submission and contract, which he saies they made at Mount Sinai: for he confesses that they had no intention, that the King should have au∣tority to alter their Religion, and then it passed not by that contract. And thus when his unruly invention suggests to him an addition to the Text, or an unwarrantable interpretation of it, it alwaies involves him in new perplexities, and leaves him as far from attaining his end, as when he began. It

is upon his usual presumtion, that from the 17. Cha∣pter of Numbers, he concludes, that after Moses his death, the supreme power of making war and peace, and the Supreme power of judicature belonged also to the High Priest; and thus Ioshuah was only General of the Army: whereas no more was said in that place to Eleazar, then had bin before said to Aaron his Father, to perform the Priestly Office; nor doth it ever appear that Eleazar offered to as∣sume the Soveraignty in either of the cases, but was as much under Ioshuah, as Aaron had ever bin un∣der Moses. God appear'd unto Ioshuah upon the de∣cease of Moses, and deputed him to exercise the same charge that Moses had don. As I was with Mo∣ses, so will I be with thee. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, that thou maiest observe to do all that is written therein. Then Ioshuah command∣ed the Officers of the People. Josh. 1, 2. 5, 8, 10. The people made another covenant with Ioshuah. All that thou commandest us we will do, and whither so∣ever thou sendest us, we will go. As we hearkned unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee. Whosoever doth rebel against thy Commandment, and will not hearken to thy words in all that thou command∣est him, shall be put to death. ver. 16, 17, 18. And the Lord said unto Joshuah, this day will I magnify thee in the sight of all Israel; as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee. And thou shalt command the Priests &c. Josh. 3. 7, 8. All the orders and commands to the Priests were given by Ioshuah. Joshua built an Altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal. He wrote upon the stones a copy of the Law. He read all the Law, the cursings, and the blessings, &c. Josh. 8. 30, 32, 34. Ioshuah divided the Land, and when any

doubtful cause did arise, they repair'd to him for judgment. And when the two Tribes, and the half, returned to the other side of Iordan, where Moses had assign'd their portions, it was Ioshuah who bles∣sed them, and sent them away. There is no men∣tion of any Soveraignty of Eleazar. What the jurisdiction of the High-Priest was, and whether the Office was limited, or any way suspended du∣ring the time of the Judges, is not otherwise per∣tinent to this discourse, then as it contradicts Mr. Hobbes, in which where it is not necessary I take no delight, and therefore shall not enlarge upon those particulars.