The last sayings, or, Dying legacy of Mr. Thomas Hobbs of Malmesbury who departed this life on Thursday, Decemb. 4, 1679.

THE Last Sayings, or Dying Legacy OF Mr. Thomas Hobbs of Malmesbury, Who departed this Life on Thursday, Decemb. 4. 1679.

—Quid mihi Curae erit Transfuga▪

Senec▪

FEar of Power invisible feign'd by the mind, or imagined from Tales publickly allowed, is Religion; not allowed, is Superstition.

It is with the Mysteries of Religion, as with wholesom Pills for the Sick, which swallow'd whole, have the vertue to Cure; but chew'd, are for the most part cast up again without effect.

To say that God hath spoken to a man in a Dream, is no more than to say, he Dreamt that God spake to him.

To say he hath seen a Vision, or heard a Voice, is to say that he hath Dreamt between sleeping and waking.

To say he speaks by Supernatural Inspiration, is to say he finds an ardent desire to speak, or some strong opinion of himself, for the which he can alledge no natural reason.

In matters of Right or Interest, where Reason is against a man, a man will be against Reason.

Evil men under pretext that God can do anything▪ are so bold as to say he does every thing that may serve their turns.

As for Witches, I think not that their Witchcraft is any real power▪ but yet that they are justly punished, for the false be∣lief they have that they can do such mischief, joyned with a pur∣pose to do it if they could.

For Fairies and walking Ghosts, I think that opinion is taught only to keep in credit the use of Exorcisms, Crosses, and Holy-Water, to lay those Spirits which never were raised.

The best Prophet naturally is the best Guesser; and the best Guesser, he that is most vers'd and studied in the matters he guesses at.

Whatsoever we imagine, is Finite: therefore there is no Idea or conception of any thing we call Infinite.

When we believe another man's Revelation, not from the Reason of the thing reveal'd, but from the Authority and good opinion of him to whom it was so revealed, then is the Speaker or Enthusiast the only object of our Faith, and the Honour done in believing, is done to him only, and not to him that revealed it: So on the contrary, if Livy says the Gods once made a Cow speak, and we believe it not; herein we distrust not God, but Livy.

Thhre is no greater Argument of Madness, than the arroga∣ting to ones self Inspiration: for if some man in Bedlam, after he had made a long sober discourse, should at last tell you he was God the Father, I think you need expect no further Argu∣ment for his Madness.

He that believes a thing, only because it may be so; may as well doubt of it, because it may be otherwise.

A certainty of Error in any part of a thing, implies a possibi∣lity of Error in the whole.

Nil fuit in intellectu, quod non fuit prius in sensu.

When a Pope excommunicates a Kingdom, he may rather be said to excommunicate himself; the Pope being the only loser thereby.

That Daemoniacks were no other than mad-men, from Joh. 10. 20. He hath a Devil, and is mad.

As a Man that is born blind, hearing men talk of warming themselves by the Fire, and being brought to warm himself by the same, may easily conceive there is somewhat there which men call fire, and is the cause of the heat he feels, but can have no Idea of it in his Mind, such as they have that see it: So also by the visible things of this World, and their admirable order, a man may conceive there is a cause of them which men call God, and yet not have an Idea or Image of him in his Mind.

No Persons ought so justly to die▪ for Religion, as those that get their living by it.

To measure Good or Evil by the Reward or Punishment as∣signed by the Laws of our own Countrey, is like little Children, who have no other measure of good or ill but from the correction of their Parents.

The Church is a Mother-in-law to the Laity, but an own Mother to the Clergy.

That the Popish Consecration is no other than Conjuration or Incantation: For when their Priests in the Sacrament pretend to turn the Bread into Christ's Body, wherein differ they from the Egyptian▪ Conjurers, who are said to have turn'd the Rods into Serpents, and the Water into Bloud? However, if (as in the Sacrament the Bread remain'd Bread still) the Rods had also remain'd Rods still, and they had nevertheless faced down the King, contrary to his own eye-sight, that they were Serpents, what impudent Rogues had these been? that had been both Enchantment and Lying; and so is it in Transubstantiation.

That we might not give too much credit to all pretended Miracles, let us examine the many Impostures wrought by Con∣federacy, wherein we shall find, that there is nothing how im∣possible soever to be done, that is impossible to be believed: For two men conspiring, one to seem Lame, and the other to cure him with a Charm, will deceive many; but many con∣spiring, one to seem Lame, another to cure him, and all the rest to bear witness, will deceive more.

In these four things, viz. Opinion of Ghosts, Ignorance of second Causes, Devotion towards what men fear, and taking of things Casual for Prognosticks, consisteth the natural Seed of Religion; which by reason of the different Fancies, Passions and Judgements of several men, hath grown up into Ceremo∣nies so different, that those which are used by one man, are for the most part ridiculous to another.

That Law which is absolutely necessary to Mankind's future Happiness, ought (if the Law-giver be just) to be generally made known unto all men: No one reveal'd Law was ever made known unto all men; Ergo, No one reveal'd Law is ab∣solutely necessary to Mankind's future Happiness.

That God is Almighty Matter.

That the prime Law of Nature in the Soul of Man, is that of Self-preservation.

That the Law of the Civil Magistrate, is the only obliging Rule of Just and Unjust.

Dreams are the Reverse of our waking Imaginations; the motion when we are awake, beginning at one end, and when we dream, at the other.

LONDON, Printed for the Author's Executors, 1680.

Malmsburiensis Obît, decurso Lumine vitae, Qui genus humanum Ingenio Superavit, & omnes Praestrinxit Stellas, exortus uti Aethereus Sol.

THE Love of the knowledg of Causes draws a man from the Consideration of the Ef∣fect, to seek the Cause, and again the Cause of that Cause, till of necessity he must come to this thought at last, That there is some Cause, whereof there is no former Cause, but is Eternal, which is God; so that it is impossible to make any profound en∣quiry into Natural Causes, without believing there is one Eternal God.

If any man think this World without a mind, I shall think him without a mind.

Nothing is Law, where there are not manifest signs that it proceedeth from the will of the So∣veraign.

To be slow in the belief of Miracles, is not a contempt of Divine Power, but a just circum∣spection that our Reason be not over-reacht.

All Devotion ought to be grounded upon Reason, and Truth, else it is Will-worship, and the Sacrifice of Fools.

The Doctrine of Original sin, ought to be cautiously handled, lest when the Bowl wanders from the Jack, the Biass, not the hand that delivers it, be blamed.

So ought the Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness, lest a man with a Silken Stockin on a Gouty Leg think himself well and at ease.

The Credulous choose rather not to doubt, than not to err.

Distance of time impresseth false Images of things upon the mind, as well as distance of place. Most of the Valuable Opinions of mankind, if you search them in their Originals, being like an Aegyptian Temple, with a magnificent Portico, much Sculpture, and Picture; but if you be ad∣mitted into the Penetralia, to see the God, you will find but an Ape, or an Asses Head, Fancy or Folly.

My Noble Friend my Lord Herbert of Cherbury, had no mean unworthy thought of God when he said, he was like the Sun, that always shined unto mankind with the same light.

The Absurd Opinions, and Evil Lives of the Clergy make them contemptible.

All the changes of Religion in the World may be attributed to one and the same Cause, unpleasing Priests, and those not only among Catholicks, but even in that Church that hath presumed most upon Reformation.

Men are easily drawn to believe any thing, from such men as have gotten credit with them, and can with Gentleness, and Dexterity, take hold of their Fear, and Ignorance.

Whatsoever Power Ecclesiasticks take upon themselves (in any place where they are subject to the State) in their own right, although they call it Gods right, it is but Usurpation.

'Tis strange that men, never having spoken with God Almighty, nor knowing one more than another what he hath said, when the Laws and Preacher disagree, should so keenly follow the Minister, for the most part an Ignorant, though a ready tongued Scholar, rather than the Laws, that were made by the King, with the Peers, and Commons of the Land.

The Papacy is the Ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the Grave thereof.

The Pope is a Shittle-Cock, kept up by the Differences of Princes.

The name of Fulmen Excommunicationis [that is the Thunderbolt of Excommunication] procee∣ded from an imagination of the Bishop of Rome that first used it, that he was King of Kings, as the Heathen made Jupiter King of the Gods, and assigned him a Thunderbolt, wherewith to subdue and punish.

Excommunication is a Sword that hath no other edge but what is given to it by the Opinion of him against whom it is used.

The Roman Clergy are a Confederacy of Deceivers, that to obtain dominion over other men, en∣deavour by Mystery and Nonsence to extinguish in them both the light of Nature and the Gospel.

Priest-Craft is a sort of Legerdemain, and the Roman Priests are to the rest of mankind, as the Juglers in a Fair to the rest of the People there, and must have mony given them before they will play their Tricks.

The Papal Ecclesiasticks in their Receipts, accept the mony that the Laicks do; but when they are to make any payment it is in Indulgences, Masses and Canonizations.

He used to cite Themistius often, [in his Consular Oration to Jovinian.] The flattering Bishops do not Worship God, but the Imperial Purple. And a Greek sentence [in English thus] A wise mans satisfaction, is to have a Treasure of hope with the Gods, or else not to fear them at all.

Fear and Hope arising from Ignorance of the Causes of Things, are for the most part ground∣less and violent, and in all matters, touching which a man hath great Hope, or great Fear, he

is easily deceived; which is the Reason that the Planters of false Religions, do so industriously keep all true Science from them they intend to impose upon.

There is no Doctrine which tendeth to the advancement of the Power Ecclesiastical, or to the reverence, or profit of the Clergy, but the contradiction thereof is by the Church of Rome made Heresie, and punished with Death.

I have been bitterly excepted against by the Ecclesiasticks, for making the Civil Power too▪ large; by the Sectaries, for taking away Liberty of Conscience; by the Lawyers, for setting▪ Soveraign Princes above the Laws, wherewith I am not much moved: For these men in doing this, do but their own business.

There is nothing but Infinite Power that is not to fear.

Every man is bound by nature, as much as in him lyeth, to protect in War the Authority by which he is himself protected in time of Peace.

Ambitious men wade through other mens blood to their own Power.

Evil Government is like a Tempest, may throw down here and there a Fruitful Tree, but Civil War, or Anarchy, like a Deluge, would sweep away all before them.

A Prince ought to remember that nothing hath been more the agreement of mankind in all Ages, and in all Nations, than this, To change their Government, for the Opressions and Corruptions in it.

The Majestas Imperii, and the Salus Populi, are always quarrelling, there wants a Deus Terminus in the World to set out the bounds of Dominion, and Obedience so clearly, as the passions of Prince▪ or People, dare not adventure to leap over.

Drinking a Glass of Wine, he said, 'tis with Truth as it is with excellent Wine, the Drawer▪ (the Priest) is not to fill out the dregs with the purer Liquor. And after another Glass, speaking of Government, he cited the Arcadia. Princes are to remember whom they Govern, Men, Rational Creatures, who soon scorn at Follies, and repine at Injuries. Adding of his own, that it was an unparallel'd Arrogance, and Fanaticism in any one man to believe, that God from Eternity had ap∣pointed all Creatures for his Pleasure, Men for his Ambition, the Women for his Lust. And that the Doctrine of Preces and Lachrymae, ought to be discreetly handled, least the people believe, they made themselves Slaves, when they became Christians; and lest Princes should so far mistake, as to believe their Subjects made up of Knees and Eyes, and no Hands.

It is impossible without Letters for any man to become either excellently wise, or [unless his me∣mory be hurt by Disease or ill Constitution of Organs] excellently foolish: For words are wise mens▪ Counters, they do but reckon by them; but they are the mony of Fools, that value them by the Authority of an Aristotle, a Cicero, or a Thomas.

Such Opinions as are taken upon Credit of Antiquity, are not truly the Judgment of those that cite them; but words that pass (like gaping) from mouth to mouth.

Wealth, like Women, is to be used, not loved (Platonickly.)

Speaking of the Lawyers; he used to jeer them with Gothofred, Inter Laudem, & Placentiam non Ve∣ronam versus ambulare solet Ulpianus; and with Erasmus, Doctum Genus, hominum indoctorum.

Opinion, Armed with power, passes for Reason, Law, and Religion.

It cannot be proved that the Obedience which springs from the scorn of injustice is less accepta∣ble to God, than that which proceeds from the fear of reward or hope of benefit.

That which gives to human actions the relish of Justice, is a certain nobleness or gallantness of Courage, (rarely found) by which a man scorns to be beholden for the contentment of his life, to fraud or breach of promise.

Death, is a Leap into the Dark.

Quid Prodest Garrulis Philosophis, de immortalitate Animorum, de Fortitudine, tam multa praedicare, deinde▪ minimo in periculo pallescere.

Et prope stans dictat Mors mihi ne metue.

When he was dying, he called for his Chair (in which he dyed) saying, Oportet Philosophum▪ Seden∣tem mori.

Si quis morte obit â sensus Tellure sub imâ est Hobbesii gaudent manes; Nec grandior umbra▪ Ambulat Elysium.—

FINIS.