Observations, censures, and confutations of notorious errours in Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan and other his bookes to which are annexed occasionall anim-adversions on some writings of the Socinians and such hæreticks of the same opinion with him / by William Lucy ...

Sect. 1.

That Religion is a vertue, by which Men give God the worship and honour due to him:* 1.1 And this is the reason why Divines do make Religion a part of Iustice, and handle it as a Species or part of it, though an imperfect one;

because Justice gives to every one as much as is his due exactly;* 1.2 but that cannot be done by man to God; and therefore it is imperfectly a part of Iustice; but yet be∣cause in Religion we, after our weake and imperfect man∣ner, doe it, therefore it is reckoned among the duties of Iustice: we doe by it give God worship and honour; Wor∣ship, as the supream; Honour, as the most excellent; Those, who are over us, we worship as our Governours, al∣though they have not Excellencies to be honoured for; Those which are our Inferiours, or equals, if they have Excellencies in them, and extraordinary parts, we ho∣nour, although not worship them. But these two Excel∣lencies of perfection, and supremacy of Authority over us, being acknowledged by every religious person to be in God, he renders him both those duties in the highest measure, as in Iustice is due to him for them. Thus we briefly discern what is the Subject he writes of; let us now consider what he writes of it.

2. First, he saith rightly, that [there is no cause to doubt that the seed of Religion is onely in man] for cer∣tainly,* 1.3 the Seed of Religion is the assurance that God is infinitely excellent, and hath the highest, and most un∣questionable authority over us by the right of Governing us. This apprehension I conceive to be the seed of Religion, and this can be in no Creature which hath not reason and understanding, as Man hath: for, certainly, if they have not understanding to apprehend those divine excellencies, they cannot have Religion: and unlesse they have liberum arbitrium (which without understand∣ing they cannot have) their actions can be no more pleasing to God then the fire pleaseth him when it bur∣neth.

3. He labours to give reasons for his Conclusion,

others then that I have set down with this Phrase, First,* 1.4 Second; but look upon them, they are so incomposed and disjoynted, that none of them can produce this Conclusion, That only Man hath the Seed of Religion; But in Page 53. in the beginning he urgeth an Argument from the Chaine and Origination of Causes, acknowled∣ged to be of an absolute force for the Causation of a God, and so of the apprehension of the Object to which our Religion is directed. But in all that discourse, let a man consider, whether it be any way pertinent to Religion any otherwise, then to shew, there is a God, and to illu∣strate that saying of his, that fear made the heathen Gods.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Religion defi∣ned.
• * 1.2

  Why reckon∣ed among the duties of ju∣stice.
• * 1.3

  The seed of Re••igion in man onely, be∣cause rational.
• * 1.4

  Mr. Hobbes's reasons invalid and his dis∣course imper∣tinent.