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. 8.

He goes on [And lastly, the motive and end, for which this renouncing and transferring of Rights is introduced, is nothing else but the security of a mans person in his life, and in the meanes ••f so preserving life as not to be weary of it.]

I will not discourse over again these termes, renoun∣cing and transferring of right, the nature of which I have before debated,* 1.1 but here onely touch upon what the end of mens submission to the lawes of Politique society is, and wherein it consists, which is that he meanes by th••se phrases Renouncing, &c. and, surely, to say, it is nothing else but the security, &c. is much too bold an as∣sertion; for certainly Pro aris & focis, was wont to be the Argument why men did engage themselves in any dangerous or hard adventure, and Pro aris first. I may say the same for the good of their Posterity,* 1.2 for which we have read the famous story of the Children of Israel, drawing our that painfull and laborious jour∣ney through so many hazards and perils, forty yeares together, that their Posterity might live contentedly and blessedly in Canaan; and we daily find multitudes of men amongst us who spend as long time without any comfort in their owne lives. (I speake of these sensual comforts and eases which he intimate's▪) onely out of this regard, that they have an expectati∣on, that their Posterity after them may live plenti∣fully.

Againe, as I instanced before, the good of the Com∣mon-wealth in which they live hath not onely here a sufficient Argument to perswade a hard, but even to cast off all life for their Countries good; I need not speake

of the monastick retreats, which in God's cause many yea multitudes of men, make,* 1.3 and no doubt many ho∣nestly and piously, in truth and reality, even to be An∣chorites, and renounce all contentment in this world; all which makes it apparent, that this life, and the content∣ments of it, are not the sole and onely end for which men renounce their rights and interests; and therefore men may enter into such Covenants, where even the subje∣ction of their lifes, and all the accommodation of it may justly be engaged, without any misconstruction or fraud, as he seemes to imply immediately after, and therfore that must fall of it selfe, and I need speak no more to it. What follows in the same Page; concerning Contracts, Covenants, &c. I let passe, unlesse, by misapplication of them, I find hereafter that they are abused to the preju∣dice of some cause, which will deserve vindication, and I will now come to what he speakes of Merit, at the bot∣tome of page 67. and the beginning of 68.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A man may re∣nounce h••s right pro ••ris et foci••.
• * 1.2

  For the good of his posteri∣ty.
• * 1.3

  Monastick re∣treats.