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.

BUt (saith he) because there is no natural knowledge of mans estate after death; much lesse of the reward that is then to be given to the breach of Faith] Had he stayed there, although this squint's at mischief, yet this might have been sl••pt over, and might have been somewhat excused, and a man might have said, that he only deny∣ed a natural knowledge of this reward, not a divine faith; and we Christians may be content with this, although it is an unkind act to Religion, to hinder it from any as∣sistance, especially in so high a point as this, which move's the first foot towards heaven, He that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who seeke him; So that these two acts of faith are those which leades a man out of this world towards hea∣ven, to believe there is a God; and that he is a rewarder of them who seeke him; both which the Author hath sl••ighted; Of the first I have spoken: Of the second I shall now treat. But I say, had he given it onely this slurre, I would have passed it over; but as he denye's the assist••nce of Nature to the knowledge of future happi∣nesse; so be most disgracefully adde's [but onely a beliefe ground••d upon ••th••r mens saying, that they know it superna∣turally,

or that they know those, that knew them, that knew others, that knew it supernaturally] Could any thing be spoke more sleightingly, or unworthily, of the hope of heaven? of all the expectation of Christianity? I curb in my self, who could be angry in bitter Language, and doe think it would be comely to doe so; but let others doe it that will, I onely meane to discourse soberly a∣gainst it, in no passion.

Notes

• Mr. Hobbes unkind to Re∣ligion in the disparagement he puts upon natural know∣ledge.