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.

From the beginning] here is not a word, which they do not make a quarrell at; they are like such a man, who should make a Scare-crow, and then throw stones at it;* 1.1 or build a Castle in the air, and then shoot at it: first they make the words of a Sentence what they will, and then quarrel with us that it will not abide our sense; in particular it is so here: they say it must be read, a prin∣cipio, or ab initio, and then they object that eternity hath no beginning, nor end, and therefore it cannot be understood of an eternal emanation, or egression or going forth: well, let it be granted, that eternity hath no be∣ginning, nor end, which is most true; let it be granted, that what we read from of old, is best read, from the be∣ginning, which is not necessary; yet, the Consequence is false, for that eternity, which is God himself, is the be∣gining of all temporal things; so that from the beginning is, from eternity. This word beginning hath a twofold

Consideration in this, as it is that point, or instant, in which any line,* 1.2 or time, begin's to be; or else for that external point, or instant, from which that point, or in∣stant took its rise; thus we say, a horse began to run, from that instant in which the sign was given; so we say, it be∣gan to be dark, from such an hour; and indeed in all lan∣guage,* 1.3 used by men, these prepositions, à or ab are used most genuinely to intimate the ultimum quod non, that instant in which the motion, action, or th••ng spoke of, was not, which in our particular, must needs be Eter∣nity; Again, I entreat the Reader to observe with me, that these prepositions à or ab doe not alwayes signifie the Termes, or points and instances, but very oft the causations and the essence, out of which another come's: so we say, the Son come's from the Father; the heate from the fire; the light from the Sun; now, in this sense, likewise, à principio, from the begining, that is (from whose goings forth have been of old) as they, from the beginning, from God, as from the beginning, which is eternity, which is God likewise. Thus all things square evenly with our conceipt. I will next examine how it can agree with their exposition; [From the be∣ginning, say they, is to be understood from the beginning of Davids reign, for this word Beginning is to be applied to the matter precedent, as if it were, from the beginning of this buisiness which is now treated of, and that was (as is evident) the rule and government of Israel, as is evident out of the former part of this verse thus Socinus, where before cited,* 1.4 and Valkelius, and for assurance they produce those places before mentioned, Isa. 51.9, 11. and Mal. 3.4. Now he, that will consider those two places, shall find that the connexion so lead's them, that they must needs intimate some former time, not eternity; but can any

man shew me a place where beginning, put absolutely, doth signify any of those antient times, and not that which was absolutely the beginning of all? I am perswa∣ded, no man can, for, if they could, these men would have done it, who are most industrious for their owne ends; but then, suppose this were granted, which ought not to be, that this word beginning may abide such interpretation, what would follow? what egressi∣ons, what goings forth, can they shew me to be before he was born at Bethlehem? yes, they say, out of his fore∣father David; no say I, the Chick did not goe forth of the egge, much lesse out of the hen, untill it was a Chick; the Son did not go forth from his Father, untill he was; the shining had no egression out of the Sun, un∣till that shining had its existence, being necessary to all these actions; and therefore if our Saviour had no existence before his birth at Bethlehem, he could not go forth before; and indeed a man, who consider's their exposition concerning David, and our Saviour's manner of going forth, by having him, according to his hu∣manity, his Father, may say, that his goings forth were before the beginning, which yet were a most strange speech, for he came forth of Judah, Jacob, Isaak, Abraham, Adam, &c. which were before David; but, as I have said, this might be affirmed of him, after he was born, that he did come out of those progenitors, according to his humanity, or, before he was born,* 1.5 that he should goe forth of them; but to say, before he was born, that his goings forth, according to that humanity, which should be born afterwards, were long before this prophesy, this is a Contradiction in adjecto, it is incon∣sistent; as if I should say, the Chick, that will be hatched a twelve-moneths hence, hath come out of such a hen

two or three yeares past; these are impossibilities to be used in the same breath, or, as I may speak, the same verse, the same sentence, to speak in regard of the same thing, of the same person, that he shall go forth of Beth∣lehem hereafter; and that he hath gone forth long before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  How from the beginning may signifie from eternity.
• * 1.2

  A twofold consideration of the word Beginning.
• * 1.3

  A or Ab often denote causa∣tion••, &c.
• * 1.4

  From the begin∣ning, not to be understood, from the begin∣ning of David's reigne.
• * 1.5

  The Socinians urged to a contradiction in adjecto.