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. 20.

This Doctrine of mine Crellius allowe's, in such ca∣ses, where this word God is spoken of such powers [quae ne imperia quidem sunt propriè, sed similitudinem tantum cum eis habent; which are not truly Empires, but have a likenesse onely to them,] so saith he, Sathan,* 1.1 is called the God of this Word, 2 Cor. 4.4.] where we see it so ex∣plained as any man may know the true God is not mean't; so likewise the Prince of this World, John 12.3. so likewise the belly, Philip. 3.19. whose God is their belly; in all which he that runneth may reade,* 1.2 this Word God is a Metaphor, so applyed to other things by the very Context, that he cannot choose but discerne it to be used out of its proper sense; but this is it I con∣tend for, that out of the New Testament no man can shew that this Word in the singular number, without a Comment to expound it, in a diverse Sense, is used, for any, but for the great God, as it is put here in this; I have bestowed much pains to examine all places used by this Apostle, either in his Gospell, Epistles, or Apoca∣lyps, and I can find none, so that, undoubtedly, it is not his language; that Criticisme which is so much stood upon by Crellius, Socinus and all of that opinion,* 1.3 that where there is no Article put to a Word, there it may be understood in a large Sense, but where an Article, in a more strict, for which he tightly produced St. Cyrill;

I answer, That neither with Article, nor without can they shew me any place where this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.4 or God, is used in the singular number absolutely, without some addition to expound it otherwise, for any but the true and great God; if there had been any, sure, after so much paines as they have taken in this Theam, they would have found it; so that then this Word God be∣ing put absolutely (the word was God) without any limi∣tation or exposition, it must be understood of the true and great God;* 1.5 those Instances of Socinus will give no denyall to my conclusion; that of John 10.34. where it is said of men, that God had said they were Gods; consider here the plurall number, which one onely thing is enough to distinguish them from the true God, who can be but one; but then reade the next words, ver. 35. he called them Gods, to whom the word of God came: ob∣serve here that these Gods were not such by their na∣ture, but by the power of the word of God, and therefore must be of another nature from him; so likewise that in 1 Cor. 8.5. there are Gods many, and Lord▪ many, that is, many which by Gentiles are worshipped for Gods and Lords, ver. 6. yet to us there is but one God, &c. a man may say of these, either they are true Gods or false; if true, they are Gods to us; if false, we have nothing to do with them; though others magnify them and adore them for Gods, yet to us they are not Gods; so that here we have the Context teaching the Sense of these phrases clearly; but in my Text it is put absolutely, without relation to any particular, and therefore ought to be allowed in its proper sense; and for the rule of St. Cyrill,* 1.6 I may justly say of it, that it is to be under∣stood of such words which in their genuine and proper signifiation have such a double sense, a large and a re∣strained

sense, but such Words, which do naturally and properly sign••fie one, and by a Figure sign••fie other things, when they are used for other things, they ought to have some Circumstance to expound that they are applied to those other things, of which nature this word God is, it properly sign••fie's that Divine excellency; but, when it is affirmed of other things, it is out of some resemblance or participation of his Divine Excel∣lencies, which are in them; and then, for what I can find either from them, or mine own Study, there is some Circumstance or other, which demonstrate's that application to us, as may appear out of all these instances before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  How Satan is called, the God of this World, &c.
• * 1.2

  How the bel∣ly, God.
• * 1.3

  The Socinian's Criticisme a∣bout the Ar∣ticle.
• * 1.4

  Answered.
• * 1.5

  And Soci••u••'s Instances.
• * 1.6

  How St. Cy∣r••ll's rule is to be understood