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. 10.

[He was in the World, and the World was made by him,* 1.1 and the World knew him not.] Socinus, in his Comment upon these Words, boast's much, pag. 19. that no man, which he knowe's, expound's them right but himselfe; and his exposition is, that the New Testament being full of Hebraismes▪ and the Hebrewes, having compound Words, do therefore use uncompounded words for com∣pounds, and so in this place [the World was made by him] is as much as re-made, regenerated, made anew; and to this purpose he produceth, Ephes. 2.10. we are his Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works. Certainly, if there be no clearer Text then this, this Term (made) need not be wrested to re-make∣ing; for first let the Reader observe here, that the word, we render (made) is the word which hath abid, and will abide more dispute, (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) which is not in that Sentence to the Ephesians▪ This word hath hard luck, it is used to all purposes by them; sometimes it signifye's to be, sometimes to be re-made; but I say, al∣wayes made, in St. John; so that although they would shew me, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which are both used in that place, and rendered Workmanship and created, may be used for recreation, yet it would not follow, that this word, which is not of kin to them, should in∣dure that exposition; then, let us consider, that Text

in the Ephes. need not to be forced to his sense; for, not to stand upon the expositions of learned men,* 1.2 which have applyed it to the Creation, that by (Christ Jesus) is mean't our Saviour according to his Divinity, and so in him (the word) we were all created to good works; but to take it according to the other sense, that this Crea∣tion is mean't of creating those saving and justifying graces, at which the Apostle seeme's to point, and in regard of them we are said to be created, those excel∣lent, and supernaturall, qualities, being our perfection; so that as a man may be said to be made, when his soul is put in him; a table, or any thing, when that worke, which give's it the last complement and degree of per∣fection, is added to it; so we in the Text are said to be created, but it doth not say men, we are created ano∣ther thing, which God by these graces wrought us un∣to, and, I thinke, is regeneration; but this phrase doth not, in its nature, signify regeneration, but it signifye's that which is applyed to men, who are fallen from a better to a worse condition; to such men it may import a regeneration, because it bring's them backe to their former state, and make's them that which was their first condition; and so this creation, in the Text, hath its most genuine and proper sense, which making in my Text should not have, when it is said, that the world was made by him, if by it should be understood, the world was re-made or regenerated by him; Againe consider, that if this Text should be understood of regeneration, I mean, that Text to the Ephesians, it must be by vertue of that phrase (to good works) [created to good works] for if the Text had barely said, we had been his Workman∣ship, created by him, no man could have construed it regeneration; but now in this Text, (the world was made

by him) there is no phrase to expound it to any thing else, but the mere sense of the words; and yet let us see another violence, if this should be granted, that this phrase (made the world) should be understood for rege∣nerating; and the world for men; all the world,* 1.3 that knowe's any thing of Christianity, knowe's likewise that not half the world was regenerated; then (say they) it must be understood of our Saviour's endeavour to regenerate the whole; so that making must be taken for regeneration, regeneration for an endeavour to do it; when, I dare say, he, nor they, can shew me any place in Scripture, where this word (make) is used for rege∣neration, much lesse meerly for an endeavour to do it; nay, I do not think, that they can shew me any place, where make is taken for an endeavour, but the very phrase, intimating a produced effect, is no where used for an ineffectuall endeavour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Socinus misin∣terprets crea∣tion by recrea∣tion, or regene∣ration.
• * 1.2

  And in sup∣plie's to his purpose a Text in the Epistle to the Ephesians.
• * 1.3

  Another vio∣lence of his in wresting actuall rege∣neration to re∣generation in endeavour.