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. 13.

[And the world knew him not] that is, the same world which he made, and in which he was, knew him not, did not take such notice as they might, by revelations which

were made of him, by the Creature and the Law written in their hearts; here they except against this expositi∣on of the Term (World,) that we vary and change the Terme from what it was used for, in the former expositions; there we took the world for the great Masse of created things, but here we take it for the world of men; I say we do not change the sense of any Term,* 1.1 from the most genuine and naturall signification it hath; for although very many, and the greatest number of Expositors do say, that this Term (World) doth signify the men in the world, yet, that very exposition differ's not in sense from that I have given, no more then if a man should say, that Socrates did see such or such a thing; or that Socrates his eyes saw it, which is all one; for men are the eye of the World, by which it is able to discerne any thing; and when it is said, the world knew him not, it must needs be understood that the men in the world knew him not, because the World can know God by nothing but its un∣derstanding part, which is men. It seeme's by Smalcius in refutatione libelli de divina verbi incarnati natura, pag. 18. that Smiglecius had made an answer, some∣what like this of mine, to which Smalcius replye's, that [this answer profit's nothing, for it remaine's firm still,* 1.2 that the word (World) is taken in another sense, in the third Sentence, then it was in the second; since it is certain, that the world, which did not know Christ, is another world from that was made by him;] and to the similitude he answer's, that [the men, who did not know Christ, are not such a part of the World▪ as the eye is of man, for when a man see's not, the whole eye see's not; but that men knew not Christ, is onely affirmed of part of men, and that the worst part of men, not all men; so that when it is said, that the world knew him not, it must be understood

of man in generall, not of the ill, the worst part of men.] I return to this: first, that such an answer cannot be∣come a Socinian,* 1.3 who do in generall make this Synech∣doche, pars pro toto, understood here, and it is their own way, and not unusuall in Scripture; but, secondly, I say again, that it is true of the whole World, and each particular man, that neither the whole, nor any particular man in the world, did know him, as they were the world, the created World,* 1.4 but by an addition of supernaturall favour and grace; this kind of phrase is used by Saint Paul, 1 Cor 15.50. Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdom of God: it is quatenus, as it is fl••sh and bloud; but when that corruption hath put on incorruption, when that fl••sh and bloud is sanctifyed, when it is glorifyed, and indued with supernaturall grace, then it shall inherit and possesse the kingdom of God, and with these eyes they shall see their Redeemer; so the 1 Cor. 2.14. the natu∣rall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit, but even St. Peter and St. Paul were naturall men, they could not have dyed else, but quatenus, as naturall, he cannot do it; that man, who is a naturall man, can, but not as he is naturall, by the vertue and force of his naturall abi∣lities; so it is here, the World [knew him not] that is, by any naturall abilities in that worldly condition, in which it was made, unlesse perfected by some more excellent endowmen••s and blessings; The Prophets knew him, but, they had supernaturall assistance; the Shepheards they discerne him at his birth, but Angels, told it them; to conclude, we cannot apprehend him, as he is, by any worldly assistance;* 1.5 I am perswaded that men have by the naturall abilities, which God hath given them, and the consideration of his Creatures, found out and known, that God made the world, and that he rule's and

governe's it by a most exact Wisdome; but that this Wisdome should be a person; that this person should be the Son of God; without some other Light, then he h••th naturally, a man cannot perceive it; for, although it be a most received Axiome in the School, that Omnia opera Dei ad extrà sunt indivisa, that all the outward workes of God are wrought by the whole Trinity; yet, they are done by such an unity of the Trinity, as is not observed out of those vestigia's (as they speak,) those partiall represen∣tations which are in the Creature of it; and therefore, I am perswaded, that Trismegistus, Socrates, Plato, and such others, who have such lively expressions of these mysteries, either had some revelations made to them from above, or else had met with some Prophet or pro∣phetick writing, upon which they confiding were bold, out of t••em, to make these expositions; to this, which I have said, I cannot discerne any thing answered, be∣cause I have not known it urged to that height by o∣thers; nor do I know, what they can object, unlesse it be,* 1.6 that St. John seeme's to upbraid the world with in∣gratitude, that they should not take notice of so great a goodnesse of God's who made it; but this cannot be justly urged against them, who could not know him, whom, as it seem's by discourse, the world could not; to this I answer; that for any thing I see, such an in∣tention of the Text is yielded to by writers on both sides, but I discerne nothing in the Text that enforceth any more then an historiall narrative of the nature and condition of the World, that he was undiscerned in the world, untill some supernaturall blessing enlightned men; I cannot discerne any such upbraiding, as they speak of, but if there be any morall intention besides the history, there is nothing can be deduced more naturally, then,

that men, who have this light, are bound to a gratefull acknowledgment of all they have, to arise from God, both naturall and spirituall things, and to use them to his glory; or, if men will apprehend such a thing as upbraiding, be it, that they may think it consisted in this, that the generality did not know him as they might, men did not apprehend so much as was apprehendible of him; but I choose rather the first exposition, al∣though the second be the common road; and I pro∣ceed to the next Verse.

* 1.7[He came unto his own, and his own received him not] this and the two next Verses yield a great many heaven∣ly meditations, which I could delight to discourse, as well as thinke of, but they are not pertinent to this businesse I have in hand, to shew, that our Saviour was the word of God, which was God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The genuine sense of the Terms not changed, as they object.
• * 1.2

  Smalcius's re∣ply to Smegle∣cius.
• * 1.3

  Little b••c••∣ming a Soci∣nian.
• * 1.4

  The World knew not the Wo••d, but by supernatu∣rall grace.
• * 1.5

  What men app••ehend of God by natu∣rall abilities.
• * 1.6

  The objection about Saint Joh••'s up∣braiding the world answer∣ed.
• * 1.7

  The expositi∣on of the words imme∣diately fol∣lowing, why omitted.