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. 5.

I will go on,* 1.1 verse 3. [all things were made by him] there is not one word which is not wrested by them: by this (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) all things (say they) is understood all things of the Gospell, for so it is often used in Scripture, not absolutely, but according to the Subject matter that is in hand; and so it is here, the Gospell of St. John was the matter in hand, and these things were established by our Saviour; I do not deny, that that phrase all or all things should be understood of the subject matter; I do deny that the immediate subject matter is the renovation or Gospell, but is the Creation, for if the Apostle had intend∣ed that, he would rather have used renovation, regene∣ration, making new, then absolute making; againe, it is evident that St. John,* 1.2 in this beginning of his Go∣spell, describe's the nature of Christ, according to his Divinity, when he was, in the beginning; where he was, with God; what he was, in himselfe he was God, in his ef∣fects,

he made all things; then he come's to the prepa∣ration of the Gospell by John Baptist, and his Gospell by its selfe, to his incarnation, he was made flesh; this I put down, to shew the Reader, that to us, who ob∣serve this method in the Evangelist, that conceipt of the Gospell, that these words should relate to it, can have no sense; and againe I say, let the Reader observe the places commonly cited by them to this purpose, that this phrase must be understood according to the subject matter, he shall find that there is something ob∣vious in them to shew a Reader, that they have such an intention; those places are these, Matth. 17.11. Mark 13.23. John 4.25. and 14, 26. and 19, 28. and some other, which are needlesse to put down, and would be tedious too; but in all of them there will ap∣peare somewhat inviting a man to that understanding, but in this nothing;* 1.3 and let the Reader consider, what an uncouth exposition this is, by which I can put the Contrary to every proposition, and, by their glosse, it will be more true then the Text; as thus; The word was not God; the Word did not make all things, for when the beginning was he was not, by them, nor thou∣sands of yeares after; with God he was not, otherwise then every thing in the World was with him, in his pre∣sence and knowledge, and that long after the beginning, contrary to the Text; and he was so farre from making all things, that indeed, (by them) he made nothing, but instituted some Lawes and Covenants onely; now what a horrid way is this, of expounding Scripture, onely because they are resolved against our Saviour's eternall Divinity? let us go on.

Notes

• * 1.1

  How all things were made by him▪
• * 1.2

  St. John's me∣thod very con∣siderable a∣gainst the So∣cinians inter∣pretation.
• * 1.3

  Which is such as permit's the more truth to be in the ne∣gative propo∣sitions oppo∣site to those in holy Scripture.