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. 6.

[And without him was nothing made that was made] I believe, that,* 1.1 before their glosses had come to this Text, a man could not possibly have put down more distinct Words; was Heaven, or Earth, or any thing else then what is comprised in all? if not, then it was not made without him; he made it, who made all things; yea, but (say they) this must be understood of all the things of the Gospell; I aske, were other things made? if they were, then they were made by him, and without him nothing was made, that was made; I know they will returne to their former answear, and say, it must be un∣derstood of the subjecta materia, which was the Gospell, that none of those things that were made were made without him; but let a man consider whether it be rea∣sonable to refer this (all things) to such a business; which is treated of two or three verses after, or rather to those things which immediately follow, that is, the things that are made;* 1.2 they have an exception likewise against this Word [by] all things were made by him; that signifye's an Instrument, (say they) and by this Christ should be onely here an Instrumentall Cause, by which God wrought these things; so Smalcius in refutatione libelli de divinâ verbi incarnati naturâ. cap. 11. pag. 68. in my edition, 1614. it is true, he grant's that this Word [by] is often used for a principal cause, as is most evident, as we say, that this house was built by this man, not by his Axe or Hammer, no not by his Servants, yea all things are said to be made by God; but he saye's, they, who urge this Argument, must prove, that it is never used otherwise; I say, that is not necessary, in

Logick; it will be enough if he can prove, that it can∣not be used otherwise in this place; and that I hope to do; first against those, who allow our Saviour to make all these things concerning the Gospell; he was the Au∣thor of them, and he must not be understood as an In∣strument in respect of the sense that they give to [by] here, which make's him to be barely an instrumentall Cause; then next, taking [all things] as we do, and surely it must be so, if we understand, that this Word is an Instrument in the making the world, the Heaven and Earth, he must be long before he was born of the Virgin, even before these things themselves were made; which although it will not be of force against the Arrians, yet is against them; so that let this phrase [all things] be understood which way ye will, as they, or we, yet this Word (by) cannot be accommodated to their exposition, for a bare instrumentall Cause. There is another slight objection,* 1.3 that the Father is not made by him, nor the holy Spirit; but the Text answer's this, when it saith, without him was nothing made that was made; but let the Reader observe the same Con∣trariety to the Text, here, that was before; there was more a hundred times made without him, then by him; and,* 1.4 if where the full and clear sense of a Text will go one way, it be lawful to expound it otherwise, because some Word, or Words are otherwhere applyed to another meaning, it is impossible to prove any thing by words; for the liberty of language doth allow it, and the ex∣pressions of all Authors make use of it, to apply the same Words to diverse occasions; and, if this licence should be granted to Expositors, there is no refuge but tradition,* 1.5 which deliver's the sense, not the words, and by that a man may know how, and in what sense, such

language was understood, either in the Apostolical or next adjacent times; for it is reasonable to think, that they had, with the words, the sense likewise delivered. Thus I write, because, as appeare's, these men do use such violence to these Scriptures, as is unreasonable, and without any consent, to their own intent, as I have shewed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Christ's inte∣rest in the C••eati••n re∣inforced a∣gainst the So∣cinians glosse
• * 1.2

  Wherein he was a princi∣pal▪ no bare instrumental Cause.
• * 1.3

  Their other slight objecti∣on answered.
• * 1.4

  The use of words.
• * 1.5

  The benefit of Tradition.