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 ...

To the Right Honourable EDWARD, Earl of Clarendon, and Lord High Chancellar of ENGLAND, &c.

MY LORD,

THere is no man read's Your great name in the Front of this book, but will be rea∣dy to enquire in himself, what interest Your Lord∣ship can have in it; I could satisfie them with the common language of Dedica∣tions, and say, that those noble and high Favours, I have received by Your Lordships kindnesse, make me endea∣vour, what I can, to acknowledge them, with all humility and gratitude; but these

are particular duties, the obligation of them alwayes doth, and will lie upon me, to the utmost of my power. This Treatise is of publick concernment; it handle's the highest and greatest busi∣ness of Church and State that, since the plantation of Christian Religion in Eng∣land, ever any man had need to write of, and by that Title it is Yours.

My Lord, I know, and whosoever shall have the happiness to write the sto∣ry of these times, as he ought, must re∣cord it, to Your perpetuall honour that those most glorious and blessed alterati∣ons, which this present age enjoy's, both in Ecclesiastick and Politick concern∣ments, have, in a great part, resulted out of Your presence, and assistance, to our sacred Sovereign, in those intricacies of affaires, with which He, and, in Him, We were all involved; My Lord, I know

that most addresses to him, in his accur∣sed exile, were by Your hands transfer∣red to His; the returns again were, for the most part through the same conduct; so that, if there had been flaw or chink in Your Lordship's secrecy, to let out what was committed to Your trust; or defect of prudence in directing what was returned, I have often thought with my self, there would scarce have been a subject faithful and trusted by the King, who could have supervived his Restau∣ration, to congratulate this blessed morn∣ing of happinesse, which we now en∣joy; and therefore most of those gallant persons may acknowledge the preserva∣tion of their lives to those great and Counsellour-vertues, (as I may term them, such as most highly adorn a Coun∣sellour of state) with which Your Lord∣ship was indued, I am sure (though

unworthy those Epithetes) I can af∣firme it of my self and mine own being.

This is the reason why this Treatise creep's under, and expect's Your Lord∣ships protection; It handle's the Funda∣mental articles of all those things which hitherto you, and all vertuous men, have endeavour'd to preserve, and for which you and they have suffered so much hardship: for when this unhappy Author slight's those reasons, which have been brought, to defend the eter∣nall infinite being of a God, this Book hath justifyed it against him; O my Lord; it is that God which hath un∣twisted and unravelled those many mis∣fortunes with which you were lately en∣tangled, and hath exalted you to a high place of Dignity, wherein you may serve him; as then you have alwayes kept your integrity to him, through ma∣ny

dangers for defence of his glory; ••o, I am confident, the memory and honour of him must alwayes be pretious in your sight hereafter.

VVhen he hath most unworthily dis∣graced our hope of Heaven, this Treatise hath laboured to vindicate that by rea∣son: my Lord, I know, you have always thought those eternal joys are of an un∣measurable condition, excelling these temporal, and therefore your duty and thankfulness to that God, who hath pro∣vided such blessings for you, w••ll as∣sist me to suppress all wicked thoughts and suggestions of false reasons, which may any way disturbe the blessed assu∣rance of that glorious expectation.

VVhen this Author hath spoken very dangerously of the blessed Trinity, this Treatise hath, by reason, as well as Scrip∣ture, endeavour'd to justifie it. My Lord

doth know how, without the divinity of our Saviour, there can be no salvation for man; the arm of man onely could not compass it; our thought of a God, our hope of heaven, were in vain, without it: the blessed Trinity joyn's in the produ∣ctions of these divine effects, which we enjoy; Your Lordship therefore will perfect these noble duties towards God, which in such a high measure you have already expressed in protecting such a sacred truth from the blasting of mali∣cious wits.

These things (my Lord) I dedicate to Your Lordship as to a person of great, and eminent, honour, and worth; besides these there are in this book the vindica∣tion of divers truths, which reflect up∣on you, as the highest dispenser of justice in our Nation, under our Sovereign; He hath abused the nature of justice, of me∣um

and tuum, and let the world out to a dissolute confusion; of which, although I have much more to say hereafter, yet here are delivered many things which may vindicate the anciently-received conclusions from those violences which he hath offered to them; so then, as to a great Patron of Vertue, of Religion, of Justice, these Papers are submitted to your protection; how the particulars are handled by the Author, will be your wisdom to judge; howsoever, since it is the child of my brain, the fruit of my studies, and so one of the dearest things in the world to me, I most hum∣bly beseech you accept this present from him who would make you a no∣bler, if he could, and acknowledge me to be,

MY LORD,

Your Lordships most reall honourer, and hearty Servant WILL. St. David's