To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
GOod Reader,
Da∣vid encountred with a Lion and a Bear; Daniel conversed among Lions; Paul fought with Beasts at Ephesus; Hercules skirmished with an Erymanthi∣an Bear, a Nemaean Lion, a Ler∣naean Hydra; Aenaeas drew his sword against the shaddows of Centaures, Harpies, Gorgons, and Chimeras; but I have to do with a strange monster, called Leviathan, which some out of David, Psa. 104. think to be
a Whale; the Prophet Isaiah calls him a piercing and croo∣ked Serpent; Iob saith, [He is a beast with fearful teeth, with scales strong as shields, with a heart as strong as the neither milstone, out of his mouth leap sparkes of fire, and smoke out of his nostrils.] Lastly, some there are that take him for the devil, and in∣deed it may be so••; for he is said in Iob, to be [a King o∣ver all the children of pride.] I hope Mr. Hobbs is none of his subjects, and yet his book is much inflated with pride a∣gainst learning•• and learned men. But in my opinion this paper Leviathan is like that
beast in the Revelation, [which opened his mouth into blas∣phemy against God, and his Tabernacle, and against them that dwell in heaven.] Rev. ••3. 6. Against God, in saying, [he made the world by nature, and by consequence of necessity, whereas he made it indeed vo∣luntarily and freely. 2. In making the three Persons of the Trinity rather names then substances. 3. In making Christ onely to personate God the Son. 4. In making God the author of sin. 5. In making him coporeal, and part of the the universe.] Against his Ta∣bernacle, that is, against his Church, [in labouring to
overthrow her faith, knowledg, miracles, and ordinances.] A∣gainst them that dwell in hea∣ven, that is, the Angels and se∣parated souls, [in making the one but fancies and dreams, and the others mortal, and not capable hereafter of any other happiness then earthly.] He tells us besides, [that faith is not by inspiration, or infusion, but by study and industry, that to beleeve in God, is not to trust in his Person, but to con∣fess the doctrine. That our be∣lief is in the Church; that they were not devils, but madmen which confessed Christ; that covetousness and ambition, and injustice with power are
honorable, that tyrants and good Princes are all one; that a man may sin against his con∣science; that men should not render a reason or account of their faith; that Princes are not subject to their own laws; that private men have no property in their goods; that our natu∣ral reason is the word of God; that divine dreams cannot win belief; that it was a winde, not the holy Spirit which in the Creation moved on the wa∣ters; that the dove and fiery∣tongues may be called Angels; that Christ hath no spiritual kingdom here on earth; that he did not cast out devils, but onely cured madness; that Sa∣tan
did not enter into Iudas; that we may dissemble in mat∣ter of religion; that we may disobey Christ and his Apo∣stles without sin] Such, and much more like stuff and smoke, doth this [Leviathan send out of his nostrils, as out of a boyling pot or caldron, Job 41. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. This is the sperma caete, or spawn which this whale casteth out; a whale, I say, that hath not swallowed up Ionah the prophet, but Cerinthus the he∣retick, and vomited up the con∣demned opinions of the old hereticks; and chiefly the An∣thropomorphits, Sabellians, Ne∣storians, Saduceans, Arabeans, Tacians or Eucratits, Mani∣chies,
Mahumetans and others: for in holding life eternal to be onely on earth, he is a Cerin∣thian and Mahumetan: in gi∣ving to God corporiety he is an Anthropomorphit, Maniche∣an, Tertullianist and Audaean: in holding the three Persons to be distinct names and essences represented by Moses, Christ, and the Apostles, he is a Sabel∣lian, Montanist, Aetian, and Priscillianist: in saying, that Christ personated God the Son, he is a Nestorian giving him two personalities, for no person can personate himself: ••id denying spirits he is a Sadu∣cean: in making the soul to rest with the body till the re∣surrection,
he is an Arabian: in making the soul of man cor∣poreal he is a Luciferian: by putting a period to hell tor∣ments he is an Originist: by teaching dissimulation in reli∣gion he is a Tacian or Encratit: in making God the cause of injustice or sin, he is a Mani∣chee: in slighting Christs mi∣racles, he is a Iew: and in ma∣king our natural reason the word of God, he is Socinian: In discovering of these errors, I quarrel not with Mr. Hobbs, but with his book; which not onely I, but many more, who are both learned, and judicious, men, look upon as a piece dan∣gerous both to Government
and Religion. All the hurt I wish him is, true illumination, a sanctified heart, and Christi∣an sobriety; that he may re∣tract what is amiss. And so I bid him and thee farewel.
A. R.