An examination of the political part of Mr. Hobbs his Leviathan.: By George Lawson, rector of More in the county of Salop.

CAP. XV. Of the 2. part, the 31. of the Book, Of the Kingdom of God by nature.

THis Chapter is the conclusion of the second part, the Leviathan, and makes way for the third following. The principal subject hereof is the Laws of nature as distinct to laws supernatural. For he truly and wisely makes God the King and Law-giver both in the Kingdom of God by nature, and above nature. That God is the universal King by nature, he seems to prove out of the Scripture.

T. H.

God is King, let the earth rejoyce, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 96.1. And again, God is King, though the nati∣ons be angry, and he that sitteth upon the Cherubins, though the earth be moved, Psal. 98.1. Whether men will or not, they must be subject always to the Di∣vine Power.

G. L.

In the Allegation of these two places he seems to follow the vulgar Latine and the Septuagint both for the number of the Psalms and the Translation.

For with us they are the words of the first verses of the 97. and 99. Psalms, and are turned in another manner. The translations though seemingly differ∣ent may agree in the substance. And its agreed on all hands, that the Psalmist speaks of the Kingdom of God; yet seeing there is a kingdom of God as Cre∣ator, and a kingdom of God as Redeemer; it may be a question whether his kingdom in general be here meant, or one of the former particular kingdoms. Both ancient and Modern Divines for the most part understand both the Psalms of the kingdom of Christ, and which is more, the Apostle, Heb. 1.6. so expounds the former Psalm, which agrees with Psal. 2. which speaks to the same purpose, and undoubtedly intends the Kingdom of Christ. The Kingdom and Govern∣ment of God is most properly so called in respect of Angels and men, as onely capable of Laws, Punish∣ments and Rewards, no rational man will deny, yet he by his wisdom doth direct and order all creatures.

T. H.

God declareth his Laws three ways: By natural rea∣son, Revelation, and Prophecy. From the difference of the natural and Prophetick Word of God, there may be at∣tributed to God a two-fold Kingdom, Natural and Pro∣phetick, &c.

G. L.

In the rest of this Chapter we may observe three things.

• 1. The manner how God declares his Laws.
• 2. The distinction of his Kingdom.
• 3. The ground of his Dominion.

1. God doth manifest himself both

to Angels and men two wayes; by his Works and his Word. By his works in the Creation and Provi∣dence. By his word immediately by Revelation, mediately by Prophesie. In the latter he maketh use of man to speak to man, the same thing he hath spo∣ken to man by Revelation: and the word of prophe∣sie to man is the word of Revelation from God: and the matter of both is the same. The word of Crea∣tion and Providence is received by natural reason; the word of Revelation seems to be apprehended by reason supernaturally elevated and illuminated.

The Kingdom of God is natural, or supernatural, according to the natural or supernatural Laws. The first Kingdom by the rules and dictates of natural reason directs man unto a temporal peace and pro∣sperity on Earth: The second by the Laws of Reve∣lation orders him to a supernatural and eternal peace and felicity to be enjoyed fully in Heaven. For the former end all civil Policies were instituted: For the second the polity spiritual of the Church. The de∣claration of the Laws of Gods Kingdom by nature were universally always declared even to all nations; the Laws of his supernatural Kingdom were revealed universally at the first in the times of Adam, and af∣ter in the dayes of Noah. But after a general Apo∣stacy, Israel was trusted with the Oracles of life un∣till the exhibition of the Messias: and after his Re∣surrection the Apostles received a Commission to teach all Nations, and make these Laws known more generally. So that this Author doth bewray his ig∣norance in divinity; and pretending to the know∣ledge of the Scripture, he little understands them, and much abuseth those heavenly Writings. For the

Kingdom of God by Prophesie was in all times, and confined in a more special manner for a time unto the people of Israel for a special reason. And at the first election of them after their deliverance from the Egyptial bondage, he immediately instituted not onely their spiritual but their civil Government. In which respect their civil government might be cal∣led in a peculiar manner the Kingdom and Common∣wealth of God: and so the government of no Nation in the world could be accounted.

T. H.

The right of Gods soveraignty is not derived from Creation, but from his irresistible Power.

G. L.

This is his great ignorance to think that Gods Soveraignty should be derived from the executive power of force and strength of his Godhead. For Dominion in general is twofold: Possessionis ant re∣giminis, of possession or government. That of pos∣session we call propriety: in which respect God is absolute Lord of all his creatures, because he createth and preserveth them, so that their very being is more his then theirs. But his soveraign power over man ariseth not onely from propriety in general, but from Gods propriety in him as a rational, intellectual crea∣ture, ordinable to an higher end then the inanimate and irrational creature is capable of. For God crea∣ted and preserved him a rational creature; and both as a creature and as rational he is wholly his. As he

is rational, he is capable of Laws, Rewards, Punish∣ments, and hath a power to become Gods subject by voluntary submission and donation of himself, and also to obey his Lord and Maker. This no irra∣tional being hath or can have. So that Gods Do∣minion over man ariseth from Gods propriety in man as a rational being, and from the voluntary sub∣mission of man as a rational creature unto his God who made him such. Gods propriety in man is de∣rived from creation and preservation; and both these were not onely from Gods power, as Mr. Hobs ima∣gineth, but also from his Understanding and Will. For God by his wisdom made the world as well as by his power, and worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will. Dominion of government is not onely from power, nor by power alone; for un∣derstanding, will and power, must all concur to Government. Therefore how absurd is that asserti∣on of his which followeth, If there had been any man of irresistible power, there had been no reason why by that power he should not have ruled. If this were true, a Leviathan, a Dragon, an Elephant hath more power then man; and why should not brutes being stronger rule over men who are weaker? By this rule the strongest man in a Kingdom should be King: and he that hath the strength of Goliah or Sampson, should rule over others, though they have strength without wisdom and integrity.

T. H.

The Kingdom over men, and the right of afflicting them at his pleasure, belongeth naturally to God Al∣mighty;

not as Creatour and gracious, but as omnipotent.

G. L.

Obedience is due to God not meerly as gratitude to a benefactor, but as a duty unto him as a Law∣giver. For as a Creatour he may have a right to command, because by Creation he hath an absolute propriety in his being, which is such as he is capable of a Law. And Creation is not to be considered as any kind of benefit, but such a benefit as his ra∣tional being was wholly derived from it, and also wholly and perpetually depends upon his preserva∣tion, and his eternal happiness upon his legislation and judgement. And though he may afflict at plea∣sure as omnipotent, because as such he can do it, yet he never afflicted any but as a legislatour and Judge, according to his just Laws. Because God is omni∣potent he can afflict, but it doth not hence follow that he will afflict. But he instanceth in Job, and the man born blind, both afflicted by God as omnipo∣tent: yet Job was upright indeed, but not altoge∣ther innocent: and though God did manifest unto him his glorious Majesty and Almighty power in his great works, yet this was not done to shew him the cause why God did afflict Job, but to humble him. And being humbled, he did not plead his integrity, but repented of his infirmity in dust and ashes. For though he was no hypocrite, yet he was a sinner, Job 42.6. And though the blind man, John 9. was born blind, as we might justly be, yet he was con∣ceived and born in sin as we are. But neither he nor

his parents were guilty of any such notorious crime, as God doth usually recompence with exemplary punishment even in this life.

T. H.

Honour consisteth in the inward thought and opinion of the power and goodness of another; and therefore to honour God is to think as highly of his power and goodness as is possible. And of that opinion, the ex∣ternal signs in words and actions of men are called worship.

G. L.

This is the first Law of Gods Kingdom by na∣ture in respect of God, that he is to be worshipped. Worship is sometimes an act of the soul terminated upon his Divine excellency and dignity: its called Reverence, and sometimes Adoration. Sometimes its an act terminated upon his supreme and universal Power: And so it is submission to him as Supreme Lord and Law-giver. Sometime for obedience: and in this respect even the performance of our duty to our neighbours, as done in obedience to him as our supreme Lord, is an act of worship. And all acts of the soul terminated upon the Deity immediately are called worship. The worship of Reverence and Ado∣ration is given unto God as most glorious and ex∣cellent in himself, yet so manifested and apprehended. The worship of submission and obedience is given and ascribed to him as Supreme Lord; and the ob∣ject of worship is some excellency apprehended

in the party worshipped: And because the excellen∣cy of the Deity is Infinite and Eternal, therefore the highest degree of worship is due unto him: even to the annihilation of our selves, the resign∣ing of our very being wholly unto him, and the emptying of our selves into the Ocean of his most blessed Being. God deserves and is worthy of all honour, glory and worship as excellent in himself. They may justly be required of the creature as depending solely and wholly upon him as Lord Crea∣tor, Preserver. And the creature is bound to wor∣ship him by vertue of his Law and Covenant. By performance of this dutie we are capable of Eter∣nal bliss in and from him: and by his promise we come to have a right unto Eternal life.

The Excellency of God is his most perfect and blessed Essence, which cannot be known by man as it is in it self; yet its manifested to us by several di∣stinct attributes, whereof some may be known by the light of Reason in some measure, but more per∣fectly by the Revelation of the Scriptures. These At∣tributes are many and distinct, and so given to God by himself: because by one act of Reason we cannot conceive of or understand his Essence; which is but one in it self, but represented to us as different and many, and so apprehended. And by our faith we believe the Divine perfections to be far greater then our Reason can apprehend them to be. They are in himself one infinite being, manifested by his works, and more fully by his Word. And our worship must ascend above our Reason, and must be performed ac∣cording to our faith, which is a divine and superna∣tural light. For the distinct knowledge of this wor∣ship,

with the several acts thereof, and the several names, we must not follow the Schoolmen, but search into the Scripture, & diligently observe the use of the words, as they are there applied to signifie the same.

How far Mr. Hobs is from the true understanding of worship in general, and of the worship of God in particular, may easily appear from this, that he makes worship to be nothing else but the outward signification by words and actions of internal ho∣nour; which with him is nothing else but the inward thought and opinion of the power and goodness of another. But neither is worship nor honour any such thing as he hath defined them. And his dis∣course of worship with the distinctions will be found very poor upon examination, except we allow him a soveraign power over words to impose what signification upon them he pleaseth, and the same different from that wherein they are used in Classical Authors.

Thus he hath finished his Politicks, set forth un∣der the name of Leviathan in the Frontispiece: And though many have in this kind of learning far excel∣led him: yet he thinks it clear and the best, and most rational, though it neither agree with reason or Reli∣gion. And though his hope is not much, yet some hope he hath some Soveraign may put it in pra∣ctice. If they have no better directions, they may make use of his principles, as some have done to their ruine. Princes and Ministers of State have no need to be taught them: for they know them too well and follow them too much.