A second part of Observations, censures, and confutations of divers errours in Mr. Hobbs his Leviathan beginning at the seventeenth chapter of that book. / By William Lucy, Bishop of S. David's.

SECT. II. M. Hobbs his Free-man not actually to be found in the whole world. His unhandsom censures of those who have used the word Liberty or Freedom, in a sense different from himself. The activity of heat hin∣dred by cold; neither of them bodies. Spirits hin∣dred in their motion. Freedom used in a passive acception.

ANd according to this proper and generally received meaning of the word, A Free-man, is he, that in those things which by his strength and wit he is able to do, is not hindred to do what he has a will to do.] This is freedom and great liberty; but I doubt he will not find any Subject in the world having this liberty. He might have given this Chap. another title, for there are no subjects which are not confined from this liberty. Well, he goes on, and I wait upon him: But (saith he) when the words Freedom and Liberty are applied to any thing but bodies, they are abused.) It was unkindly and unhandsom∣ly said, to affirm it abused, since it hath been the language of all men who have written of any spiritual things; which certainly, having no bodies to hinder them, must needs be free, according to his own conceit. I hope in a fuller manner to handle the nature of Spirits; therefore I will not meddle now with it, only I will mind him of that common Pro∣verb

amongst us, denoting a spiritual freedom in that which is no body, and that is, Thought is free; and yet this thought is a spiritual thing, having no dimensions; but because no Humane Laws can restrain, confine, or judge of mens thoughts, they are free. But he produceth a reason for what he had writ (for that which is not subject to motion, is not sub∣ject to impediment;) What he means by motion, I know not; but if he means that, which according to the common ac∣ceptation of Philosophers it importeth, that is, not only lation or changing of place, but that which makes any change in any thing, which (he knows) are commonly reduced to six species: then he might have observed, that that heat which warms a mans hand is not a body, and yet may be impeded and hin∣dred by cold from its activity, or that motion of calefaction. Well then, some things besides bodies have motion, and may have that liberty (which he speaks of) confined by ex∣ternal things. But because his Philosophy points at a con∣tempt of Spirits, whose motion is not so clearly discerned as that of bodies, especially in that succession in which bodies move; and I think he means only local motion; I dare af∣firm that Spirits move, in their way, from one place to ano∣ther, in a spiritual manner, and are at one time in a place, in which they were not before; and many times have spiritual impediments; of which I reserve a fuller discourse hereafter. But at this present, my affirmation is as good as his negation, especially countenanced with such a general consent of Phi∣losophers, as cannot be counterpoised by any thing that can be produced for the contrary opinion. Well then, let us ex∣amine that which follows— Therefore (saith he) when 'tis said (for example) the way is free, no liberty of the way is signified, but of those who walk in it without stop.) This expression will not serve his turn; that phrase, The way is free, doth not mean a liberty of the men who walk in it without stop; for prisoners in bonds may walk in it without stop, who are far from freedom; nor is it yet used abusively, but passively, which that word freedom doth bear, (though hardly that word liberty, which he applies to it.) So that the meaning is, the way is of an open condition, not appropriated to any

particular owner, so as to forbid you legally to pass there; nor is this an abusive speech, but this word liberty is seldom used but (with such addition as may expound it) in a passive sense, for some power to act, although freedom in others.