Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A36460
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The Leviathan heretical, or, The charge exhibited in Parliament against M. Hobbs justified by the refutation of a book of his entituled The historical narration of heresie and the punishments thereof by John Dowel.
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Dowell, John, ca. 1627-1690.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing D2056; ESTC R27156
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30,110
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170
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in Latine upon his Majesties returne In 48 England was totally subdued to the Power of the Rump Ireland in 49. Scotland in 51. was almost reduct by the Rump and his Majesties Army totally routed at Worcester in this year the Leviathan was published was this Book in defence of the Kings Power Spiritual and Temporal when his Majestie was in Banishment ' His Majestie was then devested of all his lawfull Power and Authority and forc't into Exile This Leviathan if the Principles were admited justfied the Actions of his Enemies he casts this Imputation on the Rump that they were obeyed onely for fear in the same book he endeavours to prove that man is not by Nature a lover of Society but at his original is in a state of War The dread of the Evils which are incident to that condition makes him to enter into a Society with others and let it be considered whether if Fear be the great inducement to Government they according to his Principles are to be condemned who out of the same fear obeyed the Rump and that the fundamental law of Nature is self Preservation and for fear that end should not be attained pacts are entred into but if after those pacts that design cannot beaccomplished then pacts are void and therefore if people have a suspicion that the Prince will destroy them they may take up Arms. And if the Prince be devested of his Government the People are no longer obliged to obey him and upon this account of Self-Preservation they are to submit to those who can protect them Upon this reason the taking the Engagement was lawful and it was his honour to present to the English Nation those Principles w ch induced many to take the Engagement Oliver gaining the Protectorship was so pleased with him on those accounts that the great place of being Secretary was profered him If these things be true as unquestionably they are let it then be considered whether any Sober man can believe that the Book called the Leviathan was writ in defence of the Kings Power Temporal and Ecclesiastical since it manifestly asserts the cause of Usurpers It must be granted that Mr. Hobs doth give to the Soveraign all illimited power in things just and sacred But this he gives to all sorts of Government to Aristocracy and Democracy as well as Monarchy A Book to be penned and published by him when all the Kings Dominions were in the Power of those who took up Arms against him which containes these Docttines Pag. 112. ' But in case a great many men have already resisted the Soveraign Power unjustly or committed some Capital Crime for which every one of them expects Death whether have they not the Libertie then to joyn together and assist and defend one another certainly they have for they but defend their lives which the Guilty man may as well do as the Innocent There was indeed Injustice in the first breach of their Duty Their bearing of Arms subsequent to it tho it be to maintain what they have done is no new unjust Act and if it be only to defend their persons it is not unjust at all Pag. 114. The Obligation of Subjects to the Soveraign is understood to last as long and no longer than the power lasteth by which he is able to protect them For the Right men have by nature to protect themselves when none else can protect them can by no covenant be relinquished The Soveraignty is he Soul of the Common-wealth which once departed from the body the members do no more receive their motion from it Pag. 174. When in a War forraine or intestine the Enemies get a final Victory so as the forces of the Common Wealth keeping the Field no longer there is no ther protection of Subjects in their Loyalty then is the Common-wealth dissolved and every man at liberty to protect himself by such causes as his own discretion shall suggest unto him For the Soveraign is the publick Soul giveing Life and motion to the Common-wealth which expiring the Members are governed by it no more than the Carcass of a man by his departed tho immortal Soul For tho the Right of a Soveraign Monarch cannot be extinguished by the Act of another yet the Obligation of the members may For he that wants protection may seek it any where and when he hath it is obliged without fraudulous pretence of having submitted himself out of fear to protect his Protector as long as he is able ' It was so far from defending His Majesties Authority that without Command they plainly justifie the actions of his usurping Enemies No person that hath suckt in Hobs his Principles can be a loyal Subject and hence likewise it appears that he did not ingeniously with his Majesty when he averts in his Apology for his Leviathan in an Epistle dedicated to the King before Problemata Phisica nec vitio vertant quod contra Hostes pugnans c. Let none account me a Criminal that fighting against your Enemies I took what Arms I could and Brandished a two Edged Sword certainly those Propositions Fought against his Majesty and defended the Cause of of his Enemies That in the same book he did write against Bishops and the Doctrine of the Church of England is manifestly proved before In the Common-Prayer book are contained several Doctrines of the Church of England to oppose or deny which as Mr. Hobs doth in the aforesaid book is made Criminal that is to be punished by the Civil magistrate by the first of Queen Eliza. Cap. 2. The Title of which is That there be Uniformity of Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments in which there are these words ' Be it enacted that every Per son or Persons whatsoeverthat shall in any Interludes Plays Songs Rhymes or by any other open words declare or speak any thing depraving or despiseing the same Book or any part thereof or any thing therein contained then the party convicted shall forfeit to the Queen for the first Offence an Hundred Marks ' He concludes this Tract with casting an odious and false Scandal upon the whole Christian Clergy Down from the whole Council of Nice to this present time in these words ' So fierce are men for the most part in dispute where either their Learning or Power is debated that they never think of the Laws but as soon as they are offended they cry out Crucify forgetting what Paul saith even in case of obstinate holding of an Error 2. Tim. 24. 25. The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to Teach Patient in Meekness Instructing those that oppose if God peradventure may give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth ' T is true both the Bishops and the Presbyterians did accuse that Book in the Parliament of Heresy why could they be fierce their learning and their power being not disputed when he professes in that book he medled not with them their power or learning Those things make not the Clergy fierce t is the Person the Religion the Faith of the Holy Jesus for which the Clergy have been and are still so Zealously contending they are and were piously fierce in opposing prophane Heresies and Blasphemous Impieties the Zeal of the Lord of Hosts hath eaten up those holy Divines their zelous defence of the Doctrine of their master hath not violated the Apostles direction given to the Pastors of the Church 2. Tim. that reaches only those who erred through infirmity not obstinacy Contumacious Hereticks they are bound to oppose withall Holy Zeal and Indignation Did not he blush to averr that they cryed Crucifie when they knew not the Law Could they be ignorant of that Law which they themselves put in execution Their ignorance of the Law did not make them cry Crufie but knowing the Law and Gospel became profest Enemies to those who by their Antichristian opinions Crucifie again the Lord of Glory What Reproach casts he upon Religion when he loads the Christian Divines with such imputations Those that are verst in Ecclesiastical History and have read the Fathers cannot but conclude that the Basil's the Gregory's c. were men as great for Learning and Goodness as the World ever produced their fervent opposition of Hereticks was not contrariant to that Apostoliocal Precept The Holy Christian Divines obeying the Apostolical Commands Titus 3. 10. An Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject 2 Pet. 2. 1. If any one bring another Doctrine receive him not into your house nor bid him good speed down from the Apostles time to this day have and will be till Christ come to Judgement Zealous and Pious opposers of those who privately bring in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them FINIS
the Church cast out That Heretick and Catholick became not Relatives by this excommunication nor by this did Heretick become a name and a name of disgrace both together A Person by becoming an Heretick was excommunicated this name did preceed not follow excommunication It must be acknowledged that the Heresies concerning the Trinity were very troublesome in the Church but not so vexatious during the ten Persecutions as in Constantines time and after but what is the cause that when he proposes the Troubles arising from the Doctrine of the Trinity he would mix those doctrines which were wholly alienated from the doctrine of the Trinity as those of the Manichees For saith he according to the usual Curiosity of Natural Philosophy they could not abstain from disputing the first principles of Christianity into which they were Baptized in the name of the Father Son and Holy-Ghost Some there were who made them Allegorical others would make one Creator of Good another of Evil. This was the principal Tenet of the Manichees who took their Names from one Manes This Monstrous opinion that there were two Eternal Principles Light and Darkness these were two Contrary Gods the one the Author of Good the other of Evil. What is this to the Trinity That which he adds is not to be endured From which doctrine they are not far distant that now make the first cause of Sinful actions to be every man as to his own Sin Is this great Truth Manichism To say man by his free-will is the Author of Sin In commendation of himself in his own life thus I Printed then two treatises that stung the Bishop Bramhal in his Mother Tongue The question at the time was and is still whether at Gods or our own choice we will Can we will evil at Gods choice We therefore do affirm expressly contrariant to Mr. Hobs that the causation of Evil cannot be attributed to God without Impiety He mentioning our late fatal Wars thus Such Crimes and Sufferings I will not impute unto the Deity I have no Sence if this be not a Repugnancy in this Tract he affirms that those who assert that the causation of Evil cannot be attributed to God are allyed to the Manichees And yet when in the Verses which respect his life he recounts the English Evils and Calamities during the Wars he dares not impute them to the Deity Truly how far this Opinion is from Manichaism let the World Judge Can any man have sence to believe that if Sin flows from God the first Cause but it must be attributed to him The Manichees believe an Eternal being the Author of all Evil. Take their Monstrous opinion from themselves There was an Epistle which they in St. Austin called the Fundamentum and thus begins Manichaeus Apostolus Jesu Christi Providentiâ Dei Patris haec sunt salubria verba de vivo ac perenni Fonte Manichaeus the Apostle of Jesus Christ by the Providence of God the Father these are sound and wholsōe words flowing from a Liveing and Perpetual Fountain In this Epistle thus In exordio fuêre duae substantiae a se divisae c. In the beginning there were two substances divided from one another God the Father had the cōmand of Light and then he proceeds to describe that kingdom he then goes to the Kingdome of Darkness which was at the side of Light giveing a wild description of that Kingdome of Darkness He gives an account of the Black King of it that he with his hideous Train assaulted God the Father the King of Light who being affraid of him sent some of his Troops who mixing with the Black Regiments formed his World That what is Good must come from the King of Light what is bad from the King of Darkness These frenzies of him who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bewitched once that great man who by the Grace of God beeing inlightned fell from them to the Catholic Church St. Augustine a Presbyter in Hippo disputes Fortunatus a Manichaean Presbyter of that City Both dispute about the Original of the Evil of Sin he assigns it to the Black Prince quitting the Cause affirmed it could have no other Original then from the Evil Nature of the Prince of Darkness The like we find in his second dispute with Felix the Manichaean Saint Austin assigns rightly this to the Free will of man It cannot enter into my head why Mr. Hobs should give this assertion my understanding is too shallow to fathom this depth Nothing farther to be reproved till we come to the 6 page onely this passage may receive a little Censure pag 6 Constantine the great was made by the valor and assistance of the Christian Soldiers sole Emperor He not much regarding the peculiar Providence of God takes nonotice of that great miracle of y e Cross appearing at Noon with this inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Army of Constantine was inferior to Magnentius his Forces a small number of his Soldiers were Christians it was more the peculiar action of the Arme of Heaven which dissipated the Army of Magnentius and gave the Eagles to Constantine In the latter end of his time their arose a dispute between Alexander the Bishop and Arrius the Presbyter of that City Here the Philosopher hath erred in his Chronology for for the quarrel between them began before the Licinian Persecution in the Tenth of Constantin's who commanded the Empire 37 years Would this was the worst Error This Controversy between the Inhabitants and Souldiers presently became a quarrel and was the cause of much bloodshed in and about the City This so far concerned the Emperors Civil government that he thought it necessary to call a general Council of all the Bishops and other eminent Divines throwout the Roman Empire to meet at the City of Nice Indeed I read in the Time of Constantius the Aarrians prosecuted the Catholicks with the greatest fury imaginable The lamentable Tragedy of which is given us by an Alexandrian Synod in their Letters to Julius Bishop of Rome But that any murders were committed during the Reign of Constantine I do not observe but to lessen the honor of Christian Religion he assigns the calling of that Council to the Peace of the Empire The prime reason was the Establishing the Peace of the Church and the Uniformity in Doctrine which will be manifested he said to the Fathers in his Exhortation to them That they would fall in hand w th the Articles of Faith and whatsoever they should decree therein he would cause to be Observed On which he thus Animadverts This may perhaps seem a great indifferency then would in these Days be approved off I know not the sence of this reflection for what could be more desired by a Council of the Emperor then to assure them that he would ratify those Canons which they decreed cencerning the things they were called for The main of the discourse is concerning his animadversions on this Article