in her fits would speak Greek and Latin sentences which she never before had heard She foretold the Saâ—on war in these words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} â— {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is There will be tribulation upon the earth and wrath in this peoplâ— He mentions another Demoniack who by the prayers of the congregation was freed from the devil which at certain times used to torment her I could allegde many examples of modern Demoniacks out of Del Rio Wierus Bodin Zacuta â—â—ularts memorable histories and others which physick could not cure but were cured by Christian exorcisms that is by prayers fastings and almes of the Congregation Demones a nobis adjurantur tâ—rquentur spiritualibus flagris orationis flagellis exire coguntuâ— We adjure and torment the devils our spiritual whips scourging prayers force them to go oâ—t saith Lactantiae I know some superstitious ceremonies have been and are still used in exorcisms which I allow not but I do not like Mr. Hobbs his slighting of Christs miracles and his Apostles when he tels us That Demoniacks were many in the primitive Church and few mad-men whereas now there are many mad-men and few Demoniacks which proceed not from the change of nature Is not this to extenuate Christs miracles who came to destroy the works of the devil and to cast out the prince of this world And is it not likewise to make the Evangelists imposters in publishing those cures for miraculous which were not and calling ordinary and natural diseases by the termes of devils and evil spirits He will not cap. 45. have it Satan that entred into Iudas though St. Luke writes so But an hostile and trayterous intention of selling Christ for as by the holy Ghost are meant frequently graces and good inclinations so by entring of Satan may be understood wicked cogitations To Mr. Hobbs Satan is any thing so he may not be a spirit or incorporeal substances Sometimes he is but a fancy shaddow dream or apparition sometimes is madness palsy lunacy or any other melady here he is a traytorous intention but indeed there was more then a trayterous intention that entred into Iudas at last the intention to betray Christ was put into the heart of Iudas by Satan John 13. 2. But when he had received the sop Satan himself entered into him and as St. Austin on that place saith took full possession of him John 13. 27. And though I should yeeld that sometimes the holy Ghost is put for the graces of the spirit yet it will not follow that Satan is used in Scripture for any evil suggestion or intention Again Satan doth not presently intrude himself into any man but first prepares his way by his Harbingers that is suggestions and evil thoughts which having made the soul fit for him he enters and takes possession and thus he dealt with Iudas Again I would know of Mr. Hobbs whether it was Satan in the Serpent or onely a treacherous intention that moved him to speak and seduce Eve Lastly why should we take his bare word for Gospel and prefer this his whimsie to the belief of the whole Church and the stream of all interpreters In his forty sixth chapter he spurnes at all learning except his own and that with such a magisterial spirit and so supercilious scorn as if Aristotle Plato Zenn the Peripateticks Academicks Stoicks Colledges Schooles Universities Synagogues and all the wise men of Europe Asia and Affrick hitherto were scarce worthy to carry his books With him Logick is but captions of words Aristotles Metaphisicks are absurd his politicks repugnant to government his Ethicks ignorant the Natural Phylosophy of the Schooles is a dream rather then a science set forth in senseless and insignificant language Aristotles Philosophy is vain and many such like expressions which shews how little he hath of the spirit of humility and modesty I finde not too much learning but too much pride makes some men mad true learning is alwaies joyned with humility the deepest rivers saith Seneca make the least sound the Cypress tree is tall but fruitless the Apple-tree is low but fruitful and the more it s laden the more it stoops that man that slights all but himself will be slighted of all but himself intemperance in words argue impotency of minde and as the Court saith He is an unjust man that prefers his own wit to all others Homine imperito nihil quid quam injustius qui nisi quod ipse facit nil rectum putat He cannot but fowle his own hands that caâ—â—eth dirt in the face of his betters Every wise man will employ his eyes at home will look upon the wallet that hangs at his own back will descend into himself and then he shall see how small cause he hath to despise other mens gifts when he considereth the defects of his own Tecum babita disces quam sit tibi curta supellex He that thinks to rear up the imaginary tower of his own fame upon the ruins of other mens will finde he builds upon a sandy foundation and indeed makes castles in the air St. Austins counsel is good in this case He that will build high must lay his foundation low Si vis magnam fabricam construere celsitudinis de fundamento prius incipe humilitatis Hercules cannot be pulled down by pigmies nor can the rocks be shaken though the frothy waves beat against them Eminent men like solid trees the more they are shaken the stronger they grow saith Seneca Quid miraris bonos viros ut confirmentur concuti Non est arbor solidaneâ— fortis nisi in quam frequens ventus incursat ipsa enim vexatiene constringitur radices certius figit We are bound to acknowledge with thankfulness the paines and industry of those brave men which have intiched us with such monuments of learning which the Universities of the world have received and do to this day cherish and maintain with such applause and not to require them with scorn and contempt this is ingratitude in the highest degree I wish therefore that Mr. Hobbs had used more solidity in his arguments and less impotency in his expressions against those eminent lights of learning and not with Leviathan to cast against them smoak out of his nostrils as out of aseething Pot or Caldron To use the word of God in Iob for I doubt me Mr. Hobbs will never be brought in competition with Aristotle but now let us receive his accusation against Aristotles Philosophy He saith cap. 46. That this doctrine of separated essences will fright men from obeying the laws of their Country I should think rather that this doctrine would fright men from disobeying the laws for if God commands obedience to the laws and subjection to the higher powers is it likely that he will permit spirits to walk to disswade men from obedience Or will the spirits of those holy men who taught subjection to Magistrates
truth in things as well as in words for entity can be no more without truth then the fire without heat or the Sun without light And when he saith that Geometry is the only science which God hath left into man He is injurious to Arithmatick whose principles are no less certain firm indemonstrable and evident then those of Geometry He enveighs much against book learning but in this he speaks without book for he calls in derision school knowledge Pedantry Pedantry is that knowledge which is taught to young Scollers and indeed the best books are read to them and they are instructed in the knowledge of the best things both in divine and humane litterature being fit that new vessels be seasoned with the best liquor Quo â—emel est imbuta c. So the preceps of divinity and philosophy to this profound Rabbi whose learning passeth all understanding are but Pedantry but in speaking against the Schools he fouls his own nest for whence had he the knowledge which he now rejects but out of them as for his own supposed learning which he hath without them it is such as will never be thought worthy to be called Pedantry nor shall it ever be honoured to be taught in Schools nor shall Aristotle Plato Cicero Thomas and other eminent men need to fear lest Mr. Hobbs's whimsies and dreams thrust their solid and grave learning out of doors He accounteth these subsequent assersions absurd namely That faith is infused or inspired when nothing can be poured or breathed into any thing but body and that extention is body c. I would know how saith being a gift from without and not born with us should enter into us If not by inspiration or infusion And if nothing can be poured or breathed but body then it must follow that Adam's soul was a body for it was breathed into Adam and that the Holy Ghost is a body for he is said to be poured upon all flesh by the prophets Ioel and Zachariah but if by the spirit be understood spiritual vertues or graces then in Mr. Hobbs his judgment this will be counted an absurd assertion but I hope he hath more Religion in him then to think the Holy Scripture speaks absurdly neither is there any absurdity in calling extension a body seeing not a substantial but a mathematical body is meant to distinguish it from superficies and line He will not have colour to be in the body nor sound in the air Where then is colour which is its subject is it in a spirit I know no other subject in which it can be inherent except one of these two If there be any there name it and if sound be not in the air how come we to hear it He should do well to prove his new assertions as wel as to deny the old so he holds it absurd to say That a living creature is a genus or general thing But the contrary is plain for this proposition man is a living creature were absurd because identical if living creature were not a general but a particular thing it must also follow that a horse were not a living creature or that a man and a horse were the same particular thing seeing he admits of no general thing any one may see here whether the ancient and wise Philosophers or this new Misosopher be most guilty of absurdities neither is it absurd to say That the nature of a thing is its definition Seeing man the thing defined is the same with rational creature which is his definition Nor is there absurdity in this speech Mans command is his will seeing there is no other commanding faculty in man but his will neither are Metaphors Tropes and other Rhetorical figures absurd speeches except he will accuse the Holy Ghost of absurdity who useth them so frequently in scripture and if these words Hypostatical Transubstantiate c. be absurd words let him impart better and more significant terms and we shall think him though not a good Philosopher yet a good Grammarian In his sixth chapter he makes animal and voluntary motion the same but absurdly for the motion of spirits is voluntary not animal and the motion of men in their sleep is animal not voluntary for many in their sleep speak those words and perform those actions of which they are both ashamed and afraid when they are awakened if to speak were an animal motion as he saith then beasts could speak for they are animals He saith That which we neither desire nor hate we are said to contemn But this is not so for I neither desire nor hate the Kingdom of Persia and yet I contemn it not whatsoever I hate I contemn but I contemn many things which I hare not When he distinguisheth Religion from Superstition I hear the voice of Leviathan not of a Christian For saith he Fear of power invisible feigned by the minde or from tales publâ—ckly allowâ— is Religion not allowed Superstition and when the power imagined is truly such as we imagine true Religion It seems then both Religion and Superstition are grounded upon tales and imagination onely they differ in this that tales publickly allowed beget Religion not allowed Superstition but what will he say of the Gentiles among them tales were publickly allowed were they therefore religious and not superstitious and is Religion grounded upon fiction or imagination even true Religion I thought that faith and not imagination had been the substance and ground of things not seen that the just live by faith not by imagination that by faith we are saved by faith we are justified by faith we overcom the world not by fancy fiction or imagination We must mend the Creed if Mr. Hobbs his religion be true and insteed of saying I beleeve in God we must say I imagine or feign in my minde an invisible power In this also he contradicts himself for if the power be invisible how can it be imagined seeing as he saith before imagination is onely of things perceived by the sense and it is so called from the image made in seeing He will not have the will to be a rational appetite because then there could be no voluntary acts against reason But the School doctrine stands firm that the will is a rational appetite and that there can be no voluntary acts against reason because the object of the will is a known good for we cannot will or affect what we know not and knowledge in man is never without reason which regulates the will besides each man in willing aimes at an end which cannot be attained withous its medium nor this ordered without reason either true or apparent Part 1. cap. 7. He seems to make faith and opinion the same thing when he saith That in belief are two opinions one of the saying of the man the other of his vertâ—e but in this he makes the Christian mans happiness very incertain and builds it upon a tottering foundation for opinion is meerly
our Saviour did acknowledge by paying tribute and counselling to give to Caesar that which were Caesars He cap. 42 will not have excommunication to be a punishment but onely a denouncing of punishment that Christ shall inflict at the day of Judgement But I say that excommunication is not a bare denouncing but a real suffering of punishment and of such a punishment as is most grievous to wit a â— paration from Gods people and the benefits which they enjoy for if the Abstenti in the Prinâ—itive Church held it a great punishment to be debarred from the Sacrament for a whÃle how much more grievous is it to be cut off from the mystical body of Christ and to be excluded from the Communion of the Saints and of all the priviledges which they do now and shall hereafter enjoy He denieth cap. 42. that there is any spiritual Common-wealth among men in this world This he gronnds upon two reasons 1. because it is the same thing with the Kingdom of Christ which is not of this world Secondly There are no men on earth whose bodies are spiritual These reasons are very weak For first because a spiritual Common-wealth and Christs Kingdom are the same it will follow that there is a spiritual Common-wealth amongst men which is the Kingdom of grace here where Christ raigneth in the hearts of his faithful people which though it be not of this world yet it is in this world as I have shewed already And of this Kingdom our Saviour speaks when he saith The Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17. 21 Which consisteth in righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Secondly To say that Christ hath not here a spiritual Common-wealth because mens bodies are not spiritual is ridiculous for Christs subjects here are spiritual though their bodies be corporeal because they are animated regulated directed by the spirit They are regenerated by the spirit John 3. They walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. The spirit helpeth their inâ—irmities and teacheth them to pray Rom. 8. The holy spirit dwelleth in them 2 Tim. 1. 14. God hath given them of his spirit 1 John 4. 13. They are sealed with the spirit of promise Ephes. 1. 13. They have the fruits of the spirit which are love joy peace long-suffering c. Gal. 5. 22. Therefore Christs subjects though they are here cloathed with flesh yet are called spiritual Gal 6. 1. Yoâ— which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness These are distinguished froâ— carnal or natural men 1 Cor 3. 1. I could not speak to you brethren as to spiritual men but as to carnal So 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. The natural man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God but he that is spiritual discerneth all things So their seed is spiritual 1. Cor. 9. 11. Their meat and drink is spiritual 1 Cor. 10. 3 4. Their songs are spiritual Eph. 5. 19. Their house is spiritual a Pet. 2. 5. And their sacrifice is spiritual 1 Pet. 2. 5. Can we say then that Christs Kingdom or Common-wealth as he calls it is not spiritual He cap. 42 â— will not have the members of a Common-weath to depend one of another but to cohere together They depend onely saith he on the Soveraign which is the soul on the Common-wealth But there is a dependence as well as a coherence in a dead body there is a coherence of members but no dependence in a living body there are both though the body depend on the soul it will not therefore follow that the members do not depend one of another for the hands and feet depend on the stomack to be â—ed by it and it depends on them to be defended provided and carried by them the like may be said of the other members So in a Common-wealthâ— the Soveraign depends on the people for assistance maintenance and defence they depend on him for counsel government and peace The members of the Common-wealth depend on the Clothyer for cloaths on the Husbandman for food on the Physition for health on the Divine for instruction on the Lawyer for counsel c. And these depend on each other Heresie saith he cap. 42. is nothing else but a private opinion obstinately maintained contrary to the opinion which the publick person bath commanded to be taught Hence an opinion publickly appointed to be taught cannot be heresie nor the Princes that authorise them hereticks It seems then by this definition that Arianiâ—m was onely an heresie whilâ—t it was maintained by Arius a private person but when it was anthorised publickly by the Arian Princes it was no more an heresie and so now not Arius but Athanasius that opposed it must be called an heretick by Mr. Hobbs contrary to the judgment of all learned men and the Church of God hitherto The great Turk and the Mahumetans who profess at this day the same damnable doctrine of Arius are not hereticks but the Christians within his dominions who are of another opinion these are your hereticks Mr. Hobbs by this your definition you may call Christ and his Apostles hereticks for they held doctrines contary to the traditions and opinions of the Scribes and Pharisees who as you say sat in Moyses chair It is not the person private or publick that makes an heretick but it is the doctrine repugnant to Gods word and the articles of our faith maintained obstinately for siniâ—trous ends as lucre honor c. that makes heresie a private man may maintain an opinion in Philosophy contrary to the opinion of the Prince and yet no heretick in this because he holds nothing against our Christian faith his opinion may be erroneous but not heretical In his three and forty chapter he tels us That the faith of Christians ever since Christs time hath had for foundation the reputation of Pastors and Authority of Christian Soveraigns This is to build our faith upon a sandy foundation which with every blast will be overtâ—rned the authority and reputation of men are but arms of flesh and broken reeds to rely upon these may be motives to induceus to give our assent as the testimony of that woman John 4. induced many of the Samaritans of that City to beleeve on Christ But the foundation of their faith was Christ himself who bestowed that gift upon them as he doeth upon us And how can mans reputation or authority be the foundation of that which exceeds all humane reason and capacity but such is faith Besides faith it self is the ground of our justification and salvation for we are both justified and saved by faith but if man be the ground of our faith he must also be the ground of our jâ—stification and saluation and so Christ died rose in vain But the Apostle sheweth us the true foundation of our faith in these words For other foundation canâ—no man lay them that is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11.
honoured and if it were not so Kingdoms would be nothing else but dens of theeves remota justitia quid aliud sunt regna quam magna latrocinia All principalities would be tyrannies and indeed where there is greatest power there should be most justice if Princes will be like God who is optimus maximus in whom greatness and goodness have meâ— together to whom much power is given of him much justice is required in maxima fortuna minima licentia est It is abominable then to make injustice with power honorable for honour is the reward of vertue was Achab's unjust seasing of Naboths Vinyard honorable Or are the actions of highway robbers armed with power to be honoured Sure not in any Christian Common-wealth where Themis raigns and Astrea hath not again forsaken the earth but perhaps injustice may sit as a Queen and be honorable in Leviathan's Republick Vbi prosperum ac felix scelus virtus vocatur spontibus parent boni Jus est in armis opprimit leges timor There honour may consist according to Mr. Hobbs his doctrine in the opinion onely of power without respect had to vertue and goodness and so because the evil Angels are called principalities and powers they deserve most honour But in other Common-wealths were Leviathan raigns not I finde that goodness is as much honoured as greatness piety justice temperance prudence learning and other endowments are had in no less honour then the greatest power that is Demetrius Phalereus had more slatues to wit 306. at Athens erected to him for his eloquence then ever any of their most powerful Commanders for theirgreatness the Apostles Martyrs Confessors and other emient men are honored at this day for their goodness not for greatness Homer Aristotle Virgil Cicerâ— are in esteem for their learning not for their power and with me Diogines in his tub is in greater honour then Alexander in his throne We honour God not so much for his greatness for so the Devil honours him as for his goodness and the child honoreth his parents not out of fear of their greatness as out of love to their goodness Honor then doth not meerly consist in the opinion of power As for the Poets commending their Gods for their thefts and adulteries and some barbarous Gentiles honouring theft and piracy I must confess that Mr. Hobbs is here reduced to hard shifts for supporting his irreligious Paradox or Cacodox rather for by the same means he may maintain that honour is due to Garlick Onyons Crocodiles Dogs Cats c. because the Egyptians worshiped these What wonder is it if theeves and Pirats honour each other but the civilised Gentiles were so far from honouring theft and piracy that they made severe lawes against theft and inflicted condign punishment upon the guilty As for the Poets commending the thefts and adulteries of their gods they are not to be understood literally but mystically as I have shewed elsewhere in Mystagog Poetico In his eleventh chapter he tells us That felicity is a continual progress of the desire from one object to another desire is an inclination of the will to obtain the good things we want or to be rid of the evil with which we are oppressed but in neither of these consisteth felicity for he cannot be happy which wants the good which should satisfie him or is possessed of the evil which oppresseth him in heaven onely is true felicity because as Saint Austin saith we shall desire nothing that is absent if desire be happiness then is the covetous man most happy for he is still desiring more wealth In true happiness there is love but neither faith nor hope which are the companions of desire besides he makes man in worse condition then the beasts for he saith in his twelfth chapter That the felicity of beasts consisteth in the injoying of their quotidian food And yet mans happiness consisteth onely in desire which is against sense and reason for a hungry man caâ—not be happy in desiring but in injoying of food it is not therefore the sight nor desire but the injoyment of the object which will make us happy Mars videt hanc visâ—â—que cupit potiturque cupita In his twelf chapter he saith That many revolted from the Church of Rome because the Schoolmen brought in Philisophy and Aristotles doctrine into Religion whence arose contradictions and absurdities as brought the Clergy into a reputation of ignorance It is strange that Philosophy should make the Clergy reputed ignorant whereas it contains the knowledge both of divine and humane things and it is one of the chief blessingâ— of Almighty God bestowed upon mankinde by which his image lost in Adam is repaired for the understanding is enlightned by the speculative and the will is regulated by the practical parts thereof and Philosophy is so far from causing peoples revolt from that Church that on the contrary it is one of the main supporters and pillaâ—s thereof I am afraid that it was not Philosophy which brought a reputation of ignorance upon that Church but rather their want of it which also will occasion much ignorance stupidity and darkness in our Church And I pray you good Mr. Hobbs what hurt hath Divinity received from Philosophy or Aristotles doctrine Hath it caused contradictions and absurdities as you say sure you are wideâ—ly mistaken for by Philosophy contradictions and absurdities are avoided into which those ignorant souls do fall who want it as we finde at this time by woful experience there being more absurd and contradictory opinions among the peoâ—ple of this Nation now in a few years since Aristotles doctrine hath been discouraged then were all the time hitherto since Christianity was imbraced And what wonder is it if they that walk in darkness stumble How should we come to know the heavens the earth the seas the fire the air the beasts fishes and fowls the hearbs trees plants pretious stones all which physical bodies with divers others are mentioned in Scripture besides Spirits Angels and other Metaphysical entities without Philosophy how should we define divide dispute speak or write methodically or syllogistically without this I will say nothing of the benefit we receive by moral political and â—â—conomical Phylosophy How shall we dispute against Hereticks and refel their subtil arguments without it Iustin Martyr and many other Greek and Latin Fathers fought against the Gentles Jews and Hereticks with this sword and beat them with their own weapons therefore to condemn Philosophy is to condemn the minister and handmaid of divinity between which there can be no more repugnancy then there is between the principal and subordinate cause between two lights two truths or between the body and the soul In his fifteenth chapter He will have all men equal by nature and that Aristotle was mistaken in saying that wise men were more fit to command and that others whose bodies are strong and judgments weake fitter to serve This he saith is against
like the most excellent men but rather like to God himself Latius regnes avidum dâ—â—ando spiritum quam si Lybiam remotis Gadibus jungas c. What availed it Alexander to conquer the world and not to conquer himself to be a slave to his vices and not subject to his laws And I pray why should not a Prince be as well subject to his own laws as to his oaths covenants and promises there is nothing so honorable for a King as to keep his word and to observe the laws which he not onely made but by oath and promise tied himself to obey And surely this is the very law of nature which as Mr. Hobbs saith is divine and cannot by any man or common-wealth be abrogated Neither is there any inconvenience to set the law as a Judge above the Prince for as Aristotle tells us Polit. l. 3. c. 11. The law where it is plain and perspicuous ought to beat rule because without it no King norâ— Common-wealth can govern And secondly Because the law is just not subject to partiality passion and affection as Princes and other men are and indeed Princes should be so far from disobeying their own laws that they should be the life and soul of the law which of it self is but a dead letter therefore the common saying of that good Emperor Aurelius was Rex viva Lex No Common-wealth can be happy or continue long but where the Prince is as well subject to the law as the People his example will move them to obedience Nec sic inflectere sensus humanosâ— edicta valent ac vita regentis therefore the counsel of Pittaâ—us was good Let not them break the law who make the Law parâ—to legi quisquis legem sanxerit Cap. 29. He is angry with those who say That every private man hath a property in his goods Among the Turks indeed no private man hath any property at all under Christian Princes private men live more happily who enjoy a property yet not simply absolute if we consider that the Prince hath a right to our goods in cases of necessity as in his own and Countries defence and such like cases in this regard no man is born for himself nor hath any man an absolute property in his own life which he ought when occasion urgeth lay down for his Country Dulce decorum pro patria mori therefore Plato saith well That our Country requires a share in our birth the property then of the subject excludeth not the Princes right in cases of necessity but onely his arbitrary power Hence are these sayings Omnia rex imperio possidet singuli dominio Again Ad reges potestas omnium pertinet ad singulos proprietas The power here spoke of is meant of his just lawful not of his arbitrary tyrannical power In his thirty one chapter he makes a needless distinction between the objects of love hope and fear shewing That love hath reference to goodness hope and fear to power the subject of praise is goodness the subject of magnifying and blessing is power David knoweth no such distinction who in the 18. Psalm he loves God for his strength or power and in another Psalm he fears him for his mercy or goodness There is saith he mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared So he makes Gods goodness and not his power the object of his hope or belief Psal. 27. I hoped to see the goodness of God in the land of the living so likewise he praiseth God for his strength or power as well as for his goodness Praise him saith he for his mighty acts praise him for his excellent greatness Psal. 150. and in divers Psalms he magnifyeth God for his salvation as well as for his power Now when he saith that this name God is his own name of relation to us he is deceived for this is no name of relation at all his names of relation to us are Creator Redeemer Father Lord King Master c. In his third Part and Chap. 1. He saith That our natural reason is the undoubted word of God But I doubt Leviathan himself for all his great strength and power cannot make this good for Gods word is infallible so is not our natural reason which faileth in many things Gods word saith That a Virgin did conceive and bear a Son That God became man That our bodies shall rise again out of the dust but our natural reason saith this is impossible therefore when St. Paul preached the resurrection to the Athenians who wanted not natural reason enough they thought he had been mad How comes it that the Apostle saith The natural man understandeth not the things of Gods spirit And Christ tells Peter That flesh and blood that is natural reason had not revealed the mystery of his Divinity to him but his Father in Heaven and St. Paul saith That he received not the Gospel of man nor was he taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1. 12. And that he was not taught by mans wisdom but by the Holyâ— Ghost 1 Cor. 2. 13. How comes it I say that the Scripture speaks thus in villifying natural reason if it be the infallible word of God yea what need was there of any written word at all if our natural reason be that infallible word doubtless Adam by his fall lost much of his knowledge and natural reason Peter made use of his natural reason when he undertook to disswade Christ from going up to Ierusalem and there to suffer and die but Christ tells him that he favoured the things that be of men but not of God Mat. 16. 23. Our natural reason saith he cap. 32. Is a talent not to be folded up in the napkin of an implicit faith This I grant but I hope he will permit that our natural reason be subject to an explicit faith without which it is impossible to please God and not onely must our reason be subdued to faith but every imagination in us must be cast down and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor 10. 5. And whereas he saith cap 32. That our reason must be imployed in the purchase of justice peace and true religion If reason could procure or purchase these blessings the Gentiles of old the Jews and Mahumeâ—ans of latter years might have had them as well as we for in natural reason they are not inferior to us every one of these following the dictates of reason think they have the true Religion as for justice and peace they can never be purchased by reason but by â—aith therefore saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord but his reason by which he would prove that our natural reason is the undoubted word of God is very feeble for saith he There is nothing contrary to it in
Gods word By the same means he may prove that Aristotle's Logick or Hippocrate's Aphorisms are the undoubted word of God for in them is nothing contrary to it But was not Peter's reason contrary to Gods word when he would have disswaded Christ from suffering whereas all the prophets had spoken that Christ ought to have suffered those things and to enter into his glory Luke 24. 26. And no less weak is his argument cap. 32. by which he will prove that divine dreams are not of force to win belief from any man that knows dreams are for the most part natural and may proceed from former thoughts c. He may as well infer that the pen-men of the Holy Scriptures are not of force to win belief from us seeing the prophet saith All men are lyers what if it had said that men for the most part are lyers there had been less reason to have inferred that the pen-men of Scriptures were such and yet Mr. Hobbs will infer that because dreams are for the most part natural therefore divine dreams are of no credit that such dreams are of force sufficient to win belief is plain by the dreams of Ioseph Iacob's son and Ioseph the husband of Mary with divers others in Scripture cap. 33. He is troubled that Moses before his death should write that he died that his Sepulcher was not known to this day but in this he troubles himself needlessly for he writes of his death and sepulcher by anticipation which is an usual way of writing amongst some besides the Jewish tradition is that Iosua wrote that last chapter of Deuteronomy long after the death of Moses Cap. 33. So he is troubled about the words of Moses Gen. 12. 6. which are And the Canaanite was then in the land Hence he infers that Moses wrot not that book but one who wrot when the Canaanite was not in the land for Moses dyed before he came to it but I say that if the Canaanite was not in the land when he wrot these words The Canaanite was then in the land he wrot a lye but indeed Moses wrot the History and writes no waies absurdly in showing that the Canaanite was then in the land but purposely to let us see the condition of Gods children in this life who though they have right to all they enjoy yet the wicked keep them under and they live in fear still of their enemies as Abraham did of the Canaanites who domineered in that land which Abraham received from God and at the same time he receiv'd it such like exceptions he makes against some other writers of the old Testament but they are of no moment or validity therefore I will spend no paper nor time in their refuration In his thirty fourth chapter he tells us That there is no real part of the universe which is not also a body and that bodies are called substances because subject to various accidents and that an incorporeal substance is as if a man should say an incorporeal body If there were no real parts of the universe but bodies then the universe were not universe but an imperfect system as dâ—ficienâ— in the most noble of all created entitiesâ— to wit incorporeal substances but God made the world perfect consisting both of material and immaterial substances such are Angels and Mens souls which are neither corporeal in their beeing nor operation for if they were corporeal they must be mortal and corruptible and compounded at least of matter and form they must be also quantitative local by circumscription and movable by physical motion all which are absurd and if a substance be the same that a body is then he must make God corporeal for he is a substance now to say that a thing is called substance because subject to changes is vain for substances are so called because they subsist by themselves and not in another entity as accidents do besides accidents may be called subjects because one accident may be the subject of another as the superficies of a wall is the subject of colours but accidents can never be called substances for they cannot subsist of themselveâ— By the spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters Gen. 1. 2. He will have to be meant a winde because if God himself were understood then motion must be attributed to him and place I know in this he follows Tertullian's opinion but the Church hath constantly held that there is meant not a winde but the spirit of God by which place they both prove the mystery of the Trinity the first person being expressed by the word Eloâ—â—m the second by the word Berisheth or Beginning and the third by the word Ruah or Spirit they also by the same place prove the dignity and power of baptism in the waters of which Sacrament the Spirit moveth as in the beginning and indeed it is childish to think that a winde should be there meant for what use could there be of a winde then before the creatures were produced And wheras he is afraid to ascribe motion and place to God it seems he hath not well observed the Scripture phrase which ordinarily speaketh of God Anthropopathos as if he were a man therefore he is said sometimes to speak to see to hear to discend to laugh to be angry to greet to rejoyce and in this History of the Creation he is said to speak to bless to walk in the Garden to examine Adam to condemn the Serpent c. Now whereas Mr. Hobbs saith that the spirit here mentioned is the same that is spoken of Gen. 8. 1. I will bring my Spirit upon the Earth He is mistaken and misalledgeth the words for thus it is written And God made a winde to pass over the Earth for winde in Scripture is never called the Spirit of God The spirit then that dried up the waters of the flood was the same that afterwards divided the red Sea for Moses and the Israelites to pass through to wit a drying winde which God had raised He saith The word Ghost signifieth nothing but the imaginary inhabitants of the brain But there he is also mistaken for it signifieth a real immaterial substance which we call from the Latin word Spirit and so it was alwaies used by the Saxons and at this day Gheest and Gheist in low and high Dutch do signifie the same thing or spirit Cap. 34. When Christ walked on the waters the Disciples thought they had seen a spirit or fantasm which Mr. Hobbs will have to be an aerial body But I wonder who ever saw an aerial body the two grosser Elements are visible to us but not the two superior by reason of their subtilty and purity And he is deceived also in saying That the delusions of the brain are not common to many at once For I have observed that divers men together have seen imaginary castles temples armed men and such like apparitions in the clouds Now Spirits or Angels have been
and Jacob were then alive by promise not actually but I would fain know when did God make such a promise to Abraham that his soul should live immortally and that he should be raised to immortality in the last day Again how can one be said to live by promise who is actually dead How is God the God of the living if they whose God he is be not living but actually dead for a dead man to live by promise is a bull Cap. 44. He cannot finde that any man shall live in torments everlastingly What doth he say to that place Rev. 20. 10. Where the beast and false prophet are tormented with the Devil day and night for ever and ever Do not they live in torments everlastingly that live in everlasting shame and contempt but such is the condition of the wicked Dan. 12 2. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction or perdition 2 Thes. 1. 9. But it seems hard to him that God the Father of mercies should punish without any end of time c. If God were not the Father of justice as well as of mercy it would go hard with good men but it is just with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you saith the Apostle And to you that are troubled peace with us 2 Thess. 1. 6 7. God who is offended is eternal the desires of wicked men to sin are eternal Voluissent roprobi sine fine vivere ut possent sine fine peccare The reward of the godly is eternal why then should not the torments of wicked men be eternal But I will answer him as St. Austin answereth the Originists Tantâ— errat perversius quanto videtur de Deo sentire clementius Their error must heeds be too pernitious that maketh God too gratious Again to what end did God prepare an everlasting fire if the wicked be not everlastingly tormented in it But to this he answers That there never may want wicked men to be tormented in them though not every nor any one eternally for the wicked being left in the estate they were in after Adam's sin may at the resurrection live as they did marry and give in marriage and engender perpetually for there is no place of Scripture to the contrary When the Scripture speaks of wicked mens eternal torments it never speaks of any redemption thence and Mr. Hobbs confesseth that the Reprobates who dye in their sins shall have no redeemer they must then remain there for ever except they had a Redeemer to help them ouâ— thence Besides I shewed that the false prophet is tormented for ever and we read Rev. 4. That if any one man shall worship the beast the smoke of his torment shall ascend for evermore As for leaving the wicked in the estate they were in after Adams fall is a doctrine well beseeming the school of Mahomet not of Christ it seems also by this doctrine that at the resurrection shall be the revolution of the Platonick year when all things shall be acted in this world as they were in the beginning After Adam's fall men did marry build plant tread eat drink and solace themselves with divers delights if the wicked shall do the same after the resurrection they shall be in as good a condition as the Musalmans in Mahumets Paradise or the Gentiles in the Elysian fields quae graâ—â—a currûm Armorâ—â—que fuit vivis quae cura nitentes Pascere sequos eadem sequitur tellure repostos Virg. AEn. 6. If this doctrine of yours be admitted who will for bear wickedness and profanness knowing that he shall be after this life in the same condition Adam was after his fall who will not be content rather to embrace that condition after the hath glutted himself here with the pleasures of sin then to endure all miseries and persecution deny himself and take up the cross of Christ to enjoy unknown happiness which the eye hath not seen nor the ear heard of But when you say that there is no Scripture contrary to marriage after the resurrection I would know whether there be any Scripture for it Why may not Iudas Iscariot marry with some Princes daughter and by this means obtain a crown you can alledge me no Scripture against it but I can alledge you Scripture against marriage In the resurrection saith Christ men neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the Angels of God that is without copulation as they are Now St. Matthew speaks not there of the resurrection of the just onely but of the resurrection in general and so doth St. Lukeâ— though you would have him speak onely of the resurrection of just men for all men shall rise to life eternal all men in their celibat shall be like the Angels as men shall and may be called the children of the resurrection and consequently of God as all men even the Devils are the sons of God by creation for as he gave to all men a beeing in the creation so he will give to all men a new beeing in the resurrection To be brief that the punishment of wicked men shall be eternal is plain by this argument they only are pardoned who repent the wicked after this life cannot repent therefore they cannot be pardoned besides our Saviour tels us that he who speaketh against the Holâ— Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come if then there be no remission of sin there can be no relaxation of punishment for the one depends upon the other In his 45 Chap. he undertakes to shew That those evil spirits or Devils wch Christ cast outof the possessed were not such but diseases Sure if this opinion be true then Christ did no great matter in curing of ordinary diseases But the Scripture tels us that He came to destroy death and him who hath the power of death which is the Devill that the prophesie in Paradise might be fulfilled The seed of the woman shall tread down the Serpents head These were strange diseases that could speak to question Christ Art thou come to torment us before our time and could beseech him to have leave to enter into the Herd of Swine Our Saviour did not know so much as Mr. Hobbs that Devils were but diseases when he gave commission to his Disciples Matth. 10. and Luke 9. not onely to cure diseases but also to cast out Devils And Matth. 4.24 Christ not onely cured divers diseases and torments and healed such as were lunatick and had the palsie but those also which were possessed with Devils by which we see Diseases and Devils are different things But he saith That the addressing of Christs command to madness or lunacy is no more improper then was his rebuking of the Fever or the wind and Sea I answer It 's true Christs speaking to those inanimate things was onely to shew the power and efficacie of his Word so in the Creation God is introduced by Moses as if he had spoken
calls him the miracle of nature his works the gift of God and a principal organ of God for enriching the world with so much excellent learning and that they are ungrate wretches who do not acknowledge it but will rail against him â—or it P. Martyr sheweth that Aristotles pains were profitable his artisice great his industry excellent and his rules most notable Zanchie saith that he is of all Philosophers the most excellent and that his method is most clear 〈◊〉 calls him with admiration a man of men the onely Eagle of Philosophy whose stile is fraughted with Attick eloquence and that they who write or speak against him are dunces silly people and such whose books are fit for nothing but for the fire Scaliger calls such barbarous wits Rats Kites Crows Ravens Owles and Bats To conclude I would have Mr. Hobbs take notice that I have no quarrel against him but against his tenets I honor his worth and learning but dislike his opinions I know not his person but I know and respect his parts if there be any thing amiss in these my Animadversions for we are all apt to mistake I shall thank him if he will set me right and inform me better for I never had so great an opinion of my self as not to yeeld to reason and such as are able to convince my understanding The God of truth direct us all into the way of truth Amen FINIS The Contents of each Chapter controverted INTRODUCTION THe world was not made by art or nature Lifeâ— is not the motion of the limbs Chap. 1. The object causeth sensation not sense Fancy and sense different Colour figured nothing Sensible qualities are not motions Motion produceth not motion Outward and inward senses distinct Fancy not the same in waking and dreaming men Chap. 2. A natural appetite in things inanimate but without knowledge Imagination is not decaying sense Memory and imagination different Chap. 3. Things future have a being Prophesie is not guessing No absurdity to say the soul is all in all and all in every part To be born no act of the minde Some faculties are not acquired Universalities are not names Truth in things as well as in names Geometry not the oÌ„nely Science Chap. 3 4. Phylosophy how Pedantry Chap. 5. Many things infused besides bodies Extension how a body Colour is in bodies and sound in the air A living creature is generical The nature of a thing is its definition Tropes and figures are not absurd speeches Chap. 6. Animal and voluntary not the same Contempt and hatred not the same Superstition and Religion not the same Faith and Imagination not the same The will is a rational appetite Chap. 7. Belief is not opinion To have faith in to trust to and to beleeve a man not the same What is to beleeve in God Our belief is not in the Church Chap. 8. Devils Demoniacks and mad-men not the same Schoole terms and Suarez intelligible Chap. 10. Pitty is not dishonour Lasting good fortune is no sign of Gods favour Ambition is not honorable nor covetousness Injustice with power is not honourable Goodness no less honorable then greatness Chap. 11. Felicity consisteth not in desire Chap. 12. Felicity is in injoying Phylosophy a supporter of the Church The want of it the cause of confusion and contradictions Chap. 15. All men are not equal by nature Some are naturally fit for service Some for Dominion Inequality necessary Chap. 16. Christ did not personate God Chap. 18. Covenants are not bare words nor do all depend on the sword Princes may but should not be injurious to their subjects Men indy injure themselves Injury Iniquity and Injustice the same thing Chap. 20. Kings and Tyrants different how Samuel describeth a King Moses a Tyrant Chap. 21. David did injury to Uriah How he offended against God onely Freedom is not the same under a Monarchy and Democracy Aristotles reason why under Democracy there is more liberty then under a Monarchy Chap. 28. Mr. Hobbs contradicts himself concerning the power which Subjects give to their Soveraigns Pride is no cause of submission to government but of Rebellion rather Chap. 49. The danger of acting against conscience is no presumption but a duty to judge of good and evil Faith is not attained by reason and study but by infusion and inspiration Faith is a miracle An account may be given of inspired faith Prophesie and Faith not the same Faith may stand with civil obedience Princes are subject to their own laws How every private man hath a property in his good Chap. 31. The subjects of hope love and fear often confounded God is not a name of relation Natural reason and the word of God different Reason must be subject to faith Our natural reason cannot purchase justice peace and religion Natural reason is sometimes contrary to Gods word Divine dreams are of force to win belief Chap. 33. How Moses's words are to be understood concerning his own Sepulcher And the Canaanite in Abraham's time being in the land Gen. 12. Chap. 34. Spirits are real parts of the universe though not corporeal Why substances are so called The spirit that moved on the waters was not a winde The word Ghost what it signifieth Aerial bodies not visible delusions may be seen by many at once How spirits are in a place Angels are not fancies or dreams Why called gods Why they appeared in mans shape The Dove and fiery tongues were not Angels Why Angels are distinguished by names How evil Angels suffer by fire How we shall be like the Angels in the resurrection Faith excludes reason Chap. 31. Divers places of Scripture mis-alleadged by Mr. Hobbs for his earthly kingdom and refuted What Holam is and Paradise and the new Jerusalem There is reason and authority to prove our happiness in heaven Divers places of Scripture expounded to this purpose and Mr. Hobbs his texts brought to the contrary refuted The souls immortality proved by Scripture Chap. 38. Christ proves as well the souls immortality as the resurrection of the body to the Saduces The souls immortality proved by Scripoure A place in Job explained The opinion of Christs earthly kingdom and the souls sleep are old heresies Hell is in the lower parts of the earth How the Prophetical speeches concerning Christs Kingdom are to be understood We shall ascend higher then Gods foot-stool Chap 41. Christ hath not been all this while since his resurrection without a Kingdom Differring of punishments and rewards here no argument that Christ hath no Kingdom What it is to sit in Moses's chair Other places of Scripture expounded Chap. 42. The blessed Trinity vindicated and proved out of the old Testament Christs Kingdom is in this world though not of this world Dissimulation in religion condemned The Apostles made laws and had power to command Disobedience a great sin Minister and servant the same thing Princes why shepherds their baptism doth not authorise them to preach Urim and Thumâ—im given to Aaron not to Moses The Romans had the legislative power over the Iews Excommunication a punishment Christs Kingdom is spiritual though the subjects are cloathed with flesh In Common-wealths there is a dependance as well as a coherence Heresie what it is and who be Hereticks Chap. 45. Our faith depends not upon mans reputation and authority Chap. 44. Devils and Fantasims or Idols are not the same Christs Kingdom here is the Kingdom of Grace The soul how immortal The wicked live eternally The tree of life Life sometimes called death The soul how taken in Scripture The Scripture is plain for the souls immortality Ghost-walking what it is Eternal torments no dark doctrine Christs Transfiguration was not the Kingdom of God Solomons words Eccles. 12. 7. and Eccles. 3. 21. concerning the soul expounded And Eccles. 3. 19. Enoch's translation Better be dead then live in misery Abraham's soul is alive actually That the torments of the wicked are eternal proved Man shall not be in the same condition after the resurrection that Adam was after his fall Chap. 45. Devils which Christ cast out were not diseases Angels and Mens souls are not corporeal spirits Christs temptation in the desart was real and no vision Exorcisms useful in the Church how Many possessed in these latter times It was Satan and not a treacherous intention that entered into Judas Chap. 46. Mr. Hobbs taxed for his exorbitant speeches against Aristotle and the other Phylosophers Men are not frighted from obedience by separated essences Graces are inspired or poured into us Inspiration excludeth not obedience to the laws The tearms definitive and circumscriptive distinguished The soul is all in every part of the body Incorporeal substances capable of torment Metaphysick not repugnant to natural reason proved by divers maximes Quantity increaseth and decreaseth with the matter What St. Paul means by vain Phylosophy God is no wales the author of injustice or sin The appetite of the State and of private men is not the same Aristotle vindicated from calling kingly or any other government but popular tyrannical How these words of Aristotle are to be understood Men should not govern but the laws Mr. Hobbs his new Tenent rejected Chap. 47. Romanists and Presbyterians do not hold that the Kingdom of glory is in this world Pontifex Maximus at Rome above the civil State Aristotle Phylosophy and School-Divinity vindicated Mr. Hobbs is censured for slighting Aristotle who is highly commended and his obtrectators reproved by divers eminent Protestant writers FINIS Part 1â— cap. 1. Part. 1. cap. â— Part 1. cap. 3. Part 1. cap. 3. 4. Part 1. cap. 5. Part 1. cap. 6. Part 1. cap. 8. Part 1. cap. 10. Part 1. cap. 11. Part. 1. cap. 12. Part. 1. cap. 15. Part. 1. cap. 16. Part 2. cap. 18. Part 2. cap. 21. Part 2. cap. 21. Part. 1. cap. 21. Part 2. cap. 28. Part. 2. cap. 29. Cap. 31. Part 3. cap. 32. cap. 34. cap. 38. cap. 41 cap. 4â— Cap. 44.