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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86417	Philosophicall rudiments concerning government and society. Or, A dissertation concerning man in his severall habitudes and respects, as the member of a society, first secular, and then sacred. Containing the elements of civill politie in the agreement which it hath both with naturall and divine lawes. In which is demonstrated, both what the origine of justice is, and wherein the essence of Christian religion doth consist. Together with the nature, limits, and qualifications both of regiment and subjection. / By Tho: Hobbes.; De cive. English	Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679.; Vaughan, Robert, engraver.	1651 (1651)	Wing H2253; Thomason E1262_1; ESTC R202404	220,568	406

not having any other Gods for in that consists the essence of the Covenant made with Abraham by which God requires nothing else but that he should be his God and the God of his seede Also the Precept of keeping holy the Sabbath for the Sanctification of the seventh day is instituted in memoriall of the six dayes Creation as appeares out of these words Exod. 31. ver 16 17. It is a perpetuall Covenant meaning the Sabbath and a signe betweene me and the Children of Israel for ever for in sixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Of the third kind are the Politique judiciall and Ceremoniall lawes which onely belong'd to the Jewes The lawes of the fi●st and second sort written in Tables of stone to wit the Decalogue was kept in the Ark it selfe The rest written in the volume of the whole Law were laid up in the side of the Arke Deut. 3. ver 26 For these retaining the faith of Abraham might be chang'd those could not XI All Gods Lawes are Gods Word but all Gods Word is not his Law I am the Lord th● God which brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt is the word of God 〈…〉 is no Law Neither is all that which for the better deolaring of Gods Word is pronounc't or written together with it instantly to be taken for Gods Word For Thus saith the Lord is not the voice of God but of the Preacher or Prophet All that and onely that is the word of God which a true Prophet hath declar'd God to have spoken Now the writings of the Prophets comprehendng as well those things which God as which the Prophet himselfe speaks are therefore called the word of God because they containe the word of God Now because all that and that alone is the Word of God which is recommended to us for such by a true Prophet it cannot be knowne what Gods Word is before we know who is the true Prophet nor can we beleeve Gods Word before we beleeve the Prophet Moyses was beleev'd by the People of Israel for two things His Miracles and his Faith for how great and most evident Miracles soever he had wrought yet would they not have trusted him at least he was not to have beene trusted if he had call'd them out of Aegypt to any other worship then the worship of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob their Fathers For it had beene contrary to the Covenant made by themselves with God In like manner two things there are to wit supernaturall Praediction of things to come which is a mighty miracle and Faith in the God of Abraham their deliverer out of Aegypt which God propos'd to all the Jews to be kept for marks of a true Prophet He that wants either of these is no Prophet nor is it to be receiv'd for Gods word which he obtrudes for such If Faith be wanting he is rejectin these words Deut. 13. ver 1 2 3 4 5. If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a signe or a wonder and the signe or the wonder come to passe whereof he spake unto thee saying Let us goe after other Gods c. That Prophet or that dreamer of dreames shall be put to death If Praediction of events be wanting he is condemn'd by these Deut. 18. ver 21 22. And if thou say in thine heart how shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come to passe that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously Now that that is the word of God which is publisht for such by a true Prophet and that he was held to be a true Prophet among the Jewes whose faith was true and to whose praedictions the events answer'd is without controversie but what it is to follow other Gods and whether the events which are affirm'd to answer their praedictions doe truly answer them or not may admit many controversies specially in praedictions which obscurely aenigmatically foretell the Event such as the praedictions of almost all the Prophets are as who saw not God apparently like unto Moyses but in darke speech●s and in figures Numb 12. ver 8. But of these we cannot judge otherwise then by the way of naturall reason because that Judgment depends on the Prophets interpretation and on its proportion with the Event XII The Jewes did hold the booke of the whole Law which was called Deuteronomie for the written word of God and that onely forasmuch as can be collected out of sacred history untill the Captivity for this booke was deliver'd by Moyses himselfe to the Priests to be kept and layd up in the side of the Ark of the Covenant and to be copyed out by the Kings and the same a long time after by the authority of King Josiah acknowledg'd againe for the Word of God 2 Kings 23. ver 2. But it is not manifest when the rest of the books of the Old Testament were first receiv'd into Canon but what concernes the Prophets Isaiah and the rest since they foretold no other things then what were to come to passe either in or after the Captivity their writings could not at that time be held for Prophetique by reason of the Law cited above Deut. 18. ver 21 22. Whereby the Israelites were commanded not to account any man for a true Prophet but him whose Prophecies were answer'd by the events And hence peradventure it is that the Jew● esteem'd the writings of those whom they slew when they Prophesied for Prophetique afterward that is to say for the word of God XIII It being known what Lawes there were under the old Covenant and that Word of God receiv'd from the beginning we must farthermore consider with whom the authority of judging whether the writings of the Prophets arising afterward were to be receiv'd for the Word of God that is to say whether the Events did answer their praedictions or not and with whom also the authority of interpreting the Lawes already receiv'd and the written Word of God did reside which thing is to be trac't through all the times and severall changes of the Commonwealth of Israel But it is manifest that this power during the life of Moyses was intirely in himselfe for if he had not been the Interpreter of the Lawes and Word that office must have belong'd either to every private person or to a congregation or Synagogue of many or to the High-Priest or to other Prophets First that that office belong'd not to private men or any Congregation made of them appeares hence that they were not admitted nay they were prohibited with most heavy threats to heare God speake otherwise then by the means of Moyses for it is written Let not the Priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord lest

other faculty or affection of the mind is also termed naturall Therefore the Law of Nature that I may define it is the Dictate of right * Reason conversant about those things which are either to be done or omitted for the constant preservation of Life and Members as much as in us lyes Right Reason By Right Reason in the naturall state of men I understand not as many doe an infallible faculty but the act of reasoning that is the peculiar and true ratiocination of every man concerning those actions of his which may ●…r redound to the dammage or benefit of his neighbours I call it Peculiar because although in a Civill Government the reason of the Supreme i. e. the Civill Law is to be received by each single subject for the right yet being without this Civill Government in which state no man can know right reason from false but by comparing it with his owne every mans owne reason is to be accounted not onely the rule of his owne actions which are done at his owne perill but also for the measure of another mans reason in such things as doe concerne him I call it True that is concluding from true principles rightly fram'd because that the whole breach of the Lawes of Nature consists in the false reasoning or rather folly of those men who see not those duties they are necessarily to performe toward others in order to their owne conservation but the Principles of Right reasoning about such like duties are those which are explained in the 2 3 4 5 6 and 7. Articles of the first Chapter II. But the first and fundamentall Law of Nature is That Peace is to be sought after where it may be found and where not there to provide our selves for helps of War For we shewed in the last Article of the foregoing Chapter that this precept is the dictate of right reason but that the Dictates of right reason are naturall Lawes that hath been newly prov'd above But this is the first because the rest are deriv'd from this and they direct the wayes either to Peace or self-defence III. But one of the Naturall Lawes deriv'd from this fundamentall one is this That the right of all men to all things ought not to be retain'd but that some certain rights ought to be transferr'd or relinquisht for if every one should retain his right to all things it must necessarily follow that some by right might invade and others by the same right might defend themselves against them for every man by naturall necessity endeavours to defend his Body and the things which he judgeth necessary towards the protection of his Body therefore War would follow He therefore acts against the reason of Peace i. e. against the Law of Nature whosoever he be that doth not part with his Right to all things IV. But he is said to part with his right who either absolutely renounceth it or conveys it to another He absolutely renounceth it who by some sufficient Signe or meet Tokens declares that he is willing that it shall never be lawfull for him to doe that again which before by Right he might have done but he conveys it to another who by some sufficient Signe or meet Tokens declares to that other that he is willing it should be unlawfull for him to resist him in going about to do somewhat in the performance where he might before with Right have resisted him but that the conveyance of Right consists meerly in not resisting is understood by this that before it was convey'd he to whom he convey'd it had even then also a right to all whence he could not give any new Right But the resisting Right he had before he gave it by reason whereof the other could not freely enjoy his Rights is utterly abolisht Whosoever therefore acquires some Right in the naturall state of men he onely procures himself security and freedome from just molestation in the enjoyment of his Primitive Right As for example if any man shall sell or give away a Farme he utterly deprives himself only from all Right to this Farme but he does not so from others also V. But in the conveyance of Right the will is requisite not onely of him that conveys but of him also that accepts it If either be wanting the Right remaines for if I would have given what was mine to one who refus'd to accept of it I have not therefore either simply renounc'd my Right or convey'd it to any man for the cause which mov'd me to part with it to this Man was in him onely not in others too VI. But if there be no other Token extant of our will either to quit or convey our Right but onely Words those words must either relate to the present or time past for if they be of the future onely they convey nothing for example he that speaks thus of the time to come I will give to morrow declares openly that y●t he hath not given it so that all this day his right remains and abides to morrow too unlesse in the interim he actually bestowes it for what is mine remains mine till I have parted with it But if I shall speak of the time present suppose thus I doe give or have given you this to be received to morrow by these words is signified that I have already given it and that his Right to receive it to morrow is conveyed to him by me to day VII Neverthelesse although words alone are not sufficient tokens to declare the Will if yet to words relating to the future there shall some other signes be added they may become as valid as if they had been spoken of the present If therefore as by reason of those other signes it appear that he that speaks of the future intends those words should be effectuall toward the perfect transferring of his Right they ought to be valid for the conveyance of right depends not on words but as hath been instanc'd in the 4. Article on the declaration of the Will VIII If any man conveigh some part of his right to another and doth not this for some certain benefit received or for some compact a conveighance in this kind is called a Gift or free Donation B●t in free donation those words onely oblige us which signifie the p●esent or the time past for if they respect the future they oblige not as words for the reason given in the fore-going Article It must needs therefore be that the Obligation arise from some other tokens of the Will But because whatsover is voluntarily done is done for some good to him that wils it there can no other token be assigned of the Will to give it except some benefit either already receiv'd or to be acquir'd but is suppos'd that no such benefit is acquired nor any compact in being for if so it would cease to be a free gift It remains therefore that a mutuall good turne without agreement be

by the same reason that all the necessary means to Peace be good also and therefore that Modesty Equity Trust Humanity Mercy which we have demonstrated to be necessary to Peace are good Manners or habits that is Vertues The Law therefore in the means to Peace commands also Good Manners or the practise of Vertue And therefore it is call'd Morall XXXII But because men cannot put off this same irrationall appetite whereby they greedily prefer the present good to which by strict consequence many unfore-seenevills doe adhere before the future it happens that though all men doe agree in the commendation of the foresaid vertues yet they disagree still concerning their Nature to wit in what each of them doth consist for as oft as anothers good action displeaseth any man that action hath the name given of some neighbouring vice likewise the bad actions which please them are ever entituled to some Vertue whence it comes to passe that the same Action is prais'd by these and call'd Vertue and dispraised by those and termed vice Neither is there as yet any remedy found by Philosophers for this matter for since they could not observe the goodnesse of actions to consist in this that it was in order to Peace and the evill in this that it related to discord they built a morall Philosophy wholly estranged from the morall Law and unconstant to it self for they would have the nature of vertues seated in a certain kind of mediocrity betweene two extremes and the vices in the extremes themselves which is apparently false For to dare is commended and under the name of fortitude is taken for a vertue although it be an extreme if the cause be approved Also the quantity of a thing given whether it be great or little or between both makes not liberality but the cause of giving it Neither is it injustice if I give any man more of what is mine own then I owe him The Lawes of Nature therefore are the summe of Morall Philosophy whereof I have onely delivered such precepts in this place as appertain to the preservation of our selves against those dangers which arise from discord But there are other precepts of rationall nature from whence spring other vertues for temperance also is a precept of Reason because intemperance tends to sicknesse and death And so fortitude too that is that same faculty of resisting stoutly in present dangers and which are more hardly declined then overcome because it is a means tending to the preservation of him that resists XXXIII But those which we call the Lawes of nature since they are nothing else but certain conclusions understood by Reason of things to be done and omitted but a Law to speak properly and accurately is the speech of him who by Right commands somewhat to others to be done or omitted are not in propriety of speech Lawes as they proceed from nature yet as they are delivered by God in holy Scriptures as we shall see in the Chapter following they are most properly called by the name of Lawes for the sacred Scripture is the speech of God commanding over all things by greatest Right CHAP. IV. That the Law of Nature is a Divine Law I. THE same Law which is Naturall and Morall is also wont to be called Divine nor undeservedly as well because Reason which is the law of Nature is given by God to every man for the rule of his actions as because the precepts of living which are thence derived are the same with those which have been delivered from the divine Majesty for the LAWES of his heavenly Kingdome by our Lord Iesus Christ and his holy Prophets and Apostles What therefore by reasoning we have understood above concerning the law of nature we will endeavour to confirme the same in this Chapter by holy writ II. But first we will shew those places in which it is declared that the Divine Law is seated in right reason Psalm 37. 31 32. The● mouth of the righteous will be exercised in wisdome and his tongue will be talking of Iudgement The law of God is in his heart Jerem. 31. 33. I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Psal 19. 7. The law of the Lord is an undefiled law converting the soule ver 8. The Commandement of the Lord is pure and giveth light unto the eyes Deuteron 30. 11. This Commandement which I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it far of c. vers 14. But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thine heart that thou maist doe it Psal 119. 14. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law vers 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths Proverbs 9. 10. The knowledge of the holy is understanding John 1. 1. Christ the Law-giver himselfe is called the word vers 9. The same Christ is called the true light that lighteth every man that cometh in the world All which are descriptions of right reason whose dictates we have shewed before are the lawes of nature III. But that which wee set downe for the fundamentall law of nature namely that Peace was to be sought for is also the summe of the divine law will be manifest by these places Rom. 3. 17. Righteousnesse which is the summe of the law is called the way of Peace Psal 85. 10. Righteousnesse and Peace have kissed each other Matth. 5. 9. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God And after Saint Paul in his 6. Chapter to the Hebrewes and the last verse had called Christ the Legislator of that law we treat of an High-Priest for ever after the order of Melehizedeck he addes in the following Chapter the first verse This Melchizedeck was King of Salem Priest of the most high God c. vers 2. First being by interpretation King of Righteousnesse and after that also King of Salem which is King of peace Whence it is cleare that Christ the King in his Kingdome placeth Righteousnesse and Peace together Psal 34. 13. Eschue evill and doe good seek peace and ensue it Isaiah 9. 6 7. Unto us a child is born unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall be upon bis shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Isaiah 52. 7. How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Sion thy God reigneth Luke 2. 14. In the Nativity of Christ the voice of them that praised God saying Glory be to God on high and in earth peace good will towards men And Isaiah 53. 5. The Gospell is called the chastisement of our peace Isay 59. 8. Righteousnesse is called the way of Peace The way of peace they know not and there is no

c. shall enter into the Kingdome of God and of Christ Ephes 5. ver 5. And elsewhere I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdome c. 2 Tim. 4. ver 1. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evill worke and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdome ver 18. Nor is it to be marvelled at that the same Kingdome is atttibured to them both since both the Father and the Son are the same God and the new Covenant concerning Gods Kingdome is not propounded in the Name of the FATHER but in the name of the FATHER of the SON and of the HOLY-GHOST as of one God V. But the Kingdome of God for restitution whereof CHRIST was sent from God his Father takes not its beginning before his second comming to wit from the day of Judgement when he shall come in Majesty accompanied with his Angels For it is promis'd the Apostles that in the Kingdome of God they shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel Ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Soune of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Mat. 19. ver 28. which is not to be done till the day of judgement CHRIST therefore is not yet in the throne of his Majesty nor is that time when CHRIST was conversant here in the world call'd a Kingdome but a regeneration that is to say a renovation or restitution of the Kingdome of God and a calling of them who were hereafter to be receiv'd into his Kingdome And where it is said When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he set upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divideth his Sheep from the Goates Mat. 25. ver 31. We may manifestly gather that there will be no locall separation of Gods Subjects from his Enemies but that they shall live mixt together untill CHRISTS second comming which is also confirm'd by the comparison of the Kingdome of heaven with wheat mingled with Darnell and with a net containing all sorts of fish But a multitude of men Enemies and Subjects living promis●uously together cannot properly be term'd a Kingdome Besides the Apostles when they askt our Saviour Whether he would at that time when he ascended into heaven restore the Kingdome unto Israel did openly testifie that they then when CHRIST ascended thought the Kingdome of God not to be yet come Farthermore the words of CHRIST My Kingdome is not of this world And I will not drinke c till the Kingdome of God come And God hath not sent his Son into the World to judge the World but that the World through him might be sav'd And If any man heare not my words and keepe them I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World And Man who made me a judge or divider betweene you And the very Appellation of the Kingdome of Heaven testifies as much The same thing is gathered out of the words of the Prophet Jeremiah speaking of the Kingdome of God by the new Covenant They shall teach no more every man his Neighbo●r sayi●g 〈◊〉 the Lord for they shall all k●… me 〈◊〉 the least of them to the greatest of the● saith the Lord ●er ●…4 which cannot be understood of a Kingdome in this World The Kingdome of God therefore for the restoring whereof CHRIST came into the world of which the Prophets did Prophesie and of which praying wee say Thy Kingdome come if it must have Subjects locally separated from Enemies if judicature if Majesty according as hath beene foretold shall begin from that time wherein God shall separate the Sheep from the Goats wherein the Apostles shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel wherein CHRIST shall come in Majesty and glory wherein lastly all men shall so know God that they shall not need to be taught that is to say a● CHRIST his second comming or the day of Judgement But if the Kingdome of God were now already restor'd no reason could be rendered why CHRIST having compleated the work for which he was sent should come againe or why we should pray Thy Kingdome come V I. Now although the Kingdome of God by CHRIST to be establisht with a new Covenant were Heavenly we must not therefore thinke that they who beleeving in CHRIST would make that Covenant were not so to be govern'd here on the Earth too as that they should persevere in their faith and obedience proms●'d by that Covenant For in vaine had the Kingdome of heaven beene promis'd if we were not to have been led into it but none can be led but those who are directed in the way Moyses when he had instituted the Priestly Kindome himselfe though he were no Priest yet rul'd and conducted the People all the time of their P●reg●ination untill their entrance into the promis'd Land In the same manner is it our Saviours office whom God in this thing would have like unto Moyses as he was sent from his Father so to governe the future Subjects of his heavenly Kingdome in this life that they might attaine to and enter into that although the Kingdome were not properly his but his Fathers But the government whereby CHRIST rules the faithfull ones in this life is not properly a Kingdome or Dominion but a Pastorall charge or the Right of teaching that is to say God the father gave him not a power to judge of Me●m and T●●m as he doth to the Kings of the Earth no● a Coercive power nor legislative but of shewing to the world and teaching them the way and knowledge of Salvation that is to say of Preaching and declaring what they were to doe who would enter into the Kingdome of Heaven That CHRIST had receiv'd no power from his father to judge in Questions of Me●m and T●um that is to say in all Questions of Right among those who beleev'd no● those words above cited doe sufficiently declare Man who made me a judge or divider betweene you And it is confirm'd by reason for seeing CHRIST was sent to make a Covenant between God and men and no man is ob●…'d to performe obedience before the ●…ontract be made if he should have judg'd 〈…〉 Questions of Right no man h●d been ●…ed to obey his sentence But that the dis●…erning of Right was not committed to CHRIST in this world neither among the faithfull nor among infidels is apparent in this that that Right without all controversie belongs to Princes as long as it is not by God himselfe derogated from their authority But it is not derogated before the day of Judgement as appeares by the words of Saint Paul speaking of the day of Judgement Then commeth the end when

in each City have obtained the Soveraignty the supreme authority of judging determineing al manner of cōtroversies about temporal matters we must see henceforth to whom he hath left the same authority in matters spirituall Which because it cannot bee known except it be out of the word of God and the Tradition of the Church we must enquire in the next place what the word of God is what to interpret it what a Church is and what the will and command of the Church To omit that the word of God is in Scripture taken sometimes for the Sonne of God it is used three manner of wayes First most properly for that which God hath spoken Thus whatsoever God spake unto Abraham the Patriar●hs Moses and the Prophets our Saviour to his Disciples or any others is the word of God Secondly whatsoever hath been uttered by men on the motion or by Command of the Holy Ghost in which sense we acknowledge the Scriptures to be the word of God Thirdly in the New Testament indeed the word of God most frequently signifies the Doctrine of the Gospell or the word concerning God or the word of the Kingdome of God by CHRIST as where it is said that CHRIST preach't the Gospell of the Kingdome Mat. 4. vers 23. Where the Apostles are said to preach the word of God Acts 13. vers 46. Where the word of God is called the word of life Acts 5. vers 20. The word of the Gospell Acts 15. vers 7. The word of faith Rom. 10. vers 8. The word of truth that is to say adding an interpretation The Gospel of salvation Eph. 1. 13. And where it is called the word of the Apostles For Saint Paul sayes If any man obey not our word c. 2. Thess 3. vers 14. which places cannot be otherwise meant then of the doctrine Evang●licall In like manner where the word of God is said to be sowen to encrease and to be multiplied Acts 12. vers 24. and Chap. 13. vers 49. it is very hard to ceive this to be spoken of the voye● of God or of his Apostles but of their doctrine easie And in this third acception is all that doctrine of the Christian faith which at this day is preacht in Pulpi●s and contained in the hooks of divines the word of God XVI Now the sacred Seripture is intirely the word of God in this second acception as being that which we acknowledge to be inspired from God and innumerable places of it in the first and seeing the greatest part of it is conversant either in the prediction of the Kingdome of Heaven or in prefigurations before the incarnation of CHRIST or in Evangelization and explication after The sacred Scripture is also the word of God and therefore the Canon and Rule of all Evangelicall Doctrine in this third signification where the word of God is taken for the word concerning God that is to say for the Gospel But because in the same Scriptures we read many things Politicall Historicall Morall Physicall and others which nothing at all concern the Myste●ies of our faith those places although they contain true doctrine and are the Canon of such kind of doctrines yet can they not be the Canon of the Mysteries of Christian Religion XVII And truly it is not the dead voyce or letter of the word of God which is the Canon of Christian doctrine but a true and genui●e determination For the minde is not governed by Scriptures unlesse they be understood There is need therefore of an Interpreter to make the Scriptures Canon and hence followes one of these two things that either the word of the Interpreter is the word of God or that the Canon of Christian doctrin is not the word of God The last of these must necessarily be false for the rule of that doctrine which cannot be knowne by any humane reason but by divine revelation only cannot be lesse then divine for whom we acknowledge not to be able to discern whether some doctrin be true or not its impossible to account his opinion for a rule in the same doctrine The first therefore is true That the word of an Interpreter of Scriptures is the word of God XVIII Now that Interpreter whose determination hath the honour to be held for the word of God is not every one that translates the Scriptures out of the Hebrew and Greek tongue to his Latine Auditors in Latine to his French in French and to other Nations in their mother tongue for this is not to interpret For such is the nature of speech in generall that although it deserve the chiefe place among those signes whereby we declare our conceptions to others yet cannot it perform that office alone without the help of many circumstances For the living voice hath its interpreters present to wit time place countenance gesture the Counsell of the Speaker and himselfe unfolding his own meaning in other words as oft as need is To recall these aids of interpretation so much desired in the writings of old time is neither the part of an ordinary wit nor yet of the quaintest without great learning and very much skill in antiquity It sufficeth not therefore for interpretation of Scriptures that a man understand the language wherein they speak Neither is every one an authentique Interpreter of Scriptures who writes Comments upon them For men may erre they may also either bend them to serve their own ambition or even resisting draw them into bondage by their forestallings whence it will follow that an erroneous sentence must be held for the word of God But although this could not happen yet as soon as these Commentators are departed their Commentaries will need explications and in processe of time those explications expositions those expositions new Commentaries without any end so as there cannot in any written Interpretation whatsoeve be a Canon o● Rule of Christian doctrine whereby the Controversies of Religion may be determined It remains that there must bee some Canonicall Interpreter whose legitimate Office it is to end Controversies begun by explaining the word of God in the judgements themselves and whose authority therefore must be no lesse obeyed then theirs who first recommended the Scripture it selfe to us for a Canon of faith and that one and the same Person be an Interpreter of Scripture and a supreme Judge of all manner of doctrines XIX What concerns the word Ecclesia or Church originally it signifies the same thing that Concio or a congregation does in Latin even as Ecclesiastes or Church-man the same that concionator or Preacher that is to say He who speaks to the Congregation In which sense wee read in the Acts of the Apostles of a Church confused and of a Lawfull Church Acts 19. vers 32 39. That taken for a Concourse of people meeting in way of tumult this for a convocated Assembly But in holy writ by a Church of Christians is sometimes understood the Assembly and sometimes

he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and power 1 Cor. 15. ver 24. Secondly the words of our Sauiour reproving Jamos and Iohn when they had said VVilt thou that we call for Fyer from Heaven that it may consume them namely the Samaritans who had denyed to receive him going up to Jerusalem and replying The Son of Man is not come to destroy soules but to save them And those words Behold I send you as Sheep among VVolves Shake off the dust of your Feet and the like And those words God seut not his Son into the world to judge the world but that the world through him might be sav'd and those If any man heare my words and keep them not I judge him not for I ca●e not to judge the world c. doe all shew that he had no power given him to condemne or punish any man We reade indeed that the Father judgeth no Man but hath committed all judgement to the Son but since that both may and must be understood of the day of future judgement it doth not at all repugne what hath beene sayed before Lastly that he was not sent to make new Lawes and that therefore by his Office and mission he was no Legislatour properly so called nor Moyses neither but a bringer and Publisher of his Fathers Lawes for God only and neither Moyses nor CHRIST was a King by Covenant is collected hence that he sayed I came not to destroy to wit the Lawes before given from God by Moyses which he presently interprets but to fulfill And He that shall break one of the least of these Commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the Kingdome of Heaven CHRIST therefore had not a Royall or Soveraigne power committed to him from his Father in this world but consiliary and doctrinal● onely which himselfe signifies as well then when he calls his Apostles not Hunters but Fishers of men as when he compares the Kingdome of God to a graine of mustard seed and to a little Leaven hid in meale VII God promis'd unto Abraham first a numerous seed the possession of the Land of Canaan and a blessing upon all Nations in his seed on this Condition that he and his seed should serve him next unto the seed of Abraham according to the flesh a Priestly Kingdome a Government most free in which they were to ●e Subject to no humane power on this Condition that they should serve the God of Abraham on that fashion which Moyses should teach Lastly both to them and to all Nations a heavenly and eternall Kingdome on Condition that they should serve the God of Abraham on that manner which Christ should teach For by the new that is to say the Christian Covenant it 's covenanted on mens part to serve the God of Abraham on that manner which JESUS should teach On Gods part to pardon their 〈◊〉 and bring them into his ●…stiall Kingdome We have already spoken of the quality of the heavenly Kingdome above in the 5. Article but it is usually call'd sometimes the Kingdome of Heaven sometimes the Kingdome of Glory sometimes the life Eternall What 's required on mens part namely to serve God as CHRIST should teach contain●s two things Obedience to be performed to God for this is to serve God and Faith in JESUS to wit That we beleeve JESUS TO BE THAT CHRIST who was promis'd by God for that only is the cause why his Doctrine is to be followed rather then any others Now in holy Scriptures Rep●ntance is often put in stead of Obedience because Christ teacheth every where that with God the Will is taken for the de●d but Repentance is an infallible sign of an obedient mind These things being understood it will most evidently appear out of many places of sacred Scripture that those are the Conditions of the Christian Covenant which we have nam'd to wit giving remission of sins and eternall life on Gods part and Repenting and Beleeving in JESUS CHRIST on Mens part First the words The Kingdom of God is at hand Repent yee and beleeve the Gospell Mark 1. 15. contain the whole Covenant In like manner those Thu● it is written and thus i● 〈◊〉 Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and r●mission of s●nne● should be preached in his Name among all Nations begining a● Jerusalem Luke 24. vers 46 47. And those Repent and be converted that your sin● may be bl●tted ou● when the timos of refreshing shall come c. Acts 3. vers 19. And sometimes one part is expresly propounded and the other understood as here He that beleeveth in the Sonne hath everlasting life He that beleeveth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Iohn 3. vers 36. Where Faith is exprest Repentance not mentioned and in CHRISTS preaching Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand Mat. 4. 17. Where Repentance is exprest Faith is understood But the parts of this new Contract a●… most manifestly and formally set down there where a certain Ruler bargaining as it were for the Kingdom of God asketh our Saviour Good Master what shall I do● to inher it eternall life Luke 18. v. 18. But CHRIST first propounds one one part of the price namely observation of the Commandements or obedience which when he answered that he had kept he adjoynes the other saying Yet lackest thou one thing Sell all that thou last and distribute to the poor and thou shalt have Treasune in Heaven and come follow me v. 22. This was matter of Faith He therefore not giving sufficient credit to CHRIST and his heavenly Treasures went away sorrowfull The same Covenant is contained in these words Hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved he that beleeveth not shall be damned Mark 16. vers 15 16. Where Faith is exprest Repentance is supposed in those that are baptized and in these words Except a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Iohn 3. vers 5. Where to be born of water is the same with regeneration that is to say Conversion to CHRIST Now that Baptisme is required in the two places cited just before and in divers others we must understand that what Circumcision was to the old Covenant that Baptisme is to the new Seeing therefore that was not of the Essence but served for a memoriall of the old Covenant as a Ceremony or signe and was omitted in the wildernesse in like manner this also is used not as pertaining to the Essence but in memory and for a signe of the New Covenant which wee make with God and provided the will be not wanting the Act through necessity may be omitted but Repentance and Faith which are of the Essence of the Covenant are alwayes required VIII In the Kingdome