The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 02 (of 11)Hobbes, Thomas
Philosophy
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 02 (of 11)
Hobbes, Thomas
Philosophy, English -- 17th century
which all men believe, but that he doubted not him to be God, whose
voice and promises he had heard, and that the _God_ of Abraham
signified not simply _God_, but _that God which appeared unto him_;
even as the worship, which Abraham owed unto God in that notion, was
not the worship of _reason_, but of _religion_ and _faith_, and that
which not reason, but God had _supernaturally_ revealed.
[Sidenote: The laws to which Abraham was tied were no other, but
those of nature and that of circumcision.]
5. But we read of no laws given by God to Abraham, or by Abraham to
his family, either then or after, secular or sacred; excepting the
commandment of _circumcision_, which is contained in the _covenant_
itself. Whence it is manifest, that there were no other laws or
worship, which Abraham was obliged to, but the laws of nature,
rational worship, and circumcision.
[Sidenote: Abraham among his own was the interpreter of the word of
God and of all laws.]
6. Now Abraham was the _interpreter_ of all _laws_, as well sacred
as secular, among those that belonged to him; not merely naturally,
as using the laws of nature only, but even by the form of the
covenant itself; in which obedience is promised by Abraham, not for
himself only, but for his seed also; which had been in vain, except
his children had been tied to obey his commands. And how can that be
understood, which God says (Gen. xviii. 18, 19): _All the nations of
the earth shall be blessed in him; for I know him, that he will
command his children and his household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment_: unless his
children and his household were supposed to be obliged to yield
obedience unto his commands?
[Sidenote: Abraham’s subjects could not sin in obeying him.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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