The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 04 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
my Lord’s opinion: for I now hold nothing in all this question
betwixt us, but what seemeth to me, not obscurely, but most
expressly said in this place by St. Paul. And thus much in answer to
his places of Scripture.
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TO THE ARGUMENTS FROM REASON.
Of the arguments from _reason_, the first is that which his Lordship
saith is drawn from Zeno’s beating of his man, which is therefore
called _argumentum baculinum_, that is to say, a wooden argument.
The story is this; Zeno held, that all actions were necessary; his
man therefore being for some fault beaten, excused himself upon the
necessity of it: to avoid this excuse, his master pleaded likewise
the necessity of beating him. So that not he that maintained, but he
that derided the necessity, was beaten, contrary to that his
Lordship would infer. And the argument was rather withdrawn than
drawn from the story.
The second argument is taken from certain inconveniences which his
Lordship thinks would follow such an opinion. It is true that ill
use might be made of it, and therefore your Lordship and my Lord
Bishop ought, at my request, to keep private what I say here of it.
But the inconveniences are indeed none, and what use soever be made
of truth, yet truth is truth, and now the question is not, what is
fit to be preached, but, what is true.
The first inconvenience he says, is this; _That the laws, which
prohibit any action, will be unjust_.
2. _That all consultations are vain._
3. _That admonitions to men of understanding, are of no more use,
than to children, fools, and madmen._
4. _That, praise, dispraise, reward and punishment, are in vain._
5, 6. _That counsels, acts, arms, books, instruments, study, tutors,
medicines, are in vain._
To which arguments his Lordship expecting I should answer, by
saying, the ignorance of the event were enough to make us use the
means, adds, as it were a reply to my answer foreseen, these words:
_Alas! how should our not knowing the event be a sufficient motive
to make us use the means?_ Wherein his Lordship says right, but my
answer is not that which he expecteth: I answer,