The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 06 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
_A._ The Church morals are in many points very different from these,
that I have here set down, for the doctrine of virtue and vice; and yet
without any conformity with that of Aristotle. For in the Church of
Rome, the principal virtues are, to obey their doctrine, though it be
treason, and that is to be religious; to be beneficial to the clergy,
that is their piety and liberality; and to believe upon their word that
which a man knows in his conscience to be false, which is the faith they
require. I could name a great many more such points of their morals, but
that I know you know them already, being so well versed in the cases of
conscience written by their schoolmen, who measure the goodness and
wickedness of all actions, by their congruity with the doctrine of the
Roman clergy.
_B._ But what is the moral philosophy of the Protestant clergy in
England?
_A._ So much as they show of it in their life and conversation, is for
the most part very good, and of very good example; much better than
their writings.
_B._ It happens many times that men live honestly for fear, who, if they
had power, would live according to their own opinions; that is, if their
opinions be not right, unrighteously.
_A._ Do the clergy in England pretend, as the Pope does, or as the
Presbyterians do, to have a right from God immediately, to govern the
King and his subjects in all points of religion and manners? If they do,
you cannot doubt but that if they had number and strength, which they
are never like to have, they would attempt to obtain that power, as the
others have done.
_B._ I would be glad to see a system of the present morals, written by
some divine of good reputation and learning, of the late King’s party.
_A._ I think I can recommend unto you the best that is extant, and such
a one as (except a few passages that I mislike) is very well worth your
reading. The title of it is, _The whole Duty of Man laid down in a plain
and familiar way_. And, yet, I dare say, that if the Presbyterian
ministers, even those of them which were the most diligent preachers of
the late sedition, were to be tried by it, they would go near to be
found not guilty. He has divided the duty of man into three great
branches; which are, his duty to God, to himself, and to his neighbour.
In his duty to God, he puts the acknowledgment of him in his essence and
his attributes, and in the believing of his word. His attributes are
omnipotence, omniscience, infiniteness, justice, truth, mercy, and all
the rest that are found in Scripture. Which of these did not those
seditious preachers acknowledge equally with the best of Christians? The
word of God are the books of Holy Scripture, received for canonical in
England.
_B._ They receive the word of God; but it is according to their own
interpretation.