The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 06 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
_A._ I think you do not believe that any of those refusers do,
immediately from God’s own mouth, receive any command contrary to the
command of the King, who is God’s lieutenant, nor any other way than you
and I do, that is to say, than by the Scriptures. And because men do,
for the most part, rather draw the Scripture to their own sense, than
follow the true sense of the Scripture, there is no other way to know,
certainly, and in all cases, what God commands, or forbids us to do, but
by the sentence of him or them that are constituted by the King to
determine the sense of the Scripture, upon hearing of the particular
case of conscience which is in question. And they that are so
constituted, are easily known in all Christian commonwealths, whether
they be bishops, or ministers, or assemblies, that govern the Church
under him or them that have the sovereign power.
_B._ Some doubts may be raised from this that you now say. For if men be
to learn their duty from the sentence which other men shall give
concerning the meaning of the Scriptures, and not from their own
interpretation, I understand not to what end they were translated into
English, and every man not only permitted, but also exhorted, to read
them. For what could that produce, but diversity of opinion, and
consequently, as man’s nature is, disputation, breach of charity,
disobedience, and at last rebellion? Again, since the Scripture was
allowed to be read in English, why were not the translations such as
might make all that is read, understood even by mean capacities? Did not
the Jews, such as could read, understand their law in the Jewish
language, as well as we do our statute laws in English? And as for such
places of the Scripture, as had nothing of the nature of a law, it was
nothing to the duty of the Jews, whether they were understood or not,
seeing nothing is punishable but the transgression of some law. The same
question I may ask concerning the New Testament. For, I believe, that
those men to whom the original language was natural, did understand
sufficiently what commands and councils were given them by our Saviour
and his apostles, and his immediate disciples. Again, how will you
answer that question which was put by St. Peter and St. John (_Acts_ iv,
19), when by Annas the high-priest, and others of the Council of
Jerusalem, they were forbidden to teach any more in the name of Jesus:
_Whether it is right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than
unto God?_