The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 06 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
_A._ Yes; but every minister shall have the delight of sharing the
government, and consequently of being able to be revenged on them that
do not admire their learning and help to fill their purses, and win to
their service them that do.
_B._ It is a hard case, that there should be two factions to trouble the
commonwealth, without any interest in it of their own, other than every
particular man may have; and that their quarrels should be only about
opinions, that is, about who has the most learning; as if their learning
ought to be the rule of governing all the world. What is it they are
learned in? Is it politics and rules of state? I know, it is called
divinity; but I hear almost nothing preached but matter of philosophy.
For religion in itself admits no controversy. It is a law of the
kingdom, and ought not to be disputed. I do not think they pretend to
speak with God and know his will by any other way than reading the
Scriptures, which we also do.
_A._ Yes, some of them do, and give themselves out for prophets by
extraordinary inspiration. But the rest pretend only, for their
advancement to benefices and charge of souls, a greater skill in the
Scriptures than other men have, by reason of their breeding in the
Universities, and knowledge there gotten of the Latin tongue, and some
also of the Greek and Hebrew tongues, wherein the Scripture was written;
besides their knowledge of natural philosophy, which is there publicly
taught.
_B._ As for the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew tongues, it was once, to the
detection of Roman fraud, and to the ejection of the Romish power, very
profitable, or rather necessary; but now that is done, and we have the
Scripture in English, and preaching in English, I see no great need of
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. I should think myself better qualified by
understanding well the languages of our neighbours, French, Dutch, and
Italian. I think it was never seen in the world, before the power of
popes was set up, that philosophy was much conducing to power in a
commonwealth.
_A._ But philosophy, together with divinity, have very much conduced to
the advancement of the professors thereof to places of the greatest
authority, next to the authority of kings themselves, in most of the
ancient kingdoms of the world; as is manifestly to be seen in the
history of those times.
_B._ I pray you cite me some of the authors and places.