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De　Cive

by　Thomas　Hobbes

1651



RELIGION

Chap。　XV

Of　the　Kingdome　of　God；　by　Nature

　　　　I。　Wee　have　already　in　the　foregoing　Chapters；　proved　both　by
reason；　and　testimonies　of　holy　Writ；　that　the　estate　of　nature；
that　is　to　say；　of　absolute　liberty；　such　as　is　theirs；　who
neither　govern；　nor　are　governed；　is　an　Anarchy；　or　hostile
state；　that　the　precepts　whereby　to　avoyd　this　state；　are　the
Lawes　of　nature；　that　there　can　be　no　civill　government　without　a
Soveraigne；　and　that　they　who　have　gotten　this　Soveraigne　command
must　be　obey'd　simply；　that　is　to　say；　in　all　things　which
repugne　not　the　Commandments　of　God：　There　is　this　one　thing　only
wanting　to　the　complete　understanding　of　all　civill　duty；　&　that
is；　to　know　which　are　the　Laws　and　Commandments　of　God。　For　else
we　cannot　tell　whether　that　which　the　civill　power　commands　us；
be　against　the　Lawes　of　God；　or　not；　whence　it　must　necessarily
happen；　that　either　by　too　much　obedience　to　the　civill
authority；　we　become　stubborne　against　the　divine　Majesty；　or　for
feare　of　sinning　against　God；　we　runne　into　disobedience　against
the　civill　power：　To　avoid　both　these　rocks；　its　necessary　to
know　the　Divine　Lawes。　now　because　the　knowledge　of　the　Lawes；
depends　on　the　knowledge　of　the　Kingdome；　we　must　in　what
followes；　speak　somewhat　concerning　the　Kingdome　of　God。
　　　　II。　The　Lord　is　King；　the　earth　may　be　glad　there　of　saith
the　Psalmist；　Psal：　97　v。　1。　And　againe　the　same　Psalmist；　Psal。
99。　v。　1。　The　Lord　is　King；　be　the　People　never　so　unpatient；　he
sitteth　betweene　the　Cherubins；　be　the　Earth　never　so　unquiet；　to
wit；　whether　men　will；　or　not；　God　is　THE　King　over　all　the
Earth；　nor　is　he　mov'd　from　his　Throne；　if　there　be　any　who　deny
either　his　existence；　or　his　providence。　Now　although　God　governe
all　men　so　by　his　power；　that　none　can　doe　any　thing　which　he
would　not　have　done；　yet　this；　to　speake　properly；　and
accurately；　is　not　to　reigne；　for　he　is　sayed　to　reigne；　who
rules　not　by　acting；　but　speaking；　that　is　to　say；　by　precepts
and　threatnings。　And　therefore　we　account　not　inanimate；　nor
irrationall　bodies；　for　Subjects　in　the　Kingdome　of　God；　although
they　be　subordinate　to　the　Divine　power；　because　they　understand
not　the　commands；　and　threats　of　God；　nor　yet　the　Atheists；
because　they　beleeve　not　that　there　is　a　God；　nor　yet　those　who
beleeving　there　is　a　God；　doe　not　yet　beleeve　that　he　rules　these
Inferiour　things；　for　even　these；　although　they　be　govern'd　by
the　power　of　God；　yet　doe　they　not　acknowledge　any　of　his
Commands；　nor　stand　in　awe　of　his　threats。　Those　onely　therefore
are　suppos'd　to　belong　to　Gods　Kingdome；　who　acknowledge　him　to
be　the　Governour　of　all　things；　and　that　he　hath　given　his
Commands　to　men；　and　appointed　punishments　for　the
transgressours；　The　rest；　we　must　not　call　Subjects；　but　Enemies
of　God。
　　　　III。　But　none　are　said　to　governe　by　commands；　but　they　who
openly　declare　them　to　those　who　are　govern'd　by　them；　for　the
Commands　of　the　Rulers　are　the　Lawes　of　the　Rul'd。　But　lawes　they
are　not；　if　not　perspicuously　publisht；　in　so　much　as　all　excuse
of　Ignorance　may　be　taken　away。　Men　indeed　publish　their　Lawes　by
word　or　voice；　neither　can　they　make　their　will　universally
knowne　any　other　way；　But　Gods　lawes　are　declar'd　after　a
threefold　manner：　first；　by　the　tacit　dictates　of　Right　reason：
next；　by　immediate　revelation；　which　is　suppos'd　to　be　done
either　by　a　supernaturall　voice；　or　by　a　vision　or　dreame；　or
divine　inspiration：　Thirdly；　by　the　voice　of　one　man　whom　God
recommends　to　the　rest；　as　worthy　of　beliefe；　by　the　working　of
true　miracles。　Now　he　whose　voice　God　thus　makes　use　of　to
signifie　his　will　unto　others；　is　called　a　PROPHET。　These　three
manners　may　be　term'd　the　threefold　word　of　God；　to　wit　the
Rationall　word；　the　sensible　word；　and　the　word　of　Prophecy：　To
which　answer；　the　three　manners　whereby　we　are　said　to　heare　God；
Right　reasoning；　sense；　and　faith。　Gods　sensible　word　hath　come
but　to　few；　neither　hath　God　spoken　to　men　by　Revelation　except
particularly　to　some；　and　to　diverse　diversely；　neither　have　any
Lawes　of　his　Kingdome　beene　publisht　on　this　manner　unto　any
people。
　　　　IV。　And　according　to　the　difference　which　is　between　the
Rationall　word　and　the　word　of　Prophecy；　we　attribute　a　twofold
Kingdome　unto　God：　Naturall；　in　which　he　reignes　by　the　dictates
of　right　reason；　and　which　is　universall　over　all　who　acknowledge
the　Divine　power；　by　reason　of　that　rationall　nature　which　is
common　to　all；　and　Propheticall；　in　which　he　rules　also　by　the
word　of　Prophecy；　which　is　peculiar；　because　he　hath　not　given
positive　Lawes　to　all　men；　but　to　his　peculiar　people；　and　some
certaine　men　elected　by　him。
　　　　V。　God　in　his　naturall　Kingdome　hath　a　Right　to　rule；　and　to
punish　those　who　break　his　Lawes；　from　his　sole　irresistable
power。　For　all　Right　over　others　is　either　from　nature；　or　from
Contract。　How　the　Right　of　governing　springs　from　Contract；　we
have　already　shewed　in　the　6。　Chapter。　And　the　same　Right　is
derived　from　nature；　in　this　very　thing；　that　it　is　not　by　nature
taken　away。　For　when　by　nature　all　men　had　a　Right　over　all
things；　every　man　had　a　Right　of　ruling　over　all　as　ancient　as
nature　it　selfe；　but　the　reason　why　this　was　abolisht　among　men；
was　no　other　but　mutuall　fear；　as　hath　been　declared　above　in　the
second　Chapter；　the　3。　art；　reason　namely　dictating　that　they
must　foregoe　that　Right　for　the　preservation　of　mankinde；　because
the　equality　of　men　among　themselves　according　to　their　strength
and　naturall　powers　was　necessarily　accompanied　with　warre；　and
with　warre　joynes　the　destruction　of　mankinde。　Now　if　any　man　had
so　farre　exceeded　the　rest　in　power；　that　all　of　them　with　joyned
forces　could　not　have　resisted　him；　there　had　been　no　cause　why
he　should　part　with　that　Right　which　nature　had　given　him；　The
Right　therefore　of　Dominion　over　all　the　rest；　would　have
remained　with　him；　by　reason　of　that　excesse　of　power　whereby　he
could　have　preserved　both　himselfe　and　them。　They　therefore　whose
power　cannot　be　resisted；　and　by　consequence　God　Almighty；
derives　his　Right　of　Soveraignty　from　the　Power　it　selfe。　And　as
oft　as　God　punisheth；　or　slayes　a　sinner；　although　he　therefore
punish　him　because　he　sinned；　yet　may　we　not　say　that　he　could
not　justly　have　punisht　or　killed　him　although　he　had　not　sinned。
Neither；　if　the　will　of　God　in　punishing；　may　perhaps　have　regard
to　some　sin　antecedent；　doth　it　therefore　follow；　that　the　Right
of　afflicting；　and　killing；　depends　not　on　divine　Power；　but　on
mens　sins。
　　　　VI。　That　question　made　famous　by　the　disputations　of　the
Antients；　why　evill　things　befell　the　good；　and　good　things　the
evill；　is　the　same　with　this　of　ours；　by　what　Right　God
dispenseth　good　and　evill　things　unto　men。　And　with　its
difficulty；　it　not　only　staggers　the　faith　of　the　vulgar
concerning　the　divine　providence；　but　also　of　Philosophers；　and
which　is　more；　even　of　holy　men。　Psal。　73。　v。　1；　2；　3。　Truly　God
is　good　to　Israel；　even　to　such　as　are　of　a　clean　heart。　but　as
for　me；　my　feet　were　almost　gone；　my　steps　had　well　nigh　slipt。
And　why？　I　was　grieved　at　the　wicked；　I　doe　also　see　the　ungodly
in　such　prosperity。　And　how　bitterly　did　Job　expostulate　with
God；　that　being　just；　he　should　yet　be　afflicted　with　so　many
calamities？　God　himselfe　with　open　voyce　resolved　this　difficulty
in　the　case　of　Job；　and　hath　confirmed　his　Right　by　arguments
drawn　not　from　Jobs　sinne；　but　from　his　own　power。　For　Job　and
his　friends　had　argued　so　among　themselves；　that　they　would　needs
make　him　guilty；　because　he　was　punisht；　and　he　would　reprove
their　accusation　by　arguments　fetcht　from　his　own　innocence：　But
God　when　he　had　heard　both　him　and　them；　refutes　his
expostulation；　not　by　condemning　him　of　injustice；　or　any　sin；
but　by　declaring　his　own　power；　Job。　38。　v。　4。　Where　wast　thou
（sayes　he）　when　I　laid　the　foundation　of　the　earth；　&c。　And　for
his　friends；　God　pronounces　himself　angry　against　them；　Job。　42。
v。　7。　Because　they　had　not　spoken　of　him　the　thing　that　is　right；
like　his　servant　Job。　Agreeable　to　this　is　that　speech　of　our
Saviours　in　the　mans　case　who　was　born　blind；　when；　his　Disciples
asking　him　whether　he　or　his　Parents　had　sinned；　that　he　was　born
blind；　he　answered；　John　9。　v。　3。　neither　hath　this　man　sinned；
nor　his　Parents；　but　that　the　works　of　God　should　be　manifest　in
him。　For　though　it　be　said；　Rom。　5。　12。　That　death　entred　into
the　world　by　sinne；　it　followes　not；　but　that　God　by　his　Right
might　have　made　men　subject　to　diseases；　and　death；　although　they
had　never　sinned；　even　as　he　hath　made　the　other　animalls
mortall；　and　sickly；　although　they　cannot　sinne。
　　　　VII。　Now　if　God　have　the　Right　of　Soveraignty　from　his　power；
it　is　manifest；　that　the　obligation　of　yeelding　him　obedience
lyes　on　men　by　reason　of　their　weaknesse；　for　that　obligation
which　rises　from　Contract；　of　which　we　have　spoken　in　the　second
Chapter；　can　have　no　place　here；　where　the　Right　of　Ruling　（no
Covenant　passing　between）　rises　only　from　nature。　But　there　are
two　Species　of　naturall　obligation；　one　when　liberty　is　taken
away　by　corporall　impediments；　according　to　which　we　say　that
heaven　and　earth；　and　all　Creatures；　doe　obey　the　common　Lawes　of
their　Creation：　The　other　when　it　is　taken　away　by　hope；　or　fear；
according　to　which　the　weaker　despairing　of　his　own　power　to
resist；　cannot　but　yeeld　to　the　stronger。　From　this　last　kinde　of
obligation；　that　is　to　say　from　fear；　or　conscience　of　our　own
weaknesse　（in　respect　of　the　divine　power）　it　comes　to　passe；
that　we　are　obliged　to　obey　God　in　his　naturall　Kingdome；　reason
dictating　to　all；　acknowledging　the　divine　power　and　providence；
that　there　is　no　kicking　against　the　pricks。
　　　　（By　reason　of　their　weaknesse）　If　this　shall　seem　hard　to　any
man；　I　desire　him　with　a　silent　thought　to　consider；　if　there
were　two　Omnipotents；　whether　were　bound　to　obey；　I　beleeve　he
will　confesse　that　neither　is　bound：　if　this　be　true；　then　it　is
also　true　what　I　have　set　down；　that　men　are　subject　unto　God
because　they　are　not　omnipotent。　And　truly　our　Saviour
admonishing　Paul　（who　at