Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

law; for to the law moral he was obliged before, as by an oath of
allegiance. And though the name of King be not yet given to God; nor
of kingdom to Abraham and his seed, yet the thing is the same; namely,
an institution by pact of God's peculiar sovereignty over the seed
of Abraham, which in the renewing of the same covenant by Moses at
Mount Sinai is expressly called a peculiar kingdom of God over the
Jews: and it is of Abraham, not of Moses, St. Paul saith that he is
the father of the faithful;*(3) that is, of those that are loyal and
do not violate their allegiance sworn to God, then by circumcision,
and afterwards in the New Covenant by baptism.
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* Genesis, 17. 7, 8
*(2) Ibid., 16. 11
*(3) Romans, 4. 11
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This covenant at the foot of Mount Sinai was renewed by Moses
where the Lord commandeth Moses to speak to the people in this manner,
"If you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar people to me, for all the earth is mine; and ye shall be
unto me a sacerdotal kingdom, and an holy nation."* For a "peculiar
people," the vulgar Latin hath, peculium de cunctis populis: the
English translation made in the beginning of the reign of King James
hath, a "peculiar treasure unto me above all nations"; and the
Geneva French, "the most precious jewel of all nations." But the
truest translation is the first, because it is confirmed by St. Paul
himself where he saith,*(2) alluding to that place, that our blessed
Saviour "gave Himself for us, that He might purify us to Himself, a
peculiar (that is, an extraordinary) people": for the word is in the
Greek periousios, which is opposed commonly to the word epiousios: and
as this signifieth ordinary, quotidian, or, as in the Lord's Prayer,
of daily use; so the other signifieth that which is overplus, and
stored up, and enjoyed in a special manner; which the Latins call
peculium: and this meaning of the place is confirmed by the reason God
rendereth of it, which followeth immediately, in that He addeth,
"For all the earth is mine," as if He should say, "All the nations
of the world are mine; but it is not so that you are mine, but in a
special manner: for they are all mine, by reason of my power; but
you shall be mine by your own consent and covenant," which is an
addition to his ordinary title to all nations.
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* Exodus, 19. 5
*(2) Titus, 2. 14
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The same is again confirmed in express words in the same text, "Ye
shall be to me a sacerdotal kingdom, and an holy nation." The vulgar
Latin hath it, regnum sacerdotale, to which agreeth the translation of
that place, sacerdotium regale, a regal priesthood;* as also the
institution itself, by which no man might enter into the sanctum
sanctorum, that is to say, no man might enquire God's will immediately
of God Himself, but only the high priest. The English translation
before mentioned, following that of Geneva, has, "a kingdom of
priests"; which is either meant of the succession of one high priest
after another, or else it accordeth not with St. Peter, nor with the
exercise of the high priesthood. For there was never any but the
high priest only that was to inform the people of God's will; nor
any convocation of priests ever allowed to enter into the sanctum
sanctorum.