Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

the succession from his heirs. Rehoboam was no idolater; but when
the people thought him an oppressor, that civil pretence carried
from him ten tribes to Jeroboam an idolater. And generally through the
whole history of the kings, as well of Judah as of Israel, there
were prophets that always controlled the kings for transgressing the
religion, and sometimes also for errors of state; as Jehoshaphat was
reproved by the prophet Jehu for aiding the King of Israel against the
Syrians;* and Hezekiah, by Isaiah, for showing his treasures to the
ambassadors of Babylon. By all which it appeareth that though the
power both of state and religion were in the kings, yet none of them
were uncontrolled in the use of it but such as were gracious for their
own natural abilities or felicities. So that from the practice of
those times, there can no argument be drawn that the right of
supremacy in religion was not in the kings, unless we place it in
the prophets, and conclude that because Hezekiah, praying to the
Lord before the cherubim, was not answered from thence, nor then,
but afterwards by the prophet Isaiah, therefore Isaiah was supreme
head of the Church; or because Josiah consulted Huldah the prophetess,
concerning the Book of the Law, that therefore neither he, nor the
high priest, but Huldah the prophetess had the supreme authority in
matter of religion, which I think is not the opinion of any doctor.
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* II Chronicles, 19. 2
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During the Captivity the Jews had no Commonwealth at all; and
after their return, though they renewed their covenant with God, yet
there was no promise made of obedience, neither to Esdras nor to any
other: and presently after they became subjects to the to the
Greeks, from whose customs and demonology, and from the doctrine of
the Cabalists, their religion became much corrupted: in such sort as
nothing can be gathered from their confusion, both in state and
religion, concerning the supremacy in either. And therefore so far
forth as concerneth the Old Testament, we may conclude that
whosoever had the sovereignty of the Commonwealth amongst the Jews,
the same had also the supreme authority in matter of God's external
worship, and represented God's person; that is, the person of God
the Father; though He were not called by the name of Father till
such time as He sent into the world His Son Jesus Christ to redeem
mankind from their sins, and bring them into his everlasting kingdom
to be saved for evermore. Of which we are to speak in the chapter
following.
CHAPTER XLI
OF THE OFFICE OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR
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WE FIND in Holy Scripture three parts of the office of the
Messiah: the first of a redeemer, or saviour; the second of a
pastor, counsellor, or teacher, that is, of a prophet sent from God to
convert such as God hath elected to salvation; the third of a king, an
eternal king, but under his Father, as Moses and the high priests were
in their several times. And to these three parts are correspondent
three times. For, our redemption he wrought at his first coming, by
the sacrifice wherein he offered up himself for our sins upon the
cross; our conversion he wrought partly then in his own person, and
partly worketh now by his ministers, and will continue to work till
his coming again. And after his coming again shall begin that his
glorious reign over his elect which is to last eternally.