Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

the kingdom of grace, as naturalized in that heavenly kingdom.
Hitherto therefore there is nothing done or taught by Christ that
tendeth to the diminution of the civil right of the Jews or of Caesar.
For as touching the Commonwealth which then was amongst the Jews, both
they that bore rule amongst them and they that were governed did all
expect the Messiah and kingdom of God; which they could not have
done if their laws had forbidden him, when he came, to manifest and
declare himself. Seeing therefore he did nothing, but by preaching and
miracles go about to prove himself to be that Messiah, he did
therein nothing against their laws. The kingdom he claimed was to be
in another world: he taught all men to obey in the meantime them
that sat in Moses' seat: he allowed them to give Caesar his tribute,
and refused to take upon himself to be a judge. How then could his
words or actions be seditious, or tend to the overthrow of their
then civil government But God having determined his sacrifice for the
reduction of His elect to their former covenanted obedience, for the
means, whereby He would bring the same to effect, made use of their
malice and ingratitude. Nor was it contrary to the laws of Caesar. For
though Pilate himself, to gratify the Jews, delivered him to be
crucified; yet before he did so, he pronounced openly that he found no
fault in him; and put for title of his condemnation, not as the Jews
required, "that he pretended to be king," but simply, "that he was
King of the Jews"; and notwithstanding their clamour, refused to alter
it, saying, "What I have written, I have written."
As for the third part of his office, which was to be king, I have
already shown that his kingdom was not to begin till the resurrection.
But then he shall be king, not only as God, in which sense he is
king already, and ever shall be, of all the earth, in virtue of his
omnipotence; but also peculiarly of his own elect, by virtue of the
pact they make with him in their baptism. And therefore it is that our
Saviour saith that his Apostles should sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel, "When the Son of Man shall sit in
the throne of his glory":* whereby he signified that he should reign
then in his human nature; and "The Son of Man shall come in the
glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every
man according to his works."*(2) The same we may read, Mark, 13. 26,
and 14. 62, and more expressly for the time, Luke, 22. 29, 30, "I
appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed to me, that
you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel." By which it is manifest that the
kingdom of Christ appointed to him by his Father is not to be before
the Son of Man shall come in glory, and make his Apostles judges of
the twelve tribes of Israel. But a man may here ask, seeing there is
no marriage in the kingdom of heaven, whether men shall then eat and
drink. What eating therefore is meant in this place This is expounded
by our Saviour where he saith, "Labour not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,
which the Son of Man shall give you."*(3) So that by eating at
Christ's table is meant the eating of the tree of life; that is to
say, the enjoying of immortality, in the kingdom of the Son of Man. By
which places, and many more, it is evident that our Saviour's
kingdom is to be exercised by him in his human nature.
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* Loc. cit.
*(2) Ibid., 16. 27
*(3) John, 6. 27
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