Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

of the Jews in particular, they were bound by express words to receive
the determination of all hard questions from the priests and judges of
Israel for the time being.*(2) But this is to be understood of the
Jews that were yet unconverted.
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* Acts, 17. 2, 3
*(2) Deuteronomy, 17
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For the conversion of the Gentiles, there was no use of alleging the
Scriptures, which they believed not. The Apostles therefore laboured
by reason to confute their idolatry; and that done, to persuade them
to the faith of Christ by their testimony of his life and
resurrection. So that there could not yet be any controversy
concerning the authority to interpret Scripture; seeing no man was
obliged, during his infidelity, to follow any man's interpretation
of any Scripture except his sovereign's interpretation of the laws
of his country.
Let us now consider the conversion itself, and see what there was
therein that could be cause of such an obligation. Men were
converted to no other thing than to the belief of that which the
Apostles preached: and the Apostles preached nothing but that Jesus
was the Christ, that is to say, the King that was to save them and
reign over them eternally in the world to come; and consequently
that he was not dead, but risen again from the dead, and gone up
into heaven, and should come again one day to judge the world (which
also should rise again to be judged), and reward every man according
to his works. None of them preached that himself, or any other
Apostle, was such an interpreter of the Scripture as all that became
Christians ought to take their interpretation for law. For to
interpret the laws is part of the administration of a present kingdom,
which the Apostles had not. They prayed then, and all other pastors
since, "Let thy kingdom come"; and exhorted their converts to obey
their then ethnic princes. The New Testament was not yet published
in one body. Every of the evangelists was interpreter of his own
gospel, and every Apostle of his own epistle; and of the Old Testament
our Saviour himself saith to the Jews, "Search the Scriptures; for
in them ye think to have eternal life, and they are they that
testify of me."* If he had not meant they should interpret them, he
would not have bidden them take thence the proof of his being the
Christ: he would either have interpreted them himself, or referred
them to the interpretation of the priests.
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* John, 5. 39
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When a difficulty arose, the Apostles and elders of the Church
assembled themselves together, and determined what should be
preached and taught, and how they should interpret the Scriptures to
the people, but took not from the people the liberty to read and
interpret them to themselves. The Apostles sent diverse letters to the
Churches, and other writings for their instruction; which had been
in vain if they had not allowed them to interpret, that is, to
consider the meaning of them. And as it was in the Apostles' time,
it must be till such time as there should be pastors that could
authorize an interpreter whose interpretation should generally be
stood to: but that could not be till kings were pastors, or pastors
kings.
There be two senses wherein a writing may be said to be canonical: