Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

the supreme power in all causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil, as
far as concerneth actions and words, for those only are known and
may be accused; and of that which cannot be accused, there is no judge
at all, but God, that knoweth the heart. And these rights are incident
to all sovereigns, whether monarchs or assemblies: for they that are
the representants of a Christian people are representants of the
Church: for a Church and a Commonwealth of Christian people are the
same thing.
Though this that I have here said, and in other places of this book,
seem clear enough for the asserting of the supreme ecclesiastical
power to Christian sovereigns, yet because the Pope of Rome's
challenge to that power universally hath been maintained chiefly,
and I think as strongly as is possible, by Cardinal Bellarmine in
his controversy DeSummo Pontifice, I have thought it necessary, as
briefly as I can, to examine the grounds and strength of his
discourse.
Of five books he hath written of this subject, the first
containeth three questions: one, which is simply the best
government, monarchy, aristocracy, or democracy, and concludeth for
neither, but for a government mixed of all three; another, which of
these is the best government of the Church, and concludeth for the
mixed, but which should most participate of monarchy; the third,
whether in this mixed monarchy, St. Peter had the place of monarch.
Concerning his first conclusion, I have already sufficiently proved
(Chapter eighteen) that all governments, which men are bound to
obey, are simple and absolute. In monarchy there is but one man
supreme, and all other men that have any kind of power in the state
have it by his commission, during his pleasure, and execute it in
his name; and in aristocracy and democracy, but one supreme
assembly, with the same power that in monarchy belongeth to the
monarch, which is not a mixed, but an absolute sovereignty. And of the
three sorts, which is the best is not to be disputed where any one
of them is already established; but the present ought always to be
preferred, maintained, and accounted best, because it is against
both the law of nature and the divine positive law to do anything
tending to the subversion thereof. Besides, it maketh nothing to the
power of any pastor (unless he have the civil sovereignty) what kind
of government is the best, because their calling is not to govern
men by commandment, but to teach them and persuade them by
arguments, and leave it to them to consider whether they shall embrace
or reject the doctrine taught. For monarchy, aristocracy, and
democracy do mark out unto us three sorts of sovereigns, not of
pastors; or, as we may say, three sorts of masters of families, not
three sorts of schoolmasters for their children.
And therefore the second conclusion, concerning the best form of
government of the Church, is nothing to the question of the Pope's
power without his own dominions: for in all other Commonwealths his
power, if he have any at all, is that of the schoolmaster only, and
not of the master of the family.
For the third conclusion, which is that St. Peter was monarch of the
Church, he bringeth for his chief argument the place of St. Matthew,
"Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church," etc. "And
I will give thee the keys of heaven; whatsoever thou shalt bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven."* Which place, well considered,
proveth no more but that the Church of Christ hath for foundation
one only article; namely, that which Peter, in the name of all the