Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

Pope. These are all the texts he bringeth for the infallibility of the
judgement of the Pope, in point of faith.
For the infallibility of his judgement concerning manners, he
bringeth one text, which is that of John, 16. 13, "When the Spirit
of truth is come, he will lead you into all truth": where, saith he,
by all truth is meant, at least, all truth necessary to salvation. But
with this mitigation, he attributeth no more infallibility to the Pope
than to any man that professeth Christianity, and is not to be damned:
for if any man err in any point, wherein not to err is necessary to
salvation, it is impossible he should be saved; for that only is
necessary to salvation without which to be saved is impossible. What
points these are I shall declare out of the Scripture in the chapter
following. In this place I say no more but that though it were granted
the Pope could not possibly teach any error at all, yet doth not
this entitle him to any jurisdiction in the dominions of another
prince, unless we shall also say a man is obliged in conscience to set
on work upon all occasions the best workman, even then also when he
hath formerly promised his work to another.
Besides the text, he argueth from reason, thus. If the Pope could
err in necessaries, then Christ hath not sufficiently provided for the
Church's salvation, because he hath commanded her to follow the Pope's
directions. But this reason is invalid, unless he show when and
where Christ commanded that, or took at all any notice of a Pope. Nay,
granting whatsoever was given to St. Peter was given to the Pope,
yet seeing there is in the Scripture no command to any man to
obeyeth him when his commands are contrary to those of his lawful
sovereign.
Lastly, it hath not been declared by the Church, nor by the Pope
himself, that he is the civil of all the Christians in the world;
and therefore all Christians are not bound to acknowledge his
jurisdiction in point of manners. For the civil sovereignty, and
supreme judicature in controversies of manners, are the same thing:
and the makers of civil laws are not only declarers, but also makers
of the justice and injustice of actions; there being nothing in
men's manners that makes them righteous or unrighteous, but their
conformity with the law of the sovereign. And therefore when the
Pope challengeth supremacy in controversies of manners, he teacheth
men to disobey the civil sovereign; which is an erroneous doctrine,
contrary to the many precepts of our Saviour and his Apostles
delivered to us in the Scripture.
To prove the Pope has power to make laws, he allegeth many places;
as first, Deuteronomy, 17. 12, "The man that will do presumptuously,
and will not hearken unto the priest, that standeth to minister
there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man
shall die, and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel." For answer
whereunto we are to remember that the high priest, next and
immediately under God, was the civil sovereign; and all judges were to
be constituted by him. The words alleged sound therefore thus, "The
man that will presume to disobey the civil sovereign for the time
being, or any of his officers, in the execution of their places,
that man shall die," etc., which is clearly for the civil sovereignty,
against the universal power of the Pope.
Secondly, he allegeth that of Matthew, 16, "Whatsoever ye shall
bind," etc., and interpreteth it for such binding as is attributed
to the Scribes and Pharisees, "They bind heavy burdens, and grievous
to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders";* by which is meant,
he says, making of laws; and concludes thence that the Pope can make