Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall
declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall
try every man's work, what sort it is. If any man's work abide which
he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's
work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be
saved, yet so as by fire." Which words, being partly plain and easy to
understand, and partly allegorical and difficult, out of that which is
plain may be inferred that pastors that teach this foundation, that
Jesus is the Christ, though they draw from it false consequences
(which all men are sometimes subject to), they may nevertheless be
saved; much more that they may be saved, who, being no pastors, but
hearers, believe that which is by their lawful pastors taught them.
Therefore the belief of this article is sufficient; and by
consequence, there is no other article of faith necessarily required
to salvation.
Now for the part which is allegorical, as that "the fire shall try
every man's work," and that they "shall be saved, but so as by
fire," or "through fire" (for the original is dia puros), it maketh
nothing against this conclusion which I have drawn from the other
words that are plain. Nevertheless, because upon this place there hath
been an argument taken to prove the fire of purgatory, I will also
here offer you my conjecture concerning the meaning of this trial of
doctrines and saving of men as by fire. The Apostle here seemeth to
allude to the words of the Prophet Zechariah, who, speaking of the
restoration of the kingdom of God, saith thus, "Two parts therein
shall be cut off, and die, but the third shall be left therein; and
I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them
as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall
call on the name of the Lord, and I will hear them."* The day of
judgement is the day of the restoration of the kingdom of God; and
at that day it is that St. Peter tells us shall be the conflagration
of the world, wherein the wicked shall perish; but the remnant which
God will save shall pass through that fire unhurt, and be therein
(as silver and gold are refined by the fire from their dross) tried,
and refined from their idolatry, and be made to call upon the name
of the true God.*(2) Alluding whereto, St. Paul here saith that "the
day" (that is, the day of judgement, the great day of our Saviour's
coming to restore the kingdom of God in Israel) shall try every
man's doctrine, by judging which are gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble; and then they that have built false consequences
on the true foundation shall see their doctrines condemned;
nevertheless they themselves shall be saved, and pass unhurt through
this universal fire, and live eternally, to call upon the name of
the true and only God. In which sense there is nothing that
accordeth not with the rest of Holy Scripture, or any glimpse of the
fire of purgatory.
-
* Zechariah, 13. 8, 9
*(2) II Peter, 3
-
But a man may here ask whether it be not as necessary to salvation
to believe that God is Omnipotent Creator of the world; that Jesus
Christ is risen; and that all men else shall rise again from the
dead at the last day; as to believe that Jesus is the Christ. To which
I answer, they are; and so are many more articles; but they are such
as are contained in this one, and may be deduced from it, with more or
less difficulty. For who is there that does not see that they who