Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

generally so much inclined to the reverence of antiquity as to
prefer ancient errors before new and well-proved truth.
There is nothing I distrust more than my elocution, which
nevertheless I am confident (excepting the mischances of the press) is
not obscure. That I have neglected the ornament of quoting ancient
poets, orators, and philosophers, contrary to the custom of late time,
whether I have done well or ill in it, proceedeth from my judgement,
grounded on many reasons. For first, all truth of doctrine dependeth
either upon reason or upon Scripture; both which give credit to
many, but never receive it from any writer. Secondly, the matters in
question are not of fact, but of right, wherein there is no place
for witnesses. There is scarce any of those old writers that
contradicteth not sometimes both himself and others; which makes their
testimonies insufficient. Fourthly, such opinions as are taken only
upon credit of antiquity are not intrinsically the judgement of
those that cite them, but words that pass, like gaping, from mouth
to mouth. Fifthly, it is many times with a fraudulent design that
men stick their corrupt doctrine with the cloves of other men's wit.
Sixthly, I find not that the ancients they cite took it for an
ornament to do the like with those that wrote before them.
Seventhly, it is an argument of indigestion, when Greek and Latin
sentences unchewed come up again, as they use to do, unchanged.
Lastly, though I reverence those men of ancient time that either
have written truth perspicuously, or set us in a better way to find it
out ourselves; yet to the antiquity itself I think nothing due. For if
we will reverence the age, the present is the oldest: if the antiquity
of the writer, I am not sure that generally they to whom such honour
is given, were more ancient when they wrote than I am that am writing:
but if it be well considered, the praise of ancient authors proceeds
not from the reverence of the dead, but from the competition and
mutual envy of the living.
To conclude, there is nothing in this whole discourse, nor in that I
wrote before of the same subject in Latin, as far as I can perceive,
contrary either to the word of God or to good manners; or to the
disturbance of the public tranquillity. Therefore I think it may be
profitably printed, and more profitably taught in the Universities, in
case they also think so, whom the judgement of the same belongeth. For
seeing the Universities are the fountains of civil and moral doctrine,
from whence the preachers and the gentry, drawing such water as they
find, use to sprinkle the same (both from the pulpit and in their
conversation) upon the people, there ought certainly to be great
care taken, to have it pure, both from the venom of heathen
politicians, and from the incantation of deceiving spirits. And by
that means the most men, knowing their duties, will be the less
subject to serve the ambition of a few discontented persons in their
purposes against the state, and be the less grieved with the
contributions necessary for their peace and defence; and the governors
themselves have the less cause to maintain at the common charge any
greater army than is necessary to make good the public liberty against
the invasions and encroachments of foreign enemies.
And thus I have brought to an end my discourse of civil and
ecclesiastical government, occasioned by the disorders of the
present time, without partiality, without application, and without
other design than to set before men's eyes the mutual relation between
protection and obedience; of which the condition of human nature,
and the laws divine, both natural and positive, require an
inviolable observation. And though in the revolution of states there