THAT the condition of mere nature,that is to say,of absolute liberty,such as is theirs that neither are sovereigns nor subjects,is anarchy and the condition of war:that the precepts,by which men are guided to avoid that condition,are the laws of nature:that a Commonwealth without sovereign power is but a word without substance and cannot stand:that subjects owe to sovereigns simple obedience in all things wherein their obedience is not repugnant to the laws of God,I have sufficiently proved in that which I have already written.There wants only,for the entire knowledge of civil duty,to know what are those laws of God.For without that,a man knows not,when he is commanded anything by the civil power,whether it be contrary to the law of God or not:and so,either by too much civil obedience offends the Divine Majesty,or,through fear of offending God,transgresses the commandments of the Commonwealth.To avoid both these rocks,it is necessary to know what are the laws divine.
And seeing the knowledge of all law dependeth on the knowledge of the sovereign power,I shall say something in that which followeth of the KINGDOM OF GOD.
"God is King,let the earth rejoice,"saith the psalmist.And again,"God is King though the nations be angry;and he that sitteth on the cherubim,though the earth be moved."Whether men will or not,they must be subject always to the divine power.By denying the existence or providence of God,men may shake off their ease,but not their yoke.But to call this power of God,which extendeth itself not only to man,but also to beasts,and plants,and bodies inanimate,by the name of kingdom,is but a metaphorical use of the word.For he only is properly said to reign that governs his subjects by his word and by promise of rewards to those that obey it,by threatening them with punishment that obey it not.Subjects therefore in the kingdom of God are not bodies inanimate,nor creatures irrational;because they understand no precepts as his:
nor atheists,nor they that believe not that God has any care of the actions of mankind;because they acknowledge no word for his,nor have hope of his rewards,or fear of his threatenings.They therefore that believe there is a God that governeth the world,and hath given precepts,and propounded rewards and punishments to mankind,are God's subjects;all the rest are to be understood as enemies.
To rule by words requires that such words be manifestly made known;for else they are no laws:for to the nature of laws belongeth a sufficient and clear promulgation,such as may take away the excuse of ignorance;which in the laws of men is but of one only kind,and that is,proclamation or promulgation by the voice of man.
But God declareth his laws three ways;by the dictates of natural reason,by revelation,and by the voice of some man to whom,by the operation of miracles,he procureth credit with the rest.From hence there ariseth a triple word of God,rational,sensible,and prophetic;to which correspondeth a triple hearing:right reason,sense supernatural,and faith.As for sense supernatural,which consisteth in revelation or inspiration,there have not been any universal laws so given,because God speaketh not in that manner but to particular persons,and to diverse men diverse things.
From the difference between the other two kinds of God's word,rational and prophetic,there may be attributed to God a twofold kingdom,natural and prophetic:natural,wherein He governeth as many of mankind as acknowledge His providence,by the natural dictates of right reason;and prophetic,wherein having chosen out one peculiar nation,the Jews,for His subjects,He governed them,and none but them,not only by natural reason,but by positive laws,which He gave them by the mouths of His holy prophets.Of the natural kingdom of God I intend to speak in this chapter.
The right of nature whereby God reigneth over men,and punisheth those that break his laws,is to be derived,not from His creating them,as if He required obedience as of gratitude for His benefits,but from His irresistible power.I have formerly shown how the sovereign right ariseth from pact:to show how the same right may arise from nature requires no more but to show in what case it is never taken away.Seeing all men by nature had right to all things,they had right every one to reign over all the rest.But because this right could not be obtained by force,it concerned the safety of every one,laying by that right,to set up men,with sovereign authority,by common consent,to rule and defend them:whereas if there had been any man of power irresistible,there had been no reason why he should not by that power have ruled and defended both himself and them,according to his own discretion.To those therefore whose power is irresistible,the dominion of all men adhereth naturally by their excellence of power;and consequently it is from that power that the kingdom over men,and the right of afflicting men at his pleasure,belongeth naturally to God Almighty;not as Creator and gracious,but as omnipotent.And though punishment be due for sin only,because by that word is understood affliction for sin;yet the right of afflicting is not always derived from men's sin,but from God's power.
