Eet. 3. Mr. HoBBES's Writings. 31 taken notice of above; the latter I have not ſeen, and therefore know not how far ſome of the obſervations there made may have coincided with mine.

S. ₰

L. E I T. E R III.

Obſervations on Mr. Hobßbes's writings. He ſometimes profeſſetb a regard io the ſcripture as tbe word and lauo of God, at otber times ridicules inſpiration or revelation. He attempts to invalidate ibe ſacred Canon, and makes religion and ibe autbority of ſcripture to depend entirely on tbe authority of tbe magiſtrate. His ſtrange maxims in morality and politics. His ſcheme tends to ſubvert natural religion as well as revealed. Confuted by ſeveral learned authors.

Nmy two former letters ſome obſervations were made on the 1 writings of that eminent Deiſt, Lord Herbert of Cherbury. The next writer I fhall mention was in ſeveral reſpects of a dif- ferent character from that noble Lord, though alſo very fa- mous in his time, the noted Mr. Thomas Hobbes of Malmſbury. There have been few perſons, whoſe writings have had a more pernicious influence in ſpreading irreligion and infidelity than his; and yet none of his treatiſes are directly levelled againſt revealed religion: and therefore I fhall content myſelf with ſome brief general reffections upon them. He ſometimes affects to ſpeak with veneration of the ſacred writings. He expreſsly de- clareth, that though the laws of nature are not laws as they proceed from nature, yet“as they are given by God in holy * ſcripture, they are properly called laws; for the holy ſcrip- “ture is the voice of God, ruling all things by the greateſt ¹righta.“ But though he ſeems here to make the laws of ſcripture to be the laws of God, and to derive their force from his ſupreme authority, yet in many other paſſages, ſome of

a De Cive, cap. iii,§ 33.

; Whiich