XL: Of the Rights of the Kingdom of God, in Abraham, Moses, the High Priests, and the Kings of Judah explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Sovereignty and Absolute Power

  Hobbes argues that the sovereign (like Abraham or the king) holds supreme authority over both civil and religious matters, representing God's person.

• Religion and Civil Authority

  The chapter explores how religious authority is subsumed under civil sovereignty, with the sovereign as interpreter of God's word and enforcer of external worship.

• Liberty and Obligation

  Discusses the obligation of subjects to obey the sovereign's commands in religion, while inward belief remains outside human governance.

Characters to notice

• Abraham

  First in the kingdom of God by covenant; God spoke only to Abraham, who commanded his family to obey God's commands.

• Moses

  Renewed the covenant at Mount Sinai; acted as God's lieutenant for his time, with succession to Aaron.

• Aaron

  Succeeded Moses as high priest; the sacerdotal kingdom was settled upon him and his heirs.

• Samuel

  Displeased when the people demanded a king; anointed David as king after Saul's disobedience.

• Solomon

  Thrust out Abiathar from being priest; dedicated the temple and blessed the people, showing supremacy in religion.

• Josiah

  Sent the high priest and others to consult Huldah the prophetess about the Book of the Law, demonstrating royal authority over religion.

Key passages

• “The father of the faithful, and first in the kingdom of God by covenant, was Abraham.”

  Abraham was the first to enter into a covenant with God, establishing the kingdom of God.

  Hobbes identifies Abraham as the foundational figure in God's kingdom through covenant.

• “From whence may be concluded this first point, that they to whom God hath not spoken immediately are to receive the positive commandments of God from their sovereign, as the family and seed of Abraham did from Abraham their father, and lord, and civil sovereign.”

  Those who have not received direct revelation from God must accept God's commands as interpreted by their sovereign, just as Abraham's family obeyed him.

  Hobbes establishes the principle that the sovereign is the interpreter of divine will for the people.

• “And consequently in every commonwealth they who have no supernatural revelation to the contrary, ought to obey the laws of their own sovereign in the external acts and profession of religion.”

  In any commonwealth, unless one has a direct revelation from God, one must obey the sovereign's laws regarding outward religious practice.

  Hobbes argues for the sovereign's authority over external religious observance.

• “As for the inward 'thought' and 'belief' of men, which human governors can take no notice of (for God only knoweth the heart), they are not voluntary, nor the effect of the laws, but of the unrevealed will and of the power of God, and consequently fall not under obligation.”

  Internal thoughts and beliefs are not subject to human law because only God knows the heart; they are not voluntary and thus cannot be compelled.

  Hobbes distinguishes between external obedience and internal belief, which is beyond governmental control.

• “To conclude; from the first institution of God's kingdom to the captivity, the supremacy of religion was in the same hand with that of the civil sovereignty; and the priest's office after the election of Saul, was not magisterial but ministerial.”

  From the beginning of God's kingdom until the Babylonian captivity, religious supremacy was united with civil sovereignty; after Saul was chosen king, the priests served a ministerial rather than a governing role.

  Hobbes summarizes his argument that civil and religious authority were always combined in the sovereign.