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　Nature；　every　man　is　taught　to　shun。　Having　therefore　thus　arrived　at　two　maximes　of　humane　Nature；　the　one　arising　from　the　concupiscible　part；　which　desires　to　appropriate　to　it　selfe　the　use　of　those　things　in　which　all　others　have　a　joynt　interest；　the　other　proceeding　from　the　rationall；　which　teaches　every　man　to　fly　a　contre…naturall　Dissolution；　as　the　greatest　mischiefe　that　can　arrive　to　Nature；　Which　principles　being　laid　down；　I　seem　from　them　to　have　demonstrated　by　a　most　evident　connexion；　in　this　little　work　of　mine；　first　the　absolute　necessity　of　Leagues　and　Contracts；　and　thence　the　rudiments　both　of　morall　and　of　civill　prudence。　That　Appendage　which　is　added　concerning　the　Regiment　of　God；　hath　been　done　with　this　intent；　that　the　Dictates　of　God　Almighty　in　the　Law　of　nature；　might　not　seem　repugnant　to　the　written　Law；　revealed　to　us　in　his　word。　I　have　also　been　very　wary　in　the　whole　tenour　of　my　discourse；　not　to　meddle　with　the　civill　Lawes　of　any　particular　nation　whatsoever；　That　is　to　say；　I　have　avoyded　coming　a　shore；　which　those　Times　have　so　infested　both　with　shelves；　and　Tempests。　At　what　expence　of　time　and　industry　I　have　beene　in　this　scrutiny　after　Truth；　I　am　not　ignorant；　but　to　what　purpose；　I　know　not。　For　being　partiall　Judges　of　our　selves；　we　lay　a　partiall　estimate　upon　our　own　productions。　I　therefore　offer　up　this　Book　to　your　Lordships；　not　favour；　but　censure　first；　as　having　found　by　many　experiments；　that　it　is　not　the　credit　of　the　Author；　nor　the　newnesse　of　the　work；　nor　yet　the　ornament　of　the　style；　but　only　the　weight　of　Reason；　which　recommends　any　Opinion　to　your　Lordships　Favour　and　Approbation。　If　it　fortune　to　please；　that　is　to　say；　if　it　be　sound；　if　it　be　usefull；　if　it　be　not　vulgar；　I　humbly　offer　it　to　your　Lordship　as　both　my　Glory；　and　my　protection；　But　if　in　any　thing　I　have　erred；　your　Lordship　will　yet　accept　it　as　a　Testimony　of　my　Gratitude；　for　that　the　means　of　study　which　I　enjoyed　by　your　Lordships　Goodnesse；　I　have　employed　to　the　procurement　of　your　Lordships　Favour。　The　God　of　Heaven　crown　your　Lordship　with　length　of　Dayes　in　this　earthly　Station；　and　in　the　heavenly　Jerusalem；　with　a　crown　of　Glory。

Your　Honours　most　humble；　and　most　devoted　Servant；　Tho。　Hobbs。


The　Authors　Preface　to　the　Reader

　　　　Reader；　I　promise　thee　here　such　things；　which　ordinarily　promised；　doe　seeme　to　challenge　the　greatest　attention；　and　I　lay　them　here　before　thine　eyes；　whether　thou　regard　the　dignity　or　profit　of　the　matter　treated　of；　or　the　right　method　of　handling　it；　or　the　honest　motive；　and　good　advice　to　undertake　it；　or　lastly　the　moderation　of　the　Authour。　In　this　Book　thou　shalt　finde　briefly　described　the　duties　of　men；　First　as　Men；　then　as　Subjects；　Lastly；　as　Christians；　under　which　duties　are　contained　not　only　the　elements　of　the　Lawes　of　Nature；　and　of　Nations；　together　with　the　true　originall；　and　power　of　Justice；　but　also　the　very　essence　of　Christian　Religion　it　selfe；　so　farre　forth　as　the　measure　of　this　my　purpose　could　well　bear　it。　　　　　Which　kinde　of　doctrine　（excepting　what　relates　to　Christian　Religion）　the　most　antient　Sages　did　judge　fittest　to　be　delivered　to　posterity；　either　curiously　adorned　with　Verse；　or　clouded　with　Allegories；　as　a　most　beautifull　and　hallowed　mystery　of　Royall　authority；　lest　by　the　disputations　of　private　men；　it　might　be　defiled；　Other　philosophers　in　the　mean　time；　to　the　advantage　of　mankinde；　did　contemplate　the　faces；　and　motions　of　things；　others；　without　disadvantage；　their　natures；　and　causes。　But　in　after　times；　Socrates　is　said　to　have　been　the　first；　who　truly　loved　this　civill　Science；　although　hitherto　not　throughly　understood；　yet　glimmering　forth　as　through　a　cloud　in　the　government　of　the　Common　weale；　and　that　he　set　so　great　a　value　on　this；　that　utterly　abandoning；　and　despising　all　other　parts　of　philosophy；　he　wholly　embraced　this；　as　judging　it　onely　worthy　the　labour　of　his　minde。　After　him　comes　Plato；　Aristotle；　Cicero；　and　other　philosophers；　as　well　Greeke；　as　Latine。　And　now　at　length　all　men　of　all　Nations；　not　only　philosophers；　but　even　the　vulgar；　have；　and　doe　still　deale　with　this　as　a　matter　of　ease；　exposed　and　prostitute　to　every　Mother…wit；　and　to　be　attained　without　any　great　care　or　study。　And　which　makes　mainly　for　its　dignity；　those　who　suppose　themselves　to　have　it；　or　are　in　such　employment；　as　they　ought　to　have　it；　doe　so　wonderfully　please　themselves　in　its　Idaea；　as　they　easily　brooke　the　followers　of　other　arts　to　be　esteemed　and　styled　ingenuous；　learned；　skilfull；　what　you　will；　except　prudent：　for　this　Name；　in　regard　of　civill　knowledge；　they　presume　to　be　due　to　themselves　onely。　Whether　therefore　the　worth　of　arts　is　to　be　weighed　by　the　worthinesse　of　the　persons　who　entertain　them；　or　by　the　number　of　those　who　have　written　of　them；　or　by　the　judgement　of　the　wisest。　certainly　this　must　carry　it；　which　so　neerly　relates　to　princes；　and　others　engaged　in　the　government　of　mankinde；　in　whose　adulterate　Species　also　the　most　part　of　men　doe　delight　themselves；　and　in　which　the　most　excellent　wits　of　philosophers　have　been　conversant。　The　benefit　of　it　when　rightly　delivered　（that　is）　when　derived　from　true　principles　by　evident　connexion；　we　shall　then　best　discerne；　when　we　shall　but　well　have　considered　the　mischiefes　that　have　befallen　mankinde　in　its　counterfeit　and　babling　form；　for　in　such　matters　as　are　speculated　for　the　exercise　of　our　wits；　if　any　errour　escape　us；　it　is　without　hurt；　neither　is　there　any　losse；　but　of　time　onely：　but　in　those　things　which　every　man　ought　to　meditate　for　the　steerage　of　his　life；　it　necessarily　happens；　that　not　onely　from　errours；　but　even　from　ignorance　it　selfe；　there　arise　offences；　contentions；　nay　even　slaughter　it　selfe。　Look　now；　how　great　a　prejudice　these　are；　such；　and　so　great　is　the　benefit　arising　from　this　doctrine　of　morality；　truly　declared。　How　many　Kings　（and　those　good　men　too）　hath　this　one　errour；　That　a　Tyrant　King　might　lawfully　be　put　to　death；　been　the　slaughter　of？　How　many　throats　hath　this　false　position　cut；　That　a　prince　for　some　causes　may　by　some　certain　men　be　deposed？　And　what　blood…shed　hath　not　this　erroneous　doctrine　caused；　That　Kings　are　not　superiours　to；　but　administrators　for　the　multitude？　Lastly；　how　many　rebellions　hath　this　opinion　been　the　cause　of　which　teacheth　that　the　knowledge　whether　the　commands　of　Kings　be　just　or　unjust；　belongs　to　private　men；　and　that　before　they　yeeld　obedience；　they　not　only　may；　but　ought　to　dispute　them？　Besides；　in　the　morall　philosophy　now　commonly　received；　there　are　many　things　no　lesse　dangerous　then　those；　which　it　matters　not　now　to　recite。　I　suppose　those　antients　foresaw　this；　who　rather　chose　to　have　the　Science　of　justice　wrapt　up　in　fables；　then　openly　exposed　to　disputations：　for　before　such　questions　began　to　be　moved；　princes　did　not　sue　for；　but　already　exercised　the　supreme　power。　They　kept　their　Empire　entire；　not　by　arguments；　but　by　punishing　the　wicked；　and　protecting　the　good；　likewise　Subjects　did　not　measure　what　was　just　by　the　sayings　and　judgements　of　private　men；　but　by　the　Lawes　of　the　Realme；　nor　were　they　kept　in　peace　by　disputations；　but　by　power　and　authority：　yea　they　reverenced　the　supreme　power；　whether　residing　in　one　man　or　in　a　councell；　as　a　certain　visible　divinity；　therefore　they　little　used　as　in　our　dayes；　to　joyn　themselves　with　ambitious；　and　hellish　spirits；　to　the　utter　ruine　of　their　State；　for　they　could　not　entertain　so　strange　a　phansie　as　not　to　desire　the　preservation　of　that　by　which　they　were　preserved；　in　truth；　the　simplicity　of　those　times　was　not　yet　capable　of　so　learned　a　piece　of　folly。　Wherefore　it　was　peace；　and　a　golden　age；　which　ended　not　before　that　Saturn　being　expelled；　it　was　taught　lawfull　to　take　up　arms　against　Kings。　This　I　say；　the　Antients　not　only　themselves　saw；　but　in　one　of　their　fables；　they　seem　very　aptly　to　have　signified　it　to　us；　for　they　say；　that　when　Ixion　was　invited　by　Jupiter　to　a　banquet；　he　fell　in　love；　and　began　to　court　Juno　her　selfe；　offering　to　embrace　her；　he　clasp't　a　clowd；　from　whence　the　Centaures　proceeded；　by　nature　halfe　men；　halfe　horses；　a　fierce；　a　fighting；　and　unquiet　generation；　which　changing　the　names　only；　is　as　much　as　if　they　should　have　said；　that　private　men　being　called　to　Counsels　of　State　desired　to　prostitute　justice；　the　onely　sister　and　wife　of　the　supreme；　to　their　own　judgements；　and　apprehensions；　but　embracing　a　false　and　empty　shadow　instead　of　it；　they　have　begotten　those　hermaphrodite　opinions　of　morall　philosophers；　partly　right　and　comely；　partly　brutall　and　wilde；　the　causes　of　all　contentions；　and　blood…sheds。　Since　therefore　such　opinions　are　daily　seen　to　arise；　if　any　man　now　shall　dispell　those　clowds；　and　by　most　firm　reasons　demonstrate　that　there　are　no　authenticall　doctrines　concerning　right　and　wrong；　good　and　evill；　besides　the　constituted　Lawes　in　each　Realme；　and　government；　and　that　the　question　whether　any　future　action　will　prove　just　or　unjust；　good　or　ill；　is　to　be　demanded　of　none；　but　those　to　whom　the　supreme　hath　committed　the　interpretation　of　his　Lawes；　surely　he　will