CHAPTER XXXI
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD BY NATURE

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."*(2) 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.

* Psalms, 97. 1
*(2) Ibid., 99. 1

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.
This question: why evil men often prosper; and good men suffer
adversity, has been much disputed by the ancient, and is the same with
this of ours: by what right God dispenseth the prosperities and
adversities of this life; and is of that difficulty, as it hath shaken
the faith, not only of the vulgar, but of philosophers and, which is
more, of the saints, concerning the Divine Providence. "How good,"
saith David, "is the God of Israel to those that are upright in heart;
and yet my feet were almost gone, my treadings had well-nigh
slipped; for I was grieved at the wicked, when I saw the ungodly in
such prosperity."* And Job, how earnestly does he expostulate with God
for the many afflictions he suffered, notwithstanding his
righteousness? This question in the case of Job is decided by God
Himself, not by arguments derived from Job's sin, but His own power.
For whereas the friends of Job drew their arguments from his
affliction to his sin, and he defended himself by the conscience of
his innocence, God Himself taketh up the matter, and having
justified the affliction by arguments drawn from His power, such as
this, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the
earth,"*(2) and the like, both approved Job's innocence and reproved
the erroneous doctrine of his friends. Conformable to this doctrine is
the sentence of our Saviour concerning the man that was born blind, in
these words, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his fathers; but
that the works of God might be made manifest in him." And though it be
said, "that death entered into the world by sin," (by which is meant
that if Adam had never sinned, he had never died, that is, never
suffered any separation of his soul from his body), it follows not
thence that God could not justly have afflicted him, though he had not
sinned, as well as He afflicteth other living creatures that cannot
sin.

* Psalms, 73. 1-3
*(2) Job, 38. 4

Having spoken of the right of God's sovereignty as grounded only
on nature, we are to consider next what are the divine laws, or
dictates of natural reason; which laws concern either the natural
duties of one man to another, or the honour naturally due to our
Divine Sovereign. The first are the same laws of nature, of which I
have spoken already in the fourteenth and fifteenth Chapters of this
treatise; namely, equity, justice, mercy, humility, and the rest of
the moral virtues. It remaineth therefore that we consider what
precepts are dictated to men by their natural reason only, without
other word of God, touching the honour and worship of the Divine
Majesty.
Honour consisteth in the inward thought and opinion of the power and
goodness of another: and therefore to honour God is to think as highly
of His power and goodness as is possible. And of that opinion, the
external signs appearing in the words and actions of men are called
worship; which is one part of that which the Latins understand by
the word cultus: for cultus signifieth properly, and constantly,
that labour which a man bestows on anything with a purpose to make
benefit by it. Now those things whereof we make benefit are either
subject to us, and the profit they yield followeth the labour we
bestow upon them as a natural effect; or they are not subject to us,
but answer our labour according to their own wills. In the first sense
the labour bestowed on the earth is called culture; and the
education of children, a culture of their minds. In the second
sense, where men's wills are to be wrought to our purpose, not by
force, but by complaisance, it signifieth as much as courting, that
is, winning of favour by good offices; as by praises, by acknowledging
their power, and by whatsoever is pleasing to them from whom we look
for any benefit. And this is properly worship: in which sense
publicola is understood for a worshipper of the people; and cultus
Dei, for the worship of God.
From internal honour, consisting in the opinion of power and
goodness, arise three passions; love, which hath reference to
goodness; and hope, and fear, that relate to power: and three parts of
external worship; praise, magnifying, and blessing: the subject of
praise being goodness; the subject of magnifying and blessing being
power, and the effect thereof felicity. Praise and magnifying are
signified both by words and actions: by words, when we say a man is
good or great; by actions, when we thank him for his bounty, and
obey his power. The opinion of the happiness of another can only be
expressed by words.
There be some signs of honour, both in attributes and actions,
that be naturally so; as amongst attributes, good, just, liberal,
and the like; and amongst actions, prayers, thanks, and obedience.
Others are so by institution, or custom of men; and in some times
and places are honourable; in others, dishonourable; in others,
indifferent: such as are the gestures in salutation, prayer, and
thanksgiving, in different times and places, differently used. The
former is natural; the latter arbitrary worship.
And of arbitrary worship, there be two differences: for sometimes it
is commanded, sometimes voluntary worship: commanded, when it is
such as he requireth who is worshipped: free, when it is such as the
worshipper thinks fit. When it is commanded, not the words or gesture,
but the obedience is the worship. But when free, the worship
consists in the opinion of the beholders: for if to them the words
or actions by which we intend honour seem ridiculous, and tending to
contumely; they are no worship, because no signs of honour; and no
signs of honour, because a sign is not a sign to him that giveth it,
but to him to whom it is made, that is, to the spectator.
Again there is a public an private worship. Public is the worship
that a Commonwealth performeth, as one person. Private is that which a
private person exhibiteth. Public, in respect of the whole
Commonwealth, is free; but in respect of particular men it is not
so. Private is in secret free; but in the sight of the multitude it is
never without some restraint, either from the laws or from the opinion
of men; which is contrary to the nature of liberty.
The end of worship amongst men is power. For where a man seeth
another worshipped, he supposeth him powerful, and is the readier to
obey him; which makes his power greater. But God has no ends: the
worship we do him proceeds from our duty and is directed according
to our capacity by those rules of honour that reason dictateth to be
done by the weak to the more potent men, in hope of benefit, for
fear of damage, or in thankfulness for good already received from
them.
That we may know what worship of God is taught us by the light of
nature, I will begin with His attributes. Where, first, it is
manifest, we ought to attribute to Him existence: for no man can
have the will to honour that which he thinks not to have any being.
Secondly, that those philosophers who said the world, or the soul of
the world, was God spake unworthily of Him, and denied His
existence: for by God is understood the cause of the world; and to say
the world is God is to say there is no cause of it, that is, no God.
Thirdly, to say the world was not created, but eternal, seeing
that which is eternal has no cause, is to deny there is a God.
Fourthly, that they who, attributing, as they think, ease to God,
take from Him the care of mankind, take from Him his honour: for it
takes away men's love and fear of Him, which is the root of honour.
Fifthly, in those things that signify greatness and power, to say He
is finite is not to honour Him: for it is not a sign of the will to
honour God to attribute to Him less than we can; and finite is less
than we can, because to finite it is easy to add more.
Therefore to attribute figure to Him is not honour; for all figure
is finite:
Nor to say we conceive, and imagine, or have an idea of Him in our
mind; for whatsoever we conceive is finite:
Nor to attribute to Him parts or totality; which are the
attributes only of things finite:
Nor to say He is in this or that place; for whatsoever is in place
is bounded and finite:
Nor that He is moved or resteth; for both these attributes ascribe
to Him place:
Nor that there be more gods than one, because it implies them all
finite; for there cannot be more than one infinite:
Nor to ascribe to Him (unless metaphorically, meaning not the
passion, but the effect) passions that partake of grief; as
repentance, anger, mercy: or of want; as appetite, hope, desire; or of
any passive faculty: for passion is power limited by somewhat else.
And therefore when we ascribe to God a will, it is not to be
understood, as that of man, for a rational appetite; but as the
power by which He effecteth everything.
Likewise when we attribute to Him sight, and other acts of sense; as
also knowledge and understanding; which in us is nothing else but a
tumult of the mind, raised by external things that press the organical
parts of man's body: for there is no such thing in God, and, being
things that depend on natural causes, cannot be attributed to Him.
He that will attribute to God nothing but what is warranted by
natural reason must either use such negative attributes as infinite,
eternal, incomprehensible; or superlatives, as most high, most
great, and the like; or indefinite, as good, just, holy, creator;
and in such sense as if He meant not to declare what He is (for that
were to circumscribe Him within the limits of our fancy), but how much
we admire Him, and how ready we would be to obey Him; which is a
sign of humility, and of a will to honour Him as much as we can: for
there is but one name to signify our conception of His nature, and
that is I AM; and but one name of His relation to us, and that is God,
in which is contained father, king, and lord.
Concerning the actions of divine worship, it is a most general
precept of reason that they be signs of the intention to honour God;
such as are, first, prayers: for not the carvers, when they made
images, were thought to make them gods, but the people that prayed
to them.
Secondly, thanksgiving; which differeth from prayer in divine
worship no otherwise than that prayers precede, and thanks succeed,
the benefit, the end both of the one and the other being to
acknowledge God for author of all benefits as well past as future.
Thirdly, gifts; that is to say, sacrifices and oblations, if they be
of the best, are signs of honour, for they are thanksgivings.
Fourthly, not to swear by any but God is naturally a sign of honour,
for it is a confession that God only knoweth the heart and that no
man's wit or strength can protect a man against God's vengeance on the
perjured.
Fifthly, it is a part of rational worship to speak considerately
of God, for it argues a fear of Him, and fear is a confession of His
power. Hence followeth, that the name of God is not to be used
rashly and to no purpose; for that is as much as in vain: and it is to
no purpose unless it be by way of oath, and by order of the
Commonwealth, to make judgements certain; or between Commonwealths, to
avoid war. And that disputing of God's nature is contrary to His
honour, for it is supposed that in this natural kingdom of God,
there is no other way to know anything but by natural reason; that is,
from the principles of natural science; which are so far from teaching
us anything of God's nature, as they cannot teach us our own nature,
nor the nature of the smallest creature living. And therefore, when
men out of the principles of natural reason dispute of the
attributes of God, they but dishonour Him: for in the attributes which
we give to God, we are not to consider the signification of
philosophical truth, but the signification of pious intention to do
Him the greatest honour we are able. From the want of which
consideration have proceeded the volumes of disputation about the
nature of God that tend not to His honour, but to the honour of our
own wits and learning; and are nothing else but inconsiderate and vain
abuses of His sacred name.
Sixthly, in prayers, thanksgiving, offerings and sacrifices, it is a
dictate of natural reason that they be every one in his kind the
best and most significant of honour. As, for example, that prayers and
thanksgiving be made in words and phrases not sudden, nor light, nor
plebeian, but beautiful and well composed; for else we do not God as
much honour as we can. And therefore the heathens did absurdly to
worship images for gods, but their doing it in verse, and with
music, both of voice and instruments, was reasonable. Also that the
beasts they offered in sacrifice, and the gifts they offered, and
their actions in worshipping, were full of submission, and
commemorative of benefits received, was according to reason, as
proceeding from an intention to honour him.
Seventhly, reason directeth not only to worship God in secret, but
also, and especially, in public, and in the sight of men: for
without that, that which in honour is most acceptable, the procuring
others to honour Him is lost.
Lastly, obedience to His laws (that is, in this case to the laws
of nature) is the greatest worship of all. For as obedience is more
acceptable to God than sacrifice; so also to set light by His
commandments is the greatest of all contumelies. And these are the
laws of that divine worship which natural reason dictateth to
private men.
But seeing a Commonwealth is but one person, it ought also to
exhibit to God but one worship; which then it doth when it
commandeth it to be exhibited by private men, publicly. And this is
public worship, the property whereof is to be uniform: for those
actions that are done differently by different men cannot said to be a
public worship. And therefore, where many sorts of worship be allowed,
proceeding from the different religions of private men, it cannot be
said there is any public worship, nor that the Commonwealth is of
any religion at all.
And because words (and consequently the attributes of God) have
their signification by agreement and constitution of men, those
attributes are to be held significative of honour that men intend
shall so be; and whatsoever may be done by the wills of particular
men, where there is no law but reason, may be done by the will of
the Commonwealth by laws civil. And because a Commonwealth hath no
will, nor makes no laws but those that are made by the will of him
or them that have the sovereign power, it followeth that those
attributes which the sovereign ordaineth in the worship of God for
signs of honour ought to be taken and used for such by private men
in their public worship.
But because not all actions are signs by constitution, but some
are naturally signs of honour, others of contumely, these latter,
which are those that men are ashamed to do in the sight of them they
reverence, cannot be made by human power a part of divine worship; nor
the former, such as are decent, modest, humble behaviour, ever be
separated from it. But whereas there be an infinite number of
actions and gestures of an indifferent nature, such of them as the
Commonwealth shall ordain to be publicly and universally in use, as
signs of honour and part of God's worship, are to be taken and used
for such by the subjects. And that which is said in the Scripture, "It
is better to obey God than man," hath place in the kingdom of God by
pact, and not by nature.
Having thus briefly spoken of the natural kingdom of God, and His
natural laws, I will add only to this chapter a short declaration of
His natural punishments. There is no action of man in this life that
is not the beginning of so long a chain of consequences as no human
providence is high enough to give a man a prospect to the end. And
in this chain there are linked together both pleasing and unpleasing
events; in such manner as he that will do anything for his pleasure,
must engage himself to suffer all the pains annexed to it; and these
pains are the natural punishments of those actions which are the
beginning of more harm than good. And hereby it comes to pass that
intemperance is naturally punished with diseases; rashness, with
mischances; injustice, with the violence of enemies; pride, with ruin;
cowardice, with oppression; negligent government of princes, with
rebellion; and rebellion, with slaughter. For seeing punishments are
consequent to the breach of laws, natural punishments must be
naturally consequent to the breach of the laws of nature, and
therefore follow them as their natural, not arbitrary, effects.
And thus far concerning the constitution, nature, and right of
sovereigns, and concerning the duty of subjects, derived from the
principles of natural reason. And now, considering how different
this doctrine is from the practice of the greatest part of the
world, especially of these western parts that have received their
moral learning from Rome and Athens, and how much depth of moral
philosophy is required in them that have the administration of the
sovereign power, I am at the point of believing this my labour as
useless as the Commonwealth of Plato: for he also is of opinion that
it is impossible for the disorders of state, and change of governments
by civil war, ever to be taken away till sovereigns be philosophers.
But when I consider again that the science of natural justice is the
only science necessary for sovereigns and their principal ministers,
and that they need not be charged with the sciences mathematical, as
by Plato they are, further than by good laws to encourage men to the
study of them; and that neither Plato nor any other philosopher
hitherto hath put into order, and sufficiently or probably proved
all the theorems of moral doctrine, that men may learn thereby both
how to govern and how to obey, I recover some hope that one time or
other this writing of mine may fall into the hands of a sovereign
who will consider it himself (for it is short, and I think clear)
without the help of any interested or envious interpreter; and by
the exercise of entire sovereignty, in protecting the public
teaching of it, convert this truth of speculation into the utility
of practice.