The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 03 (of 11) — Reading Companion

The Dedication and Its Context

The dedication to Francis Godolphin is not merely a formal courtesy. Hobbes explicitly connects his discourse to the memory of Sidney Godolphin, praising his 'generous constitution of his nature' as a model of virtue. This personal tribute grounds the abstract political theory in lived moral character. Hobbes also acknowledges the risk of his undertaking: 'in a way beset with those that contend...’tis hard to pass between the points of both unwounded.' The dedication thus foreshadows the work’s controversial reception and its attempt to steer a middle course between royalist and republican extremes.

Miracles, Prophecy, and Political Authority

In a key passage on biblical interpretation, Hobbes argues that miracles alone are insufficient to authenticate a prophet. He cites Deuteronomy and Matthew to show that false prophets may perform wonders, and that the true test is whether the prophet’s teaching conforms to established religion and does not incite rebellion against the sovereign. Hobbes draws a direct equivalence: 'revolt from the Lord your God' is 'in this place equivalent to revolt from your king.' This move subordinates religious revelation to civil obedience, a cornerstone of his political theology. The discussion reveals Hobbes’s method of using scripture to support his rationalist framework.

The Structure of the Commonwealth

Hobbes’s definition of the commonwealth as a 'Matter, Form, and Power' is reflected in the work’s tripartite structure. The excerpts show his concern with the 'seat of power' abstracted from particular persons, comparing it to the 'simple and unpartial creatures in the Roman Capitol' that defended those within not because of who they were but because they were there. This metaphor underscores Hobbes’s insistence on the impersonality of sovereign authority. The text systematically builds from the natural condition of mankind to the institution of a commonwealth by covenant, and then to the rights and duties of sovereigns and subjects.

Readers approaching this volume should attend to Hobbes’s careful use of scripture as evidence for his political conclusions. His method is to reason from first principles about human nature, then to test those principles against biblical authority. The result is a work that is both a philosophical treatise and a polemical intervention in the religious controversies of its time. The marginal notes and chapter divisions help trace the argument’s progression from natural right to civil law.