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B ^ Ic eland 'refers to Leinatkan , p . 1 96 ^ where I And a paragf aphv of which , as infoftt satisfactory , f quote the whole : * ' «* When God spefcfoetli to man , it must be either immediately , or by mediation of another man ; to whom
he had : formerly spoken by himself Immediately . How God speaketh to a-Titianiitirtiediatelyv may be understood by those > well enough , to whom hehath so spoken '; but how the same should be understood by another , is hardy if not impossible , to know . For
ifi ' a man pretettd to me , that God hath ; spoken to him supernaturally and immediately , and I make doubt of it , if caiitibfc easily perceive what argument he can produce , to oblige me t 64 > elieve ^ fc . It is true , that if he be my sovereign , he may oblige me to
otorotenee , so as not , by act or word , toMeclarfc ^ T believe him not £ but wot to * think ? i&tvy otherwise * than my ^ rea * $ oMpersuades ^ nre ; ^ But' if otie ' that hath > Ttmt ) 1 such nauthority Abver me , shall pretend the samei there is 110-thing *< € hat * exacteth * either ibelifef or
obedience . For to say that God hath spoken , too > Mm Ah the Mol f * Scripture , w-riot t 0 say God hath spok « u to him kntriediatelyy -but by mediation of the pfo ^ hets ^ br . of the ^ apostle ^ or of the church , in such manner as he speaks
to iail' other Christian men ; : To say lie hath spoken to him in a dream , w no tnore than to say he dreamed that God spake to him ; which is not of f&rse to win belief from any man , that knows dreams are for the most
part natural , and may proceed from former Utobttghts $ * and such dreams as th at , ' ftovti self-conceit and foolish arrogance , and false opinion of a man ' s owti godliness , or mother i Virtue ^ by wtiieh he thinks he hath merited the
favours of . t extraqirdina ^ y revelation . To 9 ay he hath seen a vision or heard a voices i « to > &&y , » that he dreamed between sleeping * m > d waking ; ^ br in fluchi mnnneria tnan doth many times tiaturnlly take his dream for a vision , as not having v ^ el l ob&elrved his own slumbeWngr 1 * To say Hk « speaks by to
supernatural inspiration , , ^ f say , he fthd ^^ an' ardent desi re to speak , or « 6 ine strong opinion > of hitnse ; lf , for which he can allege no natural add sufficient reason . ^ v So that , though God Almighty can speak i t 6 $ a i » an JSjr d reatn ^ visioiw , ^ oice and i ^ sipira-JttOD , yet he obliges rno man to be-
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lieve he hath so done jto him that pretends it ^ wha ( bei it g a mBixi ) l miy err , and ( jwhieft is more )« iay I ie * 11 i > In this passage there dpe $ ^ not ap r pear any Ihingto warrant Pr .
Inland ' s acfiusation ^ of theauthpr , \ ancl , indeed , it is difficult to understand how the letter-writer could suppose that Hobbes thete ** represents God * s speaking- to the ancient \ prophets . " He is evidently describing a modern pretender to immediate divine communications , a character not
uncommon in 111 s : &ge * one who i # as ; » ot satisfied ; to believe- ^ that GoA hath spoken to him in the Holy Scripture , by mediation of ; the prp ^ lijet » * " f / This view of Hohbes * Side 3 ignis confirmed by the succeeding paragraphs , whksh she w a f f * by iwhatt maxkfe pr 0 phets ar «
knoivii ^ and Ihfcfc " the * marks of a prophet ^ nndm itjie-: olfl Juw / V W 0 re ' miracles ja iwii dpietriiie conformable to the ; Inm ^ --Jj 3 Pberfi > lJawitig passage of the paragraph , ; which rcqncjudes the chiipter , i $ . pointedly to the same
purpose : -,.. a Seeing , therefore ^ \ miracles now cease , five -have no sign left whereby to acknowledge the pretended ; revelations or inspirations : of an f 2 private man , ' tior obligation to give ear to any dodtritfe * farther > than
it ? is conformable to the Holy Scrips tures , wbichf since tih ^ Tti me of ; oq r Saviour , supply the place , and . suflicicntly i ^ B ^ otwpeif ^ uiet Wa $ i pf SH other prophecy ; and frQWi ^ liichr by
wise and learned interpretation and careful ratiocination , all rules ; an < J precepts necessary to , tfee M noyvledge of our duty both £ or God arid man , witli-i oat enthusiasm or supernatural inspiration , may easily fee d ^ duc ^ dvi >(;
The { next widente of Hobbes ' s Deism , is the following : " To weaken the authority of the sacred canon , he endeavour ^ to shew , that the books of Moqesvl and i the ,, historical WtitirKs Wf the Old : Testament , / were jpot wiftt ^ i
by those ^ wb <> pe names th ^ y , fo&t t 5 ? . a | ic | that they are dfciivecLitP us from no other authorityft : bwtf tjjiafr of Jfydras , Who icWoraed faem ; mhGtt * $ ! h # g '' i *? & p Idst . ' ?/ ^ : 6 % ^^ rvi Ut , i \ I ¦> . - \ ' ^ 'i"n
To * up |> ort this cb ^ rgf ^ t t yv ^ iqfli , i » not very charitably mtrt ><\ u > ced > j # | V Leland refefsf to i ^ y ^ A ^^ upPi WU % Q % i W 3 v ^ hq wtfc 0 ii ( thjBr ^^ naiifey the , s » n 1 e ja ^ umesrt ^ i Miliich Ij a ^ e ^ c ^ used bM *> imzm * m >*^ g&n £ ^ n * ttatifl , espwi «| Uy respeotitig fth& $ mt
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* m (> nthilki $ M ^ M ^
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1818, page 232, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2475/page/8/
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