Wisdom, properly so called, is nothing else but this: the perfect knowledge of the truth in all matters whatsoever. Thomas Hobbes More Quotes by Thomas Hobbes More Quotes From Thomas Hobbes And I profess still, that whatsoever the church of England (the church, I say, not every doctor) shall forbid me to say in matterof faith, I shall abstain from saying it, excepting this point, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for my sins. As for other doctrines, I think it unlawful, if the church define them, for any member of the church to contradict them. Thomas Hobbes sonjesusthinking And as to the faculties of the mind, setting aside the arts grounded upon words, and especially that skill of proceeding upon generall, and infallible rules, called Science; which very few have, and but in few things; as being not a native faculty, born within us; nor attained, (as Prudence,) while we look after somewhat else. Thomas Hobbes skillsscienceart The Scripture was written to shew unto men the kingdom of God; and to prepare their minds to become his obedient subjects; leavingthe world, and the Philosophy thereof, to the disputation of men, for the exercising of their natural Reason. Thomas Hobbes philosophicalbiblephilosophy True and false are attributes of speech not of things. And where speech is not, there is neither truth nor falsehood. Error theremay be, as when we expect that which shall not be; or suspect what has not been: but in neither case can a man be charged with untruth. Thomas Hobbes truthmenlying The characters of man's heart, blotted and confounded as they are with dissembling, lying, counterfeiting, and erroneous doctrines, are legible only to him that searcheth hearts. Thomas Hobbes heartcharacterlying Leisure can be one of the Mothers of Philosophy. Thomas Hobbes leisuremotherphilosophy Prophecy is many times the principal cause of the events foretold. Thomas Hobbes prophecyeventscauses Setting themselves against reason, as often as reason is against them. Thomas Hobbes settingsettingsreason We are not to renounce our senses and experience, nor (that which is the undoubted Word of God) our natural Reason. For they are the talents which he hath put into our hands to negotiate, till the coming again of our blessed savior, and therefore not to be folded up in the napkin of an implicate faith, but employed in the purchase of justice, peace, and true religion. For though there be many things in God's Word above Reason--that is to say, which cannot by natural reason be either demonstrated or confuted--yet there is nothing contrary to it. Thomas Hobbes blessedjusticehands They that approve a private opinion, call it opinion; but they that dislike it, heresy; and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion. Thomas Hobbes leviathanorthodoxopinion For such is the nature of men, that howsoever they may acknowledge many others to be more witty, or more eloquent, or more learned, yet they will hardly believe there be many so wise as themselves, for they see their own wit at hand, and other men's at a distance. But this proveth rather that men are in that point equal, than unequal. For there is not ordinarily a greater sign of the equal distribution of any thing than that every man is contented with his share. Thomas Hobbes wisdomwisewitty Nature hath made men so equal in the faculties of body and mind, as that though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body, or of quicker mind than another, yet when all is reckoned together, the difference between man and man is not so considerable as that one man can thereupon claim to himself any benefit to which another may not pretend as well as he. Thomas Hobbes differencesmindmen The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame. Thomas Hobbes runningmenideas The first author of speech was God himself, that instructed Adam how to name such creatures as He presented to his sight. Thomas Hobbes speechnamessight The science which teacheth arts and handicrafts is merely science for the gaining of a living; but the science which teacheth deliverance from worldly existence, is not that the true science? Thomas Hobbes deliveranceexistenceart That wee have of Geometry, which is the mother of all Naturall Science, wee are not indebted for it to the Schools. Thomas Hobbes motherscienceschool Covenants without swords are but words. Thomas Hobbes covenantweapons To say that God is an incorporeal substance, is to say in effect there is no God at all. What alleges he against it, but the School-divinity which I have already answered? Scripture he can bring none, because the word incorporeal is not found in Scripture. Thomas Hobbes godbibleschool I mean by the universe, the aggregate of all things that have being in themselves; and so do all men else. And because God has a being, it follows that he is either the whole universe, or part of it. Nor does his Lordship go about to disprove it, but only seems to wonder at it. Thomas Hobbes godmenmean The law is the public conscience. Thomas Hobbes consciencelaw
