Leviathan: Chapter 31 Summary & Analysis

Hobbes begins this chapter with a short recap of the main points he has made thus far. The condition of nature is one of war, and the Laws of Nature function to avoid this war. Without a sovereign power, a common-wealth cannot stand, and the subjects of a common-wealth must be obedient to the sovereign in all ways, provided that obedience does not violate the “Lawes of God.” Thus, it is necessary to also know the laws of God, so one does not offend God with too much obedience to the sovereign or offend the common-wealth with too much obedience to God.  

All people are subjects of “Divine Power,” even if they deny the existence of God. “[M]en may shake off their Ease,” Hobbes says, “but not their Yoke.” For scripture says: “God is King though the Nations be angry; and he that sitteth on the Cherubins, though the earth be moved.” Those who believe in God’s power and reign are said to be his subjects, while all others are enemies. 

Laws must be sufficiently made known to subjects, and God’s laws are no different. God declares his laws in three ways: through “Naturall Reason,” by “Revelation,” and by the voice of another through the manifestation of a miracle. In other words, Hobbes explains, God’s laws are declared through “Right Reason, Sense Supernaturall, and Faith.” Furthermore, there is what Hobbes’s calls a “two-fold Kingdome” of God. One kingdom is natural, and the other is prophetic. God’s natural kingdom is ruled by the “natural Dictate of Right Reason,” whereas the prophetic kingdom is ruled by holy prophets. Hobbes will speak only of God’s natural kingdom.

God gathers his sovereign power from his omnipotence, or “Irresistible Power.” Punishment is generally understood to come from sin; however, the right to afflict punishment comes from God’s power, not the sin. This distinction explains why sinners sometimes prosper and good people suffer. God’s “Divine Lawes, or Dictates of Natural Reason,” outline the duties of his subjects, to each other and to God, and these laws include the Laws of Nature defined earlier in the book and the moral virtues of “Equity, Justice, Mercy, [and] Humility.” These laws are dictated to God’s subjects via their own natural ability to reason and do not require the actual words of God.

Honor consists of one’s opinion of a higher power or the goodness of another, and it is the duty of all God’s subjects to honor God, which means they must hold the highest possible opinion of him. Furthermore, this honor must be expressed through outward signs known as worship. Honor comes from passions such as love, hope, and fear, and worship comes in the form of praise and blessing. Worship can be either natural (meaning it is spontaneous, like saying a prayer or giving thanks), or it is arbitrary and ordered by institution and custom. 

Subjects of God are to honor God’s existence, as it is impossible to honor that which does not exist. God must be understood as the cause of the world and all things in it. To deny the creation of the world and claim the world has existed eternally is also to deny God. Similarly, to ease one’s fear and love of God is to dishonor God, as fear and love are central to honor. It is also a dishonor to claim God is “Finite” in any way. If it is possible to attribute more to God, it should always be done, and “Finite” implies more can be attributed. 

Refusing to swear by God is likewise a sign of honor, and so is speaking of God with consideration. Prayers and offerings of thanks that are well composed impart more honor than prayers that are “light” or “Plebeian.” God can be worshiped and honored in secret, but he must also be worshipped and honored in public and in full view of others. However, obedience to the Laws of Nature is the greatest possible form of worship and honor there is.