Robert Bellarmine was a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church during the 17th century, who wrote several books of Holy Scripture. Like Theodore Beza, Hobbes offers Cardinal Bellarmine as an example of a writer of erroneous Holy Scripture. In his writings, Bellarmine argues that St. Peter was the first bishop in Rome and that all subsequent Popes are his successors. Bellarmine also argues that the Pope’s power over all Christians is absolute, and that the Pope’s judgements are “infallible,” something that Hobbes adamantly denies.
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Cardinal Bellarmine Character Timeline in Leviathan
The timeline below shows where the character Cardinal Bellarmine appears in Leviathan. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 42: Of POWER ECCLESIASTICALL
...of the Pope in Rome is universally accepted, Hobbes thinks it proper to discuss Cardinal Bellarmine and his books, De Summo Pontifice. The first of Cardinal Bellarmine’s books discusses the best...
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In his second book, Cardinal Bellarmine argues that St. Peter was the first bishop in Rome and that all other Popes...
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In Cardinal Bellarmine’s forth book, he argues that the Pope’s “Judgements are Infallible” and that Christ gave ecclesiastical...
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...Holy Scripture is interpreted, not the Pope. As for the Pope’s infallibility of judgement, Cardinal Bellarmine again cites Holy Scripture and John 16:13. “When the Spirit of truth is come, hee...
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To prove the Pope has power to institute laws, Cardinal Bellarmine cites Deuteronomy 7:12: “The man that will doe presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the...
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Cardinal Bellarmine claims the Church is like a monarchy and the Pope is the monarch, but Hobbes...
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...whenever he wants for whatever he wants. This is the precise argument offered by Cardinal Bellarmine and many others, Hobbes says, and Popes have historically put such power into practice. For...
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Cardinal Bellarmine argues that the “Civill Power” of a sovereign is subject to the “Spirituall Power” of...
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...and the rest of the Apostles, who will be the Judges in Christ’s Kingdome. Cardinal Bellarmine also argues that a spiritual common-wealth can take over a civil common-wealth if that common-wealth...
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Cardinal Bellarmine also argues that it is unlawful for Christians to obey a heretical king, and that...
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Hobbes examines several more examples of the Holy Scripture offered by Cardinal Bellarmine to prove his argument, and Hobbes’s conclusion each time is the same. A Pope can...
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Chapter 44: Of Spirituall Darkness from MISINTERPRETATION of Scripture
...that contain these errors and mistaken beliefs, Hobbes explains, such as the works of Cardinal Bellarmine. Included in this list of erroneous texts are the works of Theodore Beza, although it...
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...Upon this absence scripture is the founding of Purgatory, as it is argued by Cardinal Bellarmine.
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Cardinal Bellarmine alleges other places within the New Testament that also prove the existence of Purgatory. For...
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Another piece of Holy Scripture thought by Bellarmine and others to prove the existence of Purgatory is I Corinthians, in which it says:...
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