Leviathan | Page 3

DAEMONOLOGY, AND OTHER RELIQUES OF THE
RELIGION OF THE GENTILES
46. OF DARKNESSE FROM VAINE PHILOSOPHY, AND
FABULOUS TRADITIONS

47. OF THE BENEFIT PROCEEDING FROM SUCH DARKNESSE;
AND TO WHOM IT ACCREWETH

48. A REVIEW AND CONCLUSION

THE INTRODUCTION
Nature (the art whereby God hath made and governes the world) is by
the art of man, as in many other things, so in this also imitated, that it
can make an Artificial Animal. For seeing life is but a motion of Limbs,
the begining whereof is in some principall part within; why may we not
say, that all Automata (Engines that move themselves by springs and
wheeles as doth a watch) have an artificiall life? For what is the Heart,
but a Spring; and the Nerves, but so many Strings; and the Joynts, but
so many Wheeles, giving motion to the whole Body, such as was
intended by the Artificer? Art goes yet further, imitating that Rationall
and most excellent worke of Nature, Man. For by Art is created that
great LEVIATHAN called a COMMON-WEALTH, or STATE, (in
latine CIVITAS) which is but an Artificiall Man; though of greater
stature and strength than the Naturall, for whose protection and defence
it was intended; and in which, the Soveraignty is an Artificiall Soul, as
giving life and motion to the whole body; The Magistrates, and other
Officers of Judicature and Execution, artificiall Joynts; Reward and
Punishment (by which fastned to the seat of the Soveraignty, every
joynt and member is moved to performe his duty) are the Nerves, that
do the same in the Body Naturall; The Wealth and Riches of all the
particular members, are the Strength; Salus Populi (the Peoples Safety)
its Businesse; Counsellors, by whom all things needfull for it to know,
are suggested unto it, are the Memory; Equity and Lawes, an artificiall
Reason and Will; Concord, Health; Sedition, Sicknesse; and Civill War,
Death. Lastly, the Pacts and Covenants, by which the parts of this Body
Politique were at first made, set together, and united, resemble that Fiat,
or the Let Us Make Man, pronounced by God in the Creation.
To describe the Nature of this Artificiall man, I will consider

First the Matter thereof, and the Artificer; both which is Man.
Secondly, How, and by what Covenants it is made; what are the Rights
and just Power or Authority of a Soveraigne; and what it is that
Preserveth and Dissolveth it.
Thirdly, what is a Christian Common-Wealth.
Lastly, what is the Kingdome of Darkness.
Concerning the first, there is a saying much usurped of late, That
Wisedome is acquired, not by reading of Books, but of Men.
Consequently whereunto, those persons, that for the most part can give
no other proof of being wise, take great delight to shew what they think
they have read in men, by uncharitable censures of one another behind
their backs. But there is another saying not of late understood, by which
they might learn truly to read one another, if they would take the pains;
and that is, Nosce Teipsum, Read Thy Self: which was not meant, as it
is now used, to countenance, either the barbarous state of men in power,
towards their inferiors; or to encourage men of low degree, to a sawcie
behaviour towards their betters; But to teach us, that for the similitude
of the thoughts, and Passions of one man, to the thoughts, and Passions
of another, whosoever looketh into himselfe, and considereth what he
doth, when he does Think, Opine, Reason, Hope, Feare, &c, and upon
what grounds; he shall thereby read and know, what are the thoughts,
and Passions of all other men, upon the like occasions. I say the
similitude of Passions, which are the same in all men, Desire, Feare,
Hope, &c; not the similitude or The Objects of the Passions, which are
the things Desired, Feared, Hoped, &c: for these the constitution
individuall, and particular education do so vary, and they are so easie to
be kept from our knowledge, that the characters of mans heart, blotted
and confounded as they are, with dissembling, lying, counterfeiting,
and erroneous doctrines, are legible onely to him that searcheth hearts.
And though by mens actions wee do discover their designee sometimes;
yet to do it without comparing them with our own, and distinguishing
all circumstances, by which the case may come to be altered, is to
decypher without a key, and be for the most part deceived, by too much
trust, or by too much diffidence; as he that reads, is himselfe a good or

evill man.
But let one man read another by his actions never so perfectly, it serves
him onely with his acquaintance, which are but few. He that is to
govern a whole Nation, must read in himselfe, not this,