Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes, Chapter 35 summary
Chapter 35 of 65 · Part 3: Of a Christian Commonwealth · 12 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 35, the argument identifies God’s kingdom as civil government founded on Israel’s consent and covenant, rather than merely happiness after death or inward grace. It then explains holiness as special belonging to God and distinguishes sacraments that admit subjects from those that repeatedly commemorate their admission and allegiance.
What happens
- The argument challenges devotional meanings of God’s kingdom and traces divine rule through Adam and the covenant with Abraham.
- Moses renews the covenant at Sinai, establishing Israel as a consenting people under God’s civil sovereignty.
- Israel’s demand for a human king rejects God’s kingship, while prophetic passages promise its restoration through Christ.
- The argument connects this civil interpretation with disputes over religious authority and defines holiness as special belonging to God.
- Sacred things receive dedication to divine service, with degrees of holiness reflecting increasingly particular uses.
- Circumcision and baptism mark admission, while Passover and the Lord’s Supper repeatedly commemorate deliverance and allegiance.
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Why does the argument distinguish baptism from the Lord’s Supper?
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