THe mad-cap Zealots of this bigot Age, intending to mount heaven, Elias-like, in Zeals fiery Cha­riot, do, like foolish Phaeton, not only fall themselves from their flaming seat, but by their furious over-driving, invelop the [...]rld in unquenchable combustions; [...] when they have thus set the whole [Page 2] Globe on a blaze, this they tearm a new light. It is remarkable in Scripture, that Jehu, who drove fu­riously, and called up the Prophet to see what zeal he had for the house of God, was even at that instant, do­ing it more wrong then ever was done to it by unconcerned Gallio, who flan­tingly cared for none of those things. And that none of all the apostolick Conclave desired ever fire might rain from above upon mis-believers; ex­cept the Sons of Zebedee, who im­mediatly thereafter, arrived at that pitch of vanity, as to desire to sit in heaven upon Christs right and left hand. And that Peter, who was the first who did draw a sword in his Masters quarrel, was likewayes the first who denyed him. Firy Zeal blows soon up, such combustible mater as the Sons of Zebedee; and that flash being spent and evaporat, a fall follows, as befell Peter. As that bo­dy [Page 3] is hardly cureable, which enter­tains such ill-suited neighbours as a cold Stomach and a hote Liver; So, the body of the visible Church may be now concluded to be in a very distempered conditon, when it's Cha­rity waxeth cold, and it's Zeal hot, beyond what is due to either; and these feaverish fits of unnatural Zeal, wherewith the Church is troubled in it's old and cold age, betokens too much that it draws near it's last pe­riod.

The inconsiderableness likewayes of our differences, and inconsiderat­ness wherewith they are persued, in­duces me to believe, that the Zeal now a-la-mode, is not that holy Fire which is kindled by a coal from the Altar, but is that ign's fatuus, or wild-fire, which is but a Meteor peec'd up of malignant Vapours, and is observed to frequent Church-yards ofter then other places.

[Page 4]I am none of those who acknow­ledge no temples, besides these of their own heads. And I am of opi­nion, that such as think that they have a Church within their own breasts, should likewayes believe, that their heads are steeples, and so should provide them with bells. I be­lieve that there is a Church-militant, which, like the Ark, must lodge in it's bowels all such as are to be saved from the flood of condemnation: but, to chalk out it's bordering lines, is beyond the geography of my Religion. He was infallible who compared Gods Spirit to the wind which bloweth where it listeth, we hear the sound of it, but knows not whence it comes, or whether it goeth. And the name graven upon the whit-stone, none knows but he who hath it. Eli con­cluded Hannah to be drunk, when she was pouring out her soul before her Maker: and Elias believed, that the [Page 5] Church, in his dayes, was stinted to his own person; and yet God told him, that there were seven thousand in Israel who had not bowed their knees to Baal: why then should any private Christian determine, magi­gisterially, that, wherein the greatest of Prophets erred?

The reed wherewith the Temple was to be measured, Rev. 11. 2. was only entrusted to an Angel; and yet he had not in commission, to mea­sure the Court that was without, because it was given to the Gentiles. And albeit, Rev. 7. the number of the Iews who were saved is de­termined; yet, the number of Gen­tiles is left indefinit, and said to be numberless.

There is nothing more ordinar, then for each Nation to confine the Church within themselves. And in that Nation again, one corner will have themselves the Sanctum Sancto­rum [Page 6] of that only Temple; albeit our Saviour in His Gospel assures us, that men shall come from all corners of the world, and sit down with Abra­ham, Isaac and Jacob. And John in his Revelation tells us, that mul­titudes of all Nations, Kindreds and Families, were seen following the Lamb. Upon this same block do these likewayes stumble, who put the bolt of their uncharitableness upon the gates of heaven, to debar whole Professions, such as Lawyers and Physitians, from entring in thereat; notwithstanding that the abovecited place tells us, that there were only twelve thousand of the tribe of Levi the Priest chosen, and the like number was prickt; in the tribe of Judah, the Law-giver: Aaron the Priest did mould the golden calf, and not Moses the Iudge; and Korah and Dathan were Levits, and yet mutined against their Magistrates.

[Page 7]I say not this to disparage that ho­ly Function: For, none shall wish Aarons rod to flourish more then my self; and ordinarily, these who love not to touch the Lords anointed, will likewayes be sure, to do His Prophets no harm: but, I say it to take off an aspersion which hath stain'd too long, and too injustly, these of my own pro­fession. Is not the Church our com­mon Mother? albeit, I confess, she is likewayes their Nurse, in a more particular way; and since there is heavenly Mannah enough to aliment us all, why should Christans de ny to admit their brethren to an equal partage?

It grieves me sore to see my mother the Church tortur'd like Rebecca, by carrying strugling twaines in her pained bowels. And seing all Chri­stians are but pilgrims here, I admire that these pilgrims should leave off to journey, and stand skirmishing [Page 8] and fighting with all such as will not travel their road. And albeit we ac­knowledge, that the Spirit of God takes pains, and is sufficient for lead­ing all men in the way wherein they should walk; yet, we must compell them, as if either He needed our help, or we resolved to share with Him the glory of their conversion. Thus God (who loves us all infinitly bet­ter then one any of us doth another) leaves us, upon our own hazard, a freedom in our choice, albeit we poor miscreants compell one another, de­nying to our fellow-creatures that freedom which he allowes all the Crea­tion. I wish we would consider how each man eats, drinks, cares for his fa­mily and performes all common du­ties, rational enough without any compulsion; and yet, in the affairs of Religion, wherein doubtless man is led by a far more infallible assist­ance, there are many slips com­mitted, [Page 9] daily and grossly, notwith­standing of all the pains taken, and force used by one man towards ano­ther. Thus it fairs with us as with Patients, whom when the Physitians stints to a narrow dyet, then they loath even that food, which their unreined appetite would never have rejected. And this makes me apt to believe, that if Laws and Law-givers did not make Hereticks vain, by taking too much notice of their extravagan­cies, the world should be no more trou­bled with these, then they are with the Chimeras of Alchimists and Phi­losophers. And it fairs with them as with Tops, which, how long they are scourged, keep foot and run pleasantly, but fall how soon they are neglected and left to themselves.

In order to which, it was wittily observed by our great King James the Sixth, that the Puritans of his age strove with him, and yet ceded [Page 10] at first, in a difference between them and the Shoe-makers of Edinburgh: For, not only pleases it their humour to contend where they may gain ho­nour and can loss none, but likewayes, by contesting with Monarchs, they magnifie to the people their pious courage, assuring the world, that such attempts require a particular assist­ance from heaven; and when their jangling hath extorted some conces­sions from the Magistrate, (as ordi­narily it doth) then they press that success as an infallible mark of the Jure-divinoship of their quarrel. Albeit, I confess, that when these, not only recede from the canonized Creed of the Church, but likewayes incroach upon the Laws of the State, then, as of all others, they are the most dan­gerous; So, of all others, they should be most severely punished.

Opinion, kept within it's proper bounds, is an pure act of the mind: [Page 11] and so it would appear, that to punish the body for that which is a guilt of the soul, is as unjust as to punish one relation for another. And this blood­thirsty zeal, which hath reigned in our age, supposes our most mercifull God to be of the same temper with these pagan Deities, who desired to have their Altars gored with blood; and being devils themselves, delight­ed in the destruction of men: where­as the Almighty, who delights not in the death of a sinner, but rather that he should repent and live, hath left no warr and upon holy Record, for perse­cuting such as dissent from us; but even then when He commands that the Prophets, who tempts others to idolatry, should be slain, yet, speaks He nothing of punishing these who were seduced by them. And why should we shew so much violence in these things whereof we can show no cer­tain evidence? as ordinarily we can­not [Page 12] in circumfundamental debates. Are we not ready to condemn to day, as Phanatick, what yesterday was judged Jure-divino? And do not even those who persecuted others for their opinions, admire why they should be, upon that score, persecuted themselves? So that (victory de­pending upon event) we legitimat the persecutions, to be used by others, against our selves, by the persecutions used by our selves, against others. Our Saviour forbids us to pluck up the tears, lest the wheat be pulled up with it; and how can the most pious per­secutors know, that the Saints are not destroyed with the sinners?

It is remarkable, that our Saviour disarmed zealous Peter, even when he was serving Him in person, in His greatest straits, and against the most profligat of His enemies, the Iews: and that to prevent the ir­regular zeal even of the first and [Page 13] best of Christians, the blessed Apo­stles, their divine Master thought it fit to arme them not with swords, but with scrips, and to root out of their hearts all thoughts of violence, did oft inculcat in them, that His King­dom was not of this world; convince­ing them by an excellent argument, that He had no need of armes or ar­mies; for else He could have com­manded thousands of Angells. Did ever God command the Iews to war against any neighbouring nation be­cause they were Pagans (a quarrel which would have lasted till all the world had been conquered) Or, did our Saviour leave in legacie to his servants, that they should force others to turn prosylits, which doubtlesse he had done, if he had resolved to allow such a rude mean of conversion? All which makes me admire, why in our late troubles, men really pious, and naturally sober, could have been [Page 14] so transported, as to destroy whom they could not convince, and to perswade these who were convinced, that Reli­gion obliged them to destroy others.

My heart bleeds when I consider how scaffolds were dyed with Christi­an blood, and the fields covered with the carcasses of murthered Christi­ans; and its probable, that there were more damned by unprepared deaths, in the fields, then were saved by peeping Sermons in incendiary Churches; and in this, I admire the clemency of our Royal Master, who, albeit His cause was more just then theirs, albeit He might have con­vinced them by obtruding to them their own practices: yet, hath rather chosen to command with His Scepter then His Sword. But, if the glory of God were the mark at which these do levell, Why bestow they not their zeal, rather in converting such as scarce know or acknowledge that there [Page 15] is a God? And why are they more enraged against these who agree with them in most things, then these who dissent from them in all? Take not Christians more pains to refute one another, then to convince Gentiles? And stand not Episcopists and Pres­byterians at greater distance, then ei­ther do with Turks and Pagans? And to evidence, that rather humour then piety occasions our differences, we may easily percieve, that the meaner the subject is, the heat is alwayes the greater.

If I had ever known so much as one whose faith had been the trophy of a debate, I should allow of debates in maters of Religion: but seeing men cannot be convinced by miracles, it were ridiculous to presse conversion by arguments. All the Divines in Europe could not press the best foun­ded of their contraverted and pole­mick truths, with so much scripture, [Page 16] or so many miracles as our bles­sed Saviour did His own divinity (which is the foundation of all truths) And yet the Iews and all the world besides, slighted this infallible doctrine; And to evidence that there is a season of grace, independent from arguments, did not many thou­sands turn prosylits at Peters sermon? whom all our Saviours homilies and miracles could not perswade. If one should say, that the testimony of a few fisher-men should not be believed in a mater of so great consequence, as is the salvation of the whole world, especially when they did depone as witnesses, in a matter wherein both their honour and livelyhood was con­cerned, might not this stagger some mean Christian? And yet I believe these truths so much the more, be­cause such as these were its first asser­ters; for, certainly it is one of the greatest of miracles, that so few, and [Page 17] so illiterate persons were able to con­vince the whole world. Thus we see, that one may account that a mi­racle which another looks upon as a folly; and yet, none but Gods Spirit can decide the controversie. Maters of Religion and Faith, resembling some curious Pictures and optick Prismes, which seems to change shapes and colours, according to the several stances from which the asp [...]cient views them.

The ballance of our judgments hath [...]atched such a bruise by Adams fall, that scarce can we by them know the weight of any argument. But, which is worse, there is as great a defect in our partial weighing, as in the scales themselves: For, when we take ei­ther the pro or con. of any controver­sie into our Patronage, we throw al­wayes in arguments into that scale, wherein our own opinion lyes, with­out ever taking leisure to consider [Page 18] what may be alledged for the antipode proposition: and then, when we re­ceive an answer, our invention is bu­sied, not in pondering how much con­viction it hath in it, but by what slight it may be answered; and thus either passion, interest or frequent meditation, are still the weights which cast the ballance.

This firy zeal hath likewayes made an other pimple flash out in the face of the phanatick Church, and that is, a conceit that the Saints have the on­ly right to all Gods creatures, the wicked being only usurpers and not masters of them: But, I have heard this opinion (so beastly is it) con­futed by Balaam's asse, who could tell it's Master, Am not I thine own asse? When Aaron and the people did co­venant without Moses, then every man did bring his ear-rings to make up the golden calf. And we have lived in an age, wherein we have seen [Page 19] our Countrey-men, like the Chalde­ans, take the furniture both of the Temple and of the Kings House, and carry them away to their Babylon of confusions; and in an age wherein sober men were forced to lend monies, to buy for their own armes the heavy shekles of slavery,

Religion doubtless aims at two great designes, one is like the first Ta­ble, to perswade us to adore God Al­mighty. Another is to perswade us, like to the second Table, to love our neighbour, and to be a mean to settle all these jealousies, and compesce all these animosities which interest might occasion; and this appears by the Doxology jubilyed by the Angels at our Saviours birth, Glory to God, and peace and good-will towards men. And therefore, as every pri­vate Christian should be tollerated by [Page 20] his fellow subjects, to worship God in­wardly according to his conscience; So all should conspire in that exteri­our uniformity of worship, which the Laws of his Countrey injoins. The first remark which God made of us after the Creation, was, that it was not fit for man to be alone; there was on­ly one Ark amongst the Iews by Gods own appointment. And seing the Gospel tearms the Church Christ's Spouse, it were absurd to think, that He will divorce from her upon every error or escape; especially, seing His blessed mouth hath told us, that under the Gospel it is not lawfull to divorce upon all occasions; and if He will not for these, deny her to be His Spouse, much less should we deny her to be our mother. May not one, who is convinced in his judgment, that Mo­narchy is the best of Governments, live happily in Venice or Holland? And that traveller were absurd, who [Page 21] would rather squable with these amongst whom he sojourns, then ob­serve these rites and solemnities which are required by the Laws of the places where he lives? What is once statuted by a Law, we all con­sent to, in choosing Commissioners to represent us in these Parliaments where the Laws are made; and so if they ordain us to be decimated, or to leave the Nation if we conform not, we cannot say, when that Law is put to execution, that we are opprest; no more then we could com­plain, if one did remove us legally from these Lands which he purchas'd from our Trustee, whom we had im­powered to sell it.

As David said to Saul, 1 Sam. 26. 20. why went the King out to catch a flea? So may I say to our great Divines, why contravert they about shadows? Is it fit that Chri­stians, who find it too great a task to [Page 22] govern their private souls, should be so much concerned how the Church is governed by others? Wherefore, seing many have been saved who were most inexpert in these questi­ons, and that foolish zeal, passion, and too much curiositie therein, hath damned many, I may conclude, that to pry in these, is neither necessary, because of the first, nor expedient, be­cause of the last.

Since discretion opened my eyes, I have alwayes judg'd it necessar for a Christian, to look oftner to his Practice of Piety, then to his Con­fession of Faith, and to fear more the crookedness of his will, then the blindness of his judgment, delight­ing more to walk on from grace to grace, working out the work of his own salvation with fear and tremb­ling, then to stand still with the Ga­lileans curiously gazing up to hea­ven. True Religion and undefiled [Page 23] is to visit the widow and the father­less; and the dittay drawn up against the damned spirits shall be, That when our Saviours poor ones were hungry, they did not feed them; when they were naked, they did not cloath them, without mentioning any thing of their unbelief in maters of Contro­versie or Government. And there­fore I hope, that these to whom I ad­dress my self in this Discourse, will rather believe me to be their friend, because of their piety, then their ene­my, because of their errors.

ALbeit man be but Athe­isme. a statue of dust kneaded with tears, moved by the hid engines of his restless passions, a clod of earth, which the shortest feaver can burn to ashes, and the least shower of rheums wash away to nothing; Yet makes he as much noise in the world, as if both the Globes (these glorious Twaines) had been un-wombed from that formless Chaos, by the midwifry of his wit; he speaks thunder, [Page 2] looks lightning, breaths storms, and by the eloquence of his own va­nity, perswads himself that his commands are able to unhinge the Poles. From which boundless pride, I considently conclude, that if a na­tural Instinct, or as the Stoicks terme it, [...], had not irresistably bowed his faith to assent to a Deity, he had never, neither upon design nor in complyance to custom (as Atheists alledge) suffer'd to creep in­to his Creed, that there was one greater then himself, who could rein his affections, and bound their ef­fects, according to the dictates of his irresistable will.

And albeit Regiments of Argu­ments, levyed both from the stately fabrick of heavens arched Pend, and from the inimitable embroidery of earths flowry Boul, be requisite for conquering the infidelity of others, and for rendring them tributaries to that all-forming Essence: Yet, doth my faith render up the arms of it's depraved reason, and turn Prosolyte [Page 3] to this divine truth, upon the sole sight of one of these dying Atheists; who, upon any surprisal, do with amazement throw up their eyes to heaven, as if they sent their looks in ambassade to beg assistance from thence; and cry, God save me, as if these beastly souls, when attaqued unexpectedly, knew whence their health were to be expected: Like to other sick brutes, who when assault­ed by sickness, are, by the hand of that same storge and instinct, led to some herb or flower, which is an Apothe­cary shop appointed by nature for them.

Neither think I these arguments which are twisted together of three propositions so strong as these In­stincts are; where truth, like the Sun, seems to dart home it's light in one unperceiveable act, whereas in these, pur-blind nature may be mis­taken, not only in judging of the truth of either of the three parts, but likewise of their connexion and allyance. I know that that miscreant, [Page 4] who began his hell upon earth, by being burnt at Tholouse for theorick Atheisme, did upon his first approach to the Fire, cry, O God: Whereup­on, being taxt by the assisting Je­suit, answered, that these and such like expressions were the offspring of custom: But poor soul, he might have considered, that seing he had creept from his cradle into that er­ror, and had run his glass to it's last sand, in propagating that hellish con­ceit: That therefore this expression was rather a confession then an es­cape, rather the product of a ratio­nal soul then of depraved custom; for as it was in it self a divine truth, so it was in him contrary to a settled habit.

There is another Caball of Atheists, who think that this Beleef was at first; but the quaint Leger-de-main of some strongly-pated States-man; who to over-awe the capriciousness of a giddy multitude, did forge this opinion of a rewarder of all humane actions: And to enforce this, do in­stance [Page 5] Numa Pompiluis, and Ma­homet, whose palpable cheats grew up in their successors into religions; and whose inventions were received with as much bigotrie, by the wisest of men, as is that Deity which is now the object of our adorations. Wherefore (say they) seing the ra­tional soul hath failed so oft, and so absurdly in its discoveries, how, or why, should we submit our selves slavishly to it's determinations? For that which doth at some times erre, can never at any time be concluded infallible.

To these I answer, that albeit, as to the particular way of worship, the world is oft times deluded. And albeit, even as to their apprehensions of this incomprehensible Essence, multitudes be some times misled; Yet, these staggering Fancies fix this great Truth, that there is a Supream who must be adored: For if this in­nate Instinct did not coopere with these impostures, in gaining an as­sent no their fictitious Religions and [Page 6] Hierarchies, it were impossible for any humane Authority to establish Principles so remote from reason, and to subjugate by these even the mil­dest tempers. But I take the root from which these errors do spring, to be, that the twilight of darkned reason glimpsing to man, that im­pressa of the divine Image, which though much decayed, yet rests still upon his soul; and not being able, be­cause of the faintness of his light, and the decay of that divine Im­pressa, to discern exactly what that Deity is, with whose image it is sig­neted; believes implicitely with a profound respect, any who hath the confidence to obtrude any know­ledge of it upon them. Concluding in the conclave of their own thoughts, that none durst contemn so far, that omnipotent Thunder-darter, as to vend their own Fancies for sacred Oracles. And albeit these hood­winked Nations did erect a [...] in their own hearts, wherein all these Vice-gods were worshiped; Yet were [Page 7] all these but representations of the true God; for His Omnipotency and Power was adored in their Mars; His Omniscience in their Appollo, &c. And it is very pro­bable that the Heathens admired so each attribute of God Almighty, that they thought each deserved di­stinct Altars; so that their errors had their rise from rather too much then too little respect; and that as the same Ocean receives several names from the several shoars it washes, so, according to the several operations of the most High, did these deluded Pagans establish several Deities. But that all these did ultimatly terminat in one, is clear from the Inscription of that Athenian Altar, To the unknown God; from the designation of [...], from their common feasts or [...]; from the adjunct of Del­phicus given to Appollo, which in Greek signifies unus; as Macrobius observes, from their Altars erected, Disque Deabusque omnibus, and from the general invocation of all the [Page 8] Deities joyntly subjoyned to all their particular sacrifices. So that the great and all comprehending Idea, wherein he is represented, as in one big mirrour to us, was by them broke in pieces, and in each of these pieces taken alone did they see a Deity, though much abridged; Whereas all these pieces, when set together, did represent but one, and each piece did then shew but a part. But to evidence that our belief of a Deity is not a state and traditionall impo­sture, I would willingly know if ever the skilfullest of Sathans emissaries was able to induce the world to be­lieve that there was no God; which (doubtless) might have at some oc­casions contributed much to some mens politick designs, and which that rebell would have attempted, if ei­ther God had not restrained him, or himself had not known it impre­stable. And it is most remarkable, that the first promoters of that di­vine Doctrine were persons, who, both by precept and practice, decryed [Page 9] Ambition and declined State im­ployments; and so it were absurd to think that they invented these in subordination to State Pro­jects.

There is also much force in that Argument, wherein from the nature of prophesying, is concluded the being of a God: for, to foresee, is doubtless a way of seeing, far above the reach of humane nature; man not being able to conclude but that, What is possible upon both parts, may come to pass upon either of its parts. And hence it was, that the Heathens themselves termed this prediction divination, as if it could not be but divine. As also, if there were not a God, but that this were a fiction, it would follow, that er­rour and delusion (such as this ex hypothesi) were able, and actually did, of all other things, frame a man's soul most to virtue: and that the best of men (such as are the adorers of a Deity) were both the greatest cheats and block-heads. All which, [Page 10] are absurdities to be hiss'd at by all who are masters of the meanest por­tion of humane reason.

There lurketh much curious con­templation in pondering, how that albeit the parents of all heathnish Religions, have been incomparably the chiefest witts in their times; for else they could not have impress'd the spirits of their disciples with such abstract principles; Yet, all their Models, seem repugnant to common reason: and they have chois'd to teach principles which seem ridiculous.

Thus the Fictions related by the Poets of their gods, the Rites used by the Romans, and the Fopperies of the Alcoran, are absurdities unwor­thy of a rational belief, if man were not acted by an innate principle, to place the mysteries of Religion above his reason.

By which we see, that the impu­tation cast upon the Scriptures of their contrariety to reason, chocks likewayes the principles of all Na­tions: [Page 11] and certainly, if there were nothing revealed to us in Religion, but what the short line of our reason might fadom, the omnipotency of God, and the weakness of our own reason, should remain still unknown: and seing our reason is only suitable to our nature, certainly if that infinit essence and it's mysteries might be comprehended by that same reason, which measureth things finit, we might conclude God to be finit like­wayes; and is it not impudence in us who know not the ebbing and flow­ing of the sea, nor the reason why the Adamant draweth the iron, to repine because we cannot compre­hend the essence of God Almighty? and then vainly to conclude, that be­cause we cannot grasp within the short armes of our understanding, the vast bulk of the Deity, that there is no Deity? A conclusion as absurd, as if one should say, that when the nimble wings of an arrow transport it above our sight, it did leave off to be, when it left off to be perceived. [Page 12] And I am of opinion, that mysteri­ousness suits rarely well with divine Truths, the finest things using al­wayes to be best wrapt up: thus if we listen to our hid inclinations, we will find a pleasing veneration in re­served silence; and our curiosity will swiftly follow, what by it's retired­ness fleeth from us: silent groves whose bush-top trees lay their heads together, as in a conspiracy to resist the Sun's entry, and powder its light with Sables, creat's a veneration in us. And as the Heathens did choise groves, So did the primitive Chri­stians light their Devotions with torches and candles, intimating thereby that umbrag'd silence was an excellent Shryn for sincere devo­tions; and in this sense, it may be, the Word of God is said to be a Lan­tern to our steps, and the seven Churches are compared to seven Can­dlsticks. Did not our Saviour teach His disciples in parables? and was not the Ark vailed from the eyes of the people? the Pagans dispensed [Page 13] their divinity in Hieroglyphicks; and amongst humane Writers, the most mysterious carry still the Lawrels: And why should we vainly wish to comprehend the nature of the Deity, seing Moses, God's intimate, and minion, could not have that allow­ance? And God himself, when for our necessary instruction He would discover something of Himself to us, is forced per [...], (as Divines speak) to discover Himself in a stile borrowed from humane frailty, and to express His infinit af­fections by our disordered passions.

I believe, that Socrates, natur's greatest disciple, and the Deity's pro­tomartyr, was a prosolyt of the same faith, which we profess, and had his large soul illuminated by that Sun of righteousness, whose refulgent rayes are now the bright torches of the christian Church. Neither is my be­lief in this staggered by the silence of his co-temporary Writers, as to this particular: seing these, not being of the same perswasion with him, but [Page 14] being convinced of his moral worth, did descrive his opinions suitably to their own apprehension. Thus did these pagan Historians admire the great Saviour of mankind, only for His morall accomplishments, with­out reaching these divine principles, by which He was acted. The Stoicks likewayes were in all probability, a tribe of Iohn Baptist's, and God having resolved to purge the Uni­verse of its original unrighteousness by that blessed Manna which came down from heaven to give life to the world, did by their doctrine of abste­miousness, as by a spare dyet, pre­pare its body for receiving that di­vine Dose. And certainly, if men had disbanded that execrable troup of lusts, against which these preached, and had listned (as the Stoicks Book of Discipline injoyned) to their own private consciences, and had by retir­edness abstracted themselves from the reach of temptations, it had fa­cilitated much their conversion: for if the young Lawyer, who came to [Page 15] consult Christ how to draw up his Securities of heaven, and of his por­tion there, had believed their Oracle, which decry'd riches as the unneces­sary baggadge of man's life, and the mudd which clog'd the wings of the souls contemplation, and kept it from soaring its natural pitch, he had never refuised our Saviour's yoke, because he was commanded to sell all and to give it to the poor. Thus likewayes if the rich glutton had dy­eted himself according to the scant prescript of their allowance, his scoarched tongue had not stood in need of a drop of watter to allay it's thirst. Neither had Nicodemus needed to have mantled himself in the darkness of the night, when he came to our Saviour, out of fear, lest he should have been discovered; se­ing their doctrine might have taught him, that fear was a passion, un­worthy to be lodged in the soul of man: And that there is nothing here, which a man either should, or need­eth to fear.

[Page 16]But albeit neither instinct nor faith, were able to convince us in­fallibly of this truth; Yet is it both more satisfying, and more safe to embrace this opinion, then its con­trary. More satisfying, because man's summum bonum here, being lodged in the tranquillity of his spi­rit; That which can best plaine and smooth the rugged and uneven face of his frequent and inevitable misfortunes, must be doubtless the most carressable of opinions: where­fore, seing nothing can strengthen so much man's frailty, nothing check so soon his dispair, nothing feed so much his hope, nor animate so much his courage, as to believe that there is a God, who beareth the heaviest end of all our crosses upon the shoulders of His love; who is able to turn, or arrest the giddie wheel of fortune by the strong hand of His Omnipotency; and who twisteth Lawrels of inimaginable joyes for the heads of these who fight un­der his banners. If a man leaned [Page 17] not his weary soul upon this divine Rest, he were not only an enemy to nature, but even to his own happi­ness. What rocks of danger could men escape, if blind-fortune did sit at the helme, and if vertuous per­sons complain, as affairs are present­ly stated? that their merites are not weighed with indifferency enough in the Scales of justice, What might be expected, if hazard got the ballance to mannage? And these who leave their native countries, when they perceive that the Law beginneth to render its Oracles in an unconstant Stile, and with a trembling voice, be­hooved to leave the world, if this Anarchy were by Atheisme esta­blished? For as a wise Stoick well observed, [...]. It were impos­sible to live in a world, void of God and void of providence.

It is likewayes most safe; for if there be a Deity, doubtless these ob­dured Atheists, whose obstinacy hath conjured their consciences to a [Page 18] constrain'd silence, and brybed these infallible Witnesses, to depone what suited best with their wild resoluti­ons, or rather neglected resolutly their sincere depositions: then cer­tainly, the just flames of that God's indignation, whom they have dis­claimed, will heat for them a furnace in hell, beyond what the other dam­ned spirits shall meet with in their torture. Whereas albeit there be no tribunall, from which such a thunder-bolt sentence may be dart­ed, nor no supreme Judge by whom our actions shall be canvass'd, Then these who have paid their adorati­ons at His altars, shall be in no dan­ger. Wherefore, seing it should be the task of a Virtuoso, to turn out all such thoughts as may raise a mu­tiny in his breast; it were a foolish toy in him to entertain Atheisme, which is a Nurcery of disquietness: for whose breast could enjoy a calme whilst a concernment of so much weight, as his externall portion, did hing from the weak threed of a mere [Page 19] may be, and of such a may be, as marches so near with a will not be?

But if ye would know, what dis­quieting vapours Atheisme sends up to the brain, when it is once drunk in: go to the horrour creating beds of a dying Atheist, whose roaring voice, might awake the most lethar­gick conscience that ever the devil Iull'd a sleep. There ye shall know by the Urinal of his eyes, and the water standing therein, what con­vulsion-fits his soul suffers; and shall learn from his own mouth, how grievously his diseased soul is streatched upon the rack of despair: then it is, that the voluminous Re­gisters of his conscience, which did ly formerly clasp'd in some unsearcht corner of his memory, are laid open before him, and the devil who hi­therto gave him the lessening end of the Prospect, to survey his sins in, turns now its magnifying end to his fearfull eye. It should be then the grand design of a Philosopher, to order his own breast aright, before [Page 20] he go abroad to view the Works of the Creation; least if he leave its door unbolted, the devil steal from him his richest Jewel, whilest he sweats to enrich his contemplation with what is of far less conse­quence.

It is no wild fancy to think, that Su­per­stiti­on. Atheisme hath been the product of Superstition: for certainly, many who were by humour Gallio's, find­ing that Religion exacted from men such inhumane homage to its recog­nizance, as was the sacrificing child­ren amongst the Heathens, wearying Pilgrimages, and hectick Lents amongst Christians, did resolve ra­ther to deny than to adore such Dei­ties. Thus Lucretius revolted up­on Agamemnon's sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia for the grecian safety, crying out,

[Page 21]And thus Petronius▪ Arbiter a monck of the same Cell, says that,

And to prevent this, our Saviour doth oft inculcat, that His yoke is easie and His burden is light. And doubtless, as the straightest line is alwayes the shortest; So the most rational designes are alwayes easily­est effectuated; and as Seneca hath excellently observed, Licet Deus non esset, tamen non peccarem ob peccati vilitatem. There is some­thing of meanness in the gallantest, and most alluring sin. And this is most energetically exprest in Scrip­ture, whilst it is said that the wicked weary themseles by their sins. A principle, which not only the ma­gisterial Authority of God's Spirit, but our experience likewayes places above the reach of all scruples: for are not the inquietuds, the cheats, and palliated parricids, and sacri­ledges brooded by ambition, the [Page 22] churlishness and close-handedness parented by avarice, effects unwor­thy to be father'd upon any rational soul; And at which we should scar­let our cheeks with blushes, as well as [...]npale them through fear, and should stand as much in awe of our consciences, as most do of a Deity? Yet, it may be we are in a mistake, whilst we place Superstition in the excess of such adorations, as are ei­ther commanded or indifferent: for seing the object of our adorations, God Almighty, is in Himself infinit, we can never exceed either in our re­spects to Him, or in the expression of them. Excess being only admis­sible, where the object is finit, and where we attribute mor then is due, which can never be here. Thus if Kneeling be lawfull at any occasion, I hardly see why it is not lawfull to kneel at all occasions. And if these exteriour rites and ceremonies (some whereof are allow'd in all Churches) be judged requisit, for expressing our vassalage and subordination to [Page 23] God our maker, either they are al­together unwarrantable, or else we should proportion them (as far as in us lyes) to that infinit object. And seing the Angels are said to co­ver their faces with their wings be­fore Him, the Patriarchs to fall up­on their face and worship; and our adorable Saviour, in that conflict wherein He represented sinfull man, is by Matthew remark'd to have fall'n upon His face, by Mark to have fall'n upon the ground, and by Luke to have kneel'd. What is crawling man, that he should ac­count such gestures fond Superstiti­on? It would appear then, that Superstition consists in man's wor­shiping God by meanes unlawfull, such as are children-sacrifices, and such like, whereby His divine attri­butes are mis-represented, and taint­ed with cruelty, or tyrannie, and not in an excess, in such expressions of our respect as are in themselves law­full. And if there be any strength in that argument, wherein we inforce [Page 24] the being of God, from the harmo­nious consent and assent of all Nati­ons: certainly, by that same argu­ment, we may establish the decency, if not the necessity, of Ceremonies. For, what Nation bowes to Altars, without profound and external sub­missions? And, who lodges upon the surface of our Globe, who payes not as the reddendo of their Charter to these gods whom they worship, ceremonial Adorations, wrapt up in most submissive Rites?

That God made all things for Why the world was creat­ed. His glory, is an expression, which (I think) looks not well at the test of reason, and hath no warrand but unwary custome: for beyond all question, His glory was so brim-full formerly, that it neither needed, nor could recieve any considerable acces­sion from this small drop. And besids this, the innate apprehension we have of doing any thing for one's glory, dyes this expression with some guilt; Yet, I confess, we may [Page 25] warrantably say, that when perverse man calls His power in question, or controverts His being only wise; that then, God for our instruction, and the vindication of His own glorious Attributes, doth many things for His own glory. And in this sense, the Scripture saith, that God will pu­nish the wicked, and deliver His people, for His own glory. And wherever it is said, that God doth, or createh any thing, for His own glory, it is doubtless in this sense; in which man (who is made after His image) may act for his own glo­ry without any vanity; albeit to act for his own glory in the first sense, were in him criminal. It is then more probable, that God being infinitly good, and all good being sui communicativum, that His de­sign in creating the world, was to communicate and display His good­ness: and upon this base probably hath Aristotle reared up his errour, of the worlds existency from all eternity: for, seing God was ab [Page 26] aeterno infinitly good, and that good is still communicative: he did (it may be) conclude, that ab aeterno, God did communicate His goodness: which could only be to creatures. And therefore it was necessar that there should have been a world: and some Philosophers have aver'd, that the world flowed from God per emanationem, ab aeterno, as beames are lanced out from the body of the Sun. Albeit I be none of Aristotle's Partisans, nor holds my philosophy of him as my Superior; Yet I cannot but think, that God hath communicated His goodness to worlds prior to ours, which is but of 5662 years standing. But I am not so arrogant as to determine the time of the first worlds birth, nor how many Cadets it hath had, resolving to leave its Date, blank, to be fill'd up by some arrogant Pretender. Neither should I accuse mine own thoughts of Heresie, for concluding, that probab­ly there are presently thousands of worlds co-existing with ours, where­of [Page 27] some, it may be, are governed by Maximes. If not contrair, yet at least differnt from these which are our Canons. All which worlds, al­beit they were actually subsisting, would ly in the bosome of the large imaginarie Spaces, but like so many small balls in the corner of a large Tennis-court. I shall not for con­firming this opinion, cite, with an ig­norant french Curate, the parable of the Lepers, where it is said, Nonne sunt decem mundi? because I know that it was wittily answered, Sed ubi sunt reliqui novem?

That Eternity is all present, and Eter­nity. that in it, there is neither preterit, nor future, is but a conceit, and a needless mysterie imposed upon our belief, which is really more mysteri­ous then the Trinity; who knows but it is founded upon an expression in Cicero, wherein Eternity is call'd aeternum instans? For how then can it be said, that God was before the world? for was is preterit, and [Page 28] before the world there was, as them­selves alledge, no time; and so there was a was in eternity. Is not God call'd by Himself Alpha and Omega, first and last, the one whereof is pre­terite and the other future? And it is said, Rev. 16. 5. O glorious God, who art, and wast, and shalt be. And if it be answered, That this is only fitted to our capacities; certainly, that is all is craved: for, doubtlesse there is no such reall thing, as these three measures of time, even in things finit and created; for they ow their being only to our conceit, as well in the one as in the other. And when God descriv'd Himself by His name JAH I am, it was not mean't, that no measure of time could be attri­buted to Him, but the present; but rather, that what He was, was to man incomprehensible. And that all we could know of Him, was that He existed; and by that expression, that all things to Him are present, was mean't, that by His Knowledge in­tuitive, (as Divines terme it) He [Page 29] comprehends all things which were to be, as if they were really present; and this is spoke, not of his being, but of his knowledge. Neither can it be concluded that if was or shall be, may be attributed to God, then He must be mutable, and that was, denotats mutation; for as I said formerly, these are but termes, not really ex­isting, and so cannot import any real mutation.

How God imployes His uncontrol­able Pro­vi­dence. Scepter, after what fashion He governs this lower world, and in what characters He writs His eter­nal Decrees, hath been the arrogant study of some mad-cap Pedants, who talk as magisterially of His Decrees, as if they were of His cabinet Coun­cel. And albeit to deterre such bold intruders, He destroyed thousands of His ancient people, because they look'd into His Ark; Yet, such is the petulancie of some latter Witts, that they must needs look in to His unsearchable bosome, and there ma­rishall [Page 30] all His Decrees, and conceit they understand His way of work­ing; and thus in disputing of objects, infinitly removed by their obstruse­ness from their sense, they shew themselves more ridiculous, then these who would dispute concern­ing the qualities of an object, before it come so near, as that they may know of what species it is: for se­ing it is a maxime, that there is no­thing in our understanding, which hath not past to it thorow our sen­ses, and that the things of God are immaterial, and so fall not under the cognizance of our senses; It must be folly to think, that any humane scru­tinie can find out mysteries that are so unsearchable, except they be im­parted to them by immediat revela­tion; a kind of correspondence which I concieve few now a dayes holds with heaven. Yet, I confess, it is as hard to confute their fictions, as it is impossible for them to come by the knowledge of them. But as this study is unattainable, so it is un­profitable [Page 31] for seeing God's art of governing the world, and His Decrees of saveing or damning its Citizens is a trade we shall never be able to pra­ctise, Why should we have such an itch to understand it? It should be enough to us, to be saved, albeit we know not how, or by what manner of Decrees; except we be of the same mettal with that foolish pati­ent, who would not be cured, be­cause the Physician would not shew him how the cure was to be com­posed, and what were its ingredients. And is it not the Zenith and top­branch of madness for us to pry into Go'ds unsearchable Decrees, who know not how our neighbour's calf is formed in its Dames belly?

It was a narrow Omnipotency, which some mean spirit'd Heathens allowed their Iupiter, when they conceited that he wanted leasure to dispose of trifles.

For if the twinkling of an eye, [Page 32] were not time sufficient for God to dispose upon all the affairs of this world, then there might be a greater power then His; and the power to dispose so suddainly, were wanting to his Omnipotency, and so He were not infinit, and consequently no God.

Neither was the Rodomontade of Alphonsus, King of Portugal, more pious then this; when he alleadged that if God had made use of His ad­vice in framing the world, He had helped many things in it, which he now could justly taxe of errour.

These two extremes, are the two Poles, whereon the globe of Athe­isme turns it self; some, out of an impious humility, complementing God out of His Authority, by deny­ing that He disposes of the meaner size of business, and others detract­ing from His providence, in attribut­ing His operations to chance and fate, or branding them with injust­ice or imprudence.

There are among School-men two [Page 33] opinions which dispute victory with (almost) equal forces. The one whereof, will have God the sole agent, and to make use of secundary causes, only, as of ciphers, these say that it is not fire which burns, but that God burns ad praesentiam ig­nis; nor water which cools, but that God cools ad praesentiam aquae: which is, in my opinion, the same thing as to say, that God jugl'd with man; and as Charmers do, presented ingredients, but wrought by hid means.

In too near an affinity with this, is the Doctrine of Predestination as some teach it, wherein they will have man to play the mere spectator in his own Salvation: and albeit there be a free and full tender of mercy made to lost man, yet will not allow him any power to embrace or reject it; judging this one of the necessary appanages of God's Omni­potency, that He doth save or con­demn ex mero beneplacito, never considering, that the question is not, [Page 34] what God can do, but what He doth: And that it derogats nothing from His Omnipotency, that He will not damn poor sinners, who according to their Doctrine cannot be blamed for their obstinacy; because it was never free to them to do otherwise: and how (I pray you) could the sluggard in the parable, have been punished, for not improving his ta­lent, and laying it up in a napkin, i [...] God had by His Decree cast an in­solvable knot upon that napkin, wherein it was laid up?

The other opinion, will have se­cundary causes the sole agents; and teaches, that God in the first mould­ing of each creature, did dote it with innate qualities, sufficient to act eve­ry thing requisit for its subsistence; but in sign of its subjection to its Maker, reserved to Himself, as His prerogative royal, a power to bend and bow these inclinations upon ex­traordinary occasions, for the good of the Universe, or when His infal­lible Omni-prudence should think [Page 35] expedient. Thus, when that All­eyeing eye of the world, the Sun, was first turn'd off the frame, it had in Commission to sow its influences over the world without any retard­ment; Yet was its motion arrested, and turn'd back by an extraordinar warrand in the dayes of Ioshua and Zedekiah. Thus they make the creatures resemble a Watch, which after it is once compleated, goes by its own Springs and Wheels, with­out the Artist's continual assistance. Yet, when either its motion becomes irregular, or when the owner finds it fit, it is unpeec'd, or hath its In­dex put forward or backward at his pleasure. And this last, seems to suit best with the principles, both of Christianity and Stoicisme. With Christianity, because it gives a check to presumption, and suffers not man to think himself the sole arbiter of his own condition; because God can easily quash these babylon-like fan­cies, which his topless ambition is still a building; and to his despair, [Page 36] because a lift from the strong arme of Providence, may heave him up above all his difficulties.

This corresponds best likewayes with Stoicisme, because it pulls the hands of a sluggard from his bosome and setts them awork to prepare for himself, and not to repose his un­reasonable hopes upon divine Provi­dence; which only keeps these from sinking, who endeavour to swimme. This likewayes takes from man, all excuse of sining, not suffering him to lay over his vitiousness upon Provi­dence, a shift too ordinar amongst such, as misunderstand the tashless Doctrine of the reformed Churches.

This opinion makes us likewayes understand, what the Heathens meant by fortune, which they term­ed giddie; what the Stoicks meant by fate, which they confessed to be irresistable; and in what sense Phi­losophers concluded, that each man could hammer out his own fortune. As to the Pagan's fortune, it cannot be thought, that seing it was by [Page 37] themselves confess'd to be blind, that they could trust it with the reines of the admirably manag'd world. And seing they confess'd, that it was alwayes stagering and unconstant, it cannot be thought that they could ascrive to it, all these curious and just events, which they themselves admired hourly. Wherefore it is probable, that the Philosophers, having through the prospect of na­ture, and by an uninterrupted expe­rience, observed, that man (who acted from a freedom of spirit unre­strained, either by providence or starr-influences as to his ordinar operations) was of a volatile and capricious humour; therefore they concluded, that the state of humane affairs, which was framed and un­framed at his ill-fixt pleasure, be­hoved necessarily to be most sub­ject to changes. And that seing the victories of Cesar, depended upon the inclinations of his souldiers, who by abandoning him, would fetch his prosperity away with them: [Page 38] they had reason therefore to terme his fortune Frail and exposed to hazard.

Thus the advancement of the rest­less Courtier is uncertain, because it hings from the humor of his Prince, whose spirit hath some allay of un­constancy, as well as hath that of the fearfull subject, who trembls under his Scepter. And thus the oyl-con­suming Student, can promise himself no applause, because the paralytick hand of the multitudes fancies, holds the scales wherein his abilities are weighed.

In fine, fortune was nothing to these Ancients, but the unbodyed freedom of man's will, considered abstractly from all particular persons and the innate qualities of all other creatures, (which, because they are mortal, must therefore be chang­able) then which nothing is more inconstant, nothing more blind.

The other branch of divine Pro­vidence, which consists in the su­preme Authority, whereby God [Page 39] makes all humane inclinations run sometime against the byasse of their specifick nature, was by them termed fate. And this in their mythologie they fabled to be an Adamant chain, which they fastned to the foot of Iupiter's chair, meaning by its ada­mantine nature, that it was hard to be brok like the Adamant; and by fastning it to Iupiter's chair, that it was the product of the Almighty's power. Thus fortune and fate, were to them but the right and left hands of christian providence.

These embodyed angels, the Sto­icks, finding that fortunes megrim could not be cured, nor fates decrees rescinded, and yet resolving, in spight of all external accidents, to secure to themselves a calmness of spirit; did place their happiness in the contempt of all these follies, whose blossomes fortune could not blast, and sought for happiness in an acquiescence to all which providence did unalterably decree; So that neither fortune nor fate could stand in the way of their [Page 40] happiness, because they slighted the one, and submitted to the other.

And in this sense, each man in their schools, was admitted to be Master-of-work to his own fortune: and that without disparaging the omnipotent power of the great For­tune-maker, in submission to whom their happiness was plac'd.

Albeit the knowledge and ac­knowledgment of a God, be the ba­sis of true Stoicisme, and a firmer one then any the Heathens could pretend to; Yet, that knowledge of Him, which by the curiosity of School-men and the bigotrie of Tub-preachers, as now formed in a Body of Divinity, is of all others the least necessary and the most dange­rous. And whereas we did see God but in a Glass formerly, that Glass is now so misted and soyl'd by each Pedant's flegmatick breath, that it is hard to see Him at all, but impossible to see Him there. And to extend a little that mysterious analogy; we are said to behold God here, as in a [Page 41] Glass, and as objects are best perciev­ed in the smoothest mirrors; So the plainest descriptions of Him, are still the truest: for when He is seen by Atheists in the globe-glass of their infidelity, He appears less then re­ally He is, when beheld by the Pa­gans in the multiplying Glass of Pa­ganisme, He appears many; and when He is look't upon in the mag­nifying Glass of Superstition, though He appear but one, Yet He is misre­presented, because He is represented, as more terrible then He desires to appear: and ordinarily the better cut Glasses are, and the more artificiall, the worse the face is by them repre­sented.

That first Curse which did sowe Theo­logy. all the world with briers and thorns, did, of all other things, fall most heavily upon the soul of man. Which because it was chief in the transgression, ought in reason to have been most tortured in the pu­nishment. And now his disquieted [Page 42] spirit, is daily pierc'd with the prickles of thornie disputes and de­bates: which, as like briers, they produce no fruit fit for alimenting that noble half of man, which is his rational soul; So do they, like thorns, pierce his tender conscience, and to screw his torments to their highest pinn; the thoughts of God, and of settlment in Him, which like balme should cure these sores, is be­come that hemlock, which occasions his distractions, and poysons his me­ditations. For, albeit the Heroes of the primitive Church, did give milk in abundance to Infant-christi­ans; Yet, many of their successors, have mixt it so with the tart vinegar of contention, that that milk beginns now to crudle, and so is become loathsome to the appetite of tender believers. For, most of Church­men, being idle, and concieving, that if they taught only the holy Scrip­tures, their vocation might by Laicks be undervalued as easy; and that they would be denyed that applause, [Page 43] which was due to quaintnesse of wit, especially in a setled Church, where­in Church-men could not draw re­verence from the people, by Oracles, as did the heathen Priests; nor by prophecies and miracles, as did the Servants of the most High, under the old and new Testaments. Did there­fore, according to their private in­clinations, frame each to himself a new kind of Divinity. The more pragmatick sort, and these whose humour was edged with choler, in­vented polemick or controverted di­vinity. And so by an intestine and civil war of opinions▪ raised within the bowels of Religion; did waste and pillage that holy Canaan, which formerly slowed with the milk of sincere Doctrine, and the honey of divine Consolations. And then, that precious blood, which formerly purpled only pagan-scaffolds, dyed now the swords of fellow-believers: who, to propagate their private judgment, buried Churches under their rubbish, fed the birds of heaven [Page 44] with the carcases of pious and reve­rend Church-men; and by the mad hands of bigott opiniastrity, brok to pieces all the sacred bonds of natural and civil duties: and thus they rais­ed the devil of contention, whom they could not lay again; and made this Itch of disputing, turn the Scab of the Church.

Others again, in whose brains sul­len melancholy, form'd phantomes and ideas, invented scolastick Theolo­gy; and these, in abstract cells, erected a Mint-house for coyning the dross of their own contemplations, into wonderfull bombast notions: and to make them go current, in the suffer­ing Church, gave them the impressa of Theology.

A third sort, not able to soare their pitch in the sky of Invention, resolved to set up a correspondence with heaven: and this they called enthusiastick, or inspired, Theology. And their Cabbins were Post-houses, where one might know what was resolved lately in the conclave of [Page 45] heaven, whether the King or Parlia­ment was to wear the Lawrels, and what should be the issue of our pi­ous rebellions. These could likewise cast the horoscop of your salvation; and invented a species of Physiogno­my, whereby they could tell if the marks of Grace dwelt upon a face, and if one had the traicts of an elect child of God. After this fashion did they prophesie their own fancies, and call that Providence only which made for them.

There wants not some likewayes, who, out of a well meaning desire, to make the lamp of truth darte its rayes with the clearer splendor, snuff it so nearly, that they extinguish it quyt: and leavs us nothing but the stink of its snuff; like some curious Physicians, who purge so frequent­ly, that they destroy the body en­trusted to their cure. We in this Island have met with some of these Charletans, who, I am confident, purged oftner both Church and State, then Luke, the beloved physi­cian, [Page 46] would have prescrived, if we had had the good fortune to have been his Patients.

The talest witt is not able to reach heaven, albeit (I know) ma­ny disjoint their witts in stretching them too high in the inquiry of its mysteries. Neither impute I our short-coming in the knowledge of these mysteries, solly to their ob­strusness; but, I believe, our medi­tations are more clouded in relation to these, then really they need to be, because of their innate frailty: for we see, that some who are masters of much reason in things humane, be­tray much solly in their devotions: wherefore▪ I am induced to believe, that it fares with the soul in this, as usually it doth with the body, whose pulls are proportionally the weaker, as the thing grasp'd-after is plac'd above its true reach. And so these arrogant Pretenders pull but faint­ly, because they raise their medi­tations too high on their tip-toes: whereby they are disabl'd from im­ploying [Page 47] all their naturall vigour, in pulling at these weighty and sublime Truths, which they catch, not by that corner which is nearest, as meanner witts do, (and so are more successfull) but endeavour a fetch at what in Divinity is highest, by which effort, their endeavours are fainter, then these whose spirit is of a lesser size. And these colossus witts, become the greatest Hereticks, as these ordinarily are most burnt, whose fingers oftest stir up fires, and as Chirurgians have moe cuts and wounds, then any other Mechanicks, who handle not so oft these wound­ing tools. It is not fit that mortal man should wrestle too much with these mysteries, least his reason, like Iacob, be forc'd to come off, halting.

Nothing hath more busied my thoughts, then to find a reason why the Heathens, who were as assidu­ous and zealous too in the worship of their gods, as we Christians, did never frequent Sermons, nor knew no such part of divine Service; [Page 48] whereof (probably) the reason was because their Governors (whose commands amongst them were the sole jure-divinoship of all Ecclesia­stick Rites) feared, that Church-men, if they had been licenc'd to harangue to the people, would have influenc'd too much that gross body: which was the reason likewayes, why in the primitive Church (as one of their Historians observes) ex formula populo praedicabant, tantum anti­quitas timebat [...]. They preached only approved Sermons, so much did antiquity fear these leaders of the people, a practice, as is reported, lately renewed by the Duke of Russia: and this seemeth also to have been the reason, why all Liturgies have prick't texts for their Preachers, lest if they had been left a freedom in their choice, they had chose such as might, in the let­ter, have suited best with such sedi­tious Libels as are now obtruded upon the people, in lieu of pious ho­milies, at remarkable or festival oc­casions. [Page 49] Yet, I think, that our late Doctors, who can find all Doctrine in any text, would easily have elud­ed that canonick designe. If we should parallel the homilies, which these renowned Fathers have left, as Legacies, to posterity, with these which our age runs after, we would find, that the first were pointed les­sons of mortification; which, like Moses rod, could draw gushes of tears from the rocky hearts of the most obdured sinners; whereas ma­ny of these last are but State-gazets, wherein the people are informed, what are the resolves of the civil Magistrate: And whereas their first institution made them Ambassadors of glad-tydings betwixt God and His people, they have made them­selves Heraulds, to denounce warres betwixt God's Vice-gerent and His subjects. Thus, Peter's successors will oft times, like himself, rather draw the sword then watch for their Master. And since our Saviour hath disarmed them, as He did Peter, [Page 50] and filled their hands with the keyes, these who offend them are sure to get over the head with these. I confesse, God hath not left His Church without some skilfull Pilots, to lead in His servants, with securi­ty, to the harbour of Salvation: to whom this Discourse and it's Au­thor shall pay all respects.

Most of all Churches do, like coy The strict­ness of Chur­ches. maids, lace their bodies so strait, that they bring on them a consum­ption; and will have the gates of heaven to have been only made for themselves: and as this nigardli­ness hath possest Churches, so from that root hath stem'd the churlish­ness of some private Christians, who will allow God but a most incon­siderable number of these whom He hath admitted to make up His visible Church. Thus, some Pastors will only admit two or three to be guests at the Lord's Table, allow­ing no wedding garment, but what is of their own spinning: and others, with their uncharitable hands, blut [Page 51] the names of all their acquaintances out of the Books of Life, as if they were keepers of His Registers and Rolls; and will only have seats kept in the Church, triumphant, for three or four Sisters, who are so srugal of their devotions, as to spare them at home, to the end, they may be liberal in publick. But both these should con­sider, that the new Ierusalem is said to have moe gates then one; that Iohn in his Revelation tells us, that numberless numbers were seen fol­lowing the Lamb; and that it is not probable, that the wise Framer of the world made such a spacious dwelling as heaven, to be inhabited by so in­considerable a number: whereas hell (in the geography of believed tradi­tion) is only the small kernel of this small shell the earth. I know, that many are called and few chosen; and that the way is strait, and few enter in at it: But we should consider, that these chosen, are said to be few, in re­spect only of these many who are cal­led. Which is most certain; for ten [Page 52] Parts of eleven are Pagans or Mahu­metans, (and all are called) of that elevnth part, many are malitious He­reticks; and amongst the residue many are flagitious and publick sin­ners; So that albeit the greatest part of the regular members of the visible Church were sav'd, Yet the number would be small in comparison of these others: The body of the vi­sible Church, must (like all other bodies) be compounded of contra­ry elements. And albeit I am not of opinion, that this body should be suffer'd to swell with humours, yet I would not wish, that it should be macerated with purgations. It's nails (though but excrementitious parts) should not be so nearly pair'd, as that the body may bleed; yet, they should be so pared, as that chri­stians may not scratch one another. They should feed, not upon blood, but milk: and they are unmannerly guests, who will not suffer others to sit at their Masters table with them.

It pleases my humour to con­templat, [Page 53] how, that albeit all Reli­gions war against one another; yet, are all of them governed by the same principles, and even by these prin­ciples, in effect, which they seem to abominat. Thus, albeit the cessa­tion of miracles be cryed down by many, yet, do the most bigot relate, what miracles have been wrought by the founders of their Hierarchies, and what prophesies they have ora­culously pronounced. And seing all confess, that God, in our dayes, breaks the prosperous upon the same Wheel, on whose top they did but lately triumph; making fortune adopt the opprest in their vice; why should we talk so much of the ceas­ing of miracles? For, doubtless, these effects are in policy, as contrair to nature, as are the swimming of iron, or sweetning of rivers; or ra­ther more: Seing in the first, mans will is forc'd (without which, such revolutions could not be effectuat­ed) whereas in the last, dull and sensual qualities are only wrested: [Page 54] which, as they are not so excellent, so, doubtless, are not able to make such resistance as the Soul of man: Yea, I should rather think, that the world being become old, must, doubt­less, be more dim-sighted (as all old things are) then formerly; and therefore, God doth now present greater objects of admiration to our eyes then He did formerly: For, man is become so atheisticall, that if God did not presse His meditations with such infallible testimonies of the being of an irresistable power, he would, doubtless, shake of all re­solutions of submitting. Thus, we see that in all the tract of Iohn's Revelations, miracles grow still more frequent, the nearer the world draweth to it's grave; and, like all other bodies, the weaker it becomes, the more subject it is to all altera­tions, and the less is nature able to resist. And it would appear, that if miracles were requisit at first, for the establishment of Religion, even when no older Religion was to [Page 55] cede to it, and to make an exit at it's entry; much more, should miracles be necessar, for fixing any Religion against the received constitutions of a previously settled Church. But to prosecute my first design, it is re­markable, that albeit infallibility be not by all, conceded to any militant Church; yet, it is assumed by all: Neither is there any Church under the Sun, which would not fix the name of heretick, and account him (almost) reprobat, who would re­fuse to acknowledge the least ratio­nal of their Principles: and thus these Church-men pull up the lad­ders from the reach of others, after they have by them scal'd the walls of preferment themselves. That Church-men should immerse them­selves in things civil, is thought ex­centrick to their sphere, even in or­dine ad spiritualia: And yet, even the Capuchins, who are the greatest pretenders to abstract Christianity and Mortification, do, of all others, dipth most in things civil. The [Page 56] Phanaticks enveigh against Presby­terian Gowns. The Presbyterian tears the Episcopal lawn Sleeves, and thinks them the whore of Babel's shirt. The Episcopist slouts at the popish Robes, as the livery of the beast. The Antinomian emanci­pats his disciples from all obedience to the Law. The Protestant en­joyn good works, and such are com­manded, but place no merit in them. The Roman-catholick thinks he me­rits in his obedience. The Phana­tick believs the Lords Supper but a ceremony, though taken with very little outward respect. The Presby­terian allowes it, but will not kneel. The Episcopist kneels, but will not adore it. The Catholick mixeth adoration with his kneeling. And thus, most of all Religions are made up of the same elements, albeit their asymbolick qualities predomine in some more then in others. And if that maxime hold, that majus & minus non variant speciem, we may pro­nounce all of them to be one Re­ligion.

[Page 57]The Church, like the river Ni­lus, can hardly condescend where it's head lyes; and as all condescend that the Church is a multitude of chri­stians, so joyn all their opinions, and you shall find that they will have it to have, like the multitude, many heads. But in this (as in all Articles, not absolutely necessar for being sa­ved) I make the Laws of my coun­trey to be my Creed: and that a clear decision herein is not absolute­ly necessar for Salvation, is clear from this, that many poor Clowns shall be saved, whose conscience is not able to teach their judgments how to decide this controversie, wherein so many heads have been confounded, so many have been lost, and so many have been shrewdly knockt against one another; from which flinty collisions, much fire, but little light, hath ever burst forth.

God, by His Omniscience, fore­seeing, that it was too dazleing a sight for the pur-blind eyes of man's soul, to behold Him invironed with [Page 58] the rayes of divine Majesty, did be­stow upon us, three mirrours, where­in we might contemplat Him (as we use to look upon the Sun in a tub of water, not daring eye His native splendor) the one was the mirrour of the Law, the second is the works of the Creation, and the third is the Soul of man, which He Himself hath told us is framed after His own glo­rious Image.

As for the first mirrour, the Law; God knowing that instinct, or as we terme it, a natural conscience, were compleat digests of all that man was to observe▪ He did make that mirrour very little, a volumne of only two pages; but that mirrour is, of late, so mullered about, by marginal Notes and Commentars, that the mirrour it self is almost over-spread by them; and it is very observable, that in the holy Registers, the Law is still abridg­ed, but we never see it enlarg'd: For, albeit the fundamental Laws of both Tables were packed up in narrow bounds, yet our Saviour [Page 59] sums them in these two, fear the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and, love thy neighbour as thy self. And the Apostle Paul, in his divine Epi­stles, professes, that he desires to know only Christ, and Him cruci­fied: So, that I am confident, that if our Saviour were to preach in person, once more to the world, He would enveigh against our Casuists, as much as He did against the Jewish Talmudists; for, the one as well as the other, are equally guilty of burdening the shoulders of weak christians, with the unnecessary trash of humane inventions. For, I re­member to have seen a late Casuist, dispute contentiously amongst his other cases, whither Tobacco, taken in the morning, did break a com­manded fast or not? To which, af­ter a feaverish conflict, his wisdom, forsooth, returns this oraculous an­swer; That if Tobacco be taken at the nose, it breaks not the fast, but if it be taken at the mouth, then it breaks the fast. Which, because I [Page 60] made a Collasterion betwixt the Ca­suists and the Talmudists, I shall on­ly mention out of the Talmude (which was the Iews comment up­on the Law) a case, exactly parallel to this: wherein is decided, that if a man carry a burden on the Sab­bath day, upon both his shoulders, then he is guilty of breach of Sab­bath, but that he is not guilty if he carry it upon one shoulder. As to my own private judgment, (which I submitt to my spiritual tutors) I think, that seing the conscience of man, is the same faculty with the judgment when conversant about spiritual imployments (as the word [...] which imports a know­ledge reflexive upon a man's own self, doth abundantly evidence) that therefore, as there are judgments of different tempers; So there are like­wise consciences of different frames: and which vary as much amongst themselves, as natural constitutions do. And therefore, as the same Dose would prove noxious to one [Page 61] constitution, wherein another would find his health; So in one and the same act, that resolution may be saving to one conscience, which may condemn another: for, seing God hath kindled a torch in each mans breast, by whose flame he may see what path he should beat. In which sense it is said, Prov. 20. 27. That the understanding of man is the candle of the Lord; and can that light mislead? And seing man must be answerable according to what it prescrives to him, doubtless it is fitter that he should hearken to the reite­rated dictates of his conscience, than to the resolution of any School-ca­suist: and that for the same reason, that it is more rational to obey the Law it self, than the wisest Lawier, who may either be deceived himself, or have a design to deceive others. For if God hath endued man with every thing necessary for working out the work of his own Salvation, with fear and trembling, He hath doubtless bestowed upon him an in­ternal [Page 62] touch-stone, by whose test he may discern betwixt good and evil; seing to command man to walk uprightly, and not to bestow on him eyes to see the road, were to command a blind man to walk, and to punish him if he went astray. And as the composure of man's bo­dy, would be imperfect and manck, if he wanted a palate to discern be­wixt the tast of what is wholsome, or what is putrid; So if the soul of man were not able to know its own duty, and by the palate of a natural conscience, to difference betwixt law­full and unlawfull: certainly the soul might be thought to be but ill appointed. Thus, beasts are by an intrinsick principle taught their du­ty, and do accordingly shun or fol­low what is convenient for them, without consulting any thing from without. And shall man be less per­spicacious, or more defective then these? As also seing man is oftimes by thousands of occasions, removed far from the assistance of Chair or [Page 63] Pulpit-informers; and in that his retiredness, hath most of these cases to be resolved: it were absurd to think that he then wants sufficiency of help for their resolution. And it is most observable in Scripture, that men are oft check'd for quenching the Spirit, but never for not consult­ing Casuists. I know it may be thought, that when the soul of man rages at sometime in a feaver of lust, revenge, or some such sin, that then the conscience may rave; Yet I dare say, that albeit the soul, out of an inordinat desire to enjoy its own pleasures, may set its invention a work, to palliat the sinfulness of what it desires; yet by some secret knell, the conscience sounds still its reproof. And I dare say, that ne­ver man erred without a check from his conscience; nor that ever any sinned, after an approbation obtained from his conscience of what he was about: and when we assent to these Doctors, is it not because our con­sciences, or our judgments (which [Page 64] are the same) assent, to what they inform? which evidences, that our consciences are more to be believed, then they, by that rule, Propter quod unumquod (que) est tale, &c. but to convince us of the folly of our ad­dresses to these Doctors. It may, and often doth fall out, that that may be a sin in me, which a Casuist pronounces to be none, as if my breast did suggest to me, that it were a sin to buy Church-lands; if there­after I did buy them, it were doubt­less a sin, albeit my Doctors, follow­ing the Canons of their particular Church, assured me, that the sale of Church-lands were no sin in it self. I am confident then, that this Casu­ist divinity, hath taken its rise from the desire Church-men had to know the mysterie of each man's breast, and to the end, nothing of import, might be undertaken without consulting their Cell; perswading men, that in ordine ad spiritualia, their consci­ences, and consequently their Salva­tion, may be interested in every civil [Page 65] affair. And to confirm this, it is most observable, that this trade is most used by Iesuits and Innovators, who desire to know all intrigues and subvert all States, whereas the primitive Church knew no such Di­vinity, neither hath its Doctors left any such Volumns.

It may be urged, that seing the conscience is but a reflex act of the judgment, that as the judgment is an unsure guid, the conscience can­not pretend to be infallible; and that the one, as well as the other, is tu­tor'd by the fallacious principles of sense and custom: And I my self have seen my Lands-lady, in France, as much troubled in conscience for giving us flesh to eat in Lent, as if she had cast out the flesh of a chri­stian to be devoured by dogs; and so Atheisme may attribute to custom, these inclinations whereby we are acted-on to believe a Deity; and may tell us, that the Mahumetans find themselves as much prickt in conscience, for transgressing their [Page 66] Prophets canons, as we for offending against the moral Law. And thus the adoring of a Deity might have at first been brooded in the council­chamber of a States-mans head, and yet might have been, at that time by the vulgar, and thereafter by the wisest pates, worshipped with pro­found respects: Yet, if we pry nar­rowly into this conceit, we shall find in it something of instinct previous to all forgeries possible. For, what was it (I pray you) which encou­raged, or suggested to these Politi­cians, that such a thing as the Deity might be dissembled to their people for their imposing that cheat, pre­supposed some pre-existing notion of it? Or, how entred that fancie first in their wild heads? Or, how could so many contemporary, and yet far distant, Legislators, fall upon the same thoughts, especialy, it being so remote from sense; and for framing of which idea, their experience could never furnish a pattern? Conscience then must be something else then [Page 67] the fumes of melancholy, or, capri­cio's of fancie; for else, roaring Gallants, who are little troubled, or can easily conquer all other fancies, would not be so haunted by these pricking pangs; which if they were not infallibly divine, behooved to be meerly ridiculous, and to want all support from reason or expe­rience.

There is another fyle of cases of conscience, which is a Cadet of that same family; and these are such cases as were the brood of these late times, which, like Infects and un­clean creatures, may be said genera­ri ex putri materiâ: an instance whereof, was that famous Sister, who ask'd if she was oblidg'd to ex­ecute her catt for killing a mouse up­on the Sabbath. This was a Theo­logy, taught by old dotting Wives, and studied by State-expectants, who, to gain applause, and in hope to mount Preferment's Sadle, made use of this gilded stirrop. I shall not inveigh against this foppery, se­ing [Page 68] it hath not possest mens conceit so long, as to have prescrived the tittle of Divinity; but, like a me­teor, which, because it is fixt to no Orbe, and is but a mass of inflamed vapours, doth therefore disappear immediatly, how soon its substance flashes out; and its ashes are now entomb'd in the same clay with its brother twain, that pious Non-sense, wherein God Almighty was treated with in familiar and not in supe­riour.

As God did light the candle of a The Scrip tures. private conscience, in each private breast; So hath He hung up the lamp of the Scriptures, in the body of His Church; and these we may call the conscience of the Church, whilst triumphant. Which some, by the breath of their vanity, and stormes of their passion, endeavour to blow out, whilst others, make no other use of its Light, then to shew them where to find a jest. And within the armes of this division, ly [Page 69] folded, all the prophane race of man­kind. As to these first (who should be first, because they are Sathan's first-born, and so deserve a double portion of this reproof) they con­tend, that the Scriptures are writen in a mean and low stile; are in some places too mysterious, in others too obscure; contain many things in­eredible, many repetitions, and many contradictions. But these miscre­ants should consider, that much of the Scriptures native splendor is im­pared by its Translators, who, fear­ing to fall within the verge of the curse pronounced against such as should pair from, or adde to, any thing contained in that divine Book, were, and are willing, that their Translation should want rather the lustre, then meaning of the Original. As also of all Tongues, I believe the Hebrew admits least of a Translati­on; especially into northern Lang­uages: for as these Nations differ least in their expressions, who, be­cause of their commerce or contigui­ty, [Page 70] have the most frequent converse. So doubtless▪ the Iews and we, by this Rule, should in language hold the least correspondence. And be­cause there is no pure fountain of this Tongue left, besides the Bible, it must be hard to understand its ex­pressions, wherein the Translators can find little or no help from the variety and collation of Authors. And seing this Book was penn'd in­differently, for all Ages, Nations and Sexes, it was sit that its stile should have been condescending: for these who are tall, can pull the fruit which hangs low, whereas these who are low, cannot pull what pearch's high. And it is very observable, that where the fruit is greatest and ripest, there the branch whereon it hangs, bowes lowest. When God appeared to Elijah, Kings 19. there came first a terrible wind, thereafter a great earthquake, and then fire; and yet God was in none of these, but spoke in the shrill small voice. His divine Providence hath so order'd it, that [Page 71] our conviction cannot be ascrib'd to the fard of Eloquence nor slight of Logick, but merely to the truth of what is therein represented: our Sa­viour, will with clay and spitle, illu­minate our eyes, as He did these of the other blind man in the Gospel. And such is the strength of His di­vine Arme, that He can vanquish Sa­than, misbelief and ignorance with any weapon. And as we think the Sun's circumference but little, be­cause it is situated so far above us; So we conclude these truths and ex­cellencies but mean, because they are plac'd above our frail reach, and will blame the Scriptures, when the fault lurks in our selves, that great Physi­cian will cure us, like an artist, with simples, specifick for our disease, and not like a Charletan, with perfumed and gilded nothings. It is not all­wayes the best mettal, which carries the pleasingest impressa; nor doth the painted candle cast the clearest light. There are many things in Scripture, which because of our [Page 72] frailty, appear (like a staff in the wa­ters) to be crooked, albeit they be streight. Why Abraham should have kill'd his son Isaac; or the Is­raelites have borrowed and not re­stored the egyptian Ear-rings, stag­gers not my belief: for these be­long'd to God, and neither to Abra­ham, nor the Egyptians: and so God might have given order to any He pleased to recieve them: and these who obey'd, were no more guilty, then such are, who by order from the Master, recieve what he did for­merly lend to others. And as to its repetitions▪ they differ, no doubt, from one another; albeit we (who think all things removed, though by a little distance from us, of one shape) judge ill, in judging other­wayes. And as an excellent person hath well observed, God hath ap­pointed these reiterated expressions, to be as so many witnesses, to con­vince Hereticks and others, who should call the meaning of any one place in question, or wrest it by what preceeds or followes it.

[Page 73]As to these others, in whom the wine of God's consolations, (by be­ing winded in the crackt vessels of their heads) turns into the tart vi­negar of prophane Satyres, I con­dole their condition: for, that sto­mach must be very corrupt, wherein the best of aliment putrifies most; and probably, that indigested milk, being converted in excrementitious bile and humours, may cast them in a feaver which shall never cool to all eternity. I pity likewayes these, who, out of an in-advertent (and as they think, sinless) humour, jest with these divine truths; like foolish children, who love rather to sport with their meat then eat it. These, albeit they intend not to prophane Scripture, yet, they vilifie it: And we may say of the Bible as of taking of God's name in our mouths, which must not only, not be done upon de­sign, to blaspheme and diffame Him; but must not be taken but upon ne­cessity, and, like the Shew-bread, must be used only when we are in [Page 74] straits. I have been too guilty of this last sin my self; and therefore, least I should make no attonement, I have rather resolved to appear be­fore the world, in the dust and sack­cloath of this silly Discourse, a Pen­nance, really, to me very great.

When I consider how various and innumerable are the actions of men, and that in all these, they need par­ticular instructions from above the Poles, I admire why there are so ma­ny passages in Scripture, from which our necessity may expect no assist­ance. And therefore, least I should think, that in Scripture there is any waste of words, I am induced to be­lieve, that there run [...] allegory in that holy Book from Genesis to Iohn's Revelation, and that it's mystical sense is that which deserves the name of God's Word. Might we not have admired why the Story of Hagar and her bastard is there voluminously descrived, and what the Church or private Devotion was concerned therein, if Paul, Gal. 4. 24. [Page 75] had not discovered the mystery to us? By which things, another thing is meant: For, these two mothers are the two Testaments, the one which is Agar, of mount Sinai, which gendereth into bondage, &c. I might here relate many excellent allusions to prove this, but I shall satisfie my self with one which I did read in one Doctor Ever [...]t; who, preaching upon Ioshua, 15. 16. Then Caleb said, he who smiteth Kirjath­sepher and taketh it, even to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel took it, &c. saith, that Caleb signifies a good heart, Kirjath-sepher the city of the Letter, Achsah the Vision, Oth­niel God's opportunity. And so the mystical sense runs, a good heart saith, that whoever will take in (and smite, as Moses did the rock) the Letter of the word, shall have the vision which lurks under it disco­vered and given to him. And God's own time is the only mean for ac­complishing this: As also, it is most [Page 76] remarkable, that that City which was called Cirjath-sepher before it was taken in, or, the city of the Let­ter, was, after it was conquered, cal­led Debi [...], which signifies an oracle; so that the Word or Letter is no oracle, till it be once, as it were, taken in and overcome. Since the read­ing of which Sermon, I believe that one may profit more by an hebrew Lexicon, then by a thousand English Lectures.

These who detract from Scrip­ture, by attributing the production of miracles, to natural causes, do not much disparage the power of God, but (though against their depraved intention) cry rather up his omni­potency: For certainly, if these mi­racles were produced by secondary causes, then doubtless, that produ­ctive faculty was bestowed upon them by the Almighty; and if he can make the creatures produce such strange effects, much more is he able to effectuate them himself; as it is more difficult, for a great Master, to [Page 77] form curious and admirable Cha­racters when he leads a schollars hand, then when he writes them with his own; for, such help may be called resisting assistance. I can­not likewise but blame many of our Preachers, who rather break then open holy Texts; and rather make new meanings, suiting with their private designes, then tell the mean­ing of the Spirit. Who would not have laugh'd to hear a Presbyterian observe, from the first chapter of Genesis, first verse, that whilst Mo­ses relates what God made, he speaks nothing of Bishops; by which it was evident (said Don Quixot's Chaplain) that Bishops were not of divine Institution: a conceit as ridi­culous as that of a Priest, who hear­ing Maria spoken of for to signifie Seas, did brag that he had found the Virgine Mary named in the old Te­stament. Albeit I think preaching no part of divine Worship, hearing being no adoration; yet, love I to go to Church, were it but to see a [Page 78] multitude met together, to confess that there is a God: But, when I go to hear I care not whom, know­ing that Christ elected Fisher-men to preach down infidelity, when it was in the [...]uff of it's pride: and that Paul (the most signal Trophe of our christian Faith) was sent for confirmation, not to Peter or Iames at Ierusalem, but to Ananias, one of the meanest amongst the Disciples. And seing our Salvation, by preach­ing, is a miracle; it is still so much the greater by how much weaker the instruments are. When the Pulpit was a mount Sinai, from which the Law was thundered, or a mount of O lives, whereon our Sa­viour's glorious transformation was to be seen, then were Sermons to be honoured; but, since it is become a mount Calvar, whereon our blessed Saviour suffers daily, by scandalous railings, Sermons are now become unfavoury for the most part. I hate to see that divine place made either a Bar, whereat secular quarrels are, [Page 79] with passion, pleaded; or a Stage, whereon revenge is, by Satyres, sa­tisfied; or, a School-chair, from which un-intelligible questions are mysteriously debated; but amongst all these innovations, introduced by our infant Divines. I hate none more then that of giving reasons for proving the Doctrine, which being Scripture it self, can be proven by no­thing that is more certain. As for instance, when the Doctrine is, that God loved us freely, how can this be proven more convincingly then thus, my Text sayes it: and that is idem p [...]r idem, a most unlogical kind of probation. When I then go to Church, I should love to spend my time in praises and prayers; which as they are the only parts of adora­tion, so are they the natural imploy­ments of the Church, either Militant or Triumphant: Yet, it displeases me to hear our young Pulpitires skrich and cry, like Baal's Priests, as if God were no nearer them then the visible Heavens.

[Page 80]It honours much our imploy­ment, The moral Law. that God Almighty was the first and great Law-giver; and that our blessed Saviour stiles himself our Advocat. And it is an amazing wonder that we are tyed only by ten Laws; whereof seven were en­acted doubtless for our advantage and respect, more immediatly the se­curity of the creature then the ho­nour of the Creator, and are such re­straints as men behoved to have laid upon one another, and which nature layes upon us all. And albeit I laugh at the jewish Cabala, which sayes, that the moral Law was written, two thousand years before Moses, in black letters, at the back of a clear burning fire: Yet, can I not approve Tertullian's wit, who endeavours to find all these ten in the prohibi­tion made to Adam. There are in­deed some sins which scarce a conse­quence can bring within the verge of these Commandments. As for in­stance, Drunkenness: Yet, these are such as are so destructive to our na­ture, [Page 81] that there needs no Law be made against them. So that the Priest hit wittily, to whom that sin being confess'd, enjoyned as an Pen­nance, their being drunk a second time; which makes me conclude, that if Drunkenness were to be ranged under any of these Laws, it would fal most naturally under that, Thou shalt not kill. Albeit the fourth Commandment seems to respect only the honour of God, and that the creature seems to be no wayes bettered by it: Yet, our more serious observation will discover, that all be-labouring creatures, as it were, expect an ease the seventh day more then any other. Whether it be, that nature is by custom framed to that expectation, I cannot tell: But, we see that God choic'd that num­ber to be the year of jubile amongst his own people, and that it is the pe­riod of all the several consistencies in our life, infancie, pubertie, &c. And for this reason Physicians ob­serve, that the child born in the se­venth [Page 82] moneth is stronger then that which is born in the eight; because in the seventh it is come to a knot, by passing whereof, in the eight it is in a state of imperfection: But, what the mystery of this holy Climate­rick is, I refer till we come to that Sabbath of rest, whereat we ordinar­ly arrive, after seven times nine years hath snowed upon us.

We may think, that if God had intended, that one and the same day of the week should have been ap­propriated to have been a Sabbath, He had designed each day by a spe­cial terme, and had commanded, that a day of such a designation, should have been sequestrated for a Sab­bath; and that by designing only the seventh day He did leave a liber­ty to employ any day of the seven for that use. Yet, it is remarkable, that Mosos nor the jewish Church durst not attempt the change of their new-years day; but that the Al­mighty was pleased to bestow a pe­culiar sanction upon that alteration: [Page 83] For, Exod. 12. 2. He commands, that the moneth wherein the Israe­lites came from Egypt, should be, by them, reputed the first moneth of their year. Wherefore, seing each Nation chalks out a divers Sabbath, it would appear that there is some­thing of humour in it as well as of Religion. The Venerious Mahume­tan chooseth Friday, or, dies Veneris; The dull Iew dull Saturn's day; The warlick Parthians Tuesday, or, Mars-day; The cheery Europeans Sunday. And albeit the Christians are influenc'd only by inspiration; yet, I am confident, that the heathens did follow that for Religion, which suited best with their natural tem­per. But this is a meditation which should travel no where beyond a mans private breast, lest it meet with enmity and beget scandal.

It would puzle a heathen much to hear, that he who breaks one of these Laws, is guilty of the breach of all: But, it troubles not me, se­ing all these Laws are made to shew [Page 84] our obedience, and the breach of any one of them shewes our contempt of Him who is the author of all. And it may be this was typified in Mo­ses's breaking both Tables with one passionat fling, after he came down from the Mount: For, if this break­ing of them had not been pre-de­sign'd for some hid end▪ doubtless he had been reproved for his negligence. However, we may from this learn the desperate nature of passion, which made Moses, who was the meekest man upon earth, break all the Laws of God in one act. It might be also argued, that seing all the Laws of the second Table were enacted for, and respect ultimatly, the advantage of man, that where man is not wronged, there the Law cannot be broke. And thus, if a married man should have liberty from his wife to take another wo­man, this could be no more reputed adultery, then it could be reputed theft to take what belongs to our neighbour, himself consenting; and [Page 85] that for this cause, Iacob's begetting children with his wifes maids, is not in Scripture reproved as adultery, because they were given to him by her self for that effect: but, seing the practice of all the world con­demns this conclusion, far be it from me to press it further.

Albeit the judicial Law (which The judi­cial Law. may be justly called the judicious Law) is commonly reputed to be but the municipal Law of the Jews; yet, seing it was thundered from mount Sinai with so much pomp, and is ingrost in the Books of holy Truth, and seems nearlier related to reason then any other Law, I admire why it should not be religiously ob­served by all Nations: especially seing, as it is, the exactest picture of Justice that ever was drawn, so it hath this of a picture in it, that it seems to look directly upon all who behold it, albeit they be placed (amongst themselves) in directly op­posite, situations and stances. Thus [Page 86] this Law suits even with contrary tempers, and the unequal complexi­ons of all Nations. I know that the ceremonial Law is likewayes in­sert amongst the other holy Ca­nons, and yet binds not us who live under the jurisdiction of the Gos­pel: But, the reason of this seems to be, because these did immediatly concern the jewish Church, and were conversant about these holy things. And so, seing the old Testament is a description of their Hierarchy, and of God's way of working in these times, I wonder not to see these ce­remonies amidst other sacred truths, and yet not observed, seing they are expresly abrogat. But, if the judi­cial Law, which respected not the Hierarchy of that Church, was ob­ligatour only whilst the jewish State was in being, I admire why the Spirit of God took so much pains, first to penn it, and then to deliver it so Canon-like to posterity. And since it is a principle in Law and rea­son, that Laws must still stand in vi­gor [Page 87] till they be expresly abrogat, and must not be derogated from by con­sequences or presumptions, I admire why this Law, which God hath ener­vat by no express Text, should be now look'd upon as Statutes no­wise a-la-mode. It is true, that our Saviour, when the woman, con­victed of adultery, was brought to Him, did not, according to that Law, pronounce the sentence of death against her; whence some think, that Church-men, following their Masters example, should not give their suffrage in criminal cases, and have only [...], a blood­less Jurisdiction; for, they are ap­pointed to be Nurses, not Chyrur­gions. But, it is as true, that our Saviour professed in all the tract of His life, that He came not to be a Judge in things temporal, and His design in that place was only to con­vince them of their own sinnes, and not to absolve her, not to abrogat the Law: and therefore He desired him who was freest from sin, to cast [Page 88] the first stone at her. And where­as it is conjectured, that these words which our Saviour stoop'd down to write in the clay, immediatly there­after was an abrogation of that Law; this is a Geomancy more wilde then any lesson which is alledged to have been read in the mysterious face of Heaven, and should never be taught but in a Rabbies cabalastick Gown. And whereas it is alledged, that there are many precepts in that corpus Iuris, which respects only the humor of the Jews, I admire why that can be urged; for certain­ly, theft, murder, and these other crimes punished there, are the same crimes which reigns amongst us; and so why not punishable after that same manner? Neither are the humors of these Jews more diffe­rent from ours, then was the genius of the Romans; and yet, few or no Nations refuse to cast their mo­dern Laws in that antique mould. And it is very probable, that as God did, in the moral Law, teach man [Page 89] how to be just in his own actions, so He would likewayes instruct him by a judicial Law, how to admini­strate Justice to others.

What can perpetuate a Law more then that the Authority whereby it is enacted should be obligatory in all ages, and the reason whereon it is founded should be eternal? and in what Laws do these two quali­ties appear more, or so much, as in the judicial Laws of the Jews, where the eternal Law-giver was Legisla­tor, and the occasion, productive of them seemed rational (and necessar) to His infallible omniscience? and if in any of these statutes, our pur­blind judgments cannot see a present conveniency, we should rather im­pute that to our own simplicity, then charge it as a guilt upon His divine Statutes; and are there not many municipal Laws in each Country, which have no hedge about them to keep them untrampled upon by wan­ton and too curious wits? But, that excellent Maxime, Omnium [Page 90] quae fererunt Majores nostri, non est reddenda ratio, ne que certa sunt, in­certa redderentur; a reason must not be rendred for all that our An­cestors have enacted, lest what is now certain, become then uncertain. Al­beit a Law enacted only by humane Authority, seem unreasonable or in­convenient; yet, it retains it's vi­gor till it be abrogat by the same, or a higher Authority, then that where­by it was first statuted; and the Law sayes, that nihil est tam natu­rale quam unumquodque eodem modo dissolvi quo colligatum est. And, seing the moral and judicial Laws are twisted so together, and are oft incorporated in one statute, as Levit. 20. 10. Deut. 22. 22. where adultery is forbidden, and the adulterer is to die the death: how can we think the one half of this Law obligatory for ever, and yet ne­glect it's other half, wherein the pu­nishment is specified, and which ap­pears to have been the scope of the divine Law-giver? For, the world [Page 91] needed not so much to have been ac­quainted, that adultery was a sin, as that that sin deserved death; and if we allow our capricious humor the liberty to reject what we think inconvenient, we may at last arrive at that pitch of licentiousness, as to abrogat, by our practice, whatever choaks our present humor.

There are many things much mi­staken in that Law, which makes the dissonancy betwixt it and our Law, appear so much the greater. As for instance, it is concluded, that by that Law, no theft was punishable by death; whereof this is given as a reason, because there is no propor­tion betwixt goods and life; and that all that a man hath he will give for his life, whereas this argument would prove, that no guilt but mur­der should be punished with death; and so this dart rather flees over then hits the mark at which it is level'd. And if this argument con­cluded, why should adultery have been punished with death by that [Page 92] Law, seing there seems no propor­tion betwixt that guilt and death? For, if vita & fama be in Law equi­parat, by that same Law, pecunia est alter sanguis. But, if there be no proportion betwixt goods and life, and if the punishment of theft; when it is aggrag'd to it's greatest height, cannot, in their opinion, reach so far as to be capital. Why was it, that by that Law nocturnal theevs might have been killed by those who found them? Exod. 22. 2. For, it ap­pears against reason, that more should be permitted to a private and passionat party, then to a dis-inte­rested Judge. And it is clear by 2 Sam. 12. 5▪ that theft was in some cases capital: For, there David vows, that he who took his neigh­bours one sheep, and spared his own many, should surely die; which be­ing spoke by a just King to an excel­lent Prophet, and not reproved, must not be thought a flash of passion, but a well-founded sentence. Were not likewayes two theevs crucified by [Page 93] the Jews at the same time with our ever glorious Saviour? which must not be thought a romish execution, seing the Law of the Romans allow­ed no such punishment for theft: I judge therefore, the reason why murder and adultery were punished with death, rather then all thefts, to have been, because theft may be repaired by restitution, but murder and adultery cannot. And albeit the judicial Law commands restitution only in the theft of an ox or sheep, (things of small moment, and which may be stollen to satisfie rather hun­ger then lust) yet, I see no limits set to Judges, commanding them not to inflict a capital punishment in extra­ordinary cases: For certainly, he who steals, may, for ought he himself knows, be about the committing of murder, seing to steal what should aliment any poor one, is, in effect, the same thing as to murder him. It is much controverted, if this Law pro­hibits self-murder, and I think it doth: For, we are commanded to [Page 94] love our neighbour as our self; and so, since we are commanded not to kill our neighbour, that same Law must likewayes forbid our killing of our selves. But the reason probab­ly, why no express Text did forbid that sin, was, because the Spirit of God knew that the natural aversion we have against death, would, in this, do more then supply a Law; and that these who would be so despe­rat as to neglect the one, would ne­ver be so pious as to obey the other. Or else, God hath been unwilling, by making such a Law, to intimate to the world, that such a sin might be committed. Yet, it seems strange, that many are in Scripture related, as Saul and others, to have killed themselves, against whom no check stands registrated in holy Records. But, I stop here, intending to bestow a whole Tractat upon the judicial Law, a task hitherto too much ne­glected.

[Page 95]The second mirrour, wherein God Almighty is to be seen, is that of His creatures; and in that a Virtuoso may contemplat His infinite power, as in the other he may see His ad­mirable justice. It is very obser­vable, that when God, or His Pro­phets, would prove His greatness, the Sun, Orion and the Leviathan, are made use of as arguments. And when the Spirit of God descrives the inimitable knowledge of Solomb [...], bestowed upon him by God, as an extraordinar mark of His favour, he sayes not, that he understood the quirks of Philosophy, or notions of Divinity; but, it is said, that he knew all from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hysope that grows upon the wall. And in earnest, it is strange, that when man comes into the gallery of this World, he should take such plea­sure in gazing upon these ill-drawn fictions, which have only past the pencil of humane wit, and should not fix his admiration upon these glo­rious [Page 96] creatures, which are the works of that great Master; in framing whereof, God is content to be said to have spent six dayes, to the end, that man might admire the effects of so much pains; whereas His om­nipotency might, with one fiat, have summoned them all to appear, ap­parrell'd in these gorgeous dresses which now adorns them. And it is as strange, that man, having that huge volumn of the Creation to re­volve, wherein is such an infinit num­ber of curious tale-duces, to feast his eyes with curiosity, and to fut­nish his soul with solid knowledge; he should notwithstanding spend so much oyl and sweat, in spinning out ens rationis, materia prima, poten­tia obedientialis, and such like un­telligible trash, which, like cob-webs, are but envenomed dust curiously wrought. And because the Gross of mankind was so gross, as not to understand God's greatness by the abstract idea's which instinct pre­sented to him: Therefore, to teach [Page 97] that sensual croud, by the trunch­manrie of sense He hath bestowed upon them this mirrour, wherein they may see how infinit He is in power, who made Nothing so fruit­full, as to bud forth in this glorious crop of creatures, which now inha­bits the surface of heaven and earth.

I admire that such Philosophers Mon­sters. as have had their faces wash'd at the font, can allow of Monsters, and de­fine them to be the preter-intentio­nal works of nature, wherein nature miss'd of her design, and was not able to effectuat what she intended: For, if nature and providence sig­nifie the same thing in the Dictio­nary of christianity, it were blas­phemy to think, that providence could not be able to effectuat what it once designed. All the creatures are indeed but as clay in the hand of this great Potter; but, it were im­pious to think, that His art can be mistaken in framing any Vessel: wherefore, I am apter to believe, that [Page 98] all these creatures which the Schools term Monsters, are rather the in­tentions, then errors of nature; and that as nature doth nothing with­out design, so it doth nothing with­out success. And thus I rather ad­mire nature in these, for her cunning variety, then upbraid her with insuf­ficiency and weakness. Neither term I an Hermophrodite, man or woman, according to the preva­lency of that Sex which predomines in it, no more then I think that the Painter, when he hath delineated cu­riously an exact Marmaid, resolved to draw either a woman or fish, and not one distinct creature, peec'd up of both. And doubtless this error did at first proceed from mans vani­ty; who concluded, that every frame which answered not that idea, which resides in him, was the effect of chance, and not of nature; as if na­ture had been obliged to leave in the bibliothick of his head, the Original of all such Peeces as was to pass it's press.

[Page 99]Seing God, in His survey of the Creation, called all that He had made good, because they were usefull. I conclude, that these are the best which are the most usefull. And albeit I condemn prodigality of ig­norance, in preferring a diamond to a capon or sheep; yet, do I not condemn such of vanity, as shine with these sparkling creatures: For, since God made nothing, which He did not destinat for some use, and seing most of these serve for no use else, doubtless, the wearing of them is most allowable. Yet, can I not allow of these gaudy compounds, which men creat to themselves; as if something had been still wanting after the Creation was finished; wherein man could supply God, and art, nature. The bestowing a hun­dred pounds upon a Tulip, or a thou­sand on a Picture, are not to me the meer rants of luxury; but are courses pre-ordained by the Almighty, for returning to poor Artisans, that mo­ney, which oppression did at first [Page 100] most injustly screw from their wea­ry hands. It is our ignorance of nature's mysteries which perswads us, that some, if not most of the crea­tures, serve rather for beautifying the universe, then for supplying ne­cessity, an error which experience daily confutes: So, these herbs which of old cloathed only the un­inhabited mountains, do now deserve their own place in Apothecaries shops. And it is most observable, that the Scurvy growes no where but where the disease rages, which is cured by it: Seing God loved variety in the Creation, He cannot hate curiosity in man, these two be­ing correspondents; and the one without the other would be but as flowers to the blind, or musick to the deaf. I laugh at the fruitless pilgrimages of such as travel to Iop­pa or China, to satisfie their curio­sity; there being a Tredaskins clo­set in each Tulip, and a Solomon's Court in each Lilly of the field. And seing mens tempers are so various, [Page 101] it was no wonder that the creatures (which▪ were made for his use) should have been made proportional to his humor: But, seing art hath in many things copied nature to the life, I think not the Symetrie nor variety to be seen amongst the crea­tures such an infallible argument for proving the being of a God. As is instinct, which all the art of men and Angels cannot counterfit; and here­in is it, that that grand Magician must acknowledge the finger of his Maker, seing here his own art fails.

These who expect equal excel­lency in all the parts of this curious Fabrick, do not understand where­in its Symetrie consists. All the strings of an Instrument sound not equally high, and yet they make up the harmony: the face of the earth looks in some places deform'd and parcht; and yet it is there the mo­ther of rich mines (as if God inten­ded to bestow a great portion where He bestowes an ill face) and what we think deformities, were placed [Page 102] there as patches, and are no more blemishes, then the spots are to the Leopards.

I confess, that at first it puzl'd much my enquiry, for what end these mountains were made so near neighbours to the devided clouds: and I once imagin'd, that these were rather the effects of the flood, then creatures at first intended; and were but the rubbish and mud which these impetuous waters had heap'd up in a mass: But, I was thereafter disswaded from this conjecture, by the 8. Chap. Prov. where wisdom, proving it's antiquity, sayes, that it was with God before the heavens were prepared, and the mountains setled; by the scope of which Text, it is clear, that the heavens, hills, and the rest of the Creation, are said to bear one date. It is then more pro­bable, that God foreseeing that the lust of conquest would, like the needle of the Compass, look oft north; as is evident by comparing all the Monarchies (first the As­syrian, [Page 103] then Grecian, then Roman, now German) did therefore bound ambition, as it were, with high hills, (albeit since, ambition hath found a way to climb over them) as if He told them, that they should march no furder. Thus, it is very observable, that the northern parts of one Kingdom are alwayes more barren then the southern limits of the Country which lyes to the north of it. The north of England more mountainous and barren then the south of Scotland, albeit it ly nearer the Sun; the south of England more pleasant and fertile then the north of France; and the south of France then the north of Italy, &c.

We must like wayes consider, that nature brused it's face so when it fell in Adam, that it did then con­tract many of these blemishes which now deform it; and that as it waxes old, it's native beauty is the more deformed by furrowed wrin­kels. We cannot judge what it was in health, by it's present distem­pered [Page 104] condition, wherein it groans and travelleth in pain, as the Apostle tells us. And the differences betwixt these two states may be known from this, that God, when He compleated the Creation, saw that all was good; whereas Solomon, having reviewed it in his time, saw all to be vanity and vexation of spirit.

The third mirrour, wherein God Man & his crea­tion. is to be admired, is man. This is that noble creature which God was pleased to mould last of all others, not willing to bring him home, till, by the preceeding Creations, He had plenished his house abundantly for him. And albeit in the creation of all other creatures, it is only said, that God spoke, and it was: Yet, when man was to be framed, the cabinet Council of heaven was call'd▪ and it is said ( let us) as if more art had been to be shewed here, then in all the remanent Fabrick of the terraqueous Glob, and glorious Cir­cles of heaven. It is likewise very [Page 105] observable, that albeit all the fishes of the sea were formed by one word, all the beasts of the field by one act, &c. Yet, God was pleased to bestow two upon the creation of man; by the first, his body was created out of the dust, and thereaf­ter, was breathed in, his soul. And albeit transient mention is only made of all other Creations; yet, the history of mans Creation is twice repeated, once, Gen, 1. 27. and again, 2. 7. And, least that foreseen deformity, wherewith he was to be besmear'd after his fall, should make it be questioned, that at his first crea­tion he had received the impressa of God's Image, this is oft repeated: For, in the 26. ver. Gen. 1. it is said, Let us make man in our image; and then again▪ and after our like­ness. And in the 27. verse, So God created man in his own image; and again immediately thereafter, in the image of God created he him. Yet, I am confident, that this image is so bedabled in the mire of sin, and so [Page 106] chattred by it's first fall, and this di­vine impressa, and print, so worn out, by our old and vicious habits, that, if this genealogy had not been so oft inculcat, we could not but have called it in question, albeit our vani­ty be ready enough to believe a de­scent so royal and sublime. Where­fore I must again admire the folly of Atheists, who, by denying a Deity, cloud their own noble birth-right.

But, albeit man be made after God's image, yet, that can be no ar­gument to conclude, that therefore God may be made after man's image, or represented under his figure, as the Anthropomorphits foolishly con­tend, no more, then if we should con­clude, that because a Copy may be ta­ken off an Original, therefore an Ori­ginal may be taken off a Copy. Nei­ther is this representation salv'd from being idolatry, by alleaging, that the image is not worshiped, but God, who is represented by it: For, it hath been well observed by an ancient Father, that idolatry in [Page 107] Scripture is called adultery▪ And it is no good excuse for an adul­teress, that she did ly with another because he represented her husband to her, and resembled him as a Copy doth it's Original: Yet, seing no­thing is room'd in our judgment and apprehension, but what first entred by the wicket of sense, it is almost impossible for man to conceive the idea of any thing but vested with some shape, as each man's private re­flections will abundantly convince him,

As the boundless Ocean keeps and shews it's well drawn images, whilst it stands quiet, with a face polisht like a christal cake, but losses them immediately, how soon it's proud waves begin to swell and in rage, to spit it's froathy foam in the face of the angry heavens; so, whilst a stoical indolency and christian re­pose smooths our restless spirits, it is only then, that the soul of man can be said to retain that glorious image of God Almighty, with which it [Page 108] was impress'd at it's created nati­vity. But, when the waves of cho­ler begin to roar, or the winds of va­nity to blow, then that glorious image is no more to be discerned in him, then the shadows and repre­sentations of in-looking objects are to be seen and discerned in the disquieted bosom of the troubled waters.

The stings of a natural conscience, The im­mor­tality of the soul. which, according to each mans act­ings, creats to him either agues of fear, or paradises of joy, do by these ominating presages, convince us of the immortality of the soul: and seing we see its predictions, both in dreams, in damps of melancholy, and such like enthusiastick fits, followed by suteable events; why may we not like wayes believe its predictions, as to its own immortality, it being the prudence of a Virtuoso to lay hold of every mean, which may al­lay the rage of his hereditary mis­fortunes? And to what end would [Page 109] the soul of man receive such im­pressions of fear and hope, if, by its mortality, it were not to be stated in a condition, wherein its fears and hopes were to have suteable rewards or punishments? Moreover, seing God is just, He will punish and re­ward: and therefore, seing He pu­nishes and rewards not men accord­ing to their merits, or demerits here, there must be doubtless a future state wherein that is to be expected. But, that which convinces my pri­vate judgment most of this truth, is, that the noblest Souls, and the sharp­est sighted, do, of all others, most desire the state of separation, and have the weakest attaches to this life; which must doubtless proceed from an assurance of immortality, and that it hath, from the Pisgah of its contemplation, got a view of the spiritual Canoan: For, seing the brutishest of creatures abhors annihilation, as the most aversable ill in nature, doubtless the soul of man, which is the most divine of all crea­tures, [Page 110] would never appete this sepa­ration, if by it it were to be extinct, and to be no more. And how ab­surd were it to believe, that man's soul should be made after God's image, and yet conclude it mortal, a quality repugnant to any thing that is divine? As also, how can the soul be thought to perish with the body, seing these accidents which destroy the body cannot reach it? how can the heat of a feaver burn, or rheums drown, that which is not corporeal and cannot be touched? And, seing man's least peccadilio against God Almighty, is against one who is infinit, were it not absurd to think, that it could be proportional­ly punished in the swift glass of man's short life? then which, no­thing is more finit, or sooner fini­shed.

As the soul is God's Image, So it's products are the images of His admirable operations. Do not Ma­thematicians creat eagles, doves, and such like automata's? And spring [Page 111] not flowers from the Chimists glas­ses? And thus art, which is man's offspring, doth ape nature, which is the workmanship of the Almighty: and therefore, seing the soul can with one thought grasp both the Poles, can dart out it's conceits as far as the furdest borders of the ima­ginary spaces, creat worlds, and or­der, and disorder, all that is in this which is already created; it's strange to think it to be either corporeal or mortal: For, if it were corporeal and a mass of blood, it's actings would be lent and dull, neither could it's motions be so nimble and wing­ed, as are these of our agile spirits. It were impossible for our narrow heads, to inn all these innumerable idea's (which are now in them) if these were all corporeal, and if these be not corporeal, that which produ­ces them most be doubtless incorpo­real, seing simile generatur à simili; and dull flesh and blood could never produce such spiritual emanations.

[Page 112]As the soul is God's Image, so in this it resembles Him very much, that we can know nothing of it's na­ture without it's own assistance: like a dark lanthron, or a spy, it dis­covers every thing to us, except it self. And because it refuses us the light of it's candle, whilst we are in the quest of it's mysteries; there­fore it is, that our re-searches of it's nature are gropeings in the dark: and so ofttimes vain, if not ridicu­lous. Avicenna, Averroes, and the remanent of that Arabian tribe, ad­miring it's prodigious effects, did at­tribute our spiritual motions to as­sisting Angels; as if such admirable notions could not be fathered upon less sublime causes; which Cardan likewayes thinks, do offer their as­sistance and light to sensitive crea­tures, but that the churlishness of their mater will not suffer them to entertain such pure irradiations. This disparages so much humanity, making man only a statue, that it were against the soul's interest to [Page 113] admit of any such idea's: For, as it tends more to the Artists praise to cause his products move from hid and internall springs, then from ex­trinsick causes; as we see in Watch­es and such like. So it is more for the honour of that great Artist, and more suteable to the being and na­ture of His creatures, that all it's operations flow from it self, then from assisting but exteriour co-ad­jutors▪ which makes me averse from Aristotle's opinion of the motion of the spheres by intelligences. And it were absurd to think, that men should be blamed or praised for those effects which their assessour Angels could only be charged with. The Platonicks alleaged, that all souls existed before their incarcera­tion in bodies▪ iin which state of pre-existence, they were doted with all these spiritual endowments, which shall attend them in the state of separation: and that at their first allyance with bodies, their native knowledge, was clouded, [Page 114] [...], with the putting off knowledge for a time, till, by a remi­niscentia, their intellectuals revived, as by a resurrection. And Origen added, that these souls were, accord­ing to their escapes, committed in the state of their primitive separa­tion, yoaked with better or worse bodies; a shift taken, in all proba­bility, by him, to evite the apprehen­sion of God's being injust, for nfu­sing innocent souls, in bodies which would infect them; and by draw­ing them in inevitable snares, at last condemn them, or at least their in­fusion was the imprisoning these who were not guilty; a difficulty which straits much, such as main­tain that the soul is not ex traduce. What the hazard of this opinion may be, my twilight is not able to discover.

It may be, that the Stoicks mi­stake in making the souls of men to be but parcels, decerpt from that universal anima mundi (by which [Page 115] they doubtless meant God Himself) was occasioned by a mistake of that Text, that God breathed into man's nostrils, the breath of life: con­cluding, that as the breath is a part of the body which breathed it, So the soul behoved to be a part of that divine essence, from which, by a se­cond consequence, they concluded, that the soul, being a part of that divine beeing, could not suffer, nor undergo any torments; as is assert­ed by Seneca, epist. 29. Cicero, tusc. 5. and defended by their suc­cessors, these primitive hereticks, the Gnosticks, Manichees and Priscil­lianists. But this bastard is not worth the fostering, being an opi­nion that God hath parts, and man real divinity, and is doubtless a false and flattering testimony given by the soul to it self: For, seing the soul is, by divine Oracles, told us to be made after God's Image, it can be no more called a part of God, then the picture should be repute a part of the Painter.

[Page 116] Aristotle (like the devil (who because he knows not what to an­swer, answers ever in engines) tells us, that anima is [...], a terme fitted to exercise the empty brains of curious Pedants, and apter to be­get, then explicat difficulties. Nei­ther believe I, that his three souls, which he lodges in man, to wit, the rational, sensitive and vegetative, do differ more amongst themselves, then the will, understanding and fancy differ from the two last; So that his arithmetick might have be­stowed five souls upon man, as well as three: But, seing he, and many of his disciples, believe these to be three and yet these three to be but one; I admire why they should be so nice, as not to believe that pious mystery of the holy Trinity: whereof in my opinion, his trinity of the soul is as apposit an emblem, as was the conceit of a simple Clown, who being askt, how he could apprehend the three glorious persons to be but one? did fold his garment in three plates, and [Page 117] thereafter drew out all the three in one▪

As the herauldrie of our reason cannot blazen the souls impressa; So can it not help us to line out it's de­scent: and such would appear to be the excellency of that noble crea­ture, that heaven and earth seem to contend, the which shall be the place of it's nativity. Divines (who are obliged to contend for heaven, be­cause they are it's more immediat Pensioners) will have it to be crea­ted and infused: whereas Philoso­phers (ambitious to have so noble a compatriot, and willing to gratifie nature, which aliments their sublime meditations) contend, that it is ex traduce, and is in generation, the bo­dies other twinne. And albeit it would appear from Scripture, that God accomplish'd the Creation the first seven dayes, and that nature did then pass child-bearing: Yet, that, in my judgment, must be meant of the Creation of whole species, and not of individuals, and to press the souls [Page 118] not traduction; I shall lend only one argument, not because it is the best, but because it is my own. We see, that there where the soul is con­fess'd to be ex traduce, as in bruits and vegetative creatures, that nature, as it were, with a pencil, copies the young from off the old. The young Lyons are still as rapacious and roar­ing as were their Syers, from whose loyns they descended: and the Rose being pous'd up by the salt nitre which makes it vegetative, spreads the same leaves, and appears with the same blushes or paleness that beautified it's eye-pleasing predeces­sors. The reason of which conti­nual assimulation, preceeds from the seeds, having in it's bosome, all these qualities and shapes, which appear thereafter in it's larger products, whereof they were but a mappe or index. Whereas man resembles never, at least not oft, these who are called his parents; the vitious and tall father, having oft low, but ver­tuous children; which shows, that [Page 119] the soul of man is not derived by generation, and that the soul bestow­ed upon the son's body, is most dif­ferent and assymbolick to that which lodged in the father. And this may be further confirmed by that excellent passage, Prov. 20. 27, where it is said, that the understand­ing of man is the candle of the Lord. Our soul is God's Image, and none can draw that Image but Himself; we are the stamp of His divine na­ture, and so can only be formed by Himself, who is the glorious Seal.

From this divine principle, that man's soul is made after God's Image, I am almost induced to be­lieve, that prophesie is no miraculous gift bestowed upon the soul at ex­traordinary occasions only, but is a natural (though the highest) per­fection of our humane nature: For, if it be natural for the stamp, to have impress'd upon it all the traits that dwell upon the face of the Seal, then it must be natural to the soul, which is God's impressa, to have a faculty [Page 120] of foreseeing, since that is one of God's excellencies. Albeit I con­fess, that that Stamp is here infinit­ly be-dimm'd and worn off; as al­so, we know by experience, that men upon death bed, when the soul be­gins (being detached by sickness from the bodies slavery) to act like it self, do foresee and foretell many remote and improbable events: and for the same reason do I think pre­dictions, by dreams, not to be extra­ordinary revelations, but rather the products natural of a rational soul. And if sagacious men can be so sharp­sighted in this state of glimmering, as to foresee many events which fall out, why may we not say, that man, if he were rehabilitat in the former state of pure nature, might, without any extraordinary assistance, foresee and prophesie? For, there is not such a distance betwixt that foresight and prophesie, as is betwixt the two states of innocency and corruption, according to the received notion, which men have settled to them­selves [Page 121] of that primitive state of in­nocency.

From the same principle, may it likewayes be deduced, that natural reason cannot but be an excellent mean, for knowing, as far as is pos­siible, the glorious nature of God Almighty: He hath doubtless light­ed this candle, that we might, by it, see Himself; and how can we bet­ter know the Seal, then by looking upon it's impression. And if Re­ligion and it's mysteries, cannot be comprehended by reason▪ I confess it is a pretty jest, to hear such fre­quent reasonings amongst Church­men, in matters of Religion. And albeit faith and reason be look'd up­on as Iacob and Esau, whereof the younger only hath the blessings, and are, by Divines, placed at the two opposit points of the Diameter; yet, upon an unbyassed inquiry, it will appear, that faith is but subli­mated reason, calcin'd by that divine chymical fire of Baptisme; and that the soul of man hath lurking in it, [Page 122] all these vertues and faculties which we call Theological; such as faith, hope and repentance: for else Da­vid would not have prayed, En­lighten, Lord, my eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy Law; but rather, Lord bestow new eyes upon me. Neither could the opening of Lidea's heart, have been suffici­ent for her conversion, if these pre­existing qualities had not been trea­sur'd up there formerly: So that it would appear, that these holy flames lurk under the ashes of cor­ruption, untill God, by the breath of His Spirit (and that wind which bloweth where it listeth) sweep them off: And that God, having once made man perfect in the first Creation, doth not in His regenera­tion super-add any new faculty (for else the soul had not at first been perfect) but only removes all ob­structing impediments.

I am alwayes ashamed, when I Faith and reason hear reason call'd the step-mother of faith, and proclaimed rebel against [Page 123] God Almighty, and such declared traitors, as dare harbour it, or appear in it's defence. These are such fools as they who break their Prospects, because they bring not home to their sight the remotest objects; and are as injust as Iacob had been, if he had divorc'd from Leah, because she was tender-eyed: whereas, we should not put out the eyes of our under­standing, but should beg from God the eye-salve of His Spirit for their illumination. Nor should we dash the Prospect of our reason, against the rockie walls of dispair; but should rather wash it's glasses with the tears of unfeigned repentance.

Ever since faith and reason have been, by Divines, set by the ears, the brutish multitude conclude, these who are most reasonable to be least religious; and the greatest spirits to be least spiritual: a conceit most inconsistent with that divine parable, wherein these who received the ma­ny talents improved them to the best advantage, whilst he who had [Page 124] but one laid it up in a napkin. And it is most improbable, that God would choose low shrubs, and not tall Cedars, for the building of His glorious Temple. And it is re­markable, that God, in the old Law, refused to accept the first born of an asse in sacrifice, but not of any other creature. And some, who were content to be call'd Atheists, pro­viding they were thought Wits, did take advantage in this of the Rables ignorance, and authorized by their devilish invention, what was at first but a mistake: and this un­ridles to us that mystery, why the greatest Wits are most frequently the greatest Atheists.

When I consider, how the Angels, who have no bodies, sinn'd before man; and that brutes, who are all body, sin not at all, but follow the pure dictates of nature. I am in­duced to believe, that the body is rather injustly bamed for being, then that really it is, the occasion of sin; and probably, the witty soul hath in [Page 125] this, cunningly laid over upon it's fellow, that where with it self is on­ly to be charged. What influence can flesh or blood have upon that which is immaterial, no more sure then the case hath upon the Watch, or the heavens upon it's burgessing Angels? And see we not, that when the soul hath bid the body adieu, it remains a carcasse, fit nor able for nothing. I believe, that the body being a clog to it, m [...]y slow it's pur­sute after spiritual obiects, and that it may occasion, indirectly, some sins of omission: For, we see palpably, that eating and drinking dulls our devotions; but, I can never under­stand, how such dumb Orators, as flesh and blood, can perswade the soul to commit the least sin. And thus, albeit our Saviour sayes, that flesh and blood did not teach Peter to give him his true Epithets; neither indeed could it: Yet, our Saviour imputes not any actual sin to these pithless causes. And seing our first sin hath occasioned all our [Page 126] after sinning, certainly, that which occasioned our first sin was the main source of sinning, and this was doubtless the soul; for, our first sin being an immoderat desire of knowledge, was the effect and pro­duct of our spirit, because it was a spiritual sin; whereas if it had been gluttony, lust or such like, which seems corporeal, the body had been more to have been blamed for it. And in this contest, I am of opinion, that the soul wins the cause, because it is the best Orator.

What was the occasion of the The fall of An­gels. first ill, is much debated (and most deservedly) amongst Moralists; for, that which was good could not pro­duce that which was evil, seing that which works mischief cannot be cal­led good. Nor can we ascribe the efficiency of the first evil to evil▪ for then the question recurres, what was the cause of that evil? And by this, the supposition is likewise destroyed, whereby the evil enquired [Page 127] after, is supposed to be the first evil: but, if we enquire, what could pro­duce in the Angels that first sin, whereby they forfeited their glory? we will find this disquisition most mysterious. And it is commonly be­liev'd, but by what revelation I know not, that their pride caus'd their fall; and that they carcht their bruise in climbing, in desiring to be equal to their Creator, they are become infe­rior to all their fellow creatures. Yet, this seems to me most strange, that these excellent spirits whose very substance was light, and who surpassed far, man, in capacity and understanding, should have so err'd as to imagine, that equality fa [...]sable, a fancy which the fondest of men could not have entertained. And it were improbable to say, that their error could have sprouted at first from their understandnging; and to think it to have been so gross, as that fallen man doth now admire it: but, why may we not rather think, that their first error was rather a [Page 128] crookedness in their will, then a blindness in their judgment▪ and that they fretted to see man, whom they knew to be inferiour to them­selves by many stages, made Lord of all that pleasant Creation, which they gazed on with a stareing maze. And that this opinion is more pro­bable, appears, because this Sin was the far more bating, seing it appear­ed with all the charmes, wherewith either pride, vanity or avarice could busk it; and explicats better to us the occasion of all that enmity with which that Serpent hath alwayes since pursued silly man: But, whi­ther God will save just as many be­lievers as there fell of the Angels, none can determine; neither can it be rationally deduced from that Scripture, Statuit terminos gentium, juxta nu [...]erum Angelorum Dei. But, if it please God so to order it, it will doubtless aggrage their pu­nishment, by rackling their disdain.

And seing the Angels have never obtained a remission for this crime, [Page 129] it is probable, that the correspon­dent of their sin is, in us, the sin against the holy Ghost.

For, if their lapse had been The sin of the An­gels was the sin a­gainst the holy Ghost pardonable, some one or other of them had in all probability escap'd; but, if this was not that unpardo­nable sin, I scarce see where it shall be found. For, to say that it is a hate­ing of God, as God, is to make it unpracticable rather then unpardo­nable: For, all creatures appete na­turally what is good, and God, as God, is good; So that it is impos­sible that He can be hated under that reduplication.

It may be likewise conjectured, that voluntar and deliberate sacri­ledge is the sin against the holy Ghost; because Ananias and Sa­phira, in with-holding from the Church, a part of the price for which they sold their lands, are, by Peter, said to have lied, not to man, but to the holy Ghost; and his wife is there said to have tempted the Spi­rit: [Page 130] but, seing both of them resol­ved to continue in the Church (a resolution inconsistent with the sin against the holy Ghost) And seing many sins are more heinous, I can­not interpret this lying to the holy Ghost to be any thing else, but a sin against light, in which most peni­tents have been involved; albeit, I confess, this was a gross escape, seing it rob'd God of His omnisciency, and supposed that He was not privy to such humane actings as have not the Sun for a witness. I do then conclude, that the sin against the ho­ly Ghost may rather be a resolute undervaluing of God, and a scor­ning to receive a pardon from Him: and this is that which makes the Angels fall irrecoverable, and like the flaming sword, defends them from their re-entry into that Paradise from which they exile. And albeit to say, that the Angels rebellion flows from God's denying them re­pentance, may suit abundantly well with His unstainable justice; yet, [Page 131] it is hard to reconcile it with his mercy. And this makes my private judgment place the unpar­donableness of this sin, not in God's Decree, but in their obduration and rebellious impenitency: And the reason why these who commit this sin are never pardoned, is, be­cause a pardon is never sought. That place of Scripture, wherein Esau is said to have sought the blessing with tears and not to have found it, asto­nishes me: Yet, I believe, that if his tears had streamed from a sense of his guilt more then of his pu­nishment, doubtless he had not weept in vain; and in that he tear'd, he was no more to be pitied, far less pardoned, then a Malefactor, who, upon the scaffold, grants some few tears to the importunity of his tor­tutes, but scornes to acknowledge the guilt of his crime: for, pain, by contracting our bodies, strains out that liquid mater, which thereafter globs it self in tears: there could [...]ome no holy water from the pagan [Page 132] font of Esaw's eyes; and if his re­morse could have pierc'd his own heart, it had easily pierc'd heaven. Whilst others admire, I bless God, that He hath closed up the know­ledge of that unpardonable sin un­der his own privy Seal: for, seing Sathan tempts me to sin with the hopes of an after-pardon, this bait is pull'd off his hook, by the fear I stand under, that the sin to which I am tempted, is that sin which can expect no pardon. And albeit it be customary amongst men, to beacon and set a mark upon such shelves and rocks as destroy passen­gers; yet, that is only done where commerce is allowed and sailing ne­cessar: But, seing all sin is forbid­den, God was not obliged to guard us with the knowledge of that sin, no further then by prohibiting us not to sin, but to stand in awe.

[Page 133]That first sin whereby our first Man's fall. Parents forfeited their primitive ex­cellencies, was so pitifull a frailty, that I think we should rather la­ment, then enquire after it. To think that an aple had in it the seeds of all knowledge, or that it could assimulate him to his Creator, and could, in an instant, sublimate his nature, was a frailty to be ad­mired in one of his piety and know­ledge. Yet, I admire not that the breach of so mean a Precept was punish'd with such appearing rigor, because, the easier the command was, the contempt was proportio­nally the greater; and the first crimes are by Legislators punished, not on­ly for guilt, but for example: But, I rather admire what could per­swade the facile world to believe, that Adam was created, not only innocent, but even stored with all humane knowledge: For, besides [Page 134] that, we have no warrand from Scripture for this alleadgiance, this his easie escape speaketh far otherwayes.

And albeit the Scripture tells us, that man was created perfect; yet, that inferres not that man was furnished with all humane knowledge: For, his perfection consisted in his adoring of, and depending upon, God, wherein we see these are exactest, whose judge­ments are least pestered with ter­restrial knowledge, and least divert­ed with unnecessar speculations. And thus it appears, that these Scien­ces, after which his posterity pants, were not intended as noble appana­ges of the rational soul, but are ra­ther toyish babies busk't up by fal'n man, whereby he diverts himself from reflecting too narrowly upon his native frailty. And thus Scrip­ture tells us, that God made man perfect, but that He sought out to Himself many inventions, where perfection and invention seem to be [Page 135] stated as enemies; and it is palpable, that these Sciences, which are by us lawrel'd and rewarded, are such, as were inconsistent with that state of innocency, such as Law, Theology and Physick. And as for the rest, it is absur'd to think, that Adams happiness did consist in the know­ledge of these things which we our selves account either impertinent or superfluous. But, that which con­vinces me most of this, is, that we forfeited nothing by Adam's fall which Christ's death restores not to us; wherefore, seing Christ by his own, or his Apostles promises, hath not assured us of any sub-lu­nary or school knowledge; nor hath our experience taught us, that Sciences are entailed upon the Saints, I almost believe, that Adam neither possest these before, nor yet lost them by his fall. Neither think I St. Paul the more imperfect, that he desired to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified: So that the difference betwixt Adam and [Page 136] his successors, stood more in the straightness of his affections, then in the depth of his knowledge. For, albeit it be believed, that the names whereby he baptised the creature, were full histories of their natures written in short hand; yet, this is but a conjecture authorized by no holy Text. It is a more civil error in the jewish Talmudists, to think that all the creatures were brought to Adam, to let him see that there were none amongst them fit to be his companion, nor none so beauti­full as Eve, then it is in their Caba­lists to observe, that the hebrew word, signifying man, doth, by a transposition of letters, signifie like­wayes, benediction, and the word signifying woman, makes up male­diction. If we should take a character of Adam's knowledge from the Scriptures, we shall find more imprudence charged upon him then upon any of his successors: For, albeit the silly woman was not deceived without the help of sub­tilty; [Page 137] yet, Adam sinned upon a bare suggestion, and thereafter was so simple, as to hide himself when God called him to an account, as if a thicket of trees could have scon­ced him from his all-seeing Maker; and when he was accused, was so simple, as to think his wives com­mands sufficient to exoner him, and so absurd, as to make God Himself sharer with him in his guilt, the woman whom thou gavest me, &c.

There is more charm in acquire­ing new knowledge, then in reflect­ing upon what we have already gain'd, (as if the species of known objects did corrupt, by being trea­sur'd up in our brains) And this induces me to believe, that our scantness of native knowledge, is rather a happiness then a punish­ment; the Citizens of London or Paris are not so tickled by the sight of these stately Cities, as strangers who were not born within their walls, and I may say to such, as by [Page 138] spelling the Starres desire to read the fortunes of others, as our Sa­viour said to Peter, when he was desirous to know the horoscope of the beloved Apostle, What is that to thee? What can it advantage us to know the correspondence kept amongst the Planets, and to under­stand the whole anatomy of na­tures skeleton; in gazing upon whose parts, we are oft times as ri­diculous as children, who love to leaf over taliduce Pictures; for in both variety is all the usury that can be expected, as the return of our time and pains; and if we pry inly into this small ma [...]s of our present knowledge, we shall find, that our knowledge is one of the fertilest fountains of our misery: For, do not such as know that they are sick, groan more heavily then a countrey Clown, who apprehends nothing till extremity creat in him some sense? And doubtless the reason why children and idiots endure more, and drunken men escape mo [Page 139] dangers then others, is, because albeit they cannot provide such apt reme­dies, yet, they are less acquainted with what they feel then we are. Are not these who understand that they are affronted, more vex'd then such as are ignorant of these mis­fortunes? and these who foresee the changes and revolutions, which are to befall either their friends or their countries, are thereby more sadly diseased, then he who sees no further then his nose? Our Sa­viour wept when He did foresee, that one stone of Ierusalem should not be left upon another; and when Hazael askt Elisha why he wept, he told him, it was because he did foresee what mischief Hazael was to do in Israel. Let us not then complain of the loss of Adam's knowledge, but of his innocency; we know enough to save us, and what is more then that, is super­fluous.

Adam cannot be thought to have been the first sinner, for Eve sinned [Page 140] before him; So that albeit it seem a paradox, yet it is most probable, that albeit Adam had for ever ab­stained from eating the forbidden fruit, his posterity had been still as miserable as now they are; seing the guilt of either of the Parents had been sufficient to tash the inno­cency of the children. For, as the Scripture tells us, who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? And David, in that Text, which of all others speaks most expressly of original sin, layes the guilt upon her and confesseth only, that his mother had conceived him in sin.

As Adam was not the first sinner, So the eating of the aple may be justly thought not to be the first sin; Eve having, before his eating the aple, repeated most falsely the Command: For, whereas God did assure them, that in that day they did eat the fruit, they should surely die, Eve relates it thus, Ye shall not eat the fruit, least ye die, represen­ting only that as contingent which [Page 141] was most certain: and whereas God had only said, ye shall not eat of the fruit of the tree, Eve sayes, God said, ye shall not touch it; which it may be furnish'd the serpent this ar­gument to cheat her, ye see God hath deceived you, for the fruit may be touched without danger, why may it not then be eaten without hazard? and it is probable, that he hath failed in the one as well as in the other. But to abstract from this, it cannot be said, that the eating of the forbidden fruit was the first sin; for, before Adam did eat there­of, he behoved both to believe the Serpent and mis-believe his Maker, and thus mis-belief was the first sin: For, after he had credited the Serpents report, he was no longer innocent, and so he did not eat the aple till after his fall. What wiser are these Divines, who debate, whi­ther Adams falling-sickness and sin had become heriditarie, if our pre­decessors had come out of his loins before he sin'd, then these who com­bated [Page 142] for the largest share of the King of Spains gold, if it had been to be devided?

In the Almighties procedure against poor Adam for this crime, His infinite mercy appears to admi­ration; and God foreseeing, that man might sharpen the ax of justice too much upon the whet-stone of private revenge, seems to have, in this process, formed to him, an exact model of inquisition. For, He ar­raigns and cites Adam, Adam, where art thou? He shews him his dittay, Hast thou eat of the fruit whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? He allows him exculpation, Who told thee? and in order thereto, did examine the wo­man, upon whom Adam did transfer the guilt. And albeit nothing could escape His omnisciency, and that He did see Adam eat the aple, yet, to teach Judges that they should walk according to what is proven, and not according to what they are them­selves conscious to, He did not [Page 143] condemn him till first he should have a confession from his own mouth. And thus, Gen. 18. 21. the Lord sayes▪ Because the cry of Sodom is great—I will go down and see whether they have done al­together according to the cry of it, &c. And in the last place, albeit the fatal decree did bear, in that day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die, yet, were his dayes pro­longed a hundred and thirty years after the sin was committed.

It is too curious a disquisition to enquire how God can be said to be mercifull, mercy being the mitiga­tion of justice, of which His pure nature cannot be capable, seing whatever He wills is just: And so He cannot be thought in any thing which He wills to recede from justice, and so can no more proper­ly be said to be mercifull, then one Act can be both the Law and the mitigation of the Law. But I will press no point of this nature, know­ing that humble modesty is the best Theology.

[Page 144]The vatican of paganism can­not, The stile of Ge­nesis. for the male-ness of it's stile, match that matchless Book of Ge­nesis, whereof each sentence seems a quarry of rich meditations, and each word a spell, sufficient to conjure the devil of Delphos. Might not that excellent expression, Let us make man after our image, convince any of the being of a Trinity, who deny plurality of Gods. It is won­derfull, that the Saturn-humour'd Jew can, in this Passage, mis-take his own Saviour; and it is strange that he should not, from the triangular architecture of his own heart, con­clude the Trinity of the God-head, whose temple it was appointed to be. Albeit I be an admirer of this nurse of Cabalism; yet, I approve not the conceit of these doting Rabbies, who teach, that God from His own mouth, dited both the words and mater of the Pentateuch; whereas, He furnish'd only to the other Prophets the mater and sub­ject [Page 145] unphrased: for, not only did God promise, that He should put His words in their mouths, but like­wayes, they preface thus their own prophesies, In the dayes of such a King, the Word of the Lord came to such a Prophet, saying, &c. Nei­ther is this conceit consistent with that high esteem, which they, (even in this) intend for their patron, Moses; seing it allows him less trust from his divine Master, then the other Pen-men of Scripture had reposed in them.

That brain hath too little pia ma­ter, Why man fell. that is too curious to know why God, who evidences so great a desire to save poor man, and is so power­full, as that his salvation needed ne­ver have run the hazard, if His infinit wisdom had so decree'd, did yet suf­fer him to fall: For, if we enter once the lists of that debate, our reason is too weak to bear the burden of so great a difficulty. And albeit it may be answered, that God might have restrained man, but that re­straint [Page 146] did not stand with the free­dom of mans will which God had bestowed upon him; yet, this an­swer stops not the mouth of the difficulty. For certainly, if one should detain a mad man from run­ning over a precipice, he could not be thereby said to have wronged his liberty: and seing man is by many Divines allowed a freedom of will, albeit he must of necessity do what is evil, and that his freedom is salv'd by a liberty to choose only one of moe evils, it would appear strange why his liberty might not have con­sisted well enough with a moral im­possibility of sinning, and might not have been abundantly conserved in his freedom to choose one of moe goods: yet, these reasonings are the calling God to an account, and so impious. For, if God had first created man, surrounded with our present infirmities, could we have complained? Why then should we now complain, seing we are but faln to a better estate then we deserved; [Page 147] seing we stumbled not for want of light▪ but because we extinguish'd our own light, and seing our Savi­ours dying for us may yet re-instate us in a happier estate then that from which we are now faln.

Albeit the glass of my years hath not yet turn'd five and twenty, yet the curiosity I have to know the different limbo's of departed souls and to view the card of the region of death, would give me abundance of courage to encounter this king of terrors, though I were a pagan: But, when I consider what joyes are prepared for them who fear the Al­mighty, and what craziness attends such as sleep in Methuselams cradle, I pity them who make long-life one of the oftest repeated petitions of their Pater noster; and yet these sure are the more advanc'd in folly, who desire to have their names en­shrin'd after death in the airy mo­nument of fame: Whereas it is one of the promises made to the Elect, that they shall rest from their la­bours, [Page 148] and their works shall follow them. Most mens mouths are so foul, that it is a punishment to be much in them: for my own part, I desire the same good offices from my good name that I do from my cloaths, which is to skreen me from the vio­lence of exteriour accidents.

As these Criminals might be judg'd distracted, who being con­demned to die, would spend their short reprival in disputing about the situation and fabrick of their gib­bets; So may I justly think these literati mad, who spend the short time allotted them for repentance, in debating about the seat of hell, and the torments of tortur'd spirits. To satisfie my curiositie, I was once resolv'd, with the Platonick, to take the promise of some dying friend, that he should return and satisfie me in all my private doubts concer­ning hell and heaven; yet I was justly afraid, that he might have re­turn'd me the same answer which Abraham return'd to Dives, have [Page 149] they not Moses and the Prophets? if they hear not them, wherefore will they be perswaded though one should rise from the dead?

The Millenar's ephimerides, which The Mil­lena­ries refut­ed. assures us, that Christ shall reign a thousand years with the Saints on earth, is as sensual an opinion as that of the Turks, who make heaven a bordell, wherein we shall satisfie our venerious appetites; for the one shews the vain glory and vindictive humour of the Saints, as palpably as the other shews the lust of the Ma­humetans. If Christs reigning som a­ny years be for convincing the world that he is the real Messiah, their heresie should have ante-dated his coming; and his reign should rather have begun long since, when many ages were to be converted, or at least it should not have been thrust out upon the selvage and border of time, when very few shall remain to be convinc'd: and if in this they intend a displaying of Christs glory, certain­ly [Page 150] they are mistaken; for what honour can it be for a King, to have his foot­stool made his Throne? So that I think, these poor Phanaticks have taken the patronage of this error rather by necessity then choice, all other opinions and conceits being formerly pre-ingaged to other Au­thors.

As I am not able, by the Iacobs­ladder The Au­thors cen­sure of this Essay, and an ac­count of his design of my merits, to scale hea­ven, So am I less able, by the Iacobs­staffe of my private ability, to take up the true altitude of its mysteries. I have travell'd no further in Theo­logy then a Sabbath-dayes journey; and therefore, it were arrogance in me to offer a map of it to the cre­dulous world: But, if I were wor­thy to be consulted in these spiri­tual securities, I should advise every private Christian, rather to stay still in the barge of the Church with the other Disciples, then by an ill bridled zeal, to hazard drowning alone with Peter, by offering to walk upon the [Page 151] unstable surface of his own fleeting and water-weak fancies, though with a pious resolution to meet our Saviour. For, albeit one may be a real Christian, and yet differ from the Church, which sayes, that the wise men who come to bow before our Saviours cradle-throne, were three Kings, and in such other opi­nions as these, wherein the funda­mentals of faith and quiet of the Church are no wayes concerned; yet certainly, he were no wise man himself, nor yet sound Christian, who would not even in these bow the flag of his private opinion to the commands of the Church. The Church is our mother, and therefore we should wed no opinion without her consent who is our parent; or if we have rashly wedded any, it is in the power of the Church and her Of­ficials to grant us a divorce. As for my self, my vanity never prompted me to be standard-bearer to any, either new Sect, or old Heresie; and I pity such as love to live like Pew­keepers [Page 152] in the house of God, busied in seating others, without ever pro­viding a room for themselves. If there be any thing in this Discourse which may offend such as are really pious, it shall much grieve me, who above all men honours them most. What I have spoken against cases of Conscience and the like, strikes not against their Christian fellow­ship and correspondence, but against the apish fopperies of prentending counterfeits. It shall alwayes be my endeavour for the future, rather to drop tears for my own sins and the sins of others, then yrk for their conversion: our prayers help such as never heard them, whereas these only who read our discourses are better'd by them. Abrahams pray­ers prevailed more with God (even for Sodom) then Lot's re-iterated Sermons; and no wonder that the success be unequal, seing in the one we have to do with a mercifull God, whereas in the other we must per­swade a hard-hearted people.

[Page 153]I intend not to purchase from posterity the title of Reformer, se­ing most of these have faln under the same guilt; and have had the same fate, with that curious Painter, who having drawn an excellent face, as happily as could have been ex­pected from the smoothest mirrour, did thereafter dash it afresh upon the suggestion of each intrant, till at last he reformed it from being any way like to the Original.

Divinity differs in this from all other Sciences, that these being in­vented by mortals, receive growth from time and experience; where­as, it being penn'd by the omniscient Spirit of God, can receive no addi­tion without receiving prejudice. It is most remarkable, that our Sa­viours Prayers, His Sermons and the Creed, delivered to us by His Apo­stles, were roomed up in farr nar­rower bounds then these of our times, which an hidropsie of ill con­cocted opinions hath swell'd beyond their true dimensions: many where­of [Page 154] have either been brooded by va­nity or interest; or else ignorant and violent defendents being brought to a bay, by such as impugn'd their re­solv'd-upon principles, have been forc'd to assert these by-blow and preter-intentional tenets; and hav­ing once floored them, have there­after judg'd themselves concerned to defend them, in point of Schola­stick honour. Some well-meaning Christians likewayes, do sometimes, for maintenance of what is lawfull and pious, think, that they may law­fully advance opinions, which other­wayes they would never have al­lowed of; and as in nature we see, that the collision of two hard bodies makes them rebound so much the further from one another, So oppo­sition makes both parties fly into ex­tremeties. Thus I believe, that the debates betwixt Roman-catholicks and Protestants, concerning the Vir­gin Mary, have occasion'd, in some amongst both, expressions, if not he­reticall, yet aleast undecent. Thus a [Page 155] great many Confessions of Faith be­come, like Noahs Ark, a receptacle of clean and unclean: and which is also deplorable, they do, like ordinar dy­als, serve only for use in that one me­ridian for which they are calculated, and by riding twenty miles ye make them heterodox. I speak not this to the disparagement of our own Church, (which I reverence in all it's Precepts and Practices▪) but to beget a blushing conviction in such as have diverted from it; and whose conventicles, compared with our Ie­rusalem, resemble only the removed huts of these who live a part, be­cause they are sick of the plague.

I am not at a maze, to see men so tenacious of contrary principles in Religion; for, man's thoughts be­ing vast and various, he snatches at every offered suggestion, and if by accident he entertain any of these many, as a divine immission, he there­after thinks it were blasphemy to bring that thought to the test of reason, because he hears that faith [Page 156] is above reason, or to relinquish it, because the common suffrage of his Country runs it counter, seing he is taught even by them, that the prin­ciples of belief must not be chosen by the Pole.

And seing faith is above reason, (albeit, as I said formerly, it would seem otherwise) I wonder not to see even the best temper'd Christi­ans, think that which is not their own religion to be therefore ridi­culous.

My design all alongst this Dis­course, butts at this one principle, that Speculations in Religion are not so necessary, and are more dan­gerous then sincere Practice. It is in Religion as in Herauldry, the simpler the bearing be, it is so much the purer and the ancienter. I will not say that our School-distinctions are the impressions of the devils cloven foot; but I may say, that our piety and principles scarce ever grow after they begin to fork in such dichotomies; which, like Iacob [Page 157] and Esau, divide and jar as soon as they are born: and betwixt whom, the poor proposition, out of which both did spring, is like a malefactor, most lamentably drag'd to pieces. I have endeavoured to demonstrat, that dogmaticalness and paralitick scepticisme, are but the Apocrypha of true Religion; and I believe the one begets the other, as a toad begets a cockatrice: For the Sceptick per­ceiving, that the magisterial dog­matist erres (as these must erre somewhere who assert too much) even in these things whereof he af­firms, he is as sure, as of any principle in Religion, (which is their ordi­nary stile) he finding out their er­ror in one of their principles, is thereby emboldned to contravert all. This being the scope of this Essay. I wish that these who read it would expound it as Divines do parables, Quae non sunt argumentativa ul­tra suum scopum.

I doubt not but some will think me His Apo­logy. no less absurd in writing against va­nity, [Page 158] whilst I am so vain my self as to write Books, then the Philosophers were judged of old, for denying motion whilst their tongues mov'd in their cheek; but, to these my answer shall be, that finding many grovelling in their errors, I have, in this Essay, prof­fer'd them my assistance, not to shew my strength but my compassion. The multitude (which albeit it hath ever been allowed many heads, yet was ne­ver allowed any brains) will doubt­less accuse my Studies of adultery, for hugging contemplations so excentrick to my employment; to these my re­turn is, that these papers are but the pairings of my other Studies, and be­cause they were but pairings, I have flung them out into the streets. I wrote them in my retirements when I wanted both books and employ­ment, and I resolve that this shall be the last inroad I shall ever make into forreign contemplations. There are some thoughts in this Peece which may seem to rebell against the empire of the Schools; yet, who knows but my Watch goes right, albeit it agree not with the publick Clock of the City, especially where the sun of Righ­teousness hath not, by pointing clearly [Page 159] the dyal of Faith, shewed which of the two are in the error. There are some expressions in it, which censure may force to speak otherwayes then they have in commission; yet none of them got room in this Discourse, untill they first gave an account of their design to a most pious and lear­ned Divine: and so, it may be the lines are of themselves streight, albeit they lye not parallel with each censurers crooked rule. As this Discourse in­tends, for the Divines of our Church, all respect; So all that is in it, is most freely submitted to their censure.

The Author intended this Discourse only as an introduction to the Stoicks mo­rals, but probably, he will, for many years, stop here.