Vir bonus nec cito in our minds, and fo deprived it of its life and beauty, which fieri, nec intell gi po fitted it for another ufe. And when every place and ftate of teft: Nam ille alter life hath fuch baits as thefe, which hourly are allureing a quingentefimo naf mind fo weakly fortifi'd againft them, no wonder if they citur. Nec eft mi- do prevail. rum, ex intervallo fortafle l'hanix anno magna generat; me 6.6. Education, custom and ill example confirm thefe vicious diocria & in turbam hal its with the most, and much encrease them. nafcentia fæpe fortu 0.7. The best have fome of this inordinate fenfuality and na producit: fed qui weakneß of Reason, and are imperf.& in virtue, and are tempted fciret quid effet vir by the world as well as others. bonus, nondum fe effe credere, fortaffe 0.8. Therefore no man can live to God according to his certain etiam fieri poffe de- duty, who will not deny the defires of his flesh, and bring it into fperaret, Sen. ep.42. Subjection, and live in vigilancy and daily conflict against Diogenes faid, He its lufts. found good children at Lacedæmon, but good ર men no where in all Græce, Obj. "But the appetite of meat, and drink, and sleep, and “cafe, and venery, and sport, and pleasure, and gain, and "honour, is natural to us: and that which is natural is no "vice, nor to be denied or destroyed. Anfw. It is natural to have the appetite, but it is the difeafe of nature that this appetite is inordinate, and no otherwife natural than the Leprofie is to those to whom it is propagated by their Parents. But is it natural to you to have luft and appetite, and is it not natural to you to have Reafon to moderate and rule them? If not, it is natural to you to be Bruits, and not natural to you to be men: What is more natural to Man than to be Rational ? is it not his effential form? And whether is Reafon or Appetite, think you, naturally made to be the predominant faculty? Should the Horfe rule the Rider, or the Rider the Horfe? The Soul and Body are much like the Rider and the Horfe; bethink you which fhould naturally rule. 6. 9. The inordinacy of the fleshly appetite and phantafie, maketh it a continual pain to the flesh to be restrained and Rari quippe boni: tidem quor divitis oftia Nili. As it is to a head-ftrong wilful Horfe to be governed, the more inordinate the appetite is, the more it is pained by denial and reftraint. D. 10. The far greatest part of the world do live an ungodly fenfual life, and the intereft of the flesh is predominant in them, Sad Sad Experience puts this quite out of controverfie. .11. Ufually, the more Riches and Fullness of all Provi- Imperitia in omnibus fions for the flesh men poffefs, the more fenfual and vicicus they majori ex parte domi are. natur, & multitudo verborum, Cleobulus It is not alwayes fo, but that its ufually fo, we need no in Laert. proof but the knowledge of the World: nor need we take it Offendet te fuperbus from Chrift only as a point of Faith, That its hard for a contemptu,dives conRich man to enter into Heaven: And Reafon telleth us, that tumelia, petulans inwhen the love of the World above God is the mortal fin, Ignitate,pugnax conjuriâ, lividus mathofe are most in danger of it, to whom the World appeareth tentione, ventofus & moft lovely: And they that have moft temptations are in the mendax greatest danger to miscarry. 1. 12. The Rich are commonly the Rulers of the World, who have the liberties, eftates, and lives of others, much in their power. I never yet knew or heard of that place, where the poor long ruled. vanitate? Non feres à fufpiciofo timeri, à pertinace vinci, à delicato faftidiri. Senec.. de Ira. l. 3.c. 8. Præftat cum paucis bonis adverfus malos omnes, quam cum . 13. Commonly, the more averfe men are to Godliness, and multis malis adverfus the more prone to fenfuality; the less can they endure thofe that paucos pugnare. A would perfwade them to Godliness from their fenfual Lives; or lifthenes in Laert. !.. that give them the Example of a holy felf-denying life. For as it feemeth intolerable to them to leave their fenfuality, and to betake themselves to a contrary life, which they are fo averfe to; fo they take him as an enemy to them, that would draw them to it, and are furious against him, as a hungry Dog against him that would take away his Carrion. Experience puts this paft all doubt (of which more anon.) . 14. Hence it cometh to pass, that in all parts of the World, the fore-defcribed life of Godlynefs, is the matter of the common batred, fcorn and cruel perfecution of the fenfual and ungodly. 6.6. I. The more exactly any man shall set himself to obey God, seneca Epist. 87. fcrithe more he croffeth the lufts and carnal Intereft of the wic- bit, Tam neceffarium ked; and the more he commonly fuffereth in the World. So fuiffe Romano popu full of malice and prejudice is the World, againft fuch faith- lo nafci Catonem Scipionem : full Subjects of God, that they flander them and make them quam Alter enim cum hoftibus noftris, alter cum moribus, bellum geffit. And if a Cato was at warre with the manners of the world, much more will a true Saint, that is more fully acquainted with Sacred Virity. feem * Qui rotos dies pre feem the moft odious fort of men: And fo unreasonable at they and unjust, that the fulleft evidence for their Juftification, doth but feem to aggravate their faults; and nothing is fo great a Crime as their highest Virtues! Or if their Juftification be undenyable they rage the more, because they are hindered from making them fuffer as deeply in their Names as in their Bodies. These things are no more questionable than the Warrs of Alexander or Cafar, the World having longer proof and fuller evidence of them. 0.15. And ordinarily God himself fo ordereth it, that his faithfulleft Subjects shall be the deepest fufferers in this life. 1. 16. Therefore felf-denyal, mortification, contempt of the World,and patience under manifold fufferings from God and Man, are necessary to all who will be faithfull to God, in the unqueftionable duties before defcribed. It is tryed Friendship and Obedience which is moft valucabantur & immola- able. And unwholfom pleafures though preferred by the bant, ut fui liberi fi- foolish Patient, are forbidden by our wife Phyfician, that they bi fuperftites effent, fuperftitiofi funt ap hinder not our health, and greater Pleasures. pellati: Quod no 1. 17. Therefore if Worldly fleshly pleasures were our end men patuit poflea la- and chief Good, the best men would have the smallest measure of tius: Qui autem them. omnia quæ ad cultum Deorum pertinerent, "Obj. But you reftrain man further than God reftraineth diligenter pertracta. "him, and binde him to more than God bindeth him to, and rent, & tanquam re- "make fuperftition to feem his duty, and then raise these legerent, funt dicti "confequences from fuch Premifes. Religiofi,ex relegen do, ut elegantes ex Anfw. What I mean by fin and duty I have fo fully opened eligendo, a diligen- before, and proved to be fuch by the light of Reafon, that do dil gentes, ex in- this Objection hath no place. Even the fober Heathens, the telligendo intelligen- Greek Philofophers, and Romane Worthies found and contes: fuperftitiofi & Religiofi, alterum vi. feffed all this to be true. If there be any thing in the Life beti nomen, alterum fore defcribed, which all found Reafon doth not juftific and laudis. Cicero de nat. command, let him that is able manifeft so much: If not, it Deor. lib. 2. p. 73, is no fuperftition, to live as a man that is governed by Ardua res hæc eft opi- God, and led by Reafon; and to do that which all our fabis non tradere mo- culties were made for. And for aufterities, I have pleaded 74. res. Martial. Pittaci dictum eft, Perdificile eft effe bonum. Brufor, All Cicero's Books de Finib. fhew the worthlefness of Pleasure in comparison of Virtue. for for none, which is not become needfull to our own prefervation and felicity: As a Patient will endure a strict dyer, and exercife, and blood-letting, and bitter Phyfick for his health: It is not any affected unprofitable aufterities, that I plead for; but thofe which are for our good, and fit us for our duty, and keep the flesh from rebelling against Reason, and keep Man from living like a Beaft: Even less than many of the Philofophers plead for; and he that ufeth but this much which is needfull, will finde it both oppofed as unfufferable by the World, and murmured against by his fuffering and displeased Flefh; and that the Soul cannot do its duty, but at a confiderable coft and trouble to the Body. Though there may be an evil masked and cunningly moderated, which men call Goodness, which may be had at a cheaper rate. But faith Seneca truly, Non eft Bonitas, peffimis effe me liorem. CHAP. XIV. That there is a Life of Retribution after this. T O know whether there be a Life after this, for men Marciam: Cum temSenee. confol. ad to receive Rewards or Punishments in, is a matter pus advenerit quo fe of greatest importance to Mankinde, to be fully re- mundus renovaturus, folved in upon which dependeth our Comforts, and our omni flagrante Religion, and without which we know not what to expect, materia uno igne, quicquid nunc to hope for, or to fear; nor what to intend and feek after difpofito lucet, ardethrough our lives, nor how to order our hearts or acti- bit- Nos quoq; fx ons. ex ices animæ, & æter vifum erit, iterum Fæli This therefore I fhall inquire into by the help of Reafon na fortita, cum Deo and Natural evidence, as one that would not be deceived nor ifta moliri deceive, in fo great a matter. And I fhall pafs by thofe ar- cem filium guments which are commonly fetcht from the Souls imma- Marcia, qui ifta (morteriality, and independence upon matter, and other fuch tuus) jam novit like, which are commonly to be found in Phyficks and Metaphyficks, as being not fuch as my prefent method leadeth me to; and fhall make use of fuch as are the neceffary confectaries of the certain Truths already proved! Object. Duæ funt vix, dupli rum è corpore exe Object. But whatever Rationalities may be drawn from the cefq; curfus animo- Divine Attributes, to prove a future state, yet it depending untium: Nam qui fe wholly on the Divine Will, and the Divine Will being abfolutely vitiis humanis con- free, we can have no rational inducements to bring us to any fuffitaminarunt ; & libi- cient knowledge of it, but by a clear Revelation of the Divine dinibus fe tradide- Will. quoddam iter eft, runt, is devium Anfw. Is the Law of Nature no clear Revelation of Gods feclufum à confilio will? or is it a Law without any Rewards or Penalties? Deorum. Qui au- It depended on Gods will, whether man fhould be his Subtem fe integros ca- ject or no, obliged to obey him! But doth it follow thereftofys fervarunt, qui fore that it cannot be proved? By making him a Rational bufq; fuit minima free Agent, and fociable, placed anong occalions of good and cum corporibus con tagio, funtq; in cor- evil, God did reveal that it, was his will that Man fhould poribus humanis vi- be his Subject, and obey him! Orc action of God doth tam imitati Deorum, oft reveal his will concerning another. Thole Attributes of iis ad illos à quibus God which fignifie his Relation to us, do reveal much of funt profecti, facilè patet reditus, Socra- his will, concerning what he will do with us in thofe Reies, in Cicerone Tuf- lations. And though his will be free, his perfections confift not with falfhood and mutability. If m freedom you include indetermination] then when we prove the determination of it ad unum, you will plead no longer that it is free; no more than it is yet free whether he will make the World. cul. I. Qui re&è & honefiè .1. I. He that is the most Righteous Governour of the curriculum vivendi à World, making a just difference by Kewards and Punishments, naturâ datum con- between the obedient and the wicked, which yet he maketh not fecerit, ad aftra facilè revertetur. Non in this life, will certainly make it after this life: But God is qui aut immoderate, the most Righteous Governor of the World, making a just deffeintemperanter rence by Rewards and Punishments, between the obedient and vixerit.Cicero de Uni- the wicked, which yet he maketh not in this life: Therefore verf. he will make it after this life. aut That God is the Governour of the World (in a proper fenfe, by Laws and Moral Government) is proved: And that he is Righteous, is contained in the Pertections of his Nature. To deny either of these is to deny him to be God. That his Laws of Nature have not only Precepts of Duty, but fanctions of Reward and Punishment, is alfo proved: And further may be thus. 1. If there be no Rewards or Punishments, there is no Judgement or Execution: But there is Judgement and Execution: for they are parts of Government. Ergo 2. Without |