of the great need of a clearer Light, or fuller I HILST I refolved upon a deep and faithful fearch into the grounds of all Religion, and a review and trial of all that I had my felf believed, I thought meet firft to pass by Perfons, and fhut up my Books, and with retired Reafon to read the Book of Nature only and what I have there found, I have juftly told you in the former Parts purpofely omitting all that might be controverted by any confiderable fober reafon, that I might neither ftop my felf nor my Reader in the way; and that I might not deceive my felf with plaufible confequences of unfound or questionable antecedents; nor difcourage my Reader by the cafting of fome doubtful paffages in his way, which 191 might tempt him to queftion all the reft. For I know what a deal of handsome ftructure may fall through the falfnefs of fome one of the fupports, which femed to ftand a great way out of fight: And I have been wearied my felf, with fubtil difcourfes of learned men, who in a long feries of Ergo's have thought, that they have left all fure behind them, when a few falfe fuppofitions were the life of all. And I know that he who interpofeth any doubtful things, doth raife a diffidence in the Reader's mind, which maketh him fufpect that the ground he ftandeth on is not firm, and whether all that he readeth be not meer uncertain things. Therefore leaving things controvertable for a fitter place and time, I have thus far taken up fo much as is plain and fure, (which I find of Truth delivered by the more importance and usefulness to my own information and balves, will be lamely confirmation, than any of thofe controvertible points would practifed. Ideo pec- be, if I could never fo certainly determine them." camus, quia de parti Nullus unquam mortali femine vir abfolute bonus nafce tur, Dion,Hal. 1. 2 bus vitæ omnes deliberamus: de toto nemo deliberat. Sen. And now having perufed the Book of Nature, I fhall caft up the account, and try what is yet wanting, and look abroad into the opinions of others in the world, and search whence that which is yet wanting may be moft fully, and fafely, and certainly supplied. 6.1. And first, when I look throughout the world, I find, that though all the evidence aforefaid for the neceffity of a boly virtuous life, be unquestionable in naturâ rerum, yet most of the world obferve it, not, or difcern but little of it, nor much regard the light without, or the fecret witness of their confciences within. Natural light or evidence is fo unsuccessful in the world,' that it loudly telleth us, fomething is yet wanting, what ever it is. We can difcern what it is which is neceffary to man's happiness but we can hardly difcern whether de facto any confiderable number (at beft) do by the teaching of nature alone attain it. When we enquire into the Writings of the beft of the Philofophers, we find fo little evidence of real holinefs, that is, of the forefaid Refignation, Subjection, and Love to God as God, that it leaveth us much in doubt whether indeed they were holy themselves or not, and whether they. made the Knowledge, Love, Obedience and Praife of God, the end and bufinefs of their lives. However, there is too great evidence, that the world lieth in darkness and wicked nefs, nefs, where there is no more than natural light. 1.2. I find therefore that the discovery of the will of God, concerning our duty and our end, called, The Law of Nature, is a matter of very great difficulty, to them that have no fupernatural light to help them. Though all this is legible in Nature, which I have thence tranfcribed; yet if I had not had another Teacher, I know not whether ever I fhould have found it there. Nature is now a very hard book: when I have learnt it by my Teachers help, I can tell partly what is there: but at the firft perufal, I could not understand it. It requireth a great deal of time, and ftudy, and help to underftand that, which when we do understand it, is as plain to us as the high-way. . 3. Thence it must needs follow, that it will be but few that what difficulties the will attain to understand the necessary parts of the Law of wifeft Heathens find Nature aright, by that means alone; and the multitude will be about God's proffering the wicked, and afleft in darkness ftill. flicting the good. And how dak were they about the life to come? Therefore was a Phoenix. wife and good man The common people have not leifure for fo deep and long a fearch into nature, as a few Philofophers made; nor are they difpofed to it. And though reafon obligeth them, in fo neceffary a cafe, to break through all difficulties, they have not fo full ufe of their reafon as to do it. Seneca's Sine do&rina fiquid Obj. But as Chriftian Teachers do inftruct the people in that bene dicitur, adjuwhich they cannot have leifure to fearch out themselves; so why vante naturâ, tamen may not Philofophers, who have leifure for the fearch, inftruct femper paratum effe id quia fortuito fit, the people quickly, who have not leifure to find out the truth non poteft. Cic.de Or. without inftruction. Etfi ingeniis magnis Anfw. Much might be done, if all men did their beft: præditi quidam, "di But, 1. The difficulty is fuch, that the learned themfelves are cendi copiam fine ratione confequuntur. lamentably imperfect and unfatisfi'd, (as I fhall further fhew.) ars tamen dux certi2. Though the vulgar cannot fearch out the truth without or eft quam natura. help, yet is it neceffary that ly help they come to fee with Aliud enim eft poctheir own eyes, and reft not in a humane belief alone, efpe- fundere, aliud, ca cially when their Teachers are of so many minds, that they que dicas ratione & know not which of them to believe. To learn the truth in arte diftinguere. Cic. its proper evidence, is very hard to them that have no more de fin. 4. than the light of nature. Obj. But what difficulty is there in these few precepts, that all men may not easily learn them? [Thou shalt love God above all, and repent of fin, and fet thy heart upon the Cc Life tarum more verba Cotta in Cic.de Nat. You may perceive the Life to come, and love thy neighbour as thy felf, &c. Heathens gratitude to Anfo. There is no difficulty in learning these words: God by these words of But, 1. There is great difficulty in learning to understand Deor. 3. pag. 109 the fenfe, and certain truth of that which is contained in Num quis quod bo. them. To know what God is, fo far as is neceffary to our nus vir effet, gratias obedience and love, and to know what it is in him which is Diis egit unquam ? fo amiable, and to know that there is a Life to come, and At quod dives, quod what it is, and to know what is God's will, and fo what is honoratus, quod incolumis. Jovemque duty, and what is the fin which we muft repent of; thefe Optimum Maximum are more difficult. Generals are foon named, but it is a parob eas res appellant, ticular understanding which is neceffary to practice. 2. And non quod nos juftos, it is hard to fee that certainty and attractive Goodness in temperatos, fapientes efficiat, fed quod fal- these things, as may draw the mind to the practical emvos, incolumes, opa- bracements of them, from the love of other things. An oblentos copiofos. fcure doubtful wavering apprehenfion, is not strong enough Judicium hoc omto change the heart and life. nium mortalium,fortunam à Deo peren dam, à feipfo fu mendam effe fapien tiam, 0.4. Thefe difficulties in the meer natural way of Revelation, will fill the learned world with controverfies: and thofe controverfies will breed and feed contentions, and eat out the heart of practical godliness, and make all Religion feem an uncertain or unnecessary thing. This is undoubtedly proved, 1. In the reafon of the thing. 2. And in all the worlds experience: fo numerous were the controverfies among Philofophers, fo various their Sects, fo common their contentions, that the world defpifed them, and all Religion for their fakes, and look'd on moft of them but as Mountebanks, that set up for gain, or to get Difciples, or to fhew their wit: Practical piety died in their hands. Obj. This is a confequent not to be avoided, because no way bath forefolved difficulties, as to put an end to controverfies and fects. Anfw. Certainly clearneß is more defirable than obfcurity, and concord and unity than divifion; Therefore it concerneth us to enquire how this mischief may be amended, which is it that I am now about. 1.5. Thefe difficulties alfo make it fo long a work, to learn God's will by the light of Nature only, that the time of their youth, andoft of their lives, is flipt away, before men can come to know why they lived. It is true, that it is their own fault that causeth all thefe inconveniencies: inconveniencies: but its as true, that their difeafe doth need Parvulos nobis natu a cure, for which it concerneth them to feek out. The life of ra dedit igniculos man is held upon a conftant uncertainty, and no man is fure quos celeriter in aliis moribus opinionimoribus to live another year: and therefore we have need of precepts bufque depravatis fic fo plain as may be cafily and quickly learnt, that we may be reftinguimus, ut nufalways ready, if death fhall call us to an account. I confefs quam naturæ lumen that what I have tranfcribed from nature is very plain there, autem fimularque eappareat: -Nunc to one that already understandeth it: but whether the dif- diti in lucem & fufca'ed blindness of the world do not need yet fomething cepti fumus, in omni plainer, let experience determine. pravitate continuo verfamur, ut pene 6.6. That which would be fufficient for a found understanding cum lacte nutricis erand will, is not fufficient to a darkned difeafed mind and heart, rorem fuxiffe videafuch as experience telleth us is found throughout the world. To true reafon which is at liberty, and not enthralled by fenfuality and error, the light of nature might have a fufficiency to lead men up to the love of God, and a life of holiness But experience telleth us, that the reafon of the world is darkned, and captivated by fenfuality, and that few men can well use their own faculties. And fuch eyes need fpectacles, fuch criples need crutches, yea, fuch difeafes call for a Physician. Prove once that the world is not difeafed, and then we will confefs that their natural food may ferve the turn, without any other diet or Phyfick. mur: cum vero pa rentibus redditi, deti fumus, tum ita variis imbuimur erroribus, ut vanitati veritas,& opinioni confirmate natura ipfa cedat. Cic. 3.Tufc. Multis fignis natura declarat quid velit: obfurdefcimus tamen nefcio quo modo, nec ea quæ ab ea 0.7. When I have by natural Reafon filenced all my doubts moventur audimus. about the Life to come, I yet find in my felf an uncouth unfatis- Cic. Lal. factory kind of apprehenfion of my future state, till I look to fu- Si tales nos pernatural evidence: which I perceive is from a double cause. ipfam intueri, & per1. Because a Soul in flesh, wouldfain have fuch apprehenfion as spicere, eâque optiparticipateth of fenfe. 2. And we are fo conscious of our igno- mâ duce curfum vitæ rance, that we are apt ftill to fufpeci our own understandings, conficere poffemus: even when we have nothing to say against the conclufion. natu ra genuiffet, ut cam haud effet fane quod What I have faid in the first part of this Book, doth fo & doctrinam requiquifquam rationem fully fatisfie my Reafon, as that I have nothing to fay against reret cum natura fufit, which I cannot easily discern to be unfound: and yet for ficeret. Nunc vero, all that, when I think of another world, by the help of this &c. Cic. 3. Tufe. natural light alone, I am rather amazed than fatisfi'd; and Quicquid infixum & ingenitum eft,lenitur am ready to think, [ All this feemeth true, and I have no- arte, non vincitur. thing of weight to fay againft it; but alas how poor and un- Sen. certain a thing is man's understanding! how many are deceived in things that feem as undeniable to them! How Cc 2 know |