.,..._.,..,.,,.-...

,,----
' 1

..
..
.

Select Difcourfes TREATING

·1 of the true Way or Method of 7. ofthe Difference between the
attaining to Divine Know- Legal and the Evangelical
ledge, Righteoufneff, the old and
the New Covenant, &c.
z. of Superftition.
8. of the Shortneji and ranityof
3, of Atheifm. a Pharifaick Righteo11fnefs.
4. of the Immortality ef the 9, of the Excellency and Noble-
Soul.
nefs of 'J'r11,e Religion.
5. ofthe Exiftence and N4ture 10. of tt chriftians Conjliffs
of God.
with, and Cenquefts over, Sa-
6, of Prophecy, tan,
,,
By JO Hl_\I SMITH, late Fellow
of Qut'en's College in (ambridge.

As alfo a S E R M o N preached by
• S I Mo N P A 'I' R I c K (then Fellow of the fame
College) attheAUTaoa's FUNER'!L:
WITH
A brief Account of his L 1 F 11. and D E A T :a.

Hebrews 11·. 4. .
---~.3iiGviJv ~'11 i\r.e)<.ei-rat,

. L O ND O N, . \.. Ct-..
Printed by :J. Fie/her, for 1¥.Mordm Bookfeller m C4mbri ~
,, AnHo Domini M15c1J[. ·l ·

-
 iii

To the READER.
H E intendment of this Preface is not to
court the Reader into au hio-h efrfem of
either thefe Difcourfes or their Author,
( the Difco,erfaiwill bell: [peak what rhey
are, and for the Author, his own Works
will prai re him ; ) but only to give a clear and plain Ac-
count of what concerns 'Ibis Edition, and withall co
obferve Something concerning the Di{courfes them-
felves and the A11thor of them, not unnecc!fary per-
,. haps for the Reader to be acquainted with, r h' .•
The Papers now publilhed I received from the Au-~-' "Edm-
'.l thar's Executor, Mr. Sam11el Cradock (then Fellow of
EmmanuelCollege,now Retl:or of North-Cttdbury in So-
merfet-foire,) whofe Beneficence to the publick in im-
parting th~fe Treafures I thought worthy to be here in
the firfr place gratefully remembred.
Having taken a more general view of thefe, and .
fome other,Papers(divers of which were loofe and feat•
med, not being written by the Author in any Book,)
· my Fir ft care was to coll eel: fuch as were Homogeneal
and related to the fame Difcourfe ; as alfo to obferve~.
where any ,new additi.onal Matter was to be inferted ;·
(For the Author, whofe Mind was a rich & fruitful foil, t
a bountiful & ever-bubling Fountain, fometimes. would
fuperadde upon further thoughts fome other Con•'
fiderarions to what he had formerly delivered in pub-
lick;:md this he would doe fometimes after he had gone
I
'·
. · ~ :z off
I
iv To tl1e (J{e,der,
off from that Argument, ~nd though Matter of a dif-
ferent mtur.e had come hetween.) This emploiment I.
fousd at firft fufficiently perplex'd and toilfome; but
through more then ~mce reading over the Manufcri pts,
I got through thofe difficulties, and di[patch'd that
Fir ft trouble.. And I am well affured that the fevered
Parts, and alfo the additional· Confiderations; are
brought to their due and proper places where the Au-
thor himfelf would have difpofed them, if he had;tran-
, fcribed his Papers. _
And now I found that I ftood-inneed·of more Hands
and Eyes then mine own. for the fair tranfcribing of the
Papers (otherwife impoffible to. be printed) as alfo for
,the examining of the material Qt.!otations in this Vo-
lume: and in this Labour I. had the affiftance of fome
Friends to whom the memory of the -Author was-very
pretioas. As for fome fhort Allufions and_ Expreffi~
ons borrow'd out of ancient Authors, ferving rather
for ornament-then Support of the Matter in hand, there
·fecm' d to be lefs need of being follicitous about all of
them : But for the other Tefr.1,nonies, which are many
.and weighty, there were but Few (fome poffibly among
foch a number of Quotations might efcape ~ that were
nor: examin' d ; and I am. fore that this labour was not
nnneceifary and in vain, how wearifome foever it was,
efpecially where the Authors, or the places in the Au-
thors, were not mention' d.
And then for,the fake of fuch Readers whofe Edu-
cation-had nor- acquainted · them with fome of the Lan...
guages wherein many of the Tdlimonies were reprefen-
ted, ( being otherwife men of good accompli!hments,
· and capable to receive. the defigned benefit of thefe
Papers) ic feemed expedient to rtnder-the Latine, but
efpecially the Hebrew and Greek, Q!!otations i_nto ~n-
. ghfi1 7
To t-he ·'I{eadtr. V
gli{h ;· ( except·in Cuch places wi~ere, d1_e f~_b(bnce a~d
main importance of the Q.!1otauon_s be1n~ mfinuated m
the neiohbouring words,a Tranfianon,was lefs needful.)
For th~ Author feldom tranf1ated the Hebrew, and
more feldom-t-he Greek, but into Latine ;··as confide-
rino that he delivered thefe Difcourfes in the:College-
Chappel before an Aud_itory_not needin~ a~y Cuch Con-
defcenfions as-are reqmfo:e m the pubhlfong of thefe
Papers.for the benefit of fome Readers.
To difpatch this Firft part of the Preface which
· concerns the Preparations _to this Edition, I iliall add
only one thfog more ; That whereas _tl;e Paper~ now
publifued ( efpecially thofe that contain d the Six fir.fl:
Di[courfes) were written in. the Author's own Copy
without any Diftinction or Sections, (MJO te13ore & co1J.-
tinu!i ferie, as theJews-oblerve of the ancie:nt writing
of the Lavi; iMN picg:i N'i1 :-,i,rin ~::i, The whole
Law WtM'but tU one re-rfe ; ) it feem'd expedient _for the
Reader's acco1nodati on todiftfaguilh them into feveral
Difcourfes or Treatifas ( the Title .. p.age to· each J?if
courfe giving a General account of the. Ma_tter contam d
therein) and the Difcourfes themfelves rnto chapters
and Sellions ( except th~ Difaourfes were lhorc., as two .
or three of them are, which therefore have the Contents
fee-in the Becrinniri<:T) and before the Chttpters to give a
Particular- a~coun/of the Chief n;iatters therein coa-
tained . that fo the Reader- might have a clt1arer ·and
fuller view (as of the ftrength and importance, fo alfo)
of the Contexture of the whole, and the Coherence.of
thefeveral Parts of the ·refpettive Difcourfes ~ which
otherwife would not be fo eafily di[cerned by ev.ery
Reader,. efpecially where-there_ are fom~ .Excurfhms-and
Digrefaiom in any of• the Treaufes,. (things.not unufual
in the Writinos ~
or Di[courfes of other men, when the1
N ot1on
.
~ 3 ·
I~.:·.··.
, 1
. ·,,
J
 VI " To the Read~,·.:
· N9tion does ftrongly affect and poffefs their Minds,and
their Phanlies are therefore more active and vigo~ous )
and Come fucll. Digrefsions the Reader will meet witl1
here more then once; though even therein he will fee
that the Author did frill re/P_icere tit11l11m, and kept the
maindeligne alwaies in his Eye. Nor does the Author
in chefe Digrefsiqr,s lead the Reader a little out of tfie
way, only to fee a Reedjbaken with the wind, an ordi-
nary trifle, fame flight and inconfiderable Object ; but
for better purpofes; that he might the better prefenc
to the perfpicacious Reader fomething which is worthy
his Obfervation: and therefore chefe "'5';,e"'"'''t.9l 7-.~-
'9' being ufmilly of fuch importance, need not be [e-
ve.rely cenfured by rigid Methodifts, if any fuch chance
to read chefe Treati[es.
This is a plain Account of Come Inll:ances of the care
and labour preparatory to this Edition; of all which I
Of the Author, accounted the Author of chefe Difcour[es to be moft
worthy : For I confidered him as a Friend, one whom I
knew for many years, not only when he was Fellow of
Qgeen's Col.but when a Student in Emman. Col.where
his early Piety and the remembring his Creator in
tho[e days of his youth, as alfo his excellent improve-
ments in thechok:eft parts ofLearning,endear'd him to
many, particularly to his careful Tucor, then Fellow of
Em man. Col.aftet'wards Pl'ovoft of Kings College, Dr.
whichcote ; to whom for his Diretl:ions and Encourage-
ments of him in his Studies, his feafonable provifton for
his fupport and maintenance when he was a young Scho-
lar ,as alfo upon other obliging Confiderations,oul' Au-
thor did ever exprefs a great and fingular regard. . ,.en,
But belides I confidered him ( which was more) as a
true Servant and Friend of God: and to fuch a one, and
what relates to fuch, I thought that I owed no le[s care
and
To t!)e (J{eader.· Vll
and diligen~e. T_heform~r Title [a Servant of God] is
very often ~n _Scnpture given to t~at inc~mpar~ble per-
fon Mo(es • mcomparable for his * Ph1lofophical ac- • Acl.7. u.
co~rlifhmen_ts and knowledg of Nature, as alfo for his
Pol!t1cal \Yifdom, and great abilities in the Condutt
and managmg of affairs; and in fpeaking eKcellent
fenfe, lhong and_ clear Reafon in any bufinefo and Cafe
that was before him ; for he ,v.u mighty in words and in
deeds,_ Alts 7, (an~ of both t_hefe kinds of Knowledge
where1!1 Mofes excdl d,as alfo m the more recondite and
myftenous .knowledge of the Egyptians there are fe-
v~ral l~ftances and Proofs in the Pentateuch written by
hi~:) !~comparable as well for the lovelinefs of his
D1fpofit1on and Temper, the inward ornament and
·. beaner of a * _meek and bumble Spirit, as for die ex- .. Num. "•l'
. traordmary am1a?lene[s of his outward perfon; and in-
comparable for his unexampled* Self-denial in the midft 'Heb, "· 24,
of tlie grea~eft allurements and moft tf.mpting aclvan- &,.
ta~es of this world. ~nd from all the[egreat Accom-
pltfhments and Perfecbons m Mofes it appears how ei-
ce)lently he was qualified and enabled to anfwer chat
1:1t17 [Th~ Servant of God] more frequently given co
him m Scnprur 7 then unto any other.- ·
The other Title [a Friend of God] is given to Abra~
ham, the Fathq~ of the Faith(uJ, an eminent Exemplar
of Self-l'efign_mon and Obedience even in * Trials of• Rom. 4,
the_greateft d1fficulty: and it is given to hirn thrice( in H,b. , ,.
Sc1:1ptu:e, ~- C~ron.zo, 7. Efay 41 .8, James 2• 2 { and J,m. '·
plamly implied mGenef. 1_8~ 17. shall Ih-idefrom Ahra~ .
ham, &c. ~utexprefs'd in theJerufalem Tar<>um there
·· -, · •
and 10 *ph·!'19 y-11
~·d• ~- tp17'.w
' /J..Y,. Nor "'is lefs in-' • De Verbi,,.
ftnuated concermng Mofcs, with whom God is faid to Rcfipuit N.r,.
l1;~e[pokeri, n9 71:$ n~ * mouth to mo11th, and '?i;:! ••~~ •Num. u. 8,
O .• •nnuth to mo11th:, ,u a man J}eaketh unto,his friend, 'Exod. J3,u, i
. And. i
!i I
~
 vm To t/Je/J?.._calet.
And how fitly al'ld properly both thefe Titles \vei-e
verified concerning our Author , who was a faith-
ful, hearty and induftrious Servant of God, counting ic
his Duey and Dignity, his Meat and Drink to doe the
will of his Mafier in heaven, and that c-,< fuxn, and
p.iJ £folct1, from his very sorn,, and with good will, (the
•r-ph,f, 6· 6 ,7· * characlers of a good Servant) :md who was dearly
affecled towards God, and treated by God as a Frie11d;
may appear from that Account of him repretented in
the Sermon at his Funeral. I might eafily fill much
Paper, if I lhould particularly recount thofe many Ex-
cellencies that !hined forth in him: But I would fiudy
to be fhort, I might truly fay, That he was not only
• Rom. f. 7• *,Nxel/~,but a'.:ia,.9d,, both a Righteom and tru,ly Honefl:
man, and alfo a Good man, He was a Follower and
Imitator of God in Purity and Holinefs, in Benignity,
Gcodnefs and Love, a Love enlarged as God's Love is,
whofe Coodnr.Js overflows and fpreads it [elf co all, and
his tender mercies are over all his works. He was a
* Lo~er of 011r Lord :JefIll chrift in Sincerity, a Lover
To tf,e 'fle.t ler; ix.
Oflenmion ; not fo much a talking or l difputing, as1
living, a doing a~d an ob~ying_ ~hri(Han ; one inward_-
Iy acquainted Wlth the Slmpl1e1cy and PoJ11er of Godls-
nefs, b.ut no admirer of the Pharifaick forms and _San-
ctimonious £hews(though never Co goodly and fpec1ous)
which cannot and do not affetl: the adult and ftrong
Chriftians, though they 1:1ay a~d doe thofe that are un-
skillful and weak. For m tb1s weak and low {bee of
the divided Churches in Chriftendom weak and flight
things (efpecially if they make a fair /hew in the flefh, ~s
the Apofi:le [peaks,) are moft efteemed; whereas m
the mean time the weightier. m51ttm of th~ I:aw, the: moft
concerning and Subftantial parts o_f Rel~g10n are paffed
over & difregarded by them,as bemg $r~evous to t(1em,
& no way for their turns, no way for their corrupt lnte-
refts, flefhly eafc:, and :vorldly advantages. But G?d's • .
thouohcs are not as their thoughts: The* Czrmmcrfion Rom.·· '9·
which is ofthe heart, ~nd in the IPirit, is that wh~Je prai/e
l it of cod, though not of men\ and* that which khighly •Luk.i6. 15.
ejieemed amongf} men i.t ahommatron m the fight of God,

l
• Ephcr. 6.
of his Spirit and of his Life, a Lover of his Excellent
Laws and Rules of holy life, a ferious Pracl:if.er of his
Mot.ch. 1,6,7. Sermon in the Mount, that Bell: Sermon that ever was
preach' d , and yet none more generally negletl:ed by
chofe that call chemfelves Chrifl:ians; though the ob-
fervance of it be for the true Intereft both of mens
Souls and of Chrifiian Scates and Common-wealths;
and accordingly ( as being the fureft way to their true
Settlement and Efiab!i!hment) it is compared to the
/mi/dint 11pon ii Rock, Mauh. 7. 24, To be {hort, .He
'Mt. ,6. ,9. was a Chri/lian not only" c,, oA,-y'f', but°" mM.(j, more
then a !itde, even wholly and altogether Cuch ; a Chri-
• Rom., >9. fiian * c,, xpu.;;/f, inwardly and in good earneft: Reli-
gious he was, but without any Vainglorioufnefs and
Oficntation;
0 ~'II"
What 1 l11an furcb~r obferve concerning the Author,
is only this, _ .
That he was Eminent as well m thofe Perfrclto~s
which have moft of Divine worth and excellency m
them and rendred him :r: truly God-like man; as in
thofe' other Perfecl:ions and Accomplilhments of. the
Misd which rend red him a very Rt1tional and Learrmf
man:' and withall, in the mid!!: of all there. ~reat Ac-
compliihments, as Eminent _and Exem_plary m unaffe-
ded Bumility and true Lowlmefs of Mmd.. And here-
in he was like to Mo{u that Servant and FnendofGo~,-
who was moft meek and lowly in heart ( as our Lord 1s
alfo [aid to be, Mat. 11:. in chis, as in all other-re(pecl:s,
o-reatet thenMofes who was -vir ,nitifsimm)above aP the
mm·

I . .a
·w7z-··&&
 X To the (J{_eadcr. . To the ~ader.
eMrfo ;iie i,vas ·i11iporcun'd oy Letters from fever al
men which were upon the face ,/.' h
An~ thus he excell' d o.chers as
did m Knowled,,.
%:ct ]!arth, Num. I 2, hands, :ind prevail'.d with:_ wherein iffome part of the
. .., , in chat c[1ma
. w [llC . hl ,1111 . 1as he
Rum1l1ty Chq_racter ihdhldfoem to have in it ariy thing of Hy-
degree m others is a c co ff , t 10 ug h m a effef ·perb~lifm and·Strangenefs, it mull: feem fo to fuch on~
he was a Perfonofbra;e
fophm fpeaks of him, ana
~:t
Pnde and Self-c~ncel B P~,ip, and fwell them with
o;es iyas !tt1mb(e, though
ha,i\iePJl>lf!9-i' iv,Jvru,'?J,,~ as :Jo-
ly whq either were unacquainted with him & Stninaers
ti) his 'Xorth, C!r e}fe fMd.it an hard thin,g<li~t to be~n-
'1JtOP4, a_nd a difficulty to be H11mble. Blit th9fe that
, Acl,7,' u a moll * ingenuous Educ c· I g,!1,41:l ,tld\e.acfvantagi,s of had a more inward converfe with him, knew himto be
,
·• ' · ~ l'th' •
1 d 111 the choice/!: parts of.K
mall thewifdom of the E
1/1
a 10n was a 1·~?'l'hlY, ai;com-
. now/ g, an4-' learned
one of ch\;,>fe * of whom the ,vorld WM not worthy i one • H ,0 _ 11
of the* Excellent ONesinthefiarth_; aperfqntrulyEx- 1_' '· 16 •
Ami~nts under/l:oo<! .tJfJP~"1J \~ lfl'fj!b~,fo[lle of ~he emrlary iij..the temper and confi:itution of his Spirit • fa!. ·
learmn$,Natural P.hilofophy kuti~f~r~fogly,plucal and in the }Vel1°orderec! courfe of his life;, a life uniul
themat1cks. And for this !aft(t., ~ hy_11J;k~and Ma- q11afi color/;, firie aelionum diffenfione ( as I reme'mber
cellent chis H11mble man h o omit t ere/!:) how ex- s.emca doth exprefs itfomewhere in his Epiftles) alt of
apvear to thofe chat hear'c! ~- e A:ucgor, was ther~in; did one colour, everywhere like it (elf:- and· Eminent in
cl:ure in the Schools for fo tm iea ~ Mathemati~k Le- thofe things that a1·e worthy -af'Praife and Imitation.
after to the Reader·, ifthor:legs,& m~y i'P,}l~r here- And· certainly a ju/!: Reprelenfation ofthofe Excellc:'n,,
Tho co~clude, He,;as a plain-heea::ed'j;n,te-r~~<;>vered. <:ies that !hinedinhim ( as alfoafaithful Celebration of
C ri_ftran, one in whofe s · • ot F,nmd and the Ji 1Ie Accompli!hments in ochers) is a_ doing,lionour
guile; a profitableC0m ;1.nt and m?uth there ·was no to ~· "d who is wonderful in his Saints, ( if I: ~ay,,vit h
trifl_ingnefs in him, ras-i:he~IOn; nc;itn~ of vanity 3nd fo;,'.:c.. apply to this-fcnfe that in Nal,68.e~u~~,'ii Ei,-
Stouifm. I can very well re1!e%ab:oc hnglohf fo}Vrne1s & ci; &, '?l>JS o/rtol; d}Jl'B ) and it may be alfo of grelt ufe co
vace cenverfe with him 'h r ,_w_ c;n ave had pri- others~;partic~larly for the awakening & obliging chem
would fpeak to any Mat~e. ow_ pe~tdnently and freely he to an earneft endeavouring after thofe heights and emi-
ft~ncial and clearly ex r:di~~p: e., how wei$'hf..y,fub- nent degrees in Grace _and Vertue ~nd every worthy
D1fcourfes would be,a[d b h'fi fhis Senfe his private Accomplithment;which by fuchfaa.1nple~ they fee tobe
much-what of the"fame. Ot or Matter and Lanouage pollible & attainable throµgh che .a:iliftances which the
Exercifes as he ft~ed f~~podtancl & v:i~ue with fuch Divine Goodnefs is ready to 'affor4,chore Souls which
I have in,timated fomc: th~~.;.'per orme_g .m publick. prefatowardt'he mark andreac_hforthtoth8ft things that
much mote mioht be added .,si...<;on_cermng the Author. are before.' The Lives and Exilinples 1df' men eminent-
b · (· " : ,µUt 1t n ed
.eing as I before infinuated) al read
I1vely Charader of him b
d s no.t~ _there
Y r~wn a fair and
'
ly Holy and µfe(ulin their geiietation,'fuch :i.s' vi.ere
,n),;ro-1 itai\oo w1j,'')&'v , are ever·~~•be :valued by us as great'
the Sermon preached at his~ a worf hy Fnend of his in Bleffing~ and Favours from I,Iia.ven~· and to be confide-
whereof and annexing it ( unera.; _for the publifhing red.as eicellent Help, to the Advanc1ment of Religion
as now It is ) to thefe Dif-
GJGJ a, iu

L
co11rfes,
 :xii To tbe (J{eader. To tl,e !]{eider~' xiii
·in the World: and therefore there ~eing·before us . . . T 1 . ·m:mpery'.fea(onable Ob(er--
tbefe axo'v,, lp.+uxo,, (as S.Bajilfpeaks in-his fifn Epiil:. 1::ogcthenn a .ice e rooh, . there isfo much of. fruic-
and alictle afterwards in the fame Ep.) r1,'yl.llµ.g.'Ta. ,w·a-
vations ~or th. ~ A.g(ie,1.w1erfi~ke tnic Oliri!l:ian life and
1
lefs·Not1onahty, o rtt eo .. .. , . '·. , '
,4,a. <i! ;/J.71'eJL><la., fuch living PiE!uru , moving and
aflive St,mm, fair Ideas and lively Patterns of what is praetice, h T vo ~ext T.ratls of S~pcrftitiQ»
Shorte_r yet ar~ t e ~ lfo imenaed by the A11thor
mo!!: praife-worthy, lovely and excellent; it ll1ould be
our ferious care chat we be nor,through an l)nworchy and
i
i
and .Ath_eifm, which f~~'f:Je of the following Difcou1:i-
t-0 prepa-re th~ehwtahye Aiithor purpofed .to !lnlarge ~1s
lazy Self.neglect, lngentium Exempiomi#par•vi imita- fes upon w 1c • . . _ .
tores, to ufe Salvian's expre/Iion; it lhould be our ho-
ly ambition to cranfcribe their Venues and Excellen- Thoughts, h T ·at!: of s,;1 e,ftition, Come thin:gs
cies, cc '?ti,,..;.,.,,~ d:>a..3ov a,xeiov fflra~ J'i<rl P-'/J/llUE,,,;, to Yet as for ! at . 1 . d b "the Author therein,
make their 11obleil: and beil: Accomplilhmenrs our own that are ~ut br efl ~ mi~~I~catJn. from his other Dif
6
may receive a urt _er fi om the Eighth ,11Jiz. of the
by a conil:ant endeavour after the greateil: refembfance
of them, and by being followers of them, t:M they wrre c011~(u, more er!;~;at;} ,/ Pharifaick Righteo1Jfne[s,, or Pa~c 347•
Shortnefs and,fV. h Yqfl Grounds upon which men -,are
alfo of chrifl, who is the fair and bright Exemplar of all
Purity and Holinefs , the highell: and moll: abfolute An. Acco!'nt o t ~ J6 :retves to be Religiom. And in-
apt vainly to ,oncett t emJ' 'tes concerning that more refi-

n: tfir;i
Aitor
Pattern of whatfoever is Lovely and Excellent and
makes moil: for the accomplilhing and perfeetingofHu• deed ,•i'hat t-he btik Su7erffition ( by which
mane Nature. · tied, that m~re C an and f, ecious Sanltity and
Of r,'1" D;i:
he unde~ft_ands } e f°rfa:ck Chrihians, who yet would
cour "·
Having obferved Some things concerning Thi! Edition
_and the Attthor of thefe Difcourfes , I proceed now vain Rehg10n ° 1 ,m £: Snperftition and are apt
feem co be very ~bhorrz~t r~nd Antichriftian that is
( which was the Lall: thing intended in this Preface) to
obferve fomeching concerning the feveral Difconrfes t' r
co call every tlung1 'Y i1'1\ he writes concerning Tl1is
not of their way) ay ia Difcourfes he would fre.
and Tmitifas in this Volume. And indeed fome ofthefe
obfervations I ought not in jufiice to the Author to in both thefe (or any d\h;~ with A.uth;rity and Pgwer.
quently_ fpeak~,f: ~: of the inward life and power of
I
i:
pretermit : and all of them may be for the benefit of
at leall: Come Readers. ·· h
For bemi po sh d a very ftrorio- and clear fenfe ~f
true Holmefs, e a efore a rea~ and juft indignat1~
The Firil: Difcourfe Concerning the trtte Way ur Me-
thod of attaining to Divine Knowledg, and;m Encrea[e what he fp~ke, and th1 grofs lr~eligion, fo alfo) a~ainll
r; on ( as agamft _open an_ ht and em ty Sanclity ot the •.
therein, was intended by the AutI1or as a neceffary In-
that vain-gl~rious , {ltg uld (as o~r Saviour fpeaks of
trodnElion to the enfuing Trearifes ; and therefore is fpiritual Pha~1fees, who wo make 11Joid and very fairly
the fhorter: yet it contains (]1/)upi0.t1-1ov v11v ,v or,.i''J'r,; O'Jt- the old Phan(ees, Mark 7.) f God the wei 0 htier
"I" (to u(e Pl1t1arch's Expreffion) excellentSenfe and fo- :r. l l eCommandments o
d11llnnu t 1 . .
~ ~
h . difpenfable concernments o
f
.lid ,\'! mer well beaten 1n<l com patted and lying clofe things of Religion, t e 10 ~~3 ChriG:i-
•· together
.. ,
XIV To· the Reader.
Chri Llianity ,i ,,,h_ile in ftead of an inward living 'Righ-
:teoufnefs and -entire Obedience they would fobllitu~e
fome external Obfervances and a mere outward· Jivele[s
and flight Righteoufnefs, and in the room of_'the Nei-P
.reat11re _made after God.fee up fome Creature of their
own, made after t~eir o\yn i_mage, a Self-framed.Righ-
teoufnefs : ~hey. bemg ftn& m fq_me things ivhich h:we
"fo_ew_._ of w._ifdom_ a_nd Sa_n&ty, things lefs ne:_ceiiary and
more doubtfu~, and where the H. Scripture' hath noc
placed the Kmgdom ·of God; but i1uhe hle1a 'time
loofe and c~relef,s in their ,pfarn duty toward God and
towa:d the1r,~•fo1ghbou~,\jnthings_holy'and divine, un~
queft.i~nably .Juli! and:go·o'dif' }'et' to make for,ne coni-
penfat1~n forth~ir. bemg· deficient in things ftridly and
necelfar_tly required, and primarily pleafing to God,and
to e_xcule t~~II)felves, they w?uld exprefs ~more then
or?mary. diligence and_ zeal-in forrte eaQ~, afili-Ieictle
thm~st as. all the ITIQfl:fpecious·obfervances of,fotmal
Chnfhans are,. and not'worthy to.be named With thofe
great Inft~nces of "the .z:owd of G_odlinef, fuch as Hear-
ty_and 9n~verfaLObed1ence,'Ent1re _Self~refigpation, a
be1~g c1 u~1fi~ tor the world, _pJuck1!lg out ohlje right
eye, .and c1mmg -off of thenght hand Mort1fication
of t~emor~ de~r.and b~lov.ed Sins,: andthedofer t'en-
denc1e_s a~d mchnations to Sin and Vanity, and the lilfo.
.This _is a ihort diarat!:er of.the P liai'ifatc!E an"if c'b'n:-
ce1t_ed Rtght~oufnefs ;' an~ fo our Author's pla-iiidifro-
ver111:g chethmnefs and 1l1ghfnefsthereof, and ftee re-
:erovmg of thefe falfe Re!i:gionilb, it appears that the
lame . Nn~kne(i of Mind and Spirit was in him-•~hich.
w~s alfo Ill Chrifr-Jefus, who never.exprefs'_d ~fnifelf
wahfo much vehemency and.fmartnefs, asWhen-he.was
to reprove t\1e_Pf14ri_fees jn.his days, thofe Patce'rns of
Formal Chnfbans in a!Hfges. For. there is nothing
· more
r
'
To tfu <J{_e11der. · ;iv:.
more grievous to the fincerely~rcligious Soul, then AP
fellati~n and C\tpting_.in R,eligion, ~mp~y (chdug~/peJ
. ci?us) lh~w.~ of ~11nct1cy, great_ prcten~mgs tq Spmtu-·
ahty and'"·~r deirees of_ ~a,~; wl:ien .~o,t~ire~
fpjrite_d and p,ifce,rnmg C hn{ban :it d~ady,appears._tha;
fuch Boafters are out low.and w.eak:t-hings,.·.,~ nnsk1llf11l * H,b. 5•
and unexperienced in t~e 7!1-0rcd an~way g/Rigkteoufnefa; .
and manifeftly fho~t; ot bemg platn /rf.qr,il 1ne11-; arui that
they. are, s~11.f11al, ha'JJing .n.01~he; spiri_t," nor: btin&i~g
forth t,h9.fe \qv.el y :ind we.l!~te!t(h d fruits of cthe Spmt,
mentioned Ga],;5. 2 Z, 0\ltz:on tne,co.ntrarythe'COrrupc
1
fruit~oJ,,the Fie-fl! gr9w((jut':ortlieir,.:Hearts? ind t~e
works of the Flefh there. mentt?fled ar~ ·mamfefted m
them : So far are they fro.m being cr,,cijied, (and not a7
live) 10 the world and the wor.ldto ther»~ fofar,,.arethey
fr<:>m payini qu~iF_e_dJk_e !_/ifb w{th• thu1Jfef1i,on! anf
luft.r,.; tM.t c11ey do,··* -m '111, Ga:pp, an.<l. -rn:o: ~ '111, l41 5 R 8 c 0,
, , · ·~Ill
cpe,p~.;~, · d -and earne ftlya · ffie... , 1avour.and re1·11.
.a. r. h om, • •·f•
.11t1• ~- e
things ,of the -Flelb, -and. oLthe Earth;•· afp1_rmg, as
much ~f~er _power. ;ind greatnefs;-~s fellifeekmg ~nd
felt~plea(ii!g, as· great ,iov~(S1-0£Jthemfetves i ,lovmg
the woM;and the thipgs ,!Jl·the :wodd,-makmg hafr
to. be· riclh thirlling frill 1after '.more of this..:world:;
ptirfuing worldly ;:\dval}tages ,a_nd interefts , ,:with as
much craft ;ind policy,:. as much follicii;ude and: :eager-
nefs, with as mif~tisfied·defires,;as thofe doe w~om th~y
call WorM?Jand (:4r.nal, ,.- So,Qf old the Gno/ftclcs call d
all others.but themfelv!l~Carpal and Animatmen; they
only •'Yere . ml'ii1.ift9'-1''t!ll~- qthe~s-~ere ,,+u~•'l.9l and tih,119l
(asI.rin£11$ l. 1 ,te!l~.us;} "'{b.ereasmtruth none·weremore
Serifual; mms1; unJpiritual, r,hen they who by their un~
evangelical lives wei:.ethegreat JP~ts and blemifhes of the
Chriftian profeffion.
. But to let thefe alone, and to return,to the former.
· · . (with
r1M
 xvi To tbe '1\_e11Jer.
(y,itb wholjl ()ltr Author h..'a-~\::todoe in both thefe Trea• ·
tifes,, !1Dd in;, th~ ::2 · · 3, ~nd 4! ,chapters of. his fe:ientb .
Treat1fe) ol:thall add this word Qf faithful Admonition~
Benot,.Jec~wed, GodiJ not motl:e4: ,God.will .itot,b~
put· "ff -With emftY .· pretence~ and· Pharifaicfa, }PP~af
ances •( how g~onous and precious ~oeve.: .in the ~~5;9 f
'Dien,) ~od w!U not be flattere4 with. goodly pr~ffes,
nor,fa_c1s~ed with words and notions whenthe Life and
Pratti_ce 1s a,r~al.co!i,tradidion,toth1m,:. · (;odwill not
be fat1sfiedw:th a fpecious Form of Godline.fs-; when
,. Tiln. 3. men .under t~1sFo_rm are Lovers of.themfatim; cao/e;
1
t t,prorul, h1gh-mmded, fierce, ~071en efpleafieref 1114i-e
t en lovers of God, _and are mamfefl:ly under the power.
o~ thefe and the l_1ke spiritual (if not alfo Flijh!y)
{'
w1ckedne.ffes,. Forth.e P_o.werofJin w,_·thinc_a_n_ (it,,!.fc.ee_ in.·s)
eafily agree and conftft with the Form of GodlineJ~ with:.
011t' . hut two fuch- contrary Powers as the Power· of
G~dlmefs ~nd: the ~owe!' of Si», two foch Cpntqry
,Kmgdotns _as the K1r1~do~of,the Spirit and the:Kirig--
dotn ~f ~he _Flrfor which 1s ~ade ,up of. many petty anJ
leffe~ Prmc1pal,mes of.,* vamf# Lujfs and .Pleafures·
warring fon:ietlme~- amongfl:, thetnfdves , but alwaie;
confedetate,mwamng againft. the Soul; theCe fo contra-
ry Powq'rs,~nd, I(i:»gdrJms cagnot,fiand,i:'ogether,noi· be
Eft_a?ldhcd m ~ne, Sou IV . Be wife nciw,ther~fo,.-e,and,be
ye •m_!kucled ,~,,ye fancl:im1~rnousA;Jharifees,..y:e blind
leac{.ers of, theblmd,_ and know the,thing?.,tliatbelonos
nntcl your peace i;for,the day of the.Lord :ivill come thit
fuall bn:rn as,a,r:oven; •When:aH,tlJ~[e fine coverings,
w~erew1th men. thought to hide their _ungodlike-difpo,;.
f.i~ions , ~111 ,~e torn, from them ,alld ,caff 1nto the
Fire-; and in th!~ day lhaU evi,:n.thefe weak andheggerly
W.4. Eleme~ts rpelt wnh a fervent heat, and for Hypocrites
alltheir.pamo !hall then drop oft~ and _tli<:ir. deformity
·' ' ihal
Ta\tht~itJei'.' :i~~ii
lha.lU.appea'r :' in,this_,d:iy aH,affe6led-~o~s;of,R:eligi_on.
{hall be-rendred .defprc:tble, .arui a~l .d1fguife.swmd ,~tufi-
ciril:dreaks:(;whel!ehy falfe:C~1rifi-iansqchpugl.1tl!llil. hide.
· their ,cwo'kedneffus) futlilLbe ;phlcki dnffr,, a~hthirtgs
{hall app~ar as .theycane. ' '~eti!Y! the1:e ds arGod '!hat
judgetl1·,1n.theYflauth·:ihemill 1udgeaf,,m~n:.!5t ~ r
111e:t~ures -:and 'rules· theh~hey ·uf~,d 1he_re,: ~lierd»;y t ~
decetved::themfeLves ;andot!iers~, ,G.o(LJ.S: fpr,.Reility
air<f,'f;ni~K't fJ.e'liejiresfJ'~b.itNt.becif!tMJ.'/Nf#.r_:,,:hLsid,=,-
lighcisitifiniere.an'd '.frogleinind~••lt1.w'ill1then,appe:tt
That be that •ival!is uprightly~ 1@,ilki ft~re/.y\.,a.nd lthat
-he that·doth:the •will of aud;,J11biaeth:for e,vsr~:,l?rov; ·ts.
-1Jo-~nze : , · _ -:··_,.;~:~\'i'·.;: __'!.':.': 1 .::_:,,:;,:r:<:
Ifwhat·theAuthor.,ciut-~£-gtrat~Ohar'ttY,:tothe:S:onh.
of men ·ha~ obferved·concerning thefe 1thlngs w1:neifeti1-
I.
:on£11; c~nfitlerect:and lai'.d to heant., IG~ri~i~oity:w~~d
:thenretover. 1ts:reputat1on,and:appear 1MtS,ownprtmt-
'.tiveJluftre and n'ath.ie:lovel.inefa,-,,Jw:h-:is 1hined fo11th in
,the lives .of thofe: iFiift at;td B.c:ft :Chtifti.ans~ rwho:were
ChriO:ians iwgood'eameft;&l\~f/l,iB,~;:;i;¥,1andwer.e
diftinmiifued frQm :allother · i:nen in :excelijng: and,biw•
fuihfagtheni in!Whatfoe.ver thini;s,,we~e1r.ne,iJener,1ble~
j 11f:i j,we, 'la.vel;..,1 ca~tl 0/$00~ rap~rt.; T~,IVIO~~the
:crue'!',ower.ef .God~111.rjsma~1f1;_~1~fel~; .whlcfuug~m,es
infiti}tely More ih,en .;Powe~~0:~1fpnte:W,1.ti~\hea~:tn~ Y,.e·
·hemency about fomcOpmt0ns;:or,t'.o•'liifco11tfe-.volu-
bly about fame mat~ers in_ R~lig)o,:i~ sand:.inftll!li.J?orms
of: words as are. tirkm~ lWEth ohe•:weaik> and unskillful:
.Msre,ithe1i a,power t0<pra.y•.\f~thoot·•a\ F.or.m of.:words;~
-(Joi: :rhefe'. arid :the11tke 'ri!Ry,1be,i':mciitf~-equentlyr1are,
-done by the· .format and: unfpiritual-Ohr1ftian! ~. Mo11e
-then a Fower to deny:t~mfehiesin!furiu:-chings[that atte
: eafie to.partiwith, 1andrlo:riot l11U<th.11r.Ms'uhe.ir}n~lina-
.,tions} their 'fcif-will,; ,~heir,t;orrupt rdefig'ns farid .inte-
. · ~~~ refts,
xviii To the lJ{.eader:
·refts~ nor prejudice their dear and more beloved Iutl-s
and pleafures, their profitable and advantageous Sins ~
and More theru1 power to ob[erve fome lelfer and eafier
Commands, or to perform an outward obedience ari-
:ling out of flaviih Fear, void of inwai;d Life and Love
and a Complacency in the Law of God ( of which tern:
per• our Author_ di[co~f~,:\t large. ) F?r concerning
fu~h cheap and• httle ftncl:ne!fes its ,Jhe[e:1t may be eiJ.-
qu1red, WhAt doeyo11: more: th~n·.9tfips1-,,:Do.notl!ven
P11bliw1s .ind· PhArifees the;J11,i_,,'ee'frim!~~im101:n.
what exceDent and extr,~oril.in9rib,;hlrig;t,i9e,j°'u -: ,JWha;
hard or difficult thing do·yPP:P~~t<?rJp, flli:h at may de-
ferve.co be thought a worthy fofl:;mce. and real:Manife.
fiationof the P-owerof <;odtinefs.,?, ixcepc fuchthings
are to be accounted hard,or extraordinary, which -are
commqn tQ the real and to the formaLChriftian, and are
per.foi;ll)able by unregenerate and 11atural men, :md are
no pecul\ar Characl:ers of Regen~racion, No, thefe
and the,Jike pe1.,f,9rinances. by which fuch Religionifrs
wouldfet ·off,~hemfelv.es,. are but poor and, inconfide-
rable things, if compared with the mighty acl:s and no-
ble atchievemewsofthe.'more excellent( d1ough !t1fs
ofrentatious.). Chdllians~ ·.w:ho ,throqgh·:Fait.h. in 'the
Goodnefs. and J.?oiver:oLQqd!J~"'e·, been :en4k/ed. to·Joe
11/l thil!gs.;ihr~il§h: Ghrift,,J(n~P?i'tl@. bofk-how ,Jo~bound,
11nd h'W" f,() he ab11ftdf&'i.iielitw 4,...e.n.al>l~ tQJOV..-ercome
the W,o.i1ldwii:houi;.tlj~,1@.n4itl\d:,oV'e,of.theWorld
wirhi~.1,hear; ei1a~lei:to -oy~rcg,mtthemfe)ves; .( and
.fur a man to rule h111vw~ ,Bp,ulirJS:.lfgr~t.er-, mftance.'.of
power and·valotir thent.o take 4~itJ.;,,.;as SQ!omori judg-
~th Ptov. 16.) enabled·to,tef~the powers .of dark-
n~fs , 3.Bd to quit i:hem[elves like men and good Soul-
d1ers of Jefus Chrift, giving many JignaL overthfows
~o- thofoLulh.tlianvar againfttheir. Souls, al}d ti,uhe
mightie!t
J
To'the't'R.._i4Jei; · xii
inightieft 'an? ll~cngefl: ~f them, }he ·sorts }r "A#~IN
and by engagmg 1~ th,e har.de~.~erv~tesof this Spmcu~
al warfare; wherem the Phanfa1ck \joafters dare not fol-'
low them, they ihe,v chat there is ,a::Spifit,iOfipowd:in:
them, and that they can doe morethefil ot:h~\"S~ •Thefe
are fome of th~ Exploits ,of~rolig aa~ h,t~lth(1d Cliri- 1
tl:ians; and for the enc-Oµragt!ig'a;f' the_rrnn t~efe Con-
I
flit1s which fhall,end~in:glofi~tis aonquefos and joyo~s·
Triumphs; the: ~uthor._ hath; ·in-the Tenth and laft D1f~
courfefuguti!ted wh'at ,js-\".ofthy,oi.lr 1Confid~t~tlon •. ~ · 1
But I mt(ilifibt.'.,fotgec,'etiat'theWfremains'\fomething
1
to be ob[erv~ifrontci'rii'ntfome other ·Treati[e~ and
having,been folargeiil the lafl:Ob~ervac1on (wh1c~ias
not unneceifary,tlie wodd aboundmg,:& ever hatui '~-
bounded, withfpiritualPhari[ees ) .I ilialtbe iltort rm
the refr. And now to proceed to the next, whic~, is of
Atheifm; ·This. Difcourfe ( being but Prepar~tory to
the enfuing Tracl:s) is f.hort: ·yet !'would mind the
Reader thatwhw-is•more brietly handled here, may
be fupp~~ and/brther ~!ear'.d-o?t of \he_ ·Fiffh Dif..;
courfe,. v1z<,Ufc: flic·.. Exift_'enet 4nJ ·9-.tlfrt _IJ/ Cod, of
which ( if the fo(mef ~arrfeem,mo~e Spec~laMre, Sub-
tile and Metaphyfical', _yet'). ,the'F.atter : ilnd') Greater
part, containi~~ [e'l'i~ra~Drd11_~i~»i::.tH1 f t1fe_t,mu~ from
the CpnflderaUOff;Of•t~..'IJr'()ifl! 1W~tur~ ~»il·)1tn:1f!'tes,
1
f
is lefs obfcurep.md£~~~ tdct1aai~J a,1~ ,~te\i'rJr _ d1red:s
us to the h'et\t)(th:011gh'l\0t~uch ~Ml/'f'vl!d} r1J£9. ofglo-
rifying.God; and: ibelng:i m!de chapl>Y· 'and, btclred ·~y a
Parcicipationaod Refetnbb'n¢eof'fiim;>' ~<as it plamly ·
direcl:s a man fo•fuch A:Pf.r~h~>tfki!r~rnod_as ·are _'apt
and powerful to j)eget m•fam1:1tlur <Nab.left and deareft
L~ve to God, the fweetde»eU}hti,r~nd thC:mo.ft peace-
ful Confidence in hiw,, •. · · it,_ · · ·: • . ·
One thing more I would el,,ferite to the Reader c?n-
~~ ~ 2 cermng

~• Totbe,Rcader:
Gerning the ~i(c()urfo. of!iltheift!J ; .. amLtlte. fame• I:
wo1tld 1'deftre ~o.-be;obfer:v.e&alfo-i:om:er:nina' the 'next:
~at large tr~dfe,oj:'the '1mm1rt11lify~f: !'hf•~uut~•1:crr:/--
<11ally~1.&;t{1e _furme~:_pa:rt!thereof:;i -~nd 1t1s •flrotd y.·tlli,;,
11hat, th'.~. A:ucli~ti, ?ll, thefe:, 'Ereau:(es1p:ul!fu~.s his:d'if;.
C'Our(e ··w1thja.ti_ar.ttc~lar, ire_ffeitio:nun:rh_tl"° Dog»Jdrn':;itd
Not1ons,o_f :Epmtt_m,andhts foHowerir,· :efpeda11y'th1tt
grea_c,.ad~tterof. hun~. ~naretitu.;. whofePririciph:s'are.
here p,mt1cula~l¥c C!xammed; and 1efutcii,r •'.fheft;,Were
the·mea, wh:ofe,Opioions out Author' hudto 'tombat
,~it~;.· He frved11ot ~ofee,'A1hrlf1J'f1 fo,clofl:ily,111d-craf-
t1ly:mfinuated·, not1iv:ed he to fee S:,uld1mifm and ·Bpi.:
curifm,fo l:lol~ly ow~ed and induftrioufiy· p:ropagaced,
as th!lyr haveneen. of late, by fome who.' being'hean;ily
ddirQus: T:hauhere were-no God; oo Providence· no
Rewar_d-nor,Punill~ment.aft~r. this life; t:i.ke1rip011•them
ta den4e.the,Nouon ofspmt or.Incorporeal S-ubftance,
tbe· 'J3)'~flencc of.s-tparate Souls, and the Lift, ti come :
· and,by:1nfufi11g:mt0 m~ns_Minds 0pi~i?nscontrary:·to
oldconfe1,·J,
thefl:! l:lWJ4a~entai ~nru:rples, of Rd1g1on, t'4e:chave
don.etlwtwh1ch mafufefbly.1ends. to.the· '!":overthrow. of
• Thiswssof 11R r .. 'h 'd 11. .n.· ' f'
~ : !: igton,,.t e, e~1ruu1ono Mora1·ityand•Vertuous
and bo,lbl of hvi_ng,. the<debauch1ng of Mankin~. the confifrningand
Ly L11crct1u, eatmg.. out: of' any-good. Rrincipldefr ill' the, Ct:mfoierrce
.
mo,·cthcnoncc h' Rd h , 11.ifi ··f' ·&'ad· ·d· , . · ., .
in his poem,. W: tt: .. ot _te~\ e, or. u • an ,Goodnefs','. and, :rgamtt
S)n,and W1dtednef~,.and! tothe,defacin.,gc:anlteitriun-
gmg.of. therLaw wtrttetr m mens hearts ; :and. fo. the·
holy;Apofrle juclgesof the'BJTiCUrea}) NotiGns,anddl[-.
courfes.,:(a,cafteofwli_ian hegiv.es in-tlliat palfrig<\lCor;-
1·~;· Let m-. ,at;,1nd,drmk\ •fantomotr()tll, w~ die.,and then
ther:'1s,•an;E_nd:bf iaBVno other life or·fbte,) iartd 'he ex-·
prdfeth his•jurl&1frent· concerning, .thie·evil :irid ·dano-e.
roufnefs of thefe doctrinesand_theitteachel's, partI;in
a-V:erfc:cout,of .Mma11der, • · · · ·· · ·
<J.l~./J'~fl'IV
.I
To tlie. <Il_ender~ :»Xi
....~~l_p~Clllrn~.~f'1\J't ,J{M~iwi:: ' 4 ~ , E'Jlil:~m_m_u,.
nl&.11tiorJs1cfniffPtgo11tlmlinmNr:and':u\vl_r.it: he-fubJw1:1s
v:, 34. hefidt's, qiany,other .paffages mthts1Cbapie~ .m
oppolitJ9ni:o the doetrine of the S:11.dd11c.ee!'and.~p1P11~
re;ins,: · and,t(> tp.e ,famep.urpc(e:heJp~ks:in ,;,!f1111,!2.:
\6, 17; ,1.8, condernirigJthofe th:it.,demed·:theDo&rme
of :thrRe[urr.ellion,or,any Future State and· the: L_ife:to
cpme• .,The~fum and; fubftanc,e. of the.Apoftles 1udg•
m-ent coric;~rnipg thefe ·.Epit11rean-. principles:is; plainly
tbi~,: That 'thefe. Principles properly and. powerfully
tend co the corrupting of mens Minds and ~1ves~ to the
advancement oflrreligion,andlmmoralitytn the world~
That they:are no oeni&ne Principles to Piety·;i.nd a·
G;pod li{(l.,, •. 'T.is true· tnat fomeiof the.more wary :md
cQnft.4e.ra:C~,medernEpic11re:ans,. may.exprefs fume care
w;live;i11offenfively, and to keep eut of da~ei·, and to
l
.maintain· a, reput-atiori in the world' as to the1r.converfe
wi~hotbers,, ( and herein. they mind their worldly,inte,, \'
rd\& 1and the,advantages·of,. this· p'tefentlifu, the ·on1y-
Hfe},>v:hich,the,y;havein their·eye) the}! may..tlfo exprers
ai:arein avoiding ,v.hat.i:t prejudicial: to heal:th ·and .i
lon<> lifoin ,this,warld i But.all this is,-fuort.:0£:a true·
an'41;1Qb}.e: ;L~ve,ofiGo.o.dnefs,;1r:a~d: if:in: thefe: ~en;
thete be :upt,; ;app.earane;e-·<if·what •1s, Good: and- .P.ra1fe-
I
1
\
worthy ·, they. ,WPilhi ~a~e:JJ~en really better~ ;if th~y: 1
had;bll'lll of o~htr:: Prtnc1ples·, _.and had behev:ecL rn
•thei(BearJs T hatthere-isai Pmv1dence, a,Fut:nrecftate,·
a1)9 Life ;tQ1 e0me •,·; and,had· ·li:<red, agreeably, to ,the·
Truths-of;:t!i.e Clirifti:awl?bilofoph~ w.hich do more
en_no\;ik ani.Laccompliilt·anif: ev,ery· wa;.y better :a: man,
then the Pr,inciples- oflth(L Epicurean..Sel;t, But to
return . we: hav.e b.efore·,obferved. That out Auchor
in thefe Two Treati(es purfued his,defign in oppofii:ioa
tothe Matle~NotionS:and;chiefPrinciples .of 'Jzpic,iru,.
· «;J' ~«IT 3 and
/
i
i'
I I
- ------··-- ---- _____ ,. __ -· . ----------- -- ---- ----~-(~1
 , · To tbc ~,der; nin
:uii . . T<>. t/;e rJ{eader. .· Pr11tiice, and might be- (if ,vell co~fidered) available to·
and Lucretius of old . I lb l · .. .
f
any of this Sect inou; daies I only adde this, Tliat if the bettering of fome mens manners. The matter of
-the Fourth ~hapter treating of the Dijfmnce l,etween
and repeated :thofe Principl ms ~te more then revived:
ded any thing of an. feemi es, .1 , any fucb has fuperad.:.' the true Prophetical Spiribmd Entb11fi4lical ·impoflum
of the ~Id E.. p8t force and 'd·. ro
pretenfions motj_lent ·is feafonably ufefull; ·and of no fmallimportance. Not
T ra ...n,s, t he Reader ma fi ,cureans ment;.,.- . the :w mention any latter Experiments and Proofs how
cl - . . wn . rn thefe ·.
and fully anfwered by 6 h n particularly (poken to
efieem'd, Mr.Hen More n_e "". om our Author high! .
powerful fuch Enthufiaftical impollures have, been to
:difquiet and endanger feveral parts of Chriftendom, it
mortality of the so?1 a lm his lateT~eatifeo/the Im! ·appears by good Hi!l:ory ( a.pd the E\~~ntis yet appa-
rent) how ftrangely that Political Enthufiaft, M11h<>-
An .Antidote againfl At:ei_}r anoterhD1fcourfe incituled:
unto am1exed, m, an int e Appendix there- ;met, has befool' d a very great part of the world by his
pretenfions of being infpir'd and taught by. the divine
I pafs on to the Difcourfc f :Spirir-:whlfpering in his ear, by his Epilepti~al fits,
cofi: the Author more ain e o P~ophejie, which, as it
other' ( it containing nfan/ci!Fidli~v;? rhea ~n_y of the -pretended. Vifions and Revelations. ·. Thus Mahomet.'s
A rgumem not common! 1 eta e Enqumes in an ·Dove hath as wonderfully prevailed in the World as
Zr
v~l&ar Oafervations out !re~ted of, ~nd more then ,of old the Roman Eagles : although yet ( which ma.y ·
ahate our wondring at . this. fu~cefs) this impofru-
did re ( together with th fi nc1enc Jew11h writers ) fo
II courfe ) require more Iabo~;~er pare o~ the next Dif- •rous and pretended\y:.inli_pired__D9~rine was not p_ropa-
,.gated and promoted with a Dove_-like Spirit,. but wi~h
' and the benefit of the R d o phepare it for the Prefs
Tracts,by reafon of the ma~ er t en_ any of the other force of Arms; Mahumetanifm_ cµt out its way by the
Hebrew ones, to be ex;imin'~ ~otht1ons,efpecially the sword, the worft inO:rument for propagating of Religi-
there would fometimes occur~ ~ndt b" perufing of which gion ; to (ay nothing of. the advantages it had from its
preffion, and then I tho h . u !OUs and dark Ex- compli;ince with Fle!h and l;>lood and a Sen~ual life, and
Hebrew Profelfor Dru! ~•t fa~ft toconrerwith our .from the Ignorance, Rudenefs and Batbanfm. of cha,t
thor had alwaies agreat ·affi';ort 'Jor whom the'Au- people to whom that impure Prophet communicated
Ic' s true, This Elaborac: · wn a~ !efpecl-. .- his Alcoran, a people capable of any doctrine how ab-
culative nature then a f 1reat1fe is of a more Spe- ford and irrational foever. Whereas Chriftianity wa&
fu(l, and contains fi~?d~y tObfieft, yet is it alfo Uft- at firft promoted and made its way in the world by ,ne,
f'gfihdt and Kn~wledg but alfo of :~auodns not. only of. thods more innocent and worth)l of the. Dqctrine of
e 1 es that m this T . 'Jean Pr11ll1Ce, For the great God,· and our Saviour Jefus Chr.ift that true
pture are il!ufirated ou~e~?}e f~fleral Palfages of Seri~ aad great Prophet, of whom the Voice fr~m he~ven
.was,.* Hear ye him: after whofe revelation:ot the•Matthew, 7,.
~lofmall infiance of its Ufefa'.l;e~o)numhents, (which ·Counfel and Will of God to man, there is not to be See toA& l•·
iapter5 ( to name no mo . 'J', t ere are Two
gefi in this Treatife)
,
whiclt) viz, 4, ~rid 8. ( the Ion-
more pamcuJarly relate co
expected a11y new Cand by him unrev.eal;ed) ociario.e ;;: eat; ~s.
· llS
Pralli.e,

-=---=-=~---:= ----_-_-_- .. ·--~

___ ) . _
 ··To ibe ~ailer.
:xxiv
·as ·pm_·~ini;1g r,i :Life _and. (;o!line(t and neceffaty-.to
Salvatto~ •. ~either 1s .the-Eighcli-Chapter,,treating
of ~he-Difpoflt1onsp,~p11ratory to Pruphe/j, ,without its
_'lj-Jcf11lnifs.; tl1er~ bemg-aneafie appli-abhmefs ofwha.c
:1~ ~ntam d· c~erelll to Cuch as are pretenders toProphe-
fyzng, accord1~g to the more general importance -0fthat
Wo~d; and 1t may be bothajuft Reproof·:md afober
-A~v1ceto rhofe_wh.o being full of :thernfelvcs, fwelrd
with Self-conc@1t, and puffc up with an opinion oft-heir
own Kn-owleag and Abil_ities (which yet is but r.:in l"iPJ,
Job r 5'. a wm_dy and vamkn~wled._~, a lmow_ledg f,dfeiy
foc~lted, 1 Tim, 5.) and bemg wife and ngh~ous .in
·their 011:n eyes, take upon chem to be moft talkativ:e•&
dogtnat1cal, pert and magifterial, Dejiring tebe'J'e;:ch-
ers, althoughtheyunderflandneitherwhattheyfay_, nor
w_hereof they affirm ; and therefore .Modefi:y and Spa-
-rmgnefs ot ·fpeech and Snii[tne(s t,i hear wo_uld better
become fuch then_ Empty-Confidence and Talkative-
,n~fs ,· a~~ a pow,ringN o,ut Words without ,knowledge,
?,et~c,wl4J w'Ta.JJB,, fg :'.J· •~11.rx.yf-',9, • •for indeed this. is
the t~ue account o_f the~e men and th~ir perfor'?-111nces,
c~e-Maknefs _andmligmlicancy of which (notw1thftan-
dmg the il:r?ng voice and loud noife of the fpeakers)
are eafily d1fcerned by thofe who in underjl.t.nding 11rt
-mtn,-andhave put A»'-'J chitdifh things,
_What I would f~rth~r intimate concerning this Trea-
·t1fe of Prophefy, 1s briefly this, That thouoh ir. be one
~f thelargejl Treatifes in this Volume, y~i: t·here are
fome parts and p3ffages in it which Hhink the At1thor
wo~ld have mor~ enlarged ~nd fill'd up, had:he not ha-
:fien ~ to that whtch accordmg to the method defign'd
by him ~e calls The Third Gre11t Principle of Religion.
·• Page zso. But-of.this I ha"'.eg1ven ~n account·in.an"" Advertifement
:it ~he end of· this Treat1fe, as alfo of t,l1e:adjoihing next
ro~ - f~
>· T-o:t1ieiltader. -XXV
:0:. Y,[teJ'D:ifcouiJc of._-:Jli.:t.-tgnJAndike.fEvan.gelfcal 11W,,~ .
!t'oufnefs,&c,r,hioh:Di~oflrfe:is,a;._much':Praaica/.35'tli"e
former twas fi,t.eluJafiwec. Nonvas the compo(ure ofthat
!ft'eatife,more,-painf¥11 to the,Auchor, then the elabora~
ting,of tbisflideaft ;he.form.er h~~ofthisr _wher:ein. th«
-11l11thot.tias,t1~i::srd-'.::'.4o,ca 1111/11m,_a11tej'ril,1twfalo,';!~t~~
mdlie·unkncitv.n1Ri,eioiic!s,arul:Monu'm,entsof,fewifhA\f0
-~hots:; -,fori-the".l:>etter fiating ·the-Jewiih- Notion.of
thf'Rikhte:ou(ne/of' the.'L1.w ~ .: tl~e. clea~in~ of which in
dfap.• iz; and 3:'.a~ alfo,thafetthng the ._D1tferencd,e•'
0
twtei\. 'f..hat,:Righ.teotffnejwhivh: ii of,.the. L-aw,'..and_ -th1t
whicb kof: Fait.h, :betw~m-: the old imd the. New. ,Co'lft~
nant, ,ana-theAcoounc of the -Nature of ·ffuftifi,ittion
«hdDivine:Ac_cepta»ce, &c. are all of themofnofwall
ufe ~Q~C~nfeqiience; but together with the Appetidixy;,
thij';1•nct: :{'thade up of certain, brief·.bufcomprehen..
fiue:Ol:lfervations) they. offer to the Reader '.white is',not
unworthy,of his fc:rious confideration., ..·. - .. :, . : >r, .
,, ,;~f :the Eighth Difcourfe, {hewing the Yanity of"
PIJitri[Ai&lRighteoufnefs, oi: GodlineftJaljlJ fo,;a/J'd.~,_I
ftav:efpoken,before. :, ;_: , .. ,;; , · ,::,: ,'✓
.,,::(:'•·"·' :;,n. ,,,:,:
.,J;Che:nextDifcourfe,1argely,treai:1ngofthesEkce/Je11ay
,ind: Nobfenefa of, Truerlteligion.and Htilinefs~ ifhews;the -
Author,s Mimfto have been11ot ilightly. tiiicl:uc'd·and
walh' d over wich·iteligi¢n, buc,,rather, to ,have l,een
double~dyed;,throughly,imbue,hand,colonired with 11liac
g.entro[um ~j»eftum.,\ as ~he:SacyJ-iftnot ~!lfit}y'fi:y{'llri_t;
~i»co011m ,gener,i[ui ,telllff.honejfi:• · '. Buuhe ,Ao.:.
t-ho~·s -Life, and, ,Acl:ions.Jpake :n()Jefs;, and i!}deed
1
there,is no language (Q:-fnlly. eiq,1reffive of,a ·man-.ils,clie.
'· fu'nguige \ofiihi&:iDeeds-.1 :,;ifhofe,:that,were,,throli@aly;
aaqu;µ:nrecb,wi(h ,b~m, -.k~w.w.ell: J:,hacas,thete 1was in
him,,:J?,. -;!Q\~,. (as·.'t.wasJaich>f:Solo~o,11)' a liirgeneft and-1Kings 4; •9·
I
vaftnefs,uJ, H.ear.tand.\l.nd.er{tindi11g, fo,there ;was alfo- .
'!."!°;' · · · . * in
 xxv1 . To the rfvadtr~
• Pral. f•• u, in him :-i:p,~ i::in,., "fr,,, i11gemmu, nuhle Spirit, moll
- abhorrent of what was fordid and unworthy ; · and this
-'ll'l'fiifl9, ~'J-i1-t9Y1xo~ (as the Lxx. tranflare that Hebrew) is
the genuine produce of Religion in that Soul whereic
is fuffer'd to rule~ and (as S. :James fpeaks of Patience)
tu h,we her prrfell work. The Style in this Trad: may
feem more rais'd and fublime then in the other, (which
might be perhaps from the Nature and quality of the
fubject matter , apt co heighten e1.<preffions ; ) but
yet in this ( as in the other Tracts) it is free from the
Vanity of .Jjfeflation, which a Mind truly ennobled
by.Religion cannot ltoop to, as counting it a· Pe-
dantick bufinefs , and a certain argument of a Poor-
11eis and Weaknefsof Spirit in the either Writer or
Speaker.
~ut if irlthis Trad: the Style feem more magnificent,
yet m the Tenth ani:i Laft,Difcourfe (viz. of a chrifti-
an' s Confiills and Conquefts) it is rnoll:familiar. The
Matter ofit is very Ufejul and Pram.at: for as ic more
fu!Iy and dearly acquaints a Chriftian with the more
dangerous and Unfeen Methods of Satan's a&ivity,
( conceruing whichthe Notions and Conceptions of
many men aredifcovered here to be very iliort and im-
perfetl:;) fo it alfo acquaints him with fuch Principles
as are available to beget in him the greateft Courage,
Spirit and Refolution againft the day of batreI; chafing
away all lazy faintheartednefs arad defpair of Victory.
This for the Matter, The Style is (as l faid) moft fami-
liar. This ·Difcourfe was deliver'd in pnblick at Hun-
lingdo11, where one of !l!feen's College is every year
o~ Mar~lt '2· 5'. tO;;preach a Sermon againft Witchcr11/t,
D1abolical Contrad:s, &c. I lhall onely adde this, T fiat
when hepreach'd in lefferConntry-Auditories ( parti•
tularly at A-churcbnear o,mdle inN,Jrthll1npto»jhire, the
place
-
, To the ~tader. xxvii
place o(his Nativity) as it was his care to preach upon
argumeri't<S of moft pratl:ical concemment, fo wa~ it al-
fo his Defire and Endeavour to accommodate h,s Ex~
prellions to ordinary vulgar Capaciti~s ; being fiudi-
ous to be underll:ood, and not to be ignorantly won-
dred at by amuzing the Pe~ple either with high unn~-
celfary Sfeculations, or with hard. Wor.cls alld vain
Oftentat1ons of Scholaftick Learning ( the low detign
of fome that by fuch arts would gain a poor refped: to
themfelves, for fuch ( and no better) is all that ftupid
refpeer which is not founded upon Knowledg and Judg-
ment:) He was 11:udious, I fay, there to ffeak unto men
0:-,,~1.,,_!m Edific4tion, and J:iU11µ9v 11.t')Pv what was fig- .
nificant and eafie co be underftood, as the » Apoftle •, Cor. •t•
doth phrafe it, and to exprefs his Mind in a_ way fuita- 3, & 9•
hie to the apprehenfions of Popular Auditqries. And
as for the Difcourfes now pub~ifhc:~, they alfo were ~e-
livered (bein° College-Exerc1fes) ma way not lefs fut t-
able to that Auditory : and therefore it may not be
thought ftrangr; if fometimes they feem for Matter and
Style more remote from _vulgar capaci~ies .. Yet even in
thefe Difcourfes what 1s moft Prat1zcal, 1s more eaftl1
intelligible by every honeft-hmtedChrill:ian: And in•
deed, that the whole might be made more familiar and
eafie and more accommodate to the ufe of any fuch,
I thdught it would be very expedi,ent ( as to call: the
Difcourfes into chapters~ ~o) before every Chapter. to
propofe to the Readers view the full Scope, Senfe ~nd
Strength of the principa_I Matters contained therem :
& I could willingly have fpared f~ch a labour ( the g~ea-
tet when bufied about die Nonons and Conceptions
· of ~nother and not our own,) if I had not conceived
it co be gr;atly helpful! and beneficial to fome ~eaders:
befides 'another advantage to them hereby, viz, That
. , *2 they
 .-.:xviii . To t!Je !J{eader.
they_ may the more_ eafrly find out and feledt any fudi
pa_mcular Matters m thefe Difcourfes, as they Iha!(
thmk moft fit or_ defireablefor their perufal, ·
Thus haveJ given the Reader Come account of what
feem'd ~tto·beobferv'd concerning thefe TenDifco,ir-
fas, which now prefent themfelves to his free and can-
did Judg~en,t. :And now if in the re:iding of thefe
Tra&s enrich d with Arguments of gr~ac variety there
~1~uld '?ccur any Paffage wherein either He or I may
g1r,;dr~ ttneed not be a matter ofwondeq fon hac
Book ~befi_d~s that Book of Books, the Bible) hafnot
fomethrng (Ult that fpeaks the Allthor Man-: It mould
µor have dtfpleafed our Author in his life-time to have
been thought lefs then InfalJible. He-was not q,ll\a;u'T@.
he was no fond Self-~dmirer, norwas he defirous tha~
others _fhould_ha~e his perfon, his opinion and ;udg-
men~, m _adm_ll"att:>n : he was far from the humour of
Mag1frenal drcbcmg to ochers, not ambitious to l,e ca/-
Matthew •l• led of men, R~hbi, 11.ahhi, as were and are the old & the
. ~odern Phanfees ; nor of the number oftbofe who .ire
/O~~r~ly tranfported and ~ickled, _when others applaud
theu Judgment_ and receive ,their Dictates with the
. greatell: ':'ener~t1on and refpeel ; bu c very peevifh and
fowre, dtfrurb d and o~c of order, when any fhall ex-
prefs themfelves d11fat1~fied and otherwife minded or
goe about modeftly to d1fcover their mifr.akes, N~, he
was truly .<p11'.ctl'.,i:J>,,, a·Jover of Truth, and of Peace
a11d Cha;ity: He,Joved an ingenuous and fober Free-
dom ?f Sptrrt, the generous Berean-Iike t~mper and
p~achce ( ~greeable to·. the. * Apofrle's prudent and
, Thefr. !, fatthful.adv_1ce) of pr~v,ng all things, and holding J:'!fo
tbat.wbu~ t.goo'd, But to return, Its poffiblethat fome
Pafia_ges rn thefe T,racts wI1ich f~em dubious, may,upon
a pauent confidenng of them,_ if tl1e Reader be unpre-
j_udic'd
To the f1tedaer ~ nit
judic'd & Orte of a clear Mind & Heart, gain.his afi"ent;
.and what upon the firft reading feems obfcure and lefs
on.teful may upon another view, and further though rs,
~!ear up'and·be thought worthy of all acceptation~ It
js not with theJair Reprefentations arid Pictures of the
Mind as with ocher Pittures; thefe of the Mind thew
bdl:the nearenhey arev.iewed, and the longertheln-
telleclual Eye dwells up01Hhem. . . ..
There is only one thing more which l ought not to
forget to mind the Reader of, and it is- J11ortly this,
That he would pleafe to remember that the now-pub~
Iifhed Tracts are Po.ftb11mous works; and then affording
that charity, candour and fair refpett which-is common•
ly allowed tofuch works of Worthy men, !"nothing
doubt but he will judge them too· good to have- been
buried in obfcuricy; although its likely. if the Author
himfelf had revis' d them in-,his:life-time with an intent
to prefent them to publick view, they would have re~
ceived from his happy hand Come further poli/hing and
enla11gements. He could have eafily obliged the world
with other Difcourfes of as. valuable importance; if he
had liv'd and been fo minded. But,it pleas'd the only-
wife God { in whofe hand our breath is ) to call for him.
home to the Spirits of juft men made perfecl:, after he
had lent hiin to this unworthy world for about Five and
thirty years. A lhort life his was if we meafure it by fo
many yem ; but if we confider the great Ends of Life
and Being in the world, which he fulfill' din his gene~..
ration,. his great Accomplilhments qualifying him fdt
eminent Service, and accompanied with ai great :t
Readine!fe to- approve him[elf a good and faithful
Servant to- his gracious Lord and Mafrel' in heaven;.
his life was not to be accounted lhorr, hut long; and·
we may jull:ly fay of him• what is faid by·the Author
.... 3 0£
IF xx:x Totbe Reader; To tbe ~aJer. . xxxi
of the Book of Wifdom concerning E1mh, rh~t great . 1 . fl di • notwichftanding die many
Exemplar of holinefs and the {hortefi-liv'd of the Pa- ,onti nue .P~ffitten! t tn o omgp'anying fuch kfod otlabour'
-•cb,4. Il,
tedious a cu ties accom d ) now that the feve-
t
1
triarchs before the flood, ( for he lived but 365 years
as m~ny,y~ars ~s t~ere are?aies in ~ne year,! "Te>.qw~
1 1 defire humbly a~how~~~:/ in this Colletlion to
,3.,, 011 o,1\.,:,,~ e"1Mwa, xei,v~, H!J."-f"', He bemg confam• red Papers are roui:, t toi:, as it was faid oft/11:- Bon.es
Ver. 8,9. mated in IIJhort time,fnlfi!led II long time, For(as thefame -their. due~nd proper placesht( came u ether, bone to h11
Author doth well exprefs it in Corrie * preceding-verfes) {cattered m :be valt that ~n{ but thaf the Lord of life'
·Hono11rabte age is not that which fl,mdeth in length o[ 'b(J11tr; Eze~.3/,7.) w Oaye~s life and breath, be with all
time, nor th11t which i. meafared by number ~f years_.. he whogwet to 4 t_ :"0 • lor'd That he would
But Wifrlom ii the gray h11ir 11nt1J men, and .1m snf}otted earneftnefs and hu~1htyh ifep( othe~wife dry) Bones,
life ii old age. . , pleafe to p11t breat mto t ..;hat befides this Paper-life
Thus much for the Papers now,publiilied. There that t~ey may zve; iveto thefe Writings) they
are fom_e ocher _pieces of this Author's ( both Englilh ( which 1s all ~h~t M;n can !d Vital Energy within us ;
and Latme) which may make another confiderable Vo~ may ht1ve a l~~n1 To~ili! contained in thefe Difcou_rfes
lume, efp~ci~Ily if fome pape'.s of his ( in other hands ) That the Pra ica . r D d letter but Spirit a»d Life ~
can be ret1·1v d. For my pJmcular, I fhall wilh and en- may not be unto us a ea ' uld rofper tliefe
deavour that not the leaft Fragment of his may be con- That He who teach~th us to Pf~t ;hole food Ends to
ceal' d, which his Friends !hall think worthy of pub~ Paeers for the attamment. oThat it would pleafe ~he .
lia1ing : and I think all fuch Frag111enrs being gathered which they are defigned, all darknefs and prejudice
up may fitly be brought together under the Title 'Of God of all g!adce td Hmo;~f any Reader, and whatfo•
Mifae/lani;s, If others who have any of his Papers from the Mm .an ear_ e cion of Truth; That
1hall pleafe to co1~municate them, I doubt not but that . ever would hinder the fa1~ re~r~ Practical and feeling ,
d1ere will be found in fome of his Friends a readinefs the Reader may; bave,/~ mw hich u according to Godli-
to publia1 them with all due care and faitl1fulnefs. Or nefs, and live a lue ,rort yo
f
kn.owle4g~ of t11_~ Do rthne that Knowledge ; is the
if they iliall think good to doe it themfelves and pub-
liili them apart, I would defire and hope that they Prayer of
wo~ld beftow that lab?ur an_d diligence about the pre-
parmg them for publtck view and ufe, as may tefti- His Servant in Chritl Jefus,.
fie their refpect both to che Readers benefit and the I10-
nour of the Author's memory,
And now chat this Volume is 6nia1ed through the JoRN WoR.'l'HlNG'l'ON:,
good guidance and affill:ance of God , the Father of Ci1mltriilg~,
lights and the Father of mercies, (whofe rich Goodnefs December :n. 1659,
aud Grace in _enabling me both tb wiU aml to doe, :md to
CQl'lff11t1e [ In this• Ep1filc .. Ji'0•"It • for mo11th to mo11tb,r.f,i,e·tof"'1 ;]
• pag:zm,

i
'
\f
 xxxiii-·

~,,,,,,,~,,,~,,,,,,,ii,,
t~i!tt~tt~~t~iitt,ii~~lt,iiiiii
~ d. . The CONTENTS of theleveral
D1s-couRsEs in this Volume.
1

DISCOURSE I.
Of the true WAY or METH OJ?'
of attaining to
DIVINE KNOWLEDGR
Ect ~J"
I. That D.-r11'ne thing1 are to lie u11derjl1JOa r11ther
. S ritualSen{atisn then P'erbAl Defaription, or mer,
a
tion. Sin and wirk.!dneflprejudiai1tl to True Knowledge. That
Spl-
Specu/d..

PuritJ of He1trt and Life 1 111 Al./o An I11gen110111 Freedoms of

l udgmtnt, are the l,eft Ground, •nel Prep11.r11tion1 for the Enter-
tilimmni of Truth. Pageo ·1. : . .
Sea. II. An Oijeclion againft ·chc Method of Knowing IAitl
down in the form,r Se6Hon, anfwered. ThAt Men gmera/Jy, not-
withftan4ing their .Apoftajie, are ftirnijlml with the Radical P,in•
ciples of True Knowledge. Men w4nt Hot fa. m11ch Means of
knowing wh~t the, 011gl:Jt to doe, '11 wUb t, Joe what they k,.now.
PrafficAl Knowledge differs from aO oth,r Knowletlgt, -,ncl ex•
ceO.r it. pag, 1 ;. · · .
Sett•. In. Men may b, csnfidered in, FoNrfold c11pacitJ in order
to the perception of Divine things. That the Be.ft and ,noft excel-
lent Knowledge of Divine thinv helong, onlJ to the trNe and Jaber
Chf'-iftian; and that it is !mt in ;u infancy while he i4 in thu Earth-
ly Body. pag. 17, .
* * DIS-
 The Contents'. XXXV
xxxiv The Contents.

0 1 S C O ll.R s E Il. DISCOURSE III.

OF
SUPERS T_ITI ON~·
HE true Notion of Superflicion weO e~prefs'd hy .a4111'a1p.o•
;T
. . rfos, i.e. an 011,r-timorom aml dreadful/ apprehenfton of the
Dmy,
. ~ fAl/e Opinion ,f the Veit) th, trHe C'a11fe :,md Rife fi[ Super--
ilit1on. - · That Superflition i4 more toltrabt, then Atheifm.:
Superfiition u moft incident t~ fuch at Converfe not with the
G_oodnefs of _God, or are confaiom to themfelve1 of their own un-
bb.!ne/J ts h,m. -:
/!..ight 11ppreh~nfio111 of God ieget in min a NoMenefa and Free•
dome of Soul,
SuperfHcion, though it look] Hpon God at an angt'J DeitJ 7et it
c_o.untJ him eajily plc,u>d ~itlo flt3tmlng WBr/hip. .' . ·
. '4pprehenf,_onr of A Dmy and G_Hilt meeting together are 11pt to
excite Fear.
· Hypgtrilet t6 (Pare 1h,;r Sins [eek OHt waie.t to compound with
God.
Se~vile and S11perfl~tio111 Fe11r ~ e11e~eafed by Ignor1tnce-ofthe
em-am C,su[t; of Tembl~ EJfefls in N atHre &c. iU a/fo by fright-
ful A'ppar1t1ons of Ghoft1 and Spe!fm.
.4 further Con.fiderdltion ofSuperfHtion MA Compofttion of Fear
"6nd Flattery•
.A_ fulltr Definition of SuperRition, a&cording to- the Senfo of the
.Ancients.
Super!Htion doth not s/waies appear in the f11me Form, /mt paf-
fei from ont Fo~m to .i~~t~er, and fometimes forouds it {eif ,m.._
der F,rm1 foemmglJ Spm111tll imd more refined. pag,; :i;.
DIS~
0 F- A T H E I S M~
T
H At rhere u a ,m,r Affinity hetween Athcifm &- Snperfiition.
That Superflition elo&h no: on/1 prep11r1 the
rMJ for Acheifm
but promotes and ftrengthens it~ · ;
That Epicurifm 14 bm Atheifm ,mde, a n1Mk.., .
A ConfHtation of Epicurus· hi4 Mafter-notion, together with
fome other pretences ant! Dogmtta of hid Sell~
The true Knowledge of Nature i4 aavan,ageom to E.eli.gion.
That A-thcifm i4 /Joth ignoble and nncomfortahle.
what low and unworthJ notions the Epicureans had conce,-ning
· Man's H11ppinefs : and wh11t trouble th1J w,re put to How to de-
fine; and where to pl11ce tru, H,ippinefl.
.A. tn1e belief of ti DeitJ fuppom the Soul -with a pre{ent Tr"n-_
quillity and future Hopes.
Were .it not for" Deity,the World would I,, unhAhital,t,. p,4r.
D I s co- u R s E IV.
OF THE IMMORTALITY
OF THE SOUL.
H,.p.I,_ The Firft and m~in Principles of Religion,.viz, 1.Thac
C God 1s. 2.. That God 1s a rewarder of them that feek him:-
Wherein i4 included the Great Article of the Immortality of the
Soul. The{, two Principles 1tck.!Jowledged hy r1ugiot11 "nd ferio111
perfons in all Ager. 3. That God communicaces himfelf co
mankind by ~lyi!l, The DoElrine of the Immortality of the Soul
di(courfed of in the firft place, and why? paa.59.
. **
. 2 t, Chap.
 ,..,- -

:x:xxvi The Contents: The Contents~ xn:vii

Chap, Il, Som, Conftd,ratiom prep4ratory to the proof of the
So11/1 Immortalicy, pag, 6;,
Chap.III.Th, FfrjJ .Argnmtnt for the Immortalicy oft he Soni.
That the Soy/ of man u not Corporeal. The grof, abfurdities HP•
on tht SHppofi1ion that the %Qui u 4 Complex of fluid Atom11, or
1hat it 14 m,rde up l,y 4 · fortHitow •Concour{, of ,t/tome,, which i.,
Epicurus bu Notion concerning Body. The Pri11ciplt1 4 nd Don-
mata of tbe Epicurean Philo[opl,J in oppofttian to th, Imm11uri=ll
and Incorpor,a/1 n11tHrt of the S•nl, affwted by Lucretius, but dif-
covered to be falf, and infufficitnt, That Motion t:snmt arife
Chap: VIII, An App~ndix ,ontain~ng an Enquiry. into the
Sesif, 11ndOpinion of Ariftocle cont:ernmg the I,!1mort11l'1J of the
Soul, Thllt according to him the Rational SoHl ~J fap11rjbf{ fro;:
the Body and Immortal The tme meaning of hu Intel e us •
gens ,indPatiens. pag, 106. · l' f
Chap. IX, A main Dif/imltJ concerning the I"!morta IIJ •
the Soul [ viz, The flrong S7mp111hy of !he _S_oul n,,rhthe Boa1 ~
fi d An Anfwer io another Enq111ry, viz. Under whllt 11c
,in wtrle • .r:. s deriv'd l'rom the Eo:!_J do faO inMoraiity, p.lI2•
caum mpre1 s>on J•

from JJodj or M,mer. Na,- c11n the power of Senfation •rife

from M.rtt,r: Much lef, c11n R.eafon, That alt HHmane tnow-
led1.e hath not itt rife from Senfe, Tht proper f~nf!ion of Senfe,
11nd th11.t it i., nrver deceived, .An A dditi•n of Three Confiderati-
DISCOURSE V.
0111 far the enforci11g of thi4 ji,j} Argument, .ind f,mher cle11ring
rhe Immateriality of rh, Soul, That th1r1 i.t- in ma11 a F ac11lty OF THE
,.hich I; contro/11 S,nfe : and i, co/le[!, and 11nites 11lt the hr-
&tption1 of OfJr faveT11l Sen{e,. 3, That Memory andPrevijion are EXISTENCE&NATURE
not txplical,le 11pon thef11ppojition of Matter and Motion, pag,68.
Chap.JV, The Stcond.4rg11ment for th, Immonality of the OF GOD.
Soni, .Allion1 either Automacical or Spontaneous, Th,u Spontl•
neous ,.n,l Elicice AElionnvidence th, evftinllion af the SoNlfrom
the Bod), Lucretius hi, Evafion very flight and weak, That the
C H}'!;,,I 0;
That tloe B,ft way to"--". ow God u bJ an lllt.entive re~
upon our own So11ls. God more clearly and lwely
I!
\I
Li~ercy of the Will i, inconfiftent with the Epicurean prindple1, pillHr'd upon the Souls of Men, then upon ,:ny part of the Smji-
That 1he Conjli(f of Reafon againft the Senjitive Appetite 11rgnu 6/e world paa u3, d ·h 11·
a Being in m /11pe,ionr to Matte>!, pag,8:;, . _ Cha . II. How the Contemplation of our own Souh, fin a rig I
I·
fl
Rejlexi~n upon the Operation, thtreof, "'"1. le11dm 11110 ~~el{_now.:
,1
Chl p. V, The Third Argument for the lmmort11lity ofthe Soul,
Thai Math,m11ti&11/ Noti.imt argnethe Soni to fte of a tr11, Spiri- ledge of I, The Divine Unity and Omnifcience, 2• qo I Om_m
, • Th•Divine Love andGoodn,[1, 4• Gods EternttJ,-
tu.tl aud Immat1rial Nt1tN>r. pag· 9:,. po t ,nc. ,o ,. · .r.• 11.••>. 6,..heDivincFreed
omeand ,r,
L 'b
, er1J.p.12 6
Chap, Vf. The FsHrth Argummt for the Immortality of the S H ,. mmpre1• •' · • f •
Sot1l, That thofe cle,ir and ft able Idea, of Trmh ,,.hich are in • Chap, III, How the Confideration of thofe refit,,, _mo110111 o our
Man', Mind evince an Immortal and Immateri,l Su/,ft,mce reft- Will, afrer fame Sypr,me and Infinite Good, lead, ,u ,n10 the k.!zow-
ding in ro, dij}inEf from th, BadJ. The Soul more '1..now,;I,!, tbe,, iedge of a Drity. pag, I :i5•
the Body. Some paj{ffgu ontof Plot'inus and Prod us for 1hc f11r-
iher confirming of thiJ Al'gHment, pig. 96, Chap. IV. Dedulliom ,md Infere".cesfrom !he Confi;
Chap, VII. Whitt it i11h,1t, l,eyondthe fligheft andmoft Jub- deration of the Divine Nature and Attr1h11tes,_ .
ti!, Sprculatiom w/wfoever, doe, clear and eviae11ce to,,, Good man That all Divine produaions arc the free Effiuxes of Omnt•
rhe lmmort4/j'.1y of hi, Soul, That Trne Goodnefs and Virtue beg,u 0 ~~t Love and Goodnefs. The true Notion of C:iod's glory what
the mo.ft r11.i[ed Settfe ofthi, Immorrality,Plocinu1; hi, e:mllent Dif- ~,tu,_
. Mmvtr'1i1pt tomiftakJinthupoinr. God,md1na1the~ap•
. - _.· ,.* 3 !)mefs-
co11rfe to this p11rpofe, p,g, lo I, Chap,

'=------
xxxviii The Contents:
piners ir M,Cery _of h~ Creatures to makf himfalf glorious f;.
God d~e, moff glonfieh,mfelf by commflnic11ting himfa!f: we mo(f
glorir.e God when we moft panak_; of him, (fnd re{tmbte him mojl.
p•g. 140 •.
Chap. V, A fecondDedticlion. ·
~· Thar all i~ings are fupporced and govern'd by an Almigh~
W,fd~~ and G?odnefs, An Anf,.,,r to a~ O~fellion mad, 11gainft-
the D,vine Prov1den~e from an m1e111a/ diflr1h111ion of thing, bere
below, S11ch qu11rreU1ng with Provtdmce arif,th fr•m a P<£dllnti-
caU andCarn11/11101ionofGaod and Evil, pag. 144,
Chap. VI. A third Ded11t1ion.
3. That •II crue Happinefs confifls in a parci,ipacion of God ari-
ling ouc of che allimilacion and conformicy of our Semis ro him .
and, That the moH reaU Mifery arifeth out of the Apollafie of
Souls froi_n God. _Noe':;oyment of G_od without our being made
hie.! to him. TheH.,pp•n•fs and Mifery of M,m deftn'dandfta-
ted, with the Original and Foundation of both, pag,147,
Chap. VIL A fo,irth DedtJllion,
4· _T_he fourth 'lJedullion acqnaints_ u, with tht true Notion of
the Dmne JuH!ce, That the proper [cope,ind dejignof it, id to pre,
ferve.R;ght,aufnefa, t, promote & encourage true Goodnefi. That it
does not primAr'il_y intend Punifhment, but on!; tak_ts it up ,u a mean
toprwent Tran/gre.lJlon, True JHjliceneverf11pplantt11ny that it
fe!fmA.J appe11r glor,ou, in th,irruinei. How Divine Juftice u mojJ
advanced. .pig, I sr.
Chap, VIII. The fifth and lajl Dedullion,
5. That feeing there is fuch an Entercourfe and Sodecy as ic
were between God an,I Men, therefore there is affo fome Law be.
tween them, which is the Bond ofall Communion. Th, Primitive
r11/e, of God's a,conomy in thu world,Hot the /ole Re[t<ltJ ofan A[,.
/olute.w,11, but th, f«cred Duree, of Re11(on and Goodnefa. God
could not def,gn ;• ':"•~ "', Sinf11ll or Mftraf!e, Of the L,nv of
N ature,mhofom d •n Man I So11I, h,w it oMges m,in to love and
obry God, 11nd to e...:pref, a G,d!,f:! (Pirit and l,fe in thu w°"ld, All
Souls theO/f-f}ring of God; but Holy Souls mar.ift/f thcmfalvr;
to-b,, 4ndarc more pccrdiarlJ, the Children ofGod, pag, 154,
Chap.
The Contents: x,cxix
Chap, IX. An Appendix concerning tho Rea(o11 of Poji1i;t
UWI, pag.i-ss, .
Chap. X. The Conc/u(ion of thi, Trwif, c•ncerning the Exi-
ftence and NatNre of God, P,ming how our K nowl~dge ofGod com~t
tobe fo imperfefl inthi, State, while we are here m th". Terreftr,-
,z/l Body. Two waiesoh{erved by Plotinus, whereby Thu ]!04' dou
prejudice the So11l in h,r Operariont. That the ber!er Ph,loj~ph~rt
dnd more contemplative Jewt did not deny the Exiflenceof 11il k_111d
of Body in the other flare, what meant by Zoroafier', .i,h>A•• .J,o-
,:'iis, What kind of k,.nowledge of God cannot be attain'd to in 1hu
lift, 1?hatmean1by fie/hand Blood, I Cor, IJ, pag. 162,
DI 5-C o,u RS E VL
OF PROPHESIE.
CHap. L That Prophefie uthe waJ whenby-Reve,iled Truth"i,
di!fmifed and co,weighedto m. M~n•, Mind capable of c~n-
•11trflng and being ac9uaint~d (U wefl·w,th Revealed•~ Pojit•'!'e
Truth .uwith N,m,raU 7ruth, Trutht of Natural ,nfmptron
b;
may excited-in m and c/e,ired to m b; meant of Prophetical/-ln•
fl,uence. That the S1:ripmre f,equen'.ly ac_commodam it faff to
vulgar apprehenfton, and fJteak.f of thmgs ,n the gr,,;t,ft· way· if
c,ndefcenfion, pag. 169,
Chap,11, Thar the Prophetfral Spir.(t did not alwaiennanifcff
it [elf with the fameclearnef, and evidence. The Gradual diffe-
rence of Divine illumin11tionbetween Mofes, the Prophets, and the
Hagioora phi, A·gener11I furvey of the N 11ture-of f r,phejie pro-
perly fa c,illed, Of the joint impre/fions 1tndaperat1cn1 of t~eftn-
dtr.flanding llnd Phanjie ii, Prophefie. Of the four deg,·m oJ Pro•
phejie, The difference hmmn a Vtfo,n and a Dream,. p•f!· I 76,
Chap. III. How; the Prophetfca/- J?reams did _differ from .cfi
oth<r kjndt of Dr,ams recorded- rn. S~r<pture, 7h14 further ,Ou~
ftrat1d ollt of feveral p11Jfages of Philo Jud::uus-.pemnent to thu-
purp,fe, p~.li.183. ·
Ch, IV. • .di larg_Mcco11nt of the Diffem1ce l,,twemthi true P.ro--
. phmcal,
.-----~~-=--~=~=------'""'!Ill----------~---------
:xl The Contents.
pbetical Spirit 'f"d Entbuf,aftitalimp,j/Hrt,;. That the Pftudo-
'Prorh•:ic11t. Spirit it feared 011/y in the lmagina1iwPo~ar1 andPttc:
cu!ms mfmor to reafan, That Plato and oth,r wife mm hada ve-
ry low opinion oj thu Spirit, and of the Gift of Divinatitin,and of
C0Hfu!ri11g th, Oraclu, Th.ct the Trne Pnphetkal .Spirit [,au..
(t faff ,u well in the Rational Por,m ,u in. tht Senfriv•, andcfhat
•t never alimatts the Mind,· 6111 informs. and tnlightenhto Thu
f11rther c!earrd by f,wral Teftimonie, froi1s Ge11tile and Chrifti-·
"" Writers •f old. An Acwmt of rhofe .F~arJ and Confternatio•
om which often fei':ted 11po11 the Prophett. How the Prophets per,·ei-
ved wh,., the Prophetical inflnx f,,iz:,ed 11pon them, The diffennt
Evidence & Energy of the True& falfe Prspfieticat Spirit, p.151G,
Chap. V. An Enq11iry con~erningthc Immtdiatc Efficienuhat
reprefented the P~ophctical Vifions to t?e Phanfie of,che Prophet;
Th1tt thife R,prefent11tiom were made ,n the Pr~phet, Ph11nji1 by
fome .Angel. This cleAred hy fever,il p11j[11get 011t •f the Jewifh
Monuments, and VJ Teflirnonies of Scripture. pag, u o.
Chap, VI. The Setond Enq11iry, What the meaning of. thofe
Athons is that are frequemly attributed to the Prophets, wh.ether,
they were Real, or only Imaginary and Scenical., what, AElionJ
of the Prophet! wen only Jm11ginary 11111l performed upon the Stage
of Phanjie. Wh,rt we are to think_of faverat Aaiont And res gelb:
recorded of Hofea, Jeremie & Ezekiel in their Prophejie,, p,22c,,
Chap, V1I, Of that Degree of Divint inJPiratim properly clf/J'd
Ruach hakkodeO,, i, e, The Holy Spirit, The N 11ture of it defcri-
b,~ ont of Jewifo Antiquitiet, Wherein thi& Spiritus Sanctus dif•
ferdfrom Prophejie ftrillly Joca!J'd, and from the Spirito{ Holi-
ne/1 in purified Soul,. Wh<1i Book} ofthe Old T1(famant were 11fcri-
6,d 6y the Jews to Ruach hakkodeth, Of 1he·Urim and Thummim.
.p3g. 229.
Chap. VIII, Of the DifPofitions ai,tecedentand preparittory to
Proph,f,e, That th, £2.!IAlijir:,iiions r,hich did ft: 11 m,infor the Pro-
phetic Al Spirit n,erc fuah .u thefa, viz, Inward Piety, True Wif.
dome, a Pacate and Serene temper of Mind, and a due chearful-
nefs of Sjlirir; in oppojition to Vitioufoefs, Mental ~taLtdnefs and
inconlil¼ency, un(ubdued Paffions; black Melancholy ~ad dull
Sadnefs. Thu iltHftrafed by feveral Inftances in Scripture;.· That
Mufickw,u greatlj advantag,om ro the Prop.heuand Holy men
ifGod, &c. Whilt u me4nt !7 Sa11t'1 Evil Spirit. pag. 240.
Chap.
The Contents. xH
Chap. IX, Ofr/11 S0111 or Di(cip!e, •fthe PrDph1t1, An AccoHnt
of feveral Schools of Prophetical E.d11cation, ,u at Naioth in Ra-
ma, at Jerufalem, Jericho, Gilgal, &c. Several pa!fagu in 1/,,
Jliftorical Book! of Scripture pertinent 10 this Argument n:•
plained. pag. 2 P•
Chip, X. Of Bath Kol,,, r, Filia. Voci,: That ir f"meded ;,.
the room of Prophefie: That it w,u hy the Jenn counted th, Loweft
degm of Revclatioll, what place J in t In Neiv T,-jf ament are to be
11nderftood of ir. pag, :i 57 • . . . . .
Chap.XI, OJ the Higheff Degree of D1~•~11 l11JP1rau•~•v'"'• the
Mofoical. Fo11r DfferencCJ between the D,v,ne 'R.._e'llel111,on1 made
to Mofes,andto the reft of the Prophett, How tht Doflri11e of men
Prophetically infj,ired is to approve it [elf &J Mir11cles, or hy i,'s
Reafonablentf,. The SympathJ and Agreeablme/1 betwm, an Ho-
ly Mind and Divine Trnth. pag. 2.61.
Chap, XII, when the Prophetical Spirit ceafed in the ]tl'Pi/T,
Church, The CeJ{at;o., of Prophejie noted ,u II f,imo111 Epocha bJ
the Jew,, The reftoring of the Prophetical Spirit hJChrijf, Som,
paJfages to thi1 p~rpofe in fhe Ne>~ 7:ef!an,en(exp!ained. '!"he,n th,
Prophtticat Spmt ceafed III the Chrifl•~" C~11rch, That•~ d,d n~t
tontin11e long, proved by feveral Teft1momes of the Antient Wr>•
ter1. pag. 267.
. Chap. XIII. Some 'R.plu ,rnd Ohfervations concerning Prophe•
tical writ in icneral. pag. i72,
0 IS C O U R S B VII.
OF THE
RIGHTEOUSNF.SS!~~elical.
CK Hap. I, The ln,rod,,8/on, P,ewing what it,, to hi1v, aright
nowled!,e of Divine Tr1'th, and what it i1 that iJ either
Availah/e or Prejudicial to the. tr#e Chriftittn Kn;w!,dge and
Life, pag. 28,,
 The-Contents. xliii
,dii The Contents.
• -. ·. -( f men an ~ inwa-rd ma~if~l.latio~. ~f
Ch~p. Ir•. An E11tpirJ _i,nto__ t_h~~ Jew_ifo Notion "of a Leg11f
Righteo:1fn1/i, which_ uoppofedh7 s. Paul.; That thii~ n~fi"o~ of
Rigbteo~(nefs 1.n}~e1 i~i,~,}tn
refl1on, upon the'Minds and ~pints
Divine_Life, .~n_a., 2:. d -~ , pfeverat Teftimonits of Smpturto
o(Me'n. Thu ·p~ove J rom - . ,
it 1VA.r fuch flsthi.r, viz, Thar the Law externall.J d1fpmfedto
them ( tho11gh it were, as a Dead letter; merely without ihem).
and conjoined with the power of their own Free-wi0, wiu [Hfficient
pag~ 3.~r ( ,·: \ ;' ' . . . . . .
. ·.··...' ,v.\~, -~-........
. . . , , · :,~- -t_·h_e' hemr:under,-ftanding o_if tht
'Two Propoftuonl 1or. . ' . . p Th
to procnre them Acceptance with God, and to acquire_ Merit eno11gh .· ·_.,Chan_• , . 'd· D'tv···11n-e'·'-A·cceptan_c_e._-1_-. · rop. d. ac
· · - r, 11, J a· fi 1:1oh an ·
to p1mhafa Erern11l Life,-PerfeElion and_Happi'!,e/f• That thu their DJfMn~d/' uni. ~a_ .. >. d ru ·'· · -of every 'thia is ~«or _ n~g
~.n~·: , tJ:God's·hcceptance or°
0
00
N orion had th1/e -two GrtJnnds ; F irft, ,An Opinion of their own chtDlvitie /jur:li111 difaccepcirice
Self-f11fficienc1,and that theirFree•wilt wa1 /o-a6folute and perfeEl-,- cothecmthof thetht o.'·. d t onwhAt account S.James
llJ that the] needed nof that God foould doe any thing for them I, ut
mljfurnifh them with fomc L11ws to exercife tM Inmate powe"'
.0 ~ things is fui~a~le to hi:
J~ft~:::t:n;oGood-work.f~ 2.. Prop. God's
dm tJttribll~ e ~- ~ nd_0{ J_· :ftd ino. thcirSins carries in ic a. necdfa-
Ahout. That they aj[erted fucha Freedom of Will III mi_ght 6e to j ufhfying of. Sinne? ~aftln1:rfheirNatures,· ·-Thi-s 11bNndantly
them a Foundation of Merit. pag, 288.
provea ;to,,, .
!r
ry refe~e~-c~ot:;~:eure ~he thi,rg. pag. p 5•
, •
, ..
Chap, III. The Second ground of the Jewi/h Notion of a Legat .., . Goii el-riohceoufnefs is conveighed co. us
Righteoufoefi, viz. That. the Law delivered to them on Mount Chap. VI. How the Pm thefe tivo Confiderations. _ 1-~ · The
Sinai was a fufficient Dispenfation from God, and all that need- by Faicn, made to .aprllr/;:on
of a chearfull dependance upo~. the
ed to be done hy him to bring thtm to· Perfellion and H.izppi11ef1: G~fpellays a. f.lron, ©ud \nd affiance in it, Thi4 confirmed. /,1
nnd That the Scope of their, Law was nothing !mt to afford then, Grace and Love O · -· 0 ' . • tainly in the• the moft ftrong
ftveral ways and meam of Merit. The OpiHion of the Jewi/1, five'tal Go(pel~expr,~.ffions co::;':::{ ~ngen110«1 "ddrej{es f". God, to
Writers conctrning J/,fcrit and the Rewflrd due to the Works of the Motives '1:nd ·Encour"geme h' anel c,nfiacnt. expellation tJf a3
L1nv, Their difting11ifoing of men in order to 11-ferit and Demerit
into three forts, viz. Perfectly righteous, Pcrfedly wkked, and
all chMrf11ll depe~danc:.o~
arTin.~nce
t;;;
Evargelical fa~ch is no ~~~1_:or
a middle fore betwixt thefe. The Mercenary and Low Spirit of
'JJ•J~ t an· ard'ent brea ch·1ng-and thtrfhnf?•·afier
h'fror»bh,,n. .... . .ffi,D_1v1ne
. . J,
languld t i~_g, .. u_ li fi • it look! he1ond "· mere paraon o ,. m, ~n
the Jewifo Religion. An Account of wh~t the C11bba!ifi1 held in grace and ughteou n_c s .: WAta pa,eicipation ~f the Di/tJiNC "'"''''·
thu Point of Legal Righteor1fnefi, pag. 197. ,n:iinly_Pu-ifues afte~::'7ivin Faith in the Love and Gooane{, of
Chap, IV. The Seconl· Enq11iry, Concerning the Evangelical ~:t"'J$?u!J:C/ef [hr~ug~~ ~he ~~-~(e E,h?ter. P~~-13:3 ~::·? :, .
11~

Righceoufne[s or the Righceoufoets of Faith, and the true diffe- ' , ·: 1 . . . . ·..d' . the foregointDif~o#rfo-tHow,the
. ..

rence hetween che Law and the Gofpd,the Old and the New Cove- C_ha'p~_vH~ -AwAppen -~~,-t~g'of. ehriH is -eminemty._·available
whole bu finefs and ~ndcrc~ 1fc . ur Minds and Heatts, and alfo
nant, as it is laid down by the A poft/e Pau!. A more General An-
five,· to thi&· enquiry, together -with a General obfervation -~f 1h:
.Apoftlh main End .in oppojing Faith to the Works of the Law,
both to· give ~ull relfl ;~:er:.
~rt~ God-:likc rightcoafne~,. 6rieflJ
toencourag~ us to o .. iclll"Ars. '-pag. 343~ . ·. . , , , ..
vi:t, To beacdown the Jewilh proud conceit of Meric. A mare reprefe~ted,tn [un~r/ Pl.'rt _ _ _ . , , _.; . ,., , .. , .,
p,micN/a;• and Diftincl anjwer to the Enquiry, vi::._. That the
law·or Old Covenant is confidered·onls1 a-s an External admini-
flracion, a dead thing in ic feH: a Difpenfation confifting in an Out- -DIS-:
ward· and Written taw of Precepts-: but· the Gofpcl or New
Cov.eaanc is an Imernal thing, a Vital Form and Principle. of
. R~~~
 :xliv , The Contents: ,..
TheCob.terits. _ ·xiv
1,,', :\_'"\·· i. 'i')U. 5t ,.;\ :
011 of m,in1 ( (ome of whom wo11ldfe~m m:J! :~hor~;~t;:t S}~~fe
DJ;S:c:d''uAsE' Vnt I.
tlicion) u nothing el{e ~tit SujerH~c~f~be bt:Lf~aodne{!, cannot

OF THE SI-IORTNESS.-·
Religionift1,hilving no
truly love God:re:, t
r~af<
' £-
fat
0
and dreadful! apprehenjions of
"','.;i flaviP,JPirit ;n Religion may be
' " ( ;,; ·; ~~. j ~'l · \ ·-.. .
GodcompellthtmtoJ,rv~
d. I , f,uch l,n d,m. . . Goda< d,thnot pinch •.
of Jerv,ng their
o·,F:.,." .,- ,,. -'x,,.,·," .. Vf'J pre_ ,ga ,n . h'<.: reat'and weightier mattirs of Rtbg,011,
~t
A Pharifaick' Rignteoit'friefs.
Corruption!; lmtmt_ h irbe/ovedLPfti,ituveryne,dyand
in [~ch thing_, iU PY:)" IC~ 1• ~,u low'11nd meaf: ·thoughts of God,
n.armg, · Th,~ [mJt/, S~mot , r.,,v,·ces ,u conceitinu that
If h' h · · f ttJ 11twar"J' , "'d . •
CHap, I. AGener,il account of m1n'1 Miflalzys about Religi-
on. Mm an n• 11Jhtre more /,u:,y and Jlr,ggifh, and mo,·e npt
but an tg opm~on c d 14 ratified and btcames ;ndebte toit.
by-fuch ch.eapth,ngs,ft ·. g dSlavithfear ;,...,.he truly, an.din
T.he di!f,rent E:Jf.ett,so ve an , , . . . . ··
ro ddub themfe!ves, then in mg1ter1 uf Rdigion . .The Religion of
moft men i, but"" Image ,md Rif,mb!,mce of their own Fanflu, th~ fa/fly, RBl,gso,u,- pag• lJ:•p Miftak! t1bout R,ligion, When
The Aefethod propounded for difcourftng upon thofe 11Jord1 in S.Mat• Chap. V. Th~Fourt ""· ~ Ii ion istakenfor thacwhich
a mero Mech1nical and Amlic1al Recife Souls of men, and which
thew. r. To difcovcr Come of the Mifhkes arid Fal/e Notions is t crue Imprefiion of Heaven ut0 f. . i, t, [om• made a pi,ce of
al:iouc· Religion. :a, To di(covet the Reafon of thefe Mifiakcs,
A bri,f Explu:ation of the Word,, pag. 349, · . ' ·. moves like a new Nacureb l?i"'. :;~:d pla~jibu fmit4tion1 of the
Art, and how the,:e_may I P:'•of the Externalt, The Method
Cb3p, II, An Account of men's Miftakp ahorit Religion 1n''J:
P,inicular,, 1, A Partial obedience tofome Pucicular Precepts. Internals of Relig,o~ ,u "''1( • fuch Artificiallmitations, H~'lt'
and Power of Fanfy '"contrev,ng themfelveJ it/Id others. The Dif-
I The Fa/fa Spirit uf Religion jpmds it {elf in {,,me Particular,, ;ipt men are ittthefe to d,ce,ve hoib 'd in ,hei>luligion by Fan[y,

1'
I i, confin'd, iJ ov•rf.,,,ay,d by fen,e pnvailing Luft, ·Men of thiit
JPirit may l,y fo,n, Bo•lz.•1kJU, and a""'"~ about the Exttrnd/1 'of
Religion, loofe the finfa of their own Guiltmefa, and of tbcir dcfici-
ferenc, bet11Jeen thofe th
and thofc that a~e
ad"{'
aa,w~J ;,;
g,:,v;;;vine Spirit and in who,n Reti-
R,ligion i4 no Art, but a new
'I encie, in the Blfenti,./1 of <Jodlinef,, ·.,,,,J fanfj themfolve1 ntaro/ gion i4 a living Form, 1. ~ue .tz. •,. a Serene dnd clear Te,n- - I
rel,md ta God. wh,re the true Spirit ofR,ligion i., it infornn and Nature. Religion di(cove>'! !1
per of Mind, in deep Hu,ml,ty,
f•f/'-J:.
"--t''' ' 1, s,tftknitd Unive~fat
',
· alluatu the -,.hole man, it n,iU not 6eeo,ifin'd;· bilt will beab[olute /ave of GodandaO m11Goodne(i, P• 366•
ii within"'• and not Juffer ""J corrupt In,creft to gran, 6y it, P•3 53.
Ii
;I Chap. Ill. 'T'he Second Mi/lake about Religion, vi't, A meer
:J comrlyance ofche Oucward lnan With the Law of God, 7:rue
Religion fiat, it [,If in the C,ntre of mtnJ Soul,, andfirft brsngs
II the Jn.,,,ard """" into Obedience to the L..iw of Gad, the S«perfici..
11/l Rdigion interm:ddlu chiefl.J with th~ C,ivcumftrence 11111 011tf,de DIS.
of men; or refl1 in 411 Q/lt,pard t1/,ftammg from Jome Sm1. Of
Specul«tive and the moj} dofe and SpiritHal wick!dnef, 11Jithin.
How "Pt men are to fink, all 'R.!;ligion into Opinions and External
. Form,. pag. 3 57, ·
Chap, IV. The Third Miftak! "bout Religion, viz, A conRrai-
ncd aad fore·d Obedience to God's CommandmencJ, Th, Rtligi-
M

\
:1
\L,__ ~ -- ____ ___ ------- -
,_ - ------ -- ----
xlvi The Contents:
'D I S C o u R s -E JX.
OF_ THE
EXCELLENCY and NOBLENESS
'' ) . ~: . ' . "·.
OF _RELIGION." ..'.
CHap.I. I, The Noblenefsor"Rdigion in regard ofitsOrioi-
H. nal-and_Fountam: •~ comu from Heaven and move, , 0,.,.:d,
Aeaven "l~•"• God the Arp Exc,llency and Primitive PerfecUon.
h". Perf,8,011, ,.,,d Exce/lencie, in ,my k}nd are to I,, meafur;,J'/,y
t .''.r ap!~roch to, and P,micipation of, the Fir.ft 'Perfo[iio,r R
"1"°'! the greateJ! ~articipation of God: no11e cap,i!,/, 0 j,hi
D vine Comm"'!'~"''~" !mt the Higheft of created Being,: and
cofe7nem1J Rel,gson,. the greate(l Excrllency. .A twofold Foui,-
ta•~'" G,d -,,,he.,ce Religion flow,,· viz. I. Hi, N at#n. 2 • His
w,/1, Of Tru_th N aturat a11d Revealed. of an Ot1fw,1nJ, and 1,,_
ward Reveiatson of God's will. pag. 3So, - the Privilegu of f."ch a State, Flow that Mag_nammsty and P11.,
t Chap: II, ~· The Noblenefrnf Rcligiofdn rerpetl: of it's Na~
I,ure, ~r~•fly dife_overed in /ome Partic11/ar1, How a man acluated
f
'J' l,g,on I, lwes above the world; 2, converfe, with himfi!f,
an k..now kow to love, value and reverence himfalf, in the b,.ft
fenfe; 3• l,ve,,1~ovehimfelf, notb~ing content toenJoy himfe~f,
except_ I,, may en;oy God too, and h1mfelf in God How he de'
nyet h,,nf,lffor God. To den7 a man, Jelf, it no; ro deny Ri h;
~etn, for that n,er, to deny God, in ftead oldenJing himfelf~
0• •. Self•l0ve th, only Principle that 4 {1-1 wi&k_ed mm, •The h1tpt
prw,legesof aS011lunited to God, pag. 3s5, 'J
~bap,IU. 3, 1:he N?b!enefs of Religion in regard of its Pro-
pert!es, &c. of whuh thu "one' I. Religion cnbrges. all the Fa-
cu_lms of che Soul, and begets a trne Ingenuity, Libercy and Am;.
phtude, the mofi Free anct_Generous Spirit in the Minds of Good
men, The nearer ,tnJ
. Being come, to God, the .,,ore large a11,.J
firee; t hefiHrther ,1. jl11le1 from God, the more ftreighrened. Sin;,
the
The Contents; xlvii
,~e finkjngof 1114111 Soul from God into (en/11111 Se/fifouef,, An
acco11ni when the moft Generom freedom of the Soul ii to bt t•kJ,r
in its jt1ft proportions, How Mechanical ,1nd Formal Cbrifti,in,
mak.!an Art of Religion, [et it Juch bo11nd1 a, n1a1 not exceed
the f~ant Meafnre of their Principle,; antlthen fit ,heir own No-
tions as fo many E.,:ample, to it. A Good man finds not hi1 Religion
without him, but ti& a living Pr,n<ip!e withi'n loim. God's Imm11ta-
·, ble and Eternal Goodnefl the Unchangeable Rule of hi, wiD, Pee-
vifl,, Self-wi/t'd and lmperiou, men jh.1pe out fuch Notion1 of God
,u are Agreeable to thi& Pattern of them/elves, The Trul_J Religion,
have/Jmerapprehenftons 0 f God, pag. 392.
Chap, IV, The Stcond Property difc_overing the Noblene['_ of
Religion, viz, That it refl:ores man to a Jllfi power and do1111 • 10n
overhimfelf, enables him to overcome his Self-w1ll and Paffions.
of Self-will, and the many Eviltthatjlowfromit, Thai· ~eligi-
on does nowhere difcover iu power and prowe[s Jo much, ,u m/i<b•
dtJing 1hi& dangerom and potent E~em7, The Higheft 11nd No;
bleft Viclorie1 are thofe over our Sclr-w11l and Paffions, ?f Selj-
denial, and the having power over 011r ,r,tt,; 1he "Ifaepsnef, and
ijfance which Religion begets in Ho~ Souls diftert from and ex~
cell, that Gallantry and P11ijfance whsch the great Nimrods of thr&
world boaft of. pag. 397· ·
Chap. V. The Third Property ~r Elfecl: di/coverint the No-
blene(j of c:E/igion, viz. T~at it directs and enables a man co pr"'.'
pound to himfelf che Ecfi End, viz, The Glory ~f God, and his
own becomina like unto God, Low and Parucular End, ..ind
Jntmft1 both-debafe and ffreighten a man1 Spirit: The Univer•
fa!, Highefl and Laff End bozh ennobles and enlarges it._ A m,m
u fuch"' the End iJ he ,iims at. The great po~e~ the ~nd hath to
mold and fajhion man ;nto itr li½ne(i, Religion ob!,ge, a, man
kilt )
( ,,0t r, fee_ "It.. him/elf, n_or to drive 4 tra~e for him~!(; t~
/eek._ the Glory of G-0d, to live wholy to h,m; and gmle1 hsw fled•.
dily and uniform_ly to the One Cbi,f Good andLafi- End, M,,. are.
prone,ta flatter themfelves wi(h a pret~nde~ aiming at_ the Glory of
God. A.more fuO and dif/incl txpbcawm of wfia1 u meant l>J· '!'"
mans directing all hi. aElions to the Glory of God, Whal "' "'·
m1!J,
xlviii -The Contents:
trut, ,tnd rt,i!/7 to glarijie God. God•, /etld,,g hu Glory ln r,JJ,,Ef
The Coritents. _ _ . .. :dix:
,, . ', • -. - - -/ who'deli hts, to};c farv'd i,11h;, m4n-
of u, ,; the flowing forth ofhiJ Go,dnef, upon u,.: 011_r,fa_cking ,~ih,et1at1're of ~he Devi, . Jo fnd Hoj,e are moft agreeable.to
the Glory of God i, 011r ehdea&ourin'tto parr11kf·mwelo/God, ;;,r 6J hu w•rjh1pmd m,ft;i,,.}.g to him, The Righfa~prthm-
1111d t • ref,111/;le him ( a, much it, we can) in truo Holinefa, and
e11er1 Divin, Vert11e. Th,.t >re, ar( .not nic,IJ to ,diftinguifo be-
the ,,,1wre of Go
/i ons.o,f.·G_ad
•u:h,u are.apt ta b,g,t Love to Go,~, Dtl,ght a11d
tween the ·cto~r-of God and 'Oiir ""'" S,#vat'i~n. ,Th,.r-Salvar,~ 11 ;, h'1111Ji A true Ch"J•'
- • are ;II- ·an w;, more J'•or a fa!,J.• 11ndH,well-
Covfide,;~f '" " ,. h · f, r;1 rnre, and feeling, of 1°1• ow"'
nothing· elfa for· .the'md-r,, l,;1e at~«• 'ilitrtii:ip,nion' of-the Divine
Natt,re. ·To love Gad'a/,av, cur felv,'1, ·u-,1at"ta>/ove'hi,i; 4bive
gr.ounri_ed_f'eaqethm Jor 1 he 1J{11rance •f hi4 Salvation •. 7:'hat
Chri/f i1111_fho11l~ endeavou,t t ex ,a or dejire fame cxtraor1tn4rJ
the S,r/vation of Ollr So11/r; lmt it/Jave OIi~ p,ir'tic11/ttr,Bei11g, and he jhould -not m,port~nllth_!J b!t rather lo,L ·af,er t/,e manifofta-
above aU>-· finft,/J ajf,Efio,u, &c. · The Differenrthrwi!en Things ,.,,a ·
man1;eJ,auon1 °
m,
f Goadto , 1h, h'm "- · · b · · f
the foundation or egmmng o
that are Good relatively, and thofe that are•~Good if~{olt,te{J ,md
Ejfenrially: That in ourcanformi,y t~th,feGod ~ lnojt glorified, ' ion af the ,life
S of t G_•
t1on :"'th ~n ' s'o.,{ That- Sct•-r•Jitn111ian,
,n 14 onin n • r ,. b and
-
andwe,.remademoffHappy. · pag',403. ,_ •' , H111ven ana - a ,Va - - - 'fl are gr,11tly available -to o. tarn
the fubduing of at1r_own 'J\}~rdity of that Opinion, vi:,:,, Tha.c
.A'ffi11rance, The van•IJ afn a W' II to God's will a mon fhould
Chap. VI. The Fourth PropertyorEffccl: aifeov,,-;,,g the Ex- . i11 a, perfect re fiignat1oown
. no Damnation
our ' s and to be che ' .fib' .a.
u JC<,< Oll"
eellen'.J of Religian,viz. Tim it begets the greace(t Serenity and
be content Wht:h ~\ 1 if it lhould foplcafe God. pag. 4 2 3• -
Compofednelsof Mind, and brings the truel}' Concemment, the Eternal wrat n e ' 1 ., -
purdl and mofi fatisiying Joy and Pleafure coemy holy Soul.
Cod, tii being that Umfdl'ln chief Good, aHd the 'one l11ft'End, does Sixth Propeny or Effect difcoveri~g th~_E:~-
attr,m and fix the Soul. Wit/zyd mim 'dijh-al1ed tlirti11gh" Mul- Chap. VIII_, 7"he ;,. That it Spiiimalizes Matend th1ags,
tiplicitJ •/Objef:!J and Endr. Hon, the re/J/efl'Appetite·of our
cellenq,cf R,t,g,onS v I •of ll.ood men from Senfiblr. and. Ej'~h7
Willr· after 'fame Sr1preme Gaod leadr tb th, k,_nowllidge ( iii of a and carries up the ou sual and Divine. There are lef[,r "~ 1" •
chinasco things Intellect d . the Creaturn. To converfa wi:h God
Z;eitJ, lo)·-°.{ the U11ityofa Deity. Ho» th, Joy, and Delights /tr. ;',prefent~tions of Go ~,; t of the Senjikle World into the !n•
OJ Goodm•n differ fom and far exc,I! thofe if the Wickfd. Th,
in the Creation, and:_// '/\aught UJ Religion, Wick:d '11"'-
ConPantJand T,-antjllil/;tyofthtSph:iu ofG•od·menin reference
to Exter11al ~rMb/es. All PertilrlJ4ti/Jns of the Mind 11rife from teUect11a!, .i.i "'. 0{ J'~' "j//,,ing
out in rhe Cre,1tt1rei; they _c~n-
an Inward rather then an Ot1tri,4rd C,iuf,; Th, Stoicl<_, Method converfe not Wit O 111 .r la d Unjpiritual fltanner. Rel,g,on
for attaining •*e1~/,. a,rd truenft ex11mined, t11nd the lnf11jficie11 - verfe with th(m in a Sedt~:n t:Good men: it tettches them to look_
CJ of- ir di(cov,red, A further 1 Uuftrtttio11 of r,,hat ha, hen {aid does JPiritual1':'e the
at any Perfecl:1on1 or xa,
f;," •zc
fl i,s in themfelves and other,' ,m. (~
611t ,u fa many Bwns f/,ow,n[:
concerning the Pearefull Vmd Happy Stitte of Good men, from the
contrary State of the Wicl/jd, • pag, 41 2, - · m11ch /U Theirs or 'lh11t ot '"?·
,f Light. to bwethem al/in God,
fro.;; One and theh 8 ';;»! F~'/:/t:Odnefa
in~ Particular Being.~
and God in alt ; t e nsve~ ht in '.,.hat{oever Good he fee, ot. r-
Chap. VII.- The Fifth Property or Effect difaovering the Ex-
eellenCJ of Ri!igion, vi:,:,. Thac i cadv,111ceth the Soul co an holy Good man e,JioJ ,ind1 ~ h does not 1•ondfJ_ love And eft_eem
1•l•g
where, '" 'J•c •I· wereh h14011m. e
The-Divine · of thean•
temper' an«-,ftrain .
holdnefs and humble familiarity with God; and toa comfortable either him/elf or ot ers. .
ton fidence concerning the love of God fowards ic,and irs own Sal~ tientl'hilo[ophy, pag.4i9.
vation. Fe;rrfalne(,, Confterntttion of M;nd 4nd frightful/ pt1jfz-
,n. p - ert or Effed: di(co11e-
•~1are conf,qr,ent upon Sin and Guilt. 7hefe_together with the moft
difmalldepor1f1Je,,t, of TnmG!ing and a,na:,:,em,;,t are lfgreeabl, Cbap. IX. The Scventk ~nd ~1~. ~hat
[c 11ifeth the Min?s. of
ring the 1!.xce/lency of
Good men to a due O ,erva
'1\lb/'t.?~
of and :attendance upon ~d1v:ne
A - Prov1 _encc,
to
 The Contents.· The Conte11tS: li
Provid~nce, and enables them to ferve the Will" of God, and co
acquicfce in it, For a m11n to ferve Providence and the will of
God mtiret;, to work., with God, and to bring himfalf and all bu
11llion1 into a Compliance with God'n?ill, hu E11ds11nd D,Jigns,
0··1 s C otrR s E x.
Id an arg11ment of the trurfl Noblenef, of Spirit; ii u the mo.ft O.Fi ,,
,xcel/eneand di'lline /if,; and it u mo.fl for mans adv,,nt~ge, How
the Confideration of Divine Providence u-the way to inward qr,i,e.
nef, and eflablifomtnt of Spirit" How wicfi.!d men carry 1hem-
A·:,c::g,&:r-s:',T I AN s
{elver 1mbeuomingly through their imp111ienceand fret/11/nefs Hn-
der the diffofal, of Providence, The hea11ty and harman1 of the CqNFL1i:frsvvith1 & CoNQ!lEST? over,.
VArious M11hod1 of Providence. pag, 43 5•
Chap. X. 4. The Excellencie of Religion in regard of its Pro-
grefs, ,u it u perpetually carrying on the Soul
toward, PerfaElion,
s
. ,.A 't A N.
Every N,ture hmh its proper Centre which it hajlens to, Sin and Hap. I. ~Th; _lntroduEfion, su;:;a;1{.,,:r;:'!"/°!oe~h: ~=d
Wickednefs u within thtattraEl-ive power of Hell, and haftens thi-
ther: Grace and Holinefs I, within the Central force of Heaven,
C petsul Emmty. be twee; Go1 '. ,u al/o hftw,en Whatfoevel"
the Principle of J:.v,L, h~hh;. f;;,,; the D,vil. That Wicksdmen
,tnd move, thither. 'Ti, not the Speculation of Het1ven tU a thing
u from Gad and that w ,c . God within 1kem, iind. de'llefl*
to come th.'1 Jatkfiesthe deftrer of Rcligiom Soul,, bfft the real/
Pojfe/]ion of it even in thu life. Men are apt to /et!,.• afur ..1j[u- by.-.dlftroyinf. _what 'i"b i/'-:'i.arh anJ alliance to God trfleor
ingthemf,lveJ°f allf,t at.~.. ;/nm/elves into ,he D/aholic11lim11ge,
ranct of He11ven ,u athing to come, rather then after Heavenih
[elf and the inward poffeffion of it hm. How the AJf11rance of Gsodnefs, .in tram orm,n,. nee and conver/e with the Devil, The
Heaven rif,s from the growth of Holinefs and the powerful! Pro- fit themfelves f•r corre~~"te . ,Jiff both the .Apoft11te Spir#t and
grefs of Religion in our Soul,. That we are not hafti!y to helieve wsc/e!d men.' . toe well"-! ;,
:,f
F~n·and HorT.r~{.s w '[;,~ the De'11.il's kJ'!gd,om; Chrijl's
.
ghat we are Chrijf,, or that Chriftin'n m. That the Work} which fuccefsagain/Ut, pag.455. .
Chrif} dou ;n holy So11/1 teft,fJ of him, and /Jeft evidence Chrift',
fPiri11111! appe,mwce in them, pag, 439. , .ii bfervahle That the Devil is conthmally
Chap. XI. 5. The. Excellency 0fReligion in regard ofits Term bufie with. us:7',heDrtc:rf,::,,,
Cha.p. II. The F";• o d ,il ;nder a do11ble notion, I. As an
God, ·,z;he greiit da11ger of the

h\::{eJ~1;~
and End, vh. Perfed Blefiednefs, How 11n11l,/e we are in this jf11te .ApoftMe Spmt w ,c . 1e . . . · . 'fi · ,; himfelf,in [ome -corpo•
to wnprehend and defcribe the F11/I and Perfea ft ate sf Happinefs '.[)~vii, allivitj, n~t 0
~;,e,ars not, The wedf,__11,/1
and Glory to Gome. 7 he moreGodlik..! a Chriftian it, the better may real foape, but when. e if, 'J. •f him on!, when he appe,m em-
he t,nderft,rnd that Stifle, Holinefs ""d Happinefs not two diftir.ll
:hings, {n,t two f,ver,d Notion~ of one ,md the fame thing. Hea- body1d, That the Goa P
;f:
_.,,ia folly of tho{e who"'// 1 of God i4 allive for the Good ~f
,f h entle n,otions"cf tht V,-
ven cannot fo we/1 /,e defined 6y any thing without u,, "'by fame- S~~lt. 1!~~rega;t'efs ,,.~:t:hf:a :nd l,c11re, under the S~g_gef1i:
thing within™• The great nMrnefs and affinity between Sin and· v•_ne Spir_ •. t., an . •~ un Hi. . . •• ,,J,,r~over the De.l'.l_,t ,n hu
Hell. The Conclufton of this Treatife,, containing a /eriom Exhor- h E '/ Sp'iY~t,· on> we m~., "~" . .
ons of t C an
Stratag,rns . ··d·er hu• J'rever'4l J;r:g"i{11
v,d lln ii
;;ndap_.Pearanm. pig.
tatio_n to ti diligent mind,.,g of 'R._Jligi•n, with a Difaovery of the·
Vamty of thofa Pretrnfn which k!ep men offfrom miNding Religi- 45B, · ..
on. pag. 443 •.
Chap. III, 2. Of 1h1 alliviry of the ~e;itconjidered.u aSpir:f
r·

Iii The Contents: The Contents~ liii

,f Apofl-afle and IU A Degener'ate, natflre ·;,. mm.That the -Devil
is not only rhc name of one P~rticular thing, /;Ht a Narnre. The
Difference between the Devit 11ndWickfd men is rather the Diffe-
nnce of a\NAm~ then of Natures. The KiHgdom and Tyranny
of tke Devit and H~O is thiefiy within, i1nhe \Q,_ua/it£e1- and Dif-
P;tJfitmu of men1 M!nd!. Mep ar~ apt t,rquarre/1 with the Devil
in the name _and_ no:zon, ~nd d1fie hnn with__ their,Timgties, while
they entt.rt?in him tn tkm· Hea~N, and comply with all rh#which
the Dev1,l ,s. Tke vamty of their-pretended LoT.le to God, and Ha-
tredof _the Devil. That t~ere is n_othing Better then God hi'm(e!f,
fo1· winch we fhou/d love him.;. 4n{to love him for hi-1 own ;Bra11-
tJ a~d Excellency i~ t~e heft way of loving him. That there i.1
nrJthmg worfe then Sm zt fe!f, for rvhiclo we foou!d hate it • 11nd to
hate it for i~s own d_eformi.ty is ~he. trmft way of hating
Hell and Miftry ari,fes from withm men. wby wick_td men are· (o
it:
How
felve1: 2,Goa!J pormfull affifting all faithfuU Chrifli11m in thu
'Rlarfare. The Devil may allure and tempt, but ca1Jnot prevaile,
exc,cpt men confent and )'ield to hid fnggeftion.r. . The Devil's
flrength lies in menJ treachery and f alfcnefs to theiro wn S-qU/s.
Sin u.ftrong, · bec11,ufe men fJppofe it weakJy. The Error of the
Manichees.. _aho~t··. a Principium mdi defended by mm in tbeir
/iv.ts• and pr11llicm. Of God's ·readinefs to ~ffiff Chriflians in·
their Spiritual Confliils; /oi& Compa/fionate regArds and the more
Jlncial refpefls of hu Providence towards them in (11ch occaftons.
The Concl1,ft,m, di/covering the Evil and Horridneµ of Magi~k.,
DiabfJlical Contrafls, &c. pa~. 47 4.

infenji'1/e of their Mifery in this life. pag. 462. ~

Chap. IV. The Second Ob{ervah!e, viz, The Warfare of a

Chriffo.1.n ]~fe. !rue Religion conji_ft snot in t1t mere paffi:ve capacity
"-~d fluggifo k.!nd f doin_g noth111g_, nor in a melancholy fitting
fttllor fl~thfµfl w,m:ng, &c. hut tt confifls in inward life and
power, v,go#r and aclivity, A difcovery of the dulnefs 1111d er-
ro.neOPJ(ncfs of that Rypot~eji,, viz. 'T~Jat Good men 11re who'J
P aj]ive and ,mable at any hme to move without fome external im ..
pe ms, fame i"'!preJl!on an~ ~mp~l(e from without upon them: or>
That alt Mo_t,ons m, B.ebgeon are from an E.>.·ternal Principle.
Of the Q.f!alsty and N aturc of the tm~ Spiritual warfare, and of
the Mann1r and Method of tt. That :.tu tranjalled t:1pon the in-
ner Stage_of ,mm So~l.r, andma~aged without Noife or pompom
Ohfervatton ; _and w1tho11t any hindrance or pnjndice· to-the mo.ft
peace/11/1? fedate and eompofed temper of tt reJigio:u Soul. Thid
f,mher tUuflrated from ~he c~njideration of the falfe 11nd preten-
ded Zea_! fo-;: _God and hu JCmgdome againft the Devil; which
~hough tt he 1~peM11UJ,. and makes a gre.11 noife, and a fair fhew
'J.n the. world, u yet !10th impotent 11nd i'ne/feElual. pag. 469.

Ch:tp. y. The Third 0/Jfervable, vi~. The Certainty of Suc-

c~fs and vrtlory co all thofe that rel1~ the Devil. Thu grounded
up,n. I, Tbe We:1k._t1efs of the Devil and Sin con.fidend in them•
[elves.
 J\
D I S C O V R S E
Concerning

The true WAY or METHOD-

of attaining to

DIVINE KNOWLEDGE
Pfal. 3, 10. -
The Fear of the Lord u the Beginning of Wifdomc .• a,
goodUnderjltmding have alt they.that doe hi-s Command-:
ments,
John 7. 17~
If any man will doe hu Will, he jhallknoiv of the do--
ll-rine, whether it be of God--

elem. Alexandr. Strom. 3.

I1ws ,N ~ d'uu«.-wv, ~,.,.1,,~;ra,.~ ~ OWfMX1-~ M1ovcZi1,-
~0/J.9lHS-a,, 'l?f)Kue)'f', ~'.)A"WQZV~xqv G>t:9 ;----
068 :'.) ')'Vooutv i\a.[6~v. tJOO ~'TI~ •1~J1 ,mc,iSr,;v d~,4,]otc,
d&iwa.lov--- ·
I N "f I ~ / ,I N \ , I \ >"f
T a, '7l'JS '7TO/\.lJEuv; eJ,.eJIX'! or.t<poos rr~s eyvCAnt9~CM ,m,,s c,1ca'!'
°Aas. ~ ,iif,J it«.p7mV ITQ (NvJ\e,pv, Gtm ~ ~ d,,3w~. '8
,m1di\CIJY~ rywe}(ej, ~ 'Fruu,s 6wJ
?,'-ilEl«n, m 01( ~ ,...6y_lJ ~ ~ Jv~~~.
°" ~ x"'pw;-~ rzlS im--
 A PR.£FATORY DISCOURSE I
CONCE-RNIN6
The true Way or Method ofa.ttaioing tm
D I V 1-N'E KN OW t. E Q G E.

Section I. _Thai Divine thiPgs 1tre to be underftood ra-

ther by a Spiritual Senfation then a_ Verbal Defcripti-
.on, or meer Specul.ition. Sin and Wickedmj prej11di~
cial to ']'rue Knowledge. That Pur#y ofHeart and
Life, ,u a/Jo an IngmuoU1 _Free~ome of,[fudgment, are
the beft Grounds andPreparations for the Entertain-
nmit of Truth. . . _ .
Seel:. U. AnobjeE/i-0n againfl the Method ofKnow:ng
laid down in the former Secl:ion, anfwered. '!'hat Mm
!{_tntrally, no_twithftanding their Apoftafle, arefurni-
Jbed with the Radical Principles of True Knowled_l{'·
Men want mt Jo much Means of_ knowing what they
.1J11ght to doe, .,u Wills to due what they know~ Prafli-
cal KnowleJ$e differs from all other I(nowlulge, 11nd
.excdls it. ·
· Seel:. IIL Men may be confider' din II Fourfold capacitJ
in order to the perception of Divine things. That the
. Be{l and mofl excellent Knowledge. of Divine thinis
belongs onely to the trtlt and fober C hriftian; and That
it is b1it in#s infancy while he is in this Earthly Body.
SBCT, I.

U T hath been long fince well obferved, That

every Art & Scien.c,e hath fome certain Prin-
ciples upon which the whole Frame and £ody
of it mull: depend; and he that will fully ac-
quaint himfelf with the Myfl:eries thereof, mufr come
'furni!ht with fome Pr-,cognita or .,,,-ei,1'.ll"f,j;, that I may
fpeakin the language of the Stoicks. Wcrel indeed to
· B ·define

-
!.
i
-- - . ---~--------·--·

z Tl,e true Way or Method
define Divinity/I fhould rather call ic a Divine life
then a Divine fcience ; it being fomething rather to b~ ·
underil:ood by a spiritual (enfation, then by any Verbal
defcription, as all things otSenfe & Lifo are befl: known
by Sentie!].t and VitalTaculties ; ')"~u,d'!i,r,,v J'i' .,,_0 , 0•
'1117@. ')tifil•u, as the Greek Philofopher hath well ob-
ferved, Every thing is beft known by that which bears
a ju!l: re[emblance. and. analogie with it: and th<;refore
the Scripture is wont to fet forth a Good'/ife as the Pro- .
lepjis and Fundamental principle of Divine Science •
Wifdome hath built her an houfe, and hewen 011t her (eve~
pillars: But the fear of the Lord is .tq:'.11'.I n•triN7. the be~
ginning of wifdome, the Foundation of the whole fa.
brick. · intrate quttre Deum, feek tor God within thine own
We {hall therefore, as a PrQlegomenon or Preface.to
what we fhall afterward difcourfe upon the Heads.of
Divinity, fp~ak~ fomething of this Tr11e Method of
Know1~1g_, wh1ch3s not fo much by Notions_ as Al1ions;
as Religion 1t ielf confifts not fo much m W@rds as
Things. They are not alwaies the befl: skill'd irt Divi-
nity, that are the moll: ll:udied in thofe Pandecfs which
it is fometimes digell:ed into, or that have erecl:ed the
greatefl Monopolies of Art and Science. He that is
moll: Prt1lli~al in Divine things, hath the prireifand
fincereft Knowledge of them, and not he thatismoft
Dogmatic.fl, Divinity indeed is a true Effiux fro111 t!ie
Et~rml light, which, hke the Sun-bea~s, does not only
enlighten, but heat and enliven; and therefore our Sa-
viour hath in his Beatit1idrs connext Purity of heart
. with the Beatifical Vifion. And asthe~ye cannot be-
f'-"
P1o11n. E11 , •· hold the Sun, ,ii\io,;,J'i,, ?"vo/4<,@., unlefs it be s,m-
1·6· like, and hath the form and refernblance of the· Sun
dr2wn in it ; fo neither can the Soul of rrtah behold
God, ~11011iNs /JAi ~YoJMYn, un\efs it be rNdlike, hath
God
l~
-
l.;'.·.
,
of attaining to Dii,ine /(nou,ledge. 3
God formed ln it, ~d be made partaker of the Divine
Niture, And the Apofrle S. Pa11l, when he would lay
.open the right way of attaining to Divine Truth, he
f-aith that Knowledge pujfeth 11p, but itis Love that edi-
fieth. · The knowledge of Divinity that appears in
syjlcms and Models is but a poor wan light, but the
powerful energy of Divine knqwledge difplaies it felf
in purified Souls: here we {hall fin de the true ,r,J'iov
dAn;raa,;, as the antient Philofophy fpeaks,the land of
Truth.
To feek our Divinity meerly in Books and Wri-
tings, is to feek theli-r;ing among the dead: we doe but
in vainfeek God many times in rhe[e, where his Truth
too often is not fo much enfbrin' d, as entomb' d: no;
foul; he is bell: difcern' d vo&pq; ~,r«.f~, as Piotinus phn-
feth it, by an Intellel111al touch of him: we muftfee
with our tyes, and hear with our ears, and our hands 11111p
handle the word of life, that I may exprefs it in S.:John s
words. "Es1 ca +uxns-a-l.&ntFis '11', The Soul it felfhath
its fenfe, as well as the Body: and therefore David,
when he would teach us how to know what the Divine
Goodnefs is, calls not for Spm1iatian but Senjation,
'Taft and fee how good. the Lord is. That is not the
heft & true{!; knowledge ofGod which is wrought out
by the labour and fweat of the Brain, but that which
is kindled within us by an heavenly warmth in our
Hearts. As in the natural Body it is the Heart that
fends up good Blood and warm Spirits into the Head,
whereby it is bell: enabled to its feveral funetions ; fo
that which enables us to· know and underil:and aright
inthe things of God, muft be a living principle ofHo-
line[s within us. When the 'Tree of Kno1vledge is not
planted by the 'I'ree ,f Life, and fucks not up fap from
B 2. thence,.
 The true Way or Method·
thence, it may be as well fruitful with ·e"il as witl't
good, and. bring forth iitterfruit as well as /wttt. · If
'!e would mdeed have our Knowledge thrive and Rou-
nih, we muft water the tender plants 0£ it with Holi-
nefs. When Zoroajftr's Scholars asked hiin what
the! fuou)d doe t'? get winged Souls_,. fuch· as, might
f'?a1 aloft ur the bright beai_ns of DlVlneTruth, he
bid~ them bathe themfelves m the wuterf of Life : they
askmg what _they were; he tells them,the four cardinal
rm11es,_ whi~h are the fo11r. Rivers of Paradife, It is
but a_ chm, a1_ery _knowle1ge chat is got by meer Spe-
culanon,. wlucli 1s ufher d in by Syllogifms and De.
monftrat1on_s; but that which fprings forth from: true
Goodne~s,. '.~ ';;;-ew'-np~v '71_ ":ami,_ ~J'c.i~e,,,,, as origw
~peaks, 1t b11ngsfuch-~ D1vme light mto the Soul, as
1s more clear and convmcmg then· any Demonfrration;
The reafon W?Y, nocwithftanding a!I our acute reafons
and fob~tle d1fputes, Truth prevails no more in the
wo~ld,. 1s, we fo often disjoyn ·Tn~th and tr?e Goodmj?,
which 111J themfelves can never oe· d1~urn~ed ; they
growboch fromche-fame Rooc:, andhvemoneano-
the~. We may, like thofe in, Pl11tis deep pit with
thell' fa~es bended downwards, converfe with so11nds
and Shadow~; but liot with th_e Life and ~116j!ance of
Truth, while- our Souls,remam defiled with any vice
or lufts. Thefeare the·black Lethe lakewhich drench
0
the Soules of men : he that wants true Vertue in
beavn's _Logick is _Mind; andcannetfee afar off. Thofe
filthy m1fts thac·anfe from impure and terrene minds,
like·an Atmoff heare,perpetually tncompafs them that
they cannot fee that Stm · of Divine Truth that /hines
116011t them, but never lhines into any unpur~ed 'Souls .
the darknefs comprehends it not the fooliili · man un:
derftands it not. All the Light and Knowledge rhat"
may.
ofa,taining to 'Di--,;im l(nou,ledgt. '1
may feem fom~time~ ~o rife up in unhallo~ed mindes;
is but like thole fuhgmous flames that anfe up from
our culinary fire, that are foon quench'd in their own
f moak. or like thofe foolifh fires chat fetch their birth
from te~nne exudations, that doe but hop up & down,
and flit to and fro upon the furfuce of this' earth where
they were fir ft brought forth ; and frrye notfo much
to enlighten, as to delude us ; nor to d1recl:. the wan-
dring traveller into his way, but to- lea~·· hi_m ·farth~r,
out ofit. While we lodge any filthy vice mus, this
will be perpetually twilling up it felfinto the thread of
our fineft-fpun Speculations ; it will be continually
climbing up into the To 'H'Jlif19V'"-"', the Hegemonica/1,
powers of the Soul, i~to t~e ~ed ?f Reafon, and aefile
it: like the wanton Ivie tw1ftmg 1tfelf aboutthe Oak,
it will twine aboutour Judgments and Underftandings;
till it hath fack' d out, the Life and Spirit of them. f
cannot think fuch black oblivion ihould polfefs the
Mindes of fame as .to make them queftion chat Truth
which to Good· men fhines as bright as, the Sun at
noon-day, had they not foully defil'd thei: own ,Soul_s
with fome: hellifu vice or other, how fairly foever 1t
may be they may dHf~mble it. Therds? benum~
ming. Spirit, a con~e3Jmg:Vapour that· anfeth from
Sin and Vice, that w1!Ul:up1:fie the fenfes of the Soul;
as the NJtur:.ilifts fay there is from the 'J'grpedo ~h~t·
fmites the fenfes of thofe that approach to it. This 1s1
that venemous Si!lan11m, that dcadly·Nightjhade, that'
derives its cold poyfon, into the Underfl:andings of
me;~~h as Men themfelves are-, fuch will God him•·
felffeem to be. It is the:M:ixim ofmoft wicked men,•
That the Deity is fome way o_r oth~r like themf~lv~s:
their Souls doe more.then wh!fper 1t, though d1e1r lips,
B 3 fpeak
 ,·
-
6 -The trtLe_Way or Mitl:,ad
I fpe~k !t not; ~nd thoughiheir tongues be filen_t, yet
I their hves cry tt upon the houfe-tops & in the publick
!}reets.. That Idea whi_ch men gene;ally have of God
1s nothmg elfe but the p1cl:~re of t~eir own Complexi-
on : that Archetypall notion of him which hath the
fupremacie in their mindes, is none elfe but fuch an one
as hath been ihap'd out according to fome pattern of
th~tnfelves; th_ough they may fo cloathe and difguife
this Idol of their own, when they carry it about in a
pompous Proceffion to expofe it to the view of the
w?rld, that it may feem very beaut_iful, and indeed an_y
~hlllg elfe rather then what it is. Moft men ( though
t~ may be ~hey th~mfelves take no great notice of it )
l1_ke t~at ~1lfembl~ng Monk, doe aliter [entire in scho-
11$_, al1ter !n Muf~u, are of a different judgment in the
S~hools from what they are in the retirements of their
private clofets. There is a dotlble head, as well as 4
de,,~le heart. Mens corrupt hearts will not fu1fer their
not1o_ns and concepti?ns of divine things to be caft in-
t? that form ~h~t an higher Reafon, which may fome-
tune work wtthm them, would put them into.
. ~ I would not be thought all this while to banilh the
belief of all Innate notions of Divine Truth: ·but thefe
are too often finothe(d, or tainted with a deep dye of
l'l?ens _filthy l~s~ It 1s but lux fepulta in opaci mate-
r,a, light buned and ftifled in fome dark body, from ·
whence all thofe colour·d, or rather difcolour'd noti-
ons and apprehenfions of divine things are begotten.
~ hou~h thefe Com!Jlon notions may be very bufiefom-
t1mes m !he 'l'egetation of divine K~owledge; yet the
corrupt vices of men may fo clog, d1fturb and:overrule
them,(as the Naturalifts fay this unruly and• mafterlefs
m_atter doth the natural forms in the formation of 1i-
vmg creatures) that they may produce nothing but
Monfters
of attaining to TJi'J1ine l(now/edge~
Monllers miferablydiftorted & mis!]up!n· T_!iis ~nd
7 _.
of Science as Plotinm fpeaks, ~ VAtX(fl "1t>i\.\'f1 ov,r,m,
@ ei, @I@ · ' , l: I
eurd'fc,a,p.tm, '>t, 0 ' I~ '"f I _J "'
E10·@. e'lfe,pv 11M.ae;,1%-to Xe,stu'i 'T1J
'@f'o; 'TD xeiePv , comp~ny/n$ toof~mili~rl1 with_Matter,
4 nd rtceiving And ,mhtbtng tt znto tt fetfc, ch~ngetl,
its foafe by thi5 incejlteom mixtur~. At befi, ,~fol~ any
inwara luft is harboured iri the mmds_of men, it will fo
·weaken them, that they can never brmg ~orth any ma-
fculine or generous knowledge ; as v£ltan obferves of
the Stork, that if the Night-owle ch~nc~th t~ fit ~po11
her eggs , they become pre~ently as it were. '\!liJ"nve~ec,>
and all incubation rendred 1mpotent and meffecl:ual.
Sin and luft are alway ofan hungry nature" a~d fuck up
all thofe vital affections of mens Souls which fhould
feed and n·ourit11 their Underftandings. '
What are all our moft fublime Speculations of the
Deity, that are not impregnated wit~ t~ru Goodne(t, but
infipid thinos that hav~ no t~ft nor life m them,diat do
bui:- fivell like empty froath m the fouls of men,: They
doe aot feed-mens fouls, but onely puffe th~m up & fill
them with Pride, Arrogance and Contempt. and Ty-
rannie towards thofe that cannot well ken _their fubt_ile
as
Curiofities: thofe Philofophers that T11(ly ~om_pla1_ns
of in his times, qui difciplina fl!~m oftentatton~ fc1~ntu:,
non legem _vit£, putab ant , _which made t~e1r know-
fodo-e· onely matter of ofl:entation, to vend1tate and fet
off~hemf.elves, but neyer caring to fquare an~ gov~rn.
their lives by it. Such as thefe doe but Sp1der-lrke
take a great deal of pain_s to _fpiil a worthlefs web:(?Ut
-0f their own bowels which will not keep them warm.
Thefe indeed areth;fe filly Souls that are ever learn-
ing, h11t never come :o the kno:"ledge of th~ Truth. They
.inay, with Phar~_oh s lean k111e, eat up ~ndd_evoure all
Tongues and Sc1e11ces, and yet when. they 11ave dftfl?
8 The.true Way or Mttl10d
fiill remain lean and iil favour'd as-they were at firft-
0
J ejune and barren Speculations may be hovering and
£uttering up anddown about Divinity, but theycan-
not fettle or fix themfelves upon it : they unfold the
Plicatures ofTruth'.s garment, but they cannot behold
the lovely face of it. There are hidden Myll:eriesin
Divine Truth, wrapt up one .within another, .which
cannot be difcerq'd but onely by clivine.Epoptijh..
Wt:mull: not think we have then attained to the
right :kmwledge of 'fruth, when we have broke
through the outwards hell of words & phrafes that houfe
it up; or when by a Logical Analyfi. we have found out
the dependencies and coherencies of them one with
another; or when, like frout champions ofit, having
well guarded it with the invincible ftrength of our
Deinonfrration, we dare frand out in thefaceofthe
world, and challenge the field of' all thofe that would
fretend to be our Rivalls. · '
We ha v.e many Grave and Reverend Idolaters that
wodhip Truth ocely in the Image of theirown Wits;
that could never adore it fo much as they may feem .to
doe, were it any thing elfe but fuch a Form of Belief as
their own wandring [peculations had at !all: met toCYe-
thc:r in, _w~re it not ~hat they find their own image fnd
fuperfcnpnon upon it.
There is a /mow in~ of the truth ,u it ii in :Jefm, -as it
is in a Chrifl-like nat11re, as it is in that fweet, mild,
hamble, and loving Spirit of Jefos, which fpreadsit-
felflike a Morning-Sun upon the Soules of go9d men,
foll of light and life. le profits litle to kn@w Chrift
him[elf after the llelh ; but he gi,,es his Spirit to good
men, that fearcheth the deep things ofGod. There is
ani_nward beauty, life and lovelinefs in Divine Truth,
which cannot be known but onely then when it is di-
gefted
of attaining to Dil.·ine l(nowledge.
gell:ed into life and prad:ice. The Greek Philofopher
could tell thofe high-foadng Gnofticks that thought
themfelves no lefs then fovu alites, that cpuld ( as he
fpeaks in the Comedy ) depo~a.leiv ::1 ~q,poveiv ®)
;/1'.,av . and cried out fo much (31'.om ,;;;;po, 11- Geov, tool:
upon 'Go d, h .,,,..,,.
t at a.vcv a.pein, 0eo,' "ovoWJ, 1-i9vov,
' Wtt'h 011t
vertue and reat Goodmf God. is hat a name, a dry and.
empty Notion. The profane fort of men, like thofe
old Gentile Greeks, may make many ruptures in the
walls of God's Temple, and break into the holy
ground,• ,but yet rriay findc God no more there then
they did. · : · . .
Divine Truth IS better underftood, as 1t unfolds 1t-
felfin the purity of mens hemes and lives, then in all
thofe fubtil Niceties into which curious Wits may
lay it forth. ~n~ therefore our S~viour, who is the
great Ma/l:er of u, would not, while he was here on
earth, draw it up into any Syfteme or Body, no: would
his Difciples after him ; He would not lay It _out to
us in any canons or Articles of Belief, not bemg mdeed
fo careful to ftockand enrich the World with Opini-
ons and Notions, as with true Piety, and a Godlike
pattern of purity? as th~ bef1: way to thrive in all fpi-
ritual underfranding. His mam fcope was ~o promote
an Holy Iife, as the heft and mofr compen_d1ous way_ to
a right Belief. He hangs all true acquamtance _with
Divinity upon the·doing Gods wiU, If any man w,ll doe
his will, he jha!l kn•w of the dotlrine, whether rt be of
God, This is that alone which will make us, asS. Pe-
ter tells us; that we lhaU not be barren nor unfTllitfiel in
the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. T~ere is an
inward fweetnefs and delicioufne[s in divine Truth,
which no fenfual minde can tall: or ielli(h : this is that
{ux1,i.o, dv~p, that natural· man that favours not. the
. .C ' thmgs
 r
I 1o The trne Way or Method
things of Gocl. Corrupt p:iffions and terrene affed:i-
ons are apt of· their own nature to difturb all ferene
thoughts, to precipitate our· Judgments, and warp
our Undedhndings. .It was a good Maxime -0f the
old Jewilh Writers, t!Jl/:l:l N'l1 :iw:i i'1itu N7 tU,p;, n,,
the Holy Spirit dwells not in cerrene and emhty p,f.
fions. Divinity is not fo well pet·ceiv' d by a fubtile
wit, _,;;=ep d,.&,iatf_,,~)C.a,,;mp~J~ a. hy a pttrijiedJenfe, ai
Plot mm phrafeth Jt, · ·
_Neit~1er w:is the antient Philofophy unacquainted
with this vy~y and Method of attaining to the know-
; Eib, Nicom. ledge of D1vme thmgs ; and therefore* Ari(fotle him-
.. •· felf thought a Young man unfit to meddle with the
grave precepts of Morality, till the heat and violent
prec1p1tancy of his youthful affections was cool'd and
moderated. And it is obferved of Pythagor,u, chat he·
had feveral wales to try the capacity of his Scholars,
an~ to prove the fed11tenej and Moral temper of their·
minds~ before he would cntrufi: them with the fublimer
My~eries of his Phil?f?phy. The Platonifts were
he_:ern fo .w_a_ry and fohc1tous, that they thought the
Mrndes of men could never be purg' d enough from
thofe ea;thly dregs of Senfe and Paffion, in which they
werefo ml,!Ch freep'd, before they could be capable of
th~i~ divine Metaphyficks , and therefore they fo much
fohcite_a x,r,,e,,.uµ,d, ~ ,,i; wf{!l,7@., as they are wont to
phrafe 1t, 4 Jep11r11tiM from the Body, in all thofe that
:would ><a.;;w.,~, q,,l\om;.<ps•, ass ocrates fpeaks, that is
mdeed, fincerely undedl:and Divine Truth; for that
was thefcopeoftheir Philofophy. This was alfoint-i-
mated hy them in their defining Philofophy to be JM"-i-
,.,, S,:t,f.aTH a Meditation of Death; aiming herein at one-
ly a Moral way of dying, by loofeningtheSoul from the
B?dy and this Senfitive life ; which they thought was
nece!fary
LJ
ofattaining to Di'1,inel(not1Jledge. 11
ne~effary to a righi: Contemplati~n of, Intelligible
thmgs: and therefore betides thofe "'fe1a., ><a..&c<,pln1.a.t
by whi_ch th~ Souls of men were tobe feparated from
fenfualrt-y and pu!ged from- flelhly :filth, they<devifed
a further way of. 'Septiration more·accommodated.fo
the condition of Philofophers, which ,vas dieit MAthe:..
mata, .or· Mathematical Contemplations, whereby the
Souls of men might farther /ha~e off their dependeticy
upon Senfe, and learn to go ·as 1t were alone, without
the crutch of any Sentible or Materiai thing to fupport
them ; ·and fo be a litde inur' d, bein~•once goi: up above
the Body, to converfe freely with Immaterial natures,
without looking down again and falling back into
Senfe. Beftdes many other waies they had, whereby
to rife out of this dark Body; dvac,(6d,crf, C1< -ril a;;nl',.4{i,,
as they are wont to call them, feveral fteps and afcents
out of this miry cave of mortality, before they could
fee any fure footing with their Intellecl:ual part in the
hnd ofLighc andlmmortal Being,
And thus we iho::ild pafs from this Topick of our
Difcourfe, upon which we have dwelt too long already,
but that before we quite let it goe, I hope we may fairly
make this ufe of it farther ( betides what we have open-
ly driven at all this while) which is, To learn not to
devote or give up our felves to any private Opinions
or Dictates of men in matters of Religion, nor too
zealoufly to propugne the Dogmata of any Seer. . As
we lhould not like rigid Cenfurers arraign & condemn
the Creeds ofother men which we comply not with,
before a full & mature underftanding of them, ripened
not onely by the namral fagacity of our own Reafons,
but by the benign influence of holy and mortified Af-
fettion: fo neither lhould we over-haftily credm in ft-
dem alienam, fubfcribe to the Symbols and Articles of
C 2 other
 ,Tbe true. Wa_y., oti ¥'ethoJ: ·
other men.· They are not alwaies the, ]!~ft men that
blot moftpap_er; Truth is not,I fea1\foVoluminous,
nor fivells into fuch.a mighty bulk as our Books ·doe.
Thofe mindes are :not alwaies ~he moft cha,ft that are
moft. patturient with •thefe-Jearned Difcourfes:, which
too often bear upon them a foule ftain- of their unlaw...
full propagation. Abitter juice of corrupt affed:ions
may fometimes be ftrain' d into the inke ofour greatefr
Clerks, their Doetrines may tall: too· fowre of the cask
t.hey eome: through •. We are not alwaies happy··in
meeting with that-whol.fome food (-as,fome are wont to
call the Doctrinal-part of Religion-) which hath been
drefs• d out by the cleaneft hands. Some men have ·too
b.ad hearts to have good heads : they cannot be good at
Theorie who have been fo-bad at the Practice,._ as we
may jufrly fear too many of thofe from whom we are
apt to take_ the Articles of our ·Belief. have been..
Whilft we plead fo much our right to· the patrimony
of our Fathers, we may take too faft a poffeffion .0£
their Errors as well-as of their fober- opinions. There
are Idola j}.ecr,-s, Im,-ate Prejudices, and deceitfull· By-
pothefes, that many times wander up and down in the
Mindes of good men,that may flie out f;om them with-
their graver deter_minatioas. We can never_ be· well
a!fur'd- what our·Tr.aditional Divinity is.; nor-. can we
fecurely enough addiet our felves to anr Sett-of men.·:
That which was the 1Philofopher's- inotto ,. 'EA6t~e9v
11) d'a·rr~ '}'VWfA,~f}J p,e»i.ovfa, cp,>.i.oari(pav' we may a little
enlarge, and fo fit it for an-ingenuous- purfuer -after di-
vine Truth: He that will find~ Truth, muft foek · it:
with aFee judgment, and a fanll1fted minde: he. that.
thus feeks, {hall finde; he ilialllive in-Truth, and that
{hall live in• him•; it iball be like a ftream of living· .
waters i1ftiing out of his own Soule;· he {hall-drink 0£
· the.
i,fattafoing:to Vi1Jine I(no,vledge. _ ~;
the waters:" of -lii~ own cifter~e, and be fatisfied: ~ ·--he
fhall every morn!ng finde tlus Heavenly Man~a lying
upon the top of hts own Soule, and be fed With it to
e~emal l~fe ; h~ wil~ finde_ fatisfa&ion within,, feeling
himfelf m conJuntt1on, with Truth . though all the ·
World fuould difpute againfi: him~ '
A N. D thus I {hould again.leav_e ·this Argument,.
but that perhaps we may all this while have
, .feemed to undermine what we intend to build
up.. For· if Divine Truth fpring onely up from the
Root of true Goodnefs ; how {hall we ever endeavour
to be good, betore we know what it is to be fo ,: or how
fhall we convince the gainfaying world of Truth , un-
lefs we could alfo infpire Vertue into it ,:
· To both which we iliall make this Reply, That_there
arefome Radical Pr-inciples· of Kno~ ledge that are fo,
1
deeply funk into the Souls of men, as- that the Impref-
.fton cannot eafily be obliterated, though it .may .be
much darkned. Senfual bafenefs doth not fo orofly
fully and bemire the Souls of all Wicked men af firft .
as~ to make them with J>iagora-r to deny the Deity, or
w_tth ProtagortU to_ doubt ·o~, or with Diodorm to= que--
fhon the Immortality of Rational Souls. Neither are the
c;ommoti Principles of Vertue fo puW d up by the roots·
in.all, as to make them fa-dubious in frating the bounds:
of Vertue and Vic_e as· Epicttrmwas, though he could·
not but fometime take notice of them. · N e~ther is the:
Retentive power of Truth fo weak and loofe in all Sce-
pticks, as it was in him, who being well fcourg!d in'.the:
·· . C 3 ftre~s;
 ·Tbe.trtle Way or MetbQd
ftr~ts -dU -the blood ran about him, quet1:ion, d-when ·
he came home, whether he had been beaten or no~.
.Arrianm hath well obferved, That the Common Notz-
ons of God and Ytrtree impreft upon the Souls of men,
are more clear and perfpicuo~s then any elre; _and.that
if rhey have not morf! certainty,. yet. hav_e th~y more
evidence, and di[play themfelves WltQ le[s ~1fficulty
to -our Refie.-.:_i'Ve Faculty then any Ge?memcal De-
monftrations: and thefe are both ava1leable to pre-
fcribe out waies of Vertue to mens own fouls, and to
force an acknowledgment of Truth from thofe that
oppofe, when they are well guided by a skilfull h~nd.
Truth needs not any time tlie from Reafon, there bc-
ine: an Eternal amitie between them. They are onefy
forne private Dogmat1:, that may well be_ fufpetted as
f purious and adulterate, that dare not abide the tryaU
thereof. And this Reafon is not every where fo ex-
tino-uifh' d, as that we may not by that enter into t~e
So~ls of men. What the Magnetical virtue is in thefe
earthly Bodies, that Reafon is in mens Mindes, which
when ic is put forth, draws th~m one to aaother. Be-
fides in wicked men there are fometimes Diftafts of
Vice, and Flafhes of love to Vertue; which are the
Motions which fpring from a true Intellect, and the
faint frrnglings of an_ Higher life within them; which
they crucifie again by their wicked Senfu~lity. As
Truth doth not alwaies act in good men, fo neit~er
doth Senfe alwaies ad in wicked men : they may
fometimes have their lttcida intervaUtl, their· fober fits ;
~nd a Divine fpirit blowing and breathing upon them
may then blow up fome live fparks of trueUnder-
.ftanding·within them; though they may foon endea-
vour to quench them again, and to rake them up in the
afues of their own earthly thoughts. . · ,
- All
of attaini,?g to1)i11i;zel(_nou',le4~e.
All this, and more that might be faid upon this Ar-
gument, may ferve to point out the rvay of Yertt1e •
We want not· fo much ·Means of knowing what we
ought to doe, as Wills to doe that which we may know.
r3ut yet all that Knowledge which is feparated from an
inw.ard acquaintance with Vertue and Goodnefs, is of
a far different nature from that which arifeth out of a
true living fenfe of them, which is the be.ft· difterner
thereof, ana by which alone we know the true Perfe--
dion, Sweemefs, Energie, and Lovelinefs of them, and
·au that which is liTE pntdv, t11·e 'Ye;t?r1ov, that which can.
no more be known by a naked Demonftration, then
Colours qm be perceived of a blinde man by any Defi-
nition or Defcription which he can hear of them.
And further, the clearefl: and moft diftinct Notions
of Truth that f11ine in the Souls of the common fort
of men, may be extreamly clouded, if they be not ac..
com_panied -with that anfwerable pra&ice that might
preferv·e their integrity : Thefe tender Plants may
foon be fpoyl'd·by the continual droppings ofour cor...
rupt affections upon them ; they are but o~ a weak and
feminine nature., and fo· may be fooner deceived by that
wily Serpent of SenfuaUty that harbours within us.
· While the Soul is 7rAttpns ~ uwfLal<@., full of the·Body,
while we fuffer thofe Notions and Common Principles
of Relioion to lie afleep within us ; that ,ft.µeu,,.pyo,
J'uv<X-p./ the power ·of an Animal life, wiU be apt to in-
corporat~ an~ ~ingle it felf ~ith them ; and that !{~a--
foil that 1s w1thm m, as Plottnm hath well eKprefs d it,
be<,:omes more and more· ovtJ-<pu1(@.. ~cc.,ui,,s ~ tm~vo•
/U''va.-,·~ N~a.,~, it will be infed:ed with-thofe ~vil Opini.-
·ons that a.rife from our Corporeal life.. The mo!e
deeply our Souls dive into our Bodies, t~e morew1U·
· Reafon and Senfuality run one iato another, and make
up.
 i,
1.6 _ The true Way or MetfJod
up a moft dilute , unfavourie ,: and muddie kinde of
Knowledoe. We mufr therefore endeavour more and
more to ;1thdra.w our [elves from thefe Bodily things,
to fet our Souls as free as may be from its miferable
flavery co this bafe Fleth: we mull: ihut the Eyes of
Sen[e, and open that brighter Eye of our Un~erftand-
ino-s that other Eye of the Soul~ as the Plulofopher
· call; our Intellectual Faculty, ~v ~;d ti, tmZ., 'X,~vfa-, S
oAl')Pt, which indeed all have, but few make ufe fit._
This is the way to fee _clearly; the light of th~ ~1vine_
World will then begin to fall upon us , and thofe fa-
cred eM.d,-c.+q., thofe pure Corufcat~tms oflmm~rtal and
Ever-livina Truth will fl1ine out into us, and m Gods ·
owri light° 111111 we behold him. The fruit of this
lCnowledge will be fweet to our taft, and pleafant to
, our palates, "fweeLcr then the hony or the ho_ny-comb.
The Priefis of Merrnry, as P./tttarch tells us, in the eac-
U?g of their holy things., were wont to cry out '}'~u_wJ ~
all.n~a., sweet is Tmth. - But how fweet and dchc1ous
that Truth is which holy and heav~n-born So_uls feed
upon in their myfierious converfes with the De1ty,who
can t~ll but they that raft it,: Whe!1. Reafor:. o!1ce is
raifed by the mighty force of the D1vme Spmt into a
converfe with God1 it is turn'd into Senft: That which
before was onely Faith well built upon fure Principles,
(for fuch our Science may be) now becomes Yijion. We
fuall then converfe with God rrr; v~, where~s before we
convers'd with hin1 onely rrj -J-u,,voiq, with o~r pifc~r-
five fac11lty, as the Platonifls were wont to diftingwfu.
Before we laid hold on him onely AO')t'?J "obro!'f1x.'1,,c.i,
\Vith a firugling, Agonifiical, and contentious Reafon,
hotly combating with difficulties and lharp contefis of
divers opinions, & labouring in it felf, in its deductions
of 01,1e :thing from another ; we fhaU then faften our -
minds
i :.
of aitai,1ing to Di1Jit1e l(nowledge~ i?::
1ninds upon him AOo/<fJ ~cp~v1~Xo/~ with fuch aferene
llnderfianding, ~i\nv~ voepi, fuch ~n Inte~lellual calm-
nef ~nd ferenity as will prefent us with a- bbfsful,fieady,-
and invariable fight of him. : ·· ·_ ·' . _
SEC 'r-I O'•-N lI J. ·
N D ilow if you pleaf~,- fetti~g afide the Epicu~
A ·
rean herd of Brutifu men , who have drowned
all dieir own fober Reafon in the deepeft Lethe
of Senfoality, we {hall divide the- reft of Me_n· int~ the~e
Four ranks, according to that, Me~hod which Stn:plt-
cim upon Epillett#' hath already l;ud out t<? us, _w1~ha
refpett to·a Fourfold kinde of Knowledge, which we
have all this while glanced at.
'"the Firft whereof is '1Av~&J7r@. aup.·mq>vpp.lv(§fa T~ YJ..,
~lo-q,br ,-if you will, dJv~~'lr~ o- "1VAU>, that.Complex
and Mtdtifariom mdn that _1s made ~p of S?ul-& Bocly,
as it were by a juft equality· and f\mhmet1cal propor-
tion of Parts and Powers in each of them. The know·..
ledge of the[e men- I iliould call a.µ,u!eJv J-~;a.v in Pl,1,-
tarch' s ·.phrafe; a Knowledge wherein Senfe and Rea-
fon are fo- twifted up together, that it cannot eafily ~e·
unravel'd and laid out into its fir.ft principles. Their
!
higheft Reafonis op,gJ'o~@-. a:oS-,i~ai· co!llplying wit_h
their fenfes and both con[pire together m vulgar op1-
hion. To 'thefe that Motto· which the' Stoic!s have·
m·ade for them may·very·well agree~ (31@. ~n+cs,
their life being· freer' d by nothing el fe but Opinion- a11:d
·rmaginatiori~ Their higher notions of God and· Reh-
oion arefo entan°-!edwith the Birdlime of flefhlv Paf-
ions and ·rn'und:ne Vanity , that tliey -cannot rife. up·
1
D ~hove:
 The true Way o,· Method -
above the fnrface of this dark earth, or eafily entertain
any but earthly ~onceptions of heavenly things. Such
Soul~ as are here lodg'd, a.s Plato fpeaks, are d?Zl~o-
~ap8$ heavy behinde, and are continually preffing down
to this world's centre: and though, like the Spider,
they may appear fometime moving up and down aloft
in the aire, yet they doe but fit in the loome, and move
in that web of their own grols fanfi_es, which they
fafi:en and pin to Come earthly thing or other.
2.
The Second -is ' Av;qpw-ir@. ~ ~- l\o~xwJ ~wfui
1
Jt.r1td-
~v~, The inanthat looks at himfelf a~ being what he
is rather by his Soul then by his Body; that _thinks not
fit to view his own face in any othe,r Glafs bu( that of
Rea.Con.and Underfiauding; tha,treck•ns upon hisSoul
as that whi,h was made to mle, his BfJdy as thai which.
was born to qbey, and like a_n handmaid perpetually to
wait upon his higher and nobler part. And in fuch an
one the Comrn,,nes nQtiti1t, or common Principle$ of
Vertue and Goodnefs, are more dear and fieady. To
fuch an one we may allow TfP-V6~er,,,11- ~ ;~q;a.11~~.P"''
J"Q~a.p, more cl~ar and di.ftinfl opiniortf, as being :,ilready
C11 xt;Srlpat/ , in a Method or courfe of P11rg11tion, or at
leaft fit tQ be initiate.cl into the Myfleria minor-a the lef-
fer My(lerie-s of Religion. For though thefe Inn4te_
notio,u of Truth may be but poor, empty, and hungry
things of thernfelve!s, before they be fed and fill'd with
the practice of true_ Vertue ; yet they are capable of
being impregnated, and exahe.d with the Rules and
Precepts ofit~ And therefore the Stoickfoppos~d arr:,
'll#~T(f.i: W-(t9fhJ°"tffe"'Y, al ~~_xcµ ~ 'i111A'1,x.~ '4;Tal , that the
dochin¢ of Political and Moral vertues wa~ fit.to be de...
liverec! to fuch a.~ tlwfe ; and though they may nQt be
fo well pl'epared for Divine Vertue ( whidi--is e>f qll
mg-h.~i: limamJtiQn ) yet they ~re not iromatureJor, HIJ~
mane,
of attaining to.DMne I(no111leJge: ·r g
mane, as having the See~s of it already withi~ them~
felves,which being water d by anfiverableprachce, may
fprout up ,~ithi;'-1 t~em. ~, ., ,
·The Third 1s Av';;;-et,nr~ -nJ'n ,u>ta.cSrx.p~J(@., He 3•
whofe Soule is already purg' d by this lower fort of
Vertue and fo is continually flying off from the Body
and Bodily paffion, and returning into himfelf. Su~h:
in S.Peter_>s language are thofe who have efcaped the pol-
lutions which are in the world1hrough luJ!. To tliefe
we may attribute a 110~ ~~µ,,,, a lower uegree of Sci-
ence their inward fenfe of Vertoe and moral Goodnefs
being far tranfcendent to all meer Speculativ~ opinions
of it, But if this Knowledge fettl~ here , . 1t may be
quickly apt to co~rupr. Man~ of our m_oft refined
Moralifts may be, ma worfe fenfe t~en Plo~znm means,,
'7n.ner,,~v1e~ ,,.~ ea.v1cZv <p<l~, full with their own pre-
gnancy:; their S01J1ls may too much heave and fivell
with the fenfe of their ow.n Vertue and Kn,owled~e :
there may be an ill Ferment of Self-lo"tJe ly1~g at _the
bottome, which may puffe it up tne more w1~h Pr1~e,
Arrooance and Self-conceit. Thefe forces with which
the Divine'bounty fupplies us to keep a ftronger guard ·
againft the evil Spi~it, may beabus'd by ?ur ow~-rebel-
lious Pride enticing of them from die1r allegiance to
Heaven,' t~ ftrengthen it felf in our Soul~,. a~d fort~~e·
· them .aoainfi: Heaven : like that fuperc1hous StB1ck,
W·ho when he thouoht his Minde well arm,d and ap-
point<!dwith Wifdome o
and V ~r_tue, cry'd out, Sap,ens
.
contendet cum ipfo :Jove defelmtate.. They m~y ma~e
an -aiery. heave,n of ~hefe , · ~nd ~a~l 1t about with their
hwn Seff-flattery, and then fit m 1t as Gods, as c~frot_s
the Perfian king was fometim:~ laughed at foi- enlhr:
ning himfelf in a Ten1p1e of his own~ _A~ th.e!efore a;
this Knuwledge be-not ittendea with H11m1l1ty- and a
D 2 deep-

2o The true Way or Method
·deep· fcnfe of Selfpenm-y and Selfemptinef, we may
,eafily fall {bore of.that True Knowled 0 e of God- which
we feem ~o afpire after. \Ve may aarf.y fuch an Image
and specres of our Selves con{bntly before us, as will
make us Io[e the clear fight of the Divinity, and oe too
apt to refl: 1~ a meer Logical life (it's Simplicitts his ex•
p_reffi_o_n) without any _true participation of the Divine
life., if we doe not (as many doe., if not all, who rife no
l~1gh_er ) relap(e a~d lli~e back by vain-glory; popula.
nty, or fuch like vices, mto fome mundane and exter-
nall V:micy_or other.
4· The fourth is "Av~&J1r{§J.. 3-Ewp'it,x.~~, The true Me-
taphyfic;tl and Contemplative man, 8. '? f<X,u'T8 Aor;,t'l'.,M
1
{w1w ~e_ptpex_&iv., -i~&J~ 1l) /3g:>,..etcu ~., 'KfE-tTl0 vwv, who
runnmg. and ·~1oot~ng up above his own Logical or
Self ·at1onal life, _p1erceth into the Highefl life-~- Such
1
a ?ne, \~ho h>: Umve~f:1l Love and Holy lljfec1ion abfl:ra-
cb~g hitnfelf from himfdfe, endeavours the nearefl:
Umon \,,:ah the Divin~ Effence that may be, ,,J,/Jgv ,Jv-
"fff avvct:-+cu, as Plottnru fpeaks ;. knitting his owne
centre 1fhe have any, unto the cent1·e9fDivine Being.
!'I
To fuch an one the P latonifts are wont to attribute ~,cw
~?ns-n~l,:1 a tr:'! Dtu_ine wifed(}me, powerfully difplaying
:t ,&J~
fdf cii J1oep~ man Jnte!lt;il'ttal life, as fhey phrafe
it. _S~.ch:a _Knowle~ge .th_ey fay is alwaies -pregnant with
Dtrvtne ,:ertree, which_arifeth out of an happy-Union of ·
So?ls with God'\ and 1s nothing· elfe bllt a living Imi-
tmon of a God~ike prerecri~n ~frawn out .by a il:rong
ferve~t lov~ µf 1t. Tfos D1vme Knowledge xa.A8s ~
fe5'-'f8• 'JI'om_ ~c. as Plotinus fpeaks, makes us amo-
rn~s ~f _D1vme beauty, beautifull and lovely ; and
this Dtvme Love and Purity reciprocally exalts Divine
Kno1:;ledg_e; ~oth, of them growing up together like
that E&iG and _A;feeIJJG that Pa,if4nitU- fometimesfpeaks
of.
of attctining to 1)i1Jille l(_nowled~e. 21
of. Though by the Platon~fls leave foch a_Lifc and
J(nowlcdge as this is, peculiarly belongs to the true 3nd
fober Chrifiian who lives in Him who is ~ife it felt~
anJ is enlighcned by Him who is the 7'ruth it fdf, and
is made part1ker of the Divine Unrtion, and knoweth
all things, as S. John [peaks. This Life is nothing elfe
but God's own breath within him, and an Infant-_chrift
· ( ifl may u[e the expreffion) formed in his Soul, who
is in a fenfe dt7ZUJ~O].L(t. ,f J"o~ns-, the fhiningforth ofthe·
Fat her' s glory. But y_et_ we 1;1uft not mi~ake, _chis
Kaowledge is but here in 1rs Intancy; there 1s.an lugh-
er knowledge or an higher degree of this knowledge
that doth not, that cannot, de[cend upon us in thefe
earthly habitations. w_ e cannot here fee N'i17pElD~J.
i1i'~O in Speculo lttcido ; here we can fee brtt in a glaf,
and that darkly too. Our own Imaginative Po~ers,
which are perpetually attending the higheft acl:s of our
Souls, will be breathing a groffe•dew upon the pure
Glaife of our Underftandings,- and._fo fully arid befmear
it that we cannot fee the Image of the Divinity ftn-
c;rely in it. But yet this Knowledge being a true hea-
venly fire kindled from God's own Altar,hegets an un-
daunted Courage in the Souls of Good men , & ena-
bles them to caft a holy Scorn upon the poor petty
tra{h of this Life in comparifon with Divine things,
:md to piety thofe poor br~cifh Epicureans that have
nothino- but the mcer husks of fle{hly plea.Cure to feed
themfclves with. This Sight of God mak~s pious
Souls breath after that bleffed time when Mortality
fuall be fwallowed up of Life, when they fuall no more
behold the Divinity through thofe dark Mediums that
eclipfe the bleffed Sight of it.
A
D 3
 d
SHORT DISCOURSE
OF

SUPERSTITION-

Clem. Alexandr. in Admon. ad Gr~c.

'A. ' "l , ~ >CL' \ r,. J\ I ~
. 'Xp0'1i116S aµg.rt.J1(1/j a, n.n0'111f '!J a·f:l(Tla 6LlfJBVl(X,:, fNV
• .,,
cn!IO'
f4Iqv a;rfJ<J'a~ov. · .

Hierocles in Pythag.
tH ~ '"'i'-oatpee914'Jec,v '7roAu7/Aqa., '11fM! as- rS-Eov ~ 'Jl'vifa,,
£-f fM' Ji!) ~ C11~tl <pe,pv~µ.g,1(§.. ~oarl.')P'i1o. d'WeJt- ,yJ ,g
~'11'l1TJl\lct.L
1
d((Je_pvf.dv, '7/?Je,p ; 'lfO({)i,To ~ lvrS-eo11 <pps'vnµ.g.
0

Jl,~,w, ~d'e;,.op,Jvov Cuvi-nfcf n'ni • ::it;(A)f~Y 'yJ dvd,-w.,

~- dJJ.9lOll'riT.f~S ~ ;J<9lOV.

Lacbntius de Vero culcu.

Hie verm eft cultm, in quo mens colentil ftipfam Dtl
iwm11culatam via-imamftflit.
Ibid.
Nihil SAnlla & {ingulari,s ilia MajeftlU ali1td ab homi11e
defiderat.., qrtdm folam innocentiam: q,eam fiquu oh-
t11lerit Deo, fath pie, fatis religiose_litavit• .
 The Contents of the enfuing Difcourfe.~
The tme Notion of Superftition well expref' d hy D.q,n-
rf'a,µ911[«-, i. e, an over-timoro111 and dread/11-l appre-
hcnfion ofthe Deity.
A falfe opinion -of the Deity the trrte Caufe and Rife of
Superftition. _
Snperftition iNnoft incident to fttch tU Converfe not with
the Goadne.f of God, -or are confciotu to themfelves of
their-own ,mlikenef to him. ·
.Right apprehenfions of Godbeget·in man a Noblene/ and
Freeaome of Sortl.
Superfrition, though it looks upon God 1tS an angry Deity,
yet it cormt-s him eafily pletU' d with -Jl,tttering Wor_fbip •
.Apprehenjions of a Ddty and.Grtilt meeting together are
apt to exciie Fear..
Eypocrites to /}are their Sins feek ottt waies to compo,md
with God.
Servile and Sttperjlitiottt Fear is encrea_(ed by Ignorance
of the certain Car~(es ofTerrible E_lfells in Natrere,&c.
tU al(o by frightfiel Apparitions of Gh1j!s and Spellres.
A f11rther Conflderation ~f Superfiition tU a Compofition
of Fear and Flattery.
A fuller Definition of Superftition,according to the Senft
of the Ancients.
t·'': .. I ~- ' ~ • ~ ', • ''I • I • • 1 \I ' • •
Superfrition doth not alwaies appear in the fame Form,
brtt pa/Jes from one Form to another, and fometimeJ
jhr1Juds it [elf ,mder Forms feemingly spirittt-al ,md
more refined. ·

Of S l1 P E R ST I T I O N .
Aving ·now done with what we propounded
as a Preface to our following Difcourfes, we
• iliould now come to treat of the main Heads
ttnd Principles of Religion. But before we doe that·, per-
haps it may not be amifs to inquire into fome of thofe
.
E Anti-
-
 .z 6-- OfSuperftition.
Anti- Deities that are fee up againfr it, the chi_ef wher~-
oLire A T H E 1 s M and Su PER s T 1 T 1 o N ; which in-
deed may feeme to comprehend in them all kind of
Apo{bfy and Pr:Evarication from Religion. We {hall
not be over-curious to pry into fuch foule and rotten
cark_affes as thefe are too narrowly, or to make any
fubtile Anatomy of them ; but rather enquire a litle
into c_he Original and Immedia.te Caufes of them ; b~-
caufe 1t may be they may be nearer of kin then we ordi-
narily are aware of~ while we fee their Complexions co
be fo vafily different the one from the other.
And firfr of ~11 for ~ u PE :as T I T 1 o :1 (to lay afide
our Vulga~ notion of 1t which much m1!bkes it) it is
the fame with that Temper of Mind which the Greeks
call Af1(I1d'a,1JA9vl«-, ( for fo Ttellyfrequently tranllates
that word, though not fo fitly and emphatically as he
hath done fome ochers :) It imports an overtimorous
an_d d,udftt!l ttpprehenjion of the Deity j and therefore
with H~(ychiM AiIO'"td'a,tM911fa- and <po~o';refa- are all one
and 6q,mJ'ct-z'~v is by him expounded oeicf'1Plto1td.?fns J
an
OUO'cb~;, ~ d'EIAO~ 'lfctpct.' ~Eo'i'., Idolater, and alfo o~e
.:. 0 :~ ~£,~ 0~~at fith1f :~ ,/'Y promAptdto *h1vor_f,ip thhe Gods, but withal/ fe1tr-
0
~rn11 h;r; Ii- tt 01 t_ ~m._ . n t ere~ore t e tme Cau_(e and Rife of
gnific_; if in- S1tper.fli_tron 1s mdeed nothmg elfe but 1t f11lfe opirti{)n of
t~~~lu;cr~~ ~1~~ th~ D~:tY, that rend~rs hit? dre~dfull a°:d terrible, as
to bercad Fu'- h~tng 11gorous and 1mpenous ; that which_ reprefonts
}.~B:c, a wurd lrnn as aufl:ere and lpt to be an°ry but yet'inipotent
which fame: o.. d {i b r d · 06 'r·
ther Lcxico- an· _ea Y to e ~ppe~ie agam Y 1ome flattering de-
'
gr~phers ufc in ~ot10ns , efpec1ally 1f performed with fanctimonious
th1
s care. .fuewes and a folemn fadnefs of M.ind._ And I wiili that
that Picture of God which fome Chriftians have drawn
of him,, ,vherein S()Wrenefs and Ar/Jitr.arinefs :appear fo
rn~ch, doth not too much refemble it. According to
dus fenfe fktard1hath well.defined it in his Book~}
J'e,~J'ot,,.
OfSuperflitzon: 2, 7
,r.~(I1rJ'a.1p.9vlcuin this manner, J'~~ew ~µ. 1m$ ~ eNtl~ "tJro,..-
1
,fft'ilwi ~11.n+,11 B'[ CM,/a.m,v;ll"f>5 '9 cw,~l~Ol''PS ~ ,Mer,,-
'71TJl',OlOfWVOV rr' Tl) rS-E~s, 1l) J 11.u7rnp~s ,fl {aAa-b Ep8,, aJlrong
pajionate o-pinion.,andfuch a Sttppofition a,s is prodrecfivc
of a fear drbafiHg and terrifying a man with the reprefen-
tation ofthe Gods tU grievoru and h1'rtfu!l to Mankind. _
Such men as thefe converfe not with the Goodnef of
God , and therefore they are apt to attribute their im-
potent paffions and peevHhnefs of Spirit to him. (?r
it may be becaufe fome fecret advert1fements of theu:
Con[ciences tell them how u,:Jlike they chemfelves are
to God, and how they have provoked him ; they are apt
to be as much difpleafed with him as too troublefome
to them,_ as they think he is ~ifplcafed with them.
They are apt to count this ~ivine Surremacy as but a
piece of Tyranny that by 1ts Sovera1gn Will makes
too great encroachments upon their Liberties , and
that which will eat up all their Right and Property ;
and therefore are i1avifhly' afraid of him , ~ !r ~wv dp-
x!m (dS rrue_9,vviJ--a, cpobJ}-'/'fOi (Jjl.,LJ~es,nrfuJ 'B cz17m,e9-/,rn1ov,
fearing Heaven's Monarchy tU a (evere and chttrlifh Ty-
ranny from which they cannot ahfolve themfelves, as the
fame Anchor fpeaks : and therefore he thus difclofeth
the private whifperings ·of their minds, i,J-tJ 'TJVes dvol-
')P;r°'' 'ln)/1.a.i (d~'i'rx-,, ,f17r;;{a./-l9, ~eJs o/L~ ~ Sl.l?P~ ~p-
p~,yos dva-mrrrl.,vvw&-,., &c. the broad gates of hell are
opened, the rivers of fire and Stygian inundations rten
down as a[welling flood, tkere ~ thick darknef erou1ed
together, dreadfi,!l andga.ftly 5tghts of Ghofls fcreechzng
and howling, ;Jttdges and tormentors, deep gulfes and
Ahyffes full of inftnite_mifaries. T~us he. The-Prophet
EJay gives 45 ~his Epttome oftheit thoughts., chap. 3~ ..
-The Sinners in: Zion are afraid, fea,fu!lnef hath-(urprz~;
'{edthe hypocritts : who [hall diveU ,vith the devo/Jrinj ·
- E2 frc?
 2 8 . 0/ S uperjtition.
fire?,vho Jh.il! ~well witlieverl~fling bitrnings?Though ·f
lhould . not d1fl1ke t:hefedreadtul & afioniil1in°b thouohts
o,ff umre. torment, which I _doubt even good men
may have caufe- to prefs home.upon their own fpirits,
wh1_le they find Ingenuity lefs acrive, the more ro,re-
{ham linne ; yet I think it litle commends God and
:is lie de.benefits us, to fetch all this horror & all:~nifh-
menc from the Contemplations of a Deity, which
lhould alwayes be the mofr ferene and lovely : our ap--
prehenfions ?~ the Deity iliould be fuch as _might en-
noble our Spmcs, and not de/Jafe them. A right know-
le?g~ of God would beget afreedome & Liherty of Soul
~v1thi,n us ', and ?OC fervility ; d_piTn~ yJ E(\'7n; o .Geo,;
bS"Zv, 8 J'lJAEtCM 'li)fo<po:-cm, as Plutarch hath well obferv·d.
our thoughts of a Deity iliould breed in us hopes· of
Veftue, and not gender to a fpirit of bondage~
But that we may pafs on. Becaufe this unnaturall
refemb}ance of God as _an angry _Deity in impure minds,
fi:oul~ 1t ~laze too funoufly , hke the Bafilisk would
kill with 1t~ looks ; therefore thefe Painters u[e their
b~ft arcs.a hnle.to fiveeten.it~ and render it lefs unplea-
£ing. And_ thofe chat fancy God to bemofr haflyand-
:ip~ to be d1[pleafed, yet are ready alfo to imagine him
fo I!npo~ently ~ucable, that lli~ favour may -be won
agam- w1~h thei-~ uncouth devotions, chat· he wilf be
take~ w~th their [ormall praifes '7 an_d being ·t-hirfl:y
after blory an~ p~atfo & folemn·addrefies, may, by-their
pomp~u~-furrnihmg out all thefe for him, be won to a
• . . good hkmg of<them .: -and- -tlrns they reprefent him to
as Luwn lll themfelves ... {,)~ 'llnA.a.x.c.fu Q.. I .. <id' ~ ' ,
.his JJc S,tcrift- , 'L '..Q.. ·.
"I,;' OfNYJOP , )1 Eo.;,a.,' '9 CG)«,VCGiG/€-IJ,'
ciis fpraks too a.µ.ZJ'd/NY-!OY. And ~herefore ttper(fition wi_ll alwaies a-
s_
:rnly, rhoush bound m there tlungs whereby this Deicy·oftheir own·
lt may be coo made 'lfiter th fi
1rofancly,. .
G •
· d.e of men,?_1ay be moft gratified'.)' .
e ~mi·1.itu
fiavtlhly crouchmg to 1t. We will take a view··of it: in.
the.
·o(Superflition.. i9
the words of Pl1tt11rch., though whanefersfo t!he Pe11s,
b
ifit refpects more their Rites then their Manners, may
foem •to contain too hafl:y a cenfure of them. S11perjli-
tion brings in 7rn1'.wa-r;,, ~ x,C(.tTU,bopboe9ia.J,, ou~~ce,71op.,~~-,
H,q> b'm ,r;re9m,;~v, ai~pd> w~xa,~1'9>,_i?A~~'T~> 7irf~(i'-
XWJntTq•, wallmvmgs in the du{l, t1:mblrngs zn the 1mre,
obfervations of Sabbaths? prDjlernattOf!~, tm~ottth geftures,
&jlrange rites of worfl11p. S~1pedb~1on 1s ve:r-y apt.to
think t.hat Heaven may bebnbed with foch f~l~e-~ear-
ted devotions ; as Porphyrie hath well expLun d 1t by .
this that itis * ~1~n+l5 ~ d'exd{qv J\uuec,Scu «S ~,av,* Lib. 2. ,r;rJ·
11,n apprchenfion that" a man may comtpt 11nd bribe the ;,mx_'ii,.
peity .~ which-. ( as he ~here obferves ) WlS ~he Cau[e
of all thofe bloudy facnfices, a~d o~ ~ome 1~,.~umai:e
ones· a:1110110- the Heathen , men 1magmmg J'u-'- T :$-u(Iiwv
~<J.,vEi~IX-I· ~ .dp,aplfcw• like him fn the Pr~phec th~t
thought by ~he fruit ofhis bo~y and the·~rfih~gs-of h1s
flock to expiate the fitme oflus Soul. ft!tcah_ 6.
But it may be we may f~er1:e all tlus wh1_l~ to have
made too Tragicall a-Defcnpt1on of Sttfer/l_:fton j and
indeed our Author whom we have all this while had re-
courfe to; feemes rn·have fer it forth, as.anciently Pain-
ters werd wont to doe thofe pieces in which they would
demonllrate moft their own skill ; they would· not
content themfelves with the iliape ofone Bodyonely:,
but· borrowed feverall parts from feverall B?'1ie~ as
might moft.' Re thei~ defign and fill up the p1~~re ?f.
that thev defired chiefly to reprefent. S1eperft1t10n tt
may be looks not fo foul and defori:ned i~ every Soul
..,,.., that is dyed ,vith. it·, as he ~a:th the:e fet· ~t fo~th, nor
doth it every where fpread 1t felfahk~ :_ this ~,,%~ _that
furowds it felf under the name of Rel1g1on,w1l varroufly ·
~ difcover it felf as· it is feated in Minds of-a variottHem-
t per, and meets with v11,riety· of matter. to exercife it.felf
We:
I
~
ibo~~- . E 3.
.
.
.
 °
3 Of Stipcrfliiion. - . Of Superflition ,'
We fhaII therefore a little further in . . . . .
ana wl1~t the Judgments of the foberell: qu11e i~to it, .flgniftcari, qui imtniter femper verentur, & de Diis &
were r.t>f it ; the rather for chat a learned
own ieems unwilling to own thac N ocio 1~r o our
I:i~1
anc1}ntly <;relo & loci! fieperiorih1t,s male opinantr~r; nam Reli-
giofi (,mt q11i per reverenfiam timent.
.we have l1itherco out of Plutdrch a d l n of 1t which : .But that we may the more fully unfold the Nat1m
for.; who though he lrnth. freed\ 1ers contended
which the late Aoes l1ave ut u
ff
~ rom that glofs
of this rrm.SO>, and the Ejfells ofit,which are not alwaies
of one fort~. we fiiall fir ft premi[e fomething concer-
to have too fl:rictly confinf<l it t~~n~t, yet ~~e may feem ning the Rife of it.
of the ancient Gentile Dannons as .owar y ~orfhip The Common Notio~ of a Deity, frrongly rooted in
PolJtheifm were indeed the fam~ thi l~ S11pe~fl~tron and Mens Souls, and meeting with the .apprehenfions of
theifm or D£mon-worfhip is but o b~o-, whe~eas Poly- Guiltine/, are very apt to excite this Servile fear: and
was partly obferved b the I ne ianch. of rt: which when menlove their own filthy lufts , .that they may
N~~es upon that Chapier of rb::1~~ c:}" 1
'~fn in_ l1is
µ.g11,cu, wl1ere it is defcrib' d to b 'P" ff, ~-rf'iv,J\r.tiz-
fparer.hem, they are prefently apt to contrive fome
other waies of appealing the Deity and compounding
v,011 h. 1 l h . e o·e,?L,rx. ~o·;E J\
, w IC 1 1e c us interprets TbcotJ/i . ,/J. -, ,
'
«-l!-1,9.- with it. Unhallowed minds, that have no inwar.d foun-
111011 & Deos & Dtem , r ri'ty,tU voce J\a,,!!9 .. dations of true Holinefs to fix themfelves upon, are
. . _ ones comp1exm ell- -',:., . 'd eafily {haken and toifed from all inward peace and tran-
vimtatis ejf'e partioep 1,,, 4 ·y·, 1171
o: qrncqrtt di ..
An~ in this fenfe it
Arlnter,
~v::/~t Jt 1t antiquitt:U.
Y O erved, by Pctroni11s
quillity: and as the thoughts of fome Supreme power
above them feiz~ upon them, fo they are ftruck with
the lightning thereof into inward affrightments., whkh
j T1 bPrim1ts in or6e Deos fee it 'Iimor
1e w ole procreny of th . --
.
arefurther encreas'd by a vulgat· obfervation of thofe
in the Minds of' the Vul£a1~ aRc~enc D~mons, at Ieafr ftrange, ftupendious and terrifying Ejfe&s in Natur-e,
were fupported b it . -o , o prnng <?Ut of Fear, and whereof they can give no .certain reafon , as Earth-
quakes, Thundrings and Lightnings,. blazing Comets
I Fear, when in a tleinO'· v~?J~f:/l~~wi~fl:fcnding, this
s-oodnefs, l1ath not efca ed th rne en e of Divine an.cl oth~-rMeteors-0fa like Nature, -whkh are ·apt to
r m F'arro' s judgment wh'Je M e _ce~fure of Sttperjlition ter.rifie _thofe efpecially who .ar-e already unfetled and
tells us, Dettm areli iofo a~m~ It was, as S. Au_ftin chafed \.vith an· inward fenfe of guilt, and, as Seneca
which difl:inctio~ S ~ . v[cerm, a fuperftitiofo timeri : fpeaks, :inevitahilem metum ut fupr.a ms aliq,eid t~me•·
h'ts C omment uponervtus V. ·t
eems- to .
have ma de u1er
of in rem11,s inc11,,ti1mt. P-etr.onius Arbiter bath weff defcrtbed
defc:ibing the tormen:;g~f cte;[~ d 6
_where the Poet this bufinefs for ;US,
PrimMs in i;rhe Deos foc/t 7'im()r, ardNA ct£lo
out tln~o an Allegorical expofttion ofealt ;~el~ he runs
muc i m favour of Lrtcret. b b ' It ma.y be too . F ulminA c.um cA-derent, di.{cttf{aque mcenia jlammif,
His-words are thefe 1pj/;t;mom e t~ere 1~1~gnifies. Atque ilfu~ fltJg_r.aret Athos---.
Jitper tjttos j:timfam cafimu im . ~ucr,ttuu dtett per eti,1 From hence it was that the Lihri fulguralu ofthe RQ-·
. -- mwet aprI' Superftitiofos manes; and other furn like V-0lumes -of Superft.ition,.
, /ignift.car~ fwelled
 ,; : OfS"Perflidon.' -OfSuperftition:
fivelled fo much, and that the- ttlvinir.14 .
fo often frequented . fi P Deontm were 'rrJ!e,1-J.e,ozJcc1p.gvlCM' in others it difplayed\ itfelf ·in in-
: ,as WI 11 ea lly appear to 1·
t Ie converJ.anc in Liv who ev . any one a i- venting as many new Deities as there were feverall
Devcti~n [o fargely,~~ ifhe hi!feif fe~e fets forth this Caufes from whence their affrights proceeded, and fin-
onately m love with it _ 1a been too pafft- dingo-qt many cp~xld.µ,u;/ie,,.a. appropriate to ·them, ·as
And though as the ·Events . N fuppofing they ought to be worfhipt cum facro horrore~
time_s to be found out better b m . ature began (01:1e- And hence it is that we hear of thofe inhumane and
:i rhed1ate Natural Caufes. fo / 0 a difc~v~ry of t~ea· Im- Diabolicall facrifices called dv;J'f!IJ'!Tp~.Ju;,u, frequent
1 Superfiitious·Cufroms \~ 11:e paidttcular pieces of among the old Heathens ( as among many others Por-
/i
of date ( as-is well obfi _e~de antrquat~ and grown out phyry in his De abftinentia hath abundantly related)
d 1 er v concernm 0 thofe ch and of thofe dead mens bones which our Ecclefiaftick
!IC.' an . Fevmations anciently in f< o a~ms
1 .of an Edipfe, and fome others u e upon the :i_ppeanng Writers tell us were found in their Temples at the de-
l10rrours were not fo e fi1 b) Y;/ ofte~ affr1ghts and molifhing of them. Sometimes it would exprefs·itfe1f
ii
I
ii una~quainted with the ;:iry aa;~e '.
fl:er10us Events in Nature 11· frbw1t t le other my-
tu,ie they wer.e in a prodigall way of facrificing, for which Ammianres
Marcellinus(an heathen-Writer, but yet one who feems'
ii
. 'J ~ '
1
unlucky Emp,,ras d),. , 'w c · egot ~ho[e Furies &
a: 9'e9,~ ~ '7IUA.atf.1.AJCV.'d~ J\ / .
to have been well pleafed with the fimplicicy and inte-
l th eivea k mmdsofmen To 11 h. . w.1-<9vcv., m grity of Chriftian Religion) taxeth :Julian the Empe:..
·1
-frequent Spec1res and ·frio-hrfu11w)ch ,~e_may adde the rour for Superftition~ :}11,lianus, Superjlitiofus magis·
and Mormos • all 1· h b rppttrtttons of G hofrs ljttam legitimus facrorrtm obferv11,tor, inrmmera1 flne_par-
. · w 11c extorted fu h k. d f
,! ·~1pfro_m themas was mofrcorrefponcd/ t mfiohWor- ftmonia pecudes mallans,.nt £_-flimaret,ir, fl revert~ffet de·
1es of ic. And thofe Rit n to. uc Cau- Parthis, bovcs jam de/Muros: like that Maretts c£jar,
1 were beootcen by Sup .a· . es and Cer~monies which of whom he relates this common proverb, o:- ;>,.61.,,,s}·
e1 n1t1on, were aoam th h.
if N. ur1es 7:-: o .
ofa ; fuch as are well defcribo e un lp~y' ~oe, Mdpx.(f) ~ Kcuucte_.() d'v av Vt Wt)(]"~;, ~/Ml5 (X,'71"(.()/1.0,!}Jrt-·•
I
I
-his
,
De de/ell oramt CE ..., , ,
,
-~<p&,J\e; @ o-x.ueo,,,
'
ttnd Sacrifices, tU
• • op1ac ,rJ ~ma,J
\ CZJ
'->"',;inx,,,
, -;•
likeivife /;t:
.:1,
,ed
(ti,~ (dLJ(J(1l
by
I
'
,,
Pltttarch
( ,
m
(d(lj]'ep 'II/Mesa
&
r"',-ra.')'!e.u, c. Feafls
Befides many other ways might be named wherein Srt·
perjlition might occafionally fhew it {elf.
All which may heft be underftood, if we con~der it
fataU dayes, celebrated with:J;:va:1;.ns of,_ :t-nlrtcky and a little in that C ompofi tion of Fear and F l'attery-- which·
tions,faflings and howl. . mg °.J ra1V tmngs, lacera- before we intimated: and indeed Flattery is mofl:; inci-
ches in their f;cred rites
~ . fi '
i;~J
t/a·ndt1?1kanbry tlime( filthy Spee-
ic e 1av10ur
dent t0.bafe and flavifJ, minds; and where the-fear and
. u~ as we m muated before Tl. R •· . ·. jealoufy ofa Deity difquieta wanton-dalliance with fin,
t10» d1verfely branched 1: il . Cc}£ OOt o~ Sttperflt- and difturb the filthy pleafur~ of Vice, there- this faw--
Magick and Exorci(mes iorb 1_1t. e , ~omet1mes in~o . ning and crouching difpofition will find out devices to'
Rites and idle ob(ervafio~: ~f ~:es Into P~~anticall quiet an.a.ngry confcience within, and an offended God·
Theophrajl1u hath faro-el r. b ngs an~ T~mes, as without, ( though as men grow more expert in this·
o . y iet t em forth m bis Trad: cunning) thefe fears may in fome degre,e abate. ) This-
~ . F ilie
34 OJ S:uperflition:
the ancient Philofophy' hath well taken notice of, and
therefore \':ell defin' d J'e,rr,J'a..1µgvla by: ~Aa-')(.4,a-, and
ufeth thde terms promifcuoufiy. Thus we find Max.
'fyrius in his Diifer.t. 4. concerning the difference be-
tween a Friend and a Flatterer. oti oou&bn~, (()111.(§), ~ '
0< ~ J'e101J'cuutpv
v r..: ,
,JAa-~ rS-E~· ~-i:J µg.,r.g.e,.®4
, ,
o 00Cleb11~, o
C!,____ ,., "'
cpl?I.~ ~~, &isvxr~ J Od'E-1(}"LJ'C1.1.!-{9JV. 0
4
p., ~fO'Z<IJI\ 'T~
rrri,,-. a;u,o'ar/,01 '11Ji'~s r3-tois cZvo'v t-fo~• 0 :)' rrttim,vo .. 2h f-',9'<,~-
-r / \ I\I \ C\ _l
e}.d», ii!;' 'lrotf\.9 N'ds, J'uae")\.,m .. , ~- J'eo_,~ .. 'T'd; ~'d5 (.(JOJJ"ef
'T~; "ff.Jei-vzi'd~. The fenfe whereof 1s thts;The Pzorts man is
God's friend, the_ S1tper.flitio1u i5 a ftatte_r~r of God: ~nd
indeed mqf} happy and blejl i-5 the condtttort of!he Ptotu
Man, God's friend; hut right mifmible & fad u theft ate
of the Superftitio1u. The Piom man, ewhold~ed_hy ag~gd
CQn_(cience and encouraged hy the (enfe of his mtegnty_,
comes to God withollt fear and dread: hut the Sttp_erflt•
tious heingf,mk and deprejf·througb the fen{e_ of hts _own
wickednej, comes not witho11-t rm1ch fear, betng votd of
all hope and confidence, 11,nd dreading the qods aJ fo 'f!Z~ny
'Tyrants, Thus Plato alfo fets forth t~ts Sttperfttttous
temper, though he mentions it not un~er th~t n~me,
but we may know it by a property h~ gLves of 1t, v1z.t_o
collogue with Heaven, L_ib.10. de Legtbus_; where he d1.-
ftinouiibeth of Three kmds of Tempers m reference to
the:,Deity, which he there calls~~, w_hlch are, Tot~ll
Atheifm, which he faies never abides ~1t~ any mao ~111
his Old age; and Partial Atheifm, 'Yhtc~11s a Negation
of Providence; and a Third, which 1s a perfwafion
concernina the Gods 8'11 ou~,uc5~1o{ ~(jl SrJµ,g.,n 'B CU•
Xc«!i that~hey are eajily wone hy facrifices and prayers,
wbi~h he after explaines thus, om ~f'ltl1a, Etu, rm!inv
1
dJ'nl;cr,v) h·xo )4,Jol d'oof.9C-, &c. tha~ with 1;ifts. un7uft
men may find accep_t ance with them~ And this D1fcourfe
of Plato's 1:1pon thefe three kinds of Irreligious ,rd:itn
. Simpli-
OfSupe1·flition. 1:5-
silnpliciM feems to have refpect to in his Comment
upon Epifletus, cap. 38. which treats about Right opi-
nions in Religion.; & there having purfued !he two for-
mer of them, he thus ftates the latt'er, wluch- he calls
d~feu Ao4)Pv as well as the other two, as a conceit ~H..
, ~fJ'fB~~'tf J'rie;,~, ,iJ dva-~~(}"t-, ~ ,,~p~ll8·.~,a,.l'da-e~
a-_pe- uw, quod mttneribrts & donartts &_{ftpf! dtftrtbttttone a
fententia a'educuntttr : fuch me!1 mak.mg account by
</ '
their devotions to draw the DeLty to• themfetves., and
winning the favour of Heaven, to procure fuch an in-
dulo-ence to their lufrs as no fober man on earth would
giv~ them ; they int he mean while not confidering ru,
p.ila,pA}l._ett%f, '9 ,,,~laa-,, '!1 cuxc:J, @ ~ rro,a,J''Tt(,, dvJ:1o')l~O"L-
'Tr/ ,,_~~> that Repentance, Sttpplicatioris and Prayers, &c.
tJttght to dra1v ,u nearer to God, not God nearer to"':; ao
in a]hip, hy fttjlning a Cable to a firm Ro_ck, we intend
not to .draw the Rock to the ship, brtt the Shtp to the Rocko
Which laft paffage of-his is therefore the more worthy
to be taken notice of, as holding out fo large an Ext~nt
that this Irreligious temper is of, at~d of ~ow fubul_a
Nature. This fond and grofs dealing with the Det-
ty was that which made the fcoffing Lttcian fo much
fport, who in his Treatife De facrijciu tells a number of
ftories how the Da?.mons loved to be feafted, and where
and how they were entertained, with· fuch devotions
which are rather ufed Magically as Charms a.nd Spells
for fuch-as ufe them, to defend themfelves agam!l: thofe ·
Evils which their own Fears are apt perpetually to mu-
fter up, and to endeavour by bribery to purchafe Hea-
ven's favour and indulgence; as :Juvenal fpeaks of the Satyr. 6•.
Supedl:itious u£gyptian,
I/lites lacrym£ mentitaqtte munera pr-tftant'
Ut ve·niam crelp& non abnuat, anfere magno ·
·Scilicet & termi popano corrnpttu ojiris.
F z.·. Though:
 Of S uperflition. Of Superflition. 37
Thouoh all this while I would not be undedl:ood to elfe to {hroud itfdf or hide its head in_; ~e n:1ay think
conde~in too feverely all fervile fea'r of God, ifit tend to flatter the Deity by thefe, and to bnbe it with the~,
to make men avoid true wickedne[s, but that which when we are grown weary of m?re pomp~us fol~mn_i-
fettles upon thefe le€S of Formality. , ties: nay it may mix it felf wuh a feemmg Ruth m
To conclude Were I to define Steperflition more Chrift; as I doubt it doth now in too man~, who l~y-
generally according to the ancien~ fenfe of it, I would ing afide all fob er and ferio~s care_ of true_ Piety? thmk
call it S11ch an apprehcnjion of God zn the tho11ghts ofmen, it fufficient to offer up their Saviour, _h!s Att1ye and
ta renders him grievo1u and bttrdenfomc to them , and (o
Paffive Righteoufnefs, to a fevere and ng1d_J ~fhce, to
dejlroys all free and cheerftt!l converfe with him; beget- make expiation for thofe fins they can be w1llmg to al-_
ting in the flead thereof aforc'd_andjejttne_dev~tion, voi_d low themfelves in.
of irnvttrd Life and Love. Jc !S that which ~1fcoyers It
felf P£dantica!ly in the wodh1p of the Dmy, m any
thing that makes up but onely th_e Body or outwttr~ re-
flure of Religion; though there 1t may make a mighty
blt.ifter : and becau[e it comprehends not the true Di-
vine good that arifeth to the Souls of men from an in-
terna!l fi',ime of Religion, it is therefore apt to think
that all it's inflpid devotions are as fo many frefents of-
fered to the Deity and gratifications of him. How va-
rio,~fi.y Superfl:ition can di[cover_ & manifeft.it[elf, we F 3
have intimated before: To which Ifhall onely adde
this, That we are not fo well rid of Sttperjlition, as
fome imagine when rhey have expell' d it out of their
Churches, expunged it out of their Books a~d Wri-
tings, or caft it out of their_ Tongues, by 1_nakm~ I~no-
vations in names ( wherem they fometunes 1m1tate
thofe old Cmtnii that Herodotrts [peaks of, who that
they might banifh all the forrein Gods that 11ad ftollen
~n among them, took their proceffion through all their
Country, beating & fcourging the Aire along as they _a;
,·
went ;) No, for all this, Srtper.ftition may enter into
our chambers, and creep into our clofets, it may twine
about our fecret Devotions, & aetuate our Formes of
belief and Orthodox opinions, when it hath no place
elfe

I
 d
.SHORT DISCOURSE
OF

AT HE IS ·Mo
Job u. 14, 15.
They fay 1mto God, Depart from tu; for we defire 1m
the knowledge ofthy ,vaies. . _
what is the Almighty that we foo11-ld ferve him ? and
what proftt jhMld we have if we pray unto him?
Pltttarchu.o ~nO"lcl'@. ,!J '0f1'1eJ,cl'~.
''Ev101 ~atp~ivli:> '!m;rd,'ll'runv 85 d'EIO"ld'wp.gvlcw dl1t.,~ov•
. 01 ~ cp6Ui;p:fes wa;:rep er-.@-. ',!f d'qrnd'tX.lJ.(9Vlcc..v, ~i\ce,,3oy a.i-
,S-i> WCliN:p €15 'Xf»fM!OV er<,mcrovlis ~ dc3io'Tl1ffll,

Pltttarch.. ~ Ll.e,aiJ'cc..1p.gvi'cc..~.
''EvloL <pct')P;tf:> ~ d'&lUld'/X.lµJVia.v, er<,71'1~11UlV Ei5 dr3-Eo'l)1iet-
1:JfCC..,C!:U:C.V ~ dvfi'JTJwV,nJrzepm<N~v•m &, /JwffI'1J Kft,41lt.u
if CUfn~~ICW,
 The Contents oftl"teenfuing Difcourfe. . 41
That thtn is It near .Affinity between Atheifm 1tt1J.Su-
perftition.
That Superfiition doth not qnely prepare the way for
Atheifm, hut promotes and flrengthens it,, .
That Epicurifm iJ but Atheifm under a 11J1uk.
A Confietation of Epicurus his Mafter-notion, together
with fame other pretences and Dogmata of his Sell.
The trtu: knowledge of Nature i5 1tdv4ntageom to Re.;.
ligion. ,
That Superftition is more tolerable then Atheifm..
That Atheifm u· both ignoble and 1mcomfortable.
What low and ,mworthy Notions the Epicureans had con-
cer11ing Man,' s Happinef: and What trouble they were
p11,t to Hfw to define, and Where to pl,tce true Happi•
· nej[e. .
A trne belief ofa Deity f,epports the Soul with te prefent
Tranqtei!lity and future Hopes.
Were it not for a Deiry, the World would he unhabitablt.

A SHORT DISCOURSE
OF
ATHEISM.
E have now done with what we intended

II
_
concerning S11perfl_ition :, and. iliall a little
confider and fean;h into the 2edigree of A··
THEISM, which indeed hath fo much-af-
ftmty w Sreper/lition that it may feem to have the
fame Father with it. Ou,<. ot'eta-, iS-Ea; 1l) cJ £;re~, a j
, J-e,<llif'cJMSIJ'v ~ ~al\tt""'· Superjlition could be well con-
G tent
 4i Of Atlnifm.
tent :het·e ~e1·e no God to trouble 01· difquiet it, and
Atheifm thmks there is none. And as S11perjlition is
engendred by a bafe opinion of the Deity as cruell and
tyrannicall ( though it be -afterwards brooded and
haccl:t by ajlavijh feitr aRd abject thoughts) fo alfo- is
i Atheifm : and that fowre ·and ghaftly apprehenfion
L of Go~, when it meets with more ftouc and furly Na-
tures, 1s·apt to enrage them, and cankeringthem with
Malice again.fl: the Deity they fo little brook, pro--
vokes them to.fight againfi it and. undermine the No-
tion of i~ ;_ as this Plaftick Nature which intends to
form L1vmg creatures, when it meets with fiubborn
and unr~ly Matter, is fain to yield to.-it, and co produce
that whichanfwers not her own idea; whence the Si-
gnatttres and impreffions of Nature fometimes vary fo
much from that Seal that Nature would have fiamp' d
upon them. 'o J'f:1(J'td'c«!-{9'V 'T~ rr.i>fOa.tpn~ d'.;;,-e@., wv, rl, ..
.S-evfoe,p. bGlV ~ -~ J'o~d{~v ~ ~ewv o ~g/\.ela.t, If
1
~
thefe ~elancholick Opinions and di[quieting Fears of
the Deity mould not the Minds of men into Devotion
as finding them too churlifh ·md untameable to receiv;
any fuch_ im~reffions; .1:hey 1re then. apt to exafper ate
rne_n agam!l 1t, and fhr them up to contend. with that
Be~ng which they cannot bear, and to defi:roy that
which would deprive them of their own Liberty. Thefe
~nreafonable fears. of a Deity will alwaies be moving
mto Flattery or Wrath. Atheifm could never have fo
eafily crept mto the world, had not S11perftition made
way and open, d a Back-door for it; it could not fo ea- _
fily have bani{h'd the Belief of a Deity, had not that
firfr accufed and condemn'd it as deftrud:ive to the
Peace-ofMankind ;_ and therefore it hath alwaies jufti-
fied and defended 1t felf by S11perflition: .as Pltttarch·
hath well .exprefi: ic , ~ j J"w1'lJ'a.-,f',9v,a, 'T~ ci~~o7)1'TI -,y
*'~a,,
OfA theifm.·
,;.µ:~ti,l '71'lif'6%~V drxJuJ , ~ ~o,4,S~ ,N1:hltrlJI ~Ao,,;~v,
m dAn~~ 'ti M'e ,tJv,lm, twe.9({)ria"i@. d'e 'Tll @. G"!rn. aµ.91e.9v
1
'J<C ,~ S,erflititm ~Jorded, the principle of Genertttion to
.Athei m, and afterwards furnifb'd it with an .Apology,
whic though it be neither tme nor lovely,yet wants it not
a JPeciom pretence •. And therefore Simplicim ( as we
hear.cl before) calls the .Notion of S11perjlition d~arth
],.o'')f)v, as having an ill favour of .Atheifm in it, feeing (as
he~ gives an account of it ) it difrobes the Deity .of true
Majefty and Perfection, and reprefents it as weak and
infirme, cloth, d with fuch fond, feeble and •impotent
paffions as men themfelves are. And Dionjfleu Longi-
nm, that noble Rhetorician , fears not to challenge
Homer as Atheiflica/lfor his unfavoury language of the
Gods, which indeed was only the Brat of his Superfti-
tion. If th€---Sttperftitious man thinks that God is alto-
gether like himfelf ( which indeed is a character moft
proper co fuch ) the Atheijl will foon fay in his heart,
There is no God; ·and will judge it not without fome
appearance of Reafon to be better there were none ;
as r Jut.arch hath difcours) d it , mm, cl/Jle,VOV bJj r~drm..,~
CM.eivrm '3 z:x.J~,~ rro1r«eJ,7ra.11 ,.uim ivvo,a,v ~x«!v Ge_w"v, 1.1lns
cpa,i7ra.cna,v; fllll'ri l9Je,<C:C.V, i ~f~$ 11) vo~1~qv xal&vf cth rlv-
{l&f'7Z'Wv arpa,rr-10~;,_.,,, a:Jf-{9-(TJ.., ~ 'Zi/\flofa.',r!w ::Ju(J'la.v '9
1ep~_p,;_a.v ''ITMJ'TWJ vo1'1~0M·a.); Were it not better for the
Gaules and Scythi3ns, not to have had any Notion,fan(y
or Bijlory 4 the Gods, then to think them fttch tU de-
lighted in the Blood of men offered 11p in Jacrifices ttpon
their Altars, M reckoning this -the m~f! per/elf kind of
Sacrifice and conf,,mmate Dev_etion ? For thus his words
are to be tranflated in reference to chafe ancient· Gauls
and Scythians, whom almoft all Hifi:ories tefiifie to
have been iv~ew,ro!:tu'WJ, · which horrid and monftrous
Superftition was anciently very frequent among the
Gz Heathen,
/t) . Of Atheifm.
Heathen, and was {harp1y taxed by Empedocles of
old,
Mopcplw cl\,' dM.d.;a.vlffli '!fa..111p r.piAov gov dEJ.e;t>
~<Pa.ZA, e1rotxaf4v~ IM~ »im@.--
This made Lucretius cry out with fo much indignation
when he took notice of Agamemnon's Diabolicall de~
vot~o~ in fa~r~ficing_ his Daughter Iphigenia to ·make
exp1auon at:Ius·Trojan Expedition, Tantum RelligioJo-
tuit fuadere malorum, And indeed what fober man
could brook fuch an efi:eem ofhimfelf as this blinde
Sup_erjlition ( which overfpread the Heathen world and
(I aoubt) is not fufficiently rooted out of the Chriftian)
faftned. upon God himfelf ( which made Plutarch fo
much in defiance of it cry out~ as willin° almofi: to be an
Atheift as to entertain the Vulgar S~perfi:ition ,. As
for me ( faith he) I b,zd rather men.ft1ould fay that there is
no f,Jeh man nor ever was as Plutarch, then to fay that
he is orWltI a.ll~efl)7r~ dl:,,,ex.,@., WfWrv.,goA@. wxep11~
'wf:P' op')tb.JJ, ~ 'TOI> ffU,C~(jl '11/{!Ppnll,cg~' an. ipconjlant
fickle man, 11.pt to be angry, and for e~ery trifle revenge:..
full, &c. as he goes on farther to expreffe this Hlaf-
phemy pf s,1-perftition.
But i~ rn_ay hot be amHfe to learn from Athei/ls-
themfelves what· was the Imp,elflve cartfe thar-mov'd
them to bariifh away all thoughts and.fober fear of a
Dc~ty, what wa~·the PrincipJe upon which this black
Oprn1ou was built and by which it was fufiein~d.· · And
this we may have from the confeffions of the Epicn-
r.eans, who though they feemed to acknowledg a Dei*
ty, yet I doubt not but thofe that fearch into their
Writings will foon embrace Tully's cenfure of tfaem.
rerhis quidem pontmt,reipfa toll,mt Deus. Indeed it wa~
not fafe for Epicums (though·hehad a good mind to let
the W odd _know how little he cared ~or theu: Deities-)
to
OfAtheifm.. ~ti
to profefs he believed there was_ none , left he fhould
have met with the fame entertainment for it that Pro-
tagora,s did at .Athens, who for declaring himfelf doubt-
full ~'lE &cA, ~'1i /hlJ Ei<T, ~eol , was himfelf put-to Death
and his books burnt in the fireets of Athens, '\Z1!1 w,{~
puila.. f,,b voce Prze-conis, as Diogenes Laertites arlH others
record: and indeed the world was never fo degenera-
ted any where as to fuffer .Atheifm to appear in pub-
lick View. ·
But that we may return, and take the Confeffions
a little of thefe [ecrct Atheifts of the Epic11rean fett: and -
of thefe Tully gives us a large account in his Books de
Finibus and other parts of his Philofophy. Torqttat11s
the Epimrean in his fitft book de Finibru liberally
fpends his breath to cool that too-much heat of Re-
ligion, as he thought,in.thofe that coulcl not apprehend
God as any other thea cteriofum & plenum nBgotii
Derem (~sone of that Sect doth phrafe it Lib. I. de Nat•.
.Deor.) and f9 he ftates this Maxim of the Religion
that then was mo.ft in ufe, Superflitione qui ejl imb11t1tS,.
qteietres efle menquam p_otejl. By the way, it may be
worth our obferving, how this monfrrous progeny of
men, when they would feem to acknowledge a Dfity;
could not forget their own beloved Image which was
always before their eyes ; and therefore they would
have it as ca-relefs of any thing but its own pleafureatid
idle life as they themfelves were~ So eafy is it for all
Seets fome way or other to flide into .a compliance
with the Anthropomorphit£, and to !?ring down_ the
Deity to a conformity to their ownlmage.
But we iliall rather chufe a litle to examine Lucretius
in this point, who hath· in the name of all. his Sett
largely told us the Rife and original/ of this Defign •.
After a iliort Ceremony· to his following Difconrfe a::
· G3 N11t11re,
 46 Of.Jt/Jeifm.' _ OfAibei[m:
Nature, he thus begins his Prologue in commendation
of Epicums his exploit, as he fancies it.
Humana ante octtlos fa:de crtm vita jaceret~
In terris opprejffl gravi f,tb Relligione,,
.§t!.£ capttt eca:li regionibus offendebat
Horribili ttf}et1tt (emper mortalibm inflans;
Primrtm Grai~ homo mortales tcndere contra
Efl ornlo! artf,ts, prim11-fq11e obftflere contr,t":
.$!..!}em nee Jama Der'tm, nee Ftelmina, nee minit11,nti
Murmrtre comprejit C celum · - . Superflition: yet would it :Mo breed a fober & amiable
And a little after in a forry Ovation, proudly cries
out,
~are Relligio pedibus fubjecla viciffim
obteritur; nos ex£qttat vicloria crzlo.
But to proceed ; Our Author obforving the timorous
minds of men to have been ftruck with this dre.1dfol
Srtp_erftition from the obfervation of fome ftttpendious
Ejfecls and Events ( as he pleafeth rather to call them)
in Nature; he therefore, following herein the fteps of
Ms great Mafter Epictmts , undertakes fo to folve all
thofe ~nots which Sttperjlition was tied up into, by
unfoldmg the Secrets of Natttre, as that men might find
themfelves loofned from thofe [£vi Domini and cmde-
les Tyranni~ as h~ calls, the vulgar Cre~ds of the Deity.
~ndfo begms w1~h a itm-ple Confutanon of the Opi-
mon of the Creation, which he fuppofed to contein a
fure and fenfible Demonftration · of a: Deity , and to
have fprung up from an admiring ignorance of Natural
producrions.
Lib. 1. f2.!!ippe ita Formido mortala continet omnes,
!2J!.od mttlta in terr is fieri cfEloqrte tuentur,
f2_f!or11-m opemm Cartfas tmlla ratione videre
Pojfunt, ac fteri Divino numine rentur.
And towards the end of this firft Book,
Prim,im
47
Primi'em qu'od magnfe doceo de rehus, &arlriJ
.Relligionrem animos nodis exfolvere pergo.
But herein all the Epicureans (who are not the true, but
fofter-f~the~s of that Natt,:al Philofophy they brag of,~
and wl11ch mdeed Democrttus was the firft Author of)
doe miferably blunder themfelves. For though a lawful
acquaintance with all the Events and Ph~nomena that
£hew themfelves upon this mundane fl:age would contri-
bute much to free mens Minds from the flavery of dull
Ec,lief of the Deity, as it did in all the Pythagoreans, P/11, ..
tonifls and other Sects of Philofophers, if we may be-
lieve themfelves; and an ingenreous knowledge liereof
would be as fertile with Religion, as the ignorance
thereof in affeighted and,bafe Minds is with Super(fition.
· For which purpo[e I iliall need onely to touch upon
~pimrus his mafrer•notion by which he undertakes
•- ··w falve all difficulties that might hold our thoughts in
fufpence about a J'n,-u~p'JP), or a Creator, which is that
Plem,m ( whic_h is all one with Corp,u) and Inane,_that
: this Body ( which in his Philofophy is nothing elfe but
. an Infinity ()f Infenftble .AttJmes moving to andfro-in an
Empty Space-) is, together with that Space iI?- which.it
is, fuffkient to beget all thofe Ph.momena which we fee
1
in Nature. Which however it might be true,.Metion
being once granted, yet herein Tully hath well fcotcht
the wheel of this over-hafty Philofophy, Lib. 1.dc Fi-
nib11s, Crtm in Remm natttra d1to Jint 9.u£re11da, 11m1m.,
q11£ Materia fit ex q,ea qttteq11t w efficiai:" ;_ 1ltemm-,
ljtt"tt Yrs fit q11te qHidqtte efficia_t: de Matma dif/erum!nt
Epirnrei; Vim & caufam efficiendi reliq11mmt. Which
is as much as if fome conceited piece of Sophifi:ry fuould
go about· to prove that an A11tomaton had no dependen•
cy upon the skill of an Artificer, by defcantiog _upon
the
48 Of Atbeifm.
the fevernl pa_rts of it,· without t~king -naci<:~ in the
me:m-while of fome external Weight or Sprmg that
moves it: or, to u[e his own Similitude, as if one that
undertakes to AnJlyfe a1~y Learned Book, ihould tell
us how fo many Letters meeting together in ~everal
Combimcions iliould beget all that fenfe that 1s con-
teined therein' without 1;inding that Wit that caft
them all into tI1eir feveral Ranks. And this made A-
rijlotl'e, oth~rwife not over-zealous ~f Re~gion,~be:l_r
to acknowledge fome Firft mover, cS 'li.Te!/J~IJ. ,u.vav ix,,u ..
vn/011.
And yet could we allow Epimms this power of Mo-
tion to be feated in Nature, yet that he might perform
the true task of a Natrmzl~ft, hemuft alfo give us an ac-
count how fuch a force and power in Nature fhould fub-
fifi: which indeed is eafy to doe~ if we call in eedv ~
JIA1~1,n;, God himfelf as t~e Archtted: and m?ver of th1s
Divine Artifice; but wahout fome Infimre power,
impoffible.
And we fuould further inquire,How thefe moveable
& ramblingAtomes come to place themfelvesfo·orderly
in the Univerfe, and obferve that abfolute Harmony &
De comm in all their Motions, as if they kept time with
the Mufical laws of fome Almighty Mind that com-
pos' d all their le£fons & meafured out the.i~ Dances-up
and down in the Univerfe; and alfohow It comes to.
pafs, if they be only mov'd by Chane~ & Accident, that
fuch RegHlar mutations and generatwns {hould b: be-
gotten by a fortttitotu concttrfe of Atomes, as fomettmes
they fpeak of, they having no centre ~o feat themfelves
about in an infinite Vacuity, as Tully argues ; and
how chefe Bodies i:hat are once mov' d by fome impulfe
from their former ftation, return again, or at leaft come
110 ftay themfelves, and doe not rathe1· move perpe-
. tually
OfAtheifm. 49
tually the fame way the Firfl: iinpulfe and diretHon
carried them ; or why they doe not there refr wh~re
their Motion fir.ft be 0 an to ceafe, if they were in-
terrupted by any thi~g without them: or_ again, if
the proper motion of thefe Ato1!m ~e alwa1es toward
fome Centre, as Epicrmu fomet1mes 1s pleafeJ to ftate
the·bufinefs, Lineu Rellit, as he faith, then ~1ow com~s
there, as 'I#llJ replies, to be_ any, Ge~eratt~n '! o~ if
there he a Motm declin11tio1.1ii Joyn d with this Motion
of Gravity ( which was one of Epicrmu ~is ,we).a-, J'o~a.,
which he borrowed not from Democrztus.) then why
fuould not all tend the fame way ,: and fo all thofe
_ Motions, Generations and Appearances in Nature all
vanifh, feeino- all· Variety of Motion .would be taken
away which ~ay foever this unhallowed Opinion be
'ftated?
· Thus we fee, though we fhould allow Epicurus his
Principle and fundamental abfurdity in the frame of
Nature; yet it is too aiery and weak a thing to fupp~rt
that maffie bulk of Abfurdities which he would bmld
upon it. But it was not the l~t of any of hi~ ftamp_w be
over-wife ( however they d1d boa.fr moft m the t1t_~e of
Sophi) as is well obferved of them ; for th~n they m1?ht
have been· fo happy too as to have d1fpelled t~efe
thick and filthy mifl:s of .Athei(m, by th?f: br~ght
beams of Truth that ihine in the frame of this infonour
world, wherein, as S.Paul fpeaks,the ~ ,,,,(.t)~v ~ rS-ss is
made manifeft. ·
Atheifm moft commonly lurks in conftnio fci:nti1t
& tgnoranti£ ; when the Mindes of men begm to
draw thofe orofs earthly vapours of fenfuall ·and
materiall Spe~ulati~ns by dark and cloudy ~ifputes,
they are then moft in danger of being benighted m ~hem.
There is a Natural Senfe of God that lodges m the
· H minds
 Of Atbeifm.
minds. of the loweft and dulleft fort of vulgar men;
which is alwaies roving after him, catching at him;
though it cannot lay any fure hold on him; which works
like a natHral Injlinll antecedent to any mature know-
ledge, as being indeed the Fir ft principle of it : and if I
were to fpeak precifely in the mode of the Stoicks, I
would rather call it op,u),v ,z;re)~ if" n9-E~v then with Plu-
tarch ~~ J10>101.v. But when contentious difputes, and
frothy reafonings , .and concempbtions informed by
flefhly affec'tions, converfant onely about the out-fide
of Nature~ begin to rife up in men~ Soules; they may
,then be in fame danger of depreffi~g all thofe· In-bred·
notions of a Deity,and to reafon themfelves out of their
own fenfe, as the old Sceptic ks did: and therefore it
may be it might be wi{h.d that fome men that have not
Reiigion, had had more Superftition to accompanf
them in their paff'age- from Ignorance· to· Know-
ledge. · .
But we have run· out too·farre in this. Digreffion-: we·
£hall now return, and obferve how our forr(1er :Author
takes notice of another piece of rulgar Superft_ition,
which he thinks fit to be chas' d away by Atheifm-,
and that is The terrorm of the· world'to come, whi<:h he
thus fets uponjn.his Third book, __ , . .: : . ·': ,
--Aniini n11,t1m1 vid'etur · fome other. ·
Atq11,e Animul11r11,ndameiJ jam~erfihm ef[e,_
Et metru ille fortU prttceps .Acheruntu agendr~s ,.,-_ .·
Frmditru, httmanam vit ,im qui trer/J~t ah imo-,_
. Omnia fujf,mdens mortis nigrore-·--- ·. -.
j fore we paff'e from it ., we fuall obferve two thmgs
And· afterwards he tells us how this Fear of the Gods·
thus proceeding from the former Caufes,, and from
thofe Spe-llres and gaftly Apparitions, with which men-
were fometimes terrified, begat. alt tbofe, Fanta(bak
rites and ceremonies-, in ufo amongft them , · a$·:iHeit
Temples,
Of Atheifm~ . 5-1
'T·emples, facred Lakes ~nd Poo~s_, their Graves, !\I-
tars, Images, and other hke Vamt1es, as fo many idle
toyes to pleafe the[e Deitie~ with; and at iall: co~-
cludes himfelf thus mto Atheifm, as a fl:rong Fort to
prefe~ve himfelf from thefe cruel Deities that Super-
ftition h~d. made, becaufe he_ could not find -the way to
true Rehg1on, · .
Ntmc qute Garefa Deum per magntU_ numina gen_tes Lil,.~-
Pervulgarit, dt> .;1ramm complever,t urbes,
Sufcipiendaqur: c1tr~rit folermia [acr_a, ,
!2J!te mmc in magnu florent_rebiifqrte locifqrte;
Unde etiam mmc eft mortalzhm mfitus horror
fl.!!...i deluhra .Delim n~va t~to fufaitat or~i
Terramm, & in feftu cogzt celebrare dze~ru;
-N.orJita difficile e.ft ratio'!._emreddereverbu • .
Thus ~ fee how superftitton ftrengthened t~e wicked
hands of Atheifm ; io tar 1s a Formal and R1tu~_ way
of Religion proceeding from ~ufeneff and Se~vtltty of
Miµ.d ( though back' d wi~h never fo much _rigour and
feverity ) fro~ keep_i°:g 1~ out. And I wi.lh fome of
our Opinions m Rehg1on tn thefedaresmay n~t_have
the fame evil influences as the not0nous Gentile-Su-
P(rftition ofold had, as_w~llfor the ~~getting this bra~
of 2'Jtheifrn, as I doubt 1t 1s too manifefi: they hav_e for
Thus we iliould now leave this Argument; onir be-
which Plutarch hath fuggefted to _us. The firftwhereof
is, That howfoever Superftition be neve~ {o unlo:1ely
11 thing~. yee- it iJ more tolerab1f,/./~e'! Athe1f~: . .wh1~h I
fhall repeat ia his words,* Afi µ, a.~1'.q ,f ~ . BEwv...J'o~n~, * Lib. "o1,
fl "+ ~••'••• > "' '\,\ nJ f\_ I • .,\ ...V C%,
~ad'ff o ec,,~ )i.:nFN, «<pa.cpEtv ""~ '><1'1oa.2.19~1t1.N e :J ,,·~~ '1'0
N - ~J'~ tfv~.~
1
jw.,a,Jov, f,M7(7W)f,t~~-mqv, t,Ntld'Mv({JtWV ,r l'/1151V lw o, '?17'-W n/'~r,,~ xc:t.1
1
~, r.fe1 :3-e&v ;xwa-,, we Jhould endeavor to take offf ~.. - 'E-:dx11e.9I'•
H~ perjfttJon
5z Of Atlnifm.
perjl_ition from o,er Mindes 7 as a Film from ottr Eyes; httt
if that cannot b~, we m11ft not therefore pluck ottt 011-r
.Eyes, and hlind the faith that generally we have of the
Deity. St1perftition may keep men.from-the outward
acts of fin fometimes, and fo their future punifi1ment
may have fome abatement. Befides that Atheifm offer.s
the greatefi: violence to mens· Souls that may be,pulling
up the Notions of a Deity, which have fpread their
Roots quite through all the Powers of mens Souls.
The fecond is this, That Atheifin it Jelf it a mofl
ignoble and uncomfortable thing, as Tully hath largely
difcuffed it, and efpecially Plutarch in the above-named ,
Tr2,2ate of his, written by way of Confutation of Co~
lotes the Epicurean, who writ a Book to prove That a
man could not live quietly by following any 0~1er fecl:s
of Philofophers befides his owne; as if all ffue good
were onely converfant ~ -p..~e9-, ,y 'T~s dtM.8s ?roptls ,F
COfx.d; ~'7m,;rw;, aliout the belly, and-all the pores an_d paJla_-
ges of the Body, and the way to true happmeffe was Cap-
'f.9Wliiv 1" Jv;ter,J"lfOV ol~ov, or elfe 'if +vxluJ If~- awf{Ei.1@..
M'ova7, x«.rro.,aub(l)1~v, as Pli,tarch hath not more wittily
then judicioufly replied upoll' him.
What is all that H'appin~fr that arifetfrfrom th~fe,
bodilypleafures to, any one that hath any high or noble
f~nfe :Vi thin ~im ~ This grofs, muddy, and fiupid Opi-,
mon 1s nothmg. elfe but a .Dehoneftamentrem hnmani
generu, that cafts as great a fcorn and reproach upon
the nature of mankind as may be, and finks- it into the
de~pefi: Abyffe of Bafenefs. And certainlymre the
Htghejl happinef of rnmkind fuch a tfong, as·might be.
felt by a corporeal touch,. were it of fo ignoble- a birth'.
a-s _to.· ~pring out of this earth, _and to grow up ·out of
. this mire and clay; we might well fie down and: be-
wail our· unhappy-fates, dnrt we fhould rach;r be born
Men
Of.Athei[m: 53
Men then Brnte· beafts, which enjoy· ·more of this
worldshappinefs then we can doe, without any fin or
guilt. How little of Pleafure thefe fh?rt lives tafr her~,
which onely lafi:s fo long as the· Ind,gency of nature 1s
in fupplying, and after that, onely rnwl, 'TIS (C ov«p 01/ 'T~
+vx~, a fiyingjbadow, or flitting dre~me of that ~leaf~re
( which is choak' d as foon as craving Nature 1s faus-
fied) remains in the Fancy, oTov &ex~.u~~ ~~-
fl-'-~", as Plutarch hath well obferved m the fame D1f:.
courfe ! · ·
And therefore Epic,erm· feeing how flippery the
So11le was to all Senfual pleafure, which was apt to flide
away perpetually from it, and again how little of it
.the Body was capable of where it had a 1110rter ftay ; _he
and his f9Uowers could not well tell where to place
this beog'arly guefr: and therefore, as Pl11,farch [peaks,
>/
tX,JlaJ
t, / I "f ) n, / '"'ftr.:::J ) '\,\ +,
'9 i(Sl-'TtiJ ("-f'TaJe)Vle,, °" ~ (TW/{9,l~ EIS T VXt.W, Ei'fflo I 9'.
,m;/,A,v C?C ,w,.v'7l1s as b,<.i:vo, one while they would place it
in. the :Body, and then lead it back again into the Soul~
not knowing where to befrow it. And Diodorru, and
the Cyreniaci, and the Epicureans, as Ttt!~y tells us, who ·
all could fancy nothing bu-t a' Bodily happineft, yet
could. not ag~ee whether _it fhoul~ be. rot,,pt"tU ., or
Y.ac_ttita-s doloris, or forn_ethmg elfe; 1t bemg· ever found
fo hard a· thing to define , Iike that J:>afe · M11tter of
which it is begott~n, which by reafon of it's::penurie
-& fcaritnefs ofBeings as Philofophers tell us,doth ~ffie-
gere inte~ellttm, an~. is nothing elfe but _a ~i.aqy k1~de
9f Nothmg ~ fomethi1:1g that lt1th a mme but nothmg
elfe. 'Tdar~ fay thC:u all_thof~ that have.any jufl: efi:eem
of bu inanity, cannot but with a noble fcorn -defy fuch a.
h.fe..born Happinefs- as _this is, gen~r~ted onely ou~·of
the-flirne of this· earth : and yet this 1s all the portton
· of At lieifm, whicµ teaehes the entertainers: of it to bc-
H 3" lieve
 Of Atheifm~ - OfAtheifm.· ;-5
lieve themfelves nothing elfe but fo many Heapes of blind as thefe Lords would be, that he might not fee
more refined. du!l:, fortuitously· gathered together,. his own mifery alwaies fiaring upon him ; and had
which at lall: rnuft be all blown away again. . need be more fenflefs and ftupid, that he might not
But a true Belief of a Deity is a fure Support. to all be affeeted with it. .
ferious minds, which befides the futttre ~opes it is pre ..
.gnant with, entertains them here \Vith Tranqtti!lity and Pfal. ro. 4. ·
inward ferenity. What the Stoick faid in his cool and The wicked thr1Jrtgh the pride of hit cottntenance wili not·
mature thoughts, ~c. ~51,~VCl1I 'To/) 'XQup.,(fJ· ~pr; '3-Eruv ~ feel: after God: God u not in all his thoughts.
,uvr; t'@fovoiw;, it i& not worth the while to live in a world
empty of God and Providence,is the [enfe of all thofe that Ecclus 2 3. 4.
know what a Deity means. Indeed it were the grea- O Lord, Father and God ofmy life, :give me not a prottd * "'>4':Jh
tefi: unhappinefs that might be, to have been born in-. look; h»t turn away from thy (ervants a* Giant-like '+~l(.r.u,•.
minde,. Sic Ed,t.
to fuch a world, where we!hould be perpetually toffed Comp!ut,
up and down by a rude and blind Fortune, and be per-:
petually liable to all thofe abufes which the favage
Lufrs and Paffions of the world would put upon us.
It is not poffible for any thing well to bear up the
fpirit of that man that fi111l calmly meditate with him-
felf. the true fiate and condition of this world, fhould
that Mind and Wifedome be taken away from it which
governs every part ofit, and overrules all thofe difor-
ders that at any time begin to break forth in it. Were
there not an omnifcient skill to temper, .and fitly to A
rank up in their due places all thofe quarrelfome -a~d
extravagant fpirits tnat are in the world, it would foqn
pr~ve an ~,~habitable place, and _fink uncle~ t~e heavy
we1g~t of it s own confufion ; which was wm1~y figni-
I. fied m that Fable of Phaeton, who being admitted to
drive the chariot of the Sun but for one day, by his
i
j
rude and unskilful guidance ofit made it fall down, and
burn the world~ Remove God and Providence out of
the world, and then we have nothing to depend up<;>n
but chance and Forttme, the Hremours and Pa.fions of
mtn ; and he that could then Ii.we in it, had need be as
blind
 A Difcourfe demonftrating
THE

IMMORTALITY
OF

THE SO -ll L·
Phocylides.
~;µg., ,y> 01! ,yJ,fnG ixof4J ' @11mvlei; es @TM
Auop.5y.Jo1- 'Jl,_gf'l~ eup.,~v· d~p J'' dvd r,nJSVf--'9- J'iJ'Ex.~,.

Epicharmus apud Clem. Alex. Strom. 4·

Eu' ~,~s JI~ 'ITE({JU'¼JS ' J rmL:Jrm ')I' JJ'ey ,ui7Gdv xcvrSrx,Jv«
avMei 111111:v~cx. cf',ex-,,4,.fo ,c,cx.T ~e9-vd11. .

Plotin. Ennead. 4. l. 4. c. 45'·

·o d~~G ~ ~, c:tffil(n' '9 ~vwcnuf ®flv CG'7116Yt1f' 0dv4,,_,.
w.nr/tX.Sov7, ot~iv, '9 eue~,mG b51V, eds 14' ~(4J/ lar1i10.
Hierocl. in Pythag. aur. carm. ·
Ou ~{iM'€,.: o,C,CX.KOS rl,Sr:t:va-'fJV EillGq -;p s«-u1~ <puxM.
-·,

Ii
f
I A
 d
DISCOURSE OF THE
t Immortality of ~he Soul:
l-
1

ca·AP. l.
The Firft and main Principles of Religion, viz, I, That
God is. 2. That God is a rewarder of them that
feek him : wherein is included the Great Article of
thdrnmortality of the Soul. 'I'hefe two Principles .ac-
knowledged by_ religiom andferiotu perfons in.all Ages.
3. That Goa communicates himfelf to mankind by
·C hrift. 'Ihe Docfrine of the Immortality of the Soul
difcmfed of in th~ fir.ft place, and why? .
Aving finifh' d our two fhort Difcourfes
concerning thofe two :Anti-Deities, viz;.
Superjlition and .Athafm; we fuall now
proceed to difcourfe more largely con-
cerning the maine Heads and Principles
of Religion. ·
And here we are to take Notice of thofe two Cardi-
nal points which the Author of the Epiftle to the He-
brews makes the nece{fary Foundations of all Religion,
viz. ·-rhat God i-s, and That He u a rewarder of them
that [eek him. To which we {hould adde, 'Ihe ImmQr-
tality of the Reafonable Sord., but that that may feem in-
cluded in the former : and indeed we can neither be-
lieve aky Inviftble re,vard of which he there fpeaks,
I 2 without
 of the lmmfJrtality
without a Prolepfi; of the Soul's immortality; neitber
can we entertain a ferious belief of that, but the notions
of Pr.entt and Pr£mi1tm will naturally foUow fro.m it; we
never· meet with any who were perfivaded- of the for.:
mer, th:it ever ·doubted of the latter :_ and therefore the
former two have ber.n ufoally taken alone for the Firft ·
principles of Religion, and have been mofl: inlifted
upon by the Platonijls ; and accordingly a novel Pla-
tonift writiog a Summary of Plato's Divinity, jmitles
l1is book, De Deo & Im,:nortalitft,t;e .Animtt. And alfo
. th~. Stoical Phil_of(?phy requires a belief of the[e as ihe
'~ Cap. 38. Pr{!lepfes of all ReHgion, of the one whereof* Ep"illet11~
hirDf~]faffores us, ;ica-, 071~ ;we,twrm."Pv, &c.. Kno,v that
the-m~in Fottridatioit of Piety u th&, to h11,ve; o'_p~~ :~ 4
i\n-4,e; right (}pinions Jndapprehenflons of pod,: rv~i •. That
he is, and that he governs all things -x.~c,,s '9 Jlt7Gru rJJ;,
1
And the other is fufficiently infinuated in that Cardi-
nal diftincl:ion of their rm l~' ~,;;.v, and rm; flM ;<p' ~J.Jlv,
and is more fully exprefs'd by S.implicius. Fo~· however
~he Stoicks may f~em t? lay_fome_ ground offufp~c~on,~s
1f they were dubious m this· pomt , yet I·. clit:t;lk. tha,t
which T11,//y and ochers deliver concerning their qpi~ion
herein, may fully anlwer all fcruples, viz. Tbaras they
made ~ertain ric~fsitttdes of Conflagrations an..~11J.1J;t1tJ4-:
tirms whereby the Wor Id fhould periflr -in:. ·c~rrain
periods of time; fo they thought the Souls of in.en
fhould alfo be fobjecl: to thefe periodical revolr,tjons;
and therefore though they were of themfelves.immor-
ta], fhould in thefe changes fall under the power of the
common fate. · Now for thefe three Articles of Faith and Prattice,
And indeed_ -we fcarce ever finde that ariy were
deem' d Religiom, that did not own thefe two Funda-
mentals. For the Sadd1tcees, the Jewiili \.Vriters are
wont commonly to reckon them among the Epicttre-
ttns,
of the Soul. ·. 61
ans, becaufe thougli they held a God, ·yet· d1ey denied
the Jmnwrtality of mens Souls, which the New Tefta..
men_t feems to include, if not efpecially to aime at, in-
imputing to them a deniall o~the ~eforrecl:ion; · whic~
is therefore more fully explamed m the flls, *where 1t ~chap.2. 3.8-.
is added that they held there was neither .Angel nor-
Spirit, . And the~e t~vo Principles are chiefly aimed at
ip. thofe two Infcnpuons upon the Temple at Delphos-,
the-ooe, EI, referring to God, by which Title iliofe
that came in to woribip were fuppofed· to: invoke him,..
acknowledging his Immutable and Eternal nature ; the·
other, r N .n e I ~EA TT o·N, as the admoni-
tion of the Deity again to all his wodhippers, to take
notice of the dignity and Immortality of their own
Souls,- as Plutarch and Tully, as alfo Clemens-Alexandr.
expound them. · · · ·· .
. But if we will have the Fundamental Articles of
Chriftian Religion, we muft adde to the former, The
Commrmication of God to Ma»kind throllgh chrift;
which -lafr the Scripture treats of at large, fo far as
concerns our prallice, with that plainnefs and fimplici-
ty, that I cann?t but t~~nk, that ~hofoever fhall_in-
genuoufly and with ·humility of Spmt addreffing lum•
folf to God, converfe therewith, will fee the bright
beams of Divinity ili.ining forth in it, and it maybe
find the Text it felf much plainer then all tho Ce Glof-
fes that have been put upon it; thouglric may be icis-•
not fo clear in matters of Specttl11tion) as fome Magifie-
rial men are apt to think it is.
1 think if we duly confider the Scriptures, or the Rea-
fori of the'thing it felf, we fhall eafily find all Practical'
Religion to be referr' d to them , and built upon them:
The Nature of God 11,nd of 011r own Immvrtal So11l.s both
I3 fuew
62. O/the ImmortalitJ
{hew us what our Religion iliould be, and alfo the Ne-
ceffity of it; and the Dod:rine o_f Free grace in chrift
the fweet and comfortable meaQs of attainino- to th-a~
perfe&ion and Bleffednefs which the other B~lief tea-
ches us to aime at.
In purfuing of thefe we fuall fir ft be 0 in with.The Im-
mort4lity ofthe Soul, which ifit be one~ cleared we can -
neither leave any room for .Atheifm ( which' thofe I
doubt_are no~ ordinarily_very free from that have grofs
!natenal nonons o~ the1r ?wn Souls ) _nor be wholly
1gnorant what Go~ 1s : for mdeed the chief natural way
wh~reby we can clunbeup _to the underftanding of the
Deity 1s by a Contemplation of our own Souls. ·we
cannot think of him but according to the meafure-an1f
n~odel of our own I~telled , or frame any other fddibf
lum t_hen what the 1mpreffions of our own Soulf'wilf
pen~tt us: and thez:efore the bell: Philofophers have
alwa1es taught us to mquire for God within our felves.
Reafon in m, as Tully tells us, being participata flmill
t11do ration~ int_ern£ : and accordingly fome good Ex-
pofitours have t~terpreted that place in S. 1olm's Go-
fpelchap.r. He ts that true light which enlightens every
man t1:,it cometh into the 1:JJorld; which ifI were ta glofs
upon m the language of the Platonifi:s I iliould doe it
t~us , ?i.t-y@. bG1 rp~, -4,u,xwv , the Ete/nal vrord u th~
l1$ht of Souls, wluch the Vulgar Latine referr'd to in
S1g_n.atum eftfupra nos lumen vultm tui, Domine, as A-
qttmtU obferves. But we fhall not fearch into 'the fuH
nature of the Soul , but rather make our inquiry into
the Immortality of it, and endeavour to demonftrate
that.
CHAP.
· ,{the Soul~
CHAP. If.
some confider~tio~s preparatory to the proof of the Soul's
. Immortality. ,
UT before we fall more clofely upon this, vi'{: the·
B demonftrating the Sours Immortality, we fhall pre-
mife three things. .
r. That the Immortality ofthe Soul doth not ah(olut~ly
nud any Demonflr~tio_n to clear it by, br/,t mig~t '!?e afft/,-·
med rather tU a Prmc1ple or Poftulat~m , f~ezng the n_o-
tion of it is apt naturally to injinuate tt felf into the b~lref
of-the mo.ft vulgar fort of me'!· Mens_underftandm&s·
commonly lead them as- readily to believe t~at their
Souls are Immortal, as thatthey have a?y Ex1fi:en~e at
all~ , And though they be not all fo_ wife ancl Log1ca!,
as to di{Hnouifh ari<!ht between· their So11ls and their-
Bodi~s •ot'-t~ll what ltind of thing that is that they-com--
monly call their soul i yet they are ftrorrgl'Y: indined to·
believe that Come part of them iliall furvive ~nother,
and that that Soul, which it may be they conceive_ by a·
erofa Phantafm, fhall live; when· the· other more·vifible-
part of them £hall moulder ~nto _dufi:. _· And ~herefore·
all Nations- have confented m this belief, ~h1ch hat~-
ahnofi: been as vulgarly rec~ived ~s the b~ltef of a De~-:
ty ; as a diligent converfe with Hl!lory will affur~ u~.,1t 1
having been never fo much quefi:1one~ by the Id10t1cal
fort of men ., as by fome unskilful ~l~1lofophers_, who•
have had Wit & Fancy enough to·ralfe doubts, like E--
vil Spii'its·, but not Judgement enough to fend thfm'
down again. . _ .
This Confenf11o C,en~irtm Tt/,!lythmks eno~gh to co~-:
dude a Law and Ma-x1m of Nature by, wluch thouoh
l
-'4 Ofthe Immort.zlity
I fuould not univerfally grant, feeing fometime-s Errour
and Superfiition may firongly plead this Argument •
yet I think for thofe things that are the matter of ou;
fir.ft belief, th1t Notion may not be refu[ed. For we
cannot eafily conceive how any Prime notion that hath
no dependency on any other antecedent to it .iliould
I mer. :But the reafon of that is evident, f~r the Souls
be generally tntertain' d ; did not the commo~ dictate
of Nature or Reafon aeting alike in all men move them
to con[pire together irr the e1:1bracing of ~i?. though-
th_ey knew not one·anothers mmds. And this 1t may be
might firft perfwade Averroes to think of a Common
I11telleltJ becaufe of the uniform judgments.of men in
fome thmgs. But indeed in thofe Notions ,vhich ."we
may call notiones orttt, there a Cl)mmunu notititt is not to
fr_ee from all fufpicion; which may becle.ared by.1i:a-·
km~ an Infiance from our prefent Argument. The
~ot1on of the Immortality of the S01:11 is fuchanone as
1s gene:ally owne~ by all thofe that y_e_t are noc· able ·to
c~llecl: 1t by along-Series and concatenation o((enfrble
obfervations, and by a_ Logical dependence cri orif thing
u~on anot~er deduce 1t from_ fenfible Experiments; a
tlu~g tha~ 1t may b~ was_ fcarce ~ver done by th~ wifeft
Plulofophers; bur1s rather behev~d wi.tfra kind of re-
to
pugnan.cy: tp Senfe, ,which !hews all things: be· mor-
tal, andwh1ch would have been too, apt to have deluded
t_he ruder fort of men, did not a more powerful impref-
110~ upon their own Souls forcibly urge them to believe
tbe~r own Immortality. T bough indeed if the common
nouons of mea were well examined , it may be fome
common notion adherent to this of die Immortality
may be as generally received,which yet in it felf is falfe-
and that by reafon of a common prejudice which th~
earthlr and Se~fual part of man will equally poffeffe all
men with> unull they come to be well acquainted with
their
. of tbe Soul.
their own Souls ; as ,n~~ely a noti?n of the S_ouls MA.--
6S
teriality, and it may be_ 1t s Traducfzon too, wl1tch feem_s _
to be as generally received by the vulgar fort as the for-
of men exercifino- themfelves fidl: of all ,uvnatl 'roe.9(:~-n-
"'~' as the Greek Philofopher expreifeth, meerly by a
Progrejive kind of motion, fpendrng themfelves ab~ut
Bodily and Material ad:s, and converfi~g onely with
Senfible things; they are apt to acqmre fuch deep
ftamps of Material phantafms _to themfelves, that they
cannot imao'ine their own Bemg to be any other then
Material &'ODiviflble., tho~gh of a fi~e JE~hereal na-
ture : which kind of conceit, th~ugh 1t be mconfiftent
with an Immortal and lncorrupt1ble na_ture, yet hath
had tQO much prevalencie in Philofophers the~felves,
their 'Minds not being fu~ciently ~bftracl:ed while they
have contemplated the h1gheft Being of a~l. ~nd f~me
think Ariffotle hirnfelf cannot be c~cufed m this po1~t,
who feerris to have thouo-ht God h1mfelf to be nothing
elfe but p.e')d- ~~ov,as he ftyles him. But fuch ~ommon
Notions as thefe are, arifing from the de~ep~ions au d
hallucinations of senfe, ought not to pre1u~ice t_ho~1
which aot sen[e, but fome E~gher power begets Ula
men. And fo we have done with ~hat. .
The fecond thing I fhould prem1fe fuonld be_m place
of a Pojfolat,em to our following_ D~monftrat10ns,_ hr
rather a Caretion about them, which is, That, to a rig t
conceiving the force of any [,,ch Argrements as may prove
the so,ds Immortality, there mr~/l be an antecedent ~on-
verfa witb orer own S Drels .It is no_ha~d matter t,o convm~e
any one by clear and evident pnnc1ples,fetch d fro!ll_ hid
. own fenfe of himfelf, who ha~h ever well med1t~te_
the Powers and oper:itions of h1s own Soul, that it is
Immaterial and Immortal. But ·
K
 66 Of the lmmQrtality
But tnofe very Arguments tl1at- to fuch wiU- be
Demon!l:rative, to others will lofe fomething of the
frrength of Probability:F or indeed it is not poffible for
us well to know what our Souls are, but onely by their
-;uvn~s ;cuiU\,i,ccu, their Circular and Reflex motions, and
Converfe with themfelves, which onely can fteal from
them their own fecrets. All thofe Difcourfes which ·
have been written of the Soul's Heraldry, will not bla-
zon it fo well to us as it felf will doen When we turn
our own eyes in upon it, it will foon tell us it's own
royal pedigree and noble extraetion, by thofe facred
Hieroglyphicks which it bears upon it felf. We 11iaH
endeavour.to interpret and unfold fome of them in our
following Difcourfe.
. 3. There is one thing more to be conli~red,
l
I
which may ferve as a common B,1/is or Principle to
our following Arguments ; and it is this Hypothe-
I fi_s, That no Sttb~antial and lndivijible thing ever pe-
rijheth. And this Epicrmts .and all of hts Sect muft
~e~ds grant, as ·indeed they doe, and much more then
1t rs lawful to plead for; and therefore they make chis
one of the firft Principles of their .Atheijlieal Philofo-
phy, Ex nihilo fteri pil, & in nihilrtm nil p~fle reverti.
But ,~e 1h_all h_ere be content ½'.ith that fober Thefts of
Pl_ato m lus Ttm£ru, who attributes the Perpetrtdtion
of all Subfiances to the Benignity and Liberality of the
Cre.1cour, whom he therefore brings in thus fpeakino
to the Angels, thofe vfo, ~o}, as he calls them, UfJfe~ ~
~i clr':n-J.'vd7o, ~' ai1.ulo1, &c. Yort are not ofyour falves
immort,tl, nor indiffol,th!e ; h11t wortld relapfe and flide
back from that Being ivhich I have given yort, foortld I
n1ithdrt1w the in.fl,teni:e of my own power from yurt-: brtt
yet yort ]hall hold yortr Immortality by a Patent of meer
grace from my felf. But to return, Plato held that the
whole
.o~1 ibe Soul. · 6 7.·
whole world, howfoever it migh~ meet wit_h many ~e--
riodicall mutations , {hould remam Eternal1y ; wluch
I think our Chriftian ~ivinity doth ~o wh~r~ ~eny_;
and fo Plotinm frames this general Axiom, ~J'211 C?G ~
Jvt({i). ~A£7T"-f, that no Sreb.ftance jl,a/l 'eve~peri.fb. And
indeed if we· collate all our_ own Obfervat1on~ & E_xpe-
rience with fuch as the Htftory of former tunes hath
delivered to us, we fuall not find that _ever any f~b-
ftance was quite ioft; but though this Prote~s-h~e
Matter may perpetually change its fhape, yet 1t will
confi:antly appear under ~ne Fo~m or another, what art
foever we ufe to deftroy 1t : as it feems to have been fet
forth in that old Gryphe or Riddle of the Peripatetick
School iv.Elia L.:elia Crij}is, nee mM, nee ftemtntt-, nee'
androgyna, nee ca/ht, nee m_eretrix, nee pudiea; J~d
omnia., &c. as Fortrmius Lzcett# hath expounded_ 1t,
Therfore it was never doubted whether ever any p1e~e
of subjlance was loft, til~ of latter ti~es fom_e hoc-br~I-
ned Peripatcticks, who could not bring their fiery and
fubtile fancies to any cool judgement, began rafhly ~o
determine that all Material Forms ( as they are pleas d
to call them ) were loft. For having once j_umbled and.
crouded in a new kind of Being, n~v~r anc1en~ly heard.
· of, between the parts of a Contrad1~1on, that 1s Matter
and spirit, which they call Material Forms, becaufe
they could not well tell ,~hence thefe new upftarts
{hould arife nor how to d1fpofe of them when Mat-
ter began t~ {hift herfelf into fome new garb , they
condemn' d ·ti1em to utter deftruction ; and yet left
they fuould feem too rude~y to controul all ~enfe an_d
Reafon, they found out this co~mon tale which figni-
fies nothing, that thefos,ebffanttttl_ Forms were educed
ex potentia Materi~ , ~henever Matter bega~ to ap=
peare in any n@w d1fgu1fe, and afterwards agam recur
K2 ned
68 Oftfie Immortality
ne~ inlremi11m M1teri.e? & fo they thought them· rior
qu~re_ . . oft. But this Cunofity confifting onely of words
Joi tmtou~y packt up together, being too fubtilefor
any fober Judgment to lay hold upon, and which they
_themfelves could never yet tell h0w to define-• we !hall
as carelefl Ylay it afide, a.s they boldly obtrude it upori
u_s , an~ take the common diftincrion of all Suhftan~
trail Beu'J$ ~or granted, viz. That it is either Body-,
~nd fo D-1:'ifible,_ and of three Dimenfions; or elfe it
15 fomethmg which is not properly a Body or Matter
&. fo hath no fuch Dimenfions as that the·Parts there~
of fhould be crou9ing for place, and jufiling one with
ano~her, not bemg all able to couch. tooether or run
one mto another : and this is· nothing elfe but what is
comm~~ly ~alled ~p(rit. Though yet we will not be
too Cnt1cal in depnvmg every thing which is not.grof-
ly corporeal of all kind of Extenjion.
Cu AP. Hf.
The {irfl Argument for the Immortality of the S011!'
Ti_ ~t the Sottl of man u r_;ot Corporeal. The grof ahfltr~-
~1}m_upon the Sttppofitton that the Soul u a Complex·
~ ftrud Atom~s' or that it ~ made ttp hy a fort11itom·
Concor,r_(e of Atonm: which is Epicurus his-Notion·
concer17:mg Body. The Principles and Dogmata of
tke Epicurean.Philofophy in uppofition to tbe Immate-:
all a~d lncorpo~eal n~t11re ofthe Soul, 11J[erted· bf
1
;}cretius~; /J11,t difcover_d to he falfe· and inflifflcient.
at Mot1on cannot arife from Body or Matter N' .
san the power efSenfacion. arifa from M11tter :· Mt,:h
le/ c1-m Reafon,. Th,zt· all 1/.ttmane· hno,vledge hath
not
ofthe Soul~ 69
not its rife fr~m Senfe. The proper fitn~i~n ef Senfe;.
and that it is never decewetf. An Addttton of Three
Confit/,erations for ~he enforcing of t~~}rft Ar'{ument.,
and f,trther clearing the Immaterzaltty· of the Soul.
That there is in man a--Facutty whieh x.controlls Senf~:
and 2. co!lells and'unites all•the Perceptions of our fe-
veral Senfes. 3._That Me7:1ory· and Previji_on a~e not
explicable upon the fuppofitzon of Matter 11nd-M.ot1on.
E {hall therefore-now endeavour· to prove Thac·
VV the Sort! of man- i-s fomething really diftinll
from his Body, ofan Indivifible nat~re,and fo cannot be
divided into fuch, Parts as fuould fht one from another;
and· confequently is apt ofit's own-Nature to remain
to Eternity and fo will doe,· except the Dearees-, of
' J:.. •
Meaven {hould abandon itrrom Bemg.. .
• And firft., we £hall prove it ab a~(urdo, a1~d here doe
as the M'adiematici-ans ufe to doe m fuch.kmd ofDe-
monftratfons : we will fuppofe t:hat if the Rea~onable
Soul- be not offuch an Immaterial Nature, then 1tmuft
be a Body, and· fo fuppofe it ~o:be-made up as all Bodi_es·
are: where becaufe the·Op1mons of Ph1l~fophers ~if--
fer, we {hall only take one, viz·. that of Epmmu, which
fuppofeth it to be made up by a f ortrti~otu Concourfe of
A tomes- . and in that: demonfirate .agamfi: all the .r~ft :
(for ind~ed herein_a partimlarD~monfirationis-~n Uni:.-
11etfal, as it is in all Mathe~at1~al Demonfrranons of
this kind.) For if all that which 1s the Bafis of our Rea-
fons and llnderftandings; which we here call the Sreb-
/l_ance of the Soul., be no~hing elfe but a m_eer BodJ, a~d
·therefore be infinitely diviftble,as al~ Bodies ar.e; 1t will
be all one in effect whatfoever notion we· have of the·
generation or produdion thereof. We may give it., if
we pleafe., finer words-, and·ufe more demure &fmooth.
K ? language·
 ·7 0 Of1be Immortality
language about it then Epicrmu did, as fome that, left
they {h?uld fpeak ~oo rude~y and ruftically of it by
callmg It Matter, w1-ll name It. Efflorefaentia Materi.:e;
and_ yet left that fi1ould not be enough, adde Ariftotle•s
Qumte.tfence to it too : they will be fo trim and court-
ly in defining of it, that. they will not call it by the
name of Aer, Igni5., or Flamma, as fome of the ancient
vul~ar Philofophers did, but Flos jlamm.:e: and yet the
]!ptctt~ean Poet could ufe as much Ghymiftry in exal-
tmg his fanfy as thefe fubtile Doer ors doe ; -and when
. be would drefs out the N orion of ic more gaudily he·
· · re [ce1nll
"'L1,crct · l1b3 · to * F l os Bacch"1, and Sptrttus
J es 1t . . 1mgrtenti
' prepired for this .purpofe mto fuch perfett sph4rt~td
f,1-avu. But when we have taken away this difguife of
wanton Wit, we {hall find nothing better then meer·
Body,_ which will be r~coiling hack perpetually into it's
m~n mere and fl_ugg1~1 ~affivenefs: though we may
t~mk ,~e have quicken d 1t never fo much by this fub-
ttle artifice of Words and Phrafes, a maf.l's new-born
s o,tl will for. all this be bu.t little bette1: th~n his Body ;
and, ls that 1s, be but a rafura corporu alzeni, mad~ np
o~ fome fmall and thin {havings pared off from the 130-
dres of the Parents by a continuall motion of the feve-
ral parts of it; and muft afterwards receive its auo-
mentation from that food and nourifhment which is
taken in, as the Body doth. So that the very Grafs we
walk over in the fields, the Duft and Mire in the
ftreets that we tread upon, may, according to the trne
meaning of this dull Philofophy, after many refinings
macerations and maturations, which Nature perform;
by the help of Motion,fpring up into fo many Rational
Souls, and prove as wife as any Epicrman, apd dif--
c?ur~eas fubtily of what it once was, when it lay4roo-.
pmg ma fenilefs Paffivenefs. This conceit is fo grofs
that one would think it wanted nothing bu·c that witty
Sar-
of the Sout 7I
Sar-cafmthat-Plut-archcaft upoh·Nicocles the Epicurean,
·to confute it, ~ f,IA1'Tnp clriv~_8d~,ev &, dui~ 'l'D@ti~~, ·ola,
aw.Jf/\.e~(J"Cf./ <rocpa" av e~vvn t. . . ..
But becaufe the heavy minds of men.are fo frequently
finkincr into this earthly fancy, weiliall further fearch
into the entralls of this Philofophy ~ and fee how like
that is to a Rational Soul, which it pretends to declare
the producl:ion of. L11-cretim fir_fi: of all takin~ noti_ce
of the mighty fwiftnefs and celenty of the S()ul~n all 1ts
operations, left his .Matter ~ould be too foon tired and
not able to keep pace with ~t, he firft cafrs the Ato"!"es
& fm·dl figures as might be moft capable of thefe fw1fc
imprdftons; forfo he, lib.3~ · . _
At, qttod mobile tantop_e~e e(f,_ co~/tare·rot:mdu:
Perq11am feminibru de~et, ferqttamque m~n11tu,
Momine uti parvo pofmt zmp11lfa move~t. . ,
But bere- before we.goe any further, we might mqU1re·
what it fhould be that fhould ·move thefe [mall and in;.,
(enjihte Glohes of Matter. For· Epicttrm ~is two-Prin-
dples, which hecals rlenrem and Ina~e, will here by no_
means fe·tve our turn to find out Motton by. For though
our communes notititt affure us that whereever there is
a Multiplicity of pans, ( as there !sin-every <?,.l!_a~tit~-
ti ve Being) there may he a Vanety of a}Dphcat1on m
tl,ofe parts one to anoth_er, and ~o a Mobility; yet Mo-
tion it felf will not fo eafily artfe out of a Plen11m,
thou0 h we allow it an empty space and room enough
to pl:y,up and down in. For we ~ay c;onceive a Bo!y;
which is11is Plenr,m, on~ly as trme dtmenfum, being
longum, latttm & profund,,m, wi~ho~t attributing any
motion at all to it: and .A-rif!IJtle m his De Cr£lo doubts•
not herein to fpeak plainly, a'TI &c '1'8 ur/iWJ,(9s ,uv,,ms ~
€,'Jt~vilau, that .Motion cannot arife from a Body. - For in-
deed
 Oft~e Immortality . oftbe Soul.
~ed this Power of motion muft needs argue fome effi-
c1ent caufe, as-Tully hath _well obferved, if we fuppofe
~ny Reft antecedent; or 1f any Body be once moving:
~t ~u~ alfo fin? fo1~~ potent Efficient to fray it & fettl~
it m Rejl, as Stmpltctru hath fomewhere in his Com-
m~t upon Efiffet,u wifely decerrnin'd. So that if we
wdl f°:ppofe euher Motion or Re.ft to be contein' d origi~
nally m the ·nature of_any B_ody;. we mull: of nec<~ffity
conclude .fome _potent ~ffic1enc to produce the contra-
ry,_ or el_fe attribute this Power to Bodies ~hemfelves ;
which will at Ia~ grow ~nbou~ded and infinite, and in-.
deed .altogether mconfiftent w1th the nature ofa Body.
. But yet though we ihould grant all this which Lucre'-
trru conc~nds for_, ho~_ihall we force up thefe par.ticles.
ofMatter 11~to any ~rue and real Perceptions, and make
them perceive their own or others motions which he
c~lls ~":'u fenfiferi? For he having firft'Iaid down
~1s Pr1~c~ples ofall Being., as he fuppofeth, ( neither
1s he wd1mg to leave his Deities themfel ves out of the
number ) he onely requires thefe Pojlutaia to unfold ·
_» Lib. l,
the nature of a!l by, * Concttrfm, motm, ordo, pojitttra,
ftg1tr-£. But how any ~uch thmg as fenfation, or much-
le1fe ]!-e:fon, ihould fprmg out of this barren foil, how
~ell till a f~eve1:, no c<?mpofe~ mind can imagine. For
mdeed that 1~fimte yanety which is in the Magnitude
of part~, the1r Pofltums, F igttres and M~tions, may .eali-
ly, and mdeed i_nufi needs,produce an infinite variety of
Ph£nomena,whtc!i the Epicurean philofophy callsEven-
!a· And a~cordmgly where t~ere is a Sentient fac,,lty,
It may recerv:e the greacell: variety of Im.t'reffions from
t~em, by which the Perceptions, which are the imme-
dtate refalt of a Knowing_faculty, will be diftingttifh'd:
Yet cannot the Power 1t felf of Senfation arife from
them, no more then Yifton can rife out of a Gla1fe,
whereby
· 1J
_ whereby it fuould be a~J·e to. ~r~e!ve ,thefe Jdoltt that ,,
··paint themfeves upon it, though· 1twe~e never fo ex-
actly poli1h' d, -and they much· finer : then_ they are or
can be. . .· . . . . ·· .,,: · . . · :· -
Neither .can thofe fma.11 corpri-[cula, which iq-them-
,felyes have no power of ft!1fe, -ever: produ~e it 1?Y:a~y
kind of Concourfe or Motion; for fo a Caufo m1ghnn
.its production rife up_above ~he height'"of its-own na-
ture and virtue; .. which I thmk -ev:ery ~alm contem-
-plator of.Truth wiJI-judg_e hnpoffible: for ~eejng wh~t-
.foever. any :Effect hath,. 1t muft. n~ed~ deqve-from its
Caufes and ca·n receive no other tincl:ure and-im•prefli-
-on the~ they c~n beft~w uponjt:; t~at Si~nac_ u~e muft
firft be in the Caufe 1t f~lf, which 1s by It derived to
the Effect., And therefore: ~he- wifefi:·.Philofo,phe~s- a-
mong.ft the Ancients uni'verfally co~clu:ded: _that, th~e
was·Jo·me higher Principle thenmeer M11,tter, ·which
was the Caufe of all Life and Senfe, and that to be Im-
mortal: as the Platonijls, who thought this reafon fuf-
ficient to move them to affert a Mundane Sout And ,
Arift()ffe., t!10ugh he tal~s much of Ffat,ere, ;yet he,~eli'.'"
vers. his mmd. fo cloll;dlly, th~t ijll tha,~ -he ha~h fa1d of
it may paffe with that which himfelf fa1d of his Ac,roa-
tici Libri, or Phyficks, that they were ,~d'sd'Q,4Jo, <a
p)i &t.J'sJ-opJ,,]01. Nor is it like~¥_ that he who. was_ fo
little fatisfied -with his own notion. qf $at1ere as-bemg
the Catt[e ofall Motion and Re.ft,· as f~e~_ingly.lo deferc
it_ while he placeth fo many Intelhge~ces- about the
Heavens, could much pleafe himfelf with fuch a grcSfs
conceit of ,neer Matter, that that. ihould be the true
Moving and Sentient Entelech of -fo~n~ other Matter; '
as.itis manifeO: he did not_. .. · : -. . , - ··
But indeed Lucreti,m himfelf, though he could in a ·
j<>lly fit of his over-flu{h'd and fi eryJanfy.tell us,
1 Er
 -7.4 Oftbe ImmortaliiJ
ut,_ , , · : · ':it'riile;b p-ot~ftiiM' e°Jc- r-identibilfatfni, ·.
Et fapere, & dollu rtitionem mlllen di/'!"is,
. Non exftminibus fapie-ntilms, atque- difartir :
yet _1.n more cool ~houghts he f~m~d ljis own common
-nm:to~s, too ~urdy-.to· befoieafily;fitenc'd; ~mdthere-
~~!~e fees _hinvits a-\\tork to·'find-the,moft-~int~lfen-
;t'tal particles of ·Matter that- ·may be, that might do·e·
t-hut feat-, which thofe fo100.th splterical bodies, calor.,.
J1'er :andrentJU· (.for all tome. inter this compofirion)
r gick together with fo~e ocher Sciency~ ( '1S ~#QJ'MQ.
-eouttl Mt'..Jdoe ~: and t-Ms:was offuth•~ fubtilennd.exal--
tt!d·:n~lure,··that hi~ e'a:nhly faiify'.coold.:tio:t·ta!t)pre-
hend· it, -ahd thetefofo hetonfuffes plainly he tould not
telhvJta'f ,name -to give. it, thou·gh for want of a.bet«!t
f1~ talls _it-Mobikm izlim, as neithe~- his M~iter before
h'lmi -·'Whf) Wa~ pl~a:fed ro-~ompbu11d·ch~ Soul. (-as Plu-
·_-~ih+4c pla- 'tft~!~,'k, i:~1:a~·s) offour itlgt~d~~ri~s; •e1e ~l~ ~~J\g;, ~ -
czm Phrlofc- 1-/rota,f!!le&Jl1½, &t mt~ '11Wl,,ii,.,Jz?t~ 6,,i_,~'7?,{,ol~ '1iP~-,d,ttc7-vo.:.
pborum. '1-@fi'ti a{l>J;.rmrrfdl-~'11'TI"d11':' Bu~ becallf; this. Ci~ilt~like
-I'r'otWu _found 'binifelf here bound with· futh ·thong
cor~s,. that notwif~~nnding all his ftruggling he <1ouid
_by_~~ trreans1i1~eak- ¢h1etn-bff from fnm, we1ha~l'ird~te
·his10Wn-\y'6rdfthe more largely. I find the-rtdib.3~
-· · 8icic:a_l'i»-,-a'tq1te --aer,&·ve1n'tictec-a pote/f44 · ·
: . .:Mi'f!4-r:rea#t itlnam nimriJm, ,& mobi/u ilia · .
i; . f?-,/~~~.;f~iJJ_,mb:t1s-~'1spJ1~ter/ivi1it~!l~-:- - '. _ .
S?e11Jift~'1tlnde, ~rtttlr frt~ttm pet vifce-rtt:_•motie'S. '.; '.
-.N~·'P_efJi!,1s.J.11:of-f,"?1tiiWet-hic~nat,wa;'[uflejf.'ljiit ;·. ·.
· Jl!~c 1m~:{·~- h~~ fnfr,-k ,iJwidlJ:titff ep :;n-cotpore wuforo-';
1 but a Bod1, though what kind of Body he coµld not t~ll :
Atqu-rnn1m-a'jl-amm.e1fJNJp()rro;trftt1t-s i'pf-il•. ; ·
~o!I get/us in :n.ojlrit ,jmi)bru & torpure 'Poto-
,Mijlk,llitenfu>1imi1vu 'ejtj •ttnimieiftiepotej}di:::
C~:J'~:fmsq_~i1 de p4rv~ p,tt1~iftJii~:~r:e1itaeft~
~s,-c--tiht no»tt-tit-S h'l£c expers.•vu, fafla t11i»r1tis-
Gorp_or-ilmsi i~te-ti"-:-- , , .
Tlms
, of the Soul, 7;
Thus we fee how he found· himfelf overn,a.fi:er'awit~
difficulties while he endeavoured io find the pl~~e (.)f
the senftti~e :powers in Matter: & yet thi~ is ~he high-
eft that he dares aim at, nam_ely_to pr?v:~ -that Se~flf-
tion· might from thence denve its OrigtAal_, ~~ {hffiJ
oppofing any Higher power of 1:-eafon ; .which we {hall
in l1tcro pimere againft another ume. . ·
But furely had not the $pic11rean_$ ab~fld~q~ _all fto ..
Laertim tell us they did ) t_hey would here h~ve fo~qd
. themf~lves too much preft with this Atggm~"~t, <:vm~~h
yetfomewill thh1k to bebudev1' armat11r."' m,;efpe¢l:
of fome otber)and have.found-it as li~de ip~rt·of q.. P.e-
mont\ration to prove the Sou-les Im»!or-t-41.rt-y ;J~Jhe Pl4,.~
tonifts themfelves ·e;{id : :{3ijt µerein bQ\V·.tb~y .de.~lt, * E
hath well obferved of them aU _,vhQ qeJ:u!!d. ,; 4• nn. +· 1· 7
,:+ Plotinm v
Lives and Souls to be inimortd, which he .atfo;t_$,.4.mf.
make them nothing but B.0dies, that-. whe~ they ;wer!
pinch'd with the firength of a~y ~rguw~11~.f~~~ha fro
the tpvoi!: cf'e;,.dieJ,@. of the Smil,-. tt was ufu.al1-3m~mg.(l:
them co call this Body '71Vev~. 71W$ Z~.v,_or Ye»ffll re..rtP_
quo.dam modo fe hahens ; to which he well repli~-~,- 7J <S .
t'/roAU~pvM,,irpp w1ots.f7/'WS i~v, f1S .8 X.~'JTJIPUj')lfl~V ~,t~~)f.~~
to~Ol. -~~ ll»..l.w -~' 21 aiiµg, J/Jlimv · l'e;.~~r;r.
Where·by,t-his tpou,s d'&~?,C,~- feeJrtS t_o•b~. JlOthu~g
meant but that fame :thin° which /A1fretz11.s ~allcd rcum
mobilem· and he would no~ allow it to be.any thing el(e
yet by it he underft.an~s _not meer~y a11Acl:1v;e ·p,ower_ of
motion but a more (~btil~ Energ1e, .whereby ,the force
and nat~re of any motion i~ perceived and ~ftnuated by
its own ftrength in the bodies m_ov.ed; as 1f th~fe Corry
:Bodies by their impetuous juftlmg together cou_ld awa-
ken one another out .of their. drowfie Lethargte _, and
· · Lz make
 76 Oftbe Tmmortality '· ,of tl,eSoul. 77
make ~ch other hear their mutuall impetuous knocks:·
which is· as ·abford as to think .a Mulical inftrument
Ms own Reafo~; and endeavour to ftorni the main fon
thereof. which but juft before he defended againft the
tl1ould hear its·own founds, and take pl~afurein_thofe Scepticks who maintained that opinion,, That 1mhing.
harmonious aires that.are plai':d upon it. For tliat which coreld be known; to which ,he having replied by that
we call Senfation, is· not the Morion or Impreffion vulgar Argument, That ~fnothing can be kno~n, then

~-
which one Body makes upon another., but a Recogni- ·neither doe we know this That we know nothmg; he
tion of that Motion ; and therefore to attribute that to purfues them more clo~ely with :mot~er,. T_h_at ne!ther
a Eody, is to •make a Body· privy to its own ads and co11ld they know what it u to knoiv., or what t~ u to he 1gno•
. . pa,ffioos, to aet upon itfelf, and to have a true and pro-
,.. m his :r:14, pef faif-feelinu virtue ; which * Porphyrie hath ele-
. : ,

A~oftJ.w. ttreH i} d ti ..., ·, , , .•, - c 4,'\ 'f2.!!£ram, qrmn_ in reb~ 'lleri nil _v,ide~i~ a~te ;
, 1,
'J'd,)IQJI ~t
gant1y < expre.ue
.f. I I
, ol'J't(,v o 7~6'ov
• "'
cui:&a.vn,m,1, eolVAff ,, p.
>P,.,, I\ C "fl'< I ·I / C Unde fciat, qrndjit fcm, & nefctre v1cif1m:
--ruxn a.pJJ,9Vlef %~8C'i, e1r, 'ffi,S.xopa·a,s i«VaO"~ np-
eCLUl)1)
. .Notitiam veri qrht res falsiqree crearit. . .
~17JJ.,lYfM. -ri Q ev ¥ x,opri'ciis a.pµgvi(f d'>6'.ref.'ilfJ ~ Wf-(SI,' .B~t yet if our Sen/es were the onely :Judges of r_ht~gs,,
In the fenfations·of living creatures the Sottl moves; tU if this Reflex knowledg_e whereby we k~ow •":hat 1t 1s to
1mhodjed Harmony-her [elf P,Mld 'play ·upon au In/fm:- know, would be as 1mpoffible as he makes it for.senJc
ment, andfmartly tort ch the we!l-trmedjfrings-: hut the to have Innate Idea's of its own, antecedent to thofe
.Body u like that Harmony which dwells infeparahly in the ftamps which the Radiations· of external Obieets i~-
firings themfelves·which have no· perception of it. .. print upon it~ . For_ this knowledge muft be antecedent
Thus we· lhould now leave this Topick ofour -De- to_allthat judgment which we pa_fs.upon any Smfatum-,
monfl:ration, onelr we. fhall adde this as al) Appendix feeing except we firft know w!1at it is to know, we
to it; which will fu1:ther manifeft the Souls Incorporeal could 11ot jqdge· or determine aright upon the approach
and Immaterial nature, that is, That there is a Higher ()f any pf thefe Jdo/11, to om·: Senf~s. _.
Principle of knowledge inm~n then.meer. Senfe, nei .. ~ Bu'to1=1r_'Atithor may perhaps- yet feem to make a
ther isthat ·:chefole OriginaJ.-ofall :that Science that p1prifull ~onfoffi-0n.for--usin:thefen~op~ints_~_ .· _
brea~s:forih in the riii,nd:s·qfmen ;· .wh~ch yet Lucretires ..,.. firft:,That no'fenfe can judge another s obJecl:s, D?t
maintains, ·as -being afraid left he fuould be awaken~d convi_nce it.~fony mill:ake,: . - . -- .-
·out of this,pleafant dreame ofhis, ,fhould' any· Higher · · · N.on poffi~nt.alios alir convince~~.fenfm, · · ·
power roufe his fleepy Soul: and therefore he thus . , ,Nee. porr'o poterrmt ipfj reprehender~fefa.· . _
t:ib .. 4 • fayes:down the .opinion of his• Sett, - · •
lf:therefore there be:any fudi thing ."".ahm us as.rnn~
Invenics.primis ah ferifibas elfe creatam ...-: tr.olls our Se..nfes, as aibknmv:there:1s;'. then-mufli_that
Notitiar,t ,veri, neqtte fenfmpqfle refelli :: be ofan Hioher natti_r~then o.m·'.senfes1ar'.e~. ·: _.j;. ·~ .
Nam m,ijorefide debet repeririey,i/lud-,. .· ... Bue foco~clly; :he grants further, Th 4t all ouriSmf~-
Sponte.f,ta veru quodpojit 'llincere f11lfa-. t~onjs not:hing elfe but·_Perce.ptzQrt,~md therefor~,where:-
Eut .yet this goodly Champion-doth: but lay !iegeto foe:ver.there.is any hallucination~,- ,tha~ rm1ft anfe from
;: his .. . _. L3 fome•
·78 · O/tbe ImmJrtality '-
fomething elf~ ~ithin us betides the power
of fenfe,
__- ..-·-qu~nra"z par~ kor11m maxima /~.Bit
P,_opte: optn4tru anrmt, q,m addimus ipfl, -
. P_ro vifls ,tt_flnt, qru non funt fenfihr/ vifa:
In which wor_ds ~e !~ath very happily lighted upon the.
p~oper f~nlhon of Sen(e, and the true reafon of all
th~[e '!zifta/m which we call the Deceptions of Senfa ·
which m~ee~ are not truely fo, .feeing they arife onely
from a Higher. Fac~lty, ~nd confift not in Se!J,fation it
felf, but in thofe deduchons and Corollaries that our
Judgments draw from it. · ~"PX~ ; ~ 'E )..h@,, it is in no ~acultie but onely
We ~all he!e therefore grant that which the E icu-
re~n _philofophy, ~nd the Peripatetick t()o, thotigh-not
without much caution, pleads for univerfallv That o11r
Senfas are 1:ever deceived, whether they be /a~i or 14ft,
found or d1ft~mpered, o~ whatfoever proportion or di-
ftaace ~he ObJetf or medium bears to it: for if we well
fcan this bulinefs, we fhall find chat nothirio- of::;11di -
mentbelongs
·~ · p toSenfe .. 'J', it confitl:ing onely .,o_ ,~
. CVC:Ua;,1j'l'tJe.,u.d
~"''i ,_m ercept1on ~. ~either can it mak~ any juft ob~
f~rvat10~ of thofe ObJech tha~ are without,· but onel.
d1fcerns ~ts own paffions, and is no1thing elfe but ~;u~
~ ,,m,~, and tells how it finds ~t felf affecced ~ and
not w~~t i_s t~~ true caufe of-thofe impreffions which it
finds W1th1~ tt felf ~ ( whic!1 feems to be the reafoii of
that o~d Plulofoph1cal maxim recited by Ariflotle l 3
1,e Am~a, cap. 2, ·~~ /MAW.: 1l)_ ,Jv&f.J ofE~>; Uie -P(pp.9;
';"cSL{cdCo-e~~ ,. that t~efe Simtd11chra were. onely ·in our
en es-; wh~ch notion ·a fate Author :hath purfued :)
and therefo:e ':"h~n the Eye finds the-Sun's circle re-
pref~-n~ed w1thu~ i~ felf of no greater a bignefs thea a
fy'ot~diameter' ~ t ls not at ~II liere~n mi:f~a~eri ; .nor a
tfte~~:~ Palate, wh_e.n it ·.raft~ .a bitternefs in-the
. eeteft ;i.1uney, as ProtJH& a famous Mathematician.and
· Plat,nift
ofthe Soul.
PlaM1#ft_ hath well·detepnined,in Jf/at.Tim, cd ,JJ cu~-
~~~ ~a.u1wv d,17m,,-,j.i»..~u, ,;m;:m/-{g,' tdw '1iti,vfn 4&td'ovr.-a,,
The Senfes in all things of this nature doe but declare
their ow~ paffions or percq,tions, which are alw:ties
fuch as they feem to be, whether there be any fuch par-
al~.el,1-m fignac11lum in the Objeet as bears a true an~-
logie with them or not : and therefore in truth they
are never deceived in the execution of their •n fun-
f.tions. And fo doth AriJ!otle l. 3-de Anima, c. J. con-
clude, That-errour is neither in Senfe nor Phanfy, ~J'€vi·
that in which is Reafon. Though it be as true on the
other fide, that Epicurtu & all his Se& w~re deceived,
while they judged the Sun and Moon and all the· Starrs -
to be no bigger then that Pietur-e and Image whkh
they fouad of them in their own Eyes; -for which filly
conceit though: they had been_ for many- Ages fuffi ..
<:ientlylaugh~<l at by wife mtn, yet-could not Lrtmtim--
~
tell how to enlarge his own fancy, but believes the- Ido-
lmn in his own Vifiveorgan to be aiequate to the Sun,
it felf, in. defpightofa11 Mathematicall demonfiration;
as indeed he niuft needs, if there were· no. Higher prin•
ciple of knowledge then S~nfe is, which is the moft in-
difdplinable thing that~may he,a~dcan-never be taugk
tihat Trnth which Reafori and Underftanding might at-
tenpt _to· forc.e into it~-- dl~ntNntr}'.v ~e,.dw.~· u,t~ trli
'fl.·d.jt~ Yt.e,jP;fo~ 01'1 /J&''&Jv o~A,@,, ,f 'iis; &c. Tho,11gh ;Re4-
_(oniniitrlcates thd (Jotion ten t'hottfand tim'es ove~, ·'Ihat'
¥he Sten i5 bigger then t-he Earth, yet will not the Eje !Je ·
t,u1ght to fee it any-bigger,then tt foot hr-eadth'·t and, there- .
fore ~e 1~ightly:calls it; as all the Pl'atonical and' Smical:
]'ih~1ofophie ;doth,_ i7'-o,ov·,n, i~·d it /may ·well_ be put·
ainong the reft of th~ Stokks·a:no~ _'7Z'i.9>1~ r. _,. __ -• · · ·
_ThusThope by this'time ·tv-e. have found: otit Y-f~T-
"C9pd.
gO Of ,he ImmortJlif:1
rrr>vd, -nl-'« ,;. ~~~~~ rf'wrt~v, fome more noble P_o~er -iii
the Soul then .that is by which . it accommodates tt felf
to the Body, and according to, themeafure and prop~:-
tion thereof converfeth with'Extemal Matter.And this
is the true reafon why we
arefo apt_- to. be rpifta~en in
Senfible objclts·., becaufe our ~ouls_. fu;kmg: ~n ~he
- knowledge of external things. thereby ,.and. not ~mdmg
the proportion that is ?etween the B_ody_ and .them,
mindlefs .of its own notions, collates their corporeal
impreffions witp externall objects themfolves, a_nd
judgeth of them <?ne by ano~herlP _.B~t whenfo~ver o~r
Souls .acr in their own power· and ftrength, un;w1-
fiing themfelves from all corporeal- c~mplication~, t~~y
then can find confidence enough to Judge of th11~gs m
a feeming contradid:ion,to all thofe other vifa corporea.
And fo I fuppofe this Argument will amount to no
leife then a DemonO:ration of the Soui-s Immateriality,
feeing to all fincere un1erftarul~ng it is neceffary that it
fuould .thus abftract 1t felf from all corporeal· com-
merce, and return .from thence nearer into it felf: . turning into it felf. Whenfoever it will fpeculate Truth
Now what we have to this purpofe more ge~erally
intimated, we (hall further branch out in thefe two or
three Particulars. . ·
I. Fir ft, That that Mental faculty and powe~ whereby _
we j11dge and difc~rn things, is fo ~ar from being a B,01J,
that it mull: retralf and withdrarv 1t felf from all Bodily
operation whenfoever it ~ill nakedlf ~ifa.ern Trudi.
For fhould OU( Souls alwa1es mould their Judgment of·
things according to thofe 'lm,;J>lf-A-a..~a.. and impreffions
which feem to be framed thereof in the Body, they
mull: then doe nothing elfe hut chain up Errours and
Ddufions one with another in fiead of Truth: as fuould
·the judoments of our Underftandings wholly depend
upon th~ fight_ of 011r Eyes; we fuould then conclude
that
. of the Soul.
that our meet• ac(!eff'es and recelfes from any rifiMt!
Object have fuch a Magical power to change the magni-
tudes ofVifible Objects, and to·transform:them int0
all ,varieties of figures & fafhions ; and fo attribute all
that variety· -to them which we find in our corporeal
perceptions. Or fhould we judge of Guftables by our
Tafl, we iliould ·attribute to one and the felf-fame thing
all that variety wch we find in our own Palates.. Which
-is an unqueftiomble Argnment That that Power w11ere-
by we difcern of things and make judgments of them
~ifferenc and fometimes contrary to thofe perceptions
that are the neceffary refults of all Organical functi-
ons, is fomething difiincl: from the Body ; and therefore
though the Soul,as Plato hath well obferved, be ~eJ.,r,
~' trr.i (JW~a,1rx-, various and divifible accidentally in
thefe Senfations and Motions wherein it extends and
fpreads it felf as it were upon the Body, and fo accor-
ding to the nature and meafure thereof perceives its
impreffions; yet it is cv €CU)1~· d~e£s,, indivifible, ree
it felf, it will not then lift en to the feveral clamours
and votes of thefe rude Senfes which alwaies fpeak
with divided tongues; but it confults fome clearer O-
racle within it felf: and therefore·Ptotinm, Enn.4. l.3,,
hath well concluded concerning the Body, if-wd'tov
'18 'P , ~ •m ~ cv ff C1X1hf,ecn m>po9<,e#'TO , Jbould a man
make 11,fe ofbis Body in his Speculations, it will entangle
his mind with fo many contradicrions, that it will be
impoffible to attain to any true knowledge of things.
We thaU concludr:! th.is therefore , as TuOy doth his
Contemplation of the Soules operations about the
frame of Nature, the fabrick of the Heavens and mo-·
tions of the Stars, Animus q11,i h£c inte/Jigit, ftmilis efl:..
ejm qui ea fahricattu in c~lo eft,
M Secondly,·
 8z Of the Tmnuwtality
2. Secondly,Wealfo fi_nd ftt'ch a Fac,tlty within our owri
Souls as collecls and unites all the Perceptions -of our
feveral Sellles., and is able to compare them tog.ether ;
fomething in which they all meet as in one Centt'e :
* ~1r..+, !,7. which* Plotinus hath well expreffed, ~, 'ii3 '"fl wa;:;ep ,,.,iv-
c.(,,
'J9v r%u · ')J;ctp.p.,ct' d <JUMa.-baw.,) 'C1f. ,r§e_,Hpep€icu '>WUA8, rrrl.,;
'iW.,l''TIX.xo:3-Ev aiSna-q) wd) ,&-,,, '7l'Ee9-ivqv ,- '9 rrot~7>V cS dvlt-
Actp.bcwo,4,;:w TD ~v ~v'T(.())' That in which all thofe fave-
ral Sen_fations meet as fo many Lines drawn from feve-·
ral points in the Circttmference,and ,vhich comprehends
them all, muft needs be one. For iliould that be ~ari-
ous and confifting of feveral parts, which thus receives
all c_hefe various impreffions, then mull: the fentence
and Jttdgment paffed upon them he varioas too. Ari-
f!otle in his de AninM,.6.8°ci~v ;>,_{yqv i,'11:'TE~v, That mttjl
be one tbat j11dgeth things to be diver(e; and that mull:
judge too c.-v d.x,wpt'sr1 xd 1•ep, fetting all before ,it at once.
.Belides we could not conceive how f uch an i1nmenfe
variety of impreffions could-be made upon any piece ·of
Matter, which {hould not obliterate and deface one
another. And therefore Plotimu hath well difputed
againft them who make all Senfation'1V?1W~s;-<c &,rrrpe.9-..
'Jdaqs; CjJ ;J,ux,~· which brings me to the Third.
3, Thirdly, That Knowledge which the Soul retains in
it felf-of things pa.fl, and in fomefort Previfion of things
to come,. whereby many ,grow fo fagacious in fore-fee-
ing future Events, that they know -how to deliberate
and difpofe of prefant a,ffairs., fo as t_o be ready fumi-;
ilie~ and prepared for fuch fanergenc1es as they fee in a
tram and Series of Ca:ufes which fometimes w-0>rk but
~on~ingently: I cannot think Epimras ·himfeJ:f 1:ou]d
u~ lus cool thoughts be fo unreafoti11bJe as to per1'vac1'c
hirn[elf, that aH the {hufiling & ·cutting of Atomes could
produce fuch a Qivine piece ·of Wifdome as this fo.
What
of tbe Soul~
Wh~t Mdtter- can thus: bind· up Pa.fl., Prefent and Ftltttre
time together,: which while the Soul of man doth, it
feems to- imitate ( a-s far as ins 0wn finite u·acure wiU
permit it ~o {hive after a,:i, imitation. <?f) God's eternity:
and· g~afp~ng ~nd gathenng· together a· long Series of
duration mto 1t fel:f, makes an effay to-free it felf from
the, rigid laws ofit., and to purchafe to it felf the free-
dome·of a trne·Ete:-nity. And, as by itsJ ~povz't9} ,w-po-
oJ\oi (as the Platom-{:ls are wont to-fpeak) its chronicaf
and flecceJive operatiom, it unravels and unfolds the
contexture of its own indefinite intellectual powers by
degrees; fo. by this Memory, and Previflon· it recollects
and twifrs them up all'nogether again into-it felf, And·
~hough it: feems t~ ~e continually Hiding from it felf
m th0fe feveral v1ciffitudes and changes which-it runs
through in the conftant variety of its own-Effiuxes and
~manarions ? yet is it a_lwa:ies returning back again_ to
1ts- firft Origmal by- a fw1ft remembrance of all thofe
motions and multiplicity of operations which have be-
got in it the firft fenfe of this e0nftant flux. As if we
fh_ould fee a Sun-beam-perpetually flowing. forth from
the bright body of the Sun, and yet ever returnino-.
back to i_t again; it never lofe~h any part of its Being:
~ecau[e 1t never forgets whaf 1t felt was : and though
1tmay number out never fo vaft a length of its durati-
on, yet it never comes nearer to its old age, but carried1
a lively fenfe of its youth and infancy, which it can at
pleafure lay a fall: hold on, along with it.
· But if our So:els were nothing elfe but a Complex of
ftreid Atomes, how fhould we be continually roving and
fliding from our felves, and foon forget what we once
were-~ The new Matter that would come in to fill up
that Vacuity which the old had made by its departure,
would- never know what the old were, nor what that
M z fhould
 84 Oftbe Immo1·tality
- lhould be tlrnt would fucceed that : wa;;~p ~ev» tpu%n
~uln cv dryvolrf i'i'd.f, iv;, em~ o
o'fie , @ Ja;rep C:.:»..<ri,.
011x'3- ~p]p.J~, that ~e,v pilgrim ana Jlranger-like Sout
wottld a/wares be ~gnor,int of what the other he/ore it
knew, and we fho,1-ld be wholly Jome ether b,tlk of Being
then we were before, as P.lotin,u hath excellently ob-
ferved Enn..4. l. 7. c.5. le was a famous fpeech of wife
Hm1..clit1u, ~s@ ~.,Sfdv mla,p.gv Jl~ ~ d:v EfA,(;r.«'n~i a man
cannot enter twice into the f-ame River :. by which he was
wont fy_mb?lically to exprefs the-conjlant fl-tex of Mat-
~er,.,~hich 1s ~he n~ofhinfi:able thing that may be•. And
1f Epicurus h_1s.P!1ilofophy could free thisHeap ofrefined
Atomes-, which- It makes the Soul to be from this in-
conll~nt and flitting nature,. and teach -~show it could
be p.,ov,f'.911 'fl Come fiable and immutable t-hino alwaies
refiing entire. ~hile it is in t,he Body; th~ugh we
would thank h1m for fuch a goodly conceit as this is,
yet we would make no doubt but it mioht as well be
.tble to P:eferve ic felf from di{folution fnd- di11ipation-
Qttt of tlus grofs Body, as in it:: feeing-it is no more
fecured fro!11 tJle conll:ant imp!-llfes ofthat more grofs
Matter wluch 1s relllelly movm 0 up and down,in-th·e
Body, then it is o,et of it: and y~ for all that we fhould-
t~ke _the· le~ve to-ask T11llis queftion with his fober
d_1f~am; f2.!!1d, obfecro,terrane tibi attt hoc neb11lofo & ca-
ltg1no[o cteno 1111-t fata 1111t c.onc-ret11 videt11r-t11,nta vh me-
mo.ri.t :2 Such a __jewel as this is too- precious to- be
found m a dunghill : meer Mateer could never thus-
ftretch forth its-feebleforce, & fpread it felf over all-its
own former prxexif.lencies. We may as well fuppofe-
rhis ~ull and he:ivy Earth we.tread upon to know how
!ong it hath dwelt in d1is part of the Uni:v,erfethat-now
i_t ~otl1, and wh.1~ variety of Creatures have-in-all pa{l:' -
Abes fprung fortn from 1t., and :ill :thofe occurrences &
events· which have all this tirn€ happened upon -it.
I:
lit
efthe Soul~- ·_s S
CH AP. IV.-
Thi! Jecond Arg,mzent for the Immortality·of the So11t~
Aflions either Automatical or Spontaneous . . That·
Spontaneous· itnd'-Elicite AEHons evidence the Diftin~
llion of the· Soul from th-e ·Body, .·,Lucretius hu ·Eva~ -
fton very flight and weak~ Thitt th-e Liberty of 1!he
Will it incon.ftjlent with the Epicurean principles~·- -
ThAt the Conftill of Reafan again.ft the Senfltiv~ .Ap:.. ·
petite argues a Being in us fuperiour to Matter,,.
VVEthehaveFirftdone·partwithof our
that·. which we: intended· for
Difcourfe of the Soul's·
Immortality··: we-have hitherto look'd at it ·rather in 1
Concreto·then in Abftrallo, rather as a Thingcomplica- ·
ted with and uni-red to ·the Body 7 and therefore con:.
.fidered it -in thofe Operations, which as they are not
proper to the Eady, fo. neither are they altogether in:..
dependentupon it, but·are rather of-a mixt nature.
. We iliall-now take·notice ofit in thofe Properties, in'
the exercife whereof- it hath ·lefs commerce with the 1 ·•
BAdy, and more plainly declares its own ·high defcent-
to us, That it is able to fubfift and aa: without the aid.
and affiftance of this Matter which it:inform.es·..
And here we fi1lll take tha~ courfe that Arifht!t--did·:
in his ,Books de· Anima, and· firft of all inquire, Whether·
1
it hath ,~io-v- '11 ,fame kinfl of A IJion fo proper and pecu- ·
liar to it [elf, i,J not to depend upon- the Body.- And this-
foon offers it felf in·the firft·place to us in tbofe·..Elkite'
motions ofit, as the-Moralifts are wont to name them,.
- "vv.hich .though they,. may end, in--.thofe they,call •I:m--' ·
M3 pm,te,
 Of sl,e, 1mmcr84lity . of tl,e Soul.·
perate alls, yet have their firft Emanation from no-
thing elfe but: the Soul it fel.f.
For chis purpofe we flull take notice of Two forts of
Aclions which are obvi_ous. to the experience of every .
one that obferves l111nfeif, according to a double
Source· & emanation of, them, ·which afo.te· Phil0.fopher·
ha:th very ha.p,,pily fuggeftedi t0 us.. Thefirft aretfr.ofe
AEfi"1r/SI which.arife up within us witkort.t any,· .&nimad-
'zm:fian ;-. the 0.ther are tllofe tla.at ire, confeq1~'.e.nt t(l; it.:
] . ~01: we find:frequently,Ji.ec,h Motions. winhim0ur- fdves
wb1chfirft are,before we take··notice 0£ them,and which
by thei:r own t1.1rbulen,y ancl1impetuoufnefs force us· to
an A dvert.en.cy. : as thofe· Eier,y1 ffi irits. andtthat infl'l1,ffted
Bloodnrhich fomecimes fly up into the head; or chore
g1:o~s. and Earthly Fttm.es that difl:urb. 0ur brains; the
:ll:u:rmg of many other H11mo1tJrs: _wl'1.ich beget: within us
Grief,. Melancholy, Anger,or Mirth, or.other I?a1ft0as.
which hav.e: their rife fr01nduch1 Caufes as. we were no.;
a-ware of, n@r gave no con:lent :t0,create tJhis; trouble
to us. Befides a~l t!wfe D'ttfions,and Perceptions which
al!e' begotten w1thm us by fame externall; motions
which der.ive. thernfidves through our Senfes, and
fiercely knockmgat the doorofouc Minds andhlnder-
Jbndings.force,themfometi~.es fo?m, their d~epefr. de-
bates. & mufings of fome: other clung, to open. to: them
and give them an audience.
N<?W as to fuch Motions as-chefe are, it being necef-
fary for rhe prefervacion of 0ur 130dieS'.that our Souls
fhoul1 be acqu~inted with,t!iem, a: m-ans.Bodf \Yas.fo
contnvedandh1s.Soul fo umted tent, thac-they might
have a, fpeedy·accefs to the Soul. Ihdeed1 fome. ancient
Philo[~phers thought that the Soul defcending, more
dteply mm: the Body, as they. expreffe it, firft begot
thefeaor.poreal motions unbeknown.to it felfbyreafon.
· of
of its more deep immerfion, which afterwards 'by their
im.petuoufoefs excited its advertency. But whatfoever
truth there is in that Affertion , we clearly find from
0 the relation ofour own Souls themfelves. that our Soul
difowns them, and acknowledgeth no fuel~ Motions to
nave been fo bufy by her commiffion ; neither knows
what they are, from whence they arife, or whither
they tend, untill fhe, hath duly examined them: ·But
-thefe Corporeal motions as drey feem to arife from no-
thing elfe but meerly from the Machina ofthe Body
itfelf; fo they could not at all be fenfated but by the
Soul.
Neither indeed are all our own· Corporeal all-ions
.perceived by us,butonly thofe that may ferve r~ main-
tain a good correfpondence & incellige~ce between- the
'S-Qul and Body:, and fo foment & chetrfh that Sympa-
d1y between them which is neteffary for the fubfiftence
and well-heing of the whole man in this mundane ftate.
And therefore there is very little of that which is com-
monly done in our Body, which our Souls are infor-
med at all of. The con{lant Circ,tlation of Btood through
all our Veins and Arteries ; the common moti-ons of our
Animal f}irits in our Nerves; the maceration of Food
\vithin our Stomachs, and the dijlrihution of Chyle and
nouri{hment to every, part that wants the relief:of it ;
the confbnt fl1tx and refl1tx of more fedn,t,e llamotlrs-
within us ; the dijipations of our <:orpore.al Matter by·
i,nfenflble TrAnj} iration, :and the acceffes of -new in the·
room of it; all this we are fade acquainted With by any
\rital ,energie which ~rifoth .fr om the union of Soul-and
Body : and therefore when we would acquaint out
felves with th:e AnatlJmy and vital functions of our own
Bodies, we ~re fain to ufe -the fame courfe and -method
that we would to find out the fame things· in any othet
- ~d

·88 eJ/the lmm~rtali!J
,kind of Animal, as ·if our Souls had as little-to doe
with any of thefe in our own Bodies, as they have in
the Bodies ofany other Brute creature.
z. But on the other fide, we know as well, that many.
things that are done by us, ~re done at the dietate and
by the commiffion of our own Wills; and therefore
all fuch Actions as thefe are, we know, without any
great fiore of Difcoudive inquiry, toattr_ibute co their
own proper caufes,_ as feeing the ~ffiux arad propagati-·
.on of ·chem. We doe not by a naked fpeculation know
.our Bodies firft to have need of nouri!hment, and then
by the Edicr of our Wills injoyn our Spirits and Hu-
-mours to put themfelves into an hungry and craving
poftnre within us by corroding the Tunicles of the
Stomach; but we firfl: find our own Souls follicited ·
by thefe motions, which yet we are able to gainfay, and
to deny thofe petitions which they offer up to us. We
know we commonly meditate and di[courfe of fuch
Arguments as we our felves pleafe: we mould defigns,
and drJw up a plot of means anfiverable thereto , ac-
cording as the free vote of our own Souls determines ;
and ufe our own Bodies. many times, notwithftanding
all the relucrancies of their nature, onely as our Infiru-
ments to ferve the will and plea.fore of our S0uls. All
which as they evidently manifeft a true Diftinllion be. .
.tween the Soul and the Body, ·fo thiy doe as evidently
-prove the Supremacy and dominion which the Soul
hath over the Body. Our Moraiifrs frequently difpute
what kind of government that is whereby the Soi,t, or
rather Will, rules over the senfitive Appetite, which
-they ordinarily refolve to be Imperium politicttm;
though I lhould rather fay, that all good men have
rather a. true t/e/}otical power over their Sen-/itive (4-
culties, and over the wliole Body, r.:1ough they ulc it
· onely .
\
()f tfJe Soul. 89
'
onely according to the laws ofReafon and Difcretion .
And therefore the· Platonifts and. Stoicks thought the
Soui of man to be abfolu~ely freed from all the power
of Aj!ral Necejity, and uncontroulable ilppreffions ad- ·
fincr from the fubordination and mutual Sympathie
and Dependance ofall mundane caufes , which is their
propernotion of FAte. Neither _ever_ du~ft chat bold
Aftrologie which prefumes tq tell .the !ortunes of al_t,
corporeal Effences, attempt to ~n~er mco- the fecrers·
of man's Soul, or predict the defim1.es thereof. And
indeed whatever the defiinies thereof may be _that are
contained in the vaft volume, of an Infinite and Al-
mighty Mind, yet -we evidently find a .~ E<p' ;,p1;, , an
a
CW'n~lunav, liberty of Will within our felves, .maugre
the ftubborn malice of all Second Ca:ufes. And Ari-
.ftotle, who feems to hav~ dif~uted fo nl'uch agai~ft that
cw102«1111oia. of Souls which _111s Mafter before him had
fobe.rly maintained, does indee.d but qt1arrel with.that
common fenfe and Experience which we have of Otlr
Souls • this rm10,im101a,· of the ·Soul being nothing dfe
but th;c Innate force and power which i~ hath within it;
to ftir up fuch though~s and· motions within it felf as
it finds itfelf moft free to. And: therefore when we
reflect upon the produci:ions of our ?Wn Souls, we are
foon able to find out the firft Efficient caufeofthem•
And though the fubtilcy of fame Wits may have 11:1ade
it difficult to find out whether the Underffanding or
the Wilt or fame other Facultie of the -Soul be the Firfl
Mover, whence the motm prim'o prim:m_ (as :t~ey pleafe
to call it) proceeds; yet "'e kMw 1t 1s ongmally the
Soul it felf whofe vitai ads they all are: and although
it be not ®rrn~.w tT.&f'c,;'Trl the Firfi: Caufe as deriving all
its virtue from it felf, as Siinplicim difl:inguiihecb irn
I. de An. cap.!. yet it is ev 'TD~ rwe/nrm lp_UU.lifh!, vitally
N co-worki11g
•

r
l -
90 Oft~e Immortality
i
co-woriring with the Firft Caufes of alh But on the
Ot~er fid~, when we come to exainine thofe Motions
-_ ,~H1ch anfe from the Body, this {lream runs fo far
Ullcler ~~·ou nd , th at we know not how to trace it ro the
head ot It_; but we are. fain to analyfe the whole arti-
fice, loo km~ fr~m the Spirits to the Blood, from that to
the H~art, v1ew1ng all along the Methanicitl contrivance
of Veins and Arteries : neither know we after ·au our
fearch w~ether there be any Perpetm,m mohile in our
own Bodies, or whether all the motions thereof be·
o~ely by the redundancy of fome external motions
without us; nor how to find the Firft mover -in na-
ture; tho~gh could we find out that, yet we know
that there is a Fatal determination which fas in all the-
wllee!s of meer Corporeal motion; neither can they
~xerc1fe a?y fuch noble freedome as we conftantly find
~n the \Yills of 1:1en, which are as large and unbounded
~n al! their Ele&19ns asReafon it' felf can reprefent Be-·
mg It felf to be. '.:, -,-
. L11cretiru,_tbat he might avoid the dint of this Argu-
i tent,acco(dmg to the Gen~m of his Sect feigns this·Li-
;/ ~rty to anfe fr~m a M~tton of declination :, wherehi
:1 his_ Atomes ahva1es movmg -downwards by their own
iye1ght t?wards the Centre of the World, are carried a
~~#ce obhqueir, as i~ they tended toward fome pcfat
1 the Stoick- did all this is nothing to me, who am yet
e~ent _from it, whtcl; h~ calls clinamen principiortt-m.
~VVIuch nddle though It be as good as any elfe ,vlli-ch
~hey, ::ho held the-Materiality-and Mortality of S-ouls
m t~eu own natur,e, ca~ frame to falve thi'6 d1ffic:ult ..
yet i_s of_ Cuch a prwate rnterpretation, that I believe~~
oed1pm I~ able co expound it. Bue yet by what we ma
g~elfe at tr, we 1hall eafily find that this infolent cof-
ceic (~nd all elfe of this nature) defl:roys the Preedome
ofW1/i, more then any Fate which the feverefr cen:..
fours
\
of the Soul, . 91_
fours thereof, whom he fometimes taxeth; ever fet o"'
v_er it. For how can any thing be made fubjecl: to a free
~nd impartial debate of .Reafon, or fall under t~e Le_vel
of Free-will if all things be the meer refolt either of a
Fortuitous ~r Fatal motion of Bodies, which can have
no power or dominion over themfelves '! and w_hy
1hould he or his great Mafter find fo much fault ,~1t_h
the super/lition of the world, and condemn the Op1m-
ons of other men when they compare them with that
tranfcendent fagacity they ?elieve themfelves t~ be the
Lords of. if all was nothing elfe but the meer if.foe of
Material :Uotions ; feeing that necefity which would
arife from a different conco11rfe and motion of feveral
particles of Matter begetting that divcrjity _of opinions
and Wills, would excu[e them all from any blarpe '!
Therefore to conclude this Argument, Whatfoever
Effence finds this Free dome within it felf, ·whereby it is
abfolved from the rigid laws of M~tter, m~y. know it
felf alfo to be Immaterial ; and havrng dom1mon over
its own acrions it will never d.efert. it felf: _and be-
caufe it finds ii- felf nbrt vi alienJ fed {t1,a inoveri, a:s
Tttlly argues , it feels it [elf able to prcferve it fel_f froin
-the forrein force of Matter, and can fay of all thofe af-
faults which are-at any time made ·againft thofe forry
mud-walls which in this life indofe it, Jr.Nv 'ltJ-eJ ep;, as
free an:d can c~mmand within, when this feeble Car-
kafs is able no lono-er to obey me ; and when that is
fuattered and brok;n down , I can live any where elfe
without it . for I was not That, but had onely a com-
mand over'It, while I dwelt in it.
:But before we wholly defett this Head,- we 1~ay
adde fame further ftrength to."it, from the Obfervanon
of that Conflict which the Reafons and U11derftan-
N 2 dings
.9 ;r Of tbe lmmtJrtality
dings of mep maintain againfr the _Senfitiv-e 11ppetite-:-
and wberefoever the Higher powers of Reafon in a
m,m's Soul prevail_ not, but are vanqui(h'd by the. im...
petuoufnefs of their Sertfual affections through their
own neglecl: of themfelves ; yet are they never fo
broken, but they may frren~then thenifelves again:
and where they fobdue not iiien's inordinate Paffions
... :and Affections, yet even there \Vil} d1ey conden1n them
for them. Whe~eas wei"e a M:m all of one piece, and
mad_e up of nothmg elfe but Mdtter; thefe Corporeal
motions- could never check or· contronl• themfelves
thefe Material dimenfions could . not ·ftruggle witl~
rhemfelves, or by their own :ftrength· render -them-
felves any thing elfe then whanhey are. Butthis J..vl'-
e~~~,@..,w~, as- the Greeks c~Il _ii:~: ~his Self-potennife
whic~1 1s tn t~e Soul of·man, actmgupon it felf _and
dra.wmg forth.its own latent Energie, finds it felf able
·to tame the outward man; and bring under·thofe·rebel-
lious motions thatarif~ frorn.,the ·meer An~malpowers~
~d to; ta~e and appeafe all thofe fedition~~ am{ mu.ti...
m~s that 1t n~ds tliere. And· if any can conceive all .
.this to ~e nothmg but! a meer fighting of the male-con·,_
tented pieces of .'1-fatter one againft. anorher , , each {hi;.
v~g f~r fuperi~>rity and preeminen<:e ;-· f fhould- '. not
t~mk 1t- w~rth the w~ile t~ tea_ch ·frrc_h. ~n: one a~y
lugh~r learning, as lookmg·upon him to.be mdued with 1
no higher a.Soul. them that whiah moves ,ifr Beafts or
Plants~ · · · · .·
CH AP.
ef che Sout. 9I:
CHAP. V.
The third Argument for the Immortality ofthe Sortl. That
· Mathematical Notions argue the So11l to he of a tme
spiritrtttl and Immaterial Natttre ..
{hall now ·confi&r the So·ul awhile in a for-
VV Et her degree of A~{frallion, and look at it ii:t
thofe Allions which depend not at all upon the Body,
wherein ir. doth '>f ecX.u1~ t1WJ~r:rl~ a.'a;tifoecSuJ, as the
Greeks fpeak, and· converfeth o~ely with its own Be-
ino-. Which we {hall firft confider in d10fe Xo')P' f{g--
:fu1~ior9l or Mathematical notions which it conceins in
it felf and fends forth _from within it felf; which as
they lre in themfdves I~diri:!fih!e,j.nd of (uch a perfect·
nature as-cannot be·rece1ved or 1mmerfed into Matter;-
fothey argue that s,ebj~ll. in which they are feated_to·
be of a true Spiritu~l- and Immaterial nacore. Sue~ as
a pure Point, Linea_ ~'711'.a,I~: '. Liitit~tde abflralledf~om
all Profundity, the Perfeqron of Figures, t/.Eq~alzty,
Proportion, symmetrl and A'fymmetry of M~gmt~d7s.,
the Rife andpropagtttio» ~f D11!1enfions, !nfimte d~vift-
bility; and many fiich like things ~ which ev~ry inge-
nuous Son of that· Art cannot· but acknowledge to ~c
the ,true characters of fome Imv,,aterial Being , feeing
they:were never buried iri:Matter, nor extra&ed ?Ut _of
it:. and yet thefe _are· tranfcende~tly mm-e certam.and
infallible Principles of Demonlhat1on then any Sen-
ftble thi~g can· be... 1:' here i_s no~Geometricia~ -but will·
acknowledge Angular felltons,. or· t~e cumng of aa~
.Arch into any number· of parts reqmred , to be mo.ft
N 5. exact.;:
r9-4 . -Ofthe Immortalit.,
exace with~ut any diminution of the whole; but yet'
no Mechanwal art can_ poffi~ly fo perform either, buc
that the place of fethon will detracr fomething from
the whole. If a~y one fhould endeavour to double a
Crt!n_, as the 1?_~l1an Oracle once commanded the A~
themans, ,requmng them to duplicate the dimentions
of Apollos .Alt~r, by any Mechanicall fubtilty; he
woul1 find 1t as ~mpo:'fible as they did, and be as much
laugh d at for his pams as fome of their Mechanicks
were~ If ther_efore no Matter be capable ofany Geo:
metncal effect10ns , and t~e !-Podi'!fical precepts of
Geometry be altogether un1m1table m the purefl: Mat-
ter that Plrnnlie can imagine; .then muft they needs
depend_ upon fomething infinitly more pure then Mat-
~er, which_ ha~h a~l that Stability and Certainty within
1~ felf which 1c gives to thofe infallible Demonfl:ra-
nons.
We ne~d-6~0~ he~e d~fp~te ,~ith,?Jmpedocles,
ra(~ P., yJ ')G(,ICW O?w.Jm.tfJ,ltJ tJd'\~'TI c/l..' vcf'wp, &c.
!)
We K?JOW earth hy earth, fire hy fire, and 1Vater 6y ,vate~
that 1s, by the Arch~typal Jde~'s of all thirigs in ou:
?wn Souls ; d10~gh ~t may be 1t were no hard matter
to prove that) as m this cafe S. Are/fin did · when in his
~ook de f2!!_ant.. anim£, he woul_d..prove ihe Immorta:...
l1ty of tbe Soul from thefe notions of Qganrity, which.
come not by any poffible Senfe or Experience which
we can make ofbod~Iy Being, and therefore concludes
-they ~uft needs be immediately i!}graven upon an Im-
material Soul. For d10ugh we could fuppofe our sen..
fes to be the ?chool~ Dames that firfr tau ht us the
Aipl1abec of chis learn1ng; yet nothing elfebutia true
Menta~ Eifence could ~e capable·of it, orfo mucfrim . .-
~rove It. as to rm/Jody rt aU, and.frrip it naked' of an .
S.en:fible garment, and then onely; when it hath don~
it,
ofthe Soul~ ;9-i"'
it, embrace it ~sits oyvn, and commence a true. a~d per~
feet underftandmg of 1t. And~as we al_l hold 1~ 1mp~f- .
fible to fhrink up any Material 9J.!.ahcy, which wdl,
perpetually fpread it felf_comm~nfura~ly ~o the Matter
it is in, into a Mathematical point : fo 1s 1c much mo_re
impoffible to extend and ftret:h forth a~y Immaten~l
and unbodied QJ!ality or notion accordmg t? the ~1-
menfions of Matter, and yet to preferve the mtegrtty
ofits own nature. .
Beftdes, in thefe Geometrica!L fp~culattons ~e find
that our Souls will not confult with ou~ Bodies, or
ask any leave of our Fanfies how or h?w fal' they fuall
diftribu te their own notions by a continued progrefs of
Invention) but fpending upon their own frock, ~re
mofl: free and liberal, and make Fanfie onely to ferve
their own purpofe in painting out not what Matt~r
will afford a copie of, but what they themfelves will
dictate to it ; and if that fuould b~ too bufte, filence
and coutroul it by their o~n I~perial laws. Ther fo
little care for Matter in th1s kmd of work, that th~y
banHh it as far as rnay be from themfelves, or elfe ch_a-
fiife and tame the unruly and refractory 1n~ture of_ it,
that it fuould yield it felf_plial->le_ t~ their fov~ra1gn
commands. Thefe Embodied Bodm ( for fo t~1s pre-
fent Aroumem will allow me to call the~) which our
Sen[es ;onverfe with, are perpecuallr ;uftlmg together,.
contendino- fo irrefiftably each. for its own ro?m a~d
fpace tob;in; and will _not admit of any other into -ir,
preferving their -own· intervals : but w_hen t_hey are.
once in their Unbodied natrm mtertamed m;o th~
Mind, they can eafily penc!rate one another o/\a. cf',-
0;>,.ex, The -Soul can eafily pyle the vafteft nm~ber up
rog~ther in her felf, and by her_own f?rce ~ufta1~ the~
al] and make them all couch together 1n the fame-fpace.
' ilie
96 Of,be lmmorttJlity
ihe can eafily pitch up all thofe..Five Regttlar Bodiu
together in her own· Imaginat~on, and infcribe the111
one in another, and then entring into the yery h~art
and centre of them; difcern all their Prpperties and
feveral Refpecl:s one to another; and thus eafily find
her felf freed from all Material or Corporeal confine-
ment; lhewino how all that which we call Body, rather
iffued forth by an infinite projecrion from fome Mind,
then that it {hould exalt it felf into the nature of any
Mental Being; and, as the Platonifts and Pytbttgoreans
have long fince well obferved, how our Bodies {hould
rather be in our Souls, ,then our Souls in them. And fo
.I have done with that Particular.
CHAP. VI.
The Fourth Argttment for the Immortality of the Soul~
That thofe clear.and fta!Jle Ideas of Ttrtth which are
in Mt1.n's Mind evince an. Immortal and Immaterial
S11/Jftance refiding in m, diflincf from the Body. The
Soul more kno1v4b/e then the Body. Some P4[ages out
of Plotinus and Proclus for the fimher .conprming
~f this Argume.nt.
AN D now we have traced the Immortality ofthe
. Sor,l, before we were aware, through thofe Three
Relations or :X,iot/~, or ( if you will) Degrees of know-
ledge, which Proclm in his Comment upon Plat d's Ti-
m.ti# hath attributed to it, which he calls~, tyvr1,sz,,.;,,
J'uua:~&Jv.ot/eiv. The Firft is #c!J-mm iAo'J'@., a naked
perception of Senfible impreffions, without any \Vork
ofReafo,:i. The Second, Jio~a, 1.i!) Ao'J'~, a Mifceila-
neous
ef tl,e Soul. 97
neons kind of knowledge arifing·of a collation of its
Senfations with its own more qbfcure and dark Idel.r·.
The Third,. J',d.vo,a- ~ Ao'Y@., Difcourfe and Rea.Con,
which the Pl1ttonifts defcribe MathematicJl knowledge
' by, which, beca?[e it fp!ns out_ i~s own notions by a
confrant feries of Deduthon, kmttmg _up C?nfequ~n-
ces one upon another by Demonftrauons, 1s by Imn
call'd vono-i~ p,Ermbo:-'TIY-M, a Progreffive ki~d-of know~·
ledcre. to which he addes a Fourth., which we fhall
nm~ ~ake uCe offor a further Proof of the Immortality
of the Soul. There· is therefo1:e_Fourt_hly vono-,:../-f-ts-•
'ffllbdrrw~ which is a naked Incumon of Eternal l nth
which is' alwaies the fame, which never rifes nor fees,
but alwaies fiands frill in its Vertical, and fills the
whole Horizon of the Soul with a mild and gentle
light. There are fuch calm and ferene Idea's ofT~uch,
that fhine onely in pacate So_uls, and cannot be d1[c~r--
ned by any trotebled or fluid Fancy, that nece!fanly
prove a f'i9vi119v iJ ~(/1~11 rn, Jome_ Permane~t .•&_ ~tab!~
Ejfence in the Soul of m~n, which ( ~s, S~m~ltcuu ~n
Epiffet. well obferves) anfeth onely ~ a.,unrrn Ttvo:}
t , p
ct,[;; ,;mv1rx., '1'gO?l't)V «-f-tE;'7ttb/\.))7E/
\ 1"1 1 , I " I ~\>
c.urn(.(J;, T et.,EI v <»J'W.I
I
'7?;(,
3 I
;!J JG,J'"ltd~ ex~an., from fome immovea}le and unchange-
able Caufe which u alwaies the fame. For thefe Opera~
tions about Truth we now fpeak of, are not ,ce;v,xcu
&:p~u11 any chronical Energies, as he further expref-
fes it, but the true badges of an Eternal n~ture, and
fpeak a tffi,U~'7l1s and r;d,rrn ( as Plato is wont to p~rafe
it) in man's Soul. Such are the Archetyf,zfl Idea~ of
:Juflice, 1lfl'tfdome, Gqodnej, Trttth, Eternity, Om~rp_o-
tency, and all thofe either ~orall, Phyfi~all, o~ M_etaphy-
jica/ notions, which ar.e either the Fr~ft Pnnc1ples of
Science or the Ultimate complement and final perfe-
ction ofit, Thefe we alwaies find co be the fame~ and
• o know
98 Of t1~e l,mnort,1lity
know that no Exorcifrr.is of Material mutations have
any power over them : though we our felves ate but
of yefierday, and mutable every moment,. yet thefe are
Eternal!, and depend not upon any mundane viciffi-
tudes; neither could we ever gather them from our
obfervation of any Material thing where they were ne-
ver fown,
If we reflect but upon our own Souls how mani-
fefi:ly doe the Species of Reafon, Free dome: Perception,
and the like, offer themfelves co us, whereby we may
know a thoufand times more diflincfly what our Sortls
are then what our Bodies are,: For the former we know
by an immediate converfe with our felves,. and a di-
fimct fenfe of their Operations ; whereas all our know-
ledge of ~he Body is little better then meerly Hifi:ori-
call, wluch we gather up by fcraps and piecemeals
from more doubtfull and uncertain experiments which
we make of them: but the notions which we have of
a Mind, i.e. fomethin_g within us that think's, appre-
kmds, redfons, and d1fcortrfas, are fo clear and diftinct
from all thofe notions ,~hich we _can fafien upon a Body,
that we can eafily conceive that 1f all Body-Being in the
world were defl:royed, yet we might then as well fob-
fifl: as now we doe. For whenfoever we take notice of
thofe Immediate. motions of our own Minds whereby
they make themfelves known to us, we find no fuch
thing. in t~1em as E:<tenfion or Divijibility, which are
contam_ed rn_ every Corporeal effence: and having no
fuch chmg d1fcovered to us from our nearefl: familia-
rity with our own Souls, we could never ·.fo eafily
~now whether they had any fuch things as Bodies
JOyned to them or nor, did not thofe extrinfecal im-
preffions that their turbulent motions make upon
them admoni{h them thereo(
Eut
of the Soul.,_ 9.9
But as the more we re.fled: upon our own Minds, we
find all Intelligible things more cleat , ( as when we
look up to the Heavens, we fee all things more bright
and radiant, then when we look down upon this dark
Earth when the Sun-beams are drawn away from it:)
· fo when we fee all Intelligible Being concentring toge-
ther. in a greater onenef~ and all ki~d of Mtdtip~icity
runnmg more and more mto the !l:ncteft Unity, till at
laft we· find all Variety and Divifion fuck' d up into a
perfecl: Simplicity, where all happily confpit-e_toget_her
in the moll: undivided peace and friendfui p ; we then
eafily p,erceive that the reafon of all Di.verftty and Di-
fiinctio.n is (that I may ufe PlotinU5 his words not much
differently from his mea,ning) p.einiba.<Tl> ~ v~ ~ts l\.!:i.,
""uµ,Jv. For though in 011r contentious purfuits after
Science, we caft Wifdome, Power, Eternity, Goodnej and
the like into feveral formalities, that fo we may trace
down Science in a confrant chain of Ded_uctions ; yet
in our naked Intuitions and vifi.ons of chem, we clearly
difcem that aoodnej and Wifdom.e lodge t.og~ther., f,1,!"
{lice and Mercy ki[s each other : and all thefe and what-
foev.er pieces elfe the crack' d glafle~ of our Reafons
may fo.mftime. break Divin~ and fatetligible Being in~
to, :ar~ fafi knit up tog.ether in the invincible-bonds of
Eternity. And in this fenfe is that notion.of Proclm
defoanting upon Platls riddle of the Soul, [ Js ,jv.;n,'Tn '9
.d~vvn'Ps, M ifit were generated & yet not generated J to
d n. d , ,r-., " ' ' I ,_. hi_
ix: un er1r.oo ; XePv~ a,µ.g, '!:J a..uiH' ,we,c ,r :-ruxw;, t e
1- - I - Q_ I "'' - I
Soul par.taking of Time in its broken and particular
.conceptions and appr,ehe.nfions, and of Ettrnity in its
comprehenfive and frahle contemplations. I need not
fay that when ·t•he ·Soul is once got up to the top of
this bright .o.lymptu, it wi~l tben no more doubt of ii.s
-0wn ImmortAlity, or fear any Difipatilm, .or doubt
0 2 whether
t co · Of the lmmortality
whe~her _any drowfie ~leep ~1all hereafter feize·uporiit:
n~, 1c WIil then feel It ~elf ~rafping_ faft and fafely its
own Immortality, and view it felf m the Horizon of
Etern~ty. In Cuch fober kind of Ecftafies did Plotint#
fi~d 111; e:wn. Sou~ feparated_ from his Body, as if it had
~IV,orc d,1c t,oi: ~ tu~e from 1t fel~: 7roM.ci,w E'}qe_o/4,J@,
£-1; f:J,{9-U/011 CX. ~ <JWfW-1@,, (C ,jy.;of4,J@., ~j' 'Ji a,N\.&JJJ~g&J
E~ClU'T8J aw, ~V/-{g-r;'OV ~/\.l 'J(.9V O&JII '(g.h\@. &c I be~
1
ing often a1vakened into afen(e of my Jelf, a~d b;ing Je-
q11~jred fro": my body, and 6etaking my felf from all
things elfe into my felf; what admirable beattty did J
then b~hold, &c. as fie himfelf tells us, En. 4.• l. 8. c. 1.
Thus 1s that Intelligence begotten which Procltu /,2. in
Pl~t. Tim. calls a Correllion of Science: his notion is
w~rth our ~akin& notice of, and gives us in a manner a
brief re<rnp1tulat1on of our former difrourfe fl1ewino-
how the hi_gher w~ afcen1 in the contemplation of th~
Soul, the higher 1h11 we rife above this low fphea:r of
S<e~[e,and M~tc~r; His ;Vords ~re there, Au,n, ·,j ~~fl-M
-CtJs p.. ~ +u~cus a-veAe')tx.los bG"lv, eMy:tiTa., ell.,'~ v~-, &c.
-that 1s_, Science aJ it is in t~e sortl ( by which· he means
the D1fcourfive_power of 1t) i5 blameleft, but yet u cor-
reE1ed 6y the Mmd; tU refolving that which u Jndivi-
fihle, and dividing Simple Being tU if it were Compoten-
ded: a1 F~nfy c~rrells Senfe for _difcerning with pafion
~nd mater~a~ mixture, from whrch- that;urifies its oh--
1e[! ; Op1~on corrells Fanlie, becauje it apprehends
:t~rngs. hy forms and ph~n~afms, which_ it(elf is ah-ove;
a~d Sc1~nce corrells Opuuon; beca11fe 1t knows without
difcermng f cau[es; .and the Mind (as was inlinuared)
or the Intmt1~e fac_ulty corrells the Scienci.fical ~ becttu{e
ht a Pro$reftve ktnd of Analyjis it divides the Jntelli-
g_1ble o_b1efl,_ w_here it /eif knows and fees things together
. mthe,r und1v1ded ef/.ence : wherefore this onely i-s.Jm-
moveahle,
of tl3e Soul. . 1 <H
moveable, and Science or Scientifical l'eafon ii inferi-
011r to it in the knowledge of tr,ee Being. Thus he.
:But here we mull: ufe fome caution, left we fhould
arrogate too much to the power of our own Souls,
which i1ideed cannot raife up themfelves inco·that pttre
and fleddy conteri1.plation of true Being;· but ·will rather
act with fome M1eltiplicity 01.- g7ie_plfn~ ( as they fpeak)
attending· it. But thus much of its high original may
appear to us, that it can (as our Author told us) corre(f
it felf, for dividing and dujoyning therein, as knowing
all to be every way one moll: entire and ftmple t though
yet all men cannot eafily improve tlieir own Under-
ftandings to this High degree of Comprehenfion ; and
t,herefore all ancient Philofophers and Ariftotle him-
felf made it the peculiar priviledge of fome men more
abftracl:ed from. themfelves- and all corporeall com-
merce.
CHAP •. Vll
what it is th-at, beyoY!d the Riglieft and mo.ft fubtile Spe-
culations whatjoever , does clear a_nd evidence to a
Good man the Immortality of his Sottl. That Tme
Goodnef and Yerttte begets the m~ft raifed Senfe of
this Immortdlity. Plotinus his. excellent Difc,mrfe t"fJ
tbi& pttrpofe,,.
D now that we may conclude the Argument in
ANhand, we fl1all adde but this on~ thing further to
clear the Soul'simmortality,and it is indeed that which
breeds a true fenfe-of it, viz. True and reall gootlne/•
Our higheft· fPeculations of the Soul may beget a f~fli-
0 3 c1ent.
. i-o 1 , -'Ofthe Immortali!J
cient convid:ion the1:eof within us, but yet it is onely
Tme Goodnej and rertr,e in the Souls of men that can
make them both know and love, believe· and delight
themfelves in their owp Immortality. Though every
good man i~ not fo Logically fubtile as to be able by
fit mediums to demonftrate his own Immortality, yet
he fees it in a higher light : His Soul being purged and
enlightned by true Sanctity is more capable of thofe
Divine irradiations, whereby it feels it [elfin conjun-
ction \.Vith God, and by a.awJdurytux, ( as the Greeks
fpeak) the Light of divine goodnefs mixing it fdf with
the light of its own Re2.fon, fees more clearly not
onely that it may, if it pleafe the fupreme Deity,- of
its own nature exift eternally, but alfo chat idhall doe
fo: it knows it iliall never be deferted of chat free
Goodnefs that alwaies embraceth it: it knows that
Almighty Love, which it lives by, to be [honger
then death, and more powerful then the grave ; it will
not fuffer tho[e holy ones thac are partakers of it to
lie in helJ, or their Souls to fee corruption; and though
worms may devour their fleih, and putrefacrion enter
into thofe bones that fence it, yet it knows that its Re-
deemer lives,and that it fhall at la(! fee him.with a pure
Intelletrual eye, which will th~n be dear and .bright,
when all that e:irthly duft, which converfe with this
mortal body filled it with,fhaH be wiped,out: It .knows
that God will never for fake his own life which he hath
quickned in it; he will never deny thofe-ardent defires
of a ~lifsfu1I fruition of himfelf, which the lively fen[e
of his own Goodnefs hath excited within it.: thofe
bre~things and gafpings after an eternal ·particiipation
of him are but the Energy of his own breath within us•
ifhe.had had. any mind to deftroy it, he would neve;
have ~1v11 it fuch things as hehath1done 5 he would
not
ofthe Soul~ 1"03 ~
not raife.it up to fuch ·Mo,mts of Jl'iflon,_to {he~v it aU the
glory of that heavenly Canaan flowing with eternal
and unbounded pleafures, and then tumble it down a-
gain int~ that d~ep and darkeft Abyf~ of peath and
Non-entity. D1vme goodnefa cannot, 1t will not, be
fo cruel to holy fouls that are foch ambitious fuitors for
his love. The more· they contemplate the blifsfull
Effiuxes of his divine love upon themfelves, the 1):lOre
they find themfelves ftrengthned with an undaunt_~d
confidence in him 1 and look not upon themfelves ~n
the[e poor bod_ily relat}on~ and dcep<e?d~nce~, but 1~
their eternal alliances, £AH xofJ!.1.,101, oos Lfo' ~ r&sr:1, (~s Ar
rianus fometimes fpeaks)as the Sons of God who 1s the
Father of Souls, ~ouls that are able to live any_where
in this fpacious Umverfe, and better out_ of ~his da~k
and Ionefome Cell of Bodily matter, which 1s ahya1es
checking and clogg~ng chem in their noble 1:1ot1ons,
then in it: as knowing that when they l~ave th~s B_ody,
they iball then b_e received into everlafl:mg hab1tauons, 1
and converfe freely and familiarly with !hat_ Som:ce_of
Life and Spirit which they ~onverfed with m tlu_s l_1fe
in a poor difturbed and ftre1ghtned ma~ner. It 1s m-
deed nothing elfe _that makes men queft_1on the Immor-
tality of their Souls, fo much ·as thezr. oivn kafe and
earthly loves, which fir.ft makes them_ wifo their Soul~
were not immortal, and then to thmk they are _not •
which Plotimu hath well obferved, and accordmgly
hath foberly purCued this argumen~. . .
I cannot omit a large recital of his D1fcourfe, ':Vh1ch
tends fo much to difparage that flat and dull Phtlofo-
phy which the[e later Ages have brought forth?. as
alfo thofe heavy-[pirited Chriftians that find fo ~1tcle
divine life and activity in their own Souls, as to 1ma-
uine·them to fall into fuch a dead fleep as foon I
as -they
o leave
i o4 Of t1Je Immort~lity
leave this earthly tabernacle, that they cannot be .a-~
wakened again, till that· lafr. Trumpet and the voice of
an.Arch:mgel f11all roufe them up. Our Authors dif-
courfe is this, Enn. 4. lib. 7. c. r o. having fidl: premifed
th~s Princ iple, ~hat :~/7 Divi~e thing f.s immortalt, ·
i\a.bwl4J j 1l,vxlcu, µ111 T CV~ owµ.a-1,' &c. Let 11,o non,
1
confider a Sorel ( faith he) not f,tch an on.e a1 f.s immerft
-into the Body, having contrac1ed 1mreafdnable Concu-
pifcence and Anger ( b?n~µ.iav -~ :i:tvf-{9v , accordin!{ to
,vhich they were wont to d~flinguip, between the Irafc1ble
and Concupifcible fac11lty ) and other Paffions ; b11t
J,tch a one a1 hath ca.ft away thefe, and JU little tU may
ln communicates with the Body: [,,ch a one & thu will
J11fficiently manifefl that all .Vice t5 ttnnatttraU to the
Sottl, and_(omething acq11,ired onely from abroad; and that
the befl Wifdome and all other Vertrees lodge in a purged
Soul, M being a!lyed to it. If therefore ftech a Sottl Jlut!l
refie/J upon it fell, h01v }ball it not appear to it (elf to be
~ffuch a kind of natttre tU Divine and Eternal! E_ffences
are? For Wifdome and tme Verttte being Divine Ef-
fl11xes can never enter into any ,mhallmved and mortall
thing.- it m,tj! therefore needs be Divine, feeing it 15
fill'd 1vith a Divine nature ~ ' auy~vqcw '9 c} oµge01av
by its kindred 11nd con[anguinity therewith. Whoever
t.herefore among.ft tu 15 {tech a one , differs bttt little if!
hu Soul from Angelical! ef[ences; and that little u the
prefent inhabitation in the Body, in which he i5 inferie11r
to them. And if every ,man were of thi5 raifed temper,
or any confiderable number had bttt.fr,ch holy Souls, there
wortld be no fitch Infidels ,u would in any fort df.sbelieve
the Soul's Immortality. But now the vulgar fort of men
./Jeholding the Sottls of the generality Jo mutilated and qe-
form'd with Vice and Wickednej, they cannot think of
the Soul a,s of any nirt.,ine and Immortall Being; though
indeed
of-t!,e Soul.
indeed t"hey o'!tht to judge of things tU they are in their
oivn naked. eJJences, and fOt with reJPecf to that which
Cr'(tra~(fentza!ly adheres to them; which .it the great pre-
jttdicc of kno"!ledre. Contempla!e t~erefm the SO!ll of
man , demtdtng tt of all that which rt felf is not , or let
him that.does this vieiv his ow» Soul; then· he will ln-
lieve it to be I,nmortall, when he fha.ll behold it C11 rrr1 van-
~~ C11 rrr/ ,ta,~pi1, fixt in an Intelligible and p,t;e na-
tttre; he jl,a/l then behold hi5 own Intelle81 contempla-
ting nor any Senfi6le thing, but Eternall .things., with
th1t which f.s Eternal!, that u, with it felf, lo6king into
the Inte!leilrut!l world, being it {elf made_,all Lucid, Jn-
te!le[foall, and .fhining with the Srm-beams of eternal!
Trttth, horroived from the Fir.ft Good, which perpet,ully
nr.yeth forth hi5 TrNth ttpon all Inte!lec1uall Beings. om
thtu qualified may Jeem withortt any arrogante to take up
that (ijing of Empedocles, Xalpil', e~ cit' ucp}.v ~dG Jp.-
be,p1~.- F arewe/l all earthly allies, I am henceforth no
mortal! wight, br1t an· Immorta!l Angel, afcending up
into Divinity , ·and refleiling upon that likenej of it
which I pnd in my falf. ·When tme Saniliry and Prtrity
]ball grormd him in Jhe knowledge of divine things, then
foall the inward Sciences'.' that arife from the hottome of
his own Sottl, di/}lay them(elves; which indeed are the
onely..tme Sciences.: for the Sot1,[ mns not out of it felfto
heholdTemperance and :Jujlice abroad, brtt itro,vnlight
fees them in the contemplation of its own Bein._(., and that
divine ~/Jenee which WtU hefore enfbrined within itfelf.
I might after all this adde many more Reafons for a
further confirmation of this prefent Thefts, which am as
numerous as the Soul's relations & producrions them-
felves are; .but to every one who is willing to doe
his own. Soul right, this Evidence we have already
brought in is more then fufficient. ·
p CHAP,
'l 06 of tJ;e 1mmOJ'tality
CHAP.VIII.
An Afp_endix co~taining·an Enqttiry into the Senfe And'
opmron of Anfiotle concerning the Immortality of the
Sortl. That according to him the Rational Sottl ufe-
p~rable from the BDdy and Immortall. The true mea..
mng of hii Intellectus. Ag ens and Patiens,
HAving done with the feveral Proofs of the Sours
, Immortality ( that great Principle of Naturall
Theplogy, which jf it.be not entertaiu~d as a Commrmit
Notitia,. as I doubt not but that it is by the· Vulgar
fort of men, or as an Axiome, or, if you will; a Theo-
rem_e _of fre~ and impartial Reafon, all endeavours iff
Re!1g10n will ~every cool and languid) it may-not be
am1fs to enqm!e a little concerning Bu opinion whom
fo m,a.n~ take for the great Intelligencer of Nature arid
Omn1fc1ent Oracle of Truth; though it he toomani-
fefi: that he bath fo defaced the facred Monuments of
the ancient .:rv~etaphyfical Theology by his prnfane
haa_ds, that lt 1s hard to· feethat lovely face ofTrufh
w luch · was ,once en graven upon them ( as'.fome of his
own Interpreters have· long agoe obferved} and fo·
blur!' d thofe f~ir Copies of divine learning which ·he
received from his I~redec~ifours, that hi~ late Interpre-
ters \who make him thea· All) are as l1ttlefometime
ac_quamted wi_th his meaning and defion as they are
wu_h t~m El?er philofophy which h~ fo ·corrupts:
~vhich md_e~d 1s t_he tru_e _reafon they are fo ambiguous
m ~etermmmg his Opm1on of the Sorel's immortality;
which yet he often aiferts and demonftrates .in -his
Three
,., of the Soul. 1-07
Three Books de Anima. We fhall not here -miverfe
this Notion through them all, but ·onely briefly take
notice ofthat which hath made his Expofitours fiumble
fo much in this point; the main whereo_f is that Defi-
nition which he gives of the Soret, wherein he feems to
.make it nothin° elfe for the Gentu of it , but an Ente-
lechia or Infor~ative thing, which fpen_ds all its virtue
upon that Matter which it i~fonns, _and can~ot ~cl: any
other way then meerly-by znfor11:atzon :;_ bemg_ mdeed
nothino elfe but fome Matenal e1J"@.,, like an 1mpref-
fion in~vax which cannot fubfift without ·it, or elfe the
refult of it : whence it is that he calls onely either M4.-
terial Forms or the Funtt:ions and Operations of thofe
Forms, by this name. But indeed he intended not chis
for a general Definiti9n of the Soulof ~an, and t~e~e-
fore after he had lai,d down this parttctelar Defimuon
of the Soul, lib.2. cap,1. he tells 1:1s expre~y, That that
which we call the Rational Soul 1s xwe,<91 or _[ep11rahle
from the Body, Jt,t,' c9 µ,,,J"evdf; --~ d,1-<9-i@.cv'Ji~ex_qcw, ~e-
caufe it u not the Entelech of any Body. Which he la1es
down the demonftration of in feveral places of all tho[e
Three books, by enquiring eHsi 'li. ,ryJ' ~ {ux>1> i_p,y,1v ~
,;m!Jr,µg.rrwv l'cf'loV, as hefpeaks, lib.I. ~ap.1. ~hether the
Soul hath 11,ny proper fimaion or operatzon of zts own, or
whether all be·compounded and reful~ ~rom ~he Soul
and-Body together: and in this inqwne finding that
all senfations and P ajions a.rife as well fro1:1 th~ Body
· as from the Sont, and fpring out of the,~o?Jun~1on of
both of them ( which he therefore call~ 1:v~?,..o, Ao'J9' , as
. being begotten by the Soul upon ~he Body) ·he con-
cludes that all this favours of nothing elfe but a Mate-
. terial nature, inHp arable from the_ Body. _But then fin-
ding aB:s of Mind and Underftandmg, which cannot be
propagated from Matter, or ca,~fa!Ly depend upon the
. . P 2; _ Body,
 Of the Tmmortality
Body, he refolves the Principles from whence they
fl.ow to be Im!.nortal; which he thus fets down lih.2.
C'
I ••\ "'?.,. J:! C\__ ..., ,.._ {\ I > I
C/1\P,2., ~,. J 'I'd 1'i:J"' IC ; tVE~pn1lW>7S', r;,W)a-,_w(J).;, l1J'-€71W cpcw·~-- _
e,pv, a,)-i\, f:OIY.16 +ux~s ~v@-. f'Tfe_pV 'r!), &c. that.is No,v {U
for the Mind and Theoretiw:i!L power, it appears ~ot, viz.
rhac they belong to that Soul which in the former
Chapter ~vas defined by cv7~11.exqa..., brtt it (eems to·be
another kind of Soul, and that onely i5 feparabLe from the
Body, tU that which u Eternal and. Immortal from that
which is Cor:rtptible.. Bttt _the other Powers or Parts of
the Soul (viz. ~he Veg,etative and Senfitive) are not fe-
p.mibte, i£(X,~.lr;Jj,.cprx.u_, 'TIV~S', tU f()me think. Where by
chefe [ rru·Js fome ~ wluch he here refutes, he manifeftiy
me.1~;; the Platonifts an~ Pythagoreans, who held that
all kinds of Souls were 11mnortal, as well the Souls of
be~~s as of men; whereas he upon that former en-
qm;·1e ~oncluded that nothing was immortal., but that
wh1~h 1s th~ S~at of Reafon and Underfiandirrg :.. and
fo his meamng 1s, that this Rational Soul is altogether
a d~ftincl: Elfence from thofe other ; or elfe that glory
1~h; ch he makes account he reaps from his fuppofed
victory o~er the oth~r Sects of Philofophers will be
much echpfed , feemg they themfelves did not ·fo
n~uch contend for that· which he decries, vi{. an exer-
c1fe ~f any ~uch Informative facrtlties in a fbte of Se..;
paratton, neither do~:'we find them much more to re-
" Lib.J, c, 4. Je& one part of that complex Axiome of* his (j 4 '
'<:>.. 1 a >I
~w-WTI~V ~~ "'vov (]Wr{g-'T@-.,,
·,A I t I "'
o.t) J/8, xwe,ci;os, That which
I '
ts fenJi~tve ts not without the Body, brtt the Jntellecf or
lvfrnd ts feparab~e, then they doe the other. ·
Tl1e och,er d~fficul~y whi,h Ariftotle's opinion-feems
to be clogg d w1thall 1s tha1: Conclufion which he Iaies
down lib. 3· c. 5. o o'7lt(,.3>i'J1,Js v~s, cp~_prro~ which is
commonly. thus expounded, Inte!lecftH p11ti;nJ eft cort_
mptib;iti,s.
of the Soul. 109
ntptiWit. But all this difficulty wilH'oon be clea1·ed,
if once it may appear. how ridiculous their conceit is,
that from that Chapter fetch that idle diftinction of
· IntellecftM Agens & P,itiens; meaning by t-he .Agens,
that which prepares phantafines, and exalts them into
the nature of intelligible fPecies, and. then_propounds
them to the P atiens-to- judge thereof: whereas indeed
l1e n;ieans nothing elfe by his "~~ ?T~.3>i'l1'iGJs, but onely
the Un.der_ftanding in potentia,- and by his 111Js m1>1'11%0S',
the farhe· in acf.,,. or in hahitu ,. as the Schoolmen are
wont to phrafe it; and accordingly thus laies down
l1is meaning and method of this notion. In the prece.-
ding Chapter of that Book; he difpuces againft Plato's
Connate_fPecies-, as being afraid, left if the Soul 1l1oald
be prejudiced by any home-born notions, it would not
be indifferent to the entertaining of any other Truth.
Where, by the way, we may obferve how unreafonable ·
his Argument is :- for if the Soul hath no fuC?h ftock of
.principles to trade with, nor any proper notions of its
~wn that might- be a "et1n(:}QI of all-Opinions, it would
be fo indifferent to any,.. that the foulefl: Errour might
be as eafily entertained by it as the faireft Truth; nei::.
ther could it ever know- what gueft: it receives, whe-- ·
ther Truth, or FaHhood. But yet our.Author found
l1imfelf able to fwallow-down- this -abfordiiy, though
when he had done he could not well digell: it. For
he could not but take notice of that which was obvious
/A, for any one to reply, That '7rn,> vris ~ vo»los, ane:i fo
l'eflecting upon-it felf, may find matter within to work
upon,; anq fq laies -down· this· fcruple · in a way not
much different from his Mafters,. cc. cwlo's- j von16. 1,'?i,
Ja;rep 11tt vonld, &c~ b1it the Soul it felf is alfo intelli-
gible, tts well Mall other intelligible natttres are·; and in
thofa BeiJJg~ _which 11re prmly abfl.ralled from Matter,
P 3 that!
·J·llO
'Oft[,e ImmortalitJ
that which anderflands ,~ the fame with that which ii un,,:
derftood. Thus he. But not being Mafter of thi~ no-
tion, he finds it a little too unruly for him, and-falls to
enquire why the Soul fuould not then alwaies be in
ac!tt ; quitting himfelf of the whole difficulty at once
by telling us, that our fouls are here clogg' d with a
Ryle or Matter that cleaves to them, and fo all the
matter of their-knowledge is c0ntai11e_d in fenfible ob-
jects , which they mufr ex_tracl: out of them, being
themfelves on~ly ev_J'u.udµ.q or in potentia ad inte!ligen-
d1tm. -Juft as ma like-argument_ (Chap. 8.) he would
needs perfwade us, That the Underfianding qeholds
all things in the gla(s of Phanfie; and then quefl:ioning
how our fli>fWtTrl.l vo»l-(9,~ or Firfl principles of knowledge
fl1ould be Phantafmes, he grants that they are not indeed
phantafmes, dM.' ~ Jy6'.J <pct,vT(t,(JfMirr.AJ11, bnt yet they are
not withottt phantafmes ; Which he thinks is enQugh
t<? fay, and fo by .his meer di crate without any further
d1fcuffion to folve that ~tioc:_whereas iii all Reflex
11lls, whereby the Soul reviews its. own opin,ipns, and
:finds out the nature of them; it makes neither ufe of
Sen[e or Phantafmes; but acl:ing immedi_ately by its
own_po~e:, finds it [elf c/;aw/MLIOV ,!J %(.(jet~v@,~--zwv,
2s. StmpltcttU obferves. ·
But to return, This Hyle or Matter which our Au-
thor fuppofeth to hinder a free & uninterrupted exer-
cife of Underfianding, is indeed nothing elfe but the
Souls potentiality ; ~md not any kind.of diviµble or ex-
tended nature. ~nd therefore when he thus diftingui-
ilieth between_ his lnte/lelltis Age»s and Patiens_, he
feems to lliean almofl: nothing elfe but what our ordi-
nary J\1eraphyfirians doe in their diftinction of Aflru
and Potentia, (as Simplicim hath truJy obferved) when
they- tell us , that ·the finefi cre.:tted nature i~ made up
· · of
, oftbe Soul~- 1- I" 1
of thefe t~o compounded togethero For we mug: know
that the genim of his Philofophyl~d ~im _to fancy ~n
'\..~x.Ef,4>ovm ,_ a wtftin_fie~jecf or obed;entt.a_l p__ower m
every thing that fell wtth1n the_ c_om,Pa~s of ~hyfi~?l
fpeculat-ion, or that had any relati?n .to _any,.natu~J
body;· and fome other power. wh1ch was ~J'omi•;w,
that was of an acfive and operating nature : and confe-
quently that both thefe Principles w~r~ in _the Soul i~
{elf, which as it was ca2~bl~ ~f receiving 1_1npre(li0Qs
& fPecies from ~he Ph~mfi~,anchn a·Mffe to und~r~and,
fo it was Pajive; but as it-doth a~ually_ under~and,
fo it is mlnl,x.o; or ,Acfive. And> with .this No~10n
I l rl . < I I_}~
,..,
he
begins his 5. C Iiap. Em, j (t)a:;re_p EY 'Tf~Uu~ o5-i -n,
CG,1Zt(,Q"~
cj 'fl, [J)\.n exd'i'ff ,_.ivq, &c. that is, Seei~g that _in e1:ery
nat,ere there u Jomething which. as a i:irJ! f,eb1e~ u all
things potentially, andJo.me A{fwe prrnc1pte »:htch p~o-
dttceth tell things, rts Art doth tn M~tter; zt ts necefld~J
tb.11,t the S,ot~l alfo partake of thefe differences~ And _this
he illufrrates.by Light,&,Co.lours; refe~~h~g ~P~·!'af-
_ ji!v.e.·:power\ 0.fth,e Jnt.elle¢F'-t9 _,q__ololf,rs, ,-~'ry~ .A_~t?,~ or
•Energetical t_o·/..ight: and-th_~r_e(m:e .h~ fai~s, ,it 15JfA-
€,(S"?>s, ~ df,MryJs, ,f} ct'7W,,~5, _[e~ar~hle, u.nm!xt: 1n .~m .. -
pafible. and fo at lafi: concluaes,. xwe,_(~as J'e bG1 fl.9Vov
~~~' ;,dp ~' _irt tbe jl;ate of:S~fA~tJ,t,iorJ/his lnt~l~e~_ u.
..Alrpaies _tha_t.w,~i;eb. i( zi .( t.hat:is, 1t 1s a~~~.11~;1~t~e and
Energe.tiq1l, as he had. t,Ol~ 1,1~.b,efor~eorr~ ~Iii' tf:'f;v ~fEB'Jl<i~,
the_ ~f[ence:of it ke.ing acfiv_ity~"' ,lJ rr~tTrJ,µgvovl~Ji,a.1ov ~
o
d,{-t-,ov, ~ p.1,.mH911¢lJ0JiJ·fJ ;,n .rrHtTrJ pv a.7ra.~~, and thi,
.onth _t5 ~-m~~nta_l ~n.d eterpal.;; brtt :w.e d,qe riot -r.p1!emqe.r
be,1,;iµfer1t:,u·1mPflJ[1;b,le. _l~ -Wfllfh-\afl: yvo~q$ p~ fce~s
to difprove Plato s Rem!,:i_ifa~-ntt~, ?eqrnfe ~h~ _S?µt ~n ·
a fl:ate of Separation be1qg alwa1e~ m _afr ,. t~e _p.4t,.~e ·
·power of it, which then Jidl: begms to app~ar when.,it
is ernbodipd .could not r~pr~[ent. o~ coq.ta1µ'.a,ny:fuch-
. · ~ ' · · · · · · ·· · · · · · Traditional:
 1 1 .i Of the lmtnortal_lty ,
. Traclitionall Jl!e.cies as -the EnergeticaO faculty ad:ed
upon before; feeing there was then no Phanfie to retain
them in, as Simplicim expounds it, J'lo iV'T~ del· ~
(-I.AJi4/-{9V6U1w11 vonar/' d'eo,-ffJ~_ '7Iri,j;(~5 ~-/d'XeJ. cpcx.,vfa.fJ'lw.
tlufoi~vl@.. X~')t~, becaufem all re1?embrance \¥e muft
reflect upon our Phanfie. And this out Author feems
to glanc·e at, ic·being indeed never out of his eye, in
thefe words we have endeavoured to give an account
of, ; S ?rci~nix.d; v~5 <p~yr~., '9 ctv6U 'Z"HT~ 8~V va~, Bttt
the Pafive intc!lell_u c~mtp:ib1e, and witho11,t this we
can ,mderfland nothmg tn tlm life. And thus our fqre-
named Comm~ntator doubts not to gloffe on them.
.CHAP. IX.
A main Diffi.mlty concerning the Immortality of the
Soul [viz. The flrong Sympathy of the So11lwith·the
Body J an(wered. · An Anfwer to another Enquiry, viz.
Under what accottnt Imprefions deriv'dfrom:the B()dy
do fall in~orality. . haps to fay, That the Sympathy of things is no fuffici-
VVEthis_have_ now d?rie _,~ith the_ Confirmation of·
Pomt, which the main Bafis of all Re- .
1s.
ligion, and fuall-not at prefe'nt trouble our felves ,vith
thofe difficulties that may feem-to incumber it; which
indeed are onely fuch as beg for a Solution, but doe
not, if they be impartially C(?nfid~red; pr~udly conteil:
with it : .and fuc'h.of :them which depend upo·n any hy-
pothefis which we may apprehend' to be lai'd down in
Scripture, I cannot -think them to.be of any fuch mo-
ment, ·but that any one who deals freelY. amt ino-ena-
oufly wi_th this P,iece of God's truth; may from thence
. find
I
L
oft1Je Soul.
find a far better -an{a of an[wering, then he c3n of mo•·
ving of any fcruples againft the Souls ·immortality
which that moft ftrongly every where fuppofes:,& doe;
not fo pofitively & pn1TW; lay down, as prefume that we
· h_ave an a~tecedent kno~ledge of it, & therefore prin-
cipally teaches us the nght Way & Method of provi-
ding in this life for our happy fubfifience in that eter-
nal e!l:ate. And as for what pretends to Ret1-fon or Ex-
perience, I think it may not be amifs briefly to fearch
into one main difficulty concerning the Soul's Immor- ·
talicy : and that is, That ftrange kind of d~pendency
which it feems to have on the Body, whereby it feems
conftancly to comply and fympathize therewith, and
to affume to it felf the frailties aad infirmities thereo£
to laugh and languiili as it were together with that;
and fo when the Body is compos' d to reft, our Soul
feems to fleep together with it ; and as the Spring of
bodily Motion feated in our Brains is more clear or
· muddy, fo the conceptions of our Minds are more di-
ft~d m iliftm~~ .
To anfwer this difficulty, it might be enough per-
ent Argument to prove the Identity of their effences
by, as I think all will grant ; yet we {hall endeavour
more fully to folve it.
And for that purpofe we muft take notice, that
though our Souls be of an Incorporeal nature, as we
have already demonftraced, yet they are united to our
Bodies, not as Afifling forms or Intelligences, as fome ·
,···l1ave thought , but in fome more immediate way ; .
though V:e cann~t tell what that is, it being the great
arcanttm in Mans nature, that which troubled Plotint#
fo much, when he had contemplated the Immortality
of it, that, as he fpeaks of himfelf, Enn.-4. t,b.8. c. 1. ~;
Q_ Aory.op.,ov
·1 1 .} Of tlie Immortality
/ 1· , C ru
,0'}-!<11-':,?V ~ V8
• p \ , "' <V
\
rw, "9_~0'71v.)~ :J:' '} I\ c+~P""\
X.l.(.Ta.o~;, '7J'W!, '7TDl6
'7TD e p.o, eyc,·oy n vxn ~'Y"vnr;-a, 7"tt awu;J~
I ""
~ ~ I >< f .. \ ~ r-.;r
I )
'T~'l?i. ~azt. ob ,CpiX-vn x.a,~ &rf..UTWJ , ~cu 1re_p 11ou ev ow1-ux1,,.
N ,
But mdee~ to make fuch a Complex thing as Man is, it
was necefiary that the Sottl fuould be fo united to the
Body,as to {hare in its paffions and infirmities fo fiir as
they are void of finfolnefs. And as the Body alone
could not perform any aet of Senfation or Reafon and
fo if felf become a ,w'ov m1t.ITlic.dv, fo neither would the
S out be ~apable of providing for the neceffities oft he
Body, w~thouc fome way whereby a feeling and fenfe of
them_ might be conveyed to it; neither could it take
f~ffic1en_t care of_this corp?~eal life, as nothing pertai-
mng to it, were 1t not folhmed to a natural compuncti-
on and compaflion by the indigencies of our Bodies. It
cannot be a meer Meneal Speculation that would be fo,
fenfibly affecl:ed with hunger or cold or other o-riefs
that our Bodies neceffarily partake of, to mov~ our
Souls to take care for their relief: and were there·flot
fuch a commerce between our Souls and Bodies as
that our Souls alf~ might be ma~e acquainted by a
pleafurab~e and delightful fenfe of tho[e thino-s that
m?fi ~rat1fie our Bodies, and tend moft to the fupport
of their Crttjis and temperament; the Soul would be
apt wholly co neglect the B_ody, ap~ commit it wholly- -
to all ~hanges .and cafualt1es., Neither would it be
anr thrng more to us then the body of a Plant or Star
wfoch we contemplate fometimes with as much con~
tenement as we do our own bodies, l1aving as much of
t~e Theory of the one as of the other. And the rela-
t10n _that ?Ur .Souls bear to fuch peculiar bodies as
they mh~b1t_e, 1s ?ne and the fame in point of notion:
and fpeculat10n w1~h that which they have to any other
body : and therefore chat which determines the Soul
to
r, of the Soul~ I! 15
"'1 \
'!J vJv ,c.«.lcx.~.cu~ to this Body ·111ore then ~hat,!1mll: -~~ foine _fubti\e vin-
I c,d,tm that knits _and umtes it to ;t ~n ~ m~re p'hyfical
)
-way, which theref~re Pro~let:., fom,,~u~es ca:~1s ITlllJJ(-{~-
'11'ilO\V ox>lfA-"' i +uxn,, a JPmtttal k~ndof ;1ehzde, wh~re"'."
by corporeal impr_effio_ns _are _tr~nsferr 4 to t_l:e Mind,
and the dietai:es and decrees of t~a~ ar.~ earned b~ck
again into t~e Body _to a~ and moye ~~.~, H e?cftt"':
wittily glancmg at,the[~ m,ut~a_l ~_[p~~\?n~, en_c~_r,com- .
fes calls them * c,.,fJBLba-~ IX, Jl«,')',C.CWXh ·&k _~ fJlrt.VLfJJv, the "' PlGtm. Enn.
Re'rponfals or Antiphons wherein e~ch o~ th:m cat~ 4• l.s. ,.x.
cheth at the others part & keeps ume with 1t; and
fo he tells us that there is JJJ~ 111_Cd_ ,!J ,rg.rmJ; a way ~h~t
leads upwards ind ~ownw1r1~ betwe;en the Soul and Bo4y,
whereby their affairs are made known to one another.
for as the Soul could not have a ~ufficient rel_ation ~f
the ftate and condition of ()Ur Bodies, ~~cept 1t rece1-
ved fome impreffions from them.; fo _ne1the~ could o_ur
Souls make ufe of our Bodies, or d,enve t~e1r own ':7'lr-
tue into them as they doe, without fome mte~media~e
motions. For as fome motions may feem ~o have their
beginning in our Bodies or in fome external mover,
which are not known by ~ur Souls till t~eir ad vertency
be awakened by the impetuoufnefs ?f the~ : .fo fome
other motions are derived by our own w_1Us m~o _our
Bodies~ but yet in fuch a way as they. can~ot be ~?to
any other body_; for we cannot ~y the _me~r Mab1cal
virtue of our Wills move any thmg elfe without o_ur
felves,._ nor follow any fuch virtue by_ a concurren~ fenfe
of thofe mutations that are made by 1t, as we doe m our
own Bodies. _ . ·
And as this Conjugal affet'hon and fymp:ithy ~e-
. t\veen Soul and Body are ihus neceffary t~ the Bemg
of Mankind ; fo w~ may further _take nou~e of [o~1e
.we liar part within us where all this fir ft begins: which
P Q2 .a
1 16 Of the T1nmortality
a ~a~e faga.cious Philofopher hath l1appily obfervecl c~
be m that pare of the Brain from whence all thofe
Nerves thac condt_1c_r the Ani~~l fpirits up and down
tI1e ~ody take the1r firfl: Ongmal ; feeino- we find all•
Moc10ns that firfl: arife in.:our Bodies, tgdired their
courfe fl:raight up to.that, as continually refpechncr it-
and there onely to be fenfated, and all the· impe~at;
motions of our Wills iffuing forth from the fame,on-
fiftory. There_f?re the An~mal fpi_rits,by reafon of their
con{bnt mob1hty and. f:v1ft. motton, afcending to the
place of our. Nerves ongmatton, move the Soul which
there_fics enthron' d, in f(?me myfl:erious w..1y; ~nd de-
fcendmg at the beck of our Wills from thence move
all the M~fcles_ and joynts in Cuch fort as they a~·e gui-
ded ~nd d1reete~ by the. Soul. And if we obferve the
fubtil~ M~ch:uucks of our own Bodies, we may eafily
c?nce1ye how th_e leafl:._motion _in th~fe. Animal Spi-
nes will, by their relaxmg or d1ftendmg the Nerves,
Membranes and Mufcles, accordino- to their different
quantity or. the celerity and quality of their motions,
beget all kmd of motions likewife in the Organical
part 0£ our. Bodi es. And therefore that our Souls
may t~e be~te~ inform our Bodies, they mufr perceive
all t~e1r vane~1e~ ;.. and becaufe they have fuch an im•
mediate proxumty to thefe. Spirits, therefore alfo all
the_Mouons.of ?Ur Souls in the highefl:way ofReafon-
a~d Und~r~:mdmg. are ape to frir thefe quick and
nunble fpmts alwa1es atrending upon them,.. or elfe
fi:~ them too much.. An_d thu~ we may eafily fee that
iliould our ~ouls be ahva1es acbng and working within
us, _our_ Bodies_ could never take ·that-. refl: and repofe
which 1s reqmfite for the confervation of Nature•. As
we may eafily perceive in all our ftudies and meditati-
ons that. are mo.ll: ferious, _our Spirits are. the more
fix'd,
of t!Je Soul.
fix d, attending thetbeck of our Minds. And exceo-r:
this knot whereby our Souls are wedded to our B0dies
were unloofe.d that our Souls were 1oofe from them,
they could not act, but prefently fome Motion or other
would be- impreft upon. our Bodies : as every Motion
in our Bodies that is extraordinary,.when our Nerves
are di.fi:ended with the Animal fpirits, by a continual
communication of it felf in thefe Nerves like fomany
intended Ch<:>rds-to t:heir original , moves our Souls;
and fo though we alwaies perceive that one of them
is. primarily affecl:ed, yet we alfo find the other pre-
fently by confent tobe affeded too •.
And becaufe the Soul hath -all Corporeal· paffions
and impreffions thus conveyed to it, without which it
could not expreffe a, due benevolence to that Body
which peculiarly .Qelongs to it;· therefore as the Mo~
tions of thefe.Animal Spirits are moreor lefs either
diforderly and confus'd~ or gentle and compos'd ,"' fo
thofe Souls efpecially-. who have not :by the exercife of
true Vertu~ got the.dominion ov:er them, are alfo more
or. 1efs. affected proportionably in their operations.
And. therefore indeed to queftion whether the Sou1, .
that is of an Immortal nature, fhould .entertain thefe
corporeal paffions ., . is -to· doubt ·whether God ,ould
make~ Man or.not, and to quefl:ion that which we find
by· exp~ri~nce in: our [elves; for we find b®h that it -
doth thus, and yet that .the Original .of thefe is fome-
times from- Bodies, and- fometimes, again: by the force•
- of our Wills- they are,imprefs' d upon ,our Bodies.
Here·by the way we may confider in- a moral way·
what to judge of-thofe Imprejions .that are derive&
from. our Bodies to our s·ouls, which the Stoicks ·call-
~o)«,-~~• not becaufe they are repugnant 1:0 Reafon,•
or are aberrations-from it; hut becaufe they derive'not;
Q_3 · their
__ ______
-.1--x"S Ofthe 1mmbrtalitj
their original from Reafon, butfr~m the Body,which is
aAoiv -n • and are by Ariflotle, more agreeably to the
ancient Dialecr, called ;~ul"dH Ao?Jii material or corporeal
Jde_a's or imprejions. And thefe we inay fafely reckon,
I think,amongft our Adiaphora in Morality, as being in
th emfelves neither good nor evil, ( as all the anti enc
Writers have done) but onely ai·e form' d into either
by chat ftamp that the Soul pripts upon them, when.
they come to be entertain' d into it. And ~herefore
whereas fome are ape in the moft fevere ,vay to cen-
fure m/J~ rw-eJhrJA ,{;) cpJa-,v o<pµj),~, all thofe Commoti-
ons and Paffions that firft affecr our Souls; they might ·
doe well more cauteloull y to ·difting1.1i1h between fuch
of thefe motions as have thefr origination in our Bo~
dies, and .fuch as immediately arife from our Souls :
el~e may we not too haftily difplace the antient termi-
ni, and remove the land-marks ofVertue and Vice'!
For feeing t_he Soul co-qld not defcend into any corpo;..
real ad, as 1t muft doe while it is more prefent to one
b~dy then another, except it ,ould partake of the
griefs and_ pleafures of the Body ; can it be any more
"finful for 1.t to fenfate this, then it is for it to be united
to the Body 1 Ifour Soul could not know what it is to
eat or drink , but onely by a meer ratiocination col-
lecting: by a drie fyllogiftica-U difcourfe _[That ~eats
and ~r!nk~,prefer~e the health and fabrick of the Body,
repamng what daily exhales from it] without fenfatino-0
any kind ofgriefin the want .. or refrefl1ment in the ufe
of them; it would foon fuffer the Body to languifli
and decay. And ther_ef'?re as thefe Bodily infirmities
and paffions are not evil m themfelves • fo neither are
they evil as ·they firft affect our Souls. When our
Anim_al Spirits, begot of fine_ and good blood, gently
and mmbly play up and down m our Brains, and fiviftly
flie
ofthe Soul. u9
flie up and down our whole Bodies, ~e prefently find
our Phanfies raifed with mirth and chearfu.tnef: and-as
_when our P hanfies are thus exalted, we may not call
this the Energy of Grace ; fo if our spleen or Hypo-
chondria'J [welling with terrene _and fluggifuVapours,.
fend up fuchMelancholick fumes mto our _heads as move
us to fadn~(s and timoro11,[nef,, we cannot J_uftly _call _that:-
.Yice. nor when the Gall does degurg1tate its bitter
juyc; into our Liver, which mingling it felf '_Vith the
blood,begets_fi'cry Spiri~s that prefently fly up ~nee_> our
Brain, and there beget 1mpreffions of Anger w1thm ~s. ·
The like we may fay of thofe Corporeal paffions wh1~h
are not bred firft of all by any Peccant humo~rs 0~ d1f-
1
temperatures in our_own bo~1es, but are ~xc1teo. ~~ us
by any External obJeets which by thofe zdola and ima-
ges that they prefe~t to our Senfes , or rathe~ thofe
Motions they make m them, may pre[ently ra1~e f~ch
commotions in our Spirits : For our Body m~mtams
not onely a confpiration and confent of all its own
parts but alfo it bears a like relation to other mundane
bodi;s with Jvhich it is converfant, as being a part ?f.
the whole Univerfe. But when our Soul, once mov d
by the undifciplin' d petulancy of o?r Ani~al fpirits,
fhall foment and cherifh that Irrational Gnef, Fear,
Anger, Love, or any _other fuch like Paffions contrary
to the dictates of Reafon ; it then fets the ftamp of
finfulnefs upon them. It is the co°:feat ?f our own
. Wills that by brooding of them bnngs forth thofe
hatefull Serpents. For though our Soul~ he efpoufed
to thefe Earthly Bodies" and cannot but m fome mea-
fure fyrnpath_ize with them, yet hath the Soul a tr~_e
dominion of ics own ads. It 1s not the meer paffion, if
we take i·c in a Phyficall fenfe, but rather fo~e_inordi-
nate action of our own Wills that entertain it: and
thefe. ·
11 2 o Oftl,e Immortality of tbe Soul. ~
thefe paffions cannot force our Wills, but we may be
able to chaftife and allay all the inordinacy of them by ·o I S C O U .R S E
the power of our Wills and Reafons: and therefore
God"hath not made us under the neceffity of ftn,by ma- -Concerning
king us men fubject to fuch infirmities as thefe are
,vhich are meerly ~&>cu OTAJ!-f9'1TJJV, as the Greek Philofo-
pher hath well called them, the hloffomings and /hoo- THE EXISTENCE·
ting s forth of bodily life within tu; which is but 2, d.v-
~&Jrmv:w or Humanity. .d'J:{D
And, if-I mifrake not, our D i.vinity is wont fome-
times to acknowledge fome fuch thing in our Saviour
himfelf~ who was in all things made like to us, our ftn-
NATURE OF GOD~
fulnefs exe:epted. He was a man offarrows and acqttain-
ted ivith griefs, as the Prophet Efay fpeaks of him: and
when he was in bodily agonies and horrours , the Agapetus ad Juftinianum.
powerfull affaults thereof upon his Soul moved him ~p ~ sa,ulJv ,va~, ,:vd~1a, ~o'v· ~011 :1 o'4'as-, oµgi&,;,nagia,
to petition his Father, that if it were-pofible, that bitter . ,3-e~• ~µ!Jlfd(J}7(Jg1a,:) ~~) 0 ~l(@.~J'4v(@. ~a• «~i@.
C1tp might pajt from him; and the fenfe of death fo
rad o ,..:11if .3-E~, oµm(Nv a.vd~iov 'Wes/,rr1(j)11 ~e~ , d:».J
ct-i
mu~h affiicl:ed him, that it br:d"'in hi~ the griefs
which S. Peter expreffeth by c,.,J",vw; •'18 ~va,rr~ Aet, 2. -cppo11rZ11 t4J '1ttl M18, i\.~C<>V :'.) ,1, </}fove,, '11TJtril' oa. i\~e1:
the pangs or throes of death, and that fear that extorted
. adefire to be freed fr?m it, as it is infinuated by that in
. M. T. Cicero 1. 1. De Legibus•
Heb. 5. 7. he ";114 delw_ered from what he feared; for fo .Ex tot generihm nullum eft animal pr£ter hominem qteod
the words, bemg nothing elfe but an Hebraifm, are to habeat notitiam aliquam Dei : ipflfque in hominibtu
be rmdred, Jar.c.x.~atfl, ~ ,f- wil.a,betw;. And we are nulla gens e.ft neqHe tam imman[ueta, neque tam fmt,
wo~t to ·call this the language and di/Jate of Nature q_u4 non, etiamft ignoret qt1alem habere Deum deceat,
which lawfully endeavours to preferve it felf, though tamen habendum fciat.
prefently an higher principle muft bring all thefe under
a fubjeetion co God, and a free fubmiffion to his oood
pleafure: as it was with our Saviour, who mode~ated
all thefe paffions by a ready refignment -0f himfelf and
his ow~ Will ~p to the Will of God; and though his
~umamty crav d for eafe and relaxation, yet chat Di-
vme Namre tha·t was within him- would not have it R 0F
with any repugnancy to the fupreme Will of God.
 OP
THE EXISTEN·CE
. .AND

NATURE OF GOD.

CH AP. I.
That the Be.ft way to know God is hy 1tn attentive reflexi-
on upon our own Souls. God more clearly and lively
pU1ur' d upon the Souls of Men,, then upon 11,ny pArt if
the'Senftble World. -
E fuall now come to the other Cardinal Prin--
ciple of all Religion, & treat fomething.con-
cerning God. Where we fhall not fo much
• demonftrate That he is, as what he is.
]30th which we may heft learn from a Reflexion 11-p_on
ottr ow# Sorels, as Plotinttt hath well taught us, £i~ soc.u1ov
~.fjtClJlllV, a~ d.px!uJ ~,._plcp~, He which ref}elh upon
himJelf, refie{ls 11pon his own originall, ana finds the
clearefr Impreffion of fome Eternall Nature and Per-
fect Being- ftamp' d upon his own Soul. And there...
fore Plato feems fometimes to reprnve the ruder fort
of men in his times for their contrivance of Pid:ures
and Images to put themfelves in mind of the 91:ol or
·Angelicall Beings., and· exh0rts them to look into. their
own Souls, which are the faireft Images not onely of
R z the
 Of tlie Bxiftence
~he _lower di~:ineNatures,butoftheDeity itfelf; God:
havmg fo copied forth himfelf into the whole life and·
en~r~r of man's Soul, as that- the lovely Characters of
~1v1_mty may be moft eafily feen and read -of all men
w1thm,tlu~mfebzes: ls they fay PhidiM the famous s~-
tuary, after he had made the St.1tue of Miner.v.a v;,ith
the gre~teft exquifitenefs · of Art to be fet .up in the.
Acropolu at At~ens,. afterwards imprefs'd his own l-·
~age fo..deep~y in-her buckler, M nem{}delere pt>j'it ,wt-
drve!lere,, qui totam jldtream non !mmintteret:_ ·And if
w~ woulo know "~hat t}1e Impreffe of Souls is, it is no-
dung but God _him_felf, who could not write his own.
name Co.as that_ 1t might be-read but onely in Rationall,
Nat?res. Ne1the_r c_ould· he make fuch without im-
p~rtll.lg fuch an Im1tati~>n of his own- Eterna.11 Under.:.
ft~nd:ng t? t_herri as might be a perpetual Memorial of
lmnfelfw1~hm c_hem. AP..d whenever .ve-look upon our
own S o~I m a nghc ma~ner, we {hall find an.Urim~and
T!nmmrm ther~, by wlucl~ we may ask counfel·of God
hlmfelf, who w1ll have this alway born upon its breaft~
pbt~
_ 'f.here is· nothing· th~t fo emliafes: and-enthralls tlie
Souls. of men, as the. d1fmal1 and dreadfuU thouo-hri
of their own--Mo,:tality,, which will not fuffer t ~1 to
look beyond: this ihort fpan, of Tirrie~ w fee a·n houre~
l~ngth before them, or to loo~ .higher then thefe mate-
nall Hea~ens;. which though they could be ftretch' d,
fotth to-1~fin1ty,. ye~ would: the fpace; he• to@ riarr.ow;
fo! ~n enlightned rnmd, _ tlut -will· not ,be confined,
~1thm t-h_e ~ompafs .of corporeal dimenfions. 'Thefe
olaC::k Opm1ons.ofpeath an4.the Non-entity a£ Soulsi
( d~rk~r th_en_Hell it felf) fhrmk up the,free-born Spir.it-
whrch 1s- w~thi_n uss which would otherwife be dilatin.
a.nd fµread10g.1t felf boundleily beyond all Finice_Beln[
and
and J\{ature of God •. _
and when thefe_' forry pinching miffs are once blown
·away, it finds this narrow fphear ofBeing. to give way
before·it 7 and having once.feen beyond Time a·nd Mat.:.
ter, _i't finds t.l!en no more ends nor bounds to fiop its
!;vift and reftlefs motion .. It:may-then fly upwards from
one heaven to another, till it be' beyond all orbe offi..
nite Being, [wallowed up in the boundlefs Abyfs of
Divinity,~~eJ,vvJ rt ~rri'rM, beyond atl that which darker
thoughts are· wont to· reprefent -under the Idea of
~ffence. This· is th~t ~e,ov .(].X.07~ whi~h the Ar~opa--
gite fpeaks of~ which the higher our Mmds foare mto;
the more inCQmprehenfible they find it. Thofe difmall
~PRrehenftons which pinion the Souls ofmen to mor~
talicy, churlifhly check and ftarve that noble life there-·
of, which would alwaies.be rifing u.pwards,and fpread it.
felf in a free heaven: and when once the Soul hath
fhaken off thefe, when-it-is once able to look through a
grave, and fee beyond death, it finds a- vall: Immenfity
-of Being openin° it felf more and more before it, and
the ineffable light and beauty thereof iliining more. and·
. more into it,; when it can reft·and bear up itfelf uporr
an Immaterial centre oflmm-0rtalicy within; it will then
find itfelf able to bear it felf away; by a felf~reflexion
inco·the contemplat.ion. of an ·Eternall- Deity.
For though God hath copied for-th his OWfl Perfe-
trions in this confpicable-& fenfible World, according :
as it is capable.of entertaining them~_yet the moft clear
and diffina:·,opy of himfdfcouldbe imparted'to none
elfe but to intelligible and inconfpicable natures : and'
though the whole fabrick of this viftble- Univerfe' be·
wllifperin~ · out the notions of a Deity, and· alw:iy in-
culcates this leffon to the contemplators of it, ru, ejd _
immtnY..€ o~o;, as Plotin,u,expreffeth it ; yetwe cannot·
underftand· it without :fome interpreter withirr. T1w
R J Heavens· .-
 . Ofthe Exiftence
Htaven, indeed dul11re the glory_ if God. mttl th F.
ment /hews hi.r handy-work and the?) ' , ... e mn4 -
and ~dtUreof God.
Souls are not it, but onely partake of it ; and thadt is
l
i

whicl, may he known ofGod. even b ."1'l<>S-Ov ~ .S-ei, that of fuch a Nature that we cannot denominate any other
Godhead as S p l II , .
, • au te s us 1s to be r,s eternal power anti
fc · h,Qr. thing of the.fame rank with om· felves by.; and yet we
terna/J aopearances-· et it' ft een mt c1e ex- know- certainly. that it is, as.finding fro1ri an inward
J
that muft infi:ruct u; all th;:M bft fa.mething within
then bell: underftand tl1em ·h y er1es, and-we iliall
fenfe ·of it within our felves that both we and other
things elfe befide our felves partake of it, and that we
pie which we find of them, ~t ,_ :n we cfcoltnpare that co- have it~ t,M10e~,v-and not xa,7' ~a-l~· neither doewe-
.h wz nm our eves w'th th
wble we fee witbotttus Th S h 1 , 1 at or any Finite thing contain 'the fource ofit within our
,. d • e c oo men have 11 felves: and becaufe we have a diftind: Notion of the
-..on:_pare Senfible and Intelligible Beings in fi we
to Cue Deity, when the tell us th h re erence moJI Perfell Mind and Underft anding, we own our defi~
reprefent ~·//. · · .Y h at t e one doe onely ciency therein. And as that Idea of Unde,rjlanding-
ili 11 h (_J,,,zgta Det , t e other F aciem Dei W
n:ic; i:r~%:te;e enquire what t_hat Knowledge ,pf:
which we have within us points not out tcr us This
or That Particular, but fomething which is neither
Underftandings wilf 1~:d~~r:~~~ IV!th our own 11lked This nor That, but Totall, Underfta11ding ~- fo neither
will any elevation of it ferve every way to.-'fit and an-
fwer that Idea. And therefore when we find that-we
cannot attain to Science but by a Difcurfive deduction
CHAP. II. of one thing from another,. that our knowledge is con-
fined, and is not fully adequate and commenfurate to
How the Contemplation of our ow ·l . the largeft Spheare of Being, it not running quite
flexion upon the . n S01' s, and 4 nght Re• throng.ti it nor filling the· whole amt, of it ; or that our
the knowledge'{ 1 1
O
e;,t:'°;~
t~ert,. may lead H4 into
ence, z. Gods o:»ni ot zvme ntty and Omnifci-
knowledge is Chronical and fuceefive, and cannot grafp
all things at once,but, works by intervals, ~nd runs out
1tnd Goodne~ G J,ence.,-. · 3- The Divine Love into Divifion· and M1iltip_licity ~ we know all this is
fe nce '.,_ 4· · f s Eterntty, · 5• Hu Omninre- from. ,~ant_ of :R.eafo.n ·aru:l Underfl:anding- ,. and' that~
' 6, Tne Dtvme Freedo111e and Lihertj. r
P,m 4ml Simple. Mind 11,ndintdJe[f is free·from all thefe
reftraints, and imperfe8ions ,. and theruf0re can be no
. of
JT being our deftgn t d'fi
that knowledge of ~he1
_1mn:ediately from our [elves, :e
nor?11a~l ~bfie
fc .•
e hore .particularly
may_ learn
_ lefs_thenlnfi11itt. Asthisidea which wehav€ of it.in
,our -own SoultS-.wiJlt n©t_. fnffer us t~ reft in:. any. c<Dnce•·
I. · Firft, There is notbino wb b erve, · ptiontheteo£wnich,veptefents• it l~ftS then-Infon-ite :. fo·
i;,
better known to us then tb e~ Y ou~ own Soukare neitiher will it fuffer mao;coitceive · of it: any otherwife
tions of .R.eafon: but when e ropemes and Opera- then as on-e Simple Being-.-: and,Muld we multiply Un-
Idete.of P11re and Perl'elf Reale reflked upon our own
1'
derftandings· ·into·· never fo·vaft a number, y,et fhoula
· 'Jon, we now tl1at our own ~e &e:.again e<oo.le&ing and Jtnitting1them ·lip together,
Souls in
u8 Of the ExJflenee
in Come UniV'erfal one. .So tbat if we rightly relled:
upon our own Minds and Jhe Method of theit Energies,
we !hall find ·them to be fo framed, as· not. to admit of'
any other then ~m .Inf!nite Jource of aU rthat ,Re4fo11,
-,md Underftandmg .which ,themfeives par.take of, :iu
which they live, move· and have .their Beino-. And
therefore in theold.Metaphyfical Theology, fn o·rigi-·
nall and Uncreated Mov~ or Unity is made the Foun-
tain of all Particularities and Numbers which have
their Exift:en~e-from the Ef~fox of ~ts Almighty- power..
.2. · -And:thac 1s the next thmg which- our own Under-
fi:andings will inftruet us in concerning God; viz. His
!,terna/l .Pomer, ·. For ~s we find a Will and Power with-
in our felves-to execute the Refults of ?Ur ,own Reafan
and :f11,dgment~ fo far as we are not hmdred by fome
more potent Caufe : fo indeed we know it mu.0: be a
mighty inward firengrh and force that muft enable.our
U!lderfl:andings to .their proper functions,· and -that
Life, Energy and Activi~y can· never be feparated from
a,J?o~~r ofUndedl:andmg. _The more #nbodied any
thmg 1s, the more -unhoun~ed alfo is it in its Ejfellive
power : .Body a~d Matter bemg the moft fluggifu, inert
and unw1eldy.chmg:that may be, having no powerfrom
it felf nor over it felf: and therefore the Pur~fl'Mind
mufr al._fo .needs be :the moft -:4 lmighty L1fe and Spiri,t ;·
and as 1~ G~mprehe_nds all thmgs and fums-thein up to-.
gether m its fafimte knowledge, fo it muft alfo com-
prehend them all in its own lifoand p·o\ver. Befides.,
when we-review our own ·Immortal-.Souls,and,their,
depen~ency-~pon fome Almighty:Mind~·Nie know: that
we neLther did nor could ·pwduce our felves ;' and.,vith-
aU know that all that Power which lies within the com-
pafs of our felves, will fer_ve _for 11:0 other purpofe then
.to apply feverall prreex1fienti .th~ngs one to '1!)0tlier~
r from
and 1-{ature o/'Goa.
.from whence all Generations and Mutati~tti arife; wblch
.are nothing elfe but ·the- Events of different a_pplicati-
-ons ~md complications of Bodies that wer.e exiftent be-
fore: and therefore-thatwhich produced.that Subftan-
-tiall Life and Mind by which we know,our felves,:mu.ft
.be fomething ·mttch more Mighty then we are; and cari
.be 110 lefs indeed then omnipotent, and muft alfo be the.
Firft architect and d'nfM~.P?Ps of all other Beings, and the
-perpetuall Supporter -ofthem. . . · . ·. .
We may alfo know frorrtthe fame Principles, That
an Almighty Lo<Ve, every way commenfurate ·to that
mofl: Perfect :Being, eternally refts in it, :which is as
:!hong as that is Infinite, and as full of Life and Vigour
-as that is of Perfection. And becaufe it finds no Beal!•
ty nor Loveli,;iefs but onely in that and the iffu_es there-
of, therefore it never does nor ca~ fa~en up~n any
thing elfe. And therefore the D1v1mty alwa1es en-
joies it felf and its own Infinite perfefrions, feeing it is
that Eternal! and ftable Sun of goodnefs · that neithfr
rifes nor fets, is neither eclipfed nor can receive any
encreafe of light and-beauty.: Hence the Divine Love
is never. attended with thofe ,turbulent paffions, p&·
turbations, or wreil:lings within it felf;. of Fear, Dejire,,
Grief, Anger, o~ any fuch like, whereby ·01.r Love is
wont to explicate and .unfold its affedion towards its
Objecl:. But as the Divine Love.· is perpetually moft
infinitely ardent pnd pot~nt, fo it is al".Vaies calm and
ferene,unchangeaole, liavmg ~o fuch ebbmgs and·fl?w·
ings, no fuch diverfity of ftauons and retrogradat1ons
as that Love· hath· in us which arifeth from theweak-
ne[s ·oforir Underftandingi,, that doe not pr-efenuhings
to us alwaies in the fame Orient luftre and .beauty:
neither we nor any other mundane thing( ail which
are in a perpetual flux)- are alwaies the fame. Befides,
- S . though
1 3o Of t1,e B~iflence _ tind J){atu,·e ofGod.
though our Love may fometimes tranrport us and vio-
lently rend us from our felves and from all Self-enjoy..
!11e~t, yet the more forcible it is, by fo much the more
1t ~1~l be apt .to torment us, while it cannot centre it
fel~ m that which .. it fo ftrongly endeavours to atcraet
to 1t_; and whe~ 1t poffeffech moft, yet is it alwaies
. hu~1gry and ~rav~ng,, as Pl~ti'!,,u ~ath well exprefs, d it,
~«.v~1e ~».f'dJ '!:J _'1l'tl.,V'TTJ1s C'Kf~, u: may alwaies be fil-
4 his feveral Stages to .pafs. by. And the-refore where
lmg 1t ~e1f,. but, hke a leaking veffel, it will be alwaies
emptying it felf again. Whereas the Infinite ardour
of ~he Divine Lov_e. arifin& from the unbounded per-
fechon of the D1vme ,Bemg , alwaies refts fatisfied
within it,felf, and fo. may rather be defin'd bya ~cm
then a atvnoi.~, ~nd 1s_ wrapt up and refts in the fame
Central~ Umcy m "Ylnch it firft begins. And there-
fore I think fome men of later times. have much mif-
taken .the nature 0f the Divine Love, in imagining that
Love 1s to pe attribured to God , as.all other Paffions
are, rather fecundr'tm ejfecl1m7: then ajfeclum : whereas
~.;John, wlio was well acquainted with this noble Spi-
nt of Love, when he defi~' d God by it, and calls him
Lov E., 11:1eant not_ to fign~fie a bare nothing known by
fome Effects, ·but th.at which was infinitely fuch as it
feems to be. And we might well fpare our labour
~vhen we fo in~ufrrioufly endeavour to find fomethirtg
m God t.hat m1gh! produce the Effe&s of fome other
-Paffions mus, which look rather like the Brats.of Hell
and Dar knefs then the lovely offspring of Heaven.-.
4. When we reflect_ up~n all t~is which fignifies fome
P:r(t.a Ef[ence, as a Mind, Wifdo.m;,e, U-nde~foanding,
qmnrpof ency, Good_,zef, and· the like , we can find no
iu_ch thmg a.s Time_ or Pface_, or any Corporiall 01~ Fi-
mte profert~n w.h1ch anfe mdeed not ex plenitudine.
_but ex mopt:t. entlfatis; we may alfo know God tb b;
· Eterna/t
1 31
Eternal[ and omnipref~nt, not becaufe he fills either
Place or Time, but rather becaufe he wanteth neither.
That which firft begets the Notion of 'Time in us is
nothing dfe but that ~ucceffion and Multiplicity which
we find in our own Though ts , which move from onfJ
thing to another,as the Sun in the Firmament is faid to
walk from one Planetary houfe to another, and to have
there is no fuch Yicifitude or Y'ariety.,' as there can be
no fenfe of 'Time, fo there can be nothing of the thing.
Proclm bath wittily obferv' d that Saturne , or (as the
Greeks call' d him ) Ke,Jv@., was the firfl: of the.n'.nol
~'{g<TfMO' or Muncfane Gods, ·om 8?Tii ~,eoi~, C1(.Ei tfuf0>1-
~vrcu xeJv@,, becanfe Time is neceffarily prefuppos' d
to all Generation, which proceeds by certain motions
and intervalls. This World is indeed a great Horologe
to it felf, and is continually n_umbring out its own age;
but it cannot lay any fore hold upon its own pafl: revo-
lutions, nor can it gather up its infancy and old age,
and couple them up together. Whereas a~ In.finitely-
comprehenfive Mind hath a Simreltaneous po(feftion of its
own. never-flitting life; and becaufe- it fin~ no S"ccef-
fion in its own immtttable Underftanding, therefore it
cannot find any thing to meafure·out its own duration.
And as 'Time lies in the Bafls of all Finite life, whereby
it is enabled by degrees to difplay all the virtue of its
own Effence, which it cannot doe at once: fo fuch an
Eternity lies at the foundation of the Divinity, where-
by it becomes one witho11,t any Jbadow of tttrning, as
S. 'fames fpeaks, without any Variety or M11ltiplicity
within himfelf, which all created Beings that are car..;
ried down in the current of Time partake of. And
·*erefore the Platonifts were wont to attribute AirJ,
or Eternity to God, not fo much becaufe he had nei-
S z ther

l,, 2 Of the Exiftence
ther beginriing ~or end of daies, but becaute of his Im:.
mu~able ~nd Umfor~ nature, which admits ·of no
vanety. of Concep~10ns as a.ll Temporar.y things ·doe:
An~ 7:rme ~hey atmbured to all created Beings, becaufe
the~ e is a ~e,n; or conftant generation both of and in
their eifence, by reafon whereof we may caU any of
~hem~ a~ Proclus cells us, by that borrowed expr.effion,.
~vim '!3 vscw old and.nen:, being every moment as it wer~
l~-produced, and a<ftmgfomething which it did not in ...
d~v~duJlly before. Though otherwife they- fuppofed:
7hu 7:"orld,. co~antly depending upon the Creatour's
Oh.m~1p0tency,m1ghc fr:om,all _Eternity flow forth from
t ~ fame Power ~hat.fl:111 fuframs it; an_d which was ne-
ver l~f.s pot:nt. to- up~old it, then now. it. is: notwith-
fia!1dmg thu pJCce _of It ~hich is viftble t:o us, or at lea,ft
thu-Scheme ~r fajhton of,~, they. acknowledged to have
been but of a late date~. •
5'- • Now thus as ,ve-conceiveofGod's Eternit. we ma, .
m a-c-0r.refp0ndent manner apprehend his omlipre(encY
not fo-much by an ~n~nite Expanfe or Extenfion o£
Effence? a~ by-an u~hm1ted power, as Plotimu hath fitly.
exprefs d, It, >\?i.n,;feov S ~ /l,7r(;lc." J/'. cw1o'··, __ r , r. ~ ·,
,, ·"' .., , "-"' ,,.11 'Tl'fl ~o·tgC;,l'1)1!TC,:1>
n ~-J,<lerll5 .,,~ a.h~eµ.fi, d»..a' ~d,~Atm/(IJ,f JiWJc/,-
JAf'r,J~.. or .as,not mg can ever {hay out of the b
or get· out of the reach of an Almighty Min~u:nd
Power_; fo when we barely think of Mind or Power or
any thmg elfe moft peculiar to ~1e Divine Etfence;'we
f
cinnoA nd any. orthe: Prope1:t1es 0£ ~antify,mixinQ'
t 1em eves w1tb·rt-: and as we cannot confine it in r ~
gard thereof to any one ·point.of the Univerfe fo ne11
ther can we well conceive it extended .thro~gh the
whole, or excluded. from any part of if . It . I .
fome M.4 t · t B · b • - 1s a wa1es
· . ma· emg t at contends -for space: Bodil
P.~rts will not lodge together' and the more bulky the~
and 1\[attJre ifGod.
. l JJ
.
3.re, the more they ja ftle for room one· with another-; ·
as Plotintu- telln1s, rm ,l C1fl'lt(,V~ p,e'jl,11..«. Ci/ O'J'Xffl,
fucb ~ S·CKE< &, JIWJd.fLq, Bodily Beings are great onely in.
bulk., but-Divine E.ffences in virtue and power.
We may in the next place conficfor that Free dome 6~ •
and Liberty which we find in our·own Sou'ls, ,which is
founded in our Rea[on and· Und'erflanding_; · and ~his is·
therefore-Infinite in God, becaufe- the1:e is :nothing that
can•,bound the Firft Mind·, or difobey an; Almigl,ty ·
power. We muft not ~onceive God_ to ·be the fte~{t
Agent, becaufe he can doe and prefcnhe whadie plea.:.
feth,. anMofet·up anAbfolute:will which fhaU·make
both Law·and Reafon; as fome•imagine~ For as God·
cannot know·himfelf to .be any other then·,what indeed
he i:; ; · fo neither can he will himfelf to be any thing -erre
then what he is , or that any thing elfe iliould fwetve
from thofe Laws, whiah his own Eternall Natur·e and
Unc.lerftanding· prefcrilies •to it.: For this were to make
Go,;. free to dethrone himfelf, a11d· fee up· a Liberty·
within-, him ,that fuould contend with the toyall prero-
gative of his own boundlefs Wifdome. .
'f o be iliort ;,; When ;we converfe with our owri
Souls,' we find the sp~ing_ of all Liberty to be· n01:hing
elfe but Reafon;and therefore no Unrea{onahle creature
d.
can partake of it: and that it is not-fa much any In- ·
dHferency in our Wills of·determiningwithour, much
· lets againff, R.eafon, as the liberall Blea-ion of,and Com- ·
placency-in;· that which our Underftandings propoutrd ·
to us as mo.ft expedient:. And our Liberty moft·a1!Pears, •
when.our Will moft, of all ·congratulates the relults of,
our own Judgments; ant\ ·then -fl1ews it felf moil: _ vi.:._,
gorous, when either the Parti"cularnej. of that Good•
which the Underftanding converfeth with,.or the \-Yeak ·
knowledge that it hath of it, reftrains it not.· Then· is ,
S 3· it:
are,.
 Ofthe E,ciflence
ir moil: pregnant and £lows forth in the fullell: ft:ream,·
when its Objett is moft full, and the acquaintance
with it moll: ample : all Liberty in the Soul being a
kind of Liberality in the beftowing of our affecl:ions,
and ·the want or fcarce meafure of it Parfimoniotfneft
and Niggardife. And therefore the more. the Refults
of our Judgments tend to an Indijferency, the more we
find our ,Wills dtebiorM and in fuf}enfe what to chufe ;
contrary inclinations arifing and falling within enter--
.changeably, as the Scales of a Ballance equally laden
with weights; :md all t~is while the Soul's,Liherty is
nothing elfe but a F lultuation between uncertainties,
and languifheth away in the impotency of our Under-:-
·ftandings. Whereas the Divine Underllanding behol-
ding all things mo.ft clearly , mull: needs beget the
greateft Freedome that may be; which Freedome as it
is bred in it, fo it never moves without the Compafs
ofit. And though the Divine Will be not determin'd
alway to thi~ or ·that particular, yet it is :never bereft of
-Eternall Light and Truth to att by: and therefore
though we cannot fee a Reafon for all Gods actions,yet
we may know they were neither done againft it nor.
without it. .
CHAP.. III.
How the. c~nflderation of tbofe refllef motions of our
· Wills after fome Supreme _and Infinite Goed, leads m·
into the knowledge of a Detty.-
it.
,/
VE fuall once more take a view ~four own
Souls, and obferve how the Mot10ns -ther~of
lead us into the knowledge of a Deity. . We alwa1es
.find a reftlej appetite within our felve~ wh1chcrav~s for
fome Supreme and chiefgood, and will not b_e fausfied
with any thing lefs then In#nity it felf ;·. ~s 1f our ow_~·
Penury_ and Indigen~y were commen_Curate -to the D1:
vine fulnej: and therefore no Qy~{hon has been m?r~
canvas'd by all.Philofophy then this, De f~mmoho~t'!t&
hono, and all the Secl:s thereof were ant1en~l~ d1ftm~.
· o ·{l 'd by thofe Opinio.as that they entertain d De fi-
~~~ Boni & Mali, as Tully phrafeth it. But of how.
weak and dilute a Nature foever fome of them may.
have conceived that SummM» Bom,rf!, yet th~y could
not fo fatisfie their own inflamed thtrft after _it.. We
find by Experience that our Souls cannot hy~ up_oh
that thin and fpare diet which they are entert_am d w~th
at their own home; neither can they_ be fa_ttated wit
thofe jejune and infipid mor~els w.hich this O~twarhd
. world furnifueth their Table with. I can~ot thmk t e
inoftvoluptuous Epicierean could ever fausfie t~ehc a-.
vings of Iiis Soul with Corporeal pleafu_r_e, thoug ie 1
mi ht endeavour to perfwade ~imfelf_ c_here wa,s, n~
be~er: nor the moft Qginteffent1~l Stotcks find an-ct1?
, and- d.'fflla"l::./a, a Self-fuffic1ency and Tranqu_i1"
a._p¥,f'"' . ~~ · l1ty.
_,» 36 .Of the ~'Jliflence
lity within their own Souls,arifi~g out of the pregnan..-
cy of their own Mind and Reafon; though their fallen
thoughts would not fuffer them to be beholden ~to an
Higher Being for their Happinefs. The more we en-
deavour to extraet an A11,tarchy out of our own Souls,
the. more we torment them, and force them to feel ami
fenfate their .own pinching poverty. Ever fince om·
Minds beeame fo dim-lighted as notto pierce into that
Original and Primitive Bleffednefs which is above, our
Wills are too big for our Underftandings, and will be-
lieve their beloved prey is to be found where Reafon
difcovers it not·:_ -they will purfue it through all the vaft
Wi1dernefs of ·this World, and -for<:e oar Under,ftan-
dings --to follow the chafe with them : nor may we
think to tame this violent appetite or allay the heat of
it, except we can look upwara to fome Eternal and Al-
mighty goodnefs which is alone able to mafter it. ··
It is not the nimblenef and agility of our own Reafon
which ftirs ur-thefe h,mgry affetlions within us, ( for .
1:henthe-moft ignorant fort of men would never feel
the fting thereof) but indeed fome more Potent natt6Yt
which hath planted a-rep le/ motion within us that might
more forcibly carry us out to it felf; and therefore it-
wiJ.1 never fuffer it felf to be controll'd by any of our
thin Speculations,or facisfied with thofe aierie delights
that our Fancies may offer to it: it doth not,it cannot.•
-reftitfelf any where but upon the Centre of fome Al~•
mighty good, fome folid and fobftantial Happinefs ;,
like the hungry childe that will not be frill' d by all the
mothets mufick, or change its fower and angry looks
for her finiiing countenance ; nothing will fatisfie it
but the full breafts.
The whole work of this World is nothing but a
perpetuall cantention for True Happinef, and men are
fcatter'd
,md 'J!{.attwe ofGod. ·I 37
fratter' d up and down the world; moving to and fro
therein, to feek it. Our Souls by a Naturall Science
as it were feeling their own Originill, are perpetually
travailing with new defigns and contrivances whereby
they may purchafe the [cope of their high ambitions.
Happinef is that Pearl of price ~hich all adv~nture for,
though few find it. It .is not Gold or Silver that the
Earthlinos of this world feek after, but fome fatisfying
good wltlch they think is there treafu_r'_d up. Neither
ii it a little empty breath th1_t Ambmon ~nd Popul~~
rity foars after, but fo~e ~m~ of Happmef diat 1t
thinks to catch and fuck m with 1r.
And thus indeed when men moil: of all ftie from God,
they ftill Jeck after him. ~icked men pu~fue indeed
after a Deity in their worldly lufts; wherein yet they
mofi: blafpheme; for God is not a meer empty Name or
Title, but that Self-fufficient good which brings along
that Reft_ and Pettce with it which they fo much feek
after , ~though they doe mofi: prodigio~fi y conjoy~ it
with fomething which it is not, nor can 1t be, and m a
true and reall ftrain of blafphemy, attribute all that
which God is to fomething elfe which is moft unlike
him and as S. Paul fpeaks of thofe infatuated Gen- Rom, 1.
tile; trtr~ the glory of the uncormptible God ipto the
image of corruptible man, of birds and fo11,r•fo9ted beajls
and creeping things.
God is not better defin' d to us by our Unde~flan-
dings then by our Wills and Ajfeclions : He is not onely
the Eternal Reafon, that Almighty ~ind and Wifdome
which our Underftandings converfe with; ~ut he 1s a~fo
that unflained Bea11,ty ~nd su_preme Good which our Wt/ls
are perpetually catchmg after : and wherefoever we
find trtee Beauty, Love and Goodnef, we may fay, H~re
or there is God. And as we cannot undedl:and any thing
T of
p!'!l:S:T
1 3S Of tbe Bxiftence
of an lmeUigible· nature, but by fome primitive Idea
\\"e have of God, whereby we are able to guefs· ad:he
elevacion of its Being and the pitch of its Perfection :r
fo neithe1: doe our Wills embrace any :thing without
fome l,zt.ent fenfe of Him, whereby they can taft and
difcern how near any thing comes to that Self-fuffi~.
cient good they feek after : and indeed without fuch
an internal fen fating Faculty as this is we·fuould never
know when.our Souls are inconjuncl:ion with the Dei:...
ty, or be able· to rdiili the ineffable fweetnefs 0£ true
Happinefse Though here below we know but little
what this is, becaufe we are little acquainted with frui-
tion and enjoyment; we know well what belon~s to
longings-and languiflm1ent, but we know not fowell
what belongs to plenty and fulnefs ; we are well ac-
quainted with the griefs and fickneffes of this-in-bred
lc:>ve, but we know not what its health and complaceri,..
a~ue . tal Idolatry be like that grofs and external m this alfo,
To conclude this particular , ~&ylAcv; ~;d ,uvnui~ ,i
4u%~, the Soul hath £hong and weighty m0tions, ~md
nothing elfe can- bear it up but fomething permanent •
and.immutableo. Nothing can beget a confrant. fere-
nity and comp0fedne[s within, bntfomething Supreme
ro its own Effenc.:e ; as if having once departed from
the primitive Fountain ofits life, it were deprived of
it felf, perpetually contefi:ing within.it felf-and · divi~
dtd againft it felf: and all this evidently pr_oves to our
inward fenfe and. feeling, Tha<t- there is foine Higher
Good ~hen our [elves, fomething. that is much more
amiable and deftrable,. and therefore-mufl:-be lovecLand
·preferred before our !elves, as Plotinm hath excel-
lently ob[erv'd ·, ,i]f,J o;Jwv e;<,a.~v ~cp,i,4Jov. ~ · ~;1'9·.·
~a11.Ela-, O?!~WO _p§,M.ov ~ o~JI 11), &c. Every_· thing tha;
de.fires the en1oyment of the Firft good,. ,vonld rather be
I That
!.
,ml 1x_ature a/ God.
That then what it;;, becaufe indeed ihe nature of that II
much more tle{irdble then its own. And therefore the
Platonif!s, when they contemplate the Deity under
thefe three notions of~ ~v, ~ 011 and~ ~'Y'--rSov, and que••
ftion which to place firft in orde_r of underftanding, re-
folve the }'reeminence to be due_ to the cS ci'Y'--,,%v, as
Simplicim tells us., becaufe That 1s firft known to us
as the Architect of the world, and, we may adde, as
that which begets in us this ;&itoJv J?m~~, thefe {l:rong
paffionate defires whereby all forts of men ( even thofe
that are rude and illiterate) are firft known to them-
felves, and by that knowledg~ may know what dimi-
nutive, poor and helplefs,.thmgs themfelves are, who
can never fatiate themfelves from themfelves,and what
an Excellent and Soveraign goodnefs there is above
them which they ought to ferve, and cannot but ferve
it, or fome filthy idol in ftead of it ; thoug~1 thi? men-
that howfoever·we attend it not (.and fo are neyer the
more blamelefs ) yet our worfui p of the[e i11;1ages and
pifrures of Goodnefs refts not there, 1t bemg fome
all-fufficient Good that ( as we obferved before) calls
forth and commands our adorations,
1 40 1Julucliom and Inferences from-the
CHAP.-IV.
Dedu8ions and _ln(erenccs from the Confideration ofthe
'Di'llme J\lature and Attributes.
1. That all Divine producrions are the free EfHuxes ,of
Omnipotent Love and Goodnefs. The true Notion
of God's glory what it u. Men very apt to miflake
in thu point. God needs not the Happinefs or Mifery
of hu Creatures to make himfelf glorious hy. God
does mofl gl~rifie him/elf by comm,micating_ himfelf:
we mo.ft glonfie God whe» rve mofl,partake of him, and
refemble him mo.ft.
VVEftanding
have feen how we may rife up to the under..
of the Deity by the contemplation of
our own ~otils: and n?w it may feem ,vorthy- of the
heft attention of our Mmds to confider fome Ded11tfi-
ons and Inferences which naturally flow from· the trne
knowledge ()f the Divine Nattm _and AttrihttteJ. . .
And the Firft is this, That all Divine prodrtlfions or
operations that terminate in fomething 11,ithout Him llre
nothing el(e hut the free fffl11xes of hu own Omnip~t-ent
Love llnd Goodnef, wh1ch alw~ues moves along with
them, and never willingly departs .from them. When
God made ~he world, it w:is not out of a piece of Self-
Jnterejl, as 1f he_ had had any defign to .advance himfelf,
or to enlarge hrs own frock of glory and happinefs; for
what Beauty or Perfeetion can be in this whole Crea-
tion which was not before contained in himfelf as the
free Fountain of all ,: or what could he fee out of him-
felf
Confideration oftfJt 'Di"Vine J_\{ature anJ Attrfhutu. 141r
feH that"could adde any_ thi~g to his·own ftature,which
he· found not already m hunfelf,: ~e made not the
W orld-vo~ct,; ~ve,uv, 1vct. rnµ.9~.tr;1e}s in rJv;rw'"lro)v_~
A,) I "• I\
'];'( (
~s
I .... ~ -~
i3-EwV a,'M,(JJV ~ d°'W.f.9VWV 'JGCCf'71TJl'1l, ~.!) 'GJ'(:.9<ro,.rOV "11Vct. 0vw 'T"
rj,/Jea'e(JJ~ ipvo~~, It. w.u not for any need, or that he
might gain Jome honour to himfelffrom 1,,fe~, Ar~hansels
8 , Angels, tU the Tribute or Ren~ t~ b~ pa z~ to_hzm Jromf
hu creation, as Clemens Alexanan~114_ o61er:ves out o strom,1,
Plato• ..,Though I know·!lot how 1t:c_omes about that
fome bring in God as 1t were ca{bng abo~t ho~ he
mioht ereet a new Monopoly of glory to h1mfelf, and
fo ~o ferve this purpofe made the . W ':'rl~, that he
might have a frock of glory here go1~g ~~- ~c. And I
doubt we are wont fomet1mes .. to pamt h~m forth too
much in the likenefs of corrupt and,1mpotent men,th~t
by a fond ambition pleafe themfel_ves and feed their
lufifull phanfies with their own pra1fes cha~ted out to
them by their admirers, a~d an?ther while ~s much
fport tqemfelves and ~pplaud their o~n Greatn~~s, to
hear what hideous cries the Seventy o~ their ow11:
Power can extort from thofe they have a mmd to make
miferable. ·, , · . .
We all [peak much ofr~e Gloty of God, and ent_ertam
a comrri'on belief that thaes the·onely ·End for ,y~1c_h we
were all made : and I wiih w~ were all ~nore ·mwa~dly_
moved:with a true and· lively fenfe of it. There can
be no~pi11g_ elfe 'that eith~~-~od· c~mld P,r?pound;-ro
hirnfelG or _ that we ~ught, 1f1~ be pght1_¥;~ nd e_~ftood:
Bu\: we muft net_t_hink t~at ~od ,_,who~tSJ1~fintte ftd :
\ -~· · ··ouldlfeek .for· an'l'i"thtng-w1thout ·hhn~el_f..ihe.
ne;-, w 'Y-,R M;f,-.
needs neith~r our Happif!e;l: nor: ?u.r 11et~·
himfelfmoreilluftrious by ~·but being failmh~mfelf~
, ake
m . w_
_
-
it was_·'his -~ood _ple~~~~~ -~ 0 con~mu~icat~, C?: _h~~~~-~-:*Lib. 4 • in Ti~
fulnefs : for,· ;as_* Procl#5 hath well obfettr d ,. ~ ,,f ma!um.
T 3 Ec,rd .

_JI 42 . VeJuaiom anil I,fmnm from t~e
~&> /3)t.lt11 JJ~s Jr, &c. Horv 'c'an he loo/!: without himfe!f,
-being he ii a p,m Mind alrvaies encompaf'd with its own
glorious br.ightncf-? _Brit the goad.pleafrm ofbu Will be•
ing jill'd. with hormty, ,and the power of a mo fl.gracious.
Deity proceeding from it; liberally diJPenfed themfelves,
and diflrih.uted thofe gifts of grace that might make all
created Being" the more to refemhle that Arch~typaU Idea
of themfelves. · Accoi·drngly Tim~us Lofrtl4 rep.re[e11ts
.theCreacour of the World in the .fame :ftrain that Mo~
(es did, ws· d~,o,4;~-~ .wq>e9-i ~15, delighted as it
1
·were in hinifelf to fee that Jll things chat h~ had made
· were good:i and fome things exceeding good. God
himfelf being infini~ely full,and having- ~Qough and to
fpare, is alwaies overflowing; and.GfJ.odnej and-Love
iffue forth from him by way- of redundancy. When
he made the World, becaufe there was nothing better
then himfelf, he f11adowed forth himfelf therein, and,
as far as might be, was pleafed to reprefent him(elf and
manifeft his· 6Wn eternall. glory· and perfection _in it.
When he is faid tofeek his own glory, itis indeed no-
thing elfe but -to ray and beam forth, as i_t were, his
own luftre; as R,1,ehteda in his Book Cofri hath glanc'd
. at it, ,~iN::i, ,.ov '-?~N. \-nm.Jn ~n~N .,,N r,i,J ,,:i:m
Gloria h£c fcintiUa eJl l,eci! divin~, cedetis in tttilitatem
populi ejm in terra efm.. · . . i4,Jruv ')f i~w
· God does then moftglorifie and exalt himfelfin the
moft triu!}1phant way that may be ad extra or out of
himfelf, if I may fo phrafe it, when he moft of all com-
municates himfelf, and when he erects fuch Monu-
ments of his own Majefry wherein his own Lpve and
Guodnef may live and reign.
And we then moft of allglorifie him, when we par-
take moft of him, when our ferious endeavours of a.
true affimifation to him and conformity to his Image
declare
Onfidetatiem of the Dilline 'JV..ature and Atb·ihutes-. ·•4l
dtdare that we: think nothing Better then He i5:,. an~
are·therefore mofr ambitious of being one with lum by
an Univerfall Refignatio_n-of our felv~s _u~w him ....
This is his· Glory in its loweft Hutmkmon_, wh~le?t
beams forth out of himfelf ; and our Happmef!;_ 1~ its
Exaltation which Heaven never feparates nor d1v1des
thoucrh E;rth doth.. His Honpur is'. His Love and
Goodnefs in paraphr_afe,_-fprea<.iing _kfelf ov~r all tl,iofe
that can, or doe receive 1t ; and dus he 1~:>ves art~
che-
ri{hes wherefoever he finds it, as fomethmg_ of h11nfelf
therein. I b.
Thus I fuould leave this particular, bur t 1at emg
oone fo far in it, it may be worth the while to take ~o~
~ice of Three things wherein God mo~ of all glqnes
and takes the greateft complacency, m refer~nce _co
Creatures, as they ar~ laid ~~~~n by ;ro~!m /+m T,tm:,
I. Eucp_pruvna, 'fl. 'W~'TWS ~ T e~J'-ov~ea.u1VJ 11~'1"111' a.m,
'9 ,l, ,ep,'7Ifid'1c,Cf,'9·d!J-e}cp -~~-o~~ '7It(,11·c5·vonl·ov,~~a.p,-
1
bew~il The Fir/t~and chtefeft, zuo.ncrerrent ,rnth h_-u own
iifter~~!l vifion of all things·in that_ftmfle, e~p~d~re ~n~
flm,tltaneom comprehenft_on ofa!l.thmgs_ tn~e!ltgtble, pte~-
cing through' all their e.ffences;_ and vte7!'1ng them_ all m.
himfelf, he is deligh~ed_ there_zn,, tU feeing· how. his own
Glory can diJPlay ttnd zmztttte tt [elf;~ outwardc_Matter•
2·. · The fecond is cf&' ;'f· ~,rnJ'~o,rntffii' ~ ~J'exo-
'li>f'Oi·oJee t:U.m1'· ~.,. d')'<,X~ X~.f_'1'J'!M, in the,
aptnef and capa~ity ,fthofe thmgs whtch hr: hath made_
to m.eivc a f11rther ·znfitlence of good rea1Y. to Jlre/?11.
forth from himfelf into·f~ei~. _J~ ~he· lafr _1s, C11 '.1"~ _fl:, 1
d p.,<po·,v avf£f»e'l'f'Cf,. ~ wo:-i,ra aup;f'/tJJOlCf ~- auf-A:~wvr (f,. t~, _
the (weet _{ymmet~y of hu_ own form~, Wfth·thrs capactty,_
and -a-s it were the harmonious conf]matzon and fymph~ny
uf them, when hu own lig~t pleafantly plaie~ up,m-thq{e: .
wdldtened inftrttments whrch- he hat-h fitted· lo rr~n_ the .
deRants ·
 1)f°ductiom and In{erencei from thi
defc~nts ()f his own Goodnef ttpon. And therefore it
bec_omes u~ ~hom he hath endued with vitall power of
n~wn, anct m fome fenfe a Self moving life, to ftir up
h~s good gifts within our felves ·; and, ifwe would have
h1m cake pleafure in us, .to prepare our own Souls
more and more to receive of his Liberality, '11 a, plll
dn,~ BS ~p.#s ~ 'T8 ~ea J"om~, that that frock which he is
pklfe4 to impart to us may not lie dead within us.
And_ this is the Application which he ri1akes ·of this
Pamcular.-, - · . ,. · •. · Almighty and Sup~eme power: fo neither ~an it re-
CHAP. V,; _
;_
A fecond DeduEfa~;
z. Tha~ all thin_gs are fupported ~n.d goyern~d by an
Alm1g~ty _W1fdome an~ Goo~n.efs~ 4n _.;tnfiver to
j •
an ob1ell1on made agamft the_ ·Divin,e, Providence
from an rtnequall di.ftribtttion of thintz;s here below.·.
Srtch qttarnlling with Providence drifath from a P£-.
dantica!L and Carnall notion of Good and Evil.
JNon·gather,
the next place we 1nay by \vay offurther Ded11tli-
That that Almighty Wifdome and Goodnej
which -firft made aU things, doth alfo perpettMlly conferve
and govern. them ; der~ving themfelves through the
wh6le Fabnck, and featmg themfelves in every Finite
ff. n
E ue II \ I ~ -n~e~s
ce, ,,,,~ ./Ml <pu?J>v~ o".t' ..,~ aov / a,,m_,G1a,
>I "1 I
~vn,,,(as
t!ie fame Pmlofophe~· e_xpreffeth 1t) left ftragling & fal-
lt!lg off from the J?eiry, they_~ould be(:ome altogether
d1forderly, relaphng and fhdmg back into their firft
Chaos.. As· in all Motion there mtJft be fome Fi~ff Mo•
Co11fideratio1i oftl;e Vivim 1.'{ature and .dttrihrdes: :145
ver from whence the begi.nning and perpetuation pf all -
Mdtion is deduced: fo in Beings there rnufi. be fome
Firft. E/[ence upon which all other 1rtuft c~:m{hntly de-
pend. · And therefore the Pyth~gow1;1- ph1lofophy was
1
wont to look upo~1 thefe V!ict: J'»[»-Hprr1{{9-fffll, as th~y_call
1 this production of every tht~g t~1at lS _not tru_ly d1vm~,
J; dei b ,fyAvt[, as being a~wa1es-m fim. For as 1\0 F_i-
iJite chino can fubfift by its own ftrength·, or tl!{e its·
pbce upgn the ftage @f Space without ~he leave 9f an
main here without licence ;md aiifrance from 1c. The
Deity indeed i~ th~ Centre 0£ ~11 finite Being,-and En-
tity it (elf, which 1s self fitfjicient, mu.fr ofoeceffity be
the Found:ition and Bafis of every one of there weak
E.flences,which cannot bear up them~elves by any Cen-
trn11 power of their own; a~ we may alfo be almoft af-
fured of from a fenfible feelmg of all the conftant mu-
tations and impotency which we find both in our felve~
and all other things. .
And as God thus preferves all ~.hin~s, fo he i~~on-
ti0:ually ordering & difPoftng all dungs m the heft_ w_ay,
and providino fo as may be beft for them. He did not
make the W~rld as a m~er Exer~ife of his Almight_y
power, or. to trie his own ftrength, and t:11e~ thrq\~ 1_t
away from him[elf ~ithout a~y mor.c mmdmg of .it;
for _he is that ornniprefent L_ife that p,:!ne~rates an~
runs through all things, contammg and holdm_g aU fa~
together within himfelf; and therefore the annent Plu-
l_ofophy was wont rather:~o fay, that the Wor~d was
<y
in Cod then that God was 111 the World. He did not
look without himfelf to fear ch for fome fotid foun~a-
tion that might bear up this weighty builqi_ng, but m-
deed rear' d· it up within him, and fpr~ad. his o~n Om-
nipotency -under it and through 1t.: an~ bemg ·cen:-
V _ trally
ver
 146 1JeduEtiom and Inferences from tht
trally in every part of it, he governs i; according to the
prefcript of his own unfearchable FVifedome and Good-
mf., and orders all things for the befr. And this is one
pri~cipall Orthodox point the Stoicks would have us
to believe concerning Pr<Widence ., o,n mf.;fa. '\air' dfi'iY
JI~ ')-!Vi1d.f ., that all things are here done in this World
by the appointment of the Beft Mind.
And now ifany fhould quarrel with the unequall dif-
tribution of things here, as if rather fome blind For-
tune had befl:ow'd her bleffings carelefly till fhe had no
1'11ore left, and thereby made fo many fiarvelings, ra-
ther then fome All-knowing Mind that deals forth its
bounty in due proportions; I fhouldfend them co P/11-
tarch and Plotintllf to have their Reafons folly fatisfied
in this point, ( for we here deal with the Principles of
Natura111ight) all thefe debates arifing from nothi110-
but Pt£dantic4/l and Carnall notions of Good :md Evit
as if it were fo gallant a thing to be dealing with
Crowns and Scepters, to be bravely arrayed, and wal-
low in th:n which is call'd the Wealth of this World.
God jndeed never cook any fnch notice of Good men
;. f.~:t
9
~nn. a~ to make them all
Rule:s, as rhe ~ lafi of thofe fore-
~1~ed Aut~or s t~lls us ;,neu~er, was 1t worth ch~, w,hil~,
1 1 1
ljl'f·rS-EfJ,,f,'TDP'niS a,vJ'e9-s a.-p,~8>" aM.ov ~JOV ~cSY"Trks T
ctV~e9)'711J')1S dp.er(I), Ta'T8s'J.1nwv ~x,ov1CM '~, neither is it
fit far good men thttt partake of ttn higher life then the
moftPrincely is.,tu tro,eblc themfelves abo11t lording &ru-
ling ?v~r other m_en; as if fuch a fplfndid kind of nothiwg
~s this 1s were of fo much worth. It may be generally
much better for us, while we are fo apt J0 magnifie &
court any Mundane beauty :and glory, as we are, that
Providence fuould diforder and deface tl1efe things, that
we might all be weaned from the-love 9f them, then
th~t their lovely looks fhould fo'bewitch and enchant
Confideration of the Dil,ine ZX.ature and Attributes. 147
our Souls as to draw them off from Better things. And
I dare fay that a fober mind that fuall contemplate the
fiate and temper of mens minds, and the ~~nfu[ed
frame of this outward world, will rather admire -at' the
Infinite Wifdome of a gracious Providence in permit-
ting and ordering that A.taxy which is in it., then he
would were it to be beheld in a more comely frame
and order.
CH AP. Vt
'A t1)ird Dedullio11.· ·_
3. That all true Happinefs confi_fl:s _in a particieatio_n
of God arifing out of the affimilat1on and contorm1-
. ty of our Souls to him; 11,nd, That the mofr reall
Mifery arifeth out of the Ap~ftafie of So~ls from
God, No enjoyment 8f God without 011,r being made
like to Him, 'The Happinefl andMifery of Man dePn' d
and ftated, with the origin11/t and FfJrmlation of bqth.
VV Erence,
proceed now to another De?uclion or I~fe.-
CCf::(}'I>
viz. Th11t all Tme Ilappm~(I co~fljf~ tn tt
participation of God Arift_ng out of the afimiltttion _"-nd,
conformity of our S011/s to him,,. 8-ndthe mo.ft rellll Mi[ery
arifeth o,et of the Ap~fl1fie of. Sot#ls from God. _And fo
we are led to fpeak ot the Rewards and Punifoments
of the Life to come, Pr£nii11m and Pttna, ttJJ,Vi i::1ttJ,
as the Jewifu Writers are wont to expre[s them: a~d
· it will not be any hard labour from what hath been fatd
to find out the original! and Nature of both ~f them;
and thouo-h perhaps we cannot dive into the bottome__
our
c V z ot
14.8. 1)eduElions'°and Inferences from tlJe
of them, yet we 1111y go ab;uc r.hem, and tell ·how in l
general ~ay ~o defi~e and difl:ingui{h them,
Happmejf 1s nothmg el[e, as we ufually defcribe it to
.our !elves, but the E?jorment of fome Chief good:
and t~er_efore the Deity IS ro ~oundlefly Happy, be-
cau~e 1t_ 1s every way ~me with 1ts own Immenfe per-
fychon ; an~ ev~ry tlung fo much the more feelingly
ltves upon Jf11,pprnef, by how much the more it comes
to partake of God and to be made like to him: And there-
fore the Platonifts well definld it to confift in ide,z Boni
~~d. as it is impoift~le_ to enjoy Happinej without ~
frmuon o~G?d ;_ fo 1t 1s unpoffible· to enjoy him with-
o~t ~n a/1mtl4;1on and conformity of our Natures to
him 1n a way. oJ. true goodnefs and Godlike perfeetion
!t is a co1mn?? Maxi?-1 ff_so~raw, fl.HJ xa.~pcp xa.iS-a,fi
1
:t
~<pa.,nteo)c.u 1.1.-·n 8 ~f»,'TDV ~'., _u not lttivfitll for any imp11re
n~t,m to touch p,m D1vm~ty. .For ~:ve c~nnot enjoy·
G~d. by ~ny Externall conJunchon with him: Divine
fru~non 1s not by a. me_er kin'd of Appojition or conti-
g,utyof o~r Natures with the Divine, but it is an Jn-
ternall Um~n, wh~reby a Divine Spirit informing our
Souls, d~nves t!1e_ fl:rength of a Divine life through
tI!em ;_ and a_s this 1s more ~rong and acrive, fo is Hap-
pmef it_ ~eH more Energeucall within us. It mufl: be
fo~11e_p1yme Effiux 1ynning quite through our Souls,
~wakening _and exaltrng all the vitall powers of them
mto an alhve Sympathy with fome. Abfolute good,
tha~ rendfrs us complea~ly bletfed. It is not to fit
~azm_g upon a J:?eity by fome thin fp€cul~tions ; but it
1s an 1~ward_fee~g and ~enfation of this Mighty Good-
~e~s difplaymg 1t felf w1thm us, melting m\r fierce and·
fun~u~ natures, th~t would f~in be fomething in con-
~rad1chon to God, ~mo an Umverfall complyance with
.c felt; and wrappmg up our amorous Minds wholly
into
Con(i}er;1tion of the Divine N..,ature ,md f ttributes. 149
into it felf, whereby G(')d come~ to be all m al_l to us.
· And therefore fo lon° as our Wills and Affechons en-
deJ.vour to fix upon ~ny thi~g but God & true Go<:>d-
nefs we doe but indeed anx1oufly endeavour to wring
Eappincf out of fomething that will yeeld ~o· mo_re
then a £limy Rock to all our preffin~ and forcmg of it,
· The more we endelvour to force out o?r. Affe~1ons to
ftay and refr th~mfelves upon any f tn~te thmg, the
more violently will-they rec01l back agam upon us. It.
is onely a true fenfe and reli~1 o~· God that can tarne
and mafter that ra 0 e of our mfatiable and reftlefs de-
fires which is .frill forcing us out of our fdves to feek
fome Perfect Good, that which from a latent fenfe of 6Ur
own Souls w~ feel om· felves to wane . . .
The Fo1mdation of Heaven and Hell is laid_ 111 mens
own Souls, in an ardent _and vehe~ent _appetite _aftel'
Eappinej, which can neither attain_ to i~, nor m1fs_fi-_
nally of it and of all appearances of 1t, w1th~ut a qu1ck
and piercing fen[e. Our Souls are not like f~ 1:1a-
ny lumps of dead and fenilefs M,itter to a true hvmg:
R,ippinefl, they are not" like thefe dull clods of Ear~h
which fent not the good o~ ill favour of thofe Plants
that grow upon them. Gam and Lof are very fenft?ly
felt by greedy minds. The Soul of m~n ,~as made w1tl~-
fuch a large capacity as it is,·. that fo it m~ght be better
:fitted to entertain a full and hberall Happmefs, that the
1)ivine Love and Goodnefs might more freely f~read
it felf in it, and unite it to it.felf. And accordmgly
when it miffeth of God, it muft feel fo much the more
the fury and pangs of Mifery, ~nd find a (eve~e Neme~s
arifino- out of its ouilty confc1ence, which like a fiery
. Scorpion will faft~n its ftin~s v/ichin it. And thu~ 35
Heaven., Love, ;_Joy, Peace, Serenity, and all that which
Happinefl is, buds ~md bloffoms out ot holy .and G~d-
V 3 . hke
 'DtduEtionr a;;d ln{ereizce(fi.QtJJ tfJe ·
lik~ fpirits: _fo alfo Hrll and _Mifery. ·*rt_t perpetually.
fprmg out_o_f 1mp'nre I~mds, dtft!aete? wit~'Envy, M4 -
ltce,_ Ambztt~n, Self-,vtll or any znordmate· iovrsto any
parncular clung. :.,.1
This is that 'A!'~)S/rM voµ,~ that Plato fp~aks of,
that fatal Law that 1s firft made-m Heaven's Confifto ..
ry, -T~at ~urity and Holi'!ef /ba!L be h~fh, and all rice
and Sm mifm1rb!e. Holmefs of Mind·wm be more and
m~re_ attracting G.9d co it felf ~ a~ all Vice will fapfe
ana ll1de more and more from hun. The more pure
our Souls are and ab~racred from all mundane·• things,
the more fincerely will they endeavour the neareft uni--
on that may b~ with God, th~ more they will pant and
br~athe after Ium_ alone, leavmg the chafe of any other
delight. ThE:re 1s fo_ch a noble and free"'.bptq fptrit in
true Goodnefs feated in Immorcall natures as will not
be_ fati_s~ed m~erly with Innoc~ncy, nor :elf i~ felf in
this nnx d Boddy fiate, though it could convei-fe with
Bodily things without finking to a vicious Jove of
them; but would alwaies be returnin° to a mote inti-
mate union with that Being from wh~nce it came and
which will_ be drawing it more and more to ir [elf; and
therefore It feems very reafonable to believe that if A- -
dam had con_~inued in a fl:ate of Innocency, he fhould .
have been ra&·d by God co a greater fruition of him
and his natun! fuould have been elevated to a mor:
tranfcendent condition. And if there was any Covenant
made ~vi_th Adam in Paradife, I think w~ cannot under- ·
fiand 1t many other fenfe but this:the Scripture fpeak~
n~t of any other terms between God and Man. And
thts Laiv oflfe, which we havefpoken of, is Eternall
and Im_mutable; nor does the Difpenfation of Grace
by Chn~ Jefus at all abrogate or difannu11, but rarher
enforce, 1c: for fo we find that the Law of chr{ft, that
· which
Crm(tderation of the Vi1Jine '!{ature and Att~ibutes .' 1,,
which.he gave out to all,his Dif~iples, was_ tl11S Law of
perfelfion that carries true I!appznej along·m ~he Senfe
of it which -as the grelt .Prmce_ of Souls, he d1fpe~~eth
by his'.~ter~all Spirit in a vitall way unto the Minds
.
of men.· ·
::CHAP. _vu.
~A! Fourt1, ·VeduElion.
The. Fourth Ded,,E!ion acquaints m with the trt,e Noti-
~· en of the Divine Juftice, That the proper fcope and,
dejign of it, 15 to preferve Righteo~efne}.,to prom~te a~d
encourage tme Gooanej. That 1t does not pmnar1ly
intend P1mijhment., hut onely take~ it ttp tt1 a mean to
revent TranJtrejion. Trtte :J ujlzce ne~er f1~pplan~s
~ny that it. Jelj1 may appe~r n:ore glortotu m the1r
r,iines. How Divine ;J11ft1ce is moft advanced.
the fourth place, we may further. c?lleet H?,v
ItheNrio'htly to ftate the Notion of the Dzvtne :J,tjftce,
[~ope whereofis nothing elfe but to affert .and e~a-
bli{h Et'ernall Law and Right , and to preferve the ~n- .
te rit thereof; it is no defign of rengeanc_e, which
th~ua1 God takes on wicked men, yet ~e delights ~ot
O 1
. 't The Divine Juftice ftrfl prefcnbes that w~1ch
~~ ~~ft conformable to the Di_vine Nature, and m~t~ly
purfues the confervation of Rtghteoufnef~. We-wou!d
not think him a good Rulei: that {hould P1v~ o~t .law~~
to en(nare his SubjeB:s, with an even m~1ffe1 ency oft
Mind whether his Laws be kept, or Puni{hments fu -
fpred. but fuch a one who vvould make the beft fe~u-
,.... :, tity
 ?iduEtions ana lnfinnces from tfJe
rity for Right and Equity by wholfome La,vs, and an-
nexing Puni}hments as a mean to prevent t14""~mf0 reffion
and ~ot to manJefi Sever~ty. '!'he proper fcope of
:Juflm _fee~11? to be notl11~g ~lie hut the prefcrving
4
C0,nfidtratiou11ftf)e Vil1ine l{ature and Attributes:
Aoain :Juftice is r.he 1,1.ftice of Goodne_j;and fo caq-
not delight to punifh ; it ai~es at n6thmg more then
i:he maintaining and promoting the L_aws of Goodnef,
and hath alwaies fome good end before 1t, and therefo:e

and maincam1ng of that which 1s Juft and R1-1 ht :· the , would never puni{h except fome further good were 1n
fcope of that :Jnfl_ice which_is in .my Righteo~ L:i:v, is view. . h · r. lf · h
properly to provide for a righteous execution of that True Juftice never ~up}:?la~ts a~y t at 1t 1e_ n;11g t
which is jufl:. and fit tQ be, with_out intending prmifl,- a ear more glorious 1a theLr rumes ; for th1, would
ment; for to mtend that properly and dire..:cly, might b~~o make' :fufl_iee love fomethi!)g ~etter _then Rigkte-
ra~her feem Cruelty th~n :J rtjlice : and therefore :J,e-. ou(neff, and to advance and magmfie 1t fclf 1~ fomethm_g
jhce rakes not up P!tn~fhment, but onely for a fecurity which.is not it felf, but rather an aberration from 1c
of performance of Righteous Laws, viz. either for the . . felf: and therefore God himfelf fo earneftly ~onte~ds
:unendment of the perCon cranfgreffing, or a due ex- with the Jews about the Equity of ~is o~n ~aies, with
ample to others to keep them off from tranfgreffion. frequent affeverations that his Juibce 1s thirfty after
For I would here fuppofe a Gaod and R:ghteous man, no man's blood, but ra~her that_ Sinners would repef:lt,
who in fome defolare place of the World {hould have turn from their evil wa1es, and hve. A~d then Ju~1ce
the command of a 100 more,and himfelfbe Supreme & is moft advanced, when the co~tents of 1t aFe fulfill_ d ;
under no command. He prefcrihes Laws to this com- and though it does not, and will not, acq.u~t the guilty
pan~, ~1akes it death for any one to take away ano- without Repentance, yet the defign of 1t 1s to encou.._
ther_s life. Bue now one proves a Murtherer,_kills one rage Innoceo.cy and promote true Goodnefs.
of l11s fellows; afterwards repents heartily, and is like
to prove ufefu!l among the reft of his fellows : they
all are fo hean:dy affected one to another, that there is
no d~mger~upon fparing thisPenitenc·s life,that any one
of them ihou1~1 be encouraged to commit the like evil.
The Cafe bemg thus ftated, it will not feem difficult
to conclude that the :.fuftice of chis Righteous and Good
Co,~mander would /}are this poor Penitent : for· llis
Jttj!tce. would have preferved that life which is loft
and feeing there is nothing further chat it can obtain i~
tak~ng away this, it will fave this which may be faved ;
(or 1c affects not any blood ; and when it defi:roies, it
1s out o~ neceffity, to take aw;iy a defl:rud:ive perfon
and to g1ve example, which in the Cafe ftace~ falls nof
out. · Again,
 '.~>:-. . ''1
;)
x54 1Jedu8ions and Infirmces from the.
CHAP. VIII.'
The Fifth and lafl 'Deduclion.
5. That feeing_ there is. fuch an Entercourfe and Society
:is it were between God and Men, therefore there is
alfo fome La.w betwecen them, which is the Bond of
1
all Communion. The Primitive mies of God s Oeco-
nomy in thi8 W()rld, -not the fole Refults of an Abfolute
Will, bHtt the Ja.cred Decrees of Reafon and Goodnef..
· Godco.u.ld not defign to make ,u Sinfitll Dr Miferahle.
·ofthe Law of Nature embofom'd in Man's S o,d, how it
ohliges man to love and obey, God, and to expre.f a
Godlike j}irit and life in this world. All So11ls the
.ojf-(Prin.g of God; but Holy S011ls manifefl them/elves-.
to,he, antl_are mo,e., pecutiarly, the children of God.
T toHEit,former Dedutt:ion leads me to another a-kin
which {hall be my lafi:, and it is that which
Ttt!ly intimates in his De legibus, viz. Thttt feeing there
is f,e&h an Entercottrfe and Society M it were between God
and Men, therefore there i5 alfo Jome Law be_tween them,.
which,-is-thc Bondof aU Commttnion. God lmnfelf, from
whom all Law takes its rife and eman1tion, is not Ex-
lex and witho,et all 1:a~,.nor,.in a fobe1: fen[e, above ~t.
Neither are the Pnmmve rules of his Oeconomy m
this world the fole Refults of an Abfolttte ,viii, but the·
Sacred Decrees ot Reafon and Goodnej. I cannot think
God.co he fo unborended in ~is Le$i.flative power, that·
he can make any thing Law, bot11 for his own_ DifP.en-
fations and our obfervance, that we mly fomet1me
imagine,
'\
i
l-..
Confideration of the Dil,ine ~ature and Att,.-ibutes. 1; 5
imaoine. We cannot fay indeed that qod was ab-
folu~ely determin' d frqm fome Law within himfelf to
make us. but I think we may fafely fay, when•he had
once det~rmin'd to make us, he could neither make us
finfi,!l feeing he h~d no Ide A nor {hadow of Evil with-
in hiU-:fe1£ nor lap us thofe dreadfull fates within our
Natures ~r fet them over us, that might arcana infPi-
rtttione (ls fome are pleas'd to phrafe it) Fecretlyw·ork
our ruine, and filently carry us on, m~kmg ufe o~ our
-own naturall-infirmity, to eternall m1fery. Neither
could he defigri to make his creatures miferable, th.at
fo he might thew· himfelf f,teff. 1'hefe are rather t~e
by-waies of cr~tll and 4mb!ttous men, .~hat feek their
own advantage m ~he m1fch1~fs of_ other' ~e~, and co~-
trive their own R1fe by their Rumes: this 1s not Di-
vine :J11fice, but the· Cmelty of degenerated m~n. .
·. But as the Divinity could propound nothing to 1t
felfin the making ·of ·the World but _th~~ Comm1mica-
tion of its own Love and Goodnej_; fo ·1t can never
fwerve from the fame Scope and End in the difpenfa-
tion of it felf to it. Neither did God· fo boundlep.y
enlarge the appetite ·of _Souls after f?me All-fufficient
Good,· that fo they m1gl:t be -the mo~e_ unfpeak~bly
tortur' d in the miffino- of it ;' but that they' m1ght
more certainly return t°o the Originall of their Beings.
And fuch bufie-working Eifences as the Souls of men
are could neither be made as dull and fenfiefs of true
Happinefs as Stocks.and-Stones are, ne!ther C<?uld .ch~y
contain the whole fumme and perfecbon of 1t wtthm
themfelv_es: therefore they muft alfo be· inform'd_with
fuch Principles as might conduct them back agam _to
Him from whom they firft came. God d?es not make
Creatures for the meer fport of his Almighty arm, to
raife and ruine and tofs up and down at ineel' pleafure.
· Xz No,
156 'J)edu8iom and In(efences from t1Je
No~ that wcl"or.lcx- or ·good pleafure of that Will that
made them •is the fame frill, it changes not, though
we ~ay chan~e,. and 11:ake onr felves uncapabl~ of par-
takmg the bltfsfull frmcs and effecrs of it.
And fo we come to confider that Law embofom'd
in the Souls of _m_en which ties them· again to their
Crea.tour, and this 1.s called The Law of Ntiture • which
indeed ~s nothing elfe but_ a Paraphrafe or C~mment
upon tne Nature of God as it copies forth ic felf in the
Soul of Man. · as havino nothing to doe here but to d1fplay & blazon
Becau~e God is the Firjl Mind and the Fir.fl Good,
propagatmg ~n Imitation ofhimfelf in fuch Iminortall
Natures as the Souls of Men are,. therefore ought the
Soul to renounce all mortall ·and mundane thinas and
preferve its Affet'tions chafr and pure for God hil~fdf:-
to love him with a moft Univerfall and Unbounded
Love ; to trufi in him and reverence him . to converfe
wit~ him in a free & chearful manner, as One in ,~hom
we live and move 11nd have fJJJr Beings, being perpe-
t~ally encompaffed by him, and never moving out of
hi_m; to refign al_l opr ·Waies_ and Wills up to him·
with an equall and md1fferent mmd, as knowincr that he
guides and governs_ all thin~s. in the Befl: way ;° to fink
ou_r felveJ as lmv- m H1em1l1ty, as we are in S.elf-no-
thm.gm/1. ' . . · ..
Anctqecaufe all tho[e fcatter'd Raies of Bea11ty and
Lovelinefs which we behold fpread up and down all
the Worlcl over, are onely the Emanations of that in-
exhaufied Lig~t which is above- 5 therefore iliould we
lo'l1e them all m that, and climb up alwaies by thofe
Sun-beams unto t~e Eternall Father of Lights : we
ihould l_ook 1:1pon hun and take from him the pattern
of.9ur ltve,s, and alwaies ey~ng of him lhould d,;dll.f.{9.1a.
~'"'. tn>e'!~vqv ,_&c. ( as Hterocles fpeaks) poliih .and
fhapc
Con(tderation of tln Di-vine 1.'{ature and ..1lt_trihu_tes. 157
fl11 pe our Souls into the cleareft-refemblance of him ;
and in all our behaviour in this World ( that Great-
Temple of his) deport our felves decently and reve-
rently, with that humility, meekne[s and modefty that
becomes his houfe. We iliould endeavour ~ore a_nd
m·ort to be perfect, as ~e is ; in all our dealmg with
m~n; doing good, {he~mg mercy and ~ompaffi?n, ad~
vancing juftice and nghteoufnefs ~ being alwa1es foil
of charity ~nd good works; and look 1:1pon our felves
the olory of our heavenly Father, and fr~me our hearts
and lives according to that Patter~ which_ we behold
in the Mount _of a holy Contempl:.mon of hun. Thus
we fhould endeavour to preferve that ~eayen~y fire of
the Divine Love and Goodnefs ( wh1~h 1ffumg forth
from God centres it felf within ~s, an~ 1s the Prot_opl~-
ftick virtue of our Beings) alwa1es altve_and burning m
the Temple of our Souls, and to facnfice o~r felves
back again to him. And when we_ fulfill tl11S Royall
Law ariftna out of the heart Qf Eternity, then £hall we
here appea~ to be the children of God, when he thus
lives in us, as our Savio~r fpeak~ Mlttth. 5. . An~ f? we
{113.ll clofe up this Particular Wlth th~t Ilrgh prwrlege
which Immortall Souls are invefied with: they are all
the off-fPring of God, for fo S.Pattl allows the Heathm
Poet to call chem: they are all royal~y def~e~ded, and
have no Father-but God himfelf, being ongmally for-
med into his image and lihne[s ; an_d ~vhen_ th~y ex-
prefs the purity and holinefs of the D1vme ~1fe 111 be-
ing perfecl: as ~od ~s perfeet., then they 1m1:1ifefl them-
felvesto be his chrldrm, M,!tth. 5. And·m .M',ztth. 7_·
·chrill encouraneth men to teek and pray for the spi-
rit, ( which is tl1e bt!fi gift that God can give to mm)
becaufe he is their He~wenly Father,much more b~t!n-
X 3 t'.tull

De~ltiEtions and lnfe,mces from t~e &c.'
tifull a11d tender to all helple[s Souls that feek to him
then any earc~Ir ~arent, who[e Nature is_ degen~rated
from that pnmmve goodnefs, can. be to his child
But thofe Apoftate Spirits that know not to retu ren.
. . 11 f . .
! I1e O ng1m o their Beings, but i111pfant ·themfelves
1~to fome other frock, and feek to incorporate and u-
nite themfelves to another line by fin and wicked ·fJ
~ut_c_he~fely_es.o~from_ this divine priviledge, an/l~f~
their ~\"\-fl bn th-11ght; ·they doe fM"R(,bc«vqv a~ c/.»i.o '_
v~ ( 1fl may borrow chat phrafe) and lapfo into at-
+ ,.,
tl~r·mture. _,.. All this wa·s well exprefs'd by p roe·,m,
0 "'" "~ , litical bufinefs by an external promulgation,&c.1Tim.
'7Itt.,~~ ,U,~,w. <Vf~ll?raJ~·~,~' ~ ,m:Z~c.« ~ ea,u/;JI 6'1ra~w'f;
Lib.4. in Ti-
U,f/tiiI,
tStov :J ~'.)'VH(TC(,l '9 'l' ()UtJJcweAO"Q'.JtX-l ?wfuJ v,.,.;_,.,...,
rSc"' c.« "r.. I ri;;;, /NY· ~ '.,.,...,,vi:IJ'/C(,C
~v '7l?X,lo·e., A!lS01~ls Are the children of God~ hut All
ofthe~ knoiv_-not thezr God; but Jach M know him 1tnd
live like to him, are called the children of God.
CHAP.IX.
An A P P E N n I x. concerning the Reafon of
Pojittve Laws.
BUT I!ere, _as an Appendi~ to.t.he two former De-
duchons, It may be of good ufe to enquire into the
.Rea[°~ of f~ch I;aws_ as we call Pofi.ti1.1e, which Goa
hat !n all times, ~s 1s commonly fuppos' d , enjoyn'd
obedience t~ ; wh1_c~ are not the Eternall dictates and
Decretals of the_I?1vme Nature communicating it felf
to Immortall S~mts, but rather deduce their Orioinall
from the free will and pleafure of God
0 and Evil, as we lre· to converfe with then,. Some·
Tq f?lve this Difficulty, that of s:Pattl may feem a
fit M_edtum, who tells us, : The Ldw w,u added 6ecaufe
;-r Coucerning tbe reafon ~f Popti--re Lau,s ~
DJ tr1m{greflion; though I doubt not but he. means
thereby the Norall Law .1s well as any other. The true
intent and fcope of thefe Pofltive laws, (and it may be
• of fuch an externall promulgation -of the Mot all) feems
rn to to be nothing elfe but this, to fecure the Eterciall Law
ofRighteoufnefs from tranfgreffion. As the Jews fay
of their decreta Japient11m, that they were i\iin"? iiJ,
an hedge to the Lttw; fo we may fay o~ thefe Divine
Decretals, they were but cautionary and preventive of
difobedience to that Higher Law: and therefore Saint
0 Patel tells us why the Morall Law was made fuch a: Po-
I. 9. not fo much becaufe of righteous men, in whom
I
the Law of Naturdives, who perform the ~ '1"8- voJ.1-,<&
without any outward Law, but it was given for the
lttwlej and difobedient, &c. And therefore I doubt not
but we may fafely conclude, that God gave not thofe ·
Pofitive Laws· meerly pro imperio, if I may ·ure that ex-
preffion; it was not meerly to in.anifeft his Abfolute-
Dominion & Soveraignty, as fome think, but for the
good of thofe that were enjoyned to obey ; and this
belief Mofes endeavours a:lmoft throughout the whole
Book of De,eteronorny to ftrengthen the Ifraelites in :
and therefore· God was [o ready upon all occafions to
dif}enfe with thefe Laws, and- requires the Je\vs t• om'it
the obfervan~e of the·m , when they might feem to·
jufrle with any other Law of Mondi duty or 1l1tm1ine
necefity, as may be obferv' din many'Inftances in Scri-
pture. .
Bue for a more difrinfr unfolding of this point., we
may take notice of this difference in the notion of .Good
things are fo abfolutely, an:d fomethings ar_e fo onely re~·
lativ.ely. That whidi is a!;folrftely good, is every way
S11p_erio11r ·
of

160 Of t1Jings abjolute~ good, and
Suferiottr tom, and we ought alw.1ies to be commanded
~y zt, ~ecaufe_ we are made under it : But that which
1s relat 1v_ely good t~ ta, may ~omecime be commanded /Jy
tu. Etem_:111 Truth and R1ghreoufnefs are in them-
felves perfectly & akfoltttely good, and the more we con- -
f~~m our felves to them, the better we are. Bue rhofe
things chat are onely good relatively and in order to us
w~ may fay of them, chat they are fo much the better'
by how much the more they are conform>d to tu I mean"
by how much the more they are accommodlted and
fitted to our ell:ate and c~ndition, and may be fit means
to help and prom_oce us ~n our purfuic·of fome Higher
good: an~ fuch mdeed 1s the matter of all Pojitive
Laws, anct the Symholica!l or Ritttall part of Religion.
And as we are made for the former, viz.what is abfo-
1~tely good, to ferve that; fo are thefe latter made
for us, as our Saviour hath taught us when he tells us
that the Sabhath w& made for man, and not man for the
Sabbath: ~nd as fin~ere and reall Chriftians grow up
towa~ds t1 ue perfethonl the leife need have they of
Po.ft_t~ve precepts or Externall helps. Yet I doubt it is
n~tl:in~ elfe b~t a wanton faftm and proud temper of
fp1r1t m <?Ur times that makes Co many talk of being
above ?r~znances, who, if their own arrogance and pre••
fun:ipt1on would .giye them leave to lay afide the flat-
termg glaife of their own Self-love would find them-
fel ves to have moll: need of them. '
What I have o~ferv'd C?ncerning the Things ai{o-
l,ttely_good, I conceive to be rncluded in that 0 o•n~ 1i:mt
1
menuon,d ~an.?· everlitfling righteo,tfnej, which th~
Prophe~ there ~a1th iliould be brought in and advanced
by Me_f11h :_ this J'1,c.cuo(iiw» a.Iw'vt@..is the Righteouf..•
ne~s which is of an eternalJ an:1 immutable natnre as
bemg a conformity with Eternall and _llnchang:able
Truth.
oj The e1'trlafting Rigbteoufoel, Din: :s;: idt
- Tru.th: For there is a Righteoufnefs which thus is not
· Eternatl,. but Pojitive and at t~e pleafure of~od th~t
ditl:ates· it: and fuch was the R:g'hteoufnefl w!11~h Chrdl - __
faid it hecame him to f Hl.ftll when he was bapt1z d ; there Mat(b. ;.
was no neceffity diat any fuch thing ffiould become
due. But the Foundation of this Everlajling righ,t111f
neffis fomethingnnalterable. To fpe~k ~or~ ·P;artl-
cufarly, That the High~P good Jb~utd ht l~vea: m-the
Bighejl degree ; Thttt ~epe,Jdant ereature_s, tha~ 'horro"JJ
all they have from G~d,foould nwerglory tn the1t1{el'()es,
or admire themfelves, b11t ever ,dmire and a~ore !bat N»-
bortnded Goodnejl which ii the 'S1urce of their_ ~m1~s Ami
all the Good .tkey p_artak~ ·of; That ~e Jboulil_ a_twiues Joe
that..which ts Jtijl and right, according to the t11eef1m we
would others fbould 1oe ,vith m: · th_efe, and fo~e ·other
chinos which a re&tfied Reafon will eauly fupply:, ;tre
imm~taMy true and righteorn; fo that it never WlS nor
can be true_ that they .are unnece{fary. And whofo
hach·his,He~rt molded into. a. -delight in fuc4 a llig~te--
. oufnefs' and the ,pracl:ife ~hereof, ha~h thi~ B.~ern_a/l rigk-
teoH(nej brought into htJ ~oul, wh1~h R:1ghteoufnefs 1s
alfo true and re all, not bke that nnagtmiry_ Bxternall
righteoufnefs of the Law· which the Ph11rlftes boafted
iH.
{;/
----- -·----,.;-
i lz . lf~1£ 'oar- ~Jf.nowleiglof Goa comes to. he
1
~ ~ t~ ~~ :.·~ ·; !~~. - .. !.~,· .·
.. . . ~~). :--.:_ ;~_•r ·-\-.. . . -, ':•.: ~ ~ ~·
•: · ,. . ·r - ' 1 ,=.' :1 ··: :! · j:·: :Ca. A.·rfl;· X • .·.
,,
T/;e Copclrifio,; of ;~-;s
Treatfe con,ce;ning the E~{flenc~
·. _a11~ flt1bJt:re of Go~.' Jbewmf hq1'} ·o.ur Knowledge of
· God G~N- t'O ·b'efrm»:perfd1 m !h/J S_tafe-, while we are-,
·: .·h(r~ ~rnh~-Ter~eftria~·.Bo~y~ ·. !wo w_aie~ ~_bferv'd h:,_
· ·. Pfocmus, 'J!}~er-e~r'Thr,,s Body dpes preJl6,41ce- the Soul in
· l,er ·oper11tions·; 'I'hat the Better Philofophers arJd more
:_c~nte:mpl~tirv_e :Jcwc~_did f!Ot deny'the Exiftence·of all
lam! ofBo'tjy·11rthe::other}ate~ : Wbat-me'ant by· Zo~
~- ,:~oafi:er~~ ·-~{/&;xQv+o~~;. What.kind of knQWledge. of
. G·odrcdnnot he aJt'ait/d to:-ip this ·tife~· wh_at meant by.:
· Flefhand Blood,. 1 C.or. 15.-. · ~• ·. · . .;
:f,. ,:~<?R !Mf~ndu'q:ing ~f thi~.:Dfrcourfe, is a M4~tjJTa
r
~?)Vl1~~ ~,a~~~~tl'faidfNei~aU ailittle confid r ho:w·
1
~n~~~fiffe~t a _t~um~a-Pt~fet'l: lmt1111lcdgt of_ V;oths wi~h
~hts · M~_n<lane~ and> Corpore·an 'ftate ·-.w.bich We, ar,i in-
_per~. : rfhi/e ~ are- in the Body,_we are abfmt from the
'Lord;- as·S~_-Ihit1l fpehks-;- and that CI ·think-) .w.i~bqµt.a,
myfrerie: Such Bodies as ours are being fitted for .an
Animal ftate, and pieces of this whole Machina of Sen:-
fible Matter, are perpetually drawing cl.own our Soul~-, .
'Yhen they wo?ld raife up themfelves by Contempla--
ttor.. of the Deity ; and the caring.more or lefs for the
things of this Body, fo exercifes the Soul in this {bte,
that it cannot attend upon God d,,rfe,/a;u,/,~~ without
tliflrallion. In the amient Mecaphyficks fuch a Body as
tbi.s. ~s we carry about us, is call'd /l,,l~v, ror~,>,.a,1011, &c.,
the dark Den and Sepulchre in which Souls are impri-
.fon:' d and entomb, d,_ w.ith many other expreffions of
the
fo imperfetl~~n· tl,a fl~te :·: .:<: :{. :.lf,)
the like importance;-and Procl11Hells 1:IS that.the Com..;
moration of the Soulin fu~h a Body as this',. is,i .accor_-
_dirtg to the commo·n vote· of Anti_qnity; nothing elfe
but ,C{/J1(X,01{,U/J(d(JI~ &, m!'/ff A;rSnr, ·ti, dwelling ofp ffcl,ing
its Ta6ernacle in the raHey of oblivion and Detttli~- But
* Plotinm, in his ~\ .f ~~ rrr£ UW/MX,lrx. xex,.SOJ\a ~ +uxn~,* ERn~ 4. l. 8.
feems not to be eafily .fatisfied with Allegoricall de~
fcriptions, and t~erefore fearching more· Ihicl:ly ·info
this bufinefs, t~lls. his _owri and their meaning in plain~r .
terms, that 'Thu Body 1s an occafion of EvH to the Soul
• · 1....} f 'r\
t W? ~ates ; • c o'TI -n e[-<,m,n~r ~~ ,rn,~ ~o~iJ"~ 'rver.,1,
'1 \ J It,. \ . I
as 1t hmders 1ts Mentall operations, pre(entmg its IJot.(I,
Jiec,is: co'ntinually to it-: z-. o~
M'ov~i, ~-~.$-.1piiJ'v ~
li.U?mfl ',mp,-mi.n01v '.fl.JJ7~; a~ i't calls forth, i~s atlv~ttency
to its own Paffions, which while it exercifethWfelfa•
bout too_ earneft-ly, it fall~ in~o a finfull inordin~cy. ·· ~
. Yet did not the Pla~on~ffs nor the. more Contempla-
twe 7ews deny .the Ex1ftence of all kind_ <;>f Body in the .... :.....,
7 other State, as 1( there fhould be n9thing refidtng there ..
1
but naked Souls totally devefte~ of all Gorporeall Ef-
fence ; for they held that the Soul iliould in the other
World be united with a Body, not fuch a one as ft did
a.cl: in here, ( which was not without difiurb~nce) brit
fuch as fi;ould b~ m_~ft ,~g-ree~ble·t~- t~e ~o~l, ?,h}~h
they call.d '7flJ~f,t!J-ll'XQ~ oxnp.rt,. ·,t 4ux,i; t~e ·-spmrua11,
Vehicle ofthe S01d, and by Zoroa{ler it wa~ t'all\l f4~~w-·
i\ov '1,ux;;r, a kind of 1;1.mbra or ;Jereal M~ntle in which
the :Soul \Vraps· her felf, ·~hich, he· faid; remain' d with
her in the {bte•of glory' lil};-z ,§·. McJ>i.-~ fWe}!i .Ei!i rd1toi,
dp..cp,q,do11ffr!.. • and in the Jewifhhinguage it is· W~:l~O
,r.NilM indumentum quoddam interim, a$ 'Gtttdmin hath
obferved ~~ his De vittt & morte Mojis. . ·
But to return; the Platonifls have_ pqinted_ -ou( a
threefold knowledge of God , 1i one it'M'J:Jiss/ip./.J.,J,
Y 2. z. the
 ~f,4 .. Ho11, our 1(.nowledge ofGod."ctmzes to be
·i. the fecond ~ J'otum, · 3. the laft ,(;,' "lreJ.fflufJ.µ • arui
.this lafi thry affirm'd to be una_ttainable.-by.us, it b~
.ing ·that_ i~effable Light whereby .the Divinity com~
prehends its_own Effence penetrating all that lmmen:-
Jity of Being which it felfis. The Firft may be attain, d
to in this life; but the Sec~md in its full perfectionwe
cannot reach here in this life, becaufe this knowledoe
arifeth out of a blifsfull Union.with.God h1mfelf, whigh
theref~re they are wont to,call e'1Za,cpluJ '18 v.o»f~ a Con.-
tacl: of Intellcctuall Being, and fometimes. w;~rpa.'vEicw
or b'Jr.,o)t.fuJ @~,il,xlw, that is, that I may phrafe it in
th~ Sc:riptur~ words, a beholding of God face to face,
wh:ch 1s that c::n~n. :'D .Arca1111mfacim1m the JewHh
writers fpeak of, whtch we cannot attain to while we
continu_e in, this concrete and bodily il"ate._And fo.wheo.
Mo{es defir d to behold.the face o[ God, that is,__ as- the
•Maimon. de * Jewes underftand it ,. th;it a d1fl:intl: Idea of the Di-
!;.~:· lcgis, vtinlde f:ffenc*e ~~ight be imfiprinted updo/1~ his Ml ind, God
_it..Exod,u.1.o, o 1 _11m-? J.lio nMn. can ee me, _ An •we; t 1at 1s, no.
m?n 1.~ t~11s, corruptib~e {l:ate: i_s capable· of attaining to
thts w1~q,a.J'E-ta. or vi.fto facierum, as. MaimMides ex-
pounds 1c, r-wo ,:imc N1i1 ,n;-i ciNn nv.,:i n:::, n,w
'i~, VJ:l.lh The Underftandihg_ of th! living man,, who u
comp()tmdetlof B~dy_ 11nd Soul-,. iJ· ulte':lj 11~a~le dearly. to
~pprehend:tbe 1>1vrne_E{fmce, tof!e·zt. M.tt u.. Ana fo
~- .P1ul-difi:inguillieth the kno!1'ledge ?f th ii.life as. taken
m·th1s compleK fenfe, and ot the-life to come: that now:
nu (u· Jf imiwlp~· i11_agl11j, wh~ch i_s continually .fullied
and darke~ed,. while.we loqk rnto 1t, by.-che breathing
?four An~mal, fanfies, paffions and'imaginatjons upon
1
it;. and, ~- ~vi '),'fA-«-li dttrkly: hut we lhall fee then
~uwmv 'li>&' 'fi>PO.<lW'lfO'I face to face·; which is the
tranfiacion of that Hebrew· phrafe. t::l'JE>. '->N c:,:Ji.
And in·the li~e manner does a Gre<fk Philofopher com-
pare
Jo imp~rfell in tbu ft4te: . 165
pare tbefo two forts of Knowledge which the ~out
hath of God in this life and in that to con:ie, T~. ~s,1-
, I I ( I "f ,._ "' \ ~
/J.9l'l'K..H, AO')'H, µl,)3''d$ ~'}')1~1GC,I (JUJJ'd<Jrt. '1W '1frA.'7fl 0WJl:~6'-
,4Jn ~ dAn~cw ~ c's':f<s,,,@ e,, r.w')t~ xa._~P~,The Soul wilt
rec~on all thu knowledge of God which ive harcJe here_ hJ
,vay 9f Science but like afable or parab(e, when once tf ~s-
in umjunEfion rvith the Father, feaft~ng up?» T,wt~- ~t·
fol/, and beholding God in the_pure ram of hM own Dzvt-
nity. I fuaU conclude all w1ch that which S. Pant ~x-
preily tells us, 1 Cor.1-5 .50. Plejb and blood cannot rn-
hmt the kingdome of God; where, by Flefa an_d Blood
he feems- to meati nothing elfe but Man m this com-
plex and compounded ftate <;>f S?ul a_nd Body , J; mea~i
<wrruptible, earthy Body: and it was.a common Pm-
phrafis of this iv~e9nr@._ o ~~Js :,mongll: th~ Jews,.
c,, ,w::i: in the like fenfc 1s ouJ'~ ~ cufl,,a., Flefb & Blood,.
in thofc and other places in,the New Te(lament. ufed,.
wherethisphrafeoccurrs,viz. Matth._16.17. Ga/.I.1:6.
Ephe(.6.12 .. Heb:1,,14. But in oppofition=to this grofs
eartliy Body, the Apoftle fpeaks- of ~p.a. ~6Lf',a.t,'Jl~JJ,
a spirit1111/l Body, v. 44. fuch as {hall put on_ mc~rruP,tron
and immort ~lity, v. 5.3. and confequ_mtly differing tro1!1
that Body which here 11:1akes up tlus ~om pounded am-
mall Be:ncr: and accordingly our Sav10ur fpeaks of the
children ij' the· Reftmellion, that they ~ neither marry·* Luk. 10.
nor are given in-1narrt1tg_e, _nor can.theJ dte any mor:,b11!
are- :cm.'J''j:Aoi,.or., as 1t 1s m S. Matthew and Mttrk, 6'~
d' 7 ~Ao'~ ~ tS-Fti., 11r1 the Angels of God ;· and f? the
Jewi{h,writfrs are wont to ufe_the fame phrafe to ex-
prefs theJlate·of Glory by, vzz. that then.good mea
!l1all be-nil!J:, ,.::,N70:J flCllt .Angeli minijferii._.
y 3 0 F
 OF
P R O PH ES I Er
o~,_ -
A DISCOURSE
Treating of
The Nature of Prophefie.
The Different degrees of the Prophe~icall Spirit.
The Difference of Propheticall Dreams from all other
Dreams recorded in Seri pture.
The Difference of the True Propheticall Spirit from·
Enthufiafricall Impofture.
What the meaning of thofe Actions is that are fre-
quently in. Scripture attributed to th~ Prophets,
whether they were Reall or onely Imaginary,
The Schools of the-Prophets.
The Sons;or Difci.ples of the Prophets.
The Difpofitions antecedent and preparatory to Pro-
phefie.
Tlie· Periods of Time when the Pi-opheticall Spirit
ceafed in the Jewiili and Chriftian Churches.. .
Rules for the better underftanding of Propheticall
Writ.
2· Pct. 1. 2:1.
For Prophefie came not in old time hy the 1vill of man, !J1et'
holy men of God [Pake being moved by the Holy Cho.ft•.
Philo Jud.~}·~, 'n> oT :3-El(/Jv lfl>frvypd,rro;v 'Xli.ne;vo'µg;~
Pe;cpn'ffl~ ~'J'toJJ ,t M~v ~cp~,y~1a., , dM.0 ~_,a. j '7r'hla..
1

~>IX~vf@. e'np~. cpcc,u)\_(f d\.' ~ r&dJ»-r; Epplu;Ei rjy;Jc&t..J ~if,

dls-e -;wef(JJ, f-',!}'X,~e;\ ~J-e}) El'3-HO"li • fJ.9 VCp j G1J<p~ rm,Jrt'
1

'ecpct.p!-(9718 ' ems 'i3 p.!}~~ ~f'Y..l1'0V 3-;,r; ~v ;,xwv., 'itD~O-'".

p)y.iov ~ ?'t71.i171o ,.8t;ov
1
dad,rrws &' d.Jdd. '

l-
------------------:-__,_,________. ~ .. \. t~~.. . .· ' -~--~
 OF
.P--R O P H E S I E~
CH AP. I.
That Prophefie is the WAJ wherehy Reveiltd Truth u
diJJ,enfed and conveighetl tom. M1tn's Mind capAhle
cf convtrfing and being AC'JU4inted III weO with Re-
#'/JtAled or Pofitive Truth, M with Nat11rall Truth.
Tneths of NaturaU infaription may he excited int«
ttnd cleared to m hy means of Propheticall Influence.
That the Scripture frequently Accommedatts it felf to
vr~lgar "Pfrehenfion, and /}eaks of things in the grea~.
teft way of condefcenfion. , -. :
,, • 1

Aving fpoken to thofe Principles of Natura/J

Theologie which have the mofr proper and
~.lm3 ffl' neceff'ary i1'f!uence into Life and Prallifa,
. and are moft pregnant -with n;10rall good-
Refs; we come now to confider Ths(e •pieces of Re-
1Nealed Truth which tend moft of all to foment aoo che•
.rifi1 true and reall Piety. · ·
But before_ we fall prefsly into any firiet .Enquiry
concerning them, it may not be amifs to examine How
MJd in what manner. This kind of Tr_uth, :which depends.
folely 11pon the Free wiH of God, is manifefled rmto. m11n•
kind; and fo treat a little concerning Prophefie , which
inde~ is the one!y way .whereby Thu kind. (){ 'Irtfth;can
)>e difpenfed to ·us.· · For though our, P'Vn R~afon, pn~.
· ·. . - Z · \Jnder-.

~1Jo Of Propbe(te:
Underfranding carry all Nat11ral Tr1tth nece{fary for
Prallice in any fort, engraven upo1_1 thcmfelves, and
folded up in their own Eflerkes more imme1iatly, as
being the firft participations of the Divine Minde con-
fidefed fa its own Ete?nalnature : y.et Pofitive Tr11:;th
can ·only be made kno\~nlo us by a free' influx: of ·t11e
Divine Mind upon our Minds and Under~a~di~g~.
And as it arifeth out of nothing elfe but the free plea-
fure of the Divinity, fo withqut any n:icural determi-
nation it freely {hin~s upon th~ Souls of men wh~re
and ,.,~hen it liftet-h;. ·-hiding its' hght from them ·or- dtf•
playin·g it forth u~_on diem; as it pleafeth. · · c-0m1.e-tfe wt~h th~!e ~ter11JtJ. T.riJths ,of R.eafon, which
'. Yenhe:fo-qls of men ar~ as capable-_ of converting
with ·i~, though-it doe ifot•naturally:atife·out of the fe-
c\m'dl_ty ·9( their o~n· UnderftanEiings f. as rh~y-- are
with a~y ~e~fibl~ and ,Ertern~l _Obje~s. 1:',~d a~ ~ur
Senfac_1ons carry the nouo~s of Material tht~gs to ~ur
Under ftandi ngs which before w, €re· u·~~c-q~amc.ed :with
them ; fo there is fome Analog•ital way- wher,ebf · the
~no,vledge of Divi~e. Truth may a!fo ,be ~~~ealed_ to
us. For fo we may £all as well that· ·H1!'totu;al;Trut-h
of Corporeal and'Material tMngs;whic?: we are:in~.6~~
med of by our Seilfes, Truth of Revelation·, as ,that Di:,
vine.Truth which we, now fpeak of:- and therefore we
may have as. ·certai1:1 and.- infallible a. way of being ac~-
quainted \Viththe ene, a~i";with the' othtr~ Aiid>-God
havino- fo contrived the nature of our Souls; that we
may ~onverfe ·on~ with another, and-inform, -one afio-
ther of things we knew not before, would not· make,
us· fo deaf to his·--Divine voice.that .breakn-he rocks,.
and :rend$ ·t.he motmtains afunder ; .-He. ~vould ·not
make us fo updifciplinable in:Divine things, as that
we iliould not be capable of receiving· any lmpreffi.4
<>asfrolJl him'fcelfofthofe thingswhich;we wer eJbefore:
1
· \ unac-
0f ,PYoj,befli.
unacquainted with~ A'nd thM iv/JJ of c6mmunicatirlg
Trinh to: t~e. Souls of m·en ·~s, originally nothing: elie
~ut_l',-o,phet,c.al or Enchufialhcal;-:.and ro·we:may take
nouceo_ftheGeneraln11.tttreof-Prophejie. : •.; ... ,.
:T hou.gh I would· -not .all this: :while ibe miil:akeo
~sif I thought ~o Natural T,,,tbmight beby the mean:
o.f •Prophettcal mB.uencea~akened .within:us; and clea-
re~~·-up to -us,· -or that: we could_· no~ htmine ·pr.opbtti&b
~elnold:the: T,7.ntrhs·ef N1ttural11nfcr1ptio1J ;- for.: indeed
oae mam ;en~ an~. fcope of the P~.ophetical Spirit feems
tobe.$.e q~tclmtng up of our Mmds to 1un0re lively
~ommonly·11eb~nedu.1, fo. much 11. e!JiLy obfcmity)\v.itfo-
m us, that we d1.fcern them not~-: .And: therefure tlie
Scripture ·treats not only of ~hofe Piec~, ·of_ Tmth
which. are the Refults,of God.'s freeCo.un(ells but alf(l)
of :thofe which a,r~ moft a-kin an~Lallied to,our. OWll
Under~and.ings,· and that in the :grea~eft way of~on-
d~fcent1~,11, that may be, (peaking •to the;w.eakel1: ·fort
of men in·_ the inofl: vulgar·fort of dialett :- which'it
may i1ot be amifs to take a little notice of. -. . .
Divine Truth hath its Humiliati1in and Eximmition
.as well.as its ExitltAtion•. •.Divine.Truth becomes ma~
·ny :times in Scripture jncarnate., -debafing it fdf to -af..
fume our rnde. conceptions, that fo it 1night •Converfe
more freely wi_th µs, and infufe its .own Divinity. into
us. God havmg be~n .pleafed-· herein to manifeft him-
feILnot more jealous of i1is own Glory, then:heis (.as
I may fay) .zealo'us·ofour~good. Nos non.hab"t1flta·a11-
res, ficut Deifu babe~ lingrtAJJJ~ If he fhould fpeak.in the
!anguage-o~ ,Ete.rm~y, who .could underftand him, or
1~terpret his meamng ~- or if .he iliould :have .declared
h1s-.Trutht0 .us cmly in a way of the ,pur.ejfa~ftrall.· ion
!hat Humane .Souls are ,capable ,of, now. :iliould. ·theo
· Z2 - the
rt
-~•?J ·.: -~- 0/,Prcphe~e; .. · Of; PropTnfie:
the more 1·ude and.jlliter:tte fort of 1nen have. been a.;
:b~e to apprehend it '! Trttth is content, .when It comes
into the world, to wear our mantles:, to leant om· lan•
o-uage to conform it felf as it were to our drefs and
taillio~s: it affects not that State or F a.ftm whi~h the
difdainfull Rhetorician fets out his ftylt: withall~ Non
'I'arentiniJ Aut. SiculiJ h4c Fribim_m; · but it ffe~ks
with the mofi Jdioti&al fort of men m ~he moft Id1ot1cal
way, and becomes all things to all men, as _eve~y fonne
of Truth niould doe, for their good. Which was well
obferved in that old Cabbaliftical Axiome amon~ the
Jewes . Lumen f upern,em mmqaam de(cendit fine mdtJ-
mento.' And tlierefore (it may be) tlie heft way to un-
·der ftand the trae fenfe and meaning of the Scripture .
is not rigidly to exa~in~ it upon Philo~ophical Inter~
rooatories, or to brmg It under the fcrutmy of School..
D~finitions and Diftin8ions; It fpeaks not to us fo
muc'1 in the tongue of the learned s~p hies of the world,
3s in the plaineft and moft vulgar dialect that may be.
Which the Jews conftantly obferved and took.notice
of. and therefore it was one common Rule among them
fo; a true underftanding of_the ~~ri~mr~; ili:11 i1_1'ni1
ciN _'JJ 1,uh::i, Le:doqu1t11r ltngtM fi~1or1tm homm11m1.
Which Maimonides expounds thus, 1~ ~o:e N~voc~.
Par. 1,. C. ~6. !2.f!icquid homines ab tnt!tO cog1tat10.-
ms Ju£ intelligenti~ ~ imagitJ.Atio~e fua poj[,mt af[equ1,
id in Scriptura attrtbuztur creator~~ An.a ther€fore we
find almoft all Corporeal pr.Pferttes- a~tr~~uted .to ~o~
-in Scripture,. quia v1tlg1!4 homm~m_ab tmtto cogttat:onu-
Entittdcm non apprehendunt, nift m rebus corporetG, as
the fame Author obferves. But fuch of them as fr1und
Imperfellion invu!gar eares;as E~ting and: Dri_nking,~
the like, thefe{fa1t!h he) the Scrtj>ture_no wher~ at~ri-
b.ut:es.to.him. The. reaf~>n: of this plam: and ld1ot1cal
. . fty.le:
fiyl~ of Shi~tt~re· i~ ~ ~ay be worth·_ our farther t~king
.n,ot1ce of, as 1t 1s la1d:d9wn- by the forename4·,Author
C. 33, Httc caufa efl pfofter q~a1f! lex loqriiiurlingua
filior11m bominum, &c.- For thiJ-reafan the· 'L,111 j}taks
·according to 'the l11ng11age ·of the [ons of men, 'beca11fdt
·~the mo.ft iommodiom and eafie ·w11y of initiltting · and
teaching childrm, ·women, andt,he common people., wbo
hav.enot abilitJ. t'D :APprehftid-th,i~g_s 'acco~ding to the_very
nat11reand~ffence ofthem, Anu~n C. 34. Etji.per Ex-
empla & Similitftdinis non· led,iceremur, &c. And if we
were not fol to the knowledge of things by Examples tinr!
·Similitfl.des, hut we~e _pu_t to team and under.Ifand- a/1,
things in· their Formal-notions. and Effential'definiti"ns,
·and were to believe nothing' hut 11pon preceding: Dimon-
.Prations; then we may well think that ( R.eitJg this can.,
not be done b«t after long preparations) th'llgreatfr part
of men would he at the· conclu(ion of their daies; hifore
they co1tld know whether there ie a·6odor no; &c. Hence
is that Axiomefo frequent among the Jewilh Doctors,
Magn,i~ff virtru vtl fortitttdo·Prophetarum; q,,i afimi-
lant formam cum formttnte eam-, J. e. Grelt is the pow- .
er of the Prophets, who· while they looked do\vn upon
thefe Senfible and Confpicable things, were able to
furni{h out the notion of Intelligible and Inconfpica.:.
ble Beings thereby to the rude SeQ.fes. of Illiterate
peopl~ ··
The Scripture w.is not writ·only. for Sagacious an-d
Abftracted minds;· or Philofophical heads, for then.
how few are there that' f11ould. have been taught- the
true.Knowledge of God chereby-: ridifilios· CfEnaculi;
& erant pauci, was an.andent Jewilh proverb. We are
not alwaies rigidly to adhere to the very Letter of the·
. T_e"t· The~ is a·:-:-i½H and i inoJ in the Scripture, as
the Jewi{h:- interpreters-obferve-. We-mu.fl: not think
Z1 that:
 9{ f\oppefie:
µs
.that~~ ahv:\if;!,S g1w~s Itormal ])c;firi.itions of lh4ig~~'
Jo£i~ fpea~s-so~monly ac~o~diµ~:~H v_qlgar appr~,IJ~n~
Plal.19. ft.on, . :. -~~~h.~P·}~s_e~~.pf the:p_r;,_a~loj..~h.r ~~~~n~~~ic,h
M::ir.1.4. }l,O,~~ alw~{l_·t:very\I.~;o.~·~.nO\~S ba* ,1J.O,fiJJ.d~ -~ ~.11 •• ,S'O
wten jt·, tells us, lfo11~ z~. q. that God ~r~athedmt'l '?»IJ.11-
the bmuhof life, 411a ,napf~fdme. :4:.livjng-Jo11.l ;-'· th~
·cxpreffton_, is yexy ~q\oti(;~,_as_111~y (be,\?:~d-, f~e~~1.to
~.omply . ,~1t~_~J~~f iyul_g~_1: ffi~.c~~t., ,th~~ ,tl1~'~\'>!l~:of. M,an
i~.~o;h.ing~l~~"b~~ kih;q,(?f ~~f.~f~t~f·.0f 4.tr:e.: .· ~~d
.yet the~ Imm,ort~i~:·•th~~f:.}S, ex14ently 'i~Gnuare4, i~
frtting forth a, double Ongu~al _of the., two. parts of
Man, 'his Body.and his .Spµb .. ~~e .one. of which is
brougJJt in ~-s. •-~~i~pg.: ~P. P~tof ~;.~~·P!1l _of.. th~ -.earth,
'r-h.ep~¾ei\ ~.pf«;eeqµ~,(q>lp.;;,WJ~/J_req,t~ of· God him;-
felt. ,· . ·. . •· -. ::.'--. :.... •··1 ·· ·, .. . : · : 1 · ..

So ·we fill\ivery,_ Vulg3:r. ~xp~e.mons concernin.g God

.himfelf, befides· thofewh~h attribute·senfation and
Motio13 t(}, hi,n,, a.sJvh~ h~ Js fetfonh as.ridittgl'fO" the
1vings of 11(,e Wind,. riding ttp~n the clouds, f#ti?1g in
Hea'tlen,, and the lik~,. which. fcem to determine his in-
different Omniprefence to fame.peculiar place: wh~ri!-
as indeed fuch paffages as thefe are can be fetd{d from
nothing ,dfe I?ut thofe crafs •appr~hen~.o·ns,; which: :the
generalitie of me~ ~ave of God,_ as b,emg. mo_ll:: there,
from whence the obJ~~s of dr.ead and adm1rat~on: 1110ft
of all finite and infinuate thernfelves into their Senfes,
as they doe from the 4.ire, Clouds,. -Winds or Heaven.
So the ftate of I-IeO and Miferie is· f;t fortp. by fuch de-
nominations. as were moft .apt to firike a, terror -iatp
th~ minds of men, and :;iccordingly. ~t ts caUed Cte-
tm Cigant11m , the place where all thofe old ·Giants,
whom divine vengeance purfued in the general Deluge,
were aifembled ~ogether, as it is w:~11 ob.ferved- ".by a
Mr.Mede in fate Authqr of our own. upoµ. P.reverlJs ~J~ 16. -Tbe
Diacrib. firft
parr. m~n

~•··••··-····•-·····-····-···- - ···••·-·- . -··--· --·-~----·--·-·-•··.···-•···,····--·£


. .
·Th1tt. the PNJphelic4l spirit ~id not.al'!"ies m~nifefl it
ftlf with tbe Jame cl~,ir~ejfe_and ~vt~ence. The Gr~~
\ dual difference of Dwme ,llum_matum ~etwee1' Mo-
fes, the .Prophets, and the Hag1ographL~ A ge~eral _
J11rvey of the Nature of Prophefte _properly (o called.
-of the joint imprefions and operatzons of th! Under-
fl,u1-1ling_4nd pl,anfte in Prophefie. ofthe f~ur degrees
of Prophefle •.. :The difference bet,ween 4•V~fion A~d_a
.Dre~m. · · ·
befor·e w~ doe chis,· we fuall briefly .prem~fe
BUT
fomethi~1g in general concerning that CraJu~l vartf-
~y whereby Jpefe _Diviije Enthufiafm~_were. d_ifc~ver d
to th_e Pr~p~ets ~f,914. The Pr,sphe_ttCAl ~p~rtt ~1d not
al w·rues mamfeft it felf e1de.r» .vtgore lumtntJ, w1~h the
fame dearnefs.and evidence, in the fa~e exaltatton of
iti light: But fometimes that light was moref!ro~g and
,vivid, fometimes more wa~ ana obfcure ; _. w~1ch fee~_s
to be infinit;ited in that pafiage,. Heh•. 1. 1. Godwho zn
time pafl I}a"ke uriiothe Fathers by the Prophets '!TQAu ..
/Me;s ~ 'IT'OAUleP'71W;. ·so we find a·~ evid~nt difference of
Prophetical illumination ~erted in Scripture between
Mofes and the ref/ ofthe Pr'1phets,~e~t.34. 10.Jlnd t~ere
arofe not ti, Prophet fince in'!fr~el l,kunto M~fes, w~om
the Lora knew/ace to face: whi~h wor~shave a mam~eft
reference to that which God h1mfelf in a more_ pubhck
and op·en way declared conce~_ning Mofes, up_o~ occafion
of fome arrogant fpeeches or Aaron and Mmam, who
would equalize their own Degree of Prophefie to that
· -
Of f/'ropbrfie ;· ·· • ·7:7
ofM~fes, Numb.u~-5,6,7,.8. And the-L,ortforme down
in the pillar of the cloud, and flood in the door of the
TAhernacle,, and ~aUed Aaron 4nd :Miriam-~ and theyJ1oth
came forth: And he faid, Hear ~,y words; If there h.e
.-a Prop he~ among yo,,, I the Lord will mike my [elf know.tJ
unt~ him in a Yifion, and will f}eak rmto him ind Dre ii~:
My fervant Mo_{es is not fo, wh.o is faith/11/l in all min(.
lmtfa_; with him will I j}eak n1011thJo moutb., t'l,)e.11 appa-
rently; ~nd not in, dttr~. JP-peches, and the Jir,,#ituefe 'of
_the Lord flMll he behold. Wherefore then· ·were ye riot a-
fraid to fPeak again.ft_ my Jervant Mofes? ]n-which
,words that degree of Divine illumination whereby God
,m.ade h~mfelf known: to Mof~s f~ems to be. fetfort~ as
foin~thing tranfcen~ent-to the. PrDpheticill illiuµitiati~
on-: and fo the phrafe of the New Teftamcnt-is wont
"'to,4iftinguillibetwecn Mofes and the Pr.op'1eis', ~~·tin-_
-d~d J!efes had been_greater then any;p;oplm. But-.be-
.ftdes this G,:~il,Ml Jiffemm h,etwee_1_1 !d,qf_e,~--~~d t~e. ~l'P;-
phets, there is_ anotli~er d1~eren~~-very Jamou~ amopg{t
.tI1~Je~ifh_ \Yriters ~~twee~ th~J1ro1fjfs,~tjd tre H,itg(·
ographt,. which Hag,ographt wer.e. {uppos-d•btthem to
l-ie tnuchcinferio_r to die Prophets. Eut what. this diffo..
ren,ce between them w~~, we· !Jla\l ~ndeavoqr· ~o .(hew
·m9r~fql\y hereaft~r~: :· •, .. - >• : i ; i-: ,, · ·• ·· .• ·;r(; ,:;. ·'.
_ Ha1tit)g brie~y :PF~~nif:d t~is; . awr;gl/~qG~~--4~}
tn~
Threefold_ InJPtratron relating to Mofes , : P,rophf(.s -,
and the Httgiographi;We {hall _firfi of all enquir,e in~q-~he
Nature of that_ whi~h is__pe~~{i1r~1 a~1p~gff :~h,e "J1~1.ys
call~d ,P~ophfttc~l. · --A:nd;~h.~s: 1~_-t~u~ ~~~~~_9 ~s,~r
1(9:1
M4tmomderm P,ar. z . .p,, 3·6~ ~f; his Mo_r,~ .!-[w.0,{!,~.m,1>}~
rit~ & quidditM ~roplieti~ . nihil aliuil/ff ·,qin.in lhjlit--
_enti4 aDeo optimo Maximo,,medi11,nu intd{ ·lf11 Ag_inte,1
ft~per f~&:u.lta,tem Rationalem prim_'o, tleinde {11fer]itcul-
Mtcm It?1~g;r,,11tr,ic.em: i»jluens~; :~• eA!:,7~eJrr~~.: rffench·e~! of
of
. . a . Prop tjie

. '1Generai: fiirwy·. ·
Prophejie ii no~·hing e!fibnt·an Infl,ieenc.e fro'm the D~itie ·
t6pon the Rational fitfl-, ·a11d afterwards. the, Imagma-
tive F ad1ltie, by_ the p;ed,iation of the Afli'Ve inte/lecf.
Which. P~finttion: helbngs indeed to rrophefie 'as it is.
Technicallie fo called; and difiinguifhed by Maimoni,_
dis both from th1t degree of Divine illumination which
w:is above it, which the Mafiers conframly attribste
to· Mofes, and. front that other. degree inf~rior. to it-·,
,vhich they call tuiipn nii; spiritm Sanll.111; that·H~
]y Spirit.that moved in the Souls of the Hagiographi.
- But Rahhi !fofeph Alho in Maam J.. c. 8. De f,mda~
,nentil fidei, hath given us a m0re·large defcription, fo.
_as to ~akein alfo ~hegradm M~f.iictu, 11~,UJ ·V~'JJ ·NiM
\:Jn::m~:i ituN ,,::i,n rt:Jii P?V 7;:lii' ottJ;ilo, }.= e. Pro--
pheji/u ·an' inf!1eerice. ffom God' upon tbe R:ttionttl fac,d-
iie, either hy the .Mediation of the Fttnfte or otherwife~· and:
thi,s influepce; .whether by the mini/fry· of- an· .Angel or
~therwift;·_·n111.kt1 ~ 'iJfttn to··know fiech things tU· hy his Na-
tnpzk abil#ies.)1e. _cor!}d~1rbt.,att-ain to ·the ·knowlerlg of.
ihdugh her.e'·our, Auth9r· feems too much to :have
11:'rdghtned _the latitude of Prophetical influence, where-
by (as_ we inti~ated before) n?~ ·only thofe· pieces of
Divine truth may be commum_ca~ed to _the: Souls of
men which are not contained w1thm · thei-r own Ideas,
bti'.t alro.'.thofe n~ay~e· · ~xc_i ted, which ·have · a -11eceffarie
conne~on'with and•'dependenceupon Reafon.
But the.main thing that we ihall obferve in this·de[cri-
ptiori is,th~;;F~p~~~~e.~r Power o_f the ~o_ul,ufoti-wh~c~
th~fe fa'traoJ~mJr1e i'mprdfions·of D1vu~e light or m--
are·
flueO:ce mi&\·, whfth in aU prop_er, Prophefie js both
the·-K4,'ti~n.:at.andlmag~n11Jive po,ver.· For in this·Cafc
they . ftippofed the/magfmtfiv.e power to ?e _fe_t_'f,ortli-a~
a Sfagf upo~ whi~h cert_am 7:ifa._a_n~. S!mul~cr4 were
rtprefet\ted' to·the1r ·unHerftandmgs,; JUft_mdeed- -as
· ·· _·; -- · -.'·;-_ · · ·· d1ey:.-
oJ tbe nature of fPropbtfle: -·
. :they are to ~s in our ·common U~eams ; only th~t the
Underftandmgs of the Prophets were alwaies kept a--
wake and ftrnngly aded by God in the mid.ft of thefe
apparitions, to fee the intelligible Myfteries iq. them,
a,,dfo in thefe ~ypes an~ Shadows, which.were Sym-
bols of fomefp1!1t~al tlungs, t? behold the A1:1t:ityp~s
them.felves: wh1ch1s the meaning of that oldMaxime
of the Jews which ·we formerly cited out of Maimo~i---
dcs, Magna efl virttM feu fortitrulo Proph,eta~um qrei ajfi~:
milantformam cum form474..fe ~am. But in cafe the·Jm..i-
ginativc facuhie be not thus fet forth.as. the Seem of
all_-Prophe#calill_~triina-~ipn, but that the Impreffions of
things nakedly w1tho13:t any SchemesorPiElures be mad~
immediately upon tp,e Underltanding it (elf, -t;henis it
reckoned to be the~_;ae,us Mo(aicus :, · wherein God
fpeaks as it were face 'ftJface; ofwhich:more hereafter..
Accordingly R. Albo, in t.~e Book bef9re cited and
Iota Chapter, hath dif1=~nguiilied -Propheji_e into thefe
(our degrees.The fir fr and loweft of ~ll i~,w-hen ~he !m11.~ ...
'[inativepower is moft ptedominanc,fo that the im'pref-:
fions made upon.it are-too:bufie, &the Scene-becomes
too turbulent for the :RationaL.facultie to· difcern. the
true J\1yftical and ·.Anagogicatten[e of, them clearly;
and in this cafethe.Enthufiafms fpend themfelves ex-.
treainl;y_.in Parables:, .St~ititud§s. and. .A.Negories~, in a·
dark.and obfcure 111an~.e~;· ~s ~~ ~er·y m~f~fi:.t!li~iha-
. ·ry,_ and many of Ezechul h1s·Prophefies, ;as ;llfo. thofe
1
of Daniel:: where though we have firft the outward
frame of_ thi~gs Dram"!icallj '. [e~.-forth fo: pote.ntly'1ii
the Prophet s-p:h~nfie,. as cliat his Mind.was,11,ot~at t·he
fame tim_e ~p~ble of the myft~c~\ mea~j~g,-.y~~:-tnaf
was after~ard made ~nown to l11m, but yet witli much
obfcuritie ftill attending it. · . . . · · : · ··
'I'l~i_s dec/;P,ipg fl~te o( _Prophefle; the Je~~ ." fuppte~
.· .. · · A a:. · tuen
 1 So - _ . Fourde$rees o(JProp~e(ie~ ·_ .. . . . __ ~
. then prii1dp:tNy to,J1a~e-been~ an_d this D1..!1ne:1llumr-
nation to have be~n then,fettm~ -in ·the Honzon- oHhe
Jewifh Chu-~·ch1\vhe11 they were can:ie~ capt_iy~ in~o
Bahylom·: AJ}·,vfaich: we nv1y take a· l1tti·:e · more fully
from our:-Au~hor,hi:rii:Celfinlus 3. Book arr-J 1-7. Chap-
ter 't::>'11 :-u 1lln:i' rm, ·N,. ,;v 'b 2 i. r. Every rrophet that
is if It /fjong, fagaciVf# and pie.rcfng Underffa~di~~' will
apprehe-nrJ the thing: na,J:edly rvtf}j~ut aYJy ~1mtlt:~111e.,
-whence 'it ciim·es ,-"lipaj ·that ,tit liuJayings pr:_oved1ft1ncf
4ndcle.ir and fre_-e frori/ all obfct~ritfr, h~ving a literal
t'rltth in lhem: Bttt·a frophet of an infer(or ra# or de-
gree, bu words are o~fcrire, enwrapfd in ]!-iddles and_!.tt-
. rabies, and therefore· have-not a Lzteral' hM Allegorical
'imth contained in them~ Thus he; And.fo afterwards,
acce1:dirt 0 · to: the ge~eral 6piµiort of the. JewHlf M1t~-
fters· he[ells us thatiafter tlkC:aptivity.,in the·twilight
of Prophefte' E'{ekiel began. to ~pelk. alto~etl~er. in.
Riddles. and1Parables; anMo. he h1mfelf complams to
~ Chap.io.49. God~-~:. 41t I/orJ:Got1;,!f~if!1'.:J _of me, m,thhe notj}_ied}i_
l!11r11hl-es i! · ' '· . · ~ ' · .' ,· · . · ·.
The fecorid: degree-\vliicl~ ·ourJorem~rition~d Au~
thor makes-of P'rop-hefie is~- ,vhen the ftir~gth of the
Imaginative- and
Rational ·po_wers equaUy b_allance one
anotfret' .. . . .' ' '
The ihirii~ · ,vnen-the:· Rationarpower .i~~oft·P,r~;
as
dominant;·· iri:'whiith-·cafe ·( we· Heard·- before')::the
.Minde·of;he Prophet·is abkto· ftrip· thofe.th~Qgs 'that
are reprefented'to it in die g~a(~·of _P~anfi~ of. al!°tneir
ma~eriali~y1 ~nd_ fenfi~l'e _nature; a11d·aP,l'r~~end-'..the_m
more ~iffinctly-!n~he1r~wn_n:ak~ -~~~~-.-1 ..•; ·.,' _., :
· ·The. laft. and'H1gheft 1s t~e-g,~adfu--~t1fKtf~,1n:w~1th:-
all Imaginationceafeth, & the 1:{ep~efcn~~o.~ of Trndt
defcends. not fo low as the Imagmat1ve'part, but 1s .ma:de-
i~tfudiigheft ~grof Reafon and·Undedfanaing~- .
· , · ·-
'R._e11elatio~s hy rn~ejm; ~11~ Pifto111._ _ rgi
·E11twe {hall hereafter fpeak moye folfy·•cortc~rning
t'he :feV'eral degrees of Prop_het~c_al_ Infp_iratfon, and art:
courfe more particularly. ot_ the· R1each ha~~ode-f!\ tpe
higli~ft degr~e of Prophefi~ or gradtu.M1;f'a1~11S, _ an4
Bath col or the loweft degree of l)rophefie. · · . . .
Seeing then that generally all l'rophefie or Prophe~1cal
Enchufiafm lie~ in the }oint- iinpreffions and operanons
of. both chefe forementioned faculties, the Jew_s were
wont to undedbnd that place Nrtm_b. 12.• 6,.~~-: as ~e~
nerally decyphering tha~ Sta~e or• Deg~u of· Prophe.:.i
fie by which God would d1fcoyer lnmfeffe to aU
thofeProphets that ever !hould anfe up amo~gft them,
or eve1· had been except Mofe-s and the Mef,ah. And
there are only th~re*Tw.owaies·dedaredwherebr_Go4 * ln~ll~1cl11ii-
would reve~ll· himf~lf to every., oth_er Pr~phet,. ei~her t~~~~~~'vi-·
in a rijion or a_Dream? both w;11ch_ are perp~-~Uy ftonc,cmtinen-
attended with th.ofe Yi fa and S1m11lacr'!- fen(i~rlu as t11r ~mneJ Pro-
rr. .dr C . ... n fi {e or F~n pl,ma!gr.tdu~.
mufl, needs be unP,reue
.
_upon .qmm(?:. en . . , . -~ MaimGJn. in
fie; wher.eby the_.~topl1e.t:s-feeme~:rq h~ve ,all ~fa~t~.S~tr M~re Ncv.p.:..
f~s1 waking ~nd, e~er.ci{fog ·.~P.:lr_. s~v,:1?~ f~n~~_Oll~> 6
·c,·) •
though indeed all. was but-Scenrca/f or.?ra~1rzc1l._ ~c-
cording to this Twofold way qf .p1vme_ mfp1rat1on, '
. rhe *Prophet :fo~l foretells th~ N,~·m_re··of_t~_at 1:_?phe~ *Chap.,,. ~s.
ticit1 Spirit that _fhould be powre~:~?t. Ill:t_he. lattef
tirn~s; _an_d'in p mmy. q~ .t:4•. ,\Ve~h~y~ t~~}~~f~ ,~ro~
I!
1
p~ts broµghtfoas ende~vou_n~&-~p1~1_ly-~~: 111111:'~~e ~-~~
true)?i·ophets of~ ~od~ .1~ forttfymg _th~1r_ F.anµes by
·the. powe_r _of .P1vmat1on , that_ t_~ey. 1n1glit t~lk ?f
_Dreams. andOT,,,ifioru Wh~i;i: they caJ?~ a~o9.g ~h~. ~e~.rl~..
Now for ·the· Di!erence of. tli~fe, _two,, .a.Drtam -a~tl
a -,lip@ri,it feems rather toJie ia.Cir~T1mtla_ri~~1~---t~¢r;i ~l
any thing Efi"ential~& ~herefore Matm.fart_.1..J.1_oreNev_.
cap_-~ 45.: tells .us that ma Dreal!' _a·v~1~e_was_ fi e~~~n.t-
4
ly hear-0, which was hot ufual ma rijion. Eu~'tI-ie _re-
But . ,! --·. · · Aa3 pre1entatL0n
'18-z . Yhe difference lntwem
preCentation of. Divi~e things by fome Senfible images
1.,... -·· .,
pr fome Narrative voice muft needs be in both of them.
:But yet the Jews are wont to make a Yijion fuperiour
:to a Dream, as. repre[enting things more to die life ,
which indeed feizeth upon the Prophet while he ,is a-
wake,· but it nofooner ,forprifech him but that all his
external fenfes are b0und; and fo it-often declines inta
a trne Dre.am, as Mairnon. in the place forem.m'd proves
by the ex~mple of Abraham, Gen.-15., u. where the
rifzon in which God. had appeared to him ·c as it is rela-
ted. ve1:. I.) paifed into asleep. Ana when the Sun wtU
going down, a deep fleep({_ell upon .A.hraham, and foe an
homr _of great darlmef Jell upon him. Which words
f eem to be nothing elfe but a defcription of that paifage
.which he had by. Sleep out of 'his r:fjion into' a Dream.
. · Now thefe Ecftatical irnpreffions whereby :the Ima-
gination and Mind of the Prophet w.1s thus ravifh'd
from it felf, and was made fubjecl: wholy to fome A-
gent intellect informing it and fhining upon it, l fop,..
pofe S. Ptt,11,l had refpe~ to. I Cor. 13. Now we fat ji,'
EO'?)?r'2-frl &, a1vh•J{9-lt; vy aglaf, in ·ridclles or ,para'bles ;
for fo he feems to compare the Higheft illuminations
which we have here, with that conftant Irradiation of
.the Divinity upon the Souls of men iµ the life to
-coine: and this glaffing ·of Divine ·things by ·Hiero-
_glyphicks and Emblemsin theFanfiewhich he (peaks
of,· ,vasthe"properway of Prophetical infpiration.
for the .further clearing of which I {hall take .notice
of one pru;fage more out of a Jewi!h. writer ., .that is ,
R.Bec,~1i,concerning this prefent arg1.1;ment,·~hkh Ifind
,Com. m lfr~m. 12. 6. o,~:iJii :,NW. 0Nr:n 7··won½ ni,
'i:J\ ,coluit ·veus afimil,.,e Prophetiam 'rebq11<jrum Pro ..
phetarNm homini fPeculum in,f}icienti~ prout ,nnuunt
11.abbini nojlrz 1/lo axiomate proverbiali, Nemo infPici~t
. _.,.· · .. f}ecutum
' ·a· Pijio,z and a 1)ream; . ,1~;
_Jfei~lum Sah~_a~o :, il~r,dJiecttlum e.fl. v_itreum,. ~n q;,~_re-
fie lt~tr,r homtn! ,frta tpflus form a & tmago per .vim ·re•
ftex~vam JJecttlt~ c~tm re'vera nihil ejitfmodi in. tpeculo.
r.eal1ter exifl~t. Talu. erat'Prophetia· retiq,mam Pro'phe-
tar11~, eo qrtod cont11ebantur Jacrtu & pura1 imaiines &
l11,m~na f11pern_a, ex m_edio J}len!o~u &,~ritatu iftbrHm
lumt~II~ r~almm, 'T;Jt{£ funt t!ltt ftmrlrtudines, vif..~ ·
fun! tOts tales form£ q,rales,ftmt formtt,· human4, By
which ~e·feems-to refer~e to thofe images of the living
C_reatur~~ reprefenced _m.a ~r?phccical viftori to Efay
andE{,ekz~l; but generally mtunates thus-much to us
That. the light an~ fplendor of· Prophetical illuininati~
on was not ~o trtu~phant: ·over the Prophets fanfie,.
bat. that he viewed: his ·o~n Image,. and faw like a man,
andunder.fiood thmgsafcer .the manner·of nienin all
thefe Prophetical vifions•.
CH AP. IIL.
!low_ the Prophetical _Dreams didAffer from a!t'other
~mds of Dreams recorded in Script,ir~.· This fut;ther ·
, zl(rtftrated o:tt.offeveral.pafft1-ges if Phil0JµdreUs'.Pcr-
ttnentto this purpofe., · ,
\!VE have now· taken a c_ene!al fur_vey of i:h_~_Nl- ..
tur.e of Prop_hejie, which 1s alwa1es at~cn.ded (as;
we have {h~wed) w1tfi a rijjon or:a Dream, thouoHin·-.
deed- ther_e;1s nQ.Drenm prop.erly,without-af·•;ftoiAnd
here be~ore we pa[s from hence, it will be neceffarie to,
take notice of a main DrlHnccion the' Heh'rew Docrors
\ve
.are wont to m~ke ·of Dreams; left mi.lhlce all thofe
DretVns-w;h we meet with in.Scr.ipt\m\ & .cake'them·ifl
i
. for,.·

The di/Jmnce of rp rop1Jttical 1'reitms
for Prophe.tical, whereas many-of _the~ ,ver,e t10.t fuch.
For tliough indeed they were all ~"!l'ef'7T1tt. fen~ -by
,yod., y.ec many w~refo,1t;1.s"},{o.nitio.n_s ·and Inf!_rnllron~,
.and, !¥d no~ _the true force .and V.tgor of Prophetr
CAl 'Dfeams m them; and fothey a.rewonc common~y
to· dilbnouiih between r,,,~ 01'7n and ''N1:llii ;:n'm.
There a1~ fo~n,ia vera., and [omni.a_ Pr.ophetica: anl
.there M,iimonides in.More Ne~~P,at:.i..Cap.41 .. hath thus
.generally characterized, · /JJ!f;,indP-1i~·it~r? _reus veni~
ad N . .infomnio noctis, id Prophett a ,mmm~ n~nc11_par_i
pot~/l, mque vir tlllu, Propheta, &c. whe_n zt t& fiua zn :
.Roly writ., Th1t God came to (uch a man.ma Dream of
.the nighr, tha cam1otb,e:ealJda Prophelie, nor fuch_a
'11Mn a Prophet; for the meaning ii.no 1JJ0re then tint,
·rh4t fame .Admopition or-JnftrteDion wa1 given. hJ God
to fi,ch a man , and that it w~ in a Dream._· Of thLS fort
He and the reft of the Hebrew Writers hold thofe
Dreams to he which were fent to Pharaoh , Neb11chad·
nett,ir, .Abimelech and Laban; upon which two laft
our Author obferves the great Caution of onkelos the
Profelvte(who was inftrucl:ed in the Jewifu learning by
R. Ele~za~ and R.fofl,11.1., the moft famous Dotto rs of
that age) that in his _Preface to ~hofe Dre~ms o~ Lahan
and Ahimelech_he faJes, Bt vemt verlmm a Dommo: but
doth not fay ( as when the Drt:ams were !rophetical)
Et revelavit fa D1mimu. Befides, a marn reafon for
_which they deny thofe Dreams to be Prophetical is, for
that they that wer~ made partakers of tliem were un=
faactified men; whereas it.is a trldition amongft them,
that the Spirit of Prophefie was not coi,imunicated to
any but good men. _ ·· .--",;";
But indeed the main dilference between thefe two
forts of Dreams feems to confift in this, That fach as
were not Prophetical were much weaker in their Energy
upon
from alt otber D,tams reco>,aed in Scrp'tUre;
. upon. tpe ~maginat_ion thefr tf, e Other. were-, in io·~~d1
that they \¥anted the ftrength, and force of a D1V1ne.
evidence, fo as to give a plenary aifurance to the Mind
of him who ·was.the fubje& of them, of their Divine
original; as w.e fee in thofe I?ref'"!1 o~ Solo"!m,. 1 !{ings
3.·v..5:; r5:.anctch.9. 2t. where-1t1Sfa1-dofh1m, wnen~e
awaked he faid., Behold it- wa1 a Dre1tm ; as if he· had
not been effeetually confirmed from the Energy, of the
Dream it [elf that it was. a true Prophetical influx. -
But thene kyet another• difference· they are wont to
make between them, which is, -That thefefamni.4 vera
orvfln9-ii'n,cg; ord'inarily corttaiqed ind1em o'7~:J-cri:i'1·,
fomething that w.is dp~·v· or void of reality·:· as in that .
Dream of fofeph concerning the s,m, the· Moo11, and
the: eleven Stars bowing down to him-; whe~eas ~is M~-
ther, which fhould: there have· been figrufied by the
Moon-,_ was dead and buried before, and fo uncapabl'e-of ·
performing that l'efpeet to him which the other-at laft
dkh Upon occafion of which Dream the GemarHt Do-
8:ors in Berachoth·c. 9. have framed this Axiom, c:::;r.D;J
N7:l ci1-m1?· itt1:iN t,N tJ l~MNn i:l7·'itYsiN ~'~~
oi',io:i c,,~,, As 'there -ii no corn 'ffJiihont fl.raw;fo 11e1:.
ther h there any: mcer .Dream rvithout fomething rhaf if
"f'.JO>', void 9/ reality,& inflgnificant~ Accordingly Rab.
A-Jba in -Maam; 1. Ci 9. hath framed this diftinction be-
t-we.en·i:hem;. i1'7~-- MNi::lJMi C'?m'1 c,i:::i-1 N7::l :cr,ntN
~n~~l ,p,-,,i. t.'l)1',: ~li'e_re· u; no,. meer· .Dream without I~m-e.;_
1h'ing in it 'that u .t4p,Jv ,. ·IJ11t Prophe.fte is II thing·· w,l"'f1.
1Jt1d mt>{t exaflly true. -. : · .. . · · · . . · ·_
.. ·The.general- di{feren.ccf 9etweei.~ Propfoic~l J~~~al!ls
t
and t~ofe ~ha~ arf!li~~~rl N-o_ ul_lieticit!.· br_'Miifi~tir.~--i~_}
allelfe:whlc;hwe find.recordedmScrtf}tUt~,P..IM~1:_~4-~1rn
his:Trad: ~ ~~oiti-Jp..'Ttls~l'T) -~VElf~~,aitd ~l~ervJ\e;re~;~.~~!1
at:large la1d ·doWcn. ·-Theprop.er·characrer·of tliofe· tnac
:.. ; .J , · Bb _ · were
 i 86 Tbe dijformce··of fropbttical1'rtams
. werePropheticalj1e clearly-iofinuates to be thatEcftatic&l
rapture wh~reby in all Prophetical Dreams fo_me ~ore,
potent caufe, acl:ing uron the Mind and Imagmtttron of
the Prophets , fnatch cl them from themfelves, and fo
left more potent and evident impreffions upon them.
I fball the more largely fet down his Notion,becaure
it tends to the clearing of this bufine[s in hand, :tnd i~,
I think much obfcured, if not totally corrupted by his
franfiat~r Geien.ius-. His defign is indeed to fhew that
Mofes tau 0 ht thefe feveral waies whereby Dmims are
conveyed ~om J:Ieaven, that fohis_ foblime an_d recon-
dite doclnne might be the better hid up therein ; and
therefore failing. bttween- C11bbalifme 38? Platonifmt ~e
'll
l\ oropes after an AllegoricaLand. Myfi1cal meaning 10
i fhem all.. His firfr fort of Divine Dreams he thus ,de-
fines, ~ 11 'll'efferrDV, bJi ctfi(,O;r@., 'rnS ?«J"nO'ECtJS .:h~, ~ '-,~)1-
~ti;r~ rloe;i.rr&Js ,m: ,iJJJ,v 'ft wl'nAa.., '}'Vwe,tp.g, :J ic:tu'f¥,
The firft kind Wltf when God himfelf did hegin t!,e
tion in the Ph,r.nfie, and fecretly whiflured fucb thtng~ Ill
Are Hnlmawn .indee.d to m, hut pe,fell(·, ~nown t9 h11n-
felf. And of this fort he makes fofeph s dreams, the
fenfe whereof was unknown to :Jofeph himfelf a.~ fi!tt,
and then runs out into an Allegorical expo1iuon of
ntel 'Iuvlr,. them in the Book intitaled 1ofeph.
The fecond kin.cl is this, T~) ~fJNlee;t~ !'ta;vsla,~ ..,.~ r?y!
gj.._(J),,. au,-,c.cvb'p~fns {uxi·, ,lJ rSeo<p"f"n 1-<9-i,lc« dv~,m~-
wm-.a.,4,l>1s, &c. When our .Rational fllrnlrie being msved
together with the Soul of the World, and ftlledwitha di-
,z,,inely•infjirttl f!'ry, iloth pted'ill_ thofe t!ings !h,4t are
to come-. In which words by his ..J.u%~ ,iJfJ. ohwv he
means. the fame thing with that which in.a former !Book
about.thefarne.Argument.he-had caHed@) ol\.(JJV J.11,v the
Mind'of the Univerfe, which- mingling ·its influence
with our Minds begets thefe 'lTePl'"c-Itr!/.s or. prevHions.
. · And:
. from all otlnr Dteams recorded in Scripture: 1'37
And this is J.'lOthin° elfe but that which others of his
tribe call '-Jy!ln i.:,JtU or Intellellm agens, which it
feems he underlh>od to be the fame with Anima Mundi
or Univerfal Soul, as it is_ defcribed by the Pythagore-
ans and PlatoniJl:s. Of this fort of Dreams he makes
thofe of 1acob s Ladder and of Lahan' s ~heep. And
thefe kincls of Dreams, viz. that wherein the Intelle-
l11M agens doth fimply aet upo~ our Minds as patie~ts
co it and that wherein our Minds do cooperate w1th
the Univerfal Soul, and fo undedbnd the me:tning of
the influx he thu~ compares together; Aro oiee,pq,Jv-
tn~ ~s tr· ;T)
,-- · y
,r; 1re#<nv
~
cn~cu>'e,4,@. <pewla,m~, '1'&,JI~,
, __/ r1 ~N t'I 11 "-' I
,nrJ,,u. ~ «e,.d''ftA.rJJ, t(A,WJUafV, CG'111 '11:1 oStl ,c,pnop,ol$ '9'-f,-
ozv eOl'(9/ffll 2{..g. TYJ orae.r,,v ~,-,a.»..ov,~ tffl,; 0 v 'fO
..:J
f \ ~t"t ' f C: f)_
. f "'f/f!l e I ,.\ ~\ '
J'e1'11e,pV, ~ atpod'e,;t- ,m}\.r.t,U?(d$, ~ OKcn:CtJ~ J.,y:i.v, &c.
In which words it is to be ebferved that he calls the
matter of the .fir.ft fort of D~eams 'X,f~<T/.18~ im((Jef/J, eol-
mo• '(9rm., which Geleniru hath m1~00~ wh1lft_he tr~nfiates
it Dei orac11lis certis convementta. W 1th his leave
therefore I lhould thus interpret that whole ·paffage,
·!2.!!:_arc Mofes f4cer A_nti.fte_s i~digita~s i//114 fhant~fi"!
qN4 ohorirtntrer fecund~m_ pr~ma"! fje~um, e,u pe~fjzc11e
--& adm~aum manifc/le !ndzcavtt_; ( 1. e. ,by aadmg an
- Explication _of thofe £rt_tgmata ?f :Jofe.ph ~ ~un, 1".loon,
Stars and Sheaves which he h1mfelf m 01s Dream un-
derfi:ood not. which Explication is not made in the
examples of ;he fecond fort) _quippe Dem .[u_bjecit ii['!"
pba1JtafttU per fomnia qn£ ftmtles Jtmt ~ertJ Prophet_,zu.., ,.
. (i.e. :-,i~Ol -:-,~,;iJ'?, perfell£.!r.oph_etr£,fi~ 1:''~7~,
'"N,:llil, fo"!nii~ Prophefic~, utt loqu! an:an~_ J:fagijlrz::~
secrmdi "!er_o g~n_eriJ .Jomnttt ~ec plane d1lu~z1e nee val•
de obfcure tnd'tgttavtt; qualza erant- Som71Ja de. Scaff
c«lefti, &c. _Now thef~ Dreams of :1ofeph't~ou~h t~ey
contained matter of ahkenature to Prophetic.al mfp~ra..
Bb 2 tlOO:,
 -1 g_g· ·The Jrfferencl 11{.ProplJetical Dieams f rvin :afl.ot~er Vreains re?ortkd--in~~itipti4re;. :·_l!:_f9,
:tion, yet were they-indeed not fu.ch, andth:erefune are· c~ver ;the~felves in th~fe k~nd ofe Dreams. Ai s· ~
accounted of hy all the j_ewiili.- writers :only ~s 'S o.m.tliid: rm rre,< r1w B8'@.,·tpw;trnirncq ·f'S-»..ov .:f: '7T'e,p1t&iJJ i>1Ae]4,.,cq,
1

•1Jera; and fo our Author endeavours- to -prove -tVfr;r ¾ '1?l ba..3u '9 ,c,a,/a.,t9fE• ixetv _'(O aAPl'}'f{!I,, eJ'sn~ct €.,.·
I

. .fitly to ,our purpofe, ;tho11g,h indeed upon ~ miibke ,rn, dvfo,'H-pi'fti!M, b'tn9JM1>,L,e~-1:he_phantfl{m! which helong
* fhou"h he I. l h k f h V n
w :isa Ji:~v, yet w 11c 1 e to,~ o.ut :o .it e~ · ;r 0n !J r e , . evemty
f h »s . to the third kind are more p,lainly _declaredhy J.(ofe.r then
1 1 the forme~; for tbe_y C-O!itaini,ng -a_ ,rpery pro/iifli~- and .
w:is he min,•d :Gen. 37,. 7. '!lµt,?V, '1p.>unv.., :nrw.)Jfie.oµ.,.6uqv-J.&'i'~1a,. • !'ID
11p amongG: the 'fl,., /;;p:/lli.., £,St~, dJ'>n?.,..~;( ~ ~ ,cs,J'.oui.,-o.;T ®, r!J_ dµv.Jlfi~,
Grclks,and not , ' /)_ , ...., _ , , _, . ,,, < ,,,,., , ,,,
~ark .meamng, they •r:eqtfi:'e~'t1!•t~-t«plaining ·of ,them a
well :icquaintcd '\!WTJl\"-'{J-pe<,v.ovi:@..,, i:l r,ra,")'f-w; -°tj --Ti!AC(.:tJ')Q)' o,&tl1®, at,'J/ct,.• ·knowtedge-of ,t,he :Art if•interp~eting ~reams,:· ;_·as- -thofe
with the He- :cp~')lp.d. :~V-, &c. fo{eph faid, e·
Me-thoug!ht·we!We'1!e D,teams of ,Pharaohan&- ·bi's. Bu.tle( ,and J3akef -;am.d of
*brew bnguagc. ,_ • d-.
Which word .mn mg
jh eaw.es ·] .rr.T: •J [ M
J. nat mor.a
L
e-tuo.ug ·ht _.] J5• the· Nebuohadne-Z.,'{ar; -who· were. onry ahiazed -nnl rla:~led
;.s nm in che -lang,uag£ of JJ11e that is tmcerJain, dtt.bioru, .and.o'bfc1e.nf-y· with thofe ftrange A.ppar,itions th~t were made to
1

}Icbrew. :a
frmnijing ~ ;JJ:Q.t :a[ ome:Phttt firm:ly.11Jf-ur.ul, ;Jttzdplai1ily·
fa-es.things-~•- indeedit-v.ery JV:ell hefts tho.fe who are.nm-
ly a:nuiked:aut 'o.f .a foimd :P-e-e.p.~- .aod liav~ fcarc-c reafii:ti"
to.dream, itofillj':[:Me-.thought; ]- -nDt:thofe-sph.o arefui~J'
11.-wAke,, A-nd.'behold tt.!l ,tbings dearr.bj. B11t ff,a.c.ob., who w,iu-
•m.ore :ex.er;cifed -in divi11e lhing-s, hath no fuch w.or.d JU
[Me-:thought] when he J}Ieaks.ofb:i5 !Dr.e11m., 'bJJt, /aies
:ke, Behold,4,Jadderft.t.itpon.-thuarJh., and.the top.of it
.reached 11:ptto huv.en, ,&c. After 1thefam.e manner :ai-
moft doth Maimonides in his More N.e.v. dillinguifh be-
tween Swnia rv.era ,er Pr.ophetica , making f.aco.bs·
.Dreams :( as all th.e Jewilh writers.doe') to .be Dropk~-
~~
Thf_:tliir.d kind;~f. 1>reAms ;meut~?n~ hy ,p~~lois
-th.us laid ,down hy him , ~u.u,,rx.ta, ;;, rro ~~tJ:Ov ~~®~,
C ·/ .;, "' " =.It. ~
Jlm:D~CW ,OV,mJIS\tJ71"1'0l~ vs•EIX-U'mn1 ¼'UX,i
~ C :.l ..o. I
\ ,x.iv~l""Yn1,
.PBOU -ict.v'1!u), ,,cgpu{aa.v'TI(f. -~ CW;;f~(Jl{dQlt ) J\t.µJa.~~ '2l'e,.-
.,.,,wsi~i '1i2 p.h~o;ifa. · ..siau'i{,a, -i. e.. The :third kind i;,
llJhe» in. jlee.p the '8lJ,uJ being moved of -it felf, 'lf;J);i ag.i-
them, ·but: not ·ahll enhgb_tned lly ,~hem. . .Th~e-are of
t:hat ,kind ·whic~ .plato :fome~imes ifp.eaks -0f, tiiat :Can~
,Aof!be-und_erft·ood_ w~thout ~i'fr~p'heN ,and--t~~efore he
w~uld_ ~ave fom,e, Prophet-c;,r'· ·W.1fe ~a~· alway- fcl:'- over
·this [A,CW7iwl, Thus we-ha\ve. feen there ~rht-ee fdtts 0£
Dre-ams- ~ccor-d4ig·to· 'P'hilo, ·,the·•Fi~ff and-bft-where-
~f •the JewiQr Dotl:or-~ tonJoil) toged1et~ 'Rad-roil(fanc-
1y tr-efer the·-oneirotr-iticks ·~f-t·~~irrH:0·1;n~'\Dr¢amers-
t'hemfelves: ··and thet-efor-e vrliei·¢a_s :.toefdeprefs:-the
not~on of them confi,dered in ·themfel-ves· befow: :any
Deg~·ee ~f _Prop~ef!e , yet the Interpretation of them,
they attributeto-!hcfwii~~ nr,-0r Hily' Spirit ; •eic€pt
.. !her~ ,~ea~ •!nterpr e!atii?n\of ·th~_ Dr~arh'-in_ tihr ~-f#m.
•M fel:f, '~ as that -the :tvfma of?the'l)reamet., be ifoUy {a:.
ii~fie~ ~oth in d,ie i;nea~ing-anq. div_initiy: lhrieof; '{o__r-
f;J' • .Cl
.:Ct,1ft:(.9'.L• t_he.n: ·1t ·1s-truly Prophetic4~ ' .Aria thu$: :much for th~s.
Pam~ular.: - · - - ·
.
J''l... -; ·•; .-, :

tating it· {elf, .is in .tt kind ofr.apturoa1 rage, ,1nd.in .a

Jivin_e fury .doth forete./l f«t>1me thing-J,bJ .a pruphetide
f 1LC.altie. . And ithen, which is more t0 our .purpofe, _,he·
-thus Jets.forth.the natu1ie-0f--thofe ifanfies· which.:di:f• . ~ ~ . .- ' ::
,,
·1!
covti:·
t
:• 9o The dijfire,tte of.the true 'Prophetical fpirit
CH AP. IV.
.A l4rge Account of the Difference bet,veen -the trne Pro•
phetic,tl Spirit and Enth1ljiaftic11l impojlurcs. That
tke Pfeudo-Prophetical Spirit u'fe11,ted only in the Ima-
gmattve Powers and ~acuities inferior to Re11.fan.
That ~lat~ ~d other Wift men had a very low opinitJn
of th/6 fpmt,. ttnd ef the Gift ef Divination, and of
Co~f~ltmg t~e Oracles.. T~at the '1'~1'e Prophetical
~p_mt feats it falf a-1 well m the. Rattonttl P.ow.ers,a1
· :n th_e_s~nj#we, andthatitne1.1er t1.lietM.tes,the;Mind,
hut mforms 4nd enlightens it. .Thu further cleareel
i, fev_era_l .T,eftimonies from Gentile and Chriftia»
Wntm of old. An ,dcco,mt of thofe Fears 4»d Con-
. :fl:er11Atfons ~hichoftcn, faizeduponthe Prophets. Hqr1
!In Prophets perceived when the Prof hetic_al_inffex fei-
zed upon them. The different· Ervir!~»ce 4na Er;ergy
ef the True 4nd falfe Prophetic,t/, Spirit.
f~om ivhat_ ':Ve h,we formerly difcourfed concer-
~mg the S~A$~ of Pha1Jjie and JmAgin°4tion upon
which thofe Yij1t prefented themfelvfsJ:o the. Mind of
th~ ?rophet,_ in w~ich h~ he~eld the real objects of
p1vme truth m which he was mfpired by this _means;
1t. may be eafily apprehended how eafie ~ matter· it
m1_ghc_ b~ f~r the Devils Prophets many times, by an
apifu 1m1tat1on, to counterfeit the True Prophets of
God, an~ how ~ometimes Melancholy and turgent Phan-
ftes, fortified with a {l:rong power of Divination, might
unfo_ld themfelyes in a femblance of true Enthufiafms.
For mdeed herein the P_rophetical influx feems to agree
. with
·ftom aO E11thuflaftict1liinpoflurt! _ . .1 p. f
with a·mifl11ken Enth11jiaf~, that both of th_em make
{hong impreffions upon the Imaginative powers·,. and
require the Imaginative facpltie to .be vigorous and
potent: - and therefore Maimonides tells us that the
gift of !)ivjt11tti~n, whi~h c~nfifi:ed in a mighty force
of Imagination, was alwa1es. given to the Prophets, and
that This and a Spirit of Fortitude were the main Ba(esr
ofProphefie; More Nev. part.z.• c. 38. DtltU ifla1 faculta-
W, Fortimdinis fciljcet & _Divinationis,. in Prophetis.
fortifimas & vehementifma1 effe r;ecef/e ·efl., &c. i,' e.
It is nccef[ar_y that theft tw~ F acuities of .fprtitude ,m4·
Divination foould be mofl _flrong anti vehement in the·
Prophets: whereunto if at any time there WtU an acce.fi.-
on if the inflrunce of the InteOell, they were the,-; beyond'
meafure corrobor~ted; info m.uch. that, (11o i.tis.·.w.e4
known) it hAth come totM, thtit one mati hfa/n4ktd
St4fe rlitl pre,v11,il wer ·a potent 'King, and in oft maTJf#f.J
delivered a whole NatiDIJ. from hondag_e, viz. after it wa,s,
{4idtohi~ E)(od. 1• u. I will be~ith th~e. _Andtfough·
there he different .Degrees of th_efe. t.1' 1_1Jen,, yc_UJ~ne _can.
he altogether w_ithout. that. Fo~(itude. Aµd .Mag·nanidi~~·
t~e. So it 1v1t1.faid t~~ q;'erem_i Chap. 17~ i8. B~Qoi:
difmaied at their faces, &c. Behold l have made thee
this daiy a defenced City; And{o to£\ ek. Ch•.z ~ 6;Be not
afraid of ~hem nor th~i~ words: ,mlge1Jera!Lj in af!, the..
Pr~phets we jb4/l find.4 grw Fortittide, an,d Magn4n·im~~
ty if spirit._ jBut hy the e.xc~ll~n.cy, 'of th~ 'gift.o[Djvi:.
'¥Jing t6ey co1tld on a, f,,dden af!din a moment foretell /U:-
tffre t~ing; 5'·ifhWJi.c.b F_acultie·notwithJlaiJ.ding,ther.e wAr
great diru~rflti:£. ·. ,Thus he.·. _..- ... •.: _· : ,< ·:' .. · .. . ,, i
. l~ wiltn9t •h~ ~herefol'e·_i~y ·.giea~pigr~{li<~in)i..ere~ ·
awhile t~ -examine th~ .Natur.e of thisiF4l[~ _lig~n,;bicli.
pr~ten4s .to Prophefie,_ hilt is not i. ·as being ·reated .only,'
in the Imag_inAtive power; from whence the fir ft o,ca·!"
·· · · '· · · · : Lion.
 from all Bnthufiaflical impofluri _ _
Heaven and Earth wm juinhled together. All which
proceeds from the too-great force of the Imaginative ftt-
crtlty and the imbeci!lity 0/ the Rational, -whence it is that
nothing iri it" can paj forth into all. Thus he. This·
delufion then in his fenfe of thofe 'EvEp')l9,4uo, which.
pretend to Revelations, arifech from hence, that all
this forr~!n force that is ~pon chem fetves only to vi-
gorate & 1m~re_gnate t~e1r P_hanfies and Imaginations,.
but does not inform their Reafons,nor elevate them to.
a true underftanrling of things in their coherence and
contexture; and therefore they can fo eafily -imbrace
things abfurd to all true and fober Reafon: Whereas
.the Prophetical Spirit acl:ing principdlly upon the Reafon,
and Underftanding of the Prophets, guided them con:..·
fifiently and intelligibly into the underftanding of
things. But this Pfeudo-prophetical Spirit being not a-
ble to rife up above this low and dark Region of Senfe
or Matter, or to foar aloft_ into a cle.ar Heaven of Vi-
fion, endeavoured· alway as. much as might ·be to
ftrengthen it felf in the Imaginative -part : and there~
fore the Wizzards and falfe prophets of old and .later
times have b~er,i ~ont alway to heighten their Phan-
fies and Imaginattons by aU- means-· poffible ; which
R • .Albo infinu·ates Mttam. 3·. cap. 10. c::,,uiJ~i1 t,P w,,
'1:n pm ;-,~ir.m o~~t/J ,o. There are fome men whofe
Imaginative facrelty is ftrong, either by N at11_r~ , or lJy
Jome -4rtifce whi,ch they· ufe to fort{fte _thiJ !1!1agirMtive
famltte ·,vrth '; and ·for· fuch pnrpofe -are. th~· artifices
which Witchenmd- fuch JU h.wefamiliar Spi~its do ttfe,
by the· ,help whereof the flmilitudes of things are more
ea[zly excited in the Imagination. Accordingly Wierm
Lib~ 3. ~ap. 17.. de Pr£/figii!·D~m9num (who_wasa
man ( as fome thmk ), too well acquainted: with thefe
myfteries, 'though .he, himfelf feems to<defie ..them)
C c fpeaks
194 T/Je difference of the trut 'Prop1Jtticalfpirit
fpeaks to the fame purpofe concerning Witches, ho\v
that, fo they may have more pregnant P_hanfies, they
anoint tbemfelves, and diet themfe\ves with fome-fuch
food as they under fiand from the Devil is very fit ·for
that purpofe. And for further proof hereof he the~e-
quotes B4ptijla Porta., Lib. z. and Cardan de Sl6btzl.
Cap. 18.. But we {h:dl not over•curioufiy any further-
pry into thefe Arts. · preeminence, are none elfe but Wife and prndent men,
This kind of Divination refting meerly ia the lma-
gina.tivs fac1'lty feemed fo exattly to imitate the Pro-
phetical Energy in this part of it, that indee-d it hath
been by.weaker minds mifhken for it, though the Wi-
far fort.of the Heathens. have happily found out the
lamenef and deluflvenef of it. We have it excell€ntly
fet forth by Plato in his Tim&tU, where fpeaking of
God"s liberality in conftituting of Man, he thus fpeaks
of this Divination, '.9 rrd <pec,JJ\.ov np)ftJ\ 'lva, h . ,,~a~ '7l»
'm-eJ~iif~~ ,r.a.1a,nr£ ov TV7'f' '1ti 1-{g,ilitov. ixa.vd11 t) cm-
f',E{QJ/ w~ p.g.vfi,r,{M) t;tq.>poCWJ?J eecis cc.v:te;,nrtJI"? ,NJ'<tJYAV, &c.
i.e. .As for our worfer part, that it might in fame fort par-
tAke of 'I'nith, Godh,th feated in it the power of Divi-
ning: 4ntJ it iJ a fttjficent figne t~at God ho ind11!ged
thP faculty .of_ Div. inirtg t()·_.the fooli/hne/ of men ; for
there is no folm man that is touch'J with this Power of
Divination, ,mle/ in ·sleep, when M Re4fon ii bo,md,
... ()rwhen by Sicknef or Enthujiafm he fr1ffers Jome alien,i..
tion of Mind. But it is then for the Wife and Sober to
,mdeiftand what is ./}olwi or reprefented.in.thiJ F at.itlicat
pa/ion. And fa it feems Plato, who was no carelefs ·ob..
ferver of thefe matters, could no where_ find this Divi-
ning {pirit in his time, except it were joined fomeway
or oihel" cum mentis alienatione ; and therefore .he
looks upon it as that which is inferior to Wi{dome, and
to be regulated by it : for fo he further d'eclares his.
~~
. . '
__ from-all B»tbufiapital impojlute; 195
mind to the fam.e purpofe:, rro.st, ~ ~ tt-J -~ ·ttp~,,,-
~., ,-{y@.. ~ ~ JrJ-ko,~ ~vf daA~ Xe)td~ ~,r.a,~~~
vop.@.., i.-1-t9;f~5 E'11TJJ10f<.9-{uin 'J"U'~~, &c. that is, Where-
1
fore it is a law that Prophets JJ,011/d he fit a1 it were
:f1tdges over thefa Enthsfiaflick Divinations, whicl,
P,:ophetfs Jome ignorantly and falfl.y call Diviners. For
indeed thefe Prophets in his fenfe to whom he gives the
who by reafon of the fagacitie of dieir Underfrandings
were able to judge of thofe things which were uttered
by.this dull Spirit of Divination, which refided only
in Faculties inferior to Reafon. So in his Charmides, -
E: 8 (;~AOlb ,'&, ca ,z-{u) ({9-vflx.lw 11) rJTJ')IX~]''J7cro~v ~-
9rp./u.J ~ pA»i.o;f~ ;ere~, &c. i.e. But, if ym will, wr
will g_rant the ·aift ef :pivination_ t~- be a bOJYl~~.e ef
'9):}'hat 1s to cbme: · hut wzt/thtU that zt a fit thllt Wijdome
~nd Sobrietie foouldbefudge and Interpreter. But fur-
ther,that his age was acquainted with no other Divina-
1ti1ns then that which arifeth from a tronhled Phanfte,
and is conceived in a d~rk Melancholy imagination, ;he
·confirms to us in his fh£drm , where he rightly gives
11s the true Etymon of this f'9--;fxwJ, that it was called 10
~ 'ffl, p.a-vl~, from ,age and furie"J and therefore faies
it was antiently called p.~ri,'KM. However he grants that
if happened to m~ny ~iai, P9Po/' by Divine a'lfotmeAt;
yet itwas moft "tru1g:ir1y incident to Sitk· and Melan-
choly men~ ·who oftendmesbyt11epowerthereofwere
able to pretage by what Medicines their owti difrem-
·pers might be heft cured; as ifit were nothing -elfe. bu.t
a difcerning of that Cympathizing & fymbolizing com-
plexion of their uwn ·Bodies with fome nther Bodi~s
without them. And elf-ewhere he ··tells usthat thefe
1
1-t9;f€1; nev~r, or verie rarely, ·11nderftood the meaning
~d .nature of .their own rifa•
Cc~ And
 Tl,e diJfermce Q{ the true Proplntfr.al fpirit
And th~refore in4eed the Platonifts generally feern'd
to reject or very much to flight all this kin·d of Re~
velation, and to acknowledge nothing tranfcendent to
the naked Reafon and Underftandtng of Man •. So
.Maximus Tyriru in Differt. 3. ee; J l-'Jl-;r;;o,, ,!J d11~ef;.
7mV 11~; ( (9/\.flll)e}V tt Ei'lf~V, q;e_iaw 6D}{!P>) xili~a. auy~-
re;, it's. a bold aff'ertion, yet I ]ball not doifbt to fay., that
God's oracles anq Men's Unde~flandings are of a near al-
liance, And fo according to Porp_hyri~, lib. 2. §. 52.
~ ~:;r_n,, a Good man is Aids p-~yi,A-& ;a.e,ts,}s, one
that n_eeds not foothfaying , being familiarly and infr-
macely acquainted with God him[elf.
Likewife the Stoic ks will fcarce allow their Wife man
at any time to confult an oracle, as we iµay learn from
.A.rrian, 1.z. c.7. and Epiclet11S, c.39. and Simplicim his
Comment thereupon: where that great Philofopher
making a fcrupulous fearch what· thofe things wer~
which it might be fit to confult the oracle about, at laf.l:
brings them into fo narrow a compafs,that aWife man
.11,ould n~ver find OC(:a{ion t~ ho~our the or1tele with
J~is-prefen~e. A f~mou~inftance -~hereof we hav~. ip.
·Lucan li.b. 9. where Cato being advifed to confult Ju,-
piter H11mmon his Oracle after Pompef s death, anfwers,
:F-ftne Dei fades nifl Terra & Pontm & Aer
Et calum.~ rirtas? s,~p_eros.quid qu£rim1u ultra?
q:up#er eft q1toflc11nque 11ides, q1toc1mq1te mo_q;__er_io o
Sortilegis egeant dubii femperqru f11turis
Caftbru ancipites; me non Oracula cert,,m.,
Sed mors certa facit----
But enough of this-Particular ; and I hope by this time
_I have fufliciently unfolded th~ true Seat pf Prophefie,
.ind £hewed the right Stage thereof: as alfo how lame
~n.d delufive the Spirit of Divination was:i which ~ndea-
voured to imitate it. · Cc 3,
fro,n all Entbufiaflical impofture~· . · . 1 97
Now from ,vhat hath heen faid arifeth one inai~
Characrerifiical difiincl:ion between the Prophetical
an~ !fertdo-prophetic_al fpirit, viz. That the Prophetic11t
fpmt doth 1:1ever ahenace the Mind, ( feeing it feats it
felf as w~ll rn th_e R~tionat powers ~sin the Senjitive,)
but alwa1es m:.untams ~ ~o_nfiftency and clearnefs of
Reaf<;m,. Hrength and fohdme of Judgment, where it
c?mes ;_ lt doth not ravifh the Mind, but inform and en-
lighten It: But_ the PJe~do-propketical fpiric, if indeed
without any_ kmd _of d1ffi_mulat1on it enters into any
one,becaufe_ 1t c_an r_~fe no hig~1er then the Mid~1e region
of Man, which 1s h1s Phanfy,1t there dwells as m ftorms
~n_d tem~efts, ~nd b~ing J)\.oiv '11 in it felf, is alfo con-
JOmed with ahenat10ns and abreptions of mind. For
_whenfoever the Phanta[ms come to be difordered and
to be prefented t'umtiltuoufly to the Soul as it is ei-
ther in a ps.dcx. 1:11rie, or in Melancholy ( both which
~inds of ali:ntttion are commonly obfe1?ved by Phyfi-
c1ans) or elle by the Energy of this Spirit of Divina•
tion~ th~ Mind c~n pafs no true Judgment upon them ;
bu_t its_ hgh~ and rnfluence becomes eclipfed. Eut of
tlus alimatum we have already dikourfed· out of Pla-
to ~nd others. And _thus the Pythian Prophet~fs is de-
fcnbed by the ~choltaft uron Arijlophanes his Pltetas,
an~ by Lucan~ lib._ 5. as being fi.Ued.with inward furie,
~bile the was mf~1red by the F~tidical fpirit, and utte-
r,!ng her Oracles m -~ ftrange difguife with many An•
tick gell:ures-., her hair torn, and foamino at her Mouch-
~s alfo C11jfandra is brought in prophefying in th~
like m~nner,by Lycophron. So the Sibyflw:i.s noted by
. Jleraclrtus, (JJ; p.g-t110,4Jff ,;Jp.g-1, ~)\.a:STi '9 dxa:». (JJ'tm~
'P~?1?Pf4;~ , as one J}-eaking ridiculou,s and 1mfeemly
jpeeches with her frmous moteth. And Ammiansu Mar-
&.e!tinll4 in the beginning of his 21th book hath told us
a.I.\
 T1Je dijfm~ct of ti;e true Proplntical /pirit
an old-Ob[ervation concerning the SihyOs, Siby.lltt ere:
hrn .(e dic,mt drdere, torrente vi magna ftam1:1a:~m. -
This was cauteloui1y _obferved by the Pnmmve Fa--
thers, who hereby detecred the Impoftures of ~he
Montanifls _that preten~ed muc!1 to Proph~#e, but in-
deed were acquainted wit~ notlung more of ~t ~hen ~c-
flafles or abreptions of mind: . For that _is 1t which
they mean by Ecflafies. I{lull firft mention that of
.* Strom. 1. >t- Clem. Alexandr. 'Ev j rro'"i', f6U1h01 '9 ct/\.»$ 'TII'«. ti\e·
?,PV of ,t,6LJ'owe9cpnTa," '9 ml olf'fl trm, ~ ox~G~ 1ti:,e~~-
l6UOVJ ~- J,, 'A'1rtivi.-rH J'ul,1f9voz, that 1s-, The falfc pr8'--
p-hets min.gled Truth fo,netimes rvith Falfl,ood: xnd ~n--
deed when they were in an Ecfl4ie,the1 prophefied,tU b~t~g
Je•rvant.s to that grand Apoftate the Devil•. Eufeb1u1
mentions -in HiPor. Iicclej~ lib. 5-. c. I 7· a D1fcourre of
Miltiades to this purpofe, ~ ~ ,uJ J'eiv weptpl,~ 6;
'im-fe,c.~q-c/ '/l.a,'11.J;.,. Tert#llian, who was a great Friend
to Mont11nus and his prophetical Sifrers Maximi!la ~nd
Prifci!la, [peaking of them endeavours to a.lleviat_e
thi s··bufine[s : and though he grants they were Ec.ft11t, ..
cal in their Prophefies, that is, only tranfported by
the .power of a Spit~t m?re potent the~ their own,
as he would feem to 1mphe ; yet he_ demes t_hat. they
ufed to fall into any rage or fury, which he fates 1s the
Character of every falfe Proph~t; and fo Mont'tt~Ns c~-
cufed him[elf. But yet for all this, they could not avo1_d
the !a0.1 of "1erome, who thought he faw through this
Ecflafte, and that indeed it was a true alienation, f~eing
they underftood not what they fpokeo Neq11e vero (at
Montanns c,nn infan~ f trminh famniat) Prophet4 in Ee ..
.flafi l,cuti _(imt, 11-t nefcirent quid loq1ment11-r;. & cum
alios erudirent, ipfi ignorttrent quid dicerent, The Pr/J-
pheis Jid not ( a,s Montanus together with fme mad wo-
men dre11ms) 1Peak in Ecftafies, n~r did they /j,eiik they
knew
f,o»z all Bnthtiflaflical impoflure: 199
I.new not ivhat; nor were they, when they went a'1oiltto
inftrutf. others, ignorant of what they f~id themfelves.
So he in his Prefac·e to E/111. This alfo he otherwhere
brands the Montanifls withall; as in his Pro~mi11m to
Naht1m, N{)n loquitur Propheta C11 ox~ur:/, ut Mo1Jtanus
& Prifca M11ximillaq11e delirant; fed qrtod prophetat,
_liher ~fl intelligenti,s qrete loquitrer. And in his Preface
to Babitk11k, -Prophet£ vijio ~fl, & 11.dverfum Mont11:ni
dogma perver[,,m inte!ligit q11od videt, nee ut-amem lo-.-
tJ.ttitur, nee in morem inJanientium f ~minarum dat fine
mente Jonum. I {hall add but one Author more, and that
is chryfaftome, who hath very fully and excellently laid
down this difference between the tme and falfe Pro""
phets, Hom. 29. on the firft EpHUe to the Corinthi1tns.
T8'TO µg,vtnw, tJ\1011, ~ ~i91vlva,, '1"0 d,d.,,,t.lm ~~..
V£1V' ~ i:2rii~, 'l'O lA"4~fl/ WriiTff ,.,,a.,ro,-,J/Jov, It's the
propertie of a Diviner to be Ee/l~ticaP, to tmd.ergDf [om~
~iolence, to be toffed and hurried ahout lil,,e a mad m,m ...
ro O71'eP<p~s J'G ~~, )}MOC: ,;!,,' d'Ltt.Pol~ n1<p~an;, '9" WJ•
tpe,vJans 'X,a-/rx,~~w~, ~ aJ'e.J~ r1 q,iSi'>''Jfi1al cpno111 ;,,,,cu,,t:t.,,.
BHt it's otherwife with a Prophet, whofe underflanding is
aw11ke, and hit mind in a fober 11nd orderly temper, tJntf
he knows every thing that he Jaith.
But here we muft not mifl:ake the bufinefs, as if
there were nothing but the moft abfoluce cle,irnef and
Serenitie of thoughtsJodging in the Soul of the rro--
phet amidft all his Yiftons: And therefore we iliall for.;.
ther take notice of that Obfervation of the Jews ,
which is vulgarly known by all acquainted with their
Writings, which is concerning thofe Panfrk fe11n, Con ..
jlernations and Ajfrightments and Tremblings, which
frequently feized upon them together with the· Pro-
phetical influx. And indeed by how much {lro»ger
and more :vehement thofe Impreffions were which wer.e·
made
.i o o 11,e difference ofthe true Prop1,etical fpirit
made by thofe unwomed Pifa which cam_e in to_ ace
upon their Imaginative facult1e, by fo much the grea-
ter was this Pert11rbation and Trouble : and by how
much the more the Prophets Imaginatio!-1_ was exerci-
fed by the laboriouCnefs of thefe ?~anta{ms, the m~re
were his natural fl:rencrth and Spmts exhaufl:ed, as m-
deed it mull: needs be.-=> Th€refore Da.nielbeing we.1ried
with the toilfomc work of 'his Phanfle about thofe rifi-
ons chat were prefented to him, Chap. 10. 8. &c. com-
plains ch1t there tvtU _no flrengtk left in him; t~at his
come line/ 1vtU turned tnto corruption, and he retained-no
flrength ; that when he heard the voice, he wa1_ in a deep
jleep, and hu face toward the gro1md; that ~u. farrows
were turned upon him, and no breath WM left m htm. So
Gen. 1 5. 12. when the Vifion prefented to Abraham
paffed into a Prophetical Dream, it is faid, a deep fl,eep
fell upM Abraham, a~d a horror of $reat_ dar~nef fill
upon him. Upon whtch paffage M~imomde~, m the 2d
Part,& 41.Ch. of his More Ne_vochtm,chus dLfcourfeth;
!lJ!andoque a/Item Prophetia incipit in ri(ione Prophe-
tica,& poftea multiplicatur terror_& pafio illa vehemen~,
qute, Jequitar perfetlionem op~rattonum f ac11ltat~ Imap_-
natricu, & tttm demrem vemt Prophetta, fiC11,t_1 co.nttgzt
.A.brahamo. In principioenim Propheti;e i/l.ius dicii..1r,
(Gen. r 5. r .) Et fuit verbmn Domini a~. Abraham~m
in Vifione; et in fine ejrtfdem ( verf. I 2. J Et fopor 1r-
ruit in Abrahamum, &c. And in like manner he fpeaks
of tho[e Fatigations that Daniel complains of, Efl au-
tem terror qt1,idam Panicres qui ocrnpat Proph~tam inter
rvigiland,e-m, ftrnt ex Daniele ptttet, quando att, Et vidi
Vifionem magnam hanc, neque remanfit m me ulla
fortitudo, & vis mea mutata eft in corruptionem, n~c
retinui fortitudinem ullam. Et fui lechargo oppreffus
fuper faciem meam; & fades mea ad terram. And
· thus
from all E,ztlmfiaflical impeflurt. -·20 1
,thus this ·whole b~fin~fsjs ~xcellencly decyphered urt-
:·to us by R. Alho m h1s Third book and tenth chap-
ter , 'iJi :-io,cn n,::>n rni:JlnM ,ic i1lit, Behold
/Jy /eafon of the firength of the Imaginative facslti;
1tnd ihe precedencie of the Influence upon that to the in·
fl,ttence ,,pon the J!-4tional, the Influx dot/, not remain 11p-
·On-the Prophe_t wtthout Terrour and ~01:fternation; in.fo-
•mu·ch tl11tt hu memhers {hake am! hu 1omts are loofned.
-and he feems like one that is readie to give up the gheft
-hy reafon of hil great a.ftonifhment: After alt-which per~
turb~tion th-e P~ophetical infl11x fettles it felf upon the
Ra.ttonal F aculttc.
. From this Noci_on perhaps we may borrow fome
light for the clearing of :Jeremie 23. 9. Mine heart
within me is b~oken becaufe of the prophets, all my b9nes
flake : I am like a drunken man ( and like a man whom·
Wine hath over~ome )_ hecaufe of t~e Lord, and hew~(e of
the wo:ds of htJ Holrnej. The importance of which
words 1s , T hac the Energy of Prophetical vifion
Wrought thus potently upon his Animal part. Though
I know R. solomon feems to look at another mea•
ning_:But .Abarbanel is here full for our prefent purpofe,
c,J,vno, o·-n,w, o,17::JN c,N,:iJi1 cn,N ,n,o,, nn~,:i
1
i::J1 ,:i,;:,:i ,:l 7 ,:iw ,o~,, Niij? , When feremy fan,
t~ofe falfe pr~phets eating and drinking; and faring deli-
~1011flze, he med ottt 11nd [aid, My heart is broken wich-
mmt becaufe of the Prophets; · For while r hehold
their works, my heart u rent afimder with the extremi-
ty of. my Sorro,v, and becan.fe of the Propheticat infl,,x
r!fidmg upon ·me, my bones are all rotten, and I am
like a drunken rnan that neither fees nor hears. And
4// thu hath hefe/l me becaufe of the Lord that is
. liec..:atf~ of tpe _divine in-/l1ix_ that piZJd upon' me, and
becaufe of the words of his Holmdfe, which have
Dd wro11ght
 The dijfemice of t1,e true_ ,Ptopbeticalfpirit
wrought fuch a contr1rhtttion within me, th11t all my fenfes,
are P"P~fied there~y. And thus I fuppofe is -alfo ·that
pafiage m. E'{fchzel 3. 14. to be expoundet.f, where the
Prophet defcribes the Eneigie and dominion wpkh
the Prophetical fpirit had over him, when in a Pro-
phetical Vifion he was carried by way of Imagination
a tedious journey to thofe of the C1ptivitie that dwelt
. by the river chchar. The Spirtt of the Lord lifteq me
up., and took me arvay~ and- I went in bitternej{, and in
the heat (or hot chafing and anger) ofmy J}irit; · but the
h.md of the Lord was .flrong upon me. So H11bale, 3.• 2.
O Lord; I have heard thy JPeech, andwas ajfraid; that
is,. the Prophetical voice- heard by him, and reprefen'."
ted in.his Imagination, was fo il:rong that it firuck a
Panick fear (as Maimon. expreffeth it) into liim,. And it·
may be the La.me thing is meant Efay 2 r,. 3•. where the·
Prophet defcribes that inw~ud conrurbation and coni:-
fternatic>n that his Vifion of Bahylon's ruine was ac-
companied with:tll. 7herefore are mJ loins-ji!l'd with
p11in, pangs have t1J.ken hold npon me tU the pangs of a
woman that travaileth: Iwao bowed down at the hettring
of it, I wtt1 difmaied at the feeing of it. Though I;
know there may be another meaning of that place not
improper, viz. rhat the Prophet perfonates Bahylon in;
the horrour of that anguif11 that fhould come upon
themt whereby he fets it forth the more to the Life,.
as :Jonathan the Targumifi and others would have it;
though yet l cannot think this the mo.fr congruous,
meaning. _ hoc myflerir,m nond11, f,ttt,et revelatrem.In the fame man-
But I have now done with this Particular~ and l
hope by this time have gain'd a fair advantage of fol--
ving one Difficultie, which though it be not fo much.
~bferv'd by our owa as it is by theJewifh-writers, yet
1t is wonh our fcanning> viz. How the Prophets per-
ceived:
_ from all Bnt'hufiaflical "impoj}ure. . 2ro 3
reived when the Prophetical infpiration firll: feized
upon them. For (as we have before iliewed) there may
be fuch Dreams and Yijions which are meerly delu/Jve,
and fuch as the fal.fe prophets were often partakers of_;
and betides the true Prophets might hlv·e often fuch
bre.a,ms as were meerly vera Jomni~, True dreams, but
not Prophetical.
For the full Solution of this knot w-e. have before
fuewed how this Pfeudo-prophetical Spirit only flutte~s
b~low upon the more terrene pares of mans Soul, his
Pa/ions and Phan.fie. The ~rmce of darknefs comes
-not within the Sphere of Light and Reafon to order
affairs there, but that is left to the Cole Oecon?my an~
Soveraignty of the ~ather ofLiglm._ Th~re 1s a cl_ear
and brio-ht heaven m mans Soul, m which Lucifer
himfell' cannot fubfifl:, but is tumbled down from
thence as often as he a{fayes to climbe up into it.
But to come more preffely to the bufinef~; The He-
brew Mafl:ers here tell us that in the beginmng of Pro-
phetical in[piracion the Prophets ufe to hav_e fo!lle Ap·
paritioti"c)dmage of a Man ?r Ans-et prefcnt~ng 1tfel~ to
their Imagination. Sometimes 1t began with a r~rce,
~md that either flrong ~nd vehement, or elfe foft and
familiar. And fo God is faid firll: of all co appear to
Sam11el, I Sam. 3. 7. who is ~1id not yet to have know!I
the Lord, that is, as M.timon. m Part._2. c. 44. of his
More Nevochim expounds it, Ign~rav1t ~dhrtc tune tem-
p_oru Detem hoc mod3 cri~n ~rophet u loqrn folere, & q11od
ner R. Albo, Ma~m+ cap. I I . For otherwife we muft
not think that Samuel was then ignorant of the true
God but that he knew not the manner of that Voice
by \;hich the Prophetical fpirit was wont to awaken
the attention of the Prophets.
_ D di And
 T/Je difference i>ftlJe true Propl,etfral fpirit
And that this was the antient opinion of the Jcws
R- sol9mon tells us out of the M"-}Jecheth: '{amid,. where
the Doetors thus glofs upon. this.place, i1li11 r,~ 9J~ Cl)~
:--,~i:lJ '"'i,p l'JV i'::JO :-,~ii Nt, l''iV, i. e. IU: yet be
knew not the Lord, that is,. lie knew not the manner of
the Prophetical voice. This is that foft and gentle voice
whereby the Sen[e o[ the ~ropl~et. is fomecimes at-
tempted, but fom~umes tlus roi~e 1s ~ore v_ehement.
It will not be amrfs to hear Mannomdes his_ words,
Pare. 2. c. 44 •. of his More Nev. Nonmmquam fit ut
re1·h11m i/lud q11od Propheta audit in Vijione Prophetite.,
ei videat11r fteri voce robreflifima, &c._ i.e. It fometims
h11ppens that the Word which ~he P:ophc~ hears in a Pro-
phetical Vi{ron, feems :o flrrke him with a more vehe-
ment noife; and accordingly Jome dream th.1t !hey hear
Thunder and Earthquake or Jome great Cl11famg; and
fametimes again ,v.ith an ordinarie and familiar noife, aJ
if it wtU clofe hy him.. We· have a famous. Inil:ance of
the- laft in that Voice whereby God appeared unt~
.Adam after he had finned, and of the former in :Job
and Elijtth. That inftance of Adam is fet dovyn Gen.
3. 8, 9. And they heard the voice of the Lord wal~ing_ in
the Garden in the coole of the day, and Adam h1d hzm-
felf from the Lord God amongfl the trees of the garden:
11nd the Lord God ca/1,ed unto Adam, and faid ttnto.him,
where art th41t? Where thofe words.cw, nii., which
we render the coole of the day, the Jews expound of a
gentle vocal ttir, fuch an one _as breathed in. the day-
time more pacately. For this. appearance of. God to
him they fup.pofe to he in a Pr.ophetical Vi/ion; and fo
Nachmanides. comments uponthofe words, IJ'i? ov~,
1
1:1, ptn, :-,'7,,.l nii Ntll1 ilJ.':JWii r-n½m:i ':J • 1,:,
The fenfe of this [Wi:1 D1i1 in the gale of the daf] i-s,
t.h,1; ordinarily in the manifejlation of the Sliechma or
divine-:
•,· from all Enthufiaflical·impofture'/ · •20 s
Jivin~ p_refen,e, t~ere comes a great,1,nd·mighty.win.J· to··
Hfoer tt m, 11ccordtng to what we read of Elijah, 1 Kinos
19. n. And b_ehold, the Lord paffed·by, a1:1d'>a,gre~t
a~d lhong. wmd rent .the Mountai.t.1s , and brake': iri
pieces the Rocks· before the Lord :· andin,Pfaline ·xs~.
and elfe:"here~. '1:-}e fl~w upon the wings of the wind:
.A:&coramgly tt u wrztten concerning Job, c. 3 8. v. 1.
th,t the Lord anfwered Job out of the whirlwind~
wherefore hy. Wtt:t of dijlinllion, it u faid in this place;
that they heard the v01ce of the Lord that is thAfthe
Divine 1t.:ajejlie WtU r~vealed to them in the g~rden, a1
11pproachmg to them, m the gale of the day. For the
w_md _of the day Uew accordingt~the mrinnrr of the day-
tm~e t~ the gard~n; n~t tU a great andj!rong wind ·in
this Yifion ( tJ4 1t wt« m other Prophetical .approac/i.es J
left_ they jho11/d fear and be difma~ed~ Tnis mightre
voice we alfo_find recorded as rowzrng up rhe attenti-
0~•0f Ezec~zef, chap_. ~r 1. He cried· a!fO' in·.mine ears
with-a lortd vozce, faymg, &c. So·~that all thefo Schemes
are me.erly-Prop_hetical~ and imp6t_t Mthino- elfe-but th~
~rong ~wakemng and quick_ni_ng of the Pfophets mind
1~to a hv.ely· fenfe of the D1vme majefi:y· appearincr ro-
him;.. · t>
And of thefe _the A'foca(ypfe isJuU, diete'beiog -in~-
de~d no Pr~phet1cal wnr, where the whole JJrdmil#cal
farm of thmgs, as they were acted over in· the· .rvWnd.
of the Prophet, are more graphicallie and to die Life
fet funh. S? we have this Yox pr.ecentrix to ·che whole-
Scene ~omeume.s ~ounding lik_e-a Trqm·pet, Rev. I. lO~.
I WtU zn the Sftrzt_ on the Lords day, arjd heard' behind
me a great r_vo1_ce as of a trumpet. And chap~· . up-·
on. the begmmng of a.--new Vifion we find this4 Pro-
logue, I looked, 1111d Inhold· a door was opened in hea-•
'ii-tl}: 11ndthe fi,rft v.ai.r:e !Which [ heard'mts M it wer'e the·
. Dd 3 found:·
 The ,difftrenct.df.tlie true'fl'rtfheticaffpirit
f~rmd, ef a Trumpet; tttlking with me, which [aid? Co,j,e
'!P liith:r,&c• . And- when_ a ne~ Act of opemng ~he
~tats b.eg,ill~~-ch;ip. 6. 1. he 1s exe1ted by another vo1c.e
fou~djng ),ik~ :thut1(kr, : And I Jaw: 'When the Lamb
fpenetf one·of th.e Seals, a'nd I heard ru. it wer~-the noife
,Jjthrtnder,tme of the fourBe4:fls faying, Come and fee.
And chap. 8. vei·. '5. voices and thunders and lightnings
and 4n earthquake are the Proremium. to_theVifion of
th(! Seven Angels with feven crumpccs.-Lafrly, to name
no.rnor.e,. fom_etimes it is brought in founding like the
roaring of a Lion. So when he was to receive the little
Book of P(ophefie chap. 10. 3. An Angel tryed with a
loud voice, as whe1J a Lion roareth; and when he had f.'ry-
ed, · fe'?~n: th1enders. ,me~ed-tbeir voices. ~ence it -~s
that- ~v.e,.find th~ Prophets ordinarilyprefacmg to their
Vifions in this manner, The hand of the Lord was upon
me ; that is indeed fome potent force r~uzing diem
up to a lively fenfe of the Divine majefl:y, or fome ~ea-
venly Emba!fador, fp.eaking with them. - And that the
fon_fe hereof might be the more Energeticll,fQmetinie~
in a Prophetical Vifion they are commanded to e~t
thofe Prophetick rolls gi·ven them, which are defcn••
bed \Vith the greateft contrarietie of tall: chat 11:1ay be,
fweet 11,5 ~pny_in their mouths, and in their bellies. 'al bitter
as gall, R,~v. 10. 9. Eze~. z. 8. · ·-- · .: _· -~' :
Thus we have feen in part how thofe ImpreJlions,
by which the Prophets were made partakers.of ~i':ine
in[piration, carried a !hong evidence of their Ongm~l
along with them, whereby they might be able to d1--
ftin0uiih them both from any haUucination, as alfo from
1
the~· o,vn True dreams, which might be ~ 0 mfJ-7a.'[ent
by God, but not Prophetica/l: which y1:!t I thin~ is more
uni ve~fally unfolded :Jeremie 2 3. where t_he ~1fference
between
, . true.. Divinefafpiration
. and fuch talfe Dreams and
from all Bnth11fl~ft{cal impof/ureJ; x~- ;~-o.,
~nd Viftons. asforn:times·a lying .Spirit breathed into
the· falfe_pr~phets .1s o_n fet :purpofe defcribed. to_ us
from thetr_dijfer~~t E~zdenf~ '.a,nq E,nergy~ ·: Th~ Rfelk
'f'.i•proph.et~c.atfpmt be1~g;but ""·c~aff,. a~~aina~waqity >f, Ver. i8.
It f~If, fuhJeet to every wmd : , the matter. 1t felf indeed
w~1ch was fuggefted in fuch ten.ding to nourifh immo-
~alu_y a~d p~ophanenefs ; and befides for the manner of
t.nf}zratron, 1c.:i~a,~ mor: dilttte a~d lang11id. Whereas
t-r11e Prophef!e emred·upon-.the M1~c:l ~-a.* fire.,: and like * Ver.
290
a hammer that lireaketh· the rock:m pzeces: a,nd· .there-
fore_ the true Prophets might know themfelves (o have
~ece1ved command from heaven, when the falfe might,
if _they wou~d have laid afide their ow~ .fond (~If:-con•·
ce1~~ fave }{nown as ·eafilie that~ Godfenf .th@l ,\llo~·.
F_or / o I think t~ofe wo~ds ar~. fpok~n,by._way-.of con~·
v1cbon, and to P~?voke a felf-condemnation, verfe 3i.
~e_hold I af!J agdtnft thofe that prophefi,; falf.e .dretjms,.
fazth the Lo~d, ..and doe u!l _1lo~m,·~11d caufe·my..pi"fle
to er~e'. ~y--the.~r lm and:h-y their l1ghtr;ef( yrfJ f~ 11Pi tkem.
nor, netther'.CJJ'mmanded·'.them. ': And~this r_11ight·be·e.v~
dent t~.them from the; fiehle,n~ti:r~:of thofe lrJ/)irafi-
ons wluch they boafted of, as ins mfinu~ted .verfe ,2 s-,
z9, The prophet that hatht dteam ·&c. And thus Abar~
/Janel expouhds 'this place~ whofe,, fenfe, I fi1:aU.a fat{~
the mo_re pu~fue, ·. ~ecaufe lie from ··hence undertakes-,to
folve the d1fficutr1e of that Quefiion which we a1·e
now upon; and thus·fpeaks of it asa Queftion.of.verie·
$reat mo_'!1~nt, ..,,?, .itN1:JJil ,.l'.ll):l r,p,ov ,1.?NUJ 170N:l
1~ e. ~erttr~~ly- zt_u vme of the fr_cfo11nde/Tq11efti.11)..J.. \that
11re made ~01:cer~111g Prophefief .and: J·httfl!Cr enquired, 11/;.·
ttrthe .oprmon of the wife men of. our Nation ,.'about it.
:')Vhat· anfwer they gave to this Que.ll:ion which he:~mx- . ·I
10uflyenquired ~fter, it.feems.hetellsusnor,- hut.his f
own. anfwer. which he :~dheres to.he. fqunds up(?n thofe j
·· words:
~·---~J
 · Tl,e ,Jifference ofi1,e ·trtie Prophetical fpiri& · from all Entht,jiaflical impJ,are:
words, verfe 2.8. ,~::ni~ H~~7"P, what is_ the chaffe t,
·the wheat ? And upon this ~cca_fion he faies that old
Rule of the Jews wa:s framed whu:h we formerly_ fpok~
of, As there t°5 no wheat withollt ch.affe~ fo, n~ither ~
there any Dream without fomethi~g th_at ts ~.f?J>~, void
of reality and infignificant. Matmomdes here ma ge-
neral way refolves the bufinefs, N':lJ? l,Mli iiN~:iJM
ii~r:ll N'iitJJ, i. ·e, All Prophefte .makes ttfelf known to
the Prophet that it i,s P~ophefte indeed. ~h1ch general fo ..
lution Abarbanel-havmg a lmkexammed, thu~ colletl:s
the fenfe of it o,17ni1 p'l tt.tJ' ini'ii:l N':ll:1 ~,:i,
ttJJi;in min ,'~:, '-?:lit "N,:\l .tl'N itlJNt, ,,N,?JM
'i:>i ,nw,1,n, JTJJiOi\ i':li:l, i. e. A Prophet whe.r~ he u. a-
fleep may difting11if!, between a P:opheticat :pre~m and
that which •i-5 not. {,tch, hy the 'lJtgoter and fwelznef of
the perception wherehy he apprehends the thing preporm-
du[ .or elfe by the imheciOitie and weaknef thmof• .And
the:efore Maimon. bath faMweO, A_ll ~rophefi~ ma½es
it felf known to ~he Prophet·tba~ 1us. Prophefte m-
deed, thttt is, 'it makes it [elf ~n·own to_ the· Prophet /Jl
t·he fl_ref1$th and vigor,r of the perception, Jo· _that hrs
Mind is freed from a/J, fcruple whatfae11er abo11t tt. And
this he concludes to.be the• true meamng of fer.23~ z9.
fs not my word li'k°e tt fire; fa~th :he· Lord.,_ and ltke a
hammer that breaketh the rock m piecer.? wh1ch he thus
gloff~s upon, Ml 7:Jlii itJJ l'1i1 p1,n~ ~~';li1 M'lii1. P
,:n N':>.Jit :i,t,:i ,n,'iY!:iM, Such a th~ng. tOhe ~rophettclll
spirit, hy rea(on of the ftrength of zts tmprefton and-the
forciblenef of its _operati~n 11pon the heart of the ~ro:
phet; it u even l1k~·-,i t~tng th~t burns and te_~rs htm •
and this .hippe:ns to htm etther amzdft the Dream tt {elf, or
. afterwards when he is fully_ awaken and ro~fed tJUt of th.at
J'rophetical dream. BM thofe Dreams which are not Pi~-
b/,etical althouuh the",J be 'I'rue, are weak and lan:pud
r ' · ,!> J 1hmgs,
209
things, eafily h/4!:ed a1 it tvere with the Ea.fl wind-:----And
as he further ,goes on by w~y of allufion, like thofe
D~·eams that the Prophet Efay fpeaks of, when 4 hun-
gru man dreams he- eats, hut when he awakes he-
hold he iJ _fl.ill h1mgrie ; and tU wh~n a thirjli/ man
dreams he drmks, ln,t when he u awake he is ft ill t IJ,rp1·
j\nd thus alfo the cha/dee Paraphraft :_feremv 23 2 9e.
m ,, ,~~ ~i-'l!I'N'.J ,,g,p. n ,m,r,~ '7::i N'7:, J • ••
.... • T , ·, , • • • - - Nonne omn1a
T , • T y -,,
verb1t ,ma f~nt fortia ftct1t igniJ, &c. .But we have yet
another ev1de~c demonfi:ration of this Notion which·
m~y not be omitted, which is [fer. 20. 9. Then 1 [aid, I
wtll not malee n:ention of him, nor 1/Jeak any more in his
Name: ~ut_ hu word was in mine heart as a Imming fire
fl:ut up Wtthm my hones, and J- was wearie with forhear•
znf, and I could not flay. And v~rfe n. ·The Lord u
wit~ me as a mightie terrible one. With reference t{}
which Paragraph, R. Solomon thu, _gloffeth on the for-
merly-quoted Chap. 2 3. 2 9. ,:r:l i1N::tttJJ ilNiJl
iONJVJ. P~VJ ni~:l- tlJNJ i:i itN:l N,il MiiJl:l N,J.Ji"t
,:i,
n;:nn ''V ,, ,,, icN, niv:i ttJNJ ,:i,',:i, ,nn,, .The word
ef !'rophefie wh~nit enters i,Jto_the MDuth of the: Prophet
tn tts ft_rength, tt comu upon him lil:e a pre tl,at burnet/,
ttecordmg to what~ /aid [in J er. 20. 9.] And it was i~
my heart as a burmng fire; [and in Ezek.3. 14.J And
the hand of the Lord_ was lhong upon me. .,
I have now done with ~he m11,jn ChArAEleriflical Ntt--
tur~ ef Prophefie, and given thofe Te,t.fo(h?~«. - of it
which mo.ft properly belong to True Prophefie; thouah
yet the other Two degrees of Divine influx. (of whi~h
hereafter) may alfo have their lhare in,them. ·
· Ee ·CH AP.
 That Prop1,efie WM communi,ated by .Angtls
I
C.HAP.V.
·An EnqHiry concerning the Immediate Efficient that
reprefented the Prophetical Vifions to the Phanfie
of the Prophet. That thefe Reprefentations were made _
in the Prophet's Phanfie by Jome Angel. Th~ cleared
by feveral pttjf'age~ out of the fewijb Monrements, and
by Teflimonies of Script11re.
BEfore I conclude this prefent Di_[co~rfe concerning
Prophejie properly fo called, I thmk may be ufe-
1t
full to treat a little of. Two things more that moft
commonly are to be confidered in this Degree of Di-
vine Infpiration, which we call Prophefie.
1 The Firfl whereof is to enquire what that Intellectus
· agens WM, or, if you will, that Immediate Efficient that
repr~(ented the· Prophetical Yijions to the Phanfie of t~e
Prophet. . · · worth our while to hear out Maimon. who pleads the
z. Secondly, What the meaning.of thofe Allions it that
,tre freqruntly attrih,md to the Prophets, whether·they
'ffere Real, I?~ only Imaginary and Scenic al.
I ihall beg.in with the Firfi, and enquire' By whom
thefe Reprefentations ,vere made in the Prophet's Imagi-
7Jation, or who ordered the Prophetical faene, aNdbr~ught
up all thofe Idolums that therein.appeared tepun the Sta_'{e.
For though there be no queftion .but that it w~s God
himfelf by whom the whole Frame of Prophefie was
di[pofed and origin:1lly di(prnfed, fee;ng the fcope
thereof was to reve,il his Mir.d and Wilr; -yenhe Im-
mediate Efficient feems not to be God himfelf, as per-
haps
pro'ved by t(n 1ewifh monmnents.: 21.1
·haps fome may think, but· indeed an AnlJ'el: . And fo
the generalirie of all the Jewifh Writ~rs determin,
Maimon.his fen[e is full for this purpofe, both in his De.
Fundamentu Legu and his More Nevochim. And per-
haps h~ _hath too unive!fally determin~d that every
Appanuon of-Angels imports pre[entlte fome Pro- -
phecical difpenfation: which hath made fome of his
Country-men by an d~1eJa. dv.SOA)<M'i to fall too much
off from him into a concrarie affertion. His words are
thefe, More Nev. Parr. 2. c. 41. Scito q,t'od omnium eo~
rttm Prophetarum qui Prophetiam Ji.bi ft1tfam efJe dicunt,
q,,idam eam Angelo 1tlirni, ~uidam vero Deo opt. MllX.
afcribant & attribrtant, licet per Angeli mi»ijleri11m
q11oqtte ipfts·obtigerit: de quo Sapientes noflri nos ert1die-
runt q1111-ndo ahmt, ·Et dixit Domin us ad earn ( fcilicet
l~~~;:t ,1~ "'19 , h. e. per manu, Angeli-) Gen. 2 5. 2 3..
For fo it feems the Mafters expounded this pl~ce
(where God reveals to Rebekah her future conception
and progenie) of a Propheticall apparition by fome
Angel; though yet all agree not in it. ·But•it may be
authoritie of all Jewifh antiquitie for this opinion that
we have now laid down. Infuper, de qrtocunque fcript11m
occttrrit., qu'od Angeleu cum eo lomteu, aflt quod aliquid
ipfi aDeo revelatttm fit, id mdlo alio modo- quam in
Somnio aut Yijionc Pr()phetica fal1um effe 'ndveru~
&c.. Moreover, of whomfoever you, read t~at an Angel
'/Poke with him, or that fomething w.u revealed .to. him
hy God, you are to under/land that it wa-s .performed no
oth~r way then hy a Dream or a Prophetical Yifion. ·our
Wife men have tt drfcourfe. about the Word.tha{came tt1
th~ Prophets, according to what the Prophets themfelves
have declared ( that is; concerning the' feveral waies
( aJ Buxtorf expounds it) by which the Prophecs fay
Ee 2 the
¢,
Tl,at fropbefie WM comtnunicated hy .Angels
the Word of God came to them.) Now this w.u ( f"Y
they) four waies. "Ihe fir.ft h·, ,vhen tke rrophet decl~m.
he received the word from an Angel ma Dream or tn a
rifion. · seco~dty, when ke only mentions the wor_ls ~f
the Angel, w1thor~t decl,1r1~$ that they came to· him m
a Dream or in a Vijion; relying 1epon thu knonm Fun-
damental, viz. 'Ihat there is no Prophefie revealed ~ut
by one of thefe two w"ies, whereof God_ make! mention,
Jaying, 1 will make my felf ~nown in a V1fion, and
fpeak to him in a Dream. Thz~dly, when he mak~s no
mention of the Angel, but afc~,b~s a_ll to G~1, itl if h_e
alone had conveyed it; yet with thrs addztron, that tt
came in a Vijion or in a Dream. Fourthly_, wh~n the
Prophet {-dies· abfo.lu.te~ie, t h4t God flJ_eak wr!h him, or
faid unto him, Doe this, or,. Spea~ this, maktng name.n-
tion at tt!l eithtr of Ang-el, ·or Yifton,. or_ Dream-; and
that becat1-(e of thu known Principle a~d Fll_ndament"Al
truth, That there u no Prophefie bttt either ma DreafJ!
er Vifton, or by the miniflrie of an Ang_et. Thus Mai-
monides, who, as we fee, pretends this to be~ know_n
thing and generallie agreed upon by all Jewlfh antt-
quitie. . . .
· But before we goe on to any_Cpnfirmauon ?f 1t, ~t
wil.l be requifite a little to fee what Nachm111t~des, _h1s
gre~ adverfarie in this bafinefs,. alledgech agamft h1:n,
which I find inhis Comment upon, Genefis 18. which
Chap.'°'M.Jtimanidcs makes to relate nothing elfe bu_t a
Prophetical apparition of three ~ngels to ..J.brak,m
which promifeda Son: they are fa1d. to eat a~d drmk
with him and two-of them to depart from him to So-
dom to b~there. entertained by Lot, whom they refcu-
ed from the violence of: bis neighbour-Citizens, and
led him the next day out of the Citie , before th~y
brought down fire and brimftoJ}e from heaven upon 1t.
. All
· pro-ved hl the Jewifo monummts~-
All w'ti.ich paffages ·feem to make it evident that this
Apparition of Angels was Real and Hifl:orical- and not
meerly Prophetical and Imaginarie. Wherefdre Nach-
mani~es having got _this ~nhappy advantage of his ad:.
v~rfane, purfues _thts mi-lb:ke of his witli another of
his own as grofs m an· oppolite waY.~ His words are
thefe, ,,:i, N'JJ U.l'N ""liJ'1 iN 1N70' i1'Ni7 l'tl)Ort
Be th~t heh(Jlds a'!' Angel; or hath any conference with.
one, _rs n_ot a Prophet:_ For_ the hufine/ it not Jo tU Mai-
mon!des. h4th tf_etermrned tt, namely., That ev.erie Pro-
phet recwves hu Prophefie hy the miniftrie ()f an Angel;-
orer Mafter Mo~es only _excepted.~ for orer R'ahhins have
told 1u. conce~mn! Daniel andhi! companions;, that they
were upon th11 account more excellent· then· he hecaufe
· ~hey were Prophets, andhe non~; And therefor; nu Booli
u not ~eckoned amongff th~- Propliets, lJecarefe he had tfJ
d~e w_tth the A,ngel Gabriel , altho,,g_h he hoth heheld~
him, and ha} cunference with· him- whrn he rvas- awak'e•.
Thus we_ fee· Nachman. as cl~arly· expungech all thofe
out o~-~1s. Cata~ogue· of the Prophets, to: whom any-
Appa~mon·of Angels was made-, as Maimon. had put
them m·: and pret:ends for this the Authoritie of the
Talmudi/fs; whofo1· this caufe exclude Daniel from th~
~umber of nhe Propkets-, and, as he would have us .be-
ltev:e , . reck?ned his Bo~k arnong ·the Hllgiographa;
becau_fe_o_f his c8nverfe with the Angel" Gabriel;· But.
a_ll t~1s 1s ~ratf:s dill1t7!1, _a~d fcarce brma fide; for it is-
mamfe~ that all_ Ant1q~1t1e reckoned upon Zacharie as.
a Prophet, not~1th£hndmg all.his VHions are p.erpctu..;.
ally reprefented by_ Angels-. · , ·, .·
_Buc-':Ve fual! a lmle · examine that featence·· of die·
Tal_mudi/l's which Nachman. founds his Opinion·u·pon.,
which I find fee down M1f!echeth.Megillah'-, _cap; r~ in,
the-Qemara, where the Mafters glofs on that Dan.x.o. 7-.
Ee 3 APdi

z 4 T/,at Propbefie wMcommunicated by:Angels
1
And I Daniel alone _[aw the rifton: for the men that
were with me [aw not the Vifton; hM a great quiking fell
upon them, Jo that they fled to htde themfelves. Here
they enquire who thole Companions of Daniel were,
and then p3fs their Verdie\: upon him and them. lNO
'i::,i ,:iN1?0i ;""i'i:ll ,m iil ii\'Qi ,:r, iC~ Cl't!;Jl'•ni1Jl,
what are thofe nun that ,vere with Daniel,: R. ;Jeremie
faid, They were Haggai, Zacharie and Malachie. 'They
excelled Daniel, and he alfo exce}le.d them •. .}Jere in they
excelled him, beca1tfe th~y ivert_Prophets, an.d he 1,-one;
and in thi5 he excelled them,-_ that he beheld a Vifion,
and they none. Thus thofe. Mafrers; who indeed
denie Daniel to be a Prophet,. and accordingly his Book
was by them _reckoned among the Hagiographa, yet
they here give no re_afon at all .for, it. But whereas
Nachman. faiesthat the Vifions'of Angels which Daniel
converfed with were Real~ and not Imaginarie or Pro-
phctical,it is a manifefr Elufion,and contrarie to the ex-
prefs words of the Text, which relates the[e Appa-
ritions to have been in his peep, Chap. 10. verfe 9.
And when I heard the voice of his words, then war I in a
~eep fleep ttpon my face, and my face towar1s the g_ro.und.
And Chap. 8. 18. Now ao he wa-s JPeakzng with me,
~VerfeI 5• I wa-s in a deep fleep. This fleep was upon the ,.. Exit
of his Vifio~: For (o ( as we have {hewed before )
there was a frequent p.,re1dba.01~ from .a Vifion whkh-be-
gun upon the Prophets while they were awake into a
Prophetical Dream. So Chap. 7. ·verfe I • .In the firft
year of Beljhazzar King of Babylor;, Daniel had a Dr~am,
and Viflons of his head upon his b~d; and in this Dream
and night-Vifton,. as in the otheJ before mentioned, a
Man or -~1.ngel comes in to .expound the matter, verfe
15, 16. I Daniel was grievedinmy spirit in the midfl
of my body, and the Yijions of my: hr.ad tre11hled me.
I
pro11ed by tl:,e Jeu,ifh monument,.~ .i 1 -;
I r.Jme near to one of them that flood hy, and Mked him
~he trnth of all thu :Jo ~e told me; and m4de me know the
mterpretatmJ of,th~ things. _ . . ·
But that the 'I',tlmr~drjls do maintain Tme Prophefte
to have been commumcated ~y Angels, we {hall fortlier
confirm from one place which is in Gemara Beracoth
-cap. 9. where tl~e pottors ar~ brought_ in comparing·
Two places o~ Scnpt~1re, which feem contradicl:ory. ·
One of them is Numb. 12. 6. In a Dream will I fPeak
untohim; t!1e other is Zech. 1 o. 2. They have told falfc
dreams: which they folve thus. R. Rami [aid, It i,s ,vrit-
ten~ ,,:i,, NWJ~ 1:i,o'?n, :i,n:n ~:i ,:::i,N o,~n:.
I will fpeak to.him ma dream, and again, They have
to~d falfe dreams. No,v there is no" dijfic,tltie at all in
tbu .. For the ftrfl fort of Dreams came* by the hand of An 7N70 ,,, 7Y"
An.ge[; 1nd the t}ther >t byan evil Genius. And this iW. ,,,', ,i,.
O~m1on 1s generally followed by the refr of the Jewifh
wmers, C~mmentator_s and others, who. thus com--
po~nd the difference between .tho[e two.famous adver-
fanes Nachman. and -Naimon. by.granting a twofold
app~arance of Angels, the one Real, and the other Ima-
nam. A~d fo_ they-fay this Real viflon of Angels is.
a Degree mfenor to the Prophetical vifton of them.
As we are. to!~ by R. feh11d~h in the -Book _cofri;
where havmg d1fputed, Maam.3. what hallowed-minds
the,y ~:mght to have who maintain commerce with the
Deme, he thu_s goes on, ',:i, n,,,cn:i pm, o~, Ifa-
m~n b~ very proru,: and be in th~(e places where the Di-
vine tnjlt~enc_e tt{~s t~m1nifeff it·felf ,_; the Angels will
ttccomp,ime him w1th_tbe~r Real prefence, and he /ball Jee
them face tu f~ce;. yet rn an_ inferiour way to that rifion,
of Angels which accomp,imes the Prophetical degree.
'tinder th~ Seco_ndtemple; according tU men were more en-
t/(Jwcd wzth wifd0m,_.the1 b.eheld:Apparitiom· and_he-artl
· tie
 Teflim<.mies of Scripture, pro11ing . _ th4t_ fJ'rophefie UIM commu1aicated hy Angels.·
· '! .i I V ·
if sanllitie ·but yet m- curfe Meroz, to an Angel, C#rfe ye Meroz,faid the ..d.n-
the Bath Col, wttc~
t:b. ;r:i:clude,
ferior to tke lPro{
. . d
'fa R. B;chai makes
;o believe the Exill:ence of_ Aa-
gel of the Lord: which words Kimchi would have to
be underftood in a literal fenfe , n,,:i,nn,n MN\lJ ,:,
1tan Art1r e O at . Ancrels were the furmfuers :-n :-tiON n~,:Ui ,El i..;;,y,, for Dehim,h WIN 11, Prophe-
gels for tt1ts re~folDthat and othereforc to denie them te/:, and Jo fiake according to I'rgpheticat infJ,iration;
of the Propheuca cene, . fo he in Parajha Teruma~ and fo Rnbhi Levi Bin Gerfom alfo expounds it : on~
was to deme all Prop he~~ ~UJ ,gi, becattfe (faith he) kelos and Rafl,wich lefs reafon I think,make this Angel
,,:n oimjl\t)Q
. >: .
Oi1 c::J':J~
• ,11
I ·' n . of_ AfJ!o-els
•
s by the mmr,~rre o , to.be none elfe but Bar,i.ch. ·Though I am not ignorant
the v111me zn!~ 11~ c~~ he word in the mouth of tke that fomecimes the Prophets themfelves are called .An-
who order and. dt/p-oJe . t mind of God: ,And if ft gels of God, and thence Malachie the laft of them had
Prophet accordzng to :td be no Prophefie ; and if no
were not Jo, there W? :J {. Albo we may remember,
his Name; yet we have no fuch teftimonie concerning ·
Bartech, that ever he was any Prophet, but only a
Prophejie, not~twb. Sho ·mo ~edia~e orderers-of it, the Judge or Commander of the militarie forces. In the
defin' d Pr~p 11 e1te Yt · e l firll: Ilook of Kin_gs chap. 19. ver. n, 12. we have a
Angels. r, h Scripture it felf in this bu- large defcription ot this Imaginarie appearance of An-
But it is heft to con u1t t e a b which it defcen- gels in the feveral modes of it ; Behold the Lord paffed
finefs, which decl~re~ all t\at ; 0 \t?e firft place which
ded from God to rne ons p~ mt ,, • cap 4 z brings for
"'/;y, ttnd a great 11nd ftrong wind rent the Mountains, and
hrake in pieces the.Rocks before the Lord;lmt the LordwlY
. U Nev ar • ". • • not in tne wind: aNd 11,fter the wind an earthq11ake, and,
Maimon- m ~re. : . ·s that of Geneft.s 18. v. r.
f
confirmation of t_h1s 0 imon h.'. which he leaves as a after the earthquake a fire, &c. All which AP.pearances
with the expofiuon ° R. C:c~i more for his and our :Jonathan the Targumift expounds by ,;i~7,Q r,~7tpg
great fecr~t- Bu..t that ~ere :J-ttcob wreftled all nighf Armies of Angels:, which were attended with thofe ter-
p~rpofe:, lS Gen. t· ro~·hat man was, as JJofea tell~ us;
with the Angel; or l. ,/.' God met ::}Mob. Neither
rible Phtenomena. And the fti/1 voice in which the
L_ord was,. l1e renders anfwerably to the reft by 7G1
and verfe 1. The 4ng_e s 01 f that Luff4 between the 'tp~~ J~M~tQlt1, the voice .of Angels praiftng God in 4
doth.. tq_is lnterpretah~;/been only in a Prophetical gentle kind of Harmonie. For though it be there faid
Angel and ftteob t~ . h Hiftorical truth of that that the Lord wM in the f~~ voice,- yet that Paraphraft
6
Vifion, a~ all ~r ud~~e~~c:bs. halting upon hi~ thigh =
Event of 1t, whic w :r{i 1 thiner at other umes to
feems to underftand it only of his Emhaffador: which in
fome other places of Script~re is very_ manifeft ; · as in
For that is no very unu ~ oar bidies reprefented to 2 Kings chap. 1. ver •. 3, ·15, 16. where verfe 3. we find
ha:7e [6me Real ~affions h~n the fir ft begin. Another the Angel delivered to Elijah the Meffage to Aha'{jap
us m our dreams th~.~1 l ft.el up his eyes and looked, King of lfrael, who font to Baal-'{!hub the God -of
place is Jof. 5. I 3n 7i" M ~uainft him. Again, Judges
11,nd behold a man ,.,o~b over "fhe command {he had to
Ekron to enquire about his difeafe; But the .Angel ef
the Lord faid to Elij t1h the_ Tijhbite, .Ari{e, g~e np to
5. 2 3. Deborah _atm uces curfe F ( meet
:i 1 S Teflimonies of Scripture"; prol'ing-
mm the ,m.ffengm of the King of Samaria, andfay Ml•:·
to them, Is it not becattfe there iJ not a Gud in Ifrael,,
thttt ye goe to enquire of Baal-'{!bub. And verfe tlie I 6,
we have all this meifage attributed to God himfelfby the
Prophet, as if he had received the dietlte immediately
from God himfelf? And in Daniel, the Apocalypfe, and
Zacharie, we find all things perpetually repr(!fented
and interpreted by Angels. And Abarbanel upon Za-
eharic 2. tells us that fever al Prophets had feveral An-
gels that delivered the heavenly Embaffie-to them, for
that every Prophet was not fo well fitted to- coaveffe
with any kind of Angel : "i:Jp7 p,o N':l.l '-,J l'N
',:J1 S,.ElttJM, Every Prophet wra not in a ftt capacity if re-
ceiving Prophetical inft,unce from any. Angel indiffe-
rentlie ; but dccordlng to the diJPojition of the Receiver
the degru and qttality of the Angel WM accommodated.
But I t11all not further purfue this ArgYmenc. In the
genernl, that the P_,ophetical fcene wtU perpetuallie orde-
red by Jome Angel, I thinkit is evident from \vhat"hath
been already faid, which· I might further confirm from
Ezekiel, all whofe Prophefies about the Temple :ire
exprefly attributed to a mttn a, the Actor of them, that
is.indeed an Angel;for fo they ufed confl:antly to appear
to the Prophets in an huma·ne fhape~ And- likewife
Gen. 28. 18. in :Jacofs Vifionofa Ladder that reached_
up to heaven we find the Angels afcending and defcen-
ding, to intimate that this Scala prophetica whereby Di-
vine inffuence clefcended upon the Mind of tlae Pro-
phet is alwaies filled with Angels. From this place
compared with Gen. 3 I. 11. :J~cob's Vifion of Laban's.
fbeep prefented to him by an Angel, Philo thus deter-
mines in his book ,zJe) ~ ~om~.;f~> 1D 'f~S ~rdp!1>,-
. 'o~~ cm ~a_mt-<,,;;/11, ovd_pi1> dva,,r;,es;l<pa oe :?i-~®-, ,...()·'>'~,-
3i.9.voJ1 'Tis ~ 1 ~ rti>feo:bO,m,~, ri1f,J ru'll~V ?TeP<p«.,vop.Y;.59s:,.
-·· ~d
t1,a.t if'roplnfie UJM·comm,mirated l:,y Angelr.·
,,,'I ' ' 'flcJS
~ct. '9
' '•YJ
...'9P.f> ~ ,..,,..
,u < ' , I\"' ' ,
'\t«:1rxpn1wv a,u"l'd '9 o,mx.a·wi, CG,,)tA&JV 'YtJI/;
fee how the Scripture r.eprefents fuch Dreams 4,s (ent of
God, not only thofe _that proceed from the fir.ft ca"fe
[ God, J hut (rich aljo tU come hy his Minifters the An•
gels. But S. ferome hath given us a more full and am-
ple Teftimonie in this matter, in his Comment on
Gal. 3. 19. The Law WM ordained hy AtJgcls in the h4nd
of a Mediator. His wor"ds are thefe; fl.!!od autem ait,
Lex ordinata, per .Angelos, hoc vult intelligi, qu'od in
omni Vtteri Tejlamento, ubi Angelm primi'tm vifm rc-
fertttr, & pojlea quafl Dem loquens inducit,,r, .Angelm
qrti~em_ vere ex_ miniflru pluribm quicumque fit vif,a,
Jed m z!lo Medzator [ Chnfius] loquatur q11,i dicat, Ego
fum Deus Abraham, Detu Ifaac, & Deus 1acob. Nee
mirum Ji Deru loquatur in Angeli&, crtm etiam per An-
gelos q~,i in hominibm [,mt loq11at1er Demi~ Prophetis;
dicente Zacharia, Et air Angelm qui loquebat11r· in me
ac deincefJ' infere»te, H£c dicit Dominm omnipotens. '
We might further add to all this thofe P'ifions which
we meet with in the New Teftament~ which, as a thing
vulga··lie knO\yn, were attributed to Angels. So Acts
27. 2, 3. There flood by me the Angel of God thii ~ight,
that is, in a Prophetical dream. And Ads 1 z. when
the Angel of God did reallie appear to Peter, and
bring him out of prifon, he could fcarce be perfwaded
of a long time but that all this was a P'ifion, this ind_eed
being the common manner of all Prophetical Vifion.
And Aas 23. when the Phadfees would defcribe
S. Paitl as a Prophet that had received fome Vifion or
Revelation from heaven, they phrafe it by the /}ettk-
ing of ~n Angelor Spirit unto him, ver. 9. We find no
evil in thi-5 man; b11t if ttn Angel or Spirit hath /}Pkm
tD him, let ~ not fight 11gainft God•
Ff 2 CHAP.
 . o Of fame a8ions llttr-ibuted to Prop!Jett; . wlntljer tbey were rJ(gal, or Imaginar)'· 2%1
21 Cafe, More Nev, Part cap s. .
2 6
modtJm in fomnio accidi; &• c K•4 • ch,asftergo, q_rmnad-
. • P , • now t ere ore th t ·
tt·tn a Dream' a man thinks that h h , . a ~ tt
CHAP .. VI. that Cormtrie, that he has married aeW.ifi~th 1
ieen ~n thu or
tinued there for r. . . et ere, and con-
has had a-Son ..-t'fiJomhe cert~tn tzme, that l>y this Wife he
The second Enquiry, What the meaning ofthofe Atl:i- . VJ uc a name, (}f {ttch a dilh ,r: . d
t h e ltke; Know (faith he) that even . ,n. rfr.°-1t_t1on_, an
ons is that are frequently attributed to the Pro--
phets, whether they were Real, or only Imaginary Prophetical Parables-1u.to what the P JUJh Jo,: u with t~e
and Scenical. what· A[fions of the Prophets were ,e Prophetical r.ijion. For wbatfoev;?th:s Jee or doe_m
form us concerning anY' AIJion tA P h 1e Parables m-
only Imaginarie and performed 11pon· the Stage of
f hanfte. what we are to think of fever at .A[l-i!ms and ·
cerning the ./}ace of time betwe::
ther, or going fr.om one place t O
::P et 10th, or con:..
he All-ton and ano.-
res geftre recorded ofHofea, Jeremie and-Ezekiel in · Prophetical rijion .- neither anf er ; alf -thh-is irra
their Prophefies-4. fanfi, although fame particr,la
ned 11p in the writings. of
~:.e
the,;;;h~y
t efe- Ailro~s real tb
be precifely recko-
THus we have done with our· ·firfr Enquiry concer- WtU weH kmnvn that it WtU aU d 'P. ets. For becartfe it
ning the Contriver and orderer of the Prophetical on ; it 1VtU, not.necenarie in the ronh"e ma Prophetical· rift.:.
Stage : That which was aeted upon it, no doubt,, every .. . :JJ• e e11,rli,n(J" ot' e .
cu tarttte· to- reiterate. that it. . J" 'J v_ery partt-
<.°)
one will grant to· have beeni a Majking or Jmaginarie
bufinefs. But there-are· many times in-the- midft of
1;
on; tU-it wao . al(o -needle.flt »:tU a Prophe~tcat Yifi;_
Dream. Bttt now the f/11/oa: ~n~tt .~ite th,tt _,t Will in a.
Prophetical Narrations fome things related to be done 0
fi,ch All-ions, for1rnies ~e · :: 1 ~en t~mk'- that all
by the Prophets themfelves upon the command of the ally.and fen(ibly perfor~ed ft ;s-a~dAnfwers were reG
Prophetick Voice, which have been generally concei- fion. .And- there(twe Ih ' an ~ot m a-Proplmicat Yi-
ved· to:have beenta8:ed really, the grofieft of all not ex-
cepted, as Hofe a.· his taking a harlot for his W.ife and
this lmfinef, anJjba!t bri;;eJn/''tntim to
he able to,do11bt of. addin t/c t 'llnKs tU no man jhall
make plain
begetting Cliildren, &c. Which conceit Mr. C11lvin whic.h yo11 may be' tt.ble to~u}';1';;.o tme ~xa1!1p-les, hy
hath in part· happily· underminedo But we {hall not not for the·p,refent mention_ ; 1 'J t e(/fl winch I fl.ia/l
here doubt to conclude both of That·and all other acti- rej~cls it as a ,v11/gar error ·co c 1us ~e ehe how Maimon•.
ons-of the Prophets which they were enjoined upon the ~ns which are commonlie at o_~ce1ve t at ~hofe .Afli..
i~age _of Prop hefie_, that-they were onl)' Scenical & Ima- m the current of their p. r;/~uted to ~he-Prophets
gmarze; except mdeed they were fuch as of their own
from_ flac.e to place, their ropfo e te d.'· then· tr~vailing
Nanr~e n:ufi hav.e an Hiflorical meaning, in which an r:ece1vzng anjivers &c ipoun mg_ q1ujl1ons and·
Imag1111tr.t.e performance -would not ferve the turn. wJ1ereas they were ~nl I. we~e- re_at thmg~ to fenfe;
For this purpofe it maybe worth our while to take no-
tice of what :M11imrmides hath well determined in this
- Cafr,j ,
!y to.the.Phanfie
. .. y magmarre,· reprdented :meer:-
Ff 3 But:.
 'Of fame aEt ions attributed to rpropbets;
But for a more difrinci: underftanding of this buftnefs,
we mufr remember what hath been often fuggefted,That
the Prophetical fcene or Stage tt,pon which all '1fparitions
,vere made to the Prophet, was hu Imagination; and that
there all thole things which God would have revealed
unto him were acted overSymbolica/Jie,as in aMafqree,in
which divers perfons are brought in,amongll: wnich the
Prophet himfelf bears a part: And therefore he, ac-
cordino- co the e¥igencie of this Dramatical appar.atus,
muft, fs the other Attors, perform his pare, Cof!Ietimes
by [peaking ~nd reciting _things done,pro_po~ndmgque-
fl:ions, fomeumes by achng that part which m the Dra-
1'!1a he was appointed to aa: by fome others ; an~ fo
not only by Speaking, but by Geftures an? _A_chons
come in in his due place am·ong the reft; as 1t 1s m our
ordinarie Dreams, to ufe Maimonides his expreffion of
it. And therefore it is no wonder to hear of thofe
things done which indeed have no Hiftorical or Real
veritie ; the fcope of all being to reprefent fomething
firongly co the Prophets Un<lerfi:anding, and fufficient-
Iy to inform it in the Subfrance of thofe things which
he was to inftruct that People in to whom he was fent.
And fo fometimes we have only the Intelligible mat-
ter of Prophefies delivered to us nakedly without the
Imao-inarie Ceremonies or Solemnities. And as this
Notion of thofe Actions of the Prophet that are inter-
weav'd with their Prophefies is mo.fl: genuine and a-
greeable to the general natttre of Prophefie, fo we fl1all
further clear and confirm it in fome Particulars.
We fhall b.egin with that of H ofaa his marrying of
Gomer a common harlot, and taking to bimfelf chil-
dren of whoredomcs, which he is faid to d~e a fi~ft and
fecond time,. Chap. 1. and Chap. 3. Which kmd ~f
Aetion however it might be void of -true rice, yet 1t
would
'n,1;ether they u,ere tJ(eal, or Imagina1y~·
would not have been void of all offence, for a Prophet
to have thus ~meq1Mlly y_o11.ked himfilf (to ufe s. Patel's
expreffion) with any fuch Infamous perfons thouob by
way of lawful_ wedlock,_ if it had_been don~ real;. I
know that this way of mterpretmg both This and o-
th~r Prophetical acl-ions difpleafeth Aharbanet, who.
thmks t.he Ltteral fenfe & Hiftorical verity of all ouoht
. to be ente1~tamed, except it be p,,7,;, expreffed to h~ve
been done m ,z Yi.fion; and the general current of our
Chrifrian writers till C11/vin's time have gone the fame
way. And to make the Literal interpretation here
· good, R. Solomon and our former Author both tel! us
that. the ancient Rabbins l1ave determined ~hofe Pro~
p~et1cal narrations of Hofe 4, to be underftood CYtWJO:t·
lttera!ly. The place they refer to is Gem. Pcfac. cap •.
8: where yet I ~nd no fuch thing pQfttively concluded
by the.Talmudifls. Indeed they there, after their fafhi-
on, expound the place by infer ting a long dialoc;,-ue be-
tween G'?d and the'.Prophet about this mattert6'lt fo
as that without R-. Sol. or .Abarhanef s olofs we could
no more think their fcope was to eft-abli(h the· Literal
fen[e, then I think that the Prophet himfelf intended
to inlinuate the fame to us. W~:fhall therefore chufe
to fo!low_ AbeneZJa as a more genuine Commentator,.
whom tlus place and others of the like nature follows
Maimonides ~ 'lrod'Clh, making all thofe T°ranfactions
to ~ave be~n only Imaginarie. For though it be not al-
wa1es pofit1vely Jay' d down in thefe Narrations that
the Res gefttt was in a Yiflon; yet the Nature and' Scope
of Pr~phefic fo requiring that thin°s iliould thus b~
acted 10 imagination ; We fhould· r~ther expect fome \
Foft~ive .declaration to affure us that they were perfor-
. med m the Hiflory, if indeed· it were fo.
, And therefore-in.thefe recitals of Prophetical rijion~
we.

of Jome aclions attributed to Prophets;
we fin.cl ma~y times t~ings·lefs co~erentthen can, agr~e
to a· true H1fiory; as m the narr~ttv~ of ~braham s_ V1-
·fion, Gen. 15. ( for fo t~e Rabbms m Pzrke_ R. Elze'{!r
expound that whole Chapter to be no_thmg _elfe) we
·£nd v.·1. that God appedred to Abraham m_a 7:ifion, and
·v. "5. God brings him int_o the field as 1f 1t wer.e af-
ter the {hutting up of ~vemng, a_nd iliews h111:1 the'Sta~s
of Heaven: and yet for all this ·ver. 1 i .. 1t was ~et
day-time, and the ·sun not gone down: And ,vhen the
·s,m wa-s going down, a·deep .peep fdl, 11pon Abraham;
and verfe 17. And it came to pa/ that wken the Srm
went down and it was dark, behold a fm0ttkmg f11r~ace,
11-nd a burning lamp th~;_ pajed between ; hofe. pteces.
•From whence it is mam1.eft that Abraham s gomg out
into the field before to take a view of t~~ Stars of
,Heaven, and·his ordering o~ thofe feveral hvm~ Cre~-
tures, ver. 9, 1 o. for a·Sacnfice,. :was all pe:fm me? m
a Prophetical Vijion, and tt-pon ~he Stage of htf lmllgma-
tion,: It being no ftrange thmg to have incoherent
juntl:ures of time ·made in fuch a way. ..
,s 0 feremie 13. we have th~re a v~ry prec1~e Nar:a-
tive of feremiah's getting a hne~ girdle., and putting
it upon his loines; and after a wh1l~ h~ muft Ae_eas take
aloncr journey to-'E11phrates, to hide 1t there ma hole
of the rock; and then re~urnin° , after many days
makes another weary jourme to the fame pla~e to tak~
itouc again after it was all-corrupted: all wh1c~ co?la
manifeftly be nothing elfe. but :mml7 lmagmane ;
the fcope thereof being to 1mprmt-th1s more d~ply
upon the Undedl:anding of th~ Prophet, Th~t the
Houfe of 1udtth and Ifrael, wh1~h was·ne~rly knit and
united to God, iliould be '1eftr01~d and rum7d, .
The fame Prophet Chap. 18,-1s brought mgomg to
,he houfe of a. Potter, to take notice how he wrought
a
u,f,etbtr they wtre ff{fal, or lmagzizary. Uj .
a piece.of work up?n the wheel; and when.the Ve[-
f~l he intended wa~ all marred, tha~ t~e~--h~ ii)~ad,eof.
~1s clay ~nother Ve~el. And Chap. 19. he i~i.~rp~gh~
Jn as tak,mg t~e · Anc1entrnf th~ people ~nd tJj~ And-
ents of the_ rr1efts al_ong w~th I~i?J i~to ~he. v~lley-"of ch~
~~nof Ht'}nom, w1th a :potters earthen bottle under
lus arm, a~d there breaking it in pieces in the·1n1dfi:' 0£
them. •· · · ·_ · ··· · ··
In thi,s l~fl: Ch~pter it's v~ry obfernble how-
0
the
Scheme ?f fpe.echis alc_er-~d,_ -when the Prophet relates
a R~1t Htft~ry concer?t~g _hunfelf, ..ver. 14~, [peaking
of mmfelf. m the Third perfon, as 1f now he were to
fpea~ of Fome b~~y ~l_fe, and nor o.f. a P1:~p~1e,~Jr_his
Achons; for fo we read_ ver. 14, 1'he_n.ca,me;:Jer~miak
from Tophet, &c. The hke change of the perfon we
find Cl1ap. 28. ver. IO. whe1~e a fonnal frorie is'told
1. of f~me things_that paffed bet~een :Jeremiah an~ Ha-
.. \ na?7111h the falfe prophet, who m the prefence of.all the
· ;,eople broke :Jeremiah's yoke from off his neck: For.
1~feeh1s t~ have been a ~pnted thing for th'e Prophet~_
by Bon~s ~I.)~ T_0kes to type out unto the people.P'icloric
or captwitze m war. Noc. unlike is tnat we read of
z_e~ekiah the falfe prophet, 1 Kings 2.2. who made
lmn(elf_ k~rns of ir~n ~- when he prop he lied to .l.lhaHis
:Pto(peritte aga1nfi: the.Syrians a.fRainoth~dile4d ·:vul~
garly to.reprefe~t- to hinj the foccefs he lhoulcfh~ve.-a~
gainft his Enemies. ;But in. all.this bufinefs. th~e Mode
~f :f:re;,iah's lang~age: irifin?:ates a ~Hera~. fareff/by
.fpe!kmo alrngrc:h~qn :h~~- Th1_1:d p~rfon,, \as,. i~- ~h~-~5!~
1ation-eoncerned fome body elk~, anJ'not11i111felt---an4
fo ~uft b'.e ?f (om~r~al thing, and that.\vh1~h :to $~~fe
;a_n~ ~-bfet.va~ion h_ad ic's realitie~ anctxi~iiorily~a-~ea•
lit~e J~ ~pprep.enfion 9r Imagin;ition.; .': s)·· cha~~ J1 •
we feen.1 to have.an· iH 1· · 1· · · .,.,,, . _... ,,p,, .-.-
. \ ;:·:J :r_~ ,;; Qwa~_ ?~11ts~:iff1.. }iLAt9r).Hf
i ·,_.; ' · : ) .-. :
_ •L O · :Jeremlllh s
116 of flirn~ dllions ~tt,ibuted tQ·fPropl;w;
jtremiah's' ptt'tdrafe _of~- F1e1d or ilanlibUe! his l1ndes
Son; frbm ihe MoHe of expt~ffiori Which is tifere ob-
fervable-. ·! _ · . _,
-- Btit othtfr""tim•es ,~{ JJ1¢et «lit&: things_ gtaphi~a1iy
defcrihed ,vith all the Circumfrantial pomp· of the·
buijnefs; when yet i_t could he n·otl:ih)g' elfe buc a 1Jra-
#1tttical thh1g·; as Chap. 35. whete the Prophet goes
and finds out the chief of the Re(habites particularly
clefcribed, and brings therh intb fach a partirnlar cham-
ber as is there fet forth _by all it's hounds, and there
ftts pots and cups full of wine before i:he111, and bids
therii drink wine. Jufl: in _the fame n1ode ,vith this we
~ave another ftorf _to~d., ~hap.if. j 5, and 17, &c. oF
his·taking a wine-cu··p from God, and his carrying it up-
arid a'Own to all riatioris far and near~ :ferilf-ale-m and the
Cities of :fudtth, and the Kings and P1foc_es thereof 5 .
tb Phiraoh I~ing of f-PP!, lnd his S~r~~hts~ ~r~nces,fJ
People; to all _the .ll.r,ibwu, a·n~ K(ngs of the ,Landt
of U{; ·16 the··Kings of (he ~·aild'.of tli'e ib'iljpi1JiI,
Edo;n, Moab, A#Jfl!Oll; tire King·s 'oi'Tyre and Sia°'n~·a[}.d
of .the H1es beyund the ~ea, mdan, "fematpu~ ·~· the
Kings of Zimri, of the Medes and Perfians, and all the
Kings ,of the North : ~n-d all_ thefe_ be faid. _he m,ade
fo dri~k of ihi's Cup. : And in this faili16n Cha,p., 2_7.
he i's fen.t up & dow·o with 'r.okes,to put upon the ~eeks
<if fever.al Kings : all which can hav·e no other fenfe
then that which is meerly Imaginari'e., though "we ~e not
told that all this was acted only in-a f ijion, for the na~
. rnreof the '.t~ing would noc··perm_it any 'real -W=,rfor-
rnance thereof. · ·; ,.' · · , ,
Thelikewe·_muft fay of 'Ez1kiet'nesgep~,' hi~ ~a_t"
i~g:a·roll-given him of God, Chap.·3~ And-~Chap.-4. ifs
efpeci~Hy remarkable_ .hq\v: ceremb'iiiouny :all ,ihiifgs.
fare/e~a~d
.,. .
~cmceriiln_g,·his
,~ -
tiklng ~f Tile; and pourfr~y-
mg.
Jl)betber .thljl were ~al, or Imag)n~r~~. ")t-J,:Q
ingih,e -Ci~y ~f :J.emf~le1JJ .\ip,on\it, -Ms 1ntag~g~ 1~9
i.t ::; -~11 whicb. I fo.ppofe wtii :,b,e ,ev.i.d~nt :t9 ·.h:we-J;>.~~ll
~~f-rlyJ)r«!"fllif4l,_ if we_ car.efully .ex_~m~n.e all,t~~gi·
u, r._,. ~o_:~W!Jl~ftand.mg ,~hat 1Go.d 1tel{s·'h1~1 he (11:)u_l<il-;n
:k_
~lhl~ts b,e .a.Stg~.e ttJ>th.e people~ Whtc1u~inot fo ·,tQ :b,¢
UJl.cf ~.Hl:~o!;i_, as ~f they ,ver.e to .obfenr.e in fo_qh 1:ea.l _.1_-
~iol)s .iQ. a fenfible way what ~heir own :fates fbou \J.b.¢.:
for: h~ ·is hece. cqmmanded to Jie,coq.tinu.ally· ,before .a
Xile -30..0:.d.a.ys,. which is.full 13 Months, upo_n· his left
fide, and·afcer that 40 more upon his r;ght; apd tQ
b.ak~rhi_s -br~ead tha.t he {ho_uld eat- all this .,Yhite with
dul)g., &:c. · _ ·. , .
So Chap. ; . ·:he is comma,:ided t.o ;take ,a -i~rqer_~
-r~fou:r_, 11.n~-to Jhave his head and·b,e~.d, -:then. tQ w~igh
his hair in_a.p~ir.ofScales, and di:vide1it imotlu:ee_p,a.r.ts;
~nd _after the.days of his Siege fl10.uld b.e fulfilled, -fpo-
ken of b.efore, then Jo burn.a third part of it in the
.midft of.the City, and to fmite about the other.third
with a knife, and tofcatter the ot,heri~hirp..to ·the wind.
All which as it is moft unlikely 'in itfelf.ever to ·h,ave
be~n really d<ime, fo was it ~ainft the Law of the ..j
Priefts· to fhave,the corners of tliefr heads.and the:cor-
ner.s of :their beards, as Maimonide.s ob[erves. But
.-th~t E'{jki.el ·himfelf was a. Prieft., is m·anif~fi from
:Chap. J.'--ver. 3. Upon:thefe paffages _of .Ez.efejel .Mai~
.m_an..ides ba_nh .thus Job~rly ,gi.ven _his judgment, ,More
-.Ne~.:Part. z. c. 46 • .Ahfit M Detu _Pf:i)ph~t# f,Ms ft11J•
tiJ·v.ele:briis fimiles;re.dd.at, eofq.11e .p1dtmm1 .41,t f,uri-.
;ofar.,~m 4{/-ion.e.sf11.cerej1Aheat : ,prteterq.1Mm tpiod- pr1tfe, ..
.:pt1.tn»:illtJd11lh'mu.mLirgite.pngnJtj[et,~-&c.t.-F.anbe;;q,w,rJJ-
God tD render bu Prophets-like. to fo_ols.Apddi11.iJ.km-.:.111.a,,
.,md t.oprefc,:ibuhemJhe.all.io.nief .foots .and~mad1m.en :
:h.tJMes -tb111 .t.hi5. laff ..in.j1mlfion-Jl!buldJfun.1e bietJ 1 incPn-
I
Ji/fAnt ;JP.ithJhe,i~w; for:£%JekfellW..MJ1..grt.at(PirieJf, 11nd I
· - Gg2 therefor~
 Of fame aEtions attributed to Prophets, &c.
iherefore ~blig' d ~o the obfervati~n of thofe two Ne~
gative precepts, viz. _of not_ fliavzng the_ corners f h_ rs
head and corners -.of _ht-5 beard•'.· .And there/f!r_e tht-5 -was,
done only in a_ Prophet_Jcal _Vijion._ The fam_e -fen_tence _
likewife he paffeth upon that fiory o_f ·-Efatah,_ Cha~. _
~ 0 • . his walking nake4. and bare~foot, _wherein ~f~t-
3
.-ihvas no othei:wife a Signe to <!./F.gypt and uF.throp,a,.
or rather Arabia, where he dwelt_ .n()t, and fo could not
more literally be a Type·therein, then E~ ~kie.l was
hereto the Jews._ - _ . , .-
Again Chap. 12. we read of :Ezek,el s removmg_h:s
hou{hold-fi.uff in the night, as a Typ~ of the Capt1v1-
tie,· ~md of his digging \Yith his_ hands th_~ough the
wall of his hou fe, .and' of the' peoples coming to ta~e
notice of _this fir~_nge·acl:i'on, wiih mn~y,bther uncouth
ceremonies of the whole bufineCs whtch carry no {hew
of probabilitie·: 'and yet ver, 6, God declares up6n
this to him, I have Jet thee for a figne-to_ the. hotJfe of If a-
. el ; - and ver. 9~ Son ~f ?lld-_n, htt!h-not ! h_e ho11Je of ifa;.
el, the rcbe/lioM h0ttje,.(aid tmto thee; w~at ~o~ff.tho11J
As if all chis had been done 1·,,t!ty; · wluch 1~1deed
feems to be nothing elfc bu_t a Proph·etica,l ·Scheme.
Neither was the Prophet any re,tl Signe, ~ut only Ima-
ginary , _as having ~he! yp_e of all. tl:o~e Fates fymb~:.
lically reprefented 111: his ~ha~~e wh1c~ were: t~• b~fall
the Jews.:·. which fen{e Kzmchz, a &enuine Com1~enta-
t-or follows> with the others ment10ned. And 1t· may
be ~ccordincr to-this fame notion is that in Chap. 24-·
to-be underftood of the death of the ;Prophet's Wife,
with the manner of thofe funeral folemriiti~s and qbfe-
quifs which he petform€d for her ... ·. . him, ~hich·urgeth him to {peak, fo th,trhe difvbWfe-'co1P_.
But we fball·pro~eed no farther mt-~1s ·Argumenn,
is
which I hope by thi~ ~im~ ~u~cient~y ~le~red?. _T~at
· ,v.e_ ate not· in any- Prophetical narratwes of this kind
· ·
, Ofthe difJate ·of the Ho!, Spirit._ Z-2-9
to underftand a!ly t~ing elfe but the }:iiftory of ~he W-
·ftons themfelves w~ich. appeared to them, ex~~pt W¢.
be led: by fome farther ;irgument of tl-ie realitie· of th~
·thing in· a ,vay of _fenfible ,appearance to determ'ine it
to have been any fenfible thing. · - · - · ·
.
of thatDegree of Divine infp-iration properly ca!f.'dRuach
11akkodelh, i,,e. 'The Holy Spirit. The Nature of it
· defcribed: out?;/ !-fewip, -.Antiqujtfes-.: . -wherein-ii/ii
Sa_n&us diter' ( fr-~tlf ,Pr~f~efii:, .flr1E!_lj- '{~
1
,· : S_pi~itus _
_- call d, .ancJ- from _t~ spmt of 7!ultnef ~~-- _pat~fief
-Souls. What B oooks. of the oltl Te.fl 1tment were afcrt~-
- bed by the :Jews to Ruach ha~kode(h. of the Urim.
and Thummim. . ·
T~us·we ··have done wit4that'_patt. of: Diyi~~inffr
mion which was more 'Technically itnd·propM_J by
-~he Jews called Prophejie. ·We fhall now a little feardi
mto chat which is Hagiographical, or, as they qll oir;
The Di£!11te of_ -the. Holy Spirit_; in .-,vhi~h the_ Book of
Pf~lms., :J:ob,f~e wor~s of" So/omon a.nd othe1;s-:•ar~~~#n~
pnfed. · This we-find very appofitelyt1m·s defiried-.by
Maimonides.,· More .Nev._Part.·z. c, 45 .- ct'em homo jn fa
fen.tit rem vet {t!Cl1ltatem quampiam exoriri-,\& fuper fe
qm~fcere ,qtt£:ermJ im-pelli~ ad loqree nd,~m~&c,yvhfn a)nan
p.ercetve.s Jome Puwtr- to: 4rfe•within him~- ,and re.fr 'tipon
ceming the Science; or Arts,·_ and .tltter · P_(alms or
Hymns, or profitable and wholefame ·R11les ofgood:-Ziving;·
(}r. matter.s: Potitie-a(. and Civil, ~r fi,c_h ·ris--iiri 1Jivine ;\
to · Gg3 ad
 , o(. Divine l,ifpiration
- Of dJ.1t degree . f l fc holy meit
called Ruach hakkodefb, i. e. the Holy Spirit. · :i H
. the Mmds o t.10 e
it came in abr~pdyupon ·vate chOughts, but tr,an_fpor- Divine Infpiration : for fometimes the ancientell: Mo-
without courtmg their pn f Mind they were m be-
ted them-from. that Tel!'Ped ~heln fel ves cap ti ~aced ·
fore, fo chat.they per~eli:r light then th,at ,vh1ch chea
hr numents of Jewilh learning call all Prophejie by the
name of Spiritr,1 Santlm, So in Pirke R,Eliezer.c, 39.
.R. Phine,u inqnit, .Req11ievit Spiritm S,1ncfm faper :fo-
I the pow·ep ot fome Htg l poui·ed out u·pon them, /eph11m a6 ipjiMS j11vent11te 11(qae ad diem o6itt2s ejm,
own underftandinJ; rnmmo"r~ immediiitely from God. atqHe direxit ettm in om1mn fapientiam, &c, The Holy
11
they might know It ;o be :obe the main thing w~ere1d Spirit reJled ttpon :fo(,ph from his yo11th till the d~y of
il Fdr indeed -th.a_t ieems . that conftant Spmt an his de.uh, ,tndg11ided him into all 1vifdome, &c. Though
tt diis HolfSfVrit- d1ffere~10rnefs dwelling in hallowed it may be all that .might be but an Hagiographieal Spi- ·
~i
i
ii
fr'ime bf l'fo)inefs and ':"k otent and tra!]fpor_tmg rit: For indeed tl1e Jews are wont, as we lhew'd be-
I! inds that 1t was to? qu1cf '· p I .Form to that Ltght fore, co dillingui/h :fo(eph's dreams from Prophetical.
!
amthing, , an d was.a kmd-o
h" I they vitawere perpema .. 11 }'. pof-
I! But t/1is Spiritm S,tnlftu in tl,e fame chap. (. co put all
!I -of divil)e Reafon_ w ic,1 fometimes it r'uns out mto_a ouc of doubt)is attributed to_ E{,tiah and EZ.f kiel, w/1id1
l
It
fefs'd of.. And therefor\ h" as to corile, th011gh _It,
Forefi. ht -or Predtllzon o t ml~fs underftood by ~he
were known Prophets: and chap, 33• .R. Phinea, ait,
P0Jlq1tam omnes il/i inter/ell; f,tef'ant, vigiiltian,;,:, in
;/ "Y fe thofe Previfions _were eedfull) we might m- Ba6e! req11ievit Spiritlf,f San{fm j,,per Ezekielem, &
mL~ . r If (if 1t were n . h r. tn
Prophet hun1e ;f as 'd's prophelies, w~1c .,e~~;lf--r ed,o,it enm ex convalle Dora, & oJlendit ei m1t!ta of!d,
I
-I
fiance in fome o Davt - . not fo mucli f~r ht1TJ1e
'have been' _revealed to him or f/,S.,, But~ it did ·nqt al-
( as the Apofile f~eaks_) _as ff Devotion. or Didates of
&c. And among chafe five things tliac the Jews alwaies
fuppofed the Second Tempie to be inferiorto the. Firll:
in, one was the wane of the_ w11p,1 Ji11 SpiritHs Sitn-
!
j~(
n. wai es fpend it felf m St~runs ~ and therefore ( ifl
rertue, Wifdom and Pru enrse ~ conjecl:ure ~ I fhou
mia c1as, or Spirit of Prophefie. _ . · · ' · ·
=· · ·

·But we are here to confide1· this Spirit11s Santffm

ii. take le4ve ~ere _co exprtl d c1Js Degrcee_ Spmtus s~~- more ll:rictly, and as we l1ave formerly defin'd it out
think the ant!ent J~ws ca \rom the T h1,rd -Perfon i_n of Jewifl1 anciquicy, And /1ere we lhal! lirll-lhewwhat
II a,,,,; n'bt b~cau(e It _tlows the thoughcuot o( i~ this Books of t/1e Old. Te.lbmen~ were afcribed ;to, this
H the Tri'nity-1 (which I dofbte n~r affinitie and .~lhance Degree by tl1e Jews, Tl1e Old Teftament wits by fhe
! ·buliiiefs) .but becaufe_ oO,/ Jlolinej and :tnie Good= . Jews divided into 1:::r::ni:i.:n t:::l'N':JJ ;,,,n; the L4m,
it hath with that spi~tt ··b ei!fi~.oLG,oiid.T?e~. '· the Prophets, and the ci'>'O'J'et;t<p,x,, And this divifiou is
,;;hat a!WaieS'lod?-ecgm.tbd i~ :ln·old pi:~v~rb!al ~peecl)1 infinuaced in L1tke 24, 44, 4,n_d,:Jeftis [aid 11nto them,
this feems to be, nhm~~te ·r d ',by Mttimo,mdes mt 1e
f. the JewHh Mafters, quo e_ -. Theft are the wordsivhich I ffafc /Jnto y~11 .whili, I wa,
'"·•bt'tat r,1,per eum, yet with you, that all things mufl 6e /11/(ifled 1vhich were
~ Dtvtn
A
-o
fore-quoted pljce_, _M1qe_,i--.· .atU. m ..Thoµgl; 11 · t h'mk
n,,. ,, .. fqme
,vritten concernin." _me in the L,iw of Mofes, and in the
ii loqititur per Sp1rl1lt1ea'!':S~b::a i:he'l<!iwe~ D¢gr~e _of _Prophets, andinthe Pfalms :•whereby the PJ'a!,ns may
it· might be fo. ca e as.· t> · Div me .feem to be ,!lleant the_ Hag~ogr,1pha 5 . foi· die W ricers of
. . ' . H Ii · tl1efc
 -~-:~-4 . Of that degree of Vh,ine 1nfpiration
thefe l/Agiograph4 might be termed Pfttlmodift_s for
fome Reafo~s whtkh we finll touch upon hereafter in
this DKcourfe. But to return; the Old Teframent.
--being .aijti.ently !livided into thefe parts, it m~y _not ~e
amifs ,r,o confider the Order of rhefe parts as 1t ts laid
downhy the Ta:lmudical DoSors in Gemara B'1.va 1ht-
thra .c. il. towards the end, r~·'::lJ '-,ttJ t·iic p:i, im
·,::i, >our Dollors have delivered unto us tbu order of the
Prophets, fofluM, :f,ttdges, Samuel, Kings, q',eremiah,
E'{§kiel., I{aiah and the Twelve Prophets, the Firft of
which u Hof~d, for fo they uuderfiand tho[e woras in
Hof. I. 2, ~wm1 tl~i1~ i:;l''! n'!f"!r;,, Detts inprimu lomt,u
efl per Hofe am. The ,fame Gemarifts go on to lay down
the Order of the d.'}foye9,<pfX- thus; Rttth, the Book if
Pfalms, fob., Proverbs, Ecclefla.ftes, Canticles, L.amen-
tations, D.aniet, Ejlher, EZira, the Chronicles: And
thefe the Jews did afcribeto the Rttt:ch hakkodeft,. But
i
i! why Daniel iliould be reckoned among£}: the t:J':lm:J,
,t
I
and not amongfl: c:::N~,:lJ the Prophets; I c~m fee no rea-
,i fon, feeing ,the frrain of it whe>ly argues the nature of
'.i
a Prophetical degree fpending it felf in Dreams and ri-
!i
,[j jlo.?Js, though t'hofewere joinfd with mor~ obfcurity
(it being then the,Crepttfrnfllm of th~ Prophetical day,
d whkh had 'long been upon the Horizon of the Jewifl1
:1
Church) then in the other Prophets. And therefore
-whatever the latter Jews here urge, for thus ranking up:·
Diinids books with the o~her t:;:l''?'n:J, y,et feeing
they give us no T~aditional reafon whic!1 t~eir A~~ei
ftm;s had for fo doing,_ I fl1ould r;ith~r clunk 1c to h:wt;
heen firft of all fome fortuiwus thing. which gave an
-occafion to this.after--mifta~e, as I think it is. ··
Butte ,pafs\on., betides t'hofe ]3ook_s m_eµtioned 1 ~here
-;werefome things elfe~mong :the Jews ufually a~tr-ibu-
ted i0 this spiril#S S1ffl~1ill -: And fo MaimonideJ in d1e
·. ~~
cc1lled Rua.ch hakkodefh, t t.. the Holy Spirit.
fore-mentioned place tells us that Eld"d & MedaJ- and
all the High Priefl:s who asked counfel by Uri:n aftdl
Thummim, fpake per Spiritum S4wllum, fo that it was.
a Character Enthufiaftical whereby they gave judi.cial
an~wel's, by looking upon die Stones of the High
Pne(ls breaft · place, to ~hofe that came to enquire of
God by them. And fo R. Bechai in P'araih r--i,vn·
fpeaks of one of the Degrees of the Holy Spirit which·
wa-s fuperior to Bath Kol ( i. Filia Vocis } and inferior
to Prophefie. ri1?vo'? w,,pn
1
n,,nu,,o,1, Jiio ;-,.,,-;i
~~iJm iO :-1TD0 7' '-,,p r10 10. It will not be amifs,
by a{hort digreffion to {hew what this Urim and Th11m-
mim was : And we may take it out of our former Au~
thor R. Bechai, who for t:he fubfiance agrees widi- the
generalitie. and beft of the Jewilli writers· herein. It
was, as he there tells us, done· in this manner. The·
Hig,h Priefl: frood oeforc-the Ark 9 ar1dhe that ca;me to-
enquire of the Urim. and Thummim ftood behind him,.
enquiring with a fubmiffe voice,., a·s if he had· been, a:n
his private prayers,_ sha!J I doe fo:, or fu,? Then the
High Prieft looked upon the Letters.which were·en~-
0rav.en upon the Scones of the Breall!-pla-te, and: by·
~e concurrence of an Enthufia:lHcal Spirit o.f Divina.•
tion- of his own ( if I may·actd thijs much upon th.e.£or~·
mer reafons to. th:it. which he there fpeaks ) with fome
modes where.by thofe letters appeared, he. fhaped- o:0;c
his. anfwer. But for thofe that were: allor:v.ed to en..
quire at this Oracle,. they were none elfe bn.t etther
the Ki.ng or the wholeCongregation, as we'. are·told.in
Maj[e.c •. Sotah,.17/J ,~ iiJ~ N'7N t/"?~WJ t,~,. Nu.Ne.mar
enquire of it but the congregation; o-f the Pf~plq,_ or the-
.King_; by which it feems it was a Politicato1·ade.
Bue.to. retiarn ta o.ur Argulll't:n.t iahand,, viz .. What.
pieces of Divine writt are afcribed to th~ uv,:r~,.\ m~,:
Hhz or
 · Of clJ~tt drgret of Di'Vitie InfpiratioJZ
or spiritus Sani1us ; we mull: further know that the
Jews were wont to reckon ~ll ~hofe P{alms or Songs
which we any where meet with rn the Old Tefiament
among the t::l'::l'Ii:J. For though they were penned
by the Prophets, yet becaufe they were not the proper
refults of a· Vifttm Prophetict1m, therefore they were.not
true Proph~fie: For they have a common Tradition,
that the Prop~ets ~1d n~t alwaies pr~phe~e eodem gra-
J11,, but fomet1me m a higher, fomeume m a lower de-
gree, as among others we are fully taught by Abarbinel
in E{. 4. upon occafion of that Song of Efay, riv N'lJ,
~,,~:i
ii.))'1.:n, i1l:i0 ir1N, The fame Prophet prophe-
. dingly {Peaks-of the Song at the Red fca, :. Then Mo-* hod.x,.
_(re s fomet1me tn the form of the f,tpreme Prophetical
Degree, and.(ometimc in-a lower Degree,tai,pi1 mi:J iN
,:i.'7::i or by the Holy Spirit only. And thus havino0 made
his way, he tells us that common nor ion they had a-
mong ft them, th,it all Songs 1vere diclated hy thu Spi-
ritus Sancrus, 'i:J, t:l'~':J)i1 ,,:::1,:i. N~or,·o ~,,t!J "?:nu
Every ~ong thdt is fo~md inth_e Writings of the PYO•
phets, tt was fHch a thmg as 1vm ordered or dillated hy
the Pen-men themflves together with the fuperintenden-
cy of the Holy Spmt: fora_(mttch ,ts they received them
no( in that higkcr ,vay which·~ called Prophefie, tU all
Vifi~ns were received, for all Viflons were perfect Prophe-
fle. But the Author g~e-~ on further to decla.re his, and
indeed the common opinion, concernino any fuch Song
that it was not the proper work of dod himfelf bu~
the work of the Prophet's· own Spirit, i,5,1:JO M.l'N p'?,
~r,iN ,,m;, N':JJi1 '-?l,1:30 r::JN ,.:, 'il. Yee we mufr
fupp?f~ t?e Prophe~'s S_pirit enabled by the conjuncl:i-
on of d1vme help v,mh It, as he puts in the caution,
c:::rii"?N 11v, nn i'7~ ;,,t;,u,, the spirit of God and hi5
divine 11/ijlance did flill cleave 1mto the Prophet and
was e.refent ,vith him, For, as he tells us,. the Prophets,
.being
called Ruach hakkodefb, i.e. the Holy Spirit. 2, 37
being fo_ much accuftom~d to divi~e. yHions as they
were, m1_ght b~ able fomeume per vtgtlram,without any
Prophettcal V1fion, to fpeak excellently by the Holy
Ghofl:, '71.UDi1 l'il7~i1i i1~'70i1 \~i':l, with very elegant
lang1tage, and·adrmrahle .fimilit11des. And this he there
proves from hence~ that thefe Songs are commonly at-
tri~uted to the Prophet him{elf, and not to God, there
being fo much of the work of the Prophet's own Spi-
rit in them, Ol.U7 ~7 C:"1'7N 1'0l7 ::lil7::Ji1 ,,OM' p½
''-'' ~v,o iwp tN i::l'i1 n,,w:i icN :-,J;, ':J 7,:i.n,
Wherefore the Scriptttre commonly attributes thefe Songs
to the Prophets themfelves, and not unto God; and accor-
fes and-rhe pe~ple of Ifrael fang this Song, th,zt u, Mo--
Jes ~nd the children of Jfrael did compofe and order it,
So m the ~ong at Beer-Elim*, Then fang Ifrael this *Num.2. 1 , 1 1.,
Soni. So 1~ Mofes his Song in the later ,ena of Deute-
ronomy, which was to .to be preferved as a Memorial
the Con~lufion runs, .* Set yortr hearts ttpon all tho}"" Dem.p. 4 6._
1v01:ds , mi;:i • ?~ 7W9 ,-;rn.~ ity~, which I t~/Hfie to yore
thts day. So all thofe Pfalms which .are foppofed to
I1ave been compofed by David, are perpetually afcri-
bed unto him, a11d the refi of them that were compofed
by others are in like manner ::ifcribed unto them-where-
as_ the Proph~tick fl:rain is very different, _alwlies inti-
tlmg God to 1t, and fo is brought jn Withfoch kirid of
Prologues [The word of the Lord] or [The hand of the'
Lord] or the like. . ·
But enough of that: yet feeing we are fallen now
npon th~ O~·iginal Author of thefe Divine Songs and
Hymns, It will not be amifs to take a little notice of the ·
frequency of this Degree of Prophefle, which is by Songs·
and Hymns compofed by an Enthufiafl:ical Spirit, a-
n:wng theJe.w£, We find many of there Prophets ·be-·
Hh3 fides

Oft1Mt degree ef 'Divine ln/piraiion
{id.es ])avid , who were Authors of fundry Pfalms
bound up together with his; for we muft not think all
arc his: as after the 72 Pfalm we have eleven together
which are afcribed to Afaph, the 88 to Henwi, the
89 to Ethan, forne to fcduth,en, and very many are
incerti Ar,thoru, as it feems, being anonymous. Thus
K imchi in his Preface to the P falms, and the reft of the
Hebrew Scholiafts, fuppofe divers Authors to have
come in for their particular Songs in-that Book.
And thefe divine Enthufiafi:s were commonly wont
to compofe their Songs and Hymns at the founding of
fome one M11-flcaJ inftrument or other, as we find it of-
ten fuggeiced in the Pfalms. So Plutarch, lib. ~2 "l'fi
/./Hi XJUtV lµp.,i'fpa, J'LW rcf,IJ) PutS-la.v, defcribes the D1tbte·
ot thi Oracle anciently, ws ov ~'Tf<f ~ ;,yx.e:,i , ~ '7fJ...ci-
C!-f9-'' '9 p,e'Ta.~opcus c1·ow/,rrrov, '9 F4if' w71.g, how that it
wtU uttered in verfe, in pomp of wordJ, Similitudes and
Metaphors, at the [8und of a Pipe. Thus we have .Afaph,
Hema» and :J,ed11ith11,n (et forth in this Prophetical
preparation, 1 chron. 2,5. 1. Moreover David and the
captain Df the hgafo feparated to the fervice, of the Sons
of AJaph, 41Jd of Heman, 4tld of :Jeduthu.n, who fbould
prephejie with harps, &c. Thus R, Sal. expounds the
place, o,~:imo ,,;, ,1.,1,,, n,,tr.1 ,',:r:i c,JlJO ww.1::i
~,:,, Yt!1'7~.Cl NOJli, when they play' d upDn their Mujical
inftruments they proph~{zed, afte, the manner of EliJT,a,
who faid, Bring me a Minftrel-, 2 K i11gs ?· And in the
fore-mentioned place ver. 3. upon thofe words [ who-
prophefted with a harp ] he thus gloffech, y,mo W'llJJ:J
.- N:Jmo .-,,n r-t'1'7'7i1 ',i,010, .i~i,n ,,,~~,c· ,~l,::i~
./4S they. founded 11po» the harp the P(alm,s of praifc 11nd
the Hallelujahs, 1edu.thu.n their Father prophejied. And
this fenfe of this pbce I think is much more- genuine
then that which.a late Author of our own would faften
upon
ca!led '.Ruach hakkodefh, ;~ e. the Holy Spirit.
upo~1 it, viz. that this Prophefying was nothing but
£ngmg of Pfalms. For it is manifeft that thefe Pro•
phets were not me_er Singers, but Compofers and fuch
as were ~ruly c~lled Prophets or Enthufiafis: 'so ver. 5'.
Heman 1s exp1e£1y called the Kings Seer; the like in
2 chron..:. 2 9, 3(?,& ch.3 5. I 5. of A(aph, Hem,m & ,?':edu-
thttn, 1,n;, .. , upon. wI·
· . . " - .inn 11ch our- 1ormer
c '.T
C ommenta-
. tor gloffeth thas, :-"ilM :--i~n imt, inN i...,:, unufqe f-
que eorttm erat Propheia. ,Tis true, the Poets a~e ancie~t-
ly called raw, but that is no good argument why a sin-
ger fhould be called a Prophet: for it is to be confidered
that a P_oet was a Compojer, and upon that account b
the Ancients called Yt:tes or 4 Prophet, and that becaufe
they gen~~ally t11onght all true Poets were tranfPorted
S_o Plato rn l11S Phdrus makes Three kinds of Fu•1 •
VJ~. Enthuftaflical, .Amatorio1u,, and Poetical. But ~f
thi~ matter w~ £hall fpeak more under the next head
~vluch we ~re_ ma man~er unawares fall en upon, which
1s to (!nqmre m general mto the quahficarioQ of all kind
of Prophfts. ·
C » ...u.
 to the recei1ni1g of the 'l'rr;phetical Spirit." z 41_
of tlie Difpo(itions dntecedelit i111d prepJfatory alfo corporeal, and !Jy this means he foreteUs what fha/J
come to pttj. And tnus, as he further obferves, the Ne-
cromancers themfelves ·were wont to ufe many folemn
Rites and Ceremonies to call forth the Souls of any
CHAP. vm. dead men into themfelves, whereby they might be a-
bl€ to prefage future things. But to come more clofe-.
. . 1
~d and prepttratory to Prophe- ly to our prefent Argument. . ·
of tb, Dijpofiti;"s;:: ;c;,c:~:ns
1
which did fit a man fod The ~alipcations which the Jewilh Docl:ors fup-
fie. That~ e o4!!._a . ~e Juch M thefe, viz. Inwar pofe necefl'arily Antece_dcnt to render any one hahilem ad
the Prophetical ~p__mt we, Pacate and ·serene temper prophetand11m are tme Pr~b~ty and Piety ; and this; was
T e W1ldome, a - · . · pp.o
P~ety ~ ru d d e cheerfulnefs of Spint; !no ·r. ~ the conftant fenfe and opm1on of all of them umver-
ot Mmd, ?? a u Mental crazedne[s and mconi1- fally , not excluding the vulgar themfelves. Thus
Ji tion to V1ttoufnefs' ~ black. Melancholy and Abarbanel in pr£jat. in I 2 Proph. n,,1 'N'.JO n,,,cn
fiency, un u
[i bdued Pa111ons,
fl fl
t d by fever al In ances zn
.
duli Sadnefs. Thu i
scripwrei That ~u
fictw~
O
greatly advantaieous to
,1 God &c · what u meant
wi,p;, , PiettU inducit Spiritum Sanllnm. The like we
find in Maimonid. More Nev. par. 2/cap. 32. who yet
the Prophets ~nd f!o. y me~ o; , • -. thinks this was not enough ; and therefore he reckons
by s,wl's Evtl spmt. up this as a v11lgar error, which yet he faies fome of
their Doctors were carried away withall, fJ.!jod Dem
. d. G rfe of thofe feveral it.liquem eligat & mitt.it, nHlla kA-bitJ ratione tin fit fa-
UR next bufinefs is to i c~der a man fit for the
O tl.!!_alifications that were tor~ not think chat any
1· ·c. ~
piens, &c. That God may chuf~ of men whom he pleafeth,
andfend him,· it matters not whether he be wife and lear-
spirit oJ,+ Prop hefie ·. for we muu.
d Prophet . T 11s. g11t was ned, .or unle.arned and unskilfuO, old or young ; only th.it
man mig~c _fdde~y bd~ fin a fed as to b~ comrrtuni~a~ed thu i5 required, that he be 11, ver.tuo1u, good and hone/J
not fo tortm~ou_ Y. 1 pen of erfons. And this in- man: Fer. hitherto there w11J never any that co11ld fa1
without any d1fcnminatton ae~erall .concluded upon ;
that God did caufe the divine M&1jeftie to drve!l in a viti-
deed all forts of mld t~~1.~h~ns the~felves, that ~nly
ar.d therefore tie~.· . Divin,ition, were wont in a
QtlSperfon, 1mlef he had fir.ft reformed himfetf. .
fouaht after a Spmt ot and fit themfelves for re- But Maimonid. himfelf rather preferrs the opinion
- of the wife Sages and Philofophers of the Heathen
fol;mn manner to prepre R Albo hath truly obfer- .
ceiving the influx thereo i' ,!so'tu," rw~i,pii r,,c,Nii w, then of thefo vulgar Mailers, which required alfo fome
c 8 'i:J'\ !ii ., d .If. ed Perfefrion in the nature of him that {hould. be fet a-
ved, M,ur.m.3, . ·i
"
de tfp·mfelves Images, an q,1 er part for -Prophefte, augmented with ftudy and induftry ;
The ancient Gmtt :s m1t t ;he Stars that by thu means whence it c4n11st be that a man foould goe to bed no Pro-
prayers and frankmcen(e _o 't ,al inft,;ence from fome cer-
t hey might draw do_wn a fpz'.t ~ this influence fiides down phet, and rife the next day a Prophet (as he there fpeaks)
t,iinStars ttpon.thehzr Jmage;portthe man him[elf, who is q11emadmod11m homo qr;i inopinat'o aliq,eid invenit. And
from the boay of t e St ar'· alfo Ii a
 2 4i· Of the 'J)ifpo/itzons dnteceaent and'preparaiory
a little after he adds, FAt#os & h11jus teme filios quad at•
tinet, n,,, #'Jtl:[,is, noflro judicio,prophetare pojf,mt, quam
.Apnus 1111t Ran~. _ .
Thefe Perfe[Jions then whic11 Maimonides requires
as Prep,mtt~rie Difpofitions to render a man a Prophet,
are of Three forts, viz. 1,Acquijite or Rational; 2.Na-
t1mil or Animal; bfily, Moralo P..nd according to the
difference of thefe he difiinguifhech the Degrees of Pro-
phefie, c. 36. Ha-s autem Tru perfccliones &c. Asto thefe
Three Perfellions which we have here compri'{' d~ viz. the
Perfe/Jion ~f the Rational ftte11ltie 11cquirea hy_ Piedj,
the Perfea-ion of the lmagirMtive facultie by birtli, and
the Perfeaion of Manners ur vertuous .f2.!.!alities by puri--
fjing And freeing the Heart and ajfet:fions Jro.m itll fen-
Jual pleafum, from d!l pride, and from all foolifb and
pefliltnt defire of glory~ .As ·to theft, I fay, It's eviaent
that they are differentlj, and not in the f~me degree par-
ticipatcdl,y men: .And_according to fuch different mea-
fures of participation the degrees of the Prophets are '1lfo
tQ he d~ftittgtiijhed~ _ ·
Thus Maimonides,who ind¢ed in all this did but aim
at this Technica/!notion of his, That all Prophefie is
the proper refult of thefe Perfretions, as a Form ari-
fing out of th~m all as out of its elements. compoun-
ded together.. For it is plain that he thought there
was a kind of Prognoftick virtue in Souls themfelves,
which was in this manner to be excited ; which was the
opinion of fome Philofophers, among which Plutarch
. , laies down hi~ fenfe in this manner, a~ding to the
•)Lib.~* minds of maHy others ; * 'H-4,v!;cn -rfuJ (,{9- vfod,.1] ~(. ~-
~Mh0!7Zt11til, x.1ci-ra, d'WJC<,f,M,V cx(?,cx,m, 'T8 Cw,-ig,t@.. dia;]'&p veep~), ~·
X!IIS11f4~Y• l_x8,m, ~ vim, 'JU<[)A~'T«-l Q ¼' rrfuJ ~ s 'Tti ::W>ilov,dvd~o,
®1~ ,!J CwfxvCn The S ottl doth not then fir ft. of all
1
, more hereafter.
111tain a fro.phetical energie when it leaves the Body as a,
do11d,;,
to tf,e rmi11i,zg of tbe PropheticafSpitit. 24 3
clo11d; hNt it mw hath.it already; only ll,e is Mind of
this Eye, becau(e ~f he-r concretion with thi mortal hody.
This Philofop11er's opinion~aimonidcs was more then
prone to, however he would diffemble it, and there-
fore he fpeaks of an impotency to Prophefie, fuppo-
fing all thofe Three qualifications named before, as of
the fufpenfion of the acl: of fome natural -Facultie.
So Chap. 3 2. Meo judicio res h£c fe hahet jicut in Mi-
racnli,s, &c. (i.) In my judgment (faith he)tbe matter her~
is ju.ft Jo tU it is in Miracles, and bears proportion wiih
them. For natural Reafon requires, that he who hy his
nature i5 apt to prophejie, and i5 diligently taught and in-
flr11lled .. and of flt age, that fuch a one Jbould prophejie;
!mt he that notivithftanding cannot dot .Jo, u l~ke t~ one
that cannot move his hana, ill 1erpbMm , ·or one that
-cannot .fee, 111 thofa that toNld not fee the Tents of the
1Cing of Syria ( ta it i5 in the Story of Elij'1a.) And again
Chap. 36. he further b~ats upon ihis String,· $i vir
ljl_'idam ita comparat#f fuerit, nu/J,up, dubi11m- eft_, ft fa-
cultas ejru Imaginatrix( q11£ in fummo gradu perfecl4 eft, ·
.& lnfl11entiam ai Intellell,~ fecundum perfe/Jionem Ju-
am f}ecrelativam accipit) labor1tverit & in operatione
fu_erit, i/lum mm 1:ifi res divinas & Admirand4s appre ..
henfumm, nihil prttter Deum & ej_f!s .Angelps. viflerum,
n11/Ji11s deniqne rei fcientiarn h1tbitur11m & f11rat11rum,
nift earum .qtM ver £ funt & qtM ac! communem hominum
j}el1an!_utilitatem. ~his Opinion of M11imonides I find
not any where entenained,, hut only by the Autho~· of ·
the,Book Cozri. Thacwhich f~ems to have led.him in•
- to this conceit_ was. his miftaken fenf~-. ( it m;iy be ) of
fome Paffages in the ftory of the Kings that· fp~ak of
the Schools of the Prophets, and the lik~, of which
., . ·
Butlknow_~o R~afon fqfficient to.)nfe~ any:·ruch
Ii 2 · thing
r
I
I
Of t1,e DifpoFtions·anteceaent and preparatory
I
,thing as_ the Prophetical s·pirit from the higheft im-
provement of Nat,mtl or Moral endbw'.llents. ·And· l
[1 cannot but wonder how Maimonides could reconcile
all this with the right- Notion of fro-phejie, which muft
1\
of nec.efficy inch1de a Divine inj}iration, and therefore
may freely be beftowed by God ,vhere-and.upon whom
Ii he pleafech. Though indeed common Reafon will
1:
I! teach-us that itis not· likely thac-God would extraor-
I\
j, dinarily 'infpire ~ny men, and fend _the1:1 thus fpec!ally
authorized by lurnfelf to declare his· mind authenucal:.
Iy to them, and dictate what his Truth was, who were ·
themfelves vicious and of unhallowed lives ; and fo
indeed· the Apofi:le- Peter 2 Epifr. Chap. 1. tells us.
plainly, They were holy m~·n of G~d who_ IJ:zke tU they
were moved hy-the Holy- oho.ft. Ne1~her 1s It probable
that thofe wno were any way· of mtZJd-Minds, or who
were inwardly of incon[,j!ent· temptrs by reafon of. any
perturhatiDn, could be very fit-for the[e Serene imp_ref
fions. A troubled' Phanfte· could no-more receive thefe
Ideas of Divine Truth to~ be impreft upon· it,. and
dearly refleet. them to the Undedbnding, _ then a
crack'd glafs or troubled,vater ~an reflefr ftncerely any
image to be-made_ upon~them. A.nd t~erefore· th_e.H~ 7
brew Docl:ors umverfally agree in this Rule,-. ThAt the
spirit of Prophefle never refts upon ~ny but a H_olj anti
Wife mttn, one "?hofe p_aft.ions are allay d. ~o the 'falm11d
Maffec~ S"nhedrzn, as it ts quoted by·ll •.Albo, Mttam•.3'.
, • 1 o. -rwv, ""11:l'-' on:, i.;.,y. N'?~ ':"""ti~tv . i\~1:iJn · t'-~
~o,p -,V'J,, (i. ) The spirit of p_rophefre:: nwer ·refides
hHt 11p{Jn A Mtt» of Wifdome·a-nd-Fortitude;_as· alfo upon
11 rich andgreat man. . . .
The two laft qualifitations · in- this·rule Maimonides
in his Flmd11menta legu. hath left out,_ an~ indeed it is
f~U enough-with~u~- ~hem.· But thofe· other- ~wo·q:ua-
.· hficauoni~
to the rueivi,~ of tl;e P°;opheticaZ:Spirit.
lifications ofWifdom: and Fortit11d~ are confi:antly lay'd
.2.4 s
dm~n by th_em m this argument_. · ·Aµd fo we find it
afrnbed to the Author of this Canon, who is faid. to
be R. :j,ochanan, c. 4. Gem. Nedttr. p~ pn,, 'i 10N
,,:,, 'nJ'Jt!J_ n,wo i1:l''j?ii, ( i.) R. :J~chanan faies, God .
· doth not make hi; Shechina to refide upon ttny but a rich
and humble man, a man of fortitude, all. which we learn.
from the example of Mr;fes 01,r M11/fer. · Where by For-
titude they mean nothing elfe but that Po1ver wherchy"
good man f,1hd11e_s· hu Animal_pAYt; for fo- l fu}?pofe I
may fafely tran{fote thlt folut1011oftheirs which I have
fometime met with, and I think in Pirk'e Avoth~ ,0
yin_ 'il' v:i,:in ""l,:i,;, Who is t!ie man of fortitude? It
u he thAt· f11/Jd1m hiJ figmentum malttm, by which they
meantnochingelfe but the Senfual or .Animal pa.rt: of
which more in another Dikourfe. And thus they give
us anod1er Rule as it wer·e paraphra.fticalupon the for;.
mer, which I find ·cem~ Schau·. c. z_. where glancing~~
that contempt which the Wife man iri Ecclefiafles caa
upon Mirth and' LaHghter, they .dift.inguifh of a two.:.
fold Mirth, the one Divine; the othe1· Mundane, an.d
then furn up many of thefe Mundane and Terrene af--
fedions which this Holy Spirit wiU not· reftde wid1~
r,,1,~y 7,r,o N-½, r,,:i~w 1'1r'J N17:•i1,i:tJ ill'J'Ji N7"
,,:n ;,,nu; .7mo N'?', The Divine prefence or Spiritus
1
Sanetusdoth not refide where thm.15 gtief and duHJad::-
neff, laughter and lightnej of behavio11r ,. impertinent
talk or idle difcortrfe; /nit witfa due 11,nd irmornous ch_'ear-,
fi,lnef it love-store fide, ac_co.rfling_to that·wkich is writte'n.;
concerning- Eli.fh.i, Bdng me now a Minftreb .. __ aqd if
came to pafs when the.Min{hel played, the hand of the.
Lordwas upon hi'm·,_2 Kings 3•.'Nherewefee that tem-
per of Min~- principallt required _by theiv_ iufre~-
ehearfi,lnej--, moppofitton to all Griefs, Anger, 01· any
· · . Ii 3. . otheI
I
~ 416 Of t1)e '.Difpo/itiom antaedent .and preparatory
other fad and Melancholy paflions. So Gem. Pefac. c. 6.
r,p~noo iro::in 'in o:in c:::n-t cy,:3 Niiit!I c::m~ ',:,
Every man
iJDO rlj,7f100 ir,~''JJ 'ii1 N''JJ i::l~ iJOO,
when he is in pafion, if he be a wife man, hi! wifdom is
taken from him;. if a Prophet, hi! prophefie. _ ·
The firft part of this Aphorifm they there declare
by the example of Mofes, who they fay prophefied not
in the wildernefs after the return of the Spies that
brought an ill report of the land of Canaan, by reafon
of his Indignatio1J againfi: them : And the laft part
fr?m t_he example of the Prophet Elijha, ~ Kings 3.1 5.
ot which more hereafter. Thus in the Book zohar
wherein mofi of the ancient Jewilh Traditions are re~
corded, col. 408. N 11tu N7 NnJ':::J~, p'on, Ni't
',:,, ',:i,iv ""lnN:i, Behold,, we plainly fee that the divine
prefence doth not refide with Sadnef, hut ,vith chearful-
nef: If there /Je n_o chearfitlnef, it will not abide there ;
M it is written cpncerning Elifba, who~ Jaid, Give me
now a Minftrell, But from whence learn we that the spi·
rit of God 1vill not refide with Heavinef? From the ex-·
f
Ample of :J,acob~ fo; that all that r,hi!e. he ~rievedfor oa
feph, the Shech11w, or the Holy Sptrtt dtd forfake htm.
For fo they had alfo a common Tradition, that :J11cob
prophefied not that time while his grief for the Jofs of
his fon 1ofeph remained with him. So L. Tofipbta, f'N
iinow 7,r,o N'?N n,:i~v 7,no :-i,w.1 :--u,Ju., The.
spirit of Prophefie dweUs. not with Sadneft, bu! with
chear.f!1-lnef_. I will not here difpute the Punclual-
nefs of thefe Tra~itions concerni~g ~ofas and f acob,
.though I doubt not but the rnam Scope of them is
t~ue, viz. that the Spirit of Prophefie ufed not to re-
fide with any black or Melanchofy"paffions, but requi-
. red a ~erene and pacate temp~r. of Mind, it being it [elf
, of a mild and gentle n1ture; as 1c was well obferved con-
. cerning
to the recei1'ing of tbe IProphttical Spirit. . ,.47
cerning the Holy Ghoft in another notion by TertsHi-
an in his de Spetlaculi5 , Deus. priecepit Spiritum Sa11-
l111m, 1'tpote pro nattlr4 Ju~ bono tener~m & delicatum
tranquiUitate & lenitate, & quiete & pace trtttlare; no;
f"rore, non bile,• non ira, non do/ore inq11ietare,
- Now according to this notion I think we have gai•
ned fome light for the further underftanding of Come
Paffages in Pfalm 5 1 .which the Chaldee Paraphraft and·
Hebrew Comme,ntators alfo underftand of the Spirit·
of_ Prophefie which was taken from David in that time-
of his forrow and grief cf Mind, upon the reflection
of his f11ameful mifc~rriage in the matter of Uriah;
and this is called ver. 12. i1:l'1l mi a free Spirit, or 41.
Spirit of 11lacritie and libertie of mind, alling /;y ger;e•-
rous Ana noble andfree imp11lfes upon it.· and vet. 8. it.
is paraphrafed by :Joy and Gladnef,. as being that Tem-
per of Mind which it moft liberally moved· upon and.
acred ; . as likewife ver. 1 2. a like Periphrafis is ufed of
it, the joy (}f God's f11lvation ;· and ver.- 1 o. David
thus prayeth for the reftaurntion. of it to hitn, and. the
efiablifhing him in the firm p(?ffe~on of it, create in
me tt clean heart, o God, 1.l;r?'.?· W11J i,JJ IJ1i1, and,renew a
ft:./d Spirit" within me. As if he had faid, Thy _Holy
Spirit of Proph~fie dive/ls in no rmha!lowed yindJ~ hut
,vith prwitie and holinef; and when thefe 11re violated,
that prefently departs; the holy ttndthe impure spirit can•
not converfe together :· therefore cleanfe my heart of all
pollution, that thi,s divine grtefl heing reflored t9 me, may
find aconftant habitation within me, And thus both
Rafi and Abenezra glo[s bn this place, but efpecially
R.Kimchi, who purfues this fenfe very largely: and fo
before them the Talmudifts had. expounded ic., Gem •
:Joma. c. 2 .• where they thus defcant upon thofe words,
v.er•. I r. T1.ke not thy Holy Spi'f.it from. me, and tell us
how·

24s · -of the Difp.o(ttions antecedent aud_preparatory
I
i
, how Da.vid was·punii111d by Leprofie and: double·Ex-
.commu·n_ication; one from this Spirit, c:l'ttnn itttJttJ
il '-Jo~ii i,p1,ntrn i'i"1iiJC ,.:ia,i1 ~t.l)'i£1, ,,,, 1,:it1~l
i1.l';J1ZJ which-words I find moll: corruptly tr~nJlated by
\I
!I
jl
ror{li'm'if) his Commrnt upon Mttimon. his FMJ~amen_-
.t, legu. I fhould therefore thns render them m their
mtive and oenuine fen[e, Per Jex menfes trat David le-
proftµ (vi/propter pecca~rt'!' in negotio Uri£ admijfum,)
& feparab.mt fe ab eo vm Synagag£ magn£, atq,,e ab-
lata ~fl ab eo shechinah (i.Sfir!t~ Prophetic,es,) Prim11m
conft,zt cx Pf.ilm. 1_ 19. Hbt d1~1tr.er,. llevertantur ad me
timentes te, & fc1entes telhmoma tua: 11lterum ex
Pfalm. 5 r, rsbi dicit11r, Fae revertatur ad ~e l~titia fa-
lut~ ture. · uon of the Prophetical Spirit. So we have heard be-
But its'now time to look a little into that place which
the Mafi:ers confi:antly refer to in this notion,viz.1 Kings
3. where when th€ Kings of Ifrael and Judah and E-
dom in their diftrefs for water, upon their warlike ex-
pedition agai~ft the ~ing of M_oab, ca~e to Elifoa to
enquire of God by hun, the Prophet Elifoa ( ver. 14.)
feems to have been moved with indignation againfi: the
King ofifrael, and fo makes a very unwelcome addrefs
tp him, Surely were it not that I regard the prefence of
1_ehofaphat the King of :Judah, I wo,,ld not look toward
.thee ,nor fee thee: and then_it follows ver. 15. But now
·J,ring me a- MinftreU: and it came to paj when the M~n-
Jlrell plaf d, that the hand of the Lord came upon htm.
Which words are.thus expounded by R.D.Kimchi, out.
ofthe Rabbines, (with which R. s. fttrchi & R. L. Ben
.Gerfom agr.ee .for the .fubftance of his- meaning ) ,,a~
•,::,, i\'~N jhriCJt!J CWJ:J, our Do[/ors tell tss, that from
thttt day rvherein hiJ. Ma.fler Elijah 1Ms took up into hc11,-
vm, the spirit ~f Prophefie remained not with him for ti
certain time; for, for this cattfe he WM very fom,vful,
and
' .
to the receilnng of the 'PrGphetical Spirit.
and th~ divine spirit dQth mt :efi.de with h.eavinef.
Ochers ~ay thlt by reafon ofthemd1gnacion he concei~
v~d agamft the ~mg o~ Ifrael, he was difquieted in hi,
rmnd_; a~d tortchmg thu they fay, That whenfoever a Pro-
phet u .dift~erhcd thro11,gh anger or pafion, the Holy spirit
f'orfalm 1nm. From whence learn we this f From the
example of Elijhtt, who faid, Give me a Minftrel.
!bus we may by this time fee the Reafon why Mtp-
-cal m(lruments wer~ fo fre~uentlr u~d by the Prophets,
efpec_1ally the Hag,ograpln ; wJuch mdeed feems to be
not~mg elfe hue that their Minds might be thereby
puc m_to a more compofed, liberal and chearfnl temper
a~d fo the better d,fPofed and fitted for the cranfporta~
fore out of the I chro~. 25. how 4faph, Heman and
1eduthrm compofed their rapt and Divine Poems at the
found of the Qr!ire-Mufick of the Temple. Another
famous place we find for this purpofe r Sam. ro. which
pl~ce (as wel~ as t~e former) hath beetn (I think) itmch
rn1fraken and_ m1~nterpreted by fome of Singing;
wherea~ c_ertamly ~c cannot be meant of any thing lefs
-t~en Dzvzne_ P_oetru, and~ Compofure of Hymns ex-
. ,ired by a D1vme Energy 1:nwardir moving the Mind.
In th:1t place Samuel having anomted Saul Kino- of
Ifrae_l, to affure him that it was fo ordained of God
he.tells him of fome Events that ihould occur to hiU:
a lmle after his departure from him• whereof this is
one, that meeting with fome Prophets , he himfelf
fuou~d ~nd. the Impulfes of a Prophetical Spirit alfo
movmg m hun, ver. 5. Thefe Prophets are thus· defcri-
bed,_ .After that, tho,, jbalt come to the hill of _God, &c.
11n_d tt fha!l come to paf rvhen t'101J. drt come thither to tht
Ctty, that thou jbalt meet a company of Prophets comirJg
down fromthf high JlMe, ivith a Pfaltery, and a Tit/mt;
Kk anti
250
Of the Vi(po'{itions antecedent and prep.1rato;y
rind. 4 Pipe, and an Harp before them; At1d they foa/l.p_r4-
phefie. And the Spirit of the Lord ]ball C9me 1epon thee,
And, thou {halt prophefle with them, ,ind_ fhalt be turned
into another man. Where this Mujick which they were
accoiripa~ied with, was to vigorate and compofe their
Minds, as Kimchi comments upon the place; o:,,J;)1'
N?~ niitv i1J'N ttJipn n,, ,:J ,u:i, 7,1,n, i:pn, '1:1J
',:n :--inov 7,no, A:nd he/ore them w,u a Pfalterie ( or
Lute) di1d a Tabret, and a Pipe, and an. Harp :forafm1'ch
,u the holy Spirit dwells no where- bttt with- alacritie and
chearfulnef: And they prop~efied, that is, tU·:fon11,th, the
Tttrgrtmifl expo1tnds it, they praifed God: As if he had
faid, Their Prophefies were Songs and Prajfes, to God, ut•
iered-by the Holy Ghofl~ Thus he.
Now as chis Divine Spirit tlms atted free dndchettt 1
'-
ful Souls, fo the Evil Spirit ?etuated fad, :Me_lancholy_
Minds, ls we heard before, and as we may fee in the
Example of Saul. And in:.ieed"that Evil Spirit'which
is faid to have po!feffed him, feems to be nothing elfa
originally but Anguifh and grief of Mind, however
wrought upon by fome tempting infinuacions of an
Evil Spirit, And this Come.time- infhgared him to
Jrophefie after the fa{hion of fuch Melancholy- furie,
1 Sam~ 18.r o,And it came to paf on-the morrow, th-at the
Evil Spirit from God came upon S,mt; ttnd he prophejiuf
ifl the mitl.ft of the hou_ff; which fonathan renders by
Nn".J ,x:i. 'tonw~, inJttnivit in medio domus, ~r ,- as
Kimchi e~pounds the Paraphrait, 'i:l1 i:110 ~,i1
ni-aw, lo.cutm eft verba flultitite. Soalfo.R~_solom, upon
the place expounds it to the fame purpofe. .
So that according to the ilraia of all the Jewilh
Scholiafis, by this Evil Spirit of Sattl nothing elfe is
here meant but- a Melancholy kind of madnej, which
wade him prophefie- or fpeak diftractedly and incon!'
fift.ently..
to the r:ce~ving of the Pruplxtic,:,/ Spirit.
fiftently. To thcfe we may adde R. L. B. Gerfam,
n:i'D:l c:r'?:::i'?,:io c 1i:::i, n\:::i;i iin:i ,:i,o :--,,,,
3)1i1 n~,, Blake in the midft of tin ho11-fa "Very con-
fufedly., hy rea on of that Evil Spirit. Now as this Ev-it
spirit was in eed fundamentally, as I faid, nothing elfe
but a Soure and Dijlralled Temper of Mind ariftng
from the Terrene dregs of Melancholy, Grief and MA-
lice, whereby Sare! was at that time vexed s fo the
proper Cure of it was the Harmony and Melody of Da-
rvid's M11jick, which was therefore made ufe of to com-
pofe ~is Mind, and to allay thefe turbulent paffioris.
And that was t~e reafon ( as I hope by this time it ap-
pears) why .th1s M11fick was fo frequently ufed, viz.
to compofe the Animal part, that all kind of Pertur-
bations being difpeffd, and a fine gentle ,aA!.uJ» or
Tranquillitie ufl1ered in, the Soul might be the better
difpo[ed for the Divine breathings of the ProphetiC11l
spi.rit, which enter not at randome into any fort of
Men. Mov@., 'y) Cocpos op~vov 8&il ~v ~X~Y, X.ePUO··
1
,4,;ov @ ~'11'1'1~/4,;ov doe;4 '1rJJs &' ~, as Philo hath
well exprefs'd it upon this occafton; Thefe Divine
breathings enter only into thofe Minds that were fitly
difpofed for them by Moral and Acquifice qualificati-
ons.
-Kk~ <?HAP.
 Of tl,e Sons:
, · by the Jewi!h writers;
CHA Pg IX.
of the Sons or Difciple.r of the Proph_e.ts . .An Acto1mt of"
feveral Schools of Prophetical Edr1c11,tinn , d,S at Nai-
oth in Rama, 11t Jerufalem, Bethel, Jericho, Gilgal, ·
&c. Se,veral pajfages in the Hijforical Books of ScJ'i--
ptttre pertinent to thu Argument explained.·
AN D therefore we find alfo frequently fuch Paf-
. fages in Scripture as ftrongly inlinuate to us that
anciently many were trained fo up in.a way of School-
difci pline, that they might become Candidati Proplie-
ti&, and were as Probationers to thefe Degrees which
rione but God himfelf conferr'd upon them.. Yet.
while they heard others prophejie, there Wls forrie-.
time an ajflatu, upon them alfo, their Souls .as it were
fympathizing (like Unifons in-Muftck) with the Souls
of thofe which were touched by the Spirit. And this:
feems to be·the-meaning of that ftory 1-.Sam. 19,. where.
all SaHt~ meffongers fent to Naioth in Rama to appre-
hend David ( and at laft he hirnfelf) .are faid co fall a
prophefy_ing. For it. is probable that the Prophefies-
there fpoken of were .Anthems divinely dilJated, or
Doxologies with fuch elegant ftrains of Devotion and
Phanfie as might alfo excite and fiir up.the Spirits. of
tne Auditors : As often we find that any admirable
Difcourfcs, in which there is a chearful and free flowing.
forth of a rich Phanfie in an intelligible, and yet extra-
ordinary,.way, are apt-to beget a fymbolizing qualitie
of Mind in a ftander-by. · -
And this notion.we now drive is dearly fuggefied·
"" by
and Schools of tbe Prophetso .2"5J~
who teli us that this Naiotl, in
. R-ttma was indeed a School of Prophetical ed1ec11tion, and
fo the Targmn expounds ·the word Naioth, N.l:si'?1N n,::i,
Do,mu doflrin£·, i. eo. Propheti£. And R. Levi B..G.
nnp~ ,,v ?~N c,N,:JJ7 · w,,o 17,::i :-w,ttJ ,,c~
o,~,:iJi1, Ottr M4lers fay Thllt the.re wtU a School for
the Prophets near the City of Ramah, to which the Pro-
phets-~o~gregated :_ Ar:id to the like purpofe R. Solomon•.
And 1t s ~rther mfinuated that Stimuel was the Prefl:-
dent of thr-S School or ~o_lledge; as difciplining. thofe
young S~ho. la_rs_, and ~ram1~g them up to thofe prepara~
tory-q1ur/ificat1Qns. which might more d}fpofe them for
Brophefi~; ~nd alfo prQfhefy[ng t? ~hei:n. in facre1 Hymns,
or. orherwif.e, ":herebythe1r Spmts m1_ght receive fome.·
Tmcb1re of a like kmd. For fo we find it ve·rre 20 •.
A~d 1!hen they· Jaw the c_ompany of the Prophets propht-
fyz~g_5 and Samrtel ftandrng 1t1 appointed over them, the·
Sp1.-rtt of God·waNt~on the Meffengm-of Sarti, _and._they.
a/Jo propfefied. Wfier~ che· CI~aldee Paraph.raft tranf"'.'
l~tes o,~ ;:t} or prophefymg, by ?1!"1?tiJ1.? praijing God with
facred Hfmns and Halleluj~I\s, according to the com-·
mon ftram of the-Prophencal degree ,vhich was called.
Spiritas Sanllas. And.fo R. Kimchi arid R •. Ltvi B•. G.
h~re afcribe it ~,,,i'~. n,i'?· to the_ f!.olj Spirit;,,. Among
rh_efe Proph_ecs. it,· sfa1d~Sam11e! flood' iu _appointed over
them , ~ha~· 1s, i1~ .11'5? "l ½Q 0 ~i?, He flood. tU a-Teacher.
~r Maj!er over thtm; as the chaldee Paraphraft reads.
it: But R_; Levi B. G. fl:rains.a Ii.ttle higher,, and per--
haps too. high, 1,,n,t,ll ~1,~ itJJ~ n,,n to v~~ttm, He
d~riverl forth from hfmJe:lj'; ·qf bu own Prophetical Spi--
rtt, by. way of Emanation, ttftm them-. Though this
kmd of language be very -fmtable. to the Notions of
t_hofe Maflers wn9 will needs. perfwade us that alrr.ioft
aU th_e. Prophets prop·h_efied' by virtue of fome influ...'-
, · Kk3 cncc·
.r
'
r
Of t!,e Schools of tbe Prcpbets.
ence raying forth from the Spirit of fome other Pro-
phet into them : And Mo(es himfelf they make the
Common cond,eit" through whom all Prophetical influ-
ence ,vas conveighed to the reft of the Prophets. A
a
conceit,l think, little too nice and fubtile to be under-
fiood.
But to return, Upon this Ground we have . fugge-
(l:ed, the[e nifciplt!S of the Prop~ets are _called ,J'J
O'~'::l)ii, Sons of the Prophets: and .thefe are they
which are meant r sam. r o. 5. (the place we named be-
fore) in thofe words, • '~,;i~ \,,:~Q a Company of the Pro-
phets, that is, as the 'J'argum renders it, N!1~9 r,~,i;,
CtEtU5 Scriharttm, a Company of Scribes, ( for fo thefe
y0tmg Scholars were anciently called;) or if you pleafe
rather in Kimchi's language, c,,,o'm i,,, N,iDD 1il)'0
,,,o',n ,,,, ,i,N, c,,!i,o ,N,pJ t::::N.J:Jl1 ~,,o'm 'J_
\:n t::J'',~,J o,N''JJi'i, .A company of Sc>'ibes, _that u,
scholars: For the Scholars of the Wife men were called
Scribes : For they were the Scholars of the greater Pro-
phets, and thefe Scholars were called the Sons of the Pro-
phets. Now the greater Prophets which lived in that,
time from Eli to David were Samuel, Gad, Nathan,
Afaph, Heman and Jeduthun.
And thus we mull: uriderfl:and the meaning of that
~eftion ver, I 2. Who u their Father? which gave-oc-
cafion to that Proverbial fpeech afterwards ufed com-
monly :imongft the Jews [ Is Saul alfo among/f the Pro-
phets? J ufed of one that was fuddenly raifed up to ..
fome dignitie or p~rfetEon which by his education he
was not fitted for. And therefore the chaldee Para-
phraft minding the Scope of the place renders ,9
0 v':;t~ who i5 their Fat her, by tlil::;i-1 JQ who if their Ma-.
jler? which Kimchi approves, and accordingly ex-
pounds that Proverb in this manner, '-,~tJJ ciN i1'i1WJ
· :-l'-n1,
_Of tfu Som of tl)e Propl1etJ·.
o•~,~~~ 71Nt? ti.mimN iWl i17l/O'l il1ii,, When any .
one wa,s mountedfrom a low flate to-ttny dignity, they "fed
to fay, Is Saul alfo among the Prophets,: But R.Solom.
would rather keep the Literal fenfe of thofo words
Who i5 their Fat her ? and therefore fuppofeth fome~
thing- more then we here contend for,. viz. That Pro-
phefie was a kind of Hereditary thing. For · fo he
fpeaks, Don't wonder for that he i,s. called the Father
of them, N'i1 il'.!m, il~i:JJ ,:,, that is, For Prophefle if.
an hereditary thing. Bat I chink we may content our
felves·. with wha~ our former Authors have told us;
to which we may adde the tefl:imony of R. Levi B..
Gerfom, who tells us that thefe Prophets here fpo-
ken of. were the Scholars of Sam11el who trained
them up to a degree of Prophetical perfe.etion, and fo
is called their Father, ',No~,~;,, ~NVJttJ t::::JnN iO'?TJJ
11,o"?wn, bmtttfe. that Samuel inflrulled them, am! trai-
ned them up by-his.- difcipline to a degree of Prophetical
perfeaion. · -
Of nhefe Difciples we ffnd very frequent mention:
in-Sa·ipture; So 2 King, 4, we read of the ·So»s or
Difciples of the Prophets in Gilgal, And chap. 6. Elifoa
is there brought in as their Mafier, at whofe command
they were, and therefore they ask leave to enlarge their
dwellings... And Elijba him[elf was trained up by Eli-
jah, as. his. Difaiple ; and therefore in 2. Kings 3. it.
was thought a re1fon good- enough to prove that he
was a Prophet, for that he had. been Elijah's Difciple,
and powred wat-er upon bu hands, as all the Jewi{h Scho-
liafl:s obferve. And 2 'Kings 9~ I. Eli/ha fendi one of
there· his- miPi.ftr-ing Difciples. t.o anoint :Jehu to be.
King of Ifrael. And I Kings 20. 35. The young Pro-
phet·there fent to· reprove Ahab for fparing Ben-hadad:
King of Sy.riais called by the cha/dee.ParaP,hra{t N)H
ii:_,;
 . t~ the re~eilJ111_g o/the fPrQphet1cal S . . /
·a··,-, -Of the Sc1Jools of t1Je <Propbet-s. to the
• extu-encie
~ 'J th o,e
of:' r. t',mes. ptrtt.
..
N!';i~ '~'011=' ~r.i-? 1 rt, one of the sons, the Difciples ~f the thezr Pr.ophefie was not com'm1:e:;herefa~e. lfWdUh,1,t,
Prophets. Aad hence it was that Amos urgeth the ex-
traordinarinefs of his commiffion from God, Ch. 7. 14.
ie~e ~omef_· of the Jewifi1 writers
. 'f ~_x,a.? Prophefie one co •
::1r:;11fg-.
0 Front
-. a. certain
I wa,5 no Prophet,nor wtU I a Prophets Son. i;::n~ iWl N7 mg.. fiar fhming upon th~ confpic:i!t~-lly ~1ke an Even-
,n,,,o~n n~ElO ~N,::lJ½, Be wtU notprepar'd for Pro• another was fer. Kimchi tells us f h~m1fphe_re, when
upon thofe words I Sam 3 3 Eo t // Myfbcal glofs
phefle, or trained up fo lM to he fitted for a Pr-opheticttl
f,t,ncfion by his difciplejbip, as Abarbanel glo!feth upon went out , ,,,,m~,. ,m~ ~N,~J,i .,;t~ ~ ,Lamp· of God
\t!JOUJ i1:J jm V'i'UJ' N7UJ ,v
the place~ And therefore Divine infpiration found
him out of the ordinary road of Prophets, among his tN ,,,i '-,w ,wow n•,10 ,n~ofn i;::,:i, 1!1biu11: pin
!J .:, ioN UJii:i

MyJ!icafl_y concerning the light ';1 w,7hi. Ufi •

0
Heards of cattel, and in an extraordinary way moved ; /11
him to goe to Bethel, there to declare God's judg- mg to that Jaying amon fl oie D °.I Prophejie, ttccor;,,
ments againft King and people, even in the King's and the Sun fetteth J th~t u r E ol1o} [ the Sun rifeth
Chappel. To conclude, In die-NewT~ftament, when o~e righteom man 1; Jet he'ma? Goth. makes the Sun ·of
:f,ohn Baptift and our Saviour called :bifciples to at- rtghteo1J,S m11n to rife. ' es e St1f! of anDther·
tend upon them and to learn divine Oracles from them,
it feems to· have been no new thing, but that which
was the common cufrome of the old Prophets.
Now of the[e Prophets there were feveral Schools CH AP. X.
or colledges, as the Jews ohferve, in feveral Cities, ac-
of BathKof' ;• e• F1·11·a Voc1s; . . ,·· .: .- ,
room of Prophefie. rr-1_ ·•• Tha1 zt· fi11cceeded
cording as Oc~afion was to employ them. So we read
of a Colledge in 'ferufalem z Kiags :z. 2. 14~ where in the:
1 d h . -'- mzt tt WtU h h !:f..
Huldah the Prophetefs lived., which is called mt9 in e t e Loweft degree of R l . 'Y t e -:rews co,mt-
the Original, and by the chaldee Paraphrafi tranflaced the :(ve,v Teflament are to
. _ ·
hve at;o:n_ What· placu in
e tmuer.l"ood. of it, _
i--m,1·mt Ji':l, Dom/# Dollrinte; by Kimchi w,,o n\:i,
.a School. So 2 Kings ch. 2, & 4. we meet with divers VVEefl{hould
deonecome now .briefl Yto. fipeak ofthe llinh-
of D.
places fet down as thofe where the refidence of thofe .· ci tvtne Jnflitrat;on . ~
young Prophets was, as Bethel and :Jericho and Gilgal, tak enm a general fenfe wh· h· Jr ,. o1 Prophefie•
&c. So Kimchi obferves upon the place 'l:l W1lt.1 iiOi before we d~e that, it ~a ic was t~e Mofaical. Buf
'1:Ji n~-,r,~ ,-w:i w, p n_,.,~::i, ""in::i::;i O'N':rn,, .As the
o(t_he Lowen deuree of Ry nolt ~eam1fs,totaike n0tke·, -
h· h '!" · ~ eve at1on · , ,. . · . .
sons ~f the Prophets were in Bethel and :Jericho, fo were w _1.c . was mferiour to all that h.. hmong ,~he· J~ws/
there dlfc of them in feveral other places. And the main. name of Prophefie,. and Th. .w. ~ch. ~hey call by· the·
Ko/;, Filia vocit wh· h is was t. e1r ';,p 11:h Bath·
reafon why they were thus dif]mfed in m_any of the Citie~ h. h ,
ef Ifrael w44 thiJ, that they might reprove tlu Jfwlitrs ,.Tro~ce
•
Wr lC was h.ea d
ic was . .. eJfc'e'b ur. fume-
d-.r. nothmg
. , r as orndmg from..maven-,;
that were there: and their PrtJphefie ivtU wholly. according 1 dim~ing
to
 ,?- 8 Of t/Jat Degree of
5 dire«!\ing them in any affair as occafion ferved : ~,~ich ·
kind of Revelation might be made fo one (as Mat"(on,,
par. 2. c. 42. More Nevoch. tells us) that was no ,vay
prepared for Prophe{ie. . _ . _ ., . . a~d the great Senate-of Lxxu Elders, whom he. would
of this Filia rocis we have menuon m~rne m one of
the Ancienteft monuments of Jewifh learning, which is
Pirke R. Eliezer c. 44. and otherwhere v_ery fr~quent-
ly among the Jewifh writers, as that w~1c~1 was a fre-
quent thing after the ceafing of Prophefie ~°!o_ng the
• Arch:rol.lib. Jews; of ~vhich more ~fterwJ:d· :fofap_hus tells~
13. c, 1-8. fiory of Hircanus the Hi~h-Pneft, _how ~e hear_d thts
voice from Heaven, which told him of the victory
which hisSons had got at cyzicum againfi: Antioch,#
the fame day the battel w,1_s fought_; and this (he fai~s).
while he was offering up lncen[e in the Temple, 'Tlf'Cl,
rreJmv J.urof 'Tti ~Bov ~. i\hb', iii\3-E, he was made par- -
taker of a· vocal converfe with God, that is by a n::i
.'-i,p.
This R. Ifaac Angarenfls L, cofri firongly urgeth a-
gainfi the J(amei or Script11rarii, ( a fort of Jews that
rejeet all Talmudical 1raditions) that_ t?e grand Do-·
trors of the Jews received fuch Trad1t1ons from the
Lxxii Senators who were guided either by a L,,p {'i:J,
or fomething a~fwerable to it, in the truth ·of things,
after all Prophefie was cea[ed, M,uim. 3· ~. 41._ '?:li?_
PUJ '--?::i · n,o:inrt La-,~ riv,t, =:,,,,lo ''il ·1,,,mcn _\J
,o,po:i -,o,~!JJ :-vJ iN r.--i~i:u • no np'?r,cJ N'?UJ
:-,l rhm '-,,p n:i.o ' (i.) There is. a 'Tradition that the
me» of· the great Sanhedrim were bo11-;sd to· be s~i!i'~ -in
the knowledge. of al/Sciences,' iand therefore· -it i5 much
more neceffary- that Prophefie fhould not be fake~ from
them, or that which jhould .fupplie its roo"m , viz.- .the
Daughter of roice, and the like. Thus-he, according
to die Genius of Talmudical learning, ·is pleafod.c·to:ex-
. pound
fl(e'Vel:ition called Bath Kol.
pound the place Efa1 2. where it is faid that a law
foall goe f~rth out of Sion, of the Confitlorial De:.
crees of the Judges, Ruler~. and Priefts of the Jews,
needs rerfwa~e _us to be guided infa11ibly by this r,:i
'7,p,or m fo111e other way '•i17~ 11V:J by fomc di vine vir-;
tue, power o.r affiftance alwaies communicated .r6 ·
them; .as fuppoCeJ at leafi: that fu_ch an Heroical Sp:~it
as thatSfidt of Fortitude_ wl~ich bel~nge_d to the-fr,dg-.
e_s anJ_ ~mgs: of_ Ifrael, and 1s called. the Spirit of_qod,
(as Matmonrdes m More Nev. tells us~· had perpetually.
cleaved co them. · , ··.
But:~e ihall her~ leive ?Ur· Author to his Judaical
fuperftmon, and-t,ak~. not1~e of Jw~or Three plac~s
m the_ New Teframent )vlu~hfeem,.t_o be underftood
rerfeetly of this F_ili11, vocu,. which ~he confta_ric:'Tragi-
tlon of the Jews affures us to·have fucceeded in the
mo~ of Prqphefl.e~ The- firfi: is :John I 2.. where this
HMruenly voice. ,yas conv~iglu:!d :t9 _m~r Saviour as if it
had been .d1~:no~fe of; ~Iwn~er, hut·JV.-1~ nopv;~H ,qµ~
d~rfiood .by a~~ th~ft;, iha~ .ftooq ·by,_, ~~h~. :t.htr~(or_e
thou&ht that cuh.~r 1t chundred, ·or that it w~s ~ migh-:-
ty voice offome Angel that fpake to-him: ver. 28,_29.
Then;c'f-1JJ_~-there .a 'f/Oic~; from• Heav~n, ,faying,: :I }11tve.
f~t~ g_~~r1fiedmy na~t;;,; 11J,(i wiH glor!P.e. _ir:~ga,in,;, t~e
pe.ople:('Jerefqre t~a_~Jfopd_h;1p1,lheardif,,Jaid_ it ,tJ11pJ~
der,e~: others fair.J{liat an ..Angel fPakc tibilf!.. /SQ-1,fdtt.
3; 17. after our Saviours Bapt~(me, upon his coming
out of the water, the Evangelifi tells us that the Hea-
vens_ we1:e opened,11nd that the Spirit of God de(cended 11p-
on ~,m tnt~e /hape of a Dove,and lo,a voice from hel/.ven,
faying, Thu ts my beloved Son in whom I am well ple11fed.
And fa~ of, all we meet with this kind of Voice upon
Qlll" Saviours Tr11mfrgHr11tio11, .M111th. 17. 5, 6. which
LI 2 is
 Of th,it Veg,ree of 1(.e1'el,1tion c:.rllr,! Bach Kol. ··oftbe bigheft Degre~ -or t>/1iiiie' 1ij}irdt,~;,i. ·-xef-1
2.60 • • . ' • ' I ~ - • ' • • • f

inbe1·-efo ·defcribed as coming ou·t of a Cloud, as if it , ,.-':t

had-been loud like the noife ofThunder,Beholda'hright
cloud ovetjbado,ved t-h_em., .and behold~ Yoic_e out of the
cloud which (aid,This is my:beloved Son m wh~m_I am well
pleafad :· wf1ich Voice it is faid the three 'D1fc1ples that
,vere then with him in the Mount heard, as we are told
in thefoUowincrverfe,
0
andal(o 2 Pet. 1. 17, 18. From.
whence we are fully informed> th~t it was this Fili".·
roeis we [peak of which came for the Apoftles. fakes
thatv/erewith hitn:, as·_a Z-e.ftimonie of t~a,t glorie• ttmf"
honoier-with. which·dud magnified :hu -Son; wljich· Apo-
ftles were not yet raifed up to the Degree of Propheji_e,_
but only tjlade pmakers <;>fa ~oice infedor t-0 it. The-
words are thefe, H:e re,c~ved from· 6 ed the F atber [,o-
no1e,:'Jndglory·, wbef! tkere· came [tic_h'_ 4 voice JD kim: i
I
fromthe tx.,e!lent Glory, Thh; is my 'beloved Son in whom: - I
I am well pleafed. . .Ana this voice whfrh-c.ame frqm He1-
ven we heari when we were with him if! t~f h~ly .m~up.r:.
Now· that this ·was t:hat very· ~ip rr;1 we'. fpea~ of~·- v!,h1~
,vas inferior to Prop/Jefie:, ~w.e_· may f~fficieptly- r,~rrn,
from the next verfe, We -have 11lfo .a 7»:are Jure wori/ of
Prophejie: For -indeed tru~ _!,rophefte was c~unted ~-~ch
more Authen~ical then this ~,p n:1, as b~g a DlVl~C
lnfpiration-into ~h~•fy1iqp of the-Pr~phet_; .:whish J~is
was not, .but only a: V q1ce, tq~t: mov:ed ~he~r Ef.tel'lt?~~-
Se~~es ; and· by 'thl 111~diat_ion': tli~r~qf tnfo~tµed their
~1lnds~ And tlius wc·havedone ~1th.this A~S,Ulllf~t.:-

\ l '\ •• ' ._,._

.. , . \_

.
2
.6 2- FoJ4Y dif/er-.erzc.~1t betwee~,t.1,e pi"vi1Je fl{evelations
was gone into the ·Tabernacle of the Congregation to
(peak with him,. (i.e.God) the~ he he~rd_the voice ?f one
fpeaking unto him, By which place m Numh. 1t ap-
:pears he had free recou~fe t_o:t.his Heavenly Oracle at
any time. And therefore the Talmudiil:s have a Rule,
.. i1'7,1,:i i1N,:l.l o'i,,yo .,,i,N 'iiN:l N7 ;,"v 'J':J, iiU.17.J
rhat Mofes h,td never any Prophefie in.the n·ight-time., (i.)
in l ];)ream qr.f:ifio~ '![ t~e _.n)ght, '_3.$·the oiher Prophets
-h~d.. :~\:. ,~·. ,.·.\" ... -.: \\ .. ~....,. ··.. ,, :_; : ,t\ ·: ·. ·'.;: \\
z .. ;_ .·:t:~1(f(eco;1t{ 'd;~ff~r,e~C~- is; ,\T,hat·_ 14~ks,. prophelied ·
wit~ouuthe ·mediation of anyAngelical. power~· by an
influence ·derived ill?-mediately from God.; ,vhere:15 in
all other Prophefies ( as we have fhewed heretofore)
fo.ip.e,~J}g~l}\HlapJ'i~~re4; to ~_he l?_r~pbet,t::J ~':l.lJ1 .1,:,
1
}.:Jl (ii:(711 >1~ ..'~~~)1/(Prpp~mA4 propkefi.e /;y the help
or mir/ifte'rj of :an ~ng~t- ,' ,ind rfurefore thty did fei.f hdt
whlch.. t,bey faw.'h'-Ptl:rables or ,md~r fame dark rep~efent-a--
~ion '; :-Mt Mofas )rophcfi.ed ·with.o.ff~ 'Jh.rminift,e.ry 4 an
Angil._ r-This-he!.p~p;ves from.: N:1;1\n,be1:P·~~j 8. ,wher,e
:~?~ Ja}c;~· 'of'/Jofef ;~.-.~:w.~fffift1:,k_._ rv,it~ .hi~.,-'1'1J(}Nth,:to
mor~t,~ hanq f?. Exqq.JJ., 1 1 •./Ihe.~qr_d. JJ,a_ke;,mto-Mo-
1
fes.f'!ce f<J fat:e • . _ . _.· •. _. ~ .. : .. <' ;._- ::. : :.
Bue we muft not here fo much adhere to that Expo"'.
" -~t.~?p-;vh~~-~1i.~P.'!.fffet~"1q _·fhe i:dt 9f, his~ ·Couht~y-
1
.11fn..i~Y/'J~. p.fa~.1~; PP:½~,.-~~- ;o{~rg~t whac-~v-~ a~e; t?ld
~TT £71~. i~:e\~1
;'f~F,~11t -Cf!~~~~~-1p~Jhe Mm1fi_ene, '.of
Ang~l~:v~l11~1 G,0.1:1-':_~fe~ m g~vm~phe Law 'lt felf !
An4 fo ;S• Stephen :d~~coutfeth of 11:, Ach 7. 53'• and
S.l'aul to .the .. G~.la~!~.n~ ~~-·3·~ tells~us, the 'La,v ;,v-a1
i'ii~nhtk~.d,ifop{iq;yf:·.4.Pg,~l!ln#e.hands_iOf ti Medi~
atoi,-~~ids~. **sihe M~~F~.~pr,. tl1e~tbetwee'n God and_
ihe_f:~°t~!~· . -~nct -t~er~f~r~, l il1~mld' racher::think the
meaning of ~hofe-~v9rd?-[f_-a.ce t._o fiiceJ- to import the
ile arnef{arid- e;vid-~nce·,of :th~ ~µt~llecl:ual.light wherein
-··'······ .... ·· ·;': . · · ,· God
m.1.de.to.·Mo[es{a!ld tl~e-.,reft 4 ,1;e/Ptoph1r. ~ ·. ,
~od ·appeared to Mofa-s, Whicb:-was-g~eater·c·hell' any of
1
the Pr.ophe.t~_-yvere ,made partakers of~·~ A11d. therefore
tb~ old tr~d1t1?n._goes of:rhem, . ~hat tl1~yJawN~°\(P~Q:l
tri..~r.J. ~) ~W- tn spernl~ n9n_ ./1t(i..tdo; wh~reasM0fes faW
in Specu_l~ lu~~do,_-~·N. ~:~i~1~s/~,~,~~s-f/,i(oj~JJs}1~(fo~
g~t~er with Marmomtjes) ·, m Ius Book~ -fd!!~,Remm
dl'V_rn. !~res ftt.; tl:at ~s,, without any _impre{fi9_ns or
Im_ages of thmgs rn.lus Irria~i_n~tion in!_an -m~1:9gfa~~
plucal ~ay,.-~s-w~s.wont t?·be 1Q-:_al_l_:Dr~¥1~ran4Jfjjop~~
_._. .. ·.
but by_:characler12mg_1all.1tpm~d1at~ly_u_pqql1j~:lJn~eir.~
fiandmg: t~ough otherw1fe.prnc.h of tt1e_L~w-was.in;
?eed almofr httle _more for the main fcope arid aim of
1t but-an Emblem or;Allegory. . ·
· But there may1- ·be yet a.:{a~·~h~r: meaning o~ c.hc,:fe
wor~s [Face to face.,]~n_di ih;it--1.s the.friendly and IJ.trJica-
hle way whereby all' d~vrne Revelations were made to
Mofas; f~r f~ it is added in the Text,. As. a man fPeak-
eth 1mto bu frte.nd~. · _, _. ·
And:uhi~·is·ch~: third-di"ff-erence v-v:hic;hMaimonides a[- 3
figns, v1*. ·o,.rnono, 0'½iitJl -~~N'i\\Oi',N'~JS\. i-.,~_ ,- A IL
the other Prophets were'llfn11d"t1nd tro}tble_d and fainted~-
O•
bttt J:1ofes-w11s not Jo : for the S~rifttr~ faith,. God fpak~
to ·lum-as _ama~ _fp~_aks to Im tnend ;. -thAt _t-o fay; u
A1 ~ m~n.:u-.?J~t:afra~4 !fJ:he,4r_t•k .?l!~r.4s-of;N~.frl~1!t!,
[<!_WM" Mofes: ahktp tm4er/J_al!d_ the--rp-ort/~ 1 ;of WqplJffi':
1v1thout any dtfherban6~ .11.~d;ti.fto,p_1.fl~m_,enf_of-/•fi.n,d•.:· _,.,:
!·he .f?urth and-laft cl1ffer,en7_e IS, the, Libertie of·Mo~ 4-
fas s Spmt to prophefi~ .~call t11:iJes, a~ )Ve heard before
~ut ofNrmib •. 1.,8~ •. He. Jni~l~~ hayp~~®r_f~-.-ar:~ny:
tllne. -to.t?e • fac;r:ed: Qr,acl.e (rn_t'~,e t~~~r~a,*~\} which._ -
fp~ke from.bet,~ettn_-the·Ch.er~b1.i:is•1,.~.n~L(o Maim.oni;.,
des lays down this d1fferen{e,_ • '~':JJl70 l'~ • '~'1l,7 17:i'.
,1i'W _r,v -~J:l, None_ of the Prpph~fs .dfd prophefie at
wh.1t tt}!J~ ·{ he.y~,vo1tld? :fiw~ M~[e!,, iP;f?O WIU ..c{othe.d 1~,it/i
. . -,he:

.Four Jiffe'tences between il,e .Oh,i,ie ~l>~i~tfo11S
the-1Joly Spirit when he wo"l~, anti the Sp~rzt. of !r~~
phcfii did 4bid• upon him: 1ietther had he needtd predif
1_o{e bff M iinJ o: pref a~e b1mfeif, f or_tt_; for he 111A4 alt~'~s
ilifl:o{etf dnri "! rt~d,nej a, a mt~iffrmg An$.i,. and
therefore co#M~e pr_gphefle at:,v~~t ttme_'.he woula; a~cfJr-.
ding to t./,at.which tJ [foken zn Nu_mb .. 9. 8. T~rry you
made.to Mo fes, 1tnd tl~-rl/f "of the 'Prophett;
, la~gttage. ~ut by !ltttArc'?,s leave this charader a rees·
neaher ~o his Py_t~l4, n~r m~e_ed to Mofe.r himfelf whor
put a veil upon his face _m g1vmg the Law it felf to the
people) but to our Saviour alone the Difpenfer of' the
tree ~aw of God inwardly to th~ Souls of Men ... and'
.therem
' converfing
IC ,.withI them not fo much ~(J'&J7r'(J)
' '
~s ~ &J'"?v as vr:i 'ii:J'(;.9S Jl~v, not fo much Face to FM~
N ,

here a little, and I will hear wh~~ th~ Lord wil~ c?m~
mand-concerningyou1• Thu_s Ma1n:Dmdes,_wha., ltqin~~
)iefe'f~i'n.1~what hyperboliieth.; -?nd-fca_rcefp.eal~-s c~nli-,
fiemly\vidfthe reft of theHebrewMafters.· , ~or we
1
rtiy remember w~at we heard be(ore <:oncernm_g tlte
Talmudical Tra(:ht1on, that Mofes s mmd "".as. md_1f-
po[~d for Prophefie w1.1~nh~ was tranfpo:ted._ ~Jth m-
dignati_on ag_ainfr the;Sp_1~s _; _-th?ugh:I. dunk. tt_ 1s m_?fr
probible'that he had•f'- ~reater hh>.ert1~of prop_hefyu~&°
then any other of the Prop~e~s had. . -. ,. . o~ all the people_, and his fan11hant1e and acquaint_ance
Now chis clear difi:in& kmd oflnfp1ratt?n made ~1?~
mediately upon an Intellectual faculti~ in a.: familiar
way, which we fee was the grfd".' !'fofazc.,«_, w~s.moft
fit and proper-for .J.,~ni~ to be adm1mftr_ed 1n. wh_1ch w_as
ex·celle.ntly r~ok:~ot1:e ~-fby Plte~4:ch 1!1 that, Drfcourfe
of his,~~ pitl :x,p~v €f1-P.ire.9- JILW rrlw_rtu..3-icw, wh~re
hetells us the Poetrie-that was ufually _mt~rla~ed ~1th
Riddles a-pd parable$ was taken away 1~fa~ time;· ,and
a more familiai· way of Prop~efi~· broug~t 1~ ;-· tho~gh.
he by a Gentile:'fuperftition applies tl1ar~o hts ~ythta ;-
Geo) i<p,Awv' ~., ;:x,pnC~ lm1 ·,!J ')'At»o:J,rlh '!J~ ~ -
<pe;t
'C.l '9' a.""'"''t"'i
',,..Im.la,v -~'TW ')./,.,A'"~~~J~c?<,~«.O'e1,H5 :x,&1-.
' ~ r-.,., fi h . . l .. P
f4jo,~,'i~&c. cod h~th noiy t~ken aw,y rotn 11 ora~ ~s- o--
etrie- and the vitrictie of d,alcl1., and m&Hrnlocutum, and-
ob(c;ritfr; and· 1Mth fo ordered -them···tojpe~k. to tho(e
that conf,elt them, 114 th_e Laws d~e to:ihe CttteS ,mder,
their fiebjeclion, andKmg_s to_thetr_P~~ple_, t1.nd Ma/Jm_
to their scholars in thc-moft tntelltgthle a.nd po~fw.afive\
' language,
as Mmd to Mmd. ·
w_ e have n?w ~een what is this gr~dm Propheticm
Mofamu , wiuch md~ed was neceffarie fhould be tran-
fcen~ent and extraordmary, becaufe it was the Balis of
all ~uture P~ophe~e among the Jews : For all the
Prophets mainly aim at that to eftab!Hh and confirm-
~he Law of Mofe~, as to the pracl:ical obfervation of
tt; and th_erefore 1c_was alfo fo ftrongly manifefl:ed to
th~ Ifmltces by Signs ~nd M!r_ac~e-~ done in the fight
~1th Heaven teibfied tu them all ,· the divine voice be-
1~g heard by them all at Mount Sinai; which difpenfa-
t1011 amounted at leafi: to as much as a '-,,p n~ to the
very lowe~ of ~he people. All which Confideratiorts
put R._ PhmetU 1_nto fi.tch an admiration of this iovo
,Jo ii1 or St_att().. montu Sinai , ( as the Doctors are
wont to c~ll 1t ) that he determines in Pirke Eliezer ·
!hat. all thu Generation th.'lt heard the voice of the Holj
Blejfed God, WM worthie to he accormted tt,S the miniflr_ing
Angels. But what That. Voice \Vas which they heard~
the lacer Jews are fcarce well agreed: but Maimoni~
des, according to the moft received opinion, in More
Nev. p. 2. c. 33. tells that they only heard thofe firft
words of the Law diflinllly, viz. I am the Lord thy
God, and, Thon faalt have none other fl:Ods, &c. and hut
only t~e fa,md of all the reft of the words in which the . !
~cmamder of the Law was given: and this, as· he faies,
Mm was
Four Jiffirenies betwm, tbe Diving fRJwlation!, &c.
was the gmzt Ny.flerie of that Station~ fo much fpoken
of by the Ancients,
A~d here by the way we may take notice, That that
divine Iqfpiraiion which is conveighed to any one man,
priqiarily penefits none but himfdf; :and therefor~
rnaµy tim~s, as M4imonidr:s tells us, it refied in this
print~ ufe, not profiting any elfe but thofe to whom
it came. And _the reafon of this is manifeft, for that
an In~piraiion_ abftracHy c?~fidered can only fatisfie
the mmd of hun to whom it 1s made, of its own Au-
thoritie and Authencicalnefs ( as we have Jhewed b~-
fore:) And therrfore that one man may know that a-
noth~r hat~ ~hat _DoB:rine _revealed to him by a Pro-
E,heucal fp1r~t which he delivers, he muft alfo either
be inj}ired, and fo _be in gra~u Prop~etico in a true,fenfe,
or be confirmed m the belief of 1t by fome Miracle
whereby it may appear that God h-ath committed hi;
Tr_mh to (uch an one, by giving him fome fignal pow-
er m altering the conrfe of Nature; which indeed was
the way by which the Prophets of old ordinarily con-
firmed theil' Doctrine,. when they deliver~d any thing ·
new to the people; which courfe our Saviour himfelf
a_n,d his Difciples alfo took to confirm the Truth of
the ~ofpel: _Or ~lfe there muft be fo much Reafonabli-
mj m the th!ng 1t felf, as tha~ b):7 Moral arguqient_s it
may be fuffic1ent to beget a behef m the Minds of fober
a,nd good rneri. . to be rnoft Auchentical in:·this bufinefs.
J\nd I wifl1 this laft way of becomincr ac~uaimed
with Divine Truth were better known ~monoft us.:
For when we have once attained to a tru~·fa~crified
fram~ of Mind, we have then atcail)eq co: ·the End o(
all Prophefie, and fee all divine Truth tihat tends to the
f~lvation of our Souls in the Divine Iiohr -·wbi-ch al~
w~ies 1hmes in the Puri tie & Holinefs of the New-C'.;rel-
ture,
Of the Ce.flation of the fPr9pJ1etical Spirit.·
tttre , arid fo need noftirthe"t Miracle to confirm us in
it, And_indeed that God-l~~e_glory and majefl:y which
appears m the naked fimphc1t1e of true Goodnefs will
by its <1~n Connaten~fs and Sympat~y with all rlving
.Truth fnend-1-y entertam and embrace it.
CH-AP._ XII.
When the Prop!Jetit:al spirit ceafed in the 1ewijb church.
· The Ceffatien of Prophefi~ noted ta a famo1a Epocha
hy the fews. Tht re{!ormg. of ~he Prophetical Spirit
hy-chrift. Sotne paffages to tha p11rpofe in the New
Tejlam~nt explai~c~. . Whe,t, the, Propbe~ical. Spirit
ceafed m the chrifltarJ ch11rch: · 'rhat it• did not con-
t~nue Ion$, proved 6y feveral Teflimonies of the An-
ttent Writers. ·
THUS we haye now done with aO.:thpfe forts_ of rro-
phefte which-we find any mention of: And as a-Co-
ronu to this· Difcourfe we fhall farther enquire a litde
w_hat Period of time it WtU in which thY Propheticatspi-
nt .~eafed hoth in-the :Je~,ifb: and c/Jriflia'ii churoh.: ln
wh1th,bufinefs:becaufethe Scripttite irfelf i"sin a man-
ner filenc, we mti'ft appear to fuch Hiftodes as•are-like
·
A~d fir~ for the Perto1_of tiff:e whe7: ii ~eafedin tin
1ewi/b, F find our Ch~ifhan writers dtffe•tuig·. :Juflin
Jdartyr would needs·_perfwa·de us that it was not till.the
"e/E,rtt·€hriftiana. · .This he incgkates often inhis Dia-
logue witfoTrypho· the Jew, -OuJ'~m1~· _e11 'T?t) ~ve, vp.iyl'
~n . ve
e~uC«,]r, ~n.~cpn~; "f~/nv, g,,.~ apxM i"-a.f3e,
/lHi'Ge}$ ~ ~'T{s)., 'IttC~> x~~~ '9 r;i')PS1i-'3 t'1lrl,,r:nv' There
Mm 2 never

The Cejsation of tbe frophetical Spirit
twrm· cea(ed in your Nation either Prophet or Prince, tia
:Jcfm chrijl ,vM both bor» 4nd h11d Fffered. And fo he
often there tells us chat 1ohn the Baptifl was..,fhe laft
Prophet of the Jewilh Church~ w_hic~ cone~. he
fe~ms to have mad~ fo much of, as thinking to br:i,ng
in our Saviour lttm,ine Prophetico, with the greater ev.i-
dence of Divine authoricie, as the promifed Mefiah
into the world. But clemen.r .Alexandrimu hath much
trulier, with the confent of all Jewiili Antiquity, refol..
ved us, that all Prophefie d,etermin' d in .1.Yatachy, in his
Strom. lrb. _I. where he numbers up all the Prophets of
the Jevis, Thirty five in all, and. /'rfalachy as the laft.
Though mdeed the TalmruJ~fls ,.rec~pn up Fifty five
Propl1ets and Prophetefies toge.~per,_Gem. Mt1-f. Megil.
r,iN'J.l y:nr.n O'N':l.1 ~.1ow, o,v:i0N p:i, un, --T-he
:ftahhin.r f11y that there were' 48 Prophets ,md 1 Prophe-
t ef[es that did p1ophefte to the Iraelites: Which after
they had reckoned almoft up, they tell us that _Ma/achy
was the faft of them, and that he was contemporary
with Mordecai, D4niel., Haggai, Zacharie, ~nd fome o-
thers· ( whofe Propheftes are not extant ) whom for
their number fake they there reckon up, who all pro-
phefied in the fecond year of Darim. But commonly
they make only thefe .Three, Haggai, Zttcharie and
Malachy,. t_o be the la/J of the Prophets, mad focall them
c::,,J,im~ t:::rN':lJ; fo M ajfec. Sot ah ch. laft; where
the Mf{nic11l Doctors tell us, that from. the time in
which all the firft Prophets expired, ·the Urim and
Thummim ceafed ; and t4e Gem.arifts fay that they
are calr d C\lWJNi t:::n~~::il, the Fir.ft Prophets, ipn:lN7
ii1.1'.l Cl\)iiMNi1 ':JN'?o, :-l'iMl '.lMO , in t?ppoftt.ion to
Haggai, Zacharie and M,ilachy, which are the Li.fl. And
fo Mai111011. and Bartenor. tell_ us that the Prophet& pri-
ores were fo called, becaufe ..they prop,hefied, in the
times
1
i,J the Jewijh Chu1,b. 2 69
times pui,~ M':l of the firft Temple, aad. the Pofteri-
ores, becaufe they pro~hefied in the time of the fecond
Temple: and when thefe later Prophets died, then
all Prophefie expired, and there was left, as they fay,
only a Bath Kol to fucceed fome_ time in the room ofir.
So we are told Gem. Sanhedrim c. 1. ~- 13. _p:i., un
:-,~~no.1 ,::iN'?o, :-,••i:Jt 'Jn O'Y,,nN c'N':::iJ ,riotJJn
.- ~,p n:i:i t,wonu.m ,,n ,ai'l)Ni '-iNiu,,o w,,pn n,,
our Rahhins fay, that from that time the later ProJ;hets
died, the Holy spirit WM' taken away from Ifrael; never-
/ thelef they enjoyed the Filia vocis: and this is repeated
Maffec. poma c. 1. Now al_l that time which the Spirit
of Prophefte lafte:d among the Jews under the. fecond
Temple, their Chronologie makes to be but Forty
years. So the Author of the Book Cofri., Maam. 3.
~. 39.ilJtJJ c,s,:iiN7 :i.1,;, 'J!V n,:i:i iiNrJJi1 il,,onil,(i.)
The contirmance of Prophejie tmder tht time of the fecond
Temple wtU a/mo.fl forty years. And this R. feh1ed11- his
Scholiaft confirms out of an Hiftorico- C abbaliftical
Treatife of .R. Ahraham Bm Dior. and a little after he.
tells us, that after forty years their Saptentes were cal-- .
_led Sen12tor.r, c::n~"lj:>J o,o:mil t'Cil mw O'Y:JiN inN
:-,1,,,m r,OJ:J ,IJJJN, After forty years were paj'd, nO the.
Wife-men were called The Men of the great Synagog1' e.
And therefore the Author of that Book ufeth this,
v.Era of th1e Ceffation of Prophefte; and fo this is. '-
commonly noted as a famous· Ep_ocha among all their/
Chronologers, as the Book :Juchajin,, the &der ola~ !
Z#ta., as R. David Gantt hath furnm d them all up m
his chropological Hiftory put forth lately by rorjlius.
The like may be obferved from.I Maccab.9. 2.7. and
chap. 4;46.andchap. 14.. 41.
This ceffation DJ Prophefie deter.mined a_s it were ~11
that old. Difpenfation wherein God _·hath n:ian~fell:e~
. · Mm 3 .h1mfett
 The Ccfiation of Propbefie in the Chriflian Churcho ·2,.. I
1
himfelf to the Jews under the. Law, that-fo that grow•.. we ma~ helie~e the Primitive Fathers it did not •
ino- old and thus ~vearing away, they might expect that though 1t overhv'd S. :Joh,/s time but a Ji~i:le. * Eifehi: Hill:. E cdci. ',I

us tells us of one fl.!adr,it,u ov rl,un. 'ffli~ cf>z"A, lib, 3• §. 37•

n~v Di[penfation of the Meffi~h which had :~eeh pro- '1. , It 'jf ,, 'C . rflr' CL.
l7T'w8 n7V'.)<X,-
- efl,(JJ ~<pn l'Jl(p xa.et f{g-1, A~"JIOS ixe1 ¾,'ri>PJ+a., who lo- .
mifed fo·long before, aad which fhou~d agam reftore
this Prophetic:tl Spirit mor_e ~bundantly. An~ fo t~is gether nmh the daughter~ of Philip had the gift 0/ Pr~phe- . .
Jnterflitium of P10phefie 1s mfinuated by Joel 2. in f!e. So ~he ,rep_ort wa1. ! his !2.f!adratsu,as he teUs us,lived
thofe words concerning the later times; _In tho(e days m Tra1an s tu~e, which w~s but at the beoinning of the
Jball your Sons and Daughters Pr()phefie,&c. An~ (o S.Pe- feco°:d Ce.atm y. And a little after, fpeaking of good
men m that age, he adds y; '3-E/H '11V6Ju,I11?!) ·,.., f\, ..
tcr Ads z. makes ufe of the.place to take off thlt a<l'... _$>(> N · / ,,-'7 W-,Eiu6'110"l t:UJ-
"•;'J m.aira, trm,~Jl~o, JIWJdJK,~S _ev-/,p")tr1~, Many Jlrange
mir ation which the Jewswere poffefs.' d withall to' fee
foplcntifulan eff~fion_o( the Prophtti~ttl Spirit a'gai~: and adm1rable vzrtuuof the Dtvrne sprrit'" yet Jbew-
And therefore this spmt of Prop hefie 1s called the -1 e.. ef' forth themfelves /Jy them. And the fame Author
Jlimonie of :Jefa5 in-the Apocalypfe,. ~h. I-~- .
ltb.4: §. 18. tells us oueof !fuftin Martyr, who lived in
· Accordino- to this notion we muff undedl:and that them1d~le of thefec?nd Century, and then writ his
paffage in ',J:hn 7. 39. The HolJ Ghofl wtU not_yet give'!, Apol~g1e for the C:hr1ftians, That the Gift of Prophefie
was fhll to be feenm the Church foM'm,l ~ \ , a ,
hmuife :Jefus WtU not yet glor1fied. To which drat: in , , "' , . , i.-rT'iv'!)CdSO'n}Jw'G-
Ephef. 4. Ile afm1dtd ttp o~ higk, andga_ve gifts u~to ~e,,e '!:J ~JT8 lf- ,c,a,e.AC/{g,ta- "ll'e_pfwn,rg, Jl1e1'..«.p,mv lnh' TnS
men, plainly- anfivers: As likew1fe the Anfwer which E"-M.»C1~ • .Yet ~ot long afterward tf1ere is little or
the C hri{bans at Ephefils made to Panl, Aets t9. when !lo remembrance of the Prophetical fpirit remain:ng * Vidc '1:tfl~r1.
he asked them whether they had received the Holy m the Church. Hence the Montanifls are by fomeof ~:e;j~7i~~l.
ghoft , That they knew not whether there wa1 dJ !1oly the Fathers proved to be no better then Diifemblers Jud.to, 7triU'
ghoft (that is) whether there were any Ext~aordtrh1,r~ when they prete~ded to the Gift of Prophefie,for that it »til_,v ~ P.•Xel
spirit, or Spirit of J'ropheftt reftored agam t<:> the was ~hen ceafed m t~e Church. And fo E 11fe6i,u tells v~ 'iTe,,11 11 •
Church or not, as hath, been·well obferved: of lace by us_ lib. 5. §. 3. and w1thlll that Montan11s and llis Com- 7~ ?C,«rfo-t,ta.:-
phces only _took advantage of that Virtue of work in~ " ~v.
fome learned men. But enough of this.
We come now briefly to difpatch the fecond. Enqui- wqnJers wh1~h yet appea_red ( as was reported, though
ry, vi:l. what time the spirit of Propkefie., which_ ~M doubt~u!ly) m fome places, to make a femblance of
again reftared hy orer Sttviour,_ ceafed m the_ ch,ijlt~n the1Sp_irt~ of i:rophefte ? Tfv
j dp,cpl..IvJavlct- 1,011 ~ 'AA;u- .
~,"'J'lw ~ ®iod'olov ~ 7fuJ <I>p· tJf'l{C:W ctp'TI 'TO.'n·1ror';; · 1..\
ch11rch. It may be thought that S. gJoh?i wast~e lift ~ I "' ,J "'/ ,II < ✓- I . 1-,r'rnll 'TIMJ
e« •~ ?reJJ({Jmou'iv '\a:.JrJAn+Jv '?Zt(,.o,•) '71'UM.o~ · &rtm.J .. l'J.'
of Chriftian Prophets,- for _th~c t-h_e .Ap~calyp{e' LS the " ,,._, ~ .,

lateil dated of any Book wh1'Gh- 1s· received into· the .r,1.~cr,
TI"). .... ........
YJ o,WJ ~ aMct-t ~l'o;om,i«il s ~:cl xct-e)C -
T f:YMJ(IJV.

l®, ~G'i'IJ _rm~ ~I ¾'-T0 fti• C1f.iYl.1/1c« ck7:lltf4,Ja-l, :;;.v

1

Canon of the New Teftament. But I-know·.no place

"lT'eJJ({J»16LJJv ,l,, J'' 9.f_- -
of Scripture that intimates any fuc~ thing·,· ~s if th_e ,,., , < 'C
'7lt(..€9, ';il"ON\01, ""8 ilq.,tE1yt1;

'\.:ar«.p~~ n; ~-
. . ·rtv
..sRr
1
_«.,8"YOV.
·; ."/T',/r "'-' , ·.:1 n-r::t'"
J\iJ°>.ni\c,JpJj/c,J]I~ Bt1t then
· spirit of Pr8phefle was _fo 1foon'.t'o expire. ·And mdee-,hf TWJllc«

we efPeci11/ly
 27 2- Some ~iles and Obfer1Jdtions concernhtg Prop1,eticttl Writ ingener,ill.
gnaging all pieces of Prophefie; whether that was not
ejjecia!ly did Mont anus, Alcibiades and Theotlotus ~4ifa peculiarly the work of the Prophet himfelf; whether
up__in many·?W opinion that they prophefied: An~ thrs be_- 1t does not feem that the Prophetical Spirit dicrated
lief nw fa mttch the more increafed concermng thezr
the Matter only or principally, yet did leave the words
prop.k~{ying, for that tU yet in fe~er~l churches were to the Prophet himfelf. It may be confidered that God
wrougkt many Miraculotts and Str1pend1ous ejfells of the
m1de not ufe of Idiots or Fools to reveal his Will by
Ho~"f Spifit; though yet ~here WtU no perfect agreement_
but fuch wh?fe I_ntelleduals were entire and perfecl: ;
in their opirion about thu. . . and that he 1mprmted fuch a clear copy of his Truth
To concJude this, ( and to haften co an End of this·
upon ihem, as that it became their own Senfe, beino- di-
Dlfcourfe of Prophefie,) There ~ in?eed in Antiqui~y ge!l:ed fully into their Underftandings ; fo as they ,~ere
* And that the more frequent mention of foine Miracles wrought m able to deliver and reprefenr it to others as truly as any
G~ftof working the n1me of Chrift • but lefs is faid concerninq 0 the Pro-
Miracles was . . · ' . h r. dc
ccaicd in his phettcal Vtrtue, efp_ecially after t e 1econ . entury.i
can paint forth his own Thoughts. If the Matter and
Sabfiance of things be once lively in the Mrnd, verb"'
time, s. chry- That it was rare and co be feen but fomet1mes, and
Ch n"ff1a~s on.ly w.ho_ h~d non invita jtqteentur: And according :is that Matter
rriorc then once more o bfccure ly '·in 1ome
Jofiomcdotb r. c
1ew operates upon the Mind and Pha11ta[te, fo will. the Phrafe
affirm, Tii, attained to a good degree of Self-pun 6catt?n, 1s mt1-
and Lang1Mge be in which it is exprefs'd. And theL·e-
J'wJ._,.wu W mated by that of -origen in his 7 th Book agamft f elfus.
fo~e I tl1~nk co dou~t ,vhether_ the Prophets might not
?~H(,IY
r •
:11
11' f_.! \
Il~WJ '9 "v..;' e-n
,., 'I
'Atvn _~
,, ""
1-'a• ~
< •
a.)':~
A' "ft?.:::i _ _ (/..,'
.t'TTV°":p..g,'~ 'l"'t'
').' ·
OH'')P';, m1fiake in reprefentmg the Mmd of God in their Pro-
''Xl@- 'L~- 'Trx,> +uxcx.> ~ /1.0'}''f,I ~ lffllg ,<,«.1 WJ'TOJI ?r~~ern y.,ex.a.~_p- phetical Infpirations, except all their Words had been
1'..f-1711'1'.:U, -4· ..Q.; O,.
de saccrilotio, f-VY· •• alfo_dietated to them, is to queftion whether they could
~c. The like is affirmed by S. Auftin. fpeak Senfe as wife men, and tell their own Thouo-hts
and Experiences truly or not. /\nd indeed it fe~ms
m?fl: agreeable to the nature_of all the(e Prophetical;
CHAP. XIII. rijions and Dreams we have d1fcourfed of, wherein the
natur~ of the ~nthufia_fme confifted in a Symbolical
Some Rules 11.nd obfervations cmcerning Prophetical Writ
and Hleroglyph1cal llupmg forth of Intelligible things
in their Imaginations, and enlighming the Underfran-
ingenmil. ding of the Prophets to difcern the fcope and mea-
, ~ TE fuould now !hut up all this Difcourfe about ning of thefe Vifa or Phantafmata; that thofe Words
V V Prop hefie; only before we conclude, it may not and Phrafes in which they were audibly exprefs' d co
be amifs to add a few ·Rules for the better unded.l:an- t~e .8earers afterwards or pen,ned down,· !hould be the
Prophets own: For the Matter was n0t (-as feems evi-
ding of Prophetical Writ in general..
x. The Firft, (which yet we !hall rather put under dent from what hath been faid) reprefenced alwaies
debate,) is concerning the Style an4-Manner ·of l~n- bywords, but by Things. Though I know that fome-
. guagmg N n. · time
 ."\'
· Some (RJ4les and Obferl,ations
time in thefe Vifions they had a roiu fpeaking to
them; yet it is not likely that V?ice 111o~ld fo dilate
and commtmt .fo largely upon things, as 1t \Vas fit the
Prophet {hould doe when he repeated the fame things
to vulgar ears. . C<?mment upon :Jeremy ch. 49. gives u·s a full acco1.mt
It mav alfo further be confidered That our Saviour
and his Apofiles generally quote Pafiages out of the
Old Tefiament as they were tranflated by the L:xx, and
that where the Lxx have not rendered them verbatim,
but have much varied the manner of p,hrafing things
from the Original ; as hath been abundantly obferved
by Philologers: Which it is not likely they would have
done, had the Original words been the very Did:ace of
the Spirit; for certainly that would feem not to need
any fuch Paraphraftical v~riations, as being of them-
felves full and clear enough ; befides herein they might
feem to weaken the Authemicalt:iefs cf the Divine
Oracles. And indeed hath not the fwerving from this
Notion made foine of late conceit ('though e;roneouf..
ly) the Tranflarion of the Lxx to be more Amhen-
tical then the Hebrew, which they would weeds per-
fwade us bad been corrupted by the Jews, ourSaviour
declining the Phrafeologie thereof,: · ·
Befides, we find the Prophets [peaking every one of
them in his own Dialet.c 7 and fuch a Varietie of Style
~nd Phra[eGlogie-appears in their Writings, as may ar-
gue them to have: fpoken according to their own pro-
per Geni,u : which is ob[erved by the Jews themfelves
( who are mofl: zealoufly, as is well known~ devoted to
the very Letter of the Text) in all the Prophets ex-
'cept Mofas, and that part·of Mofas only which contains
the Decalogue. And 11ence we have that Rule ,Gem.
S11,nhedr. iN:lJn, N'i, tl,N':lJ ,Jwt, itl.m1 inN tUJO ,,N
~nN ·li:3.lOJ ·t:i.l,MJW, The Jame form doth »Pt -a]cend
11,pon
_.,..
concerning Prop1ntical Writ in generall. ·
upon two Pr1Jphets, neither doe both of them prophe.fie in
the fame form. Which Rule Cocceim confelfeth he
knows not the meaning of:° But Abarbanel, who better
underftood the Mind of his own Compatriots, in his
of it, upon occafion of fome Phrafes in ch~1c Prophe-.
fie concerning Edom, parallel to what we find in obtt-
diah. From this congruencie of the Style in both he
thus takes occafion to lay down our prefent Notion as
the Senfe of that former Theorem, c::,,~,:u:J ,,., N7
'i:,, ~WO NJJQ i1'i1trJJ lE11N iniN:i, The Prophets did
not prophefie in the fame manner M Mofes did: For he
prophefied from God immediately, from whom he recei-
ved not only the P,ophefie,, but ttl(o the very words and
Phrafes; and accordingly tU he heard them, fo he wrote
them in the Book of the Law, in the very Jame words -
v;hieh he heard from God: bttt a; for the re.ft of the Pro-
phets, they beheld in their Yiflons the things themfelves
which G~d maJe known to them, and both declared and
exprelfed them in their own Phrafeologie.
Thus we fee he afcribes the Phrafe and Style eve1·y
where to the Prophet himfelf, except only in the Law,
which he foppofeth to have been did:ated tot idem ver-
bu: which is probable enough, if he means the Law I
ftrictly Co taken, viz. for the Decalog,1,e, as it is moft !·
I
likely he doth. And again a little after, t:::ry;y11 iN, L
. Cil:l o,'7'Ji w,w ,,pm ~ii p~t,:i c::::>n'N ,~,i,;i oo~yo, Ir
The things themfelves they [aw in Prophefie, hut they il
:I
themfelves did expl11,in and interpret them in th,zt Di11.-
le[t which wtU moft famili11,rtu- them. And this, as he
there-u:11s, was the reafon why the fame kind of Plu-a~
feologie occurred not among the Prophets, according II,
to the fenfe of the Talmudifi:s Maxime we mentioned.
The like the J e\.vifh Scholiafts ob[erve upon thofe
Nn2 falfe

Some ~les and Obfervations
falfe Prophets who did all uno:ore bid .AhAb afcend up
to Ramoth-Gilead and profper, 'i::n il"l~ ?~JJO l'N, U-
mts idemque loqttendi .mod,rs nunquam reperit11r in duo-
/ms Prophetr°5 : And therefore they made it an argu-
ment that thefe were fal[e Prophets, becau[e they
did idem Canticum canere, for they all faid, Goe up and
projjer. And thus the Heathenilh Philofopher Pl11-
tarch, in his ~ ,7-0' fl/J ::aiv ~f'-fl·e7e;,. nw rrfuJ nv.s-icw
thought likewife concerning his Oracle, cellino- us'
Th11t ttll Enthttjiafme :°5 a mixt11re of two Motion~, th;
one ii impref'd upon the Soul ,vhich it Gods organ,
the other 11rifeth from it; and therefore he faies, 'o
/{9- ;rl1(9> C1 ~ti(tcto;1.1.. ~~!1 d. a»Ep o' epwl,xo,., :;-c_pn'Tctl Tr, 'laml-
1
:ilEt,4i~ d'uuct.~q, ,iJ 'i«VEi ,it(,i cf'~;a.~1 w11 lx.ct.S""OV xa.&' g'7re-
tpvY~Y, _Ll.lL Prop~etical Enthufiilfme, like tts alfo that
w_huh is Amatorrous, doth make ufe of the Jubjec1 facu1-
tu, and moves every Recipient according to it's difPofiti-
on and nature. And thence he thus excufeth the rouoh
an0 unpolifh' d language in which the Oracles wgre
f~metime de!liver' d, moft fitly to our purpofe defcri-
bmg Prophetical Infpi ration, Ou ry;~p ~ Ges ii ~ov, a-
"' ' (0 ./?.::J ~\ t ll::_ > \
O Ii O (/}"10'}''}' ~., ~0'711 )) /\Ec;l>, Gi?fs rro /Jli'Te,9V, .wvia. 'TI'!, ')tl.WCU-
'Jf.95 • CH.Bv@-.
,. _ _l "'
J
"'
p.911@.
,
rms cpa.0a.O:a,s
, , ' C "~ cpw, ov
'lirl.,e)~C,,
'T1 "t'V/2~ '7IT!W 7re,9> 'TV f'-"M..OY.
Z?i, F_or neither the voice, nor .formd, nor phrafe, nor
metre H from God, b11t from Pythia her fetf; God on-
ly fuppedtta~cs the phanta(ms, and kindles a light in the
So1'lto jignifie future things: For all Enth11,fiafme u
after this manner. Hence was that old faying of Hera-
clitru, 'O ''Ai•a.~, ~- '1ti 1-'-~;fiiov b$1 ~ C1I ~i:)l.q:ot, ~n >..e-
2'~, ~'TE. xpu'7i1&,, ~d Cn(-'-cdiiet, That the Ki;g ,~hofe
Oracle is at Delphi, n~itker plainly exprejf'es, nor-con-:
~eals., hr~t only obfc,~rely znt2mt1tes hy jigns. But to con-·
dude. tlus firfi.Parucular, I,lhall add by way of caution,
,'\\', _., .•
concerning f roplJetical Writ in generall. '2 77.
We muft not think that we can vary Scripture-expreffi-
on fo fecurely with· retaining the true meaning, except_
we likewife had as real an underftanding of the Smfe it
felf as the Prophets had, over whom God alfo did fo
far fuperintend in their copying forth his Truth, as not
to fuffer them to fwerve from his meaning. And-fo we
have done with that Particular. · ·
z. In the next place, .for the better undedbncfing.
all Prophetical writ, we muft obferve That the-re i1
fometimes a feeming inconfiftence in things fpoken of,
if we f11all come to examine them by the ftrict Logical
rules of Method : we muft not therefore in .the matter
of any Prophetical Vifion look for aconfl:ant Methodi-
1
cal contexture of things carried on in a perpetual cohe--··
rence. The Prophetical Spirit doth not tie it· felf to
thefe Rules of Art, or thus knit up its Dic1:ates Syfie-
matically, fitly framing on.e piece or member into a-
combination with the reft, as it were with. the joints
and finews of Method : For this indeed would rather
argue an pumane and ardficial contrivanc~ then any In~
fpiration, which as it mufi. beget a Tran[portation in.
\ I '\.",-,. \ ~ ~ ' the Mind, fo it muft fpend it felf in-fuch Abrupt kind
c.r , ,.:.i
of Revelations as may argue indeed the Pwphet. .to
have been infpired. And therefore 'Tully lib. 2._de Di~
O yJ CViJ''d l<X-fJJ.1.,05" rro1~rr-£v
'l!inat. ju.dicioufly excepts againfi: the Authenticalnefs
of thofe Verfes of the SibyRs which he met with in.his
time, (and which were the fame perhaps with.thofe we.
now have) becaufe of thofe Acrofticks andfome other.
things which argued an elaborate artifice,. and an. af-.
feeted dil_igence of the Writer, and fo indeed _non fie-
rentis erant, fed adhibentu diligenti,tm, as he fpeaks,
Lumen Propheticum. e.ft lumen abrttptttm, as WJS well
noted anciently by the Jews. And.therefore the Ma-:-
fter.s .of Jewiih Tradition- have laid down thi"s Maxime,
. We · · --: ·~· · N n. 3 ·· t,N

i 78 Some (J{ules a1~d Obfar'l,ations
~-i,n'l iM'~r.l, O"ij:l,C l'N, Non eft pritu & ·poflerim
in Lege, We muft not feek for any Methodical conca-
tenation of things in the Law, or indeed in any other
part of Prophetfral writ ; it being a moll: ufual thing
with them many times '!Tee.ft,~ rlpx,fi Cw;d'1i1etv to knit the
:Beginning and. End of Time together. Nefcit tarda
molimina Spiritt'ts _San/Ji gratia, is true alfo of the
Grace or Gift of Prophefte. We find no curious
T~anficions, no·r true dependence many times of one
thing upon another ; but things of ver.y different na-
tures, and that were caft into periods of time fecluded
one t!om another ~y vafi intervals, all couched toge-
ther m the fame V1fion ; as :Jerome hath obferved .in
~:m_y places, a~d ~her 7fore t~lls us, N~n crtr£fuit Sp_i-
rtttH prophetalt biftortte ordmem faqut. And thus he
takes notice in Daniel II. 2. th:1t whereas there were
Thirteen Kings between cyrra and Alexander the Great,
the Prnphet fpeaks of but Four, skipping over the
reft, as if the other Nine had fill' d up no part of the in-
terval. The like he obferves upon :Jeremy 2 r. 1. and
ot.herwhere; as likewife. fudden and abrupt lntro.du-
d10ns of perfons, Mutations of perfons, ( Exits and
Intrat_s up?n ~his Prophetical_ fbge being made as.it
were man mv1fible manner) and Tranfitions from the
v_oiceof on~ perfon to a11:o.ther. The Propheti<::al Spi-
rit though 1t make no no1fe and tumult in its motions
yet it is moft quick, (panning as it were from the Cen~
tre to the Circumference ; it mov~s moft fwiftly,
though moll: gently. And thus Philo s obfervation'.is
true, OuJ'~s Cf,IV';;s 1-<Et-;,&4 · There muft be ·come kind\>f
* In his ~is Ma.v:a. in all Prophefie, as * Philo tells us ·ChoTe m,;i;
rerum Dzvma- '/"i. , J. "1 , , ·
r11m b,rres fir. 0 71:Aa.~--rB ~ ~c-ioV , cf'u€ '~ rm ct.Y~e!IJ'711YOV ~ Wlien di-
1 N , 1 •· '.,, ·· ·
. v~ne light arifeth.upon the Hori'{Jn of the Solfl"of ,Mt!,J!,
hu own humane light [ets : · It muft at leaft hide it felf
concerning Prophetical Writ in general!. · 2 7-9
as a leffer light, as it were by an occafus Heliacus, un-
der the _bean~s ?f the gr~ater; and be wholly fubjetl:
. to, the ~rrad1at1ons and mfluences of it. Au}, 'T;'lt). ,j
d'uc,~ ',rd A0'}1CP-~ '9 ,n; iz§ei UJJlov Cxrf·rr~ ·~,c.~C,v ."9
rS-Eorop~ov p.g.viw; er;AvvnCe, as he goes on, Therefore the
fettmg of a mans own Difc11rfive facultie and the eclipf-
mg thereof begets an Ecjlafis and a div_ine kind o/Mania.
3. The lafi_ Rule we !hall obferve 1s, That no piece
of Prophefie 1s to be underfiood of the fl:ate of the
World to come or the Mundus animamm: For indeed
it is altogether impoffible to defcribe that, or to com-
prehend it in this life. And therefore all divine Reve-
_lation in Scripture mull: concern fome ftate in this
world. A~J fo we mull: undedl:and all thofe places
•t!1at treat ot a neiv Heaven and a new Earth, and fuch
like•. An~ fo ·we muft underftand tbe new :Jm1falem
ment10ned m the New Tefiament, in chat Prophetical
book of t?e ;Apocalypfe, ch,- 21. And ·chus the Jews
were wont umverf1lly co unaerftand thea.1 accordinci to
~-hat Maxime we now fpeak of afcribed to' R. :focha°nan
m Ma{[ec. Bertie. c. 5. ,~rJlnJ ~7 c::fn:, 0'~·1:1Ji1 ~J
:::-,Ni N7 ?'Y N::t:i .i::Jt,,y '"i:i.N mttJ~i1 nv.3,1, ~SN
All the Prophets; prophejied t11 the daies -~.f the Meji-
-ah; but a,s for the world to come, Eye hath not feen it.
So t~eycon(bm_tly_ exp0und that .paifage-in Efay 64.
4. Smee the begtnmng of the world Menihave not.heard,
, nor perceived by the Bare., neith(r hath the Eye feen, o
· Go1, befldes tkee , what he hath prepared for him that
warteth for him. And according to' this Aphorifm.e
our Sav10ur feems to fpeak; when he faies, .11/lthe Pro-
f hefs 1,~d t?e Law prophefied until :John, Mat. 1 r. 13.
,~s. fo,a.vii~, 1. e. Tne_y p1:,ophelied to-or for that Difpen-
'I'.'
f~t1on which w~~ to begmwith :J,ohn_, who lived in the
time of the twilight as it were -between the Law and
. the
as
 An Adv.ert1(ement.
the Gofpet They prop hefted of thofe things which
iliould ·be accomplifhed within the period of Gofpel-
Difpenfation which was ufuer' din by f ohn.
As for the_ ftate of Bleffednefs in Heaven, itis ma-
jor Mente humttna, much more--is' it major Phantafla.
But of this in part he!ret~fore. . pire. Thus
.lln Advertifement.
HE ReadermayrememberThatour Au-
T thor in the beginning of his T reatife of
the Immortality of tbe Soul, propminded thefe Three
great Principles of Religion to be difcourfed
of; I• Tbe lmm~rtalitieof tbe Soul, 2. The Exiftence
and JV.:1ture of God, 3. The Communication of God to
Mankind through Umft. ·And ha~ing fpoken
largely to the Two former Principles- of Natu-
ral Theology, he thought it fit ( as a Preparati-
on to the Third, which i~nports the Revelation
of· the Gofpel) to fpeak fomeching concerning
fProplJejie, the way whereby Revealed Truth is
difpenfed to us. Of this he intended to treat but
a little ( they are his words in the beginning of
the Treatife of 'Prophefie ) and then pafs on to
the Third and Lafl: part, viz. Thoj e Principles of
<J{.evealed Truth which tend moft· of all to adi,ance and
cherifh true and real Piety. But in his difcourfing
of rprophefic fo many confiderable Enquiries of-
ferecl
'An ..ddvertifament: ·281
fered themfelves to his thoughts, that by that
time he had finifbed this Difcourfe ( defigned
at fidl: only as a Preface) his Office of being
Dean and Catechift in the Colledge did ex-
fa: had the Auth~r proceeded in
that year of his Office: and 1t was not ~ong
after that Bodily difl:empers and weakneffes be-
aan more violently to ieize upon him, which
tl1e Summer followinR"0 put a Period to his life
here . ( a life fo every way beneficial to chofe
who'had the happinefs to converfe with him.)
Sic multis ille bonu fiebilis occidit" Thus he who de-
figned to fpeak of God's Communicatwn of Bim-
jelf to Mank.ind through Chrifl, _was ta~en up _by
God into a more inward and 1mmed1ate part1c1-
pation of Himfelf in Ele{f~dn~[s. Had ~e. li~'d
_and had health to havefimib d the rema1n111g
- part of his ~efigned Method, the_Re2.der m~t
eafily conceive what a Valuable piece that Dii-
courfe would have been. Yet that he may not
altogether want the Authors labours upon foch
an Argument, I thought good in th~ next place
to adjoine a Difcourfe of the like importance
and nature (delivered heretofore by the Author
in fame Chappel~Exercifes) from which I i11all
not detain the Reader by any more of Preface.
Oo
 ,~ A

DISCOURSE
Treating

fLE-GAL Righteoufnefs,
Of<EVANGELICAL Righteoufnefs,
· hhe Righteouf;;fS of FAITH;
LAW and the GosP EL,
The Difference between the
~ Ow and NEwCoVENANT s
JusTIFICATION and DIVINE AccEPTaNcE;
The CoNv EI GHANc B of the Ev ANGE 11-cAL
Righteoufnefs to us by FA 1 TH.

Except yortr Righteottfnef exceed the Righteo,tfncj{ ofthe

Scribes and Pharifees, ye }bait in no cafe enter into the
Kingdome of heaven. Match. 5. 20.
Raving a form of Godlincf, b11t denying the Power there-
of. 2Tim.3.5.
For the Law made nothing perfeEf, b11t the bringing in of
a /Jetter hope did. Heb. 7. 19.

B. Macari us in Homil. 1 5.
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1

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7~;
1
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~" ocpE1/\!mV ~I' 85 rm.- n.~qxI, f-Ji9VOV rrrJ.. 2kf' pA/\.a,v({j), ~-
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f1r'dei,'P,a-p.,<,J~e,,.rx,. . -
:,:__ y·.

'A Pifcourfo
Of
L E GAL Righteou{nefs,
and of
TheRighteoufnefs of FAITH, e5c.
Rom. 9.31,32.
Bttt I{rael which followed' After the Law of righteouf-
nef, hath not attained te the Law (}f righteou[neff:
wherefore? Becaufe they Jtmght it not hy FAith, h11t tU
it were by the works of the Law.

CHAP.I.
The Introd,ellion,jl,eiving Whttt it uto have a right Know.;;,
ledge ef Divine Tneth, and What it i5 that is either
Availeable or Prej1tdicial to the tme Chri.ftia» Know;_
ledge;and Life.
TH EusDoctrine of Chrifiian Religion propounded
by our Saviour and his Apoftles, is fee forth
to
with.fo much fimplicity, and yet with fo much repug~
,nancy to that degenerate Genim and Spirit that rules
in the hearts and lives of Men, that we may truly fay
of it, ·ic is both the Eafieft and the Bardejl"thing: it is
a Revelation wrapt up in a Complication of myfteries·,.
like that Book of the Apocdlypfe, which both unfolds-
3nd hides thofe great Arcan.1, th-at it treats of; or as
Oo 3 Pla·t(J;
 .. 'Ii,
What is eit!)e; 11-Vailable or}r(judicial
Plato fometimes chafe fo co explain the fecrets of his
Metaphyfical or Theological Philofophy, di'~ d di,a,J418;
flA1 yv&i that he that read might not be able to under-
frand ~' except hewer·e a Son of .~ifdo1re '.) ~nd_ had
been train'd up in the knO\vledge of 1t. T ,1_e Prmc1ples
of True Religion are all in themfelves plam and eafie,
deliver'd in tl1e moft familial' way, fo that he that runs
·may read them ; they are all fo cl~ar and perfpic_uous,
that they need no Key of Ana{yt1cal 9emonftra~10n t?
unlock them : the Scriptur_e being wntcen doclts pa,:z-
t cr & indolli!, and yecit is W~(dome in a myflery which
the Princes of thi! wqrld t~nderjland not ; a fealed ~ook
which the greacefi: Soplues may be mofi: unacquauued
with: . ic is like th~t Pillar of Fire and of~ Clo11d_ t~at
parted between the lfraelites and the Egyptians, g1vmg
a clear and comfortable light to aU thofe that ar~ under
the rnanuduaion and guidance thereof, bu&- be1~g f~ll
of darknefs and obfcurity to thofe that rebell ~gamft it.
Divine Truth is not to be difcerned [o much ma mans
Brain as in his Heart. Divine wifdome is a Tree of
life t~ theri1 that fi~d her_, and it is only J:ife that ca_n
feelingly converfe with Life. All ~he thm Speculati-
ons and fubtilefi: D1fcourfes of Ph1lofophy cannot fo
well unfold or define any Senftble Object, nor ~ell any
one fo well what it is as his own naked Sen[e will doe.
There is a Divine and Spiritual ien[e which only is_ a~le
to converfe internally with the life and f~ul ?t D1vme
Truth, a:s mixing ard uniting it felf with 1c ; wh1_le
vul(Tar Minds behold only the·body and out-fide of 1t.
Th~uob in it felf it be moll: intelligible, ~nd fuch thJt
mans Ivlind may mofr ealily apprehend; yet there is a
:-,~o~~:-, :-,:::i,Sj? ( as the Hebrew writers call that,~,
·y,;,) incruftamcntum immrmditiei upon all_ corrupt
Minds which hinders ch·e lively tafte and rellfh of ir.
' · This
to the I(nowledge ofDi1Jine Trutl:,.. '28'7
This is that thick and palpable D.1rknefs which cannot
comprehend that divine Light that {hines in the Minds
and Underftandings of all men, but makes them to de-
ny that very Truth which they feem to entertain. The
world through rvifdome (as the Apoftle fpeaks) knew not
God. Thole gr~at Difputers of this world were too
full of nice and empty Speculations to know him who-
is only to be difcerned by a pacate, httmble and /elf-de-
nying mind: their C~l'iofity [erved rat_her to dazzle
their Eyes then to enlighten them; while they rather
proudly braved chemfelves in their knowledge of the
Deity, then humbly fubjecl:ed their own Souls to a
complyance with it; making the Div·inity nothing
elfe but as it were a fl.mering Glafs th~t might reflecl:
and fet off to them the beauty of their own Wit and
Parts the bettet': and while they feemed to converfe·
with God himfdf, they rather amoroufiy courted theii;
own Image in him, and fell into love with their own!
Shape. Therefore the befr acquaintance with Religi--
on is~oJ'lJ'a-,c,/@. y;<Zv1G, a know?edge taflght hy Gad -
0
•
it is a Light that de[cends from Heaven which is only
able to guide and conducl: the fouls of men to Heaven.
from whence it comes. The Jewifu Doctors u[e to
put it among the fundamental Articles of their Religi-
on That their Law wtU from heaven, C'Ot.!Ji1 1o n,,nn .-
I a~ fore we may much rather reckon it amongft the
Principles of our Chrifl:ian Religion in an_ higher way,,
That it is an Influx from God upon the Mlllds of good
men. ·And this is the great defigne and plot ot the
Gofpel, to open and unfold to us the true way of re-
courfe to.God; a Contrivance for the uniting the Souls
of men to him, and the deriving a participation of
God to men, to bring in Everlafting righteoufnej ,-
1
and to eftablifh · 1:he true Tabernade of God in the-
Spirits,
'!
I
 ·."i.
288 The Jovijh l'{otion
Spirits of men, which was done in a Typical and Em-·
blematical way under the Law. And herein confifts
the main preeminence which the Go(Pel hath above
the Law, in that it fo clearly unfolds the Way and Me:..
thod of Unitin(J' humane nature to Divinity ; which
· the Apoftle fee~s mainly to aim at in thefe words, But
Jfniel which follo,ved after the Law of righteorfnef, &c.
CH AP. II.
.An Enq11,iry into that :Jewifh Notion of a Legal Righte-
o1'fnef, which is oppo[ed hy S. Paul. That their noti-
tm of_ it WtU f,1eh tU this, viz, :that the Law externally
difJmifed to them ( though it were, tU a Dead letter,
merely withoM them) and conjoined with tbe power of
their own Free-wilt, wa-s [,efficient to proc,tre them
Acceptance with God, and to acquire Merit enough to
purchafe Eternal Life, Perfellion and llappinef. That
this their Notion had thefe two Grounds; Firft, An
opinion of their own Self-f,1.ficiency, and that their
Free-will wa,s fo ah(olMe and perfeft , tU that they
needed not that God jho1tld doe any thing for them
hut only f,m;ifo them with Jome Ld-w to exercife thi;.
· Innate power abottt. That they afferted fuch a Freedom
of Wilt M might be to them a Foundation of Merit. ·
fO R the unfoldin~ whereof, we {h_all en~eavour
1, to fearch out, Firft, what the :_fewifb Notton of a
Legal righteortfnej wM,which the Apoflle here condemns.
2• Secondty, Whtit that Evangelical righteoufnej., or
Righteoufnej of Faith,u.,which he cndeavo,m to eftabtifb
in the room of it.
For
\
I
-.~·
of a Legal <I?_ i~huoufneft. 28 9
For the Firft, That which the Apoftle here blames
the Jews for, feems to be indeed nothing el[e but an E -
pitome or Comperidittm of all that which he .otherwhere
difputes again~ them for: whic!1 is n~:>t mereJy and·
barely rnncerm_ng the_ Formal nonon of :Juftificatipn,,
a-s fome may thmk, viz. Whether the Formal notion
ef it refpeB:s only Faith, or Works in the Perfon julH-
fied, ( t~ough there may be a refpeet to that alfo) it is
not merely a fubtile School-controverfie which he
feems to handle; but ids of a greater latitude ; It is
indeed concerning the whole Way of Life and Hap-
pinefs, and the _proper fcope of reftoring Mankind to
Perfed.ion and Union with the Deity, which the Jews
expeeted by virtue of that Syfl:eme and Pandect of
Laws which were delivered upon Mount Sinai, aug-
mented and enlarged by the Gemara of their own Tra-
ditions.
Which that we may the better undedl:and, perhaps
it may not be amifs a little to traverfe the Writings of
their mofl: approv€d ancient Authors, that fo findino- ·
out their conftant received opinions cot1cerning thei~
Law and the Works thereof, we may the better and more
fuliy underftand what S. Paul 2nd the other Apoftles
aim at in their difpuces againft chem.
The Jewifh notion generally of the·· Law is this;
" That in that Model of life contained in that Body of
" Laws, dill:inguiilied ordinarily into Moral, Judicial &
"Ceremonial, was comprifed fhe whole Method of
'' railing Man to his perfetl:ion; and that they having
'' only this Book of Laws without them, to converfe
" with, needed nothing elfe to procure Eternal life,
" Perfecrion and Happinefs : as if this had been the
" m1ly means God had for the Caving of Men and ma-
~, king them happy, to fet before them in an External
P_p ~' way
 The Jewi(h ]{otion
cc way a Volume of Laws, Statutes and Ordinances;
"and fo to leave them to work out and purchafe to
"themfelves Eternallife in the obfervance of them.
Now this General notion of theirs we {hall unfold in
~ Particulars.
Firft, as a Foundation of all the refi-, They took up
this as an Bypothefis or common Principle, " That
"Mankind had fuch an abfolute and perfefr Free-will,
" and fuch a fufficient power from within himfelf to
" determine himfelf to Verrne and Goodnefs,as that he
'' only needed fome Law as the Matter or ObjeB: to ex-
" ercife this Innate pO\ver about; and therefore needed •
'' not that God fhould doe any thing more for him
"then merely to acquaint him with his Divine will and
" pleafure. - the ancientefi: Jewi~ learning, and in high efteem a-
And for this we have Maimonides [peaking very folly
and magifterially, That this was one of their Radices
fidei or Articles of their Faith, and one main Founda-
tion upon which the Law ftood. His words are thefe
in Halacah teflmbahor Treatife of Repentance, Chap.5.
,,,t, ,oiv n,ian1? :-ii, o~ n.rn,.:i o,N '7:h n.wi
'i:n t1:lit0, The Power of Free-will u given to every·
nw, to determine hinfelf ( if he will) to thttt which u
good, and to be good; or to determine himfelf to that
which ,iJ evil, and to be wicked, (if he wi!L) Both are
in hu power, according to what i,s written in the Law,,
Behold, Man is become as one of us, to know good
and evil: thttt u to fay , Behold this fort of Creature,
MAn, is alone ( and there u not a Second like to Man) in
thi5, viz. Thtit Man from himfelf by hie o,vn proper
knowledge and power krmves good and evil, and does what
Jleafeth him in an ,encontrollable w11,y, [o as nene c11,1;.
hinder him as to the doing of either good or evil. · thu Mofes, a man offtefh and blood? and what is hu ltf.w,
And a little after he thus interprets tho[e words in
the-
of tt .Legal (]}Jg}lteoufiufl.
the lamentations, of the refenting Church, ch. 3. 40•.
Let tu Jearch and try our watcs, and turn unto the Lord.
1
i.::i, ,?'1'J U'IiWJ1 -,,N,ii, Seeing that 1ve rvho are endu~
ed rv1th the power of Free-will, have 1nqft wittingly and
freely commttted all our tranfgrefions; it is meet and he•
coming that we jbottld convert 011r felves by repentance
~nd forfake all ou,: ~niqte-i~ics, forafmuch as this alfo fl
m our power: Thu u the importance of thofe words ~ L.et
us fearch and try our w:iys, and -tu.rn unto the Lord
.And this is agreat Fundamental, the itm"y Pillar if th;
Law and Precept, a~cording to what is written Deuter.30.
See, _I_have fet before thee this day life and death, good
and evil.
Thus we fee Maimonides, who was well vers'd in
m<?ng_ all the Jews, 1s pleafed to reckon this as a main
Pr~nc1ple _and Foundation upon which that Law fl:ood;
as mdee11t mufl: n~eds be, if Life and Perfellion might
be acquired by vu-cue of thofe Legal pt'ecepts which
had_ only an External adminifl:mion, being fet before
their External Senfes, and promulged to their Eares
as the Statute-laws of any other Common-wealth ufe
to be. Which was the very notion that they them-
felves had of the[e Law~.. An.d therefore in Brejhith
R_abha (a very ancient Wrmng) the Jewiili Doecors ta-
k~ng not~ce of t~a~ paffage in ohe Cantides, Let him
~if m with the kiffes of hu mo1tth, they thus glofs upon
it; . .At the time of the giving tJj the Law, the Congre-
gation f ifrael defired that Mofes might jj_eak to them,
theJ bemg not able to hettre the words of God himfelf: and
whrle he JPake, they heard, and hearing forgat • and
th~reupon moved this dehate 11mong themJel'l:les, What is
that we Jo foon learn, and Jo foon forget it? o that
PP 2 God
 •:,;:.
The JelPifh 'fxotion _ rf a Legal rJ.{ighteoufnefi.
God would kif us with the kifles of his mo,h1 ! that is;
in their fenle, that God woull{ reach chem in a more
vital and internal way. And then (as they goeon) Mo-
Jes makes this anfwer, N7~ :--m;, n~',it, l...:,~;:i, N'?ttJ
'iJ, n~woi1 '0':l N:17 i'Jilh ii'ii' That this cottld no_t
he then : But it jhottld Jo come to paj in the time to
come, in the,_ daies of the Mejiah, when the Law jhor1ld be
written in their hearts, a,s it i8 Jaid, Jer. 3I'. I will write
it in their hearts.
By this we may fee how neceffarie it was for the
Jews, that they might be confiftent to their grand
Principle of obtaining Life and Perfeaion by this de11d·
letter and a thing merely without themfelves,. ( as not -
being radicared in the vital powers of their. own Souls)
to efiablifh fuch a power of Free-will as might be able
uncontrollably to entertain it, and fo readily by its
own Strength perform all the dictates of it.
And chat·Maimonides was not the firft of the Jewifh
writers who expound that paffage Gen. 3'.[Behold, man
is become like one of tu, to know good and e'.Vil] of Free-
will, may appear from the feveral Chaldee Paraphrafrs
upon it, which feem very-much to intimat~ that Senfe.
Which by the way, ( though l cannot allow all that
which theJ~ws deduce from it) I think is not without
fomething of Truth, viz. That that Liberty which is
founded in lleafon,, and which Mankind only in this
lower world hath above other Creatures,. may be there
alfo meant. But whatever it is, I am fure the Jewifh·
Commentators upon chat' place generally follow the
rigid-fenfe of Maimonides. · conver[ed like a pure Iilcelligenee with its• Fir fr caufe,
To this purpofe R. Bechai, a man·.of no fmall lear-
ning-both in.the Talmudick and Cabaliftical doctrineof
ttheJ ews., tells us, That upon Adan/s firft tranfgreffion,
tha.t grand.Liberty of Indifferency equally to Good, or
EvjL
'-~•··
Evil'beaan firftto difcover it felf; ,whereas before that
he was ~:nv ,~:, a!l Jntellell and wholySpirittt-al, (as that
common Cabalifiical Notion was) being from within
only determined to that which was Good. But l {haU
at large relate his w.ords, becaufe of their pertinency
and ufefulnefs in the Matter now :n hand •. .-,,i1 c::J1~i1
'1:i, N~nt:.1 o,,p ,,wvo '-iv ni:im, that is,, Adam
hefore bu fin, a[fedfrom a necej~ty of Nature·, and all his
actions were nothing elfe but the rjjim of pure and perfell
Underflanding. Erven as the Angels. of God, being no-
thing elfe but Intelligences., p,~t forth nothing elfe but afl,s
of intelligence; juft Jo was Man before he finned, and did
eat of the Tree of I(nowledg of good and·evil : · B11t af-
ter this tranfgrefion, he had· the power (}f Elellion and
]lree-wifl, whereby.he was able to will good-r1r evil~ And
a little after gloffing- on thofe words Gen. 3. 7. [ And
the eyes of them both ;vere opened J he addeth, \l'i!J0i1
',:i, r,yiii fYO :-,1,MJJ ti~,, They derived the po1ver
of Free-will from- the Tree of Knowledge of Good, and
Evil-~- And now they became e!Jdreed with thu po1ver of
determining themfelves. to Good or Evit; and this Pro·
perty is divine, and- in f0me ref}e[f agood Property •. So
that according to,the mind of our Author, the Firft.
original & pedigree-of Free~wi/1-is to-be derived not fo
much from the v£,ra of Creation, as from,that after-E-
pocha of Mans cranfgreffion or Eating of the forbidJen-
fruit: [o that thdndifferency of mans Will to Good or
Evil,and a Power to·-deeermine himfelf freely to either,.
clid then firft of· all unfold-it felf; whereas before he
without any Fropenfion at-all to Material things., be-
ing determined like a proper natural Agent folely -to:
t,hat which is good: ani chefe Propenfions arifing upon
~e 'Firft. tranfgrdlion to Material things- ( which they,
Pp 3 fuppofed.
1
.l
!d
;/
 ......
. The JovipJ N.,otion
fuppofelto be in mens power ~ither fo to correct and
caihgate as to prevent any. fin m them, or elfe to. pur•
fue in a way of vice ) are, 1f not the Form and Efience~
yet at leaf\: the Original a~d Root of ~h~t Viii i l
which they fpeak [o much of. But of this m another
place.
All this we have further confirmed .out of N~ch·
m;.,nides :m Author fufficiently ver~ed mall Matters
concernina the Jewi{h Religion. His words are thefe
in his C01~ment upon Deut, 30. 13· ',:::i, ii~,i:1it 1oir.J
From the time of the Creation Mtt~ had a p_oiver of !ree-
wilt ,vitl1in him to do Good or Ev1_l according to ha own
choice, as a{(D through the wh_ol~ time of the Lttw; tha!
fo he might be cap,ible of. Merit ~n freely ~hufi~g what rs
Good, and of Prmifhment t~ ele/Jmg ~vhat t& Evtl~ Where-
in that he tells us that this Free-wtll hath con~1~ued e-
vedince theCreation,we mull: not underfrand r1g1dly the
very moment of mans Creat~on, bu~ that Epocha_t~ken
with fome latitude, fo that 1t may include the time of
mans Fir.fr tranfgreffion: _for h~ after f~ggefts thus
much, That before the F1rfr Sm _Ada111 s power to
Good was a mere Natural power without any fuch In-
differency to Evil; and therefore he makes that St~te
of Adam the Model and platform of future perfechon
which the mo.fr ancient Jewi~1 Auth~rs feem to ex-
pect in the time of their Mefhah , which he expre!feth
in this manner, ',:::i, .-,,~n, ~'7, ,,on, N7, Hejhall not
cDvet no-r defire (after a SenGcive ~anner,) b11t M_a».fh.a/1,
return in the times of the Meftah _to that Prtmztzve
State he nw in before the Jin of the F_trfl man, who nat11,-
rtt!Ly did whatfoever was go~d, ~e1th~r was there ~ny
thing and its contrary then tn hu choice .. Upon ~h1ch
Ground he aftenvards concludes, That _m thofe mn~s
of the Meffilh there {hall neither be Mertt nor Demerit,
becaufe
·.•-
of a Legal (}?J.gl.,teotifmf~
becaufe there {hall be no Free-ivi!l, which is the alone
Mother and Nurfe of both of them : But in the mean
while, That Good or Evil are to men (that I may
phrafe it in the language of the S toick) eA&.fihe_gt,, d iUd.
7-.u1a,, d~&p,~J',~ • none prejudicing or in the leafr
degree !1m_denng the ex~rcife of this Liberty, neither
from within nor from without, n()ne either 'in HeAven
or in E,trth 1:1'.l'nnliii 10 N71 1:1,.lP?Yit iO N7. And
thus the fame Nachmttnidu expounds that folemn·At-
teftation, Deut. 30. 19. wherein Heaven and Earth are
called to wimefs That chat day Life and Death were fet
before them ; as if God hirn[elf had now eftablilhed
fuch a Monarchical power in man which Heaven and
Earth 010uld be in league withall and faithful! to .. -·
Hereupon R. Sa,zdia Gaon (fo call,d by way of Emi-
nency) doubts not to tell us that the common fenfe of
all the Jewifi1 Doctors was, That thi5 Liberty to good·
or evil was fuch an Abj()/ttte kind o.f authority dbbli{h ...
ed in a mans foul, that it was in a fort Independent up<m.
God himfelf; this being; as he faith (in the book call)d
Seph~r emunah) the meaning_ of that old and vulgar-
Maxune amongfi the Jews_, fomerimes mentioned in:
the Talmud, o,oum n~'WJ r-in t::rotuM ,,~::i ~:i w,.,
Omnia funt in mantt- Cteli (i. Dei) exccptMimore DeJ•.
I am not ignorant there is another Axiome of the--
Jews .as common, which may (eem partly to. crofs this-
and what hitherto hath been{poken, viz. inu 17 N:l
~7 rnl:'il ~o~,'7 N.:i _,m.~ i'~'WJ, the meaning of
which 1s this, Th.1t afiftence u ftrpetrJaily afforded to=
. All endeavonrs both of Sanllity and Impiety-. But Mai--
~non!des hath fomewhere .told us ( and, as I remember,.
m his Sepher Ram.edang) how they mince the matter,.
and mean nothi0g el[e by it but this, That when men
~udeavour after the performance of the Law, God in a·.
war·
 "'•i,,
The Jnvijh 't{()cton
way of providence fnrnifheth t.hem with_ External mat...,
ter and means, giving them peace and nches ~nd-other
outward accommod:1tions, whereby they 1mght have
advantige and opportunity co pe~torm all that good
which their own Free-will determmes them to: where-
as Wicked men find the like help of External matter
and means ~or promoting and accornplif11ing their wick-
ed and ungodlv deftgnes.
Thus we fee how the Jews, that they might lay a
Foundation of Merit and build up the fl:ately and
magnificent fabrick of their Happinefs upon the fandy
Foundation of .a dead Letter witboM them, endeavour
to firengthen it by as weak a Ramp~rt of their ow_n
SelFfttff'iciency a~d t~e P?wer of their own Fr~e-wr!l
able ( as they vainly 1magmed) to perform all R.1ghte-
oufnefs as bein° adequate and commenfurate to the
whole Law of God in ics moft ExcenGve and Compre-
henfive fenfe and meaning ; rather looking upon the
Fall of man as the Rife of that Giant-like :Pree-wi/l.
whereby they were enabled to bear up themfelves a-
gainfr Heaven it felt~ as bein~ a _g~eat ~c~effory to
their happinefs (rather then preJud1c1al to 1t J through
the accefs of that multitude of divine Laws which were
.given to them; as we ilia~l fee afterwards. A~d fo t~ey
reckoned upon a moreTrmmphanc a~d Illufi:nous km~
of Happinefs vietorioufly to be atch1eved by the Mmt
of their own works , then that Beggerly kind of Hap•"
pinefs (as they feem to look upon it)which cometh like
an Alms from Divine bounty. Accordingly they af-
firm That Happinefs i...,~0Ji1 ,,, '-?v by way of Reward
u farr greater and much more nMgniftcent then th11,t
which u icnn ,,, -_,V by way of Mercy.
CH AP.
'•\'
of aLegal (J{ig}te_oufneft.
CH AP. III.
The Second grottnd of the fewijl, Notion of tt Legal
Righteo11Jnef, viz. That the Law· deliver' d t9 them
on Mount Sinai wtU a firlficicnt Dif}enfation from
God, and all that needed to 6t done by him to bring them
to Perfellion and f!arpinef: and That the Scope of
their Law was nothing b11t to afford them feveral wttys
and means of Merit. The opinion of the :Jewifl, Wri-
te.rs concerning Merit and the Reward df#e to the Works
of the Law. Their diftinguijbing of men in order to
Merit and Demerit into ibree farts, viz. Perfectly
rigliteous, Perfeetly wicked, and a Middle fort be-
twixt thefe. The Mercenary and Low Spirit of the
1 ewifb Religio». An account of what the. Cabkalifls
held in this Point of Legal Righteo,efnef.
T HE Second Ground of that Jewifh Notion of
Legal Righteortfnej is this, "That the Law deli-
a
,, vered co them upon Mount Sinai was a· fafficient ·
"Difpenfation from God, and all that needed to be
c, done by him for the-~dvancing of them to aState of
cc Perfection and -Bleffedners·; and That the proper
" Scope and End of their Law was nothing but to af-
,, ford them feveral waiesand means of Merit. Which'
is expre!Iy delivered in the* Mijhnah,nr:Jl', i7::J.''pi1 i11i * Iib.Maccotn ..
'i:Ji i:.,~,u,, riN. The meaning whereof is this, That rea. ult.
therefore the precepts of the Law were fo many in
number, that fo they might ftngle ·out where they
in
pleafed, and exercifing· themfelves therein procure
Eternal life; as obadilt4 de Bartenora expounds it, Tha_t
Qq whofoever
 The Je,vifh lx,otio,i
1Vhofoev"er jlMll p~form any one of the 613 Precepts of the
Law ( for fo many they make in number) withoM any
worldly re/}el'f~, f0r love of the Precept, ii::l ;-\::n iiJi1
~:in 01,v nnt,, hehold, thu nMn Jha!L merit therehy
everlafting life. Fo.r indeed they foppofed a Reward
due to the performance of every Precept, which Re-
ward they fuppofed to be encreafed according to the
fecret efiimation which God himfelf hath of any Pre-
cept'J as we find fuggefied in the Miflmah, in the Book
Pirke avoth, in the words of the famou.s R. fchuda, ,,it
'i:Ji i1iion::1:, i\1j? i\ilO::l i'iil,Be carefi1ll to olferve the
leffer Precept tU well tU the greater, becaufe thou knoweft
not the }l.eward that foa/1, '1e given- to the o/Jferv4tion of
the Precepts. " n,~oi1 ~y 1\:-l':ivo t'N, It u no: lawful[ t() skip over
Here we mull: tak~ notice that this was a great de-
bate among the Jews, which Precepts they were that
had the greateft Reward due to the performance of,
them; in" which controverfie Maimonides in his Com-
ment upon this place thus refolves us, That the mea-
fure of the Reward that was annex' d to the Negative
l'rec~pts might be collected from the meafure of the
Punijhments that were confequent upon the breach of
them. :But this knot could not be fo well folved ia re-
ferenee to the .Affirmative Precepts, becaufe the Prmifh-
f»ent,s annex' d to the breach of them were more rarely
defined in the:Law: accordingly he expreffeth himfelf
to this fenfe, .As for the Affirmative Precepts i1tvV rmm,
it iJ not e~prejl'd what Rew11-rd iJ dNe to every one of
1hem; and ,,B for thh end, that we may 11ot knowwkicl,
Precept iJ moft mcelfary to be ohferrved, and which Prt•
upt ii of lejl neccffty and importance. And a little af:-
ter he tells us that for this reafon their Wife men faid,
:-,iian to ~~!l ~,io:J po~~m, ~-i oper11m dat pr~-
ttpt8, liher tft .1 prAcepto; which he expounds to this
fenfe,
of a Legal 'Pjgbteou(nej.
fenfe, That whofoeve~ iliall exercife ~imfelf about any
one ~recept, ought without hrefi~at1on or difpute to
continue m the performance of 1t , as beino in the
mean while freed from minding any other. Fcfr if God
had declared which Precepts himfelf had mofl: valued
and fettled the greatell: revenue of happinefs upon ,
then other Pr~epts would have been lefs minded; and
any one that lhould have bufied himfelf in a Precept
of a lower nature, would prefently have left that, when
opportunity fhould have been offered of performing a
higher. And hence we have alfo another Talmudical
Canon !or the performing of Precepts, of the fame na•
ture with the former quoted by our forefaid Author,
Precepts, that 1s, as he expounds 1t, when a man i.s 4-
hout to obferve one Precept , he may not skip over and re•
linquijhthat, that Jo he might apply himfelf to the olfer-
vation of another. And thus, as the performance of
any Prece{t hath a certain Reward annex' d to it ; fo the ~
Mea.f"e o the fteward t~ey fuppofe to be encreafed ac-
cord mg co the Nttmbcr of thofe Precepts which they
obferve, as if is defined by B. 'iarphon in the forefaid
Mijhnah,c. z. ,:nu ,,, f'JniJ ii:li;i iiiin n,c'? CN
'i::n ii:liii, If thou haft been much in the flruly of the
Law, thort Jbalt be rewarded much: £()r faith/ult iJ thy
I
1
Lord & Ma.fler., who will render to thee a Rew1tra proporti- t
onable to thy Worko" And a little before we have the fame t
·1
thing in the words of another of their Mafters, n:iic
t::l''M il:liO i\iin, f2.!!i multiplicat legem, ·multjpliut
vitam. And left they ihould not yet be liberal enough !
I
of God's coft, they are alfo pleafed to diftribute Re-
wards to any Ifraelite that iliaU abftain from the breach
of a Prece~t; for fo we find it in the Mifbnah LI<idd11•
~in, Whofoever keep-s himfelf from the ~reach of a Pre-
Q. qi ,ept,
I
i
1
 Tl-e -Jervijh 'N_otion
cept, :-i,l~ :-w;•,v:,. iJID ii, c:nn,J, fhall receive the
.Reward tU.if he had kept the Precept.
. But this which hath been faid concerning the perfor-
mance of any one Precept, muft be underftood with
this Caution, That the performance of fuch a Precept
be a continued thing, fo as that it may com pound and
collect the performance of many good. works into it
felf; otherwife the fingle performance of any one
Precept is only available, ·according to the fenfe of the
Talmudi'cal Mafiers, to caft the fcale, when a mans
Good works and Evil works equally balance one ano-
ther, as :Maimonides ~elfeth us in his Comment upon
the forenamed Mijlmah 1. Kidd. cap. r. Seer. 10. where
the words of the Jewi(h Doclors are thefe, :-n1Jn;i1 17:J
1
i:i, nn~ j'"i'!m, He thdt f!bferves any one Precept , it
}hall be well ivith him, and his days fhall be prolonged, and
he ]hall pof[ej the Earth: B11t he that obferves not any
,ne Precept, it flJ,tlt not be welt with him, nor ]hall hit
days be prolonged, nor ]hall he inherit the Earth. Which
words are thus expounded by Maimonides, J-Je that ob-
ferves any one Precept,&c.that is,Jo tU that by the additi-
fJn of this work to his other good_ ,vorks,his good ivor/:J over-
weigh hi5 evil works, ,ind hu merits preponderate hu de-
merits.
For the better underlbnding whereof we mull:
know, That the Jewi{h Doc1:ors are wont to difiin--
guilh of Three forts of Men, which are thus ranked by
them, ciiiCJ O'Pi~ menperfealy righteoru, t::rvw,
o~,,ol men perfealy wicked, and t:::l'Jll,::i, a middle
fart of men, betwixt them. T hofe they. are wont to call
perfealy righteom.,who had no tranfgreffion or demerits
tha~ might be counted fit to be put into the balance-
~gamft their Merits ; and thofe they call' d {imply
Q't,,,i righteom , whofe Merits outweighed their
- demerits:
of a Legal ff(igbteouflzefl. . 3~n
demerits: ,vhereas on the other fide the p.erfellly wick-
ed in their fenfewere fuch as had no Merits at all ; and
thofe fimply :::l'V!JJ1 1Vicked, wbofe demerits made the
weightiefi fcale: And the Middle fort were fuch as their
good deeds and evil deeds equally balanced one aao-
ther. Of this Fir ft fort of Men, viz. the perfealy righ-
teous, they fuppofed there might be many; and fttch the
Pharifees [eem to have been in their own efi:eem, in
our Saviours time. And according tu this Notion our
Saviour may feem to have ibaped his anG.ver to that
Young man in the Gofpel, who· asked him, what /hall
I doe to inherit eternal life? To which our Saviour· an-
fwers, Keep the Commandements: which our Saviour
propounds to him in fo great a latitude, as thereby to
take him off from his [elf-conceit, and that he might
be convinced upon reflexion on himfelf, that he had
fallen fh~t of Eternal life, in failing of a due perform-
ance of the Divine law. But he infifring upon his own-
Merit in this refpe&, enquires of our Saviour whether
there ~e yet any thing wanting to make him a p,,~
,,oJ one perfefJly righteous.To this our Saviour replies,
* If thou wilt be per/eel., go and fell that thort haft, &c. *Macr. 19. 1 1i.
The meaning of which Reply may,as I conceive,be this,.
· to convince him of his imperfecl: Obedience- to, and
compliance with, the law ot God, from his over-eager
love of this world. But fecondly, for the Medii, or
tho[e that were in the middle nmk of men, the Jewifh
Dotl:ors had divers Rules, as,_ r. In cafe a mans Evil
works and Good were equal, the addition of one-ei-
ther way might determine them to Eternal life-or mife-
ry. 2. That in cafe a mans Evil works {hould prepon-
derate and we::igh down his Good, yet he may caft the-
fcale by Rep~ntance, if he will ; or in . the other world.
by chafi:ifements and puni(hments he may make expi-
. ' Q_q 3 ationi
 ·The Jcwifh J{otion
ation for them. Thefe & the like ways they have found
out, lefi: any of tfreir fraternity {hould mifcarry. To
all which we mufl: take in this Caution which they • re
· pleafed co deliver ~o us, viz. That Mens_Wo.rk~ have
their different weight; fome Good works bemg fo
weighty that they may weigh in the balance againft
many Evil works, and vice versa.
All which we{hall find largely fet down by R. Al-
bo, 1. de fundamentis fidei; and p:irtly by R.Sttadia: but
efpecially by Maimonides in his Treatife of Repentance,
chap. 3. who alfo tells us of other Expedients provi-
ded by their Law for the fecuring of Merit and Happi-
nefs, which I fhall not here mention. And indeed in
fine they have found out fo many artifices to entail a
Legal righteo,,fnef and Eternal happineff upon all the
Ifraelites, that ( if it be poffible ) none might be left
out of Heaven: as may partly appear by that Quefti-
on captioufly propofed to our Saviour, MllJler, tire
there fe,v that ]ball be Javed? whereby they expeded
to enfnare him, they themfdves holding a General
Salvation of all the Jews by virtue of the Law, how-
ever their wickednefs might abound. Which we find
exprefll fet down by Maimonides in the fore-named
place, 1:l1 C':>.,ir.J Ci\'nuiyUJ C'yUJiii t....,::,, All wick-
ed ones whofe Evil deeds exceed their Good duds, _foa/1 be
j11dged according to the Mellf,m of their _Evil deeds Jo
exceeding; and afterw~rds the1, }hall h.1-ve 4 pwtion ill
the world to come ; N:li1 ci,,y~ p~n oii1? w, '?Niw, ~JtU,
for that al/, Ifraelites have a portion in the World to come,
iN~nu, ,:53 ~y 9N, and this nowithftanding their Sins.
Now that Maxi me of theirs, All Ifraelites have a por-
tion in the wcrld to come., is taken out of the Miflmah I.
s,mhedr. c. II. where it is put down as the moft Au-
thentick opinion of the Jewiili Docl:ors; only fome Few
there
of a Legal rJ<!glJteotefntf.
there are there reciteel who are excepted from this hap_.
pinefs ; otherwife theit· greateft Malefactors are not
excepted from it: for fo obadiaJ de Bttrtenora unfold:-
eth their meaning, \:,, i'J-'J i1n'?J ,:i,,nru~ ,~N ,'?,!JN,
eruen {rtch as are j11dged by the$reM Synedrium wor-
thy of de,zt h fo~ their ,vickedneJJe, the_{e have a portion
N::li1 Cl ;·~v:i m the ,vorld to come. I know here that
the Notion of The World to come is differently repre-
fented by Nachmanides and Maimonides, and their fol-
lowers. · But whether Maimonides his feel: or the other
prevail in this point, it is not much material as to our
prefent bufine[s,feeingboth ftdes conclude that this Sc-
culttm futurum, or World to come, points out fuch a fiate
of happinefs, as fhould not revolve or flide back again
into Mifery.
And by the way we may obferve what a Lean and
Spiritlej ReligJ'gn this of the 1ews was, and how it
was nothing elfe but a Soulelefs and Livelefs form of
External performances,. which did little or nothing at
all reach the Inward man, being nothing but a mere
Bodily kind of drudgery and fervility : and therefore·
our Saviour when he modells out Religion to them:
. Matth. 5. he points them out to Something fi,!ler of in~
ward life and fjirit, and fuch a one as might make them.
Perfefl, 11.t their Father in hetwen i5 Perfello Such dull
heavy-fpirited Principles as this Talmredical dochine-
we have quoted affordeth us , is very like began co
poffefs the Chair in Antigonm his time, who therefore·
put in this Caution againfi: part of it, That God was,
not to be ferved fo much ·upon the account of Merit
and for hope of Wages, as out of Love; though hiS;
Difcip!es Sadoc and Bait/nu, the founders of the feet
ef the Sadducees, ftraining that fober Principle too•
far, might more ftrengthen that Mercenary. belief a-
mongft
304 Tbe Jewijh 1-{otion
mon~-ll t•he other Docto.rs which they had before en-
.tercamed. . tween Heaven and Earth, as the Heralds and Meffen--
~ut before ~ k1ve this Argrimenc, it may not be
am1fs to _examme alfo what the cahbalijlical Jewes
thought. concerning this matter in hand; which in
fur:ime is this, That the Law delivered 11pon MDttnt Si-
n:11 ,Vtf-a a "f!evice God had to knit an/'11,nite the :fews and
the Shechm:1h or Divine prefence together. Therefore
they are pleafed to ll:ile it in the Book Zohar '( which is
~:me of t!1e ancienteft monuments we have of the Jew•
1{h learrnng) "ri1 ,nJJ the Trea(ures of life. And as if
the living God could be united to the Souls of men
by fuch a dead letter as this was, ( as it is fl;iled by the
Apofi:le, 2 Cor. 3.) they are pleafed to make this Ex-
ternal ·adminifrration the great Vincul11m Dei & homi-
ni5. ~nd to this purpofe R. Simeon Inn :Joch.1i ( the
Compiler of the fore-quoted Book, which is a myfti-
cal Comment upon the Pentateuch) difcomfeth u·pon
thofe words Deut.3~ 20. He i5 thy life, 1nd the length of
thy d,iys, upon which he grounds this Obfervation
:-,,~n ~V N17N N:Jtv,no N? Nn.J,:JtU, The shechl
nah or Divine Prefence· i5 no where e/lAhlifhed but hy the
Mediation of the Luw: and a little after he thus magni-
fies the frudy of the Law, Nn,,,N \...:,inw, ·lNO '-,:,
'1:Ji,. Whofaeri:e~ doth exercife himfelf in the Law, doth
mmt the pofleffion of the upper inheritttnce which u in
the holy ki~gdome above; and doth alfo merit the po((ef-
fion of an mheritance here beloiv in thi5 World. Where
by the way we may take notice that the ancient Jews
looked hlpon the Inheritances pf the land of Cttnaan as
~eing Ty_pical and fignificacive of an higher inherita·nce
m the kmgdome of heaven ; both which they fuppo-
fed to be the due rewards of mens works : and there-
fore they talk fo much in the fame place of Guardian
Angels
of aLegal, ~ ig1,teorif11efs.
Angels which are continually paffing to and fro be~
gers of Mens good wor ~s to ~od in Heaven. And fur..
ther upon thofe words m Lev1t. I 8. ; • Te Jba!J keep my
.flattetes and judgments; which if a m_a» doe, he fhaO live
in them, he tells us, That the portion of Ifrael is meri--
torio111, beca,fe that the Holy· Blejfed one delighteth in
them above all the Jdolatro11o Nations; and out if hu fa-
rvour andgoodnejto them gave them t:lnup, ro,o,J, the
- laws of Truth., and plrinted amongft them the 'I'ree oflife;
and the Schechinah WJto with them. NQw what doth a/J
thu ftgnifte? i'htu mNch, That flrtee the Ifrttelites are
figned with the Holy .(eale in their· fiefh, they are therehy
acknowledged for the Sons of God: tU ·on, the contrary,
They that are not fealed.with tM mark in th~, flefb, ar,
not the Sons of God, but are the children of ii-ndeannef:
wherefore it is n'Ot lttwful to contra.fl familiarity- with
them, or to teach them the Wora's of the Law. · Which
afterwards is urged further .by another of their Mafters,
whofoever inflr,,Eleth ,my uncircumcifed perfon MN ',ElN
Nn,iiN1 Ni,v~. though b,et in the lea_fl pr~cepts of the
Law, doth the fame as if he fhould deflroy the World,
a1Jddeny the name of the Holy Blt{fed one.
All which plainly amounts to thus much (as wehad
before out of the Talmudifrs,)That the Law was-given
unto the Ifraelites. for this purpofe, To enrich them
with good works, and to augment their Merits, & fo co
eftablifu the foundations of Life & Bleffednefs amongft
· them ; and to make it a Medium of the Union betwixt
God and Men, as R. Elie{frin the fame Book fioeak•
eth of the near Union between thefe Three, the Holy
Bleffed one, the Lmv, And Ifrael.
There is one Paffage more in our fore-named Au-
thor R, Simeon ben :Jochai, at the end of Puajhah
. Rr 1ethro,
 L' ·n•,e JewiI"n, "''\;
,;._7otion · of " Legal 'RJg~teoufneJ. ' _ _
300 ~nd Glory hereafter: Which they are wont to fet forth
:feihrQ, which ( though it be more Myftical the_n the m that tranfcendent fl:ate of Perfellion which ·the Ifra~
reft, y.et) may be well worth our obferving, as mor_e elites were in at the receiving of the Laiv;whence it ha.ch
fully hinting the Perfellion of the Law, & fetting that been an ancient Maxime amongfl: them, In Stationc
forth as an abfolute and complete Medi rem of rendring montu Sinai Ifraelit£ erant Jicut Angeli minifterii.
a man Perfell; upon whidi R. !}BJ; Albo in his third And thus we have endeavoured to make good that
Book de fi,ndamcntu hath fpenc two or threeChapters. which we firft prnpounded, n:imely, to fhew That
Thus therefore, as if the Law was the great Magazine
the ~rand Opinion of the Jews concerning the way
and Store-houfe of Perfemon, our forefaid Author . to Life and Happinefs was this, viz.
there tel~et~ us , ~hat rvhen -the Ifraelites flood upon That the Law of God externally' dijJ,enfed, and only
Mormt Sma1, they [aw God Nrv:i Nl'V, eye to eye, . furnifbed out to them in Tables of Stone a»d a Parchment-
or face to face, 12nd unde~flood all Secrets of the Law, ,nd· roll., conjoined with the power of their tnvn Free-will, w.u
all the arcanl fuperna & inferna, &c. and then he adds, fufficient both to procure them acceptance with God, ttnd
crhat the fame day in which the lfraeliw flood upon to acquire Merit enough to carry tbem with Jpread falls
Mount Sinai, tii1'JO NOiii1 ,:iv~, all uncleannef palfed into the Harhor4' of Eternal reft and bledednef. .
away from them, and all their Bodies did fhine in hright- So that by tnis time we may fee that thofe Dif-
nef l1ke to the Angels of heaven when they put on their. putes which S.Paul and other Apofiles maintain againft
bright foin'ing Robes to fit themfelves for the Embaflj the Jews· touching the Law and Faith, were not merely
upon which they are Jent hy Gvdtheir Lord. And a little about that one Qyeftion, whether :fuftiftctition formally
atter, thus; And when their uncleannef p_affed away from
and preciftly re1Je[ls F11ith altne ; but were of a much
them, the bodies of-the Ifraelites became faining and clear
withuut any defilement; and their Bodies did fbine Niii,1J gre_ater latitude.
NY'P11 tU the brightnefl of the Firmament. And then ·
thus concludeth all, when the lfraelites received the
Law npon Mount Sinai, NO"?V =1w:in~ the world wM
then ferf11-m'd with a mo.ft aromatick (,nell, and Heaven
and Earth were ~flablifbe~, and the Ho~1 Bl~([ed One was
kno,vn above and below, and he afcended in his glory 11,•.
bove all things.
By all which Myfrical and All(;'gorical Expreffions
our _Author feems to aim at this main Scope, viZ.~ To
R r z-·
fet forth the Law as that which of it {elf was fufiicient,-
without any other Difpenfation from God, for the -
perfecting of thofe to whom it was difpenfed; and to
make t-hem Comprehenfours of all Righteoufnefs hene
and.
08 The Difference het)lJeen the Legal
3 -men, which.God expettsfrom 311 the peirsof Glory,
-CH AP. IV.
. -
The su,nd Enquiry, Concerning tlie Evangelical Righ-
teoufnefs or the Righteoufnefs of Faith, and the
tr-ue difference between the Law and the Gofpel, the
Old and the New Covenant, tU it iJ .J.1.id down hy the
.Apojlle P;ml. A-more General Anfwer tothir enqtti-
ry.., together with.a .General obfervationof the .Ap.ofite,5
moi» End in oppofing Faith: to the Works of the
Law,viz. To beat down the Jewifb pwud conceit
·of Merit: A more parti~u{11,r and IJijlinll 4nfwer to
the Enqu,,.,,., vt-Z.: Tnat the Law or OW .Covenam:
is conlidered only .as.an External .adminidration, a
dead thing in it felf, .a Difpenf-acio11 confifting in an
Oa:tw.:wd .and Write.en La~v of Precepts : But the
G.ofpel or Ne;w Covmant is -an foterlW. thing, a Vii-
1t.ai Form an.cl Principi~ofllighteoefu.t.fs in the Sools
of men, an Inward manifeftation of Divine 1-ife.,
· and a living I_mpreJiion upon the Minds and Spirits
of~en. Thu proved from feverat Tejlim~nies of
Unp~n. . againft it th.e-no:tion of the Divine gru~ .and boimty ~-~
H Aving done wi~11 t11e"Firfl: Enqufry, we now come
to the Second, which was rhis, what the Evan-
gelical Righteoufnep or the Righteo11fnejs of· Faith is
which the Apo.ftle Jets up again_{! that of the Law, and
i~ wh.4t Notionjh~ ·Law is confidered by the Apoffle:
Which in Cumme was this, viz._That the Law was tl1e
Miniftery of death, and in it felf an External and Live-
lej thing, neither could it procure or beget that Divine
life and fpiritual Form of Godlinefs in the Souls of
men,
and the Evangelical (RJgbteoufoej. . 309
nor that Glory which is only confeql.le1it upon a tru~
Divine life. Whereas on the other ft~ the (J(J/pel is
fet fol'th as a mighty Efflux and Emanation of l}fi a»d
fPiritfreel,y iffuinf forth from an Omnipoti:nt fource
of Grace and Love,· as that true God-lik~ vital infltt~
ence whereby ~he Divinity derives it folf into ihe SQnls
of men, enlivening and transforming -th~m irm> itf;
.own likenefs, and ftrongly imprhuing upon them· a
Copy of its own Beauty and Goodnefs: L.ik~ thf;!
Spermatica1 virtue of the Heavens, which fprea,ds it felf
freely upon this Low.er world,- and fubtily in/inu.atif:1g
it felf into chis henumm~d feeble eanhly_Mam~r, be--
grts life and motion in it, Bri<>fly, It ii th~~whereby vod
comes to dwell.in ru, and we in him. . .
·nut that we may the more difi:in&ly unfolJ the Dif..
ference b.etw.een Th.at Righteo11fnej whkh # of the Law,,
.
~
&That whithis"·uf 'BJJith~ &fo the beu:~-fu~w how ih.~
Apo file undermines that. fabrkk of Happinefs whicb
the JeWs had hui-lt up foi-themfelves ;we {b.a}l.ob~rv~
Firft inieneral, That :the main thing whi<:h-t~ A.po• 1.
lUe .endeav.ou_rs 1:0 beat clown was , -that pri0ucl and. a,r""
rogant conceit whiduh~y h.ad,of M1rit1• ~.nd to;J9v.a.1Jce
the.only Fouru-ain.of al! Right~ufn~(6 ~nd Ha.ppiJ1eff;.
For indeed that wb.icha.11 thofe Jewia~ ll9tfonP, w.hich
we hav.eh.ef.oreuken notice~, ai1.n pr~ipllly -at, wi:S
the adwancaig of the weakenecl J>owers -0f Ni!mr<: ~q..
t-0 fudi a~ height .of Perfetti~ as :might ren:d~r :th~J.l
capable of MeriJi,.~g_ at Go.ds lundi: _and !ha~ Pf rferl.ipf),
whkh tb.ey fp.eak fo much of (as 'lS ~.ar {rpm wbat
hath been faid ~ was nothing elk :but a.mere fobi.ima~
tionGf their owo Natur:al Powerund Prindpl'§S, ~,:-
formed by the fhengrh iof their owA Fa.n~i~s. And
.. · .R r 3 t heretore
 f. '.-~.
31-0 The Jiff_eret:ce het'1l1ecn 't1Je Legal
-therefore thefe Contraclors with Heaven were fo plea--·
fed to look upon· Eternal lifo as a fair ~urchafe which
they might make for themfelves at the1~ own charge ;
·as if the fpring and rife of all _were 10 the~felves:
-their eyes were fo muc~ dazl~d w1t~ thofe foo~1fh fires
of Merit and Reward kindled m their own Fancies, that
·they could not fee that light of Divine grace and bou_n-
ty which <hone about them. . . . . able to beget any true Divine life in the Souls of Men.
And this Faflm and fivellmg pnde of theirs ( 1f I
miftake not) is that which S. Pttul principal~y endea-
vours to chaftife in advancing Faith fo much as he doth
~ in oppofition. to the works of the Law. For which pu~-
.
I
! pofe he fpends· the Fir~ and S~ond Chapters of this
Epifi:le to the Romans m drawmg up a charge ?f _fu~h
a nature both againft Gentiles and Jews, but pr~~c1~al-
Jy agaiilft the Jews, who w~re the grand Juft1~1anes,
that might make_ them bethmk themfelves of implo-
ring Mercy, and of faying afide all piea of f:aw and
Juftice; ·and fo chap. 3. 27. he ihuts u_p all with a fe.
vere check to fuch prefumptuqus arr~gance, ?TY ~v n
xa.u_xnou; Where then i5 boafting? This feem~ then ~o
be the main End which S. Paul every where auns at m
oppoftng FAitl, to ~he works of the Law, namely to~-
ftablilh the Foundauon of Rr5hteoufnefs and Happ1-
nefs upon the Free mercy and grace of God: th~ glo-
rifying and magnifying ·of which in the real manifell:a-
tions of it he holds forth upon all occaffons, as the de..
figne & plot of die Gofpel-adminill:ra_tion ; feeing it is
impoffible for men ~y any_Works wh1c~ they ~an per_.
form to fatisfie Gods Ju{hce for thofe S1ns·wh1ch they
have committed againft him, or truly to comply with
his Divine will, without his Divine affill:aqce. So that
the Method of reconciling men to God, and reducing
of £haying Souls back again to him, was to be attri-
~~-
-
,mJ tbc E11a;zgelical r/{fgbtco1,fi1tf. p I
buted wholy to another Origin:il then that ,vhidi the
Jews imagined.- But ,
Secoqdly, That Righteoufnej of F11ith which the 2.
Apoftl~ .fets up again.fr the Law, and compares ~vith it,
is indeed in its own nature a rit,zl and Spirit,eal 11dmini-
jlration,wherein God converfeth with Man;whereas the
Law was merely an External or Dead thing in it felf,not
All that.Let{11l RighteoHfneffwhichthe Jews boafted fo
much of, w'as but from the Ettrth., earthly ; confifting
merely in Extern11t performances,& fo falling ~x.crem_ely
fuort of that Internal -& God-like fr Ame of Spmt which
is nece{fary for a true conjunction and union of the
Souls of Men with God, and making of chem capabl~
of true Bleffednefs~
But that we may the more dill:indly handfe this- Ar.-
gumenc, we ihall endeavour to unfold the true Diffe-
rence between the Law and the Gofjel, as it {eems evi-
dently to be l~id down every where by S. P1ut in his
Epiftles: and the Difference between them 1s cle~rly.
this, 'Viz. That the Law was merely an External thmg,
confifting in fuch Precepts which h1d_ only an 011twar1J:
.ulmiriiflration; but the <Jo/jet is an Internal thing, a
Yital Form and Principle feating it felf in the Minds
and Spirits of Men... And this is. the mofi: proper and
formal D~fferenc.e between the Lam and Goj}ef,. that_ the
gn.e is confidered only as an Exttrnal admm1ftrat1on~.
and. the other as an I.nternal. And ther~fore-t~e Apo . .
file 2. Cor. 3;. 6, 7. calls the Law J' ,ce,,,..9v,c:w ?'&µµ.a.1@,.
and ~vcln,, the miniftratio» of the letter and ofdeAthj
it being in.it fel£ buc a dwl !mer ; as all that w.hich is
without a mans Soul mufr needs be. But on.the other
fi.de.he calls the Go/jel ( becaufe of the Intrinfecal and
Vital adminiftration thereof in living impreffions upo1t.·
th~
312 Tb~ dijferazce betT'veen .
t~e Souls of men) ¼'ifJ'PIM ®6Uf{g,1~; the Miniftr4 :.
tw~ ~f th~ Spiri:, and 2.J.g.'{911lrw 'Ji, ,foc.cuaCmnr, .the
Mrnift_ratton if rzghteortfnef._ By which he c:innot mean
the Hiflory of tl~e Gofpel., or thofe Credemla propoun-
~ed to us to believe ; for this would make the Gofpel
1c felt as much an Extarnal thing as the Law was and
according to the External adminifi:ration as much; kil-
ling or dead Jetter as che Law was: :ind fo wefee that
the pr~aching of chrifl crttcified was to the :Jews a
Stre.mblmg-block, a~d to-the G~eeks Foolifhnef. ~ut in-
d~ed he means a Yttal ejft,,x_ from God upon t_he Souls
ot men, where~y they are made partakers ef Life and
Stre~gth from hun: and therefore (ver. 7.) he thus Ex-
eg~t1c~lly expounds his own meaning of that fl1ort de-
fmpt110n "of t~e Law, n~mely, thaf i~ wa~ ~,,-.9vl«- '18
~Jl~"rfl ~ 'jte_s,.µµ.a,C,v, e1in1u'i'rnl,4Jn Ci! r-..,Jrm • which
I_ thmk, may ~e ~tly thus tranfiated, it 1vaJ a dead ( 0 ;
lw!lef) ttdmmtft.wion ( for fo fometimes by an He-
~ra1_frne the Gentt1ve cafe in regimine is put for the Ad-
Jecbve) or elfe an admin~flration of death exhibited in
letters, ttnd engraven in tablelof Stone : and therefore
J1etells-us (ver. 6.) what the Ejfell of ic was in thofe
1
words, To' 'Y& ~i:.t, im'illeivG1, The letter killeth. as in.;.
_deed a!l E~ce1:nal precepts ,vhich have not a ·pro'per vi-
tal rad1canon m the Souls of men, whereby they are able
to fecure them from the tranfgreffion of them mu.ft
needs doe. No~ co_ this d~~d or k!!ling letter he'Gppo-
fes{ver. 8.) a91t!ckm~g Sptrtt, or the 2j..g.'{9v/a, 78 Pvcfu-
p.g-1_@., the mmiftratton t;/ the spirit, which afterwards
( ~•9 .)l~e expo_unds by ¾,'>(Jvia.._ in> J'1xcu0Cw5n;, the mi-
nijlrat~on ofrzghteonfmf, that 1s, the Evangelical admi-
mflr~tzon. ·So that the Gofjel or Eva11gelicaladmini-
.flrat101t ~uft be_ ~n ltJteriial imprefion, a vivacious and
!:Hergmcal Spmt and Principle of Righteoufuefs in
-t.he
i!Je Old and the J{fw C011mant: 31 3
the Souls of men, whereby they are inwardly ena-
bled to exprefs a real conformity thereto. Upon this
Ground the Apofi:le further purfues the Ejfeas of both
thefe from the 14. ver.fe to the end. .
By· all which the Apoftle means to fet forth to us
How vaft a Difference there is between the External
manifefrations of God in a Law of Commandements,
and thofe Internal appearances of God whereby l1e dif-
covers the mighty power of his Goodnefs to the Souls
of men.
Though the_ Hifiory and outward Communication
of ~he Gofpel to us in fcriptis, is to be always acknow-
-ledged as a fpecial mercy & advantage, and certainly no _
lefs Privilege to Chrifiians then it was to the Jews to be
the Jt- Depofitaries of the Oracles of God : yet it is plain * Rom. 3. 1..
that the Apofrle, where he compares the Law and the
Gofpel, and in other places, doth by the Gofpel mean
fomething which is more then a piece ofBook-learning,
m· an Hifi:orical Narration of the free love of God in
the feveral contrivances of it for the Redemption of
mankind. For if this were all that is meant properly
by the Goj}el, I fee no reafon why it {hould not b~ coun-
ted as weak and impotent a thing, as dead a letter as the
Larv was, (as we intimated before; ) and fo there would
be no fuch vafl: Difference between them as the Apoftle
• afferts there is; the one being properly an External
declaration of Gods will, the ocher an Internal manife•
flation of Divine life upon mens Souls: and therefore
Gal. 3. 2 r.. he fo diftinguiilieth between this double ·
Difpenfation of God, thatthis Evangelical difPenfati-
on is a vital and quickening thing, able to beget a Soul
and. Form of Divine goodne[s upon che Souls of men;
which becaufe the Law could not doe, it was laid afide,
as being infufficienc to reflore man to the favour of I
Ss - God,
.J
 The difference· between·
God, or to make him partaker of his ~ighteoufnefs.
If there had been a Law which could have given life,
QJ/lw; d)' Oil 11Jp.,11 iz; 11 J',x.a.,oC~,,., verily Righteo11fnefs
1
Jbottld have been by the Law 1 where by d'l'Jl«-loCr.wn he
feems to mean the fame thing which he meanr by it
whrn in his Epifile to the Corinthians he calls the Oe-
conomy of the Gofpe) 2j..g.'if.9vl(JJI J',xcx,wCulr11;,-the mini-
ftration of r.ighteoufncfs, or as li':Jl is taken.among the
Jewi{h writers for acceptance with God, and that Inter-
nalform of Righteoulnefs that qualifies the Soul fo1~
Eternal life : and fo he takes it in a far more large and
ample fenfe then that External righceoufnefs of :J,~fli:...
ftcation is : and.indeed it feems to exprefs the :fuft pate
of thofe who are renewed by the Spirit of God, and
made partakers of that Divine life which is emphati-
cally called the Sud r,f God. For this J',x.a,,aCuun Righ-
teorl[nej, which he here fpeaks of, is the proper refuk
of an enlivening and quicktning Law.,whi~h is this New·
Law of the Gofpel in oppofition to that old Law which
was adminifired only in Jcripth: and therefore this
Nerv Law is called in the Epifile to the BebreJVs, chap.
8. 6. &c. Xf~T1<dv 2Js.;J't/W11 the better Covenant, whereas
1
. ~wn> the Lllw of the f}irit of life, which was able to de-
the old WJs fa11lty. In which place this is put down as
the Formal difference between the Legal and Evangeli-
cal adminiil:ration, or the old and New Covenant, That
_the old· Covenant was only externally promulged and
wrapt up as it were i~ Ink and Parchment, or, at-belt,
engraven ,,pon t1.bles of Stone; whereas. this N-ew Co•
rvenant is fet forth in living charaElers imprinted upon
the Yitai powers of mens Souls, as we have ver. 10, 11.
Thu u the Covenant that I.will make, &c. I will pM my
Laws into their Minds, and write them in their Hearts.·
and therefore the old Coven,mt is v. 7. faid nor co•be,
afA.€fA.'7rlo5 an 1mblamable or fault leff thing:, becaufe.-ic was.
1
not.
tl,e Old and ibe-1'(,eu, L"'o11enant~
not able to keep off' trangre(fions, or hinder the violati-
on of it felf, no morethen an Infcriptior upon fome
Pillar -0r Monument is able to infpire; life into thofe
that read it and converfe with it : the old Law or co-
venant bein.g in this refpetl: no other then all other Ci-
vil Conftitutions are, which receive their efficacy mere-
ly from the willing compliance of mens Minds with
them,fo that they muft be enlivened by the Subject that
receivs them, being dead things in themfelves. But the
Evtt11gelic11l or New Law is Cuch a thing as is anEjfl,ex of
life and power from God himfelf the Original thereof,& .
prodrtceth life wherefoever itcomes. And to this double
Di_fpenfation, viz. of Law and Go/}el, doth S.Pa11l clear-
ly refer 2 Cor. 3. 3_. You are the Epi{lle of chri/1, mini-
Jlred by m, written not with ink, but with the Spirito[ the
living God, not in tables of Stone: which laft words are a
plain Glofs upon that mundane kind of adminiftring the
Law in a mere. Extem al way, to which he oppofeth the
Gof}el. And this Argument he-further purfues in the 7
and 8 chapters of the Epiftle to the Rom11,ns, in which
laft chap. V. 2.. he ftiles the GoJPel vop.gv, '11V~l-'Jl-1~ qs
{l:roy the power of Sin, and to introduce fuch a fpiri-
tual and heavenly frame of Soul into men, as whereby
they might be enabled to exprefs a chearfull compliance
with tthe Law of God, and demonftrate a true heaven-
ly converfation and God-like life in this world. .
We read in Jamblichm and others, of the many pre-
paratory Experiments ufed by PythagorM to try his
Scholars whether they ·were fit to receive the more
fualin:ie and facred pieces of his Philofophy; and that
he was wont to communicate chefe only to Souls
in a due degree _purified and prepared for fuch doctrine,
~\ +vx~5 [.,Wn()ls 'B X,(X,~J'f'-S3>' and what did all this
. · Ss 2 figni£e
 . I\
I t
The Difference bet"ft1een
fignifie but only this, that he might by all thefe Me-
thods work :md mold the Minds of his Hearers into
fuch a fit Temp~r, as that he might the better ftamp
the Sd of his more Divine Dochineupon them, and
that his Difcourfes tor.hem ~\ J",x,alc,Jv 'Tii '3 xa.Aoov '3
d'}'(tSwv, of things j11Jl and lovely and good, might be
written~ ovT, cv -4,uxfi truly and really in the Soul, that
I may ufe Plato's words in his Ph£drru, where he com-
mends the Impreffions of Truth which are made upon
mens Soals above all 011twardWriting1,which he there-
fore compares to dead pilltt,res. By this we'fee what the
wifefl: and beft Philofophers thought of this Internal
writ:ng; But it peculiarly belongs to God to write the
Laws of G,,odnefs in the Tables of mens hearts. All
the outward Teachings of men are but dead things in
themfelves. But God's imprinting his Mind and Will
upon mens hearts is properly that which is called tin
'IeMhing of God, and then. they become living Laws
written in the li'Tiling Tables of mens Hearts fitted w
receive and retain Divine impreffions. I fhall only
adde that fpeech of a "' Chymift not impertinent in
this place, Non tam difcendo quam patiemio divina per-
ficitur Mens hum,ina. __
And that we n:iay come a little nearer to thefe words
upon which all this prefent Di[courfe is built, this
feems to be the Scope of his argument in this place,
where this Yop.~ J'nc.a.,oCwins Laiv of righteoufnef may
fairly be parallel'd with that which before he called ,a-
149v ,m,ot1-<9-1@-, the law of the f}irit, and which he there-
fore calls d'l,C.CGtoCw!ilw mmi,s the righteoufne(t. of fttith,
becaufe it is received from God in a way of believ2ng...
For I cannot eafily think that he fuould mean nothing
elfe in this place but merely the Righteoufnefs of
Juftification, as fome would perfwade us, but rather
- that
. ' '
the Old and the 1.'{e~w Co11ena,1t. 317
that his Senfe is mHch more comprehenftve, fo as to
include the ftate of Gofpel-difpenfation, which in-
cludes not only Pardon of fins, but an Inward f}irit of
Love, Porver, and of a found Mind, as he exprdfeth it
2 Tim. r. 7. And this he thus oppofcth to the La,v,
Rom. 1 o. 6, &c. BtJt the Righ~eo11fnef of Faith fpeak-
eth on thu wife; Say not in thy heart, Who fha!l afcend in-
to heaven ? &c. or, Who /hall defcend into the deep l But
what faith it? 'Ihe W"rd u nigh thee, even in thy mouth,
and in thy heart, that u, the word of fiiith, which ive
preac~. In which words Cttn.£m in his De Repub. Hebr._
would have us to underftand fome Cabhala or Tradition
among ft the Jews for this meaning of that place, Deur ..
30. 12. from which thefe words are borrowed, which
as they there ftand , feem not to carry that Evangelical
fenfe which here S. Par,l expounds them into; though
yet C1m4ru hath not given us any reafon for this opi-
nion of his. - But indeed the JewHh writers general-
ly, who were acquainted with the principles of the·
cabhala, commenting upon that place do wholly refer
it to the Times of the Mejiah., making-it parallel with
that place of :Jeremy which defines the New Coven4nt·
to be 11, writing of the Law of God ~n mens he~rts; And
tht.1s that Life and Salvation that rtfults from the:
Righteoufnef of Faith is all, as Faith it felf is, deriving
from God gratuitoufiy difpenfing himfelf to· the Minds
.of men: Whereas if Life could have been by the L,iw,
its Original and Principal mufr have been refolved into-
men themfelves who muft have acted that dead matter·
without them, and have produced t_hat Virtue and En-
ergy in it, by their exerdfing themfelves therein, which
of it felfit had not; as the Obforvance of any Law ena-
bles that Law it felf to difpenfe that Reward which is due·
to. the obfcrvance of it: and therefore the RighteotJJ--
S s 3. neft
 . '.,
I 0
The difference bet'fl1em " tbe Old andthe 1.'{ew [olJenant.' _
nef -of the Law was fo defin' d, that he that ·dirJ-thofo
things jhould Ii-pc in them.And thus the '!'lewTefi:1me!1t
·-every where feems to prefent to us th~s t~ofold D1f-
pen[ation or Oeconomy, the one conGfim_g in an Exte_r-
nal and written law of Precepts, the other m lmvar~ life,,.
and power. Which S. Auft_in hath well pur_fued m h1s
Book de Litera & spiritu, from whom Aqrt-tnlfA ( who
endeavours to tread in his fooc-fieps) feems to have ta-
ken firfl: of all an occafton of moving chat Queftion,
Utrum Lex nova fit lex fcripta, vel lex indita? and
thus refolves it That the New Law or G~fpel 1s not
properly lex [c;ipta, as the old was, but Lex indita:·
and that the old Law is foru fcripta,the other intru Jm-
pta, written in the ta?les of the Heart.
Now from all tl11s we may eafily apprehend how
much the Righte~ufnef of the Gofpel tranfcends that
the Law in that 1t hath mdeed a true command overt e
t Chrifl, the rtghteo11fTJefs whzch i,, ofGod by faith, Where
inward ~an which ic aces and informs; whereas the
Law by all its menaces and p,mifhments could only com-
pell men· to an External obferrvance of it in the outward
man; as the Schoolmen have well obferved, Lex ve-
tm ligat mam1m, Lex nova ligat animum.. . .
And herein S. Pa11l every where magmfies this D1f-
penfation of the free mercy~ grace of ~od,as bei~g the
only foveraign..remedy aga~nfr all the mward rad1cated
maladies of fin and corruption, as that Panacea or Bal-
Jamum vit£ which is the univerfal refiaurative of decay-
ed & impotentNature.So he tells us Rom.6.Sin jballnot
have dominion,becaufe we are not under the law, bM under
grace. And this is that which made him fo much ex-
tol his acquaintance with Chrifi in the Difpenfation
of grace, and to defpife all things as lofs, Philip. 3.
where among his other Jewiili privileges having reck•
oned up his blamelefn~fs in all points touching the
Law,
.
.,,
•
i
Law, he undervalues them all and counts all but lofs
C),./ ~,' \ < , ~ I )
~ 'Tt1 ~i_pex~v 'T 9-41~au~g, for the e.'<ce!lency of the
knorvledg of chrift J~(us. Inwhich place the ApofUe
doth riot r1:1ean to d1[parag~ a real inJVard righteo1!fne_/f
and
•
the
n h obfervance ot the Law ,- but his meanino-
fl:ncl: ='
1s to u1ew ow poor :md worchlefs a thino all outward
obfer11tinces of the Law are in comp:.u-ifog of a true In-
ternal conformity to Chrifi in rhe· renovation of the
~1ind ~Qd Soul according co his Image and likenefs ; as
1s manifefi from v,,.9, ro. &c. in which he thus delivers
his own meani~g of that knowledge of chrijl which he
fo · mu~h e_xtoll d, very emphatically, That I may be
fottnd"trJ htm, not having mine own righteoufnefs which·
t,5 (Jr the L~JV' but that w_hich is through thr: faith of
by the way we may further rake notice what chis J't-
,tct-ioGw5n '7nSfi(IJ) an_d J'1,c.a.10Ciwn ee;, the righteort(neft
of faith and the r1ghteoufnefs of God ( which we have
alre~~y fpoke much of) is according to his own true
meanmg? as he expounds him[elf, viz~ a chrift-like
N~ture m a mans Soul_, or Chrift a_ppearing in the
~mds ef--men by th~ ~mghty power of his Divine Spi-
ne, and thereby derivmg a true participation· of him-
felf to the1:1: fo we _have it v. 10. That I may knorv th,
p~wer of ~u refurrelhon, and the fe!lorvfhip of hi5 f11Jfe--
rtngs, lmng made conformable ttnto hu death. And t'hus
Chrifl and Mofes are oppo[ed, as-Chrift is the Difpen·
fer of Grace .and Truth, of Gods free and gratuitous
bounty,:°f Life and Subft~nce: whereas Mofas •\-Vas but
I ,
the.Mm1ll:er of the Law; of Rites and Shadows~
But_it may perhaps be qucll:ioned whether the
fame Internal- difpenfation of God was not as well
under the La1v, as fince our Saviour's comin2', ancf
fo confequently that the Jews were equ-ally~parta~
kers-~
 /
·y- /
·1
The difference bet~em
1
to
kers·thereof? and f~ it could be .no new _thin~ them.
To all which I might reply, That this Difpenfation
of grace was then a more ivlyftical thing, and not fo
m:rnifefted to the world as it hath been {ince our Sa-
viours coming. Secondly, This difpenfation of Free
grace was not that which properly belonged to the Na-
tion of the Jews, but only a Type and {hadow of it.
For the fuller underfranding of which and all chat
hath been fpoken, we mull: know, That_ before our
Saviour's coming the great Myfreries of Religion be-
ing wrapc up in Hieroglyphicks and Symbolical rite~
( the unfolding of all which was referved for him who
is the great Interpreter of Heaven and Mafter of
Truth ) God was pleafed to draw forth a Scheme or
Copy of all that divine Oeconomy and Method of his
commerce with mankind, and to make a. draught of
the whole artifice t.lm·eof in External ma:tter: and
therefore he fingled QUt a Company and Society of
men of the fame common Extratl:ion, marked out
from all other forts of men by a character of Genea-
logical Sanctity ( for fo· Circttmciflon was) collecl:ed
and united together by a common band of Brother-
hood ; and this he fet up as an Emblem of a di vine and
ho~y_ feed or foci~ty of men which are all by way of
Spmrnal generat10n defcended from himfel£ And
hence it is that the Jews (the whole Jewifh nation uni-
verfally confidered) who were but a. mere Reprefenta-
tive of this Spiritual fraternity & congregation, are cal-
led the Holy feed or the Holy people. Then afterwards a-
mongfi chefe he erects a Government & Politic, & rules
over chem in the way & manner of a Political prince, as
hath been long fince well obferved by !fofephus who
therefore properly calls the Jewi(h governinen~ ~o-
x.e;,.lfav, a Theocracy, or the Go11ernment of God himfelf.
And
t!JeOld t1nd tbe 1:{eu, (wenant. pr
And thus in a Scheme or· Firrure he fhadows forth.
that· Spiritual kingdome and government which he
would efrabliih ~mongft that Divine fociety of men, in
reference to which we have fo much mention made of
the Kingdome of heaven in the Gofpel, whi'ch is not
generally and folely meant of the State of glffry, much
le[s of any outwar~ churc/;-rites, but mainly of tlnc
Ide~ a~d ~xemplar of which the Jewi{h Theocracy was ,
an 1m1ratton. Lafl:ly, as. a Political Prince God draws
forth a Body of laivs as the Political Confiicutions and
Rules of this ?o~etnmenc which he had fet up, chu-
fing Mount Sinai for the Theatre whereon he would
pro~rnlge thofe Laws by which all his Subjeets fhould
he governed. And fo I doubt not but that Preface by
w~ich t,he Law i? u!h~r'd !n, Exod, 20. which fpe.1k·s
.of God s mercy 111 del1venng them ~rom the Egyptian
thraldome, may very well be allegonzed and myftical-
ly expounded. And all this was to fignifie and fee forth
that Law which was to goe forth from mount Sion, the
promulgation whereof was to be in a Vital and Spiri-
tual way among t-~e Subjecrs of this Spirinial Ktng-
d?m, . To_all wh1c!1 "~e may a_,dd thofe Tempor,tl inhe-
ritances which he d1finbuted to the Jewif11 families in
imitatton of that Eternal bleffedne[s an.:i tho[e Im-
mort:d inheritances w~ich he {hares out amongfi his
Spintual Sons and SubJects in Heaven. And this I the
raci1er add, beca~re here the Jews are much perplex' d
3bout untying th~s kn0t, namely, wh1t the Reafon
f110uld he that their Law [peaks fo f}aringly of any Eter~
nal reward, but runs out generally in promifes of Mun-
dane arid Earthly hlefings in the land of Canaan. · But
by this ,ye may fee the true Reafon of that which the
A po file [peaks concernincr them 2 Cor. :, • 14. Until
thl5 day -rr; wJlo )(g,AUf-f'·"' de fame'vail in.the readmg of
Tt the
i
j,
;1
-A
 The Difference hetTPeen
the old Teflament piJJq ,.,;, d1 :1-x.~t..u,;:Up,m;;v rem_Jinetl,
1
,mt,tken away. That Vail wh1ch was on M~(es h!~ fac_e
was an Emblem of all this great My fiery: and this Vazt
was upon the fa(e of the Je1,vs in their reading the Old
Tefiament; they dwelling fo much in~ carnal converfe
with thefe Sacramental Symbols which were offered
to them in the reading of the Law, that they could not
fee through them into the thing fignified thereby, and
fo embraced Shadows in fread of Subftance, and made
account to build up Happ.inefs and Heaven upo11 that
Earthly Law to which properly the Land of Canaan
was annex' d: whereas indeed this La;v {hould have been,
their School-mafter to have led them to Chrift whofe·
Law it prefigured; which that it might doe the more·
effectually, God had annexed to the breach ~f any one
part of it fuch fevere-Curfes, that they might from
thence perceive how much need they !1ad of fome f~r•
ther Difpenfation. And therefore this {bte of theirs.
is fet forth by a State of bondage or ,m,t}C!-{ff J.Hl\.~c:v;. For-
all External precepts carry perpetually au afped: of au-
fteriry and rigour to tho.fe Minds that are n~t i!1f?rmed
by the internal fweetnefs of them. And tlus 1s 1t only·
which makes the Gu!Jel or the New Law to be a Free,
Noblt and· Gemrom _thing, becaufe it is feated in the'
.Souls of men: and therefore Aquin.u out of Artjlin.
hath well obferved another difference between the Lmv·
and Goflicl, Bre'Vi-5 differenti~ inter Legfm & Evangeli-·
1,m efl 'Timor &· Amor. Tlus I the rat11er obferve, be~
caufe the true meaning of that spirit ~f Bondage w~1ich
the A poftie fpeaks of is frequently rnifl:_aken.W_e m1~ht
further (if neea were) for a confirmation of this which
we have fpo ken concerning the Typicalnej of the
-whole Jewi{h Oeconomy appeal to the third and fourth
chapters of the Epiftle" to. the Galatians-, which canno-t.
well
the OU and t!Je 'JX.!w Co1mwzt ..
well be underftood without this Notion, whel'e we
have the Jewi{h Church, as a Type of the true Ev211ge-
lical Church, brought in as a Child in it's Minority in
fervitude under Tutors and Governours, fhnc up un-
der the Law till the time of that Empimical revebci-
on of the great Myfterie of God fi10uld come, tillthe
Day 010uld break, and all the {hadows of the Night
fleeaway. ·
That I may return from this Digreffion to the Ar-
gument we before purfued, this briefl. y may be added,
That under the Old Covenant and in the time of the
Law there were among ft the Jews Jome that were E-
vangeli'{}d, that were re, non nomine chrifti~ni; as
under the Gofpel there are many that do :Juda1ze, are
of as Legal and Servile Spirits as the Jews, children of
the Bond-woman, refting in mere External obfervances
of Reliofon, in an outward feeming Purity, in a Form
of Godlinefs, as did-the Scribes and Pharifees of old.
From what hath hitherto been difcourfed , I hope
the Difference between both Covenants clearly ap-
pears ana that the· Gojpel was not brought in only to
hold 'forth a new Platform and Model of Religion;
it was not brought in only to refine fome Notions of
Truth that might formerly feem difcoloured and dif-
figured by a multitude o~ .~egal rites a_nd ceremonies ;
it was not to cafr our Op1mons concerrnng the Way of
Life and Happinefs only into a New mould and lhap~
in a Pedagogical kind of way : it is not fo much a
syjlem and Body offaving Divinity, but the spirit and
'1,)ital Influx of it fpreading i_t felf over _all the P~w_eri
of mens Souls, and quickening them into a D1vme
life: it is not fo properly a Docl:rine that is w~apt up in
ink and paper, as it is Vitalis Sc_i:ntia, a living 1~npre!fi-
on made upon the Soul and Spmt. We may ma true
T t z fenfe
 - •J
•'·\
\ I ,
(1'
The dijfennce bet'fmn / ':
324
fenfe be as Legttl as ever the Jews were, if we converfe
with the Gof}el as a thing only without m; · and be as far
i110rt of the Righteottfpej of G~d as they were, if we
nuke the Righceoufnefs which is of Chrifi by Faith to
ferve us only as an otttward Covering, and endeavour
not after an Internal transformation of our Minds and
Souls into it. The GoCpel does not fo much con!ift in
Verbts as in rirt11te: Neither doth Evangelical difpen-
fation therefore plea[e God fo n1uch more then the
Legal did , becaufe, as a finer contrivance of his In-
finite underfl:anding, it more clearly difcovers the Way
of S.1lv.1rion to tlie Minds of men; but chiefly be-
caufe it is a more Powerful Efflux of his Divine good-
nefs upon them, as-bei'ng rhe true Seed of a happy Im-
rnornlity continually thriving and gr_owing on to per-
fection. I Dull adde further, The Gof}el dG>es not
therefore hold forth Cuch a tranfcendent priviledge and
advantage above what the Law did, only becaufe it ac-
quaints us that Chrift our true High prieft is afcended
up into the Holy of holies, and there in fl:e1d of the
bloud of Bulls and Gom hath fprinkled the Ark and
Mercy-feat above with hi.s own bloud : but alfo be-
caufe it conveys that b/o,td of fPrinkling into our defiled
Confdences, co purge chem from dead works. Farr
be it from me to difparage in the leaft the Merit of
Chrift's bloud, his becoming obedient unto death ,
whereby we are jufiified. But I qoubt fometimes fome
of our I;)ogmata and Notions about Jufiification may
puff us up in far higher and goodlier conceits of our
felves then God hath of us;and chat we profanely make
the unfpotted righceoufnefs of Chrift co ferveonly as
a covering to wrap up our foul deformities and filthy
vices in ; and when we have done, think our felvs in
ls good credit and repute with God as we are with our
felves,
the Old and the l'{ew Co11enant.
felves, and that we are become Heaven's darlings as
much as we are our own. I doubt not but the Merit
and Obedience of our Saviour gain us favour with
God, and potently move down the benign influences
of Heaven upon us: But yet I th:nk we may fome~
times be too lavi{h ::md wanton in our imaginations, in
fondly conceiting a greater change in the Efteem which
God hath of us then becomes us,& too little reckon up-
on the Re~l and Vital Emanations of !1is favour upon us.
T hereJ:ore for the further clearmg of ·,v}1at hath
been already faid, and laying a ground upon which the
next part of our Difcourfe ( viz. Concerning the_ Con-
:1eiance of thiJ God-like righteo11fnef to us 6y Faith)
1s to proceed, We f11all here fp,eak fomething more
to the bufinefs ofJuftification and Divine Acceptance,
which we f11all difpatch in two Particulars.
CH AP. V.
Two Propofitions for the better underftanding of the
Docfrine of Juftification and Divine Acceptance.
1-.Prop. That the Divine judgment ~nd eftimation of
every thing is according to the truth of the thing;
and Goa's acceptance or difacceptance of things is
fuitable to his judgment. o» what acco11nt s. James
docs attribttte a kind of ;J,tjHfication to Good works.
2. Prop. Gods jufiitying of Sinners in paraoning
their Sins carries in it a neceffary re;ferencc to the
fancl:ifying of their Natures. Thi& ab11,ndantly pro-
ved from the Nat1tre ofthe.thing.
QU R fir~ Propo!ition is this, The Divine j11-dg- 1 ,.
ment and eftimation of every thing is according to
Tt3 the
 ; r\
\I
Of Juftification;
the truth ef the thing;and Gods acceptance or difttcceptanct
of things is fuitable and proportionable to hi,s judgment.
Thus S. Peter plainly tells us Act. Io. God is no reJPecler
of perJons; B11t every one tht.t worketh righteorefnef is ac-
cepted of him. And God himfelf pofed Cain (w~o_had
entertained thofe unworthy and ungrounded fufp1t1ons
of his parcialiry) with that Queftion, If thott, doefl
well, fhalt thou not be accepted? Wherefoever G_od finds
;my ftamps and impreffions of Goodnefs, he hkes and
approves them,knowing th_em well to be what they i~-
deed are, nothing elfe but his own Image anc_ S_upe_rfcn-
ption. Whereever he fees his own Image fhmmg m the,
Souls of men, and a conformity of life to that Eternal
Idea of Goodncfs which -is himfelf, he loves it and
takes a complacency in it, as that which is from him-
felf, and is a true Imitation ofhimfelf. And as his .own
unbounded Being & Goodnefs is the Pri~ary and Ori-
ginal obje& of his Immenfe and Almighty Love:
fo alfo every thing that partakes of him, partakes pro-
portionably of his LovL'; all Imitations of him and
Participations of his Love and Goodnefs are perpetu-
ally adequate and commenfurate the one to the other.
By fo much the more acce/table any one is to God, by
how much the more he comes to refembte God. It was
a common Netion in the old Pythagorean and Platonic!:
Theology, To11 ~:a- /Jl'la.9(,nfJS,lltiJ'SWrx.. ~>@) ~es,,Jrx..~ &c. as
Proc/,u phrafeth it, That the Divinity transformed in-
to Love, and enamour'd with it's own unlimited Per~
fecl:ions and fpqtlefs Beauty, delighted to copy f_orch
and fhadow out it felf as it were in created Bemgs,
which are perpetually embraced in the warm bofome
of the fame Love, which they can never fwerve nor.a-
pofiatize fwm, till they ·alfo prove apoftace to the
efiate of their Creation. And certainly it is true in our
. Chrifiian
If:
l
"' , and Di1Jine .dmptance. 327
Chriftian divinity, that that Divine ligh~ ~nd good ..
nefs which flows forth from God, the Ongmal of all,
upon the Souls of men, never goes fol~tary a~d ~efti-
tute of Love, Complacency and Acceptation, which 1s al-
waies lodg'd together with it in the Divine Eifence.
And as the Divine Comp_lacency thus dearly and tender-
ly entertains all thofe which beare a fimilitude of true·
Goodnefs upon them; fo it alwaies abandons tr~m it~
embraces all Evil, which never doth nor can mix it felt
with it: The Holy Spirit can_ nev~r fuffer a~y ~nhal-
lowed or defiled thing to enter mto 1t or to umte 1t felf
with it. Therefore in a fober fenfe I hope I may_tr~ly
fay There is no perfecl: or through-reconc1hat1on
wro~crht between God and tbe. Souls of men, while
any d:filed and impure th_ing dwells within tl~e Soul,.
which cannot truly clo[~ with God, nor God with th_at.
The Divine Love accordmg to t~ofe degrees ~y which•
it works upon the Souls of men 1_n transformmg them
into its owa likeneCs,by the Came 1t renders them more-
acceptable to it felf, mingleth it felf \.\:ith an~ unit~th it.
felf to them: as the spirit,,of ~my thmg m1xeth 1t ~elf
more or Iefs with any Matter it acl:s upon, accordmg.
as it works it felf into it, and fo makes a way and paf-
fage open for it felf. . _
Upon this ~ccount Uupeof: lt may be that ,s. 1an:i~e.,.
attribut1:s a kmd of :J11flificat1on to Good works~ whu.:h.
unqaeftionably are things that God approves and ~c:..
cepts, and all thofe ~n who!n he finds them, as f~em~ .
there a true conformity t0 hts own Ga.odnef and Holme/a.
Whereas on the other fide he difparagech chat karren,.
_flitggifo_and drowfte ]!elief, that: a lazy Leth~rgy 1~ Re-- .
Ii er ion began in his umes co hugg fo dear! y, m- reference ·
t; acceptation with Go_d.. I fuppofe I 1?ay ~air.ly thus,
ofofs at his whole D1fcourfe upon tlus Argument::
b ~&
 (Jf JnfliftcAtiOII,
God rafp·c\,;'1:s not a bold, confident and ttttdacious Faitl,,
that is big with nothing but its own Prefrtmptions. It
is not becaufe our Brains fwim with a ftr0ng Conceit of
God,s Eternal love to us, or becaufe we· grow big and
fwell into a mighty bulk with airy fancies and pre[um-
¥tions of our acceptance with God, that makes us ere .
the more acceptable to him: Jt i~ not all our .flrong
Dreams of be;tig in favour with Heaven chat fills our
hungry fouls ere the more wi ch it: Ic is i1ot a pertina-
cioHs Imagination of our Names being enrolled in the
Book of life, or of the Debt-books of Heaven being
croifed, or of Chrifr being ours~ while we find him not
living within us,or of the WJ{h:ng away of our fins in his
bloud, while the foul and filthy !bins thereof are deep-
ly funk in our own Souls; it is not, I fay, a pertinaciotes
Imagination of ~my of there chat can make us er·e the
better: And a mere Conceit or opinion as_it makes us
never the better in reality within our felves; fo it cannot
render us ere the more acceptable to G9d who jr1dges of
all things dJ they are. No, it muil: be a trru Compliance
with the Divine will, which mull: render us fuch as the
Divinity may take pleafure in. In chrifl :J,eflu neither
1 Cor.7.19. Circttmcifirm nor Uncircremcifion availeth atty thing (nor
any Fancy built upon any other Extern:il pfwilege') hr,t ·
the keeping of the Commandments of God, No, but If
any m,tn does the will of Cod, him will both the Fttther
)ohr. 1-1-.
and the Son love; they will come in to him and make their
,tbode with him. This is the Scope and Mark which a
true Heaven~born Faith aims at; an:l lvhen it h.1th at-
tain, d this End, then is it indeed per feet and compleat
in irs fall: accompli{hment, And by how much the more
ardency and intention F dith levels atd1is mark of in-
ward goodnefs and divine 1tl:ivicy, by Co much the more
perfeel: and Gncere it is. This is that w~1ich GoJ j11fli-
fies,
' and Dil•i11e Accehta~1ce. 329
fies, it being jufr and correfpondent to his own o-ood
pleafure: and in whomfoever he finds this both ;f and·
they ~re accepted of him. And fo I comet~ the fecond
Particular.
(!od's j1e.ftifying of Sinners in pardoning and remitting 2
th:tr fins car~ies_ in it a neceffary reference to the fantl-i- •
fytng of thezr Nature~; without which :J1eftiftc11tion
would rather be a glort~us name then a real privilege ro
the Souls pf men. While men continue in their wick-
ednefs, they do but vainly dream of a device to tie the
hands of an Almighty Vengeance from feizino- on
them: No, their own Sins, like fo many armel'Gy-
-~~ts,. would fir.fr or fafr fee upon them, and rend them
w~th mwar~ torment. The,re needs no angry Cherub
w1t!1 a ffammg Sword dra~n out every way· to keep
the~r unhallowe~ ~ands off from the Tree of life: No,
the~r own prod1gt0us Lufis; like fo mapy arrows in
their !ides , would chafe them , their own Helli(h na-
tures w~uld fink them low enou$h into eternal death,
and cham chem up fafr enough m fetters of darknefs
a11:1ong the filthy fiends of Hell. Sin will alwaies be
miferable; and the Sinner at lafr, when the empty blad-
ders of all t~ofe hopes a~d expectations of an aiery mun-
dane Happme(s, that _d1~ here bear him up in this life,
~all be cu~, will find 1t like a Talent of Lead weighing
lum down into the bottomlefs gulf of Mifery. If all
were clear towards Heaven, we fhould find Sin raifinO'
·up ftorms in our own Souls. · We cannot carry Fire i~
our· own bofoms, and yet not b~ bur~t. Though we
could fuppofe the greatefr Serenity without us, if we
could fuppofe our felves nere fo much to be at truce
with Heaven, an1 all 9ivine difpleafure laid afleep_; yet
would our own Sms, 1f they continue unmorrified fir fl:
or la.ft make an cv.E,tna or· Ve[wl(ius within us. Nay ~hofe
. Vv Sun-
 Of Jiiflification,
Sun-bea~s of Eternal Truth, that by us are detained in
unrighceoufnefs, would at laft in thofe helli{h vaults
of vice and darknefs that are within us kindle into an
unquenchable fire. It would be of fmall benefit to us,
That Chrift hath triumph'd over the principalities and
powers of darknefs without ,u, while Hell and Death,
ftrongly immur'd in a Fort of our own Sins.and Cor-
ruptions, fhould tyrannize within its: That his Blood
fhould fpeak peace in heaven, if in the mean while our
own Lufts were perpetually warring and fighting in
and againft our own Souls: T .hat he hath taken off our
gnilt and cancell' d chat hand-writing that was againft
us, which bound us over to Eternal cond~mm.tion; if
for all this we continue faft fealed up in the Hellifh dun-
geon of our owa filthy Lufl:s. Indeed we could not ex-
p{et any relief frnm Heaven out of that mifery under
which we lie, were not Gods difpleafure againft us firft
pacified and our Sins remitted: But fhould the Divine
, Clemency fioop no lower to us then to a mere pardon
of our fins and an abftract Juftificacion, we ihould ne-
ver rife out of that Mifery under which we lie. This is
the Signal and Tr:mfcendent benefit of our free Jufiifi-
cation through the Blond of Chrifl:, that God's offence
juftly conceived againft us for our fins ( which would
have been an eternal bar and reftraint to the Efflux of
his Grace upon us) being taken off, the Divine grace
and bounty may freely flow forth upon us. The Foun-
tain of the Divine grace and love is now unlock'd and
opened, which our Sins had !hut up ; and now the
Streams ofholinefs and true goodnefs from thence free-
ly flow forth into all gafping Souls that thirft after
them. The warm Sun of the Divine love, whenever it
breaks through and fcatters the thick Cload of our ini-
quities tihat had formerly feparaced between God & us,
it
•
and Di'lJ1ne .Jccepta~ce.
ic immediately breaks forth uponus with hettling in its
wings; it exercifeth the mighty force of its own light
and heat upon our dark and benummed Souls, be-
getting in them· a lively fenfe of God, and kindling
into fparks of Divine goodnefs within us. T11is Love,
. when once it hath c~afed away the thick Mill: of our
Sins, it will be as flrong tU Death ttpon us, tU potent a,s
the Grave: mttny J,Vaters will not q11ench it, nor the Floods
drown it. If we £hut not the windows of our Souls
againfr ir, it will at laft enlighten all tho[e Regions of
darknefs that are within us, and lead our Souls to the
Light of Life, Bleffedn~fs and Immortality. God par-
dons mens Sins out of an Eternal defigne of defl:roy-
ino- them; and whenever the fentence of death is ta-
k:n off from a Sinner, it is at the fame time denoun-
ced againft his Sins.· God does riot bid us be warm' d
al}d be fill' d, and deny us thofe neceffaries which our
fiarving and hungry Souls call for. Ch rift having made
peace through the blond of his crofs, the Heavens fhall
be no more as Iron above us: but we fhall rec~ive freely
the vital dew of them, the.former and the-later Rain in
their feafon, thofe Influences from above, which Souls
truly fenfible of their own Mifery and Imperfeetion
unce!fandy gafpe after·, that Righteoufr1e[s of God
which drops from above, from the unfealed Spring of
Free goodnefs which makes glad the city of God.
This is that Free Love and Grace which the Souls of
Good men fo much triumph in; This is that Juftifi-
'Cation which begets in t_hem lively Hopes of an happy
Immortality in the prefent Anticipations thereof which
fpriog forth from it in this life. And all this is that
which we have called fometimes the Righteottfnef of
chrift, fometimes the Righteo,,fnef of God; and here,
the Rightetmfnej which iJ r'Jf Faith. In Heaven it is a
· V v z. not-,
 / .u
How the mu Evangelical (J{jglJteoufmj
not-imputincr of fin ; in the Souls of men it is a rn-
conciliation ~f rebellious Natures to Truth and Good-
nefs. In Heaven it is the lifting up tqe light of God's
countenance upon us, which begets a gladfome en_ter-
tainment in the Souls of men, holy and dear reflecbons
and reciprocations of Love: Divine Love to us, as it
were by a natural cm3n~tion! begett~~g a Refl~x l~ve
in us towards God which, hke that Epw5 and A0e_pw;
fpoken of by the Ancient~, live and thrive together.
CH AP. VI.
How the Gofpel-righteoufnefs is conveighed to u~ by
Faith made to appear from thefe two Confiderattons~
1. The Gofpel l~ys a {l:rong foundation ®f a chear-
ful dep€ndance upon the Grace and Love of God, &
affiance in it. This con_firmed by feveral GoJPel-expref-
fions containing plainly in them t~e "!'oft ftrong Mo-
tives and Encortragements to all zngenuotu addrefles
to God, to all chearfult dependance on him.,. and confi-
dent expccfation of all aj!ijlance from hzm_. 2~ A
true Evam!elical faith is no lazy or langmd thing,
but an ard~nt breathing ~nd thirfiiag after• Di vine
grace and righteoufne[s: it looks beyon~ amere par_-
don of fin, and mainly p,,rf,m after an _inward partt-
cipation of the Divine nature .. The mighty power f
1t living Faith in the Love and Goodnef of God, df-
courfed of throughout the whole chapter~
;-\ TE come now to the lafi pa~t of ~ur Dif~ourfe, .
V V viz. 'J'o fbew the Way by whzch'th# God-ltk: and .
GofPel--r.ighteo11fnej is corweighed to ,u; and that 1s. by.
Faitha..
con11eighed UJ u.s hy Faith~ .33-3
Faith. This is that powerful Attractive which by a
.fl:rong aQ.d divine Sympathy draws down the virtue of
Hea_ven int-0--1:he -Souls of men, which firongly and
forcibly moves the Souls of good rnen into a con-
junction with that Divine g~odnefs by which it lives,
and grows: This is that Divine Imprers that invincibly
draws and_fucks them in by degrees into the Divinity,
and fo unites them more and more to the Centre of
Life and Love: It is fomething in the hearts of men
which, feeling by an Occult a!ld inward fenfation the
mighty infinuations of the Divine goodnefs, immedi-
ately complies with it, and with the greatefi: ardency
that may be is perpetually riling up into conjunch-
0n with it; and being firfr begott.en and enlivened by
the ~arm Beams of that Goodnefs, it alwaies breaths
and gafps after it for its confiant growth and nourifh-
ment. It is then fulleft of life and vivacity, when it
partakes moft freely of it; and perpetually bnguifheth
when it is in any meafure deprived of that fweet and
pure nourifhment it derives from it. ·
But that we may the more clearly unfold this bufi-
nefs, Roiv Gofpel-righte~ufne.f corms to he comm,micated
thro11gh Faith, we fhall lay it forth in 2 Particulars.
Firft, The GofPel lays a flrong fo1mdatio1J. of a chear- 1 •
ft,ll dependance 11pon the Grttce and Love of God, and af-
fiance in it. We hav~ the greatefr fecurity and afiu-
rance that may be given us of God's.readinefs to relieve
fuch forlorn and defolate Creatures aswe are: That
the.re are no fuch dreadful Fates in Heaven as.are conti-
nually thirfiing after the bloud of finners, infatiably
greedy after their prey, never fatisf.ied till they have
devo~red the Souls of men. Left we fhould by fuch-
. dread(ul apprehenfions be driven from God, we are·
told of the Blo11d of fPrinkJing that fPeaks better things-
Vv3 fot
334 Hon, the true Evangelic;il <Rjgl.,teoufnefi
for us; of a mighty F ,wo11rite folliciting our Caufe with
p€rpetual intercefions in the Court of heaven; ot a
new and living way to the Throne of grace and to the
Holy of holies which our S3.viour hath confecrated
through his fl.efh: We are told of a great and mighty
Saviour able to [ave to the 11t1noft all that come to God
by him: We hcare of the moft compaffionace and ten-
der Promifes that may be from the Truth it felf, that
whofoever comes to him he will in no wfe caft out; that
7'hey that believe 0.11 him, out ofthem jhould fl.ow flreams
of living water: ·we hear· of the moft graciores invi-
tations that Heaven can make to all w~'l1-ry and heavy-
laden fiuners to come to" Chrift,that they may find re{b
The great Secrets of Heaven and the Arcana of Divine ·
Counfells are revealed,whereby we are acquainted that
Glory to God in the highefl, Pe Me on earth, Good ivi/l to-
wards men, are fweetly joined together in Heavens
harmony, and happily combin' d together in the com-
pofure of it's Ditties: That the Glory ef the Deity and
Salvation ofmen are notallaiedby their union one with
another, but both exalted together in the moft tran·
fcendent way , that Divine love and bounty are the
fupreme rulers in Heaven and Earth, '9 <pn%v@-. I~
t9XTcq ,.;J xdp~ , There is no fuch thing as farvre De-
fp,ight and Envy lodged in the bofome of that ever-
bleffed Being above, whofe name is LOVE, and all
whofe Difp€nfations to the Sons of men are but the
difpreadings and diftended radiations of his Love, as
freely flowing forth from it through the whole orbe
and fphear of its creation as the bright light from the
Sun in the firmament, of whofe benign influences we
are then only deprived when we hide and ·withdraw:
our felves from them. We are taught that the mild
and gentle breathings of the Divine Spirit are moving
up
is co1,1Jeigl.·ed to tu hy Faith ..·
335
up and dO\-:n in the World to produce life, and co re-
vive and guicken the Souls of men into a feelino feafe
of a b!eil~d Immortality •. T~is is that mightlSpirit
that will, :1f we c~mply w1ch u, teach tu all things, e-
ven the ~1dden thmgs of God; rnortifie all the lufts
of rebellious Fle{h, and feat m ttp to the day of redem-
ption._ We are ta~ght that with all holy boldnefs we
may tn ~ll plac~s lift up holy hands to God, without wrath
or dottbt~ng, w1thoac any iowre thoughts of God,- or
f~etfull Jealouftes, or hadh furmifes. We can ne,rer
~1ftruft enough in our felves, nor ever trufi: too much
m God. This is the great Plerophory and chat full
Confidence which the Gofpel every where feems' co
promot~: a~d {hould I run throu~h all the Argumeacs
and Solto.tat10n~ that are there laid down, to provoke
us to an _encerrammt;nt hereof, I fhould then run quite
through It from one end to another: it conta'inino- almoft
nothing elfe in the whole Complex and Body gf it but
. J!rong and forcible Motives to all IngenuoNs addreffes to
God, and the moft e:ffecrual .Encouragement that' may
be to ~ll che arfull dependance on him, and confident ex-
petfatzon of alt afiflance from him to carry on our poor
~ndeavours to the atchievment of Bleffednefs, and that
m the moft plain_ and fimple way thit may be, fine
frtmde_ & fttco, without any double mind or mental re-
fervat1_on; Heaven is not_ acquainted fo feelingly with
our wicked arts an~ dev1~es. B~t it !s ve~y ftrange
that where God wnres Life fo plamly m fair Capital
letters, w~ are fo often apt to read Death; that when
he tells us over ~nd over, that Hell & deftruction ari[e
from Qur felves, tl:at they are the workmanfuip of our
own hands, we will needs under ftand their Pedearee
to be from Heaven, anq -that they were conceived in,
the Womb of Life and Bleffednefs, No, but the Go-
. fpel
 . -~.
~Jl
Bow tfie true B-vangelical (J{!glJteoufi1ef
fpel t.ells us we are not come to Mounts of br1rning, nor
unto blacknej·and darknej ar:~ tem_peff, &c. I;_eb~. 12.
v. 18. Certainly a lively Faith m this Love of ~oa, and t
a fober converfe with his Goodnef by a cord1at.enter-
taimnent and through p~rfivafion ofit, would warm and
chafe our benummed Mmds,and thaw our Hearts frozen
with self-love; it would make us melt and di{folve out
of all self-confiffencie, and by afree and noble Symp~~
thie with the Divine love to yield up our -_fel_ves to 1~,
and dilate and fpread our [elves mor_e fully m ~t. Th1s
would bani(h away all Atheifme and 1r~ful flavdh Stt,per--
flition ; it would caft down every 1 ~·ngh thought an~
proud imagination that (wells ~v1ti1m_ us and exalts !~
felf aoainft this foveraio-n De1ty; 1t would free us
from Oall thofe poor, fo~ry , pinching and particu~c.r
Loves that here inthrall the Souls of men to V amty
and Bafenefs. it would lead us into the true liberty or
the fons of God, filling our Hearts once e~larged with
thefen[e of it with a more generotu and ,mwer[al lev_e,
as unlimited and unbounded as true GooL~nefs 1t [elf 1s.
Thus..Mofes-like conv_eding wi~h. God.in the Mount,
and there beholding his glory fimung t?~s out upon us
in the face of Chrift, we (hould be deriving a Copy of
that Eternal beauty upon our own Souls, and our
thirftie and hungry fpirits wo~ld be perp_etually fuck-
ing in a true participation a_nd image of his glory. A
true divine Love WO\!ld wing our Souls, and make
them cake their flight [wifely towards Heaven and lm-
mortJlity. Could we once be throughly poffds'd and
maftered with a full confidence of the Dtvme love, and
God's readine[s to affift Cuch feeble, langui{hing crea-
tures as \Ve are, in our aifays after Heaven and Bleffed-
nefs, we {hould then, finding our felves borne up by
an Eternal and Almighty il:rength , dare to adven-
ture
;.
is con'lJeigl,ed to m by F.tit!J. 337
turecourageou~y and confi~ently upon the higheft de- .
fi 9nes of Happmefs, to affa1l the'kingdome of heaven ·
wuh l holr gall':11try and vi~lence, to purfue l courfe
of well•qomg w1t~out _.w~armefs ; knowing that our
fabo_ur fuall not be m y~Jn m ~he Lord, an1 that we flull
receive our Rew:ird, if we fame not: We fuould work
out our fal vation in the mo fr indufl:rious manner trufl:- ,
ing in GJd as one ready to infiill ftren°th and po~er in-
0
to all the vital faculties of ou~ Souls : We iliouldprp'
towards the mark, jor the prt'{! (}f the high calling of
Go1 in chrij} 1epu, that ive may apprehend that for
whtch aljo we 11,re apprehended ~f chr~fl 1eftu. If we iuf-,
fer not ?ur felves to be robb d of this C.onfidence and
Hope m God as rea~y to accomplifu the defires of
thofe that [eek after him, we may then walk on fl:rono--
ly in the way ~o Heaven and not be weary.; we m~y
run and not fame. And the more the Souls of men
grow in thi~ blifsfull p~rfwafion, the more they fl.ull
mount up like Eagles mto a clear Heiven findino-
themf~lvs riling higher and higher above all ,thofe fil~
thy m~fts, thofe clouds a~d tempefts of a flavii11 Fear,
Defp:i~r, Frerfulne_fs agamft God, pale Jealoulies,
wrath_full and embittered Thoughts of him, Gr any
ft_ruglmgs or concefts to get from within the vero-e of
lus _Power ~nd OmnJciency, which would mantl~ up.
their Souls In black and horrid Ni b0 hr •
I me~m not all this while by this holy Boldnef and
Confide1:ce and P~e[ence of Mind in a Believer's con-
verfe with the Deme, that high pitch of Affurance that
wafts the Souls of gl1od men over the Styoian lake of
Death~ and bri~gs chem to the borders of life; thac
here puts them into an acl:ual poffeffion of Blifs and
reefl:ates and ree!bbli{he~ chem in Paradife: 'No,
That more general acquaintance which we may have
Xx with
 . .,.
38 Ho'l'IJ the true Evangelical fl\ig1Jteo14.fnef5
3
w~th God's Philanthropy and Bounty, ·ready retieve to
with _the bowells of liis tender compaffions all thofe
ftarvmg Souls that call upon him, ( for fu~·ely he will
never doe lefs for fainting and drooping Souls then he
doth for the young Ravens that cry unto him . ) that
c_o~ver~e ,~hich w~ are provoked by the Gdfpel to
mamtam with God s unconfined love if we underftand
it aright, will awaken us out of our drowfie Lethargy,
an~ make us a1ke of hi!" the n:ay !o Sion with 01tr faces
~hztherwa~d: This will be d1ggmg up fre{h fountains
for us while we goe through the valley of Baca, where-
by refrel11ing our weary Souls we fhall goe on from
ftrength to Jlrength 11nttl we Jee the face of our loving,
and ever-~o-be-loved, God in Sion.And fo I come to the
ne~t Particular wherein we {hall further unfold how
th~s God.like righteonfne.f, we have fpoken of, is co11-
ve1ghed to us by Faith: and that is this
2. A true GofPel-fait~ i5 no laZJe or languid thing, !Jttt a
Jlrong ardent breathing for and thirfting after divine
Grae~ _and Rig_hteoufnef: it doth not only purfue an
amb1~1?us proJect ~f ratfing the Soul immattmly co the
~ond1~1on of _a darlmg Fa_vourite with Heaven, while it
!s unnpe for 1t,by procuring a mere empty Pardon offin;
1t de.Gres not only to ftand upon clear terms with Hea-
ven by procuring th~ crofting of all the Debt· books of
our ~~s t~ere; but 1t rather purfues after an Internal
partmpatron of the Divine nat,m. We often hear of
11. S~ving Faith_; an~ that, where it is, is not content to
~a1t for Sa~vat1on ull the world to come; it is not pa-
t1e~t of ~emg ~n Expectant in a Probatloneriliip for it
~~ull this Earthly body refisnes up all ic>s worldly
m.erefi, that fo the Soul might then come into its
~·oom: No, _but it_ is_ here perpetually gafping after
it, and dfethng of 1t ma way of ferious Mortification
•1md
;,i
u corMig1Jed to us by Faith. . 33 9
ands elf denial :" it enlarges and ~ilates it felf as muc~
as may be according to the vaft d1menfio~s of the Di-
vine love, that it may comprehend the height and depth,
the length and breadth thereof, and fill the ~oul, wbere
it is feared with all the fiellnej of God: it ~reeds a
{l:rong and ~nfatiable appetite where it comes after true
Goodnefs. W el'e I to de[cribe it., I il1ould do~ it no
otherwife then in the language of the Apoftle; It 1s that
whereby we live in chrift, a~d w~e~eby he livesi!' us;
or in the dialec1: of our Saviour htmfelf, Somethmg fo
pdwerfully fucking in the ,precious_ i~A~ences _of the
Divine Spirit that the Soul where 1t 1s, ts continually
· · h '1· · ' ·rr. · f 1't r.elf. A John 1• 38·
fl owmo wit 1vmg waters 1umng out o 1• • .
truely~believing Soul by"an ~ngenU?US affi~nce in. God .
and an eager thirft after him 1s alwa1ei f~ck1~g- from the
full breafts of the Divine love; thence 1t will not part,
for there and there only, is its life and nouriiliment ;
it ftarves ~nd faints away with grief and. h?nger, when~
foever it is pull'd away from thence; 1t 1s perpetually
hanging upon the arms of Im~ortal Goodnefs, for
there it finds its great fhengch lte·s; and as much as may
be armes it felf with the mighty Power of God, by
which it o-oes forth like a Gyant refrell1ed with wine to
run that ~ace of Grace & Holinefs that leads co the true
· Elyftrem of Glory, and tha~ heave~ly Canaan,which _is
above And whenfoever it finds 1t felf enfeebled· 111
its difficult Confli6t with thofe fierce and furious Cor..
rnptions, thofe ta)l fens of Anak, which arifing fro~•
our. terrene and fenfual affecl:ions . doe here encounter 1t
in the Wildernefs of this world ; then turning it felf
to God , and putting i~ felf un~er the conduet of· the
Angel of his prefence, 1t finds 1t felf prefently out o~
weaknefs· to· become ftrong, enabled from above to put
to flight thofe mighty armies of the aliens. Tr~e
Xx 2. Paith
340 How the true E-vangelical (f{jghteoufnefl
F 1t-ith, ( if you wo?l~ know its ~ife and pedegree) it is
begotten of the D1vme bouncy and fuln~fs manifofiincr
it felf to the Spirits of men, and it is cbnceived and
brought forth by a deep and humble fenfe of Self-indi-
g~ncy an~ _Poverty. .f:ait~ arifes_ou~ of Self-examina-
tum, feating and placing 1t felf m view of che Divine
plenitude and Allfufficiency; and thus (that I may bor-
row t~ofe words of S. Pa11l) we received the fentence of
deat~ m_ ottr felves, that rve.Jl10ttld not trufl in our [elves
lmt m hrm_. T~e more this Senfu~l, Bruri(h and self-
·central life thrives and profpers , the more divine.
Faith la~gui{heth; and the mote chat decays, and all
Selffeel1~g, Self-~ove, and Self-fttfpciency pine away,
the d Far th fed and nounfhed , ic o rows mor·e
. more 1s true
0 mud1 prefer Faith above Works. We 11:uft not ch1_nk m
:vigorous: an as_ Carnal life wafts and con fumes, fo the
more does Faith fuck in a true divine and fpiritual life
from the true ~u'1ti~w~ who hath life in himfelf~ and
freely befl:ow~s _it_ to all. tho~e tha~ heJ1~tily feek for it.
·When the D1v1mty umted 1t felf-toHumane nature in
the perfon of our Saviour, he then gave mankind a
pledge and earneft of what he would further doe there-
in, in affuring of it into as near a.~onjunction as micrht
be with Himfelf, and in difpenftng and communicatino-
himfelf to )\1an in a way as far correfpondent and a~
greeable as might ~e to that firft Copy. And there-
fore we are told of Ch>:ijl being formed in us and the
Spirit of chriff dwelling in ies ; of ottr being ;ad-econ-
formable t~ him_, of having f~!l~wfhip with him, of b,ing
~:.r he WtU tn _thtJ world,_ of l1v1~g in him and hu living
in_ rts? of dymg, and rifln~'s -agam, 11nd afcending with
hrm znto Heaven, and the like: becaufe indetd the fame
Sririt that dwelt in him, derives it felf in its mighty
Vmue and Energy through all believing Souls f11apino
tkem more and more into a juft refemblance 'and con:
formicie
uconwiglnd to iM hy·Faith. 341
formitie to him as the fir ft Copy & Pattern : Whence
it is that we have fo many waies of unfolding t~e Union
between Chrifi: and all Believers fee fqrth in the Go-
fpeL And all this is done for us by degrees through
the efficacy of the Eternal fpirit, when by a true Faith
we deny our folves and our own Wills, fubmit our
feves in a deep frnfe of our own folly and_ wea~nefs to
his Wifdome and Power, comply wtth his Will,- and
by a holy affiance in him fubor_dinate our felves to
his pleafore: for thefe are the Vital acl:s of a Gofpel-
Faith ..
And according co chis which hath been faid I fuppofe
we may fairly glofs upon S. Paul's Difcourfes whjch ~o
a Gyant-like pride co fcale the walls of Heaven by our
own Works, and by force thereof to take the {hong
Fort of Bleffednefs, and wrefi the Crown of Glory
out of God's hands whether he. will or no. We muft
not think. to commence a fuit in Heaven for Happinefs
upon fuch a poor :md weak plea as out own Ex! ernal
compliance with the old Law is. We mull: not thm~ to
deal with God in the Method of Commtttative :Juflrce,
and to challenge Eternal life as the juft Reward of our
great .Merits, and the hire due to us for our labour and
toil we have took in God's Vineyard. No, God re-
fi.fls the proud, but gives grace to the htemble: it _m_uft
he an humble and Self-denying addrefs ofa Soul d1~·ol-
ved into a deep and piercing fen[e of its own Nothing•
nefs and u°'profitablenefs, that can be capable of the
Divine bouncy: he fills the hungry with goud things,
but tbe rich he fends empty away. They are the _h~m-
, gry- and th_irfiy ~ou!s, alwaies gafping after the llVl~g
fprino-s or Divme grace, as the parched ground m
the d~fert doth for the dew of Heaven, 1·eady to drink
Xx3 ~hem
 ;i "
341 Hc,v tf;etnieEvangelict1l~l teoufiuf, &c.
1 How t1,e Undertaking of Cbrift, &c.
them i~ ~y a conil:ant dependance upon God;Souls that
by a ltvrng , wa_tchfull and ~i1igent Faith fpreading
forth themfelves m all obfeqmous reverence aad love
of _him, wait upon hiin as the Eyes of an handmaid
wait o~ the hand ?f he1: Mifi:refs: Thefe are they that
he delights to fatiate with his goodnefs. Thofe that
being ~1aft_er' d_by a fl:rong fen[e of their own indigen- '·,
cy, t~e1r pmchmg and preffing povertie, and his All--
fuffic1ent fulnefs, truft in him as an Almi 0 hcy Saviour
and in the moll: ardent manner purfue after that Per~
fecl:ion which his grace is leadin° them to • thofe that
cannot fatisfie themfelves in f bare performance of
fome External acts of righceoufnefs, or an External
obfervance of a Law without them , but with the moft
greedy and fervent ambition pnrfue after foch an ac-
quainta_nce with his Divine Spirit as may breath an in-
ward life through all the powers of their Souls, and
beget in chem a vital form and foul of Divine oood-
nefs ; Thefe are the fjiritual feed of faithful Abr~ham
thefons of the Free-woman and heirs of the promifes:
to whom all are ~ade Tea an_d 4men in chrift_ :fefw;
Thefe are they which £hall abide m the houfe for ever
when the tons of the Bond-woman , thofe that ar:
only Arabian profelytes, {hall be caft out.
3-4-3
CH AP. VII.
An Appendix to the foregoing Difcourfe; How the
whole bufinefs and Undertaking of Chrift is emi-
nently available both to give full relief and eafe to
our Minds and Hearts, and al[o to encourage us to
Godlinefs or a God-like righteoufnefs , briefly re-
prefented in fimdry !articulars. . · .
OR the further illufl:ration of fome thi1ngs efpeci-
F ally in the latter rare of this _Difc~urfe, it may not
be amifs in fome Particulars (which might eafily be en 4
larged ) to iliew How the Undertttking of Chri.ft ( that
Great Objec1: of Faith) u greatly advantageous and
available to the giving f11/l relief and eafe to our Minds
and Hearts, and alfo to ~he encorm1,ging ~ to Godtine.f,
or a true God-like righteoufnef.
In the General therefore we may confider, That full
and evident affurance is given hereby to the world,
That God doth indeed feek the faving of that which u
!off ; and men ire no longer to J?ake_ any doubt ?r
fcruple of ir.- Now what can we 1magme more ava1l-
abletocarry ona Defigne of Godlinefs? a~d to rou~e
dul and languid Souls to an effe~u:al mmdmg of_ the_u.·
own Salvation, then to have thls News founding m
their Ears by men that (at the firft promulgation there-
of) durfi: tell chem roundly in the Name of God, th~t
God-required them every where to repent, for that his
Kin{Tdome of grace was now apparent; and that he was
not ~nly willing, but it was his g:acious de_figne to fave
& recover loft Sinners who had torfaken his Goodnefs~
- Particularly,
j

344 How t1,e Undert.1king ,J{ Orift
Particularly, That the whole buGnefs of Chrifr is
very advantageous for this purpofe, and highly ac-
commodate thereto, may appear thus : . Thus may the Hearts of all Penitents, troubled at firft
I. We are fully a«ured that God hath this forementi-
oned defigne upon loft men, becaufe here is one ( vit
Chrift) that partakes every way of Humane Nattere
whom the Divinity magnifies it felf in, and carrie;
through this world in Humane infirmities and Suffe-
rings to Eternal glory : a clear manifelbtion to the
World that God l11d not call: off Humane Natu-rc, but
had a real mind to exalt and dignifie it again.
2 • • The_way_into the Holy of holies or to_ Eternal hap-
pmefs 1s tud.as open as may be by Chnft, '.-in !his Do-
arine,._ Life, and Death: in all which we may foe with
?pen face what Humane Nature may attain to,. ~nd how
' 1t may by Humility, Self-denial and divine Love a
Chrift-like life, rife up above all vilible heavens i~to
a ftate of Immortal glory and blifs.
3. Here is a manifell1ti0n of Love given, enough to
th~w all the icinef of mens hearts ,vhich Self-love h.'.ld
qmte frozen up: For here is One who in Humane Na-
trtre moil: heartily_ eve:y where denying himfdf, is re1-
dy to -doe any thing tor the good of Mankind, and at
lafr ~ives up his life for the fame pupo[e; and that ac-
cordmg to the good_ will and pleafure of chat Eterml
love whic~_Jo loved the World, that he gave this belo-
~ed ~nd hu only-hego~ten Son, that whofoever hetieveth
zn h1m 1 Jhortld not pcrijh, brtt ha'Ve everlajling life.
4. ~Imeas ~very Penitent_ Si1m~r carries a fenfe of
Gttdt ~pon his own Confnen~e, 1s apt to Jhrink with
cold c1111l fea~s of offended MaJefiy, 3nd to dread the
thoughts of v10bted Jufoce: He is affured chat C hrift
hath hid <low~ his life, and thereby made propitiation
& arouemenc .tor fin; Tluc H-: h~th laid down his life for ·
the
..
g.ives relief andeafo to our Mi11d1, &:c; ~34 ;
. the Redemption of him ; and fo in Chrifl we h_ave Re-
. demption thro1tgb his bloud, even the forgivenef of fins.
with fenfe of· their own guilt, be quieted, and fuUy
eU;ablifht in a living Faith andHope in an Eternal good-
nefs; feeing how their Sins are remitted through the
blQud of Jefos that came to die for them and fave
them , and through his bloud they may ha.ve fre·e ac-
cefs unto God. . .
Seeing sin and Guilt are apt continually to beget a;.
jealoufie of God's Majefty and Greatnefs, from whom
the Sinner finds himfelf at a vaft di{bnce, he is made ac-
quainted with a· Mediator through whom he may ad-
drefs himfelf to God without thisjealoufte or do11hting;
· for that this Mediator likewife is one of HHmane Na-
ture, that is highly beloved and accepted of God, he
having fo highly pleafed God by performing his Will
in all things. Certainly it is very decorous and much
for the Eafe of a Penitent' s mind"' (as it m·akes-alfo for
the di.fiaragement of Sin) that our Addreffes to God
fhould be through a Mediator. The Platonifts wifely
obfer.v'd that between the Pure Divinity and Impure
Sinners as there is no Union, fo. no Communipn: it
is very agreeable every way and upon· all accounts,
that they·who in themfelves are altogether unworthy
-and under dem~rit, {hould come to God by a Mediator.
Thus the Scripture every where feems to reprefent
and hold· forth ·chrift in the forenamed Particulars,
( without defcending into Niceties and Subtilties, fuch
as the School-men and.others from them have trou-
bled.the World with) in a very full and ample m_anner,
that fo the Minds of true Believers ( that are willing
to comply with the Purpofe of God for their own E-
ternal peace ) might in all C afes find fomething in
Yy Chrift.
 \i ;,: ,.
Eo'flJ the tlmlettaking of Chrift &c~ A Di(covery of
C hrifr for their relief, and make nfe of him as much :zg .
may be to encourage and help on Godliners : for by The SH o R TN Es s and VA NIT Y
this whole Undert*ing of Chrift manifefl:ed in the
Go[pel God would hav.e co be underfiood E,e/1 relief of Of A
Mind and Eafe of Confcience, as alfo all Ettco11ragemet1t
to Godlinef; and Difj,aragernent· of Sin. And indeed
the whole bufinefs of Chrift _i_s _t~e ·greatefl Blow t~ Sin
that may be; For the World is taught hereby ,that there
Pharifaick Righteoufnefs:
is no Sinning upon cheap and ea fie terms : men may fee
that God will not return fo elfi!y into favour with Sin- 0~,
ners; but he will have his Rigtiteournefs acknowledg--
ec!, and likewife their own Demerit. And this Ac- An Account of the Fal[e Grounds upon
knowledgment he is once indeed plea[ed to accept ot which Men are apt vainly to conceit
in the perfon of our Saviour : yet if men will not now
turn to him, and accept his favour, they muft know themfelves to be <l{jghteoiu. ·
that there is no other Sacrifice for Sin. .
By thefe Par£iculars we have briefly touch' d upon
~co name no more) it may appear , That when we_ look
mto the Gofpel, we are taught to believe that Chrift · Luke 16- 15. ,
• hath done, according to the good pleafure of God And be [aid unto the Pharifees, Ye are they w1,i~b juflifie your
every thing for us th_ac ?»1tJ tmly r~lieve our Minds,and Jelws before mtn ; but God k.noweth yo~r Hear! s :. fa~ that
enco11rage tu to Godltnej, a God· like Righteoafnefs far wlJicl, is hig1Jly ejleemed amongfl men, u abom-,natton m tbe
exceeding the righteoufnefs of the Sctibes and Pha-
rifees. fight of God.

Epiphanius in Hreref. 19. x31 Kct.3ttfd,.

' , , ~• ..., ·r ;-(' A'
Pi:is Oerx.ulaV ~!p~Jlelh ~~ePv, "'<9-~flOV ea.u ~v fl aa»
~1e,c.e,u1e.

A Renatus Des Carccs in EpiHol. ad Prine. Elizabetham.

iltllti f ~cilius 11d ,nagnt1.m PietatiJ fam~m perveniunt ;
qriam S11,per.ftitioft vel Jlypomt.t.
Yyz

d
,,:
' ·11

THE 349
SHOR TNESs and VA NI TY
OF

A Pharifaick Righteoufnefs.,
Difcovered in a Difcourfe upon
MATTHEW 19.20,21 ..
The young man faith unto hzm, .d LI tbefe tl,i,,gs ba1'e
I kept from my J'Outh up : · u,hat lack. I ytt ?
11~ faitl, unto bim, lf tlJOU n,ilt be perfeEf, go and
Jell that tl,ou haft, and gi1'e it to _the Poor, aud tho1'
fh~lt ha'Ve treaJure in Heal1e1_z : and com_e and fol/on, me.

CHAP.I.
A General tteco,mt of men's Miflakes about Religiono
Men are no wh,ere more lti'{J andJluggifo,. and more apt
to del,ule themfehm, .then in matters of Religion.
The Relttion of moft men 15 but a,, Image and Refe,n-
bla,r,ce of their own F anfies. T'he Methed propounded
for difcourfint upon thofe words ins. Matthew. 1. To
difcover fome of the Miftakes· and Falfe Notions
_about Religion. z. To di[cover the Reafon of .thefe
Miftakes~ .A b~ief f,xplication of the word's •
S there is no __kind of Excellency more gene-
r~lly pretended to then Religion, fo there is
• none lefs known, or wherein men are more·
apt to delude. themfelves. Every one is ready to.lay
. Yy3 · claim,:
 or
1 · Tbe j7Hmmfl 'I a PhariGa1· c·k rt> • l
'-\.t,g.1teo11{,uell
c au~, and to plead a Rioht. . . P,
Jew1fl1ra?le, that preterided~1\~ ?t~ lihl{e th~ 13at i11 the
compiam d of the unjuft d · · e ig c was hers and
but few there are that deca~ment thereof from her•)
· fi un eruand .. r',lec true
pre;ttQu nefs of it · Th ere are 1omp.
. worth and
, dark and opacous hearts, it fhinesnot into them: They
~n d a Nat11ral inflinll o(De : ~ Qm~Qn Notions
of men, which are ever and votton ~elted m the Minds
and as they cafually and £ an~n ro;rng afte_r Religion i
~els and Idea,s of it th ortmtouny Hart up any Mo-
heye rhemfelves td ha:/foaJ:l~€fontly
pnce : the Religion of oft
prone to be-
u~ th1_s only Pearl of
elfe but fuch a Strain an:fs h men,~emg mdeed nothing
ons, as their Natural ro ce eme O; Thor,~hts and Acti-
~Ife but an Inbred beli~f [f ~fibn~, fivay-9 by nothino
mt? ; nothing elfe bui: -an Ima erty, ac<;1dentai1y r'b~
their own F ttnfles whicl ~e and !f,.efemblance of
themfelves. which 1·s tl1 are e;7er bufie m paincino ouc
n SI ' 1e reaion wh h o
y 1apes and Features of R ro· y t ~re ~r~ as ma-
t l1e Minds of mm e it>1on pamted forth in-
Face~ and Fanfies. ' th~~~:~eare various Shapes of
f
anj limpe oqt their Religion to t11 a~~ on~ to falhion
an . uncouth manner as -h I e1:1 e yes ma ftrange
~~e1r Dreams are w~nt ~oer mag1natrons of men in
ludeous thapes of things th eprefent monfrrous and
there. And though fo ~u norhere elfe appear but
have a(ce.qded up aba;;fh!:ay eem t? themfelves to
flat~ of Religion; y<:t I do~bt~ow reg1~n.,. this rulg4r
up_ 111 Clouds <Ind darknef~ t hey may ~•ll be wrap'.d
Middle ~e,Kirm, like wandri~ R? may {bll he but in a
yet fl1ak d off chat o-rofs and ¥ eteors that have not
~t fall: force them ~gain~ do;:·th~~ N atun; which will
!om~ ,yho may arrive at that ~V:; s. . There may be
m D1vm~ Myll:eries that . h h k-sk11l and learnina
down upon the r11d; and w1~ a~r 4rifai,k pride looking
vu ~ar iort of men, may fay,
*TM
01-', Ati dctormt rJf n1tm:M(/fak.et ahout 1{_tli,gibn: 3"; r_ \
,. Thu .people that kn()ws 1101 the ittw.are c11~(ed ~ who* John 7.
tht!in(elves yet converfe only with an: aiery Ghoft nnd
fuado-w of Religion: though the Light of divine truth
may feem to fuin~ ,,pon them~ yet by reafon of their
1tiay ; like this dark a~d. dull Earth, be fuperficially
gllilded, and warmed too,; with its beams, and· yet
the itnpreffions thereof doe not pierce· quite through
them. There may b€ many fait s-embl,nm of Reli..
gion where the subflance and Power of it is not. We
thall here endeavour to difctJilJer Jome of them which
may Jeem mo.ft fPeciom; and with which the weak Un-
derfldndings of men (Whith ar·e no where tnore lazy and
fluggifh then in tiia:tters of Jtcligion ) are m~fl ttpt
to ~e delteded; and the1' tlifcover the JWJM of the[e·
:Miftakts.
For which purpofe we have marle choic~ of thefe
Words, wherein we find a young Pharifee beginning
to fwdl with a vain conceit of his good eftate to,vards•
God~ loc,king ypoti himfelf as being already upon the
lfotdets of Pcrfetfion, !1avtng ftotn his youth up kept
on a conftant td'Ui"fe in the w·av of God's- Commande-
ments; J1e could 110t now be inany miles frortnhe land
of CafM-dn, if he were not ali:<?ady pifled ovct 1ordan 7
he thought hitnfolf to b€ ah'eady i.n a Rate of Perfelli...
on; dt at leafi: within ftght of it~ and therefore ma-
king account he was as }.ov~ly.Htour Saviours eyes as
he was in his owt1; asks hiro~ what lack 1 ytt ? _
For the tmderfianding ofwHich we muft-know die
J ewes Wtre w011t to d1ftin.gui"fh .kighteo11s men into• _
tWo forts, t:j'j?i~ and ~,~:10.r t:::rt',)i~, to which this.
Quere of his feems- t0 ufer., as if he had.fitid, Having·
kept all God's cotnmandemems, fure' my dood· deeds
,ctmiOt 0nly ovet-ballartce:iny ;Evil, no,,buc they rather
. filt
3'5 2 The fhartnefl of a Pharifaick (J{ig!1ttor{neJ, - I • or) A.1z amunt of men~ Miflakei about (J{_eligiott.
fiUboth t'he fcales of the Divine ballance •· I l1ave no
Evil deeds to weigh againfi: them: what-therefore can
I ,vane of the end and fcope of the Divine Law which
, i~ to make men perfect, feeing I have guided my whole
hfe from my youth up by the Precepts of it!' To
which our Saviour replies ; if tho,, wilt be per/eel go
and JellJhat thori ha_ft, and give to the poor,, and :ho11-
}halt have treafure in he,iven: and come and follow me.
Which words I can neither th~nk to be fpoken as con- ·
fili11m perfec1ioni5 in the Papal fenfe, nor yet only as a
partic1!la: and JPecial Precept; but rather by way of
Conv1~10n : So that the full fen~e and importance of
our Saviours fpeechfeems to bethts, viz. A mere Con-
formity of the 011tward man to the Law of· God is not
fufficient to bring· a man to Eternal life;· but" the In-
ward man alf~ mu~ d_eeply receive in the lbmp and im-
preffion of the D1vme Law, fo as to be· made like to
God. True Perfection is not confifrent wi~h ~ny Ter-
rene loves or Worldly affettions: This Mundane life
and- fpirit which ads fo fironglyand- impetuoufly in
this lower world, mnfi: b~ crucified: The Soul mull:
be wholly dilfolved from this Earthy body which it
!s Co deeply immerfi: in, while it endeavours to enlarge
1ts forty Taber~acle upon this i_nacerial Globe, and by
a holy abfl:racbon from all thmgs that pinion it to
Mortality, withdraw it felfand retire into a Divine fo_
Jitud~. If thou therefore wert in a fi:ate of Perfel1ion
thou wouldefi: be able at the fir ft call from God to re~
ftgne up_all Interefi: here below, to quiet all claim,
~nd to d1fpofe of thy felf and all worldly enjoyments
according to his pleafare with~ut any reluctancy; and
tome and follow me. And this I think was the true
Scope of our Saviours anfwer; which proved a real De-
monlhation, as it appears in the fequel of the Story, -
· that
3 53
that· this confide~t Pharifee had not yet attained to
tho[e mortified affefrion, which are requifite in all the
candidates of trne Blefl~dnefs ; but .only cheat~d _his
own Soul with.a bare External appearance of Relzgron,
which was not trulv feated in his m~art: and I doubt
·not but many are r~ady upon as fl.igh~ Grounds, _and
with as much confidence, to take up his Cl!!~e, What
lack· I yet ? . , · . .
We iliall theref<.?re in the firfr place, accordrng to
wbatwe promi[ed, inquire into fame of tho[~ falfe Pre-
tences which men are ape to make. t? H~ppm~fs, aµc!
{hew in four Particulars how Religion 1s m1ftaken.
An Account of mens 1,,fiftakes 1bottt Religion in 4 !arti~
c,1-lars. 1. A Partial -obe<l1ence to fame Part~cul~1.
Precepts. The F alfe Spirit of Religio11: {Pends ttjelf
in Jome Particttlars, i5 confi?'d,. ~ overfrvaycd hyfom_c
prevailing Luff. Men of tht-S {Ptrtt may by fome Book-
skill, and a '{!al abortt the Externals of Religton, loofe
the Jenfe of the~r 01~n Gttiltinef!'j and of therr deficz-
encies in the E/Jentrals of Go4{!nef, and fanfy :h_em-
Jelves ne~~ly_ r~latcd to God. --, 'Where the tme Spmt of
Religion t,S tt informs and aE!-ttates the w_ho~r man, tt
will not be confin' d, bttt will b~ a'bfolrtte w~thtn 11o, and
not f,ejfer any cormpt Inter~fl_to groiv by zt.
E Firfr is, Partial obedience to Jome P~rtic11,!t1.r
T }-I· Precepts A
of Gods law. That arrogant Phanfee.:that
1.
could. lift up a ~old face to hea:ven, and tha_nk G~d he
was no Extorttoner, nor unJuft , nor gmlty o_f any.
p 11 bJicAn-ftns _ found it eafie to perfwade hunfelf
' zz that
 -
The Jhortnef uf a Ph_arifaick 1?Jg1>teoufzefl,
. or, An Aaount ofmens Miflakes ahout ~!~ion. .
that God jufiified him as much· as he ·did himfelf.
~twas_ a vulgar Rule given by the Jewiih Dotlors,
which I fear too many live by , That men Jbrmld ·fingte
~ut fam! one Com1:11mdement out of Gods law, andthere-
m eO,ect~Oy-e~ercife the,r,;felv~s, that, (o they m~{ht make
God~ tbm fm11d hy thttt, left in others they fhould too
mnch dijpleafe hi'!'· ~hus men are ~ontent l'e~,Et.,,
to paf God their Dectmtt, and Sept1m£ of their Jives
to?, 1f need be, (o. that' they may without fear of fa-
~nledge, or pur lommg, as they fuppofe, from him en-
1oy-a.ll the refl: to themfelves : But tney are not 'will-
m$ to confec~a~e their whole lives to him, they are a-
fraid left Rehg_1on fu~uld incro~ch too much upon
the~, and too bufily mvade their own riofas and li-
bemes, as their Selfiili Spirit calls them. t> · ---
. There are fuch that it may be think themfelveswill-
mg that God {hould have his due,fo be it he will alfo let
them enjoy their own without any lett or moleftation.
but they are very je_alous left he fuould incroach to~
much upon tI:1em, and are· carefull to maintain a Mmm
and '{tttm, with_ Heaven.it felf, and to fee bounds to
_Goos preroganve over .them, left it 111ouldfwell too
mu~h, and• g_r~w t~o mighty for them to maintain
their own Pnv1ledges under it .. They would fain un. .
derfrand themfelves to be free-lmn under the dom,ini-
cn of God himfelf, and therefore ouo-ht not to be
con:_ipelled to rield obedience to :my fuch\nvs of his as
their own private fe<litious Lufi:s and Paffions will
not fuffer them to give their confent umo ...
There be fuch who perfwade themfelves they are
well-affected to God, and willing to obey his Com-
mandements, but yet think tftey muft not be uncivil
to_ the V'! orld ; nor ~o bafe and cowardly as not to main.
t.ai11ithe1r own credit and reputation,_ with a due re-
venge
3; S
venge upon tho[e that feem to impair_ it; or fo_ much · ·
forget themlelves, as not t? comply w1th the gu1fe an_d
fa{hion of this world fo far as 1t may make for their
own emolument or preferment. Such lS th~fe, that are
no faft friends to Religion, can eafily find fome Poftern-
dore to {lip out by into this World: and w!1ile they
either doe fome conflant homage to Heave~ m the ex-
. ercife and performance of fame Duties of_ ~eligioo, or
ab{bin from fuch Vices as the commGn opinions of men
bran<l with infamie, or can faufie themfelves to be
. marked out withfome of thofe Characl:ers which they
have learned from Books or Pulpit--difcourfes to be the
Notes of God's children and juftified perfons; they.grow
big with self-conceit, and can eafily ~nd out_ fome
handfome piece of Sophifrry. and cunnmg Topick to
delude themfelves by, in indulging fome beloved Luft
or other : They can fo~etimes beat down the _price of
other mens relioion, to mhance the value of their own ;
or it may be by~ burn~ng and fiery 1.eal againft the Op~-
nions and deportments of others that are not of their
own Se,&, they ma,:1 ~oofe the fenfe of all their own
guiltinefs. The D1fc1ples t~e.mfelves_ h_ad a,ln:ioft for-
gotten the mild and gentle Spmt of Relzgton,m an over-
hafty heat callin<1 for Fire down from heaven upon
thofe whom they°deemed _t~e~r Ma~e_r' s enemies. .
Sometimes a Partidl fpmt m R~hg1on, that fpends 1c
.felf only in fome Particulars, m1ftakes the fair com-
pleiions of .Good nature for the tr~e face ~f Vertue;
and a good Bodily temperament will ferve 1t, as a fl~t-
tering glafs, to beftow·beauty upon a deforme~ a~d m1f-
{hapeµ Mind, that it. may feem vertuous. B~t 1t 1s no~ a
true Spirit of Rel_ig1on, wh?-t~oever thofe wa~ton w1cs
. may call i!, that 1s thus Pa~tzcnlar an~ co~ft» d. No,
tha't is ot a fubtile and workmg nature, 1t will be fear~h•
Zzz. mg
3; 6 The jhc-rtmf of aP harifaick (R.._igfJteoufmjs,
ing~through the whole man, and leave nothing unin-
formed by if felf:as it is with the Sm1l that runs through
all the portions of Mateer and every member of the
·Body. Sin and Grace cannot lodge together, they can-
not divide and iliare out between them two feveral Do-
minions in one Soul.
What is commonly faid of Truth in general, we may
fay more efpecially of true Goodnefs, magna e.ft, & pr.t-
'Valebit: it will lodge in the Souls of men, like that
mighty, though gentle, Heat which is entertained in
the Heart, that ,alwaies difpenfeth warm Bloud. and
Spirits to all the members in the Body: it will. not
· fuffer. any other Intereft to grow by it: it will be f~
~bfolu-te as to fwallow up all our carnal freedom, and
crufi1 down all our fldhly liberty : as Mofes his Serpent
did ene up all the Serpents of the Egyptia·n Magicians,
fo will it devour all that viperous brood of iniquity,
which our Magical Selt:will by her witchcraft and en--
duntments begets within us: like a £1:rong and vehe-
ment Flame within us, it will not only finge the hair,
or fcorch and blifl:er the skin, but it will go on to con-
fume this whole Body of death: it is compared by our
Saviour to Leaven that will ferment the whole mafs in
which it is wrap' d up-: it will enter into us like the Re-
finer' S· fire., and the Fuller's Scape: like the Angel of
God's prefence that he promifed to fend along with the
lfraelites in their journy to Can1.1an, it will not pardon
our iniquities, nor indulge any darling lufi: whatfoever :
it will narrowly pry into all our actions, and be fpying
out all thofe back-waies and <lores whereby SinandVice
' may enter.. , Inward man into a true and chearfull obedience· to
That Religion that runs out only in. P11rticularities,
and is_ over[wayed by the prevailing pow_er of any
.Lufr, 1s but only a dead carkafs,. and not indeed than
true
· or, An account of mens Mifla!wahotct (J{_eligiv11. 3 57
true living Religion which comes from ~eaven, and
which will not fuffer it felf to be confin' d; that will not
indent with us, or article upon our tearms and conditi-
ons, but Sampfon-like will break all thofe bonds which
our fl.efhly and harlot-like wills vwuld tie it with, and
become every way abfolute within us. And fo I pafs
to the Second thing wherein men are apt. to delude
themfelves in taking an Eftimate of their own Religi-
on, viz. ·
CI-I AP. Ill.
Tht: Second-Mi/fake about Religion, vi'{: A meer com-
plyance of. the Outward man with the Law of God.
7'rue J!..eligion fea(s it· (elf in the Centre of mens
Souls,· and firfl brings the Inward man into obedience
to the Law of God: the Superficial Religion inter-
meddles chiefly with the Circremference and Outjide of
men ; or re.fts in an outward 1tbjfaining from fonie
.. Sins: of spec_ul~tive and the mofl cl._ofi.e and SpiritN-
al wtckednejhv1thtn. How apt mejj are to ftnk all Re:-
. ligion into opinions and'External Forms.
20
Mere compliance of the outward man with the Law ··
A of God. There is an oc ~~CcJ and an o~ ~uru dv~ef1J1r@.
that Philo[ophy hath acknowledged as well as our
Chriftian -Divinity: and when Religi01?" feats it felf
in the Cer.itre of mens Souls, it acts cheie moft ftrong-
ly upon the Vital powers of it; and firft brings·the
the hw of God,, before all the feditious and rebellious
motives of the External or Anima-lman be quite fub ..
dued. But a Steperficiat Religion many times inter-
. , Z z3 meddle£-
358 The jh01 tmfi of aPhari(aick ~jg1Jteoufi11,
meddles only with the Circumference and Outfide of
men, it only lodges in the fuburbs and fi:orms the out-
works, bnt enters not the main Fort of mens Souls
whi~h is ffrongly defended by inward, Pride, Self will:
pa,:ttcular and munda_ne Lo71es, fretting and felf-confi, ..
mmg Enru_y,,Popt,larrty and rain-glory, and fuch other.
Mental rvms, that when they are beaten out of the vifi-
ble behaviours and converfacions of men by Divine
threats ?r promifes ( which may be too potent to be
controll d) retreat and fecure themfelves here as in a
fl:rong Caftle. There may be many who dare not pur-
fue Revenge, and yet are not willin° to forgive inj u-
ries; who dare not murther their ene~y, that yet can-
not love him; who dare not feek for preferment by Bri'-
hery,who yet are not mortified to thefe and many ocher
~undane an_d _b~f~-born affecl:ions : they are not wil-
ling that the D1vme prerogative fhould extend it felf
beyond the ~utwar~ man, and that Religion fhould. be
too bufie with their Inward thoughts and-paffions: if
they mar ~ot by proud boa_fting fet off their own forry
COtJ?mOdmes upon !he pubtick jlage, and there read out
theu- own .Panegyncks ~ yet they will ~nwardlJ applaud
themfelves, and commit wanton dalliance with their
own Parts and Perfections ; . and not feeling the migh- •
ty power of any Higher good, they will endeavour to
preferve an unhallowedAut:rfl:hefte and feeling fenfe of
themfelv~Si_; and by·~ ful~en melancholy Stoicifme,
when Rehg1on would ·deprive and bereave them of the
finfull glory and pleafures of this Outward world
they then retire and furink themfelves up into a Cen~
!re of their own, they collect and contract themfelves
~nto t~~mfelves, Thus when. this low life of mens
Souls 1s chafed out of the External vices and vanities
of this World by the chaftifements of their own Con-
{ciences,
or, Atz account ofmms Mijlakes ahout '1(eligio;1. _3 ; 9
fciences, or many times hy bodily oppreffions , it pre-
fcntly retires into it felf, and by a Seif-feeling begins
more to grafp and dearly embrace it felf. Wlien thefe
External loves begin to be ftarved and cooled., yet
men n,ay then fall into love with and courting of them-
felves by Arrogancy, Self-confidence and dependenc-e.,
S-eif-appla1efe and gratttlat_ipns, A~mir~tion of t~eir o!11n
perfeCfjons ; and fo feed chat dying_ life of theirs with
this speculative !va~tonnej, that ~t may a~ ftr~ngly
exprefs it felf wtthtn them, as before it dtd w:thout
theinfelves. Men may by inward braving of themfelves
facriieaioufly fi:eal God's glory from him , and erect a ·
Self-fu°premacy within, exerting it f~lf in S~lf-will and
particular loves, and fe become Comvals with God for
the Crown of Bleffednefs and Self-fufficiency., as I
doubt many of the St_oicks endeavoured with a G~ant-
.like ambition to doe. _
· But alas,I doubt we generally arrive not to this pitch.
of Religion, to deny the world, an? all the P'?mp and
glory of this largely-extended tram of Vamty; but
we eafily content our felve~ with fome E.:"tern~l forms
gf Religion.. We are too apt_ to look at a ganili dr~fs
andattit·e of Religion, or to be enamoured rather with
fome more fpecious _a~d feemingly-fpirit~a-1 Forms,.
then with the true Spmt & Power of Godlmefs ~ Re-
ligion it felL, We are more take~ commo~ly with the
feveral new fafhions that the luxunant Fancies of men
are apt to contrive for it, t~en with :he real power and
fimplicity thereof: and while we thin;k our felves-to be
growing in our knowledg~,. and movmg on· towards a.
ftate_of Perfeaion , we do but turn- up and down _from _
one kind of Form to another ; we are as apt {hll -to•
draw it down into as low, wor\dly and mundane Rites
aadOtdinances,_ as ever it was before ottr Saviour made-
- , ~t

The fhortnefl of aPharifaick '1{ig,1)teoufnefl., ' .
that glorious Reformat,ion therei~, which took aw~y
thefe Material c_rutches made up of qrnal Obfervances
· which Earthly minds lean fo much upon, and -l~e fain
to underprop their Religion with, which elfe would
tumble down and fall to nothing : except we ca1.1: ca.ft
it into fuch a c~rtain Set of d1tti.ts and Sy/fem of opini-
ons that we may fee it altogether from one end to ano-
the'r we are afraid left it fhould become too abfi:rufe
a thi~g and vaniih away from us. ·. ~ _
I would not be mifunderftood co fpeak agamfi: thofe
Ditties & ordinanc.es which are neceffary means appoin-
ted by God to promote us in the waies_o~ Pi_ety: But
I fear we are too apt to fink all our Religion mto the(e,
and fo to ernbody it, that we. may as it were touch and
feel it, becaufe we are fo little acquainted with the
Moh and fpiritual nature of it., which is too fo.btilefor
or~fs and carnal minds co converfe with. I fear· our
~ulgar fort of Chrill:ians are wont fo to ·look upon
fuch kind of Models of Divinity and Religious per-
formances, which were intended to help our dul minds
to a more lively fenfe of God and true Goodnefs, as
thofe things that claim the whole of their Religion :
and therefore are too apt to think themfelves abfolved
from it, except at fome folemn times of more efpecial
addreffes to God ; and that l:his wedding garment of
holy Thoughts and divine Affecl:ions is not for every
days wearing, but only the~ to be put on when we
come to the Marriage-feaft and Fefi:ivals of Heaven_:
as if' Religion were fafi: lock' d anci bound up in fome
facred Solemnities, and· fo incarcerated and incorpora-
ted into fome divine Myfteries, as the fuperftitious
Heathen of old thought, that it might not fi:ir abroad
and wander too far out of thefe hallowed Cloifters, and
grmv too bufie with us in :our .Secular imploimencs.
. We
··).
' or, A,2 acccunt of mens Mifl~ker a!JoutfJ{_eligfo.,; '-
We have learned to cifl:ingui{h too fabtify I doubt in
our lives and converfations inter facmm & profannm
o~r Religiom approaches to G?d and our Worldly al
fairs. I know our converfauon and demeanour in
this world is not, nor can well. be, all of a piece, and
there will be feveral degrees- of Sanctity in the lives of
the heft men, as there were once in the land of Canaanj
but yet I think a Good man fuould alwaies find him•
felf upon Hol,y ground, and never depart fo far into the
affairs of this life, as to be without either the -call or
compafs of Religion~ he fuould alwaies think where-
foever he is, etiam ihi Dii fant, that God and the blef-
fed Angels are there, with whom he lhould converfe
~ in a way of Puri tie. We muft n0t think that Religion
ferves co paint our Faces, to reform· our Looks, or only
to inform our Heads, or inftrucl: and tune our Tongues;
no, nor only to tie our Hands, and make our outward
man more demure, and bring our Bodies and bodily
atHons into a better decorum : But its main bufinefs is
to purge and reform ourHettrts and all the Elicit acl:ions
and motions thereo£ And fo I come to a Third particu-
lar wherein we are apt to misjudge our felves in mat-
ters of Religion. .
CH AP. IV.
~
The Third Miflake about ReligiDn, viz. A confirain' d
and forc,d Obedience to God's Commandments.
Th_e Religion ef m4ny ( Jome o.f whom WMld .feem
· moft abhorrent fro'fl! Stiperfl:ition) iJ nothing eJfe b•t
Superftition proper~ fo called. F alfe R.eligionifts,
having no imMrd Juife.of the Divine -Goodncj, can-
A aa not
 The JhoJ'tmfi "of a Pharifaick 'R)g}~teoufiieff;
not trnly love God: 7.et their (owre and dieadfull ap~
prehenfions of God compe!l them, to· ferve· him. A•
flavifh (Pirit in Religion may be very prodigalin ftech-
1:ind of ferving God It& doth' not pinch their Corrnpti-
ons; /net in,tbe' grettt and weightier matters of Reli-
gion, in [tech things as prejrtdice their beloved.,J:,,ffs,
it uveryneedy andJParing. This fervile spirit hitf, low.
11nd mean thoughts of God, but an high opinion of its
QHtward fervices., as· conceiting· thttt hy [,1&h cheap
things God is. grdiified 11nd becomes indebted;to it. The
different Ejfclls of Love'.andSlavi{h fearin:thetmly,
and i1Nhe Jal.fly, R·eligiom.
3·
A Nother, Particular wherein menmiftake Kelig-ion,
is A conflrained,andforcedobedience to God's Com-
mandment-s. That:which many men (amongit whom
fome would feem to be moihhhorrent from Superftiti:-
on) call their Religion,. is indeed.nothing elfe buta,J'"f
* See the_"!"'.ac\: CiJa.1/'Bvla- )f-, that 1~may ufe:the~word ill' its am.dent and
of supc,Jtrwm. proper fenfe; as it im p0rts flt ch an: appn henfl on: of God a
renders him-grievous to men;-1tnd Jo deflroys all free and
chearfu/J, conver(e with:him, artc/.:begets in jfotdthereof a
forc'd ind dry devotion, void of inward-Life' and Love:
Tho[e Servile fpirits which are not acquainted with God
and-his·Goodneff'e-, may he- fo haunted by the· frightfull
thoughts of a Deity, as to [care and terrifie them into -
fome worlhip and obforvanceof him. They are apt
to look upon him as one clothed with ar,flerity, _or, as
- the. Epicurean Poet hath- too truly paint'ed out their
thoughcs~.,as a. f11vru Dominm,. that'is, in the'langnage
0£. the unprofitable fervant•-in che'GoGpel, an hard-Ma-
fter; and-therefore: they- think. fomec-hing··muff· be.
done-to. pJcafe him; and- w mitig:1~-e·· fiisi feverity- to-
wards them-: and thougl1 · they,cannot ·truly, love-·Iiim,
having
•, .o-i, .dn t1cco1mt ofmens MiflaAes about /J{!l/gion.
havmg no inwar~ fenfe of his Lov~linef, yet-they can-
not b~it ferve hun fo far ~s th.efe ng0rous app1'ehenfi-
ons he upon them ~ though notwichlbnding fuch as
thefe are. very. apt to perfwade themfelves that they
may pac1fie htm and purchaCe his favonr with fome
cheap fer:'ices, as if _Heaven it felf could become·guil-
~y of Bri~er7, and an Immutable Juftice be :flattered
mco Partz~lzty an~ Re{Petl of perfons. Becaufe they are
n?tacquamted with God, and know him not ~she is in
himfelf, there~ore t~ey are ready to paint him forth
to themfelves m their own_ fhape: and becaufe they
thel!lfe!ves -are full of Peevifonef and S elf-wiU arbi-
tr~lyimpofing-and prefcribing to_ others with~ut fuf-
fic1ent ~v1dence of Reafon, and al'e eafil-y inticed by
Flatteries; th~y are apt to reprefent the Divinity alfo
to themfelves 1~ the fame form, and think they ·view
. ~h~ true pourtra1ture and draught of their own Genius
-m 1~ ; a~d th~refore that_ they might pleafe this angry
D~1ty of ~h~ir own ma~ing, they care not fometimes
· to oe lav_i}h m fuch a kmd of Service of him as doth
not much p~nch their _own com1ptions; nay and it may
'" -~~ too, will fee~ to part. wi~h-them fometimes, and
give them a weeping farewel, 1f God and their G>wn a-
~vakened Co~fciences feem to frown upon them;
though all their obedience arife from nothi-no- el:fe but
the Compulfions and neceffities which their o~n fowre
and drettdf,1/l apprehenjions of God lay upon them : and
therefore m·thofe <things which more nearl1 to11ch their
own belov·ed Lrl_/ls, th~y_will be as Jc ant and fjaring as
may be; here they will- be -as _ft,.ifl with God as may
be? tp.at. he may have no more then his due, as they
thmk; hke th~t Unprofitable fervant in the Gofpel,
-~hat, becaufe his Mafter was an auftere man, reaping
where he .had not fown, and ·gathering where he had
A a·a·2 not
 Tl,e jhcr:nrfi of aPharifaick tf<jghteoufwf.,
not fcatt-ered, ··.was content and wil~ing ~e {hould have·
his own again, but would not fuff er him to have any
more.
This Servile (Pirit in Religion.is alwaies iUHm:al and
needy in t~e M~g_nalia Legi.s, the_great and w~1ght1er
matters of Religion, and here weighs our: obedience by
drams and fcruples: it never finds it felf more {hri-
vell'd and fhrunk up, then when it is to converfe with
G.od j like thofe creature~ that are generated of ilime
and mud the more the- Summer-fun {hines upon them,
and the ~earer it comes t0 them, the more is all their
vital firength dried up and fpent away: ~heir drettdfu/1,
thoughts of God, like a cold Eafiern \ymd_, blafis- all
their bloffoming affea:ions, and nips them m the bud:
thefe exhauft their native vigour,. and make them
weak and fluggii11 in_ all their motions toward God.
Their Religion is rather a P·rifon or a piece of Pcnttnce
to them,. then-any volttntary and free compliance of
their Souls with the Divine will.:. and yet becaufe-they
bear the burden and heat of the day, they think, wh~n
the evening.comes, they oughuo be more lib€rally re-
warded; fuch flavijh -{Pirits being ever apt-inwardly to
conceit that Heaven receives Come-emolument.or other
by their hard labours,anq fo-becomes indebted to th~m,
becaufe they• fee no trµe gain- and comfort accruing
from them to their own Souls; and fo becaufe they
doe God's work and not their own, they think they
may reafonablJ expeet a fair corripenfation, as hav-ing
been profitable to him .. And this I doubt was the firft
and v-ulgar.foundation of Merit.: though now the world
is a{hamed to own.it. _ eft, when it empties·,it felf- into this unbounded Oce~m · .., .
But .alas, fuch an ungodltke Religion as this can ne-
Yier be owned by God: the Bond-woman and her fon
ro.:u.n be ca.fl out. The Sp~ric of true. Religion. is of·
a.•
'or,,A'n dccou_n( ~/ mms k.ifl,zkesalom (J{_eligi,~ns 36:5
·-~-more free, nohle, ingenuom andgenerom natrm; ariling
out of the warm beams of the Divine love which firft
hatch' d it and brought it forth, and therefore is it af~
terwards perpetually bathing it felf in that fweeteft
love that firft begot it, and is alwaies refrefl1' d and
nourilh'd by it. ·This Love cttjleth ortt fear, fear which
hath torment in it, and is therefore more apt to chafe
away Souls once wounded with it from God, rather
then to allure them to God. S1,ch fear of God alwaies
carries in it a fecret Antipathy againft him, as being r-.u-
'ID?e_9f ~ bAa.bee.911, as Pltttarch fpeaks·, one that. is fo
tr.oublefome that there is no quiet or peaceable living
with him.. Whereas LD'Ue by a firong Sympathy dm-:S
the Souls of men, when it haf h once -laid hold upon
them by its powerfull infinuation , into the neareft
conjunction that_ m~y be wit_h the Divinity; it thaws all.
thofe froZJn affethons wluch a·stavijh fear had con-
gealed and lock'd up, and makes the Soul moft chear-
foll, free, and nobly refolv!ed· in-- all its motions after
God. It was well obfer-ved of old by PythagortU, {3e"A-
tnS1'i.74vop;e~ ®e}s rrH; ~~~ {3a.J'l,ovfe), we ·axe ·never Jo
w_e{l a,s whernve approach to God; ,vhen in a way of Re-
ligion we make our ad.dreffes to God, then· are our
Souls moft chearfull. True Religion and an- Inward
acquaintance with God difcovers nothing in~ him but
p_ure. and jincere Goodnejf-', nothing that might ·_breed
the. lea ft diftafte or difaffection, •or carry in it any fem-
blance of_ d1JPleaji11gmj; and. therefore· the Souls of
good ·men·arc never pinching ·and ffearing·in-their~· affe-
etions : then the Torrent is mofi: ti.ill and [wells high;.
of the Divine B~ing. This. makes all the Commande- ;ct~-l::~/fff::
1
: ·
merits of God light and ea.fie ·and far fro1n being-grie- Major u~ 4-
- vous~. There needs 110 * Law to;compela Mind atted by mor _c/t J,br.
Bomus l. 3. de -
A ~ a 3. t h· e ·Con(ol-;.l)hi\c:iC
 Tl;(foortnefl of aPharifaick <I(igl,teouf1ef,
,· _
the truefpirit of_ divine_lovno fe~·veGod or to com:.
ply with his W11l. It 1s the choice of fuch a Soul to
endeavour to conform it felf to him, and draw from
-him as much as may be an Imitation of that Good~e~s
and Perfection which it finds in him. Such a Chn.lh-
an does not therefore obey his Com11:1~nds only becaufe
it is God's Will he {hould doe fo, but becaufe he fees
the Law of God to be truly perfe/1, as ~avid fpea~s :
his nature beino0 reconciled to God Finds 1t all holy, Juft
and g4od, as S. Pttul fpeaks, and fuch a thing as his Soul
loves, f weeter then the h~n_ey or the honey~combe ; and he
makes it hu meat and drmk to doe the Writ of God, as our
Lord and Saviour did. And fo I pafs to the Four_ch
and laft Particular wherein Religion is fometimes m1f-
taken.
CHAP.V.
The FONrth and la.ft Miflak~ a~011t .R.e_l~gion: , When a
mere Mechanical and Arttfinal Religion 1s taken for
that which is a true Impreffion of Heaven upon the
Souls of men and which moves like a new Nature.
]low Religion 1hy fome m11.de a piece of. Art, -and how
there mtty be jpeciom And plau.ftble Imttttttons .of the
Internals of Keligion.M welt tU of th~ E_xternals. Th.e.
Method ,1,nd Power of FancJ in contrzvtng fuch .Artz-
ftcial imiwions. How apt -men are in thife ttJ deceive
both themfalve-s and others. The Difference between
thofe that Art govern' din their Relig~on hy 1:~ncy, a~d
thofe that are aU-1,ated by the Divtne spirit and t'!
whom Religion if. a Living Form. Tkat_ Tr~e Relz-
gion ,i$ no Art, but a new Nature. Reltgzon aifc1Jv_e~s
tt
tJr-, An-account ofmens Miftakes ahout f}{eligion~- r6 7
it _(elf b~fl in a Serene and clear Temper of Mind,. in-
deep Humility, Meelmej, Self-denial, Univerfal love
of God and all true Goodnef.
T~ E Fourth and la~ Particular whe1·ein men mif- 4.
· Judge themfelves, 1s, When mere Mechanical and
a.
Artificial Religion is taken for that which is a true Im-
prefion of Heaven 11,pon the- S'ouls of men, and which
moves like ,tn Inward nature. True Religion will not
froop- to Rules of Art, nor be confin'd within the
narrow compafs thereof: No, wher.e it is, we may cry
out with the Greek Philofopher, ~ -n~ 9Eo~ Zvd'ov • God
bath .there kindled as it were his own Life which will
move and act only according to the Laws of Heaven.
But d1~re· are fame Mechanical Chrifiiallls that can.
frame and fafhion out Religion fo cunningly in their
own Souls by that Book-skill they have got of it,. that
it may many times deceive themfelves, as if it were
a tr,e,e living thing. We often hear that mere Preten-
ders to Religion may go as far in all the External acts of
it as thofethat are be.ft acquainted with it: I doubt not
alfo but many" times there may· be .Artificial imitittions
drawn of that which only lives in the Souls of good:
Men , by the powerful and wily Magick of exalted ·
Fanciu ; as-we read of Come Artificers that have made-
fuch Images of living creatures, wherein they have not
- only drawn forth the outward Jh~pe, but feem almo{t-
to have copied out th~ l~fe too in· them. Men ·may:
make an: Imitation as well of thofe things·which we call\
the Internals of Religion, as-of the-Externitls. There·
may be a-Semblance of inward foy in God, of. Love··
to hiin and his Precepts, of Dependanc-e upon him, and,
a> filial JUverence of hint ; which ·by the, comrivarice·,
and power· of Pantie· may be· reprefented· in: a-Mafque
· upon,

/J
.11,e-J1;ortmfl of aPharifai&~~l,teotf11?,
~1pon the Srnge of the Animal pal:t ef ~ ?1ans Soa!.
Tho[e Chrifii:.ms that fetch ~n their Reltgwnfrom p1~
ous Books and Difcourfes, hearing of fuch and fuch
sirrns of Grace and Evidences of Salvation, and being
ta~ght to believe they muft get thofe, thlt [o they may
oo to Heaven; may prefently begin to fet themfelves
~n work, and in an Apii11 imitation caufe their Animal
Powers and Pafionsto reprefent all thefe; and !ancie
being well acquainted with aU thofe feveral Afje&ions
in the Scml that at any time exprefs themfelves to-
wards Outward things, may, by the power it hach
over the P-ajfions, call chem all forth in the fame Mode
and fa{hion, & then conjoin with them fome Thoughts
of God and Divine things, which may ferv:e thus put
together for a handfome Artifice of Religion wherein
thefe Mechanicks may much applaud themfelves. ·
I doubt not but there may be Cuch who to gain-cre-
dit with themfelves, and· that gloriotu name of being
the children of God ( though they know nothing more
of it but that it is a Title that founds well) would ufe
their heft skill to appear fuch to themfelves, fo qualified
and molded as they are told they mufi· be, And as
many times Credit and Reputation among men may
make them pare off the RuggedneJ of their o,,t-
ward 1ilan, and polifb that ; fo to gain their own good
opinion, and a reputation with their own Con[ciences
which look more inwardly, they may alfo endeavour
to make their Inward man look at fome times more
Jmooth and comely: and it is no hard matter for.Cuch
ch11m.tleon-like Chrifiians co turn even their infides in-
to whatfoever hne ~nd colour £hall beft pleafe them,
and then Nttrci{[ra-like to fall .in love with themfelves:
a {hong and nirt1ble Fancie having fnch command over
the .Ani111,l fPirits, that it ~a~ fend them forth in full.
troops
~ or, Ai~ ~iccount o( mem Mi/takes about rt{tligio11.· .
troops wluch way foeve1· it pleafeth and by· their aid ·
call fo!t~ and raife any kind of Pafion it lifreth, an~
when 1t l1~eth allay ~t again, as the Poets fay u£eleu
can rl,oe ~v1th the Wmds. As they fay of the force of
Imag~nat~on, that ris Imaginativa Jignat fa-tmn ; [o
Im1gmat1on may ft_amp any Idea that it finds within it·
felt upon ~he !'a/tons, and -turn them as it pleafes co
what_ Seal 1c will fee upon them, and mold them into
a~y hkenefs ;· and a man looking down and takino a
vie~ of the Plot as it !s acl:ed upon the Stage of clie
Ammal_pow~r~, may like and approve it as a true Plat-
form of Rehg1?n· Thus may they ealily deceivethem-
fe~ves, ~n~ thmk their Religion to be fomc Miohcy
thrng within them, that runs quite throucrh them.tiand
make~ all thefe tr_ansforma.tions wir]lin the~n ; whereas
the Rife and Motion of it may be all in the Animal and
Senfiuve powers_ of the Soul; and a wife obferver of it
~1ay_ fee whence it comes and whither it 0aoes: it be-
mg 1~1deed a thing w~i_ch is from the earth, earthy, and
not hke that true Spmt of Regeneration which comes
from Heaven, and begets a Di vine life in the Souls of
good mea, and is not u~der th_e <'._ommand of·any fucb
Charms as the[e are, neither will 1t move accordina to
thofe !,•~ws, and Times,. an~ Mea~ure~ that we plea~ to.
fet to 1t • but w.e {h3.l] find 1t mamfefbng its mighty fu"."
premacy over theHighefi powers of our Souls.Whereas
w~ m_ay truly_ f~y of all Mechanicks in Religion, and our
M1m_tetd Clmfhans, t.w.tt they are not Jo much acfoated ·
and informed ~y their Religion,. tU they inform that; the
powe_r of the11:" own Imagination deriving that Force to·-
It ~h1ch bears 1t up and guides all its motions and ope-
rauons. And therefore they them[elves havino- the
_power over it, can new mold it as themfelves pleafe
according. to any new Pattern which £hall lik; theO.:..
Bb b better.

370 The jhMtnej of aPharifaick <I(_igbteoufnej,
b~tter then the former : they can furnHh this dome~·
·ftick _Scene of theirs with any kind of matter which
the ~1_ftory of other mens religion may afford them ;
and it need be, aet over all the Experiences of that
feet of men to which they moll: addiet themfelves fo
to .the life, chat they may feem to themfelves as well
experienc, d Chri_ftians as any 0thers ; ·and fo, it may
be, foar ~o aloft m Self-conceit, as if they had already
made their nefts amongfl: the {l:ars, and had viewed their
.own manfion in Heaven. What was obferved by the
Stoick concerning the vulgar fore of men, oc (d,'@. '\a.c70•
l\~{,s-,. m~y as truly be faid of this fort of Chrifi:ians,
tbe1r ltf~ i~ nothing elfe but a {hong Ene(gy of Fancy
and Opm1on.
But_ befi~es, left the~r Religion might coo grofly dif-
cover it felt t<? be nothmg el[e but_ a pieoe of Art, there
.may b~ f~meumes fuc~ Extraordmary motions frirred
up wicbm them which may prevent all their own
Thou?~ts, t~ac they may feem to be a true operation of
the D1vme hfe; when yet all this is nothino elfe but
the Energy of their own Self--l~ve touch' d ;ith fome
Flelhly apprehenfions of I?ivin~ things., and excited by
them. There are fuch thmgs m our Chrifrian Religi-
on t~at, when a Carn=il and unhallowed mind takes the
Chair_a~d gees the expounding of them, may feem ve-
ry ?ehc1ous to the flefhly appetites of men: Some do-
tl:rmes and notions of Free-Grace and J uftification •
the magnificent Tit_les of Sons of God and Heirs of
Heaven ;_ ever-flowrng ftreams of Joy and Pleafure
t!1at blefied. S~1.ds fl1all fwim in to all eternity; a glo-
rious_ Parad1fe m the wo~ld to come, alway fpringino
1:lp with well-ftnted and fragrant Beauties; a New f}e~
mfalem pav.ed with Gold and befpanoled with Stars
comprehending in its vaft circuit fuch ~umberlefs vari:
eties,
I"'\
or, An accou~t of mens Miflakes ahout 'l{_eligion~ . 37 1 _
eties, that a bufle curiofity may fpcnd it felf about to aU
eternity. I doubt not but that fometimes the moft flefh-.
ly & earthly men,that fly their ambition to the pomp of
this world, may be {o ravifu' d with the conceits of fuch
things as chefe, that they may feem t<> be made parta- ·
kers of the powers of the world to come; I doubt not but
that they may be as much exalted with them, as th.e
Souls of crazed and difiracl:ed pe~fons feem to be fome~ -
fimes, when their F and es play with thofe quick an_d
nimble Spirits which a diftempered frame of Body and
unnatural heat in their Heads beget within them. Thus
. may thefe blazing Comets rife up above the Moon, and
climbe higher then the Sun; which yet, becaufe the>y
have no folid confiftencie of their own, and are of a
bafe and earthly allay, will foon vaniili and fall down.
again~ being only born up by an External force. They
may feem to themfelves to have attain, d higher then
thofe noMe chrijlians that are gently mov' d by the na-
tural force of true Goodnefs ; ·they may feem to be ple-
niores Deo then rhofe that are really inform' d and aB:u-
ated by the Divine Spirit, and do move on fteddily
and conftancly in the way towards Heaven; as the
Seed that was fown in the thorny ground, grew up-and:
,engthened out its blade faller then that which was,
fown in the good and fruitfull foil.And as the Motions of
our Senfe, Fancy andPaJions, while our Souls are in this..
mortal condition funk down deeply into the Body,. are
many times more vigorous and make {l:ronger, im-prel-
fions upon, us thei:i thofe of the Higher power-s- of the
Soul, which are more fubtjle and remote from thefe
mixt and Animal perceptions; that Devouon which is ·
there feated may feem to have more Energy and life in,
it ·then.that which gently :md with a more delicate kind,
cf touch fpreads it felf upon the Underfl11-nding, and~
· Rbh:1.. · from:
 \.."_ ..

,- ,,.

':l7 2 --J7;e jfo·tnefl ofaPharifaick (R,jg,15teoufnefl, 373

from thence mildly derives it felf through our Wills &
Ajfeclions. Bue howfoever the Former may be more
boiflerous for a time~ yet Thu is of a more conjijltnt, [per.:.
. matical and thriving nature: For that proceeding indeed
from nothing elfe but a Senfoal and Flel11ly apprehenfi-
on of God and true Happinefs, is but of a flitting and
·fading nature; and as the Senfible powers and facul-
HUS far the Firfl part ofthis Difcourje., w!Jicf,
ties grow more languid, or the Sun of Divine light
f11ines more brightly upon us, thefe earthly devotions
like our Culinary fires will ~bate their heat and fer-
T wM defigned (acc<Jrding, to the Metliod propotm-
. ded ) to give a particular account of mens Mif-
vour. · But a true Celeftial warmth will never be extin-
guifh'd, becaufe it is of an Immortal nature; and be- takes abou~ Religion. Tin other part was intended
ing one~ feated vitally in the Souls of men, ~twill regu- to difcover the reafon of thefe Miflakes. '13ut
. late and order all the motions of it in a due manner, as whether the Author did finijh that Part, it appears not
the natural Heat radicated in the Hearts of living crea- by any Papers of his which yet came to my hands. If he
tures hath the dominion and Oeconomy of the whole
Body under it, and fends forth warm Bloud and Spi- did, and tl,e ,Papers foould he in others hands · ( for the
rits and Vital nourifument to every part and member of ..dntbor llJas communicatillc) ifthey (or any other Papers
it. True .Religion is no piece of artifice ; it is no boi- of tlie Authors ) be Jent to Mr William Morden,
ling up of our Imaginative powers nor the glowing '13ookfeller in Cambridge , the like care jhall be tak.eN
heats of Pajion; though thefe are too often mifl:aken
for it, when in our juglings in Religion we caft a mift for the publifhing oftl,em as bat/, been /or thu Collellion.
before our own eyes : But it is a new Nature informing
the Souls of men; it is a God-like frame of Spirit, dif-
covering it felf moft of all in Serene and cle4r minds,
in deep Humility, Meeknef, Self denial, Univerfal lwe
of God and all true Goodnef, without P artittlity 4nd with-
out "Hypo6rifie ; whereby we are taught to know -God,·
and knowing him to love him, and conform our felves
·as much as may be co all that Perfection which fuines
;forth in him. Bbb 3 THE
THUS
 \-, __

THE
EXCELLENCY andNoBLENESS ,.
OF
TRUE R EL I GI.ON,
i. Inits' (J{j(e and Original.
2.In iu '1'(ature and Effence.
3· In its Prope,"ties and Operations.
4 In its Progrefl.
5. In its Term and End.

Pfalm r6. 3. .
To the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excel-
lent, in whom is all my delight.

Idem in Orat. 21.

ELJ~VEiGW :J li..l')IAJ, ijx W) oi '7TOM.ol JIO~fl01V. C!t,mx.~. ~,
u £,flf~aa, xa.e;tx.1ne{~~ 'B 'TeY71'@.., 'B ,1 'fil(:,95 '"1l1 7J'{#-
1ov d'.)'f.,.sd~ a.voJ'@.,.

Hieronymus ad Cel~miam Ep. I 4.

Nefcit Religio noflra perfonltf accipere, nee conditio,m
hominum _fed ttnimos inj}icit fingulorttm; Serv1111J &
Nohilem de morihus prommciat, Sola ap11d Deum Li-
bertas eft non fervire peccatis: Sgmma apud Deum efl
Nohilitas clarrem e{(e 't.lirtutihus.
. [
 THE
EXCELLENCY and NoBLENEss
OF

TRUE ·R.E LI G.J O· N.:

Proverbs 15. 24.

The Way of life iJ above to the wife, that he ··may depart
from hell beneath. ·

The Jj1trodullion.
~- N this wholeBook of the Proverbs we find So-·
· lomon, one of the Eldefr Son~ of Wifdom,
alwaies fianding up and calling her blefied :
his Heart was both enlarged and fill' d wi~h
the pure influences of her beams, and therefore was
perpetually ~doring that Sun which gave him light.-
Wifdome u jr~foified of all her Children; though the
brats of darknefs and children of folly fee no beau-
ty nor comelinefs in her, that they iliould defire her, as
they faid of ·Chrifr, Efay ·5 3. TI$ CiweCt~ ~1 oi'fo rrolf; f'M
1

eq:,a.'7rlo~og; That Mind which is not touch'd with an

inward fen[e of Divine Wifdom, cannot eftimate the··
true Worth ~fit. But when Wifdom oncedifplays its
own excellencies and glories in _a purified Soul, it is en-
tertained there with the greateft love ~nd delight, and ·
receives its own image reflecled back to it felf infweet-
eft returns of Love and Praife. We have a clear mani-
c cc feftation
 . I"'
The Excellency and Jx ohlmefl
felhtion of this facred Sympathy in Solomon, whom we
may not unfitly call SApienti£ org11m11n, an Inftriiment
which Wifdom herfelt had tuned to -~.ay her divine
* EccleC. 11..
Leffons upon: his words ,vere ,.. t{~ry 'J ,7, every where
full of Divine fweemefs matched with firength and
beaut;y, fflAw} _,;v lxov1e~ fvJ'ov • or, as himfelf phra-
!>.covcrbs :.s. feth ic,,like it.pples of gold in pillum of Silver. The
mind of a Proverb is to ,mer Wifdom in a Myftery, as
the Apofi:le fometime fpeaks, and to wrap up Divine
Truth in a kind of )Enigmatical way, though in vulgar
expreffions. Which method of delivering Divine-
dnd:rine ( not to mention the Writings of the ancient
Philofopheri) we fiad frequ·ently pnrfned in the Holy
Scripture, thereby hoth opening and hiding at once the·
Truth which is offered to us. A Proverb or Par.able be•
ing once unfolded,, by reafon of its affinity with the-
Phancy-, the more '"fweetly infinuates it felf into that.,
is
and from thence,vith the greater advantageJtinfotit..
ted to the 'Underftanding. In this fi:ate we artnoca.bl~
to behold Truth in itS'Own Native beauty and luh:te ~
but while we-are ·vaiZ'a'\vith mortality, Truth rrmn vv-ail
it felf too, that it may the- more freely_ converfe with
us.. S. Au/fin hath well affign·d the re1fon why we are
fo mucll'deligh_ted with Metap.hors, Allegories, &c. be-
caufe th·ey a.re fo much proportioned to our Senfes, with
which our Re"tt{on hath contrad:ed an ii:Itimacy and fami-
.liarity. And therefore-God to.accommodate his Truth
ro our weak cap~dties, does as it were emhody it in
Etirthlyexprefftons; according to th~t ancient Maxim
of the Cabbali'fl:s, L,m,e'n S;rtpetnum,.mmqrMm defcen-
dit ftne ind11mt-nto ; agreeable to which iis that ·of Dio-
n_-;fias A~top_. not feldom quoted by the School-men,;
I'lnp~{i'ihile 1e"fl-nobu ,iflitei lucere radium Divinum,, nifl
'rlarittitte [iJQromm ''lfelami1J1l'1» ·circumvelatHm, His
· words.
of True (J(eligion: 37 9
words in the Greek are thefe, * rirfl;' J'-WJ«.'ftiY h'E&J; 1' Inlib. _de
c ...V"'I. , .f_ , , 0 _ fu' , , ., . ., , ... , Crr:lcft,Htcritr.
'nf»-V omi\rt.p, a., 'TWJ n.7Brlf;(,l.X r.J cc,x.llva..J p.HJ -T~ 11llt'iUAl~ cap.
1 10
~' ,e{#v ~m1a.Cw,'Tr(lv di,a.~'}1,w; rr;f(V.'U~itup.phlw.
Thus much by way of Preface or Introduction to
thefe words, being one of Solomon's excellent I'roverhs,
viz. The 'l!_ay of life is above tQ the wife. Without any
mincing or mangling oftheWords, or running ouc·into
any Critical curiofities about them., 1 {hall fron1 tbefe
Words take occafion to .fe,tforth The Noblepejl °4nd Ge-
n.erom Spirit of True Religion, which I fuppofe to be
meant here by [ Thovay of life.] The word M?~G?
here rendred [ 11bove] may fignifie that which iJ divine
and heavenly, high And excellent, as the_ word dv"' does
in the New Teftament, 'T;, ~""' )(A~<7!ws, Phil. 3. 14.
~ ll."(J) <pe;"etn, Col.3 .2. Sc Au/fin fuppofeth the things
of Religion to be meant by th~ rrri; £vw~11-pm111.,for this
reafon, qu'od merito excellentite longe "ferant res ter-
renas. And in this fenfe I £hall con tder it, my pur~
pofe being from hence to difcourfo of the Excellent tind.
I
Nohle fP irit of true Religitm (whether it be taken in ttbf-
tr11l10, as i_t is in it felf; or in concreto, as it becomes aa
I
inward Form and Soul to the Minds and Spirits of
Good men; ) and this in oppofition to that low ,and
bafa-born fPirit of Irreligion, which is perpetually fin-
king from God, ~ill it couches to the very Centre of
mifery, i"llpf.? .,,N~,
the lowerm~ft Hell.
'In difcourfi~g upon this Argument, I £hall obferve
this Method; viz. I iliall confider the Excellency and
No/,leneff of Trr,e Religion ·
1. In its Rife and Original.
·z. In its Nature and Effence.
3. In its Propertie~ and Operations.
4. In its Progrefs:
· 5. -In its Term·and End.
C cc z CH. p~
 - . . .,.
380 The Excellency and-l{oblenefl of True (J{el~ion
CH AP. I.
1. The Nob~en~fs ofReligionin regard ofits Original
and Fountam:tt comes from Heaven and mDvu towards
Heaven again. God the Fir.f!Excellency and Primitive
Perfe~lion. All Perfelliois and Ex,;e!lencies ·in any
k~n_d ar~ to he meaf~red hy their approach to, and Plir-
trc1p1tt1~n. of, _the Frrft Perfellion. Religion the greAt-
eft Pttrtmpatton of God: none capahlc of thu Divine
Comm1mication h11t ~h~ H~ghefl of created Beings:
and confequently 1!-e~1gmi u the grea:eJ! Excellency.
:_A twofold Fountain tn God whence Relrgton jlowes,viz.
1. Hu Natttre. 2. HuWiU. - of Truth Nat11ral--11nd
Revealed. of an Outward and Inward Revelation of
God's Will. . from Chrift, who is the Only-bego~cen Son of God,
1, VVENoble
begin ~itl~ t~1e Fi~ll:, viz. True Religion u a
thrng zn its Rife and origi11al,. and in re-
g11rd of its Defcent. True Religion derives its pedio:ree
from Heaven, is [di\d~',{SI, 'T8 ~eseP; • it comes f~-om
Heaven, and confrant:ly moves· toward Heaven ao-ain:
i_t's a Beam from God, as every go(}d· and perfea'°_gift
M from abo~e, and co~es donm from the F_ ather·of lights.,
wzth whom is no varta~lenej ~or Jhadoiv of turn_ing, as
S. 1ames fpeaks. God 1s the Ftrjl-Trttth and Primitive
Gofl_dncJ_-· True Religion is_a _vigoro~s EjflNxa.nd Ema-
n11tum of· Both upon rhe Spmts of men, -and therefore
is called=" a participation of the divine Nature. Indeed
,. :.. Peter 1,
God hath copyed out·himfelf in all created Beincr0 ha-
ving no-other Pattern to frame any thing by b his ;t
own Effence ; fo that aU created Being is umhratilis
_/imi/it11d5. enth itJcre4ti, and is, by fome. ftamp or other
of -
in its f/{ife and 0t"iginal. , 38''1:
of God upon it, at leaft remotely allied to him : But
True Religion is fuch a Communication of the Divini-
ty, as none but the Highefi of created Beings are ca-
pable of. On the other fide Sin and Wickednef is of
~he bafef! and loweft original, as being nothing elfe but
a perfed degeneration from God and thofe Eterntt.l
R1,les of Goodnef which are derived from him. Reli-
gion is an Heaven-born thing, the Seed sf God. in the-
Spirits of men, whereby ~hey are formed to a ftmilitude
& likenefs of himfelf. A true Chriftian is evc:ry way of
a mo.ft noble Extracl.ion, of an heavenly and divine pe-
digree, being born cl.,w,~Jn fr9m above, as it is exprefs' d-
1oh. 3. The line of all earthly Nobility, if it were fol-
lowed to the beginning, would lead to A dam, where all
the lines of ·defcent meet in One; and the Root of all
Extratl:ions would be found planted in nothing elfe but
* .Adamah, red Earth: But a Chriftian derives his line* Gencfis 2.,
the jhining forth of his glory, and the Chattaller of his. per-
.fop, as he is ftiied Heb. 1. We m1y truly fay of ~nrill:
and Chr_iftians, as zebah and Zalmunna faid of Gide-
on's-brethren, As he is, fo 11re they ( according to their Judges 8.
capacity,) each one refembling the childrm of a king..
Titles of Worldly honour in Heavens heraldry are but-
only Tit11li vomin,iles; but Titles of Divine dignity
fignify fome Real thing, fome Real and Divine Com'.""
rnunications· to the Spirits and Minds of men. All
Perfed-ions and Excellencies in any. kind are to be mea-
fured bytheir approach to that Primitive Perfection.
of all, God himfelf;. and therefore Participation-Qf
the Divine nature cannot but entitle a Chriftian to the
higheft degree of dignity ~ Behold wh,t manner of love.-
the Father hath b~flowed ttpon-,u, that we fl,011,Uhe cal-·
Jedthe_Sons of Gotl, 1 Jo, 3. h _ - -
C cc 3 Thus:,

3"8 2 T'be Excellency and l{oblri1efi of T,.ue ~eligion
Thus much for a more genmtl difcovery of the Np•
hlenef of Religion as to its Fountain and Original; We
may_ further and more particularly take notice of this
in reference to that Twofol_d /011,ntain in God , from
whence· all true Religion flows and ilfoes forth, viz.
1. Hu Immtttahlc Nature. 2. Hu Will.
1. The Immttta/;le NAtttre of God. From thence a--
rife ~u thofe E.tern,cl Rules of 'l'rtith ,md Goodt1e.ff which
are the Foundation of all Religion, and which God
at the firfi: Creation folded up in the Soul of man.
Thefe we !Day call th~ Truths of NAtural infcription;
underfi:andmg hereby etther thofe Fundamental princi-
ples of Truth which Reafon by a naked- intuition may
beholdin God, or thofe neceffary Coro!ldries and De-
dullions that may be drawn from thence. I cannot
think it fo proper to fay, That God ought infinitely
to be loved becaufe he commands it, as bec~mfe he is
indeed an In'/inite at1d Unchangeable Goodnefl. God
hath fi:amf cf a Copy of his own Archetypal Loveli-
nefs upon the Soul, that man by reflecting into himfelf
might beh_ol~ th~re the glory of God,intrtt ftvidmDe-
11m, fee w1thm his Soul all thofe Ideas of Truth which
~oncem the Nature and Effence of God, by reafon of
1tsown refemblanceof God; and fo beget within him-
felf the mofi: free and generous motions of Love to.
God. Reafon in man being Lumen de Lsmine, a Light
:Rowing from the Fountain and Father of Lights, and
being, as T11/ly phrafeth it, participattt fimilitHdfJ Ratio-
nu cerntt (as the Law of Nature, the -,;~~ "Y&,;;{d~
the Law written in mans Hearr, is p11,rticipatio Legi4
tzterntt in R11tionali cre11t1tra) it was to enable Man ro
work out of himfelf all thofe Notions of God which
:ire the true Ground-wo1'k of Love and· Obedience to
God, and conformity to him : and in molding the in.-
ward
..
\
in iu (J{ife a,aJ Original: J8'3
ward man into the greateft conformity to the Nature
of God was the Perfection and Efficacy of the Religion
of Nature. But fince Mans fall from God, the inward
virtue and vigoui· of Reafon is much abated> the Soul
having fuffered a '1ileePppJuo·", as PlatfJ fpeaks, a deflrevi-
um pennarum : thofe Principles of Divine truth whicb
were fidl engraven upon mans Heart with t~e finger of
God are now, as the Charaa:ers of fome anc_ient Mo-
numents, lefs clear and legible then at'fltft. And,
therefore befides the Truth of N~tural infcription
. ~. God hath provided the Tmth of Divine Revelil-
ti1n which i(fues forth from his own free WiU, -and
clea;ly difcovers the way of our return to God, from·
whom we are fallen. And this Truth) with the Effett-s.
and ProduB:ions of it in the Minds of men, the Scri-
pture is wont to fer forth under the name of Grace, as,
proceeding m_er~ly from the fr~ bounty and o_ve_rflow- _ _
ings of the D1V1ne Love. Of th1s K~ve:led 1;f,tll ,1s ~hat __
of the Apoftle·to be underfto~d, im, ~ 0eY ijfa; o,?ev, 1 Cor. ~ x,r •.
None h1tth known the things if God; wJ'~, None, neither·
Angel nor Man, could know the Mind of God, could.
nnlock the Breaft of God, or fearch out the Counfels
of his Will. But God out of th'(! infinite riches- of
his Compaffions toward ·mankind is plea_s\i to unbo: _
.fom his Secrets, and moll: dearly to mamfeft the way.-Hcb~ews9•.
into ehe Holieft of all, and bring to ~ig_ht life and immo:- Tsmo, hy: 1-
2
tality, _and i!l thefe laft ag~s to fena h1s Son~ wh~ lay 10,
his bofom from all Etermty, to·. teach us h1s Will anct
declare his Mind to us. When we look 1mto the Earth,,
then behold'darHnef and dimnef of 4nguifb, that I may
ufe thofe· words of the ·Prophet Efay: But when we look
cowards Heaven, then behold light breaking forth up-
• QR u:;, like the Eye-lids o_f_ the Morning_, and ~pre~-
dina its wings over the Horizon of mankmd fitting mi
o. - da1· knefs;

.3 8 4 T/Je Excellency and ~oblenefi of True 'l{eligio11
darknefs and the {hadow of death, to g11ide our feet in•
to the ,vay of peace.
Bue befi~es this 01'twdrd re'1Jelation of God's ;,ill to
men, there 1s alfo an Inward imprejion of it on their
Mi~ds and Spirits, which is in a more fpecial manner
attributed to God. We cannot fee divine thin°s but in
~ divine light=. God only, who is the true light, and
rn whom there 1s no darkne[s at all, can Co fhine out of
himfelf upon our glaffy Underfrandings, as to beo-et in
them a pieture of himfelf, his own Will and Plefft.ire,
~nd tu~n the Soul ( as the phrafe is in :Job 38.'.) :9h~
L.i:,,n like wax or clay to the Seal of his own light and
l?ve. He chat made our Souls in his own imag~ and
likenefs, can eafily find a way into them. The Word
th~t. G?d fpeaks having found a way into the Soul, im-
pnncs 1t felf there as with the point of a diamond and
beco~mes Aoy@. ey~ryeg,p.p.iv~ &, 'Z"~ ~ f{9-V~v:;r@-,
fux~, that I may borrow Plato's expreffion. Men may
teach the Grammar and Rhetorick, but God teaches'the
Divini~j. Thus it-is God alone that acquaints the
Soul with the 'Tl'Nths ofRevelation: and he alfo it is that
does fl:rengchen and raife the Soul to better apprehen-
fions even of N11t11ral Truth: God being that in the
Intelletlrtal world which the Sun is in the Senfible
(o~ Ci! rro,:S- alc&inoL> onAt@,,,, rfd'(g C1I ,rol) J1onlo1> oe~o'.)
as ~ome o~ the ancient f, at hers love to fpeak, and the
ancient Phtlofophers too, who meant God by their Jn-
tellectusAgCjls, who[e proper work they fuppofed to be
not fo mudi co enlighten the object, ~s the Fac,elty.
\
.
·/
., . in its N..atur-e and Ejfeuct. 38 5
.- -
CHA Pe II.
2. The Noblenefs of Religion in refped: of its Nature,
briefly di(covered i~ Jome Particulars. How a man
acf,wed by Religion 1. lives above the world; 1,. con-·
'1Jerfes with himfelf, and knows how to l~e, '1Jaiue ~nd
reverence himfelf, in the be.ft fenfe ; 3. lives above
him(elf, not heing content to enjoy himfalf, except l,e
may enjoy God too, and himfelf in God. Bow he de-
nyes himfelf for God. To deny a mans felf, is not to
deny Right Reafon, for that iyere to deny God, in ftead
of denying loimfelf for God. Self love the only Prin-
ciple that aElswicked men. The happy privileges of 4
Sottl united to God.
VVEtohavedifcourfe
done "~ith the ~rft Head, and come now
with the like brevity an0cher
Gn
2.
( our pµrpofe being to infill: mofi upon the third Par-
ticular, viz. The Nohlenej of Religion in. its Proper-
ties, after we have handled the Second) which is The
Excellency and Noblenef of Religion in regard·of its Na-
ture, whether it be taken in abjf_racto or in concreto ~
which wefuall treat of promifcuoufly, without any ri-
gid tying of our felves to exacl: Rules· of Art: and fo
we {hall glance at it in thefe following Notions, rifing
as it were ftep by frep. _ .
1 . .A Good man, that u all11ated by Religion, lives a-
bove the World and all M1mdane !elights and e~cellencies.
The Soul is a more vigorous and puiffant thing,· when
it is once reftored to the po!feffion of its own Being,
-- then to be bounded within the narrow Sphere of Mor-
D dd tality,
 ,..
·

38 6 11:e Exa llency and' Ji.oUenefl "of True rJ(eligion
cility~ or to be frreighcned within the narrow prifon of
~en!ual and Corporeal delights ; but it will break
forth with the greateft veheme-acy, and afcend upwards
cowards Immortality: and when it converfes more in-
timately with Religion, it can fcarce look back upon its
ownconverfes (though in a fawfull way) with Earthly
things,with~ut a being touch'd with anholy Sh1tmefac'd-
nej & a modeft Blujhing; and, :is Porp~yry fpeaks of Plo-
timu, e~x.£1 Ji cu~WJjJ4iJ'f o'TI C4' Cr.Jµ.g,1, Jn, it feetns to
be a{hamed that it {hould be in the Body. It is only
True Religion chat teaches and enables men co dye to
chis world and to all Eatthly thiags, and to rife above
that vaporous Sphere of Sen[ual and Earthly pleafures,
which qarken the Mind and hinder it from enjoying
the _brightnefs of Divine light ; the proper motion of
in its J{ature a11J Ejfotte. 38_7·
ner as not being able to' leave thofe Dodies which they
we(e fo much wedded to in this life. . . .
z. A coed man, one that i,; acftuited_by Reltgton, l~ves
in conve,fe w,~h. hii own_ Reafon; he hyes at th~ height
Of l1 is own Bemer.
0
This a great ,
Plulofopher
f.u) , rfuJmakes
'I
the Property of a Good man, !-'.9r®, o 'T , ape'T E-X&J"
eGtu-n! Ct1'}''.),!l'€om.j J'wJam:(-f,. '1t SF_pyqv ea.utov • He knows
how to converfe with him{elt, and trulr to love a~d va-
lue him[elf: he meafures pot himfelf, like the Epicure,
by bis inferior and Earthly part, but by. an Immortal
Eifence and that of him which is from abov~; and fo
does ~ du) cii }c,.,u1~ drx/m _di•~i3~vqv, _cht~be l!P ~o
the height of that Immortal prm_c1ple which 1s :w1chm
him. The Stoicks though_t no m~n a_fit Aud1~0~ of
their Ethic ks, till h~ were d1ffo{fe[s d of th~t ?Ptn!on~
1

Religion is fiill upwards co its firft Original. Where- .
as on the contrary the Souls of wicked men ~~pJx,-
ctJ CutA-4cpJe9;ta,, as Plato Co1e1ewhere fpeaks, be-
ing moifl:ned with the Exudltions of their Senfual
parts become heavy and fink down into Earthly things,
and couch as near as may be to the Centre. Wicked
men bury their Souls in their Bodies : all their pro jeers
and defignes are bounded within the co1~pafs of this
Earth which they tread upon. T11e Fle01ly mind never
minds any thing but flefh, and never rifes above the
Outward Matter, but alwaies creeps up and down like
Shadows upon the Surface of the Earth: and if it be-
Th~t Man was nothing but Cu~'7rn.o~ +u~,i; '8 Cw~1
1@-., as profeffing to teach men ho'Y to_ l~v~ only y
Ao?Jii', as they fpeak. Perhaps their D1v1mty was m
{; e things too rigid; but I am Cure 4 Good man acts
1
11
; befl: of this their do&rine in ~he bdl _fenfe, .and
knows better how to reverence h1mfelf, w1th~ut a?y
SelMlattery or admiration, then e~er anr Storck did.
He principally looks upon hin~.felf ~s bemg wha~ he * xJ1 ,¥ M;,-
is rather-by hi°5 soul the~ by h~ Body: he values hun- ,r,!w (~t.w ~-
felf by hu soul, that Being which hath th: gr~at~ft af- G',~,,pJ.;,~,.
· · tl God • nd fo does not feek hunfelf rn the S,mp!,c. 111
11
d l E ;u
fifi mty w1 1 ? " . ._ .
ding vanities of tlns lite, nor m thofe pom an ow P· •
•

gins at any time to make any faint affays upwards, it dal;nbts

C tb
of his sen(cs 'J as wicked men doe; bu~
r. . ,, J' J
as the
£ J ~I
Philofopher doth well expre1s 1c, oan ~(X.fW ,.,,<P ? :11 ~
J

prefently finds it felf laden with a weight of Sen[uali-

"fll:l. rJ,~/l_f,'Z'i ~ ~ ~ c~ua.71;(.C(lJ/ ,mx.,3wv (-1; EtX.tJ1011
Ca,}-{9-1~
cy which craws it down agair.. It was the Opinion of QSl
'I'
I
/'JD J, ·.7 ,-,;r . . . r lf j
C £q . and when the-Soul thus remes into 1t 1e , anu.
the Academicks that the Souls of wicked men after
rheir death could not of a long feafon depart from the
Graves. and Sepulchers where their Mates were buri-
it:
vi:;s own worth and Excellen~y ,_it ?re(e!ltly find~._a
ch2.fr and Viro-in-lov.e flirr' d up w1tlun. 1t felr cowar~s it
ed ; but there wandred up and down in a defolate man- ·uelf , and is from within then1ore excited D dd 2
and oblige?
8~
ner,
 •
,..
' I' \..
The Excelkncy and 'l\T. in its N.ftu~re and Bffence.
388 ;_ •., '9 b',emF
~fl 01!
i 1 True 'l(eli~·i,m feem d to be nothing different from Rationality, and
~ o:iC.~11 ;)t,~ J/1.:.\
1
L, 'l' q>uA:x-xb.J . . . r
therefore he doubts not to give this for the moil: pro-
·rcoomind the prere . t; f~ ~, as S1mpl1c1ta fipe.1ks
rvmP- o 1cs own d. ·
11
conclude this Partkular A igmcy and glory.
' per Characterifm of Rea(on; That it is Vinc11,ltem Dei
co w~lk by Eternal and Unc!' a G~od man en:Ieavours & Hominis. And fo with them Cnot to name others of
Reajon in a Good man fit . 1an_,eaole Rules of Re-1fon• the fameapprehenfions) animal Rtttionale & animal ca-
I ismtheThr & ' pax Religioni-s [eem' d to be of the like importance; Rea-
t 1e Powers of his Soul . . ( hone, governs all
ment wich it felf: wh ma weet iarmony and agree- fon as ena~ling and fit-ting_Man to converfe with Godby
J'o~asix.wJ bemo- le ereas Wicked men live only (wnv kno1ving him and lovrng lum,be1ng a character moft un-
of their o~n Se~rua1 ~p andh dotn by the f?o\iili fires queftionably differencing Man from Brtete creatures.
there is a Dcm()cracy of
~iolemly hurry the Sou~v1
P~I~ ~tf
en wns. In wicked men
sand 1:afions, which
3. A Good man, one that u informed by True R.eligi-
on, lives above hirnfelf, and u ra~{ed to an intimate Con-
t1ons. All Sin and w· l kupd;in r. _own. with refllefs mo- verfe with the Divinity. He moves in a larger Sphere ,
,.. • 1c e ne1s 1s ' , "(; then his own Being, and cannot be content to enjoy
xn,., a Sedition {l:irred u l r;a,cm '3 u e,;., 7»~ ,+u-
Powers againft Reafon p int 1e Soul by the Senfitive himfelf, except he may enjoy God too, and himfelf in
F.~•icf io. thatSo/o~ r.
mon iaw under• theItwasoneofthearea.tE
Sun S o . v1·1 s God.
and Princes going r; , ervants on horfehack This we (hall confider two ways.
may fina the Mora1:r1~r~ants upon the gro11nd. W~ 1. In .the Self-denial of Good men; they are con-
So,,Ls are only as Ser It m every wicked man, whofe tent and ready to deny themfelves for God. I mean
In all fuch men the whva~tsCto '?it upon their Senles not that they {hould deny their own Reafon, as !o~e
01 e our1e of Nat · 'Jc •
up_{id ~ down, and the Card' l . • are IS turned would have it; for that were to deny a Beam of Dl·
this little world are h CT ;a pomts of Motion in vine light, and fo co deny God, in ftead of denying ~ur
But the Motions ofa Gcoandt,e . to contrary poGtions. felves for him. le js-1:>etter refolved by Come Phtlo-
l o manareM h d' · fophers in this point, that i?rr&10"'Y'f to fellow .Reafon
~!rand Concencrical to R f< , et o ic~l,Regu-
uon chat Religion lhould ea ~m.. Its a fond imagina- is i?TfSa., ew.;; to follow God; and again, Ahq; J o_p00
. . k
Rel ig1on ma es it more ill fr . ~
. excmau1m Rear.a
. i, n ; w 1enas
l 7ra:n:ta., 'B eecp, rrau1ov bS1- But by self-denial I tl}.ean,
they chat live moft in th U~ r~ous and vigorous; and the Soul's quitting all its own intereft·in it felf, and an
the~r Re11fon moll: enlar~:d~rc1[e o.~f eligion, lhall find entire Refignatton of it felf to him as t? all ~?ints of
fo'! m relation to the ca oacitacin~mo_ 1t adde, that Rea- :t
fervice and duty : and thus the Soul loves felt m G.?d, ·
with God was thouofa i; f< o of Man for converfe and lives in the·potfeffion not fo much of 1ts ow_n Berng
as of the Divinity; dcfiring only to be great tn God,
rem:e of Man Pl to , y ime to be the Formal Dilt'e-
. it arcv arcer a bro dl U' to glory in his Light,~nd [pread it felf in:his Fulne~s;. to
~rntes 11ad not Reafon in them . oe e)ate whether
lt negatively upon this a as well as Man., concludes . be fill' d alwaies by him,. and to ei.npty 1t [elf ag~m m-
to him ; to rece:ve all from him, and to expend all for
knowledge
, - and fenfce of tt:ihroDun~,
e e1ty Be~~mfe ' ' ,they , ':1.had no him. and fo to live not as its own:, but as God's,. The
PoiJg"L£. In Tt6!1·/s accoun h. ' a,~ mm ey?,tverix,t E>eH
' D ~d3 hig_hdl:~
.J t t t5 C,zpah!eneR
• 'J · Rel·rgton
J•' ol: .
feem'd
 •
590 . The Bxc:l~mcy a,1d l'{oblcnefl of True (J{eligio 11
htghefl: ambition of a Go()d man is to ferve the
h~
G_od_:
wm
rakes no p1eafure in himfelf nor in any thino-
w1ch1~ Iumfelf furth~r then he fees a ftamp of God
upon a. WJ1ereas wicked men are i'mprifoned within
the narrow circ~mference of their own Beings, and per-
petually fro~en into a col_d Self-love which hinds up all
t_he Innate v1gom~ of th_eir Souls, that it cannot break
for~h or e~~refs 1t fdf 1_n any noble way. The So1:1l in
~vluch Rehg1?n r~Ies, ~11es as S. P,u~l did,I live; and yet
not I, hutchrifl lzveth in me. On the contrary~ a Wick-
ed man fwe!ls ill h~s own t_houghts, ~nd pleafeth J1im-
felf more or lef~ with t½e unagination of a Self-fitfpci-
cncy. The Sto1cks, feemg they could not raife them-
fel~~s up to God, ~nde~v?ur to bring down God ro
then own Model, 1ma_gmmg the Deity to be nothing
Ye • elfe but fome greater kmd of Animal and a Wife man
Di1:~;;.~r~=~:;_ to be almofi_one of I:is * Peers. A~d this is more or
'Vir,Dcono,z f"o. !efs the Gemus ofW1cked men, they will be fomething
c~~s,t
1
fi'.P- m !hemfelves, they wrap up themfelves in their own
P x, cn.rn Bemer mov · a sphere of Self-love,
Ep. p,, & 31. • 1:,, e up an d down m
live a profelfed Independency upon God, and maintain
a Mertm & Tttttm between God :md themfelves. It's
the Chama.er .only of a Good man to be able to den
ai:id difown himfelf~ and ~o make a full furrender
Jm_nfelf unto Go~; forg:ttmg himfelf, and minding no-
J-
th~n~ but the W~ll o_f his Creator; triumphing in no-
thm.t, more th~n _1~ his own Nothfrigne/, and in the .All-
neJ! of the D1vm1ty. But inde~d this hisbeing No-
thm& 1s the only way to be all things ; this his ha vino0
nothmg. tl~e true~ way ~f poffeffing all things.
2. As_ a Good ~an lives abt1ve himfelf in a way of
Self de_mal, fo he lives alfo above himfelf as he lives in
_the EnJoyment·of G_n~: and this is the very Soul and Bf-
fence of True R-ehg1on, to unite the Soul in the nearefl:
intimacy
J
in it$ 1.'{ature and ~ffince. ·3'9 1
of
intimacy and conjunclion with God; who is -m,~
~,.,, v~, P''"' +uxn,, as Plotinm fpelks. Then indeed
tld~. ,
the Soul 'lives m~fl nobly, when it feels ic felf to live
an,!. move and have its Being in God 7- which though
the Law of Nature makes the Common condition of
all created Being, yet it is only T~ue Religion that can
giv1! us a more feeling and comfortable fenfe of it.
God is not prefent to Wicked men, when his Almigh-
ty Effence fupports them and maintains them in Being;
* )J.M' ~5"1 ~ J'z.wa.~j(d iS-i'}'qv ,;m.e)y, but he is prefe1Jt to~ Plotin. in .
him th4tcan touch him, hath an inward feeling know- lin. 6 .1. 9 .c 7 •
ledg~~ of God and is intimately united co him ; 'T~ j
dJ'z.wc:D~;r, a,m,pe5"Z, but to him that cannot thm touch him.
he t°5 not preJent.
Religion is Life and Spirit, which flowing out from
God who is th1t Aurro,w11 that hath life in him(elf, re-
turns to him again as into frs own Original,carrying the
Souls of Good men up with it. The Spirit ofReligion
is alwaies afcending upwards , and fpreading it felf
·through the whole Effmce of the Soul, lo9fens it from
a Self-confinement and narrownefs, and fo rend~rs it
more capacious of Divine Enjoyment. God envies not
his people any good, but being infinitely hountifllll is
pleafed to impart himfelf to them in this Hfe, fo_ far as
they are capable of his Communications : they ftay
not for all their happinefs till they come _to heaven.
Religion' alwaies carries its reward along with it;and
when i_t c1,cl:s moft vigorouffy upon.the Mirid and Spirit
of man, it the!) mvft of-all fills it with-an inward f~nfe
of Divine fweetnefs; To .conclude, To walk with God
is in Scripture made the Character of a Goo"tln:ian, and
it's the higheft ·perfection and privilege of Created Na-
iure co' converfe with the Divinity. .W.here;is on the
contrary Wicked men conver-fe•withriothing-but their
Lujlsi
 \
', -~
-3 9 2 T!,e Excellenc;y and J:{oblemjs of True <R.._el~fon
Ltif/:s and the Vanities of this fading life, which here
flatter them for~ while with unhallowed delights ~nd a
mere Shadow of Contentment; and when thefe are
gone,they find both S11hflanee and shadow too to be loft ·
Ete1mlly. But true Goodnefs brings in a conftant re-
Vt:nue of folid and fubfiantial Satisfaction to the Spirit
o.f a good man, delighting alwaies co fit by chofe Eter-
nal Springs that feed and maintain it: the Spirit of a
Good man ( as it is well exprefs' d by the Philofophtr)
dwi'TW) ei,1J'pulcx,l Elf 'T~ ~cnq, rf :}Jc« dyt..&ri'lflt~, & is al-
waies drinking in Fountain-Goodnefs, and fills it felf
more and more; till it be filled with all the fulnefs of
God.
CH AP. Ill.
· widens and enlarges all theFaculttflJ°fthe So1d,and /Jcgets
3. The Noblenefs of Religion in regard ofits Proper-
ties, &c. of-which this is one, 1. Religion enlarges
all the Facl:llties of the Soul, and begets a true Inge-
.nuity, Liberty and Amplitnde,-the mofl: ·Free and
Generous Spirit in the Minds of Good men. The
nearer any Being comes to God, the more large & free ;
the.ft1rther it jlides from God, the moreJlrethtned. Sin
i5 the finking of mans Sorel from God into Jenfual Self-
ijb_ne(I. An account when the mo.fl Generous freedom
of the Soul is to be taken in its j 11ft proportions. How
Mechanical and Formal chriflians make an Art of Re-
ligion, fat it f Hch Bounds 1t-f may not exceed the fca»t
Meefure bf their Principle.r ; 4nd then fit their ow»
Notions M fo many Examples.to it. A Good man finds
not his Religion without him, !mt d4 a living Princi-
ple within him. God's Jmm11tahle and Eternal Good-
nej the Unchange11~le R1'le of his Will. Peev{fh,
-- · · Self-
in its Pr~pcrties and Operations. 39 3
Self-ivi!l'd and Imperious me» jhape 011,t _{ttch Notitms
of God a,s are agreeable to this Pattern of themfelves.
'l'he Tmly Religious have better apprehenfions of God.
HAving difcourfed the Noblenef of-Religion in its o-
riginal and we come n~w t? confider the
Nat11re;
Excellency of Religion in its Propert!es., 1ts p~oper Ff
feels and vital operations. In trea~mg of this !htrd
Particular we fhall (as formerly we have done) without
tying our [elves pr'ecifely ~ arty fl:rici: Rules of Art and
Me.thod confound the Notions of Religion in abfl_ra-
/Jo ~md in concreto coo-ether, handling them promifcu-
oully. As Religion°is a nqble thing, 1. in refpecr ?f
its original, 2. in refpect of 1cs Nawre ; _ Co alfo 3· m
refpect of its Properties and Ejfells. _.
The Firfl: Propertie and Effell of rrne_ Rehg10~ I'
whereby it expreffeth its 0wn N_oblenef 1s this, That zt_
a true Ingenr1ity, Liberty and_ AmpltttJde, the moft fre_e
and (Jenerous Spirit,inth'e Min_ds of Good men. !hofe m
whom _Religion rules are t::J,,,~ \l:1, there 1s a true
Generous Spirit within them, which {hews the Noble-
nefs of their Extraction. The Jewes have a good
Maxime to this purpofe, j:,.o,vtu ,o N'7~ p,,n p l'N Pirke Avc,h
:-,i,rrJ, None tm.ly Noble, b11t he that applies_ hi~Jelf to cap. 6 • •
.Religion and'a faithftt!l obfcrvance of the Dtvtne Ltiw.
'111/ly could fee [~· m~ch in fos Nat~ral P_hilofopbJ _as
made him fay, Setentza Naturte ampltat_ a;m'!~m, & ad
divina attollit: But this is mofl: true ot Religion, that
in an hicrher fenfe it does work th~ Soul into· a true &
divinea°mplitrede.. There is a living Soul ofRelig!on in
Good m~n which, fpreading it felf through all their fa-
culties, fpirits all the Wheels of motion, and en:ibles
them to dilate and extend.:hemfelves more fully upon
Eee God
 . ~J \
•,,.~
The Exallency ancl N,__oUeizejs of True ff(eligio,z
God and all Divine things, withou't ~~ing pinched .or
ifreightene~ ,vithi~ themfelves. ~l:ereas wicked· men
a·re of moft narrow and confined Spmts, they are fo con-
traded by the pinching partictllarities of Emhly and
cre~ted thi~gs~ f? irnprifone? in a ~ark dungeon ?f Se11-
f11alitj and selft.flmej, fo ftre1ghtned through their Car-
nal deftaris and Ends, that they cannot ftretch them-
felves n6r look beyond the Horizon of 'Time ~nd Sen_{e,.
The nearer any Being comes to God, who 1s. that In-
finite follnefs that fills all ffi all, the more vaft and
large af!d tmhou_n1ed it ~s; as the further it fl~des fron~
him,the more 1t 1s jlretghtne~ & confined;_ a_s Plat~ hath
fono- firtce concluded concermng the condmon of Sen-
foalmen, that they live ;ciplfJ ,Nw,1v_, like~ shel}fo~ .1~~
~an never move up and down ~utm_ ~heir .o~~ pnfon,
which they ever carry about with them •. W e_re I to .de-
fine Sino; I would call it The finking of a. Mims Soul
from Godtnto a Smfu_'M Selftfo_nef. All the F(eedom that
I
wicked men have, is but (like that <?f ban1~1ed men)
ii
'!
to wander up and down in the ,vilderners of this world
from one den and cave to another.
The more high and Noble any Being is, fo m11ch ihe
deeper radicatio'?- h:1ve aH i'cs Innate v_ertu.~s an.d_P.rop'e:.~
ties within it and are by fo much the m"Dre Untverfitl in
t l rhdr iifues ;nd actings, upon other thi~gs : and fuch
1
l a·n inward living pd~ciple of yirme ~nd a~ivitr furthe_r
hei ofaned and united and informed with Light and
Trrith we ma~ call L/herty~ Of this mily~rioble and d~7
yine Liberty~eligiori is :~e.M.o.t.he! ahd_~~t~e,.lead~ng
the Soul to G~d, and fo 1mpregnatmg t~at mward ~ital
·princple:of aefi'l!ity-and. ,v~gou~ tha~ is em~o[orn'din it,
that it is able without any inward d1fiurb~nce and refifi:-
·aµce fro in ~11y _C<?~trolli~g L~~~ .t~ ~)ferci~e it. [elf, ~~~
act with the greateft compfac:ency m the moft full and
ample

1he E:xceOem:y and Jx.oblemfl of True 1{.eligion
flip. But God when he gives his Laws to men., 6oes
not by virtue of his Abfolute dominion ditlate any thing '
at randome, and in Cuch an arbitrarious way as fome
·imagiffe; but he meafores all by his own Eternal Good-
. nefs. Had God himfelf been any thing elfe then the
F irfl and Greatefl Good of man, then to have loved him
with the full ftrength of all our Faculties fuoul<:l not
have been the Fir.ft a11d Greatefl Commandment, as our
Saviour tells us it is. Some are apt to look upon God
as fome Peevifl, and Self rvi!l'd thing, becaufe them-
felves ar~ fuch: and feeing that their own .dhfoliete arrd
naked Wills are for the moll: part the Rules of all their
acrions and th~_ impofitions \Vhich they lay upon o-
thers ; they tlunk that Heaven's Monarchy is fuch an
arbitrary thing too, as being govern,d by nochina elfe
~ut by an Almighty· Abfolttte Will. Bnt the Soul that
1s acquainted moll: intimately with the Divine Will
would more certainly reColve us, That God's Un~
c_hangea~lc Goodnef (which makes the Divinity an Uni-
form thmg and to fettle cogether upon its own Centre
as I may f~ea~ with r_everence) is aifo.the Unchangeab!;
Rstle of his Wtll; neither can he any more fwervefrom
it, then he can fwerve from him[elf. Nor· does he
chlr~e any Du~y upon m_an wi~hout confulting firft of
all with his_Goodnej: which bemg the Original and ad-
equat~ ObJeet of a Good m3.n,s Will 3.nd affections .it
muft ·needs be that all the iffues and efHuxes of it be ~n-
tenaip'd \v_itl.1 an an~werable complacency & chearful-
nefs.. Tl11S 1s the hinge upon which all tnre Religion
turns, the r.roper Cencreabout which it :moves'.) which
·ta½in~ a f~ft & fur:ehold of an innate and correfporident
Prmc1ple m the Soul of man,raifech it up above the con-
fihes,o~ Mortality, and in the day 0f its mighty power
makes 1t become a.free-will-Offering: unto God.
CHA.P.~
in its .Properties_and Operationr_. 397,,
CH AP- IV.
The second Property difcovering the_ Noblenefs of Reli"-
on, viz. That it reftores man to t1 JUft power and d~-
minion over himfelf, enables him _to overcome his
Self-will and Paffions. of Self-w~ll? and the many
Evils that flo,v from it. That Reltgto_n doe! nowhere
difcover its power and prowefs (o m11ch, tU t~ {ubdu- _
ing thu dangeroru and potent Enemy. 1he f!tghefl a~~
Nobleft Vilfories are thofe over our Se~f-w1Uand Paf-
. fions, of Self-denial, and the hav~ng_ po~er over
,, Wills; the Happinejs.and the Frtvt~et,es of fu_ch_
01
State How that Magnanimity_ and Puiyance which
~~ligi;n· begetJ in Holy Sort-ls d~Jfers from and _exceUs
. that Gallantry and Puilfance which the_great Nimrods
of thi5 world boa fl of. · ·
2
HE Second Property or Ejf~EI of Religio~,. where•· •
T by it di[covers its ow~1 ~oMenefs ( an~ lt 1s fome.. ·
what a-kin to the former Pamcu!ar' ~nd will _help fur-
l· ·to illuftrate and enforce it) 1s this, 'That zt reflores
1
~ ~:od man to a j,~ft power anddominio~·ov_er himfelf and
h· will ·enables him to overcome h1mfelf, hr& own
/1:~:ill and Pa{sions and to corn·mand himfelf & all bu
P:~~rs for God. 'Tis' only Reli~ion that r_e!tores that
aAJ11i~atnov which the Stoical Philofophy fo 1mpotfntly .
\ reten·ded to·; it is this ~nly that _en~hr~nes 1;11an s de=
Pofed Reafon, and e{l:abliilieth w1thm him a JUft•. Em
p ire ov·er all tho[e blind Powers and P~ffions whic~ ~o
.f m etuouil rend a man from the pofleffion-and eDJOl-
mfnt of hi~felf. Thofe turbulent a~d unruly' unce~-
.. and unconftant Motions of Pafazon and self-nnll
tatn f. ee 3 that.

-s-98 Tbe Excellenty 4nd 1'{ohle11ej. of True (J{eligion
that dwell in degenerate Minds, divide them perpetu-
.ally_ from themfelves, and are alwa1es molding feveral
fachonsand tumultuous combinations within them a-
gai_nft the dominion ~f Reafo!1• A~d_ the only way to
!'l!t~e ro~n. fi~rnlr to_ htmfelt 1S ~y _umung ~im to Go~,
Jt.nde~abhib1.ng .~I) ly~.a.fi.rm amity and.ag~~em.ent wfoh
.the .F.irft ~o,d Prnn.mve Being. -
:f here is nothing in the ·world fo boifterous as a
_,p:ian's.own self.w.ill,_ which is nev.erg~ided_by,?nifixt
.Qr ~~ddy Rule~~,but_ 1s perpeq1~Uy hurnedfo and fro by
·.a:hhnd~~ f~nou.s_t,n.pet~; 9.f Pride and PafsiOf!t iffuing
from w1thm 1t{elf. T ~1s 1_s t~~ .true fom:ce_ and _Sp_ring·
,_of ,~11 th~t pn~y, ]tlalt~e, Bttter{tefs of.Spirit, ¥,ale-
,CQ;;,tente,dnefa .,.1n~ Imf(lttef!cy, of _all :chofe .black and
.4.f1:,k 1:Afsi()»s, -.th.o(e.im>~4if!.a~e 4efires .and lu.fts, that
-.i:e~g~ m .the ht;arts;andlives of,wic.ked men. A-man's
p~n ~elf-w_ill. chrow.:s .him o~ut of all true e.njoym~nt of
his own Bemg: therefore it was our S~viours counfell
to his difciples, In patience p~lfefs yo11r 'so,els. ··W.emay
{ay of that -Self-will which islo~g\i tn ~h.e 4~art of-a
w~tked man,-as the Jews fpea.k. of t4~-Viit 7~, .figme.n-
-~u'!'mAl1em [? often m_ention'.d i,n t_4eir,Wrid~gs, :-th.at
·~t 1s:.rWJ~ •~l!J,-.th~,Pr~~c;e of.de9th.a.nMar,k.11~fs1which
·1S at ~Qntmual enm1ty..w1th. Heaven;~PdJZJMJi1)~~Qt\it the
:.~lthin.efs_.and.poifonofthe-Se1:pen_c. Tl* i·s th~.Seed
~the-Ev:il; Spirit •lVhich,i~1perpe(qallylat e.ninlfr,wii:h:~~e
·Seed ofG~d an~,theB:eave~"!born:Natµre _: It'~~~.Ggn
i,and fcope 1s w1th,a·:Gta~t~hke ,:pnde co_cl~~q~~P)•~Jo
the 'Throne of-the Alm1ghty,.. and- to dbbhili ..an im-
~bo~nd~d·Tyr~nny incontradi~ipn ~o the'\¥ill.ofG.od,
·.whieh '1S nothmg elfe but the 11fµe.a~d 1•.-ffl!!x·:.ofJiis E-
. ternal ·and Unooqnded Go~dne[s.. This, is::~h·e ~-V;e,;y
,He~,;tof-the old-Adamthatis w1.thm men. Thlsjs the
·HeHiili Spirit -of Self-will: .it.would;iqieJY.:P.~ft(cr~&e
., laws
,,,/·
bi it. Properties ani.l Operatfonr. 199
~e
laws to all things ; it would fain the fonrc~ and foun•
tai~ of all affa~res and events_; it would j~d_ge al! things
a~ its own Tribunal. They m whofe Spmts tlllS Prin-
ciple rul~s, would have th~ir own Fancies and Opini-
ons, their perverfe and bo1fterous Wills to be the juft
Square and Meafure of all Good and Evil; thefe are the
P,lurhb-lines they applie to all things to find out their
Reflit11de or obliquity. He that will not fubmit himfelf
to 11or comply with the Eternal and Uncreated Will but
i~ fie~d of it endeavours ~o fee up his own will, O:akes
himfelf the mojl real idol m the world, and exalts him-
felf againft all that is called·God and ought to be wor-
{hipp>d. To worfhip a graven Image,or to make cakes &
burninc~nfeto the Queen of heaven, is not a worfe Ido-
latry then it is for a inan co fee up self-will, ·to devote·
himfelf to the ferving of it, and co give up himfelf to
a complyance wtth his own will as contrary to the Di-
vine and Eternal Will. When God .made the World
he did not make it merely for the e:&ercife of his Al~
mighty power, and then throw it out of his hands, and
leave it alone to fubfift by it felf as a thing tha_t had no
further relation to him: But he derived himfelf throuo-h
the whole C_reation, _fo g~thering and k~itting ~p ~U
~~e fevera_l pieces _of 1t agam; that as the firfl: produ-
cl:10n and the continued Subfifience of all things is from
of hi1?1felf., ~o the ultim_ace refolution and tendency of all
thmgs might be to h11n. Now chat which fidl: endea-
voured a Divorce between God and his Creation, and
to make a Conqueft of it, was that Diabolical Arro-
:gancyandself-will that cre·pt u.p.and wound it felf Ser-
·pent-lik~ into apoftare Mi11ds ~nd Spirits. This is the
'true ftraiil.of that Hellifh ·n:iture, to live independently
ofGod, and to derive the Principles from another Bt-
gilirling,. and carty on the line of all motions and ope-
rations,
 4co
TT,e E,wllmcy. and N_pblenefl of True (J{.eligiot& .../
rations to another End, then God himfelf, bywhom and
to whom and for wh0m all things fub~fr. . . him, and with an even and indifferent Mind behold the
From what hath been faid conce·r~mg tlns powerful
and dangerous Enemy that wars againfr our Souls and
againil: the Divine Wi~l,. may the E:'cellen~y and No-
ble Spirit of True Religion appear,_m that it_ umes the
impecuoufnefs and turbul~ncy of this_ Self-will. Then
indeed does Religion pertorm the h1gheO: and brav~ft
conquefrs ,. then does it difi:hy the greatne~s of its
ftreno-th and the excellency of 1cs power, when 1t over-
comts this 0 reat Arimaniiu, that hath fo firmly feated
.. Pirkc Avoth himfelf in the very Centre of the Soul. * ··w:il ,a, Wh_o
cap. 4• is the man of Courage and V.t1-lortr? ,,~, n~ w:i,_:Jii, ~t
is he that f,ebdrus his Conrnp~fcence, lus own Will; 1t
-is a Jewifu Maxime amibuteato Ben zoma, and a moft
undoubted crnth. This was the grand LefTon that our
oreat Lord & Mafrer came to teach us, viz. 'To deny our
~wn Wils;neitherwas there any thing that he er,deavor' d
more to promote by his own Example, as he tel~s us of
lt John 6. 3s. himfelf, * I came down from hearuen, not to doe 17!tne own
Pfalm 40 • . ,vi IL, but the will of him that fe~t r:ie ; .and agam, Lo, I
Hebrews 10. come ( in the ruolteme of the Bo~k it_ t5 _wqtten of me) to ~o
thy will, o God, y_ea thy ~aw 1c wtthm my heart : an~ m
his o-reatefr agomes, w1th a clear and chearful fubm1ffi-
Lukc ::.::.. on fo the Divine will, he often repeats it, Not my will,
6
Mark ! 4 • 3 · btJt thy will be done: andfo he hath tau~ht us to_ tray·
·and fo to live. ·This indeed is the true life and fp1nt of
Religion, this is Religion in i~s _Meridian altitude,
its juft dimenfions. A true Chrdhan that hat!1 power
over his own Will, may live nobly and happily, and
enjoy a perpetually-clear heaven with_in the Sere7:ity of
his own Mind. When the Sea of this World 1s moft
rough and tempefi:uous about hi~n, then can he rid.e
fafely at Anchor within the haven, by a fweet comply.-
ance
in its Properties and OperatioH1~ 401
· gnceofhis will with God's Will. He c:an look about
World either to fmile or frown upon him; neithet
will he abate of the leaft of his Contentment, for aU
the ill and unkind uf~ge he meets wi chall in this life.
He that hath·got the Mallery over his own Will, feels
no violence from without, finds no contefts within;
and like a fl:rong man, keeping his houfe, he pre[erves
all his Goods in fafety : and wLen God calls for him
ont of this ftate of Mortality, he finds in himfelf a
power to fay down his own life; neither is it fo much
taken from him, as quietly and freely furrendred up by
him. This is the higheft piece ofprowefs, the nob~eft
atchievement,by which a man becomes Lord over h1m-
felf, and the Mafter of his.own Thoughts, Motions and
Purpofes. This is the Royal prerogative, the high
_dignity conferred upon Good m~n by ~ur Lord al'!-d Sa-
viour, whereby they overcommg this both His and
their Enemy, their Self_-will and Pa/ions, are enab~ed
to fit down with him in his Throne, as he overcommg
in another way, is fet down with-his Father in his
Throne~ as the phrafe' is Reve/11,t. 3.
Relif;ion begets the moft Heroick, Free And qene-
rtJm-motions in the Minds of Gooel men. There 1s no
where fo much of a truly Magnanimous and raifed Spi-
rit as in thofe who are heft acquainted with the power
of Refo:,fon. Other men are Slaves and Captives to
one Va~ity or other : but the truly- Religious is above
them all., and able to command, himfelf and all his
Powers for God. That bravery andga!lantnej 'Yhich
feems to be ·in the great Nimrods of this world is.no-
thing elfe but the [welling of their own unbounded
pride and vain ..glory • . It hath been ob_ferved ~f the
greateft Monarchs of the world, that m the m1dft of
Ff f their
402 T/Je Excellency anJl'{oblmefl of True ~ligion
their Triiemphs they themfelves have b~en led capth.•es
to one rice or another. All the Gallantry ~nd P11i{fance
which• the Bravefr Spirits of the world boafi: of, is
but a poor confined thing, and extends it felf only to
fome Pttrticttlar Cafes and Circum(tances : .. But the
ValtJttr and Preijfance of a Soul impregnated by Religi01i
hath in a fort an Univerfal Extent, as S. Paul fpeaks
of himfelf, I can doe all things thro1tgh chrift which
ftrengtheneth me ; it is not determined to chis or that
Particular Object or Time or Place, but '7lri11'TtX- a!L
things whatfoever belong to a Creature fall under the
levd thereof. Religion is by S. Paul defcribed to be
,m6uf{9- J'u.uu.'~w; the Spirit of porm in oppofition t<;> the
Spirit offear,2 Tim.r .as all Sin is by Simplicias wel de-
fcribed to be dJ'u.ua-pJ.a, impotency & wea_knej. Sin by its
deadly infufions into the Soul of man wafts and eats,
out the innate vigour of the Soul, and cafrs it into foch
a deep Lethargy, as that it is not able to recover it'felf:
But Religion,like that Baljam1tm vit£, being oncecon-
veighed into the SoPl, awakens and enlivens ir, and
makes it renew its firength like an Eagle., and mount
firongly upwards towards Heaven ; and fo uniting the
Soul to God; the Centre of life and frrength, it ren-
ders it undaunted and invincible. Who can cell-the in-
ward life and vigour that the Soul may be fill'd with,
when onceic isin conjunction with an Almighty Ef-
fence,: There is a latent and hidden virtue in the Soul
of man ,vhich then begins to di[cover it felf when the
Divine Spirit fpreads forth its influences upon it. Eve-
ry thing the more Spiritual it is, and the higher and no-
bler it is in its Being, the more active and vigorous it
is ; as the more any thing falls- and finks into Matter,;
the more dull and fluggi{h & unwieldy it is. The Plato-
nljls were wont to call all things that participated moll:
of
in its Properties and Operations. 40}
of Matter Jvfwi; p)i ,j'vfct- • . Now nothing"tlpth inore pu-
rifie, more fublimate and exalt the Soul then Religion,
when the·Soul fuffers God to jitw1thin it ra a refiner and
prtrifier of Silver, and when it ahides the dfl,J of-his co-
ming; for he is like a repner' s fire and like fullers Jope,
Ma). 3. Thus the So~l being purified and fpititualliz'd,
and changed more and more into the glorious Image of
God, is able to doe all things, ottt of wettknej is made
_flrong, gives· proof of its Divine vigour ani acl:ivicy,
and fhews it felf to be a Noble and Pui{fant Spirit, fuch
as Gpci did at firft create it.
CHAP.V.
The Third Property· or Effect di/covering the Nohlenej
of Religion, viz. That it directs and enables a··man
t9 propound to himfelf the Bell: End, vi{. The Glo-
ry of God, and his own becoming like-· unto God.
Low and Partirnlar Ends and Interefls both debafe and
, _ftreighten a mans Spirit: The Univerfal, Highefl and
La.ft End both ennobles and enlarges it. A man is fuch
M the End is he aims at. Thegredt power the End hath
to mold and fafhion man into its likenef. Religion ob-
liges a man ( not to /eek him{elf, nor to drive a trade
for himfclf; hnt) to [eek the Glory of God, to live
,vholy to him; and guides him fteddi~y and ttniform-
ly to the one chief Go~d and La_ft End. Men are prone
to flatter themfelves with a pretended aiming at the
Glory'of God. A more fi,tl and dijlinll explication of
rvhatis meant l,y a mans direlling all his a[fions to the
Glory of' God. What it is truly and mdly to glorifte
God. God's feeking his' Glory in refPell of ,u is the
J
F ff 1 flowing
..io4. Tbe Excellency and *blem.fi of True 1{.eli,gion
flowing forth of hil Goodntjs upi» m: -ONr faeking the ·
Glory· 1f Crod is our endeavo1'ring to partake mere of
Gbd, 11i;J to refemblt him ( M much ,r,s we c11n) in true
Holinefl 4nd ev~ry Divine Yerttte. That we ttre vot
nicely t~ Jij}i~guijb between the Glory of Ged and 111r
iWn S11lv.1tion. That Salvation ii nothing elfa for the
mAin b11t atr,te PArticipAtion of the Divine N1tt11re.
To love God 4/;ove "" [elves> i,s not to love him 11,hove
the SalvatioN of our Sosls; /711,t a/Jove our particular
Beings and A-bove oar finfi.1/l ~ffc[/ions, &c. The Dif
ference between Things that are G-ood relativ-ely~,. 4 »d
thofe that are Good abfol11tely and Eflentiallj: Tliat in
tHff ~nnformity tHhefe God i,s mofl gJ,r.ipe_d, 11nd we 11re
made mo.ft Happy. _
3.
·
TH~ Third_ Pr,perty or EjfeEf whereby Religion
dtfcovers as own Excellency, is ·this, Tb,a it.di--
· fills aU in alf. ·
rel/! and u;11h/es ~- 1'1Mf! t(} propound to himfalf the- Beft
E~tWd Scope_ of life, ~z .. _Tke Glory of Gof the Highejl
]!emg., 1twd hu uw11 d.f1mtlatt1J1J. Dr he&1Jm111g like tmtu
God.
. That Chri~i~ in-wh?mReligioarules powerfully.,
ts ~ot fo low_ rn !11s amh1~fons as to pnn·fae.any of the
thmgs of dus w-orld as his Ultimate End: his Soul is
too hig for earthly defigaes and interefts; -but un<ler-
ftand~g himf~f; to '?me fr?m ·God, he is coratinuully
ffturnmg to htm.ag~tm. It 1s not worth- me while for
the Mind of Man t-o purfue- any Perfoction lower then
~ts o:w.n, or_to aim_ at~my ;EnJ.more ignoble then it felf
115. The;r<e lS nothmg that more fireigkttns and cD.nfines
the free-born soul the~ th~ p1tNic,N:lar_ity, inJ!igency .and
p:e1U1ry of t ~ End _w.luch 1:t purfoes : whenit com}}iies
moft of aU with this lower wor.h.i~ ~n f.19,Ai,a. ,i mitt~-
cn01 •<pui€n'Tt(1µg., ~X'h. as is well ohferv.ed by au ex-
cellen.t
in its Properties a11d' Operatiom. 4·c;,;
cellent Philofopher, the trae NDhlenejl and Freelomt
of it is then mofl difPutable> and the Tide it holds
to true Liberty becomes moft litigious. It· 11wer
more ilides and degenerates frotn i~ felf, th.en iv.hen it
becomes enthrall'd to fome P11rtiCFJl11r inttre/J: .as on
the other ft.de it _never ads mort freely or_ follJ-, then
when it extends tt felf tiix,n the mofi Urwuerjal Entf.
Every thing is fo much the more Noble, quo longitnes
hJJer fines, as was well obforv'd by:TullJ. A_s Jtr.1J ~nJs
debafe3. mans fpirit,fupplant &_rob :itof1ts birth:right;
fo the High~fl and Lafe En~ ratfes amd eRnoble..r It~ a_od.
mlarges it into a more Um1v~rfal and romprehenfive .
Capacity of e~joying t~at one U,nbounded Go?r:inefs-
which is God htmfelf! 1t makes 1t fpread .alld ddate 1t-
felf in the Infimi·te Sphere of the Divine Being and
:Bleifednefs, 1t makes itlive in· the Fulnefs of .Him '1lat
.
· Every th~ng is moff: "rop_erly f~h as t_he En~ is.
which is aim d at .- the M1md of man 1s al wares ihap11®
it felf into a conformity as much as may be OO't·ha-r:
which is his End• and the nearer it draws to h in the·
~tchievemem: r;he:eof, thegrea:ter likends- it bear~ ,t()
it There is a Plafi:ick Virtue, a Secret Energy tifll•
in•o forth from chat which the Mind propounds to it-
felf as-its End to mold and fafl1ion it ac<:ord:ing to it!i
own Model., The Soul is· alw.11:es :ftamp,cl with the
fame Char.afters th-at are en-graven upon the: End it ·
aims at; and whHe it converfeswith ir, and fets it (elf
before it it iJ. turi!led ~ W4X to the Seal, to ufe. :that
i;
phrafe fob. Man's Soul conceives aLl its Though~s .
and Imaginations before his_Eml, as La~11Jls Ewes d1do-eneGs r,o;..1
their·young before the Rods m t·hewatermgtr~ughs. ~e
that purfues any worldly interefi: or earthly tfong as h1s
End becomes himfidf alfo ~J'n~ Earthly : & the more
' F ff 3 the
 406 Tbe Excellency and l'{ohlenejs of True <I{eligion
th~ Soul directs it felf to God, the more it becomes
r:hoE1J°'Tis God-like, deriving a print of that glory and
b~auty upon it felf which it converfeth with, ar· it is
.2 Corinth. 3. excellently fet .forth by the Apofi:le, But we __aU with
open face, beholding tU in a glaf the gll»'-y-.gf the Lord,
are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory.
That Spirit of Ambition and Popularity tfiat fo violent-
ly u:,mrporcs the Minds of men into a purfui c of Vain-
glory, makes them as vain as that Popular air they live
upon: the Spirit of. this world that draws forth a .
mans defignes after world! y interefts, makes him as
unftable, unconfi:ant, tumultuous and perplex'd a thing
as the world is. On the contrary, the Spirit of true
Religion fteering and directing the Mind and Life to
God, makes--it an Uniform, Stable and quiet thing,
as God himfelf is: it is only true Goodnefs in the Soul
of man guiding it fteddily and uniformly towards God,
directing itand all its actions to the one Lafr End and
Chief Good, that can give it a true confiftency and
compofednefs within it felf.
·. All Selffee king and self love do but imprifan the
Soul, and confine it ro its own home: the Mind of a
Good man is too Noble, too Big for fuch a Partirnlar
life; he hath learn' d to defpife his ovi;,•n Being in com-
parifon of that Uncreated Beauty and Goodnefs which
is fo infinitely tranfcendent to himfelf or any created
thing ; he reckons upon his choice and be.fl: affections
and defignes as too choice and precious a treafure to be
fpent upon fuch a poor forry thing as himfelf, or upon
any thing elfe but God himfdf. .·
This was the life of Chrifr, and is in fome degree
the life of every one that partakes of the Spirit of
Chrifi. Such Chriftians feek not their own_glory,
but the glory of him that fent them into this world_:
they
in its Properties anJ Operations.
they know they were brought forth intv this world;
· not to fee up or drive a trade for themfelves, but to
ferve the will & pleafure of him that made them, & to
finiili that work he hath appointed them. le were not
worth the while to have been born or to live, had it
been only for fuch a penttriofl!,End as our felves are: it
is moft God-like and befl:foi-cs with the Spirit of Reli-
gion, for a Chriftian to live wholy to God, to live the
life of God, having hu own life hid with chrift in God;
and thus in a fober fenfe he becomes Deified. This in-
deed is fuch a Gewo-z; Deification as is not tranfatred
merely ·upon the _Stage of Fancy by Arrogance and
Prefumption, but in the highefi Powers of the Soul
by a living and quickning Spirit of ~rue Religion there
uniting God and the Soul together m the Unity of Af-
feaions, Wilt and End. _
I fhould now pafs from this.to another Particular;
but becaufe many are apt to mifapprehend the N ocion-..
of God's glorj, and flatter themfelves with their pre-
tended and imaginary 11,iming at the Glory of God, I
think it may be of good ufe, a little further and more di-
ftinetly. to unfold the ne{igne that a Religious mind
drives on in dire[/ing it [elf and all its at1ions to God.
We are therefore to confider, th::tt this doth.not confill:
in fome 'Tranfient thoughts of God and his Glory as the
End we propound to our felves in any Undertakings:
a manaoes not direct all his actions to the Glory of God
by forming a Conception in his Mind, or {l:irring up a
ftrono Imagination upon any Action, Thau hat muft
be Jo~ the Glory of God: it is not the thinking Qf God's
glor,y that is glorifying of him. As all other parts ~f
lleligi0n may be apijhty acted over by Fancy a?J~ Imagz-
nation, fo alfo may the Internal parts of Rel1gton ml-
ny times be acted over with. much feemiog grace by
our
j
 408 11,e Excellency and l'{oblenefs, o[Trut'l{el~ion
our F_4ncy ind PAjions; thefe often love to be drawino
the p1d:ures of Religion, and tife their be.fl: arts to ren~
-0er them ~ore b~a~tifull a~d pl~afing. But though
-tr~e Pracrical Religion derives 1ts, force an~ beauty
thr~ugh ~ll the Lower Powers of a mans Soul,. yet ir hath
~ot IES rife nor throne the:re: as Religion confifts not
ma F~rm of ~urds which fignifie nothing, fo neith~r
• doth lt confiJ m ~ Set of F ancits or Intu·n4l apprehm•
J0 ~· 1:S· s. ftons. Our Saviour hath heft tau 0 ht what it is tol1've
~;;:;;;z;fft- ~o God's ~lory, or fogl?rifie God: viz. to be frnitfull
td.,th,uy~bear m. all ~olm~fs, and to lrve fo as that our lives_ may
,nu.c}, fruit, fume Wlth his grace fpreading it felf through our whole
man. ·
We r~ther gloripe God by entertaini~g the Impreffi-
o~s of h1S Glory upon ns, then by communicating· any
kmd of Glory to him. Then does a Good man become
th~ Tabernacle of_ God wherein the Divine Shechi~ah
· dees reft, ~nd ~h1ch th~ Di_vine glory fiJls, when the
frame of fos Mmd and Life 1s wholy according to that
• As it is faid Idea and lt Pattern which he receives from the Mounr
cf the Material We belt glorifie him when we grow mofr like to hi · :
and_we r.h n a~c; moft fcor h'1s g10ry, when a true · Spirit
m. ·
Tabernacle, ..n.
Exoduj i~. e_
of~anfltty, ::fujlict, Mee_lmef, &c. runs through alrqnr
ati1ons ; when we fo_ l~ve m the World as becomes
thofe that converfe with the great Mind and Wifdom
of the whole World, with tlia.t Almighty Spirit that
~ade, fupports ~nd gov.ems all things, with thatBe-
mg frorp whence all good flows, and ia which thereis
~()Spot, Stain or Shadow of Evil; and fo beingcap-
t!11ated and overcome by the fenfe of the Divine Iove-
Jmefs and goodnefs, endeavour to be like-him, and con-
form our felv.es as much as may be to him.
. Wl1en God feeks his own Glory., he does not fo much
endeJvour any thing without himfelf. He did not bring
this
in its Properties @cl Oper4.tions. . ,4,09
thisftately fabrick of the Univerfe into Jking_, that he
might for fuch a Monument of his mighty Power and
Beneficence gain fome P11negyricks or Applaufe from :i
little of that fading breath which he had made. Nei-
ther was that gracious contriv_ance of reftoring Iapfed
men to himfelf a Plot to get himfelf Come Eternal
Hallelujahs, as if he had fo ardently ·thirfted after the
layes of glorified fpirits, or defired a Quire of Souls to
figg forth his praifes~ Neither was it to let the World
fe,;: how Mttgnificent he was. No, it is his own Internal
Glory that he moft loves , and the Communication
thereof which he feeks : as Plato fometimes fpeaks of
the Divine love, it arifes not out of Jndigency, ·as cre-
ated love does, but out of Fulnej and Redundancy ; it
is an overflowing fountain, and that love which de-
fcends upon created B~ing. is a free Efflux from the Al-
mighty Source of love: and it is wel.l pleafing to him
that thofe Creatures which he hath made fhould par-
take of it, Though God cannot [eek his own Glory [o
as if he might acquire any addition to him[elf, yet he
may (eek it Co as to com~unicate it out of himfelf. It
was a good Maxime of Plato, rn/.0€i(; ~rJ'e1; cp~1•®, ·
>J
1
wch is better ftated by * S. :James, God giveth to all mm ci.ip. · r.
liberally, and upbraideth not. And by that Glory of his ·
which he loves t_o impart to his Creatures, I underfrand
thofe ftamps and impreffions of Wifdom, :Jtt{lice, P,zti-
ente, Mercy, Love, Peace, :Joy, and other Divine gifts
which he befiows freely upon the Minds of men. And
thus God triumphs in his own Glory, and takes plea-
flll'e in the Communication of it. ·
As God's feeking his own Glory in refpect of us, is
moft properly the fl9wing forth of his Goodnefs upon
us : fo our (~eking the Glory of God is moft pr0per.,;
ly our endeav.ouring a ·participation of his Goodnefs,
·· · G g g · and
4 Io Tht ExceOenCJ ttnJ J.\toblene.f of True 'l{eligion
and an earneff unceffant purfuing after Divine perredi-
on. When God becomes fo great in our eyes and all
created thiags fo little, that we reckon upon'nothino
a_s ~vor_chy of our aims or am~itions but a ferious Par:
u_cipatton of the Divine Nature, and the Exercife of
d1vme Venues, Love,foy, Peace, Long·ft1.ffering, Kind~
ne.f, Goodnef, and the like; When the Soul beholdino-
the Infini~e beauty and lovelinefs of the Divinity. and
then lookmg down and beholding all created Perfetti-
on mantled over with d2rknefs, is ravHh' d into love
and admirat~on of that never-fecting brightnefs, and
ende~vours after the greateft re[emblance of God in
:J.uflr~e, ,L,nve ,and poodnef; Whei:i co_nverfing with
lum cv ,irro_x'f' e'7lttcp~, by a fecret feelmg of the virtue,
fweec_nefs and power of his Good»e.f, we endeavour to
affin_11lat~ o~r felves to him: Then we may be faid to
glorifie him mdeed. God feeks no glory but his own .
an~ we have n~ne of our own to give him. God in al!
th!ngs feeks htmf~lf and his own glory, as finding no-
t hm~ Better then h1mfelf; and when we love him abo\Ye
all thrngs, and endeavour to be moft like him, we de-
.;r dare plainly that we count nothing Better then He is.
. I d?u?t we are too nice Logicians fometimes in dif-
tmgutfhmg between the Glory of' G~d and our own Sal•
vation. We cannot in a true fenfe feek 011r own S1tlv4-
tion I?ore the_n the Glory of God, which triumphs moft
and d1fcovers. It felf moft effeclually in the Salvation.of
Souls ; f?r. in~eed this Salv_a~ion is nothing elfe but a
true Part1cipat1on of the D1vme Nature. Heaven is
n_oc a thing without m, nor is Happinefs any thing dif-
tmet from a true Conjundion of the Mind with God
~n a f~cret fee~ing of his Goodnefs and reciprocation of
affecl~on to him, wherein the Divine Glory moft un-:
folds it felf. And there is nothing that a Soul touch'd
. with
in its <Properties anJ Operatio»r-. ._ . 411
\~~ny ferious fenfe of God can more ~arneftly thi~R:
after or feek with more ftrenCJth of affecbon then T lus.
Then {hall we be happy, wh~n God come_s to b~ all in
all in us, To love God ahove our {elves 1s not indeed
fo properly to love ~im aho:1e the jAlv1ti_on of our S011!s,
a~ if thefe were diftmet rhmgs; but It IS to love him
above all 011r own .ftnfull ajfeflions, & ab_o"lle our pt1-rticular.
Beings,and to conform our [elves to hun. A~d as that
which is >t- Good relatively, and in ,rder to us, 1.s fo much * seethe Dir-
the Better by how much the more it is com men Curate cou_rrc of tl:t
and conformed' to us :-So on t he~t h_er cd l h. hExzjh:nce iind
ll e, t 1at w. lC Nat11reofGod.
is good abfoltetely an.d ef[entially, · reqmres that our Mmds Chap. 9.
and Affections tbould, as far as may be, be commenfu:-•
rate and conform'd to it: and herein is God moft glo-
rified, and we made Happy. A~ we cannot truly love
the Firft and Higheft Good while we ferve a de~gne
upon it, and fubordinate it to ou_r felves : fo ne1t~er
is our own Salvation confiftent with any fuch ford1d)
pinching and particular love. We cannot be compleat-
ly bleffed, till the I~ea _Boni, or ~he Ip[um Bonum,
which is God, exemfe its Sover~1gncy <?ver al_l the.
Faculties of our Souls, rendring them as like to 1t felt
· as may confift with their proper C~pacity.
[See more of this in the Difcourfe of the EJdf!ence
and N11tu.re of God, Chap. 4. and ~ore larg_ely _in that_
Latine Difcourfe, iliortly to be printed, Ptetitt fludere
ex intuitu mercedi; non e.ft !llicitum.]
:i.1
 . ·1
4 u: The Excellency and 1:Xohlenefl ofTrue (J{eligion
CH AP. VI.
The Fortrth Property or Effect difcovering the Excellen-
cy of Religion, viz. That it beg~rs the great.ell: Se-
ren1ty and Compofednefs of Mmd, and brings the
true.ft Contentment, the pureft and mofr fatisfying
Joy and Pleafure to every holy Soul. God tU 6ein
that Uniform Chief Good, _and the One La/I End, doe~
ttttrall and fix the Sonl. Wtcked men difiralled through
a Multiplicity of ohjells and Ends. How the reftlef
appetite of our Wills ttfter fame Supreme Good leads to
the _knowledge ( tU of a Deity, fa) of the Unity of 11,
Detty. Hnw the :Joys and Delights of Good men dif-
fer from and farexce!L thofe ofthe Wicked. The Con-
jlancy and Tranquillity of the Spirits of Good men in
reference to External tro11/;les. All Perturbations ofthe
Mind arifa from 11n Inw4rd r4thcr then a,i outward
Caufe. The Stoicks_ Method for attaining ct'Ta,e.9-~/a..
A~d true reft examined, an~ the Infiifftciency of it
Jifcovered. A /Nrther IUttjlration of what ku been
f11id concerning the PeACeftt~ 1nd Happy State of Good
men,. from th£ cowtrAry State ofthe Wicked.
4· T~e ~ourth Proper~y&Ejfetl of Tru_e R_eli?"ion wher~-
m It expre1fech Its own Noblenefs 1s chis That it
hegets the greateft Serenity, C()nftancy and Compofadnejl
of M_ind, and brings the true.ft_ Contentment, the mo{/ fa-
tufymg :Joy and Pleafim, the prmft 4nd moft divine
Sweetnej an~ Pleafnre to t_h~ spirits of Good men. Every
Go?d man, m whom Rehg1on rules, is at peace and1mi-
tty. wuh h.imfelf, is as a City compacted together. Grace
doth
in its Properties and Operations-. _ 4t J
doth more and m~re ~ed~ce-aU--t-h;Fa~ulti~s_of-th~·Soul
into a perfecl: SubJeth?n_ a~d Suoordwauon t? it felf.
The Union and Con1unchon of t~e Soul with G~~~
that Primitive Unity, is that which 1s the alone Ong1- ,
nal and Fountain of all PeAce, and the Centre of Reft_:
as the further any Being flides from God, the ~ore 1t
breaks_ into difcords within it felf, as not havu~g any
Centre within it felf which· mi_ght collecl: an~ umte all
the Faculties thereof to it felf, and fo kmt them up
tooether in a-fwe~t ronfederacy amongft themfelves •.
G~donly is fuch an Almighty o_oodnef as ca!l attra* all .
the Powers in man's Soul to 1t felt, as bemg ~n. Ob-
ject tranfcendently adequate t_o the largeft capacme~ 0£
any created Being, and fo mme man perfectly to _h1m-
felf in the true enjoyment of one Uniform, and Simple.
Good.
It rnufi be one La.ft End and _s11p~eme Good that can
fix Man's Mind, wliich ot~e~w1Ce will be toffed up and
down in perpetual uncertamues,_ and ~e_come as- ~any
feveral things as ~hofe poor :ar~1ct~larzt1es_ al'e which it
meets with. A wicked man s life 1s _fo d1ftr~eted by a.
Multiplicity of Ends and objells~.tbat ~c never 1s nor can.
be confiftent to it felf, nor conc_1~u~ many compofed,.
fettled frame : it is the moft mtncate, m~gular ~nd.
confufed thing in the world, no one eart of lt agreem.P
with another => bccaufe the whole 1s not firmly k_mt
together by the power of fome one La.fl End ~u~mng.
through all. Whereas the life of a Good ~an 1s under.
the fweet command of one S11preme ·Goodpefand L_aft,
Enrl. This alone is that living Form and_ Soul, wh1c_h
running through all the Pow:ers of t?e Mmd and_ Acti-
ons of Life , collect-s all together m~o one fa1_r a_µd,
beautifull Syftem, making all that Variety confp1re m-
toperfett Unity; whereas elfe all would. fall: afun~er
· G.gg 3 lik~-
 414 . . The 'Excellency ~nd Noblenefi ofTrtle <J(eligion
!1ke the Memb~rs 0L1cdead Body when once the Soul
1s gone, every ltttle particle-flitting each from other
~c was a good Maxim of Pythagor111 quoted by Clemen;
A!exttndri~Uo, ~~ ~-® _d11;reJµ~1_ lv«. ,yr,ve~, oportet
-e~rttm bD"!mem umtm (iert. A d1V1ded Mind and a M1tl-
tifor"! ~ife fpeaks. the greateft difparagemem that may
be: it is o~Iy the intermediation of one Lafl End chat
can reconcile a man perfectly to himfelf and J1is own
happinefs. ~,his is, t he be~ te~pe: and compofednefs
of t?e Soul, o,m,v Et; ev <c a; fl-'r:" o~Ao~cw El'eu~i, as
0
Plotmus [peaks, w_h~n by a Con~untbon with one chief
I Good ttn_d L_aJ} End 1t 1s drawn up mto an Unity and Con-
,; fe~c wit~ 1t felf; when all the Faculties of the Soul
fl wtth ~he1r feveral iffue~ and motions_, though never fo
'I ~any m themfelves, like fo m~ny lines meet together
Iill m one and the fame ~encre. le is not one and the fame
n
Jj
Goodnefs that ahva1es ads the Faculties of a Wicked
man ; but as m_any feveral images and pictures of
li Go~dnefs a~ a qmck_ ~nd working Fancy can reprefent
.ff to him.; wh_1c~ fo _d1v1de his affeclions, that he is no
i!
(i One thmg '":1thm h1mfelf, but toffed hither and thither
]
l by the moll mdependenc Principles &Imaginations rhat
may be. But a ~ood man hath ftngled out the Supreme
G~~da~fs, ~vluch by_an Omnipotent fweecnefs •draws
aH_il_ls .affechons after 1c, and fo makes chem all with the
greateft complac~ncy confpire together in the purfuit
and embra_ces of tt. Were th~re not fome Infinite and
s~lf-fiiffimn_t Go_o1nef, and cha~ perfellly one, "P!t'Kt?
1-19vcv;, (_as S1mpl1~1us doth phrafe ic) Man would be a
mo!t m1~er~bly-d1ftracred creature. As therell:Iers·ap-
pet1te wrc_hm Man afte~· fome Infinit~ and Soveraign
Good ( ~ithout the enJoyment of which it could ne-
ver b~ fat1sfied ) does com·mend unto us the N orion of
a De1ty : fo the perpetual dilhactions and divifioHs
~f
that
L. ___
. in its ProptrtieunJ Optratio,~r. . _..
that would arife in the Soul upoµ a Plurality of De1t_1es,
may feem no lefs to evince the Unity of that Deity.
Were not this Chief Good perfetl:ly one, were ~here
any other equal to it; man's Soul wo~ld hang z~ ~-
qHilibrio., equally poifed,. equally deftn~g the _enJOY-
ment of both, but_ moving co nei~her ; hk~ a piece of
Iron between two Loadftones of eq~al v.trtue. ~ut
whfn Religion enters into the Soul, i~ char~s all i~s
reftlefs raP-e and violent appetite6 by d1fcovermg to 1t
the Univ~rfal Fountain-fulnefs,' of One S~prem~ Al-
mighty Goodnefs ;_ and_ leadi~g. it out of 1t felf i~to a
conjuil6tion therewith, 1t lulls 1t mto ~h~ moft_ undifiur-
bed reft and quietnefs in the lap of Divine enJoyment l·
where it meets with full contentment, and r_efi:s ad~-
quately fatisfied in the fruition of the. Infimte, Um-
form and Effential Goodn:fs a~1d L~veh~efs,, ~he tr~e
AJrrJx«.?-.cn,, that is not '71"~ ,4J x.ct.i\ov, ?7"~1 J's ~ x.c:ci\ov,
~ , 0/1.0V I',' o('..'d x.a.i\.ov, as a noble Philofopher doth.
1
well exprefs ic. . .. . .
The Peace which a Religious Sou~ is poffeffed of 1s
fuch a Peace a; pttjf'eth all ,endcrjl~ndm_g .- the :Joy that
it meets with in the ways of Holmers 1s un/}eakable and
full of Glory. The De!ights and Sweemeffes that ac-
company a Religious life are of a purer and more ex-
cellent Nature then the Pleafures of Worldly men.
The-Spirit of a Good ~an i_s a more_ ptire_ and refined
thing then to delight 1t felf 1_n the thick mire of Earth-
ly and Senfua.l pleafures,'which Carnal me~ rowle and.
tumble themfolves in with fo much g_reedmefs: Non
adrnittit ad volatum Accipitrem ftete"! m terra fulverN-
le»ta, as the Arabick Proverb hath 1t. It fp_eaks the
degeneration of any S?ul what_foever, that 1t fhould
defire to incorporate 1t felf with any of the grofs_,
dreggy fenfual delights here below.. But a Soul pun-
) fi~
..-. _..,_....,
.,,..4 _..JI. . • • •• • • • - ~ - - · - • ;.::.:r,~~
 4 16 The Excellency and}{oUenefl -Of True ~elfgion
fi~d by -~eligion from all Earthly dreggs deliohcs to
mmgle _1~ felf only with things that are :noft Divine
aucl SpmtuaJ. There is _nothing that can beget an
ple~fure or fweetnef~ but m fome harmonica! Faculcr
whr_c~ ~ath fome kindred and acquaintance with it
(\s It is m the Senfe_s, fo in ~very other Faculty ther;
IS fuch ~ Natu,-al kmd ~f Scunoe as whereby it can fin-
gle ?ut its own proper Obj~cl: from every thin elfe
an~ _1s ~ecter able to define ic co it felf then the e!aci:eft
!i-1 t1fi: I~ the world can; and when once it hath found
It out, It p~efently _feels ic felf fo perfectly fitted and
1 it felf with a noble difdain to all Terrcne pleafures., be-
_!lat~hed by u:, th~c 1c diffolves into fecrec joy and plea-
!ure m the entertainment of it. True Delight and 1 o
is begoc_cen_by the conjunction of fomedifcernino Fl
cult~ wuh its p~~per Objecr. The proper Objeds for
a ;Mmd _and _Spmt are Divine and Immaterial chinos
with· which b it hath the oreatefi:
11. • • 0
affinity, and th erewre
/:::, ,
trm°:p s m~u m IC, conver{e with them; as it is well
• In Pr«:{Jt. obfe1 ved by Seneca, Hoc htt'7et arg,1-mentum d. · ·
a.il. i.N:1t. tis f,1£, qreod iUttmdivina dele9ant· necut at·tv~nt~a-
~,i:Jt. t .11- f.J fl . , n ienu tn-
btc"' it ret uu: and when it converfeth moll: with
t e e .1gh and _noble Objeci:s, it behaves it felf 0 ft
gracefully and hves moll: becomino it felf. d · 1m.
alf< ft d r · a s , an 1t 1ves
o ~o e ic10~ y,nor can it any where elfe be better
provided for, or mdeed fare fo well A Good d.f.
dains to be beholding to the Wit 0 ~- Arc or Ind~~~ £ 1
0
any Crea~ure to find him ouc and brino him · Y both amiable and honour.able : ) But there 1s fom~thmg
fbnc re d · o m a con-
. v~nue an ~amtenance for his Joy and Pl fir .
}ifi~~ l~nguage of ~1s Heart is that of the Pfalmifr,e~~;;·
. . t ou up the l1g_ht of thy co,mtenance upon me. Reli~
g1on alwa1es carries a fufficient Provifion oF 1
~::r:1 alo~g with it to maintain it felf witl1al1?
h '-Y of Wifdom Are w1tys of pleafantnefl and all h
":u
d
pat s ttre pe11ce. Religion is no fullen Stoicifme or o;:
· preffing'
in its Properties and Operatiom. 417 _
pretftng Melancbolie.,it is ,no enthralling tyranny exerci-_
fed over thofe noble and vivacious affections of Love
and Deliohc as tho[e men that were never acquainted
with the life'of it may imagine; but it is full of a vigo- ·
rous and mafculine delight and joy,& fuch as advanceth
and ennobles the Soul, and does not weaken or disfpirit
the life and power of ic, as Senfoal and Earthly Joys
doe when the Soul, unacquainted with Religion, is
enf~rc'd co oive entertainment to thefe gro[s & earth-
ly things fgr the want of enjoyment 9f_ fome better
Good, 'The Spirit of a Good man may Juftly behave
caufe it knows where to mend its fare; it is the fame
Almighty and Eternal Goodne[s which is the ~-a~pi-
nefs of God and of all Good men. The truly-rehg10us
Soul affects nothing primarily and [undame~tally b~t
God himfelf • his contentment even m the m1dft of his
Worldly employments i~ in th; ~un of the Divine fa-
·vour that fhines upon l11m: this 1s as the Manna that
lies upon the top of all outward bleffings which his
Spirit gathers up_and fee_ds upon with delight. Rdi-
cion confifts not m a t01lefome drudgery about f~ri:e
Bodily exercifcs and External p~rf?nnances; nor 1s 1t
onely the fpending of our_ felves in fuch attendances
upon God and Cervices to him as are onely accommod~-
ted to this life, (though eve1·y employme~t for Go~ 1s
of our Religion tha_t interefts us in a prefe.nt_ po1fe~on
of that joy which ,s unJP,eakable and glortom ; which
leads us into the Porch of heave~, and to the co~fines
of Eternity. It fometi_mes ca.mes up the Soul 1_nto a
mount of Transfiguration, or to the t~p of Pifg,h,
where it may take a profpeel: of the pro~1fed l~nd ;an~
gives it a Map or Scheme of 1ts -future mhentanc~: 1t
Hhh g1ves
4 18 . T~e Excellency and l{ob!enefi of True 1{.eligion
gives It fometim~s fome anticipations of Ble!fednefs
fo1:1e f~retafl:s of, th?fe joys, thofe rivers of pleafur~
which _1 un at God s nghc hand for evermore.
I might further add as a M antijfa t0 this prefent Ar-
gum,ent, _t~e _Tranquillity and Compofedne/ of a Good
mJ~ s_ fpmt 1_n reterence to all External molefl:ations.
Religi~n _haying made a through-pacification·· of the
Soul w1thm 1t felf~re~ders it impregnable to all outward
a~aults: So that It 1s at refi: and lives fecurely in the •
rnidll: of all thofe boyfterous Storms and Tempefis
t?_at make fuch vioienc irnpre~ons upon the fpirics of
n; 1_cked men. Here the Stotcks have fl:ate<l the cafe
anghc, That all Pert1trbations of the Mind arife not
properly from ~n 011tw11,rdbut an Inward caufe: it is not
any orttw~rd Evil but an inrvttrd imagination bred in the·
womb of the Soul it_ fdf,that molefts and grieves it.The
r?re that ~he Soul 1s reftored to it felf and lives at the
.e!ghc of it'~ own Being, the more e~fily may it dif-
dam and defp1fe ~ny de_fign or combination againft ic b
th e moll: bluftenng Giants in the world A Ch "ff y
1
that enjoys ~imfelf in God, will noc be· bel1oldi~ :~
tl!e W?rlds fair and gentle ufage for the compofedn'!_, of
Ju~ 1: 1md_; No, he enjoys that Peace and Tra 13 uiUit
w! t hrn hrmfalf which no creature can beftoi upo~
him, or cake from him.
But the Stoicks were not fo happy in their notions
;ib?ut the way to tme Reft and Compofeanef of s . "t
It 15. not (by their !eaye) the Souls colletring an~ma:
tafmg up It [e~f Wlt?I:fi the Circumference of it's oZvn
e~~' nor IS It a ~1g1d reflraining and. keepino in its
o_wn 1 ues and motions ~it~in the confines of its own.
~cur:U end~wmems, wluch ts able to conferi·e upon it
t 1at h~e.9;~,a,, and Compofednef of mind· which they fo.
m.uc idolize as the fupreme and onely blifs of man,
and
in its Properties anJ Operationr, 4t9
and render it free from all kind of perturbltions: (For
by what we find in Seneca and otl~er~, it, a,ppears, that
the Stoicks feeking an A11t1trchy w1thm tn~mfelve~, and
beino loch to be beholden to God for their Happmefs,
but cl1at each of them might be as God~ felf-fufficient
and happy in the e~joyment _o~ hii:n~elf? endeav0ure_~
by their four do~~me an_d a ng1d d1fctplme over theu
Souls, their fevermes agamfi: Paffions a~d all thofe reft-
lefs motions in the Soul after Come Higher Good_, to
attain a complete d,rmipa.~!a. and a_full contentment with-
in themfelves. )Bue herem they m1ftof the true ~et hod of
findincr Reft to rHemfelves, it being the Union of the
Soul ;ith God, th:it Uniform, Simple and unb~undec.l
Good which is the fole Original of all true mward
Peace:Neither were it an Happinefs wor_ch the hav~ng,
for a Mind, like an Hermite fequefi:red from all t~in9s
elfe, by a receffion into it [elf, to fpend an E_ter_mtr Ill
felf-converfe and the enjoyment of fuch a D1m111:uc1ve
fuperficialNothing as it fel~ is and mufl: neceffanly ~e
to it felf. It is onely pecultar to God to be ~appy ~n
himfelf alone 5 and God who· has been _more lrneral m
his provifrons for m~n, hath c:eated m man ~uch a ✓
fpring of refile~s motion, t~at with the_ greateft unpa-
tiency forceth lum out of h1mfelf., and_ violently toffeth
him to and fro, till he come to fix himfelf upon fame
folid and Self-fubfiftent Goodnefs. Could a man fi~d
himfelf withdrawn from all terrene and Material
things, and perfetl:ly retired into himfe~f; were the
whole World fo quiet and c~lme about lum, as.not to
offer to make the leaft attempt upon the compofednefs
and conftancy of' his Mind; might he be fo well enter-
tain' cl at his own home, as to find no· frowns, no four
looks from his own Confcience; might he hav~ th~t
fecuricy from Heaven, that God would not difqmH ~1s
H hh 2 fancied
420 The ExceUen~y and l{ohlenef ofTrue <l(eli_g-ion
fancied Tranquillity by embittering his thoughts with
a~yd:ea~fulapprehenfions~yet he fhould find fomething
w1th1~ him that_would not let ~im be at reft., but would
r~nd him fromhtmfelf,& tofs him from his own foanda-
t1on & c0nfifi:e_ncy. There is a_n infatiable appetite in the ·
Soul of man., like a g:ee1y L1~n hunting after Ms prey.,
that would render him 1mpat1ent of his own pinchino-
penury_, & could never fatisfy it felf with fuch a thin and
fpared1et as he finds at home. There areTwo principall
faculties in the Soul which, li!{e th~ two daughters of
the Horfleach, are always crymg, Gtve., Give : chefe are
thofe hungry Vultures which, if they cannot find their
prey abroad, return and gnaw the Soul it felf: where
the carkaffe:: i.s, there wil~ the eagles be gathered toge-
th_ei:. By this we may fee how unavailable to the at-
taming of true ·Rell: and Peace that conceit of the
Stoicks was, who fuppofed the onely way and method
heret? was this, To confine the Soul thus Monaftical-
ly to 1~s own home•. W,e read in the Gofpel of fuch a
Qiielhon of our S~tv1our s, What went you out-into the
w~U~rnefs to fee? we may invert ir,_w_hat do you return
Withm, to fee,: _A Soul confi~ed wtthm the private and
narr?W ce!l of us own particular Being ,: Such a Soul
deprives 1t felf of all that Almighty and Effential
Gl?ry and Go?dnefs which lhines round about it,
wh1~h fpre~ds ~t felf through the whole uhiverfe ~ I
fay 1t depnves It felf of all this, for the enjoyino ·of
fuc!1 a po~r petty and diminutive thing as it felf is,
w h1<::h yet 1t can never enjoy truly in fuch a retired-
nefs.
We ~aye ffen t~e _Peacefull andHappy ftate of the
. t!~ly-relig1ous:But 1t 1s otherwife with wicked and irre-
J1g10_us men. There u no peace to the wicked~ hut they
ue lt/u the trorw!ed Se.al whm it cannot re.fl., whofe•wtt-
ten
in its Properties and Operatiom. · 4 it~.
ters ca.fl up mire and dirt; as _it is expre~ ~y the Pro- _
phet Efay. • The mind of a wicked man ~s ~1ke the Sea Chap. s1~-
when it roares and rages through the finvmg _of feve-
rall contrary winds upon it. F_urious lufts and wild paffi-
ons within,as they warre agamft Heaven and the more
noble and divine part of the Soul, fo they warr amongft
themfelves maintainin° perpetuall contefts.,&contend-
ino which {hall be the g~eateft : Scelera difident. T hefe
indeed are the Cadmm-brood rifing out of the Serp~nt~s _
teeth ready arm>d · one againft another : whence 1t IS
that ~he Soul of a wicked.man be~omes a ~ery unh_a-
bitable and incommodious place to 1t felf, full of d1f-
quietnefs and trouble tl~rough_ th~ ~any conte_lls and
civ.il commotious maintamed w1thm 1t. The m_mds of
wicked men are like tho[e difconfollte and defol~t~
fpirits which our Saviour fpeaks of Matth. u. which
being caft out of their habitation, wander up and do~o
through dry and defere places, fee king _reft but find1ag
none. The Soul that finds not fome_fohd ~nd felf-faf-:
ficient Good to centre it felf upon, 1s a ~01fierous and i
refilefs thin a: and being without God, it wanders _up ·
and down th~ world, deftitut€, affiicted, t~rrn~nced with
vehemerit hunger and thirft after fome fat1sfymg Good:
and as any one {hall bring it tidings, Lo ~ere ,or Lo! here
io-Good., it prefently goes out toward~ 1t., and with a
fwift and fpeedy flight haft~ns after it. The fen_fe of
an inward indigency doth {b~ulate and en~orce 1t to,
feek its contentment without 1t felf, and fo 1t wand~rs
up and down from one creatu~e _t~ anothe~ ; and thus
becomes diftracred by a multtpl,csty of ob1ell_s. And
while it cannot find fome One and O~ely obJe~ _upo_n.
which,as being perf~cl:ly adeq~at~ ~o 1ts capa~1t1es, 1t
may wholly befiow 1t ~elf; wbile 1t 1s toffed with reft~
lefs-and vehcme11t monons. of Defire and Love througn
. Hhh3. a_
4 2:2, ·11,e Excellency and Noblenefl of True (J{_el~io,i
·a wor~d of painted bea~ties, falfe glozing Excellencies;
courting ~11, but matc~mg nowhere; violently hurried
eve_ry \yh1ther ,but findmg n~where objefftlm par 4mori;
wh~l~ 1t converfeth one~y w1ch thefe pinching Partim- .
l~r1_tm here below, ~n~ 1s not yet acquainted with the
'lf:11tvtrJ?tl .G~odne[s; it 1s certainly far from true Reft
and Sa~1sfa~hon, from a fixt,compofed temper of fpidt:
but bemg d1~racled by multiplicity of ohjells and Ends,
th_ere can never be any firm and fi:ab1e peace or friend-
fh1p at home amongft all its Powers and Faculties : nor
ca_n there be a firm amity and friendfl1ip ab.road betwixt
wicked men themfelves, as Arijlotle in his Echicks
does conclude, becaufe all Yicc is fo Jvlttltiform and in-
confifl:ent a thing, and fo there can be no true concate-
!lation of Ajfec!-ions and Ends between them. Whereas
rn all Good men Vertue and Goodne[s is one Form and
Soul to them all, that unites them cocrecher and there
is the One, Simple and Uniform Go~d, tl;ac guides
~nd governs them all. They are not as a Ship coffed
m the tumultuous Ocean of this world without any
Compafs at all to fiear by; but they dirett their courfe
by the certain guidance.of th~ one La.ft E~d, as the
true Pole-ftarr of all their motwn. But while the Soul
lies benighted in a thick Ignorance (as it is with wicked
men,) and beholds not fome Stdble and Eternal Good to
m~ve_ toward ; though it may, by the fi:renoch of that
Pnnc1ple of A{/i:1enef wi~hin it felf, fpend it felf per-
pecualJy with fiv1ft and giddy motions; yet it will be
always c?ntefi:ing with fecret difiurbances, and cannot
aet but with many relucrancies, as not finding an objeet
equall to the force and firength of its vafi: affections to
acl: upon.
By what hath been faid may appear the vaft diffe-
rence between the ways of Sin and of Holineffe. Inward
diftrattions
in its Properties and Operationr., . , 4·2 3'
diftractions and difturbances , tribulation and ang11ijl,
ttpon every Soul that doth evil: Bt~t to ~very man ,hat
worketh good, glory_, ~onour "!1~ peace, mwar~ ~o~po-
fedneffe and tranqmlltty of fpmt, p~re and d1vme_Joys
farr excelling all fenfual pleafu~es; 1~ a ~ord,trueCon-
tentment of fpirit and full fat1sfa~1on· m God, who!11•
the pious Soul loves above ~11 things, and longs {h~l
after a nearer enjoyment of him. I £hall_ conclude this
Particular with what PlotinUo con~lud~s his, ~ook, Th~t
the life of holy an~ d~vine ~en 1s (3,~ a,:nlo_v@.. ,m,v
7 ~J'e, q,uyn p.gv'd 7re,p~ µgvo!, a life not t_ouch t with tbefe
vani{hing del~ghts of Time, but a flight of the Soul
alone to Goaa1one.
c HAP. vn.
/
The Fifth Property or Eff~cl: difc,overing the Excellen-
cy of Religion viz. That 1t advanceth the Soul to an-
lioly boldnef; ,and humble familiarity_ with Ggd, and
to a comfortable confidence concernmg the Love of
God toward it and its own Salvation. Fearfulnefs,
conjlernation if Mind andfrightfull pa/ions a~econ-
fequent upon Sin and Guilt. 'Ih~fe together with the
mop difmall detortments ofTrembling a_nd .Amaze':'ent
are agr_eeable to the 7Mture of th_e Devt~, who deltghts
to ,;e Jerv' din this marJner hy hu worO,,ppers. Love,
:foJ and Hope are moft agreeable to tbe nature of God,
And mofl pleifing to him. '!he Right apprehen{ton~ of
God are Jt4Ch tu- are apt to heget Lov~ t~ Go~, Delight
1tnd confidence in him. A· true chriftum_u more for_
4 folid and well-grounded Pwe !h~n for high rapttms-
MJd feelings of joy~ How a chrijltlmfoo11ldend,1tvo1ehr
. ,. e
4 24 The Excellency and l{oblenefl of True ~ligion
the Affurance of his__Salvation. That he Jhor,ld not im-
portimaely expell or deftre fome Extraordinary-mani-
fejlations of God to him, b11t rather look after the_ ·mani-
feft_ation of the life of God within him, the foundation
or beginning tJf Heaven and Salvation in hu own so,,t.
That -s elf-refignation, _and the fr,hdufng_ of tJUr -·own
· Wills, Are greatly available tp obtain :Aff,tritfJcc•.The
'1.lanity and abfurdity of that opit#on, vii. That in a
perfett rdignation of our Wills to God,s will a man
lhou_ld be content with his own Damnation and to be
-the· fubjett of Ecer~Jl wrath in Hell, if it- lbould fo
pleafeGod.
;.T ~e Fifth i:roperty or Ejjelf whereby True Religion
d1fcovers 1cs own Noblenef and Excellency is this
That it advanceth the S ertl to an holy holdnef and htmJ/;l;
familiarity with God, tU alfa-to" well-grounded Hope arid
comfortable Conpdence concerning the Love of God toward
it, _an~ its own ·Salvation. The truly religious S0ul
mamcams an humble and fweet familiarity with God •
and .with great alacrity of fpirit, without any Confter~
1MJien, and Servili~y of fpirit, is enab!ed to look upon
th~ Glory an~ MaJefty of the moll: High: But Sin and
W1ckednefs 1s pregnant with fcarfitlnefs and horrour.
That Trem/Jling and C()nfterrJtztion of Mind which pof-
feffos wicked-men, is nothing elfe but a brae of dark-
nefs; an Empufa begotten in corrupt and irreligious
f-1:earts. While men walk i» darl:nefs? a_nd are of the
mght, (as the Apofi:l~ fpeaks,) then 1t1s onely that
they are vext with thofe ugly and· gafl:ly Mormorthat
ter:rify and torment- them. --But when once the Dly
-~_reaks, and tr~e Religion opensfa!r felfupon the Soul
.Jikc the Eye-lids of the Morning,then all chofe fl1adows
and.frightful! ApparitfOns flee 2iway. As all Light ttf.Jd
Love
fo its-ProJerties and Operations. 4 2;
Love and :J,oy defcend from_ ·above from the Father of
lights;[0-'1UDarknefl' and Fearfulnej &Def}air are from
below;they-ar.ifefrom corrupt and eart_hly minds,& are_
like thofe grofs Vapors arifing from tlm Earthly globe,
that not being able to get up towards heaven, fpread
themfelves about the circumference of th:1t Body where
they were fi_rft begocten,infeftin& it \~ith darknefs and
generating mto Thunder and L1ghcmng, Clouds and
Tempefi:s. But the higher a Chriftian afcends &t. ,ii
cr'ID1'l>.a.i'd above this dark dungeon of the Body, the more
that Religion prev~ils wi~hin him, the mo_re then ~all
he find liimfelf as 1t were ma clear heaven, m a Region
that is calm and feren~ ; and the more will thofe black_
and dark affettions of Fear and DefPair vanifl1 away,
and thofe clear and bright affections of Love and !foy-
and Hope break forth in their Hrength and lufi:re. · _
The. Devil, who is the Prince of ?arknefs and t~e
great Tyrant, delights to be ferved with gaftly affech-
- ons and the moft difmal deportments of trembling and
aftonifbment; as having nothing a_t all of ami~blenefs. or
e1tcellency in him to commend h1mfelf to hts wodh1p-
pers. Slavery and fer~ilit_y (that r;yAwir~'f.9f':9V rrni;+u~,,
as Lcngintts truly calls 1t) 1s the badge and livery of the .
Devil's religion:hence thofe Cjfpix.lci {MIS1Jeita. of the He~- The words for
-thens perform' d with much trembling and horr_or. But f~t(c Gofs and
God who_ is the fupreme GoodtJefs and Effenttall rd 0
h fiboth andots0, ,o,JN~m
,
Love a_nd Lo'JJel,i,,eJs >takes mo~ pleafure !ll t ofe ,v.~e.t import Trouble
) - - J •
and delig~tf,1_/(Aff~llions <?f the: Soul, v1z, ~ove,:J,oy ~~"T~r:ft\t
and Hope, which _a.re mo{b::_~r~efpondent to his own na- ui~~~~ th~r
cure. The ancient fuperftmon of the Heathens was worfhippcrs.J
.always -very nice and curious in honouring every one of
their Gods with Sacrifices and 1',ires iµofl. agreeable
to their natures : 1 am; fore there i~ ·no Inc~nfe, no offer-
ing we ca11 pr~fent (j_od with, is fo fwe~~, fo acceptable t i
1 11 to
4 26 •1lie;; Excellency and J:{ob!enefl of True _'.'l(_eligion in its Properties ai1d Operaticm·. · . . 4:i.7,
to him as our Lo.ve and Delight an~ Confidence in him; . d ·o him then all the world elre •.
could better define G? .t n that fo tafts: and fees . h_ow
· and when he comes into the Souls of men, he,rnakes It is the fincere Chn{h~. s none el(e.does: The·God
thefe his Throne, his place of reft, ··as finding the great-
efi: agreeab]enefs t[uc:rein to his own Effence. A Good good and fwe~t th~ f~I . is, ;nd peace in belierping., fo
of hope fills him ~tt a Joy A oftle {i ea.ks Rom'. .I.5'.
man that finds himfelf made partaker of r:he Divine
nature,.and rransforrn'd into the image of God, infinite-
that.he abo,mds zn hop:, ~tit•: Jod; hk heart:it• ft..~ed,
He q,uiet~y repofe!r~~h~e is.1more for. a folid peace and
ly takes pleafore in God, as being alcogether Lovely,
according co that in Cant. 5. 0 11~r,;9 11;, Totus 1pfa eft trt,ftmg zn the L . .. ' h .for high Rap cures· and feel.-
. fetled calme of fpmt, t ed~ · y··Man·11ceftations of Go4
defideria; and his Meditation of God is fweet tmto him, . f J · Extraor 1nar · ··· -· · ·
Pf. 104. s. :John that lay in the bofome cf Chrift who mgs. o ·. h°l d~res not paffionately defire nor unporiu-
to him • h h. 5 • he rather looks. after. the
came from the bofome of the Father,and perfectly un-
derfrood his Eternal Elfence, hath given us the fuUeft nacely exp7ct fuc . ttl~~dnefs. ;Jnd :Power .of :God
~an!feft_atto~s {ioldt. cr a\l iil his Soul tha.t is unlike and
defcripcion that he could make of him, when he tells
us rhat God i5.Love, and he that dwells in God, dwells W1thm him, indu udm[c . ino him into his imag·e aJ1d
contrary to Go :, an orm t> ·.
in love ; and repofing himfelf in the bofome of an Al-
likenefs. . it worth of a Chriftian to enq~~-
. ·'.·Though ~ think . . n Lzvation; yet ·perhaps lt
mighty Goodnefs, where he finds nothing but Love
and lovelinefs, he now difplays all the ftrength and
beauty of thofe his choieft and moft precious affeetions vour t-he .AjJ_uratfi :{ ,:: o;o moderate his c~_riolity ?f
.. might ~e the a, e k yf li+e and to {hy a while nnul_l
of Love and :Joy ttnd Confidence ; his Soul is now at eafe, prying m~o Gods. BI? oh . J '·~fines of Salvation it_feH.
and refis in peace, neither is there any thing to make
afraid :· He is got beyond all tl1ofe powers of dar kneffe
he fees h1mfelf wit m ~ e 60 Heaven or .fee a Vifion,
which give fuch continual alarms in this lower world, Should a man ~ear II, v.~:eteft~f unto him the L9v-e of
and are a_lways troubling the Earth : He is got above aH
fears-and defpairs; he is in a bright clear region, allove
from the Alm1~hty,
:u
h. yks it were more defire-
God towards Rhun.?~t m;f from within, arifing .~P
able to find a eve auon ntre of a mans own Soul, m '1~, •;
Clouds and Tempefts, infra fo defjicit nu/Jes. There is
,J

from the Bottome and ~e ff ons of a Godlike- n4tttre , ,.

nofrightful terriblenefs in the fupreme Majefty. That'
men apprehend God at any time in fuch a difmayed
the Re~ll and In~~rp_al ldil~~/to find the Fourid,atjon
upon h1~ o:Vn _fpm:a'v~: and Happinef!·_wit/Ji~ him.felf:
·manner, it muft not ·at all be mad~ an argument of his
nature, but of our Jinfutnefs and'we1tknefs. The Sun in, 11nd Begtnmng Ji/
it were more ~ i~a
ble to fee the crucifying Qf. qu~ o,wn
h e Animal life; ,~Qd: to
·-~he hea_vens always was and wiH be_ a Globe _of Light ~he
Will, t~~ mor_nfy1!1g of t : room o"f it, as a;_(urf!
arul bnghtnefs,, howfoever a: purblmd Eye 1s rather
· daz·led·then enlightned by it. There_ is an Inward ~en.f.e . fee a D1vm;; 't·,h~~fo~P;;
lmmorcalicy _and ,}!dl'fa
Pledge an °Bi.fence -o[which ~. con,fifrs_ ,~1,1 _;q~r,te
·in Mans Soul, which, were it ·once awa-ken,d and ex-
nefs, the. very d h fi 11 comply~nc~ .o.h-all.:,-,~~h~
dted withanfoward tafr' and- relilh ·of the Divinity, , conformity an ., C · ear u • I ii· 2 Pow·
· could·
 428 The Excellency and l'{ohlenef of True '1{.elizion ill its Properties and Oper~1tion~ • ·
Powers of our Souls with the· Will of God. T er. over:the[e is the he11· way
· Th~ ~eftway ?f ga_ining tt well-grounded 11_/fr,rance of and Paffions ; our p~ev_a.~ :Uby which we·may be fealed
to cherifh the Holy pm.' ·
. the Dtvtne love-is tlus, for a man to overcome himfelf 1
:Revel. 2-.
11nd hi.row» Will.- To him that overcomes {hall be given unto the day of \~-de;J~~~~ l~r : It is a venturous and
thac white ftone, and in it the new name written, which To conclude t 1s . hich fome men have, That
rugged guefs and c~nce1tfw ur Wills to the Divine will
no man knoweth but he that receives it. He that be- . c .n. ·e'ionat1on o o ·- -d
J1olds the Sun of righteoufnefs· ariftng upon the Hori- rn a periel," r uo . 'th his own Damnation, an
a man fhould ~e cont~~~;:tal Wrath in Hell,
zon of his Sou~ with heahng in i_cs •~ings, and chafing
aw1y all that m1fi:y darknefs of his own Sel.fwi/i and to be the SubJeet f
0
if it {ho~ld
h. 5 as inipoffible as it is for lum
fo p1~afe ~odo "{/ ~c after a true Participation of the
.Pa/ions; fach a one defires not now the Starr-light to
that mfimtely t tr s ft earneftly endeavours ,a. mofi

~lltaht~d
.~now wheth;r it be D:iy or not, nor ~ares he to pry
1mo Heavens fecrets and to fearch mto the hiddea Divine Na_cure,. in Spirit, by a denial o~h1mfelf
rolles of Eternity, there-to fee the whole plot of his inward Umon [well up in Self-love, P(1de and
Salvation; for he views it tranfacted upon the. inward and his own w~ , to d . the one whereof is the moft
Hage of his own Soul, and r~flecting upon himfelf he Arrogancy agamft G~ ,ther the moft real Hell: where-
may behold a Heaven opened from within,and a Throne Jub{lantial Heaven, t ~ o our felves we are tranfiated
fee up in _his_ S~ul?an_d a~ Almighty Saviour fitting upon as indeed by conLq~et mg d the kingdom of God and
from Death to ne' ~n ..
tt,and re1gmng w1thm lum : he now finds the Kirwdome Heaven is already come mto us.
of Heaven within him, and fees that it is not ; thing
merely referved for him without him, being already
·made partaker of the fa1 eetneffe and efficacy ofit. What
the Jewes fay of the Spirit of Prophefy, may not unfitly CH AP. VIII.'
he applyed to the Holy Ghoft, the· true Comforter
dwelling in the minds of good men as a fore Earneft of . Effi ct difcovering the Excellen~y
their Eternat inheritance, ,,:u 1,v N'?N :i,m, i1Nr:iJ pN; The Sixth_ ~ropetty or That it Spiritualizes Material
Tin Spirit rejides not l,ut upon A man of Fortitude, one of Relzg101J, vz_\: he Souls of Good men from
tlm gives proof of thisFortit1fde in fubduing his own things, and carries up ~bin s to things InteUectual-
th
Sdf-wiII and his Affections. We read of Elifh11, that Senftble and
.·
E~I ly l )}er and fiu/Jer reprefantati-
Tnere are eJJ' .h d ·
he was fain to·call for a Mufical infirument and one to an d D ivine. . ~ 'To converfe wtt .Go m
play before him, to allay the heat of his Paffions>before ens of God in the Great:~ es.t of the Senflble World into .
lre·could converfe with the Prophetical Spirit. Tbr the Creation, and ~o P~~ :1:r:elluaUy t,lflgbt by Religio'!·
Hely Spirit is too pure and gentle a thing to dwell iri a 'the Intelle/Jual, u .7, 'J" 11 ' ith God 114 jbi»ing out, m
Mind muddied and -difrurb,d by thofeimpul'edreggs, . Wicked men converJe not w 'th them in '" senfual
thofe thick fqgs and.milts that arife from our Self-will the Creatures ; the"'j converfeR.eti(J'ion
wz . . t tze
does jpmt11A ·
,mtl UnfJ>iritual manner. ~I i_i 3 . th,
and
4 3o _·Tbe Ex~ellency and Noblenefi of True (J{,eligi<»z
the Creation_ to Good men : it teaches them to look at
.4 !JJ. I'erfeflto»s or Excellencies in themfllves ando-
. ·th ers, not fofl· much tUfiTheirs or That others ,,~a-sob.,t fl ·
·:~any_Beams owmg rom One and the Same Fountain
. ef .,!,ight; to love th_em all in (!od, and God in alt; the
. :Umverfal Goodnef zn a. Parttcrtlar Being. A Good
man en1oys and delights in whatf'oever Good he r,
.,oth"
- _.,rwhere' ,u t;.;/: tt. were hu. own:r he does not fond! J ees
_love and ejl_eem etther himfelJ or others <The· D · ·J
· dft · 1' •- ~ , tvtne
. .~~'~Per an ratn of the antient Phil~fophy.
6. T~E Si~th Property or Effect wherein Religion. di[-
.- covers 1_ts ·ow~ Excellency is chis, That it spirita-
al1zes Matmal thtngs, an_d Jo carries up the Souls of
Go~d men from Earthly thmgs to things Divine firom
thrs Senjible World to the IntellecttMl. ~ .fweetly repofe themfelves in the bofom o~ the .D1vm1-
.God ma9e the Univer[e and all the Creatures con-
tamed ~herem as fo many Glaffes wherein he mial~t re-
fled his O\yn Glory: He hath copied forth him°felf ·
the Creanon; and in this Outward World we mt
re..1d the lovely charaders of the Divine Goodner/
Power and Wifdo_m. In fome Creatures there ar~
dark~r repre,fent~t1ons of God) there are the Prints
~nd Fo0tfteps of Go.d ; but in others there are clelrer
and fuller reprefentat10ns of the Divinity the Face and
Im_::ige of God ; according _to that· kno'wn fayino- of
the Scho_olmen, Re~~tiuru Similitudines Cmztnr; ad
Deu~ dwmt_ur refltgzum ; propinqrtiores ver'o Ima 0
B~ t . h~w t~ find .God here and- feeling Iy to conve~f;
~-1th h11!1, an~ ~emg affecl:ed with the fenfe of the Di-
vine-Glory ~mmg out upon the Creation; how to afs
out of_ the Senfible World into the IntetlelltMl, is no~ fo
~ffeclually tfughc by tha~ philofophy which p~ofefs'd
It mo.fr, as oy true Relrg1on: that which knits a.nd
unites
in its Pr.operties and Operations. 43x
unites God and the Soul coge~hel\ can heft teach it
how to a[c€nd and defcend upon thofe golden links tha~
unitea:sit were the World to God. That Divine Wif-
a'ome that contrived and beautified this glorious Stru-
cl:ure, can heft explain her own Art, and ca.rrr up the
Soul back again· in thefe refleci:ed Beams to lum who-
is, t'he Fountain of them. Though. Good men. all of
them are not acquainted with all thofe Philofophical
notio~s touching the relation between Created and the
Uncreated Being; yet may ~hey eaftly .find every Crea,-
ture pointing out to that ~emg who[e image ar:i,d fuper-·
fcription it bears, and clunb _up from thofe darker r_~-
femblances of the Divine W1fdome au.d Goodnefs ili1-
ning out in different degrees upon feveral Creatures,
d:u~ d vtt,~d,91-{9,~ -n~, as the Ancients fpe~k, till. tI.1ey
ty: and while they are thus c?nv_eding ~1th this loyv:r
World, and are vi~wingtke tn":'iftkle thmgs of God_m·
the things that are made, m this_ v1fible and outw~rd.
Creation, they find God ~any times fecretly flowmg
into the.tr Souls, and leadmg them filently out of ~t~e
Court of the Temple into tbe Holy Place._ But 1t·1.s
-otherwife with Wicked men; they dwell perpetually
up0n the dark fide of the Creatures, and converfe wit_h
tbefe things only in a grofs, fenfual, e~_rth!y an~ un~p1-
ritual manner; they are fo encompafs-d_w1th t~ethtck
and foggy mift of their own C~rrupt1ons,; that. t~~y
cannot fee God there where he is moft v1fible : the·
Light /hineth in darknej, but dark~ej. co,npre~endi. it.,
not: their Souls are fo deeply funk mto·that H_<?ufe. ~f,
Clay which they carry about with th~m , tip~· were:;
there nothing of Body qr bulky_ Matter -befor~ them 1.
they could find nothing ~o .ex~rc1fe themfe~ves abou~ •. _.
Jlut Religion, where 1t 1s m. truth and m power,,r~-
new~
 412 The Excellency and 1{oblemfl of T,:ue·1(,eligion
·:news the·veiySpiri't of ·oui;Minds,~---.arid·druhin a man-
ner spiritttalitf this:oni:warpiGreatioa:;rq;us,,,.-nnd:d6th
in~ more:'excelle~t way,perform;lihat:whidfrth~P,ripit-
. tetzcks ~re; w~nt;~o:.affir-mi~f tht:,tF1"'Intellelfiis i7tgfns-;1')in
purgmg: ~odily:an'd'..I Mater1al1~hin~ ct~o~:thtffeau&rl<?y
and dregs of:::Mtttte?.'i ! and fepaF"atmg.rt-heribfr.amafi0fe
circu:n,ftantiating;.and;It-reigntning,:co~clitidns:b.6,trime
and Place,' andlthe_like:f~ 1arrd·teach·es::th~S:oiib to1look
at t_hofe ·Perft[!ions wl1i~h'iqfinrlss Qe.relb:elo.w, '{lot·fo
1 or any ones elfe, yet they ftay not here, but ·_run .on uU
mu~h as· ~he· Petfe~i~~~:pflTh~(~•Tfilt;.BadyJ1as they
adorn 'I'~,;o:Tk~t ·partrt;ula.rilemg;L?U.trnMHey~rerfo
many. Rays• F1ffumgJorth-i from.that-\Etr,fl: .,aoif-,:Effential
Perfection~ in w.hich«diey ~all--meet.::and; ,~erhbraee:~one
anothe: •in ch~ mbft: c_Iofe fri~n~ip~ Every;·P.arrjoular
Good 1s a Bloffo_m ,of .the.,Ftdlh·:.G?odnef~ 7. ;,avei·y~cr.e-
ated ~x~ellency 1s a Beam defcending, frnm nhe-Eacli'er
,of.lfght~:' ~nd-fhouldwe .feparate aU~:.-t:hefeitPmdofela-
ritie'sfrom ':God, all'· affeetiO~' fpe~t up.om them would
be·unchaft, and their embroce·radulterolls :W£ ''lhould
•',_'
_love.,all thing~:in God, and ~od,· irr.aU~things;:,bl?(!3Ufe
~e:!S/\.Uin allfthe~eginnihgandO,rig.inai bfBeing~'.tthe_
·perfett ldea,of:th~rr r G9odnefs,: and ,the :Erld'.of-itheir
Motion~ ilt is- nothing' out -a thick rnifl:''raf ·:Pride·- and
·Self-Jov_~ that ;hindi~s,1rienf_eyes from~hehol~iAg:tliat
.Sun' which. hothtt-rlhghtens.~em'i:ahq·alh~hinois:.:elfe:
'Bur:~he~ t~e,R~~igi~~:bffp_in~rn~ae to ~aw~ bp~nmens
S~uls, a~d ~1t~·~1ufh1~1rlg:lfghtthafes away,.:vhe1t!b¥ttk
Nigh~ of Ignorance·; ··then.they.:behold ;tpemfeHtes and
al~ ~~ihgs selfe·:·~nHg~tned ( t_~ugh in a diff~rent-way )
I
by ~one and·, thefame:Sun,':-and aU,~he Po,versroLtheir
·So~~-~- ~I~ down, before ~o~a.nd:_afcrihcl alt gldcy:to 11im.
Now-it .1s:._rharn-Good man. 1$'.·no:-'lborefolicitous whe-
ther'"(?i! ~r That good.thhig' ,&~ Min;,_~ o(wh~thet"-.My
. p~rfethons exceedthe--·meafure:of Thu.·, or 'Thilparti-
cular
l i ..
in its Properties and Operations.. H)
cular Creature ; for whatfoever, G,t104. be beholds ,any
where, he enjoys and delighcs in it as m~ch as if. ·it ;were
his own, and whatever he beholds itr himfelf, · he looks
not upon it as his Property but as a Common good::;: for
all chefe Beams come from one and the fame· F.ouµtain
and Ocean of light in wh~m he. loyes them all.-.with,an
Univerfal love: when lus affections run alongi' the
ftre:1m of any created excellencies, whether his o~n
they fall into the ~cea~ ; they d<? not fettle mto a fond
love.and admiration either of h1mfelf. or. any: others
Excellencies, but he owns them as fo many P;ure Ef-
fluxes and Emanations from God, and in a Partic11.lar
Being loves the Univer[al Goodnefse Si fciret11r- .· a
me Yeritlll ficiretNr etiam me illud no!J efTe, aM illudmm
' a' me~
.effe me1m1,,nec
. Thus may a Good man walk up and d?~n the World
as in a Garden of Spices, and ~uck a D1vme Swe~tne_fs
out of ivery flower. There 1s a Twofold ~eamng m
·every Creature, as the Jews fpeak _of their Law,.a
Literal, and a Myjl_ical, and the on~ 1s bu~ the grou1:d
of the other : and as they fay of divers pieces of their
'Law _;-t<,yc', 10-i :-,~o', ,:i,,.fo a Good man fa.yes
of e;ery thing that ~is ~enfes offer to. ~im,. it f1'e~kf
·to his lower part, /;ut,t pomts out fomet:hzng above_t~hro
Mind And spiritA It is:.the drowfie and muddy fpmt or
S.uperftition which,: being lull'd afieep in the lap of
worldly delights, is _fain t~ fet fom~ I_dol ~t it_s elbow,
fomethino that may Jogg 1t ~md put 1t m mmd of· God.
Whereas~rue Religion never finds it felf out of. the In-
finite Sphere of the Divinity, and where~vet i~: ifiods
.,JJ_eat1ty, Harmony, Goodnefl,. Lov_e,_ Jngentetty,.Wifdo1#,-e,
,'flplinej, :Jujlice,andthelike, 1t1Headyto fay, H_eN;
and ,There is God: whercfoever any fuch Pei;fecl:1~ns
,,,;,-, .
.,·,_.,L.!.:
Kkk {hme
 in it1 Properties _,ind Oper.1ticm. .
4H
to the ftrain of tl1ac ~~1ilor~p!1y ,~v~t t!1r!rue Happme~s:
of Immortal Souls. "
 The Excellency ar.tf l{pb/e11ej,-0[Tme rJ{eligion "
in its P·rope~ties and Operattons. 43.:7
copy forth th~~ Le(f9~ :w~i~h <::hri_ft ha~p fe~ C.hrifii- . : f. Ex loit which yet may we}l. .
ans, ferioufly.confiderjng:h9w•tfa~_t they caqie ~iuo ~his forry Monu~ent ·?: _:~f6eft.!f.-th;w•orl4s brav~l'y. But
world by God,s -appqimmeij_c,:··norco_ Jfo~ ~11,etr own en.ouo.h,becomethe
~ 1• ·h ·1 " Ifh!b . - 1····
· wbr __. L:.Godi:and ~n·deavour
{-01 w1t1i- ~
Wills but the Will of him· that Jent them •.
As thi~ Confiderat~on. qui~~-~. the.::Sp)dt. qfa_ (,pod
G~'bora;:;e~i:m}l!i~-e?~nd r:aw: their. ;~4,ibnll~_. tho _::a ·:mlvio/s
~o.. ·- t, ..1, tr·; ;E ci' ~ ·naiDefiori::f,~·~µrt> _.t em,e "
mnn who is no idle Spechw>r of fro'P.id_~nc~,, ·_~mq,J(eeps W1th-~o?·; · ~s-. ,~- ~: 3_,h - ro ber' Character of. holy
l1im in a.calm and ·fober:"te.mpei: i.rl th~ ,Ij)itjQ pf ,all isn: ~l-~~t.~tli~~~J~;f~ ~;;f;fKl-ty~ef?lv~d i~tot_heh. Divine
:n -'~°tl~/
1
Storms and Tempells·; fo it m_al~~s hf,;nJnq,il;; ft·eeiy ou :l , · h. . bfci'lbe to
. {i out any
1t wit
to engage h_iµifelf in the fervic~ .<?f.lt.oi'.#e11c.e,,jvi~lJ- Will, th~~ _t11ey1n _t rell: iwell fatisfied 'wit_h,
out any· inward reluct~ncy, or qilh1~!?~nq~. ;J~~:•F.a.npot m'urmur!ngs ~r .. e ~tes_ · ·, 0 ..- ·a{la: e·s. 0f ·Divine d1f..
be content that Prov{d{nc~ iliqulg_· (tJ:.vdt f~Jf.~fJ1im an&t~!(e:c?m.~l~~~~ey~-~~,. ! ! ~u ~.m~·- ~.'nAf!l-(.~JIQ~' , as Epidet.cap.3:S.
(t)s»"tamJ '1?'~ a,p,S"t1• ,')' ·· "M· d. ·. d_.Wifedome
.
as it dorh even of .~hofe thin,g's_ dpt, uµderl}a~d)t_ 1~~ft; Penfat-1on··.f.
. . :- ' · · d: - d· d fpofed· l)y a . 10 an .
but ·ic is his holy ambition to f~rve it.-_ 'Xis no~hjng, elfe being·orde~e. an ·. i .. hioheftrules of Goodnefs. .
but Hellifl1 pride and S~lf~Jove that -m-~kes,.~_enj~rve above·accordmg _tfh~ . z:, '·ti<1htly to enjoy liimfelf, 1s
,;;;The beH: way ?,r.a ma~. ·d d· chearfuUcomply-
themfelves,. and: fq fet up tq~mfeives.as:Jd,qJ:$.~~g~i_nll:
God: But i_t is ind~ed a~ argument.of iru~ J1QRWi~(s t~: mai!fai.n: ~n '~~tv~rf~j-b,~~rra::d
ance-w1th the D1vmi~n : .flue and flow forth from
wm in all things ;
of Spirit for a man to view hirnfelf (not in tp~Jl~~row
Point of his own Being, but) in the :unboundedJ~{f¢nce :is knowiri~ that-not mg· can ihat which is good: and -
thefo~ntam· of Goo1n~f but er offended with any piece
of the Firft Caufe, fo as ,to he o'A~s- 78 x.f~ila11@,, _and
to live .only as an Inftrument in, th,e_qancls,_()f_Goq who theref~e a~_ood ma~ ~_
1
n:;r.: hath he any· relucl~ncy
work_ftJ~. ~n--_thing~, af~er th,e, <;Qun(el·9f.:his:.,OWn$ill, of: p1V1~~. ~1f1:~fh~~~itlates anH·deter~ines all thm~s .
opt,mt»·it;l me. e{fe J)eo q11od eft.mihi1',11a'!JtM1?J.ttt,.was;the aga1_nft that!""1 t f. . d f ·· as knowmg;-That theie·
expr~ir.011 .of a~ ~oly Soul. . · . . . byanEternalruleo Goo ~eh: ·Love thatwithoutany
Toa GoQdmaµ to J~rve~h_e. Will I)/ G~. it is in.the is an .unbounded
. .. . aotl freely-,k\~mig .· .Y · ··es~·. .it fel.fto every
commumcat
t~uefi ang befl: fefl(e /o ftrv_,~-.hi,,,falf, :who.~n~.ws ~im-- di~d_a1? ,or. envy .h ., ~~feeds even the 'young .Ravens
felf tp .~.e. :notpjpg :wif!iC?~t or Jn: opppfi~i,~µ-,t~LG9d ; thmg ·. He~ 1,na~e .~ ·\/:nat· mak~s-hl~:Suil·~o ili~ne, and
f2!!.o 'min~s fJrJjd ji6;- 4rrogat homo, e.o _e.'ll~ilit f!Obilior, t~at c~ll UfOR
h1s Ram to falt,hbit
~nn h ' bn the Ju£hu.1&·un1ufl: ;-that al-
. uphis. everfafl:ing armes who _are
darior; divinior. · Tltis is the mo~ divine life·:that can
be, for <l ma[l_ to a~ in. tl1e world:,.upon Et~r~~l defignes, ways ·enfolds t O ~ _in . 1 e . -erpetually nourifh-
and _to be_fqwholy_devo~ed tp_t~e Wi~J. of G,9d, as· to °f
!11ad~ partak.er~ ts~:t~~efrf(h arid vital in~~e~~; .
mgandch~n~mo t_ \ . • g·alfo\·Tha(there•1s -all•
ferve ;~ moll faithfully_a~d cn~i~~1y~ .-· Thi~ .,4#,i.~~d be--
flows -·a kind of Immorfillity ,µppp. thefe f,fit,ti~g _and ces of~-~is:Gra:ce.; a\ nod:Mind'and llndedbnding;
Trap_/ient acts of ours, which in themfelves·-are-hut the All~fee!nP ~Y7,a~ ~n h~~oh. the ~hole Univerfe, and
that derives it eh \ f ~otion guides them all-and
OfHpring of a moment. A Pi/111r or rerfa is a poor
forry
fitting in all thew ee s o K k 3 k power--:
4 38 The Excellency and Noblenefl of True ff(eligion
~owerf~lly governs _the n:io(l: exce~mic:11 motions of
Cr~atures, and cam es them all mofr harmonioufl y in
t~elr fever al or bes to. one L~fr En_d. .:Who then .!hall
gtve L~w.to G_od~ Where~ the ,viJ~twh,ee ~ th.~.ft.rihd
where u _the Jifj_uter of thu )Pfirl~ ?_ ;W,~~_re:,~§ lJ~ ~hat
would chm~ u,p_rnto th~t. rt'7v~m -~}tht1•;ti
1 m~,,;_pe.,g1-:~a~
Confifl:~ry ,m ~elven,. anq,f!~~~pi :!Jl ~Q!}.(tµc~rnm ~ith
the Alm~ghty, mfirua:, tfae, -:~nfi,m t~r a_n,d l_~co,ppr,eJ1en- _
1

fible Wrtf~?n:ie ,:. Sb~l~ Y)l.~n,,_m~IJ )?.~ \~Jf~r J9i~Q::his

make~-,:. _T,J;itJ·l~"the;-~fJJJa1isfll1~r 9f v4cg_J;q:;i;wri;ij~·y
pJ
ex~mme,_an_~,Ju.dge \alJ :~~tJlg~_, ~Y: 1~q~, Jil!~iA~l~mWa~ .
fu1e of. their. own :S.e~f:!w1ll, lthe1r:. 9}V,11 Qpj~iq_.o_~,-an~.
Defign~s ; and ~eafurmg all things by a crooked rn.ie,
they th10~ notl11 ng to be fl:raight ; and therefore ·they
1
fall out with Goa, and with reftlefs impatience free and
v~x themfelves : and thi_s fr~tfuln~fs and impaciency in
,~1cked me~ argues a breach in the JUfi and due confiitu-
tton of their Minds «nd Spirits.
But:a qoo~. m~n,whore SouUs reftored ,to thatframe
~nd c;o,nfhtt1t1on 1tAl1ould:-b~ in;·· has-: better, apprehen-
itons of '.the:ways and works o£·God and: is .berter.af-
felt-ed onderthe various difpofalls; of Pr.ovide.n,e,~· In-
deed ·to ~a -fuperficial obfer:ver •·of.Divine- .ProV.idence
m~ny t~mgs ·there are_ t_hac feem to be nothing elfe but
D1gref1ons fro!ll the mam End· oL)lll, and· Hl~ ·com.e" to
br
pafs 'a· fortu1t~US;-·'.c~pco~rfe, of.Ckc_um(lanees .; that 0

come· m fo ,abruptly andwtthouta·ny·conc~cerfarion \er

depen~anc~-one uponanother;;_:as-.if they vi.ere wfr-houc
any ¥1_nd-or Undedl:-an4ing to-guide them.::, But a:\vife
man that looks frmn.the.~egirlning to theEn&of.thinos
behoJdsd~e~,,~IL-in their,~u~· rlace,~n&m.e~hod-adibg
that pan:whic~\theSupreme Mmd-and:,W1fedomeithac
governs- alL thmgs hath appointed ,them; and·,to -carry
on one and the fame Eternal deft gne, while ;they move
according
 · The E.xcellency and 1vohleneR
1~ of
'I ,.,-_
.1. rue rD, ..
:£\.e1!gton in its Progrefs. 441
440 • .11 \ .

·~f him, and he.ft eviden.ce:Chrri.ft's 11, • •1 l religious Souls:·being once··toucht with an inward [enfe
zn-them,. _ ,rm IM appearance of Divine Beauty and Goodnefs, by a ftrong· imprefs
upon them are moved [wifely after God,and (as the
VV11?igion
~ave co!lfider'd the Excellenc.., of True R
m regard of ·
1 ,r,e- .1 -
Apoftte•expr~ff'e_s himfelf) f~rgetting.:thDft things which Phil. J,
~4r~t_~hitid~·antlre~ching f'tJrth.-upto.thofe thingn11bich are
2. in regard of its Nature. it~10De1CC1Jt and_ Origi114l; befu("e.,it:hij,)pr.efft:towardJh~ M4r.k:, ·. for the'::P.r~'fe sf the
· ties and Effel1s We proc:e/- regard of us Prl11per- J,jgh.rfiJ/ting:o[ God in.:chrift. :P~Ilfl·~-that. fo,t:Itey.may At-
far, and fuall a{ew · now to a Fourth Particu- tain to the ref,meaion of the dead. ·· ' ..:1: ·
4• ,+' That 'DA/;,..;,,, . ;, h :NV''herj:!t.:1Ji p.irit.':.of.:Religiom i~,.:. thereJs.;the: Central
. ~ n #• a generous and noble th. .
~J its frog_reffe; it k perpetually carr . a zng zn reg1rd .folde ·pfi11Ita~eli i~. felf,·:t.iuickenirig.: and:e~liv~ingtho[e
m which rt is once feated to
the F1b·rft appearance
dP ;'tf.
on that Mmd
up~!\h/;;ul;o;f T
of it, hdough
. tha.$r;f(e in.form~ :byhit:-. in 1 th.eir~inotions·, toward Hea-
-v_¢P.c uAs1on ~the-:-other.~ fiqe all ·.unhallmved ,and; :defiled.
may e but as the Win Of h 0
. goo men :,.minds •~r~~,~ithlrt./tbe Atttaclfve pow_er:. ofH ell,&·are con-
1

themfelves upon the Mogs . t e M :m_ng fpreading tipuallyihafteriing\tQeir :courfe thither,.; being Jhongly
higher and higher upon th~nramh, let It 1s frill riling .prefied(down-by;,~he":we~ght• of r:th~ir Wickednefs;· t'Aa
~hy_ m_ifts and vapours of ~~c a mg ~way all the fil- . ~j¼.,,\ix~~it4V>ftnJj~}~· /pllOJ~fas :rlut4rch;hathwell'obfe~.v'd,
~~J~~J:,; ofs;,,e ft1c, t11l 1tharrives to its Meridian a~~i~uo/e1ck~~=fs ?efohre : Ev-ery,·uature in:this·\wodd hath fome·.proper, C·enfrc
j ufi iJ M the rengt and force of the D. . . . ·. re 1s t e )yhich ·it(.is :•always:hafte.nihg to .. •.· Sin and :Wic~ednefs
Jhining_ Ligl,t, when it firft enters into th MI~mdlty fm It; ~nd though does not hqver: a .little 0ver •the .bottomelej.pitof. HeU,
t b fl . 1
that /hzncth e lil SO men It m fc , aad1 onely, ft.utter :about. it ; bu~ >,it's ,continuallyl finking
more and more O e owen tn wu,knef!: yet it ·11 .fc . , . ay eem
mt(J rbc perfca As Chrift was in his Botl:t 1
Wt rat e lt felf m power. -l~w~handfow~r. into:,i~i- Nelther•.does trne ·Gr4tfmake
1
llay. creafing 1·n ·rc d 1 ttppeaYAnce, he was lfill in- .;fome·Jceble_,;~if*s· t_owarkHeaven;, out by ~:mighty
w1 e ome and kno 1 do d r.

and accordingly the New T ft

!,!rf
alfo in his ~plrit,14/ 4 ppe4 , 11 e::~
God and man untilJ he was w e oe_ an iavour with

e
mll~y'
O
fo is he
s of men ;
,.;J~.o~rgy with~n-iffelf.,it',s always.;fouring uphigheb.aild
'.h.igher ·inio .heaven ... ;A good·•,q1ruHan d_o.es:riot, onely
.~:~Qllrt!bis: Happinefs~.and:c~ft ncfor and ~hj.u ·a ifmile upon
once diftingui!h of Chri'ft . eh_amfcent does more then
. m 1s everal ag s d d
0
".i~ oda_tisfy, bimfelf m~rely to1b~·:t:cmtr.~~d !to1it+bµt
grees of growth m the Souls of all r . . , ~n . e- ~~idi}t·hrgr.eatefttardours:,Qf ).J~v~; _and·1D~µre he·.p.l!r-
·ii Good men are always walk. 0 frt0 ue Chnfttans. :futs ~he folemnity:ofihet)ufr Nupttalls:,; tfiat1 he-may
'! Rren&th, till at lafl: the fe~mg ~ .m ftreng~h. co _b.(!t:~ed~ed•to it andm.3d~ ()ne.~ith:i~. It isJn9t ~_Raiery
though it hath it . r. y Go~ m Z1on. Reltg10n ~ (ie.ctJliliion. of.H.uvm,~.s. . a.:thm~. {th.o~.ghi·•never~tfo ... un-
wh
·1 . . . . s m1aAcy' yet it hath no Id
ht e .It is m its Minor1·cy, it . a·lways m
. 1s . . mot,
o age b :
~~ ~\lbt~&y)ttP\ ,Qm.~, ~ha.~ H~ .f~~1$fy. ~,is h~ng~f CJ.<:6:r.es,
w en it comes to its Maturity and fi 11 . u_; uc ., hlmtihe::r~aU·:*[pqft~ffioµ, Qfj Jt .even Jl) ;J.hJ~i :life. f: §Uch It So we read
ways be in ']Uiete it is th 1 u age, tt will al- • #1 ,Jilap.pIO:~fi;~ Wf.>!1ldibl!,Jtfs ,in .t~e, .~~em of ,Good !,<;,";,~i [;}; '.:b
years fail .not but 'it ilia!' e~ a "r~ys the fame, and its ~.- n}en~ :, that w.cre ·o.nely;good ,t.o; b.e ,en)oy_ed anhe ·end 1 :e p.1 Jo. ch. 1•
, i -en"'ure ior ever. Holy and L 11 of 11, 3·
religious
44 2 T/Je Excellency and 1-{oMenej of True 1?.._eligio~
of thi.s life when all other enjoyments fail him. _
I w1fh there Be not among fome fuch a light and poor
eft~em of He4ven, as makes them more to feek -after
A/Jttrance of Heavm onely_in t~e Idea.of i~ as ti thing to
come, then after Heaven zt felf; which mdeedcwe can·
never well be alfured of, untill we.find it rifino up with-
in our ~elves and glorifying o~'r own Souls~ When
true Aff~rance· comes, He11ven it felf will appear upon
the Horizon of our Souls, like a mornino Hoht chafino
away all our dark and gloomy doubtings bef~re it. w~
iliall not need then to light up our Candles to feek for
it .in corners ; no, it will di[play ifs own lulhe•·and
~nghmefs fo before us, that we may fee it in its own
light, and o~r felves the crne poffeffours of it. We
may be ~o? ntc 7~nd vain in feeking for flgnes anJ tokens
of C hnft s Spmt11tt_l ~ppearantes in the Souls of men,
:as well as t~e S~nbes and _Pharifees were in feeking
for them at his Ftr{l appeArance in the World. When
he comes into us, let us expetl: till the works that he
ihall doe within ~s may teftify of him ; and be not.
over-creduJous, till we find that he doth thofe works
t,hereivhrcn none other could doe. As for a true well-
~round ed A_ff,mmce, fay not fo much, Who jha/1 afaetitl
ttp into heaven, to fetch it do1rvn fro~ thence ,:- or wbo
foall_defcend into the deep, to fetch it up from beneath ,:
for m the Growth of true internal Goodnefs and in- tlie
P~ug~ef of true ~eligion it .will freely unfold it fel'f
wuhm us. Stay·ttll the gram of Mufi:ard-feed--it felf
breaks forth from among the clods that buried.fr, till
throu~h the d~fcent of_ the heavenly dew it fpr outs up
?nd d1fcovers 1t ~efh,penly. This holy A/f11r,1n_ce is
mdeed the budd.m~ · and . bloffoming of f elicicy in
our_ own ~ouls ;_1~ 1s the mward fenfe and feeling of
t~~ true ltfe,. fpmt , fweetnefs and, beauty of Grace
power.._
in its Progrefl. 4 4J
powerfully expreffin_g. it~ _Q~vn Energy within us. _
Briefly, True Religion !n t~e P~~~relf~ of1t trans
forms thofe Minds in which 1t reigns from glory_to
glory": it goes· on and profper~ in brin&i':1g all enel?ies
in [ubjection under their f~ec.,. m reconc1h~g the Mmds
of men fully to God . and 1c m!btes them ma firm pof-
feffion of the Supre~e Good. This is t~e Seed _of God
within holy Souls, which ,is alw~ys war~mg agamft tbe
Seed of the serpent, ~ill iq~re'va1l over 1t through the
Divine fl:rength and mfluence. T_pQµgh.JJe/J may op~n
her mouth wide and without meafu~·~,;yet ~ t~·ue Chn-
ftian in whom the feed of God re.mam~th, 1s 1n a good
and fafe condition; he finds hlmfelt born up by an
Almighty arm, and carried upwards as upo~ Eagles
wings; and the Evi~ o~e hath, n,o ~~wer o~erjum,_or,a_s
S. :John expreffeth 1t,o I10Yne9~ 8% «-1rl6'ffll1 ~ ,the-Evz_t
o»e to.ucheth him not, 1 Ep. chap. 5. v. 18. ·
CH A?', XI.
5. The Excellency.ofE,eligion in :egard of its Term &
. End viz, PerfeB: Bleffednefie. How unable we ~re
in th1 Jlate to-comprehend and defcribe the Fuli
Perfd1 Jl1tte 1Jf Happincf and Glory to coj/- i"j/
more Godlike a chriftian i!,.· the bette~ may e ,m e~-
e
ft,md that State.· Holinefs.,.JtndHappmefs not tw1 ;/i{
t incl- tbinr;s but two fever al Notions of one an t. e
- fame thing. , Heaven ,armot Jo well be _def!ned hy an,/
thing without us , tU by (omething w1th~n m. 'Ile
'great nearnef and affinity between ~i~ andHe~l. '.r:1~
Condujion of thio Treatife, contamzng a_S~rtotl4 !-t"
hortation to ,i diligent minding of Rel,gzon,):''t "'
. L 11 2 D11 cover_y
44 4 The Excellency a,:d 'l{ohlenefl of Tme rJ{eligion in its Term and End• 44 >
Difcovery of the Yanity o[Lthofe Pretenfes which keep 1 . four Minds which we now have.
men offfrom minding Religion. . upon thofe Facu ~l~\uapfes and.irradiations th~re may
We know not w a S . 1 .n Glory that may ra1fe diem
VvEcome now to the Fifth and Lafr Particular,viz. f
be from God upofi aY~ns urpaffing all our imaginations.
into a ftate of Per el Happinefs there cannot be any
5. The Excellency of Religion in the Tmne 11nd
End of it, which is nothing elfe but Bleffednejt it felf As for Corporea h Pl;afim of our Bodies or
in its fu/t maturity. Which yet I may not here und~r- thing further added_ to :in~ it from difturbing Paffion
take to explain, for it is altogether C:ppn~, 71, nor can it Anim~l pa~t, t_hft a '~t:a~untlconftitution;and th~re.fo~e
and Pam ~o tts JU ah e well difputed againfi: th~ Qpi-
defcend fo low as to accommodate it felf to any humane
ftyle. Accordingly S. :John tells us, it does not yet Ap- fome Philofop~ers av that make Happine/ to confift
pear -what we fha/l he; and yet that he may give us Come nion of the E}'tCtl;,eans ». ]\(1,(JZOV }xE-1 rro '11.U'TI'tlepJI 71'ePH·
glimpfe of it, he points m out to God, and tells us, inBodily pleajuhe,o'\'1TTJ o71fatian is gone, and th~ jult
oµ.g,o, wmJ :ucf"e~, we ]ball be like him, for ,ve fha/1, fee
him o he' it. Indeed the bell: way to get a difcovery of
"",4,_ov· ~nd w en t t~; recovered' Pleafure ceafeth.
con{htut1o_n o~ ~a ifi re of Minds apd Spirits do~~ µo~
it, is to endeavour as much as may be to be Godlike, to
live in a feeling converfe wit,h God and in a powerful
1
But the high~ · ea ulieving of them from any antece-
onely confift m t_ e re in {f relaxation from fome for-
exercife and expreffion of all Godlike difpofitions: So dent pains ~r griekiC:n : neither is their mippinef~ ;i
fuall our inner man be bell: enabled to knorv the /Jreadth mer mol~{hn~ Pa ta.· as the Happinef~ of the Deuy
11nd length, the depth ar.Jti height of that Love and Good- mere Stoical ct,n:c,est,~ thinO' l'endrino jt fr~e fro~ all
nefs which yet pd_/Jeth all knowledg. There is a State of is not a mere Negt~ve_ n f~ that it ~ay eternally reft
Perfcllion in the life to come fo far tranfcendent to difturbanc~ or_ mo.~ a~!o 1
does not fo much con{itl _in
any in this life, as chat we are not able from hence to quiet with~n 1t fel&f; ~ A Mind and Spirit is too
take the juft proportions of it, or to form a full and !2J!iete, as!". ..All;! vtgore, is too quick arid potent a
-comprehenfrve.notion of it. We are upable to,compre... fu~l of ach y1ty and e1d~~di lete Happiq_efs in· ~ 1!1~re
bend the vafinefs and faHnefs of thatHappinefs which thing to enJoy a full an ake 1:,appinefian h€avy Sp1n~-
the mo.ft -pnrifyed Souls may be -raifed to, or to appre- ceffat~on; this w~re to her hath well ppferv'd, ~lnt ~
. :hend how far •the mighty power and ftr~ngth of the le(s thing.The Ph1l~fop.. ·~ ,<:L 11¾J M'ovn there is 1_nfimte
, {\_, "' ' ~fd o-iwe~v '>1 a.,\nivl , · d h · · fs
·Divinity deriving it felf into created Being, may.com- ci.An,v1Yq.> a,~ , • D' · ·oy pleafure an ;ippme
municate a more Tt"anfcendent life and b1effednefs toit.. l'owerand ft..rength ihn
commenfurate co t at m... ;
At°~gJ hty'· Beifig and ·Goodoefs
.
We know not what latent powers our Souls may J1ere
contain within tb emfelves , which then may ,begin
1
which is t~e Edte~n~l
As Create einl:!> ,
;~u~ha~~i~·
G d
capable of cpnverft~
further otf from
to open and dilate themfelves to let in ,the foll ilreams
of the Divine Goodnefs when they come nearly and in- .. with God, ftand nearer to ~re ~r lefs o(his like-
timat-cly to-converfu with it; or how Ble/Jed»ef m~y ad: him) and ahs they pak~ak~:r'e or lefs of that Happ'.~
upon
,njf,; fo t ey parta L 11 3 ve:r,-
446 The Excellency and Noblenej of True rJ(eligion in its Term and End. 4 47
nefs which flows,:forth from him, and God communi- ~ ·.. s b fomething that is withirt US;, - :
qc_es,hin,felLin.different degrees ro them. There may wtthottt- us, -a dy •ti thofe, Parciculars-w_herem
Thus have we one Wt 1 bl ,r. ~I' t· ..
be,~~ ma_ny degrees.of Sanllity and Perfel1ion, as there fid d tht E~"<ce/lency ~nd No eneJs 0., - R_e zgm,,
are,of States. ~nd.Conditions of CreatJ1res-: and that is we _con. t ere reft b 0 ,~ D n"JN The- way of life, ~nd
wh!ch 1s h_ere ~xp_ , Yl · 0,,n t.(-1' .A tree ·of ·life·:
pr.operly Sanllity_ ,which. guides and orders all the Fa-
<:ulc_ies. a_nd AchoQs of any Creature -in a way fuitable elfewher~ ~s ft~ep• by
. tr~e. Rel~&1on l ebn\
Soi~::;d i5rinciple .of lite,· of a
al~fe thati which is Life moft e:ro-
and cqrrefpondent ..fo that rank and {bee which God
hath pl~ced it in: and while it doth fo, it admits no fin D1yme life, ne_ e 0 d" '"7l in the Holy Scripture _a·
orlde~lement to it,felf, though yet it may be elevated ~trlyfR{io l~a~led.;
1 1
;f~J
1
~Je!as a life of Sin an~ Wic'~-.
and advanced highe-r ~ and accordingly true Politive hfe o . e ~ on h In the ancientAcadem1cal·Plir-
Sanflity _q>mes to be advanced higher and higher, as ednefs.1s _fhled Deat h. d'fputed whether that Corporeal
1 r. pl1y it was muc I . d. th
any G.reacur~e comes, more to partake of the• life of o10 . . 'J /;/.',
1 . hich was always drawmg· own. - e
God, ai:id to be br<;>ught into a nearer conjunction with and A.ntrhti J e, w d M terial thinos was not m6re
God: andJo the Sttnllity and Happinefs of Innocency Soul into Teb~esecil:d D:ath then Life. Wh~t fenf~
it felf migh_t have been perfetted. . properly to h s had may appear by this pra-
hereof the ~yt agorean wont to fet up· x-evo,rdcp,«.
1?
Tqu~ we fee how True Religion.carries llp the Souls
of ~ood men above, the black regions of HeO and tHfe of theirs,_ Tl fer: of thofe that had: forfaken
D~ath.This indeed- is the great ~x.ctim~o-,~ of Souls~ Ern_pty-coffins m t ~Je:~;ated from their Phil~fophf
it i~ /J.eligi'!n it (elf, o.r a reall participation of God and their School aocl d o . A oftates from life 1t felf,
his'H9line_fs,which is their true reftitution and advance- and good Precepts,as beragooEd life which is the trut
and dead to Vertue an to be recko;ed amongthe dead•..

Cot Fi~~~\Y
rne.~c. '. A_ll;-.tp.;J.t}fappinefs which Good men iliall be
maqe par~~kets of, .as it. cannot be born up upon any life,& ther_efole this Difcourfe ; The Ufe which
other. foundation .then true Goodnefs and a Godlike na- For a O
1.lf 11 {hall be this To awaken and ex-
ture \y_ithin.th~m:; fo neither is it difti~d: from it. -Sin we iliall ma e a .· mio.di;o of Religion: as So-
anq-fM{are J<r twin~g and. twifted up together, that if hort every one toru fe!~h~rt every ~ne to [eek after tr~lt .
lomon doth ea~nh . Yh _fame with Religi-on and Hoh-
thetPO}V~r. of.sii! be once diffol v'd, the bonds of Death
and. t.J;~l_l .will _:dfo fall afu.nder • .Sin and He/l qre of the Wi(edeme, ~~ic ~sh; O
/J • Prov. 4 • s. Get•Wifedome,
neis, as Sm l~ wit nd Y' Get Wifedome and with a[t
fame,ki,1_1d,_of the Jame linage and defcent: as on.t'he
get undt~ft4ndmg ; a v• 7•. · Wife dome 'iJ the princi-
~otb~r. ~de.True·H·.o/imfi_s. o. r Religion and TrueHappi-
_nefs art,but_twofeveraU No.ti.ons•of one thing, radier thy gtttmg ge~!'n~erfh:f:!~e
15 15
of all, the Con•lufion
of.
theQ..,;ciiftioci: in-.themfelv~s. _.Jleligion·-delivers--us,from p,l thtng. T od 11,nd Im hi5 commandements;
Hell ·ky)µftat_ing us in . ~ _-polfeffion, of -True Life the wkol_e i,"!te;,f e(du~ybufiner/and concernment) ef
and, .Bliffe.. •Hell is, r11ther a Natrere then a Place: for this ,o e w o e . fl ;way our ti me and opportum-
and. He1ppen-~annot be .to truly defined by any thing 11!""· hi~ehtGu~doha:h1g.fven us)whercin we may lay hold
ties _w c upon
1 withoNt
4
4& ·ne Exalloocy and 'l{oblenefl of True (Rsligion
upon _Life· and Immortality, in doing nothing, or elfe
purfriing Hell and Death. Let us awake out of our
vain dreams ; Wifedome calls upon us, and offers us
the hidden treafures of Life and Bleffednefs : Let us
not perpetually deliver over our felves to lazinefs and
flumbering. Say n:ot., There io tt li().n in the way ; fay
not, Though Religion be good, yet it is unattainable_:
No, but let us intend all our Powers in a feriqus refotv•d
purfU,lnce of it , and depend upon the a'ffill:ance of
Heaven which never fails thofe. that foberly feek for
it. It is ind·eed th~ Levity of mens fpirits, their heed-
1-lclfenefs and regardlelfenefs of their own lives, that
betrays them to Sin and Death. It is the general pra•
dice of men ®'11'%fd\~av ~, {&io,, extempore vive__re,
as the Satyrill: fpeaks ; they ordinarily ponderate and
deliberate upon every thing more then how it becomes
them to live, they fo live as if their Bodies had fwal-
lowed up their Souls: their lives are but a kind of Lot-
tery: the Principles by which they are guided are no-
thing elfe but a conftlfed multitude of Fancies rudely
jumbled together. Such is the life of mo.ft men, it is
but a meer cafual thing a&ed over at peradventure,
without any fair and calm debates held either with Re-.
ligion, or with Reafon which in it felf, as it is not difior-
ted and dt:praved by corrupt men, is a true Frie~d to
Religion, and directs men to God and to things good
and juft, pnre, lovely and praife•worthy; and the di-
rections of this Inward guide we are not to neglect.
Unreafonablenefs or the f mothering and extinguifuing
the candle if the Lord within us is no piece of Reli-
gion, nor advantageous to it: That certainly will not
raife men up to God, which finks them below men.
There had never been fuch an 4po.fta.fy from Religion,
nor had fuch a Myftery of iniquity ( full of deceive-
ablenefs
All Bx"!Jortatirmtotbe firiousuzi-»di,~ of t!Qligion. 445f
ablenefs and impofture) been revealed and -wroug_ht fo
:,owerfnlly in the Souls of fome men, had there not
1firft come an .Apoftafy from [ober Reafon, had ~here
not firft been a falling away and dtparcure from _:Na..
tural Truth- ' . ,, ,
It is to be feared our nice fpeculations abou_t a 'TO ecp
~l'-'v in Theology have te~de~ more to exemfe mens
Wits then to reform their _lives, _and that they have
·too much defcended into their l?ra~1~, a~d_have tended
rather to take men off from mmd_mg Reh~1on, then to·
quicken them up to a diligent feekmg:after it. Thoug~
the Powers of Nature may now be weakne~ ~ a~d
though we cannot produce a living form of R.~lrn~on m
our own Souls; yet we are not furely refolved fo.mto_a
fluggHh pttJivenefs, as that we cannot, ?r were not_ m·
any kind or manner of way to feek after it. _.,,Cerc~m-:
Iy a man may as well read the SC'(iftflm as ftu·dy a piece
of .Ariflotle, or oLN.atural Phtlo~ophy or Mathema~
ticks. He that can obferve·any t~mg comely and com,-
mendable, or unworthy and bafe, m another man,, ma~
alfo reflett upon-himfelf, and: fee how face anfwers-- PD
f 4 ce as Solomon (peaks Proverbs 1.:7. 1,9. I~ men.would
feri~ufly· commune with their hearts, their own ~onr-
fciences would! tell them plainly.,, that they ·might
avoid and omit more evil then they. doe;. and that they
might doe more good then-.they doe: and tha~_th~y d.o~
not put forth that power which God ~ath g1ven them,
nor faithfully ufe thofe Talents nor improve the: a4-
vantages and means affi:>rd·~d them. . ._ _
I fear the ground of moft- mens M1fery w.ill prove to
.be 4 second fall, and'a Lapfe 11-pon a Lapfe. l_ doubt God_
will not allow that Proverb, The Fat hers· h1-ve e11ten;
Joilr grapes, and t_he childrens _teeth- are fet on ~dge~.
as not in refpe·et ot Tempmtl mifu:y, much. lefs will ~e.
M m.m. · allow
 An Bxh<rtdfon to t1Je ferio11J ·
allow it in refpect of Eternal. le will not be fo much
becaufe our Firft parents incurred God's difpleafure as
becaufe we have neglected what might have been d~.Qe
by us afterwards in order to the foeking of God,his face
and favour, while he might be found.
Up then and be doing~ and the Lord will be with us.
He will not leave us nor forfake us, if we ferioufly fee
our felves about the work. Lee us endeavour to
acquaint our felves with our own lives, and the true
Rules of life, with this which Solomon here Gtlls the
Wa) ~f Life : let us inform· our :Minds as mu~h as may
be rn the Excellency and Lovelmefs of Prachcal Reli-
gion; that beholding it in its own beauty andamiable-
nefs, we may the more fincerely clofe with it. As there
would need nothing elfe to deterr ~nd affright men
from Sin but its. own uglinefs and deformity, were it
prefenced to a naked view and feen as it is : fo nothin(J'
would more effectually commend Religion to the Mind~
of ~_en, t~en the difplaying and unfolding the Excel-
!enc1es of 1ts N~ture? c_hen_ the true Native beauty and
'mward !?fire~( Rehg10n 1t felf: ~&' lcars_p@.., ~0' erZo? ~rm,
.Suuff!P;~s • neither. the Evening nor the M-0rning-Star
could fo fen~bly commen~ the~felv~s. to our bodily
Eyes, and delight them wtth their fhmm 0 beauties, as
11
Chap. 7.
True Religion, which is an undefiled Bea~ of the un-
createdlight~;would to a mind capable of coverfino- with
it. Religi1n, which is the true w1f!dome, is (as* ti~ Au-
1
thor ?f the Book ~f Wifedome fpeaks of Wifedome,)a
pu~e m/J16encc flow mg fro~ th~ glory of the .Almighty,the
6rightmf of the Ever,/aftmg lrght, the tmf}ottcd,mirrour
~/the por11e~of God~and the image.of his Go.odne{s<· .She is
mo!e be1J11t-ifnt then the Sun,& ahove all the order ofStars;
imng ~071!pit~ed with the light,Jbe is fo1md before it. .
Rehg1-0rus.nofoch auft«e, four & rigid thing,.as to
affright
minding of <J{eligion. 4 5·1:
ffi · ht men :1.way from it : No, but 't~(jfe1tha~ ·are ac-
~u~i~ted with the power of it, find it1,to be\altoget_her
fweet and amiable. A_n holy Sou! fees fo· much ~f ·th_e
glory of Religion in the lively impreffi~ns ~h1ch.1t
.bears upon it felf1 as b?th wo?e.s and wt~n~ it. We
may truly fay concernm_g R:elig1on to ~u~h, Soul~ as
S. Paul fpake to the Connthians, 1_veeds. tt ,_any,-Epijll~s i Cor. 3,
of CommendA,tion to you? Need_s it a~yth1ng ~t> court .
our affottions ~ re are indeed its_ Efiflle, ,written TIQt
~ith ink btet with the spirit of the lzvtng Go~. . ·, ...
Religion is not like the Prophet's ,~ 0 1~, fwee~·~$,h~-
n it was in his mouth bunrs bater as'gallm
ney w he . ii'11 s · ;r. , no flour
his belly. Religion is. no u e~ torc11me,
.Pharifaifme; it does not confift m a few Melanc~ol~.
-ffi s in fome dejected looks or depreffions ?f Mmd.
b~t i~~dnfifts in Freedom., Love, !'eace, Life ~na:ower J·
the more it comes to be di~efi::d mto our hves,t e more
fweet arid lovely we {hall ~nd it t? be. Tho[e_fpots and_
wrinkles which corrupt Mmds thmk they ~ee in t~e face
. .
of R el1g1on, ·.,re indeed nowhere fielfe but m. their own.
deformed and misfhapen apprehen ions. 1c is n~ ~0n--,
ti, .
d hen a defiled Fancy comes tQ be the Glafs, if you. l'
!·1
h:~:an unlovely ref1e8:ion. Lee.us therefore_labour to· .
purge our own Souls from ;ill worldly polluuons •;. _let
r b a.th after the aid and affiftance of the D~vme
frfte thatit may irradiate and inlighten ~>Ur M~~s,
tlat ~e may be able to [ee Divine things in a D1v1_ne
.
lioht : let us endeavour to live more in_ a_ real prachce
of thofe Rules of Religion~ a~d Holy ltvmg_com~nen- .
ded to us by our ever:. Blefied Lord and ~av1?ur . ~o·
£hall we know Religion better ' and kno~l~~ lt love lt ,
and loving it be frill more,and more ~mbmouflr purfud' . .
·in after it, till we come to a full attau~me~t of it_, an
g . f our own Perfecl:ion and Everla{bng Blt[s.
t herem o M m m. z.. - .
 A
CHRIST I A NS
Conflicts and Conquefl:s.
OR,
A DISCOVRSE
Concerning
The Vt1'i-l' s aEtive Bnniity and continual Boflility
againft Man.
The Wmfare of a Chrijlian life.
The Ccrt,1inty oi S tffcefl t1nd Viftory in this Spiritual
Warfare. · ·
The Blnl and Horridnefl of Magical .Arts and (1(._i!es,
v;abolical Contracts, &c.
SiracidesCap.2., I,

T~x.vov, ~ ~~PX~ s-~~6li'qv Kue,lq.,, erro1f18,aTJV 'ft,.,; 4,uxful

·
c8 a) 1rqe?9"f'SY•
· . * Cap. 36. J. ,. Cap. 33. in
.
T~ <po{6~~(fl KJe,iov ~ d'1lt(,;f111Iq ,c.or,,c.ov, ~, cw ?TC}esc,- :Edit,Vu!g,J..at,
_uµ,o/ '£1 'llU,'1>.iv ~,Aiii'T"J• '9''•
Cyprianus De Zeto 0' Li-vorc.
E;,.:.ubandum cjr, Fratrcs dilcclij/imi, atque omnibu-s vfribu-s eliiborandum, 11:
.1i·-nicr, fa:vienti, et j.tc11la fr,~ in omncs ,orporis parm, ~uibm pcrc11ti ~
-.mlncr,tri poffumtt5, dirig,cnii, foUicita (;J' plenJ vigil,mtia repugnemzu-
.~i(amobrcm contra omnes Diaboli 'UCL fallaccs infidiM iJcl apertM minM Jtare
dcfct inftrnclu~ animv-5 (;J' armatzu, tam paratu~ fcmper ad rep11g;1Jandmn
quam cft ad imp11g»andmn fcmper parat"5 inimiczu.
Mmm3
 4H·
A.
C H. R I S T I A N. S
Conftifls and Conqaefts
Reprefented in a Difcomfe upon James 4. 7.
Refift· the Devil, and he willflce from yoa.

CH AP. I.
The Introdullion,Summarily treating ofthe perpef11al En-
mity between God,the Principle of Go.od,e!i the J'rinciple
of Ervil, the Devil: t:u alfo between Whtttfoever is from
God & That which it from the Dervil.That Wicked mm
hy .dejlroying what there t$ from ·God withi» them, and
,de'Vtfting themfelvts of all that which hath any a!Jiance
to God or trtee Goodnej, and transforming themfelves
into the Diabo1ical image, fit themfe.lves for torrefjo,n-
.dence A»d conver[e with the Devil. Tbe Fears a_nd
Horrors which infejl both the Apopate Spirits afJd
Wicked men. 'I.he weaknej of the Devil's kingd~m ;
chrifl' s JucceJ 4gainft it.
T Hath been an antient Tradition received

II . ·
·. 1· . : by the Gentile Philofophers, That there
are Two main Principles that fpend and
.. ... · ~. fpr~ad their influence throu,gh the iv~ol_e
· Umverfe: The one they call _d The Princi-
I ple of Good, the other theytalt'd The Principle of Ev_il:
and

A Cl)riflians ConfiiBs
arid that thefe Two maintain 11, continu,rl conteft and en-
, mitythe one -~yith the other. The Principle o[Good-
m/,, which is nothing elfe but God himfelf, wlio deri-
ved himfelf in clear and lovely lbmps and ·impreffions
-of Beauty and Goodnefs through the whole Creation,
endeavours frill to affimilate and unite it to himfelf.
And on the other fi9e The Principle of Evil, the Prince
of darknefs, having once frained the Original beauty
and glory of the Divine workmanlhip, is contil'lually
£hiving to mold arid ihape it more and more into his
own likenefs. And as there is fuch a perpetaal and.
~dive Enmity between God and the Evil Spirit: fo
whatfo~ver is from God is pe~petnally oppofing and
warring againfi: that which arifes from the Devil. The
Divine Goodnefs hath put.enmity between whatfoever
is born of him or flowes forth from it (elf, and the
i
!'. Seed of the Serpent. As at ~the beginning- he divided
becween the Night and the Day, between Light and
Darknefs , fo that they can never, intermingle or com-
ply one with another , or be reconciled one to the
other:- fo ~either can thofe Beams_ of Divine light
and' love· wh1-ch defcend from ·God upon the Souls of
men· be ever .reconciled to thofe foul and filthy Mift's of
Sin and Darknefs which afcend -out of the bottomlefs
pit of Hell and Deathe That Spirit is not from God
who is the fat her cf lights and in whom there is n~
darknefs, a~ the Apofile fpeaks, which endeavours to
compound \vith Hell, and to accommodate between
God· and the ~evil. Godilimfelf hath fet the bounds
to ,farknefs ancf---the lhadow of dea.th •. Divine Truth
:m_d Good~efs cannot contract, themfelves with any
tthmg that 1s from Hell, or efpoufe themfelves to any
Brae of darknefs : as it w~s fee forth in the Emblem·
under the Old Law,, where none of the Holy feed.
· might
·tpzd Co11queftr~·
;1n•igh~, marry with the people -of_ ;any ll:ra-nge God~
'fhough·that Rule, To:ech n~t, taft n~t, handle ~ot, be
.abolifhed in·the Symbolical mes, yet 1t ~ath an immu-
table Myftery in it.not fubje6t to the laws or changes of
Time. . d .h h
He 'that will entertain any correfpon ence wit t e
Devil . or receive upon his Soul his Image or the n11m-
lm 0/ his name, muft fi:ft deveft and ftrip ~imfdf of all
that which hath any alliance to ~od <;>r tr~e Goodnefs
within him•: He mufr transform his Mm? rnto the true
lik~efs and fimilitude of thofe foul Fiends of dark-
nefs, and abandon all relation .to the Higheft and Sa-
prernefr Good. And yet though fome men endeavour
·co doe this, and to fmother all thofe Impre~ons of
Lia ht and Reafon which God hath folded up m·every
mtns Beino and dell:roy all that which is from God.
within the~, that fo they may reconcile the~felves to
Sin and Hell ; yet can they never m~ke any Jufl: peace
with them : There is no peace to the wzcke-J, b1tt they· are
like thetrOHhledSea when it c~n11~t.reft1 whofe ~ate~s caft
up mire and dirt. Thofe Evil fpmts are ~lwa1es !urbu-
lent and reftlej; and th_ou~h they maintain contmuapy
a War with God and his kmg~om, yet ar~ they ~lwa1es
makino difquiecinC1s and d1fturbances m their own
kinod;m ; and th~ more tl-iey contell with ·God and
are deprived of him,' the mor~ f~ll are th~y of horror
and tumultuous commotions w1thm. Nothing c~n ftand
firm and fore, nothing can have any tru~ and qmet efta-
blifhment, that hath not tpe. Ev~rlaftmg arms of true
Goodne[s under it to fupport it. And as thofe that de-
'liver over themfelves mofr to ~be Devil's pleaf~r~, _and
·devote themfelves to his ferv1ce, .cann~t doe 1t with-
out a fecret inward Antipathy agamft ht~ or drea~~ul
thoughts of him: fo neither can thofe 1mpu!e fpmts
N nn ftand
/
 d Chriflimls Cpnfi.icls
{land· before the Divine glory thut_ being filled ivitli-
trembling and horror continually endeavour to_ hide
themfelves from it, and flee away before it as the Dark-
nefs flies away before the Light. And according as-
God hath in any Places in any Ages of the world made·
any manifefi:ations of himfelf to men, fo. ha:ve thofe
Evil fpirits been vanquilhed, and .forced to quit their
former Territories; as is efpecially ver.y obfervable in-
the ceafing of all the Gr£cian OrMles-. foon• after the
Gofpel was promulged'in thofe parts, when thofe de-
folate fpirits with horrid and difmal groans refigned
up their habitations., as Pl"tarch-hath recorded of them.
Our Saviour hath found by good experience,. how
weak a thing the Devil's liingdome u., when he /}oiled·
all the Principalities and· Powers of dark~efs, and made
"fhew of them openly, tritemphing over them in (or, by)
it, that is; his Crolfe, as the Apofl:le fpeaks: and if we
will refolutely follow the Cttptttin of our falvation, and
fight under his ban1;1er, Mgooafouldimof :J~(m chriff;_.
we have full fecumy given,us for the fame· fucceife·;
JJ.ejiftthe Divil, and he will flee fro-m yo11~ _
Ca AP. Ir.
The Firff_ ohferva~le.,_ Tha~ the De~il is c~:>ntinuairy-
bufie with us. The Devil confider d under a do1,hl'e·
notion. x:. As an .Apofhite Spirit which fell from God;
?(he great d~nger _of the Devil's allivity, not onely·
~hen ke _prefents himfelf in fame corporeal"fliape, /mt
when he rs rmfaen and-appears not•. The wea/tnefs and.-
f~Uy of thofe who are afraitl'" of_ him- onely rvhen he ap---
pears em/Jody.ed. · That the G.ood Spirit of Godis allive
for-
_anJ Conque]is .' ~ >·9
for the Good of souls. _B~w ftg~~dlefs mtn ~no/ the
gentle motions of the Dtvzne Spmt; and how unw_atck•
fall and fecrere under the Suggejli~n_s of. t~e Ev.tl Spt-
. rit. How we may difcover the Devil tn hts Stratag~ms,
··and ,ender his fever al difguifes and appeJrances.
[Reflfl the Dervit, and-he :m~/J_ Jl~e [!.DJn
INou]thefewewords
Chall take notice Fir ft $>f' what 1~ ev1~ently 1 D
f
in{plied, viz. That the Devil is c9Jtinu11/ly ufy with m.
This may be confidered under a do~b~e not:1on.
· 1 . By the Devil we are to under.ff and that Ap~ftate
Spirit which fell from God, and is always defig1ung to
bale down others from God al~o. _Th 7 old Dragon
(mentioned in. the Revelation) with h1s tail drew down
the third part of the Stars of hea~en and caR: them to
the Earth. As true Goodnefs_ is net c~ntent to be
happy alone; fo ntither ~an Sm and W_1cke~~efs be
content to be miferable alone. The fa~il Spmt told .
God himfelf what his imployment was, viz. T_o toe to Joh ,.1.
and fre in the earth, and to walk up and down zn tt: be
is always walking up and down throug~ dry plttces
(where no Divine influences fall to water it) as our Sa.
viour fpeaksJeeki.ng refl, though always reftleffe. The
Philofophy of the Ancients hath obfetved That ev~ry
man that comes into this world hath a good and ~ll
evil GeniU& attending upon him. It were perhaps~
vain curiofity to inquire whether the nu~b.er of Evtl
JPirits exceed the number of Men: but this is too too
certain that we never want the fecre:t- and latent atten-
dance ~f them. The Devil is no~ onely ~ w~rd ?r "
name made to affright and_ fcare t1morou~ men withh;
neither are we then onely m danger of him, \yh_ea e
refents himfelf to us in fome Corporeal form : it· 1~ no ...
ih=. o elfe but a fuperftitious weaknefs to be. afraid _of
lflo Nnn i hun
 A Chriftian,s [011fiifJs
him onely then when he app·ears emhodyed; and.to neo--
lecl. that unfem and infenfible influence which I1is co~-
tinual converfe with us as an u»hodytd-fpirit· may· have
upon us. Thofe Evil fpirics are not yet caftou.c of tlie
world into outer darknefs, though it be prepared for
them: the botcoinlefs pie hath not yet £1Jut-ics mouth
upon them. They fell from God noc fo much by _a Lo-
c-ttl defcent, as by a Mental apojafy- and difiimilittt"de to
Go~: and they are now i~ libera c11ftodia.., having all this
habitable world for their Rendezvous, and are ftiied
:Ephef.6, by the Apofile Spiritual ~icke~neffe~: in high pl,ms.
Wherefoever there are anym a d1fpoftt1on to,li,n-againft:
God,. wherefoever there are any capable of a Tempt>a-
tion or Diabolical impreffion-, here and there are
they. A man needs no_p dig into thechambers of death,
or fearch among the lhadows of. dar kne1fe to find· them.
be needs not goe down into l1ell to feek them, o'r uf~
any Magical charms to raife them up.from rhence: No
thofe wicked and impure fpirit~ are always wandring
up and down amongft:• us, feekmg whom they may de-
vour. As-there is a Good Spirit converfant in the world·
inviting and alluring men to Vertue and Goodnefs; f~
.there is an Evil JPirit,perpetua11y tempting and intice-
,, ing men to Sin and Vice. Undoathed and unbodyed
r natures mayconverfe with us by fecret illapfes, while
we are not aware of.diem. l doubt not but there are
many more Divine impreffions made upon the Minds
of men~ both Good- and, Bad, from the Good Spirit· of
G-0d,~then~re ordinarily obferved; tl1ere are many foft
and hlent 1mpulfes, gemle.motions,like our Saviour's
clq. putting in hu hAnd hy the hole of the dm, as it is in the
Cantic/es, fo1Jiciting and exciting men to Religion and
Holinefs ; which they many times .regard not,and take
.fat-le notice of;_ , -
There
1 and Conquefls~ 461
There are fuch fecjet meffages _often brought fr0m-
Heaven to the Souls _of men by·an unknown ~nd_ un-
fi I13 d as the Pfalmift fpeaks ; 011ce, yea twice have
Je~n d ~t 'th.4t power belonueth unto God. And as· t•here
tJear i , ,~ on·d· . h S 1 f
are[uch divine irradiations _u.1 •mg mto t e .ou so men
from ·cod:fo there are no.quelho_n n~ny & frequen~ft~g-
eJHons to the Fancies and Imagmattons of _men ~11fing
't-om the Evil Spirit'Iand a watchful~ obferver of lus own
heart and life (hall often he_ar thevo1ce ofwzfdome & t•he
voice of Folly fpeaking-to-h1m:he that hat~ his eyes ope-
ned ma fee both the vifions of God fallmg upon Ium,
and-'d·r·
ucery n .the i;alre
i; ic
and foolifh fires-of
'T'h.Satan
. that would
i-l
draw away his mind from God. .i: IS· is o?r m up-,
inefs,that the Devil is fo near us and we fee lum no~;he
fs converfant with us, and yet we are not_ aw~re of him.
Thofe are the moft d~fperate defigns& hkehefi: to t~k;
effect that are carried on by ~n un[een and unap_pearm=:
enemy: and if we will provide our felv~s agam~ tl~c:
Devil, who never miffeth any OPP?:t!u~tty that hes m
his wa .to tempt u5, nor is ever failmg m-any plot-,. we
mull: then have our Senfes.exercifed· to difcern b~th good
.
4nd evt1·; we
mufr ~t our Minds awakened with cle1r
o · . h ft t r Judo
and eVident Principlesof L1g t; we mu ~e ou ~-
ments and Confciences. well inform_ed with fo~r and
raetical Truth, fuch as tends to make us moCr· like t_o-
~od and to reconcile our natures more perf~ttl! to D1-
vme . 'goo dne fs • Thenfuall , ' . we know· and h ·d1fcover
b h fc that
ks
Apoftate Spirit in, alth1s ~tratagcms w ere y e_ ee
to bereave us of our happmefs _: vre 1hall know ~1m as
ell when he cloaths- himfelf like an Angel of light~ as
:hen he appears in.his.own-nakednefs and deform11
·, It is obferved by fome, That God nev~r fuffered t e
Devil to aifume any humane fi1ape, bu~•,y1th (ome Cha-
ct herebv his Body might be- d1fi:11_1guifhed from1
.r.a er. w i N n n. 3: the:
4·5i A Chriflia'its -ConfliEls
the·true Body of a man : and furdy the Devil canno-t
fo exactly counterfeit an Angel of light, hut that by a
-difcerning mind he may be diftinguifhed from him. as
they fay a !Jeggar ~an never ~d if- ·J?r!nc~ fo cunningly,
but that his behaviour fomet1me il1dmg mto tfre·courfo
way and principles of his Education, will betray the
m~anneffe of his pedigree to one of a true noble extra--
then. A bare Imitation will always fall lhort of the
Copy from whence it is taken; and though Sin and Er-
rour may take up the mantle of Truth :ind cloath them-
felves with it, yet he that is inwardly acquainted with
Tnuh, and an ingenuous lover and purfuer of it>-will
be able to find out the ImpoPmre, he Will 'be able to
fee through the vail inte the naked deformity ofthem.
CH AP. III.
~ of the allivity of the Devil confider'd tt1 a Spirit of
Apoft_afj and IU a Degenerate n11.t1Jre in men. That the
Devil tS not one!y the name of one Particular thing bllt
a Natl!re.. Tbe Difference between the Devi/ and
Wicked menisr11th~rthe Difference of a Name then of
Nat,ms. . T~e Kzn;g~ome_ and Tyranny of the Devil
and He/l-u clmjly w1thm, m the !2.f1a!ities t1nd Dif}o-
fitions of n:ens Minds. Men are apt_ to q11 arre/l with
the _Devtl tn the n_amc and notio~, and defy him with
therr Tong11,es,wh1le they entertarn him in their Hearts
tt~d comply_ with aU that which th~ Devil u. The rz., }
mty of their preten1rd Love to God, and Hatred of tbe
4 and'selflove, . we may fay Here, and There 1~ that Evtl
Devil._ That there rs nothi~g Better then God him{elf,
for wh,ch we jho11ld love /nm? ttnd to love him Jur his.
fJVIJ Be,mty and Exce!le,;cy u the 6eft way of loving
hi1n.
,and" Conquefls: 463
IJim. 1l1at there i.t nothing worfa the~ Sin ~t [el/, for
which we jhould hate it; and to. hat~ tt for zts own de-
formity is the true.ft ~a.r- of hating zt. f!ow Heli and
Mifery. arif~s from_wttkm m~n • .. w_hy Wicked men are
Jo infenfibl~ of their Mi{ery·m thrs life-.
z. vvHen we fay·, The Devil is continually_ h~fy ivith
m,lmean not oneiyfomcApoflatc j}mt ~s o~e
particular Being, but that fFirit ~f Apojlafy wh1c~ 1s
lodged in,all mens natur~s ; and ~his may feem p:irticu~ ,
larly to be ai~ed at in.this place, 1f we_ obferve the con-
text·: as· the Scriprure fpeaks 0~ ~hnft_ D?t o~ely as 3.
Particular perfon, but as a D1vme Prmc1ple m holy
Souls. ,t' .
Indeed the Devitis not onely the name o1 one part~~
,ult1r thing, but a nature : fie is not f? much one _pam-
cular Being defigned to t0rment. W1~ked men m t_he
world to come as a helli{h. and d1abohcal nature feated
in the minds of men. He is not onely one Apoft.at~
Spirit fallen down-from heaven ~ut of t~e lap of Blef--
fednefs; but alfo a Spirit of Apoft~fy, a uege~ei:~te--and
depraved nature. Could the Devil chang~ hrs fou_l and
impure nature, he would neither _be a De1.11l_nor mi{era-
. ble : and fo long as any man cames-ab?ut _hun a finfull
and corrupt nature, he can:!leith_er b_e _m, perfetl: _favour
with God, nor blelfed.. Wlc~~dne~s ~s- the ~Ot m and:
E telech of all the wicked--fpmts-: 1t 1s the difference <?f
4 :ame rather then anypropet: difference of natures that
· between·the Devit and Wicked- mm•. Wh_erefoev~r:
~e fee.Malice, Re1.1enge. Pride, Envy-; Hatr~d, Sdfwt~·.
JP.. '·t . This indeed is tbat:P"enenum S•erp,entu-., the poy-
f;~' a~d fting too-of that Diabolical na~ure. As the_
Kingdome. of Beaven·_ is not fo. much without rne_n ~s.
. w.tthm-
-4G4 A Cbrjftidu's ConftiEls
with~», as our ~aviour tells us_: fo the Tywm_1 ol :i"he
De:1tt and Hell i_s _not fo much 111 f?me Extern11l things,
~s m the f2.!!:~lrt~es and Dif}oji.ttons of mens Minds.
.And as the en,oymg of God and converlin(Y with him
C?Qfi~~ not fo mu~h_in a ch11nge of place, _IU fn the parti-
crpat_ton .of the Dwzne nature., ~nd in our 11.jfimilation
tmto God : fo our converfing with the Devil is not fo
m_uch by a mutual local prefence, ashy an imitation of a
wicked and finful nature derived upon mens own Souls~
~herefor~ theJews_were wonc co ll:ile charOriginal pra-
v1ty that 1s lodged m mens fpirits. noit 1~'?0 fhe .An-
gel of death a~d iiend_of darknefs. Thofe filthy Lufts
and_ Co1~rupt1ons which men foment and enterca:in in
their Mmds, they are rhe noifome Vapours that af-
cend out of the ~ottomle[s pit;they are the thick Mills
and fogs of Helhi~ dark!lefs arifing in their Souls, as
~ Preface and Introduchon of Hell and Death with-
rn. Where we fmd_Uncleannef, Intemperance, Cove-
to11fnef, or any fuch impure or unhallowed behav-iour
we may fay, Here Satar/s throne is. ~ Envy, that fpirit of Pride, Ambition'J rain-glory, Cove-
This finfull and corrupt·nature beinothe true iffue of
H~ll it.felf, is ,continually drag 0 incr d~wn mens Souls
thither. All Sin and Wickedn:fs i°n man's Spirit hath
the Central force and Energy o~ Hell in it, and is perpe--
Jually preffing down towards 1t as -towards its own
place. Tlier~ needs no Ftttal nmfity or .Aflral imp11lfes
t-0 tu~~le wicked men •down forcibly into Hell: No,
for Sm 1t (el~, hafl:ned by the 1!1ighty weight of its own
nature, carnes them down thrther •With the moll: fwift
and hea9l<?n~ motion. As they fay of true. Holinefs
and Chnfi1~mtr, Chrifl.i farcina pennM ha/Jet, Chrill:'s -
b~rden, ~h1ch 1s nothmg elfe but trae Godlinefs is a
~:nged tl1_mg, and_bravely beJrs it felf upwards ~p~n
m. own wmgs foanng aloft towards God : fo we may
. , / \fay.
and C&nqu'ejlt. 46 s
fay of all Impie~y:, Dia~oli [ar~in~ pond¥# habet ; tl~e
Devilifh nature 1s alwa1es w1thm the Celltral attrach-.
ons of Hell, and its own weight inftigates and accele-
. rates its motion thither. He that allows himfelf in any
fin or ufeth an unnatural dalliance with any vice, does
nothing elfe in reality then entertain an incuhrl4 Dt1mon;
he profrimces a wanton_So~l, and fo!c~th it t? commit
lewdnefs with the Devil lumfelf. Sm 1s nothmg better
then a Brat of darknefs ,and d~formitie; it hath no
ocher extraction or pedigree then may be derived from
thofe unclean fpirits ~hat are_ nell:led in H711. All m~n ,;
in reality converfe either with God or with the Devil)
and walk in the Confines either of Heaven or of Hell:
I
They have their fellowfhip either with the -Father and
the Son, as s. :J,oh» fpeaks ; or elfe with the Apoftate
and evil Angels.
I know thefe Expreffions will feem to fome very
hadh and unwelcome : But I would befeech them to
confider what they will call that fpirit of Malice and
to,tfnej, ln-juftice , Unclean~ef 'J &c~ that co~monly
reigns fo much, and acl:s fo violently m the Mmds_ and
Lives of men. Let us fpeak the truth, and call thmgs
by their own Names; let us not flatte~ our fe~v~s, ,or
paint our filthy fores : fo much as there 1s 0£ Sm many
man fo much there is of the old man, fo much there
is of'the Diabolical nature. Why do we defie- the De-
vil fo much with our Tongues, while we entertain him
in ou1' Hearts ,: But indeed men do but quarrel with
him in the name and notio» of him , while yet their
Hearts can readily comply with all that which the D~vil
is: that Antipathy which is ?rdin_arily e_xprel(ed a~amft
him like thofe natural Antipathies which the Phtlofo-
phe:s fpeak of, being nothing-elfe but Occult qu~lities,-
0 oo or
 A C'hrif)ian's ConftiBs
o~·~N~turaI i_nfi:intts, which as they _arife not from any
pnnc1pl~ of Reafon or Underfiandmg, fo neither are
~hey g~1d~d or goyerned byic. As mens Love to God
1s ~rdrnanly notlung elfe but the mere tendencie of
theu· Natures t~ fom~thing that hath the notion or name
of G..od p11t up~n zt, without any clear or difrincl: appre-
J1enhons of _h11n ; fo their llatred of the Devil is com ..
mo?ly notlung_elfe but an inward difplicency of nature
3gamfi fomethmg entit~ed by the Devil's name. Or
elfe at beft, Corrupt mmds do nothing elfe but fafhion
out a God and a Devil, a Heaven and a Hell, to them-
felves, by the power _of their own Fancies: and fo
they. are to them nothmg elfe bat .their own creat11ru,
f~ftai~ed and_fupporte~ by the force of their own Ima•
gzn1tt1ons which firft ra1fed them. And as they com- -
monly make a Go~ like to themfelves, Cuch a one as they
can _bell: comply wtth and l~ve; fo they make a Devil mofl
,mlzke to them/elves, which may be any thing but what
ther themfelves are, that fo they may moft freely fpend
their Anger and f!at:ed upon him: juft as they fay of
foll?e of the Eth1op1,ans, who ufe to paint the Devil
,vhzte, becaufe t~ey ,themfeJves are black. This is a
~range merry kind of Madnefs, whereby men fpor-
~1ngly bereave themfelves of the Supremeft Good, and
mfure themfelves as much as may be to Hell and Mife-
ry: They_ may t~us cheat them(elves for awhile but the
Eternal toundauon of the Divine Being is im~nucable
and u1!,changeable. God is but one, and hi.r Name one,
_-;. Zech, 14. a~ the Prophet fpeaks, (howfoever the fevernl Fan-
cies of m~n may fhape him out, diverfly ;) and where
we find_Wifdo:11e, 711_/lice, Lovelimf, Goodnejf, Love and
G_lory, 1n theu; hzg_heft elevations and mo.ft unbonnded·
d1m~n.fio~s, That 1s He:: and where we find any true
part1c1pat1ons of thefe, there. is a true Communicati-
on
and Conqueflr.
on of God ; and <1 defection from thefe .is the Effence _
of Sin and the Foundation of Hell. . .
Now if this be rightly confidered, 1 hope ther~ w1~l
an Argument ftron° enough appear frnm the '1hzng tt
falf to enforce s."'11tmes his Exhortation, Refift the
D 8;il : endeavour to mortifie and crucifie the Old man
with all the corrupt lufts and affections of the ~lefh..
we never fo truly hate Sin, as when we hate 1t for 1cs
own Ugline.Jf and deformity: as _we never love God fo tru-
ly, as when we love him for his ownhe1111ty an~ excellen-
cy. If we calculate aright, as we fhall find nothm_g Better .
then God himfelf, for which we !hould lo"!e. him; fo
neither {hall we find any thing Worfe ~he~ Sin it felf, for
which we iliould hate ir. Our 4ftmzla_t1on to God and
conformity to him~ in~ates ~s m a firm pofI~~on of
true Happinej, which 1s nothing elfe but G~d,_lu~felf~
who is all Being and Bleifed~efs ~ and our difmnlttuJe
to Ged and Apojlafy from him, involve~ us m our own
Miferie, and fets us at the greateft enmity to_ wh_at our
unfatiable defires moft .of al~ cr~ve for_, which_ 1s the
enjoyment of True ana Sausfymg Good.- Sms are
thofe fiery Snakes which will eternaJly lafl~ ao.d torment
all damned fpiri~s. Every mans He!l a:1fes f~om the
bottom of his own Soul; as thofe ftmkmg M1fts and
tempefiuous Exhalations that infeft t~e Earth, have
their firft original from the Ea~th 1t felf. Thof~
ftreams of fire and brimftone ordained for _the torme~t
of all damned fpirits are rather the exfudat1ons of t~e1r
own filthy and corr~pt nature then any external thmg,,
Hell is not fo much induced, as ~tluced out of _mens
filthy Lufts and Paffions. I will not here d1fpnte
what external Appendixes there may be of Jleave!1,
or Hell; but methinks I no where fi~d a more Graphz-·
&al defcription of th.e true Properties and Operat10ns
Ooo 2 of
468 .A Chriflimls (onfii[!s
of them, though under ocher names, then in chof.e
Charalters of the Flejh and Spirit, in Galat. 5. ver. 19;,
20, z I, z 1, 2 3. Eternal death is begotten and brought
forth our of the wombe of luft, and is little el[e but
Sin confummated and in its full growth~ as S. :James
intimates chap. 1.
Would wicked men. dwell a little more at home and
defcend into the bottome o~ their own Hearts, 'they
fuould foon find Hell opemng_ her mouth wide upon
them, and _thofe fecret fires of inward fury and difplea-
fure breaking out. upon them, whi-ch might fully in-
for~_the~ of t~e eftate _of t~ue. Mifery, as being a G10rc
ant1c1pat1on of 1c. But 1..11 this hfe wicked men for the
moll ~m elude their own, Mifery for a time, and feek
to :ivord the dreadfull fencence of their own Confcien-
ces, by a tergiverfation and flying from themfelves into
a converfe with other things, Ut nemo in fefe tentat
defcendere ; elfe they would foon find their own home
too hot for th_em. But while mens Minds are per-
petually ramblmg all the world over it1 a purfuit of
'Y?rldly de~gnes, they are umcquainted with the af-
fairs of their own Souls_; and know~not how deeply a
Self-co~yerfe and r~flechon ~pon their_ own prodigious
deformmes woulcl pierce their Souls with angui(h: how
vall:Iy ~ould they fwell wit_h. Fury, Rage, Horrour, Con-
fle:natzon and whatfoever 1s contrary to that ineffable
Light And Love and Pe,ice which is in Heaven in m-
tures fully reconciled and united to true Go~dnefs ~
As tr'!e Goodnef cannot b_orrow Beauty from any exter-
ual thmg to recommend 1r: {elf to the Minds and Affe-
ltions_ of ~ood men, fee~ng it felf is the very Idea and
true hfe ot alJ J3eaucy ana Perfetti on, the fource of Bl ifs
and Peace co all that partake· of her: fo neither can Sin
and Wickednefs to an enlighcned Soul lppear more
Ugly,
and Conquefts. 469
Ugly, loathfome and hatefull, in any other fl1:1pethen its
own.
CHAP. IV.
The Smnd obfervable, viZ. T~e War[are ofa Chri~f-
an life. True Religion confijls _not tn ~-mere paf~ve
capttcity_-and' µuggijb kind of dozng n~t~mg, nor m~
melancholy_ fitting Jlifl or fiothfull. w_atttng, &c. ~,,~ tt
conflfts in inward life and power, vigour and allzvtty.
.A: difc,ruery- of the drelnefl and" erroneoufnefs. of that
Hypothefts,·viz. -That Good m_en are wholy Pafswe, ~nd
,mable at-any time to move w_1tho11t Jome Ex_ternal 11n..
petus, fome imprefsion a~d-zn:p11lfe fr~m without upon
them: or, That all Motions m Rel~gtfJn are from 11.n
External Principle. of the fJ.!talzty and Natrm ef
the true Spiritreal warfare, and ef the Manne~ and
Method of it. 'Ihat it is tranfalled ~pon the t!1ner
Stage of mens Souls, and ma~a!fed wzthor~t Noife or
pompom ob(erv,ition; and wzthort~ any hindrance ~r
prejridice to· the mo.ft peacefiel~ (edate and_ compofe.~,
temper of a religioru Sorel. This fitrther 1Uuflrated ·.
from the confideration of the f~lfe·and prete~ded Z~~l
f 11r God and hi.s I(ingdome agatnft the Devi~; wh1~-h
thofi(z_h it be impetuous, and makes a_great noife a~d 1
fair '"'fhew in the 1vorld; uyet both zmp_otent and meJ-
fe/JrMl.
Rom the[e words, 1l({i{ithe Dtvil; we may take ~o·• 2 .,
F ti<:e of the Warfdre ~fa Chriff ian life, ~f tha_c Achv!i! .·
life and valour which <?ooJ me~ ~xprefs m this wo~l~.
A, true Chrifl:ian fpirit 1s nufculme and_generous ; 1t1s
~o fuch poor:- fh1grifh,puGlbnimous thing as fame mea
"~ , ~o Ooo 3 fanfic.
 A Chriflian:,s Conflicts and Conquefts. 47 r
fanfte it to be, but aE!ive and noble. Wt _fight not,faitfi ~nd principles which are within us, or to dry up·
the Apoll:le, againft _/1,efh and blottti., but agAin_ft principa-
lities and powers, and fPiritual wickedneff'es in high-places. ' ;~::~u~tain of l~t!h~!~ei:~~v;~r:~;e;i: f:;l:
amongfr u(,. !,h r life within. but all our mot10n~ m
0
~:

True Religion does not confifr in a mere Paflive capaci-

ty,in a flttggifo kind of doing nothing, that fo G0d him- dea~ ~ no pu it o I from fo;1e affifi:ing Form w1th-
felf might doe all; but it conftfts in life & power within: Rehg1on are merd y t walk up and down the world
:z. Tim.r. therefore ic is called by theApofile,The {jiritefp~wer)of out? Good men on~ sh~dows or like de3d Bodies
Rom .. 8. love, & ofa found min~; it's called the la~ of the {Pirit_
of life, ftrongly enabling Good men agamft the law of
Sin and De,th. True Wifdome, as the Wife man h:.uh
affumed by ~or
merely like Ghofts a~it which ;re taken up and laid·
S~ hi; pleafure: Bue they a_re indeed
down agam y 11m ~ articipation from hi_m who is in-
well fiiled it, is the tmj}otted mirrour of the power of living me'!, by a r~a. I? Were our Religion fo much
deed a qtuckmng pm~ me men would feem to fan[Y
God, and a pure infi,m1ce .flowing from the glory of the
A !mighty; neither can any defiled thing enter into it : it ~ Thing withcttatand
1t , were we
O
e
livelefs as that we could~~-
External impetus ; as our Relrgr-
goes in and out in the ftrength of God himfelf; and tM
ad
.is the heavenly, fi,ch are they alfa that are heavenly.
Every thing as it partakes more of God, and comes
we ever have t
retn~ah
ver move but f~o1~ be called ours, [o neither could
on could never _ee d fenfe of that Blifs and Peace
. t but muft be like fo many
nearer to him , fo it becomes more ailive And lively,
as making the nearer approaches to the Fountain of life if
which goes along w~t ~ Earth in Heaven and H:ip-
and virtue. A Good man doth not only then move,
heavy loggs 0 ! dul piece thly and -flat Spirit in Religion,
pinefs. Tha~ 15 a very ea~o the bottome; or rather it is
when there is fome powerfull impreffion and impulfe which finkshk~the lees h' ch the Chymifl:s fpeak of,
· 1tpon him; but he hath a Spring of perpetual moti-
like that Tm? am~~fa~: ~a:ivity left in it, is truly
on within. When God refiores men to a.new and
divine life, he doth not make them like fo many dead i;
having no vigour, ~·e r~bate to any thing_of Hea-
dead to God, ant Pedtgree of thofe Exhalations that
· Inflmments, .ll:ringing and fitting them, which yet are
able to yield no found of themfelves ; but he puts a ven. We !{now tth e a mere external for~e from the-
living Harmony within them. That is but a Mechani- arife no high~r l ~n
Sun's heat we1g 1et It 1~~1 up to be but bafe and earth-
nd natural warmth or ener-
cal religion which moves no longer then fome External
,veights and Impul(es are upon it, whether thofe be _( I
think I may fafely fay) from fome Worldly thing or
ly; a~t~eth!~re1~~~
gy wit 1 .
1
~~1pm~d to them, they Tfo~k
h E . h from whence they came. e
from God himfelf, while he acl:s upon men from with- ~o~v~ agah1_nht<? tf e t~eaven is alwlies, out of an in-
Spmt w 1c 1s ron . .· d pwards a-
out them, aud not from rvithin them. le is not a Me-
l,mcholy kind of fitting _/fill, and floachfull waiting, that bred Noblen~ whiclfi ~%r~vh~~f;i~::~ee, ;owerfully
gain towards _eave\ 1r ld deprive it of God or
fpeaks men enlivened by the Spirit and power of God..
Ic is not Religion to ftifle and fmotl1e1· thofe Acrive refiftin~ all thmgs ~ . t(T
hinder 1c from returmn°
';iics Orioina.1: it is ahv~ies
0 moving.
powers
·47 2 A Chi}licffs-Co'hft/.Els
m~vreg·upwi'ir:& . il{a~.• ev~n :'and lfteitd{waf-,loibfds
:God fr~1n_ whenc~'ic -~atn_e; --I~aving'." th,e·_d~ti-k ·Regiffiis-: Bf
Hell ~n~.'p_each,under 1t: ~ne_fi.Jts-,Hdl :iJfrJ'll>drlli;ifl
by afs,mt~atmg and conformmg_1t:fdf to Godf ir:tefiR:S
. Dark~efs'm the armo,t:r oflight·; itrefi-fi-s :Death.i0li'<f~,;.
·ftruthoa .by· the power. ,of Divine~·torf)e.•.·. It mud:~..zie
fomething·of Heaven in the Minds ·of. men whicn•m'dfr
.-refift the Devil and Hell. ..... · • ·: • ~' · ~ -. \~·:':~1
·:. We ~o not a_lwaies refiftc. the Dc":'il tben when::we
-/ntlfefian_ce to h1_m, or· wJ1en we ·declamc moft \zealoilflj
?.&amft him_; neither doe~ o~r R'efijling :-and oppofi!!k ~of
Sm and W1ckednefs con(tft m therviolenceof fome fe!
,.minine paffions- ~hich m~y fomecitnes be raifed.by-t~e
_power of Fancy ~n the Mmds -of men· againfl: 'ic ;; But
!C ~onfi.fts rather In a m_at11re a'ndfedate refal,ttio»·.againft.
rt IO our own Souls, ariftng from a clear judoment of:the
foul and hate'full nature of Sin it felf, and
him\vh<>'fa
· the- Pa_cron of it; in a conftant -and ferious ·endeavour
·o~ f~tlmg the government of our own Souls .. andefta-
bl1fumg the principality of. Grace and Peace ~ith.in our
felves~ Th~re i~ a pompo"'!·and popular1:imt.oftNmti-lt
l~ th:world., whtc~ fomet1mes goes for.Zeal to God-and
his kmgdome agamft the Devil ; whenas mens· ow·n
Pride and Pafsions difguife themfelves under the notions
of a Religious ferrvencie. · Some men think themfelves
the greatefl: Champions for God:and his Caufe:"' when
·_th~y can take the gtea_teft-liberty to quarrel with.eve·ry
thmg 3broad, and w1thout-themfelves which is 'not
· (haped a~cording to ~he mould of their own ·opini-
,. on~; their own Self-w1ll,Hum0ur and Intereft: Whet~-
: as. inde~d this spirit1ral.w11rf11re · is Mt fo:much ·mai'ridi-
~ ·ned a~amfl: a for~in e~e~y, as :~gain.~·~hofe' ;doihijli~k
.,r.ebelltons that are ·. wuhm_: . neither· 1s\1t- 1then carried
on.moll:- fuc-ccfsfuliy, when min,1naktahe:gre-!tten
noife
and Conqueflt. 473
noife ancfo1ofl: of all raife the du{t That impetuous.
'violence and cempeftuoufnefs with ,vhich-men are acted
in pretenfions of Religion arifes ordinarily,I doubt,from
unquiet and difl:urbed Minds within. :_ whereas it is ill-
deed the inward conflicl:s and commotions,1in,and vice,
and not a holy zeal for God, which difcompofe the
Minds of men. Sin, where it is entertained, will in·
deed breed difi:urbance, and break the peace of a mans
own. fp_trit; but a true re fiPing and oppoftng of ·it is the
reftoring of the Soul to its juft Conjiftency, Fmdome
,ind Serenity again. As God's kin°dome is fet up, fo
the Devirs kingdome may be pulled do,v~, without the
noife of axes and hamn.1ers. We may then attain. to
the gre,atefl: at-chie\femer.tts againft th~ gates of Hell-
and Death, when wemo{lof al_l polfeffe our own Souls
in patience,& c~Hetl: our Min_ds into t~_e m~ft P,~Meful,
compofed and ,emted temper• .The rttott<;ms of true P:a-
tHcal Religion ~re moll like ~ha.c of the Heavens,wfoch
though ntoft fwift,is yet moft Jitent. As Grace and true
Religion is no lazy or f1~1ggifi1 ~hing, but in perpetual
motion; fo all the motions of 1t are .[oft and gentle :
While it ath mofi: poweifttlly_ ·,vi thin, it alfo acts moft
peacefully. 1'hekingdome·of heaven comes not with ok-
(ervttti,m, that men ma~ fay, loe he~e, or loe !here; 1t
1s no.t with the devoutmg pre comtng after 1t, or a
whirlwind goirig before it. This fight and conteft
with Sin and Satan is not to be known by the ratling
of the Chariots, or the found of an alarm: it is indeed
alone tranfacl:ed upon the inner fiage of niens fouls· and
fpirits; and is rather a pacifying and. quieting. of all
thofe riots and tumults raifed there by Sin and, Satan;
it is rather a ·reconciling the minds of men to Tr~ch,
· Juftice and Holinefs; it is~ ca·ptivating and fubjed:ing
all our.Powers and Faculrn:s to God and true Good-
, Pp p nefs,
 . ·, r: ·a ({ '\ .:, ;r\i -,r) \'-.
• ,..•1ll\LJ._,, .., ;,if;,,.1 1,\~; --~-
. . "' ...
ht F·
1 , -· .nnd Con ue • ., . ,. . .· '· · i;·
:,'Y,C} 0n;·.:jJ r: ~() '][:;.>l_'l(m.iJ:~,JH';; JflJ n2,i.lOUi1 21:J{_( 47)
t~f&r1fit4,~9,f: ~1~~ f1!.~fi?JJ!l(~rrrr;.JJ§.if!.·i~\'!lm1,.J;}yft;I.
c,.01j:fu.f:,~_ed__; (t_re :~''-! :weaJ:: an4:::i,~p~tfntL; i ~h~y ~aP..IJqt ~.f~n
~WJ&v~frfp.ac_.. S9~ly,!hfh-yle.fds ~~~. tq;~~$Jrthe}~'-ti11
fpmt then onely prevails over us, wq_~~ ewe 9,lJ.ri J~l¥~$:
confent to his fuggeftions ; all his firength lies in orfr
treachery and f~lfonefs. to our 0~1:1.~.C?~l-~_.__ ,.J~S~~igJ1
tlfofe'Wicked f piriff"otq)erp~foally To ~ear us, yet they-
,. :c/~··•~< y; ·_:._:,. ·•:'·,I
cannot bow or bend qur vy1Us.: there 1s a place of de--:
j;- J'' ,. •
fencein the Souls of men irtto which they cannot emer:•
ihe Thi~dob[erv~hie ·7,' . hr, , . ',:, .., 1 !'1 they may ftand at a ~iftance, allure a~d intice theQl} b~t
and vidory t II 'i:"W :T e.Certamty.of,Sttcqe{S; they ca,iu1ot prevail over the1~;e~cept they~wi;~fµlly and,
, grf!u11ded11 ',mo :. t o e that refifr the Devil~ Thu: 111an1efuUy.deliver over their:.ftrength imo,t~e=Enetnies
f,,
csnfid_er'd the11J:je,Weaknejl of the JJevil and/Sin' hand~ kis indeed nothing elfe:butHell it;felfiifth'~Souls
. All f4ithl'u/ ckrifl'J_e ~e~. zh. pod si,o~trf11/J af/ijfing ofmeri ·trufr giv·es the Devit .fuch ·free ent~rtiin~ent ·
'J' ·y·M»s tn,t 'l<f1Wttr are. , , Th' D ,,
_1r1ay ~!lure and tempt lmt ~ · e· evtr,._ there: the,Wills-.:-of.-men· fiamped: ,wi~h a~1Diaholicall
con{ent. 4nd yield,; h. cf,11nnotfffrev11iJ; except, men. fonn;,and 'bearing the:..Oevil's image a~tbhif<!1}pdon
j}rength lies in . I$ ri,gge tons. The .. Dtrvih Rponthem, declare his right over them. Men ar'c:there-
: o,pn S~11fs. Sin. ~jlns treabhery and falfenejt. to their f.ore fo much captivated ,by, him. bec-aufethey' vofonca:..
·. ly• .The Errour o~ r~ng, _ecaufe me11 oppofe. it _we4.k-.
God's re d·.
.
i,
mali defended 6 . 'J. the_Mam_ch~es about a Prmc1pium
mrn ~n their hves and pr11llices :o~
11_111ejf to 4;a ch :n.·
Conflills,, his Comp yr/"
. I:, .
r~,,,1ans m:t
•. 'J
err..ffiirittMt
rily·ta~e his yoke-.upon them. Could? w~,':~(,voµld
we; refift Sin-and,satan;they could noti~urru·~; ·_ E,very
thing is:weak and impotent- according·t0 the·di11:ance it
·ftands:from God who is the onely Fountain·of Ijfe• a'nd
cial rej}ells of his ~- ron~e regards an.d the more /Jle-. po,ver: and}heref~re it ,~as we~~· ref~lve~ by't~~ ~h~~
eccafions Th -ro:11 ence towards them in. fuch
lofopher; l]Jt(;cnc, ,c.a.~ J,a.aJ'twa.fM"'~ i1vM~~v~;\ Sm'ut 1t
·~.Ifurridn;fi of
• . .?.
t::z1ur;;b1fcq,vering
,
the. ·Evil, diJd.
a P tea ContrAlf:s, &c<J .: . f'elf. is·-aweak and· imp(?tcntthirtg-~ an~':proce~·dHt<jm
weaknefs'•;. it:tonfifis not ptoperly ritJ-ahy\nativ.e ,·power
3
T:ft~~':/Jf/!J:::fff:,:if'
•
cann.o~ dl:_and, when
thjfe that refifl ;ht ~e.'
fc . e writ flee fron:- you., . He,
a.nd ftrength which it hath within it felf, but in an im---
potel)cy,<;md privation of all true,Being·,~d·Perfotl:~~
vri1Ha11 down as fwirff~, ~i m ~_he;1_fe1:1Ptf~) iof'God,=ltei
O on-.; and.,.tn~tefor.e, wherefoever any thing~of.God-a~:.
:rwa1;.s,-_it,\v1ll cl'eft,rioy,it~n He that :i~rb~~ri\·ofl~dd;1<}haU
0
o
1. ory of God IL· ·
rnmmg . ~htnmg-;-fa:.~c.an.not hear.; th.ei
m t 1ie S l ·, O. f . . . . . . Q:V.efC.Qme,thi w_~rlq;rthe~ev.il and.Sin~;d"ot)!th~;yH,~
n0· more bur StQJd. and C . ~ s : ~en.: Here-;1e 1s. of. God.1r.tmai11et.hir>him..? :-i' )': :. ,:;'./) 1;.:<,.\. 1:.:- \'101?
. . ... ' . onqu~r-;-!efift,widr,111q#ifo•. . . Let'\:us. .endeavtJur,1tp get. our Minµs.enlightned:wirh-'
r
);:,Fd~
• • •• ". • •
Diviine Truth, dear and Practical Truth, let us ean~eft~
Pp p 2 ly
 _ ~1~ \1ilfdfo_~q.u.¢fs.J. _) t
an~ ;~_i\•iiJ:~;(ej~,9.P1Q,thr:t~;J µ5:. wi~hcfr'1~-!~ll!i1Wil.1il~n~1.
ptfl:c;~;p~,s,_ from. ·:~t) ian,d :1~ 1w1U: {09,1~ (f?.llr 1.n.rn)no~•htog,.i
~:~)X?S:~h_ee-(9_114 :J.1~,ro~t:, 0f t~1e :M4nffker.r,:. 1),4tJh~r;e_1
'fi~S 191DRfql1d !?r.~rczp~-nm ·m4!!, .~b.~~h hay,1ng.:~n£t~(~·
11.ai\ ~iji~pn,~e :9,f ·rj ts. own,. had .alfo-.a :migh_ty:~rid' ~ii~oilr,-;·
~9Jlab\~\ppw,~1;,__.fn>m within i.t:. feff3:1whereby: it; c;oul4?
fgr~blJ: e~te~-.a_nd ·pe~etrat~into·: the Souls Qfn1e1i\;
~- feating_. i_t fi#--there, by., fo~e; hidden. - infl~encz(is1
irt(!ftftablie ,incline-and:inforcethein ~o evil :which Er..:.
rg~r, J_Jvifi1-~ ier.-q.:_ ~s:-~e. 1_Lconfuted-. by th_e ,l!'Z(~-s: a~tl_, pr_~~:
~ffJS~ef:11,1~n,-~1:s,_.~t-had~ .been by~t?e• Wrzt~ngs ,both-of.
~~th~rs.~nd, Philofophers•. But:1t:s toe;> apparent ;ef1ac
men 111aintain that. Lie. by a compliance with the Dia- -
llolic_af po~ers: We-. ourfelv~~ uphold _that kirigdo~e
of· ~fark.~~rs, iW~icJ-i: elf~. wqµl4, tumble dO\yn: and fliqe-
i~to'.~hatn9i~ing fr~m- whence,i~ came. AlLTrut:h an4:
Q9odrief~ are of an-.Ef~rm1foature, they ar,e One, and
Uncp~qge~~le,fubfifting u~on the frrength-of Omni po~:
t~cy _: ~~t ~11 Sin 4_ndJrice 1s our. own creature; ~e pµ_e• .
l)(gi~~ lift~°-. ;h~m .which indeed :~re, our, 4e~~9,J1t14:
would fopnw1th,~r~~dfade a~vay:did:we fu~~-~act,9µr,:
concurrencefi::om them. . -, .. :- . .. · : -· , , -; 1-, ••. ..-1
'. :~$~~pridly, We have a fur-tµer· ~rou~d for our· e~pi¢t~~~ 2 I>

~iPff:9f /''illory-iq all :co~efls w1t;1 Sin and Stft1!1:i.fi:P~

tl~!;rlfPP?Vifl.( ft-Jifl.a:11!e- of,.Gw.{:hzm[e,tf L~hP::1.~; new.er:
,~,:i;~ng, tq. :~hqfr -that: fee~ ,?.ft.~r,-p}lµi a(!~ ~~J~r-- f~H~
t~ofe, tfat,:.e.ngage in his, qu;~rrels. :Whi1~ we; !l-r~~q,
ag~~nft Sin~. W:~ may. f~(e_ly.:expect. tha~ t~e ;Q.ivini_[M.i;;
felf ,~iU -,4~iY~:\V~th us, a,n~-;~~r~ve, that -~~en.gt~) a.n.}j,
B~l~r}nfo µ~- t_b~t:Q1~U;af :l-~{r -m~~~:;u,SJlJtDft th~ ft.Pi'!;t1.
fJ,~11if:~;t_~:~li
t(m_r._,r;h;f
1_ttn_.:_'.:,~-~-··at;Wl;~
UR~q@11g ,.;~~~Jr.~111(i.Of tl~ w_hole Qniver.:(~ :;-.(9 m~~~;
efpe,~,a.11.Y.:<:!R~~- ~;; q~_a(u,p ~.:.itf_.t\lmigh~Yian~~!;~of~
be:, P p p 3- t 1ngs.
 J~M~1t1ueJ(s-,.(\J h 43t~l
al.L9i~_; iltli~~}! tP.1 iwnHyi~he ~ldm1~~;&1t~a~ucrifr 1t1h~1
alfa~~SW~f ~P~ ;Illeth::;, Letr tu .lay iftdei e_'V:"f:w,~~gD,~vmM.:
tl;qj.11 m~!f!1J(). Mfily, b_eRt,s;~:,-4n-d,r1m.w1thtpitt.z~nct:'ffi_e.'·
1'1tfrf,(H'/4·.'iJ~t,-befo.rc m;L~t?k tfJg ,mto-ff eftu. th~ -author an~
fttJ/fheuJ..!!W .f.4ith,.,w~.O,f?_fet;down,: 1t· the·rtght:1ka11d-of;
t~Pkrff~_;ofisr.liq/,1~~::a.. gr~aJ ~n_d :m1g~cy.Conq~erou:n
:wp9; wm d_~l~11e, it.h~:, p~rfe0t\Ql~.1?f)rhis owa powe~· tn
q~pv~akn~fsj if w~ J_ay:hold of: b1s:fi:rength. Thou~h-
w~;1~r~1 not a\)\e to change _our own natu_res, -o_r to nfe
aqqyt t~t-foµ~c~:ofour:~m,mallandSelfifl1 £emgs;·::by.
qJJ.Xr-9WPl rower.; _ y.e~ ,let.- u-~ endeavour ·to :fubdue ·all
tfio(~, it-~~ern~l NlCes, qf -Lu~ury and-Wan~onneffe; of
Inj~lt~ce,:~~.venge~.md _th~;ltke; let us withdraw the-
f~we~ .of :~nde, ~1a~1~e, Va.m,glory a~d whatfoever--_elf~
h9WH1~ 1p.- capuv:~~y.to,~~11, :and-~1th confi~ence_;a.p-
•PlftQ}.\Ji"feJ.:'v;es tol111nwho 1S an Almighty Saviour,~ and:.
\yqcn.he: jqyns his Almighty. ftrengch w1th· usj we· need
ntjtJe?r..a~y.t_hing: He Jhall- tread down S~ta» un~eriour-.
fe~t.,a¥ we{pall one ~ay tread upon the Lton and .A_ider,,
thejor1_ng; Lj,on;and tbe DragonJb11/l w,e,:tramp.le. under.
oil,/.ft~t:-: \~e)halL break _the Serpent· s h~ad, thou~h ·
,. he may: Pfll;fe our _heel. Though God m~y.fuffe1: hrm ·
fa.far to Serve his own rarre-and the helh{h malice of
focka~-·a{e in league with him,as to puU,down with vio~:
le~~Fpur~~~rthly,Tabernades ;:yet while we fofuffer by;~
him,'weare conquerors over him. . . _:!}'._. _
. ldh9ul,d . now conclude: all, and·l~a_ve;you'·w1th tht~ . _
Gehir~,l applic;ition, but- thauhe.prelent Occa~Oll' ,Jutfi,:r:J ~}. -;~-f;}
dr~»1n, 1t~- 1dqym form~ to a-.p_articular:cafe.. ?,id wenot~-~-
li y~! jq .~ ,~qr,td1 ?f prpfe[~4 w_1cke9ne(~, \°"'her.~1~.fo mant ~-
mti9s Sm~ g~~ wj PP}Il V,\e~v, ,beJore,them \~OJUdgemeq~ '.:
itmidb~h~ ~hought nee4_lefs,to perfwade men to-refijb.the-~1
D~~it; ,~he~ in
he,:app_~~r.s .. .h~s ?Wn:,_colours to\mak~:~
m~r1chand.1[~ of ;h~ln,~o.cl COIJle$_ma formal W,ly,to_ha-~.. ,_-~
:-;'.I.· · ._ gaui

--.~----------
~~;:-:-:-_
 A Cbrijliilns ConfliEls and Conquefls.
gain with them for their Souls ; that which humane na-
ture (however ent..hrall' d to Sin and~ atan in a mor,.! my-
fierious way)-abHors, and none adm_1t but thofe who are
quite degenerated from humane kmd. Tl1at which I
fuall forther addc, fuall be by w~y of Caution onely to
fuggeft two things which are the foreru~ners _-co fuch
Diabolical contrafrs , and put temptations mto the
hands of the Tempter.
1. Thofe Hellifi1 -pa.ffions of Malice, Envy and Re•
venge, which are the black Form and Im~ge of the De- -~~! ~;;.:i:::.:,. ':''. ~;F .•.·. ., . : >. •·:'
vil himfelf J thefe when they are once ripened, fit men
for the moft Format converfe with the Devil that may
~:,_J:~EIN S¥JTU
be: That nature cannot eafily abhorr him, which is fo \::,~~fate·-FeUow of ~en.rCoil_ege· iQ · ~
perfeetly conformed to him.
2 1Y. The ufe of any Arts,Rites or Ceremonies not an-
. ~i.~ ;•~Ca;mkr.idge, .who departed this · ,
Jerfloed, of which we can give no Rat~onal or Divine ~;'i'\i\lJ_\ --· :~~- life:Aug. 7. 1~s2- -,- ·.-.. -,.
account; this indeed is nothing elfe buc a kind of Ma- · ~ .. ~.!- 1:. ,;: • . .~ .

gick which the Devil himfelf owns, and gives life to, ,. And ;lyes i~te~red in the Chappel of the Ianie '~.-
though he m:iy not be corporeally prefent, or require - :, ' · .College.
prefemly any further Covenant from the ufers of them. - : •__: ' • ~ ,' J \.: .. • • - ·• '
! _,.

The Devil no queftion is prefent to all his own Rites

and Ceremonies, though men difcern him not ; and:ltl WITH-
may upon the ufe of them fecretly produce thoCe
F:ffell.r which may gain credit to them. Among rhefe
A.-· ...~S-H ORT.· Acc. ·otiNT
... : ';; ... · '

•Rites we may reckoninfignipcant farms of words, with ::#·;:,•_:\~_,:-.,_of. his;·Lif~,-~·ridOeath/: ., ·,

their feveral modes and manner of pronunciation, Aftro-
logiclll arts, and whatfoever elfe pretends co any jlr,mge
~~~·:t\,;t_/_':'·:.'. . ..·· . · · . . .> .
Effellswhich we cannot with good reafon either afcribe ~y__-,!§:1 :MO ~-. p---A T R l .c~.it
·, -to God or Nature. As God will onelybe convers'd
withall in away of L1ght and Underibnding ; fo the
Devil-loves to be convers'd with in a way of Darknefs
;.;:.;\ ;~ , ,· e: ?~en_ f ~11?% pf-J~_t~~s tqf~.~g~'~, ·~ • • J • •
.. .
·.... ~ ! i r.~.
and:Obfcuri:ry. _
.~.roy. 10. 7.
Tl1eEnd. Tht memory' of tlii1ufl i5 l,lef{ed.

/
 l
·1
i

.- ·.z K IN Gs, %. 1 2.

AndElijba[aroit,and hecryed, My Fa-

• ther, My Fathcr,thc Chariot of I[rael

_and the Horfcmcn thereof
Hen I faw the ble[ed Sp.irito.f our !8ro-
t1Jer, {hall I fay ? or, our Father, ma. .
kinghafl:outof thad3ody which lyes
before us J thefe words which I have now read
came into my Mind : And methought I faw
the good GeniU5 of this place, which infpired
us with fomuch fenfeof Learning and Good~
nefs, taking its flight and leaving this lowet
world: At whom my Soulcatch'd, as I fanfi-
ed Elifh:i tohavedoneat Blijah, and Icryed out,
UmyFatber,MJ Fatl,er, &c., Defirous lwas(me-
1:hought) that his 'A.,.:,.,,,111, might hive been
a.little while deferr'd ; that I might have fl:ai'd
the wheels of that Triumphant chariot wherein
he feell)ed to be carried; that· we might have
kept him a little longer in this world, till by
his holy breathings into our Souls, and the
Grace·of God, we had been all made mee~ to
Q_q q 2 ·have
484 /JSermon preached
have fame f11are in that · inheritance of the
Saints _in l~ght =. and _fo he might have ·gone to
Heaven _wit~ his Tram, taking all his Friends
along with him as_ Attendants to _that Glory and
Honour wherewith I make no doubt he is
·crowned·. It grieved me in my thoughts that
there fhould be fo many Orphans left without
a Father, a Society left naked without on~ of
her ~ell: Guardians and Chieftains~ ·her very
Chmot and Horfimen-; ·unto whofe · infrrriction
and brave conducl: not a few· of us will ac--
kn?yv_Iedge that they owe much of their skill and
abtlmes,, For I do not fear to fay, as .Antonintts
doth of the 'Beji man >. that he was lgfOVS'Tlii
r Jf
• '!:J ~ -
•
~p~; e:~, a Pneft or Mmdl:er of God ·s who was
1
very 1ubfervient to him ih his great work. Jf
hewas not a 'Prophet like Elijah, yet I am fore
he ~as ~1Jn'ffli; rri 'IIVIJ!-(:1,i~· ( as Gr. lX_ai\,ittn~m
_) ~~mk ·[peaks of S. !Ba(tl) an Interpreter of the
5ptrtt, and. very well acquainted with. his mind ..
a ~~n fent ·down from-heaven for our good;
and _1s n_ow go?e th~ther from whence he came,
lea~m~ us be~~~d h1m here, a company of poor
Fathe:1:lefs chtld1~en, the Sons of this Prophet,
weepmp and·crymgour, 0 my F.1ther1 my Father,
the l?a:tot of lfrael, and the Hor(emen thereof: .
~h1ch fad note wouldi ha~e been.moll litly
· ·
at the Author'J Funeral.
fung jufl: at the _Afcenfion of his_ holy So~l : -yet
give; me leave co deffant a .whi-1<: .upon it., ·now
that\ve ·are come to inter his Body, which. was
the- dark Shadow where that admirabkan~l il-
lufrrious Learning., Wifdome arid. Godlinefs,
walk'd up and down and fhone through upon
the world.
You will eafily fee at the_ pdt glance that
Something will here offer it felf to be faid of
~lij~b.,an~. Something of Elzjh~ : Of Elijah, in
t~at;_he)s called Father, the Chariot and Horfemen of
IJ~.ig~_; :-pf Elifha, in that he applies this relation
to himfelf,faying, My Father, My Father-.
, c Concerning Bljah we may obfrrve·
_ Firfl:, His SuJnriority, Bminellcy.,.and.Dignity.
Secondly, His (tngul-ar-Care ,v!Jlcl> l,e took. of.othe~s-.
· Thirdly, Hi! grea_t -U/~{ulnefl ,.ot"tbe 13enefit 'l)J/Jzcb
bu (ountry enf>yed by /Jim. ·
. Concerning Blifoa we may obferve the Expref:
fion of Three thingslikewife; .
Fidl:, Of his great djfeRja,. and lo-ve.
Secondly, Of the Senfe ~e felt.of bu·lop.
Thirdly,. Of that Hondur which he ga11e him,_ or
tl)at (}{eJP.eEt. and ~~ard which he had unto,him-.
I fhall £peak a .little ofalhhefe, and then par-
allel. our Cafe as well.as I can to Both~
1,0b:io
-fung
 486 /1. Sermon preached
. 1. Obfe~ve El1i~l/s ~minency, Superiority, V~-
mty a11d Worth·; which 1s both fignified in the
word F~ther, and alfo in the .. other Expreffions,
t~e Chariot, and Ho,:(emen cf ljrael. The Talmudijls
fay of the wordi.Abb11_,, wh,i~h is near· of kin
Buxtorf. Lex. as can be tn this in the Text , --·
Talmud. A.~iil N::lN
· ,:i, ioJ ..,n:i:i 1wh , Abba is a 1vord of bonour
and glory, e)Jen a& Rabbi : whence the Latine
A~ba,s, and our Englifh Abbot, have been deri ..
ved to denote the greatell: perfon in a Society.
And therefore whom he here calls Fatlm, ·is cal""
led verfe 3 and 5. Mifler or Lord l(no,v'ft tho,,
not tl,.1t Jehrival, "fl,if .take ::t'~,~ thy L~rd, or Mafler,
from tlJee toda,•? H11ah was the Head .in the Eody
of the Prophets, the Dux gregis, a main leading
man . am~ng the rell;, And this was by reafon
of his. W1f~ome, Experience and gray-headed
~lndedl:andmg, expreffed in rl,.e word Father~
He was a. Sage and grave perfon, fuchan Head
as was full of Prudence Skill & Advice where-
m. were~ld ed many fober ' '
and wife Refoluti-
ons, many_ weighty and mature Oeterminati-
ons,profound and deep _Notions., holy -~rid pious
Counfelsfor the teachmg of rawer and green-
er heads~ He was one that did imitate God the
Father ~fa~, and in fome fort reprefent him here
,below, bemg an Oracle among men. And fuch
· Infl:ru-
at the .Author's /Fun~ral. _487
Inffruments God hath alwaies in the w~rld~·-
Men of greater height and frature th~n oth~rs,
whom he fees up as torches on an hill to give
light co all the Region~ round ab~ut ; Men ~f
publick and univerfal mfluence? like the ~un 1t
felf which illuminates all and 1s not fparmg of
its beams . · Men whofe Souls come into the
world .( al the Cl,atdee Ora~le fpeaks )
· --mt1.r.w e"'-"d~ctt ,,;.,.,
clot1,ed with agreat deal of Mind, .more impregna·
ted then others with DJvinc notions, and ha-
ving more teeming Wom~S~? inrich_the world.
with the fruit of them : Men of wide and ca-
pacious Souls that can grafp much ; and of in-
larged. open- Hearts to give forth that freely.
unto r:ien which the'11a.ie,t"o; Y~~ t1Je Fatl>erly Mi,:d
( as the f~meOracl~ calls God) hath given un~
tochem. that fo in fome fort they may become:
Fathers i~ the world-.in fubordination to God.
The· Sun of Righteoufnefs Jefus Chriil: is de~
fcribed with fe1'en ftars in his right band,Revelat.1 •.
which-were ch_e_4ngels of th~-Churches; ~en_
·( its .like), who• were adorn d. and beaut1~ed.
with more then ordinary .brightnefs of M1nd.,
and Und.edlanding, and.did fpa!k~e. w~th.mo~e
tl\en common heat of Love a1:1d P1et)\ and·.d1d . .
fhine as- Lights in.the world in.the m1dfl: of a...
.. · ,rooked.
 488 · A.Sermon preached
crno ked and perverfe. generation.. Elijah was
foch an ~ne; and _fo was tl~e _other EliM, John
John!, H• the Bapt1fl:, a buniz~ and afoining light; and foal-
fo £hall we find our Father that is deceafed to
have been.
2• Take notice of the Care wlJich Elijah took of
Elifha., and that firft as a MaJler of his S chola1·
and fecond!y as aB~tberof his Son, or if you wili
h~ve both _m one, as a Fatherly Mafter. Etifoa calls
him by tlus name of Fatl;er, becaufe~ was bu
~c[;o/ar; at:d they ufed commonly to give this
ttt/e to their Mafim or Teachers : whence 'Pirke
.A'lJoth-among theJews,Capitula Patrum is a Book
that c~ntains the wife Sayings & Apdphthegms
of their Doctors. And fo n«'7e;,17i1;,cil'o1~ in
t Peter x. t 8. th e N, ew T euament,
Jl..
t hat wl'Jtc. l'J u. remlJe
. d h'J. Tra-
' .
dition ft-om thei~ Fathers, fignifies nothing elfe hut
what their Doctors ~nd learned men the Law in
delivered to them; and therefore they are fome-
times called the Traditions of the Blders. Jubal is
called t~e Fathe~ offuel, tU handle.:he Harp, .Gen. 4.
21 . which figmfies the fame with that which is
faid of his Brother, verfe 2 2. He .was an Inftru ..
cter ofartificers inbrafl and lron. And. hence Solo-
.mon faith fo often, My Son, hear the inflruEtion of a
Fath~r. So chat ,:.1N ,:,,N my Father, my,Father, in .
the
ttt the Author's Funeral. .4S f>
the Text is nothing elfe but ,~, ,::i, nry.1!f-afler; my
Mefler. Blt}ab taught and infl:rucl:ed hun out of
the Law but with fuch a care and Fatherly. af-
fe6tion, ;hat EltpJa was truly his_ Son as well as·
his Scholar one whom he loved and tendered ,
whom he \~rafd as a child in his Mantle when
he was following the plough, whom he beg?t
into . anonher fhape and made another m~n, m
whofe.•heart he fowed the feeds-~f true righce. .
oufoefs and•godlinefs, that he might doe more
good-in theworl~. For wh~tGoddoth by Men,
that they many nmes are fa1~m_doe. ~ence the
Apofl:les -call Chrifl:ians tlieer lmle cf1ildre~i., a_nd
deAr children· whom they had tr_a1Jat{ed. m b,r_th Gal. 4 •
TPithall, till:drifl 't11M formed i,ube111~ They lay. In
the Apoftles wombs,& they brou~ht t~~m forth
Cbriflzans, and fo -~ere truly their Spiritual -~a~
(hers. And we may {hll fee fuch n'ible Souls which
G·.o·d cont1nues
. amongfl: men, .,v1,ofe,~r momhs.
. (.as Prov.2.1.10· 11) _
2.oJ
S.olomou faies ) are ·a&. ·a well of life, 1~hofa bps fe,~d
many,· and ,vbofa tong 14es a1<e M- choice S,lwr: . Men
that are ?C9wal ,;m.1Jpei: common F·atbers> and w1l~ c~-
brace, every body as a· Son, fo they be but w1llm_g
ro be taught;that have the whole Worl1 _for their
School, and-ar~- inflillin~ wholefom no,tmns and
reclifie&appi:ehenfions mto mens- ~m~s, ~n~ .
implanting the: Trutb TtJhicb is after Godlmefl tn their T:t.
..
1 1
· •
Rrr hearts:
 490 ASermon p.redched ~ ttt the Author's· Funeral.
hearts : Men that in all meeknefs tendernefs
and Fatherly affection reprove thofe'that oppofe
themfelves ; that endeavour to bring them into
their wom?s.' that (if it be pofftble) they may
.beget the life of God and of his Son Chrifl: in
, their Souls : Men who cherifh and fofl:er the
leafl: gafping, panting life that is in any Soul .
who ~ndeavour to free this life from any ob~
fl:rucbons that dull and opprefs it: and fo in
every fenfe prove themfelves to be the true Pa-
thers of th~ Chur~h, Common Fathers ( as before
I expre~ed 1t ) neither ~ound up in themfelves,
nor addicted to any part1c~lar Seel:, but minding
the good of all : Who thtnk that they were not
born for themfelves, nor to be linked to this or
that Body or party of men ; but are to be pu-
fe El a-s tbezr heavenly F..tl·er ij per/ea who doth good
to all, even to the evil and umha~1kful. A ~ ,
or natural affection there is in them · whf ch
ma~es them think that every mans ~hilde is
their o:vn_;. and if they could hatch any hea-
venlyhfe 1n the~, t~ey would willingly cover
them under theu wings. Such a perfon wa·s
S. ~aul~ who went through fire and water, had
a p1lgr_1mage through this world upon nothing
:. Cor. 11, :i.s, but briers and thorns, out of his greatlove that
z,. he bare to men : The care of aO tbe Chnrches luy
..
49 1
upon 'him ; and no man could be "ftJeak, but IJe WM weak
alfo; no man "wM offended, but he hwned, it put him
in a kind of fever : and all chis was eafie to
him , becaufe he had the bowels of a Fatb·.
Such another was S. Jolm)who hath everywhere
in his mouth, My l1tde children. 'A good old Fa-
ther he was who breathed forth nothing but
Lol!e to man. And it need be no offence, if I add
there was a Socrates in Athens; who had fo much
of this kind of Spirit in him, that he fliled
himfelf ese.sf.'lrn)v ie911@., a Ser1Jant of lo1Je 1 and pro-
feffed that he knew nothing but how to love.
He would often acknowledge himfelf to be an
Ig,noramiu in all thofe things whereinto their
wife men ufed to enquire, and that he could fay
nothing in thofe Concrovedies that were agita-
ted about the Gods and fuch like, (as Max:. 1yri-
m exprdly tells us) but he dudt not deny himfelf
to have skill in that ;e91'70 J, -rt,cvn , in the Art of
lo"Ve, wherein he was continually bufied and im-
ploied ; infl:ructing of their Youth, amending
of their Manner,s and making them cruely ver-
~uous ; which tliing th~ ungrateful wretches of
the City called cotrupting of their children. And
truly it is_. very often the Lot of thefe Fathers,
which lam fpeaking of, who nourifh up Youth
in true piety a~ ye~·tue,to be-efl:eemed by many
, · Rru the
 492 11 Serm·on prettch-ed·
the corrupters of the fountain, Pefles rather then
Patres of the places where they live. But they
fare no wode then blij:lh did, who was accoun--
ted the l roubler of 1jrllel, though he was the -Ch.1ri-
ot and H'Jr{emen thereof; a man fo ufeful, that they
could not tell how to want him, though they
kn'- w not how to value him.And that is the third
thing to which I am to-proceed: Only lecme in-
treat you that you would thinkwithin yourfelves
in my paffage, Suchan one wM the party deceajed.
3. \VJe have here obfervable tiJe U.fefulmfl of
Elijah; he was not only a Father, but the ·Ch.1tiot
and Horfe.mm of 1/rael, the Security and Safeguard
of the place where he was. He ca1ls him by this·
name in an allufion to the Chariot \vherein he
was fetched to heaven;and_ would exprefs by this
form of fpeech the good fervice he did for lfra-
. el. He was in Jtead of an Anny to them. like
~-s:im. rs. 3• Va:,,h1, worth ten thoufand of the"pe_op1e.' He
alone was able to fight with all their eaettiies
and·by hisfmcetobre-ak all their Legions in pie~
ces. And indeed all 'Good me.n, ·efpecia.113/ men·
of 'extrao~ dina~y Wi~dome.a~d ·God~inefs '( .fuch
1 words1tlf my Tieit; 1flou_'-tPtifi-henW &-.ijt~~i/,yl~J
as I have been fpeaking ef) a:re· the ·Guard {trtd:·
Defence oft.he town·s where -th~-refid'e, yea ·of
the '0oumry whereof they ·are Members .. 'The'f
are
a-t d,e lluthols ·Funeral. 49:J
a.re the· Tutelar Angel_s of a Nation ? men th~t
can doe more by their pr~yers and tears~ -their
vertuous·andholy actions, then an hoft of me~J
·wherein none is of lefs valour then Samfon_or the
fam'd Hercules and Achilles. How had tt been
with Hrael, had it not ~een for Mo~es, _themeekif!
man on earth, and yet terrible M a_n Jtrmy wztl1 ~ann~rs_.
And in what aca[e had Samaria often been., lt
had not heen for this Elijha the fon_. of Hltph,
~r
who was encompafs~d about with Chari~.ts.an~-
horfes of fireto fightat his cqm~and? _What 1f
I fay of fuch men inthe Platonifls phrafe, That
they are <pu7'.a,,,h5,A; uoC~'<I? tl,e Keeper~ -0{ t/:,e world,.
•• 1. th,a~_preferye it from ~emg maddike·to. §odom
and. Gomorral,? ·And 1fthcre-had,,~.ee~fa~t.;f'{~:·o:f
-~l~efe holiCham,pions there} they_ had _ih~~ld.ed
rheil' heads from the arrows of the ~.lm1ghty).
a~d)c~pt ~e -D.1-0wers of fire?nd brin~Jl~n~,~<n-~:
riti~i~g ,qpon-them{;ot>d me~ arerthe.I.~1f~~~~r~
of the World, -next.to God.at~d.;good ~ngels ,ub;ey
are the Walls and Bulwark~ of a natt~°: ; /.or k1 Hof. u. 3.
~lJeir fl~engtl:, tlJey hR)!~ ;ower µ,ztl? ?a~, ~s_·n 1s_ fa1d of
ja&>b~ ·,·1\.~dT~fthe· 1C~?tiUl~ lp~1,~r~~~~d~ _the(~
prajtrfi.~n-Om-zrJt -an_1.,. if!I~r?.t1m1.:·_ ~-~'f~~t~r,~ ~ ~h~.-
Gloi1. ·pfthew'6~,li(, '·{1~ Vv~~~~~\t~
1
1tw~!~,
h~ 1.iut'ati~tle tib1.ile, a ~ealfl:cw\tt\ Wany -~ti~
7 1
-'· ; , ., R r r l- an&
 A Sermon preached-
and no brains, a mere Chaos and Confufion~
And it is by reafon of them that it doth not ru~
into foch diforder as a company of Children
would doe withotit their Father~ or as a multi.,.
rude of mad Souldiers without their skilful Lea-
der and Commander.
· ~nd fo I have briefly fet before you what Eli.
jah was, what thofe who are Eminent for Godli-
nefs are, what every good man ought in fome
meafure to be~ and what you !hall fhortly hear
our qeceafed Fathcr-wa.s in an high degree : Men
of worth and great renown, t:i1:Ui1 'WJN- ( in a
good fenfe) mm of ~ame, men that may be ta-
ken notice of in the world, that fhine by their
Wi[dome, Jufl:iceand Goodnefs, that chea~the
world by their Love and Fatherly care ofall, that
hearcil y endeavour to doe good, and would not
for ~ world fee men perifh if they can help it; in
a word, men that are as the Soul of th_e world,
without whom it would be a Rinking and un.;.
fufferable place.
- i . . Now. let us look a while upc;m_ .plfth~, and
fee what he thought of fuch a man. And ;. .
. _. 1. We µ1eet with hu great. AfjeEtiom exprelfed
i_n the very ~orm of the Word~,:MyFather, my
Ft!thet. Methinks .I. feel within. rpy. (~lf _vyith
. . . what
1tthte· Authors Funer·al. 49 5'
what pure,dear and ardent love he ·fpake theie
words; what a glowing fire· there was in his
breafl: when he thought ·of his ··fpiricual Father.
He ~urnt in love to him, ·as if forne fpark had.
fallen from Elijab"s fiery Chariot into his Heart~
He was all in a defire, as if the Angels. that feccht
his Father, had lent him a 'Yaft ~f their wings,
whereby he fl:~ove .to fly with him to Heaven.
There is not a.child that can cry more after the
hreafl:s that give it fuck and the arms of her that
carried. it in her worn be, then he calls and cries
~.fter his Father, U my Father, nry Fatber ! where jhall
1 find my R,ther? what 1vill become of me without my
Fatl,er ? A tender love and kind nefs there is to
be in our Hearts to all men .of what· nature.
or nation foever ; no man ought to be cpl7\ceui(~.
a. lo1Jer of bim{t lf, but cp,11.d13-e!JJ7l'~ a lo'Ve~ ofmankind :
Yec a more fingular cleaving of Souls .. -there
fhould be to thofe that are good:; but-the_ mofl:·
unfpeakable and greacefl:adhadion and union to.
thofe.by whom we have profited in Wifdome
and Godlinefs·, and whofe lips have dropped
the words of life. into our· Minds. For,.as .Solo- Prov. z;o, l'~•
mon hath it, There u Gold;· and ·a multitude of rtibies;
but the lips of k11011J~ed!,e are a pretiotu -Je,vel.. We· .
!ho1.1ld fl:and affecl:e,d:-to .them as the· G:ilatia11s to:Gal. 4. 1 ·\'•
s.~Paul, who-would have-·pull'd ont _theil'.'.. very-
cyes,.,
~
.I
I
i
i
. ,·· Fl' ; 'A Sermon preached ;
eyes:; and give?· the':1 unto him. · They ought
to be to us. oculruhartore.s., (as the ordinary-phrafe •
is) dearert~enourey~s.: by which fpeechGod
exprdfe~ lus extr:aordmary love to his.people J.f. .
i"ael, (aymgt~at he kept them tU the apple ofhi&--e_J·e.
And mdeed-tt can fcarce b,e, othcrwife but, that
there fhould bean unknownlove-berweenfuch.
perfons, there being foch a fecret fafcination in
frequent conver.fe and familiarity, as entices a
mans Soul_ and Heart ~mt of himfelf. Thofe
Precepts_ which we imbibe from anothers
mouth, naturally call _forth,a fl:rong affection to
flow from us to him; and he who inflames our
Se:mls with_love to<S0d? vy,iU certainly enkin.
die a fobordmate love \Vtthm. us. to.himfu1£ The
words. of Wifdome fmite an -ingenuous Soul
1
&Ja:.re_p'71vl /6eli.q as wi~h a.:dart (if l may. ufe Greg.
Tb~umaturgu$ .his e,xpreffion concerning Origen's
Otfcourfes). :t.ind cannot but wound it both with
a_love -to.Wi(do~ & himtha~fhoots. thofe pier~
cmg a;,row~-1,nto It~-J:Iearta T~ey.-bin? ~- tractable
Soul ~cm:ep~'11ozv,_t.(..va.'Jt,c.a,s.as it we.re11ninditfolu--
ble necefficies ,- fo thadc- 'cannot but: love tho..fu
words & ~ifs the mouth aJfo from whence they
fl~w unto-1t.. Ateachable Mind will hang.about-a
w1fe~ans neck, andtherebythey comeito deav,e•
aµd, chng as.fafl: together as the S-oulof Jonatliaiz
1
did
at the AMhofs Funeral.
did unro-the Sour-of 'Da-vid. So the aforefaid
-Gregory fpeaks of himfelf and Origm , '1tl,a.u,m,"-
"11"1v ~vcv;,,c,"f~ Aa;f3lJ' ~- Cuorp1-r~dt4v@. ;,p.;,~, &c._
Thu David ( meani,i;g Origen ) hatb intangled and
bound up t1!)1 Soul infucb ncctjjary fetters ofLow ,lJe ba_tb
fo eyed and e'Velt knit me to bim , that if1 would· be di/-
engaged, 1 cannot quit my [elf. l{o, ei "c-wJ'11w,,mi~,~
thou,gl, we depart out of thu world, our lo'Ve camwt d,~ ;
far 1 lo'Ve him evm M my own Soul ; and[? my affeEliori
-u,ufl remain for el1er ~ The wortls of-the wife (faith So-
lomon) are M geads;; and _M nails faftmd by the:A:[a~
flers of the Aj]emblies, Ecclef. 1 2. 11._ · If a Ma~er
fix his Docl:rine in.his Scholars mind, hena1les
himfelf likewife with the fame ihok:e quafi tra-
b~li cla'lJo, ·by a pin as fl:rong as a b~am, ,~o his
Scholars heart : They mi,,gle Souls M they doe. 'l{o-
tions, and mutuaf!Y pafl-into each~tber.
2. We have here likewife the,Sen(e ·TPbicb Eli-
llia- had of hi& great loft. For th~fe Words are E~.:.
preifio_ns of Sorrow and Lame.ntatto~, as apf e~rs by
the words following ; .And b~ook hold oJ bu o~n
. t:lotlns, an.d rent ,hem in pie,es: and al(o fro_pl chaf •
0
1 • i 4!' ,where _we find JoMb weeping over th~ s
3 and faymg thefe'very ~ords of my Text,
. Blifoa;
~--•,o·my,Father,. myFath_~r,. -the,(~ariot. of Ifra:l, an1the
- Horfemen thereof. ·And m~thj.1;1ks· I ~<: Bliffia h11n-
. ·- · __. s fs felf
4·98 . · 11 Sermon preached·
[elf here bedewing. his cheeks with tears, and·
hear thefe _words fo~.,d and fighed out of his
Heart, havmg lofl: his d_ear Father, .one rhahook
fuch fpecial care of him whilfr he was in ~he
world. Methinks l fee his Heart rent as well
as his _Garments, and t~~re I- ree Blijab graven in·
letterrns: great as was his Love. How could. he
look on himfelf and not lament to think that he
ha~l ~oG: hi~ H~ad ? how could he behold Ifrael
unguarded,-and not throw off his own clothes a~
-~w~en .of fos Sorrow? It is faid of']ehoia/t..im Jer.
22..- 18. · T?at tlxy }hall_ not lament.for-him; faying,
A_h my -~;ot~er, or ahmy .Sifter;. they jhall1~ot lam_ent for
ht,p, faying;· .Ah Lord, or ah /Ju.Glory: which bcith
·-fhews that .l this -is a form· of fp€ech to· ·denote
jorrorv; and that it is an Honour wicked· men f:hall
_ want, that none !hall be1:1oan their Departure .
. ~ut,th~ Jufl: fhall,~e had tn ev_erlafl:~ng remem-
branc~, t~ey fh~ll thedefired.; and.'tnofe who can
:val~~th~m,. -w1ll ·not let them pals away in fi-
~ence and with dry eyes. No Tears arefpent fo
:f
y~1el~ as qr_. ~he want ~f Go:d an~: a -go0d~F11ieild,
_o~ a-~ood ~an, efpe:c1ally fuch1c1oneas-1·before
·_defc~1bed~. :i Arid indeed ·who.rcan ·thinkof:his
• gracious _lip~s, ~h~is profitable a;~~l.delightfui ·c~n-
. ;~erfe, ·?.1s . _~or81~l')ove,: with'otit a•figh ,aatl a
._. ~tear, ·w1thoat_1:aJ.¥ag-/:H/; mj- Father, .JJi:hi/Okwy?
··- .:. No
~t the-A.uthor'J Funeral. 499
No inan will be fooner mifs"d then fuch an ·one
as he : Ten thoufand others may fl:ea} out of the
wodd,and no b~~y fcarcemi_nd or inquire·a.fter
them.• but let Blzjab go'e away, and·you fhall
~ have fifty men goe three day~ to fe~k him, that if
it be poffible they ~ay ·enJoy .his _co~pany a
while longer; ·We find that Jtf~ h1mfe~f wept
for his friend Lazarus Joh. 1 1. 3 ,~ at which the
Jews faid, tJ3,11old ho,v he loved bim. Two Souls ~oi-
.ne~ :together in cordial lov_e cannot_ part with-
out a ,gr~an, efpecially a . Son an~ h1s.Fat~er, a
Scholar.and his Mafl:er.. The Child cannot hold
.jt [elf .from crying when.it wants .the Breafl: that
-ufed to feed it- nor can~ Soul ,thirfl:y of know-
ledg-:bt~t;be ·pained, when.the Fountain is ~op,d
:thatufed :to quench it ..Ther~·ar~ notfo,~any of
thefe men in the world but ·their lofs :vv11l: be. as
foon felt as :the-want of :a :flake in a rotten hedg,
·orof-a Buttrefs againfl: a :b_owi~g w~lt He who
;knows :one to have been:a Light in the .world
·and a.Lampunto:him,will furelyhe rne~ancholy
• ·an·d fad 1,when-he·fees~thatLighc ·_goe ·out .a1:1d
thimfelHeft inxhedxrk, :.withoutthat ip/7-..oP: <pw~,
-thofe·.chearful and bel.nved beamstwhic~ ,ufed t?
:fhi~e; upon him, :to ."illuminate an~ warm his
Soutwith:a:true.knowledg:1~nd ~ove-ofall real
1g0·adnefs., ' .
I • • ' •' • •
Sfsi 3.'We

')00 .11 Sermon pr~acBed
3. We may further take notice o(tbe Hpnour,~
ble thotig,brs he had of Elijah, of the (J(e1'erena, Worfhip
and rJ?..e01eEl 11JbtclJ hega-Vi unto him. For fo we may
look upon thefe Words as an Exprefsion of the
high Ejleem he had of him, and rz{egard he bare to
him,even after he was gone from this Earth, and
could do no more kindneffes for him. 8:lijha who
had been-.a-minifl:er to him when he was b~low
and ufed to powre water upon his hands, could
n.~t but have very reverend _thoughts toward him
no\y that the Angels ca~e to ·wait upon him, .
and in Flames of fire to carry him up above.
He could not but honour him as his Elder and
Father, as his Leader and Commander as the
General of the Sons of the.Prophets, as-{he yery
Hofl: and Army of Ifrael. And indeed the Souls
of thofe men that are as full of God as the name
<?f .Elijah is ( which includes Two, ifnot.Three
of the Divine names init) cannot but drawou;
eyes toward· them ; but then they fo dazzle us
- with their lufl:re and brightnefs, they fl:rike tts
into_ fuch amaze~·ent at their . Perfections , that
t~e weaknefs of mans ~atU:re hath -:been' 'apt :to
give no lefs then Divine-veneration to fuch per.-
fans. '.It had not been lawful I know- to have
\vodhipped ~lijab;thoug~ he had: been an Angel;
but yet methmks ~ fee Blijha bowing down with
fome
=--~---=-·__ ...,_'l!!\12- ~............._._,_
-at ·the·-Jluthor's Funeral~ ! 0·1
-fome·refpea: to the very Mantle which fel from
-his Mafl:er, and taking it up as a preci~us Re-
Jique of. fo ?~ly a m~n. .- And I co~.11~ v~ry we!l
pafs fome C1vtl1ty upon the Gown m which :his
Holy man depar~ed ufed fort~ walk, out or the
great honour ~h~ch I bear _to h1~. ~h~re was fo ·
much of. Oiv1mty enflmned m _this Excelient
man•s Soul that it made every thing about him
to have a kind of Sacrednefs in it, and will make
his name to be alwaies:as a fweet ~~our unto
·us·. . Though we 1:°ay not .ext(?ll 1~t wi~h Di-
_vine praifes, yet ~~t 1t never· be mennoned h~1~s _
without the addmon of che Hebrew manner,·--of
.fp'eech '-,•', Hi5 memory ubleffid,_or. of_th~_ Greek
8-~-~~·f-i!J,~~eJ.~~; Tbat mo~ (]3lefie1 n.wr~ _-·-: -· -, . _. ·
:ND
,. A:··:/ :fo·I:a~-fallen unawares i~:~y-~~di-
~ · :., tations ~pon ~h~_-Applicatio11 o{ ,;yhat hath
.b.eenS~id ~o11-im ~hat~~~ :~f~·e~fe~ _a~4.. ~9 ~~r~wn
-fel;y,es.-:,.: ·,r; ::;·~ ·i:'· ,· . i•;-··:·:··,.:.
· · So~e perhaps .wil~ be ~!1gry ~~at
l fh<?u14 ·goe
. aboutto compare h1mw1~~ ~li1ah, the Ma1:1 of
rGod; but:"I:h~ye an Apology-ready_ at ~arid::
..They.will give ine leav~ .l_h<;>p'e tO:~~e t~e. fame
that Greg. NYftmdoth, whoin_his0ptio1:1 at the
..Funeral <Jl his-_brother f1?4i!,.co_i:npar~s hu.~ not
. only with. ~UM., but-_ witq _: J~~n .t~e· B.~p~~~ thde
_ · Sfs3 1eoon

~ 6 2. <!.A'}hOFt AtCount of
fecond _~liM, and wit~~- Paul himfelf; ·fay~ng
trat ondhonld not _erre 1f he fhould affirm that
thrre w~~ ~n ~irn.:~i~d ins. _rP.aul :i·v piT~v:f d~m,~
one a•1d the-'/ahie 1neafure of di'}jine -lo've-: Suffer me
then t~ ufe fome of his words_ concerning .him
.'<?f yv~om _weare.~ow_ to fpeak. '.'-~one will re-
·.:; q~u-~e ~f. humane _hat~r~ to· i~ita~e Bli~ah iri
· his· flmttmg and openmg- of heaven 1n his
·cc fafl:ing fo many daies, and going up td God in
" a fi_e-ry chariot ; budn other "things we ·will
" -~e hold to compare :him with thatgreat man
'' m 'his Zealous faith, in his Cordial love t~
'.' ~od,in his ~arnefl:-'defireand'rihidl: ~ ;,rCd>;;r~
:: ( ·as he fpeaks.) .~fcer _that which ~ruly ·is:, in ~n
. exact and·exqmfite life, 1,J .. :,;frJ]j,"fr;i~\1~iT"'-
-~(d~
the Author~s Life_ and-: 'l)eath. 1o l
~' ders of E{ii4h~ .But_ if any man w~ll needs.urg~
'' ~~ ~o_ Q:raiil -~ litt\e h~gher, and compare foirie-
,, th~ng: in h~m to h~s fafl:jng fourty daics ; thetj,
'' what fay you to an every-~ays temperance ?
'.' An.d.i~ ~llere_ mufl: be fome;hing anfw~r~ble to
'' h,~s ·g9j.µg µp· to t-l9ve~. Jn a·_ fiery C~~ri~t;
'~ tli~n )09k upqn rqe ,o~l:wr w~y of afcepdirig
" chich.er,.whi~h is, the befl:, ~' -r v+nA~> ~1i.'J~Cfh
" by an high tranfcendent FO~nr~r(a~,.0~ i~ thts
"world, wh.~repy he.made. a Chf1.riot of his
"Ver,t\le~. th~t 1hen1i~ht akend up.~p,t~p~14"•.:
.. ,Bµt th.a.t lq1.a,yproceed i~.this Argri[Il,entac-

, _ u&~, _in a_ Converfation fo fi:udied that it was

~:~:i~t~\~ffil{\c~;:~,illinJ,~
(C 'in ·an .~hings ·cohfonant with -it fHf., in moft. .
~" -~n_affe~~-d__ gr~-yity ,. ,~on·derf~l Jimplicicy.,
·" ,and·a ·countenai:ke ;prdportioaable- fo the-vi-
" gour an_d fl:re,ngth of h~s Soul, or, in his ·10wn
··Q~G:·onh~ F-~rrn:~m~l.1~, a:1:14. ~-th~ S~ar$ ~:"er
" words, ·pe'had -~"Aeµp.~ ;'rt/ ri£Y(f "roPfUX~s~Cr.w'1qvo-
-'' #yJov, a lqok that was: not one-key ·-below· his
"'irit~nt ~rid e·a~erandfprighdyM_in~. ,; IKyou
", look upon fo~••¢are of ~hcfecc'liings that_ were
"hopedfor, and·neglectiof:thefethings thatare
'~' fee1:1, -Off~is equal •\o_ve fo ;poo~. and rich .. ·in
'' thefe ,& ftich lik~. thirigs:He imitat€Li :theWon•
1
- ' : ·, - "ders
:~~;!,~~{J,
;t?igni,ty~~d _Jf_Qrfl?~A very g\qp~s Scar 4~ ~~~-?- ~
_OJ~µe 9,right~~ i.g, Q\lr. ;~Yt~ ~B~~ ~ny that. 4.~ eye~
fo~~4 µp,q,1 w-~fll~~ FP9~ Ji~~ ,-!~~w -?-flAe.l;l,~a:-
:N~~~y~~cJ;'tes, r :~95l;n.9~~tl?-e qiip~~ ~~; ~~e.9~~gbi-
r~n·
~n,<J -~vs~, ;~jp_g w,ifo ,~11~ havit)g ~mp.~4· m~~y (I
~~Ji~V~l ~~f.f~ig~~~,q,t:if~~~~; : _ ,_.:- i-.-· --~: . ~, •;; .
~: f; :! I:Jli.~:ll}?~fl~ ~P.-<?f91ftitQf' _
ljis_, Bf''f!?~-P~l1q1!agr
faveonly tlus, That herem hew~.J11~~ W J.oh,i
,~e 13aptiO;, t~e, l;if,l; !W'lf,, i11 ;tlia~ ~!;~i~J,"w af-
I~~@)~ ~ill~-~t$ hi4r~9 A~g,<;~tlf\\ ·t r~-._~,~_h
®IA>Yt»r~<.t ;:_~,\~<:)W~1 rA;~ti>PPf~f;Vi~~f
· l~~~~-~y.9.
nave·
.. ; '..,_..• 1

so4 ~ }hort ·.11~c~une•if
have proved very famo.u~ ; for ~hey feem· to be
fent on purpofe by Gpd into the ~9rJd: to. doe
good, and to b~ ~a~ce _bego7cen by t~eir Parents.
Such are fomethtng hke Jjaac, who had a great
bleffing in him, and_ feem to be intended by God
for fome greacferviceand·work in the world~-, ·
But lee us look orily at his Heallenlj- ddcent,
and fee how he was allied to God himfelf; for,a~
the Poet faies _of iE_neM, . · ._ .
-Confi1!git /anguine Crelui,,. _' · ·-
I may fay of him as Na~~n;zenfaies of.his'. Sif-
ter' F:iu Countr-y UJM Heal!en, hu Town or City UJ(U the
Jerufalem which uabo1'e, his fello111-:-Cititp1s 1t'er~ the
Saints, his l{~bility iva-f -~ 'ln; Ei,triJ'~ ,n;pnfm, ~ ~ 'S!f!},
,n; dJ,xfovmw clf:,oµgu,Jqz;~ the retaining of _fhe DiJJine im-
prejions and /tamps upon his Soul,· and being lil<.e to God
the Archetype ~nd _Firfi p4ttem ofall Goodnej. · And
i11:deed the preferving of the Heavenly Symbols
that are in our Souls, and·efpecially the purging
and fcowring of ~hem from the corruption· of
Nature,he often fpake of; and hfs endeavour was
that the Divine image might be fai~ly reflected
in him, and that it might iliine brightly in the
face of others. ·
If J _!]lould fpeak much of the Vaflnefl of hH
Learning (a thing not to he·paffed by,-) :fo. would
feem to fay that I knew all he was; which I am
not
the Author's Life and Veath. ~-O)
not fo arrogant- as to a{fume u_nto ~y felf:
This I wiU fay, That he could_- doe :wh~t-he
would. He had Cuch a huge, wide capacity of
Soul (uch a fharp and pi~rcing Underft~ding,
:Cuch~ deep reaching Mirid, that h~ f~ h1mfelf
about_ nothing but he foon-~rafped it -~nd ~ade
hiipfeW~ full poffe{four: o~ :it~: ~ndL 1f -~~, co~~
fider his-great lnduj?rf and mdt{allgab/e p~tm, ~1s .
Herculean labours day and night from his: >I-- Firfl: Ap r i1s, '~i 6•
coming to the Uni verfity. till the time of.his lo~g
ficknefs, joined witl1 bi1_large Parts, &JJuf,equent
Meditation Contemplation :and·, '.Abfhacbon ·of
his Mind'from Senfible things i it mi1Jl needs be
concluded that he was.a Comprehenfour ofmore
then.I c_an fay or think of; & ~flcould,i~_ woul~~
b~ roote~ious to give you an a~countor.-all .. ·_ ·: :
_ There i~- a Difcourfe which Chartdemu.t (!n
1)ion_ Cbryfojl~_me ) _mak~~ to_ bis. ~rien~~· a· ht;, Orat. 3o.
tle before ~1s de.atl:i.; . - How. thatth1s .~orl~
'!:is .qod"s l)oufe;. wherein a gallant (umptuous
'' -F_e~fl: is prepare&,. ind _all ~e~ a_~e_h1s Guefl:s :
cc and how th.at tl;~x~ _a~e two .waiters-at the Ta-1
,·,· ble which---6lt~u.ttl;i¢.,~wine: to.· theiwcliat ,aalL
,-,. f~ x-lt:- :_.t\1-e one:· ij }vfan~ ~thct, oth:er- ~3? Wom.an ;1
;,·the· o~e- call Nafot Mird,Jiornwh0fe:ha.114·alt.
'' Wife men• dri11~ ;: Jhe othe, ~J\i~~~i~. o~~-.bt~
'~'·te~pe14~~~-· iWP91fiUs{ rl~~:,JJ1!£)$r-of-,tho.-Jcmtm:«:~
~ • · - - .' r · "· . " - T ct1 this .
~! r]
rJ . so6 rv.l /hort Account of.
this_world. In this Houfe our beloved Friend
the Author's Life and'Veath: .
him ~ nor. would he grudge to. be taken off
~0 7 ·
~
,dec~fed fraid between four and-five and thirty
years, .apd I ·am fore drank mofl: large dra11ghcs· from' h'is n: n.udies upon fuch an - occafion.
,._ . -I t
I_

trta be truel y faid of h~m,. rhat a m~_n mtg lt

from· the hand of the former; for I?~ was - a
1.

Man,hewas a Mind, he had nothing of that Wo-
man in him, and never in the· leafl: was known
to fipp·of her. cups. ·He was, a mofl: laboriqhs
fearcher after Wifd,m, and never gave his Flelh
the "leifure cq plea~e ic felf in chofe entertain-
ments : and_. therefore we may be' confident
with that C/JaridemrM, that God hath taken him
to he his CufA.m,nw ~ s1Jtt'e9v, his Frie;1d and Comp_rinion
to drink of the rivers of his pleafore.. hi a \Vord;
In vit.i Pc,r- hewas,B,,Gi\,q~,w tfl) lµ.fux~, -~ ~r;m.isv
pb;rii.
as Eunapiiu ·fpeaks of Longimu, A l~1'ing Library,
better then t~at w~ich he µath given to our Col-
lege, and a 1valk.ing Study, -that carried his Lear-
ning.about with him,. J never got f~ much good
among al~ my. B_~oks by a whole days ploddi~g
in .a Study, as by an H:oures difcourfe I ~ave goc:
with him.:. For he was-not a Library lock'd up,
nor ti-Book clafped,:"butftood· open for any to'
converrewidiall that had 1atnind-t01lea.rn.· Yea'
he was:,:a· Fountain 'rttijtitng over; labouring: to'
doe~good· i:o:thofe ~ho p~rha_P,s· ~ad no mind co·
free and communicative:
ieceive it. _, None more
~n htL waktozf~~;h as~efireti)tOi-difcou~ With.'
• ., , ;;::
1
him-,.,
'Y .• com
-a1wa1es - e Better from him·•, ·and. h1smouth ,
~ould dropSentencesas_eafily as anordmary mans
co,uld fi eak Se1ife. .And h~ _ was ~o. lefs happy
. . -~- . h1·s M. i_nd then·1n_concez_.,,,1~; _where-
m expre1.,mg ,. , -. . •Ph'l .;.
in he-feems. to have excelled. the fa~ous i o.
r. h. (i'}lotin of whom fPorphyry tells us, that ~e
1op er·c , f h' d ,,,.,. _, , .
wasfomething carelefs o is wor s, -~cc. p.gv~v
.,. ..... · ,./J... r-. but" was-wholy-taken upm~o his
rr8 Jlfl i%Ot"'f"~ , . ' fi k h d fi ch
Mind~ .- Heofwho~ we now r_ea a ·_ u .·
a copia verborum, a plenty_ of wor~s? ~nd ~ofe fO-
P.,'duftOJI'
full, pregnant and figmficant,. 10m d with fu~h
an alli'lie Pbanjj; as is very rarely to be f~und 1d
the-·corripany of. ~uc~ a~deep Underftanding.-.a~
Judgmem as' dwelt mh1m. .
I have·donewithhis Learning, when I have
told you' That-as h_e loo~'d upon_ Ho_nour~,
Riches, arid the eagerlr-sp~rfued thtn~S ~f this
woi:ld,as Vanities; fo did He lookup?n~h1s alfo ,
as a piece, th<iugh'a more excell~nt ~1ece, of Vaj
~1ity .(as he was wont~ophra(e ~t) if comp~re ..
with the higher· .and morq d1v,me accomphfl1 .
ments of the Soul. For he. d_1d not:e~re to.va-
iue himfelf by any of thofi: things whic~ wer1
of a. pedfhing nature, _which fl1ould .fail an
.
· · · '- · - T t t z. ceafe
~.08 . A/hort ·Account of ·
cea~e-and vanifh away, but only by- thofe things
'-':h1~h were more fohd and fubflantial, ef a Di . .
·vme and Immortal ~at?re, "'! hich he might car-
ry ?utof the-world with him; to· which· my
D1fcourfe £hall not be long before it d-efcend.
, ·He was of v_ery firig~lar Wi/dom and great
Pruden~e of admirable sk1U.and readinefs in the
j emplar of true.ChriG:ian_ ~hilofol"'hy a~d- Ver~
~anage~y f!f affairs, which_ I make an account
ts an Im1tat1on of that Providence of God that
govern~ the ~?rld. His Learning was To con.;
co ere~, ~hat ~c. lay not. as-an' Idle notion in his
~ead~ ··01:1,t m?,de· him fie ~or· any imploimenc~ · ·
~ de was very ~ulland clear m alf his Refolutions
a~ any ~ebates, a ~oft wile- Counfeller in any
d1fficulc1es and ~re1ghts,d_extro~s i~ untying any
knot, of great JU~gment tn fa.t1sfymg any fctu-
ple or doubt even m_ matters of Religion. He was
one that foon faw mt~ the depth of any bufi-
ne~ that was· before him, and· lo~½'d it ·quite
th~o~gh;. tha~ ':Vould prefently turn 1t over and
ever m hts Mind and fee icon all fides . and he
und~rftood· things fo well at the Firfl: fight, that
_he did not oft_e~ need any-~condth~ughts, but
ufually frootho.. the prefent refolution and- de--·
termination of his Mind~ - , , ·
~nd ad~e to ~is _his_ known Integri!J, Upright- _
nefi and F.i11l-;ful11ef"·; hts ftrong and lively, his ·
waking,
the Author's. Life and Veath. ·.,c;.:09
waking a~d- truly-tender ~onfcience, which
joined with the former things l fpoke of made_
him more then a Man, ·.
----------ofo, vuv (3e;1al 'c~01, as men now goe.
He was {as one of the ,Ancients fp~aks ) ,ri~
rp1]1.0CorplctA ~J\~y~ ii @' ~';rflltl rnvdiJ,t.{9-'1,XM; an E_;::.
tue and as it were chefpmt_ual Rule, Line and
Sq~are thereof: of fo poize~ and even ~ life,
that by_ his Wifdom and ~onfc1ence~ ( were 1c no~
_ that every man fhould· know for h1mrelf) -;one
might livealmof.l: at a ventm:e, ,~~lk1~g blmd-
fold through the world; a~dnot m1fcar_i:y. ,
He had· incorporated, iha~l I fay_, or w(oul d aU
Principles.of Juft._ic~ and (J{zgl~teoujneft, ~n~made
chem one with h1mfelf..- S0-tha.t I may -fay of
him in A ntonimu his phrafe; he was· 1,~ctco1Tuv» Lib. 3__
t?>~~e1,µp.Jr@-. Eis (3J..rSri~, dip'd into J,1fice _as it were
over head and eares ; he· had not a flight .fup:r~
tidal tincture; but was dyed apd colour_ec!q~ute·
thr·ough with it ; [~ that wh~refoever _he had a.
Soul, there was Juflice and_ (J{1ibteot4/nefl • :They
who knew him, very yQ'elLknow t~e··truth:of.~1
this._ And. l .am perfwaded he did as. he~mly
and cordially as eagerly and earnefi:ly doe what
appeared to b~ 1uft a11d. ~gbt,without any S~~rc-
fipea or parti~ular:i:e~ect1ons' a~ any, man.livm~.
" · T~t3; Me"7
 . "
\ 1

510 11 Jhort :Accom1t. of the Author's Life andVeath. -~_I I

.Methinks I fee. how eamefl: he., would bema

. tas 'Ixazjan~n I think fpeaks} Love hubling and
d fpringing-i1p in his Soul, and Howingput to•afl;
:goo matter which appe.ared. to be. Reafonable
and that Love unfaihed, without guile, hypo-
and. Juft, k.as thoucrh t)
Juflzce
.
her. Hrelf had been 1n .
crifie or diffimulation.. I cannot tell you how
.h~m,-_ 1oo 'mg oucathis Eyes, and fpeaking at
his Soul was U~iverjali<d, how tenderly he em-
his Mour h. It was a Vertue indeed chat h. h d
ffiff . e a braced all God.,s creatures in his arms, more. e:-
-a great a e ~on~nto? _and whkh he was . _vei
-~ealous to m_amtam ; m whofe quarrel he wfs fpeciall y Men, and principally thofe in w~om h«
.· beheld the lmage'of his heavenly Father.. There
111 da~ger to be angry, and fomecimes to break
one mighihave feen runni_ng ~ <7U')t~E~ '@f9SIO au.y-
forth m.to a fhorc paffion. . -
1J.ii~, and·he would.ever-have-emptied his Soul in~
. -B~t he .was alwaies very_ urgent upon us that to theirs~ Let any that were chroi1ghly a<Iquain'."'
by_t~e Gra~e of ·G~d and the help of the migh , ,ted ·with him fay if I lie. And.truly _my. H.appi-
Spmt d of Jefus Chnflworkingin .us, we.wou · · ltyd.
nefs is chat I have foch a fubjecl: to exercife my
en eavour to purge out_ the corruption of our
yot~g and weakOrato.ry upon, as will admi;
ffi tl:' and to crucifie the Flerr..
Natures, 111 . h. 11 · h
wit a t e of little Hyperbole. · . . . .
a e JOns_ ~nd lufis thereof:. yea to .fobdue as His rpatienc2 was riolefs admirable then. his
much as ·lt·. 1s pofftble eve. . .n the d,C,.On ' ~1«- 1n
· -u-aAJJ.f · our
S· ou1 h Lo11e , under a lingering and tedious di(eafe ·;
r.s, t ofe
. d :fir.fl: mottons
· that are w1 out· our
'th
wherein he never murmured nor complained,
.fcoment,
. an
. h to labour
. after Purt'tr,, oril', t h
'J 'l rJear , t at .bur refted quietly fatisfied in th~ I~fo~itf _l].·1;1:-
owe.~1g tfeeGod. For his endeavour was .
only-
h to:be •t • , f· · . not '- :bounded Goodnefs arid Tendernefr of his Fa~

I
1
1 -fs(I.J. «-M!J-p71,u, .out o the ·pollut1ons· of .
. ther, and the Commiferations of Jefus Chrifl:
t ~ ~or d through lufl:, bur, as Plotin Ii eaks . our merciful I-ligh Priefl: ~h0 can be tot4ched with a.
E>foY l!), .to come to the t l 'k fi p .,. '

and his Son or ,,im:he Ap~.~1 _1I e~e s of God feeling-ofour··i,,~r~tties. · l:_:le frill r~fo~v.ed··l ;vit~-Job·,
1.. ,t l. ' ' ·· .es anguage to be
part.1Mro,. Ue 'Di'JJine nat11re And h . . , Though he k~ll me, .)et· 1v.,ll :' uu/J..!!~.lmn. ~u~ o'l'I <p~-
words fhall I U1e. r :i • • ere now w~at A·ocroq>iis 6,,. 'TIJis ffW.,/Jcui, faith- 'N,.a~an~~1J, m an Ep1 ..
.
.ftle to· Philagriiu, 0 bravely done mofl: n_ob~~_.
·. -~hat lb all I fay. of his Lo~e? Non . h, :k Soul,who canft .play-the· P. hi~c:>(op~er,:the; ~~n,...
Jum .\T"ell b . h ·r.. · . . • . ,. ,e t at ,.·new
,: Ut.m1g t.1ee ln him· ,·
;.v_
-;~ , .. · . , · 7Il1~,Ei~JJ a'}<k'llil,J'
· flian~,
·: · - · · · . ( as
 d"/hart Account <if
fl:ian, .in thy ficknefs and futferings·; who canfl:
not •nly talk but do?, _not only doe but faffir,J
And he told me in his ftcknefs that he hoped
he had learned that for which God fent it, ~nd
that he thought God kept him fo long in fuch a
cafe, under fuch burdens and preLfures; that.Pa--
tience might ha"Ve its perfeEt TPark in•him•. •: His fick~
·nefs undoubtedly was qnA~rroq,@.; Poa-@.. (as l{a~~
an~eh [peaks) a learned difeafe and full of true
Philofophy, which taught him mor~ of real
Chrifl:ianity, and made his Soul of a· more
fl:rong, able, Athletick habit and temper. For, as
Chap. 1. 4. S. 1/ ames faith, if Patience ha"Ve itsperJt1ea ,vork., then_
is a Soulperfell and entire, ,vanting notl:,ing. And
really in his Sicknefs he £hewed what Chrifria-
nity and True Religion is able to doe ; what
Might, Power and Virtue there is in it to bear
up a Soul under the greatefl: loads ; and that be··
could through Chrifl: fl:rengrhenipg hiin doe
.allthat which he fo admirably difcourfed of in
his life. . .·- ·,
But for his Humili~, it was that which was
mofl: apparent and confpicuoµs. .You ,1;nigh~
have beheld in him rm', ,m,1rqvoq,e;uiwn~ <ID. d'>!,e;'Wv'To_v
· 0e1v, (as thefame,Fa.therfpea~s)true humili:ryin
a mofl- eminent degree,: and the more eminent,
confidering how ·much th~re was within: him
· which
the .Author's Life and Vedth. ~1J
which would have· fwelled and puffed-up ano..
ther. But from his firfl: admiffion into the Uni-
verfitie ( as I am in(ormed by thofe ~hat knew
him ) he fought not great thin_g~ for h1mfel_f, but
was contented in the condmon wherem he
was. He made not hafl: to rife an? climb, as
youths are apt to doe _( which we 1~ thefe late
times too much experience , wh~rem Youths
fcarce fledg' d have foare~ to the h1ghefr prefer-
ments) but proceeded le1furely by orderly fl:eps
not to what he could get, but to what he was fit
to undertake. He f½ai'd God's time of ad_vance-
ment, with all indufl:ry and pains followi~gh~s
fl:udies- as if he rather defired to deferve hopour,
then to'be honoured. He !hook off all Idlen¢fs
and Sloth the bane of youth, and fo had' the
o'f
BleCfmg God upon his endeav~mrs, who gave
him great encouragement fr~m divers pe_rfons of
worth and- at lafl: brought him u,:1to this place.
And ·1' challenge any one that is impartial! ~o
fay, if fince he came hither, they ever beheld ~n
him any rJ>ride, Vazn~glory, 'Bo1fmg, Self-conceit,
'De fire of l,onour and beu'!, famOUtS tn· the· world.. ~o~
there is not the man Irv.mg that.had the eyes ever
to difce(n any thing of chis fwoln nat~e_: ~ucon
the contrary it was eafie, ta. ta~e. nonce of ~o~
rofo1111d Humility. and LowlineG of rnu~d ,
P vvv which
 eAfoort Account·of
which made him a true Difciple of Jefus Chrifr.;
who took upon him the form of a fervant, and ·
made himfelf of no reputat~on. And I dare fay
our dear friend was as true, as humble a fervant
(without any complement)~o the good of Man-
kind, as any perfon that this day lives. This was
his defigne in his fl:udies, and if it had pleafed
I the Lord of life to have prolonged his daies, it
would have been more of his work : For he was
refolved ( as he once told me) very much to lay
afide other G:udies, and to travel in the falvation
of mens Souls, after whofe good_hemoftardent. .
ly thirfl:ed.
Fphcfians 6. Shall I add t,".m' 'ltiO"t ( as the Apofl:le fpeaks)
abolte, or tmto all thefe, /Ji-5 Faitl•; l fay, his true,
lively and \vorking Faith, his fimple·, plain-hear-
ted, naked Faith in Chrifr 2 It is likely chat it
did not bufie it felf about many fine Notions,
Subtilties and Curioficies 1 or believing whole
Volumes ; but be fore it was that which was
firmly fer and fixed in the Mercy and Goodnds
of God through Chrifl:; thac· alfo which brought
down Chrifl: into his Soul; which draw'ddown
Heaven into his Heart; which fock' din life and
firength continually.-from our Saviour. which
made him hearty, ferious and confla~t in all
thofe forenamed. ChrifHan Vertuesa His Faitb
was
the Author's Life and 'Death.
was·not without a Soul bntwhat Iftdore faith of
1;
FaitlJ and Works, held true of him, .Xf?! ~ -rrhw,, L"b 4 6
@1wJ +ux~~, His Faith was animated, quick-
1
· · Ep. s.
ned and atl:uated by thefe. lt made him God.
like and he lived by Faitb in the Son of God ;
by i.c he came to be truly partaker of the Righce-
oufnds of Chrifl:, and had it wrought and for-
,ned in his very Soul. For this indeed was the
End of his life, the main defign which he carri-
ed on that he might become like to God. So that
if on; {hould have asked him that ~efl:ion in
.dntoninu,s 'l'?S c~ ~ ~:;(,J/>1; what is thy art and Lib. 11.
profeff10; thy bufinefs and imploiment :? He
would no;haveanfwered, To be a great Philofo-
pher, Mathematician, Hifl6~ian or Hebrician, ( all
which he was in great emmency) To be a Pbyfi-
tian LaUJyer, Gemral Linguift; which Names and
ma~y more his General skill -de[erved : .But he
would have anfwered, as he doth there, 'A.~"9o11
·w. my Art is to be Good . To be a true Divine
is 'my care and bufinefs,' or, in the Chriflian
phrafe, To be lio~ a& God -u holy., to be perfeEt. ·M 111:J
bea)Jenly Pathtr uperfect. All that remember the
ferious behaviour and weightie expre!fions he·
ufed in his Prayers, cannot but call to 1:1ind how
much his Heart was fee.upon the attammentof
this true Goodnefs •
Vvv2
5· I 6 A /hort ·Account of
I have tranfgretfed too much my-bounds now
i_t is fo late ; and trefpaffed perhaps too ~uch
upon your patience : Yet I hope I fhould not
wear_y you,ifl fh~uld difcourfe upon his Ingenui-
ty, his Cot4rtrfie, his Gmtlene(s and S)}Jeetne.ft, with.
many other things of the like nature. And let
me fay thus much, that he was far from that
Spirit of de)Joi.1ing "-ea/ that now too much rages.
He woulc~ rather have been confomed in the
fervice of inen, then have called for fire down
from· heaven, __.as Ebjah did, to confume them.
And th~refme thoughBlijah excelled him in this
that he a_fcended up to Heaven in.a fiery chariot;
r~e~_herem I may fay he was above the fpirit of
Hlqab, that he called for no fire todefrend from
heaven upon men, but th.e fire of Divine love
that might burn up all their Hatreds Rough-
nefs and Cruelty to each other. But ~s for fJ3e-
nignity of Mind and: Chrifl:ian kindnefs every
body that knew him will remember that he ever
had their names in his mouth, and I affure them
~hey were ~o lefs in his heart and· life;. as know-
mg that without thefe Truth it felf is in a facti-
on, ~nd·Chrifl: is drawn into a party. And this
Grac1oufnefs of Spirit was the more remark-
able in him, becaufe he was of a temper nacu ..
rally Hot and. Cholerick, as the greatefl: Minds
· mofr
the Author'1 Life andVuith.' ~ 17
moil: commonly are. He was wifer then to leta-
ny Anger reit in his ~of?n:i;muchJefs di~ he fof-
fer it to burn and boil t1l 1t was turned mto gall
and biitternefs - and leafl: of all would he en-
dure that any Pafsion llimdd lodge in him, till
it was become a cankered Ma.lice and black Ha-
tred which men in thefe clays can fcatce hide,
bttt 'let it appear in their countenan(;e and in
their carriage towar~s. others. _ _ . . I
·,,
If he was at any w.ne moved unto Anger, 1t
was but a fudden flufhing in his face, and it did
as foon vanifh as arife ; and it ufed ro arife up-
on no fuch occafions as I now· fpeak of. No;
whenfoever ·he look'd. upon- the fierce and con-
fuming Fires that were ii:' mens ~ouls, ~t made·
him f d, not an~ry ;. and It was h1~ cortflant en-
deavour to infpire mens Souls with more be•
nigne and kindly _heats, that they might warm'.
but not fcorchtheir Brethren~ _. -
And from this_Spirit, togetherwiththereffof,
Chrifiian;Graces that were in him, there did re-
folt a great Serenity, QB.iet ~nd Tranquillity i~
1
his Soul which dwelt fo rtutch above, that 1t
was not fhaken with any· of thofeTempdl:s and
Storms which.ufeto.unfettle more lowandab-
j_ecl: Minds._ He l~vedin a contin:ued _fweet ~n--
joyment of God, and fo was not d1fquieted with
·· y v.v 3 fcrup_les
5 15 11. /hort Account of the Author's.Life andVeath. l 19
dwek in him. Let it fuffice therefore to fay
fcruples or doubts of his Salvation. There was
alwaies difcernable in him a ch.earful fenfe 0 f ( chat I inay keep to the word in the Text) That
he was truly a E1tlier., that hew-anted· Ages only·
God's goodnefs; which ceafed not in the time 0 f
to make him ~-1'mnd-; and that ifhe had lived
-ficknefs. But we mofl: lonaed for.to lee the mo-
many Generations ago, & left us the children of·
tions of his Soul, when he drew nearto theCen"'
his Mit).d to. pofl:erity, he might by this time
tre of his reft. He that had fuch a confl:ant fee~
have been numbred among· the Fathers of the
ling of God within him, we might conclude
would have the mofl: fhong and powerful fenfe Church.
I have almofl:. prevented. my ielf already in
,~hen he came nearer to a clofe conjunction \vith
the Two latter Particulars, His ftn,gular Care, and
hup. B~t Go~ :vas ~leafed to deny this to us, ·
his great Ufefuluefl ; both which mufi: needs be
br
ai:id ~ Letharg1ck d1fl:emper Which feized on
concluded from the former: Hu Care I fay of
his Spmts, hepaffed the fix lafl: daies of his life
others as a Tutqr, his Ufefall,zefl as a Fel/o,v of this
( i_f I may ca_ll it a life) in a_kind of Sleep, and now mournful Society. Let me fpeak a word
w1th~ut cakmg much nonce of any thing he
fl ept .m· cJ"ie Lord. · or two of either.
And now have I not defcribed a Perfon of
2. · All his Pupils ( who are now truly 'Pupilli,
Worth.and Eminency? Have we not reafon co
Fatherlefs children) began to know in his fi-ck-
be ~o fad, as you fee our Faces tell you that we
nefs what it was to have and to want a· loving
are: But_ alas! h~lf of that is not told you
Father, a faithful Tutor; and no.w. they; will.
which your Eyes 1mght have feen had you been
know it more fully. He was one· th_at did fo
acquainted with ~im. I want 'thoughts and
confi:antly mind their·gooci, that inil:illed fuch
Words :o m~kealtvelypourtraicure of him: my
excellent pious Notions into their Minds,& gave·
young Experience hath not yet feen to the height foch light in every thing a man could defire to--
o~· the depth of thefe things which I have here
know; that I could have been content, though.
g1~enyouarudedraughtof; and fomy ·con-
in this gt>wn, to have been his Pupil. . His Life
ce1pts apd Expreffions muft needs fall far be1ow
taught: th~m continual leffons of ,Juflice,. Tempe--
. that excellent degree .of beauty wherein they ranee:,
· dwelt
 ., ,,/;'(<WLJk_o~t. ;fccou.nto_f
tam;~, ._fP.r,r,~gei!(~, -for-titu.d~~od,M~ftuhn~~-vertue;
arula~V(}J~.\l.}h.~ t~_ugb,t! .tlh~m tn~e- Dcpmdmtce upon
Goa,a1:1~:·~e~telfc~~ qf rbemlelv~s ~nd. . all rt:heir
Smdies;~~tf>•hilJl ,. : wich:t>:ffr Fe1itb in-,~andJmitati-
on ~{, Qfl! Lor~. ~n_d-,~4)Jio!_!r JeJ~ Cbrifl. .:t for·w hkh
end_ he <>ften ~xpcmnqe~i;tQ :the~ out ot.th.e_Mo-
ly ~qiptµres:-". . •-AQ~ forJ1um_ane learni,zg-, the ma:
ny g.90d Scholars t~at -came from .under . his
hand do wit:nefs how. d_extrQus.~he,was at the
training up of .Youch in all good Literature.
Porphyry- tells us of Plotin, that he was fuc~acare-
full perfon, that fundry Noble men and women
with divers others, when they died, committed
..
b0th their fons and daughcer.s t:o his Tuition
O C I f ~· .,
(,)$ ,efrp. '11Vl '9 iJ'EIC[J {fiUA(t.,,«, as unto fome
N '
Tutelar
Angel, or a facred and div~ne Guardian. Truly
thofe that come hither, are-in a manner without
Father and Mother; but_ they could not be com-
mitted to a more loving Tutor, a more holy and
faithful Guardian; that would bring them up
in all true Learning and Piety,. If any chink that
he was too fevere, let me tell them that r:hey are
filch as find fauh: with the Lion !lrn · f.lHJ -m.Snx~ov
/3A&'lf4, ~d ~/1.o(JVe}v.'9 ~a..01li.1,c,0J1., be~aufe he looks
not like an Ape but with a fiern royal and.
' .Me both lo0k'd' and fpake
I~ing~y. count~nance:
hke· a man that had drnnk into his Soul fuch
folid,
the Author'J· ~ife:_tmil Ve_ath. . .~ ~ i· t
. folid,high and -generous}.>ri~ciples~ ?Sfi~ ~-ien
.areacquaintedwit~,;'Yhich~~aJe liiir(yeiy .z¢~-
fous not ·only .for"ltighctorifnets; ~~t~g#ty' a~~
HoHners.·,. but for a ·ve~orum !h :a,ihhfngs~- · }·le
had a.~r~t _reg~rd for:~lJ,'~~~t~ ~h~~~s o/l}f5~ a~~
1nent1~nedby ~~e A1jo~e, ~'.h~i~p! 4. ~,- for wh4f-
foevtr tliings TPen; ttu~, hah~fl; ( er r~~er; ~~m~li arid
1
gral>e, feemly and i,~nerable, a:s ·d'dfA-,rl dot~ Jigni6e)
for all that was juft, Jiure, _lol1ely, of good ,fame and
report; ·if therrnnu any pr~~' ~r itliJ:1!C,r1~e,,: he ~as
tnofl: earnelbnd fonvara 1n its behalf. ·
3. And now what his Ufe{ulnej was, and the
!Ben1£t we received by him_,all thatbea_r ~~y iliare
in the government of this ~oc~etf wil~:be 1'1ade
to knovv·by the \vant qf h~n:1~ · There 1s not -one
but w:il~ cry·out with Blijha, .Dt~,~q,flriot of tl~h
p(a<Je; ~-»tl "the ·f?orfeme,; thereo(:· w~'idf wor4s fee~
t!O exprefs wha._t inettj/dt) man Elia& ¥.s,- ;~rid to,
be jt1fl: like· that of Morice to ¥- Mteceniu · when_,t-Lib.2.od.i7.
fick, \N-hich we may· ufe concerning_:hirrl i:hat is _
llow·d.ead . .,.
· · :. : · ,
.·. · ·
. .. .
:
· · ·Grande deem, colume11qu~ re~um, :
Gut :greatglory;thei,illat upon whofe: ffi.oulders·.i
tlre weight of bufin:efs ~flate lay;. · : .,
: , 0 & Pr~ftdium &: ·dufce dee~. meum, _.:.... i ~• ·~
(as.1he .raithfo another place) o thou who wall:
< ·- Xxx bmh

J jh_ort Acc~unt of
. .t,oth·my fafc-guard-and ~Y. or.n_~ment~ who wall:
a ·~o~iety by:tti}ffelf, aJ~~l~~&~11;·r~~iet )Vhat a
· 19,~ liave~~~~ft~ihe~-.~f ~hX3f~~~r,_t~~~/. ·i:hat
miJJ¼::.:tiot be-;rc'f6lve~ 6y)ne~;: horJ,y:-~µy one
1
finglc' 1peiftjft 1>f·1:1s··~~,bul_~~ ~~--'all lay ·:~ur
heads ~tog~efto. te1l'duflofs.,' To. which of us
was not he· clear? who is there that was not in'."' ·
gaged to him?_ who can think himfelf wife as
as he was when we had him ? ·
And this om high and dear Efl:eem · of him - _;
when he was with us, leads me to fpeak ef that
Honour and rJ{elJerence which we all exprefs to his
Name, that AjfeBion which is in our Hearts to his
Memory, the Jenfe that is in us ofou~ great and un-
fpeakable /0/5.; in Anfwe_r to thofe thre~ forego:.
ing Conftderations about Elifoa. Bu~ here I. m:ufl:
be very brief, and put ~11 _together. There is
n~ne that knew his Worth, but honour hi~ yery
dufl:. And for my part I honour him_ fo mu~li,
that I wifh \Ye might doe as the Virgins_ of Hra-
el did for Jephtah's daughter, come·once a year
hither and .lament his death ; and fo at C>!Jce.vve-
might exprefs all thefe Three,our fR.!fpeE1,Affeflion
and Senft ofour lofs. His name is mofl: worchyt~ l>e
had in a more efpec~ al reme~bra_nce, ~~d h_igh-.
ly defervrs. to be rank'd among our :BenefoEtors; ·
he having fodowed -our Library wi~~. all .µi~:;
' · · Books ·
k-
" _. . ., t
t~e ilu_~k~~s ,fi~ flJ~4¢?f.1fA ,'.., .. P· 3
. Book~ that,h~-:~~., ~~ w~-W!n~~q ~.~~U~ave
reafoq ~9-~peti~Y* ~8~.rf~~--~~p~J,b,~~~{of~d-- ·
qe~\x;~~ri};e\1 ~Yr fh?fe~.,f~~~~tfq\cl:,;~h~,~g1~k
fits, Jle ·~?.fe~r4,~~ ·S9,P~io~;_p1Qfe ypq~ P~-: ~end
. B•-·' e -h t:. "et were ~ori.. . ma-nv.1• an
.h,JS ,-<?.?~,fo ~.. _1c~~-;-{J,\ .\H' ,,. ·,·./ H.n~~ .. 't~·/.' .,
.
c~oife ·.q~qe,s, '.~~1µgl~b~v:,e.fl; ~u~q~e~lf9.~:.~W1,U-
. q~r;:. ~9d :. n-1.c},O.rpf P1tP:i.J~~g~,-~1'Chcpfi:ly l·j~1 ~nd
for ·t11e· matter of t~~l:Pt: ~~ny M.~brev.'f, .aQo~s,_
C- befides fome . Ai;a,\,ick ). 11;1a~y- Matfiema:~1ck
Books, many Boo~s· of Hifl:ory both• A~c1ent
and Modern as alfo ofPhilofophy and Ph1lolo•
gy both sa·c;ed and Profane. .
· And whenfoever wecommemorate his Love
unto us, let it be w1t~ fome B_ncomium : I~c us ,
mourn quad tal~m 4miferitnus, that w_e .are ~epn~ed .
of fuch a perfon ; ·btJt let us re101ce and give
thanks to God quod talem habuerimtH, that we ever
had fuch an one who hath done us fo m~ch
good : they ~re the wo.rds ~f S. Hierom to 'Jt{e-_
potian ,vith a little alteration. .
. B~t let me tell you in conclufion of all, that
herein would be fhown o~r greatejl Lo,e and A{-
feRion which we bare c~ him, this would \b~ tbe
greatefl Honour of hil!l, 1f we_ would but exprefs
his life in ·o_urs; that others might ~y when they
· behold us,There ,valks at leaG a fhad.ow. o~Mr_- .
Smit/,. . And O that I might beg with blifha a
Xxx .2 double_
 the :A,u#>o(f:".lif~.!l/1-lc/-':!)tath. ·
low.er-~n~l'eaJ"~lJ:-Y.V9id4j!~lh_l:ti~~'.~f~~nfoor.;
dbl y inlOt i.~s-c~mbr,t€SS ~ ~ ,ti4 f~Pt~?fF.~~ ~~~
(ing.~\of~·¥1';lwtil~~~~~µJ<P~~i~~~:f.q~-
1:1Ua!J}1~t~.-rl-Iaavt~:,. ~41~~JB.~ib~P.~~;~tJ/ew,,,
to: fujfe" -~G~d. i: t~ be; qugh~iJ.;J; ~wil:J}tw,gl.'y· .it:..
tJ:acl:ed. h:i-· h.im ·. fro~ ~lt- E~_thy_; :~nd.S~~ble
deligfi~s· ~Q: ~n a<l.m1rat1.Qa aP.dr.~~e-0f ~is.;.E;.
verl;afHng, :a~w:, _ w.d... ~Q9d.wfs_., ·i· ~ j~ :.Jar
hour to be: fa well acqu~te~ with Hun, and:
all_ things' of the Highe~ ~0.dd~. amd._famuch
. \ 4iijngagecl.. iQ: OWI 1\if~a~QPtf:io.rori t1'~and: all
· that -is,:inJ~:1 _ ~h-~~ ·Wi~iti iw¢L@t:M',torgo o.utr~
this world,. . we may-never: lo.ok. b.acli and fuy~
Owha.tg~:>0dlj things . do Ile_a:ve!- w~3:abra~e.
world alll} I {i.µt,~h~d:fr~,m !1 :weuldJ 1mughttbue-
li_iV;€:c}: \i;~~.e l~ogey1 mqie1l Utl~1geto.utJHcar~s.f<t
ci:u,cifi~d •. to! ~he w@r1d,! _that ~:~¥ be:- a.n ~fie.
tljjpg to.tJs to lltak~_liands with,. -~ad bid--a far~
welJt ~Q,,o,µrJ1~:i-¢Pi~Jth.e-.d~retbth~~s ~-~ce) . :
ou; Land~; lrJ.\;>u~~,~dod&-anitw,h~foever.is.v~~·,
lqa~t~ -inoU(-;eyesr.'.: -. ·::Let~ r111sI :ufe -~he:•:wo~la. ast:.
though· we ufed it not: let.u~·dy.e ·dm?,,'.:~s ~If~ -
dear Fie~~tdid ; and fo it was eafie to ~1m .to
dye at lafl:. 1)ye did I ~ay ? £hall I ufe that wor~,
or- father dq,ltfflifa,; -he-1-s· ~wn-away,--( as- zt.a',~.r-- ~
. an~en fpeak~) his S<?ul ha,th~?tloo(e,., an:d ~?~~,

. .
f
feels her ~tni5o,: ,o.r- 1~,"'~~<1J he h~tP
.
c~rttL.
. --~ ~ : . . . _ ;-!· ... "' .:.

·!1,.. •• ,,..,-..;:,
 .::::

,: Ajhort Account of, &c-. -

- · l •:).. ,' '·\ ..d<:..:J1:t...,1

,,i,,,n,,~,~~,~. :·_/~ ·ttJ

_1..,.
his habitati!Jri>h~ is.gone i~to the other world, as ;::,·.

Abraam -w~n~- o~t. of Ur i-9~<? .~ f ~n~~!{,·_ ~Qq.sl~µe: t,~iii;~-~j-~fi ~ -·-

fame:~a~h~~~i~s:;;1-~}!!t.~oei~?iPiGJ;f~Ctfi&.1~,
he hath taken his.Journ~y-into another countrie;
~•--~/P-'1sf !,
a little before his Bo_~y,?· ~ehath left his Body ~ooks pr~nted for, and fold by, W:Morden Book-
behind him awh_ile to take a fleep:in the dufr; ~ . feller in Cambndg. l
1'
wheriicawakes at the Refurrecl:ion,it ,fliaU fol~ I

Rigenes contra. Cel_fum ;. Ej~fde m Philo.calia, cum l

low aJfo to.thefameplace.Then__(h~ll':itbe made -
a Spiritualhodj,: then tha.11 it have ·wings given to
O Annotat. Guhelm1 Spenceri, 40 •
Scheyneri Fundament~ Optic.4°. \I;,1
it alfo and be lovingly married ag~in co the Soul, Officium Concionatormm, 4°• I

never any more to fuffer ciny feparation. .Ahd . Medi opufcula. . JF.
l
at that- time wdhali all meet with our dear Fa-- . Epicteti Enchiridion, cnm Cebet1s ,:abula.Acc~ueru_nt
Arriani Comment. item Porphynus de Abftment1a,
ther anl,Friend'. again ' who.· now are, here re- & de Vita Pythaoorre, Ejufdem item S~ntent. & de
mairiihg cryi~g out, 0 my Father, my father, &c. Antro N ymphar~m, Vita deinde & Scnpta Porphy-
Then. ~all.· all t~ars be· wiped away fro~ our rii a L.Holll:enio, 8°. . · G 1·1 ·
eyes,·:andthere·:{hall be no moredeath; neither Gaffendi Aftronomia; Cui acceifere ~al~lre1 . a 1 ~i:
Nuncius Sidereus & Johannis Kepler1 J?ioemce, 8! •
forrow, nor c_iying-? neither fhall ther~ be any · . ( Przdeftmat1one.
more pain : Then we fhall not need fucli a Light - )Eleelione~
as he-was ; for:cher~ is no night there, and they Sebaft. Caftellio. Dialogi, 4 de) Libero Arbitrio..
Rev. ii. f·
need- no .candle;-,neither light of the Sun-. for (Fide & Juftificatione.
•• the Lord-God giveth them light, an,~ they fhall
Anoelini Gazcri PiaHilaria. Acccffit Tomus.alter cum
-I~dice P hilologico, 12. .
lCign ~or eyer and ever~ · Mores Antidote againft Athftfm. .
- Amen. Enthufiafmus Triumphatus, or~ D1fcourfe of the
Nature,Caufes,Kinds and_ Cures of I?nthufi~fm•.
His threefold Cabbal, Literal, Phtlofophi~l,.
Myftical or Divinely Mora_l.
, - Ew11t11~ . Immortality of the Soul, 8°.
P
p.
A$.53, Jin, 27. for Beings rfi:td Bcing.-p. 57, J, ult, r, .J.~-x.nv,.p, 1 f5,l.6,,
Jor lap us r. lap up.·p. 145, I, 13. r, WltJM· p, 304_._ l. 14, r. ',inWN1
340.:}. 5. for Self-examination r. Sclf-cxinanition.1. 22., for :ufurfog r, afiu-
Billinofly'sidea of Arithmetick, 8°._ h f
2 Ser~ons of Mr. Clerk, Fellow of Peter- ou eo
ming.p. ,41,8, l. 3:.. r,_Holy. .

I'