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te credet equitem.” It was Cotta's proof that there are atheists, in Cicer. (* De Natur. Deor.' li. 1.) What shall we say of the sacrilegious, perjured, and ungodly? If Carbo, &c., had thought that there are gods, he had not been so perjured and ungodly. What more necessary to ungodly men, whatever they call themselves, than to convince then that there is a God, and a life to come? Christ will not care for their image of religion, or deceitful promises and professions. All wise men are of Solon's mind: “Probitatem jurejurando certiorem habe.” (Laert. “In Sol.')

Believe it, hypocrites, your fornications, gluttony, drunkenness, idleness, covetousness, selfishness, or pride, will find no cloak in the day of judgment from the christian name : you might better cheap have been sensual and wicked at a further distance than in the family or church of God.“ Nihil prodest æstimari, quod non sis : et duplicis peccati reus es , non habere quod credetis, et quod non habueris simulare.” (Hieron. ' Ep. ad fil. Maur.') Or suppose your lives are more civilly and smoothly carnal ? To do no harm, is too little to prove you Christians, much more to do evil with some bounds. “ Nullum est aliud latronum beneficium, nisi ut commemorare possint, iis se vitam dedisse quibus non ademerint.” (Cicer. Phil. ii.?) “ Non est bonitas pessimis esse meliorem.” (Senec.) My reasonable demand is, that you will be what you call yourselves, or call yourselves as you

I am not inviting you to a new religion, or to a sect, but to be really and seriously what you are nominally, and what you have vowed and professed to be: jest not with God, and heaven, and hell. You may mock yourselves, but God will not be mocked. At last turn back, and study what that religion is which you profess : review your baptismal covenant, and be true to that, and I have done; and cast out of your way the common block of hating those whom you should imitate. “ Ita comparatum est, ut virtutem non suspiciamus, neq; ejus imitandæ studio corripimur, nisi eum in quo ea conspicitur, summo honore et amore prosequamur.” (Plutar. ' In Cat. Utic.') It was one of the Roman laws of the twelve tables, “ Impius ne audeto placare donis iram deorum.” Repent and pray, was Peter's counsel to one of your predecessors. (Acts viii. 22.) Judas hath a kiss for Christ; but it is hearty love, and a sober, righteous, godly life which must be your evidence. I have faithfully warned you ; the Lord have mercy on you, and convert you !

R.B. October 31, 1666.

are.

“ Cujus aures clause veritati sunt, ut ab amico verum audire nequeat, hujus salus desperanda est.” (Cic. ' Rhet. i.')

“ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." (Prov. xxviii. 9.)

“ Antisthenes civitates tunc interire aiebat, cum bonos discernere nequeunt à malis.” (Laert. ' In Antisth.”)

“ He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning: for this purpose the Son of God was . manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John ii. 8.)

OF NATURAL RELIGION,

OR

GODLINESS.

CHAP. I. Of the nearest Truths, viz., of Human Nature. RESOLVING on a faithful search into the nature and certainty of religion, as being the business which my own and all men's happiness is most concerned in, being conscious of my weakness, and knowing that truths have their certain order, in which they give much light to one another, I found it meet to begin at the most evident, from whence I ascended in the order following.

Sect. 1. I am past al doubt that I have sense, cogitation, understanding, and will, with executive operation.

* Non tam authoritatis in disputando, quam rationis momenta quærenda sunt. Cicer. de Nat. Deor. 1, p. 6.

Animo ipso animus videtur, et nimirum, hanc habet vim præceptum Apollinis, quo monet ut se quisque noscat : non enim credo id præcipit ut membra nostra, aut staturam figuramve noscamus : neque nos corpora sumus : neque ego tibi dicens hoc corpori tuo dico. Cum igitur nosce te, dicit, hoc dicit, nosce animum tuum. Nam corpus quidem quasi vas est, aut aliquod animi receptaculum : ab animo tuo quicquid agitur id agitur à te. Hunc igitur nosce nisi divinum esset, non esset hoc acrioris cujusdam animi præceptum, sic ut tribulum Deo sit, hoc est, seipsum posse cognoscere, sed sit qualis sit animus, ipse animus nesciat, dic quæso, ne esse quidem se sciet? Cicero Tuscul. Quest. I. 1, pp. (mihi) 226, 227.

Patet æternum id esse quod seipsum movet ; et quis est qui hanc naturam animis tributam neget. Inanimum est enim omne quod pulsu agitatur externo. Sentit igitur animus se moveri : quod cum sentit, illud una sentit, se vi sua, non aliená moveri ; nec accidere posse ut ipse unquam à se deseratur æternis tas. Id. ibid.

bObj. Age ostende mihi Deum tuum.

Resp. Age ostende mihi hominem tuum : fac te hominem esse cognoscam, et quis meus sit Deus demonstrate non morabor.-Theophil. Antioch, ad Aus tolycum, lib. 1, initio.

Cum despicere cæperimus et sentire, quid simus, et quid ab animantibus cæteris differamus, tum ea insequi incipiemus, ad quæ nati sumus.-Cicer. 5, de Fin.

Qui seipsum cognoverit cognoscet in se omnia : Deum, ad cujus imaginem factus est : mundum, cujus simulachruin gerit. Creaturas omnes cum quia bus symbolum habet.-Paulus Dem. de Scala T'hess. p. 722. VOL. XX.

KK

Though I could not exactly define what these are, yet I am satisfied that I have them: and I discern that a simple term doth better express one of these to me, than a definition doth; because they are known so immediately, in and of themselves, partly by internal sensation, and partly by intuition. And words are but to make known my mind about them to another, and another's to me; but the things themselves are otherwise to be known. What it is to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, I know better by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, than by any definitions of them; and the bare denomination, when I understand the term, is my best expression. And if I could not answer a sceptic, who denied the certainty of my judgment by sensation and reflexive intuition, yet nature would not suffer me to doubt: or if any such should really make me doubt whether I may not possibly live in a continual delusory dream, and all my senses and understanding be deceived, yet would it satisfy me in the main, that I must judge by such powers as I have, and can do no better, and therefore should be no further solicitous. If any would persuade me that I feel not when I am sick or wounded, or see not when I see, or taste not when or what I taste, yet must I be persuaded, that fallible or infallible, this sense must be used, and serve for the ends to which it is given to me; and that I have no better faculties to use.

Sect. 2. By my actions I know that I am ; and that I am a sentient, intelligent, thinking, willing, and operative being; or a wight that hath these powers.

For ab operari ad posse et esse, the consequence is undoubted. Nothing is no agent; and none doth that which he cannot do.

Sect. 3. This mind, or aforesaid power, is found in, or con junct with, an organised body.

He that doubteth not of his sense and intellection, need not doubt of his body, which is the object of both.

Sect. 4. This body is a quantitative or extensive, nutrite, changeable, corruptible matter.

Of which my senses and experience will not suffer me to doubt.

Sect. 5. This mind is fitted to the use of knowing, and is desirous of it, delighted in it, and the more it knoweth, the more it is able and disposed to know.d

• Ut Deum noris, et si ignores et locum et faciem ; sic animum tibi tuum notum esse oportet, etiam si ignores et locum et formam.-Cicer. I, Tuscul.

Non ii sumus quibus nihil verum esse videatur, sed ii qui omnibus veris falsa quædam adjuucta esse dicamus tauta similitudine, ut, &c.-Cicer, de Nat. Deor. 1,p.7,

All this oür actions and experience testify. Knowing is to the mind, as seeing is to the eye. One act of knowledge promoteth and facilitateth another.

Sect. 6. Being and verity are its direct objects.

As light and colours are the objects of our sight. To these it hath power and inclination.

Sect. 7. When I know the effects, I have an inclination to know the cause; not only the lower, but the very first.e

Though it be possible that some sensual, sluggish person, may be so taken up with present earthly things, as to drown these desires, and scarce to think of any first cause, or take any pleasure in the exercise of his higher faculties; yet as I feel it othera wise in myself, só I find it otherwise in multitudes of others, and in all that have free minds, and in the worst at certain times ; so that I perceive it is natural to man, to desire to know eveni the first cause, and highest excellency.

Sect. 8. Yet do I find that my mind is not satisfied in knowing, nor is entity and verity the ultimate object which my mind looketh after, but goodness.

Entity and verity may be unwelcome, loathed things, if against my good. The thief could wish, that neither law, nor judge, nor gallows had a being, and that his sentence were not true. Knowledge is but a mediate motion of the soul, directive to the following volitions and prosecution.

Sect. 9. I find I have a will, inclined to apprehend good; that is, both to that which hath a simple excellency in itself, and which maketh for the happiness of the world, or for my own."

This maketh itself as well known to me, as my natural appetite. For my apprehensions do but subserve it, and my life is moved or ruled by it.

Sect. 10. It is also averse to apprehended evil as such, as contrary to the aforesaid good.

Though real evil may possibly be chosen, when it is a seeming good, and also that which appeareth proximately evil, for a higher good to which it seemeth á means, yet ultimately and for itself, no rational will desireth or chooseth evil.