Touchstones to convince the world of the purity of thy metal and on their own shoulders advancing thee above an ordinary height that the World might take notice of thy growth and stature and as with thee so hath she done with others even with all all those whom she intended to advance examples of which both divine and humane histories abundantly offer to our veiw Thus was it with Israel in their conquering the promised land Sihon king of the Amorites first sets upon them then Og king of Baashan came out against them c. thus we find it with divers others in other Authors which to avoid prolixity I shall passe by instancing in one and that so well known that few if any therebe but have heard thereof and that the Common-wealth of Rome which from a small beginning grew up into so vast a body that her Eagles-wings spread over the greatest part of the then known world CHAP. VI The beginning of the Common-wealth of Rome and the causes of its growth THis City or rather Town of Rome being founded by Romulus and inhabitants gathered together from divers places was no sooner built but it was threatned with ruin in its very infancy and the best it could expect was but an ages duration for the greatest part of the inhabitants being single all hope of issue was cut off which onely could afford it a longer life Wives thus wanting and none to be obtained by consent so contemptible were they in the eyes of their neighbours they attempt what craft and force would do and their Plot succeeded to their minds for having proclaimed publick plays and invited their neighbours they suddenly provided themselves wives of the Sabine Virgins which came with their Parents to be spectators Yet this remedy seemed as dangerous as the disease for the Sabines were a great and war-like nation and a Colony of the Spartans after whose manner they lived in Towns without walls reputing themselves safe in their own valour and the Romans could not but expect they would resent the affront But see how fortune which we Christians truly tearm Providence gave them assistance by giving let to the conjunction of their enemies though of one nation and alike interessed in the quarrell First the Caeninenses come against them whose King being slain by Romulus in fight hand to hand and their Army defeated were compelled to leave their old habitations and go and dwell at Rome by the Conqueror who by this means encreased his strength as well as reputation and became the better able to deal with the rest This war done the Fidenates Crustimini and Antenates begin another and run the same fortune and likewise being incorporated with the Victors still encrease the Roman Stock The rest grown wise by these examples unite and put the Romans to such a plunge that it was easie to conjecture what have would have been the issue had they taken this course at first but by the intercession of the women running in between the armies a peace was made and both Nations joyned in one the City keeping its old name of Rome from Romulus the people being called Quirites from the chief Tribe of the Sabines the Roman and Sabine Kings jointly reigning Now could the wisest among the sons of mē have judged that a rape should have begot an union but there is an hand above disposes of things above our suppositions which continued its favour till Rome grew of perfect strength This was he that withdrew Porsenna and changed his enmity into love and admiration that restrained any warlike Marcian or Lucan any Mulius Silo or Telesinus with the joint forces of Italy from falling upon her untill she was able to bear the storm that out supplies off from Hannibal when he had almost born down all before him and made the envy of his own Citizens instrumental to their own ruin that made Antiochus sit still until Philip was brought under and Tigranes look on until Mithridates was beaten out of his kingdom yea that provided work by the Sarmatians for Mithridates till the Marsian war was over that divided the Cimbri and Teutones so that Marius when he had overthrown one party had time to joyn with the other Consull to help destroy the other and suffered not three hundred thousand fighting men in one body to attempt Italy and in like manner the slaves and fencers giving Crassus opportunity to defeat them who had ranged Italy and oft put the Roman Armies to rout that by a few Geese saved the Capitol and caused the unjust banishment of Camillus to be a means to preserve Rome CHAP. VII A Parallel ANd hath not Providence in the same manner dealt with this Common-wealth which was no sooner established in England but it was threatned from Ireland where Dublin Derry and a few forces under Generall Monk were onely left us two being besieged and the third in an incapacity to afford them relief when things were thus desperate God divided the Rebels and made O Neal instrumental in the relief of Derry neither could they be pieced untill Ormond was totally broke and the other party under the Popish Bishop of Clogher fought and routed The Irish cloud almost dissolved a Scotch storm threatens us which yet came not on so suddenly but that we had time to provide shelter Providence causing them to trifle away much time in their treaties and other mockeries insomuch that the greatest part of it fell in their own Nation the tayl only besprinkling some parts of this where it totally vanished And here we can never sufficiently admire Gods goodnesse to this Common-wealth who when the enemy had given our Army the slip and left them so far behind them suffered them not to march up to London but to empound themselves at Worcester and so over-ruled the hearts of this Nation that notwithstanding the malice and hatred of many to the present Government yet not any considerable person or number joyned with the enemy even marching through the most discontented and disaffected Counties The North being cleared the Dutch jealous of our encrease who have found the sweetnesse of a State Government endeavour to clip our wings and to usurp our long held soveraignty of the seas having undermined our Trading a long while before but they may put what they have got by it in their eyes without any danger unlesse of making themselves weep notwithstanding their treacherous and base attempt upon a small squadron with one of our Generals in the time of Ttreaty and before denouncing a war and that even upon our own coast whilst we besides the honour and repute gained abroad are grown more potent at sea in one year than we had like to have been in many ages had they let us been at quiet and even thus the Carthaginians compell'd the Romans to become Masters at sea by their injuries provoking that stout nation to adventure a sea fight though so ignorant that the Consull taught them to row by sitting
make up the finest and purest complexion the soundest and bravest constitution like a sparkling and vigorous soul quickning and informing a beautiful body can Religion desire to shine with greater gloss and lustre can it desire to ride among men in greater pomp and solemnity in a more tryumphant Charriot than in a soul of vast intellectualls let us but consider our poor ignorant and unlearned Ancestors with yellings and howlings with the horrid noise of brazen and copper pans and bazons hammered on and beaten endeavouring to help the Moon in the ecclipse whom they thought they did great service to and whence proceeded this but from ignorance of the natural cause what prayers what sacrifices did an ecclipse of the Sun produce all presently supposing he hid his face for anger as the Poets report he did at Atreus his banquet Verterit cursus licet sibi ipse Titan obvium ducens iter tenebrisque facinus obruit tetrum novis nox missa ab ort u tempore alieno gravis Seneca Thyestes and they in danger of an eternal night and not only be as one speaks notably of the Suns adorers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} without their God by night but for ever and indeed what advantage did the Devill make of ignorance in the time of Popery What a quarter did he keep with his Hobgoblins and Fairies O darkness is his delight in the understanding as well as in the air and doth it not lay men more open to his temptations what a tryumph would the Prince of darkness lead could he get us all into his livery This Plutarch an heathen could perceive Knowledge saith he frees men from that superstition which frights disturbs and entangles with sinister conceits of the Deity others who are ignorant of the natural causes of things and in its place induces a secure piety and holy confidence in the Divine power and he instances in the head of a Ram with one horn growing in the midst of the front brought to Pericles which when the Southsayers converted to an Omen Anaxagoras the Philosopher dissecting the scull shewed it empty on the sides and the brains lying in the midst in an oval form just where the horn took root cleerly convincing them of the natural cause Let us consider how a poor Bishop was degraded by a whole Council and the Popes infallible Worship too boot for writing and maintaining that there were Antipodes people inhabiting the other side of the Worldly Globe a thing known to every ship-boy in Wapping and what will nothign serve our turns but a herd of such Teachers a drove of such Doctors that may bring us in one age to a degree above bleating to be as far from understanding as they from being able to speak sense when a Dutch Sophister with this doughty fallacy The Scripture commands us to reverence and obey our Elders but the Dutch State is the elder State therefore the Scripture commands the English State to reverence and obey the Dutch Or Asses have eares Englishmen have eares therefore Englishmen are Asses shall puzzle our whole nation and none be able to answer him unless by down-right telling him he lyes so instead of confuting confirm him in his wild assertions Lastly Let us consider with what impatience we would hear a man that went about to perswade us to burn our ships break our Guns destroy all our Arms and Weapons and lay our selves naked to the invasion and rapine of any forein enemy and shall we not with the same disdain and abhorrency behold these pedling Truckers under Satan who would disarm our souls prostitute our understandings to the lust of every subtill Sophister make us like to the Horse and Mule which want understanding ready to take the Bit into our mouths to be rid by each deceiver and to crowch down under the burdens which every sly and cunning Knave shall please to load us with do we so much detest the slavery of our bodies and shall we not abhor to see our souls led captive our understandings drawn in shackles after the triumphant Chariot of every Impostor our Lord and Savior teaches us that though a man both strong and armed keep the house yet if a stronger than he come he will enter and take possession these Imps of the Destroyer suggest that the Lame and Blind are only fit Garrison Souldiers for the strong holds of the New Jerusalem as if Religion were the Capitol that onely Geese must defend alas had there not been a Manlius and other valiant and armed Romans the Gauls could not have been kept out by their cackling Thus much for learning as it is useful in religion what advantage it is of to the Civil State shall be discoursed of hereafter in its proper place CHAP. XVIII Of Moral vertue in general BEfore we proceed further it will not be amiss to consider Moral vertue in the general as of good conducement to our better understanding of the particular vertues which follow in order to be treated of in our subsequent discourse and to our easier attaining and imbracing them in our future practice And first of the Name the Greeks according to some denominated it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} from Mars their God of War because in War the efficacy of vertue seemed most perspicuous Others fetch its derivation {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} from choosing because vertue is above all things to be chosen The Latines called it virtus a vir which antiently was solie applyed to a valiant man thus Cicero in offic. Nomen virtutis inquit antiquitus solius fuit fortitudinis Vertue saith he was the badge heretofore onely of Fortitude But since experience teaching that man was not only to strive with man to combate the Common enemy but also with his own disorderly affections easily misled by the allurements of riches delights and preferment it became the tryumphant Ornament of those that were victorious over themselves and these temptations which indeed is the more noble conquest and most manly as performed by the force of reason the weapon only man can use Lastly there are some who not unpleasantly alluding will have it tearmed virtus quasi viri artus as it were the joints and lineaments of the mind Now as the name hath been diversly derived so hath the Thing been variously applyed As first to signify in general the power and perfection of any thing hence we often meet with these and the like phrases in English By vertue of Gods power wisdome omniscience by vertue of the Soul of the Heavens of the Elements of such or such a plant mineral or living creature Secondly to denote promiscuously all habits as well infused as acquired thus we say by vertue of Grace faith c. Thirdly it is taken for a natural inclination or disposition thus Aristotle in 6 Ethic. cap. ult. we possess vertue by nature and by nature we are temperate and valiant Lastly it is most properly
habit acquired not an innate faculty it must be the product of custome Besides whatever is natural is immoveable but manners are mutable as in the before recited example of Themistocles and how often have our eyes seen young men of very promising beginnings debauched by evil company to fall from that bright Orb of vertue in which had they been placed by nature they would have been fixed stars Thirdly Some there are that ascribe vertues original to education and breeding and indeed this is very much conducing to beget the first acts of vertue and to put youth in the right road to come to it but it is not of force to creat the habit for how many do we behold excellently initiated in this sacred mystery by a good Tutorage which when they come to have the reigns layd in their necks gallop down hill and break the neck of all those goodly expectations for the best instilled precepts though they may sometimes check yet are they not of force to stop the carreer of the headstrong affections and many are there who can give good counsel to others which they cannot or will not follow themselves But let me not be misunderstood for though we do not allow education to be the proximate and adaequate yet shall we not deny it to be a remote cause which by entering men in vertues path which gon on in will bring to the habit may be said to lay the foundation to this glorious Fabrick And thus though we cannot in justice conferre the Crown as to have reached the Goal yet let it carry the prize for the first start though we must deny it the tryumph due to an absolute victory yet shall we put the murall Crown on its head for having first mounted the Wall and first erected vertues Ensign upon the Battlements Let it then not be neglected but of all receive its due esteem as the most excellent Trayner up of youth the most noble File-leader who well followed conducts to victory that happy victory which will render us invincible place us above the reach of any enemy carry us out of Fortunes gun-shot Now the rest enjoying what is their own let us give Custom its due which is to be the efficient cause of vertue enabling men by an often repetition of such or such a vertuous action to a ready and unperturbed performing it upon occasion for to descend a little in a simile how come your Artificers to become excellent unless by often practice or your Souldier to be expert but by exercise and it is a maxim amongst military men that a man never so well versed in speculation who hath all the arts and stratagems of the most renowned Captains at his fingers ends yet at the first skirmish will be to seek and can we think the repugnancies within are less disturbing than enemies without and require not a mind as well experienced to resist and quell them To sum up all the Etymon of the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Moral {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} derived from the word which signifieth custome may confirm us that it hath its original from the thing from whose name it derives its denomination For it would be no more a Soloecism in speech to call the Son of Van Trump an English man than that moral or customary vertue which is sprung from the loins of Temperament Nature or Education But now to prescribe a set number to tell how many acts go to the making up an habit is impossible for 1. fewer or more are requisite accordingly as the mind is less or more enclin'd to vertue 2. Some acts are more powerful others less valid 3. Attention makes large amends for number whose worth by way of exchange may viewith hundreds and when put in the scale far outweigh them Neither let any of us fear to overdo to act vertuously too often The external causes of vertue are the examples of others as in the before-named example of Miltiades and Themistocles and rewards and punishments as we shall shew more fully in their proper-proper-place The end of vertue is bonum civile the common good the general interest of mankind and this must needs be lovely in all our eyes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith the Philosopher it is honourable to do good to one to a nation heroical it is neer of kin to divinity for a man to be able to contribute towards the welfare of his whole species and Magistrates men in publick place of whom it is spoken I have said ye are Gods are placed by God for the common good those that are set to rule like the Sun should be full of light and heat visible in example and powerful influence CHAP. XIX Of Probity and the practice of it among the Romans THe external object as it relates to the Persons towards whom vertue bends its eie delivers it Janus-like looking forward by Piety upon God backward by Probity upon man providing a well-being both for Soul and body and directing us for the benefit of our selves and others Of the first Piety we have aready spoken the other Probity is therefore that which remains for the subject of our persent discourse and this meets us well accompanyed noblie followed as having all those vertues in her train which are necessary to enable us in performing our duties as we stand in all relations For its denomination we find it termed by the Greeks {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and by the Latines Honestas from honos honour so ingenuously provident were the Antients that it might not be so much as mentioned without its due honour And indeed it is the very abstract of the other vertues it is the ciâ—cle from whence those noble lines are drawn and the center in which they meet it is the salt that seasons them and the soul that informs them that bestowes their glorious being Without this Prudence would be but cunning Justice in execution but a more specious and reserved kind of revenge in distribution but a keeping of credit to maintain our trade in rewarding but a bribery to gain affection and encrease our dependancies Fortitude but a brutish audacity and daring rashness to render our selves terrible and gain Domination Temperance but a kind of senslesnes and stupidity a Stoical piece of tyranny over our bodies Hence grew its esteem among the Moralists which generally make the other vertues spring from the pregnant womb of Probitie and hence came it to be honored among the Romans which they beheld blessed with so glorious and numerous a progeny attended by so beautifull a company of Daughters This was it set Numa on the Throne and made them with one consent call him from a private Country life to govern Rome passing by the most noble among both Romans and Sabines It was this fetched Serranus from the Plough and adorned him with the absolute uncontrollable power of Dictator This encouraged them to elect Cato