now mention'd with him did ever hold Nay a Fate more impious than that of Democritus for what he imputed to senseless matter these do to God and as much more rigid as it is more impious than his for he never thought of another life wherein Eternal Misery shou'd punish those Actions that were unavoidable in this Now the Reason why this Doctrine of Fate this absurd and baffled Doctrine is so greedily embrac'd and eagerly defended by many is very plain it feeds the Vanity and Curiosity of some and the Pride of others 't is a luscious Pleasure to curious and vain Minds to fancy themselves Masters of the starry Cabala able to spell out and interpret the Laws of Fate and pry into the Destinies of future Ages which are cover'd with thick Clouds and Impenetrable Darkness to all but them alone 't is a delicious pleasure no doubt of it to the Proud and haughty and ill-natur'd to see themselves caressed and exalted by God as his particular Favourites while the miserable Multitude the rest of Mankind are excluded from the Capacity and much more the Hopes of Happiness and Heaven and in general 't is an acceptable opinion to the loose and profligate since 't is a ready Apology for Idleness and Lust and all manner of Sins for Men might Sin confidently and without remorse if they did Sin fatally or rather nothing could be branded with the Infamy of Sin and Shame when whatever Men did were the Effect the unavoidable Effect of Nature and Necessity an act of Obedience to those Fatal Laws which they could not transgress Tertullian therefore speaks very properly when he saith Tertul. Apol. Mentis malae impetus vel Fato vel Astris imputant nolunt suum esse quod malum agnoscunt They impute the Heat and Sallies of their Lust to Stars and Fate being unwilling to Charge themselves with the guilt of that which they own to be Evil. This is the use Cerealis makes of this Doctrine of Fate in Tacitus Donec Cerealis mulceret animos Fato acta Dictitans quae militum Ducumque Discordiâ vel fraude Hostium evenissent Tacit. l. 4. Histor the Roman Legions had behav'd themselves very unworthy of that Name and Reputation they possess 't and were extreamly dejected under the Conscience of it therefore he to chear and encourage 'em and to wipe off the stain and dishonour of their Misdemeanour imputed to Fate that which ought with truth to have been imputed to the Dissention of their Leaders and themselves and to the Fraud and Cunning of their Enemies From this little that has been said as it appears why Proud and Vicious Men contend for Fate so does it likewise of what importance it is to free Men's Minds from a perswasion so pernicious to the Interest of Vertue the Peace of the Public the Happiness of Man and the Honour of God To which purpose that I may contribute all I can I 'le consider First On which side stands the Advantage of Authority whether for or against Fate Secondly what plain Reason and as plain Revelation do dictate in this Point As to the first I will not pretend to make a just and intelligible Collection of the Different Notions which have been taken up of Fate 't is Evident from that which Grotius has done of this kind not only how tedious and voluminous but also how obscure and confus'd the Discourses of Men have been on this Subject I shall only therefore as far as my Memory will serve me consider their Opinions in such a manner as the Nature of this present Enquiry shall oblige me Most Philosophers do agree in one general Notion of Fate that it is a Connexion or Series of Causes successively depending upon one another Nomesius and producing a Necessary Effect or Event 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But their Opinions concerning the first Ground or Original of this Necessary Connexion or Dependence were very Various some ascribing it to Daemons or Spirits some to the Influence of Stars some to the Circumaction or whirling about of the Heavens some to an Universal Soul some to the Force of Motion some to the Contexture and Contrivance of Nature others to Atoms and others to God and indeed since Matter or Mind are the two only things into which all Philosophers have ultimately Resolv'd their Search and Enquiries after the Original of all things they ought to have look't for no other Original of Fate than one of these two but this concerns my present Question but very little for if Man be over-rul'd and determin'd by Fatal Laws it matters little how he came to be so Nor did I mention this variety of Opinions for any other Reason than this that it gives us just Occasion to suspect Fate it self as an Erroneous and ill-grounded Position for obscurity and intricacy and multiplicity of different Notions about the same thing are the general Marks of Falshood and Error but there are two things very material to be enquir'd First How far the Empire or Dominion of Fate was generally extended And Secondly what kind of Necessity or what degrees of it were generally suppos'd to constitute Fate As to the Extent of its Power this one thing is very Remarkable that the Heathens did Exempt the Mind of Man from its Soveraignty Democritus indeed believ'd the Soul of Man as Necessarily and Fatally mov'd by the Impression of his Atoms as any other Natural or Irrational Body but Epicurus deserted him in this and following the Conduct of common Sense Experience acknowledg'd the Liberty of the Soul of Man and labour'd as Plutarch tells us with all his might to assert it and to preserve the Distinction of Vertue and Vice which Fate destroys to serve this Hypothesis it was that he invented that new Motion of his Atoms call'd by Lucretius Clinamen sufficiently expos'd by Tully and how well defended by Gassendus I am not concern'd to Examine for I have produc'd his Opinion only as an Instance of the clearness of this Truth That the Soul of Man is not subject to Fate for had not its Liberty been undeniable and self-evident the Principles of Epicurus his Philosophy had certainly oblig'd him to follow Democritus in this as in all other Points and to have believ'd the Soul it self o're-rul'd by Fate The Poets indeed made the Monarchy of Fate so Universal that they believ'd the Gods themselves subject to it Thus Jupiter in Homer bemoans the Fate of his Sarpedon which he could not prevent And thus another Poet represents Apollo striving in vain by all the Power of Art and Vertue of Herbs to restore life to his Hyacinthus Nor was this only a Poetic Fancy 't is usual with Plato to extend the Dominion of Fate over the Gods themselves but this was no wonder for Fate with him imports the immutable Laws of the Supreme God and God's those Spirits that were created by him The Stoics indeed at least some of them assign'd a worse Reason
wise from subjection to Time and Chance which is all that Solomon complains of here but notwithstanding I must ever think with him Eccles 2. that Wisdom excels folly as much as light doth darkness not only because chearful delightful to it self but also because 't is the Happiest guide of humane Life blest generally with success as well as Rich in intrinsick Good and in some measure self-sufficient Nor do's our English Proverb Fools have the fortune imply any more than that the Prosperity of Fools is to be imputed to their Fortune that of Wise men to their Merit that success do's commonly wait upon Vertue and Wisdom and nothing but an extraordinary Chance can turn it upon the Fool or Sinner thô all this while I understand Success in things necessary not superfluous for I cannot see how it can be any disparagement to Providence to turn that Plenty another way which would not like soft distilling Rains and Dew cherish refresh and increase the tender Plants Wisdom and Vertue but like a Flood wash away the Earth from their Roots and either utterly extirpate 'em or leave 'em oppress'd and buried in Rubbish If this were not true if the Experience as well as Reason of Mankind did not confirm it Men would not serve Apprentiships to Trades Men would not study Arts or Sciences Men would not strive with toil and hazard to make their Point but lazily and securely stay till Fortune rain its Golden Showers into their Laps By a Recapitulation of all that has been hitherto discours'd it may easily appear how far I have advanc'd in the proof of that Assertion I undertook to make Good namely that Happiness may be attain'd in this World I have shew'd that Religion doth no way obstruct our present Happiness that Duty of Mortification which it enjoyns not forbidding us to allow the World a proper place in our Esteem but to over-value it but to doat upon it not forbidding us the Enjoyment but abuse of the things of this World No man therefore will ever be able to prove that this Doctrine is injurious to our Happiness till he be able to convince us that 't is indispensibly necessary to our Happiness to doat upon these Temporal things and to be as irrational and intemperate in our Enjoyment of 'em as our Passion for 'em which he can never go about to do without contradicting not only reveal'd Truth but also the Universal Reason and Experience of Mankind I have in the next place shew'd that some are happier than others or at least less miserable That this Distinction of the Condition or state of Men is to be imputed to the Vertues of some and the Vices of others I have shew'd in the last place that the World abounds with good things that there is no Appetite nor Capacity of Man that may not find Objects proper and agreeable and such as in a great measure may delight and satisfie and that Man is endow'd with such a variety of faculties and senses that there is scarce any thing in all the variety of Beings the World contains which he is not capable of enjoying From whence it clearly follows That Man may be happy in the Enjoyment of these good things unless the Evil of life sour and imbitter the Good or the attainment of the Good be out of the Power of Man to remove all suspicion of both which I discours'd something thô briefly of the Nature of Evil and the Nature of Man evincing plainly the Impotence and Feebleness of the one and the Strength and Preparations of the other and for the Close of all I have endeavour'd to make it manifest that Good and Evil are not so much the Result of Time or Chance c. as the Necessary Consequence of Wisdom and Folly From all which the Conclusion that naturally arises is this That if Man be miserable 't is his own fault or which is all one a Man may be happy if he will which was the thing to be prov'd Let us try now by a Close Application of all that has been said to the Wants and Necessities of Mankind what the Evidence what the Conviction what the real use and force of this Discourse is I am unhappy I am miserable whoe're thou art that say'st so thou must needs mean one of these two things Thou do'st enjoy no good or art opprest with Evil If the latter I demand what Evil speak out speak plainly There are three sorts of Evils the Evils of the Mind the Evils of the Body the Evils of Fortune Which of those art thou opprest by The Evils of the Mind These are either sinful Passions or what is the Effect of them guilty Fears Nothing can compel thee to be wicked cease to be wicked and thou wilt cease to fear The Evils of the Body they are generally the Effect of unruly Passions and a disorderly Life and where they are not the Pleasures of the Mind will outweigh the Pains of the Body The Evils of Fortune 't is in thy Power whether these shall be really Evils or no they befall thy Possessions not thee the foolish and vicious Mind only suffers in these the Wise and Vertuous one is much above them 't is therefore thy own fault if thou be oppressed with Evil. But wilt thou say the former I enjoy no Good no satisfactory Good why is there no Good to be enjoy'd I have already prov'd the contrary and if I had not how easie were it here to do it there 's Truth to entertain thy Understanding Moral Perfections to delight thy Will Variety of Objects to treat thy senses the Excellencies of the visible and invisible World to be enjoy'd by thee why then do'st thou defer to live why do'st thou not begin to enjoy here 't is Evident that thou must be forc't to say one of these Two things either That thou art not capable of Enjoying these Blessings or that they are out of thy Reach out of thy Power to say thou art not capable of 'em is to re-renounce the faculties of thy Soul and the senses of thy Body to say they are out of thy Reach is in Effect to say that Vertue and Vice Wisdom and Folly are all one or which is every jot as absur'd that thou art wicked and sottish and can'st not help it And this is that indeed which in Effect all do say that accuse Fortune or Fate or Nature or any thing but themselves as the Causes of their Misery and yet as absur'd as this is it must be now examin'd because the Minds of Men are perverted and discourag'd by such Notions I will proceed therefore to the Third thing propos'd That is SECT III. To answer the Objections against the Attainment of Happiness THose who deny the Possibility of attaining Happiness in this Life are of two sorts First such who argue from Experience and Observation without troubling themselves to assign any Reason or Cause of what they affirm No man ever has
God cannot be the Cause of Man's Sin and Misery if Matter we ridiculously suppose that what is it self senseless and inanimate should produce and govern a Being endow'd with Life Vnderstanding and Liberty If the Stars we run again into the same absurdities for if they have their fatal Influence from God then properly speaking God is the Author they but the Instrument of our Fate If from themselves then our Dependence on and Worship of God is vain and besides we absurdly subject the Reason and the Liberty of the Mind of Man to the senseless Tyranny of Atoms If from the Consideration of the Causes of Fate we descend to examine what our Experience teaches us what common sense informs us each of 'em bears witness to the Soveraignty and Liberty of the Mind of Man If we shou'd come in the last place to Examine what wou'd be the Consequences of a Fatal Necessity over-ruling Man and Humane Affairs they are such as are not only grosly Contradictions in themselves but Fatal and Destructive both to the public and private Good of Mankind 'T is true were the Liberty of doing Evil taken from Man we shou'd have no Reason to complain for then there wou'd be nothing wanting to make the state of Man Happy as that of Angels but Immortality But to bereave Man of all Power to do good to necessitate and compel him to be wicked how dreadful are the Effects which must follow this he that stains his hands in the Blood of his Soveraign or his Parent will accuse his Stars not himself he that pollutes himself in the incestuous Embraces of a Mother or a Daughter may defend his action as his Fate not Choice and how readily shall we do all that Rage or Lust invites us to when there is an Excuse prepar'd for all we do for he is no more blameable who commits the Evil which he could not help than he is worthy of Praise who did the Good which he could not forbear Were it true that whatever mischief Man did he were necessitated to do we might with more Justice arraign the Stars and Atoms than Malefactors and all the Instruments of Mischief would be every jot as Guilty and Criminal as the Man that us'd them Were this true we might as properly betake our selves to Magic and Inchantments as to Advices and Exhortations when we wou'd reclaim the vicious nor yet could the one be more Effectual than the other for what could alter what is unalterable and for the same Reason we might forbear our Sacrifices and Prayers since what will be must be and cannot be otherwise Desine Fata Deûm flecti sperare precando You strive in vain with Prayers to move The inexorable Fates above Repentance and Tears may be what Seneca calls Expiation on this Supposition Aegrae mentis solatia The deluding Dreams of a superstitious Mind but could never procure us any real Advantage so that on this Supposition what is now thought the only Wisdom would be then the only Folly of a Sinner Repentance I think I may conclude here for if it be not by this time Evident whether Reason be for or against Fate we may justly despair of discovering what Reason dictates in this or any other Question I will now proceed to Examine What plain Text of Scripture speaks in this Point And here in the first place we are to expect no other Fate than what depends upon God for the Scripture makes all things derive their Original from him and all things depend upon him there is but one Creator and one Lord and therefore the Creature can be subject to no Laws but such as he Enacts so that whatever Fate we now lye under must be imputed to the voluntary Decree of God Is then the Eternal Ruine of Man Fatal and unavoidable If we enquire into the Original of this Unhappy Necessity it must be ultimately resolv'd into the Divine Will when God then decreed the inevitable Ruine of Man under what Notion did he consider his Ruine under that of Misery or that of Punishment If under the Notion of Punishment this Implies plainly that we are to thank our selves for our Ruine for Punishment is nothing else but the Infliction of that Misery which our Sin and Folly have deserv'd But if under the Notion of Misery how can this consist with the Infinite Goodness or Wisdom of God Alas how Contradictory is this to Scripture there God swears that he delights not in the Death of a Sinner This Decree would suppose him to delight in the Death of the Innocent there he is represented full of Compassion and slow to wrath even upon repeated Provocations this Decree represents him so addicted to Wrath and Cruelty that he made a World on purpose to have whereon to exercise it and doth exercise it merely for the delight he takes in it The Scripture finally represents him full of Divine love for Mankind and not only not desirous that they should perish but extreamly desirous that they should be partakers of Everlasting life this Decree supposes him so utter an Enemy to and hater of Mankind that he made the far greater part to no other End but only to make 'em miserable Let any unprejudiced Man judge now whether this be not as Contradictory to Scripture as it is to Sense Nor is it possible that any unprejudic'd Man should look into Holy Writ and not discern evidently that Man's Ruine is the Effect of Sin not only wilfully and presumptuously Committed but also obstinately and impenitently persisted in and that God is so far from being fond of our Sufferings and Calamities that he is ever and anon bewailing the Disappointment of his Love the defeat of his Grace and Mercy by our Obstinacy and Impenitence it is the voice of his Son 't is the voice of God O Jerusalem Matth. 23. Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gather'd thy Children together even as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her wings and ye would not If therefore we desire to know what the Will of God is with respect to Man this is a full and plain Declaration of it there can be no other much less any Contradictory to this if I may not confidently rely upon this Declaration of the Divine Will there is no reveal'd Truth that I can depend upon Nor can Revelation stand us in any stead for nothing can be asserted with greater perspicuity or stronger Asseveration But I have no Scruples in me about this Matter I have no Fears nor Jealousies of any secret Decree or Latent Will repugnant to his declar'd one I am as sure that God is Good and True as that he is Eternal or Almighty and were he not we could reap but very little Comfort from all his other Attributes how great or glorious soever in themselves But blessed be God if we proceed from examining those Declarations of his Will which God has made
us to examine the Manner and Method of his Government as it relates to Mankind which is another and the only way left us to judge of his Will and Decrees we shall find no Instance in the whole Series of Divine Dispensations which can create in us the least Suspition of lying under an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Fate nay if we consider the Acts of Divine Providence we shall find the quite Contrary that God so governs the World that the Issues of things are not fatal and unavoidable but dependent upon our selves that God is free Man free and the Events of things free from any inevitable Necessity God indeed is ever bound to do what is best what is wisest and can do no otherwise This is the only Fate that God is subject to But a possibility of Different Events is no way repugnant to his Wisdom Justice or Goodness In a proper sense therefore there is no Fate above him that can impose a Necessity upon him nor does he impose any upon himself if there were in any part of his Government a fatal and a peremptory Necessity we should certainly find the tracks and footsteps of it amongst inanimate and sensitive Beings how great a Liberty does God make use of in this part of his Government Josh x. The Sun whose Course seems certain and invariable as the Imaginary Laws of Fate shall if need be stand stock still or what is more move backwards towards it's East An instance of both we read of in Scripture when God thought fit to execute his Judgments upon the Amorites â— Kings 20. and condescended to give Hezekiah a miraculous Assurance of his Mercy The fire shall not exert its natural Heat but shall cease to burn and consume Dan. 3. and when he sees fit as in the case of the three Children become as harmless as the morning light The Waters shall cease to flow as did the Red Sea when the Army of Israel march't through it and saw with horrour and delight the rowling Waves stand fix't and unmov'd as the Rocks and Shores that bounded them and yet what Necessity what Fate can we conceive more immutable what ever Connexion of Natural Causes it be produc't by than that which makes the Sun move the Fire burn the Water flow If we consider his Government of Kingdoms where if any where the Periods and Revolutions of Misery and Prosperity should seem Fatal and immutable here again we shall find the footsteps of unquestionable Liberty Let us for Instance consider God's Government of the Jews what are the Laws which God obliges himself to observe towards them If ye walk in my Statutes Levit. 26.3 4 c. and keep my Commandments and do them then I will give you rain in due Season and the Land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field shall yield their Fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the Vintage and the Vintage shall reach unto the sowing time and ye shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your Land safely c. But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandments And if ye shall despise my Statutes or if your Soul abhor my Judgments so that you will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I also will do this unto you And 14 15 16 c. I will even appoint over you Terrour Consumption and the burning Ague that shall consume the Eyes and cause sorrow of Heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your Enemies shall eat it c. Doth not God here lay Life and Death Good and Evil before ' em is not the one and the other to be the Effect of their own Choice their own behaviour are we not reasonably to suppose the Israelites at the time of entring into that Covenant whereof these are the Sanctions as capable of Happiness as they were of Misery what was finally the Issue of things the Jews rebelled and revolted from God and as he threatned they were harrassed and exhausted by continual Plagues and Punishments Well did this happen so because it could not happen otherwise was this the Event the fatal Event of things which God did really Will and immutably and peremptorily resolve from the beginning notwithstanding whatever Professions he might make of his sincere desire of the welfare and prosperity of that People Let God himself be the Judge who best understands his own Mind Psal 81. O that my People had hearken'd to me and Israel had walk't in my ways I should soon have subdued their Enemies and turn'd my hand against their Adversaries the haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him but their time should have endur'd for ever By this sure if we can judge of the meaning of God by any of his Expressions we may safely conclude not only that the Obedience and Prosperity of Israel were things possible and consequently their Disobedience and Ruine was not fatal but also that their obedience and prosperity were the things which God did most heartily and sincerely desire If we come to God's Government of particular Men we may be sure that this is of a piece with his Government of Mankind or Kingdoms it being nothing else but a more particular Application of those Universal Laws of Wisdom Goodness and Justice by which he Rules An Instance of Liberty in Temporal Events we meet with in that Voyage which St. Luke describes Acts 27. Acts 27. Verse the Tenth we have St. Paul foretelling the Fate that was like to attend themselves and their Ship if they pursued the Voyage they had resolved on Verse 19. we meet with the Accomplishment in part of his Prediction Darkness and Horror invades 'em Seas break in upon 'em and at the same breach had Death entred had not Divine Providence interpos'd in favour and at the Request of St. Paul Was this their Suffering fatal was it unavoidable had they not escaped the Tempest if they had believed St. Paul and not departed from Crete or was their obstinacy or unbelief as fatal as the Danger and Damage which attended it The Expostulation of St. Paul Ver. 21. will easily clear this Doubt Ye should have hearkened unto me and not have loos'd from Crete and to have gain'd this harm and loss What then Shall we think the Issues of Eternity fatal when those of time wherein we are comparatively so little concern'd are free Shall God not only leave us the use of our Reason but also assist us by the Aid of his Providence for the avoiding temporal Evils and will he allow us neither for the avoiding of Eternal ones must temporal Ruine be the Effect only of our sinful Choice and Obstinacy Eternal Ruine the Effect not of our Folly or Sin but Fate No surely how often do we find God in the Revelation respiting his final Sentence and giving Men space and time to repent but they repented not 't