Wherefore to few they goodness would extend Lest to themselves they are too little friend Self-loves security and meaner good Have in their Ethicks well been understood Who judge it too much in our life's estate To suffer with our own anothers fate Others more meanly as we touch'd before For love unto themselves would Love implore And in their hands the staff of Friendship take Less for their friends support than theirs when weak Who thus infirmly would mans Ethicks raise May womans Weakness joyn unto its praise The weak and wretched justly aid require From whence diffusive good is mans desire The Sunshine of whose soul in Love is plac'd As by that Orb of light the world is grac'd When no defects of Charity appear Or interposing of our earthly care The spreading rays of Vertue do obscure Or yeeld no comfort which should others cure This Constitution to my soul I 'd ask To make the love of others still its task No less I grieve mans vice than I rejoyce The life of Vertue when 't is made his choice Such Passion none in prudence can deny It being th' effect of wise Humanity The ornaments of love we soon destroy Should it partake no friendly grief or joy Which man would meanly liken to a beâ—st Or the dull Flint that hides flame in its brest Wherefore we justly rigid Stoicks blame Who give unto hard-hearted vertue Fame And with Heroique pride so fill the minde That Vertue must not help from Passion finde Whilst man to man might thus unuseful be And all his Ethicks but vain Theory Our Souls with practis'd good delighted are Be it Supream we need not passion fear Our Natures something must our Souls relent And not continue vertue useless bent Which should so tractable and feeling move That it must fix concerns with those we love Who wants that sense takes Friendship from his life And has with vertue more than passion strife That does man's amity contract and raise Those graces higher which his Love do praise What 's so absurd as vainly to admire That empty greatness to which men aspire Or that the Body 's neatly trim'd and drest Or under Stately Roofs it feed and rest Whilst the Souls decency they most neglect And no one act that 's comely good effect Such minds the worth of Friendship cannot weigh Nor its returns or just receipts will pay Though most it does all humane-bliss compleat When in obliging others we are great What more Divinely can our Souls embrace Or what 's so like to Heavens sublimer grace Which adds unto such wants we can't supply Or in assisting of our good does lye This I conclude all vertuous will approve Whose upright manners best allure their Love Whil'st thus oblig'd the wise and good select Such objects that like goodness most affect VVhich Nature teaches from her just desire And vertue does for greater strength require Wherefore my Scaevola and Fannus know That to humanity this debt we owe The Fountain whence those streams of Friendship break Nor must men judge that they their goodness make Too vulgar if too many it enlarge Which plac'd on few would seem like Niggard charge The vertue of their Souls most great men see When publick good speaks its utility Which if our charity does not partake We love not mankinde but for Interest sake This cuts the knot which vertuous Friendships hold Rendring man's Love slave to himself and gold No Interest I delight my Friend can give So much as I rejoyce his Friend I live And who 'd so meanly worldly things possess As not to merit Love or Love express This suits a Tyrant's false mistrustful state Who from the good does most suspect his fate No place for Friendship is within his breast Whose Love with thought of his vile guilt 's opprest And from the cause he others gives of fear Does make their just affection his despair Which shews that nothing should our Loves unite But as good Laws and Manners joyn their right Time-serving Friendship 's otherwise we know Whil'st all we can to their obligements owe Is that occasions to our worths they give Though such forgetful or ingrateful live Fortune though deify'd is figur'd blinde And most Infects their sight to whom she 's kinde Who being elated with successful pride Think th' insipid happy none deride How soon good manners do most men lay by As they encrease in Wealth or Dignity And with a prosperous guilt old Friends decline Selecting new for every new design Though such as worldly things do most delight To power or Fortune oft resign their right Whilst worthy Friendships nothing can remit Or chill their vigour with that Ague-fit Which man 's instable temper does embrace That in Disease of vertue good does place Can any such a barbarous life enjoy And it rejoyce though Friendship it destroy Or live a life deserted by his Friends Rather than he 'll neglect unworthy ends Nor must our Loves that mean proportion shew Which does no more than we 'd be done unto Vertue delights in good most unconfin'd And less is to it self than others kinde From which impulse the good such means embrace As they 'd decline to use in their own case Vertue some rigour willingly layes by To raise more comely our humanity Well I remember what great Scipio spake ' Gainst such whose Souls one equal balance make For Love and hatred as if vertues powers Were not above the strength of vices ours With whose high sense so far I 'll mine compleat As whom I once do love I 'll never hate Vertue would else her self too meanly spite It for our passions she declin'd her right What man to Friendship wisely can be brought VVhil'st bad mistrusted wounds his juster thought The good and prudent well their choice foresee And on like worth will place their amity But weak and vicious when they Friendships close Soon by their own defects are turn'd to foes Once more unto my Scipio to return Whose Noble Soul as worthily did mourn Observing how men vertue did despise And their mean interests before Friendships prize VVith how much diligence accounts such keep Of Herds they pasture or their Flocks of Sheep Yet of their Friends-so small a number give As if for men they did not useful live ' Mongst whom 't is rare a generous Love to finde The Phoenix most admir'd of humane-kinde VVhich man 's frail temper seldom does effect VVhil'st to be good and wise the most neglect If many on th' account of sordid gain Their Friendships and their Piety can stain How much a greater part are drawn aside With the vain baits of Luxury and Pride Which their Calamities oft greater make Than those distresses such in Friends forsake A Friends affection none can certain finde But in that change where Fortune's most unkinde In prosperous things most lay their Friendships by And with adverse more rarely will comply Both which conditions of our humane life VVith vertue and our selves are most at
consequently the firmest believers so the strong in conception will for the most part be as diffident Wit will be ever inquisitive and as it is a gift of Heaven so it does require as high convictions or it has a Pike against its will And yet I never knew and I believe there was never any man that was purposely a doubter they that know most would be glad of all others to be as throughly satisfied of what they are to receive It were very severe to conster such Atheistical for endeavouring to inform themselves and consequently would believe if they could Ask a vulgar apprehension and he shall tell you he believes all he was Christen'd to believe but if you ask him why he will as soon be put to a Nonplus and tacitely conclude himself an Atheist for it is no reason or commendation of faith to say I believe this or that because I do or will believe it The Scripture sayes The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God or as emphatically in such a weak confession of his belief I am sure there was never any understanding man within this predicament of folly since he must needs be better able to inform himself than to believe nothing God is too plainly manifested to such a capacity he may doubt of his way to Heaven but he can never controvert his being religious or good though a judicious person may find as much impulsion from his reason in some respects to be a dubitant as a Fool is unable rationally to believe Let Zealots then define which of these complexions does conduce most to Atheism or to deliver mine I am confident that the unmannerly and irregular carriage of Sectaries does occasion a greater scandal and doubt in this age of belief than any sort of men whatsoever because whatsoever is so extravagantly practised must in the end produce contempt and disbelief I neither believe all nor doubt all what I finde my reason cannot swallow I cannot perfectly disgest if I put spurs to it and I finde it will not go forward I am forced to stand still in spite of my teeth However I can dispense with what I cannot believe and that as becomes a Christian that is to say modestly and peaceably If I observe any that can swallow Burs as easily as Pills of Butter I allow their practice nay I commend it and am sorry I cannot do as much for my belief as they do Above all things I am careful not to offend or trouble the repose of other mens Consciences I can keep my perswasions to my self and I am as willing they should not be molested in theirs There is no question but very many things are to be credited upon the authority of Parents of Tutors of Magistrates in order to the better mannagement and improving of civil society and it is as undeniable that many things are worthy of reception that neither the proposer can prove or demonstrate to the receiver by reason that there is too long a train of things to arrive in all points fully to their original verity wherefore I may doubt yet not positively deny what neither I nor any other man that believes them can assuredly evidence How any one individual thing was first produced I have no certainty yet I am assured it was by Creation or a work as miraculous to humane conception The main question is what is within the power of a deliverer which I conceive too nice a thought to be discussed here To be plain I would have as little Sceptical in the practice of Religion as possible He that keeps his thought without contesting hinders no body to which purpose I would be very glad that some power amongst us were esteem'd very neer or equal to infallibility I finde its conveniency amongst the Romanists and commend it though I could wish their Consciences were a little more subject to a divine jurisdiction here I think it somewhat too much to have any part of my Conscience at the Devotion of a Forraign interest because it must needs clash 01 with our Laws and impede something of the esteem that we ought to have to the established capacities of the civil Magistrate If he undertakes to be my Judge I may tacitely choose whether I 'll believe him or no but I have at least an unmannerly Religion if I will needs openly and avowedly go further I assure my Reader that I should be loath to embrace a better than theirs on such terms and should think I had a good Conscience on my side to confirm me Nor can I judge him wise that will scrupulously or over-curiously go far to Market when he may be supplyed as conveniently at home What our Ancestors did formerly is not the Question the Laws did not prohibit them which forbid us now I cannot square my belief in some things though Divines on all sides should undertake to perswade me I have too prevalent an apprehension of their being swayed with interest and Hierarchy to trust them absolutely when either is in Question I acknowledge a sacred esteem to be their due because there ought to be no less allow'd to Divine Teachers I am so far from repining at their Temporal Estates or greatness that I judge both for respect and order sake that they ought not to be impaired in either I am sorry if they cannot cure their own Distempers as well as other mens like Physitians that are sometimes so unfortunate as to leave Diseases worse than they found them Did not the modesty of my Faith oblige my aversion to Faction and Schism my reason would do as much for my Conscience by condemning them as monstrous and inconsistent with humane being since seldome or never introduced without Rapine Blood and Rebellion or such a pernicious License that is greedily suck'd in by vulgar minds and it is some Nonsense to expect a good cause from bad effects If any advantage can proceed out of so much evil it is that zeal will not probably amongst us have too much of future reputation and it is ever safest that what has so commanding a power if not fascination on the hearts of men should prudently be doubted as it is for the most part Hypocritical and false A flame though counterfeited to come from Heaven is enough to strike the Soul with fury and blindness an over-hot zeal will at least tend to frenzy if not to mischief as has been a lamentable experience It is never safe to put Religion out of repute lest it be not afterwards so soberly esteemed as it had been before Wherefore the sad divisions and mischiefs produced by our late unhappy Civil War have abundance of my pitty nothing being more deplorable than to see the Sword of the Spirit drawn on all sides with the Temporal I must farther add that I do not believe any have so much occasioned hesitations and doubts in matters of Religion as their unfortunate miscarriages or evil Tenents few men will be fool'd with
appear in Creatures rul'd by sense How much should reason for man's good dispense Lest it to which his brutal vassals bow Him Tyrant to himself and them does show Our humane being has the chiefest grace Where Friendship 's fair Societies we place Nor had man's vertue e'r such greatness shown If good men had enjoy'd their worth alone A solitary vertue few desire That would not uselessly themselves admire Our Ethicks then attain their Noble height VVhen to our selves and others they have right VVhich bless'd estate man chiefly does possess As his Societies his Love express In this we honest glory pleasure finde And what Crowns all tranquillity of minde VVho ever was so Impious to deny That Friendship gives to man felicity In other things we reason may dispute In this the most Ill-natur'd sense is mute That even all such who vertue most contemn The useful good of Friendship will esteem Such men whose manners were so strictly wise As they could honour pleasures wealth despise Yet no such Cynick amongst these we finde That did reject the Love of all mankinde The good and bad in this alone conspire Since Vice does make this vertue its desire There 's few ill-natur'd vicious that aflect Their manners should oblâ—ge their own neglect Or that their practis'd evil would allow Did none to it or them a kindness show Which tells men would in all estates receive Affection to their lives a life does give If any so Morose and Curst appear That they for man's converse do little care Or to some Solitude with hate retire Yet in that bitterness they 'd soon desire Some one to whom they might their ill express And more rejoyce the evil they confess The worst of men their like will kindness show Who has no Friend lives to himself a foe If man on Earth so happily were plac'd That he a fill of all delights embrac'd And only man's converse deny'd to him VVho lives so bad would this a pleasure deem Nay more could one above the Stars ascend And were so bles'd besides to comprehend The brightest glories Heaven and Nature know Yet even all this unpleasant bliss would show VVithout he could it to some breast impart Kinde to partake the wonders of his heart No blessing reason will receive to be Depriv'd of Man's converse and amity These for our help and comfort she requires And do no less oblige our just desires So many wayes by Nature man is taught How vertues pleasing good should win his thought That to themselves they most absurdly live Who from their Out-law'd Vice commands receive Nor can men Friendship so secure express As nothing shall impede its happiness Some mis-conceptions we may well pass by More to advance our own fidelity Where I admonish it shall be my care Not to offend his Love I bid beware My Ingenious Friend neat Terence has observ'd That flattery more Friends than truth preserv'd Truth does the vicious grieve because their shame Whil'st wise and good improve by taking blame Such more unto their Vice than Friends are kinde That of their Crimes would not be put in minde He is a worthless Friend whose Love is lost In having of his evil manners crost Who 's so offended to himself 's unjust And ruines Friendship to preserve his Lust Who has a wish of good unwilling sees How men Indulge their infelicities If such we flatter we smooth Vices way VVhich slides more fast if not oblig'd to stay Below a Friend or Free-mans-Soul he lives That neither counsels truth or truth receives Where truth distastes or is refus'd an ear There vertues safety we may justly fear Wise Cato this discern'd whose prudence chose Rather to merit the most bitter foes Than Friends that sooth the failings of man's life Or would not with his Vices be at strife From such we truth are never sure to know Whil'st malice or revenge do oft it show Who disapproves the Crimes his Soul do wrong Will joy to hear them from a candid Tongue There 's no concern should men more cautious make Than not for Friend a flatterer to take Truth 's Copy in no paint of sense is known Whose grace simplicity best shows alone How unbecoming Eloquence does show Which pop'lar men on flattery bestow How loath'd are such when we compare their ends With our upright and graver Roman Friends In Scenes of Fiction that which seems to bâ—â—ng The truth to light we hold the highest thing What then is worthy Friendship 's just esteem Which in all actions falshood does condemn An open heart affection does declare Which Truth discovers without search or care Men fruitless Love and are belov'd in vain Unless their Souls improvement thence do gain A Sycophant on him does most prevail Whose heart resembles his that does assail Whil'st such to Parasites betray their ear That sooth themselves or love their praise to hear Vertue her self so wisely understands That all vain-glory has her countermands The seeming good their vertue most do cheat And by dissembling Vice make it more great Such in their feign'd repute will take delight Whose manners unto goodness have least right With these small concord worthy men can hold Whose Tongues to blemish falshood must be bold If one of two obliging truth neglects The other sooths such lyes the first affects Can any judge their hearts are friendly joyn'd When both to truth and vertue are unkind An airy Monster puft up thought is made That vainly owns such worth it never had Or stupid guilt which flatter'd Souls does blinde Who joy what in themselves they cannot finde Though Reason's sight is seldom not so keen That by it open flatt'ry 's unseen The occult and subtle men should most beware Which Serpent-like glide wilely to the ear ' Gainst such our Prudence highly should oppose Who are but seeming Friends are worst of foes Some I have known that would discussions raise Appearing to decline their sweetn'd praise Until they greater blandishments invite And give up reason to their fond delight These from untutor'd sense receive a shock As all vain-glorious Wit it self does mock But pass we these imperfect deeds of men To finish this high Theam which Tully's Pen Gives to the world amongst that useful store Of matchless Eloquence he writ before By whom thus Lelius his discourse now ends Know Scavola and Fannus much lov'd Friends That vertuous Friendship does such worth declare As it's relapse or fall we cannot fear In whose stability our Souls finde rest Though with our passions or deep care opprest A splendent Love that does convey such beams As kindle in mens hearts their mutual flames The highest good that worthy minds can chuse Whil'st bad-mens manners only it abuse Who loves without ends loves his Friend indeed He 's meanly kinde that 's kinde for his own need Vertue does her effects enough dilate Where good 's the cause men need not good intreat The wise and vertuous cannot miss their ends Who prove men worthy e're they call 'em Friends Similitude our appetites rejoyce No less becomes the prudence of man's choice His like in age and manners to delight What suiteth youth in old appeareth light Life's frailty does this just support require That good-men's aid and Love we should desire The worth of Friendship lasts when life does end And so great Scipio dy'd and lives my Friend In Life and Death his vertue is the fame Conspicuous to posterity and fame No great and noble deeds can man atchieve But may a pattern seem which his did give Mens worthy acts by death have their increase Fame most unenvy'd lives at Life's decease Thus I my Age and Memory employ To make my dead and living Friends my Joy Let your Loves also do the same with mine And to your Friendships strictly vertue joyn Without which no good act deserves esteem As its obliging thought shall close this Theam FINIS