mistake this Argument for a kind of universal dispensation It is not easie â—nâ—eed yet possible It is not necessary yet very profitable It is but a help to devotion yet helps would not be sleighted where all is but too little and we can never be sure enough No man is excused without trial Neither can he answer it to Vertue or Conscience that might probably have obtained if he had not neglected it Bâ—t what talk I of helps to Devotion or Perfection in Vertue A Mediocrity will serve turn A discreet Religion that can cut the thred and just turn the sâ—ales No plucking out of eyes I beseech you no cutting off of hands but a method of practical Divinity as short and easie as flesh and blood can contrive And good reason For then at least we are not in danger of will-worship the hideous bug-bear of so devouâ— and Orthodox an Age as ourâ— XII Of Duties Matrimonial and Conjugall Love HAving briefly treated of single Life It remains now to take a survey of Conjugall The first concerns few and those esteemed but a kind of Anchorites and looked upon as the Schismaticks of humane Society The second is of a general extent And whatsoever is said upon that subject seems to touch Mankind Give me leave therefore to offer somewhat by way of Essay only without Argument or reproof in relation to Duties so vast and publick as those of Matrimony And let not any marvail That being neither in Act nor Contemplation as yet a Husband I am so busie to thrust my self into the Charge and instruct the maried For I conceive That as a third Party uninteressed I were the fitter if need required to interpose However since I undertake to state no Controversies but deliver Truths generally received and favourable alike to both sides My forwardnesse in this kind if it deserve no commendation can procure no just offence The Duties then betwixt man and wife are considered as common to both or peculiar and proper to either common to both And so they owe reciprocally each to the other 1 To make their Union an Act of prudent choice not of chance fondness or meer Avarice For it is no wonder that should miscarry which was misconceived Or that bitterness should be in the event where folly was in the Design 2 Communication of Vertuous knowledge and spiritual Commerce We cannot but desire to promote the happiness of those we love And that Passion should be so much the more fervent by how much its end is more excellent wherefore such as delight in each others well-fare here on earth cannot but far more earnestly covet to meet in Heaven 3 Mutual Fidelity For falshood of affection dissolves the Bond of Matrimony And those that transgress the limits of lawful love are already before God in a State of nullity We may say of them like St. Paul upon another account They have apostated from the faith and are worse then Infidels 4 Quiet Conversation and compliancâ— without publick jarrs or secret grudges If any discords happen yet they ought to be little short that by a sweet ingenuous return of friendship they may rather quicken then discompose the Harmony 5 Communion and Constancy in good and evil Fortunes To joy and sorrow thrive and wither live and die together since they are involved in each others sufferings and have espoused not persons only but Conditions even Afflictions and Infirmities 6 An intire affection to and care of their common issue whereby Conjugall love is increased and intended like reflected heat Indeed what greater re-enforcement of affectioâ— can there be since faithfull friends despair in any thing so lively to express or testifie their love and respect to deceased Parents as in the endearment of their surviving Children Peculiar Duties are either of the Man to his Wife or the Woman to her Husâ—band The Husband owes his Wife 1 By his freedom and Complaisance in her society as much as in him lies to gratifie her just and kind expectations improve the comforts of her life and sweeten her solitudes lest she have cause to think her self in the condition of a Widow even whilst she is maried For since whilst she was free and might have refused her love to his Person bribed or swayed her to submit to his yoak He were very ungrateful to neglect her that chose him If elective Princes oppress they have no excuse since they violate not only the Rights but even the good will of their Electours 2 Tendâ—rness to her errours and a kind of equal jurisdiction not assuming the Authority of a censoriouâ— Paedagogue not pâ—tting her to the wrack of observancy not expecting so much regard as discreet VVives of their own accord allow 3 Confidence in her Vertue and honest freedom in her Actions and behaviour For jealousie is like a perpetuall alarm Herein most unjust That it bindâ— its Criminal to prove the Negative And arraigns her for a Crime whereof being once charged she can never purge her self 4 Communication of Counsels and secrets so far at least as will consist with Justice to others and by his own Prudence For he that locks up his bosom from his Wife especially in matters of Common Interest questions her fidelity or at best condemns her discretion 5 An Equal use of temporal Blessings Indeed a Wife is not like a Steward or Receiver Neither ought any Action of Accompt to lie against her who sharing with her Husband in Wealth and Poverty may not be presumed prodigal of her own Interest and improvident for her Children 6 A sober and careful Managery of his Estate without sinful imbezelling or sloathful impayring that Wealâ—h which is but half his own For what delight can there be in a declining fortune What feeming fondness can repair sucâ— a reall injury The VVife may well pitty or indulge but cannot truly affect a Husband from whose Luxury she apprehends or feels her own ruine let him pretend what love he will if she do noâ— distrust she hath too much cause to disdain it The VVife ows her Husband 1 Serenity of undoubted Vertue able of it self to prevent suspition or confute jealousie And this indeed is rather presumed then prescribed â—ince he that examines the Chastity of VVomen â—mpeaches it And hath already strangled their Innocency before he have proved their Guilt 2 Singular Modesty and simplicity of behaviour as the necessary Handmaid of honour For though unchastity be the fouler sin against God and her self Yet the scandall of Impudence iâ— far the greater wrong to her Husband 3 Sincere Love and endearement the perfection of Matrimonial union This would tame the roughest Satyre and molliâ—ie the fiercest Scythian This would reclaim the most dissolute and wean the most extravagant Where it prevails not it is a signe there remains no trace of Vertue or tincture of Ingenuity in that soul In all traverses of fortunâ— or distempers of mind this will teach her Husband to court his ease and
themselves to serve the designs of their masters for Princes will not endure that their Ministers shall dispute their pleasures When it was proposed by Henry the third of France to Grillon Captain of his Guard that he as the fittest instrument should dispatch the Duke of Guise the honest but blunt souldier freely profest that he was ready if commanded to fight with the Duke But to murther him unâ—onvicted would not stand with his honour being born a Gentleman and professing Arms which answer coming from one that was a sworn enemy to the interests of the house of Lorrain deserves to be recorded to his everlasting praise Yet though Grillon that refused was the worthier man Lognac who greedily accepted the employment seems to have been the wiser Courtier The one exposing himself to all the hazards of misconstrued vertue the other endearing himself to his Prince by the pledges of guilt and odium the greatest engagements of future confidence For it was observed of Seianus that his favour could not be purchased without some notable crime If this were sufficiently weighed such I presume as love vertue would not so precipitate themselves into publique affairs where interest is seldome preserved without a shipwrack of conscience But besides as the snares hazards and anxieties of great men are innumerable so their Eclipses are fatal and their falls desperate They are always surprised with ruine and their defeat is like that of Legions when they are cut in pieces before they can rally or make head Private men oft times fall upon their legs and finde friends to relieve or at least pity them Even Bankrout Merchants are daily seen to rise again like Phoenixes out of their own dust But with Courtiers and Statesmen there are no degrees of misfortune Their best comfort is not to survive their destinies and their greatest misery is when they outlive themselves to see their families buried in their ruines and all the advantages of their honour and fortune turned against them like an Army dissipated with the fury of its own Canon Whilst they finde themselves forsaken of all those alliances which they had with so much wisdome contracted imagining to have laid a foundation of everlasting greatnesse whilst their best friends shun them most and those that were rais'd by their countenance dare not own any love or honour to their persons lest they be likewise involâ—ed â—n their crimes whilst their innocency is as it were proscribed and impeachments finde such favour in their regard that their own servants are encouraged to betray them Their enemies triumph over them and all their â—ontemporaries think to exercise their charity in affording them a kind of insolent pity The people which probably hated but feared them before are now priviledged to curse them and the Prince himself in whose service perhaps they bleed uses them as the skreen of envy and hoping with their ruine to gratifie many and please all becomes inexorable In fine they have no sanctuary to protect them having long since forfeited their innocency the sweet retreaâ— of oppressed vertue Were our gay spirits herein awakened they would not so court danger as they daily do but would rather learn to hugge themselves in a mediocrity of fortune II. Of faithful Ministers to unthankful Princes It is no new thing to see the greatest vertue and merit mis-construed and persecuted even by those that owe iâ— most favour and protection History is full both of the fatal rewards of worthy serviceâ— and tragical resentments of oppressed innocency Even Henry the fourth of France notwithstanding the absolutenesse of his power and clearness of his fame was observed hardly to brook any that might seem to share with him in his Lawrels The piety and wisdome of King David himself seems to be scarce exempt from such jealousie in the behalf of his kinsman Ioab though covered with the speciou◠〈◊〉 seasonable pretence of a Royal and exemplary Justice Whether it be that excesse of desert turns at last to a kind of demerit whilst Princes apprehend that they cannot sufficiently requite it without impoverishing themselves Or whether soveraigns are apt to look upon the lustre of their subjects actions as an Eclipse of their own Or lastly whether they think their Authority endangered by those whose eminent Vertues have drawn the eyes of the people or hearts of the souldiers towards them so that nothing seems to restrain them but their modesty which in the great is ever justly suspected It is indeed but too evident that Monarchs more willingly pardon great injuries than great services That they as ill endure the name of a Benefactour as of a Rival And by the example of Galba can least of all brook such as may seem to challenge the merit of their establishment He seems too potent a subject that hath trod upon a diademe and possibly he that hath once renounced a kingdome may yet upon second thoughts repent of his moderation Machiavel could invent but two sorts of remedies for so imminent a mischief The first and more excellent hee faith is to yield to the torrent by assuming no honours arrogating no triumphs entertaining small retinue Finally by taking all occasions to sleight their own atchievements that so all glory may flow to the Prince as to its Oceans without the interruption of Mils or Dams But since Vertue being the disease Loyalty seldom proves the cure His next and safer counsel is not to trust too much to innocency merit or present appearances but to be as jealous as their masters like Ravens to smell Gun-pouder at a distance to lie perdieu for their own safety And upon the first discovery to be before-hand with danger to make use of the utmost advantages they are trusted with to assure themselves of timely retreats and confederacies that preventing fraud with fraud and repelling force with force they may be in a condition not only to stand upon theiâ— guards but take revenge of their masters ingratitude and perhaps if need be set up for themselves Truly if we look upon the Counsel of this great Politick with the eyes of nature above all things concerned in its own welfare it seems to be a friendly whisper an admonition full of prudence and favourable to vertue it teaches men to determine resolutely of their affairs to cut off parboyled fear and frozen delays to hope even in despair and to prevent preventions Thus we read of Getulicus that warned through the numerous examples of his masters rigor by a kind of prudent disloialty he secured himself and of all Seianus his dependents alone survived so bloudy a scene Thus Agrippina observing a change in the countenance of Claudiâ—s towards her scarce thought her self alive till he was dead Surely such unworthy practices are a foul reproach even to moral vertue much more an infinite scandal to Religion especially Christian with the bare profession whereof they cannot consist Germanicus albeit a Heathen was a better proficient in true wisdome who being at once
Organs it imagines that every Object seems to it a delusion It sâ—lf least of all it trusts knowing what an impostor dwells in its own breast And these cautions work so powerfully that they render it indefatigable in the pursute of happiness So that this fear though sometimes it may seem to fight with its own shadow is a safe and fruitful fear recompensing the Anxieties of a moment with eternal security But say some We ought to rest only upon the love of God We that are Elect and redeemed Fear we leave for Reprobates who having no sense of Gods love to them receive no impressions but those of terrour and are like slâ—ves condemned as it were to the Galleys of Fear An Argument certainly full of sweetness If it did not tend wholly to undermine duty and reduce the Power of Religion into Airy Speculation If it did not teach men to be so unmannerly at their Devotions that their Prayers prove commonly but contempts should the Heathen who profoundly adore the workmanship of their own hands see their Irreverence They would with some colour be apt to confirm themselves in their Idolatrous surmise That it is better to have visible than invisible Deities Fear is as a bridle to the Conscience That soul which hath no fear is like a Ship that carries all it sayles but hath no ballasts If it could escape over-setting in the Sea yet it is sure to split upon the Rocks We do not more need the zeal of generous Love then the caution of well advised Fear I acknowledge those Acts of Piety to be the most excellent that proceed purely from the Ingenuity of love But these are certainly the least for number The greatest are such as derive themselves from a principle mixt of necessity and choice Love indeed makes the purest Holocausts yet are not the Sacrifices of innocent fear to be undervalued I am perswaded Fear hath resisted as many and as strong temptations as Love But who is so Chymical that he can extract who so Metaphysical that he can abstract love from fear Fear is as the Lees of Love which it can never work out in this life nor will it ever be purged of those Crudities till it ferment into perfect Charity Love is no bondage indeed but a non-age it is and a filiation which for the present differs little from the condition of a Servant A lively Emblem of this truth we shall find in friendship What a Critick is it of words What a searcher into thoughts what a spie upon our actions and manners How doth every omission beget a kind of guilt How are true friends more sensible and fearful of unkindness then wounds of giving then receiving And this is the Estate of all Vertuous or real Amity A relation notwithstanding which primâ facie seems to consist wholly in Confidence A yet neerer and more sublime Idea of our Love to God is natural Conscience That by whose light and aid Philosophers atchieved such Miracles of Vertue and self-conquest What a Curb was this in the mouths of good Heathens What a restraint far beyond any sense of Honour or fear of punishment How did it suppress the passions and smother the thoughts that they durst not so much as dream extravagantly And yet what society to good men so sweet as solitude He that is not clear in his own sight where should he establish his Confidence where shall he contract a firm league Howbeit this is certain that true Philosophy enjoynes every man to be his own AEacus Minos But that it may yet further appear how love and fear are mixed and interwoven Every dayes experience proclaims it For whence comes the Misers love of his money but from fear of poverty wherein consists the Enjoyment of health but in security from sickness And how could miserable life be so precious even to unfortunate men If they did not rather fear the approach of death then love or relish those dregs of their lives Now therefore since God is greater than our Consciences more intimate than any friend more precious than life What an awe must we have of his presence what a horrour of his absence What prostration to him can be accounted superstition what Zeal Will-worship what ambition can we entertain but that of humility what emulation but that of reverence who can be morigerous enough in his duty who circumspect enough in his behaviour what repentance is sufficient to pacifie what prayers to intreat what addresses to adore him What signifie those precepts of awe an reverence so frequently repeated as well in the Gospel as under the Law The numerous Catalogues of such as with speedy vengeance have paid the forfeiture both of Impiety and sawcy Devotion Those Characters of his wrath with so much terrour recorded undeâ— the notions of a jealous God a consuming fire What meant that transcendent Devotion of primitive Christians which some I presume that they may not be obliged to imitate it scarce commend Their watchings and fastings their self-revenge and violence done even to nature What do they all teach us but this That God will be served with industrious fear and not with lazy love But if any yet seem to doubt let him reflect upon himself How he hath complied not with the rigour of the Law but the latitude of the Gospel What he hath deserved at the hands of God and what will certainly befall him without an Ocean of mercy He shall then find far greater ground of distrust then of confidence If not yet let him not acquiesce in an insufficient triall but rather suspect his experience then deny so great a truth X. Of Church-Discipline HE that compares the present Maxims of some blind Zâ—lots with the wisdom and moderation of ancient Lawes will find it a strange Method to root out Superstition by decrying Devotion To prevent Heresie by introducing an instability of Truths and a bijearrery of Religions to meet with will-worship in the Abolition of all Duty and to batter Babylon by erecting Babel Certainly our Age is not so regular that it needs no restraint Our manners are not so exact that they will admit no censures Our piety hath not so high a Calenture that it had need lose so much blood God preserve our Religion from a Lethargy and a Consumption we shall deal well enough with the Plâ—urisie Religion is like a curious Watch soon out of frame And Discipline is as the case that preserves it Religion is like the Apple of the eye tender and obnoxious to every dust And Discipline is as the eye-lid that shelters it I see not why any should hate Discipline but such as resolve to abuse their liberty There is no enemy to Lawes but the lawless and such as think they have more interest in their punishments than their protections or hope that in a general medley and Chaos of disorder their evil manners will passe unreproved nay uncontroled For what restraint is left for those sins which stand in