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A69655 Autarchy, or, The art of self-government in a moral essay : in three parts : first written to a gentleman in the university, and since fitted for publick use. G. B. (George Burghope) 1691 (1691) Wing B5730; ESTC R4200 63,862 179

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Imprimatur Feb. 6. 1690 1. Z Isham R. P. D. Hen. Episc Lond. à sacris AVTARCHY OR THE ART OF Self-Government IN A MORAL ESSAY In Three PARTS First Written to a Gentleman in the University and since fitted for Publick Use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epict. LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the King's Arms in the Poultry 1691. TO THE Right Honourable JOHN EARL of Bridgwater Viscount Brackly and Baron of Eltesmere Lord Lieutenant of the County of Bucks c. My Honoured Lord AFter so many Years Labours in explaining and inculcating the Christian Religion I doubt the true Notion of it is still unknown I am sure the Power of it is to the common sort of Christians Some confine it to this Party and others to that and many place it in a Theory of Doctrines never reduc'd into practice unless it be in starcht Hypocrisie in affected Tones extemporary Effusions enthusiastick Inspirations loud Prayers and long Preachings and the running after such Men and having their Persons in Admiration is that which these Men take to be Religion And most make such a noise about Religion which is the Means that they have no regard to that which is the End Mean while there is one thing agreed to by all of what Sect or Faction soever as necessary though most of all neglected and that is Morality And though this Word is vulgarly taken to signifie nothing but a kind of Heathen Honesty yet I shall not fear to say That it is the Essential Part of that which we call Religion and the End of all our Writings and Disputes about it For the Christian acceptation of the Word Morality is nothing else but the Conformity of our Manners to the Rules of Jesus and living as Christians are taught to do by the Principles of their Religion And this respects a Threefold Object God our Neighbour and our Selves To God we owe Devotion and the highest Fear Love c. To Man an universal Love and Charity and to our Selves Temperance and Sobriety And this was the Summ of Practical Religion in the Old Testament as appears by Micah 6. 8. and in the New as St. Paul will inform us Tit. 2. 12. These were the Duties taught by God to the Gentiles under the Law of Nature and to the Jews under the Mosaick Dispensation and afterwards refin'd exalted and spiritualized by our Blessed Lord and imposed upon his Disciples in all Ages under the Christian These are absolutely necessary for every Christian Man and whatsoever Allowances will be granted to our Weakness and Blindness in the other World which will be Answerable to God's infinite Goodness yet I am sure there will be none for our impenitent Immoralities This may plead my Excuse for making Morality my subject and then for that particular part of it which consists in governing a Man's self I need premise nothing to what you will find in the following Papers but that it is the Instrument of all the rest without which they cannot be exercised and which therefore ought to be first learned It virtually at least contains all or most Morality in it and if it were well practised in all its Parts and Branches it would soon abate the Spirit of Pride Bitterness and Malice which rages in the World and teach Men Love Kindness Sweetness of Conversation Meekness and Humility It would make Men happy in themselves and happy in one another Whilst others therefore My Lord have been fiercely disputing and wrangling about the Government of the Nation the Humble Author hereof sitting under Your Shadow in peace thought it his greater Concern to turn his Thoughts inward and study the Government of of himself whose Meditations from a very small beginning sent to his Friend have extended themselves to the Dimensions You here find them in and wrapt up in these Papers are laid at Your Lordship's Feet not so much to inform your Understanding as to beg Your Protection My Lord the Authour is sensible and the World must confess That You want not these Instructions God hath given You and Your vertuous and happy Consort the true Partner of Your Joys and Griefs the victory over Your Passions and Appetites and having exercised You Both in an unheard of Affliction hath now return'd in Mercy and hath more than built up Your Breaches All which hath I doubt not taught You to look upward to God in all his Dispensations to look inward and govern Your Selves and to look downward and despise the World keeping Your Self unspotted from its Vices Though therefore these Papers should be of no use to You yet if You shall honour them so far as to place them in Your Library among the Learned and shall commend them to the Perusal of my Young Lord and the rest of Your Children when they come to Years of discretion and are fit to entertain such Thoughts as these the Authour shall have his End in this Dedication May Your Lordship's Issue be numerous and grow up like Olive-Plants round about Your Table May They be Good as well as Great and increase in Vertue and Piety so fast that They may anticipate these Counsels and render all the following Arguments useless Which is the daily Prayer of My Noble Lord Edlesb Jan. 12. 1690 1. Your Lordship 's most Humble Servant and Chaplain G. B. A Praemonition TO THE READERS THO' the Form of this Essay is Epistolar and was directed to a Young Gentleman in the University as the Title informs you yet the Author now by its Publication designs it for every Man and desires each Reader to imagine himself to be the Dorotheus therein mentioned And though it concerns young Men especially because it ought to be their great Care who are hereby prepared against a numerous Army of Fleshly Lusts ready to assault them and they of all Men should lay a good Foundation of Vertue and Piety and remember their Creator yet those that are aged must not think themselves unconcern'd unless they have finished this great Work or made some tolerable Progress in it For as their Means are greater having passed by the Importunities of Youthful Lusts and seen their Vanity so their Need is greater having passed great part of their Journey and so are nearer their End and the Account they must give to their Creator The whole was written originally for the Use of a Scholar and so may perhaps smell too much of University Learning yet it hath been much allay'd for vulgar use and if here and there it doth retain any Signatures of its original yet most part is plain and fitted for common Readers The general Subject of it is Morality or the Practice of Vertue and Piety which is the Essence of true Religion And if there be any Notions in the First Part out of the common Road they were thought necessary in the first draught to give a tolerable account of the Reasons of the Conjunction of the Two Natures in us and of the Goodness of our