within us doth justifie us and deserve our Justification for that were to count our selves to be justified by some Act or Vertue within our selves The Act or Vertue here mentioned being set in opposition to the Merits of Christ which are an efficient Cause 't is in effect as if it were said The Merit of Christ only and not any Act or Virtue of our own whatsoever is the efficient Cause of our Justification But the true understanding and meaning hereof is that although we hear Gods Word and believe it and although we have Faith Hope and Charity Repentance Dread and Fear of God within and do never so many Works thereunto yet we must renounce the merit of all our said Virtues of Faith Hope and Charity and all other Vertues and good Works which we either have done shall do or can do as things that be far too weak and unsufficient and imperfect to deserve remission of our Sins and our Justification and therefore we must trust only in Gods Mercy and that Sacrifice which our High Priest and Saviour offered upon the Cross Lo here again Christs Merits and Mans are set one against the other which would be impertinent if they were not spoken of the same sort of Causes but of Causes different in kind and a meritorious Cause is an efficient Cause as was seen above The Merit of Christ then in the 11th Article of our Religion is not to be understood of the Formal Cause of Mans Justification or Righteousness but of the efficient Cause thereof in respect of which I assert it to be most truly said that We are justified by Faith only because by it alone Christs Merits are applied to us SECT XII Neither by the Light of Nature nor by the Law of Moses without Christ could ever any either Jew or Gentile be eternally saved and come to Glory but through him both of them might The Christian Religion is in many respects preferable to the Law of Nature and the Law of Moses The Injunction of the Judaical Ordinances Rites and Ceremonies had a farther Tendency then the exacting of meer Obedience 1. SInce the ultimate End of creating Man was that he might be eternally happy through the perfect Love of God for ever Sect. 4. it plainly follows that inasmuch as no man since Adams Fall can attain to the perfect Love of God but through Christ Sect. 9. and 11. There is none other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. 2. For though some few do by nature i. e. the Light of natural Reason the things contained in the Law viz. the Moral for the Gentiles could not by the Law of Nature observe the Ceremonial Law of the Jews Rom. 2. 14. by being brought through a serious Consideration of the glorious Structure of the World more especially of Man himself and of Gods Providence in preserving and governing all things to adore the Divine Majesty to pray to him and to praise him as the Author of all Good and thence contract an habitual Love to him above the Enjoyment of the vain Pleasures of the World. And albeit many by the Law of Moses have not only obtained the habit of Charity but have also acquired an high degree and measure thereof yet in that neither Jew nor Gentile could ever without Christ attain to the perfect Love of God Sect. 9. and 11. 't is clear that through Christ they must do it if ever they arrive at eternal Bliss 3. Which most blessed State forasmuch as God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Acts 10. 34 35. and that he who habitually loves God above all things is Righteous Sect. 11. every one who departs this Life with an habitual Love to God shall at length obtain For seeing all must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. 't is plain that every righteous man whatsoever shall receive a righteous mans Reward at the last day which Reward is everlasting Bliss 4. For since nothing is wanting to one endued with sincere Charity but something to perfect the same in him to make him for ever happy and that the glorious appearance of Christ coming to Judgment will throughly purge out of the Soul of every one habitually possessed of Charity all the Relicks of worldly Affections Sect. 11. Solut. of Object 4. and thereby entirely disposed and ultimately and immediately prepared to obtain the Beatific Vision 't is evident that the Reward which every righteous man shall have at the last day is everlasting Bliss Object 1. If every one of all Mankind from the beginning of the World to the end thereof that habitually loves God above all things and consequently his Neighbour as himself Sect. 11. Solut. of Object 2. when he leaves this World shall at length be eternally blessed through Christ what need men concern themselves so much as they do what Religion they be of Solut. It concerns every one so much as his Salvation is worth to be solicitous to be a Member of the Catholic Christian Religion not only because there 's small hopes that he who is not desirous to take the best course he can to be saved will in sincerity of heart observe the Rules of any Law whatever but also because if notwithstanding the Divine Excellency of the Precepts Motives and Discipline of the Gospel-Dispensation thousands perish within the Bosom of Christ's Visible Church through the strong Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil wherewith they are overcome the perdition of Souls will be certainly much greater and more general where those potent Adversaries of man's Bliss find small Resistance made against them Wherefore since no man ever attain'd to live a virtuous Life in order to the End for which he was created but in regard he was directed and inclined thereunto either by the Law of Nature or by some Revealed Law of which later sort there are only two the Jewish and the Christian 't is apparent that if the Christian Religion be in many respects highly preferable for the obtaining of Felicity by it to them both it alone where it can be had is to be chosen and embraced And that the Christian Religion is in many respects highly preferable to them both for that End is evident For First It doth exceedingly much more fully and clearly reveal to the World the Nature of God the Immortality of the Soul the Excellency of the Fruit of a virtuous godly Life after Death and the intolerable Torments of the Wicked in the World to come Secondly It gives far more perfect Rules and shews abundantly more efficacious Helps and Means of leading such a Life as must bring men to Felicity if ever they attain thereto Thirdly It propounds infinitely more convincing and powerful Arguments
it hinders the same and not as it meerly crosses the Will of the Legislator Every Breach of them is more or less Evil as it is more or less prejudicial to the General Good and has in that respect a greater or less Penalty assigned thereunto Penal Laws are made for preventing of Evils that might happen for want of them and not to take Revenge on the Transgressor of the Law for neglecting to observe or for opposing the Law-givers Mind p. 111 SECT XI Faith Hope and Charity are necessary Means for procuring everlasting Bliss Sincere habitual Charity formally expels Mortal Sin and is therefore formal but incompleat Righteousness Perfect Charity formally expels all Sin and is therefore compleat formal Righteousness or the absolute falfilling of the Divine Law. p. 128 SECT XII Neither by the Light of Nature nor by the Law of Moses without Christ could ever any either Jew or Gentile be eternally saved and come to Glory but through him both of them might The Christiam Religion is in many respects preferable to the Law of Nature and the Law of Moses The Injunction of the Judaical Ordinances Rites and Ceremonies had a farther Tendency than than the exacting of bare Obedience p. 163 SECT XIII Nothing is available to Felicity but as it contributes to Charity The Nature of the two Theological Virtues Faith and Hope and how they become useful to the obtaining and augmenting the Habit of Charity p. 176 SECT XIV The Moral Habits Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance are truly Virtues in that respect only as they promote Charity What the Office of each of them in particular is in the way of subserviency unto Charity p. 184 SECT XV. Prayer offered to God for all things absolutely necessary to Salvation whether the Theological or Moral Virtues or Remission of Sins is evermore effectual if it be made aright and it is then made aright when it is unfeigned fervent and frequently performed p. 194 SECT XVI Praise and Thanksgiving to God are proper and efficatious Means whereby to get and increase Charity Vocal Prayer Music and Gestures of Body betokening Humility and Reverence towards the Divine Majesty are beneficial for the obtaining of everlasting Felicity p. 219 SECT XVII The two great Sacraments instituted by Christ for the Benefit of his Church Baptism and the Lords Supper were ordained to be serviceable to Charity the one in procuring it the other in preserving it Yea and all other Divine Institutions and Ordinances whatsoever are only so many designed ministerial Helps and Furtherances thereunto p. 225 SECT XVIII In the Exercise of the hearty Love of God or Charity consists the sincere Observance of every Precept of the Decalogue But the absolute entire fulfilling of the Moral Law is not accomplished till Charity have attained its ultimate Perfection in Heaven p. 235 SECT XIX There is not any one Precept of the latter Table of the Decalogue truly kept but when it is observed out of Love to God nor is there a real Breach of any of them but when the Soul is either deprived of the Love of God or has the same abated and weakned in it by the Omission of something which is required or by the Commission of something which is forbidden in the Precept p. 247 SECT XX. Charity or the unfeigned fervent Love of God above all things proved by Scripture to be Righteousness or the sincere keeping of the whole Law of God. p. 265 RELIGION AND REASON Adjusted and Accorded OR A Discourse wherein Divine Revelation is made appear to be a congruous and con-natural Way of affording proper Means for making Man eternally Happy through the perfecting of his Rational Nature SECTION I. There is an absolute perfect Being which is self-existent Eternal only One Infinite Immutable a pure Act entirely Simple one Formality and a Spirit 1. WHatsoever has Perception the same has a Being for what is not can have no Perception And that there is Perception the very Denyer of it if there be any one so vain as to contradict the rest of Mankind may be convinced from his own denyal For the denyal of it if the denyer be serious must proceed from this that he thinks there is no such thing as Perception which Thought of his he cannot otherwise chuse but grant to be either true or false if he grant it to be false he owns in effect there is Perception But in case he will have his Thought to be true he must yield that his very Thought it self is a right Perception and so either way he 'll be necessitated to acknowledg that there is for certain Perception 2. Perception then most certainly there is and consequently something that perceives or that has an actual Being which is the Subject of Perception And whatsoever has an actual Being or doth Exist the same must have it's existence either intrinsecal of it self or from some other thing that is extrinsecal to it Whatsoever receives its existence from any thing that is extrinsecal to it that same it not the perfectest Being that is because it depends upon another for its existence provided there be any Being at all which has nothing of Existence from another 3. And that there is some Being which has nothing of existence from another is clear from hence that since the reason of a things existing by virtue of another is because there is some other thing which causes it to exist and that an endless Series or infinite number of things causing others to exist is impossible to have been because a by-past Series of things may be encreased by a new addition made unto it and a Series of things which may be encreased is not infinite for otherwise there might be something that would be more or greater than infinite which questionless cannot be there must of necessity be some first cause which receives nothing from another but exists wholly of it self and is thereupon the most perfect Being 4. That which is the most perfect Being or first Cause must of necessity have always existed or been from Eternity because if there had been a time when it was not it must of nothing have become something seeing it self was first And in case it should of nothing have become something it would have been or existed before it had a Being or Existence and consequently have been and not have been or existed and not existed at once which is impossible For being supposed to be the first Being if ever it had a Beginning it must have been as well the Producer as the thing to be produced and so as it was the Producer must be supposed to have had a Being and as it was the thing to be produced to have had no Being and both at the same Instant which is a manifest Contradiction 5. The prime or first Being then is necessarily eternal à parte antè and what is necessarily Eternal à parte antè is likewise so à parte pòst because having nothing of
the World is originally derived from God alone every thing which it contains must of necessity either participate and be of the same Nature and Essence which God is of or else they must have been created or produced of nothing there being only one first Being sect 1. par 6. And that they do not participate of the same Nature and Essence with God is clear from hence because in that there is nothing in God which is not God sect 1. par 11. they would otherwise be God which for the Reason given in the second Paragraph of this Section is made appear to be impossible All things therefore without contradiction were at first created or produced by God of nothing 4. And whatsoever is created and has motion as all the Parts of the visible world we are assured have the same could not be eternal but must have had a beginning otherwise there would have been an infinite Duration an infinite number of Days of Months of Years already past and consequently seeing one Infinite is not greater than another for it is not Infinite to which any thing can be added there would have been no more Days than Months nor Months than Years since the Creation of the World and yet on the contrary seeing there are more Days than Months and more Months than Years in the same long continuance of Time there would have been more Days than Months and Months than Years since the Creation which is a Contradiction Again supposing the World to have had an infinite duration and Mankind the like continuance there was either an infinite Series of Generations of Men a thousand Years ago past or there was not if there was not a thousand generations elapsed since could not make the foregoing Number infinite for of two Finites added together an Infinite cannot arise But if the Series of generations of Men was a thousand years ago infinite then a thousand generations have been added since to that which was before infinite and so since nothing is infinite to which any addition can be made the Series of the generations of Men from the Creation should be both infinite and not infinite which is contradictory and impossible Object 1. Since God has been from Eternity what should hinder but that there might possibly have been an equally continued Succession of Time together with his eternal Duration Solut. It is not properly affirmed of God that he was heretofore or shall be hereafter but only that he IS whence we see that he himself in Answer to Moses asking him what he should tell the People his Name was said I AM THAT I AM. Thus shalt thou say to the Children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you Exod. 3. 13 14. For since Existence is essential to God there is no divisibility no praeterition no futerition and consequently no succession nor continuance truly speaking incident to him Those things only whose Natures may be or may not be can be rightly said to continue when their Existence is prolonged by a Cause without themselves upon whose pleasure their continuance in Being from time to time depends for that alone can properly be said to continue which in its Nature is capable to be discontinued But of God whose Essence is Existence it cannot be properly said he has been or shall be but solely that HE IS for what is it essentially to exist but purely to exist and what is it purely to exist but purely to be And what is it purely to be but solely to be And to say a thing was or shall be which solely is amounts in effect to this that it solely is and not solely is a thing impossible From God's Existence then a Possibility of an eternal Duration or continued Succession of Time cannot be inferred there being no such thing as an eternal Duration incident to the Divine Nature which is essential pure Existence or ISNESS without was or shall be in any sort properly and truly appropriated thereunto 5. As the World is not eternal according to Duration so neither is it infinite in respect of Magnitude for in case it were infinite in bulk and greatness the space from the Center of the Earth towards the East would be either finite or infinite if infinite then the space from the Center of the Earth towards the West North and South taken together would not only be no greater than that towards the East because one Infinite is not greater than another but there would also be more infinite Spaces in the Universe than one neither of which is possible not the former because three equal Spaces taken together are certainly greater than one alone which is no greater than any one of them nor the latter because in regard the Universe is not greater than an infinite Space it cannot contain more infinite Spaces than one for otherwise it should be greater than it self But if the Space from the Center of the Earth towards the East were finite then also the Space from the Center of the Earth towards the West North and South would be likewise finite and of four finite Spaces an infinite Space cannot be made the World therefore is not infinite in extension 6. The World then is neither infinite in respect of an eternal duration in which it has continued nor in respect of an immense Bulk whereto it is extended And no less certain is it that an infinite number of worlds is equally impossible Number and Infinitude mutually of necessity excluding each other since no number that can be augmented is infinite and that to the greatest number imaginable a new Addition may be made And seeing there cannot be an infinite number of Worlds it follows by necessary Consequence that there is only one For since the Divine Wisdom and Goodness are no less infinite and essential to God than his Omnipotency or any other Perfection in the Deity is he cannot without contradicting his own Attributes which it is equally impossible for him to do as to deny himself or to violate his own Nature will or act any thing which is not according and agreeable to the highest wisdom and greatest goodness or what 's the very best all things considered to be effected Wherefore seeing it is impossible to create an infinite number of Worlds par 6. and that no definite number could be so great but that it would be in the Almighty's power to create a greater and greater in infinitum if his Omnipotency be solely regarded it plainly follows that the creating of one World alone was all things considered the very best whilst if it had been better to have created two than one it would likewise have been better to have created three than two and four than three and so forward without end in consequence whereunto it must needs be that one only World was created 8. That there is then but one only world appears evident which that it certainly is the most perfect for kind that could be created may be gathered
inferior Ends beneficial in their kind to some particular purposes may be attained and yet everlasting Misery not be prevented thereby This then being apparent that Charity is the Scope and Aim which the moral Virtues ought to look and level at let 's see in what way they compass their designed End. 2. Prudence which because it is conversant circa agibilia is reckoned with the moral Virtues is the practical Knowledg of things to be desired or shunned in respect of some honest end sought after whence it is manifest that Prudence is deeply engaged in every moral Virtue and therefore how much soever Charity is advanced by any of them Prudence always plays its part in contributing thereunto 3. Justice is said to be a Virtue whereby we give to every one what is due or right for them to have the Discourse whereof I 'le therefore omit till I come to the Decalogue or Moral Law. 4. Fortitude is that Virtue which strengthens the Soul to overcome Difficulties that would avert the Will from the Prosecution of Good for fear of Evil to be encountred with before the Good can be obtained 'T is apparent therefore to see that considering a Christians Life is a continual Warfare where daily Enemies that would hinder Mans Love to God above all things are stoutly to be combated if Victory be desired and expected Fortitude is a Virtue primely useful unto Charity 5. Temperance is a Virtue which regulates the desires of the Will about the Objects of Tast and Touch as Meat Drink and Venery and is hugely serviceable to Charity For whereas the Will through the Corruption of Mans vitiated Nature is prone to follow the Gust of the sensitive Appetite in the immoderate persuit of whatsoever is grateful to it and is apt thereby to be drawn from the Love of its chief Object the Supreme Good which is God Temperance by restraining the sensitive Appetite from excess in its desire of Meat and Drink doth thereby reduce the animal Spirits to a more moderate Quantity and Temper which otherwise through their too great abundance and activeness are wont to excite the sensitive Faculty to a violent lusting after all such things as are pleasing to it and that again disturbs and blunders the Rational Powers of the Soul and by eagerly pressing upon them averts the Understanding from the due Consideration of things and thence totally gains the Phantasie and thereby ensnares and captivates the Will. Besides Temperance is very serviceable ut Causa removens prohibens to Prayer and Meditation the two faithful Ensurers as I may well call them of Charity for they never fail to ensure it to us as will be made appear in the next Section if we fail not to make sure of employing them in their Office. Object 1. By what hath been said of the moral Virtues if true they are not bona per se good in themselves which is contrary to the Opinion of most men Solut. Whatsoever is bonum per se good in it self is of it self the Object of Desire and so having no Reference as such to any farther good in consideration of which it is desirable it ought to be desired for its own sake without respect had to any other good whatsoever to be obtained by it and consequently to be acquiesced in either as the edequate End and Perfection of the Soul or at least as a coordinate part and proportion thereof The former the moral Virtues are not otherwise God would be totally excluded from being in any sort Man's ultimate End and Sovereign Good. Nor can they be the latter First because it is impossible but that the Soul which is fully possessed of God should have all Good and Perfection whereof it is capable and Secondly for that the moral Virtues are Dispositions of the Soul for moderating the Affections of the Will about such Objects as shall have no Being in Heaven and if there be no Objects for the Virtues to be concerned about there will also be no Virtues because they receive their different Natures and Species from the diversity of the Objects they are exercised on Justice indeed seems to be eternally necessary in that we must give for ever to God Angels and Men what is their due but Charity abundantly supplies that forasmuch as to love every one of them as they ought to be beloved eminently contains in it whatsoever is to be rendred to them Object 2. Although a man that deals uprightly to obtain the Reputation of a good Name or defends his Country for Honours sake or lives temperately out of regard to his Health or that does all these for the mentioned or any other such like End be not properly a virtuous man yet he that exercises Justice Fortitude and Temperance for Honesties sake or because it is agreeable to the Principles and Dictates of Reason and so conformable to mans rational Nature to do it is certainly a moral honest man or else there is no such thing as moral Honesty in the World. Solut. He that does a thing for any End be it what it will has his Reward or all he desires in the obtaining of it if so be he have not an Eye to a farther end to be acquired by it and therefore in case every Man did exercise Justice Fortitude and Temperance for the pure Love of them only because they are agreeable to human Nature he had his Reward in doing it and thence fell short of Felicity or his chiefest Good the Fruition of God and consequently he did not act virtuously For he that acts virtuously acts rationally and he that acts rationally acts for a good End which must either be Mans ultimate End or else some intermediate End conducible to the obtaining of it because Mans ultimate End alone is desirable for its own Cause and other things only as they are in order to it as was proved before Par. 1. and in the Solut. of the first Object in this Section Such a Man indeed as is said in the Objection I am now answering to be a moral honest man if there were any such would be less miserable by what he did but so will every one be accordingly as he is less vitious Sect. 7. although he be not in any sort truly Virtuous Is there then you 'l reply no such thing as meer moral Virtue or Honesty I answer yes Meer moral Virtue or Honesty is when a man without the Direction or Help of any other Law save only of the Law of Nature doth from the Consideration of Gods transcendent Excellency in himself of the Creation of the World and especially of Man all demonstrable by Reason as is to be seen by the first third and fourth Section and from the Beauty Order and Preservation of the Universe manifest to sense raise his Thoughts from poring on Earthly things to the Contemplation of the Divine Majesty and Goodness and by frequent admiring and adoring him together with giving Praise and Thanks unto him for
all the Enjoyments of this Life acquires an habitual Love of him and thence desires to be fully satisfied with the knowledge of him despising all terrestrial Pleasures in comparison of the same and in virtue of his Love to God doth heartily wish to all Mankind the like Happiness he wisheth to himself as knowing that things of the same Kind tend by Nature to the same End. This I take to be pure Moral Vertue or Honesty with which if any man depart hence he will at length through Christ be eternally happy sect 12. par 3 4. But so great is the Corruption of Man's Nature through Original and Actual Sin sect 9. that such Virtue or Honesty is attainable by very few Object 3. If the moral Virtues be therefore not good in themselves by reason they have a tendency to a farther good to be obtained by them 't will follow that nothing that has a tendency to a farther good to be obtained by it is good in it self which is very unlikely to be true Solut. When we speak of moral goodness we evermore intend something by it which is perfective of man's Rational Nature so that to enquire whether the moral Virtues be good in themselves or not is the same as to ask whether they be directly and immediately perfective of man's Rational Nature yea or no or be only useful to procure something which is directly and immediately perfective of it This latter I take to be true not the former and my Reason is because the moral Virtues in that they are not any lasting permanent good of the Soul but pass away and leave it when it becomes possessed of its everlasting good Felicity Solut. of Obj. 1. are instrumentally or so far only good unto it as they are necessarily helps and means to procure that good which is the eternally-during Perfection of it whence it seems plain that the Benefit of the moral Virtues and so likewise of all Gifts Graces and Ordinances as Faith Hope Prayer the Sacraments c. which cease upon the full enjoyment of God consists in their very Tendency towards the good to be obtained by them But yet if any will be so scrupulously nice as to demand Whether that which is necessarily good and useful in its very Nature though but instrumentally to the perfecting of Man be not good in it self I shall not contend but yield it is provided it will be granted me again that it is instrumentally so and no more for then in consequence thereto it must of necessity be owned that it is not desirable for its own sake but for the sake of that which it is an instrumental Cause to procure In this sense I have proved that Faith and Hope are good in themselves as without which Charity cannot be acquired sect 11. par 2 3 4. and the moral Virtues also in this Section par 2 3 4 5. are made out to be no less and so shall Prayer likewise be manifested in the next Section to be good in it self or in its own Nature necessarily useful for acquiring Man's Chief Good in the everlasting Fruition of which his Rational Being will be perfected SECT XV. Prayer offered to God for all things absolutely necessary to Salvation whether the Theological Virtues or Moral or Remission of Sins is evermore effectual if it be made aright and it is always made aright when it is unfeigned fervent and frequently performed 1. SEeing nothing is good to man as man but what either ultimately compleats and perfects him as such or something that hath a tendency and is serviceable thereto sect 14. 't is evident that nothing ought to be desired of God which may prove any the least hindrance to man's ultimate End. 2. In regard therefore Eternal Felicity or the perfect love of God is man's ultimate End and Perfection sect 4. par 12 13. 't is apparent that nothing which will obstruct the Love of God ought to be prayed for 3. And forasmuch as neither Health nor Wealth nor temporal Honour nor even the Saving of Life but may in some Circumstances prove prejudicial to Charity none of all these are absolutely to be prayed for but conditionally only and so far forth as they may be useful in respect of Charity 4. It remains therefore that nothing besides Charity it self and what always furthers it are absolutely to be begged of God. 5. Wherefore since Virtue whether Theological or Moral is a thing which always furthers Charity sect 11 13 14. 't is clear that Virtue is always to be absolutely prayed for 6. And forasmuch as God who is Goodness it self grudges no man that which is really good for him but ever grants him his desire if he ask not amiss Jam. 4. 3. 't is plain that Prayer always obtains Virtue of God whensoever it is made aright which is then done when it is unfeigned fervent and frequent 7. For since the Almighty does not by the sole force of his omnipotent Will immediately confer his gracious Gifts on Man except on some extraordinary Occasions when ordinary Means are insufficient for the designed End otherwise he should be in a still continued course of working Miracles but conveys them to us by second Causes if it be so that unfeigned fervent and frequent Prayer be an effectual Means whereby he conveys unto us the Theological and Moral Virtues then doth unfeigned fervent and frequent Prayer always obtain them of God. 8. And that such Prayer is an effectual Means or which never fails of conveying all the Virtues to us will be made appear by shewing the efficacious power it has to procure each of them in particular 9. For first He that from an unfeigned heart pours forth fervent and frequent Prayer to God that he may live temperately cannot while he doth so live intemperately but on the contrary will endeavour by frequent Acts of Temperance after a constant temperate course of Life and by frequent Acts are Habits or a facility of acting acquired 10. And whoso beggeth of God in sincerity and fervency of Devotion the Grace to deal uprightly to all men will if he be constant likewise in his Request abhor the injuring or doing wrong to any one and by often excercising Acts of Justice he will certainly obtain the habit thereof 11. Neither will he who unfeignedly ardently and constantly prays that he may overcome all such difficulties as would hinder his arriving at Bliss for fear of Temptations and Evils to be encountred with in pursuit thereof forbear to set himself stoutly to oppose and repel Temptations and to reject the Enticements of the World which would draw him from the Love of his gracious God and supream Good to the vain and transitory Delights of it self and so by frequent doing thereof he 'l contract an easiness in overcoming what would eternally destroy his Soul if yielded to 12. And forasmuch as he that is constant in sincere and fervent Prayer for the Grace of Faith will undoubtedly give himself to
end to make the Earth so barren as that without the Sweat of their Brows it should not yield them necessary Maintenance And then forasmuch as God works not Miracles where natural causes are sufficient to effect his Purpose 't is most reasonable to think that the Earth was made less fruitful in the way which in the Objection it is supposed that it might fall out to wit by causing that Motion of the Earth or Course peradventure of the Sun it matters not whether which makes difference of Seasons and alteration of the Air whence also Sicknesses and Diseases would be apt to grow and so constant causes of Misery and Mortality be in all Ages ready at hand to put Men in mind of their frail and sinful Condition and thence become not tormentive Revenges but connatural Means Motives and Inducements to make them fly with sorrow of Heart and full purpose of amending their Lives for Wickedness even in the apprehension of the very Pagans was the Cause of the Calamities which befel Men to God for Succour Help and Comfort and so to build their Hopes and put their Trust in him and consequently to love him as their Sovereign Benefactor If it be replied that what has yet been said falls short of resolving the main difficulty which is how the eating of the Fruit could be the connatural Cause or a necessary Motive to God for altering either the Course of the Sun or the Motion of the Earth by which the Air became distempered for the Sin of Man My Answer is first that admitting there was a Change either of the annual course of the Sun or of the Motion of the Earth from what it was at first it will I think be hard to give any other good account why the Change was made save only that which has been given already namely for embarrening the Earth and bringing Distempers and Diseases on Mankind to drive them in a manner to have a sense of their sinful sad Condition to the end they might cast themselves upon the Mercy and Goodness of God and place their Affections on him for the same But I answer secondly that there is in truth no necessity to grant there was any different Course of the Sun or Motion of the Earth from what it was annually afterward for the Omniscient eternally comprehending at once what will ever be the Effects as well of all voluntary as necessary Causes could not chuse but know that Adam would voluntarily fall from the State wherein he created him and exactly at what time and therefore ordered from Eternity such a successively various Course of the Sun or Motion of the Earth as would be congruous both to the Estate of Mans Integrity and of his lapsed Condition for helping him on towards Felicity For that Adams Continuance in Paradise was but short may be rationally inferred from hence that the crafty Serpent could not be ignorant that the longer our first Parents persevered in the Practice of Obedience and frequent pious Duties seriously performed to God the harder still it would be for him to overcome them by his designed Temptation in that Habits are evermore strengthened and confirmed by the iteration of Act and therefore questionless he would not omit especially considering his violent restless Desire to do Mischief the very first opportunity of assailing them and we do not read of any more Temptations of his offered to them but only one so that their Fall might very well be before the Airs Distemper could happen though the annual Course of the Sun or Motion of the Earth was never different from what it is at present If it be alledged that such Knowledge in God as has been mentioned must either be the cause of Adam's Fall and consequently of Sin which would be Blasphemy to affirm or else it must proceed from and depend upon the Fall as the Object whence it is derived which would be absurd to assert I answer there is no necessity of granting either for as to Sin since it is a meer Privation Sect. 8. Par. 3 4. 't is impossible there should be any efficient cause thereof And in that every Man knows his own Thoughts and Actions without a Monitor or receiving notice of them from any thing besides himself is it not evident that if God be as primarily intimate to a Man's Thoughts and Actions as the Man himself is he 'l as primarily know immediately of and from himself the Man's Thoughts and Actions as the Man himself doth from himself And that God is as primarily intimate to every Man's Thoughts and Actions as the Man himself is appears from hence that in whatever any of them is distant from pure nothing it has the same by the Divine Power Will or Mind intrinsically concurring to the Production of it and so God must of necessity as primarily know it and as intimately as the Man knows it himself Nor is the mentioned Divine Concurrence let Man's Thoughts and Actions be what they will any cause at all of Sin for Thoughts and Actions are never sinful as such they are only sinful when and as they are directed and tend to a wrong end and such Direction and Tendency proceeds wholly from Man and not in the least from God by which the Mind is alienated and turned away from the Object of Felicity for in the Alienation and Aversion of the Mind from God in whose Fruition Felicity is placed doth Sin formally consist Sect. 8. Par. 3 4. Objection 11. You assert Sect. 4. par 14. That if Man had once enjoyed the Beatific Vision he could never have fallen from Bliss for which though you produce there such reason as to me I confess appears sufficient to make it out yet the plausibleness of the Praeexistentiarian Hypothesis makes me somewhat doubt of the certainty of the Truth of your Assertion especially considering your agreement with it in this that God does what is best for his Creatures and that it seems reasonable to think that such a praeexistent state as is described in Lux Orientalis Chap. 14. p. 113. was best for Rational Souls Of which Opinion I greatly desire to know what your Sentiments are Answer You put me upon a very ungrateful Task for I love not to intermeddle with other mens Writings yet to afford you what satisfaction I can in a single Sheet I will give you my Thoughts concerning the mentioned Hypothesis so far as relates to my Assertion That the Beatific Vision once fully enjoyed can never be deserted or lost in pursuance of which it will be convenient to transcribe the place you direct me to which contains these express Words The Eternal and Almighty Goodness the blessed Spring and Root of all things made all his Creatures in the best happiest and most perfect condition that their respective Natures rendered them capable of and therefore they were then constituted in the inactuation and exercise of their noblest and most perfect Powers Consequently the Souls of men a
will his Love to God be excited till at length if his Faith continue operative it grows into an Habit by which he is put into a State of Salvation or the direct Way to everlasting Bliss Sect. 11. Nor is this the whole benefit of an active Faith for when Charity is thus by its means wrought in the Soul Faith doth not straight give over its Function and begin to be idle but grows more vigorous and lively whilst the Soul being enflamed with the Love of God sets it a fresh on work about the Object the Motives and other Helps of Bliss whence Charity becomes not only confirmed and strengthened but augmented also For although it have frequent need of the Exercise of Faith only to maintain and preserve its Habit that it be not lost by reason of the many Temptations alway ready to ensnare the Affections of the Soul yet in regard the more that Faith is conversant about the Object and Means of Bliss it will from thence be obvious to the Intellect to discover still farther Excellencies in God and greater Love and Kindness in him towards wretched Man it cannot churse but that fresh Representations of Loveliness in God being often made the Soul will become more vigorously affected towards God especially when Charity is in good plight having no present Adversary or Temptation to encounter with 4. After Faith Hope lifts up its Head and 't is twofold either such as precedes Charity or is subsequent to it even as we have seen Faith to be Paragr 3. The Hope which precedes Charity is subservient to Faith in assisting it to beget the Love of God in the Soul in manner here following When Faith has begot some imperfect desires of Bliss before Charity be habitually seated in the Soul some slender hope will arise from the glowings whereby the Soul perceives herself to grow warm in Affection towards God that he will be graciously pleased to perfect the good Work he has already begun in her This Hope tho weak contributes something to Charity if not choaked by fresh Sin for while the Soul hopes for what she desires her desires of what she hopes for is quickned thereby Nevertheless till an habitual Love to God above all things or Charity be throughly framed in the Soul there 's no Spiritual Life therein but only previous dispositions preparing for it Such Hope is therefore by the Schools termed informis and the other Hope which follows Charity is called formata because Charity gives Live and Vigor to it for no man has a firm well grounded Hope that he shall ever inherit Bliss till he find within himself that he has an hearty unfeigned Love to God and really persues the known Means appointed by him to procure a full Fruition of him Thus is Charity the Parent of a true and lively Hope and to this intent that she may be a Stay and Comfort to her Mother for while men rationally hope to enjoy what they love they are cherished confirmed and strengthened thereby in their Love because they have confidence arising from a well-grounded Hope that their Love is not in vain Wherefore the greater our Charity is till perfect that it excludes Hope through possession of the thing hoped for the stronger will our Hope be and the stronger our Hope is the greater Encouragement will be given to Charity which perfected is Felicity Object 2. The Love of God in Heaven may be an adhering with delight to the Object of Felicity or a Complacency Joy and Satisfaction arising from the Beatific Vision or Contemplation of the Divine Excellency But the Love of God upon Earth seems rather to be a Desire only to enjoy him eternally than any the least real participation of Bliss or the Enjoyment of God. Solut. Every true hearted sincere Desire to enjoy God eternally is an Effort and vigorous striving of the Soul to be throughly satisfied with the full fruition of him for ever which since it is caused by the Delight it finds in the solid and devout Consideration and Meditation of the Divine Excellency or of Gods wonderful gracious Kindness to man apprehended by Faith or of both the greater inward Joy and Spiritual Contentment men have in thinking of Gods transcendent Excellency and of his stupendious Kindness shown to Man the stronger will their Desires grow to obtain a full Possession of him to Eternity whence it appears that the Desire to enjoy God is an effect of Charity or Delight taken in him and not Charity it self but is a very great Advancer of it in that it puts men upon the exercise of all things which are known to be available to the Fruition of God and indeed is so like to Charity that it is not without a near Inspection discernable from it yet certainly is distinct from it as may be farther gathered from the constant answer we use to give to one demanding of us why we so earnestly desire this or that thing which is because we have a great Love for it or take much delight in it but do not ever say we love a thing or are delighted with it because we desire it In fine then I take it to be cleared that Charitas viae and Charitas patriae the Love of God here and hereafter differ only as the less and more perfect whence I conceive arose that common Saying of Divines Gratia est semen Gloriae and the occasion of calling aswell Grace as Glory the Kingdom of Heaven in Scripture SECT XIV The Moral habits Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance are truly Virtues in that respect only as they further Charity What the Office of each of them in particular is as 't is subservient unto Charity 1. HAving shown after what manner the Theological Virtues Faith and Hope are useful and serviceable unto Charity it follows to be considered of how the moral Virtues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance minister help thereunto in respect of which alone they are truly Virtues and not otherways For since Charity here and hereafter is Felicity the one begun the other perfected Sect. 13. and that Felicity is the ultimate End of Man Sect. 4. it certainly follows that not any thing at all is virtuous or good to man as man or a Rational Creature made to inherit Bliss but what is in some respect or other advantagious and beneficial to Charity so that although he be commonly esteem'd a Prudent Man who discreetly orders his actions to some honest end proposed a just man whose care it is to do uprightly in the Affairs of the World a stout man who behaves himself couragiously against his Countries Foes a temperate man who regularly moderates his Appetite about Meat and Drink yet is not any of these truly virtuous by so doing except he do it out of Love to that End whereunto all his Actions ought either mediately or immediately to tend because in the obtaining of that alone Humane Nature is perfected the Man made happy whereas other