it list not as it ought A corrupt Conscience hath many turnings and windings various coverts and hiding places for lust Sometimes the veil of hypocrisie yea of Religion is made use of to cover sin as Mat. 23.14 Sometimes a good name is put on a bad thing or a bad designe is justified by a good end or a good cause is made use of to justifie a bad action or when mens lusts wil not comply with the rule men bring down the rule to their lusts Again sometimes new lights are pleaded to maintain old errors Mens lusts make many controversies about sin they make great sins little and little none at al. Thus practic error and ignorance is the cause of al sin Of which see more fully Philos Gen. P. 1. l. 3. c. 3. sect 4. § 5. § 4. Not only practic Error Self-love a radical cause of Sin but also Self-love has a maligne venimous influence on al sin Plato hath excellent Philosophemes on this Theme So Repub. 9. pag. 574 c. he describes to the life the servile condition of a wicked person under the Tyrannie of Self-love how he is thereby violently impelled and hurried into al sin So also in what follows pag. 577. of which hereafter Thus likewise in his Leg. 5. pag. 731. he lively demonstrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Self-love is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ingenite evil in which they who indulge themselves have no remedie against sin Then he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to speak the truth self-love is altogether the cause of al those evils in which the life of man is involved And he gives the reason of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he that loves is truly blind about what he loves and thence misjudgeth things just good and honest being in this opinion that there is more honor due to him than to truth And Aristotle gives us the reason hereof Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-lover acts a for himself according to his profit Every self-lover is chained to that great Idol Self which he makes his God and the only Centre in which al the lines of his Affections and Actions meet Self is the last end of self-lovers even in their highest acts of self-denial if they give their goods to the poor or their bodies to be burned for Religion it is al to please self They may crosse their own wils but never crosse self as their last end if they seek after God it is to advance self self-love formes al their actions and passions into a subservience unto some carnal self-interest What makes superstitiose persons so much to vilifie mortifie and with so much severitie torment their bodies but thereby to exalt their inward excellences And as self-lovers make self the last End so also the first Principe of al they do Self-love ever affects self-dependence it would fain have a World of its own to live act and breathe in it lays the whole weight of religiose services on self as the bottome of its dependence it would live and die within the sphere of its own activitie as wel as interest It 's exceeding sweet to self to have a stock of its own even in things religiose to trade with and thereby merit divine favor And alas how soon are men overcome by tentations when they are self-dependent and self-strong He that thinkes to keep himself from sin by self-strength wil soon be overcome by it Now Self being the last End and first Principe of self-love it hence becomes a spermatic universal cause of al sin Every self-lover is his own Idol and whiles he inordinately embraces and adheres to himself he is soon overcome thereby and so hurried into sin Yea self-love makes the best duties and services for God most carnal vile and abominable to God Where self is predominant the intention of the Soul is spurious and rotten and a bad intention makes the best workes bad Where self rules it formes even religiose services into a conformitie to carnal lusts wherefore he that cannot depart from self wil soon depart from God and tumble headlong into al sin Self-love is the strongest carnal concupiscence and most directly opposite to divine love The soverain power of Lust increaseth according to the obedience men render to themselves and self-love by obeying self and its particular movements men make it a God yea the more men endeavor to humor and gratifie it the more tyrannie it is Man has not a worse or more dangerous Companion than himself his carnal self which is so potent to draw him into sin It has always been the ambition of the Creature to deifie it self not by being equal in nature with God but by being its first Cause and last End which is the spring of al departure from God and conversion to the Creature And that which makes self-love more potent to promote sin is its policie and many artifices to concele its self and sin How oft doth carnal self-love put on the masque of true lawful self-love and thereby delude the Soul into sin There is a great ressemblance between spiritual self-love and carnal whence the later oft conceles it self under the vizard of the former The more a man loves himself the lesse he conceits he loves himself as the more mad a man is the lesse he judgeth himself so Self-love is so artificial in its colors as that it can discolor virtue with the face of vice and vice with virtues face Thus by its fraudes and deceits in conceling it self and sin it greatly advances sin The members of self-love are principally three 1 Concupiscence or adherence to the Creature as our last end 2 Carnal confidence or dependence on self as the first cause 3 Spiritual pride or an over-valuing estime of self-excellences Each of these have a venimous influence on al sin as we have largely demonstrated out of Plato and others Philos General P. 1. l. 3. c. 3. sect 4. § 8 9 10. § 5. Next to the Causes of moral Evil we may consider its Species or Kinds Al moral Evil or Sin may be distributed into involuntary Sins are either of Ignorance of Passion or wilful or voluntary again involuntary into sins of Ignorance or of Passion We find the foundation of this distribution in Plato Phileb pag. 22. where he saith That those who choose sin do it either involuntarily and ignorantly or out of a voluntary miserable necessitie 1. As for involuntary Sins they are 1 Sins of Ignorance when the ignorance is not affected either from prejudice voluntary neglect or custome in sin as before § 3. 2 Sins of Passion or Infirmitie when the passion is antecedent to the wil and doth as it were extort the consent of the wil being vehement and violent For if the passion be consequent to the act of the wil or but a languid remisse motion such as doth not force the wil the sin is not so much of passion as voluntary whence passions
of Virtue did indeed come under the Apostles condemnation Rom. 8.6 c. of living after the flesh because they made their carnal Reason Free-wil and Self the only measures and springs of their pretended Virtue Lastly al moral Virtue according to philosophic Placits is but one so that the Virtues of Pagans must be supernatural or none at al as before Thence Greg. Nazianzen Orat. 3. in Julian speaking of the Platonists Stoics and peripatetics saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virtue to them is only a speciose name and in nothing more lasting than this life Thus Chrysostome Hom. 27. in Joan. It is not yet apparent to me that the Gentiles lived wel For if the hope of the celestial Kingdome and the commination of Hel with other such like sollicitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can scarce keep men in Virtue those who are persuaded of none of these things wil not embrace Virtue But if some of them counterfeit the same this they do out of desire of Glorie c. This Hypothesis is frequently inculcated by Augustine and he grounds it on that eternal Veritie of our Lord Mat. 7.18 Mat. 7.18 Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit So contra Julian l. 4. c. 3. The unbelieving wil as every Christian grants is an evil tree which cannot produce any other than evil fruits i.e. sins only The like Cyril in Hos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Probitie in those that God hates is without its reward and good manners tending not to true good shal be always reprehended by him Not but that many Heathens as Christian Hypocrites may performe Acts and Offices materially good which yet may be deservedly as they are by the Ancients termed Sins as they procede not from Faith in Christ and Love to God the main Principes of al true moral Good So Chrysost Tom. 17. Hom. 17. Edit Paris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are good workes i.e. materially but dead because they have not Faith 5. The distrioution of moral Good or Virtue into Justice and Pietie Albeit al Virtue according to its formal Idea and Reason be but one yet according to its objective material consideration it may be variously distributed Thus in sacred Philosophie moral Good or Virtue is distributed as to its object or mater into Holinesse and Righteousnesse Ephes 4.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Righteousnesse and Holinesse Righteousnesse comprehends al Second-table-duties which regard men and Holinesse al First-table-duties which regard God This distribution is most ancient and I presume was communly received among the Jews Sure I am Plato has it and as I conjecture from the Mosaic Institutes Thus in his Gorgias pag. 507. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now he that comports himself decently towards men doth righteous things but he that behaveth himself aecently towards God doth holy or pious things but he that doth both rightcous and holy things must necessarily be righteous and holy Wherein observe 1 That he distributes al moral Good into just or righteous and pious or holy 2 That he makes Justice or Righteousnesse to regard men but Pietie or Holinesse to regard God 3 That some may seem to be righteous towards men who yet are not pious or holy towards God as on the other hand some may pretend to be pious towards God who yet are not just and righteous towards men But 4 he that is just and righteous towards men in giving them their due as also pious and holy towards God in giving him his due such is indeed a virtuose man morally good just and pious Thus also Serranus on Plato Alcibiad 2. pag. 136. takes notice how Plato distributes Virtue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Pietie and Justice the former relating to the Worship of God the later to men whereby our whole life is duely framed and regulated these being two seminal roots or commun heads of particular Offices and Duties Lastly Plato in his Minos pag. 319. saith That we should take diligent heed first that we offend not in word or deed against God and then that we offend not against men specially such as are divine A Golden Rule for moral Duties CHAP. III. Of Virtue and Moral Libertie Moral Virtue an habitual Perfection Moral Libertie as to state in virtuese Habits Virtue gives 1 Dominion 2 Life Health Vigor 3 Amplitude 4 Nobilitie and Dignitie 5 Beautie and Glorie Moral Libertie as to Exercice consistes in virtuose Acts. 1 The Contemplation of the first Truth 2 Adherence to the chiefest Good 3 Total actual dependence on the first Cause 4 Conformitie to the divine preceptive Wil as also submission to his providential Wil. 5 Vsing althings in subordination to the Fruition and Service of God Moral Libertie as to exercice the greatest because it brings 1 Order 2 Spontaneitie and suavitie 3 A Divine Life 4 Amplitude 5 Freedom from Sin 6 Stabilitie of Spirit 7 Improvement of Virtue 8 Formal Beatitude § 1. Moral Virtue an habitual Perfection THE general Idea and Nature of Moral Bonitie having been discussed we now procede to the discussion of Virtue as it is the origine and cause of moral Libertie Plato discourseth of Virtue in his Meno the title of which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virtue properly according to its orgination signifies a Power or Efficace it being derived from Vir which primarily signified among the Ancients a stout valiant man answering to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Hebrews So the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primarily and properly signifies warlike Virtue or Courage from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mars and this from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arits terrible valiant potent or as Vossius from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marats to waxe strong Hence in the N.T. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to expresse the Divine power and efficace of God as 1 Pet. 2.9 and 2 Pet. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. by his gloriose power Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expounded by Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a divine power So the LXX translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the gloriose power of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hab. 3.3 Zach. 6.17 Neither is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the N. T. more than once if ever to denote a virtuose disposition of mind namely Phil. 4.8 So curiose were the sacred Pen-men in avoiding philosophic termes which had been so much abused But by moral Virtue we here understand an habitual disposition of Soul conforme to the Rule of Moralitie the Divine Law In which strict notion it has one and the same formal idea or reason with supernatural Grace as Jansenius Amesius and others understand it For that there is no real moral Virtue but what is supernatural has been sufficiently demonstrated in the precedent Section § 4. Whence true moral Virtue is nothing else but a certain perfection whereby man is ordained and disposed towards God as Aquinas 1. Quaest 95. Others cal Virtue the
beautiful although it be fallen into extreme turpitude to reduce it to the most excellent pulchritude and so to make it amiable and desirable c. In sum what is Beautie but the splendor and lustre of those perfections which are loged in any subject And thence is not God the first Beautie because most perfect And are not althings so far beautiful as they partake of his Divine Perfection and Goodnesse For what is al created Beautie but a ray of the Divine Beautie And among created Beauties doth any thing more ressemble the Divine Beautie than true Virtue ' Plato in his Phaedrus pag. 250. saith That Justie and Temperance and other Virtues in this our imperfect state have little Light and Beautie but in the future state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then we shal contemplate the most perfect Beautie c. And then he concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now Beautie of things divine has gained this dignitie that it is the most illustrious and amiable of althings § 3. Having explicated and demonstrated moral Libertie as to state we now descend to consider it as to its Exercice Moral Libertie as to Exercice in virtuose Acts. which consistes in virtuose Acts. For it is a good Theoreme in Philosophie That the second Act follows the first such as the state is such are the Exercices in that state As in natural and civil Libertie such as the state is such are the Exercices in that state if a man be sui juris a free man he may act as such in that Corporation wherein he is free Thus in moral Libertie such as are free as to state by having their Souls clothed with virtuose habits they wil exert and put sorth virtuose Exercices in that state So that moral Libertie as to Exercice is nothing else but a libertie to act according to that dignitie of state they are invested with Now for the more ful explication and demonstration of moral Libertie as to Exercice we are 1 To explicate what it is and 2 To demonstrate that it is the supreme Libertie of a rational Creature As for the explication of moral Libertie as to Exercice we may comprehend it in the following Propositions 1. Moral Libertie as to Exercice consistes in the spiritual affectionate permanent Contemplation of the first beautie or Truth To contemplate the first Truth The Contemplation of the first Truth as wel according to sacred as Platonic Philosophie is one of the supreme parts of moral Libertie as to Exercice Contemplation according to the Platonist is the Exercice of the mind on things intelligible and what more intelligible than the first Truth Thence Plate in his Phaedrus pag. 247. tels us That the mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beholding for some while the first Being and satiating it self in the contemplation of Truth and giving up it self thereto is thereby nourished and recreated with the highest pleasure As sight is of al the most noble sense and most quick in apprehension so contemplation or the sight of the first Beautie and Truth is one of the highest Exercices of moral Libertie that which brings in most tranquillitie satisfaction and pleasure to the mind Of al Contemplations there is none so powerful so sweet so free as the contemplation of the first Cause and last End As God is infinitely better than al Creatures so the contemplation of God is infinitely better than the contemplation of al the Creatures That the contemplation of the first Being is one of the highest Acts of moral Libertie is most manifest because 1 Contemplation is the highest Act of the Soul and therefore when placed on the supreme Being and highest Object must needs bring the highest Libertie and Perfection with it Joh. 17.3 2 The mind of man when rectified has a flagrant ardent desire to contemplate the first Beautie and Truth Aristotle assures us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That those who are conversant in the inquisition of truth have been sweetest manner of life How sweet and free is it then to contemplate the first Truth 3 The contemplation of the first Being gives a wise emprovement of al other Beings and Objects which occur This spiritualiseth and draws out the Elixir of al objects providences persons and things we converse with 4 The contemplation of the first Beautie is that which most assimilates the Soul thereto If there were a beautiful Picture which persons by looking on should gradually be made like unto who would not gaze thereon And is not the first Beautie such which makes al those as spiritually contemplate thereon beautiful and free Joh. 1.14 Joh. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have diligently and attentively beheld his glorie as on a Theatre The Human Nature is that gloriose Theatre on which the Deitie descends and offers himself to our contemplation and O! what a gloriose contemplation is this to behold the Deitie in the golden Arke of Humanitie How is the Soul hereby transformed into the same gloriose Image as 2 Cor. 3.18 4 Spiritual contemplationof the first Being gives possession therefo Truth is made one with the Mind by contemplation and doth not the first Truth become one with the Mind by lively affectionate contemplation thereof 5 Contemplation of the first Beautie is most influential on the divine Life and therefore a main Spring of Moral Libertie Is not this a great Source of Divine Wisdome Are not contemplative persons in things natural and moral the wisest of men And is not this most true in things moral and divine Was it not a great Saying of that great Divine The greatest Musers are the best Artists and doth not this hold most true here yea doth not the Psalmist assure us Psal 39.3 Psal 39.3 That whiles the heart museth the fire of divine affection burneth Doth not contemplation on the first Beautie fortifie the heart against every tentation tune it for every service and sweeten every crosse Is it not both food and physic to the Soul the life of our life yea universally useful in every state and condition 2. Another Exercice of moral Libertie consistes in an intimate and inviolable Adherence unto the last End and chiefest Good Adherence to the last End and chiefest Good What the last End and chiefest Good is with the proper Characters of each we have § 1. of this Chapter fully discussed our present worke is to explicate what moral Libertie the Soul acquires by adhering thereto The last End possesseth the greatest Amplitude Universalitie and Libertie imaginable as to al means it is as an infinite Ocean an immense universal Principe that conteins al Morals in its bosome althings receive bounds and limits from their last end but this receives bounds and limits from nothing Now the last end enjoying such an infinite Amplitude and Libertie it necessarily follows that the more intimately and firmely the Soul adheres to it the more libertie as to exercice it is possessed of Thence Plato Leg. 4. pag. 715.
mind consistes in the conformitie of our Notions unto things And in this regard the Truth of God importes the veritie of his Ideas or knowlege of things 2 Simple Truth in Things is nothing but their conformitie to their specific Idea or formal definition and nature So we say that is true Gold which conformes to the specific Idea of Gold This some Aristoteleans stile Metaphysic or transcendental Truth others Physic Truth it being no other than the real existence of things For as Aristotle or whoever were the compilator of that Book Metaph. min. l. 1. c. 1. observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing has so much of truth as it has of existence Now the veritie of God in this regard is nothing else save the simple pure actualitie of his essence and existence 2 Complexe Truth is either Mental or Oral 1 Complexe mental Truth is the conformitie of complexe mental Ideas Notions or Propositions unto things which cannot be ascribed to God because he has no complexe knowlege but only simple albeit he knows al propositions yet it is not by any complexe notions but in the most simple glasse of his own essence 2 Complexe Oral Veritie is either Logic or Ethic Logic Oral Veritie is when Propositions or Discourses agree with things Ethic Oral Veritie is when our words agree to our thoughts which is termed Sinceritie or our deeds to our words which is Veracitie This Veracitie as to God regards al his words Gods Veracitie in fulfilling but in a more particular manner his Comminations or Threats and Promisses yet with this difference 1 Promisses 1 Promisses give a right to the persons to whom they are made which cannot be taken from them without injurie for albeit it be free to any to make a promisse yet having made it his fidelitie is obliged to see it performed So that in Promisses there is no room for Relaxation or Dispensation but the words must be taken in the largest sense and as most favorable for the persons to whom the Promisse is made according to that commun maxime in Civil Law Favors must be amplified And that which addes to the obligation of promisses is when they are confirmed by an Oath which renders them every way Immutable and Irrelaxable Such are al the Promisses of God as Hebr. 6.17 Heb. 6.17 18. Where God is said to confirme his promisse by an Oath whereby it became every way immutable as vers 18. 2 But now as to Comminations or Threats 2 Threats there is no right or debt accrews to the persons to whom they are made save only a debt or merit of punishment the threat renders them obnoxious to punishment if they break that Law whereto the threat is appendent yet in many Cases ' specially as to circumstances the Superior who made the Law and affixed a threat thereto has a libertie of relaxing or dispensing with the penaltie of his Law The Commination declares the Merit of punishment in the offender and the Power of punishing in the Superior offended but yet it doth not alwaies suppose a necessarie egresse or execution of vindictive justice for the punishing the offender at least not as to al circumstances threatned but stil there remains place in the breast of the Judge or Superior ' specially if he be Absolute and Soverain either to relaxe or dispense with the penaltie of his Laws either in whole or part Thus in Gods Threats and penal Laws he reserves to himself a libertie of Relaxation or Dispensation in many Cases thereby to make way for his Clemence or Mercie without the least violation of his Veracitie or Justice So in the first commination or penal Law Gen. 2.17 Thou shalt surely die Gen. 2.17 Heb. in dying thou shalt die Which Hebraisme denotes a certain immediate perfect and constant death And yet our Soverain Lord out of his Soverain rich Mercie was pleased very far to relaxe and mitigate the rigor of this commination or penal Law as to many circumstances by admitting of a Mediator and new Evangelic Covenant In this regard God is said to repent or turne from the siercenesse of wrath as Jonah 3.9 Who can tel if God wil turne Jonah 3.9 and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not God by reason of their legal imperfect faith and repentance turned away his fierce wrath for that time albeit afterward it came down with vengeance as Historie assureth us Neither is it to be feared lest the Veracitie of God should receive any injurie if al his Threats are not alwaies in al circumstances or parts fulfilled because al comminations and threats which have not some character or signe of irrevocabilitie assixt to them are according to their own nature so to be understood as not to diminish the right of the Superior who makes them to relaxe the same Thus we see what latitude the Divine Veracitie admits in the fulfilling Comminations and Threats beyond what can be admitted in fulfilling Divine Promisses as Grotius wel observes Gods Veracitie and Fidelitie in fulfilling his word Gods Veracitie demonstrated is founded in and may be demonstrated by 1 his essential Veritie Plato makes God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Truth yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth it self whence he cannot but be true and faithful in his words God is Truth essentially not participatively therefore nothing but Truth can passe from him Again God is pure Truth or Veritie with whom not the least shadow of Falsitie Hypocrisie or Fraude in word or deed can mingle Pure Truth and falsitie are incompatible There are no thoughts or ideas of mans heart so true but there is some mixture of error or falsitie in them no words or deeds so sincere and faithful but something of hypocrifie and falsitie mixed with them because there is no pure truth in mans thoughts or words But God being the first pure essential Veritie his Veracitie is most pure and perfect without the least shadow of falsitie 2 Gods Veracitie is founded on and may be demonstrated by his Eternitie and Omnipotence Thus in sacred Philosophie 1 Sam. 15.29 1 Sam. 15.29 The Eternitie or strength of Israel wil not lie Al lies are from impotence and infirmitie Truth and Veracitie is ever potent and strong but falsitie most impotent 3 From the Holinesse of God of which we shal immediately discourse I shal conclude this Divine Attribute with a pleasing observation I long since met with in the Life of Jansenius Bishop of Ipre that great Patron of Divine Grace who being demanded What Attribute of God was most in his heart whereby he was most awed Replied The Truth or Veracitie of God And he that writes his Life prefixed to his Augustinus assures us That in his Garden-walkes and solitary Meditations with his eyes fixed on Heaven he was oft seen and heard to break forth into this acclamation O Truth So great an Admirer was he of Divine Veritie and