upon these Principles and conducting them rightly be helpful to advance Men in Vertue and Goodness If the Characters herein ascribed to Generosity be consonant to the purest Principles of our Minds and to the clear and undoubted Notions which wise Men have all along had of things Then the main of what I have before offer'd will not I conceive be shaken by a side-wind Objection It was not nor is it necessary or indeed possible that Men in all Countries or Ages of the World should follow just the same Modes of conception or expression or the same Methods of Discourse There is no doubt a great Latitude that may be fairly taken in the manner of discoursing about the particular Vertues and of referring them to certain general Principles of the rational Soul Accordingly we find that the Holy Writers themselves do fall into that variety in this Case which the nature of things so easily admits They often vary from one another in their Expressions and in their Methods of Discourse and Exhortation upon much the same Subjects They give us diversly the descriptions or characters of particular Vertues Sometimes in such manner as seems agreeable to the true nature of them and at other times in such manner as is mostly suited to the present Argument or Purpose of the Writer or to the Principles of the Mind to which they are for that time referred Let us for the present only take notice how many several ways Vertue in general or Religion or Holiness or Goodness call it by what such-like Name you will is represented to us by the several Writers of the holy Books Sometimes it is represented under the name and characters of Wisdom as in the Writings of King Solomon Sometims under the name of Righteousness that is Justice or Rectitude as in several of the sacred Books Sometimes it is comprehended under the general Phrase The Fear of the Lord as in many of the sacred Books both of the old and new Testament Sometimes under that of Love or Dilection comprizing in it the love of God and of our Neighbour as in some of the Books of the old Testament and most of the Books of the new particularly in the Writings of St. John and St. Paul Sometimes under the general Term Faith exhibiting to us the sum of our Duty as in several Books of the new Testament especially in the Writings of St. Paul If therefore the several holy Writers vary from one another in this manner we need not wonder that others should vary from them in things wherein there is naturally so much Latitude Admit then that some one or more of the holy Writers intimates that Faith is a Principle serving to produce in Men several particular Vertues we must not think that that contradicts or excludes what is spoken by such one or more of the holy Writers as intimates that Love or the Fear of God are Principles serviceable to that end Here are now suppose before our Eyes four things which may be deemed Principles of Vertue and Goodness viz. Faith Love Fear of God and Generosity But surely the saying that Faith is such a Principle does not exclude Love from being such too And saying that Love is such a Principle does not exclude the Fear of God from being such too And saying that the Fear of God is such a Principle does not exclude Generosity from being such too because they are each of them more or less such Nor on the other side will Generosity exclude the other Principles of Faith Love or the Fear of God or they exclude it any more than they exclude one another or any more than they exclude Prudence and Sincerity considered as general Principles of Vertue or indeed any other general Principle besides which serves for producing Vertue in Men. The Principles aforementioned may be all of them jointly and severally Principles productive of Vertue And accordingly to them as such either to all of them together or to any of them apart several particular Vertues may properly be referred And of this we have in the case of Faith a great Instance in the 11th Chapter to the Hebrews where we find attributed to Faith a great number of Vertues which distinguished and signalized the Heroes and good Men in several Ages of the World So that upon the Matter the consideration of the Style or the manner of Writing used by the holy Penmen of the Scripture will not I conceive afford any just exception against what I have before offer'd or give any occasion to doubt but that Generosity is such a Principle of Vertue and Goodness as I pretend it is But to speak freely why indeed should we think that none of the holy Writers take notice of the Principle of Generosity when we find that St. Paul gives so lively a description of it in which he concludes and sums up his other particular Exhortations Phil. 4.8 Finally my Brethren says he whatsoever things are True whatsoever things are Honest or Venerable whatsoever things are Just whatsoever things are Pure whatsoever things are Lovely whatsoever things are of good Report if there be any Vertue and if there be any Praise that is if they be Vertuous and Praise-worthy think on these things And when we likewise find in general that the several Vertues which I have shewn do belong to its Character are by frequent and earnest Precepts and Exhortations inculcated upon Men throughout their Writings tho' in other Words perhaps or under other Heads and Relations I say when we find the Case to be thus why should we think that the holy Writers take no notice of this Principle We need not be much concerned about a Word or Name when we have the Thing and Substance If the Thing may in the Substance of it be found in Scripture Or if it be not really and materially repugnant to what is delivered there Or if which is all one in effect it may be demonstrated by rational and convincing Considerations to be a good and useful Principle that ought as I take it to content us II. In the next place I should endeavour to shew the usefulness of the Principle of Generosity for the due Government of our Actions But from the Interpretation of this Principle which I have before offer'd we may pretty well discern that it is like to be of great use for that purpose And this will in great measure supersede what I intended to speak under this Head at least will oblige me to handle it with the more brevity We find there is a vast variety of Circumstances wherein Men may be placed when they come to chuse and act Men fall at times under different Relations to one another and their Cases come to be diversified by Circumstances and Accidents emerging By which means it comes to pass that they are oftentimes at a loss how to chuse and act even in Cases which if they were strip'd of several of their Circumstances would seem plain and clear
look in them as proper Objects not only of Justice but also of Kindness and Beneficence a serenity of Mind mixt with the Perceptions of Kindness and Gratitude and a sense of Decorum which kind of Sentiments serve to open his Heart and to dispose him as well to make suitable acknowledgments of Favours and Obligations as likewise to do these and other things in such a manner as may seem most becoming a great Mind To Generosity do likewise belong Sincerity and Rectitude of Spirit Of which I shall have occasion to speak more particularly anon And to it likewise belong Dispassionateness and Tranquility 'T is well known that Mens Passions and unbridled Appetites do ruffle and disorder them to a very great degree and by disturbing the regular use of their natural Freedom and raising Storms and Tempests in their Minds impel them to the commission of many foolish extravagant and wicked things which afterwards bring upon them shame regret remorse of Conscience and many other Inconveniences Now Generosity is adapted to remedy these Evils For the Generous Man by the Command he has over his own Spirit and the Government he maintains over his Passions and Inclinations is the better secured in that Tranquility which the regular use of Mens natural Freedom is wont to produce And since he endeavours to do nothing whereof he shall have just cause afterwards to Repent he is the more likely to escape Remorse of Conscience than which there is nothing that gives the Mind a more sharp and tormenting Pain Evenness of Temper in Judging and Acting is another Property of Generosity This is much the same with that which is sometimes called in one word Moderation And is produced or maintained by that Firmness of Mind and Tranquility which I have before mentioned It is easy to discern that the due government of a Man's Spirit and of his Passions corporeal Impressions and Inclinations the irregularities whereof do so much pervert Mens Judgments concerning things and betray them into so many weak and wicked Actions must needs conduce very much to establish him in this even Temper of Mind Exact observation of Decorum is likewise another Property of Generosity We know there are several things either Lawful or at least countenanced by the general Practice of Men which yet are really not expedient or fitting to be done as being against Decency and good Grace In such Cases the Generous Man considers not barely what is lawful or practicable but withal what is decent and seemly The respect he has for the Humane Nature enclines him to conceal its imperfections to cover what is uncomely with the vail of Modesty and to submit quietly to the laws of the animal nature without violating Purity or Decency internally in his Mind or openly in his words or actions He will not offer unhandsome things to Matrons or Virgins or put modest persons to the blush and endeavours in general to avoid such words and gestures as are ungraceful So likewise he is not apt to be assuming impertinent or troublesome in company to put the banter and ridicule upon others to reflect upon them or insult over their weakness and imperfection to pry into other Mens secrets or meddle with matters which do not concern him He bears with many things connives at and passes many things over in silence In a word he considers his sex his age his station his character and the circumstances of his condition and endeavours with respect to them all to comport himself as neer as he can by the rules of Decorum And since Decency is a thing of a refined and delicate nature and the perfection as it were of Right and Lawful as Equity is the perfection of Justice The Generous Man who resolves to do to his power that which is best and most becoming and to attain as high a degree in Vertue as he can must neeeds find himself under an obligation to observe the rules of Decency In short Generosity imports an extreme Love and Veneration for Vertue The Generous Man looks upon Vertue and Goodness to be the most honourable and becoming thing in the World and the greatest Ornament and perfection of the Human nature It is to him the great index and rule of Honourable and Dishonourable And therefore when he looks round about him he can see nothing that deserves to be the object of his esteem and ambition in comparison of it Being satisfied that there is nothing so worthy of his care and regard as that which tends to advance him to a conformity unto the supreme and most perfect Being and which leads him in a direct line to the truest and highest Felicity his nature is capable of So that when he resolves to use his natural Freedom rightly and to prosecute with all his might that which is simply and absolutely best he does so for the sake of Vertue That is the secret Spring of his motions and the Butt of his Ambition This may serve for a general explication of the nature of Generosity In the next place I am to speak somewhat to shew the agreement and affinity there is between it and several other Vertues which have been deservedly esteemed of the first rank and likewise between it and some of those excellent rules of conduct which have been approved by the common consent of mankind in most ages of the World And after that I would consider briefly the influence it has even upon what is more strictly called Piety and Religion By all which it may appear that the sentiments and dispositions of mind which Generosity is attended with all do entirely correspond and are in effect the same with those sentiments and dispositions which the most eminent Vertues and approved rules of Action serve to produce in us And the doing of this will I conceive not only afford us a fuller interpretation of the Principle which we are now considering but likewise be of considerable use to us in our Practice Now there are six Principal Vertues which I shall take particular notice of in this place to wit Prudence Sincerity and Patience which are called Primitive Vertues And Justice Fortitude and Temperance which are called Derivative ones Prudence is a Vertue whereby a Man judges rightly of things And this no Man can well do who is not competently free from the power of Prejudice Passion and the other imbecillities which hinder Men from the clear discernment of what is good and true Now it is the generous Mans constant endeavour to overcome and keep his Mind free from those impediments as I have before noted And by that means he is very much secured from several of those errors which are opposite to Prudence such as Rashness Precipitance Levity Credulity Obstinacy blind Zeal Partiality and the like And on the contrary is disposed and enabled to judg and chuse rightly To explain this I shall at present only make use of the following instance waiving others which might be given We find there
have obliged him or done him good offices And therefore is careful to shew upon all fit occasions his gratitude to his Benefactors accounting it a piece of Justice and Honour so to do And he is likewise careful to demonstrate an entire Fidelity to those who have committed to him a Trust accounting it both unjust and mean-spirited to be treacherous or unfaithful And whilst he considers the strait alliance and consanguinity there is between Man and Man upon account of the common nature they are all partakers of and likewise the just Title that all Men who are not fallen from the common Rights of their nature have not only to his esteem and good will but also to all those good offices which 't is in his power upon reasonable terms to render to them He finds himself engaged even in point of Justice to be courteous affable easy of access humane candid and obliging to all Men and to exercise as far as he fairly may the respective offices of Charity Beneficence Hospitality and Philanthropy towards them And as he thinks himself obliged to do those things which Justice requires with respect to mankind So he considers also the Justice that is due to Almighty God And this engages him to the exact performance of the respective Offices of Piety which relate to Almighty God So likewise he remembers that he ows a duty and Respect to Truth also And this obliges him to an entire Veracity and makes him punctual to his promises and contracts as far as lies really and bona fide in his power And considering that Lying Equivocating or Dissembling are mean and rascally actions and for the most part the tokens of an abject Spirit he finds himself obliged to avoid these and such like little Arts if he would pursue the Character of a Just and Generous Man As for Fortitude whereby Men are enabled for the sake of Vertue and Goodness to atchieve and undergo great and difficult things and even to suffer Death it self with a firm and intrepid Mind It is so neerly allied to Generosity that several of the Characters of Generosity have been wont to be ascribed by Moralists to it and to be represented under the name of Fortitude or Magnanimity Now Fortitude or Magnanimity consisting in that true Gallantry of Mind which qualifies Men for great undertakings which enables them to encounter with a constant and serene mind the difficulties and dangers that attend elevated imployments both in Peace and War and all this in general for the sake of Honesty and Vertue and in particular for the good and safety of their Country Generosity and It appear to have an undivided cognation And as Fortitude has in most ages been esteemed and honoured in a peculiar manner insomuch that the other good habits or powers of the Soul are called Vertues from the proper name of this So the Generous Man has a Genius peculiarly suited to make good the characters of that Vertue And though he be as sensible of Pain and misfortunes as other Men yet he endeavours to keep his Spirit from being oppressed or softned by them and in a word to support himself under all with a steadiness and constancy becoming his character Then for Temperance which is a Vertue whereby Men are restrained in the use of sensitive pleasures that they may the better pursue things more sublime and noble This is evidently of kin to Generosity which likewise suggests that we ought to postpone all manner of sensitive Gratifications to those other exercises of the Mind whereby it is led to that which is simply and absolutely best He cannot prosecute that which is absolutely best with a just Vigour who is continually enclined to gratify the Body in its several Appetites because there is nothing that does more than that hinder Men in the pursuit of Vertue and Goodness But the Generous Man is sensible that 't is unbecoming the dignity of the Rational nature for a Man to indulge himself too much in corporeal pleasures or gratify the extravagant desires of the Body That this would be to set the Rational and the Animal nature upon the same Level or perhaps to prefer the Latter before the Former And being satisfied it is no part of true Humility to condescend so low he endeavours to maintain the dignity of that rank and order wherein God Almighty hath placed him And all this he does not out of a Contempt of other Creatures more ignoble than himself but out of a just esteem of the Dignity of his own Order and out of a sincere regard to Vertue And when he observes how much Voluptuousness tends to bewitch Mens Minds to render Men soft terrene and degenerate and to extinguish the Seeds of goodness in them He concludes that if he be not temperate and discreet in the use of sensual pleasures he shall be in apparent danger of forfeiting those Vertuous habits and dispositions of Mind wherein he places his greatest Honour and Happiness And thus he is armed against several Vices that are opposite to Temperance such as Lasciviousness Excess in Meats and Drinks Vanity in Behaviour or Apparel and other softnesses wherein there is any thing of Luxury or Abuse But further as touching those excellent Rules of conduct which I before took notice of let us see how Generosity stands with respect to them Of this sort there are two principally to be considered Do as you would be done by And Know thy self As for the former of these Do unto others as you would they should do unto you and Do not to others what you would not they should do unto you They are so easy to be understood and applied that I need say no more of them than that they contain the Sum of Natural Justice and Equity and being of a comprehen five and delicate nature do not only direct us to act according to the Ordinary Rules of Justice but likewise serve to guide us by the Rules of Equity and Mercy where those of Justice seem to be either obscure or defective And this is one great use of Generosity which is also a Principle so comprehensive that as I have already observed it imports in it the Sum of that Justice and Equity which Men ow to one another and is of so fine and delicate a nature that it restrains Men from doing many things which according to human Laws or the ordinary Rules of Justice may appear lawful and enclines them oftentimes as the circumstances of things may be to do more than those ordinary Rules in strictness require at their hands As to the latter Precept Know thy Self This we are told was formerly had in great Reverence insomuch that 't was supposed to have been immediately communicated unto Men from Heaven E Coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it well deserves to be esteemed and observed at this day Now the Knowledge of our selves is of use principally two ways To wit As it makes us sensible on the one
Happy without their own Choice and Endeavour shews the necessity of the latter And indeed the reasonableness and necessity of doing these two Things is so evident that I think it needless either to insist upon proveing it or to use Arguments to engage Men to put them in practice But it must be observed that these two ought to go hand in hand And both must be performed with that Sincerity of Mind which is necessary upon so just an occasion As for what relates to our own Endeavours the Method we take in other Cases will serve in this If we would acquire a Habit of Justice Temperance or the like Vertues We stedfastly resolve and excite our selves to perform those Offices which pertain to Justice Temperance c. and endeavour to avoid the contrary Vices If we offend we renew our good Resolutions and with doubled care and diligence endeavour to put them in Execution The like we must do in this Case And herein we have this further Encouragement that the same Methods which serve for acquiring this Habit will likewise serve for our improveing in it But more particularly let us consider briefly in what manner our Endeavours upon this occasion may be exerted First because we find it natural to Mankind to act agreeably to the Notions which they have conceived of things And because Men cannot Chuse nor by consequence Act rightly till they can competently distinguish between things and know what is fit to be chosen and what is to be refused It is necessary therefore that we endeavour in the first place to possess our Minds with just Sentiments concerning the nature of Things particularly concerning the Differences between Good and Evil Decent and Indecent Honourable and Dishonourable So also because it is found by experience that there are many things which Men will not set about in good earnest till such time as they are convinced that they are under some Obligation to the doing of them or that it is for their Honour or Interest to do them It is necessary that we represent to our Minds with all the force and perspicuity possible those Considerations which demonstrate as well the honourable and becoming nature of Vertue and its happy Consequences as likewise the firm and indispensable Obligation we are under to act according to the Rules which it prescribes And because on the other hand it is found by experience that 't is of great use to restrain Men from the Commission or Practice of several things to convince them that they ought not to do those things and that the doing of them will be both very Pernicious and very Dishonourable to them It seemeth necessary that we likewise represent to our Minds with all the force and perspicuity possible those Considerations which serve to make us sensible that Vice is really Base and Dishonourable that it draws after it the bitterest and most pernicious Consequences that can be imagined and that we are under the most solid Obligations in the World to refuse and avoid it with all our Power And this is to be done so frequently that the wholesome Conclusions we draw from these Considerations may make a deep Impression upon our Minds and beget in us an habitual and immoveable Conviction of the reasonableness and necessity of acting accordingly Having therefore opened our Minds to a just and exact Consideration of the true nature of Things and thereupon formed certain general Judgments or Rules by which we may conduct our Actions so as to ehuse that which is Good Decent and Honourable and to shun and avoid the contrary and even to prefer that which is more Good Decent and Honourable before that which is less so It will only remain that we firmly and advisedly resolve with our selves to go in all Cases as near as we can by those Rules and whether we be more or less knowing endeavour to act according to the best of our Skill and Knowledge And by this means we shall be put in a way of making the right and best use both of our Understandings and our Wills which are the two great Springs from whence our Actions do proceed But further because it is found that Men are naturally bent to desire and prosecute those things which appear to be lovely and amiable It seemeth proper that we should likewise take all fit Occasions to contemplate and represent to our selves the amiable nature of this Vertue of Generosity that as it is very beautiful in it self so it may appear in a lively manner such to our Minds A Beauty will not Charm if concealed or unobserved Nor will Generosity appear to us Lovely as it is unless we turn the Eyes of our Minds towards it It is necessary therefore in this Case that we apply our selves as well to consider the Characters of Generosity in the Theory as likewise to observe how beautiful it appears to be in such as exercise it in a just manner what a Charm and Engagement it carries with it how Decent how Venerable how Agreeable to our best Thoughts it is By this means we shall be inspired with the Love and Admiration of it and consequently be engaged to pursue it with Vigour In a word though it be of good use to set before our selves in general good and wholsome Rules of acting and to make general Resolutions of pursuing them and to strengthen those Resolutions with such Considerations and Motives as are proper for that purpose Yet it seems material to be observed that this will hardly be effectual unless we likewise enure our selves actually to put in execution the Resolutions which we make and reduce those Rules into Practice in particular Cases Experience shews how heedless and unvigilant Men are wont to be and how ineffectual and ill usory their general Resolutions often prove Insomuch that for want of confirming themselves in the Habits of Vertue by particular and repeated Acts they sometimes fall into the contrary Habits of Vice and undo all the good Resolutions they had formerly made It is found that Habits are gained by the frequent repeating of particular Acts and are confirmed and improved by Use and Practice nor can indeed long subsist without it And so in particular is the Habit of Generosity And therefore we must of necessity enure and accustom our selves to particular Acts of Generosity if we desire to acquire the Habit of it or to continue or improve in that Character FINIS ERRATA PAge 11. line 12. add 1. p. 13. l. 5. for Perfections read Perceptions p 14. l. 8. after esteem make a p. 28. l. 8. r. compounded p. 33. l. 24 after that add it p. 36. l. 13. r. make such use of it as that it may p. 42. l. 25. f. undertake r. undervalue p. 65. l. 24. f. on r. in and l. 25. f. in r. on