The Reasons of the Christian Religion Part 1, Part 1 · Chapter 14

The Reasons of the Christian Religion Part 1 · Part 1 · Chapter 14

p. 119CHAP. XIV. That there is a Life of Retribution after this.

TO know whether there be a Life after this,Senec. Conſol. ad Marciam: Cum tempus advenerit quo ſe mundus renovaturus, — omni flagrante materia uno igne, quicquid nunc ex diſpoſito lucet, ardebit— Nos quo que faelices animae, & aeterna ſortitae, cum Deo viſum erit, iterum iſta moliri — Foelicem filium tuum Marcia, qui iſta (mortuus) jam novit.— for men to receive Rewards or Puniſhments in, is a matter of greateſt importance to Mankinde, to be fully reſolved in: upon which depend our Comforts, and our Religion, and without which we know not what to expect, to hope for, or to fear; nor what to intend and ſeek after through our lives, nor how to order our hearts or actions.

This therefore I ſhall inquire into by the help of Reaſon and Natural evidence, as one that would not be deceived nor deceive, in ſo great a matter. And I ſhall paſs by thoſe arguments which are commonly fetcht from the Souls immateriality, and independence upon matter, and other ſuch like, which are commonly to be found in Phyſicks and Metaphyſicks, as being not ſuch as my preſent method leadeth me to; and ſhall make uſe of ſuch as are the neceſſary conſectaries of the certain Truths already proved.

p. 120D… ſ… …ae, dupliceſ que curſus animotum è corpore exeuntium: Nam qui ſe vitiis humanis contaminarunt; & libidinibus ſe tradiderunt, i…s devium quoddam iter eſt, ſecluſum à conſil o Deorum. Qui autem ſe integros caſtoſ…, ſervarunt, quibuſ que ſuit m…n…a…a cum corporibus contagio ſunt que in corporibus humanis vitam imitati Deorum, iis ad illo… à quibus ſunt profecti, facilè patet reditus. Socrates, in Cicerone Tuſcul. 1.Object. But whatever Rationalities may be drawn from the Divine Attributes, to prove a future ſtate, yet it depending wholly on the Divine Will, and the Divine Will being abſolutely free, we can have no rational inducements to bring us to any ſufficient knowledge of it, but by a clear Revelation of the Divine Will.

Anſw. Is the Law of Nature no clear Revelation of Gods will? or is it a Law without any Rewards or Penalties? It depended on Gods will, whether man ſhould be his Subject or no, obliged to obey him! But doth it follow therefore that it cannot be proved? By making him a Rational free Agent, and ſociable, placed among occaſions of good and evil, God did reveal that it was his will that Man ſhould be his Subject, and obey him! One action of God doth oft reveal his will concerning another. Thoſe Attributes of God which ſignifie his Relation to us, do reveal much of his will, concerning what he will do with us in thoſe Relations. And though his will be free, his perfections conſiſt not with falſhood and mutability. If in freedom you include [indetermination] then when we prove the determination of it ad unum, you will plead no longer that it is free; no more than it is yet free whether he will make the World.

Qui rectè & honeſtè curriculum vivendi à naturâ datum confecerit, ad aſtra facilè revertetur. Non qui aut immoderatè, aut intemperanter vixerit. Cicero de Ʋniverſ.§. 1. I. He that is the moſt Righteous Governour of the World, making a juſt difference by Rewards and Puniſhments, between the obedient and the wicked, which yet he maketh not in this life, will certainly make it after this life: But God is the moſt Righteous Governour of the World, making a juſt difference by Rewards and Puniſhments, between the obedient and the wicked, which yet he maketh not in this life: Therefore he will make it after this life.

That God is the Governour of the World (in a proper ſenſe, by Laws and Moral Government) is proved: And that he is Righteous, is contained in the Perfections of his Nature. To deny either of theſe is to deny him to be God. That his Laws of Nature have not only Precepts of Duty, but ſanctions of Reward and Puniſhment, is alſo proved: And further may be thus. 1. If there be no Rewards or Puniſhments, there is no Judgement or Execution: But there is Judgement and Execution: for they are parts of Government. Ergo — p. 1212. Without Rewards and Puniſhments,Improbo bene eſſe non poteſt. Cicero Par. Impii apud inferos poenas luunt. Cicero Philict. 1. de Legib. Impiis apud inferos ſunt poenae praeparatae. Cicer. 1. de invent. Precepts would be vain to ſuch as us, and uneffectual as to their ends. But God hath not made his Laws in vain,—Ergo.

Obj. Governours uſe not to give men Rewards for their Obedience: ſubjects muſt obey without Reward.

Anſw. It is not the Name but the Thing that we enquire of: Call it a Benefit if you had rather: All Government is upheld by Rewards and Puniſhment. Reward is either that which is common to all obedient Subjects, or ſuch as is ſpecially proper to ſome: All ſubjects that are faithfull, have title to protection, and approbation, and juſtification againſt all falſe accuſations; and to their ſhare in that peace and felicity of the Common-wealth,Sic habeto; te non eſſe mortalem, ſed corpus hoc. Cicer. ſom. ſcip. Cicero ſaith, that their worſhipping of Hercules, and other Heroes, doth imply, that Animi omnium ſunt immortales, ſed Bonorum Divini. Cicer. 2. de Legib. which is the end of the Government: And ſome Commonwealths having far greater felicities than others, accordingly the Subjects of them have their right and part: And this is the common reward or benefit of obedience and fidelity. Beſides which, ſome great exploits are uſually rewarded with ſome ſpecial praemium. In humane Kingdoms as ſuch, the End is no higher than the Beginning: Temporal Governours give but temporal Rewards: The felicities of the Kingdom, which are the ends of Government, as they are from Man are but temporal; and our ſhare in them is all our Reward from men: But the original and end of the Kingdom of God are higher, and of further proſpect: The benefits of fidelity are greater, as ſhall be further proved.

But let it be noted,Bonorum mentes mihi Divinae at que aeternae videntur, & ex hominum vita ad Deorum religionem ſanctimoniam que migrare. Idem. Deorum providentiâ Mundus adminiſtratur, iidem que conſulunt rebus humanis, ne que ſolum univerſis, verum etiam fingulis. Cicer. 1. de Divinat. that this Objection ſaith nothing againſt a life of Puniſhment. Governours never leave their Precepts without this ſanction. And he that believeth future Puniſhment, will eaſily believe a future Reward.

Let it alſo be noted, that Paternal Government hath evermore Rewards in the ſtricteſt ſenſe; that is, a ſpecial favour and kindneſs ſhewed to the Childe that is ſpecially obedient; and ſo the reſt according to their meaſures. But the Kingdom of God is A PATERNALL KINGDOM as is proved. That God will make in his Retributions a juſt difference between the good and bad, is proved from his Juſtice in Government: If his Laws make no difference, then men are left at liberty to keep or break them, nor can it rationally be expected that they ſhould be kept: Nor could he be ſaid p. 122ſo much as to love or approve, or juſtifie the obedient more than the rebellious:Perſuaſum hoc ſit à principio hominibus, Dominos eſſe omnium rerum ac moderatores Deos: ea que quae gerantur, eorum geri ditione at que numine — Et qualis quiſ que ſit, quid agat, quid in ſe admittat, quâ mente, quâ pietate colat Religionem, intueri, Piorum que & impiorum habere rationem. Cicero de leg. 2. ☝ But ſo unholy a Nature, and ſo indifferent between ſin and duty, and ſo unwiſe and unjuſt in governing, is not to be called God. Either he juſtly differenceth, or he doth not Govern.

That God maketh not a ſufficient differencing Retribution in this life, is the complaint of ſome, and the confeſſion of almoſt all the World: The bad are commonly the greateſt, and the Lords and Oppreſſors of the Juſt: The Turks, the Tartarians, the Moſcovites, the Perſians, the Mogull, and more ſuch brutiſh Monarchs, who uſe the people as the ſlaves of their pride and luſt, do take up the far greateſt part of the Earth. Few places are ſo good, where Goodneſs expoſeth not men to ſufferings, from the rabble of the vulgar, if not from the Governours; ſlanders and abuſes are the common lot of thoſe that will differ from the carnal, wilde, rebellious Rout. And poverty, pain, ſickneſs, and death, do come alike to all. The ſenſual, that have wit enough, ſo far to bridle their luſts, as to preſerve their health, do uſually live longer than more obedient men: And they deny themſelves none of thoſe fleſhly pleaſures, which the obedient do continually abſtain from.

Obj. But do you not ordinarily ſay, that Vice bringeth its puniſhment with it in its natural effects? and Obedience its Reward? Is not the life of a Glutton and Drunkard puniſhed by poverty, and ſhame, and ſickneſs? And is not Godlineſs a pleaſure in it ſelf? If it be our higheſt end and Happineſs to love God and pleaſe him, then ſure the beginnings of it here, muſt have more good, than all the pleaſures of ſin? and ſo God maketh a ſufficient difference here.

Anſw. Some Vices that are ſottiſhly managed, do bring poverty, ſhame and ſickneſs: but that may eaſily be avoided by a vicious wit: Gluttony and drunkenneſs may fall ſhort of ſickneſſes. Fornication and adultery and inceſt may be managed with greater craft. Pride and ambition may attain dominion and wealth: Theft may be hid, and cheating and fraud may make men rich, and free them from the pinching wants, and cares, and the temptations to diſcontent and contention, of the poor. Malice may delight it ſelf in ſecret revenges, in poyſonings, murderings, and ſuch like, p. 123without any worldly hurt to the tranſgreſſour. A Tiberius, a Nero, a Caligula, a Domitian, a Commodus, a Heliogabalus, a Sardanapalus, may be on the Throne, when a Socrates, a Seneca, a Cicero, a Cato, a Demoſthenes is put to death; yea, when a Paul or Peter, an Ignatius, a Cyprian, are ſacrificed to their bloody rage.

Yet it is true, that all this while they want the dignity and comfort of the Juſt: But while they value it not, and feel not the want of it, they take it not for a puniſhment, but chooſe it as a felicity.

And as for the preſent Rewards of Virtue, to ſpeak impartially, I verily think that if there were no life to come, Virtue and Holineſs were rationally more eligible: But that is much becauſe God is an End above our ſelves! And for our own content, in many, Holineſs would give the minde more pleaſure, than all fleſhly pleaſure, and worldly greatneſs could counterpoiſe. But with many others, whoſe afflictions are very heavy, and pains and poverty very great, and who are grievouſly tormented by cruel perſecutors; and perhaps a Melancholy conſtitution may forbid them much delight, it is hard to ſay, that if they durſt let looſe themſelves to all ſin, which maketh for their fleſhly intereſt, their Pleaſure would not be much greater. While the Soul is in fleſh, it unavoidably partaketh of the pain or pleaſure of the fleſh: Therefore the torment of the Stone, or Strangury, or of a Rack or Strappado will reach the Soul: And the operations of the Soul being in and by the body, a tormented body will hinder thoſe Contemplations which ſhould feed our Joy, and alſo hinder the Joy of thoſe Contemplations. Moſt Chriſtians enjoy little comfort in Holineſs, through the very cares of this life, and the weakneſs of Grace, and power of Corruptions, and doubts and fears which do attend them: Much leſs would they have much comfort, if they were here tormented, and miſerable in body, and had no hope of another life. In ſome ſenſe we may ſay, that Heaven is begun on Earth, becauſe Holineſs is begun: But the Heaven on Earth is the hope and reflection of the Heaven indeed, and is ſoon gone if that be gone, as the light here ceaſeth when the Sun is ſet. God ſeen and loved in a glaſs doth more differ as to us from God as ſeen and loved in the intuition of p. 124his Glory, than the heart of man is now able to conceive. The difference may be well called ſpecifical as to our actions, yea tranſcendently ſuch. Let any man in torment without any hope of Heaven be Judge.

And though Honeſty without the Pleaſure and Comforts of it, be ſtill better and more eligible, yet while mans Reaſon and Virtue is ſo weak, and his ſenſe and appetite ſo ſtrong, and his body hath ſo much power upon his minde, it is very few that the meer Love of Virtue would prevail with, if that Virtue were never to come to a higher degree than this.

It is undoubtedly true, that the Delights of Holineſs, are incomparably more deſireable, as we have them in this life, than Kingdoms and all the pleaſures of the fleſh: But that is principally becauſe that this life is the paſſage to a better, and hath relation to ſo glorious a reward: The leaſt fore-thought of future Bleſſedneſs, may weigh down all the riches and pleaſures of the World. But take away the reſpect to the life to come, and weak man would meet with no ſuch comforts.

It is true alſo, that Virtue and Piety is moſt deſirable even for it ſelf: But that is eſpecially as it will be it ſelf indeed, in a life of fuller perfection than this: For here it is ſo weak, and clogged with ſo many corruptions, and infirmities, that the comfort of it is little perceived: But as a Childe in infancy hath leſs pleaſure than a Bruite, for all his Reaſon; and as young Scholars for a time, do meet with more trouble than pleaſure in their Learning, and half-witted Artiſts are oft more incommodious than none; and no one would much ſeek after Arts or Learning for all its excellency, if they had not hopes to aſcend above that troubleſome ſmattering degree: Even ſo in the preſent Caſe, though the leaſt Virtue be in it ſelf more valuable than all ſenſual pleaſure, yet conſidered as Good to us, we ſhould never be able to preferre it, if we had not hopes of a higher meaſure, than moſt of the truly virtuous and obedient, do here attain.

Either it is fleſhly, worldly pleaſure, or it is the pleaſing and enjoying of God in Holineſs and Love, which is Mans ultimate end. If it be the former, then certainly the ſenſual and wicked are in a better condition than the obedient: For they have much more of that kinde of delight; while p. 125the beſt are oft tormented and perſecuted by their cruelty.Animus eſt ingeneratus à Deo, ex quo verè vel agnatio nobis cum coeleſtibus vel genus vel ſtirps appellari poteſt. Cicero 1. de Legib. But if it be the latter, then it is ſure to be enjoyed hereafter, ſeeing we have here ſo ſmall a meaſure, and alſo finde that all the Virtue and Holineſs of this life, conſiſteth much more in deſire, and ſeeking, than in delightfull enjoying: And our Delights are for the moſt part, the effects of Hope, of what we ſhall poſſeſs hereafter, more than of the ſenſe of our preſent happineſs.

There is no righteous Governour on Earth,Quum Pompeio res infeliciter cederent, & ad Caeſarem inclinaret victoria, Cato dicebat, in rebus Divinis multum eſſe caliginis; quod Pompeio praeter jus agenti fuiſſent omnia proſpera; cauſam reipublicae tuenti nihil ſuccederet. Plutarch. in Catone. that will ſuffer (if he can help it) his diſobedient Subjects to perſecute thoſe that moſt carefully obey him, and to make them a common ſcorn, and to impriſon them, torment them, burn them at Stakes, or baniſh them, and then ſay, That their obedience is in its own nature ſo much better than diſobedience, that it is Reward enough of it ſelf. It is not the work of a Ruler only to ſee that no man be a loſer by him or his ſervice in point of commutative Juſtice; but to ſee that by diſtributive Juſtice ſuch a difference be made between the obedient and diſobedient, as the difference of their actions do require, in order to the ends of Government. Juſtice giveth every one his due. Mercy it ſelf when it remitteth a penalty, doth it for the ſame ends, and upon ſuch reaſonable conſiderations of repentance, confeſſion, ſatisfaction, reparation, (according to power) that it may be called a Juſt Mercy: God is ſuch a Lover of Holineſs, that he will in his Government manifeſt that Love; and ſuch a hater of ſin that he will ſignifie his hatred of it to the ſinner.

Moreover, the Body it ſelf is part of the Man,Plato dicebat, Deum nullo uſpiam modo injuſtum eſſe ſed planè juſtiſſimum: Nec ei ſimilius inveniri poſſe quiequam, quam qui inter nos juſtiſſimus eſt. In. Thaeet. and that part which hath no ſmall intereſt in the ſin: It ſeemeth therefore unjuſt that the Bodies and ſenſitive powers of the diſobedient ſhould have all kinde of pleaſures, and the Bodies and ſenſe of the obedient have the pain of Faſting, ſelf-denyal, perſecutions, cruelties, and no further Judgement to make a more equal Retribution.

In a word, I think there are few that compare the life of an Emperour of Turkie, or Tartary, or any wicked ſenſual Worldling, with the life of many a thouſand perſecuted and tormented Saints, but will confeſs, that no Diſtributive Juſtice doth make in this life, ſo ſufficient a difference, as may make men know the Juſtice of the Governour, the p. 126deſirableneſs of a holy ſtate,How like a Chriſtian was that of Anaxagoras, in Laert. p. 8…. Hic non modo generis gloriâ & opibus, verum animi quoque magnitudine clariſſimus fuit: Quippe qui univerſum patrimonium ſuis ſponte conceſſit. Quo cum ab eis inſimularetur negligentiae, Quid ergo, inquit, noune vos iſta curatis? Deinde ab eis profectus, ad ſpeculandum rerum naturam ſe contulit, rei & publicae & privatae omnino negligens; adeo ut cuidam ſe ita compellanti, Nullane tibi Patriae cura eſt? dixerit, Mihi vero patriae cura eſt, & quidem ſumma; digitum in coelum intendens. Bene merenti, bene profuerit; male merenti par erit. Plaut. foreign, dictum Cleobuli. Phocilidis. foreign. Qui indignam honore afficiunt, ſtultitiae opinionem habent. Cic. or the danger of the contrary: it was the obſervation of this that made moſt of the Atheiſts of the world think, that there was no God, or that he exerciſed no moral Government over men: and that made even the innocent often to ſtagger, and tempted them to think their labours and ſufferings were all in vain, till they look'd before them to the end.

And if God's Juſtice make not a ſufficient difference here, it is certain that there is another life where he will do it; becauſe elſe he ſhould not be juſt, his Laws would be deluſory, and his Government would be defective, and ſucceſsful only by deceit.

Obj. God is not obliged to do Juſtice to men any more than to any other creatures: he ſuffereth the Dog to kill the Hare, the Deer, and innocent Sheep; the Kite to kill the harmleſs Doves and Chickens; the ravenous Birds, and Beaſts, and Fiſhes, to devour and live upon the reſt; and Man upon all: and he is not bound to do them Juſtice.

Anſw. The Bruits are no ſubjects capable of moral Government, and conſequently of Propriety, of Right or of Wrong. God that made them uncapable of Government, thereby declared that he intended them not for it. Let no man here play with ambiguities, and ſay, that God governeth all the creatures. The word [Government] is taken equivocally, when it is applied to a dead or bruitiſh ſubject, a Ship, a Coach, a Horſe, a Dog; and meaneth not the ſame thing which we diſcourſe of. It is Moral Government by Laws and Judgment which we treat of. When God had made Man a Governable Creature, he thereby declared his will to be himſelf his Governour, which is all the obligation that God is capable of, as to actions ad extra. He therefore that made the rational world his Kingdom, did thereby engage himſelf to govern them in Juſtice: there is therefore no compariſon between the caſe of men and bruits, who never were ſubjects, but utenſils in his Kingdom.

§. 2. II. If there were no retribution in the life to come, the ſecret ſins and duties of the heart and life would be under no ſufficient Government. But the ſecret ſins and duties of the heart and life are under a ſufficient Government: Therefore there is a Retribution in the life to come.

p. 127This Argument is a particular inſtance,Qui largiuntur indignis ea quae dignis conferri debebant, tria committunt abſurda, nam & ipſi jacturam faciunt, & in bonos contumelioſi ſunt, & malos roborant materiâ vitiorum ſuppeditatâ. Antonin. Stultiſſimum eſt exiſtimare on nia juſta eſſe quae ſcita ſint in populorum inſtitutis, aut legibus. Etiamne ſi quae ſint Tyrannorum leges, ſi 30 illi Athenis leges imponere voluiſſent? aut ſi omnes Athenienſes delectarentur tyrannicis legibus, num idcirco hae leges juſtae haberentur? Nihilo credo magis illa quàm interrex noſter tulit, ut Dictator quem vellet civium, indicta cauſa, impune poſſet occidere. Eſt enim unum jus quo devincta eſt hominum ſocietas, &c. Cic. de leg. 1. p. 225. Idem undique in infernum deſcenſus eſt; ſaid Anaxagoras to one that lamented that he muſt die in a ſtrange Country. Laert. in Anaxag. to clear the former general Argument. The Major is proved by experience; the Heart is the Fountain of Good and Evil, man cannot ſee it, and therefore pretendeth not to govern it, or make Laws for it; if they did, it would be all in vain. The heart may be guilty of Atheiſm, Blaſphemy, Idolatry, Malice, Contrivements, and deſires of Treaſon, Murder, Inceſt, Adultery, Fraud, Oppreſſion, and all the Villany in the world, and no man can know or puniſh it: and God doth not do it ordinarily in this life, with any ſufficient act of Juſtice. So alſo all thoſe ſins which men are but able to hide, as ſecret Murders, Treaſons, Revenge, Slanders, Fraud, &c. do eſcape all puniſhment from man. And God hath no obſervable ordinary courſe of outward Juſtice in this world, but what he exerciſeth by men, (though extraordinarily he ſometime otherwiſe interpoſe.) And how eaſie and ordinary it is for ſubtil men to do much wickedneſs, and never be diſcovered, needs no proof. The like we may ſay in ſome meaſure of thoſe ſecret duties of heart and life, which have neither reward nor notice in this life; and if obſerved, are uſually turned into matter of reproach.

The Minor needeth no more proof, when we have proved already that God is our Governour: It is certain, that the ſecret acts of heart and life are as much under his government as the open, and therefore ſhall have equal retribution.

§. 3. III. If there were no life of retribution after this, the ſins of the Great ones and Rulers of the world, and all others, that by ſtrength could make their part good, would be under no ſufficient Juſtice. But the ſins even of the greateſt and ſtrongeſt are under ſufficient juſtice: Therefore there is a life of retribution after this.

The Major is clear by experience: The ſins of all the Sovereigns of the earth are rarely under ſufficient juſtice in this life. If there were no puniſhment hereafter, what juſtice would be done upon a Tamerlane, a Bajazet, a Mahumed, a Dionyſius, an Alexander, a Caeſar, a Marius, a Sylla, a Sertorius, and many hundred ſuch, for all the innocent bloud which they have ſhed, for their pride and ſelf-exalting. What juſtice would be done on Kings, and Emperours, and States, that have none above them, for all their luſts and filthineſs, p. 128their intemperance and ſenſuality,Nae illi falſi ſunt qui diverſiſſimas res pariter expectant, voluptatem & praemia virtutis. Sa…uſt. Ut ex barba capillos detonſos negligimus, ita ille divinus animus egreſſurus, quo receptaculum ſuum conferatur, ignis illud exurat, an ferae diſtrahant, an terra contegat, non magis putat ad ſe pertinere, quam ſecundinas ad editum infantem. Sen. ep. 93. Maximum eſt argumentum naturam ipſam de immortalitate animorum tacitè judicare, quod omnibus curae ſint, & maxime quidem, quae poſt mortem futura ſunt. Cic. Cum natura caeteros animantes abjeciſſet, ad paſtum, ſolum hominem erexit, & ad coeli quaſi cognationis domiciliique priſtini conſpectum excitavit. Tum ſpeciem ita formavit oris, ut in eâ penitus reconditos mores effingeret. Cic. 1. de legib. their oppreſſion and cruelty? I know that God doth ſometimes puniſh them by Rebels, or by other Princes, or by ſickneſs in this life: but that is no ordinary courſe of juſtice, and therefore not ſufficient to its ends: Ordinarily all things here come alike to all. And what juſtice would be done upon any Rebels or Robbers that are but ſtrong enough to bear it out? Or upon any that raiſe unrighteous Wars, and burn, and murder, and deſtroy Countries and Cities, and are worſe than plagues to all places where they come, and worſe than mad dogs and bears to others? If they do but conquer, inſtead of puniſhment for all this villany, they go away here with wealth and glory.

The Minor is paſt queſtion: Therefore certainly there is another life, where conquering, rewarded, proſpering, domineering ſin ſhall have its proper puniſhment.

§. 4. IV. If God rule not man by the hopes and fears of certain Good and Evil hereafter, he ruleth him not according to his Nature: But God doth rule man according to his Nature: Ergo.

The Minor needeth no proof: The Major is proved by experience: The nature of man is to be moſt moved with the hopes and fears of Good and Evil after death: Otherwiſe death it ſelf would comparatively ſeem nothing to us. No other creature hath ſuch hopes and fears: If you ask, how I can tell that? I anſwer, as I can tell that a Tree doth not hear, and a Stone doth not feel or ſee, becauſe there is no appearance of ſuch a ſenſe, whoſe nature is to make it ſelf manifeſt by its evidences where it is: Bruits ſhew a fear of death, and love of life, but of nothing further; of which there is evidence enough to quiet a mind that ſeeketh after truth, though not to ſilence a prating caviller. This will be further improved under that which followeth.

§. 5. V. If the world cannot be governed according to its nature, and God's Laws, without the hopes and fears of Good and Evil after death, then the objects of ſuch hopes and fears is certain truth. But the Antecedent is true: Therefore ſo is the Conſequent.

That the nature of man requireth a Moral Government, and not only a Phyſical motion, is already proved. Phyſical motion only determineth the agent to act, and produceth p. 129the act it ſelf quoad eventum. Piſo in Cic. de fin. l. 5. p. 199. Speaking of corporal and ſenſitive good, ſaith, Quibus tantum praeſtat Mentis excellens perfectio, ut vix cogitari poffit quid interſit. So that the perfection of the Mind is the perfection of the Man.Moral Government doth inſtitute for the ſubject a debitum agendi, & habendi, and judgeth him accordingly. If there were no Government but Phyſical motion, there were no debitum in the world, neither officii, praemii vel poenae, vel jus poſſidendi, vel injuria: no right or wrong. For Phyſical motion doth equally produce the act in perjury, murder, treaſon, adultery, as in good deeds: and it never produceth an act which eventually never is: Therefore there ſhould be nothing a Duty but what cometh to paſs, if Phyſical motion were all the Government. Government then there muſt be; and what God requireth of all by nature I have ſhewed before. Now that there is a moral impoſſibility of the performance of this in any ſincerity, ſo as to intimate any laudible Government of the world, I ſhall further prove.

1. If according to the preſent temper of man, there be no motives, which would ever prove ſufficient to reſiſt all the temptations of this life, to keep us in true obedience and love to God, unto the end, without the hopes and fears of Good and Evil after death; then cannot the world be governed according to God's Laws, without ſuch hopes and fears of futurity. But the Antecedent is true: Ergo, ſo is the conſequent.

If God had preſcribed man a courſe of duty in his Laws,Ex ipſa vità diſcedimus tanquam ex hoſpitio, non tanquam ex domo: Commorandi enim nobis natura diverſorium, non habitandi domum dedit. Cic. in Cat. Maj. (as to obey and love him upon terms of fleſhly ſuffering) and had not given man ſuch motives as might rationally prevail for the performance; his Laws had been all in vain. He that hath made Holineſs our indiſpenſible duty, hath certainly left us motives and rational helps to perform it. But ſo many and great are the temptations of this life, and ſo ſtrong is our ſenſe, and ſo great are the ſufferings of the obedient, that in this our imperfection we could never go through them, without the motives which are fetch'd from another life. 1. It would weaken the hands of the beſt, as to their duty, it would embolden them to ſin, it would give victory to all ſtrong temptations. Let every Reader but conſult with his own ſoul, and (though it be granted that virtue ſhould be choſen for its own ſake, how dear ſoever it may coſt, yet) let him without lying ſay, what he thinketh he ſhould be and do in caſe of temptations, if he knew that he had no life to live but this. p. 130I am not ſure,Atque haud ſcio an pietate adverſus Deos ſublata, fides etiam & ſocietas humani generis & una excellentiſſima virtus juſtitia tolletur. Cic. de Nat. Deor. p. 4. but I will freely confeſs what I think moſt that now are honeſt would be and do. Firſt, They would obſerve how little difference God maketh between the obedient and diſobedient in his providence, and how ordinarily his preſent judgements are not much to be feared. And hence they would think, that he maketh no great matter of it, what they either are or do: and ſo their very love of Virtue would be much debilitated: Nay, the ſufferings of the virtuous would tempt them to think, that it is no very deſirable way:Pietas eſt fundamentum omnium virtutum. Cic. pro Plan. and though ſtill they would have ſomething within them, which would tell them, that honeſty, and temperance, and piety are good; yet the natural love of themſelves is ſo deeply planted in them,Zenophon reporteth Cyrus as ſaying, If all my ſan…liars were endued with piety to God, they would do leſs evil to one another, and to me. l. 8. Pietate adverſus, Deos ſublatà, fides etiam & ſocietas humani generis, & una excellentiſſima virtus juſtitia, tollatur neceſſe eſt. Cic. de Nat. Deor. l. 1. and ſo powerful, that in moſt great temptations it would prevail. They would venture upon lying and perjury, rather than loſe their liberty, or livelihood, or reputation. They would do any thing which the Rulers bid them, or any one that is ſtronger than they, rather than ſuffer much for their innocency. I think they would not ſcramble much for riches, or high places, becauſe a quiet life beſt pleaſeth them; but if they had a fancy to any delightful ſeat, or pleaſant accommodation, they would ſtretch their conſciences hard to get it: And to eſcape poverty, and ſuffering, and death, they would do I know not what. And if their intereſt required them to do another miſchief, in order to the publick good, (for revenge I ſuppoſe them not much enclined to) they would be as Brutus's and would be confident of the ſucceſs of ſubtil and concealed enterpriſes:Lento gradu ad vindictam ſui, Divina procedit ita: tarditatemque ſupplicii gravitate compenſat. Valer. Max. de Dionyſ. l. 1. c. 2. they would no further reſiſt any great temptation to pleaſe their appetites in meats and drinks; or their fleſh, in luſt, or eaſe, and ſports, and gaming, and ſuch vain paſtimes, than ſome other carnal intereſt contradicting did forbid them. And though naturally ſome men prefer Knowledge before all worldly pleaſures, yet conſidering how ſhort a time they ſhould be the better for it, and how many toilſome hours they muſt lay out for it, they would rather let it go, and take up with the eaſe and pleaſure of the fleſh. This, I fear, would be their life; for when all the comforts of this life of fleſh are laid in the one end of the ballance, what ſhould weigh them down but ſomething greater? So that if ſome little reſtraint of villany might be made by lower motives, I p. 131appeal to the conſcience of the Reader, whether he thinks,Nam quid faciet is homo in teneoris, qui nihil timet niſi teſtem vel judicem? Quid in deſerto loco nactus quem multo auro ſpoliare poſſit imbecillum atque ſolum? &c. Cic. de leg. 1. pag. 224. that the fore-proved duties of Reſignation, Obedience, and Love to God above all, would ever be performed (by any conſiderable number at leaſt) if they knew that they had no life to live but this.

2. Yea, no tolerable Government at all could be kept up, (I ſpeak not of God's Phyſical motion by Omnipotency.) For, 1. The Rulers of the world, that have none above them would have little or no reſtraint; and their examples would form the people to all abomination. If they feared inſurrections, they would oppreſs them the more to diſable them. And what a world muſt it be, when Luſt is the Law to all the Governours? And the people would have nothing but the hopes and fears of temporal good or evil, to reſtrain them from any Treaſon or Rebellion or villany. And all thoſe that Princes cannot pleaſe, would plot,A fortnight after the writing of this London was burnt. revenge or play their game another way: and ſubtil men would think it eaſie to poiſon or murder ſecretly Princes and Nobles, and any enemy that ſtood in the way of their own deſigns,Qui nihil alterius cauſa ſacit, & metitur ſuis commodis omnia, videtis credo quid ſit acturus— ſi negabit illi vitam erepturum, & aurum ablaturum, non quod turpe judicet, ſed quod metuat ne emanet, id eſt, ne malum habeat. Cic. ibid. if once they were out of fear of a life to come.

3. And all ſecret villany would be committed without fear: (ſecret adulteries, theft, lying, perjury) and common honeſty could not be maintained; for every man's ſelf-intereſt would be his Law, and prevail againſt all the principles of honeſty. And all that men would ſtrive for, would be either to ſtrengthen themſelves in their wickedneſs, that they might be out of fear of humane Juſtice; or elſe to hide it from the cogniſance of man: Thus would the world be turned into a reſemblance of Hell, and men be as much worſe than wild beaſt, as their natures were better which are corrupted, and all would be in wickedneſs and confuſion,Thaletis dicta in Laert. ſunt, Animas eſſe immortales. Antiquiſſimum omnium entium Deus: ingenitus enim eſt: Pulcherrimum mundus: à Deo enim factus: Maximum locus; capit enim omnia: Veloeiſſimum Mem; nam per univerſa diſcurrit, &c. without the hopes and fears of another life.

Obj. But in all this you argue againſt experience: Hath there not been Government and order kept up among Heathens? and is there not a Government at this day in all the Kingdoms and Common-wealths throughout the world?

Anſw. In all this I ſpeak according to experience: For, 1. Almoſt all the world believe a life to come: all the Chriſtians, all the Mahometans, and all the Jews, and almoſt all or moſt of the known Idolaters and Heathens: their very p. 132Idolatry intimateth this,Stoici dicunt eſſe Daemones quibus inſit hominum miſeratio, inſpectores rerum humanarum: Heroas quoque ſolutas corporibus ſapientum animas. Laert. in Zenone. when they number their deceaſed Heroes with their gods. And though the power of this belief is debilitated with the moſt, (and therefore piety and virtue proportionably periſheth) yet that common dull belief of it which they have, being in a buſineſs of unſpeakable conſequence, doth reſtrain them ſo far as they are reſtrained.

2. Thoſe that believe it not, are yet in an uncertainty; and the poſſibility of rewards and puniſhments hereafter, keepeth up much of the order that is left.

3. Thoſe few Countries which believe that there is no life to come, (or rather thoſe perſons in ſome Countries) do proportionably increaſe or excel in wickedneſs: they give up themſelves to ſenſuality and luſts, to pride, and covetouſneſs, and revenge, and cruelty; and are uſually worſe than others, as their belief is worſe; what maketh Cannibals more ſavage than other people? What made a Nero, a Heliogabalus, &c. ſuch ſwine? what made Rome it ſelf at that paſs, that Seneca ſaith, more died by poiſon of ſervants hands, (and ſecret murders) than by Kings: (even in days of ſuch great and common cruelty.) All was, becauſe mens conſciences were from under the hopes and fears of another life: and if all were ſo, then all would live accordingly.

But it is another kind of life which the Law of God in Nature doth enjoyn us; it is another kind of life, which I before proved to be all mens duty: and whether the world have ſufficient means and motives to ſuch a life, and could be governed but like men, without the hopes and fears of futurity, let ſober and conſiderate reaſon judge?Qui ea committit quae leges prohibent, & de quibus ſupplicia ſunt, is ea multo magis committet, de quibus nullum ſupplicium eſt. Ariſtot. 1. Rhet. Obj. At non apud omnes proficiunt leges. Reſp. Nec philoſophia quidem; nec ideo inutilis & formandis animis inefficax eſt. Sen. ep. 95.

Obj. Can it be any worſe then it is already? what vice or villany doth not every where abound, for all the belief of a life to come?

Anſw. If it be ſo bad for all that belief, what would it be without? if the enervating of it by the luſts of the fleſh do looſe the reins, and leave the world in ſo much wickedneſs, what would it be if their hopes and fears of another life were gone? Now men have a ſecret witneſs in their breaſts, which checketh and reſtraineth them: Now they have Kings and Rulers, who having ſome belief of a life to come, do form their Laws accordingly, and govern the common people with ſome reſpect to that belief. Now there are many p. 133(through the mercy of God) who are ſerious in that belief, and live accordingly; who are inſtructors, reſtraints and examples to the reſt. And from theſe is that order which is kept up in the world: But if all were as thoſe few, that have overcome this belief, the world would be a Wilderneſs of ſavage Beaſts, and would be ſo full of impiety, villany, perſidiouſneſs, bloodineſs, and all confuſion, that we ſhould think it a greater ſign of goodneſs in God to deſtroy it, than to continue it; and ſhould think of his Government according to the effects, or ſhould hardly believe he govern'd it at all.

I come now to prove the conſequence of the Major Propoſition, that the object of thoſe hopes and fears are certain truths, which are ſo neceſſary to the government of the world: and this needeth no other proof but this.

If God can govern the world without a courſe of deceit and lying, then the objects of theſe neceſſary hopes and fears are true: But God can govern the world without a courſe of deceit and lying: Ergo.

The Major is evident, becauſe to govern by the hopes and fears of falſhoods, or things that are not, (when thoſe hopes and fears are not only of God, but made neceſſary to Government) is to govern by deceit and lying: or if it had not been by falſhood uttered, but falſhood permitted,Utiles eſſe has opiniones quis neget, cum intelligat quam muſta firmentur jurejurando: quantae ſalutis fint faedera religionis; quam multos divini ſupplicii metus, à ſcelere revocaret? quamque ſancta fit ſocietas civium, inter ipſos Diis immortalibus interpoſitis, tum judicibus, tum teſtibus. ☜ Cic. de leg. l. 2. p. 236, 237. Niſi Deus iſtis te corporis cuſtodiis liberaverit, ad coelum aditus patere non poteſt. Cic. Somn. Scip. the Minor is certain.

For if God cannot govern without ſuch a courſe of deceit, it is either for want of Power, or of Wiſdom, or of Goodneſs; that is, Holineſs, and Benignity of Will. But the Omnipotent wanteth not Power, and the Omniſcient wanteth not Wiſdom, to find out true and ſuitable means; and he that is Optimus, wanteth neither Holineſs to love truth and hate falſhood, nor Benignity to love his Creature: and therefore needeth no ſuch means.

And he that believeth that God himſelf doth govern the world by a cheat, even by the hopes and fears of fictions, will ſure think it beſt to imitate his God, and to govern, and trade, and live accordingly.

This argument was à neceſſitate ad ordinem, the next ſhall be only from God's actual government.

§. 6. VI. If God do de facto govern the world by the hopes and fears of Good and Evil in another Life, then the object of p. 134thoſe hopes and fears is certain: Laertius ſaith of Bion Boriſt. That he had learned of impious Theodorus to deny God, in his health; but falling into unhealthfulneſs he repented of his ſin againſt God. Ac ſiquidem id dogma tueri perſtitiſſet, merito dicendus eſſet ſenſuſe ut viſum fuiſlet, etſi male viſum eſſet. At nunc tamen longo morbo tabeſcens, ac mori pertimeſcens, qui Deos non eſſe dixe…at, phanum non viderat, mortalibus qui illudebat veris dum diis immolarent — Peccavi dixit, delictis parcite— Stultus qui mercede voluerit Deos eſſe. Quaſi tunc Dii eſſent quum illos Bion demum eſſe arbitraretur.But God doth de facto ſo govern: Ergo.

The Major is proved as before: for that which proved that God can govern without falſhood, proved alſo that he doth govern without it. It belongeth only to the Impotent, the Ignorant, or the Bad to uſe ſuch means.

Obj. May not a Parent or Phyſician honeſtly deceive a Child or Patient for his recovery to health? why then may not God do ſo?

Anſw. 1. They do it through inſufficiency to attain their end by a better means: but the Omnipotent and Omniſcient hath no ſuch inſufficiency. 2. They may not lie or utter any untruth to do it, though they may hide ſome truth by words which he is apt to miſtake. But if the world be governed by ſuch hopes and fears of futurity, it is hard to think whence they ſhould fetch the object, but from ſome divine revelation in nature. 3. A whole courſe of Government of all the rational world, by ſo ſorry an inſtrument as deceit and falſhood, is more inconſiſtent with the nature and perfections of God, than a particular act of deceit in a work of neceſſity and charity is with the nature of imperfect man.

The Minor is proved in the anſwer to the laſt objections, and by the common experience of the world.

Obj. How little doth the hopes and fears of another world do with the moſt? Do you not ſee that fleſhly intereſt ruleth them, and therefore they are what the Great ones would have them be, who can help or hurt them?

Anſw. 1. I have proved how much worſe it would be, … that reſtraint which theſe hopes and fears make were taken off. 2. That this reſtraint is general in all Nations almoſt of the earth, though the prevalency of ſin do much enfeeble it. 3. That Rulers themſelves are under ſome of theſe reſtraints, in their Law-making and Judgement. Though fleſhly intereſt much prevail againſt it, there are ſome remnants of ſecret hopes or fears in the conſciences of ſinners, which keep up ſo much good as is yet left, and keep men from thoſe villanies, in which they might hope to eſcape all ſufferings from men.

§. 7. VII. If God himſelf kindle in the beſt of men deſires to know him, love him, and enjoy him perfectly hereafter, then p. 135ſuch deſires ſhall attain their end: But God himſelf doth kindle ſuch deſires in the beſt of men: Ergo— And conſequently there is ſuch a Life to come.

Here 1. I muſt prove that the beſt men have ſuch deſires: 2. That God kindleth them: 3. That therefore he will ſatisfie them.

1. And for the firſt, the Conſciences of all Good men are my witneſſes; whoſe deſires to know God better,For as the Sun is not ſeen without the Sun, nor the Aire heard without the Air, but the Eye that is full of the light ſeeth the light, and the Ear full of air heareth the reſounding air; ſo God is not known without God; but a mind full of God only, is lifted up to God, ſo far as illuſtrated with the light of God he knoweth God, and inflamed with the heat of God he thirſteth after him. Ficin. c. 2. p. 15. to love him and pleaſe him more, and to enjoy his Love, is as the very pulſe and breath of their ſouls. For this they groan, and pray, and ſeek; for this they labour, wait and ſuffer: If you could help them to more of the Knowledge and Love of God, you would ſatisfie them more than to give them all the wealth and honours of the World. Their Religious lives, their labours, prayers, contemplations, and ſufferings, prove all this, and ſhew for what they long and live.

Obj. But this is cauſed by the power of a deluded fantaſie, which ſeeketh after that which is not to be had: What if you fall in Love with the Sun? Will it prove, that you muſt be loved by it, ſee it and enjoy it, in the life to come?

Anſw. 1. To the ſimilitude: Either the Sun is a rational free Agent, or not. If it be, it is either the chief Agent, or a dependent Inſtrument: If it were the firſt (as it is not) I ſhould owe my ſelf totally to it,It is a moſt improbable thing, that God would give up all the beſt men in the World to deceit, in ſo great a matter, and them that are moſt faithfull to the Truth, and would ſave all the Epicures, Drunkards, Fornicators, proud and perjured Athieſts, from this error, if it were an error, to believe a life to come. in the exerciſe of all the powers given me, as is aforeſaid: And if it gave me ſuch Deſires, I might ſuppoſe it was not in vain. But if it give me nothing but as an Inſtrument or dependent Cauſe, I owe it nothing but in ſubſerviency to the firſt Cauſe: But in ſuch ſubſerviency, if God had commanded me to love and honour it, as a Lover of Mankinde, and a Rational Benefactor, and had placed any of my duty or felicity, in ſeeking perfection in that love and honour; I ſhould obey him; and expect an anſwerable benefit: But if it be no intelligent Agent, or I cannot know that it is ſo, then I can owe it no other reſpect but what is due to a natural Inſtrument of God.

2. To the matter: That theſe deſires are not from a deluded fantaſie, but the work of God I prove: 1. In that I have fully proved them already to be our Duty, by the p. 136Law of Nature:foreign. Gr. Com. Supplicii facilius pius a Diis ſupplicans Quam qui ſceleſtus eſt, invenit veniam ſibi. Plaut. Rud. foreign. foreign. Menand. To love God with all the heart and might, and conſequently to deſire to love him, and pleaſe him, and enjoy him in perfection, that is in the utmoſt of our capacity, is a proved duty. 2. In that the Beſt men are the poſſeſſors of it; And the more all other Virtues and Obedience do abound, the more this aboundeth. And the more any are vicious, impious, ſenſual, worldly, the leſs they have of theſe deſires after God. 3. They encreaſe in the uſe of holy means appointed by God: and they decay by evil means. All ſin is againſt it, and all obedience doth promote it. 4. It is found moſt ſuitable to the tendency of our faculties, as their only perfection: The only true advancement of Reaſon, and rectitude and felicity of the Will. If it be not by God,Nec unquam Bono quicquam mali evenire poteſt, nec vivo nec mortuo, nec res ejus a Diis negliguntur. Cicero Tuſcul. 1. that the Love and Deſires of God are kindled in us, then no good is to be aſcribed unto God: For we have here no greater good.

Now that God will ſatisfie theſe deſires is proved; In that he maketh nothing in vain, nor kindleth any ſuch deſires as ſhall deceive them, and make all their lives a meer deluſion. Yea, and do this by the very beſt of men. None of this is conſiſtent with the perfections of God.

§. 8. VIII. If there were no life of Retribution after this, Obedience to God would be finally mens loſs and ruine: But Obedience to God ſhall not be finally mens loſs and ruine: Ergo, there is another Life—

The Major is proved before: However it would be beſt in point of Honeſty, it would be worſt to thouſands in point of perſonal Ʋtility. Even to all thoſe that forſaking all the ſinfull pleaſures of this World, do conflict with their fleſh, and keep it under, and ſuffer the loſs of all outward comforts by the cruelty of Perſecutors, and it may be through melancholy or weak fears, have little comfort from God inſtead of them; and at laſt perhaps be tormented and put to death by cruelty. Few will think this deſirable for it ſelf.

And that our Obedience to God ſhall not be mens final loſs and ruine, needeth no proof but this; that he hath made our ſelf-love a Principle inſeparable from our nature, and maketh uſe of it in the Government of the World; and p. 137commandeth nothing but what is finally for our good;Sicut non poteſt quiequam ignis propinquatione fieri frigidiſſimum, ita non poteſt homo quia ſolus haeret Deo ſapientiſſimo, beatiſſimo que ſtultiſſimus ex hoc, miſerrimuſ que evadere: Ne que poteſt Deus qui ſumma veritas & bonitas eſt, humanum genus, prolem ſuam decipere. Marſil. Ficin. de Rel. Chriſt. c. 1. p. 13. and ſo conjoyneth the pleaſing of him and our own felicity inſeparably in our end: His Regiment is paternal, His Glory which he ſeeketh by us, is the Glory of his Goodneſs communicated and accumulated on us. This taken in with the Wiſdom and Goodneſs of his Nature, will tell any man, that to be a loſer finally by our Obedience to God, is a thing that no man need to fear: He doth not ſerve himſelf upon us to our hurt; nor command us that which will undo us. He neither wanteth Power, Wiſdom, nor Goodneſs, to make us gainers by our duty. It is the deſire of natural Juſtice in all, ut bonis bene ſit, & malis male: If I finde but any duty commanded me by God, my Conſcience and my ſenſe of the Divine perfections, will not give me leave to think that I ſhall ever prove finally a loſer by performing it,Ariſto hoc unum tenuit, praeter vitia atque virtutes negavit rem eſſe ullam aut fugiendam aut expetendam. Piſ… in Cicer. de fin. l. 5. p. 203. though he had never made me any promiſe of reward: ſo far the Law of Nature hath a kinde of Promiſe in it, that if he do but ſay, Do this, I will not doubt but the doing of it is for my good! And if he bid me but uſe any means to my own happineſs, I ſhould blaſpheme if I ſuſpected it would tend to my loſs and miſery, and was made my ſnare.

§. 9. IX. The higheſt Love and Obedience to God, is never a work of imprudence or folly, nor ever to be Repented of: But ſuch they would be to many, if there were no life to come: Ergo—

By imprudence and folly, I mean that courſe which tendeth to our own undoing as aforeſaid: No man ſhall ever have cauſe to repent of his fidelity to God, and ſay, I did fooliſhly in ruining my ſelf by it. This argument being but a meer conſectary of the former, I paſs over.

§. 10. X. If no man living be certain that there is no future life of Retribution, Ea paranda viatico, quae cum naufragio ſimul enatarent: ait Antiſthenes in Laert. l. 6. c. 1. Id ib. dixit, Eos qui cuperent immortales eſſe, oportere pie vivere & juſté.then it is certain that there is ſuch a life: But no man living is certain that there is no ſuch life: Ergo, its certain that there is.

The Major is proved thus: If all men be in Reaſon obliged to ſeek the happineſs and eſcape the puniſhments of another life, before all the treaſures and pleaſures of this World, then it is certain that ſuch a Life of happineſs and puniſhments there is: But if no man be certain, that there is no ſuch life, the bare probability or poſſibility that there is ſuch, doth in reaſon p. 138oblige all men to ſeek it, above all the World: Ergo, it is certain that ſuch a life there is.

Dii boni! quid eſt in hominis vita diu? Mihi ne diuturnum quidem quicquam videtur, in quo eſt aliquid extremum. Cum enim id advenit, tum illud praeteriit, effluxit: Tantum remanet quod virtute & rectè factis ſit conſecutus. Horae quidem cedunt, & dies, & menſes, & anni, nec praeteritum tempus unquam revertitur: nec quid ſequatur ſciri poteſt. Cicer. Cat. Maj.My argument is from our Obligation to ſeek it before all, to the certain being of it. 1. That no man is certain that there is no life to come, I need not prove, as long as no man ever proved ſuch an opinion, and the boldeſt Atheiſts or Infidels ſay no more, than that they think there is no other life, but all confeſs that they have no aſſurance of it.

2. If ſo, then that the poſſibility or probability obligeth us to regard it in our hopes, fears, and endeavours before all this World, is evident from the incomparableneſs of them, or great diſparity of the things. When moſt of the World think there is another life, and there is ſo much for it as we here lay down, and a few Atheiſts ſay only [we do not believe it, or it is not likely, though it be not a thing that we are certain of] now Reaſon commandeth every man that loveth himſelf, to preferr it before all earthly things. Becauſe we are fully certain beyond all doubt, that all earthly things are of ſhort duration, and will quickly leave us: and when they are gone, they are to us as if they had never been: They are a ſhadow, a dream, a ſomething which is next to nothing: To ſay, It will ſhortly have an end, doth blot out the praiſe, and embitter the pleaſures of all below. What the better are all generations paſt, for all the wealth and fleſhly pleaſures which they ever received in the World? There is no wiſe man,Nemini explicatum poteſt eſſe, quomodo ſeſe habitu…um ſit corpus, non dico ad annum, ſed ad veſperum, Cicer. 2. de fin. but would preferre the leaſt probability of attaining full felicity, and eſcaping death and torments, before the certainty of poſſeſſing a pin or a penny for an hour. The diſparity is much greater between things temporal and everlaſting, than any ſuch ſimilitude can reach. All the Chriſtians,Saith Plutarch, de Tranquil. Anim. Alexander wept becauſe he was not Lord of the World, when Crates having but a Wallet and a thredbare Cloak, ſpent his whole life in mirth and joy, as if it had been a continual Feſtival Day. and all the Mahometans, and moſt of the Heathens of the World do hold the Immortality of the Soul; and the perpetuity of the Happineſs or miſery hereafter: The Atheiſt is not ſure of the contrary: and he is ſure that a few years or hours will put an end to all his temporal pleaſures, and equal thoſe that lived here in pleaſure and in pain: And therefore that at the worſt his loſs or hazard of the pleaſures of ſin for the hopes of eternal pleaſure, is not a thing conſiderable: If thoſe that diſſent from him prove in the right, the ſenſualiſt p. 139is utterly undone for ever: He muſt live in endleſs pain and miſery, and muſt loſe an endleſs unſpeakable joy and glory which he might have poſſeſt as well as others: But if he himſelf prove in the right, he gets nothing by it but the pleaſing of inordinate concupiſcence for a few years; and will die with as much emptineſs of content as if he had lived in continual pain. Now this being the true caſe, no ſober reaſon can deny, but that wiſdom obligeth every man to labour for an uncertain, endleſs Glory with Angels more than for the certain pleaſures of the World, which are of ſo ſhort continuance; and to do more to ſcape uncertain everlaſting miſery, than a certain trouble to the fleſh for ſo ſhort a time: And thus a life of Godlineſs ſpent in ſeeking future Happineſs, and in eſcaping future Puniſhment, is naturally made the duty of all men in the World.

Obj. But you ſeem here to forget that you had before made Godlineſs to be a Mans loſs and undoing, if ſo be there were no life to come? when now you make the loſs and hurt to be as nothing.

Anſw. 1. I ſpake before eſpecially of thoſe that ſuffer perſecution for their fidelity:Plato dixit finem eſſe, Deo ſimilem fieri. Vittutem ſufficere quidem ad bene beaté que vivendum; caeterum inſtrumentis indigere, corporis bonis, robore, fanitate, integritate ſenſuum & caeteris id genus: Exterioribus item, puta opibus, &c. Laert. in Platone. Arbitratur & Deos humana cernere at que curare — & daemones eſſe— Porro in Dialogis Juſtitiam, Divinam legem arbitratus eſt, ut ad juſtè agendum potentiùs ſuaderet, ne poſt mortem paenas improbi luerent. Id. ibid. I ſpeak here eſpecially of all the multitude of the World, who get nothing but the pleaſures of ſin by their ſenſuality. 2. When I ſpeak of all the pleaſures, profits and honours of this World, and life it ſelf as next to nothing, I do not ſay that they are ſimply nothing. They are nothing compared to everlaſting Joy or Miſery: But they are ſomething to him that ſhall have no more: The eaſe and life of a poor Bird or Beaſt is naturally deſirable to it: One of the beſt of Chriſtians ſaid, that If in this life only we had hope in Chriſt, we were of all men moſt miſerable: and yet, that The ſufferings of this preſent time, are not worthy to be compared to the Glory which ſhall be revealed in us. There is no contradiction between theſe two; that theſe ſhort-lived pleaſures are not worth one thought in compariſon of the life to come: and yet that they would be conſiderable, if there were no other to be had and hoped for.

3. And now the conſequence is proved in what is ſaid before: If it ſhould by common Reaſon and Nature be made all mens duty in the World, to ſeek to attain a happineſs which is not to be attained, and to ſcape a miſery which p. 140never was or will be unto any, and this with the chiefeſt care and labour of their lives, then the whole life of Man ſhould be vanity and a lie: Nature ſhould have formed him for meer deluſion, to tire him out in following that which is not: The World ſhould not only be totally governed by deceit, but formed principally for ſuch a life: And whereas indeed it is the Worldling that purſueth vanity, and ſpendeth his life in a dream or ſhew; this opinion would make mens wiſdom, and honeſty, and piety, to be the vanity, dream and ſhew. But none of this can be imputed to the moſt wiſe and gracious God: He need not ſet up a falſe deceitfull hope or fear before his Creatures to keep them in obedience; nor hath he appointed their lives for ſo vain a work.

Abeunt omnia unde orta ſunt. Cicer. Cato Maj. Boni viri ſunt Deorum ſimulachra. Diogen. in Laert. Surely if the World was made for Man, then Man was made for more than the world. Du-Pleſſis Verit. Chriſt. Relig. Praefar.§. 11. XI. If the perfection of mans faculties to which Nature formed him, be not attained in this life, then is there another life where it is to be attained. But the Antecedent is true: Ergo, ſo is the Conſequent.

The reaſon of the conſequence is, becauſe God who maketh nothing in vain, made not man in vain, nor his natural inclination to his own perfection. His will is ſignified by his works: As a man that makes a knife, or ſword, or gun, or ſhip, doth tell you what he maketh it for, by the uſefulneſs and form of it; ſo when God made man with faculties fitted to know him, and love him, he ſhewed you that he made him for that uſe, and that therein he would employ him.

Obj. It would perfect the wit of a Bruit if it were raiſed as high as a Mans; and yet it followeth not, that ſo it ſhall be.

Anſw. I deny the antecedent: It would not perfect him in his kinde, but make him another thing of another kinde. Man is more than a perfect Bruit, and a Bruit is not an imperfect man: But I ſpeak of perfecting man in his own kinde, according to his Nature.

Obj. A Chicken hath a deſire to live to full maturity, and yet you kill it before: And Graſs and Plants may be cut down before they come to perfection.

Anſw. I ſpeak in my argument of the ſpecies of man, and the objection ſpeaketh only of ſome individuals: If there be no higher ſtature for any Chicken or Plant to grow up to, then that is the ſtate of its perfection. Its natural inclination p. 141to a perfecter ſtate doth ſhew that nature formed it for a perfecter ſtate, and that ſuch a ſtate there is to be attained,Seneca E…iſt. …3. pag. (mihi) 673. ſaith, Miraris hominem ad Deos ire? Deus ad homines venit: immo (quod propius eſt) in homines venit: nulla ſine Deo mens bona eſt: Semina in corporibus humanis divina diſperſa ſunt: quae ſi bonus cultor excipit, ſimilia origini prodeunt; & paria his ex quibus orta ſunt, ſurgunt: ſi malus, non aliter quàm humus ſterilis ac paluſtris, necat; ac deinde creat purgamenta pro frugibus. Beata vita eſt conveniens naturae ſuae: Quae non aliter contingere poteſt, quàm ſi primum ſana mens eſt, & in perpetua poſſeſſione ſanitatis ſuae. Senec. de vita beat. c. 3. however by accident it may be killed or cut down before it do attain it, which never befalleth all the kind, but ſome individuals. So I confeſs that by ill accidents (by ſin) men may fall ſhort of their natural perfection. But natures inclination ſheweth that there is ſuch a ſtate.

And the Antecedent is manifeſt, 1. In our nature. 2. In all mens experience.

1. We feel in our natures a capacity of knowing all that of God which I have before laid down, and that it is improvable by further light to know much more: We feel that our hearts are capable of loving him, and of delighting in the contemplation of the glory of his perfections: And we find all other things ſo far below the tendancy of our faculties, and the contentment of our minds, that we know that this is it that we were made for, and this is the proper uſe that our Ʋnderſtandings and Wills were given us for. 2. And we find that we attain not any ſuch perfection in this life as we are capable of and do deſire; but that our encreaſe of virtue and holineſs is an encreaſe of our deſires after more; and the better any man is, the more he ſtill deſireth to be better; and the more he knoweth, and loveth, and delighteth in God, the more he deſireth it in a far higher degree. And even of our knowledge of nature we find, that the more we know, the more we would know; and that he that knoweth the effect, would naturally fain know the cauſe; and that when he knoweth the nearer cauſe, he would know the cauſe of that, Nullum eſt animal praeter hominem quod habet ullam notitiam Dei. Cic. 1. de Leg. Dii immortales ſparſerunt animos in corpora humana, ut eſſent qui terras tuerentur, quique coeleſtem ordinem contemplantes, imitarentur eum, vitaemodo & conſtantiâ. Cic. Cat. Maj.and ſo know the firſt cauſe, God himſelf. And the little that we here attain to of Knowledge, Love and Delight, is far ſhort of the perfection in the ſame kind which our faculties encline unto.

§. 12. XII. Another illuſtration or confirming argument may be gathered from the great diſparity which God hath made between Men and Beaſts: If God had intended us for no more knowledge and fruition of himſelf hereafter than the Beaſts have, then he would have given us no more Capacity, Deſire or Obligation to ſeek it than the Beaſts have: But he hath given us more Capacity, Deſire and Obligation to ſeek it: Ergo.—

A Beaſt hath no knowledge that there is a God, no p. 142thoughts of a Life to come,Ex terra ſunt homine…, non ut incolae & habitatores, ſed quaſi ſpectatores ſuperarum rerum atque coeleſtum: quarum ſpectaculum ad nullum aliud animantium genus pertinet. Cic. de Nat. Deor. l. 2. Non temere, nec fortuitò, ſati & creati ſumus: ſed profectò fait quaedam vis, quae generi conſuleret humano: nec id gigneret aut aleret, quod cum omnes labores exantlaviſſet, tum incideret in mortis malum ſempiternum. Cic. 1. Tuſc. no deſire to know God, or love him, or enjoy him; no obligation to take care for another life, nor to provide for it, nor once to conſider whether there be any ſuch or not: Becauſe he is not made for any life but this. And if God had made Man for no more, he would have diſpoſed and obliged him no further: We have an underſtanding to know it, and thoughts, and hopes, and fears, and cares about it, which are not all in vain; and we are plainly in reaſon obliged to this, and more than we do; and that Obligation is not vain.

§. 13. XIII. If there were no Life of Retribution hereafter, Man were more vain and miſerable than the Bruits by far, and his Reaſon would but more delude him, and torment him: But the Conſequent is abſurd: Ergo, ſo is the Antecedent.

The Major is eaſily proved by our great experience: for the world conſiſteth partly of men that believe another life, and partly of them that do not: and Reaſon maketh them both the more miſerable. For the former ſort, which is the moſt of the world, their Reaſon telleth them, that it is their duty to labour for a happineſs hereafter, and to fear and prevent a future miſery:Mors iis …erribilis eſt, quorum cum vita omnia extinguuntur. Cic. Parad 1. and ſo their expectation would be their meer deluſion, and their lives would be all ſpent and ordered in deluſion: Like a company of men that ſhould run up and down to prepare for a tranſplantation into the Moon, and ſhould cut down timber to build there, and provide a ſtock of cattle to ſtore the grounds there, and buy and ſell Lands there;Read Cic. l. 3. de Nat. Deor. where Cotta would prove, that God did man a miſchief by making him rational. ſuch would be the life of man in preparing for another world: and he would be under a double calamity: One, by all this fruitleſs labour, and another by his fear of future miſery, if his labour by temptations ſhould be fruſtrate, and he ſhould miſcarry. To have Reaſon to lead a man in ſuch a deluſory life, and to torment him with the fears of what may befall him after death, is ſure to be by reaſon more unhappy than the beaſts, that have none of this.

And for the Atheiſts, they are more unhappy too, ſo far as they are rational and conſiderate. For they have no more happineſs than the beaſts to comfort them, while they look for none hereafter: and they have in all the way the foreſight of their end: they fore-know their great probability of ſickneſs, and painful tormenting diſeaſes: they fore-know p. 143the certainty of their death:Thus Man who is the perfecteſt of Animals ſhould be the moſt imperfect, and he that is the wiſeſt ſhould be the moſt deluded. they know how all their ſport and pleaſure will end, and leave them in dolour, and how their corps muſt be rotting and turn to duſt: they fore-ſee abundance of croſſes in their way: they are troubled with cares for the time to come. A beaſt hath none of this fore-knowledge, and none of the fore-thoughts of pain or dying, but only fearfully flieth from a preſent danger. Moreover the poor Atheiſt, having no certainty of the truth of his own opinion, (that there is no other life) is oft haunted with fears of it, and eſpecially when approaching death doth awake both his reaſon and his fears: he then thinks, O what if there ſhould be another world, where I muſt live in miſery for my ſin! In deſpight of him, ſome ſuch fears will haunt him. Judge then whether the uſe of reaſon be not to make man a more deluded and tormented creature than the bruits, if ſo be there were no life after this?

But this cannot ſtand with the methods of our Creator: To give us ſo great an excellency of nature, to make us more vain and unhappy than the beaſts. When he maketh a creature capable and fit for higher things, he declareth that he intendeth him for higher things.

Obj. But even here we have a higher kind of work and pleaſure than the Bruits: we rule them, and they ſerve us: we dwell in Cities, and Societies, and make proviſion for the time to come.

Anſw. Thoſe Bruits that dwell in Woods and Deſarts ſerve us not: and our ruling them is a ſmall addition to our felicity: Pride it ſelf can take little pleaſure in being the Maſter of Dogs and Cats. Rule doth but adde to care and trouble: caeteris paribus, it is an eaſier life to be ruled than to rule. And if we take away their lives, it is no more than we muſt undergo our ſelves: and the violent death which we put them too hath uſually leſs pain, than our languiſhing age, and ſickneſs, and natural death. And it is as pleaſant to a Bird to dwell in her neſt, as to us to dwell in Cities and Palaces; and they ſing as merrily in their way of converſe, as we in our troubleſome Kingdoms and Societies: If preſent pleaſure be the higheſt of our hopes, they ſeem to have as much as we; or if there be any difference, it is counter-ballanced by the twenty-fold more cares, and fears, and labours, and mental p. 144troubles which we are more liable to.Dicunt Stoici Malum, impium eſſe & ſine Deo: quod duplici ratione accipitur; ſive quod Deo contrarius dicatur, ſive quod aſpernetur Deum: id tamen malis omnibus non convenire: Pios autem & Religioſos eſſe ſapientes: petitos enim eſſe Divini juris omnes Porro p…etatem ſcientiam eſſe Divini cultus: Diis item eos ſacrificia facturos, caſtoſque futuros: Quippe ea quae in Deos admittuntur peccata deteſtari, Diiſque charos ac gratos fore, quod ſancti juſtique in rebus Divinis ſint: ſolos vero Sacerdotes eſſe ſapientes, &c. Laert. in Zenone. (How chriſtian-like is all this ſpoken) Nec enim tantum mali eſt peccare principes (quanquam eſt hoc magnum per ſeipſum malum) quantum illud, quod permulti imitatores principum exiſtunt. Nam licet videre, ſi velis replicare memoriam temporum, qualeſcunque ſummi civitatis viri fuerunt talem civitatem fuiſſe: Quaecunque mutatio morum in principibus extiterit, candem in populo ſecuturam. Cic. de leg. 3. p. 262. And our knowledge doth but encreaſe our ſorrow, (of which next.)

§. 14. XIV. If there were no life of Retribution, the wiſer any man were, the more miſerable would he be, and knowledge would be their plague, and ignorance the way to their greateſt pleaſure: But the conſequence is abſurd: Ergo, ſo is the antecedent.

The reaſon of the conſequence is manifeſt in what is ſaid: the Ignorant have nothing to diſturb them in their ſenſual delights. The liker to beaſts they can be to eat, and drink, and play, and ſatisfie every luſt, and never think of a reckoning, or of death it ſelf, the more uninterrupted would be their delights; the fore-thoughts of death or any change would not diſturb them: their folly, which maketh them over-value all the matters of the fleſh, would encreaſe their pleaſure and felicity: for things delight men as they are eſteemed, rather than as indeed they are. But the more wiſe and knowing men would always ſee vanity and vexation written upon all the treaſures and pleaſures of the world; and in the midſt of their delights would fore-ſee death coming to cut them off, and bring them to a dolorous end. So that undoubtedly the moſt knowing would be the moſt miſerable; and though Nature delight in knowing much, it would but let in an inundation of vexatious paſſions on the mind.

But Knowledge is ſo great a gift of God, and Ignorance ſo great a blemiſh unto Nature, that it is not by ſober reaſon to be believed, that ſo noble a gift ſhould be given us as a plague, and ſo great a plague and ſhame of nature as ignorance is, ſhould be a bleſſing or felicity.

§. 15. XV. If the Kings and temporal Governours of the world do extend their Rewards and Puniſhments as far as to temporal proſperity and adverſity, life and death, in reſpect to the preſent ends of Government, and this juſtly; then is it meet and juſt that the Univerſal King extend his benefits and puniſhments much further, for good or evil, as they have reſpect unto his own Laws and Honour: But the antecedent is true: Ergo, ſo is the conſequent.

Kings juſtly take away mens lives for Treaſon: They that look but to the preſent temporal good or hurt of the Common-wealth, do think that no temporal puniſhment or p. 145reward can be too great for ſome crimes, and for ſome atchievments. Read but the Statute-books, and this will be ſoon found.

And that the offences which are againſt the Infinite Majeſty deſerve incomparably ſorer puniſhments, than any againſt men as ſuch, is paſt all queſtion. As alſo that love, and fidelity, and duty to God, is incomparably more laudable.

§. 16. XVI. If there were no life of retribution after this, it would follow, that man is more to be feared and obeyed than God, and ſo hath the far greater and higher hand in the Moral Government of the world: But the conſequent is abſurd and blaſphemous: Ergo, ſo is the Antecedent.

The argument is clear and paſt all contradiction. The reaſon of the Major or conſequence, is, Becauſe (though God can deſtroy any wicked man at his pleaſure, yet) all the world's experience ſheweth us, that ordinarily in this life he doth no ſuch things: If a ſtrange judgment overtake ſome wicked man, it is an unuſual thing, and next to a miracle: And uſually all things come alike to all; the good and the bad die of the ſame diſeaſe:Laert. in Timon. ſaith, That Philatchus the Hiſtorian reporteth of Praylus the Philoſopher, that he was of ſo conſtant a mind, that he ſuffered himſelf to be unjuſtly executed as a Traitor, and would not uſe one word of ſupplication for his life: But that's not the common temper of Mankind. Alta ſpectare ſi voles, atque hanc ſedem & aeternam domum contueri; neque ſermonibus vulgi te dederis, nec in praemiis humanis ſpem poſueris rerum tuarum: ſois re illecebris oportet ipſa virtus tr… hat ad verum decus. Cic. in Somn. Scip. the deceitful and the wicked proſper in the world as much as others; if either ſuffer more, uſually it is the beſt. Videtis quam proſpera navigatio à Diis datur ſacrilegis, ſaith Dionyſius. Thunder-bolts ſtrike ſo few, that it is ſcarce rational much to fear them. If one fall under ſome extraordinary judgement, many hundred ſcape.

But on the other ſide, Kings and States do ordinarily do execution on thoſe that diſpleaſe them, and break their Laws: The caſe of a Daniel is ſo rare, that it would be no rule to direct a rational courſe by: If the King ſhould forbid me praying as he did Daniel, or command me to worſhip his Image, as he did the other three witneſſes; reaſon and ſelf-preſervation would require me to obey him: for its ten to one but he would execute his wrath on me, and its an hundred to one God would not deliver me here. God ſuffered thirty or forty thouſand to be murdered at once by the French Maſſacre under Charls 9. He ſuffered two hundred thouſand to be murdered by the Iriſh Papiſts: He ſuffered many to be burned in Queen Mary's days: He ſuffered yet greater Havock to be made of the poor Waldenſes and Alligenſes: He ſuffered moſt cruel inhumane torments, and p. 146death, upon thouſands of innocent perſons, to change the new-planted Religion in Japan. He therefore that careth for his life and peace, will think it far ſafer to venture on the preſent executions of God, than of his King, or Enemy, or any one that is ſtrong enough to ruine him: If I lived under the Turkiſh Empire, and were commanded to deny Chriſt, and to renounce my Baptiſm, and to ſubſcribe that my Baptiſmal Vow doth not oblige me, or any way to lie, or be perjur'd, or ſin againſt God; ſelf-preſervation would bid me, [Venture on the ſin, for it is an hundred to one but God will ſpare thee;The very doubting of the life to come maketh multitudes take this courſe in our age: preferring that which they have in hand, before that which they ſuppoſe uncertain. Rurſus vero ſi animoe lethi adeunt januas (Epicuri ut ſententia definitur) nec ſic cauſa eſt competens cur expeti philoſophia debeat, etiamſi verum eſt, purgari has animas, atque ab omni puras vitioſitate praeſtari: Nam ſi communiter obeunt, non tantum eſt erroris maximi, verum ſtolidae caecitatis, fraenare ingenitos appetitus, cohibere in anguſtiis vitam, nihil indulgere naturae, non quod cupidines juſſerint & inſtigaverint facere, cum nulla te praemia tanti laboris expectent, cum dies mortis advenerit, & corporalibus fueris vinculis exolutus. Arnob. adv. Gentes, l. 2. and it is an hundred to one but that the Prince will puniſh and deſtroy thee if thou obey him not] How few that knew there were no life to come, would not rather venture to pleaſe a Tyrant, or a Robber than God, and more fear to diſpleaſe them? and would not by perjury, or any commanded villany, ſave himſelf from their fury and cruelty? and would not ſtudy more to flatter and humour them, than to obey their God? And ſo Man ſhould have the chief government of the world, while Man's rewards and puniſhments were ſo much more notable than God's, Man would be feared and obeyed before God: that is, Man would be taken for our God. Theſe things are clear undeniable truths. If there were no life to come, ſelf-love and reaſon would make man more obedient to Man than God, and ſo make Gods of fleſh and bloud. But whether this be the tendency of the Government of God, let Reaſon judge.

§. 17. XVII. A very probable argument may be fetched from the number and quality of intellectual ſpirits: He that looketh to the vaſt, and numerous, and glorious Orbs which are above him, and thinks of the glorious receptacles of a more glorious ſort of creatures, and then conſidereth that we are intellectual agents, made to love and honour God as well as they; and conſiders further both the Benignity of God, and the communion which thoſe other Orbs have with us, will think it probable, that we are in progreſs towards perfection: and that we that are ſo like them, may be capable of their happineſs.

§. 18. XVIII. If in this life God have little of the praiſe and glory of his works, from thoſe whom he created for it, but contrarily be much diſhonoured by them; then there is another life in which he will be more honoured by them: But the antecedent is true: Ergo, ſo is the conſequent.

p. 147What a glorious fabrick hath God ſet man to contemplate? and how little of it is here known? ſo that Philoſophy is found to be but a ſearching and wrangling about things which no man reacheth; and yet an inquiſitive deſire we have. And therefore ſure there is a ſtate in which theſe works of God ſhall be better known of us, and God ſhall have the honour of them more than now. His Laws alſo preſcribe us excellent duties, and his Servants are very excellent perſons, according to his own deſcription: But our infirmities, our errors, or diviſions, our miſcarriages and ſcandals do ſo diſhonour him and his ways, that the glory of them is much obſcured, and blaſphemers reproach him to his face, and Godlineſs (which the Law of Nature teacheth) is derided as a fooliſh thing, and as the meer effect of ſuperſtitious fear. Now though all this doth no hurt to God, yet he is capable of wrong who is uncapable of hurt. And it is not to be believed, that he will finally put up all this at his creatures hands, and never vindicate his honour, not never more ſhew the glory of his Grace, his Image, his Juſtice and Judgments, than he now doth.

§. 19. XIX. The conſtant teſtimony of conſcience in all men, Plato oft ſaith, that the wicked are puniſhed after death. Antiſthenes 7. Tome had a Book, de his quae ſunt apud inferos. Laert. l. 6. c. 1.that have not maſtered Reaſon by Senſuality, and the common conſent of all that are worthy to be called Men, in all Ages and Countries upon earth, doth ſhew that the life to come is a truth which is naturally revealed, and moſt ſure.

§. 20. XX. The enemy of Souls doth (againſt his will) give man a four-fold reaſon to judge, that there is a life of Reward and Puniſhment hereafter: viz. 1. By Compacts with Witches. 2. By Apparitions. 3. By Satanical Poſſeſſions. 4. By all kind of ſubtil importunate temptations, (which evidence themſelves.)

1. Though ſome are very incredulous about Witches, yet to a full enquiry the evidence is paſt queſtion, that multitudes of ſuch there be. Though many are wronged, and ſome may be thought ſo fooliſh or melancholy, as not to know what they ſay againſt themſelves; yet againſt ſuch numerous and various inſtances, theſe exceptions do but confirm the general truth, that ſuch there are. I have ſaid ſo much of them in **Saints Reſt; Part 2. and unreaſonableneſs of Infidelity.two other Writings, that I ſhall now ſay no more but this: That thoſe Judges ordinarily condemn p. 148them to die, who themſelves have been moſt incredulous of ſuch things: that ſo great numbers were condemned in Suffolk, By the Doctrine of Idols, falſe Gods that were ſometimes men, and their Sacrifices, the Devil confeſſeth a Life to come.Norfolk, and Eſſex, about twenty years ago, that left the buſineſs paſt all doubt to the Judges, Auditors, and Reverend Miniſters, (yet living) who were purpoſely ſent with them for the fuller inquiſition. That the teſtimonies are ſo numerous and beyond exception, recorded in the many Volumes written on this ſubject, by the Malleus Maleficorum, Bodin, Remigius, and other Judges who condemned them, that I owe no man any further proof, than to deſire him to read the foreſaid Writings: wherein he ſhall find Men and Women, Gentlemen, Scholars, Doctors of Divinity, of ſeveral qualities and tempers, all confeſſedly guilty, and put to death for this odious ſin. And he ſhall find what compacts they made with the Devil, promiſing him their Souls or their ſervice, and renouncing their Covenant with God. All which doth more than intimate, that men have Souls to ſave or loſe, and that there is an Enemy of Souls who is moſt ſollicitous to deſtroy them; or elſe to what end would all this be? When people are in wrath and malice, deſirous of revenge or in great diſcontents, or too eagerly deſirous after overhaſty knowledge in any needleſs ſpeculation, the Devil hath the advantage to appear to them, and offer them his help, and draw them into ſome contract with him (implicit at leaſt, if not explicit) I have my ſelf been too incredulous of theſe things, till cogent evidence conſtrained my belief. Though it belong not to us to give account, why Satan doth it, or why upon no more, or why God permitteth it, yet that ſo it is in point of fact, it cannot be rationally denyed. And therefore we have ſo much ſenſible evidence, that there is a happineſs and miſery after this life, which the Devil believeth, though Atheiſts do not.

2. And though ſome are as incredulous of Apparitions, yet evidence hath confuted all incredulity. I could make mention of many: but for the notoriety I will name but two; which it is eaſie to be ſatisfied about:

The one is the Apparition in the ſhape of Collonel Bowen in Glamorganſhire, to his Wife and Family, ſpeaking, walking before them, laying hold on them, hurting them in p. 149time of Prayer (the man himſelf then living from his Wife in Ireland, In Ireland, it was teſtified by the Oaths of many witneſſes, that after the Proteſtants had been murdered at Portdown-Bridge, a long time together, a Spectrum appeared in the River like a perſon naked, ſtanding in the water up to the middle, and crying, Revenge, Revenge. See Dr. Jones, and Sir John Temples books.being one that from Sect to Sect had proceeded to Infidelity if not to Atheiſm, and upon the hearing of it came over; but durſt not goe to the place). The thing I have by me deſcribed largely and atteſted by learned godly Miniſters, that were at the place; and is famous, paſt contradiction.

2. But (to name no more) he that will read a ſmall Book called The Devil of Maſcon, written by Mr. Perreand, and publiſhed by Dr. Peter Moulin, will ſee an inſtance paſt all queſtion: The Devil did there for many months together at certain hours of the day, hold diſcourſe with the inhabitants, and publikely diſputed with a Papiſt that challenged him, and when he had done, turn'd him and caſt him down ſo violently, that he went home diſtracted: He would ſing and jeſt and talk familiarly with them as they do with one another: He would anſwer them queſtions about things done at a diſtance; and would carry things up and down before them, and yet never ſeen in any ſhape: All this was done in the houſe of the ſaid Mr. Perreand a Reverend faithfull Miniſter of the Proteſtant Church, in the hearing of perſons of both Profeſsions, Papiſts and Proteſtants that ordinarily came in, for above three months at Maſcon a City of France (And at laſt upon earneſt Prayer it ceaſed.) Mr. Perreands piety and honeſty was well known; and atteſted to me by the Right Honourable the Earl of Orrery, now Lord Preſident of Munſter in Ireland, and atteſted to the World by his moſt learned, worthy, honourable Brother Mr. Robert Boyl, in an Epiſtle before the Book; neither of them perſons apt to be over-credulous of ſuch unuſual things, yet both fully ſatisfied of the truth of this ſtory by Mr. Perreands own Narratives, with whom they were very familiar.

See the other Teſtimonies cited in my Saints Reſt, Part 2.

Q. But how doth this ſignifie that there is any future ſtate for man.

Anſw. 1. Commonly, theſe Apparitions do expreſly referr to ſome ſin or duty which are regardable in order to a further Life. Sometimes they come to terrifie Murderers or other great Offenders: and ſometimes the Devil hath killed men outright: p. 150(which yet were no more painfull than another death, if it fetcht not their ſouls into a greater miſery) ſometimes they are uſed to tempt people to ſin, to witchcraft, to revenge, to idolatry and ſuperſtition (to which uſe they are common among many of the Indians): And all this intimateth ſome further hurt which ſin doth men after this preſent life; which they take not here for their pain, but their pleaſure. 2. Many of theſe Apparitions ſay, that they are the ſouls of ſuch and ſuch perſons that have lived here: If it be ſo, then the queſtion is granted. And whether it be ſo, I ſuppoſe is to us uncertain: For why a condemned Soul may not appear as well as Satan, notwithſtanding that both of them are in that ſtate of miſery which is called Hell, I yet could never hear any ſure proof. But (becauſe this is uncertain) 3. At leaſt it ſheweth us, that theſe evil Spirits are neer us, and able to moleſt us, and therefore are ordinarily reſtrained, and that their natures are not as to any elevation ſo diſtant from ours, but that a converſe there may be; and therefore that it is very probable, that when the ſouls of the Wicked are ſeparated from their bodies, they ſhall be ſuch as they, or have more converſe with them; and that the good Spirits ſhall be the companions of the ſouls of men that here were not far unlike themſelves. When we perceive that we live among ſuch inviſible Spirits, it is the eaſier to believe that we ſhall live with ſuch of them hereafter, as we are moſt like.

See what I have cited, Saints Reſt, Part 2. cap. 7.3. I may adde to theſe the inſtance of ſatanical Poſſeſſions: For though many diſeaſes may have of themſelves very terrible and ſtrange effects, yet that the Devil, I mean ſome evil Spirit, doth operate in many is paſt all contradiction: ſome will ſpeak Languages which they never learnt: ſome will tell things done far off: ſome will have force and actions which are beyond their proper natural ability: Moſt great Phyſicians, how incredulous ſoever, have been forced to confeſs theſe things: and abundance of them have written particular inſtances.

And the manner of their tranſportations, their horrid blaſphemies againſt God, with other carriages, do commonly intimate a life to come, and a deſire that Satan hath to diſhonour God, and deſtroy the ſouls of men as well as their bodies.

p. 1514. And laſtly, the Temptations and ſuggeſtions of Satan, yea, and oft his external contrived ſnares, are ſuch as frequently give men a palpable diſcovery of his agency, that there is indeed ſome evil Spirit that doth all this to the hurt of Souls. Were there no ſuch Tempter it were ſcarce credible that ſuch horrid inhumane Villanies ſhould ever be perpetrated by a rational Nature, as Hiſtories credibly report, and as in this Age our eyes have ſeen. That men ſhould ever, even againſt their own apparent intereſt, be carryed on obſtinately to the laſt, in a wilfull courſe of ſuch ſins as ſeem to have little or nothing to invite men to them,Polybius often noteth, that many excellent men have attempted great and excellent works; but very few have ever been ſo happy as to perform them; and of thoſe that have gone a little way, but few have finiſhed them. but a delight in doing hurt and miſchief in the World. Whence is it that ſome men feel ſuch violent importunate ſuggeſtions to evil in their mindes, that they have no reſt from them, but which way ſoever they goe, they are haunted with them till they have committed it, and then haunted as much to hang themſelves in deſperation. Whence is it that all opportunities are ſo ſtrangely fitted to a ſinners turn, to accommodate him in his deſires and deſigns? And that ſuch wonderfull ſucceſſive trains of impediments are ſet in the way of almoſt any man that intendeth any great good work in the World? I have among men of my own acquaintance obſerved ſuch admirable fruſtrations of many deſigned excellent works, by ſuch ſtrange unexpected means,He that did but well ſtudy the plain ſtrife between Chriſt and Satan, about knowledge and ignorance in the World, and how marvellouſly Satan keepeth the Goſpel from the Infidel World, and locketh up the Scripture in an unknown tongue among the Papiſts, and hindereth Preachers in all the World, will ſee that there is certainly a Kingdom of Darkneſs and a Kingdome of Light, which ſtrive for Souls. and ſuch variety of them, and ſo powerfully carryed on, as hath of it ſelf convinced me, that there is a moſt vehement inviſible malice permitted by God to reſiſt Mankinde, and to militate againſt all Good in the World. Let a man have any evil deſign, and he may carry it on uſually with leſs reſiſtance. Let him have any work of greateſt Natural importance which tendeth to no great benefit to Mankinde, and he may go on with it without any extraordinary impedition: But let him have any great deſign for Common good, in things that tend to deſtroying ſin, to heal diviſions, to revive Charity, to increaſe Virtue, to ſave mens Souls, yea or to the publick common felicity, and his impediments ſhall be ſo multifarious, ſo far fetcht, ſo ſubtile, inceſſant, and in deſpight of all his care and reſolution, uſually ſo ſucceſsfull, that he ſhall ſeem to himſelf to be like a man that is held faſt hand and foot, while he ſeeth no one touch him! or that ſeeth an p. 152hundred blocks brought and caſt before him in his way, while he ſeeth no one do it. Yea, and uſually the greateſt attempts to do good ſhall turn to the clean contrary, even to deſtroy the good which was intended, and drive it much further off. How many Countreys, Cities, Churches, Families, who have ſet themſelves upon ſome great Reformation, have at firſt ſeen no difficulties almoſt in their way? And when they have attempted it, they have been like a man that is wreſtling with a Spirit? Though he ſee not what it is that holdeth him, when he hath long ſwear, and chafed, and tired himſelf, he is fain to give over; yea, leave behind him ſome odious ſcandal, or terrible example, to frighten all others from ever medling with the like again. I have known that done which men call a Miracle, a ſudden deliverance in an hour, from the moſt ſtrange and terrible Diſeaſe, while by Faſting and Prayer men were preſent begging the deliverance: And preſently the Devil hath drawn the perſons in ſuch a ſcandalous ſin, that God had none of the honour of the deliverance, nor could any for ſhame make mention of it, but it turned to the greater diſhonour of piety and prayer, though the wonder was paſt doubt. I have known men wonderfully enlightened and delivered from courſes of Error and Schiſme, and being men of extraordinary worth and parts, have been very like to have proved the recovery of abundance more: And they have been ſo unreſiſtibly carryed into ſome particular Errors on the contrary extream, that all the hopes of their doing good hath turned to the hardening of others in their Schiſm, while they ſaw thoſe Errors, and judg'd accordingly of all the reaſons of their change. But eſpecially to hinder the ſucceſſes of godly Magiſtrates, and Miniſters, in their reformings, and their Writings for the winning of Souls, it were endleſs to ſhew, the ſtrange unexpected difficulties which occurre, and lamentably fruſtrate the moſt laudable attempts. Nay, I have known divers men that have had reſolute deſigns, but to build an Alms-houſe, or a School-houſe, or to ſettle ſome publick charitable work, that when all things ſeemed ready, and no difficulty appeared, have been hindered in deſpight of the beſt of their endeavours, all their dayes, or many years: Yea men that purpoſed but p. 153to put it in their Wills, to do ſome conſiderable work of Charity, have been ſo delayed, hindered and diſappointed, that they were never able to effect their ends. By all which it is very perceivable to an obſerving minde, that there is a working inviſible Enemy ſtill ſeeking to deſtroy all Godlineſs, and to hinder Mens ſalvation.

Perhaps you will ſay, that if this be ſo, you make the Devil to be ſtronger than God, and to be the Governour of the World, or to be more in hatred to goodneſs, than God is in love with it.

I anſwer, No: but it appeareth that his Enmity to it is implacable, and that he militateth againſt God and mans felicity, and that ſin hath ſo far brought this lower World under Gods diſpleaſure, that he hath in a great meaſure forſaken it, and left it to the will of Satan: Yet hath he his holy ſeed and Kingdom here, and the purpoſes of his Grace ſhall never be fruſtrated, nor the Gates of Hell prevail againſt his Church: And if he may forſake Hell totally as to his felicitating preſence, he may alſo penally forſake Earth as to the greater number, whileſt for ought we know, he may have thouſands of Orbs of better Inhabitants which have not ſo forfeited his love, nor are not ſo forſaken by him.

I have been the larger in proving a Life to come,Virtutis merces ac finis optimum quiddam eſt, divinum & beatum. Ariſtot. 1. Eth. c. 9. of Retribution to the good and bad, becauſe all Religion doth depend upon it, and I have my ſelf been more aſſaulted with Temptations to doubt of this, than of Chriſtianity it ſelf, though this have more of Natural Evidence. And I have ſet down nothing that I am able rationally to confute my ſelf (though every Truth is liable to ſome ſnarling exceptions of half-witted and contentious men.Virtutum omnium jucundae non ſunt actiones, niſi quatenus finis copulatus conjunctuſ que aſciſcitur. Id. 3. Eth. c. 9.) No man that confeſſeth a Life to come, can queſtion the neceſſity of a Holy Life: But I have thought meet firſt to prove, that a Holy Life is our unqueſtionable duty (as the prius cognitum) and thence to prove the certainty of the future ſtate: For indeed,Virtus extollit hominem & ſuper aſtr… mortales collocat: nec ea quae bona aut mala vocantur, aut cupit nimis, aut expaveſcit. Senec. Ep. 88. though God hath not hid from us the matter of our Reward and Puniſhment, Hopes and Fears, yet hath he made our Duty plainer in the main, and propoſed it firſt to our knowledge and conſideration. The Eternity of the future ſtate, I have not here gone about to prove; becauſe I reſerve it for a fitter place, and need the help of more than p. 154natural light, for ſuch a task. But that it ſhall be of ſo much weight and duration, as ſhall ſuffice to the full execution of Juſtice, and to ſet all ſtreight, that ſeemed crooked in Gods preſent Government, this Nature it ſelf doth fully teſtifie.

Three ſorts of men will read what I have written: 1. Some few (and but very few) of thoſe whoſe Conſciences are ſo bloody in the guilt of their debauchery, that they take it for their intereſt to hope that there is no life but this. 2. Thoſe whoſe Faith and Holineſs, hath made the World to come, to be their intereſt, happineſs, hope, deſire, and only joy. 3. Thoſe that only underſtand in generall, that it is the higheſt intereſt of humane Nature, that there be a full felicity hereafter; and ſee it a moſt deſireable thing, though they know not whether it be to be expected or not. The firſt ſort, I may fear are under ſuch a Curſe of God, as that he may leave their Wills to maſter their Belief,Tria ſunt quae ex animae providentia accipit corpus animalis: ut vivat, ut decore vivat, & ut immortalitas illi ſucceſſione quaeratur. Macrob. 7. Satur. as their Luſts have maſtered their Wills, and leſt they be forſaken of God, to think that true which their wicked hearts deſire were true; and that the Haters of God and a holy Life, ſhould be left to dream that there is no God, nor future Happy Life.

The ſecond ſort have both Light, Experience and Deſire, and therefore will eaſily believe.

The third ſort are they whoſe Neceſſities are great, and yet conjunct with hope of ſome ſucceſs. Though bare intereſt ſhould command no mans underſtanding, becauſe a thing may be deſireable, Animarum originem manare de coelo, inter rectè philoſophantes indubitatae conſtat eſſe ſententiae. Et Animae dum corpore utitur haec eſt perfecta ſapientia, ut unde orta ſit, de quo fonte venerit, recognoſcat. Macrob, ſup. ſomn. ſcip. l. 1. c. 9.which is neither certain nor poſſible; yet I muſt needs ſay, that Reaſon and ſelf-love ſhould make any man, (that is not reſolved in wickedneſs) exceeding glad to hear of any hopes, much more of certainty, of a life of Angelical Happineſs and Joy, to be poſſeſs'd when this is ended. And therefore the enquiry ſhould be exceeding willingly and ſtudiouſly endeavoured. I ſhall conclude this point with a few ſerious Queſtions, to thoſe that deny a future Life of Retribution.

Qu. 1. Whether he that taketh a man to be but an ingenuous kinde of Beaſt, can take it ill to be eſteemed as a Beaſt? May I not expect that he ſhould live like a Beaſt, who thinketh that he ſhall die like a Beaſt? Is ſuch a man p. 155fit to be truſted any further in humane converſe, than his preſent fleſhly intereſt obligeth him? May I not juſtly ſuppoſe that he liveth in the practice of fornication, adultery, lying, perjury, hypocriſie, murder, treachery, theft, deceit, or any other villany, as oft as his intereſt tells him he ſhould do it. What is a ſufficient or likely motive to reſtrain that man, or make him juſt, who believes not any life after this? It ſeemeth to me a wrong to him in his own Profeſſion, to call him an Honeſt man.

2. If you think your ſelves but ingenuous Beaſts,Maximum argumentum eſt, naturam ipſam de immortalitate animorum tacitum judicare, quod omni…s curae ſunt, & maximè quidem, quae poſt-mortem futura ſunt. Cicero Tuſcul. Qu. l. 1. p. 220. why ſhould you not be content to be uſed as Beaſts. A Beaſt is not capable of true Propriety, Right or Wrong: He that can maſter him, doth him no wrong, if he work him, or fleece him, or take away his life. Why may not they that can maſter you, uſe you like Pack-horſes, or Slaves, and beat you, and take away your lives.

3. Would you be only your ſelves of this mind, or would you have all others of it? If your ſelves only, why envy you the Truth (as you ſuppoſe) to others? If all others, what ſecurity ſhall Kings have of their lives? or Subjects of their lives of liberties? What truſt can you put in Wife, or Child, or Servant, or any man that you converſe with? Will you not quickly feel the effect of their opinions? Had you not rather, that the enemy who would murder you, the thief who would rob you, the lyar that would deceive you, did believe a Judgement and life of Retribution, than not?

4. If there be no Life after this,Platonici dicunt, Beatum eſſe hominem fruentem Deo; non ſicut corpore, vel ſcipſo fruitur animus, aut ſicut amicus amico; ſed ſicut Luce Oculus. Auguſt. de Civ. Dei. what buſineſs have you for your Reaſon? and all your noble faculties and time, that is worthy of a man; or that is not like Childrens games or Poppet-playes? What have you to do in the World, that hath any weight in the tryal, any content or comfort in the review, or will give ſolid comfort to a dying man? Were it not better lie down and ſleep out our days, than waſte them all in dreaming waking? O what a ſilly Worm were Man! what ſhould he find to do with his underſtanding? Take off the poiſe of his ultimate End, and all his Rational Motions muſt ſtand ſtill, and only the bruitiſh motion muſt go on, and Reaſon muſt drudge in the Captivity of its ſervice.

p. 156But theſe Queſtions, and more ſuch, I put more home in my Book, called A Saint, or a Bruit. If conſcience tell you, that you can put no truſt in your friend, your wife, your ſervant, or your neighbour, if they believe that there is no life but this: ſurely the ſame conſcience may tell you, that then the thing is true, and that the God of infinite Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs hath better means enough than deceits and lies to rule the world by.

Hear what the conſcience of the Epicure ſaith in Cicero, Academ. Quaeſt. l. 4. p. (mihi) 44. Quis enim poteſt, cum exiſtimet à Deo ſe curari, non & dies & noctes divinum numen horrere, &c. its true of the guilty: But what greater joy to the upright, godly, faithful Soul.