Treatise of Moral and Intellectual Virtues, Treatise on ethics · Part 15
Of PRUDENCE.
AFTER Men have choſen an Active Life, the next, and chiefeſt Virtue,Prudence the beſt guide of our Actions. they are to ſeek for, is Prudence, to guide them in the juſt government of their Actions: The Philoſophers are very much puzzled about the Nature of this Virtue; ſome will have it, that we cannot be Happy, if any the leaſt Sorrow and Trouble comes near us; therefore they adviſe their prudent Man quite to leave the World, which is beſet with theſe Thorns; they would not have him converſe with Mankind or enter upon any Employment; ſo in the caſe of Temperance, they cannot tell, how any man ſhould practice this Virtue, unleſs He wholly reject all Invitations to Feaſts and Banquets.
NOW the Prudence, which we recommend, is very different from that which the Philoſophers have preſcribed, and is always joined with Goodneſs;Good and Diſ…reet the ſame. For good and diſcreet are terms convertible; No Man can be indeed good without Prudence; no Man prudent, unleſs He be good; theſe Virtues ought to accompany each other; and when they do ſo, they are the beſt defence a Man hath againſt Griefs, Troubles, Loſſes, Diſappointments, and all the Evils of this mortal State.
WE are therefore to enquire, what this Prudence is by which we muſt guide our Affairs; in general this may be ſaid of it; that it is that Virtue, which muſt govern all the reſt; to which they owe their Value, and their Beauty; as will more fully appear, if we conſider, that by Prudence alone Men are directed.
Firſt, TO pitch upon a right, and a worthy End to all their Actions.
Secondly, TO make choice of fit and proper Means to compaſs this End.
Thirdly, TO be diligent, and perſevere in the uſe of thoſe Means, till they attain their End.
FOR He, who propounds little deſigns to himſelf, hath a mean and ungenerous Spirit; becauſe he aims at that, which is not worth his ſeeking; and the more earneſtly he purſues it, the greater is his loſs and diſappointment.
Secondly, IF a Man doth not accommodate proper Means for the obtaining of a Noble End, he ſtarves his Cauſe and declares, that he doth not know the worth of his own Deſign; ſo that his propoſing a good End, is more by Chance than Election; when he hath not Prudence to follow this End with fit and ſufficient Means.
Thirdly, THO his End be good, and the Means proper to effect it; yet if He be not conſtant to himſelf, but grow impatient of delay and weary of his Poaſt, before he is fully poſſeſs'd of the End, he drives at; his Prudence muſt be concluded to de defective.
BUT put theſe three all together, and in whomſoever they are found, I may affirm, that he is a Perſon well qualified with Prudence, either for this, or the other World.
FOR as the prudent Man for this World is ever buſie in contriving the moſt probable Ways of gaining the moſt precious things of it; his Head is ever at work; his thoughts are watchful and intent; his whole mind is in this very matter, to promote his Fortune, and to ſettle his Intereſt; ſo the prudent Man in the Exerciſes of Virtue, caſts off all ſloth and negligence; The behaviour of a prudent Man in Religion.ſpends his hours in Meditation upon the tranſitory State of the beſt Things here, and the certainty of Death and Judgment; ſo that He is conſtantly employed in ſtating his Accounts for this great Day, and in examining himſelf, how he is prepared for it: As the prudent Man for this World, who reſolves to be Rich, conſiders, that He muſt then be very induſtrious in his Calling, and very frugal in his Expences; that He muſt deny his Eaſe, and his Appetites, and exactly keep his Accounts; For He, who indulges his Belly and his ſleep, takes not the right way to encreaſe his Eſtate; And as He, who hath an Ambition to be highly honoured or prefer'd, will take care to offend no Body, but demean himſelf Civilly; will put up and conceal many Affronts; will do all acts of Courteſie and beneficence, that He can; As another, whoſe Genius leads him to ſearch for Knowledg, knows the directeſt way to it is ſedulous Study, to peruſe good Books, frequent the beſt Company, and to render all uſeful to himſelf by ſober Contemplation: So the prudent Man in Virtue aims at the Enjoyment of God's Favour and Eternal Life with him; therefore He applies himſelf heartily to the fitteſt Means for this End, which is to be holy, and to do good; to ſerve God faithfully, and to make uſe of all Opportunities of redeeming his time; therefore thinking much of Heaven, and hoping to land himſelf ſafely there, He will never ſteer his Courſe by a falſe Compaſs, by imagining, that he is in the right way, when he is of ſuch a Party, when He can diſpute hotly for this and that Opinion, or when He ſpends all his Zeal upon thoſe things, that periſh in the uſing, and never go beyond this preſent State: As the prudent Man for this World doth not content himſelf with chuſing proper Means to the Ends, he follows; but when he is ſatisfied that the Means, he hath choſen, are fit and ſuitable, he is never diſcouraged or baffled out of them by any difficulties whatſoever; For inſtance, No hardſhip diſheartens the Man, who deſigns to get Riches; He ſlights all the Labours and Cares in his Way, becauſe he is ſtedfaſtly bent upon the acquiſition of his Deſires; And as another Man, who is ſtrongly inclined to become Eminent in all ſorts of Learning, and to underſtand all Matters, that have been before him, knows well, that his Candle muſt never go out; that by pains and watchings he muſt contract pale Looks, and a ſickly Body; yet he is not caſt down by any of theſe conſiderations: So the prudent Man in the buſineſs of Virtue, is ſure, that if he doth good and lives well, A virtuous and prudent Man values not Reproaches.he ſhall be happy; therefore he values not the Reproaches of bad men, nor the Afflictions that are to be endured; For he will never be beaten off from his intended purpoſe by any ſuch or greater diſcouragements: As a Wiſe Man for this World looks upon it, as a notorious Mark of Folly, for a Man to run upon any thing at all Adventures; as He is wary and ſuſpicious, ſo that he will not truſt his Fortune in every Bodies hands, nor take the Counſel of a Man, whom he thinks not to be Honeſt, or that he imagins, will impoſe upon him: So the prudent Perſon for the cauſe of Virtue, builds his Faith and Hope for a better World with as much care and caution; therefore He is not apt to be miſled by every Impoſtor, but contemns thoſe Mountebanks in Religion,A Religious prudent man is not eaſily miſled. who by fair Stories, and ſpecious Gulleries, wheedle men out of their Senſe and Reaſon: This he doth, becauſe He is as careful of his Religion, and as watchful againſt Cheats, as the cunning man for this World is wont to be for advancing his ſecular Ends and Intereſts: For which purpoſe he will watch the proper Seaſon of doing any thing, and will never let it ſlip; So the prudent Man in the Warfare of Virtue lays hold of all opportunities for the benefit of his Soul; He makes uſe of the preſent time, and conſiders, if his Work be not done now, it will never be done at all.
So far the Parallel goes between a prudent Man for this World and for Virtue; But here we cannot but bewail the ill State of things, that Men ſhould ſtrive to be more diſcreet in the little Affairs of this Life, than they are in matters of much more importance to them; the unreaſonableneſs of which will appear in theſe four particulars.
Firſt it is manifeſt,The unreaſonableneſs of being more prudent for this world, than for virtue. that a good Man hath a nobler End to purſue, than the Men of this World can pretend to; for how low a deſign is it! how unworthy a rational Being, to heap up Wealth, when he knows not how ſoon he may be taken away from it, or that waſte away and leave him: With an ambitious Perſon it is juſt ſo, he hath laboured all his days to become Great and Honorable; when he hath effected it, his Name is only toſſ'd too and frô by the envy of the World; but ſuppoſing that Riches could be durable, or that Honor were a certain thing; yet the Poſſeſſions of this Earth in their moſt flouriſhing condition, are not to be compared with the enjoyments of a virtuous Man; which are chiefly, to have peace with God, and with his own mind; Now if a Virtuous Man hath a greater and more deſirable End of his Actions, it is very unreaſonable, that he ſhould be outdone in prudence or care, in the working out his Salvation.
Secondly, As a virtuous Man hath the beſt end, ſo the means, that he hath to it, are much more certain, than all the methods of the World are: For Solomon hath aſſured, us that here the Race is not always to the ſwift nor the Battel to the ſtrong; one in all likelihood would think, that the ſwifteſt ſhould winn the Race, and the ſtrongeſt, the Battel; yet the wiſeſt Man, and the beſt Judge of the true valuation of all things below, hath determined quite otherwiſe; the beſt humane means, tho never ſo well fitted to their ends, do often miſcarry; for after a Man hath run the utmoſt dangers, and hath ſpent his life in continual care for an abundance of Worldly Goods; a thouſand accidents may and do fall out to deveſt him of it; when another hath uſed all his Art and Wit to build up a reputation, a vulgar breath ſhall blaſt it all: Whereas the means, which the Lovers of Virtue uſe to their end, will never fail them; for never any one was diſappointed of a peaceable Mind, who ever was ſo prudent, as to manage the courſe of his Life by the Rules of Virtue; never any failed of the Favour of God, who had ſo much diſcretion, as to obey his Commandments; nor did ever any miſs of Eternal Life, who were ſo wiſe for themſelves, as to labor after it.
Thirdly, THERE is no more difficulty in the means of obtaining the reward of Virtue, which is both preſent and future Happineſs, than there is in thoſe ways, which the crafty Men of this World uſe to bring their deſigns about; therefore it is ſtill more unaccountable,It is eaſier for a Man to be virtuous, than vitious. that they ſhould take more pains in their way, than the Diſciples of Virtue do in theirs; beſides it is often much more difficult to raiſe a credit in the World, than it is to get the Favour of God, or that Peace of Conſcience, which a conformity to the Precepts of Virtue will certainly afford us: Health of Body is not acquired without warineſs and continual circumſpection; it is far eaſier, for a Man to entertain himſelf in virtuous Contemplations; for God hath not ſet our happineſs at difficult terms; but the way to it is ſmoother, than we are apt to imagine; it being as eaſie to be ſober, as to be otherwiſe; to be juſt, as unrighteous; the Rules of Virtue are not ſo rigid, as Men uſually apprehend them to be; therefore it is the moſt unpardonable folly, if they be not as induſtrious in the practices of Virtue, as they often are in the proſecution of vitious and naughty Purpoſes.
Fourthly, BY being diligent and diſcreet in the exerciſe of moral Virtue, we commonly ſecure the happineſs of this preſent World, as well as the next, the better to our ſelves; for the Men, who regard only this World, may be ſure, that they ſhall not find any felicity in a future Life, becauſe they have taken no care about it, and frequently they loſe this World alſo; For if they follow Shadows, they muſt needs loſe the Subſtance; but if they lay faſt hold of the Subſtance,The prudent Man is ſure of the Happineſs both of this and the other World. they muſt conſequently poſſeſs the Shadow; by which I mean, that if they would be wrought upon to lead a virtuous Life in good earneſt; they would not only ſecure their Intereſt in another World, but they would ſucceed better in the Affairs of this; For, ſo our Saviour hath ſaid, ſeek ye firſt the Kingdom of Heaven and his Righteouſneſs, and all other things ſhall be added unto you: Therefore let us be Wiſe, and make Virtue, our main deſign, becauſe length of days is in her right hand, and in her left Riches and Honour; For God doth often diſpenſe the common Benefits and good things of this Life to the Virtuous, over and above what he intends to beſtow upon them in the World to come.
SEEING then good Men have the beſt End to follow,The Prudent Man always follows the beſt End. the moſt apt and certain means, that always prove effectual; ſeeing there is no more difficulty in attaining Heavenly, than earthly things; ſeeing that men do uſually ſecure a competency of the things of this World, by minding the things of another; but if we place all our Affections upon this World, it many times falls out, that we are fruſtrated of what we deſire; Therefore let us endeavour to be as prudent at leaſt in our way of Piety and Virtue, as Worldly-minded men are in theirs; From whoſe Sagacity we may learn to forearm our ſelves againſt the wiles of the Tempter; For when all is done, true Wiſdom is gotten only in the Word of God, becauſe that makes us wiſe unto Salvation; and they are very Fools, who never think, what miſchiefs will come upon them, after they have ſpent a ſinful and ungodly Life; they ſeem not to be diſtinguiſhed from Brutes, who care not, what they do, or what becomes of them, provided they can fulfil their fleſhly Luſts; it is quite otherwiſe with a good Man; his End is Eternal Life; the means he takes to it is an upright and virtuous Converſation, which will never fail of its Rewards.
NOW the oppoſites to true Prudence are Craft, or a fraudulent ſubtlety, and folly; Craft, my Lord Bacon ſays, is a ſiniſter and crooked Wiſdom; and certainly, there is a great difference between a Cunning,The difference between a crafty and a prudent Man. and a Wiſe Man, not only in the point of Honeſty, but in Ability; For there are thoſe, who can pack the Cards, and yet they cannot play them well; So there are ſome, who are very Quickwitted at Tricks and Expedients, that are otherwiſe weak and ſhallow Men: their great Engine is a ſmooth Tongue and a competent ſtock of Wit; in general Expreſſions, they pretend much Affection and Kindneſs; to gain their Ends, they will uſe many Artifices, as taking advantage of Perſons in Neceſſity, that are under ſome fear of Puniſhment, or of Diſcovery; that are in Danger, or blinded with Paſſion; that are Weak or Ignorant, Inadvertent or Eaſie; they watch their time to enſnare, and exert all their Power to impoſe upon them: Thus they build their Houſe under ground, as it hath been obſerved of the Crafty, celant, tacent, diſſimulant, inſidiantur, praeripiunt hoſtium conſilia; and in order to their own advantage, they look upon all other men, as Enemies; neither have they, or ever intend to have any Friends.
WHAT an odd, as well as wicked Humour is this Guile, as if by the help of the moſt perverſe and the moſt erring Guide a man might find out ſhorter Ways, than the lawful Road, leaping over Hedg and Ditch; breaking through all legal Bounds; as if the moſt crooked were the readieſt Way to arrive at their Journeys End: This is that, which the Serpent is ſaid to be eminent for, above all other Beaſts of the Field;What Craft or a Serpentine Wiſdom is. whence it is commonly called a Serpentine Wiſdom, that lies ever upon the Catch, and deals by way of Stratagem: In a ſtate of War perhaps it may be allowable, as it was thought by Virgil, when he asked; dolus an virtus, quis in Hoſte requirit? Yet even in War its ſelf, where matters depend upon ſudden Actions, a brave and generous Enemy will make as little uſe of the Dolus or Craft, as may be: Therefore to uſe it in their ordinary carriage or dealings with their Brethren; to make them ſuch promiſes, as they will not be obliged by; to utter Words, that intend nothing; will expoſe men to others, with whom they converſe, as dangerous and unworthy Perſons.
THE deficient Extreme of Prudence is called Simpleneſs or Folly, which conſiſts in ſuch a vicious Habit, as is contracted by the frequent neglect or refuſal of the Advices of Prudence; This is properly both a Sin and a Puniſhment;Folly oppoſite to Prudence: Having this peculiar brand of Infamy upon it beyond all other Vices, that whereas ſome men have been ſo impudent, as to take a pride in their diſhoneſt Actions; yet none have ever been ſo wretched, as to boaſt of their Folly; This being amongſt all Men counted moſt reproachful, and that, which will render one moſt contemptible.
THIS is not the ſame with Natural Folly, a principal defect of the Mind, which may be called Stolidity, or the Extremity of Dulneſs; But the Folly, we ſpeak of, doth rather come from the depravedneſs of the Will,It proceeds from a depraved Will. when it will not hearken to any thing delivered to it by right Reaſon; and when men have once acquieſced in untrue Opinions, falſe Judgments, and have regiſtred them as authentick Methods in their minds; it is no leſs impoſſible to inſinuate the Counſels of Prudence, or to ſpeak intelligibly to ſuch Men, than to write legibly upon a Paper already ſcribled over: the immediate cauſe hereof is prejudice, and of prejudice, a falſe Opinion of our own knowledg; When this hath a predominancy over the Underſtanding; then we have no Paſſion, but from it; and we ſhall not be permitted to liſten to the Voice of the wiſe Man, ſpeak he never ſo wiſely.
What Lightneſs of Mind is.THERE is alſo a Lightneſs in ſome Men's minds that produceth Folly; An Example whereof is in them, who in the midſt of a ſerious Diſcourſe, have their minds diverted to every little Jeſt, or witty Obſervavation, which maketh them depart ſo often from their Diſcourſe, that all they ſay, looks like a Dream, or ſome ſtudied Nonſenſe: Thus prejudice and Levity are the cauſes of moſt of thoſe Follies, mankind are guilty of; either their minds are prepoſſeſſed and barr'd up againſt all ſober and prudent Inſtructions; or they are ſo aiery and inconſtant, that for want of Ballaſt they cannot faſten upon any ſteady Principles; when this is the ſtate of the mind, all its Actions will be raſh and irregular; nothing will be done according to the Meaſures and Counſels of Prudence, neither will it know how to make uſe of any occaſions, for the obtaining the great End of its Creation. A preſent cure for theſe Evils is Prudence, which is the Art of Buſineſs, directing a Man in the practical Affairs of Life to what is fit and convenient, according to the variety of Circumſtances; it conſiſts in a ſolid Judgment to diſcern the Tempers and Intereſts of Men, the ſtate of Buſineſs, the probabilities of Events and Conſequences, together with a preſentneſs of mind to obviate ſudden Accidents; For without this exactneſs of Judgment, to diſtinguiſh between things, we ſhall not be able to tell in ſome caſes what is Vice, and what is Virtue; where the former is like the latter, as it is in the inſtances of Pride and greatneſs of Spirit, Religion and Superſtition, Quickneſs and Raſhneſs, Chearfulneſs and Mirth; So of Ambition and Sufficiency, Government and Tyranny, Liberty and Licentiouſneſs, Subjection and Servitude, Covetouſneſs and Frugality.
NOW the juſt limits and boundaries of theſe Things,Prudence neceſſary to judg between the limits of ſome Virtues and Vices. none but a wiſe and skilful Man can judg of; who can diſcern one from the other, notwithſtanding their great reſemblance, and can give to every Cauſe its proper Actions and Effects: It is therefore neceſſary for every one, that deſires to be a prudent Man, to obſerve his own Actions, and the original of them his Thoughts and Intentions, with great care and circumſpection; elſe He ſhall never arrive in any tolerable manner to the knowledg of what He doth well or ill: And leſt all this diligence ſhould be inſufficient, as the partiality to himſelf will certainly render it, it is very requiſite for him to betake himſelf often to wiſe and good Men; who may with all freedom admoniſh him of his Failings, and direct him to their proper Remedies; For we muſt not think, that we live one day without Faults, or that thoſe Faults are undiſcovered; And He is happy, who hath a diſcreet Friend to obſerve his Converſation,The uſe of a Friend. and to tell him, where its Errours are; this is the Way to grow better, and this is the moſt likely Way to perfect himſelf in Virtue and Prudence, which prudence depends very much upon experience; without which no Perſon of ever ſo great Capacity, can ever arrive to be a Wiſe Man, more than a Fruit to maturity without Time; It is true, all Mens Apprehenſions are naturally alike; what one ſees Red, another ſees not Green; and Aloes is not bitter to one, and ſweet to another; And that one Man is more learned, is not, becauſe he knows otherwiſe, than another; but it is becauſe he knows more Conſequences, and more proportions by his greater Induſtry and Experience.
WHEN Experience hath made us prudent; then there will be no inconveniences in Human Life, but we ſhall be aware of, ſo that nothing ſhall be able to diſturb our Happineſs; when the Philoſophy of Speculative Men would take us off from all Employments, that we may live in eaſe and quiet: This teaches us to manage publick Affairs and all manner of Negotiation, without making the leaſt breach of the peace in our minds; when their Wiſdom,Prudence the beſt manager of our Converſation. for fear of danger, would have us never go to Sea; our prudence would have us govern our ſelves wiſely, ſince we are embarked, and ſteer our courſe in the beſt manner; when one will not allow us to go to a Feaſt, leſt we ſhould be ſurfeited either with the Food or the Wine; the other ſhews us how we may be abſtemious, when we come to them.
WHEREFORE Prudence teaches us better Leſſons for a life of Virtue, than Philoſophy can pretend to; For ſhe hath much Study, but little Experience; She can adviſe well, but cannot act; The advantage of Reading Men, rather than Books.whereas the Reading of men, rather than Books, enlarges our Souls for the Entertainment of the beſt and moſt uſeful Notions; frees them from that narrowneſs of Spirit, which ſcarce ever leaves the retired and ſolitary Student: But if he will come abroad, and walk with wiſe Men, he ſhall be wiſe; He ſhall underſtand the Cuſtoms and Humours of Men, the Buſineſs and Duties of Life, the Government and Events of Providence: He muſt go out of the World, if he would wholly avoid wicked Men; but his prudence will be ſeen ſo in ordering his Converſation, that he may not be polluted by their Company: And one chief reaſon, why in the Univerſities themſelves men do not make ſo great a progreſs either in Piety or Learning, as might be exſpected from thoſe ſpecial Advantages, which they enjoy in thoſe places, is, becauſe they are not ſo careful to improve the benefit to be had by prudent Converſation; For the Men of Reading do very much buſie themſelves about ſuch Conceptions, which are no where to be found out of their own Chambers; the Senſe, the Cuſtom, the Practice, the judgment of the World, is quite a different thing from what they imagine it to be in private; and therefore it is no wonder, that when they come abroad into Buſineſs, they abound ſo much with Fears and Doubts, and miſtaken Idea's of things; which happens to them, becauſe they have kept out of the way, in the ſhade of their Libraries, Arguing,, Objecting, Defending, concluding with themſelves; and would never look out, and by Converſing ſee, what is acted on the Stage of the World.
FROM what I have ſaid, may be gather'd; that Prudence will teach Men not to ſpend their thoughts about empty Contemplations,The prudent Man is more for practice than Contemplation. by turning them to the practices of a virtuous and an uſeful Life; thus their minds will be cured of all their ſwellings, when all things are repreſented to them, juſt as large as they are; For the nearer men come to the Buſineſſes of Life, all thoſe ſhadows grow leſs and leſs, which did either enlarge or darken Human Affairs: And indeed of the uſul Titles, by which men of Buſineſs are wont to be diſtinguiſhed, the Crafty, the Formal, and the Prudent; the Crafty may anſwer to the Emperick in Philoſophy, who has a great collection of particular Experiences, but knows not how to uſe them, but to baſe and low Ends; the Formal man may be compared to the mere Speculative Philoſopher, who vainly reduces every thing to ſome grave and ſolemn general Rules, without diſcretion; And the prudent Man is like him, who proceeds on a conſtant and ſolid courſe of Experiments, which do not reſt upon empty Knowledg, but are deſigned for Action: And it is the active Life of Virtue, which it is our Intereſt to begin betimes, becauſe 'tis a hard task for him, who has only thought much for the greateſt part of his days, to turn a man of practice; as He, that can paint the Face of a Lion, will much ſooner come to draw any other Creature; than He, who has all the Rules of Limning in his Head, but never yet uſed his Hand to lay on a Colour.
I have nothing more to add concerning Prudence, only this; that it is the beſt preſervative we have againſt all falſe Religions, and thoſe,Prudence the beſt preſervative againſt falſe Religions. that promote them; wherewith unleſs a man be well guarded, he will be ever expoſed to Impoſtors, who have an Art of preſenting falſhood for Truth, with as fair Colours and Pretences, with as exact and regular Proportions, with fanciful Conſequences, and artificial Connexions: for want of a due diſcretion in governing their Lives by the plain Rules of the Chriſtian Doctrine, Men have run headlong, into very abſurd and groſs Opinions; For when once Religion is made a Tool to advance the Ambition or the Intereſts of deſigning men, then they broach ſwarms of ſuppoſititious Writings and ſophiſtical Arguments, to maintain corrupt Opinions; then they pretend to Viſions and Dreams, to gain credit to their fond inventions: But a prudent Man, who makes a good Life his only purpoſe, acts as one in his Wits ſhould do; For holineſs of Life reſtores him to his Primitive ſtate, to the perfect and healthful Conſtitution of his Nature; in the mean time it is a hard matter to perſuade the Enthuſiaſtical and the ſuperſtitious to be really good; The Enthuſiaſtical and ſuperſtitious are hardly brought to be really good.it is no eaſie thing to work upon their diſordered Tempers and Paſſions, or to reduce 'em to the forſaken and untrodden Paths of Virtue.
NAY, a prudent thoughtfulneſs hath a natural power in it to work in a ſincere Perſon a ſenſe and acknowledgment of his Sins; when he retires into himſelf, and takes a true eſtimate of his Condition; For the workings of the mind are active and reſtleſs; it will always be employed one way or another: and when it hath no external Object to entertain or divert it; then ſelf-Reflection, the beſt means to an impartial judgment of things will take place, and the true voice of Conſcience will be heard.
ALL Men therefore, who act wickedly, forget the very nature of their own minds; but He, who guides his Affairs with diſcretion, looks forward to the end of his Actions; examines the Reaſons, upon which his Religion is founded; becauſe moſt of the Errours among Men are ſuch,Whence moſt Mens Errours do ariſe. as their own Reaſon might have corrected, had they in time bethought themſelves; and moſt of the dangers, they incur, proceed from hence, that they have a great indifferency upon their Spirits as to the truth or honeſty of the Religion, they are engaged in.
IT cannot be expected, conſidering what fallible Creatures we are, that we ſhould always walk according to the preciſe Rules of Prudence; However ſeeing that moſt of the Faults of Men proceed from irregular Humours and Deſires, which they are apt to be too Fond of; we are by the Law of our Creation bound to uſe that Principle in us, we call Reaſon, that it may guide all our Operations, and direct them to ſome good End; For God governs rational Beings, by the Principles of Reaſon, as He doth the material World by the neceſſary Laws of matter, and brute Creatures, by the inſtincts and propenſities of Nature.