A Seasonable Discourse, Part 1
Of the firſt Queſtion. What a Publick Good is?
1. No man can be ſaid truly to aime at, or to proſecute a Publick good. except he underſtand the true principles of that which is good in it ſelfe and to us, and of that which is publickly ſo, and then alſo except he proceed anſwerably thereunto.
2. The true principle of that which is good in it ſelf and to us, can be no thing elſe, but the known purpoſe of Gods will towards mankind: becauſe none is good in himſelf ſave God alone; and towards us nothing is found good, acceptable and perfect, but what is according to his will. Rom. 12.2.
3. The purpoſe of his will towards mankind is this; that Man ſhould be with God, to enjoy him, and have communion with him in all things, which is now and for ever all his happines.
4. To bring this purpoſe to paſſe, God hath appointed meanes whereby he doth offer himſelf unto Man, and whereby Man is fitted to come unto him.
5. This meanes is, The Grace which bringeth ſalvation in Jeſus Chriſt, which God hath made appear to all men; that they ſhould deny ungodlineſſe and worldy luſts, and live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly in this preſent world.
6. The fitting of Man to come unto God by this Grace is, when Faith is begotten in him by the acknowledgment of the truth which is after godlines; and when godlines is effectually perfected in him, by the ſpirit of Regeneration in the life of Love and holines.
7. If therefore a Man do attaine to that which the good will of God hath appointed for him, and whereby he is fitted to have communion with God, then he is partaker of that which is good indeed; but if he doth not attaine to this, nothing can be good unto him, becauſe he doth miſſe of his cheif & only end, and of the meanes thereof; without which he cannot be happy in any thing.
8. This then is that which is to be counted good, in a direct and proper ſenſe; and every thing elſe is good, as it is reducible hereunto, and not otherwiſe. And thus much of that which is the Principle of Good.
9. The true Principle of that which is publickly good, is nothing elſe but the right way of Common Nature; whereby Man being more excellent then other Creatures, is obliged to do all things as Man, and for Mankind; For every thing is to act ſutable to its own nature and kind.
10. The way wherein Common Nature hath ſet Man, is that he ſhould lead, rule, and employ all things to their common ends, and not that he ſhould be lead, ruled, or employed by them in any thing.
11. The way whereby Man is enabled to do all things as Man is reaſon. and whereby he may do all for Mankind is ſociety; For by that alone Man is Man, and by this onelyonly, all things are made uſefull unto all men.
12. Reaſon is in man the faculty of his mind, by which he is enabled to know and judge to order and direct himſelf, his own actions, and all other things belonging to his own or their being, towards the ends and uſes, for which God hath fitted both him and them, to the enjoyment of the happines whereof he and they are capable.
13. Society in Man, is upon the intereſt which one man hath in another as he is rationall, a freedom to joyn in endeavours, and to partake with, and to communicate unto him all things to a Common Good.
The ground then of humane ſociety is Reaſon, the way of it is freedom of Action according to Reaſon, and the end, both of ſociety and reaſon is the common enjoyment of good things.
If a man therefore do ſet himſelf in the way of humanity above other things of the world, to uſe them freely as common Servants, that they may be rationally imployed towards the attainment of that which is the good of all; then he doth indeed aime at that which is publickly good. But if he doth not ſet himſelf in this way, although his actions be never ſo ſpecious, his pretences never ſo faire, and his works materially never ſo compleat; yet his aime is only at himſelf, and when he ſhall be called to give an account of that Stewardſhip wherein the publique good hath been intruſted unto him: he will be found unfaithfull in his truſt, a cheater of himſelf in that which is good, and a robber of others in that which is publique.
From all which this is to be inferred, that as no man without piety and the right uſe of reaſon can be happy; ſo no humane ſociety without the advancement of theſe two unto the Members thereof, can enjoy that which is either truly good, or truly publique. For as out of the way of godlineſs there can be no enjoyment of God unto happineſs: So out of the way of right Reaſon there can be no common intereſt unto a publique good.
Moreover, we may find by experience, that the way of piety begets grace, and the uſe of Reaſon Induſtry, as in one man, ſo in a whole Nation; but if the meanes to propagate grace inwardly, and ſtirre up Induſtry outwardly ſhould be neglected in a Nation, how can any publique good be hoped for therein? we muſt conclude therefore, that as in reference to God, grace, and in reference to man, Induſtry, are the two hands, whereby every one for himſelf doth receive the bleſſings of all eternall and temporall proſperity: So piety towards God, and the uſe of right Reaſon amongſt men, are the effectuall moving faculties, whereby theſe hands are ſtretched out and ſet a working both to God and men, for the good of a publique Society.