ARTICLE I.

I Know not, if what Astronomers say, be a real Truth, or a meer groundless supposition, That a Superiour Heaven, they call Primum Mobile, turneth round the world with [Page 2] it self by its rapid motion all th' other inferiour Orbs; but sure I am there is some such thing as a Primum Mobile here below, that over-ruleth the ve­ry Microcosm it self, that untoward and unweildy Animal call'd Man. This I fancy you will easily agree to, if you do but allow, with the gene­rality of Philosophers, nothing to be put in motion but by some other thing of a distinct nature from it self: for though this receiv'd principle be ingeniously contradicted by a late Author, I am still inclin'd to believe it no untruth, by an infinite number of obvious and unanswerable instan­ces, clearing all our doubts about this old Maxim, quicquid movetur, ab alio movetur, that every thing actual­ly moved, owes its motion to some forreign impression. Thus when a Stone falls downwards, I conceive it to be press'd towards the Earth by the weight of the Atmosphere; or as others will tell you more obscure­ly, by the magnetical attraction of the Center of the Universe: When [Page 3] the same heavy body is toss'd up­wards, it is natural to us to think with the Aristotelians, of an impress'd Quality, or of a certain Impulse help'd forward by the liquid ambi­ent, till the greater pressure of the incumbent air return it home again to the Earth, from whence it came; and if this be apparently true in a rectiline motion, we need not scru­ple to judge after the same manner of a circular one, or of a body turn­ing round some Center or other: for I am not as yet thoroughly recon­cil'd to the Opinion of those who will have the Sun, Moon, and other Planets to turn round the world without the help of an Aristotelian Intelligence. But we need not climb so high, to make new discoveries of so probable a Truth: Does a Ship sail without a good gale? Does the Earth produce its fruits unmanur'd and un­till'd? Can the powers of our Soul move themselves without a previous impression from the Object? Fire in­deed, and Water too ascend some­times [Page 4] up into the air, but by the strong pressure of heavier bodies that thrust them upwards: and may not I be allowed to say, that if God him­self were mutable, he could not be wrought upon but by a Being distinct from himself? So true, one would think this hitherto un­controverted Maxim to be,My Lord Stares his new principles. though it ap­pear doubtful to a great man of this Age.

ARTICLE II.

But whether he be in the right or not, 'tis not very material to my purpose: for whatever may be the true cause of motion in the great World; yea, though I allowed, that some things without us are mov'd by themselves, and by no Being distinct [Page 5] from themselves, I shall presume to be positive for once, contrary to the natural disposition of my own tem­per, in asserting, that Man never moves himself, unless first mov'd by something that is without him, and which he endeavours to reach by all the different actions of his life: What this is, what impressions it makes up­on mankind, and by what means it attains the design'd end, are the very things I intend to clear in the follow­ing Discourse, which upon this ac­count may prove not altogether use­less, though it may not please very much that kind of men we call Pre­tenders to Vertue and Morality, or more plainly, down-right Hypocrites, who would not have us to pry into their thoughts, nor discover the se­cret Spring of all their actions, that being judg'd to act by higher motives than really they do, they may conti­nue to themselves that esteem they have acquired in the world, by a shew of what they were never really possess'd of.

ARTICLE III.

Such as intend to cheat thus the duller world for their own ends, are sure never to do it bare-fac'd, and without the common vizard of Ver­tue and Religion, or of meer zeal and concernedness for the common good. But whatever their pretences may appear to be, we shall find by daily experience the Scripture to be true, that all, or most men, omnes quaerunt quae sua sunt, propose to themselves in all their proceedings still some temporal interest or other, as their last end, without any further direction of their intentions towards their only dread Soveraign, and Al­mighty Maker. Yet that it may not be said, that I intend to libel mankind, [Page 7] and banish all real Vertue out of the world, I do sincerely acknowledge, that some do act by principles, and not by temper, nor temporal inte­rest, as those do who give willingly alms for mens sake, and seldom or ne­ver for God's sake, that is never in private, but always in publick, or on publick accounts, for the increase of their Name and Reputation among men; being contented with Cicero's wish'd for reward of a present and popular applause while they are alive, ut vivi perfruantur gloriolâ suâ, not minding what they might have expe­cted without this hereafter in another Scene of affairs, in case they believe any thing beyond this life, as I have reason to be afraid they really do not, because of their being resolv'd to be great and happy here at any rate.

ARTICLE IV.

I doubt not but that there is such a thing in the World as Religion, yea, and true religious men too of all Chri­stian Religions; yet besides that, they are so hard to be known, that the greatest Readers of mankind mista­king sometimes their man, take such to be undoubted Saints, who are no better than Dunghills covered with Snow, or finely painted Tombs, the number is so inconsiderable, that true Vertue has always been the rarest thing in the world, as Vice the com­monest; which I can ascribe to no­thing else but to the Almighty Power of temporal interest so absolutely ru­ling over mens minds, that few or none are either willing or able to resist it. To be somewhat more par­ticular [Page 9] upon the matter, 'tis a harder fate than one would think to be bred a Tradesman, because 'tis a great temptation to him who must live by trading, if not a sort of indispensible necessity to pursue his Interest, right or wrong, to the ruine of his Soul and Conscience. The Casuists and Divines may set what Rates they please upon his Goods, and declare what Gain is reasonable and lawful, and what is by the Law of God and right Reason forbid, notwithstanding all their prescriptions, the Dealer will still think all Fish that comes into the Net, and that whatever he can get, he may lawfully take, were it six times the value of what he disposeth of. 'Tis upon this account, that, as Cicero, if I misremember not, says somewhere, No Tradesmen are al­lowed to be Gentlemen, quia nihil proficiunt, nisi mentiuntur, because they can hardly become rich without cheating and lying, which true Gen­tlemen should not do, though too many among us, pretending to this [Page 10] Quality, are as guilty of both as the meanest Tradesmen. We are ab­horr'd by the Turks upon this very Head, more than upon the account of our Religion, which many of them have a respect for, as aiming at nothing more than good manners and holiness of life. 'Tis a common word among them, That they are neither Cheats in their dealings, nor perfidious, nor Lyars, as the Infidels, meaning the Christians; though they themselves are of late generally as guilty of those Crimes as we are; and no wonder, since they have not the same advantages that we have to rid our selves of the Tyranny and Slave­ry of self-interest, which yet we en­deavour to clear our selves of before men, by a thousand protestations of our just and fair dealings, being asham'd to be thought concern'd for our selves in what we pretend to do meerly for others. This is the Vizard we put on in all our specious preten­ces to Honesty and Justice, lest we are at last discovered to be what we [Page 11] really are, and will by no means own. By how many horrible and repeated Oaths will not sometimes a greedy Tradesman endeavour to per­swade a credulous Customer, that he uses him kindly, when at the same time his design is Extortion, and an unreasonable Gain.

ARTICLE V.

I know 'tis generally answer'd by the trading Tribe, That what they lose by one, they must get by an­other; That what they lose by Trust, they must get by the ready penny; That considering how many, and how different hazards they run, they are not so injust as one would think in their dealings. So strong are the Arguments drawn from Interest, that they can perswade a man into the belief of his being innocent and [Page 12] guiltless, when he commits the horri­blest of Crimes; as that he may take, without scruple, from me what is really mine, to make up the losses he has suffered through other mens ei­ther misbehaviour or misfortune; or that Usury, so much condemn'd by the moral part of mankind, and by the Gospel it self, is now no more a sin, because, forsooth, of what men call damnum emergens, and lucrum cessans, of the damage we are thought to be exposed to, by lending our money, or upon the account of mis­sing in the mean time of a seasonable opportunity of improving it; which two things, since they may always be pretended to, there can be no such thing in the world as a sinful Usury, though the Gospel tells us in plain terms, date mutuum, nihil inde spe­rantes; lend your money without the very hopes of recovering any thing thereby more than your prin­cipal: So far it is from allowing in any case of tyrannical Extortions and injust Exactions: But by the deep [Page 13] reach of a preying Interest, we un­derstand now better things, since contrary to the written Word, Usu­rers must be reckon'd as honest men as any whosoever, lest we condemn the generality of Traders and Deal­ers either in Goods or Money.

Simony, that is the selling of the Spiritual for the Temporal; as a good Ecclesiastical Benefice for Gold or Silver, was always reputed a grie­vous sin; but because this Doctrine became troublesome to the rich Bi­shops, Abbots and Prebends of France, and other Popish Countries, who having at their disposal several fat Benefices were strongly tempted to bestow them upon the most deser­ving; that is, in their opinion, up­on such as could give most money for them, they are fallen luckily up­on a trick to clear all their Scruples about this Subject, and it is this, That they are not to contract in express terms with the party, nor to give their Bond for such a sum of Money payable at their being install'd in the [Page 14] Spiritual Employment they are in pursuit of; They shall only be at the trouble to let him they deal withal understand their present dis­position to a grateful return for the favour he promiseth to do them gra­tis, though in the mean time he be very sure of his reward, or rather price, and do expect it no less than if they were tyed up to the payment by all the strictest Forms of Law and Custom. Now all is well again, and we may by this easie method shun all kind of Simony, sell and buy Ecclesiastical Benefices, as we do other Goods, to the deceiving of men indeed, but not of an All-seeing God, who will both judge and pu­nish our wicked intentions with the same rigour he chastiseth our real deeds.

ARTICLE VI.

The Obligation incumbent upon all Mankind, to return other mens Goods, and good Name if wrong­fully taken from them, is so indispen­sibly necessary, that the sin can ne­ver be remitted without an equal compensation made for the damage done; non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum: But this Duty is so seldom perform'd, that 'tis easie to see what God most men serve, and not very often discours'd of neither from the Pulpit, as if the Preachers thought it useless to insist upon a Subject which men will by no means hearken to; and good reason, say they, why they should not, because they would be ruin'd and undone, in [Page 16] case they were perswaded to restore whatever they had wrongfully taken from the poor, or from those rich who are now through their oppressi­on become poor. I know no surer sign of Reprobation than riches thus injustly acquired, because such sins being seldom repented of, harden mens hearts against all reveal'd and natural light. I pity such sort of rich men more than I envy 'em, because it is hard, if not impossible for them to enter into the Kingdom of Hea­ven: The very Divines sometimes, if not good men, help them on to their ruine, by flattering them through in­terest in their sinful ways, or by tel­ling them, with some able Casuists, but very indifferent Christians, that ma­king such a figure in the world as they do, they are not obliged in con­science to lay aside their State and Greatness, to begger themselves, their Wives and Children, though they all live in the mean time upon the Substance of such as starve for want of their own, that they may [Page 17] save their Souls at easier rates, as gi­ving some inconsiderable and super­fluous part of their Riches to the poor, or to those very persons whom they have wrong'd, if yet in being, that all right flowing originally from power, what was injustly got at first, is at last justly possess'd, since no body is able to take it from them: Thus the strongest shall never want the desir'd advice from trim­ming, covetous, and consciencious­less Casuists, to maintain their injust acquisitions. 'Tis by their favour­able Decisions, that the Kings of Spain retain the Kingdom of Navarr during their life safely, and in good conscience too, as they generally af­firm, provided at the hour of death they order their Successors to restore it again to the right Owner, suppo­sed to be the French King, who like­wise following the Example of their Predecessors, leave behind them their Orders for the restitution of that Kingdom, in hopes to save their souls by this Casuistical Trick. The Bi­shop [Page 18] of Rome pretends a right to the Kingdom of Naples, and upon that account to a yearly Homage from the King of Spain, whom he excom­municates every year for this injust usurpation of what is not allowed to be really his due: But this Prince un­derstanding, that Gold is a better Fence against the Thunder of the Vatican, than Lawrel was of old against that of Jupiter, secures him­self from it under the shelter of a heavy Purse, presented from time to time to his Holiness by his Ambassa­dour, as well knowing the irresistible power of Gold, to which Crown'd Heads stoop as well as others do.

ARTICLE VII.

For let men pretend what they please, it is not in their power to re­sist [Page 19] the Charms of this bewitching Metal: Upon this account 'tis a piece of Wit and Wisdom too in a Prince to bestow large Salaries upon his chief Ministers of State, lest they be tem­pted through want to comply with the secret Offers of a rich Enemy. This Maxim is carefully observ'd by the French King, no Prince in Eu­rope allowing, or perhaps able to allow greater Salaries to such as he thinks fit to be employed in State Affairs: Hence it is that he is seldom betrayed by his Subjects, not that they are of a more generous temper than other people, but because their covetousness being glutted at home, they are not so easily overcome by what may be offered them from a­broad. The French King owes not only the Loyalty of his chief Sub­jects to his great Rewards, but like­wise almost all his Conquests, and the great Reputation he has got of a successful Politician. The Spaniards of late are no more esteem'd for their Politicks, as they were of old, [Page 20] though they be still the very same Men, of the same Temper and Reach, and as wise as ever; but the secret of the matter is, that they have wanted for several years the necessary Tool to shew themselves great Politicians; that is, Money e­nough to put in Execution their Pro­jects either of Peace or War. 'Tis an easie matter for a sensible man to imagine great things, and great de­signs; yea, and to propose to him­self the fittest Methods to compass 'em; but when all this is done, if he is not able to bring his Speculations to practice, for want of the great Instrument to put Politick Projects in execution, Gold and Silver, his Enterprises may easily miscarry, not only to the loss of his Goods and Estate, but also of his former Repu­tation of Wit, Conduct, Judgment and Insight in Affairs: Whereas, if he were sufficiently provided with Riches and Treasure, were he but a man of an ordinary reach, he might undoubtedly take such measures as [Page 21] would soon gain him the Fame of an extraordinary Politician: So the Spanivrds, I fancy, when they are once become as rich as formerly they were, will on a sudden turn good Politicians again; and if the French King's Treasures, by an easie turn of the Wheel, in case his Ene­mies can but agree a while among themselves, are once exhausted, I am much mistaken if he proves not a very insignificant Politician, and his State-Council too as weak as that of Spain is of late thought to be.

ARTICLE VIII.

We owe to Interest the very Life of our Soul; that is, Wit and Inge­nuity: For whatever may be the per­fections and natural endowments of [Page 22] the Soul, it is certain, that she is ne­ver able to exert her natural Abilities without the help of a proportion­able reward either of profit, pleasure or honour, because, as I have made it out in another Dis­course A Discourse of Wit., 'tis not in our Nature to do our utmost in any business, unless we are encou­rag'd by something thought worth our while: yea, God himself is serv'd by Mankind chiefly upon the account of the happiness we expect from him, though because of his infinite perfe­ction alone, and the incomprehensi­ble excellency of his Nature, he de­serves all our submissions and services whatsoever. We need not then won­der to meet with so few Producti­ons in this, though not unlearned Age, that deserve to be admired, because of the little encouragement to be hop'd for from rich men, who if they cannot, or have not leisure enough to improve their own natu­ral abilities, should by their Purses contribute to the improvement of [Page 23] others, and of themselves likewise by the perusal of such productions as their liberality might give birth to. Though I doubt not but that there are several in Europe, yea, and in this very Nation some, capable of writing as well as ever Maro wrote, yet hitherto we have no piece ex­tant comparable to his excellent Po­em, because of the want of a gene­rous Moecenas to encourage so great and noble undertaking: for nothing more true than this common word, Sint Moecenates non dêrunt Flacce Ma­rones.

True it is, that some, as the de­servedly renown'd Robert Boyle, write meerly for the benefit and in­struction of Mankind, without any prospect of Gain or Preferment by their daily Studies: but besides, that this is the very Interest they pursue, and the end they chiefly aim at, they owe the improvement of their great Genius's to the good Estates God has bless'd them with; whereby being freed from those Cares and Troubles [Page 24] that other, no less Noble Minds, groan under, they may more easily, and with better success than others, apply themselves to the promoting of the good of Mankind by real know­ledge.

ARTICLE IX.

I shall add in this place a word no less true than what I have said hither­to, That most men owe not only their Learning to their Plenty, but likewise their Vertue and their Ho­nesty: For how many thousands live now in the world in great Esteem, and I confess deservedly too, for their Morality, for their honest and just Dealings with all Mankind, who if they were put to their shifts, as others as honestly inclin'd are, would soon lose their Reputation, yea, turn [Page 25] Rogues and Knaves too, as the Vul­gar think, and call generally such as are not able to pay their Debts? I question not but Want and Self-pre­servation would put some of them upon those very hard shifts they now blame so much in others. I would then advise them, when they say that part of the Lord's Prayer, & ne nos inducas in tentationem, and lead us not into temptation, to remember, that by this Expression they desire that God would be pleas'd not to expose them to an extream want and pover­ty, as proving the too frequent oc­casion of the greatest Immoralities.

ARTICLE X.

'Tis true, if Poverty drive some men upon Projects they under better [Page 26] Circumstances would heartily abhor, Covetousness pressing no less hard upon others, maketh them stick at nothing that can increase their Trea­sure. How great a sin Treason is, and how heinous a Crime 'tis for a man to betray the Trust he is sworn to, is so generally known, that I need not tell you 'tis malum per se, a thing evil in its own nature, and in­trinsecally; not only extrinsecally, if I may so say, and upon the account of some Written Law or other that forbids it: Nevertheless, what more common than to see Servants betray their Masters, Subjects their Princes, and sometimes Wives and Children their very Fathers, for a Sum of Mo­ney? So true it is, that the detesta­ble hunger after Gold and Silver, auri sacra fames, forceth men sometimes upon the horridest Crimes. But if Treason be such a heinous sin, it is never lawful for any man to be instru­mental to the committing of it, as those are, who in an open War con­quer Cities by corrupting and bri­bing [Page 27] their Governours to betray their Masters; yet this Antichristian Practice is common all the Christian World over, as much as any where else. The Casuists, I know, who take upon them sometimes to excuse the greatest faults, especially of Princes and Great Men, whom they have perhaps some reason to flatter, pre­tend, that a declared War implies an implicite leave to do one another all the hurt they can by what means so­ever: But surely, since this is to be understood of lawful means, it is clear, that to decoy another Princes Subject into a Treasonable Practice against his Soveraign, is sinful: If Princes were made sensible of their Guilt in such kind of proceedings, they would act more Christianly and more generously with their very Ene­mies, in case Interest hindered them not sometimes to see what in consci­ence they ought to shun. May not I be allowed in this place to advise the French King's Casuists to look nar­rowly into this matter, and to consider [Page 28] seriously by what means they can clear their master's Conscience, if he has made any Conquests, as some say he has, by drawing other Princes Subjects into Treason and Rebellion, things sinful in their own nature, as I said before, and not meerly because they are forbidden.

ARTICLE XI.

But what greater sin than the will­ful breach of lawful Oaths? Though judg'd always, and by all Nations, of a sacred nature, and inviolable, yet very often an inconsiderable in­terest, like Alexander's Sword break­ing through 'em, unties soon all these Gordian Knots: How many swear daily before Judges to what they [Page 29] know to be wholly false, that they may mortgage a House, or an Estate the Second or Third time, or take away a man's Life, who perhaps they are sure is not guilty of the Crime they perfidiously charge him with? Yea, I am credibly inform'd, that in a Neighbour-Nation 'tis usual for the Countrey People and Tenants, when they are told of their masters being engaged in a Suit at Law, to tell them, that they are ready to swear to whatever they shall think fit and necessary to be done for the Gain of the Cause. If this be true, as some say 'tis, the Turks themselves are bet­ter Moralists than several reputed Christians: for how covetous soever they are thought to be, they gene­rally scruple to gain money by flat Lies, Calumnies and false Oaths, and if of late they have not appear'd so steady to their word, by the breach of a Twenty Years Truce with the Emperour of Germany; besides, that they were strongly tempted to this sin by a most Christian Prince, they in­genuously [Page 30] confess the hand of God to lie heavy upon them for commit­ting such a great Crime; which shews in some measure how sensible they are of foul and treacherous Dealings; which they accuse us most commonly of ever since the perfidi­ous practice of that King of Hungary, who by the perswasion of an intere­sted Cardinal, broke his Promise to the Grand Seignior, then in Persia with his whole Forces, though not long before he had sworn upon the Gospel to a solemn Truce with him: But the all-Just God punish'd most se­verely the Impiety of the Christians in the day of Battle; for the Turkish Emperour seeing the Victory incline at first towards the Hungarians, took the Treatise sworn to by the Christi­ans out of his bosome, pronouncing these observable words, Jesus of Ga­lilee, if thou be really God, as the Christians say thou art, shew this day thy Power against those perfidious Vil­lains who have thus taken thy Name in vain. His Prayer was immediately [Page 31] heard, and the Christians on a sudden giving way to their Enemies, were unmercifully hewed down by the vi­ctorious Turk, the King himself, and the Treacherous Cardinal not esca­ping the dint of the Sword.

ARTICLE XII.

Though nothing should be more binding than an Oath, yet if we look narrowly into the general pra­ctice of mankind, it binds no longer than men think it their advantage to keep it. This seems to be the secret Condition to be understood in all Publick Treaties confirm'd by Oaths, since the Christians, to their shame, [Page 32] make as little scruple to break them as the Mahometans upon the first ap­pearance of their Interest: For what other Apology can we make for the breach of a perpetual Peace, or a Temporal Truce between Nation and Nation, so soon as we find our selves in a posture to enslave our unthink­ing Neighbours? But I doubt, if the great Rewarder of Vertues, and Pu­nisher of Crimes, will hold us guilt­less when we break our Oaths and Promises, because, forsooth, we find it our interest to act contrary to what we had sworn or promis'd. The Pa­pists are generally thought to be more obnoxious to the breach of Oaths than any other people in the world, and deservedly too, if we consider, that others break their Oaths through Humour, and the Papists by Princi­ple: I speak of such Oaths as relate to the maintaining of Hereticks and Heresie, which they are oblig'd not to stand to, under a no less pain than that of Eternal Damnation, in case they are in a posture to break [Page 33] them safely, and without danger for themselves, by destroying such as they call Hereticks: It were useless to give Instances of this common practice, since the learned part of the world is sufficiently satisfied of the Truth of the matter. Besides what has been already said, Two things the Papists have contrived, and I am afraid the Protestants likewise make sometimes use of them both upon occasion, to swear without any scru­ple, according to the Dictates of their own interest: and these are Mental Reservation and Equivocation, both invented to untie all the Knots of Humane Society, but with a design to promote private mens Temporal Concerns: for when a man is obliged by his Oath to declare whatever he knows of any particular matter of Fact, the ungodly and interested Ca­suist will soon resolve him upon the matter, that he may swear to the Case propos'd in some sence or other that may secure the Interest he is ei­ther in pursuit or possession of, which [Page 34] is all that he cares for: But the Casu­ists bait to draw him into this wic­kedness is this, That he clears his Con­science likewise by telling him, that what he does he may lawfully do, without any offence, though I doubt if either the Casuist or his Pupil can be so invincibly ignorant as not to understand, that in all proceedings of this kind there is still a cheat put upon Man, and consequently a sin committed against God. But thus prevailing Interest puts a Veil before their Eyes, though I fear, not to the quieting of a disturb'd Conscience, because that part of man's Soul, if I may so speak, commonly called Conscience, is incorruptible, and not easily blinded either whatever may be our endeavours to stifle its re­morse.

ARTICLE XIII.

But what is an inducement to sin, and sometimes to the greatest of Crimes, is often the occasion and chief cause of good and laudable actions: This I say, because I have observed in Popish Countries, that the Preachers generally, especially of the Begging Orders, employ all the force of Art and Eloquence, to shew the great Merit, as they speak, of Alms-giving. My design is not to blame them for serving thus the poor, but only by the way, to give an ac­count of this odd Phenomene, viz. Why they insist more frequently up­on this Subject than the Holland Preachers, and those of some other [Page 36] Countries, since 'tis confess'd on all hands, that what is given to the poor for God's sake, if it be not meritori­ous, as I believe it is not in the ri­gour, is at least a very ready means to procure from our heavenly Father a full remission of our sins. It is ea­sie to find out the Reason of this dif­ferent behaviour of the Begging Po­pish Tribe from other Preachers, that either are richer, or depend not so much upon the publick Benevolence, because the first know they are to be the best sharers themselves in the Alms they exhort the people so ear­nestly to; and if the latter are not generally so zealous upon this Sub­ject, 'tis for ought I know upon this account, that their Example might reasonably be expected by the people, which perhaps many of 'em are not willing to give, least they should have less to spend in Superfluities. I must observe to you in this place a thing somewhat related to the Pre­mises, that though some teach, preach, and write, with all imaginable zeal, [Page 37] in defence of the Religion they pro­fess, yet if we may judge of their designs by their delicious and idle life after they have got into the long wish'd for preferment, we have rea­son to doubt if this was not the chief thing they aim'd at.

ARTICLE XIV.

But to pursue my design somewhat more particularly, I shall mind you of another self-evident Truth, That the new Doctrines of the Church of Rome have been all coin'd in the Mint of Interest. For 1. The Pa­pists considering, that the Belief of a Purgatory contributed more than any thing else to the increase of the Revenue of their Church, agreed together in the Conventicle of Trent, [Page 38] to make it an Article of Divine Faith, That the Roman Catholicks might be oblig'd for ever, to pay into the Church the Daily and Yearly Rent it produceth; and that the simple Bi­gots might be the more encourag'd to redeem themselves out of its flames with ready Money, their Do­ctors do generally teach, That they are every whit as violent and scorch­ing as the fire of Hell it self, with the difference only in their duration, which they allow to be longer or shorter, according to the greater or smaller Sum given to shorten the Soul's stay in Purgatory. I should wonder then if Roman Catho­licks, being once perswaded, that there is such a place as this is, and that they may suffer there the horri­blest torments imaginable several hundreds of years together, if they leave not to the Church a part of what they have, to redeem their Souls out of such a Prison as this is supposed to be: I should wonder, I say, if they payed not liberally in [Page 39] this life, to ease themselves of the torments of the other, which they think the very Venial, as they speak, and slightest sins expose them to. Upon this account I was not at all amaz'd, during my long Residence in, and Travels through Popish Countries, to see such vast Sums of Money payed daily and yearly into the Church-Exchequer, and far less to hear the Priests preach to the peo­ple, with so much true, or counter­feited zeal, the danger they were in to suffer in Purgatory, a fire to which all our fiercest fires being compared, are but painted ones, and flames in representation only, and that perhaps till the day of Judg­ment, unless they prudently took care before their departure out of this world, to lay down to them their Ransom. 2. The Romish In­vocation of Saints is such another piece of interested Contrivance: When a Saint is once Canoniz'd, if the Priests can but impose upon the credulous multitude a Miracle done [Page 40] by or at his Image, they have done their business effectually, the Con­vent is on a sudden enrich'd by the daily concourse of silly people with Presents, for Masses to be said in the Honour of the Saint to their intenti­ons: Pilgrims flock thither in crowds, but never with empty hands, lest the Priests should not make them wel­come. 'Tis well known what infi­nite Riches the Chappel of the Virgin Mary of Loretto, has already brought, and is as yet like to bring to the Church of Rome, by the gross Con­trivance of a strange Fable about its Transportation to the place where 'tis now suppos'd to be. The Story in short, according to the very Ro­mish Authors, runs thus: It was first built in Nazareth, carried from thence into Dalmatia by an Angel, where, because it stood upon a piece of litigious ground, Two Brothers, if I misremember not, disputing whose it should be, it was removed into a Wood in Italy, but the peoples De­votion being disturb'd there, by the [Page 41] Banditi, it was at last transported to the place, where it is now to remain till some other inconveniency hap­pening occasion its Fourth remo­val.

ARTICLE XV.

Indulgences in their first institution were nothing else but a remission of Canonical Pains; that is, of Pains inflicted by the Canons of the Church, which, no doubt, had power like­wise to remit them: but Covetous­ness soon stretch'd them farther, and to other ends, and chiefly to the ga­thering of Moneys for the use of the Pope and his Cardinals, who made the ignorant Mobile believe, that by fasting, praying in some set form, [Page 42] and particularly, by paying certain Sums appointed, according to every mans ability, they should not only ease the Souls of the departed of their torments, but likewise deliver them out of Purgatory. This abuse ingenuously acknowledg'd by some Popish Authors, gave occasion to a thorow Reformation, first in Ger­many, and afterwards in most parts of Europe. But nothing stirr'd up more the deluded Christian Princes, to enrich the Popish Clergy, than their being wrought into the belief of the Priests pretended Power over Christs Natural Body; which, if true, would seem to imply likewise an ab­solute Power over his Political Bo­dy; that is, over all the Members of the Catholick Church. At least, it is certain the Romish Priests look up­on the first as an Article of Divine Faith, since they hold Transubstantiation to be one: and I may safely say they pretend likewise to the latter, exalt­ing themselves above all that is called God. But not to alarm too much the [Page 43] world with their ambitious Projects, they allow the Pope to be Soveraign in spiritual things only, not in tem­poral concerns. This famous distin­ction, narrowly look'd into, is frivo­lous, and chiefly invented to de­ceive the unwary, there being such a connection between the spiritual and the temporal, that whosoever is supposed to be Master of the for­mer, may dispose of the latter at his pleasure, as whoever Lords over my Soul, may influence as he pleases my body, because the motions of the one depend much upon the free or necessary determinations of the o­ther. However, to return to what I first hinted at, the pretended Power of Priests over Christ's Body, has been one of the Chief Causes, and the Original Prop of the now Popish Grandeur: For no wonder, if the Laicks are real Slaves to such as they look upon as the Makers, and abso­lute Masters, in a manner, of Christs Body, since they can multiply it, they say, as often as they consecrate [Page 44] Bread and Wine. Their Churchmen owe to this assum'd Power the infinite Treasures of Gold and Silver they are possess'd of, there being few Churches in any considerable City, but which are richly furnish'd with golden Melchisedecks, as they call them in Flanders, or Suns, as they speak in France, to lodge the Conse­crated Wafer in, besides Altars of Massy Gold and Silver, Golden Cups of all sorts, and other precious Or­naments belonging to the Workman­ship of their own hands, Christ's Bo­dy, by an imaginary, that is, an in­visible Miracle, transubstantiated. The Canonization of their Saints is like­wise a gross Contrivance, to enrich that part of the Romish Church which resides at Rome: Without Money, and a great deal too, there is no hopes of ever being canoniz'd there, the Expence amounting, at least, to fifty or threescore thousand Crowns, payed commonly either by some Po­pish Prince, or by the Religious Or­ders whom the Canoniz'd Saint, when [Page 45] alive, belong'd to; which gave oc­casion to a Jesuit, of my acquain­tance, in France, to say, That he desired no more Canoniz'd Saints in his Order, least it should be ruin'd by the extravagant Expences of their Canonization.

ARTICLE XVI.

This minds me of some other pi­ous Frauds of great benefit, to most Roman Catholick Cities: Among these I need only mention the Religious Worship of the Dead, though there be no Revelation of their being in Heaven. A City becomes soon rich enough to be envied, if it can but be possess'd of the Body of a Repu­ted Saint or Martyr: For then the people repair from all parts to his [Page 46] Shrine, to implore God's assistance by his Merits, as they speak, or Media­tion, to the great advantage of the Citizens, who are more enrich'd by the Money Strangers spend with them, both upon Necessaries and Su­perfluities, than the Saint is honour'd either by their Prayers directed to him, or by the frequent Masses said at certain rates in his Honour. To allure the greater Crowds to this Religious kind of Fair, they make, at appointed times of the Year, so­lemn Processions, with all imaginable Pomp and Magnificence, omitting nothing of Show and Pageantry that can contribute to the contenting of Peoples Curiosity, and encreasing the Solemnity of the Day, which begun with Superstitious and Pagan-like De­votions, ends at last in Debauchery, Feastings, and all other Recreations both lawful and unlawful. The Vi­ctualling and Publick-Houses are sure to be provided abundantly with all Necessaries upon such occasions, as gaining then more sometimes in a few [Page 47] days, than they do during the great­est part of the Year, by their ordi­nary and daily trading. And this is the Reason why, if there arise any Debate about the true Relick of a Saint, as there is about St. John Bap­tist's Head to be found in Two dif­ferent Cities in Europe: It can never be composed, because one of the contending Parties must be at a loss by a final decision of the business: So that every City stands up as stifly in the Vindication of the Relick the Citizens are in possession of, as if it were, as really it is, in its yearly pro­duct, a good part of their Estates.

ARTICLE XVII.

'Tis upon the same account that Images, not miraculous, are of little [Page 48] or no value in the Romish Convents, because they are looked upon but as barren Ornaments, that serve only to adorn their Walls, and not to feed their dainty Palates: But their design'd work is done, if they can but once perswade the people, that some have been deliver'd from dan­gerous Distempers, by praying to the Saint before his Image or Sta­tue, which they never fail to take evidence of by engaging the Man or the Woman upon whom the pretend­ed Miracle is wrought, to hang up in the Church or Chappel, ad perpetuam rei memoriam, in remembrance for ever of the wonder, the figure of that part of the Body, which is said to be cured, either in Gold or Silver, or in Wax at least, in case the con­cern'd party cannot be at greater Ex­pences: Now this Ceremony is al­ways attended with great Liberali­ties to the good Fathers, who do of­ten laugh heartily in their Long Sleeves, at the simplicity of the cre­dulous multitude, so easily decoy'd [Page 49] into the belief of whatever they please to impose upon them. Such another kind of pious Fraud is the Holy Oyl, or rather Vial, La Sainte ampoulle, which I have seen in the Church of St. Remigius of Reims, in Champagne: It was brought from Heaven by a Pigeon, to anoint the first Christian King of France, the Oyl being in a congeal'd-like form, and made use of in the Coronation of the French Kings, without any real, if you believe the Common People, or at least, without any sensible diminution of its Substance, because of the little quantity they take of it, to mix with other Oyls, in order to the anointing of a new King: Is it not strange, that such a gross and groundless Fable as this is, should pass so current and uncontro­verted among sensible men, that the Citizens of Reims have created des Chevaliers de la Sainte ampoulle, Knights of the Holy Vial to be its Angel-Guardians, lest any body should rob them of it: Yet I am of [Page 50] Opinion, lest I should think them down-right Fools, that their Zeal for its preservation is not so much grounded upon their belief of the Truth of the thing, because I can by no means believe 'em so silly and senseless, as upon the great advanta­ges they get weekly and yearly by keeping it within their own Walls, first from all sorts of Strangers going thither very thick, to see what sort of Oyl is made in Heaven: secondly, from the King and the whole Court, during their stay there, both before and after the Coronation is over.

ARTICLE XVIII.

No City in the World has greater Politick Fetches for Interest sake than Rome it self, as I have already intimated in another place: So that if she is not Mistress of the World, as [Page 51] formerly she was, by the force of Arms, she still maintains her Sove­raign Dominion by her Spiritual Tricks, not easily suspected by such as being in love with implicite Faith, submit blindly their Necks to her Yoke.

Though she has lost the Peter's Pence, and many other Casualties that enrich'd her of Old, neverthe­less 'tis incredible what vast sums of Money she draws out of all parts of Europe, upon pretended Religious Accounts. The Annates, as the French call them, and the First Fruits of every inferiour Benefice, as well as of the greater ones, bring Yearly vast Treasures into the Romish Ex­chequer. The Possession taken of all Ecclesiastical Benefices, of any valuable Revenue, is confirm'd by the Pope's Patents: But this Confir­mation [Page 52] is never granted gratis, the Price thereof being sent to the Apo­stolick Chamber, or to be payed to the Pope's immediate Officers upon the place. The Rate of what is called Pallium Archiepiscopale, the Archbishop's Cloak, is always Four Thousand Crowns at least; which must needs amount to a vast deal of Money, if we consider the great number of Popish Archbishops in Eu­rope alone: To say nothing neither of frequent Dispensations of Age, of Nearness in Blood, of Irregularities to qualifie a Woman or a Man for Marriage, or Priesthood; nor of dai­ly Appeals to the Pope from all parts of Europe, always dearly payed for, though with some regard to every man's private ability; The Popes ve­ry Zeal for the propagation of the Popish Religion, is not so much dis­interested, as those who see no fur­ther than the out-side of things, may perhaps fancy. Innocent the Ele­venth was deservedly commended for lending the Emperour, and the [Page 53] King of Poland Money towards a vi­gorous prosecution of the War a­gainst the Turks: But this was lend­ing of Money to good use, since the New Conquests of Hungary, and o­ther Neighbour Countries, may prove in time as beneficial to Rome, as to the Emperour himself, considering the great and usurp'd power of the Pope over such people as have not maintain'd from time to time their Priviledges, in opposition to the in­just encroachments of Priestly Cove­tousness.

ARTICLE XIX.

Three things more, besides many others that would be too tedious to mention here, contribute not a little to the maintaining and enriching of the City of Rome: The Residence of Forreign Ambassadours, of the Heads [Page 54] of Religious Orders, and now more frequent Jubilees than formerly were used to be. One of the chief Usur­pations of the Popes of Rome, was that of the Quality of Christ's Vicar-General upon Earth, not to mention the Title of Ʋniversal Bishop they likewise laid claim to: But surely they could not be convinc'd in their Judgment, that either of these Ti­tles did really belong to the Bishop of Rome; because the first is neither grounded upon Reason, Scripture, nor upon Tradition it self; and the latter would imply the Bishop of that See to be the only Bishop in the World, or that none are Bishops but by derivation of their Power and Dignity from the Pope, which is manifestly false. Allowing then the Popes to have been men of Sence, as undoubtedly they were, they had certainly some other fetch than meer Ambition, in pretending to such high and groundless Titles: and this was nothing else but the encrease of their Treasures by the great Con­course, [Page 55] upon this account, of For­reign Ambassadours from all Christi­an Princes to Rome: To whom they have allowed such large Franchises, that they are become almost Masters of that great City, to the impairing indeed of the Popes Jurisdiction, but to the advantage and enriching of the Citizens, because of the vast Expen­ces of those Forreigners among them, whereby they are the better enabled to pay the Pope's Taxes. The resi­ding likewise of the Generals of most Religious Orders at Rome, does not a little encrease his Holiness's Reve­nue: For though some of them live in other Kingdoms, yet the most con­siderable make their abode there; and the General Congregations, or Synods of the Regular Clergy, sit commonly upon occasion in this City, whither every Province sends Depu­ties, or Procurators, from other King­doms, to debate and decide Matters of Concern; which must needs bring great Treasures to that City, each Religious Envoy being allowed [Page 56] Fifty or Threescore Pound for the Expence of his Journey, besides what he must spend during his stay in Rome. It is likewise observable, that whatever Power is given to Priests in Full, Plenary, General In­dulgences and Jubilees, to dispense with reserved Cases, the Vows made by Votaries to visit Saint Peter's Church in Rome, are always craftily excepted, and reserv'd to the Pope alone, that the deluded Romanists may be still oblig'd to come, and spend their Money there: But least the design of Interest should be dis­covered by the suspicious multitude, the Pope never fails to except at the same time the Vows or Promises made by the bigotted Papists to go Pilgrims to Saint James Chappel in Compostella. But I have said nothing yet of the Famous Year of the great Jubilee, a pretty Contrivance to bring in all the Waters of Europe to the Roman Mills. It was celebrated at first but every Hundred Year, and afterwards every Fifty Year, but [Page 57] now every Five and Twenty; and perhaps the Popes will some day shor­ten this time too, that they may the oftner drain the Pockets of the Chri­stians by this spiritual and plausible Trick, it being not only a bait for the bigotted sort of Roman Catho­licks, but likewise for curious Prote­stants, flocking upon such occasions in great Numbers to Rome, to see the pompous Superstitions of the Romish Church at the very Spring-head.

ARTICLE XX.

But let us leave the Court of Rome to consider a little how Interest plays its part at the Bar, and in Courts of Justice. I shall begin with an Advice to Clients, not unlike to that which I gave in the Discourse of Wit to Pati­ents, [Page 58] not to trust too much either to the undoubted Justice of their Case, or to the great Skill of their Lawyers: For grant they are men both of an extraordinary Reach and of a very good Conscience too; yet 'tis not in their power to move briskly, and to the purpose about your business, un­less first mov'd by large Fees, either ready payed, or in prospect; which is not so much to be ascrib'd to their Natural Covetousness, as to the very Nature of Mankind: for since we generally serve God chiefly in hopes of the Reward, though infinitely beyond our real merits, as I have said before, it is not to be expected that we should behave our selves other­wise towards men, than upon the account of proportionable Returns for the Services done 'em. This puts me in mind of what a Scotch Lawyer is reported to have said to one of his Clients, who had delivered up to him the Papers relating to his Affairs: The Client calling some days after to know how his Case stood, and what [Page 59] hopes he had of gaining his Cause, the Lawyer told him, he could not read his Papers, though written in a very fair hand: The Client under­standing his meaning, presented him immediately with Five Broad Peices of Gold, Two of which the Lawyer putting between his Eyes, and the Scrowls told him at the same time he had recover'd his Sight again, and both could and would peruse his Pa­pers to the best advantage, with the help of such Spectacles. But, for ought I know of the matter, this so­lid Metal blinded him, and darkn'd rather than clear'd his Understand­ing: in case he knew the Cause he was to undertake to be unjust, or not to be gain'd but by some Trick or o­ther, easily found out by experienc'd Lawyers, if sufficiently encourag'd by their Clients. I must give you in this place, since it makes for my pur­pose, a not unpleasant passage be­tween the late Duke of Lauderdale, and the Right Honourable the Earl of Rochester, as I heard it related by the [Page 60] latter to the Honourable Robert Boyle. A Scotch Gentleman having intreated the Earl of Rochester to speak to the Duke of Lauderdale upon the account of a business that seem'd to be sup­ported by a clear and undoubted Right; his Lordship, very obliging­ly, promis'd to do his utmost Endea­vours to engage the Duke to stand his Friend in a Concern so just and so reasonable as his was; and accord­ingly having conferr'd with his Grace about the matter, the Duke made him this very odd return, That though he question'd not the Right of the Gentleman he recommended to him, yet he could not promise him an helping hand, and far less success in his business, if he knew not first the man, whom perhaps his Lordship had some Reason to con­ceal; because, said he to the Earl, If your Lordship were as well acquainted with the Customs of Scotland as I am, you had undoubtedly known this among others: Show me the Man, and I shall show you the Law; giving him to un­derstand, [Page 61] that the Law in Scotland could protect no man, if either his Purse were empty, or his Adversa­ries great men, or supported by great ones. But may not I be allow­ed to say, That this is not only the Custom of Scotland, but of England likewise, and of all other Nations of the World, men being, as to the pur­suit of their own Interest, much of the same Temper every where.

ARTICLE XXI.

But you must not gather from the Premises, That Judges likewise be­ing generally corrupted, decide mat­ters according to the Dictates of their own Interest, because whoever is in the wrong, they are commonly in [Page 60] [...] [Page 61] [...] [Page 62] the right, as being not oblig'd to judge according to the re [...], but on­ly apparent merits of the Cause, and according to the Evidences brought in before them; yet because their Verdict is of great weight with the Jury, if they are either brib'd, or corrupted by enjoyed or promised preferments, they very often turn the Scales, either by disguising the Truth, or by over-awing such as offer to stand up in opposition to their injust Decisions. We have seen some Examples of this kind in the late Reign, when the Dispensing Power, without consent of Parlia­ment, was cryed up, the Judges ha­ving either really chang'd their for­mer Opinions, or acting in that jun­cture of Affairs, quite contrary to their real Sentiments, but yet ac­cording to their then Interest, be­cause one would think they could not but know, that the Dispensing Power was either a Popish or a French Contrivance, to introduce among us first Arbitrary Power, and then Po­pery, [Page 63] by annulling, or which is all one, by dispensing for ever with the Fundamental Laws of the Nation, or at least with those Laws that were chiefly intended to put a stop to the growth of Popery and Arbitra­ry Power. I shall set down in this place a famous Instance that I am pe­culiarly acquainted with, & cujus pars magna fui, to shew how far mens Consciences do sometimes com­ply with their fancied or real advan­tages. When the Duke of York was High Commissioner for King Charles the Second, in the Kingdom of Scot­land, there was held, by his Orders, in Holyrood-House at Edenburgh, a Council of Secular Priests and Jesu­its, to consult together, whether the Duke could lawfully, and in good Conscience, sit as High Commissi­oner in Parliament: The Case was clear, and could admit of no Dis­pute, according to the Principles of his Religion, because he was to con­firm as the King's Chief Minister there, such foregoing Acts of Parlia­ment [Page 64] as had establish'd the Reforma­tion, and condemn'd the Popish Su­perstitions. Now this being a thing held evil of its self by Roman Catho­licks, and intrinsecally, malum per se, and not meerly upon the account of its being forbidden, by any Superiour or Written Law, it was in no case lawful for him to co-operate to it, either directly or indirectly, either as a principal Agent, or only instru­mentally, and as a meer Substitute: Yet the Godly Fathers acting in this Juncture, in contradiction to their own confess'd Principles, concluded, after some inconsiderable Debate about the matter, That the Duke might lawfully, and in good Con­science sit in Parliament, touch with the Scepter; that is, approve of, and ratifie what both he and they called, and thought down right Heresie. So powerful is the influence of Interest over some; yea, most mens Consci­ences, That it either alters their Judgment, or forceth them irresistibly to act contrary to their settled Opini­ons.

ARTICLE XXII.

For what other rational account can we give of such as turn from the Protestant Religion to the Roman Ca­tholick Superstitions, than that they can hardly resist the great encou­ragements they meet with from the Papists: For if a Protestant be not well vers'd in his own principle, and able to confute the Popish Errours, a not extraordinary Preferment, a Sum of Money, the Favour of a Prince either hop'd for, or enjoyed, will prove convincing Arguments to him, of the Truth of Popery, and of the falshood of the Protestant Do­ctrine. The Popish Priests in King James's Reign, observing how im­possible [Page 66] 'twas to make the people be­lieve the being of an Infallible Visi­ble Judge of Controversies in the Church, since no such thing is coun­tenanc'd either by the Scriptures, or by General Councils; as likewise that they could not work them into the belief of the strange Mystery of Transubstantiation, destroying the ve­ry Foundation of all Humane Cer­titude, the Testimony of our Sences, and consequently the Fundamental Proofs of Christ's Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, yea, and of his being real Flesh and Blood, if the constant Testimony of Seeing, Feeling, Touching, Tasting, deceive us, as the Papists tell us they do in the Consecrated Bread and Wine: The Priests, I say, having learned by Experience, how blunt their Argu­ments were against understanding Protestants, betook themselves to the only method they could hope suc­cess from; viz. to the proposing of great Rewards from King James up­on the first occasion, and from both [Page 67] King and Pope, by the Mediation of his Nuncio then residing in London, in case they had to do with Church­men: And 'twas generally observ'd, that such as went that way to work, were more successful than those who undertook to argue the case with their Adversaries, because their Ar­guments being generally meer So­phisms, laid always open the Weak­ness of the Arguer as well as of the Argument. But many more yeilded to the stronger Reasons from Interest, Worldly Grandeur, and such other advantages as the Churchmen of Rome are us'd to propose to hook men into the bosome of their Church. And indeed I often wonder how it comes to pass, that they make so few voluntary Converts, since they propose so great advantages to such as come over to them, upon what account soever. But on the o­ther hand, if I knew not by my own Experience, the almost irresisti­ble impression of Divine Grace, and the great force of the discovered [Page 68] Truth, I should far more wonder, that a Roman Catholick could ever re­solve to turn Protestant, because new Converts are generally either coldly receiv'd by Protestants, or seemingly mistrusted by such as having nothing but the out-side of the Christian Re­ligion, are disposed to think others as great Hypocrites as they know themselves to be: So that if an un­derstanding and learned Roman Ca­tholick turn from Popery to Protestan­cy, his Conversion to be sure is sin­cere, because he is not allured to our side by any Temporal Advantages to be expected from us, who commonly take so little notice of new Con­verts, that we let them often want Necessaries, if they cannot do for themselves: But if a knowing Prote­stant surrenders himself to the weak Popish Arguments, I question not in the least but that he has some consi­derable Interest in prospect: For why should we think that a man would pull out his Eyes, lay aside the use of his Reason, submit to an [Page 69] implicite Faith, and turn a Fool for just nothing.

ARTICLE XXIII.

To say no more of this matter, though a great deal more might be said of it, let us consider in this place another kind of Irregularity occasi­on'd in some Nations, and particu­larly in this very Kingdom we live in, by the influence of Riches, and Mo­ney, upon some mens minds, who by reason of the great Fortunes they are born to, should have the less va­lue for what they possess so much of, or at least should not behave them­selves so meanly as to make their E­quals, and familiar Companions, such as have no other thing to recommend themselves to the World, but what [Page 70] they have got by very injust and shameful means, as Dicing, Carding, Cheating, Swearing, to say nothing worse, if worse can be said: Do they not give us just grounds to think they keep such Men Company, in hopes of getting from them the ill gain'd Penny by the same methods it was at first got? For what other end can they propose to themselves in courting them, in a manner, at the rate they usually do? They cannot, sure, be in love with their Ingenui­ty, unless we reckon Swearing, Cur­sing, Damning, Sinking, &c. pieces of real Wit: They can pretend no kindness to them neither upon the account of their civil and obliging behaviour, since there is no rudeness but such men are commonly guilty of, nor upon the account of their Noble Extraction, because having generally sprung out of the lowest Tribe of Mankind, without either Friend or Allie better than them­selves, They buoy themselves up in­to the world by an inexhausted stock [Page 71] of Impudence, which they should ra­ther be undervalued than esteem'd for. They must then be fond of conversing with such Men so often, and so familiarly upon some other accounts, as either because they are able to pay largely their share in pu­lick Entertainments, to the lessening of the charges of the Company, or in order to bring them back to their first low condition again, by gain­ing from them what they before had sharp'd from others; and when this is done his Lordship knows no more his Old Friend, and inseparable Com­panion in Gaming, Feasting, Drink­ing, &c. whom a little before he was wont to salute, kiss and hug in eve­ry corner, as his Bosome-Friend and Equal: but now the case being al­tered, he becomes on a sudden, like most men upon such occasions, not much fond of the Company they can get no more by. The Lawyers, Physicians, and generally all Trades­men behave themselves much after the same manner, for their own ends, [Page 72] all attending, courting, and omit­ting no kind of respect towards such as they hope to draw in to be their Customers: Yea, the proudest Dea­ler knows how to bow, cringe and flatter, if by this smooth way, so contrary to his unhewed Temper, he hopes to hook you into an unreason­able price for his Goods, glorying at the same time, and boasting of his Wit, or rather Wickedness, to make perhaps an Hundred Pound at the Years end of every Fool's Penny: For some silly Tradesmen take some­times the liberty to lend this Chara­cter to such as thinking them honest men, trust to their Words, or pay them small Sums, without taking their Receipts; wherein they are not so much in the wrong as one would imagine at first: for considering their daily knavish and deceitful proceed­ings with honest and well-meaning men, 'tis the height of Folly to deal with them, but upon a supposition of their being all, what some of 'em re­ally are, down right Knaves, what­ever [Page 73] may be their pretences to, and reiterated Protestations of Honesty, Sincerity and fair Dealings with all Mankind.

ARTICLE XXIV.

To pursue the Scope of this Trea­tise in some other particulars, 'tis an old Saying and a true one, Figulus figulum, &c. That generally men of the same Profession hate one ano­ther: This has been observ'd from all times, and among all sorts of men, but more especially among States­men, Tradesmen, Lawyers, &c. How intimate soever men may be before they become Courtiers, they are no sooner set up together at Court, but Jealousie seizing upon their hearts, kindles a Flame that nothing can ex­tinguish but the Ruine of their Fel­low [Page 74] Courtier, whom nevertheless they receive aud complement after the most obliging manner in the World, upon all occasions, while at the same time they endeavour to un­dermine him, by the advice of such as they dare discover their ambitious Projects to; and if succeeding in the secret Ambushes they have laid, they overthrow their Enemy, by rendering him obnoxious to the Prince's Wrath, or the Common­wealth's Indignation; their next step is to get into his Employment Civil or Military, if perhaps he was in a better post than themselves. What troublesome and factious Intrigues all Courts are embroyl'd in, 'tis too well known to be particularly taken notice of in this place, as if it were hard to guess at the true Cause, and secret Spring of the Plottings of great Men in Places of Trust and Autho­rity one against another. But there is one thing not so obvious to every common Understanding, that gives occasion to the uneasiness of most [Page 75] Courtiers; and it is this, That very often Men unfit for business, to say nothing worse, are set over their Heads, because they have been able to present largely some body or o­ther, who upon this encouragement represented them to the Soveraign as Men of great Worth and Integrity, and fit to serve him in any Employ­ment whatsoever: But the pity is, that Kings must of necessity see with other Mens Eyes, else they would often discover, that their sincerest Friends are commonly no partakers of their private Favours, either be­cause they have not wherewithal to buy Places of Profit and Honour, as others less deserving do, or because they are misrepresented to their So­veraigns, as if they ought to be a­fraid of them, as their Enemies. But 'tis in vain to complain of this, and other Abuses of this kind to be met with in all Courts, and at all times: for let Princes take what measures they please, to give every one his due, prevailing Interest both in [Page 76] Church and State, will still get more than real Merit. It is likewise more regarded than it should be in most Courts of Justice, to the great op­pression of the poorer sort, and of such as cannot go on with their busi­ness by the ordinary methods of Law, for want of Money: for grant the Judges to act never so justly, or at least, which is all that is required of them, Secundum allegata, & pro­bata, according to the Depositions and Proofs proposed in the Case de­bated; yet the subtle Lawyers, un­less very conscientious, upon the pro­spect of a great Reward, know how to stretch the clearest Decisions of the Law, in favour of their Rich Clients, to the very deceiving of the ablest Judges. If Interest pre­vail with them, it has no less power over all the other Tribes of Man­kind: What Quarrels, Divisions and Heats does it not daily occasi­on among all sorts of Tradesmen, their whole business generally being not so much to out-do, as to un-do [Page 77] one another; as 'tis likewise observed to be practis'd by some Physicians, who finding always fault directly or indirectly, with whatever they have not prescrib'd themselves, offer mo­destly their Service to the Patient, especially if Rich, with a Quack-like promise of a sure, easie, speedy and infallible Cure:

ARTICLE XXV.

I have been sometimes concern'd to know the true Cause of the Fu­ry of Roman Catholicks against such as are not of their own Religion, [Page 78] and more especially against Prote­stants: I was at first of Opinion it was a meer Zeal, like that of the A­postles, who would have consum'd the Samaritans to ashes, for not ad­mitting our Saviour into their City: I concluded then sometimes with my self, that their foolish perswasion of our being Reprobates, if we die not in their Communion, was the occasi­on of the pains they take to pervert us to their principles, by all possible means, whether lawful or unlawful: And really the ignorance of the Po­pish Mob, as likewise of the simple and blunt Fryars, is so gross, that not a few among them are acted by such a blind Zeal as this is. The Pre­lates and Clergy of the Church of Rome are no less zealous than the unlearnedest Priest, to root out what they think, and call Heresie, either by fair means, if against Sence and Reason they can impose upon the unthinking Multitude their new coin'd Articles, or by the French me­thod of Converting, and Dragoon­ing [Page 79] Men into the Popish Religion: But, no doubt, in all such proceed­ings they propose to themselves some other end than the meer saving of Souls; for I can hardly think them so great Fools, as to believe really that there is no way to Heaven but by and through the particular Church of Rome. Now what this is you may discern more distinctly by the following and short account of the Popish Hierarchy and Clergy: The Power over Christ's Natural Body, assum'd by the Romish Priests in the Consecration of Bread and Wine, has by degrees swell'd them so big with the Opinion of their own Authority, that in the Council, if I misremem­ber not, of Constance, they unani­mously declared, that notwithstand­ing the Institution of the Sacrament by Christ himself in both kinds, not­withstanding the Practice of the Pri­mitive Church continued during the space of Fourteen Hundred Years, yet they, yea, they forsooth, thought fit to Order, Command and Ap­point, [Page 80] That the Lay-Christians should be partakers of the same, but under one kind only, or that they should eat the Bread alone, without recei­ving the Cup. If we consider more particularly the present Condition of the Bishop of Rome, we shall find, that there is no Prince in the World so absolute as he is over those of his Communion: He absolveth them when he pleases from their sworn Al­legiance to their Princes; he pre­tends, as he often express'd himself in his Bulls, to the Power of Scatter­ing and Gathering, of Settling and Pulling down, of Planting and Pul­ling up again at pleasure, by Depri­vation, Excommunication, Deposi­tion of Soveraign Princes, if they act against his Authority, he being the only Prince in the World inca­pable of doing any wrong, in the Opinion of such as believe him in­fallible. The Inferiour Bishops are of late, but chiefly in France, be­come as absolute, every one in his own Diocess, as the Pope himself in [Page 81] that of Rome; and generally the Po­pish Churchmen are become every where so vastly Rich, that their Treasures make at least a Third part of what the Prince they live under enjoys. You shall find in France, Spain and Italy, Convents and Nun­neries possess'd of Three or Four Thousand Pounds English, of year­ly Revenue, to maintain Fifteen or Sixteen lazy Monks, to whom what­ever is given, or left by Testament, can be of no further use to the Pub­lick, as lying buried among them, without ever circulating any more thence to the advantage of the Com­monwealth. We may now begin to gather from the Premises the true Cause of the Popish Zeal, either to destroy or convert Protestants, which is no other, if narrowly look'd into, but their own Temporal Interest, grounded upon that Natural Inclina­tion to maintain and keep what one has once acquired, by what means so­ever: for the Romish Priests cannot but know, that wherever the Prote­stants [Page 82] prevail, they must of course lose their Ground and Authority, and must Lord it no more over their Brethren, as they now do: So that if the people were once thoroughly reform'd, they would put an end, as they have effectually done in England, Germany, Danemark and Swedeland, to the Tyranny of the Papists over Mens Bodies by their Antichristian Inquisitions and Persecutions, as well as over their Souls, by an absolute Command to lay aside the Use of their Reason, and submit blindly to their pretend­ed infallible Decisions. A thorough Reformation would likewise occasion a more equal distribution of the Treasures the Churchmen of Rome heap up for themselves, among the Members of the Commonwealth: So that the vast Riches that are now in a few hands, would soon circulate to the Relief of the Poor, to the dai­ly encrease of Trade, and encou­ragement of Industry. No wonder then if the Council of Trent did so [Page 83] much oppose a thorough Reformati­on; for it being made up of Rich Cardinals, Bishops, Abbots, Generals of the Regular Orders, and of Cler­gymen of all sorts, they foresaw their Fate, if they discouraged the Abuses slipt into the Church of Rome: Yet the Popes were so afraid, that some knowing, and well-meaning Men a­mong them, for they were not all of the same Temper, should endea­vour the new modelling of their Church into a better frame, that they suffered nothing to be done in the Council but by and with the Consent of their own Legates, pro­ponentibus legatis; which gave occa­sion to some to say, that the Holy Ghost was sent every week from the then Pope to the Council in a Cloak-bag, because of the Pope's sending his weekly Instructions to the Fathers, with express Orders to act according to the secret Resolutions of his Pri­vy-Council. Let us not then here­after accuse the Romanists of being blind Zealots, since their Zeal is real­ly [Page 84] according to Knowledge, at least, of their own Temporal Interest, which they, and most men, as well as they, are only concern'd for.

ARTICLE XXVI.

Though undoubtedly there be some in the World that act meerly upon the account of Honour, Glo­ry and Reputation, as some Authors do, who pretend to no other advan­tage by their Writings than a great Fame, yet if we look narrowly into Mens Designs, few or none are con­tented with a bare and empty Name, but still aim at something else more solid and more real: Neither can I blame them for so doing, because I think it no real happiness, though I know it to be the Fate of many In­genious Men, to be daily talked of, [Page 85] and much commended both at home and abroad, for their Useful and Learned Productions, while at the same time they starve in some corner or other unheeded: For though Po­verty be not reckon'd a Crime, yet it being a thing that most men are more asham'd of than of the great­est Sins, they are likewise asham'd to keep Company with such as are In­digent or Poor, whatever may be their other Qualifications, and the Natural Endowments of their minds: I speak of the Generality of Men: For some, I know, there be who love rather to improve their Intelle­ctuals, by conversing with such as they may learn from, than to be intimate with some of the richer sort, who can boast of nothing but what is with­out themselves: yet such men are of­ten esteem'd by the Vulgar, and cal­led by Designing Men both Sensible, Wise, and Witty, because of some advantages they aim at for them­selves, by their mean and insipid flat­teries; which contribute only to [Page 86] make these Rich Blockheads the sil­lier, and prouder of their fancied Parts, while at the same time admi­ring, and loving themselves with­out a Rival, they are deservedly un­dervalued by such as take notice of their simplicity, in ascribing to their real Merit, the outward respect we give them only upon the account of their Quantity, or Quality, in case no other thing recommend them to our Esteem. There is another thing to be considered in this place, as be­ing a-kin to what I was saying be­fore, That as the Poor have no Friends at all, or very few, so the Rich never want great Numbers, ei­ther of true or pretended ones, and that meerly upon the account of their Riches. When Fortune smiles upon a Man, his Relations, that shunn'd his Company when it frown'd upon him, flock to him again, as if he were come from a strange Countrey, to welcome him home: They now offer their Services with a Thousand Protestations of the sincerest Friend­ship [Page 87] to him, whom a little before they denied to have a Drop of their Blood in his Veins: But his Conditi­on being now alter'd, though he was degraded at first by his Want, he is restored to his Honour again by his Plenty, to the great satisfaction of his Friends, who on a sudden are become his Courtiers, Slaves, and Creatures too, in a manner, rather than his Equals, or Superiours: And since such great things are done by Riches, who can blame Gentlemen, yea and Persons of an higher Quality, for binding their Children, if they cannot allow them sufficient Portions to Tradesmen, that by their own In­dustry they may get in time the only thing Men are generally valued for; that is Money: For though upon dai­ly Experience we must confess it to be the ordinary occasion of Prodi­gality, Luxury, Murder, Rebellion, Sedition, and generally of the hor­ridest Crimes; yet on the other hand 'tis no less certain, that the en­tire want of this necessary Tool, ma­keth [Page 88] often way for the very same sins and immoralities: So that a mode­rate Fortune is the only thing to be wish'd and prayed for in this World, lest we be either tempted to Wanton­ness, through a too great Plenty, or press'd into Despair by the sting of a pinching Necessity.

ARTICLE XXVII.

We ought to consider somewhat more particularly in this place, what I have but slightly hinted at in an­other, how Men change often their Opinions, according to the different appearances of their Interest: for how many have written seriously for absolute Monarchy, who have prov'd afterwards zealous promoters of a Commonwealth, when it seem'd [Page 89] more favourable to their Concerns; in so much, that not a few have contradicted themselves, by answer­ing those very Arguments, which in another juncture of Affairs they pro­pos'd to the World, as undeniable Truths. With what heat was not the Duke of York's Interest oppos'd by some known Writers, who ha­ving better consider'd of the Mat­ter, that is, of their Interest, chang'd their tune so soon as they saw him in a posture to serve their turns. 'Tis confess'd on all hands, that Oliver Cromwell was both an Usurper and a Tyrant, yet the same Pen, as I am inform'd, that wrote for him, wrote afterwards the deserved Praises of Charles the Second, the undoubted Heir of the Crown. So true it is, that a present Interest representing to us the worst of Objects by the fair­est side, either gives us no time at all to consult with our selves, if what we undertake be commendable or not, or causeth us to look upon all Reasons contrary to it self, as weak, [Page 90] unconcluding, and of no weight, though formerly, when our Affairs were in another situation, we took 'em to be true Demonstrations. We have a considerable Instance of what I do here affirm in a late Bishop, who though a Protestant, was so charm'd by the Favours he had received, and hop'd to receive from King James, that he strain'd his Parts to clear the Papists of Idolatry, by such a false Notion of this heinous Crime, that none but a Man as interested as he was, could have ventur'd to publish it: His best Body of Divinity, as he said once, a Coach and Six Horses ma­keth sometimes a greater impression upon a covetous Mind, than the strongest Reasons of the ablest Di­vines, not supported by a Concomi­tant Interest. Though I doubt not but that several of the French Hugo­nots have complied in the late perse­cution against the severest Checks of their own Conscience, yet I am of Opinion, that many of them like­wise are real Converts to the Po­pish [Page 91] Principles, because Interest by degrees blindeth sometimes the clea­rest Understandings, so as to cause Men not only to act, but also to think quite contrary to the first Grounds they built their Faith up­on. A Man thus tempted to change his Religion, begins first to look up­on the Arguments▪ of his Adversa­ries, as not so absurd as he thought them to be; then after some Debate with himself, he concludes them to be probable; and lastly, by the ir­resistible Eloquence of Interest, he believes them to be true. 'Tis much after the same manner, that Men turn not only Papists, but likewise Mahometans: For if Worldly Con­cerns did not influence Mens Judg­ments so powerfully as really they do, how comes it to pass, that the very Christians, if not so soon, at least very often, a little after they are conquer'd by the Turks, turn zealous Mahometans, and bigotted Renegado's; the chief Reason why Mahomet ordered his Religion to be [Page 92] propagated by the Sword, being this, That he thought Temporal In­terest would draw greater Numbers to his side than any other Arguments whatsoever. Wherein he was not much mistaken, since considering the duration of both Religions, the higher and Divine Inducements to Christianism, have made fewer Con­verts than the Temporal Advantages he proposed to his Followers, if it be true, as I believe it to be, That the Mahometans are now much Superiour in Number to the Chri­stians. I shall add upon this occasi­on, That I doubt not but if King James had been successful in his At­tempts, many, if not most of the English had embrac'd Popery by Force at first, and perhaps at last by free Consent, and a real Submission of their Judgment to enjoy peace­ably those Advantages they could not pretend to without changing their Principles, it being observ'd in those days, that some profess'd Pro­testants, yea, and Gown'd ones too, [Page 93] seem'd inclinable to close in with Rome again, because their Interest told them, that this was the shortest way for them to Preferment.

ARTICLE XXVIII.

To add in this place some new Particulars relating to my Design, 'tis certain, that there is no happier State of Life in the Catholick Church than that of Marriage, it being the chief and only Remedy prescrib'd by the Spiritual Physician against burning, though the Romanists will not allow their Priests the use of it, and the great Supporter of Mankind, by a Social Life, and by a free and reci­procal Communication of the Soul as well as of the Body; though ma­ny things contribute to make up the Happiness of this State, as some pro­portion [Page 94] in Age, Humour, and Qua­lity, Conjugal Chastity, Moderation in the use of Matrimony, a patient Temper, and capable of bearing with one anothers Infirmities, Dis­cretion, Wisdom, besides all the o­ther Christian Vertues; yet a com­petent Estate seems to be necessary to make the married Couple happy, yea, and vertuous too, if such as are joyn'd together in this State of Life, be inclinable by their Education, or Sober Temper, to make good use of the Blessings God has been pleas'd to bestow upon them, as being often thereby freed from such occasions of Sin and Temptation, as prove some­times a very hard Tryal to the strong­est Vertue. But this very Money which I think so necessary for the compleat Happiness of a Married Life, bringeth along with it all kind of Misery, if it be in the hands of those who being vitiously inclin'd, make it the Instrument of their dai­ly Crimes, and idle Courses, in Car­ding, Dicing, Whoring, Drinking, [Page 95] there being no Trick, Cheat, or Shift that such Men will scruple at to com­pass this necessary Tool to a bad Life, as well as to a good one. The Story of the French Marquess is pret­ty well known, who having spent his whole Estate in Gaiming, married at last the Executioner's Daughter, because her Father could allow her a considerable Portion, which gave her quality enough to become a No­bleman's Lady.

ARTICLE XXIX.

Interest does not only put Men upon odd Practices, but likewise up­on [Page 96] very unaccountable Speculations. I know nothing in Nature so de­monstrable as the Being of God, and whatever School-Divines teach to the contrary, I am irresistibly inclin'd to contradict them, when they ge­nerally affirm this Proposition, Deus est, God exists not to be a Self-evi­dent Principle: For if God is a ne­cessary Being, as we all conceive him to be, then this very Idea implies his actual Existency; or if a Being infinitely perfect be possible, as all Christians say 'tis, then to be sure it really exists, because actual Existen­cy must of necessity be reckon'd one, yea, and the very Foundation of all his other Perfections. This unan­swerable Demonstration to a Christi­an Reader, may be propounded thus in a few words: A Being infinitely perfect, implies no Contradiction; therefore it actually exists; the first Proposition is agreed to on all hands among Christians, and cannot be de­nied by Atheists themselves, upon any probable Grounds; the Inference was [Page 97] proved a little before: but because in answer to the first Demonstration, the Atheists allow no being to be ne­cessary, I must close in with them, and endeavour their Conviction, by an unanswerable Demonstration, though I confess it neither to be a Priori, as the School-men speak, or from the Cause, because there can be none such, God being the First Cause of all things; nor a Posteriori, in the Rigour, or from any Produ­ction of God; yet from an undeni­able Falshood, which must needs en­sue upon our allowing with the A­theists, this Principle, That all things, without exception, are contingent; and it is in short this, That all possible things might become impossible, if all things were contingent; which no man of common Sence will grant: For let us suppose what is really possible, if all things are contingent, that no­thing actually is, since a contingent Being is that which may be, or not be. Now in this case all possible things, that is, all contingent things [Page 98] are impossible, because that is impos­sible which has no Cause to bring it out of the bosome of nothing. But there is no Cause to bring contingent things out of the bosome of no­thing, if they once are not in be­ing; therefore they are then abso­lutely impossible. That there is no Cause to bring contingent things out of the bosome of nothing, if they once are not in being, 'tis clear from the supposition of nothing actually existing: For first, grant to the Athe­ist all things to be contingent: And secondly, allow this supposition not impossible, if all things are contingent, that nothing is actually in being. Then to be sure there can be no cause to bring any thing out of the bosome of nothing; that is, to produce any thing, because nothing can act unless it have an actual foun­dation both in Essence and Existen­cy, which is not here allowed of, because we suppose nothing to exist; for since the Atheist grants all things to be contingent, he must of necessi­ty [Page 99] confess, that they may not be; and in this case, as I have sufficiently prov'd, they are all impossible. From the Premises 'tis clear, That unless we admit of a necessary Being that is the Cause of all things we must confess against the clearest evidence of Reason, That all things possible may become impossible, if all things are con­tingent, Quod erat demonstrandum.

But because this Metaphysical way of reasoning is not fitted to a vulgar Capacity, I shall endeavour to prove the Being of God, by such an easie and obvious Argument, that I am concluded by it my self to believe, that there can be no such thing as a down-right Atheist, in the grossest sence of this word, because all Man­kind being Eye-witness of the regu­lar Natural Motions, whither in the Heavens, or in this Globe we dwell upon, the very dullest sort cannot but know, that a constant Unifor­mity in Motion must of necessity proceed from the over-ruling Dire­ction of an Understanding Being, [Page 100] since no fortuitous Motion can either be durable or regular: For if the Stars, for Instance, mov'd in their respective Orbs by meer chance, and not by certain Laws prescrib'd to 'em by the Author of Nature God him­self, could any man be so unreason­able as to think, that their rising, and their going down, their month­ly, and yearly motions, and all their other Phenomena's, or appearances, could prove so constantly regular as we observe them to be? Would not those vast Celestial Bodies, tumbling up and down those huge Orbs, without the concurrence of an Un­derstanding Being to direct them, fall often foul one upon another, and represent to us every Day New Ob­jects to look at, by their daily for­tuitous Combinations? Certainly, if nothing but chance govern this World, we must believe that to be most false which we know by daily Experience to be most true, that a Clock, or a Watch, is made by the fortuitous concourse of the Spring, [Page 101] Chain, Wheels, &c. into that situa­tion which is necessary to shew the Hours of the Day; That Stone, Timber, and other Materials tumb­ling luckily, but fortuitously toge­ther, rais'd all the Cities and Stately Palaces of great Princes, without any Architect or Overseer of the Work, that the Body of Man so admirable for the Excellency of its Structure, is not the product of Art, but a meer fortuitous Coalition of Atomes.

But though this visible World prove to us the Being of God, by as many convincing Arguments as there are Creatures in the Universe; yet so irresistible is the Impression of Interest over some mens minds, that if it were possible, they would ex­tinguish the in-bred Light that points out to them a Deity with the same Beams it setteth before their Eyes the Visible Works of its Almighty Pow­er, since some endeavour to impose upon themselves the belief of a for­tuitous Coalition of the Atomes into such a Frame as we now observe in [Page 102] the World, without taking notice of a Soveraign Being, as the true Cause of this so orderly, and so wonderful a Structure, to that de­gree of Blindness and Impiety, as to say in their Hearts, There is no God; Dixit impius in Corde suo non est De­us. But to make use of the Scrip­ture-phrase, 'tis impossible they should say so in their Understanding, in in­tellectu, because whatever they seem to say to the contrary, they cannot but judge by the obvious Regulari­ty of the Natural Motions, and year­ly Productions, that there is a God; and how merciful soever, a severe punisher of Sin, though they wish perhaps, there were no such Being, that they may never be called to an account for their daily Sins and hei­nous Misdemeanours, for cheating o­ther men of their Goods and Estates, without the least Scruple, their chief, and only Design in endeavour­ing thus to blind themselves, being no other but to heap up by unlaw­ful means, whatever may contribute [Page 103] to their Satisfaction in this World, without any Check, if it were possi­ble, of their Conscience.

ARTICLE XXX.

That a future World's Existence is denied by some who are thoroughly convinc'd of the Being of a God 'tis too evident, but not to every Vulgar Understanding, upon what Grounds, though one would think they could give no rational account why they flatly deny such an almost self-evident Truth: For since they allow God to be Just, and to that degree, that no kind of Injustice can be laid to his charge, they must of course acknowledge another Life after this, in which the just and best sort of men are often oppress'd, while the Wicked flourish, and live [Page 104] in Plenty, adding to their Sins, as they add to their Treasures. We must then, without doubt, expect Justice to be done sometime or o­ther, both to the former and to the latter, as well knowing God to be the Punisher of Sin, as well as the Rewarder of Vertue, but neither could be true, without the Truth of a future World, because 'tis certain, that Vertue is not always rewarded in this Life, nor sin punish'd. The men we speak of in this place, must needs be convinc'd of their judging contrary to their own Experience, if they do but reflect upon the desire they find themselves pressd with of an Eternal Happiness, which God, whom they allow to do nothing in vain, has planted in their Hearts, in order to make them use the means he has prescrib'd for the attainment of the same. Notwithstanding the irresistible Evidence of the forego­ing Reasons to all mankind, if layed open in every Particular, some deny still the Being of a [...]uture World, be­cause [Page 105] 'tis, they think, their Interest so to do, since if there be any such State after this Life, they may ex­pect to suffer in it, for their Crimes committed in this; not to mention, that the belief of a future World would oblige them to make restituti­on in time of what they had got to­gether by injust means, as Cheating, Oppression, Usury, Simony, and o­ther such like Sins: So irresistible in some is the Power of Temporal In­terest, as to cause them not to be­lieve, or at least, to doubt of this fundamental Article of Religion, that they may pursue their Worldly and Transient Concerns, without any Scruple, or Fear of Punishment.

ARTICLE XXXI.

'Tis upon the same account, that so many fancy themselves Slaves, and deprived of all Freedom of Will, yea, and seem to be sure of what they say, 1. From the Foreknow­ledge of God. 2. From our De­pendency upon him. Yet 'tis cer­tain on the other hand, that the Di­vine Prescience, or Fore-knowledge, is not destructive to our Liberty, though I deny not but that our Actions, because of God's Fore­knowledge, may be call'd, to use a School-Expression, Hypothetically, or Consequentially necessary, as the Fall of a Man into a Precipice, is ne­cessary [Page 107] in the same sence, if I see him fall; in which Case it cannot be said, that my looking on throws him head-long into the Ditch. This Vulgar Example may help us to re­move this not inconsiderable difficul­ty against an experienc'd and felt Truth, as that of our being free, and not necessary Agents. As to what is us'd to be said of the In­consistency of our Freedom, in act­ing with our Dependency upon God, 'tis but a very illusory and frivolous Objection: For though I be suppos'd to act freely, 'tis certain, that this very Power of acting freely is from God: Quid enim habes quod non accepisti, says the vulgate Edition of the Bible somewhere, What hast thou that thou hast not received? Therefore it cannot be said, that I do not depend upon God in acting, unless it be first made out, that I have received this Power from some other Being. As then a careful Fa­ther, giving money to his Son, giveth him at the same time this whole­some [Page 108] and Fatherly Advice: Though I leave you to your own Liberty, my Intention is, that you should make a right Vse of this Gold, and not throw it away upon sinful Recreations, be­cause I am resolved to punish you, if you apply this Money to other Ends than I intended it for; and to reward you, if you comply to my earnest and just Desires.

By what this Father says to his Son, we may conceive how God hehaves himself towards us, in gi­ving us the Power to do good and evil, but with a Design that we should do good and not evil, lest we be severely punish'd for omit­ting what we should have done, the former being intended, and not the latter, though we be free to do either; else we could neither be said to deserve Praise for the one, nor Punishment for the other. To conclude, we must either say, that God could not create Man free; or in case he created him free, that he allowed him the Power to do [Page 109] good and evil, and that he is, not­withstanding this allowance, absolute Master of all his Actions, because he may hinder them when he pleases, by either destroying or suspending the Power they spring from. As I am then of Opinion, That some other Reason engageth so many Christians to embrace this immoral and dangerous Doctrine, so I be­lieve it to be nothing else but a cer­tain kind of Interest. Though not a few, I confess, of a good Life and Conversation, deny flatly the Free­dom of Humane Will to do good or evil, yet 'tis, I fancy, impossible they should owe their Goodness to this Predestinarian Principle, because if once believed, it must set a man extreamly at ease, and make him wholly unconcern'd in his Consci­ence, how unlawful soever the bu­siness may be he goes about: For why should a man scruple at any thing, if 'tis not in his Power not to do what he does. That I may be the better understood, I shall [Page 110] state the Case thus: Suppose a man much stronger than my self, laying hold on me, killeth another man with my hand, am I guilty of the Murder, or he, who makes use of my Arm to commit this Crime, in a manner irresistible on my side? The Application of this Example is so easie, and so obvious to the mean­est Capacity, that I need not enlarge upon it: For, as no man having his Wits about him, will think that I ought to suffer upon the account of the forementioned Murder, which I could not hinder; so I cannot fan­cy my self liable to be punish'd by the Laws of a Just God, because of my committing a Crime which I could not possibly avoid. 'Tis true we kill noxious Animals, by rea­son of the hurt they do, or may do to the Members of the Common­wealth; but yet we are not so un­reasonable as to think them guilty of Sin upon that account. If then we follow the Predestinarian Princi­ple, we must of course fancy our [Page 111] selves guiltless, whatever Sin we commit, since we have no freedom to shun it. I desire to have no­thing to do with Men thus Princi­pled, because if I do them a good turn, I shall not be thank'd for it; and they being acted in their de­luded Fancy, like meer. Machines and Slaves, rather than acting like Free and Rational Men, will not scruple to do me an ill one upon oc­casion, because in their Opinion they cannot help the doing of it: for whether they keep or break the Com­mandments of God, this is never as­crib'd by them to choice, but al­ways to their irresistible Fate.

ARTICLE XXXII.

Some are so puzzl'd by the forego­ing Arguments, that they are forc'd to allow us a true liberty of doing good and evil, and to confess upon all occasions, That Man is, and always was a Free Agent; yet the Chief Freedom they seem to aim at, is that of committing what Crime they please, without the least Check of a Wounded Conscience, since at the same time they maintain all our Actions to be Necessary, be­cause, forsooth, they are Voluntary; as if a Horse, for instance, in the more probable Opinion of his not being a meer piece of Mechanism, were a Free Agent upon this ac­count, That he goes on with all [Page 113] imaginable inclination to eat up the Hay or Oats in his view. Such men ground this dangerous Opinion upon this false Supposition, That we have lost the Liberty that Adam enjoyed, and consequently, that we have no Freedom at all to do good or evil, to obey or not obey: Which Mi­stake may easily be redress'd, if we consider, that Adam's Liberty consi­sted in this, That he had the Pow­er to do good and evil, to obey or not obey, with a greater Propensi­ty of his Will, if I may so say, to­wards the good than towards the evil; whereas we, through his fault, are born with a greater inclination to evil than good, because of our Original and Hereditary Corruption: But withal 'tis certain, that we are free in the foresaid manner, to al­low Teaching, Preaching, Advising, Commanding to be of some use or other to Mankind, or for some end or other: For let men pretend what they please, a real Necessity is incon­sistent with the usefulness either of [Page 114] Counsel or Command, as likewise with the Justice of him who pu­nisheth me for what I could not avoid; as for instance, Is it rea­sonable that I should be punish'd for committing a Fornication that I could not resist? And how could I resist the Temptation, if I commit the Crime through an unavoidable Ne­cessity, as the Predestinarian Tribe teacheth us admitting this self­evident Contradiction, That what­ever is done voluntarily is done free­ly, and yet necessarily at the same time: Whereas the real Freedom, upon which depends all the Morali­ty or Immorality of our Actions is that, and no other, which excludes all Necessity. To be short, our present Condition, notwithstanding the Fall of Adam, is still this, that We can freely do good or evil; whereas the Elect in Heaven can do no evil, and the Reprobates in Hell can do no good; the former being upon that account most happy, and the latter most unhappy, while We [Page 115] are between both, in a meer Capa­city of being either, by the good or bad use of our Free Will. But since 'tis so evident that we are free Agents, or real Actors upon the Stage of this World, and not meer Machines, how comes it to pass, that many, and those too of good Reputation in the World, for their good Life and Behaviour, are of a contrary Opinion? To this I answer, That whatever other Rational Ac­count those Gentlemen may give of themselves, as to this Particular I shall venture to say, That they are chiefly press'd to embrace this Do­ctrine by a Principle of Interest, be­cause how averse soever we may sup­pose them to be from Sin, yet I que­stion much if they scruple the com­mitting of it, when they consider themselves destitute of all Freedom of Indifferency, and as necessary A­gents unable to suspend their own Actions upon a full Concourse of all the required Conditions: For a man of Sense must needs think himself [Page 116] guiltless, in case he commits Robbe­ry, Fornication, or Adultery, if he once is perswaded, that he was, I do not say forc'd, because we know the Sinner to be always willing, but necessitated to commit such Crimes, as the Enemies of Free Will do usu­ally teach he is: Wherein they give either too little scope to their Rea­son, or too great scope to their Con­science, by thus ridding them­selves at once of all its troublesome Checks.

ARTICLE XXXIII.

The foremention'd Doctrine a­gainst Free Will, if believ'd, may soon clear the Scruples of some late Converts to the Church of Rome, who after they had liv'd a while among us, went back to Aegypt again; but they being generally of [Page 117] another Opinion, must of necessity be misled by some other Principle: And this sure can neither be the Weakness of the Protestant Argu­ments, nor the Strength of the Po­pish ones, which they cannot but know to be groundless and insuffi­cient, as being built upon Two false Suppositions; viz. of the Universa­lity and Infallibility of the Church of Rome: The hardships then, I fan­cy, they suffer among us, are some­times so pinching, that 'tis not much to be wonder'd at, if some of them resolve to turn Papists again rather than starve. 'Tis true we should chuse Death rather than conform to an Idolatrous Worship; but as we are not sensible of our own strength so long as we live in Plenty, 'tis ea­sie for a man in the actual possession of Two or Three Thousand Pounds of Yearly Revenue, to pronounce such grave Christian Sentences, while he is not afraid to be ever put to the Tryal, which perhaps would disco­ver his Weakness, as well as that of [Page 118] some Romish Converts. Nothing was so stout as St. Peter, before he was tryed, and till then he thought he could easily lay down his Life for his Saviour, whom yet he very Coward­ly denied at the first Challenge of a Servant-Maid. Nothing, I am con­fident, is so real as the Conversion of most of them that come over to us from the Church of Rome, because nothing can be so obvious as the Er­rours of that Church: But yet Hu­mane Frailty is so great, that consi­dering on the one hand, our hard­ness to New Converts, and on the other hand the fair Offers of their former Brethren, either our Cove­tousness throws them into Despair, or the Temporal Advantages proposed to 'em by the Church of Rome, pre­vail with them to chuse rather to live Hypocrites among their Old Friends the Papists, than starve in the Profession of the Truth among Protestants.

Thus an inconsiderable Temporal Interest makes sometimes a stronger [Page 119] impression upon mens minds, than the very Eternal Welfare of their Souls.

ARTICLE XXXIV.

'Tis always upon some such ac­count that most men, not to say all, without Exception, act contrary to their own confess'd Principles: For how many grant upon all occasions, that no Violence is to be used in matters of Religion; that nothing is so much a man's own as his Consci­ence; that God alone is to judge of our Thoughts, and not Men; that no Humane Power can call us to an account for our Thoughts, though it may punish us for our manifest and visible Deeds: yea, the very [Page 120] Church of Rome it self did of old af­firm, That she could not extend her Power over mens inward Senti­ments, Ecclesia non judicat de inter­nis. Nevertheless, she thought it at least her Interest, as certainly 'tis, though not that of Jesus Christ, to usurp an Arbitrary Power over mens Thoughts, as well as over their Bo­dies; else how could she think it lawful either to Dragoon men into her Bosom, or to extort from them Confessions conformable to her Do­ctrine, by the Antichristian Cruelty of her Tyrannical Inquisitions: But yet if such as take the fittest measures to compass their Ends, are deserved­ly reputed Wise and Prudent, we have no great reason to think the Papists so great Fools as some call them: For since 'tis flatly against the clearest Evidence of Sence and Rea­son to believe the Mysteries they ge­nerally teach; as for Instance, the Mystery of Transubstantiation, or that the Pope of Rome is Infallible; it had been no piece of Wisdom in [Page 121] them to have used Arguments in or­der to convince us of such manifest Untruths: They knew very well that nothing but the Faggot, Sword, or an unmerciful Inquisition, could force men to an outward Profession of their belief of such strange Opi­nions. But I need not enlarge up­on this Subject, since the Papists themselves confess ingenuously, and maintain openly the Lawfulness of Persecution upon the account of Religion; and that men are not on­ly to be drawn in by Argument, but likewise to be forc'd into the Bo­some of the Church by the Dint of the Sword. I cannot dissemble in this place my hearty Grief and Con­cern that some Protestants likewise, who pretending to Meekness, Cle­mency, and Tenderness, grant no­thing to be more Antichristian than the persecuting of Christians upon the account of their perswasion, should allow of Force in matters of Religion, so far as may be judg'd ne­cessary to make men consider seri­ously [Page 122] of our Reasons, that at last, after a thorough Conviction, they may embrace that which we think Truth, as if it were not in reality all one, to force a man to change his Religion, and to force him to a serious Examen of our Arguments; which, how weak soever, will, I fancy, soon appear unanswerable Demonstrations to such as must suf­fer either Poverty, Imprisonment, or Death it self, if they confess not themselves fully Convicted. The French Persecution was no worse than this would be: For that Prince, I mean Lewis XIV. never pretend­ed more than to compel his Subjects to a serious Consideration of the Chief Grounds of Popery, because he well knew, that the weakest Ar­gument, supported by the Dragoon­ing Sword, would either convince his Subjects, or at least convert them, so far as to make them Hypocrites, which was perhaps all the success he could hope for by this Most Chri­stian method. I wonder then that [Page 123] men professing, upon all Occasions, Meekness and Moderation, should still stand up for what is worst in Popery, the Spirit of Persecution, as they really do when they main­tain it to be lawful to use Violence, in order to oblige men to consider of their Arguments, which how weak soever, may gather a great deal of Strength from the Force us'd. But I cease to be amaz'd at such strange Proceedings, when I consider how Natural 'tis to all men to pursue ea­gerly what they think their real In­terest: For as we are all naturally proud, and passionate Lovers of Au­thority and Command, we are easily perswaded, that we cannot compass better our ambitious designs than by maintaining our assum'd Power to force men to a serious consideration of the Reasons we ground our Opi­nions upon, which is nothing else, if narrowly look'd into, but still a Claim to the Popish Infallibility, though we declare upon all occasi­ons our Abhorrence of such a [Page 124] groundless and Antichristian Prin­ciple.

ARTICLE XXXV.

No Sect in the World ever pre­tended more to Infallibility than the Jesuits, who generally hold it an Ar­ticle of their Faith, That not only the General Councils, but the Pope likewise, loquens ex Cathedra, is as Infallible, in some manner, as God himself: How men of such Sense and Learning, as undoubtedly they are in their own way, can be guilty of such a gross piece of Folly as this is, few or none perhaps can better guess at than my self, as having been once particularly acquainted with their Affairs. Since then 'tis to be suppo­sed, that designing men never act [Page 125] the Fools part but upon some wise account, we need not wonder that the Jesuits having first seriously con­sulted together about the matter, resolved to prove zealous and obsti­nate Defenders of that Article, which would put the greatest Obligation upon the Pope, viz. of his being the Infallible and Visible Oracle of the Universal Church; though they could not but know the unreason­ableness of this Tenet, and that they might as well believe the Pope Al­mighty as Infallible. But however they were prevail'd with by a Prin­ciple of Interest and Self-preserva­tion, to maintain this both Antichri­stian and Atheistical Doctrine, be­cause they being much younger than most of the other Religious Orders, and upon several known Accounts hated by them all, they prudently judg'd that it was impossible for them to withstand so many power­ful Enemies, unless they were sup­ported by the supposed Vicar of Christ the Bishop of Rome. To be [Page 126] sure then of the Pope's Protection, upon occasion they not only decla­red him in their Schools, and preach'd him up in their Pulpits, as Infallible, but by a Fourth Vow tied themselves so intirely to his Service, that they are obliged upon Orders from the Pope to go whither, and upon whatever Errand he pleases to command them.

If they thought it at their first ap­pearing in the World, their Interest, and think it still to close in with the Pope, they believe themselves no less concern'd now to stand up for the Princes, in whose Territories they live, because they are abler to protect them than the Pope himself, their prudence being particularly ob­servable in this, that they are al­ways on the strongest side, which is so true, that the French Jesuits of old were usually called Spaniards by the French Mob, because of their presum'd Intrigues with the King of Spain, the most powerful Prince then in Europe; yea, 'tis not long [Page 127] since the very German Jesuits were generally thought inclinable to the French Interest, though I am now in­form'd, that they begin to look home again, because of the growing Power of their immediate Master the Emperour.

The Remisness of the Moral Prin­ciples usually ascrib'd to them, is not so much the Product of their real Sentiments, as of their private Inte­rest: For considering that too much Severity would hinder people to re­pair to them for advice in doubtful Cases, they thought it was fit and ne­cessary for their own ends, to give as much scope as possibly they could to Humane Frailty, in order to gain both the Esteem and Love of the people; wherein some of them suc­ceeded so well, that they were ge­nerally cryed up for the only heart­healing Physicians; yea, and call'd too by some in a Blasphemous man­ner, The Lambs of God that take a­way the Sins of the World; because whatever perplex'd Case was propo­sed [Page 128] to 'em by their Votaries, they were sure to resolve it according to their Inclinations, without any re­gard to the strict Prescriptions of the Gospel, which they never fail'd to put that Sense upon they judg'd most agreeable to their own secret Concerns. Thus they found out a Thousand Tricks to elude the Obli­gation of restoring other Peoples Goods and Good Name, with that unhappy success that neither Simony nor Vsury were to be met with a­mong Dealers, because of the Jesui­tical Maxims they had learn'd to ex­cuse both upon Occasion: But the World beginning to hearken to the more Gospel-like Doctrine of the severer Jansenists, they found it of late their Advantage to write and teach things conformable to the pre­sent Humour of the Age: For see­ing men inclining to a further Re­formation, as being unwilling to be flatter'd in their sinful ways, they judg'd it necessary for their pri­vate Ends to humour them by a [Page 129] more Primitive Doctrine, according to the Advice of the Famous Louis Nyel, one of their Provincials of the Province of Champagne, who was used to express himself about the matter pretty odly thus: Puisque le­monde veult estre fouettè fouettons le: Since Men will be whipt, and se­verely dealt withal, let us not spare them; that is, since Men begin to dislike our easier and looser Morals, let us close in with them for our own ends, teaching and preaching such things as may work the People into a belief of our being rigid Ob­servers of the strictest Gospel Max­ims.

ARTICLE XXXVI.

As no People put a better Face upon their covetous Projects than the Jesuits, so none are more ad­mired by the bigotted Roman Catho­licks, who look upon them as Men wholly consecrated to the Spiritual Good of Mankind, which indeed they always pretend to in all their Undertakings; and to give the De­vil his due, as it cannot be denied but that there are a great number of private Men among them, both E­minent for Vertue and Learning, so what I said before, and what I am now to say, relates chiefly to the governing part, who build their De­signs upon other grounds than pri­vate Men usually do.

[Page 131] The Jesuits from their very first Foundation have had, it seems, a Design to reap the Profit both of the very begging Orders, and of such as live upon their own Yearly Revenue. Their Profess'd Houses, as they call them, enjoy all the Be­nefit and Priviledges of the Men­dicant Orders, being maintain'd up­on the Publick, or rather Private Benevolence, very plentifully, and without sending about to gather it, after the manner of the Friars, re­ceive upon call from private hands enough to supply not only their Wants, but likewise their Luxury. Their Colledges and Seminaries, on the contrary, are all well founded, though not all equally rich, either by Princes or Private Men, or upon the Ruines of the Benedictine Monks, a part of whose Estates they have got into their Hands, both in France, Italy, and Germany, by their secret Intrigues at Court, because they are thought more useful to the Pub­lick, upon the account of their [Page 132] preaching, teaching, and breeding up every where the Citizens and Gentlemens Children gratis indeed, and for nothing in appearance, though they be well paid for their pains, because they never accept of a Colledge under Six or Seven Hun­dered Pounds English Money Year­ly, besides what they receive Quar­terly in such Colledges as take Pen­sioners, as Clermont in Paris, Ponta­mousson in Lorrain, and other pla­ces.

But to give you some further Hints of what I was saying in the beginning of this Article, of their covering all their Designs with the fairest pretences to Piety and God­liness, they pretend always to act not only for the Glory, but for the greater Glory of God, this being the fam'd Motto of the Order, ad Majorem Dei Gloriam: Though if we look narrowly into their real Projects, they aim more at their own Glory than at the Glory and Honour of him they pretend only [Page 133] to glorifie, insomuch that they would not be called Loyolites, or Ignatians, from Loyola or Ignatius, their first Patriarch and Founder, but the So­ciety of Jesus, forsooth, la Compagnie de Jesus; as if they were the only People in the World that deserved this Title; Whereas none have per­haps less Right to it, because of the insufferable Pride they are general­ly and deservedly too accus'd of, be­ing great Despisers of the Secular Clergy, and of all the other Religi­ous Orders, as looking upon them­selves as the chief, if not the only Supporters of the Church of Rome; though they are so far from appear­ing interested, and covetous of Re­ward for what Service they do the Publick, that they are oblig'd to teach, preach, and say their Masses, without the least hopes of any Sala­ry for their pains; yet they do no­thing for nothing, and expect to be considered for their very Masses, not under the Notion of a Reward, but of an Alms either given or promised [Page 134] before the Work is begun: Where­in their Condition is much better than that of the Mendicant Friars, because the begging Tribe depend only upon either publick or private Charity, without any Yearly Reve­nue: Whereas the subtler Jesuits have got the benefit of both, as I was saying before, their Profess'd Houses being maintain'd by the pub­lick, and their Colledges upon their own Stock and Fond. They pre­tend not indeed to take any Money with such as they admit into their Society, yet they have always a spe­cial regard to One of these Three following things in their Choice, ei­ther to Riches, Quality, or great Parts: If their Proselyte be rich, let him be never so great a Blockhead, they are sure to catch at him greedi­ly; If he is of a Noble Extraction, and well allied, they are likewise for his admittance, because of the support they get by it from his pow­erful Friends; and if he is a Man of Great, Natural, or Acquired Parts, [Page 135] they think him the fitter for their business, which is generally Teach­ing, Preaching, and Intriguing in all Courts, and private Families for their own Ends.

ARTICLE XXXVII.

The Pope's Pretences to Piety and Godliness, to the saving of Souls, and to the greater Glory of God, are so plausible, that notwithstand­ing all that is laid to his Charge by his Adversaries, we should still en­tertain a favourable Opinion of his Goodness, if we knew not what he chiefly aim'd at in all his pretend­ed Apostolical Undertakings. 'Tis not for nothing that he has erected the Colledge de propagandâ, or ra­ther de congregandâ side, allowing [Page 136] a Yearly Pension to all Secular Priests employed in the Conversion of Hereticks: Wherein, though some of them perhaps through a mistaken Zeal, intend nothing else but the Good of Souls; yet sure I am the Governours of the Church of Rome have a Temporal prospect upon the matter of recovering one day those vast Revenues they have lost, by the withdrawing of so many Nati­ons from the Popish Yoke. I doubt not then but some silly ignorant Priests may fancy they do God Service in doing their utmost En­deavours to convert Protestants to their Principles; but the Conclaves aim in pushing them on to the Work, is the hopes they still are in of reco­vering Peter's Pence again, and of enriching Rome once more, as of old, with the Spoils of England. Now as Children follow commonly the Example of their Fathers, the Popish Princes imitating exactly the Popes Politicks, endeavour likewise the Conversion of Mankind to their [Page 137] principles for the same Ends. One would take the late Kings of Spain and Portugal for true Apostles, to judge of them by their apparent Zeal to convert both Indies: The King of Portugal wrote himself to Ignatius of Loyola, Patriarch of the Jesuits, for some of his Society to convert the East Indies to the Chri­stian Faith; and he was so earnest upon the Matter, that he spar'd no Expences to promote the Roman Ca­tholick Interest in those parts; And though the King of Spain, as the A­bler of the Two, did out-do him in this political Zeal, sending great numbers of Churchmen, of all sorts, to Florida, to Mexico, to the Philip­pin Islands, and other places con­quer'd, or to be conquer'd by his Victorious Arms; Yet Lewis the Fourteenth sheweth himself more zealous than either of them, by Dragooning his Subjects into Pope­ry. The Apostles themselves never dream'd of his Method of convert­ing Souls to the Christian Religion: [Page 138] the only way they understood and practis'd of making Proselytes, was that of perswasion, of preaching, teaching, arguing, and exhorting. This Method is far more efficacious; Turn ye must, or burn: The Dra­gooning Sword unties sooner the Gor­dian Knots of Religious Mysteries than all the subtlest Arguments ei­ther of Philosophers or Divines. This is a Secret, till of late, un­known, and how Antichristian so­ever, the only that I can imagine, or contrive, to make all Nations outwardly agree as to Matters of Religion.

If the simpler Mob be of O­pinion, that the Princes I have mentioned, undertook the Conver­sion of the Infidels, meerly upon the account of Religion, I am sure the wiser sort of Mankind will both think and say, That Interest, Ambi­tion, and Conquest, were their chief, if not only Inducements to such Reli­gious Enterprises, as they are so much commended for by those who ei­ther [Page 139] love to flatter them, or are not clear sighted enough to see through the specious pretences of Designing Men. For 'tis certain, that the two first had in pros­pect, as they have yet at this very day, the Conquest of the East and West Indies: Which Attempt they thought would prove both easie, and without hazard, if they could once engage the ignorant Indians to submit to an Implicite Faith, and a blind Obedience to the Church of Rome; wherein they succeeded so well, that the Emperour of Japan became, not without Reason, jea­lous of the great numbers of the New Converts in his Dominions; and upon notice given him by the Dutch of the Popish Princes real Design in sending so many Missio­naries at so great Charges to his Ter­ritories, and other Neighbour-Nati­ons, he immediately gave out his Orders for destroying all the Chri­stians by Fire and Sword, upon sus­picion of a Plot set on foot by the [Page 140] Popish Kings against himself and his Subjects. Now as for Lewis XIV. the very Papists themselves confess, that he is no more concern'd for Religion, whatever he may appear to be to the simpler World, than if he pretended to none at all; and that all the noise he makes about the converting of the Hugonots, comes from a secret Ambition of putting himself in a posture to Ma­ster his Neighbours, by securing himself from such as he looks upon, though without any Reason, as his most dangerous and Domestick Ene­mies.

ARTICLE XXXVIII.

'Tis, one would think, an unac­countable thing, that the Papists will not allow the Scripture to be translated into Vulgar Languages; Yea, nor the publick Prayers to be either read, or said in a known Tongue, since nothing seems to me more directly contrary to their own Interest, than to keep the People in Ignorance of the chief Matters re­lating to their own Religion, be­cause so long as they are in this con­dition, they may be easily carried a­way by the Wind of any Doctrine, upon the first charitable instruction, or friendly invitation to open their Eyes, and make use of their Reason, [Page 142] for the chief end God has allowed it to Mankind; that is, the saving of our Souls: Whereas, while they live in a state of Ignorance, they are in a meer Capacity to any thing, by reason of their Want of that know­ledge the Papists themselves could afford them, if they spoke not to them from the very Altar in a strange and unknown Tongue.

But what I wonder most at, is this, that they suffer the illiterate Men, and silly Women to say their Pray­ers in Latin, which they under­stand not, as if the Heart could be moved without the understanding be first illuminated. Whatever may be the Effect of Ignorance in other cases, sure in this it can never be the Mother of Devotion: For how can a Man pray heartily to God Almigh­ty, when he knows not whether what he says be Sense or Nonsense; or, for ought he knows of the whole Matter, downright Blasphemy. That the Romanists should publish the Scriptures in an unknown tongue, [Page 143] 'tis odd indeed, since they are writ­ten for all Mankind; Yet not much to be wonder'd at, because they do not design them to be read by the unlearned Tribe: But to allow the unlearned Mob to read, and say La­tine Prayers they understand not, is a thing they can hardly account for. Nevertheless, since we know the Papists to be like the Children of this World, wise in their Generati­on, and their Church to be a Poli­tick, rather than a Religious Body, we must of course conclude, that they do not commit such palpable Irregularities, but upon a fair pro­spect of some very considerable ad­vantage for themselves: and this is chiefly the maintaining of the Peo­ple in their blind Obedience to the Authority of their Church; which, notwithstanding all her pretences to Infallibility, holds it to be both law­ful and useful for Men to make their Spiritual Exercises in an unknown Tongue, though this be such a piece of blind Obedience, as would make [Page 144] us say to God in our daily Addresses; we knew not what, since the ima­ginary general Intention of the Church, they pretend to be suffici­ent in this case, could never supply the particular want of Knowledge in what relates immediately to the good of our Souls.

Now how Antichristian soever you may judge it to be, to keep the Scriptures, that are God's Letters Patents to all Mankind, from the common people; Yet the Papists are oblig'd, through a principle of Self-preservation, to condemn the com­mon use of so dangerous a Book, as they call the Scripture. And I con­fess it to be so for them, as mention­ing no where the fundamental and distinguishing Articles of Popery, the Infallibility, I mean, and Universa­lity of the particular Church of Rome, the Transubstantiation of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, that are now in Heaven, the Lawfulness of Image-Worship, Relick-Worship, of Prayers to the [Page 145] Saints, and for the delivery of the Souls pretended to be in Purgatory, &c. If the people were made sensi­ble, that these things were not re­veal'd in the Word of God, they would, without any longer delay, shake off the insufferable Yoke of Popery, since they might soon under­stand, by the daily perusal of the Holy Writ, that these, and the like new coin'd Articles are meer humane Inventions, and not God's reveal'd Word. The Papist then, I fancy, how foolish soever you may think him, acts wisely, and according to the great Law of Self-preservation, in not allowing the people to read the Scripture, because the common use of this Divine Book, would prove the utter ruine of the Romish Church, for the Reason I just now hinted at.

ARTICLE XXXIX.

Though Fathers and Mothers ver­tuously enclin'd, can hardly bear with the irregular and sinful Actions of their Children; yet 'tis observa­ble, that they are much more con­cern'd for some sins they commit, than for some others, though per­haps more heinous and more grievous in their own Nature: As for in­stance, How many take little or no notice of their Childrens Drinking, Swearing, Gaiming, Stealing, &c. who nevertheless use them with the utmost Severity, if they chance to commit such sins of frailty, as may occasion either disgrace or shame to [Page 147] themselves or their Familes. This I can give you a sufficient proof of by what I have once observed my self in the behaviour of a very precise and godly Lady towards the best of her own Daughters, though look'd upon by her as the very worst, be­cause she had been overcome by the fair words, and reiterated promises of a deceitful Lover. The Young Lady having liv'd till then in great Reputation among her Neighbours, was thought a true Pattern of Ver­tue and Modesty, by all that knew her; Whereas her Sisters were known to be guilty of lying, drink­ing, of detracting of all Mankind; to say nothing of their insufferable Vanity and Pride; of their Gaim­ing late and early, or rather whole Nights and whole Days, and of ma­ny other immoral Exercises of that kind; for which their godly Mo­ther never so much as once check'd them in good earnest, though upon the first discovery of her Eldest Daughters Misfortune, she fell upon [Page 148] her in such a fury, that had she not been rescued out of her hands, it was generally believ'd she had murder'd her.

You may easily think I design, by this short passage, to tell you, that such as are meer pretenders to Ver­tue, mind always more their own Concerns than those of God Al­mighty, whom yet they seem to honour so much with their lips, as to check and condemn all such as make not so great a show of God­liness as they upon all publick occa­sions commonly do. The sins of the Sisters I was speaking of, were sins indeed against God; but the Fault committed by the Ladies Eldest Daughter, was something else, as being a disgrace, and a stain to the Family: and that I fancy, this Old Lady was chiefly, if not only concern'd for; or that her Daugh­ter, by this unhappy accident, had lost that which did best qualifie her for a rich, and honourable Match. What happen'd lately in France, is [Page 149] somewhat a-kin to what I have been discoursing of, since it lays open to the World such as are but seem­ingly concern'd for nothing more than for the Honour and Glory of God.

The Famous Moliere had written a Comedy, intituled, Tartuffee against Bigots, Hypocrites, and all sorts of meer Pretenders to Religion; but with so little applause from such as knew themselves to be guilty, that the Bishop of Autun, the chief Man, as it was reported, aim'd at in the Play, assisted by some of his Bre­thren, complain'd to the French King of the Wrong done them by Mo­liere, who having inform'd the Prince of Conde of their whole proceedings, gave his Royal Highness occasion to say, That several Treatises had been dispers'd up and down the Kingdom, to introduce Atheism, which the Bi­shops took no notice of, because there the Honour of God only was concern'd; but that now they appeared with a grea­ter Zeal than was requisite against Tar­tuffee, [Page 150] because their own Reputation seem'd to lie at stake.

ARTICLE XL.

Such as forget, or reward not the good done 'em by their best Friends and Benefactors, are gene­rally thought either to be guilty of, or not to scruple much at any other Crime, according to the old saying, Si ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris: Yet the Power of Interest is so ab­solute, and so arbitrary, as to cause Men sometimes not only to forget their true Friends, but likewise to promote and enrich their greatest E­nemies. What Obligation Charles the Second had to the Cavalier Party in England, Scotland, and Ire­land, [Page 151] 'tis too well known to be told again in this place. How many, both Noblemen and Gentlemen, stood up for him in the worst of Times, to the hazard and loss of their Lives and Fortunes, suffering patiently, till he came home again, the greatest Extremities that Op­pression and Want could expose them to: Who had not thought but that upon the Return of King Charles to England, they had been all nobly rewarded for their past Services and Sufferings, for their constant loyal­ty, and daily endeavours to set things again upon their first Foun­dation: And I doubt not but King Charles II. had been very willing to gratifie, and reward too his distress'd Subjects, had he not judg'd such a piece of Gratitude quite contrary to his real Interest: For considering that such as stood up for his Con­cerns, were so entirely consecrated to his Service, that no hard usage on his side could break them off from their loyalty to the Royal line, [Page 152] he thought he could use them as fa­miliarly as he pleas'd; yea, and slight them too without their taking much notice of it, provided they were now and then commended for the constant performance of their Duty in the hardest times: But as for the downright Rebels, and all such as oppos'd most his In­terest, because they were the rich­est Men in the Nation, and the most considerable, upon the account of their Authority among the Peo­ple, he very prudently clos'd in with them, as being the surest props of his new setled Throne. So that whatever good Service we do to our Friends, if they find it their In­terest to make us no Returns for our Kindness, we must not rely too much upon what we may rea­sonably expect from them, and they ought to do for us.

But yet King Charles the Second dealt not so harshly with his real Friends, as Lewis the Fourteenth with the French Hugonots, who having [Page 153] declared themselves for his Right a­gainst the then Prince of Condè, caus'd the whole Kingdom of France to take his part in opposition to the ambitious pretences of that dange­rous Antagonist. Because every one is not particularly acquainted with the Matter of Fact, I shall upon this occasion give you a particular and short account of the whole passage, that the World may be thoroughly inform'd, how injustly the French Protestants have been dealt withal by Lewis the Great: The Prince of Condè considering first, That Lewis the Fourteenth was born near Three and Twenty Years after Lewis the Thirteenth, his Father, was married, and secondly, That this Prince had been always so sickly and weak, that some doubted very much if he could be the true Father of Lewis XIV. Upon this grounded suspicion, he immediately declared his Right to the Crown, as next Heir; and ac­cordingly marching with a powerful Army towards Paris, forc'd the Car­dinal, [Page 154] the Queen, and the Young King to fly as far as Amiens, before any of the French Cities would take notice of him, till the Cardinal sent to the Hugonots, to desire their assi­stance in such a dangerous Juncture as that was: Who unanimously a­greeing to give him all the Succours they could raise for his Service, frightn'd the Prince back again with­out executing his Design. Immedi­ately upon the News of his Retreat, the strong Cities, that till then had shut up their Gates, not only re­ceiv'd the flying King, but furnishing him with all Necessaries, enabled him to march back to Paris again with an Army, where though op­pos'd at first by Madamoiselle, he was at last admitted with great shouts and acclamations of the Peo­ple. Though this was such a singu­lar piece of Service, as deserved the greatest reward; yet when the King came to age, in a great Council held in his presence, the thorow o­verthrow of the Hugonots was fully [Page 155] resolved upon: Which so startl'd the King himself at first, that he told plainly his Counsellours, He had al­ways been inform'd, That the Hugo­nots had settl'd the Crown upon his Head, in opposition to the Prince of Conde's aspiring Ambition: But it was immediately reply'd by the Council, That for that very Reason he ought to leave no stone unturn'd to de­stroy 'em, because if they had been not very long before powerful enough to settle the Crown upon his Head, they were then able enough, if they pleas'd, to pull it off again.

ARTICLE XLI.

'Tis commonly said, That a change of Fortune for the better, alters a Man's Humour and Temper; Honores mutant Mores. But it's not [Page 156] obvious to every common Under­standing, why it does so: For though it be generally true, That Men become prouder by great Riches acquired, and Eminent Dignities conferr'd upon them, it must be fur­ther inquir'd, what is the true Cause of this Pride, which renders them so unsociable to such as former­ly were their Equals and Compani­ons? May not I then be allow'd to say, That their Pride being perhaps more affected than real, 'tis chierly grounded upon Interest; which I make out in short thus: If Men af­ter they are promoted to great Dig­nities, whether Ecclesiastical or Ci­vil, behav'd themselves towards their once familiar Acquaintances with the same Exteriour Humility and open­ness of Heart they were us'd to do before their promotion, they would be forc'd, in a manner, to make them share in their Estates likewise, as well as in their intimate Friend­ship: 'Tis then a piece of pru­dence in them, according to the Po­litical [Page 157] Maxims of Self-interest, to break off all intimacy with their old, if poor, Friends, least they be solicited to supply their Wants, to the lessening of what they themselves must spend in Su­perfluities: And for this very Rea­son I am of Opinion, That the un­sociableness, if I may so speak, of most men under the Circumstances we are discoursing of, comes di­rectly from their greediness to keep what they have got, lest by their Fa­miliarity with their former Friends, they be oblig'd, in point of Ho­nour, not to let them want upon occasion: For 'tis generally observ'd, That the ungratefulness of most men to their truest Friends, and greatest Benefactors, is always to be ascrib'd to their unreasonable Covetousness upon the sudden change of their For­tune, either because of their great and necessary Expences in a higher post, or upon the account of their new ambitious projects they must lay up for, being never contented with [Page 158] their present condition, how flou­rishing soever, because the more they have, the more they covet; ‘Quo plus sunt potae plus sitiuntur aquae.’ Upon this account we may truly say, That all Men are equally poor, and in Want, because no man thinks he has enough to answer his present occasions: So unsatisfied we still are with the plentifullest Enjoyments of this World. Since then, in all our Attempts, we pursue always our own Interest, notwithstanding our pretences sometimes to the contra­ry, we shall be reckon'd to act like Politicians, if we mind what parti­cular advantage every man aims at, that so knowing what he may be gain'd by, we may take our mea­sures accordingly, for our own ends. This Maxim being carefully obser­ved by the late King, in preferring upon all occasions the New Con­verts to confirm them in his Religi­on [Page 159] by the actual possession of that, the very hopes of which had brought them over to it, gave occasion to the old Roman Catholicks to say, That the Kings Papists got all, but Gods Papists Nothing: Meaning, that the New Converts were always gra­tified either by Pensions or Employ­ments: whereas such as were bred up Roman Catholicks, though in want, were commonly slighted, or seldom taken notice of, because 'twas thought that the latter being Papists by prin­ciple, would not easily leave their Religion; and that the former being only so through Interest, could not stay long in it without a present and competent Reward.

ARTICLE XLII.

Though there can be no true I­mage of God, because of the in­comprehensible Excellency of his Nature, yet we may be allowed to say, That he is visible, in a manner, to a discerning Eye in the wonderful Works of the Creation: For who can behold unconcernedly, in a bright Night, the Starry Heaven we are surrounded with on all sides, and not think, at the same time of the inconceivable Beauty of our Celestial Jerusalem, whose meer out­side, or Avenues, are so glorious and so delightful? Do not the or­derly and constant motions of the Planets speak aloud, to such as have Ears, the infinite Wisdom of the O­verseer? Is it possible to consider the [Page 161] incomparable Splendour of the Sun in our Meridian, without remem­bring of him, qui lucem habitat in­accessibilem; who inhabiteth an in­accessible light? But does not the spreading Earth, while it sheweth us the Almighty Power of its Ma­ker, as being thrown into the midst of the Vortex, or Heaven we are inclos'd in, without either foun­dation or Pillar to support such an huge Mass, point us out with as ma­ny Fingers as it produceth Plants and living Creatures, the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of an invisi­ble God? And can we, opening our Eyes, look upon the orderly ebbing and flowing of the Ocean, without raising our Minds towards him, who has set bounds to the Sea? To be short, we need not consult Books about the Being of a God, nor read them, to be put in mind of him, the whole World being a great Volume that we may and ought upon all oc­casions to peruse, in order to disco­ver the invisible things by such as [Page 162] are visible, and obvious to the Cor­poral Eye. Since then, as I was say­ing before, nothing is so visible, in some sense, as God himself in the Works of his Power; I must, in pursuance of my Design, inquire in this place, why men have Eyes, and see not what they may see, with the least attention, in every Object of their very Senses: ‘Jupiter est quodcun (que) vides Jovis omnia plena.’

If we gaze a while at a great and stately Palace, beautified with what­ever Art and Wit can contrive, we call presently to mind either the Architect or the Owner, admiring both the Skill of the one, and the Riches and Power of the other, who could raise at his own Expences such a stately Building: Now can we imagine any Earthly Palace in the least comparable to the World it self, either as to Beauty or Stateliness, the very Roof, if I may so speak, or [Page 163] the Concave part of this large House, being an Object of an unspeakable Pleasure to a discerning Eye, because of the wonderful Beauty of the fix'd Starrs, of their huge bulk, how small soever in appearance, of their Regular Motions, and secret Influences upon our Globe; yea, and upon all contingent Events likewise if Judiciary Astrologers are to be hearken'd to. I need not men­tion in this place the Beauty of the Earth it self, in the infinite Variety of its parts, which though not so glorious as the Celestial Bodies, are yet, if narrowly look'd into, no less surprizing Objects.

But to come to a Conclusion upon the whole Matter, What is the True Reason why beholding daily and hourly this vast and stately Palace, I mean the World we live in, we scarce ever enquire either after the Maker or the Owner, who are both in this Case one and the same, the Almigh­ty and Glorious Creator of all things, God himself? 'Tis easie to guess [Page 164] what I must answer to this Questi­on, not so much in order to follow out my design, as because of the un­doubted Truth of the Matter of Fact, That Temporal Interest ties our Hearts so strongly to Earthly Things, that most men behave them­selves no otherwise than if they look'd upon the very Fundamental Article of all true Religion, the Be­ing of a God, as a meer Politick Contrivance to frighten the simpler sort into Honesty and Morality; Or if they are not throughly so guilty, considering how they spend their whole life in Gaiming, Trading, Fighting, Eating, Sleeping and Drinking, without having perhaps ever thought once seriously of a God, we have Reason to think, that their whole Soul is so applied to their worldly concerns, that they never remember of a Deity, unless per­haps when they take his Holy Name in vain. The chief and only Reason then, why men live so ma­ny Years without making that use [Page 165] of this Visible World 'twas chiefly design'd for, is, because, as the Scripture says somewhere, some are wholly taken up with the Concerns of a married life; others are deeply engag'd in Publick or Private Af­fairs, which they cannot clear them­selves of; and all generally pursue their own Temporal Happiness, or their own things so eagerly, that few or none raise their Minds a­bove the Objects of their Sen­ses.

ARTICLE XLIII.

Since 'tit certain, That a married life is the Soveraign Remedy against what the Scripture calls Burning, it may be worth our while to inquire, how it comes to pass, That the Church of Rome neither allows her [Page 166] Priests nor her Nuns to marry: For it being undeniable, that they may, and do burn as often, if not oftner than others, why should they be forbid the use of the chief Remedy prescrib'd by the Scripture it self a­gainst such an ordinary frailty? Sure they cannot pretend to a greater Ho­liness, upon this account, than the rest of Mankind, because the Vows of perpetual Chastity, or of never marrying, which is the same thing in their Opinion, are really sinful, If it be a sin to put a stop, as much as in us lies, to the propagation of Mankind, in a lawful way, though chiefly design'd by the Author of the Creation; or if it be a sin, ei­ther to reject the very Remedy God himself, as our great Physician, has ordered us against the violentest Temptation we can be liable to; that is, against Burning; or to say against the express Words of the Ho­ly Ghost, 'Tis better to burn than marry. Now, though I willingly grant, That as he does well who [Page 167] marrieth, so he may, in some Cases, do better who marrieth not; yet I maintain, 'tis always better to marry than to make a Vow never to mar­ry; because such an act as this is the tying of our selves up from doing a lawful thing, and in some cases ne­cessary, under a no less pain than that of Eternal Damnation: For when the Priests and Nuns, upon their admittance into the Order they are enroll'd in, pronounce these solemn Words, Voveo Castitatem per­petuam, I vow and promise perpe­tual Chastity; They Equivalently say, That if ever they marry, yea, were it to quench their Burning, they are in a state of Damnation, for doing what the Scripture advi­seth them to do against a pressing Temptation. Since then 'tis clear from the Premises, to an unpreju­dic'd mind, That the forementioned Vow being unlawful, ought neither to be taken, nor kept if once ta­ken, undoubtedly some considerable Interest or other must oblige the [Page 168] Church of Rome to impose upon her Children such an unnatural Yoke as this is; and I know no other thing she can aim at in this case but world­ly Grandeur, by securing to her self the chief Defenders of her Authori­ty, the Religious Orders of all Co­lours, which as the Vows give Being to, so they likewise without them cannot subsist: For whatever Mo­ney is given in with their Novices, as they speak, may be recovered a­gain, in case they make no Vows after a Year or Two's Trial. If then we remember, that the Church of Rome aims always in all her un­dertakings at worldly Greatness and Riches, we cannot but admire her Policy as much as we ought to ab­hor her Wickedness, in taking this method to make her self a Party, and a strong one too in every Cor­ner of Christendom.

ARTICLE XLIV.

Publick Protection given to lewd and debauch'd Women, is such a piece of Scandal, that Rome it self might be asham'd of it: But the least smell of Gain out of any thing whatsoever, dulcis odor lucri, &c. being so sweet and comforting, we need not wonder to see the Pope himself slight his own Good Name and Reputation for a Yearly Reve­nue he gets by protecting such Wo­men as give themselves up to the publick Lust. Though the Matter of Fact be very certain, and no where doubted, yet because the manner is not so generally known, I shall give you a true and short ac­count [Page 170] of it upon this occasion: When Women are resolv'd to turn them­selves loose, they are oblig'd to make their appearance before Two Publick Notaries, or before Two Judges, in order to renounce solemnly their Names, Families, and Reputation: Which being perform'd in the usual manner, they are allowed a free Trade, provided first they live toge­ther in certain noted places; provi­ded, secondly, they wear something or other they may be known by; and thirdly, that they fail not to pay e­very Year a certain Sum into the Pope's Exchequer for their Freedom. The Romans chief Apology for such an unchristian Toleration, is the pre­tence of shunning a greater Crime, I do heartily abhor to name, as well as to think on, otherwise, they say, unavoidable in that Climate, if the former Conveniencies were not al­lowed of: which, they add, is so true, that one of the Popes having banish'd all the Courtesans, was not only forc'd to call them back to [Page 171] Rome again, upon his Discovery of a greater and daily abomination, oc­casion'd by their absence; but like­wise, that there might be nothing wanting on his side for putting a stop to one sin, and promoting an­other, caus'd a considerable Sum of Money to be distributed among them, to enable them to buy such things as might fit them the better for the use they were design'd for. So one only among the Popes under­took to clear Rome of lewd Women, and, for ought I know, none will ever attempt the like again, because of the Considerable and Yearly Be­nefit the Apostolick Chamber gets by thus indulging Humane Frailty. 'Tis true, there is a Monastery appointed for the use of the Repenting Courti­sans: But through this very pretend­ed Zeal, we may easily discover a real Design of Gain and Interest: For since 'tis certain, that the Pope's Revenues are Yearly better'd by the multitude of the Courtisans, there could be no Contrivance so plausible, [Page 172] nor so useful for the Pope's Design, as that of a Monastery, or Retreat for them in their Old Days, when sin has left them, because Young Women considering, that they can provide for themselves, with the help of the allowed Trade, during their greener and flourishing Years; and that they are sure to be provided for when Old Age comes on, in the Mo­nastery design'd for them, are un­doubtedly thereby encourag'd to turn Courtisans, upon such a fair prospect of never wanting neither Young nor Old, in case of a true or feign'd Repentance.

But what I have said of Rome, I may likewise say of a very Reform'd City, Amsterdam; and that Interest obligeth not only the Papists, but also the best sort of Christians to connive sometimes at the greatest Crimes and Abuses. The Musick-Houses, as they call them in Amster­dam, are allowed of by the Magi­strates all the Year round, because of the Money spent daily there, to the [Page 173] great benefit of the City, by lewd Women, and such as come to meet them in these places. As I could not but discover sometimes my par­ticular concern to see a Reform'd City guilty almost of the same abo­mination we so often reproach Rome with, I was told by an understand­ing Hollander, That the Toleration of the forementioned Houses, how scandalous soever, was very pru­dently and politically allowed of by the Magistrates of Amsterdam, upon this account, that the Pay near of Twenty Thousand Seamen comes home to them that way again, it being generally observ'd, that such Houses are most resorted to by idle Mariners, who would spend the Mo­ney they have got in the States Ser­vice, in the Neighbour-Cities, if their Debauchery was not conniv'd at in Amsterdam.

ARTICLE XLV.

Men commit not only all kind of Crimes for interest sake, but, which may seem somewhat strange, become godly and vertuous for the same end; Godly, I say, at least in ap­pearance, as thinking that Piety which the Scripture says is useful for all things, utilis ad omnia Pietas, may likewise be useful for the getting of Money: Such men are always less concern'd to do ill, than to do ill­like, because by the former they of­fend God only, whereas by the lat­ter they commonly give offence to men, whom they regard more than him they ought only to fear: Upon this account 'tis that they are careful to avoid no sin but that of Scandal, [Page 175] being ready, upon any advantage, to lye, cheat, and murder, to commit Theft, Fornication, and Adultery, if they can but do it secretly: They are, I fancy, of the Italians Opini­on, That what is not known is not done; that is, as good as not done, because it puts no stop to the promo­ting of their Interest so long as hid, and kept from the knowledge of such as would be very loth to help them either with their Purse or Cre­dit, if they were inform'd of their secret Life and Conversation. Since then the World is so deceitful, for our own private measures we ought particularly to take notice of such as court us unexpectedly, and at an extraordinary rate, with a show of Humility and Modesty, beyond their Temper and Custom upon other oc­casions, because, to be sure, they either intend to put a Cheat upon us, or to obtain from us, or by our mediation, some particular favour. But those sort of Hypocrites are most of all guilty, who under the speci­ous [Page 176] pretence of Religion, cover their real Designs of Interest and Con­quest, as generally the Papists do, when pretending to gain our Souls, they aim chiefly at our Goods and Estates, as may be easily made out by whatever they have undertaken of moment, either at home or abroad; and I wish I had no reason to say, That they are not imitated in this by some of the Reform'd part of the World, who tho they pretend not to Infallibility, act nevertheless, as if they believ'd themselves infallible, in depriving, either directly or indirect­ly, of their Estates all such as cannot in Conscience conform to their way of Worship: Which gives us just grounds to suspect, that this Tem­poral Concern is the chief thing they aim at, notwithstanding all their fair pretences to a thorough Reforma­tion, to the promoting of the Gospel, and of Saving Faith in Christ. 'Tis certainly against such Pharisees, and meer pretenders to Holiness, that Christ pronounc'd with so much Zeal [Page 177] and Eloquence, the Seven following Woes.

1. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees,Mat. 23. 13. Hypocrites; for ye shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men; for ye neither go in your selves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

2. Wo unto you Scribes and Phari­sees, Hypocrites; for ye devour Wi­dows houses, and for pretence make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

3. Wo unto you Scribes and Phari­sees, Hypocrites; for ye compass Sea and Land to make one Proselite, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of Hell than your selves.

4. Wo unto you ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the Temple it is nothing, but whoever shall swear by the Gold of the Temple, is a debter.

5. Wo unto you Scribes and Phari­sees, Hypocrites; for ye pay the Tithe [Page 178] of Mint, and Annise, and Cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, Judgment, Mercy, and Faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

6. Wo unto you Scribes and Phari­sees, Hypocrites; for ye make clean the out-side of the Cup, and of the Platter; but within they are full of Extortion and Excess.

7. Wo unto you Scribes and Phari­sees, Hypocrites; for you are like unto whited Sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all unclean­ness.

We have here Hypocrisie, and all its Designs of Interest laid open, with that life and plainness, that I need not enlarge upon the Subject Matter of this Article: I shall only add, That as the Ten Commandments are written in golden Letters in eve­ry Church, to mind the Christians of their Duty, it were likewise fit the Seven foregoing Woes should be set up in every Church, Kirk, Field-Con­venticle, [Page 176] and Meeting-house, that both the Preachers and the Hearers may remember, first, That 'tis neither long Prayers, groaning, weeping, nor saying, Lord, Lord, that they are to be saved by, but a living Faith, a real Vertue, and an unfeigned Re­pentance; and secondly, That as God is a true Spirit, so he ought, and will be ador'd by all such as he lays claim to, in Spirit and Truth.

ARTICLE XLVI.

Though it be clear, That all men pursue not the same particular Inte­rest, since some act for profit, others for pleasure, and others again by a principle of Ambition, I do neverthe­less incline to think, That most men, whatever may be their pretences to the contrary, aim at nothing more in all their projects, than at the increase of their Treasures; that is, of their [Page 180] Money, because without this necessary Tool they can neither pretend to ho­nour, nor hope for pleasure: Yea, those very Women that seem to have consecrated themselves wholly to the unchast Goddess Venus, or unlawful pleasure, are to be stil'd rather Thieves than what they are commonly called, and such of them as either watch their Prey in the Streets of great Cities, or live together in private Houses, in or­der to follow their infamous Trade, ought to be look'd upon as no better than downright Robbers, because their chief design is to plunder, rob, and drain mens Pockets, which they never fail to do by stealth, if they cannot do it by consent.

There is another Tribe of Man­kind that I must take notice of upon the same account, or rather upon a worse, because they rob men daily of their Lives and Estates: and these are the illiterate and Quack-Physicians, who neither understanding Physick, nor perhaps being capable of under­standing it, set up every where for [Page 181] Doctors; Such only ought, and may be prosecuted without any deserv'd Reflection against the Prosecutors, as if they design'd an injust Monopoly: But because men catch at any thing when there is a prospect of Gain, no wonder if the Quacks finding so much encouragement from the credulous simplicity of the unlearned Tribe, un­dertake the cure of most distempers, without any real knowledge either of a good Remedy, or of a rational Me­thod. The like may be said of Judi­ciary Astrologers, who pretend to foresee the free Determinations of Humane Will, in the different Situati­on or Aspect of the Stars and Planets, their chief Design being to draw a Tribute from the ignorant Mob flock­ing to 'em for Advice about things to come, which they know nothing of, unless we allow them to be inspired Men, or real Prophets.

ARTICLE XLVII.

Would one think, that men could lay so far aside the use of Reason for that of Gold, as to be guilty of Trea­chery, Perjury, Murder, and whate­ver else may attend Crimes of that kind: yet nothing more ordinary, not so much among Turks and Pagans, as among Christians: What unheard of Cruelties were committed by the Spa­niards in the West Indies, 'tis well known all Europe over, though Mari­ana, their best Historian, would take no notice of 'em, lest he should either betray the horrible Treachery of his Countrymen, or himself to be an un­faithful Historian: They had agreed [Page 183] with an Indian King, their Prisoner, to give him his life and liberty, upon condition to put them in possession of his greatest Treasures, within a certain time appointed; But so soon as he had perform'd his promise in every parti­cular, he was barbarously strangl'd by the Order of the Spanish Governour, with a Million more before and after that time, as 'tis reported by some of their own Authors, to the eternal In­famy of that Nation, visibly punish'd ever since for such unparallel'd Cruel­ties that the Indians were us'd to say, They desir'd not to go to Heaven, if the Spaniards were to be met with there.

I am then much mistaken if a meer Zeal upon the account of Religion a­mong Popish Princes particularly, be not one of the Vulgar Errors, especial­ly when I consider, that at the very same time Lewis the Great was perse­cuting the Hugonots in France, he help'd the Protestants in Hungary with considerable Sums against the Empe­rour, doing likewise his utmost En­deavours [Page 184] to engage the Turk in a War against him, wherein he succeeded at last, as an Instrument in the hand of God, to the ruine, in all appearance, of the Turkish Empire, and of his own perhaps at last, when his measure is once filled up. The English Prote­stants, I confess, have not murdered the poor Indians, after the Example of the Spaniards, as being more in­clin'd to mercy by their principles, than the Papists; but yet to tell the truth of the matter, they commit dai­ly a Crime in the West Indies somewhat a-kin to Murder, by slighting, or hin­dering, as I am inform'd, the Conver­sion of the Negroes, or their Indian Slaves, least to their loss, they should enjoy the Priviledges of Christian Li­berty; which I conceive to be a ve­ry shameful, if not a sinful neglect in such as profess the Christian Religion: For though no Force is to be us'd but that of Argument, to bring men over to our perswasion, yet since no Religi­on can promote true Holiness so much as ours, we ought to use our endea­vours [Page 185] to set our stragling Neighbours in that way which we think so safe and secure for our selves: But yet if it happen, that our Reasons, how strong soever, prevail not to their Convicti­on, as appearing weak to them, we are to leave them to God and their own Conscience, because it shall not be said to 'em at the last day, Go into Eternal Fire, for doing against our Judgment, but for doing against their own, since that and nothing else can be imputed either to them or to us as a sin.

ARTICLE XLVIII.

Whether we are to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is, Saturday, which God himself seems to have pitch'd upon, or the Sunday, chosen by the Church, I shall not debate, since the common practice of the Christian World, from the very Primitive Times, silences me [Page 186] upon the matter: But the thing that I shall enquire into here, is, why most people, especially Women, go to the place of Prayer, the Church, upon a Sunday, as if they went to a Play, or to a solemn meeting upon some pro­fane or indifferent account: Yea, 'tis observable, That most of them rise early in the morning upon Sundays, that they may have time enough to set themselves out to the best advantage in their richest Apparel; and if Spa­nish Wool, Spanish Papers, and Washes of all sorts, are made use of by them at any time, 'tis particularly then when they are to make their appear­ance in the Church or Congregation. I am then of Opinion, that it would look more Primitive, if the Ladies came to Church adorn'd like Women professing Godliness, in a comely and modest Dress; for I take it to be a great profanaion of the Sabbath day, though little reflected on, and like­wise of the very House of God, the Church, to make such a Figure in it, as may either occasion an inward [Page 187] Consent to sin in the weak behol­ders, or withdraw the attention they ought to give to the Preacher. This practice of wearing costly Apparel on the Sabbath day, though contrary to the Primitive Times, is still con­tinued upon the account of a pre­vailing Interest, which is, in short, this, That as not a few shew them­selves in all their Glory in the Church, upon a secret Design of ensnaring some of their Admirers for their own private ends; so others do it up­on a more honest account, That spreading their Nets after such an in­viting way, they may catch at last good and rich Husbands.

ARTICLE XLIX.

I always look'd upon Chymistry as a most necessary and useful Study, though I have but very little Vene­ration for the common Chymists, and such among them as have neither the Skill nor the Honesty of the deser­vedly Famous Robert Boyle, of whose Chymical Preparations I can say upon my own Experience, That they are the best that ever I tried in any o­ther part of Europe: But the Fault I find with the generality of the low­er Tribe of Chymists, is this, That they all pretend to Panacea's, to Ca­tholick, or Universal Remedies, as Potable Gold, Miraculous Liquors, Powders and Elixirs of all kinds and Names, in order to get great Rates for what cost them but little or no­thing, [Page 189] their Pains excepted: For when the pretended Secret is disco­ver'd, 'tis sometimes found not to be so much as Distill'd, Calcin'd, or Chymically prepar'd: As it happen'd to Talbot's Famous Febrifuge, thought at first in France some Extraordinary and Excellent Chymical Preparation: Whereas it was known at last by what the French King's first Physician publish'd of it, in a French Treatise, to be nothing else but the Jesuits Powder, sometimes taken in Sub­stance, sometimes in a Tincture, with several harmless Additions, to hide it the better from the Eyes of the Curious: yet if all the Chymical Remedies, and pretended Panacea's were as powerful against most Di­stempers, as the Peruvian Bark, if skilfully handled, is against Agues, and intermitting Fevers, I should neither think the Praises commonly given them, for Interest's sake, by designing men, too great, nor their Price, whatever it were, unreason­able: But daily Experience teacheth [Page 190] us, That generally the common pre­tended Panacea's, are either meer harmless things, whether simple or compounded, or at the best, but ordinary Remedies, under the dis­guise of a Vehicle, of a peculiar Pre­paration or Mixture. Though I grant indeed, That there are some Excellent, and scarce ever failing Remedies against some particular Distempers; such I reckon to be the Powder made of the Peruvian Bark, against Agues, Opium for allaying of Pain, the Solution of Seed-Pearl by a Menstruum, neither Vrinous, Acid, nor Alcolisate, against Consumptions and inward Decays, against Heats, Morphew, Wrinkles of the Face, &c. if outwardly applied: Yet I do affirm, That because of the al­most infinite Variety both of Mens Tempers, and Distempers, we must confess, and upon daily Experience too, That there is no Panacea, or U­niversal Remedy of all the Infirmities incident to Humane Bodies yet stum­bled upon; and that whoever pre­tends [Page 191] to such a rare piece of Know­ledge, designs, in all likelihood, to put a Cheat upon Mankind, for In­terest's sake: I should nevertheless be misunderstood, if I were thought not to put a greater value, in some Cases, upon a good Remedy, than upon the most rational Method, with­out such a help: For though Method in acute Distempers be absolutely ne­cessary, nevertheless against confirm'd and Chronical Infirmities, 'tis of little or no use without a good Tool: So that all the Aphorisms, either of Hy­pocrate, or others, will avail but little to the ablest Physician call'd to cure an old and inveterate Disease, with­out the Knowledge of a good Speci­fick, or of a Medicine known by Ex­perience to be prevalent in such Ca­ses, if skilfully prepar'd and judici­ously prescrib'd.