lntrod The way to come to God. Chap. 4. 19 and the fummnmbonum the chief goodnefs, we muff go to God the fountain of all goodnefs. God is univerfale bonum, primum bonum, fen: boni, &c.'univerfal good, the chief good, the fountain of goodnefs, &c. This is verified by David, In thy pretence ( faith he toGod) is fulness of joy, Plain rG xi, there's terminus appetitus, abounding of the appetite, and at thy right hand is plea - fure for ever more, there's perpetuity. The contrary is proved by Solomon, who ( through the whole bookof the Preacher) confeffeth that he found nothing under the fun but vanity. Yea the very Heathen themfelves acknowledge as much. The Sybil: oracles btCeu,a,ao fignifying, to have profperity from God, declares that the onely felicityof man confias incoming to God. And Pythagoras his golden verses, Plato in his tenthbook de Republica, and in Phcedone, Hermes, Plutarch, Simplicius upon Fpifletus, famblichusde myferiis, &c. all of them confefsas much. To come is either in itinerevel in appu/fu, either in the journey, or in thearrival, and the lift ftep is commonly adventuy the advent or coming, fo there is duplexfir_ licitas, a two fold happinefs,vie, er vita, ofthe way, and of the life, of the way, which is, finis penultimus, the penult end, and of the life, which is, finis ultimus, the laft end. Or as the Rabbins, there is fcelicitas atrij, & triclinij, the happinefs of the porch, and of theparlour, we attain only the former in this life, and foas children are accounted freemen, quia fpe liberi, becaufe free through hope; foare we happy in this life, quia fpe felices, becaufe happy through hope, vita quam hic vivimos, K non eft vita nofira, fed via ad vitam, cetera hic habent vitam foam, the life we live here is not our life, but the way to life, other things have their life here. And therefore Hebrews 6. 19. the eftate of a Chriftian iscompared to a fhip totted upon the Sea, his felicity to ananchor which is fattened in Heaven, within the vail, and hope is the cablewhich holdshim from finking till he come to enjoy theend of his Faith, &c. Sothat the felicity of the Pilofophers is difproved, t. By fpecical exceptions. z. By general demonftrations. 3. By experience. 4. By their ownconfetjon. We may concludethis point with that ofSaint Agufline. Domine,creafiinospropter Media. te, & inquietum eft carnoiirum, donee pervenerit ad te, faith Saint Aegufline, Lord, thou haftcreated us for thine own fake, andour hearts will never beat quiet, till we cometo thee. CHAP, IV. 2. The to way come to Godis only by Faith, not by natural reafon alone, as the Manichees held; reafons again(! them. The way by faith more certain. The necelity of belief. Rulesfor comingby Faith. How to come to God. THe fecond genera! point is, that the means to attain to the end ( that is to come toGod ) is by faith. Omnis motorab appetites eft, every motion is profecuted by delire, and ut moveatur cognefcendaell via, we routs know the way before we proceed to motion, for ignore nulla eft cupido, a man hash no tuft or delire to attempt that whereof he is ignorant. Therefore in the firft place the way mutt be known to go to God before wecan come to him, There are two waycs to come to God, one held by Hereticks, which is by the reachof Reafon. a. The other held by Chriftians, which isby Faith, t.' TheManichees (as Saint Auguflin teftifies of them) in oppofition to theCatho. liques, held that men wereto come to God by Reafon, and not by Belief: and there- fore vaunted, that whereas others did imponerejugum credeudi, impofe ayoke ofbeliev- ing upon men defirous to come to God, that they would bring men to God, byo- peningfontemfciendi the fountain of knowledge onely, they would effe,h it bydemon- ftration. Thisway becaufe itwas moft plaufible, grew ftrongeft, and prevailed long; In fo much, that if any Philofopher had entered Chriftian Religion, he firft became a Manichee: which appeared by Fauflus the Manichee, whofe Herefie was molt dangerous andof longeffcontinuance. Cz The
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