222 Wherein lyer that ExadBighteotufnef?, which SeCn Io. men once to dye, and after death to hand before the impartial judgment of God ? We have all the fame notions of right and wrong, we are all o)noxious to oneanother,and may be all beneficial one co another ; we all love our felves,and Wady the advancement of our inre:eft and happy_ nefs. Thus far equal. 2. In malt of thole things wherein we are unequal, the inequality it not conjderable, fo as to be a ground of any unequal dealing, with one another. As to firength of body, whatever the difference be, the in- equality is not conhderable, becaufe as to the greïïtea eífeets of no?rinus efi a!- Urengt h there is an equality ; every man that will venturehis own life, terirls vita may take away another mans, either by open force, or by furprize. As quicunque ce.z- to abilities of mind ( which we ufually call parts ) there is originally a te01it foam° equality, efpecially if that received Opinion be true, that fouls arc equal ; And as the French Philofopher Des ales bath ingenionfly Differtat.de obfervcd, there is th;s notable fign of the equality of mens under- DMethodo: (landings' ; Nulla res ( faith he ) ægatabiliku inter homines difiributdeft quas» bonamens,&c. Nothing is more equally divided among mem than agood anderf#anding; L ten will acknowledge others to be richer and fironger than themfelves, few will acknowledge others to be wifer, or to have better parts than themfelves ; every man thinks himfelf to havefo goodaproportion of parts andwifdom, that even chofe who are moll cove- ui vent ix- toms, and have the moll infatiable defsres at to other things, and whom na- geruo ceders' taro could never fatisfie inany thing tile, yet wouldmot olefire to have more ram exit, wit than theyhave, or exchange their partswith any man. Now there is no better fign of an equal dittribution of things than that every man is contented with his (hare. Nowbecaufe all men generally thing thus, it ù to be prefumed that all are not deceived, but that there is fome real equality, which is thegroundof this conceit. A difference indeed muff be granted, but which arifeth ufually from one of there two cafes, either an unequal exercife ofour parts, or an unequal temper of body. Now thnfe whoare fo happy, as to exercife their underiiandings more than others, are very often rather conceited that they are wifer than others, than reallyfo ; for the greatefl Clerks are mot alwaies the wifeg men ; thole who are unhappy in the temper of their bodies, are there- by inclined,howweak foever they be, to conceit themfelves as wifeas others. So that whatever real inequality there be, conceit levels all again. So that whether men be really wife, or only think themfelvesfo, it makes no difference as to mens dealing with one another, for they that think themfelves equal, will not deal but upon equal terms ; So Politic.r.3, that Arifiotles pretty notion, that wife men areborn togovern, andfools to obey.
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