ín ont íf tng 1an' 3.tb 1flption. 32,7 being fo. As a proud perfon would rather wear coun- Chap. z 7, terfeit Pearls that are efieemed right, than right which - ota fid are efteemed counterfeit : So,one that is vain-glorious T um vita iu filefla r prefers the reputation ofbeingvertuous,before real Ver- virtus e.l, eti- tue. From hence we may difcover that many of their moriibus Pro imi¡o. mofi fpecious AEtions were difguifed Sins,their Vertues were falfe as their Deities. Upon this account St. ib. eons Auflincondemns the Heroical Actions of the Romans 3u1.Æ . as *vicious ; Virtute civili, non vera, fedverifimili, hu- mane glorioe fervierunt. Pride had a principal part in them. Or fecondly, the End of Philofophy was to prevent the mifchiefs which licentioufnefs anddiforders might bring uponmen from without, or to preferve inward peace, by fuppreflàngthe turbulent paffions arifing from Lufi or Rage, that difcompofe the mind.This was the pretended defignof Epicurus, to whom Vertue was a- Epicurus vie.. tutes induxit miable only as the Infirument ofpleafure.- voluptatis an- cillas; abfit autemut very virtutes cuiquam feaviant nifi.illi, velpropter illum,cui dictums Deus virtutum converte nos. Auguff. cons. yu1. lib. 4. Or thirdly, The height of Philofophy was to pro- pound the beautyof Vertue,* and its charming Afpeh, as the molt worthy Motive to draw the AffeEiions.Now ,. Erras dam fuppofing that fome of the Heathens, (although very i ärfcas2uud few) by difcovering the internal beauty ofVertue, had propter quod a love to it, and erformed fome things without any vn tutem pe- p g tam ? Quxris private refpe&, but for the reóiitude of the aEiion, and enim ali9Lad the inward fatisfadion that fprings from it, yet they Copr fse were still defeEtive. For Vertue is but a ray of the De- Nee facile im; renies m leis é minibus unum,Virtutem pretium qui puree effe fui.Ipfe decor realfafii,fi prymia defint,Non flamer, & gratis poenitct effe probum.Ovid.depont. Stoici vittutem defcripferunr feipfa conren_ tam,abomnibus liberam,& qux fola fibi fit prymium:SedBeer a quibufdam tunevery & horefty putentur die virtutes,cum ad feipfasreferuntur nec propter aliad expetuntur; etiam rune infia- ty acfuperby fact, & ideo non virtutes fedvitia judicanda font, /lug. lib. i9, de Ova. e. /5, ity,
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