2I4___________ ~_h_e_li __ ar_~_~o~~~if-' t_h_e _V __ i~_in_e_A_c_tr_i_bu_t_es _________ 1"\...)\.../'l tu! Communion with God, which is the Effetl: of holy and perfeCt Love, and the fuChap.4 7. preme Happinefs of the reafonable Nature. If in the 1'/alonical Philofophy there are LA'V"'v fome thi ngs direCring to it, yet they are but frigidly exprdl:, and fo obfcurely, that like Jn rcr iprions in ancient Medals or Marbl es which are dtfaced, they are hardly legible. , Thi s is the fingu lar CharaCrer of the Gofpel, that Jiflinguifhes it from all humane Inflituti ons ; it reprefents the infinite Amiablenefs of God, and his Goodnefs to us, to excite our t\ffe£tions to him in ajitperltltive manner: it commands us to follow him tU dear Chilclreu, and prelfes us to feek for thofe Difpofitions which may qualifie us for the enjoynment of him in a way of Friendfhip and Love. 3· The befl Philofoph~rs laid. dmm this ferv il e and pernicious lii.rxim, (a) That a wife Man [hould always conform to the R.eligion of his Country. Socrat es , who ack nowledged one Supreme God , yet (according to the Counfel of the Oracle that direCred all to Sacrifice according to the Law of the City) advifed his Friends to comply with the common Idolatry, without any difference in the outward Worfhi') of Him and Creatures; and thofe who did orher· wife, he branded as fuperfl:itious nnd vain. And his practice was accordingly. For he frequented the Temples, affifled at the Sacrifices, which he declares before his Judges, to purge himfe lf from the Crime of wh ich he was a~cufed . Seneca [peakingof the Heathen-worfhip, acknowledges 'twas unr~afonable, and only the multitude of Fools reodred it excufable; yet he would have a Philofopher to conform to thofe Cufloms in Obedience to the Law, not as pleafing to the Gods. Thus they made R.eligion a dependence on the Stare. They performed the Rites of Heathenifil Superflition, that were either filthy, phantaflical, or cruel, fuch as the Devil, the Ma(l:er of thofe Ceremonies, ordained. They became Jefs than Men by worfilipping the mofl vil e and defpicable Creatures, and funk themfelves, by the mofl execrable Idolatry, beneath the Powers of Darknefs, to whom they offered Sacrifice, Now this Philofophica l Principle the mofl palpable violation of the Law of Nature; for that inflruCr! us that God is the only Obje(i: of Religion, and that we are to obey him with· out exception from any inferi~ur Power. Here 'twas. Confcience to di(obey the Law, and a mofl worthy Caufe wherem they fhould have mamfefled that generbus contempt of Death they [o much boafl ed of. But they detained the truth in unrightcoufnefs; and although 1hey k.,nerv God, they glorified him not as Gocl, but changed the Glory of the lncorntp· tible God, into an Image made lik._e a corruptible Man, and to Birdl', ancl Beajh, ancl creeping thing' (b) : A Sin of fo provoking a nature that God gave them up to the vilefl .Lufls, Carnal Impurity being ~ jufl punifhment of Spiritual. 4· They arrogated to themfelves the foie praife of their Vertues and Happinefs. This Impiety is mofl vifible in the writings of the Sloic/;s (c) the Pharifees in Philofophy. They were fo far from depending on God for Light and Grace in the condu(i: of their Lives, and from praying to him to make them verruous, that they oppofed nothing with more Pride and Contempt. They thought that Wif· dom would Jofe its value and Lpflre, that nothing were in it worthy of admiration, if it came from Above, and depended upon the Grace of another. They acknowledged that the natural Life, that Riches, Honours, and other inferiour Things, common to the Worfl, were the Gifts of God; but alfe rted that Wifdom and Vertue, the fpecia l Perfe(i:ions of the Humane Nature,,vere the ElfeCrs of their own Induflry, Impious folly! to believe that we owe the greatefl BenefitS ro our [elves, and the leffer only to Cod . Thus they robbed him of the Honour of his mofl precious Gifts. So firongly did the Poifon of the Old Serpent, breathed forth in thofe words, Ye P>aU be aJ God, that infeCred the firfl Man, flill work in his Poflerity. Were they Angels in Perfell:ion, yet the proud refleCring on their Excellencies wou ld inflantly turn them into Devil s. And as they boafled of Vertue, fo of Happinefs , as intirely depending upon themfe lves. They afcr ibe to their Wife-Man an abfolure Empire over all things, they raife him above the Clouds, whatever may difqui et or diforder; they exempt him from all Paffions, and make him ever equal to himfelf; that he is never furpri[ed with Acci~ dents; that 'ris not in the Power of Pains or Troubl es to draw aSigh or Tear from him; that he difpi fes all that the World can give or take, and is contented with pure and naked Vertue: In fhort, they put the Crown upon his Head , by attributi ng all to the power of his own Spirit, Thus they contradiCred the R.i ghts of Hea r en, Their Impiety was
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=