SE¢;r r V;II. The Counterfeit ofInherent Grate. 347 proved: for Scripture matter, either in things of faith, or things tobe don; doth as much excell all thofe Notions, either in majeftyor purity, as the Sun doth an Ignis Faraus, or any Ignited Meteore : But I know not how it falls out, whether of the witty invention in them, or eloquentexprefons, thofe Hea- then Authors have delighted fome, more then Davids Pfalms, orP atelsEpiftles; efpecially many ofthe Jefuits in theirReligious Trattates, (tufftheir difcourfes with SenecisContemplations,or Moral Inventions.Now although it be true,that it were a great error to take YohnBaprift, though a great Prophet, for Chrift, muchmorea Seneca ora Plato(though Riled Divine)for a Chrift ; yet if we fpeak of the fphære of nature, how far fhehat) been able toaccule vice, and pleadfor vertue, herein they have been wonderful take Tallies Book De Offciis: If men and their publiqueconverfation, did keep to that fidelity in words, righ- teoufnefs in deeds, and loveto thepubliqueagainft all particular profit,it would make the lives of men very admirable, though not godly: And it isa great honor to thofe Books s -of the Heathens, that the Apoftle himfelf doth fome- times alledge verfes out of fuch Authors, and that for morality alto; witnefs that !entente, EvilWordscorrupt gtodmaners which is fan cified (faith Ter- tullian) or made Ecclefiaftical, as Hierom, by Paul, it being a verle of the Comedian Maunder ; and it is true by experience, thatevil words and difcourfes, fuch as fome Corinthianshad, which did privately, by fome reafonings fetched fromPhilofophy,endeavor to weaken theChriftian faith about theRefurreftion, do quickly infect mens lives:and as theApoftles,fo minifters mayfometimes upon fitoccafions, ufe fentences out of thofe Authors, fo that they do it not too frequently, or with affeftation, or thereby difparaging the powerful fimplicity and divine Plainnefs ofthe Scripture. The many Bookstherefore and Difcourfes, which men by thehelpof natural Confcience have made,to the ordering ofmens lives in a vertuous way, are a Pure demonfttation of this Law written in their hearts. Secondly, TheWife, juft and righteous Laws Which many of their Law-givers 3. have made, when they fetled a Political Government, do plainly declare alto By the Lasso this work of God in them. Its true, that fuch Law-givers befides their in- they have planted reafon, had alto acquired much experimental prudence , and haply made° fome of them at leaft, had by hear-fay, the Divine Polity and Government which Moles appointed the people of Ifrael: But with thefe, they had allo tholefparkling notions, of differencing jnftice from injuftice,good from evil,elfe they could never have made fuch wholfome Laws ; efpecially the Laws and Manners oftheLacedemonians, are much commended for Sobriety, Moderation, and Abflinence from all intemperate and luxurious courfes; infomuch that Erafmuo faith, Diceres Germano(Chriflianos, fipro Lycurgo Chriftum Waldfuifent legues latorem, one would have thought themtrue Chriflians, if they had had Chrift a Law-giver for their Lycurgus, though hereinEramres,as in other places, is too bold : Howfoever, this comes wholly from that Divine imprdfion men have left in their confciences, whereby they punifh fin andexorbitancies, but reward vertuous imployments. It is true, in Come things elaeir wifeft Law- givers have eftablifhednotorious wickednefs, but that doth not hinderthe acknow- ledgement of their manyother goodLaws. Ifthen Heathens have fuch thoughts about wicked allions, that they deem them worthy to be punifhed with all difgrace, contempt and reproach, yea force of them with death it fell, and that in themoll cruel maner. This doth evidently declare, that they hadin- bred principles about good and evil; and upon this ground it is that the ApofflefpeakingofMagiftrates, even Paganifh, faith, They are she Mise oilers of God, to theefor good, Rom,r3. That they ire a terror to the evil, and not to thegood;'if thoudoch well, be not afraid, but if thoudoeft ill, fear, becaufe he doth not bear the fword M vain : So that this is a manifeft convilhon of the Confcienceof everywicked man. If thou arta prophane, unjuft, intemperate Y y 2 mans
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