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to
the Reader.
xxiii
Sir
Charles
Ioo
fly) that
it
is
in the power
of
every
fate,
whether
the gofpel
(hall
be
authentick
or
not, he
null
needs
throw
off
all
divine
refpec9 to
it,
and
be
in
a
very
fair
way
to trouble
himfelf little
with
any
devotion
aril
ng
from
it.
idly,
That
there
is
no
diflin&ion
of
good
and
evil
a
&i-
ons
but
by
the
civil law,
which
is
unto
him
the
meafure
thereof,
thou
this diftin&ion
of
good
and
evil be
deeply
and indelibly
engraven
on
the
hearts
of
all men,
as
a
na-
tive and
neceffary
refult
of
the faith
of
the being
of God,
as
the
fupreme re&itude.
4thly,
That
there
are
no
ul-
tra
mundum,
or eternal
rewards or punifhments, nor
any
beyond or
betide thefe
that
are beftowed
or
infli
&ed
by
the
civil
power
in
this
prefent
life;
thou,
from
the
be-,
ginning
of
the world,
throughout
all
ages,
experience
bath
given, in
full demonftrative
and
undeniable
evi-
dence,
that
men have
been
mightily impelled
and
encou-
raged to
do good
by the
hope
of
future
eternal
rewards,
and proportionably
refrained,
pulled
back, and
deter-
red
from
doing
evil,
by
the fear
of
future
and
eternal
punifhments.
If
(I
fay)
we
once
fuppofe thefe things
we
quite
ruine
and
raze
the
great foundations,
not
only
of
revealed and
fupernatural,
but
allo
of
natural religion
without which
it
is
impoffible,
that government amongft
Men
can have any
lure or
firm
bafis
to ref''
on,
but
muff
needs, according to the
prevalancy
of
t}leir
Pelf
interefls,
crumble
into pieces, and end
in
anar4lir
and
confufion.
It
is
not
altogether unworthy
of
remark
here,
that
Hobbs
runneth quite
crofs to
the di
&ates
of
famed
Machiavel,
that ,prodigy
of
profound policy,
thou
but
a,
very coarfe divine,
who labours
much
in
his
prince
to
perfwade fovereign
civil powers
of
the
neceffity
and
ad-
vantage, for the fupportance
of
government,
of
diffem-
bling and
pretending,
at leaf'', a
great regard
and
vene-
ration
to
religion
;
.
in
comparifon
of
whom,
the
other is
but
an
impolitick puny,
and a
far
worfe
divine,
even
(if
it
involved not
a
repugnancy)
a
diabolick
one.
Fifthly,
We
would
take heed
that
we
do not
f`upinely
and carelefly negle&
and
flight the
checks, challenges,
rebukes
and
accufations
of
our
confciences, in
leáfer
things, or
in
matters
of
comparatively (mailer
moment
(wherein yet
confçience
bath
a
concern,
as
it
hash
in
B4
all