always see vanity and vexation written upon all the treasures and pleasures of the world; and in the midst of their delights would foresee death coming to cut them off, and bring them to a dolorous end. So that, undoubtedly, the most knowing would be the most miserable; and though nature delight in knowing much, it would but let in an inundation of vexatious passions on the mind.

But knowledge is so great a gift of God, and ignorance so great a blemish unto nature, that it is not by sober reason to be believed, that so noble a gift should be given us as a plague, and so great a plague and shame of nature as ignorance is should be a blessing or felicity,

Sect. 15. XV. If the kings and temporal governors of the world do extend their rewards and punishments, as far as to temporal prosperity and adversity, life and death, in respect to the present ends of government, and this justly; then is it meet and just that the universal King extend his benefits and punishments much further, for good or evil, as they have respect unto his own laws and honour; but the antecedent is true: ergo, so is the consequent.

Kings justly take away men's lives for treason. They that look but to the present temporal good or hurt of the commonwealth, do think that no temporal punishment or reward can be too great for some crimes, and for some achievements: read but the statute-books, and this will be soon found.

And that the offences which are against the Infinite Majesty deserve, incomparably, sorer punishments than any against men as such, is past all question; as, also, that love, and fidelity, and duty to God, are incomparably more laudable.

Sect. 16. XVI. If there were no life of retribution after this, it would follow, that man is more to be feared and obeyed than God, and so hath the far greater and higher hand in the moral government of the world; but the consequent is absurd and blasphemous: ergo, so is the antecedent.

The argument is clear, and past all contradiction. The reason of the major or consequence, is, because, though God can destroy any wicked man at his pleasure, yet, all the world's experience showeth us, that ordinarily in this life he doeth no such things. If a strange judgment overtake some wicked man, it is an unusual thing, and next to a miracle; and, usually, all things come alike to all; the good and the bad die of the same disease; the deceitful and the wicked prosper in the world as

much as others: if either suffer more, usually it is the best. "Videtis quam prospera navigatio à Diis datur sacrilegis," saith Dionysius. Thunderbolts strike so few, that it is scarcely rational much to fear them: if one fall under some extraordinary judgment, many hundreds escape.c

But, on the other side, kings and states do, ordinarily, execution on those that displease them and break their laws. The case of a Daniel is so rare, that it would be no rule to direct a rational course by: if the king should forbid me praying, as he did Daniel, or command me to worship his image, as he did the other three witnesses, reason and self-preservation would require me to obey him; for it is ten to one but he would execute his wrath on me, and it is a hundred to one God would not deliver me here. God suffered thirty or forty thousand to be murdered at once, by the French massacre, under Charles IX.; he suffered two hundred thousand to be murdered by the Irish papists; he suffered many to be murdered in Queen Mary's days; he suffered yet greater havoc to be made of the poor Waldenses and Albigenses; he suffered most cruel, inhuman torments and death upon thousands of innocent persons, to change the newplanted religion in Japan. He, therefore, that careth for his life and peace, will think it far safer to venture on the present executions of God than of his king, or enemy, or any one that is strong enough to ruin him. If I lived under the Turkish empire, and were commanded to deny Christ, and to renounce my baptism, and to subscribe that my baptismal vow doth not oblige me, or any way to lie, or be perjured, or sin against God, selfpreservation would bid me, Venture on the sin, for it is an hundred to one but God will spare thee; and it is an hundred to one but that the prince will punish and destroy thee if thou obey him not. How few, that knew there were no life to come, would not rather venture to please a tyrant, or a robber, than God, and more fear to displease them; and would not by perjury, or any commanded villany, save himself from their fury and cruelty; and would not study more to flatter and humour

Laert. (in Timon.) saith, that Philarchus, the historian, reporteth of Praylus, the philosopher, that he was of so constant a mind, that he suffered himself to be unjustly executed as a traitor, and would not use one word of supplication for his life: but that is not the common temper of mankind. Alta spectare si voles, atque hanc sedem et æternam domum contueri, neque ́sermonibus vulgi te dederis, nec in præmiis humanis spem posueris rerum tuarum: suis te illecebris oportet ipsa virtus trahat ad verum decus.—Cicero in Somn. Scip.

them, than to obey their God!d and so man should have the chief government of the world, while man's rewards and punishments were so much more notable than God's: man would be feared and obeyed before God; that is, man would be taken for our God. These things are clear, undeniable truths. If there were no life to come, self-love and reason would make man more obedient to man than God, and so make gods of flesh and blood; but whether this be the tendency of the government of God, let reason judge.

Sect. 17. XVII. A very probable argument may be inferred from the number and quality of intellectual spirits. He that looketh to the vast, and numerous, and glorious orbs which are above him, and thinks of the glorious receptacles of a more glorious sort of creatures, and then considereth that we are intellectual agents, made to love and honour God as well as they; and considers further, both the benignity of God and the communion which those other orbs have with us, will think it probable that we are in progress towards perfection; and that we that are so like them may be capable of their happiness.

Sect. 18. XVIII. If in this life God have little of the praise and glory of his works, from those whom he created for it, but, contrarily, be much dishonoured by them, then there is another life in which he will be more honoured by them; but the antecedent is true: ergo, so is the consequent.

What a glorious fabric hath God set man to contemplate; and how little of it is here known! so that philosophy is found to be but a searching and wrangling about things which no man reacheth, and yet an inquisitive desire we have; and, therefore, sure there is a state in which these works of God shall be better known of us, and God shall have the honour of them more than now. His laws also prescribe us excellent duties, and his servants are very excellent persons, according to his own descriptions; but our infirmities, our errors or divisions, our miscarriages and

d The very doubting of the life to come maketh multitudes take this course in our age; preferring that which they have in hand, before that which they suppose uncertain.

e Rursus vero si animæ lethi adeunt januas (Epicuri ut sententia definitur) nec sic causa est competens cur expeti philosophia debeat, etiamsi verum est, purgari has animas, atque ab omni puras vitiositate præstari : nam si communiter obeunt, non tantum est erroris maximi, verum stolidæ cæcitatis, frænare ingenitos appetitus, cohibere in angustiis vitam, nihil indulgere naturæ, non quod cupidines jusserint et instigaverint facere, cum nulla te præmia tanti laboris expectent, cum dies mortis advenerit, et corporalibus fueris vinculis exolutus.-Arnob, adv. Gentes, 1. 2.

scandals, do so dishonour him and his ways, that the glory of them is much obscured, and blasphemers reproach him to his face, and godliness, which the law of nature teacheth, is derided as a foolish thing, and as the mere effect of superstitious fear. Now, though all this doeth no hurt to God, yet he is capable of wrong who is incapable of hurt; and it is not to be believed that he will finally put up with all this at his creatures' hands, and never vindicate his honour, or never more show the glory of his grace, his image, his justice and judgments, than he now doth.

Sect. 19. XIX. The constant testimony of conscience in all men, that have not mastered reason by sensuality, and the common consent of all that are worthy to be called men, in all ages and countries upon earth, doth show that the life to come is a truth which is naturally revealed, and most sure.f

Sect. 20. XX. The enemy of souls doth (against his will) give man a fourfold reason to judge, that there is a life of reward and punishment hereafter, viz. 1. By compacts with witches; 2. By apparitions; 3. By satanical possessions; 4. By all kinds of subtle, importunate temptations, which evidence themselves.

1. Though some are very incredulous about witches, yet to a full inquiry the evidence is past question, that multitudes of such there be. Though many are wronged, and some may be thought so foolish or melancholy as not to know what they say against themselves, yet against such numerous and various instances these exceptions do but confirm the general truth, that such there are. I have said so much of them in 8 two other writings, that I shall now say no more but this: That those judges ordinarily condemn them to die, who themselves have been most incredulous of such things; that so great numbers were condemned in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex, about twenty years ago, that left the business past all doubt to the judges, auditors, and reverend ministers, (yet living,) who were purposely sent with them for the fuller inquisition. That the testimonies are so numerous, and, beyond exception, recorded in the many volumes written on this subject, by the Malleus Malificorum, Bodin, Remigius, and other judges who condemned them, that I owe no man any

By the

f Plato often saith, that the wicked are punished after death. Antisthenes (7. tome) had a book, De his quæ sunt apud inferos.—Laert. 1. 6. c. 1. * ‘Saint's Rest' (part 2); and ́ Unreasonableness of Infidelity.' 6 doctrine of idols, false gods that were sometimes men, and their sacrifices, the devil confesseth a life to come.

further proof than to desire him to read the aforesaid writings; wherein he shall find men and women, gentlemen, scholars, doctors of divinity, of several qualities and tempers, all confessedly guilty, and put to death for this odious sin; and he shall find what compacts they made with the devil, promising him their souls or their service, and renouncing their covenant with God all which doth more than intimate, that men have souls to save or lose, and that there is an enemy'of souls, who is most solicitous to destroy them; or else to what end would all this be? When people are in wrath and malice, desirous of revenge, or in great discontents, or too eagerly desirous after over-hasty knowledge in any needless speculation, the devil hath the advantage to appear to them, and offer them his help, and draw them into some contract with him (implicit, at least, if not explicit): I have myself been too incredulous of these things, till cogent evidence constrained iny belief. Though it belong not to us to give account why Satan doeth it, or why upon no more, or why God permitteth it, yet that so it is, in point of fact, it cannot be rationally denied; and, therefore, we have so much sensible evidence, that there is a happiness and misery after this life, which the devil believeth, though atheists do not.

2. And though some are as incredulous of apparitions, yet evidence hath confuted all incredulity. I could make mention of many; but, for the notoriety, I will mention but two, which it is easy to be satisfied about:

The one is the apparition, in the shape of Colonel Bowen, in Glamorganshire, to his wife and family, speaking, walking before them, laying hold of them, hurting them in time of prayer (the man himself then living from his wife, in Ireland, being one that from sect to sect had proceeded to infidelity, if not to atheism ; and, upon the hearing of it, came over, but durst not go to the place). The thing I have by me described largely, and attested by learned, godly ministers that were at the place; and is famous, past contradiction.h

2. But, to name no more, he that will read a small book called The Devil of Mascon,' written by Mr. Perreaud, and published by Dr. Peter Moulin, will see an instance past all

h In Ireland it was testified by the oaths of many witnesses, that after the protestants had been murdered at Portdown-Bridge, a long time together a spectrum appeared in the river, like a person naked, standing in the water up to the middle, and crying, 'Revenge, revenge!'-See Dr. Jones's, and Sir John Temple's Books.