times employ'd, as if he had been retain'd against Vertue. It must be owned, that Tully has in many places of his Works laid down admirable Rules of Vertue, but then it is with little or no regard to fuch Principles as are the only fure Foundations of a Vertuous Life, viz. the Fear of God, and the Expectation of Rewards or Punishments after Death; and fuch was the defect of his Philofophy, that he could be pofitive and certain in nothing. Seneca, as he profeffeth, has taken many of his best Precepts from Epicurus, which, without a due Confideration had of a God and a Providence, are no better than Prudent Cautions against Temporal Evils, either of Body or Mind. Seneca many times diverts rather than inftructs; what he fays is always fine, but not always folid; he dances upon the furface, according to Quintilian's Censure of him, but feldom defcends to the depth of things; and it were well if that Character, which he has given of Seneca's Style, might not be applyed to his Sense, abundat dulcibus Vitiis, a luscious Poifon fometimes diffuseth it self in his Writings. 9 Seneca derides the fubtilty and trifling both of Zeno and Chryfippus; but he did, it seems, think himself more concern'd to expose them for being ill Difputants, than for being Teachers of ill Doarines: tho' upon this account they were fo very fcandalous, that Sextus Empericus endea Sen. Epift. 82. de Benefic. lib. I. c. 3, 4. vours to prove from their Words, that there is no real and certain Difference betwixt Vertue and Vice. The bare knowledge of the Christian Doarine, even without a fincere belief of its Authority, has taught Men to abhor those Crimes which were approved of by the Philofophers, and practifed in the wifeft Heathen Nations: and when things, notoriously Evil, were receiv'd, and taught by thofe, who did and said so many things well, it is evident, that what was good was not owing fo much to the strength of their own Reason, as to fome higher Principle. I will here give but one Instance, and it shall be concerning the lawfulness of killing Infants, or expofing them to be starved or destroyed. This was the Express Doctrine of s Plato; and Ariftotle, who contradicts him in most other things, follows him in this. Indeed, this was fo general a Practice, that it is taken particular notice of, that the Thebans had a Law to forbid it. " Romulus made a Law to regulate this Practice, and to hinder it in fome Cafes. Tacitus observes it as a thing deferving his Remark, that this was not practifed either by the Jews or the Germans, tho' the latter had a Cuftom of casting their Children into the Rhine for a tryal of their Legitimacy. But that which is more strange, is, that y Seneca and Plutarch, t S • Plat. de Repub. lib. v. Ariftot. Polit. lib. vii. c. 16. C who who liv'd fince the Preaching of the Gospel, fhould approve of fuch Barbarous Cruelty. z Hierocles, who, as Lactantius informs us, was well acquainted with the Scriptures, was contented to say, that it is natural and answerable to the Ends of Marriage to bring up all, or at least, most Children; which was a great Conceffion in a Philofopher. Solon, who was as Famous for his Philofophy as for his Laws, and the Legislator to that State, which was the Seat and proper Soil, as it were of Philosophy, by an exprefs Law a indemnified all that killed their Children, and the Philofophers were ever true to these Principles. I have infifted upon this the more, not only because it is an evident inftance of the infufficiency of Heathen Philofophy, but because fome Readers may be as difficult to believe a thing, which muft needs feem very Monstrous to Christians, as ↳ Lipfius's Friend was, to whom he wrote a long Epiftle, to convince him that this was the Practice of Heathen Nations, and agreeable to the Judgment of their Philofophers: So that many of the Adverfaries of the Christian Faith, may perhaps owe their Lives to that Religion which they Blafpheme. I have purposely avoided too curious an Enquiry into the Lives of the Philofophers, and rather chofe to cast a Veil over what not only their Enemies but their Friends have faid of Fragm. apud Stobæ. Serm. 73. Sext. Empiric. Pyrrh. Hypot. lib. iii. c. 24. Ad Belgas, Cent. 1. Epift. 85. them. them. The Practice of Men is generally worse than they confefs it ought to be; they never live above their Rule and Profeffion; it is well, if in most things they do not fall much short of it; and if their Principles be bad, what must we expect from their Examples? But the A&tions of the Philofophers concerned those with whom they lived, our Business is with their Writings; and I need not fear the Cenfures of Learned and Judicious Men in any thing I have faid of them; for they will acknowledge it to be Truth, and others ought to be told fo, that they be no longer willing to change the Bible for the Works of Philofophers, which they commonly read and understand as little as they do the Bible it felf. The utmost that Philofophy could reach, was no farther than to uncertain Hopes and doubtful Arguments. But our Saviour and his Apoftles taught with Authority, and not as did the Philofophers; The Words which they Spake, they ·were Spirit, and they were Life; They came with full Power, and had their Credentials from Heaven to produce, which are the fame that we now alledge for the Authority of their Commiffion. And what can be more certain than plain Matter of Fact, which is clearly prov'd by undeniable Circumstances, and by Witneffes beyond Exception, and which is of that Nature, that all the Divine Attributes are engag'd for the Truth of it? It is ftrange that Men should pretend to fetch their Infidelity from the Depths of Philofophy, and the Oracles of Reason; as if any floating, confus'd Notions, might not serve for Objections. But it is to the advantage of a bad Cause, to involve it in tedious and unneceffary Disputes, to make Digreffions into doubtful Points of Criticism and Philosophy, to amufe the Reader, and draw him off from the main Question: Whereas a good Caufe may commonly be brought to a clear and short Iffue. The present Controverfie will admit of all kinds of Learning, but has no need of it. My Business therefore has been to free this Matter, as much as may be, from all the Intricacies of Learning, to reduce it to plain Circumstances of Fact, whereof every Man may be capable of making a true Judgment, and to bring it to that very Cafe, in which St. John argues; He that believeth not God, hath made him a Lyar, becaufe he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son, 1 John v. 10. But, he that hath received his Testimony, bath fet to his Seal that God is true, 1 John iii. 33. And how can we forbear to adore the Wifdom and Goodness of God, who, by the wonderful Difpenfations of his Providence, has not fuffered himself to be without Witness in any Age or Nation? If Idolatry fpread it felf from Egypt into many other Parts of the World, as Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus have fhewn, we have the more reason to admire the Wisdom of Divine Providence, in appointing Egypt to be the place where the People of Ifrael did fo |