A refutation of the objections against moral good and evil in a sermon preach'd at the Cathedral-Church of St. Paul, October the third, 1698 : being the seventh of the lecture for that year, founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq. / by John Harris. Harris, John, 1667?-1719. 1698 Approx. 50 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A45646 Wing H854 ESTC R23964 07933817 ocm 07933817 40529 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45646) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 40529) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1207:19) A refutation of the objections against moral good and evil in a sermon preach'd at the Cathedral-Church of St. Paul, October the third, 1698 : being the seventh of the lecture for that year, founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq. / by John Harris. Harris, John, 1667?-1719. 30 p. Printed by J.L. for Richard Wilkin, London : 1698. This work is also found as the seventh part of the author's The atheistical objections against the being of a God and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted : in eight sermons (Wing H845). Reproduction of original in the Bodleian Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- O.T. -- Jeremiah IX, 24 -- Sermons. Good and evil -- Sermons. Good and evil -- Early works to 1800. Atheism -- Early works to 1800. 2005-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-05 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2005-05 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A REFUTATION of the Objections Against MORAL GOOD and EVIL . IN A SERMON Preach'd at the CATHEDRAL-CHURCH of St. Paul , October the Third , 1698. BEING The Seventh of the LECTURE for that Year , Founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle , Esq By JOHN HARRIS , M. A. and Fellow of the ROYAL-SOCIETY . LONDON , Printed by J. L. for Richard Wilkin , at the King 's - Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard , 1698. JEREM. ix . 24. Let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that I am the Lord , who exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth : for in these things do I delight , saith the Lord. IN these Words , as I have already shewed , there are these two Things considerable : I. A Supposition that God is capable of being known to us by his Attributes . II. An Account of some of those Attributes which he exerciseth in the Earth , and in which he delights . On the former of these , I did , in my last Discourse endeavour to remove the Objections against the Attributes of God in general , and to shew that they are plainly discoverable by Reason , and agreeable to Philosophical Truth . As to the Second , The Attributes of God mentioned here by the Prophet , and which he is said to delight to exercise in the Earth . I think it not necessary to discourse particularly of them , having in my last Sermon shewn how They , as well as all other Excellencies and Perfections which we can discover in the Creatures , must of necessity be in the Divine Nature in the greatest Perfection ; because they are all derived from Him. But that which I judge will be more proper to be done now , as being agreeable to my Design of Answering the Atheistical Objections in their Natural Order , will be from hence to Remove two Great Barrs to the true Knowledge of God and of his Attributes , which Sceptical and Unbelieving Men have here placed in the Way . For indeed , till this be done , no true Notion of God or of his Perfections can be established in Mens Minds ; nor any Ground fixt whereon to build a Rational Belief of Natural or Revealed Religion , or any kind of Worship of the Supream and Almighty Being . And these Two great Objections of our Adversaries are , 1. That there is in reality no such thing as Moral Good and Evil ; but that all Actions are in their own Nature indifferent . 2. That all things are determined by Absolute Fatality : And that God himself , and all Creatures whatsoever , are Necessary Agents , without having any Power of Choice , or any real Liberty in their Nature at all . These are two of the strongest Holds of Atheism and Infidelity , which 't is therefore absolutely necessary to batter down and demolish : And these do in some sense communicate with and run into one another ; and indeed the former plainly follows from the l●tter . But however , they being very frequently made use of distinctly by the Opposers of Religion , and the former being maintained by some Persons whom I cannot find do hold the latter ; I shall endeavour to Refute them severally . Beginning with that which I have first proposed ; viz. That there is in reality no such things as Moral Good and Evil , but that all Actions are in their own Nature purely Indifferent . And this Position our Adversaries are very express in maintaining , as will sufficiently appear by their own Words . The Virtues that Men extoll so highly , saith Mr. Blount a , are not of equal weight and value in the Balance of Nature ; but that it may fare with them , as with Coin made of Copper or Leather : which tho' it may go at a high Rate in one Country by Proclamation ; yet will it not do so in another , for want of Intrinsick Value . 'T is plain enough what he means by this ; but how this Assertion will agree with his allowing some things to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b , Good and Just in their own Nature , as he doth in his Account of the Deists Religion , let the Admirers of those Contradictory Oracles of Reason , consider . But , indeed , 't is no new or uncommon thing with these kind of Men to make Contradictory Propositions subservient to their Purposes : as they often do in this very Case . For when you upbraid them with a Disbelief of Revelation , they will say , that 't is enough for any Man to live up to the Principles of Natural Religion , and to adhere inviolably to all things , ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for those are things that are Obligatory on all Mankind , and not like Revealed Truths , mere Political and Topical Institutions . Whereas at another time , if you tell them of some gross Immoralities that they are Guilty of , and which are plainly contrary to Reason , and to the clearest Light of Nature ; Then they will answer you , That Good and Evil are only Thetical things ; which receive their very Essence from Human Laws or Customs only , but that by Nature nothing is either Good or Bad ; and that all Actions are alike and Indifferent ; so hard is it , as an Excellent Person observes a , to contradict Truth and Nature , without contradicting ones self . But to go on , Spinoza takes care to deliver himself very plainly , as to this Matter . Bonum & Malum nihil Positivum in Rebus sc. in se consideratis indicant b . And in another Place , he tells us , Postquam homines sibi persuaserunt , omnia quae fiunt , propter ipsos fieri , id in unaquàque re proecipuum judicare debuerunt , quod ipsis , utilissimum ; & illa omnia praestantissima aestimare , à quibus optimè afficiebantur . Unde has formare debuerunt Notiones , quibus Rerum naturas explicarunt , sc. Bonum & Malum , Ordinem & Confusionem , &c. c . And the same thing also he asserts in many other places . Mr. Hobbs also expresly maintains , That there is nothing simply nor absolutely Good or Evil , nor any common Rule about them to be taken from the Objects themselves , but only from the Person ; who calleth that Good which he likes or desires , and that Evil which he hates , &c. d Nothing , saith he , is in its own Nature Just or Vnjust , because naturally there is no Property , but every one hath a Right to every thing e ; And therefore he defines Justice to be only keeping of a Covenant f . And in another place he tells us , That Good and Evil are only Names that signifie our Appetites and Aversions ; which in different Tempers , Customs and Doctrines of Men are different g . The same thing he asserteth also in many other places of his Writings h . And this Doctrine the Translator of Philostratus is so fond of , that , tho' he be sometimes very desirous of being thought an Original , yet he Transcribes this entirely from Mr. Hobbs a ; as indeed Mr. Hobbs , according to his usual way , had before , in a great measure done from Sextus Empiricus ; who in very many places declares that it was the Opinion of the Scepticks , that there was nothing Good or Evil in it self b . And he endeavours to prove this Point , by the very same Arguments which the Modern Assertors of this Opinion , do make use of c . And tho' Mr. Hobbs boast much of his Notions about these things to be new , and originally his own ; yet 't is plain , that it was the Old Atheistick Doctrine long before Plato's Time. For he tells us , Lib. 2. De Rep. p. 358. That there were a sort of Men who maintained , That by Nature Men have a boundless Liberty to act as they please , and that in such a state , to do that to another which is now called an Injury , or a piece of Injustice , would be Good ; tho' to receive it from another would be Evil : And that Men did live a good while at this rate , but in Time finding the Inconveniencies of it , they did agree upon Laws , in order to live peaceably and quietly with one another . And then that which was enacted by these Laws , was called Just , and Lawful . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . This is the Principle we see of those Atheistical Men : which tho' some of them do now and then take Care to conceal , or to express a little cautiously , yet they understand one another well enough : and so indeed may any one do them , that thinks it worth his while to consider seriously of , and to search into the Bottom of the Matter . And this is truly one of the Great Depths of Atheism and Infidelity : 'T is a Principle that when once thoroughly understood and imbibed , confirms a Man in the Disbelief of all manner of Religious Obligation . For he that hath once swallowed down this abominable Tenet , will , as some of the lately mentioned Writers discover themselves to do , believe nothing of the Deity , but that he is Almighty and Arbitrary Power , or a Blind fatal and Necessary Agent : Either a Being that makes his Will his Law , and who is not guided in his Actions or Dispensations , by the Dictates of Reason nor by any Rules of Justice and Goodness : or else one that properly speaking , hath no Ends nor Designs at all a ; but is without any Understanding b , Freedom of Will , Choice or Wisdom ; one who cannot possibly help doing as he doth , but is impelled in every thing by absolute Necessity . So that there being ( as according to these Principles there cannot be ) no Goodness in the Deity , there can be none any where : But all Actions , antecedent to Human Laws , will be Indifferent . And the Obligation that Men are under to Human Laws being only , as Hobbs saith , from Fear of Punishment ; no doubt a Man of this wicked Perswasion will stick at the Perpetration of no Villany nor Immorality , that will any way advantage himself , and which he can commit secretly and securely ; but will pursue his own Private Benefit and Interest ( the only Good he understands , and thinks himself obliged to mind ) by all possible Means and Endeavours . This therefore being the Case before us , it will very much concern us to Return a fair Answer to , and fully to Refute this Dangerous Objection against all Religion , and indeed against the Good and Welfare of all Governments , and all Civil Societies : and which I wish we had not so much reason to believe , is fixt in the Minds of too many amongst us . And in order to do this the more clearly and effectually , it will be necessary first truly to state the Point , and to dis-engage it from some Difficulties and Perplexities which our Adversaries have designedly clouded it withall . Say they whatever is the Object of any Man's Desires that he calls Good ; as also whatsoever is in any respect Beneficial and Advantageous to him . And on the other hand , that which is hurtful and prejudicial to him , and is the Object of his Hatred and Aversion , that he calls Evil , and so doubtless it is to him . Now , say they further , Since that which may be Good to one Man , or desired by him now , may be Evil to another , or may be the very same Person , be hated and shunned at another Time ; it plainly follows , that the Nature of Good and Evil , is perfectly precarious , and will be as various and changeable as the different Humours and Inclinations of Mankind can make it . And thus Mens Actions will be denominated accordingly . Every one accounting that a Good one which he likes , which promotes his Interest , and is conducible to his Advantage : And calling that an Evil one , which he disapproves of , and which is contrary to his Interest and Inclination . To all which , I say , that these Men run their Argument a great way too far , and conclude much more from it than the Nature of the thing will bear . For allowing as a first Principle that all Men desire Good , and that they cannot do otherwise ; Allowing also that Apparent or seeming Good hath the same Effect as real Good , while it is the Object of any particular Man's Desires : Nay , allowing also this Apparent Good to be a very precarious Thing , and to depend very much on the different Humours , Tempers and Inclinations of Mankind ; which is the whole Basis on which these Writers found their Argument . I say , Granting all this , it doth not come up to the Question between us , nor form any Real Objection against the natural difference between Good and Evil , and the Eternal Obligation of Morality ; for the Point in dispute is not whether such an Essential and Immutable Difference as this now spoken of , be discernible in all the Actions of Mankind ; for 't is readily allowed that there are a great many Indifferent , and which are neither good nor bad in their own Natures , but may be either , as Circumstances determine . This , I say , is not the Case ; but whether there be not some such Actions , as do plainly discover themselves to the Unprejudiced Judgment of any Rational Man , to be Good and Evil in their own Natures , antecedent to the Obligation of any Human Laws . Or in other Words , whether there be not some Actions which do carry along with them such a clear and unalterable Reasonableness and Excellency , as that they do approve themselves to be Good and Lovely to any Unprejudiced Mind , and consequently Mankind must be under an Universal and Eternal Obligation to perform them , and to avoid and shun their Contraries . As also , whether we have not all the reason in the World to believe that those Actions , which the Mind of Man can thus discover to be Morally and Essentially Good , are agreeable to the Will of God , and directed by it : And to conclude , that the Deity also acts and proceeds in all Respects according to the same Universal and Eternal Dictates of Reason , and is Just and Good , Equitable and Righteous in all his Dealings with his Creatures ; and that he exerciseth these things in the Earth . This I take to be the true state of the Case ; and this is what we Assert , and our Adversaries Deny ; and what I shall now endeavour to prove . In order to which , it must be allowed in the 1. Place , That Man is a thinking Being , and hath the Power of Reasoning and Inference . It must be allowed also , that we are capable of Knowing this , and do most evidently discover such a Power in our selves . And since all Intelligent Creatures do naturally desire to be happy , we must do so too , and consequently endeavour to obtain that Kind of Happiness which is agreeable to our Natures and Faculties ; i. e. a Happiness that shall relate to our whole Natures , and not to the Body only : Now the Happiness of any Being consisting in the free and vigorous Exercise of its Powers and Faculties , or in the Perfection of its Nature ; and the Nature of Man being Reason , the Happiness of Mankind must consist chiefly in the free and vigorous Exercise of his Reasoning Faculty ; or being in such a Condition as that we can do all things that are agreeable to , and avoid all such things as are disagreeable to it . Now all this supposed and granted , as I think none of it can be denied , it will plainly follow , that all such Actions as do Universally approve themselves to the Reason of Mankind , and such as when duly examined and considered , do constantly and uniformly tend towards , and promote the Happiness of Man , considered as to his whole Nature , and chiefly as to that part of him in which his Nature doth more properly consist , which is his Rational and Understanding Faculty : Such Actions , I say , must necessarily be said to be in their own Nature Good ; and their Contraries must be denominated Evil , after the same manner ; for whatsoever is universally Approved , is universally Good : to call a thing Good being nothing else but to declare its conducibility to that end it was designed for . Now according to our Adversary's Assertion , Men call that Good which promotes their own Advantage and Happiness , and so no doubt it ought to be esteemed ; all that they mistake in , being , that they don't understand wherein their true Happiness consists . And therefore if a Thing doth in its own Nature approve it self to the impartial Reason of Mankind , and can on due Examination manifestly appear to conduce to the Interest , Advantage and Happiness of Human Nature ; such a thing must be all Rational and thinking Men be pronounced naturally and morally Good ; and its Reverse , Evil in the same manner . And that this is the case is Reference to that which is commonly called Moral Good and Evil , will appear plain and evident when we shew , 2. That there are some Things and Actions which the Free and Unprejudiced Reason of all Mankind , cannot but acknowledge to be Comely , Lovely , and Good in their own Natures as soon as ever it considers them , and makes any Judgment about them . And this is what is apparent to the Observation of all Men to have been ipso facto done ; and the Truth of it cannot be denied : For have not all Nations in the World agreed in paying some kind of Worship and Veneration to the Deity ? Was there ever any Place where , or Time when , Obedience to Parents , Gratitude for Benefits received , Acts of Justice , Mercy , Kindness , and Good Nature , were not accounted reasonable , good and decent things ? I know some Persons have boldly told the World that 't is quite otherwise , and that there are some whole Nations so Savage and Barbarous as to have no Notion of any Deity , who have no manner of Religious Worship at all , and who have no Notion or Idea of Moral Good and Evil : But when we consider that these Accounts come originally only from a few Navigators , who probably did not stay long enough at those Places to acquaint themselves with the Language of the Natives , and who consequently could not have much Knowledge of their Notions , Opinions , and Customs ; it will be too hardy a Conclusion to inferr positively that Men pay no Worship to , nor have any Idea of a God , only because they did not see them at their Devotions . And moreover , when we have had later and more accurate Accounts of some of those Places , which do plainly disprove the former Assertions , we have good reason , I think , to suspend our assent to them . And then as to their Notions of Good and Evil , it will not follow that they account Stealth and Murder as good and comely things as Justice and Mercy , only because these Relators had some of those Acts committed on them . For commonly they themselves shew them the way , by wickedly Robbing , Imprisoning and Murdering them ; and therefore why the Poor Indians may not return some such Actions upon their Enemies and Invaders , without being supposed to be quite Ignorant of the Difference between Good and Evil , I confess , I do not see . And by what too often appears from their own Relations and Books of Travels , the Indians have not more reason to be thought Savage and Barbarous , than those that give us such an Account of them ; for by their Actions they discover as poor Notions of Morality , as 't is possible for any Men to have . But after all , suppose the Fact true , as I do really believe it is not , That there is any Nation of Men so Stupid as to be quite devoid of any Notion of a God , or of the Difference between Good and Evil : All that can be concluded from hence is , that some Men may for want of Commerce with other Parts of the World , and for want of Thinking , and cultivating and exercising their Rational Faculties , degenerate into meer brute Beasts ; and indeed , as such the Relators describe them ; according to whose Account of them , many Species of the Brute Creation discover more Understanding , and Act , if I may so speak , more rationally ; but it cannot be fairly argued from hence , that they never have had any Notion or Belief of these things ; or that their Reasons will not assent to the Truth of them hereafter , when their unhappy Prejudices may be removed , and they may become civilized by Commerce . Much less sure will this Prove , that there is no Notion of a Deity , nor of Moral Good and Evil in all the other Parts of the World , and amongst Men that can think , and do exercise their Reason and Understanding . Will not a General Rule stand its Ground tho' there be a few Exceptions against it ? Will Men take their Measures to judge of Human Nature only from the Monstrosities of it , from the worst and most stupid Parts of Mankind ? Men may as well argue that all Mankind are devoid of Arms or Hands , or are Universally Defective in any other Part of the Body , because some few are daily born so , or rather have them cut off . We see there are often Natural Defects in Mens Minds as well as their Bodies , and that some are born Fools and Idiots , as well as others Blind and Lame ; and a great many we see make themselves so by their own Fault ; But sure no one will conclude from hence , that all Mankind are Fools and Idiots , unless he be a degree worse than one himself . And yet Men may even as justly make any of these absurd Inferences , as to say , there is in the Minds of Men no Power to distinguish a Natural Difference between Good and Evil , only because there are some Stupid and Barbarous People , among whom no such thing can be discovered . For my part , I do most heartily believe , that 't is impossible for a Rational and Thinking Mind , acting as such , to be insensible of the Difference between Moral Good and Evil : I cannot Imagine that such a Person can think it a thing indifferent in its own Nature , whether he should Venerate , Love and Worship the God that made him , and from whom he derives all the Good he can possibly enjoy ; or whether he should Slight , Despise , Blaspheme or Affront him . It seems utterly impossible to me , that any thinking and considerate Man , should judge it an indifferent thing in its own Nature , whether he should honour and reverence his Father , or abuse him and cut his Throat : or that he can esteem it to be as good and decent a thing to be Ungrateful or Unjust , as it is to acknowledge and to return a Kindness , to render every one their Due , and to behave our selves towards others , as we would have them do towards us . I do not think that the Instances produced by a late Ingenious Writer , of some wild People's exposing their Sick and Aged Parents to die by the Severities of Wind and Weather , nor of others who eat their own Children , are of force to prove that there is really and naturally no difference between Good and Evil , any more than I will believe that he cited those Passages with a design to make the World think so ; for I think , allowing the truth of all these Relations , no such Inference can be thence deduced . A Practical Principle , of the Truth and Power of which a Man may be demonstratively assured , may yet be over-born in some Respects by other Opinions which Ignorance and Superstition may have set up in a Man's Mind . This Gentleman saith , p. 25. Of Human Understanding , That a Doctrine having no better Original than the Superstition of a Nurse , or the Authority of an Old Woman , may be length of time grow up to the dignity of a Principle in Religion or Morality . Now should a precarious and wicked Opinion over-rule a Man in one or two particular Cases , and carry him against the Rules of Morality , will it follow from thence that a Man doth believe those Rules of no Natural Force , and that it is an Indifferent thing whether he observe them or not ? Ought I to conclude , that because I have read of a King that Sacrificed his Son to Moloch , that therefore he believed it as good and reasonable a thing to burn his Children alive , as to preserve , take care of them , and give them a good Education ? Certainly , 't would be a fairer and more reasonable Inference , to conclude that his Reason and Natural Affection was over-power'd by his Idolatrous and Superstitious Opinion ; and that the reason why he did such a Wicked and unnatural Action was because he expected some very great Benefit for it from the Idol , or that he would Inflict some very great Judgment upon him , if he did not do it . And so in the Cases above-mentioned , one may well enough believe that those Barbarous and Inhumane Wretches that Starved their Parents and Eat their Children ; did not nor could not believe it was as good and reasonable so to do , as it would be to preserve them ; but only that they were under the Power of some Wicked Superstition , or Abominable Custom that had unhappily crept in among them ; which they thought it a greater Evil to break ( if they thought at all ) than they did to Act against their Judgment , Natural Reason , and Affection . For this way ( as he observes ) 't is easie to imagine how Men , may come to worship the Idols of their own Minds , grow fond of Notions they have been long acquainted with there , and stamp the Characters of Divinity upon Absurdities and Errors , &c. p. 26. So that I cannot see any Consequence at all , in asserting the Non-existence of Moral Good and Evil , from a few Barbarous and Ignorant Wretches doing some Actions that bear hard on the Rules of Morality : For notwithstanding that they may be lost in a great measure in some places ; yet these things , and many others that might be instanced in , do certainly carry such Self-evidence along with them ; that a free and unprejudiced Mind must needs perceive which way to determine , as soon as ever they can be proposed to it , and considered of by it . For any one in the World that doth but understand the meaning of the Terms in any of the lately mentioned Moral Propositions , will be demonstratively assured of the Truth of them : And he will see as clearly that God is to be worshipped , that Parents are to be honoured , and in a word , that we ought to do to others as we would be done unto , as he assents to the Truth of such Axioms as these : That a Thing cannot be and not be , at the same Time ; That Nothing hath no Properties ; And that the whole is greater than any one , and equal to all its Parts taken together : For the Reason why all Mankind allow these as first Principles , is because their Truth is so very Apparent and Evident , that they approve themselves to our Reason at first sight . And so , I think , do all these Great Principles in Morality ; they certainly affect impartial and considerate Minds , with as full a Conviction as any of the former can possibly do . And would no more have been denied or disputed than the others are , had they not been Rules of Practice , and did they not require something to be done , as well as to be believed . For he that rightly understands what is meant by the words God , and Worship ; will see the Necessary connexion between those Terms , or the Truth of this Proposition , God is to be worshipped , as evidently as he that knows what a Whole and a Part is , will see that the Whole must be greater than a Part. And no Proposition in Geometry can be more demonstratively clear , than these Moral ones are , to Men that are not wilfully Blind and wickedly Prejudiced against such Practical Truths . For as one hath well observed ( a ) , Morality may be reckoned among those Sciences that are capable of Demonstration . And that these Moral Truths have a stronger connexion one with another , and a more necessary Consequence from our Idea's , and come nearer to a perfect Demonstration than is commonly imagined ; insomuch , that as he saith in another place , They are capable of real Certainty as well as Mathematicks ( b ) . Now if the case be so , as most certainly it is ; it will plainly follow , that Those things that do thus demonstratively approve themselves to the unprejudiced Reason of all Mankind , must be good and lovely in their own Natures , or Morally so , antecedent to the Obligation of Human Laws , Customs or Fashions of particular Countries . And in this plain Distinction between Good and Evil , which our Reason , when duly used , Impowers us thus at first sight to make , is founded that which we call Conscience : which is a kind of an Internal Sensation of Moral Good and Evil. And this Candle of the Lord , set up by himself in mens Minds , and which 't is impossible for the Breath or Power of man wholly to extinguish ( a ) ; is as Natural to a Rational Mind , as the Sense of Pain and Pleasure is to the Body ; for as that is given us by the Author of our Natures to preserve us from bodily Evils , and to capacitate us to enjoy such a Kind of Happiness ; so Conscience is our Guard against the Invasions of Moral or Spiritual Evils ; and will , if rightly followed , give us always so much Peace , Joy , and Satisfaction of Soul , as cannot possibly be had any other way . But again ; 2. It is most plain also , That there are some things which do Universally and Naturally tend to promote the Happiness and Welfare of Mankind , and others that do equally contribute to its Misery : And consequently on this Account we must esteem the former to be really and naturally Good things , and the latter , Evil. Now one would think , that one need not spend Time to prove that the Practice of Moral Virtue , doth Uniformly and Naturally promote the Happiness of Mankind , and that Vice and Immorality do as naturally and necessarily tend to its Misery . For doth not any one plainly perceive , that there is no Virtue , or Part of Morality , but what hath some particular Good and Advantage to Human Nature , connected with it , as all Vice and Wickedness hath the contrary ? Doth not a sincere Veneration for that Supream and Almighty Being , from whom all our Powers and Faculties are derived , and a consciousness to our selves that we are obedient to his Will , and consequently under his Protection ; doth not this , I say , bring constant Peace , Comfort and Satisfaction along with it ? and prove our greatest Support under any Troubles and Afflictions ? And on the other hand , hath not generally speaking he that is guilty of Impiety , Profaneness and Irreligion , dismal Doubts and dire Suspicions in his Mind of impending Punishments , and Misery ? Is not such a Mans whole course of Action , a continual state of War in his own Breast , and a constant Contradiction of his Reason and his Conscience ? What hath such a Person to support him , or to give him any comfort on a Sick or a Death-Bed , when the hurry and amusements of sensual Pleasure are over : and when all the treacherous Enjoyments of this World begin to fail him , and discover themselves to be counterfeit and fictitious ? But again , is it not plain to every one , that Truth , Justice and Benevolence , do Naturally and Essentially conduce to the well being and Happiness of Mankind , to the mutual support of Society and Commerce , and to the Ease , Peace and Quiet of all Governments and Communities ? and doth it not as clearly appear on the contrary that breach of Trusts and Compacts , lying and falsifying of Mens Words , Injustice , Oppression , and Cruelty , do inevitably render that Place or Society miserable where they abound ? What an unexpressible wretchedness would Mankind be in , if Hobbs his State of Nature were in Being amongst us ? i. e. a State wherein no Man would have any Notion of Moral Virtue , but where every one should think himself to have a right to all things , and consequently be still endeavouring to obtain them ; and making it his daily business to vex , rob , ruin and destroy all who opposed his Will , and they also be doing continually the same things against Him , and against one another . A Man must be stupidly and wilfully blind before he can assert such a State as this , to be as happy and advantageous to Mankind , as where all Moral Virtues are observed and exercised : And therefore Mr. Hobbs himself is forced to allow that rational Agents would have recourse to the Enacting of Laws for the due Government and Regulation of Society . But how these Laws should ever come into Peoples Heads , that are supposed to have no manner of Notion of any distinction between Good or Evil , Just or Unjust ; and when there is in reality no such thing , is what I cannot possibly conceive . On the contrary , I think that the Constant and Universal Support , that these Moral Virtues have always had from Human Laws , is a most demonstrative Argument that Men have always thought them Substantially and Morally Good and Excellent in themselves ; and that they do Naturally and Eternally conduce to the good of all Societies . Indeed , some things may be , and often are Enacted or Prohibited by Human Laws , that have no real nor Intrinsick Goodness , nor Natural Evil in them ; but are only Good and Evil , according to some particular Circumstances and Exigencies of Affairs . And thus God himself was pleased to appoint the Jews many Rites and Observances that had not any real or Intrinsick goodness in them , but only were necessary for the present Circumstances and Condition of that Nation . But then these are every where in Holy Writ , Post-poned to Moral Virtue a , declared by God himself to be of much lesser Value ; and whenever there was a Competition between them , these were to give place to those ; which were properly speaking good in their own Natures , and of Universal and Eternal Obligation ; whereas the others were only good pro hic & nunc . Therefore they are said by the Apostle , to be not Good , i. e. in themselves or in their own Natures ; but only by Institution . But this is not the Case as to such Actions as we have been mentioning , which are called Morally Good or Evil ; for these have been constantly and universally distinguished by Humane Laws , and have never been confounded or changed . For can any Man produce a Law that ever obtained universally against paying Adoration and Worship to the Deity ? against Mens honouring their Parents , or against their being Just , Good , Merciful , and Righteous in their Dealings with one another ? Against such things , as St. Paul tells us , there is no Law. Nor is it possible for our Adversaries to shew us , that the contrary Immoralities were ever universally thought good and lawful ; or allowed and established by any General Authority whatsoever ; and should the Reverses to Moral Virtue be enjoined as Laws , and every one commanded to be Unjust , Oppressive , and Cruel , as now he is enjoyned the contrary , any one may imagine what would be the dismal Consequences of it . 3. But again , Another Argument for the Natural distinction between Good and Evil , may be drawn from the Consideration of our Passions and Affections : For these are so framed and contrived by our Wise Creator , as to guide and direct us to Good , and to guard and preserve us from Evil by a kind of Natural Instinct , which we find in our selves frequently previous to all Reasoning and Consideration . Thus , we perceive a strange Horrour , and very ungrateful Sensations seize upon us immediately , on the sight of a Scene of Misery , or a Spectacle of Cruelty ; and as soon as ever our Ears are entertained with the doleful Relation of such Actions ; so also an Instance of great Injustice or very base Ingratitude , raises a just Indignation in us against the offending Person ; and we cannot avoid being uneasily moved and affected in such Cases . While on the contrary , a very pleasing Satisfaction of Soul arises in us , when we see , or hear of an Instance of great Kindness , Justice , Generosity , and Compassion . Now this Sympathizing of our Natural Affections with our Reason ; and their approving and disapproving the very same things that it doth , is a very convincing Argument that there is an Essential difference between Actions as to their being Good or Evil , and that we have a plain Knowledge of such a distinction . For no doubt God implanted these Passions and Affections in our Natures , and gave them this Turn which we plainly perceive they have , in order to prepare the way for our Reasons more thoroughly assuring us of the Natural Goodness and Excellence of Moral Virtue , when it comes to be Ripe , and sufficient for that End ; and in the mean time , to keep Children and Young Persons , in whom we perceive these Natural Efforts to be very strong , by a kind of Anticipation or Natural Instinct from doing such things as their Reason , freely exercised , will afterwards condemn them for . And now upon the whole , there being thus plainly proved an Essential and Natural Difference between Moral Good and Evil ; and that the Reason of all Mankind freely and impartially exercised doth agree in this Point , that Morality conduces to the Happiness , and Immorality to the Misery of Human Nature : We may very justly conclude from hence , that all other Rational Agents must judge of Good and Evil after the same manner , and plainly distinguish one from the other . And they also must Know and Understand that their Perfection and Happiness ( though they may differ in some Circumstances from us ) doth consist in Acting according to the Eternal Rules of Right Reason and Moral Virtue . For if the Case be not so , several Rational Natures all derived from the same Deity , may come to make contradictory Judgments , even when they Act according to the Great and Common Rule of their Nature . But the Principle of Right Reason , at this Rate , would be the most precarious thing imaginable , and Men could never possibly be assured that they were in the Right in any Point , or knew any thing at all . Assuredly therefore this Great Rule of Right Reason that God hath given his Creatures to govern and direct themselves by , is no such uncertain thing , is in no respect Contradictory to it self ; but must be Uniformly and Constantly the same in all Beings , that are endowed with it , when it is rightly and perfectly followed . And from hence also we cannot but conclude , that the same Eternal , Constant and Uniform Law of Right Reason and Morality that God hath given as an Universal Guide to all Rational Beings , must also be in Him in the greatest and most exquisite Perfection . And that , not only because all Perfections and Excellencies in the Creatures must necessarily be in that First Being from whom they are derived , as I have already proved ; But also , that if it were not so , God must be supposed to have given us a Rule of Action that is contrary to his own Nature , or at least vastly different from it . And that he hath contrived our Powers and Faculties so , as to deceive us in the most Material and Essential Points , and indeed hath lest us no possible way of knowing the Truth of any thing whatsoever . For , If when , as I have shewn above , God hath not only fixed in our Natures , a Desire of Happiness ; but also disposed them so , that every Power Faculty and Capacity of them convinces us that the Exercise of Moral Virtue is the Way , and indeed , the only Way to make us entirely happy . If I say after all this , there be no such things as Moral Virtue and Goodness , but that all Things and Actions , both in us and the Deity , are purely and in their own Natures Indifferent ; 't is plain , Reason is the most ridiculous thing in the World , a Guide that serves to no manner of Purpose but to bewilder us in the Infinite Mazes of Errour , and to expose us to Roam and Float about in the boundless Ocean of Scepticism , where we can never find our Way certainly to any Place , nor direct our Course to the Discovery of any Truth whatsoever . But this not being to be supposed of the Deity , who contains in himself all Possible Excellence and Perfection ; it must needs be that our Reason will direct us to conclude the Deity also guided and directed in all his Proceedings by the Eternal Rules of Right Reason and Truth : and consequently that He will and doth always exercise loving Kindness , Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth ; as the Prophet here speaks . And indeed , the Hobbian Notion of a Deity guided only by Arbitrary Will Omnipotent , without any regard to Reason , Goodness , Justice , and Wisdom , is so far from attributing any Perfection to God , or as they pretend , being the Liberty and Sovereignty of the Deity ; that it really introduces the greatest Weakness and Folly , and the most Brutish Madness that can be ! for what else can be supposed to be the Result of Irresistible and Extravagant Will , pursuing the most fortuitous Caprichio's of Humour , without any Wisdom , Ends , or Designs to Regulate its Motions by ? And of this the Ancient Heathens were so sensible , that they always connected Goodness with the Idea that they had of an Omnipotent Mind's being Supream Lord over all things in the Universe ; for Mind not guided and directed by Goodness was , according to them , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mere Folly and Madness , and consequently no true Deity . There is a Remarkable Passage of Celsus's to this purpose , which though introduced upon another Design , yet very clearly shews the Idea that the Heathens had of the Goodness and Wisdom of the Deity . God , saith he , can't do evil things , nor will any thing contrary to Nature ( or Reason ) — for God is not the President or Governour of Irregular or Inordinate Desires ; nor of erroneous Disorder and Confusion , but of a Nature truly Just and Righteous . — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. contr . Cels. lib. 5. p. 240. Cantabr . Excellently to the same Purpose , is that Saying of Plotinus , The Deity doth always act according to his Nature or Essence , and that Nature or Essence discovereth Goodness and Justice in all its Operations : for indeed , if these things should not be there ( i. e. in God ) where can they else be found ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 265. Ficin . And 't is plain that the Heathens had a true Notion , that the Deity must be a Good , Just and Righteous Being ; because several of the old Atheists , as Protagoras , &c. argued against the Existence of a Deity , from the Worlds being so ill Made and Ordered as it is , and from there being so much Evil and Misery among Mankind , as they pretended to find in the World ; but now there had been no manner of force in this Argument , and it had been ridiculous to bring it , if , both the Atheistical Proposers of it , and their Antagonists , had not had a clear Notion that Goodness , Justice and Righteousness are naturally included in the Idea of a God. Accordingly Vaninus tells us , That Protagoras used to say , Si Deus non est unde igitur Bona ? si autem est , unde Mala , Amph. Aetern . Provid . p. 90. And the same thing Tully tells us also ( Lib. De Nat. Deorum ) that Diagoras used to object against a Deity . All which sufficiently proves that they were all Agreed that there was some common Standard of Good and Evil ; and that the Notion of a Deity had always these Attributes of Goodness and Justice connected with it . And if this be so , as undoubtedly it is , we shall gain one more good Argument for this Natural and Eternal Distinction between Good and Evil , and a yet much Nobler Foundation for Morality . For we cannot but think , that a God who hath Perfect Goodness , Justice and Mercy , Essential to his Nature , and who hath Created several Orders of Being in the World , to make them Happy , and in order to display his own Glory , by his Just , Kind and Gracious Dealing with them : we cannot but think , I say , that God will give to those of his Creatures , whom he hath endowed with Reason , and a Power of Liberty and Choice , such a Method of knowing his Will , ( the Way that leads to their own Happiness ) as that they shall never be Mistaken about it , but by their own gross Fault and Neglect . And also that he will make the difference between Good and Evil , and between Virtue and Vice so plain and conspicuous , that no one can miss of the Knowledge of his Duty , but by a wilful Violation of those Powers and Faculties God hath graciously implanted in his Nature . And all this we see God hath Actually done : and indeed much more ; having over and above connected very great Rewards with the Practice of Virtue and Morality . And hath either naturally planted in the Minds of Men a Notion of some future State , or else hath given our Nature such a Power , as that we may attain to such a Notion : for we find a very plain Belief and Expectation of such a State , among many of the Ancient and Modern Heathens . And over and above all this , he hath also given us a clear Revelation of his Will in the Holy Scripture , that sure Word of Prophecy and Instruction , whereby we may , if we will , gain a yet plainer Knowledge of our Duty , be more perfectly Instructed in the Method of Eternal Salvation , and find also much higher Encouragements , and much greater Helps and Assistances than we had before in the State of Nature . And all this is vouchsafed us to enforce the more effectually the Practice of Moral Virtue , and to enable us more perfectly to perform those Things , which the Universal Reason of Mankind approves as Good , Lovely and Advantageous to Human Nature . FINIS . Books Printed for Richard Wilkin , at the King's-Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard . REmarks upon some late Papers relating to the Universal Deluge , and to the Natural History of the Earth . In Octavo . And , Immorality and Pride the great Causes of Atheism . The Atheist's Objection , that we can have no Idea of God , Refuted . The Notion of a God , neither from Fear nor Policy . The Atheist's Objections , against the Immaterial Nature of God , and Incorporeal Substances , Refuted . A Refutation of the Objections against the Attributes of God in General : In Six Sermons Preach'd at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul , 1698. being the first Six of the Lecture for that Year , Founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle , Esq By John Harris , M. A. and Fellow of the Royal Society . Dr. Payne's Discourses on several Practical Subjects . In Octavo . Dr. Abbadie's Vindication of the Christian Religion , in Two Parts . In Octavo . A Serious Proposal to the Ladies , in Two Parts . In Twelves . Letters concerning the Love of God , between the Author of the Proposal to the Ladies , and Mr. Norris . A Treatise of the Asthma , divided into Four Parts . In the First is given a History of the Fits , and the Symptoms preceeding them . In the Second , The Cacochymia , that disposes to the Fit , and the Rarefaction of the Spirits which produces it , are Described . In the Third , The Accidental Causes of the Fit , and the Symptomatic Asthmas are Observ'd . In the Fourth , The Cure of the Asthma Fit , and the Method of Preventing it , is Proposed . To which is annex'd a Digression about the several Species of Acids distinguish'd by their Tastes : And 't is observ'd how far they were thought Convenient or Injurious in general Practice , by the Old Writers ; and most particularly in relation to the Cure of the Asthma ; By Sir John Floyer . In Octavo . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A45646-e180 a Anima Mund. in Or. of Reason , p. 117. b Oracles of Reason , p. 89. a A. Bish. Tillots . Serm. Vol. 4. p. 315. b Op Posthum , p. 164. c Ibid p. 37. Vid. etiam , p. 171 , 185 , 360 , &c. d Leviath . p. 24. e Ibid. p. 63 , 64. f P. 73. g Ibid. p. 79. h Vid. Hum. Nature , p. 38. Element . de Cive c. 1. §. 2. a Blount's Life of Apollonius , p. 151. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — Pyrrh . Hypot . p. 46. And again , p. 147. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c Vid. Sext. Emp. Adv. Math. p. 450 , 451 , &c. 462 , 463 , &c. a Spinoz . Op. Posthum . p. 36. b ●stendam — ad Dei naturam neque Intellectum neque Voluntatem pertinere . Ibid. p. 18. Vid. Etiam , p. 29. a Essay of Human Understand . p. 274 , 275 b Pag. 284. a Essay of Hum. Understand . p. 276. a Mich. 6. 8. Deut. 10. 12. 1 Sam. 15. 22. Psal. 50. 8.