CHAP. III.] ETHICS SUBSERVIENT TO THEOLOGY. 283 



image or beautiful statue, without life or motion. Aristotle 

 expressly acknowledges as much, — " It is, therefore, neces- 

 sary," says he, " to speak of virtue, what it is, and whence it 

 proceeds ; for it were in a manner useless to know virtue, 

 and yet be ignorant of the ways to acquire her."^ Concern- 

 ing virtue, therefore, we must ascertain both what kind it is 

 and by what means it may be acquired ; for we desire a know- 

 ledge of the thing itself and the manner of procuring its 

 pleasures.^ And though he has more than once repeated the 

 same thing, yet himself does not pursue it. And so Cicero 

 gives it as a high commendation to the younger Cato, that 

 he embraced philosophy, not for the sake of disputing, as 

 most do, but of living philosophically.*' And though at pre- 

 sent few have any great regard to the cultivation and dis- 

 cipline of the mind and a regular course of life, as Seneca 

 phrases it, — " De partibus vitae quisque deliberat, de summa 

 nemo,"<^ — whence this part may appear superfluous, yet wci 

 cannot be persuaded to leave it untouched, but rather con- 

 clude with the aphorism of Hippocrates, that those who 

 labour under a violent disease, yet seem insensible of their 

 pain, are disordered in their mind. And men in this case 

 want not only a method of cure, but a particular remedy, to 

 bring them to their senses. If any one shall object, that the 

 cure of the mind is the office of divinity, we allow it ; yet 

 nothing excludes moral philosophy from the train of theo- 

 logy, whereto it is as a prudent and faithful hand-maid, 

 attending and administering to all its wants. But though, 

 as the Psalmist observes, " the eyes of the maid are per- 

 petually waiting on the hands of the mistress,"^ yet doubtless 

 many things must be left to the care and judgment of the 

 servant. So ethics ought to be entirely subservient to theo- 

 logy, and obedient to the precepts thereof, though it may 

 still contain many wholesome and useful instructions within 

 its own limits. And therefore, when we consider the 

 excellence of this part of morality, we cannot but greatly 

 wonder it is not hitherto reduced to a body of doctrine, 

 which we are obliged to note as deficient ; and shall there- 

 fore give some sketch for supplying it. 



And first, as in all cases of practice, we must here dis- 



• Eth. Mag. ad init, •* Mag. Moral, i. « Jur, Murwp. JCXX. OS 



* Epist. Uxi. § 1. « PaaU «ixii, 3. 



