Lib. VII. Of the Advancement of Learning. 221 



Necfum aninti dnbint^ verbis ea vincere, mngmim Geor.3. 



^amjit^ & attgujiit his addcrc rebus honorem. 



And fiirely if the purpofe be good in earned:, not to write at leifure, 

 that which men may read at leifure ; but really to inftruQ: and be a fub! 

 fidiary to Active life 5 thefe Ccorgichj of Man's Mind, ought to be had 

 in as great efteem with men, as thofe heroical portraitures of Virtue, 

 Goodneft, and Felicity, wherein fo much labour and coft hath been 

 beftowed. 



I. We will therefore divide Moral Philofophy, into two main and 

 Principal Kvoveledgcs i the one concerning the Exemplar or Image of Good ; 

 the other concerning, the Regiment and Culture of the Mind^ which we 

 are wont to call the Georgickjof the Mind: that defcribes the Nature 

 of Good'-, this prefcribes rules, howtofubdue and accommodate the 

 mind of Man thereunto. 



§ The Dodrine touching the Platform, which refpeds and defcribes 

 iht Nature of Good, coxmdtx^Goodtxthet Simple ox Compared, I (ay ei- 

 ther the kinds of Good, or the Degrees of Good. In the later of thcfe^ 

 thofe infinite Difputations and Speculations touchitrg the fupreme degree 

 of Good, which they term Felicity, Beatitude, the higheji good, (the 

 Doftrines of which were the Heathens Divinity) are by the Chriftian 

 Faith, taken away and difcharged. For as Arijlotle faith. That Toung ^^'^^•''W 

 men may be httppy, but not otherwife but by hope 5 Co muft we all, being 

 fo taught by Chriftian Faith, acknowledge our felves to be but chil- 

 dren and in our Minority 5 and think of no other felicity, than that 

 which is in hope of the future world. Freed therefore by happy fate 

 from this doftrine, which was the Heathens Heaven (wherein without 

 doubt, they attributed a higher elevation of man's Nature, than it was 

 capable of j for we fee in what a height of ftile Seneca writes, vere Mag- ^" ^^'^'^'- 

 num habere fragilitatem hominis, fecuritatem Dei) we may certainly 

 with lefs lo(s of Sobriety and Truth, receive for moft part the reft of 

 their enquiries concerning the doftrine of the Platform. As concern- 

 ing the Nature of Good Pofitive and Simple, (urely they have fet it out 

 in beautiful colours and drawn it to the life, upon excellent Tables j 

 ireprelenting with exaft diligence to the eye, the Forms, Po^ures, Kinds, 

 Affinities^ Parts, Subje&s, Provinces, Actions, Adminijirations of Fir' 

 tues and Duties. Nor do they fo leave the purfuit; for they have com » 

 mended and infinuated all thefe into the fpirit of man, with great 

 quicknels and vivacity of Arguments, and fvveetnefs, and beauty of 

 Perfwafions, yea and fortified and intrenched the fame fas much as 

 dilcourfe can do) againft corrupt and popular opinions and invafions. 

 As touching the nature of comparative good, they have alfo well hand- 

 led thatjin fetting down that triplicite Order ofGood^ in comparing con- 

 templative life rvith A&ive ^ in dijiinguifoing between virtue with reludta' 

 tio»,and virtue fetlcd by fccurity and confrmed:in the conjim and encounter 

 between honefiy andprofit 5 in the baUancing of virtue with virtue, to fee 

 rvhich preponderates other j and the like. So as this part touching the 

 Platform •■) I find excellently laboured, and that the ancients herein Have 

 (hewed themfelves admirable men : yet Co as the pious and painful di- 

 ligence 



