Observations, censures, and confutations of notorious errours in Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan and other his bookes to which are annexed occasionall anim-adversions on some writings of the Socinians and such hæreticks of the same opinion with him / by William Lucy ...

Sect. 2.

First, then, suppose all, he saith here were true; that our knowledge of heaven were nothing but a belief &c. yet it ought to perswade more then any motive can be brought to regulate our actions with; which will ap∣peare, first, out of the nature of the happinesse compared with others; next out of the evidence it hath from the nature of happinesse; for it is an eternal happin••sse, a spiritual bappin••sse; an eternal happinesse, therefore more to be desired then any temporal felicity whatso∣ever: the content that a man hath in this life is but for this life, and this life is so momentary, that there is no man hath assurance of one daye's delay in it; and let him who hath lead a life in an affluence of all this world's goods, think what he is the better for them on his death-bed; what will it profit a man to gaine the whole world, and lose his own Soul? yea all his felicity past add's but to his misery; he may say, fuimus Troes, &c. but hath with it a miserum fuisse; he cannot choose but sit down by the waters of Babylon, and weep, when he remem∣bers the Sion of happinesse, which he hath lost, but can∣not now enjoy. I will not drench my self in this com∣mon place of the frailnesse, weaknesse, and vanity of this world's pleasure: It is evident, in respect of eternity, it

is as nothing, so that then, upon the proposal of such a question, whether had you rather enjoy this world's felicity, whilst you live, or eternal happinesse hereafter? the an∣swer must needs be, as if it were proposed, whether had you rather have the possession of an estate for a day, or an In∣heritance for ever? and as a man would say to that, I care not for this possession a day, it is of no moment; so must a man's judgement conclude; this life is nothing; it is but a day, not that certaine; I am not made hap∣py by any thing which can be added to me this day, but for hereafter; and the notion of eternity doth so fill the ap∣petite of man, and hath such a conveniency with it, as he cannot choose, if he ponder in his Soul the excel∣lency of it, but desire and embrace it.

Notes

• What a per∣swasive the na∣tural know∣ledge, or be∣liefe we have of eternal hap∣pinesse, is to withdraw us from our opi∣nion of tempo∣ral felicity.