Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.

§. III.

Great benefit acknowledged to Moral Philo∣sophy, and the right use thereof directed in order to our solacing.

BY this redargution of the arragancies of meer Rationa∣lists, I do not purpose to reject the use of Moral Philo∣sophy, in this great work of consolation in distresses, but to rank it in a due order, ministring and subservient unto Grace; For when the peace of God, which passeth all understand∣ing, is seated as the Principal, then Moral Reasons are sitly received, as serviceable Accessaries to the Solace and Recrea∣tion of the minde: If we should first examine and try the Principles of Christian Religion, by the best extent of Hu∣mane Reason, we shall never accept the Mysteries of the Trinity from the single hand of Rational perswasion; But when we have pitched our belief of this Verity upon the Word of God, when our Faith hath carried our assent as high as Heaven upon her wing, from thence we may then de∣scend to the Orb of Reason, where Discourse affordeth us many Similitudes and Congruities, to open and illustrate

to our apprehension this Mystery, in such sort, as to bring it as it were within sight of Humane Reason, in some obscure and imperfect notion: So when we have first erected our expectance of confort and support upon the Divine station of Grace, then we may step downwards upon the paces and gradations of Reason, and finde there solidity of Re∣creation for our mindes whereupon to rest, walk and exer∣cise themselves; For then we use Moral Discourse, but as an Organ whereby God conveyeth to us the clarity and eluci∣dation of the nobleness of the soul, indued by his grace with this capacity of remaining impassive in all exterior violence.

In order to the illustrating this Position, the precepts of Philosophy come in the stronger, when they enter in their due places, unfolding to us the nature of the Universe, and spreading fairly before us the contempt of all Temporali∣ties, by divers detections of the infidelity of all things sublunary. Thus after the right marshalling of this Auxi∣liary succor, the more stock we have of Moral Philosophy, the more inlargement we may make of the Recreations of our Spirit, in these straights of our condition; For as a very learned Humanist, converted to Christianity, is the more able, by the means of this learning, to explicate and illu∣strate the Doctrine whereof he is perswaded: In like maner, after this first conviction of our mindes, touching the ne∣cessity of our primary recourse to Grace, for the rectitude and conformity of our hearts, they who are the most con∣versant with the Precepts of Reason and Philosophy, shall be the best qualified by these helps, for the amplification of their entertainments, and sweetning the Natural asperity of Solitude.

We must be sure then to fix this Principle in our thoughts, that all Humane Philosophy doth but the part of the wate•• of Sil••••, it doth but wash off the dirt of Ignorance from our eyes; it is the vertue of the superior direction, which send∣eth us to that sort of Application, which commandeth this

admirable effect; Reason is used by that supreme agent, to take off the foulness and impurity of terrestial objects from the eye of our Minde, and to open it into the speculation of vertue, but it is Grace which worketh the Miracle of this Serenity of Spirit, by these instrumental illuminations of Reason: As long then as Philosophy is kept onely as a hand-maid, with her eyes looking always upon the eye of her Mistress * 1.1 (which is Grace, the gift of God) so long she proveth very useful to her service; but where she is seated as single com∣mander of the family, all her specious precepts and dire∣ctions will prove (as the Apostle termeth them) but learned fables, when this practical office is required of them, to in∣state the minde in that regularity and apathy whereof they are so confident projectors.

Having setled this Maxime, as Disciples of the Psalmist, for the fundamental article of Spiritual composure, My soul, wait thou upon God, for from him is my patience; then * 1.2 the discoursings and arguments of Morality are proper stuff to adorn our mindes, that they remain not bare and naked, but furnished with convenient matter of meditation and entertainment: Humane literature may be used in this order, as Ceremonies are in Religion, which are requisite to excite and detain Devotion and Reverence in our Nature, that is affected much with sensible coverings of Spiritualities, which affording, as I may say, no hold for our Senses, our Mindes are not so easily staid and fixed in an attention upon such Duties; therefore such occupations of our Senses, are very pertinent towards the raising and arresting our Devo∣tion. In like maner the flowers and adornments of Moral Philosophy, are apt and serviceable for the affecting and entertaining our Imagination, by the gracefulness and ele∣gancy of their perswasions, which are very congruent with the nature of our Affections, that incline most to notions a little aspersed with sensible matter, and so are easiliest staid and quieted in such attentions, which hold our Spirits in a more cheerful application to the Arguments of rectified Reason.

In this order, Philosophy may be acknowledged to be a convenient discipline, belonging to the doctrine of Peace and Tranquility of Spirit, which is grounded in that pax vobi••; that cometh in like the Master of it resuscitated, not through * 1.3 the doors of Humane Reason; and then this peace useth dis∣course and argument, as Christ did his body, who in conde∣scendence to the weakness of the Faith of his Disciples, made them feel and handle it: So doth the Holy Spirit clothe his Grace with sensible Reasons, so correspondent to our Fan∣cies, as they do the easilier acquiesce unto them, and thus contribute to the mindes repose and regulation: Surely this is the proper function of literate elegancy, to figure vertue in so lively and fresh colours, that our imagination may be so taken with the beauty of vertue, as it may invite our mindes to make love to her in solitude; and in this suit our Reason may make good company, even out of all our wants and de∣solations, as imploying them to do us good offices to this Mistress, by their testimony of our patient acceptance of all sufferings, that may advance us in this pursuit, which nothing doth more then a temperate constancy in Distresses, wherein vertue loveth to try the fidelity of her servants: And thus we may make even Solitude prove our access and mediation to our love, whileg▪ we are in research and suit to vertue, for unto her we know it is confessed, that difficulties give the best introduction and entrance.

So that the uses of Philosophy are much improved by this their proper application, to illustrate the amiableness of ver∣tue; and by the gaining of our Fancy, to facilitate the sub∣jection of our Affections to our Reason, whereunto Hu∣mane learning conduceth in many respects; and it may not unaptly be said to be a kinde of Spiritual Heraldry that doth blazon the Arms of Natural Reason, shewing the genea∣logy and descent thereof from the Father of Lights, and marketh the affinities and alliances between Grace and Nature, keeping a Register of the Antiquity and Nobility of Moral Vertue, in the examples and precedents of all Times; and

in these respects is very pro••itable in all states, especially in Solitude, both to recreate and rectifie the minde of man.

And indeed nothing inableth us more for the best im∣provement of the stock of Philosophy, then having our wills first fastned unto Gods design upon us, before our un∣derstandings range abroad into the documents of Morality for exercise and recreation: Me thinks we may well be al∣lowed to apply these orders of the Temple of Solomon to our present Argument, and say as they, who by their conse∣cration were admitted into the holy place of the Temple, had liberty to come out, and entertain themselves in the out∣ward Courts of the Laye••y, and the station of Gentiles; but they who were not qualified by some holy Character, were not admitted into the inward part of the Temple, or the San∣ctuary: So they who have devoted first their Reason to the inscrutable Order of God, and have this Character of Christianity imprinted on them, may freely and usefully recreate their mindes in the outward Galleries of Philoso∣phy, where Humane Reason hath an inlargement and spa∣ciousness for the exercise and solace of the understanding; but if our Spirits are but of that rank which are without, in the arches of Philosophy, and conversant onely in the por∣ches of Moral Vertue, this constitution doth not sufficient∣ly qualifie our mindes for admission into the interior Sanctu∣ary of Peace and Tranquility of Spirit: So that all I have so much pressed, tendeth to perswade every one in this case of Distress, to begin, by devoting their mindes intirely to Gods Order, and to expect the liberty of their Spirits from the vertue of that Christian consecration; and in this me∣thod, all their studies and occupations in Humanity or Mo∣rality, will be like the Gold upon the Altar, which though it be noble by nature, yet was sanctified but by application to Divine uses, and so all Humane sapience (which though vertuous, is but secular) by this Dedication becometh Sa∣cred and Religious.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ephes. 2.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 61.
• * 1.3

  John 20.