Religio jurisprudentis, or, The lawyer's advice to his son in counsels, essays, and other miscellanies, calculated chiefly to prevent the miscarriages of youth, and for the Orthodox establishment of their morals in years of maturity / per Philanthropum.

XV. De Otio & Negotio. Of Imployment and Idleness.

OTia dant vitia, is an old and true Say∣ing, that Idleness occasions Illness; wherefore learned Seneca was of Opinion, that praestat aliud agere quam nihil; that any Man had better do that that's not to pur∣pose, than to do nothing at all; to say truth, its scarce possible (in that Sense) for an intellectual Agent to be absolutely idle; for a Man awake, must needs talk, or move, or think and contrive Good or Ill; but we mean by Idleness, to be out of a Course of Employment one way or o∣ther, which is a dangerous Point of the Compass, and the Bane of most Men. In∣numerable are the Advantages of any sort of steddy Employment; it diverts a Man from mischievous and expensive Hazards; it refreshes his Mind with reflection on Pains and Time laudably spent and ac∣counted

for, besides the Profit Apprender, as our Sages call the getting of Money.

An idle Fellow can't tell what to be at next, which is a worse sort of Pain than a Fatigue or Toil at an Oar of Business. He can't properly be counted Idle, that is (for want of present Action) vigorously con∣triving what to do next, in the Province he has undertaken, the Italians say proverbi∣ally, Di me guard, &c. God defend me from that Man that has but one Thing (or Bu∣siness) to do; but I say, from a Man that has nothing at all to do, Libera me Domine. Absit, ut unquam mihi contingat vacare; said an excellent Divine of old, ss. God forbid that I should Ere be at Leasure; to wit, have nothing to do. No ingenuous Man in the World, in Health, and in the use of his Limbs, can pretend to be down∣right Idle; every body in the World may find enough to do to good purpose, and yet there are a sort of People that will pretend they have nothing to do in the Earth, which to a Man of Sense (and Health) is Non-sence. But it's a topping Point of Jurisprudence, to be very well employ'd, though it's every ones Duty to follow some or other Employment, for we came not into the World to be idle; that's both unnatural and immoral; every way unaccountable; and its a topping Point of Jurisimprudence (to be so far at a Loss at any

time, as) to contrive how to drive away our Time impertinently. Precious Time, the best Talent and Commodity we are intrusted withal. A Calling or Profession, be it what it will, that is not vicious, is an Honour to any Man in the World; the Grand Seignior himself, will pretend to make Arrows Heads, rather than not be intitulled to an Occupation; for all the French Monsieurs account it a mechanick and ungentile Business, to Trade, to Buy or sell by Retail, or to Merchandize; Only the Sword or long Robe are their laudable Callings and Non-pedantick. Our Brittain Jurisprudents are quite of another Opinion, ss. that it's Creditable or Repu∣table to be Characteriz'd by a Profession, that any authentick Calling is better than to be a Gentleman at Large, without the Badge or Distinction of a Profession; that it's an Obligation both natural and moral upon all Mankind to pretend to Business and Employment one way or other, be they never so Rich; that of Idleness comes no Goodness; that a Jurisprudent is most honourable; that a Physitian more profita∣ble, and that Astronomers, Poets, and Phi∣losophers most commonly the most indigi∣gent. Agreeable to the old Apothegm, viz. Dat Gallenus opes; dat Justinianus Ho∣nores, Astronomus, Logicus semper egenus erit. Physick gives Wealth, but the Law more

Honour; Philosophy makes Poor; that a plump Employment with a narrrow Fund is more eligible than a plump Patrimony without a plausible Profession, which keeps a Man out of Harms-way, and administers high Satisfaction of Mind, if not Encrease of Fortunes, the Want whereof, exposes Men to infinite Hazards and Temptations, Frustra fit potentia, say Logitians, quae non traducitur in actum, that is, a Qualification is frustrameous and insignificant, unless the principle or accomplishment exert it self into Practise consonant to the old A∣dage; Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc sciat alter.

It is to no purpose to know, Unless with it you somewhat do.

Adam the Protoplast was a Gardner or Husbandman, Abel a Shepherd, and King David too, before inaugurated and espous∣ed a greater Profession of Protection and Government of Israel. Nor was it any re∣al Reflexion (though intended so by the scornful Jews) upon Joseph of Arimathea that he was a Carpenter, and used a Trade. So did the grand Apostle St. Paul himself, make Net-works, and makes Ma∣nufacture, or a Trade, to be of Apostolical Injunction; and withal, declares such a Man as accounts himself above such a Dis∣pensation, not fit to Eat or Live. Let la∣••y Lurdans think or say what they will to

contrary. Not but that some Occupati∣ons or Professions exercise the Heads, and others the Hands or Feet, or both; but Negotiations, or a Method of Action, both Theoretical or Speculative, as well as Practicable, are not only Laudable, but necessary and expedient also, for the Be∣nefit as well of the Universality, as for the Individuality of Mankind. Drones are o∣dious among sensitive and abominable (•• fortiori) much more among Rational and Intellectual Agents. An idle Person be∣comes not only a Burthen to the World, but to himself too at last; the very Hea∣thens themselves were Orthodox in this Point, while they assure us unanimously, that,

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That is,

The Gods have order'd Sweat and Pains, To antecede Virtue and Gains. Whilst a lazy Lentulus may starve, Your busie men their Fortunes carve.

Non volat in buccas assa Columbatuas.

A roasted Pigeon ne're will fly Into their Mouths that gaping lye.

No Man in Health, can justifie himself to be totally out of all Imployment or Negotiati∣on; for there is not any Man whatever that's good for nothing, nor any thing in Nature, but is good for something; and may be useful and significant one way o••

to the Community of Mankind, as well as helpful to himself. Every Jurisprudent will betake himself to one or other Method of Action or Negotiation, whether it turn to an expected Account or not, though its confessedly a choice piece of Skill and Prudence, to make a proper Choice, and most adequate to his Genius and Accom∣plishments, for ex quolibet Ligno, non fit Mercurius. Mercury is not made of any Stick. Yet is it wholly unanswerable, and utterly unaccountable for a Man to be de∣stitute of any manner of Employment, Trade or Profession; though he be the greatest Dunce in the World, he must in Conscience, play one part or other, while he walks upon the Stage of mortality, for Totus mundus agit Histrioniam; the whole World acts, as we may say, an In∣terlude, and every numerical Person hath a Part to act among his Fellow Creatures. Non nobis nati sumus, said the Philosopher very judiciously, that no body alive was born only to serve himself, for as he goes on pergetically, and to purpose, Partem Patria, partem amici, partem parentes sibi vendicant; our Country, our Parents, our Friends do all very justly challenge a Share of us; which an idle Person little considers, but stupidly and uselesly sacrifices the whole Interest the World hath in him, to his own Net.

Ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcet.

Pride and Idleness commonly associate, and the best end commonly of them both, is Discontent and Beggery.