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J. D. THE rest are umbrages quickly dispelled, first, the Astrologer steps up, and subjects Liberty to the motions of Heaven, to the as∣pects and ascensions of the Starrs,
—Plus etenim fati valet hora benigni. Quam si nos Veneris commendet epistola Marti.
I stand not much upon them who cannot see the fishes swimming besides them in the rivers, yet believe they see those which are in heaven. Who promise great treasures to others, and beg a groat for themselves. The Starrs at the most, do but incline, they cannot necessitate.
Secondly, the Physitian subjects liberty to the complexion and temperature of the body. But yet this comes not home to a necessity. So∣crates, and many others by assiduous care have corrected the pernicious propensions, which flowed from their temperatures.
T. H. IN the rest of his discourse he reckoneth up the opinions of certain professions of men, touching the causes, wherein the necessity of things, which they maintain, consisteth. And first he saith, the Astrologer deriveth his necessity from the Starrs. Secondly, that the Physician attributeth it to the temper of the body. For my part, I am not of their opinion, because neither the Starrs a∣lone, nor the temperature of the Patient alone is able to produce any effect without the concur∣rence of all other agents. For, there is hardly any one action, how casuall soever it seem, to the cau∣sing whereof concur not whatsoever is in rerum natura. Which because it is a great Paradox, and depends on many antecedent speculations I do not press in this place.
J. D. TOwards the later end of my discourse I an∣swered some specious pretences against liber∣ty, The two first were of the Astrologer and the Physician. The one subjecting liberty to the motions and influences of the heavenly bodies; The other to the complexions of men. The sum of my answer was, that the Starrs and comple∣xions do incline, but not at all necessitate the will. To which all judicious Astronomers and Physicians do assent. And T. H. himself doth not dissent from it. So as to this part there needs no reply.
But whereas he mentions a great paradox of his own, that there is hardly any one action to the causing of which concurres not whatsoever is in rerum natura, I can but smile to see with what ambition our great undertakers do affect to be accounted, the first founders of strange opinions, as if the devising of an ill grounded Paradox were as great an honour as the inven∣tion of the needle, or the discovery of the new world. And to this Paradox in Particular, I meddle not with naturall actions, because the subject of my discourse is morall liberty; But if he intend not only the kinds of things, but eve∣ry individuall creature, and not onely in natu∣rall but voluntary actions, I desire to know how Prester John, or the great Mogol, or the King of China, or any one of so many millions of their subjects do concur to my writing of this reply. If they do not among his other speculations, con∣cerning this matter, I hope he will give us some
restrictions. It were hard to make all the Ne∣groes accessary to all the murthers that are com∣mitted in Europe.