The academy of true wisdom:, or, The school of vertue. Wherein, one is your master even Christ ... : A work lately compil'd, and brought to its ultimate perfection, / by J.W.

A Check to MAN.

O Ungrateful man! hast thou not justly deserv'd these dreadful effects of my heavy indignation and Wrath? for in the ve∣ry exordium of the World I created thee to my own Image and likeness; I have instru∣cted

thee in the Law of nature which thou wert to observe, and to regulate thy actions by the dictates and Maxims thereof. I have also printed the dictamen of Reason in thy Soul, that thou might'st thereby discern be∣twixt good and evil, truth and falshood, the Creature and thy Creator: But thou ungrate∣ful Wretch, and most unworthy of such extra∣ordinary favours, hast from the very begin∣ning shaken off my Yoak, broke my Chains, and hast declar'd openly that thou wouldst no longer live submissive to my decrees, no longer obey my Commands, neither wouldst thou serve so good and so bountiful a Master, but be a Tenant at will, to embrace whate∣ver was most pleasant to thy brutish passions, and most charming to thy rebellious inclina∣tions; wherein thou hast transgress'd the a∣greement that had pass'd betwixt us, broken the Contract, violated the Law, and hast cancel'd thy bonds wherewith thou hadst bound thy self; and thy Descendents to the World's end, to live upright, faithful, and obedient to my Will, and to my Commands for ever: And what was it that engag'd thee to incur the guilt of so horrid a crime? the fear only of displeasing thy silly Wife, O in∣gratitude never to be paralell'd! What, must a foolish and phantastical creature be honor'd and obey'd? rather then I, who am thy Om∣nipotent

God, and Creator. I produc'd thee with (a faciamus only) out of the bowels of the Earth, to make thee happy for an Eterni∣ty with the perpetual fruition and vision of my divine Essence; but thou hast perferr'd before so immense and unspeakable a blessing, a created Good, vile in it's self, tho' plea∣sant to the eye, and sweet to the taste, and what was it? 'Tis an eternal shame, and an infinite disgrace for all mankinde to hear in mention'd; 'twas no less, then to postpone me, the Fountain of life, and all my Glory, for a Trifle, an Apple. Heavens are you not asto∣nish'd! that a reasonable man should make so unreasonable and silly a choice. Thy incum∣bent duty, and indispensable obligation was to adhere unto me all thy life, and to place all thy happiness in me, who am, and ought to be, thy first and last end; but thou instead thereof, hast scatter'd thy affections amongst vain, frail and transitory things, and to com∣pleat thy misfortune, thou hast plung'd thy self into many several, and most abominable Idolatries. I gave thee express orders, to deal with thy Neighbour as thou wouldst thy self be dealt with, and to do him no more injury then to thy self; yet thou hast done the con∣trary a thousand times, and hast been refra∣ctory to that, as well as to all the rest of my commands. And alas! 'tis too common a

distemper with all mortals, for they deceive one another in weight, measure, rule, signs, words, and tokens. I have commanded thee to practise those famous precepts of the De∣calogue, which are binding as well by the Law of Nature, as by the very dictates of natural reason, and thou hast transgress'd them all without the least Scruple, or remorse of conscience, so that thou hast corrupted thy Soul in all thy ways, and hast made thy self abominable by thy manyfold iniquitys, by thy hatred, by thy thieving, by thy high-way robbing, thy extortion, and oppression of the poor; thou mak'st nothing of murdering thy Neighbours, & depriving them as well of their worldly substance, as of their reputati∣on, and good name; Adultery, and even Sins against nature, are no more with thee, then venial Sins; so that being by thy Crea∣tion the best, and the most noble of all ani∣mals; thou hast made thy self a Beast, and more vile then the worst of Brutes, by sub∣mitting thy self wholly to the most unruly passions of thy Sensualitys, & lustful desires; In fine, all Creatures cry out against thee for revenge of so many, and such great injuries, which thou hast done to thy Creator.

Notes

• Gen. 2.7.