: fall to his Share. Thofe things then which are preoccupy'd by the Choice of other Men, belong to the Choofers, and cannot juftly be taken from them therefore he that covets them would have what is not his due : i. e. endeavours by an undue Election to rob others of their Right. This is to be referr❜d in an efpecial Manner to fuch things as are pre-occupy'd by the Choice of the Deity; for these are to be esteem'd by all as facred and prohibited nor can any one meet with Succefs that opposes himself to God, and chooses what God dilapproves. For what God wills muft neceffarily come to pafs, but God wills the Happinefs of all Men as far as it is poffible; therefore he that offends unneceffarily against the Happiness of any one, is fuppos'd to offend against Gol, and to choose what is not his due. When Natural V. Fifthly, On this account it is unlawful for Fifthly, us to defire those things which are hurtful to our- thofe felves or others. By hurtful things I understand things thofe that lead to natural Evils, viz. fuch as are which prejudicial to the Body or Mind. It appears from tend to what has been faid, that things please us becaufe Evils, are they are chofen, but Reafon perfuades us to ab- chofen ftain from fuch Elections as may prove pernicious without to our own Minds, or thofe of others, or fuch as defraud the Appetites unneceffarily for we owe a Gratification to thefe Appetites, when it can be procured without greater Detriment. Therefore an Election opposed to thefe gratis, and without any reafon, must be judg'd an undue one, becaufe Bb 3 it the Ne ceflity. it deprives us of the due Enjoyment of our Appetites. (W.) SECT, NOTES. (W.) It has been objected, that 'tis a Contradiction for God to create fuch a Faculty as is above defcrib'd, and yet that it fhou'd choose amifs: for what can be amifs to a Faculty that can make every thing good by choofing it? But the answer is plain, the Faculty is not fo indifferent but it has Limitations, and he that has limits certainly does amifs by tranfgreffing them. Tho' there is a natural Power in the Will to choose a thing in oppofition to all its natural Appetites and the dictates of the Understanding, and hereby to give itself fome degree of pleafure for the time, and we fee that it fometimes doth fo; yet the Evils that proceed from fuch an exorbitant exercife of this noble Faculty plainly fhew that it ought not to have done fo; and the Author never faid or imagin'd any one would think he meant that Wisdom and Prudence were ufelefs to fuch an Agent, or that he ought not to regulate the exercife of this Faculty fo as to prevent its choofing impoffible abfurd or inconfiftent things, or the clafhing of his Choices with his natural Appetites and their Satisfaction. A King must have a Power to punish his wicked Subjects with Death, and to reward those that deferve it with Honours and Riches: if he had not this Power, he could not govern. But fhall he therefore kill the innocent and fquander away his Favours on the unde ferving? So a Man has Free-will by which he may choose Objects, and gratify himself in the Choice; doth it therefore follow that he may choofe things impoflible, things beyond his power, or contrary to his natural Appetites ? Yet if he had not this natural Power to choofe, he could no more be happy than a Prince could govern that had not the Power of Rewards and Punishments. SECT. IV. How it is poffible for us to fall into undue 'T' ways. L IS difficult to comprehend, as was faid be- This is fore, how one can fall fhort of Happi- done five nefs who has it in his Power to pleafe himfelf, yet if he choose in the foregoing Manner, or the like, he muft neceffarily fail of his Choice, and his Appetite be fruftrated, i. e. he must be unhappy. But how is it poffible, you'll fay, that any one fhould make fuch a Choice? I anfwer, This may proceed first, from Error or Ignorance. Secondly, from Inadvertency or Negligence. Thirdly, from Levity. Fourthly, from a contracted Habit. Fifthly, from other Appetites implanted in us by Nature. Not that the Will can be determined by thefe or any thing else which is external; but that from hence it takes an handle and occafion of determining itself, which it would not have had otherwife. II. First, As to the firft of thefe, we have pro- Firt, By ved before that we are liable to Errors and Igno- Error or rance; and that this is to be reckon'd among the culpable natural Evils. When therefore we are forc'd to Ignorance. choose among things not fufficiently known, our Errors are not to be charg'd upon us, nor is it credible that God will fuffer them to prove fatal to Bb 4 † See Locke's Chapter of Power, §. 57, &c. us. Secondly, gence. us. But when we are under no manner of Neceffity, an Election often prefents itself to us in Matters fufficiently understood, and then we hurry on without a strict and careful Enquiry, and choose Impoffibilities, &c. and therefore are not entirely free from Fault, fince we ought to deliberate and examine things before Election. III. Secondly, Thefe undue Elections therefore By Negli happen thro' Inadvertency, for by due Care we might perceive the Good and Evil which is in Objects; but being negligent and fupine, we are frequently impofed upon, and fuffer for our Negligence, by falling into the foremention'd Inconveniencies. Indul gence to cife of Election. Thirdly, IV. As to the Third, Since the Pleasure of a By giving free Agent confifts in Election, 'tis no wonder that too great he gives himself as large a Scope as he can in the Exercife of it. Neither will it be any thing furthe Exer- prifing, if in this full Exercife of Elections, he fometimes tranfgrefs the Bounds prefcrib'd him by God and Nature; and light upon fome things which are attended with no very profperous Iffue, (viz. Abfurdities and Impoffibilities) fince he will attempt every thing. For he pleases himself in the Trial, tho' he be unfortunate in the Event; but this is no Excufe; for every one is obliged to take care of himself, left he be too fond of indulging new Elections, and from Levity become unduely offenfive to himself or others. Fourthly, Habit. V. Fourthly, We fee that frequent Choice By Obfii. creates an Habit; this feems to proceed from hence,' nacy, or a that as we delight in an Election often repeated, we are easily induc'd to hope that the fame Pleafure will always follow the fame Act, whereupon we grow fupine and negligent, and difregard the Alterations of things; and he that does this may eafily eafily fall into fuch Elections as will not be attended with Succefs. Befide, 'tis difficult for us to change those Elections, the Delight of which is fix'd and, as it were, riveted in the Mind by frequent Experiment: Yet we are not excufable for rushing upon abfurd and impoffible things, in order to avoid the Uneafinefs attending the Change of Election. And if we fearch into the Cafe more narrowly, we shall find that molt undue Elections arife from this unfeafonable Perfeverance, all which come justly under the Cenfure of a culpable Obftinacy. Fithly, natural Appetites. VI. Fifthly, It has been often hinted, that we confift of a Soul and Body, that there are mutual- By the ly affected by each other, and that from hence va- importurious Appetites arife in us, fuch as the Preferva- nity of the tion of the Body, Defire of Offspring, and the like; and whatever is an impediment to thefe, that we esteem hurtful. If therefore we be not upon our Guard, we are hurried on by the Importunity of them to Abfurdities, or when we give a loose to our Elections, we grasp at fuch things as offer an unneceffary Violence to them: hence arife an immenfe train of Uneafineffes to ourtelves and others; hence comes Violence and Injury to our Nature and the Natural Appetites, to which we owe at leaft a moderate Indulgence: hereupon we rafl.ly and unlawfully feize thofe things that are pre-occupied by the Elections or Appetites of other Men; nay, are not fo cautious as to refrain from what is determin'd by the Will of God himself: from these and the like Occafions it happens that we abuse our Liberty, and by undue Elections bring natural Evils upon ourselves or others. For as we are endow'd with Liberty in thefe and the like Cafes, we may either use it according to the dictate of Rea fon, |