A discourse about the state of true happiness delivered in certain sermons in Oxford,…A discourse about the state of true happinesse deliuered in certaine sermons in Oxford,…

My first reason is that Principle generally received with ⟨p. 64⟩all school Divines; and very sound and Orthodox in true Divinity. The iniquity, defect, or exorbitancy of any particular, of one circumstance, maketh an action evil: but an absolute integrity of all concurrents is required to make a good work acceptable to God, comfortable and profitable to a Christian: The end must be good, the glory of God; the action it self in it own nature must be just & warrantable; the circumstances honest and seasonable; the means direct and lawful; the fountain, the hart, sincere and sanctified. If this last be wanting especially, though otherwise it be never so gloriously conveyed, never so wisely managed, of never so goodly a show to the eyes of the world, yet it is not only marred and defaced, and no action of grace, but odious and abominable in the sight of God. The Moralists by the light of nature saw a truth proportionable to this, even in the actions of virtue: The truth and worth whereof they did censure and esteem, not by the bare outward action, but by the inward, free and independent uprightness of the mind: And therefore to an action truly virtuous they required a resolved knowledge, an irrespective and advised freedom of spirit, a constant and easy habit of the mind, an entire love to the fairness of virtue. So that whatsoever honest actions sprung from passion, humour, scare, respect, ambition or the like, they accounted virtuous and good, only by accident and occasion, not inwardly and essentially: whereupon they hold, that many great and honourable achievements of ancient Worthies amongst the Heathens, howsoever they were admirable in the eyes of men, and beneficial to the public State (for sometimes out of some sudden elevation of spirit, or pang of vain-glory, they were even prodigal of their lives and blood, for the good and deliverance of their country:) yet to the authors and actors themselves they were not the true works of virtue, but of ambition, and a desire of immortal fame. It is even so in the higher actions of grace and religion: Besides the outward performance, God requires sincerity of heart and truth in the inward parts, to make them gracious and ⟨p. 65⟩acceptable.

My first reason is that Principle generally receiued with ⟨p. 64⟩