Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

though this distinction of good and evil be deeply and indelebly engraven on the hearts of all men, as a native and necessary result of the faith of the being of God, as the supreme rectitude. 4ly. That there are no ultra-mundane, or eternal rewards or punishments, nor any beyond or beside these that are bestowed or inflicted by the Civil Power in this present life; though from the beginning of the world, throughout all ages, experience hath given in full demonstrative▪ & undeniable evidence, that men have been mightily impelled and encouraged to do good by the hope of future eternal rewards, and proportionably restrained, pulled back, and deterred from doing evil, by the fear of future and eternal punishments; If (I say) we once suppose these things, we quite ruin and r•ze the great foundations▪ not only of revealed and supernatural, but also of natural Religion; without which it is impossible, that government amongst men, can have any sure or firm basis to rest on; but must needs, according to the prevalency of their self-interests, crumble into pieces, and end in Anarchy and Confusion. It is not altogether unworthy of remark here, that Hobbs runneth quite cross to the dictates of famed Matchiavel, that prodigy of profound policy, though but a very coarse Divine, who labours much in his Prince to persuade Sovereign Civil Powers of the necessity and advantage, for the supportance of government, ⟨image 14⟩of dissembling and pretending at least, a great regard and veneration to Religion; in comparison of whom, the other is but an impolitic Puny, and a far worse divine, even (if it involved not a repugnancy) a diabolic one.

though this distinction of good and evil be deeply and indelebly engraven on the hearts of all men, as a native and necessary result of the faith of the being of God, as the supream rectitude. 4ly. That there are no ultra-mundan, or eternal rewards or punishments, nor any beyond or beside these that are bestowed or inflicted by the Civil Power in this present life; though from the beginning of the world, throughout all ages, experience hath given in full demonstrative▪ & undenyable evidence, that men have been mightily impelled and encouraged to do good by the hope of future eternal rewards, and proportionably restrained, pulled back, and deterred from doing evil, by the fear of future and eternal punishments; If (I say) we once suppose these things, we quite ruine and rze the great foundations not only of revealed and supernatural, but also of natural Religion; without which it is impossible, that government amongst men, can have any sure or firm basis to rest on; but must needs, according to the prevalency of their selfinterests, cromble into pieces, and end in Anarchy and Confusion. It is not altogether unworthy of remark here, that Hobbs runneth quite cross to the dictats of famed Matchiavel, that prodigie of profound policy, though but a very coarse Divine, who labours much in his Prince to perswade Soveraign Civil Powers of the necessity and advantage, for the supportance of government,