Caufe, (and indeed no other could have been imagined, if the Scripture had not revealed the Redemption by the Blood of Jefus.) But the Jews in Jo.6.28. (When they propound that Queftion, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?) take it for granted, That Works (of fome kind or other) are the cau fes of Happiness. Poffibly fome impreffion of that Notion (while it was a Truth, as in the ftate of Innocency it was,) may yet remain upon our Natures, though by the Fall, the Cafe is altered with us.

Secondly, The Mind is byaffed by bodily temper,and complectional ~ inclination; the varieties of Complections, introduce varieties of Humours, and Difpofitions: and the Understanding (being neceffitated to look through these, as so many coloured glasses,) is apt to judge,(that is to mif-judge)according to the mif-reprefentation of Objects.

Thirdly, Sometimes habitual acquirements have the fame influence upon the Understanding, that Natural humours have. The Arts and Sciences we ftudy, our ways of Education and Imployment, are but fo many prejudicate præpoffeffions that do fecretly taint the Mind.

Fourthly, There are alfo accidental inclinations, which (though not cuftomary) have the force of a fecond Nature, because their working is violent and impetuous, and these which are from a wounded Confcience, or exceffes of Melancholy, have a byafs more than ordinary; they lay violent Hands upon the Understanding, and with a mighty Torrent run it down. So that if an Errour be offered, that is fuitable to fuch fears, or misapprehensions, it can scarce mifs of fuccefs. The extraordinary turbulencies of fome other Paffions; as Anger, Love, &c. have the like Effect.

Fifthly, Vitious Habits do fo much byafs the Mind, that the Understanding muft needs be defiled by them. Nothing can more prepare the Mind to a wicked Errour, than a wicked Life. An Errour of Indulgence (being fo grateful to Corruption) may readily find favour with the understandings of thofe that know not to do good, because they have accustomed themselves to do evil.

Sixthly, There are External things that have no lefs power on the Understanding, than any of the fore-going; and these are Ca ftom, Education,and Intereft; thefe ftick fo clofe, and work fo fubtily, that though there are few that are not (in difputable cafes) influenced by them, yet none are able, or willing to take notice,

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how, and by what fteps they do engage them to pafs Sentence againft Truth. And indeed, that Man muft have a fingular measure of fufpicious Watchfulness, and clear Integrity, that is not deceived by them. And the best way to keep clear of the mischief that these may do us, is to be fevere in our fufpitions, on that fide to which Custom and Intereft have their tendencies.

Seventhly, I might Note, that there is fomething confiderable to this purpose, in the nature of Spirits. Some Spirits are. unfixed, and volatile; and these are soon altered by their own unfreadiness. Others are tenacious and unflexible; and if such be first fet wrong, 'tis not an eafie thing that will reduce them to Truth. Others are foft and ductile, perfwaded by good words as foon as Arong arguments. And again, fome are of fuch a rough, sowre, contradictious temper, that they will fooner chufe to run wrong, than comply with the perfwalions of thofe that offer Truth, even for that reafon, because they are perfwaded to it; fo that the Truth which (if none had minded them) they of themselves would have embraced, they will now refuse when 'tis preffed upon them, out of a crofs and thwarting humour, because they hate nothing more than to do as they are bidden.

To come a little nearer, Let us confider how these things fhew their Power upon the Mind, to fway and incline it. 'Tis indeed true, That in things that are clearly and strongly propounded to the understanding, it cannot but judg according to the evidence of Truth; and cannot be guided by the Will, to judg contrary: the Will (though in things purely fpeculative, it may retain nay, its averfenefs; as alfo in things Practical, while they are confidered only, as what may be done, before the Understanding hath. come up to its final refolve, determining, that fuch things must, or ought to be done) cannot but follow the light and information of the Understanding, and that according to the Proportion of its Tantum quifConviction;, fo that though in fome Cafes, a Man would have que vult, quanthings otherwise than he believes them to be: yet, he cannot tum intelligit believe what he will, neither can he refufe to will what is certain fe velle debere. ly reprefented to be good and neceffary. Notwithstanding all this, the fore-mentioned Particulars may fo byafs the Mind, that it fhall not act truly and fteadily; as we may fee in these three Particulars.

First, In things clearly demonftrated to the Understanding; though the Will cannot directly oppofe, nor prevail to have them

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judged false, yet it can indirectly hinder the procedure of the Intellectus fe- understanding, and divert it from fixing its confideration upon the tatem quoad Truth; or from working it felt into pofitive determinations, for exercitium, bringing it into Practice. Thus, many that cannot but believe non quoad fpe- there is a God, and that his Law is true; being byaffed by cificationem. their Lufts, the power of Pleafures, or Intereft, &c. do prevail

upon their understandings, to take up other Objects of confideration; fo that they are faid to forget God, and to caft his Commandments behind their backs: as alfo,not to remember their latter-end, though they cannot but believe, that they fhall dye. Truth may be imprisoned, and fettered, where it cannot be flain. We read of holding the Truth in Unrighteousness, Rom. 1. 18. Which was this, That thofe Heathens (of whom the Apoftle speaks) by reafon of their vitious Inclinations and Practices; though they could not obliterate thofe notices of Equity and Religion that were imprinted on their Minds; yet, they kept them at under, ( as Captives in a Dungeon) and suffered them not to rife up in a juft practical improvement. Now the wrong that is done to Truth this way, is not only, by rendring it unfruitful and useless at prefent, but hereby the Devil hath his advantage in the gaining of time, to gather together more Forces against that Truth; and by frequent onfets of contrary Arguings; (efpecially upon the advantage of the Minds indifferency, and remiffness, begot by long and often Diversions,) to let another face upon it, and by degrees to over-turn former Perfwafions. This was the very Cale of the Heathens, in the place last cited; who being fir fwayed by their Impieties, became unwilling to give way to those Dictates of Light and Juftice which they had; and having thus gratified their Lufts, the Devil further prevailing with them, to find evafions from the power of thofe Truths, they began to make unfuitable Inferences from these Premises, which they could not deny, and fo became fottish and vain in their reasonings, changing the glory of the uncorruptible God, into an Image made like unto corruptible Man. And by fuch practices against Truth, they at last changed the Truth into a Lye, verf. 25. and at longrun obliterated the knowledg of God out of their Minds. This is Satan's old Method of over-turning Truth at last, by diverting the Mind from receiving the prefent powerful Impreffions of thofe Principles.

Secondly, Eut in things doubtful, where there is not a clear

certainty,

certainty, what is Truth? but contrary Opinions firive with fuch equal confidence, that 'tis difficult to determine which hath the Conqueft; there the Mind may be fo fwayed by its byafs, that it may give approbation to Errour: nay, where upon a fair and indifferent tryal, Truth hath the greater appearance of ftrength; and Errour nothing else, than little shadows or appearances of Reason to fhelter it felt under; yet, that way may the mind be inclined by the aforesaid things. We have a more eafie and facile belief for what we would have, than for what we would not. Though there is nothing more noted by common experience than this, that Men are ufually drawn afide by Humours, Inclinations, Interefts, and Education, &c. to judg well of that which an unprejudiced perfon would eafily fee to be weak, unjuft, ridiculous, or unreafonable: yet, how these confiderations and tempers do exert their force upon the Understanding to draw it into a compliance; or by what fecret Art they can heighten Probabilities, and leffen Objections; or by what infenfible progress they move, that Men thus carried do not perceive that they are under fuch a force, is not fo very difcernible. How often may we observe, Men (that are rational enough, to discover the pitiful shifts, and poor allegations of others,) with fuch gravity and confidence (where their own Interests are concerned) to offer fuch low reafonings, and extravagant impertinences, that all that hear them, are ready to laugh at their folly; and yet they themfelves entertain no less than perfwafions of the invincibleness of their Arguings? they fo eagerly defire what they would establish, that they think any thing is enough to juftifie it; and are apt to imagine that their shifts and excufes appear as ftrong to others, as to them-felves. I have known some, that by the fway of Interest, have changed their Opinions in Religious Matters, and have really. become otherwise perswaded, than they had been formerly, (and not as fome, whofor advantage will knowingly take up what they cannot believe to be true,) and have not been able to fay, That they have met with new Arguments, or new Answers to Objections; but, I know not how, Arguments, which they had contem ned, and laid by for weak, began to look big upon them: the Arguments by which their former Perfwafion was upheld, grew infenfibly feeble in their hands; the one revived, gathered firength, after they had a little cherished them, by thinking there might be fomething in them, though before they knew all the Particu

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lars, and could not inftance in any thing which they had not formerly notified and anfwered; and the other fort of Arguments grew weaker and weaker, till at laft they parted with all good conceit of them; fo that fuch a change was but as the turning of the Tables: that which acted behind the Curtain, and wrought this change of the Fancy, could be no other than fome of the forementioned things that byaffed their Mind; for where the Arguments, pro and con were the fame, the alteration of Opinion (where Men are not fo wicked as to go directly against their own Light,) muft of neceffity be imputed to the different pofitions of external things, and the different humours and inclinations begot by them: Even as the different ftations of Men in the profpect of fome Pictures, reprefent them variously, one way they give the fhape of a beautiful face; another way, they exprefs the ugly deformity of a Devil: or as different reflections of the Sun-beams upon the fame Object, cloath it with feveral colours. The Scripture doth alfo give us notice of this advantage which the Devil takes from the inclinations of Men, to lead them into mistakes. That of Mic. 2. 11. (If a man walking in the Spirit of falfhood, do lye, faying, I will prophefte unto thee of Wine, and of strongdrink, be fhall even be the Prophet of this People) hath this for its Foundation, that let the Errour be never fo grofs and palpable; (as if a Man should prophelie a liberty for Drunkenness,) if it be fuitable to the way of peoples humours, it will readily enough be embraced, He fhall be a Prophet to this People: that is, fuch a Prophet will eafily prevail with fuch a People, their vitious inclinations fit them for any impreffion of a fuitable Errour. The Apostle Paul alfo found this too true in the Herefies of his own times: for he tells us, That Seducers had learned that cunning from the Devil, to draw Men to Errour, by the fway of their Lufts; 2 Tim. 3.6. They creep into honfes, and lead Captive filly Women laden with Sins, and led away with divers Lufts. As alfo, 2 Tim. 4. 6. He prophefies of the future ufe of this Stratagem; After their own Lufts shall they heap to themselves Teachers. So that the ufual prevalency of Errour, was, and is, from the under-ground-working of Lufts, Humours,Habits, and Inclinations; which make Men willing to entertain an Opinion, which can but gratifie them with a fuitableness, or fitness.

Thirdly, Where the fore-mentioned Particulars of Inclination, natural, or acquired Humours, Custom, Education, &c. do neither