in a Word, that Wisdom which fhall be Juftified of all her Children.

A Difcourfe concerning Righteous and Unrighteous Judg

ment.

Joh. 7. 24. Judge not according to the Appearance, but Judge Righteous Fudgment.

ΤΗ

HAT which the great Descartes makes neceffary to a Philofopher, is indeed no less fo to a Chriftian; to ftrip and deveft himself of all Prejudices and Partialities, to unravel all his former Sentiments, to unthink all his Pre-conceived Opinions, and fo reduce his Soul to the natural Simplicity of a Blank Table, and to the Indifferency of an even and well poised Ballance. For as it matters much in reference to our Actions, what our Sentiments and Judgments of things are (because we always act as at that prefent inftant we think,) fo does it to the Regularity and Uprightness of our Judgments what the Temper and Difpofition of

our

our Mind is. The Wife Ben-Sirach has long fince obferved,that Wisdom will not enter into a Polluted Spirit; and St. Paul, that the Animal Man perceives not the things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 14. There are it seems fome Moral as well as Natural Difpofitions of the Man that make the Soul unfit for Knowledge, and till these Scales fall off from her Eyes, fhe cannot fee. But the Pythagoreans went higher, and taught their Difciples, χωρισμὸν ἀπὸ τὸ σώματα πυρός τὲ καλῶς φιλοσοφείν, that they must separate and unwind them. felves even from their very Bodies, if they would be good Philofophers. This in a Qualified and Corrected Sence is true, for the Body is the great Impediment and Difadvantage of the Soul, and therefore all Bodily Paffions and Inclinations, as well as Intellectual Habits and Appetites must be put to Silence, in the ftill and Attentive Search and Inquiry after Truth. But to the present purpofe, it will be enough to remark, that Prejudices and Prepoffeffions as well as vitious Habits, a crofs Conftitution, and a grofs Texture of Blood and Spirits, do Cloud and Pervert the Understanding, and take away the Key of Knowledge. This is that Veil which (as the Apostle complains,) 2 Cor. 3. 4. remain'd untaken away upon the Jews, in the Reading of the Old Teftament. And which hindered them from understanding it,

and

and made them ftand out in defiance against all the Divine Precepts and Convincing Works of the Son of God, whofe Divinity through this Veil of Prejudice they could not difcern. It was a greater hindrance to them in diftinguishing the Character of his Perfon, than the Veil of his own Flefh was, or the Mystery of the Incarnation. This therefore must be removed by the Chriftian as well as by the Philofopher, and the Soul must be Purged before it can be enlightened; Freed from Prejudices and falfe Appearances before it can be from Errors and Misapprehenfions. Without this Purity of Heart, there will be fo little Clearnefs of Head, that let our Parts ftand upon never fo great Advantages, either of Art or of Nature, we shall neither be right in our Determinations of things, nor juft in our Censure of Perfons; neither Wife in our Difcourfes, nor Righteous in our Sentences; we fhall neither maintain Truth nor Charity. All which is briefly Intimated and fummarily Contained in this Admonition of our Saviour to the prejudiced and partially affected Jews, Fudge not according to the Appearance, but Fudge Righteous Judgment.

In Difcourfing upon which Words, I fhall First of all Inquire, what it is in general to Judge according to Appearance?

Secondly, Whether all Judging according to Appearance, be opposed to Judging Righ

teous

teous Judgment, and confequently here forbidden?

fo?

Thirdly, If all be not, which it is that is

Laftly, I fhall fhew the great Reafonableness and Neceffity of the Precept, and Conclude.

I begin with the firft Inquiry, what it is in general to Judge according to Appearance. Now this will be best known,by confidering the import of the Terms feverally. By Judg ing therefore, is properly understood that action of the Mind which either joins the Attribute with the Subject, or separates it from it. Or to fpeak lefs Artificially, and more to Common Apprehenfion, which either affirms or denies one thing of another. By Appearance, I understand the Reprefen. tation of the Object to the Mind, with its Motives and Arguments, true or falfe, in order either to affent or diffent. So that to Judge according to Appearance, is in other Words to affirm or deny one thing of another, upon the reprefentation of certain Arguments or Motives, to Believe, Think, or to be Affured that a thing is fo or fo, upon fuch and fuch Grounds; and fo it takes in the Three-fold kind of Affent, and that in all the variety of Degree, Faith, Opinion, and Science, with this only difference between them, that whereas Faith and Opinion do

not

not neceffarily fuppofe a firm Foundation, but are indifferent to due and undue Appearances, (for a Man may believe and think upon falfe as well as upon good Grounds.) Science does always fuppofe a due and regular Appearance of the Object, and cannot proceed but upon fufficient Grounds.

And this I think fufficient in Answer to the First Question; I proceed therefore to inquire, Secondly, whether all Judging according to Appearance, be oppofed to judging Righteous Judgment, and confequently here forbidden. But we need not inquire long about it, for 'tis most certain that all is not; for if it were, there could than be no fuch thing as that Righteous Judgment which our Saviour Commands, and therefore Suppofes. Nay, there could be no fuch thing as Judging at all, because all manner of Judg. ment is grounded upon the Appearance of things, and without fome motive of Perfwafion, fome fhew of Truth, no Man can in any degree be Perfwaded. For the Underftanding can no more be determined without an Appearance of Truth, than the Will can without an Appearance of Good: And confequently 'tis as abfurd, that all Judging according to Appearance fhould be Criminal, as that all Willing according to Appearance fhould be fo. For then indeed all manner of Judgment would be Unrighteous,and

a