Concerning the gods, some affirm, that there is no Deity : others, that he indeed exists ; but slothful, negligent, and without a Providence : a third sort admit both his Being and Providence, but only in great and heavenly Objects, and in nothing upon Earth : a fourth both in Heaven and Earth: but only in general, not Individuals: a fifth, like Ulysses and Socrates:
/O thou, who, ever present in my way,/ /Dost all my motions, all my toils survey./
It is, before all Things, necessary to examine each of these ; which is, and which is not, rightly said. Now, if there are no gods, how is it our End to follow them ? If there are, but they take no care of any thing; how will it be right, in this case, to follow them ? Or, if they both are, and take care ; yet, if there is nothing communicated from them to men, nor indeed to myself in particular, how can it be right even in this Case? A wise and good Man, after examining these things, submits his mind to him who administers the Whole, as good Citizens do to the Laws of the Commonwealth.
He, then, who comes to be instructed, ought to come with this intention: "How may I in every thing follow the gods? How may I acquiesce in the divine Administration ? And how may I be free ?" For He is free, to whom all happens agreeably to his Choice, and whom no one can restrain.
What! then, is Freedom Distraction ?
By no means : for Madness and Freedom are incompatible.
But I would have whatever appears to me to be right, happen; however it comes to appear so.
You are mad: you have lost your senses. Do not you know, that Freedom is a very beautiful and valuable Thing ? But for me to chuse at random, and for things to happen agreeably to such a Choice, may be so far from a beautiful thing, as to be, of all others, the most shocking. For how do we proceed in Writing ? Do I chuse to write the name of Dion (for instance) as I will ? No: but I am taught to be willing to write it, as it ought to be writ, And what is the case in Music? The same. And what in every other Art or Science? Otherwise, it would be to no purpose to learn any thing; if it was to be adapted to each one's particular humour. Is it then only in the greatest and principal point, that of Freedom, permitted me to will at random? By no means: but true instruction is this : learning to will, that things should happen as they do. And how do they happen ? As the Appointer of them hath appointed. He hath appointed, that there should be Summer and Winter ; Plenty and Dearth; Virtue and Vice ; and all such contrarieties for the harmony of the whole. To each of us he hath given a Body, and its Parts, and our several Properties, and Companions. Mindful of this appointment, we should enter upon a course of Education and Instruction, not to change the Constitutions of Things ; which is neither put within our reach, nor for our good ; but that, being as they are, and as their nature is with regard to us, we may have our mind accommodated to what exists. Can we, for instance, fly Mankind ? And how is that possible? Can we, by conversing with them, change them ? Who hath given us such a Power ? What then remains, or what Method is there to be found for such a commerce with them, that while /they/ act agreeably to the Appearances in their own minds, /we/ may nevertheless be affected conformably to Nature ? But you are wretched and discontented. If you are alone, you term it a Desart ; and if with Men, you call them Cheats and Robbers. You find fault too with your Parents, and Children, and Brothers, and Neighbours. Whereas you ought, when you live alone, to call that a Repose and Freedom ; and to esteem yourself as resembling the gods : and when you are in Company, not to call it a Crowd and a Tumult, and a Trouble; but an Assembly, and a Festival; and thus to take all things contentedly. What, then, is the punishment of those who do not? To be just as they are. Is any one discontented with being alone ? Let him be in a Desart. Discontented with his Parents ? Let him be a bad Son; and let him mourn. Discontented with his Children ? Let him be a bad Father. Throw him into Prison. What Prison ? Where he already is : for he is in a Situation against his Will : and wherever anyone is against his Will, that is to him a Prison : just as Socrates was not in Prison ; for he was willingly there. "What then must my Leg be lame ?" — And is it for one paltry Leg, Wretch, that you accuse the World ? Why will you not give it up to the Whole ? Why will you not withdraw yourself from it? Why will you not gladly yield it to him who gave it ? And will you be angry and discontented with the Decrees of Jupiter; which he, with the Fates, who spun in his presence the Thread of your Birth, ordained and appointed ?Do not you know how very small a Part you are of the Whole ? That is, as to Body: for, as to Reason, you are neither worse, nor less, than the gods. For Reason is not measured by Length or Height; but by Principles. Will you not therefore place your Good there; where you are equal to the gods ? "How wretched am I in such a Father and Mother !" — What, then, was it granted you to come before-hand, and make your own Terms, and say ; " Let such and such Persons, at this Hour, be the Authors of my Birth ?" It was not granted : for it was necessary that your Parents should exist before you, and so you be born afterwards. — Of whom? — Of just such as they were. What, then, since they are such, is there no Remedy afforded you? Now, surely, you would be wretched and miserable, if you were ignorant to what purpose you possess the faculty of Sight, and shut your eyes at the approach of Colours : and are not you more wretched and miserable, in being ignorant, that you have a Greatness of Soul, and a manly spirit, answerable to each of the abovementioned accidents ? Occurrences proportioned to your Faculty (of discernment) are brought before you : but you turn it away, at the very time when you ought to have it the most open, and quick-sighted. Why do not you rather thank the gods, that they have made you superior to whatever they have not placed in your own Power; and have rendered you accountable for that only, which is in your own Power ? Of your Parents they acquit you ; as not accountable : of your Brothers they acquit you; of Body, Possessions, Death, Life, they acquit you. For what, then, have they made you accountable ? For that which is alone in your own Power : a right use of the Appearances of Objects. Why, then, should you draw those things upon yourself, for which you are not accountable ? This is giving one's self Trouble, without need.