capita in loca ejusdem insignia Dissertationes c. Paris 1676. Authore Natali Alexandro Ord. Praedicatorum Doctore Sorbonico in Octavo and 23 or 24 Volumes You may consult French Men's Writings both before and since Luther such as Gerson Chancellor of Paris and Espensaeas c. for they write more freely and learnedly against the Corruptions and Errors of Rome than any another Popish Writers Having writ this at several times and scarce perus'd any part of it as I would I hope the Reader will pardon my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not wilful Mistakes If He desire to see any of the aforemention'd Authors they are all some few excepted in my own Library here at Buckden THOMAS Lincoln LETTER I. Bishop BARLOW 's Letter to Dr. Howell Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln concerning his Primary Visitation Mr. CHANCELLOR WHEN I appointed this present Visitation of my Diocese it was both my Duty and Desire to have done it in Person as for several other Ends so more particularly that I might have the Happiness to know and be acquainted with my Brethren of the Clergy But my Age being now actually past 71. and Infirmities necessitate me to lay upon you that Burthen which my weak Indisposition at this time has disabled me to bear The Reason why I have not Visited before this Time was this My Predecessor visited the Year he died and tho' de Jure I might have visited the next Year yet I was unwilling to bring a burthen upon the Clergy so suddenly and therefore resolv'd not to visit until such time as my Predecessor if he had liv'd might have visited which was Anno 1677. When being call'd to the Parliament I was detain'd there and till now had no Opportunity to undertake what I had really design'd a Visitation This premised I shall intreat You to commend to my Brethren two or three things in what Words and with what Enforcement You in Prudence shall think fit 1. That they wou'd be conscientiously careful to live a pious Life and be Exemplary in walking Themselves in that way they commend to their Hearers from the Pulpit for if they Preach never so well and do not Live accordingly they will dishonour GOD and do Mischief to the People who are more apt to follow Examples than Precepts 2. That they wou'd be diligent in Catechizing the Younger People I fear too many of the Older sort may need it that they may know the Principles and Grounds of our Religion otherwise to preach to Uncatechiz'd People is to build without a Foundation 3. That they wou'd studiously endeavour to understand the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England which they have subscrib'd to and are bound to vindicate And in order to this let them read such Books as authentically contain both the Doctrine and Discipline of our Church viz. Our Liturgy Homilies XXXIX Articles and our Book of Ordination These Books are establish'd by Convocation and Parliament and ought both before and after Ordination seriously to be read and consider'd Jewel Whitaker Reynolds Hooker are excellent Authors who vindicated the Church of England against all her Adversaries with great Learning and Victorious Success and if young Students in Divinity will apply themselves to read them diligently they will find that these Books are of excellent use for the Explication and Confirmation of Our Churches Doctrine and Approved Discipline 4. And as Divines we are bound to inable our selves to know and defend our own Doctrine and Discipline than which no Church in Christendom has better or more consonant to Scripture and Primitive Antiquity so we shou'd endeavour according to our Ability to confute our Adversaries Papists and Non-conformists who as Herod and Pontius Pilate against our Blessed Saviour are Confederates against Truth and the Church of England What I have here mention'd is to re-mind my Brethren of what they know already and of the pressing necessity We now have if We love Truth and our Holy Mother the Church of England to know and confute the Impious and Blasphemous Practices of all those Recusants which at this Day disturb the Peace of the Church and State I desire You to advise the Clergy to pay their Tenths to the King duly for the Reasons in a Paper which the Reverend Mr. Skelton my Domestick Chaplain will give You And I have taken effectual order to prevent the Clergy's being impos'd on by undue Exactions from any Officer or Collector of their respective Dues within my Diocese resolving to lessen rather than augment the Fees c. which the Clergy pay With my Respects to Your self and my Brethren I rest theirs and Your Affectionate tho' Infirm Friend THOMAS Lincoln Sept. 1. 1688. LETTER II. A Short Method for the Study of Divinity in a Letter to a Friend by an Unknown Author and found in Bishop BARLOW 's Study SIR YOU ask of me one of the Hardest things I know To direct A Young Student in the the Methodical Study of Divinity If I have any Knowledge in it I must profess to You I know not how I came by it I read as it happen'd and thought of what I read and this is all I know of it It is I confess a great Defect in our Church and the occasion of many Mischiefs to it but it requires a much better Hand than mine and more Leisure than I have to prescribe a Remedy for it But if You will be contented with some free and hasty Thoughts You shall have them The constant Reading of S. Scripture with great application of Mind is a General Rule and ought to be a constant Practice whether we rightly apprehend the true Sence of it at present or not For when the very Phrase or Expression of S. Scripture and the History of it is imprinted on our Minds when we come strictly to examine any particular Doctrine of Religion various Expressions will occur to our Minds and will suggest such Thoughts to us as are to be had no other way And tho' it is not suppos'd that any Man acquainted with other parts of Learning and beginning to apply himself to the Study of Divinity can be in such a State yet the Scripture is to be read and learnt as the Grammar is by Children who know not how to apply the Rules much less understand the Reason of them And therefore part of them is to be read every Day tho' only in English which I think very adviseable for one who intends the Ministry without stopping at every Difficulty he meets with but charging his Memory with the Phrase and the Series and order of Events But to make the Reading of the S. Scripture useful he must furnish himself with all variety of Questions about Religion that he may know what to observe and enquire after And you will think it hard that I cannot direct him better than to send him to the Master of the Sentences or Aquinas's Summs or Estius upon the Sentences
accepi atque audivi coeno Quaestionum rivulis opinionum conturbavit id quod usus rerum magis nisi coeci sumus satis super que docet verba haec lineis inclusa ex jussu Inquisitorum ex Indicibus Expurgatoriis Hispan Madriti 1667. Lusitan Olysipone 1624. sunt delenda Vide dictos Indices in Joh. Aventino qui floruit circa an 1500. One thing more may be observ'd of the Schoolmen and of Popish Casuists and Commentators too especially those before Luther that when they speak of Moral Duties and those things which are within the compass of Natural Reason to know and judge of we shall find many things well and some very acutely said But when they speak of those things the Knowledge of which depends solely on Scripture and Revelation as of Faith Repentance Sacraments Justification c. their Ignorance of Tongues and Antiquity and consequently of the meaning of Scripture being so great besides their being inslav'd to maintain all the Errors and Superstitions of Rome which at that time were very many In their Discourses of such subjects 't is no wonder if their Mistakes ex inscitiâ aut partium studio be many and great It is next necessary for a Divine to have some Casuists and to know more that upon occasion he may consult them Amongst the Popish Authors there are very many so that all Persons of their Faction may find most Cases at least in the general stated and determin'd according to the Principles and Interest of their Church and their Prudence in this is great was their Cause good For Protestants there no part of Divinity which has been I know not the reason more neglected very few having writ a just and comprehensive Tract of Cases of Conscience However it may be useful to consult both Protestants and Papists 1. Protestants Casuists and amongst them 1. Dr. Sanderson Bishop of Lincoln his two Tracts or Prelections De obligatione Conscientiae and De Juramento are of great use and excellence for in those Prelections he has so plainly explain'd and prov'd many Propositions concerning Oaths and Conscience in Thesi and in general that he who seriously reads them and remembers what he reads may determine and resolve many other Cases which are not mention'd by Dr. Sanderson 2. Consult the five Cases of Conscience determin'd by a late Learned Hand that 's the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London 1666. in Octavo no Name to them but Parentem referunt they look so like that good Bishop that any wou'd suspect and it is certainly known those Resolutions are his and worthy our perusal 3. Amesius de Conscientia c. A Non-conformist and therefore cautè legendus as to that particular but otherwise he writes very rationally and what he resolves is short and the Texts he urges very pertinent So that when is out which is not usual you lose not much and when he is right you have it in a little time 4. Fr. Balduinus a Lutheran and therefore must be warily read as to that Point De Casibus Conscien Witterbergae 1628. 5. Casp. Eras. Brochmanni Systema Universae Theologiae in quo singuli Religionis Christianoe Articuli Controversiae priscae recentes polemicae expediuntur praecipui Conscientiae Casus è verbo Dei practicè deciduntur in 3. Vol. 4º Lipsiae 1638. there be former but worse Editions Popish Casuists are many and Voluminous for Ant. Dieina consists of 12 Parts and 6 or 7 Vol. in Folio but these that I shall here mention are of greatest Note and Authority 1. Manuale Confessariorum c. per Mart. Azpilivetam Navar. Par. 1620. 8o. 2. Franc. Toleti Cardinal de Instructione Sacerdotis c. lib. 8. Rothomagi 1630. in Octavo 3. Vincent Filliucii Quaestiones Morales c. Colon. Agrip. 1629. Fol. He writes as fully and learnedly as any among the Jesuites of which sort of Casuists amongst those who do not as some do with ambiguous Words and soft Expressions disguise and mollifie their harsh and horrid Opinions I shall name a few who write plain Popery and openly endeavour to prove their most desperate Opinions 1. Ant. de Escobar Theologia Moralis c. Lugd. 1646. 8o. This is a good Edition but there are two something better after it one at Lions and another at Brussels 1651. 2. Thomae Tamburini è Societate Jesu Explicatio Decalogi c. Lugd. 1659. Fol. 3. And that we may know what his Erroneous Opinions are and where to be found we have a Catalogue of no less than 103 pernicious Errors found in his Works and the place where signify'd in a Book with this Title Extraict de plusieurs Erreurs Maximes pernicieuses contenues dans un Volume du Pere Tambourin Jesuite c. Imprimé à Lion en la presente Annee 1659. in Quarto 4. If you desire to see more of the Jesuites Casuistical Divinity you may consult Pauli Lymanni Jesuitae Theologiam Moralem Lugduni 1654. and Fr Bordoni propugnaculum opinionis probabilis in concursu probationis operum Bordoni Tom. 6. Lugd. 1668. in Folio 5. And Lastly vid. Amadaei Guimenii Opusculum singularia universae ferè Theologiae Moral complectens adversus quorundam Expostulationes contra nonnullas Jesuit arum Opiniones Morales Lugd. 1664. in Quarto He endeavours to justifie all the Jesuites wild and extravagant Opinions which the Jansenists charge them withal in their Provincial Letters and the Jesuites Morals and the Mystery of Jesuitism and to do this he shews that many Eminent Authors and Writers of the Roman Church before and besides the Jesuites maintain'd with Approbation the very same Opinions which are charg'd upon the Jesuites So that this Work of Guimenius is a Common-place-Book wherein we may find all the Impious Opinions of the Roman Church particularly cited by Guimenius and eight or ten more Eminent and approv'd Writers of that Church who publickly held and defended them Besides Popish Casuists they have many Writers whom they call Summistae who have put all the Heads of Divinity in an Alphabetical Order and then explain each by way of Position Case or Question There are many such Writings the more Ancient before Luther when they writ more secure speak plain Popery the later are more cunning and cautious yet sufficiently erroneous I shall name two only 1. Summa Universae Theologiae Rainerii de Pisis Venet. 1585. in two Tomes Quarto 2. Summa Ecclesiasticae Disciplinae totius Juris Canonici aucta recognita c. Lugd. 1598. Authore P. Crespetio the most useful amongst them if I mistake not under every Head he cites passages out of the Fathers Councils Historians Schoolmen c. And any thing which he thinks makes for the Catholick Cause Of this sort of Writers or Casuists are Antonius Archiepisc. Florentinus Card. Cajetan Turre-Cremata in his Summa de Ecclesia a Book by reason of the Cardinal's Authority considerable as also which occurs in the end of
4. In their Canon-Law of which I shall hereafter write something all these are of Publick Authority receiv'd with Approbation of their Popes and Church For the Popish Agenda Matters of Fact and Discipline their Sacred and Civil Rites and Ceremonies we have them authentically set down in these Books 1. In Missali Roma There are very many Editions of it and much differing one from another as is evident and may appear by comparing the MSS. of which there are many in Bodley's Library and some in my own with the printed Copies the first and more ancient with those that follow Besides the Roman Missal which never was in use in England in any Age there are many others proper for other Countries and Places So we had in England 1 Missale secund usum Hereford 2 secund usum Sarum 3 secund usum Yorke 4 secundum usum Evesham 5 Lincoln 6 Bangor c. 2. Breviarium Roman there be many and differing Editions of this and Breviaries of other Churches as well as Rome The Breviary of Sarum so famous in England they call'd it Portiforium c. 3. Pontificale Romanum containing their Offices for Ordination Confirmation Consecration of Churches c. and other things particular to the Bishop 4. Rituale Romanum continet Ritus in Administratione Sacramentorum usitatos viz. Baptismi Eucharistiae Poenitentiae Matrimonii Unctionis Extremae quorum Administratio ad Parochos spectat c. 5. Sacrarum Ceremoniarum sea Rituum Ecclesiasticorum S. Roma Ecclesiae Libritres Romae 1560. Folio there are many more Editions of it at Venice 1506. at Colon. 1572. and there again 1574 in Octavo Whoever desires to be inform'd and convinc'd of the many Ridiculous as well as Impious Roman Superstitions and the prodigious Papal Pride let him get that Book 6. Processionale Graduale Paris 1668. Fol. Officium B. Mariae Manuale secundum usum Sarum Horae B. Virginis c. And to omit the rest Psalterium B. Mariae per Bonaventuram so they call it and 't is printed amongst his Works it is the most Blasphemous and Impious piece of Superstition and Idolatry that ever saw the Sun For whatever in David's Psalms is spoken of GOD or our B. Saviour is in that Psalter attributed to the Virgin Mary and yet Possevine has the Impudence to write Psalterium Divi Bonaventurae laudibus Beatissimae Virginis summa Pietate Impietate potius in Deum Blasphemâ Idololatrica accommodatum All the fore-mention'd Councils Canons and Sacred Offices have been receiv'd and publickly approv'd by the Church of Rome and so what Errors or Superstitions soever occur in them may be justly charg'd upon the Roman Church and they are responsable for them but not so for the Writings of Particular and private Men altho' otherwise for Place and Learning of greatest Eminence in their Church It is necessary to understand the Popish Controversies Books of this kind are very many to read them all is not opus unius hominis aut aetatis I shall name some few of the best which will furnish an Intelligent Reader with a convenient Knowledge of those things that are controverted 1. Dr. Crackanthorp contra Archiepisc. Spalatensem 4o. London 1625. It gives the shortest and best Account of most Popish Controversies 2. Gul. Amesii Bellarminus enervatus I noted to you before that he was a Non-conformist but he has very distinctly expos'd Rome and Bellarmine's Pretences and given a Clear Short and Rational Answer to them Vitus Erbermannus a Jesuite and Publick Professor at Mentz has published an impertinent thing he miscalls an Answer to Amesius printed at Herbipolis 1661. in 2 Vol. in Octavo But Omnia cum fecit Thaida Thais olet his pretended Reply is inconsistent and irrational 3. Andr. Riveti Catholicus orthodoxus c. It is extant in his Works Roterodami 1652. In French Saumur 1616. Lat. 2. Tomes 4.o. Lugd. Bat. 1630. he very fully handles almost all Popish controversies 4. Chamierus contractus seu Panstratiae Catholicae Dan. Chamieri Epitome per Fred. Spanhemium one Vol. Fol. Genevae 1645. This is more full and large than the former and may supply their Brevity and Omissions 5. If you desire upon occasion further Satisfaction in any Question our own Great and Learned Men Jewel Rainolds John White Whitaker Laud Chillingworth and others already mention'd may be consulted for none have oppos'd Rome and defended the Reformation with more Learning and Success To these may be added such as have ex professo examin'd and confuted the Council of Trent as for Instance 1. Chemnicii Examen Concil Trident. Francofurti 1578. 2. Examen Concilii Trident. per Innocentium Gentilletum Genevae 1586. Octavo 3. Anatome Concilii Trident. Historic Theolog. cum Historia Concil Trident. per Thuanum vindiciis pro P. Suavo Polano contra Scipionem Henricum per Jo. Hen. Heideggerum 2 Tomis in Octavo Tiguri 1672. more such Writers there are but one Chemnitius is best or all of these will be sufficient There are some who have writ Enchiridia Controversiarum such as these may be consulted 1. Manuale Controversiarum per Martinum Becanum Herbipoli 1623. 2. Or if that be too large a Work we may get his Enchiridion Manual Controversiarum hujus Temporis Duaci 1631. He gives also an Account of the Lutheran Controversies and of the Calvinists and of the Anabaptists c. 3. Enchiridion Controversiarum per Fr. Costerum Jesuitam Col. Agrip. 1587. postea Turnoni 1591. 4. Controversiae Generales Fidei contra Infideles omnes he puts all Protestants in that Catalogue Octavo Paris 1660. And because in all Controversies about Religion Scripture is urged on all sides and some things are hard to be understood it will be convenient to consult such Authors as have writ Explicationes Conciliationes Locorum difficilium 1. Fred. Spanhemii Dubia Evangelica Tom. 3. in Quarto the first Tome was printed at Geneva 1634. the second and third Tomes 1639. 2. Gul. Estius in loca Scripturae dissiciliora Folio Duaci 1629. a Learned Writer who explains many places very well but being sworn as all their Ecclesiasticks are to maintain all the receiv'd Doctrine Discipline and Rites of the Church of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he does explain Places so as may make most not for Truth but for the Interest of the Church of Rome 3. Symphonia Prophetarum Apostolorum c. à Joh. Schorpio 4o. Genev. 1625. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu Contradictiones apparentes S. Scripturae c. Ven. 1645. 12o. 5. Vindicatio Locorum praecipuorum Vet. Test. à corruptelis Pontificiorum praecipue Bellarmini Calvinistarum he was a Learned Man and a Lutheran Photinianorum c. in Octavo Gissae 1620. per C. Helvicum 6. Conciliationes locorum S. Scripturae in specie pugnantium ex libris Augustini per Ludovic Rabum 4o. Noribergae 1561. 7. Harmonia totius Scripturae seu Conciliatio locorum Script c. per Mich. Waltheum 8o.
Satisfactione Christi Octavo 23. Vid. Ludov. Lucium De Satisfactione Christi contra Michaelem Gettichium Edit Bas. 1612. 8o. 24. Lambert Danaeus in P. Lomb. Sentent lib. 1. multa pro Trinitate disputat Edit an 1580. 8o. 25. Christianus Beemannus Bornensis edidit Exercitationes Theolog. pro Deitate Christi c. contra Socinum Smalcium Ostorodum Crellium Mennonem Simonis Paracelsum Wiegelium c. Amst. an 1643. Fol. 26. Joh. Paulus Felwingern scripsit Examen Disquisitionis brevis edit Norembergae 1637. Octavo 27. Sam. Maresii Xenia Academica seu de Divinitate Personalitate Sp. Sancti contra Socinianos cum aliis Quarto 28. Disputatio Theologica Orthodoxa De Sanctissima Trinitate Auth. Josepho Voisin Par. 1647. 8o. 29. Socinianismi confutati Tom. 1. Auth. Johanne Hoornebecke Professore Ultrajectano Ultrajecti 1650. Quarto 30. Hydra Socinianismi expugnata contra Joh. Volkelium Joh. Crellium per Sam. Maresium Groningae 1651. Quarto 31. Bernardus Paxillus scripsit Monomachian pro defensione Fidei Trinitatis Cracov 1616. in Biblioth Bodl. 32. Joh. Cloppenburg scripsit Vindicias pro Deitate Sp. Sancti adversus Joh. Bidellum Anglum Franck. 1652. 33. Josuae Stegmanni Photiniasmus seu succincta refutatio errorum Photinianorum c. Rhinthelii 1623. 8o. Alli pene infiniti Pontificii pariter Reformati sese Socino opposuere ut passim videre est Vide sis Aegidium Hunnium in Articulo de Trinitate Polanum in Syntagm Theol. l. 3. c. 2. ad 11. Barthol Terres in 1. part Aquinatis Benedict Szentkiral Transylvanum contra Georgium Enjedinum Hieron Zanchium de tribus Elohim c. Hannib Rosseli Comment in Paemandrum Hermetis Calvinum in defensione Orthodoxae Fidei Sacrae Trinitatis contra M. Servetum Georg. Blandr Erasmum Brochmannum qui utraque Controvers parte quaestiones Socinianas proponit discutit Dionys. Petavium qui fusè pariter doctè in Dogmatis Theologicis tractandis contra Socinum disputat testimoniis ex intimâ Antiquitate petitis Tandem longum Scriptorum Catalogum eorum nempè qui contra Socinum sui sequaces militant tibi exhibet Christianus Becmannus Bornensis in Exercitationibus Theologicis Amstelod editis an 1643 pag. 12. Ubi Authores 56 plus minus enumerat qui justo Bello Marte internecino contra Socinum ipsumque etiam Socinianismum animosè militant Qui vellet videat Scholastici quod ad Articulum Trinitatis attinet in 1. Sent. P. Lombardi distinct 2. in 1. parte Aquinatis multa disputant curiosa mag is fateor quam viro cordato profutura Quorum omnium Catalogum laboriosè contextum tibi exhibet Iohan. Martinez de Ripaldâ in Lib. Sent. 1. Disp. 2. Amongst other things 't is exceeding useful for a Divine to have some knowledge of the Canon Law there are many Books written of this Faculty and amongst others to omit those which concern the Forum and Jurisdictionem contentiosam these following may be useful 1. For the Original Parts and Use of the Canon Law it will be very useful first of all to read Dr. Duck De Usu Authoritate Juris Civilis Roman Lib. 1. c. 7. de Jure Canonico pag. 39. Edit Lond. 1653. 2. Institutiones Juris Canonici per Paulum Lancelottum cum Casibus Joh. Bapt. Bartoloni in Octavo Col. 1609. 3. Arnoldi Corvini Jus Canonicum per Aphorismos strict explicat Amstel 1651. in Octavo And this for Brevity Method and Perspicuity may at the first be more useful to a Divine than the aforesaid Institutions 4. Corpus Juris Canonici cum Accessione novarum Constitutionum summorum Pontificum Annotationibus Ant. Naldi c. Lugd. 1661. in Quarto and 2 Volumes This is the last and best Edition Corporis Juris Canonici without the Gloss and contains many useful things which are not in any former Edition 5. If the aforesaid Edition cannot be had then consult Corpus Juris Canonici at Paris 1618. Folio the next in Time and Goodness 6. Corpus Juris Canonici cum Glossis Par. 1612. cum Indice Steph. Davys in 4 Volumes Fol. 7. The old Edition of the Canon Law with the Gloss at Par. 1519. in 3 Vol. in 4º or any other Edition before the Year 1572. for since that Time many things are left out of the Gloss which were in before 8. Censurae in Glossas Juris Canonici Colon. 1672. where what is to be left out of the Gloss is distinctly set down After a General Knowledge of this Law a few Books more will be of Advantage to perfect that Knowledge so far as a Divine may be concern'd in it for Instance such as these 1. Joh. Cardinal de Turre-Cremata in Decretum Gratiani 2. Abbas Panormitanus in Decretales c. 3. Conclusionum Practicarum in Jur. Utr. Foro c. 8. Tom. Fol. per Card. Tuschum Lugd. 1634. The whole Work is in an Alphabetical Order like a Law Dictionary and things easy to be found in it 4. Epit. Juris Pontificii veteris per Ant. Augustinum Fol. Rom. 1614. aut Par. 1641. It is divided into 3 parts 1. De Personis 2. De Judiciis 3. De Rebus c. He has a Catalogue of the Popes Councils Collectors of the Canons and his Censure of them A Book of great use for a Divine For Explanation of the Terms and Ecclesiastical Words which occur in the ancient Canons Histories Councils and Ecclesiastical Writers Greek and Latin some Law Lexicons will be necessary there are many but I shall name only what I think most useful 1. Glossarium Graeco-Barbarum Jo. Meursii 4o. Lugd. Bat. 1614. 2. Lexicon Juridicum Juris Caesarei Canonici per Jo. Calvinum Joh. Christum Genevae 1640. which Edition has escaped the Inquisitors Fury Notand Many things in this Lexicon are damn'd and to be expung'd by the Command of the Inquisitors in the Spanish and Portugal Indices sed salva res est this Edition has escap'd Purgatory Vid. Indicem Expurg Hisp. Madriti 1667. pag. 570 Indicem Olysipone 1624. p. 742. There are more Lexicons which may on many occasions be consulted 1. Lexicon Juris per Sim. Schardium Fol. Colon. Agrip. 1600. 2. Vocabulum Utriusque Juris per Alexandr Scot. 8o. Lugd. 1622. 3. Notitia de Vocabulis Eccles. c. Rauolta de Domenico Magri c. Romae 1650. part Latin and part Italian 4. Glossae P. Pithaei Capitulis Caroli Magni proefixae Paris 1640 c. It is exceeding useful for a Divine to know the Civil Law also setting aside the Litigious part of it such Books as these may be useful And first For a General Knowledge of the Civil Law consult 1. Ridley's View of the Civil Law c. 4o. 2. Dr. Duck's first Book De Usu Authoritate Juris Civilis Lond. 1653. Elementa Juris Civilis per Joh. Arnold Corvinum Amstel 1645. in 12o. Justinian's Institutions shou'd be read with it And for a fuller Explication of Justinian's Institutions it will be
And yet so it is Not that I think that either their Questions or Resolutions are always wise but they will surnish a wise Man with many Material Questions and with some very Material Answers and deliver him from the Danger of ever being impos'd on with School-Falacies And a Man who reads them with this Design and this Caution will find great Benefit by it For tho' I am no Admirer of School-Divinity I doubt the great Ignorance of some Persons may be ascrib'd to a Contempt of it without knowing it But then he ought also to read other Systems of Divinity as Calvin's Institutions and Zanchius whom I take to be one of the best and subtilest Writers of Calvinists and Arminius Episcopius or the late Remonstrant Philip à Limborch For a Man who will throughly enquire ought to have the different Schemes of Religion in his Head But especially to read and consider well the Articles Homilies and Canons of our Church which every one who intends to be a Minister of the Church of England ought to do Having thus far advanced you may think I bring him back again when I come to more particular Enquiries But if you think well of it you will find he is not sufficiently prepar'd for them before And now I begin from the very Foundations of Religion To enquire strictly and severely into the Reasons of Our Faith And 1. Why He believes there is a GOD. And here he must review all the several Hypotheses of Philosophy and examine the Powers of Nature and the Arguments of Atheists Tully and Dr. Cudworth will sufficiently furnish him if his Curiosity does not draw him further The next Enquiry is Whether GOD has made any Revelation of his Will to the Word And here he must consider the Authority of Revelation and the Canon of Scripture And Dr. Stillingfleet's Origines Sacrae Huetius or Dr. Cosin's Canon of Scripture will furnish him with all that is needful to be known or direct him where he may enquire further And this is the most proper time to read the Apologists for Christianity Justin Martyr Tertullian Minutius Felix Arnobius Lactantius St. Austin de Civitate Dei Theodoret contra Gentes and such like as Eusebius's Praeparatio and Demonstratio c. And now especially it is time to read the Scriptures with greater Care both to understand the Grammatical and Critical Sence of them by comparing the various Versions especially the Septuagint with the Original of the Old Testament and by our Volumes of Criticks which have more than all that is useful and to understand the true Sence of them As for particular Commentators I know not how to direct because there is so great variety of them But Ainsworth upon the Pentateuch is allow'd by all Josephus and Philo-Judaeus tho'a Platonick Jew are very useful for the Old Testament and Maimonides Nevochim and such Tracts of Jewish Writers as he may meet with Dr. Lightfoot I think has prescrib'd the best Method of Reading the Scriptures by digesting the Historical and Prophetical Books into the order of Time And the Prophesies are certainly understood by considering the times to which they relate Tho' I must needs say That the shortest and most compendious way to useful Knowledge is to study the New Testament and those parts of the Old Testament which he there finds apply'd to the state of the Gospel which will enable him the better to understand the Old Testament when he has more leisure for the thorough Study of it And for Modern Authors let him read Mr. Poole's Synopsis Criticorum allowing for the different Hypotheses of the Authors and reading with Caution Tho' if I may advise when he intends thoroughly to understand any Book of Scripture let him read it several times over and make himself Master of it Then let him read it Verse by Verse and observe what the Difficulties are and try by the Construction and Signification of the Words and the Series of the Discourse what he can make of it and after that consult Expositors This is the most laborious and slow but the most useful and will be found at last the shortest way to true and substantial Knowledge I have found such advantage by it my self that I dare recommend it From hence he may proceed to the Enquiry into particular Controversies which he is now well furnish'd for with a great compass of Knowledge And here he may begin and end if ever he can find an end where he pleases And he will easily inform himself of the best Writers on both sides As for the Fathers and Councils and Ecclesiastical Historians I think the best way at first is to examine as he has opportunity such Citations as he meets with and see to what purpose their Authority is urg'd on all sides or to read any particular Tract in them as he has occasion for it And then when he finds leisure to read them he will know how to use them This is sufficient Employment for some Years and as imperfect as the Rules are if observ'd will certainly make him a very good Divine and furnish him with useful Knowledge and before he has done half this he will need no Director I have taken no notice of Reading the Ancient Moralists and observing the Differences of their several Sects and how they differ from or agree with the Precepts of Christianity nor of the Nature of Laws c. These being suppos'd necessary Prolegomena FINIS a Sir P. P. S. W. b Genuine Remains c. a St. Ives Huntington Buckden and St. Neots a 68 when Consecrated and 85 at his Death * Five Counties and in half * Above 1300 Clergy in Lincoln Diocese * Six Shillings and Six Pence a Theologia Revelata in its full Latitude may be 1. Patriarchalis containing the Positive Revelation of God's Will and Worship made to the Patriarchs before Moses for to them the Messias was promised and Salvation by him they had the Covenant of Grace and Sacrificia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were Sacraments and Seals of it 2. Mosaica which contain'd many further positive Revelations of God's Will and Worship 3. Evangelica of which only at present 〈…〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suid. in Joh. Stob. vid. Photii Biblioth Cod. 167. pag. 366. Theologia 〈◊〉 Bibles prâ—peâ— for the Teâ—t of the Old Testament For the New Testament * Vid. Suidam verb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bibles Concordances a Extant Concordantiae Hebr. per Mazi Calasium in 4 Tomes printed at Rome 1621. in Bodley's Library much larger than Buxtorf's but whether better Docti judicent a Heb. 1. 3. b 2 Cor. 9. 4. and 11. 17. c Heb. 3. 14. d Tindal renders it so Faith is a sure Confidence of e Gloss. vet in calce Cyrilli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arguo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Probatio oecumen Theophylac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in loc a Concil Trident. Sess. 6. de Justificat cap. 8. Vid. Vasq. in