Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A70177
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An account of Mr. Ferguson, his common-place-book in two letters.
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Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680.; Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing G798; ESTC R23394
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20,014
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66
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tyrannos Christus Leo dicitur ob fortitudinem victoriam tyranni ob atrocitatem rapacitatem His distinctions between a Metaphor and other Tropes and Parables are all taken out of Glassius and Vossius M. F. p. 305. By a Parable I mean a Symbolick form of speech where by a well appropriated similitude from some feigned story some moral truth is insinuated to the minds of men to make it the better apprehended and understood Gale Court of the Gentiles part 2. p. 97. cited from Diodate This was a fashion of teaching used among the Iews followed by our Lord and very profitable to make the truth understood and to insinuate the apprehension thereof into the minds of the auditors by a well appropriated similitude taken from a feigned story His discourse of Allegories which immediately follows is principally owing to Glassius p. 1395. and whether he has not taken not onely his Notions but his Greek words and sayings concerning those descriptions of God which we call Anthropopathies from the same Author I will leave any man to judge who will compare them M. F. p. 315. Under Metaphors are comprehended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which humane parts c. are ascribed to God in such forms of speech God by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or condescension declares the infinite properties of his nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He decyphers what himself is and doth by things that fall under our apprehension and what is thus said of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men must be understood of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a way suitable to the Divine Nature Glassius p. 1116. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est metaphora qua quod creaturis praesertim homini propriè competit ad Deum transfertur vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condescensio v 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae de Deo dicuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h. est convenienter Deo intelligenda sunt I confess Sir I am very sick of this undertaking for it is so far from being pleasant that it is grievous to me to write one line meerly to expose any man but I thought it necessary to take down the confidence of this Author who makes a great shew of ancient and modern Learning by transcribing out of some late Writers whose credit and reputation at the same time he endeavours to undermine I am glad to find that he reads so good Books which I doubt not but would make him wiser in time if he would consider as well as read It is no fault indeed to use those arguments which have been used by other men and it is possible sometimes to hit upon the very same expressions or some very like but when a man shall run through a book and take the whole Series of Arguments without owning his Masters when he shall take out whole Sentences and Paragraphs out of so many Authors of so vastly different styles it plainly discovers an empty Head a barren Fancy and a vain-glorious Mind It were easie to transcribe a great part of Glassius and Vossius concerning the nature and use of Metaphors and Allegories and the rules of expounding them which Mr. Ferguson has onely translated and from whence he has borrowed his Greek and Latine Citations out of ancient and modern Authors but I consider this would too much swell a Letter and you may do it your self if you have the curiosity And therefore I shall onely farther observe that whereas this Author falls upon Dr. Parker at every turn and challenges and provokes and scorns him there is no Person whom he does so much Ape as the Doctor He borrows divers of his expressions from him gawdy Metaphors phantastick Allegories thwacking Contradictions rampant and empty Schemes of Speech and the like and many times transcribes whole Sentences and Paragraphs from him of which I have given some instances above and shall adde but two or three more here M. F. p. 133. Heraclitus grew famous by the onely obscurity of his writings It is said of Aristotle that being reproved by Alexander for publishing his Acroamaticks he should make this reply that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made publick yet they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not published Dr. Parker Plat. Theol. p. 70. Neither is Heraclitus his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the obscurity of his writings less famous and no less common is Aristotle's Epistle to Alexander that though he had made his books publick yet he had not published them Where because he would not say the very same thing that the Dr. did he runs into a very ridiculous mistake For though Heraclitus his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was famous because of the obscurity of his writings yet it is a wild conceit that the obscurity of his writings was the onely thing that made him famous M. F. p. 321. When any thing is manifested by a Metaphor the thing it self is not fully expressed but only some similitude between it and another Dr. Parker ibid. p. 75. When any is expressed by a Metaphor the thing it self is not expressed but onely some similitude observed or made by fancy M. F. p. 323. For men to discourse in metaphorical terms of things whose nature and properties they are wholly ignorant of is plainly to trifle seeing while we know not the true Idea's of things we can onely imagine some resemblances Dr. Parker ibid. To discourse of the nature of things in metaphorical terms is to sport and trifle but 't is still more phantastick to talk metaphorically of those things of whose Idea's we are utterly ignorant Nay Sir it is still more pleasant to observe that our Author cannot complement his Patron without imitating Dr. Parker For whoever reads Mr. Ferguson's Dedication to Mr. Papilion and Dr. Parkers to Dr. Bathurst will find that the manner of Address the Composition Complement and Fancy is Dr Parkers though Mr. Ferguson has a little varied the words M. F. Ep. dedic Sir it cost me no long deliberation to whom I should direct these discourses the obligations I am under to you and your Family rendring them yours by the title of a just debt the interest you have in me by an entail of peculiar kindnesses gives you a right to my Studies and the fruits of them Dr. P. Ded. of his Plat. Theol. Reverend Sir I shall not need to argue the decency and fitness of this address because your absolute and unalienable right to all the fruits of my Studies has made it due and necessary M. F. The declining the imputation of ingratitude is my plea for prefixing your name to these Papers Dr. Parker I cannot alienate any thing that is theirs from being yours without being guilty at once of the greatest injustice and ingratitude M. F. Though the concerning you in their behalf may seem an injury yet not to have done it would have been a crime Dr. Parker So that if to present you with so mean a trifle be unhandsome yet not to have done it would have been unjust M. F. You must be content to forgive such offences as your self have made the result and effects of duty Dr. Parker Though I do but injure your name by concerning its Authority in behalf of so worthless a trifle yet an injury that is the result of duty and gratitude may hope for not onely your pardon but Sir such is your candour your acceptance too M. F. Were there any indecency in this address yet the laws of gratitude supersede those of congruity Dr. Parker The obligations of duty cancel all the laws of indecency This Sir I hope is enough to satisfie the world of Mr. Ferguson's great Learning and how he came by it It had been very easie to have given many more instances of this nature but I took those which came first to hand I need make no reflexions upon the whole since you have done it so well already and therefore have no more to do but to subscribe my self Your very affectionate Friend and Brother VV. Sherlock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. in Alex.
to enquire a little further and in requital of your kindness I have here sent you some of his gleanings from other Authors though so changed and transformed and found in such ill Company that I fear those worthy persons will be ashamed to own them And because M. Ferg with the usual confidence of a bold Scot pretends a very particular Friendship with that excellent Person Sir Charles Wolseley I shall first take notice how bold he has made with him which I suppose he did upon the Authority of that old Saying All things are common among Friends and therefore he might challenge as good a right to Sir Charles his Writings as himself M. Ferg among other things shews the Use and Serviceableness of Reason in proving the Divinity of the Scripture p. 56 c. Sir Charles had done this before him and had managed that Argument like a Scholar and a Gentleman in his Book entituled The Reasonableness of Scripture-Belief from whence our Author has borrowed most of his best Arguments and many times his Words and Phrases M. Ferguson premises that the Testimony of the Holy Ghost in the Souls and Consciences of men is the most convincing evidence that such men can have of its the Scriptures Divinity but yet rejects it from being a proof of the Scriptures Divinity to others Interest of Reason p. 57 Sir Charles likewise tells us the Testimony of the Holy Ghost in the minds and consciences of men to the truth of the Scriptures though it be the most convincing evidence that can be given to them c. 't is not to be urged in proof of the Scriptures against its professed Adversaries Scripture belief p. 79 Sir Charles assigns two reasons for this Mr. Ferguson has divided the second Reason into two and set the first Reason in the third place M. F. 1. The Holy Ghost convinceth no man as to the belief of the Scripture without enlightning his mind in the grounds and reasons upon which its proceeding from God is evidenced and established There is no conviction begot by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of men otherwise than by rational evidence satisfying our understanding through discovering the motives and inducements that ascertain the truth of what he would convince us of Ibid. p. 57 Sir Ch. Wols Second Argument the latter part The Illuminations of the Holy Ghost in the minds of men are no other way to be conceived of than that he is pleased to propose the right grounds and reasons upon which things are to be believed and to convince and satisfie the understanding that they are so and to bring men to acquiesce in conclusions by ascertaining them of the truth of the premises M. F. 2. No mans particular assurance obtained thus in way of Illumination by the Holy Ghost is otherwise urged as an argument of conviction to another than by proposing the reasons which our Faith is erected on The way of such mens evidence is communicable to none unless they could kindle the same rays in the breasts of others which have irradiated their own and therefore they must deal with others by producing the grounds of their conviction not pleading the manner of it Ibid. Sir Ch. Wols The beginning of the second Argument Whatever evidence the Holy Ghost gives to any man to assure him of the truth of any proposition that evidence as such can never go beyond his own breast nor can I ever prove any thing by it as it is a Divine and infallible Evidence because such evidence is no way communicable to another but in an ordinary way Nothing is visible to another in such cases but the reasons I can produce the Divine Illumination I have within my self to convince me that such Reasons are cogent and prevailing can never be so demonstrated as to convince another that has no such Illumination Ibid. p. 81 I am now Sir perfectly satisfied of what great use that trick is of varying phrases which we learned at School for this has made Mr. Ferguson a famous Author who by the little arts of transplacing words of turning Nouns into Verbs or Verbs into Participles or converting a single word such as Illumination into the phrase of kindling Rayes can make other mens Writings his own But to proceed M. F. 3. The Holy Ghost as a distinct person in the Deity is not a Principle demonstrable by reason c. to prove the Divine Authority of the Scripture by the Testimony of the Holy Ghost when we cannot otherwise prove a Holy Ghost but by the Testimony of the Scripture is to argue circularly and absurdly Ibid. Sir Ch. Wols 1 Argument Because the Blessed Spirit it self is not a common demonstrable principle amongst mankind c. to go about to prove the Scriptures by any evidence arising from the Holy Ghost must needs be visibly absurd because there is no other way to prove that there is any such being as the Holy Ghost but by the Scriptures themselves Ibid. Master Ferguson having premised this proceeds to prove the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and First To justifie the necessity of some supernatural Revelation in order to the conducting us in Religion Ibid. p. 62 Sir Ch. Wols First I will endeavour to render it a thing reasonable to be believed that there should be some supernatural law revealed from God and given to mankind c. Ibid. p. 86 M. F. His first argument is taken from the imperfection of natural light p. 64 This is largely managed by Sir Charles p. 87 c. His second Argument That the Religion of men at present towards God is the Religion of sinners c. but natural light cannot instruct the world how God will be atoned Ibid. Sir Ch. Mankind in every age have applied to God in a sense of sin and of guilt contracted by it and upon that account have adjudged it necessary to make some further offering to God for their sins c. Now the reason of the world does not issue it self into any positive certainly about such things c. Ibid. p. 133 and p. 145 c. Argument 3. All mankind hath universally consented in this that besides the light of reason there ought to be some supernatural Revelation from God c. Sir Ch. Discourses this at large p. 123. c. to which M. Ferguson indeed refers his Reader as also to Camero de verbo Dei for which he is beholden to Sir Charles's citation of him in the same place Master Ferguson's next undertaking is to make it appear that it is expedient that this Revelation should be some where or other consigned to writing ibid. p. 68. This is but just mentioned by Sir Charles Wolseley and therefore he is forced to have recourse to some other and he has made a very good choice no less person than the Reverend Dean of Canterbury Dr. Tillotson in his Rule of Faith where you may find the sum of all Master Ferguson's arguments upon this head which are of any