them abuses never so universally received if not Canonically decided might be reformed and Thirdly considering that a preservation of their Authority and a prevention of Innovations which they conceive effectually performable onely by that pretence seem to be their principal inducements to it may be thus provided for by being themselves the Authors of such Reformation it may be they might not 〈◊〉 it so inexpedient to yield even this which seems to be the principal cause that makes our breaches irreconcileable And certainly if it would please God to inspire Governours with a serious and industrious and candid yet active Spirit for the service of the Church much more might be done that is for the Restoration of Religion and unity and the prevention of those daily scandalous both Oâ—inions and Practices which all good Christians do so seriously deplore and that he would be pleased to do so their conâ—ederated prayers and endeavours might be very available Letter I. CONTENTS THE Introduction Numb I. The design of the following Advices II. The danger of miscarriage in the Clerical Calling the consequent necessity of a Call from God for undertaking it how we are to judge of this Call in a rational way the general requisites thereunto III. The first requisite A pure Intention what it is and how to be tryed IV. V. VI. The second requisite Natural Gifts how we may hence conclude a Calling VII Why these Gifts are called Natural What they are that necessary in regard of knowledge All Theological knowledge not simply necessary for every ordinary Parochian but what is more immediately practicall Men are to be fitted for further knowledge by the practice of what they know already VIII The great use and probable successfulness of this Method in reducing Hereticks or Schismaticks IX The knowledge of a Clergieman ought to be not onely that of a Practitioner but that of a Guide Hence is inferred First a necessity of knowing and understanding Fundamentals wherein all agree as of the Apostles Creed From whence is also further inferred a necessity of understanding First the Scriptures and therefore the Originals wherein they were written especially the Greek X. XI Secondly the Fathers of the first and purest Centuries The necessity of this XII The expediency of it XIII Secondly a necessity of skill in such Controversies as divide Communions XIV Thirdly a skill in Casuistical Divinity The insufficiency of Pulpit-reproofs and the necessity of dealing with particular Consciences in order to the Reformation of particular persons XV. XVI XVII Requisites for inducing the People to a practice of their duty when known First a skill in the Ars Voluntatis XVIII Secondly Boldness and Courage in telling them of their duty How necessary this qualification is and how much to be tendered How it may be best performed without offending on the other extreme of petulancy XIX Thirdly a sweet and sociable yet grave and serious Conversation How these two seeming contradictory extremes may be reconciled XX. Fourthly a holy and exemplary life XXI That their Lives may be exemplary two conditions are necessary First that they be Excellent XXII Secondly that their Excellency he conspicuous How this conspicuity may be so contrived as that it may not hinder Humility and Modesty XXIII The last requisite a firm and stable Resolution How to be tryed XXIV These Advices seasonable for such as have already undertaken Orders as well as such as onely design them That these personal qualifications will supersede the necessity of particular Rules XXV Two things further requisite for a nearer accommodation of the forementioned qualifications to practice First that an observation of them from a principle of Divine love and on a rational account is more expedient both for personal comfort and publick edification XXVI Second some general Rules in managing a Parochial Cure for bringing the People to a ruleable temper XXVII The Catalogue of the Writings of such Christian Authors as Flourished before the Conversion of the Romane Empire to Christianity Pag. 131. Letter II. CONTENTS THE Introduction and Heads of the ensuing Discourse Numb I. What is meant by Scholastical Divinity What to be observed in Oratory The Light and Certainty of the Rational Faculties supposed anteedently to all Theological proof II. A method of managing Reason most advantageously in Theological Controversies III. The usefulness of Reason and School-Divinity In what principal Controversies they are especially seasonable IV. A censure of School-Divinity and how it is to be used V. The most accurate way of finding out the sense of the Scripture The use of Philological Learning in general in order hereunto particularly First of those Tongues wherein they were Originally written Secondly the Idioms of those Tongues Thirdly the Idioms of the Writers Fourthly the Antiquities the Customes of the Zabij Chaldaean and Phaenician their History Chronology and Geography The way of judging the Testimonies of the Fathers concerning Traditions VI. The use of Saecular Philosophy in order to School-Divinity VII The use of Saecular Learning to the Text of the Holy Scriptures of the ancient Greek Poetry of the Greek especially the Stoical Philosophy An Apology for it VIII The means for unriddling the mystical senses of the ancient Poets and Philosophers and Publick Idolatries of the Heathens the Oneirocriticks and Hieroglyphicks An Apology for their use in expounding Prophetick Books of Scripture IX The Authors to be read for initiating a young Student in each of the particulars advised X. The Method to be observed for preventing distraction in so great a variety XI ERRATA THE most material Errata that might prejudice the sense or prove any other way inconvenient are already corrected with the Pen. Some others there are of less momenâ— which upon occasion of this vacancy are here presented as Pag. 18. l. 14. for advant agâ—ously read advantagiously P. 22. l penult for especially r. especially p. 51. l. penult for Besides r. Besides p. 54. l. 25. for i â— r. in p. 55. l. â— for he p r. help p. 231. r. 131. p. 163 l. 11 for oppotunities r. opportunities p. 179. lâ— ult for wholy r. wholly Letter I. A Letter of Advice to a young Student designing the Susception of HOLY ORDERS SIR I. HAving got that opportunity of fulfilling your Requests since your departure which I wanted when you were present because besides the gravity of the Subject whereon you have employed me and my own natural aversness from such insignificancies and the necessity now if ever of plain dealing I believe your self would rather have it bestowed on material Advices â—â—an empty Complements I shall therefore like the downright and truly just Areopagites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make use of it without any further Ceremonial Addresses II. First therefore when you desire Advice for your Behaviour in that holy Function you design to undertake I hope you do not intend that I should be prolix in insisting on particulars For both that has already been performed at large by many others
this means your duty shall become not a task but a real pleasure proceeding from such a pleasing and endearing principle and having the omnipotence and good will of God to secure you from the fears of disappointment when your desires are reasonable and as a sure refuge and Sanctuary to have recourse to when they are not and that you will not be subject to the slavery of such desires themselves which are the Originals of all misery even in this life and your performance of your duty will be more universal not onely in things agreeing with your humour but even in those which are most contradictory to it which will be so much the more acceptable to God by how much it is less so to our selves Besides it were well that you would endeavour to render your love as rational as you can and as little dependent on the passions of the lower appetites for by this means your tranquillity will be continual and not depend on the vicissitudes of humours seeing if you be led onely by reason that being alwayes true must consequently be alwayes seasonable and that the reason whereby you judge concerning your own condition were rather grounded on your Actions than your Affections so as never to think better of your self when you find your affections warm if your actions are not correspondent nor the worse when your affections Flagg your actions still continuing conformable This rational rectifying of your intention would still oblige you to keep an habitual attention and watchfulness over your actions and yet would make attention it self less necessary by being habitual and make it less affected It would make it less necessary because virtuous habits as well as vitious would breed a facility and inclination to virtuous actions even antecedently to deliberation It would make it less affected because Piety would appear in such actions where affectation could not take place as well as where it might for indeliberate actions are not capable of affectation and because it would make an uniformity in all actions of your life which were remarkable Which must needs make your life exemplary with more advantage to your self as well as to the vulgar to your self because observing of Rules could not be practiced but in actions deliberate which are but few and must be handled more tediously whereas this way of securing acts by habits and habituallyright intentions would at once provide for all by diminishing their number and by directing such as would remain to the multitude who by this means must better be convinced of the truth and sincerity of their Pastor when their most accurate inspection could discern no affectation and that by all appearances it seemed real not hypocritical XXVII For. managing your Cure it were well that you would constantly allot some time daily from your Studies for visiting them when you shall think them best at leasure And because the particular persons may be more than you may be able to deal with in an ordinary way therefore for their ordinary Cure you should first win Parents and Masters of Families to a sense of Piety which being once performed you may then easily induce them to a care of the Souls of their Children and Servants by shewing them how their Religion would conduce to their verry secular interest that hereby their Servants would prove more faithful and their Children more obedient and comfortable to them that therefore they should keep up their Family Duties constantly their Morning and Evening Prayers that occasionally they would instill an instruction in their duties by having some good book read to them all especially the Whole duty of Man according to the method of the Partitions therein prescribed every Sunday one that they would by your advice prescribe some select passages of Scripture fitted for their practical use to be gotten by heart by them to instruct them as they find them capable in the Art of Holy Meditation and mental Prayer to stir them up to a frequent Communion and to desire your Advice upon occasion of any important scruple whether in order to the Sacrament or upon any other occasion and to influence them all by their word and example and exhortation and peculiar encouragement Then endeavour what you can to abolish the Nurseries of vice and publick Debauchery not by imploring the Magistrates assistance that becomes secular persons rather than your self and would be apt to harden the hearts of the persons concerned against you when they should find your exhortations backed with no better arguments but by perswasions partly by disswading the multitude of such Callings as are interessed in mens vices such are Taverns and Ale-houses especially the most debauched of them to give over that kind of Calling and betake themselves to something more profitable for the Commonwealth and more secure for their own Souls Concerning this you may make use of the advice and assistance of your more able Parishioners who may be best experienced in the commodities of the Countrey and may be able to employ them even in raising new advantageous Arts of Trading if it be necessary But for those Trades that are directly unlawful if they be not able to undertake any other it were better that they were maintained on the publick Charity than that they should be suffered to return to their former employments You may see for this St. Cyprians Epistle ad Eucratium L. j. Ep. 10. So also it were well that those Taverns and Ale-houses which might be permitted after the detraction of their superfluous number were confined to Inns who by their paucity might gain sufficiently and virtuously a convenient maintenance And to this purpose you might perswade them to keep small drink that none may be necessitated to use their strong and to take care of either tempting or permitting any to drink beyond their measure as they would tender the security of their own Souls from a participation of their Sins Then it were well in the next place that you frequented the Schools if there be any and according to the Authority the Law allowes the Clergie in such cases examined the care and method of their Masters and especially to take care of a method of instilling Piety into their Children which their Masters may practice them in or if their Masters be negligent you should allure and encourage them your self Do not despise this mean employment for both you will find them more capable of virtue than such as are confirmed in vitious habits by a more inflexible age and longer custome and by this means you may more easily secure the hopes of the next Generation which you may live your self to see grown up according to your own desire Then for giving them more particular prescriptions you should stir them up to a particular Confession of their Sins and Temptations according as our Mother the Church of England and Ireland approves it but to give them no formal Absolution till a long experience has
Idolatry so Magick in the bad sense seems to have been nothing but a further degeneration of ancient Idolatry Onely the notion is creater here than among the Graecians that they being applyed onely to such whom they thought properly Gods the several virtues of him that is supreme or the influence of the Stars or the president Daemons not to the inanimated elements of nature or canonized Heroes most of them are exotical which is the reason of their strangeness in the Greek nay in Oriental Tongues which have an affinity with the Ehrew and may therefore the more probably give light to the Idolatry of those Nations that are alluded to in the Old Testament that these people were especially inquisitive in all Religions for the names of their most powerful Gods and so sometimes of the true as well as false for thus I am apt to suspect those imitations of the Tetragrammaton to have been derived to the Occidentals thus the name Jovis among the Romanes which from Suidas and Ennius and Iucius Ampelius and most ancient Authors appears to have been the Nominative case whence they derived their Vejoves and Dejoves and which brings it yet closer to my purpose as I remember Varro in St. Augustine makes him worshipped by the Jewes So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you may see instanced and excellently discoursed of by Mr. Nicholas Fuller in Miscel Sacr. L. ii c. 6. and iv c. 13. 14. which Author I shall recommend to your reading on vacant occasions and the God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by Diodorus Siculus also said to have given the Law to Moses And that these names were divulged by the Magicians besides the words of Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 produced out of a Greek M S. by the forementioned Mr. Fuller though now not extant that I know of nor by what appears after the diligent search of Petrus Daniel Huetius the Author of the late collection of Origen's Greek Commentaries nor any thing as I remember answering it in the Latine Translation of Russinus who yet is not famed for rendring the Greek exactly nor does himself pretend to it confirming my conjecture will be reasonable to believe whether we consider that there is no plausible Author pretended for it none of the Philosophers or those wicked uses it was put to in the rites of Bacchus and Apollo or that commendation given it by the Devil himself in the Oracle of Apollo Clarius wherein he confesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sure for some such mischievous purpose So also the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is mentioned by Origen as invoked by Magicians nay and the name of Jesus himself not onely in him but also by the Sons of Sceva in the Acts. To which I might add that security of conveyance in them their superstition forbidding them the liberty even of a Translation which was a great reason of their strangeness among the Graecians and yet is professedly maintained as reasonable by Jamblichus as great an enemy as he seems to Magick and it seems to have been the opinion of the Stoicks defended by Origen L. I. p. 20. And for this you may see the necessity of the Oriental Tongues which if you cannot spare time for your self I would advise you to be acquainted with some that is excellent in them whom you may consult upon occasion But that which I believe would be most serviceable for this design among the Greek Idolatries is the Coptite or ancient Aegyptiack from whom as I said formerly they borrowed very many of them wherein though both the likeness of the Character and the signification of many of their words may be easily discernible yet both in some the Idiomes of the Tongues will make the difference more apparent and where they do not it would at least concern you to know their convenience for the Historical enquiry whether among the others there was any thing proportionable And possibly you will find some assistance this way for the understanding those hard mystical words used by the Romans mentioned by Arnobius though seeing Tages and the Hetrurians the reputed Indigenae were thought to be the Inventors of most of those sacred rites wherein they were used I conceive the right knowledge best deducible from the ancient Hetrurian tongue before it was corrupted by those numerous Greek Colonyes that overspread afterwards a great part of Italy And for this your best conjectures will be drawn from those obsolete old Latine words in Ennius Plautus Festus Varro c. and other later Antiquaries and Grammarians And in this whole way of deriving unknown words to their primitive originals you must allow many variations either for want of answerable letters or the ignorance of later transcribers wherein that you may not be irregular it would concern you to be critically acquainted in both tongues the borrower and the borrowed that by comparison of both you may conjecture what alterations were likely to happen But besides this use of Oneirocriticks and Hieroglyphicks and the other Pagan mystical arts of concealment for understanding the hidden senses of their Poets and Philosophers and their publick Idolatries I have observed another use made of them by some very learned persons for explaining the Prophetick books of Scripture which because it may seem something strange at the first sight and is not cleared particularly 〈◊〉 those Ingenious Authors that use it and may withall be very apposite for the use of a Scholastical Divine it may be seasonable on this occasion to give some account of it First therefore I suppose that God did intend that these Prophesies which were committed to writing and enrolled in the publick Canon of the Church should be understood by the persons concerned in them For otherwise it could not properly be called a Revelation if after the discovery things still remained as intricate as formerly and it is not credible that God should publish Revelations onely to exercise and puzzle the industry of humane enquiries or as an evidence of his own knowledge of things exceeding ours though indeed that it self cannot be known by us unless we be able to discern some sense which otherwise could not have been known than by such Prophesies or to give occasion to Enthusiasts and cunningly designing persons to practice seditions and innovations under the pretence of fulfilling Prophesies without any possibility of rational confutation by the Orthodox who upon this supposal must be presumed as ignorant of them as themselves and there is no prudent way of avoyding this uselesness and dangerousness but by rendring them intelligible to the persons concerned And Secondly the persons concerned in these kinds of Revelations cannot be the Prophets themselves or any other private persons of the ages wherein they were delivered but the Church in generall also in future ages For as Prophesie in general is a gratia gratis data and therefore as