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A60881 A discourse concerning generosity Somers, John Somers, Baron, 1651-1716. 1693 (1693) Wing S4640; ESTC R221638 48,520 157

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upon these Principles and conducting them rightly be helpful to advance Men in Vertue and Goodness If the Characters herein ascribed to Generosity be consonant to the purest Principles of our Minds and to the clear and undoubted Notions which wise Men have all along had of things Then the main of what I have before offer'd will not I conceive be shaken by a side-wind Objection It was not nor is it necessary or indeed possible that Men in all Countries or Ages of the World should follow just the same Modes of conception or expression or the same Methods of Discourse There is no doubt a great Latitude that may be fairly taken in the manner of discoursing about the particular Vertues and of referring them to certain general Principles of the rational Soul Accordingly we find that the Holy Writers themselves do fall into that variety in this Case which the nature of things so easily admits They often vary from one another in their Expressions and in their Methods of Discourse and Exhortation upon much the same Subjects They give us diversly the descriptions or characters of particular Vertues Sometimes in such manner as seems agreeable to the true nature of them and at other times in such manner as is mostly suited to the present Argument or Purpose of the Writer or to the Principles of the Mind to which they are for that time referred Let us for the present only take notice how many several ways Vertue in general or Religion or Holiness or Goodness call it by what such-like Name you will is represented to us by the several Writers of the holy Books Sometimes it is represented under the name and characters of Wisdom as in the Writings of King Solomon Sometims under the name of Righteousness that is Justice or Rectitude as in several of the sacred Books Sometimes it is comprehended under the general Phrase The Fear of the Lord as in many of the sacred Books both of the old and new Testament Sometimes under that of Love or Dilection comprizing in it the love of God and of our Neighbour as in some of the Books of the old Testament and most of the Books of the new particularly in the Writings of St. John and St. Paul Sometimes under the general Term Faith exhibiting to us the sum of our Duty as in several Books of the new Testament especially in the Writings of St. Paul If therefore the several holy Writers vary from one another in this manner we need not wonder that others should vary from them in things wherein there is naturally so much Latitude Admit then that some one or more of the holy Writers intimates that Faith is a Principle serving to produce in Men several particular Vertues we must not think that that contradicts or excludes what is spoken by such one or more of the holy Writers as intimates that Love or the Fear of God are Principles serviceable to that end Here are now suppose before our Eyes four things which may be deemed Principles of Vertue and Goodness viz. Faith Love Fear of God and Generosity But surely the saying that Faith is such a Principle does not exclude Love from being such too And saying that Love is such a Principle does not exclude the Fear of God from being such too And saying that the Fear of God is such a Principle does not exclude Generosity from being such too because they are each of them more or less such Nor on the other side will Generosity exclude the other Principles of Faith Love or the Fear of God or they exclude it any more than they exclude one another or any more than they exclude Prudence and Sincerity considered as general Principles of Vertue or indeed any other general Principle besides which serves for producing Vertue in Men. The Principles aforementioned may be all of them jointly and severally Principles productive of Vertue And accordingly to them as such either to all of them together or to any of them apart several particular Vertues may properly be referred And of this we have in the case of Faith a great Instance in the 11th Chapter to the Hebrews where we find attributed to Faith a great number of Vertues which distinguished and signalized the Heroes and good Men in several Ages of the World So that upon the Matter the consideration of the Style or the manner of Writing used by the holy Penmen of the Scripture will not I conceive afford any just exception against what I have before offer'd or give any occasion to doubt but that Generosity is such a Principle of Vertue and Goodness as I pretend it is But to speak freely why indeed should we think that none of the holy Writers take notice of the Principle of Generosity when we find that St. Paul gives so lively a description of it in which he concludes and sums up his other particular Exhortations Phil. 4.8 Finally my Brethren says he whatsoever things are True whatsoever things are Honest or Venerable whatsoever things are Just whatsoever things are Pure whatsoever things are Lovely whatsoever things are of good Report if there be any Vertue and if there be any Praise that is if they be Vertuous and Praise-worthy think on these things And when we likewise find in general that the several Vertues which I have shewn do belong to its Character are by frequent and earnest Precepts and Exhortations inculcated upon Men throughout their Writings tho' in other Words perhaps or under other Heads and Relations I say when we find the Case to be thus why should we think that the holy Writers take no notice of this Principle We need not be much concerned about a Word or Name when we have the Thing and Substance If the Thing may in the Substance of it be found in Scripture Or if it be not really and materially repugnant to what is delivered there Or if which is all one in effect it may be demonstrated by rational and convincing Considerations to be a good and useful Principle that ought as I take it to content us II. In the next place I should endeavour to shew the usefulness of the Principle of Generosity for the due Government of our Actions But from the Interpretation of this Principle which I have before offer'd we may pretty well discern that it is like to be of great use for that purpose And this will in great measure supersede what I intended to speak under this Head at least will oblige me to handle it with the more brevity We find there is a vast variety of Circumstances wherein Men may be placed when they come to chuse and act Men fall at times under different Relations to one another and their Cases come to be diversified by Circumstances and Accidents emerging By which means it comes to pass that they are oftentimes at a loss how to chuse and act even in Cases which if they were strip'd of several of their Circumstances would seem plain and clear