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.
Volumes of the Schoolmen are deplorable evidence of Peripatetical Depravations Van. Dogm p. 166. M. F. Their Scholastick Controversies are resolved into the Subtilties of his Aristotle's Philosophy ibid. J. G. These Scholastick Controversies are ultimately resolved into the Subtilties of his Aristotle's Philosophy V. D p. 167 M. F. Speaking of the Union of the Soul and Body saith How this can be is a Knot too hard for Human Reason to untie p. 490. J. G. Saith of the same It is a Knot too hard for our degraded Intellects to untie Van. Dog Ed. 2. p. 15. M. F. How a pure Spirit should be cemented to an earthly clod is a Riddle that no Hypothesis of Philosophy can resolve us about p. 490. J. G. How the purer Spirit is united to this Clod is a Riddle that must be left to the coming of Elias Van. Dog Ed. 2. ibid. M. F. To affirm it viz. the uniter of Soul and Body to be of a middle nature partaking of the affections and adjuncts of both is that which our reasonable Faculties will never allow us to subscribe to ibid. J. G. To suppose an uniter of middle constitution that should partake of some of the qualities of both is unwarranted by any of our faculties Van. Dogm p. 21. M. F. How that which penetrates a Body without giving a jog to or receiving any from it should either impress a motion upon or receive an impression from it is unconceivable p. 496. J. G. How that which penetrates all Bodies without the least jog or obstruction should impress a motion on any is by his own confession alike unconceivable Van. Dogm Ed. 2. p. 17. M. F. treats of the incomprehensibility of the union of the parts of matter p. 483 484 c. the substance of all which is taken out of I. G. in his Scepsis Scientifica p. 37 38 39. and his Answer to White p. 41 42 c. M. F. endeavours to shew the unconceivableness of the union of the Soul and Body p. 489 490 491 c. and again p. 495 496. all out of I. G. in his Scepsis Scientifica p. 15 16. M. F. The reproach which Iulian slanderously fastned upon the Primitive Christians that they had no ground for their Faith but that their wisdom was only to believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 62. J. G. The charge of Julian the Apostate against the Primitive Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That their wisdom was to believe as if they had no ground for their Faith Of Reason p. 218. M. F. He is worse than an Enthusiast who affirms that the way to be a Christian is first to be a Brute p. 20. J. G. Saith that in the Enthusiastick Divinity The way to be a Christian is first to be a Brute Of Reason p. 223. M. F. Men being misled by their senses affections interests and imaginations do many times mingle errors and false conceits with the genuine Dictates of their minds and then appeal to them as the principles of truth and reason when they are indeed nothing else but the vain images of our Fansies and the conclusions of ignorance and mistake p. 241. J. G. Liable to be mis-led by our senses and affections and interests and imaginations so that we many times mingle errors and false conceits with the genuine dictates of our minds and appeal to them as the principles of truth and reason when they are but the vain images of our Fansies or the false conclusions of ignorance and mistake Of Reason p. 196 197. M. F. Whatsoever is proved by reason we are firmly to believe it though there be many things in the theory of it that are wholly unconceivable p. 198. J. G. What is clearly proved by reason ought to be believed though there are many things in the theory and manner of it unconceivable Philosoph Pia p. 82. Thus Sir I have given you some Instances among many of the faithfulness of M. Ferguson's Memory or of his Phrase-Book There is no doubt but they have furnished him as well out of other Writers but I have neither the humor nor the leisure to make further search after stoln Goods Only I cannot but take notice to you that this is the Man that divers of his Party glory in as their elegant and rational Writer and urge him as a great proof of the partiality and injustice of those who will not allow Non-Conformists to write either good Sense or good Language If either of these be in his Book you may ghess by this Specimen how little Honour is reflected upon them from it And if others would claim their Feathers as I have called for some of mine I believe he would have scarce enough left to cover theirs or his own nakedness I remember such Discoveries were once made upon another Champion of the Cause M. Hickman who had also furnished his Pack with Lace and Ribband borrowed from his Neighbours Shops 'T is pity but these men had Judgments to choose for then they would put better Books into the hands of their Admirers But when they take this Liberty I would advise them not to fall foul upon the Owners while they have their Goods in their hands nor to pick their Pockets then when they are confidently pleading their own Truth and Honesty against them If this Gentleman had let me alone I had likely never known this quality of his but unluckily he hath detected himself as he did that warned his Chapman to whom he had sold a stoln Horse not to let him drink of such a Water which was in a Ground out of which he had taken him Upon the whole matter Sir I desire you to deal gently with this Adversary lest unawares you should smite some of your Friends and among the rest Your affectionate Friend and Servant Ios. Glanvill Mr. SHERLOCK HIS ANSWER TO Mr. GLANVILL HIS LETTER SIR I Have received your Letter and thank you very heartily for it I was much puzzled before to give an account of the inequality of M. Ferguson's Style and Reasoning for his Words are sometimes proper and elegant his Arguments strong and weighty at other times his Phrase is barbarous and pedantick and his Reasonings childish and I always observed that he writ best upon some trite and beaten Argument where he had no Adversary but take him out of the road of Common Places and phrase-Phrase-Books and he could neither write consistently with himself nor any thing to the purpose This gave me a great suspicion of the man that he was a mere Collector and that his Book was made just as the Epicuraeans fansie the World was by the accidental Concourse of Atoms and may serve for a Confutation of that wild Hypothesis it being a plain Demonstration how impossible it is to make a good Book out of the best Common-Places and Collections unless a wise man have the composing of it Upon the receipt of your Letter which made so pleasant a discovery of the man I had the Curiosity