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-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
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
123. of Infallibility the result of which is that our Faith is infallible though we are not infallibly assured but this is beyond my first design only I could not but take this occasion to show you what a man of reason this is when he argues at his own natural rate and dares forsake his Masters and it were very easie to make it appear that he has not one good argument but what he has borrowed from some late Modern Authors who are far enough from being Fanaticks which is an excellent way of proving that Fanaticks are great friends to Reason But to give you some few instances more of Mr. Ferguson's transcribing from Modern Authors M. F. p. 48. If all things be the result of matter how comes a principle of reason to be conveyed into us by that which had it not inherent in it self Sir C. W. The unreasonableness of Atheism page 92. The casual conjunction of these atoms could not make the world because it is made with a principle of Reason and they could not have induced such a principle by chance unless some way or other they had it inherent in themselves before M. F. This Hypothesis supposeth that to have been the effect of chance which carries in it the characters of a wise contrivance Ibid. Dr. Til. Serm. 1. p. 40. Nothing can be more unreasonable than obstinately to impute an effect to chance which carries in the very face of it all the arguments and characters of a wise design and contrivance M. F. If the fabrick of the world be nothing but the result of the casual meeting and concatenation of Atoms how comes it to pass that by their daily motion and justling one another they do not dance themselves into more worlds Ibid. Sir Ch. Ibid. p. 91. If the dancing motion of these Atoms in this fancied space did by chance first dance the world into this form c. what is the reason these Atoms never danced themselves into any thing else You may see Sir what a youthful fancy Mr. Ferguson has to be so pleased with this metaphor of dancing which much better becomes a Gentleman than a Divine but yet I perceive Mr. Ferguson has so little skill in the thing that he spoils all these Metaphors if he attempts to vary the least word for I remember I have heard some say that justling is no very gentile way of dancing M. F. p. 50. To the fortuitous jumbles of blind matter Dr. More 's Antidote p. 42. From a blind fortuitous jumbling of the parts of matter And in the next words some body or other has put a trick on him for thus he proceeds The consideration of the Fabrick of things made Plato say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I may english in the words of the Holy Ghost that all things are made in number weight and measure which are not the words of the Holy Ghost unless he will acknowledge the book of Wisdom to be Canonical Scripture for there it is 2 Wisdom 20. M. F. p. 51. What convictions are we furnished with of the Being of God from the innate harmony that is in the several parts of the Creation and the convenient disposure of all the Creatures to a subserviency to one another in mutual offices chance cannot have linkt one thing to another nor can contraries combine into a mutual coalition without the influence of a supreme Being who overrules them Sir Charles ibid. p. 42. The natural rectitude and innate harmony of the world and the due subordination of things one to another and to the whole of the world Direct contraries are over-ruled to a perfect harmony and coalition in the propagation of the world p. 87. Here Mr. Ferg has a little altered the phrase but much for the worse for to combine into a coalition I doubt is not good sense M. F. p. 52. Men have rather chosen to worship any thing for a God than wholly to be without one Dr. Till Serm. p. 55. Men will rather have any God than none and rather than want a Deity will worship any thing M. F. p. 53. For not onely Cicero tells us that there is nothing so absurd which some of the Philosophers have not maintained But Aristotle informs us that there have been some who have held That a thing might at the same time be and not be Sir Charles ibid. p. 74. Aristotle tells us that there were some that affirmed A thing might be and might not be at the same time and Cicero has long since told us that nothing could be so absurd that had not some Philosopher for its Patron Now though these are very familiar sayings yet I have reason to think that Mr. Ferg transcribed them out of Sir Charles because he has not given us the Latine and Greek of these sayings as Sir Charles has not which Mr. Ferg never fails to do when he can come easily by it of which we have an instance or two in the same page Ferg ibid. Reason becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infected with those evil opinions that proceed from lust when men are once sunk into the greatest sensualities their reason becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compliant with their sensual appetites Mr. Smith's select Discourses p. 15. That reason that is within us as Plotinus hath well expressed it becomes more and more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it will be infected with those evil opinions that arise from our corporeal life Their highest reason is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complying with their senses M. F. ibid. Besides men living as if there were no God can make no apology to the world but by espousing such notions as may justifie them in their courses Dr. Till Serm. p. 104. For when men live as if there were no God it becomes expedient for them that there should be none Besides that men think it some kind of apology for their vices that they do not act contrary to any principle they profess M. F. p. 63. There hath been no Nation so savage nor people so barbarous who have not acknowledged some kind of external Performances necessary for the expressing of the inward Sentiments of Devotion and Honour which they bear to the Deity Amyrald of Religion p. 2. There is no Nation so savage no people who do not essay by some kind of Performances to express the Sentiments of Devotion and Honour they bear towards him M. F. p. 132. Words that are intelligible when they are spoken are as intelligible when they are written Now as God can speak as plainly as any of his Creatures can and as words are at least as easie to be understood when they are written as when they are spoken so we have no reason to think that God affects obscurity or envies that men should understand him Dr. Till Rule of Faith p. 66. First Whatever can be spoken in plain and intelligible words and such as have a certain sense may be written in the same words Secondly That the same words
force only sometimes to avoid those particular instances which the Dean gives he chuseth others with so little judgment that it would puzzle a very wise man to defend them And it is pretty to observe how sometimes he varies phrases and sometimes retains the very same expressions as to give an instance of each M. F. p. 69. I readily acknowledge that the Articles and Precepts of Religion may in some cases and circumstances be safely preserved and securely conveyed down from age to age by oral Tradition namely when the things themselves to be preserved and reported are few the number of the persons to be instructed in them small the age of those to whom the successive communication is given lengthened out to several hundreds of years c. Dr. Tillotson Rule of Faith p. 33. We grant that oral Tradition in some circumstances may be a sufficient way of conveying a Doctrine c. in the first ages of the world when the credenda or Articles of Religion and the agenda or precepts of it were but few and such as had the evidence of natural light when the world was contracted into a few Families in comparison and the age of man was ordinarily extended to six or seven hundred years c. M. F. p. 71. I shall only add that the tradition of the one true God though most easie to have been preserved being not only short and plain but having foundation and evidence in the light of Nature was nevertheless soon corrupted and defaced by the worlds lapsing into Polytheism Dr. T. Ibid. p. 187. The tradition of the one true God which was the easiest to be preserved of any Doctrine in the world being short and plain planted in every mans nature and perfectly suited to the reason of mankind and yet this tradition not having past through many hands c. was so defaced and corrupted that the world did lapse into Polytheism and Idolatry Where it is pleasant to observe how Master Ferguson by altering the expression a little unawares falls into non-sense that the tradition of the one true God was corrupted and defaced by the worlds lapsing into Polytheism as if men first lapsed into Polytheism and this corrupted the tradition of one God which is as much as to say that men worshipped a great many Gods while they believed there was but one and by this means in time forgot that there was but one God And indeed our Author is oftentimes very unhappy at varying phrases and makes either wretched English or wretched sense of them Master Ferguson's next undertaking is thirdly to prove that no written Records besides the Bible can lay claim to the priviledge of being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Divine Inspiration and here he considers the Ethnick Legislators Poets and Philosophers and especially the Alcoran page 76 c. all which is done at large by Sir Charles Worsely page 164 c. of which Master Ferguson has only given us a short and imperfect abstract The same may be truly affirmed of those positive media as he calls them by which the Divine authority of the Scripture may be rationally demonstrated which indeed he has cast into a different method but as far as I observe has nothing but what is particularly discours'd by Sir Charles from page 179. to the end of the Book In one thing indeed Master Ferguson takes the confidence to differ from Sir Charles whether Miracles be always a certain demonstration of the truth of any Doctrine or whether God may not sometimes permit Impostors to work Miracles for the tryal of our Faith This latter Sir Charles affirms Mr. Ferguson denies which is not civilly done to dispute such a nice point with his friend which he confesses is not very material when he had borrowed from him all his substantial and material notions But the best of it is Sir Charles has no need to stand to his Courtesie in this matter and it is well for him he has not And upon this occasion I cannot but take notice how Master Ferguson deals with Des Cartes he charges him with affirming Deum posse fallere si velit that God can deceive if he please Now Sir you know very well upon what occasion Des Cartes said this it was when in order to free his mind from the prejudices of sense and education and popular opinions he set himself to doubt as far as possibly he could as long as there was the least imaginable pretence for doubting and therefore doubts whether there be a God or any thing else and whether this God be not a deceiver c. And Master Ferguson might as well challenge Des Cartes with denying that he himself had any body or that there were any external objects such as the Sun Moon and Stars as with affirming that God might deceive if he pleased for he says the one as much as the other while he was in this doubting humour and only upon a design to come to some first Principle which he could not doubt of and to lay the foundations of a more certain knowledge and therefore he immediately adds Et certe cum nullam occasionem habeam existimandi aliquem Deum esse deceptorent neo quidem adhuc satis sciam utrum sit aliquis Deus valde tenuis ut ita loquar metaphysica dubitandi ratio est quae tantum ex ea opinione dependet ut autem etiam illa tolletur quamprimum occurret occasio examinare debeo an sit Deus si sit an possit esse deceptor hac enim re ignorata non videor de ulla alia plane certus esse unquam posse Medit. Tertia i. e. Since I have no occasion at all to think that God is a deceiver nor as yet am certain whether there be a God or not this opinion of Gods power to deceive is but a very slender and metaphysical reason of doubting However that we may remove this too as soon as things are ripe for that inquiry we must examine whether there be a God and if there be one whether he can be a deceiver for while we are ignorant of this I cannot see how we can be throughly certain of an thing And accordingly when in his method he had proved the being of God he proves too that he cannot deceive us and founds the truth and certainty of our faculties upon it And in the second objections he is charged with asserting Deum non posse mentiri aut decipere that God cannot lye or deceive which they say is contrary to the opinion of many Schoolmen And in his Answer to these Objections to which Master Ferguson refers us he owns the charge and defends himself from their exceptions By this we may see how well skilled Mr. Ferguson is in Des Cartes his Philosophy or what a brow he has to charge that upon Des Cartes as his professed opinion the contrary of which he makes the ground of all certainty Such another wise discourse he has page