Ashes of a Tree called The Fig-tree of Adams which renders it as White as the Silk of Palestine and the 3d is the manner wherewith Indico is prepared but that 's too common to be further noted He pretends that the Relations which have been given to us hitherto of the Tunquin are not very exact He corrects them in his Fourth Part which is a Relation of this Countrey in which he remarks amongst other singular and curious things two sorts of Dainties amongst the Tunquinois which are far from ours The first is that of the Batt which in Tunquin are neither smaller nor less delicate than our Pullets and the second is of the Nests of certain Birds which are of the bigness of our Swallows which being a kind of Gum melteth in luke-warm-Water and is made use of in all the Dainties and Sawces which are made for Flesh and Fish and communicates to the Flesh which is seasoned thereby such a good Tast that these Nests seem to be composed of all the Aromaticks which are found in the East The manner whereby the Tunquinois do preserve Eggs two or three years together deserves to be observed They throw Salt into the water and as soon as the Pickle is done which is known when the Egg swims on the top of the Water they throw Ashes into this Pickle until it is made as it were a kind of Paste Then they inclose each Egg in a great Leaf of an herb which resembles the Leaves of our Beet They put them afterwards into great Pots of Earth which they cover well and thus they Preserve them for two or three years As the other Relations speak of the Goodness of the Air of Government Religion and several other things of Tunquin it would be useless to speak of them here In fine the latter part of this Work is the History of the Conduct of the Hollanders in Asia Those who would know the particulars will take the pains to read it in this Original and we shall be satisfied to speak here of some Remarks which Mr. Tavernier makes therein by the by as that of the ordinary Muscade Nut which being preserved inebriates more than Wine though one should eat but one whether at the beginning middle or end of ones Meal He saith that the quantity of Elephants Teeth which are found along the Coast of Mozambique is so great that they make Palisadoes thereof about Gardens so that they may be said to have a Cloister of Ivory In fine the last Remark is that of a pleasant but filthy Counterpoison In the Isle of Iava the Soldiers have accustomed to Poyson their Darts c. with a Poison so strong that all those who are struck therewith dye suddenly The only remedy which prevents it is that every one having dryed some of his own Excrements and having reduced them into Powder puts a few thereof into a Glass of Water and presently swallows it as soon as he feels himself wounded By this means they feel no ill effect of the Poyson If this Remedy is as Soveraign as they say this Secrecy deserves well to be known DISSERTATIONS of Mr. Burman at Rotterdam 1688. in Quarto THE Posthume Works of Great men are like Children half formed who cause more shame than honour to their Fathers As Superstition hath Consecrated the Hairs and Bones of Saints the respect and love Men have for the Learned brings them to let Posterity participate of their most imperfect Essays It is true that there were in the Closet of Salmatius Treatises upon the Warfare of the Romans and upon Plants which deserved a better lot than what they have hitherto met withal But on the other side Men do Print some Scaligerana and Petroniana which should for ever had remained in the Closet of those who had them Howbeit here are the Dissertations of Mr. Burman Professor in Divinity in the Academy of Vtrect where he died some years ago He became famous chiefly in binding his Divinity with the Philosophy of Descartes and in keeping a kind of Medium between the ordinary Hypotheses of the Divines of Holland and the Opinions of Cameron The Four first Dissertations are to prove Providence The Pagans who were so wise as to acknowledge a God had much ado to believe that this same God presided over all the events Some have denyed it openly and as if they were afraid to trouble the Repose of this Infinite Being or to oppress him under too great a number of Occupations they have excused him from taking knowledge of what was done on Earth If there are Gods who govern the World whence do evils come said Epicurus It was also believed that all events depended upon a certain Chain of Second-causes which dragged the very Gods after them In fine Fortune hath been substituted in the room of Providence The Romans naturally haughty never received any disgrace from Fortune without taking their Revenge on her by a great number of abuses Clement of Alexandria reproacheth them that they had made an Altar to this Goddess in a place which was the receptacle of all the filths of Rome Will ye take vengeance on your Gods saith he unto them Or do you believe that the ill smell annoyeth them not as the good ones cannot rejoyce them otherwise they could not suffer the odour of the grease which is burned in Sacrifices nor the smoke of Frankincense which blindeth and blackeneth them This Temple whereof Clement of Alexandria speaks is undoubtedly the same which Pliny speaks of for the detested Fortune This Fortune was every moment called blind perfidious unconstant Notwithstanding these very Romans did put it instead of Providence rendred unto it Divine Honours and had dedicated several Temples in their City There was one of these Goddesses which was called Primogenita because she was considered as the Principle of all things and the source of all Goodness There was another which was represented with Paps to mark her abundance In fine there was one to whom young folks render'd Homage when they began to have a Beard The Platonicks were the wisest of all Philosophers for by walking in the steps of their Master who was the first Inventer of the Term Providence amongst the Greeks they acknowledged that there was a God who presided over second Causes The Iews jealous of the Glory of their Nation have pretended that the Cares of God had a respect to them only whilst they abandoned all other People of the World to the Course of Nature to the Influences of the Stars or to the Malice of Devils The wisest of the Rabbins believe that most Animals deserve not the looks of Divinity But that which is more astonishing is that St. Ierome was found to be of the same opinion without mentioning a great number of Philosophers and Divines who to extend the liberty of Man maintain That God cannot foresee all events The necessity of a Providence is proved which extends its self generally over all Creatures because God ought to
subject could bear II. After these Sermons of which we have spoke there is a small work Intituled a brief exposition of the Lords Prayer and the Decalogue with the Doctrine of the Sacraments these treaties have been already published in Twelves they are extreamly short but one may there find the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandments explained in a good and correct method yet there is almost nothing essential which is forgot Altho the Author took pains for the Vulgar yet he did not omit to cite in the Margin the Fathers and Heathen Authors where he found it for his purpose as when he expounded these words in the Lords Prayer thy Will be done c. he cites Epictetus Plato Antoninus and Seneca Epictetus says in his Enchiridion if God will have it so let it be so and Plato in his Dialogue Intituled Citron affirms that Socrates being in Prison pass'd the time whilst he tarried there as one that resigned himself to God in every thing which should happen to him The Emperor Antoninus says that we must chearfully receive every thing that happens to us and the words of Seneca are no less remarkable Ego Secundum Naturam vivo si totum me illi dedo optimum est Deum quo auctore cuncta proveniunt sine murmuratione comitari c. hic est magnus Animus qui se Deo tradidit I live according to Nature when I resign my self entirely to him nor is there any thing better than to follow without murmuring that God that is the cause of every thing It belongs only to great Souls to commit themselves wholly to God Mr. Barrow in the beginning of his Exposition of the Decalogue says it seems at first sight That it rather contains the Laws of the Iewish State than their Moral Precepts since there 's nothing spoke of the manner how we ought to live in regard of our selves as to the Continency Sobriety or Devotion and which we owe towards God as to Prayer Thanksgiving Confession of sins c. It seems to have a particular respect to the Jews who were a chosen people and that God govern'd them after a more peculiar manner than other Nations in giving 'em Laws for every particular thing which was only accommodated to the State of the Israelites to whom God only made himself known and that so this Law does not oblige all Nations in that especial sense wherein it was given by the Holy Ghost After this he gives divers Reasons for which we yet ought to have the Decalogue in the greatest Veneration and to observe it exactly except the 4th Commandment which doth not oblige the observation of Christians in this that it is Ceremonial no more than the first Patriarchs who also were not the less pleasing to God notwithstanding the testimony of Iustin and St. Ireneus but Reason it self dictates that it is necessary to set some time apart in which we may more particularly apply our selves to Divine Service and in which Servants may rest themselves from Labour 't is this the Heathens themselves observed witness Plato who says that the Gods are touch'd with pity towards Men and because of the Labour which they are obliged to he permits 'em some repose and days of rest Legum Conditores says Seneca festos instituerunt dies ut ad hilaritatem homines publicè cogerentur tanquam necessarium laboribus Mr. Barrow says nothing of the Sacraments since there is enough spoken of them by the most able Protestant Divines In the beginning there is one thing worthy of remark Besides other Washings which he speaks of he shews that it was a Custom amongst the Jews that those who were dedicated to God were exhorted to repentance for transgressing the Law and were wash'd in publick Testimony that they should change their Life He maintained this assertion upon the success which the Baptism of St. Iohn the Baptist had for it wou'd have been without doubt rejected as an Innovated Ceremony in a time when the Jews had such an extravagant respect to their own Traditions that they wou'd have opposed it if not upheld upon an Antient Custom If this is so one might also conjecture that the Lustrations of the Heathens gave birth to this extraordinary Baptism for 't is well known that those who had committed some Crimes were to be washed by some publick person and even by Princes themselves whereof we find an infinite number of Examples in the most Antient History of the Greeks III. The third piece which is in this Volume is a Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy to which is added a Discourse concerning the Vnity of the Church There has been already published in quarto in 1679. by Dr. Tillotson to whom the Author had committed the Care of the Impression at his death the first Testimony in a small Preface He believes that Dr. Barrow has omitted nothing essential or what might be of any consequence in this Controversie he believes that there is enough to decide for ever all the difficulties and to disswade all wise men of either Party from writing any more upon this Subject We shall remark in few words the method of his Treatise to the end that we may have a general Idea of what is contained in it we have at the first sight a preface wherein the Author relates the different sentiments of the Doctors of the Roman Church touching the Authority of the Pope which some make Inferiour to that of the Councils whilst others are of a contrary perswasion yet he briefly gives us the History of the Original and progress of the Papal Power Mr. Barrow having remarked that all that is said on this Power can only be founded upon seven suppositions he divides his Work into seven parts and examines them one after another these are the suppositions 1. That St. Peter received from Iesus Christ the Preheminence amongst the Apostles and had given to him an Authority and Sovereign Iurisdiction over the rest 2. That the rights and advantages of this Soveraignty were not personal but might be transmitted to others and left to their Successors 3. That St. Peter was the Bishop of Rome 4. That St. Peter continued to be Bishop of Rome after he had left Judea and that he remained so till his death 5. That 't is from thence that the priviledges of the Pope do come as Successor to St. Peter to wit Vniversal Iurisdiction over the whole Church of Iesus Christ. 6. That the Popes have effectually enjoy'd this Power and have exercised it without discontinuations from St. Peter till now 7. That this Power could not be lost nor be lessened by any means whatsoever The Author admits that St. Peter might be the first of the Apostles in regard of personal qualities esteem and reputation but he questions his precedency in order or dignity It appears too great a vanity for a man that had the Vertue and Humility of St. Peter He supposes it is very probable
which hath been so often fatal to the Church they undertook to become Masters of the Conscience of the People and to put the young Folks from their Imployments or to impose an Oath upon them that all perhaps have not signed without remorse of Conscience Yet some of those who have established this Form are persons of an extraordinary meritâ—â— who I am persuaded have acted in this occasion by a sincere zeal to maintain what they regard as Truth I should only wish they had more Extent and a greater freedom of Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 33 Orations of Themistius 13 of which have been formerly published Dennis Petavius of the Society of Jesus Translated many of 'em into Latin with Annotations To 20 of these Orations are added other Notes and to the remaining 13 are joyn'd the perpetual Observations of John Harduinus a Member of the same Society Paris in Fol. THemistius was a Philosopher of Paphlagonia so Eloquent that he had given him the Sur-name of Euphrades He published Commentaries upon Aristotle when he was very young which were so much esteemed that one of the best Philosophers of Greece quitted his School to go to see him He Taught with so much clearness at Antioch Nicomedia Rome and elsewhere that he out-did all the Philosophers of his time The Romans were so charmed with him that they sent to the Emperor desiring that he would oblige him to live in the midst of them but they obtained not this advantage Themistius chose rather to return to Constantinople where he passed the greatest part of his life He was beloved of Six Emperors Constantius conferred the dignity of Praetor upon him and honoured him with a Brazen Statue Valence had so great a deference for him that in consideration of him he moderated the false zeal which led him to persecute the Orthodox It is assuredly one of the greatest marks of esteem which can be given to a Man for as soon as a Prince hath determined to extirpate a Religion all that retards the progress of this design is uneasie to him and incommodes him extraordinarily they are very powerful Reasons only which can work an alteration of this nature Yet the Discourse of Themistius produced this great effect upon an Emperor animated to the ruin of the Orthodox by the Counsel of some Arian Bishops and by the Intreagues of the Empress This Philosopher represented to Valence That he persecuted without cause Men of worth that it was not a crime to believe and to think otherwise than he did that he should not wonder at this diversity of Opinions that the Gentiles were much more divided amongst themselves than Christians that every one pointed at truth by some place and that it had pleased God to confound the pride of Men and to render himself more venerable by the difficulty which there is of knowing him It is pity that such fine thoughts have been said by a Pagan and that it should be necessary that Christians should learn this Important Lesson from anâ— Idolatrous Man Yet they ought to profit thereby But Mr. Flecher who hath so carefully related this Discourse of Themistius to shame thereby the Memory of an Arian Emperor tells us that the Emperor Theodosius a little while after also took upon him a command which was as a fit subject for a second discourse of Themistius But he was far from doing it because of the charge of Prefect of Constantinople and of Tutor to the Son of Theodosius the Great which this Emperor gave him lest he should cease his Applauses for all the Orders of the Court It is very strange that a Prince who abolished vigorously the Relicks of Paganism and who gave even no very good quarters to the Sectaries of Christianity should trust the Education of his Son to a Heathen Yet it 's true that Theodosius hath done all this for those who say that Themistius was a Christian and Chief of the Sect of the Agnoites who believed that Iesus Christ was absolutely ignorant of the end of the World they confound him with another Themistius a Deacon of the Church of Alexandria who was the head of this Sect under the Empire of Iustin towards the year 519. It signifies nothing to the proof of the pretended Christianity of Themistius to say that he hath cited this passage of Scripture The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord This I say signifies nothing because that besides his citing these words as if he had taken them from the Books of the Assyrians every one knoweth that Longinus hath quoted Moses with Elogies on him without being on that account engaged e're the less in Paganism Themistius must needs have been an honest Man because he always had the Friendship of St. Gregory of Nazianze He had left 36 Harangues Henry Stephen is the first who hath published any of them Father Petau being then at the Colledge of la Fleche made an Edition thereof He added a second much better when he came to Paris but it was yet very imperfect seeing there lacked Sixteen Orations He sought so successfully that he found thirteen whereof he Translated into Latin the considerablest part He left them as a Depositum in the Colledge of Clermont's Bibliotheck and these are they which appeared the first time in the Edition of Themistius that Father Hardouin hath lately given us He is a very learned Iesuit who was brought to Paris to be imployed with Father Cautel to make the Supplement of Dogmata Theologica of Father Petau but this design hath not succeeded so that these two Jesuits have elsewhere endeavour'd by other Works to make their Talent be valued Father Cautel hath set his face another way As for Father Hardouin the Publick hath already known that he worketh upon a Commentary of Pliny in usum Delphini which will be say they a most complete piece and which will be publish'd in a year Moreover he hath a design to publish all the Manuscripts of the Bibliotheque of Clermont which have not been as yet printed and he hath begun by the Orations of Themistius at the intreaty of Father Garnier who dyed an Bologne in Italy the 26 th of October 1681. during the Voyage he made to Rome about the Affairs of his Society In this Edition have been inserted all the Notes of Father Petau upon twenty Discourses of Themistius and many things are very Learned therein There is in particular a gross Error of Appian who saith in the First Book of the Civil War That the Romans have had Kings during 100 Olympiads and Consuls 100 Olympiads also whereas it is certain that Tarquin was banished Rome in the Year 244 after the Foundation of the City 156 years before it had lasted a hundred Olympiads Besides that Appian contradicts himself visibly seeing he places the Dictatorship of Sylla but in the 175 Olympiad Father Petau also pretends That Scaliger was mistaken when he said That the lesser Mysteries were celebrated at
is transferred by reason of Inconvenience of so many Printers that were forc'd to be employ'd upon 't the only difference in these two Tomes is that the Extracts of the Fathers of the Fourth Age which are in the second Volume are longer and consequently more exact than those in the first He begins with Eusebius of Caesarea whom his Ecclesiastick History hath rendred so celebrated of whom he gives a very dissinterested Judgment Pag. 19. Although he found no difficulty in the Council of Nice to acknowledge the Son of God was from all Eternity and that he absolutely rejected the Impiety of Arius who said that he was Created out of nothing and that there was a time when he was not yet he always found it hard to believe the Term Consubstantial that is to confess that the Son is of the same Substance with the Father and after he had received it he gave such a Sense of it as establish'd not the Equality of the Son with the Father since he speaks thus in a Letter that he writ to his Church to give it an account of his Conduct When we say that the Son is Consubstantial with the Father we Mean only that the Son hath no resemblance with the Creatures which were made by him and that he is perfectly one with the Father by whom he was begotten not of another Hypostasis or Substance When we would justifie Eusebius in respect to the Divinity of the Son it is more difficult to defend what he says of the Holy Ghost For he affirms not only in his Books of the Preparation and Evangelick Demonstration but also in his third Book of Ecclesiastick Divinity that he is not the true God The holy Spirit is not God nor the Son of God because he has not taken his Original from the Father as the Son has being in the number of such things as are made by the Son This shews says Mr. du Pin that Socrates Sozomenes and and some Modern Authors have been mistaken in excusing him entirely whereas on the other side 't is a very great Injustice to call him an Arian and even the head of them as St. Ierom does His Judgment upon other points of Religion appears very Orthodox to the Author and in respect to his Person he says he was very much dissinterested very sincere loved Peace Truth and Religion He authoris'd no new Form of Faith he no way endeavour'd to injure Athanasius nor to ruin those of his Party He wisht only to be able to accommodate and unite both Parties I doubt not adds Mr. du Pin that so many good Qualities was the Cause of placing him in the number of the Saints in the Martyrologies of Usard of Adon and in some ancient Offices of the French Churches It is true he continued not long in the peaceable Possession of this quality of Saint But it would be in my opinion a very great boldness to judge him absolutely unworthy of it The second Author in this second Volume is the Emperor Constantine whose pretended Donation he rejects as well as the false Acts attribubuted to Pope Sylvester because nothing to him seems more fabulous If Constantine was the first Christian Emperor he was also the first that made Edicts against the Hereticks But he did well in not pushing things to that Extremity as his Predecessors have carried them to It is true that he sent Arius into Exile and the two Bishops that had taken his part in the Council of Nice and that he caused all these Hereticks Books to be burnt But he afterwards recall'd him and banished St. Athanasius to Treves He made also an Edict in the Year CCCXX against the Donatists by which he commanded those Churches they possess'd to be taken from them but the Year following he moderated the Rigor of it permitting those who were exiled to return to their Country their to live in rest and reserv'd to God the Vengeance of their Crimes This alteration of his Conduct sufficiently shews that this Prince on these occasions acted not according to his own Reason but according to the different Motions that inspired the Court Bishops who made him the Instrument to execute their Passions He was not of himself inclin'd to persecute Men for Opinions in Religion for the 27th of September the CCCXXX Year he granted the Patriarchs of the Iews an Exemption from publick Charges In the Month of May Anno Dom. CCCXXVI he made an Edict to forbid the admitting into the Clergy Rich Persons or such as were Children to the Ministers of State The occasion of this Edict was because many Persons entred themselves amongst the Clergy to be exempt from publick Charge which was a great Oppression to the Poor And Constantine thought it very reasonable that the Rich should support the burthensom Charges of the Age and that the Poor should be supported by the Riches of the Church Grotius M. Ludolf and others have observed the Disputes of the Eutychians and Nestorians were not really such as they were imagined for many Ages Mr. du Pin is not very far from this Opinion since he says p. 80. that the Eastern People always applyed themselves more particularly to observe the distinction between the two Natures of Iesus Christ than their intimate Union whereas the Egyptians speak more of their Union than Distinction Which has been since the Cause of great Contestations that they have had amongst themselves upon the Mystery of the Incarnation As the Life of St. Athanasius is one of the most remarkable of the Fourth Age for the variety both of his good and bad Fortune so Mr. du Pin relates it more at large It 's plain that from the time of this Father Persons were very much inclin'd to the Exterior parts of Religion since two of the greatest Crimes which the Arians accused St. Athanasius of were breaking of a Chalice and Celebrating the Mysteries in a Church that was not Consecrated We may also observe after these Authors that the Communion was then given to the Laicks under both kinds that there were Women which vowed Virginity which were not Cloister'd up that there were Priests and Bishops married that the Monks might quit their State and take a Wife That it was not permitted to make new Articles of Faith and that even the Ecumenick Councils were only Witnesses of the Faith of their Age whereas they authoritatively judged of such things as regarded Discipline Thus the Bishops of Nice said well in appointing a Day for the Celebration of Easter It pleases us we will have it so But they express'd themselves quite otherwise in respect to the Consubstantiality of the Word since after having given their Opinions upon it they content themselves with adding Such is the Faith of the Catholick Church As for the rest although St. Athanasius was an Ardent Defender of this Council he was not for having those treated as Hereticks which could not without difficulty make use of the
PAste a small piece of paper over those three lines beginning with a Hand at the end of page 240 and place all the seven Alphabets as they lie in order beginning with A in the first Alphabet and next place A in the second Alphabet and all the rest in the same order for the placing A in the fourth Alphabet first of all tho' the Subject Matter of that part would more properly come there will make some persons apprehend the Book Imperfect AN ESSAY Upon all sorts of LEARNING Written by the Athenian Society Of Learning in General HAppiness is the end of every Intelligent Being for this we Court whatever appears agreeable to us some seek it in Riches and Preferments some in Gratifying their senses but the Wise Man pursues it in such refin'd speculations as are most becoming the Dignity of his Nature He that knows most comes nearest to the perfection of his Maker and who can transcribe a fairer Copy than he that imitates the Eternal Wisdom 'T is the first question in Philosophy whether a thing be or exist because ' twoud be a fruitless Labour to search into the Nature of that which has no Being but the Universal consent of Humanity about the Inquiries after Wisdom resolves this first Question And it won't be altogether impertinent to examine here the reasons of these Inquiries That which puts in for preheminence amongst the rest is the Analogy betwixt the Power and Subject the proportion between the Mind and Science The spirit of man is continually upon the Wing Visiting every Element and examining more or less the Treasuries of Nature Storing up from thence what his inclination dictates and if he fails in his Expectation he makes a second Choice and so on Nor does this different Genius of Persons lessen the truth of our Maxim as to the Analogy betwixt the Mind and Science but rather confirm it for tho' some chuse Evil or Ignorance 't is under the notion of Good or Science for to pursue Evil as Evil is impossible 't is a rape upon the very Will and to Chuse Ignâ—rance as Ignorance is a Contradiction for when a Man chuses to be ignorant of such a Science 't is because he wou'd discover some other good in the absence of it Nay even in self destruction where the Wretched promise themselves an Ignorance of all their Evils 't is not so much to avoid their Evils as to discover some unknown rest in their Non-being So unaccountably desirous is Mankind of new discoveries as Seneca observes the happy are weary of pleasure and even seek out misery for a Change and we must believe him a Schismatic from Humane Nature that disclaims a Propriety in some sort of Knowledge and Learning Twou'd be a tedious and unprofitable task to make a particular Survey of the infinite variety and different application of Humane Studies and 't is an unhappy truth that for the most part the Body comes in for a larger share than the Mind the accomplishments of this are postpon'd to the gratification of that because appearances have brib'd so many Judgments from making a strict examination and amongst those few that pretend to enquiries how small a number can perfect the attempt without prejudices Hence it is that true Honour is baffled and outrival'd by dress challenges Pageantry and Gay Retinues True nobility is the effect of a Pious and Learned Education A noble Custom of the Mind promises an happy Harvest of a flourishing Republick it fixes Crowns by Counsel prevents and resolves the Riddles of Plots and Insurrections it procures the Love of wise Men and the reverence of Fools settles a reputation that outbraves the ruines of Age the Revolutions of Empires in short it teaches us to be Happy since it 's a friend to both the Mind and Body and secures an interest in both Worlds A Doctor of the Civil Law who had more Estate than Reason had the honour of Knighthood confer'd upon him by Sigismund the Emperor whereupon he began to value himself more and his old acquaintance less the Emperor hearing of it and meeting him at the Council of Constance he publickly accosted him in these words Fool who preferrest Knighthood before Learning the gingles of fame before the true worth of the Mind I can coin a thousand Knights in one Day but not one Doctor in a thousand years Who can be proud of his debts or any advantages which are not the effects of his own Merit but of Nature or Providence without being ridiculous and attracting a greater blemish than an Hereditary Estate can compensate Wou'd a Gentleman deserve his Name and the gifts of Nature his Study must be the Laws of Nations the foundations of Common-Wealths the Examples of such as by their own virtue have ennobled mean Families and other such tasks as Learning and Knowledge may suggest to him How many feeble Families are degenerated into contempt and baseness for want of such a Study and how many now are and have been always mean and contemptible for being haters of thinking and eternal Truants from the School of Learning and Vertue My Lord Verulam whose observations have deservedly Characteriz'd him a wise Man tells us That Learning is the perfection of Reason the only Note of distinction between Men and Beasts delivering the Mind from Wilderness and Barbarism It is Religions Handmaid the great Honour and Accomplishment of a Person or Nation the most Vniversal and useful Interest that God vouchsafeth to the Sons of Men. Cato's distich deserves the Study of more than School-boys Instrue praeceptis animum nec discere cesses Nam sine Doctrina vita est quasi mortis Imago Which may be thus Englished In Learnings precepts spend thy utmost breath Life without Learning bears the stamp of Death Learning is of Universal extension like the Sun it denys not its Rays and benign influence to any one that will but open their eyes other Treasures may be Monopoliz'd and engrost but this is encreas'd by Communication and diffusion and the more a Man imparts the more he retains and encreases his first store Thus far of Science or Learning in general which rather than a Wise man wou'd be depriv'd of he wou'd even steal it from the Minutes of a necessary rest or recreation we shall now descend to particulars but our short limits will rather confine us to shew the use and method of obtaining them than a full and distinct Treatise of every head and first of Divinity Divinity That there is a God no person can doubt that will open his eyes if we look upon the Heavens the regular motions of those vast Bodies that determine times and Seasons every object about us whether Brutes Fishes Fouls Trees or Minerals each one indued with a Soul or Nature not to be dissected by the greatest Philosophers but above all when we look upon our selves and consider the wonderfulness of our Structure the curiosity of our Frame the Ideas reasonings conclusions on
the nature of our Souls every one must be forc'd to confess that disorder cou'd never be reduced to such an Order by a blind motion of Atoms or any thing else but an Intelligible Directer We are content you call it by what name you please as God Nature the Eternal Mind the Soul of the World c. Provided the Idea which you represent in such terms be not unworthy the Idea that ought to had be of the Great Authors Nature as that he is Eternal Wise Iust and Good the Author of all Created Beings who as he has made all things for his own Glory so he has given to all his Creatures particular Laws of Nature especially Man the greatness of whose Soul finds no proper Object but its Origin and is therefore both capable of the highest ends here as also after-retributions We cannot but conclude thus by meer natural Instinct if we consider that to suppose a God and not to suppose him Just besides his other Attributes is to suppose a Contradiction for a God that is not able to punish such as offend him or reward such as please him cou'd not be able to make the World but this he has done therefore he can do the other and by consequence he must be Iust or in other terms he must be God to know and converse with whom is the highest and noblest Study and therefore preferable to all others and is not only to be learn'd in the Book of the Creature or by natural Instinct but also by his Written Word which we are thus assured to be his and we are able to prove it not only from the common Arguments that are brought which cou'd never yet be answered as the fulfilling of Prephecies the Testimony of Contemporary Authors c. But also from the very principles of the most Acute and Subtile Atheists that now do or ever have deny'd it For if we shou'd ask these Persons why they do any common action of their Lives as Talk Confer Eat Sleep c. they will answer for the gratification of their Opinions senses c. And if we ask 'em why they seek such Gratification they will answer to be happy So that in short we find Happiness at the bottom of all designes and that Humanity how different soever in their sentiments or actions agrees in this they wou'd be happy Now since all Mankind are Originally the same are all partakers of the same Essential Principles viz. perception Ratiocination c. And that they all tend to one end to wit Happiness it follows then that the best way to this end is originally the most natural and agreeable to all that do partake of this Humane Nature What this best way is we must examine by the same methods that we do all other things viz. by the Means and by the end 1. By the Means That must be the best apparently which promises best for the best Judgment we make of things is from their appearance but if we examine Nature anatomize the Law Written upon our hearts if we peruse the Volumes of the ancient Philosophers which we have been long acquainted with or of those we have lately discovered amongst the Brachmanes or Chinese if we make a strict enquiry into all their Rules and Lessons of Morality we have a Compendium an Abstract of all together in the sacred Writ For abstruseness of Notions the 1. Gen. outvies the Aegyptian dark Philosophy for Elegancy of Style the Prophecy of Isaiah and the Epistle to the Hebrews far exceeding the Eloquent Orations of a Cicero or Demosthenes in short there 's nothing here either promised or threatend commanded or forbidden but what is God-like and worthy its Divine Original nor can its opposers find any thing in 't but what 's the necessary effect of the Goodness Justice and Supremacy of its inspirer so that very ordinary capacities have an easy and plain method to greater Sense and Reason â—â—an any of the Ancient Philosophers whom the rude and barbarous World once look'd upon as Oracles II. The end of human actions which being Happiness it comes under the distinction of this and the other World all opposers of Scripture can only promise themselves an Interest in the present and even there their pretensions are infinitely below ours as much as the pleasure of sense is excell'd by that of the Mind nor are we debar'd from a moderate use of the first which gives the highest Gust that can be had but as to another Life our Atheist lays no claim So that that comes in ex abundanti and is rather our whole than any thing added to this and we have as certain demonstration of a future retribution and an after State as the Atheist has of a present one this is but a dark and rude prospect of what the Sacred Writ describes at large from whence it appears that the Contents of it are of far greater concern than the pretensions of any thing that was ever spoke or Writ by its opposers 'T is a good argument that 's that Truth which has Happiness annext to it that the injunctions of Scripture are such is evident from the Atheists own principles and therefore to be embrac'd by 'em whether of Divine Institution or not But we thus prove it of Divine Institution It is deliver'd unto us and since it is deliver'd it must be either by God Good spirits or bad ones good Men or bad Men or by Persons distracted which properly come under neither denomination if by God 't is true if by good Spirits they being not prejudic'd by Passion Interest Ignorance c. and acting dependantly it must also be true ill Spirits could not give it for Satan can't be divided against Satan or act against his own interest with destroying his Kingdom but why speak we of Spirits since their very essence is deny'd which also secures that point to us for what has not a Being cannot impose upon the World that neither good nor bad Men could deliver it of their own minds is plain since nothing can act beyond its power but 't is beyond the light of Nature or acquir'd Reason to Prophesie and deliver such mysterious Truths as humane reason an 't prey into as the Incarnation of God the Trinity in Vnity c. nor could it be the issue of any distracted brain or accidental fortuitous discovery spoken without thinking since the effects of all promises and threatnings are so regular and pertinent and as certainly come to pass for as far as any one ever yet try'd whereas had they been of humane inventions they wou'd like Fortune-telling or the Rules of Astrology sometimes hit and sometimes miss Besides had Men been the Author they wou'd have had the fate of other Writings been lost or barbarous antiquated or refin'd in the succession of so long a tract of time and in going through so many hands Friends and Enemies Fools and Wise in short should all Mankind joyn their different sentiments and every
fol. Hoberts Reports fol. Hughs Grand Abridgment 3 parts in quarto Hales Pleas of the Crown oct Jenkins Reports Keebles Statutes at large fol. Leys Reports fol. Littletons Tenures French and English in twelves Leonards Reports 4 parts by Hughs fol. Moors Reports fol. F. Method of passing Bills in Parliament quarto Noys Reports fol. Placita Specialia oct Poultons Statutes at large fol. Ploudens Reports Shepherds Works all Spelmans Glossary fol. L. Statutes of Ireland fol. Vaughans Reports fol. Wingates Maxims fol. Keebles assistance to Iustices of Peace fol. Reports of divers special Cases argued and adjudged in the Courts of Kings Bench c. collected by Tho. Sinderfin with Tables fol. Reports of the Learned Sr. Edmund Saunders Knight in 2. Vol. fol. Physick and Surgery THis Practice is only of present use to such as are not well but since no man is exempt or priviledg'd from sickness and death every one carrying his death about him which will be sometimes exerting its self in little Essays of Mortality I mean in Distempers and Irregularities of that frame of Nature which it will one day wholly ruine and lay in Ashes since I say every one is subject one time or other to disorders and Maladies in his Body for a Body can't be destroyed before it be disordered 't is a plain consequence that all have occasion some time or other to repair the decays of Nature by Physick and Surgery To ask a sick man whether he wou'd be well is an unseasonable ridicule Nature has plac'd in every Being an abhorrence of destruction and this abhorrence necessarily puts the assaulted upon all possible means of defending it self Why do we eat when hungry drink when thirsty sleep when weary but to repair the defects of Nature and if 't is impossible not to desire this 't is much more impossible not to see the ends of these defects I mean Death As man was first made out of the dust so he has almost Universal Remedies from the Earth whence he was taken out of Herbs Roots Minerals c. are made such Compositions as cure Wounds Bruises and other distempers for finding their old acquaintance man in the Application they by a kind of Natural friendship and cognation with mans Body joyn with him against the Efforts of the distemper The Earth is our common Mother as to our Bodies and nature succours her Children A skilful Physician does as we may say cooperate with God Almighty and is a means to preserve what he Creates If we search the Sacred Writ we find the use of Physicians recommended and only censur'd where they are prefer'd to God as if they were not subordinate and of the number of those Means which God has ordained to preserve humane life but purely independant acting like God himself We also find Luke a Physician a familiar of St. Pauls If we consult profane History we meet with no Nation without some whose whole Study and Employ is Physick and some have been so very expert in this Art that they have boasted they cou'd make themselves immortal but their failure has experienc'd the contrary Tho we are very well satisfied that there is no set time or limited period under the common course of Nature to wit 70 or 80 years but that ordinarily remedies may be used to lengthen a mans Life till then or violences suffer'd to shorten it before for there have never yet been any reasons produced by the most Learned maintainers of Necessity to prove a Man a meer Machine which he must be if half they offer were true we have not room here to pursue this Digression and besides we may have occasion to do it elsewhere Chymistry Alchimy especially the first have made no small additions to the advantages of this Study indeed the last pretending mostly to the separation and alteration of Metals has very ill luck in some of its pretences tho' in most vain and extravagant search it has casually made many other useful discoveries and seems to be calculated to the Moral of a Fable we meet with in Aesop only 't is subsequent to it 'T is the fable of the Husband-man who dying bequeath'd to his Son a vast Treasure of Gold hid in his Vineyard but the certain place where it lay he had wholly forgot The Son diligently searcheth turns over every place throughout the whole Vineyard but finds nothing worthy of his vast toil Yet this labour accidentally had good effect on the Vines by the product of a very plentiful Harvest the following year Thus the search for Gold procures much advantage in fruitful Experiments both of Nature to the great use of Mankind to such as prosecute this Study the following Catalogue is of use PHYSICK and CHYRVRGERT BArtholinus Anatomy translated into English by Nich. Culpepper fol. Crollius 's Royal Chymistry in three Treatises fol. Charras Royal Pharmacopoea c. fol. Parey's Chirurgical Works together with three Tractates concerning Veins Arteries and Nerves c. fol. Riolanus 's Anatomy c. fol. Vestlingius Anatomy of the Body of Man c. fol. Willis his Pharmaceutice Rationalis fol. Harveys Accomplish'd Physicians Boyls Hydrostatical Paradoxes made out by new Experiments for the most part Physical c. large octav Clarks Natural History of Nitre octav Grews Phsological History of the Veget. oct Harveys Anatomical Exercises c. Boyls Sceptical Chymist oct Three Anatomick Lectures concerning 1. Motion of the Blood through the Veins and Arteries 2. The Organick Structure of the Heart 3. The efficient causes of Pulsation by Walter Charleton M. D. Collectanea Chymica a Collection of Ten several Treatises c. octav Art of Physick made plain and easie by D. Frambesarius Physician to LXIV Translated into English Observations of the Mineral Waters of France made in the Royal Academy of Sciences Translated into English twelves Russels Physical Treatise Le Medecin de soy meme Done into English by Dr. Chamberlain Harveys Philosophia Charletons Physiologia-Gassendo-Epicuro Charltoniana Ternary of Paradoxes Botanologia the British Physician octav With all the Modern French and Dutch For particular Treatises in Medicine Carolus Piso de morbis serosis Eugalenus Martinius Sennertus c. De Scorbutico Sidenham de Febribus Glisson de Rachitide Willis de fermentatione c. febribus Cattierus de Rheumatismo Cole de Apoplex Marcuccius de Melancholia Ichmazen de calculo Cappelluhy de bubon Guarenciers de Tabe Anglicana Rudius de pulsibus Forestus de incert Vrin. Iudic. Sanctorius Opicius de Med. Statica Deodatus de Diaetetic Of Mathematicks in GENERAL TO speak a little of Mathematicks in General before we come to treat of any particular parts of that Subject we suppose we cannot do better than to give a short account of what has been already perform'd by the assistance of this Art that we may the better judge of the possibility of future Acquirements We read of many persons which in this Study have trod so near upon the
heels of Nature and dived into things so far above the apprehension of the Vulgar that they have been believ'd to be Necromancers Magicians c. and what they have done to be unlawful and perform'd by Conjuration and Witchcraft although the fault lay in the Peoples Ignorance not in their Studies But to the Instances we promis'd Regiomant anus his Wooden Eagle and Iron Fly mention'd by Petrus Ramus Hakew Heylin c. must be admirably contriv'd that there was so much proportion such Wheels Springs c. as cou'd so exactly Imitate Nature The First was said to fly out of the City of Noremberg and meet the Emperor Maximilian and then return'd again waiting on him to the City Gates The Other to wit the Fly wou'd fly from the Artist's hand round the Room and return to him again This Instance proves the feasibility of doing things of great use as that Action of Proclus the Mathematician in the Reign of Anastasius Dicorus who made Burning-Glasses with that Skill and Admirable force that he therewith Burnt at a great distance the Ships of the Mysians and Thracians that Block'd up the City of Constantinople We shall pass over the Curiosities and Admirable Inventions which are mention'd in the Duke of Florences's Garden at Pratoline as also those of the Gardens of Hippolitus d' Este Cardinal of Ferrara at Tivoli near Rome because they were more design'd for Pleasure than real Use. For our design is only to shew the real Advantage that may be drawn from Mathematicks though we are also certain that the most Surprizing Pleasures in Nature depend upon it The great Clock of Copernicus was certainly a Curious Master-piece which shew'd the Circuitions of all the Celestial Orbs the distinction of Days Months Years where the Zodiack did explicate its Signs the Changes of the Moon her Conjunctions with the Sun every hour produc'd upon the Scene some Mystery of our Faith As the first Creation of Light the Powerful Separation of the Elements c. What shall we say of Cornelius Van Drebble's Organ that wou'd make an Excellent Symphony it self if set in the Sun-shine in the open Air or of Galilaeo's Imitating the Work of the First Day FIAT LUX Let there be Light Or of Granibergius his Statue that was made to speak or in fine of that Engine at Dantzick in Poland which wou'd Weave 4 or 5 Webs all at a time without any Humane help it Workt Night and Day but it was suppressed because it wou'd have ruin'd the poor people These few Instances give a Rude Prospect of what one may probably expect from a due Application of the Mind to the Study of Mathematicks of which we shall speak more particularly and first of Arithmetick Arithmetick TO Number is one of the Prerogatives that a Reasonable Creature has over Beasts 'T is said Wisdom II. God made all things in Number Weight and Measure Number is a most sensible Exemplar of the Deity of whom you can't conceive so many Perfections but you may yet add more This is onely peculiar to it that we know the least Number viz. 2. for 1 is properly the Origine of Numbers but we can find no Number so great that may not be made yet greater for if a Thousand Figures were writ down and under them a Thousand more and multiplyed the one by the other the product wou'd be more than the Sands of the Sea which multiply'd again into its self and that product us'd after the same manner and so on the number wou'd soon amount to such a Total as wou'd take up an Age to tell the length of it in words even though a Man never slept but always spoke The Antient Philosophers might well compare the Essences of things to Number since a Number is a Compleat Total and if it lose any the least part of it self 't is no longer the same Number Indeed we can't hold with the Antient Pythagoreans and Platonists that all things are Compos'd of Number even the Soul of Man but we are certain the proportions resulting from 'em are such as may claim an Agreeable Converse with our Reason To Number Add Subtract Multiply Divide and find out proportions as they are very useful in the Common Affairs of Life so they are Introductive to the highest Demonstrations that our Sences can be capable of for the bare Study of this Art VVINDGATES Arithmetick And KERSEY'S Algebra ARE Sufficient Guides the First treats the most handsomly of VVhole Numbers and Fractions both Decimal and Vulgar and the Last Explains the Doctrine of Algebra or Cossie Numbers the Nature of Roots Powers Equations c. in short every thing that may fully prepare you for the Study of Geometry Poetry THo' some have been of opinion that Nature frames a Poet yet others will contend that Nature without Art makes at best but an imperfect one or as Horace has it Natura fieret laudabile Carmen an Arte Quasitum est Ego nec studium sine divite Venâ Necrude quid prosit video ingenium Alterius sic Altera possit opem res conjungit amice Art is like a sure guide to direct Nature in an easie and uniform way which if we follow we cannot possibly err And there very often it happens that an Ignorant Person may by the happiness of his Nature produce something that is fine yet such a Nature wou'd be brought to a much greater perfection by Art The name of Poet is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to make or feign so Poetry may be said to be the Art of feigning or imitation for imitation is the composing the Image of any thing The Latins divide the Poets into four Orders or Classes Epic or Heroic Iambographers or Writers of Iambics Tragaedians and Lyricks The chief of the first are Homer among the Greeks and Virgil among the Latins in the next Archilochus in the third Sophocles and Euripides in the last Pindar among the Greeks and Horace among the Latins Horace makes another Division of them making six Classes of them in his Art of Poetry Heroics Elegiacs Lyrics lambics Tragaedians Comedians But these divisions regarding only the subject or kind of Verse does not sufficiently distinguish betwixt the Poets Since several Poets have made use of several sorts of Verse and Subjects Upon a Judicious consideration any one will conclude there are but Three Orders of Poets that is Epic Comic and Tragick Poetry is a kind of Painting which represents the Mind as that does the Body nay it is excellent in the describing the Body too and all the Actions of Human Life as well as all the beauties of Nature in a Lively Description Poetry was at first the Foundation of Religion and Civility among the Grecians the first Philosophy the World was blest with was in Verse it had that influence on the Minds of Men then fallen from their Primitive Reason into the VVildest Barbarity that it soon brought them to
Civility and to know the Dictates of Reason from that of fancy and the ungovern'd Sense Appetite without respect to Justice being the onely rule of Men till Orpheus if we believe the Mythologists by the Harmony of his Verse redeemed them from that slavery The Judicious Mr. Rimer is of opinion with a great deal of Reason that Tragedy was at first the Liturgy of the Athenians So that in the first Ages of the World Verse was so far esteemed as not to be consecrated even to the Honour of the Gods themselves and it was with no little reluctance the Priests suffered the Poets to direct it to a meaner use But whatever was the Origin of it we are sure it was always in Esteem with the greatest and most flourishing Nations as Greece and Rome ' Twou'd be to repeat that which is known to every one to tell the value the Athenians had for it since Mr. Rimer tells us that Government laid out more in the Representations of their Plays than in their most Expensive VVars Alexander was so great an Admirer of it that he envy'd the happiness of dead Achilles for being prais'd by the Pen of Homer And Augustus in whose time Rome was most Flourishing made Virgil his Companion though born of mean Parents and no Nation that has flourished in Poetry ever held up its head after the decay of that But to pass from the Praise to the Practice of Poetry we advise the Candidates for the Lawrel that they first consider the difficulty of being a good Poet since unless they rise to a Perfection in their kind they reap but Infamy by exposing themselves as ambitious of a thing they cou'd not attain Mediocrity as we have said being intolerable in Poetry however excusable in other affairs They must also consider that to arrive to an Excellence they must take the right method supposing they have by Nature a good Fund first they must think and weigh with themselves and their Friends of Judgment what their Talent is for one may be able to Write a VVitty and Extraordinary Song who wou'd be dull in a VVork of a greater Fatigue Mr. VValer got a reputation not by VVriting Much but VVell and his little short Copies of Verses are preferrable in our opinion to the Voluminous Poems of some others who wou'd have their Performances swell into a Bulk and deserve the Name of VVorks for their Bigness not Intrinsick Value We are pretty confident it wou'd not have been for the disreputation of Sir VVilliam Davenant it wou'd not have for the Disreputation of William Davenant if the World had never seen any thing of his but his Gondibert and the much more Excellent Shakespear wou'd not have been less admir'd if an abundance of these things which are Printed for his were omitted Mr. Cowly is of this Opinion we are sure therefore our Advice is to a young Poet that he never be ambitious of writing much a little Gold is worth a great heap of Lead let him often make tryal of what his Shoulders are able to bear before he launches into the Ocean of the Criticks let him often Correct and Consult his Judicious Friend 't is Horace his Advice to the Pisoes To be a perfect Poet a Man must be a general Schollar skilld both in the Tongues and Sciences must be perfect in History and Moral Philosophy the latter of which is absolutely necessary to give him an insight into the Nature of the Passions to move which is his chief Aim and Business nor can he draw a virtuous Character unless he know what is the just Composition of it A Poet is to represent Mankind at least the nobler Part which he can never do if he be not throughly skill'd in knowledge of it Being thus qualifi'd Diligence and Exercise will furnish you with Facility in your Compositions and Reading the best Authors and Criticks as Casaubon Scaliger c. and for our English way of Writing Plays we mean Mr. Rimers Translations of Rapine and Examination of the Plays of the last Age Mr. Drydens Essay on Dramatick Poesie and most of his Prefaces L' Abbe Hedelius whole Art of the Stage My Lord Roscommons Translation of Horace his Art of Poetry c. 't will be absolutely necessary for your perusal Any farther particular Directions here wou'd be too long a Task for his place since 't is the business of these several Treatises we mention to perfect an Artist in this Kind We shall only therefore here place the Chief of the Latin and English Poets which are to be perus'd with great Care and Regard LATINS VIrgil Horace Ovid. Catullus Tibullus Lucan Statius Seneca Terence Plautus Silius Italicus Iuvenal Persius Martial Valerius Flaccus Claudian Ausonius Propertius Casimir Buchannan c. ENGLISH CHancer Spencer Sheakspear Iohnson Beaumont and Fletcher Draiton Daniel Sr. Iohn Suckling Sr. Iohn Denham Chasshaw Cowley Sr. William Davenant Dr. Donn Mr. Dryden Mr. Otway Mr. Lee. Mrs. Behn Mrs. Phillips Several Collections of Poems Painting PAinting is in that Esteem with the Ingenious of this Age that it may seem superfluous to trouble the Reader with Arguments to encrease it by setting before them the Value the Antients put upon Performances of this Nature we will not therefore Transcribe from Pliny the vast Sums of Mony which were given by the Kings and Princes of Greece and Rome for Picture of the Prime Masters and indeed the Relations we find in Pliny wou'd seem almost incredible if it were not that we ev'ry day see those of our Modern Masters in that Art sold for 1000 or 1500 Pounds apiece Nor is it necessary to repeat what we have formerly advanc'd concerning the first Invention of it that being so very Obscure that the most that can be said or gathered from Authors amounts only to a Probability Nor will it be much to our purpose to enumerate the several Excellent Pieces this Art produc'd when it Flourish'd in Greece tho' we confess it is not altogether unfit to be known to such as have any desire to apply themselves to this Noble Study which may be said to surpass the Judgment of the Sence it self by which we judge of it for it perswades the Eyes against the Evidence of themselves that there is a Substance more than really there is raising a Flat to a bulky Round or other Figure Nay presents the Eye with a Prospect of Miles in the Compass of a Hand and that so lively that with a great deal of satisfaction we dwell upon the View as if we were satish'd there was more than a flat thin Superficies that entertain'd us a great Master disputing in a Treatise of Painting and Statuary which was to be prefer'd gives it to Painting because a Statue has the Dimensions and Bulk of a Man but a Picture deceives the Eye and makes that appear round which is plain and flat Stone at most can give but the Features and Proportion but Picture gives also the Colour There are
Ornaments of Building and the Proportions and Beauty of the Design without Geometry Nay the Trade and Strength of the Nation depend on this as Navigation and Gunnery which are never to be perfectly understood without it to these I may add Fortification which has its Dependance on this Science as also Dyalling Musick Astronomy Surveying c. ' Twou'd be needless to say any more of the Advantages of Geometry here being enough to fire the Mind of any ingenious Student to a diligent enquiry into it 'T was the Beauty of Proportions the Curiosity of Demonstrations the Excellency and Depth of this Study that forc'd the Ingenious Dr. Barrow to this Exstatick Expression in his Apollonius O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thou O Lord how great a Geometrician art thou Geometry has no Limits since by the only Power of Human Wit one may find out an infinite number of Theorems Thou beholdest all Truths at once without any Chain of Consequences or the Tract of long Demonstrations in other things Man has no Certainty but in Mathematicks every body agrees 'T is in this that Humanity can effect something Great and Stupendious c. This adds he is enough of it self to inflame me with the Love of thee and give me an Earnest Expectation of that happy Day in which my Spirit shall be deliver'd from the Prejudices of Darkness in which I shan't have only a certain Knowledge of all these Truths but every thing else without the trouble of drawing Consequences Such as design for this Study may make use of the following Catalogue GEOMETRY EUclides Elements Barrows Works Bettinus ' s Works Outreds Will. Mathematical Recreations Octav. Clavis Mathematica the Third Impression is best in Octav. Institutio Mathematica Mr. Oughtreds Mathematical Tracts Oxford Sr. Jonas Moors new System of Mathematicks in two parts 4to Newtons Principia Mathematica Of the unequality of natural Time with its Reason and Causes together with the true Equation of Natural Days c. by John Smith Oav Vietae Mathematica in fol. Mr. Flamsteads Tables Mr. Streets Astronomia Carolina Gunters Works Mr. Hobbs his Mathematical Works Astronomy AStronomy is a Science which teaches the Methods of Examining and Calculating the Motions Magnitudes Conjunctions Eclipses Apogaeums Perigaeums c. of the Heavenly Bodies by the Aid of Calculations Glasses Astrolabes Quadrants c. By this we may walk in the Air and converse familiarly with the most wonderful part of Gods Creation man excepted Atlas the Lybian forsook the Society of Men and retir'd to the highest Mountain in Africa which therefore bore his Name that he might freely contemplate upon the Nature and Motions of the Planets and is therefore said to bear up the Heavens on his Shoulders The Poets have feign'd the Moon to have been in Love with Endymion and the occasion of the Fable was this he spent his time upon Rocks and Mountains in studying in the Nature of the Moon and Stars We are not at all surpriz'd to find so many great Men affect this Study and endeavour after the Knowledge of such things as raise so great an Admiration in all that are ignorant of ' em To see a regular Succession of Day and Night a constant return of Seasons and such an harmonious Disposition and Order of Nature must necessarily be a Noble Contemplation and agreeable not only to the Nature of Man but also the Posture of his Body which is Erect when other Creatures are made to look downwards upon the Earth according to the Poet. Os homini sublime dedit Coelumque tueri Iussit Erectos ad Sydera tollere vultus There has been great Contention amongst the Learned of different Nations about the Origine of this Study every one claiming an Interest in it as several Cities did about the Birth of Homer as the Babilonians Aegyptians Grecians Scythians c. tho' Ptolomaeus is the first that has left any true Monument about the Observations of Eclipses c. This Study is of great Use to stir up in us a great Admiration and Praise of him whose Wisdom and Power created so many Worlds if we may say so or at least of Bodies whose Magnitude and if we may believe our Telescopes whose Nature is proper enough for Habitation several of the Planets having been discover'd to have their Satellites attending them and moving about their Orbs. Upon this Science depends Navigation and Dialing and without it it 's impossible they should be maintain'd so that the necessity of following this Study is not at all disputable by any one that is not an Enemy to those other useful Sciences The following Catalogue will facilitate the Work ASTRONOMY GAssendus his Astronomy Sellers Atlas Coelestis Copernican Sphere of twenty Inches Diameter c. Concave Celestial Hemispheres fitted for the Pocket c. A Treatise of Telescopes done out of French by Jos. Walker The use of the general Planisphere call'd the Analemma c. by John Twesdon in 4to Planispherium Novum Accuratissimum c. by R. Baker Octav. Riolanus Slucius de Mesolabia Wings Astronomia Britannica Navigation MOnsieur Cassini and several Ingenious Virtuosi are now in search after a Method to find out Longitudes at Sea which if once accomplish'd this Art will then arise to its utmost Perfection The Load-stone and Compass which is an Admirable Invention and so Advantagious to Navigation has not a little Contributed towards it This points the way to the skilful Mariner when all other Helps fail him To whom we owe the Invention we are at loss Dr. Gilbert our Countryman who hath written a large Latin Treatise upon this Stone is of Opinion that Paulus Venetus brought the Invention of its Use from the Chinese Osorus attributes it to Gama Goropius Becanus thinks his Countrymen the Germans deserve it in as much as the thirty two Points upon the Compass borrow the name from the Dutch in all Languages Blondus will have its Origine from Campania in Naples in the Year 1300. Who ever found it out We are sensible of the Use of it since by it we may safely venture into the Main Ocean and sail the nearest way to any place whereas the first Sailers were fain to coast it along not venturing out of sight of the shore Navigation may deservedly be placed amongst the greatest Benefits in this World 'T is this that enriches Nations with Treasures supports Kingdoms and Empires exchanges Commodities which in their own Countreys are but of little Value for such as are of great Use and Worth abroad by this an universal Correspondence may be held and the most remote Regions may participate in Traffick may make an inspection into one anothers Laws and Politicks Trades Inventions and what not There 's no moral Good but the Knowledge of it may by this means be communicated to the universal Race of Adam Besides all this there 's new Discoveries have been and yet may be made For such Colonies as either suffer by multitude
the Pope grew obstinate in his Sentiment they would rather quit the Priesthood than Marriage and that Gregory who despised men should take the care of providing himself with Angels to govern the Church These good men without doubt spake with much sincerity and it may be if those who have endeavoured to blacken the conduct of the Reformers in that they have introduced anew the Marriage of Priests would let nature speak they would not say less But it is a great unhappiness and a great prejudice at the same time against the deluders of Virginity to live in a Church whereof they are constrained to defend all the Sentiments unless they would dishonour and destroy themselves In fine the Authors of the time of Hildebrand and those who have written since give him several times the name of Antichrist and it cannot be denied at least but that it is he who hath established the excessive authority of Popes and who the first durst to maintain that they have the power of deposing Kings and to change what they please in the Canons It is no more than may be seen in the Decretals of the Edition of Rome whereof Vsher cites divers scandalous articles He also gives the History of the quarrels which this Pope had with the Emperor Henry IV. and relates all the evil that hath been said of the first And with this he ends the first part of his work which was to have extended to the time in which the Devil hath been let loose II. As it is in the Apocalypse that a thousand years being past the Dragon was to be unloos'd for a little time Vsher begins his second part by the explication of this place and remarks that according to the maxim of Aristotle nothing being called great or little but by relation to another thing the time in which the Dragon was to be unchain'd should be short in comparison of the time during which he had ravaged the World before he had been put in Chains Roman Catholicks demand of Protestants where the Church was then if the Pope was Antichrist Vsher answers that the Church was then in the state in which some Antients and divers Catholick Authors have said that it would be under the Reign of Antichrist St. Augustin in his XX Letter which is directed to Hesychius saith that the Church appear'd not because of the excessive cruelty of the Persecutors Ecclesiam non apparituram impiis tunc Persecutoribus ultra modum saevientibus Several ancient and modern Authors have spoken to the same effect Vsher takes occasion from hence to make a parallel of the State of the Churches which followed the Council of Nice in the times that the Arians were the strongest with that wherein the West was found in these corrupt Ages The Arians reproached others with their small Number and their Poverty as it appears by these words of Gregory of Nazianza Where are those who upbraid us with our Poverty who say that the greatest Number forms the Church and who jeer the smalness of our Flock But as there lived in the Roman Empire several People who were not Arians Vsher conceives that under the Government of the Pope there was a pretty great number of Persons who were not of these opinions To shew that he doth not advance a simple conjecture he gives the History of the Original Opinions of the Vaudois who have rejected several of the Sentiments of the Church of Rome But he speaks more of them in the sequel as being a place wherein he should properly speak of them which obligeth us to pass to the vii Chapter and afterwards we will return to the Vaudois Vsher divides the time during which the Dragon hath been delivered from his Prison into three Periods the first reacheth to the time of Innocent III. The second unto Gregory XI And the third unto Leo X. The first comprehends two Ages taking it's beginning from the year 1000. The State the Western Church hath been in during the first of these two Ages and the complaints that the Authors of that time made against Corruptions which were equally seen in the Ecclesiasticks and People There have been no less complaints made of the Disorders of the twelfth Age as is plain in our Author who relates a great number thereof amongst which is this famous distich of Hildebert Bishop of Mans who saith in speaking of Rome Vrbs foelix si vel Dominis Vrbs illa careret Vel Dominis esset turpe carere fide Happy City if it had no Masters or if those who possess it believed it a shameful thing to want Faith The Popes took great care in that Age to have paid to them from England a kind of Tribute that they called St. Peters pence which Alexander II. in a Letter written to William the Norman saith had been paid by the English ever since they had embraced Christianity It appears by this Letter that the English sent this Money at first to Rome only thro' Liberality but this Liberality becoming a Necessity because the Kings commanded absolutely to do it the Authors of those times looked upon it as a Tribute Therefore Bertold of Constance who lived towards the latter end of the eleventh Age saith that it was then that the Prophecy of the Apocalypse was accomplished which saith That no Person could sell or buy without having the Mark or Name of the Beast or the Number of its Name The Reason of this is that according to the Relation of this Author in his Appendix of Hermannus Contractus towards the year Mlxxxiv William the first King of England rendred his whole Kingdom Tributary to the Pope and suffered none to sell or buy but such as submitted himself to the Apostolick See that is to say before he paid the Rome-scot or penny of St. Peter Notwithstanding this same William refused to swear an Oath of Fealty to Hildebrand and punished Bishops and other Ecclesiasticks who had offended him as he thought fit without having any regard to the Prayers and Exhortations of this Pope Some other Kings of England resisted the Popes likewise with the same vigour and we have proofs that the opinions of Rome were not yet spread every where Here is one that is pretty remarkable which is that Frederick Barbarousse being gone into the Holy Land to fight the Infidels in Mclxxxix Niaetas Choniates observes that the Germans were welcomed by the Armenians because the adoration of the Images of Saints was equally prohibited with the Armenians and Germans Hereby it appears that they had not as yet forgotten in Germany the Council of Francfort It is also remarked that several English Authors who have written after the arrival of the Normans said that the Church had in abhorrence the worship of Images The Doctrine even of Lanfranc concerning the Eucharist which the Normans brought into this Island was contrary to divers ancient Forms and Writings of the English And this is the cause that a long time after the Condemnation of
inspire into the Greeks of the State of Venice the Sentiments of the Protestants to introduce the Reformation into Italy by that means See Letter 238. p. 2. It may be this was but a bare Report Grotius was too far from the places to be throughly inform'd in it but he had opportunities to be perfectly instructed of some other things which happened in Holland whilst he was there He saith Letter 11. p. 1. That in a Conference which Arminius and Gomarus had before the Gentlemen of the States of Holland as Oldenbarndvelt said to these two Gentlemen that he praised God for that the Controversies which was amongst them were not upon any fundamental Article Gomarus answered that the Opinions of Arminius his Collegue were of such a nature that he cou'd not appear before the Tribunal of God with ' em The whole dispute concerned Predestination and the greatest difference that was betwixt their opinions was that Gomarus believed God had resolved to create the most part of men to damn them without having any respect to their Actions only for the Manifestation of his Power whereas Arminius maintained that God damns not men but because of their unbelief and impenitence This last opinion is Melancthon's as Grotius saith Ep. 58. p. 1. and elsewhere The Gentlemen of the States of Holland made in 1614. an Edict which may be seen in the 3. Vol. of the Theological Works of Grotius by which they ordered the two parties which then were in the Reformed Churches of the Low Countries to support each other and to treat with moderation the controverted matters the then King Iames of England at first praised this order also divers Bishops approved it as Grotius saith in his Letters 28 and 29. But this Prince changing his opinion afterwards disapproved this conduct as appears by Letter 111. p. 1. to Mr. Anthony de Dominis Archbishop of Spalatro But that which was most fatal to Grotius and those of his party was that from that time divers Provincial Synods were held where they were not favoured as he himself says in Letter 64. p. 1. The Magistrates of every City promised Pastors of that party shou'd exercise their charge as before but those of the contrary party thought the same toleration ought not to be given to them Some refused to Preach in publick Churches because the other party were suffered there They assembled themselves in private Meetings so that the Magistrates feared these divers Assemblies wou'd cause trouble in the State as they had in the Church There was an attempt made at Rotterdam as Grotius relates Letter 65. p. 1. to calm these troubles by a particular conference where the reasons of those Pastors were heard who would not Preach in publick Churches with those who were not of their opinion nor communicate with them But this Conference had no good effect as may be seen in this Letter of our Author and in the following where he gives an account of what happened on both sides in this Assembly Lastly the Schism was made after such a manner as all the World knoweth and that besides many other reasons was no little hindrance according to the Judgment of Grotius to the design which several Pious persons formed some years after of reuniting all Protestants The King of Swedland too endeavour'd it a little before his Death having assembled at Leipswich divers Lutheran and Calvinist Divines The authority of this great King made this Conference end with mildness on both sides but his Death which hapned a little while after made all hopes of accommodation vanish It was at that time that an English Divine named Duraeus who had as 't were consecrated himself to endeavour this reunion ran vainly over all the Protestant States to induce them to Peace which the Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud whose Encomium Grotius makes in divers places v. p. 2. Ep. 405 406.532.540 and several Bishops of England passionately desired Grotius saith that an answer of Doctor Hois Preacher to the Elector of Saxony being too violent against the Reformation hindered it very much see Let. 444. p. 1. Protestants not being able to unite with one another there was no likelihood that the Union between them and the Roman Catholicks should succeed Yet there was a great talk on 't in France and Cardinal Richelieu if we believe Grotius Letter 531. p. 2. affirm'd that it would be agreed on Cardinalis quin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 negotium in Gallia successurum sit dubitare se negat This made several persons apply themselves to writing to propose to the publick means and projects of an Union Amongst whom none appeared that made so much noise as Theophilus Brachet dela Millitiere which seemed the more surprizing because before the taking of Rochel this Author had attacked the Kings party and all the Roman Catholicks with an extraordinary heat in a little Book which he Printed for the defence of some Assemblies held at Rochel Grotius speaks of it in divers places but particularly in Letter 373. p. 1. 385.343 345. p. 2. There was then a report at Paris which gave some hope to those who penetrated not the policy of Cardinal Richeleu that there would happen a change in the Gallican Church which would much contribute to an Union Which was that the Cardinal had a design to render himself Patriarch in France and thus to draw the Gallican Church from the obedience of the Court of Rome To this design was applied according to the relation of Grotius Letter 982. p. 1. this Tetrastich of Nostradamus Celui qui etoit bien avant dans le Regne Aiant chef range proche Hierarchie Apre cruel se fera tant craindre Succedera à sacreé Monarchie Some are so far from taking away from the obedience of the Apostolick See that they scarcely dared to defend the Liberties of the Gallican Church The King who had given orders to make a Collection of the Edicts of the Kings of France and of the Acts of Parliament by which until then the excessive power of the Court of Rome was opposed got this collection suppressed in 1639. when the impression thereof was finish'd Grotius who had promised himself much from the courage of the French on this occasion could not dissemble his grievance which he too strongly expresseth Ita sub Regibus aut ignavis aut ignaris tantum sape fit damni quantum successores aegre sarciant mirumque est pro Regibus scribi Lutetiae non licere cum Romae quotidie contra Reges eorum jura liberè fiant He speaks thereof also in as weighty terms in Letter 1105. to Lewis Camerarius Ambassador from Swedland into Holland This event and some others made Grotius doubt of the Roman Catholicks ever giving any satisfaction to Protestants concerning the complaints made of the abuses which they believe to be slipt into the Roman Religion He testifies these doubts in Letter 85. p. 2. where he saith that there is more reason to wish
he durst not despise them he did believe it not necessary to make a party therein Our Author shews what pains St. Prosper and the Popes Xystus and Leo took to refute or to destroy Pelagianism and Semi-pelagianism It was in the same time that Vincent of Lerins made his Commonitory to wit three years after the Council of Ephesus He is suspected to be the Author of the objections that St. Prosper hath refuted under the Title of Objectiones Vincentianae this Commonitory was Printed lately in 12. at Cambridge with the Notes of Mr. Baluze and the Book of St. Augustine of Heresies Vsher in this same Chapter relates the Ravages that the Scotch and the Picts committed in England the arrival of the Saxons into this Island the manner how they became Masters on 't and the other events of that time Before that these disasters happened in England a Monk named Faustus retired from hence into the Narbonick Gaul where he became Abbot of Lerins and afterwards Bishop of Riez after Maximus whom he also succeeded in the Abbey of Lerins He assisted at a Council which was held at Rome towards the end of the year Cccclxii where it was concluded that every year there should be a Council held amongst the Gauls which should be convocated by the Archbishop of Arles There was assembled one in this City which ordered Faustus to express his Sentiments touching the matter of Grace and another at Lyons by the order of which he added something to what he had already writ because some new Errours had been discovered These Errours are those to which the Divines of Marseilles gave the Name of Predestinarian Heresie that some maintain to have been a real Heresie and others the opinions of St. Augustine We have no more of the Acts of these two Synods but the work of Faustus subsisteth yet It is intituled de Gratia libero arbitrio directed to Leontius Archbishop of Arles and very clearly containeth Semi-pelagianism Erasmus got it first printed at Basil in M.D.XXVIII and it hath been since inserted in the 8 th Tome of the Library of the Fathers Faustus sent the opinions of the second Council of Arles to a Predestinarian Priest named Lucidus to oblige him to retract his Errours and to subscribe this Doctrine of the Council His Letter to Lucidus is still to be â—ad and the answer of this Priest directed to the Bishops assembled at Arles where he declares that he condemns the Sentiments of those that believe that after the fall of the first man Free-will was entirely extinct That Jesus Christ died for all men that some are destined to death and others to life that from Adam to Jesus Christ no Pagan hath been saved by the first Grace of God to wit by the law of nature because they have lost the free Will in our first Father That the Patriarchs and Prophets and the greatest of Saints have remained in Paradice untill the time of Redemption This is almost a full Abridgment of the Book of Faustus Some learned men have maintained that Faustus had passed his Commission and that many of those that had assisted at the Councils of Arles and Lions had not subscribed his Book It is nevertheless difficult to believe that a Bishop that was very much esteem'd as Faustus was as it appears by the Letters of Sidonius Apollinaris Bishop of Clermont in Auvergne who makes his Elogy in several places and by Gennadus who praiseth this work it is I say difficult enough to conceive how he could have the boldness to attribute to a Council opinions which were so odious to the greatest part of 'em and to think the Members of this Council could not shew their Resentment thereof Neither do those who say that Faustus exceeded his Commission give any reason only that they cannot persuade themselves that there were so many Semi-Pelagians amongst the Gauls In our Author are the different Judgments that divers learned men have made of Faustus and the greatest part of 'em are not very favourable to him Baronius too speaketh ill enough of him So that it happeneth now to the Semi-Pelagians what did in times past to the Pelagians which is that those who believ'd their principal Tenets condemned them only because those who have been more considerable than themselves have formerly condemned them The Book of Faustus is not unknown it being carried to Constantinople where mens minds were divided concerning the Doctrine it contained Some maintained it was Orthodox and others Heretical as it appeareth by a Letter of Possessar an African Bishop who was then at Constantinople and who writ of it to Pope Hormisda in the year DXX to know his thoughts thereupon Persons of the first quality amongst which were Vitalianus and Iustinian who hath been since Emperour desired to be instructed what Sentiments the Church of Rome had of it Hormisda disapproved the Book of Faustus and sent them to consult these of St. Augustin of Predestination and Perseverance There was then at Constantinople a Monk named Iohn Maxence who writ an answer to the Letter of Hormisda where he compareth the opinions of St. Augustin and those of Faustus and desperately censures Possessar and those that maintained that the Book of Faustus was Orthodox It appears by that that Possessar was a Semi-Pelagian and consequently that the Councils of Africk had not been able as yet to submit all the Bishops of this Church to their Decisions The Vandals were become Masters of Africk during the heat of the Pelagian Controversies and as they were Arians they drove away a great number of Bishops that followed the decisions of the Council of Nice Thrasamond King of the Vandals had sent 60 of them into exile from the Province of Byzacene into Sardinia They were consulted from the East upon the Controversies of Grace rather to have a publick Declaration of their opinions than to draw instructions from them seeing those that did write to them had already taken party and condemned in their Letters not only the Pelagians but also the Books of Faustus Fulgentius Bishop of Esfagues answered in the name of the others and exposed the sentiments of St. Augustin in a Letter and in a particular Book directed to one Paul a Deacon The same Fulgentius made also other works upon this matter whereof several places may be seen in our Author He had composed seven Books against the two of Faustus of Grace and Free-Will but they are lost These African Bishops returned to their Churches in the year DXXIII which was that of the Death of Thrasamond as Victor of Tonneins informeth us in his Chronicle But Fulgenius had refuted Faustus before he had left Sardinia whence it followeth as well as from the Letter of Possessar that Binius hath not well related the third Council of Arles whose opinions Faustus had expounded in the year DXXIV. But this is not the only fault he hath committed he hath corrected or rather corrupted as he thought
that every Year they fill 90 Barrels therewith The Inhabitants profess the Grecian Religion And instead of a Bishop which they will not admit of they have a Protopapa as they call him that is an Arch-Priest The Piety that our Author makes appear throughout this whole work obliges him to complain of the little care that those of its Nation have taken to form an Ecclesiastical Body and maintain a Pastor therein Delos is the most celebrated Isle of all the Cyclades It is two or three Leagues about is also very full of Rocks and by consequence Barren And at present an uninhabited Desert Tho' there still remain some Monuments of it's Antient Splendor The most remarkable is a Pile of White Marble on which the Temple of Apollo was supposed to be built 'T is otherwise with Sestos and Abydos whereof there remains not the least Footsteps to be found what is now called the Old Castles of Rometia and Anatolia not being built in the same places nor having any mark of Antiquity Gallipoli which is also near hath preserved very few of 'em But at Lampsaque which hath still kept it's Name and at Heraclea are many more to be found Constantinople having been above Twelve Ages the Seat of the Eastern Empire Mr. Wheeler thought he cou'd not be too large in describing of it Many Writings being extant of the same nature I shall observe in our Author only what 's the most curious 'T is thought that Titus Livy's Works are all entire in the Grand Seignior's Library But Mr. Wheeler being inquisitive about it himself offer'd as he assures us great Sums to the Bacha who hath the charge of the Books yet cou'd not procure a sight of it One of the greatest Conveniences they have for Travellers at Constantinople and almost every where throughout Turky is the Publick Houses to entertain Strangers which they call Karavan-Seras or Kans where Persons may live as well as they please having commonly near 'em Shops that afford all things necessary at a reasonable Price It is true the greatest part of 'em are like Barns and have about the Walls what they call a Sopha a Foot and a half high for Travellers to lye thereon But those which are now built in Cities or great Towns are incomparably more commodious having many Apartments all distinguish'd from each other Our Author wishes the like conveniencies were establish'd amongst Christians which wou'd cut off many useless Expences and be a Remedy for several Disorders that occur from the contrary The Patriarchal Church is an obscure Edifice without Beauty or any considerable Ornaments And the Patriarchs Palace is not larger than one of the most despicable private Houses in London This Prelates Habit also is very plain and little differing from the ordinary garb of Caloyers or of the Monks of St. Basil. Nevertheless 't is hardly to be credited with what earnestness this Dignity is sought after And how dearly those that aspire thereto pay for it to the Grand Visier who to make it the most advantageous he can often upon the least pretence turns out those he has lately put in to sell it to others so that sometimes there have been five Patriarchs in the space of 5 Years The Celebration of the Eucharist Mr. Wheeler saith is an Act of Religion wherein the Greeks appear the most devout yet he thinks it impossible to determine exactly what is their general Opinion upon this Subject At some places they hold Transubstantiation as at Corfou and at Zant. But he assures us the Bishop of Salone and the Convent of St. Luke in Beotia believes in this Sacrament only a Spiritual and Efficacious Presence and as he found none that received the word Transubstantiation or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except among those that had some connexion with the Roman Church so he doubted not but others which were not yet deceiv'd by 'em are of the same Faith with the aforesaid Bishop and Caloyers Tho' the Turks have always been lookt upon as sworn Enemies to all Learning Nevertheless our Author says They have very Learned Men among 'em and as in the Seraglio there are Historians on purpose to observe great Events so at Constantinople and elsewhere are maintained Professors in all parts of the Mathematicks in Poetry and in the Arabian and Persâ—an Tongues That they have a Bazar or Purse for the Manuscripts of each several Science compos'd in the Turkish Arabick or Persian Language And what appears the most surprizing is their asserting to us that they had seen an antient Book of Astronomy which suppos'd formerly the Use of the Needle and Loadstone altho' it serv'd them not for Navigation From Constantinople Mr. Wheeler pass'd the Bosphorus and came to Chalcedon and this Town which became so famous by having the 4th Council held there in the Year 452. is now but a small Village that the Turks call Cadiqui Mr. Wheeler designing to Visit all the Celebrated Places of Natolia and particularly those where formerly the seven Churches of the Apocalyps were He sail'd from the South-side in passing by the Mount Olimpus of Mysia the place where Ajax kill'd himself for Despair which the Inhabitants have still stamp'd upon their Moneys 'T is very sad to see the deplorable Estate the Christians are there reduced to who having formerly defended their Liberty as much as they cou'd are now constrain'd to pay double to the others of Caratch or Tribute as 9 or 10 Piastres by the Year the Caratch being commonly but five or four and a half to the rest The first of these famous Cities of the Apocalyps that our Author arrived at was Thyatira a place well peopled with Turks but not above 10 or 12 Christians therein The antient stately Buildings of Marble having been for a long time buryed in their own Ruines and the place fill'd with low despicable Houses it 's Name was almost forgotten but at length was discovered by some old Inscriptions that were dug out of the Earth It is not so with Smyrna For that being a very fruitful Soil and situated advantageously for Commerce they have taken care to keep it in it's former Splendor by rebuilding each place as it fell to decay nevertheless it was overturn'd six times by Earth-Quakes and it 's final Ruine according to an Old Tradition is expected by a seventh A greater Number of Christians inhabited there in a much better Estate than in any of the seven Churches Philadelphia only excepted Many Camelions are in that place which obliges our Author to give us a very exact Description of 'em At Ephesus all the Earth is covered with pieces of Marble Pedestals Pillars and all the Ruines of the handsomest and most antient Architecture This City which was formerly the Capital of Asia so famous and populous is not the receptacle at this day of more than 40 or 50 Turkish Families who live in miserable Tenements without having so much as one Christian amongst ' em Which sorrowful Object
of great Purity and it 's also the Name that the Chinois themselves commonly do give it They call it also very often Tien-hia or Kingdom which containeth all that is under Heaven these People being prepossessed with a fancy of the Greatness of their Empire that they reckon as nothing all the States of the Universe besides Strangers do also call it after several different Names Catai Mangi c. But the most part call it China a Name that our Author brings either from the Family Chin which governed 169 Years after Iesus Christ or more apparently yet from the Family Cin which Reigned 246 Years before Iesus Christ the chief whereof was the first Absolute and Universal Master of China Father Magaillans sheweth at large and with great evidence that the Countries of Catay and of Mangi are but parts of China and not Kingdoms really different no more than Tam-gut and Tainfa that Cluvier hath also taken for other Kingdoms distinct from China tho' they are but Cities whereof the Name is a little corrupted C. 2. The Kingdom of China is situate almost on the Extremities of Asia on the East It 's length from North to South according to the Chinois Books that is from the Fortress of Caci-pim upon the Frontier of the Province of Pekim to the Meridional Point of the Isle of Hai-nau at the South of the Province of Quam-tum is 23 Degrees in Extent which make 5750 Li or Chinois Stades at 250 to the Degree and 575 French Leagues at 25 the Degree And it 's breadth measured in a straight Line from the East to the West from the Point of Nim-Po a Sea-port Town of the Province of Che-kiam unto the extremity of the Province of Su-chuen is 426 French Leagues and 4080 Li or Chinois Stades at 240 a Degree But they pretend that that is not all the Extent of this vast Empire seeing that in considering it in another sense it is 8400 Li which are 750 French Leagues in it's utmost length and 5400 Li which make 500 French Leagues in it's greatest breadth In short the Calculation is very sure and exact and the proportions of it's Measures very just and certain and here it is that Men have not yet removed all the Difficulties as may be seen in the following Notes There are 15 Provinces in the Kingdom of China all which for their Greatness Richness and Fertility might pass for vast Kingdoms Cluvier was mistaken when he counted 18 Provinces and among them the Kingdom of Cochinchine and that of Tim-kim for tho' these have been at other times subject to China they were so but for some Years and have not obeyed it of a long time It 's thought the Walled Places that are in China amount to the number 4402 divided into 2 different Orders Civil and Military 'T is true that several Cities and Towns are comprehended in that number situated in the Provinces of Yun-nan de Q'uel-ches of Quamsi and of Su-chuen which tho' they are join'd to the Emperours State pay him no Tribute nor do they acknowledge him but have particular Soveraigns and make use in their District of a different Language from the Chinoise this great Empire is so Peopled that near 12 millions of Families or Fires are counted therein without comprehending Priviledged Families or Persons Manderins Magistrates Souldiers Batchellors Licenciates Doctors Bonzes or Eunuchs nor any of those who are of the Royal Blood In a word counting only those that Till the Ground or that pay Tributes or Rents to the King Altho' all the rest as may be easily urged make up an almost infinite Number There are 2045 Places walled of the Civil Order divided into Towns Cities and Royal Inns these last places for the most part are not less great nor less peopled than are the Towns and Cities and in each of them is a place where Manderins which the King sends and all other Persons to whom he is pleas'd to do the like Favour are Lodged and their Charges born at the Princes Expences and are entertained according to their Quality and Employ The Military Order comprehends 7 different sorts of stony Places The first and principal are great Fortresses which are places upon the Frontiers as the Keys and Defence of the Empire against the Tartars or upon the Borders of Provinces against Rebels and Highway-men There are 629 of this Order The others are less considerable and less great proportionably And the last of these Places are small Forts whereof some are built in the Fields to serve as a Refuge to Labourers when they fear the Insults of Enemies or Thieves or are willing to secure themselves from the Imposition of the Souldiers when the Royal Armies are in march and the others are situated upon Mountains whereof there are some almost inaccessible all these Military Places amount to 2357. which being added to them of the Civil Order make together the number marked above 4402. Besides this there are without and within these great Walls that surround almost all China at least a great part above Three thousand Towers or Castles wherein are continually Guards and Centries kept These famous Walls extend 405 Portugal Leagues which make 23 Degrees 10 Minutes from East to West which is to be understood in a right Line for if the Windings of the Mountains and of the Walls were counted it would amount to more than 500 Leagues If we credit our Historian There are more than Nine hundred thousand that guard the Frontiers and there are Seven or Eight hundred thousand employed in the Guard of the Kingdom within But the Translator to diminish somewhat the wonder that such a prodigious number of Troops amount to makes us remark in his Observations that the greatest part of these Souldiers are of the Militia and that there are but very few that have not another Calling besides being Souldiers However it be our Author assures us That all these Souldiers are always entertained and that China is so well furnished with all the Requisites of Defence that the Tartars who have once invaded it and are Masters of it to this very time had never passed the Walls if the Souldiers Cowardize and the Treachery of the Officers had not opened them a Passage There are in China Two thousand fourscore and ninety Mountains famous either because they have been cut in Form of Idols and monstrous Collosses or for their renowned Fountains or for their Plants or Minerals endowed with some particular Vertue or these Mountains were looked upon for their extraordinary heighth or for some other Advantages of this nature that makes them be distinguished There is a like number of Antique Pieces as Statues famous Painting Vessels of great price and value there are Eleven hundred and fifty nine Towers and Triumphal-Arches and other Works extraordinarily sumptuous raised for the honour of their King or other famous Persons of both Sexes and what deserves to be remembred there are 272 Libraries embellished with many Ornaments and full of
The second has a superintendance over the Customs and Tributes and in general over the King's Treasure The third has the Direction of the Rites and Ceremonies of Sciences and Arts. The fourth has for its share all that belongs to War and to Arms in all the Kingdom The fifth of the Crimes and Punishments of Criminals among which by the by there is none look'd upon to be so base and ignominious as to be beheaded The sixth over-looks the Works and Building of the King so that there is no business of any nature but is subject to these 6 Supream Tribunals and as they have jurisdiction over almost all the Court and over all them of the Provinces there can none be more respected nor better obeyed than they are where-ever they go The 5 Tribunals of Arms are governed by great Lords as Marquesses Counts c. and have above them one Supream Tribunal called the High Tribunal of War the President whereof is always one of the greatest Lords of the Kingdom the Authority of this President seems very considerable since his Jurisdiction reaches over the five other Tribunals and over all the Officers and Souldiers of the Kingdom But lest he might abuse so great a Power he has given him for an Assister a Mandarin of Sciences under the Title of High Regent of Arms and two Syndicks or Royal Overseers who take part in all Affairs Moreover it may be said That all these Tribunals of War have more Show and Appearance than real Authority because in all things that belong to Execution they depend necessarily upon the Supream Tribunal of Arms which is the fourth of the six that we spoke of this was one of the cunningest of the Politicks of the Kings of China and an effect of the Knowledge they had of the Humour of their Subjects whose ruling Passion is to grow rich and to command To have thus ordained so great a number of Tribunals or Courts that a great many might have the means to content their Ambition by the Honours and Profits of the Imployments they are in whilst the little Power they have takes away from them the means of abusing their places And the same measures within a very little were observed by the other Supream Tribunals whose Power seems greater and less limited For as it might be feared that any one of them might render himself absolute if he were left to the entire disposal of the Matters belonging to him all their Employments were distributed and their Functions were ordered with so much Prudence that not one among them is absolute in the Affairs of his Office but all have a dependence upon one another All the Eleven Tribunals are placed according to their Rank in magnificent Palaces on both sides of that of the King 's the first six upon the left which is the place of Honour and towards the East the other five on the right towards the West and whereas each of the Six has under it several Subaltern Tribunals to prepare and order Business so have these inferiour Tribunals their Palaces within the great one of which they depend these lesser Tribunals are in greater or lesser number in each of the great ones proportionably to the business they have and according to our Authors Calculation there are in all 44 in such sort that it seems business should be treated of exactly passing through so many different Tribunals and yet it must be known that in the Palace of each Supream Tribunal there is always a Hall and an Apartment for a Mandarin who is called Overseer or Supervisor who examines publickly or secretly all that is done and as soon as he knows of any Disorder or Injustice he is obliged to acquaint the King with it all other Tribunals whether of the Court or belonging to the Provinces which are joyned to these Supream Tribunals are governed with no less Policy Those of the Court which are established at Pekin are so numerous that we shall take no care to mention them here for there are some for every kind of business among others there are some that make up a Royal Academy and which consists of the best Wits of all the Kingdom They are as it were the King 's Learned men with whom he discourses very often upon several Sciences and makes choice of many to be his Counsellors and for other Tribunals that which is called the Visitors or that belongs to the general Supervisors Oversees all the Court and Empire it 's charge is to see the Laws observed and Justice executed and to see that both the Mandarins and People do their Duty this Tribunal is much feared and has under it 25 Tribunals and is placed in a huge Palace every three Years it causes a general Visit to be made sending Visitors into each Province who no sooner enter into them than they become above all Vice-Roys and Mandarins and do all with an Authority that inspires no little Fear But there is yet another Tribunal the Functions whereof is not less considerable nor of less importance which is that of the Overseers which we have spoken of already which are divided into six Orders as the six Supream Tribunals which they oversee their Authority goes so far that they may reprehend the King himself when he commits any fault in the Government of the State and there are found some generous enough to expose themselves resolutely to a Banishment or even to Death it self in acquainting him of his faults sometimes by a Memorial and sometimes by telling him them to his Face In fine every Province has its Tribunals as well general as particular and above all there is one that is Chief and oversees all the rest and gives the King and the six Supream Tribunals of the Court an account of all important Affairs It may be easily judged that all their Imploys have a great many Mandarins and so there are 32000 in the Roll which the Court sends from time to time into the Provinces and though this number may seem very strange yet our Author says That the distribution distinction and subordination is much more marvellous and surprising It seems the Law-makers have not forgot any thing for the establishing of things upon the best bottom that it was possible to put them and that they have prevented all the inconveniences that might be feared but by ill looking to the Conduct and Goodness of the Officers does not correspond to so good an order for as they all have an inâ—atiable desire of raising themselves and becoming Rich they transgress for these ends all Human and Divine Laws and Justice and whil'st they counterfeit in their Exterior the exact observers and are very nice in Formalities they do not make the least scruple to commit the greatest Injustices in the bottom and to tread upon Reason Religion Honesty and Equity which does not hinder the form of Government from being in it self very excellent Because as our Author says the Knavery of the Men
for the honour of the Roman Communion they must be Answer'd The Third Column will produce an infinite number of Books of Controversie which may last a long time for Questions of matters of Fact are sometimes an Abyss whereof the bottom is never seen The Philosophers of this Country will be less impatient for these Books than for the Apology for that they hope that the Author of the Apology will teach them many curious things touching the Nature of the Soul and the Easiness of changing Opinions from morning to night for without this their Apology will seem to want one of its most Essential Parts because the Cartesians have made the World experience sensibly the great force of Prejudices that there are but few thinking Men but believe that there would be need of the Adress of the most able Philosopher for two years to persuade all People that Sensible Qualities are only in the Soul that the Earth moves continually that Body and Space are the same thing c. And upon this they imagine some hardness of the Fibres of the Brain for Fâ—ith But in all likelyhood they will be otherwise lookt upon in the Apology and it will be Mechanically Explicated unto them a Method to be instructed in four days which makes People to pass from white to black in Doctrines sucked in with their Milk as of Matters of the greatest and most eminent importance The British Theater or the True History of Great Brittain Written by Gregorio Leti Amsterdam Sold by Abraham Wolfang 1684. 5 Vol. in 12. THe Author of this Book hath made himself known long since by a greaâ— many fine Italian Pieces which have been Translated into divers Tongues and amongst others by Italia Regnante by Itinerario della Carte di Roma by Politica de Principi by il Livello Politico by i Diala hi politici by Vita di Philippi II. and by la vita de Gisto V. Printed lately at Paris being Translated into very fine French The Praise of some of these Works may be seen in the Journal of the Learned Mr. Leti hath published the most part of them at Geneva where he lived several years In the First Book of the second Volume of this Brittish Theater is the reason why he left it He went into France immediately upon it and presented to the King a Panegyrick which he had made upon that Monarch Entituled la Fama Gelo sa della Fortuna The Gallant Mercury of the Month of Iuly 1680. and the Journal of the Learned of the 29th of the same Month speak much in the Commendation of the Person of Mr. Leti and of the Panegyrick which he presented at the same time to the King at Fontainebleau He was very well received by this Prince yet notwithstanding he made no stay at his Court because he saw there was nothing to be done there for Protestants he chose therefore to withdraw into England He was soon known there and honoured with a considerable Present by our King some few days after his arrival Which also obliged him to Compose a Panegyrick upon His Majesty who received it very Graciously He afterwards got leave to carry on the History of England and the Secretaries of State received Orders to fuâ—nish him with the Memoires which he would require This was the reason why this Work was much talkt of As it was one day spoken of at the King 's getting up some one said That he did not believe that a Stranger could succeed in Writing the History of England others maintained That a Stranger would succeed better because he would speak with less Interest and that there ought to be no difficulty made to furnish him with requisites for it rather than to a Native born The King who excells in Reparties said thereupon Let him alone if he doth well it is so much the better if not 't will excite some other to try to acquit himself better The Author knowing what was said of his Work afore-hand neglected nothing of what could be useful to him He visited carefully the Wisest Persons of England and had considerable Memorials of them He informed himself of the Antiquities of the Laws and of the Customs of the State and of all the Particularities of the Countrey It must not be forgotten that he was made a Member of the Royal Society by the Nomination of the Deceased Duke of Norfolk He begun with describing the Antient and Modern State of Great Brittain which he included in two Volumes in 4to He proposed to himself to compose three others for the History it self of the Country Whilst he was about these two first Volumes the King asked him one day If his History would be soon ended He Answered That he feared it would be finished too soon And why reply'd the King Because Answer'd Mr. Leti I fear the Destiny of Historians which is to be recompenced by Exile or Imprisonment You are too Wise reply'd the King to expose your self to that If one was as wise as Solomon answered the Author ones destiny cannot be avoided Well then added the King if you believe there is so much danger in Writing Histories Write Proverbs as Solomon did That seemed to be a Presage of what hapned afterwards but Mr. Leti ceased not to go on in his Work and even to say to the Court when the occasion offer'd That he Writ a History and not a Panegyrick that they should dispose themselves so as to see the Truth there without Flattery as well as without Satyrs As soon as the Edition of these two Volumes were ended he presented them to the King and Queen to whom they were Dedicated to the Duke and Dutchess of York They were very well received and during ten days Mr. Leti was seen at Court as favourably as afore He believed then that seeing the King who was willing to read the Work himself and who stayed up very late some nights to end the Reading thereof said nothing it was a sign the Book did not displease him From that time he made divers Presents to the Ambassadors who were at London and to the Lords of the Court It was it seems through the suggestion of an Ambassador that this Work which the King had read without any apparent dislike passed for a dangerous Book and hurtful to the State as treating too openly and too clearly of such Truths as were thought would be better concealed The Council assembled divers times thereupon and it was at last concluded That all the Copies should be seized which the Author had and that he should be commanded in Ten days to depart England The thing was executed but mildly One may see what Mr. Leti saith thereof p. 16. of the Second Volume He relates in the Preface of the First something a Prelate said to him which deserves to be taken notice of Signior Gregorio saith he unâ—o him a few days afore he left London voi avete fatto l' Historia per altri non
are very curious Particulars There is the Life of famous M rc Antony de Dominis Arch-Bishop of Spalatro included in a Letter written from Rome The Author had already published it in the Third Part of his Brittanica Politica It is a very curious Piece wherein is seen how this Prelate imbraced the Protestant Religion and how being deluded by the Promises of Dom Diego Sarmianto de Acuna Ambassador of France in England and by that of the Court of Rome he returned into Italy where he unhappily ended his Days without obtaining any thing of what he hoped There also is a Letter of Pope Gregory XV. to the Prince of Wales who was since Charles I. Upon his Marriage with the Infanta of Spain and an Answer of this Prince to the Pope The Fifth Book contains the Reign of the same Prince where his Innocence may be seen and the unheard of Violence of his Subjects described without partiality and all the Proceedings which were made against him The last Volume is composed of Six Books The first contains the History of Cromwell's Usurpation more exact and sincere that it had been heretofore Hitherto have been but Satyrs or Panegyricks thereupon The Creatures of Cromwell have raised him up to the Clouds and his Enemies have omitted nothing that might defame him The Author pretends that he hath been the greatest Politician and the greatest Captain of his time and that he was much more able to Reign than several of those whom Providence hath plac'd upon the Throne by Inheritance But he sheweth on the other side That he was a Cheat and a Tyrant who after having dipped his hand in the Innocent Blood of his Master all his Life cheated the People by a specious Zeal for Religion The Second Book contains the History of Charles the II. until his Restauration In this Book are seen the Honours which were rendred to him in Holland his Magnificent Entry into London his Clemency to those who had bore Arms against him and his Justice towards the Murderers of his Father The same History is continued in the Third Book from the Year M. DC LXI unto the Year M. DC LXXX There is also the Life of the Duke of York until his Marriage with Chancellour Clarendon's Daughter the Quarrel which happened between the Ambassadours of France and Spain about Precedency The subtilty wherewith the Spanish Ambassador carried it the Marriage of the Princess Henrietta and that of the King the War of England with Holland and with France the Peace that was made afterwards with both the others which was followed with a secret Treaty betwixt England France appeared in M. DC Lxxii the Marriage of the Duke of York with the Princess of Modena the Calling Prorogation and dissolving different Parliaments In fine the Discovery which Oates and Bedlow made of a Conspiracy which made so great noise and whereof this Author appears not very much persuaded We find in the fourth Book the sequel of the same Troubles and the History of what passed in the Parliaments convocated in M. DC.LXXX at London and Oxford There is particularly in this Book one thing of very great importance which the Author relates with as much sincerity as if none was interessed therein Which are 1. The Endeavours the Parliament of England made to exclude the Duke of York from the Crown 2. The Reasons which were alledged for this 3. The manner wherewith the Creatures of this Prince defended his Rights The Author endeth this Book by the Description of Pensilvania without omitting either the Offers which are made to those who will go to inhabit it or the manner they may be established in it The fifth Book begins with the Encomium of the House of Savoy and tells us afterwards with a very great exactness the means which Madam c. made use of in M. DC LXXX and M.DC.LXXXII to obtain of his British Majesty that the Ambassadours of Savoy shou'd be received in London like those of Crowned Heads It is one of the finest places of the whole Work and they who love to read the particulars of a Negotiation cannot read a more curious one nor one better related than this The last contains the Affair of Count Koningsmarc with all its Circumstances which is a very good History and whence the manner may be Learned after what Strangers are judged in England Here it is that the Work endeth The Author promiseth us in his Preface another Volume where all will appear which hath happen'd in England till these latter Years The Style of this History as well as the other Works of Mr. Leti is easy and without Affectation contrary to the custom of most Italian Writers But what is most considerable is that he relateâ— Matters so nakedly and speaks so freely of the Interests of the greatest Princes of Europe that perhaps one day persons will not be easily persuaded that the Author had caused this Work to be printed during his Life and the life of those of whom he speaks if at the beginning the Year had not been marked wherein it was printed Mr. Leti hath since written a Book which treats of all that concerneth Embassies There may not only be seen the modern use of all Courts in this respect but the ancient also so that it will be a History of great concern The Author is not contented to speak of the Duties and Priviledges of all the Ministers which one Soveraign sends to another but of each according to the Degree of his Character he speaks largely also on the Origine of this Function and upon all the Principalities which are formed in the World He relates several Examples of Ambassadours who have committed gross Mistakes and gives Instructions how to manage worthily this Post according to the different Courts wherein they are oblig'd to reside Men will easily believe that a Work which treats of things of this nature and of so great a number of others is worthy of Publication An Examination of the Infallibility and Right which the Roman Church pretends to have in Judging Absolutely in Matters of Controversie 8 vo 1687. 255. WHilst the Romish Church makes use of all the Power of Soveraigns to re-unite to its Communion those who have quitted it Protestants oppose these progresses by coâ—ntaining their Cause with the soundest Reasons which they can think upon Though they differ amongst themselves about several Speculative Doctrines they perfectly agree upon Morality and the Worship which we owe to the Divinity they also in general are of one Mind in those Principles of Religion which they admit in respect to Holy Writ and have all an extream aversion for that Church which pretends to be a Judge in its own Cause and which without delay forceth those it calls Hereticks to a Worship which is against their Consciences Amongst the Protestant Societies there is none who hath declared it self more openly against Human Authority in matter of Religion and against the Constraining and Spirit of
have an Infinite Knowledge But his Knowledge would be necessarily limited if he did not see to the very smallest actions of Creatures or if he saw them but after a speculative manner as People speak to wit without having any influence upon them Moreover if all the actions of Creatures depended not absolutely upon God there would be certain Moments wherein Nature would be independant it would subsist of it self seeing it would act by it self and consequently it would be God whose greatest Perfection is to be Independant and to subsist of himself The Author afterwards Treats of the nature of Justification whereof he distinguisheth three kinds the one which would be solely done by Works if the first Man had persevered in his Innocency the other which we obtain by Faith in Iesus Christ and the third whereof St. Iames speaks which is done partly through Faith and partly by Works The first is not properly speaking a Justification for this term supposeth a Crime and guilty Men. There was then no enmity betwixt God and Man no demand from injured Justice So there was no need of Repentance In the second may be remarked three actions of God For I. He hath imputed our sins to his Son II. He imputes to us the obedience of his Son and keeps an Account for us of the Price which he hath pay'd for us in Suffering on the Cross. III. In fine by vertue of this obedience which Iesus Christ has rendered he forgiveth us our sins he receiveth us into his Grace and destines the possession of Heaven for us Whence it 's easie to conclude that this Second Justification is purely Gratuitous The Principal difficulty runs on the Second Action of God For say they How can God justifie us by the Iustice of his Son Can one be White with the Whiteness of another And would it not be a ridiculous thing to say That a General of an Army is brave by the bravery of Alexander But these Examples are not proper for the matter of Justification For it is true that a Body cannot be White by the Whiteness which another possesseth but nothing hinders but that a Man may be acquitted from a Debt which he had contracted though it be not he but a generous Friend who hath pay'd it Man had contracted unmeasurable Debts with the Justice of God Iesus Christ hath payed this Debt by his Death and God keeps us an Account of his Satisfaction There is nothing herein which implyeth contradiction It was all the Consolation which was given to dying People in the time of Anselmus Archbishop of Canterbury to make them solely to rely on the Justice of Iesus Christ as it appears by the Form of Consolation which he had made for Confessours And the Emperor Charles the Fifth found nothing finer than these words of St. Bernard which he often repeated I cannot enter into Heaven by my deserts but I hope that Jesus Christ who hath a double right to this happiness will be satisfied with one and that suffering me to enjoy the other which is the Merit of his Passion he will procure unto me the enjoymen thereof This is the Foundation of all my hopes For it is a perfidiousness to put our confidence in our Merits Here the Socinians are engaged who say That God having foreseen that Man could not absolutely be exempt from Sin had resolved to supply the defect of his Iustice provided that after having consecrated his heart vnto him he endeavoured to execute his Commandments and to live conformably to his Will This is to renew the opinion of the Ancient Iews who denyed not That the Mercy of God intervened in the Work of Salvation but who maintained at the same time that the Acts of their Repentance joyned to the Sacrifices which the Law had commanded were the causes of their Justification whereas Scripture represents it to us purely Gratuitous St. Paul assures That Man is justified by Faith without Works whereas these Doctors make this Grace to depend of Works rather than of Faith Moreover How can God impute to Men the Charity of Iesus Christ to supply the defect of their Justice if Iesus Christ in obeying perfectly the Law and in dying upon the Cross had not had a Design to satisfie for us The Third Justification is by Works For the better comprehending thereof we must observe that Man can be accused of two things before the Tribunal of God either to be guilty or to be a hypocrite God discharges us from the first of these Accusations in imputing to us the Merit of Iesus Christ which abolisheth all our sins He discharges us from the second by giving us by his Spirit the force of producing good Works which are marks of the sincerity of our Faith It 's in this sense that it is said that Abraham was justified by the Sacrifice of his Son God himself thus expounding this passage when he saith Now I see that thou lovest me And it is the same Exposition which ought to be given to this famous passage of St. Iames who teacheth That we are justified by Works We shall not speak of the Disputes which are the Third Part of this First Tome because they are very short Analyses upon Isaiah Hosea and some other Prophets The sense thereof is expounded after a very clear manner and all along there are some remarks mixed as when Hosea saith That the People shall weep upon Bethaven he remarks very justly That the pride of ancient Conquerors stopped not at triumphing over Cities or over People they had Conquer'd but insulted over the very Gods whom the People adored and that thus this Prophet threatneth the People of Israel That the King of Assyria will lead their Calves in Triumph to Babylon There are at the head of the Second Volume Nine Dissertations upon the Synagogues of the ancient Iews The Origine thereof is not very ancient Those who believed that Moses had had a precaution which all other Law-givers had past over of making his Law to be Read every Saturday that it might never be forgotten have been mistaken It was at the Return from the Captivity of Babylon that Nehemiah did a thing whereof there was no example For he Read the Law to the People without the Temple in a Publick place Since that time it was thought that the Service of God was no longer tyed to the Church of Ierusalem but that it could be done elsewhere and each City took care to build them Synagogues sometime without the City and sometimes without the Circumference of the Walls This opinion which our Author believes to be truest may be oppos'd by a great number of Objections I do not stand at this passage of the History of the Acts where it is said That the Jews had Synagogues according to an Ancient Custom for 500 years or thereabouts sufficeth to give this Name Iesus Christ calls the words of the Ancients a Tradition which was much more new in the Jewish Church and in
Christ which according to Calvin descends not from Heaven The vertue of the Mind being sufficient to penetrate through all impediments and to surmount the distance of Places He cites several other places of Beza of Martyr and many English Doctors by which it appears that they did not believe the Body of Iesus Christ properly descended from Heaven into the Eucharist or is in divers places at the same time though they say we are nourished hereby through Faith but after an incomprehensible manner Yet it must be granted that if these Great Men understood nothing by nourishing our selves by the flesh of Iesus Christ but to believe that we are saved by his Sacrifice and to feed our selves with this hope or to receive his Spirit it was not necessary to tell us of a miraculous Union of our Spirits with the Body of Iesus Christ notwithstanding the distance of places the Spirit of God being every where and Faith having no relation to local distance there 's nothing in the Spiritual eating of the Body of Iesus Christ taken in the sense we have above-mentioned of Miraculous nor of Incomprehensible more than in other acts of Piety and other Graces which God gives unto us Whether we suppose this or any other method to expound the eating of the Body of Iesus Christ there would be no danger to the Reformation to say that these Learned Men have not had an Idea altogether distinct thereupon or that their Expressions are not exact Although it were granted that they mistook in some things it would not follow that the Romish Church could have justly rejected all their Doctrines or that Protestants are in the wrong by inviolably retaining their Sentiments as far as they are conformable to Holy Scripture and to abandon that wherein they might be deceived We do not make a profession of believing that those who err in one thing are deceived in all or of rejecting every thing they have said because they have not perceived the truth clearly enough in some things Thus all the Objections of this nature might be ruined without undertaking to defend indifferently all that the Reformers may have said seeing it 's agreed on that the Protestant Religion is not founded upon their Authority and that they might be mistaken in inconsiderable things without its being in danger But Dr. Wake thought not convenient to act in this manner He believes that the Reformed never changed their Opinions hereon and for the Divines of Edward and Elizabeth he maintains that they were perfectly of the same opinion which he proves by a passage of the History of the Reformation by Dr. Burnet In the Second Part which is wholly included in the 3d Chapter he answers first to what Mr. Walker affirms to have been allowed by Protestants and maintained against him that he hath not well understood the words of some of the Authors whom he cited that say very well that in Communicating Iesus Christ ought to be Adored but not as Corporally present under the Species of Bread and Wine As for Forbes and Marc-Antony de Dominis it is agreed on that the desire they had of reconciling Religions made them say too much Thorndyke speaks not less vigorously but upon a Hypothesis quite different from that of the Roman Church seeing he believed that the Bread is called the Body of Iesus Christ and the Wine his Blood because by the Consecration they are Hypostatically united to the Divinity of Iesus Christ as well as to his Natural Body It was spoken of in the First Part. To oppose to the Catholick Author Doctors of his own Party they say that Thomas Paludanus and Catharin maintains that it was an enormous Idolatry to Adore the Sacrament without believing Transubstantiation Thus although it is agreed on that if a Consecrated Host is truly Adorable one would not be guilty of Idolatry if one Adored one which should not be Consecrated thinking it once would be so It 's incredible that the Reformed Religion can receive so much prejudice hereby as the Authority of the Catholick Doctors who have been cited because the Reformed deny that a Host can be Adored whether it be Consecrated or not As to the Grounds of this Subject he sends us in his Preface to a Book Entituled A Discourse concerning the Adoration of the Host Printed at London 1685. In the Second place The Catholick Doctrine is briefly examined but as there is none who hath not read divers Treatises upon this Subject we shall insist no longer upon it ORIGINES BRITANNICAE Or the Antiquities of the British Churches with a Preface concerning some pretended Antiquities relating to Britain in vindication of the Bishop of St. Asaph by Dr. Stillingfleet London 1685 in Fol. p. 364. WE should speak of the Preface of this Work wherein the Author refutes the Opinion of the Scots concerning the Antiquity of their Kings if there had not been an Extract made of a Book wherein it is already done and the Principal reasons related with much fidelity It shall suffice to say in general that our Prelate in it defends the Bishop of St. Asaph who in his Relation of the Antient Ecclesiastical Government in Great Britain and in Ireland hath shewn 1. That the Scots could not be in Great Britain so soon as they say 2. That the Historians from whom this is maintain'd are not of sufficient validity for one to rely upon As the Scots may be pardoned the zeal they have for their Country their Neighbours likewise may be suffered to endeavor the refuting them if it be necessary It 's a contestation which as Dr. Stillingfleet observes will not be decided neither by a Combat nor a Process and which hath no influence in matters of Religion or State That which concerns the Antiquities of the British Churches is more considerable by the connection which this matter hath with the important Controversies as it will appear hereafter This nevertheless is but the Proof of a greater Work where the Author endeavors to clear the most important difficulties of Ecclesiastical History Judging that to Write a compleat Ecclesiastical History is a design too great for one Man to accomplish he hath only undertaken to clear some parts thereof and thought he was obliged to begin with that which concerns the Antiquities of the Church whereof he is a Member This Book is divided into Five great Chapters the Abridgment of which you have here 1. It hath been believed for a long time in England that the Gospel was Preached here in Tyberius's Reign But if the short time be considered betwixt the Resurrection of our Lord and the death of this Emperor and that 't is thought during a long while the Apostles Preached the Gospel only to the Iews it will be hard to suppose that in this little distance persons came from Iudea into Britain to Preach the Gospel Some of the Learned of the Church of Rome have by the same Reason refuted the Fabulous Tradition which
that speaketh where there is nothing but Ideas only they cannot hold the place of things but where there are Ideas whereto they are conform 3. Words are of two sorts There are general Terms and Names to particular things All that Exist some will say being particular what need have we of general Terms Where are these universal Natures that these Terms signifie for the most part of Words that are imployed in common are general Terms To answer to the first of these Demands we must remark that there is such a great number of particular things that the Mind cannot retain as many Words as would be necessary to mark them all and though the Memory could retain them they would be unprofitable because particular Beings known to one Man are often absolutely unknown to another So their Names could not serve us to communicate our Thoughts because they would not be signs of Ideas common to him that speaketh and to him that heareth Moreover the progress we make in Knowledge being got by means of the general Notions we have need of general Terms As to the second Demand General Natures whereof general Terms are signs are but general Ideas and Ideas become general only by abstracting time place and other particularities which are the cause that these signs only represent individual Natures An Idea formed in this wife by Abstraction and by being disengaged from all that rendred it individual is capable to represent equally many individual things And as much as each of them hath all that remaineth in this abstracted Idea 't is in that alone that consisteth the general Nature upon which so many unprofitable Questions have been proposed and so many vain Subtilties published Ideas come thus to represent not a particular Being but a sort of Things and the Names of these Ideas signifie that which the Logicians usually call Genus and Species whereof it 's supposed each hath its particular Essence Tho' there be great Disputes touching the Genus and Species and their Essences the truth is That the Essence of each Genus and each Species is nothing else than an abstract Idea in the Mind of him that speaketh and whereof the general Term he makes use of is the sign It 's also true that each particular Thing has a real constitution by which it is what it is and it is that which properly is called Essence But this Word having changed its first signification and being applied to the Species and Genus of Schools Essences have been commonly looked upon as belonging to the different orders of Beings ranged under divers general denominations In this sense Essences are truly nothing else than abstract Ideas whereof general Terms are signs We may call the first Essences whereof we speak real and the second ones nominal sometimes they are the same and sometimes they are quite different the one from the other in the same thing 4. We shall more clearly conceive the Nature and Signification of Words if we consider the Relation they have with these three sorts of Ideas whereof I have already spoken to wit the simple Ideas the Substances and the Moods under the which I comprise the Relatives 1. The names of simple Ideas and of Substances denote some Beings really existent whence they are drawn as from their Original But the name of the mix'd Moods do terminate in the Mind and I believe it 's for that reason that they are particularly called Notions 2. The names of simple Ideas and of Moods always signifie the real Essence as well as the nominal The names of Substances seldom signifie though sometimes they have another signification any thing else but the nominal Essence 3. Of all things the names of simple Ideas are the least doubtful and uncertain 4. But what I believe to be of a great use and that no Body as I know hath remarked is that we must distinguish the Terms that can and that cannot be defined I observe therefore that we cannot define the names of the simple Ideas whereas we may those of the complex For to define being no more than to make known an Idea which is mark'd by a certain Word by means of some Terms that are not synonimous the Definition cannot have place but in the complex Ideas It 's well known how much the Peripateticks and even the modern Philosophers not knowing what Names could or could not be defined have vainly discoursed and published such Gallimauphry whilst they went about to define the Names of some few simple Ideas because for the most part they thought it not for their purpose to undertake the same thing Though they have defined Motion and Light they have nevertheless waved the definition of the greatest part of simple Ideas and the definitions of Light and Motion that they have hazarded to produce will appear if they are throughly examined to have as little sense as what may be said in expounding the terms of Red and Sweet When a Man born blind shall be made to understand what Idea the word Blew will bear we may likewise make a Man to comprehend by the means of Definition what Motion and Light signifie to a Man who till then shall not know what it is but by another way The Names of simple Ideas have but a very few subordinations in that which Logicians call Linea Praedicamentis because these Ideas being not composed nothing can be retrenched from them to render it more general and to give it more extent Therefore the word Colour which comprehendeth Red and Blew c. only maketh a simple Idea which we have by means of the Sight 5. As to the Names of mix'd Moods and of Relatives which are all general Terms we must note 1. That the Essence of their different sorts are all formed by the Intellect 2. That they are arbitrarily and with a great liberty formed the Mind not relating here to the real Existence of any Original 3. Though the Essences or the Kinds of mix'd Moods are formed without Models yet they are not formed at all Adventures and without Reason It is not only the signification of Words but also the brevity which is one of the greatest advantages of Language Therefore the end that we propose to our selves is not only to imploy the Sounds significant of signs to certain Ideas but also to make use of short Sounds to signifie many distinct Ideas which by their combinations form thereof one Complex Idea conformable hereunto Men do reunite in one only complex Idea several separated Ideas depending of one another and give it a name when they have occasion to think of proper Compositions and of discoursing thereupon together Thus it is that Men do arbitrarily from different kinds of mix'd Moods in giving names to certain Compositions of Ideas which have no more connection in themselves than others that are not united by any like denomation This evidently appeareth in the diversity of Tongues where is nothing more ordinary than to find several Words in one
It 's thus that Cinnaber dulls the Spirit of Vinegar and that quick Lime destroys the acidity of Aqua fortis and Calamine that of the Spirit of Nitre and Salt the Particles of these Acids engaging themselves in those that mortifie them 3. They sometimes precipitate a peccant Matter which may happen otherwise than by the combat of Acids and Alcalies as when after the dissolution of Siver by Aqua fortis the Silver falls to the bottom when a piece of Brass is dipped in the dissolution and it is so that Mr. Boyle sweetens a very stinking Water and makes it very clear by means of a Body which he does not name that only precipitates a certain kind of Mud which being taken away leaves the Water without the least ill Smell and what is very remarkable is That this precipitant is neither Bitter nor Acid nor Urinous 4. They may straiten the Heart or part affected in joyning themselves to them and in lancing the morbifick Matter and casting it out of the Body or in strengthening the Fibres of the distempered Part or dilating the Pores or irritating the infirm part as Cantharides do the Bladder tho' it does not irritate other parts that are quite as tender And the Example of Ostecolla is mentioned as an experienced Specifick Remedy to engender a thick Skin over broken Bones 5. Sometimes they correct the Disorders of the Blood as when they quicken its motion with Cordials or correct its bad consistency in thickning or attenuating it according as the Sick need it 6. They may unite to this peccant Matter and alter its Nature so much that it will not have the same sensible Qualities and make it cease to be hurtful and dispose it to that so as it might be easily carryed off as when the Spirit of Wine and Aqua fortis are mix'd together of these two violent Liquors is made a third which is Sweet It is thus that Mr. Boyle reconciles the ancient Opinion concerning Specifick Remedies with the Mechanical Explications that our Modern Philosophers will have and the Effects of Nature He cites all along a great number of Experiences which could not be mentioned here without transcribing almost a whole Dissertation wherein all is useful and where the abundance of the Matter answers very well the Solidness of the Discourse The second Dissertation of the Benefit of simple Remedies is an Advice to Physitians wherein the Author exhorts them not to use other but simple Remedies or at least very few Compounds and to observe this Method as much as they can possibly These are his Reasons for it In the first place it is easier to guess what Effect a simple Remedy will produce than a compounded one for Compositions change so much the nature of Medicines that it is not easie to foresee the Effect A Glass of Antimony dissolved in the Spirit of Vinegar does not Purge or cause Vomiting but very seldom unprepared Antimony which some take without either being Purged or Vomited by it if it be mix'd either with Salt-Petre or Tartar it becomes a violent Purgative and causes great Vomiting and mixed with Tartar becomes Diaphoretick and sometimes Diuretick In the second place simple Remedies are the surest but what made them lose part of their Reputation and their Use is That those who have writ of them applied themselves wholly to speak of their Vertues and good Qualities without mentioning in the least the Evil they do on certain Occasions which makes People not to be able to foresee always their Effect when mixed with other Ingredients Mr. Boyle was acquainted with a Person of Quality whom Hony disordered almost as much as Poyson would have done Worm-wood which is very wholsom for a great many is found by Experience to annoy the Sight of others and there are an infinite of such simple Remedies which are not always wholsom In the third place one may take a greater Dose of a simple Remedy when it is taken alone it does not cause so much distast nor inconveniency to the Stomach Whâ—at Rye Barley and Oats are all nourishing but if there were Bread made of these four Grains for a Sick Man it would not be so good as Bread made of Wheat only If one had a mind to make Strong Waters that should recover People from Sounding Fits in small quantity he would not mix the Spirit of Wine with new Wine or such as did not purifie it self by Working nor would he mix it with strong Beer It is affirmed that Gum Arabick is very excellent against the Heat of Urine but if it be mixed in a little Quantity among other Ingredients it will do nothing but if it be given alone and to the Weight of a Drachm it will produce great Effects The Juice of Wild Thyme or Mother Thyme is admirable for Children's Coughs and the Infusion of the Herb called Paronychia foliis rutaceis or Whitlow Grass dissipates the Swelling of the King 's Evil. In the fourth place all other things being equal 't is easier to find simple Remedies than such as are made of many Ingredients Mr. Boyle shews some of these Remedies that are easie to be had and serve to cure very desperate Distempers Linseed Oyl is excellent to ripen pluritick Imposthumes that of Turpentine to stop the Blood in Wounds and conduceth infinitely to their Cure and cures Gangreens Oyl of Nuts is good against the Stone as Spanish Soap is against the Jaundise In fine one may draw from the use of simple Remedies a more perfect Knowledg of the true Effects than of such Remedies as are used now It is very hard to know the Vertue of each Drug when there are many mix'd together since it is not easie to know it when each Ingredient is examined by it self The Soyl the Clymate the Seasons and many other Circumstances cause a very great change The Author has experienced that some Seeds which are used in Physick yield an acid Spirit when distill'd at one time of the year and an Urinous when distill'd at another time Mr. Boyle pretends that the most part of these Arguments used in favour of simple Remedies which are now mentioned ought to be applied to Chimick Preparations which tho' simple enough produce admirable Effects What is particular in these Remedies is That the change of Operation may supply the place of Composition According to the different preparations of Antimony it is Vomitative Purgative Diaphoretick and Diuretick c. and if one did mix two or three such like Things and that it were done dexterously one might make far better Remedies than are compos'd with much Ostentation and with a great number of Drugs The Spirit of Vinegar corrects the Emetick and purging Vertue of the Glass of Antimony much better than all the Cordials Elixirs and other difficult preparations Quick-Silver makes such a considerable change in the Corrosive Sublimate that of a most violent Poyson it becomes a very good Remedy and among other Vertues may be of great
Invisible Fluid which is called the Spirits and partly perhaps by little Particles which are suddenly loosened from the rest or by a Portion of Air enclosed in our Body or by some kinds of Ferments all which things cease to act with Life and cannot be discovered by the means of Anatomy 5. A Physician ought not to apply himself so much to the Disquisition of the Ends of the Author of Nature as to neglect examining the manner whereby Natural Effects do happen and the Causes which produce them more immediately In effect the one is not incompatible with the other as nothing hinders us from knowing by what Springs and Wheels a Watch playeth when we have learned for what Design it was made A Physician who would not be unworthy of this Name ought to add the first of these Knowledges to the second The Book whereof we have given an Extract though full of Matter being little enough Mr. Boyle hath added fourteen Curious Observations about divers Infirmities of the Eyes It hath been already observed That he insisted much upon this part of the Animals to prove that their Bodies were form'd designedly so that these Remarks may serve only to confirm what he hath said There is but one Power and one Wisdom so great as is that of God which could have included so many things in so little an Organ And we have an occasion still to admire his Providence in that this Organ being composed of so many Parts and so easie to be spoiled It nevertheless is found to remain in the greatest part of Mankind in the same state from their Birth to their Death The Observations which Mr. Boyle gives us here are so much the more remarkable because he hath seen most of those Persons whose Unhappiness he relates This is the last which was translated Word for Word Men it may be may be persuaded That those who perceive Objects in a Light much less than it ought to be for others to discern it may rather be accounted to have an excellent Sight than to have infirm Eyes But although this Delicacy of the Organs of the Sight may be looked upon as a Perfection in Bats and Owls which cannot take hold of their Prey but in the Twilight yet in regard to Man who ought principally to act in full Day or in a Light almost equivalent we may be sensible of the Bounty of the Author of Nature in that he hath given him Eyes so qualified as they commonly are if he had the Coat or Membrane too tender it would be an Imperfection or at least a great Inconveniency as appears by the following Observation In the Army of Charles the First King of England there was an Ingenious Gentleman who was Major of a Regiment and being forced by the Victory of the Usurper to go seek his Fortune out of the Kingdom hazarded himself at Madrid to render his Prince a Service of very great Consequence after such a manner as was judged in Spain to be altogether void of Prudence he was seized and put into a Dungeon where there were no Windows but only a Hole in the Wall by which they gave the Prisoner his Victuals after which they shut it although perhaps not very exactly This Gentleman remained some Weeks without seeing any thing whatever and in a very deep Melancholy But after that it seemed to him as if he saw a weak Light which afterwards augmented from Day to Day so that he could discover his Bed or any thing of a like Bigness At last he came to discern Objects so little that he saw Rats which came to eat the Crumbs of his Bread that fell on the Ground and distinctly observed their Motions He related several other effects of his Sight in this obscure Place Which shews that this proceeded chiefly from his Organs which became tender staying so long a Time in such a dark Place as it was But his Affairs being changed and having recovered his Liberty he durst not immediately expose himself to a full Sight fearing left a too sudden Brightness should make him lose his Sight but thought he should accustome his Eyes thereto by little and little I add here continueth Mr. Boyle this strange History with much the less Difficulty because I have it from the very Mouth of this Gentleman He told me besides other Particulars which I dare not to mention here because I have not those Memorandums I took of 'm to refresh my Memory An Extract of a Letter written from London about the Description of a Ship built after a new Form by Sir William Petti AS all Men expected the Success of Sir William Petti's Enterprize of Building a Ship after a new Make so there ran a multitude of People to the Thames-Side to see this Ship Launched being empty when it was tryed It drew Water but seven Foot and an half They were going to name it Gemini because it was composed of two small Ships but at last it was called the Experiment because of the uncertainty of the Event it would produce To apprehend its Structure we must imagine two little Ships joyned together by a Plat-form so that between the two there may be a Space almost as large as the two Ships together through which the Water has an entire Liberty to pass The Keel of each Vessel is eighty Foot long The bigness with the Platform is only thirty two Foot The height from the Keel unto the Platform is fourteen Foot If this Ship is used in War it will carry fifty Pieces of Cannon two hundred Men and three Months Provision If it be used as a Merchant Ship it will carry three hundred Tuns The Advantages which are expected from this Ship are First That it will be swifter than those hitherto used 1. Because it will carry twice or thrice as many Sails as others do 2. Having no Ballast it will be lighter and consequently swifter Secondly They pretend that this Ship will be surer than others 1. Because the Figure of its Sides with the Water which runs between the two Ships will keep it from running aground 2. And having no Ballast it cannot sink what Breaches soever it may meet with especially if it be assisted by some Pieces of Cannon 3. It s Keel being supported by a great many streight Planks will defend it if it should touch the Ground with all its Weight 4. Because it will not carry its Noses under the Water and that its Mast will be sooner Break in the Tempest Thirdly They say this Ship is still more commodious than others 1. In that the Water passing with its full Force to the Rudder along its direct Sides it will make the Ship turn more speedily than others do whose Rudder receives only the broken Water by the Sides of those Ships which are rounder 2. This Ship not being so round as others will toss less in a Tempest and as it will not Rise or Fall but very little so they may make use even in
Pointed signifieth to Ascend and if in six places they found it so pointed and yet signified a Leaf certainly the Text must be pointed before such Notes could be made or they would have made some difference in the Points of Gnaleh to Ascend and Gnaleh a Leaf had they Pointed the Text. So Gen. 19.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haâ—l in eight places signifieth these and not the Name of God which in all other places it signifieth as it is so pointed This they could not observe before the word was Pointed Sixthly The Masorites make many Conjectures about the truest Forms of words that seem to be irregular which they call Sibbirim or Conjectures that is about words that do seem at first view that they might more conveniently be written otherwise than they are as to the sence of the place or usual form of the words as on Gen. 19.23 the Masorites say there are three places where they think Iatsa is used in the Masculine Gender when by Grammar-rule it should have been used in the Feminine being joyned with a word Feminine and of this kind are many such to restrain Persons from altering the least letter of the Text upon never so great appearance of its being more agreeing to the Nature or Manner of the Language so to be or Use of the words in Construction with it Now if notwithstanding their admirable Skill in the Nature and Use of the Language they did not dare to alter one Letter or Point where they thought the Nature and Use of the Language required they should who can imagine they would venture to place all the Punctation And so much for the Masoretick Notes on the words of the Text. CHAP. XII The Improbability of the Masorites Pointing the Text further shewed from the Nature of their Observations on the Letters of the Bible that are found Greater or Lesser than ordinary or that are Inverted or Suspended or that are Open or Shut or extraordinarily Pointed AS the Masorites consider the Text with respect unto the Verses and Words of it so they do in the next place consider it with respect unto the Letters of it Which that not one Letter might be lost they have counted how oft each letter is found in the Bible Now as to the Letters their Observations respect either 1. The Quality Or 2. The Quantity or Number of them First As to their Quality They consider their different Figure or Shape where-ever they are found in an unusual manner And these are either 1. Greater than ordinarily they are Or 2. Lesser than ordinary Or 3. Inverted Or 4. Suspended 5. Open or Shut Or 6. Extraordinarily Pointed First As to the Letters that are Greater than ordinary they only observe that so they are written that none may bring them into their ordinary form but they dare not alter them Whence we may conclude that these are not the Men that intruded the Punctation upon the Text. Now the Masorites have collected these great Letters both at the beginning of Genesis and of the First Book of Chronicles but with some difference The Great Letters are in these places following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the word Adam 1 Chron. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Bereshit Gen. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hit Galak Lev. 13.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in achaD Deut. 6.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Halejovah Deut. 32.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in gihOn Lev. 11.42 And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mal. 3.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esther 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 9.34 Eccles. 7.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 14.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 8.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 29.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 34.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles. 12.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 6.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 56.10 Deut. 32.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 84.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 34.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 18.13 Secondly The Lesser Letters are those that are lesser than the common Form And of these there are Thirty three collected Alphabetically by the Masorites in the beginning of Leviticus and in the beginning of the final Masora but a little different the one from the other Now of these Little and Great Letters both the Talmuds make mention of them as being before their time and therefore can be no late Innovation And they are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the word VEIIKRa Lev. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in HAb Prov. 30.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 28.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 25.12 Psal. 24.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esther 9.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 33.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lam. 2.9 Numb 31.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 32.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 23.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lam. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 31.27 Lev. 6.2 final Neh. 13.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lam. 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 final three times Isai. 44.14 Ier. 39.13 Prov. 16.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nahum 1.3 Psal. 27.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lam. 3.36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ier. 14.2 final Iob 16.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 32.25 Gen. 27.47 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some Exod. 23.19 34.26 say the final Masora but that on Levit. say 2 Sam. 21.19 Esth. 9.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esth. 9.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esth. 9. The Name of one of Haman's Sons also Now what a small matter had it been for them to have made a letter that was too little to be as big as his fellows But this they durst not do but took this care to prevent any others doing of it after their time And therefore these are not likely to be the Men that placed the Punctation seeing they did not dare to mend a letter The like may be said of the Letters Inverted Suspended Open or Shut which do follow As The Masorites on Num. 10.35 do say there are Nine Verses wherein this Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nun is found inverted but they dare not alter them and they there collect them as 1 The letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 10.35 2 Numb 11.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other seven are in Psal. 107. as ver 23 24 25 26 27 28 ver 40. In our Bible Nun is not found inverted in some of these places But as Buxtorf saith we should seek for them in Masoretick Manuscripts of the Bible How is it likely the Masorites intruded the Points who durst not put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the right way Fourthly They observe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is final in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Rabbins represent the Musick of the Temple in the same manner upon which Lightfoot may be consulted in his Book of the Service of the Temple ch 7. sect 2. they say that Voices were added to these Instruments and mark the Psalms which were sung each day of the Week and on the principal Festivals But we cannot much confide in what they say as several Learned Men have shewn All that we would conclude from hence is that though it should be said that the Musick of the Hebrews was very confused to judge of it by ours nothing would be said but what may be maintained by the very Authority of the Jews 3. Thus tho' it were agreed that the singing of the Hebrew Verses such as they are conceived would not be very pleasing to our Ears if it were possible to revive their Musick there would be nothing which wou'd appear surprizing in it But suppose their Musick was better than it appears by the Descriptions which we have of it who should have hindered them to give Tunes to their irregular Verses like unto those which we give to ours It will be granted undoubtedly that their Musick had been pretty pleasing if it had equalled the Musick of our Opera's which are all composed of irregular Verses Tho' the Musick of the Greeks hath been so much boasted of and the Tunes of their Lyrick Poesie which is almost all composed of Verses or equal Couplets or of Strophes or of regulated Antistrophes a Cadence which alwayes returneth and a Tune which we hear twenty times successively does not please as much as a varied Cadence and a change of Verses almost perpetual such as ought to be in irregular Verses 4. An excellent Musician in reading an Opera whose Musick he should not have seen could perhaps sometimes by the Matter and Cadence of the Verses find out very near what sort of Tune should be given in looking for that which would be most proper unto them It might also be very well that in some Composures the Cadence of the Hebrew Verses which is pretty sensible by reason of their smallness and unequality could make one guess at the Tune they had or at least draw near it in some manner So if we read Psal. 10â— as it ought so that its Cadence may be rendered sensible there are few Persons who have their Ear good who judge not that the words of this Psalm are extreamly proper for that which is called a Tune of Fanfare i. e. the sound of Trumpets hence arose the Thought of Translating the Hebrew Verses into irregular French Verses which have just the same Number of Syllables and to put thereto a Tune of this Nature Not that it is believed it had with the Hebrews that same Tune which will be found here but we may conjecture with a great likelihood that it had a like one because the Hebrew words are very proper for a Tune of Fanfare and could hardly suffer another If the Instruments were well known which the Hebrews used there might perhaps be said something more exact upon their Musick but as we have but a very small knowledge in 't we are obliged to hold to these general Idea's which are sufficient for us on this occasion where we have no other design but to shew that they would easily sing irregular Verses such as are those which we have attributed to them VI. There remains no more but some only difficulties which may be objected upon the manner whereby this Poesie was discovered It may at first be said that it seems strange that so many ancient and modern learned Persons who have sought with Care the Secrecy of the Hebrew Poesie could not think of a thing so easie as Rhimes But this is but a difficulty of Metaphysick which proves nothing but that these Learned Men did bring hereupon the attention which they ought It hath been observ'd several times that by too much seeking for a Mystery in a thing easie of it self hath rendered it difficult It would suffice thus to answer this difficulty and to oppose thereto the thing it self in producing the whole Book of Psalms disposed into Rhimed Verses as it may be easily done and as perhaps it may be done some time or other But now this difficulty may be resolved by the following Remarks 1. It is not absolutely true that all the Learned have not at all perceived the Rhimes of the Hebrew Poesie Buxtorf hath remarked something thereof as it may be seen in the beginning of his Prosodie but he thought that chance had formed them because he hath remarked but some and where the Verses are equal There hath been besides an Author cited named Theodorus Herbert de Poetica Hebraica who hath remarked more of them but we have not seen his Book and it is judged by the Citation which we read on 't that he hath not drawn from these Rhimes the consequence this Essay hath done Augustin Steuchus of Engubio in his Preface upon the Psalms had remarked before him in terms much more express That the Poesie of the Hebrews is not the same as that of the Grecians and Latins as the Italian Poesie is not the same with the Latin The Latins do observe after the imitation of the Greeks the quantity of the Syllables the Hebrews do not so but take heed only of their Number and Cadence We see not nevertheless that Steuchus hath undertaken to reduce Poetical Books of the Hebrews into rhimed Verses no more than Lewis Cappel who hath not disapproved of the Thought of this learned Man Some have also believed that St. Ierom had observed Rhimes in the Hebrew Poesies because he hath said in his Preface upon Iob Interdum quoque Rythmus ipse dulcis tinnulus fertur numeris pedum solutis Buxtorf hath thought that Rythmus signified what we now call Rhime but he might learn of all those who have treated of Prosodie that this word doth not only signifie Cadence Ioseph Scaliger also made use of this same word in this Sence in the place which hath been cited of him Quantum sententia postulat rythmus nunc longior nunc brevior est He means that the Verses are more or less long and consequently that the Cadence hath more or less extent according as the sence demands more or less words Yet Mr. Ferrand censures him in his Preface upon the Psalms as if he had understood Rhimes thereby Scaliger was too good a Grecian to commit such a Fault as that Mr. Ferrand then was mistaken in the sence he gave to the words of Scaliger as he is also mistaken in what he adds after Buxtorf that if there are Rhimes in the Poesies of the Hebrews it is but by chance What hath been said sheweth sufficiently the contrary and this Remark is made but upon the occasion of the Term Rythmus whereof we thought we should say a word fearing that some being mistaken in the sence which is given it in the modern Languages should without reason think
small Difficulty to found any thing thereon It seems the People sometimes stoned those that were accused without staying for any Sentence or Order of the Judges according to the Custom of the Romans Obruere ista solet manifestos poena nocentes Publica cum long as non habeâ— ira moras Whether it was so or no they observed no Formalities towards St. Stephen except the Witnesses according to the Law Deut. 17.7 The hands of the Witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death and afterwards the hands of all the People The Law most wisely established this That provided he that was put to Death was Innocent the Witnesses who were the cause of his Condemnation were only guilty of his Death since he was kill'd by them before the rest of the People cast any Stones against him Some say the Martyrdom of St. Stephen was three Years after the Death of Iesus Christ Eusebius supposed it to be a little afer his Ordination and the Excerpta Chronologica published by Scaliger places his Death at the end of the eighth Month after the Ascension of our Lord. Lucian the Presbyter saith St. Stephen was Stoned in the North of Ierusalem at the side of the Brook Cedron a little without the Gate that hath since been called the Gate of St. Stephen and formerly according to some the Gate of Ephraim after others the Gate of the Valley or the Gate of the Fish Some Travellers to the Holy-land tell us that they have seen the place where St. Paul kept the Garments of those that Stoned this Martyr The Empress Eudocia had formerly caused to be built near this place a Temple which bore the name of St. Stephen And as those who are curious after the Search of Relicks never fail to find what they please so they have discovered not only the place where St. Stephen was stoned but also the very Stone that he kneel'd upon which was afterwards carried to Mount Sion and placed in the Church that was built in Honor of the Apostles Baronius also relates That some devout Persons kept one of the Stones with which St. Stephen had been stoned and that it is still to be seen in the Treasury of Ancona I shall rehearse these things as Dr. Cave has done without refuting of them tho' he says enough to testifie he does not give Credit thereto He yet reports other Circumstancâ—s drawn from Lucian's Epistle and from the Menology of the Greeks which I shall not repeat lest it should savour too much of the Legend and only relate what Lucian Presbyter of Caphargamala in the Diocess of Ierusalem saith that in the 415 th Year of our Saviour that Gamaliel formerly Lord of that City after being converted from the Jewish to the Christian Religion had revealed to him in a Vision that St. Stephen was buried there The Bishop of Ierusalem thus advertised by Lucian made these Relicks be taken up and carried to Mount Sion from whence they were sent to Constantinople as Nicephorus informs us who hath been very diligent to relate all Histories of this Nature With a great deal of Reason Dr. Cave observes that excessive Veneration to Relicks was one of the Defects of that time by consequence one cannot much confide in these sort of Histories He brings another out of Baronius not less Marvelous than the precedent 'T is thus that a Viol full of the Blood of St. Stephen brought to Naples by one Gaudois an African Bishop used to boyl of it self every third of August according to the account of Ancient time as if it had been just shed But since that Pope Gregory XIII having corrected the Calender this Blood doth the same at the end of the thirteenth of August in which day after the new Reformation the Feast of St. Stephen is kept a manifest Proof say they that the Gregorian Calender is received in Heaven altho' in some Countries Hereticks have refused to follow it The Author adds not so much Faith to Modern Miracles as to those who did them and to what is spoken of in the time of Honorius It seems not Irrational to believe that there was a great number of Sick Persons who were cured by the admirable Odour that proceeded from St. Stephen's Tomb the first time it was opened if we may give credit to Lucian and Photius But he relies more on what St. Augustine says in his City of God Liv. 22. c. 8. of Miracles done in a Chappel where some of St. Stephen's Relicks were kept carried from Ierusalem into Africa by Orosus Dr. Cave believes God might do Miracles then to convert the Heathens which were in great Numbers amongst the Christians in those days where altho' there was no necessity of them yet he could not tell what might be done The Author of the Logick of the Port-Royal speaking of the same Miracles maintains that all men of Sense whether they had Piety or not must acknowledge them as true But one of a good Understanding and Pious too could not well think that St. Augustine should suffer himself to be deceived in things of that nature and upon slight ground would take that for a Miracle which was not so or that he made use of them as proper means to convert the Heathens without examining whether they were Matter of Fact or not it is very certain that he relates them with great Assurance and at this day apparent Falshoods are advanced with no less Confidence Tho' this is not a place to examine the Miracles of St. Augustine 'T will be more to our purpose to pass to the Life of Iustin Martyr Who was born in a City of Samaria formerly called Sichem afterwards by the Inhabitants Mabarta and in fine by the Romans Neapolis and Flavia Cesarea because of a Colony sent thither by Vespasian His Father whose Name was Priscus brought him up in his own Religion and took a great deal of care to have him well instructed in Philosophy He engaged himself particularly to that of Plato which was a means as he himself has declared of his embracing Christianity Having conceived a dislike against the other Sects of Philosophers he becomes a perfect Platonist and from that a Christian after he had some Conference with an Old Man of that Persuasion in Palestine He gives an account of his Conversion in his Dialogue with Tryphon but the Learned receive this as a feigned History or at least look upon it to be extremely imbelish'd Dr. Cave believes it to have been about the 132 d Year after our Lord. Nevertheless he quitted not his Habit of Philosopher for amongst the Greeks they were not attired like other Men. St. Ierom says the same of Aristides an Athenian Philosopher and Origen of Heraclus who was since Bishop of Alexandria The common People generally wore a single Tunick without a Cloak those that were of a better Quality or Richer had always a Cloak besides which the Philosophers had also but no Tunick
well one only Nature he directs his Discourse to the Sabellians but narrow and straitned and which hath not the Propriety of being the Principle of great things as not being capable thereof or not having a will for it It must needs be either by Envy or by Fear that you do not establish any thing which should equal it or that should oppose it But in as much as God is more excellent than Creatures so much is he most worthy of the first cause of being the Principle of a Divinity than of Creatures and of not descending to these latter but by a Divinity which is betwixt two As if the Divinity existed according to the Arians because of Creatures as it seemeth to those who are so very subtle If in confessing the Dignity of the Son and Holy Ghost we made them without a Principle or if we related them to a Principle of another Nature then we should dishonor Divinity or introduce Gods opposed one to another A little lower Gregory saith That the Unity moved it self by reason of its Bounty and that the number of two hath been surpassed because Divinity is beyond Matter and Form which are the two Principles whereof Bodies are composed that Trinity is limited by reason of its Perfection and surpasseth the Conjunction of two so that Divinity is neither too strait nor doth extend it self to Infinity The first addeth he hath something in it very derogatory and the second would cause Confusion The first is altogether Jewish and the second Heathenish The word to move it self in this occasion is a Platonick term which these Philosophers use when they speak of the Productions of Divinity and Gregory meaneth that Divine Nature hath been multiplied to three Hypostases or three Individuals which is opposed to Judaism which holds but one Supreme Nature and to Paganism which establisheth too great a number of Gods The Platonicks disputed amongst one another upon this the one maintain'd that Supreme Divinity hath not been multiplied but to their Gods and that all which is above that is not of a like nature and the others understood it in a greater number of Divinities Plato and Porphyrius were of the first Sentiment and Plotinus of the second Iulian having ascended the Throne in the Year CCLXI sought all manner of ways to ruin the Christians and perceiving they made great use of Pagan Authors whether to form themselves to Eloquence or to draw from thence Reasons fit for maintaining the Christian Religion and to attack Paganism he undertook to hinder the Christians from applying themselves to the Study of Literature Some Ancients say that he prohibited them not only to keep Schools themselves but also to frequent the Schools of Grammarians and Orators amongst the Pagans others seem only to say that Christians were prohibited to keep Schools Iulian himself saith formally in one of his Letters That the Children of Christians should not be hindred to go to the Schools of Pagans because those who offend not but for want of Wit ought to be taught and not punished Gregory of Nazianzen speaks of this Prohibition of Iulian in his third Speech but according to the Judicious Observation of a Modern speaking more like an Orator than an Historian it is hard to penetrate into his thoughts 'T is a bad effect of the continual Rhetorick of the Ancients They are so Eloquent that they are not understood 'T is likely that Iulian prohibited not the Children of Christians to go to the Schools of Pagan Doctors either because he saith it or because it was a good means to seduce them Hence some Learned Men amongst Christians as the two Apollinaries and Gregory put Scripture and Religion in Greek Verses or in fine Prose These Writings would supply the Reading of those of Ancient Pagans and Youth had no need of Grammarians for to understand them Parents could easily serve their Children in room of a Tutor to expound unto them these Christian Verses after having read Scripture Yet this Prohibition extreamly vexed the Christians which would not suffer their Grammarians their Rhetoricians and their Philosophers in the Churches of the Galileans these are the terms of Iulian to expound their Matthew and Luke If he never had done any other thing they would not have introduced so many new words nor so much subtiliz'd upon the Tenets then in Dispute and the Platonick Philosophy had not had so much share in their Decisions It was about this time that Cesar Brother to Gregory who returned as we have said to Constantinople was because of his Knowledge received first Physician to Iulian and placed amongst the number of the Friends of this Emperor who loved learned Men. Gregory writ him thereupon a Letter extreamly sharp wherein he told him that he had covered his Family with Confusion through his Conduct that every one thought it strange that the Son of a Bishop should follow the Court and should seek for Honors and get Riches amongst Pagans that he made his Fathers Life bitter who could not reprehend others of what his Son did commit that they were forced to hide this Conduct from his Mother fearing it should make her dye for very Grief that he had Means enough to live Honestly without exposing himself to so great a Danger that in fine if he continued in this manner of Life he must be ranked amongst such Christians as are least worthy of bearing this name If this Letter obliged not Cesar to return to his Parents there is a likelihood it strengthened him against the Endeavors of Iulian of making him abandon Christianism whereof his Brother speaks in one of his Speeches He saith That Cesar having answered to all his Reasons protested to him he was a Christian and would be so all his Life and that Iulian cried out before several Persons of the Court when he thought on the Bishop of Nazianze and his two Sons O Happy Father O Happy Children Cesar either wearied by the Solicitations of Iulian or touched with the Advertisements of his Brother returned to Nazianze in the time that Iulian departed to go against the Persians It appears to be about the same time that Iulian sent a Captain with Archers to Nazianze to seize on the Church of the Christians but far from being able to do what he desired for if he had not escaped immediately by advice of the Bishop or of some other Person he would have returned with his Legs broken so great was the Anger and Zeal of the Priest of Gregory the Father for this Temple These are the own words of his Son which shews that these good Folks did not always Preach Passive Obedience In the Year CCCLXIII Iulian was kill'd in his retreat from before the Army of the Persians the effect if we believe herein the Charitable Gregory of the Prayers of the same Bishop and the same People who were for breaking the Legs of the Captain of the Archers of whom
the History of those Times and the Pretexts that animated the Gentiles against the Christians These Pretexts were of that nature sometimes that they shewed more Negligence than Malice As for Decius it is confessed that though he had very good Qualities and was very Mild nevertheless he suffered himself to be possessed with much Hatred against the Church but not to that degree as to have caused so great a Slaughter as is attributed to him Mr. Dodwell adhering to St. Cyprian the most he can Remarks that when he perceived that the People of Carthage sought to expose him to the Lions he retired in hopes that his absence would appease the Tumult A great Arguments against some Brain-sick-fellow that would have People dare the Orders of a Prince as soon as he meddles with the Privileges of Religion and think it was never lawful for a Pastor to yield to the Storm ' St Cyprian's Flight was followed with two kinds of Persecutions for until the Proconsul came the Magistrates of Towns having no Power to condemn to Death contented themselves with Banishing and Imprisoning and nevertheless forced a great many to abjure their Religion When the Proconsul came he tried to reduce the Faithful without making use of the most rigorous Punishments but seeing them firm he exercised the utmost Cruelties There were then many martyr'd until other Cares or seeing the little benefit of such Cruelties he grew less violent although Mr. Dowdell does not think their number very great that Sealed the Truth of their Religion with their Blood nor does he much value the Life of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus because it was writ more than a hundred Years after his Death upon hear-say the most Fertile Subject of Fables and Hyperboles in the World After this he runs over the time that past between the Persecution of Decius and that of Licinius for as for Iulian the Apostate it 's well known that he was not Cruel and he finds great abatements to be made in every Place in the Computations of Martyrologies He here gives a great insight into many things especially concerning the Emperor Dioclesian and his Collegues He does not forget to note one thing that favours him much which is that in the greatest heat of the Persecution there were no Martyrs for Orders were given to Torment the Christians after such a manner that none might dye that they might brag of their Clemency and take from the Christians the Crown of Martyrdom as Lactantius elegantly expresses it The Author observes that the Persecutors Stroke came after a thousand Artifices used before which is but little credited by those Pagan Emperors for their Violences are represented to have been so brutish that they had not the honesty to cover them with any Pretext This Dissertation ends with a Remark that will perhaps displease a great many which is that Anniversaries and Honours done to the Memory of Martyrs were borrowed from the Apotheoses of Paganism The Twelfth Dissertation treats of the Courage of Martyrs which was so admirable whether the nature of the Torments they endured were considered or the Age and Sex of a part of them that suffered that People may desire to know whence that Constancy proceeded It is well known that the Spirit of God was the chief Cause of it but some may wish to be inform'd if there were no Motives whereby the natural Strength managed by a Divine Providence might contribute to it Therefore Mr. Dowdell curiously examines it and proposes a great number of Motives the chief whereof follow here He says that the Primitive Christians led so austere a Life and that they so much accustomed their Bodies to hard Exercises that they could easily resolve to undergo Punishments the Thoughts whereof would make a Man tremble that had been brought up tenderly in Pleasures and upon this he alledges the Undauntedness and Patience of the Lacedemonians which without doubt proceeded from the Austerity of their Discipline He might have added what was said by a Voluptuous Man who was witness of their mean Fare that he would wonder no more why they so boldly dared Dangers as if he would say that their Condition was so hard that it would not seem strange that they should prefer a glorious Death to it The Author says that though Christians were too well instructed to be governed by the desire of Glory yet it was strange if the Honour that was shewn to the Memories of Martyrs and also to them that were but Confessors did not make some Impression on their Souls It is true that the Fathers did not disapprove of their having a sense of the Honour that redounded to the whole Body when any part thereof suffered for a good Cause Moreover he says that the Testimony of a good Conscience and the certainty they were in of an Eternal Felicity gave them great boldness against Torments and even against Death it self But as it is certain that the Christians chiefly contemn'd that Death that was joined to a Crown of Martyrdom for sometimes a common Death would not be so pleasing to them so we must of necessity examin the Reasons for this particular kind of Death the Author concludes them to consist much in the Opinions which the first Ages had that Martyrs would go directly to the Abode of the Blessed without stopping at the Receptacle of Common Souls there to expect the end of the World without needing the Fire that 's to consume the World to complete the Purification of their Souls and because this Fire was believed more insupportable than the most cruel Pains of Martyrdom this Opinion much supported them It was thought likewise that the Privilege granted to all Saints of obtaining by their Prayers a shortning of the time destin'd for the Sufferings of the Church belonged after a more eminent manner to the Martyrs so that they were looked on to be the chief Cause of the Anticipation of the Chastisement of the Wicked and of Recompencing the Good by the Reign of a thousand Years And they believed that the first Resurrection would happen in that Reign that it would be only for the Just and that the Martyrs would be very advantageously distinguished for they lookt upon it to be so far off as we do the Glory of Paradise they were perswaded that the Reign of a thousand Years at hand so that all these Hope 's prevailed much with them towards a desire or Martyrdom I do not speak of the degrees of Glory that was assigned the Martyrs to all Eternity and which much surpassed the Glory of other Just Men. In fine they were of opinion that all Faults were obliterated by Martyrdom and that it was a Propitiatory Sacrifice not only for the Martyr but also for all such as had fallen and were recieved into Peace by him before his Death The Author explains how that does not derogate from the infinite Value of the Death of Jesus Christ and lest he should be accused for not making the
extraordinary Assistance of the Holy Ghost intervene oftner in Martyrdom he shews at length that the hopes of this inward Grace that so often miraculously assisted the Martyrs gave Courage to the Faithful His last Dissertation fully shews that the ancient Church looked upon Martyrdom as upon a Second Baptism We might draw several Remarks from it if this Article were drawn at length and for this Reason we will say nothing of the Appendix of this Work where are the Fasts of the Greeks and Latins Pieces for the most part that were never Printed and that have a long Discourse before them full of Historick and Chronologick Learning The Author has publish'd a Discourse lately upon a dark Passage of the Exhortation to Chastity where Tertullian seems to affirm that all Christians are Priests and may in case of necessity Consecrate Mr. Rigaut understanding the Passage in this same sense was refuted by Mr. de Aubespine and found it very convenient not to fall out with Bishops But the Learned Grotius that had not the same Reasons to dissemble did not acknowledge this Prelates Reasons to be valid He shews a Dissertation Published in 1638 that Tertullian had done very ill if he had not believed Laicks had power to administer the Eucharist and endeavouring to establish this Opinion upon Tradition he allarmed all the Traditioners therefore it was thought that nothing ought to be neglected that might prevent the Consequences of this dangerous Sentiment Father Petau for this end spared neither Study nor Meditation to answer Grotius but Mr. Dowdell fearing that the Jesuit did not sufficiently shew the essential distinction of Priests and lest the Divinity of Episcopacy should be exposed to any Intrenchments has taken the Field with all his Learning to encounter with Mr. Grotius He tells us many fine things upon the Antiquities of the Church it is with Reason that the English are cajol'd by him upon this Science for in such Points as they have the same Advantages with Rome they furnish her with great Assistance but they pay themselves well on other accounts The Title of this new Book is De jure Laicorum Sacerdotali ex Sententia Tertulliani aliorumque veterum Dissertatio adversus Anonymum dissertatorem de Coenae administratione ubi Pastores non sunt ab Henrico Dodwello A. M. Dubliniens Londini Impensis Benj. Took 1685. in Octavo There is added Grotius's Discourse that of Father Petau and the answer which Clopemburg made to the first upon the Question If it be always necessary to Communicate with some one of the Christian Societies The Works of Clemens Alexandrinus in Greek and Latin according to the accurate Corrections of Dr. Hensii with brief Additions c. at the end of Dr. Heinsius To which is added the Ancient and Modern Annotations Collected by the Industry of Frid. Sylburgius The Ninth Edition at Paris 1641. Cologne 1688. In Fol. THough there are but few who can read the Fathers in the original Languages there is a very great number of Persons whom it concerns to have some Idea of their Lives and Writings because of the use made thereof now in Controversies which divide Christians The Roman Catholick Doctors forget nothing to perswade the People that the Fathers have been of their Sentiments thinking that it was insufferable to reject a Doctrin upheld by the Suffrage of the most part of the Fathers When they cite a Passage which they think conformable to their Thoughts they miss not to urge it as a holy Father hath very well said else if we oppose any other words to them from which they cannot well get free they answer that it was but his particular Opinion and reject it as an Error The most part of Protestants establish the Consent of the Fathers not as a Principle of their Faith though some of them make not much another use thereof in citing than the Roman Catholicks do Hence it cometh that in the Ecclesiastical Histories of both Parties the Places of the Fathers are carefully remarked which appear proper for the Opinions and Practices which are this day received amongst us and only mention by the by what we think defective in their Conduct and Doctrin As we are perswaded that the Fathers particularly those of the first Ages received all those Opinions which now we look upon as Essential so we think we ought to praise them and to excuse as much as possible the defects which are in their Writings or in their Lives so that their Panegyrick or Apology is insensibly made with much more Passion than their History Hence those who read Works of this nature are perswaded that the Ancients were Men of consummate Knowledge and of an extraordinary Purity of Manners Hence it is concluded that if any were abused there must needs be great reason for it and that there was no danger either of their Relations or the Confutations of the Opinions of Hereticks It is thought they ought to be imitated in their way of Reasoning and Acting without taking much heed whether they are conformable to the Precepts of the Gospel Thus it happeneth that there is no History of the first Ages sufficiently faithful and that these Histories are not used as they should be They are far from flattering themselves of being able to remedy an Evil which is so naturaliz'd as this and this Work is not composed upon that design but at least we think our selves obliged to keep off as much as possible from the ways of those who give passionate Panegyricks of them to the Publick which expects uninterested Histories This Method was attempted in the History of Pelagianism and we shall endeavour to do it yet in the Life of Clement which we now come to relate in a few words Titus Flavius Clemens famous for his Knowledge towards the end of the Second Age was born at Athens according to some Authors who believe they can reconcile this Opinion with that of those who make him to be of Alexandria in saying that Athens was the place of his Birth but that the long Abode he made at Alexandria gave him the name of Alexandrinus His Stile nevertheless though pretty full of Figures is often obscure and entangled and has not much of the Neatness and Elegancy of the Athenian Accademies Howbeit it is certain he began his Studies in Greece he continued them in Asia and ended his days in Egypt It appears he was not satisfied to be instructed by one Master but travelled much to hear several and thus to form to himself a more exact and universal Idea of the Christian Religion as well as to acquire more knowledge in Human Sciences His Masters had been themselves Disciples of the Apostles or had conversed with the Disciples of these Holy Men as appears by what he speaks thereof himself though he expresseth not himself altogether distinctly He saith that his ruder Writings are an Image and Representation of the lively and animated Discourses of happy and truly worthy Men whom he
Tenets of the Gospel or what had been reprehended by Jesus Christ and his Apostles Thus all the Greek Philosophers until those who maintain'd Fatality believed that Men were Free by Nature and might abstain from doing evil as likewise that they could apply themselves to Virtue without having any knowledge of the way by which Jesus Christ and his Apostles undertook to rectifie their Opinions by any express Discourse Clement openly maintains that Man hath the liberty of doing Evil or abstaining from it Neither Praises saith he nor Censures nor Recompences nor Punishments are Iust if the Soul hath not power to be vitious or to refrain from Vice and if Vice is involuntary It was not known amongst the Heathens what is since called Original Sin and Clement not observing that the Sacred Writers Reproach the Pagans with this Ignorance and teach them that even Children newly born deserve the Flames of Hell denies that Children are corrupted in any manner whatsoever The Hereticks whom we have spoken of that condemned Marriage amongst others gave this Reason against it that thereby nothing has been acted but the bringing polluted Children into the World seeing David said himself That he was conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity Psal. 51. and that Iob maintains That there is no body free from Pollution though he had lived but one day ch 14.4 5. Clement opposes them and says Let them tell us how a Child newly born hath Sinned or how he who hath yet done nothing as fallen under the Curse of Adam Afterwards he Expounds the passage of David as if the Prophet meant only that he was descended from Eve who was a Sinner It must also be observed that a Man whose Judgment was thus disposed wanted but little of believing that the Philosophers were of the same Sentiments with the Apostles as soon as he could find any relation in their terms So Plato having spoken of three Supream Divinities whom he acknowledged as appears elsewhere in terms like to those which the Primitive Christians made use of in speaking of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Clement believed that of this Philosopher's was the same as that of the Christians I conceive saith he that Plato understood nothing thereby but the blessed Trinity and that the third Being whereof he speaks is the Holy-Ghost as the second is the Son by whom all things were made according to the Will of the Father And speaking of the Divinity of Iesus Christ he described it no otherwise than the Platonicks did Reason The Nature of the Son saith he is the most Perfect and Holy that which hath the greatest share in Empire and Government and the most like unto him who only is Almighty It is this excellent Nature which presides over all things according to the Will of the Father who best governs the Universe who by an unexhaustible Power and without Wariness effects all that he makes use of to act in Nature and who seeth the most Secret Thoughts The Son of God never leaveth the Place whence he sees all he is neither Divided nor Shared nor does he Transport himself from one Place to another but is every where and is Incircumscriptible All Paternal Light aâ— Eye he seeth all things he hears every thing he knoweth every thing and penetrates by his might into all Powers To this natural Reason which hath received this holy Administration is subjected the whole Army of Angels and of Gods because of him who hath subjected them to it Clement had another Opinion concerning the Human Nature of Iesus Christ into which perhaps he fell for fear of rendring the Body of Iesus Christ inferior to that of the Gods of Homer The Gods of this Poet eat no Bread nor drank Wine And our Saviour according to Clement needed no Milk in coming into the World and was not nourished by the Meats which he took only through condescention and which passed not into his Body by the same Organs as they pass into our Bodies It is also what made Origen his Disciple to believe that Iesus Christ had no Blood But a Liquor like that which Homer attributed to his Gods which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato said in divers Places that God Inâ—licts Pains upon Men only for their good And Clement observes it after such a manner to make us believe that he approves on 't Plato also said that Souls are Purged in the other World by Fire and that after their Purgation they return to their first State Clement believed that the Apostles thought the same thing when they spoke to us of a Fire which is to Consume the World and his Disciple Origen hath concluded from these Principles that the Devils and the Damned will be one day delivered from their Sufferings The Apostles describe the Place where the Wicked shall he Tormented under the Idea of a Lake of burning Brimstone They made use of the same word that the Heathens did to denote the State of Souls after Death to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They say that Men descend thereinto and that Iesus Christ descended there also This was sufficient to draw this Exclamation from Clement What did not Plato know the floods of Fire and the profundity of the Earth which the Barbarians called Gehenna and which he Prophetically named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tartarus He has made mention of Cocytus of Acheron of Pyriphlegeton and such like Places where the Wicked are punished for their amendment Clement also believed with most of the Ancients that Iesus Christ really descended into Hell and Preached there to the Damned Souls of which he saved those who were willing to believe in him We might also bring many other Examples by which it would be plain that Clement expounded the Doctrins of the Christians by opinion the most resembling 'em which he found amongst Philosophers But the Examples we have shewed may suffice for those who have neither time nor opportunity to read this Author as well as for those who will consult the Original because they will find enough of themselves One thing may be apprehended by it which most of those who apply themselves to the reading of the Fathers do not much observe and without which it is almost impossible to understand them well in abundance of Places Which is that before we begin this Study seriously we must read with care the Heathen Philosophers and particularly Plato without which we could not well apprehend upon what grounds they reason or examin with success the force of their Arguments nor devise how they fell into so many Opinions so distant from those which are this day received in our Schools But now to return to the Life of St. Clement the Ancients with a general consent say he was Successor to Pantenus in the Office of Catechist He acquitted himself of this Employment with Success and several great Men came out of his School as Origen and Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem His method of instructing the
of Wolfandus Mecuritius Endterus 1686 in 4to WE have spoke in the Novels of October 1685 of the Institution of this Accademy of the Curious in Nature and we have mentioned several of their Observations in their Journal of the year 84 Now we hope that their Journal of 85 is furnished with no less rare Curiosities Nature does not grow old what ever People say She is always fertile in all Productions and we may observe her Effects to see that She Signalizes her self every year in some Country or other and sometimes in all Countries by Distempers singular Cures Monsters and other rare Phenomena I may be suffered without doubt to place among the Works of Nature that do not happen often the heat that is conserved in a dead Body for 3 or 4 days which is the Subject of the 18th Observation of this Book wherein is seen that a Man of 72 years of Age but Strong and a great Drinker dying of a Burning Fever on Christmas-day 84 was found Hot by his Domesticks at night who were curious to feel him for a certain Superstition which reigns in several places of Germany whereby they believe that if the Deceased do not grow Stiff it is a Sign that many of his Friends will dye soon after This Mans Servants having found him hot the 1st day tryed next day whether he continued so tho the Weather was very cold and they found him as hot as the day before both at his Back and Region of the Abdomen and they found him Luke-warm the 3d. day and 4th and it was but the 5th day that he became intirely cold A Gangreen that had possessed his Bowels did without doubt much contribute to this Heat For thâ—s poor Man having lost the parts of Generation before his Death by a Descent of his Guts into his Scrotum which occasioned a Castration and made the rest disappear after such a manner that if it did not concenter inwardly it mixt after an insensible manner among the other Excrements which were taken from the Sick Mans Body M. de le Boe had already observed that the Bodies of Hydropicks remain hot some time after Death for 2 or 3 days Nor is it after all so surprizing seeing that Plants parted from what nourished them ferment after a marvellous manner Let us pass to the 32d Observation where the Opinion of Scaliger is refuted about the Cry of Crikets It is a Noise that agrees with the Africans very well and serves as delicious Musick to lull them asleep This makes them nourish Crikets in Iron Cages and purchase them at considerable Rates And they receive them as acceptably at Fez it self the most learned place of all Africk We find the noise of these little Animals sometimes troublesome but because t is thought an Ill Omen if they quit the House we do not wish to be rid of them M. Konig having searched the Organ of the Cry of Crikets found that it was not the Passage or Fistule of the Belly as Scaliger believed but that it is a very dry Membran that foulds it self as a Fan and which is fastned under the Wings to a Tendon that is pretty long and which when the Muscle shortens forms them folds upon the Membran and thence comes the sound which can be renewed in some manner in a dead Criket so that the Tendon be dexterously drawn And it is remarked that a Criket cut in two sings and lives a long time The same Mr. Konig furnisheth us in the Four and Thirtieth Observation with the Anatomy of an Owl He found that the Eyes of this Bird are shut up in his Scull that they are immovable and that they neither have an Elliptique Figure as Mens Eyes have nor a round one as other Birds they are like a Globe in the midst of which a Turner would make a Hole on both sides and there are seen the Parts of the Bones all in a row There has been mention made the 10th year of this Journal of some Flyes that did great Damage in Poland their Figures are seen here in different Fashions as they appeared in a Magnifying Glass to M. Pelisius who tells us a very strange thing in his 43d Observation which is That a Rosemary-Branch which was according to Custom put in a dead mans Hand grew so strangely that it spread it self and covered with its Greenness the whole Face of the dead Person as it has been found to the great Admiration of many some years past on uncovering the Coffin The 106th Observation contains one of those happy Temerities that are seen some times as well in Physick as Politicks A Peasant of the Dutchy of Meklenburg seeing his Wife almost dead in Child-birth pressed the Midwife so much to draw the Child from her with a great Scale-hook that the Midwife was at last obliged to make Tryal and hit so well the Nape of the Childs Neck without knowing what she did that she brought the Child into the World in a very good Condition and with little hurt and is living yet In the following Observation we are entertained with a Child already Rotten and Corrupted that was delivered from a dead Woman which confirms the 42d Observation that says some 7 days after the Death of a poor Woman that dyed a Month before the time she should be brought to Bed at was put in a Byer the Child was observed to have rouled to the dead Womans Feet and it is more credible that a Child should come into the World of it self from a dead Mother than that pieces of Gold Brass and Iron fall with the Thunder in the Indies However that is M. Rumphius the Historiographer of the Dutch Company in that Country has sents to M. Menzeliur a Physitian of S. A. E. of Brandenburgh among other Rarities whose Catalogue is here to be seen a piece of Brass weighing about 12 Ounces which he says fell from the Skies in a great Tempest The Indians make great Account of these Metals which they pretend do fall with the Thunderbolt and make Rings of them believing them Powerful to preserve their Healths and to render them Victories over their Enemies Few Physitians will meet with as much Satisfaction in these things as in the Remarks of M. Harderius Professor of Philosophy in Basil upon the Venom of Vipers he gives M. Redi an account of the different Effects of this Poyson upon several Beasts and admires the difference in the Experiences of M. Redi and M. Charas about the Yellow Juice which is in the Vipers Gut which M. Charas says is very innocent but in the Opinion of M. Redi it is their very Poyson He seems to be inclin'd to this last Opinion Let us now speak of the Appendix which is worth as much if not more than the whole Work We first meet with the Mystical Key to the Doctrin of the Chinois about Pulses composed in 1658 by the Polish Jesuit Boymus Missionary of China The Title of this
great hopes that you give us But these things are new and uncertain and consequently I cannot embrace such a Religion to the prejudice of that which we have profest for so long a time Yet as you are come so far off and according as I can judge only design to make us share of what you look upon as best and most advantageous we will do you no displeasure but rather receive you favourably into our State and procure you an Establishment to live therein We shall not hinder you to preach the Faith of your Religion and to Proselyte all that you can He kept the same Moderation after he had Embraced Christianity and having learned saith the Author after venerable Beda from the Ministers of the Gospel that Piety towards the true God is a thing altogether voluntary and that all the Authority of Men cannot inspire he would exercise no Empire upon the Minds nor force any body to make Profession of Christian Religion contenting himself to Testifie a greater Bounty to those that were converted of themselves There is another Moses towards the Latter end of the 4th Age who was an Ethiopian and who from a Captain of Robbers became chief of the Hermits of Thebaides He betook himself afterwards to the exercise of a Penitence more marvellous than imitable But instead of falling into Pride that excessive Austerities ordinarily inspire to those that practise them he kept alwaies much Humility in calling to mind his past Crimes One of the Monks of Siete having committed a considerable Error and all his Fraternity being gathered to judge him Moses was called thereto with the rest He at first refused it and after not being able to put it off whilst all excepted him he loaded himself with a Basket full of Sand and went in this State to the place of Assembly They all were very much surprized asked him what he would do with the Basket I carry said he my Sins behind me which hinders me from seeing them Yet ye will establish me Judge of other Folks Sins when I cannot see my own A Collection of several Pieces of Eloquence and Poetry presented to the French Academy for the Prizeâ— of 1687 upon St. Lewis day with Orations the same day at the reception of Mr. Abbot de Choisy in the place of Mr. Le Duc de St. Aignan At Paris Sold by Peter le Petit 1677 and at Amsterdam by Henry Desbord in 12s TO say that Mr. De Fontenelle hath aspired to the Prize of Eloquence the Distribution whereof is made every Two Years by the Judgment of the French Academy and to say that he hath carried this Prize is the same thing For if he is so much distinguished by the Excellent Works that he hath given the Publick nothing can come from his Pen which is not immediately followed with a general Approbation The Academy alone gave him the Prize which no body could reasonably contest about It Assembled according to Custom last St. Lewis's day which is the 25 th of August and the Discourse of Mr. Fontenelle Upon Patience and its opposite Vice was proposed by the Deceased Mr. De Balzâ—c for the Prize of Eloquence To undertake to give here an Abridgment of this Discourse would be the same thing as to take away the greatest part of its Grace Those that will have the Curiosity of seeing it as undoubtedly its very well worth the while will find it in this Collection He will not have much difficulty to find out the Character of the Illustrious Author of the Dialogues of the Dead of the Plurality of Worlds c. Every where he commands this happy turn that he knoweth so well to give to things the same Elevation of Thoughts the same Purity of Expressions Can there be any thing more Ingenious but at the same time more True than what he saith to shew how much corrupt Reason and divine Revelation are opposed O blindness of Nature O Heavenly Lights of Religion how contrary you are Nature by its inordinate Motions augments our Grief and Religion teaches us to profit by 'em by the Patience it inspires us with If we believe the one we add to necessary Evils a voluntary Evil and if we follow the Instructions of the other we draw from those necessary Evils the greatest of all Goods All this Discourse should be copied if we should remark all the fine places of it Nothing weak appears in it nothing languisheth in it and it 's difficult in reading it not to conclude that if the Academy hath done Justice to Mr. de Fontenelle on this occasion it may also very soon acknowledge his Merit after a more solemn manner whilst receiving him into its Bosome it will give him the place that great Men whose Name he bears have so worthily enjoyed But what Honour soever the Prize doth to Mr. Fontenelle the Prize he hath already carried to wit the Ode of Madamoiselle de Houlieres was Crowned the same day is still more Glorious to him What a wonder to see a person of her Sex in so tender an Age to Triumph over so many Learned Rivals who expected nothing less than such a defeat We should scarcely believe it if these words that are at the end of her Poem Non degeneres progenerant Aquilae Columbam did not teach us that she being Daughter to the Illustrious Madam des Houlierâ— it could not be that so great a Desert as hers should not pass unto her The Subject given for the Prize of Poetry was about the Education of Nobilitg in the Schools of Gentlemen and in the House of St. Cyr. They read in the Academy two pieces of Prose and Verse which have carried the Prize but they were not satisfied to print them in this Collection there have been joyned two pieces of each sort which tho' they were not honoured with a Prize have nevertheless their Beauty A Discourse on the praise of the King sent by the Academy of Soissons to that of Paris an Epistle to the King of Mr. Perraust and some other pieces in Verse are found at the end of this Collection But at the beginning were placed two Discourses delivered in the Academy the same day which was that of the Reception of Mr. Abbot de Choisy in place of Mr. le Duc de St. Aignan and I believe it will not be amiss to give it here A Discourse in the French Academy by Mr. Abbot de Choisy SIRS IF the Laws of the Academy suffered me I should this day keep a respectful Silence I should imitate the new Cardinals who in taking of their place in the Sacred College forbear speaking for some time and I should think on nothing but holding my peace untill you should teach me to speak But Custom must be obeyed my acknowledgment must appear and what Expressions must I make use of to shew it to you altogether How shall I Express the joy I feel in seeing my self Associated to all that is Great
Vicissitudes of all that past in them He likewise applies himself very particularly to the History of the Province of Holland and shews the Epoch of these Courts which is generally given He clears by the by several things concerning the History of other Nations that of the Low Countries and in particular that of the Franches and makes many learned Observations upon all the Dignities mentioned in his Title so that its a very useful Work The Church was always so embodyed in the World the Disorders of which he sheweth that the Author cannot get forward without falling foul on all sides so that the Reader may expect in this great Volume a long account of what concerns the Clergy He finds there Fryars and Canons of all Sects and Kinds Convents where the Religious and Religiouses lived together I do not say in the same Cell but under the same Roof and in the same Apartment The World Naturally detracting the Chastity of Cloisters hath given occasion to think very oddly thereon and it was to take away that Scandal that the Civil and Canon Laws have forbidden both Sexes to live in the same Convent Nevertheless Mr. Matthews Reports that St. Briget founded several of this Nature and that Gilbert of Semplingham founded a great many by Advice of St. Bernard Amongst other Authors he quotes the Chronicle of Montserain which saith that in the Year 1223 because they would send abroad many of the Convent Sisters many glossed thereupon that the time of their Lying In drew near Consueto Laicis more loquentes dicebant Moniales illas à Monachis stupratas esse quibus jam pariendi tempus instaret He quotes a Poet named Nigellus who said that the Mother Abbess very well deserved that name by her Marvelous Fertility Quae pastoralis baculi dotatur honore Illa quidem melius fertilius que parit As he is a Satyrical Poet it would be very ill done to believe this upon his bare saying It is generally believed that St. Willibrord was the first Preacher of the Gospel amongst the Frizons But Mr. Matthews shews that St. Eloy Bishop of Nayon had Instructed these Barbarians It is true that the greatest part of these Conversions was reserved for those that came after them for St. Wilfride St. Willibrord St. Vulfran c. had a great hand in them and so had Pepins Troops and them of Charles Marlet his Son For Mr. Cordunoy acknowledgeth in his History of France that tho' the Frizons suffered Wilbrord to speak to them of the Christian Religion Pepin could not trust to that because most of them left off the worship of their Gods only by force A little after he saith they Revolted and Charles Martel having Vanquished them beat down their Idols and Temples and cut down the Forests which they thought Sacred and caused all them to be killed which would not submit It was a good time in those Countries for those which converted Mr. Matthews quotes William Malmesbury who saith that the Saxons and the Frizons were Converted by the pressing care of Martel who threatned one and promised a recompense to the other If it were Charles Magne St. Willibrord would not have received any profit for he did not live so long but under Charles Martel St. Willibrord and St. Boniface might have passed for Famous Converters at the Expence of the manner of doing and of their Masters Purse The Art of Preaching the Word of God containing the Rules of Christian Eloquence 12s At Paris 1687. page 524. THe Judgment of men is so different and the circumstances which produce perswasion are sometimes so contrary to one another that it is hard to prescribe unto Orators such Rules as are a little particular and of some use Yet as there are defects which all Men blame and such methods as please almost all People in the same Age Masters of Arts have thought it requisite to remark them Indeed these general reflections are not unprofitable provided we do not exceed those bounds For as soon as we come to particulars we may chance to give for Maxims contested things and so force or spoil the Genius of a young Man instead of perfecting him This is what those who shall read the Books which we are going to speak of may easily observe and which we shall endeavour to make here as plain as we can The Author of the work whose Title we have set down is a Roman Catholick Preacher who has thought convenient to remain Nameless apparently for the same Reason which hath hindred him a long while from Publishing these Reflections upon the Art of Preaching the reason was because he saw every day so much Jealousie amongst Persons of the same imploy Every Orator has particular turns and methods which seem good to him only That leaves always some suspicion that he blames unjustly in others what agreeth not with his particular Genius He hath divided his work into Four Books which are as so many Conversations wherein he Treats after a particular manner and which have no Taste of the Style of Schools of the principal qualities necessary for a Preacher The first Book concerns the Studies which a Christian Orator ought to prosecute Herein is maintained that he ought to read the Precepts of the Heathens and that they are necessary to attain Christian Eloquence 2. That Logick is not less necessary provided thereby is understood the Art of Reasoning well to discern what is true from what is false the certain from the doubtful and that which is evident from what is probable because this necessary use of true Logick cannot be sufficiently learned by the reading of Aristotles Rhetorick nor even by the frequent Commerce which we ought to have with good Authors as F. Rapin pretends who is cited here without being named 3. In regard to Physick he thinks that that Part only which regards Man is absolutely necessary to be known because he ought to be acquainted with all the natural Dispositions of the Mind and all the general and particular Truths which make him more able and ready to say this is true 4. Touching Scholastick Divinity he introduces an Abbot who testifies a high contempt for those who maintain that the Scholastick Doctors teach often nothing less than the Doctrin of the Church and that when even they do teach it they cannot dispose their minds to Preach it well But he answers him that true Scholastick Divinity is nothing else than the Doctrin of the Church Examined and Established according to the solid Rules of true Logick which teach how to define divide and reason exactly The Abbot having replyed that if so Men have no other obligation to the Master of Sentences nor to his Commentators than for having made the Science of the Church Scholastick or filling it with an infinite deal of unprofitable and Chymical Questions and of having given it a very Barbarous Style the Author replies That we must distinguish what this method hath in it
Essential in it self from the defect which the misfortune of Times and imprudence of several Professors have suffered to slip into it 2. That the only Design of these Authors was to include in one body of Doctrin all the vast Science of the Church which was confusedly disposed in Scripture and in the Ancient Fathers without any natural Order and to Reduce all the Truths which God hath Revealed to us to certain principal Heads which comprise them all and give them an Order founded upon the nature of things or upon the Subject 3. That before this Reduction this Study did extreamly displease the Mind not only by its length but also by the confusion of matters That according to the opinion of the Roman Church Men put themselves into great danger of â—alling into Error and of casting others therein when they immediately apply themselves to the Study of Holy Writ and Ancient Fathers without having before studied in Methodical Divinity necessary Precautions 4. That the Roman Church approves not that Men should indifferently read Scripture 5. That there are a great many Errors in the Works of the Ancient Fathers which they advanced with a good intention but that they have been since condemned That they have made very Orthodox Propositions upon the Mysteries of their time and in the sense they gave them which ought no more to be mentioned without some Mollifying That they have made use of several Hyperbolical Expressions which seem contrary to the Sentiments of other Fathers and what they themselves have elsewhere spoke with less heat 6. Scholastick Divinity Teacheth according to the Author how to distinguish always what is of Faith with that which is not This exact distinction pursueth he is very important in our Sermons tho' never so much neglected by a thousand People who apply themselves much more to the opinions of Doctors than to the true Faith and who affirm doubtful opinions with the same firmnâ—ss as undoubted Truths Notwithstanding he dissembles not the Defects of the Catholicks but their obscure and barbarous Style he attributes to the Ignorance and ill Judgment of the Ages wherein they lived The evil is that when Men begun again to know and tast the Clearness and Elegance of the Style there hath been found too great a number of Professors who would maintain the Barbarity as Essential to their Method Nevertheless by little and little this unsupportable Iargon is leâ—t off but there is another defect which is not easily forsaken and that is an hundred unprofitable Questions wherewith the Imprudence of Ancient Professors have filled the Divinity of the Schools and that the weakness or negligence of their Successors still obstinately maintain They stop so long at these Questions which only perplex and that disputations have rendred Famous that they are forced entirely to omit the greatest part of such truths as are necessary for our Faith for Christian Morality which should make the principal Subject of each Treatise So that Scholars found themselves at the end of their Study altogether ignorant of true Divinity The reason of this conduct and that which has never yet been observed is of that to settle to the Study Divinity only Men must Read Think Digest and Range an infinite number of positive things which they have never heard of In fine these Famous Questions are more proper to cause a glittering show and make the Subtility of the Wit be admired whereas if they were slightly passed over they think it might be Attributed to some defect of Reason or Apprehension It must be confest also that the Air of Schools is contrary to Eloquence This Book ends with the Examination of this Question Whether a Minister ought always to Preach us the most severe Morality The Author who is not of this Sentiment alledges in favour of the Casuists a great number of Doctors which are for them and the esteem that the Roman Church makes thereof upon which the Abbot answers him That a man alone who sounds his Decision upon the Gospel or upon a Writing that cites the Canon Law or some holy Father ought always to be believed even against the common opinion of Recent Doctors what number soever they may be because their opinion is founded but upon human Reasons The strongest Reply to this is That their Maxim is dangerous and makes room for the Calvinists It s in fine concluded that a Minister ought never to take part in the particular opinions of Divines and that he ought never to Preach them being sent to Teach the pure Word of God which contains only the truths of Faith and moral Reflections which are clear consequences of ' em II. The Second Book treats on the manner how to gain the attention and good will of the Auditors to a Christian Orator and it is affirmed that the principal means is to give them an advantageous Idea of his good manners and probity not in praising or abasing himself by a Foolish and Proud Humility or in making Compliments to them but in â—aking of every thing the Sentiments Expressions and Manners which ought to be expected from a grave Man full of Honour and Integrity Every thing which may Augment or Diminish this Idea is carefully remarked Amongst what serves to encrease the first place an inviolable Application to the most exact Truths which banish all those extravagant thoughts that are called Concetti and even to shun excessive Hyperboles 2. An extream horror to Vice and a sincere desire of inspiring it into his Auditors Which engage him to be very grave in all his discourse to avoid all sort of Railleries even the most honest ones never to paint Vice so as to may make the Hearers laugh and not to speak Comedies or Satyrs instead of Sermons to avoid all Tones of the voice and all such Gestures which render a man contemptible or ridiculous 3. He must appear extreamly Modest and be so far from all manner of boastings as to be satisfied to make others sensible of the beauty solidity and force of his thoughts without seeming to take notice thereof himself and without making use of his Wit Knowlâ—dg Memory or any other Artifice in Discourse to gain applause he ought to shew a Moderation void of all regret and every interessed passion never to speak of any thing which the People know they have any Personal Interest in All that may be said or done against a Minister he cannot mention in his Sermons without its producing a very ill effect The best Apology is to appear as if one did not so much as think one had been affronted 5. To give to these Expressions a Noble and Affectionate turn 6. To make a frequent and judicious use of Sentences or often to make use of general Expressions conceived in few words which express that which is done or is not done what we ought and what we ought not to do in relation to the general conduct of Men. 7. To advance nothing but
fitter to makâ— them suspected than any thing else As to the Impious it 's certain they never are more obstinate against Divine Truths than when they are threatned to have them demonstrated making them then to deny several Propositions which at another time they would have granted These Truths being the foundation of all Morality we ought never to speak of them but as undoubted Principles If we have any sensible and popular Reasons it may be added in a few words without making a shew of proving them these sorts of Proofs convincing better than long Arguments The same Precepts are given in respect to the other Mysteries of the Christian Religion as the Trinity and Incarnation and it s affirmed that there is no better manner of Preaching them than in making People observe what glory they owe to God and Jesus Christ and to enlarge yet more upon the good and useful Sentiments which these Mysteries ought to inspire into us This method is very profitable chiefly for Roman Catholick Preachers whose Religion is not very demonstrable and who are to deal with a People who have accustomed themselves to believe rather by Prejudice than be perswaded by Reason After that he speaks of Division and as it s to be taken for granted that Christian Orators are always Masters of their Subject and of the Propositions which they would form thereon So they will do wisely to propose to themselves only two or three Truths to establish in so many different parts Several Reasons and divers Important Precepts are given on this matter As that all Propositions must be Moral and Practicable except those which are formed upon matters of Faith which import the necessity of Sanctification and that they given an occasion to come to some particulars of the ordinary actions of life After that he marks the qualities that the proofs ought to consist on by which these Propositions are maintained 1. Their Sense must be different from that of the Proposition 2. The truth must appear more plain in ' em 3. They must be conclusive To make sure of the force of an Argument we need only according to the Author to consult our selves before we make use thereof and to examine if this reason would content our mind when another should coldly propose it As to Novelty he proves here that it consists not in making digressions and in seeking for subtil reasons but in expounding things after so natural a turn that no other form but that of truth is given them In following this method it may happen by the ill Judgment of the generality of Preachers who reject every thing which does not appear extraordinary that the most common things will seem the newest to the People being such Truths which never were Preached unto them We should be too long if we related all the fine things the Author speaks upon the Method of understanding a solid Argument without coming into teedious Repetitions by applying it to the pretence of Preachers and particular cases IV. The Fourth Book treats of what may preserve in the Auditors a favourable disposition to the Speakers and it s believed that the whole Artifices is to render them attentive by proposing things to them after an easie and acceptable manner For Attention cannot be easie 1. Without clearness in the expressions and in the Matter it self which obliges us to banish all words that are too old or too new as well as the Terms of Art and of the Schools and all Methaphysicual Speculations 2. Briefness in Periods without which the Discourse becomes Unintelligible and in the Sermon it self which ought never to last longer than an hour The attention is rendred agreeable by variety in Subjects and Phrases by diversity of the Style by Figures and Ornaments which however spoil all when they are excessive or far sought And in short by sweet and affectionate Motives through the whole Sermon Upon all this are remarked the Defects which we ought to take heed of and we are taught how to avoid being lifeless and insipid He finishes the whole work by giving rules for Panegyricks Historia Animalium c. Or a short and Accurate History of Animals mentioned in Holy Writ in which the Names of every one are drawn from their Originals and their Nature Profits and Vses are Explained A work in which many Writers both Sacred and Prophane are Illustrated and chiefly Great Bochart in all the Chapters is Augmented and Amended by the Labour and Study of Henry May. Francfort and Spire 1686. in Octavo at Amsterdam Sold by Waesberge and Boom THE Work is in Two Parts Writ by Mr. May Professor of the Eastern Tongues at Durlac upon Animals and chiefly upon those which the Scripture speaks of He undertakes to make the History of Four footed Beasts Fowls Creeping things and of Aquatick or Amphibious Animals He designs Four things in this piece 1. To Search after the Etymology of their Names chiefly in Hebrew because this Disquisition may serve for the understanding of several Passages of Sacred and Profane Writters 2. To make an exact Description of Exteriour forms of Animals of their Nature and of their Qualities 3. To remark the usefulness which may be drawn from them in the various occasions of life 4. To speak of the Superstitious use that Pagans have made of them in the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of their Religion Amongst the Authors that have written upon this Subject there are few who perfectly knew the Eastern Tongues Bochart is perhaps the only Man who was so well read in this point as to undertake without Temerity to write upon so difficult a Subject But Bochart himself confesses that he has yet left a great many things to be discovered Besides that his Book is very large of the Animals spoken of in Scripture and of full Citations which few are capable of understanding Therefore Mr. May thought it would not be unprofitable to examine this matter according to the Ideas of this great Man whose faults he endeavours to make known and augment his Discoveries The First Book treats of the Four kinds of Animals and the Second of divers Four Footed Beasts in particular This Second Book is divided into Two Sections the one for Domestick and the other for wild Animals This is sufficient for the method of your Author we shall make no longer stop before we enter upon the Principal Matters which he treats on only observe what is most singular and in what he differs from Bochart In the 11. Ch. of the first Book he remarks after Bochart Ludolf and Goliâ—s that the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behema which the Hebrews give four fooâ—ed Beasts comes from the Ethiopick Bahama which signifies to be dumb or to form only inarticulate sounds In the same Chapter he searches for the Origin or Division of Animals into clean and unclean which is so Ancient that it was in use even before the Flood G. 7.2 He hath an inclination for the opinions of
Natural modesty is there any such thing v 3 n 17 q 7 Negroes shall they rise so at the last day v 3 n 29 q 6 Negroes is it lawful to Trade with them v 3 n 30 q 1 Nature of Blights v 4 n 9 q 7 Number even or odd which the greatest v 4 n 17 q 4 Navigation deaf mans Skill in it v 5 n 9 q 1 ‖ NOrris's Discourses upon the Beatitudes 3 sup p 1 Norris's Reflections on the Essay about Vnderstanding 3 sup p 2 Norris's Discourses on several Divine Subjects 3 sup p 28 †NEw Lexicon in Hebrew and Latin p 293 New Relation of China containing the most Considerable things of this great Empire p 83 O. * OWL why see better by night then by day v 1 n 10 q 3 Origen to be prais'd or censured for c. v 1 n 20 q 10 Ovids Banishment the reasons v 1 n 21 q 6 Onan his Sin what was it v 1 n 25 q 1 Ostrich if it digest Iron v 1 n 25 q 8 Orphans how to get their Money v 2 n 1 q 5 Osiers why smooth one Year v 2 n 2 q 10 Ox why longer Horns then a Bull v. 2. n. 5. q. 19. Oracles how they could give account of things v. 3. n. 11. q 6. Oyl why some love it and yet hate Olives v 3 n 14 q 4 Opinion is it not the strongest thing v 3 n 19 q 3 Oaths whether it â—e sinful to rehearse ' em v 3 n 22 q 8 Oracles of old whether of God or the Devil v 4 n 4 q 1 Oak-apples their use v 4 n 9 q 6 Oaths Equivocations in 'em v 5 n 6 q 4 ‖ OPinion Questions about it 1 suppl p 22 Oliver Cromwel the History of him 4 suppl p 16 Ozanams Mathematical Dictionary 4 suppl p 25 Onan whether he was guilty of Murther 5 suppl p 15 q 14 †ODE on the French King p 114 P. * PRe-existence of the Soul v 1 n 1 q 2 Poorest men who they are v 1 n 2 q 5 Philosophers stone v 1 n 3 q 9 Polygamy whether lawful v 1 n 4 q 3 Perpetual motion why not invented v 1 n 7 q 5 Paradice where was it v 1 n 8 q 1 Philosophical or Moral Sin be a humane c. v 1 n 12 q 8 Publick or Private Courtship is the best v 1 n 13 q 3 Persons Marrying too â—oung v 1 n 13 q 5 Praying for Husbands whether a Duty v 1 n 17 q 4 Platonick love v 1 n 18 q 9 Philosophers what Sect best v 1 n 20 q 7 Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance v 1 n 21 q 10 Phoenix why but one v 1 n 23 q 9 Patriarchs whether their lives was really lonâ— v 1 n 24 q 4 People before the Floud whether stronger c. v 1 n 24 q 5 Pigmies whether any such Creatures v 1 n 24 q 6 Pentatâ—uch whether written by Moses v 1 n 24 q 8 Philosophers ancient whether damn'd v 1 n 26 q 5 Parents forcing their Children to worship v 1 n 26 q 9 Pope Joan was there any such person v 1 n 28 q 10 Peterâ— second denial â—econciieâ—â— v 1 n 29 q 6 Paul's words Rom. 9.3 how understood v 1 n 29 q 8 People whether am â—ith Ere 's in their breast v 2 n 1 q 11 Philosopher his definiâ—â—on of the Soul v 2 n 2 q 7 Persons why two noâ— aliâ—e v 2 n 4 q 4 Punciiio the meaning of the word v 2 n 6 q 7 Prophet Elijah in 〈◊〉 by be already come v 2 n 10 q 3 Pride instanced in the Aldermans Daughter v 2 n 12 q 5 Poet and Poem which the best v 2 n 14 q 3 Popes Election the manner of it v 2 n 21 q 4 Pump why may it not be made to draw c. v 2 n 22 q 2 Parents unreconcil'd are they fit for the Sacrament v 2 n 24 q 16 Providence vindicated v 2 n 25 q 1 Pharaoh whether a proper name v 2 n 27 q 8 Papal Chair v 2 n 29 q 9 Paul's Conversion contradictions reconcil'd v 2 n 29 q 13 Pope is he Antichrist v 2 n 30 q 5 Polygamy if allowed whether better v 3 n 4 q 4 Pictures of former Lovers whether prudent to keep v 3 n 4 q 14 Papists why not banish'd the Nation v 3 n 6 q 5 Pamphlets reflecting on Mr. B v. 3. n. 10. q. 1. Parthenissa was it ever finish'd v. 3. n. 11. q. 10. Pride what is there in it that tends to happiness v. 3. n. 12. q. 10. Plagues from Heaven why don't they better people v. 3. n. 12. q. 11. Publick house what rules to observe v. 3. n. 15. q. 3. Psalms 't is said who feedeth the Ravens what meant by it v. 3. n. 18. q. 10. Popes name when begaâ— to be chang'd v. 3. n. 20. q. 8. Pilate's Lakè what description in History of it v. 3. n. 21. q. 1. Pilate what Countryman was he v. 3. n. 21. q. 2. Pride or Passion which the greatest sin v. 3. n. 21. q. 5. People that have â—ed hair the whitest skins v. 3. n. 24. q. 4. People that are crooked why good condition'd v. 3. n. 24. q. 5. Pardon beg'd before sin commit'd or after v. 3. n. 28. q. 5. Peter and Paul did they use notes v. 3. n. 29. q. 1. Prisons whether not necessary to be look'd into v. 4. n. 1. q. 2. Philosopher who was the first v. 4. n. 2. q. 10. Physical Difference is there in Thunder v. 4. n. 2. q. 11. Publick rejoycing Oct. 13. Limerick surrendr'd v. 4 n. 6. q. 2. Popes pretence a Triple Crown v. 4. n. 9. q. 11. Parliament members whether a regulation of 'em v. 4. n. 11. q. 2. Parliament men shou'd be the best of men v 4 n 11 q 3 Persons elect'd for Parliament how duely return'd v 4 n 11 q 4 Purchase Votes with money unfair dealing c. v 4 n 11 q 5 Parliament assembled whether not a Fountain c. v 4 n 11 q 6 Passion whether possibly subdu'd v 4 n 19 q 4 Picture of a Lady sitting upon the Grass v 4 n 22 q 8 Parrots and Magpits why talk and not other Birds v 4 n 23 q 7 Patent have you any for answering impertinent questions v 4 n 27 q 2 Propbane swearing v 4 n 29 q 8 Parish Officers how they should return the money v 4 n 29 q 9 Pastoral Poem your thoughts on 't v 5 n 1 q 5 Prayer extempore any example of it v 5 n 8 q 3 Paper and Bone found in the Street v 5 n 9 q 5 Poet one born so with notes on him v 5 n 11 q 1 Parrot in Sir William Temple's Memoirs v 5 n 12 q 1 Prudentials what that disease is v 5 n 13 q 4 ‖ PReface to the first Supplement giving an account of the design and use of it Perrault's Parallels of the Antient and Modern touching Eloquence
the Ground they needed not great Eyes which would be in danger of receiving Injury It is known that the Camelion among several remarkable Things which it hath in its Eyes can move them independently the one from the other so that he can look with the one on what is before him and with the other on what is behind to see with one what is above and with the other what is below c. Therefore he is a sloathful Animal which lives upon Trees or Shrubs where Flies are nourished which he can see coming what side soever they are Fishes have a Crystalline Humour almost Spherical because the Water in which they live causing in the Sun-beams a Refraction much greater than the Air they would see nothing in the Water if the Convexity of the Crystalline Humour caused not a Refraction in the Light great enough to reunite these Beams in the bottom of the Eye Mr. Boyle is persuaded that those who might have Time and Means to examine after the same manner the Eyes of a greater number of Animals would without difficulty observe that they have them so disposed as that the Places wherein they keep and their manner of Living require it Besides this he makes a Remark upon the form of the Eye-ball of some Animals which serves to confirm his Thought which is That altho' Horses Oxen and divers other Creatures have a long Ball as well as Cats yet in the first it is placed transversely and extends from the right to the left Whereas in Cats it is situate perpendicularly A Friend of Mr. Boyles well skil'd in Opticks conjectured upon this Observation that the reason of this is That Horses and Oxen seeking their Food upon the Ground can thus receive more easily the Images of the Forage which presents it self to them from divers Parts in their transversal Ball As Cats living upon Mice and Rats which run along the Walls can more easily observe them by the perpendicular situation of their Balls than if it was otherwise disposed Thus this variety of Dispositions in the Eyes of Animals is far from giving us any disadvantageous Idea of him that hath produced them we cannot but admire his Power and Wisdom For it cannot be doubted but that a Mechanist who makes a great number of Machines is of a greater Capacity than another who could make but one sort There is even much likelihood according to Mr. Boyle considering Things but as a simple Philosopher that the Author of the Universe hath produced so great a variety of Animals but to let intelligent Creatures see his Power and his Wisdom Therefore doth Revelation teach us that this was one of the Designs of God in the Creation of the World as Mr. Boyle shews from p. 78. unto the end of the Section But before that he makes some Remarks upon that which is called Chance which deserves our Observation As to the corporeal World it 's easily believed that nothing falls out in it by Chance but all by the Rules of Motion when any free Intelligence comes in for a share But because we consider certain parts of the World as being particularly govern'd by the Divinity or at least by what others call Nature and as being destined to certain ends if it happens that by the Intervention of some other Causes which we foresee not the things in Question produce a contrary Effect to that which we believe they were destin'd we are accustom'd to say That this Effect is produced by Chance Thus Chance is nothing else but an Idea of our making and which only subsisteth in our Brains There is therefore no Reason to wonder why the Philosophers which lived before Aristotle have not put Chance among Natural Causes as we learn of Aristotle himself who justly reprehends them because of this pretended Omission Those who favour Epicurus are used to bring for Examples Things that are formed by Chance of certain Stones whose Structure is admirable as the Astroites But besides what we have said of Chance it s answered that Learned Men have of late maintain'd with likelihood enough That curious Stones of this Nature are really Animals petrify'd by some Moisture in which they have lain But by supposing that these sorts of Stones are formed in the Ground it might be said without advancing any Absurdity That there are Seminal Principles in some of the Fossils whose disposition is most composed not to mention that there is no Comparison betwixt this Disposition and that of Animals We ought in it not only to consider the solid parts but also the Liquors the Spirits the Digestions the Secretions the Regulations and Motions of the whole Body and tho' it were allowed that the Stones which we speak of are formed by Chance it could not be infer'd that Animals are thus formed for if a Smith shall give a certain Shape to a piece of Iron without thinking of it yet it cannot be concluded that this Smith can without thinking make a Clock III. The third Question is If it may be said that a Being destitute of Intelligence acteth for some end and in what Sense it may be said It 's said that a Being tends to certain ends in two Senses The one is when the Agent knoweth a certain end and that he acts purposely to arrive at it The other when the action of the near cause is directed to this end yet by an Intelligent Cause more distant It 's evident that we cannot say in the first of these Senses that any Cause destitute of Intelligence acteth in order to some end therefore it must be the second To which the Sentiment of Mr. Boyle has Relation which is That God having proposed to himself certain ends hath produced a World proper for the producing such ends For Example an able Mechanist who proposeth to himself to make a Mill to turn round and to raise Hammers to forge Iron by the means of Water he forms thereof an Idea which he afterwards executes and whose Execution produces the Effect he had proposed to himself Even so God having proposed to himself certain ends hath created the World so that he inevitably comes at it that way Mr. Boyle admonishes here That if he hath said any Thing by the bye against the common Opinion That all the Material World was made for Man he thinks only that this Question ought not to be decided after a too Dogmatick or Exclusive Manner Altho' the Reasons which are brought to shew that all the World and particularly the vast Extent in which the fixed Stars are placed was not made for Man alone yet it appeared to him more probable than those which favour the contrary Opinion notwithstanding he willingly granteth that among the ends which the Author of Nature proposed to himself in divers of his Works as Plants Animals Metals c. he had a Design to produce them for the use of Man and that this perhaps was his principal Design He hath even an inclination to believe
that there being a great many Things made for our use and which notwithstanding we do not know and that the Things whereof we actually make use may have other uses which are besides unknown to us Libertines have long since objected That if other Animals had been made for Man they would not come into the World in a better State than he Whereas there are several produced in a condition of defending themselves from the Injury of the Air and of seeking their livelihood without the help of another To these slight Advantages is opposed that of Reason which hath enabled Men to form Societies and to become Masters of all other Animals by their Policy This Reason evinces That Man is more excellent than the whole Globe of the World or an Extent of much greater Matter without Intelligence So that do but look upon the outside of Things with regard only to the littleness of the Body of Man deny that the Earth and some of the Coelestial Bodies were made for him because they are infinitely greater and because an Intelligence such as the Soul of Man is much more excellent than all these Bodies Mr. Boyle moreover draweth from this Consideration an important Consequence which is That tho' Man receives no use from some distant parts of his Body he can nevertheless receive a very great one in regard of the Intelligence which animates it which raiseth it self by the consideration of the more distant Objects to the knowledg of their Author and acknowledgeth in a thousand ways his Power and his Wisdom and also renders him the Homage that is due unto him Why should we not believe that among the ends of God in producing these vast Bodies which their excessive distance hath not robbed from our Sight he hath proposed to make himself known to the innumerable Intelligences which he hath covered with Human Bodies This is the most probable Inference that Men have ever made thereof as Mr. Boyle sheweth But if we will yet consider Man as covered with a Body we must take heed of committing a gross Fault whereinto we fall by Imagining That nothing can go under the notion of having been made for Man but that which all Men have always made use of we ought to look upon Man from his Origin upon this Earth until his Dissolution he changes Habitation as does a Family which in divers times makes use of divers things altho' none of his Members do immediately participate of these Uses Thus an Infinity of Things whence much Profit is drawn of late have notwithstanding been made for Man tho' he made no use of them some Ages before us We may see particularly Examples thereof in the Original IV. The fourth Question is to know With what Precaution Physicians ought to make use of the Supposition of Final Causes Thence two sorts of Consequences may be drawn the one relates to the Author of Nature as when from the constant use of a thing it is concluded that it was made for that So after having acknowledg'd the use of Eyes we ascend to the Creator by saying that in creating the Eyes he had a Design to make a Machine as proper to produce that which we call Vision The other Consequences conclude from the Supposition of certain ends That Bodies ought to be disposed after a certain manner because otherwise they would not be proper to produce the Effect for which they are created Mr. Boyle reduces what he has to say upon this Question to five Propositions upon which he makes divers Remarks which are briefly there as also some of the most considerable Reflections which are made upon them 1. As for Coelestial Bodies in general it is Folly to conclude any thing about their Nature from the Supposition that God hath produced them for the use of Man Those who say That the Earth being the Place which Man Inhabits and the Sun having been created to light this Earth it follows from thence That the Sun turns round the Earth and not the Earth about the Sun against the Rules we have related They suppose that the only end which God proposed to himself in creating the Sun is to light the Earth and tho' that was so their Consequence may be denyed As to what regards the fixt Stars whereof some are so distant that there is no use of the Telescope to discern them it is yet more rash to suppose that they were only produced for our Earth tho' we do not deny but that we may draw from them both Moral and and Physical Uses It would be also a meer Presumption to conclude from thence that they are disposed after such a certain manner because that would seem more commodious for the use of the pretended King of the Universe It is much more reasonable to think that God might have proposed Ends which we see not in the Symmetry of the World Can it be said that the Angels which are more excellent Beings than we are take no share therein and that God in creating it had no regard to them On the contrary it 's well known that several Divines have conjectured with Mr. Boyle That the Angels were created before the Material World that they might render God the Praises due to him for the Creation of the Universe It may be these Intelligences perceive at first sight in this part of the Heaven what we discover only with difficulty by the Telescope and in other Bodies which we know not a profound Wisdom and as admirable Ends as those which we observe in Bodies which are nearest and most known to us To descend from Heaven upon Earth tho' it is very rationally believed that God made for the use of Man Metals and Minerals being such Things as he can procure there would be no Reason to believe that that which is round the Center of the Earth more than fifteen hundred Leagues below our Feet is made for us and even only for that end There could never yet a thousand Steps be dugg into a strait Line nor is there any appearance that the Industry of Men shou'd ever find the means to peirce the Earth Diametrically for a Mile and without that they can neither see nor apply to their use what it hides in its Centre We may notwithstanding judge by the knowledg we have of some other parts of the World that what the Earth includeth in its Bulk may contribute something to the Order and Symmetry of its Vortex wherein it is placed It might also be said that there are divers Things in the World which were produced not for themselves or upon a Design of immediately receiving some Benefit but because they were necessary Subjects of what God had directly designed to create So God it may be is the remote cause of Eclypses but yet they are a necessary Series of the Motion of the Planets and he did not think but that this Motion should be changed to avoid Eclypses 2. It is permitted to a
the Church of Nazianze which before this last Division did not know what Schism was ought for the future to endeavour a perpetual Peace 5. That in the last Discord they were so strongly perswaded that the Bishop of Nazianze acted Sincerely and retained the Truth of Faith that he was reproached with nothing else but suffered himself to be surprized by equivocating words 6. That every thing obliges us to Peace God Angels and all Creatures which Concord holds together 7. That the Jews were happy whilst they were at Peace and unhappy as soon as they were divided 8. That notwithstanding Men ought not to seek after all sorts of Peace but to keep a Medium and that they were obliged vigorously to oppose Heresie when any one was seen to profess it publickly but that for mere Suspicions there should be no Schism When that which afflicteth us saith he is but a Suspicion and what is grounded upon nothing Patience is better than Precipitation and Condescension better than Furiousness It is much better to correct each other reciprocally like Members of one Body than to condemn our selves by a Separation before they mutually understand one another or to lose the Opinion the one had of the other by a Schism and then to undertake to correct others not like Brethren but Tyrants by Edicts and Laws Finally Gregory exhorts the Church of Nazianze to preserve the good Doctrin concerning the Holy Trinity which he expresses in these words We adore one Father one Son and one Holy Ghost in the Son we acknowledge the Father and in the Holy Ghost the Son Before we joyn them we distinguish them and before we distinguish them we joyn them We do not look upon these three things as one God for they are not things which are destitute of a distinct Existence or which have but one Existence just so our Riches are but in names of things and not in things themselves the other three things really are but one It is a thing not in Existence but in Divinity We adore one Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity It hath all but one Throne and one Glory It is above all the World beyond Time uncreated c. This Speech of Gregory as almost all his others is first without any great Order His thoughts are heaped upon one another just as they came into the Author's Head a Fault which is common to most of the Ancient Orators which makes him fall into unnecessary Repetitions Secondly His Arguments seem sometimes to be too far fetch'd and of little Consequence as when he saith the Universe subsists by Peace This Expression is too far sought for one might say quite contrary as some Philosophers That the Contrariety in which are all the parts of the Universe keeps the State they are in hindring one another to be otherwise In the third place his Style is very full of Figures uncorrect and sometimes hard and all this often causeth Obscurity Notwithstanding we must allow that he is full of fine Similitudes of strong and happy Expressions as are those whereof he makes use in that part where he condemns Schism which we before mentioned He is full of Ornaments drawn out of History or Pagan Fables and he speaks of the last in some places as the Philosophers do without openly rejecting it So in speaking of the Flames of Aetna he makes use of this Expression Whether it be something else or the Breathing of a punished Gyant In another place after he had spoken of the Torments of Tantalus Ixion and Tityus he adds Whether it be Truth or a Fable under a Fiction teacheth us a Truth We cannot yet doubt but Gregory did observe all these things as pure Fables but the Greek Philosophers which he had carefully read said the same One would think that the Custom of speaking like others had made Gregory say several things which he had in Pagan Books without Examination But he is far from the Clearness Exactness and Eloquence of Isocrates whom many say he took for a Model I thought it my Duty briefly to take notice here of what you may judge what was the Style of Gregory that I may not repeat it hereafter in speaking of his other Speeches I shall only take notice of some Examples of what I have said when occasion shall offer We must also observe here once for all that Gregory as to what concerns Philosophy followed that of the Platonicks of whom he borrows divers Terms which we cannot understand without knowing it So he saith That God is the most Excellent and the most elevate of all Beings we cannot but raise him above all Essence and place him above all Beings seeing he hath given Beings to other things For to understand the meaning of these Terms being above Essence we must know that the Platonicks did establish a Choice of Beings as they spoke to wit Series of Beings placed upon one another so that as they mounted this Chain they came to more excellent Beings and at last to Sovereign Trinity which is above all the Essences of these Beings that is to say which cannot have relation to any particular Species but which includes in it all their Essences and can produce them upon that reason This is what makes these Philosophers say That the Gods have Superessential Qualities Without knowing this Platonick Tenet we cannot comprehend what Gregory meaneth in the words which we have cited In the same Page he saith That the Angels draw their Principles from Light that they are enlightened by true Reason and that they are Rays of this perfect Light These terms are drawn from the bottom of Platonism as it might be easily shewn in Expounding them but that we should make too great a Digression It shall suffice to mark what the Philosophy of our Author was To return to the History the Arians being informed of the Division which had been at Nazianze drew some Advantage from it and laugh'd at the Orthodox This gave occasion to Gregory to make the Homily which is the Thirteenth of his Speeches where he sheweth the Arians that the Division of Nazianze being sprung but from a Misunderstanding and having lasted but a short time they unjustly insulted over this Church Moreover he sheweth the Advantage of the Orthodox above the Arians and Sabellians in comparing the Sentiments of these three Societies one with another Tho' the Passage is somewhat long it shall be put here because those who have not sufficiently studied these Matters shall better understand what was then the Sentiment of the Orthodox than they could by the Passage of the Twelfth Speech which hath been related Why love ye Vanity saith he unto them and seek for Lyes in giving he speaks to the Arians to the Divinity a Nature which is neither one â—or â—â—â—ple but three Natures disunited and separate and even contrary by the Proprieties which the one hath too much and which the others lack or in establishing