and deprives their Enemies of Courage and by consequence hears the Prayers of the Faithful without doing Miracles or Suspending the course of those Laws which he has establisht God governs these Laws with a profound Wisdom And as he keeps Second Causes in his hands that he may determine their Motions so he produces Scarcity or Abundance according as he thinks fit for the exercising of his Mercy and Justice In fine the chief Difficulty which results from both Systems is If Mr. Iurieu reproaches the Pajonists that they make God the Author of Sin they may return the same Objection against him with greater force Thus the Reader perceives his curiosity redoubled in this Work whilst he sees an able Man a little overcome and Mr. Iureiu in a danger worthy of himself He says then that according to these Gentlemen all the Events which happen in the world and by consequence Criminal Actions are the Effects of his first Impression Now God having created the World Innocent found an Innocent Chain of Second Causes it must necessarily follow that he breaks this Innocent Chain of Events For a Man can't break it without a Miracle which can't be attributed to him and if God breaks it he is evidently the Author of Sin On the contrary he maintains that by saying God concurs with particular Events he makes him more evidently the Author of Sin for in supposing an immediate Concurrence in every Action God who is the first Mover is by Consequence Cause of the Crime and much more if this Concurrence imposes a kind of necessity upon Mans Will which being not able to act of it self is compelled to follow the Motion which is impressed upon it Mr. Iurieu Answers that when God moves and makes a man to Act who commits a Sin he determins him to the Action but not to the wickedness of the Action The Motion is from God but the disorder which is observed in it comes from Man for instance when God determines my Arm to thrust a Sword in to a Mans Breast he is not a partaker of the Crime because this Action of Moving my Arm and Stabbing with a Sword is not morally an ill Action for it is innocent in a Battle or in ones just Defence but all the wickedness depends upon the malice of the Heart and the intention of him that Smites of which God is not the Author Nevertheless say these Gentlemen God who knows the malice of the heart does notwithstanding this knowledg lend his immediate Concurrence for the Execution of this Malice Now if God refus'd his Concurrence the ill Intention of the Man wou'd not proceed to its Effect but it seems by his immediate Concurrence he lends if we may so say his Arm towards the Commission of a Crime Thus is there not less danger to say that God having once given Motion to the whole Machine of the Universe he leaves it to accomplish Second Causes according to his Eternal Decrees and the General Order he hath Establish'd Else add they God lends not his immediate Concurrence only for an Exteriour Action by which a Man lifts his Arm but also according to Mr. Jurieu for the inward Action of the Will Now as a Crime resides in the Will which cou'd not be determined without an immediate Operation of God it follows that God is the Author of the Criminal motion of the Will for Example To hate God its difficult to comprehend how God can Act as to the Substance of the Action and lend his immediate Concurrence for the Motion by which Man lifts himself up against God without partaking a great deal of the Evil which is inseparable from the Action To remove this difficulty Mr. Iurieu says that in the hatred of God there are two things one is the motion of the Hatred the other is the determination of this motion on Gods Side Now the motion of Hatred is not ill in it self for one may very justly hate certain things and God may concur thereto very justly But the determination of this motion upon Gods part is a Moral Evil and a Moral Evil is not an Entity but a Privation of being with which God does not concur because he does not concur to a Nonentity God does well determin the Will to a Real and Positive Action that is to say to Good but he determines it not to Nothingness that is to say Evil or Sin It is true that God by General Laws is obliged to make use of Nature in things themselves which are contrary to his Will Thus he moves a Person who is advanced in Sin according to the desires of a corrupted Mind and he makes him sensible of debauched Pleasures in the abuse of Creatures to follow the Laws of the Union of the Soul and Body which he himself hath estalished because the sensation of Pleasure is a Physical Good and not ill in it self and for God to will and do good as the occasional cause of this Pleasure wou'd be a Criminal abuse of the Creature but God wills not that which is Criminal in it and is not the Cause of Moral Impurity He Illustrates this by the example of a Stone which being thrown towards Heaven instead of following the Impression of the Motion which the Hand gave it it stops its course and falls back again upon the Earth Because 't is carryed on by its natural Heaviness Thus God lifts up the Will to make it produce an Act of Love Doubtless if it followed the motion which was imprest upon it it wou'd be carry'd towards its Good but the Will corruptly determining this Love which is Imprinted upon it by the first Cause causes it to fall upon a Criminal Object In the Second part Mr. Iurieu refutes the Opinion of Mr. Pajon upon the manner how Grace works upon the Will Mr. Pajon after having laid down as a Principle that God lends not his concurrence to particular Events and that the Will is subject to the first Impression which we have spoken of conceived a certain meeting together and a certain management of external Circumstances which joyned with the Word do according to him make all the Efficacy of Grace These principal Circumstances are the Disposition of the Organs the Temperament Education Age which often repair what the Passions of Youth have spoild Poverty which makes People sooner hearken to the Exhortations of Repentance whereas Prosperity blinds 'em with Security and Pride and Deliverances which confirm the Faith whereas Adversity weakens our Affiance in God Now Providence presides over all these Circumstances so that being assembled together they necessarily produce their Effects the Conversion of Souls Mr. Iurieu reduces this Opinion to Ten Propositions which he engages Successively We shan't undertake to follow him throughout we shall content our selves to examin three of 'em which will suffice to give a thorow knowledg of Mr. Pajons Syâ—tem and the manner how he is attackt in this Work One is that ye will always follows 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
for the second and it is that which occasioned Mr. Iurieu to add to this Work the Additions which are to be marked We shall not speak of them that are insensibly spread all over the Book but stick to such as form a new entire and well distinguished Member The first of these Additions is in the Preface and serves for an Answer to two complaints the one treats on the fear that new Converts may entertain in their state of Hypocrisie in hopes of a great Reformation in a little time the other is of what the Author has said of the reign of a thousand years he answers to the first of these complaints and proves too much because he proves that God never promised the deliverance of the Church and that Ieremiah never reveal'd to the Jews the near Destruction of Ierusalem which God revealed to him he adds that God thought it convenient to keep the Knowledge of certain Prophecies from Men to the end that they might not shun them but that at other times he thinks it convenient that we may be aiding in procuring the Effect and Execution he says that as it would be the sign of the last Judgment to drink of stinking and impoison'd Waters in hopes that they might be purified in two or three years so it would be a disorder both of Mind and Heart that would be very strange to stick to the Communion of the Church of Rome in hopes that in some years it might be purified As for the other point he admires that some have made a noise against the reign of a thousand years and declares that he will patiently wait for it altho' some have threatned to complain of it and he is not ashamed in this to be of the opinion of Cocceius The second Addition contains the eight first Chapters of this Work and serves for Explication to the first nine of the Apocalypse so that there is nothing of Prophecy in the Revelations of St. Iohn which is not explain'd by Mr. Iurieu he has judged that in shewing the compleat systeme of all the eveâ—ts spoke of in the first book it would dart a great light upon each of the Visions He refutes them that believe that the seven Epistles of St. Iohn to the seven Principal Churches of Asia are Prophetick and his opinion is that the opening of the great Theatre of the Visions of St. Iohn was but at the fourth Chap. of the Apocalypse He finds that it begins like that of the Prophet Ezekiel and he stops chiefly at the four beasts and at the twenty four ancients that are about the Throne of God After this he gives us an Observation which is called the Key of the Apocalypse This whole Book is but a Paraphrase upon what Daniel says in the seventh Chapter of his Revelations about the four Beasts he explains the systeme of the seven Seals and the seven Trumpets in great and small and always by very ingenious and happy Suppositions and all that relates to the destiny of the Roman Empire to the day of Judgment What follows and what has been explain'd in the first Edition relates to the Church and the Antichristian Empire which was formed in the bowels of the Church The third Addition comprehends the 14 15 and 16 Chapters and applies to the Empire of the Papists the second Chapter of the second to the Thessalonians and the Visions of the 13 th and 17. Chapter of the Apocalypse The fourth Addition is very curious and of importance to the Author it is contained in the 15. Chapter of the second Tome and answers to a remark made by a great many people that things are spoken of here with great assurance which ought not to have been proposed but as conjectures he says that it will be known some day what made him speak after so decisive a manner and with such confidence but in the mean time he would be willing that three things were considered First That he does not speak of the most part of events that are to happen yet with so much Assurance as is thought The Second That whereas he has declared in proper terms that he consents willingly that that may pass with the Readers as conjectures It is reasonable that he may have the liberty of believing what he sees or what he thinks he sees in the Prophets writings The Third That before we censure him of rashness upon what he so confidently believes that we are at the end of the 1260 years of the Reign of Antichrist his principles are to be considered and examined together but because the Readers may chuse whether they will take notice of this last remonstrance when there is any pains to be taken in finding out the connexion of divers Principles that are here and there in that great Volume the Author eases them by summing up his Principles and their Consequences and after he has shewed their connexion he concludes that it is impossible that false conjectures should meet always and that chance should unite one or two hundred upon the same Subject Whatever strength of Reason is in the Explication of these matters Philosophers will not find what they will look for but if they stop at the fifth Addition they will find that Mr. Iurieu has laboured for them as well as for others that he has reserved for them the Conclusion of his work as a relishing piece and the highest point of Meditation The Title of this Appendix is An Essay of Mystical Divinity where are seen proofs of the greatest mysteries of Religion drawn from Nature This maxim is first settled that God applies his Essence to all Beings and that from this Application comes an Impression that makes the Divinity and all its Mysteries appear every where After that he declares that this Truth may be ascertained by three Examples that will shew that the Union of the Father with the Word the adorable Trinity of the Persons in the Unity of Essence and the Incarnation of the Word are three Mysteries whereof the Impressions were stamp'd in Nature To shew this the Author begins to consider the History of the Creation and after having said in general that these three Mysteries are found there he examines in particular Adams Marriage as the Image of the Union of the Father with the Son shewing several fine Relations of these two matters then he raises himself to the higher Worlds and he finds there the same marks that he found below for he finds that the Union of Matter and Motion is a kind of Marriage which resembles much that of Adam and the same resemblance appears yet more in the Union of the Spirit of God with what is called Nature and in the Union of Jesus Christ with the Church See then four Impressions of the Union of the Eternal Father with the Son one in the Marriage of Adam and Eve one in the Union of Matter and Motion and in what regards the sensible World considered in its self one in the
Reader is not at all a loser in the Exchange either in the Number or Quality of Books for as they may be assured we had no interest in expunging some and putting in others which we cou'd yet wish had been more so we shou'd hardly put in worse than those we took out having perhaps as much Iudgment in Books as the first Single Collector and our Bookseller But to do our Bookseller Iustice in this affair we shall acquaint the World that he very readily offer'd to add â—en Sheets more than the Proposals for the same Money to wit 130 instead of 120 and this after he had receiv'd a deal of Subscription-Money because he wou'd have the Work Compleat and Perfect and lay more than a Common Obligation upon his Subscribers perhaps there has not been another such an Instance to be found amongst those of his Calling Our Bookseller has been extreamly harass'd about a Speedy Publication which above all Men he has least deserv'd for there 's no body more diligent in his Employ than himself as every body of his Acquaintance will acknowledge There were Six Presses at work Mr. Rush-worth's Collections were in the Press at the same time and there were Six Weeks Frost which hindred the Printers therefore no Reasonable Person can suppose our Bookseller careless in the Affair or responsible for things out of his Power We have also to Advertise that the Author of the Hebrew Punctuation has retir'd into the Countrey where his necessary business will take up a great part of his time yet whatever Letters Objections c. shall be sent to him about his Performance if they be directed to our Bookseller they will come to his hands and he will notwithstanding his business set apart so much time as to maintain what he has advanc'd and to Answer all Objections whatever The Reader is to expect one other Inconvenience which was almost impossible to be avoided in having to do with six Presses the Abstracts are not exactly placed Dupin's Works being divided one Volume in one place and another in another but the Table will rectifie that Error only in one place the Printer has through a Mistake broken off in the midst of Bishop Ushers Works p. 37. and began another Subject and what shou'd have follow'd is transferred to page 65. which the Reader is desir'd to Correct and make a note of Reference with his Pen. And also instead of The the Direction word in page 316 should be Apostolici He that translated above an hundred of these Sheets is a Frenchman a Stranger to us and tho' we have revis'd all we cou'd not possibly give the Style a new Air and turn unless we had wholly alter'd it which wou'd have been so much labour that we had better to have translated all over again However this we can say for the Translation that its greatest Fault is that it keeps too nâ—ar the Original which the severest searcher after Truth will not be sorry to find for there 's less Error in such a Translation than in one where an affected profuse Liberty is assumed And after all we can't promise that in this hasty Review we have been rigid enough in our Examination only we hope there 's nothing very Material and if so a few small defects may easily be pardon'd by the Ingenious when they reflect of what great Vse this YOUNG STUDENTS LIBRARY will be to the World of which we shall now speak a word or two This Book is a kind of a Common Theatre where every person may Act or take such Part as pleases him best and what he does not like he may pass over assuring himself that every ones Iudgment not being like his another may choose what he mislikes and so every one may be pleas'd in their Turns A Book of this Nature provided every one follows the Rule just now laid down will solve the Common Complaint of Authors viz. that it 's impossible to please every Body for there 's scarce any one that can't find some Subjects here very agreeable to his Iudgment which if it alters may be refurnisht either by something new or perhaps by the very same things that displeas'd before Only here 's one Inconvenience depends upon this Variety to wit The unsetling people in their Iudgments and Perswasions To such we answer That what we here offer to the VVorld is rather a History of Books than a Method for people to fix their Iudgments by Here are several Subjects and some such as are diversely treated of but this hinders not the profit of the Reader since 't is universally granted that Diversity and Opposition shew the way to Truth It wou'd be an endless Task to Comment upon every good Thing that we find abstracted to our Hand or to expect that we shou'd censure what we find disagreeable to our Iudgments 't is enough to expunge such things in Divinity where Fundamentals are attaque'd by Libeâ—tines or Atheists we think we ought not to do it in any other Sciences let 'em all find out â—ruth after their own manner which when the Reader has fully consider'd he may by their Errors avoid Falsehood and raise one new Model out of their best Materials These Treatises are not only pleasant as to their Variety but useful for their Brevity there being the Substance and Value of a Considerable Part of a good Library brought within the Compass of this one Volume which as it will spare much Labour a man being able to peruse here more of an Author in half an hour than in half a day in the Author himself so it will save a great deal of Expences to such as wou'd be Master of the Knowledge of many Books by laying out a little Mony the performances of the Author and Quality if known being here Epitomiz'd and such as wou'd see more than oâ—â— Abstract may by the Title be directed where to buy the Author himself That there can be no Convenience without its Inconvenience we are satisfi'd and it may be alledg'd that Compendia sunt Dispendia but that this is an Error we dare appeal to the Encouragements that the Journal des Scavans the Republique des Lettres and the Universelle Bibliotheque c. out of which these Abstracts are Translated have met with from all the Men of Letters beyond Sea So that it must first be shewed that what has been so universally approved by the Ingenious in other Nations shou'd not also meet with the same Success here amongst us when Translated into English which to doubt wou'd be to question the Capacity Spirit and penetrating Genius of our Nation In fine We hope the Iudicious Reader will also pardon the Errataâ—s of the Press and with his own Pen Correct such Faults as may happen that way we having only had leisure to revise what went in not what comes out of the Press tho' we hope there 's nothing of an Error has escaped that 's very Material Directions to the Bookbinder
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
rational Person amongst 'em give in their answers to this question suppose this Sacred Wriâ— should be the Word of God What Testimonies Authorities Qualifications c. would be sufficient to fix an undoubted perswasion in you that it is the Word of God Certain we are that the answer would not come up to half the demonstration that we now have since we have the utmost Authority that Nature is capable to give nay the ordinary course of Nature very often inverted to confound the infidelity of such persons as question'd their own natural conclusions and the Author of Nature at once as if 't were his business to condescend and make new terms with his Creatures to keep his credit amongst ' em We cou'd if the shortness we have design'd this Discourse wou'd permit enlarge upon this Subject but 't is so well done to our hands by several late learned Divines that our Deists have nothing to object but a little Buffoonery Banter and Ridicule and 't is pitty to deny 'em the happiness they take in it or any other short liv'd Pleasure which must necessarily arise from their Principles which if it be not exactly the same with Post mortem nihil est ipsaque mors nihil Death it self is nothing and after death there 's nothing Yet 't is near akin to it for tho' they have not that Stoical Bravery to defie Death I wou'd say to dare to think of it like Men yet most of them have imbib'd Descartes's Principles unwillingly assur'd of the Existence of their Soul or some unknown Agent which works upon their Animal Spirits after some unintelligible dark manner and that it does not come under the common Notion of other Material Substances they are also certain that the Body rather depends upon it than it upon the Body to a demonstration and what is yet more disagreeable to 'em when they dare be guilty of thinking is that as an after State of the Soul has been the Universally receiv'd Opinion even amongst such as were unacquainted with no better Demonstration than the Dictates of their natural Light So they can't find out any Reasons against it so plausible as to escape their own Ridicule if offer'd by any body else and if there be any thing of an after-State to make an Eternal unknown Plunge into it must certainly be surprizing to such Persons as have no hope beyond this Life no proper claim to another but what their own Doubts and Fears may give 'em a Title to Mens habet attonitus furdo verbere caedit Fears not to be stifled since they arise from a Principle that depends not upon the Will no more than a Man's Shape or Species does But to leave this unhappy Subject and if possible to perswade a Retreat to some of that numerous Crowd that are about to list themselves into this unthinking Fraternity I wou'd propose Learning and Study to 'em and amongst all others that of the BIBLE Since it shews the most certain and secure way for such as expect a greater Happiness than is in sensible Objects A Happiness worthy the Dignity and Nature of Mankind in short such a Happiness as Man was Created for unless he himself frustrate his own End I have already made a short Comparison of the Sacred Writ with other moral Writings which appear but mean in respect of it Not that I wou'd deny a due value to others especially Divinity Books as Comments upon the Bible and distinct Treatises whose Subject in general is to remove all Obstructions of human Happiness as Prejudices Error c. and to prepare the Mind for a search after Truth In order to this great End it will not be amiss to subjoyn this following Catalogue which will be of great use to such as love this Study DIVINITY POol's Synopsis Criticorum and his other Works Dr. Hammond on the New Testament with all his other Works H. Grotius 's Commentary on the Old and New Testament and the rest of his Works Eusebius his Ecclesiastical History T. vet Biblia Sacra sive lib. Canonici priscae Judaeorum Ecclesiae a Deo traditi Latini recens ex Hebraeo facti brevibusque Scholiis illustrati ab Im. Tremelio Fr. Iunio Accesserunt libri qui vulgo dicuntur Apocr lat reddâ—ti notis quibusdam aucti a Fr. Iunio multi omnes quam ante emendata Ed. aucti locis innumeris quibus etiam Adjunximus N. T. lib. ex Sermone Syro ab eodem Trimel ex Graeco a T. Beza in lat vers notisque itidem illustratus Bp. Andrews Sermons c. The Works of the whole Duty of Man Dr. Hookers Ecclesiastical Policy Dr. Comber upon Liturgies Bishop Burnets Works Bish. Stillingfleets Works All the Fathers as St. Ambrose c. Mr. Leigh's Critica Sacra Dr. Lightfoots works Dr. Preston's works Riveti Controversia de Religione contra Papistas The History of the General Councils Dr. Sherlocks works Dr. Jeremy Taylors works Bishop Ushers works Jurieu's Accomplishment of Prophesies Dr. Barrows works Dupins Bibliotheque Altings works Episcopius his works Bishop Bramhalls works in four Tomes fol. Hales Remains in fol. Bishop Halls Contemplations upon the Remarkable Passages in the Life of the Holy Iesus fol. Latin Books in Divinity Bail summa Conciliorum omnium ordinata aucta illustrata ex Merlini Joveri Baronii Binnii Coriolani Sirmondi aliorumque Collectionibus ac Manuscriptis aliquot seu Collegium Synodicum in sex Classes distributum c. in fol. Beveregius Guil. Synodicon sive Pandectae Canonum S. S. Apostolorum Conciliorum ab Ecclesia Greca receptorum necnon Canonicarum S. S. Patrum Epistolarum una cum Scholiis antiquorum singulis eorum annexis scriptis aliis huc spectantibus c. Oxonii in fol. Bonacinae Martini Opera omnia in tres Tomos distributa c. fol. Lugd. Coccei Johannis Opera omnia octo voluminibus comprehensa c. Amstelodami in fol. Cassidori magni Aurelii Opera omnia in duos Tomos distributa c. Rothomagi fol. Grotii Hugonis Opera omnia Theologica in tres Tomos sed quatuor Volumina divisa c. Amstel fol. Haunaldi Christop Theologiae speculativae scholasticis Praelectionibus Exercitiis accommodatae Libri quatuor partibus summae divi Thomae respondentes c. Ingolst adii fol. Vossii Ger. Ioh. de Theologia Gentili Phisiologiâ Christianâ sive de Origine progressu Idololatriae deque naturae mirandis quibus homo adducitur ad Deum in fol. Bocharti Sam. Geographica Sacra c. in quart Cotelerius Ecclesiae Grecae monumenta c. in quart Kabbala denudata seu Doctrinae Hebraeorum transcendentalis c. 410. Sulsbach History HISTORY has been call'd by a great Man Speculum Mundi The Looking-Glass of the World It gives the best prospect into Humane Affairs and makes us familiar with the remotest Regions by this we safely sit in our Closets and view the horrid Devastations of Countreys Tumults Changes and Ruptures of
Common-Wealths The Reverse of Fortunes the Religions Politicks and Governments of Foreign Nations by this we may consult what practices have Establish'd Kingdoms what Laws have render'd any particular Nation more Safe happy and Civiliz'd than its Neighbours and what has Contributed to the Weakness and Overthrow of Bodies-Politick and what has Facilitated its Rise and Settlement and in a Prospect of the whole a New Scheme may be drawn for future Ages to act by Longum iter per praecepta breve Essicax per exempla Wisdom got by Experience is usually very Expensive Tedious and Uncertain Several Experiences confirm ones Knowledge and a Man's Life is too little to make many in every Case But if he finds e'm faithfully done to his hands the labour is sav'd and he may grow wise at the expence of other Mens Studies It was Thales that said of History Nil Mortem à vita differre because the Life of the Deceased depends upon the remembrance of the Living Mr. Brathwait in his Nursery for Gentry says Wou'd you be enabled for Company no better Medium than Knowledge in History It wou'd be a dispraise to advance an Elogy upon this Study which reconciles all times but futurity renders all the spatious Globe of the Inhabited World common and familiar to a Man that never Travelled We may see all Asia Africa and America in England all the Confederate Countreys in ones Closet Encompass the World with Drake make New Discoveries with Columbus Visit the Grand Seignior in the Seraglio Converse with Seneca and Cato Consult with Alexander Caesar and Pompey In a word whatever Humanity has done that 's Noble Great and Surprizing either by Action or Suffering may by us be done over again in the Theory and if we have Souls capable of Transcribing the bravest Copies we may meet Instances worth our Emulation History is as by some called the World's Recorder and according to my Lord Montague we must confess That no wise Man can be an Experienc'd Statist that was not frequent in History Another tells us That to be acquainted with History purchases more wisdom than the Strictest Rules of Policy for that the first do furnish us with Instances as well as Rules and as it were personates the Rule drawing out more into full proportion History best suits the Solidest Heads Whence we find that Caesar made it his Comment We read that King Alphonsus by Reading Livy and Ferdinand of Sicily by Reading Quintus Curtius recovered their Health when all the Physical Doses they took prov'd ineffectual but whether 't is Friendly to the Body or not 't is not our business to determine Sure we are that 't is Friendly to the Mind cultivates and informs it in what is very agreeable to its Nature we mean Knowledge therein imitating its Divine Original History is the most admirable foundation for Politicks by this may be discovered all that 's necessary for a Kingdoms Safety and Peace the Stratagems of War an account of the Management of the deepest Plots and Contrivances and the carrying on such Measures for every Publick Affair whether in respect to Enemies or Allies as the deepest Heads have ever yet practis'd And as History is so useful to such as are intrusted with the Charge of Common-wealths so 't is not less necessary for the Settling and Establishment of the Christian Religion We find a Great part of the World Worship Inanimate Beings others Sacrifice to Devils others propagate a Worship made up of the most ridiculous Fables as the Turks c. and many that profess the Christian Religion are so far degenerated from the Native Simplicity and Purity of it as that 't is now another thing A Reasonable Creature born into the World and finding in himself a Principle of Adoration of some Vnknown Being can't forbear an Enquiry into Religion but when he finds so many Religions so great a Diversity of Divine Worship and every Party willing to believe themselves in the Right and condemning all the rest of Mankind that are not of their Opinion This is enough to surprize such a Person but at the same time he will make this necessary Consequence after a little thought and application of Mind Certain I am that there 's a God and as certain that this God ought to be Worshipped after such a manner as is most Suitable to his Nature and the quality of the Worshipper as to his Nature it 's too fine and Spiritual to be pleas'd with any Adoration but what is Spiritual and as for Man the Creature that is to pay this Homage and Adoration he is a Reasonable Being and therefore it 's also Necessary that the Worship he pays be the most reasonable and perfect that his Nature will admit of Now a Man needs not go out of himself to consult what Reason is he has no more to do than to see what Religion is most agreeable to his Reason and most worthy the Dignity of his Nature we speak here of unprejudic'd persons And then History will inform him what has been practis'd and shew him that Christianity is the most noble sincere and pure Religion in the World but in this we refer you to what we have already spoken upon the foregoing Subject of Divinity There only remains to inform our Reader That 't is not onely Books but Maps Monuments Bass-Reliefs Medals and all Antient Descriptions that mightily strengthen and confirm History therefore 't wou'd be very useful to read such Authors as have treated upon Medals c. In our Catalogue of Miscellanies especially the Iournal des Scavans there are several of them The following Catalogue will be of great use in this Study HISTORY CHardin's Voyages into Persia fol. Embassie of the Five Jesuits into Siam fol. Chaumont's Embassie into Siam fol. Cornellis's Historical and Geographical Memoirs of Morea Negrepont and the Maritime places unto Thessalonica Dapper's Description of Africk in fol. Tavernier 's Travels in fol. Leti Historia Genevrina in 5 Volumes in Twelves Mr. Amelot's History of the Government of Venice Ortelius Mercator Cambden's Britannia Caesar's Commentaries Philo-Judaeus Cornelius Tacitus fol. Daniel's History of England fol. Lord Bacon of Henry the 7 th History of the Roman Empire Livies History Elzevir's Edition with Notes Supplementum Livianum Johannis Florus in Usum Dephini Valerius Maximus Utropius Suetonius Tranquillus Justinus Historicus Thucidides Translated out of Greek by Hobbs Zenophon Herodotus Diodorus Siculus in fol. Sir William Temple's Memoirs Dagoraeus VVhear his Method of Reading Histories Burnet's History of the Reformation Bishop Abbot's brief Description of the World in Twelves Davilla's History of the Civil Wars of France fol. Guichardin's History of Italy fol. History of Ireland Amour's Historical Account of the Roman State c. fol. Blome's Britannia Baker's Chronicles of the Kings of England fol. Bacon's Resuscitatio fol. Caesar's Commentaries fol. Heylin's Cosmography fol. Herbert's Life and Reign of King Henry the Eighth fol. Howel's Institution of General History fol.
it gives so lively a Prospect of all those Virtues and Qualifications that Christianity sets in a clearer Light That 't is a fair Prodromus to Christianity and prepares the Mind to receive it as St. Iohn the Baptist did the believing Iews to Receive Christ. The Morals of Seneca say qui poenitet peccâsse penè est innocens he that repents of having done an ill thing is not guilty of it And thus the Sacred Oracles he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find Mercy It wou'd be too tedious to bring all the Parallels we find betwixt the Morals of the Wise Heathens and the Precepts of Christianity 't is in part done in the following Pages whither we refer the Reader as also to this following Catalogue for his Improvement in Natural and Moral Philosophy PHILOSOPHY STanleys Lives of the Philosophers The Transactions o' th' Royal Society all the Vol. Observations of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris Experiments of the Academy de Cimento in Germany Sieur Leeuwenhoek's Treatis's Mays History of Animals Lock of Human Vnderstanding Boyls Treatises all of ' em Rays History of Plants My Lord Bacons Works Sr. Thomas Browns Works Sr. Kenelm Digby his Nature of Body's Dr. More 's Works of Cambridge Des Cartes Works all of ' em Copernicus Galilaeus Gassendus Perault Mr. Regis 's Philosophy Rohault Gadrois Godine Malbranch's Search after Truth in two Vol. His Metaphysicks Pliny's Natural History Aristotle de Animalibus Iournal de Scavans Republick of Letters Vniversal Bibliotheque Giornelli de Litterati LAW THis is a very fair Subject and those that cannot find some Encomium upon it are either very ingrateful or very stupid to be insensible of the Protection of their Persons Estates Liberties every day for if there was no Justice for the oppressed no Punishment for Murder Violence Theft c. no Person cou'd promise himself one days Freedom from such Evils If we shou'd go to the Original of Laws 't is very probable that People were civiliz'd and reduc'd from their Barbarity by little and little and made their Laws according to the Incommodities of their Crimes yet Vice being prolifick and restrain'd in a few Particulars wou'd still find out more ways of Action and exert it self in new Mischiefs till they were also provided against I know not what to attribute it to whether a common or an extraordinary Providence that some Countries have been happier than others under very irregular Laws for Instance Sparta had many strange Laws and some even contrary to good Manners as the Toleration of Adultery c. and yet none of its Neighbours flourisht like it for a very considerable time Perhaps the Reason was that being all made by one Man they had a sort of natural Dependance upon one another and one preserv'd the other like a piece of Building all contriv'd by one Person when as we see Streets and Towns which are the Projection of many Heads so irregular and independant as if they had been the Design of Chance or unreasonable Creatures However 't was we are certain that these Laws were generally very wisely contriv'd if we consider the Principles of Lycurgus the Legislator Now if natural Policy could make that Nation more happy than its Neighbours what may we expect from Christian Laws which besides their own Simplicity and Purity back'd by the Advantages which they have taken out of the Records of the Iewish State have also the Presidents of all Common-wealths out of which they may choose what has been most Advantagious and avoid what has been any ways pernicious and from altogether lay down an exact Model for themselves very just reasonable and by consequence Happy Now to give ones self up to this Study of Equity and distributive Justice as 't is very necessary for the Subject so 't is very honourable and profitable for the Undertaker How can we be ignorant of the Honour of the Law when we find God Almighty himself a Legislator the very first Instituter of Laws My Lord Cook in his Reports says that they viz. Reports Open the Windows of the Law shewing the Beauty of it in the great Reason it stands on breaking the Shell of difficult Cases so that the Kernel slips into ones hands Another Pleadings are the most honourable laudable and profitable things in the Law Perhaps the Antient Custom of the Athenians might be grounded upon this For they put their Young Gentlemen to prefer Cases in the behalf of the People or pleading for the Poor To be well Read in the Law is not only a very great Ornament to Gentlemen but also a very necessary Qualification since those that have Estates shou'd know how to defend and keep 'em left by unwariness and want of Knowledge in those Matters they ruine themselves and Families besides such Gentlemen may be great Helps to their poor Neighbours and Tenants by reconciling their Differences and helping to right the Innocent against the Oppressor But 't is not only Gentlemen but all Persons whatever that have any Concern in the World are oblig'd to know the Law at least in some measure in order to the Management of their Affairs as Contracts Bonds c. And this Obligation is proportionable to the weight of their Concerns and the nature of their Imploy Besides all this persons may possibly act so as to bring themselves under the Censure of the Law perhaps sometimes the severest for want of the little knowledge of it wherefore 't is very necessary for all young Persons to frequent the Sessions and the Bar for instruction whereby they may be able to defend themselves against their own Ignorance and the malice of others In short the use of Law can't be question'd by any Person who want not the use of his Reason Since without it we should only be proper company for Wolves and Bears I mean he that had the longest Sword wou'd command the shorter tho' even this same Tyranny that wou'd exalt a man above his fellow Creatures wou'd also set him in so slippery a place that envy wou'd certainly find him out and make him despicable by some means or other to the meanest wretch he cou'd trample upon whereas on the contrary Justice and Truth settle a State and make not only the Head but every particular Subject a happy Member of a peaceful Body Politick For this Study you may make choice of the following Catalogue COMMON and STATVTE LAW BOOKS Note that F. signifies French L. Latin and the rest are English ANdersons Reports 2 parts fol. F. Bracton fol. L. Blunts Law Dictionary fol. Boltons office of a Iustice fol. Bulstrods Reports fol. Browns Entrys compleat fol. Cooks Entrys fol. L. Comment upon Littleton fol. Crooks Reports 3 parts in fol. Daltons Office of Sheriffs fol. Dyers Reports with 2 Tables fol. L. Davenports Abridgment of Cooks Littleton oct Finches Law fol. L. Godolphin of Wills and Testaments quarto Abridgment of Eccles. Laws quarto Huttons Reports fol. Hesleys Reports
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
remain'd only to instruct us about the Divine Service that was therein perform'd to make us throughly know the principal Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion 'T is this also which Lightfoot in his Treatise of the Service of the Temple has done He begins with the different degrees of Holiness which the Jews attributed to divers places of Iudea and particularly to the different parts of the Temple which Holiness was so much the greater as they drew near the most Holy Place It was permitted to all manner of People to enter into the Court of the Gentiles but there were Pillars at the Entrance of the second Temple where was seen written in Hebrew Greek and Roman Characters That it was lawful to none but the Israelites to enter into this Interiour Circumference Thus the second Temple was more holy than the Court of the Gentiles but the Court of the Women was more holy than the second Temple in that it was permitted to those that were polluted so that their pollution remained only till night to enter into this last place they curst not enter into the Court of the Women The Court of Israel was yet more holy seeing Women never entred thereinto but when they went to offer some Sacrifice and that no person polluted with what pollution soever dared to set foot thereinto The Court of the Priests likewise went beyond that of Israel in Holiness seeing no Laick went ever thither but when he went with an Oblation It was an easie thing to discern a Laick from a Levite or from a Priest by the cloathing but polluted persons could not be known by any mark it was left to their own Consciences Nevertheless to strike awe into them they would say that they had four sorts of punishments to fear whereof the two former were immediately to be inflicted by Divine Vengeance and the two others depended upon Man They called the first Death by the Hand of Heaven that is to say of God and the second Chereth or Cutting off The Rabbins seem to distinguish these two sorts of punishment but 't is hard to know the difference they put betwixt them Tho' they said that it was God alone that did send these chastisements we must not think that as soon as some polluted person entred into a prohibited place and it came to mens knowledge he was solely left to the Wrath of God the Judges caused him to be whipt according to the nature of the Case or else the People without expecting their Sentence beat the polluted body so violently sometimes that he died and this it was which they called The Blows of the Rebellion These were the Precautions that were taken to keep the Temple from being polluted After this Lightfoot sheweth us what were the Orders of the Ministers that had the care of it He reduceth them to eight 1. The High Priest 2. The Sagan who was as his Vicar 3. The two Catholikin which were the Substitutes of the Sagan 4. The seven Immarkalin who were entrusted with the Keys of the Gates and Treasures 5. They had under them three Gizbarin or Treasurers 6. The Head of the Order of Priests that were upon service 7. The Heads of each Family that were found in this Order 8. Those that were only Priests The first five Orders formed a kind of perpetual Council who took care of what concerned the Temple There were besides these fifteen Memonin or Commissaries about divers things whereof a part changed every week with the Order of the Priests The Enumeration thereof may be seen in p. 679. Lightfoot after this treateth of the 5 first Charges which we have just mentioned and expoundeth exactly all their Functions as much as may be discovered in the Writings of the Jews that are amongst us He describeth even the Cloaths of the High Priests and giveth an exact List of them from Aaron to the destruction of the Temple We find in the following Chapter the Division of the Priests into 24 Classes the manner how they were examined before they were admitted into publick service and how the Classes divided the sacred Functions between them proportionably to the number of the Families whereof they were composed for they had not all an equal number After this we see the cares of those that were Levites only they were Porters and kept Guard in divers places of the Temple They were also Singers and Musicians and they only had the priviledges of entring into the Consort of Voices that was every day kept in the Temple As for the Musicians they received People of every Tribe provided theyâ— could play well and were allied to some Priestly Family The Consort of Voices was never of less than twelve Men but that number could be augmented as much as they pleased As to the Instruments there were Trumpets Flutes and three other Instruments that the Hebrews call Nebel Kinnor and Tseltsel which are hard to compare to any of our Modern Instruments because they are too Antient for our Inquisition Lightfoot proposes thereupon his Conjectures and tells us afterwards what Psalms were sung on divers Festivals and after what manner the Instruments were joyned to the Voices Upon the Subject of the Classes of the Levites Lightfoot informeth us also that there were 24 Classes of Israelites that were necessitated to go to the Temple each his week fearing lest there should be some time the Officiates only present at the Divine Service They kept themselves in the Court of Israel and represented the whole body of the People Our Author treateth after that of the Sacrifices and Oblations of the Jews whereof he expoundeth the different sorts and the Ceremonies that were observed in offering them But he applies himself particularly to describe the common Sacrifice of the morning and evening and all the parts of the Divine service wherewith it is accompanied They took care not only to observe the Ceremonies prescribed by the Law but to inspire more respect into the People it was prohibited to carry into the Temple any stick to enter therein with Shoes or Feet dusty to carry Money about one in a Purse Neither was it permitted to spit upon any place of the Holy Mountain if it was necessary to spit they were to do it in some corner of their cloathes saith Maimonides No body was to make any gesture that should in the least restifie the least irreverence as to walâ—â—thither too fast to pass through it purely to go into another place No body might sit in the Court of Israel saving the Princes of the House of David They would likewise have taken it for a mark of irreverence if any one uncovered his Head whilst he prayed to God and the Priests were so far from taking off their Tiaras that they covered themselves with a vail over that They imitated in that those that were in some great sorrow or that feared some fatal accident But the Apostles established in the Christian Churches a custom
Union of the Spirit of God with Nature and this belongs to the sensible World considered as united with the intellectual World and the last in the World purely intelligible or in the Union of Jesus Christ with the Church ascending higher even to the infinitely perfect Spirit we shall find not only the Impression but the Seal it self not a Copy or Image but the Original We shall find the Father united with the Eternal Wisdom upon which there are several remarks This is the first of the three Mysteries The second which is the Trinity of Persons was not imprinted in fewer Subjects and has not made fewer Copies of the Archetype and Original Seal We are shewn here the Impressions 1. In Spirits which are thinking and understanding Substances that is these Qualities are Essential to them and they have a Will which is their active principle 2. In the Light for we observe three things in it viz. a luminous Body Brightness and Heat 3. In Bodies for they have three Dimensions length depth and breadth all this is still clearer by three great parallels whereof the last is what was published in the Novels of Iuly 1685. the others may be judged of by this so we will not give an account which could not be well done without transcribing the whole As for the Mystery of the Incarnation Mr. Iurieu does not meet with many Impressions in the Creature he finds but one and that so strong that it is equivalent to many it is the union of the humane Soul with an organized Body the parallel he gives between the Incorporation of this Soul and the Incarnation of the Word is a very Collection of the resemblances that a great Wit can imagine between these two things A curious reflection upon the Reason Why God said let us make a man after our own likeness worthily shuts up these parallels When the Author published in the Journal of the Novels that of the Trinity and of the three Dimensions of Bodies he desired the learned to send in their Objections and that they might do it the more freely he does not name himself he thought he should receive many but whether it was that the Orthodox had rather acquiesce to the Reasons that favoured them than by examining them to expose their own opinion to doubt or whether they found the thoughts convincing or whether it was that the Hereticks had not wit enough to oppose these difficulties or did not understand the strength of this proof and therefore despised it or whether other reasons work't upon them both there was but one man that sent in Objections First He sent those that are in the Nouvelles of August 1685. and a little afterwards he sent some that were never printed M. Iurieu examines them here after one another and refutes them with his usual acuteness the Author of these Objections having understood by the Journal of September that no more wou'd be publisht upon this Subject but what was sent shou'd only be communicated to the Author of the Parallelle he writ again in Anonymy as before that tho' he saw nothing easier than to reply upon what was objected yet he would do nothing because of the Intentions which were published Now he will find the lists open and if the Glory of disputing against a famous Antagonist that has at last named himself does not tempt him there will be reason to believe that he has but little to reply against his strong Answers Ioh. Raius his second Tome of the History of Plants with a double Index the one of the Names and chief Synonyma's the other of the Qualities and Remedies To which is added a Botanick Nomenclatura English and Latin at London 1688. in Fol. p. 951. THE first Volume of this History of Plants may be seen at the beginning of the third Tome of this Bibliotheck It is needless to say more but that it is believed it may be profitable to the publick to communicate the Judgment of a Botanist upon this work who liveth above two hundred Leagues off London If they that write the History of Beasts meet with difficulties in reducing them to certain species or to different kinds The Botanists are as much troubled to put in order and to find common Characters to divers kinds of plants by which they may be placed under one kind At first there occur very general differences as when plants are divided into Trees Shrubs and Herbs as Animals are distinguished into four-footed Beasts Birds Fishes and Insects c. But each one of these kinds is too general because it comprehends under it an almost infinite number of Species altogether different Notwithstanding it 's impossible that they which will know in particular all Animals or Plants shou'd burden their memory with so great a number of Specieses There must be found a mean between these Extreams We must shun on one side Divisions too general and not multiply too much we must reduce several particular Specieses under subaltern kinds 'T is this that Mr. Raius undertakes in his new method of Plants and in his History Cesalpine who was Professour at Pisa in the last Age was of opinion that one may distinguish the subaltern kinds of plants by the differences that are between their Seeds their Husks or the little Shells that contain them Mr. Raius acknowledges that the different dispositions of the parts furnish these principal differences and maintains that the flowers and what environs them below which he calls Perianthium also furnish very essential differences upon divers occasions as well as the order of the leaves which are along the stalk and a figure of the root The Pease have a flower like a Butter-fly Florem papilionaceum tho' their Seeds and Covers differ very much The Order of the Leafs along the stalk essentially distinguish Plants which are called Verticillatae as Hore Hound and Penny-Royal c. These plants have betwixt distances a round button that encompasses the stalk and is composed of small flowers of little leaves This button is called Verticillum because it resembles the small buttons that are put at the bottom of Spindles to make them turn and which the Latins call Verticilla After the same manner are distinguished Plants that are called Asperifoliae or rough Leaves that differ from the Verticillatae in this that the Leaves which are along the Stalk do not altogether encompass it nor are all disposed in the same order The Roots differ amongst themselves in this that some are Fibrous and Thready the other are like buttons that is to say round and solid as Radishes The others are composed of divers Tunicles or Skins one over the other as Onions or disposed after the manner of Flower de luce We must then examine all these Plants that we may not confound them in the establishment of their kinds Those that have never applyed themselves to Botanicks cannot presently see what the use of this method is and may judge to be only a dalliance
capable of suffering by the Dilatation of their Pores may make it credible that the Small Egg entred the Covering of the Great one without Difficulty notwithstanding the little Disposition which its blunt Figure gave it for penetrating and that the Pin passed through the Body of the Hen without wounding her though its pointed Figure was very capable of doing it It appears that the insensible Motion of Things which are pushed by little and little produceth these two marvelous Effects It is seen that the Parts of the Plants although blunt such as the Points of Sparrow-grass penetrate the most hard Earth by the slow Strife they make and there are Persons who thrust sharp-pointed Pins up to the Head in their Arms and Legs without Pain because they are used to it by little and little It seems nevertheless That nature finds more safety to make blunt things pass which are capable only of dilating the Pores of Living Bodies than those which by their Figures are more sharp and this is seen by the Care it hath to make as it were a Case to the Point of a Pin which we speak of And we have moreover observed a like Providence in the Dissection of a Duck in whose Ventricle we have found a great Knot of Ribbons made of Thred and Gold-Lace which being a Weaving of small Bars of Metal capable of tearing the Skin of the Ventricle and Intestines each Bar was covered as with a little Leather which took the Roughness away yet we have further remarked in the Ventricle of an Ostrich That two coyned Pieces which it had swallowed seemed only to have been kept a long Time and were not covered with this Crust so much as in the very Places of their Cavity because perhaps these Pieces of Metal were not capable of hurting the Body their Figure there being some Reason to believe That things which hurt the Parts by their asperity make a Salt come out capable of causing the Coagulation of the Humour whence this Crust is produced Howbeit the Examples of Penetration which blunt Bodies may make and the Histories which we have of this Nature about Bodies swallowed and entred by Places where there is no apparent opening render this Thought probable That the little Part which was found harder about the Point than the Film of an Egg is ready to descend into the Channel called Oviductus might penetrate these Films being pushed on softly and insensibly An Extract of an English Iournal containing some very Curious Remarks made by Dr. Grew about the Structure and Vegetation of Plants THE First of these Remarks is That in Plants there are organick Parts somewhat like those of Animals so that according to him one may say they have Entrails a Heart a Liver c. 2. That all the Entrails are not of the same kind but that they contain divers Liquors and that the Concurrence of two Liquors particularly different is not less necessary for the Vegetation and Nourishment of Plants than for that of Animals 3. That the whole Body of a Plant in respect to its Structure is like a Piece of Lace in the same Form as it appears upon the Cusheon The Substance of the Liver and the Parts which are about it are like so many small Threds those which are neaâ— unto the Heart turn on both Sides and form divers little Bladders of the Barks like to small Threds that are turned and moved in making Lace and cause the little Holes which appear in it 4 That the Juice supplying the Place of Blood in Plants there is a continual Profusion made on 't and a Circulation very much like the Blood in Animals 5. That the Motion of the Air in Plants is not less necessary for their Vegetation than the Motion of the Juice that it enters into it by the Trunk and particularly by the Root from whence it is distributed into all the Parts of the Plant. 6. That the Juice is not always the same that it is at first like Oyl afterwards like Milk and that it is apparent from the grosest Parts of the Juice which are thus found the Matter of Rosin and Gum are produced upon the Body of Trees 7. That the Motion of the Juice ascends up to the Top of the Branches by the newest Fibres which compose the last Circle which is formed in the Body of the Tree and he pretends That there are so few of them in the oldest Fibres that it may be said they are rather filled with a kind of Vapour than a true Liquor Notwithstanding as this Vapour moistens the sides of these old Fibres yet it doth not nourish them and it is for this Reason that Onions and other such like Roots being only plac'd in a moist Air encrease and grow An Extract of a Letter written from Florence concerning a prodigious Fire in the Air. AN Hour after Sun-set there appear'd in the City of Florence in Tuscany so great a Brightness by the means of a prodigious Fire which run in the Air that it was thought by a new Miracle the Day would re-appear Every one spake as he thought of this new Prodigy and gave it a Name according to his Fancy Some affirm'd they had seen a Flying Dragon which vomited Flames and heard his Hissings others call'd it a Column a Beam or a great Club of Fire others gave it the Name of a Fatal Comet which foretold very great Misfortunes But intelligent Persons agreed that in the middle Regions of the Air there was seen at the beginning a little whitish Flame like unto a little Cloud which immediately darkned the Moon and which kindling still stronger became in a little time of a considerable greatness and thickness It 's Course lasted not long It first appeared under Arcturus thence running with a surprising Impetuosity against the Motion of the first Mobile and whistling after a frightful manner it came to the vertical Circle and travers'd the Zodiack under the Lines of the Lobsters and Gemini but coming at the right Shoulder of Orion it fell into a Cloud which was at the West as if it had been entirely quenched there was no more Fire nor Brightness seen but during the Space of eight Minutes a great noise was heard much stronger in some places than in others and which might pass for an Earthquake This Prodigy ought not to go for a new one in Italy for we find that in the same City of Florence in 1325. a Figure as it were a Spindle of Fire was seen to fly at Night in the Air which was very big In 1352. there was likewise seen in the Air after Sun-setting a great Mass of gathered Vapours which was accompanied with a noise as great as a Thunder-clap In 1353 and 54. there appeared two more The first as a great Serpent all in Fire about one of the Clock at Night and the other about six at Night like flying Fire Finally in 1557. there appeared in the Air a great Vapour kindled which was
Knowledg is still wanting what becomes of these Vapours when they are rais'd in the Air and from whence comes that Current which always appears at the entrance of the Straits of Gibralter but Mr. Halley sends us back once more to examine it only advertises the Reader that to make the Experiment which he hath spoken of he must make use of Water which hath been Salted to the same Degree that the common Sea Water is dissolving therein one fortieth part of Salt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SEU De Punctorum Origine Antiquitate Authoritate OR A DISCOURSE Concerning the ANTIQUITY DIVINE ORIGINAL AND AUTHORITY OF THE Points Uowels and Accents That are placed to the HEBREW BIBLE In TWO PARTS By a Member of the ATHENIAN SOCIETY Quod superest de Vocalium Accentuum Antiquitate eorum sententiae subscribo qui Linguam Hebraeam tamquam c. i. e. As for the Antiquity of the Vowels and Accents I am of their Opinion who maintain the Hebrew Language as the exact Pattern of all others to have been plainly written with them from the Beginning seeing that they who are otherwise minded do not only make Doubtful the Authority of the Scriptures but in my Iudgment wholly pluck it up by the Roots for without the Vowels and Notes of Distinction it hath nothing firm and certain Anton. Rodulph Cevallerius Rudimenta Hebraicae Linguae cap. 4. pag. 16. LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in the Poultrey MDCXCII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR A Discourse concerning the Antiquity and Original of the Points Vowels and Accents that are placed to the Hebrew Bible In Two Parts The FIRST PART WHEREIN The Opinions of Elias Levita Ludivicus Capellus Dr. Walton and Others for the Novelty of the Points are considered their Evidences for the same examined and the Improbability of their Conceit that the Masorites of Tiberias Pointed the Text is at large discovered from the Silence of the Iews about it their Testimonies against it the Unfitness of the Time Place and Persons of late assigned for the Invention of the Points from the Nature of the Masora and of the Masoretick Notes on the Verses Words Letters Points Vowels and Accents of the Old Testament Their Observations on all the Kinds of the Keri U Ketib the Words written Full or Defective the Ittur Sopherim the Tikkun Sopherim and the rest of the Parts of the Masora and from other Considerations The SECOND PART Containing the Principal Testimonies and Arguments of Iews and Christians for the Proof of the Antiquity Divine Original and Authority of the Points Vowels and Accents Wherein the chiefest Objections of Elias Capellus and Others are either Obviated or briefly Answered The Cause Occasion and Method of the ensuing Discourse is declared in the Prooemium or Introduction AMongst our Abstracts of Books that have a more particular Relation to Ecclesiasticks such as the various Editions of the Bible Iurieu's System of the Church c. we have thought fit to insert this our own following Collection which perhaps may more particularly treat of the Parts of the Masora than any Piece yet extant It will be of great Use to all Scholars that are design'd for the Study of the Original Tongues and will help to make good our Title-page The Young Students Library We have herein endeavoured to remove some Prejudices and reconcile the Differences of the Learned on this great and weighty Subject which is of no less Consequence than the receiving or rejecting the Bible it self We must not enlarge in Prefacing to any Work where the Works themselves are to be Absteacts but referr you to the Subject it self Advice to the Young Students of Divinity Recommending the Study of the Scriptures in their Original Languages together with the Writings and Commentaries of the Rabbins thereupon with Directions for the Knowledge thereof Men and Brethren YOur Work is the greatest as St. Paul saith Who is sufficient for these things Consider what Knowledge the Work you must account for at the last Tribunal doth most require and attend it Hoc age You are to have the Care of Souls and to your Trust are committed the Oracles of God Your great Concern therefore is to know the Mind of God as it is revealed in his Word that you may teach it others and defend it against all Opposers This is all you are entrusted with and shall be judged by to wit the Bible This Word or Mind of God is contained perfectly in the Hebrew Bible and Greek Testament only Translations are no further God's Word than they do express the sense thereof which in all places they cannot perfectly do without more words than are allowed to to be in a Translation These Sacred Originals are the Standard and Rule of our Life Worship and Doctrine and the Fate of all Translations depends on their Preservation If therefore the Teachers need not know nor be able to defend the Original none else need Then were the Translation of it needless and so the Scripture it self and thereby all Religion and Ministery to boot if any of these things are needful they are all so for they stand or fall together Now that we may know the Mind of God in his Word we must first know what the words themselves do signifie and properly and literally mean This we cannot do in many places without the help of the Rabbins or of those who have been taught by them which is much the same and that on several Accounts which renders their Work needful as Leusden in Philologus Hebraeo-mixtus pag. 115 c. and others do manifest As 1 st Because many words as to the Grammar and sense of them could not be known without the help of those Masters of the Hebrew Tongue as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioel 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioel 2.8 c. 2. There are many words but once used in Scripture especially in such a sence and are called the Apax legomena or ein lo chober bemikr◠which we cannot know the meaning of without their help and herein they are singular though they lament the loss they have been put to about them vid. Kimchi in his Preface on Miklol Also Kimchi in his Preface on Sepher Sherashim tells a Story how they knew not the meaning of that word a Besom in the Prophet's sweeping with the Beesom of Destruction till in Arabia a Rabbin heard a Woman say to her Daughter Take the Besom and sweep the House So Ioel 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sword To conclude There are very many such words but once used which as they cannot be known by the Bible alone so neither can the sence of the place be known wherein they are till they are first known and this is in many places 3. Many Phrases and divers ways of Speech are very dubious in the Old and New Testament which are well illustrated and explained by the Rabbins as Ioel 1.20 Ionah 1.5 Iudg. 12.7 Gen. 2.2 c. And
Schools at Tiberias A. D. 374. Resp. 1. And yet there might be none by A. D. 500. 2. And if there were Schools then yet no History saith they pointed the Bible Object 5. Jerom hired a Jew from Tiberias learned in the Tongue who died A. D. 400. Resp. 1. There might be a learned Jew there and yet no School there 2. There might be a School A. D. 400. and yet none A. D. 500. 3. Or if there were a School still they might not be in a condition to be able to Point the Bible Object 6. Iewish Histories are late fabulous and to be suspected Resp. Unless they are for Capellus But what 's this to the Point We say there 's no History takes any notice of these things and they are the Dreams of Elias and Capellus which we have no reason to embrace were the Jewish History worse than it is Object 7. Why was there no History of the Tiberian Masorites Reforming or Correcting the Punctation as well as of their being the Authors of it Resp. 1. There was more need to have the Authors who de novo Pointed all the Bible to be very well known and approved too before their Work was universally received than there was need of having those who did only Collate and Compare the Copies that were received to be so much known But Secondly There is notice taken of the Skill and Accuracy of the Masorites of Tiberias about the Correcting the Punctation though there be none about their being Authors of the Punctation as was observed from the Testimony of Aben Ezra and Others Object 8. 'T is not strange that the first Inventors of Noble Arts have been unknown as the Vse of the Load-stone the Mariners-Compass Bells Guns Printing the Greek Accents the Stops such as Comma Colon c. the New Greek and Latin Letters c.. Resp. 1 st Our Wonder is not barely That the Author of this Noble Work of the Punctation is unknown But our Wonder is That if they were known to be the Masorites of Tiberias A. D. 500. as Elias saith they were that all the World should receive it from them and yet no History give any Account of them And 2 dly If as Capellus fancieth it were 500 Years in composing 't is the more a Wonder that none of these Artists for Five hundred Years successively should be taken notice of and yet their Work universally received as they did compleat it gradatim 3 dly His Instances are not to our Point for our Reasons do principally shew who they were not rather than who they were And our Arguments tend to shew that whoever invented them whether the Authors were known or unknown 't is very unlikely that the Masorites of Tiberias A. D. 500. were the Authors 4 thly Men are more ready to receive a Gift in the dark than they are to Obey without knowing who Commands them and what is Commanded them The Arts instanced in are of real profit and advantage and who refuseth their Profit till they know the Author Nay many are so ungrateful as to forget their Master and would be thought to be the Authors of what they have learnt from Others But the Punctation renders the Scripture to be a Law a Rule of Obedience and all Men will know who commands them before they will obey and will see what 't is they are commanded too Object 9. Capellus saith The Vsefulness of it might introduce it Resp. Then were the Jews better than Capellus would have had them for he wants to be rid of it that he may have room for his Critical Amendments of the Text However it remains very improbable that it was Invented at the time and place assigned for it aâ— we have shewed which was the business of this Chapter CHAP. VIII The Improbability of the Persons to whom the Invention of the Points is assigned manifested from several Considerations First From the Nature and Principles of the Masorites of Tiberias the supposed Authors of them compared with the Nature of the Punctation it self THE Iewish Masorites are said to be the Authors of the Points But this we say is very improbable if not impossible to be which appears by comparing the Punctation it self with these Masorites The Punctation is certainly a most Divine and Excellent thing and what was far abovâ— the Wit of Man to make since Ezra's time Nothing less than the Infallible Influence of the same Spirit by which the Scriptures were first given forth being able to produce the certain sence of all the most obscure Prophecies and difficult places of Scripture as we shall manifest in the Second Part We are here only to enquire who and what kind of Men these Masorites were and how they could be thought meet or able for such a Work an Account hereof being already given to our hands by Dr. I. O. on the Integrity of the Hebrew c. pag. 240 241 242. And by Dr. Lightâ—oot in his Centuria Chorograph We need only collect in brief the Substance of them First Men they were if any such were saith Dr. I. O. who had not the Word of God committed to them in a peculiar manner as their Fore-Fathers had of old being no part of his Church or People but were only outwardly Possessors of the Letter without just Right or Title to it utterly uninterested in the Promise of the Communication of the Spirit which is the Great Charter of the Churches Preservation of Truth Isa. 59.21 Secondly Men so remote from a right understanding of the Word or Mind of God therein that they were desperately engaged to oppose his Truth in the Pooks which themselves enjoyed in all Matters of Importance unto the Glory of God from the beginning to the ending The Foundation of whose Religion was Infidelity and one of their chief Fundamentals an Opposition to the Gospel Thirdly Men under the special Curse of God and his Vengeance upon the account of the Blood of his dear Son Fourthly Men all their days feeding themselves with vain Fables and mischievous Devices against the Gospel labouring to set up a New Religion under the Name of the Old in despite of God Fifthly Men of a profound Ignorance in all manner of Learning and Knowledge but only what concerned their own Dunghil Traditions as appears in their Stories wherein they make Pirrhus King of Epirus help Nebuchadnezzar against Ierusalem with innumerable the like Fopperies Sixthly Men so addicted to such monstrous Figments as appears in their Talmuds as their Successors of after Ages are ashamed of and seek to palliate what they are able yea for the most part Idolaters and Magicians And to the same purpose Dr. Lightfoot in his Cent. Chorograph speaking of this Opinion That the Masorites pointed the Text saith I do not admire the Jews Impudence who found out that Fable I admire Christians Credulity who applaud it Recount I pray the Names of the Tiberians from the first Foundation of a University there to the Expiring thereof and
what do you find but a sort of Men being mad with or above the Pharisees bewitching and bewitched with Traditions Blind Crafty Raging Pardon me if I say Magical and Monstrous What Fools what Sots as to such a Divine Work Read over the Talmud of Ierusalem Consider how R. Iudah R. Chanina R. Chajia Bar Ba R. Iochanan R. Ionathan and the rest of the great Doctors among the Tiberians do behave themselves How seriously they do of nothing How childish they are in serious things How much Deceitfulness Froth Venom Smoak nothing in their Disputations c. If you can believe the Points of the Bible to proceed from such a School believe also all their Talmuds The Pointing of the Bible savours of the Work of the Holy Spirit not of Wicked Blind and Mad Men. Thus far Dr. Lightfoot This Account is full and sufficient at present we shall only consider the Exceptions to this Argument Object T is said They do not ascribe the Punctation to the Masorites but only suppose they placed the Shapes of the Points c according as they had received the true Sound of all the Punctation by Tradition Vse and Custom by which they might have been able to Point it truly Vid. Considerator Considered pag. 200 206 207 210 211 212. Resp. 1. We have briefly shewed already in our PROEMIVM that this was impossible to be done for multitudes of the Shapes are not distinguished by the Sounds at all 2. No memory of Man can once receive or take up so much as the very Anomalies of the Punctation How much less all the Pauses and the whole Punctation And how could all this be kept from Age to Age without Points when now we have Points no one is able to Point the Bible without a Copy The Rabbins acknowledge they have lost the knowledge of the sence and meaning of many words in the Bible in that time and how was it possible they could preserve the true Sound of every Point in the Bible when they had so lost their Tongue and the true Sence and Meaning of many words in it 2 dly We Answer them out of their own Objections For they say First The LXX and Chaldee Paraphrase read otherwise than we or the Masorites do read which they do not as to the Shape but the Sound of the Points c. and hence conclude the Points were not in their time Now we may better conclude from hence that the Sounds which the Masorites expressed by the Punctation were not in the time of the LXX or the Chaldee Paraphrase but since their time they are very greatly altered Again When Buxtorf says as to the Chaldee Paraphrase That that on the Law agrees well with our Punctation but those on the Prophets go off most from the present Punctation Capellus replyes The Reason of that might be because First They were more used to read the Law and it was written plainer but it was more difficult to understand and so rightly to sound the words of the Prophets being more dark Resp. But if the true Sound had been kept there had been no difference and yet we see the present Punctation does all alike true but if through such difficulty in the Prophets they had missed the right Pronunciation and lost it in many places by that time it was then impossible it should be preserved to the time of the Masorites so pure and entire as it is pretended In vain therefore is the Succession of their Learned Men alledged and that the Bible was constantly read by them For 't is known the Language had ceased to be vulgarly spoken or understood for a Thousand Years the LXX c. as themselves say had lost the Pronunciation long before The Learned Men of each Countrey differed from each other in the Sound of Vowels and Letters too as those of Galilee c. in Christ's time And we see where a Language is vulgar the Pronunciation and Sound used in one Age and County differs from that of another as here in England c. And so in Scotland though the Scots do read our English Bible yet they give it a very different Tone or Sound than we do how much more when a Language is lost the first part of it that departs is the Tone or Sound It is fabulous therefore to imagine that that part should continue longest which always is gone first and to suppose that a few Priests that esteemed the Mishna above the Bible should or could preserve the true Sound of the Text for a Thousand Years when nothing is more unconstant in all Nations than the sameness of sounding their Vowels and wherein every Age and County makes an Alteration So that after all these Evasions if the Masorites invented the Shapes of the Points c. the Sounds could have no better Original than the Shapes have or their variable Custom which is equivalent and the Punctation it self on that account could have no better Foundation than their Reputation Which how unfit they were for such a Work and how unsuitable the Work it self to wit the Punctation is to such Workmen let all Men judge CHAP. IX The Improbability of those Persons Pointing the Text to whom the Invention thereof is assigned further manifested from the Nature of the Masora and the Design of their Masoretick Observations in General And in Particular from the Nature of their Notes on the Verses of the Bible HAving discovered the Improbability of the Opinion of the Novelty of the Points from the Insufficiency of the Evidence that is brought for the same from the Silenâ—e of the Jews about the Matter and from the Improbability of the Time and Place assigned by this Opinion for their Invention as also of the Persons compared with the Nature of the Punctation it self We are now to consider the Improbability of the Persons to whom the Invention of the Points is ascribed they being supposed to be the Masorites from the Nature of the Masora and their Notes on it Now these Masorites are the Authors of the Masora or the Masoretick Notes and Observations on the Text of the Old Testament which is their Work and all that is left concerning them whereby they may be known so that such as this their Work is such are they themselves and no otherwise can we conjecture of or concerning them but only according to and by this their Work the Masora Our Second Reason therefore for the Improbability of the Persons to whom the Invention of the Points is assigned is taken from the Consideration of the Nature of the Masora which is their Work and the Design of their Masoretick Observations on the Text of the Old Testament compared with the Punctation and the attempt of intruding the same upon the Scripture and this in General we say and shall prove by an Induction of particular Instances throughout all the Parts of the Masora That the Masora and all the Parts of it consists only of Critical Notes or Observations about
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
were no sooner Sown than they were Born We make in one day and we bid those to be wise who have not learned to be so and who bring nothing to acquit them of Episcopacy but the desire of being Bishops 4. Gregory attributes to Basil Monastical Laws and written Prayers We have still the first without great Changes but the Liturgy which bears his Name hath been extreamly alter'd since 5. He praiesth not only his Friend but also makes his Apology against those who accused him of Pride of which notwithstanding he hath done it himself in divers Places and that suspected him of not ackowledging the Divinity of the Holy Ghost because he had not called him God in his Book Gregory saith that Basil did thus that he might not enrage Hereticks who could not suffer that this Title should be given to the Holy Ghost because the Holy Scripture doth not attribute it to him but that he had said the equivalent which was the same seeing it is not Words but things That do Save us 6. In fine after having described the Funerals of Basil he continues in these terms He is now in Heaven where he presents as I believe Sacrifices for us and where he Prayeth for the People for in leaving us he hath not quite Abandoned us c. He advertises me still and reprehends me in Visions at Night when I swerve in any thing from my Duty At the end of his Speech he asks his Succour in terms as earnest as if he hear'd him tho he seemed to doubt if he was in Heaven to wit in the Habitation of Supream Beatitude where Antiquity believed that excepting Martyrs none entred till after the Resurrection as we have already seen by another Place of Gregory It 's probable that 't was at Constantinople he Composed the greatest part of his Speeches which we have not as yet spoken of especially those that he made against the Arians wherein it was judged that he had defended the Council of Nice as well as in his other Writings that for that reason he had the Title of Divine Thereupon may particularly be read his twenty third Speech and the four following To give some Idea of these five Speeches of Gregory it must be observed that the design of the First is to shew that it belongeth not to all Men to Dispute of Religion and that it ought not to be done before all the World nor at all times nor with too much Heat He Censures the Hereticks as if they had no regard to all this and names Common Places which every Party have always made use of He complains that they no sooner thought a Man Holy but they Sainted him that Divines were Chosen as if by their Choice Wisdom and Learning were Inspired into them and that many Assemblies of Ignorants and Pratlers were Convocated As he knew that there was People that cou'd not abstain from Disputing to satisfie their desire he tells them he will open them a vast Career in which they may Exercise themselves without Danger As to Philosophy about the World or Worlds upon the Soul rational Beings more or less Excellent upon the Resurrection upon Iudgment upon Reward upon the Sufferings of Jesus Christ In these matters it is not unprofitable to succeed and there is no great danger in being deceiv'd therein Men have much changed their Opinions since and it is certain that we may fall into dangerous Errors and that some have effectively been deceived in these Articles In the second he comes to the Point and sets himself principally to prove against the Enomians the Incomprehensibility of God which he often repeats He likewise observes that there are many things in nature that we cannot comprehend with a design to conclude that it is an ill Argument to deny that something is in God simply because we comprehend it not After having thus prepared the Mind of his Reader or Auditor he declares his Sentiment upon the Divinity of the Son and upon the Holy Trinity in general which he does in such terms as are worthy of remark What we Honour is a Monarchy I do not call that Monarchy that is possessed by one only Person for it may be that a Person not agreeing with himself may do the same as if there were many but what is founded upon the equality of Nature the consent of the will the same Motion and upon the same Design in regard to what is produced by this Monarchy which is not possible in created Natures so that though those who compose this Monarchy differ in number their Power is not different If Gregory had believed the numerick Unity of the Divine Essence he had spoken very weakly and obscurely since that instead of Equality of Nature he should have said identity and not to speak of Consent of Will but of one Will in number In this same Speech Gregory answers Difficulties that the Arians made against the Eternal Generation of the Son which often are very weak whether it be that they are not well proposed or that the Arians argued no better Howbeit as the Personage of an Arian may be better represented the Opinions perhaps also of Nice can be defended with more Advantage Amongst the Objections of the Arians which Gregory starteth to himself this is one which is the Eighth That if the Son is in respect of his Essence the same with the Father it will follow that the Son was not begotten because the Father was not Gregory answereth not to this with the Scholasticks that the Son is not begotten in respect of his Essence who is the same in number with the Father as he ought to be according to the Principles of Modern Schools but that not to be begotten is not essential to Divinity to which he adds Are you Father to your Father that you may not be inferior to him in any thing because you are the same thing in regard to Essence If it was yet doubted if that Unity whereof our Orator speaks is a Specifick or Numerick Unity we only need read these words which are at the bottom of the following Page This is our Doctrin as it is likewise judged of things which are under the same kind as of a Horse an Oxe a Man and that each thing is properly called by the Name which agreeth to the nature whereof it participates whilst that which participates not hath not this name or beareth it but improperly So there is but one Essence and one Nature in God which is called alike although the Persons and Names are distinguished by our thoughts In the fourth Speech Gregory after his way resolves the Objections of the Arians by which they pretended to shew the inequality of the Father and the Son In the Fifth he disputes of the Consubstantiality of the Holy Ghost against the Macedonians Some of those who received the Divinity of the Son denied that of the Holy Ghost and had even the
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
Discourse upon the Authors of the Bible At Paris 1686. ALtho' the Title of this Work is so well known that the Design of it is easily perceived yet since the Matter is new and the manner it is promised to be treated on is difficult Mr. Du Pin thought it very necessary to Instruct the Publick more particularly in a Preface of the assistance that he had and the Method he follow'd to accomplish this work He divided it into Two Parts and begins the First with Justifying the Title of Bibliotheque shewing for example that 't is a Name that ought to begin to the collection of many Authors and to Books that treat of their Works He afterwards shews that the Custom of writing Bibliotheques is very Ancient and that it was introduced amongst the Christians in the First Ages of the Church The Stromates of Clement of Alexandria being a kind of Bibliotheque of the Opinions and Thoughts of an Infinite Number of Writers and the History of Eusebius may be call'd a Bibliotheque of Ecclesiastical Authors since he hath done almost nothing else in this Work than Writ their Life give a Catalogue of their Writings and relate many Passages out of them After having spoken of those who have taken like pains and above all of Photius Mr. Du Pin adds that Authors never took so much pains especially Ecclesiasticks as in the Last Ages in which Learning was renew'd and Criticks carryed to such a point as they never were before Both Catholicks and Hereticks have endeavoured to out-vy one another in making Bibliotheques Erasmus pursues he in Printing the Fathers hath put Prefaces and Notes before their Works which contain must Judicious Criticks and that altho' he is sometimes too confident in rejecting some Pieces It must be confessed nevertheless that he has broke the Ice for those that have followed him He speaks with the same freedom of other Authors of the Roman Church and in respect to the Protestants altho he accuses them of Passion and of being very Erroneous he confesses nevertheless as to what regards Criticks they were sometimes sharper and more quicksighted than the Catholicks and that the Protestants have discovered many things therein that they were obliged to acknowledg and aprove of The Author afterwards tells the Motives that engaged him to undertake this Work which were that no body before him had done any thing Compleat upon it He shews the design of his Book by a Comparison between a number of Books well ranged which is properly call'd a Bibliotheque and the Order that he has observed in this Work to which he gives the same name There is only this difference between these two Bibliotheques it is that in the first if we content our selves only to read the Titles no advantage to Learning is to be received from it and to run through all the Authors which compose it much time and pains is required Whereas in this we may instruct our selves in many important things with great Facility since there is not only the Titles of the Books but also the Abridgment and Sum of what they contain with a Remark upon the particular Sentiments in them In the Second Part of the Preface Mr. Du Pin shews the necessity there was to make use of such a Method as followed to write the Life of the Authors to make a Catalogue and Remark of the Chronology of their Works the Circumstances of the Time Place Age and Condition of him that writ and of the Persons he was concern'd with changing the manner of his Discourse according to the nature of the Subject An Author that engages against a Heresy of his own time that is the Head of a Party and who hath Personal Contestations with those that Attack him expresses himself very differently from him that writes against a Heresy that is extinguisht who takes no part in the Quarrel and has no other Motive in writing than defending the Truth St. Cyprian speaks of the Reconciliation of Penitents following the different Circumstances of the Times St. Augustin writing against the Pelagians speaks otherwise of Grace and Free-Will than he had done before And from the time that his head was possess'd with these Hereticks and the Donatists he speaks continually in all his writings even in his Homilies of the Church and of Grace He afterwards tells the Reason why many Works are attributed to some Celebrated Authors which is none of theirs viz. the Malice of Hereticks the little Piety of some of the Orthodox the Levity of some Men Ignorance or Avarice of the Copyists of the Printers and the oversight of those that have taken for Authors of certain Dialogues such Persons as are made to speak in those Dialogues So 't is that Vigilius of Tapse has made Five Books under the name of Saint Athanasius and it may be that also under the same name he made the Creed that is attributed to this Father In short the Ambiguity of Titles and the Resemblance of Names have often caused Pieces to be attributed to such Persons as they belonged not to After that he establishes Rules for true Criticks remarking that the Proofs or Conjectures that we can make of any Work are Internal or External Time is one of the most certain Internal Marks and nothing is more capable of convincing an Author of Imposture than when the date of his Work is false or that he speaks of Persons that have lived a long time after him whose Name is affixed to the Work 2 ly The matter that is contained in a Book discovers whether it be Supposititious or no. 1. When we find Opinions in it that were not maintained till a long time after that Age. 2. Expressions concerning those Opinions Ceremonies and Customs that were not then in use 3. Errors that are of a latter date or such matters as were not treated on in that time that the Author lived whose name is affixed to the Work 4. Opinions contrary to such as are seen in their writings 5. Or Histories manifestly Fabulous 3 ly The turn of the Discourse the manner of Writing the Elocution the Figures and the Method being a thing most difficult things to Counterfeit are of very great use to discover whether a Work be supposititious or not Tho'we must not always reject a Book for a small alteration in the Stile without any other proof because Persons may write differently according to their Age Places and the Subject of the Discourse nor should we receive a piece as true only for the Resemblance of Stile for an Ingenious Man often imitates the Phrases and Genius of an Author very well in a Discourse that is not long The External proofs whether a Work is supposititious or no are taken 1. From Ancient Manuscripts in which we find not the Name of the Author or find that of an others 2. The Testimony of Ancient Authors that reject this work or that say nothing at all of it Mr. Du pin
division without excepting even the Spaniards altho' he has been pretty bountiful to them What he says of the Manners and Wit of the Chinese is admirable they keep no Memoirs of their Warlike Princes and reserve their Elogies for the Peace Makers and Righteous They never delighted in Conquests unless the desire of living under so wise a Government invited by their Neighbours to submit but they constrained none being only concerned if men who wanted this happiness refused to participate with them They acknowledge none as Gentlemen but Men of Learning t is derogatory amongst them and reduces them into a Plebean state to forsake this profession The Counsellors and Favorites of the Prince are all Philosophers and when he commits a fault they reprehend him with so much Liberty and Freedom that the Prophets took not more in respect to the Kings of Iudah If they don't make use of this Priviledge the People censure them and look upon 'em as weak Men and degenerate from the Courage of Confutius and other Philosophers who have retired from the Court in a time of Tyranny They reproach them to their face with Cowardise and say that they are neither Philosophers nor Men of honour since for their own private Interests they abandon the good of the Publick As for their Wit Mr. Vossius believes they surpass all the World and that after having learnt from 'em the Compass Printing and many other admirable things he doubts not but there remains much finer Inventions amongst 'em than we have borrowed of 'em He tells us wonderful things of their skill in Physick and above all their Art in knowing the Diseases by the differences of the Pulse They are so admirable in that respect that they look not upon a Man to be a good Physitian if after having felt divers places of the sick persons Arm he does not without asking Questions discover from what part of the Body the Distemper proceeds as well as the nature of it 'T is very pleasant to read all the curious things that Mr. Vossius has related upon this subject and upon the Ability of this Nation in all the noble Arts. He pretends that they made use of Powder and Cannons many Ages before the Europeans were acquainted with them and adds to it the Original and Progress of Powder amongst the people of Europe The other Pieces which compose Mr. Vossius's Works are not less worthy of particular observation but having been long upon this there 's a necessity of being brief upon what follows 1. He treats upon the Constructions of Galleys very learnedly 2. On the Reformation of Longitudes The Author maintains that the observations of Eclipses have more confounded this matter than any thing whatsoever because they have not sufficiently regarded either Refractions or Shadows He corrects many errors that concern the extent of the Mediterranean Sea which has been render'd much less than really it is he shews also that the like faults have been committed upon many Eastern parts of Asia and says that the dispute betwixt the Portuguese and Spaniards touching the Division of the New World has produced strange Alterations both in Longitudes and Geography 3. He speaks of Navigation into the Indies and Iapan by the North this Treatise contains many curious and useful observations 4. He examines the cause of the Circles which appear sometimes about the Moon Upon which he has some thoughts perfectly new for he believes these Circles proceed from the Mountains in the Moon because they produce their Images reverst in the Air that is under them which he maintains by some experiments Amongst others he relates this that some English Merchants being on the Pick of Tenariff observed that as soon as the Sun arose the shadow of this high Mountain convered not only all the Isle of Teneriff but also the great Canarie and all the Sea even unto the Horizon where the top of the Pick seem'd to appear reverst which sent back its shadow into the Air. He tells us a very surprizing thing viz. that the shadow of this Mountain extended as far as the Levant to the place even from whence the Light came since the great Canarie which is at the East of this Pick is covered with the shadow What he adds concerning the Sea between this Mountain and the grand Canaries is very remarkable for he says it appears not larger than the Thames although there is fourteen Leagues between these two Isles 5. He treats of the fall of heavy Bodies and explains it according to the Cartesians by the Diurnal Motion of the Earth upon its Center but establishes a Principle unknown to Mr. Des Cartes viz. That a Body which is moved Circularly approaches nearer to the Center than is possible when its Axis is perpendicular to the Horizon But if its Axis is parallel to the Horizon then it is removed from the Center as far as 't is possible He relates an Experiment that he says was made some times agoe and which is quite contrary to Mr. Hugens's given us by Mr. Rohault for whereas Mr. Hugens says that the Particles of Spanish Wax dipp'd in a Vessel full of Water which is turn'd upon a Pirot are removed farther from the Center and soon arrive to the extremities of the Vessel Mr. Vossius has found out that Balls of Leed and Iron thrown into a Vessel of Water which is moved circularly tend towards the Center of the Vessel whereas Bowls of Wood which float upon the Surface of the Water make towards the sides of it The rest of the Book is a Treatise upon the Oracles of the Sybils which Mr. Vossius published in the Year 1672. There 's also the Answer that he made sometime after to the Objections of Mr. Simon scatter'd throughout his Critical History of the Old Testament and a Reply to that part of the Discourse which concerns him in Father Simons's Disquisitiones Criticae de varâ—s Bibliorum Editionibus Historia Plantarum c. Or Ray's History of Plants Tom. 1st London 1686. SInce Baubin published his History of Plants and Parkinson his Botanick Theater a great Number of Plants have been discoved that appeared not in their Collection Several Authors have described many that were unknown to the Botanists that liv'd before them But no one yet has ever gathered them together in one Piece like our present Author who has also used much more Method than has yet been observed on the same Subject He divides Plants into Genders and Kinds and gives an account of those that resemble them in their principal parts as in their Flower Seed and Films which cover them He thinks this Method is the most Natural and easie to attain in a little time to the knowledg of Botanicks and doubts not but any one that will apply himself to this study may without the help of a Master by following these Rules to accomplish it and be well acquainted with Plants If any Plant shou'd be found which comes not under these
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