Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	doctrine_n	tradition_n	4,188	5	9.0800	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39820	The history, choice, and method of studies by Monsieur Fleury ...; Traité du choix et de la méthode des études. English	Fleury, Claude, 1640-1723.	1695 (1695)	Wing F1364; ESTC R18281	109,691	210

made Discourses upon Morality and so few govern'd their practice according to its Rules that they render'd it Ridiculous For many made the profession of Philosophy only to lacquey after their little Interests as to make their Court to Princes or get Money And they who sought after Wisdom more seriously gave great offence by the multitude of their Sects for they treated one another as Fools and Mad-men The Romans seeing the Greeks in this condition for a long time despised Studies as Childish Vanities and Idle Amusements not worthy of their pains who altogether apply'd themselves unto Business Each particular Man endeavoured to increase his patrimony by Husbandry Traffick and Frugality and all of 'em together jointly concurr'd in making the State to flourish by applying themselves to War and Politicks But though they wou'd have it believed that this frugality this military Discipline this firmness in their Conduct which made them so powerful were owing to none but themselves and their own vertuous Resolutions yet their own History makes it appear that they had borrow'd much from the Greeks even at that time before there were in Greece either Oratours or Philosophers by profession The first Tarquin was a Corinthian by Birth and he had instructed Servius Tullius Pythagoras lived in the time of the latter and it is very probable that some of his Disciples had correspondence with the Romans their severe and frugal way of living so much resembling this Italick Philosophy However it is certain that they brought the Laws of the Twelve Tables out of Greece which Cicero valued more than all the Books of the Philosophers Applying themselves with great diligence to these Laws and their Domestick Affairs they form'd a Study which was particular to themselves and lasted as long as their Empire This Study is Civil Law which we do not find that any Nation had cultivated before Not but that the Greeks had diligently Studied the Laws but they did it rather as Oratours than Lawyers I am not Ignorant that they very well knew the order and disposition of them that they dived also into the Reasons of them and with good effect apply'd themselves unto business both publick and private But I do not find that they had any who made it their profession to explain them unto others and to give Counsel nor that they wrote Commentaries upon their Laws For as for the Formularies it is certain that the Greek Oratours left the care of them to an inferiour sort of Men whom they called Pragmaticks or Practitioners 'T is true there were in Greece Legislatours and Philosophers who had studied the Laws after a more noble and extensive manner since it must needs argue a greater Genius to Compile a whole body of Laws than to apply them in particular to the least Affairs And they confess'd that this Knowledge so useful to the World came to them from Aegypt and the East as did all the rest of their Learning To return to Rome To the end of the Sixteenth Age after its foundation Children were then Taught only to Read and Write and cast Account Men Studied the Laws and the Formularies either indifferently for their own particular use or more Curiously to give Counsel unto others and gain Credit and Reputation They did not begin to enter upon the Curiosities of the Greeks ordinarily to Learn their Tongue and to Read their Works till after the Second Punick War Hitherto there were to be seen some Ordinances of the Senate against Rhetoricians and Philosophers by profession as Men who introduced dangerous Novelties into the Commonwealth The Romans when they apply'd themselves to the Studies of the Greeks did it according to their own Genius that is they sought therein what was best most solid and most useful for the Conduct of Life The old Cato Scipio and Laelius were not Men who wou'd burden themselves with Trifles They Studied the Historians and Oratours to profit by their Excellent Examples and good Maxims of the ancient Greeks and to Learn how to Speak as perswasively upon the Affairs of Rome as Pericles and Demosthenes had done upon those of Athens at the same time studiously avoiding to imitate the Greeks of their times or to take up with the Trifles of the Grammarians and Rhetoricians Nay they were even afraid of this Cicero says of the greatest Oratours of his time they were fearful it shou'd be perceived that they had Studied the Books of the Greeks least it shou'd be thought that they overmuch valued them and so their Reputation of being Learned might make their Discourses to be suspected of too much artifice The Wise Romans came afterwards to Philosophy and there fix'd upon the principles and Reasons of Morality and Politicks of which they already had much Experience and many Domestick Examples Lastly they knew how to take what was best in the Poets Hence proceeded so many great Oratours in the last Age of the Republick from the Gracchi to Cicero and they also who may be called the Roman Philosophers as Atticus Cato of Vtica and Brutus But the Establishment of the Monarchy at Rome having rendred great Eloquence and the Motives to it useless since the People did no longer give their Votes in Publick Affairs nor bestow great Places Poetry got the upper hand and flourished under the Reign of Augustus 'T is true it fell soon afterwards having nothing that was solid to sustain it and being look'd upon only as a sport and diversion of the mind Thus within the space of about Two Hundred Years the Studies of the Romans came to be in the same condition wherein they had found those of the Greeks Every place was full of little Grammarians Rhetoricians and idle Declamers of prating Philosophers Historians and Poets who tired the World in reciting their Works Only the Civil Law was always preserv'd because it was always necessary and depended less upon the form of Government or the particular manners of Men. There were also some true Philosophers though we should reckon only the Emperour Marcus Aurelius and several others of whom mention is made in Pliny's Epistles But these Philosophers went rather for Greeks than Romans The greatest part of 'em also wore the Greek Habit in what Country soever they dwelt and of what Nation soever they were In the mean time a much more Sublime Philosophy began to be Established I mean the Christian Religion which soon made this purely Humane Philosophy to vanish and did yet more severely Condemn all those other Studies which were less serious The Principal Study of Christians was the meditation of the Law of God and all the Holy Scriptures according to the Tradition of the Pastours who had faithfully preserv'd the Doctrine of the Apostles They call'd all the rest Strange and Foreign Studies and rejected them as inticing the Reader to the manners of the Heathens In Truth the greatest part of their Books were either useless or

as Courage Resolution and Patience For the Mind they should soon be exercised in thinking Coherently and Reasoning Solidly upon the most ordinary Subjects which be of use to them Teaching them what is most Essential in Logick without Choaking them with Great Words which may only fill them with Vanity For the Body there is scarce any Exercise proper for them but Walking But all the Precepts of Health which I have given appertain unto them and indeed they have the most need of them since they are more subject to Indulge themselves in this matter and to draw Respect from their Distempers and Weaknesses The Health and Vigour of Women concern all the World seeing they are Mothers of Boys as well as Girls It would be well also for them to know the most easie Remedies of ordinary Distempers for they are very fit to prepare them in Houses and to take care of the Sick Grammar as to them consists onely in Reading and Writing and Composing correctly in French a Letter Memoir or any other Piece suitable to them Practical Arithmetick is sufficient for them and it is no less necessary for them than Men and also they have need of Oeconomicks since they are design'd more to intend the Affairs within doors at least more particularly Accordingly they are careful enough to instruct themselves in Domestick Management But 't is to be wisht that together with this Skill was joyned a little more Reason and Reflection for the Curing of two Evils Littleness of Spirit and Covetousness so incident to the Managing Women and on the other side Affectation and Disdain in those who pretend to the Spirit of Wit To this end it would be very useful to make them comprehend betimes that the most Honourable Imployment of a Woman is the care of all within Doors provided that she do not value her self too much upon that which onely tends to her Interest and that she know how to put every thing into its proper place Tho' Matters without doors chiefly relate unto the Men yet 't is impossible but that often the Women must have part therein and sometimes they find themselves altogether charged therewith as when they become Widows It is therefore further necessary to Teach them some Skill in Law that is so much as I have Recommended to all Persons of any Condition They should understand the Common Terms of Business and the Great Maxims In a word they should be capable to go to Council and take Advice And this Instruction is the more necessary in France because Women are not under Guardianship and may have Great Possessions of which they are Absolute Mistrisses They may omit all the other Studies Latin and other Languages History Mathematicks Poetry and all other Curiosities They are not design'd for those Imployments which make these Studies either necessary or useful to them and several of them would only make them Instruments of Vanity Nevertheless 't is better they should spend their vacant hours in them than in Reading Romances in Gaming or speaking of their Petticoats Gowns and their Ribbons I Think I have sufficiently explain'd all the Studies which are to be Taught to Youth and all which belong to all sorts of Persons of both Sexes at present I speak of those which are particular to Men of divers Professions referring all to the three Principal the Church the Sword and the Gown A Clergy-man is design'd to Instruct others concerning Religion and to perswade them to Vertue Therefore he should know three things The Mysteries of Faith Morality and the Manner of Teaching them His Principal Study should be the Holy Scripture Let him begin to Read it from his Infancy and continue this Reading so constantly all his Life that every Sacred Text may be extreamly familiar unto him and that there may be no place which he cannot quickly recollect Though he should Learn it all by heart he would do no more than what was very common in the first Ages of the Church even in Lay-men This constant Reading of the Scripture will serve as a good Commentary provided that at first you shall onely seek after the litteral Sense which will offer it self naturally to your mind without stopping at Difficulties You will always find therein clear Truths enough for your Edification and that of others After having Read all the Holy Scripture with attention one Chapter after another without skipping over any thing when you shall come to Read it again a great part of your difficulties will vanish They will grow still less at a Third Reading and the more you shall Read it the more clear will it be to you provided that you shall Read it with Respect and Submission considering that it is God himself who speaks The Historical Catechism may facilitate the Reading of Holy Scripture in Beginners helping them to discern which are the most considerable passages and ought to be most meditated upon The Treatise concerning the Manners of the Israelites is as a General Commentary which removes several literal difficulties As for the Spiritual Sense of Scripture it must be soberly sought after chiefly relying upon that which is observed in Scripture it self and afterwards that which we learn by Tradition I mean by the most uniform and Ancient Traditions of the Fathers A Clergy-man ought to avoid the two Extremes of Studying too much and too little There are several who think that they have nothing more to do after the Office and the Mass if they have no Benefice with Cure of Souls and if they have they believe they have done all that is required by performing the most urgent Duties But we ought not to be at rest as long as there shall be Ignorant Persons to be Instructed and Sinners to be Converted They therefore who have no great Natural Parts nor great conveniencies for Studying who want Books and Masters as in the Country and far distant Provinces should make it their business to know the Essential and Common things To Catechize which is not such an easie Office as several suppose but the most important of all seeing it is the Foundation of Religion To make Publications of Holy-days c. and Familiar Exhortations accommodated to the Capacity of the Auditours To hear Confessions and give Wholsom Advice A Vertuous and Zealous Priest may do all this without Reading any thing but the Holy Scripture the Catechism the Council the Instructions of his Ritual some Sermons of St. Augustin or other Moral Book of some of the Fathers which shall happen to fall into his hands This is that which may be said to be necessary in the matter of Ecclesiastical Studies They who are at leisure and have Books and other Conveniencies of Studying ought to guard themselves against Curiosity The best Preservative in my Opinion is early to consider the full extent of our Profession and all the Knowledge it requires An Accomplish'd Clergy-man should be able to prove Religion to Libertines and Infidels and consequently ought