XX. REMARK THE GOOD AND BAD IN EXPRESSIONS AND ACTIONS. (8) This topick is of very great ufe in explaining the hiftories recorded in the gofpel, where you will frequently find actions and words, which may be called mixt; becaufe, in general, they proceed from fome good principles, and, in particular, they have a good deal of weakness and infirmity And lastly, let them be as great as they may, pious people have refources, which worldlings have not." Maff.. Careme. tom. iv. pour le mecredi de la fem. de palion. This beautiful topick is exemplified every day by fuch divines as bend their attention to prove the reafonableness of chriftianity-the reasonableness of obferving a fabbath-the fitnefs of morality to the felicity of a flate -a family-a perfon, &c. the agreement of religious and civil liberty, &c. &c.. -- (8) Rimark the good and bad in expreffions and actions. Our author confines his pupil to actions and expreffions: but fome improve his rule into obfervations on fingle words, fingle letters, and points. I think they have not fpecificated the important meanings of thofe various dots, flourishes, flips, &c. thofe lufuum literariorum codicum manufcriptorum in thofe fprays of the pen, may I call them? which manufcripts more or lefs contain. The Jewish Rabbies affirm, non eft in lege vel una litera, a qua non montes magni dependeant." Many Chriftian divines, after them, affirm, "ne iota quidem, aut apicem in fcripturis fruftra exaratum," and they call themfelves viros doctissimos for faying fo. Vid. Hakfpanii Sylloge. Philolog. Gen. xvii. 14. Where scholars only mean to divert themfelves with orthographical wit, and for this purpofe play tricks with a point, genius fparkles, boys play at push-pin, and grave men país by and fimile: but when fuch puerilities are feriously propofed, and made grounds of faith and practice, the matter becomes very confequential, and must be fully examined. We have in feveral places curforily obferved this fubject, as it affects di vinity. in them. If you would explain Mat. xvi. 22. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, faying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this fhall not be unto thee. You may obferve what there is good and what bad in this expreffion of S. Peter. 1. You fee herein his love to his mafter; for his not being able to bear the difcourfe of Jefus Chrift concerning his fufferings at Jerufalem could only proceed from his ardent affection to him. 2. Herein appears not that cold and lukewarm regard, which vinity. See vol. i. p. 32, 33, faid, I would adduce only one example here. I will keep my word: but I could exemplify this futility by many a theological trifle, po lemical, practical, and hiftorical, from the Tax of the moft fathers down the I. H. S. of their fons nor would it be unjuft in this cafe to vifit the fins of the fathers upon their children. Should any one think proper to write on this fubject, he could not give his book a properer title than this of A. B. R. A. C. A. D. A. B. R. A. or, if this be antifcriptural, S. H. I. B. B. O. L. E. T. H. So much for the good and bad in points, accents, letters, and fingle terms in theological matters. Remark the good and bad in expreffions. That is to fay, ftudy the fubject expreffed, and diftinguifh the properties of its component parts. The Sapientia Joco-feria runs all on this topick, and collectors of it may furnish divines with many fober arguments." It is excellent to have an enemy; for his vigilance makes us cautious. Plutarch-It is more fafe to hear a barbarian than an orator; for orators can dif guife by adding, fubtracting, most men have for one another, but a moft lively affection, interesting him for his master, an affection full of tenderness, which could not even bear to hear a word, or entertain a thought about the death of Jefus Chrift. 3. You may observe an boneft freedom, which put him upon freely addreffing Jefus Chrift himself, ufing that familiar accefs, which his condefcenfion allowed his difciples, without a mixture of mean and defpicable timidity. 4. You fee, in fine, a ftrong faith in his mafter's power, as by addreffing him he feems perfuaded, that it depended only on himself to fuffer or not to fuffer. Lord, be it far from thee, this fall not be unto thee. (9) Now, all these are good difpofitions. Here follow the bad ones. 1. Peter difcovers grofs ignorance of the ways of divine wifdom extenuating, amplifying, and can make black appear white. Joan. Pic. Mirand.-Flattery is a fine art; for it conciliates friends and enemies, and he, who knows not how to flatter, knows not how to converfe. Stephan GauzzaFolly is preferable to wif dom; for a fool is neither plagued with the queftions of friends, nor the envy of enemies. Erafm.-It is glorious to be envied; for virtue excites envy, and envy increaseth virtue. Cafper Dornavius-Cafp. Dornas. Amphitheat.Sapien. Joco-jeriæ, tom. ii. Ruth. i. 15. Return my daughter to your gods. Do you know what it will cost you to become a profelyte to my religion? Kings xix. 20. in Go back, and kifs your father and mother; for what have I done to you? Have I, by calling you to be a prophet, weakened your obligations to focial duties Act xvi. 27, 28. The Jailor would have killed himself: but Paul cried, Do thyself no harm. Believe the gospel, and profefs it; you may be put to death for your profeffion: but the guilt and damage of fuicide do not enter into the cafe of a martyr. See Mat. xvi. 24, 25, 26, 27. John xxi. 23. Luke XX. 22, &c. x. 20. ix. 50, &c. John xiii. 13, &c. (9) Be it far from ther! Spare thyfelf. Propitius tibi. fubaud. fit deus. locutio Hebræis familiaris. Ne malum id eveniat avertat Deus. Id abfit a te Domine; fic aliquo ties in fending Jefus Chrift into the world; for he does not feem yet to know, that Jefus Christ must needs fuffer, and with this ignorance the Lord reproaches him in the next verfe. Thou favoureft (1) ties ufurpant 1xx. interp. Vide Gen. xliii. 23. laws vir fun cobert de o deos upar, &c. 2 Sam. xxiii. 17. Ixses μοι κυρίε T8 TOINσa 7870. 1 Chron. xi. 19. Iλes co Θεος το ποιησα το ρήμα τέτο, (1) Savoureft φρονειν τα τε TIVOS, pro cum aliquo fentire eft phrafis frequens apud græcos fcriptores. Vid. Rom. viii. 5. epova, we render it to mind. To mind is an old English verb, fignifying to mark to put in mind to regard with affection. Hence the old phrafe a month's mind for a vebement defire. Fisher, Bp. of Rochester, preached the funeral fermon of Lady Margaret, Mother of Hen. VII. at the moneth minde of" the faid Lady. Baker of S. John's republifhed this fermon in 1708, with a very large preface, and in his own book of this edition, lent me by my moft worthy friend, the prefent reverend orator of the university of Cambridge, he has entered with his own hand many marginal notes, and, among the reft, he has written opposite to the title-page "month's mind for the two Dukes of Suffolk. See Strype's Ecclef. Memorials, vol. ii. page 281." Baker's affection for Fifher arofe from not what he imagined a fimilarity of circumftances. Fisher refufed the oath of fupremacy, and loft his life. Baker was a nonjuror, and loft his fellowship. The prefent Rev. Dr. Goddard, mafter of Clare-hall, who knew him well, told me, that Baker refufed the oath required to be taken at the revolution : but was winked at, and enjoyed his fellowship till the acceffion of the prefent roy.1 family, when he was ejected. Then the famous Mat. Prior gave him the profits of his fellowship, which he did not want for himself, on which Baker fubfifted in college till his death. Thou favoureft not the things, that be of God. Our bleffed Lord was entirely mafter of his fubject, and he had a right to deliver his fentiments concerning it: but there are a thoufand cafes, which fall under the notice of minifters, in treating which they may diftinguifh facts, and affirm, this is a good action, that is a bad one: but they cannot proceed farther, and affign the hidden motives of the heart in thefe actions, for they are known to God alone. In cafes where the motives of the heart are rendered pretty clear not the things, which are of God: but those, which 2. His love to his mafter had fome are of men. clear by actions, prudence may fometimes require filence. For example. 1. In church-biftory, which it becomes a divine to ftudy, facts are clear, and make a ground of reafoning: although motives be paffed by. All through the reign of Edward VI. liberty of confcience was granted to foreigners. "Ad vos, ceu ad afylum et portum tutiffimum, fub fanctiffimi regis alas, confluebant Germani, Galli, Hifpani, Itali, Poloni, Scoti, ut illic Deo fuo in fidei libertate fervirent, quam ipfis patria ingrata negabat." Gualteri præfat. in 1. ep. D. Pauli ad Corinth. The Dutch had the church of Austin Friars affigned them, and John a Lafco was their minifter. Saxons, and other High Germans had the fame liberty, and fo had the Italians, who had Bernardine, and Michael Angelo Florio for minifters. Valerandus Pollanus was paftor of a Walloon congregation at Glaftonbury. French proteftants, and Spaniards had the fame freedom. There were also French and Walloon churches at Canterbury, Sandwich, Norwich, Colchefter, &c. They preached their own doctrines, perform ed their own rites, and pracVOL. II. thing tifed their own difcipline. Latimer pleaded their cause in his fermons. Cranmer procured orders of council for them. And the crown not only tolerated them in England: but actually penfioned fome of their great men abroad. John Sleidan had 200 crowns a year, and Juftus Jonas had a fimilar penfion. Queen Elizabeth's protection of all forts of refugees rendered her fo odious to the pope, that he affigns this in the bull of her excommunication as one reason for his cenfure. It was the practice of the English court, during her majefty's long reign, not only to allow li berty of confcience to refugees in England: but even to afford powerful aids to fuch as were perfecuted for religion abroad, and who, in their native countries had taken up arms against their own fovereigns for the defence of their religious liberties. Witness France and Holland. In later times, the British court has fhewn itself of the moft tolerant difpofition. England as well as Holland and Pruffia published invitations to refugees, and acts of naturalization. Her majesty Q. Ann gave i zcool. to the relief of French refugees in 1705. The ProtefDd tant |