from thence to the end of the Last Age. Whilst our Primate was in Wales there was published at London without his consent three works under his name 1. A Body of Divinity or the Substance of Christian Religion 2 Immanuel or the Incarnation of the Son of God 3 A Catechism Intituled The Principles of the Christian Religion The last being full of faults he corrected it and printed it himself in 1652. In the year 1647. whilst he was at the Countess of Peterborough's in London the Society of Lincolns Inn chose him for their Preacher and gave him a lodging and a handsome Pension whilst he was there he published two Books 1. Diatriba de Romanae Ecclesiae symbolo apostolico vetere aliis fidei formulis he there treats of the Creed which is commonly called the Apostles and of the different Copys which have been found in the Roman Church and of divers forms of the Confession of Faith which where proposed to the Catechumenoi and to the Youth of the Eastern and Western Churches 2. His Treatises de anno solari Macedonum Asianorum where he explains divers difficulties of Chronology and Ecclesiastical History and marks the precise time of the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp he compares the year of the Macedonians the Asiaticks c. with the Iulian Account and makes divers curious remarks upon the Motions of the Heavenly Bodies according to the opinion of the Antient Greek Astronomers Melonius Calippus Eudoxius c. In fine he gives the Ephemerides of the Macedonian and Asiatick year compar'd with the Julian year to which he adds the rising and setting of the Stars and the presages of the change Weather in Thrace Macedonia and Greece according to the observations which Antient Philosophers have left us The Parliament at that time took the King Prisoner in the Isle of Wight and wou'd have him absolutely abolish Episcopal Government so that this Prince was obliged to consent that that Government should be suspended for three years but the Presbyterian party were so eager that they would have it utterly extirpated upon this the Primate of Ireland propos'd an Expedient in which he would have had mixed a sort of of Presbyterian and Episcopal Government in lessening the power of the Bishops and bringing them to be Moderators or Presidents of the Assemblies of their Province without whose advice nothing of Importance shou'd be acted whereupon Vsher was accus'd to have been an Enemy to Hierarchy but Dr. Parr vindicates him all along He also informs us that Vsher being in the Countess of Peterboroughs House over against Charing Cross near White-hall when the King was to be beheaded and being upon the top of the house to see this bloody Tragedy the good Archbishop fainted away so that he was forc'd to be carried to bed where he said that God would not forget to punish this wickedness upon the English Nation he added that the Vsurpation of Cromwel would soon expire and that the King would be recall'd but that he himself should not see it we are assured that at another time he foretold that the Romish Religion should one day be powerful in this Kingdom and its reign should be sharp but short 'T is reported also that Preaching in a Church at London he declar'd to his Auditors that a great fire should soon consume a part of the City and when 't was asked him how he knew it he answer'd 't was a Thought which was so strangely impress'd upon his mind that he could not forbear speaking of it If that was true our Primate must be of the number of these Prophets who have sometimes foretold what was to come without knowing it About the middle of the year 1650. he finished the first part of his Annals to the year of the World 3828. unto the Reign of Antiochus Epiphanes There is in this Volume all the celebrated Epochs mark'd with great exactness the times of the Reigns of the Kings of Israel and of Iudah compared with each other The succession of the Monarchies of Babylon Persia and Macâ—â—onia the years of the Olympiads the Aera of Nabanassar the most remarkable Eclipses of the Sun The second part was published in 1654. it begun at the Reign of Antiochus Epiphanes and ended at the destruction of Ierusalem Usher gives there exact accounts of the Kings of Syria and Egypt with the times of their Reign which he hath put together with more care than any Chronologer hath done before him In fine there is all that can be wished in an Universal History both for exactness and Judgment 'T was after the edition of this work that Cromwell said he desired to see him Usher appear'd before him and the Protector after having received him with great Civility promised to make up part of the loss he sustain'd in Ireland but he kept not his Word to him no more than when he promis'd him the Episcopal Clergy should not be molested as they had been to that time The good Archbishop having obtain'd this promise in a visit he made to the Protector he was oblig'd to put him in mind of it by seeing him a second time where Cromwell ingenuously declar'd that he could not give Liberty of Conscience to men who were sworn Enemies to his Government and who without intermission endeavour'd to destroy him When Vsher entered this Vsurpers Chamber he found him in the hands of a Surgeon who was dressing an Ulcer in his Breast The Protector desired the Archbishop to sit down and said he would speak to him as soon as his Ulcer was dressed Whilst the Surgeon was busie about it Cromwell said that if this Ulcer was once cured he should soon have his Health Vsher replied immediately that he fear'd there was a more dangerous Vlcer in his Heart which must be cur'd before he could promise himself a perfect health 'T is true said the Protector sighing but tho' he seem'd to take this censure of the Archbishop's in good part he refus'd to keep his promise to him Vsher liv'd not long after that falling very sick on the 20th of March of a Pleurisie but the Physitians knew not his Distemper so that he died the day following at Rygate in a Countrey House of the Countess of Peterboroughs in the County of Surrey he was seventy five years old he had been fifty five years in Orders during which time he continually Preach'd fourteen years Professor in the Vniversity of Dublin four years Bishop of Meath and one and thirty years Bishop of Ardmagh he was the hundredth Bishop of that City after St. Patrick Cromwell who sought all occasions to please the people and knew that Vsher had been well belov'd ordered him to be buried with great solemnity in Westminster Abby in the Chappel of Erasmus altho' he would not be at the charge of the Funeral he did also another thing which much prejudiced his Family which was to hinder their selling the Archbishops Library without his consent there was
the Dovaniers themselves and that before he arrived at the Caucase there were no incouragements to go to Travel into these Countreys This Mountain is very famous the top is always covered with Snow and is inhabited and the passage over it is Eight Leagues all the rest of it abounds with Honey Corn Gum good Wines and Fruits Hogs and other great Cattle There are many Villages and most of the Inhabitants are Christians live after the Gregorian Rule and enjoy their ease Before we come to the Description of Georgia it is pleasant to see the Author meet his Comrade after a thousand troubles with the Riches that he brought out of Europe Georgia reached heretofore from Taunis and Erzorum to Tanais and was called Albanie but it is less now there are some that would have its Name derived from that of St. George the great Saint of all the Christians of the Gregorian-Order others will have it derived from the Inhabitants who were called Georgi by the Greeks which signifies Labourers it has but few Towns The Kingdom of Caket had many heretofore It is properly the antient Iberia that was ruined by the People of Mount Caucase and as it 's said by the Amazons The Author says he has seen none in Georgia that ever was in the Amazons Country but that he has heard much of them and has seen at the Princes Palace the Habit of a big Woman made of thick Woollen and of a particular form which they said was that of an Amazon killed near Caket in the last Wars The Sons of the Prince of Georgia understanding by Mr. Chardin what History says of the Amazons said that they were some of the wandring Scythians like the Turcomans and Arabians and have transferred the Soveraignty to their Wives as did the Achinese and that these Queens were served by some of their own sex that followed them every where after the manner that Georgia and its Inhabitants are spoken of here it would move one to apply to them the Proverb touching the Kingdom of Naples Il regno Neapolitano e un delicato paradiso Mahabitato da gli dianoli In effect Georgia is as fertile a Countrey as can be one may live there deliciously and cheap the Bread is as good as in any place of the World the Fruit is very excellent and of all sorts abundance of very good Cattle Fowl innumerable and incomparably good the wild Boar is as delicate there as in Colchis and there can no better thing be eaten than the Hogs which the common people feed on there is Fresh-water-fish and Sea-fish in great quantity and the best in the World For 8 Livres may be bought a Horse-load of the best Wine in the Country that is to say 300 pound weight All this resembles an Earthly Paradice but if we consider the Inhabitants they will be found like Devils only except that they are Civil Grave Moderate and very Fair The Author Remarks That he did not see one ugly Person of either Sex but Angelick Faces and that nothing can be Painted more Charming than the Georgines Nevertheless he adds that they all Paint they generally have a great deal of Natural Wit but being ill brought up they become very Ignorant and Vicious Cheats Knaves Traitors Ingratefull Proud and strangely Impudent in Lying Irreconcileable in their Hatreds Drunkards Usurers immodest to the highest Degree The Church-men drink as well as the rest and have with them handsome Slaves which they make their Concubines and what is the height of all Corruption none is scandalized because it is Authorized by the general custom The Author says that the Guardian of the Capucins told him that he heard it said by the Catholicks for so are called the Patriarchs of Georgia that whoever was not drunk at the Feast of Easter and Christmas c. does not pass for a good Christian and ought to be excommunicated The Women are neither less evil or vicious they have a great eagerness for Men and have a greater part in this Torrent of Immodesty than is to be found in any other part of the World Every one has liberty in Georgia to live according to his own Religion to discourse of it and maintain it There are there more Armenians than Georgians there are also Greeks Iews Turks Persians Indians Tartars Muscovites and Europians The Religion of the Georgians is much the same with theirs of Mingrelia but that they Fast more and have longer Prayers and look after their Churches better The greatest part live on remote and inaccessible Mountains they see them and salute them at the distance of three or four Leagues but hardly ever go thither and what is yet more ridiculous tho' the Prince is a Mahometan yet he fills all Benefices generally he places his Friends in them and it is his Brother that is Patriarch now without doubt it would be known how this Catholico first renounc'd Mahometanism and it is very pleasing to see how the Georgian Princes have become Mahometans and Subjects to the Emperor of Persia The Account is very distinct and in few words opens all the History of that Country from Ismael Sophi to this very time There we learn among other things that the Kings of Persia soon converted them by inflicting great Torments upon them that continued in Christianity and in giving great Advantages to such as abjured Iesus Christ and this was done with not so much Reluctancy as quitting the Protestant for Romish Religion but as there never was Country or Age wherein were not found some firm in the Religion that they believed good so there was a Princess of Georgia that neither Iron nor Fire could shake Abas the Great would not received the Lie but sent Orders to the Governour of Chiras to make her a Mahometan at any Price the Governour omitted nothing to overcome the constancy of this Princess he made her suffer 8 Years Martyrdom by so much the more cruel that he renewed her Torments every day she died at last upon Flaming Coals in the Year 1624. her Body was thrown to the Birds of the Air but the Augustins sent it secretly to the Prince her Son she was called Kelaâ—aâ—e and very few have imitated her The Princess of Georgia and great part of the Lords do now profess Mahometanism some to imploy themselves at the Persian Court others for Pensions and some that they might marry their Daughters to the King or make them enter into the Queen's Service The head City of Georgia is called Tifflis there are fourteen Churches which is much in a Country of so little Devotion but that is not the most surprizing It is more admirable that these People should be so much against the Building of Mosques the King of Persia their Soveraign could never compass the Building of one at Tifflis The People rise presently and being armed ruine the Work and abuse the workmen they thought to build one at the Fort to accustom the People to the sight of
of Bellarmin and Suarez The means they use to make Proselytes are the pure Stories and Inventions of the Iesuites and false Reports and Prophecyes and pretended Inspirations of Womens Dreams as if Herod and Pilate were reconciled and had joyned to destroy Jesus Christ his Worship and his Religion In 1640 there was a design discover'd to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury That the Pope the Cardinal of Richlieu and several English Roman Catholicks but especially the Iesuites were engaged together and that what they proposed was to cause a Rebellion in Scotland as was done a little after this is certain for the Histories of those times have it all at length Sir William Boswel was then King Charles the First 's Resident at the Hague he was told of this Conspiracy and that the Roman Clergy misled the English giving them hopes of a Presbyterian Government That there were Indulgences from Rome and Dispensations from the Pope approved by a Congregation of Cardinals that suffered Scholars to be instructed to Dispute against the Episcopal Party and against the Liturgy of the Church of England That in the space of a years time 60 Priests and Fryars went from France to England to Preach the Scotch Doctrine and to endeavor to destroy the Bishops whom they looked upon as the only Supporters of the Crown Arch-bishop Bramhall being in France some time after the King's death learned there how this business was manag'd In 1646 about 100 Popish Clergymen crossed the Seas and being Mustered in the Parliament Army they kept Correspondence with the Catholicks that served the King and acquainted them with what passed every day The ensuing year having deliberated among themselves whether the King's death would not be an advantage to their Cause and main Business they concluded in the Affirmative But some Priests and Fryars were of opinion to Consult the Universities and among others that of Sorbonne which made Answer That for the good of Religion and Interest of the Church it was lawful to alter the Government especially in a Heretick Countrey and that so they might take off the King with a safe Conscience Father Salmone in his History of the Troubles of England Printed in France with the King's Priviledge makes mention of two Companys of Walloon Catholicks which the Parliament had in it's Service and that at Edge-Hill-Fight there were many Popish Priests found among the dead of their Army After all these Proofs if one does but consider the Principles of both Religions it will be easie to find the true Authors of King Charles's Death It is certain that the Reformed had not Pastors at the Court of Vienna nor in Italy nor in Spain to cause Rebellions or beset the Prince and make them violate the Priviledges of their Subjects But it must be confest that they were for a Common-wealth as their Adversaries accuse them and not that they did not obey a King as freely as they would States it was because they loved Peace and Liberty and that after the Example of Common-wealths they sought quietness suffering others to do as they please Their Doctrine and Discipline dispose them equally for a Peaceable Life All their Ministers may Marry and because this is a Grave and Staid State there are few but do Marry When one is engaged in such firm Tyes there are but few that think of Removing or Seeing and Travelling the World whereas those that serve the Roman Church have no greater engagement than that of a Mistress which they may break at pleasure and which they always do when a good occasion serves or when they are sent into other places by their Superiors Moreover the Popish Conspirations against Q. Elizabeth and King Iames the First without mentioning other Princes make it more suspicious that the Monks were the contrivers of King Charles's death What could not they do against a King who did not love them and that is certainly dead in the Profession of the Protestant Religion since they have Sacrificed the Repose and Restitution of both his Sons whereof the latter has declared in Ascending up to the Throne that he was of their Communion After a step of that consequence one should think that the Roman Church had reason to be satisfied and that they should study to blot out the remembrance of her past Cruelties by a more moderate and mild conduct But on the contrary it is well known how far the Jesuites have pushed this easie Prince and his Retractations are undoubted proofs of the Infringments they made him guilty of they may be seen in the Memorials of the English Protestants and in his Highness the Prince of Orange's now King William's Declaration which now are very common But if these Books and several others were lost and that one had but the King 's own Writing they would be sufficient to condemn that Society The Proofs that were brought that the Prince of Wales was but a CHEAT deserved to be otherwise destroyed than by Witnesses incapable of being heard to Swear according to the Laws of the Country Or of such as only heard a Woman Groan which they did not see or have seen a Child new-born without being sure that it was the Queen's To examin a business of this consequence and to prevent Civil Wars there ought to be a Free Parliament according to the Custom of the Nation And though all England desired it yet the Roman Catholicks stay'd the King a long time from calling it to give all along the marks of their bad intentions IV. It is time to give an Idea of each of these Treatises In the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England Dr. Wake follows the Bishop of Condom's Order and in explaining his Doctrine he shews wherein it agrees or disagrees with Popery as Mr. de Meaux explains it and according as the other Doctors Teach it There is a Preface in the beginning where the Author examins the Principle by which the Expositor pretends to justifie the Tenets of his Church which is that it is unjust to impute the consequences of a Tenet to Adversaries that deny them Which is true when they deny as well in deed as in word And thus the Contra-Remonstrancers are to be excused that make God the Author of Sin for this Inference can lawfully be made out of their System of Absolute Predestination Nor can it be imputed to the Lutherans that some of them believe that Iesus Christ ceased to be Man and was Transformed into a Deity after his Ascension though this is a clear consequence from the Doctrine of Ubiquity The reason is not that Contra-Remonstrants fear these consequences but because they do not influence neither their Worship nor their Practice and because they Teach contrary Doctrines to these Principles If in stead of this the first had maintained that a Man was but a Machine that had neither Liberty Vice nor Vertue nor Punishment nor Reward and that all is necessary to God himself And if the other affirms
which they quote the Arch-bishop Laud Iackson Feilding Hâ—ylin Hammond and M. Thorndike There is not one but has writ the contrary These are the Points whereon the Enemies of Protestants would make the Church of England pass for half Papists tho there is not one but was taught by other Reformed excepting Episcopacy And this Government is so ancient that even those who think Presbytery better ought not to condemn for some little difference in Discipline a Church that is otherwise very pure unless they are minded to anathematize St. Ignatius St. Clement St. Polycarp St. Irenaeus St. Cyprian and the whole Church of the second and third Age and a great part of the first Without question the Episcopal Clergy of England have the like Charity for Presbyterians I will not alledge the Testimonies of Modern Doctors nor of such as were accused of having favoured the pretended Puritans we see the Marks of its mildness and moderation towards all excepâ—ing some turbulent Spirits amongst 'em which indeed are too common in all Societies If there ever was a time wherein the Church of England differed from Presbytery and had reason so to do it was in the middle of the Reign of K. Iamss the First and notwithstanding you may see how the Bishop of Eli speaks writing for the King and by his Order against Cardinal Bellarmin One may see how much the Protestants of this Country agree by Harmony of their Confessions where each Church acknowledges wherein she agrees with the rest Then lay aside those odious Names seek our Professions of Faith in our Confessions The Reproach you make us concerning the Puritans is altogether absurd because their number is but small and the most moderate among them agree with us in the chief Articles of Religion The Scotch Puritans Confession has no Error in Fundamental Points so that the King might say with reason That the Establish'd Religion of Scotland was certainly true And as for the rest there 's no reason to suspect Dr. Wakes Testimony for the Bishop of London and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury have approved his Books None of the other Doctors contradicted him and some sided with him against Roman Catholicks And these last have not accused him of swerving from the common Doctrine of the Church of England only in the Article of the necessity of Baptism and he proves by several Authorities in his Defence of his Exposition what he therein advanced At the end of this Defence are several curious Pieces 1. A Comparison betwixt the Ancient and Modern Popery 2. An Extract of the Sentiments of Father Cresset and Cardinal Bona concerning the Devotion to the Blessed Virgin 3. The Letter of Mr. Imbert to Mr. de Meaux 4. The Epistle of St. Chrysostom to Caesarius with the Preface of Mr. Bigot which was suppressed at Paris in 1680. and a Dissertation of Dr. Wake upon Apollinarius's Sentiments and Disciples A DISCOURSE of the Holy EUCHARIST wherein the Real Presence and Adoration of the Host is treated on to serve for an Answer to two Discourses printed at Oxford upon this Subject With a Historical Preface upon the same Matter At London 1687. p. 127. in 4to DR Wake Minister of the Holy Gospel at London who is said to be the Author of this Book gives First In few words the History and Origine of Transubstantiation as it hath been ordinarily done amongst Protestants Secondly He names several Illustrious Persons of the Romish Church who have been accused of not believing the Real Presence or Transubstantiation to wit Peter Picherel Cardinal du Perron Barnes an English Benedictine and Mr. de Marca Arch-Bishop of Paris who gave his absolute Sentiment hereon in one of his Posthume Dissertations tho' in the Edition of Paris the places wherein he said it have been changed or blotted out But it could not be hindered but that this Work having appeared before Persons took notice of these Sentiments some entire Copies thereof have fallen into the hands of Protestants who got it printed in Holland in 1669. without cutting off any thing To these Authors are joined F. Sirmond the Iesuite who believed the Impanation and who had made a Treatise upon it which hath never been printed and whereof some persons have yet Copies M. de Marolles who got a Declaration printed in form in 1681. by which he declared that he believed not the Real Presence and which was inserted here in English And in short the Author of the Book Entituled Sure and honest means of Converting Hereticks whom we dare not affirm to be the same who published a Treatise of Transubstantiation which the Fifth Tome of the French Bibliotheque speaks of p. 455. The Cartesians and several others are suspected of not believing the same no more than the Protestants So that if the Catholicks cite some Reformed for them Protestants also want not Catholick Authors who have been of their Opinion Thirdly The Author sheweth the dangerous Consequences which arise according to the Principles of the Romish Church from the incredulity of so many Men of Knowledge be it in respect to Mass or in respect of the Infallibility and Authority of the Church The Treatise it self is divided into two parts The first contains two Chapters and an Introduction wherein is expounded the Nature and Original of the Eucharist much after the Ideas of Lightfoot In the first Chapter Transubstantiation is at large refuted by Scripture by Reason and the Fathers We shall make no stay at it because this Matter is so well known The Second Chapter is imployed to refute what Mr. Walker said concerning the Opinions of several Doctors of the Church of England upon the Real Presence Dr. Wake at first complains That his Adversary in that only repeats Objections which his Friend T. G. had before proposed in his Dialogues and which a Learned Man had refuted in an Answer to these Dialogues printed at London in 1679. As to what concerns the Faith of the Church of England which he maintains to have been always the same since the Reign of Edward He reduces it to this according to the Author who refuted T. G. viz. That she believes only a Real Presence of the invisible Power and grace of Iesus Christ which is in and with the Elements so that in receiving them with Faith it produces Spiritual and real Effects upon the Souls of Men. As Bodies taken by Angels continueth he may be called their Bodies whilst they keep them and as the Church is the Body of Iesus Christ because his Spirit animates and liveneth the Souls of the Believing so the Bread and Wine after the Consecration are the Real Body of Iesus Christ but spiritually and mystically He gives not himself the trouble to prove the solidity of this comparison by Scripture and when he comes to the Examination of the Authors that Mr. Walker hath quoted he contents himself to produce other Passages where they do not speak so vigorously of the participation of the substance of Iesus
Choice of such a Person as pleases us and who has an agreeable Temper It wou'd not be unpleasing to have her handsome but since 't is not very common to find such a one we ought to be contented if she please us whether she does others or no and that 't is not always advantageous for the Wife to please all the World But 't is not sufficient to be pleas'd with her Beauty except there be a Sympathy in Humours The Author advises us to study the Genius of those we design to marry that may the better succeed in spight of the Address that some make use of to hide their weakness he adds for the better security that we may choose one that is young and resides near our own habitation In the first place he advises to a choice in a well ordered Family and to observe the equality of Condition and Fortune and to take care that she has no such pre-engagements as may make her marry him by constraint To these things only which regard the Lover he adds two others for the choice of a Husband which relate both to Women and Children he adviseth them upon the whole to a conjugal Amity good Example Devotion and Moderation in the pleasures of the Bed and gives good reasons for what he says There is upon this subject also one of the elegant Epistles of Anthoninus de Guerre's Advice touching the Education of Children In fine we may say without flattering Mr. Chause that there appears in the whole Book the Character of an honest Man and good Christian without prejudicing his Favour we may see besides good Wit much reading of the ancient Poets many things that divert the Reader at the same time that they instruct him I believe that a good part of Mankind wou'd be glad that this Work might have the same Success that the discourse of Socrates had at Xenophon's Feast this great Philosopher so sensibly touch'd the Guests in speaking to 'em of Love that those amongst 'em who were yet Batchellors made Vows to marry and those that had Wives immediately took Horse and ran full speed home that they might soon embrace their Wives 'T is a good Observation that the Author who in his Book exhorted Men to marry says not a word to perswade Virgins to the same He well foresaw that this Silence would surprize some of his Readers therefore he has put 'em out of pain in the Preface by acquainting them that Virgins are sufficiently convinced of the necessity of Marriage therefore want no Exhortations thereto 't is certain says he that though a Virgin never proposes Marriage because of her modesty there is nothing she so passionately wishes for her Heart often gives her Mouth the Lye she often says I will not when sometimes she dyes for desire The rest of the Passage ought to be read The Lives of Saints and Saintesses drawn from the Fathers of the Church and Ecclesiastical Authors Tom. 11 4to at Paris 1687 with Approbation of the Doctors WE have not seen the first Volume of this Work but 't is sufficient to give an Idea to the Reader of it and the other Ten that are to follow because 't is apparent the Saints in Ianuary and other Months have not been less fruitful in Miâ—acles than those of February whose Lives are contained in this Second Tome But two of the Licensers assure us that the Author continues to give Marks therein of his Exactness and great Judgment Tho' the Month of February hath but 28 Days yet there are more than 60 Lives in this Volume without reckoning that one Life sometimes includes the History of several Saints They are all Edifying at least for those who suffer themselves to be gained rather by Declamations than solid Reasons who are only touched with Noble Actions rather than with what is related in a Sublime and Periodick Style In the Title the Authors which are made use of are commonly marked and the place is sometimes marked in the Margen Neither do the Licensers fail to say that tho' Men make a kind of Religion of Piously cheating others in the matter that the Author treateth on after having first abused themselves He on the contrary advanceth no fact but for which he hath Witnesses which cannot in Reason be denyed being perswaded that how bright soever the Actions of Saints are they alwayes makes less Impression upon the hearts of Men as soon as there is any Ground to doubt of them It were a thing to be desired that not only the Lives of the Ancients that have been Canonized were given to the Publick but also a compleat Ecclesiastical History written in a Style as pure as that of this Book Such another Work would be extreamly profitable providing the Author always kept the Character of an Historian and fell not into the ways of Preachers eâ—pâ—cially of the Catholicks It may be that Vertuous Actions that would be read therein would make more Impression upon the Mind and would more Efficaciously oblige the Readers to imitate them such is that which the Author relates of the Solitary Moses which Maria Queen of the Sarazins asked of the Emperour Valens to be Bishop of the Christians of her Nation He was brought to Lucius Bishop of Alexandria who was an Arian to be Consecrated but Moses would not receive from him the Imposition of Hands because he had dipped them in Blood and defiled them by the Death of a great many Saints Lucius who imagined that the refusal of this Hermit came from this that he believed him an Heretick answered him That not knowing which was the Faith it was against Justice that he should thus treat him before he knew him Your Faith replyed Moses shews it self clearly by your Actions So many Servants of God banished so many Priests and Deacons Relegated into Countries where Jesus Christ is not known exposed as a Prey to wild Beasts or consumed by Fire are convincing proofs of the Impiety of your Belief For we know that these Excesses are infinitely opposed to Jesus Christ and unworthy of all those who have the Sentiments which they ought to have Ethelbert was made a Saint who was first King of Kent that embraced Christianity and he certainly deserves it were it for nothing but the Sweetness with which he received the Preachers Pope Gregory I sent him The Monk Augustine was the chief of them and was accompanied with Forty others Before they came into England he stopped in the Isle of Thanet which is on the East of the Province of Kent whence he sent word to the King that he came from Rome to bring excellent News to those that would believe him and would follow the Advices he would give them seeing they would be certain to Reign everlastingly with the True God and of enjoying Heaven and all manner of Happyness Some time after the King himself went to meet those Missioners and speak to them in these terms These are fine words and
great hopes that you give us But these things are new and uncertain and consequently I cannot embrace such a Religion to the prejudice of that which we have profest for so long a time Yet as you are come so far off and according as I can judge only design to make us share of what you look upon as best and most advantageous we will do you no displeasure but rather receive you favourably into our State and procure you an Establishment to live therein We shall not hinder you to preach the Faith of your Religion and to Proselyte all that you can He kept the same Moderation after he had Embraced Christianity and having learned saith the Author after venerable Beda from the Ministers of the Gospel that Piety towards the true God is a thing altogether voluntary and that all the Authority of Men cannot inspire he would exercise no Empire upon the Minds nor force any body to make Profession of Christian Religion contenting himself to Testifie a greater Bounty to those that were converted of themselves There is another Moses towards the Latter end of the 4th Age who was an Ethiopian and who from a Captain of Robbers became chief of the Hermits of Thebaides He betook himself afterwards to the exercise of a Penitence more marvellous than imitable But instead of falling into Pride that excessive Austerities ordinarily inspire to those that practise them he kept alwaies much Humility in calling to mind his past Crimes One of the Monks of Siete having committed a considerable Error and all his Fraternity being gathered to judge him Moses was called thereto with the rest He at first refused it and after not being able to put it off whilst all excepted him he loaded himself with a Basket full of Sand and went in this State to the place of Assembly They all were very much surprized asked him what he would do with the Basket I carry said he my Sins behind me which hinders me from seeing them Yet ye will establish me Judge of other Folks Sins when I cannot see my own A Collection of several Pieces of Eloquence and Poetry presented to the French Academy for the Prizeâ— of 1687 upon St. Lewis day with Orations the same day at the reception of Mr. Abbot de Choisy in the place of Mr. Le Duc de St. Aignan At Paris Sold by Peter le Petit 1677 and at Amsterdam by Henry Desbord in 12s TO say that Mr. De Fontenelle hath aspired to the Prize of Eloquence the Distribution whereof is made every Two Years by the Judgment of the French Academy and to say that he hath carried this Prize is the same thing For if he is so much distinguished by the Excellent Works that he hath given the Publick nothing can come from his Pen which is not immediately followed with a general Approbation The Academy alone gave him the Prize which no body could reasonably contest about It Assembled according to Custom last St. Lewis's day which is the 25 th of August and the Discourse of Mr. Fontenelle Upon Patience and its opposite Vice was proposed by the Deceased Mr. De Balzâ—c for the Prize of Eloquence To undertake to give here an Abridgment of this Discourse would be the same thing as to take away the greatest part of its Grace Those that will have the Curiosity of seeing it as undoubtedly its very well worth the while will find it in this Collection He will not have much difficulty to find out the Character of the Illustrious Author of the Dialogues of the Dead of the Plurality of Worlds c. Every where he commands this happy turn that he knoweth so well to give to things the same Elevation of Thoughts the same Purity of Expressions Can there be any thing more Ingenious but at the same time more True than what he saith to shew how much corrupt Reason and divine Revelation are opposed O blindness of Nature O Heavenly Lights of Religion how contrary you are Nature by its inordinate Motions augments our Grief and Religion teaches us to profit by 'em by the Patience it inspires us with If we believe the one we add to necessary Evils a voluntary Evil and if we follow the Instructions of the other we draw from those necessary Evils the greatest of all Goods All this Discourse should be copied if we should remark all the fine places of it Nothing weak appears in it nothing languisheth in it and it 's difficult in reading it not to conclude that if the Academy hath done Justice to Mr. de Fontenelle on this occasion it may also very soon acknowledge his Merit after a more solemn manner whilst receiving him into its Bosome it will give him the place that great Men whose Name he bears have so worthily enjoyed But what Honour soever the Prize doth to Mr. Fontenelle the Prize he hath already carried to wit the Ode of Madamoiselle de Houlieres was Crowned the same day is still more Glorious to him What a wonder to see a person of her Sex in so tender an Age to Triumph over so many Learned Rivals who expected nothing less than such a defeat We should scarcely believe it if these words that are at the end of her Poem Non degeneres progenerant Aquilae Columbam did not teach us that she being Daughter to the Illustrious Madam des Houlierâ— it could not be that so great a Desert as hers should not pass unto her The Subject given for the Prize of Poetry was about the Education of Nobilitg in the Schools of Gentlemen and in the House of St. Cyr. They read in the Academy two pieces of Prose and Verse which have carried the Prize but they were not satisfied to print them in this Collection there have been joyned two pieces of each sort which tho' they were not honoured with a Prize have nevertheless their Beauty A Discourse on the praise of the King sent by the Academy of Soissons to that of Paris an Epistle to the King of Mr. Perraust and some other pieces in Verse are found at the end of this Collection But at the beginning were placed two Discourses delivered in the Academy the same day which was that of the Reception of Mr. Abbot de Choisy in place of Mr. le Duc de St. Aignan and I believe it will not be amiss to give it here A Discourse in the French Academy by Mr. Abbot de Choisy SIRS IF the Laws of the Academy suffered me I should this day keep a respectful Silence I should imitate the new Cardinals who in taking of their place in the Sacred College forbear speaking for some time and I should think on nothing but holding my peace untill you should teach me to speak But Custom must be obeyed my acknowledgment must appear and what Expressions must I make use of to shew it to you altogether How shall I Express the joy I feel in seeing my self Associated to all that is Great
proves the truth of the Christian Religion the falseness of Paganism and Mahometanism Imperfection of the Religion of the Jews and the excellency of that of Jesus Christ whom he shews in four large Sermons to be the true Messia Afterwards he explains all that is contained in the second article of the Creed In the two last he shews the Justice and certainty of a day of Judgment In fine the 34th treats all along of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost The third Volume contains 45 Sermons which treat mostly of Morals The three first are upon those texts of the Scripture which command us to do all in the Name of Jesus Christ and in Imitation of him The six following shew the Submission which we ought to have to the will of God and contentment of mind to which the Apostle gives so great praises The 10th and 11th treat of patience and joy the 12th and 13th on the study of a mans self the 14th and 15th of the thoughts of our latter end the 16th and 17 of the danger of deferring repentance the 18th and from thence to the 22th of the labours and employments of all sorts of persons of whatsoever condition they may be the 23d of the depth of the Judgment of the Almighty the four following of the obedience we owe to our spiritual Guide the 28th and the following to the 31st of self-love and its different kinds the 32d and unto the 35th to do nothing but what is honest in the eyes of the world the three following of the goodness of God and that he is no respecter of persons the 39th and unto the 42th of the Universality of Redemption and the three last of the birth and passion of Jesus Christ and of the gift of the Holy Ghost Besides what we have said of the method of Dr. Barrow which is that that is at this day observed by the most able Divines of the English Church 't will not be amiss to observe that by the application he hath made to the Mathematicks he has formed to himself a habit of writing very exactly avoiding unuseful digressions and making use of Solid proofs rather than Rhetorical figures according to the Custom of many Preachers who apply themselves rather to a plausible eloquence than the Solidity of sound reasons It was thought necessary to give this account lest the Publick should be displeased with the name of Sermon which was so dreadful for three Volumes in folio to contain nothing else Those who have been in England and have had any knowledge of the writings of the Divines of that Country know the esteem in which our Author is there but to satisfie in some manner those who understand not English I shall here give an extract of the 8th Sermon in the 2d Book where the Author proves the existence of God by the Consent of all Nations Lactantius After having cited many Heathen and Christian Authors against Atheism he brings the testimony of all People and Nations which agree almost in nothing but the belief of a Divinity Testimonium Populorum atque Gentium in Vna hac re non dissidentium this is of great force whether it be considered in it self or by the relation to its Original An Antient Philosopher ranged probable things in this order that which seems true to some learn'd persons is in some sort probable that which appears so to the greatest part or to all the Learned is most probable what is believed by most men both Learned and Ignorant is yet more likely but what all men consent to has the greatest probability of truth so that one must be very extravagantly obstinate to have the boldness to deny it there is no man in the World can by his reasons only ballance the constant authority of all men If any one by a Spirit of contradiction or otherwise should undertake to prove that Snow is black as did Anaxagoras or maintain motion impossible as Zeno did or that contradictory assertions may be true at the same time as Heraclitus did That there remains no other means to refute such a man because he hath rejected the most evident principles and opposes himself to the Universal consent of Mankind if he refuses such a concession all that we can do is to look upon him rather with pity than contempt We ought to have very convincing and clear reasons to resist the common suffrage of all men and accuse them equally of error To illustrate this still more or rather to demonstrate the Thesis upon which it is founded it is necessary to cite the testimonies of some Heathen Philosophers which cannot be suspected on this occasion The consent of all men saith Seneca is of very great weight to us 't is an argument a thing is true when it appears so to all the World thus we conclude there is a Divinity because that all men believe it there being no Nation however corrupted which denies it Cicero says the same thing in several places and observes further that many Nations had extravagant opinions of the Divinity yet they all agree in this that there is one eternal power on which all men have their dependance In violent disputes saith Maximus of Tyre in contestations and divers opinions which are amongst men one may see a Law and Doctrine equally established in all Nations that there is a God which is King and Father of all men and that there are many Gods Sons of this Supream Being which Reign with him This is confess'd by the Greeks and Barbarians the Inhabitants of all places both Learn'd and Ignorant There are many like Witnesses and if any Philosophers have contradicted this general consent they are so few in number that according to the foresaid Author they ought to be looked upon as Monsters as an Oxe without Horns and a Fowl without Wings If we should consider the Original of this common Opinion we should acknowledge it yet more solid for in fine this consent can proceed but from one of these four things Where there is a thought which is the result of a natural Instinct as the most evident principles of the Sciences and the desire we have to be happy as Cicero and many other Philosophers have declared Where we have a natural disposition to receive this Impression as our eyes are naturally disposed to see the Light as soon as it appears as Iulian himself said Where some strange reason that presents it self to the minds of men even the grossest and what depends chiefly upon common notions hath produced this consent as Plutarch has it Where in fine some ancient Tradition that came from the same source has spread this opinion through all the earth according to the thoughts of some others There can be no other way Imagined by which this opinion hath been received amongst all men who are so much inclined to judge diversly of the same thing now chuse which of these ways you will our reasons are equally strong and
other Iames Hamilton They went into Ireland by order of the King of Scotland to form some agreement with the Protestant Nobility of that Country intending thereby to assure himself of that Kingdom in case Q. Elizabeth died suddenly The better to cover their enterprise and to give no Umbrage to a Queen extreamly suspitious they set themselves to teach Latin at Dublin where at that time 't was very rare to find persons learn'd in Humanity Vsher having profited very much by them in a little time seem'd to have a particular inclination to Poetry which he afterwards chang'd into as great a desire of understanding History that which created this inclination in him was reading these words of Cicero Nescire quid antra quam natus sis acciderit id est semper esse puerum his Annals and his other writings sufficiently shew what progress he had made in this study whereof he has given sensible proofs in his Infancy Being in the University of Dublin establish'd principally by the care of Henry Vsher his Uncle Archbishop of Ardmagh He set himself to read the Fortalitium fidei of Stapleton which made him resolve to apply himself to the reading of the Fathers to see if this Author had cited them faithfully he began to put this design in execution at 20 years old and continued this Study without intermission for 18 years obliging himself to read every day a certain task His Father had a mind to divert him from it and engage him to Study the Law to which our Prelate had no inclination but in 1598. he dying soon after left his Son at Liberty to chuse what manner of life was most pleasing to him he was the eldest son of the family and the estate his Father left was considerable enough to make him apply all his time in Domestick affairs This made him resolve to put off this trouble and to remit the Estate to his Brother with orders to give to his Sisters what their Father had left them reserving only to himself what would maintain him in the University with a sufficiency to buy himself some Books Whilst he was at the University and but yet 18 years old he disputed against a Jesuit call'd Fitz-Symmons and overcame him in two conferences which made this Jesuit afterwards in a Book Intituled Britannomachia call him the most learn'd of those who are not Catholicks A-Catholicorum Doctissimum he made so great a progress in the first years that he apply'd himself to Divinity that his Uncle Archbishop of Ardmagh ordain'd him Priest at the 21 year of his Age. This ordination was not conformable to the Canons but the extraordinary merit of young Vsher and the necessities of the Church made him believe it was not necessary to stay till the age mark'd out by the Ecclesiastical Laws of Ireland He preach'd then at Dublin with very great applause he particularly devoted himself to the controversies which were between the Protestants and Roman Catholicks he treated on them so clearly and with so much solidity that he confirm'd many wavering Protestants and prevailed with many Roman Catholicks to embrace the Protestant Faith But amongst those who rank'd themselves in the Protestant Churches there was a great number that were not so sincere as he could have wished them they did all they could to obtain the publick exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion at Dublin that they might insensibly have had the Liberty to make a profession of their true Sentiments Vsher who believ'd that this toleration wou'd be of a very dangerous consequence oppos'd it with all his might and one day as he Preacht upon this matter with great zeal he spoke something which then no notice was taken of but 40 years after it was found to be a true Prophecy he took his Text upon these words of Ezek. ch 4. v. 5. And thou shalt bear the Iniquity of the house of Judah 40 days I have appointed thee a day for a year He applied these days to Ireland and said that he who reckon'd from this year to 40. should find that the Protestants of Ireland should bear the Iniquity of those who were for a toleration in these times this was in 1601. and 40 years were no sooner expired 1641. but the Irish Catholicks made a bloody Massacre upon the Protestants He never wholly discontinued to Preach whilst he was in Ireland altho he was Professor of Divinity in that University but he accustom'd himself to make a Voyage every three years into England where he found a greater variety of Books than in Ireland there he past one part of his time at Oxford another at Cambridge and another at London and carefully visited all their publick and particular Libraries he made collections of what Books he there read and made remarks upon them with a design to make a work that he had resolved to Intitule A Theological Bibliotheque wherein he had treated very accurately of all the Ecclesiastical Antiquities but the misfortunes of Ireland and the Civil Wars of England hinder'd him from finishing it he ordered when he died that it should be put into the hands of Mr. Laugbaine Dr. of Divinity to supply what was wanting and publish them to the World This learn'd man engag'd himself forthwith in this useful work but he died before he finished it 1657. There is yet to be seen in the Bodleyane Bibliotheque his Manuscripts which no man dares undertake to finish In 1615. there was a Parliament in Ireland and an assembly of the Clergy where certain Articles were compos'd touching Religion and Ecclesiastical Discipline Vsher who was the chief in it caus'd it to be sign'd by the Chancellor of Ireland and by the Orators of the Assembly of the Bishops and of the Clergy King Iames approved of 'em also altho' there was some difference between these and the Articles of the Church of England some ill dispos'd persons and it may be Roman Catholicks took occasion from that to spread evil reports of Vsher. They accused him of Puritanism which was no little Heresie in the opinion of the King they also made use of this artifice to render those odious who appear'd the most capable of opposing the progress that the Missionaries of Rome endeavoured to make in Ireland Indeed the people knew not what this word signified and wherein Heresie consisted but it was known the King mortally hated Puritans and that was sufficient to make 'em look upon these Puritans as most dangerous Hereticks 't was this that obliged an Irish Divine to write to Vsher who was that time in England that it would not be amiss to desire the King to define Puritanism that all the World might know those who were tainted with this strange Heresie but Vsher had no need to make use of this way to justifie himself some conversations that he had with the King setled so good an opinion of him that the Bishopprick of Meath in Ireland being vacant the King gave it him immediately and
Mr. Nicole that Jesus Christ came into this World we must examine according to the Cartesiaen method whether the Gospel be a feigned Book or no and hear all that is said by the Wicked upon this Subject and examine all the moral demonstrations whereon the certainty of things done is grounded Moreover we must be assured by Philosophical reasons and by good answers to Spinoza's Systeme that Man acts freely that he has an immortal Soul and that God prepares pains and recompences Where are Tradesmen or Peasants who are capable of so long a dispute pushed to a contradictory decree So that this cannot be the way to answer well for if we did but retain one or two Articles of our Creed we should have enough to do to render our selves certain of them according to des Cartes method And all this shews that Mr. Nicoles principle ought not to be applyed to matters of Religion And he is shewn several other very inconvenient consequences of this principle and it is concluded that Faith does not depend upon an examen of discussion but upon an examen of attention the effects whereof are Learnedly explained in shewing the manner how Divine Truths are imprinted in our understanding this is very fine and gives us a second example of Mr. Iurieu's sincerity for without troubling himself whether Mr. Nicole will brag of having obliged the Ministers to quit their ground he leaves him wholly to the examin of discussion and maintains that this was not what he ought to have disputed against and he answers an objection of Mr. de Meaux whether there be a time wherein a Christian may doubt of the Truths of Scripture and that according to the Principles of the reformed Church Let us say a word upon the last Book of this answer the Author has not so much indifference for Mr. Nicole but he has taken care to hinder his too great brags of the full victory that he has had in several cases upon the examen of discussion and says that this victory is but of little use to Papists but that it furnisheth Weapons to Libertines and Pagans to combate the Christian Religion Moreover he is not of Opinion that all the Arguments that were thundered against the examen of discussion are good and as to what concerns the way of feeling and this ray that he has so much laught at he is shewn that there is no reason to be so merry upon that word that there are really things in Scripture which are known by the way of feeling and that it is no sufficient Argument against it to say that it deceives Hereticks daily for the Author says if it deceives them it is because it is not assisted by an interiour Grace from the Holy Ghost as when we feel the light of Truth besides this he maintains that the most simple were able to know what was requisite to make them quit the Roman Communion In fine he shews the analysis of Faith according to St. Augustine and he answers Mr. Nicole in several things concerning the calling of the first Reformers and the Schism whereof some would fain have convinced them he answers him I say in all this and accuseth him of a thousand frivolous quibbles unworthy both of a Man of Honour and a witty Man I do not doubt but many of my readers may not understand what the analysis of Faith is Let us then say that we understand by these words the reducing of Faith to its first principles that it is a Metaphor borrow'd from Chymists who call Analysis the Operation that disunites the parts of a compound body setting apart the ingredients until they come to the most simple parts so to make the Analysis of Faith is nothing else but to mount by degrees to its beginning and to the first reasons whereon it is grounded and in this the Religions of the West are very different for tho' it is very true that the Protestants and Catholicks being questioned why they believe the Trinity agree in answering that it is because God has revealed it in Scripture but if you ask them this other question how they do know that God has revealed it in Scripture their answer will be very different the Catholick will answer that it is because he is told that the Roman Church finds the meaning of Trinity in certain passages of Scripture but the Protestant will say it is because he finds that these passages signify the Trinity whence it follows that the Faith of a R. C. is grounded on the Authority of the Church that of a Protestant upon the very Light which he finds in the Object proposed by Scripture There are but few who trouble themselves with this Analysis they content themselves well enough with believing what they have a feeling of Moreover it is a great question with Roman Catholicks whether in the Analysis of Faith they must stop at the Pope or go on to the Council Gregory of Valence in his Analysis Fidei Catholicae maintains firmly that they are to stop at the Pope But Mr. Holden an English Man by Nation and a famous Doctor of Sorbonne holâ—s for the Council in his Divinae fidei Analysis seu de fidei Christianae resolutione which has been re-printed lately at Paris with some additions A Lutheran Professor called Hannekenius refutes the Jesuite in the year 1683 by publishing paralysis fidei Papaeae I do not know whether he will publish such another Paralysis against the Doctor of Sorbonne Mr. Iurieu put at the end of his Book a short answer to what Mr. Ferrand published against the Parallel of Papism and Calvinism if this Article had not passed the bounds already we could give a short extract of this short answer it is admirable and discomforts this Author who to speak the truth has not answered the hopes that the Catholicks of this Country conceived of his Work they were a little surprized with the stroke they received from the parallel and they expected that Mr. Ferrand that was chosen to revenge their common Mother would acquit himself well of the Office but they experienced that he did not hold to what the Church promised it self of him Non illum nobis genetrix pulcherrima talem promisit The Accomplishment of Prophesies or the Deliverance of the Church near at hand c. Corrected and Augmented almost a third part with the Explication of all the Visions of the Apocalypse By the S P. J. PEPETH A. R. at Rotterdam by Abraham Achers 1686. 2. Vol. in 12. THis Work has made such a noise that there are two thousand Copies disposed of in four or five Months and yet there are but a very few gone into France which would have taken off a great many if it were suffered that it might be disposed of there this considerable part of Europe being almost nothing by report in respect of the Booksellers Trade one would think that the first Edition should have sufficed nevertheless there was soon occasion
the most displeasing Tenets of his Sect to put their grosser abuses in Oblivion and finally to bury the most part of School Disputes It was hard to think that a Man supported by all that is great in his Communion whereof he seemed the Oracle should Write to deceive his Fellow-Citizens or that he should think that a bare Exposition of the Doctrin of his Church should be capable to bring back into its Bosom them that had quitted it with so much reluctancy and remained in it in spight of what could be inflicted upon them The Tenets of Rome are not taught in the Indies nor in America nor are we to learn from the uncertain relations of some ignorant Travellers We see its Practices and Devotions before our Eyes The Books of their Doctors are told in every place and most part of our Reformers were either Bishops Priests or Fryars so that neither they nor their Disciples can be ignorant neither of what the Romish Church Believes nor of what it Practises besides the Ministers have no reason to dissemble in their Opinions because the Clergy of it gain far more than those of any other Communion This Reflexion might make M. de Meaux's sincerity very doubtful who declares at the very beginning That he Designs to render the Tenets of the Catholick Church more clear than they are and to distinguish them from such as are falsly imputed to it Nevetheless the Reformed being brought up in a Religion which inspires true Faith and being otherwise moved to desire a Re-union in hopes to see the end of their Miseries fancy'd that the Accusation of this Bishop was but a pretext he used to cast out of his Creed what is troublesom and hard to believe Besides the noise of an Agreement between the Two Religions which was a long time sown among the People and whereof divers ' Ministers were made to draw the Project M. de Meaux and his followers slipt many words which were general Promises of a Reformation upon condition of Re-union If it appears now that there was not the least shadow of sincerity in all the Promises that the Roman Catholicks made and that at that very time the clear-sighted could soon discover that it was but a pure cheat the Reformed cannot be praised enough for not trusting to them nor can the others be blamed enough that make nothing of playing with what is most sacred when they have a design to cheat the simple To know whether M. de Meaux be of this Number as several Protestants pretend and endeavour to prove in shewing the opposition of his Sentiments with those of the other Doctors of his Communion it will not be unprofitable to know the History of his Book because it may be commonly perceived by the way that a design is managed which is the end proposed M. Turenne who saw a long time that his Religion was a hinderance to his Fortune would have been very glad if he could accommodate himself to the Romish Religion But the vile Practices of this Church seem so strange to those who are brought up in other Principles that he could not persuade himself to join with a Society that imposed such ridiculous Superstitions upon its Votaries to cure him of this Scruple M. de Meaux published a small Writing wherein he strained himself to shew That these small Devotions were not of the Essence of the Catholick Doctrine and that one might live and die in its Communion without practicing them This Work or rather the King's Caresses and Liberalities having had Success which all People know our Prelate was of Opinion That he could work the same effect upon others and resolved to print this Manuscript that remained written four years before and to add to it divers Sections as that of the Lord's Supper of Tradition of the Authority of the Church and Pope and obtained the approbation of the Bishop of Rheims and of some other Bishops Sorbonne these several Ages has been looked upon as the source of the French Divinity it 's therefore that not only the Doctors of this University but also Bishops and other Clergy are glad to have the approbation of that famous House at the beginning of what Books they write of Religion M. of Condom had that design but he did not speed for having sent his Exposition as soon as it came from the Press to some of the Doctors of Sorbonne instead of approving the Work they marked several Places either contrary to or favouring but in a very little the Doctrine of their Church So that Edition was presently suppressed and another was composed wherein the Passages were changed that were marked by the Censurers This could not be managed so secretly but the Reformed came to know it Mr. Noguier and M. de la Bastide who knew the Edition that was published and this last did not fail to remark the Alteration that the Author made in the Manuscript and in the suppressed Edition They also reproached him that the true Roman Catholicks were but little pleased at his Moderation and one of them finish'd the Refutation of his Book before any Protestant had Printed his but he was not forbidden to publish it M. de Meaux's Credit was great enough to stifle the direct Answer that those of his own Party made to him But he could not hinder them that were dissatisfy'd from taking an indirect course and to say what they thought and even to refute him The Iesuites and the Friars sharp maintainers of the Superstitions that enrich them could not forgive him at all Father Maimbourg in his History of Lutheranism drew this Prelates Character and criticiz'd on his Book under the Name of Cardinal Contarini and of one of his Works and says well That these Agreements and Managements of Religion in these pretended Expositions of Faith which either suppress or do express in doubtful terms a part of the Doctrine of the Church neither satisfie one side nor the other who equally complain of swerving in a matter so momentous as that of Faith Father Cresset gave this Bishop a more sensible stroke in his Book of the true Devotion to the Blessed Virgin printed at Paris in 4to in the Year 79. with priviledge from the King and the Arch-bishops leave and the consent of his own Provincial and of three Iesuites that are the Censurers of all the Works of that Society The Dauphins Tutor was too powerful an Adversary to be opposed directly But a Writer of lesser Authority that adopted the Opinion of this Prelate touching the Invocation of Saints and Worship of Images felt the weight of Father Cresset's Anger This Author was a German Gentleman called M Widenfelt intendant of the Prince of Suarzemberg and his Book was Entituled Monita Salutaria B. Virginis wholsom Advices of the Blessed Virgin to her indiscreet Votaries This Book made much noise in the World especially after the Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Tournay wherein he recommends this Book to his People as full
a general Critique of all this History to which he adds some Reflections upon M. le Grand It was translated into French and had been published long ago had not M. le Grand busied himself in making a small Book against a Letter of Dr. Burnet and against the Extract of his History of Divorce The Author of this Bibliotheque had begun to Answer it but this xi Tome of the Bibliotheque which lay upon him alone and which could not be put by made him discontinue yet 't is hop'd that the Publick will lose nothing by this delay but may see once more if God be pleased to lend him health and give him leisure to shew that M. de Meaux is none of the sincâ—rest in the World And yet this Prelate has subject to reason himself since those who approve his Works have as little sincerity as himself At least Mr. Wake shews that what the Cardinals Capisucchi and Bona teach in their Works is a very different Doctrine from that of the Catholick Exposition concerning the Invocation of Saints and the Worship of Images Dr. Wake 's Adversaries were so long silent that the Dispute was thought ended but at last they broke silence about the middle of the year 1687 when was publisht a Reply to the Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England with a second Letter from M. de Meaux Dr. Wake a little after that made his 2d Defence which he divided into two parts in the first he justifies all that he advanced concerning the Expositions of M. de Meaux He brings many Historical Proofs of the difference between the old and new Papism or between the Speculative Doctrine of M. de Meaux and of the other Doctors of the Catholick Church and their common practice And examins in particular what Rome Teaches concerning the Worship of Images The Second Part runs upon the Nature and Object of the Divine Service upon the Invocation of Saints and upon Images and Relicks and upon the accusation of Idolatry which the Protestants charge the Roman Church with III. M. de Meaux's Apologist believed that to be even with Dr. Wake he should make a History of Controversies and presently runs upon Generalities that are not to the purpose he speaks of the Roman Catholicks Zeal and of the different methods that Rome has made use of to bring back those who have left her Communion but he has forgot the chiefest of them at least that which had most success which is her Persecution Then he comes to England jumps from the Monk Augustin to Henry the VIII makes some Reflections upon the Duke of Sommerset and on Queen Elizabeth and then like Lightning passes to the Reign of Queen Mary and then to Iames the 1 st to Charles the 2 d and then to Iames the 2 d. These Preambles gave Dr. Wake occasion to speak of several remarkable things which would be too tedious to mention here It will be enough to Remark two of the most important The First relates to the Dissentions of the Episcopal Party and the Presbyterians and the other to the Murther of Charles the 1 st 1. As to the First He acknowledges that many of those whom the Persecution of Q. Mary had Exiled were obstinate in the Form of Religion which they saw abroad but that this Spirit of Schism was fomented by Roman Catholicks who mix themselves with them pretending to be of their number In effect it was by the Roman Catholicks in 1588 that the Puritans begun to make a noise the Chief of them being Commin Heath Hallingham Coleman Benson were all Papists who thus dissembled and disguised themselves as appeared by a Letter which dropped out of Heath's pocket And it was discover'd that the Roman Catholicks had Colledges in Germany France Spain and Italy wherein the Students were brought up in Sciences and Mechanick Arts and they exercised twice a week to Dispute for and against Independents Anabaptists and Atheism it self After which they sent them to England to play the best game that they understood A Iesuit of St. Omers acknowledged that there were some of the Fathers of their Society hid for Twenty years among Quakers which is likely enough because the scruple these Fanaticks make of Swearing gives the Fryars the means of living among them being so exempted from the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy In 1625. the Jesuites published a Book Intituled Mysteria Politica or the Letters of some famous persons designing to break the League that divers Princes of Europe made against the House of Austria it contained Eight Letters equally injurious to France and England to the Venetians Hollanders and Swissers In the last the Author that counterfeited the Protestant forgot nothing which he thought proper to give a mean Idea of King Iames and to sow division between this Prince his Son and the Princess Palatine and between the Lords of the Parliament the Clergy of the Church of England and the Puritane Ministers Upon the Civil Wars of England and the death of King Charles the First Mr. Wake acknowledges that the fear of seeing Popery re-established made the People take Arms who since the Reformation had always horror for this Superstitious Worship But he maintains that the Papists were the first Authors of the troubles M. du Moulin Doctor of Divinity and Chaplain to King Charles the II. accused the Roman Catholicks with this a little after the Re-establishment of this Prince and not contented to prove it in his Answer to the Philanax Anglicus he offered to prove it legally or by Law there were then many alive that were ready to Swear that there was held a Consultation of Cardinals and Doctors of Sorbonne wherein it was declared That it was lawful for the English Roman Catholicks to push the King on to his ruin thereby to endeavor the Change of Religion and Government The Roman Catholicks instead of taking this Challenge made use of King Charles's Authority to hinder Mr. Moulin to press for the decision of this Suit And though the Book and Accusation remained without Answer for 17 years The Author renewed the Challenge in a Second Edition of his Work and dyed without being Answered none having Courage to undertake it They that do not understand English will find the most part of M. Moulin's proofs in the Politicks of the Clergy in the last endeavors of afflicted innocence And in Mr. Iurieu's Parallel betwixt Calvinism and Popery with some new reasons of the Author to which if we add what Mr. Wake has here the conjecture will be more than probable 1. In the beginning of the Troubles the King perceived that the Fanaticks were set on by the Papists Their Principles says he in his Declaration against the Rebels of Scotland are those of the Iesuites their Preachers Sermons are the style of Becan Scioppius and Eudaemon Joannes from whom they borrow their very Phrases The pitiful Arguments of their Seditious Libels are drawn word by word out
Stars the Chaldeans knew how to Divine by the Flight and Notes of Birds by Dreams Prodigies and Entrails of Victims according to the report of Diodorus R. Moses Son of Maimon affirms the same thing in his More Nebochim and also attributes to 'em other ways of divining the Names whereof are in Deut. 18.10 11. The Physicks of the Chaldeans was call'd Magic There was two Sorts thereof one Natural and the other Theurgick The first was only a knowledg of the Virtue of Simples of the disposition of Animals and of the Power of Minerals But this knowledg was mixt with many Superstitious Opinions if we may believe Maimonides who hath discoursed their Operations at large and in our Author we may read his Words Such was their Opinions concerning the Talismans which are certain Figures or Letters graved at certain times that they believed 'em able to defend 'em from divers Evils In the Persian Tongue they are called Tsilmenaja and in Arabick Tsalima Words that come from the same root with the Hebrew Tselein which signifies an Image This may be seen in Gaffarel's Book entituled Vnheard of Curiosities They also call'd that Tsilmenaja that the Hebrews call'd Teraphim which were little Statues that answered to what they said when they consulted them concerning the event of things to come Onkelas a Chaldean Paraphrast always Translated the Word Teraphim for that of Tsilmenaia and the seventy Translated it by the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evident or Significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illuminations Spencer may be consulted upon this of Vrim and Thummim The Theurgick Magick of the Chaldeans consisted only in the knowledg of the Ceremonies that ought to be observed in the Worship of the Gods to be agreeable and pleasing to 'em and to obtain what they desir'd of ' em Iulian the Father and Iulian the Son Chaldean Philosophers who lived under Mr. Antoninus explain'd this Science in many Greek Books both in Verse and Prose as Suidas tells us They thought by the means of these Ceremonies they were able to entertain the Celestial Intelligences and even cure all Indispositions both of Body and Mind We shall observe one of these Ceremonies the Sacrifice whereof is very Considerable There was two sorts of Apparitions one of which was call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Superficial View by the Greek Interpreters of this Philosophy It was when the Gods appear'd under some Figure Then they ought to have no respect to nor receive any advertisement from 'em as true The same Author calls the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a view of the same thing when they saw a pure light without any form and the Answer they received from it was true Thus the Oracles speak in these Terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When you shall see the Sacred Fire without Form Burning from place to place by all the Mysteries of Heaven hearken to the voice of it As the Theurgy had Apparitions of good Demons so they served to Chase away Material ones and hinder them from Injuring them 4. One may reduce the Religion of the Chaldeans to three kinds The first is a worship of the true God but after an Idolatrous Manner The second the Worship of Demons and Spirits and the third is that of Celestial Bodies and the Elements The Chaldeans as hath been already observ'd acknowledging one only Principle of all things all powerful and good it follows that they must acknowledg the true God and 't is for this Reason that an Oracle that Porphiry cites joyns them to the Jews and says that there 's none but the Chaldeans and the Jews that adore that God and King who subsists by himself But the Chaldeans adored him under the Name of an Idol that they call'd Bel which is the same as Baal of the Phenicians The Iews also Worship'd him under the same Name in the time of the Kings and were reprehended for it by the Prophet Hosea who tells them in the Name of the God of Israel you shall no more call me My Baali Ch. 2.16 Those who instructed the Greeks in the Opinions and Customs of the Chaldeans wou'd have it that they call'd the Supream Divinity Bel they gave him the Name of Zeus which was the Name that the Greeks gave to the Chief of their God's Altho Bel or Belus might be an Ancient King the same with Zeus it hapned in length of time that these Names were join'd to the Idea of the first Principle of all things that is to say to the Idea of the true God Hence Aratus speaking of Iupiter says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are of his Offspring St. Paul makes it no difficulty to apply these Words to the true God Acts. 17. Thus Clement Alexandrinus remarks upon these Words of St. Peter Serve God but not as the Gentiles Thus this Apostle does not say serve not the God that the Gentiles Worship but serve him not after the manner that they do he wou'd have us to change the manner of Worship but not the Object of it One may see in the first Book of Herodotus who was at Babylon the Description of the Temple of Iupiter Bâ—lus He says that the Priests thereof were Chaldeans and Maimonides affirms that the Idolaters of Chaldea were the same with the Prophets of Baal which were in Palestine In the second place the Chaldeans Worshipt Demons and Spirits and 't is to these Subaltern Divinities to which they addressed themselves by means of the Theurgy whereof we have spoken In the third place they believed that the seven Planets were animated by the Divinities which they made use of as if they were Bodies the greatest were those which inhabited the Sun and Moon they had the same thoughts in respect to the sixt Stars But they confest they cou'd not prove this Worship of the Stars so distinctly as the rest as the Readers may see more at large in Mr. Stanley Some Ancients say that they Worshiped the Air and the Earth as Iulius Firmicus and Macrobius but these Authors and particularly the last do very much Confound the Divinity of all Nations without either Reason or Necessity and might have attributed the Sentiments of the Greeks and Romans to the Chaldeans Even some of 'em to maintain Paganism have taken great pains to shew that all the Worshippers of many Gods did agree and they also hop'd to answer the Objection of the Christians who accused them of the Diversity of Opinions But without doubt the Chaldeans did Worship the Fire or the Supreme Divinity under the Emblem of Fire Ruffinus and Suidas relate something to this effect which deserves to be taken notice of here 'T is that in the times of Constantine certain Chaldean Priests ran through all the Empire to shew to other Pagans that the God of Chaldea was mightier than all the Gods because the Fire that they Worship consum'd all the Statues of other Gods In fine being come into Egypt and
proves from divers passages of St. Iustin St. Irenaeus Clement of Alexandria Tertullian and even of Origen himself Dr. Cave ends this Life with an Observation that he passes by many other speculative Notions in our Martyr which are not Conformable to the Truth and the occasion of them seems to be the great esteem he had for the Platonic Philosophy endeavouring as much as possibly he could to make it agree with the Christian Religion By this 't is plainly seen that Speculative Errors are not wholly inconsistent with true Piety and that the most solid Virtue is not able to render a Man infallible nor give him a Right to decide Controversies These Remarks sufficiently testifie one cannot take those Praises that are sometimes given to the Ancients a little too profusely as an absolute sign all their Opinions are approved on since Dr. Cave after he had very much praised the holy Martyr relates divers Errors he was guilty of 'T is apparent by this how we must also understand the praises Mr. Du Pin hath given him in his Ecclesiastical Bibliothique p. 160. where he says He to Admiration understood the Holy Scripture and Prophecies therein contained had a perfect knowledge of our Religion So that there was hardly one of the Ancients spoke more exactly of all our Mysteries than he has done There is not the least Reason to think Dr. Cave or Mr. Du Pin approved this Thought of St. Iustin which nevertheless they have neither of them placed amongst the Errors of this Father That although we should acknowledge Jesus Christ to be simply but a Man born after the same manner as others are might nevertheless be proved that he is the Messiah It follows not says he in his Dialogue with Trypho that Jesus is not the Christ of God though I could not demonstrate his Existence before the beginning of the World as Son of the Creator of all things and as God and that he is born Man of a Virgin c. It may only be said that I am mistaken but it must not be denied that he was the Christ although he was believed to be Man born of Men and that he is become the Christ by the Choice that God hath made of him For there are some of our Religion that in making a Profession do believe that he is the Christ maintain that he is Man born of Men However I am not of their Opinion no more than the most part of the Christians c. 5. Origen was born at Alexandria about the One hundred eighty sixth Year of our Lord. His Father whose name was Leonidas suffered Martyrdom in the Two hundred and second Year after he had taken much care in the Education of his Son whom he himself instructed in Learning and Religion Origen from his Childhood was excessively Curious and often tired his Father in proposing too many Questions to him upon the Sacred Writ As soon as he was advanced a little in Years he studied under Clement Catechist of Alexandria and afterwards under Ammonius who had set up a new School of Philosophy where he taught the Opinions of Plato and those of Aristotle as he believed reconcilable together They called him Ammonius Saccas because that before he applied himself to Philosophy he had been a Porter and gain'd his Livelihood by carrying Sacks of Corn. Porphyry faith he renounced Christianity to embrace the Pagan Religion but Dr. Cave makes it appear he was deceived in that as well as when he said Origen was born a Heathen Ammonius was so much esteemed amongst the Pagans themselves that Hierocles calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God and that Plotin who could find no Satisfaction in other Schools engaged himself with much Application to that of Ammonius Origen learned the Platonick Philosophy under him at the same time with Plotin Our Author observes here that we must take care not to confound a Heathen Philosopher call'd Origen with him whereof we are a speaking Porphyry Hierocles Proclus and Eunapius have made mention of the first with much Honor and Eunapius â—aith he was a Condisciple of Porphyry not at Alexandria under Ammonius but at Rome in the School of Plotin Porphyry had often seen our Origen at Tyre but he was not his Fellow-Pupil being much younger than he Lucas Holstenius wonders at the reason that he did not say Porphyry studied with Origen Son of Leonidas but he should have concluded according to Dr. Cave that it was not that Origen he meant but another The tenth Year of the Reign of Severus Leonidas Father to Origen suffered Martyrdom at Alexandria where he took all possible care to hinder his Son from following him to the Stake His Mother to no purpose employ'd her Authority and Tears to dissuade him from it she could not hinder him from hiding his Garments so Artificially that he continued in the Lodging with them by force Leonidas's Goods being confiscated Origen had in an instant been reduced to great Misery without the Charity of a Lady of Quality at Alexandria who entertained him with many others amongst whom was Paul of Samosatenus afterwards Famous for his Heresie But Origen lived not long at the Expence of this Illustrious Lady He opened a School where he taught Literature which gave him an Opportunity to become much more Learned himself in instructing others By which he acquired so great a Reputation that at eighteen Years of Age he was chose a Collegue or Successor to Clement under whom he had studied That he drew so great a Number of Auditors he was soon obliged to leave off teaching his School and apply himself entirely to the Instruction of the Catechumens to whom he taught the Principles of Christianity He was so happy in this Employ that many of those he had instructed gain'd the Crown of Martyrdom among which was Plutarch Serenus Heraclidus Heron and Herais who in spight of the Weakness of her Sex died as constantly as any of the four Men I have named During the Fury of these Persecutions Origen not content only to teach the Catechumens visited those also that were put in Prison accompanying them to the place of Execution endangering his Life a thousand times during the Government of Letus and Aquila who were one after the other Govornors of Egypt 'T was about that time Origen did an Action for which he was as much esteem'd by some as blamed by others Being unwilling to encumber himself with Matrimony and finding he was of an unfit Temperament to preserve himself Chaste in a single Life or it may be to shun the Suspicion of the Heathens he resolved to take an effectual way to suppress all Youthful Desires Some say he made use of the Application of some Remedies and others of a Knife He thought himself Authoriz'd in it from these words of Jesus Christ That some make themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven which he believed ought to be understood in the Letter of
Orthodox Treatises of Tertullian he gives the chiefest place to his Apologetick his two Books to the Gentils and that which he Dedicated to Scapula to perswade the Governour of Africk from Persecuting the Christians He proves in this last that all Men ought to have the liberty to embrace what Religion seems the truest to them That 't is no part of Religion to constrain men to embrace a Religion which ought to be a voluntary choice Non est Religionis cogere Religionem quae sponte suscipi debet non vi In the Sixth Book of Baptism Tertullian disapproves of Baptizing Children without Necessity How is it necessary says he to expose God-fathers to the danger of answering for such who may prevent and hinder the performance by Death or Apostatizing from the Christian Religion when they come of Age Our Author assures us that this Opinion of Tertullian is his own particular one and there 's no other Father to be found who hath said as much But Tertullian affirms other things as incredible as for Instance when he says Christians are absolutely forbidden to bear Arms and he calls the Crowns that Soldiers put upon their heads the Pomps of the Devil To râ—ad his Book of Spectacles one wou'd hardly believe that he was the Author of that of Prescriptions but only by his affected Style and Particular Transports he endeavour'd to prove in his Book of Spectacles that Virgins ought to have their Faces covered in the Church contrary to the Custom of the Country which only oblig'd Women to be Vail'd He mightily exclaims against Custom and Tradition and maintains that nothing can be prescribed contrary to Truth 'T is true adds Mr. Du Pin when not Dogmatically enjoyned but 't is when it is done as a Disciplin of little Consequence In mentioning the History of Origen and how he was persecuted by Demetrius the Patriarch of Alexandria he relates an Article of the Discipline of that time viz. when a Priest was once Excommunicated and depos'd by a Bishop with the consent of the Bishops of the Province he cou'd no more be receiv'd into any Church and it was never Examined after the Judgment was past whether it was just or unjust He places among the Errors of Origen the Exposition which he gave upon the words of Jesus Christ Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth c. because he seems to retain the power of binding and loosing only to Bishops and Priests which follow the vertue of St. Peter and he says that all Spiritual Men are this Stone upon which Jesus Christ hath founded his Church St. Cyprian is one of the Fathers whom Mr. Du Pin has been large upon because the Life and Letters of this Martyr make a considerable part of the Ecclesiastick History of his Age. We may see there in the troubles that were excited amongst the Christians by the parties of Novatian and Felicissimus on the account of those that were fallen by Persecution The Moderation that St. Cyprian observed to avoid the Rigour of the first and the extream Remissness of the second and the Weakness of Cornelius Bishop of Rome who suffering himself to be seduced by Felicissimus writ to St. Cyprian after a disobliging manner These Two Schisms were not extinguisht before a third arose upon the Question whether Hereticks ought to be Re-Baptized proposed by Ianuarius and the Bishops of Numidia who upon that Account came to consult a Council where St. Cyprian was They that composed it answered that this Question was already decided by the Bishops that were their Predecessours who had declared in the Affirmative The Year following another Synod was Assembled in Africk which having confirmed this Decision sent to Stephen who was then Bishop of Rome to perswade him to embrace this Discipline But the Bishops was so far from complying with the Reasons of the Africans that he was Transported with anger against St. Cyprian and his Collegues and treated their Deputies very ill calling them false Christians false Apostles and Seducers even forbidding all those of his Church to entertain them and so depriving them not only of Ecclesiastick Communion but also refusing them the Laws of Hospitality but St. Cyprian testified great Moderation being unwilling that any Person shou'd Separate himself from the Communion upon this Dispute Mr. Du Pin afterwards endeavours to prove in his Notes that St. Cyprian did not change his Opinion and that the Churches of Greece were also a great while after his time divided about this Question He directs the Reader to a Letter of St. Basil to Amphilocus in which this Father relates the different Customs of the Church upon this Point Almost all the Letters of St. Cyprian run upon those Subjects that we have already spoken of the extracts of 'em are given to our Author according to the order of time He relates many fine passages from thence upon the necessity of examining the Disposition of such as are admitted to the Communion the Excellency of a Martyr which principally consists in keeping in every respect an Inviolable Holiness in his words and not to destroy the precepts of Jesus Christ at the same time that he 's a Martyr for him This holy Bishop made it a Law to do nothing in the Affairs of his Church without the Council of his Clergy and consent of the People Whefore in the Council of 37 Bishops held at Carthage in 256. upon the Reiteration of Baptism this holy Man gave this reason against Excommunicating those that were of a contrary opinion to him For no one amongst us says he ought to establish himself Bishop over the Bishops or pretend to constrain his Collegues by a Tyrannical fear because each Bishop has the same liberty and power and he can no more be judg'd be another than he can judge him but we ought all to expect the Judgment of Jesus Christ who only has power to propound to his Church and Judg of our actions In this question the Two Parties pretended to have Tradition on their side And St. Cyprian opposed to the Tradition that Pope Stephen brought the Truth of the Gospel and the first Tradition of the Apostles Our Author says also that St. Cyprian was the first that spoke clearly of Original Sin and the necessity of the Grace of Jesus Christ. The best Edition of this Fathers Works is that which has been lately published by Two of our Bishops But Persons have not much esteem for the observations of Dametius because he endeavours more to confirm the Doctrin and Discipline of our time than to explain the difficulties of his Author Mr. Du Pin rejects all the Letters that are attributed to Cornelius Bishop of Rome except those that are in the Works of Saint Cyprian because the rest and particularly the Epistle to Lupicinius Bishop of Vienna and two other that are in the Decretals under the name of this Pope are not like the Stile of those that are
all Difference in Religion v. 3. n. 18. q. â— Word of God how shall we know our Translations to be true v. 3 n. 18. q 9. World hath it any kindness in it besides Interest v. 3. n. 19. q. 4. What will make Persons wakeful v. 3. n. 24. q. 8. Woman cloth'd with the Sun what the meaning of it v. 3. n. 28. q. 3. Wagers laid about Methuselahâ— Age v. 4. n. 5. q. 3. Woman at Maryland when she is with Child v. 4. n. 8. q. 5. Walnut trees what use is the Iulus that falls in May v. 4. n. 9. q. 1. Woman proper to yield at first to a Man we love v. 4. n. 13. q. 1. Widows more forward to marry than Maids v. 4. n. 13. q. 6. Woman how soon Marry after the death of a Husband v. 4. n. 13. q. 7. Wife whether oblig'd to discover her Husband who has murther'd v. 4. n. 16. q. 1. Witchcraft a long Relation concerning it v. 4. n. 22. q. 1. Welch-light before Persons die v. 4. n. 22. q. 8. Wrong'd a Person who is now Dead v. 4. n. 24. q. 7. Wind in our Body from whence it proceeds v. 5. n. 7. q. 2. Wife whether she may dispose of her Husbands Goods v. 5. n. 9. q. 2. Woman impoverish'd by relieving her Relations v. 5. n. 12 q. 3. Wife abus'd how to demean her self v. 5. n. 13. q. 2. Women why commonly fonder and falser than Men v. 5. n. 13. q. 6. Weed call'd Cats-tail why does it come but once in three years v. 5 n. 14. q. 6. ‖ WIsdom acquired 1. suppl p. 23. Wise or the Fools which most Happy 2 suppl p. 28. Wine whether it 〈◊〉 Digestion or binders it 2. suppl p. 30. †WAkes Dr. Vindication of the Church of England against M. de Meiux Bishop of Condom p. 122. His Discourse of the Holy Euchariâ— p. 134. Wheelers Voyages p. 81. Y. * YAwning why catching v 2 n 16 q 7 Young Man whether fit to hear Philosopy v 3 n 5 q 6 Z. * ZOpyrus his stratagâ—m fit for imitation v 2 n 27 q 14 Zerah the Ethiopian and his men who were they v 5 n 18 q 1 FINIS Areopagum See Dr. Horneck the Author of the whole Duty of Man c. Ld. Bacon * Pliny tells us of one Cresin who only Manur'd a piece of Ground which yielded him fruit in abundance whilst his Neighbours Lands were poor and barren wherefore he was accused to have Inchanted them otherwise said his Accusers be cou'd not raise such a Revenue Whereupon he produced his Carts Oxen and his various Implements of Husbandry and his whole Equipage of Tillage in very good order and said to the Iudges Behold the Art Magick Charms of Cresin whereupon he was Acquaitted If in Husbandry a Common Imploy of Life there was such a Mistake amongst Plebeians What would these same Persons have thought had thy seen Torrienus his Wooden Sparrows fly about (a) Zonar Tom. 3. p. 126. (b) Fortes Feriae Aca. p. 150. (c) Hist. M. Arts c. 7. p. 85. (a) Musick (b) Architecture (c) Fortification and Gunnery (a) c. 30. (b) Cap. 3. (c) Pag 117. (b) p. 371. (c) p. 390. (a) p. 410. (a) p. 446. (a) c. 34. (a) Cap. 2. (b) C. 3. ad 5. (c) Cap. 6. Cap. 7. (a) cap. 8. (b) cap. 9. (c) cap. 10. (a) cap. 10.11 15. (a) cap. 17. (a) In Ep. ad Celantiam (a) cap. 38. (b) Lib. 4.31 (c) Ep. 37.54.71 (a) De Leg. 2. (b) Page 543. (a) pag. 30. (a) De pec mor. vâ—n 2.36 (b) Page 76. (c) Ep. 55. (d) De Vnitate Ecâ—lesiae (e) Page 82. (f) Page 88. (g) Page 94. (b) pag. 271. (c.) de pâ—â—n l. 6. (d) Ep. 55. (e) Pag. 314. (f) Thorndike Antiquit. Eccles. (a) De. Nat. Deor Lib. 1. and 2. (b) Iulian Heraclit (a) In Timaeo (b) De Leg. 2. Georg. sub s. m. (c) Tus. 1. in Laelio c. 117. (a) De Benes 4.7 (b) In Exerc. Grot. p. 140. * Eman. Downing pag. 16. Cap. 3. * April 17. 1655. * l'Armee p. 240. Q. 2. Tom. * So this is not in the five Canons of the first Council of Carthage which Vsher reserv'd for a careful examination (b) Constantius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * He writ â—t in 1617. In Pec. c. 5 § 13. * Vid. Psal. 100.146 (a) In the Binnit Colledge * In prolog in Ezek. * Tom 14. in Joac (a) Ex Cicad Attic. lib. 1. ep 7. (b) In Helena Act. 5. (c) Tom. 1. pag. 351. (d) pag. 93. (e) In Proâ—m Dial. cont Pel. (f) c. 1. 3. (g) Dogm Theol. T. 3. pag. 586 (h) Lib. 1. Ep. 314. (i) c. 19. p. 116. (a) Aug. de Pec. Orig. c. 6. c. (a) Qu. 1. (b) Qu. 2. (a) p. 125. (b) De lib. Arbit p. 621. Edit Moguntinae in S. (a) Aug. de Gest. Palest Syn. (a) De gest Pal. Syn. c. 1. and 2. (b) Vid. Bull. Harm Apostol Diss. 2. c. 7. §. 14. Exa Censur p. 157. (a) Petav. de Pal. c. 2. Siqq (a) Vsher p. 141. (a) Apuâ— Aug. lib. 1. de Gâ—at Chr. c. 17. (a) p. 614. ibid. (a) C. 10. * Amsterd in Fol. 1684. * Things belonging to the Criticks * The Original of the Latine Tongue (a) An Explication of Prov. 19.4 (b) The design of the Evangelist (c) Nicholas of Damascus (d) A passage of Arian explicated (a) Corrections of Staâ—e (b) Iudgments upon divers Authors (c) Neptune (a) a Monks dress worn over their faces (a) c. 10. (a) de pecc c. 5 6 7. (b) ad Bonif. lib. 2. c. 3. (c) p. 147. (a) T. v. Col. 849. (a) Ep. 157. (a) Ap. Aug. cont Iul. lib. 3. c. 1. (a) p. 161. (a) lib. in Pelag (a) Cap. 11. (b) Petaâ— lib. laud. c. 7. (c) Hist. Scot. lib. 8. (a) Cap. 12. (b) C. 13. (a) C. 14. (b) Tom. 6. Bibl. P. P. Ed. Col. (a) P. 235. (b) P. 262. (a) p. 1929. (a) De situ Orbis l. 2. c. 7. (b) Strab. l. 9. (a) Camer 1 Vol. l. 5. c. 5. Historia Chorus Lugentium Bassus Chorus Angelorum Altus Cantus Chorus (a) In the 13 th Tom. of the Vniv Bib. p. 169. (a) Sirmond de 2 Dionys. cap. 1. (b) Tom. 5 f. 350. 8 216. (c) Dem. Evangel l. 3. c. 7. (d) T. 4. Serm. 9. (e) De Script Eccles. (f) Annal. 13. c. 32. (a) Page 49. (b) Cont. Iudaeos c. 7. (c) In Ezech. Hom. 14. in Luc. 1 Hom. 6. (d) Tertul. Apol. cap. 5. (e) Idea dell ' Vngheria in the Preface (m) P. 88. (t) Page 95. (n) Conc. l. 1. c. 9. (o) Conc. Chalced Act. 16. (p) Pag. 112. (q) Sirm. App. ad Cad Theod. p. 97. (r) Collect. Rom. p. 37. (s) p. 66. (t) p. 128. (a) Ep. 78 79 and 80. (b) p. 134. (b) Vid. Ep. Iulii ad Athanasium (a) Page 145. (b) Page 150. (a) Hil. Frag. p. 431. (b) L. 2. (c) P. 180. (d)
we have spoke Then it was that Gregory composed his two Invectives against Iulian where he omits nothing to render him Odious to all Posterity These two Speeches are assuredly full of all the Eagerness and Passion that can be imagined against a Man who setting aside his Paganism had been one of the greatest Emperors which hath been in the Roman Empire A Learned Man hath unreasonably thought that these two Speeches were published during the Life of Iulian Gregory speaks of his Death in both of them The same Author remarketh reasonably enough That the Authority of some that have been in times past Illustrious in the Church doth mightily deceive us when we judge after them of some Princes of their time Prejudices are so strong saith he that they seldom come into Examination but suffer themselves to be entertain'd under the Authority of the Holiness of these Illustrious Men. The Vulgar imagines it a great Sin to disbelieve that the Piety of these Men has not always been accompanied with a great deal of Candor As for my part as I am perswaded that they were Vertuous so I know that they have committed Faults through Passion To say nothing of others those that had some Reputation in Greece have been subject to the evil Custom of their Nation to fall into Extremities c. They have cast head-long into Hell those they were angry with though their Vertue had raised them up to Heaven And on the contrary they have so highly raised those they have undertaken to Praise that Posterity this day admires their Vertue which scarcely was indifferent It is necessary to remember this Genius of the Grecians if we have a mind sincerely to judge of the Panegyricks and Invectives of Christian Antiquity 1. Gregory begins his first Invective with Furious Railings against Iulian which he invites Heaven and Earth to hear He particularly maketh his Address to the Soul of Constantius who had set up Iulian to be Caesar. In speaking to him he adds these words If the Dead perceive any thing By which it appears he doubted if the Dead know any thing of what passeth here on Earth Notwithstanding he saith elsewhere That he reprehends him as if Constantius was present and did hear him though he was with God and enjoyed his Glory This sheweth that this is but an Apostrophe of Rhetorick whence nothing can be concluded 2. He mightily wonders that Constantius had raised Iulian to the Dignity of Caesar knowing what he was and sets forth at the same time the Praise of the first whose Piety he boasts of every where he defends him against those who accused him of Imprudency for having raised up Iulian after having put to Death his Brother Gallus and saith That he thought to mitigate the mind of Iulian by Kindnesses and that full of Confidence in his own Strength he feared him not as it might be seen if Constance had not been Dead In the following Speech against Iulian speaking of the same Emperor he excuses him for the Protection he had given the Arians He saith That he suffered himself to be put upon by Simplicity and want of Firmness and that the appearance of Zeal that he saw in the Arian Officers at Court had seduced him It would be hard to grant this with the Principles of Gregory who looked on the Questions of Arianism as Capitals if it were not known that the Expressions of Orators are not to be pressed as those of a Geometrician But there would be much ado to reconcile him with St. Hilary of Poictiers who hath treated Constantius a great deal worse than Gregory treateth Iulian. These great Men acted as others according to the Passion that animated them at the present without too much weighing the Figures and Expressions which they made use of 3. Gregory Laughs at Iulian who hindred the Christians to teach Prophane Letters because the Reasons of Christians would not be the less Strong tho they were not proposed with so much Purity But he makes as if he despised Eloquence and Politeness which in truth he did not despise and which he sheweth as much as he can in all his Writings which would be even very often more clear if there was not so much Rhetorick in them He also Reproacheth Iulian who trusted much on his Eloquence the desire he testified to take from the Christians the means to acquire it Which is saith he the same thing as if a Wrestler play'd the Bravade after having prohibited all the Vigorous Wrestlers to Contend with him 4. He assures us That Constantius had carefully Educated Gallus and Iulian Sons to one of his Uncles and who also was named Constantius to shew that he had no share in the Murder of the latter which had been Commissioner when Constantius Son to Constantine ascended the Throne He was willing even to communicate the Empire to his two Sons who were of a very different Disposition if we believe Gregory Tho they had been instructed after the same manner and were both of them willing to be Anagnostes or to read the Holy Scriptures at Church it appeared afterwards that one of them was not a Christian It was said and Gregory believed it to be true that Gallus and Iulian building a Temple at equal Expences in Honor of some Martyrs what Gallus Builded did sensibly Augment but that the Ground Trembled in the Place where Iulian built and that all which was done did Fall There happened besides many other Miracles far different from those of the Gospel which were not so much in favour of the Incredulous as of those whose Disposition did not render them quite unworthy True it is that Gregory saith that Falshood was mixed with Truth and relates but doubtfully what was said that Iulian in Sacrificing had seen a Crowned Cross in the Entrails of a Victim But he relates for truth things far more incredible in the following Speech and in this he saith That Iulian having call'd out the Devils by certain Sacrifices could not forbear trembling so soon as he heard the noise and saw certain Fires which usually precede their Apparition and that as he had been Educated in Christianity he made the sign of the Cross which immediately banished all these Spectres The Priest that acted the Ceremonies and perceived the disturbance of Iulian told him that the Gods abhorr'd him for that reason and not that they were in any wise fearful of the sign of the Cross which he had made So he begun the Sacrifice again and Iulian look'd upon the Devils 5. Gregory laugheth at the Artifices which Iulian made use of to Persecute the Christians without procuring them the Honor of Martyrdom and without seeming to entreat them evilly because whatever Pretence he made use of it was easily seen that Christianity was their greatest Crime Persecution for the cause of Religion is so Odious in it self in those who have retained any spark of Humanity that the
very People who make use of it are ashamed thereof when Superstition and Cruelty leave them any interval to think with a little more calmness on what they do This is so true that most of those which have abondoned themselves to the blind Zeal of Superstition have made use of the same artifices Our Age hath seen an illustrious Example of it and if we compare what Gregory saith hereof and the evil Crafts of Iulian with what hath been done not long since in a great Kingdom there will be a great Similitude found betwixt them We shall pass it by here fearing lest it should be thought that we have a mind to stop at a Parallel so Odious as this 6. Amongst the Reasons whereof Gregory makes use to shew that Iulian could not succeed in his Design he thus describes the power of the Saints which Christians honoured Have you not feared those to whom so great Honor is done and for whom solemn Feasts have been established by which Devils have been driven away and Diseases cured whose Apparitions and Predictions are known whose very Bodies have as much Virtue as their holy Souls whether they are touched or honoured of whom some drops of Blood only have the same Virtue as their Bodie We see by these Words and divers places of Gregory and other Fathers of his time that there was then a great deal of Respect had to the Relicks of Saints and that a great many Miracles were said to be done at their Graves It is astonishing that Gregory who loved inlarging hath not said even that the Bodies of Saints had more Virtue after their Death than during their Life for there is no comparison between the multitude of Miracles which were said to be done at the Graves of Martyrs and those which they did whilst alive Many People believe that the Falshood of some Christians and the Credulity of some others contributed much to hold up Paganism 7. Our Author makes a Panegyrick upon the Monks in the sequel after having despised Socrates and Plato and all the Pagan Philosophers Gregory reproacheth Iulian that he did not love Virtue in his Enemies but certainly Zeal made him commit here some such thing and it is very certain that he had infinitely learned more out of Plato and the Discourses of Socrates than in the Conversation of all the Monks that he had seen As to their Lives the endless Seditions of those Pious Hermits and their implacable Humor shew sufficiently that they were infinitely beneath these great Models of Pagan Antiquity 8. He remarketh very well that to be desirous to ruin the Christian Religion in a time wherein the Roman Empire was full of Christians was to undertake to ruin the very Empire When they were in a small number they could not be ill treated without Prejudice to the State but when they were numerous they could not be engaged without causing great Convulsions and too much disorder It were to be desired that the Imitators of Iulian had well weighed this Advertisement of Gregory who despiseth most justly all the good that could accrew from the Government of Iulian in comparison with the evil that so detestable a Design would have caused if he had been able to put it in Execution It were yet to be wished that our Age had been well instructed in the Horror which the Snares that Iulian by his Officers and Soldiers laid for Christians Gregory saith that some Christian Soldiers having one day when Iulian gave some Liberality to his Army cast Incense in his Presence into the fire according to an ancient Custom usually interpreted as if they had burned Incense to the Idols Nevertheless many others had done it without any Reflection and being admonished of their Fault as they invocated Iesus Christ making the sign of the Cross after their Meal by some one that told them they had renounced him they went immediately crying out in the Market-place and in the Ears of the Emperor that they had been surprized and that they were Christians Iulian provoked at the mistake banished them 9. Gregory describes some horrid Cruelties against the Christians which Iulian had authoris'd in Egypt and Syria He saith that the Inhabitants of Arethusa a City of Syria after having made Young-Women consecrated to God suffer a thousand Indignities killed them eat their Livers all raw and gave their Flesh to Swine to feed on covering it with Barly These People treated with an abominable Barbarity the Bishop of this City who notwithstanding appeared almost insensible in his Torments and Gregory marks that this Bishop in the time of Constantius exercis'd having liberty from the Emperor an Habitation of Devils to wit a Pagan Church This Action of Mark of Arethusa had drawn upon him the Hatred of the People as a Pagan would have been detested by the Christians if he had destroyed one of their Churches Notwithstanding Gregory a little lower saith not only that the Christians did not Treat the Pagans as they had been Treated by them But he asketh of them What Liberty Christians had taken from them As if it were nothing to pull down their Temples as was done since the Reign of Constantine They continued with the same Rigor under the following Emperors and that they might be Reproacht with nothing of Paganism it was Prohibited on pain of Death to Sacrifice to Idols with the Applause of all the Christians if St. Augustin can be believed We must not forget to Remark here another effect of the Rhetorick of Gregory It is that in speaking of the Christian Young Women of Aretâ—usa who had been so Abused he Accuses not only the Pagans but also makes an Apostrophe to our Lord thus O Iesus Christ how shall I suffer the pain which you had then 10. Iulian added Insults also to his ill Treatments and in taking away the Christians Goods he said he only assisted them to observe the Gospel which commanded 'em to despise the things of this Life This Railery is in the forty third Letter of Iulian where he saith that the Church of the Arians at Edessa having done some Violence to the Valentinians he had Confiscated all their Mony to distribute it to the Soldiers and kept their Goods to himself fearing lest the Arians being too Rich could not get into the Kingdom of Heaven Gregory Answers to this amongst other things that Iulian acting thus made as if he imagin'd that the Gods of the Heathens thought it necessary that People should be deprived of their Goods without deserving it and that they approved of Injustice He might have been satisfied with this Answer but he adds that there are things which Iesus Christ hath commanded as necessary and others which he hath simply proposed for those that would observe them without indispensibly obliging any one to do it Such is according to Gregory the Commandment of abandoning the Wealth of this World 11. One thing for which they abused