A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, To the reader 1
ΤΡΟΠΟΛΟΓΙΑ, OR, A KEY TO Open SCRIPTURE METAPHORS. The First BOOK, Containing Sacred Philology, or the Tropes in Scripture, Reduc'd under their proper Heads, with a brief Explication of each; partly Translated, and partly Compil'd from the Works of the Learned. By T. D. The Second and Third BOOKS, Containing a Practical Improvement (Parallel-wise) of several of the most Frequent and Useful Metaphors, Allegories, and express Similitudes of the Old and New Testament. By B. K.
Heb. 13.5.
foreign Pecuniae non appetens mos: Contenti praesentibus.
Budaeus ex Citat. Cl. Rivet.
Existimo Tropos Oratorios multo sublimiores, efficacioresque in Sacra lectione inveniri, quam in priscorum Graecorum & Latinorum Monumentis, posseque oratoriam phrasin fieri ea lectione multo locupletiorem.
LONDON, Printed by John Richardson, and John Darby, for Enoch Prosser, at the Rose and Crown in Swithins Alley, at the East-End of the Royal Exchange in Cornhill, MDCLXXXI.
TO THE READER.
THE Divine Wisdom Treasur'd in the Holy Scripture, although unadorn'd with the plausible paint of Humane Eloquence, nor with that Rapidity and Lightness, which (Junius and Tremellius well say) the word foreign signifies, Jer. 23.32. Yet it wants not a Grave, Genuine, foreign levis, velux, mobilis fuit, subsilii saltavit, Judg. 9.4. Leigh in voc.and Majestical dignity of Elocution suitable to those Sacred Mysteries it twofolds. The best witness of which is the Tast and Experience of that sweetness, which many have found in it. The mode of speech in Scripture is plain, and savours of to humane blandishment, or artificial Beauty: Yet it is most August and Efficacious to pierce the minds of Men, as 1 Cor. 2.1, 4. Where the Apostle disclaims any Rhetorical flourishes, or perswasive Oratory, but professes that his speech and Preaching, was not with the enticing (or foreign, perswasive) words of Mans Wisdom, but (foreign,) in the Demonstration and Power of the Spirit, that is, in words truly Spiritual, which could powerfully and effectually move their Hearts. Where this Eminent Servant of God, disowns his Humane Eloquence, but not that Divine Elocution in which he excells, and checks those plausible affectations, and artifice of words, which the Orators of his time made use of, who fed their Auditors, with the vain glory of words, in the Contemplation and delight of which they went away, without any other improvement than what bare Rhetorick could afford.
I may (not unfitly) allude to a passage in Plutarch, where it is said,Franz. hist. Animal. cap. 26. p. 554 that Lacon hearing a Nightingale Sing, and by the briskness of its warbling and delicate Notes, and by the clearness, and quavering cadency of its Voice, judged it a good prey; but when he saw it, and found it to be of so small a size (for 'tis not much bigger than a Sparrow) he disdainfully left it, and said, vox es, praeterea nihil, thou art a voice and nothing else. So, whoseever deceives people with those fancy-taking modulations of empty Rhetorick, in the Ministry or Sacred work of Preaching, will in the end become despised, and will not only be forsaken of their Judicious Auditors, but will also by the great Pay-master be called unprofitable Servants.
Beyond all Writings in the World, the Style of Scripture is singular, and has peculiar proprieties, not elsewhere found, there simplicity is joyned with Majesty, commanding the veneration of all serious men; more than the Elaborate flourishes and long winded periods of Tully.
*Lib. 3. Confess. cap. 5.Augustine says, that the Scripture seem'd rude and unpolished to him in comparison of Cicero's adorn'd stile, because he did not then understand its (interiora or) inward beauty, but when he was Converted to Christianity declares, lib. 4. de Doctrin. Christ. c. 6. That when he understood them, no Writing appear'd more Wise and Eloquent. Greg. *Budaeus lib. 5. de asse et partibus ejus p. 754.Nazianzen, a man of a prodigious Wit, great Learning and Eloquence, and an excellent Poet, when he came over to the Study of this sacred Philosophy, vilifies all other ornaments of Literature amongst the Greek Philosophers, as infinitely below those Divine Oracles.
Pat. 2. Clav. Script. Col. 15.Illyricus says, that although we find not in the Sacred Scriptures, that idle or delicate itch of Words, that external sweetness or allurement, that numerosity of sounds, or those pleasing trifles, which the vain-glorious Orators of Greece and Rome beautified their so much celebrated harangues with, yet we find there a Grave and Masculine Eloquence, exceeding all others.
By the very precepts of Rhetorick, what may be ones mans Eloquence may be anothers Folly, because the stile must be found according to the various circumstances of Persons and Things. The Lawyer pleads Eloquently, and strives to move the Affections of others. The Judge pronounces the sentence Gravely. A King commands or forbids Plainly. But if the King perswades, or the Judge contends, they throw off the person of a King or Judge, and assume the person of a Subject and Pleader. What then is the Law of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords? Do we think our God will use Inductions, as Plato; Syllogisms, as Aristotle; Elenchs, as the Carmeades; Epiphonema's as Cicero; Subtilties as Seneca; or words far fetcht, joyned together with an artificial Sintax with respect to weight, number, and sound? If a Royal Edict were published in that kind of speech consisting of School follies, every wise man would laugh at it. The more plain the Word and Law of the great God is, 'tis so much the more becoming the Divine Author and Lawgiver, and more profitable for mankind, because so 'tis more easily understood, being like dayly food, accommodated to every Palat. But what if in that humility of stile in Scripture, there be more height and loftiness, and more profoundness in its Simplicity, more beauty in its nakedness, and more vigor and acuteness in its (seeming) rudeness, then in those other things we so praise and admire? &c. This Holy Book is of most powerful efficacy to instruct the humble, and confound the proud. In History, the main thing praise worthy is Truth, which is here set forth indubitably.
True Beauty abhors (and indeed needs not) the bedawbings of a pencil for the more naked it is, 'tis so much the more attractive; and as Jewellers say, The richer the Gem is, the less it needs the assistance of Gold or Art to set it off, &c. If a proper and comely man walks upon Stilts to appear Taller, it adds nothing to his beauty, but diminishes the decorum of his natural proportion.
Yet nevertheless there is in Scripture a peculiar and admirable Elegance, so that I may boldly say that Cicero's smooth and elaborate blandishments, are but exercises of Puerility, in comparison of the grave, lively and venerable Majesty of the Prophet Esaias stile, as the very Exordium of his Book shews, Esa. 1.2. &c. which is full of Ingenity and Eloquence, Humility and Grandiloquence; Reason and Affection. And it may be safely asserted, that considering the Method and Stile, that was thought most convenient by the Sovereign Dictator of this blessed Writing, the Argument of which it treats, and the manner of expression there, no other Writing can Parallel it. Because that which is Holy, is withal Venerable and Grave, and such things need no paint or artificial illustrations, and because the multitude of Readers is promiscuous, it was needful that it should be understood by all, because every man is concern'd to believe and observe it. And hence the Scriptures were written in the common Language, viz. The Old Testament in Hebrew, the mother Tongue of the Jews, and the New Testament in Greek, there most Ʋniversal Language of that time, whence we may infer the Impiety of such as prohibit Translations of it.
Beza that great Philologist says, that Pauls Writings, when he treats of the Mysteries of the Divinity, far exceeds the Grandiloquence of Plato, the flourishes of Demosthenes, and the exact method of Aristotle and Galen.
That threefold character of declaiming, Alsted.which Rhetoricians make such a bustle about, viz. of a high and lofty stile, that which consists in a mean, and that of a low and humble, is to be found in the Scripture, so as that it may even ravish the attention of the hearer into admiration. And that which Criticks, admire in Homer, Thucydides, and Pindarus singly, are universally found here, which must not be understood of that elegance that tickles the fancy, and relishes with the fleshy Ear, but the inward and most noble part, viz. an illuminated Soul.
To this purpose the Learned Rivet, Franciscus Picus, and Bibliander express themselves with much Reason and Eloquence, preferring the Bible as to its stile, before the most studious ornaments and splendor of oratory found amongst the prophane Rhetoricians. The last of which brings this Example out of Esa. 25.6. to prove the native grace and beauty of the Hebrew, the elegancy of which no man can be ignorant of, that understands the Hebrew, foreign Veasa Jehovah foreign zebaoth lecol hammiim behar hazaeh misthe schemaniim, misthe schemariim schemaniim memychaiim, schemariim mesykkakiim, In English, And in this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all People a Feast of Fat things, a Feast of Wine on the Lees, of Fat things full of Marrow, of Wines on the Lees well refined, &c.
The Words of Picus Earl of Mirandula are notable, in his Epistle to Hermolaus Barbarus, *Non movent, non persuadent sacrae literae; sed cogunt, agitant, vim inferunt, legis rudia verba, &cThe Sacred Scriptures, saith he, do not move, nor perswade; but compel, stir up, and force. Thou readest words that seem rustick and unpolisht (viz. in the opinion of the wise men of this World) but they are lively, quick, inflaming, sharp, and penetrating even the very spirit, transforming the whole by an admirable power. And his excellent Nephew, another Mirandula lib. 2. Exam. vanit. Doctrin. Gent. says, that although Scripture stile seems to us more Rude than Eloquent, yet it has an extraordinary power to command the Reverence and Affections of the peruser. Of these two Mirandula's (the Ʋnkle and the Nephew who were the Ornaments not only of Italy, but of the Age they lived in) the aforesaid Bibliander says, that after they had perused all approved Authors, and had almost surfeited with humane literature, they betook themselves to the Study of (and acquiesed in) the Scriptures, with which they were so ravisht, that they could not be satisfied.
Jerome says of the Book of Esaias, that the floridness of his stile can be represented by no Translation.
That expression of the Learned (and otherwise praise worthy) Erasmus is to be wondred at, who says, qui fit? In Annot. Act. 10. p. 317.ut Apostolorum sermo non solum impolitus sit & inconditus, verum etiam imperfectus, &c. How comes it to pass? that the speech of the Apostles is not only unpolished, and confus'd, but also imperfect and solaecising— adding a little after, the Authority of the Apostles is not to be Judged by their mode of speech, but their meaning. Neither may a Godly man be offended more with their undrest stile, than with their plain and homely cloathing; concluding, that the Apostles learnt not the Greek Tongue from the Orations of Demosthenes but popular speech— whereas all true Christians know, that they learnt it of the great God who is all wise and Eloquent (in whom no excellent quality is wanting) who infinitely surpasses Demosthenes, and who directed their minds, their Language and Stile to express the sacred Mysteries of true Wisdom, as is very evident from Matth. 10.20. Luke 21.15. 2 Pet. 1.21. Lib de vero Cultu. c. 21.Hence Lactantius says, that such as were accustomed to sweet and artificial Orations or Verses, despised the plain and common mode of Scripture speaking as rude, because they delight in that, which tickles the sence and fancy, which while it captivates the mind, misguides and insnares. But cannot God (who form'd the mind, tongue, and voice) speak Elegantly? Yes certainly, for by his gracious Providence he has ordered those Divine things to be published without the disguise of any artificial bedawbing, (which conceals the true meaning of the speaker) that all may understand what he delivers. By which words, as he confesses the Scripture to be no way imbellished with humane Art, so he asserts, that the phrase is pure; and divinely Eloquent, and adapted to express its sacred Contents.
The difference of the sacred stile (with respect to the Hebraisms in the New Testament) from those prophane Rhetoricians, (whose main end was to beguile attention, and inveagle mens minds by the artifice of words) should be an argument to confirm the minds of such men (as believe the Apostle) in the Faith,1 Cor. 2.4, 5. because of the antiquity, certainty, and perfection of that sacred Tongue, first taught by the soveraign Creator; rather than urg'd as a Reason to Judge it impure, imperfect or abounding with solaecisms.
Graceless Eloquence attired in the most Illustrious dress of Tropes and Schemes, adorn'd with the borrowed phrases of Tully or Demosthenes, and whatever the common places of Phrase-students can afford, is certainly an engine of mischief, breathing out threatning and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord, as Paul (the Scholar of Gamaliel) did before his Conversion, Acts 9.1. &c. For those accomplishments, if unsanctified, are (like a Sharp sword in a mad hand) fit only for the baffling (as far as it can) of plain and Naked Truth.
'Tis true, that there are many Hebraisms in the New Testament, that is, a mixture of the Idiom of that sacred Language with the Greek, which the Heathen Grecians (being ignorant of the phrase) accounted barbarous. But Christians, who know that much of the Old Testament is quoted in the New, should rather esteem it an Ornament; because the propriety of the first Language (than which no speech is more significant and emphatical) is diffused into the other; and because (as Heinsius a man as Glas. says, Learned to a Miracle, in Prolegom. Aristarch. sacri. well expresses himself) if any man will be so impudently bold, as to say that the Scriptures are any way defective, he declares himself thereby not Learned, but a Blasphemer, and brutally mad, as well as ignorant of the quality of man, who is no Judge of what God sayes or does, but ought rather to be a supplicant and attend his dispensations with Reverence and Adoration. And as Hillary words it, when the discourse is of the affairs of the great God, we must yeild him the Prerogative of knowing best what he says or does, and instead of carping, pay him veneration. The Mysteries which God proposes to be beleived in his holy word, as they are in themselves most true and best, although all humane Reason, which Judges by its own wisdom or carnal conclusions, should otherwise determine: So their Eloquence (an inseparable companion of Divine Wisdom is to be esteemed the best and most elegant by the faithful, unless we suppose that God who immediately dictated them to his Amanuensis, spoke nonsense, and is inferior to his Creatures in that qualification, which is down right Blasphemy, and any asserting that deserves not only derision, but the severest castigation.
The peculiar Idiotisms, and most pure character of speaking, which the Holy Spirit used in the publication of the saving word of Truth, are by the excellent Glassius (a man for his singular pains, and exquisite Learning to be celebrated by all posterity) as he himself modestly says, in part (for what mortal can express its whole energy?) delivered in his Gram. sacra. (a work well worth Translating). And the Lights of speech, that is, the Tropes and Figures there, are in this sacred Rhetorick treated of, being indeed the substance of what he writ in Latin upon, that Subject (we hope) faithfully Translated, The Tropes in this Volume, and the Figures in the second. Only the Reader may Note, that we have not absolutely tyed our selves to his words but have to the best of our abilities exprest his sence, abridging where need was, and supplying out of other Learned Authors to which be referr'd, or who had written of the same thing in our Language, which we consulted, and inserted what was judged necessary for the compleating of this work. Which,
Does not only open that part of Scripture which is Tropical and Figurative, but may teach) the Reader (if ignorant of it) Rhetorick in general, an Art of such General use, that no writing can well want it: I mean, not a jingling affectation of Words or Sentences, but the use of Tropes and Figures, which nervate sence, and move the affections of the Hearer or Peruser.
Although the design of this work, was principally intended to open Scripture Metaphors, yet many express Similitudes, and other Terms borrowed from an humane custom of speech or appellations, obvious in, and proper to common & Earthly things, are improved Parallel wise in the Second Part, for common Edification; at which the Learned and Candid Reader will not Carp: For we bring not all as Metaphors, but as Terms that may be used as advantageously, and as much to profit, though in the strict notion of that Trope, not agreeing with its definition (which we give in its place) of which we caution our Reader under their respective heads.
In the First Book the Texts alledged are cited from the very original Hebrew and Greek, because there are many Tropes (peculiar to those sacred Languages) which our excellent English Translation rather expounds than renders verbatim.
We have taken Care to make necessary Tables for both Parts, and we purpose, with Divine help, to continue our Labours in another Volume, which you may, in page the last of the First, and p. 76 of the Third Book of this Volume, have a brief account of: Our design being to compleat this said Philology for the benefit of such as want the acquirements of humane Literature, and are Students in sacred Learning.
'Tis certain that no sort of men, have more need of Learning than the Ministers of the Gospel, because their Employment is of the highest concern, viz. rightly to divide the Word of Truth, and therefore that Sacred Office is not to be intruded into, but by Persons duly qualified and called. And most certain it is that humane Literature without Grace, is a dangerous Enemy to the true Christian Religion, and barely considered in it self gives no Right to the exercise of that sacred function, any more than the meanest of Mechanick Arts: For as Doctor Carlton formerly Bishop of Chichester well says, A Lay man that hath the spirit of God is better able to Judge of the Church and its Members, than a Man in Ecclesiastical function that hath not the spirit of God. And Justin Martyr, excellently, Infelix est sapi…ntia extra verbum Dei sapere, so that, it is not the formality of Academical Degrees, nor any Philosophical dexterity, which is to be exercised in the things that may be known by the light of natural Reason, nor variety of Languages that qualifies a Preacher; for if things will travel beyond their Road, and must needs be defining things beyond their sphere (or reach) they become extravagant and sawcy. He that Ministers the word, ought principally to experience the Grace of God in his own heart, and the power of it in that grand and Evangelical work of Regeneration; as also to understand those blessed Mysteries of the sacred Scriptures, that he may unfold them to others, and have a Lawful call, which altogether constitutes him in his Office, though he never saw Ʋniversity, this being the reason given by the Royal Psalmist. I have recieved, saith he, (which is an equivalent term) and therefore have I spoken; his Faith being his Authority for his Preaching, that is, the primary or Chief. Yet we would not be understood to disparage humane learning as a thing of no use, for it is of excellent benefit in its place, when rightly employed, and the knowledge of the Original Languages, in which the Scriptures are penned, is of very great necessity, that we might converse with that sacred Book in its own Emphatical and native Idiom. So that this kind of Literature is good, as a Hand-maid, Hagar-like, but if it must needs be Mistress and Ʋsurp Authority in the Family; if like scoffing Ishmael (Gen. 21.9. Gal. 4.30.) it will mock at the Spirit, and the simplicity of the Gospel, let it be cast out. &c.
To accomodate therefore, such whose Christian minds incline them to Instruct others, and need those aids which the want of Languages, or this kind of Literature has deny'd them; (not to instruct the Learned) was this work Compil'd, and to that end is recommended to the Christian Reader, by
Benj. Keach.
Tho. Delaune.