The Gentile Sinner, Title page – Table of contents
THE Gentile Sinner, OR, England's Brave GENTLEMAN: Characterized In a Letter to a Friend, Both As he is, and as he should be.
1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many Noble are called.
—Sanctus haberi,
Justitiaeque tenax, factis dictisque mereris?
Agnosco procerem.
Iuv: Sat. 8.
OXFORD, Printed by Henry Hall, for Edward and Iohn Forrest, 1660.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL, MY HONOURED FRIENDS Sr ▪ PHILIP MVSGRAVE Knight and Baronet, AND Sr GEORGE BENNYON Knight, The Author vvishes all Grace, Health, and Honour here, & Happiness hereafter.
Right Worshipfull,
YOu who have beene so long a time sharers both in the same great Vertues, and, for them, in the same great Sufferings: be pleased too, to share in this small tribute, for which I have been long indebted to your Goodnesse. Your Names, I confesse, are either of them too great to stand in the front of so inconsiderable a paper as this, wherewith I here present you; and might make a suitable Frontispice to some farre more excellent Tract. Whatever this be, which begs your Candid acceptance, it may perhaps need, but I fear it deserves not, I am sure it does not now come abroad to seek a Patron. The reason why I addresse it to you, is an Ambition I have, to bring the world better acquainted with so great a part of it's own Treasure: & to make it know, there be yet (after all these dreining times) some such Worthy Persons as your selves; whom even they, who are (to a Christian Stoicisme) enemies to the present VVorld, dare both love & honour. Were it my businesse to seek out an Instance of the Genuine, or a Patterne whereby to correct the Spurious and degenerate Gentleman, I should despaire to fit my selfe better, then I may in You: in whom after so many killing Afflictions the World may yet behold a true Religion and Loyalty surviving your Fortunes. I might well fear, should the Reader know you as well as I, his expectation by the view of your praefixed Names, would be raised too much above the Contents of the following Letter; and therefore I shall, no lesse out of Charity to mine own Infirmities, then from a due Reverence to that knowne Modesty which Crowns your many other Noted Vertues, forbear any further to display your Merits: only this I would have the World to know, and do beg you to believe, that I shall ever be industrious to manifest my selfe
Right Worshipfull Yours in all Christian Services C. E.
To the REEDER.
IT is a Formality very much in Fashion of late amongst Writers, to Complement the Reader, and give him a view of his following Entertainment, in a large Praeface to every little Pamphlet. I intend not to usher abroad this rude Letter in so great State; neither will I play the Gentleman so much, as to tyre out my Reader with feigned Apologies for that Course faire he is like to have anon. I am not without some of those Common Sanctuaries, wherein many Writers can Phancy themselves so secure from all Censure; but I dare not pretend to those I have not, and those I have I Slight. Reader, the plain truth is, this Letter is not now sent… out, to prevent or decry any Surreptitious Copy, neither meerly to satisfie the Importunity of my friends: Nor yet am I willing so much to Humour either thy Curiosity, or the Common Vanity, as to tell thee what Inducements I had to this Publication; If what thou shalt here read, either Concern or Content thee not, I am sure those cannot.
Perhaps thou art one of those, who may read their Names and Characters in the former part of the following Letter; If so, it would be time and paines ill lost to talke with thee now. If thou canst be so much the Master of thy Passion, as to read thy selfe over therein with Patience, and without either Oath or Curse, for the Paper or it's Author; I shall begin to hope there may yet be a Possibility of a returne to thy felfe and to thy God. 'Till then, what ever cause thou hast to Carp at the Book, or Revile the Author; I am bold to tell thee, I have much more, to Slight thy Speeches, and Pitty thy Folly. I value as little thy Censure, as I have reason to Envy thy Conversation; I dread as much thine Applause as I scorne thy Derision; and this I do no l…sse then I abhorre thy life, or pray for thy Conversion.
When thou art willing to understand what may do thee Good, it will be seasonable for mee to say more; and tell thee, that if thou would'st be a Gentleman, there is a Booke extant, which for that End, well deserves thy Study, and thy Practice. At present it is too noble a Jewel to be thrown to such a Swine. If the Courser and more homely Diet I here offer thee, may beget in thee (though by loathing it) a liking to that far richer Dish; It will be then enough for my Ambition, as it is now too much for my Hopes.
That most Singular piece of Impartiall Truth, and unparallell'd Ingenuity; of most Cogent Reason, and Iusinuating Rhetorick; of most sage Advice, and Religious Instruction; which abundantly Commends it selfe to thy serious perusall, and it's Author (were not his strange Modesty, as much our Enemy, in Concealing his Name; as his Piety and Ingenuity our friends, in discovering his worth) to thy Intimate acquaintance; bears for it's Title, what thou by thy Practise labourest to prove a Contradiction, THE GENTLEMAN'S CALLING. This Book would Certainly teach thee to bee, did'st thou not think thy selfe too wife to learn, all that becomes a Christian Gentleman: as another Practicall piece which for it's Excellency is rationally supposed the work of the same Pious and Ingenious hand, would make thee, if used aright, a Christian Man: I mean that Book, the Title whereof speaks much, yet noe more then the Contents doe verifie THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. Read these two soberly, and practise them Constantly; and, though thou burn'st this paper, thou shalt never perswade me not to think thee a Man, a Gentleman, and a Christian. But if in some or other of thy Mad Moods: thou shalt rage and foame against what here I send thee, play the Critick upon it amid'st thy Potts, or make it thy sport and merriment amongst those who cannot think themselves men except they be Frolick and Jolly: the Paper may suffer, and thou may'st spit in my face; but know, I have a Christian name, thou can'st not stain; and a Charitable Intention; thou can'st as little vitiate, as thou hast hitherto deserved it.
But if (Sir) you be one of those brave souls, whose Merits are above their Names; whose Honours are not dumb Idolls, neither their Vertues shadows; and yet vouchsafe to east an Eye, upon this flat and unstudy'd piece of meer Obedience: Your Candor will save me the Customary Ceremony of a long Apologie; seeing I am assured you can sooner pardon an Hundred faults, then the other find one; your Goodnesse by a constant practise of all vertues being as much augmented, as his Judgment by an Endlesse succession of most sottish debaucheries is daily Impared.
Whosoever you be, who chance to hit upon this paper; let it suffice you to know, that it is but a Letter; and that, an Imperfect birth after a Fortnight's labour. It had never ventured so farre abroad, had not better eyes then, the Author's directed it forth. The best on't is, Censures I regard not, Frowns I fear not, Criticismes I smile at, and Derisions I laugh at. The Stile ('tis true) is rough; I had rather be told of it, then lose so much time as to smooth it: Many things are Blunt and …lat, It is my Humour, often to prefer a plain truth, before a Witty Phancy: The Phraise in many places is tart, and provoking; I hope it will appear in all my Actions, that I study not to please, but profit. Reader, Call me what thou wilt, Stoick, or Fool, or Clown, or Madman, I am willing, with all my heart, to seem any or all of these, to reforme a Sinner. If in any place thou think'st I deal uncivilly with thee; give me leave to ask thee where? If in the former part, What businesse hadst thou there. Either thou art indeed the man there described, and then, why art thou angry, that I say the truth? Or else thou art one of the Better st& keep thee then in thine own place, and, I am Confident, I shall doe thee right. Art thou the true Gentleman? thou canst not so far mistake thy selfe, as to think the Character of the false will fit thee: Art thou the False? Thine own Confession quits me of the Scandall: And I hope thou shalt here find thy selfe so much in thine own Colours, that thou shalt be so farre out of love with thy selfe, as to know the least Commendation of thee could be no lesse then a flattery. If this little labour of mine may do thee good, it is therefore worthy of thine acceptance, and I bid thee heartily welcome: If thou seest nothing in it worth the reading, use thy fredome, I may lose my labour, neither thou nor I shall ever lose my charity.
Instead of a longer preface, I commend to thy reading the words of a Reverend Doctor, whose exemplary Piety, Learning, Iudgment, Moderation are sufficiently known to the greatest part of our English Nation.
Dr SANDERSON in his Sermon on the 1 Cor. 7. 24.
As for our (meer or parcel) Gallants, who live in no setled course of life, but spend halfe the day in Sleeping, half the night in gaming, and the rest of their time in other pleasures and vanities, to as little purpose as they can devise; as if they were born for nothing else but to eat and drink, and snort and sport; who are spruce and trimme as the Lillies (Solomon i… all his Royalty was not cloath'd like one of these:) yet they neither sow, nor reap, nor carry into Barn; they neither labour, nor Spin, nor do any thing else for the good of humane society: Let them know, there is not the poorest Contemptible Creature, that crieth Oysters and Kitchinstuffe in the streets, but deserveth his bread better, than they; and his course of life is of better esteem with God, and every sober wise man, than their's. A Horse, that is neither good for the way, nor the cart, nor the race, nor the Wars, nor any other service; let him be of never so good a breed, never so well marked and shaped; yet he is but a Iade: his Master setteth no store by him, thinketh his meat ill-bestow'd on him; Every man will say, better knock him on the head then keep him; his skin, though not much worth, is yet better worth then the whole beast besides.
Consider this, you that are of Noble and Generous birth. Look unto the Rock, whence you were hewen; and to the pit, whence you were digged. Search your Pedigrees; Collect the Scatter'd Monuments and Histories of your Ancestors: and observe by what steps your worthy Progenitors raised their houses to the height of Gentry and Nobility. Scarce shall you find a man of them, that gave any accession, or brought any noted eminency to his house; but either serving in the Camp, or sweating at the Barre, or waiting at the Court, or adventuring on the Seas, or trucking in his Shop, or some other way industriously bestirring himselfe in some setled Calling, and Course of life. You usurp their Armes, if you inherit not their Vertues: and those ensignes of honour and Gentry which they by industry atchieved, sit no otherwise upon your shoulders, than as rich trappings upon Asses backs; which serve but to render the poor beast more ridiculous. If you by brutish sensuality, and spending your time in swinish luxury, stain the colours, and embase the mettals of those badges of your Gentry and Nobility, which you claim by descent: think, when we worship or honour you, we do but flout you; and know, the titles we in Courtesy give you, we bestow upon their memories, whose degenerate off-spring you are, and whose Arms you unworthily bear; and they do no more belong to you, than the reverence the good man did to Isis; belong'd to the Asse that carry'd her Image.
The CONTENTS.
SECT. 1.
THe Gallant. pag. 9.
§. 1. His names. p. 10.
§. 2. His Nature in Generall. p. 15.
§. 3. His Calling or Imploiment. p. 20.
§. 4. His Education and Breeding. p. 23.
§. 5. His Habit and Garbe. p. 28.
§. 6. His Language and discourse. p. 31.
§. 7. His Religion and Conversation. p. 39.
§. 8. An Apology for this part of the Character. p. 44.
SECT. 2.
§. 1. THe Second sort of degenerate Gentlemen. p. 48.
§. 2. Severall sorts of such Gentlemen. p. 50.
§. 3. The Provident Gentleman. p. 53.
§. 4. The Prudent Gentleman. p. 60.
§. 5. The Peaceable Gentleman. p. 69.
§. 6. The Stately Gentleman. p. 75.
§. 7. The Conclusion of this part. p. 83.
§. 8. A more particular Application of this Character. p. 85.
§. 9. The Winner and loser in these times p. 88.
§. 10. How good…Englishmen these Gentlemen are. p. 94.
SECT. 3.
THe true Gentleman.
§. 1. An Apologeticall Introduction. p. 98.
§. 2. His generall Character. p. 100.
§. 3. His chief Honour and dignity. p. 105.
§. 4. His Outside and Apparell. p. 108.
§. 5. His Discourse and Language. p. 113.
§. 6. His Behaviour and Civility. p. 122.
§. 7. His Inside. p. 126.
§. 8. His Command over himselfe. p. 129.
§. 9. His Magnanimity and Humility. p. 133.
§. 10. His Charity and Temperance p. 139.
§. 11. His Valour and Prudence. p. 144.
§. 12. His Behaviour in both Fortunes. p. 149.
§. 13. His Respect and Affection for his Country. p. 156.
§. 14. His Studies and Recreations. p. 162.
§. 15. His Good-husbandry. p. 170.
§. 16. His Religion. p. 172.
§. 17. The Conclusion of this Charactér. p. 178.
SECT. 4.
§. 1. HOw few true Gentlemen now in England. p. 182.
§. 2. An Enquiry into the more Civil sort of our English Gentry. p. 191.
§. 3. An Appeal to the Gentleman's Conscience. p. 199.
§. 4. Motives to the Gentleman to be Indeed Religious, and first of Common Civility. p. 204.
§. 5. A second motive from Shame and Disgrace. p. 212.
§. 6. A third Motive from Aequity. p. 218.
§. 7. A fourth motive from Honour and Reputation. p. 234.
§. 8. The Conclusion and sum of all. p. 242.