A Fit Conjucture of Religion and Learning, Title page – Dedication
Foelix Consortium; OR, A FIT CONJUNCTURE OF RELIGION AND LEARNING, In one entire Volume, consisting of six Books:
The first Treating of RELIGION IN GENERAL; The FALSE RELIGIONS, and the TRUE, And several Questions also discussed concerning that ARGUMENT.
The Second, Of LEARNING, the Excellency and Usefulness of it, The Liberal Arts, the Chiefest Languages, the Universities and Publick Schools of several Nations.
The Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Books, Particularizing the Men Eminent for Religion or Learning, Divine or Humane, among the Jews, Christians, Ancient or Modern Writers, Protestants or Papists, Characterizing their Persons, and giving Judgment of their Works.
In an Alphabetical Order. By EDWARD LEIGH Master of Arts of Magdalen-Hall in Oxford.
LONDON, Printed for Charles Adams at the Sign of the Talbot near St. Dunstans Church in Fleetstreet, 1663.
TO THE Right Reverend JAMES USHER Arch-Bishop of Armagh.
HONOURED SIR,
BOth the Subject I handle, and my own special Obligation are a just Apologie for my Dedication of this Treatise unto you. I treat of Religion and Learning, a noble Argument, and (were it answerably handled) well-worthy of so noble a Patronage. Learning is the great Ornament of a man, and true Religion (which is an honouring of God suitably to his Excellency) is the great Ornament of a Christian. Where there is a happy conjunction of a learned Head, and a sincere and truly religious Heart, there is a Person every way accomplisht. Bishop Juell is frequently for this reason styled, The Jewell of Bishops; and of Dr Raynolds it is said, Incertum est fuerit doctior an melior.
Dr Rivet and Peter du Moulin, two French Divines are famous for their eminent Piety, learned Writings, and fifty years preaching. Your Name is also precious in all the Reformed Churches, witness the Dedication of divers learnedaDe Dieu in Acta Apost. Apa…h…m. Dub. Evang. parte 2da Bootii Animadver. Sac. Mori Calvinus. Cartw. in Exod. Treatises to you, and the honourable mention which many learned men frequentlybReverendissimus antistes Iacobus Usserius Archiepiscopus A… machanus, vir summa pietate, judicio singulari, usque ad miracu…um doctus, & hierts severioribus promovendis natus. S…ld…nus in P…aelat. ad Marmora Arundeliana. Praesulum decus ille Iacobus A…machanus Gatak. Cinnus. c. 5. make of you One thing I shall desire to specifie, which I look upon as one of your great Accomplishments, your humble and affable Disposition, both in a free admission of the very meanest; and also in a ready communicating of your self unto them, which noble quality being in you when you were at the highest (as I have heard) is therefore the more commendable. Your sending to Samaria for several Copies of the Samaritane Pentateuch, bringing them first into Europe, and dispersing them many wayes, and also your purchasing at a dear rate the Syriack-Bible, and many other Syriack-Books from Syria, and your free imparting them to such Schollers as were skilfull in that Language, is deservedly celebrated by Mr Selden in his Preface ad Marmora Arundeliana, De Dieu in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Acts, and Dr Boot in his Index Autorum before his Animadversiones Sacrae. Your Liberality to such as are in a necessitous condition, is also well known▪ It is a usual Maxim or Proverb, That the greatest Schollers are not the best Preachers; and Queen Elizabeth was wont to say, That she had made a Bishop, and marr'd a Preacher. You have really confuted both these, by your pla…n and powerfull Preaching, and by your constant labouring (for above fifty years) in that sacred Function, even after the time, that through … naturall decay you were unable to reade your Text. Therein well fullfilling your Motto, both in … Episcopall and Archiepiscopall Seal, Vae mih… … non Evangelizavero.
Could your leisure have permitted you to have heard me reade this whole Work to you, as you did vouchsafe me the favour, to hear part of it, it might have been more exact in it self, and so more worthy your Countenance You were pleased to commend to me some of the Authou…s I made use of, and to supply me also with some choice Books out of your well-furnisht Library; some of the Observations also I was beholding to you for, to you (I say) who are foreign, a breathing Library,Eun ipius de Longino in Porphyr. p. 12. and walking Study. This, with what I before alleadged, may justifie this honouring of my Book with your Name, the Dedication of it to you being as proper, as that of Tullies Book De senectute ad senem; or that of Hermannus Hugo De origine foribendi ad Scribanium. The Argument also is seasonable for these tim…s, wherein Learning hath other enemies besides the ignorant, if a Governour of a Colledge in the University, may not goe for an Ignaro also; and wherein the vitals of Religion are in so much danger, partly by Scepticisme of the one side, and questioning almost all the great Articles of Christian Faith, and by Libertinisme on the other side, as if the Primitive Christians, Martyrs, and old Puritans, had been more precise then wise. It is your honour therefore in such a declining Age, when others dispute away Truths and Duties, to stand for Orthodox Truths, and practise holy Duties. Psal. 119. 126, 127. Old-age (saith Salomon) is a Crown when it is found in the way of Righteousness. As God hath inriched you with large Abilities, so lay them out still for the good of the Church, that so you may prove a happy instrument whilst you live of Gods Glory, which is the desire of
SIR Your most Affectionate Friend and Servant EDWARD LEIGH.