Works, Preface · Part 1
Advertisements touching This Edition.
1. That the*All of them, except some few mentioned at the end of this Preface. Works of this Great Author, printed at distant times since his Death, have been with care and attention more than once collated and examin'd by the Author's own Manuscripts; that so upon a second, and sometimes a third, reading it might appear where the Prints differ'd from the Originals, and that thereby they might be restored to that Lustre and Perfection wherein the Author left them.
How toilsome such an Employment was, none can so well judge as they that have travell'd in the like labour: But how advantageous it is for others, the judicious Reader will easily discern upon the perusal of this Edition, where he will find the Author's Notions to run more clear and smooth, now that they are freed from any interpolations and imperfections that had crept into any of the former Prints. For that all that care (how wearisome soever) was no less than necessary, may appear from what I can aver with truth and soberness, That in several of these Posthumous pieces I found that (either through the hast or incuria of the Scribe, or through his mistaking the Author's hand, or for what other reason I affect not to enquire) there were too many aberrations from the Original: Sometimes a line or more being left out; elsewhere some words omitted or mistaken, and others substituted in the room thereof, to the impairing at least of the Sense. To instance in one or two Tracts for all: In two of the former Editions of the Paraphrase upon S. Peter's Prophecy there were at least Thirty Mistakes, some of them corrected in the Third, but all in this last Edition according to the Author's Papers: And in that excellent Diatriba upon S. Mark 1. 15. (which in this Edition makes Discourse XXVI.) there were at least Fifty places*None of which were number'd among the Errata. wherein the Print did swerve from the Original Copy, and sometimes not without harm done to the sense; as (in pag. 38. l. 6. of the first Edition) it was thus express'd and pointed, [And so we are now arrived at the main Cardo and hinge of Repentance. The joynt or second part thereof, in which Aversion or Conversion meet and are knit together;] Whereas in the Author's Papers (and agreeably in*Pag. 109. lin. 21. this Edition) it is thus, [And so now we are arrived at the main Cardo and hinge of Repentance, the Ioynt where the two parts thereof, ‖These the Author a little before calls the Two parts of Repentance; Aversion from sin, the first; Conversion to God, the second part.Aversion and Conversion, meet and are knit together.]
I may not here forget that there was one Discourse (viz. Disc. 48. not before published) wherein one word was so written, that neither I nor any I advised with could possibly read it, and therefore I left a void space in the line‖See p. 280. lin. ult.. In three other places there was a word wanting in the Author's Manuscript, and what word was plainly fit to be inserted, I have enclosed in a different letter in these two crotchets [], and accordingly given notice thereof in the‖See p. 276, 279, 281. margins. Which I here intimate as an Instance of that Diligence and Fidelity I thought my self bound to use in the preparing these Papers for the Press; endeavouring all along so to deal herein as I my self would be dealt with in the like circumstances, as being mindful of that Rule of our Saviour Christ; *Luk. 6.As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise: A most equitable and obliging Rule, the observance whereof (besides the good effect it would have as to the publick interest of Learning, as in the particular case for which I here remember it) would have a propitious and prevailing influence to the bettering of all the affairs and transactions of humane life. Yea there is that compris'd in this compendious Aphorism (wherein is contracted the Pith and Substance, the very Quintessence and Spirits of all the many Precepts and Practical Maxims in the Doctrine not only of the Law and Prophets, but of Christ and his Apostles, as also of the Institutes, and Pandects of the Civil Law, containing what was drawn out of 150000 Verses of the old Books of Law) which would not fail to make the whole World happy, but would certainly make a true and real (and more than Poetical) Golden Age, would turn the Wilderness into a Garden of Eden, and make the World one Great Paradise, and particularly Christendom the Ioy and Praise of the whole Earth. For this Rule's sake did the Emperour Alexander Severus (as Lampridius relates of him) shew the Christians more than ordinary favours; who was so much in love with it, that in palatio & in publicis operibus he caused this to be written, as a memorial worthy to be regarded by all, Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris: the same with that Rule of elder date which Tobias received from his Father,*Chap. 4. 15. Quod ab alio oderis fieri tibi, vide ne tu aliquando alteri feceris; So the Vulgar Latin renders what is thus concisely express'd in the Greek, foreign.
But to put a stop to this pleasing Digression, and to conclude this First Advertisement, one thing more I would add, which I can affirm with a safe confidence, That if in any passages of these Papers I either did or do yet demurr for the present; (and it need be no wonder if, in so Voluminous a Collection as this, enrich'd with so great a variety of Notions, one should chance sometimes foreign nor would the Author himself have taken it ill in his life-time, if he had not been thought Infallible, and if every Hypothesis of his were not readily swallowed down: I know no Book, but the divinely-inspired Bible, of which it may be said as it was of the Roll to*Chap. 2. Ezekiel, and of that little Book to S.‖Rev. 10. 9. Iohn, foreign whereas of any other Writing or Composure of a fallible and uninspired man, it may generally be said as Clemens Alexandrinus somewhere in his foreign observes of the Greek Philosophy, foreign) yet have I in those very Passages express'd as great a diligence and faithfulness as in any other particulars of those Discourses and Treatises wherein I did most fully accord with the Author.
2. As the Prints have been examin'd by the Original Manuscripts, so likewise the Quotations that frequently occur therein (not only those out of the H. Scripture, but) out of the ancient Liturgies, Councils, Fathers, the Hebrew Writers, Historians, Poets, or any other Monuments of Antiquity, have been carefully collated, and also set down more largely where they were but briefly referr'd to sometimes in the Author's Papers. This care (though not over-easie) I have found upon trial not to be needless, (it being ordinary (and scarce possible to be otherwise) where there are many Quotations, to mis-write the numbers of some Books or Chapters that are quoted) and being well assured it would be much for the Reader's Benefit, the desire thereof did animate me to this laborious service, which became yet more laborious in that the Authors were not always mention'd, or if the Authors, yet the Book and Chapter were not always express'd: But in this Edition these are all particularly set down, except some among so great a number of Quotations might possibly escape me; but if any were pretermitted, I am sure they were only some short ones, or such as rather added some little ornament to the matter in hand than any necessary support and strength to any of his peculiar and principal Notions.
There is one thing more that is not impertinent to be here advertis'd, That whereas the Author did use, in several of his Chappel-exercises and other Discourses delivered in publick, to quote the Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriack, and sometimes also the Greek; Testimonies (especially if they were long) not in those Languages, but in Latine; as judging it perhaps more fit and useful to quote them in a Language which might be understood by all that heard him, even by the younger Students, than to make an astonishing clatter with many words of a strange sound and of an unknown sense to some in the Auditory: I thought it would be most for the advantage of this Edition, (now that the forementioned reason of his then quoting in Latine did cease, his Discourses being now exposed to the publick view) to set down these Authorities (all, or part of them) in their own Language, especially where it is more significant and emphatical. And this is the reason why the Reader will find some passages out of the Hebrew Writers, as also some out of S. Basil, Greg. Nazianzen, his brother Caesarius, Epiphanius, Chrysostome, Theodoret and other Greek Authors, represented in their Original and proper Language: Which I thought would be a greater satisfaction to the more learned; and yet, that others might be also gratified, they are done into English.
3. That several passages in the Author's Works (and such as I think the Author himself would have taken care for, had he revis'd them for the publick use) I have endeavour'd to make more evident and instructive by Marginal illustrations; (not to mention the many places of Scripture added also in the Margins, which were pretermitted in the Original MSs.) as (to name some amongst many) in Book I. Discourse XXXV. pag. 177. where he relates the several opinions of some Hebrew Doctors concerning Urim and Thummim, I have set in the margin their very expressions, as also the places (not mentioned by him) where their other Notions of the same argument are to be found. And in Discourse L, an elaborate piece of Sacred Geography, as also in Discourse LI, part of which treats of all the kinds of Sacrifices and Offerings under the Law, there is set down in the margins what I thought might give farther light to his Observations; besides a summary account of the Author's Method in those Discourses set all along in the margins. The like care I thought needful for his Concio ad Clerum, Book II. pag. 398.
As for those Three Pieces published in his life-time, [viz. His Clavis & Commentationes Apocalypticae, his Tract about Churches, and that about the name foreign] there needed nothing of Marginal observation for the explaining of the Author's sense, they were so exactly perused by himself. There are indeed in this Edition of his Commentary upon the Apocalyps some Marginal notes that were not extant in the former; but these are not mine, but were the Author's own Additions, and were transcribed out of the printed Book where he himself had written them in the margins, as he had also corrected some few faults in the print. Only sometimes in the margins of this learned Treatise I thought it might be of use (besides some marginal references) to set down where the Greek reading he chose in some few places to follow is confirm'd by the authority of Tecla's, or the Alexandrian, Copy, a Manuscript of most venerable antiquity, and inserted in the Biblia Polyglotta; and to this very purpose (besides many other advantages) himself would have made use of that noble Edition, had it been extant in his life-time.
4. That (besides that some of the formerly-printed Discourses and Tracts are now published with several*See a particular account both of the Enlargements and of the Additi… nals at the end of this Preface. Enlargements out of the Author's Manuscripts) there are*See a particular account both of the Enlargements and of the Additi… nals at the end of this Preface. XXXII. Additional Pieces in this Edition, (no slight nor inconsiderable accession to the Author's Works. Nor do I know of any one Tract, or Fragment of a Tract, that contain'd any Notion worthy of the Author, that is not brought into this Edition in Book V. which consists of Miscellanies, or set somewhere in the Margins of the other Books.
There were indeed among his Papers Three Discourses, one upon Zech. 8. 19. which was deliver'd by him in publick in the year 1611. after he was newly made Master of Arts, and one upon 1 Iohn 3. 9. and another upon Matth. 6. 33. which were made a little after; but these did seem less fit for the publick upon the*See Epistle 97. p. 881. same reason that he was unwilling some Latine Dissertations written by him in his younger days should be made publick.
As for two short Discourses of his upon Genes. 28. 16. and upon Exod. 3. 5. found among his Papers, they had been published, but that I found they were both inserted by the Author partly into his Discourse on*p. 343. & p. 347. Eccles. 5. 1. intituled The Reverence of God's House, and partly into that‖p. 823. Epistolary Tract of his touching The Holiness of Churches: nor is there any thing in them but what is incorporated into those Tracts, except this one Notion in the beginning of that forementioned short discourse upon Genes. 28. 16. Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not; where the Author hath this Observation, [They are the words of Iacob, when he awoke out of the Vision he saw at Bethel: He dream'd he saw a Ladder reaching from Heaven to Earth, and the Angels of God ascending and descending thereon: Above it stood the Lord himself, saying, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham thy Father, and the God of Isaac; the Land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed. I will multiply thee, and in thy seed shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed. I mean not to expound the Vision unto you, it would be besides my scope; but only will tell you thus much, that the Author of the Book of Wisdom (Chap. 10. 10.) calls it a Vision of the Kingdom of God; meaning (as I suppose) the Kingdom of Messiah which is here promised; foreign, He shewed him (saith he, relating this history of Iacob) the Kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy things. Which passage I think so much the more worthy to be observed, because the term of [Kingdom of God,] so frequent in the New Testament, is no where to be found save in this place only.] This Observation I thought good to preserve by inserting it here upon this occasion.
There are several Texts of Scripture set down in the beginning of a thin Paper-book in Quarto, which the Author (it's likely) intended to discourse upon; but whether he perfected his intentions, or only laid in some general materials for such a purpose in some other Papers, (some such thing seems to be intimated) appears not to me from any Papers of his that have come to my hands: Howsoever it may not be amiss, but rather a gratification to some, to set down here those Passages of Scripture which he had made choice of as fit objects for his deep-searching Thoughts to be exercis'd upon. And they are these.
Acts 7. 43. Ye took up the Tabernacle of Moloch, and the Star of your God Remphan, &c.
Gen. 2. 9.—The Tree of life in the middle of the Garden.
Iam. 5. 14. Is there any sick among you, let him call for the Presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of Faith shall save the sick, &c.
Gen. 14. 18. And Melchizedek King of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the Priest of the most high God.
Gen. 20. 7. For he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live.
Matth. 12. 39.—And there shall be no sign given to it, but the sign of the Prophet Ionas.
2 Sam. 21. 1.—It is for Saul and his bloudy House, because he slew the Gibeonites.
1 Sam. 8. 7. And the Lord said unto Samuel, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
2 Cor. 3. 6, 7. Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit; for the Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of Death written and engraven in stones was glorious—How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious.
Matth. 2. 18. A voice was heard in Rama, lamentation and weeping—Rachel weeping for her children, &c.
1 Cor. 8. 10. For if any man should see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the Idol's temple, &c.
Ioh. 16. 8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God foreign than Cain.
2 Ep. Ioh. v. 1. foreign.
Ios. 22. 19. If the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth, &c.
Nehem. 8. 6. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands, &c.
1 Cor. 11. 16. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custome, nor the Churches of God.
These*Besides some mentioned in another loose paper, Acts 1. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 10, 11. Acts 3. 22. Rom. 3. 21. Act. 26. 22, 23. Seventeen Texts of Scripture (together with that Title of several Psalms, foreign) I found set down in the beginning of that Paper-book, (the rest is wanting) and these it seems he designed for the matter of his Chappelexercises: and if any such Diatribae or Discourses, perfected by him upon these Scriptures, be in the possession of any worthy persons, (for the Author was very communicative of his Papers) it is both desired and hoped that they would impart them for the common benefit.
5. That upon the View of all the Author's Writings, it seem'd most accommodate for the Reader's benefit, that they should be digested into Five Books.
The First Book to contain his Discourses on several Texts of Scripture, and of a different importance: All of which were delivered in publick, (either in the Colledge-Chappel or in some greater Auditory) except that one only Discourse *Disc. XXIX. p. 13….upon Esay 2. 2, 3. which was dictated by the Author foreign, for the satisfaction of a Friend of his who desired his opinion touching that Prophecy; and (as it was related by the Author's Friend) the original Paper is thus subscribed, More time and more leisure might have afforded you better; but for this you are beholden to your Cousin B. whose pains in writing was more than mine in dictating. Vale. Yours, I. M.
The Second Book to contain such Tracts and Discourses on several Texts of Scripture as were of the like Argument and design: viz. about Churches and the worship of God therein. There are among the first 21 Discourses in the foregoing Book some Diatribae of the like import: but those being published by the direction, or with the liking, of the Author's Executor, I would not break the order in which they are so dispos'd.
The Third Book to contain his Treatises upon Prophetical Scriptures. viz. The Apocalypse. S. Peter's Prophecy concerning The Day of Christ's second Coming. S. Paul's Prophecy touching The Apostasie of the Latter Times. Tobie's Prophecy De duplici Iudaeorum Captivitate & Statu Novissimo. And Three Treatises upon some obscure Passages in Daniel.
The Fourth Book to contain his Epistles to several Learned men; whose Letters are also published, otherwise his Answers to them had been less intelligible. There are several large and learned Epistles of his added in this Edition, (besides some elaborate Letters of others, as that of*Epist. XLVIII. L. De Dieu, not heretofore published) but there is nothing left out among the Epistles; only some of them are placed in another (but their due) order; as also some other Tracts that were mingled with them are removed to their proper places. There is one only Tract printed among the Epistles in pag. 517. of the former Edition (viz. Specimina Interpretationum Apocalypticarum ad Prophetiam Sigillarem spectantium) which deserved to be left out, it being nothing else but a ruder draught and Specimen of what he afterwards perfected and printed in his Commentary upon the Apocalyps. But as for other Tracts and Discourses, wherein the Author did pursue the same Notions, and sometimes for some lines together in muchwhat the like expressions; (as he might well be bold with his own; and accordingly the Lord Verulam does sometimes in several Tracts of his harp upon the same string, repeating some Notions discoursed of in his other Papers; and of old the same was practis'd by Plutarch, as every one knows that is acquainted with that excellent Author:) yet because where these Notions are repeated by him in other Tracts, they are express'd with some variety, and sometimes with farther advantage and clearness; I thought it safest not to leave out any thing, nor to go about to contract them: For the same Notions being represented with some enlargements or some difference of expression, may haply enlighten and affect some Readers in this form of words, others in another.
The Fifth Book to contain Fragmenta Sacra, or such Miscellanies as could not well come under any of the forementioned General Heads. The Three last Chapters of which Book (containing a Collection of whatsoever was found among his Papers that related to the Apocalyps, and did seem to afford some light to some expressions therein) might have been fitly placed in the Third Book among the Remains upon some passages in the Apocalyps; but they came not soon enough to my hands to he inserted there. There were written in some papers of his some Half-sentences and Memorials (best understood by himself) or short Hints of what was afterward at large treated of and made out in several Tracts perfected by him, (which Hints he usually wrote in Latin:) These were too imperfect and unfit to be number'd among his Fragmenta Sacra; and to have published them would have been as dishonourable to the Author, as it would be greatly injurious to a famous Artist, after he had with all care imaginable and to the life perfected his designed Picture, to make publick his first strokes and essays, the imperfect rudiments of his Pencil.
One thing more, and I shall conclude this Advertisement; That for the farther accommodation of the Reader, (besides the dividing the whole into Five Books) Two of the largest and most elaborate Treatises, (next to that upon the Apocalyps) viz. The Christian Sacrifice, and The Apostasy of the Latter Times, are divided into Chapters with Contents briefly, but particularly, representing the chief matters therein discoursed of. This I thought would be much for the Reader's both ease and advantage. The same care is taken for the Remains on the Apocalyps, which being divided into 12. Chapters with Contents is also thereby made more accommodate to the Reader's use, and any part thereof may be the more easily referr'd to. And the like accommodation of the Reader is endeavour'd (not only as to the forementioned Treatises, but) as to the rest of his Works, which could not be without great inconvenience divided into Chapters, namely by the Alphabetical Tables of Words and Things, as also by what is set in the top of every Page, which doth summarily import what is contain'd therein.
6. And now after all this, when I could not think there was any thing uncared-for wherein I might be farther instrumental to the Reader's accommodation and the publick good, I was sollicited (and with some continued importunity) to another trouble. It was desired by some That the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Quotations in these Writings (especially in the Treatises and Discourses upon any passages of Scripture) might be render'd into English, for the benefit of those Readers who had not the advantage of such Education as would have enabled them to understand Words in those Tongues, though otherwise of good abilities to understand Things and the best Notions when represented in a Language known to them.
It was easie for me to foresee how tedious such an employment would be, both where any Author's style is entangled and not so properly and clearly expressive as it might have been, or where the Original Greek being lost an old barbarous Latin Translation is all that is to be had, (as in some parts of Irenaeus) as also where the Quotations are many, (as in the Christian Sacrifice, the Tracts about Churches and the name foreign, and in the Apostasie of the Latter Times) and likewise large,*As in p. 334, to 339. and in many others. some whole pages being fill'd with Testimonies of ancient Authors, as pag. 373, &c. 377. to the end of that Tract, and (to name no more) pag. 641, 642.
Yet it was less difficult for me to deny my self some ease by undertaking this new labour, than to deny the importunity of others, their desire especially being back'd with this consideration, That it would conduce more to the benefit of all Readers. And therefore in compliance with their request the several Testimonies that occur, especially in his Treatises and discourses upon Scripture are done into English, except where the sense of the Quotation is sufficiently intimated in the either foregoing or the following lines.
As for some Quotations in Book IV, which contains his Epistles they being, most of them, written to Learned men, and several of the Quotations (not to mention such as are here repeated, and were translated in the foregoing three Books) relating to some Criticisms and other points of Learning most proper for Scholars to busy themselves about; I was less solicitous about every thing therein that was in other Languages. And as for some Epistles which are wholly in Latin, I thought good to give a summary account of them in English, either in the Margin or in the Contents.
The Translation keeps close to the letter for the most part; it does not always: for that would be not only Pedantick and servile, but infinitely inconvenient, and would render the Translation sometime as insignificant and unintelligible to some Readers as the Original it self. And therefore in some places I found it absolutely necessary to enlarge the Translations, and so to improve them that they might seem also a little Commentary upon some Quotations out of the Fathers and Councils, particularly such as related to Ecclesiastical Antiquities, which would otherwise have been too obscure and impossible to be understood by every Reader: a Specimen whereof (to omit other places) the Readers may observe in Pag. 383. and in Pag. 331. where the Author speaks of the 5 degrees of Penitents in the ancient Church. And for the better clearing the sense of some Authors in such places as seem'd most intricate, I neglected not to consult either Ecclesiastical Antiquaries or those that had commented upon the Fathers, such as I could meet with in private or publick Libraries; (though oftentimes my consulting such proved but a fruitless, though toilsom, labour; it being the fashion of many Commentators to write a deal of Notes upon what is easie and needs them not, but to give the Go-by to places more difficult.) The most serviceable in all my search was the industrious and learned Rigaltius, agreeably to whose judgment and the sense of the most diligent Writers, as also to the scope of the place, (not neglecting also sometimes to consult the living, and the better, Libraries) I have render'd some Passages, which haply at first sight may seem to others to import otherwise.
There is this yet farther to be advertis'd, That where the Testimonies out of Greek Authors are sometimes quoted in Latin, (as in those 2 Tracts about Churches and the name foreign) I have in the translating attended not always to the Latin, but rather to the Original Greek, where it seem'd more expressive, which I have therefore set down in the Margin, either part of it, as in Pag. 336. and elsewhere, or the whole, as in another Treatise, Pag. 642. that large Quotation out of Theodoret is more free from ambiguity in the Greek than (as it was formerly quoted) in the Latin.
And thus much for the First Head of Advertisements. I proceed to the next.