The Arraignment of Pride, Chapter 20
CHAP. 20. Of Pride of Eloquence.
ELoquence is an excellent gift whereſoever it is beſtowed, and for this many heathens have been famous. The Athenians exiled Thucydides their Captain General: Pronunciatio & vita Philoſophi debent eſſe compoſitae; it ought to be like ſnow coming leiſurely, not like rain coming down as by buckets. Plin. nat. hiſt. lib. 7. cap. 30.but after he had written his Chronicle, they called him home again, wondring at the eloquence of the man. Socrates ſold one Oration that he made for twenty talents of gold. Pliny ſaith, that Cicero's eloquence was the cauſe that all the Tribes renounced the law Agraria, as touching the diviſion of lands among the Commons, albeit their greateſt maintenance conſiſted therein; he ſaith that he was the firſt that was ſaluted by the name of Pater patriae, Father of his country; the firſt that deſerved triumph in his long robe, and the Laurel garland for his language, and calleth him the Father of eloquence and of the Latin tongue: Auguſto proſluens, & quae principem deceret eloquentia fuit. Tacitus.Suetonius ſaith, that in eloquence Auguſtus Caeſar was moſt excellent and expert; and well might he be ſo: for even during his wars, he ſaith, he read, wrote and declamed every day; he would never deliver a ſpeech to his wife or ſervants, but it was premeditated, leſt it might ruſticitatem olere, ſavour of clowniſhneſs, or gravitate carere, want gravity: and Caeſar the Dictatour in eloquence, Philoſophi et multo magis Theologi debent verba ponere, non projicere, et imprimis quaerere non quantum, ſed quemadmodum dicant. Medicus aegros in tranſitu non curat; ergo concionator qui animarum medicus eſt, inſiſtere debet, donec auditores condiderit. Seneca ad Lucil. Epiſt. 40.either matcht or over-matcht the very beſt in his time, ſaith Suetonius; and Cicero de Oratore ſaith, he giveth place unto none. But moſt of theſe were pufft up becauſe they had the trumpet at their lips. It is better for a man to be dumb then eloquent, if humility be not adjoyned thereunto: no man can be a good Oratour, unleſs alſo he be truly good: One being askt why he ſpake ſo well, and lived ſo ill: anſwered, becauſe his words were in his power, but not his actions. When Caliſthenes had made an eloquent Oration in the praiſe of the Macedonians, Alexander not pleaſed with his perſon, taxeth and diſgraceth his action, ſaying the goodneſs of the cauſe made him eloquent, and any man might have ſpoken as well of ſuch a ſubject; and therefore to try him, bid him to ſpeak ex tempore in their diſpraiſe, which when he had likewiſe done eloquently, he took him off and ſaid, Before the goodneſs of the cauſe, now vain-glory and malice made him eloquent. And Hierome was wont to ſay of a Philoſopher, that he was a vain-glorious creature, and a baſe bond-ſlave to praiſe. Gloriae animal, et popularisaurae mancipium. Hieron.Doubtleſs eloquence in it ſelf is much to be deſired, eſpecially by Miniſters; this made Paul exhort the Epheſians, as to pray for all Saints, ſo for him in particular, that utterance might be given unto him, Epheſ. 6.19. that he might open his mouth boldly, to make known the myſtery of the Goſpel. And although ſome think that Paul was not eloquent (which they would collect from 2 Cor. 10.10. it being only, Optimi doctores ſunt qui docent faciendo, & qui magis admiratione digni ſunt cum videntur quam cum audiuntur. Seneca ad Lucil. Epiſt. 53.as I ſuppoſe, a ſlight opinion that that proud Church of Corinth had of him, as appeareth by the verſes following) yet doubtleſs Paul was extraordinary eloquent, as appears in that the Lyſtrians took him for Mercury the god of eloquence, becauſe he was the chief ſpeaker, Act. 14.12. alſo it is evident by his divers Orations in the Acts of the Apoſtles, and by all his Epiſtles; yet ſuch was his humility, and ſo meanly doth he think of himſelf in this reſpect, that he earneſtly begs their prayers, that he may ſpeak and ſpeak to the purpoſe as he ought to ſpeak. Echerus bonus Orator, nunquam tamen dubitavit, nunquam intermiſit, ſed ſemel incipiebat, & ſemel deſinebat. Seneca.When the Holy ghoſt was poured out on the Apoſtles on the day of Pentecoſt, they will not be ſilent, when the Spirit hath given them utterance and made them eloquent; where there is a head fraught with learning and knowledge, and an heart full of devotion, there will be a mouth full of inſtruction, as Solomon tells us, Prov. 10.11. Prov. 15.7.The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: and the lips of the wiſe diſperſe knowledge, being like Maries pound of Spikenard to perſume the whole houſe, John 12.3. or like a candle in a work-mans ſhop, Auſtin confeſſeth this to God of his Father, that he troubled not himſelf how he proſpered in Gods ſervice, only his care was that he might be eloquent, and learned to ſpeak well. Luke 4.20, 22.to give light to all that are in it. Our Saviour and John Baptiſt were very eloquent and powerful Preachers. Herod was much affected with Johns preaching, Marke 6.20. and the men of Nazareth were much taken with the preaching of Chriſt; their eyes were all ſaſtened on him, and wondered at the gracious words that came out of his mouth: he taught them as one that had gravity and authority in his ſpeech: Mat. 7.29.ſo powerful were his words, that when the Phariſees and chief Prieſts ſent their officers to take Chriſt, they were taken by his words; Joh. 7.45, 46.and being returned, they ſaid unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers anſwered, Never man ſpake like this man. Many by nature and Art have Gratiam verborum Grace of words, but want verba gratiae words of Grace or gracious words; now Chriſt had both, and Grace was poured into his lips: Pſal. 45.2.they have Gratiam verborum that are eloquent, and many times by pride abuſe it to reproach others, or ſet off themſelves; but they have verba Gratiae, that ſpeak a word in ſeaſon to the wearied ſoul, Epheſ. 4.29. Whither our eloquence be natural or acquired, we ſhould uſe it without affectation and oſtentation, and not pride our ſelves in wit, words or phraſes, Reyner.and good words to the uſe of edifying, that it may miniſter grace to the hearer. Herod had an eloquent tongue, but was pufft up with it, and the peoples admiration of him for it; whereas he had a thouſand miſcarriages in his life that troubled him not: But Herod by all his eloquence could not perſwade the ſilly worms, who (as the Scripture ſaith) immediately devoured him, becauſe he gave not God the glory, Act. 12.23.