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LATE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT DARTMOUTH, DEVON.
AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE
OF THE PRINCIPAL MATTERS CONTAINED IN THE WHOLE.
PRINTED FOR W. BAYNES AND SON, 23 & 54, PATERNOSTER- ROW; WAUGH AND INNES, EDINBURGH, AND M. KEENE, DUBLIN.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
27o the Worshipful John Upton, o/" Lupton, Esq. and the most accompli shed and virtuous Lady, his dear Consort, the Author wishes Grace ', Mercy, and Peace.
HONOURED AND WORTHY FRIENDS,
AT was a comfortable expression, which Ambrose used in his fu- neral oration, at the death of Theodosius ; " * That though " he were gone, yet he was not wholly gone ; for he had left *; Honorius, with others of his children, behind him, in whom iC Theodosius still lived.1" Your renowned and worthy ancestors are gone, yet (blessed be God) they are not wholly gone ; whilst the prudence, piety, and publicness of their spirits, still live and nourish in you, the top branch of a renowned and religious fa- mily. It is a great truth, which Philo Judseus recommends to the observation of all posterity, " f That it is not a natural descent " from the most honourable and illustrious progenitors, nor the
' Tkedosius tantus imperator recessit a nobis, sed non totus recesait ; reliquit enini nobis libera* suos, in quibus debevues cum agnoscere. Ambros. in obit. Theod.
* To/? 6s u/jj)/x<jt rr,v zvysvsictv tug /xsy/s'Oi/ ayo&ov x,ai (js-yaJhw ayaQuv airtov, a fiilptwg itiflifitireoVf z: rrpwrov psv otovrat rag z% irakou*g%itrw zou na\awdO(*m suytvsic, /x/jrs ruv trpoyovuv a<p w a-jyjsi ysvsff&ai. — BaXr.diig yap o &20; civ, y^i^brr\}(x xai (piXccv&po'Xiav -/.at crap 7j/x/v rxQ tdovdacdai, vsuv a%ion'ge'TtSsgov srrt yr,g ay sug£ "koyttffut xpeirla 0 yag vug ayaK/xalo(poPzi to ayudo',, xav avrtgwa rtvig rm ,n>v\ yevactfAhm coxiag 7, yukzsm axgojg. Philo Jiidccus <ztoi Euysvaa:, a book fit for the hands of all gentlemen, translated by Laurentius Ilum- phredus in his excellent tract de Kouilitate.
4 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
" greatest affluence of riches and pleasures that makes a man ei- " ther honourable or happy ; but the habitation of God in his " soul, as in his temple, tho" (saith he) those that never tasted re- " hgion, nor have seen its glory, will not credit this assertion." " The soul which is filled with God, (saith * Plotinus) and brings u forth the beautiful fruits of righteousness, this is the truly noble "soul:" Our new birth makes us more honourable than our na- tural birth, let our birth-right dignities be what they will. The children of nobles are, by nature, the children of wrath, even as others : Omnis Sanguis concolor, all blood is of one colour : it is all tainted in Adam, and mingled together in his posterity. " There " is no king, saith -j- Seneca, which rose not from a servant ; there " is no servant which rose not from a Mng : these things have been " blended, and jumbled to and fro in a long tissue of changes, " ever directed by an all- wise Providence.,,
But though the privileges of natural birth signify nothing as to eternal salvation, yet in civil and political respects and considera- tions, those that by birth, education, or estate, possess an higher station in the world, differ from the vulgar, as stars of greater mag- nitude and lusture : their interest and influence are great in these things, and the welfare of kingdoms J greatly depends upon them.
It is therefore a great design of the enemy of mankind, to cor- rupt persons of eminent rank and quality both in religion and mor- ality ; and by their influence and example, to infect and poison the whole body politic ; and his success herein deserves to be greatly lamented and bewailed. Persons of eminency are more especially § obliged to shun base and sordid actions. Hierom pro- fessed || he saw nothing desirable in nobility, except this, that such persons are bound by a certain kind of necessity, not to degenerate from the probity, or stain the glory of their ancestors. But alas !
* 'i-jyr, vrktigudiKfa Qm yzvva ro '/.u}.?.o;, yzvvct rrtv 5/xa/otfw/jv. Plotinus.
| Neminem regem non ex tends esse oriundum, neminem servum non ex regibus : omnia ista longa varietas ?niscnit, et sursum deorsum Jbrluna versavit. Sen. Ep. 44.
\ Who manages the reins of government. Mho is present at, and presides over, both private and public matters, but persons of eminent rank and quality ? Who moderates in the senate, presides in courts, commands at home and abroad ? Chief men and nobles surely. Who command and arrange, act and counteract, manage and canvass all affairs, who make laws and rescind them, who govern the state in the time of peace, and command the forces in time of war, but great men and no- bles ? No wonder that the management of public affairs be committed to him, who both by personal merit and renown of his ancestors hath recommended himself, to the good report end esteem of mankind. Laurent. Humphred on Nobility.
§ In maxima Jbrtuna, minima est Ucentia. Exalted stations Ought to hedge up the way of those who fill them, from every vicious practice. Salust.
\ Xihil aliud video in nobilitate apjietmdum, nisi qiwd nobiles auadam necessitate con- stnnguntur, ne ab anqwrum probitate degenerent, Hieron.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 5
how many in our times have not only exposed Christianity to con- tempt, but obscured * the glory of their own families, and the kino-dom in which they had their birth and breeding; so that if you will take right marks of your way to heaven you will have little direction from those of your own rank. As *f- mariners take their direction at sea, by looking up to the heavens, so must you. In this general corruption it is very hard to escape infection; many (as Salvian complained) \ are compelled to be evil, lest they should be accounted vile, and incur the offence of God, to avoid the slights and censures of men. Although there is no more rea- son why they should be offended at the rational and religious plea- sures you and other pious gentlemen take in the ways of godliness, than there is, that you should envy the sinful pleasures they take in the ways of wickedness. It was an excellent apology that Ter- tullian made for the Christians of his time, against the Gentiles. " Wherein (saith § he) do we offend you, if we believe there are " other pleasures ? if we will not partake with you in your de- " lights, it is only for our own injury : we reject your pleasures, " and you are not delighted with ours.''1
But by how much the infection spreads and prevails among those of your order, by so much the more we have reason to value you, and all those that remain sound and untainted, both in religion and morality, as persons worthy of singular respect and honour : and blessed be God there is yet a number of such left.