KOTES.
(a) P. 105. — ' Scantling' = a proportion, or simply, portion. This is a somewhat peculiar nse of a not very common word. It occurs in Shakspeare once in the same sense with that here :
' Trust to me, Ulyss3s,
Our imputation shall be oddly pcis'd In this wild action : for the success. Although particular, shall give a scantling Of good or bad unto the general.' — Troilus and Cressida, i. 3. See also Locke, Human Understanding, h. ii., c. 21.
118 THE SWOED OF THE WICKED.
(b) P. 108. — 'As killing in my hones.' The strong impression 'killing,' or even as it might he rendered, murder, is a literal equivalent of the original (n2i1), which.
is intended to express excruciating pain. Compare Ezekiel xxi. 22, rendered ' slayeth' in auth. version.
(c) P, 111. — ' As one saith of anger.' The reference is to Virgil, ^n., lib. i., V. 150 :
' Furor arma ministrat ;
Turn pietate gravem ac meritis, si forte virum quern Conspexere,' &c.
(d) P. 115 — 'The poor church in the Palatinate.' Our memoir shews the deep interest Sihbes, in common with the ' Puritans,' took in the persecuted Protestants of Bohemia
(e) P. 116. — ' Intend' = stretch, and so augment. Kichardson illustrates the word from Barrow.
G.
THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF,
AND VICTORY OVER ITSELF BY FAITH.
A TREATISE OF THE INWARD DISQUIETMENTS OF DISTRESSED
SPIRITS, WITH COMFORTABLE REMEDIES
TO ESTABLISH THEM.
THE SOUL'S CONFLICT, AND VICTORY OVER ITSELF BY
FAITH.
NOTE.
The several editions of the ' Soul's Conflict,' known to the Editor, and collated for the present publication, are, with the letters used to designate them, as follows : —
(aj The Sovles Conflict with itselfe, and Victorie over it selfe by Faith. A Trea- tise of the inward disquietments of distressed spirits, with comfortable remedies to establish them, ' Returne unto thy rest, 0 my soule, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.''
By R. Sibbs, D.D., Master of Katherine Hall, in Cambridge, and Preacher at Grayes Inue, London.
Printed at London, by M. Flesher, for R. Dawlman, at the Brazen Serpent, in Paul's Churchyard. 1635. 12n>o. A.
*,;j* This is the first edition.
(6) There was a re-issue in same year — 1635 — of A. It is distinguishable from it by having ' Victory ' for ' Victorie ' in title-page, and by certain corrections, and one alteration. The chief interest attaching to it rests on the latter, upon which Bishop Patrick makes his charge against the Puritans of ' falsification.' See note at end of treatise.
(c) 2d edition, 1635. 12mo. C.
[d) Another called ' 2d edition,' 1636. 12mo, D. {e) 3d edition, 1636. 12mo. E.
(/) 4th edition, 1638. 12mo. F.
[g) Another called '4th edition,' 1651. 12mo. G,
\h) 5th edition, 1658. 12mo, H.
The text of our reprint is A (see title-page supra), with collations from B; C to H consist simply of reproductions of C, and which, except in the addition of the ' Verses ' by Benlowes and Quarles, follows B. I have preferred A as our text, from its having been published by Sibbes himself, but have carefully noted the ' correc- tions ' and alteration supra as unquestionably made by his authority. The division into chapters of C has been retained, as facilitating perusal.
G.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL
SIK JOHN BANKES, KNIGHT,
THE king's majesty's ATTORNEY-GENERAL,*
SIE EDWAED MOSELY, KNIGHT,
HIS majesty's attorney of THE DUCHY [OF LANCASTER] ,f
SIE WILLIA^I DENNY, KNIGHT,
ONE OF THE KINg's LEARNED COUNCIL, J
SIE DUDLEY DIGGES, KNIGHT,
ONE OF THE IiU.STERS OF THE CHANCERY ;|| AND THE REST OF THE WORSHIPFUL,
HEADERS AND BENCHERS, WITH THE ANCIENTS, BARRISTERS, STUDENTS,
AND ALL OTHERS BELONGING TO THE HONOURABLE SOCIETY OP GRAY's INN,
R[ICHARD] SIBBES
DEDICATETH THESE SERMONS, PREACHED AMONGST THEM, IN TESTIMONY
OF HIS DUE OBSERVANCE, AND DESIRE OF THEIR
SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL GOOD.
* Sir John Bankes was a man of mark in liis generation. He was constituted Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, from being attorney, as above described, in 1640-41. He adhered to Charles I ; and was employed against Hampden the patriot, in the case of ship-money. His wife's noble defence of Corfe Castle, and its fall by treachery in the next year, has been well told by a descendant in a volume dedicated to the story of Corfe Castle. He died in 1644, at Oxford. — Consult Foss's admirable Judges of England, vol. vi. ; also Lloyd's 'Memoires,' pp. 586-7, 1668.
t Sir Edward Mosely or Mosley was of the family of Ancoats, near Manchester. now represented by Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart.
X Sir "William Denny was of Cambridgeshire and Ireland. — See Burke.
II Sir Dudley Digges, like Bankes, is a historical character. After fulfilling various senatorial and diplomatic appointments, and suffering imprisonment more than once, he was admitted Master in Chancery in 1631, and received a grant of the reversion of the office of Master of the Rolls after the death of Sir Julius Caesar He obtained possession of it at Sir Julius's death, in April 1636, and held it till his owHj in March 18, 1639. He is one of Fuller's ' Worthies.' — See Foss, as supra.
G.
TO THE CHEISTIAN EEADEE.
There be two sorts of people always in the visible church, one that Satan keeps under with false peace, whose life is nothing but a diversion to pre- sent contentments, and a running away from God and their own hearts, which they know can speak no good unto them ; these speak peace to themselves, but God speaks none. Such have nothing to do with this Scripture, Ps. xlii. 11 ; the way for these men to enjoy comfort, is to be soimdly troubled. True peace arises from knowing the worst first, and then our freedom from it. It is a miserable peace that riseth from ignor- ance of evil. The angel ' troubled the waters,' John v. 4, and then it* cured those that stepped in. It is Christ's manner to trouble our souls first, and then to come with healing in his wings.