Southey's Common-place Book.

CHOICE PASSAGES,

MORAL, RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, HISTORICAL, POETICAL, AND

"As to the thing itself," says JEREMY TAYSAMUEL FOTHERGILL says to a young man LOR, "the truth is, it is better in contemplation who had laid aside the dress of the Society, and than practice for reckon all that is got by it with it some of the moral restrictions which it when you come to handle it, and it can never imposed, "If thou hadst appeared like a religious, satisfy for the infinite disorders happening in sober Friend, those companions who have exthe government, the scandal to religion, the ceedingly wounded thee, durst not have atsecret dangers to public societies, the growth tempted to frequent thy company. If thou of heresy, the nursing up of parties to a grand- hadst no other inducement to alter thy dress, I eur so considerable as to be able in their own beseech thee to do it to keep the distinction our time to change the laws and the government. principles lead to, and to separate thee from So that if the question be, whether mere opinions fools and fops. At the same time that by a are to be prosecuted, it is certainly true they prudent distinction in appearance thou scatterought not. But if it be considered how by est away those that are the bane of youth, opinions men rifle the affairs of kingdoms, it is thou wilt engage the attention of those whose also as certain, they ought not to be made pub-company will be profitable and honourable to lic and permitted."

Ill Religion.

"THAT is no good religion," says JEREMY TAYLOR, "whose principles destroy any duty of religion. He that shall maintain it to be lawful to make a war for the defence of his opinion, be it what it will, his doctrine is against godliness. Any thing that is proud, any thing that is peevish and scornful, any thing that is uncharitable, is against the vylaivovoa didaσkahía, that form of sound doctrine which the Apostle speaks of."

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Faith and Opinion.

"FAITH," says the "Public Friend," SAMUEL FOTHERGILL, overcomes the World: Opinion is overcome by the World. Faith is triumphant in its power and in its effects; it is of divine tendency to renew the heart, and to produce those fruits of purity and holiness which demonstrate the dignity of its original: Opinion has filled the world, enlarged the field of speculation, and been the cause of producing fruits directly opposite to the nature of faith. Opinion has terminated in schism: Faith is productive of unity."

thee."

Forms.

"LA vraie philosophie respecte les formes autant que l'orgueil les dédaigne. Il faut une discipline pour la conduite, comme il faut un ordre pour les idées. Nier l'utilité des rits et des pratiques religieuses en matière de morale, ce serait nier l'empire des notions sensibles sur des êtres qui ne sont pas de purs esprits; ce serait nier la force de l'habitude."-PORTALIS. (Louis Goldsmith-Recueil, tom. 1, p. 277).

Religious Truths.

"La vérité est comme un rayon du soleil; si nous voulons la fixer en elle-même, elle nous éblouit et nous aveugle: mais si nous ne considérons que les objets qu'elle nous rend sensibles, elle éclaire à la fois notre esprit et réchauffe notre cœur."-SAINT-PIERRE-Harmonies de la Nature, tom. 3, p. 2.

The Two Gates of Heaven. "DIEU a mis sur la terre deux portes qui mènent au ciel: il les a placées aux deux extrémités de la vie; l'une à l'entrée, l'autre à la

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SAINT-PIERRE-CLARENDON.

sortie. La première est celle de l'innocence, la dernière est celle du répentir."-SAINTPIERRE-Harmonies de la Nature, tom. 3,

p. 150.

Christianity.

"FOR Certain it is, Christianity is nothing else but the most perfect design that ever was, to make a man be happy in his whole capacity: and as the law was to the Jews, so was philosophy to the Gentiles, a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ, to teach them the rudiments of happiness, and the first and lowest things of reason; that when Christ was come all mankind might become perfect-that is, be made regular in| their appetites, wise in their understandings, assisted in their duties, directed to, and instructed in, their great ends. And this is that which the Apostle calls 'being perfect men in Christ Jesus;' perfect in all the intendments of nature, and in all the designs of God. And this was brought to pass by discovering, and restoring, and improving the law of Nature, and by turning it all into religion."-JEREMY TAYLOR, Preface to the Life of Christ.

Law.

THE Jesuit P. RICHEOME says of the law, that "entre toutes les parties de ceste faculté la preud-hommie et bonne conscience est la plus rare, et la plus requise à un advocat Chrestien. C'est pour elle que les Advocats renouvellent tous les ans leur serment à la Saint Martin, ceremonie qui monstre que c'est la qualité la plus necessaire de toutes au jugement des bons juges.".”—Plainte Apologetique, p. 69.

Bonum and Bene.

Ir was well said by the Scotch Jesuit, WILLIAM CRITTON (Crichton?) "Deum magis amare adverbia quam nomina: quia in additionibus (actionibus?) magis ei placent BENE et LEGITIME quam bonum et legitimum. Ita ut nullum bonum liceat facere nisi BENE et LEGITIME fieri possit."

Hume's Opinion of the Stability of American
Dependence.

New Opinions, how treated in Macaria. THE Traveller in the old Dialogue, who gives an account of the "famous kingdom of Macaria," says, "they have such rules, that they need no considerable study to accomplish all knowledge fit for divines, by reason that there is no diversity of opinions amongst them." Upon which the Scholar with whom he is conversing asks, “How can that be?"

“Trav. Very easily: for they have a law, that if any divine shall publish a new opinion to the common people, he shall be accounted a disturber of the public peace, and shall suffer death for it.

"Schol. But that is the way to keep them in error perpetually, if they be once in it.

"Trav. You are deceived: for, if any one hath conceived a new opinion, he is allowed every year freely to dispute it before the great Council. If he overcome his adversaries, or such as are appointed to be opponents, then it is generally received for truth; if it be overcome, then it is declared to be false.”—Harleian Miscellany (8vo. edit.) vol. 6, p. 383.

Trades.

IN the "famous kingdom of Macaria," "there are established laws, so that there are not too many tradesmen, nor too few, by enjoining longer or shorter times of apprenticeship."—Harleian Miscellany (8vo. edit.) vol. 6.

Periodical Emigrations.

THE speculative politician who at the meeting of the Long Parliament recommended for their adoption the laws of the ideal kingdom of Macaria, as a panacea for the disturbances of the state, mentions among other institutions, "a law for New Plantations, that every year a certain number shall be sent out, strongly fortified, and provided for at the public charge, till such time as they may subsist by their own endeavours. And this number is set down by the Council for New Plantations, wherein they take diligent notice of the surplusage of people that may be spared.-Harleian Miscellany (8vo. edit.) vol. 6, p. 382.

Abolition of Offices and Privileges.

HUME says, speaking of our first plantations in America, "Speculative reasoners during that "He that thinks the King gives away nothing age, raised many objections to the planting of that is worth the keeping, when he suffers an those remote colonies, and foretold that after office, which keeps and maintains many officers draining their mother country of inhabitants, to be abolished, and taken away, does not conthey would soon shake off her yoke, and erect sider that so much of his train is abated; and an independent Government in America. But that he is less spoken of, and consequently less time has shewn, that the views entertained by esteemed in those places where that power forthose who encouraged such generous undertak-merly extended: nor observes how private men ings were, more just and solid. A mild government and great naval force have preserved, and may still preserve during some time, the dominion of England over her colonies." This was written in 1758.

value themselves upon those lesser franchises and royalties, which especially keep up the power, distinction, and degrees of men."-CLARENDON, vol. 1, p. 444.

HOBBES-HOLINSHED.

Difference between Craft and Wisdom. SPEAKING of the Parliamentary Leaders in Charles I.'s time, HOBBES says, "If craft be wisdom they were wise enough: but wise, as I define it, is he that knows how to bring his business to pass (without the assistance of knavery and ignoble shifts) by the sole strength of his good contrivance. A fool may win from a better gamester by the advantage of false dice, and packing of cards."-Behemoth.

Aristocracy of Trade. Proneness of Tradesmen to Disaffection.

"GREAT capital cities when rebellion is upon pretence of grievances, mùst needs be of the rebel party, because the grievances are but taxes, to which citizens, that is, merchants, whose profession is their private gain, are naturally mortal enemies; their only glory being to grow excessively rich by buying and selling.

"B. But they are said to be of all callings the most beneficial to the Commonwealth, by setting the poorer sort of people to work.

"A. That is to say, by making poor people sell their labour to them at their own prices. So that poor people, for the most part, might get a better living by working in Bridewell, than by spinning, weaving, and other such labour as they can do; saving that by working slightly they may help themselves a little, to the disgrace of our manufacture. And as most commonly they are the first encouragers of rebellion presuming of their strength, so also are they for the most part, the first to repent, deceived by them that command their strength." -HOBBES, Behemoth.

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Leagues and Covenants.

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suspend their former just and necessary obligations.—Είκων Βασιλικη, p. 106.

Church Dignities.

"FOR those secular additaments and ornaments of authority, civil honour and estate, which my predecessors and Christian Princes in all countries have annexed to Bishops and Churchmen, I look upon them but as just rewards of their learning and piety who are fit to be in any degree of Church Goverment: also enablements to works of charity and hospitality, meet strengthenings of their authority in point of respect and observance, which in peaceful times is hardly paid to any Governors by the measure of their virtues so much as by that of their estates; poverty and meanness exposing them and their authority to the contempt of licentious minds and manners, which persecuting times much restrained.

"I would have such men Bishops as are most worthy of those encouragements, and best able to use them. If at any time my judgement of men failed, my good intention made my error venial and some bishops I am sure I had, whose learning, gravity and piety, no men of any worth or forehead can deny. But of all men, I would have Churchmen, especially the Governors, to be redeemed from that vulgar neglect, which (besides an innate principle of vicious opposition, which is in all men against those that seem to reprove or restrain them) will necessarily follow both the Presbyterian Party, which makes all ministers equal, and the Independent Inferiority, which sets their Pastors below the People."-Eikov Baoiλikη, p. 149.

Cottagers by the Wayside.

"THE Lords of the soil do unite their small occupying, only to increase a greater proportion of rent; and therefore they either remove, or give license to erect small tenements by the high ways' sides and commons; whereunto in truth, they have no right, and yet out of them also do raise a new commodity." Harrison, in the Description of Britain, describes this encroaching upon the wayside as a fault to be found almost in every place, even in the time of our most gracious and sovereign Lady Elizabeth." -HOLLINSHED's Chronicles, vol. 1, p. 189.

"SOLEMN Leagues and Covenants," says CHARLES I. " are the common road used in all factions and powerful perturbations of State or Church where formalities of extraordinary zeal and piety are never more studied and elaborate, than when Politicians most agitate desperate designs against all that is settled or sacred in religion and laws; which by such screws are cunningly, yet forcibly, wrested by secret steps and less sensible degrees from their known rule and wonted practice, to comply with the humours of those men, who aim to subdue all to their own will and power under the dis- Toleration of the Reformed Churches. guises of holy Combinations. Which cords and "WE find that all Christian Churches kept withes will hold men's consciences no longer this rule; they kept themselves and others close than Force attends and twists them for every to the Rule of Faith, and peaceably suffered one man soon grows his own Pope, and easily ab- another to differ in ceremonies, but suffered no solves himself of those ties, which, not the com- difference amongst their own. They gave liberty mands of God's word, or the Laws of the Land, to other Churches; and gave laws and no libbut only the subtlety and terror of a Party casts erty to their own subjects. And at this day upon him; either superfluous and vain, when the Churches of Geneva, France, Switzerland, they were sufficiently tyed before; or fraudulent Germany, Low Countries, tie all their people to and injurious, if by such after ligaments they their own laws, but tie up no man's conscience: find the imposers really aiming to dissolve or if he be not persuaded as they are, let him cha

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JEREMY TAYLOR-SIR THOMAS MORE.

ritably dissent, and leave that Government and adhere to his own communion. If you be not of their mind, they will be served by them that are; they will not trouble your conscience, and you shall not disturb their government." JEREMY TAYLOR.

Weak Consciences.

"As for them who have weak and tender consciences, they are in the state of childhood and minority; but then you know that a child is never happy by having his own humour; if you chuse for him, and make him to use it, he hath but one thing to do: but if you put him to please himself, he is troubled with every thing, and satisfied with nothing."-JEREMY TAYLOR.

Liberty of Preaching.

"INDEED," says JEREMY TAYLOR, "if I may freely declare my opinion, I think it were not amiss, if the liberty of making sermons were something more restrained than it is; and that either such persons only were entrusted with the liberty, for whom the church herself may safely be responsive, that is to men learned and pious, and that the other part, the vulgus cleri, should instruct the people out of the fountains of the church and the public stock, till by so long exercise and discipline in the schools of the prophets, they may also be entrusted to minister of their own unto the people. This, I am sure, was the practice of the primitive church, when preaching was as ably and religiously performed as now it is."-Vol. 7, p. 785.

Men who would preach.

"SUCH a scabbed ytche of vaynglory catche they in theyr prechynge, that though all the worlde were the worse for it, and theyr owne lyfe lye thereon, yet wolde they longe to be pulpetyd."-SIR THOMAS MORE's Dialoge, ff. 39.

Images.

place to forbyd ymages among his crysten flocke; where his pleasure wolde be to have the ymage of his blessyd body, hangyng on his holy crosse, had in honour and reverent remembraunce; where he wolde vouchsafe to sende unto the kyng Abiagarus the ymage of his own face; where he lyked to leve the holy vernacle. -the expresse ymage also of his blessyd vysage, as a token to remayne in honour among suche as loved hym, from the tyme of his bytter passion hytherto. Which as it was by the myracle of his blessyd holy hande expressed and lefte in the sudari, so hath it ben by lyke myracle in the thyn corruptable clothe, kepte and preserved uncorrupted this xv.c. yere, fresshe and well perceyved, to the inwarde comforte, spyrytuall rejoysynge, and greate encreace of fervoure and devocyon in the hartes of good crysten people. Cryst also taught his holy evangelyst St. Luke to have another maner mynde towarde ymages, than have these heretyques, whan he put in his mynde to counterfete and expresse in a table the lovely vysage of our blessyd lady his mother."-SIR THOMAS MORE's Dialoge, ff. 7.

"I WOLDE also fayne wytte whyther these heretyques will be contente that the blessyd name of Jesus be had in honoure and reverence, or not. If not, then nede we no more to shewe what wretches they be, which dare dyspyse that holy name that the devyll trembleth to here of. And on the other syde, yf they agre that the name of Jesus is to be reverenced and had in honoure, then syth that name of Jesus is nothyng els but a worde, which by wrytyng or by voyce representeth unto the herer the person of our savyour Cryste, fayne wolde I wytte of these heretyques, yf they gyve honour to the name of our Lorde, whiche name is but an ymage representynge his person to mannes mynde and ymagynacyon, why and with what reason can they dyspyse a fygure of hym carved or paynted, whiche representeth hym and his actes, farre more playne and more expressely."―SIR THOMAS MORE's Dialoge, ff. 8.

Gold expended on Relics..

"TOUCHYNGE such textes as these heretyques allege agaynst the worshyppyng of Ymages, very sure am I that St. Austyn, St. Hyerome, "LUTHER Wyssheth in a sermon of hys, that St. Basyle, St. Gregory, with so many a godly he had in his hande all the pecys of the holy connynge man as hath ben in Crystes chyrche crosse, and sayth that yf he so had, he wolde. from the begynnyng hytherto, understode those throw them there as never sonne shold shyne on textes as well as dyd those heretyques; namely, them. And for what worshypfull reason wolde havyng as good wyttes, beyng farre better the wretche do suche vylanye to the crosse of lerned, usynge in study more dylygence, beynge Cryste? Bycause, as he sayth, that there is so an hepe to an handfull, and (which most is of moche golde nowe bestowed about the garall) havyng (as God by many myracles bereth nysshynge of the pecys of the crosse, that there wytness) besyde theyr lernyng, the lyght and is none lefte for pore folke. Is not this an hygh clerenes of his especyall grace, by whiche they reason? as though all the golde that is now be were inwardly taught of his onely Spyryte to stowed aboute the peeys of the holy crosse, perceyve that the wordes spoken in the olde wolde not have fayled to have ben gyven to lawe to the Jewys people prone to ydolatry-pore men, yf they had not ben bestowed about and yet not to all them neyther (for the prestes the garnysshynge of the crosse. And as though than had the ymages of the aungell cherubyn in there were nothing lost, but that is bestowed the secret place of the temple), sholde have no about Crystys crosse,

"Take all the gold that is spent about all the eryd and clokyd under the pretext of symplycyte pecys of Crystys crosse, thorowe Crystendome and good Crysten devocyon borne to the love of (albe it many a good crysten prynce and other holy scrypture alone. But in lytell whyle after odly people hath honourably garnysshed many the dampnable spyryte of pryde that unaware to ecys thereof) yet yf all the gold were gathered themself lurked in theyr hartys, hath begonne to gyder, it wolde appere a pore porcyon in put out his hornis and shew hymselfe. For then omparyson of the gold that is bestowed upon have they longed, under the prayse of holy scripuppes; what speke we of cuppes? in which ture, to set out to shew theyr own study. the gold, albe it that it be not gyven to pore Which bycause they wolde have seme the more nen, yet it is saved, and may be gyven in almes to be set by, they have fyrst fallen to the dyswhan men wyll,--whiche they never wyll: howe prays and derysyon of all other dyscyplynes. small a porcyon wene we were the golde about And bycause in spekynge or prechyng of such all the pecys of crystes crosse, yf it were com- commune thynges as all Crysten men know, pared with the gold that is quyte cast away, they could not seem excellent, nor make it apabout the gyltynge of knyves, swordes, sporres, pere and seme that in theyr study they had done arrace and paynted clothes; and (as though any great maystry to shew themselfe, therethese thynges coulde not consume gold fast fore merveylously they set out paradoxis and ynoughe) the gyltyng of postes and hole rofes, straunge oppynyons agaynst the commen fayth not onely in the palaces of prynces and great of Crystis hole Chyrche. And bycause they prelates, but also many ryght mean mennes have therein the olde holy doctors agaynst them, houses. And yet among all these thynges they fall to the contempte and disprayse of them; coulde Luther spye no golde that grevously eyther preferryng theyr owne fonde gloses glyttered in his blered eyes, but onely aboute agaynst the old connynge and blessyd fathers the crosse of Cryst. For the gold, yf it were interpratacyons; or ellys lean to some wordes thens, the wyse man weneth, it wolde be of holy scrypture, that seme to say for them, streyght gyven to pore men; and that where he agaynst many mo textes that playnly make dayly seeth that suche as have theyr purse full agaynst them; without receyvyng, or eregyvof golde, gyve to the pore not one pece thereof, yng to any reason or authoryte of any man, but yf they gyve ought, they transake the bot-quycke or dede, or of the hole chyrche of Cryst ome amonge all the golde, to seke out here an to the contrary. And thus ones proudly perhalfe peny, or in his countrey a brasse peny, whereof foure make a ferthynge. Such goodly causes fynde they that pretende holyness for the colour of theyr cloked heresyes."-SIR THOMAS MORE'S Dialoge, ff. 12.

Faith in the Virgin Mary alone at

one time.

CHRIST shewed to St. Peter "that his fayth, that is to wete the fayth by him confessed, sholde never fayle in his chyrch, nor never dyd it, not with standyng his denyeng. For yet stode styll the lyght of fayth in our Lady, without fleyng or flyttyng. And in all other we fynde eyther fleyng from hym one tyme or other, or ellys doute of his resurreccyon after his deth, his dere mother onely excepte : for the sygnyfycacion and remembraunce wherof the Chyrche yerely in the Tenebre lessons levyth her candell burnyng styll, when all the remenaunt, that sygnyfyeth his apostles and dysciples, be one by one put out."-SIR THOMAS MORE's Dialoge, ff. 33.

swaded a wronge waye, they take the brydyll in the tethe, and renne forth lyke an hed stronge horse, that all the worlde can not plucke them backe. But with sowing sedycyon, settyng forth of errours and heresyes, and spycyng theyr prechynge with rebukynge of preesthode and prelacye for the peoples pleasure, they tourne many a man to ruyne, and theirselfe also."-Dialoge, ff. 38.

Thirst for Persecution.

ONE of this sorte of this new kynde of prechers beyng demaundyd why that he used to saye in his sermons about, that now a dayes men prechyd not well the gospell, answered that he thought so, bycause he saw not the prechers persecutyd, nor no stryfe nor busynes aryse upon theyr prechyng. Whiche thynges, he sayd and wrote, was the fruyte of the gospell, bycause Cryste said Non veni pacem mittere sed gladium: I am not come to sende peace into the world, but the sworde. Was not this a worshypfull understandyng, that bycause Cryst wolde make a devycyon amonge infydels, from the remenaunt of them to wynne some, therfore these apostels wolde sowe some cocle of dyssen"I HAVE known," saith SIR THOMAS MORE, syon amonge the Crysten peple, wherby Cryst "ryght good wyttes that hath set all other lern- myght lese some of them? For the frute of ynge (except the study of scripture) asyde, stryfe among the herers, and persecucyon of partely for slowth, refusynge the labour and the precher, can not lyghtly growe amonge payne to be susteyned in that lernynge, partly Crysten men, but by the prechynge of some for pryde, by which they could not endure the straunge newelytes, and bryngngne up of some redargucyon that sholde somtyme fall to their new fangell heresyes to the infeccyon of our parte in dyspytacyons, whyche affeccyons, theyr olde fayth."-SIR THOMAS MORE'S Dialoge, inwarde secret favour towards themselves cov- ff. 39.

Scripture Divines.