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very ancient; but there came in a zealous fellow with a counterfeit com• miflion, that for avoyding of fuperftition, hath not left one penny-worth nor one penny-bredth of braffe upon the tombes, of all the infcriptions, which had been many and coftly.

Further, I note this, that in Bishop Langton's time there were many parks belonging to the fea, in which the Prince committed fome diforder in the time of Edward the First, now it is much altered, for he hath not paft one, the reft being perhaps turned to paftures, and the deere into tamer beafts.

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OF how great antiquity this bifhopric had been in former times, two things doe efpecially declare. One, that ever fince the conqueft, Ordinale fecundum ufum farum was received over all England; another, that the clergy of Salisbury were able of their owne charge to erect such a goodly church, and stone steeple, as that is which now ftands, which at this day a fubfidy were fcarce able to performe.

To omit how Sherborn Castle, and the Devizes, were both built by one bishop of Salisbury, and in this ftate that continued till the yeere 1539, what time Dr. Capon was tranflated from Bangor thither, a man for learning and wit worthy to be of Apollo's crew; but for his spoile and havock he is faid to have made of the church-land more worthy to be Apollion's crew, for he is noted to be one of the firft that made a capon of his bifhoprick, and fo guelded it, that it will never be able to build either church or caftle again. The place being in this fort much impoverished, Bishop Jewell was prefer'd unto it the first yeere of Queen Elizabeth; a Jewell indeed, as in name, Re gemma fuit, nomine gemma fuit. He, though he could not maintaine the port his predeceffors did, finding his houfes decayed, and lands all leafed out, yet kept very good hospitality and gave hiinfelfe withall much to writing books, of which divers are extant, and in many mens hands, viz. His Apology of the Church of England; His Challenge, anfwered by Harding; His Reply to the faid Anfwer; all in English, and all in fuch eftimation, even untill this day, that as St. Olmond, in William the Conqueror's time, gave the pattern for form of service to all the churches of England; fo Mr. Jewell's writings are a kind of rule to all the reformed churches of England, and hardly is there any controverfie of importance handled at this day, of which in his works is not to be found fome learned and probable refolution. One thing I will fpecially commend him for, though I thall not be commended for it my felfe of fome, and that is, whereas he defended the marriage of priests, no man better; yet he would never marry himfelfe, faying, Christ did not counfell inain, Qui poteft capere, capiat. He had a very reverant regard of the ancient fathers writings, and efpecially St. Auguftine, out of which books he found many authorities against fome fuperftitions crept into the Roman church. Why he had such a minde to lie by Bishop Wyvill, I cannot gueffe, except perhaps of his name he had taken a caveat, to keep himself without a wife. For the whole course of his life, from his childhood, of his towardlineffe from the beginning, and how he was urged to fubfcribe in Queen Maries' time, and did fo, being required to write his name, faying, they fhould fee he could write; (which fhewed it was not ex animo) Doctor Humphrey hath written a feyerall treatise.

DOCTOR

DOCTOR JOHN COLDWELL, DOCTOR OF PHYSIC. Though Dr. Gueft fucceeded Bishop Jewell, and my author makes him a good writer, yet he thall not be my guest in this difcourfe, having nothing to entertaine him with, or rather your highnefs with in reading of him. But how his fucceffor, Dr. Coldwell, of a phyfician, became a bishop, I have heard by more than a good many (as they fay) and I will briefly handle it, and as tenderly as I can, bearing myfelfe equall between the living and the dead. I touched before how this church had furfeited of a capon, which being heavy in her ftomacke, it may be thought she had fome need of a phyfician. But this man proved no good church phyfician; had the been fick of a plurifey, too much abounding with bloud as in ages paft, then fuch bleeding phyfick perhaps might have done it no harm. Now inclining rather to a confumption to let that bleed afresh at fo large a veine, almost was enough to draw out the very life bloud (your highneffe will pardon my phyfic metaphors, because I have lately look't over my Schola Salerni). I protest I am free from any defire to deface the dead undeservedly, and as farre from any fancy to infult on the miffortunes of the living uncivilly, and in my particular, the dead man I fpeake of never hurt me, and the living man I fhall speake of hath done me fome kindness; yet the manifeft judgments of God on both of them I may not pass over with filence. And to speak firft of the knight who carried the Spolia opima of this bifhoprick, having gotten Sherborne Castle, park, and parfonage, he was in thofe dayes in fo great favour with the queen, as I may boldly fay, that with leffe fuite than he was faine to make to her e'ere he could perfect this his purchase, and with leffe money then he bestowed fince in Sherborne in building and buying out leafes, and in drawing the river through rocks into his garden, he might have very juftly and without offence of the church or state have compaffed a much better purchase.

Alfo, that I have beene truly informed, he had a presage before he first attempted it, that did forefhew it would turne to his ruine, and might have kept him from meddling with it (Si mens non læra fuiffet); for as he was riding poft between Plymouth and the court, as many times he did upon no fmall imploiments, this caftle being right in the way, he cast fuch an eye upon it as Ahab did upon Naboth's vineyard, and once above the reft being talking of it, of the commodioufneffe of the place, of the ftrength of the feat, and how eafily it might be got from the bithoprick, fuddenly over and over came his horfe, that his very face, which was then thought a very good face, plowed up the earth where he fell. This fall was ominous I make no queftion, as the like was observed in the Lord Haftings, and before him in others, and himfelfe was apt enough to conftrue it fo; but his brother Adrian would needs have him interpret that not as a courtier, but as a conqueror, that it prefaged the quiet poffeflion of it. And accordingly for the prefent that fell out, he got that with much labour and travail, and coft, and envy, and obloquy to him and his heires Habendum et tenendum but e'ere that came fully to gaudendum; see what became of him. In the publick joy and jubile of the whole realme, when favour and peace and pardon was offer'd even to offendors, he that in wit, in wealth, in courage was inferior to few, fell fuddenly, I cannot tell how, into fuch a downfall of despaire, as his greatest enemy would not have wished him fo much harme, as he would have done himselfe. Can any man be fo wilfully blinde, as not to fee and to fay, Digitus Dei Vol. II. Churchm. Mag. April, 1802.

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eft hic, that it is God's doing, and his judgement which appeares? yet alfo more plaine by the fequel, for by St. Auguftine's rule, when adverfity breeds amendment, then that is a figne it is of God's fending, who would not have our correction turne to our confufion: fo hapned it to this knight, being condemned to dye, yet God, in whofe hand is the heart of the king, put into his mercifull minde against man's expectation to fave his life; and fince by the suite of his faithfull wife both to preserve his eftate and to eafe his reftraint in fuch fort as many that are at liberty, tafte not greater comforts than he doth in prifon, being not bar'd of those companions (I mean bookes) that he may and perhaps doth take more true comfort of then ever he tooke of his courtly companions in his chiefeft bravery. Neither is he without hope, that, upon his true repentance, God may yet further adde to incline his Majefty, e're feven times goe over his head, to a full liberty, Now to returne to the bishop that was the second party delinquent in this peti-larceny, or rather plaine facriledge, what was his purpose, to make himselfe rich by making his fea poore,? Attain'd he his purpofe herein? Nothing leffe: no bishop of Sarum fince the conqueft dyed fo notorious a beggar as this, his friends glad to bury him fuddenly and fecretly. Sine Luce, fine Cruce, fine Clinco, as the old bye word is, being for haft be-like clapt into Bifhop Wyvill's grave, that even at the refurrection, he may be ready to accufe him, and fay, I recovered Sherborne from a king, when that had been wrongfully detained two bundred yeeres, and thou didst betray it to a knight, after that had been quietly poffeft other two hundred yeeres. Some might imagine this a prefage, that Sherborne may one day reverte againe to the bishoprick. But there is a figne in Hydromanti against it. For in digging your grave (notwithstanding all the haft was made), fo great a spring brake into, that, as fill'd that all with water, and quite wath't away the prefage, fo as that dead bishop was drowned before he could be buried, and according to his name laid into a cold well before he was covered with the cold earth.

DOCTOR HENRY COTTON.

This bishoprick being now reduced to a mediocrity more worthy of pitty then envy, her Majefty (as I have heard) made a speciall choyce of this her chaplain, being a gentleman of a worshipfull houfe, and her godfonne, when he was Lady Elizabeth, whereupon it is reported that the faid, that the had bleft many of her god-fonnes, but now this god-fonne fhould blefs her; whether the were the better for his bleffing I know not, but I am fure he was the better for hers. The common voyce was Sir Walter Raleigh got the beft blefling of him, (though as I faid before) I rather count it a curfe to have his eftate in Sherborne to be confirmed that before was queftionable. But it was his wifeft way rather then to have a potent enemy and a tedious fuite. He married very young; for I was told fome yeeres fince, he had nineteen children by one woman, which is no ordinary bleffing, and moft of them fonnes. A man that had three fonnes or more among the ancient Romans enjoyed thereby no fmall priviledges, though the later Romans make it not a merit in a bishop. His wife's name was Patience, the name of which I have heard in few wives, the quality in none. He hath one fonne blind (I know not if by birth, or accident); but though his eyes be blind, he hath an understanding fo illuminate, as he is like to prove the beft fcholler of all his brethren. One especiall commendation I may not omit, how by this good bishops means,

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and by the affiftance of the learned deane of Sarum, Dr. Gourden, a feminary called Mr. Carpenter, a good fcholler, and in degree a bachelour of divinity, was converted and teftified his owne converfion publickly in a fermon upon this text, Acts 9, 18. There fell as it were fcales from his eyes, faying, that three fcules hath bleared his fight, viz. Antiquity, Univerfality, and Confent, but now the fcales being fallen away, he faw plainly their antiquity novelty, their univerfality a Babylonical tyranny, and their confent a confpiracy. And thus much be faid of my god-brother, and (be it faid) without prefumption your highneffe god-brother, Dr. Henry Cotton.

SACRED CRITICISM, No. VII.

(Continued from Page 132.)

A CRITIQUE ON THE PRIMITIVE NAMES OF THE DEITY.

PART I.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

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To acquire clear, diftinct, and correct ideas of elementary and technical terms, is confeffedly the first step towards the attainment of accurate knowledge, or found information in any art or fcience. And as there is none, from its nature, so noble and fublime, fo important to the highest concerns of mankind here and hereafter, but yet fo abftruse and “ hard to be understood," as THEOLOGY, of confequence, the import of its elementary terms, the Original or Primitive Names of THE DEITY, imperiously demands the fullest investigation, and moft exhauftive difcuffion. The NAME of THE LORD cometh from far;" even in the etymological fenfe, and like the majestic and ftupendous BEING, whom it denotes, is wrapt in thick clouds and darkness; to be traced, not without much labour and difficulty, up to its pure and unadulterated fource, in the precious remains of primeval Language, that have escaped the wreck of time, and are still happily preferved in the Hebrew tongue, and its kindred dialects: Infomuch, that the curious and adventurous critic, who dares to traverse and explore the formidable obfcurity of the fubject, is well nigh repulsed, at the outsetting, by a warning voice, like that of the ANGEL OF THE LORD, repreffing the too-inquifitive Manoah-" Why afkeft thou thus after MY NAME, Jeeing it is SECRET?"

In addition to the real labour and difficulty of such a research, “ through the dark backward and abyme of time," much adventitious obfcurity and unneceffary perplexity have been thrown thereon, by the reveries of Rabbinical myftics, the fubtilties of Maforetic grammarians, and the vagaries of modern hypercritics; exhibiting altogether fuch a medley of difcordant and unnatural roots, of irrelevant, offenfive, and revolting conjectures, touching the leading fignifications of "the glorious and awful names of THE LORD OUR GOD;" which ought not to be "taken in vain," by idle or licentious" imaginations;" as tend to caft unmerited contempt and ridicule on the useful elementary study of Etymology; and materially to in

*See Locke's Effay, Book IV. Chap. XII. On the Improvement of our Knowledge, And before him Plato obferved, 4 Ος αν ΤΑ ΟΝΟΜΑΤΑ είδη, είσεται και ΤΑ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΑ. "Whoever can know THE NAMES, will know alfo THE THINGS."

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jure the cause of Sacred Criticism; as if Theology itself was built on precarious and uncertain principles, fince its moft facred and venerable terms, the primitive names of GOD, will not (as has been afferted) fubmit to be tried by the rigid rules of grammatical analogy; but " are of the number of thofe, in which it is much eafier to detect error, than to discover the truth and if the truth be discovered [difcoverable] at all, it can only be by the flow process of the method of exclufion."-British Critic, 1802, February, p. 137.

Such is the unfavourable and difcouraging representation of " the difficulties" attending the enquiry into "the true etymology of thefe words, and the notions radically involved in them;" which, fay the B. C. “have never yet been fatisfactorily refolved, and which we pretend not to clear entirely."

Having myself, at an earlier period of my theological ftudies, laboured as a hardy and industrious pioneer, to "clear" or difembarrass facred etymology, from the rubbish and perplexity of either unskilful or fanciful criticifm, carefully and anxiously endeavouring to acquire rational and correct ideas of the leading fignifications of thofe DIVINE NAMES, through the channel of which are conveyed, in the facred oracles, the myfterious nature and attributes of THE DEITY, and the wonders of creating, redéeming, fanctifying LOVE: and having at length fatisfied myself with the refults, after no fhort nor flight research and rumination; in which I was principally guided and protected by the pole-ftar of the H brew Scriptures themselves, and the ancient verfions, (especially the venerable Septuagint) illuftrative thereof, from following the ignis fatuus, of false or fanciful etymology, which unfortunately mifled too many of the early Jewish grammarians, and too many Christian expofitors fince, implicitly adopting the fubtilties of Maforetic punctuation; the appearance of an elaborate critical difquifition on the etymology and import of the Divine Names ELOAH, ELOHIM, EL; JEHOVAH and JAH," in the laft Number of the British Critic, (referred to in the foregoing citation) ftrongly excited my curiofity: I perufed it with avidity, hoping to find "the method of exclufion," at leaft, fkilfully and exhauftively applied by thofe mafier-critics, and established arbiters of public tafte, and guides of popular opinion in matters of Literature, and fome original and valuable lights thrown on the prefent gloom and obfcurity of the fubject; but was much disappointed to find they had fcarcely ventured to forfake the beaten 'track, and in fome inftances had rather contributed to embarrass what was fufficiently intelligible; I thought it therefore my bounden duty to offer fuch ftrictures thereon, without delay, as might leffen the weight of fuch impofing and difheartening authority on " Orthodox" ftudents, especially among the younger clergy; for whofe fake chiefly I undertook my INSPECTORIAL office

VATIBUS addere calcar

Ut ftudio majore petant HELICONA VIRENTEM.

And even proficients in Oriental Literature, and the reviewing B. C. themfelves, perhaps may find this, and the enfuing letter, not altogether devoid of new, curious, folid, and useful information towards the more fatisfac tory profecution of their biblical and even classical studies, and the more faithful difcharge of an office of fuch bigh truft and refponfibility to GOD, and their COUNTRY, as that of Literary Reviewers; who cannot be, in reason,

offended

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