Whatever sceptic could enquire for,
For every why he had a wherefore.

Hudidras, pt. i., canto i., l. 131.

Nor do I know what is become

Of him, more than the Pope of Rome.

Ib., pt. i., canto iii, 1. 263.

For what is worth in anything,
But so much money as 'twill bring?

Ib., pt. ii., canto i., 1. 465.

Now, like a lobster boiled, the morn
From black to red began to turn.

Ib., pt. ii., canto ii., l. 29.

As men of inward light are wont
To turn their optics in upon't.

Ib., pt. iii., canto i., l. 481.

Honour is like that glassy bubble,

That finds philosophers such trouble;

Whose least part crack'd the whole does fly,
And wits are crack'd to find out why.

Ib.

110. Sir John Denham, 1615-1668. (Handbook, pars. 107, 134)

The Thames.

My eye, descending from the Hill, surveys

Where Thames among the wanton valleys strays.
Thames! the most lov'd of all the Ocean's sons,
By his old sire, to his embraces runs,

Hasting to pay his tribute to the sea,

Like mortal life to meet eternity. . . .

No unexpected inundations spoil

...

The mower's hopes, nor mock the ploughman's toil;

But godlike his unwearied bounty flows;

First loves to do, then loves the good he does.
Nor are his blessings to his banks confin'd
But free and common as the sea or wind;
When he, to boast or to disperse his stores,
Full of the tributes of his grateful shores,
Visits the world, and in his flying tow'rs

Brings home to us, and makes both Indies ours:
Finds wealth where 'tis, bestows it where it wants,
Cities in deserts, woods in cities, plants.

So that to us no thing, no place, is strange,
While his fair bosom is the world's exchange.
Oh, could I flow like thee, and make thy stream
My great example, as it is my theme!

Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull;
Strong without rage; without o'erflowing, full.
From Cooper's Hill.

111. John Owen, 1616-1683. (Handbook, pars. 383, 385.) Sometimes called the prince of theologians: a voluminous writer, very full and exhaustive.

The Self-evidencing Power of Scripture.

There are two things to be considered in the doctrine of Scripture, which to me seem not only to persuade but to convince the understanding of unprejudiced men of its divine original.

Its universal suitableness, upon its first clear discovery, to all the entanglements and perplexities of the souls of men, in reference to their relation to and dependence on God. Now there are three things that every one of mankind, not naturally brutish, are perplexed with in relation to God-How they may worship him as they ought: How they may be reconciled and at peace with him, or have an atonement for that guilt of which they are naturally sensible: What is the nature of true blessedness, and how they may attain to it.

That all mankind is perplexed and entangled about these considerations-that all men ever were so, without exception, more or less, and continue so to be to this day-that of themselves they miserably grope in the dark, and are never able to come to any satisfaction, neither as to what is present nor as to what is to come, I would manifest from the state, office, and condition of conscience, and the indelible innate ideas and presumptions about them, that are in the hearts of all by nature. The whole history of all religion which hath been in the world, with the design of all ancient and present philosophy, do manifest this truth.

That surely then which shall administer to every one of them universally, satisfaction as to all these things, to quiet their

spirits, to cut off all necessity of further inquiries, give them that wherewith they will be satisfied, unless they will cast off that relation and dependence on God which they seek to settlesurely, I say, this must be from the all-seeing, all-satisfying truth, and from none else. Now this is done by the doctrine of the Scripture, with such a glorious uncontrollable conviction that every one to whom it is revealed, the eyes of whose understanding are not blinded by the God of this world, must needs cry out I found that which in vain I sought elsewhere in my foolish imagination.

Take an instance in the business of the atonement, reconciliation, and acceptance with God. What strange, horrible fruits have men's contrivances produced on this occasion? What have they not invented? What have they not suffered and yet continued in dread and bondage all their days? Now, with what a glorious soul-appeasing light doth the doctrine of satisfaction and atonement by the blood of Christ, the Son of God, come in upon such men! This first astonisheth, then conquereth, then ravisheth, and satiateth the soul. This is what they looked for, were sick for, and knew it not. This is the design of the Apostle's discourse in the first three chapters of the Romans. Let any man read that discourse from chap. i. 18 and onward, and he will see what glory and beauty, what ample satisfaction this doctrine breaks out.

It is no otherwise as to present worship or future blessedness. This meets with men in all their wanderings, stops them in their disquisitions, convinces them of their darkness, uncertainty, falseness of all their reasonings about these things, and that with such an evidence and light, as at once subdues them, captivates their understanding, and quiets their souls. . . .

2. Another consideration of like efficacy may be taken from a brief view of the whole Scripture, with the design of it. The consent of parts, or harmony of Scripture in itself, and every part of it with each other, and with the whole, is commonly pleaded as an evidence of its divine original. Thus much certainly it doth evince, beyond all possible contradiction, that the whole proceedeth from one and the same principle-hath the same author, and he wise, discerning, able to comprehend the whole compass of what he intended to deliver and reveal. Otherwise, that oneness of spirit, design, and aim, in unspeakable diversity

of means of its delivery, that absolute correspondency of it to itself and unlikeness to anything else could not have been attained. Now it is certain that this principle must be chief in its kind—either good or evil. If the Scripture be what it declares itself to be, it is then unquestionably the word of the living God,' truth itself; for that it professeth to be from beginning to end; to which profession all that it reveals has an unquestionable tendency to his glory alone. If it be not so, it must be acknowledged that the author of it had a blasphemous design to hold forth himself to be God when he is not so; a malicious design to deceive the sons of men and to make them believe that they worship and honour God and obey him when they do not; and thus draw them into everlasting destruction-and that to compass those ends of blasphemy, atheism and malice, he hath laid out, in a long course of time, all the industry and wisdom that a creature could be made partaker of. Now he that should do this must be the devil and none else; no other creature can possibly arrive at that height of obstinacy of evil. Now, certainly, whilst God is pleased to continue to us anything by which we are distinguished from the brutes that perish; whilst there is a sense of the difference between good and evil abiding amongst men, it cannot fall upon the understanding of any man, that that doctrine which is so holy and pure, so absolutely leading to the utmost improvement of whatever is good, just, commendable, and praiseworthy, so suitable to all the light of God, of good and evil that remains in us, could proceed from any one everlastingly hardened in evil, and that in the pursuit of the most wicked design, that that wicked one could possibly be engaged in; namely, to enthrone himself and maliciously to cheat and ruin the souls of men; so that upon necessity, the Scripture can own no author but Him, whose it is, even the living Ged.

On the Divine Original, etc., of the Holy Scriptures, ch. vi. 'A clear and irresistible demonstration.'-DR. CHALMERS.

The Love of God.

The righteousness of God was most eminently glorified in the reconciliation wrought by Christ, when he made atonement for us in his blood. All after-actings of God toward us are indeed full of love; but they are all streams from this fountain, or rivers from this ocean.

112. Ralph Cudworth, 1617-1688. (Handbook, pars. 337, 343.) One of the earliest to answer Hobbes, and to maintain the eternal distinction between right and wrong.

Morality Eternal and Immutable.

As the vulgar general look no higher for the original of moral good and evil, just and unjust, than the codes and pandects, the tables and laws of their country and religion; so there have not wanted pretended philosophers in all ages who have asserted nothing to be good and evil, just and unjust, naturally and immutably; but that all these things were positive, arbitrary, and factitious only. Such Plato mentions in his Tenth Book De Legibus, and again in his Theatetus. And Aristotle more than once takes notice of this opinion in his ethicks. Things honest and just which politicks are conversant about have so great a variety and uncertainty in them, that they seem to be only by law and not by nature. (Eth. Nic. lib. i. chap. 1.) After naming the various advocates of these views, he adds

Wherefore since there are so many both philosophers and theologers that seemingly and verbally acknowledge such things as moral good and evil, just and unjust; that contend notwithstanding that these are not by nature but by institution, and that there is nothing naturally or immutably just or unjust; I shall from hence fetch the rise of this ethical discourse or inquiry concerning things good and evil, just and unjust, laudable and shameful, demonstrating in the first place that if there be anything at all good or evil, just or unjust, there must of necessity be something naturally and immutably good and just. And from thence I shall proceed afterwards to show what this natural, immutable, and eternal justice is, with the branches and species of it.

A Treatise concerning Eternal and Immutable Morality, bk. i., cap. i. Lond. 1731.

113. Abraham Cowley, 1618-1667. (Handbook, pars. 103,142, 327.) As a poet, he is one of the founders (with Donne) of the so called metaphysical or fantastic school; fond of remote imagery, and affected thought; as a prose-writer, he is remarkable for purity and elegance.

Hymn to Light.

First-born of chaos, who so fair didst come

From the old negro's darksome womb