the true bond of unity. The quarrels and divi- [2] sions about religion were evils unknown to the heathen. The reason was, because the religion of the heathen [3] inspiration of him who knew what was in man, they delineated those Christian principles which man could not have devised for himself, each church has been left, by the same divine foresight, to make the application of these principles in its symbols, its forms of worship, and its ecclesiastical regulations; and, while steering its course by the chart and compass which his holy word supplies, to regulate for itself the sails and rudder, according to the winds and currents it may meet with. [3.] The religion of the heathen, &c.: Upon this point the following remarks by Whately are important :-Bacon here notices the characteristic that distinguishes the Christian religion from the religion of the heathen. The latter not only was not true, but was not even supported as true; it not only deserved no belief, but it demanded none. The very pretension to truth-the very demand of faith-were characteristic distinctions of Christianity It is Truth resting on evidence, and requiring belief in it, on the ground of its truth. And if Truth could be universally attained, Unity would be attained also, since Truth is one. On the other hand Unity may conceivably be attained by agreement in error; so that while by the universal adoption of a right faith, unity would be secured incidentally, the attainment of unity would be no security for truth. Hence the mistake of representing church unity as consisting in having one community on earth, to which all Christians belong, or ought to belong, and to whose government all are bound to submit, has led to truth being made the secondary, and not the paramount object. Because: Substitute a better word; otherwise, show how sentences [2] and [3] may be advantageously united. If the third be not united with the second, it should end with the first member, and the connective for should be omitted. Constant: Give the synonymes, and decide upon the one most consonant with present usage. Doctors: teachers. So used in the common Bible version-'Sitting in the midst of the doctors.'-Luke 2, 46. Were the poets: Thus writes old John Evelyn "From the philosophers turn we to the poets, who were of old consisted rather in rites and ceremonies, than in any constant belief: for you may imagine what kind of faith theirs was, when the chief doctors and fathers [4] of their church were the poets. But the true God hath this attribute, that he is a jealous God; and therefore his worship and religion will endure no mixture [5] nor partner. We shall therefore speak a few words concerning the unity of the church; what are the fruits thereof; what the bonds; and what the means. [6] The fruits of unity (next unto the well-pleasing of God, which is all in all) are two; the one towards those that are without the church; the other towards those their divines and prophets. How frequent are raptures, invocations and sentences to our purpose! Witness their Orpheus, the most ancient; Hesiod, Homer, Menander, &c., of the Greeks; Virgil, Ovid, Lucan, &c., of the Latins, describing the creation of the world and the formation of man. Nay, the very loosest of the comedians, tragedians, satirists among the Latins, universally speaking of the Deity with all reverence; accusing and scourging the impieties of an evil age by their pious instructions, sentences, and encomiums of virtue." Hist. of Relig., Vol. I, p. 6, 7. [4.] Jealous God: So declared in the Second Commandment. Exod. 20: 5. Nor: Is this correct? [5.] A carelessly constructed sentence, which will be much improved by simply striking out what are and what, in the clauses wherein they occur. All in all: a scrip [6.] Fruits: Give the synonyme. ture phrase. See 1 Cor. 15: 28; Col. 3: 11. Its meaning may be given here by the paraphrase, 'which is all that is important in all persons, and times, and circumstances.' It is hence equivalent to 'which is always supremely important, or a thing at all times most desirable.' "Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee Two; Is the semi-colon the proper point? that are within. For the former, it is certain [7] that heresies and schisms are of all others the greatest scandals; yea, more than corruption of manners; for as in the natural body a wound or solution of continuity is worse than a corrupt humour, so in the spiritual; so So that: So [.] For the former: What words are here to be preferred to for? Of all others: How may this clause be improved? Scandals: Synonyme ? More: Change this for a more appropriate word. Solution of continuity: dissolution of cohesion, separation of connexion, sundering of connected parts, as in a fracture, or laceration of texture. comes in badly after the same word in the previous clause. Substitute another for it. Ecce in deserto: 'Lo in the desert.' Ecce in penetralibus: 'Lo in the private chambers.'-Mat. 24: 26. Conventicles: an opprobrious term applied by High Churchmen to the congregations of non-conformists, or dissenters from the Established Church. 'A sort of men who . . . . attend its [the Church of England's] service in the morning, and go with their wives to a conventicle in the afternoon.'-Swift. 'The old haunter of conventicles became an intolerant High-Churchman.'-Macauley. Outward face of a church: the external form of a church-a church that has no inward worth or vitality: a merely nominal church, destitute of spirituality. Nolite exire: 'Go not out.' How may the entire sentence be advantageously divided into three? In confirmation of Bacon's remarks in § 7, Whately observes that among the more immediate causes of the stationary, or even receding condition of the Reformation for nearly three centuries, may be mentioned the contentions among Protestants, who, soon after the first outbreak of the revolt from Rome, began to expend the chief part of their energies in contests with each other, and often showed more zeal and even fiercer hostility against rival Protestants, than against the systems and the principles which they agreed in condemning. The adherents of the Church of Rome, on the contrary, are ready to waive all internal differences, and unite actively, as against a common enemy, opposing the Greek Church, and all denominations of Protestants. 66 that nothing doth so much keep men out of the church, and drive men out of the church, as breach of unity; and therefore, whensoever it cometh to that pass that one saith, ecce in deserto," another saith, ecce in penetralibus," that is, when some men seek Christ in the conventicles of heretics, and others in an outward face of a church, that voice had need continually to sound in men's ears, "nolite exire,”—“ go not out." [8] The doctor of the Gentiles (the propriety of whose vocation drew him to have a special care of those without) saith, "If an heathen come in, and hear you speak with several tongues, will he not say that you are mad?" and, certainly, it is little better: when atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church, and maketh them "to sit down in the chair [9] of the scorners." It is but a light thing to be [8.] Doctor: Teacher, referring to the Apostle Paul. Propriety: property, peculiarity. Is the word used by Bacon now employed in the same sense as here? Vocation: from vocare, to call. Paul was not self-appointed, but called by God to the work of the Apostleship. "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle." Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1: 1. It is little better: If, &c.: 1 Cor. 14: 23. From this to the end of the sentence, there is a variance in the punctuation, in different editions. Is the punctuation given in the above text, correct, or should there be a comma after "better," and a semi-colon after" religion,' and what reasons can be given for each mode of punctuation? Avert: the Latinized form of the word, the modern form being turn away. 'To avert his ire.'-Milton. 'By averting them from their company.'-Venn. To sit, &c.: Allusion to Psalm 1: 1. Convert § 8 into two sentences; then into three, and decide which is best. Compare them with the present form, in one sentence. [9.] A new paragraph may here be made with advantage, in point of perspicuity, As it now stands, the it seems to refer vouched in so serious a matter, yet it expresseth well the deformity. There is a master of scoffing, [10] to what had been said, and embarrasses the sense, and makes the sentence almost unintelligible; but by introducing a new paragraph the mind is led forward to § 10, as illustrating § 9, and the sense becomes plainer. Still the phraseology is so unlike that of the present day as to require much study in order to develope the meaning, which may be brought out most clearly, perhaps, in the form of a paraphrase, thus :-' It is but a light (or trifling, undignified) thing to be vouched (to be brought in as an evidence, or testimony) in so serious a matter (discordant and conflicting opinions in the church), but yet it expresseth well the deformity of the matter: there is a master, &c.' In this paraphrase another important change (for the sake of perspicuity) has been made, viz.: throwing § 10 into § 9, thus making plainer the reference of the former to the latter. A good illustration is thus given of the importance of judicious paragraphing. [10.] Master of scoffing: Rabelais (1483-1553), one of the most remarkable persons that took part in the revival of ancient learning an accomplished scholar, physician, and philosopher-for a time a Franciscan monk, but known to posterity chiefly as a profane humorist. His fame rests principally on a single work-"Lives of Garagantua and Pantagruel," abounding in waggeries, practical jokes, blasphemies, and obscenities, mingled with dissertations, sophistries, and allegorical satires. It is said to be a merciless attack upon monks, princes, kings, and all religious and political authorities. He has been called by Bacon "the great jester of France," and by others the "comic Homer." The work has passed through more than sixty editions, yet, it is said that no literary work can be compared with it for indecency, profanity, and disgusting coarseness.-Botta's Hand Book. Feigned: Give the synonyme. Morris-dance, &c.: (Rabelais, Pantag. II, 7), sometimes written 'moresque,' sometimes 'morrice,' was practised in the middle ages by the Moors-whence probably the name. There was practised in England, before the time of Bacon at Christmas the Fools' Dance, performed by some persons dressed after the fantastic fashion of the Court-fool, who capered to the sound |