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DIRECTIONS

For Studying a

General SYSTEM

O R

BODY of DIVINITY.

In a LETTER to a FRIEND.

SIR,

I

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The Occafion of this Let

ter.

INTENDED to have given you this Trouble much fooner but my late Rambles, my Bufinefs, and diverfe Accidents (not to mention that Indifpofition of Body which I have labor'd under) have hindred me. And therefore I muft in the beginning of it beg Pardon for the Delay, as perhaps I fhall have reafon before the Conclufion of it, for the Length of my Letter to you.

I

I fhall not waft either Time or Paper in Apologies. No Man knows better than my felf, that there are numberless Perfons, whofe Age and Experience have rendred them abundantly more able to direct you, than I can pretend to be; and perhaps, after the perufal of what follows, you'll be forc'd to feek a more skilful Guide, and receive better Advice from another Hand. But, fince you were pleas'd to create me an Opportunity of difcourfing with you upon that Head; and fince the hurry I was then in, drew upon me this Imployment: I hope, you'll accept and excufe what I now offer to you, as a Proof (tho' of my own Infufficiency, yet) of a moft unfeigned and hearty Affe&tion for you.

the Clergy.

What you expect, Sir, is, that I fhould lay before you fucha Method of beginning the Study of Divinity, as I would recommend to a Perfon who defigns for Holy Orders. This therefore I fhall endevor to do. And First, I must intreat you to read Books relating fome of thofe Treatifes, which will into the Duty of ftruct you in the Duty of the Clergy; fuch as St. Chryfoftom of the Priesthood, St. Gregory Nazianzen's Apologetical Oration, St. Jerom to Nepotianus, the Paftoral of Gregory the Great, Bishop Burnet's Paftoral Care, Mr. Herbert's Country Parfon, Mr. Dodwell's first Letter of Advice, and the like, I prefume, 'twill be no difficult Matter for you to procure the Use of all these Books; and tis hardly poffible for you to perufe too many of them, I However, let me perfuade you not to omit the reading of St. Chryfoftom's and Bifhop Burner's Pieces, and our Church's Offices of Ordination, especially the Exhortation to those who are to be ordain'd "Priefts. But above all, let me prevail upon you feriously to confider that Collection of Scriptures,

which is annex'd to this Letter. For thofe Texts (to which you may probably add diverse others, as you read the Bible) ought ever to be in the Minds of fuch, as either defign to ferve God in the Work of the Ministry, or have actually engag'd themfelves in it.

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The Student's previous SelfExamination.

Let me beseech you therefore to confider them very carefully; and to labor earneftly, by ferious and repeated Meditation, to form a juft and true Senfe, and throughly to convince your felf of, First, The Weight of that Sacred Imployment, which you have fome thoughts of devoting your felf to; Secondly, The Reward that attends the faithful Discharge of it; Thirdly, The unspeakable everlafting Torments which will infallibly be the Confequence of Negligence in it. And then ask your own Confcience thefe plain Queftions, viz. Am I capable of the Work of the Miniftry and Do I refolve fincerely to act therein according to thofe Rules which Chrift has fet me? If it anfwer, Yes; blefs God for it, and beg him to establish your good Intentions, and enable you to be fuccesful in the execution of them: But if it anfwer otherwife, be perfuaded, for the Church's Sake, for God's Sake, for your own Soul's Sake; if there be any Fear of lofing Heaven, any Dread of the endless Pains of Hell if unquenchable Flames can at this Diftance make any Impreffion, and ftrike any Terror into you; be perfuaded, Ifay, whatever Temptations of Preferment, c. may intice you, not to force down the fevereft Judgments of God upon your felf, by undertaking that fublime and difficult Work which you are either not capable of, or not ftedfaftly refolv'd by his Grace to perform, with a Zeal and Integrity futable to the Greatness of it.

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When you have thus examin'd your Heart, if you determin for Holy Orders, your next Endevor muft be to furnish your felf with a competent Knowledge of Divinity. I fay a competent Knowledge; for you must ever be making a Progrefs, and carrying on your Studies to the end of your Days; there being (as I conceive) no Poffibility of arriving at fuch a Perfection in Theological Learning, as will render your Labor for the future ufelefs.

Same things pre-
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Now I take it for granted, that you are already fufficiently acquainted with the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew Tongues; that you have gone thro' the usual Academical Courfes of Logies, Ethics, and Metaphyfics; that you have alfo taken a General View of Geography and Hiftory. This Foundation, I hope, is well laid; there being, I affure you, great Neceffity and frequent Occafions of having recourfe to thefe Particulars in the feveral Parts of Divinity. And therefore I muft defire you, for your own Eafe hereafter, not to be defective in thefe preparatory Studies. But I am willing to believe, that you need not this Caution. And therefore I proceed to fhew you, how you may attain fuch a competent Knowledge of Divinity, as is fufficient for a Candidate for Holy Orders; and fuch as I heartily wifh, every Perfon to be ordain'd were furnifh'd with.

Different Methods of studying, Divi nity have been pre Scrib'd

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You know, that different Perfons have prefcrib'd different Methods for the ftudying of Divinity. What Ufe you may make of their 10 feveral Schemes hereafter, it is not my prefent Bufinefs to examin. Nor fhall I give you the Reafons, why I am not perfectly satisfied

with any of thofe Advices which I have hitherto met with. Should I enlarge upon thefe Particulars, I fhould confound rather than direct you. I fhall therefore briefly deliver my own Sentiments, which you were pleas'd to inquire after; and am not only willing, but defirous, that you fhould depart from the Rules I offer, whenfoever your own Prudence fhall judge it advisable fo to do."

A

Compendium efteem'd neceffary.

or System generally

'Tis generally agreed, that in the beginning of any Study, a Man ought to make ufe of fome Compendium or general Syftem. Now Com-pendiums or Syftems of Divinity are numberless. But they have been almost all of them writ by Foreiners; whereas, for many Reasons, and English Student ought to begin with English Writers. But the Syftems publish'd by our own Country Men are fuch, as I care not to recommend. What then fhall be :done? Why, I will felect a fmall Number of Books written by English Men, which, with fome Helps borrowed of Turretin and Limborch, will furnish you with a Body of Divinity; and I will prefcribe fuch a Method of reading them, as I hope may be useful to you. Only I think it neceffary for me, before I proceed, to advertise you of the following Particulars; viz.

Seven Things premifed relating to the Method prefcribed by the Author.

First, That thofe Books or Parts of Books, which I fhall recommend to your Perufal, having been written by different Authors, at diffelorent Times, and upon different Occafions; it cannot be expected, that I fhould be able to range the feveral Contents of them in fo good an Order, as that they should refemble a just and regular Syftem

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First, An Inconvenience attends

the tacking together the Writings of different Perfons..

wholly compos'd

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