Reflections upon the Eloquence of the
Pulpit.

Introduction. The Advantages of the Elo-
quence of the Pulpit over that of the Bar.

O

F the Preparation to facred Eloquence.

II. A Preacher is to speak on the Part of
God, not as from Himfelf.

III. Preachers are too cool on the greatest and most

concerning Subjects.

IV. The Greatnefs and Dignity of a Minifter

of God's Word.

V. Sacred Eloquence as it labours in a greater

Argument than Civil, requires greater Abili-

ties.

VF. A Preacher ought not to feek to entertain the
Curiofity of his Audience.

VII. A Preacher of moderate Abilities may yet be

Serviceable.

VIII. Preachers ought not to copy from one another,

but each to follow his own Genius.

IX. Theology, or the Knowledge of Religion, nee
ceffary to good Preaching.

X, Too much Acquaintance with the Schoolmen, a

Prejudice to Eloquence.

XI. The Greek Fathers more useful to a Preacher,

than the Latin.

XII. The Holy Scripture the great Foundation of
Sacred Eloquence.

XIII. On the fame Subject.

XIV. Morality proper for the Pulpit, whence to be

derived.

XV. Severity of Moral Doctrine, very attractive
of Hearers..

XVI. The Knowledge of the Heart of Man, ne-
ceffary to a Preacher.

XVII. In what this Knowledge of Man's Heart

confifts.

XVIII. The pathetick Stile, the true Character for
the Pulpit.

XIX. This Stile defcribed.

XX. Men do not take Care to diftinguish between
falfe Paffion and true.

XXI. To seek to please and entertain, rather than
to move, quite wrong in Preaching.

XXII. The Preacher's Piety, gives Success to his

Sermon.

XXIII. He that would fucceed in the Pulpit, muft

have no Intereft or Aim but the Salvation of his

Hearers.

XXIV. He must renounce the Suggestions of Vanity.

XXV. And even the Charm of Reputation.

XXVI. Of the Choice of Subjects, for a Preacher.

XXVII. Too nice Divifions in a Sermon, to be a-

voided, as all Manner of Affectation of playing the

Wit.

XXVIII. The Success of the Apostles in Preaching

the Gospel was owing to their Strictness in practif-

ing it.

XXIX. A Pretence and Shew of greater Severity
than we really have, very inconvenient.

XXX. Nothing more dangerous in a Preacher, than
extravagant and enthufiaftick Zeal.

XXXI. A Preacher very unfit to reprove the Faults
of others, if he does not correct his own.
XXXII. Sacred Eloquence ought to fupport it felf by
Simplicity and good Senfe, without too much
ftudied Artifice.

XXXIII. The true Eloquence of the Pulpit is to in-
finuate the fame Thought by different Turns of Ex-
preffion.

XXXIV. No Reflections to be made upon particu-

lar Perfons.

A 4

XXXV.

XXXV. The true Standard of Preaching to be found
in the Acts of the Apostles,

XXXVI. And in the Works of the Greek and La-
tin Fathers.

The Characters of two famous Preachers,

Reflections upon Poetry,

The Preface of the Tranflator.

Advertisement of the Author.

Of Poefie in General.

"T

Chap. I.THE Worth and Excellency of this Art,
known only to Men of great Abilities.

II. A Genius neceffary to excell in Poetry.

III. Fancy or Imagination, not Genius, makes the
greatest Number in the Lift of Poets.

IV. The Genius of Homer, and its vaft Extent.

V. True Poefie fomewhat Divine.

VI. No Man can be a Poet without a Genius; and

in what this Genius confifts.

VII. The End of Poefie to pleafe and to profit.

VIII. It pleafes, by its Numbers, Harmony, Ima-

ges, Figures, Expreffions, and by all its Artifi

cial Ornaments."

IX. It profits, by correcting and reforming the Man-

ners.

X. Its End of pleafing is wholly fubfervient to that of
profitting.

XI. It can only please by Rule.

XII. The Rules of Ariftotle in his Treatife of Poetry,

which ought to be follow'd, are defign'd to reduce
Nature into Order and Method.

XIII. Nature

XIII. Nature and Genius do more than Art or Rules.
XIV. A Man must be well acquainted with his
own Genius, if he would rightly follow it.

XV. He must follow it, if he would bring it to
Perfection.

XVI. The Poet's Genius must be governed.

XVII. The Way of governing it is by the Precepts of
Art, fuch as are delivered by Aristotle, Horace
and others.

XVIII. Art is but the Inftrument of Nature.
XIX. The first Work of Art in a Poem, is the De-
fign.

XX. 'Tis this that Aristotle calls the Constitution
of the Parts of the Fable; it must be compos'd
of Truth and Fiction.

XXI. Two Sorts of Fables, fimple and compound,
the first having no Change of Fortune, as the
Second bath.

XXII. The Fable must be wonderful, and yet pro-
bable; with the Reason of both.

XXIII. What Sort of Temperament to be made of the
Marvellous and the Probable.

XXIV. Why Poefie comports better with Probability
than with Truth.

XXV. The Manners are, as it were, the Principle
of Action, and must reprefent each Perfon in
bis proper Character. A Cenfure of the Genera
lity of Poets upon this Article.

XXVI. The Sentiments exprefs the Manners.
XXVII. The Diction has its proper Graces by which
It arifes to the Marvellous Character.

XXVIII. Homer and Virgil the most accomplish'd
Models, both for. Diction and Verfification."
XXIX. The Grandour of Expreffion, must arife
from well-plac'd Figures.

XXX. The Grand Stile cannot fucceed, unless it be
Supported by Great Thoughts.

XXXI. The French weaken their Poetry, by studying
too nice a Purity of Language.

XXXII.

XXXII. Few Examples of Great and Sublime Poe-
try among the Moderns.

XXXIII. Poetry rendred fine by the Choice of great
Subjects, and of natural Beauties.

XXXIV. There is a Sort of Rhetorick peculiar to
Poetry, and in what it confifts.

XXXV. The Beauty of this Art much owing to the
Order that it preferves.

XXXVI. Next to the Order and Difpofition, the
greateft Charms of Poetry arife from its Manners
and Pallions: bow thefe are to be treated.

XXXVII. Number and Harmony, a Grace of Po-
etry, known to "few.

XXXVIII. Every Language has its poetical Beau-

ties.

XXXIX. The chief poetical Beauty is the Decorum.
XL. A View of other Beauties, and other Defaults
of Poetry.

Reflections upon Poefie in Particular.

Chap. LHree Species of perfect Poems, the
Epick, Tragedy and Comedy;

Chap. LT Epick,

the other Species are imperfect.

II. The Epick Poem is the greatest Work of the

Mind of Man.

III. A Genius too vaft and irregular, not proper for

this Undertaking.

IV. The End of this Poem is the Inftruction of Prin-

ces and Great Men.

V. It's Matter is an heroical Action: the Quali-

ties of this Action.

VI. The Action must neither be too vast, nor too much

confin'd.

VII. The Unity of Action ought to have fome Sort

of Diversity.

VIII. *It