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CHAP. XIV.

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ND now to fum up all that hath been offered upon this fubject. A confiderable part of human fpeech is addreffed folely or principally to the paffions and affections. Each of these hath it's peculiar mode of expreffion, in all languages, the fame in kind, tho' sometimes differing in the degree of boldness and vehemence, according to the different ftrength or liveliness of the inward emotion. These different modes are indeed marked by Rhetoricians, and ranged into different claffes of Tropes and Figures; but they derive their origin neither from artifice nor refinement. They are in themfelves, the real, natural, and necessary refult of real paffion and emotion, tho', like other figns of truth, they may be perverted to the purposes of deceit.The particular qualities of fpeech, which give it influence and perfuafion, and which Critics enumerate as the parts of perfect Elocution, are all regulated by the fame laws, and founded on the fame principles, in all nations and languages, and have their several degrees of excellence independent on caprice or fashion.

Various

modes

modes of elocution may prevail at different periods, or among different nations; but reafon, judgment, and experience, as they are gradually enlarged, correct, refine, and improve these modes and, on a general furvey of them all, distinguish fome, as better adapted to convey ideas clearly, pleasingly, and forcibly, to imprefs the mind with fentiments of dignity, to display qualities more engaging or exalted, paffions more noble and generous: fo as to reconcile, affect, and influence, more powerfully. Hence it follows, that ELOQUence,

1. Is not meerly the abuse of human Speech.

2. Is not neceffarily the inftrument of Fraud.

3.

*Is not merely arbitrary, and dependent on fashion and cuftom.

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The

"profelyte an English Parliament: as " on the other hand, the finest speaker

that ever commanded the House, "would in vain point the thunder of his eloquence on a Quaker-meeting." [Sect. 3 .p. 32.]

This is plaufibly and ingeniously urged. But the whole argument is founded on the fuppofition, that Eloquence and perfuafion are one and the fame, and that to be denominated an orator, no more is neceffary than to influence and move the hearer. A fuppofition which cannot be admitted, however witty men have fometimes spoken of the eloquence of filence, or the eloquence of nonfenfe. "Perfua«dent enim dicendo," faith Quinctilian, "vel ducunt in id quod volunt,

alii quoque, ut meretrices, adula

66 tores,

The Principles which I have thus endeavoured to support, in concurrence with the general sense of all the most distinguished critics, have the additional advantage of standing clear of fome perplexities in which those of the learned Bishop of Gloucester seem to be involved, when his Lordship comes to apply them to the defence of the Apoftolical Compofition.

"tores, corruptores." [L. 2. 1. 16.] The alluring accents of an Harlot move the fenfualift; the abject and extravagant praises of a flatterer influence the vain man; and the plain promife of a large reward, expreffed without trope or figure, may have the greatest power over the conduct of a traytor or affaffin. But hence it by no means follows, that the harlot, the flatterer, or the fuborner is eloquent. To merit this praise, a man must persuade (if he does perfuade) by the real excellencies, the engaging and conciliating qualitie, of speech. Accordingly, Ariftotle tells us, that it is the office of Rhetoric, Οὐ τὸ ΠΕΙΣΑΙ ἀλλὰ τὸ ἰδεῖν τὰ ὑπαρχονία ПIOANA πegÌËxaσlov. [Rhet. L.1.C.1. So that the Doctor's orator, who throws a congregation of Enthufiafts into tears and groans, is in reality no orator at all because he owes his influence not to clearness and ftrength of reasoning, not to dignity of fentiment, force or elegance of expreffion, and the like; but to fenfelefs exclamation, unmeaning rhapfody, or to grimace, to a figh, to a rueful countenance. And if he would in vain endeavour to profelyte an English Parliament, it is for this very reafon, because

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he is no Orator. On the other hand, it must be allowed, that "the finest fpeaker that ever commanded the "Houfe, would in vain point the "Thunder of his eloquence on a

Quaker-meeting." Nor could he inform the ideot, nor could his thunder pierce a deaf ear, nor could he affect a foreigner who understood not his language. They who hear and understand him, who are interested in his subject, who have sense, knowledge and refinement, if yet their minds be prepoffeffed by interest or ambition, may listen unmoved to the strongest motives of virtue and public spirit, urged with the utmost clearnefs and energy. There and fuch like inftances amount to no more than this, that a speaker may perfuade without being eloquent, and may be eloquent, without perfuading. Nor can any man who perfuades without any one of Tá Пavà, the rational excellencies, and engaging qualities of speech, be faid to poffefs a degree of Eloquence perfect in it's kind. No, not with half the propriety of Goodman VERGES's thanksgiving," that he is as honest as

66 man living, that

any

"honester than himself.”

is no

Thus,

Thus, for instance, while we are obliged to acknowledge that the Old Teftament abounds in ornament of style, we are not embarraffed with a pofition which it might require some pains to reconcile with fuch acknowledgment, "that Ornament "of Style is the effect of fraud, and the substitute to fincerity +."

Nor do we pronounce every excellence of speech, Clearness only excepted, to be altogether unfuitable to the genius of the GOSPEL, which yet abounds with various excellencies of style; and is frequently addreffed not only to the understanding, but to the affections and paffions, in all the conciliating, moving, ́ and enlivening forms of eloqence.

But it is now time to proceed to an important part of his Lordship's difquifition, I mean his CHARACTER of an INSPIRED

LANGUAGE.

+ It must be acknowledged, that the learned Bishop does not always ftate his pofitions in the fame manner. For inftance, when he is to form an argument to prove, that no one mode of Eloquence could have been followed by the facred Writers, he afferts in general, that all it's various modes are nominal and fantaftical, p. 52. 58. But when he has once drawn his conclufion, and there is no farther occafion for the premifes, then he is pleafed to speak more cautioufly." The "vatious modes of eloquence being "MOSTLY fantaftical."- Again, he at fuft afferts without any limitation, that "the end of Eloquence is to

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ftifle reafon, and inflame the paffions."
p. 56. But when he comes to quote
this obfervation, he hath changed it
into a quite different propofition.
"The principal end of Eloquence, as
it is employed in human affairs, is to
"mislead reafon, and to cajole the

fancy and affections." p. 66.-
If no notice has been taken of thefe
qualifying expreffions, it is, because
his Lordship hath omitted them, where
he ftates his argument in due form;
and becaufe it feemed neceflary to take
his pofitions in that extent, which the
ufe, and application, and the conclu-
fions deduced from them, evidently
require.

CHAP. XV.

CHA P. XV.

HE enemies of our holy faith, as well as fome impru

ΤΗ

dent friends, have sometimes afferted, than an inspired language should be a language of perfect eloquence. With regard to this propofition, his Lordship affirms on the contrary, that rudeness and barbaroufnefs form the character of an infpired language: and that, fuppofing the Style of the New Teftament to abound in every fault that can poffily deform a language, this is one CERTAIN MARK of it's DIVINE ORIGINAL. -This, as the author feems to acknowledge, is a bold affertion and the bolder it appears, the ftronger and more forcible should be the arguments brought to support it. These I fhall endeavour to collect fairly and fully.

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Language," faith the learned Bishop, "confifts of two "parts, 1. Single terms, which are arbitrary. 2. Phrafes "and Idioms, which arife infenfibly from the manners, cuf"toms, and tempers of those to whom the language is verna"cular. When illiterate men would acquire the knowledge of a foreign tongue; they make it at firft their only study M

to

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