SERM. gratitude toward him that gave it to us. From which, XIII. and from all other offences, God in his mercy preserve us

all, through Jefus Christ our Lord, unto whom for ever with heart and tongue let us strive to render all glory and praise, Amen,

SERMON

SERMON XIV.

AGAINST FOOLISH TALKING AND JESTING.

EPHES. V. 4.

-Nor foolish talking, nor jefting, which are not convenient.

MORAL and political aphorifms are feldom couched in SERM. fuch terms, that they should be taken as they found pre- XIV. cisely, or according to the wideft extent of fignification; but do commonly need expofition, and admit exception: otherwise frequently they would not only clash with reafon and experience, but interfere, thwart, and supplant one another. The best masters of fuch wifdom are wont to interdict things, apt by unfeasonable or exceffive use to be perverted, in general forms of fpeech, leaving the reftrictions, which the case may require or bear, to be made by the hearer's or interpreter's discretion: whence many seemingly formal prohibitions are to be received only as fober cautions. This obfervation may be particularly fuppofed applicable to this precept of St. Paul, which feemeth univerfally to forbid a practice commended (in fome cafes and degrees) by philofophers as virtuous, not difallowed by reason, commonly affected by men, often used by wife and good perfons; from which confequently if our religion did wholly debar us, it would feem chargeable with fomewhat too uncouth aufterity and fournefs : from imputations of which kind as in its temper and frame it is really moft free, (it never quenching natural

SERM. light, or cancelling the dictates of found reafon, but conXIV. firming and improving them;) fo it carefully declineth of them, enjoining us, that if there be any things @poofin, Oris μny (lovely, or grateful to men,) any things evenμa, (of good

πόντες μηθεν

γελοῖον, τοῖς

σε λέγεσι

δυσχεραίνον

τες, ἄγειοι

A report and repute,) if there be any virtue and any praife, (any thing in the common apprehenfions of men held xaxing worthy and laudable,) we fhould mind thofe things, that Arift. Eth. is, fhould yield them a regard answerable to the esteem they carry among rational and fober perfons.

δοκάσιν εἶναι.

iv. 8..

a

Phil. iv. 8.

Whence it may feem requifite fo to interpret and determine St. Paul's meaning here concerning erguería, (that is, facetious fpeech or raillery, by our translators rendered jefting,) that he may confift with himself, and be reconciled to Aristotle, who placeth this practice in the rank of virtues; or that religion and reason may well accord in the cafe; fuppofing, that if there be any kind of facetioufnefs innocent and reafonable, conformable to good manners, (regulated by common fenfe, and confiftent with the tenor of Christian duty, that is, not transgreffing the bounds of piety, charity, and sobriety,) St. Paul did not intend to discountenance or prohibit that kind.

For thus expounding and limiting his intent, we have fome warrant from himself, fome fair intimations in the words here. For first, what sort of facetious speech he aimeth at, he doth imply by the fellow he coupleth therewith; μwpoλoyía, faith he, evтрanexía, foolish talking, or facetioufnefs: fuch facetioufnefs therefore he toucheth as doth include folly, in the matter or manner thereof. Then he farther determineth it, by adjoining a peculiar quality thereof, unprofitableness or impertinency; tà μǹ avxovra, which are not pertinent, or conducible to any good purpose: whence may be collected, that it is a frivolous and idle fort of facetioufnefs which he condemneth.

But however manifeft it is, that fome kind thereof he doth earnestly forbid: whence, in order to the guidance of our practice, it is needful to diftinguish the kinds, fevering that which is allowable from that which is un

lawful; that fo we may be fatisfied in the case, and not SERM. on the one hand ignorantly tranfgrefs our duty, nor on XIV. the other trouble ourselves with fcruples, others with cenfures, upon the use of warrantable liberty therein.

And fuch a refolution feemeth indeed especially needful in this our age, (this pleasant and jocular age,) which is fo infinitely addicted to this fort of speaking, that it scarce doth affect or prize any thing near fo much; all reputation appearing now to veil and stoop to that of being a wit: to be learned, to be wife, to be good, are nothing in comparison thereto; even to be noble and rich are inferior things, and afford no fuch glory. Many at leaft, to purchase this glory, to be deemed confiderable in this faculty, and enrolled among the wits, do not only make shipwreck of confcience, abandon virtue, and forfeit all pretences to wisdom; but neglect their estates, and prostitute their honour: fo to the private damage of many particular persons, and with no fmall prejudice to the public, are our times poffeffed and tranfported with this humour. To reprefs the excefs and extravagance whereof, nothing in way of discourse can serve better, than a plain declaration when and how fuch a practice is allowable or tolerable; when it is wicked and vain, unworthy of a man endued with reason, and pretending to honesty or honour.

This I fhall in some measure endeavour to perform.

But firft it may be demanded what the thing we speak of is, or what this facetiousness doth import? To which queftion I might reply as Democritus did to him that afked the definition of a man, It is that which we all fee and know any one better apprehends what it is by acquaintance, than I can inform him by description. It is indeed a thing fo verfatile and multiform, appearing in fo many shapes, so many postures, fo many garbs, so variously apprehended by several eyes and judgments, that it feemeth no less hard to fettle a clear and certain notion thereof, than to make a portrait of Proteus, or to define the figure of the fleeting air. Sometimes it lieth in pat allufion to a known story, or in seasonable application of

quæ, fi im

SERM. a trivial faying, or in forging an appofite tale: sometimes XIV. it playeth in words and phrases, taking advantage from the ambiguity of their sense, or the affinity of their Eadem found: fometimes it is wrapped in a dress of humorous prudenti- expreffion: fometimes it lurketh under an odd fimilitude: exci- fometimes it is lodged in a fly question, in a smart anfwer, ta funt, fi in a quirkish reason, in a fhrewd intimation, in cunningly fimulamus, diverting, or cleverly retorting an objection: fometimes creduntur. it is couched in a bold fcheme of speech, in a tart irony, Quint. vi. 3.in a lufty hyperbole, in a startling metaphor, in a plaufible

dunt, ftul

venufta

reconciling of contradictions, or in acute nonsense: fometimes a scenical reprefentation of perfons or things, a counterfeit speech, a mimical look or gefturę paffeth for it: fometimes an affected fimplicity, fometimes a prefumptuous bluntnefs giveth it being: fometimes it riseth from a lucky hitting upon what is ftrange, fometimes from a crafty wrefting obvious matter to the purpose: often it confifteth in one knows not what, and springeth up one can hardly tell how. Its ways are unaccountable and inexplicable, being answerable to the numberless rovings of fancy and windings of language. It is, in short, a manner of speaking out of the fimple and plain Et hercle way, (fuch as reason teacheth and proveth things by,) omnis falfe which by a pretty surprifing uncouthness in conceit or tio in eo expreffion doth affect and amuse the fancy, stirring in it eft, ut ali- fome wonder, and breeding fome delight thereto. It eft rectum raiseth admiration, as fignifying a nimble fagacity of verumque prehenfion, a fpecial felicity of invention, a vivacity of Quint. fpirit, and reach of wit more than vulgar: it feeming to

dicendi ra

ter quam

dicatur.

ap

argue a rare quickness of parts, that one can fetch in remote conceits applicable; a notable skill, that he can dexterously accommodate them to the purpose before him; together with a lively brifkness of humour, not apt to damp those fportful flashes of imagination. (Whence Eth. iv. 8. in Ariftotle fuch perfons are termed idéo, dexterous men; and sтpоо, men of facile or versatile manners, Eurpass who can eafily turn themselves to all things, or turn all λέγεται ὁ , things to themselves.) It also procureth delight, by graTavrodanès, tifying curiofity with its rareness or semblance of diffi