A10327:26
An excellent oration of that late famously learned John Rainolds, D.D. and lecturer of…An excellent oration of that late famously learned Iohn Rainolds, D.D. and lecturer of…
An excellent oration of that late famously learned John Rainolds, D.D. and lecturer of the Greek tongue in Oxford Very useful for all such as affect the studies of logic and philosophy, and admire profane learning. Translated out of Latin into English by I.L. schoolmaster.An excellent oration of that late famously learned Iohn Rainolds, D.D. and lecturer of the Greek tongue in Oxford Very usefull for all such as affect the studies of logick and philosophie, and admire profane learning. Translated out of Latine into English by I.L. schoolmaster.
London: printed by Tho. Harper for Thomas Slater and William Aderton, 1638
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Omnia transformant sese in m•racula rerum.
They change themselves to wonderments of things. So these men are sometimes Stoics, by and by Epicureans, anon Platonics, ⟨p. 15⟩then again Aristippians, and yet wholly Peripatetics, and so it seemeth they would be all things and nothing. Cicero laughs at L. Gellius, who, when he came Proconsul into Greece, called together all the Philosophers in Athens, and exhorted them earnestly to leave off all wranglings, and to spend no more time in contentions, which if they would promise to do, he promised likewise to hold with them in opinion. But are not Distinguishers like unto this Gellius? They see ⟨p. 16⟩well enough, that Philosophers do dissent in opinion? and what then? they, like pitiful men, go about to reduce them to an unity on equal conditions. But, because an unskilful person does undertake the business, it is the more ridiculous; And must the business be quite done & finished, because they make Aristotle the Judge? Whereas, if those ancient Philosophers Plato, Aristotle, and Tully did but hear a•ter what manner their own repugnant opinions, are accorded now adays, it is to be ⟨p. 17⟩doubted whether they would laugh or chafe at it. But if you please let us produce some one of these Distinguishers, which can defend the matter to their faces. Whom will ye have then, Buridanus, or Bricottus? I know ye cannot understand them, if they spake. Whom therefore will ye have? whom? Donatus Acci•iolus the Florentine, both more eloquent, then the rest, and better acquainted with you; who, if he should appear in place, and behold these Philosophers standing here with ⟨p. 18⟩Cicero, he would perhaps thus accost them. Why are ye thus in an uproar, and perplexity, O ye Philosophers? why are ye thus distracted with several opinions about Summum Bonum? What, do ye not know, how that all your jarring, and differing opinions may easily be reconciled by distinguishing? Have any of you wrote any thing concerning felicity or Summum Bonum, which (although it be clean contrary to all other opinions) yet may not be accounted true in his kind? I less