hop
Andrews' way, Bishop Hall's way, Dr. Maine and Mr. Cartwright's way, the
Presbyterian way, and the Independent way. All of the sermons, with the
exception of the last, contain specimens of the "Babylonish dialect" of
the age. But this, in the estimation of Abraham Wright, was not their
least recommendation. "You are also taught from these leaves," says
he,(67) "that secular learning is not so heathenish, but it may be made
Christian. Plato, and Socrates, and Seneca, were not of such a reprobate
sense, as to stand wholly excommunicate. The same man may be both a poet
and a prophet, a philosopher and an apostle. Virgil's fancie was as high
as the Magi's star, and might lead wise men in the West as clearly to
their Saviour, as that light did those Eastern sages. And so, likewise,
Seneca's positions may become Saint Paul's text; Aristotle's metaphysicks
convince an atheist of a God, and his demonstrations prove Shiloes advent
to a Jew. That great apostle of the Gentiles had never converted those
nations, without the help of their own learning. It was the Gentiles
oratorie, yet not without the Holy Ghost's rhetorick, that did almost
perswade Agrippa to be a Christian; and it was the Gentiles poetrie, but
not without a Deitie in the verse, that taught the Athenians to know an
unknown God. By which you see it is possible that Gamaliel's feet may be a
step to an apostleship." This failed to convince the pious editor of the
Works of the ever-memorable John Hales of Eaton, if ever he chanced to see
it. The learned prebendary, for the purpose of enforcing his arguments
against intemperance, chose to quote the concluding words of the Symposium
of Xenophon. Lord Hailes was of opinion that this was "improper in a
popular discourse," and therefore he used the liberty to leave out the
quotation in his edition of the works of the author.

But this much may likewise be stated in behalf of Binning. He did not
engage, like some other preachers, his contemporaries, in nice critical
discussions, which could be appreciated, or understood, by none but
scholars like himself; and when he brought forth a classical quotation in
his sermons, if a literal translation did not accompany it, he took care
at least to put all who heard him in possession of the sentiment which it
contained. In this way, none of his hearers were left ignorant of what he
said, while the varied and attractive form in which the important truths
he inculcated were exhibited