Reason in our practice. For if Thou loveft, be fingular, and You love, be plural, and if Thou lovest, fignifies but One; and You love, Many; is it not as proper to fay, Thou loveft, to Ten men, as to fay, You love, to One man? Or, why not I love, for We love, and We love, instead of I love? Doubtless it is the fame, though most improper, and in fpeech ridiculous.

. III. Our next reafon is; if it be improper or uncivil speech (as termed by this vain age) how comes it, that the Hebrew, Greek and Roman authors, used in schools and univerfities, have no other? Why should they not be a rule in that, as well as other things? And why, I pray then, are we fo ridiculous for being thus far grammatical? Is it reasonable that children should be whipt at school for putting You for Thou, as having made false Latin; and yet that we must be, though not whipt, reproached, and often abused, when we use the contrary propriety of fpeech?

§. IV. But in the third place, it is neither improper nor uncivil, but much otherwife; because it is used in all languages, fpeeches, and dialects, and that through all ages. This is very plain: as for example, it was God's language when he firft fpake to Adam, viz. Hebrew: alfo it is the Affyrian, Chaldean, Grecian, and Latin fpeech. And now amongst the Turks, Tartars, Mufcovites, Indians, Perfians, Italians, Spaniards, French, Dutch, Germans, Polonians, Swedes, Danes, Irish, Scottish, Welch, as well as English, there is a distinction preserved; and the word Thou, is not lost in the word which goes for You. And though fome of the modern tongues have done as we do, yet upon the fame error. But by this it is plain, that Thou is no upftart, nor yet improper; but the only proper word to be used in all languages to a fingle perfon; because otherwise all sentences, fpeeches, and difcourfes may be very ambiguous, uncertain, and equivocal. If a jury pronounce a verdict, or a judge a sentence (Three being at the bar upon three occafions, very differently culpable) and fhould fay, You are here guilty, and to die, or innocent, and difcharged; who knows who is

guilty or innocent? May be but One, perhaps Two; or it may be all Three. Therefore our indictments run in the fingular number, as Hold up Thy hand: Thou art indicted by the name of, &c. for that Thou, 'not having the fear of God, &c.' and it holds the fame in all conversation. Nor can this be avoided, but by many unneceffary circumlocutions. And as the preventing of fuch length and obfcurity was doubtless the first reafon for the diftinction, fo cannot that be justly disused, till the reafon be first removed; which can never be, whilft Two are in the world.

§. V. But this is not all: it was firft afcribed in way of flattery to proud popes and emperors; imitating the Heathens vain homage to their gods; thereby afcribing a plural honour to a single person; as if One Pope had been made up of Many Gods, and One Emperor of many Men. For which reafon, You, only to be used to Many, became firft fpoken to One. It feems the word Thou looked like too lean and thin a respect; and therefore fome, bigger than they fhould be, would have a ftile fuitable to their own ambition: a ground we cannot build our practice on; for what begun it, only loves it ftill. But fuppofing You to be proper to a prince, it will not follow it is to a common perfon. For his edict runs, "We will and require," because perhaps in conjunction with his council; and therefore You to a private perfon, is an abuse of the word. as pride first gave it birth, fo hath fhe only promoted it. *Monfieur, fir, and madam, were, originally, names given to none but the king, his brother, and their wives, both in France and England; yet now the plowman in France is called Monfieur, and his wife, madam: and men of ordinary trades in England, fir, and their wives, dame; (which is the legal title of a lady) or elfe mistress, which is the fame with madam in French. So prevalent hath pride and flattery been in all ages, the one to give, and the other to receive refpect, as they term it.

Howel's Hiftory of France.

But

§. VI. But

§. VI. But fome will tell us, custom should rule us; and that is against us. But it is easily anfwered, and more truly, that though in things reasonable or indifferent, custom is obliging or harmless, yet in things unreasonable or unlawful, she has no authority. For custom can no more change numbers than genders, nor yoke One and You together, than make a man into a woman, or one a thousand. But if custom be to conclude us, it is for us for as cuftom is nothing else but ancient ufage, I appeal to the practice of mankind, from the beginning of the world, through all nations, against the novelty of this confufion, viz. You to one perfon. Let cuftom, which is ancient practice and fact, issue this queftion. Miftake me not: I know words are nothing, but as men give them a value or force by use: but then, if you will discharge Thou, and that You muft fucceed in its place, let us have a diftinguishing word in the room of You, to be used in fpeech to Many. But to use the fame word for One and Many, when there are two, and that only to please a proud and haughty humour in man, is not reasonable in our sense; which, we hope, is Chriftian, though not modish.

§. VII. But if Thou to a fingle perfon be improper or uncivil, God himself, all the holy fathers and prophets, Chrift Jefus and his apoftles, the primitive faints, all languages throughout the world, and our own lawproceedings are guilty; which, with fubmiffion, were great prefumption to imagine. Befides, we all know, it is familiar with the most of authors, to preface their difcourfes to the reader in the fame language of Thee and Thou: as, Reader Thou art defired, &c. or, Reader this is writ to inform Thee, of the occafion, &c. And it cannot be denied, that the most famous poems, dedicated to love or majefty, are writ in this ftile. Read of each in Chaucer, Spencer, Waller, Cowley, Dryden, &c. why then should it be so homely, ill-bred, and insufferable in us? This, I conceive, can never be anfwered.

§. VIII. I doubt not at all, but that something altogether as fingular attended the fpeech of Chrift and

his disciples for I remember it was urged upon Peter in the high priest's palace, as a proof of his belonging to Jefus, when he denied his Lord: Surely (faid they) Thou also art one of them; for thy fpeech bewrayeth Thee':' they had gueffed by his looks, but just before, that he had been with Jefus; but when they discourfed him, his language put them all out of doubt: furely then he was one of them, and he had been with Jefus. Something it was he had learned in his company, that was odd and obfervable; to be fure, not of the world's behaviour. Without queftion, the garb, gait, and speech of his followers differed, as well as his doctrine, from the world; for it was a part of his doctrine it fhould be fo. It is eafy to believe, they were more plain, grave, and precife; which is more credible, from the way which poor, confident, fearful Peter took, to disguise the bufinefs; for he fell to curfing and fwearing. A fad fhift! but he thought that the likelieft way to remove the fufpicion, that was most unlike Chrift. And the policy took; for it filenced their objections; and Peter was as orthodox as they. But though they found him not out, the cock's-crow did; which made Peter remember his dear fuffering Lord's word, and he went forth and wept bitterly:' that he had denied his Master, who was then delivered up to die for him.

§. IX. But our last reason is of moft weight with me; and, because argumentum ad hominem, it is most heavy upon our defpifers; which is this: It fhould not therefore be urged upon us, because it is a moft extravagant piece of pride in a mortal man, to require or expect from his fellow-creature a more civil speech, or grateful language, than he is wont to give the immortal God, and his Creator, in all his worship to him. Art thou, O man, greater than he that made thee? Canft thou approach the God of thy breath, and great judge of thy life, with Thou and Thee, and when thou risest off thy knees, fcorn a Christian for giving to thee (poor

Mat. xxvi. 71, 73, 74.

mushroom

mushroom of the earth) no better language than thou haft given to God but juft before? An arrogancy not to be easily equalled! But again, it is either too much or too little respect; if too much, do not reproach and be angry, but gravely and humbly refuse it: if too little, why doft thou fhow to God no more? O whither is man gone! to what a pitch does he foar? he would be used more civilly by us, than he ufes God; which is to have us make more than a god of him: but he fhall want worshippers of us, as well as he wants the divinity in himself that deferves to be worshipped. Certain we are, that the Spirit of God feeks not these respects, much lefs pleads for them, or would be wroth with any that confcientiously refuse to give them. But that this vain generation is guilty of ufing them, to gratify a vain mind, is too palpable. What capping, what cringing, what fcraping, what vain unmeant words, moft hyperbolical expreffions, compliments, grofs flatteries, and plain lyes, under the name of civilities, are men and women guilty of in converfation! Ah, my friends! whence fetch you thefe examples? What part of all the writings of the holy men of God warrants these things? But to come near to your own profeffions: Is Christ your example herein, whofe name you pretend to bear? or thofe faints of old, that lived in defolate places, of whom the world was not worthy? Or do you think you follow the practice of thofe Chriftians, that, in obedience to their Master's life and doctrine, forfook the respect of perfons, and relinquifhed the fashions, honour and glory of this tranfitory world: whofe qualifications lay not in external geftures, refpects, and compliments, but in a meek and quiet fpirit", adorned with temperance, virtue, modefty, gravity, patience, and brotherly-kindnefs, which were the tokens of true honour, and only badges of respect and nobility in thofe Christian times? O no! But is it not to expose ourfelves both to your contempt and fury, that imitate them, and not you?

• Heb. xi.

lus, pray,

4.

rom