During the reign of King John, A.D. 1204, the custom of preaching from a text appears to have originated with Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and adopted by some of the divines of the University of Oxford. The practice, however, met with some opposition by the sages and seniors of that seat of learning, as related by the author [Sir John Peshall] of The History of the University of Oxford, from the Death of William the Conqueror to the Demise of Queen Elizabeth, 4to. 1773, p. 7.:—
"The ancient practice of explaining considerable portions of Scripture first showed itself openly in this University. This was to name a thesis or text from the Scripture, and make divisions upon it; which method is said to have been adopted by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, who therefore divided the Scriptures into chapters. The people at their religious assemblies much approved of this way, in preference to the raw discourses of young and ignorant preachers. Yet others, rejecting new customs and innovations, chose to follow their old way, which was that of the Saints Austin, Jerome, Barnard, &c.; and Robert Grostest, D.D. (whose word was a law with the university), was among the opposers. This was postillando, i.e. by expounding the words of Scripture as they stood in order, by inferences drawn from them. They took no text, but began in this manner: 'I intend, by the grace of God, in my following discourse, to treat of certain matters; and in these matters I intend to draw certain and true conclusions, for I intend now to speak of the fear of God. First, concerning fear,' &c. And so far down as the fifteenth century this kind of preaching continued: for so Vascanius, doctor and chancellor of the university, relates of himself: 'Anno 1450, in the octaves of St. John the Evangelist, on the Lord's Day, I showed in my sermon, preached at Oxford, in St. Martin's Church at Carfax, that Dr. Augustine preached four hundred sermons to the clergy and people without any thesis, and without taking a text at the beginning of his discourse. And so I (says he) preached the day and year above mentioned, in Oxford, by taking no theme or text; but I administered to the people profitable matters, without repeating of any text, but only words pertinent to matters proposed or declared.'"
The ancient practice of explaining considerable portions of Scripture to the people was revived by our reformers. Before them Colet had employed many years in publicly expounding all the Epistles of St. Paul. Archbishop Cranmer expounded Hebrews; as Bishops Hooper, Latimer, and Jewel, did Jonah, the Lord's Prayer, many of the Epistles, and all the Epistles and Gospels on Sundays and holydays.
"From the practice of Ambrose, Origen, Chrysostom, and Austin, among the ancients, and of our reformers, and more modern divines, we may safely affirm (says Mr. Shepherd in his Elucidation of the Morning and Evening Prayer) that explaining and applying portions of Scripture read in the Lessons, is a very beneficial mode of preaching to ordinary congregations."
J. Y.
Hoxton.
THE REV. —— GAY.
(Vol. iii., pp. 424. 508.)
Through the kindness of a friend, who takes an interest in the pedigree of the Gay family, I am enabled to offer the following information to MR. TAGART.
In Paley's Life of Law, prefixed to the Theory of Religion, mention is made of Gay's dissertation; and the author is there stated to be of "Sidney College." Inquiry was accordingly made in that quarter, and the following answer was returned:—
"I find there have been four persons of the name of Gay educated at Sidney College; three of them certainly—and in all probability the fourth—members of the same family. As I shall have occasion to refer to them subsequently, I will give you their several entries in the College Register: