Eminent doctors: Their lives and their work; Vol. 1 of 2Bettany, G. T. (George Thomas)
History
Eminent doctors: Their lives and their work; Vol. 1 of 2
Bettany, G. T. (George Thomas)
Medicine -- Great Britain -- History; Physicians -- Great Britain
We have yet to note a remarkable fragment entitled “Theologia
Rationalis, by Dr. Thomas Sydenham,” in manuscript in the Cambridge
University Library. It appears to coincide very closely with other
indications of his views, and it has been said of it, “There is much
in it of the spirit both of Locke and Butler—of Locke in the spirit
of observation and geniality; of Butler in the clear utterances as to
the supremacy of reason, and the necessity of living according to our
own true nature.” The general principles of his regard of the Divine
Being may be judged from the following extract: “Wherefore, to this
eternal, infinitely good, wise, and powerful Being, as I am to pay
all that adoration, thanks, and worship which I can raise up my mind
unto; so to Him, from the consideration of His providence, whereby
He doth govern the world, myself and all things in it, I am to pray
for all that good which is necessary for my mind and body, and for
diverting all those evils which are contrary to their nature; above
all desiring that my mind may be endowed with all manner of virtue.
But in requesting things relating to my body and its concerns, having
always a deference to the will of the Supreme Being, who knows what
is best for me better than I do myself. And though my requests to
these bodily concerns of mine are not answered, nevertheless, herein
I worship Him, by declaring my dependence upon Him; and forasmuch as
that, in many respects, I have transgressed His divine laws written
upon my nature, I am humbly to implore His pardon, it being as
natural for me to do it, as it is to implore the pardon of a man whom
I know I have offended. In all which requests of mine, and all His
creatures, how many soever they be in number, and how distant soever
they be in place, He being infinite, is as ready at hand to hear and
to help as any man who is but finite is at hand to administer food to
his child that craves it.”
Thus we take leave of Sydenham, denominated by Locke “one of the
master-builders at this time in the commonwealth of learning;”
reckoned by the masters in his own and the next age as second to
Hippocrates alone—the man whom Boerhaave never mentioned to his class
without lifting his hat, describing him as “Angliæ lumen, artis
Phœbum, veram Hippocratici viri speciem.”
CHAPTER IV.
_THE MONROS, CULLEN, THE GREGORYS, JOHN BELL, AND THE FOUNDATION OF
THE EDINBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account