JOSEPH GLANVILL A STUDY IN ENGLISH THOUGHT AND LETTERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY -- 1900 -- PREFACE THIS study of Glanvill was undertaken as a part of the work leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. It has been carried out under the direction of Professor Thomas R. Price, to whom I am greatly indebted for careful and kindly criticism. The plan and aim of the essay will, I trust, be sufficiently apparent without discussion here. In the numerous quotations from Glanvills writings I have followed his peculiar spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. It has not, however. been possible to preserve his -. archaic typography. His books are set- in three kinds of type, - Roman, italic, and black-letter, - with no evident system save that the opprobrious epithets applied to opponents are usually in black-letter. v vi PXEFACE It is not possible to give, within reasonable limits, a complete list of all the works con- sulted in the research nor, indeed, is it desir ble, since the Dictionary of National Biography has made readily accessible, full and accurate bibliographies. Besides the usual sources of bibliographical and historical information, the most useful propdeutics have been Leckys Rise of Rationalism, Tullochs Rational Theology in England irt the Xeventeenth Century, and Re- musats Histoire de la Philosophic en Angleterre depuis Bacon juspud Locke. James Crossleys edition of Worthingtons Diary for the Chetham Society is a mine of biographical lore. To all of these my obligation is considerable. Other references are given in foot-notes. In the appendix I have added a chronological list of Glanvills books, a bibliography of the more im- portant critical references to his work, and a list of such of the writings of the Cambridge Platonists as have been accessible to me. For the portrait which serves as a frontis- piece to this volume, I am indebted to the kind- ness of Sidney Colvin, Esq., Keeper of the b PREFACE vii Prints in the British Museum. I would also express my hearty thanks to Professor George Eclmard Woodberry for the suggestion which brought Glanvill to my notice, and to Dr. Edlvard Eggleston of Joshuas Rock, Lake George, N.Y., for the use of his library, rich in seventeenth century material. COLUJXBLA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK CITY, March, 1900. CONTENTS CHAPTER I SKETCH OF ENGLISH TIIOUGIIT, 1679-1660 . 1 CHAPTER I1 PACE THE CAMBRIDGE PLATONISTS . . . 17 1. Whichcote . . . . 23 2. Culverwell . . 25 3. Smith O . 29 4. Cudworth . . . . 37 6. More . . . . 40 GLANVILLB IJIFE AND THE ORDER OF HIS VRIT- INGS . . . 51 CHAPTER IV THE PHILOSOPHY OF GLANVILL . . 89 1. The Revolt against Aristotelianism . . 90 2. Scepticism . . 95 3. Constructive Theorizing . . 111 ix CONTENTS CHAPTER V PAGE LATITUDINARIAN THEOLOGY . . 124 1. Rationalism . . . 127 2. Science and Religion . . . 131 3. Practical Piety . . . 139 CHAPTER V1 GHOST STORIES AND WITCHCRAFT . . 144 1. Historical Considerations . . . 146 2. Investigation of Psychic Phenomena . . 155 3. Theorizing thereupon . . . . 159 4. Resulting Controversies . . . 167 CHAPTER V11 1. Sketch of English Prose in the Seventeenth Century . . . . . 178 2. Glanvills Critical Theories . . 185 3. Analysis of his Style . . 192 APPENDICES a. CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF GLANVILLS PUBLI- CATIONS . . . 223 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.