Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 14
CAP. XIIII. Of knowledg, and Ignorance.
THe first lyne of the repayred Image of God inColoss. 3. man, and that by which he is first united to God is sound knowledg: the second is the sincere love of the heart: which draw with them in theZanchy third place, the other affections, and senses of soul, and body. As the waggon is guided by the waggonner,Math. 6. and he by his ey: so is the body by the soul, and it by the ey of understanding, and knowledg. If the ey be single, the whole body wil be full of light.Tertullian.
To beleev a thing futher then we know it, is indeed impossible; to love it, lightnes; to hate it injustice; seeing it may deserv the contrary, for ought we know.
He that knows not in his measure, what he ought to know (specially in the matters of God) is but a beast amongst men: He that knows what is simply needfull, and no more; is a man amongst men: But he who knows (according to the helps vouchsafed him of God) what may well be known; and so far, as to direct himself and others aright; is as a God amongst men. And to this purpose the Lord tels Moses, that he should be to his brother Aaron, Exod. 4.in stead of God. Such bear the lively Image of Gods wisdom.
The knowledg even of things evill is good, and the greater the better, so as it be neither experimentall, nor with approbation, nor have other infectious accessorie joyned with it. The Apostle knew Satans devises better2 Cor. 2. then the Corinthians did: And God (onelyonly wise, and good) onelyonly knows all the both good and evill of men, and Angels. And so pleasing a thing is knowledg toProv. 15. reasonable Creatures, not unmeasureably degenerated (as the light is pleasant to him that hath eyes to behold Eccles. 11it) that not onelyonly they who strive to attain unto it by likely means; but even many, who hold a course tending to all ignorance, and errour, do desire it, as a naturall good: and if not much the thing it self, yet the opinion of it; hating the imputation of ignorance, as a matter vile, and reproachfull. By how much the more monstrous are many, and grown out of kind; who make reckning, that it concerns not them to get, or have any more knowledg, then is simply necessarie for the maintaining of a poore, barren, and half-bruitish life?
How many, specially of the meaner sort (to let passe mens secure, yea affected ignorance, in Divine things) would think it half curiositie in themselvs, or others of their rank, to know the East from the West; or what the reason is of the Suns setting, and rising again everie day; though they see the thing continually before their eyes? The punishment of Nabuchednezzar is upon such people, who had an Oxes heart inDaniel 4. a mans body.
Of them that seriously desire, and carefully use means to obtain knowledg, the ends are verie different. Some desire to know that they might know; which is curtositie: Bernard.Some that they might be known; and that is vanitie: Some onelyonly to make profit of their knowledg; and that is covetousnesse: Some, on the other side, to edifie, & better themselvs; and this is true wisdom: And some withall, to do good to others; which is godly charitie.
The means to get knowledg, specially Divine; are, First to love it: If thou cryest after knowledg, and liftest Prov. 3.up thy voyce for understanding: If thou seekest her, as silver, and searchest for her, as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and finde the knowledg of God. The second is the knowledg of our ignorance: It being an effect of Christs comming, that Iohn 9.they, which see not (to wit, in the conscience of their own blindnesse) might see; and that they which see, might be made blind. To which joyn that of the Phylosopher,Seneca. that many more would attain to knowledg, and wisdom, if so many did not think, that they had alreadie attained to it. A third is the fear of God, to whichPs. 25. he hath made the promise of revelation of his secrets; and to teach such the way which they shall chuse: who will also set themselvs the most carefully to learn it. A fourth is prayer, by which this wisdom and knowledg, Iames 1.as with a strong hand, is fetcht from Heaven. A fifth is the reading and meditating upon (specially) the Divine Scriptures, and withall, other approved Authours. For, as the affections are most moved by hearing, so the judgment is best informed by reading. The last means is the companie, and societie of wise, and understanding men: whereupon it was, that the Queen of Sheba pronounced the Servants of Salomon happie, which continually stood before him to hear his wisdom. They who profit not in knowledg, and wisdom by conversing with wise men, are unworthy of their companie; and worthy to keep or keep with Oxen, and Asses.
Besides the forementioned meanes of getting knowledg; there is a mediocritie, and mean-nesse of outward estate not a little advantageable to this purpose: which if it be too low, and depressed, keeps down the disposition ingenuous, and apt to great things; as his Emblem imports, who holds a wing in Alciat.the one hand; but hath the other clogged with a great stone. On the other side, a state great, and prosperous usually lifts up men above the love of knowledg, and learning; making them arrogant in themselvs, and fastidious of the labour, and industry requisite for the getting of understanding; and oftens indangers the verie quenching of that spark of naturall desire, to become wise (which God hath kindledGenes. 3. in all mens breasts) in bodily, and beastly sensualities. Hereupon it was, that Plato judged the Cyrenians Plutarchby reason of their prosperous estate, uncapable of any good information, and constitution of a Common-wealth by good Laws. Man is in honour, Psal. 49.and understandeth not; he is like the beasts that perish: and not understanding, he perisheth like the beasts, and worse. Few of great state in the world, are humainly; fewer Divinely wise.
The knowing to do good, and the not doing it, is sin: not because…ames 4. Bernard. it is known, but because it is not practised: as meat undigested hurts the body, not because it is taken into the stomach, but because it is not by concoction turned into good nourishment.
Papists call ignorance the mother of devotion; and so make reckning, that, if they (the multitude especially) be ignorant enough, they are devout enough. But the Phylosopher, though a Heathen, who thought all sin Socrates.to come of ignorance, shot nearer the mark then those left-handed Christians. And in truth, where the reasonable faculties of understanding and will come to work; the will therefore wills, or nills a thing, because it is judged good or bad in the particular, by the practicall understanding: whose office it is to direct the will in its choyse. For example. Peter though knowing, and judging it in thesi, and in the generall, better to confesse Christ, then to deny him; yet, being in the High-priests Hall, and in the midst of his enemies, thought it, in that particular place, and case, and state of things, better to deny his Master, then to confesse him: better I mean, not in regard of that good, which we call honest, and vertuous; but profitable, and commodious, for his present peace. He neither would nor could have chosen the denying of him, but as a good apparent, and in shew.
Ignorance is not alwayes blame-worthy, but then onelyonly, when we are ignorant of that which we should know. Yea, not onelyonly some ignorance, but (which is more) even some errour is, in a sort, commendable: as when we judg of men, whose hearts we know not, by the outward appearances, which they make, though they be inwardly, and in truth, nothing lesse. So Philip charitably, and Christianly judged Simon Magus a true beleever, andActs 8. accordingly baptized him; though in truth, he then were, and soon after appeared to be in the gall of bitternesse, and bond of iniquitie. In some other cases, ignorance, though it justifie not wholy, yet excuses a fayling in part; and that more, or lesse, as the thing whereof we are ignorant, either is more, or lesse necessarie to be known of us; or can be known more, or lesse easily: and thus the Servant that knows Luke 12.not his Masters will, and commits things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with fewer. On the contrarie, there is an ignorance, which both shews, and makes the ignorant culpable of greater judgment. And that is either affected, or inflicted. Affected, when a man either of purpose shuts his eyes, lest he should take knowledg Zanchyof the sin, which he loves, and is loath to forsake▪ or purposely neglects the use of the means of attaining to knowledg; or doth the things, upon which ignorance cannot but follow; as in making himself drunken: or fills the eyes of the minde with the dust of wilfull prejudice, and partialitie. Inflicted, when God to recompence Rom. 1.former disobedience, gives men up to a minde void of judgment, in the things discernable by the verie light of Nature. Thus not to know, nor do the will of our Master, deservs double stripes.