Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 20
CAP. XX. Of Counsell.
COunsell, by which we consider wisely, whither, Keckerm▪what, and how things are to be done, for profitable ends, is a sacret thing; and withall soMenand…r necessarie to be taken not onelyonly with God, and a mans self, but with others also; as that Salomon, though peerlesse in1 King. 12▪ Prov. 11. and 12. wisdom, yet had his Councellors about him. Without counsell people perish, and purposes are disapointed; but in the multitude of Conncellors there is both safetie, and stabilitie, It is Gods peculiar to be all sufficient in himself whether for wisdom, or otherwise. No one man but stands need of another; and if for little els, yet for counsell.
He that gives counsell to another, therein stands in the place of God, who is the Councellor, and whoseEsay 9. Mine, Counsell is, and sound wisdom. This, he that gives advice,Prov. 8. must well weigh, that he neither dishonour the wisdom, and goodnesse of God, whose place for the dispencing of these attributes, he sustains therein; nor wrong him, by whom he is so far honoured, as to be sought to, as Gods mouth. And so must he also that takes counsell; that he may neither seek it at Fools, which none but Fools will do; nor at godlesse persons (specially in matter of conscience) which he that doth, desires to deceav himself, and to mock with God. Now of all Councellors, in whom any wisdom, and goodnesse is to be found, the peremptorie, and bold are most dangerous: whose custom is to put men upon extreamities, happily fitting their own ventersom disposition, but oftens above the strain, and strength of their friends, or reach of reason either. Whereas Councellors, specially in more difficult, and dangerous cases, should both verie sensibly apprehend the difficultie, and danger of the thing in deliberation; and withall be carefull, that they spur not on their friends whom they advise, above their pace, lest they tyre them by preposterous inforcements, and put them upon such difficulties, as they are not fit to struggle with. Warinesse is best in advice; and boldnesse in execution.
Dead men (to wit, in their Books) were accounted byPanormi…. King Alphonsus, for the best Councellors. And indeed so are they in regard of one of the best properties of a good Councellor, which is sinceritie, and unpartialnesse. A vertue rare, specially in inferiours, who too oft look asquint in their counsell: as either casting how to advantage themselvs in councelling others; or in following the direction of Achabs messengers to Michajah, by speaking that which is1 King. 22 good to, rather then for the …ing. Which latter calamitie befals great men not onelyonly by base perfidiousnesse of flatterrers, but oftens by a just judgment of God punishing them with their own desires, and so ordering that they that seek shall finde such as may rather deceav them by flatterie, then trouble them with the truth. Yet in these dead Councellors (Books) there is wanting a lively, and likely discerning of such particular circumstances, as must be observed, and gathered by present discourse, that men counsell not at adventure; which no Books can sufficiently provide for. In Books we best learn generall grounds of direction; but that skill is unperfect, & must have joyned with it a large, and piercing discourse of the Councellors mind, who by comparing together things past, and present, with due respect to singular circumstances incident, is able probably to gather things to come; in which the life of counsell consists.
Some will eloquently propound, and earnestly perswade to good and profitable courses in generall; but in the mean while, give no direction, how or by what particular means to prosecute them, for the attaining to the desired end. Such Councellors are like him that is earnest in perswading with a travellor to hold the right way to the place, where he would be; but shews him not which it is, and what are the marks of it: Or to him, who trims the Plutarch.Lamp diligently, and fits it to burn, but poures no Oyl into it. As we understand even most necessarie things in vain, except Erasmus.we love them: So blinde love (which alone in effect, the bellows of loud, but windie perswasion kindles in the brests of many) avails nothing, where knowledg guides us not in our way.
The fewest of them that ask good counsell, do mean indeed to follow it. Some ask counsell onelyonly in good manners, and to make shew of respect to friends: Others for aIerem. 42 Ezech. 14▪ colour, that they did nothing, but having first heard, what such and such (it may be, wise and godly) could say about it: And not a few, though they pretend to ask, yet indeed intend rather to give counsell; that is, to have the courses allowed by others, which they themselves affect. A man may have divers ends, in requiring the adviee of others, and all of them honest, and lawfull; provided he alwayes keep his heart free to receav either information, or confirmation, or reformation from others, upon good ground.
Three sorts of men though standing most in need of counsell, are many of them most uncapable of it. First, They in great prosperitie; Secondly, They in extream affliction; And thirdly, Such as are weak, and simple. They of the first sort are, for the most part, high minded, and lifted up in themselvs (Nabal-like) above the good1 Sam. 25 counsell of other men, presuming, that they are able enough to direct themselvs. The second are commonly either obdurate, or melted in their miserie; like Wax, either too hard to receav; or too soft to retain any impression, as the Israelites for anguish of Spirit, harkned not unto Moses theExod. 6. messenger of their deliverance. The third are partly uncapable of advice, through simplenesse; and partly suspitious, either lest they should be circumvented by their friends close-minding their own ends; or els thought weak, and too simple to govern, and manage their own affairs: by which prejudice it comes to passe, many times, that they become wilfull, and headie; because they would not be thought simple, and unable to direct themselvs.
It is a rule, wherein many wise men have agreed, that it is more available for the Common-wealth to have an evill Prince, and good Councellors, then a Prince good, and vertuous, with corrupt Councellors about him; for that, it is more like, that one should be bettered by many, then many be corrupted by one. But the mischief is, that such as are nought themselvs will make choyse usually of such Councellors as themselvs are, rather to flatter, then better them: as contrariwise, the good commonly, will chuse such, as may further them in goodnesse.
When a thing verie inconvenient, and absurd is propounded to us, it is not best alwayes to manifest any great dislike; though we both have it in our selvs, and our reasons for it, never so present: except either urgent necessitie presse a sudden, and violent stop of the matter; or that we have to do with him, whom we know we can oversway, by our reasons, and authoritie: lest by that course our friend take occasion to withdraw himself, and to conceal his affairs from us, and so to steal miserie closely, and, it may be, suddenly also, if he be bent upon his course; for fear that our importunitie should bring hindrance to his purpose. But it is best, at first, to put off the thing, and to provoke to further consideration, and so to gain time, with some small manifestation of dislike for the present; thereby, as it were, pointing, and making way for our after more vehement disswasions. By which course we shall have our friends both ear, and heart more open to receav advice from us; as conceiving, that we neither are forward to crosse his designe, nor caried against him, or it, in passion, contempt, or unadvisednesse.