The Diseases of the Time, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The Follie of Naturall Wisedome, preferring the Handmaid before the Mistres, Philosophie before Diuinitie.
D. Char. in his preface of Wisdome.THere is a certaine Wizard whose Moralitie outstrippeth his Diuinitie, that accordingly preferreth the practice of Moralitie before the practice of Diuinitie. He sayth the vertue and honestie of Diuines is deiect, sad, fearfull, and vulgar, but that of the Philosophers is pleasant, puissant, noble, and rare. These words hauehave an vnmannerly sound, though some of his Sectaries will perchance say they hauehave a sound meaning, but if his meaning were good it had not beene amisse in so waightie a matter to hauehave bestowed other or more words vponupon vsus, that among some of them we might hauehave found out the goodnesse of his meaning. For my part, I cannot perceiue any iustifiable sence in them, but hold them being radically and fundamentally examined full of danger and vntruth. Dangerous they are especially to the vnwritten Tables of young braines; for by the Proclamation of such notable excellence and transcendence in humane wisdome, the affections of such are lifted vp to the more noble knowledge, and they looke downe with contempt on a lower and meaner Learning. But let those who by that Authour are brought into danger know, that they are brought into danger by an vntruth, & then perchance the knowledge of the vntruth may preuent the hurt of the danger.
And though to some it may seeme, that because there are profitable truthes to be found in this Authour, therefore a few errours should be pardoned; I confesse, I am euen for this reason the more vnwilling to pardon them. For therfore are the errours more dangerous, because they come in the company of some notable Truths, it being a readie and common course, that Errours accompanyed with Truthes are the more easily swallowed, the excellence of the Truthes speaking for the Errours, and strongly perswading, that the Authour of such Truthes can hardly be also the Authour of Errours. Besides it were far safer that he had kept both his Truths and Errours in silence, then that they should both hauehave an equall acceptance. For hee that learneth not those Truths from him, may learne most of them from others, for others hauehave spoken much of that which hee teacheth: and yet if they faile of a great part of them, there is truth enough besides to bee had to make a man temporally and eternally happie. But hee that receiueth these Errours, though accompanied with his notable Truths, the Errours will make him miserable, if beleeued, euen in spite of the Truths. For certainly it is the most fearfull miserie of all to confine Mankind, within such a dungeon of wickednesse and wretchednesse as this world is, and though these Wizards charme their Disciples with their wittiest inchantments, yet they shall still be but wretches, the naughtinesse of the world, and the crasie infirmities of their owne bodies shall torment them, & the blacknes of darknesse, euen the shadow of death shall terrifie them. For that darknesse is naturally fearfull to Man, and the fearfulnesse of Moralitie may asswage or put off by fittes, but it will still returne vponupon them. Againe, it brings a man to an amazement, and makes him to quarrell with his Creator, and to aske this question of that highest Wisedome, Hast thou made al men for nought? or in other words, Hast thou beene wise in making Man to no purpose? For Man considered only in this life is meerly vanitie, and his life after death being cast vp amounteth to nothing. Besides, such subtill and cunning Doctors picke not away the lower sort of wits, but the higher; in whom naturall vnderstanding being high, claspeth strongly with the chiefest naturall reasons. For Nature without grace, the wiser it is, the more mad it growes vponupon naturall reason. And now that I may rightly performe the cure of this Euill, I will take his owne titles from Philosophie, and giuegive them to Diuinitie, and I doubt not but to make the very same good on Diuinitie which he speaketh of Philosophie; euen that Diuinitie is more noble, pleasant, puissant, and rare then Philosophie. And first for Nobilitie. That Nobilitie which this Man especially condemneth in Philosophie, I thinke to bee the freedome and vndependance thereof, euen a meere practice of vertue for vertues sake, without the respect of an higher Rule, Iudge, or End. But this which hee termeth Nobility I beleeue to be basenesse, and doubt not to proue it. For Diuinitie though it goes with Philosophie a little, yet it leaues it behind in the latter and higher degrees of Vertue. For Diuinitie commendeth goodnesse because it is good, but then it goes farther and iudgeth it to bee good, because it is conformable to the highest Rule of goodnesse; and so it teacheth the practiser to make God the Rule & Square of Vertue. It resteth not in this that goodnesse is supposed to bee goodnesse, but it fetcheth the practice of goodnesse from God, and hauing fetched it from God it returnes it to God; It borrowed it of God and therefore payes it to him from whom it was borrowed; It knowing it to bee good because it is agreeable to the Highest goodnesse, for the same reason it doth it, euen because it is agreeable to him. So the Diuine in his highest degree is farre aboue the Philosopher, for hee practiseth goodnesse for the same reason by which it came to be goodnesse, euen because by a conformitie it proues it selfe to be descended from the Highest goodnesse. And surely let them deceiue themselues as much as they list. It is the happiest and rightest estate of a Creature to bee conformed vntounto his Creator, to fetch deriuatiue goodnesse from the primatiue, and to examine it thereby, and finally to returne the deriuatiue to the vse of the primatiue. And heere I might encounter another Gentilisme of this Authour, which is an opinion, that all vertues are not branches of pietie, but pietie is a branch of a vertue. True it is indeed in a Heathen, that vertue is not a branch of pietie, both because he hath no true pietie, and because his vertue and his pietie issue both ioyntly and not subordinately, from distinct considerations of his naturall reason. And euen therefore his pietie is not pietie, nor his vertue, vertue. For true pietie alone is the mother of true vertue, neither is there any true vertue that is not the true child of pietie. For the Creator is the patterne and rule of vertue to his Creature, and the end of it. It is fetched from him, it is referred to him. By God wee proue and iustifi… our vertue, of God wee hauehave strength to performe it, and what by God wee know to be good, and knowing were enabled to performe, that wee iustly returne to God. So true vertue lookes in all her actions toward God; it learnes of him what pleaseth him, that which pleaseth him it knowes to be vertue, and then it doth it, because it pleaseth him. The true pious man acknowledgeth God to be the beginning and Authour both of his beeing and of vertue, and therefore he referres his beeing and his actions of vertue to the Authour and Owner of both. So he doth vertue because it is Gods and because he is Gods. He is Gods and therefore iustly indeauours to please God whose hee is, and vertue is Gods, and therefore he wisely indeauours to please God by that which is his. Gods wisedome and Dispensation, gaue to Man both the seedes and lawes of vertue, and therefore the pious man doth them with an eye to the Authour, Rule, and End of them. And whosoeuer doth any vertue, without an eye to God as the Authour and Rule of vertue, (both to enable and to approue it) or to the same God as the Owner and End of both, this man is a traitor to his Maker, and guiltie of impietie, because hee robs God of his Creatures, and the Creature of their true End. For hee doth not his actions by whom nor for whom hee should doe them. But to true Christians it shall be a stedfast Rule of their actions, That by God and for God are all things, and therefore their vertues; And if all their vertues bee fetched from God and done for God, then are all their vertues fruits of pietie, euen of the worship and seruice of their Maker. But now hauing found out these premisses, let vsus by their light discouer & examin who is baser, the Philosopher or the Diuine.
And first I say that the Diuine is more noble in his Rule of vertue then the Philosopher. For the Philosopher hath got a Soule hee knowes not how, with some measure of reason in it (but I must tell him terribly ruined and degenerate) and hauing got it hee hugges it, lookes on it, and sets his rest, and contentment in the sight and operation of it, and compares it only with itselfe. But the soule hauing a deriuatiue goodnesse, the true tryer and touchstone thereof must bee the primatiue goodnesse. Therefore they doe foolishly that examine their soules by their soules, and their Reasons by their Reasons, especially in this state of corruption, for if the soule be crooked it cannot serue for a Rule to rectifie it selfe. But the primatiue Rule and goodnesse ought to bee the Rule of the deriuatiue, and to it must it hauehave recourse to know whether it hauehave swarued or no.
Therefore the Philosopher while hee dwels in himselfe, fayles in Iudgement as well as in honestie. But the Diuine (I meane the practiser of Diuinitie) escapeth these faults; and ennobles himselfe farre aboue the Philosopher, by a continuall recourse to his original. For perceiuing that from God hee hath his knowledge & goodnesse, hee lookes vp vntounto God as vntounto the highest Rule of all created goodnesse. Therefore hee reasons not foolishly with the Philosopher, It is true, or it is good because I who am frayle and imperfect thinke it to bee so, but because the highest perfection, truth and goodnesse hath declared it to bee so. For (as before) goodnesse is goodnesse, euen because it is vniforme vntounto God.
Secondly, the Diuine is more noble then the Philosopher in the meanes of acting vertue; for knowing that from God proceedeth all strength, he seekes strength for the action on of Vertue from the Author of strength: whereas the Philosopher makes vse of an olde decayed strength, which is the remaynder of the gift of God, without eyther petition or thankes to God. The Diuine indeed commends Vertue for the sparke that it hath of the first Image of the Maker, but yet acknowledgeth great defects in it, and therefore desires to perfect it by the renuing of the same Maker, and then hauing renued it by him, hee referres it to him. So the vertue of a Christian, doubly acknowledgeth God the Author of it, and with double strength returnes vntounto him; both as it came first from God by Creation, and after the Creation being defaced, as it was renued by Regeneration.
Thirdly, the Diuine is more noble then Philosopher, in giuing the Creatour his right in his Creature; for knowing that his whole person came from God, hee voluntarily, freely, and ioyfully returnes himselfe wholly to God, hee giues the Creatue to the Creatour, and makes him his end who is his true Owner by being his beginning. But the Philosopher cuts off the Creature from the Creator, eyther by denying the Creation (and yet he sees no man now adaies spring out of the Earth) or otherwise by denying all traffique betweene the Creatour and his Creature. As if God had cast out caresly from his hand, so admirable a Creation, and willingly lost it, and so became a Creatour to no purpose, or else regardeth it only as a Spectator of Gladiators and Fighters with beasts, euen as one that delighteth to behold the miseries that Mankinde wreaketh on it selfe, which is a blasphemy against the Fountayne of Goodnesse. But farre bee it from vsus to account our selues our own, but his, euen his Creatures, Children and Seruants. Indeed, if our selues & our Vertues were originally ours, then might we rest in our selues, & louelove both our own selues & our own vertues by themselues and for themselues. But God hath a propertie in vsus and our vertues, and therefore as to a father we ought to offer the seruice of Children. For a iust & vpright soule cannot but take delight in pleasing him who is to her the Authour of being.
Wherefore, I desire hereafter that the Philosopher will not despise the Sonne for a cheerfull pleasing his Father; nor the Seruant for a comfortable practice of Vertue, because it is acceptable to his Lord the true Owner both of him and his Vertues. For although himselfe bee a fugitiue Seruant, and hath turned his Liuerie into a Sute of Apparell, and swaggers it vp and downe in his run-away freedome, yet the Masters propertie lyes as a heauie burthen & accusation vponupon him, and shal one day bring him to the Bar of the highest Iustice, and in the meane time he stands heere below indicted for a Vagabond, and so is far worse in his stolne Gallantry, then a Seruant is in a iust & voluntary obedience. The seruice of a Christian is a seruice of louelove, and therefore it is a noble seruice. A Christian loues God, and therefore pleaseth him by doing that which God loues. Now this seruice of louelove is noble because it is voluntary, pleasant, and cheerfull.
LoueLove casteth out feare, and takes delight in pleasing him whom it loues; and therefore it cheerfully obeyes him, and indeed, such cheerfull obeyers doth God only louelove; Therefore such should only bee called Diuines, and their vertue the only vertue of Diuines. Which if it be granted, then is the slander of the deiection, sadnesse, and basenesse, of the Diuines wholly ouerthrowne.
Lastly, the Diuine is more noble then the Philosopher in his Marke or End. For the fruition of God is proposed by the Diuines in their practice of vertue, but that by these is turned to an obiection while themselues hauehave no other end but some transitorie vse of vertue. True it is, that Christians beholding the beautie of vertue, they louelove the looke of it, and highly esteeme it. But yet more Reasons of estimation doe binde more, and the adding of strength doth not weaken but strengthen; else a threefold cord were easier to be broken, then a single one.
Therefore, God knowing the corruption of mans nature, and that few men in this state of deprauation hauehave eyther vnderstanding or worth to value goodnesse sufficiently, and accordingly to practise it, he hedgeth in the frailtie of man with the double inclosure of punishment and reward, and all little enough (and too little as Experience shewes) to keepe him in his way.
Though vertue bee lonely to a clarified vnderstanding, yet mans vnderstanding being in the most pudled by the fall, and in eueryevery one sometimes dimmed by passions the fruits of the fall, the beautie of vertue then shines not to an vnseeing eye, but the will by feare or benefit is then most to be wrought on. If therefore to ayde so great a weaknesse, there bee a supplement of strength by the proposition of danger and profit, the nature of man is hereby the more succoured, and we are to blame, if we blame our helpes. But they will say, they are most noble, that hauehave no need of them; and that tread the path of vertue, neither for feare nor couetousnesse. I answere, that Goodnesse and Happinesse being naturally linked together, and wickednesse and miserie, the vnderstanding and will, more readily imploy and bend themselues to the good, and from the euill by reason of that Vnion. And surely, Happinesse beeing tyed to Goodnesse by the Chayne of Prouidence, wee cannot but mend our pace to goodnesse, by the sight of annexed Happinesse: and it were folly not to looke on that which may both delight & incourage vsus.
Our will desireth good naturally, and therefore good being tyed to goodnesse, giues more appetite to the will. And surely heerein was the same kinde of Action in the Heathen, though by mistaking. For these did seek a souereigne good in vertue; and euen for that sought it the more feruently. Now the ods is this, that wee hauehave a souereigne good with vertue, though not in vertue, conioyned but not confounded. So vertue is louely to vsus, but God the Fountaine of vertue is farre more louely, and to him wee walke in the path of vertue. Now there is no basenesse in louing vertue well for it selfe, neither in louing the Authour of vertue better then it, neyther in louing vertue the more for leading vsus to the Authour of vertue. So we may not be blamed but rather should bee commended (vertue being the way to the Author of vertue) if we make this vse of this little streame of goodnesse, by the guiding thereof to come to the infinite ocean of Goodnesse.
Surely, we then louelove vertue best, when not contented with the drops of it, we labour earnestly to come to the fountayne and sulnesse of it; and by practizing a little vertue to come to the perfection of it. If one poore sparke of vertue be to bee loued for it selfe, much more is that infinite Rocke of Orient and most shining vertue to be loued in God, and it is a most reasonable purpose and resolution to louelove the Higher Excellence more then the lower, and to louelove the lower the better if it leade to the Higher.
When wee find gold Oare in the top of the Earth, we value it highly, but wee value it the more, because it leades vsus to the Gold Mine it selfe. Therefore the Philosophers were children in this, that hauing found a Myne-stone, they played with it, and sought no farther, but the Christians are truly wise, who hauing found it, follow the Veine vntill they come to enioy the very Roote and Treasurie thereof. Another spot which is cast on Diuinitie, by the odious comparison or preferment of Philosophie, is this, That the vertue of Diuines is more vulgar, and that of Philosophy more rare. Heere I cannot but stand still and wonder, how this man came to vse speeches so flatly contrary to the speeches of Christ, and hauing spoken them, to propose them to Christians. Eyther he thinkes himselfe herein wiser then Christ, or that wee are no Christians, and therefore apt to beleeue him before Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith: But it is an ancient truth, The narurall man is blinde in the things of God, Christ hath said, The way to Heauen is narrow, and few there bee that finde it, and I take it, that is rare which but a few doe find. Israel was but a drop to the Ocean of Mankinde, and Israel only had for a long time the Statutes and Iudgements of God.
Againe, at this time when Religion is let out into the World, how is it beyonded by Turcisme, Atheisme, Gentilisme, Heresies, and Epicurisme? Surely, a true Christian is a rare thing, and if it were not so, this man could not well hauehave hoped to bee generally beleeued that they are common. And if hee meanes by vulgar (besides the commonnesse) to intimate that Christianitie is incident to meanenesse, and so is fit for the common people, as well in that they are base, as in that they are many, I vtterly gainsay him; For if Diuinitie bee truly examined, it requireth the highest vnderstandings to search it, the mightiest and noblest indeauours to performe it, for in Diuinitie they are Mysteries which are taught, and excellent things which are commanded. Therfore Christ telles things hidden and vnsearchable to the very wise of the world, and enioyneth vertues excelling the ambitious holinesse of the very Scribes and Pharises. Yea, he wyteth his hearers that contented themselues with ordinarie vertues, saying, What great or excellent thing doe yee? yet the truth is, that to sundrie of the meane ones, God imparteth the light and grace of Christianitie, but not because meannesse is fitter to apprehend it, but because by meannesse God best expresseth his owne excellence, and shewes his power chiefly in infirmitie, and his light in darknesse. Therefore for his owne glorie hee chuseth them and not for their abilitie toward Religion, but rather for their not-abilitie in some respect. For whereas by their natural vnablenes, they were altogether vncapable of Diuine Mysteries, God is sure to get glorie to his Spirit, which entring into men so full of darknesse and meannesse, makes them lightsome, wise, able, and truely noble, For from henceforth being regenerate, They vnderstand secrets, performe difficult vertues, aspire vntounto eternitie, and despise tēporall, though glorious vanity. Thus meane men receiu grace not by their meannesse, but for their meannes, & receiuing it are no lōger mean, but are made excellent and noble. This is it which Dauid sayes: Psalm 19. That God by his Word giues vnderstanding to the simple. And Psal. 119. That by the feare of God hee became wiser then his Teachers: And if wee looke for examples to omit those ancient Fisher-men (a profession commonly most ignorant) whose words and writings cannot bee matched by the world in spirituall, that is in the best wisdome: I wil speake of our times, that in them I hauehave seene Men admirable in Simplicity for worldly things, but miraculous in Diuine knowledge, so that their speeches in the one kind hauehave bin contemptible, and in the other hauehave sounded like Oracles. So that a great knowledge beeing found in a great simplicitie, it may not bee thought, That simplicitie is the cause of Knowledge, but wee must looke a higher cause, euen that the Creator is the cause of a new Creation. And the fountaine of Wisdome is the cause of these droppes of new and supernaturall wisedome, powred into naturall simplicitie. And this hits right with Christs speach vntounto Peter, Flesh and bloud hath not reuealed it to thee, but my Father in Heauen. And that Diuinitie is not a shallow knowledge fit to be waded through by dwarfish ignorance, the experience of the Fathers may confirme. For the chiefest of them were men of admirable wisedome, great learning, and vnwearied studie, and yet they found in Diuinitie Wisedome beyond their Vnderstanding, Learning aboue their Learning, and Worke beyond their Time. Therefore it shall remaine a certaine Truth, That Religion ordinarily requires Wisedome, and therefore though it often lights on them that lacke it, yet then it brings Wisedome with it. And indeed Religion brings with it the best Wisedome. For that is the best Wisedome which teacheth vsus the most perfect vertues, and leades vsus to the most perfect, absolute, and eternall Happinesse. Lastly, though God doe shew most often his strength in weakenesse, yet that Grace of God is no common worke, neither, among the common people. But surely I thinke this man deceiued himselfe thus; Hee saw in the blind Religion of his Countrie, the common people led with Ignorance and Superstition, and out of that superstitious Ignorance, to doe many seeming workes of Charitie and Pietie, and on these he bestowth the title of the vertue of Diuines. But it is a great errour to make Superstition the Roote and Mother of Theologicall vertue; for Superstition is a Bastard begotten by an informed and ignorant feare of the Deitie. Such people are as farre from true Diuinity, as he is from the true commendation of it. And himselfe in his chapter of Pietie, hath truly shewed pietie to be of so high a Nature, vniting Man to his Root the Godhead, that I wonder he could here make the superstitious dotage of the ignorant vulgar, to bee the high and transcendent vertue of the Diuines. For let him confesse ingeniously, how many of the vulgar hath hee knowne truly to returne to their originall, and to knit themselues vntounto it.
Surely, it seemes he forgate at last what he had written at first, or knew not at first what he would write at last. But say what hee list, Theologicall vertue is of no base stampe, it containeth in it an vnion with God, and from hence issueth an Image of God, and from this Image the LoueLove of God, Charitie to our Neighbour, and Sobrietie in our selues. And in this path of vertue, it leades vsus to Felicitie. And when hee hath magnified his Philosophie to the highest, Diuinitie chalengeth all the Goodnesse it hath as her seruant, and addes more vntounto it. Now for the other two Epithites wherewith hee decketh Philosophie, and whereof he robbeth Diuinitie, Pleasantnesse and Power; I hauehave fitted seuerall discourses for them, yet withall respecting other faults. But the Reader may set such pieces of them together, as being inlayd in his memorie iointly with this, may serue for an intire Confutation of these errours. And that his memorie may not trauaile farre for the doing of it, I heere immediatly adioyne them.