The Heavenly Academy, Title page – Table of contents
THE HEAVENLY ACADEMIE.
Iam hic videte magnum Sacramentum, fratres. Magisteria forinsecus, Adjutoria quaedam sunt, & Admonitiones; Cathedram in Coelo habet, qui corda docet.
Aug. Tract. 3. in 1. Joan.
LONDON, Printed by Robert Young for Iohn Bartlet, and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard neere St. Austins gate. 1638.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, JOHN Lord ROBERTS, Baron of Truco, &c.
My Lord▪
TO whom first as a Judge, & next as a Patron, should a worke present it selfe, that concernes both Universities, but to a person that hath knowledge of both? For the lower, I thinke there are scarcely any, that have more profited in it, in no more time; a diligent and apprehensive Learner, having met with an able & communicative Teacher. And for the higher, I thinke you know it well, because you love it well. Not to goe farre for a proofe, the expressions of love, which you have beene pleased to shew me, did arise (as I beleeve) especially from this root; because you thought me to be of that Universitie. Now that for which another is loved, must needs be loved it selfe, and what is loved is knowne; for what we know not, we love not.
And in this love and knowledge, I desire that your Lordship may still increase, untill you come to the fountaine of knowledge, and the finall, full, and transcendent object of all created love. Towards this increase, if the following work may give some advancement, it shall adde much to the joy of him, who is to
Your Lordships (especially spirituall) service justly devoted, F. Rous.
The Preface.
IT is the just saying of an Ancient, Prodere grata commemoratione decet scientiae patrem; It is comely to acknowledge with thankfulnesse, the Father of our knowledge. If this be justly due from man unto man, how much more due is it from man unto God? For though man be called the father of those that are taught by him,Gen. 4. 21. yet God is the Father of those fathers; even a Teacher of those teachers: and therefore by our Saviours judgement deserves only the name of Father, in perfection and eminence. Those then that have God to be a Father of knowledge to them, should returne to this Father the praise and glorie of this knowledge. The heavenly gifts of God, when they move kindly and naturally, doe move like the Heavens, in a circular motion; returning to that place and point from which they began first to move; from God unto God. They come from him as graces, and returne to him in the shape of glorie.
Accordingly, having received a measure of grace from this heavenly Teacher, by which I am what I am, I could not but acknowledge it, and by this acknowledgement returne him glorie for grace. And because I desire also that others may have the like grace, that God also from others may have the like glorie, I testifie to others that which I have felt and seene. I have evidently seene and felt, that men are taught of God; and so there is a third school for the Students of Divinitie. And as they passe from the Countrey-schoole to the Universitie, so should they yet mount higher to a third, even a Celestiall Academie. And certainly, as the second excels the first, so & much more doth the third excell the second.
Some perchance may answer with the Servant, Son, and Heire of the Great Elijah; Hold your peace, I know it already. Yet those that know it, will not envie that it be told to those that know it not. There are sons of the Prophets that must grow up like young plants in the house of the Lord; and those have a time when they know it not, and this discourse may meet with that time. Yea there may be some Masters in Israel, into whose eares perchance it hath passed, but not entered into their hearts, that as a man must be borne, so hee must be taught from above. And if this naile be driven beyond hearing, into knowledge, experience, and taste, I hope no man will be sorrie for such a gaine. Besides, too true and common it is, that the naturall heart of man willingly lies downe and takes up its rest in the abilities of Nature; and fetcheth oracles from thence (the cause of so many errours, and differences the consequences of errours) and therefore hath it need of such goads to awake it, and to make it open the eye and eare to this heavenly Teacher.
It is most true, that those who have not beene taught in this higher schoole of Grace, but onelyonly in the lower of Nature, cannot well acknowledge that which they know not; this schoole being best learned, known, and acknowledged, by those whom it most teacheth. And those who have beene well taught there, doe well know, that Christians are herein better than their neighbors, even than the best of Pagans, because they are taught by God, the best, most transcendent, and infallible Teacher. The heavenly Teacher teacheth them both what and how to beleeve; he gives them his heavenly truths contained in his Word; and gives them withall an heavenly mind to discerne, beleeve, and receive them. And thus while a Christian holds his religion by an heavenly hand, & both are given him by an heavenly Teacher: a Christians tenure of religion is far more noble, excellent, and assured than that of the Pagan. A Christian thus taught from above, beleeves and worships what he knowes, whereas the Pagan worships what hee knowes not; even that which be hath received only by the way of Nature, from naturall, deceived, and deceiving men: But the Christian hath a spirit from God in Christ Iesus (for if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is not Christs) and this Spirit gives him a spiritual eye, which an Heathen hath not; and yet this eye alone, can truly and kindly discerne and see spirituall and heavenly truths. And for this spirituall eye, which the Christian hath from the Spirit of God, the Heathens and Mahometans may say among themselves of a Christian, as once an Heathen King said to his Heathen Subjects of Joseph: Can wee find such a man as this? a man in whom is the Spirit of God.
And that such Christians may abound, is the end of this work, which for ought I know, hath not beene overwrought, nor thereby made superfluous and unseasonable for the present age.Socin. I wish that fetching heavenly knowledge from carnall reason and humane wit, have not made it too seasonable. Yet to turn men back the more willingly from this counter-course, I have brought forth patternes of some, who have taught and professed a deniall of their own wits and reasons, though acute and excellent; and have (as it were) quenched their owne naturall lamps, that they might get them kindled above by the Father of lights. Yea, thus did sundry of them, even in those times, when humane wit and reason had made too great a mixture with the mysteries of Divinitie. Yet then did God preserve the soveraigntie of his owne light in eminence and glorie, by the homage of these mens confessions, and submissions to that light. And if such high thoughts and imaginations (that commonly doe most exalt themselves against the knowledge taught of God) doe thus submit unto it, the lower should not be high when the higher are low.
The Contents of the Chapters.
CHAP. I. THe great use and benefit of the lower Academies.
CHAP. II. The necessitie, and eminence of the Heavenly Academie. And first, in point of knowledge.
CHAP. III. A second benefit of the Heavenly Academie: The attaining of heavenly things after they are knowne.
CHAP. IV. A third benefit of the Heavenly Academie: Knowing by tasting.
CHAP. V. A fourth benefit of the Heavenly Academie: Teaching to teach.
CHAP. VI. Wayes and meanes of admittance into the Heavenly Academie, and taking degrees in it.
CHAP. VII. A second step: Deniall of mans wit and wisdome.
CHAP. VIII. A third step: Conformitie to God.
CHAP. IX. A fourth step: Conversing with God, and diligent comming to his Schoole.
CHAP. X. An applicatorie and cautionarie Conclusion.