The Heavenly Academy, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
A third benefit of the Heavenly Academie; knowing by tasting.
THere is yet another eminent, and transcedent learning given us by our heavenly Teacher in his highest schoole, and that is, a mysterious and secret, yet an assured, evident, and exceeding delectable knowledge, arising from experience and taste. By the first teaching, we rightly saw the things of God presented to us by God. By the second wee were taught to receive and possesse them. By the third, after we have tasted those heavenly things whereof we were possessed, from this taste there ariseth a new, but a true, lively, and experimentall knowledge of the things so tasted. And indeed this is a knowledgeaSicut mellis natura non adeò verbo persuaderi iis, qui minimè sunt experti, quantum in ipso gustu cognosci potest; sic nec coelestis verbi suavitas clarè praeceptis, aut doctrinis tradi poterit. Non enim nisi veritatis dogmata, penitus probantes propria experientia, Domini bonitatem deprehendere possumus. Basil. in Psalm. 33. Accipe quod sentitur, antequam discitur; nec per moras temporum longa agnitione colligitur, sed compendio gratiae maturantis hauritur. Cyprian. Epist. 1. Non potest aliter affectio cognosci, quàm experimentaliter, ab eo qui pet eam afficitur; quam experimentalem affectionis cognitionem, non potest eam habens, in alterum verbis quibuslibet infundere, nisi similiter affectus sit alter ille, Quoniam solus novit (prout in Apocalypsi scribitur) qui accipit. Propterea vocatur Manna absconditum. Exemplis est perspicuum, in illo qui novit dulcedinem mellis solùm per doctrinam, sicut Medicus sanus infirmitatis dolorem. Haec autem dulcedo à gustante, hic dolor ab aegrotante, aliter & longè plenius cognoscuntur. Gerson. de medit. cordis, cap. 4. Primitias Spiritus habentes, quid sit hoc absconditum Manna ignorare non possunt, quia hoc gustando, potiùs quàm legendo vel audiendo, didicerunt. Thom. Camp. Ep. 1. which no art, eloquence, or expression of man can teach us. For even in naturall fruits there are certain rellishes, and, as I may call them, Idaea's and characters of tastes, which nothing but the taste it selfe can truly represent and shew unto us. The West-Indian Piney cannot be so expressed in words, even by him that hath tasted it, that he can deliver over the true shape and character of that taste to another that hath not tasted it. And yet have we other fruits, that by some kindred may seeme to counterfeit some lineaments of that taste. But no earthly things can in any degree give us the true taste of the heavenly; but the heavenly are left to bee knowne by their owne taste. The Scripture therefore useth earthly things, that by them wee may ascend above them; and that not finding in earthly things what the heavenly things are, wee may ascend up to the heavenly things themselves, by tasting truly to know them. In one place we are told, That Christs love is pleasanter than wine; and in another, That the Lawes of God are pleasanter than honey: Here by the pleasantnesse of wine wee doe not learne the true shape of the pleasure of Christs love: for this is another kind of pleasure, than the pleasantnesse of wine: Neither in the sweetnesse of honey doe wee truly see the sweetnesse of Gods Law; for it is a different kind of sweetnes which the soule tasteth in the Law, and the body tasteth in honey. Yea, the verie Manna it selfe which was visible, doth not give the true taste of the hidden & invisible Manna; but it is still hidden, except it bee knowne bybGustate, inquit, & videte. Profectò qui sacrosancta divinarum rerum disciplina initiantur, permagnificas ipsarum recognoscent gratias: & excellentissimam celsitudinem ac magnitudinem participatione speculantes, coelestia Divinitatis beneficia gratè laudabunt. Dionys. Areop. Hier. Eccles. cap. 3. Quare autem hoc nomen nemo scit nisi qui accipit? Videlicet, quia nominis hujus scientiam, non alienum extrinsecus documentum, sed proprium intrinsecus essicit experimentum. Inflati & tumidi sciant, ut sibi scire videntur, quantum volunt, sive quantum possunt, hujus tamen nominis scientiam consequi non possunt: Scriptū estenim; Haec cogitarunt, & erraverunt, excoecavit enim illos malitia illorum, & nescierunt sacramenta Dei. Nemo ergo scit dignitatem, sive ingenuitatem nominis hujus, quo nominamur, vel sumus filii Dei, quantumcunque sciat, sive buccis sonantibus perstrepat (ut ille Aristoteles, sive omnes Aristotelici) relationem patris ad filium, sive filii ad patrem, nisi quem spiritus adoptionis regenerando Filium Dei Patris effecerit, & ipsa regeneratione, scientem hujus rei, doctumque suo tactu perfecerit. Rupert. in Apoc. cap. z. tasting, as the new name is not knowne, but by him that hath it. Therfore the joy of the Holy Ghost is indeed unspeakable as well as glorious; because hee that hath it cannot so expresse it, that another who hath not felt it, may learn and know it. There is a taste in the grace and love of God, which no man can see but by tasting; and by tasting it may be seen. There is a peace of God, which passeth all understanding; which though the understanding of him that hath it doe not fully comprehend, yet it doth in some measure apprehend and know the sweetnesse of it by tasting it. But the true knowledge hereof cannot be deliveredcEa quae in contemplatione sancti viri intuentur & gustant, nec scribi possunt. Savanar. Prooem. Expos. 4. in orat. Dom. Nunquā aliquis intelliget verba Apostolorum & Prophetarum, quantumcunque illa refonet exterius, si non imbiberit affectum scribentium. N…que enim aliter conceptus corum verborum in animo generabit. Gerson. de Theol. Myst. Innumerae sunt assertiones talium concordissimè dicentium Theologiam mysticam per experientiam intimam colligi, eam quo que longè sublimiorem, & ultra quam dici valeat, jocundiorem, sapidiorem, & perspicaciorem existere supra caeteras cogitationes ab extrinse co venientes. Id. ib. over by the greatest Doctor on earth in picture and representation. Therefore the high and heavenly Teacher (by the Psalmist) first calls on us to taste, and after to see, even to get that sight and knowledge which is gotten onelyonly by tasting. By tasting the things themselves, God teacheth us to know what the things are; and the more wee know them, the more we shall love them; and the more wee love them, the more we shall taste them; and the more wee taste them, the more wee shall know them. And thus shal we run on in andEttradit prius mensuratam claritatem, posteà illis sicut gustantibus lumen, & magis desiderantibus magis seipsum immittit, & abundanter superfulget, quoniam dilexerunt multum; & semper extendit ipsas ad anteriora. Dionys. Areop. de Divin. Nom. Lect. 4. Sic quaedam circultio attenditur, dum ex lumine crescit luminis desiderium, & ex desiderio aucto crescit lumen. Circulatio autem, secundùm suā naturam, perpetua est; & sic semper divinum lumen extendit animas ad anteriora. Aquin. in locum Areop. endlesse circle of tasting, loving, and knowing, which growes still greater the more we round it.
Let it also be observed, that this knowledge thus taught of God, doth give such an assurance of understanding, concerning the things thus knowne, and doth so seale upon the soule the truth and excellencie of them, that all objections, trialls, and tentations, cannot blot out the stamp and character of this seale; but the soule will still answer, That against taste there is no dispute. And with the Apostles; wee cannot but testifie what we have seene, and knowne by tasting.
There is yet another knowledge taught by God in his heavenly schoole, which though it arise not from the verie taste of spirituall things, yet it ariseth from the soule, having soundly tasted of Gods Spirit, and being thorowly affected with it. When the soule is inwardly bedewed, and (as it were) written upon by the Spirit, there will arise from this writing, and the vertue of this heavenly dew, an unknowne kind of knowledge, which cannot be taught by man; yeaeAttende in spirituali matrimonio duo esse genera pariendi: & ex hoc etiam diversas soboles, sed non adversas; cum sanctae matres aut praedicando animas, aut meditando intelligentias pariant spirituales. In hoc ultimo genere interdum exceditur, & seceditur etiam a corporeis sensibus, ut sese non sentiat, qui verbum sentit. Bern. in Cant. Serm. 85. Affectus charitatis Deo indissolubiliter inhaerens, & de vultu ejus omnia judicia sua colligens, ut agat vel disponat exterius, sicut voluntas Dei bona, & beneplacens, & perfecta dictat ei interius, &c. Idem de Nat. & Dign. Amor. Divin. cap. 8. Quanquam illi ipsi sancti aliquando inter disputandum aliter locuti sunt, sicut video omnibus accidisse, ut alii sint dum verbis aut disputationibus intenti sunt, & alii dum affectibus & operibus. Illic dicunt aliter quam affecti fuerunt ante; hic, aliter afficiuntur quam dixerunt ante. Ex affectu verò potiùs quàm ex sermone metiendi sunt homines, tam pii quàm impii. Luther. de Serv. Arb. cap. 53. the man himselfe duplicate page duplicate page that knowes it, cannot teach it to himselfe before he knowes it; but rather knowes it first without himself, & then teacheth it to himselfe by this knowing it. The soule being steeped and affected by the Spirit, this affection doth eruct, deliver, and speake to the soul hidden truths, which before shee saw not, nor could see by the meere magisterie of man without, no not of her owne man within. Yea, this reaching of the affection is sometimes so pregnant and powerfull, that though the head being captivated by humane reason subject to errour, or by the prejudice of education, doe hold and maintaine an evill tenet, yet the heart shall even then, by the Spirit, endite a good matter, contrarie to that evill errour which the head maintaineth. And no wonder; for if by the first writing in the heart at thefEthnici non credendo credunt. Tertull. de Carne Christi, cap. 15. Magistra natura, anima discipula; quicquid aut illa edocuit, aut ista perdidicit, à Deo traditum est, Magistro scilicet ipsius Magistrae. Tertull. de Testim. Animae, cap. 5. Lucretius oblitus quid assereret, & quod dogma defenderet, hos versus posuit: Cedit item retrò de terra quod fuit ante In terram: sed quod missum est ex aetheris oris, Id rursus coeli fulgentia templa receptant. Quod ejus non erat dicere, qui perire animas cum corporibus disserebat. Sed victus est veritate, & imprudenti ratio vera surrepsit. Lact. Instit. lib. 7. cap. 12. creation (though now much blotted by the fall) yet there are still some parcells of an inward teaching, contrarie to that which the head or wit of man, misled by outward teaching, doth maintaine: Then much rather in the newwriting of Regeneration may be impressions of truths, which may breathe, break, and speak out when the soule is strongly heated, affected, and animated by the Spirit. And thus may arise up a new discoverie of truths not known before; yea, perchance contrarie to that which before was thought to bee knowne and accordingly beleeved. And these doctrines of the Spirit in our selves and others, should be carefully noted, and gathered into a treasurie, by all that receive the love of the truth. For even among those that erre, such truths being found, they are precious in themselves; and withall of undeniable authority against thegIn omni fere controversia ab his ego provoco ad hos; sed ut illa mulier à Caesare dormiente ad Caesarem experrectum—Illic veritatem oppugnare isti voluerunt: hîc, veritas voluit se ipsa defendere. Episc. Mort. Apol. part. 1. Lect Cathol. Cum in quibusdam improbant, quod in aliis approbant, in his accusantur, in illis contra se testimonium dicunt. Aug. contr. Episc. Parmen. lib. 3. cap. 4. errors of those, by whom they were uttered. And indeed it may bee, the truths which some inwardly know and beleeve, may be imputed to them, rather than the errours wch they outwardly received, and doe outwardly, and in a kind of externall ignorance maintaine. But howsoever, verie precious they are wheresoever they are found; and verie often oraculous Decisions and Resolutions; and may adde to the stock of knowledge in the lower schooles, who cannot give this knowledge, but may receive it from the higher. For indeed, not so much man doth teach this knowledge as God; who not onelyonly teacheth man without man, but sometimes more than without him, because against him.