Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 156
§ 156.
OB. Ob. That the ſtricteſt livers, are ſeldome the wiſeſt men anſwered.But the objection, which as they thinke cannot be anſwered, like the invincible Nauy in 88. is this. We ſee by experience, that the ſtricteſt livers are ſeldome the wiſeſt men; yea, who more vicious, then many that know moſt?
Anſw: I am not ignorant, that ſome Fooles have made other Fooles beleeve, that none trouble themſelves about Religion, but the ſimpleſt; yea, the moſt holy and religious, in all ages, have beene accounted Fooles and mad men, Eliſha was counted no better, by that man of the Sword, 2 King. 9.11. in Hoſea's time, the Prophet was eſteemed a foole, and the ſpirituall man mad, Hoſea, 9.7. yea, our Saviour Chriſt, with open mouth, was proclaimed mad, by his carnall hearers Iohn, 10.20. Mar. 3.21. and Paul the like, by Feſtus, Acts, 26.24. yea, all the Apoſtles were reputed Fooles, 1 Cor. 4.10. and this hath beene the worlds vote ever ſince; the ſincere Chriſtian was ſo reputed in Pliny's time, and after in St. Auſtins time, yea, Iulian the Pelagian could gibe St. Austin, that he had none of the wiſe Sages, nor the learned Senate of Philoſophers on his ſide, but onelyonly a company of meane trades-men and handycrafts-men, of the vulgar ſort, that toke part with him; whoſe anſwer was, thou reproacheſt the weake things of the world, which God hath choſen, to confound the things which are mighty.
And is it otherwiſe now? Is not the honeſt, devout, orthodox Chriſtian, the plain dealing and religious man, hee that declares his meaning by his words, that cannot, or will not lye, and deſemble, ſhift, and flatter, temporiſe, and accommodate, buy promotion, ſupplant, growe rich, take bribes; he that will rather ſuffer then do evill, ordinarily eſteemed an idior, or ſilly aſſe? yes, by all that are craftily wicked, as you may heare out of their owne mouths, Wiſd. 5.3. to 9.
To worldly men Chriſtian wiſdome ſeemes folly, ſaith S. Gregory; and well it may, for even the wiſdome of God is fooliſhneſſe with the world, 1 Cor. 1.18.23.
But ſhall we therfore take it for grant, Worldly men count wiſdome folly, and ſolly wiſdome.that they are wiſeſt, becauſe they ſuppoſe and ſay they are? no, for firſt, as he muſt have a ſweet breath, that can judge who hath a ſweet breath: ſo to judge who is a wiſe man, is onelyonly the office of a wiſe man.
Secondly, the Lawes of our Land, wil not admit a delinquent for a witneſſe, after he is found guilty; neither will I: and they ſtand convicted of folly, Sections the 34.38.39.40.51.91.157.184.190. But if they will put themſelves upon a faire tryall, they ſhall have an equall proceeding; or if they will heare the caſe argued, if reaſon give not ſentence on the good mans ſide, let mee ſuffer as a ſlanderer.
Indeed, wiſdome hath alwayes carried that ſhew of excellency, that not only the good have highly affected it, as Salomon, who prayed for wiſdome; and Moſes, who ſtudied for wiſdome; and the Queene of Sheba, who travelled for wiſdome: but the very wicked have laboured for it, who are aſhamed of other vertues: ſo that wiſdome is not only juſtified of her children, but alſo of the children of folly.
Knowledge is ſo faire a virgine, that every cleare eye is in love with her; it is a pearle, deſpiſed of none, but Swine: O the pleaſure that rationall men take in it! they that care not for one dramme of goodneſſe, would yet have a full ſcale of knowledge; though they never mind to do good, yet there is no good which they would not know; among all the trees of the garden, none ſo pleaſeth them, as the tree of knowledge. As wiſdome is excellent above all, ſo it is affected of all: as oyle was both of the wiſe and fooliſh Virgins; it hath beene a mark, which every man hath ſhot at, ever ſince Eve ſought to be as wiſe as her Maker. But as an hundred ſhootes, for one that hits the marke, ſome ſhort, ſome over, and ſome aſide: ſo an hundred ayme at wiſdome, for one that lights upon it, Eccleſiaſtes 7.28. Yea, as many thinke themſelves good fellowes, for one that is a good-fellow indeed; ſo many thinke themſelves wiſemen, for one that is wiſe indeed.
Of all ſorts of men in the world, none repute themſelves, or are reputed by others wiſer, then the profound humaniſt, and cunning politician; and the yet neither of theſe, may compare with the godly man for wiſdome and knowledge.