King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 36
CAP. XXXVI.
The correction of thinges, the experience of wiſedome knowledge and high learning.
ABiather the Priest (beeing willed by the Princes of King Solomon to proceede and to produce any other argument which he had hearde to be obiected againſt the words of the precher) ſtoode foorth againe and ſaide.Cap. 1. Verſ. 15. Then let it not be grieuous vntounto you (my Lords) that I produce here before you, thoſe other things which I hauehave heard. It is obiected, that the King denieth that any thing which is faultie or amiſſe, can be corrected or amēded? The crooked cānot (ſaith he) be made ſtraight, & yt which faileth cānot be brought into proportion. To what end then are all inſtructions, leſſons,zadok anſwereth. what faults may be amended, & what may not. artes, ſciences, doctrins, admonitions, labours; counſails, laws? The King hath ſo ſaid indeede (ſaid Zadok) But yet he entendeth it not of any particular faults or treſpaſſes, or of any the thinges which are by nature cureable. But of that one generall maladie of mankinde and mans affaires beeing buſied and vexed within the kingdome of vanitie: for the errors, ſlidings, imperfections, faultes, offences and defects of man cannot bee amended:The end of circumciſion. worthily therefore was circumciſion commanded not only to the fathers but to the ſons alſo: & yet yt cutteth not off the cōcupiſcence of mans nature, but ſheweth that it ſhold be cut off & ſuppreſſed by * him which hath no concupiſcēce at all.That is Meſſiah. Obiection. Againe theſe imperfections be ſo many, as that they can neither be numbred nor proportioned in number, much les may they be recured by any witte or power of man, who of himſelfe is not able to make the leaſt haire of his head. And whereas another obiection may riſe on the former: yt ſeeing thoſe faults cannot be corrected, it ſeemeth a vain thing for a magiſtrate to endeuor to amēd any thing yt is amiſſe: I ſay that this concluſiō is indirect: Anſwere. The office of a prince & magiſtrate.for it is one thing to endeuour to amned priuate faults & things curable: and it is another thing to aſſay to correct thoſe generall griefes which are by nature vncureable.Ca. 1. verſ. 17. J gave mine heart (ſaid he) to know wiſdome and knowledge, madnes and fooliſhnes: I knew alſo that this is a vexation of the ſpirite. Note this.It is doubtleſſe a thing praiſe worthye in a Prince by his wiſedome to endeuour to correct and amend thinges that are amiſſe in his common wealth: But it is a meere follie in a Prince, to think that by his proper wiſdome and induſtrie he ſhall amend all thinges that are faulty. Princes are bound to do their beſt endeuour, but they may not imagine ſomuch as that they can performe all things. This cure is proper to the Omnipotent God to effect, and it is not committed to the power of any man. Therefore that which man is able to performe in this let him doe it in the feare of God, and that he cannot effect and compaſſe, let him commit to the will and power of God, to whome all thinges are poſſible.Abiather obiecteth. But yet (ſaid Abiather) it is ſaid, that the king condemneth the experience of that wiſdome and knowledge, whereby a man (eſpecially a Magiſtrate) ſhould diſcerne between truth and error good and euill, without the which a magiſtrate ſhall neuer bee able to iudge or doe well in his place, according to Iethroes rule for foreign,Exo. 18.21.22. ſignifieth ſcience, knowledge, cogitation, notice and experience of the thinges both good and euill.zadok anſwereth that Solomon condemneth not the wiſdome of a Magiſtrate. Indeede (ſaid Zadok) Solomon asked for wiſdome and ſcience and the Lord gaue it him. But if Solomon had ſtaid himſelfe, and hauehave vſed this notable gift (as hee did ſome times when hee plaſed God) he had done well but exceeding his lymits he both ouercharged & confoūded that wiſdom in himſelfe, he ſought out not iudgem̄et & mercy but things prophane common & polluted, (as I hauehave ſaide before) yea things onelyonly delightſome and pleaſant to the ſenſe of the fleſh,Gen. 3. and this he did not onelyonly know, but proue indeede as Adam and Heua did the taſte of the forbiddē tree.It is good to know both good and euill It is a good thing to knowe both the good and the euill and to diſcerne betweene th' one and thother: but to follow the euill, and to leaue the good, it is an euill thing. Adam knew both: but he choſe the euill and left the good: ſo did Cain: ſo did King Solomon to his paine and diſhonour. Well therefore might he call this a vaine thing in himſelfe and a vexation of his ſpirit and yet not condemne that diuine vertue. * But the King (ſaid Abiather) is ſuppoſed to diſlike and condemne high learning, and much knowledge:Abiather obiecteth. Verſe 18. from the which he terrifieth and diſſwadeth men, ſaying that in much wiſdome is much anger, and that he which multiplieth knowledge, multiplyeth ſorrowes. But if ye conclude ſo of the words (ſaid Zadok) I will deny your conſequence: for here I finde a fallacie of equiuocation: for the King in truth doth not condemne the beſt and higheſt learning nor that knowledge, for in this place he ſpake either of the earthly and fleſhly knowledge and wiſdome: or of the diuine and natural wiſdome of a man in reſpect of the thinges obiected to the ſame. As for the former which is taught men by the old ſubtle Serpent, the King well knoweth, that it is very vanitie, for this wiſdome reſpecteth not the thinges that bee pure, peaceable and diuine: but the luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eye, and the pride of this life, being terrene, ſenſuall,zadoke his anſwere. Gen. 3. and diabolicall, of this kind are all the luſtes, guiles, ſubtleties, policies, deceits and craftie conueiances of men, whereby one man circumuenteth and beguileth another in this life. But where this promiſeth moſt pleaſure and contentation, it ſooneſt caſteth a man into paine and miſeries.The wiſedom of the Serpent doth not direct men to paradiſe. The King therefore perceiue, yea, he proued it too true in himſelfe, that therein offending God, and abuſing nature, he gained nothing beſides affliction of his Spirits: for he could neuer thereby attaine that perfect ende of mans life, nay rather hee wandred and departed from the ſame further and further eueryevery day, for it cannot bee, that the wiſdome of the Serpent may conduct them to Paradize, who by the ſame are thence expelled: but rather to the gate of perdition in the way of wickedneſſe.Gen. 3.24. The wiſe man feareth man dangers, when others ſleepe in quiet beddes: hee ſeeth himſelfe to want manie thinges, at the leaſt hee luſteth after all thinges the which he thinketh he can purchaſe and get into his handes and poſſeſſions by his owne power, policie or deuice: howbeit he is preuented and cannot obtaine the greateſt part of his gredie deſire, ſo he is neuer ſatiſfied, his minde remaineth diſcontent, and himſelfe is tormented with an hell of troubles, euen then,The divine & naturall wiſedome is neceſſarie. when he thinketh himſelfe in the higheſt grade of this wiſedome. But let it be, that the king ſpake of that other wiſdome either deuine or natural. Yet, as neither of theſe can be obtained without ſtudy and paine of body and minde: ſo being had, it cauſeth a man to deſcrie, behold and conſider that, ſometimes, which occaſioneth him to be troubled, and to lament. He that hath it not is as that man, which cloſing his eyes, or being a ſléepe, ſeeth not either that which is like to hurt his bodie, or offend his minde: and ſo may vnhappilie be annoyed before he knoweth thereof, howbeit the whiles, he reſteth himſelfe ſecure: But he that hath wiſdome, is as the man which hath his eyes open, or is wakefull, and thereby both ſeeth and endeuoreth to eſchew the danger. In the meane time, he is indéede ſore troubled & vexed with feare. And of this kind are they which behold the greate vanities of men, and the more wiſdome a man hath, the more he beholdeth it, conſidereth of it, wayeth it, and is much vexed therewith in his heart not that his wiſdome is evill, but that by that his wiſdome, he ſeeth and diſcerneth, and is greiued with thoſe things that be evill in this miſerable and vaine world. Therefore, well he ſaid the more wiſdome, the more greife. In all thoſe thinges I hauehave not founde that the King hath ſinned with his lippes. Therefore his wordes thus farre foorth may not in any iuſt cenſure be diſliked nor in reaſon reiected. Then ſaid the Princes:The Princes aſſent to zadoke, they approue the kings words yee hauehave thus wel anſwered thoſe obiections which Abiather hath produced (moſt reuerend father) Neither think we, that the K. in this his conſtitution, will exhibite vntounto vsus, or to any others before vsus, any wordes, but ſuch as be right graue, wiſe and ſauering of the truth of Gods ſpirit, the which (we perſwade) at this time poſſeſſeth his minde, whereby he is fully devoured with holy zeale. If yet Abiather hath any thing els to obiect, let him proceede, in the name of God, and we beſéech you (my Lorde Zadoke) to giuegive him an anſwere.