The Wonderful Workmanship of the World, Discourse · Chapter 2
¶ The ſeconde Chapiter. Whether Naturall Philoſophie bee meete for a Chriſtian?
S.
IS there any profite in Naturall Philoſophie?
M.
Yea, manifolde. But that I may not run ouer them all, for thei are almoſte infinite I wil alledge fiue onelyonly. The firſt is, that thereby wee knowe God, not onelyonly to bee the Creator of all thinges, but alſo to bee euerlaſting, omnipotent, and mercifull, &c. The ſeconde, that by it wee learne the thynges that are created, with their operations and natures. The third, for that therein wee ſee ourſelues and perceiue what wee are, of what thynges and partes wee conſiſt, and eche part of ours, that is to ſaie, what maner of thing our Soule is, and what likewiſe is the ſtate and condition of our bodie: which all men do confeſſe to bee the beſt, profitablieſt, & moſte excellēt knowledge of all other. The iiii. that wonderyng at in our myndes, and beholdyng with our eyes theſe woorkes of God, ſo greate, ſo many, ſo wonderfull, beyng thervnto holpē by none other meanes than by this Arte, wee are with greate zeale and affection ſtirred vp to ſet foorth the won̄derfull praiſes of God and to giuegive him thankes. Whiche thing happened alſo vntounto Galene, yea, although he were a prophane Philoſopher, that after hee had deſcribed the Nature of one of Gods woorkes, that is to ſaie, of Man, and the partes of his bodie, hee was enforced, yea, almoſte againſt his will, to ſyng an Himne to God. Heerehence it commeth that ſuche multitude of hymnes, ſo many Epodes and ſonges of praiſe, ſo many Pſalmes are written and celebrated. The v. that wee vnderſtandyng theſe thinges, maie eaſily and plainly expounde, and freely enter into many places of holie Scripture, whiche vntounto ſuche as bee ignorante of theſe matters, are not onelyonly obſcure, but alſo cannot poſſibly bee attained vntounto, or by any meanes vnderſtoode. Wherefore S. Auguſtine writeth, that Naturall Philoſophie is verie profitable and neceſſarie for a chriſten diuine. What ſhall I ſpeake of the ſingulare pleaſure whiche this knowledge bringeth vntounto ye minde, & of the great cōmodities whiche it miniſtreth vntounto the life of man?
S.
How doe you prooue theſe thinges to bee true?
M.
Specially out of theſe places of holie ſcripture. The whole 104 Pſalme. The 136. and 145. Pſalme, & 10. verſe. The 147. and 148. Pſalmes. Iob the 12. chapiter and verſe 8. 9. 10. and the 36. Chapiter, and 24. 25. 26. verſes. The 14. Chapiter of the Actes, and 17. verſe. The firſt Chapiter to the Romanes, and 20. verſe. Unto theſe moreouer maie bee added the 7. Chapiter of the booke of Wiſedome, and 9. verſe, with the nexte followyng: and likewiſe the 13. Chapiter and 1. verſe, and the nexte followyng. Likewiſe the holie Fathers S. Baſill, S. Chriſoſtome, & S. Ambroſe in their Exameron, or woorke of ſixe daies doc teache the ſame thyng: And moreouer the holie and abſolutely learned father S. Auguſtine in his booke of chriſtian doctrine, and in the viii. booke of Gene. vponupon the letter, the viii. chapiter.
S.
But there be certain obiections made, declaryng that the knowledge of Naturall Philoſophie is not onelyonly vnprofitable, but alſo vnwoorthie for a chriſtian, yea, that it is hurtfull, and dangerous for hym.
M.
Yea truely. And although many men hauehave gathered ſundrie, yet all of thē maie bee referred ſpecially vntounto twoo kindes of argumentes, whiche are alledged againſte the knowledge of theſe thynges: whereof the firſte is framed ab auctoritate, from auctoritie. The ſecond, a ratione & turpi, from reaſon and vnſeemelineſſe, or from a moſte hurtfull conſequent.
S.
Declare them.
M.
Firſt, thei gather ſundrie ſentences, partly out of the Scriptures, and partly out of the Eccleſiaſticall Fathers, out of whiche afterwarde thei frame their reaſons, and make their concluſions.
S.
Whiche bee thei?
M.
Out of holie ſcripture this is ſpecially alledged, which is written in the Booke of Eccleſiaſtes, or of the Preacher, the 1. Chapiter, and 15. verſe in theſe woordes: I ſet my harte to ſeeke and to finde out with wiſedome, whatſoeuer thyng is doone vnderunder heauen. This euill exerciſe hath GOD giuen to the Sonnes of men, to occupie them ſelues therein Unto whiche thei ioyne that ſaiyng of S. Paule the 1. to the Corinthians, the 1. Chapiter, and 20. verſe: God hath made fooliſhe the wiſedome of this worlde: with other ſuche places like vntounto theſe: whiche maie eaſely bee anſwered.
S.
How I praie you?
M.
Forſoothe, that that in the Booke of the Preacher is not ſpoken abſolutely, but onelyonly in compariſon of the true woorſhippyng of God. Neither doeth Salomon cō demne or diſprooue the true knowledge of the nature of thinges, whiche GOD gaue vntounto hym as a greate benefite of all other moſte ſurpaſſyng (for then ſhould hee hauehave bin of all men the moſte vnthankfulleſt man to God) and in reſpecte whereof, hee was then greatly eſteemed of by the Queene of Saba, and other Princes neere vntounto hym. Howbeeit this knowledge of Naturall Philoſophie, if it bee compared with true Godlineſſe, if with faithe, if with the true feare of GOD, if with inwarde regeneration of the mynde, if with the knowledge of euerlaſtyng life and ſaluation, ſurely in compariſon of theſe thynges, it is but a light buſiyng of the minde, vnfruitfull, rather weariyng vsus, then relieuyng or comfortyng our conſciences. For it bryngeth not the true felicitie, as faithe to Godwardes doeth, although a manne conſume his whole life in it, and as it were, tyre his minde aboute it. And as touchyng the place of S. Paule, I ſee not how it oppugneth the knowledge of Naturall Philoſophie, ſeeyng S. Paule condemneth the wiſedome of the worlde, not the wiſedome concernyng the worlde, and thynges created. But that is called the wiſedome of the world, whiche is wholy ruled by the counſell and iudgement of the ſinfull and blinde fleſhe, and therevpon repoſeth it ſelf: not that whiche diſcreetly and as farre as neede requireth, diſcourſeth of the cauſes of thinges.
S.
But what alledge thei out of the writynges of the fathers, to driue vsus from this kinde of …die of Naturall Philoſophie?
M.
It were an infinite thyng to goe about to report their ſaiynges, but I will onelyonly recite a fewe.
S.
Rehearſe them, I praie you.
M.
Lactantius in his third booke and viii. chapiter, writeth thus: What felicitie ſhall I atteine vntounto, if I knowe where Nilus riſeth, or whatſoeuer the naturall Philoſophers do doate concernyng heauen? yea, moreouer there is no certein knowledge of thoſe thinges, but onelyonly opinion, whiche alſo is variable accordyng to the varietie of mennes wittes. S. Auguſtine alſo is cōmended, who in his fourth Booke de Trinitate, of the Trinitie, in the Preface writeth thus: That minde is more to be commended which knoweth it owne infirmitie, rather than that, whiche not perceiuyng the ſame, ſearcheth after the motions of the Planets, and the walles of the worlde, the foundations of the earth, and the top of the heauens. And that I maie not touche eueryevery thyng, in his Booke de ſpiritu & anima, of the ſpirite and the ſoule, the 56. chapiter, hee plainly alſo ſetteth doune the ſame.
S.
Can you anſwere theſe aucthorities?
M.
Yea.
S.
How I praie you?
M.
That theſe thynges are alſo ſpoken by the fathers in compariſō, as it appeereth out of the ſame place of S. Auguſtine, whom you erewhile cōmended. For the Fathers reproued the diſordered ſtudies of men, whiche wee ſee alſo now a daies to reſte in many, and that in Chriſtians: who contēnyng the doctrine of ſaluation and neglecting the ſtudie of the veritie of the Goſpell, whiche is ſet for the in a ſimple ſtile, conuert themſelues wholy vntounto theſe ſwellyng and puffed Artes of Naturall Philoſophie, addietyng them ſelues vntounto them, and openly preferryng the ambicious name of a naturall Philoſopher, before Chriſtiā godlineſſe, and Diuinitie. Wherfore, the Fathers, to the intent to reuoke men from this ſo greate an errour, hauehave vttered muche matter againſte Naturall Philoſophers, and their Art, and their opinions, and that truely, as hauehave S. Baſill, & S. Chriſoſtome in their Exameron, or woork of ſixe daies. Howbeeit thei doe not condemne the true knowledge of thoſe thinges, whiche certain amongſt them were verie ſkilfull in, and moſte perfect.
S.
Whiche is the other argument, whiche you ſaid was taken, a conſequenti, of the conſequente, and alledged againſt naturall Philoſophie?
M.
That truely which S. Baſile reciteth to be alledged by ſlouthfull and idle perſones, therby to colour their filthie ignorance.
S.
What is that?
M.
That the wounderfull miracle of the creation of the worlde, is debaſed and made vile, wherein notwithſtanding the greate power, maieſtie, and wiſedome of God appeareth & is laid before our eyes to bee woorſhipped: if wee bee able to ſette it doune in any arte or Methode, and if it maie bee ſaied that ſo greate a miſterie maie bee comprehended. For what other thyng were that (ſaie thei) than to feigne our ſelues not onelyonly to bee able to comprehend the woorkes of God, whiche doubtleſſe are ſupernaturall and Diuine, but alſo to make vsus iudges, & as it were Cenſores thereof. And finally to make God, as it were, a Grammarian, ſubiect vntounto certein lawes of Nature, and Arte.
S.
What anſwere you vntounto that?
M.
Truly euen that which in the ſame place, S. Baſile the beſt learned amongſt the Greek writers, anſwereth.
S.
What ſaieth hee?
M.
That thereby, this miracle of God, which appeareth in the Creation of the worlde, is more manifeſtly aduaunced, and by vsus more religiouſly adored, by howe muche the more it is diſtinctly declared, wherby is ſet forthe the greater commoditie and force thereof. And to the end yt you maie vnderſtand this to bee true by another example, Gods decree concernyng our ſaluation, is it not commoly tearmed in the Scriptures, Gods ſecrete and miſterie? And verely it is ſo, wherein the Maieſtie and Wiſedome of GOD is propoſed vntounto vsus, no leſſe than in the creatiō of the worlde: and yet notwithſtandyng Faithe or the Goſpell, ſetteth it forthe to our view ſo plainly, ſo orderly, and diſtinctly, that nothyng can bee more: Notwithſtandyng the worſhippyng of God is nothyng thereby diminiſhed in that wee comprehende it by Art, and by a Theologicall Methode, but rather by ſo muche the more better and ardently wee praiſe GOD, by how much the more commodiouſly and diſtinctly wee atteine to the vnderſtandyng of theſe things. And to bee ſhort, faith it ſelf through which God will bee worſhipped, is not a certein ignorance or a confuſed imagination concernyng God, but a cleare and reſ…te vnderſtanding of the minde, whiche directly anſwereth vntounto ſuche queſtions as are demaunded touching God, and his infinite merciemercy towardes mankinde. Vnknowen things are vndeſired, as the old Prouerbe ſaieth. Wherefore, whenas the Hiſtorie of the creatiō of the worlde is ſet forth by art, when the vertues whiche God hath giuen vntounto thinges are declared Gods: Miracle is not diminiſhed, but augmēted. Neither do wee ſet doune theſe things, as though wee did profeſſe that we would alledge any other cauſes of theſe naturall thynges, beſides the will and wiſedome of GOD onelyonly: Or that through them wee can acknowledge or conteine ſo much in our minde as is the power of God in creating, and his goodnes in preſeruing them. Or els as though wee went about to ſhewe, that our great and good God, the cheife gouernour of all thinges, were ſubiect to any of our lawes or decres: but onelyonly profitably to buſie our ſelues in ſetting forth of Gods woorkes ſo farre as wee may bee holpen by art, and as it were, through a glaſſe which looketh into thys ſchoole of the nature of thinges, to keepe ſuch as are leſſe heedefull, in the noble contemplation of them.