An Apology for Laymens Writing in Divinity, Addition
AN ADDITION TO THE APOLOGIE.
ANd now having spoken sufficiently in Iustification of Lay mens wtiting in Divinitye It will not be unsit, to say something in celebration of their study for enabling them to write: that it may appeare they come unto it, if not in Sauls Armour, yet at least with Davids weapons; with a Sling and with stones, sufficient for overthrowing of any Goliah: and then if it can bee proved that Lay men may attaine to as much perfection in Knowledg, as Clergy men may; It cannot be doubted, but they may as well be allowed to communicate their knowledge to others by writing, as clergy men are. And if in this I shall seeke to Parallell them, and make them go Passabus …quis; as fast a pace as they, there is none can iustly take exception seeing there is none can challenge any Prerogative; and Comparisons are never odious where the Endeavours only and not the Merits; or the Merits onelyonly and not the Persons; or the Persons only, and not the callings are compared. And we may bee allowed to say; that if a Clergy man bee Pedibus celer, & Pernicibus alis; a Lay man is not behinde him in the like Instruments of speed; and therefore may make equall progresse in Learning, in equall time; and thus farre there will appeare no Inequality betweene them.
It is the saying of a Heathen man; & though of a Heathen man, yet a true saying. Di… omnia Laboribus vendunt, which wee may Christianly translate: God s…lls all duplicate page duplicate page things to men for labour: meaning that he loo…es for no other mony from us for his wares, but onelyonly our labour. If then it can bee proved, that Lay men lay out as much of this mony with God, as Clergy men doe; how can it bee doubted, but that lay men may have as much of Gods wares as Clergy men have? For when David saith, Blessed is the man that meditates in the Law of God, day and night; doe wee thinke, he meanes it not as well of Lay men, as of Clergy men? and as well that they are Blessed in it, as Blessed for it?
And what are then the Incitamenta Laborum? the Initements to labor? for with whom the greatest Incitements are, form them we may expect t…e greatest Labour. One great Incitement to Labour, is Spes Lucri; Hope of Gaine; as it is said: … cri causa Currit Mercator ad Indos; the Merchant for his profit will runne from one End of the world to another, Another great Incitement to Labour, is Reputation: as It is said; Honos alit Artes: Omnesque Incenduntur ad studia, Gloria; Honour is the Fomenter of Arts: and glory an Incentive to Studie: and these indeed, are eminent in Clergy men; in Lay men Little or None at all; but then, the Lay man hath another In citement more forcible then Both these: and that is; The Love of Learning and the Delight he takes in studie; for where this love is; all lab…rs seeme easie; all time seemes short; as was seene in David; who, though nothing be more deare then Life; and nothing maintaines Life but Food; yet his Love to meditating in the Law of God; made him forget oftentimes to eat his bread. This Love is that which onelyonly makes the good stomacke; where the digestion is as good, as the Appetite is great; and each of them makes way to the continuance of the other: which in the Clergy man commonly is not so: For the End of his study, being set upon profit and preferment; that profit and Preferment once gotten, the study abates: where the Lay man that studies for love never slacks his Inte…ion: but the more it is enjoyed, the more it increaseth. Yet I speak not this, as though Clergy men may not study out of love too; but because Lay men have no other Incentive of their study, but their love: and then is love most forcible, when & is sincere; it is not mingled with any By respects…
The end of a thing is alwayes more Intentively aymed at, then the Medium to that Ende; and seeing Clergye men for the most part, make profit and preferment the End of their studies; Learning but the Medium: what marveile if they seldome attaine to more then a mediocrity of Knowledge: so much as may serve to make then capable of Pre…erment: and then give over studying; as thinking that further Learning would bee but superfluous: that all this while they may bee rather said to have studied the Politicks then Divinity; but the Lay man, having no end in his study, but his study; and seeking not Learning for Preferment; but accounting the Learning it selfe to bee his Preferment; he never thinkes he hath enough, though he have never so much: and It may bee said of him in a good sense, which is said of a Coveious man in a bad: Quo plus btbuntur, plus sitiuntur aquae: the more he drinkes, the more he thirsts & desires to drinke; the more learning hee attaines, the more hee labours to attaine more; and Now, which of these Two, is the likelier man to attaine to that height of Learning: of whom It may be said: Iamque arce Potitus, Ridet anhelam, tes duri ad saftigia montis? Besides the Clergie man hath many actions, Incident to his calling, which call him away from actions of Study: many Imploymēts which are as rubs in his course of Learning; where the Lay man is free to bee Totus in Libris: wholly at his Booke; and hath nothing to doe but Hoc agere: having both his mind and time at liberty: and Now, which of these Two, is the likelier man, to make the greater progresse in the course of Learning? Againe the Cleargy man oftentimes enters upon the study of Divinity, ut Fors o…cerit illi: rather by Ca…al…y and chance, then by his owne choice, as perhaps more Inclined to some other study; where the Lay man being free and at liberty, enters into it, by the only propension of his liking, and as his naturall Inclination Leades him: and Now, which of these Two, is the likelier man to attaine the greater Perfection in Divinity; Hee that enters into the study, if not against his will; at least Inuita Minerva: or Hee that enters into it, by the onelyonly Inclination of his Genius? And of this, if wee desire Examples, we need not goe farre to seeke them, having had Two men in our time (to speake of no more) the One of our owne Country; the other of a neighbour-Nation. I meane Sir Francis Bacon Lord of Verulam; and Isaack Casaubone: Both, Lay men; and Both so excellent in all kindes of learning; that if they would have shewed themselves in the Orbe of divinity, as they did in lower Spheares; they might have shined as starres of the First Magnitude, among… … the Greatest of the Clergie. And though wee may reade of many Clergie men, that have beene excellent schollers, and admirable Divines; yet if wee could looke into the course of their lives; wee should finde, that the greatest part of their Learning, they got being Lay men, as indeed the Lay mans life is sittest for study: the Cleargy mans for Practise.
And because the mind is more Intentive, where the object is more Attractive; It will not be amisse to say something here, of the Excellency and preheminence of Divinity, that it may appeare, how much more of the Adamant there is in it then in any other kind of Learning; & therefore no marvaile if mens minds be drawne unto it, with a kind of violence; at least with more then an ordinary Inclination: It is true all other kinds of Learning have their severall pleasures; & their proper wayes of delighting the minde: naturall Philosophy Delighteth with the curiosity and search of causes: Mathematicks Delight, with the subtilty and certainty of conclusions: Poetry Delighteth with the Rapture and Liberty of Invention; Rhetoricke Delighteth with the sweetnesse of stile, and flowers of expressing; and so of the rest: but all these Arts, though they be pleasing for a time; yet they leave in the minde a kinde of guiltinesse… that the time spent in them, might better have beene spent; as the famous Poet Virgil, after his excellent Elaborate workes in Poetry, yet at last, as in a kind of Remorse, be queathed them to the Fire, and would have had them burnt. And it is written of Saint Hierome, that hee was haled in his sleep to a tribunall; & there cruelly beaten for affecting Rhetorick so much: and spending so much time in Cicero: And as for Philosophie; St. Paul affords it no better a title, then to call it vaine Philosophie: and thus; all human learnings have their Remorses: only divinity though it perswade to Repentance yet it never Repents: but is the only studie, that Redeemes the time, and Iustifies her Children: And though shee scorne not those other Arts; Yet she holds but little fellowship with then: as being her selfe Queen: & They but Hand-maids. Againe where all other studies have both their use, and delight ended in this life and all their Characters blotted out by Death, yet the studie of Divinity leaves in the minde a kind of Impression, that (as some thinke) will never be obliterate, as being a beginning of that Knowledge of God in his word, which shall hereafter be perfected in in his vision: at least, It makes us in this life to Foresee the Next; and in some measure to Partake of the Next: but in a full measure, Prepares us for the Next. In all other studies, It is enough, if wee observe, Philosophandum, sed Paucis; a certaine proportion is sufficient: but in the study of Divinity, there is no staying at Paucis; No stinting of proceeding: For to make a stop, is to take a Fall; where the further we goe, the fayrer way we shall find; & the greater mysteries will be revealed. Indeed Divinity, is in great part, if not a Reparation, yet an Exaltation of the knowledge which our first Parents lost, by eating the Forbidden Fruit: and where by eating that Fruit, they were then excluded from Conversing with God in Person; wee by the fruit of Divinity are admitted now to Converse with him in Spirit; and though by it' wee come not to know so much of the Creatures as Adam did; yet certainely we come to know more of the Creatour then Adam did; For by it, we come to know the Incarnation of the Son of God; a Mistery which the Angells desired to know, and knowing admire: wee come to know the Nature of God, which transcends all Metaphysicks: we come to know the Power, of God which transcends all Fictions of poetry: we come to know the wisdome of God, which transcends all Politicks; we come to know the creation of the World: which transcends all Philosophy: that wee may truly say; all the Tomes of all other Arts, are but Atomes compared to this of Divinity. Divinity teacheth us Humility and Charity: Two vertues, which Morall Philosophy never knew; It teacheth us Obedience to the Law of God: and submission to his Will: Two sacrifices, which Heathen Religion never understood. Divinity teacheth us, that the way to bee Rich, is to bee Godly; that the way to bee Honourable, is to bee Humble; that the way to Happinesse, is Adversity; that the way to salvation is Repentance; that the way to life, is Mortification. Divinity makes us certaine of the Immortality of the Soule; a Secret to which Humane Learning never approached but with doubting; makes us certaine of the Resurrection of the Body a Secret to which human Learning never approached so neer as doubting Divinity makes us foresee; that, which we cannot see; makes us know that which wee cannot Comprehend: makes us Beleeve that which we cannot imagin. Many are the troubles of the righteous in which Estate there is no kind of learning that gives any comfort to the mind but only Divinity: for this teacheth us the true Interpretation of Afflictions; that they are oftentimes as well Favours of God, as Punishments; which no other learning teacheth; because none acknowledgeth. This world is a Maze of Perplexities & Doubts: in which, there is no other learning that can affoord an Ariadnes Thread to guide us, but onelyonly Divinity; for this discovers to us all the snares that are laid by the world to entrap vsus; all the subtilties that are used by Satan to deceave us; which no other learning discovers; because none acknowledgeth. By reason of sinne, there is growne an Enmity betweene God and us: in which miserable Estate, there is no kinde of Learning can set the minde at Peace; but onelyonly Divinity: for this assureth us, the promised seed of the woman to bruise the Serpents head, the only meanes for Reconciling us to God; which no other learning can assure; because none acknowledgeth: that we may truly say, all other learnings are but Crepundia, Toyes to please Children; & indeed they please us no longer, then while we are Children in Knowledge: as Saint Paul saith; when I was a Childe, I spake as a Childe: I thought as a Childe, I did as a Childe; but when I came to bee a man, I put away all Childishnesse: but how to come to bee a man in knowledge; and how to put away the Childishnes of ignorance; there is no other learning but Divinity that informeth it, because there is no other kinde of learning, that acknowledgeth it.
The Jewes among many their Fables of God, have this for one; that every day he spends certaine houres in studying the Talmud; which is their body of Divinity; a blasphemous Fiction, but yet a Fiction, that addes as much to the honour of Divinity; as it Derogates from the honour of Gods Deity. He that studies Divinity, is continually meditating in the Law of God; & he that doth so, is Pronounced blessed, by the Prophet David, but hee never pronounceth them Blessed that study the Mathematicks, or the Politicks, or Philosophie: no Alas: for these are the Learnings, of which Salomon saith: Hee that encreaseth Knowledge encreaseth sorrow; but then hee meanes not the Knowledge in Divinity; for the more this Knowledge encreaseth, the more it fills the mind with the true objects of Ioy; with which, all sorrow is Incompatible; but onelyonly that sorrow for which wee have not, never shall have cause to bee sorry. If Knowledge were not a thing to be Desired; the Cherubins that are Angells of Illumination should not have so high an Order, in the Hierarchie of Angels as they have. But then it must be a knowledge that tends to his Glory, who is the Fountain of Knowledge; which no learning teacheth but only Divinity. What availes it to know a world of secrets, if wee know not the secret of the world, to what end it was made; thereby to Glorifie him that made it? which no learning teacheth but onelyonly Divinity. What would it availe us to know the Nature of all creatures, that wee could give them Names expressing their Natures as Adam did; if we should not know the Creatour and his name …ehova; revealed first to Abraham; which no learning teacheth but onelyonly Divinity. There is but Vnum Necessarium, as Christ saith: but one thing Necessary; and this one Necessary thing no learning teacheth, but onelyonly Divinity: and if Divinity onelyonly teach the one thing that is necessary, then all other learnings teach that which is superfluous; what marvaile then, if as Saint Peter said to Christ of himselfe and others: Behold, we have Left all to follow thee; so many Excellent men in antient times, have left all other Learnings to study Divinity; as Origen and Saint Austin did; who left their Schooles of Rhetoricke, to bee Schollers in Divinity, as Saint Cyprian did, who left his study in Astrologie and Curious Arts, to bee a student in Divinity; as many Emperours and great Princes have done; who after many glorious atchievements in the World, have left at last, I may say, their studying the Politicks; and betaken themselves to a private Life, to study Divinity; for this onelyonly teacheth us both to know God and our selves; this onelyonly instructeth us both to Live well, and Die well; this onelyonly informeth us, how to make use of the Present time, in providing for the time to come … without which, all studie is but idlenesse; all Learning is but Ignorance: and therefore O my Soule; Let other Arts have their portions with Ismael; but Let the study of Divinity bee thine Isaak and Inherit thee: Let other Learnings have some place in thy Memory; but Divinity onelyonly in thy Assection; Let other studies be thy foreign thy Vacation; but onelyonly Divinity thy foreign thy Negotiation; for (to use no worse comparison) Hee that leaves Divinity to follow any other study: leaves the cleare Water of the Fountaine, to drinke of muddy streames.
FINIS.