The Holy State, Book 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. 4. The Controversiall Divine.
HE is Truths Champion to defend her against all adversaries, Atheists, Hereticks, Schismaticks, and Erroneous persons whatsoever. His sufficiency appears in Opposing, Answering, Moderating, and Writing.
Maxime 1He engageth both his judgement, and affections in opposing of falsehood. Not like countrey Fencers, who play onelyonly to make sport, but like Duellers indeed, at it for life and limbe; chiefly if the question be of large prospect, and great concernings, he is zealous in the quarrell. Yet some, though their judgement weigh down on one side, the beam of their affections stands so even, they care not which part prevails.
2In opposing a truth, he dissembles himself her foe, to be her better friend. Wherefore he counts himself the greatest conquerour when Truth hath taken him captive. With Joseph having sufficiently sifted the matter in a disguise, he discovereth himself, *Gen. 45.4.I am Ioseph your brother, and then throws away his visard. Dishonest they, who though the debt be satisfied will never give up the bond, but continue wrangling, when the objection is answered.
3He abstains from all foul and railing language. What? make the Muses, yea the Graces scolds? Such purulent spittle argues exulcerated lungs. Why should there be so much railing about the body of Christ? when there was none about the body of Moses in the Act kept betwixt the devil and Michael the Archangel.
4He tyrannizeth not over a weak and undermatch'd Adversary; but seeks rather to cover his weaknesse if he be a modest man. When a Professour pressed an Answerer (a better Christian then a Clerk) with an hard argument, Reverende Professor (said he) ingenue confiteor me non posse respondere huic argumento. To whom the Professour, Recte respondes.
In answering he states the question, and expoundeth the terms thereof. 5Otherwise the disputants shall end, where they ought to have begun, in differences about words, and be Barbarians each to other, speaking in a Language neither understand. If the Question also be of Historicall cognizanse, he shews the pedigree thereof, who first brew'd it, who first broch'd it, and sends the wandring Errour with a pasport home to the place of its birth.
In taking away an objection he not onelyonly puts by the thrust, 6but breaks the weapon. Some rather escape then defeat an argument, and though by such an evasion they may shut the mouth of the Opponent, yet may they open the difficulty wider in the hearts of the hearers. But our Answerer either fairly resolves the doubt; or else shews the falsenesse of the argument, by beggering the Opponent to maintain such a fruitfull generation of absurdities, as his argument hath begotten; or lastly returns and retorts it back upon him again. The first way unties the knot; the second cuts it asunder; the third whips the Opponent with the knot himself tyed. Sure 'tis more honour to be a clear Answerer, then a cunning Opposer, because the latter takes advantage of mans ignorance, which is ten times more then his knowledge.
What his answers want in suddennesse they have in solidity. 7Indeed the speedy answer addes lustre to the disputation, and honour to the disputant; yet he makes good payment, who though he cannot presently throw the money out of his pocket, yet will pay it, if but going home to unlock his chest. Some that are not for speedy may be for sounder performance. When Melanchthon at the disputation of Ratisbon was pressed with a shrewd argument by Ecchius, I will answer thee, said he, to morrow. Nay, said Ecchius, do it now or it's nothing worth. Yea, said Melanchthon, I seek the Truth, and not mine own Credit, and therefore it will be as good if I answer thee to *Melchior Adam. in vitis Germ. Theolog. p. 339.morrow by Gods assistance.
8In moderating he sides with the Answerer, if the Answerer sides with the truth. But if he be conceited, & opinioned of his own sufficiency, he lets him swound before he gives him any hot water. If a Paradox-monger, loving to hold strange yea dangerous Opinions, he counts it charity to suffer such a one to be beaten without mercy, that he may be weaned from his wilfulnesse. For the main, he is so a staff to the Answerer, that he makes him stand on his own legs.
9In writing, his Latine is pure, so farre as the subject will allow. For those who are to climbe the Alpes are not to expect a smooth and even way. True it is that Schoolmen, perceiving that fallacy had too much covert under the nap of flourishing Language, used thredbare Latine on purpose, and cared not to trespasse on Grammar, and tread down the fences thereof to avoid the circuit of words, and to go the nearest way to expresse their conceits. But our Divine though he useth barbarous School-terms, which like standers are fixt to the controversie, yet in his moveable Latine, passages, and digressions his style is pure and elegant.
10He affects clearnesse and plainnesse in all his writings. Some mens heads are like the world before God said unto it, Fiat lux. These dark-lanterns may shine to themselves, and understand their own conceits, but no body else can have light from them. Thus Matthias Farinator Professour at Vienna, assisted with some other learned men, as the Times then went, was thirty years making a book of applying Plato's, Aristotle's, and Galen's rules in Philosophy, to Christ and his Prophets, and 'tis call'd *Mercator Atlas in the descrip. of Austria.Lumen animae; quo tamen nihil est caliginosius, labore magno, sed ridiculo, & inani. But this obscurity is worst when affected, when they do as Persius, of whom *Scalig. de Arte poet. lib. 6. c. 6.one saith, Legi voluit quae scripsit, intelligi noluit quae legerentur. Some affect this darknesse, that they may be accounted profound, whereas one is not bound to believe that all the water is deep that is muddy.
He is not curious in searching matters of no moment. 11Captain Martin *Cambdens Elisab. anno. 1576.Forbisher fetcht from the farthest northern Countries a ships lading of minerall stones (as he thought) which afterwards were cast out to mend the high wayes. Thus are they served, and misse their hopes, who long seeking to extract hidden mysteries out of nice questions, leave them off, as uselesse at last. Antoninus Pius, for his desire to search to the least differences, was called Cumini sector, the Carver of cumine seed. One need not be so accurate: for as soon shall one scowr the spots out of the moon, as all ignorance out of man. When Eunomius the Heretick vaunted that he knew God and his divinity, S. *Epist. 168. quae est ad Eunomiun.Basil gravells him in 21 questions about the body of an ant or pismire: so dark is mans understanding. I wonder therefore at the boldnesse of some, who as if they were Lord Mashalls of the Angels place them in ranks and files. Let us not believe them here, but rather go to heaven to confute them.
He neither multiplies needlesse, nor compounds necessary Controversies. 12Sure they light on a labour in vain, who seek to make a bridge of reconciliation over the foreign betwixt Papists and Protestants; for though we go 99 steps, they (I mean their Church) will not come one to give us a meeting. And as for the offers of Clara's and private men (besides that they seem to be more of the nature of baits then gifts) they may make large profers, without any Commission to treat, and so the Romish Church not bound to pay their promises. In *Giraldus Camb. in descr. of Wales.Merionethshire in Wales there are high mountains, whose hanging tops come so close together that shepherds on the tops of severall hills may audibly talk together, yet will it be a dayes journey for their bodies to meet, so vast is the hallownesse of the vallies betwixt them. Thus upon sound search shall we find a grand distance and remotenesse betwixt Popish and Protestant tenents to reconcile them, which at the first view may seem near, and tending to an accomodation.
13He is resolute and stable in fundamentall points of Religion. These are his fixed poles, and axletree about which he moves, whilest they stand unmoveable. Some sail so long on the Sea of controversies, toss'd up and down, to and fro, Pro and Con, that the very ground to them seems to move, and their judgements grow scepticall and unstable in the most settled points of Divinity. When he cometh to Preach, especially if to a plain Auditory, with the Paracelsians he extracts an oyl out of the driest and hardest bodies, and knowing that knotty timber is unfit to build with, he edifies people with easie and profitable matter.