Works, Preface · Part 4
IV. A Fourth means whereby he arrived at so great a measure of Knowledge was, His Freedom from Partiality, Prejudice and Prepossession, Pride, Passion and Self-love, Self-seeking, Flattery and covetous Ambition.
1. How free he was from all Partiality, there are many pregnant Proofs in his Writings. It is a common, yet a most true, observation, That with many men Maxima pars studiorum est studium partium; but with him it was otherwise. In some of his*See the last lines in his Epistles p. 86…. Epistles he complains that it was Partiality that undoes all, and that Studium partium together with Prejudice is an invincible mischief, while it leaves no place for admission of Truth that brings any disadvantage to the Side or party; that being the Rule which they examine all by. And therefore being sensible and aware of this evil, he professeth (in Ep. 96.) that he endeavour'd as much as possibly he could to subdue himself to such a Free temper of Mind as not to desire to find for this side rather than that, And his Endeavours herein being hearty and serious, they were consequently (through God's blessing) successful, insomuch that he judged himself highly obliged upon this account to return this grateful acknowledgment to Almighty God, (in Ep. 56.) I thank God (saith he) I never made any thing hitherto the caster of my resolution but Reason and Evidence, on what side soever the advantage or disadvantage fell. The singular availableness of such free and unbiassed affections in the pursuit of Knowledge he hath excellently express'd in that clear profession of his (in Ep. 96.) If I have hit upon any Truth, it is wholly to be attributed to my indifferency in such searches, to embrace whatsoever I should find, without any regard whether it were for the advantage of one side or other. This and the forementioned passages are excellent words, the genuine language of a Son of Wisdom, the lively picture and true character of his and every generous Soul, every way becoming a right Virtuoso and member of the Philalethean Academy. From this Freespiritedness (together with the ingenuous effects thereof) were the*Acts 17. 11. Bera'ans styled foreign a more noble sort of Christians. They that are short of this Excellency and Largeness of spirit, seldom attain*Phil. 1. 10. foreign to prove things that differ, or to approve things that are excellent, seldome rise to what is above mean and vulgar, slight and superficial, but are condemn'd to what is servile and Pedantick, and judge themselves unworthy of the noblest Truths, and withal are expos'd to the same Falshood and Mistakes that the Person or Party whom*Iude 16. they have in admiration because of advantage, or the Vulgus in any rank of men (being of the same illiberal and contracted spirit with themselves) are liable to: For it is a Maxime equally true and generous, Suum est cuique Ordini vulgus, & optima semper paucissimis placuere. To which I may fitly adjoyn that pertinent Observation of Seneca, *De rita beata.Non tam bene cum rebus humanis agitur, ut meliora pluribus placeant.
2. Nor was he less free from all Prejudice and Prepossession, with the attendants thereof, Pride, Passion and Self-love.
Men come to be prejudic'd against Truth, either by their disgust and disaffection to the person that represents it: an argument this is of their little Iudgement but great Passion: but from this he was secured by his Charity enlarged to all men, and by the cool and calm temper of his spirit; he could patiently endure the contradiction of others, and reply without passion; witness his sober and pacate Answer to Lawenus his hot*Pag. 550. Strictures.
Or else they are prejudic'd by their scornful disesteem of others: an effect this is of their high Self-conceit and surely Pride: and from this he was secured by his great Humility and Modesty, whereof there are many clear Proofs in his Writings. Accordingly when he had to do with Mr. Hayns about some Tenets of his in reference to several passages in Daniel and the Apocalyps, he plainly tells him,*…. p. 748. I profess to you, I contemn not your discourses, but do diligently and apud conscientiam meam weigh your arguments, howsoever it comes to pass I am not persuaded by them: and farther, so far he was from slighting what was done by those that were eager for the same Tenets, that he assures him*Ep. 8. p. 742. he had read the most that had or could be said for those Opinions either by the chief Patrons thereof or their followers, and so had used all that Diligence that was due in the search of Truth. And herein he was Exemplary to every ingenuous lover of Knowledge, and contrary to the proud and passionate man that is conceited and resolved upon his Opinion, (foreign) and is therefore impatient to hear or consider any thing that opposes it. But Humility affords a very considerable advantage for the clearer discerning what is True and Right, while it prepares men to receive any better information from others. This effect it had in Mr. Mede, and upon this score how heartily does he thank Lud. de Dieu for suggesting to him an easier explication of*Pag. 567, & 569. [foreign, Apocal. 4. 6.] and for acquainting him with his‖Pag. 567, & 569. notion about foreign Cherub signifying an Oxe, from the Chaldee foreign *Hence also foreign is Ager … a…s.Cherab, which is Aravit, whereby his observation upon the 4 Animalia in Apocal. 4. 7. was confirmed? And with the like affection he acknowledges Mr. Haydock's ‖See pag. 790. &c.ingenious conjecture about the form of the Seven-sealed Book, (Apocal. 5.) as also his being better informed about the Number of the Beast [666] by Mr. Potter's Discourse concerning it, with which Discovery he was so highly pleas'd, that (not without some foreign) he affirm'd it*Pag. 877. to be one of the happiest Tracts that had come into the world, and such as could not be read without much admiration. In short, He did not take himself to be Infallible, and therefore was not Unalterable, where the change was for the better, (and the change is ever such, where we part with a plausible Mistake or with a specious Probability for solid Truth and clear Demonstration) but he was always ready to hear another's Reason, and to yield himself a willing Captive to the Evidence of Truth. For to be overcome by Truth and Reason, makes the conquered a gainer, and puts him into a better state than he was in before; nor will he fail (if he know his own happiness) to make one in that joyous acclamation,‖1 Esde. 4. Great is Truth, and mighty above all things: She is the Strength, Power and Majesty of all ages. Blessed be the God of Truth.
Or else men come to be prejudic'd by an undue affection to their Idola specus, (as the L. Verulam calls them) their peculiar Conceits, some Notions and Speculations of their own, by which they either are or would be known; being fondly persuaded that things are so as they imagine them, or vehemently desirous that they should be so: and therefore it is no wonder if, being thus prepossess'd, they have lost their taste, and wrong'd their foreign, that they cannot readily discern between Good and Evil, but (as the Prophet Esay speaks) put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, and are easily brought to fansie that to be True and Right which they passionately will to be such, in order to some corrupt design and interest eagerly pursued by them, or to the gratifying of those several Lusts wherewith they are led away, (as the Apostle speaks) and are therefore unable to come to the knowledge of the Truth. And if they that are thus affected do sometimes for a pretence consult the Holy Scriptures, they come so fully possess'd that this or that Opinion and Practice of theirs is True and Right, or so strongly resolved to find it so, that even the Divine Oracles seem to them to return such an Answer as they promised themselves they should receive and most impetuously lusted after. And so it fares with them herein as in another case it did with the Romans, who having taken Veii, (a famous City in Hetruria) went into Iuno's Temple, and there with great ceremony and affectionateness asking Iuno, Velletne cum illis Romam ire? to some the Image seem'd annuere, to others etiam id ipsum affirmare. Upon which story in*l. 5. Livy there is this observation of Machiavel in his Discurs. de Repub.—Cum tanta veneratione interrogassent, visum est ipsis tale responsum audivisse quale se audituros prius pollicebantur, The application is obvious.
But against this other Instance of Pride expressing itself in an over-dear regard that such men have to their own Sentiments, and oftentimes for some self-ends and undue advantage to themselves, against this, I say, Mr. Mede was secured by that Universal Alexipharmacum, his truly-Christian Humility, as also by that Generosum honestum which dwelt and ruled in him, the noble Integrity of his spirit, that which the Scripture calls*Luke 8. the Good and Honest Heart, a Principle not less (yea more) necessary to the right discerning of Divine Truth than the Subtile Head: And from this Principle he thus expresseth himself in some of his Diatribae, That we should be more willing to take a Sense from Scripture than bring one to it. Agreeable to which is that Maxime of his, worthy to be written in letters of Gold, (it was mentioned once before, but cannot be too often inculcated) that Maxime which (he said) was deeply impress'd upon his own Soul, That rashly to be the Author of a false Interpretation of Scripture, is to take Gods name in vain in an high degree. How then shall they escape, and where shall they appear, who, being resolved to walk after their own lusts, pervert and distort the Scriptures (as of old the*foreign Ezek. 22. 26. Zeph. 3. 4. Prophets complain'd of some that did violence to the Law) and wrest them to their own destruction, which were designed by God to make men wise unto Salvation?
There are others that are prejudiced through a servile regard to those Idola fori, as the forenamed Lord styles Popular Opinions and Vulgar Perswasions, the Opinions of the Many, or of such a Party among the Many whose Persons first, and consequently their Perswasions, they have in admiration; (for generally these two go together, They that do foreign (in S. Iude's language,) go on also foreign, the respecting of Persons introducing also the respecting of Opinions:) And herein they shew themselves a kind of Servum pecus, receiving for Doctrines the Traditions or Customary Notions of such men without any serious consideration; (which yet is no other than a blind, implicit, stupid and irrational respect to persons and Opinions, as not being founded upon Knowledge and Iudgment:) But withall they do hereby oftentimes design to serve their own ends by this foreign, all this being done (as S. Iude observes) foreign for advantage sake. And against such Prejudices as these what could better secure the Author than his foreign, (to use S.*2 Ep. 3. Peter's expression) his clear and sincere Mind, his foreign *1 Kings 4.and foreign ‖Psal. 51., his Largeness of Heart, his Vast Understanding, his Free and Ingenuous Spirit, those Intellectual and Moral Endowments of his, whereof I have already given a brief account in the Second Head of Advertisements?
3. As free he was from all Self-seeking, Flattery and covetous Ambition, as from Partiality and Prejudice: each of which has a very inauspicious influence upon any growth in Knowledge and Understanding. Accordingly he does more than once observe in his Epistles, That Mundus ama… decipi magis quam doceri: and that by constant observation he had found, That no man loved, any Speculations but such as he thought would advance his profitable Ends, or advantage his Side and Faction. But for his own part, he thus opens his heart in one of his Epistles to a Friend, and plainly professeth, That he had not made the Bent of the Times the Rule of his Opinion. For, being free from any aspiring after Applause, Wealth and Honour, and from *Ier. 45.seeking Great things for himself, he was consequently secured from Flattery and Temporizing, the usual artifice of the‖1 Tim. 6. 9. foreign, those that will be rich, that are resolved to make it their chief design and business to be great and wealthy in the world, their heart is wholly upon it, they are dead to the World to come, and relish not the things above, and are alive only to this present world, being as eagerly intent and active about earthly things, as if their portion were to be only in this life.
But such was the excellency of his spirit, that he could not but abhor all Servile obsequiousness whatsoever; as accounting it a certain argument of a Poorness of spirit either to flatter, or to invite and receive Flatteries; and withal considering that if those of Power and high degree were men of inward worth and excellent spirits, they would shew themselves such in their valuing him not the less, but rather more, for his not applying himself to those ignoble arts and course policies proper to Parasites and ambitious men, who speak not their own words nor seem to think their own thoughts, but wholly enslave themselves to the thoughts and words, the lusts and humors of those by whom (for this pretended doing honour to them) they seek to be advantaged. Besides, he might well think that he should rather undervalue and lessen them, if he suppos'd they would regard him the more for those or the like Instances of an officious flattery: as if they were not able to discern that Frankness and Openness of Spirit and Conversation, Singleness of Heart and a Cordial readiness to serve others in love *1 Pet. 1. foreign.out of a pure heart, is truly Christian, Generous and Manly; and, on the contrary, that Flattery and Fawning is Dog-like, Base and Mercenary, and lasts not long: for though Parasites pretend to serve their Masters with great devotion, (a devotion so great, as if they thought themselves rather their Creatures than God's) yet in truth‖Rom. 16. foreign, they rather serve their own belly; and when their Masters cease to be in a capacity of serving them, these men also cease to regard them, and value them no more than an useless Tool, (or to use the Prophet's expression) a broken Vessel, wherein there is no pleasure.
Other particulars might be added, but these may suffice to shew how Free he was from that which is apt to tempt men to judge amiss: For it appears from the nature of the things themselves, that Partiality, Prejudice, Pride and Passion, Self-love, Love of the World, Flattery and Covetous Ambition do importunely sollicite men to make a false judgment, corrupt their Affections, wrong their Understandings, enfeeble their Faculties, unhappily dwarf their growth in useful Learning, and keep them back from such an excellent improvement in Knowledge, especially Divine Knowledge, as otherwise they might attain. And therefore had not Mr. Mede been free from the power of these Lusts, he could never have perform'd so well as he hath done in any of his Tracts or Discourses, especially upon the more abstruse and mysterious passages of H. Scripture. Those therefore that are not of such a free and enlarged spirit, but are fondly addicted either to themselves or Parties, and are enslaved to Honour, Wealth and particular narrow Interests, and are under the power of Pride & Passion, serving divers Lusts and Pleasures, they must needs be less excellent, less improved in their studies, less succesful in their Intellectual adventures than otherwise they might have been, had they been*Psal. 51. established with a Free spirit. Nor had some Authors of great reading and fame for Learning ever fallen into such mistakes, but their Writings had been freer from imperfections, and a greater respect they had secured to their Memories, had they been less Passionate, less Envious, Proud and Self-conceited, more Free and unbiassed, more Humble and Modest, as also more faithful to that excellent Rule of S. Paul, *Rom. 12. 3.foreign.
This is somewhat of that great deal more which might be observed of the Author's Largeness and Freedom of spirit; which yet in him was not accompanied with any unbecoming reflexions upon others, (as if he design'd to lessen the due esteem of what was laudable in their performances) much less with any irreverence and opposition to the established Articles of Religion, and prejudice to the Peace of the Church or State; but on the contrary was an innocent, ingenuous, peaceable Freedom of enquiring into such Theories only as do not at all clash with the Doctrine established, and was ever attended with a sweet Modesty, a singular Sedateness and Sobriety of spirit, and a due regard to Authority. And whosoever would read the Author with most profit and judgment, must read him also with a free, unpassionate and unprejudiced spirit: That Saying, Omnis Liber eo spiritu legi debet, quo scriptus est, is true as well of every useful Book as of the Divinely-inspired Books of Holy Scripture.
Thus much of the Fourth Help or Instrument of Knowledge. I shall mention but one particular more, but it is a very weighty and important one, of singular use and absolute necessity for the gaining the Best Knowledge; wherein I might be as large as in the foregoing, but because I would hasten to conclude the Preface, I shall dispatch it in fewer lines.