Necessity of Human Learning for a Gospel Preacher, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of the Ʋſefulneſs of Geometry.
GEometry is of uſe to a Miniſter of the Goſpel upon a threefold account:
Firſt, For the explication of many places in the Old Teſtament, eſpecially thoſe which treat
I. Of Weights and Meaſures.
II. Of Edifices and Buildings, and of their Proportions and Dimenſions. As,
Of the Fabrick of Noah's Ark.
Of Moſes's Tabernacle.
Of Solomon's Temple.
Of Ezekiel's Temple, chap. 40. and City, chap. 48.
Of the New Jeruſalem, Revel. 21.
Of the Diviſion of the Land of Canaan among the Tribes, Pſal. 78.55. Joſh. 13.4.
And of ſeveral other particulars in Scripture, which are Geometrically deſcribed, or to which Dimenſions are attributed.
I ſhall inſtance in two or three places, wherein the Spirit ſpeaketh Geometrically, and cannot be underſtood without knowledge in the Mathematics:
1. Dr. Potter, 666.About plain and ſuperficial Meaſure in Ezek. 43.16. and moſt evidently in Ezek. 48.20. where he uſeth a circumlocution, that he might by a Geometrical phraſe, and a number multiplied by it ſelf, viz. 25000 by 25000, intimate the Square and plain meaſure of a piece of Ground.
2. About ſolid Meaſure, Rev. 21.16. where he ſaith, The City was meaſured 12000 furlongs; the length, breadth, and heighth of it are equal. So that it is ſet down as a ſolid Cubical Figure, containing three Dimenſions, and ſo onelyonly to be meaſured by ſolid Meaſure: and then the compaſs of Ezekiel's City (namely, 1800 great Cubits) will be the compaſs of this new Jeruſalem; for Brightman, Villalpandus, and others, make them both to be the ſame City.
Secondly, Geometry is an Help to the underſtanding of the Works of God, who hath ordered all things in number, meaſure, Wiſdom 11 17and weight. Pondere, menſura, numero, Deus omnia fecit.
Geometry is converſant about Order, and Meaſure, or Commenſuration; which two do ſo excel, as Plato ſaith, foreign. God doth alway play the Geometrician; that is, he doth all, and every thing exactly, in order, as by Line and Meaſure: Or, as Plutarch interprets it, God doth, Octavo S…mp…ſ. 2. Problem.ratione, proportione, ſimilitudine, omnes mundi partes exornare & dimetiri.
Etenim cum Deus (ſaith Pet. In his Epiſtle before his general Table of Geometry.Ramus) immenſitatis aeternae ſpacia definire ſtatueret, Geometria inprimis uſus eſt, quae longitudinem, latitudinem, profundorum ſpatia terminaret, omniumque ſymmetriam, rationem, proportionem, ſimilitudinem diſcerneret, quae aerem levitate ſublime tolleret, aquam, terramque pondere deprimeret; quae denique coelestes globos ita tornaret, ut ad converſion is motum nihil rotundius effingi, nihil aptius expoliri poſſet. Itaque Mundi Architectus ille ſummus in fabricando machinandoque Univerſitatis Opiſicio Geometriam inprimis adhibuit, neque Plato quidquam magnificentius locutus eſt, cum dixit, Deum foreign.
Thus Geometry conduceth much to the acknowledging and celebrating of the Wiſdom and Power of God in his Works.
Thirdly, Arithmetic and Geometry are of good uſe to the fore-named Arts or Sciences:
As, in Ethics, to underſtand what Virtue is, which is ſaid to conſiſt in Proportion: and what are the bounds or limits of Justice: that a Geometrical Proportion ſhould be kept in Diſtributive Juſtice, and Arithmetical Proportion in Commutative Juſtice.
—Alſo in Phyſics, Astronomy, and Geography.
Arithmetic and Geometry ſunt duae illae alae Mathematicae, quibus Astronomi & Geographi alta & profunda pervolant. Alſted. Furyclop. Didact. cap. 7, & 8. pag. 126. in 4.Of the Antiquity, Certainty, Jucundity, Utility of the Study of Geometry, ſee Alſted.
It is obſerved, the Patriarchs were Mathematicians.
There may be uſe of Mathematics in handling Points of Divinity. Bradwardine (the profound Doctor) made uſe of the Mathematics (wherein he excelled) of the Principles, Demonſtrations, and Corollaries or Concluſions thereof, Sir Henry S… vile's Prelace before Bradwardine's ….in handling Theological Points.
—ſilo Mathematico Theologica contexit.