The Modern Statesman, Chapter 15 – Chapter 16
CHAP. XV.
An anſwer to ſome objections against learning, in a book entituled, The Saints Guide.
ANd the ſame Author goes on, Nor is any nation without ſome turbulent ſpirits of its own, the diſhonour of the gown, and pulpit, the ſhame, and ſometimes ruin of their Countrey; one of which hath late ſtarted this queſtion, Whether or not all that much magnifyed natural reaſon (which we think dignifieth us above, and diſtinguiſheth us from Brutes) and all that humane learning (which we conceive exalts and rectifyeth reaſon) be the fruit of the forbidden tree, and is a ſpurious and adventious faculty, which man wanted in his innocency, and was inſtilled into him by Satan in the fall?
A quaery Satan himſelf might bluſh to put, and yet the Book ſtuffed with this and the like doctrine, is cloathed with the ſpecious title of the Saints Guide; the Wolf adorns himſelf with the Lambs ſkinne, the Fiend transforms himſelf into an Angel of light: it is not amiſſe to mark the phraſe he reproaches learning in, then how he coucheth his doctrine, laſtly his Divinity in theſe words, which man wanted in his innocency. Indeed the old Serpent told Eve that the fruit of the forbidden tree would encreaſe their Knowledge, but except him, and this Diſciple of his, I never found any affirming that man wanted any thing in his Innocency: but ſuppoſe this diabolical doctrine true, if man wanted Learning before, he much more wāts it ſince the fall; the Author of ſuch ſtuff may well cry out againſt reaſon and Learning.
But to the queſtion, That Reaſon was depraved and darkned by the fall, we allow, and that by the help of learning it is in ſome meaſure reſtored, we affirm, and ſo conſequently that there had been no need of acquired learning had man ſtood, no more would there of repentance: but doth it follow therefore, that now vve are fallen, vve ſhould not labour for repentance? Let this fellow go and try whether he can perſwade a man that is fallen into a pit not to endeavour to get out, becauſe getting out is a fruit, and effect of his falling in. Truly ſuch arguing is inſtilled by Satan, and ſuch Sophistry is a baſtardly faculty which ingenuity, much more innocency, is ſo far from wanting, that it abhors and deteſts it. The Fellow ſeems to be a Scholer, I ſhall aſk him therefore one queſtion. Is not reaſon the ſpecifical difference of a man from a Beast? and was man diſtinguiſhed from a Beaſt by the fall, or the Creation? Did the Devil or God make him a rational creature? Behold then the horrid blaſphemy couched in this query, which would inſinuate the rational ſoul to be the product of the Devil; if this be not a doctrine of Devils I know not what is.
Then for his Parentheſis, (which we think dignifieth us above, and diſtinguiſheth us from Brutes) if Reaſon doth not, what doth? ſhape cannot, for ſo one Beaſt differs from another: neither is it Grace, for then all but Beasts muſt have Grace: And for his other (which we conceive exalts, and rectifies reaſon) hath not learning exalted and rectified his reaſon ſo far as to enable him from ſuch and ſuch Premiſſes to draw ſuch a and ſuch a Concluſion, to frame his Syllogiſms, to write and utter theſe words, poſitions, conſectaries, quaeries, reſponſions, cognition, which his illiterate auditors and readers underſtand no more, than they do him and his drifts? what but learning hath ſet his underſtanding above theirs, and enabled him to talk at a rate his ignorant followers onelyonly can admire? Behold then you miſled wretches what a Guide you have got, who when all his Sophiſtry, and abuſe of his own reaſon and learning, all his Logick and Syllogiſms are unable to overthrow reaſon and learning, goes about by his queries to undermine them; who, when all his impudency dares not affirm, and all his ability cannot prove, endeavors by way off doubt to inſtill his poiſon, upon hopes that you will ſwallow & take ſor granted whatever drops from him: what is it you admire in this Fellow, is it his railing againſt learning in others? doth he not make uſe of it himſelf? he diſputes Syllogiſtically, he is frequent in diviſion, abounds in ſubtill and ſophiſtical distinctions, talks hard words, rattles out Latine, nay there is not one Arrow in his quiver but is feathered with feathers plucked from learnings wing, nor is he able to ſpeak or write, or you to read or underſtand one ſyllable, word or ſentence againſt Learning, but by its aſſiſtance. Could you have read, could you have wrote, could you have underſtood one word had you not been taught? why theſe are degrees of learning; awake and behold the cheat, which would make you enemies even to that image of God which is imprinted on you, level you with Brutes nay make you ſuch: you ſee it is reaſon that diſtinguiſheth a man from a Beaſt, it is learning that improves reaſon, be not afraid of being rational; this Caytiff would deprive you of your humanity, that he might the eaſier deſtroy your Chriſtianity; rob you of your reaſon, to bob you of your religion: For if he be not a very Jeſuite, yet is he the likeſt one that ever I met with; if the tree may be judged by the fruits, his acts will a loud proclaim him a notorious juggler: and firſt behold how he cheats you in ſtating the question, for it is not whether by the help of humane learning a man may attain a ſaving knowledge to himſelf, whether he can ſave his own soul; but whether he may not attain to ſuch a knowledge as may enable him to hold out the way of Salvation unto others: and that a man may do this, not only too too frequent examples do make out, but the Apoſtle himſelf tells us in the 1 Cor. 9. 27. But I keep under my body, and keep it in ſubjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached unto others, I my ſelf ſhould be a cast away; a man may preach to others, and yet be himſelf a caſt away: for this wretch dares not affirm that the Apoſtle inſpired by the Spirit of God would ſuppoſe an impoſſibility: and the example of Iudas clearly ſhewes that a man may have an outward call to teach, and yet be a reprobate; was not he one of the twelve that was ſent to preach the Kingdome of God, and to heal the ſick? Luk. 9. 1, 2. alſo the Apoſtle in the 2 Tim. 3. 5. ſpeaks of ſome, having a form of Godlineſs, creeping into houſes, leading captive ſilly women laden with infirmities: Theſe Hypocrites by the help of learning and parts could pray as devoutly, talk as holily, wreſt the Scriptures as dexterouſly, cogging the dy, making the word ſpeak what they liſt, craftily applying it, having all the arts and methodes of conſenage, even as he himſelf; yet were they not taught of God; it is cleer therfore that learning and parts perſe ex propria natura can underſtand and ſo apprehend the myſtery of the Goſpel, as to hold it out ſo to others, that the hearers cannot diſcern by the teaching an Hypocrite from a true Believer, notwithſtanding all his Poſitions. You may behold alſo how finely the holy text is wreſted by him to no purpoſe in his following Arguments, for unleſs he prove that a man by the help of learning cannot attain to ſuch a Knowledge as to be able to make an outward profeſſion, he proves nothing.
And that this Sophiſtry is malicious, not ignorant, his anſwering two objections will fully clear.
Object. 1. That though humane learning be an enemy to the law of God while it is in an unſanctified heart, yet when the heart is truly turned to God, then it becomes a ſanctifyed instrument, and a good hundmaid to Theology.
Solution. To this he anſwers, That though the heart be truly ſanctified, in which humane learning doth inhere as in its ſubject, yet doth it not follow that learning it ſelf is, no more than ſin can be ſaid to be ſanctified, though the heart of a ſinful man may be truly ſaid to be ſanctifyed: for acquired learning of it ſelf, and of its own nature, is nothing elſe but ſin, and therefore remains ſo ſtill, and cannot be truly nor properly ſaid to be ſanctifyed, no more than ſin. But if by being ſanctified, they mean that the providential wiſdome of God doth order it, or make uſe of it for the good of his people, I oppoſe it not, ſo that it be underſtood, that that good flowes not ſrom the nature of acquired knowledge it ſelf, but from the wiſdome and goodneſs of the Spirit of God, who maketh all things work together for the benefit of thoſe that love him, who are called according to his purpoſe, and ſo no more can properly in this reſpect be predicated of it than of ſin it ſelf, which in that caſe (though not as an entity, for non entia ad modum entium concipiuntur) is ſaid alſo to work for the good of Gods Saints.
Firſt to this we ſay, that the habit of ſin is deſtroyed, there is a mortification of ſin, as well as a vivification of grace, as Rom. 6. 2. How ſhall we that are dead to ſin, live any longer therein? and Epheſ. 2. 1. You hath he quickned who were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins. Now the habit of learning is not in the leaſt diminiſhed, much leſs deſtroyed.
Secondly, That the whole man with all his endowments is ſanctified, as 1 Theſ. 5. 23, 24. And the very God of peace ſanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole ſpirit, and ſoul, and body, be preſerved blameleſs unto the comming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Faithful is he that calleth you, who alſo will do it. Now then, either learning muſt be ſanctified, or ſomething remains unſanctified.
Thirdly, That acquired learning, of it ſelf, and of its own nature is not ſin, for ſin is a tranſgreſſion of the Law, 1 Iohn 3. 4. verſe, For ſin is the tranſgreſſion of the Law, foreign. Now what Law forbiddeth learning? where is it written Thou ſhalt not be learned? and ſure were learning either in it ſelf ſin, or left unſanctified in a ſanctified heart, we ſhould not find the …ſtle Paul giving thanks for it in 1 Cor. 14. 18. I thank my God I ſpeak with tongues more than you all: and the holy Ghost deſcribing Apollos leaves him upon record to be an eloquent man foreign, the word uſually is taken for a learned man; and ſee what followes, He helped them much which believed, for he mightily convinced the Iewes, foreign, which the learned Beza in his Annotations renders, Magna cum contentione, and he gives the reaſon of it, Vti volui hac perphraſi ut Graeci vocabuli emphaſin ſervarem, quo ſignificatur eloquentem hunc hominem omnes (quod aiunt) nervos revincendis Iudaeis contendiſſe, I have uſed this periphraſis, that I might preſerve the emphaſis of the Greek word, by …ich is ſignified that this eloquent man employed the utmoſt of his abilities to convince the Jews. Behold then what Divinity your Doctor teaches, who is not onelyonly content to bely learning, but ſanctification, making the holy Spirit work by halves; and as he plaies the Knave here, ſo in the latter part he plaies the Fool, fighting with his own ſhadow, and keeping a coil about nothing, for the very objection, as he himſelf hath put it, aſſerts the good to flow from the ſanctification of learning, not from its own nature, it makes it a handmaid, and ſo does he; untill he comes to his Concluſion, which how true it is, as it ſufficiently appears by what is ſaid, yet will be more manifeſt if we conſider learning in it ſelf to be indifferent either good or evil, according as it is uſed or abuſed, now is ſin ſo? Suppoſe a man ſhall make the glory of God his onelyonly end in his attaining learning, that thereby he may be better enabled to read, converſe, diſpute, and ſpeak concerning the mysteries of Salvation (for could he have written or ſpoken as he doth without it, unleſs by help of a miracle?) will he affirm this learning to be ſin? is the Phyſical act ſinful, or doth the moral circumſtance cloath it with good or evil? Something more then may be predicated of learning than of ſinne, which cannot be conceived in any other notion than of ſin.
Object. 2. Again, if it be objected, that though learning be not effectual to the understanding of the myſtery of the Goſpel, yet it is prealent to the compleating of the literal and hiſtorical knowledge thereof: Take this here, that theſe objections are of his own cloathing, the terms are his own.
Solution. To this he anſwers. Though it may conduce to the gaining of literal, and historicall knowledge, yet this is not ad idem, becauſe it profiteth nothing; For truth it ſelf bears record, It is the Spirit that quickneth, the fleſh profitteth nothing; and men are made able Miniſters of the New Testament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit; For the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. So that all literal and historical knowledge gained by mans power, is but like the principle from whence it ſlowed, fleſhly, earthly, deadly, and deſtructive.
To this we ſay, that what he ſaith here againſt learning, may as well be ſaid againſt reading, teaching, and hearing, there muſt be fit and outward Organs, there muſt be eyes, a tongue, and eares, and theſe muſt have a body to ſubſiſt; is all reading, hearing, and teaching therefore like the principle from whence they flow, fleſhly, earthly, deadly, and destructive? Behold then whether theſe Scriptures are wreſted or no? do you think they are to be underſtood to condemn all outward means, or onelyonly to ſhew that outward means without the inward aſſistance and operation of the Spirit cooperating with them were unable to beget ſaving grace in a ſoul? do you conceive the Spirit of God in them diſallowes all reading, teaching, hearing, or only forbid to put ſuch a confidence in them as to eſteem them able in themſelves to confer eternal life upon us? Beſides, i that place in the Corinths, the letter ſignifies the Law, of which Moſes was a Miniſter, the Spirit the Goſpell, which Chriſt brought and delivered to his Apoſtles and Ministers; for look but into the chapter and you ſhall ſee the ſcope of the Apoſtle is to advance the Miniſtery of the Goſpel above the Miniſtery of the Law: was not this rightly applied then againſt learning? can you imagine he himſelf can th…k them to mean what he puts upon them? but I leave him, and ſo I hope will you; yet I could wiſh ſome able pen would take him task, and … the Impoſtor.
CHAP. XVI.
The abuſe of Learning no argument againſt the uſe of it.
But as this fellow cries down, ſo are there others which too much cry up learning, who will entail the …ift of teaching upon it, and allow none to teach but an Vniverſity Graduate; which is no other than put bounds to God, to limit the holy Spirit, hither and no farther ſhalt thou go; but becauſe theſe men idolize it, muſt we execrate and abhor it? becauſe the Perſians adored the Sun, muſt we Christians refuſe the comfort of its light and heat? in thus doing we run as far out of the way on the one hand, as they do on the other.
Let them conſider how many under the light of the Goſpel furniſh'd with the helps of humane learning are ſtrangely unacquainted with the knowledg of Chriſt crucified; a plain experienced Chriſtian (notwithſtanding their Auxiliary forces) only by the help of a Bible, will put a whole Army to flight; Surgunt indocti et rapiunt coelum, when they in the mean time do but, as he ſpeaks, ornare Diabolum; they become learned ſpoiles, Sapienter deſcendunt in infernum, they go cunningly to Hell. And then on the other ſide let not us be ſo ſilly and malicious as to put the fault in learning, whereas there is no greater vicinity than between truth and goodneſs; heaven is full of knowledge, as it is of holineſs; and it is brimfull of both: if ſome will not make a right uſe, or will abuſe their learning, muſt learning ſuffer? can there be a more groſs abuſe than, as, Iſocrates ſpeaks, foreign, to lay the blame on the thing, not the man? ſome men with weapons commit murders and outrages, ſhall not others therefore have any for their own neceſſary and juſt defence? ſome make themſelves drunk, may not others therefore drink to maintain life, and to comfort and chear the heart? Noah was drunk with wine, ſhall not Timothy therefore drink a little for his stomachs ſake, and his often infirmities? 1 Tim. 5. 23. a ſubtil Jeſuiticall Knave wreſts Scripture, may not a Miniſter of the Goſpel therefore quote it? The firſt abuſes his learning to pervert, and deſtroy, ſhall not the ſecond make uſe of his to inſtruct, and edifie? Upon this account all things might be condemned, even profeſſion it ſelf, and all religious duties, which have been by ſome abuſed, and prophaned.