Of Peace and Contentment of Mind, Book 2 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of the Ornaments acquiſite of the underſtanding.
WE are ſo blind at home that we know leſs our natural then our acquiſite goods: Yea without acquiſite goods we are little ſenſible of the natural goods of the ſoul. The natural Ornaments of the Underſtanding, quickneſſe of wit, fidelity of memory, and ſolidity of judgement are ſeene onelyonly in the acquiſitions made by ſtudy & uſe, for they that trade not with that patrimony of Nature, loſe moſt part of it and differ little from beaſts. The acquiſitions of the underſtanding may be reduced to theſe two heads; Science, and Prudence.
Science is the husbandry of the ſoul, a field whoſe vertue is never knowne till it be husbanded. Prudence is above Science in dignity, but Science precedeth Prudence in order, as the meanes go before the end.
This poſition that prudence is the end, and ſciences are the meanes, gives the true light to chooſe thoſe ſciences that deſerve a ferious ſtudy. Sciences are multiplyed to a great number, and growne to a goodly perfection in this Weſterne world. They have their ſeveral uſes and beauties. But becauſe it is impoſſible to entertaine them all, the prentiſhip being long and life ſhort, thoſe eſpecially ſhould be followed which are wayes to true Prudence, teaching men to live well and dye well. It is the Learning, ſo much recommended by Solomon, Prov. 4.13. Take faſt hold of inſtruction, let her not go, keepe her, for ſhe is thy life.
Of thoſe that court learning ſome do it out of neceſſity, to get their living; They chooſe ſciences as they do their wives, thoſe that are fitteſt for houſekeeping. Others that have wealth and leiſure, chooſe ſciences as they chooſe their Miſtreſſes, the faireſt and moſt recreative. But of ſciences as of women, the moſt recreative are not alwayes the moſt honeſt; as all ſciences that are buzy about predictions for the future.
Of humane ſciences the moſt part hath more luſter then price: Learning in tongues is a fine Ornament, and of great uſe, yet not anſwerable to the labour and time that it ſtands in. When we have learned to name heaven and earth five or ſixe ſeveral wayes, we know their natures never the better for that. A wiſeman will rather ſeeke the uſe then the luſter of languages. And for his owne uſe he ought not to deny to himſelfe that innocent delight to be able to reliſh the eloquence of the tongues, which with great reaſon have the vogue among the learned; there being nothing that doth more ſweeten and poliſh the mind then good matter clad with a ſtyle ſimple and elegant, like a ſmooth and well coloured skin laid over ſtrong brawny limbes.
There are ſtudies that have little luſter and leſſe price, and yet by their ſevere garbe go for wiſe and ſerious. Such is Schoole-philoſophy which for three or foure hundred yeares hath reigned in our Univerſities, and roughcaſt Divinity with barbarous termes and crabbed diſtinctions. For as if Schoolemen would outdoe Pilates ſouldiers that crowned the head of our Saviour with thornes, they have habited his doctrine with thornes all about from top to toe, ſo thick that themſelves can hardly ſee the day thorough. The writings of Schoolemen are like Labyrinths, which in a little peece of ground have a very long and intricate way. For the learning of thoſe ages being confined within a ſhort compaſſe, thoſe reſolute and irrefragable Doctors (for ſo they ſtyle one another) not being able to travel farre, and yet eager of going, did but turne and wind within their narrow limits, and croſt a thouſand times the ſame way. It is ſcarce credible how little there is to learne in all that huge maſſe of harſh ſubtility. It is true indeed that in all ſtudies of men there is vanity, and the learning that ſucceeded that ruſty learning hath a merryer vanity. But ſince it is ſo, that there is vainity in both, give me rather a faire and ſmooth vanity then a grimme and rugged. Si nugae, ſaltem ſint canorae. Serious fooles are the moſt troubleſome.
Arts that regard the civil good are of ſo much price as they bring utility to the publique, and benefit to the profeſſors. Every one muſt get skill enough in his art to be uſefull for ſociety, and to live in the world. But there are ſome ſciences, which, though eſpecially profeſt by ſome, belong alike to all, and regard the profeſſion of man as he is man. For God hath created and placed us in the world to learne three things; How the world is made, What the world doeth, And what we muſt do in the world. How the world is made, we learne by natural Philoſophy, the Sphere and Coſmography. What the world doth, we learne by Hiſtories. What muſt be done in the world we learne out of Ethicks and Politiques and eſpecially out of Divinity. Theſe Sciences are beneficial and delightful; and to be altogether ignorant of theſe, is to live in the world not knowing for what. A prudent man will pick out of theſe what is moſt fit for his principal end, which is to glorifie God, informe his judgement, order his life, and content himſelfe.
All the Learning that we lay up muſt end in Prudence. Wherefore thoſe ſtudies that forme the judgement, muſt be more carefully tended then thoſe that exerciſe the imagination. Mathematical ſciences are admirable, but this they have, that they take off the mind from matters of judgement and prudence, and fixe it altogether upon quantity and material proportion.
Prudence is the guide of all vertues, and marcheth before to give them light. Yea ſhe comprehends them all, for nothing is ill done but for want of prudence, and the great prudence is to be religious, juſt, conſtant, and temperate. Nullum numen abeſt, ſi ſit prudentia. Solomon giving ſuch an expreſſe charge and ſo often repeated, to get prudence, thereby recommendeth all vertues, and above all, the feare of God which is the beginning of wiſdome. Prudence is that eye which the Lord Jeſus calls the light of the body, Matth. 6.22. that is the conduct of life. And whereas virtues conſiſt in keeping a juſt temper betweene extreames, they owe that skill unto prudence, for unto it belongs the ordering and diſpoſition of things. Prudence ſheweth what is requiſite for every vertue. Prudence governs all the free actions of life.
My end here is to know the price, not to give the rules of prudence: But thoſe Authors cannot be excuſed, that have ſet out treatiſes of prudence, without giving any counſel for the direction of a mans behaviour in publique or private occurrences, but onelyonly definitions expounded at large, diviſions, and diſputations whether it be a vertue moral or intellectual, contemplative or practical, Whether the actus elicitus of prudence be to know or to will, and what difference there is betweene acting and doing. Goodly inſtructions to forme a Councellor of State, and to underprop a tottering Commonwealth. Could theſe Doctors have done worſe for themſelves, if they had undertaken to juſtifye the ordinary reproach againſt learning, that prudence lyeth out of the circuit of Schollerſhip, and that it is incompatible with learning? This they juſtifye more yet, when they paſſe from contemplation to practiſe. For, in Councel, though but a meane corporation, tradeſmen many times will ſpeake more pertinently thet great Scholars.
Of this the fault lyeth not in Learning, which is the right way to Prudence, but in not chooſing the right learning for prudence, and applying ones mind to other things: For neither Tranſcendents nor Modals, not Heſychius nor Suidas, nor Apogees nor Excentriques teach a man wiſedome. It were a wonder if they that never learned wiſedom, underſtood it: There are two wayes to get it, Science and Experience. Theſe men have neither, that have ſpent all their ſtudy about Syllogiſms or Horoſcopes. But take me a Scholler that hath made prudence his ſtudy, and bent all his learning to that marke, ſeeking it firſt in Gods Book, the ſpring of all wiſedome, then in the writings of wiſemen both antient and late, and in hiſtory which is the Miſtriſs of life; Let him ſtudy men and buſineſs, as well as Bookes. Let him converſe with the wiſeſt and beſt verſed in the world, and conſummate himſelfe in experience. When ſuch a man ſhall ſpeake in a Councell of State among unlearned men, it will appeare how raſh and injurious that ſentence is, that learning and prudence are incompatible; and how farre the learned go beyond the ignorant for deepe inſight into buſineſſes, and healing or preventing publique evills.
Becauſe we ſeek here the juſt price of things, we muſt not attribute too much unto Science and Prudence. Theſe two together make a goodly match: By knowledge and and wiſedome a man differeth from a beaſt. But both are ſubject unto vanity. For knowledge, take the verdict of two the moſt learned of all the Canonical writers, Solomon and St. Paul. The firſt will tell you He that increaſeth knowledge, increaſeth ſorrow. Eccl. 1.18. The other, Knowledge puffeth up. 1 Cor 8.1. Sorrow & pride are the ordinary effects of Learning, but when it meets with a ſtrong and meek ſpirit upheld with Gods grace. Pride will eaſily get into thoſe that have ſome, but little learning; for it is a point of ignorance for one to think he is learned when he is not. But when we are advanced in learning, we learne that we know nothing, and diſcover the uncertainty of ſciences; that they performe not what they promiſe, that new writers give the lye to the old, Eccl. 12.12. that of making many Bookes there is no end, and much ſtudy is a wearineſſe of the fleſh. A wiſe man that will reape from learning utility and content, muſt expect no more of it then it can afford. He will deale with learning as with money, he will not be a ſervant to it, but make it his Servant. When he is paſt the drudgery of the Schoole, he will (if he can) make his ſtudy his paſtime, not his taske.
Prudence is no leſſe ſubject to vanity then Learning, but rather hath more uncertainty. For ſciences have certain objects, ſince they conſider univerſals, which are alwayes the ſame, what change ſoever happen in the particulars. But prudence, having no object but particular things caſual and uncertaine, cannot have but an uncertaine ſeat upon ſuch an unſtayed bottome, for though there be generall rules of prudence, they muſt continually be bowed and made longer or ſhorter according to the accidents and circumſtances; which being every where different require alſo every where a different manner of conduct. After a wiſe deliberation & an induſtrions managing of a buſineſſe, an unfortunate end many times will follow. How oft hath the moſt mature prudence bin overcome by folly and precipitate raſhneſſe? Of which the principal cauſe is the provocation of Gods jealouſy by humane wiſedome, when it grows to preſumption. Iſa. 24.15. Woe unto them that ſeeke deep to hide their counſell from the Lord, and their workes are in the dark, and they ſay, Who ſeeth us? and who knowes us? For God who is called onelyonly wiſe by St. Paul, Rom. 16.27. for which he will have him to be glorifyed for ever, is highly offended when any pretends to ſhare in that title which is his onelyonly, and takes a delight to blow upon projects made up with great art, to ſhew to the wiſe of the world that they are but fooles.
To judge wiſely of the buſineſſes of the world, we ſhould ſee the wheels & inward motions of them, but they are hidden from us. We can hardly pry into the counſels of men, how can we penetrate into the Decrees of God, thoſe great and ſecret motions lockt up in the cloſet of his wiſe providence? In the greateſt revolution of our age, we are eyewitneſſes how the wiſeſt counſels of a party have alwayes turned to their ruine, and the faults of State on the contrary party have alwayes bin fortunate. To one ſide prudence and imprudence have bin alike pernicious. To the other prudence and imprudence have bin alike advantageous. Let us looke up to God whoſe wayes are not our wayes, and his thoughts are not our thoughts, and againſt whoſe will no ſtrength and no counſel will hold. The future being to us a dark empty ſpace where we ſee nothing, no wonder that humane prudence ſeldome hits right in her forecaſt for the future. The prudent man hath as much advantage over the imprudent as one that hath good eyes over a blindman, but when both are in the darke one ſeeth no more then the other. Many future events are as dark to the wiſe, as to the unwiſe. And when wiſedome is moſt cleare ſighted, it can but regulate the counſels, but cannot diſpoſe of the events.
The wiſeman hath this benefit of his wiſedome, that if his counſels ſucceed well he can make good uſe of proſperity: And if his good counſels have an unhappy ſucceſſe, either he declines the blow, or gets a lenitive to it by prudence and patience; or he makes advantage of it for ſome good; and which way ſoever the ſtaffe fall, he never repents of a good counſell.
Of all the acquiſite endowments of the underſtanding Prudence is the beſt, therefore beyond all compariſon more precious then all the goods of body and fortune: But together let us acknowledge that it hath a ſhort ſight, and a tottering bottome. Wherefore the great precept of wiſedome, is, to miſtruſt our wiſedome and repoſe ourſelves upon Gods wiſedome and love. Let our prudence depend altogether upon his providence.
It is a great abatement of the price of humane prudence that death cuts it off with the thred of life. Eccl. 2.17. This was a cauſe why Solomon hated life, even becauſe the wiſeman dyeth as the foole. Yet had he wiſely pondred the matter before ver. 13. I ſaw that wiſedome excelleth folly as farre as light excelleth darkneſſe: The wiſemans eyes are in his head, but the foole walketh in darkneſſe: but I perceived alſo that one event happenth to them all. It is enough to diſdaine the vanity of life, and of human wiſedome better then life, to ſee a great Stateſman that made a Kingdom to flouriſh and the neighboring States to tremble, to be cut off in the midſt of his high enterpriſes and deep counſels, all which dye with him. Pſal. 46.4. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts periſh. That plotting braines from whoſe reſolution the fortune of an empire depended ſhall breed wormes and toades. And truly it ſhould be unreaſonable that this kind of prudence which hath no object but worldly and periſhable, ſhould remaine permanent. But it is very conſonant to reaſon that a higher prudence which applyeth itſelfe to permanent things, remaine permanent. It is that permanent wiſedome which our Saviour recommends unto us, Luke 12.33. Provide yourſelves baggs which waxe not old, a treaſure in the heavens that faileth not. It is that wiſedome which Solomon calls a tree of life to them that lay hold on her, becauſe ſhe lives after death, and makes the ſoul live for ever. Judge you of the price of theſe two ſorts of wiſedomes; the one that periſheth, and many times makes men periſh; the other that endureth for ever, and will certainly make them that embrace her, eternally bleſſed.