Truth Tried, Treatise 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. 17. Concerning Curioſity in the ſearch of Cauſes. With a Cloſe of all.
ANd now he returns again to his former complaint, of too much curioſity in the ſearch of Cauſes. There is (he grants) a ſecondary intermediate Being, which we may call a Cauſe; Which doth precede and produce another: The Obſervation of which, ſaith he, is very …itting, ſo that wee ſearch, and puzle not our ſelves with the grounds and reaſons of this precedency. As, to obſerve, That Fire, applied to combuſtible matter, will burn it: Without inquiring How the Fire doth work upon the Wood, &c.
He would have us therefore obſerve What is the Cauſe of this Effect, and What is the Effect of this Cauſe; without any curious ſearch How this Cauſe comes to produce ſuch an Effect. There is no Generall Rule, can be preſcribed in this caſe; Sometimes it is needleſſe to inquire ſo much as, By what Cauſe this or that was produced: Sometimes again it is uſefull to Know, not only What did produce it, but alſo How it did produce it. Thus farre I allow, Curioſity in ſearching Trifles, alſo How it did produce it. Thus farre I allow, Curioſity in ſearching Trifles, hinders the finding of more ſolid and profitable Truths; fo… (as he ſpeaks) Intus exiſtens prohibet alienum.
What his Lordſhip hath, concerning the Holineſſe of Time and Place, I aſſent to; That they are not capable of any other Sanctification, then a holineſſe of Separation, a Relative Holyneſſe: And the contrary Opinion is diſclaimed, by him on whom his Lordſhip faſtens it.
That the Heart alſo ſhould be always in ſuch a holy frame, as that it be fit for a Sabbaths imployment, fit for a Sacrament; I hold for an an undoubted Truth. Yet are we not always to be imployed in ſuch ſervices of Gods Worſhip; For even Adam in Paradiſe had a Particular calling, beſides his Generall calling; and the exerciſe thereof, being done in obedience to Gods command, was no doubt pleaſing and acceptable …o God. Nor can I aſſent that All things are Ordinances, though in All things we ſhould acknowledge God.
The reſt of the Chapter is but a Recapitulation of his Poſition, and its Conſequents; which needs no further conſideration, beſides what I have already given you in the Examination of thoſe ſeverall Particulars. I need not make anſwer to the Concluſion, having already delivered my judgement concerning the Premiſes. But leave it to another to paſſe Cenſure.
And thus, (Sir) I have finiſhed that Task, which at your requeſt I have undertaken: Which, beyond my expectation, is grown into a farre larger body then I intended. You expect not Accurateneſſe, in that which is drawn up in ſo ſhort a time: Nor the Judgement of Authors in theſe Points; for that was not the task impoſed, to give you account of Others opinions, but of mine own. I have therefore ſpared the labour of turning over any other books, ſave his Lordſhips own; nor have made any farther uſe of any, then as my preſent memory did ſupply▪ I may ſeem too prolix perhaps in ſome Digreſſions, proſecuting ſomewhat largely occaſionall queſtions, lighted on by the way: But if I have diſcovered any Truth, though with ſome breach of Method; If (with Samſon) I can impart to my friends ſome Honey, though I ſtep a little out of the way to fetch it; If, (as he found that Honey in the conquered Lion, which yet was not of it, but only accidentally there, ſo) I in the examining the main queſtion, have withall cleared ſome doubts, which though not directly contained in it, were yet occaſioned by it; I hope a ſmall errour in Methode will be paſſed over.
Sir, I am ſorry it ſo falls out, that the firſt occaſion, wherein I ſhould have to doe with ſo Noble a Lord, ſhould be by way of Encounter. But being partly injoyned by your requeſt, which is to me a Command, (whom therefore it concerns, to excuſe my preſumption to his Lordſhip;) and having alſo ſo fair an Invitation in Mr. Sadlers Epiſtle prefixed to his Lordſhips Treatiſe; as being that, then which nothing could be more gratefull to this Noble Lord; I have adventured to commit this, with my ſelfe, to be at your ſervice.
J. W.