友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
合租小说网 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

the advancement of learning-第33部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!


se together; though of several natures; so in this general cabinet of knowledge it was necessary for me to follow the divisions of the nature of things; whereas if myself had been to handle any particular knowledge; I would have respected the divisions fittest for use。 The other; because the bringing in of the deficiencies did by consequence alter the partitions of the rest。 For let the knowledge extant; for demonstration sake; be fifteen; let the knowledge with the deficiencies be twenty; the parts of fifteen are not the parts of twenty; for the parts of fifteen are three and five; the parts of twenty are two; four; five; and ten。 So as these things are without contradiction; and could not otherwise be。

XX。 1。 We proceed now to that knowledge which considereth of the appetite and will of man: whereof Salomon saith; ANTE OMNIA; FILI; CUSTODI COR TUUM; NAM INDE PROCEDUNT ACTIONES VITAE。 In the handling of this science; those which have written seem to me to have done as if a man; that professed to teach to write; did only exhibit fair copies of alphabets and letters joined; without giving any precepts or directions for the carriage of the hand and framing of the letters。 So have they made good and fair exemplars and copies; carrying the draughts and portraitures of good; virtue; duty; felicity; propounding them well described as the true objects and scopes of man's will and desires。 But how to attain these excellent marks; and how to frame and subdue the will of man to become true and conformable to these pursuits; they pass it over altogether; or slightly and unprofitably。 For it is not the disputing that moral virtues are in the mind of man by habit and not by nature; or the distinguishing that generous spirits are won by doctrines and persuasions; and the vulgar sort by reward and punishment; and the like scattered glances and touches; that can excuse the absence of this part。

2。 The reason of this omission I suppose to be that hidden rock whereupon both this and many other barks of knowledge have been cast away; which is; that men have despised to be conversant in ordinary '57' and common matters; the judicious direction whereof nevertheless is the wisest doctrine; (for life consisteth not in novelties or subtilties;) but contrariwise they have compounded sciences chiefly of a certain resplendent or lustrous mass of matter; chosen to give glory either to the subtilty of disputations; or to the eloquence of discourses。 But Seneca giveth an excellent check to eloquence; NOCET ILLIS ELOQUENTIA; QUIBUS NON RERUM CUPIDIDATEM FACIT; SED SUI。 Doctrine should be such as should make men in love with the lesson; and not with the teacher; being directed to the auditor's benefit; and not to the author's commendation。 And therefore those are of the right kind which may be concluded as Demosthenes concludes his counsel; QUAE SI FECERITIS; NON ORATOREM DUNTAXAT IN PRAESENTIA LAUDABITIS; SED VOSMETIPSOS ETIAM NON ITA MULTO POST STATU RERUM VESTRARUM MELIORE。

3。 Neither needed men of so excellent parts to have despaired of a fortune; which the poet Virgil promised himself; and indeed obtained; who got as much glory of eloquence; wit; and learning in the expressing of the observations of husbandry; as of the heroical acts of Aeneas: 

Nec sum animi debius; verbis ea vincere magnum Quam sit; et angustis his addere rebus honorem。

And surely; if the purpose be in good earnest; not to write at leisure that which men may read at leisure; but really to instruct and suborn action and active life; these Georgics of the mind; concerning the husbandry and tillage thereof; are no less worthy than the heroical descriptions of virtue; duty; and felicity。 Wherefore the main and primitive division of moral knowledge seemeth to be into the exemplar or platform of good; and the regiment or culture of the mind: the one describing the nature of good; the other prescribing rules how to subdue; apply; and accommodate the will of man thereunto。

4。 The doctrine touching the platform or nature of good considereth it either simple or compared; either the kinds of good; or the degrees of good; in the latter whereof those infinite disputations; which were touching the supreme degree thereof; which they term felicity; beatitude; or the highest good; the doctrines concerning which were as the heathen divinity; are by the Christian faith discharged。 And as Aristotle saith; THAT YOUNG MEN MAY BE HAPPY; BUT NOT OTHERWISE BUT BY HOPE; so we must all acknowledge our minority; and embrace the felicity which is by hope of the future world。

5。 Freed therefore and delivered from this doctrine of the philosopher's heaven; whereby they feigned a higher elevation of man's nature than was; (for we see in what a height of style Seneca writeth; VERE MAGNUM; HABERE FRAGILITATEM HOMINIS; SECURITATEM DEI;) we may with more sobriety and truth receive the rest of their inquiries and labours。 Where in for the nature of good positive or simple; they have set it down excellently; in describing the forms of virtue and duty; with their situations and postures; in distributing them into their kinds; parts; provinces; actions; and administrations; and the like: nay further; they have commended them to man's nature and spirit; with great quickness of argument and beauty of persuasions; yea; and fortified and entrenched them; as much as discourse can do; against corrupt and popular opinions。 Again; for the degrees and comparative nature of good; they have also excellently handled it in their triplicity of good; in the comparison between a contemplative and an active life; in the distinction between virtue with reluctation and virtue secured; in their encounters between honesty and profit; in their balancing of virtue with virtue; and the like; so as this part deserveth to be reported for excellently laboured。

6。 Notwithstanding; if before they had come to the popular and received notions of virtue and vice; pleasure and pain; and the rest; they had stayed a little longer upon the inquiry concerning the roots of good and evil; and the strings of those roots; they had given; in my opinion; a great light to that which followed; and specially if they had consulted with nature; they had made their doctrines less prolix and more profound; which being by them in part omitted and in part handled with much confusion; we will endeavour to resume and open in a more clear manner。

7。 There is formed in every thing a double nature of good: the one; as every thing is a total or substantive in itself; the other; as it is a part or member of a greater body; whereof the latter is in degree the greater and the worthier; because it tendeth to the conservation of a more general form。 Therefore we see the iron in particular sympathy moveth to the lodestone; but yet if it exceed a certain quantity; it forsaketh the affection to the lodestone; and like a good patriot moveth to the earth; which is the region and country of massy bodies: so may we go forward; and see that water and massy bodies move to the centre of the earth; but rather than to suffer a divulsion in the continuance of nature; they will move upwards from the centre of the earth; forsaking their duty to the earth in regard to their duty to the world。 This double nature of good; and the comparative thereof; is much more engraven upon man; if he degenerate not: unto whom the conservation of duty to the public ought to be much more precious than the conservation of life and being: according to that memorable speech of Pompeius Magnus; when being in commission of purveyance for a famine at Rome; and being dissuaded with great vehemency and instance by his friends about him that he should not hazard himself to sea in an extremity of weather; he said only to them; NECESSE EST UT EAM; NON UT VIVAM。 But it may be truly affirmed that there was never any philosophy; religion; or other discipline; which did so plainly and highly exalt the good which is communicative; and depress the good which is private and particular; as the Holy Faith; well declaring that it was the same God that gave the Christian law to men; who gave those laws of nature to inanimate creatures that we spoke of before; for we read that the elected saints of God have wished themselves anathematized and razed out of the book of life; in an ecstasy of charity and infinite feeling of communion。

8。 This being set down and strongly planted; doth judge and determine most of the controversies '58' wherein moral philosophy is conversant。 For first; it decideth the question touching the preferment of the contemplative or active life; and decideth it against Aristotle。 For all the reasons which he bringeth for the contemplative are private; and respecting the pleasure and dignity of a man's self; (in which respects; no question; the contemplative life hath the pre…eminence) not much unlike to that comparison; which Pythagoras made for the gracing and magnifying of philosophy and contemplation: who being asked what he was; answered; THAT IF HIERO WERE EVER AT THE OLYMPIAN GAMES; HE KNEW THE MANNER; THAT SOME CAME TO TRY THEIR FORTUNE FOR THE PRIZES; AND SOME CAME AS MERCHANTS TO UTTER THEIR COMMODITIES; AND SOME CAME TO MAKE GOOD CHEER AND MEET THEIR FRIENDS; AND SOME CAME TO LOOK ON; AND THAT HE WAS ONE OF THEM THAT CAME TO LOOK ON。 But men must know; that in this theatre of man's life it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers on: neither could the like question ever have been received in the church (notwithstanding their PRETIOSA IN OCULIS DOMINI MORS SANCTORUM EJUS; by which place they would exalt their civil death and regular professions;) but upon this defence; that the monastical life is not simply  contemplative; but performeth the duty either of incessant prayers and supplications; which hath been truly esteemed as an office in the church; or else of writing or taking instructions for writing concerning the law of God; as Moses did when he abode so long in the mount。 And so we see Enoch the seventh from Adam; who was the first contemplative; and walked with God; yet did also endow the church with prophecy; which St。 Jude citeth。 But for contemplation which should be finished in itself; without casting beams upon society; assuredly divinity knoweth it not;

9。 It decideth also 
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 3 3
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!