the advancement of learning-第46部分

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ileth　the　digest。　So　as　this　course　of　sums　and　commentaries　is　that　which　doth　infallibly　make　the　body　of　sciences　more　immense　in　quantity；　and　more　base　in　substance。

12。　And　for　strength；　it　is　true　that　knowledges　reduced　into　exact　methods　have　a　show　of　strength；　in　that　each　part　seemeth　to　support　and　sustain　the　other；　but　this　is　more　satisfactory　than　substantial：　like　unto　buildings　which　stand　by　architecture　and　compaction；　which　are　more　subject　to　ruin　than　those　which　are　built　more　strong　in　their　several　＇78＇　parts；　though　less　compacted。　But　it　is　plain　that　the　more　you　recede　from　your　grounds；　the　weaker　do　you　conclude：　and　as　in　nature；　the　more　you　remove　yourself　from　particulars；　the　greater　peril　of　error　you　do　incur：　so　much　more　in　divinity；　the　more　you　recede　from　the　Scriptures　by　inferences　and　consequences；　the　more　weak　and　dilute　are　your　positions。

13。　And　as　for　perfection　or　completeness　in　divinity；　it　is　not　to　be　sought；　which　makes　this　course　of　artificial　divinity　the　more　suspect。　For　he　that　will　reduce　a　knowledge　into　an　art；　will　make　it　round　and　uniform：　but　in　divinity　many　things　must　be　left　abrupt；　and　concluded　with　this：　O　ALTITUDO　SAPIENTIAE　ET　SCIENTIAE　DEI！　QUAM　INCOMPREHENSIBILIA　SUNT　JUDICIA　EJUS；　ET　NON　INVESTIGABILES　VIAE　EJUS！　　So　again　the　apostle　saith；　EX　PARTE　SCIMUS：　　and　to　have　the　form　of　a　total；　where　there　is　but　matter　for　a　part；　cannot　be　without　supplies　by　supposition　and　presumption。　And　therefore　I　conclude；　that　the　true　use　of　these　sums　and　methods　hath　place　in　institutions　or　introductions　preparatory　unto　knowledge：　but　in　them；　or　by　deducement　from　them；　to　handle　the　main　body　and　substance　of　a　knowledge；　is　in　all　sciences　prejudicial；　and　in　divinity　dangerous。

14。　As　to　the　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures　solute　and　at　large；　there　have　been　divers　kinds　introduced　and　devised；　some　of　them　rather　curious　and　unsafe　than　sober　and　warranted。　Notwithstanding；　thus　much　must　be　confessed；　that　the　Scriptures　being　given　by　inspiration；　and　not　by　human　reason；　do　differ　from　all　other　books　in　the　author：　which；　by　consequence；　doth　draw　on　some　difference　to　be　used　by　the　expositor。　For　the　inditer　of　them　did　know　four　things　which　no　man　attains　to　know；　which　are；　the　mysteries　of　the　kingdom　of　glory；　the　perfection　of　the　laws　of　nature；　the　secrets　of　the　heart　of　man；　and　the　future　succession　of　all　ages。　For　as　to　the　first　it　is　said；　HE　THAT　PRESSETH　INTO　THE　LIGHT；　SHALL　BE　OPPRESSED　OF　THE　GLORY。　And　again；　NO　MAN　SHALL　SEE　MY　FACE　AND　LIVE。　To　the　second；　WHEN　HE　PREPARED　THE　HEAVENS　I　WAS　PRESENT；　WHEN　BY　LAW　AND　COMPASS　HE　INCLOSED　THE　DEEP。　To　the　third；　NEITHER　WAS　IT　NEEDFUL　THAT　ANY　SHOULD　BEAR　WITNESS　TO　HIM　OF　MAN；　FOR　HE　KNEW　WELL　WHAT　WAS　IN　MAN。　And　to　the　last；　FROM　THE　BEGINNING　ARE　KNOWN　TO　THE　LORD　ALL　HIS　WORKS。

15。　From　the　former　two　have　been　drawn　certain　senses　and　expositions　of　Scriptures；　which　had　need　be　contained　within　the　bounds　of　sobriety；　the　one　anagogical；　and　the　other　philosophical。　But　as　to　the　former；　man　is　not　to　prevent　his　time：　VIDEMUS　NUNC　PER　SPECULUM　IN　AENIGMATE；　TUNC　AUTEM　FACIE　AD　FACIEM：　　wherein　nevertheless　there　seemeth　to　be　a　liberty　granted；　as　far　forth　as　the　polishing　of　this　glass；　or　some　moderate　explication　to　this　aenigma。　But　to　press　too　far　into　it；　cannot　but　cause　a　dissolution　and　overthrow　of　the　spirit　of　man。　For　in　the　body　there　are　three　degrees　of　that　we　receive　into　it；　aliment；　medicine；　and　poison；　whereof　aliment　is　that　which　the　nature　of　man　can　perfectly　alter　and　overcome：　medicine　is　that　which　is　partly　converted　by　nature；　and　partly　converteth　nature；　and　poison　is　that　which　worketh　wholly　upon　nature；　without　that；　that　nature　can　in　any　part　work　upon　it。　So　in　the　mind；　whatsoever　knowledge　reason　cannot　at　all　work　upon　and　convert　is　a　mere　intoxication；　and　endangereth　a　dissolution　of　the　mind　and　understanding。

16。　But　for　the　latter；　it　hath　been　extremely　set　on　foot　of　late　time　by　the　school　of　Paracelsus；　and　some　others；　that　have　pretended　to　find　the　truth　of　all　natural　philosophy　in　the　Scriptures；　scandalizing　and　traducing　all　other　philosophy　as　heathenish　and　profane。　But　there　is　no　such　enmity　between　God's　word　and　His　works；　neither　do　they　give　honour　to　the　Scriptures；　as　they　suppose；　but　much　imbase　them。　For　to　seek　heaven　and　earth　in　the　word　of　God；　（whereof　it　is　said；　HEAVEN　AND　EARTH　SHALL　PASS；　BUT　MY　WORD　SHALL　NOT　PASS；）　is　to　seek　temporary　things　amongst　eternal：　and　as　to　seek　divinity　in　philosophy　is　to　seek　the　living　amongst　the　dead；　so　to　seek　philosophy　in　divinity　is　to　seek　the　dead　amongst　the　living：　neither　are　the　pots　or　lavers；　whose　place　was　in　the　outward　part　of　the　temple；　to　be　sought　in　the　holiest　place　of　all；　where　the　ark　of　the　testimony　was　seated。　And　again；　the　scope　or　purpose　of　the　spirit　of　God　is　not　to　express　matters　of　nature　in　the　Scriptures；　otherwise　than　in　passage；　and　for　application　to　man's　capacity；　and　to　matters　moral　or　divine。　And　it　is　a　true　rule；　AUCTORIS　ALIUD　AGENTIS　PARVA　AUCTORITAS；　for　it　were　a　strange　conclusion；　if　a　man　should　use　a　similitude　for　ornament　or　illustration　sake；　borrowed　from　nature　or　history　according　to　vulgar　conceit；　as　of　a　Basilisk；　an　Unicorn；　a　Centaur；　a　Briareus；　an　Hydra；　or　the　like；　that　therefore　he　must　needs　be　thought　to　affirm　the　matter　thereof　positively　to　be　true。　To　conclude；　therefore；　these　two　interpretations；　the　one　by　reduction　or　enigmatical；　the　other　philosophical　or　physical；　which　have　been　received　and　pursued　in　imitation　of　the　rabbins　and　cabalists；　are　to　be　confined　with　a　NOLI　ALTUM　SAPERE；　SED　TIME。

17。　But　the　two　latter　points；　known　to　God　and　unknown　to　man；　touching　the　secrets　of　the　heart；　and　the　successions　of　time；　do　make　a　just　and　sound　difference　between　the　manner　of　the　exposition　of　the　Scriptures　and　all　other　books。　For　it　is　an　excellent　observation　which　hath　been　made　upon　the　answers　of　our　Saviour　Christ　to　many　of　the　questions　which　were　propounded　to　him；　how　that　they　are　impertinent　to　the　state　of　the　question　demanded；　the　reason　whereof　is；　because；　not　being　like　man；　which　knows　man's　thoughts　by　his　words；　but　knowing　man's　thoughts　immediately；　he　never　answered　their　words；　but　their　thoughts：　much　in　the　like　manner　it　is　with　the　Scriptures；　which　being　written　to　the　thoughts　of　men；　and　to　the　succession　of　all　ages；　with　a　foresight　of　all　heresies；　contradictions；　differing　estates　of　the　church；　yea　and　particularly　of　the　elect；　are　not　to　be　interpreted　only　according　to　the　latitude　of　the　proper　sense　of　the　place；　and　respectively　towards　that　present　occasion　whereupon　the　words　＇79＇　were　uttered；　or　in　precise　congruity　or　contexture　with　the　words　before　or　after；　or　in　contemplation　of　the　principal　scope　of　the　place；　but　have　in　themselves；　not　only　totally　or　collectively；　but　distributively　in　clauses　and　words；　infinite　springs　and　streams　of　doctrine　to　water　the　church　in　every　part。　And　therefore　as　the　literal　sense　is；　as　it　were；　the　main　stream　or　river；　so　the　moral　sense　chiefly；　and　sometimes　the　allegorical　or　typical；　are　they　whereof　the　church　hath　most　use；　not　that　I　wish　men　to　be　bold　in　allegories；　or　indulgent　or　light　in　allusions：　but　that　I　do　much　condemn　that　interpretation　of　the　Scripture　which　is　only　after　the　manner　as　men　use　to　interpret　a　profane　book。

18。　In　this　part；　touching　the　exposition　of　the　Scriptures；　I　can　report　no　deficience；　but　by　way　of　remembrance　this　I　will　add：　in　perusing　books　of　divinity；　I　find　many　books　of　controversies；　and　many　of　commonplaces　and　treaties；　a　mass　of　positive　divinity；　as　it　is　made　an　art；　a　number　of　sermons　and　lectures；　and　many　prolix　commentaries　upon　the　Scriptures；　with　harmonies　and　concordances：　but　that　form　of　writing　in　divinity　which　in　my　judgment　is　of　all　others　most　rich　and　precious；　is　positive　divinity；　collected　upon　particular　texts　of　Scriptures　in　brief　observations；　not　dilated　into　commonplaces；　not　chasing　after　controversies；　not　reduced　into　method　of　art；　a　thing　abounding　in　sermons；　which　will　vanish；　but　defective　in　books　which　will　remain；　and　a　thing　wherein　this　age　excelleth。　For　I　am　persuaded；　（and　I　may　speak　it　with　an　ABSIT　INVIDIA　VERBO；　and　no　ways　in　derogation　of　antiquity；　but　as　in　a　good　emulation　between　the　vine　and　the　olive；）　that　if　the　choice　and　best　of　those　observations　upon　texts　of　Scriptures；　which　have　been　made　dispersedly　in　Sermons　within　this　your　Majesty's　island　of　Britain　by　the　space　of　these　forty　years　and　more；　leaving　out　the　largeness　of　exhortations　and　applications　thereupon；　had　been　set　down　in　a　continuance；　it　had　been　the　best　work　in　divinity　which　had　been　written　since　the　Apostles'　times。

19。　The　matter　informed　by　divinity　is　of　two　kinds；　matter　of　belief　and　truth　of　opinion；　and　matter　of　service　and　adoration；　which　is　also　judged　and　directed　by　the　former：　the　one　being　as　the　internal　soul　of　religion；　and　the　other　as　the　external　body　thereof。　And　therefore　the　heathen　religion　was　not　only　a　worship　of　idols；　but　the　whole　religion　was　an　idol　in　itself；　for　it　had　no　soul；　that　is；　no　certainty　of　belief　or　confession：　as　a　man　may　well　think；　considering　the　chief　doctors　of　their　church　were　the　poets：　and　the　reason　was；　because　the　heathen　gods　were　no　jealous　gods；　but　were　glad　to　be　admitted　into　part；　as　they　had　reason。　Neither　did　they　respect　the　pureness　of　heart；　so　they　might　have　external　honour　and　rites。

20。　But　out　of　these　two　do　result　and　issue　four　main　branches　of　divinity；　faith；　manners；　liturgy；　and　government。　Faith　containeth　the　doctrine　of　the　nature　of　God；　of　the　attributes　of　God；　and　of　the　works　of　God。　The　nature　of　God　consisteth　of　three　persons　in　unity　of　Godhead。　The　attributes　of　God　are　either　common　to　the　Deity；　or　respective　to　the　persons。　The　works　of　God　summary　are　two；　that　of　the　creation　and　that　of　the　redemption：　and　both　these　works；　as　in　total　they　appertain　to　the　unity　of　the　Godhead；　so　in　their　parts　they　refer　to　the　three　persons：　that　of　the　creation；