the advancement of learning-第8部分

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mingled　his　philosophy　with　theology；　and　Aristotle　with　logic；　and　the　second　school　of　Plato；　Proclus　and　the　rest；　with　the　mathematics。　For　these　were　the　arts　which　had　a　kind　of　primogeniture　with　them　severally。　So　have　the　alchymists　made　a　philosophy　out　of　a　few　experiments　of　the　furnace；　and　Gilbertus；　our　countryman；　hath　made　a　philosophy　out　of　the　observations　of　a　lodestone。　So　Cicero；　when　reciting　the　several　opinions　of　the　nature　of　the　soul　he　found　a　musician　that　held　the　soul　was　but　a　harmony；　saith　pleasantly；　HIC　AB　ARTE　SUA　NON　RECESSIT；　etc。　But　of　these　conceits　Aristotle　speaketh　seriously　and　wisely；　when　he　saith；　QUI　RESPICIUNT　AD　PAUCA　DE　FACILE　PRONUNCIANT。

8。　Another　error　is　an　impatience　of　doubt　and　haste　to　assertion　without　due　and　mature　suspension　of　judgment。　For　the　two　ways　of　contemplation　are　not　unlike　the　two　ways　of　action　commonly　spoken　of　by　the　ancients；　the　one　plain　and　smooth　in　the　beginning；　and　in　the　end　impassable；　the　other　rough　and　troublesome　in　the　entrance；　but　after　a　while　fair　and　even。　So　it　is　in　contemplation；　if　a　man　will　begin　with　certainties；　he　shall　end　in　doubts；　but　if　he　will　be　content　to　begin　with　doubts；　he　shall　end　in　certainties。

9。　Another　error　is　in　the　manner　of　the　tradition　and　delivery　of　knowledge；　which　is　for　the　most　part　magistral　and　peremptory；　and　not　ingenuous　and　faithful；　in　a　sort　as　may　be　soonest　believed；　and　not　easiliest　examined。　I：　is　true；　that　in　compendious　treatises　for　practice　that　form　is　not　to　be　disallowed：　but　in　the　true　handling　of　knowledge；　men　ought　not　to　fall　either　on　the　one　side　into　the　vein　of　Velleius　the　Epicurean：　NIL　TAM　METUENS；　QUAM　NE　DUBITARE　ALIQUA　DE　RE　VIDERETUR；　＇13＇　nor　on　the　other　side　into　Socrates　his　ironical　doubting　of　all　things；　　but　to　propound　things　sincerely　with　more　or　less　asseveration；　as　they　stand　in　a　man's　own　judgment　proved　more　or　less。

10。　Other　errors　there　are　in　the　scope　that　men　propound　to　themselves；　whereunto　they　bend　their　endeavours；　for　whereas　the　more　constant　and　devote　kind　of　professors　of　any　science　ought　to　propound　to　themselves　to　make　some　additions　to　their　science；　they　convert　their　labours　to　aspire　to　certain　second　prizes：　as　to　be　a　profound　interpreter　or　commenter；　to　be　a　sharp　champion　or　defender；　to　be　a　methodical　compounder　or　abridger；　and　so　the　patrimony　of　knowledge　cometh　to　be　sometimes　improved；　but　seldom　augmented。

11。　But　the　greatest　error　of　all　the　rest　is　the　mistaking　or　misplacing　of　the　last　or　farthest　end　of　knowledge：　for　men　have　entered　into　a　desire　of　learning　and　knowledge；　sometimes　upon　a　natural　curiosity　and　inquisitive　appetite；　sometimes　to　entertain　their　minds　with　variety　and　delight；　sometimes　for　ornament　and　reputation；　and　sometimes　to　enable　them　to　victory　of　wit　and　contradiction；　and　most　times　for　lucre　and　profession；　and　seldom　sincerely　to　give　a　true　account　of　their　gift　of　reason；　to　the　benefit　and　use　of　men：　as　if　there　were　sought　in　knowledge　a　couch　whereupon　to　rest　a　searching　and　restless　spirit；　or　a　tarrasse；　for　a　wandering　and　variable　mind　to　walk　up　and　down　with　a　fair　prospect；　or　a　tower　of　state；　for　a　proud　mind　to　raise　itself　upon；　or　a　fort　or　commanding　ground；　for　strife　and　contention；　or　a　shop；　for　profit　or　sale；　and　not　a　rich　storehouse；　for　the　glory　of　the　Creator　and　the　relief　of　man's　estate。　Rut　this　is　that　which　will　indeed　dignify　and　exalt　knowledge；　if　contemplation　and　action　may　be　more　nearly　and　straitly　conjoined　and　united　together　than　they　have　been；　a　conjunction　like　unto　that　of　the　two　highest　planets；　Saturn；　the　planet　of　rest　and　contemplation；　and　Jupiter；　the　planet　of　civil　society　and　action：　howbeit；　I　do　not　mean；　when　I　speak　of　use　and　action；　that　end　before…mentioned　of　the　applying　of　knowledge　to　lucre　and　profession；　for　I　am　not　ignorant　how　much　that　diverteth　and　interrupteth　the　prosecution　and　advancement　of　knowledge；　like　unto　the　golden　ball　thrown　before　Atalanta；　which　while　she　goeth　aside　and　stoopeth　to　take　up；　the　race　is　hindered；

Declinat　cursus；　aurumque　volubile　tollit。

Neither　is　my　meaning；　as　was　spoken　of　Socrates；　to　call　philosophy　down　from　heaven　to　converse　upon　the　earth；　that　is；　to　leave　natural　philosophy　aside；　and　to　apply　knowledge　only　to　manners　and　policy。　But　as　both　heaven　and　earth　do　conspire　and　contribute　to　the　use　and　benefit　of　man；　so　the　end　ought　to　be；　from　both　philosophies　to　separate　and　reject　vain　speculations；　and　whatsoever　is　empty　and　void；　and　to　preserve　and　augment　whatsoever　is　solid　and　fruitful：　that　knowledge　may　not　be；　as　a　curtesan；　for　pleasure　and　vanity　only；　or　as　a　bondwoman；　to　acquire　and　gain　to　her　master's　use；　but　as　a　spouse；　for　generation；　fruit；　and　comfort。

12。　Thus　have　I　described　and　opened；　as　by　a　kind　of　dissection；　those　peccant　humours；　（the　principal　of　them；）　which　hath　not　only　given　impediment　to　the　proficience　of　learning；　but　have　given　also　occasion　to　the　traducement　thereof：　wherein　if　I　have　been　too　plain；　it　must　be　remembered；　FIDELIA　VULNERA　AMANTIS；　SED　DOLOSA　OSCULA　MALIGNANTIS。　＇＇　This；　I　think；　I　have　gained；　that　I　ought　to　be　the　better　believed　in　that　which　I　shall　say　pertaining　to　commendation；　because　I　have　proceeded　so　freely　in　that　which　concerneth　censure。　And　yet　I　have　no　purpose　to　enter　into　a　laudative　of　learning；　or　to　make　a　hymn　to　the　Muses；　（though　I　am　of　opinion　that　it　is　long　since　their　rites　were　duly　celebrated：）　but　my　intent　is；　without　varnish　or　amplification　justly　to　weigh　the　dignity　of　knowledge　in　the　balance　with　other　things；　and　to　take　the　true　value　thereof　by　testimonies　and　arguments　divine　and　human。

VI。1。　First　therefore　let　us　seek　the　dignity　of　knowledge　in　the　archetype　or　first　platform；　which　is　in　the　attributes　and　acts　of　God；　as　far　as　they　are　revealed　to　man　and　may　be　observed　with　sobriety；　wherein　we　may　not　seek　it　by　the　name　of　Learning；　for　all　Learning　is　Knowledge　acquired；　and　all　knowledge　in　God　is　original：　and　therefore　we　must　look　for　it　by　another　name；　that　of　Wisdom　or　Sapience；　as　the　Scriptures　call　it。

2。　It　is　so　then；　that　in　the　work　of　the　creation　we　see　a　double　emanation　of　Virtue　from　God；　the　one　referring　more　properly　to　Power；　the　other　to　Wisdom；　the　one　expressed　in　making　the　subsistence　of　the　matter；　and　the　other　in　disposing　the　beauty　of　the　form。　This　being　supposed；　it　is　to　be　observed　that　for　anything　which　appeareth　in　the　history　of　the　creation；　the　confused　mass　and　matter　of　Heaven　and　Earth　was　made　in　a　moment；　and　the　order　and　disposition　of　that　chaos　or　mass　was　the　work　of　six　days；　such　a　note　of　difference　it　pleased　God　to　put　upon　the　works　of　Power；　and　the　works　of　Wisdom；　wherewith　concurreth；　that　in　the　former　it　is　not　set　down　that　God　said；　LET　THERE　BE　HEAVEN　AND　EARTH；　as　it　is　set　down　of　the　works　following；　but　actually；　that　God　made　Heaven　and　Earth：　the　one　carrying　the　style　of　a　Manufacture；　and　the　other　of　a　Law；　Decree；　or　Counsel。

3。　To　proceed　to　that　which　is　next　in　order　from　God；　to　spirits。　　We　find；　as　far　as　credit　is　to　be　given　to　the　celestial　hierarchy　of　that　supposed　Dionysius　the　senator　of　Athens；　the　first　place　or　degree　is　given　to　the　angels　of　Love；　which　are　termed　Seraphim；　the　second　to　the　angels　of　Light；　which　are　termed　Cherubim；　and　the　third；　and　so　following　places；　to　Thrones；　Principalities；　and　the　rest；　which　are　all　angels　of　power　and　ministry；　so　as　the　angels　of　Knowledge　and　Illumination　are　placed　before　the　angels　of　Office　and　Domination。

4。　To　descend　from　Spirits　and　Intellectual　Forms　to　Sensible　and　Material　Forms；　we　read　the　first　Form　that　was　created　was　Light；　which　hath　a　relation　and　correspondence　in　nature　and　corporal　things　to　Knowledge　in　Spirits　and　incorporal　things。

＇14＇　5。　So　in　the　distribution　of　days　we　see　the　day　wherein　God　did　rest　and　contemplate　His　own　works；　was　blessed　above　all　the　days　wherein　He　did　effect；　and　accomplish　them。

6。　After　the　creation　was　finished；　it　is　set　down　unto　us　that　man　was　placed　in　the　garden　to　work　therein；　which　work；　so　appointed　to　him；　could　be　no　other　than　work　of　Contemplation；　that　is；　when　the　end　of　work　is　but　for　exercise　and　experiment；　not　for　necessity；　for　there　being　then　no　reluctation　of　the　creature；　nor　sweat　of　the　brow；　man's　employment　must　of　consequence　have　been　matter　of　delight　in　the　experiment；　and　not　matter　of　labour　for　the　use。　Again；　the　first　acts　which　man　performed　in　Paradise　consisted　of　the　two　summary　parts　of　knowledge；　the　view　of　creatures；　and　the　imposition　of　names。　As　for　the　knowledge　which　induced　the　fall；　it　was；　as　was　touched　before；　not　the　natural　knowledge　of　creatures；　but　the　moral　knowledge　of　good　and　evil；　wherein　the　supposition　was；　that　God's　commandments　or　prohibitions　were　not　the　originals　of　good　and　evil；　but　that　they　had　other　beginnings；　which　man　aspired　to　know；　to　the　end　to　make　a　total　defection　from　God　and　to　depend　wholly　upon　himself。

7。　To　pass　on：　in　the　first　event　or　occurrence　after　the　fall　of　man；　we　see；　（as　the　Scriptures　have　infinite　mysteries；　not　violating　at　all　the　truth　of　the　story　or　letter；）　an　image　of　the　two　estates；　the　contemplative　state　and　the　active　state；　figured　in　the　two　persons　of　Abel　and　Cain；　and　in　the　two　simplest　and　most　primitive　trades　of　life；　that　of　the　shepherd；　（who；　by　reason　of　his　leisure；　rest　in　a　place；　and　living　in　view　of　heaven；　is　a　lively　image　of　a　contemplative　life；）　and　that　of　the　husbandman：　　where　we　see　again　the　favour　and　election　of　God　went　to　the　shepherd；　and　not　to　the　tiller　of　the　ground。

8。　So　in　the　age　before　the　flood；　the　holy　records　within　those　few　memorials　which　are　there　entered　and　registered　have　vouchsafed　to　mention　and　honour　the　name　of　the　inventors　and　authors　of　music　and　works　in　metal。　In　the　age　after　the　flood；　the　first　great　judgment　of　God　upon　the　ambition　of　man　was　the　confusion　of　tongues；　whereby　the　open　trade　and　intercourse　of　learning　and　knowledge　was　chiefly　imbarred。

9。　To　descend　to　Moses　the　lawgiver；　and　Go