the advancement of learning-第9部分

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ourse　of　learning　and　knowledge　was　chiefly　imbarred。

9。　To　descend　to　Moses　the　lawgiver；　and　God's　first　pen：　he　is　adorned　by　the　Scriptures　with　this　addition　and　commendation；　THAT　HE　WAS　SEEN　IN　ALL　THE　LEARNING　OF　THE　EGYPTIANS；　which　nation；　we　know；　was　one　of　the　most　ancient　schools　of　the　world：　for　so　Plato　brings　in　the　Egyptian　priest　saying　unto　Solon：　YOU　GRECIANS　ARE　EVER　CHILDREN；　YOU　HAVE　NO　KNOWLEDGE　OF　ANTIQUITY；　NOR　ANTIQUITY　OF　KNOWLEDGE。　Take　a　view　of　the　ceremonial　law　of　Moses；　you　shall　find；　besides　the　prefiguration　of　Christ；　the　badge　or　difference　of　the　people　of　God；　the　exercise　and　impression　of　obedience；　and　other　divine　uses　and　fruits　thereof；　that　some　of　the　most　learned　Rabbins　have　travailed　profitably　and　profoundly　to　observe；　some　of　them　a　natural；　some　of　them　a　moral　sense；　or　reduction　of　many　of　the　ceremonies　and　ordinances。　As　in　the　law　of　the　leprosy；　where　it　is　said；　IF　THE　WHITENESS　HAVE　OVERSPREAD　THE　FLESH；　THE　PATIENT　MAY　PASS　ABROAD　FOR　CLEAN；　BUT　IF　THERE　BE　ANY　WHOLE　FLESH　REMAINING；　HE　IS　TO　BE　SHUT　UP　FOR　UNCLEAN；　one　of　them　noteth　a　principle　of　nature；　that　PUTREFACTION　IS　MORE　CONTAGIOUS　BEFORE　MATURITY　THAN　AFTER：　and　another　noteth　a　position　of　moral　philosophy；　that　MEN　ABANDONED　TO　VICE　DO　NOT　SO　MUCH　CORRUPT　MANNERS；　AS　THOSE　THAT　ARE　HALF　GOOD　AND　HALF　EVIL。　So　in　this　and　very　many　other　places　in　that　law；　there　is　to　be　found；　besides　the　theological　sense；　much　aspersion　of　philosophy。

10。　So　likewise　in　that　excellent　book　of　Job；　if　it　be　revolved　with　diligence；　it　will　be　found　pregnant　and　swelling　with　natural　philosophy；　as；　for　example；　cosmography；　and　the　roundness　of　the　world；　QUI　EXTENDIT　AQUILONEM　SUPER　VACUUM；　ET　APPENDIT　TERRAM　SUPER　NIHILUM；　wherein　the　pensileness　of　the　earth；　the　pole　of　the　north；　and　the　finiteness　or　convexity　of　heaven　are　manifestly　touched。　So　again；　matter　of　astronomy；　SPIRITUS　EJUS　ORNAVIT　COELOS；　ET　OBSTETRICANTE　MANU　EJUS　EDACTUS　EST　COLUBER　TORTUOSUS。　And　in　another　place；　NUNQUID　CONJUNGERE　VALEBIS　MICANTES　STELLAS　PLEIADAS；　AUT　GYRUM　ARCTURI　POTERIS　DISSIPARE　？　Where　the　fixing　of　the　stars；　ever　standing　at　equal　distance；　is　with　great　elegancy　noted。　And　in　another　place；　QUI　FACIT　ARCTURUM；　ET　ORIONA；　ET　HYADAS；　ET　INTERIORA　AUSTRI；　where　again　he　takes　knowledge　of　the　depression　of　the　southern　pole；　calling　it　the　secrets　of　the　south；　because　the　southern　stars　were　in　that　climate　unseen。　Matter　of　generation；　ANON　SICUT　LAC　MULSISTI　ME；　ET　SICUT　CASEUM　COAGULASTI　ME　？　etc。　Matter　of　minerals；　HABET　ARGENTUM　VENARUM　SUARUM　PRINCIPIA：　ET　AURO　LOCUS　EST　IN　QUO　CONFLATUR；　FERRUM　DE　TERRA　TOLLITUR；　ET　LAPIS　SOLUTUS　CALORE　IN　AES　VERTITUR：　　and　so　forwards　in　that　chapter。

11。　So　likewise　in　the　person　of　Salomon　the　King；　we　see　the　gift　or　endowment　of　wisdom　and　learning；　both　in　Salomon's　petition　and　in　God's　assent　thereunto；　preferred　before　all　other　terrene　and　temporal　felicity。　By　virtue　of　which　grant　or　donative　of　God　Salomon　became　enabled　not　only　to　write　those　excellent　Parables　or　Aphorisms　concerning　divine　and　moral　philosophy；　but　also　to　compile　a　Natural　History　of　all　verdure；　from　the　cedar　upon　the　mountain　to　the　moss　upon　the　wall；　（which　is　but　a　rudiment　between　putrefaction　and　a　herb；）　　and　also　of　all　things　that　breathe　or　move。　Nay；　the　same　Salomon　the　King；　although　he　excelled　in　the　glory　of　treasure　and　magnificent　buildings；　of　shipping　and　navigation；　of　service　and　attendance；　of　fame　and　renown；　and　the　like；　yet　he　maketh　no　claim　to　any　of　those　glories；　but　only　to　the　glory　of　inquisition　of　truth；　for　so　he　saith　expressly；　THE　GLORY　OF　GOD　IS　TO　CONCEAL　A　THING；　BUT　THE　GLORY　OF　THE　KING　IS　TO　FIND　IT　OUT；　as　if；　according　to　the　innocent　play　of　children；　the　Divine　Majesty　took　delight　to　hide　His　works；　to　the　end　to　have　them　found　out；　and　as　if　kings　could　not　obtain　a　greater　honour　than　to　be　God's　playfellows　in　that　game；　considering　the　great　commandment　of　wits　and　means；　whereby　nothing　needeth　to　be　hidden　from　them。

＇15＇　12。　Neither　did　the　dispensation　of　God　vary　in　the　times　after　our　Saviour　came　into　the　world；　for　our　Saviour　Himself　did　first　show　His　power　to　subdue　ignorance；　by　His　conference　with　the　priests　and　doctors　of　the　law；　before　He　showed　His　power　to　subdue　nature　by　His　miracles。　And　the　coming　of　the　Holy　Spirit　was　chiefly　figured　and　expressed　in　the　similitude　and　gift　of　tongues；　which　are　but　VEHICULA　SCIENTIAE。

13。　So　in　the　election　of　those　instruments；　which　it　pleased　God　to　use　for　the　plantation　of　the　Faith；　notwithstanding　that　at　the　first　He　did　employ　persons　altogether　unlearned；　otherwise　than　by　inspiration；　more　evidently　to　declare　His　immediate　working；　and　to　abase　all　human　wisdom　or　knowledge；　yet；　nevertheless；　that　counsel　of　His　was　no　sooner　performed；　but　in　the　next　vicissitude　and　succession　He　did　send　His　Divine　Truth　into　the　world　waited　on　with　other　learnings；　as　with　servants　or　handmaids；　for　so　we　see　St。　Paul；　who　was　the　only　learned　amongst　the　Apostles；　had　his　pen　most　used　in　the　Scriptures　of　the　New　Testament。

14。　So　again；　we　find　that　many　of　the　ancient　Bishops　and　Fathers　of　the　Church　were　excellently　read　and　studied　in　all　the　learning　of　the　heathen；　insomuch　that　the　edict　of　the　Emperor　Julianus；　whereby　it　was　interdicted　unto　Christians　to　be　admitted　into　schools；　lectures；　or　exercises　of　learning；　was　esteemed　and　accounted　a　more　pernicious　engine　and　machination　against　the　Christian　Faith；　than　were　all　the　sanguinary　prosecutions　of　his　predecessors；　neither　could　the　emulation　and　jealousy　of　Gregory　the　first　of　that　name；　bishop　of　Rome；　ever　obtain　the　opinion　of　piety　or　devotion；　but　contrariwise　received　the　censure　of　humour；　malignity；　and　pusillanimity；　even　amongst　holy　men；　in　that　he　designed　to　obliterate　and　extinguish　the　memory　of　heathen　antiquity　and　authors。　But　contrariwise；　it　was　the　Christian　Church；　which；　amidst　the　inundations　of　the　Scythians　on　the　one　side　from　the　north…west；　and　the　Saracens　from　the　east；　did　preserve　in　the　sacred　lap　and　bosom　thereof　the　precious　relics　even　of　heathen　learning；　which　otherwise　had　been　extinguished　as　if　no　such　thing　had　ever　been。

15。　We　see　before　our　eyes；　that　in　the　age　of　ourselves　and　our　fathers；　when　it　pleased　God　to　call　the　Church　of　Rome　to　account　for　their　degenerate　manners　and　ceremonies；　and　sundry　doctrines　obnoxious　and　framed　to　uphold　the　same　abuses；　at　one　and　the　same　time　it　was　ordained　by　the　Divine　Providence　that　there　should　attend　withal　a　renovation　and　new　spring　of　all　other　knowledges。　And　on　the　other　side　we　see　the　Jesuits；　（who　partly　in　themselves；　and　partly　by　the　emulation　and　provocation　of　their　example；　have　much　quickened　and　strengthened　the　state　of　learning；）　we　see；　I　say；　what　notable　service　and　reparation　they　have　done　to　the　Roman　see。

16。　Wherefore；　to　conclude　this　part；　let　it　be　observed；　that　there　be　two　principal　duties　and　services；　besides　ornament　and　illustration；　which　philosophy　and　human　learning　do　perform　to　faith　and　religion。　The　one；　because　they　are　an　effectual　inducement　to　the　exaltation　of　the　glory　of　God：　for　as　the　Psalms　and　other　Scriptures　do　often　invite　us　to　consider　and　magnify　the　great　and　wonderful　works　of　God；　so　if　we　should　rest　only　in　the　contemplation　of　the　exterior　of　them；　as　they　first　offer　themselves　to　our　senses；　we　should　do　a　like　injury　unto　the　Majesty　of　God；　as　if　we　should　judge　or　construe　of　the　store　of　some　excellent　jeweller；　by　that　only　which　is　set　out　toward　the　street　in　his　shop。　The　other；　because　they　minister　a　singular　help　and　preservative　against　unbelief　and　error：　for　our　Saviour　saith；　YOU　ERR；　NOT　KNOWING　THE　SCRIPTURES；　NOR　THE　POWER　OF　GOD；　　laying　before　us　two　books　or　volumes　to　study；　if　we　will　be　secured　from　error；　first；　the　Scriptures；　revealing　the　Will　of　God；　and　then　the　creatures　expressing　His　Power；　　whereof　the　latter　is　a　key　unto　the　former：　not　only　opening　our　understanding　to　conceive　the　true　sense　of　the　Scriptures；　by　the　general　notions　of　reason　and　rules　of　speech；　but　chiefly　opening　our　belief；　in　drawing　us　into　a　due　meditation　of　the　omnipotency　of　God；　which　is　chieflysigned　and　engraven　upon　His　works。　Thus　much　therefore　for　divine　testimony　and　evidence　concerning　the　true　dignity　and　value　of　Learning。

VII。　1。　As　for　human　proofs；　it　is　so　large　a　field；　as　in　a　discourse　of　this　nature　and　brevity　it　is　fit　rather　to　use　choice　of　those　things　which　we　shall　produce；　than　to　embrace　the　variety　of　them。　First；　therefore；　in　the　degrees　of　human　honour　amongst　the　heathen；　it　was　the　highest　to　obtain　to　a　veneration　and　adoration　as　a　God。　This　unto　the　Christians　is　as　the　forbidden　fruit。　But　we　speak　now　separately　of　human　testimony：　according　to　which；　that　which　the　Grecians　call　APOTHEOSIS；　and　the　Latins；　RELATIO　INTER　DIVOS；　was　the　supreme　honour　which　man　could　attribute　unto　man：　especially　when　it　was　given；　not　by　a　formal　decree　or　act　of　state；　as　it　was　used　among　the　Roman　Emperors；　but　by　an　inward　assent　and　belief。　Which　honour；　being　so　high；　had　also　a　degree　or　middle　term；　for　there　were　reckoned　above　human　honours；　honours　heroical　and　divine：　in　the　attribution　and　distribution　of　which　honours；　we　see　antiquity　made　this　difference：　that　whereas　founders　and　uniters　of　states　and　cities；　law…givers；　extirpers　of　tyrants；　fathers　of　the　people；　and　other　eminent　persons　in　civil　merit；　were　honoured　but　with　the　titles　of　worthies　or　demi…gods；　such　as　were　Hercules；　Theseus；　Minos；　Romulus；　and　the　like：　on　the　other　side；　such　as　were　inventors　and　authors　of　new　arts；　endowments；　and　commodities　towards　man's　life；　were　ever　consecrated　amongst　the　gods　themselves；　as　were　Ceres；　Bacchus；　Mercurius；　Apollo；　and　others：　and　justly；　for　the　merit　of　the　former　is　confined　within　the　circle　of　an　age　or　a　nation；　and　is　like　fruitful　showers；　which　though　they　be　profitable　and　good；　yet　serve　but　for　that　season；　and　for　a　latitude　of　ground　where　they　fall；　but　the　other　is　indeed　like　the　benefits　of　heaven；　which　are　permanent　and　universal。　The　f