nature Poyson is that which worketh wholy vpon Nature without that that nature can in any part worke vpon it So in the minde whatsoeuer knowledge reason cannot at all worke vpon conuert is a meere intoxication and indangereth a dissolution of the minde vnderstanding But for the latter it hath beene extreamely set on foote of late time by the Schoole of Paracelsus and some others that haue pretended to finde the truth of all naturall Philosophy in the Scriptures scandalizing and traducing all other Philosophie as Heathenish and Prophane But there is noe such enmitie betweene Gods word and his workes Neither doe they giue honour to the Scriptures as they suppose but much imbase them For to seeke heauen and earth in the word of God Whereof it is saide Heauen and Earth shall passe but my worde shall not passe is to seeke temporary things amongst eternall And as to seeke Diuinitie in Philosophy is to seeke the liuing amongst the dead So to seeke Philosophy in Diuinitie is to seek the dead amongst the liuing Neither are the Pots or Lauers whose place was in the outward part of the Temple to be sought in the holiest place of all where the Arke of the testimonie was seated And againe the scope or purpose of the spirit of God is not to expresse matters of Nature in the Scriptures otherwise then in passage and for application to mans capacitie and to matters morall or Diuine And it is a true Rule Authoris aliud agentis parua authoritas For it were a strange conclusion if a man should vse a similitude for ornament or illustration sake borrowed from Nature or historie according to vulgar conceit as of a Basiliske an Vnicorne a Centaure a Briareus an Hydra or the like that therefore hee must needes bee thought to affirme the matter thereof positiuely to be true To conclude therefore these two Interpretations the one by reduction or Aenigmaticall the other Philosophicall or Phisicall which haue beene receiued and pursued in imitation of the Rabbins and Cabalists are to be confined with a Noli altum sapere sed time But the two later points knowne to God and vnknowne to Man touching the secrets of the heart and the successions of time doth make a iust and sound difference betweene the manner of the exposition of the Scriptures and all other bookes For it is an excellent obseruation which hath beene made vpon the answeres of our Sauiour 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 knowes mans thoughts by his words but knowing mans thoughts immediately hee neuer 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 coatradictions 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 respectiuely towardes that present occasion whereupon the wordes were vttered or in precise congruitie or contexture with the wordes before or after or in contemplation of the principall scope of the place but haue in themselues not onely totally or collectiuely but distributiuely in clauses and wordes infinite springs and streames of doctrine to water the Church in euerie part and therefore as the literall sense is as it were the maine streame or Riuer So the Morall sense chiefely and sometimes the Allegoricall or Typicall are they whereof the Church hath most vse not that I wish men to be bold in Allegories or Indulgent or light in Allusions but that I doe much condemne that Interpretation of the Scripture which is onely after the manner as Men vse to interprete a prophane booke In this part touching the exposition of the Scriptures I can report noe deficience but by way of remembrance this I will adde In perusing Bookes of Diuinitie I finde many Bookes of controuersies and many of common places and treatises a masse of positiue Diuinitie as it is made an Arte a number of Sermons and Lectures and many prolixe commentaries vpon the Scriptures with harmonies and concordances but that forme of writing in Diuinitie which in my Iudgement is of all others most rich and precious is positiue Diuinitie collected vpon particular Texts of Scriptures in briefe obseruations not dilated into common places not chaseing after controuersies not reduced into Methode of Art a thing abounding in Sermons which will vanish but defectiue in Bookes which wil remaine and a thing wherin this age excelleth For I am perswaded and I may speake it with an Absit invidia verbo and no waies in derogation of Antiquitie but as in a good emulation betweene the vine and the oliue That if the choise and best of those obseruations vpon Texts of Scriptu◅es which haue beene made dispersedly in Sermons within this your Maiesties Ilands of Brittanie by the space of these fortie yeares and more leauing out the largenesse of exhortations and applications thereupon had beene set downe in a continuance it had beene the best worke in Diuinitie which had beene written since the Apostles times The matter informed by Diuinitie is of two kinds matter of beliefe and truth of opinion and matter of seruice and adoration which is also iudged and directed by the former The one being as the internall soule of Religion the other as the externall body thereof therfore the heathen Religion was not onely a worship of Idolls but the whole Religion was an Idoll in it selfe for it had noe soule that is no certaintie of belief or confession as a man may well thinke considering the chiefe Doctors of their Church were the Poets and the reason was because the heathen Gods were noe Iealous Gods but were glad to be admitted into part as they had reasō Neither did they respect the purenesse of hart so they mought haue externall honour and rites But out of these two doe result and issue foure maine branches of Diuinitie Faith Manners Lyturgie and Gouernment Faith containeth the Doctrine of the Nature of GOD of the attributes of GOD and of the workes of GOD The nature of GOD consisteth of three persons in vnitie of GOD-head The attributes of GOD are either common to the deitie or respectiue to the persons The workes of GOD summarie are two that of the Creation and that of the Redemption And both these workes as in Totall they appertaine to the vnitie of the God-head So in their parts they referre to the three persons That of the Creation in the Masse of the Matter to the father in the disposition of the forme to the Sonne and in the continuance and conseruation of the being to the Holy spirit So that of the Redemptiō in the election and counsell to the Father in the whole Act and consūmation to the
vp both to be applyed to that which is frequent and most in request The former of these I will call Antitheta the latter Formulae Antitheta are Theses argued pro contra wherin men may be more large laborious but in such as are able to doe it to auoyd prolixity of entry I wish the seedes of the seuerall arguments to be cast vp into some briefe and acute sentences not to bee cyted but to bee as Skaynes or Bottomes of thread to bee vnwinded at large when they come to be vsed supplying authorities and Examples by reference Pro verbis legis Non est interpretatio sed diuinatio quae recedit a littera Cum receditur a littera Index transit in legislatorem Pro sententia Legis Ex omnibus verbis est Elu◅endus sensus qui interpretatur singula Formulae are but decent and apt passages or conueyances of speeche which may serue indifferently for differing subiects as of Preface Conclusion Digression Transition Excusation c. For as in buildings there is great pleasure and vse in the well casting of the staire cases entryes doores windowes and the like so in speeche the conueyances and passages are of speciall ornament and effect A conclusion in a Del◅eratiue So may we redeeme the faults passed preuent the inconue niences future There remayn two Appendices touching the tradition of knowledge The one Criticall The other Pedanticall For all knowledge is eyther deliuered by Teachers or attayned by mens proper endeuors And therefore as the principall part of Tradition of knowledge concerneth chiefly in writing of Books So the Relatiue part thereof concerneth reading of Bookes Wherunto appertayn incidently these consideratiōs The first is cōcerning the true Correction editiō of Authors wherin neuerthelesse rash diligēce hath don gret preiudice For these Critiques haue oftē presumed that that which they vnderstandnot is false set down As the Priest that where he found it written of S. Paul Demissus est per sportam mēded his book and made it Demissus est per portam because Sperta was an hard word and out of his reading and surely their errors though they be not so palpable and ridiculous yet are of the same kind And therefore as it hath beene wisely noted the most corrected copies are cōmonly the least correct The second is concerning the exposition and explication of Authors which resteth in Annotations and Cōmentaryes wherin it is ouer vsual to blaunch the obscure places and discourse vpon the playne The third is concerning the times which in many cases giue great light to true Interpretations The fourth is concerning some briefe Censure and iudgement of the Authors that men therby may make some election vnto themselues what Bookes to reade And the fift is concerning the Syntax and disposition of studies that men may know in what order or pursuite to reade For PEDANTICALL knowledge it contayneth that differēce of Tradition which is proper for youth Whereunto appertaine diuers considerations of greatfruit As first the tyming and seasoning of knowledges as with what to initiate them and from what for a time to refraine them Secondly the consideration where to begin with the easiest and so proceede to the more difficult And in what courses to presse the more difficulte and then to turne them to the more easie for it is one Methode to practise swimming with bladders and another to practise dauncing with heauy shooes A third is the application of learning according vnto the propriety of the wittes for there is no defect in the faculties intellectuall but seemeth to haue a proper Cure contayned in some studies As for example If a Child be Bird-witted that is hath not the facultie of attention the Mathematiques giueth a remedy thereunto for in them if the witte be caught away but a moment one is new to begin And as sciences haue a propriety towards faculties for Cure and helpe So faculties or powers haue a Simpathy towards Sciences for excellency or speedy profiting And therfore it is an enquity of greate wisedom what kinds of wits and Natures are most apt and proper for what sciences Fourthly the ordering of exercises is matter of great consequence to hurt or helpe For as is well ob serued by Cicero men in exercising their faculties if they be not wel aduised doe exercise their faultes get ill habits as well as good so as there is a greate iudgement to be had in the continuance and intermission of Exercises It were to longe to particularize a number of other consideratiōs of this nature things but of meane appearance but of singular efficacy For as the wronging or cherishing of seeds or young plants is that that is most important to their thriuing And as it was noted that the first six kings being in trueth as Tutors of the State of Rome in the infancy thereof was the principal cause of the immense greatnesse of that state which followed So the culture and manurance of Minds in youth hath such a forcible though vnseen operacion as hardly any length of time or contention of labour can counteruaile it afterwards And it is not amisse to obserue also how small and meane faculties gotten by Education yet when they fall into greate men or great matters doe work great and important effects whereof we see a notable example in Tacitus of two Stage-plaiers Percennius and Vibulenus who by their facultie of playing put the Pannonian armies into an extreame tumulte and combustion For there arising a mutinie amongst them vpon the death of Augustus Caesar Bloesus the lieuetenant had committed some of the Mutiners which were suddenly rescued whereupon Vtbulenus got to be heard speake which he did in this manner These poore innocent wretches appointed to cruell death you haue restored to behould the light But who shall restore my brother to me or life vnto my brother that was sent hither in message from the legions of Germany to treat of the common Cause and he hath murdered him this last night by some of his sencers ruffians that he hath about him for his executioners vpon Souldiours Answer Blaesus what is done with his body The mortallest Enem'es doe not deny buriall when I haue performed my last duties to the Corpes with kisses with teares command me to be slaine besides him so that these my fellowes for our good meaning and our true hearts to the Legions may haue leaue to bury vs. With which speeche he put the army into an infinite fury and vprore whereas truth was he had no brother neyther was there any such matter but hee plaide it meerely as if he had beene vpon the stage But to returne we are now come to a period of RATIONALL KNOVVLEDGES wherein if I haue made the diuisions other than those that are receiued yet would I not be thought to disallow all those diuisions which I doe not vse For there is a double necessity imposed vpon me of altering the diuisions The one because it
as Salomon saith He that cometh to seeke after knowledg with a mind to scorne and censure shal be sure to finde matter for his humor but no matter for his Instruction Quaerenti derisori Scientiam ipsa se abscondit sed Studioso sit obuiam But the managing of this argument with integrity Truthe which I note as deficient seemeth to me to be one of the best fortifications for honesty and vertue that can be planted For as the fable goeth of the Basilisk that if he see you first you die for it but if you see him first he dieth So is it with deceits and euill arts which if they be first espied they leese their life but if they prevent they indanger So that we are much beholden to Macciauell others that write what men doe and not what they ought to do For it is not possible to ioyn serpentine wisedom with the Columbine Innocency except men know exactly all the conditions of the Serpent his basenesse and going vpon his bellye his volubility and lubrioity his enuy and stinge and the rest that is al fourmes and Natures of euill For without this vertue lyeth open and vnfenced Nay an honest man can doe no good vppon those that are wicked to reclaime them without the helpe of the knowledge of evil For meÌ„ of corrupted minds presuppose that honesty groweth out of Simplicitye of manners and beleuing of Preachers schoolmasters and Mens exterior language So as except you can make them perceiue that you know the vt most reaches of they re owne corrupt opinions they despise all moralitye Non recipit stultus verba prudentiae nisi ca dixeris quae versantur in Corde eius Vnto this part touching Respectiue duty doth also appertayne the dutyes betweene husband and wife parent and childe Master and Seruant So likewise the lawes of friendship and Gratitude the ciuile bond of Companyes Colledges and Politike bodies of neighbourhood and all other proportionate duties not as they ar parts of Gouernment and Society but as to the framing of the minde of particular persons The knowledge concerning good respecting Society doth handle it also not simply alone but Comparatiuely whereunto belongeth the weighing of duties betwen person and person Case and Case particular publike As we see in the proceeding of Lucius Brutus against his own Sons which was so much extolled yet what was sayd Infâ—…lix vt cunque serent easata Minores So the case was doubtfull and had opinion on both sides Againe we see when M. Brutus and Cassius inuited to a supper certaine whose opinions they meant to feele whether they were fit to be made their Associates and cast foorth the question touching the Killing of a TyraÌ„t being an vsurper they wer deuided in opinion some holding that Seruitude was the Extreame of Euils and others that Tyranny was better then a Ciuile war and a number of the like cases there are of coÌ„paratiue duty AmoÌ„gst which that of all others is the most frequent where the question is of a great deale of good to ensue of a small Iniustice Which Iason of Thessalia determined against the truth Aliqua sunt iniustè sacienda vt multa iuste fieri possint But the reply is good Authorem praesentis Iustititiae habes sponsorem futurae non habes Men must pursue things which are iust in presente and leaue the future to the diuine prouidence So then we passe on from this generall part touching the Exemplar and description of Good Now therefore that we haue spoken of this fruite of life it remaineth to speake of the Husbandry that belongeth thereunto without which part the former seemeth to be no better then a faire Image or statua which is beautifull to contemplate but is without life and mocion whereunto Aristotle himselfe subscribeth in these words Necesse est scilicet de virtute dicere quid sit ex quibus gignatur Inutile enim sere suerit virtutem quidem nosse acquirendae autem eius modos vias ignorare Non enim de virtute tantum qua specie sit quaerendum est sed quomodo sui copiam faciat vtrunque enim volumus et rem ipsam nosse eius compotes fieri Hoc autem ex voto non succedet nisi sciamus ex quibus quo modo In such full wordes and with such iteration doth he inculcate this part So saith Cicero in great Commendation of Cato the second that he he had applyed him self to Philosophy Non ita disputandi Causa sed ita viuendi And although the neglect of our tymes wherein few men doe houlde any Consultations touching the reformation of theire life as Seneca excellently saith Departibus vitae quisque deliberat de summa nemo may make this part seem superfluous yet I must Conclude with that Aphorism of Hypocrates Qui graui morbo correpti dolores non sentiunt ijs mens aegrotat They neede medicine not onely to asswage the disease but to awake the sense And if it be saide that the cure of mens Mindes belongeth to sacred diuinity it is most true But yet Morall Philosophy may be preferred vnto her as a wise seruaunt and humble handmaide For as the Psalme saith That the eyes of the bandmayde looke perpetually towardes the mistresse and yet no doubt many things are left to the discretion of the handmayde to discerne of the mistresse will So ought Morall Philosophy to giue a constant attention to the doctrines of Diuinity and yet so as it may yeeld of her selfe within due limits Many souÌ„d and profitable directions This Part therefore because of the excellency therof I cannot but find exceeding strange that it is not reduced to written enquiry the rather because it consisteth of much matter wherein both speech and action is often conuersant and such wherein the common talke of men which is rare but yet commeth sometimes to passe is wiser then their Bookes It is reasonable therefore that we propound it in the more particularity both for the woorthinesse and because we may acquite our selues for reporting it deficieÌ„t which seemeth almost incredible and is otherwise conceiued and presupposed by those themselues that haue written We wil therfore enumerate some heads or Points thereof that it may appeare the better what it is and whether it be extant First therefore in this as in all things which ar practicall we ought to cast vp our account what is in our power and what not for the one may be dealte with by waye of alteration but the other by waye of application onely The husbandman cannot command neither the Nature of the Earth nor the seasons of the weather no more can the Physition the constitution of the patiente nor the varietye of Accidentes So in the Culture and Cure of the mynde of Man two thinges are without our commaund Poyntes of Nature and pointes of Fortune For to the Basis of the one and the Conditions of the other our worke is limited and
Inferiour to Vertue and and an Enemy to Meditacion for wisedome of Gouernmente they acquite themselues well when they are called to it but that happeneth to fewe But for the wisedome of Businesse wherein mans life is moste conuersant there bee noe Bookes of it excepte some fewe scattered aduertisementes that haue noe proportion to the magnitude of this subiecte For if bookes were written of this as the other I doubt not but learned men with meane experience woulde farre excell men of longe experience withoute learning and outshoote them in their owne bowe Neither needeth it at all to be doubted that this knowlddge shoulde bee so variable as it falleth not vnder precept for it is much lesse infinite then science of Gouernmente which wee see is laboured and in some parte reduced Of this wisedome it seemeth some of the auncient Romanes in the saddest and wisest times were professors for Cicero reporteth that it was then in vse For Senators that had name and opinion for generall wisemen as Ceruncanius Curius Loelius and manie others to walke at certaine howers in the Place and to giue audience to those that would vse their aduise and that the particuler Citizens would resort vnto them and consulte with them of the marriage of a daughter or of the imploying of a sonne or of a purchase or bargaine or of an accusatioÌ„ and euery other occasion incident to mans life so as there is a wisedome of Counsaile and aduise euen in priuate Causes arisinge out of an vniuersall insight into the affayrs of the world which is vsed indeede vpon particuler cases propouÌ„ded but is gathered by generall obser uation of causes of like nature For so wee see in the Booke which Cicero writeth to his brother De petitione consultatus being the onely booke of businesse that I know written by the auncients although it coÌ„cerned a particuler action then on foote yet the substance thereof consisteth of manie wise and pollitique Axioms which containe not a temporary but a perpetuall direction in the case of popular Elections But chiefly wee may see in those Aphorismes which haue place amongest Divine writings composed by Salomon the King of whom the scriptures testifie that his hearte was as the sandes of the sea incompassing the world and all worldly matters we see I saie not a few profound and excellent cautions precepts positions extending to much varietie of occasions wherevpon wee will staie a while offering to consideracion some number of Examples Sed eunctis sermonibus qui dicuntur ne accommodes aurem tuam uè fortè audiaes seruum tuum maledicentem tibi Heere is concluded the prouidente staye of enquiry of that which we wolde be loathe to finde as it was iudged greate wisedome in Pompetus Magnus that he burned Sertorius papers vnperused Vir sapiens si cum stulto contenderit siue irascaetur siue rideat uon inueniet requiem Here is described the great disaduantage which a wise man hath in vndertaking a lighter person then himselfe which is such an ingagemente as whether a man turne the matter to ieast or turne it to heate or howsoeuer hee change copye hee can no wayes quitte himselfe well of it Qui delicatè à pueritia nutrit seruum suum postea sentiet eum contumacem Heere is signified that if a man beginne too highe a pitche in his fauoures it doeth commonlye end in vnkindnesse and vnthankfulnesse Vidisti virum velocem in opere suo coram regibus stabit nec erit inter ignobiles Here is obserued that of all vertues for rising to honoure quicknesse of dispatche is the best for superiours many times loue not to haue those they imploy too deep or too sufficient but redy and diligent Vidi cunctos viuentes qui ambulant sub sole cum adoadolescente secundo qui consurgit pro eo Here is expressed that which was noted by Sylla first and after him by Tiberius Plures adorant solem orientem quam occidentem vel meridianum Si spiritus potestaâ—…m habentis ascenderit super te locum tuum ne dimiseris quia Curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima Here caution is giuen that vpon displeasure retiring is of all courses the vnfittest for a man leaueth thinges at worst and depriueth himselfe of meanes to make them better Erat Ciuitas parua pauci in ea viri venit contra eam rex magnus vadauit eam instrxuitque munitiones per Gyrum perfecta est obsidio inuentusquae est in ea vir pauper sapiens liberauit eam per sapientiam suam nullus deinceps recordatus est hominis illius pauperis Here the corruptions of states is sette foorh that esteeme not vertue or merite longer then they haue vse of it Mollis responsio frangit iram Here is noted that silence or rough Answeare exasperateth but an answear present and temperate pacifieth Iter pigrorum quasisepes spinarum Here is liuelie represented how laborious sloth prooueth in the end for when thinges are differred till the laste instant and nothing prepared before hande euerye stepp findeth a Bryer or Impediment which catcheth or stoppeth Melior est finis orationis quam principium Here is taxed the vanitie of formall speakers that study more about prefaces and inducements then vpon the conclusions and issues of speache Qui cognoscit in iudicio faciem non bene facit iste et pro buccella panis desâ—…ret veritatem Here is noted that a iudge were better be a briber then a respecter of persons for a corrupt Iudge offendeth not so lightly as a facile Vir pauper calumnians pauperes similis est imbrivehementi in quo paratur fames here is expressed the extreamiâ—…y of necessitous extortions figured in the aunciente fable of the full and the hungry horse-leech Fons turbatus pede vena corrupta est iustus cadens coram impio here is noted that one iudiciall and exemplar iniquity in the face of the world doth trouble the fountaines of Iustice more then many particuler Iniuries passed over by conniuence Qui subtrahit aliquid a patre a matre dicit hoc non esse peccatuÌ„ particeps est homicidij here is noted that whereas men in wronging theyr best frindes vse to extenuat their faulte as if they moughte presume or bee bolde vpon them it doth contrariwise indeede aggrauate their fault turneth it from Iâ—…iury to impiety Noli esse amicus homini iracundo nec ambulato cum homine furioso here caution is giuen that in the election of our friends wee doe principalliy avoide those which are impatiente as those that will espouse vs to many factions and quarels Qui conturbat domum suam possidebit ventum here is noted that in domesticall separations breaches men doe promise to themselues quietting of theire minde and contentemente but still they are deceived of theire expectation and it turneth to winde Pilius sapiens laetificat patrem filius vero stultus maestieia est matri sueae Here is