TWO very USEFULL and COMPENDIOUS Theological Treatises The FIRST shewing The NATURE of WIT WISDOM and FOLLY The SECOND describing The Nature Use and Abuse OF THE TONGUE and SPEECH Whereby principally WISDOM and FOLLY are expressed Wherein also are divers Texts of SCRIPTURE touching the respective Heads explained By RICHARD WARD Preacher of the Gospel at Bushey in Hartford-shire Prima Sapientia est Vita Laudabilis apud Deum Pura Mens per quam Puri puro junguntur Sancti sancto sociantur Nazianz. in Apolog. Wisdom is the Principal Thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy gettings get Vnderstanding Prov. 4.7 LONDON Printed for William Miller at the Gilded Acorn in St. Pauls Church-yard near the little North Door 1673. TO THE TRULY HONOURABLE COLONEL TITVS ONE OF His MAJESTIES Bed-Chamber Much Honoured and Worthy SIR THese two short Treatises must either have come into the World without a Patron which at first I thought or must shelter themselves under your Patronage which upon second thoughts I have presumed to doe for this Cause In the Dedication of Books Authors usually aim at such Mecaenas's as either they have some Ecclesiastical Relation unto or have been long acquainted with or have been greatly obliged unto or such as are able to understand and judge of what is written whether Corrupt or Sound whether chaffy or solid or such as are able in regard of their Parts Place and Power to give countenance and patronage to the Books dedicated unto them Now Sir You above all the Friends I have may most justly chalenge the Patronage of this Piece in all the forenamed regards For When your high Employments and important Affairs will permit you to be in the Countrey you are then under my Ministery I have had the honour and happiness to know you to be thorowly known unto you and intimately acquainted with you for many years You have been a constant Friend yea as a Patron to me and mine Your singular Parts general Learning and knowledge and transcendent Judgement makes you abundantly able to understand and judge what Books are of worth and which are worthless what Books are profitable and which are useless what Books are Orthodox and which are Heterodox And therefore if this short Manual be approved by you I hope it will please the most and best Again so eminent is your place in the State and so great your Power through the Favour of His Majesty your Princely Master for your extraordinary parts personal worth and singular Faithfulness and Loyalty that you are fittest and best able to patronize this poor Infant that flies unto you as its only Guardian for Protection Concerning these two Treatises presented unto you be pleased to observe That Books may be distinguisht by these four Notions some are to be spit out some to be swallowed some to be eaten and some to be chawed I. Some Books are to be spit out as impertinent erroneous heretical lying scurrilous scoffing seditious and obscene Discourses and the like which neither afford any lawfull Pleasure or true Profit unto the Reader but rather bring with them a danger unto him These Books I say are not to be relished but rejected lest the Appetite by them should be infected II. Some Books are to be swallowed as Romances Histories Poetical Fictions and all such Books as are written only for the Solace and lawfull Refreshment of the Minde these are perfunctorily to be perused and cursorily to be read III. Some Books are to be eaten as Books concerning Morality Nature Liberal Sciences Illiberal Arts and the like these may diligently be read and carefully studyed in respect of their benefit but yet neither in such manner or measure as if those only were the Breasts of true Nourishment or Books most worthy our study IV. Some Books are to be chawed and scriously ruminated and pondered as those which are written for the understanding explicating and applying of the Sacred Oracles of God because these minister Comfort to the Minde and spirit seasonably these suffer no inordinate Affection to domineer over the Will imperiously yea these tend wholly to the spiritual and effectual accomplishment of the Reader wherefore such Books are most diligently and principally to be studyed Now of this nature and kinde are these two Tractates which I here present to your favourable and judicious perusal wherein my endeavour hath been that there may be as many Sentences as Lines and that it may be a serious and sinnewy Piece without any affectation Dear and highly honoured Sir that your Health and Life may be long continued and your Honour and Happiness encreased is and shall be the hearty Desire and Prayer of SIR Your much obliged and most Humble Servant Rich. Ward To the READER Courteous and Christian Reader WHen I remembred that memorable saying of Tully Pudeat illos qui ità in studiis se abdiderunt ut ad vitam communem nullum fructum proferre possint A man should not cloyster up himself in his Study for private but publick profit not only for the encrease of his own Knowledge and Learning but for the augmentation of the spiritual benefit and advantage of many others Yea when I considered that nothing concerns us more next to Gods glory than the salvation of our Souls Matth. 16.26 Luk. 10.20 and that the Sacred Oracles of Holy Writ were able to make a Christian wise and perfect unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.16 I thought it my duty in what I was able to endeavour to promote the benefit of those who desire to abound in all spiritual Knowledge Now what I do intend and have here attempted to this end and purpose is the Explicating Explaining and Applying of some material Heads or Words mentioned in the Bible And if these two short Treatises be kindly accepted or generally well approved of by thee gentle Reader then I shall be emboldened to handle some other Scripture Words both Dogmatically Practically and Polemically as I have done these in small Volumes or Tracts In a Book worth reading and observing there are three things principally required A Plain and easie Method Sound and Orthodox Matter or Necessary and Saving Truths and a good Pen or neat and handsom Expressions The two former of these kind Reader thou wilt find in this small Manual but the last thou must not expect seeing the Lord who diversly distributes his Gifts for the good of his Church and children hath not made me like Aaron of an Eloquent Tongue or enabled me to express my self in a high soaring Style Wherefore I entreat thee Courteous Reader to accept of the few Talents which the Lord hath lent me to improve and to expect sound and soul-saving matter from me but strong lines neat phrases polite and eloquent Expressions sweet and mellifluous Words from others I naturally affect Matter more than Words and sound Sentences than set Speeches My study is to express Multa paucis much Matter in few Words and my care is in
house upon a rock Matth. 7.24 c. And 3. To a Mulberry Tree for as that tree doth first bring forth some fruit and then some blossoms as Peraldus art sum virtut saith so a Wise Man first brings forth works and then words And 4. To the Adamant for as that cannot be broken so the minde of a Wise Man cannot be daunted or enfeebled And 5. To a Pylot for as they observe the winds lest they be crossed by them so a Wise man doth observe the affections of his minde lest he be overcome or mislead by them 6. A Wise man may be compared to the Stars for as they go a contrary course unto the world as Seneca saith so a Wise man doth not conform himself to this wicked world but to the Sacred Word of God 7. As the Planet Mercury never moves far from the Sun albeit it be one of the wandring Planets as Pliny saith so a Wise Man will by no means wander from honesty or go astray from the Sun of righteousness 8. As the Birds Halcyones in the midst of Winter do make the Sea calm not only for themselves but also for others as Pliny saith so a Wise Man in the most turbulent times doth not only preserve unto himself the tranquillity of minde but also maketh others quiet and peaceable 9. A Wise Man may be compared to a Snail for as Snails go slowly neither do touch any thing nor move themselves any way before they assay it with their horns as Pliny observes so it is meet that a Wise Man be considerative and discoursive by leisure and advice taking matters in hand having first had some understanding of them And 10. As the leaves of the Shrub Rhododendros is poyson unto some Cattel as Goats and Sheep but to Men are a remedy against the venom of Serpents so that which bringeth destruction to fools as adversity and misery in outward things a Wise Man turneth to his good and welfare †VI. Observe the Number of Wise Mâ—â— namely I. They are many in conceit and in their own opinion Laertius telleth us that in old time there were but seven Wise Men in the world but now it is hard to find severs fools Aristarchus scoffing at the great number of Sophisters in his dayes said That in old time hardly could there be found seven Wise Men in the whole world but in our dayes quoth he much adoe there is to find so many Fools men in these dayes being so wise in their own eyes II. There are few indeed who are truly wise When Supputius in Pontanus had travelled all over Europe to confer with a Wise Man he returned at last without his errand and could find none Anton. dial Cardan concurrs with him li. 3. de sapient Pauci ut video sanae mentis sunt few there are for ought that I can perceive well in their wits Tully to the same purpose saith Stultè incautè omnia agi video I see all things to be done foolishly and unadvisedly Antisthenes invited many guests to the banquet of Wisdom but none would come save Diogenes whereupon being angry that none would taste of his learned cheer he would have excluded Diogenes who the more he was forbidden the more he came Job complains 1â— 10 I do not sinde one Wise Man among you Thus much for the Speculative or Doctrinal Part. The Practical Part. In this part we have some things to consider of by way of Reprehension some by way of Instruction and some by way of Exhortation †I. In regard of Reprehension observe two things viz. First Observe that natural and worldly Wise Men erre in these three things I. In understanding spiritual things carnally as John 3.4 6.52 8.52 II. In judging things by the outward appearance or by the event as Jobs friends judged him an hypocrite because God afflicted him so Matth. 27.43 And III. In thinking God like unto us Psal 50.21 because they are ignorant of the power mercy and long-suffering of God Matth. 22.29 Secondly Observe that Wise Men are to be blamed in or for these three things I. In giving evil example or for being wicked Marcus Aurelius in his speech to the Tutors of his Son Commodus hath these words We ordain and command that more grievous punishment be given to the Sage for one fault only committed by him publiquely than to the simple man for a greater offence secretly committed And II. In being proud or for being self-conceited of their own wisdom Guevara in his Dial. of Princes l. 2. c. 9. fol. 97. b. saith Though a man think himself to be wise yet he should not esteem his neighbour a fool for there is none so wise but he may use and employ it all for I never saw any man so wise of himself but that he needed the counsel of another Summa cura providendum est ne accepta sapientia cum ignorantiae tenebras illuminat lumen humilitatis tollat jam sapientia esse nequit quae etsi locutionis virtute fulgeat elationis tamen velaminae cor loquentis obscurat Greg. in mor. If ignorance be expelled and wisdom learnt take heed thou be not proud of thy Wisdom for Wisdom of speech doth not so much adorn a man as pride because of Wisdom doth blemish him III. Wise Men are to be blamed in or for refusing to impart their Wisdom to others Socrates though otherwise very wise yet herein I hold him blame-worthy That he would not benefit others by his Writings for being entreated by his Scholars to write those excellent humane natural and moral things which he knew and taught he refused it and that as he said for these three reasons 1. Because the Paper and Ink would be of more worth than the things written thereon 2. Because as he blamed many things in the Writings of others so perhaps many would do his and therefore because he would be blamed by none he would write nothing And 3. Because Wisdom ought to be written in mens hearts and not in beasts skins to wit Parchment But Plato his Scholar knowing and remembring Bonum quo communius eo melius that the more common a good thing is the better did therefore write well nigh all that his master Socrates taught This last reason I once found in this old Verse Wisdom and Science which are pure by kinde Should not be written in Books but in Minde For Wisdom in Books with the Books will rot But writ in the Minde will nere be forgot †II. From concerning or in regard of Wise Men we may Learn these five Lessons First That Carnal Wise Men are vain as 1 Cor. 3.20 The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain that is Such as excell in natural gifts who are the choicest and most picked men even the very flowre of the rest even the thoughts of these are vain Secondly We may learn that the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of
God Luk. 16.2 8. And Thirdly That Spiritual Wise Men may be ignorant of worldly things for as the Wisest Grammarian may be found a fool in Black-smiths work and as the skilfullest Pilot may be found unexpert in the Art of Physick so he who is wise in those things which appertain unto God may be a fool in those things which concern the world Fourthly We may learn when a Wise Man is best known namely I. Guevara in his Book concerning Courtiers ca. 5. f. 121. saith Wise Men are never known that is they are then best known but among fools and light persons Contraria jurta se posita white is never so white as when it is drawn upon black II. The French by way of Proverb say Au milieu des perils la prudence reluit Wisdom doth shine in the midst of danger and a Wise Man is best known In mediis periculis when he is surrounded with evils III. Alexander Severus saith A Wise Man is best known in injuries and wrongs because it often comes to pass that there is much more Wisdom shown in dissembling a wrong or in passing by an injury than in revenging it IV. Seneca saith that a Wise Man is known at a double time viz. when he is wronged and when he is praised for he will not lightly be angry for a wrong done unto him nor be proud when he is praised V. Aristotle saith there is a threefold time when a Wise Man is known viz. 1. When he makes his enemy his friend 2. When he makes the Ignorant learned 3. When he makes the Dishonest man good Fifthly We may learn what the Properties of Wise Men are namely 1. Mala intelligere to see perceive and understand evils and dangers for men must not be willingly blind but learn to foresee evils to come And 2. Mala ignoscere to do evil to none but to pardon and forgive those who offend and injure us And 3. Suspicari to suspect evils from evil men especially from those who hate us for Christ would not commit himself unto the Jews Joh. 2.24 And 4. Evitare to avoid peril and not to run into the Lyons mouth It is Wisdom saith Hierom s Matth. 10.16 Insidias vitare to endeavour to avoid the traps gins snares and trains which are laid for us Sapientia vera firma est non tamen elata non timet pericula sed nec provocat aut lacessit Lips He wisely hopes and gainfully despairs Who fears no ill and yet all ill bewares 5. Sapientis est primam causam quaerere A Wise Man looks not at the stone thrown but at the hand which throws it not at the instrument but first cause Hence Seneca saith Epist 13. Initium rerum omnium sapiens non exitum spectat initia in potestate nostra sunt de eventu fortuna judicat 6. The Wise Man is alwayes peaceable and quiet Talis est sapientis animus qualis mundi status super Lunam semper illic serenum est Senec. Epist 59. The minde of the Wise Man is like that part of the world which is above the Moon for there it is alwayes clear and free from clouds Sapientia ars vivendi putanda est quae moestitiam pellit ex animis quae exhâ—rrescere metu non sinit qua praeceptrice in tranquillitate vivi potest cupiditatum ardore restincto Tul. li. 2. de fin Sapientis est nihil admirari quum accederit nihil ante quam evenerit non evenire posse arbitrari Cicero Ep. The property of a Wise Man is to think nothing which happens or comes to pass strange nor before it comes think it cannot come and hence preparing himself for and arming himself against all changes and chances whatsoever his minde is not molesied nor his spirit troubled with any thing that befalls him but is full of tranquillity and calmness in all conditions whatsoever 7. The Wise Man is a resolute and resolved man Selimus the Son of Bajazet a Wise Man though a tyrant was often heard to say He is not worthy to be called Wise who will not shortly and out of hand dispatch that thing which he hath once determined to doe because through procrastination and delay the good occasion or opportunity is often lost 8. The Wise Man is a constant man in goodness alwayes the same in all things in all places at all times with all persons As Phidias could not only make Images of Ivory but also of Brass Marble and Wood so a Wise Man will shew his Vertue in Riches in Poverty in his own Countrey in Banishment whether he be Captain or Souldier sound or sick or in what estate soever he be he will behave himself wisely and commendably Pliny saith As Nature sheweth her self no less admirable in making a Gnat than in forming an Elephant so a Wise Man both in great and small matters sheweth his excellency and excellent Wisdom lib. 11. cap. 2. As a good workman is not only a Workman in one matter or thing alone but in all things belonging to his Art so a Wise Man is constantly good in all things and in all occasions and occurrences whether prosperous or adverse Sapiens non semper it uno gradu sed una via Senec. The wise man walks alwayes in one and the same way though not alwayes one and the same pace The Stoicks went a little too far in this particular when they said as Seneca relates it that a wise man never repents himself of what he hath done neither ever changeth his counsel or reformeth his actions A wise man must not persist in error nor persevere in a wrong way but change his counsel if truth and equity require it Eutropius tells us that Severus the Emperour for his stable Wisdom knowledge and judgement was called Severus pertinar Stability and constancy is good in that which is good but evil in evil 9. A wise man is master of himself Phocion one day speaking his minde in the Council chamber of the Athenians against the enterprizing of a certain War and seeing his advice so greatly to displease them that they would not give him leave to utter his minde he spake freely unto them in this manner You may peradventure O Athenians force me to do that which ought not to be done but you cannot constrain me to speak any thing contrary to my opinion which ought not to be spoken or Counselled 10. The Wise man is circumspect in all his actions Eutropius saith that Antonius the meek was a very wise and vertuous Emperour and so well advised in all his doings that he never repented him of any thing he did 11. The wise man looks backwards and forwards Marcus Aurelius writing unto the fourteen Tutors of his Son Commodus hath these words The Wise Man who hath understanding ought to think of that which is past and by much wisdom to provide for that which is to come for he cannot be counted wise who is carefull only in one thing Thus Terence Adelp 3.4
applaud themselves in their own misery †16. Lastly Atheists are Positive Fools or positively called Fools Psal 14.1 53.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God For the understanding of these words I will first give the sense and meaning of them and then resolve three questions concerning them Observe here that this phrase To say in the heart hath a threefold acception or signification For 1. Sometimes it signifies to purpose certainly Genes 8.21 2. Sometimes to have doubtfull and perplexed thoughts about salvation Rom. 10.6 And 3. Sometimes to set down a thing inwardly or within ones self as there The fool hath said in his heart c. These words are not to be taken as if any how wicked foolish or mad soever did indeed think or resolve that there was no God for the notion of a God that there is one is more deeply and surely printed and settled into mans soul than that it can ever be blotted out no people being so barbarous but have acknowledged it but impudent sinners would gladly have it so and fain would think it so yea they live so securely as if there were no God forgetting his Power Justice and Providence and going on in a wicked race and course without any regard of these as the verses following which describe their course of Life do plainly expound it Quest 1. How is this Atheistical fool described there by the Psalmist Ans 1. By his deeds which are abominable vers 1 2 3. 2. By his understanding and affections He neither understands nor seeks after God vers 2. 3. By his devotion he calls not upon God vers 4. 4. By his needless fear of the wicked where God is not vers 5. And 5. By his contempt of good men and their counsel vers 6. Quest 2. How did David know the hearts of men to be evil that he saith The fool hath said in his heart c Ans 1. This he knew by the judgement of God or by divine inspiration God knows the heart and He inspired the Prophet in the writing hereof whence David knew the Pravity of the heart of wicked men Yea Ans 2. David knew this by their wicked actions From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks outward actions demonstrate the inward affections corrupt streams argue a corrupt fountain a man may have an outward pure life but a polluted heart he cannot have a polluted and impure life and a clean heart Wherefore by the wickedness of their hands David knew the iniquity of their hearts Quest 3. Why or in what regard is the wicked Atheist or natural man called Fool The fool hath said in his heart c Ans He is called Fool both Privatively and Positively I Privatively not because he is destitute or deprived of the faculty of natural wit and wisdom but 1. Because he wants the knowledge of God 1 Cor. 2.14 And 2. Because of those things which he knowes he wants that effectual approbation and assent which should make spiritual things relish unto him or truly profit him Rom. 8.5 And 3. Because he wants the affect of subjection and obedience even in those things which in some measure in his judgement he approves of Rom. 8.7 And 4. Because he is not carefull to keep himself from the greatest dangers i.e. sin the occasions and evils thereof Prov. 7.7 22.23 14.15 16. And 5. Because he is not only destitute of true wisdom but is also uncapable thereof Prov. 17.10 16 22 27. II. The wicked Atheist is called Fool positively and that 1. Because he is endued with most depraved and perverse opinions and principles For his minde is not like a New table-Table-book wherein nothing is written but like a Leaf wherein is nothing but blots and blurs it being replete with the habits of all errors Prov. 24.9 2. Because he is delighted in this his natural carnal and sinfull condition and pleaseth himself therein Prov. 1.20 8.5 9.6 12.15 3. Because he sleights rejects and hates the offer and tender of true wisdom Prov. 13.19 4. Because he delights in the exercise of folly and foolishness Prov. 10.23 5. Because he loves to scatter and show abroad his folly yea to communicate it to others Prov. 12.23 13.16 6. Because he contemns and opposes the means of instruction and knowledge Prov. 15.5 7. Because he abuseth those means which principally lead unto true Wisdom Prov. 26.9 And 8. Because he appliâ—â— all the powers and faculties both of Soul and Body to the practice and exercise of wickedness Prov. 6.12 13 14. Thus much for the Lessons which may be learnt from concerning or in regard of Fools ¶ II. The Duties here required do either respect and concern Fools or us in regard of Fools I. These two things are required of Fools 1. To labour to understand wisdom Prov. 8.5 and to be of understanding hearts ibid. 2. To listen unto Christ who is true Wisdom Prov. 9.4 II. The Duties required of us in regard of Fools are either Negative or Affirmative First the Negative duties are these three I. We must not be afraid of them Certain young men rushing in one night upon Democritus thinking by their disguised faces voices and bodies to make him afraid he being no whit dismaid said only unto them Will you never leave playing the Fools II. We must not speak in the Ears of Fools Prov. 23.9 and that 1. Because they will despise the wisdom of our words Prov. 23.9 And 2. Because Wisdom is too high for a fool Prov. 24 7. III. We must not answer a fool according to his folly Prov. 26.4 Secondly the Affirmative duty required of us is to answer a fool according to his folly Prov. 26.5 Quest Solomon saying Prov. 26.4 5. Answer not a fool according to his foolishness lâ—st thou also be like him Answer a fool according to his foolishness lâ—st he be wise in his own conceit it may be demanded How do these two verses accord or how may they be reconciled Ans 1. The Antith sis is not simply in Answering but in the manner of answering as appears by the reasons there given For vers 4. teacheth us to be wise in all our talk with fools and diligently to observe what how much when and how to answer them or not Lest if these circumstances should not be observed we should be thought as foolish as they Or Solomon forbids us when we talk with fools to speak foolishly or foolish things as they doe and if they reproach or speak evil of us we must not answer them in their own language repâ—ying evil for evil In vers 5. Solomon teacheth that the forementioned circumstances being observed we may answer a fool namely when he glories in his foolishness or folly or when for his own good it is required that we should show him that he is but a fool Ans 2. Solomon in those two verses showes when we should answer to these railing speeches and when not