but that which is obscene what kinde of Philosophers are they which account nothing spoken Orator-like but that which is prophane But wee would heare Philosophicall points If they be true and good they dissent not from holy things If they bee naught and untrue what are they to be esteemed The PersiaÌ„s thought it a great fault in a childe either to lie or speak corruptly Do yee make our Christian Youth worse then the Heathen would you not have us speak as Philosophers I would have you speak like wisemen not like the ignorant and unlearned I call them wise men who propound true matters â—nd them ignorant who teach untruths For Philosophy is the study of Wisdome Wisdome comprehends the knowledge of Divine and Human things moreover knowledge is of true things therupon those things onely which are said to be true deserve the name of Philosophy For Philosophers are not Philosophers when they digresse from the truth But because the name of Philosophy is commonly ascribed to the opinions of Philosophers whether true or false and not to true wisdome yee ought to remember what the Apostle warnes you to take heed of Lest any mâ—n spoile you through Philosophy Coloss. 2. 8. For there are some amongst us now adayes who maintaining most pernicious errours contrary both to reason and religion call it Philosophy Nesciâ— furtivo Dido meditatur amâ—res Câ—njugâ—um vocat hâ—c prae texit nomiâ—e culpam On amorous thâ—â—â—s runs Dido's bâ—â—nded minde To hide her fault shee Wâ—dlocks câ—oak doth finde She called it marriage but she comm tred adultery They call it Philosophy but they do defend impiety You must not imitate Caracalla Caesar who was so in love with the very name of Alexander that he was much offended that a base Ruffian whose name was Alexander was arraigned before him Doest thou accuse Alexander said he hold thy peace or else wo be to thee Take yee heed lest by loving the name of Philosophy yee entertain Philosophers errors He accused Alexander but yet a Ruffian I reject Philosophy yet that which is erroneous But some like Caracalla will say to mee What doest thou condemne Philosophy hoâ—d thy tongue of Philosophy or eâ—â—e thou shalt heare ill news I care not for bad dealing from bâ—â— men I accouâ—t not 〈…〉 to be Summâ—m 〈◊〉 I doe admonish you againe and agaâ—ne to tâ—ke 〈◊〉 of Philosophâ— What admonitions the Apâ—stâ—e and ancient Fathers have given what the learned of laâ—â—â— times have continually admonished you of both by precepts and examples that doe I likewise Thus doth Lactantsus often presse and repeate that Philosophy is false and frivolous The Philosophers could speak wel like learned men but they could not speake truely because they were not instructed by him who was Puissâ—nt in Truth So said Eusebius that Philosophers erred from the truth that Philosophy was stuffed full of vaine conjectures divers errors and trifling toyes Thus Tertullian said that Heresies were suborned and supported by the Philosophy of Plato the Stoicks Epicurus Heraclâ—tus Zeno and Aristotle that Heresies did spring and spread from Secular Learning What shall I recite Iustine Martyr Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine and the rest who doe frequently and vehemently urge the same opinion What shall I say of later Writers as Ludovicus Vives Picus Mirandula Hieronymus Savanorolâ— which three most learned men doe tell us with one consent that they must be very warily perused who are they I say not Philosophers but Aristotle and Plato the Princes of Philosophers Why so because Aristotle makes men ungodly and Plato superstitious Doe ye desire examples Pomponatius became a wretched man by listning too much to Aristotle and Ficinus became superstitious from the Platonicall dreames of Spirits Many pestilent errours first entred into the Churches of Christians continued there a long fime yea and at this day doe spoile them from the errours of Plato's and Aristotles Philosophy And is the world bewitched still with the delusions of Satan that Christians will defend Philosophers errours in publike Assemblies with idle and rotten distinctions They little thinke that by this abominable custome it is come to passe that the Christian Faith hath not residence in the hearts but in the Temples of Christians and not there sometimes O what a difference is betwixt even the Heathens and us Christians Aristotle forsooke his Master Plato to uphold his owne errors and wee will not forsake Aristotle that we may defend Gods Truth Virgill gathered gold out of the dunghil of Eâ—â—ius and shall we scrape together stinking filth out of the Philosophers Store-house Isocrates calleth speech the image of the minde Democritus calls it the shadow of workmanship shall we imagine that our thoughts and actions are agreeable to Christianity if we speake as Heathens Wickedly and falsly spake those filthy Poets Vita verecunda est Musâ— jocosa mea est Lasciva est nobis pagina vita proba Demure my life though merry be my Muse An honest life lascivious lines may use Câ—stum esse decet pium Pâ—ctam ipsum Versuâ—â—os nihil necesse est A Poet himselfe devout and chast must be That his Verse bee so there 's no necessity Well said Socrates such as the minde is such is thy speech Speech is the badge of the minde Is thy speech corrupt thy thoughts are impure A prophane tongue and a true Christian will never agree What pains Christians bestow in the Church Philosophers destroy in the Hall Beate downe the affections as much as you can and lop off the sprouts yet they will spring again quench the firebrands yet they will kindle againe Yee should inure your selves from tender age to the best things Children ought to be instructed in sound and true opinions even from their infancie There is no time place or occasion allotted for naughtinesse There is no doubt but Iulian the Apostate who had his education from the Emperour Constantine heard many Sermons in the CHURCH but those private Conferences at home with â—hat declayming Liâ—anâ—us instilled into his minde more naughtinesse than all the Sermons hee heard could expell Nero heard many notable precepts of his Master Seneca but those flattering wordes All things are lawfull for a Prince marred all those Precepts Deceive not your selves One sparke of fire is able to kindle more Gunpowder than all the Ocean can quench Concupiscence is so deeply rooted in us that as it is easily kindled like Gunpowder so it more contagiously rageth Take heed of the flame yea the sparks of this fire What doe our Philosophers answer to this Surely they laugh at my simplicitie who require Godlinesse and Christianitie in their Studies What have wee to doe say they with this over-busie godlinesse and Holinesse Wee leave that to Divines let them preach CHRIST devoutly What have wee Philosophers to doe with Divinitie It is not our profession Let us speake like Aristotle like Philosophers For whereas the Apostle commands the COLOSSIANS to beware lest they be deceived through
Philosophy that say they belongs not to all Christians but onely to Divines It is written indeed unto the COLOSSIANS and Geographers say that COLOSSUS was a Citie but COLOSSAE without doubt was a Divinitie Schoole or at least-wise because it is written unto Christians it is an advice not a precept of which sort there are some things in the Gospell which are not prescribed to all but to compleate Christians as the Expositors of Aristotles Moralls do teach shall we leave off the old want of defending Aristotle whom the most learned of the Vniversities have so long time highly esteemed nay we will rather with the Augustinians maintain all Aristotles sayings even against the superstitious Stoickes according to a Philosophicall truth not according to a Divine Truth not by the light of Faith but of Reason so farre forth as wee are Philosophers not as we are Christians Thus do these men in their cups bragge and brave it out though not perhaps in these very same words yet in the same sense But I woâ—ld advise these men to coÌ„sider that since they wil live like Philosophers let them take heed that they die not Pagans A certain plain Country fellow seeing a noble man of Germany claâ— in armour in the morning like a General of the field and with his Mitre like a Prelate in the Church at evening asked one of his servants why his Lord and Master did sometimes weare an Helmet somtimes a Mitre he answered because he was both a Prince and Bishop of a City A Prince and a Bishop said the Countrey man I pray you Sir tell mee if the Prince goe to Hell whither shall the BISHOP goe If I had so much authoritie as the Countryman I would aske these Philosophers and these Centaure Christians both men monsters these Hermaphrodites both men and women or rather neither who speake impiously as Philosophers in the Schooles and holily in the Church like Christians what thinke you will become of the Christian if the Philosopher bee thrust down to Hell Let no body wrest my words otherwise than I mean I know not how it may fall out that I may hereafter lay the fault upon your tongues seeing that those things which I have spoken true through your misreporting them may be accounted false I have at the last bid farewell to obscene Poets such as for thâ— most part are not to be taught to children I have fetched this out of Saint Augustine in his Confessions who averreth Terence expresly not worthy to be read and blame such Grammarians as expound him If this seemes absurd to them why doe they finde fault with mee let them finde fault with Sâ—int Augustine But let no man so mistake my meaning as though I condemned the reading of all Poets as though I should say because children must be fed with milke not with flesh some Butcher or other should inferre that I spake against eating of flesh absolutely Now if it bee reported againe to Butchers that my demand was what will become of the Christian when the Philosopher is thrust downe to Hell My answer is this to Butchers that I speake of Philosophers in the same sense that Tertullian did What likenesse is there between a Philosopher and a Chriâ—â—ian What hath Athens to do with Ierusalem an Vniversitie with the Church or what have Heretiques to doe with Christians He calls Philosophers Heretiques He was never acquainted with this absurde distinction of a Pâ—ilosophicall truth and a divine truth but he calls Philosophers Hereticks He complains that Philosophy hath bin many sundry ways distributed into Heresies by the industry and labour of Philosophizing Fellows which have corrupted the truth in the Church What hath Athens to doe with Ierusalem an Vniversity with the Church or Hereticks with Christians And yet shall any man marvell why I am of opinion that it is dangerous to speake like Philosophers Men speaking as Philosophers have long agoe infected the Greeke Church and almost all Europe with divers errours Men speaking as Philosophers have in our dayes polluted all Italy would to God it were but Italy only with most noysome opinions Those two most vild and gracelesse men if they may be called men Cornelius Agrippa and Nicholas Machiavell speak as Philosophers of whom the one in his naturall the other in his Morall Philosophy have disgorged such Lessons Qualia credâ—â—â—â—le est rictu ruâ—â—â—sse 〈◊〉 â—â—â—beâ—on Stygii mâ—n stratremenda lacus As if the Stygian Lake or three chopt Cerberus Had spued their monstrous ugly filâ—h on us Pomponatius and Cardanus spake as Philosophers whereof the one wrote that cursed Treatâ—se of the Souls mortality the other broached many impious errours in his subtilties I deny not but they are both confuted Pomponatius sleightly by Contarenus Cardane soundly and thoroughly by Scaliger But how many in the meane time have they spoiled with their philosophicall sentences Poison hurteth moe then the Medicine helpeth neither are all cured that are poysoned And is any man so foolish to seeke to bee wounded that he may be cured What then will some say doe you forbid the reading of prophane matters lâ—st men be corrupted therby Shall we not reade Aristotle Plato Cicero Deâ—â—osthenes shall wee not attaine to the knowledge of Historie Philosophy Eloquence And hereupon Philosophers wâ—ll ampliâ—ie that a thing is not to be rejected for the abuse of it Fâ—eâ—ds are drowned with waters Houses are consumed with fire the earth is scorched with the Sun men are spoiled by buildings and yet for all this water fire the Sun houses and buildings are necessary I would not have the thing it selfe but the abuse thereof abolished and the proper use therof restored again I doe not say that hee offendeth that reades profane Authors so that he doe but lightly passe them over but this I take to be sinâ—ull when profane things are believed for then art thou foyled when thou givest credit to them And in that case I hold it dangerous to defend them for therby perhaps thou hurtest others or else art hurt thy self Thou must also take heed not onely what thou defendest but also what and in what manner thou readest For although thou doest but touch those things that thou readest yet be not so carelesse for many things but touched doe hurt and sometimes kil Saint Augustine makes mention of a little Fly called a Cynips which is of so small a substance that unlesse you be very sharp-sighted you cannot discern her yet when shee fastens on you shee will sting soundly so that shee that you could not perceive coÌ„ming to sting you shall too late repent her stinging But if your judgements bee not so sharp-sighted to discern those which I call the stings of philosophy yet know that Philosophy is â— Cynips which uses to sting heedlesse men feele it not after it is too late The veriest foole that is learnes wit after a shrewd turn The byting of an Aspe procureth a most sweet sleep insomuch that
albeit they oppose a frivolous distinction like a Cloud against the Sunne to obscure the truth Aristotles felicity is not true felicity this they grant to be true in Divinity again Aristotles felicity is true felicity this they will have to be true in Philosophy O silly Epiphanius who didst reck on the errours of Philosophers amongst Heresies O simple Iustin Martyr to confute Aristotles opinions in so great a Volume Dâ—d not they silly men know how to argue maâ—ers in a philâ—sophicall truth when they embrace a divine truth But ô thou Apostle Paul I am sorry for thee why doest thou dispute with the Stoicks Epicureans at Athens of the resurrection of the dead and the life to come It needs no controversie at all For although all Philosophers doe flatly deny the resurrection of the body yet it is in a philosophicall truth but thou Paul dost affirme it in a Theologicall truth as thou hadst learned of Christ. But why dost thou dissent from all Philosophers to no purpose Why doest thou not permit the Athenians to believe Philosophers Doest thou thinke they will the more hardly become Christians for that It is not reasonable to allow Eusebius the benefit of this distinction For he was in an error He knew not this twofold truth Hee sayes Aristotle doth impugne and gainsay the Scriptures in that hee did ascribe felicity to the externall welfare of the body in that hee said that Gods Providence extended not to every sublunary thing in that hee said the World was eternall not created and that the soule of man was not eternall but mortall Eusebius affirmes that in all these points Aristotles opinions are flat against the Scriptures Thou art mistaken Eusebius Aristotle doth not thwart the Scriptures Thou must learne to distinguish betweene a Philosophicall Truth and a Theologicall Truth Come hither Ambrose come Augustine come all the rest of Doctors and learne of our Philosophers that there is one Truth in Divinity another Truth in Philosophy They do Philosophers much wrong Plutarch reports how that one bid a Painters boy who had painted a Cock â—l-favouredly to chase away all right Cocks from his picture Those men that doe alienate divine Truth doe the very same thing Yet if these men had bin Painters I doubt not but they would have distinguished that they had painted well according to the truth of the Picture though not according to the truth of the Cocks nature But as Tiridates King of Armenia called that wicked Wretch Nero his God So Aristotles Patrons do ascribe the name of Truth to the vaine Opinion of Philosophy Which if it be once granted what can be so absurd but it may be defended or what so false but it may be proved either with an Epicurean Platonicall Stoicall or Turkish Truth or with a Papisticall or Hereticall Truth to coÌ„clude which way not And in this manner as Democritus not satisfied with the opinion of one World dreamed of infinite Worlds so we not contented with one truth shall conceive innumerable truths of our owne braine But this will be the issue of all at last in despight of Philosophers that as Varro reckons up 30000 Gods amongst the Gentiles when indeed there was but one onely even so when they have forged 30000 Truths they shall finde but one only and that is the simple Truth which they so deride Here before I proceed any further lest these things perhaps examined which I have alleaged and I very gladly desire they may be are not to be found in Eusebius which I have cited out of Eusebius yee shall understand that they are not to be found in the Latine Eusebius Trapezuntius who was Aristotles great friend translated Eusebius his Books de Euangelica praeparatione into the Latine tongue Fourteene of his Books which contain a consutation of Heathens and Philosophers Trapezuntius translated into Latin but as for his fifteenth Booke which Eusebius wrote almost altogether against Aristotles errours as concerning mans Felicity the Worlds Fternity the Providence of God and the Souls Mortality Trapezuntius never medled with that Therefore lest any man being deceived with the Table of the Booke doe traduce me ye shall know that Latine Eusebius de Evangelica praeparatione wants the fifteenth Book in which are coÌ„tained the things by me alleaged If any will look for it hee may finde it in the Greeke Copy Study therfore the Greek tongue that ye may be able to discern the craftinesse of Interpreters which is too frequent in prophane writings but chiefly in the Scriptures What Eusebius thought fit to write for the advantage of the ChristiaÌ„ faith Trapezuntius thought not fit to be expounded because it weakned Aristotles credit How much worse then hee are our men in these dayes who fearing lest they should savour too much of Christianity desire to heare young Striplings speake finely and to defend by arguments points repugnant to godlines but are loth to hear those things which are consonant to godlinesse And yet they love Piety they love Religion So I think as the Ape loves her puppies or as Iuno loved Hercules They love exceedingly they kill with loving They love as Thais loved Phaedria Misera prae amore exclusit hunc forà s Shee poor soule for very love hath shut him out of doores Let us speak like Philosophers say they when we dispute when wee declayme I had thought yee had rather have spoken like Christians Are you to be saved redeemed and judged of a Philosopher were yoâ— initiated in the Mysteries of Philosophers But what does this concerne us say they Wee may speak as Philosophers we are not Divines yet Divines It is a womans priviledge to say what she list for without doubt they will never bee Divines unlesse perhaps they be Popes as some say Ioane was of yore and albeit they may bee such they may not bee Divines for all that But why do they separate the bounds of Divinity and Philosophy like the Borders of England and Scotland I thinke this was the Deputies doing But yet we may speak as Philosophers What as Diagoras when hee denied there was a God as Protagoras when hee doubted whether there was a God or no as Aristotle when hee takes away Providence from God These are the words of Atheists What then as Plato when hee sets up a Purgatory or Porphyrius who sayes that Angels are to be worshipped or as Aristotle when he teacheth Free-will Let Papists picke out such stuffe for themselves What then shall we say with Epicurus that the soule is mortall with Aristippus that Pleasure is Summum Bonum or with Plato that a mutuall Participation of Wives is to be tolerated No wee allow none of these But wee would have Declamations not Sermons What is a Declamation Is it to deny that to be a Poeme which wants fabulous matter or shall not that be called a Declamation which is not stuffed with impiety If such are no better than base Strumpets which esteeme nothing wittily spoken
the points of Philosophy which are contrary to the true faith as of the soules mortality the worlds eternity or such like opinions that to their uttermost power they vindicate the truth of Christian Religion from such errours and explain it to their hearers and as much as they can both by doctrine and exhortation â—root out and confute these arguments of Philosophers seeing they may be easily confuted Thus ye have the Decree the curse is denounced against all tâ—e violaters therof And this Decree was not ratified by a few but by the whole Councell in generall saving onely worshipfull Master Thomas Superintendent of the Preachers Order did not approve it He as it seems more favouring Aristotle then Piety said that the second part of the Decree did not please him wherin it was enjoyned that Philosophers should openly teach and instruct their Auditories in the true Faith Now then let it seeme doubtfull if it be possible whether the conceit of one onely Master Thomas a younger Brother of the Preachers Order or the Decree of the general Lâ—teran CouÌ„cel ratified with an execâ—ation annexed is to be preferred Moreover if the LateraÌ„ CouÌ„cel if the Râ—mish Bishop if the Cardinals themselves of the Romish Church many chief points of whose Religion rather agrees with Aristotle and the Philosophers than with Christ and his Apostles doe denounce a Curse against all such as shall affirme Aristotles opinionâ— dissenting from Christ to be true though in a philosophicall sense what will become of us thinke you who have taken upon us the profession of pure ReligioÌ„ purged from Superstition freed from the rotten devices of men and clensed from the drosse and dregs of all errours I omit the pressing of this point in the Nycene Assembly of Cardinals appointed for that purpose They held it a great abuse and a matter of dangerous coÌ„sequence for Philosophers to broach impieties in publique Schools and not to discover how weake the light of nature is to discourse of God the world and such like arguments and in all their disputations not to make piety their chiefest ayme I presse noâ— the opinion of sworne Witnesses those Cardinals Sadoleâ— Contareâ—â—â— Poole I stick to the Laterane Councels Decree Whosoever therefore affirmeth it to bee true but in a philosophicall sense that the soule iâ— mortall or that the world is eternall if he feare God let him know that hee grievously prophanes Gods Name when the authority of his Word is disabled either in jest or in earnest If hee be a Papist let him know that he is pronounced an execrable Heretick and Infidell lyable to a Curse and delivered up to Satan by the Romish Bishop and the Lateran Councell if hee be an Atheist let him take his liberty of philosophizing defend his distinctions and what hee list I forbid him not To all others whether they are godly or seeme to be so what I say of the Worlds Eternity or the Souls Mortalitie I say the same of all other questions which dissent from Christian godlinesse amongst which is Aristotles opinion of Blessednes condemned by the judgment of Eusebius Lactantius Augustine Ambrose Gregory Nyssen nazâ—anzene and many other most learned men Let them look to it which deâ—fend it Let Philosophers distinguish the Sorbonists barke Epicureans rage Machiaviliâ—ns scoffe the Truth is conquerer They themselves totter and shake fall and rot but the Truth will triumph Truth like the Palme-tree the more it is kept downe the more it flourisheth and by how much the more forcibly it is bended down-wards by so much the more vigoriously it reflecteth upwards The Sun ofttimes is darkned but that darknesse is discussed Proserpines golden branches are broke off but they spring again Truth may be pressed but it cannot be oppressed But if any Novice in Philosophy be offended at these things which are truly uttered neither can it bee expected but some will take offence at them let him not like a Momuâ— backbite in a corner or maliciously traduce this or that thing which I have spoken but let him refute mine Oration He shall not need to goe to the Augustinian Monkes let him writewithin his owne walls Words are but winde writings will stick by it let the learned judge I will most willingly give him a copy of mine Oration And so I doe heartily againe and againe intreat the Aristotelians if they have any confideÌ„ce in their cause if they beare any true affection either to Aristotle or Philosophy or the Truth that they will confute mine opinions If they cannot doe it for I doubt not of their good will to do it let them leave their wonted obstinacie and yield to the truth Let them not object they are not suffered to speak their minds openly they have place enough to write their mindes and that they may do more freely and upon better deliberation I acknowledge mine own weaknesse no man more but strong is the Truth I doe not so much distrust my selfe as I trust to my Cause A very child may mayntain a good cause but Cicero himsefe is not a sufficient Patron for a bad cause But I would wish them to provide new distinctions for these which I have handled have been oftner boyled than the Colewoâ—t in the Proverbe not twice but a thousand times which the stomack of Polyphemus himself is not able to disgest so that it is no mervaile our Schollers are sicke so often when they are crammed with such distinctions If any more sober minded hath either not understood or not approoved what according to mine abilitie I rather pointed at than explained by reason of the shortnesse of the time I intreat him to come to mee hee shall finde mee most ready to teach what I know or to learn what I know not We do not all know all things I may erre I am willing to be instructed This onely I crave that no man doe rashly carpe at what is done I neither contemne nor condemne the studie of Philosophy But I see a deeper wound concealed There are some in whose hearts impious profanenes is so fast rooted that they make piety not onely to seeme harsh and unsavoury to others but to be rejected and vilified by themselves Truly as Saint Augustine wrote long agoe that the enemies of grace lay conâ—chedunder the name of nature so it may be as truly said in our times that the enemies of the Faith lie couched under the name of Philosophy I know indeed there are many that erre through lack of knowledge but I mean the obstinate and pertinacious Patrons of Philosophy of whom would to God that were untruly spoken which I here speak againe with griefe The enemies of the faith lie couched under the name of Philosophy I shall be thought of some to be their enemy now I have rub'd their soares So mad Orestes in Euripides called his sister Electra a Fury of Hell because she tied him fast in his bed lest hee should run mad But her brothers outragious words nothing daunted
that Christians might in their tender yeers be informed in true opinions have most straightly charged that the weaknesse of the light of Nature should be made knowne laid open and often pressed in Auditories What is in you or any of you young men unlearned in comparison of so many aged men and so many Fathers renowned both for Learning Pietie that yee should account your selves wiser than they either in training up such as yee instruct or sharper-witted in understanding what ye reade and that those points which they condemned in Aristotle concerning Nature and Manners as false and foolish yee should censure to be unjustly condemned and approve them by your absurde Distinctions Have I therefore erected Corpus Christs Colledge for Divines that Aristotle might have moe followers and my Saviour no pious servants Have I therefore conâ—erred so large benefits upon you that yee should in your speeches preâ—erre ungodly and unprofitable before good and wholsome matters mans glory before Gods glory the infernall gods before the most mightie God Have I therefore ordained that famous man Ludovicuâ— Vives to be your Lectuâ—er who taught you in his life time by admonitions and after his death by his writings how the corrupted Arts might be thoroughly purged and clensed And are ye now so silly young men as to leave Viands for Acorns Trees for Chips and with the Dog return to his vomit and with the Swine to wallowing in the mire It was my desire and I enjoyned you to observe it that such as were sound should not be corrupted but the bad should be directed the ignorant shold be instructed and not the capable made fools nor to regard what doting Philosophers dreamed of but what true things were comprised in the Arts. Is not the flesh of it self raging enough forward enough to defection prone to naughtines and flexible to every kind of vice unlesse yee â—oment and feed it with â—uell â—etched from Philosophers to inflame the sparks of impietie and so adde fire to fire ye think your selves not able enough to heare Aristotle but yee are to heare Christ. Shake off this drowsines trample upon prophane things be wise in heavenly things search out the truth reverence godlinesse and that not lazily but earnestly with all your industry and with your whole heart night and day at home and abroad privatly and publikely The violent â—ay hold of the kingdome of Heaven Not the slothfull but the runners get the Crowne Hee that knows not Christ knows nothing True Religion is true Blessednesse Let no man deceive himself learning without godlinesse is poyson Whom it posssesseth it puffs up whoÌ„ it puffs up it kils The most glorious God enlighten your mindes with the brightnesse of his grace that yee may alwaies be mindfull of that account yee are to give to the severe Iudge not onely of wicked works but of idle words and let go the trifling curiosities of worthlesse men the glittering sâ—btilties of Philosophers the apish toyes of Sophisters â—ooleries of Dunsists but lay hold on true and proficient Learning wherewith yee being exquisitely furnished and with Piety adorned may at length bring honour to God salvation to your selves and be helpfull to others These things surely that pious olde man most respected young men doth daily speake unto us though not in words yet to the same effect in his desires Which if you carefully consider I beseech you all in the presence of the Lord before whose dreadfull Majestie their consciences that reject saving knowledge shall one day tremble and quake that yee abuse not your own and others excellent wits Ye that teach and yee that are taught be diligent the one in delivering the other in receiving convenient not impertinent necessary not frivolous profitable not triviall things â—ime posteth away the arts are difficult life is short error is dangerous trifles are hurtful truth is precious Christ is the Marke Let them that know not true wisedome enquire after it and let them that know it expresse it in their speeches lest others contemne wisdome before they know it and they themselves never attaine to a true but a false wisdome to no purpose Dixi. FINIS Ian. 9. 163â— Imprimatur Thomas Wykes * Sir 〈…〉 * In Technomatrian Aâ—esâ— Hâ—n Iâ—ckson in his Epistle prefixed to this Oration * In his Book 〈…〉 concion
like Aâ—tolycus Candida de nigris de candentibus atra The black to white and white to black they turn They make miserable men of happy and happy men of miserable I would they had been appointed Iudges betwixt us and the Councell of Trent I suppose they would have affirmed each Religion to be true in his kinde that to a carnall man and ours to a spirituall man But lest some jesting companion may sya that I am fowly fallen out with distinctions I must therfore distinguish distinctions that I may resolve what distinctions are true and learned and what are false foolish I embrace learned and true distinctions which are used in disputes but I scorne and reject those distinctions as false and absurd which are propounded either simply or in his kinde But heere I would not have the authority of Distinguishers objected unto me For there are some who if you deny this unhappy Blessednesse to be true in his kinde doe presently betake themselves to this thâ—ed-bare Maxime â—he Scholar must be â—â—ve the Master Truly I do not conceive to what purpose they produce thâ—s unlesse perhaps they will thus argue therefore these felicities are true in their kinde O wondrous witty You have hit the naile on the head Is this a demonstration because it is Arâ—â—totle himselfe could not more strongly demonstrate Si Pergama dextra Defendi possent â—na hac defensa fuissent If Fates to Troy had granted a defence This hand of mine had beat the Greeks from thence If demonstrations make such thunder-claps I have done Hostis habet muâ—os ruit alto à culmine Troia The Enemy hath wonne the walls and Troy comes tumbling down But certainly the Scholler must believe the Master for so says Aristotle And surely he that teacheth must not lie for so sayes Aristotle also If you will observe Aristotles law in teaching unlesse I keep the same also in learning I shall transgresse But if you teach false doctrines which I ought not to believe it is an absurd part in you to coÌ„pell me to believe them If you would have men believe what you teach you must teach those things which you ought to teach if you will not discharge your duty in teaching I will not discharge mine in the hearing for oftentimes the Teachers authority is very prejudiciall to the Scholers profit Thus said Cicero I like not that Pythagorean ipse dixit in mens resolutioÌ„s But they that are bound must obey what must if thy commands be unjust A Scholar must bee credulous if you teach false doctrine Hee that hath twice suffered shipwrack is but a fool to trust Neptune Wherefore if they will be ruled by mee let them leave these poore shifts and sticke fast to their surest refuge as men use to doe in dangerous cases namely that they which speak against Aristotle doe not understand Aristotles meaning They think perhaps that Aristotle was a jugler which casts a mist â—â—ore his Readers eyes Do not we understaÌ„d Aristotles meaning O poore shift So Cicero reports of Torquatus who when Epicurus opinions were called in question said that Philosophers did not understand Epicurus meaning Certaine Pythagoreans said that when the Heavens are turned about they make an admirable harmony but men cannot heare it In like manner Democritus said that his subtile moates were dispersed thrâ—ugh the frame of the whole universe but all men did not perceive them What were Aristotles slaves able to understand him and shall not we be able Dio reports that there is a certain cave at Hierapâ—lis in Asia whose vapours no living creatures saving onely gelded men are able to endure Is not Aristotles stile like unto this Cave whose savoâ—r none but Eunneâ—es that is such as want the masculine liberty of judgement and are Aristotles slaves can abide it is even so But perhaps they are like to that franticke fellow Horatiaâ—us who the day after the publique playes were ended would clap his hands in the Theater when his friends came running and demanded the reason of his acclamations seeing that no body acted hee answered that hee saw Actours though they could not These men surely see some strange things in Aristotles Theater and doe applaud them which wee cannot discern But what if I can shew that they themselves do not understand him but being blinded with a self-conceit of Aristotles worth as men distempered with some malady doe with that franticke fellow imagine that they see that which they do not And what if I proove unto you that Cicero Diogenes Laertius and Alexander Aphrodisaeus himselfe do interpret Aristotle as I do What if I shew those notable Champions and Lights of the Christian Church both the Greek and Latine Doctors doe not onely so expound but also confute Aristotle What refuge have they then I know not what answer they wil make to Cicero Laertius and Alexander unlesse perhaps they will say that credit is not to be given to examples at least wise that the places cited are but probable not true And mee thinkes I smell what they will say of Christian Writers They wil not except I be much mistaken deny that those things which so worthy men have wrote against Aristotle are true and yet they will deny that Aristotle cried How then can it be possible that in this very point they write truly that Aristotle erred yet say they Aristotle erred not You shall heare there is a twofold Truth a Philosophicall Truth and a Theologicall Truth Aristotle was in an error according to a Theologicall Truth and in that sense he is blame worthy but Aristotle erred not in a Philosophicall Truth for in that sense hee could not bee mistaken without doubt for hee is a miracle of Nature What is this I heare A Philosophicall Truth and a Theologicall Truth This is pulling in pieces not distinguishing Now indeed I nothing marvell at those men who use to scoffe and deride the simple Truth when 〈…〉 can hatch two Truths for one as drunken men use to see two Lanthorns for one and Plautinus found two Masters for one Messeinus and mad Pentheus beheld two Suns for one They have so well profited in the Art of wrangling that they have quite forgotten how to dispute For what is Truth The Learned in the Greeke Tongue doe call Verum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ— esse to be because it is the same which it is said to be Therefore as Philosophers teach that Contraries cannot stand together at one and the same time in the same subject so the same Philosophers teach that contradictories cannot both be true of one and the same thing Is it not then a shame for our Logicians to disable and enervate the very first Principles of Logicke For wheras Aristotle doth teach that to affirme and deny the same thing not onely in the generall but also in the particular must needs be coÌ„tradictorious these men do in very deed deny this truth