the advancement of learning-第45部分

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erfection；　whereunto　the　light　of　nature　cannot　aspire：　how　then　is　it　that　man　is　said　to　have；　by　the　light　and　law　of　nature；　some　notions　and　conceits　of　virtue　and　vice；　justice　and　wrong；　good　and　evil？　Thus；　because　the　light　of　nature　is　used　in　two　several　senses；　the　one；　that　which　springeth　from　reason；　sense；　induction；　argument；　according　to　the　laws　of　heaven　and　earth；　the　other；　that　which　is　imprinted　upon　the　spirit　of　man　by　an　inward　instinct；　according　to　the　law　of　conscience；　which　is　a　sparkle　of　the　purity　of　his　first　estate；　in　which　latter　sense　only　he　is　participant　of　some　light　and　discerning　touching　the　perfection　of　the　moral　law。　but　how？　sufficient　to　check　the　vice；　but　not　to　inform　the　duty。　So　then　the　doctrine　of　religion；　as　well　moral　as　mystical；　is　not　to　be　attained　but　by　inspiration　and　revelation　from　God。

4。　The　use；　notwithstanding；　of　reason　in　spiritual　things；　and　the　latitude　thereof；　is　very　great　and　general：　for　it　is　not　for　nothing　that　the　apostle　calleth　religion　OUR　REASONABLE　SERVICE　OF　GOD；　insomuch　as　the　very　ceremonies　and　figures　of　the　old　law　were　full　of　reason　and　signification；　much　more　than　the　ceremonies　of　idolatry　and　magic；　that　are　full　of　non…significants　and　surd　characters。　But　most　especially　the　Christian　faith；　as　in　all　things；　so　in　this　deserveth　to　be　highly　magnified；　holding　and　preserving　the　golden　mediocrity　in　this　point　between　the　law　of　the　heathen　and　the　law　of　Mahomet；　which　have　embraced　the　two　extremes。　For　the　religion　of　the　heathen　had　no　constant　belief　or　confession；　but　left　all　to　the　liberty　of　argument；　and　the　religion　of　Mahomet；　on　the　other　side；　interdicteth　argument　altogether：　the　one　having　the　very　face　of　error；　and　the　other　of　imposture：　whereas　the　faith　doth　both　admit　and　reject　disputation　with　difference。

5。　The　use　of　human　reason　in　religion　is　of　two　sorts：　the　former；　in　the　conception　and　apprehension　of　the　mysteries　of　God　to　us　revealed；　the　other；　in　the　inferring　and　deriving　of　doctrine　and　direction　thereupon。　The　former　extendeth　to　the　mysteries　themselves；　but　how？　by　way　of　illustration；　and　not　by　way　of　argument：　the　latter　consisteth　indeed　of　probation　and　argument。　In　the　former；　we　see；　God　vouchsafeth　to　descend　to　our　capacity；　in　the　expressing　of　his　mysteries　in　sort　as　may　be　sensible　unto　us；　and　doth　graft　his　revelations　and　holy　doctrine　upon　the　notions　of　our　reason；　and　applieth　his　inspirations　to　open　our　understanding；　as　the　form　of　the　key　to　the　ward　of　the　lock：　for　the　latter；　there　is　allowed　us　a　use　of　reason　and　argument；　secondary　and　respective；　although　not　original　and　absolute。　For　after　the　articles　and　principles　of　religion　are　placed　and　exempted　from　examination　of　reason；　it　is　then　permitted　unto　us　to　make　derivations　and　inferences　from　and　according　to　the　analogy　of　them；　for　our　better　direction。　In　nature　this　holdeth　not；　for　both　the　principles　are　examinable　by　induction；　though　not　by　a　medium　or　syllogism；　and　besides；　those　principles　or　first　positions　have　no　discordance　with　that　reason　which　draweth　down　and　deduceth　the　inferior　positions。　But　yet　it　holdeth　not　in　religion　alone；　but　in　many　knowledges；　both　of　greater　and　smaller　nature；　namely；　wherein　there　are　not　only　POSITA　but　PLACITA；　for　in　such　there　can　be　no　use　of　absolute　reason。　We　see　it　familiarly　in　games　of　wit；　as　chess；　or　the　like：　the　draughts　and　first　laws　of　the　game　are　positive；　but　how？　merely　AD　PLACITUM；　and　not　examinable　by　reason；　but　then　how　to　direct　our　play　thereupon　with　best　advantage　to　win　the　game；　is　artificial　and　rational。　So　in　human　laws；　there　be　many　grounds　and　maxims　which　are　PLACITA　JURIS；　positive　upon　authority；　and　not　upon　reason；　and　therefore　not　to　be　disputed：　but　what　is　most　just；　not　absolutely　but　relatively；　and　according　to　those　maxims；　that　affordeth　a　long　field　of　disputation。　Such　therefore　is　that　secondary　reason；　which　hath　place　in　divinity；　which　is　grounded　upon　the　PLACETS　of　God。

6。　Here　therefore　I　note　this　deficiency；　that　there　hath　not　been；　to　my　understanding；　sufficiently　inquired　and　handled　the　true　limits　and　use　of　reason　in　spiritual　things；　as　a　kind　of　divine　dialectic：　which　for　that　it　is　not　done；　it　seemeth　to　me　a　thing　usual；　by　pretext　of　true　conceiving　that　which　＇77＇　is　revealed；　to　search　and　mine　into　that　which　is　not　revealed；　and　by　pretext　of　enucleating　inferences　and　contradictories；　to　examine　that　which　is　positive：　the　one　sort　falling　into　the　error　of　Nicodemus；　demanding　to　have　things　made　more　sensible　than　it　pleaseth　God　to　reveal　them；　QUOMODO　POSSIT　HOMO　NASCI　CUM　SIT　SENEX　？　　the　other　sort　into　the　error　of　the　disciples；　which　were　scandalized　at　a　show　of　contradiction；　QUID　EST　HOC　QUOD　DICIT　NOBIS　？　MODICUM；　ET　NON　VIDEBITIS　ME；　ET　ITERUM　MODICUM；　ET　VIDEBITIS　ME；　etc。

7。　Upon　this　I　have　insisted　the　more；　in　regard　of　the　great　and　blessed　use　thereof；　for　this　point；　well　laboured　and　defined　of；　would　in　my　judgment　be　an　opiate　to　stay　and　bridle　not　only　the　vanity　of　curious　speculations；　wherewith　the　schools　labour；　but　the　fury　of　controversies；　wherewith　the　church　laboureth。　For　it　cannot　but　open　men's　eyes；　to　see　that　many　controversies　do　merely　pertain　to　that　which　is　either　not　revealed；　or　positive；　and　that　many　others　do　grow　upon　weak　and　obscure　inferences　or　derivations：　which　latter　sort；　if　men　would　revive　the　blessed　style　of　that　great　doctor　of　the　Gentiles；　would　be　carried　thus；　EGO；　NON　DOMINUS；　and　again；　SECUNDUM　CONSILIUM　MEUM；　in　opinions　and　counsels；　and　not　in　positions　and　oppositions。　But　men　are　now　over…ready　to　usurp　the　style；　NON　EGO；　SED　DOMINUS；　and　not　so　only；　but　to　bind　it　with　the　thunder　and　denunciation　of　curses　and　anathemas；　to　the　terror　of　those　which　have　not　sufficiently　learned　out　of　Salomon；　that　THE　CAUSELESS　CURSE　SHALL　NOT　COME。

8。　Divinity　hath　two　principal　parts；　the　matter　informed　or　revealed；　and　the　nature　of　the　information　or　revelation：　and　with　the　latter　we　will　begin；　because　it　hath　most　coherence　with　that　which　we　have　now　last　handled。　The　nature　of　the　information　consisteth　of　three　branches；　the　limits　of　the　information；　the　sufficiency　of　the　information；　and　the　acquiring　or　obtaining　the　information。　Unto　the　limits　of　the　information　belong　these　considerations；　how　far　forth　particular　persons　continue　to　be　inspired；　how　far　forth　the　Church　is　inspired；　how　far　forth　reason　may　be　used：　the　last　point　whereof　I　have　noted　as　deficient。　Unto　the　sufficiency　of　the　information　belong　two　considerations；　what　points　of　religion　are　fundamental；　and　what　perfective；　being　matter　of　further　building　and　perfection　upon　one　and　the　same　foundation；　and　again；　how　the　gradations　of　light；　according　to　the　dispensation　of　times；　are　material　to　the　sufficiency　of　belief。

9。　Here　again　I　may　rather　give　it　in　advice；　than　note　it　as　deficient；　that　the　points　fundamental；　and　the　points　of　further　perfection　only；　ought　to　be　with　piety　and　wisdom　distinguished：　a　subject　tending　to　much　like　end　as　that　I　noted　before；　for　as　that　other　were　like　to　abate　the　number　of　controversies；　so　this　is　likely　to　abate　the　heat　of　many　of　them。　We　see　Moses　when　he　saw　the　Israelite　and　the　egyptian　fight；　he　did　not　say；　WHY　STRIVE　YOU？　but　drew　his　sword　and　slew　the　egyptian：　but　when　he　saw　the　two　Israelites　fight；　he　said；　YOU　ARE　BRETHREN；　WHY　STRIVE　YOU　？　　If　the　point　of　doctrine　be　an　Aegyptian；　it　must　be　slain　by　the　sword　of　the　spirit；　and　not　reconciled；　but　if　it　be　an　Israelite；　though　in　the　wrong；　then；　WHY　STRIVE　YOU　？　We　see　of　the　fundamental　points；　our　Saviour　penneth　the　league　thus；　HE　THAT　IS　NOT　WITH　US；　IS　AGAINST　US；　　but　of　points　not　fundamental；　thus；　HE　THAT　IS　NOT　AGAINST　AS；　IS　WITH　US。　So　we　see　the　coat　of　our　Saviour　was　entire　without　seam；　and　so　is　the　doctrine　of　the　Scriptures　in　itself；　but　the　garment　of　the　Church　was　of　divers　colours；　and　yet　not　divided：　we　see　the　chaff　may　and　ought　to　be　severed　from　the　corn　in　the　ear；　but　the　tares　may　not　be　pulled　up　from　the　corn　in　the　field。　So　as　it　is　a　thing　of　great　use　well　to　define　what；　and　of　what　latitude　those　points　are；　which　do　make　men　merely　aliens　and　disincorporate　from　the　Church　of　God。

10。　For　the　obtaining　of　the　information；　it　resteth　upon　the　true　and　sound　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures；　which　are　the　fountains　of　the　water　of　life。　The　interpretations　of　the　Scriptures　are　of　two　sorts；　methodical；　and　solute　or　at　large。　For　this　divine　water；　which　excelleth　so　much　that　of　Jacob's　Well；　is　drawn　forth　much　in　the　same　kind　as　natural　water　useth　to　be　out　of　wells　and　fountains；　either　it　is　first　forced　up　into　a　cistern；　and　from　thence　fetched　and　derived　for　use；　or　else　it　is　drawn　and　received　in　buckets　and　vessels　immediately　where　it　springeth。　The　former　sort　whereof；　though　it　seem　to　be　the　more　ready；　yet　in　my　judgment　is　more　subject　to　corrupt。　This　is　that　method　which　hath　exhibited　unto　us　the　scholastical　divinity；　whereby　divinity　hath　been　reduced　into　an　art；　as　into　a　cistern；　and　the　streams　of　doctrine　or　positions　fetched　and　derived　from　thence。

11。　In　this　men　have　sought　three　things；　a　summary　brevity；　a　compacted　strength；　and　a　complete　perfection；　whereof　the　two　first　they　fail　to　find；　and　the　last　they　ought　not　to　seek。　For　as　to　brevity　we　see；　in　all　summary　methods；　while　men　purpose　to　abridge；　they　give　cause　to　dilate。　For　the　sum　or　abridgment　by　contraction　becometh　obscure；　the　obscurity　requireth　exposition；　and　the　exposition　is　diduced　into　large　commentaries；　or　into　common　places　and　titles；　which　grow　to　be　more　vast　than　the　original　writings；　whence　the　sum　was　at　first　extracted。　So；　we　see；　the　volumes　of　the　schoolmen　are　greater　much　than　the　first　writings　of　the　fathers；　whence　the　Master　of　the　Sentences　　made　his　sum　or　collection。　So；　in　like　manner；　the　volumes　of　the　modern　doctors　of　the　civil　law　exceed　those　of　the　ancient　jurisconsults；　of　which　Tribonian　　compileth　the　digest。　So　as　this　course　of　sums　and　commentaries　is　that　which　doth　infallibly　make　the