[ 363] True Grace is accompanied with humility.
THe wisest of all the Philosophers made this profession, Hoc scio, quod nibil scio, This I know, that I know nothing; Origen, the learnedst of all the Greek Fa∣thers, made this Confession, Ignorantiam meam non ignoro, I am not ignorant of my own ignorance; And the most judicious of all the Latine, was the humblest: for in his heat of contention with Hierom, he acknowledgeth him his better, Hy∣eronymus Presbyter,* 1.1 Augustino Episcopo major est, Though the dignity of a Bishop ex∣ceed that of a Priest,* 1.2 yet Priest-Ierome is a greater, than Bishop-Augustine; Da∣vid, the best of a Kings was freest from pride, Lord (saith he) I am not high minded. Theodosius, the noblest of all the Roman Emperors, his Motto was, Malo membrum esse Ecclesiae quàm caput Imperii, It was greater honour to him to be a member of the Church, then the head of the Empire, and Paul, though nothing inferior to the chief of the Apostles, yet was least in his own eyes. Thus it was, that like the Sun in the Zenith they shewed least,* 1.3 when they were at the highest; like vessels, they made the least sound when they were fullest;* 1.4 or like the deepest waters, they ran most silent: In the weighing of gold, the lightest pieces rise up, but the weighty bear down the scale; And surely they are but light that are liften up with a self-conceit, but shallow waters, that make a noise; but empty vessels, that make a sound: And such are all they that are wise in their own conceits,* 1.5 such as think they can dis∣pute de omni scibili, that they move in a circle of knowledge, when as (God wot) they know little or nothing at all.