A godly and learned exposition vppon the Prouerbes of Solomon: written in French by Maister Michael Cope, minister of the woorde of God, at Geneua: and translated into English, by M.O.

9 If a wise man contende with a foolish man, somtimes the foole is angry, sometimes hee laugheth, but there is no stay.

It is not without cause that God giueth wisedome to men, but it is to the ende that thereby they shoulde guide themselues so wisely, that none should iustly haue occasion to contend with them. And not onely so, but also to the ende they shoulde knowe howe to correct the foolish, and to contend against them, in reproouing them, rebuking and threatning them. They that are wise, doe their duetie, when they so behaue themselues. But they loose their time in the sight of the foolishe: for the foolishe reiect al correction, and doe scorne al instruction and discipline: as it is largely shewed here before in the first Chapter, and in other places. And besides that they despise & reiect, & scorne, they doe also furiously persecute the wise which contend with them, for to bring thē vnto amendment: yea, they persecute them without ceasing: as Solomon doeth pro∣nounce it, whē he saith, If a wise man contend with a foolish man, sometime he is angry, sometime he laugheth &c. By the anger, we vnderstand the furious persecutions: & by the laughter, we may vn∣derstand the cōtempt, reiection & mockerie, euen with persecution: as it is so taken, in Gen. 21. 9. Albeit, that the Hebrewe hath diuers * 1.1 verbes, yet are they al of one signification: to wit, to laugh and to mocke: whome Saint Paule doeth interpret to persecute. There are some that take this sentence, as if Solomon said, Be it that the wise hauing any matter to commen of with the foolishe, whither hee be angrie, or laugh, yet can hee not quiet and content the foolishe man. The wise man shal profite nothing to contende with a foole, though he speake neuer so gently with al humanitie and clemencie: as also Iesus Christ doeth reproche the Iewes thereof. Now the di∣uersitie * 1.2 of opinons doth proceede hereof. For to auoyde tedious∣nes, it is not openly expressed, whether it is the wise or the foole that is angry and laugheth. But in what sense soeuer wee take this sentence, we see that the foolish is neuer the more amended, after what sort soeuer we contend with him: yet most commonly hee doeth remaine obstinate, scorning all exhortations, euen with cho∣ler, which is not soone quenched: as Solomon noteth, saying, that there is no stay, or ceasing, or rest. Yet is it not to say, that wee shoulde not continue to striue and contende against fooles, in rebuking, and threatning them: for GOD

would haue his woorde to be declared vnto all creatures, and that by the same woord we should labour to bring al men vnto faith and repentance.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gal. 4. 29.
• * 1.2

  Math. 11. 16