Popular errors, in generall poynts concerning the knowledge of religion having relation to their causes, and reduced into divers observations / by Jean D'Espaigne.

CHAPTER 1. Divinity reduced into a verball science a∣bundance of tearmes, as well scholastick as Oratorian: A difference in this re∣spect amongst the Sciences: an objection touching the stile of the Scripture.

IN these times a man is held for learned, although he knows many words, al∣though in effect he knows very little of the substance; the knowledge of many which are reputed for learned, consists rather in tearmes then in reality; A collection of words heaped up in the braine to the bignesse of a moun∣tain, contains oft times but an atome, the production whereof is ridiculous: they are so multiplied, by a labour full of vani∣ty, that there is more time spent in lear∣ning

the tearms then the thing it self, and in the end of our studies its found: we know a quantity of words, but scarce: any sub∣stantiall matters, if one should gather all the tearms which are naturalised in The∣ologie and the divers sences of each one of them; he would make a dictionary whose volume would surpasse foure Bi∣bles. If there be any thing in which our knowledge is straightened in narrow bounds it is the mystery of the Trinity, all which men can say insubstance is redu∣ced into very few words. Neverthelesse besides the tearms of Essentiall, Personall, Consubstantiall and others whose intro∣duction hath been made necessary by the importunity of heresies we heare spoken of, Active and Passive Generation, like∣wise of Active and Passive Spiration, and Procession of emperichorisie of absolute properties, and relative properties, of A∣genesia, or ingenerability of works, exter∣nall, and of works internall, of divided and undivided operations of reall and modall distinctions, of a distinction Characteristi∣call

of the supposed suppositive and Apo∣tesmes, suppositions, The principles attri∣butes substantiall & Oeconomicall attri∣butes, the Endiathetick, & the word Pro∣phoric, reflexively, a production by the way of the intellect, and by the way of the will, a production Physicall and Metaphysicall, & Hyperphysicall, Notionall acts; the ab∣stract & the Concret. The Mission taken Actively, and the Mission taken Passively; the communication of Idiomes, and an in∣finity of other words many of which are not altogether unprofitable, but the multi∣tude of them shews our knowledge to be more verball then Reall. One of the high∣est points of our knowledge consists in di∣stinctions; Now it is most certain, that there is more distinction of termes, then of things themselves, the onely word of faith is taken in so many differing significations that it requires a great deal of study. This knowledge is necessary to a Theologian, but considering it in it self, it gives at no o∣ther quality but the knowledge of distin∣guishing of syllables, like those who know

all the differences, names of a plant, and yet are ignorant of the vertues thereof. In the mean while we see some who will dis∣play a conception as a rare and misterious doctrine which in the depth contains no o∣ther skill, but the clearing of an ambiguous word, the surplusage being nothing, but some triviall matter.

Now besides the multitude of termes al∣ready received, and as yet remain, in case they each day invent new ones, so that the language of Canaan hath the least part in Religion: and if Saint Paul should again return into the world scarce would he be capable to be received Doctor in Theolo∣gy for want of having studied Thomas A∣quinas, for the points of Religion have o∣ther names then those by which they were called in his time, and for one name that they then had there, they give them a hun∣dred at this day, besides those which they have given to new matters, which all the Apostles never knew.

The Common people think that know∣ledge consists in the abundance of words,

although that twenty different words sig∣nifie but the same thing, an ignorant fel∣low thinks he knows much because he knows many synonimies; This error ought to be attribured either to the ignorance or to the negligence of many Preachers and composers of books, fertill in words, bar∣ren in substance, whose instructions are more verball then doctrinall. The art to amplifie a discourse, through a diversity of words and phrases equivolent in sence and gilded over sometimes with interrogations sometimes with Allegories, sometimes with Apostrophes, with Prosopoeia's; these circumlocutions would not be im∣pertinent if they alwayes brought along with them some new reality, which should not onely augment the discourse, but also the Subject and matter thereof, otherwise to produce one onely conception stretched out in words as if it were new matter un∣der colour that they represent it in divers vestes and different postures, it is a cunning more fit for a stage then a Pulpit.

These Retoricall amplifications are ad∣mitted

into some certain sciences, in o∣thers they are altogether unprofitable. Physick hath nothing to do therewith, nei∣ther in respect of the Theory, nor of the practice. The Mathematicks suffer it not; it would be ridiculous to demonstrate the proportion of the diameter, to the circum∣ference, or the Roots of the numbers, in Panegyricks, and Rethoricall declamati∣ons; The Theologian and the Lawyer one∣ly employ them, the reasons is that the end of these two professions is not onely to in∣struct and to inform the judgement of the auditors, but also to move their affections to what else serves the ornament, and the copiousnesse of a language; but Theolo∣gy is not onely to move the affections (as ignorant men suppose) The first vertue of a Christian consists in the knowledge of God and of his works. Knowledge which cannot be but onely in the intellect which is instructed by proofs, and reall and direct demonstrations not by the windings and turnings of words, or exaggerating of things, which oftener clouds the truth,

more then it enlighteneth, it enlightens it▪

But one may object that the Scripture it self is not every where logicall in all it parts, for it not onely teaches by axiome or universall rules, by concise distinction or simple Propositions, but also by pro∣mises and threatnings, by examples extend∣ed to the length by ordinary similitude by diversity of paraphrases and frequen•• repetitions: to which we answer the Scrip∣ture ought to be explained, and not to be made more intricate, that the amplifi∣cations, metaphors and comparisons in which the Scripture extends it self, nay the very repetitions, and that which is most verball in it, are full of rea∣lities of which we shall give some exam∣ples.