Two very usefull and compendious theological treatises the first shewing the nature of wit, wisdom, and folly : the second describing the nature, use, and abuse of the tongue and speech, whereby principally wisdom and folly are expressed : wherein also are divers texts of Scripture touching the respective heads explained / by Richard Ward.

The Polemical Part.

Concerning Wisdom these two things are controverted:

• 1. Whether Wisdom be good or evil?
• 2. Whether it be good or evil, Alta sapere?

Qu. I. Whether is Wisdom good or evil?

Answ. Concerning Wisdom, the Scripture indeed seems to speak contrarily: for Isaias condemns it, and Solomon commends it.

First, The Prophet Esay, Chap. 5. 21. saith, Wo to the wise. Now for the right understanding of these words, I will briefly propound and resolve three doubts, viz.

Doubt 1. Is Wisdom evil, that the Prophet there saith, Wo to the wise?

Ans. Certainly no: for it is so far from being evil, that as the principal good it is first to be sought, lest through ignorance we should erre, Prov. 1.20. & 9.1, 2.

Doubt 2. Why then doth not the Prophet say, Wo to the proud, to lovers of themselves, to self-conceited persons, and to those who are falsly opinionated of their own wis∣dom, rather than, Wo to the wise?

Ans. The Prophet doth this to show, that there is a sort of Wisdom which we must beware of. For there is a wisdom of the flesh, and of the spirit, Rom. 8.6. a supernal and infernal wisdom, Jam. 3.14. a wisdom which leads unto good, Rom. 16.19. and a wisdom which leads unto evil, Jer. 4.22. and therefore worldly wisdom as evil is to be avoided, Rom. 8.7, 8. For

I. The Lord thinks this wisdom foolishness, 1 Cor. 3.19. And

II. Threatens to overthrow it, Isa. 29.14. & 44.25. And

III. Doth it indeed, Job 5.3. Rom. 1.22. Exod. 1.10. because. Non bonè conveniunt, Reason and Religion, a Lin∣sy-woolsy garment, an Ox and an Ass, God and Belial, the Ark and Dagon, Light and Darkness, Iron and Clay, do not well agree together, 1 Cor. 1.18, 25.

Doubt 3. What wisdom doth the Prophet Esay there condemn?

Ans. That which a man hath in his own eyes, in his own opinion. Wo unto them who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight, Isa. 5.21. where he teacheth us. Not to lean too much to our own judgement, Prov. 3.5.7. and that

• 1. Because it will make us stop our ears against the truth, and counsel of the Word, Prov. 26.12. And
• 2. Because it makes men violent, Prov. 12.15. & 17.12.

Secondly, Solomon highly commends wisdom; saying, The Wise man fears and departs from evil, Prov. 14.16. and. Blessed is he who finds wisdom, Prov. 3.13. because she is of most precious esteem, Job 28.28. Prov. 2.3.8.11. Eccles. 2.13. Now for the reconciling of Solomon who commends, and of Esay who seems to condemn wisdom, observe, that there is a double Wisdom, viz.

I. Divine; this is praised by Solomon, and described by S. James, 3.17. Flumen ex Eden in partes quatuor divisum, significat quatuor virtutes. Prudentia contemplationem veri∣tatis, &c. August. de grat. con. Manich. 2.10. Est fons vitae, fons spiritualis gratiae, fons virtutum caeterarum, ad vitam aeternam. Ambros. de Parad. ca. 3. Wisdom is the fountain of Life, spiritual grace, yea of all vertues necessary unto salvation. Therefore this Wisdom is not condemned, or ac∣counted as evil.

II. There is a Wisdom which is Humane and Carnal, or, the Wisdom of the flesh: this doth not commend us to God, but is condemned by God; and of this the Prophet Esay speaks.

Object. Humane Wisdom and Prudence is both commen∣ded and commanded, Math. 10.16. Be wise as Serpents. Yea Solon, Lycurgus, Thales, Socrates, and divers others,

are highly extolled for their wisdom. As Plutarch saith of Fabius and Marcellus, that they were Gladius & Clypeus reipublicae. so we may say, that Wisdom is both the sword and buckler of the Common-wealth. Besides Wisemen have spoken many things of God, and that well: as Hermes, the Sibyls, Plato, Seneca, and divers others: yea even hu∣mane wisdom was given by God unto Solomon as a great blessing: how then can it be evil?

Ans. Wisdom and Prudence is either,

First, Natural: this sort of wisdom Solomon exceeded in. Or,

Secondly, Philosophical: This is either,

• I. Moral, teaching vertues: in this sort of wisdom, So∣crates, Plato, and Aristotle were very famous. Or
• II. Political: this is twofold, viz.

• 1. That which consists in feigning, counterfeiting, dissembling and supplanting. Or,
• 2. Sincere, which consists in governing, preserving, and the like. To conclude this first controversie, I will lay down two Positions, as undoubted truths, viz.

• I. Crafty and deceitful wisdom is odious and abomina∣ble unto God.
• II. Humane wisdom is unable, and too too weak to ac∣quire salvation.

Qu. II. Whether is it lawful, Alta sapere, to be wise in high things or not?

Ans. I. The Scripture herein seems to speak contrarily. For,

• 1. In Coloss. 3.2. it is said, Sapite ea quae sursum sunt, be wise in the things which are above.
• 2. In Rom. 12.16. it is said, Non alta sapientes, be not wise in high things.

Ans. II. There is no true contradiction in those places; for in the former, to be wise in those things which are above, is so to contemplate and meditate of Heaven and Heavenly things, that though our bodies be on earth, yet our hearts may be in Heaven: And in the latter, Altum sapere, either signifies to be proud of, or puft up by knowledge, or, to desire to know those things which are not lawfull, or expedient to be known. Now here the Rule is, Non plus sapere, quam oportet sapere, sed sapere ad sobrietatem: Let no man presume to understand above that which is meet to under∣stand;

but that he understand according to sobriety, Rom. 12.3. In those words we are forbidden two things:

• 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be wise, or understand, supra modum, above measure.
• 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be wise, or under∣stand, Praeter id, above that which he ought to under∣stand.

First, concerning 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, we may observe these six things.

I. The Apostle being about to teach unto, and admo∣nish them of great and high things, makes way for his doctrine, by removing wordly wisdom out of the way, and by teaching true wisdom.

II. A man is said to be wise supra modum, above mea∣sure, when he aims at toohigh things, and reacheth at things above his reach; as Adam and Eve did, when they desired to be as God, Gen. 3. and as Lucifer who presumed to seat himself in Gods throne, Jude 6.

III. This wisdom is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, self-love, and self-conceitedness, Rom. 11.20. Prov. 3.7. & 26.12. Joh. 9.41.

IV. This wisdom seldom goes unpunished: as Ʋzzah was stricken dead for staying the Ark, 2 Sam. 6.7. and Heliodorus scourged for entring into the Holy of Holies, 2 Mach. 3.24.

V. Hence came these Proverbs: Noli altè sapere; Ne quid nimìs; Tuo te pede metire.

VI. Such as this is the wisdom of those, who deny the Scriptures, and who will undertake to Preach and expound the Scriptures, being ignorant both of tongues and arts

Secondly, Concerning 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, observe, that this is when we understand Aliena, things besides what we ought to understand. Now these are of two sorts: viz.

• 1. Some things are Aliena, strangers from the Go∣spel.
• 2. Some things are Aliena, strangers from us.

I. The wisdom of the world is Alienum, a stranger from the Gospel. Hence,

• 1. The Gospel condemns this wisdom, Rom. 8.6, 7. & 1 Cor. 2.14. & 1 Cor. 1.10.22.26, 27. And

• 2. This worldly wisdom condemns the Gospel, Gal. 5.11. & 1 Cor. 1.18, 21. And
• 3. The nature of this worldly wisdom is, to teach what pleaseth it self, not what is consonant to the Word of God, Levit. 10.1, 2.

II. Some things are Aliena, strangers from us; these are of two sorts, viz.

1. Such things as are unprofitable for or unto us; as when with Martha, we busie our selves about many things, and neglect that one thing which is most needfull for us. And

2. Such things as are too high for us: this is the sin of curiosity; as when we busie our selves about unneces∣sary things, and neglect those which are necessary. Pro∣tagoras wrote a book, De gestis inferorum: the Papists have many strange fictions of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Augustin being asked what God did before the creation of the world? answered, Fecit gehennam curiosis, he made Hell for such curious ones. Hence came the Proverb, De Deo credendum, non inquirendum. Empedocles by going too near to Aetna, and Pliny by searching too narrowly into the secrets of Mount Volusius, were destroyed. Phaeton by presuming to guide the Chariot of the Sun, was struck dead: and Icarus by presuming to flie was drowned. Hence came those Proverbs, Ne ultra columnas Herculem; Ne Sutor ultra crepidas: Quae supra nos nihil ad nos. Thus much for Carnal and Worldly wisdom.