The arraignment of pride, or, Pride set forth, with the causes, kinds, and several branches of it: the odiousness and greatness of the sin of pride: the prognosticks of it, together with the cure of it: as also a large description of the excellency and usefulness of the grace of humility: divided into chapters and sections. / By W. Gearing minister of the word at Lymington in Hantshire.

CHAP. 21. Of Pride of Learning and Knowledge.

GReat was the flaw natural reason met with in Adams fall; that that breach might in some measure be made up, God did not only lighten that Luminare magnum, his holy Scripture, but lightned also luminare mi∣nus, a less light, the light of reason; by the help of arts and sciences he enlarged mans capacity even to the apprehension of his supernatural properties. Whither humane sciences began before the flood, or since; whither they were derived from Abraham to the Chaldeans, or from Joseph to the Egyptians; and whither Cadmus brought learning to the Greeks, and Carmenta to the Latines, or whither it came in by the Phaenicians or Assyrians, in general, I have now nothing to do to enquire; but this that I shall say, is, that wheresoever or in whomsoever they are, they be of God. This I note to stop those mouths that spend their invectives against humane learning: humane learning is with them like Sauls armour; tis

too cumbersome, too unweildy to bear.

Object. But the Scripture saith, God will destroy the wisdome of the wise, and bring to nought the understanding of the prudent, 1 Cor. 1.19. and Paul bids the Colossians be∣ware, lest any man spoile them through Philo∣sophy and vain deceit, Colos. 2.8.

Answ. 1. When he saith, he will destroy the wisdom of the wise, it is not suam his own, nempe divinam illam quam ipsis dedit, viz. that divine wisdom that he hath given them, but fucatam illam, * 1.1 quam sibi arrogarunt, that adulterate wisdom which they have arrogated to them∣selves, and so grow proud there∣with; Those sentences which Paul quoteth out of the Greek Poets in the Acts and elsewhere, are (as Austin speaketh) thereby deliver∣ed ab injust is possessoribus, as it were redeemed out of the hands of unjust usurpers: then indeed was the Mathematical and Chal∣daick learning truly owned, when it was scitu∣ate in Moses and Daniel: then was the Ora∣torial and Greek learning rightly placed, when it was in the tenure of Paul and Apollos: all humane sciences, holy sentences and aphorisms are then in their due and un-usurped possessi∣on, when they fall into the hands of the Saints generally, and specially, when they reside in Gods Ministers, whose lips must preserve knowledge.

2. When the Apostle speaks against Philoso∣phy,

you are to know that he neither con∣demneth the whole body of Philosophy in general, nor any part thereof in particular be∣ing rightly used; t'is only that empty nominal and equivocal Philosophy that goes about to seduce with enticing words, that Paul con∣demneth; * 1.2 he only inveigheth against the a∣buses thereof, by men that are pufft up with fleshly wisdom: he rejects it not simply, but only in some respects, when it containeth not it self within its own bounds, and keeps not within its compass; but intrencheth and in∣trudeth upon Divinity, to the dishonour of God, and disadvantage of the truth, and thus it becometh vain deceit, which is added inter∣pretative, * 1.3 by way of interpretation, as Calvin observeth upon the place: that old serpent the Devil is not more subtile in his turnings and windings, * 1.4 whereby he compasseth the earth, then were the hereticks of former times, turn∣ing and winding in their Philosophical subtil∣ties; the practice of the Fathers in those times, was out of solid and substantial Philosophy to convince them, and so to do by them as David by Goliath, to wound them with their own weapon.

It were easie to shew divers Paradoxes in Philosophy, which cannot stand in divinity, wherein mans pride sets him to dispute against the wisdom of God; As

1. The eternity of the world: Philoso∣phers say, the world is from eternity, because they say, Ex nihilo nihil fit: Out of nothing, nothing is made; and Divinity teacheth us; that God made all things out of nothing: * 1.5 that Maxime in Philosophy is true Physically, and according to the rules of nature, but not Meta∣physically, if we look to the first cause, to God the cause of causes, who made this visible world out of nothing, and can create whatsoever he will.

2. The second is, that there shall be no re∣surrection, * 1.6 because its an axiome in Philoso∣phy, that from the privation to the habit, there is no regress; a natural body reduced to its first matter, whereof it was made cannot possibly take up the same again, and live after death: the Athenians therefore mock at Paul, when he teacheth at Athens the doctrine of the resurrection, a doctrine cross to Philo∣fophical principles: which also is true natu∣rally and physically, but false if you take it in a Metaphysical and supernatural sense, referring it to God.

3. Divers dispute also Philosophically a∣gainst justification by faith only, or by Christ alone, as the imputation of his righteousness to us, Rom. 5.19. 2 Cor. 5.21. Psal. 32.1. Here again they wrangle and proudly cavil,

saying, How can one be just or righteous by anothers righteousness, any more then be wise by another mans wisdom, or learned by ano∣ther mans learning? I answer, that these things be not of the same sort or kind; for the former be also inherent in their subjects, as they can∣not be separated from them, or imparted to any other; But the other may and are, virtu∣te unionis Christi & Christianorum, by vertue of the union of Christ and Christians.

And a man may be fed with another mans meat, if it be given him, and he eat of it; or warm in another mans garments, if he wear them, or most properly pay his debts with ano∣ther mans money, if it be either given him or lent him.

Divers other devices there are in Philoso∣phy, or more truly, divers conceits and odd opinions of Philosophers, which cannot stand with the truth of Divinity.

1. As all their sorts and kinds of Magick, and judicial Astrology.

2. That the soul is not an immortal sub∣stance.

3. That all things come to pass and are car∣ried either by chance and fortune, and at all adventures, and meer contingences, as the Epicuraeans: or else by fatal destiny, and a concatenation of second causes, as the Stoicks: Item all their fond and foolish false opinions de summo bono, concerning true happiness: Some of the learned have reckoned up above two hundred and eighty opinions concerning this

point: Thus when any thing taken out of the writings of any men, though never so antient or learned, or what shew of wit or wisdom soever it make, if it be contrary to the Scri∣ptures, and the written Word of God, its no better then vain deceit, and therefore we must beware of it, avoid it, lest we be spoiled by it: In a word, we must not fet principles in divi∣nity or the articles of our faith, * 1.7 out of the writings of Philosophers, nor set up our rest to believe no more then we can see reason for; for there be divers things in the Scriptures, beyond the course of nature, and above the reach of humane reason, Rom. 1.22. 1 Cor. 2.14.

All knowledge if it be not sanctified, is apt to puff a man up with pride, * 1.8 as the Apostle speaks of it. One observeth that a great wit without learning, * 1.9 is a good knife without a whet-stone; and learning without solid judgement, is as the edge of glass, it is sharp, but in brittle mettle; and to this I may add, that wit and learning without humility are a body without a soul, and but a sharp sword in the hand of a mad

man; reason doth not so far exalt a man a∣bove a beast, or learning the knowing man above the ignorant, as humility doth the godly man above them both; but where all these three meet together they make a compleat man, and Christian. This kind of pride that I am now speaking of, is discovered in po∣pular preachers, whose end should be to win souls to Christ, but they desire to get into a croud and there preach only for ostentation, and to get applause, pretending before their Sermons earnestly to beg the Spirits assistance, * 1.10 and yet trust more to their own wit, memory, and eloquence in the venting of their quaint phrases and neat compositions, in the framing whereof they never sought for the direction and assistance of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Summa cura provideto, ne cum accepta scientia tenchras ignorantiae pe∣tit, lumen humilitatis tollat; & sic vera sapi∣entia esse nequit, quae licet elocutionis fulgore luceat, cor tamen lo∣quentis obscurat. Greg. moral.
• * 1.2

  Davenant in Colos. 2.
• * 1.3

  Calvin in Colos. 2.8.
• * 1.4

  L'Apostolo non con∣danna la filosofia semplice∣mente usando, egli à le volte i principii communi con la vera filosofia main quanto ch' ella non si contienne suoi termini ne indrizza∣ta à la gloria dei. Ital. Annot. in loc.
• * 1.5

  Quod qui∣dem verum est physice, & juxta naturae re∣gulas, sed non Meta∣physice, si ad primam causam & causam causarum, sc. deum respicias, qui mundum hunc visibilem ex nihilo creavit, & creare potest quicquid vult.
• * 1.6

  A privatio∣ne ad habi∣tum nullus estregressus.
• * 1.7

  Aquinas hath a good and modest rule, Rati∣oni naturali verae nun∣quam con∣trariatur Theologia, sed eam excedi saepè, & sic videtur repugnare; non enim vera ratio dicit, illa superiora fieri non posse absolute, sed non posse fieri virtute aliqua finita, quod etiam theologia fatetur. In his & hujus∣modi Philosophia Theologiae se submittat, ut Hagar Sarae; Patiatur se ad∣moneri & corrigi. Sin nimus pareat, ejice ancillam Aquin. Clem. Alexan. Struther.
• * 1.8

  1 Cor. 8.1.
• * 1.9

  Knowledge when it is used to ostentation, it is no better then a drunken knowledge; therefore he that is pufft up with it, had need be let blood, in vena sapientiae.
• * 1.10

  Hi quaerunt potius fastū hominum, quam pastū ovium. Bernard.