the time of our K. Edward 6. the story is note worthy of that prophane young Gallant who being notoriously given to swearing and blaspheming and despising all Christian admonition would say that three words before his death would save him One day riding with company swearing and blaspheming as he was wont his Horse leapt over a Bridge into an arm of the Sea whereupon his man seeing him in imminent danger of drowning cried to him Master Master remember your three words who presently cried out Horse and man and all to the Devil and then sunk and neither of them was ever more seen Foâ— Again there was a Serving man in Lincoln-shire who was alwayes wont to swear Gods precious blood and that for every trifle and though he were often reproved for it yet he still persisted in his wickedness untill the Lord struck him with sickness yea then he could not amend but hearing one day the Church Bell tolling when the anguish and pangs of death were upon him starts up in his Bed and swore By Gods blood this Bell tolleth for me whereupon immediately the blood issued from all his joints not one free in great abundance and so miserably died Peter Stubs Book Printed 1531. Secondly Men abuse their tongues ludendo cum sanctis by jeasting with holy things as Cavalier Casio the Bolognian Poet wore in his hat in a great Agate the descension of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and being demanded of Pope Clement with whom he was very familiar wherefore he wore that Dove representing the Holy Ghost and the fiery tongues upon the heads of the Apostles he answered Not for any devotion but to express a conceit of love For having been long enamoured of a Lady and ungratefully handled of her not able any longer to support her crafty delayes nor the expences bestowed on gifts and presents I figured the Feast of Pentecost meaning thereby I repent of the cost bestowed on my Lady Thus he durst dally with this high mystery Thirdly as men abuse their tongues in regard of God and Godliness or holy things so also in regard of the godly and that three manner of wayes viz. I. By false accusations thus three men conspired against Narcissus Bishop of Jerusalem a man who led a godly and blameless life and charged him with a very heinous crime all three confirming their accusation by oath The first wished If it were not so as they said that he were burnt this wish presently came to pass for his house in the night being set on sire he and his whole family were burned The second wished that he might die of the Jaundice and presently after was taken with the same disease from head to foot and died thereof The third wished that he might lose his eyes who after seeing what was befallen those twain repented and confessed the conspiracy against Narcissus but by excessive weeping for his wicked oath he at last lost his eyes Euseb li. 6. ca. 8. II. Men abuse their tongues in regard of the Godly by mocking them in their Christian speeches e. g. In the dayes of Qu. Mary as James Abbeyes was led by the Sheriff to execution he distributed his money and clothes to his shirt to the poor exhorting them to stand fast in Religion and entreating them to pray for him A servant of the Sheriffs mocked him bidding the people not to regard his speeches he being but a mad heretick with such like terms and as one continued in his godly admonitions so the other persevered in his blasphemies Now this godlâ— Martyr was no sooner burnt but the blasphemer was struck with a frenzie by Gods hand and ran about the Town of Bury pulling off his clothes and casting them away and crying Thus did James Abbeyes the true servant of God he was a good man and is saved but I am damned and thus continued till he died Fox III. Men abuse their tongues in regard of the Godly by reviling miscalling and slandering of them as one Leaver a Plough-man railing against that good Martyr said That he saw the ill-favoured Knave Latimer when he was burned and that he had teeth like a Horse at which time and hour as near as could be gathered the son of the said Leaver desperately hanged himself Fox Now as the North wind driveth away the rain so doth an innocent Life the slandering tongue For as Hierom saith An Arrow shot from a Bow sticketh not in the hard Rock but rebounding back again with violence hurts him who shot it and therefore none should slander the innocent As he doth ill who sets a house on fire and he also who when he may quench it doth not but much more he who coming to the flame warmeth himself at it so he doth evil who speaketh wrongfully evil of others and he also who doth not silence a slanderous tongue when he may but much more he who taketh occasion by a detracters words to spit forth more poyson of defamation against the godly Fourthly men abuse their tongues in regard of Themselves three manner of wayes viz. I. The abuse of the tongue is taught Eph 4.29 30 31. where we see that corrupt communication grieves the good Spirit of God and by such words we give place unto the Devil and hurt both others and our selves II. Men abuse their tongues by ungodly acclamations speeches and cries for crving out is an abuse of the tongue and it oftentimes happens through great choler and anger Eph. 4.31 In the dayes of K. Edward 6. certain English Souldiers being by a tempest cast upon the Sands on the coast of France gave themselves to prayer and commended their Souls to God as in so great danger it was meet but one amongst the rest desperately and prophanely minded went apart and cryed out saying twice or thrice O Gallows claim thy right Now the said party as God would have it escaped the present danger among the rest and living some short space in France after a while returned into England where within six months he was hanged for stealing of Horses Perkins A Spanish Souldier being angry with his wife who was great with child wished that she might bring forth an infernal Devil soon after she was delivered of a Son well and right shaped in the lower parts but most mishapen in the upper for the eyes were in the forehead the mouth wide black and gaping the ears long and hanging down like a Hounds on the head two crooked Horns and the shape of the upper parts not much unlike a Satyre Wierus III. Men abuse their tongues by vaunting boasting and vain-glorious speeches as Xerres once said That if the Sun and Moon would not obey him he would surely punish them for which proud words an handfull of Grecians subdued a vast Army of his Thus when Sophocles sent Ajax to fight against Troy he bid him fight but withall to pray to God for victory no said Ajax Deo vincant ignavi Let Cowards overcome by Gods helping
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 Preacher of the Gospel at Bushey in Hartford-shire Prima Sapientia est Vita Laudabilis apud Deum Pura Mens per quam Puri puro junguntur Sancti sancto sociantur Nazianz. in Apolog. Wisdom is the Principal Thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy gettings get Vnderstanding Prov. 4.7 LONDON Printed for William Miller at the Gilded Acorn in St. Pauls Church-yard near the little North Door 1673. TO THE TRULY HONOURABLE COLONEL TITVS ONE OF His MAJESTIES Bed-Chamber Much Honoured and Worthy SIR THese two short Treatises must either have come into the World without a Patron which at first I thought or must shelter themselves under your Patronage which upon second thoughts I have presumed to doe for this Cause In the Dedication of Books Authors usually aim at such Mecaenas's as either they have some Ecclesiastical Relation unto or have been long acquainted with or have been greatly obliged unto or such as are able to understand and judge of what is written whether Corrupt or Sound whether chaffy or solid or such as are able in regard of their Parts Place and Power to give countenance and patronage to the Books dedicated unto them Now Sir You above all the Friends I have may most justly chalenge the Patronage of this Piece in all the forenamed regards For When your high Employments and important Affairs will permit you to be in the Countrey you are then under my Ministery I have had the honour and happiness to know you to be thorowly known unto you and intimately acquainted with you for many years You have been a constant Friend yea as a Patron to me and mine Your singular Parts general Learning and knowledge and transcendent Judgement makes you abundantly able to understand and judge what Books are of worth and which are worthless what Books are profitable and which are useless what Books are Orthodox and which are Heterodox And therefore if this short Manual be approved by you I hope it will please the most and best Again so eminent is your place in the State and so great your Power through the Favour of His Majesty your Princely Master for your extraordinary parts personal worth and singular Faithfulness and Loyalty that you are fittest and best able to patronize this poor Infant that flies unto you as its only Guardian for Protection Concerning these two Treatises presented unto you be pleased to observe That Books may be distinguisht by these four Notions some are to be spit out some to be swallowed some to be eaten and some to be chawed I. Some Books are to be spit out as impertinent erroneous heretical lying scurrilous scoffing seditious and obscene Discourses and the like which neither afford any lawfull Pleasure or true Profit unto the Reader but rather bring with them a danger unto him These Books I say are not to be relished but rejected lest the Appetite by them should be infected II. Some Books are to be swallowed as Romances Histories Poetical Fictions and all such Books as are written only for the Solace and lawfull Refreshment of the Minde these are perfunctorily to be perused and cursorily to be read III. Some Books are to be eaten as Books concerning Morality Nature Liberal Sciences Illiberal Arts and the like these may diligently be read and carefully studyed in respect of their benefit but yet neither in such manner or measure as if those only were the Breasts of true Nourishment or Books most worthy our study IV. Some Books are to be chawed and scriously ruminated and pondered as those which are written for the understanding explicating and applying of the Sacred Oracles of God because these minister Comfort to the Minde and spirit seasonably these suffer no inordinate Affection to domineer over the Will imperiously yea these tend wholly to the spiritual and effectual accomplishment of the Reader wherefore such Books are most diligently and principally to be studyed Now of this nature and kinde are these two Tractates which I here present to your favourable and judicious perusal wherein my endeavour hath been that there may be as many Sentences as Lines and that it may be a serious and sinnewy Piece without any affectation Dear and highly honoured Sir that your Health and Life may be long continued and your Honour and Happiness encreased is and shall be the hearty Desire and Prayer of SIR Your much obliged and most Humble Servant Rich. Ward To the READER Courteous and Christian Reader WHen I remembred that memorable saying of Tully Pudeat illos qui ità in studiis se abdiderunt ut ad vitam communem nullum fructum proferre possint A man should not cloyster up himself in his Study for private but publick profit not only for the encrease of his own Knowledge and Learning but for the augmentation of the spiritual benefit and advantage of many others Yea when I considered that nothing concerns us more next to Gods glory than the salvation of our Souls Matth. 16.26 Luk. 10.20 and that the Sacred Oracles of Holy Writ were able to make a Christian wise and perfect unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.16 I thought it my duty in what I was able to endeavour to promote the benefit of those who desire to abound in all spiritual Knowledge Now what I do intend and have here attempted to this end and purpose is the Explicating Explaining and Applying of some material Heads or Words mentioned in the Bible And if these two short Treatises be kindly accepted or generally well approved of by thee gentle Reader then I shall be emboldened to handle some other Scripture Words both Dogmatically Practically and Polemically as I have done these in small Volumes or Tracts In a Book worth reading and observing there are three things principally required A Plain and easie Method Sound and Orthodox Matter or Necessary and Saving Truths and a good Pen or neat and handsom Expressions The two former of these kind Reader thou wilt find in this small Manual but the last thou must not expect seeing the Lord who diversly distributes his Gifts for the good of his Church and children hath not made me like Aaron of an Eloquent Tongue or enabled me to express my self in a high soaring Style Wherefore I entreat thee Courteous Reader to accept of the few Talents which the Lord hath lent me to improve and to expect sound and soul-saving matter from me but strong lines neat phrases polite and eloquent Expressions sweet and mellifluous Words from others I naturally affect Matter more than Words and sound Sentences than set Speeches My study is to express Multa paucis much Matter in few Words and my care is in
indeed than only to seem so 6. Those who hold Fato Prudentia minor That Prudence is inferiour to Fate whereas Sapiens dominabitur astris Wise men rule the Stars and Nullum numen abest si sit Prudentia Fortune hath no power over Wisdom that is those who look to the first causes seeing the Providence of God in all things and acknowledging his hands in the least dispensations ascribe nothing at all either to Fate or Fortune 7. Those are to blame who colour wickedness with the name of Wisdom The Italians unable to excuse the great faults treacheries cowardise and dissimulation of their Nations go about to colour their villanies with the name of Italian Prudence As the rude Poet Cherillus had nothing to be noted in his Verses but only the name of Alexander or that rural Painter Daretus any thing to cover his deformed Ape but a white curtain so many have nothing to shadow their shameless wickedness but a shew of humane Wisdom 8. Those are here faulty who are much wiser in other mens matters than in their own As some cannot see things which are very near them but can well discern those things which are further off so some men are more wise in the affairs of others than in the things belonging unto themselves 9. Those are blame-worthy who complain of Wisdom When Tully saw all publique events to make against him he complained O turpem senectutem O me nunquam sapientem I would I had never lived to be old I would I had never known what Wisdom meant 10. Those are to blame who are wise to do evil Jerem. 4.22 And 11. Those who glory in their Wisdom Jer. 9.23 12. Those who oppress and tyrannize over others through presumption of their own wisdom Isa 47.10 or who trust so much to their wisdom that thereby they are emboldened to injure others And 13. Those who despise wisdom coming from a poor person Eccles 9.16 And 14. Those who think as Solomon did to keep their wisdom though they follow unlawful pleasures Eccles 2.3 9. And 15. Those who wholly imploy and exercise their wisdom in finding out things tending more to pleasure than profit as Solomon for some time did Eccles 1.16 17. 16. Lastly they are faulty who inquire after divine truths by humane means as 1 Cor. 1.22 The Greeks seek after Wisdom that is they look for and hang upon reasons and arguments such as humane wisdom does afford to perswade them of the truth of the Gospel which all men ought to believe simply because of God who speaks it without argumentation or humane perswasion ¶ II. The Lessons to be learn'd from concerning or in regard of Wisdom are either negative or affirmative I. The negative Lessons are these three 1. That it is not true Wisdom which is without practice for as a hand is no part of a man except it can do the office of the hand so Wisdom is no part of a Wise man except it be employed as it should And 2. That there is no wisdom or understanding against the Lord Prov. 21.30 And 3. That there is no Wisdom in the grave Eccles 9.10 II. The affirmative Lessons are these nine First We may learn that in the multitude of Wisdom there is much grief Eccles 1.18 For I. The fuller of wisdom any man is or the greater meafure of wisdom any man hath the more severe solemn and enclined to grief and melancholy he is And II. The wiser any man is the more causes he hath of grief and anger as he who daily sees many unworthy things which he cannot amend And III. The more perfectly any knows by the wisdom of God how evil the things of this life are and how good the things of the life to come the more he grieves to be subject to those present calamities and to be so long absent from these joys Secondly We may learn that we should be wise unto two things viz. I. Unto Sanctification or to that which is good Rom 16.29 that is we must labour to be so furnished with knowledge and wisdom that we may embrace good eschew evil and beware of the deceit of false Prophets And II. Unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 that is we must labour for such a measure of spiritual Wisdom that we may behold and know Jesus to be the Christ and our Saviour Joh. 17 3. Thirdly We may learn that the heart is the seat of true wisdom whence prudent men are called wise in heart Prov. 14.33 and 16.21 and 23.15 And Fourthly That they are most miserable who are destitute of wisdom Joh 4.21 Prov. 10.21 And Fifthly That those who despise wisdom are fools Prov. 1.7 And Sixthly That Wisdom cannot be acquired or obtained without much sweat and labour Prov. 2.4 5. Eccles 7.17 and 11.6 Hence those who encrease wisdom encrease sorrow Eccles 1.8 that is Wisdom and Knowledge cannot be come by without great pain of body and mind for when a man hath attained to the highest step of Wisdom and Knowledge yet is not his mind contented Sevently We may learn that many moral wise men have been entangled in Cupids snares Gratian was in love with Tamira Solon with a Grecian Pittacus left his own wife and was in love with a bond-woman which he brought from the wars Periander Prince of Achaia and chief Philosopher of Greece at the perswasion of his Concubine slew his own wife Anacharsis the Philosopher loved so dearly a woman of Thebes that he taught Philosophy unto her Architus Tarentinus the Master of Plato and Scholar of Pythagoras busied his mind more to invent the Art of Love than to employ it in Vertue and Learning and Gorgias Leontinus who in his time was eminent for Learning had more Concubines in his house than Books in his study Eightly We may learn that Wisdom is good with an inberitance Eccles 7.13 14. For the understanding of this observe that there are four sorts of men in the world viz. I. Some have neither riches nor wisdom these are the worst of the four II. Some have riches without wisdom these are next to the worst III. Some have wisdom without riches these are better than the former IV. Some have both wisdom and riches these are the best of all and the persons which Solomon there speaks of Ninthly we may learn that it is lawful for us to gather Wisdom from the Heathens or the Books and Writings of the Heathens are meet and fitting to be read for the attaining unto Wisdom Three thing are objected against this viz. Obj. 1. The Scriptures alone are sufficient unto salvation what need have we then of forreign help 2. St. Paul Colos 2.8 seemeth to condemn Philosophy Brware lest any deceive you through Philosophy 3. Julian the Apostate thus objected Cur abhorrent Christiani à sacrificiis Gentilium cùm non abhorrent à libris eorum Why do Christians abhorr the Heathens sacrifites seeing they do not abhorr the Heathens writings Ans 1. The Scriptures are indeed
alone sufficient for such things as belong unto salvation neither to any such end do Christians crave help from the Heathens but they use them only as supplies concerning things belonging unto this life therefore as Kings and Princes use the service of Artificers Husband-men and Cooks for inferiour services so it is not unbeseeming a Christian to make use of the Gentiles inventions Ans 2. St. Paul doth not simply condemn Philosophy as that which consisteth of Physical Moral or Political principles and observations but he speaketh against that erroneous part of Philosophy and vain speculation as in the adoration of Angels and such like and the Apostle expoundeth himself in the next words saying Let no man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit Ans 3. There is not the like reason between the writings and the sacrifices of the Heathens for their Books may be read without hurt seeing in the reading of them one may chuse the good and refuse the evil but their sacrifices are altogether evil and idolatrous and yet the things in themselves which they offer in Sacrifice the abuse set apart Christians abhorr not as Wine bread or flesh for they are the good creatures of God but the abuse of them to most filthy idolatry we abhorr and condemn Ans 4. Notwithstanding therefore whatsoever is or can be objected there is a lawful and commendable use of humane Arts and Learning among Christians like as Moses made use of the Egyptian and Daniel of the Chaldean Learning and St. Paul in his Writings of the sayings of Heathen Poets A poor man finding the tag of a point and putting it into his pocket one asked him What he could do with it He answered What I find all the year be it never so little I lay it up at home till the years end and then with all together I every New-years day add a dish to my Cupboard Thus he who from every thing that occurrs and from every Book that he reads collects something as the Bee from every Herb and Flower gathers Honey shall in time get a treasury of Wisdom ¶ III. Observe that the Duties required of us in regard of Wisdom are either Negative or Affirmative FIRST The Negative duties are these five First We must not glory in wisdom though we be wise Jer. 9.23 or we must not vaunt brag and boast of our own wisdom Isa 10.13 Because the Lord will visit such in judgement and the fiery indignation Ibid. Secondly We must not restrain Wisdom to our selves or think our selves only wise Job 15.8 Thirdly We must not use our Wisdom principally for the raising or enriching of our selves Prov. 23.4 Fourthly We must not be conceited of our own wisdom or be wise in our own eyes Prov. 3.7 Rom. 12.16 and that for these five reasons 1. Because God hath denounced a woe against all such Isa 5.21 2. Because that is the way to become a fool Rom. 1.22 3. Because such wisdom is foolishness 1 Cor. 3.18 19. 4. Because there is more hope of a fool than of such an one Prov. 26.12 And 5. Because the Lord knoweth that the thoughts of such wise men are vain 1 Cor. 3.18.20 Fifthly We must not lean to our own wisdom Prov. 3.5 and that for these three reasons 1. Because many err when they think they walk right many sin when they think they do no harm The Princes of Pharaoh thought it was no hurt to commend Sarah unto their Lord and yet God plagued them for it Gen. 12.15 17. Abimelech thought that he did no evil in taking of Sarah but yet the Lord threatens him for it Gen. 20.2 3. Other examples we may see hereof in these places 1 Sam. 13.9 and 15.13 and 2 Sam. 6.6 7. Yea certainly divers observe sundry superstitious customs who think they do well in so doing Many think scurrilous words to be honest jests Many think that lawful recreations may be followed as men follow their callings and that there is no hurt in them although they spend too much time therein yea are thereby often moved unto anger and oaths And therefore seeing it is so usual for men to sin when they think they sin not we should not rely too much upon our own opinions And II. Sathan will not suffer us to see our errours until we are gone so far that we cannot return As the bullet out of the piece kills before the crack admonishes so Sathan possessing the mind doth not open the eyes to behold danger till the soul be flain As a man in shipwrack being asleep is not awakened from his sleep till he be cast out of the Ship into the Sea so man possessed by Sathan and sleeping in sin is not awakened if the devil can hinder it until he be brought to utter destruction And therefore we must not be too obstinate in our own ways and opinions lest we be but deluded by Sathan and hood winked in a wrong way And III. We should be very cautelous and circumspect in our ways and works and not rely too much upon self-conceits because as in a wilderness there is but one true way and many false or as in a mans body there is but one health and many sicknesses so in the soul there be many ways of errours and but one of truth For there are sins I. Both 1. Of the right hand as heresie superstition blind-zeal and the like And 2. Of the left-hand as atheism prophaneness impurity injustice intemperance and the like II. There are sins both 1. Internal of the heart And 2. External of the tongue and life III. There are sins both 1. Of omission and neglect of our duty And 2. Of commission doing what we should not IV. There are sins both 1. Circumstantial as the occasions and appearances of evil And 2. Substantial as the breach of any Precept of the Moral Law SECONDLY The Affirmative duties required of us in regard of Wisdom are many as First To deplore our want and bewail our weakness of Wisdom as Prov. 30.3 Agur with grief saith I have not learned Wisdom nor attained to the knowledge of holy things Secondly It is our duty or required of us to acknowledge that all singular Wisdom comes from the Lord Dan. 2.20 21 23. And Thirdly to pray unto God for it Jam. 1.5 And Fourthly to hear the Call and obey the Commands of Wisdom Prov. 20.1 c. and 5.1 and 8.1 and 2.2 and 3.21 and 22.17 Fifthly It is our duty or required of us to prize Wisdom as Prov. 7.4 Say unto Wisdom thou art my Sister and call Vnderstanding thy Kinswoman And Sixthly To acknowledge that it is better to follow Wisdom than our own corrupt affections as Eccles 2.12 13. I turned to behold Wisdom and madness and folly then I saw that there was more profit in Wisdom than in folly as light is more excellent than darkness Seventhly It is our duty to seek Wisdom as Prov. 2.4 5. If thou seekest Wisdom as Silver and searchest for her