state of free servants and attendants upon noblemen and gentlemen; of which sort even they of inferior condition, do not ways yield unto the yeomanry, for infantry. And therefore out of all question the magnificence and that hospitable splendour, the household servants, and great retinues of noblemen and gentlemen, received into custom in England, doth much conduce unto martial greatness; whereas on the other side, the close, reserved and contracted living of noblemen, causeth a penury of military forces." He is silent upon this subject in the Advancement of Learning, for a reason thus stated. "Considering that I write to a king that is master of this science, and is so well assisted, I think it decent to pass over this part in silence, as willing to obtain the certificate which one of the ancient philosophers aspired unto; who being silent, when others contended to make demonstration of their abilities by speech, desired it might be certified for his part, that there was one that knew how to hold his peace.' But see the Essays upon the "True Greatness of Kingdoms and States." See Goldsmith's Deserted Village. "A bold peasantry, their country's pride, When once destroyed can never be supplied," &c. NOTE I. Referring to page 24. See, in this volume, page 70. selfe is not good often, and there is but one case, wherein a man may commend himselfe with good grace, and that is in commending vertue in another, especially if it be such a vertue, as wherevnto himselfe pretendeth. Discretion of speech is more than eloquence, and to speake agreeably to him, with whom we deale is more than to speake in good words or in good order. A good continued speech without a good speech of interlocution sheweth slownesse: and a good reply or second speech without a good set speech sheweth shallowness and weaknesse, as we see in beasts, that those that are weakest in the course are yet nimblest in the turne. To vse too many circumstances ere one come to the matter is wearisome, to vse none at al is blunt. OF CEREMONIES AND RESPECTS. He that is onely reall had neede haue exceeding great parts of vertue, as the stone had neede be rich that is set without foyle. But commonly it is in praise as it is in gaine. For as the prouerbe is true, "That light gaines make heauy purses," because they come thick, wheras great come but now and then, so it is as true that smal matters win great commendation because they are continually in vse and in note, whereas the occasion of anye great vertue commeth but on holie daies. To attaine good formes, it sufficeth not to dispise them, for so shal a man observe them in others, and let him trust himselfe with the rest, for if he care to expresse them See also in the preface, ante, p. 6, under observations upon hee shall leese their grace, which is to be natural and vnafMeditationes Sacræ. NOTE K Referring to the letter prefixed, page 62. "Sir,-Finding during parliament a willingness in you to conferre with me in this great service concerning the Union, I doe now take hold thereof to excuse my boldness to desire that now which you offred then for both the tyme as to leasure is more liberall and as to the service itself is more urgent whether it will like you to come to me to Graies In or to appoynt me whear to meete with you I am indifferent and leave it to your choise and accordingly desire to hear from vou, so I remain yr very loving friend, "Graies Inne this 8th of Sept. 1604. "To Sir Robert Cotton." F BACON. Studies serue for pastimes, for ornaments, and for abilities. Their chiefe vse for pastime is in priuatenesse and retyring: for ornament is in discourse, and for ability is in iudgement. For expert men can execute, but learned men are fittest to iudge or censure. fected. Some mens behaviour is like a verse wherin euery sillable is measured. How can a man comprehend great matters that breaketh his mind too much to small obseruations? Not to vse Ceremonies at all, is to teach others not to vse them againe, and so diminish his respect, especially they be not to be omitted to strangers and strange natures. Amongst a mans pieres a man shall be sure of familiarity, and therefore it is a good title to keep state: among a mans inferiors one shal be sure of reuerence, and therefore it is good a little to be familiar. He that is too much in any thing, so that he give another occasion of satiety, maketh himselfe cheape. To apply ones selfe to others is good, so it be with demonstration that a man doth it vpon regard, and not upon facility. It is a good precept generally in seconding another: yet to add somewhat of ones own, as if you will graunt his opinion, let it be with some distinction. If you will follow his motion: let it be with condition: if you allow his counsell, let it be with alleadging further reason. OF FOLLOWERS AND FRIENDS. Costly followers are not to be liked, least while a man maketh his trayne longer, he make his wings shorter: 1 reckon to be costly not them alone which charge the purse, but which are wearisome and importune in sutes. Ordinary following ought to challenge no higher conditions then countenance, recommendation and protection from wrong. To spend too much time in them is sloth, to vse them too much for ornament is affectation: to make judgement wholly by their rules, is the humor of a Scholler. They perfect Nature, and are perfected by experience. Crafty men contemne them, simple men admire thein, and wise-men vse them; for they teach not their owne vse, but that is a wise-times see between great personages. The following by cerdome without them: and aboue them wonne by observation. Read not to contradict, nor to beleeue, but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and disgested. That is, some bookes are to be read only in parts: others to be read but cursorily, and some fewe to be read wholy and with dilligence and atention. Reading maketh a ful man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. And therfore if a man write little, he had need haue a great memory: if he confer little, haue a present wit, and if he read little, hee had need haue much cunning, to seeme to know that he doth not. Histories make men wise, Poets witty, the Mathematiks subtill, natural philosophy deep, Morall graue, Logick and Rhetoricke, able to contend. OF DISCOURSE. Some in their discourse desire rather commendation of wit in being able to hold all arguments, then of judgement in discerning what is true, as if it were a praise to know what might be said, and not what shold be thought. Some haue certain common-places and Theames wherein they are good, and want variety, which kind of pouerty is for the most part tedious, and now and then ridiculous. The honorablest part of talke is to giue the occasion, and againe to moderate and passe to somewhat else. It is good to vary and mixe speech of the present occasion with argument, tales with reasons, asking of questions, with telling of opinions, and iest with earnest. But some things are priuiledged from iest, namely religion, matters of state, great persons, any mans present businesse of importance, and any case that deserueth pitty. He that questioneth much shall learne much, and content much, specially if he apply his questions to the skill of the person of whom he asketh, for he shal giue them occasion to please themselues in speaking, and himselfe shall continually gather knowledge. If you dissemble sometimes your know ledg of that you are thought to know, you shall bee thought another time to know that you know not. Speech of a mans VOL. 1.-9 Factious followers are worse to be liked, which follow not vpon affection to him with whom they range themselues, but vpon discontentment conceiued against some other, whervpon commonly insueth that ill intelligence that wee many. tain States answerable to that which a great person himself professeth, as of souldiers to him that hath been emploied in the wars, and the like hath euer beene a thing ciuil and wel taken euen in Monarchies, so it bee without too much pompe or popularity. But the most honorable kind of following is to be followed, as one that apprehendeth to aduance vertue and desert in all sorts of persons, and yet wher there is no eminent oddes in sufficiency, it is better to take with the more passable then with the more able. In gouernment it is good to vse men of one rancke equally, for to countenance some extraordinarily, is to make them insolent, and the rest discontent, because they may claime a due. But in fauours to vse men with much difference and election is good, for it maketh the persons preferred more thankful, and the rest more officious, because all is of fauour. It is good not to make too much of any man at first because one cannot hold out that proportion. To be gouerned by one is not good, and to be distracted with many is worse: but to take aduice of friends is ever honorable: "For lookers on many times sec more then gamesters, and the vale best discouereth the hill." There is little friendship in the world, and least of al between equals, which was wont to bee magnified. That that is, is between superior and inferiour, whose fortunes may comprehend the one the other. OF SUTORS. Many ill matters are vndertaken, and manye good maters with ill mindes. Some embrace Sutes which neuer meane to deale effectually in them. But if they see there may be life in the matter by some other meane, they will be content to win a thanke, or take a second reward. Some take hold of sutes only for an occasion to crosse some other, or to make an information, whereof they could not otherwise haue an apt pretext, without care what become of the sute, when that turn is serued. Nay some vndertake sutes with a fut purpose to let them fal, to the end to gratifie the adverse party competitor. Surely here is in sort a right in euery F2 sute, either a right of equity, if it be a sute of controuersie: or a right of desert, if it be a sute of petition. If affection lead a man to fauour the wrong side in iustice, let him rather vse his countenance to compound the matter then to carry it. If affection lead a man to fauour the lesse worthy in desert, let him do it without deprauing or disabling the better deseruer. In sutes a man doth not well vnderstand, it is good to refer them to some friend of trust and judgment, that may report whether he may deale in them with honor. Sutors are so distasted with delaies and abuses, that plaine dealing in denying to deale in sutes at first, and reporting the successe barely, and in challenging no more thanks then one hath deserued, is growen not only honorable, but also gratious. In sutes of fauor the first coming ought to take little place, so far forth consideration may be had of his trust, that if intelligence of the mater could not otherwise baue been had but by him, aduantage be not taken of the note. To be ignorant of the value of a sute is simplicity, as wel as to be ignorant of the right thereof is want of conscience. Secrecy in sutes is a great mean of obtaining, for voycing them to bee in forwardnesse may discourage some kind of sutors, but doeth quicken and awake others. But tyming of the sutes is the principall, tyming I say not onely in respect of the person that should graunt it, but in respect of those which are like to crosse it. Nothing is thought so easie a request to a great person as his letter, and yet if it be not in a good cause, it is so much out of his reputation. OF EXPENCE. Riches are for spending, and spending for honour and good actions. Therefore extraordinary expence must bee limited by the worth of the ocasion, for voluntary vndoing may be as well for a mans country as for the kingdome of heauen, but ordinary expence ought to be limited by a man's estate, and gouerned with such regard as it be within his compasse and not subiect to deceite and abuse of seruants, and ordered to the best shew, that the billes may be lesse than the estimation abroad. It is no basenesse for the greatest to discend and looke into their owne estate. Some forbeare it not vpon negligence alone, but doubting to bring themselues into melancholy in respect they shall find it broken. "But wounds cannot bee cured without searching." He that cannot looke into his own estate, had need both chuse wel those whom he employeth, yea and change them often. For newe are more timerous and lesse subtle. In clearing of a mans estate he may as well hurt himselfe in being too suddaine, as in letting it run on too long, for hasty selling is commonly as disaduantagable as interest. He that hath a state to repaire may not dispise smal things: and comonly it is lesse dishonorable to abridge petty charges then to stoupe to pettye gettinges. A man ought warily to begin charges, which once begunne must continue. But in matters that returne not, he may bee more magnificent. OF REGIMENT OF HEALTH. There is a wisedome in this beyond the rules of physicke. A mans own obseruation what hee findes good of, and what he findes hurt of, is the best Physicke to preserve health. But it is a safer conclusion to say, This agreeth not well with me, therefore I will not continue it, then this, I finde no offence of this, therefore I may vse it. For strength of nature in youth passeth ouer many excesses, which are owing a man till his age. Discerne of the comming on of years, and thinke not to doe the same things still. Beware of any suddaine change in any great point of diet, and if necessity inforce it, fit the rest to it. To be free minded and chearefully disposed at houres of meate, and of sleepe, and of exercise, is the best precept of long lasting. If you fly physicke in health altogether, it will bee too strange to your body when you shall need it. If you make it too familiar it wil work no extraordinary effect when sicknes commeth. Despise no new accident in the body but aske opinion of it. In sicknesse respect health principally, and in health action. For those that put their bodyes to endure in health, may in most sicknesses which are not very sharpe, be cured onely with diet and tendring. Physitians are some of them so pleasing and comfortable to the humours of the patient, as they presse not the true cure of the disease: and some other are so regular in proceeding according to art, for the disease, as they respect not sufficiently the condition of the patient. Take one of a middle temper, or if it may not be found in one man, compound two of both sortes, and forget not to call as well the best acquainted with your body, as the best reputed of for his faculty. OF HONOUR AND REPUTATION. The winning of honor is but the reuealing of a man's vertue and worth without disadvantage, for some in their actions doe affect honour and reputation, which sorte of men are commonly much talked of, but inwardly litle admired: and some darken their vertue in the shew of it, so as they be vnder-valued in opinion. If a man performe that which hath not been attempted before, or attempted and giuen oues or hath been atchined, but not with so good circumstance, hee shall purchase more honor, then by effecting a matter of greater difficulty or vertue, wherin he is but a follower. If a man so temper his actions as in some one of them he do content euery faction or combination of people, the Musicke will be the fuller. A man is an ill husband of his honor that entreth into any action the failing wherin may disgrace him more, then the carrying of it through can honor him. Discreet followers help much to reputation. Envy which is the canker of honor is best extinguished by declaring a mans selfe in his endes, rather to seeke merite than fame, and by attributing a mans successes rather to deuine prouidence and felicity, then to his vertue or policy. The true Marshaling of the degrees of Soueraigne Honour are these. In the first place are "Conditores," founders of states. In the second place are "Legislatores," Law-giuers, which are also called second founders, or "Perpetui principes," because they gouern by their ordinances after they are gone. In the third place are Liberatores, such as compounde the long miseries of ciuil wars, or deliver their countries from servitude of strangers or tyrants. In the fourth place are "propagatores," or "propugnatores imperii," such as in honorable wars inlarge their territories, or make Noble defence against inuaders. And in the last place are "Patres patrie," which raigne justly, and make the times good wherein they liue. Degrees of honour in subiectes are first "Participes curarum," those upon whom princes do discharge the greatest weight of their affaires, their Right hands (as we call them.) The next are "Duces belli," great leaders, such as are Princes Lieutenantes, and do them notable services in the warres. The third are "Gratiosi," fauorites, such as exceed not this scantling to be solace to the Soveraigne, and harmles to the people. And the fourth" Negotys pares," such as have great place vnder Princes, and execute their places with sufficiency. OF FACTION. Many have a newe wisedome indeed, a fond opinion: That for a prince to gouerne his estate, or for a great person to govern his proceedings according to the respects of Factions, is the principall part of policy. Whereas contrariwise, the chiefest wisedome is eyther in ordering these things which are generall, and wherin men of several factions do neuertheles agree, or in dealing with correspondence to particular persons one by one. But I say not that the consideration of Factions is to be neglected Meane men must adheare, but great men that haue strength in themselues were better to maintaine themselves indifferent and neutral, yet euen in beginners to adheare so moderately, as hee be a man of the one faction, which is passablest with the other, commonly giveth best way. The lower and weaker faction is the firmer in conjunction. When one of the factions is extinguished, the remaining subdiuideth, which is good for a second. It is commonly seene, that men once placed, take in with the contrary faction to that by which they enter. The traitor in factions lightly goeth away with it, for when matters have stuck long in ballancing, the winning of some one man cast eth them, and he getteth al the thanks. OF NEGOCIATING. It is generally better to deale by speech then by letter, and by the mediation of a third then by a mans selfe. Letters are good when a man would draw an auns were by Letter backe againe, or when it may serue for a mans justification afterwards to produce his owne Letter. To deale in person is good when a mans face breedes regard, as commonly with inferiors. In choyce of instrumentes it is better to chuse men of a playner sort that are like to doe that that is committed to them, and to report backe againe faithfully the successe, then those that are cunning to contriue out of other men's busines somewhat to grace themselues, and will help the matter in reporte for satisfactions sake. It is better to sounde a person with whom one deales a far off, then to fall vpon the point at first, except you mean to surprise him by some short question. It is better dealing with men in appetite then with those which are where they would be. If a man deale with another vpon conditions, the start or first performance is al, which a man cannot reasonably demaund, except either the nature of the thing be such which must go before, or else a man can perswade the other party that he shal stil need him in some other thing, or els that he be counted the honester man. All practise is to discouer or to worke: men discouer themselves in trust, in passion, at vnwares, and of necessity, when they would haue somewhat done, and cannot finde an apt pretext. If you would work any man, you must eyther know his nature and fashions, and so lead him; or his endes, and so win him; or his weaknesse or disaduantages, and so awe him, or those that haue interest in him, and so gouerne him. In dealing with cunning persons wee must euer consider their ends to interpret their speeches, and it is good to say little to them, and that which they least looke for. MEDITATIONES SACRÆ. eth these things; sustenance, defence from outOF THE WORKS OF GOD AND MAN. ward wrongs, and medicine; it was he that drew GOD beheld all things which his hands had a multitude of fishes into the nets, that he might made, and lo they were all passing good. But give unto men more liberal provision: He turned when man turned him about, and took a view of water, a less worthy nourishment of man's body, the works which his hands had made, he found into wine, a more worthy, that glads the heart of all to be vanity and vexation of spirit: wherefore, man: He sentenced the fig-tree to wither for not if thou shalt work in the works of God, thy sweat doing that duty whereunto it was ordained, which shall be as an ointment of odours, and thy rest as is, to bear fruit for men's food: He multiplied the the sabbath of God: thou shalt travail in the scarcity of a few loaves and fishes to a sufficiency sweat of a good conscience, and shalt keep holy to victual an host of people: He rebuked the day in the quietness and liberty of the sweetest winds that threatened destruction to the seafaring contemplations; but if thou shalt aspire after the men: He restored motion to the lame, light to the glorious acts of men, thy working shall be accom-blind, speech to the dumb, health to the sick, panied with compunction and strife, and thy re- cleanness to the leprous, a right mind to those membrance followed with distaste and upbraid- that were possessed, and life to the dead. No ings; and justly doth it come to pass towards miracle of his is to be found to have been of judgthee, O man, that since thou, which art God's ment or revenge, but all of goodness and mercy, work, doest him no reason in yielding him well- and respecting man's body; for as touching riches pleasing service, even thine own works also he did not vouchsafe to do any miracle, save one should reward thee with the like fruit of bitterness. only, that tribute might be given to Cæsar. OF THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR. "He bath done all things well." OF THE INNOCENCY OF THE DOVE, A TRUE Confession and applause. God when he created all things saw that every thing in particular and all things in general were exceeding To a man of a perverse and corrupt judgment good; God, the Word, in the miracles which he all instruction or persuasion is fruitless and conwrought, (now every miracle is a new creation, temptible, which begins not with discovery and and not according to the first creation,) would do laying open of the distemper and ill complexion nothing which breathed not towards men favour of the mind which is to be recured, as a plaster is and bounty: Moses wrought miracles, and unseasonably applied before the wound be searchScourged the Egyptians with many plagues: ed; for men of corrupt understanding, that have Elias wrought miracles, and shut up heaven, that lost all sound discerning of good and evil, come no rain should fall upon the earth; and again possest with this prejudicate opinion, that they brought down from heaven the fire of God upon think all honesty and goodness proceedeth out of the captains and their bands: Elizeus wrought a simplicity of manners, and a kind of want of also, and called bears out of the desert to devour experience and unacquaintance with the affairs of young children: Peter struck Ananias, the sacri- the world. Therefore, except they may perceive legious hypocrite, with present death; and Paul, that those things which are in their hearts, that Elymas, the sorcerer, with blindness; but no is to say, their own corrupt principles, and the such thing did Jesus, the Spirit of God descended deepest reaches of their cunning and rottenness down upon him in the form of a dove, of whom to be thoroughly sounded, and known to him that he said, "You know not of what spirit you are." goes about to persuade with them, they make buc The spirit of Jesus is the spirit of a dove; those a play of the words of wisdom. Therefore it servants of God were as the oxen of God treading behoveth him which aspireth to a goodness (not out the corn, and trampling the straw down under retired or particular to himself, but a fructifying their feet; but Jesus is the Lamb of God, without and begetting goodness which should draw on wrath or judgments; all his miracles were con- others) to know those points, which be called in summate about man's body, as his doctrine re- the Revelation the deeps of Satan, that he may spected the soul of man: the body of man need-speak with authority and true insinuation. Hence is the precept, "Try all things, and hold that which is good;" which endureth a discerning election out of an examination whence nothing at all is excluded out of the same fountain ariseth that direction, "Be you wise as serpents and innocent as doves." There are neither teeth nor stings, nor venom, nor wreaths and folds of serpents, which ought not to be all known, and, as far as examination doth lead, tried: neither let any man here fear infection or pollution, for the sun entereth into sinks and is not defiled; neither let any man think that herein he tempteth God, for his diligence and generality of examination is commanded, and God is sufficient to preserve you immaculate and pure. not to-morrow's men, considering the shortness of our time; and as he saith, "Laying hold on the present day;" for future things shall in their turns become presents, therefore the care of the present sufficeth: and yet moderate cares (whether they concern our particular, or the commonwealth, or our friends) are not blamed. But herein is a twofold excess; the one when the chain or thread of our cares, extended and spun out to an over great length, and unto times too far off, as if we could bind the divine providence by our provisions. which even with the heathen, was always found to be a thing insolent and unlucky; for those which did attribute much to fortune, and were ready at hand to apprehend with alacrity the present occasions, have for the most part in their actions been happy; but they who in a compass, OF THE EXALTATION OF CHARITY. wisdom, have entered into a confidence that they "If I have rejoiced at the overthrow of him that hated me, had belayed all events, have for the most part enor took pleasure when adversity did befall him." countered misfortune. The second excess is, THE detestation or renouncing of Job. For a when we dwell longer in our cares than is requi man to love again where he is loved, it is the site for due deliberating or firm resolving; for charity of publicans contracted by mutual profit who is there amongst us that careth no more than and good offices; but to love a man's enemies is sufficeth either to resolve of a course or to conclude one of the cunningest points of the law of Christ, upon an impossibility, and doth not still chew over and an imitation of the divine nature. But yet the same things, and tread a maze in the same again, of this charity there be divers degrees; thoughts, and vanisheth in them without issue or whereof the first is, to pardon our enemies when conclusion: which kind of cares are most contrary they repent of which charity there is a shadow to all divine and human respects. OF EARTHLY HOPE. "Better is the sight of the eye, than the apprehension of the mind." and image, even in noble beasts; for of lions, it is a received opinion that their fury and fierceness ceaseth towards any thing that yieldeth and prostrateth itself. The second degree is, to pardon our nemies, though they persist, and without satisfactions and submissions. The third degree is, PURE sense receiving every thing according to not only to pardon and forgive, and forbear our the natural impression, makes a better state and enemies, but to deserve well of them, and to do government of the mind, than these same imagithem good but all these three degrees either have nations and apprehensions of the mind; for the or may have in them a certain bravery and great-mind of man hath this nature and property even in ness of the mind rather than pure charity; for the gravest and most settled wits, that from the when a man perceiveth virtue to proceed and flow from himself, it is possible that he is puffed up and takes contentment rather in the fruit of his own virtue than in the good of his neighbours; but if any evil overtake the enemy from any other coast than from thyself, and thou in the inwardest motions of thy heart be grieved and compassionate, and dost noways insult, as if thy days of right and revenge were at the last come; this I Interpret to be the height and exaltation of charity. OF THE MODERATION OF CARES. "Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." THERE ought to be a measure in worldly cares, otherwise they are both unprofitable, as those which oppress the mind and astonish the judgment, and profane, as those which savour of a mind which promiseth to itself a certain perpetuity in the things of this world; for we ought to be day's men and sense of every particular, it doth as it were bound and spring forward, and take hold of other matters, foretelling unto itself that all shall prove like unto that which beateth upon the present sense; if the sense be of good, it easily runs into an unlimited hope, and into a like fear, when the sense is of evil, according as is said "The oracles of hopes doth oft abuse." And that contrary, "A froward soothsayer is fear in doubts." But yet of fear there may be made some use; for it prepareth patience and awaketh industry, "No shape of ill, comes new or strange to me, All sorts set down, yea, and prepared be." But hope seemeth a thing altogether unprofit able; for to what end serveth this conceit of good. Consider and note a little if the good fall out less than thou hopest; good though it be, yet less because it is, it seemeth rather loss than benefit through thy excess of hope; if the good prove equal and proportionable in event to thy hope, yet the flower thereof by thy hope is gathered; so as when it comes the grace of it is gone, and it seems ased, and therefore sooner draweth on satiety; admit thy success prove better than thy hope, it is true a gain seems to be made: but had it not been better to have gained the principal by hoping for nothing, than the increase by hoping for less; and this is the operation of hope in good fortunes, but in misfortunes it weakeneth all force and vigour of the mind; for neither is there always matter of hope, and if there be, yet if it fail but in part, it doth wholly overthrow the constancy and resolution of the mind; and besides, though it doth carry us through, yet it is a greater dignity of mind to bear evils by fortitude and judgment, than by a kind of absenting and alienation of the mind from things present to things future, for that it is to hope. And therefore it was much lightness in the poets to fain hope to be as a counterpoison of human diseases, as to mitigate and assuage the fury and anger of them, whereas indeed it doth kindle and enrage them, and causeth both doubling of them and relapses. Notwithstanding we see that the greatest number of men give themselves over to their imaginations of hope and apprehensions of the mind in such sort, that ungrateful towards things past, and in a manner unmindful of things present, as if they were ever children and beginners, they are still in longing for things to come. "I saw all men walking under the sun, resort and gather to the second person, which was afterwards to succeed: this is an evil disease, and a great idleness of the mind." But perhaps you will ask the question, whether it be not better, when things stand in doubtful terms, to presume the best, and rather hope well than distrust; especially seeing that hope doth cause a greater tranquillity of mind? Surely I do judge a state of mind which in all doubtful expectations is settled and floateth not; and doth this out of a good government and composition of the affections, to be one of the principal supporters of man's life: but that assurance and repose of the mind, which only rides at anchor upon hope, I do reject as wavering and weak; not that it is not convenient to foresee and presuppose out of a sound and sober conjecture, as well the good as the evil, that thereby we may fit our actions to the probabilities and likelihoods of their event, so that this be a work of the understanding and judgment, with a due bent and inclination of the affection: but which of you hath so kept his hopes within limits, as when it is so, that you have out of a watchful and strong discourse of the mind set down the better success to be in apparency the more likely; you have not dwelt upon the very muse and forethought of the good to come, and giving scope and favour unto your mind, to fall into such cogitations as into a pleasant dream; and this it is which makes the mind light, frothy, unequal, and wandering; wherefore all our hope is to be bestowed upon the heavenly life to come: but here on earth the purer our sense is from the infection and tincture of imagination, the better and wiser soul. "The sum of life to little doth amount, OF HYPOCRITES. "I demand mercy, and not sacrifice.” ALL the boasting of the hypocrite is of the works of the first table of the law, which is of adoration and duty towards God; whereof the reason is double, both because such works have a greater pomp and demonstration of holiness, and also because they do less cross their affections and desires; therefore the way to convict hypocrites, is to send them from the works of sacrifice to the works of mercy, whence cometh that saying: "This is pure and immaculate religion with God the Father, to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations:" and that saying, "He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen." Now there is another kind of deeper and more extravagant hypocrisy; for some, deceiving themselves, and thinking themselves worthy of a more near access and conversation with God, do neglect the duties of charity towards their neighbour, as inferior matters, which did not indeed cause originally the beginning of a monastical life, (for the beginnings were good,) but brought in that excess and abuse which are followed after; for it is truly said, "That the office of praying is a great office in the church:" and it is for the good of the church that there be consorts of men freed from the cares of this world, who may with daily and devout supplications and observances solicit the Divine Majesty for the causes of the church. But unto this ordinance, that other hypocrisy is a nigh neighbour; neither is the general institution to be blamed, but those spirits which exalt themselves too high to be refrained; for even Enoch, which was said to walk with God, did prophesy, as is delivered unto us by Jude, and did endow the church with the fruit of his prophesy which he left: and John Baptist, unto whom they did refer as to the author of a monastical life, travelled and exercised much in the ministry both of prophesy and baptizing; for as to these others, who are so officious towards God, to them belongeth that question, "If thou do justly what is that to God, or what profit doth he take by thy hands?" Wherefore the works of mercy are they which are the works of distinction, whereby to find out hypocrites. But with heretics it is contrary; for as hypocrites, with their dissembling holiness towards God, do palliate and cover their injuries towards men; so heretics, by their morality and honest carriage towards men, insinuate and make a way with their blasphemies against Ged. |