Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Reafons matting to the contempt ofworldly learning. 97 the firft rudiments a becaufe the more he knoweth, the more Hoc vnum felt, he feeth his want of knowledge; and the highefi degree of me nhi1fcire. learning in this flare ofimperfeaion, cóGlleth in the know- Socrates. ledge of a mans ownc ignorance. And therefore the Wife man faith, that he that increafeth knolbledgeincreafeth griefe, Atfanequi ad. becaufehedoth not receiue fo much pleafare by that which bee dúfcientiam hash found out, as [orrery for that unto which he is not able to at- adder dolo em, taine;leke veto thofe who being yet a thtril,are pulledfr-6 the wa- vslúpt nonpl ters,or that cannot hold in their hands that which theythink they quoa inuenit co haue;or like unto theft who are enlightened with the brightnes of accipiat,quans the lightning; which light prefently leaning them, they remarne moron s es co in moregroffedarknefJe then before ,And thisvanitieofhumane ueda¡jiqui ron potuu. Na- learning is the caufe why the Saints ofGod have fo conceal- zianzen. Ayo_ ned ir; for hauing attained to the knowledge of God and loges. r. his will, ofour Sauiour Chriff, and the worke of faluation wrought by him, they haue in comparifon of this excellent knowledge, accounted the other bale and ofno worth. An example whereof we haue in Paul, who being indued with a great meafure ofthis humane learning, contemneth it, pro- felling that he carednet.to know any thing, faue lefus Chri l r.Cor.a.z. and him crucified. As allo in the Ephefians, who being con_ uerted to the faith, and indued with forcemeafure of fauing knowledge, brought their booties, out of which they had learned Alts 19.19. their curiosu arts, and burned them before all men, the price whereofamounted tofiftie thoufandpieces of fluer. Laftly, the vnprofitableneffe of worldly learning hereby 4,Set7<5, appeareth, in that it furthereth not our faluation, nor bring- Worldly tear_ ethvsneerervntoGod,neitherinthislifebygrace, nor by ninghelpeth vs glorie in the life to come: for it helpeth not at all to inrich vs "I"t to theataai- with any ofGods fanótifying and fauing graces, but excel- fptit /the 7ods rater< ling all others in this kind of learning, wemay be as mifera- blie poore in thofe ineflimable treafùres as the moll limple idiots.And this the examples offormer times Sc of our owne daies doe plainly manilla : for who more learned then the Ægyptians,and who more groffe idolaters? Who more 'can- ned then Pharaohs inchanters, and aflrologians, and who more diuellifh forcerers? who more learned then the Scribes and Phariles,and who more grace] effe and wicked ? Finally, H who