THE SECOND BOOK 167 



themselves anathematized and razed out of the book 

 of life, in an ecstasy of charity and infinite feeling of 

 communion. 



8. This being set down and strongly planted, doth 

 judge and determine most of the controversies wherein 

 moral philosophy is conversant. For first, it decideth 

 the question touching the preferment of the contem 

 plative or active life, and decideth it against Aristotle. 

 For all the reasons which he bringeth for the contem 

 plative are private, and respecting the pleasure and 

 dignity of a man s self (in which respects no question 

 the contemplative life hath the pre-eminence), not much 

 unlike to that comparison, which Pythagoras made for 

 the gracing and magnifying of philosophy and contem 

 plation : who being asked what he was, answered, That 

 if Hiero were ever at the Olympian games, he knew the 

 manner, that some came to try their fortune for the 

 prizes, and some came as merchants to utter their com 

 modities, and some came to make good cheer and meet 

 their friends, and some came to look on ; and that he 

 was one of them that came to look on. But men must 

 know, that in this theatre of man s life it is reserved only 

 for God and angels to be lookers on. Neither could the 

 like question ever have been received in the church, 

 notwithstanding their Pretiosa in oculis Domini mors 

 sanctorum ejus, by which place they would exalt their 

 civil death and regular professions, but upon this defence, 

 that the monastical life is not simple contemplative, but 

 performeth the duty either of incessant prayers and 

 supplications, which hath been truly esteemed as an 

 office in the church, or else of writing or taking instruc 

 tions for writing concerning the law of God, as Moses 

 did when he abode so long in the mount. And so we 

 see Henoch the seventh from Adam, who was the first 

 contemplative and walked with God, yet did also endow 

 the church with prophecy, which Saint Jude citeth. 

 But for contemplation which should be finished in itself, 

 without casting beams upon society, assuredly divinity 

 knoweth it not. 



9. It decideth also the controversies between Zeno 



