4 Of the Advancement of Learning. L i b. I. 



thefe men do not obferve and conGder, That it was not that Pure and 

 Primitive Knowledge of Nature^ by the light whereof man did give names 

 to other Creatures in Paradire5asthey were brought before him, accord- 

 ing to their Proprieties, which gave the occafion to the Fall 3' but it 

 was that proud Knowledge of Good and Evil, with an intent to (hake 

 off God and to give Law unto himfelf Neither is it any ^antity of 

 Knowledge, how great ibever, that can make the mind of man tofwell^ 

 for nothing can fill, much lefs extend the Soul of man but God, and the 

 contemplation of God : therefore Solomon fpeaking of the two Princi- 



Ecclef.i. p^j Senfes of Inquifition, the Eye and the Ear, affirms, That the Eye is 

 never fatisfied with feeing , nor the Ear with hearing 5 and if there be no 

 fulnefs, then is the Continent greater than the Content. So of Know- 

 ledge it felf and the Mind of Man,whereto the Senfes are but Reporters, 

 he defines likewife in the Words plac'd after theCalendar or Ephimerides 

 which he makes of the diverfity of times and feafons for all Aftions and 



kcclef.3. Purpofes, concluding thus, God hath xnade all things beautiful and decent 

 in the true return of their feafons , alfo he hath f laced the world in mans 

 heart, yet cannot man find out the ripork^which God work^th from the begin- 

 ning unto the end : By which words he declares, not obfcurely, that God 

 hath framed the Mind of Man, as a Mirror or Glals capable of the Image 

 of the univerfal world, and as joyful to receive the ImpreiGons thereof^ 

 as the Eye joyeth to receive Light 3 and not only delighted in the be- 

 holding the variety of things and the viciffitudes of times, but railed 

 alfbto find out and todifcern the inviolable Laws and infallible Decrees 

 of Nature. And although he feem to infinuate that the fupreme or fum- 

 niary Law of Nature, which he calleth the work^ which God worketh fro/ft 

 the beginning to the end, is not poffiblc to be found out by Man 5 yet 



i that doth not derogate from the Capacity of the Mind, but may be refer- 



red to the impediments of Knowledge, as the fliortnefs of life, the ill con- 

 lunftion of labours deprav'd, and unfaithful Tradition of Knowledge 

 over from hand to hand ; and many other inconveniencies wherewith 

 the condition of Man is enfnared and involved. For that no parcel of 

 the World is denied to Man's enquiry or invention he clearly declares in 

 another place, where he faith , The fpirit of a man is as the Lamp of 

 God wherewith hefearcheth the inwards ofallfecrets. If then (uch be the 

 capacity and receipt of the Mind of Man, it is manifeft that there is no 

 danger at all from the Proportion or ghtantity of Knowledge how large 

 foever, left it fhould make it fwell or out-compafs it felf but j merely in 

 / the S^ality, which being in Quantity more or lefs, if it be taken with- 

 out the true Correftive thereof, hath in it fome nature of malignity, or 

 venom full of flatuous fymptoms. This Antidote, or Corredive fpice, 

 the mixture whereof tempers Knowledge and makes it fofovereign, is 

 charity, which the Apoftle immediately adds in the former claufe, faying, 



I Cor. 8. Knowledge blows up, but Charity builds up 5 Not unlike to that which he 



I Cor.13. delivers in another place, Iflfpaks (^aith he) with the tongues of Men and 

 Angels and had not Charity, it were but as a tinkling Cymbal : Not but that 

 it is an excellent thing to fpeak with the tongues of Men and Angels,but 

 becaufe if it be fever'd from Charity, and not refer'd to the publick 

 good of Mankind, it rather exhibits a vain and empty glory, than any 

 mbftantial and folid fruit. 



As for that Cenfureof Solomon, concerning the excefs of writing and 



redding 



