L I B. VII. Of the Advancement of Learning. 239 



an IroagCj he fhapes only that part whereupon he wdrks^ and not 

 the reft ^ asrfhe be faftiioning the Face, the reft of the body is a 

 rude and formleG ftone ftill , till fuch time as he come to it; but 

 contrariwife, when K.itnre makes a Flower or Living Creature^ (he 

 ingenders and brings forth rudiments of all the parts at one time. 

 So in obtaining vertues by habit, while a man praftifeth Te^/pcrjKce, 

 he doth not profit much to Fortitude, and the like 5 but when w6 

 wholly dedicate and devote our felves to good and honeft ends 5 

 Jook what vertue foever ftich ends commends and commands our 

 mind unto, we (hall find our felves already inverted and predifpo- 

 fited with a kind of hability and propenfion to purfue and exprels ' 

 the fame. And this may be that State of Mind, which is excellently 

 delcribed by Arifiotle, and exprelFed with the Character, not ofm'r- ^^^,^^1 j-, 

 tue, but a kind of Divinity , his words are thefej And with Im- com. lib.'^ 

 maniiy , ive nny not unaply countrc-ballance , that ability which is 

 above humanity ^ Heroic^ or Divine Vertne : and a little after, /J^r 

 as Savage Creatures arc incapable ofl^iceor Verttie •-, foisthe Deity : but 

 thisjlate is d thing higher than vertue 3 that , fomervhat elje than vice. 

 Indeed rlinius Sccundus, from the licenfe of Heathen magniloquence, 

 fet forth the vertue of Trajan , not as an imitation , but as a pat- 

 tern too DivinCjWhen he faith. That men need to make no other prayers 

 to the Gods, but that they would continue as good and as gracious Lords 

 to them, at Trajan had been. But thefe are the prophane and un- 

 hallowed Airs of Heathens , who apprehend ftiadovws greater than 

 the body : but true Religion , and the Holy Chriftian Faith , lays 

 hold on fubftance it felf, imprinting upon mens Minds Charify, which 

 is moft properly called. The bond of perfection j becaufe it compre- - , , - 

 hends and faftens all vertues together. Surely it is elegantly faid ^'^' '^' 

 by Menandcr of vain Love, which is but a counterfeit imitation of 

 Divine Love^ Amqr meliorfophi^fu l£vo, ad humanam vitim •-, by which 

 words he infinuatcs, that good and decent carriage,is better learnt from 

 L,ovG, than from a %OT^\\\^, or an inept Tutor -^ whom he calls I,e/>- • 



handed, becaufe with all his tedious Rules dnd Preceps, he cannot 

 form a man fo dexteroufly, and with that facility to value himfelf, 

 and govern himfelf, as Love can do. So certainly, if a mans mind be 

 truly inflamed with x.\\q heat of Charity^ he ftiall be exalted to a 

 greater degref of Perfeftion, than by all the Do&rine of Morality, 

 which, indeed, is but a Sophiji in comparifonof the other. Nay far» p'l"**' 

 ther, as Xenophon obferved truly. That all other affections, though 

 they raife the Mind, yet they dijiort and di for der it by their extafies and 

 exceffes 3 but only love doth at the fame injiant , dilate and compofe the 

 Mind. So all other humane excellencies, which we admire 5 though 

 they advance Nature, yet they are fubjeft toexcefs-^ only Charity 

 admits no excefs. So we fee the Angels, while they afpired to belike 

 God in Power, prevaricated and fell, I will afcend above the altitude Ef4.i4, 

 of the clouds, I will be lil^e the mofi high. So man, while he afpired 

 to be like God in Knowledge, digrefled and fell : yefliall belii{cGodt 

 knowing Good and Evil: but by afpiring to a fimilitude of God's „ 

 CoodnefsotLove, neither Man nor Angel ever was endangered, nor 



fliall 



