Mat.xxiv. 



320 Of the Advancement of Learning. Lib. IX. 



and deriv'd by many Pipes for publick and private ufe ; or is pour- 

 ed forth imraeditately in Buckets and VeildSj to be us'd out of hand, 

 asoccafion requires, 



§ Now this former Methodical manner hath at length brought 

 forth unto us ScholaUical Theology^ whereby Divinity hath been col- 

 lefted into an Art^ as into a Cijiern 5 and the ftreams of Axioms and 

 Tofnions^ diftributed from thence into all parts. 



'^ But in j^/«/e Manner of Interpreting, two exireams intervene j 

 the one prejuppofcih fisch aperfeQion in Scriptures, as that all rhilofo- 

 phy ought to be fctcht and deriv'd from thofe facred Fountains ; as if all 

 other Philofophy rvere an unhallorved and Heathenifl) thing. This di- 

 ftemperature hath prevailed efpecially in the School of Paracelfus, 

 and fome others j the fburce and ^ring whereof flowed from the 

 Rabbins and Cabalifts. But thefe men have not attain 'd their pur- 

 pofe j nor do they give honour (as they pretend) to Scriptures, but 

 rather embafe and diftain them. For to feeka materiate Heaven and 

 Earth in the Word of God, whereof it is faid Heaven and Earth fliall 

 paS, hut my word Jf J all not paf, is indeed to purfae Temporary things 

 araongft eternal : for as tofeek^ Divinity in rhrlofophy, is as if yon 

 rvould feek^the living amongjl the Dead 5 (b on the other fide , to fee^ 

 Thilofophy in Divinity , is all one as to feek. th' dead amongU the 

 living. 



§ The other manner of Interpreting, which We fet down as an ex- 

 cels, (eems at firft fight fober and chafte ; yet notv.'ithftanding it 

 both diOionoureth Scriptures , and is a great prejudice and detri- 

 ment to the Church 5 and it is, to fpeak in a word, when Divinely'in- 

 fpir'd Scriptures are expounded after the fame manner that humans 

 vpritings are. For it muft beremembred, that there are two points 

 known to God the Author of Scripture, which man's nature cannot 

 comprehend 3 that is. The fecrets of the Heart '-, and the fucceffion of 

 Times. Wherefore feeing the Precepts and Di<3:ates of Scriptures 

 were written and directed to the Heart andThoughts of men, and com- 

 prehend the viciffitudes of all Ages, with an eternal and certain 

 fore- fight of all Herefies, Contradi&ions •■, differing and mutable e- 

 ftates of the Church , as well in general . as of the Elcdt in fpe- 

 cial 5 they are to be interpreted according to the Latitude and the 

 proper fence of the place, and refpedively toward that prefent 

 occafion whereupon the words were utter'd 3 or in precife congrui- 

 ty from the Context of the precedent and fubfequent words; or ia 

 contemplation of the principal fcope of the place ; but fo as we con- 

 ceive them to comprehend, not only totally or colle(2:ively, butdi- 

 ftributively, even in claules, and in every word, infinite fprings and 

 ftreams of Docirine to water every part of the Church, and the fpi- 

 rits of the Faithful; For it hath been excellently obferved, that the 

 Anfwersof our Saviour, to many of the queftions which were pro- 

 pounded to him, fecm not to the purpofe, but, as it were\ imper- 

 tinent to the Itate of the queftion demanded. The Reafons hereof 

 are two : the one, that being he knew the thoughts of thofe that pro- 

 pounded the Queftions, not from their words, as we men ufe to do, 

 but immediately, and of hinifelfj hemade anfwer to their thoughts, 



not 



