380 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



or revealed, and the nature of the information or revelation: 

 and with the later we will begin, because it hath most 

 coherence with that which we have now last handled. The 

 nature of the information consisteth of three branches ; the 

 limits of the information, the sufficiency of the information, 

 and the acquiring or obtaining the information. Unto the 

 limits of the information belong these considerations ; how 

 far forth particular persons continue to be inspired ; how 

 far forth the church is inspired ; and how far forth reason 

 may be used : the last point whereof I have noted as 

 deficient. Unto the sufficiency of the information belong 

 two considerations ; what points of religion are funda- 

 mental, and what perfective, being matter of further build- 

 ing and perfection upon one and the same foundation ; and 

 again, how the gradations of light according to the dispen- 

 sation of times are material to the sufficiency of belief. 

 Here again I may rather give it in advice than note it as 

 deficient, that the points fundamental, and the 

 points of further perfection only, ought to be 

 w ith piety and wisdom distinguished : a subject 

 tending to much like end as that I noted before ; for as 

 that other were likely to abate the number of controversies, 

 so this is like to abate the heat of many of them. We see 

 Moses when he saw the Israelite and the Egyptian fight, 

 he did not say, * Why strive you?' but drew his sword and 

 slew the Egyptian : but when he saw the two Israelites 

 fight, he said, c You are brethren, why strive you ? ' If the 

 point of doctrine be an Egyptian, it must be slain by the 

 sword of the Spirit, and not reconciled ; but if it be an 

 Israelite, though in the wrong, then, ' Why strive you ? ' 

 We see of the fundamental points, our Saviour penneth the 

 league thus, 'He that is not with us, is against us' ; but of 

 points not fundamental, thus, ' He that is not against us, is 

 with us/ So we see the coat of our Saviour was entire 

 without seam, and so is the doctrine of the Scriptures in 

 itself; but the garment of the Church was of divers 

 colours, and yet not divided. We see the chaff may and 

 ought to be severed from the corn in the ear, but the tares 

 may not be pulled up from the corn in the field : so as it 



