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THE SECOND BOOKE 225
God? How temperance, which is the moderation of
corporall sensualities, which have no place at all in his
God-head? Fortitude patiently to endure sorrowes,
and labours and dangers, appertaineth little unto him,
these three things no way approaching him, having no
acpesse unto him. And therefore Aristotle holds him
to he equally exempted from vertue and from vice.
Neque gratia, neque ira teneri potest, quod quae talia
essent, imbecilla essent omnia :¹ ' Nor can he be possessed
with favor and anger ; for all that is so is but weake.'
The participation which we have of the knowledge of
truth, what soever she is, it is not by our owne strength
we have gotten it; God hath sufficiently taught it us in
that he hath made choice of the simple, common, and
ignorant to teach us His wonderfull secrets. Our faith
hath not been purchased by us : it is a gift proceeding
from the liberality of others. It is not by our discourse
or understanding that we have received our religion, it
is by a forreine authority and command emeut. The
weaknesse of our judgement helps us more than our
strength to compasse the same, and our blindnesse
more than our cleare-sighted eies. It is more by the
meanes of our ignorance than of our skill that we are
wise in heavenly knowledge. It is no marvell if our
naturall and terrestriall meanes cannot conceive the
supernaturall or apprehend the celestial knowledge.
Let us adde nothing of our own unto it but obedience
and subjection : for (as it is written) i I will confound
the wisdome of the wise, and destroy the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the
scribe, where is the disputer of this world? hath not
God made the wisdome of this world foolishnesse ? For
seeing the world by wisdome knew not God, in, the
wisdome of God, it hath pleased Him, by the vanity of
preaching, to save them that beleeve.'² Yet must I see
at last whether it be in mans power to finde what he
seekes for : and if this long search, wherein he hath continued
so many ages, hath enriched him with any new
strength or solid truth : I am perswaded, if he speake in
¹ CIC. Nat. Deor. 1. * 1 COR. i. 19-21.
II. Q