and one soul differs from another in glory; and that reason which can make some shift to maintain Errour, might with a great deal lesse sweat and pains maintain a truth.
There’s no question but that Bellarmin,20 and the rest of the learned Papists could have if they had pleased, far more easily defended the Protestant Religion then that of their own. Besides, the vigour and triumph of Reason is principally to be seen in those first-born beames, those pure and unspotted irradiations that shine from it; I mean those first bublings up of common principles that are own’d and acknowledg’d by all; and those evident, and kindly derivations that flow from them. Reason shews her face more amiably and pleasantly in a pure and cleare streame, then in those mudded and troubled waters, in which the Schoolmen (that have leasure enough) are alwayes fishing. Nay, some of their works are like so many raging seas, full of perpetual tossings, and disquietings, and foamings, and sometimes casting up mire and dirt;21 and yet these vast and voluminous Leviathans love to sport therein, and that which is most intolerable, these grand σοφοὶ [wise men], that seem’d so zealous for Reason, at length in expresse termes disclaime it; and in a most blindfold and confused manner, cry up their great Diana,22 their Idol of Transubstantiation; and the Lutherans are very fierce against Reason too, much upon the same account, because it would never allow of that other monstrous and misshapen lump of Consubstantiation.
But why have I all this while beaten the air, and spilt words upon the ground? why do I speak to such as are incurable and incapable? for if we speak Reason to them, that’s that which they so much disclaim: if we do not speak Reason to them, that were to disclaime it too.
But I speak to men, to Christians, to the friends of learning, to the professors of Reason: to such as put this Candle of the Lord into a golden Candlestick, and poure continual Oile into it. Yet lest any among you Athenians, should erect an Altar to an unknown God;23 lest you should ignorantly worship him, we will declare him to you.
[18] And that which we have now said may serve as a Porch and preamble, to what we shall speak hereafter out of these words.
Where we shall see
1. How The understanding of a man is the Candle of the Lord.
2. What this Candle of the Lord discovers; where we shall finde
1. That all the Moral Law is founded in natural and common light, in the light of Reason.
2. That there’s nothing in the mysteries of the Gospel contrary to the light of Reason; nothing repugnant to this light that shines from the Candle of the Lord.24
[19] Now as for the words themselves, we cannot better judge of the fitnesse of this expression, then by considering who it was that spoke it.
Now these words were spoke by him that had a large portion of intellectuals, one that was ἔξοχος ἀνθρώπων κεφαλῃ̑1 [an intellectual superior among men], they were spoken by Solomon in whom the Candle of the Lord did shine very clearly; one that had ask’d this as the choisest favour that he could expect from the bounty of heaven; to have a glorious lamp of knowledge shine in his soul for the enlightning of it. And though the envious Jews would fain perswade the world that he lighted his candle at hell it self, for they esteemed him no better then a Magician; as they esteemed him also that was greater then Solomon; yet we know very well, that Solomons was a purer Candle then to be lighted at a Lake of fire and brimstone; ’twas not of Lucifers setting up, but it came from the Father of lights,2 ’twas lighted with Sun-beams from heaven.
And ’tis a modest and humble expression in him to call his understanding the Candle of the Lord, when as the world look’d upon him as a star of the first magnitude, nay as a Sun shining in the firmament, gilding the world with knowledge, scattering beams of light, sparkling out in wise and proverbial sayings, so that the bordering Princes and Nations are ready to adore such an orient light; and the Queen of the South thinks it no small happinesse to sit under the shadow of it. But yet to be sensible of his own narrow sphere, of his own finite compasse and influence, did not at all take from his lustre, but did rather set it off, and adde to his glory.
Thus that wise man among the Heathen Socrates did so farre complain of the weaknesse of his candle-light, as that he tels us his lamp would shew him nothing but his own darknesse. And though a wiser then Socrates be here, yet he is much in the same measure sensible of the dimnesse of his own intellectuals. And yet he was one that had made many discoveries with this Candle of the Lord, he had searcht into the mines, and several veins of knowledge; he had searcht into the hid treasures of wisdome, he had searcht into the depth of State-affairs, he had searched into the bowels of natural causes, into the Magnalia & Mysteria [mighty things and mysteries] of Nature; as if among many other wives he had espoused Nature also to himself, he had searcht into [20] the several tempers and intellectual complexions of men; he had searcht long enough with this Candle of the Lord, to see if he could finde any good under the Sun, he went with his Candle to finde out a summum bonum; he searcht into all the corners of being; and at length being sufficiently wearied, you may see him sitting down; you may hear him complaining that he had but spent and wasted the Candle of the Lord in vaine; for so much is implyed in
Yet he was one that shewed others how they might make better improvement of their intellectual lamp; and this was his wisest advice that he gave upon his most mature and concocted thoughts, this was tanquam mox emoriturae lucernae supremus fulgor [the final gleam of a dying light]: that men would only follow this Candle of the Lord, as it directs them in the wayes of God, which are wayes of sweetnesse and pleasantnesse,5 for this was
And as for the minde of the words, though one would think they were very clear, and shining with their own light, yet interpreters are pleased to cloud them, to turn light it self into a Chaos, and to cast darknesse upon the face of the Text; like some unskilful ones, while they go about to snuff the Candle, they put it out, but we’l try whether it can be blown in again.
We shall reduce their several meanings to these three heads.
1. Some would have it thus. The Candle of the Lord is in the understanding of a man, as if the words did run thus,
2. Some glosse upon the words thus, the understanding
