But what might be the cause hereof? may1 some say. The uHeathen man himself pointed ⟨p. 104⟩at it of old. There are, saith he, two kinds xof Bastardly Fortitude, of Counterfeit Courage, and those arising from two contrary causes; the one yfrom Skill and Knowledge, the other zfrom Ignorance. The former is, when men seem forward, where others apprehend danger and are fearful, because they know there is no such danger in the matter as others deem, or if there be any, they can tell how by some sleight to avoid it. The latter is, when men are forward and fool-hardy, and free from all fear, because they are not apprehensive of the danger that they are in: alike men drunk, that dread nought, because they want wit to discern ought, or like *children, that fear not the fire or the candle flame, till they have been singed with it, and feel the smart of it; or like the savage bAmericans, that would press upon the mouth of the Musket, because they knew not the use and the force of it. Of this latter is the security and the hardiness of the worldly wicked in these cases. It is with them, as with cchildren in a siege; Their parents fear for them, when they fear nothing themselves; yea the parents fear for them more than for themselves: they could shift well enough, it may be, for themselves, but they know not how to save them, or how to escape with them, which without them, it may be, they might. The sucking child lieth in the cradle, not once dreaming of any danger; and the parents fear and care is all for it.
But what might be the cause hereof? may1 some say. The uHeathen man himselfe pointed ⟨p. 104⟩at it of old. There are, saith he, two kindes xof Bastardly Fortitude, of Counterfeit Courage, and those arising from two contrary causes; the one yfrom Skill and Knowledge, the other zfrom Ignorance. The former is, when men seeme forward, where others apprehend danger and are fearefull, because they know there is no such danger in the matter as others deeme, or if there be any, they can tell how by some sleight to auoid it. The latter is, when men are forward and foole-hardie, and free from all feare, because they are not apprehensiue of the danger that they are in: alike men drunke, that dread nought, because they want wit to discerne ought, or like *children, that feare not the fire or the candleflame, till they haue beene senged with it, and feele the smart of it; or like the sauage bAmericans, that would presse vpon the mouth of the Musket, because they knew not the vse and the force of it. Of this latter is the securitie and the hardinesse of the worldly wicked in these cases. It is with them, as with cchildren in a siege; Their parents feare for them, when they feare nothing themselues; yea the parents feare for them more than for themselues: they could shift well enough, it may bee, for themselues, but they know not how to saue them, or how to escape with them, which without them, it may be, they might. The sucking childe lieth in the cradle, not once dreaming of any danger; and the parents feare and care is all for it.
- 1Reason. •
- uAristot. ethic. Nicom. l. 3. c. 8.
- x[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- y[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- z[Greek or Hebrew]. Greg. Naz. de eutax.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Greg. Naz. de eutax.
- a[Greek or Hebrew]. Aristot. ibid.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Aristot. ibid.
- *[Greek or Hebrew]. Chrysost. tom. 6. serm. 43.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Chrysost. tom. 6. serm. 43.
- bHuld. Smidel. in itinerar.
- cMatth. 24. 19.
