§. 57. Sign 6. A proud man is apt to over-value his own knowledge, and to be much unacquainted1 with his Ignorance; He is much more sensible of what he knoweth, than how much he is wanting, of2 what he ought to know: He thinks himself fit to contradict the ablest Divine, when he hath scarce so much knowledge as will save his soul. If he have but some smattering, to enable him to talk confidently of what he understandeth not, he thinks himself fittest for the Chair; and is elevated to a pugnacious courage, and thinks he is able to dispute with any man; and constantly gives himself the victory: If it be a woman that hath gathered up a few Receipts, she thinketh her self fit to be a Physician, and venture the lives of dearest friends upon her ignorant skilfulness; when seven years study more is necessary to make such Novices know how little they know, and how much is utterly unknown to them, and seven years more to give them an encouraging taste of knowledge; yet Pride makes them Doctors in Divinity and Physic by its Mandamus without so much ado: And as they commenced, so they practise, in the dark; and to save the labour of so long studies, can spare, and gravely deride that knowledge, which they cannot get at cheaper rates. And, no wonder, when it is the nature of Pride and Ignorance to cause the birth and increase of each other. It were a wonder for an Ignorant person to be Humble; and when he knoweth not what abundance of excellent truths are still unknown to him, nor what difficulties there are in every controversy which he never saw. How many studious, learned, holy Divines would go many thousand miles (if that would serve) to be well resolved of many doubts in the Mysteries of Providence, Decrees, Redemption, Grace, Free-will, and many the like, and that after twenty or forty years study; when I can take them a Boy or a Woman in the Streets, that can confidently determine them all in a few words, and pity the ignorance or error of such Divines, and shake the head at their blindness, and say, God hath revealed them to themselves that are Babes! yea, and perhaps their confidence taketh dissenters for such heretical, erroneous, intoler••••e persons, that they look upon them as Heathens and Publicans, and either with the Papists reproach and persecute them, or with the lesser Sects divide from them, as from men that receive not the the truth;
§. 57. Sign 6. A proud man is apt to over-value his own knowledge, and to be much unacquainted1 with his Ignorance; He is much more sinsible of what he knoweth, than how much he is wanting, of2 what he ought to know: He thinks himself fit to contradict the ablest Divine, when he hath scarce so much knowledge as will save his soul. If he have but some smattering, to enable him to talk confidently of what he understandeth not, he thinks himself fittest for the Chair; and is elevated to a pugnacious courage, and thinks he is able to dispute with any man; and constantly gives himself the victory: If it be a woman that hath gathered up a few Receipts, she thinketh her self fit to be a Physicion, and venture the lives of dearest friends upon her ignorant skilfulness; when seven years study more is necessary to make such Novices know how little they know, and how much is utterly unknown to them, and seven years more to give them an encouraging taste of knowledge; yet Pride makes them Doctors in Divinity and Physick by its Mandamus without so much ado: And as they commenced, so they practise, in the dark; and to save the labour of so long studies, can spare, and gravely deride that knowledge, which they cannot get at cheaper rates. And, no wonder, when it is the nature of Pride and Ignorance to cause the birth and encrease of each other. It were a wonder for an Ignorant person to be Humble; and when he knoweth not what abundance of excellent truths are still unknown to him, nor what difficulties there are in every controversie which he never saw. How many studious, learned, holy Divines would go many thousand miles (if that would serve) to be well resolved of many doubts in the Mysteries of Providence, Decrees, Redemption, Grace, Free-will, and many the like, and that after twenty or forty years study; when I can take them a Boy or a Woman in the Streets, that can confidently determine them all in a few words, and pitty the ignorance or error of such Divines, and shake the head at their blindness, and say, God hath revealed them to themselves that are Babes! yea, and perhaps their confidence taketh dissenters for such heretical, erroneous, intoler••••e persons, that they look upon them as Heathens and Publicans, and either with the Papists reproach and persecute them, or with the lesser Sects divide from them, as from men that receive not the the truth;
- 1Sign 6.
- 2See 1 Tim. 3. 6 & 1 Tim. 6. 4. A •urning fla ••••• will follow the Arch-slatterer which is a mans •el• ▪ And wherein a man thinketh best of himself, herein the flatterer will uphold him most: B•• if he be an impudent flatterer, he will entitle him by force to that which he is conscious that he is most defective in L•••• ••••o• •ssay 52.
