Post by Admin on Oct 9, 2016 10:06:15 GMT
CHAP. VIII.
Of Sophistry.
BUt the late Schools of Sophistry have made an ad∣dition of far greater and more Monstrous Prodi∣gies; such a Scroll of Infinitu•s, Comparatives, Super∣latives, Incipits, and Desinits, Formalities, Haecceities, Instances, Ampliatio•s, Restrictions, Districtions, Inten∣tions, Suppositions, Appellations, Obligations, Con∣sequences, Indissolubles, Exponibils, Replications, Ex∣clusives, Instances, Cases, Particularizations, Supposits, Mediates, Immediates, Completes, Incompletes, Com∣plexes, Incomplexes, with many more vain and intole∣rable Barbarisms, which are thick sown in their Logical Systemes, whereby they endeavour to make all those
Page 44
things to appear Truths, which are in themselves abso∣lutely false, and impossible; and those things which are really true, like furies breaking out of the Trojan Horse, they seek to ruine and destroy with the Flames of their barbarous words. Others there are, who will admit of no more than three Predicaments, not but two Fi∣gures of Syllogisms, and of them but eight Moods; laughing to scorn all Modal Compositions, together with concrete and abstract Terms. Others are not wanting who have found out the eleventh Predica∣ment, and a fourth Figure of Syllogisms; Increasing the number likewise of Predicables and Causes; and have moreover invented so many invincible Stoical sub∣tleties, that the Niceties of Cleanthes and Chrysippus, together with the little conceits of Daphita, Euthydemus, and Dionysiodorus, seem dull, and meer rustical, when compared with the new devices of our Modern Sophi∣sters; in the Study whereof, the whole fray of our Sophi∣sters are so stupidly employ'd, that their whole busi∣ness seems to be, to learn to erre, and with perpetual Skirmishes to render more obscure, if not quite to ob∣literate the Truth which they pretend to explain; so that the great Art which they profess, is but a Gallimau∣fry of depraved and barbarous words, by nice and froward Cavilling, perverting the use of Speech, of∣fering violence to the poor Tongue that is scarce able to manage them, the glory whereof consists only in noise and reproach; the professors themselves coveting Combate rather than Victory, and seeking all occasi∣ons rather of Contest, than to find out the Truth. So that he is the best Man among them, who is most im∣pudent, and fullest of Clamour: of whom Petrarch writeth, that whether it be the modesty of their Stile, or a confession of their Ignorance, they are implaca∣ble in their Language, yet dare not abide a true Chal∣lenge; and are unwilling to appear in publick, know∣ing
Page 45
what frivolous Ornaments they are attir'd withal; and therefore like the Parthians, they exercise a flying Fight, and darting their volatile words up into the Air, may be said to commit their Sails to the Wind. These are they, who, as Quintilian says, are extraor∣dinary subtile in Disputing; but take them from their impertinent Cavilling, and they are no more able to endure the blows of right Reason; like little Buggs, that secure in Chinks and Crevises, are easily trod upon in the plain field. Sophisters are unwilling to Fight under the Banners of sound and approved Au∣thors, but like Stratagematists fly for Refuge to the strength of Memory, and the whifling clamor and noise of a nimble Tongue. Neither do they think it of any consequence to consider what reason to use, so they can but give any high instance or example; nor matters it what they think or say, so that they talk loud and bold enough: For he that among them is fullest of words, seems to be the wisest, and the most learned Person. Arm'd with these Sorceries, they visit the Schools, haunt the Streets, frequent great and full Tables, provoke Antagonists: if the Fight begin, and they find themselves worsted, then they fly to their old lurking holes, and their accustomed Labyrinths. If they find any person unwilling to grapple, then they endeavour to entrap him at unawares with some unusual Question; to which, if they have not a ready and pertinent Answer, or that the Party seem any thing puzl'd, then they raise to themselves mighty Py∣ramids and Triumphs. But what good fruit this Lo∣gick with her Sophists hath brought forth, or is like∣ly to bring forth in the Church, let us consider: Sure∣ly we shall quickly find, that they not assenting to Di∣vine Tradition, confound the holy sence with Rea∣sons deduced from their own fallacious suppositions; to which while they give too much credit, they ba∣nish
Page 46
the Light of Truth, and embrace darkness; and be∣ing thus wrapt and infolded in those shades of Er∣ror, blind leaders of the blind, they draw many with their false Argumentations, and shadows of Reason, in∣to the Ditch, together with themselves; and always blundering in the deep Ocean of Ignorance and Error, seduce the more Ignorant to adore their Fictions; in honour of which, they dare presume to aver, That sacred Theologie is not able to subsist without Logick; that is to say, without Brangling and Jangling, with∣out Contention and Sophistry. I deny not, but that Logick may be useful in Scholastick Exercises; but how it may assist or uphold Theological Contempla∣tion, I cannot apprehend; whose chiefest Logick con∣sists in Prayer. For truly that promise of Christ was not made in vain; Pray, and ye shall receive. Through which means, the Faithful of Christ shall obtain from the Master of Truth all necessary Knowledg of the Truth, long before they shall be able to compass the height of their Logical skill. Furthermore, Sophistry with all her quirks and devices could never soar high∣er than Philosophy; but through the path of Prayer lies the certain and streight way to the highest Know∣ledge of Divine and Humane things. Therefore they are in the wrong, who affirm this Sophistry to be the only Engine, and most Potent for the subversion of Heresie; when it is indeed the chief Strength and Pillar of Heresie. For Arrius and Nestorius relying upon this Art, the one affirm'd divers Substances in the Trinity, the other deny'd the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God: giving greater credit to the Sophisms of Aristotle, than to the Word of God. For, as St. Jerom observes, all the Opinions of the Hereticks have made their Nests and founded their San∣ctuaries among the Briars of Aristotle and Chrysippus. Hence Eunomius argues, That which is born, could not
Page 47
be before it was born. Hence the Manichaean, because he would free God from being the Cause of Evil, makes a bad or evil Deity. Hence Novatus, that he may take away Repentance, denyes Pardon. From such Fountains as these, do spring all the larger Rivo∣lets of Heresie: for seeing there is no sentence which may not be contradicted, nor no Argument which may not be assail'd by another; hence it is, that it is so impossible to attain to any end of Knowledge, or to come to the Knowledge of Truth, by the means of Sophistical Argumentation: and hence it is, that so many deviate from Truth to Heresie; thinking that they have found some appearance of more pow∣erful Truth, by the help of Logical Disputes; or else condemn one Heresie, to be themselves the Establishers of a new one. And thus far of Logick and Sophi∣stry.
Of Sophistry.
BUt the late Schools of Sophistry have made an ad∣dition of far greater and more Monstrous Prodi∣gies; such a Scroll of Infinitu•s, Comparatives, Super∣latives, Incipits, and Desinits, Formalities, Haecceities, Instances, Ampliatio•s, Restrictions, Districtions, Inten∣tions, Suppositions, Appellations, Obligations, Con∣sequences, Indissolubles, Exponibils, Replications, Ex∣clusives, Instances, Cases, Particularizations, Supposits, Mediates, Immediates, Completes, Incompletes, Com∣plexes, Incomplexes, with many more vain and intole∣rable Barbarisms, which are thick sown in their Logical Systemes, whereby they endeavour to make all those
Page 44
things to appear Truths, which are in themselves abso∣lutely false, and impossible; and those things which are really true, like furies breaking out of the Trojan Horse, they seek to ruine and destroy with the Flames of their barbarous words. Others there are, who will admit of no more than three Predicaments, not but two Fi∣gures of Syllogisms, and of them but eight Moods; laughing to scorn all Modal Compositions, together with concrete and abstract Terms. Others are not wanting who have found out the eleventh Predica∣ment, and a fourth Figure of Syllogisms; Increasing the number likewise of Predicables and Causes; and have moreover invented so many invincible Stoical sub∣tleties, that the Niceties of Cleanthes and Chrysippus, together with the little conceits of Daphita, Euthydemus, and Dionysiodorus, seem dull, and meer rustical, when compared with the new devices of our Modern Sophi∣sters; in the Study whereof, the whole fray of our Sophi∣sters are so stupidly employ'd, that their whole busi∣ness seems to be, to learn to erre, and with perpetual Skirmishes to render more obscure, if not quite to ob∣literate the Truth which they pretend to explain; so that the great Art which they profess, is but a Gallimau∣fry of depraved and barbarous words, by nice and froward Cavilling, perverting the use of Speech, of∣fering violence to the poor Tongue that is scarce able to manage them, the glory whereof consists only in noise and reproach; the professors themselves coveting Combate rather than Victory, and seeking all occasi∣ons rather of Contest, than to find out the Truth. So that he is the best Man among them, who is most im∣pudent, and fullest of Clamour: of whom Petrarch writeth, that whether it be the modesty of their Stile, or a confession of their Ignorance, they are implaca∣ble in their Language, yet dare not abide a true Chal∣lenge; and are unwilling to appear in publick, know∣ing
Page 45
what frivolous Ornaments they are attir'd withal; and therefore like the Parthians, they exercise a flying Fight, and darting their volatile words up into the Air, may be said to commit their Sails to the Wind. These are they, who, as Quintilian says, are extraor∣dinary subtile in Disputing; but take them from their impertinent Cavilling, and they are no more able to endure the blows of right Reason; like little Buggs, that secure in Chinks and Crevises, are easily trod upon in the plain field. Sophisters are unwilling to Fight under the Banners of sound and approved Au∣thors, but like Stratagematists fly for Refuge to the strength of Memory, and the whifling clamor and noise of a nimble Tongue. Neither do they think it of any consequence to consider what reason to use, so they can but give any high instance or example; nor matters it what they think or say, so that they talk loud and bold enough: For he that among them is fullest of words, seems to be the wisest, and the most learned Person. Arm'd with these Sorceries, they visit the Schools, haunt the Streets, frequent great and full Tables, provoke Antagonists: if the Fight begin, and they find themselves worsted, then they fly to their old lurking holes, and their accustomed Labyrinths. If they find any person unwilling to grapple, then they endeavour to entrap him at unawares with some unusual Question; to which, if they have not a ready and pertinent Answer, or that the Party seem any thing puzl'd, then they raise to themselves mighty Py∣ramids and Triumphs. But what good fruit this Lo∣gick with her Sophists hath brought forth, or is like∣ly to bring forth in the Church, let us consider: Sure∣ly we shall quickly find, that they not assenting to Di∣vine Tradition, confound the holy sence with Rea∣sons deduced from their own fallacious suppositions; to which while they give too much credit, they ba∣nish
Page 46
the Light of Truth, and embrace darkness; and be∣ing thus wrapt and infolded in those shades of Er∣ror, blind leaders of the blind, they draw many with their false Argumentations, and shadows of Reason, in∣to the Ditch, together with themselves; and always blundering in the deep Ocean of Ignorance and Error, seduce the more Ignorant to adore their Fictions; in honour of which, they dare presume to aver, That sacred Theologie is not able to subsist without Logick; that is to say, without Brangling and Jangling, with∣out Contention and Sophistry. I deny not, but that Logick may be useful in Scholastick Exercises; but how it may assist or uphold Theological Contempla∣tion, I cannot apprehend; whose chiefest Logick con∣sists in Prayer. For truly that promise of Christ was not made in vain; Pray, and ye shall receive. Through which means, the Faithful of Christ shall obtain from the Master of Truth all necessary Knowledg of the Truth, long before they shall be able to compass the height of their Logical skill. Furthermore, Sophistry with all her quirks and devices could never soar high∣er than Philosophy; but through the path of Prayer lies the certain and streight way to the highest Know∣ledge of Divine and Humane things. Therefore they are in the wrong, who affirm this Sophistry to be the only Engine, and most Potent for the subversion of Heresie; when it is indeed the chief Strength and Pillar of Heresie. For Arrius and Nestorius relying upon this Art, the one affirm'd divers Substances in the Trinity, the other deny'd the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God: giving greater credit to the Sophisms of Aristotle, than to the Word of God. For, as St. Jerom observes, all the Opinions of the Hereticks have made their Nests and founded their San∣ctuaries among the Briars of Aristotle and Chrysippus. Hence Eunomius argues, That which is born, could not
Page 47
be before it was born. Hence the Manichaean, because he would free God from being the Cause of Evil, makes a bad or evil Deity. Hence Novatus, that he may take away Repentance, denyes Pardon. From such Fountains as these, do spring all the larger Rivo∣lets of Heresie: for seeing there is no sentence which may not be contradicted, nor no Argument which may not be assail'd by another; hence it is, that it is so impossible to attain to any end of Knowledge, or to come to the Knowledge of Truth, by the means of Sophistical Argumentation: and hence it is, that so many deviate from Truth to Heresie; thinking that they have found some appearance of more pow∣erful Truth, by the help of Logical Disputes; or else condemn one Heresie, to be themselves the Establishers of a new one. And thus far of Logick and Sophi∣stry.