1thing, unleſſe from their never having known any thing; for if
one hath but once onely experienced the perfect knowledg of one
onely thing, and but truly taſted what it is to know, he ſhall
ceive that of infinite other concluſions, he underſtands not ſo much
as one.
one hath but once onely experienced the perfect knowledg of one
onely thing, and but truly taſted what it is to know, he ſhall
ceive that of infinite other concluſions, he underſtands not ſo much
as one.
The having a
perfect knowledg
of nothing, maketh
ſome believe they
underſtand all
things.
perfect knowledg
of nothing, maketh
ſome believe they
underſtand all
things.
SALV. Your diſcourſe is very concluding; in confirmation of
which we have the example of thoſe who underſtand, or have
known ſome thing, which the more knowing they are, the more
they know, and freely confeſſe that they know little; nay, the
wiſeſt man in all Greece, and for ſuch pronounced by the Oracle,
openly profeſſed to know that he knew nothing.
which we have the example of thoſe who underſtand, or have
known ſome thing, which the more knowing they are, the more
they know, and freely confeſſe that they know little; nay, the
wiſeſt man in all Greece, and for ſuch pronounced by the Oracle,
openly profeſſed to know that he knew nothing.
SIMPL. It muſt be granted therefore, either that Socrates or
that the Oracle it ſelf was a lyar, that declaring him to be moſt
wiſe, and he confeſſing that he knew himſelf to be moſt
norant.
that the Oracle it ſelf was a lyar, that declaring him to be moſt
wiſe, and he confeſſing that he knew himſelf to be moſt
norant.
SALV. Neither one nor the other doth follow, for that both
the aſſertions may be true. The Oracle adjudged Socrates the
ſeſt of all men, whoſe knowledg is limited; Socrates
ledgeth that he knew nothing in relation to abſolute wiſdome,
which is infinite; and becauſe of infinite, much is the ſame part,
as is little, and as is nothing (for to arrive v. g. to the infinite
number, it is all one to accumulate thouſands, tens, or ciphers,)
therefore Socrates well perceived his wiſdom to be nothing, in
compariſon of the infinite knowledg which he wanted. But yet,
becauſe there is ſome knowledg found amongſt men, and this
not equally ſhared to all, Socrates might have a greater ſhare
thereof than others, and therefore verified the anſwer of the
Oracle.
the aſſertions may be true. The Oracle adjudged Socrates the
ſeſt of all men, whoſe knowledg is limited; Socrates
ledgeth that he knew nothing in relation to abſolute wiſdome,
which is infinite; and becauſe of infinite, much is the ſame part,
as is little, and as is nothing (for to arrive v. g. to the infinite
number, it is all one to accumulate thouſands, tens, or ciphers,)
therefore Socrates well perceived his wiſdom to be nothing, in
compariſon of the infinite knowledg which he wanted. But yet,
becauſe there is ſome knowledg found amongſt men, and this
not equally ſhared to all, Socrates might have a greater ſhare
thereof than others, and therefore verified the anſwer of the
Oracle.
The anſwer of
the Oracle true in
judging Socrates
the wiſeft of his
time.
the Oracle true in
judging Socrates
the wiſeft of his
time.
SAGR. I think I very well underſtand this particular amongſt
men, Simplicius there is a power of operating, but not equally
diſpenſed to all; and it is without queſtion, that the power of an
Emperor is far greater than that of a private perſon; but, both
this and that are nothing in compariſon of the Divine
tence. Amongſt men, there are ſome that better underſtand
Agriculture than many others; but the knowledg of planting a
Vine in a trench, what hath it to do with the knowledg of
king it to ſprout forth, to attract nouriſhment, to ſelect this good
part from that other, for to make thereof leaves, another to make
ſprouts, another to make grapes, another to make raiſins,
ther to make the huskes of them, which are the works of moſt
wiſe Nature? This is one only particular act of the innumerable,
which Nature doth, and in it alone is diſcovered an infinite
dom, ſo that Divine Wiſdom may be concluded to be infinitely
infinite.
men, Simplicius there is a power of operating, but not equally
diſpenſed to all; and it is without queſtion, that the power of an
Emperor is far greater than that of a private perſon; but, both
this and that are nothing in compariſon of the Divine
tence. Amongſt men, there are ſome that better underſtand
Agriculture than many others; but the knowledg of planting a
Vine in a trench, what hath it to do with the knowledg of
king it to ſprout forth, to attract nouriſhment, to ſelect this good
part from that other, for to make thereof leaves, another to make
ſprouts, another to make grapes, another to make raiſins,
ther to make the huskes of them, which are the works of moſt
wiſe Nature? This is one only particular act of the innumerable,
which Nature doth, and in it alone is diſcovered an infinite
dom, ſo that Divine Wiſdom may be concluded to be infinitely
infinite.
Divine Wiſdom
infinitely infinise.
infinitely infinise.
SALV. Take hereof another example. Do we not ſay that the
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