The Times' Whistle Or A Newe Daunce of Seuen Satires, and other Poems: Compiled by R. C., Gent. [i.e. Richard Corbett]. Now First Edited from Ms. Y. 8. 3. in the Library of Canterbury Cathedral: With introduction, notes, and glossary, By J. M. Cowper |
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Deum nescire est nihil scire,
ipsum rectè scire, omnia. |
 | The Times' Whistle |  |
146
Deum nescire est nihil scire,
ipsum rectè scire, omnia.
Philosophers, which search the cause of things
As farre as nature gives their knowledge winges
To soar vnto; whose quicke & ready witt
A definition to each thing can fitt;
Though they can sillogize with arguments
Of all thinges, from the heavens circumference
To the earths center, & true reason give
Of natures power, which makes thinges move & live;
Yet if they want faiths intellectuall eye
First to believe ther is a Diety,
In Godhead one alone, in Persons three,
By whom all creatures are, & cease to be,
They are but fooles, & they 'r still blinde, not seeing
The Cause of causes, which gives all their being.
As farre as nature gives their knowledge winges
To soar vnto; whose quicke & ready witt
A definition to each thing can fitt;
Though they can sillogize with arguments
Of all thinges, from the heavens circumference
To the earths center, & true reason give
Of natures power, which makes thinges move & live;
Yet if they want faiths intellectuall eye
First to believe ther is a Diety,
In Godhead one alone, in Persons three,
By whom all creatures are, & cease to be,
They are but fooles, & they 'r still blinde, not seeing
The Cause of causes, which gives all their being.
Astronomers that can foretell eventes
By the celestiall creatures influence,
By errant planettes & by fixèd starres,
Can pre-divine of famines, plagues, & warres;
And of their contraries pre-indicate,
Which come by an inevetable fate;
Can shew th' ecclipses of the sunne & moone,
And how the planettes make coniunction;
Which have found out, & will maintaine it true,
Three orbes, which Aristotle never knew.
Yet all this knowledge, though it reach as farre
As is the Articke from th' Antarticke starre,
Is nothing, if they know not God above,
That Primus Motor, which all orbes doth move;
Their art wherein they doe themselves advaunce,
Lives still ecclipsèd in black ignorance.
By the celestiall creatures influence,
By errant planettes & by fixèd starres,
Can pre-divine of famines, plagues, & warres;
And of their contraries pre-indicate,
Which come by an inevetable fate;
Can shew th' ecclipses of the sunne & moone,
And how the planettes make coniunction;
Which have found out, & will maintaine it true,
Three orbes, which Aristotle never knew.
Yet all this knowledge, though it reach as farre
As is the Articke from th' Antarticke starre,
Is nothing, if they know not God above,
That Primus Motor, which all orbes doth move;
Their art wherein they doe themselves advaunce,
Lives still ecclipsèd in black ignorance.
Phisitions which prescribe a remedy
To each disease & bodies maladie;
That know what is nocivous, & what good,
When it is fit to bath, to purge, let bloode;
Although they know the nature & the power
Of every simple, every hearbe, & flower,
With Solomon, which from the cedar tall
Vnto the hisope spreading on the wall,
Knew every growing plant, flower, hearbe, or tree,
With their true vse & proper qualitie;
Yet all their skill as follie I deride,
Vnlesse they rightly know Christ crucified.
He, he it is, which truly is alone
The soules best physicke & Physition.
To each disease & bodies maladie;
147
When it is fit to bath, to purge, let bloode;
Although they know the nature & the power
Of every simple, every hearbe, & flower,
With Solomon, which from the cedar tall
Vnto the hisope spreading on the wall,
Knew every growing plant, flower, hearbe, or tree,
With their true vse & proper qualitie;
Yet all their skill as follie I deride,
Vnlesse they rightly know Christ crucified.
He, he it is, which truly is alone
The soules best physicke & Physition.
All artes, as well those we call liberall
As other sciences mechanicall,
What e're they be, & howsoever lov'de,
And worthily by mortall man approv'de,
If the best knowledge theologicall,
Be not conioynèd with their rationall,—
What e're they may vnto the world professe—
All their best wisdome is starke foolishnesse.
He is the only wise & prudent man
Whose knowledge makes him the best Christian.
For practise must agree with speculation,
Belief & knowledge must guide operation;
Man may believe & yet he may dissemble,
For even the divels doe beleeve & tremble.
'Tis not enough that we beleeve a God,
For this will all confesse that feele his rod;
But we must alsoe in this God beleeve,
And in our actions not the Spirit grieve.
We must beleeve that it was he alone
Which gave to man his first creation,
And that from him alone comes our redemption,
Which is from everlasting death exemption;
That we in him alone are iustifide,
And by him only shall be glorifide.
This we must trow & (though it passe our sence)
Repose in this assurde confidence,
Which how we must performe in each respect
The Scripture plainly doth vs all direct.
He that knowes this (although the poorest worme)
And to this knowledge doth his life conforme,
Want he the giftes of nature, education,
Speake he the tongue but of one only nation;
Be he a foole in the esteeme of man,
In worldly thinges a meer simplician;
Yet for all this, I boldly dare averre
His knowledge great, & will it farre preferre
Before the skill of wise philosophers,
Phisitions, lawyers, & astronomers,
Which either want the knowledge of the Diety,
And live in sinne & damnd impiety,
Or, if they know a God, doe fear him rather
As a just Iudge then as a loving Father.
He that doth truly know Christ crucifide,
Doth know enough, though he know nought beside;
But he that knowes him not doth only rave,
Though all the skill else in the world he have.
As other sciences mechanicall,
What e're they be, & howsoever lov'de,
And worthily by mortall man approv'de,
If the best knowledge theologicall,
Be not conioynèd with their rationall,—
What e're they may vnto the world professe—
All their best wisdome is starke foolishnesse.
He is the only wise & prudent man
Whose knowledge makes him the best Christian.
For practise must agree with speculation,
Belief & knowledge must guide operation;
Man may believe & yet he may dissemble,
For even the divels doe beleeve & tremble.
'Tis not enough that we beleeve a God,
For this will all confesse that feele his rod;
But we must alsoe in this God beleeve,
And in our actions not the Spirit grieve.
We must beleeve that it was he alone
Which gave to man his first creation,
And that from him alone comes our redemption,
Which is from everlasting death exemption;
That we in him alone are iustifide,
And by him only shall be glorifide.
148
Repose in this assurde confidence,
Which how we must performe in each respect
The Scripture plainly doth vs all direct.
He that knowes this (although the poorest worme)
And to this knowledge doth his life conforme,
Want he the giftes of nature, education,
Speake he the tongue but of one only nation;
Be he a foole in the esteeme of man,
In worldly thinges a meer simplician;
Yet for all this, I boldly dare averre
His knowledge great, & will it farre preferre
Before the skill of wise philosophers,
Phisitions, lawyers, & astronomers,
Which either want the knowledge of the Diety,
And live in sinne & damnd impiety,
Or, if they know a God, doe fear him rather
As a just Iudge then as a loving Father.
He that doth truly know Christ crucifide,
Doth know enough, though he know nought beside;
But he that knowes him not doth only rave,
Though all the skill else in the world he have.
| The Times' Whistle | |