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Folly Quotes Christ in Her Praise
You have heard from how great an author how great praises of folly;
and to what other end, but that without doubt he looked upon it as the
one thing both necessary and profitable. "If anyone among ye," says
he, "seem to be wise, let him be a fool that he may be wise." And in
Luke, Jesus called those two disciples with whom he joined himself
upon the way, "fools." Nor can I give you any reason why it should
seem so strange when Saint Paul imputes a kind of folly even to God
himself. "The foolishness of God," says he, "is wiser than men."
Though yet I must confess that Origen upon the place denies that
this foolishness may be resembled to the uncertain judgment of men; of
which kind is, that "the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness."
But why am I so careful to no purpose that I thus run on to prove
my matter by so many testimonies? when in those mystical Psalms Christ
speaking to the Father says openly, "Thou knowest my foolishness." Nor
is it without ground that fools are so acceptable to God. The reason
perhaps may be this, that as princes carry a suspicious eye upon those
that are over-wise, and consequently hate them- as Caesar did Brutus
and Cassius, when he feared not in the least drunken Antony; so
Nero, Seneca; and Dionysius, Plato- and on the contrary are
delighted in those blunter and unlabored wits, in like manner Christ
ever abhors and condemns those wise men and such as put confidence
in their own wisdom. And this Paul makes clearly out when he said,
"God hath chosen the foolish things of this world," as well knowing it
had been impossible to have reformed it by wisdom. Which also he
sufficiently declares himself, crying out by the mouth of his prophet,
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and cast away the
understanding of the prudent.
And again, when Christ gives Him thanks that He had concealed the
mystery of salvation from the wise, but revealed it to babes and
sucklings, that is to say, fools. For the Greek word for babes is
fools, which he opposes to the word wise men. To this appertains
that throughout the Gospel you find him ever accusing the Scribes
and Pharisees and doctors of the law, but diligently defending the
ignorant multitude (for what other is that "Woe to ye Scribes and
Pharisees" than woe to you, you wise men?), but seems chiefly
delighted in little children, women, and fishers. Besides, among brute
beasts he is best pleased with those that have least in them of the
foxes' subtlety. And therefore he chose rather to ride upon an ass
when, if he had pleased, he might have bestrode the lion without
danger. And the Holy Ghost came down in the shape of a dove, not of an
eagle or kite.
Add to this that in Scripture there is frequent mention of harts,
hinds, and lambs; and such as are destined to eternal life are
called sheep, than which creature there is not anything more
foolish, if we may believe that proverb of Aristotle "sheepish
manners," which he tells us is taken from the foolishness of that
creature and is used to be applied to dull-headed people and
lack-wits. And yet Christ professes to be the shepherd of this flock
and is himself delighted with the name of lamb; according to Saint
John, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Of which also there is much mention in
the Revelation. And what does all this drive at, but that all
mankind are fools- nay, even the very best?
And Christ himself, that he might the better relieve this folly,
being the wisdom of the Father, yet in some manner became a fool
when taking upon him the nature of man, he was found in shape as a
man; as in like manner he was made sin that he might heal sinners. Nor
did he work this cure any other way than by the foolishness of the
cross and a company of fat apostles, not much better, to whom also
he carefully recommended folly but gave them a caution against
wisdom and drew them together by the example of little children,
lilies, mustard-seed, and sparrows, things senseless and
inconsiderable, living only by the dictates of nature and without
either craft or care. Besides, when he forbade them to be troubled
about what they should say before governors and straightly charged
them not to inquire after times and seasons, to wit, that they might
not trust to their own wisdom but wholly depend on him.
And to the same purpose is it that that great Architect of the
World, God, gave man an injunction against his eating of the Tree of
Knowledge, as if knowledge were the bane of happiness; according to
which also, St. Paul disallows it as puffing up and destructive;
whence also St. Bernard seems in my opinion to follow when he
interprets that mountain whereon Lucifer had fixed his habitation to
be the mountain of knowledge.
Nor perhaps ought I to omit this other argument, that Folly is so
gracious above that her errors are only pardoned, those of wise men
never. Whence it is that they ask forgiveness, though they offend
never so wittingly, cloak it yet with the excuse of folly. So Aaron,
in Numbers, if I mistake not the book, when he sues unto Moses
concerning his sister's leprosy, "I beseech thee, my Lord, not to
lay this sin upon us, which we have foolishly committed." So Saul
makes his excuse of David, "For behold," says he, "I did it
foolishly." And again, David himself thus sweetens God, "And therefore
I beseech thee, O Lord, to take away the trespass of thy servant,
for I have done foolishly," as if he knew there was no pardon to be
obtained unless he had colored his offense with folly and ignorance.
And stronger is that of Christ upon the cross when he prayed for
his enemies, "Father, forgive them," nor does he cover their crime
with any other excuse than that of unwittingness- because, says he,
"they know not what they do." In like manner Paul, writing to Timothy,
"But therefore I obtained mercy, for that I did it ignorantly
through unbelief." And what is the meaning of "I did it ignorantly"
but that I did it out of folly, not malice? And what of "Therefore I
received mercy" but that I had not obtained it had I not been made
more allowable through the covert of folly? For us also makes that
mystical Psalmist, though I remembered it not in its right place,
"Remember not the sins of my youth nor my ignorances." You see what
two things he pretends, to wit, youth, whose companion I ever am,
and ignorances, and that in the plural number, a number of
multitude, whereby we are to understand that there was no small
company of them.
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