of all forts, in Paul efpecially, who thonght it no defilement to infert into holy Scripture the fentences of three Greek Poets, and one of them a Tragedian, the question was, notwithstanding fometimes controverted among the Primitive Doctors, but with great odds on that fide which affirm'd it both lawfull and profitable, as was then evidently perceiv'd, when Julian the Apoftat, and futtleft enemy to our faith, made a deeree forbidding Chriftians the ftudy of heathen learning: for, faid he, they wound us with our own weapons, and with our owne arts and sciences they overcome And indeed the Chriftians were

us.

put fo to ther fhifts by this crafty means,

and so much in danger to decline into all

ignorance,

ignorance, that the two Apollinarii were fain as a man may fay, to coin all the feven liberall Sciences out of the Bible, reducing it into divers forms of Orations, Poems, Dialogues, ev'n to the calculating of a new Chriftian Grammar. But faith the Hiftorian Socrates, The providence of GoD provided better then the industry of Apollinarius and his fon, by taking away that illiterat law with the life of him who devis'd it. So great an injury they then held it to be depriv'd of Hellenick learning; and thought it a perfecution more undermining, and fecretly decaying the Church, then the open cruelty of Decius or Dioclefian. And perhaps it was the fame politick drift that the Divell whipt St. Jerom in a lenten dream,

S

dream, for reading Cicero; or elfe it was a fantafm bred by the feaver which had then feis'd him. For had an Angel bin his difcipliner, unleffe it were for dwelling too much upon Ciceronianifin, and had chastiz'd the reading, not the vanity, it had bin plainly partiall; first to correct him for grave Cicero, and not for fcurrill Plautus whom he confeffes to have bin reading not long before; next to correct him only, and let so many more ancient Fathers wax old in those pleasant and florid ftudies without the lafh of fuch a tutoring apparition; infomuch that Bafil teaches how fome good ufe may be made of Margites a fportfull Poem, not now extant, writ by Homer; and why not then of Morgante

an

year

an Italian Romanze much to the fame purpose. But if it be agreed we shall be 'try'd by vifions, there is a vifion recorded by Eufebius far ancienter then this tale of Jerom to the Nun Euftochium, and befides has nothing of a feavor in it. Dionyfius Alexandrinus was about the 240, a perfon of great name in the Church for piety and learning, who had wont to avail himself much against hereticks by being converfant in their Books; untill a certain Prefbyter laid it fcrupulously to his confcience, how he durft venture himselfe among those defiling volumes. The worthy man loath to give offence fell into a new debate. with himfelfe what was to be thought; when fuddenly a vifion fent from God, it

is his own Epiftle that fo averrs it, confirm'd him in thefe words: Read any books what ever come to thy hands, for thou art fufficient both to judge aright, and to examine each matter. To this revelation he affented the fooner, as he confeffes, because it was answerable to that of the Apostle to the Theffalonians, Prove all things, hold faft that which is good. And he might have added another remarkable faying of the fame Author; To the pure all things are pure, not only meats and drinks, but all kinde of knowledge whether of good or evill; the knowledge cannot defile, nor confequently the books, if the will and confcience be not defil'd. For books are as meats and viands are; fome of good,

fome