Chapter 42.—Sacred Scripture Compared with Profane Authors.

63.  But just as poor as the store of gold and silver and garments which the people of Israel brought with them out of Egypt was in comparison with the riches which they afterwards attained at Jerusalem, and which reached their height in the reign of King Solomon, so poor is all the useful knowledge which is gathered from the books of the heathen when compared with the knowledge of Holy Scripture.  For whatever man may have learnt from other sources, if it is hurtful, it is there condemned; if it is useful, it is therein contained.  And while every man may find there all that he has learnt of useful elsewhere, he will find there in much greater abundance things that are to be found nowhere else, but can be learnt only in the wonderful sublimity and wonderful simplicity of the Scriptures.

When, then, the reader is possessed of the instruction here pointed out, so that unknown signs have ceased to be a hindrance to him; when he is meek and lowly of heart, subject to the easy yoke of Christ, and loaded with His light burden, rooted and grounded and built up in faith, so that knowledge cannot puff him up, let him then approach the consideration and discussion of ambiguous signs in Scripture.  And about these I shall now, in a third book, endeavor to say what the Lord shall be pleased to vouchsafe.

CAPUT XLII. Sacrae Scripturae cum profana comparatio.

63. Quantum autem minor est auri, argenti vestisque copia, quam de Aegypto secum ille populus abstulit, 0065 in comparatione divitiarum quas postea Jerosolymae consecutus est, quae maxime in Salomone rege ostenduntur (III Reg. X, 14-23); tanta fit cuncta scientia, quae quidem est utilis, collecta de libris Gentium, si divinarum Scripturarum scientiae comparetur. Nam quidquid homo extra didicerit, si noxium est, ibi damnatur; si utile est, ibi invenitur. Et cum ibi quisque invenerit omnia quae utiliter alibi didicit, multo abundantius ibi inveniet ea quae nusquam omnino alibi, sed in illarum tantummodo Scripturarum mirabili altitudine et mirabili humilitate discuntur. 0066 Hac igitur instructione praeditum cum signa incognita lectorem non impedierint, mitem et numilem corde, subjugatum leniter Christo, et oneratum sarcina levi, fundatum et radicatum et aedificatum in charitate, quem scientia inflare non possit, accedat ad ambigua signa in Scripturis consideranda et discutienda, de quibus jam tertio volumine dicere aggrediar, quod Dominus donare dignabitur.