love teacheth a man to carry himself better than the sophist or preceptor; which he calleth left-handed, because, with all his rules and preceptions, he cannot form a man so dexterously, nor with that facility to prize himself and govern himself, as love can do:  so certainly, if a man’s mind be truly inflamed with charity, it doth work him suddenly into greater perfection than all the doctrine of morality can do, which is but a sophist in comparison of the other.  Nay, further, as Xenophon observed truly, that all other affections, though they raise the mind, yet they do it by distorting and uncomeliness of ecstasies or excesses; but only love doth exalt the mind, and nevertheless at the same instant doth settle and compose it:  so in all other excellences, though they advance nature, yet they are subject to excess.  Only charity admitteth no excess.  For so we see, aspiring to be like God in power, the angels transgressed and fell; Ascendam, et ero similis altissimo:  by aspiring to be like God in knowledge, man transgressed and fell; Eritis sicut Dii, scientes bonum et malum:  but by aspiring to a similitude of God in goodness or love, neither man nor angel ever transgressed, or shall transgress.  For unto that imitation we are called:  Diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite eis qui oderunt vos, et orate pro persequentibus et calumniantibus vos, ut sitis filii Patris vestri qui in coelis est, qui solem suum oriri facit super bonos et malos, et pluit super justos et injustos.  So in the first platform of the divine nature itself, the heathen religion speaketh thus, Optimus Maximus:  and the sacred Scriptures thus, Miscericordia ejus super omnia opera ejus.

(16) Wherefore I do conclude this part of moral knowledge, concerning the culture and regiment of the mind; wherein if any man, considering the arts thereof which I have enumerated, do judge that my labour is but to collect into an art or science that which hath been pretermitted by others, as matter of common sense and experience, he judgeth well.  But as Philocrates sported with Demosthenes, “You may not marvel (Athenians) that Demosthenes and I do differ; for he drinketh water, and I drink wine;” and like as we read of an ancient parable of the two gates of sleep —

“Sunt geminae somni portae:  quarum altera fertur
Cornea, qua veris facilis datur exitus umbris: 
Altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto,
Sed falsa ad coelum mittunt insomnia manes:” 

so if we put on sobriety and attention, we shall find it a sure maxim in knowledge, that the more pleasant liquor ("of wine”) is the more vaporous, and the braver gate ("of ivory”) sendeth forth the falser dreams.