: FRANCIS BACON. 3 1 



But after all it is in the philosdphieal investis:;ation of IS'atnre 

 that the world has received the greatest benefit from Bacon's 

 teaching. If he has not furnished us with an infallible key with 

 which to unlock the secrets of the universe, he has at least shown 

 us the way in which we ought to proceed, the spirit in which we 

 ought to work, and the end at which we ought to aim. The way 

 to proceed is to make sure of every step, ascending cautiously from 

 particulars to genezwlities, and taking nothing upon trust. " He 

 delivered a set of cautions as to the use of the haman understand- 

 ing," Spedding says, "applicable to the pursuit of truth in all 

 departments, which have scarcely been added to or improved upon 

 since his time." ' The spirit which should animate us is one of 

 humility, charity, and reverence. "It is not too much to say," 

 remarks Dean Church, " that in temper, in honesty, in labour, in 

 humility, in reverence, he was the most perfect example the world 

 had yet seen of the student of nature, the enthusiast for know- 

 ledge." And the end to be attained is the improvement of human 

 knowledge "for the glory of God and the relief of man's estate." 

 Our aim should thus be not only to relieve man's estate, but also to 

 raise a temple of knowledge "for the glory of God." 



This idea was ever present in his mind. As Dean Church says : 

 " Both in his philosophical thoughts and in the feelings of his mind 

 in the various accidents and occasions of life, Bacon was a religious 

 man, with a serious and genuine religion. . , . The solemn 

 religious words in which his prefaces and general statements often 

 wind up with thanksgiving and hope and prayer, are no mere 

 words of course; they breathe the spirit of the deepest conviction." 

 But although a spirit of reverence pervades all his writings, he 

 never derives a scientific idea fi'om a theological, or a theological 

 from a scientific, nor does he ever attempt to dive into the mystery 

 of Being. " ^Ve are told," he says, "that the heavens declare the 

 glory of God, not that they declare the will of God." His ideas, 

 his methods, and his aims are as different from those of Descartes 

 as the life he led was different. He lived in the world and sought 

 worldly advancement that he might the better promote the ad- 

 vancement of the world. Descartes lived as it were out of the 

 world and despised worldly honours that he might the better with- 

 di'aw his thoughts from material objects and concentrate them on 

 his innate ideas, and almost all his errors are due to this. He 

 thought that he could construct a system of the universe from 

 his own cogitations, not realising the necessity of observation and 

 experiment which Bacon has insisted upon. But both philo- 

 sophers pursued their studies in a spirit of humility and reverence. 



