Advancement of Learning 89 



enforce the acknowledgment of God, and to demonstrate 

 His power, providence, and goodness, is an excellent 

 argument, and hath been excellently handled by divers. 



But on the other side, out of the contemplation of nature, 

 or ground of human knowledge, to induce any verity or 

 persuasion concerning the points of faith, is in my judgment 

 not safe : Da fidei qua fidei sunt. 1 For the heathens them 

 selves conclude as much in that excellent and divine fable 

 of the golden chain : That men and gods were not able to draw 

 Jupiter down to the earth ; but contrariwise, Jupiter was able 

 to draw them up to heaven. 2 So as we ought not to attempt 

 to draw down or submit the mysteries of God to our reason ; 

 but contrariwise to raise and advance our reason to the divine 

 truth. So as in this part of knowledge, touching divine 

 philosophy, I am so far from noting any deficience, as I 

 rather note an excess : whereunto I have digressed because 

 of the extreme prejudice which both religion and philosophy 

 have received and may receive, by being commixed 

 together; as that which undoubtedly will make an heretical 

 religion, and an imaginary and fabulous philosophy. 



Otherwise it is of the nature of angels and spirits, which 

 is an appendix of theology both divine and natural, and 

 is neither inscrutable nor interdicted; for although the 

 Scripture saith, Let no man deceive you in sublime discourse 

 touching the worship of angels, pressing into that he knoweth 

 not, etc., 3 yet notwithstanding, if you observe well that 

 precept, it may appear thereby that there be two things 

 only forbidden, adoration of them, and opinion fantastical 

 of them, either to extol them farther than appertaineth to 

 the degree of a creature, or to extol a man s knowledge of 

 them farther than he hath ground. But the sober and 

 grounded inquiry, which may arise out of the passages of 

 holy Scriptures, or out of the gradations of nature, is not 

 restrained. So of degenerate and revolted spirits, the 

 conversing with them or the employment of them is pro 

 hibited, much more any veneration towards them ; but the 

 contemplation or science of their nature, their power, their 

 illusions, either by Scripture or reason, is a part of spiritual 

 wisdom. For so the apostle saith, We are not ignorant oj 

 his stratagems.* And it is no more unlawful to inquire the 



1 Luke xx. 25. 2 Horn. //. viii. 19-22. 



8 Coloss. ii. 1 8. 2 Cor. ii. n. 



