IV PREFACE. 



conversant with God, as appeareth by several pas 

 sages throughout the whole current of his writings ; 

 otherwise he should have crossed his own principles 

 which were, that a little philosophy maketh men apt 

 to forget God, as attributing too much to second 

 causes ; but depth of philosophy bringeth men back 

 to God again. Now I am sure there is no man that 

 will deny him, or account otherwise of him, but to 

 have him been a deep philosopher. And not only 

 so, but he was able to render a reason of the hope 

 which was in him, which that writing of his, of the 

 confession of the faith, doth abundantly testify. He 

 repaired frequently (when his health would permit 

 him) to the service of the Church; to hear sermons ; 

 to the administration of the sacrament of the blessed 

 body and blood of Christ ; and died in the true 

 faith established in the Church of England.&quot; 



The passage to which Dr. Rawley alludes, is in 

 the &quot; Advancement of Learning,&quot;(J) where he says,&quot; It 

 is an assured truth, and a conclusion of experience, 

 that a little or superficial knowledge of philo 

 sophy may incline the mind of man to Atheism, 

 but a farther proceeding therein doth bring the 

 mind back again to religion ; for in the entrance of 

 philosophy, when the second causes, which are next 

 unto the senses, do offer themselves to the mind of 

 man, if it dwell and stay there, it may induce some 

 oblivion of the highest cause ; but when a man 

 passeth on farther, and seeth the dependence of 



(,d) Vol. II. p. 13. 



