PREFACE. V 



causes, and the works of Providence ; then, accord 

 ing to the allegory of the poets, he will easily be 

 lieve that the highest link of nature s chain must 

 needs be tied to the foot of Jupiter s chair. To 

 conclude, therefore, let no man, upon a, weak con 

 ceit of sobriety, or an ill-applied moderation, think 

 or maintain, that a man can search too far, or be too 

 well studied in the book of God s word, or in the 

 book of God s works Divinity or Philosophy.&quot; 

 The same sentiment, and almost the same words, 

 may be found in his &quot; Meditation on Atheism,&quot; in 

 the &quot; Meditationes Sacra3,&quot;(/) and in his &quot; Essay on 

 Atheism&quot; in his Essays, (g) 



The several passages throughout the current of 

 his writings, in which it appears that Lord Bacon was 

 conversant with God, it would not, I fear, be proper 

 for me in this place to do more than enumerate. They 

 may be found in two volumes, entitled, &quot; Le Chris- 

 tianisme de Francois Bacon, (//) and there is scarcely 



(/) Vol. I. p. 215. (g) Vol. I. p. 53. 



The following similar sentiment is in the general corollary 

 to Hume s Essays : &quot; Though the stupidity of men, barbarous 

 and uninstructed, be so great, that they may not see a sove 

 reign Author in the more obvious works of nature, to which they 

 are so much familiarised ; yet it scarce seems possible, that any 

 one of good understanding should reject that idea, when once 

 it is suggested to him. A purpose, an intention, a design is evi 

 dent in every thing; and when our comprehension is so far en 

 larged as to contemplate the first rise of this visible system, we 

 must adopt, with the strongest conviction, the idea of some in 

 telligent cause or Author.&quot; 



(/i) Published at Paris, An. VII. 



