PREFACE. 



the ways of the senses are opened, and a greater natural light 

 Bet up in. the mind, nothing of incredulity and blindness 

 towards divine mysteries may arise; but rather that the 

 understanding, now cleared up, and purged of all vanity and 

 superstition, may remain entirely subject to the divine 

 oracles, and yield to faith, the things that are faith s : and 

 lastly, that expelling the poisonous knowledge infused by 

 the serpent, which puffs up and swells the human mind, we 

 may neither be wise above measure, nor go beyond the bounds 

 of sobriety, but pursue the tmfrfr.jn charity. 



We now turn ourselves to men, with a few wholesome 

 admonitions and just requests. And first, we admonish them 

 to continue in a sense of their duty, as to divine matters ; for 

 the senses are like the sun, which displays the face of the 

 earth, bufc shuts up that of the heavens : and again, that 

 they run not into the contrary extreme, which they certainly 

 will do, if they think an inquiry into nature any way forbid 

 them by religion. It was not that pure and unspotted 1 

 natural knowledge whereby Adam gave names to things, 

 agreeable to their natures, which caused his fall ; but an 

 ambitious and authoritative desire of moral knowledge, to 

 judge of good and evil, which makes men revolt from God, 

 and obey no laws but those of their own will. But for the 

 sciences, which contemplate nature, the sacred philosopher 

 declares, &quot; It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the 

 glory of a king to find it out.&quot; d As if the Divine Being 

 thus indulgently condescended to exercise the human mind 

 by philosophical inquiries. 



In the next place, we advise all mankind to think of the 

 true ends of knowledge, and that they endeavour not after it 

 for curiosity, contention, or the sake of despising others, nor 

 yet for profit, reputation, power, or any such inferior con 

 sideration, but solely for the occasions and uses of life ; all 

 along conducting and perfecting it in the spirit of benevo 

 lence. Our requests are, 1. That men do not conceive we 

 here deliver an opinion, but a work ; and assure themselves 

 we attempt not to found any sect or particular doctrine, but 

 to fix an extensive basis for the service of human nature. 

 2. That, for their own sakes, they lay ade the zeal and 



4 Pro*, XXT. 2, r 



