8 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 



Heraclitus the profound said, Lumen siccum optima anima; 

 [a dry light is the best soul;] but it becometh lumen madidum, 

 [a light wet,] or maceratum [softened] by steeping, being 

 steeped and infused in the humours of the affections. And 

 as for the third point, it deserveth to be a little stood upon, 

 'and not to be lightly passed over: for if any man shall 

 think by view and inquiry into these sensible and material 

 things to attain that light, whereby he may reveal unto 

 himself the nature or will of God, then indeed is he spoiled 



10 by vain philosophy : for the contemplation of God's creatures 

 and works produceth (having regard to the works and 

 creatures themselves) knowledge, but having regard to God, 

 no perfect knowledge, but wonder, which is broken know 

 ledge. And therefore it was most aptly said by one of 

 Plato's school, That the sense of man carrieth a resemblance 

 teith the sun, which, as we see, openeth and revealeth all the 

 terrestrial globe ; but then again it obscureth and concealeth the 

 stars and celestial globe: so doth the sense discover natural 

 things, but it darkeneth and shutteth up divine. And hence it 



20 is true that it hath proceeded, that divers great learned men 

 have been heretical, whilst they have sought to fly up to the 

 secrets of the Deity by the waxen wings of the senses. And 

 as for the conceit that too much knowledge should incline 

 a man to atheism, and that the ignorance of second causes 

 should make a more devout dependence upon God, which 

 is the first cause ; first, it is good to ask the question which 

 Job asked of his friends : Will you lie for God, as one man 

 will do for another, to gratify him ? For certain it is that 

 God worketh nothing in nature but by second causes : 



30 and if they would have it otherwise believed, it is mere 

 imposture, as it were in favour towards God ; and nothing 

 else but to offer to the author of truth the unclean sacrifice 

 of a lie. But further, it is an assured truth, and a conclusion 

 of experience, that a little or superficial knowledge of 

 philosophy may incline the mind of man to atheism, but 

 a farther proceeding therein doth bring the mind back 



