74 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [PAGES 



ledge of the * summary law of nature? ^ It is never by knowledge 

 that the mind is corrupted, but by a wrong use of knowledge. 

 Knowledge is to be used to improve the condition of men, not to 

 Jlatter our own vanity, nor to raise extravagant hopes and fears, 

 nor to lead us to attempt to understand God, who is incompre 

 hensible. If these cautions be observed, knowledge is an 

 unmixed good. In reply to the assertion that knowledge draws 

 men away from God, Bacon says that/tlie truths of science are 

 indisputable, and that therefore the cause of true religion cannot 

 be served by denying them: (will you lie for God to gratify 

 him ?) and, as a matter of fact, the wider and more profound 

 a man's knowledge u, the deeper will be his conviction of the 

 truths of religion. Cf. Bk. 2, p. 44. 



In this passage ^acon gives his conception of the scope &nd 

 d'ject of science. The -scope .of science _is 'nature and univer- 

 "Sulity ': t.e7~, a complete understanding of all natural phenomena. 

 TJic object of science, as lie says elsewhere, is__the glory .oJLJlDd, 

 and the relief of man's^ estate. 



1. 23 the former of these, i.e., the first half of the present 

 treatise : see above, 1. Hv^ 



1. 24. to have, etc. , so as to secure a favourable hearing for. 



1. 28. ignorance severally disguised, i.e., concealing itself under 

 different forms, such for example, as zeal for religion or for the 

 state. 



1. 30. divines, theologians ; for arrogancy we write arrogance. 

 I. 33. the former sort, i.e., theologians, is of, i.e., is one of. 

 1. 34. accepted of, the of is redundant. 



Page 5, 1. 2. knowledge hath, the Latin translation adds, ' even 

 at the present day.' 



L 5. a censure, an opinion. Ecclesiast. xii. 12 and i. 18. 

 . 1. 7. contristation, sadness. 



1. 9. a caveat, a warning. Coloss. ii. 8. 



1. 11. how learned times, etc. Amongst the causes of Atheism, 



aeon, m his 16th Essay, mentions "Learned times, specially 

 with peace and prosperity : for troubles and adversities do more 

 bow men's minds to religion." 



aJi-3 8eCO f n f d v, CaU M 8 '- W t at We ^ 'P h y sical causes.' The 

 traction of the earth is the second or physical cause of an un 

 supported body falling to the ground. Second causes are opposed 

 to the first or efficient cause, viz., God. Cf. p. 8. 



U t^uncover" 800 ' * 8h W ' The Hteral meanin S of the word 

 L 16. it may well appear, it is obvious. 



