18 THE GREAT INSTAURATION 



where we pass but few days and sorrowful, lie would vouch 

 safe through our hands, and the hands of others, to whom 

 he has given the like mind, to relieve the human race by 

 a new act of his bounty. We likewise humbly beseech him 

 that what is human may not clash with what is divine; and 

 that when the ways of the senses are opened, and a greater 

 natural light set up in the mind, nothing of incredulity 

 and blindness toward 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 truth in 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, but 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 natural knowledge whereby Adam gave names to 

 things, agreeable to their natures, which caused his fall; 

 but an ambitious and authoritative desire of moral knowl 

 edge, 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 Grod to conceal a 

 thing, but the glory of a king to find it out.&quot; 4 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 endeavor not after 



4 Prov. xxv. 2. 



