10 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



siccum optima anima ' ; but ib becometh Lumen 

 madidum, or maceratum, being steeped and infused in 

 the humours of the affections. And as for the third 

 point, it doserveth to be a little stood upon, and not 

 to be hghtly 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 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 knowledge. And therefore it was most 

 aptly said by one of Plato's school, ' That the sense of 

 man carrieth a resemblance with the sun, which (as 

 we see) openeth and revealeth all the terrestrial globe ; 

 but then again it obscure th and concealeth the stars 

 and celestial globe : so doth the sense discover natural 

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

 hence it 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 : and if they would have it other- 

 wise believed, it is mere imposture, as it were in favour 

 towards God ; and nothing else but to offer to tho 

 author of truth the unclean sacrifice of a lie. Bub 

 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 further proceeding therein doth bring the mind 

 back again to religion. For in the entrance of philo- 

 sophy, when the second causes, which are next unto 



