2 1 6 The Advancement of Learning 



fessed, that the Scriptures being given by inspiration, and 

 not by human reason, do differ from all other books in the 

 author : which, by consequence, doth draw on some differ- 

 ence to be used by the expositor. For the inditer of them 

 did know four things which no man attains to know; 

 which are, the mysteries of the kingdom of glory, the 

 perfection of the laws of nature, the secrets of the heart of 

 man, and the future succession of all ages. For as to the 

 first it is said. He that presseth into the light, shall be oppressed 

 of the glory. And again, No man shall see my face and live} 

 To the second. When he prepared the heavens I was present, 

 when by law and compass he inclosed the deep} To the 

 third. Neither was it needful that any should bear witness 

 to him of man, for he knew well what was in man} And 

 to the last. From the beginning are known to the Lord all 

 his works} 



15. From the former two have been drawn certain senses 

 and expositions of Scriptures, which had need be contained 

 within the bounds of sobriety; the one anagogical, and 

 the other philosophical. But as to the former, man is not 

 to prevent his time : Videmus nunc per speculum in anig- 

 mate, tunc autem facie ad faciem : ^ wherein nevertheless 

 there seemeth to be a liberty granted, as far forth as 

 the polishing of this glass, or some moderate explication 



, to this aenigma. But to press too far into it, cannot but 

 cause a dissolution and overthrow of the spirit of man. 

 For in the body there are three degrees of that we receive 

 into it, aliment, medicine, and poison; whereof aliment is 

 that which the nature of man can perfectly alter and over- 

 come : medicine is that which is partly converted by nature, 

 and partly converteth nature; and poison is that which 

 worketh wholly upon nature, without that, that nature 

 can in any part work upon it. So in the mind, whatsoever 

 knowledge reason cannot at all work upon and convert is 

 a mere intoxication, and endangereth a dissolution of the 

 mind and understanding. 



16. But for the latter, it hath been extremely set on foot 

 of late time by the school of Paracelsus, and some others, 

 that have pretended to find the truth of all natural philo- 

 sophy in the Scriptures; scandalizing and traducing all 



* Exod. xxxiii. 20. » Prov. viii. 27. • Joh. ii. 25. 



* Acts XV. 18. • I Cor. xiii. 12. 



