120 ADVA2sCEMi:XT Of LE.UINIKG. [feOOK lit. 



particulars we find no mention in the discourses of trans- 

 cendentals ; for men have rather pursued the quirks of words 

 than the subtilities of things. And, therefore, we would 

 introduce into primary philosophy a real and solid inquiry 

 into these transcendentals, or adventitious conditions of 

 beings, according to the laws of nature, not of speech. 



CHAPTER IT. 



Natural Theology with its Appendix, the Knowledge of Angels anj 

 Spirits. 



Thus having first seated the common parent of the sci- 

 ences, as Berecynthia rejoicing over her celestial offspring, — 

 " Omnes ccelicolas, onines supera alta tenentes,"" — 



we return to our division of philosophy into divine, natural, 

 and human ; for natural theology may be justly called 

 divine philosophy. ])ivine philosophy is a science, or rather 

 the rudiments of a science, derivable from God by the light 

 of nature, and the contemplation of his creatures ; so that 

 with regard to its object, it is truly divine ; but with regard 

 to its acquirement, natural. The b(»unds of this knowledge 

 extend to the confutation of atheism, and the ascertaining 

 the laws of nature, but not to the establishing of religion. 

 And, therefore, God never wrought a miracle to convert an 

 atheist, because the light of nature is sufficient to demon- 

 strate a deity ; but miracles were designed for the conver- 

 sion of the idolatrous- and superstitious, who acknowledged a 

 God, but erred in their worship of him — the light of nature 

 being unable to declare the will of God, or assign the just 

 form of worshij)ping him. For as the power and skill of a 

 workman are seen in his works, but not his person, so the 

 works of God express the Avisdom and omnipotence of the 

 Creator, without the least representation of his image. And 

 in this particular, the opinion of the heathens difiered from 

 the sacred verity, as supposing the world to be the image of 

 God, and man a little image of the world. The Scripture 

 never gives the world that honour, but calls it the Avork of 

 his hands ; making only man the image of God.^ And, there- 

 tore, the being of a God, that he governs the world, that he 

 • ^neid, vi. 787. ^ Ps. viii. 3, cii. 25, efc aL 



