I B. L Of the Advancement of Learning. 



readirg tockji <i»d. the anxiety of fpirit ivhich redottnde'ibfrom. Knoivkilg^ 

 and that admonition of S. Panl^ that vpe betioi feduced by vain Philofophy j 

 ifthofe places be rightly underftood, they do very excellenty fet forth 

 the true bounds and limitations, whereby humane knowledge isconfin'd 

 and circumfcribed, yet fb as xvithout anyfuch contrafting and coarftati- 

 on, it may comprehend all the univerial nature of things. Thefe limi- 

 tations are three.- ThefirU, that rfc do 7Jot jo place vur felicity in Knorv- 

 ledge J as vpe forget our Mortality: Thejccottd^ that roe make application of ^ 

 our Knowledge^ to give ourfelves rcpofc and contentment and not ddiajie olr 

 repining : The third, that rve do not pre fume by the contemplations of Nature 

 to attain the Mjjierics of God, § For as touching thef'r^, Solomon doth 

 excellently expoundhirafelf in the fame Book ^ l/?n? rvei/^ faith he, f/i.?/ 

 knowledge recedes as fir from ignorance as light dothjrom darl^nefs, and that 

 the voife mans eyes l^eep watch in his head, whereas ths fool roundeth 

 about in darknefs j but withal I learned that the fame mortality involves 

 them both. 



§ For thefecond, certain it is, no anxiety, or perturbation of mind re- 

 (ulteth from knowledge, otherwife than merely by accident: For all 

 knowledge and wonder Cwhich is the feed of knowledge^ is an impref- 

 fion of pleafure in it felf 5 but when we fall to framing conclufions out 

 of our Knowledge, which obliquely applied to our particular purpofes, 

 either minifter weak fears or vaft defires, then there grows that vexati- 

 on and trouble of Mind, whereof we fpeak : for then Knowledge is no 

 more Lumen ficcum, as Heraclitus the Profound would have it. Lumen fic- 

 cum optima anima, but it becomes Lumen madidum, or maceratum, being 

 fteeped and infufed in the humours of the AfTeftions, 



§ The third rule deferves a little to be ftood Upon, and not to be light- 

 ly paffed over : For if any man fliall think by view and enquiry into 

 thc(e (enfible and material things, to attain that light whereby he may- 

 reveal unto himfelf the Nature and Will of God, then indeed, is he 

 Jpoil'd through vain Philofophy. For the Contemplation of the Creatures, 

 having regard to the Creatures themfelves, produceth Knowledge, but 

 having regard to God, wonder only, which is a broken Knowledge, 

 And therefore it was mofi: aptly faid by one of Pluto's School, That the f *''" Jt"^. 

 fenfe of man carries a refemblance with the fun, which opens and reveals the ^^'""'"''' 

 terreflrial Globe, but conceals and feals up theflars and celejiial Globe ,' So 

 doth the Senfe difcover natural things, but it darkens and (huts up divine. 

 . And hence it hath proceded, that fomeof the cho(en rank of the more 

 learned have fallen into Herefie, Vv'hilft they have fought to fly up to the 

 ftcrets of the Deity, by the waxen wings of the Senfts, 



§ As for the conceit of thofe who are of opinion that too much know- 

 ledge foould encline the mind to Atheifm^ and that the ignorance of thefe- 

 cond Caufes, fjould be, as it were a Midwife to our Piety towards thefirfi. - • 

 I would willingly charge thefe in the language of Job, WiUyou lye for God joh i^ i 

 as one man doth for another to gratifie him .<? For certain it is that God 

 works nothing in Nature according to ordinary courfe but by fecond 

 Caufes 5 and if they Would have it otherwife believed, it is mere im- 

 pofture, under colour of Piety to God, and nothing elfe but to offer un- 

 to the Author of Truth the unclean facrifice of a Lye. But farther, it is 

 an affured truth and a conclufion of Experience, That a little or fupcr- 

 ficial tafie of Philofophy^ may perchance incline the Mind of Man to A-, 



theifm 



