256 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



This science being therefore first placed as a common 

 parent, like unto Berecynthia, which had so much heavenly 

 issue, 



Omnes coelicolas^ omnes supera alta tenentes, 



we may return to the former distribution of the three 

 philosophies ; Divine, Natural, and Human. And as 

 concerning Divine Philosophy or Natural Theology, it is 

 that knowledge or rudiment of knowledge concerning God 

 which may be obtained by the contemplation of his crea- 

 tures; which knowledge may be truly termed divine .in 

 respect of the object, and natural in respect of the light. 

 The bounds of this knowledge are, that it sufficeth to con- 

 vince atheism, but not to inform religion : and therefore 

 there was never miracle wrought by God to convert an 

 atheist, because the light of nature might have led him to 

 confess a God : but miracles have been wrought to convert 

 idolaters and the superstitious, because no light of nature 

 extendeth to declare the will and true worship of God. 

 For as all works do shew forth the power and skill of the 

 workman, and not his image ; so it is of the works of 

 God ; which do shew the omnipotency and wisdom of the 

 maker, but not his image : and therefore therein the 

 heathen opinion difFereth from the sacred truth ; for they 

 supposed the world to be the image of God, and man to 

 be an extract or compendious image of the world ; but 

 the Scriptures never vouchsafe to attribute to the world 

 that honour, as to be the image of God, but only 'the 

 work of his hands ' ; neither do they speak of any other 

 image of God, but man. Wherefore by the contemplation 

 of nature to induce and inforce the acknowledgement of 

 God, and to demonstrate his power, providence, and good- 

 ness, is an excellent argument, and hath been excellently 

 handled by divers. But on the other side, out of the 

 contemplation of nature, or ground of human knowledges, 

 to induce any verity or persuasion concerning the points 

 of faith, is in my judgment not safe : Da fidei quae fidei 

 sunt. For the Heathen themselves conclude as much in 

 that excellent and divine fable of the golden chain : ' That 



