

II.] ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 159 



and divine fable of the golden chain ; &quot; That men and gods were 

 not able to draw Jupiter down to the earth ; but contrariwise, Jupiter 

 was able to draw them up to heaven.&quot; 



So as we ought not to attempt to draw clown or submit the 

 mysteries of God to our reason ; but contrariwise, to raise and 

 advance our reason to the divine truth. So as in this part of know 

 ledge, touching divine philosophy, I am so far from noting any 

 deficience, as I rather note an excess ; whercunto I have digressed, 

 because of the extreme prejudice which both religion and philosophy 

 hath received, and may receive, by being commixed together ; as that 

 which undoubtedly will make an heretical religion, and an imaginary 

 and fabulous philosophy. 



Otherwise it is of the nature of angels and spirits, which is an 

 appendix of theology, both divine and natural, and is neither 

 inscrutable nor interdicted: for although the Scripture saith, &quot;Lei 

 no man deceive you in sublime discourse touching the worship of 

 angels, pressing into that he knoweth not,&quot; etc., yet notwithstanding, 

 if you observe well that precept, it may appear thereby that there be 

 two things only forbidden, adoration of them, and opinion fantastical 

 of them, cither to extol them farther than appcrtaineth to the dcgreo 

 of a creature, or to extol a man s knowledge of them farther than he 

 hath ground. But the sober and grounded inquiry, which may arise 

 out of the passages of Holy Scriptures, or out of the gradations of 

 nature, is not restrained. So of degenerate and revolted spirits, the 

 conversing with them, or the employment of them, is prohibited, much 

 more any veneration towards them. But the contemplation or science 

 of their nature, their power, their illusions, either by Scripture or 

 reason, is a part of spiritual wisdom. For so the apostle saith, &quot;We 

 arc not ignorant of his stratagems.&quot; And it is no more unlawful to 

 inquire the nature of evil spirits, than to inquire the force of poisons 

 in nature, or the nature of sin and vice in morality. But this part, 

 touching angels and spirits, I cannot note as deficient, for many have 

 occupied themselves in it : I may rather challenge it, in many of the 

 writers thereof, as fabulous and fantastical. 



LEAVING therefore divine philosophy or natural theology, not 

 divinity, or inspired theology, which we reserve for the la:it of all, as 

 the haven and sabbath of all man s contemplations, we will now 

 proceed to Natural Philosophy. 



If then it be true that Dcmocritus said, &quot; That the truth of nature 

 licth hid in certain deep mines and caves:&quot; and if it be true likewise, 

 that the alchemists do so much inculcate, that Vulcan is a second 

 nature, and imitatcth that dexterously and compendiously, which 

 nature workcth by ambages and length of time ; it were good to divide 

 natural philosophy into the mine and the furnace, and to make two 

 professions or occupations of natural philosophers, some to be pioneers, 

 and some smiths ; some to dig, and some to refine and hammer : and 

 surely I do best allow of a division of that kind, though in more familiar 

 and scholastics! terms : namely, that these be the two parts of natural 



