valerius terminus-第1部分

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Valerius　Terminus：　of　the　Interpretation　of　Nature

by　Francis　Bacon






CAP。　1。

OF　THE　LIMITS　AND　END　OF　KNOWLEDGE。


In　the　divine　nature　both　religion　and　philosophy　hath　acknowledged
goodness　in　perfection；　science　or　providence　comprehending　all
things；　and　absolute　sovereignty　or　kingdom。　　In　aspiring　to　the
throne　of　power　the　angels　transgressed　and　fell；　in　presuming　to
come　within　the　oracle　of　knowledge　man　transgressed　and　fell；　but　in
pursuit　towards　the　similitude　of　God's　goodness　or　love　（which　is
one　thing；　for　love　is　nothing　else　but　goodness　put　in　motion　or
applied）　neither　man　or　spirit　ever　hath　transgressed；　or　shall
transgress。

The　angel　of　light　that　was；　when　he　presumed　before　his　fall；　said
within　himself；　I　WILL　ASCEND　AND　BE　LIKE　UNTO　THE　HIGHEST；　not　God；
but　the　highest。　　To　be　like　to　God　in　goodness；　was　no　part　of　his
emulation；　knowledge；　being　in　creation　an　angel　of　light；　was　not
the　want　which　did　most　solicit　him；　only　because　he　was　a　minister
he　aimed　at　a　supremacy；　therefore　his　climbing　or　ascension　was
turned　into　a　throwing　down　or　precipitation。

Man　on　the　other　side；　when　he　was　tempted　before　he　fell；　had
offered　unto　him　this　suggestion；　THAT　HE　SHOULD　BE　LIKE　UNTO　GOD。
But　how？　　Not　simply；　but　in　this　part；　KNOWING　GOOD　AND　EVIL。　For
being　in　his　creation　invested　with　sovereignty　of　all　inferior
creatures；　he　was　not　needy　of　power　or　dominion；　but　again；　being　a
spirit　newly　inclosed　in　a　body　of　earth；　he　was　fittest　to　be
allured　with　appetite　of　light　and　liberty　of　knowledge；　therefore
this　approaching　and　intruding　into　God's　secrets　and　mysteries　was
rewarded　with　a　further　removing　and　estranging　from　God's　presence。
But　as　to　the　goodness　of　God；　there　is　no　danger　in　contending　or
advancing　towards　a　similitude　thereof；　as　that　which　is　open　and
propounded　to　our　imitation。　　For　that　voice　（whereof　the　heathen　and
all　other　errors　of　religion　have　ever　confessed　that　it　sounds　not
like　man）；　LOVE　YOUR　ENEMIES；　BE　YOU　LIKE　UNTO　YOUR　HEAVENLY　FATHER；
THAT　SUFFERETH　HIS　RAIN　TO　FALL　BOTH　UPON　THE　JUST　AND　THE　UNJUST；
doth　well　declare；　that　we　can　in　that　point　commit　no　excess；　so
again　we　find　it　often　repeated　in　the　old　law；　BE　YOU　HOLY　AS　I　AM
HOLY；　and　what　is　holiness　else　but　goodness；　as　we　consider　it
separate　and　guarded　from　all　mixture　and　all　access　of　evil？

Wherefore　seeing　that　knowledge　is　of　the　number　of　those　things
which　are　to　be　accepted　of　with　caution　and　distinction；　being　now
to　open　a　fountain；　such　as　it　is　not　easy　to　discern　where　the
issues　and　streams　thereof　will　take　and　fall；　I　thought　it　good　and
necessary　in　the　first　place　to　make　a　strong　and　sound　head　or　bank
to　rule　and　guide　the　course　of　the　waters；　by　setting　down　this
position　or　firmament；　namely；　THAT　ALL　KNOWLEDGE　IS　TO　BE　LIMITED　BY
RELIGION；　AND　TO　BE　REFERRED　TO　USE　AND　ACTION。

For　if　any　man　shall　think　by　view　and　inquiry　into　these　sensible
and　material　things；　to　attain　to　any　light　for　the　revealing　of　the
nature　or　will　of　God；　he　shall　dangerously　abuse　himself。　　It　is
true　that　the　contemplation　of　the　creatures　of　God　hath　for　end　（as
to　the　natures　of　the　creatures　themselves）　knowledge；　but　as　to　the
nature　of　God；　no　knowledge；　but　wonder；　which　is　nothing　else　but
contemplation　broken　off；　or　losing　itself。　　Nay　further；　as　it　was
aptly　said　by　one　of　Plato's　school　THE　SENSE　OF　MAN　RESEMBLES　THE
SUN；　WHICH　OPENETH　AND　REVEALETH　THE　TERRESTRIAL　GLOBE；　BUT　OBSCURETH
AND　CONCEALETH　THE　CELESTIAL；　so　doth　the　sense　discover　natural
things；　but　darken　and　shut　up　divine。　　And　this　appeareth
sufficiently　in　that　there　is　no　proceeding　in　invention　of　knowledge
but　by　similitude；　and　God　is　only　self…like；　having　nothing　in
common　with　any　creature；　otherwise　than　as　in　shadow　and　trope。
Therefore　attend　his　will　as　himself　openeth　it；　and　give　unto　faith
that　which　unto　faith　belongeth；　for　more　worthy　it　is　to　believe
than　to　think　or　know；　considering　that　in　knowledge　（as　we　now　are
capable　of　it）　the　mind　suffereth　from　inferior　natures；　but　in　all
belief　it　suffereth　from　a　spirit　which　it　holdeth　superior　and　more
authorised　than　itself。

To　conclude；　the　prejudice　hath　been　infinite　that　both　divine　and
human　knowledge　hath　received　by　the　intermingling　and　tempering　of
the　one　with　the　other；　as　that　which　hath　filled　the　one　full　of
heresies；　and　the　other　full　of　speculative　fictions　and　vanities。

But　now　there　are　again　which　in　a　contrary　extremity　to　those　which
give　to　contemplation　an　overlarge　scope；　do　offer　too　great　a
restraint　to　natural　and　lawful　knowledge；　being　unjustly　jealous
that　every　reach　and　depth　of　knowledge　wherewith　their　conceits　have
not　been　acquainted；　should　be　too　high　an　elevation　of　man's　wit；
and　a　searching　and　ravelling　too　far　into　God's　secrets；　an　opinion
that　ariseth　either　of　envy　（which　is　proud　weakness　and　to　be
censured　and　not　confuted）；　or　else　of　a　deceitful　simplicity。　　For
if　they　mean　that　the　ignorance　of　a　second　cause　doth　make　men　more
devoutly　to　depend　upon　the　providence　of　God；　as　supposing　the
effects　to　come　immediately　from　his　hand；　I　demand　of　them；　as　Job
demanded　of　his　friends；　WILL　YOU　LIE　FOR　GOD　AS　MAN　WILL　FOR　MAN　TO
GRATIFY　HIM？　　But　if　any　man　without　any　sinister　humour　doth　indeed
make　doubt　that　this　digging　further　and　further　into　the　mine　of
natural　knowledge　is　a　thing　without　example　and　uncommended　in　the
Scriptures；　or　fruitless；　let　him　remember　and　be　instructed；　for
behold　it　was　not　that　pure　light　of　natural　knowledge；　whereby　man
in　paradise　was　able　to　give　unto　every　living　creature　a　name
according　to　his　propriety；　which　gave　occasion　to　the　fall；　but　it
was　an　aspiring　desire　to　attain　to　that　part　of　moral　knowledge
which　defineth　of　good　and　evil；　whereby　to　dispute　God's
commandments　and　not　to　depend　upon　the　revelation　of　his　will；　which
was　the　original　temptation。　　And　the　first　holy　records；　which
within　those　brief　memorials　of　things　which　passed　before　the　flood
entered　few　things　as　worthy　to　be　registered　but　only　lineages　and
propagations；　yet　nevertheless　honour　the　remembrance　of　the　inventor
both　of　music　and　works　in　metal。　　Moses　again　（who　was　the　reporter）
is　said　to　have　been　seen　in　all　the　Egyptian　learning；　which　nation
was　early　and　leading　in　matter　of　knowledge。　　And　Salomon　the　king；
as　out　of　a　branch　of　his　wisdom　extraordinarily　petitioned　and
granted　from　God；　is　said　to　have　written　a　natural　history　of　all
that　is　green　from　the　cedar　to　the　moss；　（which　is　but　a　rudiment
between　putrefaction　and　an　herb；）　and　also　of　all　that　liveth　and
moveth。　　And　if　the　book　of　Job　be　turned　over；　it　will　be　found　to
have　much　aspersion　of　natural　philosophy。　　Nay；　the　same　Salomon　the
king　affirmeth　directly　that　the　glory　of　God　IS　TO　CONCEAL　A　THING；
BUT　THE　GLORY　OF　THE　KING　IS　TO　FIND　IT　OUT；　as　if　according　to　the
innocent　play　of　children　the　divine　Majesty　took　delight　to　hide　his
works；　to　the　end　to　have　them　found　out；　for　in　naming　the　king　he
intendeth　man；　taking　such　a　condition　of　man　as　hath　most　excellency
and　greatest　commandment　of　wits　and　means；　alluding　also　to　his　own
person；　being　truly　one　of　those　clearest　burning　lamps；　whereof
himself　speaketh　in　another　place；　when　he　saith　THE　SPIRIT　OF　MAN　IS
AS　THE　LAMB；　OF　GOD；　WHEREWITH　HE　SEARCHETH　ALL　INWARDNESS；　which
nature　of　the　soul　the　same　Salomon　holding　precious　and　inestimable；
and　therein　conspiring　with　the　affection　of　Socrates　who　scorned　the
pretended　learned　men　of　his　time　for　raising　great　benefit　of　their
learning　（whereas　Anaxagoras　contrariwise　and　divers　others　being
born　to　ample　patrimonies　decayed　them　in　contemplation）；　delivereth
it　in　precept　yet　remaining；　BUY　THE　TRUTH；　AND　SELL　IT　NOT；　AND　SO
OF　WISDOM　AND　KNOWLEDGE。

And　lest　any　man　should　retain　a　scruple　as　if　this　thirst　of
knowledge　were　rather　an　humour　of　the　mind　than　an　emptiness　or　want
in　nature　and　an　instinct　from　God；　the　same　author　defineth　of　it
fully；　saying；　GOD　HATH　MADE　EVERY　THING　IN　BEAUTY　ACCORDING　TO
SEASON；　ALSO　HE　HATH　SET　THE　WORLD　IN　MAN'S　HEART；　YET　CAN　HE　NOT
FIND　OUT　THE　WORK　WHICH　GOD　WORKETH　FROM　THE　BEGINNING　TO　THE　END：
declaring　not　obscurely　that　God　hath　framed　the　mind　of　man　as　a
glass　capable　of　the　image　of　the　universal　world；　joying　to　receive
the　signature　thereof　as　the　eye　is　of　light；　yea　not　only　satisfied
in　beholding　the　variety　of　things　and　vicissitude　of　times；　but
raised　also　to　find　out　and　discern　those　ordinances　and　decrees
which　throughout　all　these　changes　are　infallibly　observed。　　And
although　the　highest　generality　of　motion　or　summary　law　of　nature
God　should　still　reserve　within　his　own　curtain；　yet　many　and　noble
are　the　inferior　and　secondary　operations　which　are　within　man's
sounding。　　This　is　a　thing　which　I　cannot　tell　whether　I　may　so
plainly　speak　as　truly　conceive；　that　as　all　knowledge　appeareth　to
be　a　plant　of　God's　own　planting；　so　it　may　seem　the　spreading　and
flourishing　or　at　least　the　bearing　and　fructifying　of　this　plant；　by
a　providence　of　God；　nay　not　only　by　a　general　providence　but　by　a
special　prophecy；　was　appointed　to　this　autumn　of　the　world：　for　to
my　understanding　it　is　not　violent　to　the　letter；　and　safe　now　after
the　event；　so　to　interpret　that　place　in　the　prophecy　of　Daniel　where
speaking　of　the　latter　times　it　is　said；　MANY　SHALL　PASS　TO　AND　FRO；
AND　SCIENCE　SHALL　BE　INCREASED；　as　if　the　opening　of　the　world　by
navigation　and　commerce　and　the　further　discovery　of　knowledge　should
meet　in　one　time　or　age。

But　howsoever　that　be；　there　are　besides　the　authorities　of
Scriptures　before　recited；　two　reasons　of　exceeding　great　weight　and
force　why　religion　should　dearly　protect　all　increase　of　natural
knowledge：　the　one；　because　it　leadeth　to　the　greater　exaltation　of
the　glory　of　God；　for　as　the　Psalms　and　other　Scriptures　do　often
invite　us　to　consider　and　to　magnify　the　great　and　wonderful　works　of
God；　so　if　we　should　rest　only　in　the　contemplation　of　those　shews
which　first　offer　themselves　to　our　senses；　we　should