the advancement of learning-第19部分

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tion。　＇＇　The　light　of　nature　consisteth　in　the　notions　of　the　mind　and　the　reports　of　the　senses：　for　as　for　knowledge　which　man　receiveth　by　teaching；　it　is　cumulative　and　not　original；　as　in　a　water　that　besides　his　own　spring…head　is　fed　with　other　springs　and　streams。　So　then；　according　to　these　two　differing　illuminations　or　originals；　knowledge　is　first　of　all　divided　into　divinity　and　philosophy。

2。　In　Philosophy；　the　contemplations　of　man　do　either　penetrate　unto　God；　　or　are　circumferred　to　nature；　or　are　reflected　or　reverted　upon　himself。　Out　of　which　several　inquiries　there　do　arise　three　knowledges；　divine　philosophy；　natural　philosophy；　and　human　philosophy　or　humanity。　For　all　things　are　marked　and　stamped　with　this　triple　character　of　the　power　of　God；　the　difference　of　nature　and　the　use　of　man。　But　because　the　distributions　and　partitions　of　knowledge　are　not　like　several　lines　that　meet　in　one　angle；　and　so　touch　but　in　a　point；　but　are　like　branches　of　a　tree；　that　meet　in　a　stem；　which　hath　a　dimension　and　quantity　of　entireness　and　continuance；　before　it　come　to　discontinue　and　break　itself　into　arms　and　boughs：　therefore　it　is　good；　before　we　enter　into　the　former　distribution；　to　erect　and　constitute　one　universal　science；　by　the　name　of　PHILOSOPHIA　PRIMA；　primitive　or　summary　philosophy；　as　the　main　and　common　way；　before　we　come　where　the　ways　part　and　divide　themselves；　which　science　whether　I　should　report　as　deficient　or　no；　I　stand　doubtful。　＇＇　For　I　find　a　certain　rhapsody　of　natural　theology；　and　of　divers　parts　of　logic；　and　of　that　part　of　natural　philosophy　which　concerneth　the　principles；　and　of　that　other　part　of　natural　philosophy　which　concerneth　the　soul　or　spirit；　all　these　strangely　commixed　and　confused；　but　being　examined；　it　seemeth　to　me　rather　a　depredation　of　other　sciences；　advanced　and　exalted　unto　some　height　of　terms；　than　anything　solid　or　substantive　of　itself。　＇＇　Nevertheless　I　cannot　be　ignorant　of　the　distinction　which　is　current；　that　the　same　things　are　handled　but　in　several　respects。　As　for　example；　that　logic　considereth　of　many　things　as　they　are　in　notion；　and　this　philosophy　as　they　are　in　nature；　the　one　in　appearance；　the　other　in　existence；　but　I　find　this　difference　better　made　than　pursued。　For　if　they　had　considered　quantity；　similitude；　diversity；　and　the　rest　of　those　extern　characters　of　things；　as　philosophers；　and　in　nature；　their　inquiries　must　of　force　have　been　of　a　far　other　kind　than　they　are。　＇34＇　＇＇　For　doth　any　of　them；　in　handling　quantity；　speak　of　the　force　of　union；　how　and　how　far　it　multiplieth　virtue？　Doth　any　give　the　reason；　why　some　things　in　nature　are　so　common；　and　in　so　great　mass；　and　others　so　rare；　and　in　so　small　quantity？　Doth　any；　in　handling　similitude　and　diversity；　assign　the　cause　why　iron　should　not　move　to　iron；　which　is　more　like；　but　move　to　the　lode…stone；　which　is　less　like？　Why　in　all　diversities　of　things　there　should　be　certain　participles　in　nature；　which　are　almost　ambiguous　to　which　kind　they　should　be　referred？　But　there　is　a　mere　and　deep　silence　touching　the　nature　and　operation　of　those　common　adjuncts　of　things；　as　in　nature：　and　only　a　resuming　and　repeating　of　the　force　and　use　of　them　in　speech　or　argument。　＇＇　Therefore；　because　in　a　writing　of　this　nature；　I　avoid　all　subtility；　my　meaning　touching　this　original　or　universal　philosophy　is　thus；　in　a　plain　and　gross　description　by　negative：　THAT　IT　BE　A　RECEPTACLE　FOR　ALL　SUCH　PROFITABLE　OBSERVATIONS　AND　AXIOMS　AS　FALL　NOT　WITHIN　THE　COMPASS　OF　ANY　OF　THE　SPECIAL　PARTS　OF　PHILOSOPHY　OR　SCIENCES；　BUT　ARE　MORE　COMMON　AND　OF　A　HIGHER　STAGE。

3。　Now　that　there　are　many　of　that　kind　need　not　to　be　doubted。　For　example：　is　not　the　rule；　SI　INAEQUALIBUS　AEQUALIA　ADDAS；　OMNIA　ERUNT　INAEQUALIA；　an　axiom　as　well　of　justice　as　of　the　mathematics？　　and　is　there　not　a　true　coincidence　between　commutative　and　distributive　justice；　and　arithmetical　and　geometrical　proportion？　Is　not　that　other　rule；　QUAE　IN　EODEM　TERTIO　CONVENIUNT；　ET　INTER　SE　CONVENIUNT；　a　rule　taken　from　the　mathematics；　but　so　potent　in　logic　as　all　syllogisms　are　built　upon　it？　Is　not　the　observation；　OMNIA　MUTANTUR；　NIL　INTERIT；　a　contemplation　in　philosophy　thus；　that　the　quantum　of　nature　is　eternal？　in　natural　theology　thus；　that　it　requireth　the　same　Omnipotence　to　make　somewhat　nothing；　which　at　the　first　made　nothing　somewhat？　according　to　the　Scripture；　DIDICI　QUOD　OMNIA　OPERA；　QUAE　FECIT　DEUS；　PERSERVERENT　IN　PERPETUA；　NON　POSSOMUS　EIS　QUICQUAM　ADDERE　NEC　AUFERRE。　Is　not　the　ground；　which　Machiavel　wisely　and　largely　discourseth　concerning　governments；　that　the　way　to　establish　and　preserve　them；　is　to　reduce　them　AD　PRINCIPIA；　a　rule　in　religion　and　nature；　as　well　as　in　civil　administration？　　Was　not　the　Persian　magic　a　reduction　or　correspondence　of　the　principles　and　architectures　of　nature　to　the　rules　and　policy　of　governments？　Is　not　the　precept　of　a　musician；　to　fall　from　a　discord　or　harsh　accord　upon　a　concord　or　sweet　accord；　alike　true　in　affection。　Is　not　the　trope　of　music；　to　avoid　or　slide　from　the　close　or　cadence；　common　with　the　trope　of　rhetoric　of　deceiving　expectation？　Is　not　the　delight　of　the　quavering　upon　a　stop　in　music　the　same　with　the　playing　of　light　upon　the　water？

Splendet　tremulo　sub　lumine　pontus。

Are　not　the　organs　of　the　senses　of　one　kind　with　the　organs　of　reflection；　the　eye　with　a　glass；　the　ear　with　a　cave　or　strait　determined　and　bounded？　Neither　are　these　only　similitudes；　as　men　of　narrow　observation　may　conceive　them　to　be；　but　the　same　footsteps　of　nature；　treading　or　printing　upon　several　subjects　or　matters。　＇＇　This　science；　therefore；　as　I　understand　it；　I　may　justly　report　as　deficient；　for　I　see　sometimes　the　profounder　sort　of　wits　in　handling　some　particular　argument　will　now　and　then　draw　a　bucket　of　water　out　of　this　well　for　their　present　use；　but　the　spring…head　thereof　seemeth　to　me　not　to　have　been　visited；　being　of　so　excellent　use；　both　for　the　disclosing　of　nature；　and　the　abridgment　of　art。

VI。1。　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　creatures；　which　knowledge　may　be　truly　termed　drwe　in　respect　of　the　object；　and　natural　in　respect　of　the　light。　The　bounds　of　this　knowledge　are；　that　it　sufficeth　to　convince　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　idolators　and　the　superstitious；　because　no　light　of　nature　extendeth　to　declare　the　will　and　true　worship　of　God。　＇＇　For　as　all　works　do　show　forth　the　power　and　skill　of　the　workman；　and　not　his　image；　so　it　is　of　the　works　of　God；　which　do　show　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　exact　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　perforce　the　acknowledgment　of　God；　and　to　demonstrate　His　power；　providence；　and　goodness；　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　knowledge；　to　induce　any　verity　or　persuasion　concerning　the　points　of　faith；　is　in　my　judgment　not　safe：　DA　FIDEI　QUAE　FIDEI　SUNT。　For　the　heathens　themselves　conclude　as　much　in　that　excellent　and　divine　fable　of　the　golden　chain：　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。　＇＇　So　as　we　ought　not　to　attempt　to　draw　down　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　knowledge；　touching　divine　philosophy；　I　am　so　far　from　noting　any　deficience；　as　I　rather　note　an　excess：　whereunto　I　have　digressed　because　of　the　extreme　＇35＇　prejudice　which　both　religion　and　philosophy　have　received　and　may　receive；　by　being　commixed　together；　as　that　which　undoubtedly　will　make　an　heretical　religion；　and　an　imaginary　and　fabulous　philosophy。

2。　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；　LET　NO　MAN　DECEIVE　YOU　IN　SUBLIME　DISCOURSE　TOUCHING　THE　WORSHIP　OF　ANGELS；　PRESSING　INTO　THAT　HE　KNOWETH　NOT；　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；　either　to　extol　them　further　than　appertaineth　to　the　degree　of　a　creature；　or　to　extol　a　man's　knowledge　of　them　further　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；　WE　ARE　NOT　IGNORANT　OF　HIS　STRATAGEMS。　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　fantastica