The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

BOOK II. ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 243
in clauses and words, infinite springs and streams God consisteth of three persons in unity of Godof doctrine to water the church in every part. head. The attributes of God are either common
And, therefore, as the literal sense is, as it were, to the Deity, or respective to the persons. The
the main stream or river; so the moral sense works of God summary are two, that of the creachiefly, and sometimes the allegorical or typical, tion, and that of the redemption; and both these
are they whereof the church hath most use: not works, as in total they appertain to the unity of
that I wish men to be bold in allegories, or indul- the Godhead, so in their parts they refer to the
gent or light in allusions; but thatI do much con- three persons: that of the creation, in the mass
demn that interpretation of the Scripture which is of the matter, to the Father; in the disposition
only after the manner as men use to interpret a pro- of the form, to the Son; and in the continuance
fane book. and conservation of the being, to the Holy Spirit:' In this part, touching the exposition of the so that of the redemption, in the election and
Scriptures, I can report no deficience; but by way counsel, to the Father; in the whole act and conof remembrance this I will add; in perusing books summation, to the Son; and in the application,
of divinity, I find many books of controversies, and to the Holy Spirit; for by the Holy Ghost was
many of commonplaces and treatises, a mass of Christ conceived in flesh, and by the Holy Ghost
positive divinity, as it is made an art; a number are the elect regenerate in spirit. This work likeof sermons and lectures, and many prolix cornm- wise we consider either effectually, in the elect;
mentaries upon the Scriptures, with harmonies and or privately, in the reprobate; or according to apconcordances: but that form of writing in divinity, pearance, in the visible church.
which in my judgment is of all others most rich For Manners, the doctrine thereof is contained
and precious, is positive divinity, collected upon in the law, which discloseth sin. The law itself
particular texts of Scriptures in brief observations; is divided, according to the edition thereof, into
not dilated into commonplaces, not chasing after the law of nature, the law moral, and the law pocontroversies, not reduced into method of art; a sitive; and according to the style, into negative
thing abounding in sermons which will vanish, and affirmative, prohibitions and commandments.
but defective in books which will remain; and a Sin, in the matter and subject thereof, is divided
thing wherein this age excelleth. For I am per- according to the commandments; in the form
suaded, (and I may speak it with an "' Absit in- thereof, it referreth to the three persons in Deity:
vidia verbo," and noways in derogation of anti- sins of infirmity against the Father, whose more
quity, but as in a good emulation between the vine special attribute is power; sins of ignorance
and the olive,) that if the choice and best of those against the Son, whose attribute is wisdom; and
observations upon texts of Scriptures, which have sins of malice against the Holy Ghost, whose atbeen made dispersedly in sermons within this your tribute is grace or love. In the motions of it, it
majesty's island of Britain by the space of these either moveth to the right hand or to the left;
forty years and more, leaving out the largeness of either to blind devotion, or to profane and liberexhortations and applications thereupon, had been tine transgression; either in imposing restraint
set down in a continuance, it had been the best where God granteth liberty, or in taking liberty
work in divinity which had been written since the where God imposeth restraint. In the degrees
apostles' times. and progress of it, it divideth itself into thought,
The matter informed by divinity is of two word, or act. And in this part I commend much
kinds; matter of belief and truth of opinion, and the deducing of the law of God to cases of conmatter of service and adoration; which is also science; for that I take indeed to be a breaking,
judged and directed by the former; the one being and not exhibiting whole of the bread of life.
as the internal soul of religion, and the other as But that which quickeneth both these doctrines
the external body thereof. And therefore the hea- of faith and manners, is the elevation and consent
then religion was not only a worship of idols, but of the heart: whereunto appertain books of exthe whole religion was an idol in itself; for it had hortation, holy meditation, Christian resolution,
no soul, that is, no certainty of belief or confes- and the like.
sion; as a man may well think, considering the For the Liturgy or service, it consisteth of the
chief doctors of their church were the poets: and reciprocal acts between God and man: which, on
the reason was, because the heathen gods were no the part of God, are the preaching of the word,
jealous gods, but were glad to be admitted into and the sacraments, which are seals to the covepart, as they had reason. Neither did they re- nant, or as the visible word; and on the part of
spect the pureness of heart, so they might have man, invocation of the name of God; and undei
external honour and rites. the law, sacrifices; which were as visible prayers
But out of these two do result and issue four or confessions: but now the adoration being " in
main branches of divinity; faith, manners, litur- spiritu et veritate," there remaineth only 1" vituli
gy, and government. Faith containeth the doc- labiorum;" although the use of holy vows of
trine of the nature of God, of the attributes of thankfulness and retribution may be accounted
God, and of the works of God. The nature of also as sealed petitions.