The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

BooK II. ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 241
in opinions and counsels, and not in positions and tures, which are the fountains of the water of life.
oppositions. But men are now over-ready to The interpretations of the Scriptures are of two
usurp the style, "Non ego, sed Dominus;" and sorts; methodical, and solute or at large. For
not so only, but to bind it with the thunder and this divine water, which excelleth so much that
denunciation of curses and anathemas, to the ter- of Jacob's well, is drawn forth much in the same
ror of those which have not sufficiently learned kind as natural water useth to be out of wells and
out of Solomon, that 6" the causeless curse shall fountains; either it is first to be forced up into'a
not come." cistern, and from thence fetched and derived for
Divinity hath two principal parts; the matter use; or else it is drawn and received in buckets
informed or revealed, and the nature of the infor- and vessels immediately where it springeth: the
mation or revelation: and with the latter we will former sort whereof, though it seem to be the more
begin, because it hath most coherence with that ready, yet in my judgment is more subject to corwhich we have now last handled. The nature rupt. This is that method which hath exhibited
of the information consisteth of three branches; unto us the scholastical divinity; whereby divinithe limits of the information, the sufficiency of ty hath been reduced into an art, as into a cistern,
the informrnation, and the acquiring or obtaining and the streams of doctrine or positions fetched
the information. Unto the limits of the informa- and derived from thence.
tion belong these considerations; how far forth In this men have sought, three things, a sumparticular persons continue to be inspired; how mary brevity, a compacted strength, and a comfar forth the church is inspired; how far forth plete perfection; whereof the two first they fail to
reason may be used: the last point whereof I find, and the last they ought not to seek. Tor as
have noted as deficient. Unto the sufficiency of to brevity, we see, in all summary methods, while
thie information belong two considerations; what men purpose to abridge, they give cause to dilate.
points of religion are fundamental, and what per- For the sum or abridgment by contraction befective, being matter of further building and per- cometh obscure; the obscurity requireth exposifection upon one and the same foundation; and tion, and the exposition is deduced into large
again, how the gradations of light, according to commentaries, or into commonplaces and titles,
the dispensation of times, are material to the which grow to be more vast than the original
sufficiency of belief. writings, whence the sum was firstextracted. So,
Here again I may rather give it in advice, than we see, the volumes of the schoolmen are greater
note it as deficient, that the points fundamental, much than the first writings of the fathers, whence
and the points of farther perfection only, ought to the master of the sentences made his sum or colbe with piety and wisdom distinguished; a sub- lection. So, in like manner, the volumes of the
ject tending to much like end as that I noted be- modern doctors of the civil law exceed those of the
fore; for as that other were likely to abate the ancient jurisconsults, of which Tribonian comnumber of controversies, so this is like to abate piled the digest. So as this course of sums and
the heat of many of them. We see Moses when commentaries is that which doth infallibly make
he saw the Israelite and the _Egyptian fight, he the body of sciences more immense in quarntity,
did not say, Why strive you. but drew his sword and more base in substance.
and slew the /Egyptian: but when he saw the And for strength, it is true that knowledges retwo Israelites fight, he said, You are brethren, duced into exact methods have a show of strength,
why strive you! If the point of doctrine be an in that each part seemeth to support and sustain
Egyptian, it must be slain by the sword of the the other; but this is more satisfactory than subSpirit, and not reconciled; but if it be an Israelite, stantial: like unto buildings which stand by
though in the wrong, then, Why strive you. We architecture and compaction, which are more subsee of the fundamental points, our Saviour pen- ject to ruin than those which are built more strong
neth the league thus, "6he that is not with us is in their severalparts, though less compacted. But
against us;" but of points not fundamental, thus, it is plain that the more you recede from your
", He that is not against us, is with us." So we grounds, the weaker do you conclude: and as in
see the coat of our Saviour was entire without nature, the more you remove yourself from parseam, and so is the'doctrine of the Scripture in ticulars, the greater peril of error you do incur; so
itself; but the garment of the church was of di- much more in divinity, the more you recede from
vers colours, and yet not divided: we see the the Scriptures by inferences and consequences,
chaff may and ought to be severed from the corn the more weak and dilute are your positions.
in the ear, but the tares may not be pulled up from And as for perfection or completeness in divinithe corn in the field. So as it is a thing of great ty, it is not to be sought; which makes this course:
use well to define what, and of what latitude those of artificial divinity the more suspect. For he
points are, which do make men merely aliens and that will reduce a knowledge into an art, will
disincorporate from the church of God. make it round and uniform: but in divinity many
For the obtaining of the information, it resteth things must be left abrupt, and concluded with
upon the true and sound interpretation of the Scrip- this: "0 altitude sapientiae et scientis Dei! quan
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