Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/104

 As for the first, they meddle no otherwise with divine Things, than only as the Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness of the Creator is display'd in the admirable Order and Workmanship of the Creatures. It cannot be deny'd, but it lies in the natural Philosopher's Hands, best to advance that Part of Divinity; which, though it fills not the Mind with such tender and powerful Contemplations, as that which shews us Man's Redemption by a Mediator; yet it is by no means to be pass'd by unregarded, but is an excellent Ground to establish the other. This is a Religion which is confirm'd by the unanimous Agreement of all Sorts of Worships, and may serve in respect to Christianity, as Solomon's Porch to the Temple; into the one the Heathens themselves did also enter, but into the other, only God's peculiar People.

In Men, may be consider'd the Faculties and Operations of their Souls, the Constitution of their Bodies, and the Works of their Hands. Of these, the first they omit; both because the Knowledge and Direction of them have been before undertaken, by some Arts, on which they have no mind to intrench, as the Politicks, Morality, and Oratory; and also because the Reason, the Understanding, the Tempers, the Will, the Passions of Men, are so hard to be reduc'd to any certain Observation of the Senses, and afford so much Room to the Observers to falsify or counterfeit; that if such Discourses should be once entertain'd, they would be in Danger of falling into talking, instead of working, which they carefully avoid. Such Subjects therefore as these they have hitherto kept out. But yet, when they shall have made more Progress in material Things, they will be in a Condition of pronouncing more boldly on them too. For though Man's Soul Rh