Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/376

 firing, and naming, and looking into the Nature of all the Creatures. This had been the only Religion, if Man had continued innocent in Paradise, and had not wanted a Redemption. Of this the Scripture itself makes so much Use, that if any devout Man shall reject all Natural Philosophy, he may blot Genesis, and Job, and the Psalms, and some other Books out of the Canon of the Bible. God never yet left himself without Witness in the World: And it is observable, that he has commonly chosen the dark and ignorant Ages, wherein to work Miracles; but seldom or never the Times when Natural Knowledge prevail'd: For he knew there was not so much need to make use of extraordinary Signs, when Men were diligent in the Works of his Hands, and attentive on the Impressions of his Foot-steps in his Creatures.

It is almost a proverbial Speech, that the most Learned Ages are still the most Atheistical, and the Ignorant most Devout. Whoever devis'd this Distinction at first, the true Piety is little beholden to him for it; for instead of obeying the Jewish Law, which forbids us to offer up to God a Sacrifice that has a Blemish, he has bestow'd the most excellent of all the Race of Men on the Devil; and has only assign'd to Religion those Men and those Times, which have the greatest Blemish of Human Nature, even a Defect in their Knowledge and Understanding.

If there can be found any Colour for this Observation, that the Light of Reason should produce a Spiritual Darkness; it can only then hold good, when the Knowledge of Men, and not that of Nature, abounds. Whether the first be true, or no, let the Politicians consider: But of the second, this is a sufficient Conviction, that in most Countries God has been Rh