Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/273

 ANALYSIS OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. STATUIIAL RELIGION 194 . It IS That knowli-dge or rudiment of knowledge concerning God, which may be obtained by (li&amp;gt;- mnl&amp;gt; nijilation of his creatures. . The proper limits of this knowledge are that it suf- litvth to convince atheism 194 1 s not safe from contemplations of nature to judge upon questions of faith 195 Men and gods were not able to draw Ju piter down to the earlh,- but contrariwise, Jupiter wan able to draw them up to heaven. . This is not deficient, but not restrained within pro per limits. . Of angels. // is no more unlawful to inquire the na ture of evil spirits, than to inquire the force of poison* in nature, or the nature of sin and vice in morality. . Inquiries respecting angels are not deficient. . Division. . Speculative or inquisition of causes. . Operative or production of effects 195 If (hen, it be true that Democritus said, &quot; That the truth of nature lieth hid in certain deep mines and, caves .-&quot; and if it be true like wise that the alchy mists do so much inculcate, that Vulcan is a second nature, and imitateth that dexterously and compendiously, which nature workelh by ambages and length of time, it were good to divide natural philosophy into the mine and the furnace ,- and to make two professions or occupations of natural phi losophers, xome to be pioneers and some smiths , sow to dig, and some to refine and hammer. . Connection between cause and effect 195 SPECULATIVE NATCHAL PHILOSOPHY. . Division. . Physic. . Metaphysic. . Of the impropriety of using new words for new ideas. . Of the meaning of the words physic and meta- physic 196 PHYSIC. . Physic contemplates the efficient cause what is in herent in matter and transitory 196 . Physic is situate between natural history and meta physic 196 . Division of physic. . As it respects nature united 196 . The doctrine of the contexture or configuration of things. . The doctrine concerning the princi ples of things. . As it respects nature d ffused. . It is not deficient 1 196 METAPHYSIC. Formal Causes. It inquires into formal and final causes 196 . Inquiry whether forms are discoverable. . Their discovery is of the utmost importance. They are ill discoverers that think thfre is no land, when they can set nothing but sea. In the Treatise be Auginentis there is in this place, a considerahle addition. VOL. 1. 19 . Plato discovered that forms were the true objects of knowledge. Plato beheld all things as from a cl : ff. . By keeping a watchful and seven- eye upon action and use, forms may be discovered 197 . The forms of nature in her more simple exist ence are first to be determined 197 . Physic makes inquiry of the same natures as metaphysic, but only as to efficient causes. 197 . This part of metaphysic is defective. . The use of this part of metaphysic. . To abridge the infinity of individual ex perience. That knowledge is worthiest, which is charged with leant multiplicity, which ap- peareth to be Mtlaphy*ic, as that which considereth the simple farms or differences of things, which are frw in number, and the de grees and co-ordinations whereof make all this variety. . To enfranchise the power of man by facili tating the production of effects. Of Final Causes 198 . The inquiry of final causes is not deficient, but has been misplaced. . The investigating final causes in physics has intercepted the true inquiry of real physical causes. To say that the hairs nf the eyelids are for a quickset and fencs. about the sight ; or that the firmness of the skins and hides of living creatures is to drfend them from the extremi ties of heat or cold / or that, the bones are for the columns or beams, whereupon the frames of the bodies nf living creatures are built ; or that the leaves of trees are for protecting of the fruit, or that the clouds are for the wa tering of the earth ; or that the solidnes* of the earth is for the station and mansion of living creatures, and the like, is well inquired and collected in Mttaphysic / but in Phy sic they are impertinent. Nay, they are indeed but remoras and hinderances to stay and slug the ship from further sailing / and have brought this to pa*s, that the search of the physical causes hath been neglected, and passed in silence. . Of the errors in ancient philosophy from mining formal and final causes. . 198 Not because those final causes are not true, and worthy to be inquired, being kept within their own province ; but because their excur sions into the limits of physical causes hath bred a vattnexs and solitude in that track. . There is no repugnance between formal and final causes 198 . These opinions confirm divine providence Mathematic 198 . Reason for classing it as a part of metaphysic. . From the nature of the mind to wander in gene ralities, mathematics have more laboured than any other form. . There is no difference in mathematics 198 . Division of mathematics : 1st, pure; 2d, mixed. Pure Mathematics. . It is that science which handles quantity detei minate, merely severed from axioms of natural philosophy, and is geometry or arithmetic. 199