less condemned upon the testimony of Texts of Scripture, which may, under their words, couch Senses seemingly contrary thereto; In regard that every Expression of Scripture is not tied to so strict conditions, as every Effect of Nature: Nor doth God less admirably discover himself unto us in Nature's Actions, than in the Scriptures Sacred Dictions. Nos definimus, Deum, primò Natura cognoscendum; Deinde, Doctrina recognescendum: Natura ex operibus; Doctrina ex praedicationibus. Tertul. adver. Marcion. lib. 1. cap. 18.Which peradventure Tertullian intended to express in those words: (c) We conclude, God is known; first, by Nature, and then again more particularly known by Doctrine: by Nature, in his Works; by Doctrine, in his Word preached.
But I will not hence affirm, but that we ought to have an extraordinary esteem for the Places of Sacred Scripture, nay, being come to a certainty in any Natural Conclusions, we ought to make use of them, as most apposite helps to the true Exposition of the same Scriptures, and to the investigation of those Senses which are necessarily conteined in them, as most true, and concordant with the Truths demonstrated.
This maketh me to suppose, that the Authority of the Sacred Volumes was intended principally to perswade men to the belief of those Articles and Propositions, which, by reason they surpass all humane discourse, could not by any other Science, or by any other means be made credible, than by the Mouth of the Holy Spirit it self. Besides that, even in those Propositions, which are not de Fide, the Authority of the same Sacred Leaves ought to be preferred to the Authority of all Humane Sciences that are not written in a Demonstrative Method, but either with bare Narrations, or else with probable Reasons; and this I hold to be so far convenient and necessary, by how far the said Divine Wisdome surpasseth all humane Judgment and Conjecture. But that that self same God who hath indued us with Senses, Discourse, and Understanding hath intended, laying aside the use of these, to give the knowledg of those things by other means, which we may attain by these, so as that even in those Natural Conclusions, which either by Sensible Experiments or Necessary Demonstrations are set before our eyes, or our Understanding, we ought to deny Sense and Reason, I do not conceive that I am bound to believe it; and especially in those Sciences, of which but a small part, and that divided into Conclusions is to be found in the Scripture: Such as, for instance, is that of Astronomy, of which there is so small a part in Holy Writ, that it doth not so much as name any of the Planets, except the Sun and the Moon, and once or twice onely Venus under the name of Lucifer. For if the Holy Writers had had any intention to perswade People to believe the Dispositions and Motions of the Cœlestial Bodies; and that consequently we are still to derive that know-ledge
