Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626). Baron Verulam, Viscount St. Albans was an English philosopher, essayist, courtier, jurist and statesman. Sir Francis Bacon was significantly responsible for the formulation and acceptance of the scientific methodology which stressed gathering of data from experimentation and induction rather than through the practice of philosophical deduction promulgated by Aristotle. Sir Francis Bacon assisted in creating and founding the Royal Society of London.
“There are two books laid before us to study, to prevent our falling into error; first, the volume of Scriptures, which reveal the will of God; then the volume of the Creatures, which express His power.”
“There never was found, in any age of the world, either philosophy, or sect, or religion, or law, or discipline, which did so highly exalt the good of community, and increase private and particular good as the holy Christian faith. Hence, it clearly appears that it was one and the same God that gave the Christian law to men, who gave the laws of nature to the creatures.”
In The Advancement of Learning, Book II, Sir Francis Bacon stressed:
“But men must know that in this theatre of man’s life it is reserved only for God and the angels to be lookers on.”
“All good moral philosophy is but the handmaid to religion.”
In the treatise Of Atheism, Sir Francis Bacon declared:
“A little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion.”
In, Literary and Religious Works of Francis Bacon, Volume II, Sir Francis Bacon declares:
“I believe that the Word of God, whereby His will is revealed, continued in revelation and tradition with Moses; and that the Scriptures were from Moses’ time to the time of the Apostles and Evangelists; in whose ages, after the coming of the Holy Ghost, the teacher of all truth, the book of Scriptures was shut and closed, so as to receive no new addition, and the Church hath no power after the Scriptures to teach or command anything contrary to the written word.”
“I believe that Jesus, the Lord, became flesh a sacrificer and a sacrifice for sin; a satisfaction and price paid to the justice of God; a meriter of Glory and the Kingdom; a pattern of all righteousness a preacher of the Word, which Himself was; a finisher of the ceremonies; a cornerstone to remove the separation between Jew and Gentile; an intercessor for the Church; a Lord of nature in his miracles; a conqueror of death and the power of darkness in His resurrection; and that He fulfilled the whole counsel of God; performing all His sacred offices, and anointing on earth, accomplishing the whole work of the redemption and restitution of man to a state superior to the angels, whereas the state of man by creation was inferior; and reconciled and established all things according to the eternal will of the Father.”
He proclaimed in his work Novum Organum Scientiarum (1620):
“Man by the Fall fell at the same time from his state of innocence and from his dominion over creation. Both of these losses, however, can even in this life be in some parts repaired; the former by religion and faith, the latter by the arts and sciences.”
Sir Francis Bacon declared, “To conclude, therefore, let no man speak out of weak conceit of sobriety, or in ill applied moderation, think or maintain, that a man can search too far or be too well studied in the book of God’s word, or in the book of God’s works.”
The “book of God’s word” is the Bible and the “book of God’s works” is the world which God has created.
Sir Francis Bacon wrote his Will in 1626.
“I bequeath my soul to God….My body to be buried obscurely. For my name and memory, I leave it to men’s charitable speeches, and to foreign nations, and the next age.”
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