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the centuries solio ing the tali os the western Empire seem
breach os continui ty was in great pari filled up by the longseries of thin kers and students, who hept the torch os science alive in the Mahommedan schools of Mesopotamia and Spatia. A glance at the IndeX to this edition will show the use whicli Bacon macie of such men as Thabit ben Corra, Alsarabitis,Alfraganus, Athindi, Athagen, Album a Zar, A Vicenna, Hali, and Averroes. They a re spolien os, and moSt truly, notinere ly as the principat channeis through which Greeli philo-SOPhy and Science were introduced to the western worid, butaS having increa sed the treasiare en trusted to them ; a treaSure whicli the westerias of the thirteenth century, unlOSS they a re dolis and asses,' will regard it as their duty to transmit withdue interest to their posterit X. At the close of these introductory re mari S, SOme attem Ptmay be made to assigia Bacon 's position in the history os human thought. It appears on the sursace that he belon sto the order of thin kers, typified by Pythagoras rather than by Aristolle, who engage in speculation, not sor iis own sal ea lone, but for social or ethical resulis, that a re to sol low. His ProteSt S against the intellectual prejudices of his time, his forecasis os an age of industry and invention, the prominenCCgi Ven to eXperiment, alii e as the test of received opinion and the guide to new fiet is os discoVery, render Compari Son with his great nam esal e of the si Xteenth century unaVo id able. Vetthe resemblance is perhaps tess strii ing than the contra St. Be tween the fiery Franciscan; doub ly Pledged by science and by religion to a li se of poverty, impatient os prejudice, intolerant os duliness, rectiless of personat fame or adUAn Ce-ment, and the wis e man of the worid richly endowed withevery literary gist, ham pered in his philosophicat achi eve-ment S by a throng os dubious ambitions, there is titit litile in Common. In wealth of words in brilli ancy of imagination. Francis Bacon was immeasurably superior. But Roger Baconli ad the so under estimate and the firmer gra SP of that com-
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INTRODUCTIONbination os deductive with inductive method whicli martis thescientific discoUerer. Finalty. Francis Bacon was of his time; vitti Roger Bacon it was far other i SO.M. Haureata, the historian os Scholastic philosophy, andalso M. Renan, have Suggested a parallel sor, it may be, have adopted it Dona Litti e) bet ween Roger Bacon and Auguste Comte. SOme anticipation of the Philosophic Positiso there
assured ly is in Bacon 's sub ordination Os metaphysi C to Scionco, in his serial arran gement of the sciences, and in his aVowalos a Constructi Ue purpose a S the goal of speculative inquiry. But it is weli not to pusti such compari sons too far. weshali best understand Bacon's life and work by regarding hi maS a progreSSi Ue Schoolman. Lil e the other great schoolmenos the thirteenth century, he set be re himself the purpoSe of strongilien ing the Church in her work of morat regeneration, by Surro unding her with OVery intellectual refotarce. But the forces that he brought to bear were not limited, liketheirs, to the statio nary dialectic of Aristolle ; they were at So, in great pari, drawn frona the progressi Ue culture Of naturaland historical science. AS compared with his successors of the Renascen ce, his Purpose was tofiter ; sor, in ut ging the Continuo iis ad Vanc ement of knowledge he had higher thingsthan knowledge in View. His aim, putaued in no spirit ofutilitarian narrowness, yet steadi ly concentraled on the
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CHAPTER II. Opinions of philosophers on these defecis. - Citations Dom Aristolle, Seneca, Cicero, Averrhoe S, Abel ard, Jerome, ChrySOStom . . 4 6 CHAPTER III. Leaving authori ty, let us look to eae perience. Authori ty, habit, and proudice may gometimes leau to truth, but the probabilities
of the three first Causes of error, popular prejudice i S the moStpotent. The truth that pearis Should not be ea St besore S ine is confirmed by Aristolle and other philosophers .... 9-I1
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Continuation os the subjeci. Gratitude is to be Ahown to thegi eat munders of trulli even where they have falled . . . 11 - 13
Errors are infinite, truth single. New generations in heriling the resulis of their predeceSSors Can see their mi Stakes. Avicenna SeeSwhere Aristolle erred ; Averroes CorrectS Avicenna. Among thelat hers of the Church we See the fame thing. They acknowledgetheir own errors and poliat out thOSe of OtherS .... 13-15
CHAPTER VII. Further illustrations, justi*ing cautious scruti ny of received opinionS 15 17 CHAPTER VIII. By habit os discus sing received opinion we Cea se to be SlaveSto it 17 CHAPTER IX.
But the Murth Source of error, false Conceit of our own wisdom, is far the most clangerous. It forti fies itself with the resulis of the other three by endo ing this salse Wisdom with the sorce of authori ty, of CuStona, and of popular prejudice. Prior to the detection of the Symptonas of this spiritual di SeaSe, we must AC quire, as phySiCians of the body do, sonae knowledge of universat causes froin the stud y of nature communia naturalium . The potency of this fource of error i S Shown by historical examples 17 21
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Many things known to the ancients we negleCt, as the Study of mathematiCS and languages, Doni Aheer ignorance of their value. In Other Cases the faci that subjecis are not studi ed by the sat hers is held a good reason sor passing them by. We krget that the sat nisand fathers were justi hed by the circumstances of their time, and moreover that they were not infalli ble. Augustine found much fauit illi Jerome, and so in other cases 24 26
e must remember that the best Greek work was not known tot he Latin sat hers. Plato indeed was translated anu carefulty studi ed ;but Aristolle, frona the very OCt of being Plato'S Opponent, WASneglected. Vet Augustine had translated the Categorie S, a Workhighly valued by Alcvin. Boethius also translated Some of the logical workS. But is the greater works of Aristolle had been known to them, they would have gladi y received these, and not have troubled themSelves about the ashes of his philosophy .... 26-28
The early Clitarch made no use of Greeli science excepi sor thepur pose of regulating iis calendar and iis musi C. The explanationof this neglect of ancient learning is sivesold. I. Philosophy waS thesinundation of law and govern ment to ali the nations os antiqui tyeXCOPt the Hebreu S. 2. There re it was that philosophy resisten Chri Stiani ty. 3. Moreover these nations not meret y studi ed philo-Sophy, but practi Sed augury and oracular magi C. 4. They persecuted Christians. 5. The Church, finding her ene mi es occupied on the oneliand with the study of philosophy, and on the other with the Stud y of magi C, RS Socialed these two things, and thus came to despi Se nnudisti he philosophy. The truth is however that philosophy, So far istombeing hostile to the Church, is capable of yiel ding it in dispensabie SUPPOrt . 28-30
Later ecclesiasticat authorities have followed a similar Coui se, though without the excuse whicli justi fies the early fathers. Though Greeli philosophy is no longer uia translate d. they stud y only itS IDOSttrivial productioris, neglecting the great works of Science an det hi C 30 31
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AN LYSIS OF THE A OPUS MAJUS 'CHAPTER XUI.
Theology is the mi Stresf-science. Ali truth is contained in the Scriptures ; but to elicit truth ive need the help of the canon laruand of philosophy. WiSdom comes Dom orae God, is gi ven to oneWorid, for One purpose. It Self there re is one. It cannot beinconsistent with itSelf ......... 33 34CHAPTER II. The canon lavi has iis root in Scripture. Froni that root spring branch and fruit; the teaching of the falliers and doctors of the Church and the rules finalty laici clown by them .... 34-35 CHAPTER III. So with philosophy. Augustine diuelis at tength on the importance of taking froni it ali that is precious, aS the Hebrews of Old borrowed jeweis froni the Egyptians. He included in the word ethics, history, knowledge of the aris, logic, and grammar 35 3T CHAPTER IU. Jerome and Bede used Similar langunge. Bede remarkS that, asSolomon when bullding his temple called foret gn workmen to his aid, So has Christ availed himself of heathen philosophers in bullding his Church. Paul, tOo, quotes heathen poets 37 38 CHAPTER V. Whereuer truth is Mund it belongs to Christ. we must distinguislibet een Mullectus agenS and infestianus fossibilis. The first is no part of our nature. Our minus are capable of receiving it and of being Stirred to action by it, but it comes Doni Withoui. This can be
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proved Dom Aristolle, when rightly interpreted, and Doni his commentators Alpharabius and Avicenna. Reason comes hom God
theresore philosophy is divine . 38-4ICHAPTER UI.
But we may go farther. Wisdom was a direct revelation of God tot he philosophers of antiqui ty. Aristolle, Cicero, and Augustine may
be Cited to Show thi S . . . . . . . . . 4l 42
I he most important potnt of ali has now to be explain ed. Philo-Sophy i S not an invention of hea then nations: it was revealed in iisentirety to the first patriarchs, by the fame Spirit who revealed tothem the oracles of God. We learn from Josephus that Noah and his sons taught the Chaldaean S; Abraham the Egyptians. That philosophy originaled with the patriarchs is admitted by Aristolle. Froni the Chaldaeans and Egypti an S, thu S taught, further progreSSensu ed, the history of which may now be traced in parallel lines xviththat of the Hebre A. Isis and Pallas were Contemporary Willi JaCoband Esau. Under Phoroneus, the second king of the Argive S, a se years later, morat philosophy waS 5rst taught. Then carne Prometheu Sanct AtlaS, Contemporary with MOSOS. Hermes was the grandSon ofAtlas ; by hi in or by another Wi Se man, Apollo, ASClepius waS taught, the Munder of medicat art ; though probably medicine was bet terknown to the fons of Adam anu Noah, Who thus attained great longevi ty 44 49 CHAPTER X. In the time of Othoniel, the Hebre W Judge, Cadmus gave the nrt of writ ing to the Greelas. Under the nam e of Hercul CS AS under that of Apollo severat distinci persons living at widely different periods are include d. OrpheuS WAS a contemporary of Gideon. VOL. I. L
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xcviii A LYSIS OF THE OPUS MAJUS.'
The Erythraean Sibyl lived be tween the taking of Troy and the
unding os Rome, in the Sevenili Olympiad, 433 years after ard. Hesiod, Homer's successor, is prior to the mundation of Rome. Romulus, Thales of .Miletus, and Hegelaiah were contemporaries . 49-51
With Thales hegan the series of the wise men os Greece; hehimself was in Josiati's time; Pittacus, Solon, Bias and others, were contemporary with the JewiSh captivi ty. shortly asterwards arosethe Italic school of Greeli philosophy, Pythagoras at their head , in the time of the Je isti restoration; Tarquinius Superbus reigningat Rome 51 52
Pythagoras was follo ed by Archytas, Timaeus, and others ; butthe great school of Greela philosophy, Culminat ing in Aristolle, was in heri ted hom Thales, through Anaximander, AnaximeneS, AnaxagoraS, ArchelauS, Socrates, and Plato. Plato, who travelled and studi ed in Egypt , and learni much froin the Pythagorean SChool, ultered trullis So profound that many have thought that while in Egypt he must have been taught by the prophet Jeremiali; thoughchron ology will hard ly confirm thi S Uiew ..... 52-54CHAPTER XIII.
Aristolle studi ed under Socrates for three yearS, and kr twentyyears under Plato, whom he Survived by forty- three years. He is the greatest of philosophers, rightly called The Philosopheri Hestrove hy diligenCe and observation os nature to bring philosophy to the perfeci state in Whi Ch the patriarchs of old received it. But hewas not infalli ble ; and as long as the worid lasis, additions to his knowledge wili Continually be made. Litile use was made of histeaching tili aster the time of Mahoniel, when Avi Cenna, AUerroe Sand others brought it to light. Boethius incleed had translated some of his logical works. A great stimulus was gi ven to the studyos Aristolle by Michael Scotys translations, with commentaries, of his physical and metaphysical workS. of Avicenna's Commentaries, howeVer, not more than a third part has yet been translated . 54 56
The conclusion is that philosophy and theology are two aspects of one inseparabie whole. Philosophy leads us to the thres hold os divine truth ; apari hom this function it has no mean ing or value. But is rightly regarded iis Work never encis. In the sight of God we are
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Such glimpses are to be mund in the Sibyls, who prophesi ed of the death of Christ and of the Iast Judgement. Divine truth, as Augustine has sa id, was not Confine d to the Seed of Abraham. Job
belleved in the Re Surrecti On ........ 59 61
There are two principies of metaphysic whicli Nili lead iis to the fame conclusion. The first is that the busi ness of philosophy is tofurnish a criterion of knowledge. It is aruare of the incompletenessos iis own knowledge in those matters whiph are of the greatest importance. It concludes frona the goodness of God that such knowledge must have been sonaewhere reveat ecl : it finds this revelation in the Christian church ; and shows that Christian doctrine supplies the complement to iis lea hing which hitherio had been wanting . 61-62CHAPTER XVII.
Se Ondly, we muSt Consider that ali speculative philosophy has morat philosophy for iis end and aim. The two are co-Ordinate i. As the speculative philosophy os antiqui ty is related to the moralphilosophy of that time, So must our O n Speculative philosophy berelateo to the morat philosophy of the Christian time, in other words,to Christian theology. But Christian et hic, as ali aut horities admit, assumeS the pre violas existen Ce of heathen ethi C. So therefore mustit he with the speculative philosophy os Christians. It Staris With the speculative theories of antiqui ty and Carries them many stages farther. Anci in so cloing the Christian theorist will not meret y select Dom his henthen predecessors those trullis the relation os which to theologyis mani sest. He will embrace ali trullis without distinction, arrangingeach in the division to whicli it belongs; confident that ali truth, in Whatever de partinent, wili conduce in one Way or another to that whicli is divine 62-64
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it was asterwards hidden froin men ; that Thales and his successors clown to Aristolle, at ded by sonae trace of primitive tradition, revivediis culture. Philosophy, theres ore, has iis place in the divine govern-ment of the world : iis Conclusions must be demonstrated, diffused, and enlarged. It is a Component part of that perfect wisdom whichis contained in the Scriptures 64 65
Having seen the essentiat uni ty of wisdom as contained in Scripture, the canon law, and Philosophy, we pasS to the division sos the subjeci. These are sive. The firSt is the Study of grammar,not so much of Latin, RS of the languages Dorn whicli Latin receivediis culture. I. The quali ty of one language Can ne ver be perfectly reproduced in another. This is true even of the dialects of a language: far more true as belween different languages. A literat translation os Homer into Latin, and theiace into a modern language, resulis in Utterabsurdi ty 66 672. Secondiy, Latin is altogether wanting in many of the neceS SAGwords for the things described by foreigia authors ... 673. Third ly, the tran Stator must not Only be per Ctly a qua in ted with his subjeci, but also with the two languages with which he deal S. Boethius anct Robert Grosseteste fulfilled these Conditions. Butinosi translators have falled, and e specialty the tranStators of Aristolle. Jerome and Augustine have potnted out the errors of the Septuagint version and of the other versions. Neverthel ess
E. g. the third and Durth books of Maccabees are ivant ing: also thehooks of Samuel, Nathan. and Gad. we need also good translation Sof Iosephus 's book of Antiquities, of many of the Greela Others, of the second and third books of Avicenna, and of many essentiat treati Ses of Aristolle, on metaphysi CS, on physical ano mathematical SCience, and ora that part of his logi C whicli deals with practi Cal reason, the part that is of the greatest importance in the guid ance of humanli se . 20 735. Fifthly, owing to our neglect os fore ign langu ages, we fati toundet stand the allusions to them contained in many writ ings of