Dr. Rawley says, "For that treatise of his lordship's, inscribed, A Confession of the Faith, I have ranked that in the close of this whole volume; thereby to demonstrate to the world that he was a master in divinity, as well as in philosophy or politics, and that he was versed no less in the saving knowledge than in the universal and adorning knowledges; for though he composed the same many years before his death, yet I thought that to be the fittest place, as the most acceptable incense unto God of the faith wherein he resigned his breath; the crowning of all his other perfections and abilities; and the best perfume of his name to the world after his death. This confession of his faith doth abundantly testify that he was able to render a reason of the hope which was in him." (a)

It might be said of him, as one of the most deep thinking of men said of himself, "For my religion, though there be several circumstances that might persuade the world I have none at all, yet, in despight thereof, I dare, without usurpation, assume the honourable style of a christian: not that I merely owe this title to the font, my education,

Francis Bacon, Knight, Viscount St. Albans, about the time he was Solicitor General to our late sovereign lord King James."

This tract was republished in 1757. A Confession of Faith, written by the Right Honourable Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam, republished with a preface on the subject of authority in religious matters, and adapted to the exigency of the present times. London, printed for W. Owen, at Temple Bar, 1757. 8vo. pp. 26

(a) This tract is thus noticed by Archbishop Tennison in the Baconiana. His Confession of Faith, written by him in English, and turned into Latin by Dr. Rawley, upon which there was some correspondence between Dr. Maynwaring and Dr. Rawley. See vol. xii. of this edit. p. 209. -It is stated in one of the MSS. to have been written before or when Sir Francis Bacon was Solicitor General, and in the Remains it is entitled, "Confession of Faith, written by Sir Francis Bacon, knight, Viscount St. Albans, about the time he was Solicitor General to our late sovereign lord King James."

Prayers.

or clime wherein I was born, but having, in my riper years and confirmed judgment, seen and examined all, I find myself bound by the principles of grace and the law of mine own reason to embrace no other religion than this. (a) From his Prayers, found after his death, his piety cannot be mistaken. (b) They have the same glory around

(a) See Sir Thomas Browne's Religio Medici, of which my excellent friend, Charles Lamb has, with his usual sweet and deep feeling, thus spoken: "I wonder and admire his entireness in every subject that is before him. He follows it, he never wanders from it, and he has no occasion to wander; for whatever happens to be the subject, he metamorphoses all nature into it. In that treatise on some urns dug up in Norfolk, how earthy, how redolent of graves and sepulchres is every line! You have now dark mould, now a thigh-bone, now a skull, then a bit of a mouldered coffin, a fragment of an old tomb-stone with moss in its "Hic jacet,” a ghost or a winding-sheet, or the echo of a funeral psalm wafted on a November wind; and the gayest thing you shall meet with shall be a silver nail or a gilt " Anno Domini," from a perished coffin top."

The whole of the passage is as follows: "For my religion, though there be several circumstances that might persuade the world I have none at all, as the general scandal of my profession, the natural course of my studies, the indifferency of my discourse, and behaviour in matters of religion, neither violently defending one nor with common ardour or contention opposing another, yet in despight hereof I dare without usurpation assume the honourable style of a christian: not that I merely owe this title to the font, my education, or clime wherein I was born, as being bred up either to confirm those principles my parents instilled into my unwary understanding, or by a general consent proceed in the religion of my country; but having in my riper years and confirmed judgment seen and examined all, I find myself obliged, by the principles of grace and the law of mine own reason, to embrace no other name than this. Neither doth herein my zeal so far make me forget the general charity I owe unto humanity, as rather to hate than pity Turks, Infidels, and Jews, rather contenting myself to enjoy that happy style than maligning those who refuse so glorious a title. But because the name of christian is become too general to express our faith, to be particular, I am of that reformed new-cast religion, wherein I dislike nothing but the name: of the same belief our Saviour taught, the apostles disseminated, the fathers authorized, and the martyrs confirmed."

(b) Vol. vii. p. 3. Of the prayers the first, entitled, "A Prayer, or Psalm, made by the Lord Chancellor of England," is in the Resuscitatio;

them, whether they are his supplications as a student, as an author, or as a preserver, when Chancellor, of the religious sentiments of the country.

As a student, he prays, that he may not be inflated or Student's misled by the vanity which makes man wise in his own prayer. conceit: "To God the Father, God the Word, God the Spirit, we put forth most humble and hearty supplications, that human things may not prejudice such as are divine; neither that from the unlocking of the gates of sense, and the kindling of a greater natural light, any thing of incredulity or intellectual night may arise in our minds towards divine mysteries." (b)

As an author (c) he prays in the same spirit: "Thou, O Author's Father, who gavest the visible light as the first-born of thy creatures, and didst pour into man the intellectual light as the top and consummation of thy workmanship, be pleased to protect and govern this work, which coming from thy goodness, returneth to thy glory."

lor's

prayer.

The same spirit did not forsake him when Chancellor : Chancel“Most gracious Lord God, my merciful Father from my youth up, my Creator, my Redeemer, my Comforter. Remember, O Lord, how thy servant hath walked before thee: remember what I have first sought, and what hath been principal in my intentions. I have loved thy assemblies: I have mourned for the divisions of thy church: I have delighted in the brightness of thy sanctuary. This vine, which thy right hand hath planted in this nation, I have ever prayed unto thee that it might have the first and the latter rain; and that it might stretch her branches to the seas and to the floods. Thy creatures have been

the second prayer, entitled, “A Prayer made and used by the Lord Chancellor Bacon," is in the Remains; and the two remaining prayers, "The Student's Prayer," and "The Writer's Prayer," are in the Baconiana.

Instaura

tion.

my books, but thy scriptures much more. I have sought thee in the courts, fields, and gardens, but I have found thee in thy temples." (a)

The same holy feeling appears in all his important works. The preface to his Instauratio Magna opens (b) and concludes (c) with a prayer. The treatise "De

(a) Vol. vii. p. 5.

(b) "We in the beginning of our work pour forth most humble and ardent prayers to God the Father, God the Word, and God the Spirit, that mindful of the cares of man, and of his pilgrimage through this life, in which we wear out some few and evil days, thou would vouchsafe through our hands to endow the family of mankind with these new gifts; and we moreover humbly pray that human knowledge may not prejudice divine truth, and that no incredulity and darkness in regard to the divine mysteries may arise in our minds upon the disclosing of the ways of sense, and this greater kindling of our natural light; but rather that from a pure understanding, cleared of all fancies and vanity, yet no less submitted to, nay wholly prostrate before the divine oracles, we may render unto faith the tribute due unto faith: and lastly, that being freed from the poison of knowledge, infused into it by the serpent, and with which the human soul is swoln and puffed up, we may neither be too profoundly nor immoderately wise, but worship truth in charity."

(c) The preface to the Instauration concludes thus: "Neque enim hoc sinerit Deus, ut phantasiæ nostræ somnium pro exemplari mundi edamus: sed potius benigne faveat, ut apocalypsim, ac veram visionem vestigiorum et sigillorum Creatoris supercreaturas, scribamus. Itaque tu, Pater, qui lucem visibilem primitias creaturæ dedisti, et lucem intellectualem ad fastigium operum tuorum in faciem hominis inspirasti; opus hoc, quod a tua bonitate pro

* Vol. ix. p. 260.

mentis.

Augmentis Scientiarum" abounds with religious sentiments, De Augcontains two tracts, one upon natural, the other upon revealed religion, "the sabbath and port of all men's labours:" and concludes, "Attamen, quoniam etiam res quæque

fectum, tuam gloriam repetit, tuere et rege. Tu, postquam conversus es ad spectandum opera, quæ fecerunt manus tuæ vidisti quod omnia essent bona valde; et requievisti. At homo, conversus ad opera, quæ fecerunt manus suæ, vidit quod omnia essent vanitas et vexatio spiritus; nec ullo modo requievit. Quare si in operibus tuis sudabimus, facies nos visionis tuæ et sabbati tui participes. Supplices petimus, ut hæc mens nobis constet: utque novis eleemosynis per manus nostras et aliorum, quibus eandem mentem largieris, familiam humanam dotatam velis."*

May God never permit us to give out the dream of our fancy as a model of the world, but rather in his kindness vouchsafe to us the means of writing a revelation and true vision of the traces and stamps of the Creator on his creatures. May thou, therefore, O Father, who gavest the light of vision as the first fruits of creation, and hast inspired the countenance of man with the light of the understanding as the completion of thy works, guard and direct this work, which, proceeding from thy bounty, seeks in return thy glory. When thou turnedst to look upon the works of thy hands, thou sawest that all were very good and restedst. But man, when he turned towards the works of his hands, saw that they were all vanity and vexation of spirit, and had no rest. Wherefore if we labour in thy works, thou wilt make us partakers of that which thou beholdest and of thy rest. We humbly pray that our present disposition may continue firm, and that thou mayest be willing to endow thy family of mankind with new gifts through our hands, and the hands of those to whom thou wilt accord the same disposition."

*Vol. ix. p. 178.