nce, when
we find him borrowing from Plato, and other ancient philosophers, such
names as these, applied by them "to the unknown God" {~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~},(70) {~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}
{~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~},(71) and _primum intelligibile, et primum intelligens_,(72) when he
makes mention of "the astronomers" who "do cut and carve in their
imagination cycles, orbs, and epicycles, in the heavens, because of the
various and different appearances and motions of stars in them, whereas it
may be, really, there is but one celestial body in which all these various
lights and motions do appear,"(73) and when he tells us, that "if two
superficies were exactly plain and smooth, they could join so closely
together, that no air could come between them, and then they could hardly
be pulled asunder."(74) All the while, however, it is evident that the
knowledge of the philosopher is made subservient to the nobler purposes of
the divine. The idea never occurs to us, that his secular learning is
produced for display, and not to give interest to a sacred subject, or to
furnish him with the means of explaining it.

The following extract will show the holy use to which the pious author
consecrated his knowledge of "physiology," which, when a Regent he was
bound to teach, by the foundation charter of the University--"We can do
nothing except we have some pattern or copy before us, but now, upon this
ground which God hath laid man may fancy many superstructures. But when he
stretched out the heaven, and laid the foundation of the earth, 'who,
being his counsellor taught him?' At whom did his Spirit take counsel?
Certainly, none of all these things would have entered into the heart of
man to consider or contrive, Isa. xl. 12, 13. Some ruder spirits do gaze
upon the huge and prodigious pieces of the creation, as whales and
elephants, &c., but a wise Solomon will go to the school of the ant to
learn the wisdom of God, and choose out such a simple and mean creature
for the object of his admiration. Certainly there are wonders in the
smallest and most inconsiderable creatures whi