Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

AND HIS SEC11ET SOCIETY. 79
confidence in God as a Father; . . . a jealousy for the honour of
his Saviour, and an hourly reference ... to the guidance of
the Holy Ghost, " etc. (Life of Bacon, hy the Rev. J.
Sortain, 1790.)
It is science that makes him in any sense a religious man—
non-religious in conduct, etc. (Abbott, introd'n. to Essays,
p. xl.) Many other writers and critics have adopted such views.
He was truly religious.
" This lord was religious; for though the world be apt to suspect
and prejudge great wits and politiques to have somewhat
of the atheist, yet he ivas conversant icith God, as appeareth
throughout the whole current of his writings. ... No man will
deny him ... to have been a deep philosopher. And not only
so, but he was able to render a reason for the hope which was in
him, which that writing of his of the Confession of Faith choth
abundantly testify. He repaired frequently (when his health
would permit him) to the services of the church to hear sermons,
to the administration of the sacrament of the blessed body and
blood of Christ; and died in the true faith, established in the
Church of England. " (Dr. Rawley's Life of Bacon, 1670.)
His toleration in religious matters blamed.
Bacon's toleration showed a fatal want of religious enthusiasm.
(Storr, intn. to Essays.)
His toleration applauded.
We do not pretend that he ever became a violent partisan
against the Church of Rome; . . . neither, on the other hand,
was he an exclusive advocate for the Church of England in
opposition to the Puritans. ... In the whole range of ecclesiastical
history we can recall no one whose mind looked down
upon church controversies with more anxious concern. His
was not the latitudinarianism of indifference. . . . We should
feel that we were performing a high duty to the Church of
Christ, at the present times, to transcribe the whole of