SUMMARY OF THE WORK

As the principal object of the author is to point out the faults of theological study and their remedies, he will rely on the witness of philosophers, not quoting those cited by the saints, except Ethicus and Alchimus translated by Jerome. Ethicus and Alchimus were legendary figures frequently cited in medieval texts as ancient authorities on geography and philosophy. (p. 2) Knowledge is only pleasant when it can be imparted to others, as Tully, Seneca, Boethius and others show. Tully is the medieval name for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman orator. (p. 3) To send his work out quickly Bacon has reduced it to a compendium, following the advice of Horace. (p. 4) Bacon then considers the signs of human ignorance with their causes. The first is the contradictions of philosophers, hardly one of whom in modern times agrees with another. The second is that although the mind works in many directions, every one exercises it now in sophisms: logical arguments that are clever but false or misleading and doubts of everything true or false, not so much caring for knowledge as showing themselves expert logicians. The third is that while the ancients prepared for us the paths of science to the extent of their opportunities, (p. 5) hardly any of the moderns can supply the deficiencies in their legacy either by their own invention or by translation from other languages. It is the duty of all ages to complete the work of their predecessors, but in our age philosophers will not even understand what is before their eyes. (p. 6) The fourth and worst sign is that after 1250 years of divine revelation clearing up all philosophy, we are still ignorant. For the end of philosophy is by way of admiration of the universe to come into the perfect knowledge of God and His works, and into perfect happiness in goodness. Philosophers have treated of all the Christian doctrines, and it is by their authority that we must convince infidels who deny the authority of Christ, since we cannot hope for miracles. (p. 7) But our teachers know nothing of this deeper philosophy and will not search out in books the truths which lie buried there. Nay, when any one brings them to light, they laugh them to scorn, preferring to use the methods of speculative philosophy, though the saints preferred quoting dicta: authoritative sayings or formal pronouncements of philosophers to using dialectics and sophisms.

Philosophers have shown that the First Cause is God, One and Three. The First Cause is a philosophical concept for the initial origin of the universe, which Bacon identifies here with the Christian Trinity. (p. 8) Bacon quotes Plato, Aristotle, and Ethicus. They also speak of Christ. (p. 9) Albumazar shows how His birth is prophesied in the stars ; Albumazar refers to Abu Ma'shar, a famous Persian astronomer whose works were used to link astrology with religious history. Boethius tells how on the breast of Plato was found a golden record of his belief in the Christ to come ; Ethicus and Alchimus tell of Him ; Ovid in his book Of the Change of his Life speaks of original: "De Vetula"; this was a medieval poem falsely attributed to the Roman poet Ovid which was thought to contain prophecies of Christ. (p. 10) the prophet who is to be born of a virgin, and of many Christian doctrines.

The creation of the world from nothing is clearly taught by Avicenna and Aristotle. Avicenna, or Ibn Sina, was a Persian philosopher whose interpretations of Aristotle were central to medieval science. The world is eternal, but a created eternal through the will of God. (p. 11) The motion of the heavens does not explain the production of anything. Time and motion cannot be infinite. (p. 12) Philosophers have also considered the state of the angels. There are sixty motions in the Universe, hence there are at least sixty angels according to Trismegistus. Hermes Trismegistus was a legendary Egyptian figure believed to be a contemporary of Moses and a source of ancient wisdom. Then extending his considerations he says there must be almost an infinite number distinguished from individuals by the fact that their beings are permanent. Ethicus lays down that there are nine orders of angels besides the one which fell into eternal pain. Apuleius speaks at length of angels, (p. 13) describing them as celestial messengers and guardians. Apuleius was a Platonist philosopher known in the Middle Ages for his writings on the nature of demons and spirits. (p. 14)