FRANCIS BACON
"The first creature of God, in the works of the days, was the light of the sense; the last was the light of reason; and his sabbath work, ever since, is the illumination of his Spirit. First, he breathed light upon the face of the matter, or chaos; then he breathed light into the face of man; and still he breatheth and inspireth light into the face of his chosen."
FRANCIS BACON
Francis Bacon, an English philosopher and politician, is known as the father of the scientific method. His ideas changed how scientific discoveries were made and opened the door for the Scientific Revolution.
Bacon wrote influential essays about acquiring scientific knowledge through careful observation of events in nature and inductive reasoning. He advocated a skeptical and methodical approach to scientific discovery that marked a turning point in the framework for science. Bacon is credited with the phrase “knowledge is power,” which he wrote in 1597.
CENTERED ON CHRIST
Bacon was a devout Christian who believed that God’s existence and information on his attributes (His nature, action, and purposes) can be known by special revelation. In addition to his scientific works, he wrote many essays about God and faith. He also wrote a collection of prayers to God, including a “student’s prayer” and a “writer’s prayer.”
In one of his prayers, Bacon writes, “Most gracious Lord God, my merciful Father, from my youth up, my Creator, my Redeemer, my Comforter. Thou, Lord, soundest and searchest the depths and secrets of all hearts….”
In his collection “Essays,” written in 1597, Bacon says of creation: “The first creature of God, in the works of the days, was the light of the sense; the last was the light of reason; and his sabbath work, ever since, is the illumination of his Spirit. First, he breathed light upon the face of the matter, or chaos; then he breathed light into the face of man; and still he breatheth and inspireth light into the face of his chosen.”
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