God may rationally be supposed to have framed so great and admirable an automaton as the world for special ends and purposes.

In the Bible the ignorant may learn all requisite knowledge, and the most knowing may learn to discern their ignorance.

I look upon a good physician, not so properly as a servant to nature, as one, that is a counsellor and friendly assistant, who, in his patient's body, furthers those motions and other things, that he judges conducive to the welfare and recovery of it; but as to those, that he perceives likely to be hurtful, either by increasing the disease, or otherwise endangering the patient, he thinks it is his part to oppose or hinder, though nature do manifestly enough seem to endeavour the exercising or carrying on those hurtful motions.

It is my intent to beget a good understanding between the chymists and the mechanical philosophers who have hitherto been too little acquainted with one another's learning.

The veneration, wherewith Men are imbued for what they call Nature, has been a discouraging impediment to the Empire of Man over the inferior Creatures of God. For many have not only look'd upon it, as an impossible thing to compass, but as something impious to attempt.

... even when we find not what we seek, we find something as well worth seeking as what we missed.

Darkness, that here surrounds our purblind understanding, will vanish at the dawning of eternal day.