But the will and science of Nature, are in these words truly expressed by Ficinus:  “Potest ubique Natura, vel per diversa media, vel ex diversis materiis, diversa facere:  sublata vero mediorum materiatumque diversitate, vel unicum, vel similimum operatur, neque potest quando adest materia non operari”; “It is the power of Nature by the diversity of means, or out of diversity of matter, to produce divers things:  but taking away the diversity of means, and the diversity of matter, it then works but one or the like work; neither can it but work, matter being present.”  Now if Nature made choice of diversity of matter, to work all these variable works of heaven and earth, it had then both understanding and will; it had counsel to begin; reason to dispose; virtue and knowledge to finish, and power to govern:  without which all things had been but one and the same:  all of the matter of heaven; or all of the matter of earth.  And if we grant Nature this will, and this understanding, this course, reason, and power:  “Cur Natura potius quam Deus nominetur?” “Why should we then call such a cause rather Nature, than God?” “God, of whom all men have notion, and give the first and highest place to divine power”:  “Omnes homines notionem deorum habent, omnesque summun locum divino cuidam numini assignant.”  And this I say in short; that it is a true effect of true reason in man (were there no authority more binding than reason) to acknowledge and adore the first and most sublime power.  “Vera philosophia, est ascensus ab his quae fluunt, et oriuntur, et occidunt, ad ea quae vera sunt, et semper eadem”:  “True philosophy, is an ascending from the things which flow, and arise, and fall, to the things that are forever the same.”

For the rest; I do also account it not the meanest, but an impiety monstrous, to confound God and Nature; be it but in terms.  For it is God, that only disposeth of all things according to His own will, and maketh of one earth, vessels of honor and dishonor.  It is Nature that can dispose of nothing, but according to the will of the matter wherein it worketh.  It is God that commandeth all:  it is Nature that is obedient to all:  it is God that doth good unto all, knowing and loving the good He doth:  It is Nature, that secondarily doth also good, but it neither knoweth nor loveth the good it doth.  It is God, that hath all things in Himself:  Nature, nothing in itself.  It is God, which is the Father, and hath begotten all things:  it is Nature, which is begotten by all things, in which it liveth and laboreth; for by itself it existeth not.  For shall we say, that it is out of affection to the earth, that heavy things fall towards it?  Shall we call it reason, which doth conduct every river into the salt sea?  Shall we term it knowledge in fire, that makes it to consume combustible matter?  If it be affection, reason, and knowledge in these; by the same affection, reason, and knowledge it is, that Nature worketh.  And therefore seeing all things work as they do, (call