From John Dryden’s Religio Laici
[Of the limitations of reason]
Dim, as the borrow’d beams of Moon and Stars
To lonely, weary, wandring Travellers,
Is Reason to the Soul: and as on high,
Those rowling Fires discover but the Sky
Not light us here; so Reason’s glimmering Ray
Was lent not to assure our doubtful way,
But guide us upward to a better Day.
And as those nightly Tapers disappear
When Day’s bright Lord ascend our Hemisphere
So pale grows Reason at Religions Sight:
So dyes, and so dissolves in Supernatural Light.
Some few, whose Lamp shone brighter, have been led
From Cause to Cause, to Natures secret Head;
And found that one first Principle must be:
But what, or who, that universal he;
Whether some Soul incompassing this Ball
Unmade, unmov’d; yet making, moving all;
Or various Atoms’ interfering Dance
Leapt into Form (the Noble work of Chance;)
Or this great All was from Eternity;
Not even the Stagirite himself could see;
And Epicurus Guess’d as well as He: