Butcontroversiesonspeculativepointsoftheologyseemtohaveengagedscarcelyanyportionofhisattention。InwhathewroteonChurchGovernmentheshowed，asfarashedared，atolerantandcharitablespirit。HetroubledhimselfnotatallaboutHomoousiansandHomoiousians，MonothelitesandNestorians。HelivedinanageinwhichdisputesonthemostsubtlepointsofdivinityexcitedanintenseinterestthroughoutEurope，andnowheremorethaninEngland。Hewasplacedintheverythickoftheconflict。HewasinpoweratthetimeoftheSynodofDort，andmustformonthshavebeendailydeafenedwithtalkaboutelection，reprobation，andfinalperseverance。YetwedonotrememberalineinhisworksfromwhichitcanbeinferredthathewaseitheraCalvinistoranArminian。Whiletheworldwasresoundingwiththenoiseofadisputatiousphilosophyandadisputatioustheology，theBaconianschool，likeAllworthyseatedbetweenSquareandThwackum，preservedacalmneutrality，halfscornful，halfbenevolent，andcontentwithaddingtothesumofpracticalgood，leftthewarofwordstothosewholikedit。
WehavedweltlongontheendoftheBaconianphilosophy，becausefromthispeculiarityalltheotherpeculiaritiesofthatphilosophynecessaryarose。Indeed，scarcelyanypersonwhoproposedtohimselfthesameendwithBaconcouldfailtohituponthesamemeans。
ThevulgarnotionaboutBaconwetaketobethis，thatheinventedanewmethodofarrivingattruth，whichmethodiscalledInduction，andthathedetectedsomefallacyinthesyllogisticreasoningwhichhadbeeninvoguebeforehistime。
Thisnotionisaboutaswellfoundedasthatofthepeoplewho，inthemiddleages，imaginedthatVirgilwasagreatconjurer。
Manywhoarefartoowell—informedtotalksuchextravagantnonsenseentertainwhatwethinkincorrectnotionsastowhatBaconreallyeffectedinthismatter。