Does Science Need God?

In the preface of "The Great Instauration," Bacon says that his new method of inquiry will allow the human intellect to be "raised and exalted and made capable of overcoming difficulties and obscurities of nature." This statement seems to imply that human reasoning, properly applied, will eventually be able to unlock all the secrets of nature and thus assert his control over it. However, at the very end of the preface, Bacon prays that God will "vouchsafe to endow the human family with new mercies." I interpret "new mercies" to mean new knowledge, which would mean that the human intellect is ultimately dependent on God for coming to a complete understanding of nature. I am simply wondering to what extent Bacon believed that human beings needed the help of the divine to understand the world around them. Is his new method an absolute means to attaining such understanding, or does man still need God to tie up loose ends and aid him in this endeavor? Thoughts? On a side note, I was struck by a statement that Bacon makes at the beginning of the "Preparative." With regard to attaining a completely comprehensive natural history, Bacon admits that it would be difficult for him to write about such things that a mechanic or a sailor might be more knowledgeable about. However, his next statement is certainly eye-opening: "But I hold it to be somewhat beneath the dignity of an undertaking like mine that I should spend my own time in a matter which is open to almost every man's industry." Throughout the preface of "The Great Instauration," Bacon seems very concerned with appearing humble to his readers. This statement, however, seems exceedingly arrogant, as it implies that the work he is doing is not "open to almost every man's industry" and therefore raises him to a higher level than everyone else. I may be misunderstanding Bacon in this regard, but this statement was somewhat shocking to me after Bacon had tried so hard not to seem conceited and arrogant.