produced this Order, and Beauty, without a Divine Marshall. The Scripture saith; The Foole hath said in his Heart, there is no God: It is not said; The Foole hath thought in his Heart: So as, he rather saith it by rote to himselfe, as that he would have, then that he can throughly beleeve it, or be perswaded of it. For none deny there is a God, but those, for whom it maketh that there were no God. It appeareth in nothing more, that Atheisme is rather in the Lip, then in the Heart of Man, then by this; That Atheists will ever be talking of that their Opinion, as if they fainted in it, within themselves, and would be glad to be strengthned, by the Consent of others: Nay more, you shall have Atheists strive to get Disciples, as it fareth with other Sects: And, which is most of all, you shall have of them, that will suffer for Atheisme, and not recant; Wheras, if they did truly thinke, that there were no such Thing as God, why should they trouble themselves? Epicurus is charged, that he did but dissemble, for his credits sake, when he affirmed; There were Blessed Natures, but such as enioyed themselves, without having respect to the Government of the World. Wherin, they say, he did temporize; though in secret, he thought, there was no God. But certainly, he is traduced; For his Words are Noble and Divine: Non Deos vulgi negare profanum; sed vulgi Opiniones Dijs applicare profanum. Plato could have said no more. And although, he had the Confidence, to deny the Administration, he had not the Power to deny the Nature. The Indians of the West, have Names for their

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particular Gods, though they have no name for God: As if the Heathens, should have had the Names Iupiter, Apollo, Mars, &c. But not the Word Deus: which shewes, that even those Barbarous People, have the Notion, though they have not the Latitude, and Extent of it. So that against Atheists, the very Savages take part, with the very subtillest Philosophers. The Contemplative Atheist is rare; A Diagoras, a Bion, a Lucian perhaps, and some others; And yet they seeme to be more then they are; For that, all that Impugne a received Religion, or Superstition, are by the adverse Part, branded with the Name of Atheists. But the great Atheists, indeed, are Hypocrites; which are ever Handling Holy Things, but without Feeling. So as they must needs be cauterized in the End. The Causes of Atheisme are; Divisions in Religion, if they be many; For any one maine Division, addeth Zeale to both Sides; But many Divisions introduce Atheisme. Another is, Scandall of Priests; When it is come to that, which S. Bernard saith; Non est iam dicere, ut Populus, sic Sacerdos: quia nec sic Populus, ut Sacerdos. A third is, Custome of Profane Scoffing in Holy Matters; which doth, by little and little, deface the Reverence of Religion. And lastly, Learned Times, specially with Peace, and Prosperity: For Troubles and Adversities doe more bow Mens Mindes to Religion. They that deny a God, destroy Mans Nobility: For certainly, Man is of Kinne to the Beasts, by his Body; And if, he be not of Kinne to God, by his Spirit, he is a Base and Ignoble Creature.

It destroies likewise Magnanimity, and the Raising of Humane Nature: For take an Example of a Dog; And mark what a Generosity, and Courage he will put on, when he findes himselfe maintained, by a Man; who to him is in stead of a God, or Melior Natura: which courage is manifestly such, as that Creature, without that Confidence, of a better Nature, then his owne, could never attaine. So Man, when he resteth and assureth himselfe, upon divine Protection, and Favour, gathereth a Force and Faith; which Humane Nature, in it selfe, could not obtaine. Therefore, as Atheisme is in all respects hatefull, so in this, that it depriveth humane Nature, of the Meanes, to exalt it selfe, above Humane Frailty. As it is in particular Persons, so it is in Nations: Never was there such a State, for Magnanimity, as Rome: Of this State heare what Cicero saith; Quam volumus, licet, patres conscripti, nos amemus, tamen nec numero Hispanos, nec robore Gallos, nec calliditate Pœnos, nec artibus Græcos, nec denique hoc ipso huius Gentis & Terra domestico nativoque sensu Italos ipsos & Latinos; sed Pietate, ac Religione, atque hâc unâ Sapientiâ, quod Deorum Immortalium Numine, omnia regi,gubernarique perspeximus, omnes Gentes Nationesque superavimus.

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XVII

Of Superstition

T were better to have no Opinion of God at all; then such an Opinion, as is unworthy of him: For the one is Unbeleefe, the other is Contumely: And certainly Superstition is the Reproach of the Deity. Plutarch saith well to that purpose: Surely (saith he) I had rather, a great deale, Men should say, there was no such Man, at all, as Plutarch; then that they should say, that there was one Plutarch, that would eat his Children, as soon as they were borne, as the Poets speake of Saturne. And, as the Contumely is greater towards God, so the Danger is greater towards Men. Atheisme leaves a Man to Sense; to Philosophy; to Naturall Piety; to Lawes; to Reputation; All which may be Guides to an outward Morall vertue, though Religion were not; But Superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute Monarchy, in the Mindes of Men. Therefore Atheisme did never perturbe States; For it makes Men wary of themselves, as looking no further: And we see the times enclined to Atheisme (as the Time of

Augustus Cæsar) were civil Times. But Superstition, hath beene the Confusion of many States; And bringeth in a new Primum Mobile, that ravisheth all the Spheares of Government. The Master of Superstition is the People; And in all Superstition, Wise Men follow Fooles; And Arguments are fitted to Practise, in a reversed Order. It was gravely said, by some of the Prelates, in the Councell of Trent, where the doctrine of the Schoolemen bare great Sway; That the Schoolemen were like Astronomers, which did faigne Eccentricks and Epicycles, and such Engines of Orbs, to save the Phenomena; though they knew, there were no such Things: And, in like manner, that the Schoolmen, had framed a Number of subtile and intricate Axiomes, and Theorems, to save the practise of the Church. The Causes of Superstition are: Pleasing and sensuall Rites and Ceremonies: Excesse of Outward and Pharisaicall Holinesse; Over-great Reverence of Traditions, which cannot but load the Church; The Stratagems of Prelates for their owne Ambition and Lucre: The Favouring too much of good Intentions, which openeth the Gate to Conceits and Novelties; The taking an Aime at divine Matters by Human, which cannot but breed mixture of Imaginations; And lastly, Barbarous Times, Especially ioyned with Calamities and Disasters. Superstition, without a vaile, is a deformed Thing; For, as it addeth deformity to an Ape, to be so like a Man; So the Similitude of Superstition to Religion, makes it the more deformed. And as wholesome Meat corrupteth to