The Proce

dure of Superftition.

Its Caufes.

Its Defor mity.

makes Men cautious and mindful of their own Security. Nay, we fee that the Times inclin'd to Atheism, as thofe of Auguftus Cæfar, were quiet Times. But Superftition has been the Ruin of numerous States; as introducing a new Primum Mobile, that over-rules all the Spheres of Govern

ment.

2. The Mafter of Superftition is the People; and in all Superstition wife Men follow Fools; and Arguments are fitted to Practice, in an inverted Order. It was gravely faid by certain Prelates in the Council of Trent, that the Schoolmen, whofe Doctrine was there prevalent, were like Aftronomers, who had feigned Eccentricks, Epicycles, &c. to folve the celeftial Phenomena, tho they knew there was really no fuch Machinery; for that in like manner, the Schoolmen had framed fubtile and intricate Axioms, to folve the Practice of the Church.

3. The Caufes of Superftition are, (1.) pleafing and fenfual Rites and Ceremonies; (2.) Excess of external and pharifaical Holinefs; (3.) too great Reverence of Traditions, which must needs load the Church; (4.) the Stratagems of Prelates for their own Ambition and Lucre; (5.) the over-favouring of good Intentions, which opens the Door to Novelties and Superftitions; (6.) the injudicious Application of human Examples to divine Matters, which breeds a fpurious mixture of Imaginations; and (7.) barbarous Times, especially if join'd with Calamities and Difturbance.

4. Superftition unmask'd is a deform'd thing: for as the being fo like a Man adds Deformity to the Ape; in like manner Superftition is the more deform'd for its Likeness to Religion. And as wholesome Meats corrupt to little Worms; fo good Forms and Orders corrupt into petty Obfervances.

Superftition to 5. There is sometimes Superftition fhewn in avoiding Superftition; when be avoided in Men think to do beft, by receding fartheft from the Superftition that beReformation. fore prevailed. Care therefore fhould be taken in the Reformation of Religion, left, as in ill purging, the good be taken away with the bad: which commonly proves the Cafe, when the People is the Reformer.

The Belief of 1.

a Deity neceffary.

I

ESSAY XXII. Of ATHEISM.

T is harder to believe all the monftrous Fables of the Alcoran, the Talmud, or the Legend, than that this univerfal Frame is without a Mind. God therefore never wrought a Miracle to confute Atheism; because his ordinary Works confute it. 'Tis true, that a little natural Philofophy inclines Men to Atheism; but depth in Philofophy always brings them about to Religion. For while the Mind looks upon fecond Caufes scatter'd, it may fometimes go no farther: but when it beholds the Chain of them collected and linked together, it must needs have recourse to Providence and a Deity. Nay, that School which is moft accused of Atheifm, most clearly demonftrates Religion; viz. the School of Leucippus,

Demo

Democritus and Epicurus. For it is much more probable, that four mutable Elements, and one immutable fifth Effence, duly and eternally placed, should require no God; than that a Host of Atoms, and infinite Seeds floating at random, fhould have produced this regular and beautiful Frame of things, without a divine Marshal.

2. We read in Scripture, the Fool bath faid in his heart, there is no God. That Atheism 'Tis not the Fool bath thought in his heart; fo that he rather fays it is rather in to himself, as what he would willingly have, than as what he can tho- Mens Words than Thoughts roughly believe. For only they deny a God, who wish there were none. That Atheism is rather in the Lip than in the Heart appears in nothing more than in this, that Atheists are always defending their Opinion; as if they distrusted it, and would gladly be ftrengthened by the Consent of others. Nay, we find Atheists ftrive, as other Sects do, to make Converts; and what is monftrous, fome of them will fuffer for Atheism, rather than recant: whereas if they were really perfuaded there was no God, why should they trouble themselves about it?

12

upon the Sub

3. Epicurus is charged with diffembling, merely for his Reputation, when The Opinion he affirmed there were bleffed Natures; but fuch as enjoyed themselves, of Epicurus without interpofing in the Government of the World. In this they fayet he temporized; and fecretly thought there was no God. But certainly he is traduced; for his Words are noble and divine. 'Tis not prophane, fays he, to deny the Gods of the Vulgar; but it is prophane to apply the vulgar Opinions to the Gods. Plato could not have spoke better. Whence it appears, that tho he had the affurance to deny the divine Administration of things; yet he went not fo far as to deny the divine Nature.

n

4. The Weft Indians have Names for their particular Gods, tho they The Savages have no general Name for God: As if the Romans fhould have had the have a Notion of God. Names, Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, &c. but not the word Deus. This fhews, that even those barbarous People have a Notion of the Thing, tho not of the Extent thereof. So that the mere Savages join with the fubtilest Philofophers against the Atheists.

5. The contemplative Atheist is rare; fuch as Diagoras, Bion, or Lucian who are perhaps, with fome few others: yet they feem to be more than they are; Atheists. because all that oppofe a received Religion, or Superftition, are branded by the contrary Party with the Name of Atheists. But the great Atheists indeed are Hypocrites; who are ever handling holy things, without feeling fo that they muft needs be cauterized in the End.

6. The Caufes of Atheism are, (1.) Divisions in Religion, if they be The Causes of numerous; for any one Divifion increases Zeal on both fides; but many Atheism. introduce Atheism. (2.) Another Caufe is, the Scandal of Priests; where St. Bernard's Words prove true: We can no longer fay like People, like Prieft; for the People now are not fo bad as the Priefts. (3.) A third Caufe is, a prophane Custom of Sporting, and Ridiculing in facred things; which by degrees defaces the Reverence of Religion. (4.) And laftly, learned Times, efpecially if attended with Peace and Profperity: For Troubles and Adverfities ftrongly bend the Mind to Religion.

7

The Difad

vantages of

Atheism to particular Perfons.

And to Na tions.

The

ence betwixt

"

7. To deny a God destroys the Nobility of human Nature: For certainly Man is allied to the Brute by his Body; and if he be not allied to God by his Spirit, he is a base and ignoble Creature. It likewise destroys the human Magnanimity and Exaltation: For example, obferve what Generofity and Courage a Dog will put on, when he finds himself fupported by a Man; who to him is a kind of God. This Courage is manifeftly fuch, as the Creature, without confidence of a better Nature than his own, could never attain. So Man, when he relies upon the divine Protection and Favour, acquires fuch a Strength and Affurance as human Nature, left to itself, could never obtain. Therefore, as Atheism is every way odious, fo alfo in this, that it deprives our Nature of the Means of rifing above human Frailty.

8. The Cafe is the fame in Nations as in particular Perfons. Never was fuch a State for Magnanimity as the Roman; of which Cicero declares, that it excell'd all others merely in Piety, and the Belief of an over-ruling Providence m

ESSAY XXIII. Of MIRACLES.

HEN God had created the Univerfe, he furveyed it; and faw that all was extremely good. And our Saviour in all his Miracles, the Miracles, which are new Creations, that break thro the Laws of the firft, performof Chrift and ed none but fuch as breathed Beneficence and Love. Mofes performed Miothers. racles; and brought variety of Plagues upon the Egyptians. Elijah performed Miracles; and fhut up the Heavens, fo that it rained not upon the Earth: And again, brought the Fire of God from Heaven upon the Captains and their Bands. Elifba performed a Miracle; and brought two of the Bears out of the Wood to deftroy the Children that mock'd him. St. Peter ftruck Ananias dead; and St. Paul ftruck Elymas the Sorcerer with Blindness: But Jefus did nothing of this kind. The Spirit of God defcended upon him in the form of a Dove; in allufion to which he faid, ye know not what Spirit ye are of: For the Spirit of Jefus is the Spirit of the Dove. Those Servants of the Lord were as his Oxen treading out the Corn, and trampling down the Chaff: But Jefus, the Lamb of God, is without Anger, without Judgments. All his Miracles were bestowed upon the Body; and all his Doctrine upon the Soul of Man. Man's Body ftands in need of Suftenance, Defence from external Injuries, and of Remedies: Accordingly Jefus brought fhoals of Fifh into the Nets to fupply Man with Provifion; he converted Water into Wine, to rejoice the Heart of Man; he pronounced Barrennefs upon the Fig-tree for not performing its Office, and fupplying Food to Man; he multiplied Fishes and Loaves

Quam volumus, licet, Patres Confcripti, nos amemus, tamen nec numero Hifpanos, nec robore Gallos, nec calliditate Panos, nec artibus Gracos, nec deniq; hoc ipfo hujus gentis & terra domeftico nativoq; fenfu Italos ipfos, & Latinos, fed Pietate ac Religione, atque hac una fapientia, quod Deorum immortalium Numine omnia regi gubernariq; perfpeximus, omnes gentes nationefque fuperavimus.

Loaves for the feeding of thousands. He allay'd the Winds, which threatned Destruction to the Mariners; he restored Limbs to the Lame, Sight to the Blind, Speech to the Dumb, Health to the Sick, clean Flesh to the Leprous, a found Mind to the Poffeffed, and Life to the Dead. But Jefus perform'd no Miracles of Judgment; his were all Works of Beneficence, and friendly to Man: fo that we may truly fay of him, he did all things well.

ESSAY XXIV. Of IMPOSTURE.

Mpofture has three kinds of Stile or Forms of Speech. The first is Three Stiles ufed by thofe, who, as foon as they have got any Matter, work it of Imposture. into an Art, impofe Technical Terms upon it; then reduce all things into Distinctions; and from these draw out Pofitions, or Points of Doctrine, and raise Oppofitions by Question and Answer. And hence proceeded the Duft and Chaff of the Schoolmen.

2. The second is the Stile of those who with a flight of Wit, like infpired Poets, invent vaft varieties of Examples; to draw in the Minds of Men. Whence we have the Lives of the Fathers, and numberlefs Fictions of the ancient Hereticks.

3. The third, is the Stile of those who fill all things with Mysteries, lofty Speeches, Allegories and Allufions: And in this Mystic and Gnoftic Way, many Hereticks have trod. The firft is calculated to enfnare the Senfe and Understanding; the Second to entice; the third to ftupefy: and all of them to feduce Mankind ".

I.

ESSAY XXV. Of HYPOCRITES.

to

Table; or confift only in the Veneration due from Man to God. Hypocrites reThere are two Reafons of this: For firft, thefeWorks have a greater Pomp rather than gard Sacrifice of Sanctity; and fecondly, a lefs Oppofition to Vice. The Confutation Mercy. therefore of Hypocrites is, to fend them from the Works of Sacrifice to the Works of Mercy. I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice. And again, pure Religion and unfpotted before God is this, to vifit the Fatherlefs and Widows in Affliction. And again, He who loves not his Brother whom he has feen, how fhall be love God, whom he has not feen?

2. But there are certain fublime and tumid Hypocrites, who being de- The Refem. ceived, and thinking themselves worthy of a clofe Converfation with God, blance of Hypocrify to neglect the Offices of Charity and Beneficence to their Neighbour, fmaller Matters. And this Error, tho it was not the Foundation of a monaftic Life, yet added Excefs to what at firft was well defign'd. For 'tis juftly faid, that the Gift of Prayer is a great Gift in the Church; and VOL. II.

* See more to this Purpose, in the first Part of the Author's Novum Organum.

'tis

The diftin-
guishing
Marks of
Hypocrites.

Two Causes of Herefy.

The Differ

'tis of Ufe to the Church that there fhould be Societies of Men releas'd from worldly Cares, and fet apart to follicit God with their devout and affiduous Prayers for the Good of the Church. But Hypocrify has a great Refemblance with this Ordination; tho the whole Inftitution is not condemned, but only the fierce and boafting Spirits reproved: For Enoch, who walked with God, prophefy'd, as we find in St. Jude, and benefited the Church with the Fruit of his Prophefy; and John the Baptift, whom fome make the Founder of a monaftick Life, minifter'd greatly both in prophefying and baptizing.

3. But for those who are fo very officious towards God, this Question is put; If thou shalt do justly, what doft thou give to God, or what shall be receive from thine Hand? The Works of Mercy_therefore, when they are wanting, infallibly diftinguish Hypocrites. The contrary is the Cafe with Hereticks: For as Hypocrites cloak their Injuries to Man under their pretended Sanctity towards God; fo Hereticks, under a certain kind of Morality towards Man, infinuate their Blafphemies against God. Another Mark of Hypocrites is, that in the Church, and among the People, they fwell, as if blown up with a facred Fury, and fet all things in a Flame; but to see them in their Solitudes, private Meditations and Conversations with God, they are cold, lifelefs and languid; full of Malice, and the old Leaven.

I.

T

ESSAY XXVI. Of HERESIE S.

HERE are two Caufes of Herefy; viz. the Ignorance of the Will, and the Ignorance of the Power of God: which is well exprefs'd in this fundamental Canon; Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures; nor the Power of God. The Will of God is best reveal'd in the Scriptures, which we are to fearch; but his Power is beft reveal'd by the Creatures, which we are to contemplate. The Fullness of the Power of God fhould therefore be fo afferted, as not to blemish his Will; and the Goodnefs of his Will to be fo maintain'd as not to leffen his Power. True Religion therefore lies in a Mean betwixt Superftition and fuperftitious Herefies on the one fide, and Atheism and prophane Herefies on the other.

2. Superftition, rejecting the Light of Scripture, and following corrupt ence between or apocryphal Traditions, new Revelations, or falfe Interpretations of the Superftition and Atheism. Scriptures, feigns many things concerning the Will of God, that deviate from, and are foreign to their Senfe. But Atheism mutinies, and takes Arms against the Power of God; not believing his Word, or that it reveals his Will, from a Difbelief of that Power, to which all things are poffible. And the Herefies proceeding from this Fountain feem of a more heinous Nature than the reft; for thus in Civil Government 'tis a blacker Crime to diminish the Power and Majefty of the Prince, than to touch

his Character.

3. The