to Providence and Deity. Nay, even that School, which is most accused of Atheism, doth most demonftrate Religion; that is, the School of Leucippus, and Democritus, and Epicurus. For it is a thousand times more credible, that four Mutable Elements and one Immutable Fifth Effence, duly and Eternally placed, need no God, than that an Army of Infinite small Portions, or Seeds unplaced, should have produced this Order and Beauty without a Divine Marshal. The Scripture faith, The Fool bath faid in his Heart, there is no God: It is not faid, The Fool hath thought in his Heart: fo as he rather faith it by rote to himself, as that he would have, than that he can thoroughly believe it, or be perfuaded 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 Atheism is rather in the Lip than in the Heart of Man, than 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 ftrengthened 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 fuffer for Atheism, and not recant; whereas, if they did truly think that there were no fuch Thing as God, why should they trouble themselves? Epicurus is charged, that he did but diffemble for his credit's fake, when he affirmed there were Blessed Natures, but such as enjoyed themselves without having

Pfalm xiv. I.

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refpect to the Government of the World. Wherein they say he did temporize, though in fecret he thought there was no God. But certainly he is traduced; for his Words are Noble and Divine: Non Deos vulgi negare profanum, fed vulgi Opiniones Diis applicare profanum. Plato could have faid 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 Weft have Names for their particular Gods, though they have no name for God: as if the Heathens should have had the Names Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, &c. but not the Word Deus; which fhews 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 subtlest Philosophers. The Contemplative Atheist is rare; a Diagoras, a Bion, a Lucian perhaps, and fome others; and yet they seem to be more than they are; for that all that Impugn a received Religion, or Superftition, 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; fo as they muft needs be cauterized in the End. The Caufes of Atheism are; Divifions in Religion, if they be many; for any one main Divifion addeth Zeal to both Sides; but many Divifions introduce Atheism. Another is Scandal of Priests; when it is come to that which St. Bernard faith; Non eft jam dicere ut Populus fic

Diog. Laert. x. 123.

Sacerdos; quia nec fic Populus, ut Sacerdos.5 A third is, Custom 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 Adverfities do more bow Men's Minds to Religion. They that deny a God destroy Man's Nobility for certainly Man is of Kin to the Beasts by his Body; and if he be not of Kin to God by his Spirit, he is a base and ignoble Creature. It destroys likewise Magnanimity, and the raising of Human Nature: for take an Example of a Dog, and mark what a Generofity and Courage he will put on when he finds himself maintained by a Man; who to him is instead of a God, or Melior Natura; which courage is manifeftly fuch as that Creature without that Confidence of a better Nature than his own, could never attain. So Man, when he refteth and affureth himself upon divine Protection and Favour, gathereth a Force and Faith, which Human Nature in itself could not obtain. Therefore, as Atheism is in all respects hateful, so in this, that it depriveth human Nature of the Means to exalt itself above Human Frailty. As it is in particular Persons, so it is in Nations : never was there fuch a State for Magnanimity as Rome. Of this State hear what Cicero faith; Quam volumus, licet, Patres Confcripti, nos amemus ; tamen nec Numero Hifpanos, nec Robore Gallos, nec Vivi Bernardi Opera, tom. i. fol. 1299 H. Paris, 1586. In his Paftores in Synodo, St. Bernard fays: "Multi funt catholici

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qui hæretici funt operando. Quod hæretici faciebant gmata, hoc faciunt plures hodie per mala exempla: fedu

Calliditate Panos, nec artibus Græcos, nec denique hoc ipfo hujus Gentis et Terra domeftico nativoque fenfu Italos ipfos et Latinos; fed Pietate, ac Religione, atque hâc unâ Sapientiâ, quod Deorum Immortalium Numine omnia regi, gubernarique perfpeximus, omnes Gentes, Nationefque fuperavimus.

XVII. Of Superstition.

T were better to have no Opinion of God at all, than fuch an Opinion as is unworthy of him: for the one is Unbelief, the other is Contumely; and certainly Superftition is the Reproach of the Deity. Plutarch faith well to that purpose: Surely, faith he, I had rather a great deal Men fhould fay there was no fuch Man at all as Plutarch, than that they fhould fay that there was one Plutarch that would eat his Children as foon as they were born,1 as the Poets speak of Saturn. And, as the Contumely is greater towards God, fo the Danger is greater towards Men. Atheism leaves a Man to Senfe; to Philofophy, to Natural Piety, to Laws, to Reputation; all which may be Guides to an outward Moral Virtue, though Religion were not; but Superftition difmounts all these, and erecteth an abfolute Monarchy in the Minds of Men.

cunt fcilicet populum, et inducunt in errorem: et tanto graviores funt hæreticis, quanto prævalent opera verbis."-Ibid. t. ii. fol. 457. Cic. de Har. Refp. ix. 1 Plut. de Superftit. x.

:

Therefore Atheism did never perturb States; for it makes Men wary of themselves, as looking no further and we see the times inclined to Atheism (as the Time of Auguftus Cæfar) were civil Times. But Superftition hath been the Confusion of many States; and bringeth in a new Primum Mobile, that ravisheth all the Spheres of Government. The Master of Superftition is the People; and in all Superstition Wife Men follow Fools; and Arguments are fitted to practice in a reversed Order. It was gravely faid by fome of the Prelates in the Council of Trent, where the doctrine of the Schoolmen bare great fway, That the Schoolmen were like Aftronomers, which did feign Eccentrics and Epycycles, and fuch Engines of Orbs, to fave the Phenomena, though they knew there were no fuch Things; and, in like manner, that the Schoolmen had framed a Number of fubtile and intricate Axioms and Theorems to fave the practice of the Church. The Causes of Superftition are: Pleasing and senfual Rites and Ceremonies; Excefs of Outward and Pharifaical Holiness; Overgreat Reverence of Traditions, which cannot but load the Church; the Stratagems of Prelates for their own Ambition and Lucre: the Favouring too much of good Intentions, which openeth the Gate to Conceits and Novelties; the taking an Aim at divine Matters by Human, which cannot but breed mixture of Imaginations; and laftly, Barbarous Times, especially joined with Calamities and Difafters.

2 i. e. Eccentric movements. Epicycles are circles within circles, fmall orbits carried round larger ones.