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IT were better to haue no
Opinion of God at all;
then such an Opinion,
as is vnworthy of him:
For the one is Vnbeleefe, 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 leaues 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 neuer perturbe
States; For it makes Men wary of themselues, as looking no further: And we see
the times enclined to Atheisme ( as the
Time of Augustus Cæsar ) were ciuil Times.
But Superstition, hath beene the Confusion of many States; And bringeth in a
new Primum Mobile, that rauisheth all the
Spheares of Gouernment. The Master of
Superstition is the People; And in all Superstition, Wise Men follow Fooles; And Arguments are fitted to Practise, in a reuersed
Order. It was grauely 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 saue
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 saue the practise of the
Church. The Causes of Superstition are:
Pleasing and sensuall Rites and Ceremonies: Excesse of Outward and Pharisaicall Holinesse; Ouer-great Reuerence of
Traditions, which cannot but load the
Church; The Stratagems of Prelates for
their owne Ambition and Lucre: The
Fauouring too much of good Intentions,
which openeth the Gate to Conceits and
Nouelties; The taking an Aime at diuine
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 little Wormes; So
good Formes and Orders, corrupt into a
Number of petty Obseruances. There is
a Superstition, in auoiding Superstition;
when men thinke to doe best, if they goe
furthest from the Superstition formerly
receiued: Therefore, Care would be had,
that, ( as it fareth in ill Purgings ) the
Good be not taken away, with the Bad;
which commonly is done, when the
People is the Reformer.
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