Pius V. his profession of Faith Declarations against new heresies are no new Creeds they are but explanations of the old not new articles of Faith One article of Faith may be divided into many branches how many doth Saint Athanasius set downe in his Symbol of the Trinity and Incarnation The Catholick Church did alwayes practise this way when it was necessary to confute heresies If it was lawfull for the Church of the fourth age to command all Christians to professe and believe the Symbol of Saint Athanasius which was but an explanation of particulars contained in the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation why cannot the Church now explaine more particularly the Apostles Creed and any part of Scripture impugned by Hereticks and command all Christians to believe the same All the pretended new articles are contained in the Apostles Creed implicitely as in that of the Communion of Saints Remission of sinnes Catholick Church c. or at least in some text of Scripture as Transubstantiation in Christs words This is my Body The petty Ministers of the English Nags-head Church presume to make a new Creed of 39. articles protesting against the ancient Faith of Christendome and they admire that the Vicar of Christ and a generall Councell should warne all Catholicks to beware of their heresies and to that end declare in a Symbol of Faith more particularly the received Doctrine of the Church of God Away with these shamefull shifts of Hereticks whose last excuse for their Schisme is that they who begunne it were Roman Catholicks So were Rebells once loyall Subjects and yet that doth not excuse themselves or their adherents from the guilt of rebellion With these hereticall devises are many poore idiots misled by ungodly and wicked Preachers who gaine their living and credit by the damnation of soules that Christ our Saviour purchased at so deare a rate 6 The last thing I proposed in the title of this Chapter was that its a greater foppery in Protestants then in Catholicks to deny the Popes infallibily in deciding controversies of Christian Religion That it is a foppery in both must be evident to all persons that will reflect upon the nature of Christian Faith and the Bookes of holy Scripture When men believe as Christians they must exclude all manner of doubts and feares of being mistaken from the act wherewith they believe they cannot defend themselves from a new heresy by onely protesting against it by word of mouth they must detest it with their heart and understanding and believe the quite contrary truth There was never Heretick so simple as to broach an errour upon his owne score he alwayes pretends Gods Word for its fundation and backs it with as many texts of Scripture as Catholicks oppose against his heresy This was the practise of Arrians Nestorians and all other ancient Hereticks which Protestants doe now adayes imitate If the true meaning of Scripture were as visible to us as it is infallible in it selfe no Heretick would make use of the words of holy Writ because his fancy or interpretation would be easily discerned from the sense which God intended at least by combining and comparing one text with another but experience demonstrates that notwithstanding all combinations of one place of Scripture with another the controversy remaines and cannot be decided by Scripture alone To imagine that all which cannot be decided by Scripture alone is superfluous and the beliefe thereof not necessary for salvation is to dispense with the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation seeing the Councell of Nice Soz. lib. 1. c. 16. Athan Apol. 2. and Saint Athanasius that great Champion of the Catholick Church confuted and condemned the Arrians not by Scripture alone but by tradition and adhearing not onely to the words but also to that sense of Scripture which that present Church had received from the former 7 Seeing therefore that controversies of Christian Religion must be decided by the sense as well as by the words of Scripture and that the said sense is more clearly delivered to us by tradition and the testimony of the Church then by the words themselves in controverted texts and that Hereticks may endeavour to confound their owne tradition with that of the true Catholick Church as the Quartadecimans did in the celebrating Easter and that they may invent new heresies never thought of in former ages supposing I say that all this is possible the remedy of these evills in the Church cannot be impossible and truly the remedy is impossible at least at all times to wit when generall Councells are not assembled if the Pope be not infallible in declaring what is heresy divine Faith and Catholick tradition Such few Catholicks as called in question the Popes infallibity excused their errour not onely with the infallibility but also with the morall possibility of a generall Councell whensoever a new heresy would be invented but they were grossely mistaken as experience doth demonstrate and a perpetuall generall Councell was never intended by God who commandeth the Bishops and Prelates to have a care of the particular Churches which he committed to their charge a thing not compatible with their continuall assistance in Constantinople Trent or any other one City where the Councell is assembled But Protestants hitherto have denyed even the English Church in the 21. of their 39. articles that generall Councells arc infallible and consequently must say that God commanded an impossibility bidding us beware of new heresies Act. 20. and not believe false Prophets when he left us no infallible Judge or Pastour to declare unto us what doctrine is heresy and who are the false Prophets No Catholick was ever so unreasonable as to defend such a foppery 8 And though of late some of our Nags-head Doctours contrary to the 21. article of their Creed and English Church acknowledge that generall Councells are infallible in deciding controversies of Faith and to their eternall shame and the infamy of their venerable Mother the Protestant Church of England are now forced to call the 39. Articles of their Religion by the name of onely probable opinions yet such a definition or description they give in their printed bookes of a generall Councell with so many odde conditions and so insuperable difficulties that onely mad men may hope to see such a Christian Assembly meete and much lesse agree in condemning any heresy or declaring what is Catholick Doctrine This new definition of a generall Councell is but a meere put of to gaine time that Nags-head errours may last as long as their Ministers but they are evidently convinced and condemned by the absurdity of their poore shift it s a greater foppery to admit of infallibility in an impossible Councell then to admit of a possible Councell without infallibility The first is an absolute Chimaera contrary to the evident light of naturall reason the second seemeth onely impossible to Christians that grant there is a Church of God upon earth and that be hath
in a Taverne with their Camerades With much adoe we have brought them to confesse that the Pope is not Antichrist yet you may be sure they will easily bring themselves to comply both in words and deeds better with Antichrist himselfe if he chance to come in their time then they have hitherto done with the Vicar of Christ they will sooner goe in pilgrimage to Babylon to receive there the caracter of Antichrist then repaire to Rome for the supply of that other which they undoubtedly want by the manifold and manifest defects of their fond and feigned Ordination at Lambeth I will detaine thee no longer in the entry of this worke but wish thee as desirous to see the truth as I have beene solicitous to set it downe without any disguise or designe of any thing but truth it selfe knowing full well that the God of truth is not served his owne way not onely by maintaining falshood but even by pretending to maintaine truth by forged arguments or false histories neither can I hope that God should concurre with such meanes without whose concurrence all my endeavours are of no effect neither can I neede for the proofe of things so manifestly and visibly true to suborne false witnesses and I should most absurdly contradict my owne principles if I should â—old it the duty of a Christian to support by falshood true Christianity whereas I teach a Polititian that it is against the very rules of meere humane policy to goe about the compassing his ends by untruths and impostures Lastly I should too fondly forget my selfe by laying that imputation of false dealing upon the defence of Catholick Religion whereof I so frequently condemne the Authors and Abettors of hereticall innovation against whom I inveigh not through any bitternesse of passion towards their persons but through a tender compassion of others misled by their lyes and deceits to their eternall perdition THE INDEX OF THE CHAPTERS Chap. 1. HOw men come to be Atheists and whether it may be demonstrated by reason that there is a God Providence and another life Chap. 2. VVhether it be a manifest foppery not to believe that there is a God though his existence were not demonstrated and whether Atheisme alone without any other sinne be a reasonable and sufficient cause of damnation Chap. 3. VVhether God ought to be served his owne way and in what manner Chap. 4. That to believe God and consequently to serve him his owne way its necessary to repaire to an infallible guide which is no other but the Roman Catholick Church Chap. 5. That all Religions pretending to reforme the Roman Catholick are but humane inventions grounded upon weake policy strong fancy and sensuall pleasures Sect. 1. Of Lutheranisme Sect. 2. Of Anabaptisme Sect. 3. Of Zwinglianisme Sect 4. Of Calvinisme Sect. 5. Of the Reformation in Holland and the united Provinces Sect. 6. Of the Protestant Church of England in King Edward the VI. his time Sect. 7. Of the English Protestant Church in Queene Elizabeths reigne Sect. 8. Of the English Protestant Church in King Iames and his Sonnes reigne Sect. 9. Of the Kirk of Scotland Chap. 6. That no Policy could heretofore or can for the future give any supernaturall appearance to the reformed Churches whereby any rationall persons may be mistaken in their way to heaven by confounding them with the true Catholick Church Chap. 7. That Policy hath destroyed it selfe by courting Protestancy as being neare allyed to Atheisme the greatest enemy of civill government Chap. 8. That Protestancy inclines the Prince to Tyranny and the Subjects to Rebellion Chap. 9. That the Popes spirituall jurisdiction is nothing dangerous to Soveraignes but raâ—her that the ground of fidelity and obedience due to them is utterly destroyed by denying the Popes supremacy and that it is a greater foppery in Protestants then in Catholicks to deny his infallibility Chap. 10. That the foundation of Iustice and forme of Iudicature is wholy destroyed by penall Lawes and oathes against any point of the Roman Catholick Religion Chap. 11. That it is impossible to be a wise Statesman and effect businesses without morall honesty and that it is most dangerous for a Prince to have Counsellours that are dishonest men Chap. 12. That it is impossible for a Polititian to compasse his designes by untruths and impostures and that nothing is more contrary to Policy then vanity Chap. 13. How necessary it is for a Statesman to be a man of honour and of his word and how great a difference there is betweene Policy and Craft Chap 14. That nothing is more dangerous to a Prince or contrary to Policy then to make use of Ministers of State odious to his owne Subjects either for their vices or misfortunes Chap. 15. That it is great wisdome and policy in Princes to make use of Clergy-men in State affaires THE POLITITIANS CATHECHISME CHAP. I. How men come to be Atheists and whether it may be demonstrated by reason that there is a God Providence and another life 1 THERE is a generation of men half witted and not so much as half learned but wholy vicious who persuade themselves that the soule is a blast of wind the other life an imaginary Vtopia God a Chimaera which onely hath a being in the weake braines of ignorant people Heaven and Hell old wives tales invented by States men to keepe the Subjects in awe and pliable to the Prince his will and pleasure by the dreadfull notion of Eternity The multitude say they must be cheated into its owne good and consequently into peace and subjection and no cheate is more plausible or lesse suspected then that which men call Religion provided that such as have least and governe the Commonwealth counterfeit most and seeme to be more zealous for the establishment of the Church then solicitous for themselves or their posterity 2 Men are not borne Atheists neither are their mindes possessed of these extravagant fancies on a suddaine they fall by degrees first from the love of God and then from his knowledge From the love of God they fall by every mortall sinne but from his knowledge by a custome and excesse of sinning and by drowning themselves in sensuall pleasures which divert their thoughts from the consideration of spirituall things and even from the best part of themselves the soule Notwithstanding this distraction and their being so bewitched and besotted with sense now and then they feele a certaine remorse and guilt of conscience which remorse and guilt of conscience strikes them into a terrour or feare of divine justice this feare degenerates into despaire of mercy feare of justice and despaire of mercy doe so trouble their soules and understandings that they recurre to the will to be eased which endeavoureth to helpe them with a fond wish or desire that no such thing there were as God Providence and another world this desire creates a fancy like unto it selfe and that without any difficulty because men are apt to soothe
so rare a peece as the great machine of this world 6 Seeing therefore that something there is which seemes by these effects to be most powerfull most wise and most perfect we ought so to judge and believe and give it due honour and respect The right to such duties acquired by outward appearance and signes doth extend it selfe even to our inward and most secret thoughts which is the onely reason why a rash judgement is a sinne and why men may be as injurious in thinking ill of others as in backbiting If we must not judge otherwise of men then they seeme to be much lesse of God We must not be Christians in our words and Atheists in our thoughts Therefore the obligation of believing honouring and loving God is evident though the Deity it selfe were not as evident as it is even to the most vulgar understandings that are not stupified by vice and besotted with sensuall pleasures Now supposing it s demonstrated that there is a God or at least that we are convinced of our obligation to believe there is one we may proceed to inquire CHAP. III. Whether God ought to be served his owne way and in what manner 1 THere is not an absolute Prince that doth not pretend as his birthright or prerogative to be served his owe way that is as himselfe thinks fit and not according to his Subjects discretion If this be granted to Princes our fellow Creatures how can it be denyed to the Creator Princes may erre in the conduct of affaires God is infallible Princes may employ unfit instruments men not valued or hated by their people God by employing men doth enable them and supply their defects Princes may looke more upon their owne interest then upon the common good in their projects and designes God can have no designe upon his Creatures but their owne good his interest is their happinesse To be briefe Princes are men and though no Subjects yet subject to all humane frailties but God is as free from any frailty as from subjection Therefore if according the maxime of Politicians Princes must be served their owne way God must not be deprived of the like prerogative 2 Whether Princes ought to be served their owne Way is not for my present purpose to examine yet I must presume to tell them that it s no part of their prerogative to define or declare what way God hath appointed for his owne service the politick ends are not alwayes agreable or compatible with Gods ordinations and in such case we must serve Princes in Gods way not in their owne no humane Lawes or Kings pleasure ought to be preferred before Gods commandments It s as evident that God may choose his owne way of being worshipped as it is manifest that worship is due to so great a Majesty Some Rites and ceremonies of divine Worship may be left to mens choice and discretion but before they undertake it they must shew their commission for so great a power and eminent a charge Every one must not presume to be Master of ceremonies in Gods Church and Court If there were not a way setled for the worship of God before we came into the world perhaps every man might choose his owne but to intrude new Rites and Lawes into a Commonwealth contrary to the government long established hath beene alwayes judged in the State dangerous and in the Church damnable Master Hooker in his bookes of Ecclesiasticall Policy is much admired and cryed up by some Protestants because he proves by Catholick arguments that the Church of God may command the practise of Rites and ceremonies but he is farre from proving that the new fangled English Protestant Church is the Church of God and therefore could never conclude that Puritans or any others ought to sute themselves in the new fashion of the Church of Englands formalities because they must shew their authority before they intrude their formalities and take away realities 3 It s as unwarrantable to reject ancient Rites and ceremonies as to impose new ones without authentike testimonies and signes of divine authority If the Church that went before us and upon whose relation we must depend for the knowledge of times past doth testify that such ceremonies as seeme now to fooles ridiculous and to the ignorant superfluous were invented by God or by men to whom he committed the care of our instruction we must practise them persuade our selves that it is not in the power of any Nags-head Convocation The English Protestant Ministery descends from a few consecrated at the Nags-head in Cheapside invalidly for many reasons deduced in a late Booke of the Nature of Catholick Faith and Heresy to frame a new Religion or 39. Articles reject old ceremonies pare and shave of the matter and forme of Sacraments and degrade the Order of Priesthood of all Ecclesiasticall ornaments the cap surplise and black scarfe excepted Puritans proceed more consequently they retaine no Popish dregs nor rags of Rome as they call them and firmely believe that God cannot be served in spirit if the Minister of his Word appeareth not before him in cuerpo rid of all Aaronicall ornaments But with their good leave to serve and worship God in spirit is not to reject or reforme ancient Rites and ceremonies but rather by performing them the spirit is raised to God with reflexion upon the mysteries in them contained The ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Catholick Church S. Ambr. lib. 1. de Sacerd. c. 1. de iis quae initiantur mysteriis c. 1. practised even that which of all is most excepted against in the administration of Baptisme and is lesse undecent then the making a plaster of spitle and dust S. Greg. in Sacram. Tertull. lib. ad Scapulam S. Aug. tract 44. in Ioan. Euangel Alcum. lib. deliv Offic. de Sabbatho S. Paschae Beda in 0.7 Marc. Homil. 19. a signe that our Saviour would not Have us so nice and squeamish as Protestants are I am sure if we reflect upon the Israelits we shall finde the chiefe worship they gave unto God in their sacrifices accompanied with so noysome circumstances in their fleaing pulling out the bowels and frying the fat of beasts that they would make a nice Proteshint stomach rise although it be able to digest a dish of as course stuffe for a Fridays breakfast As for the dresse wherein our * S. Anacletus qui vixit temporibus Domitiani Ep. 1. de oppr Episc Steph. Papa Martyr vixit an 250 Ep. 1. ad Hilar Origen hom 11. c. 20. Levi. S. Hieron lib. 13. Comment in cap. 44 Ezech. Bishops and Priests celebrate their functions antiquity called it sacred though Novelists terme it profane or superfluous There is not one ceremony practised in the Roman Catholick Church which deriveth not its beginning from God or by his authority from primitive times all relate to divine Mysteries as you may read in Durantius De ritibus Ecclesiae Catholicae and
obedience is equally destroyed by Atheisme and Protestancy Though the signes of a supreme Deity be as evident and visible to the eyes of Atheists as this world and all its creatures yet they deny obedience to that supreme Deity and though supernaturall signes as miracles and sanctity of life be as evident to the eyes of Protestants in the Roman Church and no other as any thing can be yet they deny obedience to the said Church both agree in destroying that principle upon which the obligation of beliefe and obedience is grounded Policy and civill government can as little stand without this principle as a house can without out a foundation Atheists and Protestants doe agree in undermining not onely Religion but also the authority of Princes and Commonwealths and therefore both doctrines ought to be equally prohibited and suppressed 4 In one respect Protestancy is more dangerous to civill government then Atheisme An Atheist expects not any invisible power providence to support him because he believeth none a Protestant persuades himselfe that God will second his zeale for the Ghospel and consequently is more resolute and daring if God to punish the sinnes of others permits a Protestant to have good successe in his first attempts he thinks that successe is a new engagement to proceed further looking upon himselfe as an instrument of providence to carry on the imaginary worke or the Lord. The Atheist thinks of no such providence or engagement but attributeth his successe to his owne industry and is not so fierce constant and dangerous an enemy to the civill government as a Protestant Though all this had not beene evident by reason as necessarily following out of Protestant principles yet its manifest by experience and history as we have seene in this Treatise Chap. 7. but because in the next I am to treate of the tyranny and rebellions of Protestancy I will end this with onely assuring my Reader that Polititians were never more unhappy or more grosely mistaken then in the beginning and promoting a pretended Reformation that doth not onely lead men to Atheisme but makes them incapable of being governed after they have shaken of the yoke of obedience to divine Authority appearing more sufficiently and evidently in the Roman Catholick Church then any Kings authority doth appeare in his Lieutenant or subordinate Officers But now let us proceed and descend to particulars by shewing CHAP. VIII That Protestancy inclines the Prince to Tyranny and the Subjects to Rebellion 1 PRinces may be Tyrants though the Religion they professe be good but that Religion cannot be good which inclines Princes to tyranny A Tyrant is he who rules either without or against Law making his owne will and pleasure the modell of his government To rule against the knowne and practised sense of the Law is to rule against Law because the essence of a Law consists in the sense not in the letter The fundamentall Lawes of a Christian Commonwealth are the holy Scriptures to rule against the knowne and practised sense of these Lawes is the greatest tyranny because it is to rule without and against Law it is to rule without Law because Gods sense is left out and the Reformers fancy or the Prince his pleasure is thrust into its place and Scripture is not Gods Law without Gods sense It is also to rule against Law because the Protestant sense of Scripture is contrary to the knowne and practised sense of Gods Word whereby the Church hath beene governed since the time of the Apostles This proves nothing lesse then I supposed in the title of the Chapter it demonstrates clearly that when Protestant Princes are not Tyrants we may thanke themselves and not their Religion which is directly opposite to the Law of God and inconsistent with the duty Princes owe to divine Majesty whence also it followed that it is an inclination to Tyranny against the Lawes and liberties of the Land because he that governeth without and against the Law or God is in a faire way and at least inclined to governe without and against the Lawes of men 2 I heare some Doctors of the English Protestant Church seeme to be much scandalized at Master Hobbes his Leriathan because he attributes so much to a Soveraigne and saith that Christian Subjects may in the exteriour profession of their Faith accommodate themselves with the Prince whether Turke or Jew I cannot answer for Master Hobbes his Christianity but this much I will say in his behalfe that I have not seene Protestancy better expressed nor more consequently deduced out of its principles then in this Authors Leviathan he is a good Protestant and an ill Christian How can any Protestant sinde fault with Master Hobbes See the 39. articles of the Protestant Religion confirmed by K. Charles an 1642. for making the Prince Head of the Church and sole Interpreter of Scripture Why should 12. or 7. men in King Edward the VI. time or a few Ministers in Queene Elizabeth and King Iames his reigne assume to themselves a power of framing a new Religion and coyning a new sense of Scripture contrary to antiquity and the knowne practise of all Christian Churches and in particular that of England Why should they I say assume this unlimited power to themselves and deny it to their Soveraigne 3. Ed. 6.12 5. Ed. 6.1 and his Counsell If they examine well they will finde Master Hobbes doth no more And if they acknowledge this great power in spirituall affaires to be inherent to the Soveraignes person as they doe 8. Eliz. 1. even by their Acts of Parliament how can they deny him in the temporall as absolute and unlimited a power as Master Hobbes is forced to grant by the foundation and principles of Protestant Religion Doe not the Doctors of the English Church averre that from the Popes Primacy and Headship of the Church must evidently follow an Antichristian Tyranny inconsistent with the prerogative dominion and security of Kings and the liberty of Subjects why doe they not inferre die same consequence from the Soveraignes supremacy I am sure they attribute greater power to their Kings Queenes and petty Doctors then Catholicks doe to the Pope or generall Councells who according to our Tenets cannot pare of any thing from the matter and forme of Sacraments nor alter the ancient sense of Scripture contrary to tradition and the practise of the Catholicks Church but Protestancy acknowledgeth all this power to be inseparable from the Kings and Queenes of England and yet doth confesse that both King and Protestant Church may erre against Christian Faith in their Reformations no Subject notwithstanding must speake a word against those errours he must accommodate himselfe to them in all his exteriour actions though he be convinced in judgement that they are against Catholick Religion I would faine knowe in what doth this doctrine of theirs differre from Master Hobbes Both agree in the substance both grant that men may dissemble their Faith and deny
themselves with fancying what they desire and such a fancy transformed into a reall persuasion is that which we call Atheisme whereof the seed is vice remorse and guilt of conscience the dispositions despaire of mercy the matter a fond and perverse will the agent a wish of Gods impossibility the action and the forme a fantasticall opinion of his owne existence Whereby it appeares that Atheisme is no worke of a sound judgement but of a depraved will guided not by reason but seduced by passion Atheists in denying God Providence and the next life judge not by the understanding but by the will not by reason but by inclination they believe that God doth not exist because they wish he were impossible 3 Seeing therefore I have to doe with persons that measure the possibility or impossibility of things by wishes and inclinations I have thought of an argument sutable to their humour waving other convincing and ordinary demonstrations of Gods existence grounded upon a series of causes and effects and upon the disposition beauty and order of this great Vniverse I intend therefore to prove the possibility of God by a wish or desire of his existence against which method Atheists can have no exceptions because it is their owne with this difference onely that my wish or desire shall follow reason whereas theirs goes before it or rather against it because they give the will not onely the precedence but also turne it in opposition to reason 4 To demonstrate that God is not impossible is to demonstrate his existence because if he can be he is for none but himselfe can withstand his being as his possibility of being is from none but himselfe Now I prove that he is not impossible The object of a wish or desire guided by evident reason cannot be impossible unlesse we will say that betweene evident reason and manifest foppery there is no difference for what greater foppery then to thinke that cleare and evident reason should put us upon the wish and desires and consequently upon the hopes and endeavours towards the obtaining of an impossibility The distinction betweene evident and obscure or probable reason is that evident reason cannot confound truth with falshood possibility with impossibility but obscure or probable reason may judge probable what is impossible So that if evident reason doth solicite and incline us to wish and desire that there were a God Providence and another life they must be reall objects and not fond impossibilities 5 There is no wish or desire more naturall to man nor more evidently reasonable in it self then an absolute inclination to just satisfaction for injuries received The more rationall men are the more troubled they are at tyranny and injustice the desire of satisfaction in them is greater then in any others because they have greater strength of reason which absolutely desireth to be rid of that paine it feeleth when we see in others poverty oppressed or innocency condemned Every injustice of a Tyrant or malefactour doth occasion in us a most rationall desire of satisfaction not proceeding from interest or passion but from an evident dictamen of reason which is clearly proved because we resent not onely our owne but also the injuries done to others of no relation to us and wish they were punished and redressed which desire is not grounded upon sense that seekes no more then its owne good But if there be not a God Providence and another life all these our rationall desires and good wishes are but so many foolish insinuations to impossibilities for sad experience doth demonstrate that they who commit the greatest tyrannies and injustices are often most powerfull not subject to any Law but to their owne will and pleasure they are out of the reach of justice in this world Therefore there must be another where those that suffer wrong may be satisfied and those that doe it punished by a supreme Deity of infinite power and wisdome whom no force can withstand no policy deceive If not evident reason is a meere foppery because it sets us upon absolute desires of impossibilities and gives us a vaine assurance of that we are not sure to obtaine 6 I doe not see how Atheists can disprove this argument without condemning themselves and all mankinde for following the dictamen of reason in any businesse If evident reason may leade men to impossibilities when they thinke of God and the next life what evidence or assurance can they have in this world of not being fooled in the most rationall designes Perhaps some man in his dreames may please himselfe in this foolish fancy that reason by the mischiefe of wicked men is fallen into so great a misfortune as to fall upon desires of what is impossible to attaine A sad misfortune indeed which makes reason not onely miserable but unreasonable which in effect is not to be reason A change greater then God himselfe in the opinion of any can make who cannot alter essences to make a thing be and not be what it is in his proper being For if reason being reason should absolutely incline us to gape and grasp at impossible Chimaeras it would be so farre from being reason that no greater foolery can be conceived 7 Yet peradventure waking out of his dream he may frame us yet another wiser objection saying that our misfortune is onely in this not that reason becomes no reason by being turned into nonsense but that we mistake that for reason which is no reason thinking that which seemes evident to us to be the dictamen of true reason whereas it may be that our clearest thoughts are but specious and plausible errours But if this be so I must make bould to demand of my witty adversary whether he doth not want both wit and judgement when upon the dictamens of his seeming reason he busies himselfe about the compassing those designes which his said seeming reason inclines him unto And further presse him whethet he suspects any errour in these following Tenets which all may thinke they have reason to hold for example That we ought to be gratefull to our friends dutifull to our parents Ioyall to our Soveraignes That we ought in generall to fly evill seeke good to enjoy what happinesse we can with reason hope to obtaine For if reason be suspected of errour there is no reason to rely upon it with assurance in these most commonly received as rationall Tenets Wherefore if reason inclining us to the desire of a God and another life may be suspected of errour as deluding us with a vaine hope of what is impossible an Atheist will be obliged to his shame to call in question the aforesaid principles which no man not wholy devoyd of all shame honour and honesty dare either in the presence of others or in his owne conscience offer to bring into disputation or doubt Now it followeth in order that we further inquire CHAP. II. VVhether it be a manifest foppery not to believe that there is a God
though his existence were not demonstrated and whether Atheisme alone without any other sinne be a reasonable and sufficient cause of damnation 1 THe foppery of an ignorant and presumptuous person doth not consist so much in his ignorance as in his presumption Wise men may be ignorant of many things but none can be wise who presumes to knowe what he never could learne or is above his capacity I doe not call Atheists fooles because they doe not demonstrate the being of a God but seeing they can have no reason to thinke the contrary and that wiser men then they doe confidently affirme that God is demonstrated its want of judgement not to believe what they doe not or will not comprehend especially when they runne the greatest of all hazards by not believing He that is resolved not to take any knowledge by trust or tradition is rather a beast then a rationall creature he is not fit for humane society neither can he pretend any kindred or inheritance there being no proofe for either if we reject the testimony of lawfull witnesses There is not a more universall or constant tradition or testimony of lawfull witnesses for any thing then for the being of a God Providence and another life though it were never demonstrated it ought to be credited especially by Atheists who are as ignorant as presumptuous of knowledge We never read that any of the ancient Philosophers or great wits of the world contradicted the tradition of Gods being two or three of the lowest banke rather Philologers then Philosophers as Diagoras Lucian and Pliny looked that way because they declined from vertue and never inclined their minds to solid learning and would faine have rid themselves of the remorse of conscience the soure sauce wherewith sensuall delights are seasoned 2 One of the greatest fooleries a man can commit is to cast himselfe into a manifest danger without cause for danger is not onely the forerunner of evill but is an evill it selfe To expose a man to the hazard of loosing his life is an evill done him though by good fortune he should escape And albeit Atheists fancy to themselves that God is but a Chimaera and the next world Vtopia they cannot deny that this fancy exposeth them to a manifest danger of damnation because if the contrary prove true as it may for all they knowe the evidence of torments will fooles undeceive them and drive them out of their fooles paradise when repentance will be too late The greater appearance there is of any evill the greater is the danger and the appearance of a God though not the reality being evident to Atheists in the fabrike and order of the Vniverse as also in many supernaturall signes and prodigies by denying him they must of necessity incurre the danger of his indignation in case he doth exist from which they cannot rationally expect to be freed by the pretended probability of their erroneous opinion because though it should be as probable as they imagine that there is not a God yet the choice of an opinion more dangerous in practise then probable in speculation as theirs is is so great a foppery that onely mad men can ground upon it their salvation and thinke it a sufficient satisfaction for divine Justice 3 And though we should grant to Atheists that its possible we may be mistaken in our beliefe and hopes of God and another life yet we suffer no great prejudice by the mistake to abstaine from base and transitory pleasures cannot be any great losse But if they will consider the much we have reason to hope for and the little advantage they have of vertuous men by following vice and will also reflect upon the danger they runne by denying and offending God they must cōclude that though our hopes should come to nothing we cannot be deprived of this satisfaction and praise that we did in our beliefe and actions what rationall men ought to have done all circumstances considered whereas they in this world must be esteemed no better then fooles for running so manifest a hazard of damnation and if there be no other life we are no worse then they because they cannot brag of their choice made in this world nor receive in the other any congratulations of friends for the good fortune they had in preferring here vice before vertue and Atheisme before Christianity 4 But now let us prove that though Atheists had no other sinne but Atheisme they can have no excuse to alledge for not believing and worshipping God but rather that they doe him a positive injury and therefore are justly condemned Men may have evidence of their owne obligation to believe a truth that is not evident There is not any principle more evident then that which commands us to deale with others as our selves would be dealt withall what Atheist is there that would not take it for an injury to be treated like a clowne and a knave if he hath the garbe habit and attendance of a Prince and all the outward signes of morall honesty If there be an evident obligation not to injure others and it be an injury not to treate persons according to their appearance its manifest that all men are obliged to believe that there is a God who ought to be honoured and adored because there is greater appearance of his infinite power and wisdome in what is visible to our eyes then any Atheist or other man can shew for his owne nobility or morality If every person may challenge a right to be treated according to his exteriour appearance though his quality be not evident it s an injury to God and a damnable sinne to except his Divine Majesty from so generall a rule Whence it doth follow that though men had no other sinne to answer for but Atheisme that alone is a sufficient and just cause of their damnation 5 The bare possibility of being mistaken in a mans quality or dignity is no sufficient warrant to deny him that honour and respect which is due to others of his ranke and doth sufficiently appeare in himselfe by evident signes and authentike testimonies It s very certaine that Impostours have counterfeited and abused not onely titles of Nobility but also the dignity of Majesty But the fault of few ought not to prejudice the right of many and its better to runne the hazard of being mistaken then to abuse others If the obligation of paying the tribute of honour and respect where it seemeth to be due be so precise that it must not be denyed to any who may claime it notwithstanding the possibility of impostures and mistakes how much more precise is our obligation not to deny respect and honour to an appearance that cannot be counterfeited The fabrike order and beauty of the Vniverse together with the miracles and supernaturall prodigies that are visible to such and so many as make them credible to all are things we may admire but not imitate No Impostour will venter to counterfeit