Page:Bacons Essays 1908 West.djvu/72

Rh 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, Scandal 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, little by little, deface the Reverence of Religion. And lastly, Learned Times, specially with Peace and Prosperity: For troubles and Adversities doe more bow Men’s Mindes to Religion. They that deny a God destroy Man’s 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,