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A45905 An Enquiry after religion, or, A view of the idolatry, superstition, bigottry, and hipocrisie of all churches and sects throughout the world also some thoughts of a late ingenious gentleman of the Royal Society concerning religion. 1691 (1691) Wing I211; ESTC R5567 14,133 26

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AN ENQUIRY AFTER RELIGION OR A View of the Idolatry Superstition Bigottry and Hipocrisie of all Churches and Sects throughout the World Also some Thoughts of a late Ingenious Gentleman of the Royal Society concerning Religion Religion stands on tip-toe in our Land Ready to pass to the American strand Herbert Dic quibus in Terris eris mihi magnus Apollo LICENSED April 23. 1691. R. M. LONDON Printed for Richard Baldwin at the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-lane 1691. SOME Thoughts concerning RELIGION THere is nothing in which Mankind have been in any comparison so out of their Wits as in what they have abusively call'd by this Sacred Name Religion In all Countreys it has been dy'd with Humane Blood and swoln with Spoil and Rapine written on the Heads of Tyrannies and Vsurpations and pleaded as the Cause the Cause of prosperous Villanies 'T is divided into Attoms of Sects and disputed into Air of Opinions entituled to all the Vanities of sick Imagination and claim'd by all the folly of zealous Ignorance If we attend to the Zeal and the Confidence the loud Talk and bold Claims of each of the Pretenders all are in the truth and all mistaken Every Sect is in the right if it may be judg'd by the fondness of its own assurance and every one is out by the sentence of all the rest Here is Religion sayes the Church of England nay but 't is here sayes the Dissenter and the Papist gives the Lye to them both and then they scuffle and contend 'till they have talked themselves out of Sense out of Charity and out of Breath And when they would say on but know not what when their Passions are rais'd but their Reasons lost they fall to pelt each other with hard Names they squabble and strive and damn one another by turns they gather Parties to help up the cry and fill all places with the noise of their quarrels and triumph and crow after a Conquest in Imagination And after all this bustle and all this adoe they sit down where they begun nothing is gain'd on either side but an addition of Malice and bitter Zeal more rancour and more damning sentences while they are for the most part as far from Truth as from Agreement This is the state of the Contending World nor can we expect it should be otherwise while Ignorance and Malice Interest and Passion inspire the quarrels Or if the Controversies should be ended the Vote would doubtless be cast on the side of Folly and Falshood for their adherents are more numerous and most loud while the friends of Truth and Reason are meek and modest thinly scatter'd among the Herd and still liable to be overborn and out-nois'd by the Tumult But though Religion is thus exposed and scorned though it is made ridiculous by some and laugh'd at by others yet 't is no Creature of Melancholly or Design but a great Reality and no cunningly devised Fable no dream of Imagination or interest of any lust but as simple as Innocence and as clear as the Virgin Light Religion is a plain thing and easie to be understood 't is no deep subtilty or high-strain'd Notion 't is nogilded Fancy or elaborate exercise of the brain 't is not placed in the Clouds of Imagination nor wrapt up in mystical cloathing but 't is obvious and familiar easie and intelligible first preach'd by Fishermen and Mechanicks without pomp of speech or height of speculation address'd to Babes and Plebeian Heads and intended to govern the Wills of the honest and sincere and not to exercise the Wits of the Notional and Curious So that we need not mount the Wings of the Wind to fetch Religion from the Stars nor go down to the Deep to fetch it up from thence for 't is with us and before us as open as the Day and as familiar as the Light The great Precepts of the Gospel are cloathed in Sun-beams and are as visible to the common Eye as to the Eagle upon the highest perch 'T is no piece of Wit or Subtilty to be a Christian nor will it require much Study or learned retirement to understand the Religion we must practise That which was to be known of God was manifest to the very Heathen Rom. 1.19 The Law is light saith Solomon Prov. 6.13 And 't is not only a single passing glance on the Eye but 't is put into the Heart and the Promise is That we shall all know him from the greatest to the least Our Duty is set up in open places and shone upon by a clear Beam 't was written of old upon the plain Tables of Habbakkuk Hab. 2.2 so that the running Eye might see and read And the Religion of the Holy Jesus like himself came into the World with Rays about its head In fine Religion is clear and plain and what is not so may concern the Theater or the Schools may entertain Mens Wits and serve the Interest of Disputes but 't is nothing to Religion 't is nothing to the Interest of Mens Souls Those things that we count Mysteries are plainly enough discover'd as to their being such as we believe them though we cannot understand the manner how and 't is no part of Religion to enquire into that but rather it enjoyns us meekly to acquiesce in the plain Declarations of Faith without bold scrutiny into hidden things The summ is Religion lies not in Systems of Opinion but in Faith and Patience Innocence and Integrity in Love to God and Charity to all the World Mica 6.8 He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justice and to love Mercy and walk humbly with thy God James 1.7 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Widows and Fatherless in their Affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the World AN ENQUIRY c. THe beautious UNA (a) True Religion Vid. Spencers Fairy Queen of a Race Divine The first the best of all Heav'ns Royal Line Thro' the wide World the Muse resolves to seek Farther than ever went the wandring (b) Vlysses Greek The Golden Fleece did Jasons Search imploy Aeneas sail'd to find another Troy Not the wild Desarts of th' Atlantick Main Cou'd fright the brave Columbus back again Our aim's more high our Enterprize more bold Our search for something more refin'd than Gold Veer the Main-sheet of Fancy till we 're born To th' utmost Chambers of the rising morn Where Infant day its blushing Forehead rears And either World the Suns kind bounty shares Encircled round with a small Troop of Friends See where the Goddess from the Ark descends On Ararats proud Top they Altars raise And with her sing their mighty Saviours praise The Good old Man who knew no guilt or sin All white without and Innocent within Noah himself was then the Priest as he The King and Father of the Family No long distracting Systems then were taught