Alphabet without knowing how to join them to make entire words thereof Religion as it is in the knowledge of many consisteth in the multitude of matters confusedly heaped together in the mind without symmetry or proportiō without any form either of building or body the head and feet being confounded Some of our controversies concern the same order and rank of points The Romane Catholicks coming to contend with us begin voluntarily with the question of the Church giving it the highest place to the end they may make it passe as a rule and principle of faith But the Article of the Church holdeth not the first rank in the Creed CHAP. IIII. Of those which believe the truth by vertue of a false principle or of some passage of Scripture which toucheth not the question MAny believe the truth by a false faith The Turk believes God the creation providence the immortality of the soul Christ born of a virgin a great Prophet and the word of God because the Alchoran saith it These points are true in themselves but the belief which he hath thereby cannot be formally true because it depends on a false principle Truth may not be believed for a lyes sake One may not commend them which endeavour to amplifie the Oracles of the Sybills to the end they may make them speak more advantagiously in favour of the Christian Religion Nor the pious frauds of them which under colour of proving the immortality of the soul have supposed fabulous apparitions It importeth not onely what we believe but also why we believe it A man which believeth there is a God because Philosophy or naturall reason teacheth him so hath not a Theologick faith although the beliefe which he hath touching God be true in it self and in its principles He that believeth all the Articles of Christianity because great Doctors believe them or onely because the Church holds them for true hath built his faith upon mans testimonie 'T is a complaint of a person eminent in humane learning that being Orthodox in the Article of Christs Divinity notwithstanding in his interpretation and Paraprases upon the new Testament he did enervate or allude asmuch as was possible for him all the most manifest passages which authorise the beliefe of this point But on the other side the world is full of people which upon every sort of matter alledge a multitude of Texts though oft times the twentieth part suit not to the subject They which believe a truth but ground it upon a passage of Scripture which maketh not to the purpose believe the truth falsely That which they believe is very true but that by vertue whereof they believe it is not so For the Scripture ill applyed is no more Scripture but a perverting thereof although it be alleadged to prove the truth which it teacheth in other passages And 't were to be wished that many would bring hither as much feare and discretion as they abound in impertinent quotations But the vulgar often suffer thēselves to be led more by passages which come by the by then by those which lead straight to the mark I have seene a man which could never be brought from the Invocation of Saints for any Text alleadged unto him unlesse when one quoted to him the passage of Esay 63. ver 16. which notwithstanding is not the most concluding of all those which are made use of in this controversie A Rabbin converted to the faith and who had writ against those of his nation found the Trinity and the two natures of Christ in the foure Hebrew letters of the word Jehovah And made almost more esteem of this Cabbalistick proof then of all the passages of the old Testament infinitely more cleare and expresse upon this subject That which remaines to be said requires another Parenthesis CHAP. V. Every point of Religion hath its peculiar reasons examples and considerations to this purpose ALL the points of Religion and all the lesser branches of them have every one their particular reason And the Scripture saith not only that it is so but also how and why it is so It gives us not simple positions but teacheth by demonstration and arguments even to the resolving of objections which may be moved to the contrary This is not then sufficient when a man knows all his Religion by Propositions or Maximes though conceived in proper Scripture tearms if he know not also the particular reason of every one of them And to render a reason of our faith is not only to alleadge the Scripture which affirms such or such points but also to shew why these points which the Scripture affirmeth are such and that they are the causes of every one of them in particular Divinity is all full of demonstrative arguments They which have but a naked knowledge of conclusions see well the face and externall shape of Religion But the beating of its arteries the spirit which moves it and the faculties which stir within it are visible to them who know the reasons wherewith it is animated It is not to the purpose to alleadge that one ought not to demand a reason what God saith and that it is enough to believe what the Scripture pronounceth is true This objection is of value as touching points the search whereof is forbidden us as Why God sheweth mercy more to one then to another and for other matters which we may call transcendent which God hath bounded with praecipices environed with high barricadoes which hinder us from entring in thereat But in those whereof the Scripture teaches us the reasons 't is a foolish modesty to reason against his command which obligeth us to learn them Nay this is a manifest arrogance to will the ignorance of those reasons the Scripture gives us thereof under pretence of believing the Scripture simply For the Scripture it self teacheth us to reason upon many points infinitely raised above us When it is asked Why God permitted that sinne should enter into the world though it were in his power to hinder it Many reasons of this permission may be found full of excellent doctrine and saving the matters we have excepted there is not any point of Religion nay any particle whereof one may not find some reason either exprest in the Scripture or duly averred by lawfull consequences or resulting from the property of the subject If there be any thing which seemeth to be out of all enquiry they are the principles of nature As for example The prohibitiō of marriage between brother and sister is the voice of nature which hath no need to be propped with reasons since it is reason it self And though one may always say that the Scripture would oblige men to search the alliance of the remotest races to the end that the affections correspondencies of humane societie might be multiplied which would not be if marriages should be alwayes contracted within the same family Which would by this shame restrain the license which might grow from the facility
of their conversation That so many naturall relations met in one man which might have brought the title of father and uncle together would have brought a thousand confusions in the world That the same proximity being disputed amongst them which are of the same blood would have produced divers strifes in families for the reason as that of the straight line which oblige the brother to marry his half sister that the woman who in case of injury or dissertion might find a refuge with their brothers had lost his refuge if the brotherhood had been confounded in the marriage And other reasons which one might alleadge for this law CHAP VI. Of the exercise of the mind in every point of Religion The default of the vulgar and of preachers herein The Scripture speaks by proofs GOd would that our knowledge should be discursive in part and that this faculty of the soule which passeth from one subject to another for to discern them compare them together and give judgement thereof might also be sanctified by this exercise in matters of Religion But because it is more difficult to reason upon a point then to conceive it nakedly and barely the common people is contented to heare that such a thing is true or good or just without searching why or how it is such The ignorant love onely to heare a thing affirmed or denyed insomuch that to the understanding of a proposition or assertion thus naked there is need of but a bare apprehension or understanding of words without other trouble of mind Whereupon they are delighted in maximes and proverbs because it is not needfull to conceive the sense thereof easie to whosoever understandeth the words For 't is to be presupposed they are grounded on reason and 't is enough to hold them for true without any other form of enquiry This same facility is the cause we have more talkers then preachers Provided they stretch out a point by a long train of equivalent tearms that they delate a text into Paraphrases that they heape togeather a great masse of sentences of Scripture they think they have worthily handled and the vulgar abide therewith satisfied But the interpretation thereof requires much more then this Certainly Jesus Christ himselfe and the most excellent instruments which have spok by his spirit have not contented themselves to pronounce the affirmative or negative upon any point but besides have shewed the reasons thereof If they teach that the worship of God ought to be spirituall they give this proofe thereof to wit that God is a spirit If the alleadge to make the Jewes see that the Messias ought to die and rise again the words of the Psalmest thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption they frame thereof an argument which imports that this Oracle cannot relate but to David or to Christ that the body of David had notoriously felt the same corruption which death brings to other men So that this prophecy could not belong but to Christ If they say that man is not justified by the Law they prove it by the end of the Law which is to manifest sinne If they declare that Circumcision doth not justifie they shew it by the example of Abraham who was justified before he was circumcised So that his circumcision being after his justification could not have produced it If they affirm that there was a Law before that of Moses they argue that where there is no law there is no sin Now we read that there was sin before Moses this is proved because that death which is the wages of sinne raigned from Adam to Moses If they maintaine free Election they produce the decree given before the infants had none either good or evil If they maintain that the Covenant of grace could not be disanulled by the Law they make it cleare that it did precede the Law foure hundred and thirty yeares If they publish that Christ is greater then the Angells they prove it by his titles which were never conferred upon them If they preach the weaknesse of the Jewish priesthood they take it from this that the Scripture hath substituted for it another of anorder altogether different to it after the order of Melchisedech for if perfection had been in the Leviticall Priesthood what need had there been that anothe Priest should arise which was according to the order of Aron If they teach that Jesus Christ ought to die they note that where there is a Testament there the death of the Testatour ought to intervene before the heires can have benefit thereof In brief if they speak of the resurrection or of other points of faith their discourse never consists in bare assertions but in reasons and demonstrative proofs CHAP VII Of Popular reasons as well in the Romane Religion as amongst the vulgar of the Orthodox Churches The difference betwixt the maximes of faith and those of charity THose which among the vulgar reason upon matters of Religion are accustomed to conceive them as reasons one may call popular These reasons are taken from the superficies not from the very substance of truth This is the reason why oft times they are found false although their facility render them plausible to the ignorant If it were needfull one might shew that the Romane Religion is for the most part propt up by popular reasons Popular is the comparison of Intercessours which are employed towards the Grandees of this world brought for the Invocation of Saints Popular is the question whether we ought to condemn our ancestours and so many souls which hold the faith we at this day disallow Popular are the marks under which they represent the Church For the antiquity multitude locall succession are not essentiall properties thereof Popular are the austerities fastings scourgings and externall mortification of the Monks profession Popular are the images and the title which is given them that they are the booke of Ideots The most ordinary reason which authoriseth the reason of the common people is that of charity Prayers for the dead have been covered under this pretence and many sometime have extended even to hell praying even for the damned not to deliver them wholly from pain knowing that is impossible but for to procure for them some diminution thereof whereunto charity carrieth them The maximes of charity are more persuasive and efficacious amongst the common people then the maximes of faith The reason thereof is because that those of faith are more removed from the appearance and have not so much relation with reason and naturall affection as those of charity which are more intelligible and more agreeing with the common notion of men Notwithstanding to say truth every act of Religion which is undertaken without faith is also without charity And the charity of the ignorant is a strange fire which is not acceptable at the altar But our discourse properly concerns them who being orthodox in points of Religion prop not up the belief of them but upon
POPVLAR ERRORS IN Generall Poynts concerning the knowledge of RELIGION Having Relation to their causes and reduced into divers observations By Jean D'Espaigne Minister of the Holy Gospell LONDON Printed for THO. WHITTAKER at the signe of the Kings armes in Pauls Church-yard 1648. To the most Illustrious CHARLES Monarch of great Brittaine c. Defender of the Faith THe deceased King Father of your Majesty was pleased to command the impression of a Manuscript which was the first fruits of my Pen on which hee daigned to cast his eyes where in his Royall goodnesse had more respect to my zeale then to the worke This which I offer at your Majesties feet carries its deniall on the front But that the clemencie of him who was pleased to cast his eye upon the Hysop as well as upon the Cedars of Lebanon makes me hope for a favourable Aspect I beseech the Lord God to accept your oblations and make your Crowne flourish and establish your Throne as the Sun it selfe To the Reader THis Treatise is nothing but a heape of observations very differing there more especially where they are joyned they are for the most part distant in respect of the subject This is the reason wherefore I have only sought to range them in their proper places and passe from the one unto the other without giving them any other connexion or closing them with other cimment I shall marke in the first place the nature and differencie of spirits principally of the common people in matters concerning Religion Secondly the matters which are of the knowledge thereof Thirdly the forme and manner of this knowledge and finally the meanes to obtaine it In all these foure heads which I have placed in as many sections wee shall shew divers popular errors which serve for the subject of this Treatise If this worke be triviall it corresponds to its title which promiseth nothing but popular matters if defective 't is for having omitted that which many have often repeated if clownish this stuffe is not capable of a more artificiall web nor of the polisure of a more elegant stile if rash as shocking so many maximes held as Oracles among the people and partly approved by the silence of the learned weighing them in the ballance of the Sanctuarie we shall find that in matter of Religion nothing ought to be more suspected then vulgar opinions some think to understand very well their religion that will find themselves not only in a darke ignorance but also in a den of Errors The first Section CHAPTER I. The first Errour which arose amongst Christians THe report which was spread among the Disciples of the Lord a few dayes before his Ascension that St. John the Evangelist should not die was the first Errour that sprang up amongst the Christians This opinion contradicted not any article of the Faith and neverthelesse the Spirit of truth would have the censure thereof to remaine till the end of dayes as a Pillar of Salt to season our conceptions Each Errour in things indifferent is unworthy of a Christian Time hath refuted many if antiquity should again arise she would be ashamed to have marked with Heresie those who believed the Antipodes and the Scholasticks who tooke Zona torrida for the flaming sword which made the earthly Paradice unaccessible they would find at this day these imaginations were more specious then veritable But I will lay aside all matters of this quality we contest not here the common opinion which marks the nativity of our Saviour to be in the season of the winter Solstice nor the oracles attributed to the Sybills which if we must believe all that they say have spoken of Jesus Christ more clearely upon the Tripos of Idols then the true Prophets upon the seat of Truth Nor the histories which contain so many particularities of Simon Magus which are for the most part fables Nor the interpretation which takes the foure living creatures described in Daniel for the foure Evangelists Nor the forme which they attribute to the crosse which many say to have been of another fashion then they represent at this day Nor the belief that Adam the men of the ancient world were of giant-like stature these are problems we â—ouch not much lesse will I speak of opinions of which you may put amongst the dorages of old womens tales or that the Hebrew or any other tongue be naturall or that there hath been men ingeudeed by devills or whether witches can transform themselves into wolves or any other species There is none but simple Idiots who believe Luciser to be the name of the devill And many say the tree of the crosse without thinking on the superstition which hath produced this fashion of speech imagining that the crosâ— on which our Saviour suffer'd was made oâ— the wood of the tree of life The opinions which I undertake to refuse are of far greater consequence they concern the true intelligence of Religion in stead of which many embrace an ignorance reduced into art sustained by maximes which under appearance of follid piety do infold divers capitall errors transforming men into stones making superfluous the greatest part of the Scripture and instead of Cherubins engrave upon the walls the figure of many unclean creeping things of these maximes some are avowed by an expresse profession others tacitely authorized by the common practise not onely among the dregs of the people but yet amongst many which are not separated froÌ„ ignorants but by the wainscot of a pulpit CHAP. II. Of the efficacy and differencie of humours upon the intelligency of Religion and of the strange opinions they produce I Hold there are very few men altogether exempt from popular errors the spirits the most pure have still a touch in some point of this contagion The reason is that man naturally seeks to conceive the truth of things the nearest to the form of his own inclination as he that would turn the course of his boul turns his head on that side to this contributes education old customs and the multitude of voices which stupifies the strongest brains Now as the inclinations are different the truth which is unick in it self appeares in divers forms according to the quality of the spirits which conceives it like the Aethiopians representing the uglinesse of the devill have a custome contrary to other people they paint him white so after this manner the diversity of humours produces diversity of conceptions and difference of opinions upon the same subject These humours some times carries away mens spirits to make them seek to be more perfect then God himself some cannot perswade themselves that God is so severe as he saith himself to be and being touched with an humour more pitifull have found wherewithall to extinguish the eternall fire teaching that the damned nay more that the devills after some time of suffering in the end shall be freed from their torments this so favorable an opinion hath gotten them the title of