The part affected of superstition, is the brain, heart, will,
understanding, soul itself, and all the faculties of it, totum
compositum, all is mad and dotes: now for the extent, as I say, the
world itself is the subject of it, (to omit that grand sin of atheism,)
all times have been misaffected, past, present, there is not one that
doth good, no not one, from the prophet to the priest, &c. A lamentable
thing it is to consider, how many myriads of men this idolatry and
superstition (for that comprehends all) hath infatuated in all ages,
besotted by this blind zeal, which is religion's ape, religion's
bastard, religion's shadow, false glass. For where God hath a temple,
the devil will have a chapel: where God hath sacrifices, the devil will
have his oblations: where God hath ceremonies, the devil will have his
traditions: where there is any religion, the devil will plant
superstition; and 'tis a pitiful sight to behold and read, what
tortures, miseries, it hath procured, what slaughter of souls it hath
made, how it rageth amongst those old Persians, Syrians, Egyptians,
Greeks, Romans, Tuscans, Gauls, Germans, Britons, &c. Britannia jam
hodie celebrat tam attonite, saith [6352]Pliny, tantis ceremoniis
(speaking of superstition) ut dedisse Persis videri possit. The Britons
are so stupendly superstitious in their ceremonies, that they go beyond
those Persians. He that shall but read in Pausanias alone, those gods,
temples, altars, idols, statues, so curiously made with such infinite
cost and charge, amongst those old Greeks, such multitudes of them and
frequent varieties, as [6353]Gerbelius truly observes, may stand
amazed, and never enough wonder at it; and thank God withal, that by
the light of the Gospel, we are so happily freed from that slavish
idolatry in these our days. But heretofore, almost in all countries, in
all places, superstition hath blinded the hearts of men; in all ages
what a small portion hath the true church ever been! Divisum imperium
cum Jove Daemon habet. [6354]The patriarchs and their families, the
Israelites a handful in respect, Christ and his apostles, and not all
of them, neither. Into what straits hath it been compinged, a little
flock! how hath superstition on the other side dilated herself, error,
ignorance, barbarism, folly, madness, deceived, triumphed, and insulted
over the most wise discreet, and understanding man, philosophers,
dynasts, monarchs, all were involved and overshadowed in this mist, in
more than Cimmerian darkness. [6355]Adeo ignara superstitio mentes
hominum depravat, et nonnunquam sapientum animos transversos agit. At
this present, quota pars! How small a part is truly religious! How
little in respect! Divide the world into six parts, and one, or not so
much, as Christians; idolaters and Mahometans possess almost Asia,
Africa, America, Magellanica. The kings of China, great Cham, Siam, and
Borneo, Pegu, Deccan, Narsinga, Japan, &c., are gentiles, idolaters,
and many other petty princes in Asia, Monomotopa, Congo, and I know not
how many Negro princes in Africa, all Terra Australis incognita most of
America pagans, differing all in their several superstitions; and yet
all idolaters. The Mahometans extend themselves over the great Turk's
dominions in Europe, Africa, Asia, to the Xeriffes in Barbary, and its
territories in Fez, Sus, Morocco, &c. The Tartar, the great Mogor, the
Sophy of Persia, with most of their dominions and subjects, are at this
day Mahometans. See how the devil rageth: those at odds, or differing
among themselves, some for [6356]Ali, some Enbocar, for Acmor, and
Ozimen, those four doctors, Mahomet's successors, and are subdivided
into seventy-two inferior sects, as [6357]Leo Afer reports. The Jews,
as a company of vagabonds, are scattered over all parts; whose story,
present estate, progress from time to time, is fully set down by
[6358]Mr. Thomas Jackson, Doctor of Divinity, in his comment on the
creed. A fifth part of the world, and hardly that, now professeth
CHRIST, but so inlarded and interlaced with several superstitions, that
there is scarce a sound part to be found, or any agreement amongst
them. Presbyter John, in Africa, lord of those Abyssinians, or
Ethiopians, is by his profession a Christian, but so different from us,
with such new absurdities and ceremonies, such liberty, such a mixture
of idolatry and paganism, [6359]that they keep little more than a bare
title of Christianity. They suffer polygamy, circumcision, stupend
fastings, divorce as they will themselves, &c., and as the papists call
on the Virgin Mary, so do they on Thomas Didymus before Christ.
[6360]The Greek or Eastern Church is rent from this of the West, and as
they have four chief patriarchs, so have they four subdivisions,
besides those Nestorians, Jacobins, Syrians, Armenians, Georgians, &c.,
scattered over Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, &c., Greece, Walachia,
Circassia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Albania, Illyricum, Sclavonia, Croatia,
Thrace, Servia, Rascia, and a sprinkling amongst the Tartars, the
Russians, Muscovites, and most of that great duke's (czar's) subjects,
are part of the Greek Church, and still Christians: but as [6361]one
saith, temporis successu multas illi addiderunt superstitiones. In
process of time they have added so many superstitions, they be rather
semi-Christians than otherwise. That which remains is the Western
Church with us in Europe, but so eclipsed with several schisms,
heresies and superstitions, that one knows not where to find it. The
papists have Italy, Spain, Savoy, part of Germany, France, Poland, and
a sprinkling in the rest of Europe. In America, they hold all that
which Spaniards inhabit, Hispania Nova, Castella Aurea, Peru, &c. In
the East Indies, the Philippines, some small holds about Goa, Malacca,
Zelan, Ormus, &c., which the Portuguese got not long since, and those
land-leaping Jesuits have essayed in China, Japan, as appears by their
yearly letters; in Africa they have Melinda, Quiloa, Mombaze, &c., and
some few towns, they drive out one superstition with another. Poland is
a receptacle of all religions, where Samosetans, Socinians, Photinians
(now protected in Transylvania and Poland), Arians, Anabaptists are to
be found, as well as in some German cities. Scandia is Christian, but
[6362]Damianus A-Goes, the Portugal knight, complains, so mixed with
magic, pagan rites and ceremonies, they may be as well counted
idolaters: what Tacitus formerly said of a like nation, is verified in
them, [6363]A people subject to superstition, contrary to religion. And
some of them as about Lapland and the Pilapians, the devil's possession
to this day, Misera haec gens (saith mine [6364]author) Satanae
hactenus possessio,—et quod maxime mirandum et dolendum, and which is
to be admired and pitied; if any of them be baptised, which the kings
of Sweden much labour, they die within seven or nine days after, and
for that cause they will hardly be brought to Christianity, but worship
still the devil, who daily appears to them. In their idolatrous
courses, Gandentibus diis patriis, quos religiose colunt, &c. Yet are
they very superstitious, like our wild Irish: though they of the better
note, the kings of Denmark and Sweden themselves, that govern them, be
Lutherans; the remnant are Calvinists, Lutherans, in Germany equally
mixed. And yet the emperor himself, dukes of Lorraine, Bavaria, and the
princes, electors, are most part professed papists. And though some
part of France and Ireland, Great Britain, half the cantons in
Switzerland, and the Low Countries, be Calvinists, more defecate than
the rest, yet at odds amongst themselves, not free from superstition.
And which [6365]Brochard, the monk, in his description of the Holy
Land, after he had censured the Greek church, and showed their errors,
concluded at last, Faxit Deus ne Latinis multa irrepserint stultifies,
I say God grant there be no fopperies in our church. As a dam of water
stopped in one place breaks out into another, so doth superstition. I
say nothing of Anabaptists, Socinians, Brownists, Familists, &c. There
is superstition in our prayers, often in our hearing of sermons, bitter
contentions, invectives, persecutions, strange conceits, besides
diversity of opinions, schisms, factions, &c. But as the Lord (Job
xlii. cap. 7. v.) said to Eliphaz, the Temanite, and his two friends,
his wrath was kindled against them, for they had not spoken of him
things that were right: we may justly of these schismatics and
heretics, how wise soever in their own conceits, non recte loquuntur de
Deo, they speak not, they think not, they write not well of God, and as
they ought. And therefore, Quid quaeso mi Dorpi, as Erasmus concludes
to Dorpius, hisce Theologis faciamus, aut quid preceris, nisi forte
fidelem medicum, qui cerebro medeatur? What shall we wish them, but
sanam mentem, and a good physician? But more of their differences,
paradoxes, opinions, mad pranks, in the symptoms: I now hasten to the
causes.
SUBSECT. II.—_Causes of Religious melancholy. From the Devil by
miracles, apparitions, oracles. His instruments or factors,
politicians, Priests, Impostors, Heretics, blind guides. In them
simplicity, fear, blind zeal, ignorance, solitariness, curiosity,
pride, vainglory, presumption, &c. his engines, fasting, solitariness,
hope, fear, &c._
We are taught in Holy Scripture, that the Devil rangeth abroad like a
roaring lion, still seeking whom he may devour: and as in several
shapes, so by several engines and devices he goeth about to seduce us;
sometimes he transforms himself into an angel of light; and is so
cunning that he is able, if it were possible, to deceive the very
elect. He will be worshipped as [6366]God himself, and is so adored by
the heathen, and esteemed. And in imitation of that divine power, as
[6367]Eusebius observes, [6368]to abuse or emulate God's glory, as
Dandinus adds, he will have all homage, sacrifices, oblations, and
whatsoever else belongs to the worship of God, to be done likewise unto
him, similis erit altissimo, and by this means infatuates the world,
deludes, entraps, and destroys many a thousand souls. Sometimes by
dreams, visions (as God to Moses by familiar conference), the devil in
several shapes talks with them: in the [6369]Indies it is common, and
in China nothing so familiar as apparitions, inspirations, oracles, by
terrifying them with false prodigies, counterfeit miracles, sending
storms, tempests, diseases, plagues (as of old in Athens there was
Apollo, Alexicacus, Apollo λόιμιος, pestifer et malorum depulsor),
raising wars, seditions by spectrums, troubling their consciences,
driving them to despair, terrors of mind, intolerable pains; by
promises, rewards, benefits, and fair means, he raiseth such an opinion
of his deity and greatness, that they dare not do otherwise than adore
him, do as he will have them, they dare not offend him. And to compel
them more to stand in awe of him, [6370]he sends and cures diseases,
disquiets their spirits (as Cyprian saith), torments and terrifies
their souls, to make them adore him: and all his study, all his
endeavour is to divert them from true religion to superstition: and
because he is damned himself, and in an error, he would have all the
world participate of his errors, and be damned with him. The primum
mobile, therefore, and first mover of all superstition, is the devil,
that great enemy of mankind, the principal agent, who in a thousand
several, shapes, after diverse fashions, with several engines,
illusions, and by several names hath deceived the inhabitants of the
earth, in several places and countries, still rejoicing at their falls.
All the world over before Christ's time, he freely domineered, and held
the souls of men in most slavish subjection (saith [6371]Eusebius) in
diverse forms, ceremonies, and sacrifices, till Christ's coming, as if
those devils of the air had shared the earth amongst them, which the
Platonists held for gods ([6372]Ludus deorum sumus), and were our
governors and keepers. In several places, they had several rites,
orders, names, of which read Wierus de praestigiis daemonum, lib. 1.
cap. 5. [6373]Strozzius Cicogna, and others; Adonided amongst the
Syrians; Adramalech amongst the Capernaites, Asiniae amongst the
Emathites; Astartes with the Sidonians; Astaroth with the Palestines;
Dagon with the Philistines; Tartary with the Hanaei; Melchonis amongst
the Ammonites: Beli the Babylonians; Beelzebub and Baal with the
Samaritans and Moabites; Apis, Isis, and Osiris amongst the Egyptians;
Apollo Pythius at Delphos, Colophon, Ancyra, Cuma, Erythra; Jupiter in
Crete, Venus at Cyprus, Juno at Carthage, Aesculapius at Epidaurus,
Diana at Ephesus, Pallas at Athens, &c. And even in these our days,
both in the East and West Indies, in Tartary, China, Japan, &c., what
strange idols, in what prodigious forms, with what absurd ceremonies
are they adored? What strange sacraments, like ours of Baptism and the
Lord's Supper, what goodly temples, priests, sacrifices they had in
America, when the Spaniards first landed there, let Acosta the Jesuit
relate, lib. 5. cap. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., and how the devil imitated the
Ark and the children of Israel's coming out of Egypt; with many such.
For as Lipsius well discourseth out of the doctrine of the Stoics,
maxime cupiunt adorationem hominum, now and of old, they still and most
especially desire to be adored by men. See but what Vertomannus, l. 5.
c. 2. Marcus Polus, Lerius, Benzo, P. Martyr in his Ocean Decades,
Acosta, and Mat. Riccius expedit. Christ. in Sinus, lib. 1. relate.
[6374]Eusebius wonders how that wise city of Athens, and flourishing
kingdoms of Greece, should be so besotted; and we in our times, how.
those witty Chinese, so perspicacious in all other things should be so
gulled, so tortured with superstition, so blind as to worship stocks
and stones. But it is no marvel, when we see all out as great effects
amongst Christians themselves; how are those Anabaptists, Arians, and
Papists above the rest, miserably infatuated! Mars, Jupiter, Apollo,
and Aesculapius, have resigned their interest, names, and offices to
Saint George.
([6375](Maxime bellorum rector, quem nostra juventus
Pro Mavorte colit.)———
St. Christopher, and a company of fictitious saints, Venus to the Lady
of Loretto. And as those old Romans had several distinct gods, for
divers offices, persons, places, so have they saints, as [6376]Lavater
well observes out of Lactantius, mutato nomine tantum, 'tis the same
spirit or devil that deludes them still. The manner how, as I say, is
by rewards, promises, terrors, affrights, punishments. In a word, fair
and foul means, hope and fear. How often hath Jupiter, Apollo, Bacchus,
and the rest, sent plagues in [6377]Greece and Italy, because their
sacrifices were neglected?
[6378]Dii multa neglecti dederunt
Hesperiae mala luctuosae,