ata hominum arma contemnit, qui dei præsidio tutus est: Or as Phalaris writ to Alexander in a wrong cause, he nor any other enemie could terrifie him, for that he trusted in God. Si Deus nobiscum, quis contra nos? In all calamities, persecutions whatsoever, as David did, 2. Sam. 2. 22. he will sing with him, "The Lord is my rock, my fortresse, my strength, my refuge, the towre and horn of my salvation, &c. In all troubles and adversities, Psal. 46. 1. "God is my hope and help, still ready to be found, I will not therefore fear, &c. 'tis a fear expelling fear; he hath peace of conscience, and is full of hope, which is (saith Austin) vita vitæ mortalis, the life of this our mortal life, hope of immortality, the sole comfort of our misery: otherwise, as Paul saith, we of all others were most wretched, but this makes us happy, counterpoising our hearts in all miseries; superstition torments, and is from the Divell, the author of lies; but this is from God himself, as Lucian that Antiochian Priest made his divine confession in Eusebius, Author nobis de Deo Deus est, God is the author of our Religion himself, his word is our rule, a lanthorn to us, dictated by the holy Ghost, he playes upon our hearts as so many harpstrings, and we are his Temples, he dwelleth in us, and we in him.

The part affected of superstition, is the brain, heart, will, understanding, soul it self, and all the faculties of it, totum compositum, all is mad, and dotes: Now for the extent, as I say, the world it self is the subject of it, (to omit that grand sin of Atheisme,) 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 idolatrie 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 Divell will have a chappel : where God hath sacrifices, the Divell will have his oblations: where God hath ceremonies, the Divell will have his traditions; where there is any religion, the Divell will plant superstition; and tis a pitifull sight to behold and read, what tortures, miseries it hath procured, what slaughter of soules it hath made, how it rageth amongst those old Persians, Syrians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Tuscans, Gaules, Germanes, Britaines, &c. Britannia jam hodiè celebrat tam attonitè, saith Pliny, tantis ceremoniis (speaking of superstition) ut dedisse Persis videri possit. The Britaines are so stupendly superstitious in their ceremo

" Epist. Phalar. * In Psal. 3. * Lib. 9. cap 6

* Lib. 3.

nies, 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 * Gerbelius truely observes, may stand amazed, and never enough wonder at it; and thank God withall, that by the light of the Gospel, we are so happily freed from that slavish Idolatrie in these our dayes. 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 Dæmon habet."

The Patriarchs and their families, the Israelites a handfull in respect, Christ and his Apostles, and not all of them neither. Into what straights hath it been compinged, a little flock! how hath superstition on the other side dilated her self, errour, ignorance, barbarisme, folly, madness, deceived, triumphed, and insulted over the most wise, discreet and understanding men, Philosophers, Dynastes, Monarches, all were involved and over-shadowed in this mist, in more than Cymmerian darkness. Adeo ignara superstitio mentes hominum depravat, & nonnunquam sapientum animos transversos agit. At this present, quota pars! How small a part is truely religious! How little in respect! Divide the World into six parts, and one or not so much is Christians; Idolaters and Mahometans possesse almost Asia, Africk, America, Magellanica. The Kings of China, great Cham, Siam, and Bornaye, Pegu, Decan, Narsinga, Japan, &c. are Gentiles, Idolaters, and many other pettie Princes in Asia, Monomotopa, Congo, and I know not how many Negro Princes in Africk, all Terra Australis incognita most of America Pagans, differing all in their severall superstitions; and yet all Idolaters. The Mahometans extend themselves over the great Turk's dominions in Europe, Africk, Asia, to the Xeriffes in Barbary, and his 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 Divell rageth: Those at oddes, or differing among themselves, some for Alli, some Enbocar, for Acmor, and Ozimen, those four Doctors, Mahomet's successors, and are subdivided into 72 inferior sects, as Leo Afer reports. The Jews as a company of vagabonds

a

Lib. 6. descrip. Græc. nulla est via qua non innumeris idolis est referta. Tantum tunc temporis in miserrimos mortales potentiæ & crudelis Tyrannidis Satan exercuit. Purchas Pilgrim. lib. 1.

Alex. ab. Alex. lib. 6. cap. 26.

a

c. 3,

Lib. 3.

are

are scattered over all parts; whose story, present estate, progresse from time to time, is fully set down by *Mr. Thomas Jackson Doctor of Divinity, in his Comment on the Creed. A fift 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 Africk, Lord of those Abyssines, 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 Paganisme, that they keep little more then a bare title of Christianitie. 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. 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, Jacobines, Syrians, Armenians, Georgians, Sc. scattered over Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, &c. Greece, Valachia, Circassia, Bulgary, Bosnia, Albania, Illyricum, Slavonia, Croatia, Thrace, Servia, Rascia, and a sprinkling amongst the Tartars. The Russians, Muscovites, and most of that great Duke's subjects, are part of the Greek Church, and still Christians; but as one saith, temporis successu multas illi addiderunt superstitiones, In processe of time they have added so many superstitions, they be rather semi-Christians, then otherwise. That which remaines, is the Western Church with us in Europe, but so eclipsed with severall schismes, heresies and superstitions, that one knows not where to finde it. The Papists have Italy, Spaine, 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 Philippinæ, some small holds about Goa, Malacha, Zelan, Ormus, &c. which the Portugall got not long since, and those land-leaping Jesuites have assayed in China, Japan, as appears by their yearly letters; in Africk 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 (no v protected in Transilvania and Poland) Arrians, Anabaptists are to be found, as well as in some German Cities. Scandia is Christian, but

*2 Part. sec. 3. lib. 1. cap. & deinceps. Titelmannus. Maginus. Bredenbachius. Fr. Aluaresius Itin. de Abyssinis Herbis solum vescuntur votarii, aquis mento tenus dormiunt, &c. Bredenbachius Jod. à Meggen. * Sec Passevinus Herbastein, Magin. D. Fletcher, Jovius, Facluit, Purchas, &c. of their errors.

as

f

as Damianus A-Goes the Portugall Knight complains, so mixt with Magick, Pagan Rites and ceremonies, they may be as well counted Idolaters: what Tacitus formerly said of a like nation, is verified in them, "* A people subject to superstition, contrary to Religion." And some of them as about Lapland and the Pilapians, the Divells possession to this day, Misera hæc gens (saith mine + Author) Satanæ hactenus possessio,& quod maxime mirandum & dolendum, and which is to be admired and pitied; if any of them be baptized, which the Kings of Sweden much labour, they die within 7 or 9 dayes after, and for that cause they will hardly be brought to Christianity, but worship still the Divel, who daily appears to them. In their idolatrous courses, Gaudentibus 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 mixt: And yet the Emperor himself, Dukes of Loraine, Bavaria, and the Princes Electors, are most part professed Papists. And though some part of France and Ireland, Great Britaine, half the Cantos in Switzerland, and the Low countries be Calvinists, more defecate then the rest, yet at oddes amongst themselves, not free from superstition. And which Brochard the Monk in his description of the holy Land, after he had censured the Greek Church, and shewed their errours, concluded at last, Faxit Deus ne Latinis multa irrepserint stultitiæ, I say God grant there be no fopperies in our Church. As a damme of water stopt in one place breaks out into another, so doth superstition. I say nothing of Anabaptists, Socinians, Brownists, Barrowists, Familists, &c. There is superstition in our prayers, often in our hearing of Sermons, bitter contentions, invectives, persecutions, strange conceits, besides diversitie of opinions, schismes, factions, &c. But as the Lord (Job. 42. cap. 7. 5.) 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 Schismatiques, and Heretiques, how wise soever in their own conceits, non rectè loquuntur de Deo, they speak not, they think not, they write not well of God, and as they ought. And therefore, Quid quæso mi Dorpi, as Erasmus concludes to Dorpius, hisce Theologis faciamus, aut quid preceris, nisi forte fidelem medicum, qui cerebro medeatur? What shall

f Deplorat. Gentis Lapp.

*Gens superstitioni obnoxia, religionibus adversa. + Boissardus de Magia. Intra septimum aut nonum à baptismo diem meriuntur. Hinc fit, &c. Cap. de Incolis terræ sanctæ.

we

we wish them, but sanam mentem, and a good Physitian? But more of their differences, paradoxes, opinions, mad pranks, in the Symptomes: I now hasten to the cauess.

SUBSECT. II.

Causes of Religious melancholy. From the Divell by miracles, apparitions, oracles. His instruments or factors, polititians, Priests, Impostors, Hereticks, blind guides. In them simplicity, fear, blinde zeal, ignorance, solitariness, curiosity, pride, vain-glory, presumption, &c. his engins, fasting, solitariness, hope, fear, &c.

WE

E are taught in holy Scripture, that the "Divel rangeth abroad like a roaring Lyon, still seeking whom he may devour:" and as in severall shapes, so by several engines and devices he goeth about to seduce us; sometime 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 God himself, and is so adored by the Hea. then, and esteemed. And in imitation of that divine power, as Eusebius observes, 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 divel in several shapes talks with them in the * 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 λou pestifer & 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 then adore him, do as he will have them, they dare not offend him. And to compel them more to stand

* Plato in Crit. Dæmones custodes sunt hominum & eorum domini, ut nos animalium; nec hominibus, sed & regionibus imperant, vaticiniis, auguriis, nos regunt. Idem fere Max. Tyrius ser. 1. & 26. 27. medios vult dæmones inter Deos & homines deorum ministros, præsides hominum, a cælo ad homines descendentes. Depræparat. Evangel. i Vel in abusum Dei vel in æmulationem. Dandinus com. in lib. 2. Arist. de An. Text. 29. * Dæmones consulunt, & familiares

habent dæmones pleriq; sacerdotes. Riccius lib. 1. cap. 10. expedit. Sinar.