The Account Audited and Discounted, Exercitation 1 · Section 22
Section 22. From that large diſcourſe, about the word, at laſt, Section, 27. the Doctor comes to apply it, to his purpoſe, &c.
FOr my leaping from this 14. to the 27. ſ. it was, p. 70, n. 1.becauſe there was no matter of controverſie in them, nothing but what I yielded to be the Heathens ſenſe of the word: But that being granted, the ſubſequent concluſions are not firmly founded upon thoſe premiſes; if the Doctor will but take in the ſenſe of Chriſtian Authors alſo (as he ought) when they ſpeak as Chriſtians. Amongſt them, Superſtition, is generally taken in an ill ſenſe; yea ſometimes alſo amongſt Heathens, Superſtition is oppoſed or contradiſtinguiſhed to Religion; and conſequently taken by them in an ill ſenſe. I ſhall make this manifeſt, when I have onelyonly made bold to ask the Doctor one queſtion, why he never gives us their words, when they ſpeak ill of it; but ſets the beſt face upon the word, when he knows, the thing meant by it, is ſo bad *Not only ſignifying Worſhip of Daemons, but falſe Worſhip to the true God, which here he waves, n. 2and abominable. What chaſte man, would take pains to paint a filthy ſtrumpet? Does Superſtition deſerve ſo much from the Doctor, to hide, rather then to acknowledge her deformity? but I forbear; and now ſhall ſhew him and his Reader, what he could have ſaid, out of ſome Heathens, and many Chriſtian Authors, for the word Superſtitio, if he had been pleaſed to diſgrace it. As,
1. From the Heathen Orator, the maſter of Romane Eloquence, and well skill'd in their Antiquities; who hath theſe words, (noted, no doubt, in the Doctors Common-place book) diſtinguiſhing Superſtition from Religion; Lib. 2. de nat. Deorum.Non enim Phiſophi ſolùm, verùm etiam Majores noſtri, Superſtitionem à Religionem ſeperaverunt, &c. And by and by after, Ita factum eſt, in ſuperſtitioſo, & religioſo, alterum vitii nomen, alterum laudis. And in another place; Lib. 2. de Divinat. ad f.Nec verò (id enim diligenter intelligi volo) ſuperſtitione ſublata, Religio tollitur.
2. From that learned Philoſopher, and Moraliſt, Seneca; whoſe words are theſe: Superſtitio error inſanus eſt, amandos timet, quos colit, probat. Quid enim intereſt, Epiſt. 1 24.utrum Deos neges, an infames? that is, by dreading them, as ſo many cruel Tyrants; as the Doctor expreſſed it, from others: But theſe ſentences of Seneca, were not then produced, yet are now ſet in his Margine, pag. 28. As a teſtimony againſt himſelf.
3. From Plutarch (a Greek Author) who not onelyonly diſtinguiſhes, foreign, from foreign, Superſtition from Religion, but alſo makes it a vice contrary to Religion, in the exceſſs: Some of his words to this purpoſe, were cited above, ad p. 47. n. 20 But Plutarch writ a whole book of Superſtition, which the Doctor cited once or twice in his Tract. of Superſt. But to hide the uglineſs of Superſtition, in that Heathens Judgement, tells us onelyonly this, ſ. 18. [It goes indefinitely for Religion, but particularly for ſome fearful apprehenſions of the Gods.] (Therefore not onelyonly for Superſtitum cultus.) But this is a palpable diſguiſe of Plutarchs notion of it, as any that read that Tract, will quickly diſcover. For 1. From the beginning, he oppoſes Superſtition to Atheiſme, as the two extremes of Religion: one in the exceſs, the other in the defect: for ſo he ſayes; foreign, &c. I wonder at thoſe that ſay, Atheiſme is irreligion, and ſay not the ſame of Superſtition: 2. He deſcribes the ſuperſtitious perſon, with ſuch black Characters, that no man can well ſpeak for it; ſuch as theſe beſide others, foreign, &c. [It muſt needs be, that the Superſtitious perſon both hate and fear the Gods,] *In the 2. Commandment they that Worſhip the true God, with any but his own preſcribed Worſhip, (which is Superstition) are ſaid to hate him.And a little after; [Hating and fearing the Gods, he is an enemy: 3. foreign, &c. There is nothing of Superſtition in an Atheiſt; but the ſuperſtitious is, foreign, an Atheiſt by choice. 4. To omit much more there ſpoken, he concludes as he began, but more plainly; making Atheiſme and Superſtition the two Extremes, and placing true Religion in the midſt: foreign, &c. [Many flying Superſtition, fall into Atheiſme, paſſing over Religion lying in the midſt.] Did not the Doctor know all this? ſhall a Chriſtian, a Divine, Learned and Pious, defend or palliate that, which an Heathen ſo condemnes? ſee what he ſayes for it, Infra ad p. 72. n. 7, 9. &c.
4. De Oratione.From Tertullian, one of our ancienteſt Latine Chriſtian Authors; who ſpeaks fully the Language of our Reformed Divines; Siquidem quae ſine ullius, aut Dominici, aut Apoſtolici praeceptae authoritate fiunt, ea non Religioni, ſed Superſtitioni deputantur, affectata, & coacta, & curioſi potius, quam rationalis officii: Where he gives an example of ſuch Superſtition. There were in the Church at that time, certain, that contrary to the cuſtome of the Church, would *Sure this was not Superſtitum cultus.put off their cloaks, when they went to prayer, placing ſome Religion in that Ceremony; (as Heathens uſed to do) to whom he anſwers, Quod utique ſi fieri oporteret, Apoſtoli qui, quae de habitu orandi docent, comprehendiſſent; And comes off with an elegant Charientiſmus, Niſi, ſequi putant Paulum, penulam ſuam, Adv. Marci. l. 1. c. 5.in oratione penes Carpum reliquiſſe. And the Doctor himſelf, hath cited another like place out of Tertullian, p. 16. n. 28. to put a difference between Superſtition and Religion, ſpeaking of worſhipping of two Gods; Vererer nè abundantja officit, Superſtitio potius, quam Religio crederetur. Where abundantia officii, may well ſignifie an exceſs in Religion.
5. From Lactantius; who, (in the place cited above, upon another occaſion) though he approve not the notation Superſtition, nor yet of Religion, given by Cicero, à Relegendo; yet clearly put's the difference, between Religion and Superſtition; Quid ergo eſt? Nimirum Religio, veri cultus; Superſtitio falſi— Religioſos ſe putant, cum ſint Superſtitioſi.
6. From Saint Auſtin, cited by Aquinas (as the Doctor recites it, p. 16.) Cecidit beſtia Superſtitionis, [The beaſt of Superſtition is destroyed, by the firſt Commandment of the Decalogue, preſcribing the Worſhip of one God:] Tract of Superſt. ſ. 13.He would not ſurely call that by the name of Religion: And Auſtin is affirmed to ſay, Deum à Religioſo vereri, à Superſtioſo timeri: and conſequently to that (addes the Doctor) Religio Deum colit, Superſtitio violat: [as Max. Tyrius, compared a Pious man, to a friend; a Superſtitious, to a flatterer: the Pious man comes to God, without fear, the Superſtitious man with much fear.] This, beſide much more that might be produced out of Saint Auſtin, is enough to ſhew, Auſtin took Superſtition for a vice contrary to Religion.
7. From the great School-man (and all his followers, in the Romiſh School) whoſe definition of Superſtition, we have ſo often heard, clearly differences Superſtition from Religion; [It is a vice contrary to Religion in the exceſs:] making, worſhipping of Creatures, to be but one Species of it; and Illegimate-worſhip in general, to be the other, which alſo hath ſeveral Species under it, as we have ſhewed. Before him, the Gloſs. Interlin. gave this, Superſtitio eſt Religio ſupra modum ſervata, on Col. 2. Which what is it, but Religion (ſo called) in the exceſs?
8. From all our Reformed Divines, Forraign and Domeſtick, who all generally take Superſtition in an ill ſenſe, as an addition to, or exceſs of Religion; and never in a good ſenſe; All this, and much more, the Doctor knew well enough; and yet ſhakes them all off, [as of ſo ſmall authority, that ſcarce worth producing,] as we ſhall hear anon.
But perhaps the Doctor will ſay, p. 71. n. 4.[He never imagined, Superstition truly ſo called, to have no ill in it:] But what does he truly call Superſtition? nothing willingly, but, worſhipping of Daemons: Hear what he ſayes; See n. 7.[The thing which I conteſt, is not this, that the Worſhip of Daemons, is, or ever was true or lawful; but that beſide this (adding the like of illegitimate Worſhip) there is nothing elſe, n. 9.which hath been lookt on as ſimply bad in Superſtition, particularly not the exceſs as that ſignifies unpreſcribed, uncommanded Worſhip, which is the onelyonly matter of the preſent conteſt with ſuch as the Diatribist.] But firſt, does he not ſay, Illegitimate-worſhip is lookt upon as ſimply bad, as well as Worſhip of Daemons? what difference is there between Ʋncommanded Worſhip, and Illegitimate? Does not Illegitimate ſignifie Unlawful Worſhip? and is not Uncommanded Worſhip alſo unlawful? His meaning is, (as afore) that Illegitimate ſignifies that which is forbidden by Law, which is more, then Ʋncommanded: No, it's the very ſame; for what Worſhip ſoever, is not commanded, is forbidden. 2. If this be all the conteſt with me, and ſuch as I am; the controverſie will ſoon be at an end: For I mean by Ʋncommanded Worſhip, nothing but forbidden Worſhip, and that the Doctor hath granted, or cannot deny, to be an exceſs, ſuper ſtatutum, an addition, and ſimply bad and unlawful. I ſhall therefore accept of his condition offered, and invert his own words; [Never to apply the word any otherwiſe, n. 5.then the Scripture and Christian writers do, for Daemon Worſhip, or undue, Illegitimate Worſhip; upon condition, that he will grant, that in that ſenſe, the word ſignifies an exceſs in Religion, in any part of Uncommanded Worſhip.] I ſay Ʋncommanded Worſhip, not Uncommanded Circumſtances, or Rites (unleſs made parts of Worſhip.) The conteſt not being at all, of the latter: as is confeſſed.
Yet renounced again in the following words: p. 37. n. 10.[He muſt ſet the queſtion, as elſewhere he doth, of exceſſive, as that ſignifies no more than Uncommanded Worſhip, without the addition of being falſe, it being evident, that I defend not falſe Worſhip of any kinde to be good, but that Ceremonies or Inſtitutions (of Worſhip) not commanded by God, may be perfectly lawful, and that is the onelyonly queſtion between us.] Is not here, firſt, a contradiction to that he ſaid before; that the onelyonly matter of conteſt was, of exceſs, n. 9.as that ſignifies Ʋncommanded Worſhip? now it is onelyonly of Ceremonies, &c. not commanded by God. 2. Is not here a ſecond contradiction, that he defends not Falſe Worſhip to be good, and yet defends Ʋncommanded Worſhip, which is Falſe Worſhip? And 3. Is it not a third contradiction to ſay, that I elſewhere ſet the queſtion of exceſſive, as that ſignifies Uncommanded Falſe Worſhip, and yet to ſay, I muſt ſet it, as it ſignifies Ceremonies, or Circumſtances, &c. not commanded, which he confeſſes oft, I do diſclaime? Here are as many miſtakes, as well could be in ſo few words. The reſt concerning, Acts 25.19. & 17.23. have ſufficiently been ſpoken to before, and I paſs it by.
OnelyOnly one thing muſt be taken notice of, and explained, to rectifie the Doctors underſtanding of thoſe words, of mine; p. 76. n. 20.[Supérſtitioſus in the poſitive ſignifies exceſs more then in the comparative;] which ſayes he, are not very intelligible, to him at leaſt. But the fault was none of mine, but the Printers, for want of a Comma after exceſs; then the ſenſe is clear thus: n. 21.Superſtitioſus in the poſitive ſignifies exceſs, more then, (that is much more then) in the comparative, (which exceeds the poſitive) Superſtitioſiores (given for the ſenſe of foreign, by the Vulg. Lat. and others) muſt ſignifie an exceſs. So much of that Section.