ivl I Reafons of Religions Continuance, Introduit. 24 Chap. . Ifit be objefled, that the rcafon, why Religioncontinueth, fo long, is, becaufe they arekept inawe by it, that otherwife would be exorbitant. This is an Argu-, ment agaiaft them, that make that Objedion. For Falfhood andTruth are not.com- petible, cannot Rand together. And they will not fay that Policie is a fained thing in a Commonwealth. Therefore if Religion uphold Policy, it muft needs be true, andnot feigned; for Truth needs no feigned thing, nor Falfhood to maintain it. The very Heathen confefs, That Religion upholds all Politique States and Common- wealths, and that it is the Back-boneof then ; And that it is fo, WC may fee it 1?y three things. t. It preferves Faith in mutual TranfaQions and Commerce. For take away Rd., gion, and you take away Faith or Fidelity from among men, and menwouldnot truft oneanother. There would be no dealings, no commerce at all. z. It preferves Temperance; for without Religion, The Head-flrong Concupi- fcence, and unbridled Affc Lions of men would not be kept in true temper and order. 3. It preferves Obedience, and fubmilfion to Government; No people without Religion would be fubje6t toAuthority, noone Country would obey one Prince and fa, no Kingdorne would fubfift. Now concerning the Original of Atheifm, the very perfons that forged it, and the juft timeand place of that forgery cannot eafily be (hewn. The perfon or firft broacherofit (as Come conjedure)was Mon, the youngeft Son ofNoah , whom the Heathen call Ca/of/fez, who upon the Curfe of God and his Father denounced againft him, began it. vEgyptwas the place, and the time ( accor- dingto'7ofephuo) was about Anno Mandi t9so. Thisman feting himQlf deprivedof all future joyes, gavehimfelf toSenfuality, and Bruitifh Pleafures in thisworld, and began to teach, that there was no God, but fell toworfhip the Devil; fromwhence hewas called Zoroaflres the great Magician. This is theopinion of fome. But doubt- lefswhofoever was the Author, the time was ántient, and not long after theDeluge For then, as the world encreafed with people, fo itwas fruitful in fia and impiety. So that veer to theee times, it mutt needs take its original: And furely, thole things that were the true caufes of it afterwards, doubtlefsgave it the firft being. Namely. t Stomach Anger and dare of Revenge. z. Senfuality, anddelight in the pleafureof this life, drowning all thoughts of a better life heteafter. r. For the firft, wemay fee it plainly in Diagoras, who as Diodoraa SiculusandSuit das report of him, became an Atheift, affirming that there was neither God,. nor Religion. Becaufe when he had written a book of Verfes, which pleated him fo well, that he intended topublilh it, onehole the Poem from him : and when for this fad, he was brought before theSenate ofAthens, and took hisOath that he had it not, yet afterwards put it forth to publick view , not inDiagoras name, but inhis own. And becaufe this perjured perfon was not prefently ftriken withThunder for hisperjury, andabiding the name oftheir Gods and the Authorityof theSenate, Di- agoras immediately turned Atheift. The like is tobe obferved in Porphjrieand Lu- cian, who at the firft wereChrifians,but for force wrong done to them by tomeof the Church (as they conceived) for which they were not punilited , became plain Atheifts, though they were termed but Apoftata's. For the fecond, which is Senfuality. This motivedrew Epicurus and his Fellows to becomeAtheifls : And to hold this brutifhopinion that there carne anextraordinary benefit to them, becaufe they might more freely enjoy their Pleafures without re- ftraint by any fear of future punifhment. At the firft they held withDiagora', that there was no God. The main reafonof their brutifh opinionwas grounded upon this; Ede, bibe, lads, pofI moreem nullsvolupras, therewas no hope ofpleafureafter thislife, becaufe the foul wasnot immortal. But the very Heathen contemporary with them confuted them therein, and thus proved theTruth againft Epicurus. n. In things that are corrupted together, Corruption takes hold of the one aswell A as the other, both at once : but in age, when the body is weakeft,the foul is ftrongeft : therefore it is immortal. z. The perfectionof the Soul appeareth moll, when it abliraCeth and feparateth ifell
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=