IT WERE better to have no opinion of God at all, than such an opinion, as is unworthy of him. For the one is unbelief, the other is contumely; and certainly superstition is the reproach of the Deity. Plutarch saith well to that purpose: Surely (saith he) I had rather a great deal, men should say, there was no such man at all, as Plutarch, than that they should say, that there was one Plutarch, that would eat his children as soon as they were born; as the poets speak of Saturn. And as the contumely is greater towards God, so the danger is greater towards men. Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation; all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion were not; but superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy, in the minds of men. Therefore atheism did never perturb states; for it makes men wary of themselves, as looking no further: and we see the times inclined to atheism (as the time of Augustus Caesar) were civil times. But superstition hath been the confusion of many states, and bringeth in a new primum mobile, that ravisheth all the spheres of government. The master of superstition, is the people; and in all superstition, wise men follow fools; and arguments are fitted to practice, in a reversed order. It was gravely said by some of the prelates in the Council of Trent, where the doctrine of the Schoolmen bare great sway, that the Schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics and epicycles, and such engines of orbs, to save the phenomena; though they knew there were no such things; and in like manner, that the Schoolmen had framed a number of subtle and intricate axioms, and theorems, to save the practice of the church. The causes of superstition are: pleasing and sensual rites and ceremonies; excess of outward and pharisaical holiness; overgreat reverence of traditions, which cannot but load the church; the stratagems of prelates, for their own ambition and lucre; the favoring too much of good intentions, which openeth the gate to conceits and novelties; the taking an aim at divine matters, by human, which cannot but breed mixture of imaginations: and, lastly, barbarous times, especially joined with calamities and disasters. Superstition, without a veil, is a deformed thing; for, as it addeth deformity to an ape, to be so like a man, so the similitude of superstition to religion, makes it the more deformed. And as wholesome meat corrupteth to little worms, so good forms and orders corrupt, into a number of petty observances. There is a superstition in avoiding superstition, when men think to do best, if they go furthest from the superstition, formerly received; therefore care would be had that (as it fareth in ill purgings) the good be not taken away with the bad; which commonly is done, when the people is the reformer.
It would be better to have no belief about God than to hold a belief unworthy of him. One is unbelief, the other is an insult. Superstition certainly dishonors God. Plutarch makes this point well. “Certainly,” he says, “I would much rather people said there was never any such man as Plutarch. That would be better than saying Plutarch ate his children as soon as they were born, as poets describe Saturn.” Just as superstition is a greater insult to God, it is also a greater danger to people. Atheism leaves people guided by reason, philosophy, natural devotion to duty, laws, and concern for their reputation. All these can guide people toward outward moral goodness, even without religion. But superstition overthrows all these guides and establishes absolute rule over people’s minds. Atheism, therefore, has never thrown states into disorder. It makes people careful about their own interests, since they look no further. We see that periods inclined toward atheism, such as the age of Augustus Caesar, were peaceful and orderly. But superstition has thrown many states into chaos. It introduces a new “prime mover” that sweeps every sphere of government along with it. The people are the masters of superstition. In all superstition, wise people follow fools. The proper order is reversed, and arguments are made to justify existing practices. Some bishops at the Council of Trent made a serious observation about the Scholastics, whose teachings held great influence there. They compared them to astronomers who invented eccentric circles, epicycles, and similar celestial mechanisms to explain observed appearances. They did this even though they knew no such things existed. Likewise, the Scholastics had devised many subtle, intricate principles and theories to justify the church’s practices. The causes of superstition are rituals and ceremonies that please and appeal to the senses. They also include excessive displays of outward, self-righteous holiness and excessive reverence for traditions, which inevitably burden the church. Another cause is the scheming of bishops for their own ambition and profit. Giving too much approval to good intentions opens the door to fanciful ideas and innovations. Judging divine matters by human standards inevitably mixes them with human imaginings. Finally, superstition arises in uncivilized times, especially when accompanied by suffering and disasters. Superstition, stripped of its disguise, is an ugly thing. An ape’s resemblance to a human makes it uglier. Likewise, superstition’s resemblance to religion makes it more ugly. Just as wholesome food decays into little worms, good practices and institutions decay into countless petty observances. There is also a superstition in avoiding superstition. People fall into it when they think it best to go furthest from previously accepted superstition. We must therefore take care not to remove the good along with the bad, as happens with harmful purges. This commonly happens when the people take charge of reform.