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 superstition1 is the reproach of the Deity2. Plutarch saith well to that purpose: Surely (saith he) I had rather a great deal, men should say, there was no sitch 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 Saturn3. And as the contumely is greater towards God, so the danger is greater towards men. Atheism4 leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety5, to laws, to reputation all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue6, though religion were not; but superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy7, in the minds of men. Therefore theism did never perturb8 states; for it makes men wary9 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 doctrine10 of the Schoolmen bare great sway, that the Schoolmen were like astronomers11, which did feign12 eccentrics and epicycles, and such engines of orbs13, to save the phenomena14; 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 rites15 and ceremonies; excess of outward and pharisaical holiness; overgreat reverence16 of traditions, which cannot but load the church; the stratagems17 of prelates, for their own ambition and lucre18; the favoring too much of good intentions, which openeth the gate to conceits19 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 calamities20 and disasters. Superstition, without a veil, is a deformed21 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 wholesome22 meat corrupteth to little worms, so good forms and orders corrupt23, 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, formerly24 received; therefore care would be had that (as it fareth in the good be not taken away with the bad; which commonly is done, when the people is the reformer.
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1
superstition
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n.迷信,迷信行为 | |
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2
deity
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n.神,神性;被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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Saturn
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n.农神,土星 | |
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atheism
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n.无神论,不信神 | |
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piety
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n.虔诚,虔敬 | |
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virtue
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n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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monarchy
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n.君主,最高统治者;君主政体,君主国 | |
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perturb
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v.使不安,烦扰,扰乱,使紊乱 | |
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wary
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adj.谨慎的,机警的,小心的 | |
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doctrine
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n.教义;主义;学说 | |
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astronomers
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n.天文学者,天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 ) | |
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feign
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vt.假装,佯作 | |
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orbs
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abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球,天体,圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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phenomena
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n.现象 | |
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rites
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仪式,典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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reverence
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n.敬畏,尊敬,尊严;Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称;v.尊敬,敬畏,崇敬 | |
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stratagems
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n.诡计,计谋( stratagem的名词复数 );花招 | |
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lucre
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n.金钱,财富 | |
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conceits
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高傲( conceit的名词复数 ); 自以为; 巧妙的词语; 别出心裁的比喻 | |
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calamities
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n.灾祸,灾难( calamity的名词复数 );不幸之事 | |
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deformed
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adj.畸形的;变形的;丑的,破相了的 | |
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22
wholesome
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adj.适合;卫生的;有益健康的;显示身心健康的 | |
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23
corrupt
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v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 | |
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formerly
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adv.从前,以前 | |
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