Francis Bacon - The Essays 1601
OF ATHEISM
I had rather believe
all the fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran,
than that this universal
frame is without a mind. And therefore,
God never wrought miracle, to convince atheism,
because his ordinary works convince it. It is true,
that a little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism;
but depth in philosophy bringeth men's
minds about to religion.
For while the mind
of man looketh upon second causes scattered,
it may sometimes rest in them,
and go no further;
but when it beholdeth
the chain of them,
confederate and linked together,
it must needs fly
to Providence and Deity. Nay,
even that school which
is most accused of
atheism doth most demonstrate religion; that is,
the school of Leucippus
and Democritus and Epicurus.
For it is a
thousand times more credible,
that four mutable elements,
and one immutable fifth essence,
duly and eternally placed, need no God,
than that an army
of infinite small portions, or seeds unplaced,
should have produced this order and beauty,
without a divine marshal. The Scripture saith,
The fool hath said in his heart,
there is no God;
it is not said,
The fool hath thought in his heart;
so as he rather saith it,
by rote to himself,
as that he would have,
than that he can thoroughly believe it,
or be persuaded of it. For none deny,
there is a God, but those,
for whom it maketh
that there were no God.
It appeareth in nothing more,
that atheism is rather in the lip,
than in the heart of man, than by this;
that atheists will ever
be talking of that their opinion,
as if they fainted in it, within themselves,
and would be glad to be strengthened,
by the consent of others. Nay more,
you shall have atheists
strive to get disciples,
as it fareth with other sects. And,
which is most of all,
you shall have of them,
that will suffer for atheism, and not recant;
whereas if they did truly think,
that there were no
such thing as God,
why should they trouble themselves? Epicurus is charged,
that he did but
dissemble for his credit's sake,
when he affirmed there were blessed natures,
but such as enjoyed themselves,
without having respect to
the government of the world.
Wherein they say he did temporize; though in secret,
he thought there was no God.
But certainly he is traduced;
for his words are noble and divine:
Non deos vulgi negare profanum;
sed vulgi opiniones diis applicare profanum.
Plato could have said no more.
And although he had the confidence,
to deny the administration,
he had not the power,
to deny the nature.
The Indians of the West,
have names for their particular gods,
though they have no name for God:
as if the heathens
should have had the names Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, etc.,
but not the word Deus;
which shows that even
those barbarous people have the notion,
though they have not
the latitude and extent of it.
So that against atheists,
the very savages take part,
with the very subtlest philosophers.
The contemplative atheist is rare: a Diagoras, a Bion, a Lucian perhaps, and some others;
and yet they seem
to be more than they are;
for that all that
impugn a received religion, or superstition,
are by the adverse
part branded with the name of atheists.
But the great atheists, indeed are hypocrites;
which are ever handling holy things, but without feeling;
so as they must
needs be cauterized in the end.
The causes of atheism are: divisions in religion,
if they be many;
for any one main division,
addeth zeal to both sides;
but many divisions introduce atheism. Another is, scandal of priests;
when it is come
to that which St. Bernard saith,
non est jam dicere,
ut populus sic sacerdos;
quia nec sic populus ut sacerdos. A third is,
custom of profane scoffing in holy matters; which doth,
by little and little,
deface the reverence of religion. And lastly, learned times,
specially with peace and prosperity;
for troubles and adversities
do more bow men's minds to religion.
They that deny a God, destroy man's nobility;
for certainly man is
of kin to the beasts, by his body; and,
if he be not
of kin to God, by his spirit,
he is a base and ignoble creature.
It destroys likewise magnanimity,
and the raising of human nature;
for take an example of a dog,
and mark what a
generosity and courage he will put on,
when he finds himself
maintained by a man;
who to him is
instead of a God, or melior natura;
which courage is manifestly such, as that creature,
without that confidence of
a better nature than his own, could never attain. So man,
when he resteth and assureth himself,
upon divine protection and favor,
gathered a force and faith,
which human nature in
itself could not obtain. Therefore,
as atheism is in all respects hateful, so in this,
that it depriveth human
nature of the means to exalt itself, above human frailty.
As it is in particular persons,
so it is in nations.
Never was there such
a state for magnanimity as Rome.
Of this state hear what Cicero saith: Quam volumus licet, patres conscripti, nos amemus,
tamen nec numero Hispanos, nec robore Gallos, nec calliditate Poenos, nec artibus Graecos,
nec denique hoc ipso
hujus gentis et terrae
domestico nativoque sensu Italos ipsos et Latinos; sed pietate, ad religione,
atque hac una sapientia,
quod deorum immortalium numine
omnia regi gubernarique perspeximus,
omnes gentes nationesque superavimus.
- Impressum -