OF ATHEISM 39 



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 them- 

 selves ? 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 vu/gi 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 shews that 



