ESSA YS CIVIL AND MORAL. 



when the matter of the point controverted is great ; but it is driven 

 to an over-great subtilty and obscurity ; so that it becomcth a thing 

 rather ingenious than substantial. A man that is of judgment and 

 understanding shall sometimes hear ignorant men differ, and know 

 well within himself that those which so differ mean one thing, and yet 

 they themselves would never agree. And if it come so to pass in that 

 distance of judgment which is between man and man, shall we not 

 think that God above, that knows the heart, doth not discern that frail 

 men, in some of their contradictions, intend the same thing, and 

 acccptcth of both ? The nature of such controversies is excellently 

 expressed by St. Paul, in the warning and precept that he givcth con 

 cerning the same: &quot; devita profanas vocum novitiates, et oppositioncs 

 falsi nominis sciential&quot; Men create oppositions which are not ; and 

 put them into new terms so fixed, as, whereas the meaning ought to 

 govern the term, the term in effect govcrneth the meaning. There be 

 also two false peaces or unities : the one, when the peace is grounded 

 but upon an implicit ignorance ; for all colours will agree in the dark : 

 the other, when it is pieced up upon a direct admission of contraries 

 in fundamental points. For truth and falsehood, in such things, are 

 like the iron and clay in the toes of Nebuchadnezzar s image; they 

 may cleave, but they will not incorporate. 



Concerning the means of procuring unity: men must beware, that 

 in the procuring or muniting of religious unity, they do not dissolve 

 and deface the laws of charity, and of human society. There be two 

 swords amongst Christians, the spiritual and temporal ; and both 

 have their due office and place in the maintenance of religion. But 

 we may not take up the third sword, which is Mahomet s sword, or 

 like unto it ; that is, to propagate religion by wars, or by sanguinary 

 persecutions to force consciences ; except it be in cases of overt scandal, 

 Blasphemy, or intermixture of practice against the state ; much less to 

 nourish seditions ; to authorize conspiracies and rebellions ; to put the 

 sword into the people s hands, and the like, tending to the subversion 

 of all government, which is the ordinance of God For this is but to 

 dash the first table against the second ; and so to consider men as 

 Christians, as we forget that they are men. Lucretius the poet, when 

 lie beheld the act of Agamemnon, that could endure the sacrificing of 

 his own daughter, exclaimed : 



Tantum rcligio potuit suadcrc malorum. 



What would he have said, if he had known of the massacre in France, 

 or the powder-treason of England? He would have been seven times 

 more epicure and atheist than he was : for as the temporal sword is to 

 be drawn with great circumspection, in cases of religion; so it is a 

 thing monstrous to put into the hands of the common people. Let 

 that be left unto the anabaptists and other furies. It was great blas 

 phemy, when the devil said, &quot; I will ascend, and be like the Highest ;&quot; 

 but it is greater blasphemy to personate God, and bring him in saying, 

 &quot; I will descend, and be like the prince of darkness.&quot; And what is it 

 better to make the cause of religion to descend to the cruel and 



