ESSAYS CIVIL A\D MORAL 



thought to be shot out of their secret intentions, For, as for large 

 discourses, they arc flat things, and not so much noted. 



Lastly, let princes, against all events, not be without some great 

 person, one, or rather more, of military valour near unto them, for the 

 repressing of seditions in their beginnings. For without that, there 

 useth to be more trepidation in court upon the first breaking out of 

 troubles, than were fit. And the state runneth the danger of that 

 which Tacitus saith, &quot;atquc is habitus animorum fuit, ut pcssimum 

 facinus auderent pauci, plures vellcnt. omnes paterentur.&quot; IJut let such 

 military persons be assured and well reputed of, rather than factious 

 and popular; holding also good correspondence with the other great 

 men in the state ; or else the remedy is worse than the disease, 



XVI. OK ATIIK.ISM. 



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 philo 

 sophy inclincth man s mind to atheism ; but depth in philosophy 

 bringcth men s minds about to religion : for while the mind of man 

 lookcth upon second causes scattered, it may sometimes rest in them, 

 and go no farther ; but when it beholdcth the chain of them confede 

 rate 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 Lcucippus, and Demo- 

 critus, 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, &quot; The fool hath 

 said in his heart, There is no God : &quot; it is not said, &quot; the fool hath 

 thought in his heart.&quot; So as he rather saith it by rote to himself, as 

 that he would have, than that he can thoroughly believe it, or be 

 pcrs.i.Klcd of it. For none deny there is a God, but those for 

 whoir it maketh that there were no (Joel. It appcarcth 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 farcth 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? Kpicurus 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 thcv 

 say he did temporize, though in secret he thought there was no GoO. 

 13ut certainly he is traduced; for his words arc noble and duine : 



