Of the word superstition. word, the thing may offer itself more fully and plainly to be treated of. Aidapovía, i. e. Superstition. The word itself shews to us what notions the Grecians had of this vice; making little difference between it and the fear of God. Now the fear or dread of God they reckoned in the number of those things that were worthy of praise, and judged it to be a duty that is most becoming us towards God. Hence came these sayings of the Greeks, Fear God, and honour your parents. Therefore is the word superstition treated with equal respect; and from this duty did the most renowned amongst the Greeks receive their commendations: as Agesilaus is represented in Xenophona "to be always possessed with the fear of God; esteeming these not yet happy, who live well; but be"lieving them to be then really blessed, who had made an "honourable exit out of the world." So St. Paul in the Acts praises the Athenians as men of religion, when he calls them Deisidæmones, such as feared God, or were superstitious. And those controversies in religion, which happened between the Jews and St. Paul, are by St. Luke styled certain questions about superstition, or fear of God. These are taken in the favourable sense: but for the most part it is taken in a different sense from such a godly fear, and has a worse meaning; and then the word contains in it a notion of unprofitable fear of God. For as a frugal person is scarcely distinguished from one that is covetous, because the covetous man sordidly and corruptly imitates him: and there is a kind of wild and rugged hardiness imitates that which is the true patience of mind; so superstition comes very near in resemblance to that which is the true fear of God, when it is distant from it very widely, and would appear not to be far off: when it cannot come in any near conjunction with it, nor * Αἰεὶ δὲ δεισιδαίμων ἦν, νομίζων τοὺς μὲν καλῶς ζώντας οὔπω εὐδαίμονας, τοὺς δὲ εὐκλεῶς τετελευτηκότας ἤδη μακαρίους. • Ζητήματα περὶ δεισιδαιμονίας. conspire with it in a laudable moderation, and in a virtuous mean. supersti But in so many senses as the notion of fear may be Fear twounderstood, so many ways is superstition also to be taken: fold, and so inasmuch as everywhere, such as the shadow shews the tion. image of the body agreeable to its opposition to the sun, so this carries an umbrage of fear, instead of that force and disposition, which is denoted by it. But although fear is variously taken in Scripture, yet there are two significations of it of greatest latitude, which will be enough for us in this place. The one of these is that which signifies our religion in general, together with our righteousness towards God. The other declares those thoughts and motions of the mind, which regard the justice of God in the punishment of evil and wicked men. For since there are two things in God, which are chiefly to be looked upon by Christians; his justice, whereby he restrains such as are evil; and his mercy, that prepares and protects the good; our confidence regards the mercy of God, takes and embraces it; fear respects the justice and severity of God in punishing and avenging evil, which it conceives not without some commotion of the mind; for so the Apostle had described both. Be not high minded, but fear: for if Rom. xi. God spared not the natural branches, take heed he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness. Serve the Lord Ps. ii. 11, with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Lay hold of instruction, lest he being angry, ye perish from the right way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. The eyes of the Lord Ps. xxxiv. are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayer. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. But since there are those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, and their liberty into licentiousness, and an occasion to the flesh; so there are those who traduce the justice of God, as being severe, and who esteem his mercy 20, 21, 22. 12. 15. to be too much lenity, and remissness, and indulgence: and thus, while they trust too much to themselves, and are hurried on by their own inclinations, and hope, while they commit sin, that God will remit their offences; they have not confidence in God, but a bold presumption. Against whom it is wisely and wholesomely written, Say not, I have transgressed, what trouble shall come unto me? the Lord indeed is slow to wrath, yet will he not let thee go unpunished. Because thine offence is forgiven thee, be not careless in thy prosperity, so as to add sin to sin. Nor say, that his compassion is manifold, he will forgive the multitude of my sins. For mercy and wrath proceedeth from him, and his anger resteth upon sinners. Those who do not reckon this confidence and security amongst the greatest of sins, understand not what the true trust and confidence in God is: so those who, rejecting the true fear of God, look upon him as a fierce and cruel punisher and avenger of wickedness, and whose minds are not vigilant to escape his just wrath; but are tortured with an opinion of God's austerity and cruelty; what else will they answer to our Lord, or what other account will they deliver up to him, than that of the foolish servant in the GosMatt. xxv. pel? Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed. 24. Supersti moderate dread of God. Such as have this not only useless but pernicious fear, tion an im- and who turn aside out of the right course of true fear, are called superstitious; and this fear, which is vehement beyond the just measure, is termed superstition. Which superstition is hinted at by the Apostle whom our Saviour loved. There is, says he, no fear in love: for those whom we heartily love, how can we be possessed with any vain terrors, or entertain any needless fears of them? And when the end of the law is love, that which wanders at the greatest distance from the end, how can it possibly be confined within the bounds of love? There is nothing more wide and distant, than that him, whom on the account of his great and many benefits, we ought to love and reverence, we should have the most horrid dread and terror of, in our whole hearts and wills, by reason of an opinion of his being severe and cruel. And this is one kind of superstition and fear. 11. The Scripture sometimes, under the name of fear, com- Fear is prehends religion in general, and the devout worship of religion. God. So that nothing is signified under the name of religion, that is not included also in the name of fear. Hence it is that we have so large and so remarkable a description of it in Ecclesiasticus. Hence it is that we have so ample commendations of it in so many places of Scripture. And hence is that of the Prophet: Come, ye children, hearken Ps. xxxiv. unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and would see good days? Let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. And St. James says the same thing in other words: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. And therefore the two Evangelists did fitly translate these words of the law, Thou shalt fear the Lord thy James i. 27. God, in this manner, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God: that hereby they might demonstrate fear and worship to be the same. 8, 9. But the Prophet, celebrating the praises of the law of God, while he would distinguish it not only with ornaments of matter, but with variety of expressions, saith, The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the Ps. xix. 7, testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. But though the Psalms exhibit to us a repeated way of writing, they do not always furnish us with new matter, but they retain the same weighty things, under a variety of devout expressions. Whence it comes to pass, that by joint words and phrases, different things are not signified, 13. V. 20. 14. 1 Sam. xii. 14. but the same matter aggravated and enlarged. And thus is religion oftentimes joined with fear; not as two things of a separate nature, but that two words of like importance might answer in discourse to one another: for it is in the Deut. x. 12, law, And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul? And again, Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. Joshua xxiv. And in the speech of Joshua, Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. And Samuel, If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord. And King Jehoshaphat, Let the fear of the Lord be with you, be circumspect, and do your duty. And St. Peter in the Acts x. 35. Acts, He that feareth God, and worketh righteousness. Hence it is that St. Luke styles those who are religious and devout, not only sửλaße, as being men of caution and circumspection, and who did not undertake any thing without great provision and foresight; but he calls them likewise reßóuevos, worshippers; such who, deliberately resolving and foreseeing what ought to be done, perform it with all dutifulness and diligence. For Simeon Luke ii. 25. was called evλaßñs, a devout man; and they are termed Acts ii. 5. avèges evλaßeis, who are the devout men of every nation under heaven; and in several places of the Acts they are sometimes called σεβόμενοι, worshippers, sometimes εὐλαBeis, devout men. But why should Ecclesiasticus call the fear of the Lord, the holiness of knowledge or wisdom itself, and discipline? or in other places should name the performance of the law with the highest wisdom, and with the knowledge of the precepts of the Lord? unless he intended hereby both parts of religion, sanctity and piety; and so believed universal religion to be contained under the name of fear. But of a thing that is not over difficult we have been too tedious: for the result of all that has been said is this, that the name of fear does comprehend |