PHENOMENA OF THE UNIVERSE OR NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE BUILDING UP OF PHILOSOPHY - 1626 - ATHENAEUM LIBRARY OF PHILOSOPHY
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ATHEISM 1607
FRANCIS BACON
1561 1626
THE ESSAYS OF FRANCIS BACON
ATHEISM
(1607) Francis Bacon
1561 - 1626
Francis Bacon was the son of Nicolas Bacon,
the Lord Keeper of the Seal of Elisabeth
I. He entered Trinity College Cambridge at
age 12. Bacon later described his tutors
as "Men of sharp wits, shut up in their
cells of a few authors, chiefly Aristotle,
their Dictator." This is likely the
beginning of Bacon's rejection of Aristotelianism
and Scholasticism and the new Renaissance
Humanism." His father died when he was
18, and being the youngest son this left
him virtually penniless. He turned to the
law and at 23 he was already in the House
of Commons. His rich relatives did little
to advance his career and Elisabeth apparently
distrusted him. It was not until James I
became King that Bacon's career advanced.
He rose to become Baron Verulam, Viscount
St. Albans and Lord Chancellor of England.
His fall came about in the course of a struggle
between King and Parliament. He was accused
of having taken a bribe while a judge, tried
and found guilty. He thus lost his personal
honour, his fortune and his place at court.
ATHEISM
(1607)
FRANCIS BACON
1561 - 1626
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. OF ATHEISM 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.