it be better to have no opinion of God at all than such a opinion as be  unworthy of he for the one be unbelief the other be contumely and certain  superstition be the reproach of the deity plutarch say well to that purpose  sure say he I have rather a great deal man shall say there be no such man at  all as plutarch than that they shall say that there be one plutarch that will  eat his child as soon as they be bear as the poet speak of Saturn and as the  contumely be great towards God so the danger be great towards man atheism  leave a man to sense to philosophy to natural piety to law to reputation all  which may be guide to a outward moral virtue though religion be not but  superstition dismount all these and erect a absolute monarchy in the mind of  man therefore atheism do never perturb state for it make man wary of  themselves as look no further and we see the time incline to atheism as the  time of Augustus Caesar be civil time but superstition have be the confusion  of many state and bring in a new at first mobile that ravish all the sphere of  government the master of superstition be the people and in all superstition  wise man follow fool and argument be fit to practice in a reverse order it be  grave say by some of the prelate in the Council of Trent where the doctrine of  the schoolman bear great sway that the schoolman be like astronomer which do  feign eccentrics and epicycle and such engine of orb to save the phenomenon  though they know there be no such thing and in like manner that the schoolman  have frame a number of subtle and intricate axiom and theorem to save the  practice of the church the cause of superstition be please and sensual rite  and ceremony excess of outward and pharisaical holiness overgreat reverence of  tradition which can but load the church the stratagem of prelate for their own  ambition and lucre the favour too much of good intention which open the gate  to conceit and novelty the take a aim at divine matter by human which can but  breed mixture of imagination and last barbarous time especial join with  calamity and disaster superstition without a veil be a deform thing for as it  add deformity to a ape to be so like a man so the similitude of superstition  to religion make it the more deform and as wholesome meat corrupt to little  worm so good from and order corrupt into a number of petty observance there be  a superstition in avoid superstition when man think to do best if they go  further from the superstition former receive therefore care will be have that  as it fare in ill purge the good be not take away with the bid which common be  do when the people be the reformer