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CRITICAL NOTES

UPON

RELIGIO MEDICI.

T

THE

FIRST PART.

PAGE I.

HE general fcandal of my profeffion.] Phyficians (of which profeffion the author was) are commonly ill fpoke of in this behalf. It it a common faying, Ubi tres medici, duo athei. The reasons, why those of that profeffion are more ready to incur this cenfure, the author gives in. Sect. 19. Page 52.

+ The natural course of my studies.] The vulgar lay not the imputation of atheifm upon phyficians alone, but upon philofophers in general; who, because they study: to understand the operations' of nature, are blamed, as tho' they refted in the fecond caufes Whence the natural &almoss. universal prejudice?

causes, without any respect to the first. Hereupon it was, that in the tenth age, Pope Silvefter II. paffed for a magician, because he understood geometry, and natural philofophy. Baron. Annal. 990. And Apuleius long before him laboured under the fame fufpicion upon no better ground; he was accufed, and made a learned apology for himself, and in that hath laid down the ground of fuch accufations, in these words: Hec ferme, communi quodam errore imperitorum, philofophis objectantur, ut multos eorum qui corporum caufas meras & fimplices rimantur, irreligiofos putant, eoque aiunt Deos abnuere, ut Anaxagoram, & Lucippum, & Democritum, & Epicurum, caterofque rerun nature patronos. Apul. in apolog. And it is poffible that those who look upon the fecond caufes fcattered, may rest in them and go no further, as my Lord Bacon in one of his effays obferveth; but our author tells us, the is a true philofophy, from which no man becomes an atheist. Sect. 48.

The indifferency of my behaviour, &c.] The author's behaviour, and general method of reasoning, as to matters of religion,was always inclining to moderation. Upon that account he easily forefaw, and perhaps had undergone the imputation of atheism from the narrow minded bigots, who are fo over fwayed by a prepofterous zeal, that they

hate

hate all moderation in difcourfing of religi on; they are the men forfooth-qui folos credant habendos effe Deos quos ipfi colunt.

Not that I meerly owe this title to the font] as moft do, taking up their religion according to the way of their ancestors; this is to be blamed amongst all perfons: It was practised as well amongst Heathens as Chriftians.

Per caput hoc juro, per quod Pater ante solebat, faith Afcanius in Virgil: And Apuleiuз notes it for an abfurdity. Utrum philoSopho putas turpe fcire ifta, an nefcire? negligere, an curare? noffe quanta fit etiam in iftis providentia ratio, an de diis immortalibus matri & patri credere? faith he in apolog. and fo doth Minutius: Unufquifque veftrum non cogitat prius fe debere deum noffe quam colere, dum inconfulte geftiuntur parentibus obedire, dum fieri malunt alieni erroris acceffio, quam fibi credere. Minut. in octav.

Page 2. There being a geography of religions,&c.] meaning the various denominations of Chriftians then spread thro' Europe.

Page 3 * Wherein I diflike nothing but the name.] The Proteftant, as carrying with it an infinuation of enmity and difcord, inconfiftent with the peace and harmony prefcribed by the gospel.

+ Now

1

+ Now the accidental occafion whereon, &c.] The progrefs of the reformation, from its first beginning, is graphically defcribed by Thuanus in his hiftory, and by the author of the history of the council of Trent; which laft gives the following account: That Pope Leo X. having, by his profufion, exhausted the treafures of the church, he was conftrained to have recourfe to the publifhing of indulgences to raise money: fome of which he had deftined to his own treasury, and other part to his allies; and particularly to his fifter he gave all the money that should be raised in Saxony; and fhe, that fhe might make the best profit of the donation, commits it to one Aremboldus, a Bishop, to appoint treafurers for these indulgences. Now the custom was, that whenfoever these indulgences were fent into Saxony, they were to be difperfed by the friars Eremites, (of which order Luther then was) but Aremboldus's agents thinking with themselves, that the friars Eremites were fo well acquainted with the trade, that if the business fhould be left to them, they fhould neither be able to give fo good an account of their negotiation, nor yet get fo much themselves by it, as they might do in cafe the bufinefs were committed to another order; they thereupon recommend it to, and the bufinefs is undertaken by, the

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