ledge, as he in Euripides, _O Deus quicquid es, sive
coelum, sive terra, sive aliud quid_, and that of Aristotle, _Ens entium
miserere mei._ And so of the immortality of the soul, and future happiness.
_Immortalitatem animae_ (saith Hierom) _Pythagoras somniavit, Democritus
non credidit in consolalionem damnationis suae Socrates in carcere
disputavit; Indus, Persa, Cothus, &c. Philosophantur._ So some said this,
some that, as they conceived themselves, which the devil perceiving, led
them farther out (as [6437]Lemnius observes) and made them worship him as
their God with stocks and stones, and torture themselves to their own
destruction, as he thought fit himself, inspired his priests and ministers
with lies and fictions to prosecute the same, which they for their own ends
were as willing to undergo, taking advantage of their simplicity, fear and
ignorance. For the common people are as a flock of sheep, a rude,
illiterate rout, void many times of common sense, a mere beast, _bellua
multorum capitum_, will go whithersoever they are led: as you lead a ram
over a gap by the horns, all the rest will follow, [6438]_Non qua eundum,
sed qua itur_, they will do as they see others do, and as their prince will
have them, let him be of what religion he will, they are for him. Now for
those idolaters, Maxentius and Licinius, then for Constantine a Christian.
[6439]_Qui Christum negant male pereant, acclamatum est Decies_, for two
hours' space; _qui Christum non colunt, Augusti inimici sunt, acclamatum
est ter decies_; and by and by idolaters again under that Apostate
Julianus; all Arians under Constantius, good Catholics again under
Jovinianus, "And little difference there is between the discretion of men
and children in this case, especially of old folks and women," as [6440]
Cardan discourseth, "when, as they are tossed with fear and superstition,
and with other men's folly and dishonesty." So that I may say their
ignorance is a cause of their superstition, a symptom, and madness itself:
_Supplicii causa est, sappliciumque sui._ Their own fear, folly, stupidity,
to be deplored lethargy, is that which gives occasion to the other, and
pulls these miseries on their own heads. For in all these religions and
superstitions, amongst our idolaters, you shall find that the parties first
affected, are silly, rude, ignorant people, old folks, that are naturally
prone to superstition, weak women, or some poor, rude, illiterate persons,
that are