ut in
practice, so cruel to suffer, which they will not willingly undertake. So
powerful a thing is superstition. [6495]"O Egypt" (as Trismegistus
exclaims) "thy religion is fables, and such as posterity will not believe."
I know that in true religion itself, many mysteries are so apprehended
alone by faith, as that of the Trinity, which Turks especially deride,
Christ's incarnation, resurrection of the body at the last day, _quod ideo
credendum_ (saith Tertullian) _quod incredible_, &c. many miracles not to
be controverted or disputed of. _Mirari non rimari sapientia vera est_,
saith [6496]Gerhardus; _et in divinis_ (as a good father informs us)
_quaedam credenda, quaedam admiranda_, &c. some things are to be believed,
embraced, followed with all submission and obedience, some again admired.
Though Julian the apostate scoff at Christians in this point, _quod
captivemus intellectum in obsequium fidei_, saying, that the Christian
creed is like the Pythagorean _Ipse dixit_, we make our will and
understanding too slavishly subject to our faith, without farther
examination of the truth; yet as Saint Gregory truly answers, our creed is
_altioris praestantiae_, and much more divine; and as Thomas will, _pie
consideranti semper suppetunt rationes, ostendentes credibilitatem in
mysteriis supernaturalibus_, we do absolutely believe it, and upon good
reasons, for as Gregory well informeth us; _Fides non habet meritum, ubi
humana ratio quaerit experimentum_; that faith hath no merit, is not worth
the name of faith, that will not apprehend without a certain demonstration:
we must and will believe God's word; and if we be mistaken or err in our
general belief, as [6497]Richardus de _Sancto Victore_, vows he will say to
Christ himself at the day of judgment; "Lord, if we be deceived, thou alone
hast deceived us:" thus we plead. But for the rest I will not justify that
pontificial consubstantiation, that which [6498]Mahometans and Jews justly
except at, as Campanella confesseth, _Atheismi triumphat. cap. 12. fol.
125_, _difficillimum dogma esse, nec aliud subjectum magis haereticorum
blasphemiis, et stultis irrisionibus politicorum reperiri_. They hold it
impossible, _Deum in pane manducari_; and besides they scoff at it, _vide
gentem comedentem Deum suum, inquit quidam Maurus_. [6499]_Hunc Deum muscae
et vermes irrident, quum ipsum polluunt et devorant, subditus est igni,
aquae, et latrones furantur, pixidem auream humi prosternunt, et