CHAP. IIII.
Of the word Religion, and of the Religion of our first Parents before the fall.
HAuing thus made way to our history of Religions, the first (and there∣fore best) Religion, is in the first place to be declared. Only somwhat may be, not vnfitly, spoken before of the word. Religion in it selfe is naturall, written in the hearts of all men, which wil (as here we shew) rather be of a false then no Religion: but the name whereby it is so called, is by birth a forreiner, by common vse made a free-denizen among vs, descen∣ded from the Romans, which by their swords made way for their words, the Authors both of the thing it selfe and of the appellation, to a great part of this Westerne world. But as the Latines have accustomed themselves to multiplicitie and varietie of Rites, so have they varied not a little about the Parents (as I may say) of this child, (as the Grecians sometimes, about Homers birth-place) some giving one etymolo∣gie and derivation of the word, and some another, that there needeth some Herald to shew the true petigree, or some Grammarian Dictator to cease the strife.
a 1.1 Servius Sulpitius (as Macrobius citeth him) calleth that Religion, which for some holinesse is removed and separated from vs, quasi relictam à relinquendo dictam. Servius deserveth to be relinquished, and his opinion removed and separated even with an Anathema, if he would remove and separate Religion from vs, which is the life of our life, the way to our happines. The like is added of Ceremonia à carendo di∣cta, a iust name and reason of the most of the present Romish Ceremonies, whose want were their best company. Massurius Sabinus in b 1.2 A. Gellius hath the like words. Religio, with Tully, is Cultus deorū, the worship of the gods, hereby distinguished from Superstition, because they were, saith he, called Superstitious, that spent whole daies in praier & sacrifices, that their children might be Superstites, survivors after them: (or rather as Lact.l.4.c.28. Qui superstitens memoriā defunctorū colunt, aut qui parentibus suis superstites celebrant imagines eorū domi, tanquā deos penates. But they which diligently vsed and perused the things pertaining to divine worship, & tanquam relegerent, were called Religious, Religiosi ex religendo tanquā ex eligendo eligentes, intelligendo intelligen∣tes.