Essays of Francis Bacon | Page 3

observe, how little alteration in good spirits, the approaches

of death make; for they appear to be the same men, till the last instant.
Augustus Caesar died in a compliment; Livia, conjugii nostri memor,
vive et vale. Tiberius in dissimulation; as Tacitus saith of him, Jam
Tiberium vires et corpus, non dissimulatio, deserebant. Vespasian in a
jest, sitting upon the stool; Ut puto deus fio. Galba with a sentence; Feri,
si ex re sit populi Romani; holding forth his neck. Septimius Severus in
despatch; Adeste si quid mihi restat agendum. And the like. Certainly
the Stoics bestowed too much cost upon death, and by their great
preparations, made it appear more fearful. Better saith he, qui finem
vitae extremum inter munera ponat naturae. It is as natural to die, as to
be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful, as the other.
He that dies in an earnest pursuit, is like one that is wounded in hot
blood; who, for the time, scarce feels the hurt; and therefore a mind
fixed, and bent upon somewhat that is good, doth avert the dolors of
death. But, above all, believe it, the sweetest canticle is', Nunc dimittis;
when a man hath obtained worthy ends, and expectations. Death hath
this also; that it openeth the gate to good fame, and extinguisheth envy.
- Extinctus amabitur idem.

Of Unity
IN RELIGION

RELIGION being the chief band of human society, it is a happy thing,
when itself is well contained within the true band of unity. The quarrels,
and divisions about religion, were evils unknown to the heathen. The
reason was, because the religion of the heathen, consisted rather in rites
and ceremonies, than in any constant belief. For you may imagine,
what kind of faith theirs was, when the chief doctors, and fathers of
their church, were the poets. But the true God hath this attribute, that he
is a jealous God; and therefore, his worship and religion, will endure no
mixture, nor partner.We shall therefore speak a few words, concerning
the unity of the church; what are the fruits thereof ; what the bounds;
and what the means.

The fruits of unity (next unto the well pleasing of God, which is all in
all) are two: the one, towards those that are without the church, the
other, towards those that are within. For the former; it is certain, that
heresies, and schisms, are of all others the greatest scandals; yea, more
than corruption of manners. For as in the natural body, a wound, or
solution of continuity, is worse than a corrupt humor; so in the spiritual.
So that nothing, doth so much keep men out of the church, and drive
men out of the church, as breach of unity. And therefore, whensoever it
cometh to that pass, that one saith, Ecce in deserto, another saith, Ecce
in penetralibus; that is, when some men seek Christ, in the conventicles
of heretics, and others, in an outward face of a church, that voice had
need continually to sound in men's ears, Nolite exire, - Go not out. The
doctor of the Gentiles (the propriety of whose vocation, drew him to
have a special care of those without) saith, if an heathen come in, and
hear you speak with several tongues, will he not say that you are mad?
And certainly it is little better, when atheists, and profane persons, do
hear of so many discordant, and contrary opinions in religion; it doth
avert them from the church, and maketh them, to sit down in the chair
of the scorners. It is but a light thing, to be vouched in so serious a
matter, but yet it expresseth well the deformity. There is a master of
scoffing, that in his catalogue of books of a feigned library, sets down
this title of a book, The Morris-Dance of Heretics. For indeed, every
sect of them, hath a diverse posture, or cringe by themselves, which
cannot but move derision in worldlings, and depraved politics, who are
apt to contemn holy things.
As for the fruit towards those that are within; it is peace; which
containeth infinite blessings. It establisheth faith; it kindleth charity; the
outward peace of the church, distilleth into peace of conscience; and it
turneth the labors of writing, and reading of controversies, into treaties
of mortification and devotion.
Concerning the bounds of unity; the true placing of them, importeth
exceedingly. There appear to be two extremes. For to certain zealants,
all speech of pacification is odious. Is it peace, Jehu,? What hast thou to
do with peace? turn thee behind me. Peace is not the matter, but
following, and party. Contrariwise, certain Laodiceans, and lukewarm

persons, think they may accommodate points of religion, by middle
way, and taking part of