第26章

Ilookupontheseasinthesameconditionwiththefirst:buttheobstinacyisnottheresoeasytobeovercome。Thiscontrarietyandvolubilityofopinionsosudden，soviolent，thattheyfeign，areakindofmiracletome:theypresentuswiththestateofanindigestibleagonyofmind。

Itseemedtomeafantasticimaginationinthosewho，theselateyearspast，werewonttoreproacheverymantheyknewtobeofanyextraordinaryparts，andmadeprofessionoftheCatholicreligion，thatitwasbutoutwardly;maintaining，moreover，todohimhonourforsooth，thatwhateverhemightpretendtothecontraryhecouldnotbutinhisheartbeoftheirreformedopinion。Anuntowarddisease，thatamanshouldbesorivetedtohisownbeliefastofancythatotherscannotbelieveotherwisethanashedoes;andyetworse，thattheyshouldentertainsoviciousanopinionofsuchgreatpartsastothinkanymansoqualified，shouldpreferanypresentadvantageoffortunetothepromisesofeternallifeandthemenacesofeternaldamnation。Theymaybelieveme:couldanythinghavetemptedmyyouth，theambitionofthedangeranddifficultiesinthelatecommotionshadnotbeentheleastmotives。

Itisnotwithoutverygoodreason，inmyopinion，thattheChurchinterdictsthepromiscuous，indiscreet，andirreverentuseoftheholyanddivinePsalms，withwhichtheHolyGhostinspiredKingDavid。WeoughtnottomixGodinouractions，butwiththehighestreverenceandcaution;thatpoesyistooholytobeputtonootherusethantoexercisethelungsandtodelightourears;itoughttocomefromtheconscience，andnotfromthetongue。Itisnotfitthataprenticeinhisshop，amongsthisvainandfrivolousthoughts，shouldbepermittedtopassawayhistimeanddiverthimselfwithsuchsacredthings。NeitherisitdecenttoseetheHolyBookoftheholymysteriesofourbelieftumbledupanddownahallorakitchentheywereformerlymysteries，butarenowbecomesportsandrecreations。’Tisabooktooseriousandtoovenerabletobecursorilyorslightlyturnedover:thereadingofthescriptureoughttobeatemperateandpremeditatedact，andtowhichmenshouldalwaysaddthisdevoutpreface，’sursumcorda’，preparingeventhebodytosohumbleandcomposedagestureandcountenanceasshallevidenceaparticularvenerationandattention。Neitherisitabookforeveryonetofist，butthestudyofselectmensetapartforthatpurpose，andwhomAlmightyGodhasbeenpleasedtocalltothatofficeandsacredfunction:thewickedandignorantgrowworsebyit。’Tis，notastorytotell，butahistorytorevere，fear，andadore。Arenottheythenpleasantmenwhothinktheyhaverenderedthisfitforthepeople’shandlingbytranslatingitintothevulgartongue？Doestheunderstandingofallthereincontainedonlystickatwords？ShallI

venturetosayfurther，thatbycomingsoneartounderstandalittle，theyaremuchwiderofthewholescopethanbefore。Apureandsimpleignoranceandwhollydependingupontheexpositionofqualifiedpersons，wasfarmorelearnedandsalutarythanthisvainandverbalknowledge，whichhasonlytemerityandpresumption。

AndIdofurtherbelievethatthelibertyeveryonehastakentodispersethesacredwritintosomanyidiomscarrieswithitagreatdealmoreofdangerthanutility。TheJews，Mohammedans，andalmostallotherpeoples，havereverentiallyespousedthelanguagewhereintheirmysterieswerefirstconceived，andhaveexpressly，andnotwithoutcolourofreason，forbiddenthealterationofthemintoanyother。AreweassuredthatinBiscayandinBrittanythereareenoughcompetentjudgesofthisaffairtoestablishthistranslationintotheirownlanguage？TheuniversalChurchhasnotamoredifficultandsolemnjudgmenttomake。

Inpreachingandspeakingtheinterpretationisvague，free，mutable，andofapiecebyitself;so’tisnotthesamething。

OneofourGreekhistoriansagejustlycensuresthehelivedin，becausethesecretsoftheChristianreligionweredispersedintothehandsofeverymechanic，toexpoundandargueupon，accordingtohisownfancy，andthatweoughttobemuchashamed，wewhobyGod’sespecialfavourenjoythepuremysteriesofpiety，tosufferthemtobeprofanedbytheignorantrabble;consideringthattheGentilesexpresslyforbadSocrates，Plato，andtheothersagestoinquireintoorsomuchasmentionthethingscommittedtothepriestsofDelphi;andhesays，moreover，thatthefactionsofprincesupontheologicalsubjectsarearmednotwithzealbutfury;thatzealspringsfromthedivinewisdomandjustice，andgovernsitselfwithprudenceandmoderation，butdegeneratesintohatredandenvy，producingtaresandnettlesinsteadofcornandwinewhenconductedbyhumanpassions。Anditwastrulysaidbyanother，who，advisingtheEmperorTheodosius，toldhimthatdisputesdidnotsomuchrocktheschismsoftheChurchasleep，asitrousedandanimatedheresies;that，therefore，allcontentionsanddialecticdisputationsweretobeavoided，andmenabsolutelytoacquiesceintheprescriptionsandformulasoffaithestablishedbytheancients。AndtheEmperorAndronicushavingoverheardsomegreatmenathighwordsinhispalacewithLapodiusaboutapointofoursofgreatimportance，gavethemsosevereacheckastothreatentocausethemtobethrownintotheriveriftheydidnotdesist。Theverywomenandchildrennowadaystakeuponthemtolecturetheoldestandmostexperiencedmenabouttheecclesiasticallaws;whereasthefirstofthoseofPlatoforbidsthemtoinquiresomuchasintothecivillaws，whichweretostandinsteadofdivineordinances;and，allowingtheoldmentoconferamongstthemselvesorwiththemagistrateaboutthosethings，headds，provideditbenotinthepresenceofyoungorprofanepersons。

Abishophasleftinwritingthatattheotherendoftheworldthereisanisle，bytheancientscalledDioscorides，abundantlyfertileinallsortsoftreesandfruits，andofanexceedinglyhealthfulair;theinhabitantsofwhichareChristians，havingchurchesandaltars，onlyadornedwithcrosseswithoutanyotherimages，greatobserversoffastsandfeasts，exactpayersoftheirtithestothepriests，andsochaste，thatnoneofthemispermittedtohavetodowithmorethanonewomaninhislife——[WhatOsoriussaysisthatthesepeopleonlyhadonewifeatatime。]——astotherest，socontentwiththeircondition，thatenvironedwiththeseatheyknownothingofnavigation，andsosimplethattheyunderstandnotonesyllableofthereligiontheyprofessandwhereintheyaresodevout:athingincredibletosuchasdonotknowthatthePagans，whoaresozealousidolaters，knownothingmoreoftheirgodsthantheirbarenamesandtheirstatues。Theancientbeginningof’Menalippus’，atragedyofEuripides，ranthus:

"OJupiter！forthatnamealoneOfwhatthouarttomeisknown。"

Ihavealsoknowninmytimesomemen’swritingsfoundfaultwithforbeingpurelyhumanandphilosophical，withoutanymixtureoftheology;

andyet，withsomeshowofreason，itmight，onthecontrary，besaidthatthedivinedoctrine，asqueenandregentoftherest，betterkeepsherstateapart，thatsheoughttobesovereignthroughout，notsubsidiaryandsuffragan，andthat，peradventure，grammatical，rhetorical，logicalexamplesmayelsewherebemoresuitablychosen，asalsothematerialforthestage，games，andpublicentertainments，thanfromsosacredamatter;thatdivinereasonsareconsideredwithgreatervenerationandattentionbythemselves，andintheirownproperstyle，thanwhenmixedwithandadaptedtohumandiscourse;thatitisafaultmuchmoreoftenobservedthatthedivineswritetoohumanly，thanthatthehumanistswritenottheologicallyenough。Philosophy，saysSt。

Chrysostom，haslongbeenbanishedtheholyschools，asanhandmaidaltogetheruselessandthoughtunworthytolook，somuchasinpassingbythedoor，intothesanctuaryoftheholytreasuresofthecelestialdoctrine;thatthehumanwayofspeakingisofamuchlowerformandoughtnottoadoptforherselfthedignityandmajestyofdivineeloquence。Letwhowill’verbisindisciplinatis’talkoffortune，destiny，accident，goodandevilhap，andothersuchlikephrases，accordingtohisownhumour;Iformypartproposefanciesmerelyhumanandmerelymyown，andthatsimplyashumanfancies，andseparatelyconsidered，notasdeterminedbyanydecreefromheaven，incapableofdoubtordispute;matterofopinion，notmatteroffaith;thingswhichI

discourseofaccordingtomyownnotions，notasIbelieve，accordingtoGod;afteralaical，notclerical，andyetalwaysafteraveryreligiousmanner，aschildrenpreparetheirexercises，nottoinstructbuttobeinstructed。

Andmightitnotbesaid，thatanedictenjoiningallpeoplebutsuchasarepublicprofessorsofdivinity，tobeveryreservedinwritingofreligion，wouldcarrywithitaverygoodcolourofutilityandjustice——

andtome，amongsttherestperadventure，toholdmyprating？IhavebeentoldthateventhosewhoarenotofourChurchneverthelessamongstthemselvesexpresslyforbidthenameofGodtobeusedincommondiscourse，norsomuchevenbywayofinterjection，exclamation，assertionofatruth，orcomparison;andIthinkthemintheright:uponwhatoccasionsoeverwecalluponGodtoaccompanyandassistus，itoughtalwaystobedonewiththegreatestreverenceanddevotion。

Thereis，asIremember，apassageinXenophonwherehetellsusthatweoughtsomuchthemoreseldomtocalluponGod，byhowmuchitishardtocomposeoursoulstosuchadegreeofcalmness，patience，anddevotionasitoughttobeinatsuchatime;otherwiseourprayersarenotonlyvainandfruitless，butvicious:"forgiveus，"wesay，"ourtrespasses，asweforgivethemthattrespassagainstus";whatdowemeanbythispetitionbutthatwepresenttoGodasoulfreefromallrancourandrevenge？AndyetwemakenothingofinvokingGod’sassistanceinourvices，andinvitingHimintoourunjustdesigns:

"Quae，nisiseductis，nequeascommitteredivis"

["Whichyoucanonlyimparttothegods，whenyouhavegainedthemover。"——Persius，ii。4。]

thecovetousmanpraysfortheconservationofhisvainandsuperfluousriches;theambitiousforvictoryandthegoodconductofhisfortune;

thethiefcallsHimtohisassistance，todeliverhimfromthedangersanddifficultiesthatobstructhiswickeddesigns，orreturnsHimthanksforthefacilityhehasmetwithincuttingaman’sthroat;atthedoorofthehousemenaregoingtostormorbreakintobyforceofapetard，theyfalltoprayersforsuccess，theirintentionsandhopesofcruelty，avarice，andlust。

"Hocigitur，quotoJovisauremimpelleretentas，DicagedumStaio:’prohJupiter！Obone，clamet，Jupiter！’AtsesenonclametJupiteripse。"

["Thistherefore，withwhichyouseektodrawtheearofJupiter，saytoStaius。’OJupiter！OgoodJupiter！’lethimcry。ThinkyouJupiterhimselfwouldnotcryoutuponit？"——Persius，ii。21。]

Marguerite，QueenofNavarre，——[IntheHeptameron。]——tellsofayoungprince，who，thoughshedoesnotnamehim，iseasilyenoughbyhisgreatqualitiestobeknown，whogoinguponanamorousassignationtoliewithanadvocate’swifeofParis，hiswaythitherbeingthroughachurch，heneverpassedthatholyplacegoingtoorreturningfromhispiousexercise，buthealwayskneeleddowntopray。Whereinhewouldemploythedivinefavour，hissoulbeingfullofsuchvirtuousmeditations，Ileaveotherstojudge，which，nevertheless，sheinstancesforatestimonyofsingulardevotion。Butthisisnottheonlyproofwehavethatwomenarenotveryfittotreatoftheologicalaffairs。

AtrueprayerandreligiousreconcilingofourselvestoAlmightyGodcannotenterintoanimpuresoul，subjectattheverytimetothedominionofSatan。HewhocallsGodtohisassistancewhilstinacourseofvice，doesasifacut—purseshouldcallamagistratetohelphim，orlikethosewhointroducethenameofGodtotheattestationofalie。

"TacitomalavotasusurroConcipimus。"

["Wewhis