35. But any habits whatever
have so great power to hold possession of men’s minds, that even
what in them are evil, which usually takes place through excess of
lusts, we can sooner disapprove of and hate, than desert or change.
Do you think that little hath been done for the benefit of man,
that not some few very learned men maintain by argument, but also
an unlearned crowd of males and females in so many and different
nations both believe and set forth, that we are to worship as God
nothing of earth, nothing of fire, nothing, lastly, which comes
into contact with the senses of the body, but that we are to seek
to approach Him by the understanding only? that abstinence is
extended even unto the slenderest food of bread and water, and
fastings not only for the day,1755
| 1755 Quotidiana, i.e. each day till evening. |
but also continued through several
days together; that chastity is carried even unto the contempt of
marriage and
family; that
patience even unto the setting
light by
crosses and
flames; that liberality even unto the distribution of
estates unto the
poor; that, lastly, the contempt of this whole
world even unto the desire of
death? Few do these things, yet fewer
do them well and wisely: but whole
nations approve,
nations hear,
nations favor,
nations, lastly,
love.
Nations accuse their own
weakness that they cannot do these things, and that not without the
mind being carried forward unto
God, nor without certain sparks of
virtue. This hath been brought to pass by the
Divine Providence,
through the
prophecies of the
Prophets, through the manhood and
teaching of
Christ, through the
journeys of the
Apostles, through
the insults, crosses,
blood, of the Martyrs, through the
praiseworthy
life of the
Saints, and, in all these, according as
times were seasonable, through
miracles worthy of so great matters
and
virtues. When therefore we see so great help of
God, so great
progress and fruit, shall we doubt to
hide ourselves in the
bosom
of that
Church, which even unto the confession of the human race
from [the] apostolic chair
1756
| 1756 He clearly means the Apostolic
office and presidency in general. For illustration, see St. Cyprian
on the Unity of the Church, §. 3 and 4. vid. Oxf. Tr. p. 134, and
note. |
through successions of
Bishops,
1757
| 1757 The plural
“successiones.” Compare Con. Faustus, b. xiii. § 13,
xxxii. § 19, xxxiii. § 6, 9. |
(
heretics
in
vain lurking around her and being
condemned, partly by the
judgment of the very people, partly by the weight of
councils,
partly also by the
majesty of
miracles,) hath held the summit of
authority. To be
unwilling to grant to her the first place,
1758
is either
surely the height of impiety, or is
headlong arrogance. For, if
there be no sure way unto
wisdom and
health of
souls, unless where
faith prepare them for reason, what else is it to be ungrateful for
the
Divine help and aid, than to wish to
resist authority furnished
with so great
labor?
1759
And if every system of teaching,
however mean and easy, requires, in order to its being received, a
teacher or master, what more full of rash
pride, than, in the case
of books of
divine mysteries,
1760
both to be
unwilling to learn from
such as interpret them, and to wish to condemn them
unlearned?
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