Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/20

 xvi PREFACE. eating of fish ; but our ancestors thought otherwise, and it is our duty to obey them. And presently, in the same place, I teach, But the offence of the weak ought to be avoided. It is as false that the favour of the blessed Virgin and other saints are drolled upon in my Colloquies, but I deride those who beg those things of the saints which they dare not ask of a good man; or pray to certain saints with this notion, as if this or that saint either could or would eooner grant this or that thing than another saint or Christ himself would do. Yea, and in the Child's Piety the lad speaks thus, I salute Jesus again in three words, and all the saints, either men or women, but the Virgin Mary by name, and especially that I account most peculiarly my own. And afterwards he mentions by name what saint he salutes daily. And is it any strange thing that a suitor to a young maid should commend a married life, and says, That chaste wedlock does not come far short of virginity 1 Especially when St. Austin himself prefers the polygamy of the patriarchs before our single life. As to what they object concerning the entering into a religious life, my words declare how plainly vain it is in the virgin hating marriage; for the maid speaks thus, Are you then in the main against the institution of a monastic life ? The young man answers, No, by no means; but as I will not persuade anybody against it, that is already engaged in this sort of life, to endeavour to get out of it, so I would most undoubtedly caution all young women, especially those of generous tempers, not to precipitate themselves unadvisedly into that state, from whence there is no getting out afterwards. This is the conclusion of that Colloquy, however they had disputed before. Pray, does this dissuade from entering upon a religious life? The entering into it is not condemned, but the unadvised rashness of it. Therefore, they malici- ously wrest my words in order to reproach me. But, at the same time, they do not animadvert how many things young students thence learn that oppugn the opinions of the Lutherans. In the Childish Piety the way of hearing the mass well and profit- ably is taught, and the true and effectual way of confession is shewn. Young students are there instructed that those things that are used by Christians, though they are not found in the scriptures, must never- theless be observed, lest we give occasion of offence to any person. In the Profane Feast they are instructed that they ought rather to obey the institutions of popes than the prescriptions of physicians, only they are given to understand that in case of necessity the force of a human law ceases, and the intention of the lawgiver. There a certain person approves of liberality towards the colleges of monks, if men give for real use, and not to support luxury, and especially if given to those that observe the discipline of religion. In the Colloquy concerning Eating of Fish, this is said concerning human institutions, Well, let them fight that love fighting; I think we ought with reverence to receive the laws of our superiors, and reli- giously observe them as coming from God ; nor is it either safe or religkms either to conceive in mind or sow among others any sinister suspicion concerning them; and if there is any superstition in them that does not compel us to impiety, it is better to bear it than sedi- tiously to resist.