Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/292

 to approach the Lord’s table. Fi. That they take the sacrament fasting, is a human ordinance; but that they lay aside wrath before they come to the Lord’s table, is a command of the Lord himself.

Bu. But then again, how preposterously do we judge concerning perjury! He is accounted an infamous person, who swears he has paid a debt, when it is proved he has not. But perjury is not charged upon a priest, who publickly lives unchastly, tho’ he publickly profess a life of chastity. Fi. Why don’t you tell this to the bishops vicars, who swear before the altar, that they have found all that they present to be entred into holy orders, to be fit persons in age, learning and manners; when for the most part there are scarce two or three that are tolerable, and most of them scarce fit to follow the plow? Bu. He is punished that being provoked, swears in a passion; but they that forswear themselves every three words they speak, escape scot-free. Fi. But they don’t swear from their hearts. Bu. By the same colourable pretence you may vindicate a man that kills another, saying, he did not do it in his heart. Perjury is not lawful either in jest or earnest; and it would make the crime the greater to kill a man in jest.

Fi. What if we should weigh the oaths princes take at their coronation in the same scale? Bu. These things, tho’ indeed they are very serious matters, being done customarily, are not accounted perjuries. There is the same complaint concerning vows. The vow of matrimony is without doubt of divine right; yet it is dissolved by entring into a monastick life of man’s invention. And tho’ there is no vow more religious than that of baptism, yet he that changes his habit, or his place, is sought after, apprehended, confin’d, and sometimes put to death for the honour of the order, as tho’ he had murder’d his father; but those whose lives are diametrically repugnant to their baptismal vows, in that they serve mammon, their bellies, and the pomps of this world, are in mighty esteem, are never charged with breaking their vow, nor upbraided, nor call’d apostates; but are reckon’d good christians.

Bu. The common people have the like esteem of good and bad deeds, and the safeguard of virtue: What a scandal is it for a maid to be overcome? But a lying, slanderous tongue, and a malicious, envious mind, are greater crimes; and where is it that a small theft is not punished more severely than adultery. No body will willingly keep him company that has been accused of theft; but it is accounted a piece of honour, to hold a familiarity with such as are drench’d in adultery. No body will deign to marry a daughter to a hangman who executes the law for a livelihood, and a judge does the same; but they have no aversion at all to the affinity of a soldier, who has run away from his parents, and listed himself a soldier for hire, and is defil’d with all the rapes, thefts, sacrileges, murders, and other crimes, that used to be committed in their marches, camps, and retreats; this may be taken for a son in law, and tho’ he be worse than any hangman, a maid may love him dearly, and account him a noble personage. He that steals a little money must be hang’d; but they that cheat the publick of their money, and impoverish thousands by monopolies, extortions, and tricking and cheating, are held in great esteem. Fi. They that poison one person, are hang’d for it; but they that poison a whole nation with infectious provisions go unpunished.