The Elegant Combat, Letter 3
An anſwer of Monſeiur DuMoulin to the letter of Monſeiur De Balzac.
SIR,
I Had ere now anſwered your letters if they had beene in my Poſſeſſion, but they hauehave along time runne vp and down the towne eueryevery one deſiring to take a Copy thereof, and from the towne they hauehave walked to the Villages from whence the peſtilence hath remoued us, for albeit that in all your writings there ſhine the force and liuelineſſe of your Spirit ſeaſoned with Grace and Sweetneſſe, tye in theſe letters you hauehave excell'd your ſelfe, ſo elaborate is the ſtile, and the Conceptions ſtrong and pleaſing, that all here gliſters: neither doth the ſoundneſſe hinder the cleereneſſe of it, wherein you are different from many of theſe times who take delight to dabble in the inke, and amongſt plenty of thornes hauehave but little light, like that of a Gloworme ſhining out of a Buſh, wherefore in reiecting the praiſes that I hauehave giuen your quill, you ſhew in earneſt how much you doe deſerue them, for you reiect the title of eloquent with ſo much eloquence, as it ſeemes that you hauehave taken a taske vponupon you to ſhew that your Modeſty is vniuſt, and to accuſe me for not hauing praiſed you enough, you muſt change your ſtile if you would bee beleeued, and muſt become barbarous to the end you may perſwade. It would very ill become me to reply vponupon all points of your letter, I will not enter into that liſt with you, the ſcope of my writings being not to ſtroke the eare but to ſtrike the Conſcience: This is their preuiledge that write for true Doctrine, that incongruities paſſe oftentimes for elegancies, and that Barbariſme is ſociable with Truth. For as blew and red flowers among the Corne doe delight the eye but diſaduantage the harueſt, ſo ornaments among good doctrine doe diminiſh the fruit of the teaching, and doe cauſe that inſteed of of teaching matters wee are ſtaid at words, and doe weigh periods, theſe flowers muſt fall before the fruites come on, and groſſer termes doe oftentimes giuegive a deeper impreſſion. And it being neceſſary in ſuch matters to vſe ſometimes ſtrong reprehenſions; to bring hither the flowers of eloquence, were as if we ſhould ſcourge our children with a noſegay. It is for falſe religions to borrow theſe ornaments, as in their Temples and Ceremonies they will hauehave ſplendor, ſo they require a ſwollne and an artificiall language, like vntounto a Woman ſparkling with Diamonds whoſe eyes are blind, which Sir, I ſay to anſwer to thoſe offenſiue praiſes which you too liberally beſtow vponupon mee, praiſing mee in that I hauehave a Grace to lye, ſaying that I defend a bad cauſe with dexterity and Stratagems, without right and without Authority, and that I maintaine an opinion which hath loſt the grace of nouelty, and for the height of all my praiſes, you ſay that I would be fit to giuegive a Sedition the apparence of a iuſt warre, which dexterity of ſeducing you place amongſt the gifts of God, which you ſay you hauehave in great eſteeme, ſo with a double artifice you pricke me as you tickle me, and lift mee vp a ſpectacle on high after you hauehave beſmutched and deformed mee. Pardon mee Sir if I tell you that there is no blame which is not more tolerable then theſe praiſes, to bring more Art and Induſtry to defend Error ſerueth to no other end but to goe to hell with a better Grace, and to ſweeten poiſon to deſtroy both himſelfe and others with more dexterity. It were better a thouſand times for ſuch a Man to be dumbe then ſo vnhappily eloquent, and to bee the moſt bruitiſh amongſt men then to hauehave ſuch an ingenious peruerſeneſſe. This is ill taking of meaſures, to place a fraudulent Eloquence amongſt the gifts of God. It is rather the Deuill who whets the tongue and pen of ſuch a Man, and lends him his armes to make warre againſt God. In briefe you hauehave heapt on mee thoſe praiſes which Homer giues to Paris, prayſing the beauty of his lockes but making him to bee the ruine of his Country. Now that if on our ſide there were Benifices, Riches, and Penſions, you might hauehave ſome Colour to thinke that a ſpirit deſirous to appeare had beene drawne by theſe allurements to defend an euill cauſe, but Pouerty and Reproach being the Cognizance of our Profeſſion, to bee wicked for nothing would be with the loſſe of piety to loſe common Sence. And whereas you ſay that our Religion hath loſt the grace of Nouelty, I ſay that it is impoſſible it ſhould looſe that which it neuer had, but if it were or had beene new, this ſhould not hauehave beene a Grace vntounto it but a Blemiſh. Nouelty may giuegive ſome grace vntounto Sallets or Apparell, but not to the Doctrine of Saluation: that were good newes for Italy, where the new Saints doe make the old ones looſe their Credit, and for the church of Rome in which the Pope doth vaunt of his power to change that which God hath commanded in his word, and that he can make new Articles of Faith, who not being able to ſay with Saint Peter Gold and Siluer I hauehave none, vſeth his ſhip to traffick; making a noiſe with the keyes, whoſe locks he hath changed. From this head a defluxion is fallen on the Body of the Clergy, who ſet vp their Banke in the Temple, and abandoning the Dominicall letter, are altogether addicted to the goldennūber, From whence it comes to paſſe that all is put to ſale, euen God himſelfe and the remiſſion of ſinnes, and that priuate Maſſes are not ſaid but for thoſe who hauehave contributed to the Church, the wit of auarice digging euen into Sepulchers, ſo that a rich Man cannot goe cheape into his Graue. And there can be no greater change then of a ſpirituall to make a temporall Monarchy, but our Religion is the true and ancient Chriſtianity, onelyonly new in this, that it reiecteth all nouelty, and eſteem eth doctrine new that is not from the Beginning; It being the heauenly Truth which the Son of God brought into the world, the violence of provoked people hauehave no more power againſt it then the Winds hauehave power to change the beames of the Sunne. This is it, why I make my prediction quite contrary to yours, and inſtead of the declining which you ſpeake of I aſſure my ſelfe that it wil flouriſh and chaſe away the darkeneſſe of this Age by the brightneſſe of it. And I wonder how you can delude your ſelfe with ſuch a hope, in a time wherein our Religion receiueth ſo great Increaſe in the low Countreyes and in Germany, and wherein the Greeke Churches doe range themſelues vnderunder our Confeſſion, being drawne thereunto by the euidence of the Truth. This without doubt is one of the praiſes which you reſerue for the King of Sweden to hauehave contributed to ſo good a Worke, of whom beſides his Valour and ſucceſſe you will aduance his Clemency, and for this that in places conquered he hath vſed no violence againſt the Roman Clergy, but letteth euen the Ieſuites themſelues alone, although they teach that it is lawfull to kill Kings, and that many parricides hauehave come out of their ſchooles, who hauing lately called this King Anti Chriſt doe now in their Colleges make declamations to his praiſe. And if our Churches in France doe ſuffer any Diminution, this proceeds not from the Cauſe of the contrary party, but from the Auarice of ſome of our Nobility who wound vsus in giuing eare to that TIBIDABO which the Deuill propounded to the Sonne of God, for there are found of thoſewho are alwaies armed againſtiron, but not againſt ſiluer, and in this golden Age a bag of Piſtolls is of great weight, & being put into the balance doth often times ouerweigh the Conſcience. But the Church is no more weakned by that, then a Mans body is by hauing vomited a worme or ſpit forth ſome filthineſſe. So Pride, Vanity, and Auarice are more conueniently lodged in the temples of Idols then in the houſe of God. True it is that thoſe of your party do talke of our Religion with great Contempt as of a deſperate Cauſe which notwithſtanding from the loweſt is often mounted vp on high: they ſpeake of vsus, as if we intended to mine the Alpes with a pin or pierce a Lyon with a feſtraw. They blacke vsus ouer with iniuries doing as the enemies of the Goſpell did of old who clad the Martirs in the skins of wilde beaſts to animate the dogges to teare them, for they transforme vsus into monſters to prouoke the people againſt vsus, but the ſonne of God hath prepared vsus againſt this reproach, and he himſelfe hath paſſed by the like proofes. I doe rely vponupon your goodneſſe and your Wiſdome that you will ſupport me if I be ſenſible on this ſide, for you are too cleare ſighted not to diſcerne the weakeneſſe of your Cauſe, hauing a long time liued at Rome from whence with the examples of vices came the deciſions of the Faith; where the Iewes, enemies of the name of Chriſt doe liue in peace, but the Chriſtians & the faithfull are burned; where in the time of Lent the Shambles are ſhut and the Stewes are open; where the Penitents whip themſelues in publike for the ſins of others; where is exerciſed a marchandiſe of Annats, of benifices, of diſpenſations, and pardons: and I remember that I have reade in one of your letters that it is excellent good ſinning there, and that you diſtinguiſh the Roman religion from the Popes Court, for feare the corruption of the one ſhould not ſtirre vp an euill preſumption of the other, although that this Court doth rule religion. A ſpirit excellent as yours ſhould not ſuffer it ſelfe to bee inknarled with ſuch ſenſeleſſe opinions. But you hauehave a more delieate religion then that which the vulgar do beleeue, or your Church doth inſtitute, nor doe you faſten vponupon any thing which is not agreeable to your humour. I make no doubt but you ſcorne the hypocondriacall deuotion of thoſe who adore bones, who kiſſing and apparelling Images and toſſing up and downe their hallowed graines, doe make their prayers by tale in words they vnderſtand not. Without doubt you doe not thinke it good that Seruice ſhould be ſaid in an vnknowne tongue as if God were become barbatous to Men, or as if the Pope had forbidden God to ſpeake in French; you hauehave ſeene at Rome many Altars where the Pope hath ſet vp pardons for a 100 and 200 thouſand yeares with as many quarantines, and power to draw a ſoule out of purgatory; you hauehave ſeene there the madneſſe of the people comming two or three hundred miles to a Iubily to obtaine the remiſſion of their ſins which God hath preſented vsus at home by the preaching of the Goſpell; nor are you ignorant out of what ſtocke the Pope drawes this his liberality; for he heapes vp the ſuperabundance of Faſtings, whippings, pilgrimages of Saints and Monkes, and conuerts the ſame into payments for the ſins of others. When at Rome you did refreſh your chamber with a Gale ſufficient to driue a Ship, and did mount into your Caroach onelyonly, to croſſe a ſtreet, you had not then the leiſure to ſtudie theſe ſuperſtitions. But if you had then the Curioſity to take the miſſall, and therein to read the Cautels and the Rubricks which doe prouide againſt inconueniences in caſe the winde ſhould carry away their God, or the Rats ſhould hauehave eaten Ieſus Chriſt, or the Prieſt ſhould vomit him vp, you would excuſe vsus and ſay, certainely it is no maruaile if this poore people do finde theſe things of ſo hard digeſtion and ill agreeing with the maieſtie of the Sonne of God. On two points principally we inſiſt, namely on the Succeſſion of the Pope into the Apoſtleſhip, and on the primacy of S. Peter: and we could neuer yet obtaine that any Man would ſhew vsus the Inſtitutions of theſe two things out of the word of God. But enough of theſe matters, from which I would hauehave abſtained if you had not puſhed me forward. I ſubſcribe to the reſt of your letters. Obedience vntounto Soueraignes is a thing both iuſt and neceſſary. To find in our owne Religion or in that of the Kings occaſions of Rebellion is to raiſe vp tumults to defend religion by courſes condemned by Religion it ſelfe, who being neceſſitated in their owne particular affaires, doe hope to finde eaſe by moouing the fiſhpoole and to ſaue themſelues in the middeſt of Confuſion. The Cauſe of God was neuer aduanced that way. Moſes had power to ſtrike Egypt and their King with great plagues, yet would he neuer draw the Iſraelites out of Egypt without the permiſſion of their King. I am of opinion that in Ciuill Cauſes it is more expedient for the people to hauehave a bad maſter then to hauehave none at all; how much more hauing a good and clement King are wee obliged to be faithfull to him, who in pardoning vsus hath not done as they doe who help forward their clemency by diſdaine, eſteeming him that hath offended them vnworthy of their choller, but hee hath followed his naturall inclination which hath carried him not only to pardon but to benefit alſo, ſo that to be conquered by him is profitable. Furthermore I hauehave alwaies beleeued that there is no worſe eſtate then Anarchy, in which eueryevery one is a ſlaue becauſe eueryevery one is a maſter and where the exceſſe of liberty is the Cauſe of Slauery. For this liberty bringeth licence, and licence confuſion, and confuſion ſlauery. As the hand would be an vnproper inſtrument, were the fingers all of an equall length, So a multitude of equall perſons moue not without inconuenience; your maxime that it is dangerous to change euill lawes is true out of the buſineſſe of Religion. To ſubiect a Mans ſelfe by docility vntounto lawes which lead unto hell, is to breake the lawes of God, and ſuch who hauehave made thoſe lawes ſhall not protect before God, thoſe who obey them. But where nothing is to bee conſidered but the loſſe of goods and life, it is better to vndergoe that vniuſt yoake then to bee exempted from it by troubling the publike peace by rebellion againſt the Soueraigne, for the force of humane lawes doth not conſiſt in this that they are iuſt, but in that they are lawes, and are made by them who hauehave Authority, and albeit they hauehave ſomething of vniuſt in them, yet it is iuſt to obey them. There are to bee found Eſtates who hauehave a long time liued in peace and proſperity vnderunder vniuſt Lawes well obſerued, and others liuing vnderunder iuſt Lawes but ill obſerued hauehave fallen into ruine and confuſion. This peace and proſperity will bee allwayes found more durable in a Monarchy than in any other forme of State, for it is the onelyonly ciuill gouernement which imitates the gouernement of the vniuerſall World, where there is but one Maſter, and all other States when they are much growne muſt of neceſſity come vntounto it. But of Monarchies ſubſiſting at this day, this of France hath the preheminence in Antiquity and good Lawes: the moouing humour of our nation & inclined to change is a cleere proofe that the State is well compoſed, for it had long ſince ouerturned the State, if the Pillars were not firme, and the building well compacted. Being borne vnderunder this Monarchy wee deſire the proſperity of it, and that the crowne of our King may be like the crowne of Egges which daily doth increaſe by Age. If our religion were generally receiued in France, the Kings Maieſtie ſhould bee more exalted and his power ſhould the more enlarge it ſelfe. For the Pope ſhould no more pretend to hauehave power ouer the life and the Crowne of our Kings, and ſhould vaunt no more that hee might depoſe them, there ſhould not in France bee any more iuſtice than that of the Kings. Cauſes bred on this ſide the Alpes ſhould not be called ouer to Rome. The Clergie ſhould bee ſubiect to Ciuill Lawes and ſhould bee tryable before the Kings Iudges. The Kingdome ſhould no more bee exhauſted of money that goes to Rome for Annats, diſpenſations, and pardons. So many Lands poſſeſſed by the Clergy and thereby fallen into mortmaine ſhould owe vntounto the King the ſame ſeruices and duties which other Lands doe which are poſſeſt by the Nobility. In briefe I dare ſay that the principall reaſon of the hatred which men beare to vsus is becauſe we defend by the Word of God the right of our Kings againſt the vſurpation of the Popes, who make them kiſſe their pantofles and vnderunder the ſhadow of penance doe impoſe vponupon them corporall puniſhments. But this is our vnhappineſſe that as the holy Scripture is a booke which is hid from Kings, ſo in that which concernes the liberty and independance of their Crownes, they learne nothing but from them whom the Pope holds bound by the belly. But this is too much. The pleaſure which I take in entertaining you makes mee forget that I write an Epiſtle and not a booke, and hath carried me beyond my limits: that clauſe wherein you ſay that I would giuegive vntounto a ſedition the apparence of a iuſt warre hath urged me to take ſome kind of reuenge which hath bin this, to tire you with the length of my letters; yet it ſhall not hinder mee from admiring the beauty and the force of your wit. I honour the guifts of God whereſoeuer they bee found, on the other ſide alſo, I hope that this little ſharpenes which I hauehave vſed ſhall not depriue him of your fauours who honours you and who is,
Your moſt humble and affectionate ſeruant. Du Moulin.
FINIS.
End of the text · Pierre du Moulin Sr, The Elegant Combat (1634)