as an orthodox comment And however some disliked that
such violence should be done to so easy a text, our hair-splitting and
irrefragable doctor went on in triumph. To prove it yet (says he) more
undeniably, it is commanded in the old law [_Thou shalt not suffer a
witch to live_]: now then every _Maleficus_, or witch, is to be killed,
but an heretic is _Maleficus_, which in the Latin translation is put for
a witch, _ergo, &c_. All that were present wondered at the ingenuity of
the person, and very devoudy embraced his opinion, never dreaming that
the law was restrained only to magicians, sorcerers, and enchanters:
for otherwise, if the word _Maleficus_ signified what it most naturally
implies, every evil-doer, then drunkenness and whoredom were to meet
with the same capital punishment as witchcraft But why should I squander
away my time in a too tedious prosecution of this topic, which if drove
on to the utmost would afford talk to eternity? I aim herein at no more
than this, namely, that since those grave doctors take such a swinging
range and latitude, I, who am but a smattering novice in divinity, may
have the larger allowance for any slips or mistakes.

[Illustration: 370]

Now therefore I return to St. Paul, who uses these expressions [_Ye
suffer fools gladly_] applying it to himself; and again [_As a fool
receive me_], and [_That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but
as it were foolishly_]; and in another place [_We are fools for Christ's
sake_]. See how these commendations of Folly are equal to the author of
them, both great and sacred. The same holy person does yet enjoin and
command the being a fool, as a virtue of all others most requisite and
necessary: for, says he [_If any man seem to be wise in this world, let
him become a fool that he may be wise_]. Thus St. Luke records, how
our Saviour, after his resurrection, joining himself with two of his
disciples travelling to Emmaus, at his first salutation he calls them
fools, saying [_O fools, and slow of heart to believe_], Nor may this
seem strange in comparison to what is yet farther delivered by St. Paul,
who adventures to attribute something of Folly even to the all-wise God
himself [_The foolishness of God_ (says he) _is wiser than men_];
in which text St. Origen would not have the word foolishness any way
referred to men, or applicable to the same sense, wherein is to be
understood that other passage of St. Paul [_The preaching of the cross
to