by us with contumely refused; and sown in us
daily, and by us, as instantly as may be, choked.

18. So, again, consider what effect has been produced on the English
vulgar mind by the use of the sonorous Latin form "damno," in
translating the Greek _chatachrino_, when people charitably wish to
make it forcible; and the substitution of the temperate "condemn" for
it, when they choose to keep it gentle; and what notable sermons have
been preached by illiterate clergymen on--"He that believeth not shall
be damned"; though they would shrink with horror from translating Heb.
xi. 7, "The saving of his house, by which he damned the world"; or John
viii. 10, 11, "Woman, hath no man damned thee? She saith, No man,
Lord. Jesus answered her, Neither do I damn thee; go and sin no more."
And divisions in the mind of Europe, which have cost seas of blood and
in the defense of which the noblest souls of men have been cast away in
frantic desolation, countless as forest leaves--though, in the heart of
them, founded on deeper causes--have nevertheless been rendered
practicably possible, namely, by the European adoption of the Greek
word for a public meeting, "ecclesia," to give peculiar respectability
to such meetings, when held for religious purposes; and other
collateral equivocations, such as the vulgar English one of using the
word "priest" as a contraction for "presbyter."

19. Now, in order to deal with words rightly, this is the habit you
must form. Nearly every word in your language has been first a word of
some other language--of Saxon, German, French, Latin, or Greek (not to
speak of eastern and primitive dialects). And many words have been all
these;--that is to say, have been Greek first, Latin next, French and
German next, and English last: undergoing a certain change of sense and
use on the lips of each nation; but retaining a deep vital meaning,
which all good scholars feel in employing them, even at this day. If
you do not know the Greek alphabet, learn it; young or old--girl or
boy--whoever you may be, if you think of reading seriously (which, of
course, implies that you have some leisure at command), learn your
Greek alphabet; then get good dictionaries of all these languages, and
whenever you are in doubt about a word, hunt it down patiently. Read
Max Mueller's lectures thoroughly, to begin with; and, after that, never
let a word escape you that looks suspicious. It is severe work; but
you will find it, eve