A Philosophical Commentary on These Words of the Gospel, Luke 14:23, “Compel Them to Come In, That My House May Be Full”. Pierre Bayle
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href="#litres_trial_promo">Chapter XXIII. A summary Answer to those who fly to Grace for a Solution of these Difficultys.
Chapter XXIV. Whether the Arguments for the Truth are always more solid than those for Falshood.
From whence it happens that Falshood proves it self by good Reasons.
Instance in the last Persecution of France.
Reflection on what was done to the Mareschal Schomberg.
Chapter XXVIII. An Examination of what may be answer’d to the foregoing Chapter.
First Answer. This way of compelling wou’d scandalize the Publick.
Second Answer. Sodomy is essentially sinful, whereas Murder is sometimes warrantable.
Third Answer. Kings have not the same power over Pudicity, as over Life.
Conversion of the Arians in Spain.
Another Comparison between Catholick and Arian Princes.
Solution of some Difficultys.
Chapter XXXI. That the first Reformers in the last Age retain’d the Doctrine of Compulsion.
Politick Reason not to tolerate Papists.
A French Gentleman, whom I had known in my Travels in France about seven or eight Years ago, having fled for Refuge into England soon after the Expedition of the Dragoons; told me, as we often discours’d on the Subject, That among all the Cavils with which the Missionarys (and under this name he comprehended Priests, Monks, Evidence for the King, Judges, Intendants, Officers of Horse and Foot, and others of all Conditions and Sexes) had pester’d him, none appear’d to him more sensless, and yet at the same time more thorny and perplexing, than that drawn from these words of JESUS CHRIST, Compel ’em to come in, in favor of Persecution, or, as they term’d it, the charitable and salutary Violence exercis’d on Hereticks, to recover ’em from the Error of their Ways. He let me know how passionately he <2> desir’d to see this Chimera of Persecutors confounded: And fancying he observ’d in me not only an extreme Aversion to persecuting Methods, but something too of a Vein for entring into the true Reasons of things; he was pleas’d to say, he look’d on me as a proper Person for such an Undertaking, and urg’d that, succeeding in it as he expected, I shou’d do great Service to the Cause of Truth, and indeed to the whole World. He added that he had a Translator ready at hand who would put what I wrote in my Language, if not into good French, at least into a quite intelligible Style.
I answer’d him, That I had not the Vanity to think my self equal to such an Undertaking; and that I had still a worse Opinion of Convertists, whom I look’d on as utterly irreclaimable, to such a pitch did their wild Prepossession in this point over-bear ’em: in general, that Books were but an Amusement; so that Authors, after taking a deal of pains with ’em, had this new Mortification to boot, of seeing that what they promis’d themselves the greatest things by, had little or no good effect upon the World. As he’s a Man of a fiery Spirit, which he has sufficiently discover’d in a small Pamphlet of his, entitled, A Review of France intirely Catholick under the Reign of Lewis the Great;1 he press’d me unmercifully, as oft as ever I fell in his way, without the least regard to my Excuses. At last, as well to deliver my self from his Importunity, as to try my hand upon a Subject which on one side appear’d to me very evident, yet leading on the other to Consequences somewhat harsh, unless thorowly explain’d; I promis’d him to form a Philosophical Commentary on those Words of the Parable of the Wedding, which Convertists, that’s to say Persecutors, do so much pervert. <3> For Convertist, henceforward, and Villain, and Persecutor, and fouler Language, if any be, shall mean the same thing, and I shall accordingly use the Terms indifferently; which ’twas but fit I shou’d signify in the Entrance.
It has happen’d with the word Convertist much as with those of Tyrant and Sophist. The word Tyrant in the beginning had no other meaning than that of King, nor Sophist than that of Philosopher: but because many of those who exercis’d the Sovereign Power, abus’d it to wicked and cruel purposes, and many who profess’d Philosophy fell into fallacious ridiculous Subtletys, design’d to obscure the Truth, their Names became odious, and convey’d only the Idea of the worst of Men; and respectively signify’d Blood-suckers and Oppressors, Whifflers and Cheats. Here’s the true Image of the Fate of the word Convertist: It imported originally a Soul sincerely zealous in propagating the Truth, and undeceiving those in Error; but for the future it shall signify only a Mountebank, only a Counterfeit, only a Pilferer, only a Maroder, a Soul void of Pity, void of Humanity, void of natural Equity, only a Man who proposes by tormenting others to expiate for his own Leudness past and to come, and for all the Irregularitys of a profligate Life; or, shou’d it happen that all these Characters don’t exactly fit every Convertist, let’s try in fewer words to settle its just and proper Sense for the time