Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 05
History
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 05
Literature -- Collections
Next to the above works we must mention the 'History of the Variations
of the Protestant Churches,' partly a work of theological controversy,
but partly also a brilliant exposition, from a strictly Catholic point
of view, of the history of the Reformation. It contains a portrait of
Luther which is almost worthy to be compared with that of Cromwell in
the funeral oration on Henrietta of France.
The only other works of Bossuet that we would mention here are two
admirable devotional works, the 'Meditations upon the Gospel,' and the
'Contemplations on the Mysteries of the Catholic Religion,' the latter a
clear and concise but now superannuated treatise on philosophy; the
'Treatise on the Knowledge of God and Man,' a very curious and eloquent
and at the same time thoroughly Biblical treatise on theocratic policy;
'Policy according to the Holy Writ'; and finally his 'Relation on
Quietism,' which shows what hard blows he could, when thoroughly
aroused, deal to a somewhat disingenuous opponent.
[Illustration: Signature: Adolphe Cohn]
FROM THE SERMON 'UPON THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH'
When the time had come at which the Roman Empire of the West was to
collapse and Gaul was to become France, God did not allow such a noble
part of Christendom to remain long under idolatrous princes; and wishing
to hand over to the kings of the French the keeping of his Church, which
he had formerly intrusted to the emperors, he gave not to France only,
but to the whole Western world, a new Constantine in the person of
Clovis. The miraculous victory which he sent from heaven to each of
these two princes in their wars was a pledge of his love, and the
glorious inducement which attracted them to Christianity. Faith
triumphed, and the warlike nation of the Franks knew that the God of
Clotilda was the true God of armies.
Then Saint Remi saw that by placing the kings of France and their people
in the bosom of Jesus Christ, he had given to the Church a set of
invincible protectors. This great saint, this new Samuel called to
anoint the kings, anointed these, in his own words, "to be the perpetual
defender of the Church and the poor": a worthy object for royalty to
pursue. After teaching them how to make churches flourish and
populations thrive (believe ye that he himself is now speaking to you,
as I only recite the fatherly words of this apostle of the French), day
and night he prayed to God that they should persevere in His faith and
reign according to the rules he had given them; assuring them at the
same time that in enlarging their kingdom they would enlarge the kingdom
of Christ, and that if they faithfully kept the laws he prescribed in
the name of God, the empire of Rome would be given to them, so that from
the kings of France would issue Emperors worthy of that title, through
whom Christ would reign.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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