There’s a certain politically correct attitude towards older cultures, especially older Western, Christian cultures. They were bigoted—that’s the usual line—especially with regards to religion. And yes, if bigoted means that people tended to take questions of religion very seriously, and to hold that there was a right religion, and theirs was it, well, then, they were certainly bigots. (Although I hasten to add that not everyone felt this way, even in Ye Olden Dayes—see John Donne’s third satire.)
But the thing about being sure of one’s faith is—it doesn’t always lead to burning at the stake. It can, of course; it shouldn’t, of course; it’s terrible when it does. But sometimes even polemics, like the Anglican work quoted below, manage to keep a solid grip on the real implications of evangelical fervor.
In this appeareth the loue of God towards vs, because God sent his onely begotten son into the world, that we might liue through him. Herein is loue, not that we loued God but that he loued vs first, and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes. Beloued, if God so loued vs, we ought also to loue one another. No man hath seene God at any time if wee loue one another, God dwelleth in vs, and his loue is perfect in vs. God is loue, and hee that dwelleth in loue, dwelleth in God, and God in him. We loue him, because hee loued vs first. If any man say he loue God, and hate his brother, he is a lier, for how can hee that loueth not his brother whom hee hath seene, loue God whom he hath not seene? And this cōmandement haue we of him, he that loueth God, should loue his brother also. By this instruction of the Apostle in this epistle it appeareth that it is a false, lying, and vaine boasting of any man, to say hee loueth and beleeueth in God truly, when hee shuteth vp all his compassion from the helpe of mankind, which beare the image of God in the person of our Sauiour Christ, which was both God and man, who presenteth himselfe to vs to bee beloued in them which beare the image of his māhood. For no man can truly say he hartely loueth the father, but hee must also loue the sonne; and although the sonne be naughtie, and vnthriftie, yet for his fathers sake hee must helpe to better him, and euen lament and bee sorry for the sonnes wickednes, euen so much the rather, seing God hath appointed, and by his holy ordinance commaunded that whatsoeuer any true Christian man is, or whatsoeuer hee hath, hee should thankfully receiue it as of the free bountie and gift of God, who himselfe is the fountaine and full treasure of all good things, the onely author and giuer of euery good and perfect gift, giuing and distributing to euery one of the abundance of his riches & treasures; to this end and purpose, that each should communicate to other, of the goods they haue receiued, for the supply of each others want and necessitie. For which cause euery true Christian man must loue good men in Christ, and euill men for Christes sake, who so loued vs when wee were his enemies, that he gaue vp of his own life for our redemption. Let him embrace the one because they are good, the other neuerthelesse to make them good, let him forgiue and pray for his enemies, persecutors & slanderers, that God would turne their harts, open their blind eies, and giue them true knowledge of himselfe his word & commandements: in whose nature let him see and behold, as in a glasse, the image of his own crookednes & corruption; for there is no man so mad, cruell, furious, or hard hearted, but all other as of themselues are as farre wide from God as hee. So that euery man which escapeth the filthinesse and corruption of the wicked and vngodly, may thanke God that keepeth him by his grace from that or the like impietie, as for example, thou seest a man that is a theefe, a whoromonger, and an hereticke, or idolator, there thou seest euen thine owne image and picture, for if God keepe thee not of his mercifull grace and goodnes, out of such vices, thou wouldest be euen as euill and bad as he, and seeing thou art not such a one, glory in God, and not in thy selfe, hate not, nor bee not angry with those which are diseased in sinne, no more than a faithfull physition hateth a sicke man, but rather lament and bee sorrie for their euils. Be thou an enemie onely vnto sinne and vice. The greater the disease is, the more care will true charity haue to remoue it. Is he an adulterer, or hath he cōmitted sacriledge, or is he a Iew, Turke, Heretike, or Infidel? Hate the adulterie, sacriledge, heresie, idolatrie, and infidelitie of the man, and seeke to remoue, purge, and cleanse these vices, wherewith the man is defiled, and wherin he is wrapped and entangled through his owne fault; so that the man may bee saued which God made …
—From the anonymous work, “A most godly and
vvorthy treatis of holy signes sacrifices, and sacraments instituted of God,
euen since the beginning of the world. Very necessary for Christian
understanding. Seene and allowed by authority” (London: Printed for G.H, 1609,
pp. 242-6). (N.B. I have silently
replaced most of the colons and semicolons, and at least one comma, with
periods. Ain’t no run-on sentence like a
Renaissance run-on!)
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