Samuel Butler (the first), Virginia Woolf (the only), and Jesus (good old)

October 29, 2015

Samuel Butler (the first), Virginia Woolf (the only), and Jesus (good old)

From Samuel Butler’s Hudibras, on those Presbyterian divines that “beat with fist instead of stick” their “pulpit[s], drum[s] ecclesiastic,” whose brains outweighed their rage no more than “half a grain”:

. . . errant saints whom all men grant
To be the true church militant.
Such as do build their faith upon
The holy text of pike and gun;
Decide all controversies by
Infallible artillery,
And prove their doctrine orthodox
By apostolic blows and knocks . . .

                                                                  

                                                             . . . those (preachers or politicians) that believe they can bludgeon those that disagree into agreement. Why so angry at the world, when it disagrees with us? Because God is.

Perhaps God is – spiteful, and angry at everyone that disagrees with me. Though, perhaps not. If Jesus of the parables (or “pabarles”) be the face of God, God is more bemused:

     “It is like this. A man had a brother whom he hated, but his brother did not hate him. Who has ears will hear.”