Digital Donne: the Online Variorum

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Previous image Next image The 1654 Prose Letters  Letter 25, cont. (p.72)




I see dispassioned men are subject to the
like ignorances. For divers mindes out of
the same thing often draw contrary con-
clusions, as Augustine thought devout Antho-
ny to be therefore full of the holy Ghost, be-
cause not being able to read, he could say
the whole Bible, and interpret it; and
Thyreus the Jesuit for the same reason doth
thinke all the Anabaptists to be possessed.
And as often out of contrary things men
draw one conclusion. As to the Roman
Church, magnificence and splendor hath
ever been an argument of Gods favour, and
poverty & affliction, to the Greek. Out of this
variety of mindes it proceeds, that though
our souls would goe to one end, Heaven,
and all our bodies must go to one end, the
earth: yet our third part, the minde, which
is our naturall guide here, choses to every
man a severall way: scarce any man likes
what another doth, nor advisedly, that
which himself. But Sir, I am beyond my
purpose; I mean to write a Letter, and I am
fallen into a discourse, and I do not only
[CW: take]
p.72

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