Digital Donne: the Online Variorum
The 1654 Prose Letters Letter 5, cont. (p.9) |
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hand in them, nor go about to take them out of his hands, as though we could direct him to do them better. As Gods Scriptures are his will, so his actions are his will; both are Testaments, because they testifie his minde to us. It is not lawfull to adde a scedule to either of his wills: as they do ill, who adde to his written will, the Scri- ptures, a scedule of Apcryphall books: so do they also, who to his other will, his ma- nifested actions, adde Apocryphall condi- tions, and a scedule of such limitations as these, If God would have stayed thus long, or, If God would have proceeded in this or this manner, I could have born it. To say that our afflictions are greater then we can bear, is so near to despairing, as that the same words express both; for when we consider Caines words in that originall tongue in which God spake, we cannot tell whether the words be, My punishment is greater then can be born; or, My sin is grea- ter then can be forgiven. But Madame, you who willingly sacrificed your self to God, [CW: in] |
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