| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Augsburg Confession by Philip Melanchthon: wisely held that it should be dealt with and treated namely, by
such mutual presentation of writings and calm conferring together
among ourselves, we at least leave with you a clear testimony,
that we here in no wise are holding back from anything that could
bring about Christian concord, -- such as could be effected with
God and a good conscience, -- as also Your Imperial Majesty and,
next, the other Electors and Estates of the Empire, and all who
are moved by sincere love and zeal for religion, and who will
give an impartial hearing to this matter, will graciously deign
to take notice and to understand this from this Confession of
ours and of our associates.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: errors of his contemporaries.
The Cratylus is full of humour and satirical touches: the inspiration
which comes from Euthyphro, and his prancing steeds, the light admixture of
quotations from Homer, and the spurious dialectic which is applied to them;
the jest about the fifty-drachma course of Prodicus, which is declared on
the best authority, viz. his own, to be a complete education in grammar and
rhetoric; the double explanation of the name Hermogenes, either as 'not
being in luck,' or 'being no speaker;' the dearly-bought wisdom of Callias,
the Lacedaemonian whose name was 'Rush,' and, above all, the pleasure which
Socrates expresses in his own dangerous discoveries, which 'to-morrow he
will purge away,' are truly humorous. While delivering a lecture on the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: and they that are called tyrants, who deem that they have after a
fashion power over us, because of the miserable body and what
appertains to it. Let us show them that they have power over
none."
XVIII
And to this I reply:--
"Friends, wait for God. When He gives the signal, and
releases you from this service, then depart to Him. But for the
present, endure to dwell in the place wherein He hath assigned
you your post. Short indeed is the time of your habitation
therein, and easy to those that are minded. What tyrant, what
The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |
