impossible；　is　by　a　temerarious　presumption　to　pretend　to　know　the　utmost
  bounds　of　possibility。　　Did　we　rightly　understand　the　difference　betwixt
  the　impossible　and　the　unusual；　and　betwixt　that　which　is　contrary　to　the
  order　and　course　of　nature　and　contrary　to　the　common　opinion　of　men；　in
  not　believing　rashly；　and　on　the　other　hand；　in　not　being　too
  incredulous；　we　should　observe　the　rule　of　'Ne　quid　nimis'　enjoined　by
  Chilo。
  When　we　find　in　Froissart；　that　the　Comte　de　Foix　　knew　in　Bearn　the
  defeat　of　John；　king　of　Castile；　at　Jubera　the　next　day　after　it
  happened；　and　the　means　by　which　he　tells　us　he　came　to　do　so；　we　may　be
  allowed　to　be　a　little　merry　at　it；　as　also　at　what　our　annals　report；
  that　Pope　Honorius；　the　same　day　that　King　Philip　Augustus　died　at
  Mantes；　performed　his　public　obsequies　at　Rome；　and　commanded　the　like
  throughout　Italy；　the　testimony　of　these　authors　not　being；　perhaps；　of
  authority　enough　to　restrain　us。　　But　what　if　Plutarch；　besides　several
  examples　that　he　produces　out　of　antiquity；　tells　us；　he　knows　of　certain
  knowledge；　that　in　the　time　of　Domitian；　the　news　of　the　battle　lost　by
  Antony　in　Germany　was　published　at　Rome；　many　days'　journey　from　thence；
  and　dispersed　throughout　the　whole　world；　the　same　day　it　was　fought；
  and　if　Caesar　was　of　opinion；　that　it　has　often　happened；　that　the　report
  has　preceded　the　incident；　shall　we　not　say；　that　these　simple　people
  have　suffered　themselves　to　be　deceived　with　the　vulgar；　for　not　having
  been　so　clear…sighted　as　we？　　Is　there　anything　more　delicate；　more
  clear；　more　sprightly；　than　Pliny's　judgment；　when　he　is　pleased　to　set
  it　to　work？　　Anything　more　remote　from　vanity？　　Setting　aside　his
  learning；　of　which　I　make　less　account；　in　which　of　these　excellences　do
  any　of　us　excel　him？　　And　yet　there　is　scarce　a　young　schoolboy　that　does
  not　convict　him　of　untruth；　and　that　pretends　not　to　instruct　him　in　the
  progress　of　the　works　of　nature。　　When　we　read　in　Bouchet　the　miracles　of
  St。　Hilary's　relics；　away　with　them：　his　authority　is　not　sufficient　to
  deprive　us　of　the　liberty　of　contradicting　him；　but　generally　and　offhand
  to　condemn　all　suchlike　stories；　seems　to　me　a　singular　impudence。　　That
  great　St。　Augustin'　testifies　to　have　seen　a　blind　child　recover　sight
  upon　the　relics　of　St。　Gervasius　and　St。　Protasius　at　Milan；　a　woman　at
  Carthage　cured　of　a　cancer；　by　the　sign　of　the　cross　made　upon　her　by　a
  woman　newly　baptized；　Hesperius；　a　familiar　friend　of　his；　to　have　driven
  away　the　spirits　that　haunted　his　house；　with　a　little　earth　of　the
  sepulchre　of　our　Lord；　which　earth；　being　also　transported　thence　into
  the　church；　a　paralytic　to　have　there　been　suddenly　cured　by　it；　a　woman
  in　a　procession；　having　touched　St。　Stephen's　shrine　with　a　nosegay；　and
  rubbing　her　eyes　with　it；　to　have　recovered　her　sight；　lost　many　years
  before；　with　several　other　miracles　of　which　he　professes　himself　to　have
  been　an　eyewitness：　of　what　shall　we　excuse　him　and　the　two　holy　bishops；
  Aurelius　and　Maximinus；　both　of　whom　he　attests　to　the　truth　of　these
  things？　　Shall　it　be　of　ignorance；　simplicity；　and　facility；　or　of　malice
  and　imposture？　　Is　any　man　now　living　so　impudent　as　to　think　himself
  comparable　to　them　in　virtue；　piety；　learning；　judgment；　or　any　kind　of
  perfection？
  〃Qui；　ut　rationem　nullam　afferrent；
  ipsa　auctoritate　me　frangerent。〃
  ＇〃Who；　though　they　should　adduce　no　reason；　would　convince　me　with
  their　authority　alone。〃Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes；　i。　21。＇
  'Tis　a　presumption　of　great　danger　and　consequence；　besides　the　absurd
  temerity　it　draws　after　it；　to　contemn　what　we　do　not　comprehend。　　For
  after；　according　to　your　fine　understanding；　you　have　established　the
  limits　of　truth　and　error；　and　that；　afterwards；　there　appears　a
  necessity　upon　you　of　believing　stranger　things　than　those　you　have
  contradicted；　you　are　already　obliged　to　quit　your　limits。　　Now；　that
  which　seems　to　me　so　much　to　disorder　our　consciences　in　the　commotions
  we　are　now　in　concerning　religion；　is　the　Catholics　dispensing　so　much
  with　their　belief。　　They　fancy　they　appear　moderate；　and　wise；　when　they
  grant　to　their　opponents　some　of　the　articles　in　question；　but；　besides
  that　they　do　not　discern　what　advantage　it　is　to　those　with　whom　we
  contend；　to　begin　to　give　ground　and　to　retire；　and　how　much　this
  animates　our　enemy　to　follow　his　blow：　these　articles　which　they　select
  as　things　indifferent；　are　sometimes　of　very　great　importance。　　We　are
  either　wholly　and　absolutely　to　submit　ourselves　to　the　authority　of　our
  ecclesiastical　polity；　or　totally　throw　off　all　obedience　to　it：　'tis　not
  for　us　to　determine　what　and　how　much　obedience　we　owe　to　it。　　And　this　I
  can　say；　as　having　myself　made　trial　of　it；　that　having　formerly　taken
  the　liberty　of　my　own　swing　and　fancy；　and　omitted　or　neglected　certain
  rules　of　the　discipline　of　our　Church；　which　seemed　to　me　vain　and
  strange　coming　afterwards　to　discourse　of　it　with　learned　men；　I　have
  found　those　same　things　to　be　built　upon　very　good　and　solid　ground　and
  strong　foundation；　and　that　nothing　but　stupidity　and　ignorance　makes　us
  receive　them　with　less　reverence　than　the　rest。　　Why　do　we　not　consider
  what　contradictions　we　find　in　our　own　judgments；　how　many　things　were
  yesterday　articles　of　our　faith；　that　to…day　appear　no　other　than　fables？
  Glory　and　curiosity　are　the　scourges　of　the　soul；　the　last　prompts　us　to
  thrust　our　noses　into　everything；　the　other　forbids　us　to　leave　anything
  doubtful　and　undecided。
  End