Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

great names of the same schoo], the highest order
of excellence on capital points, was combined with
some glaring errors. Deep spirituality of mind,
unaffected humility, holy love to the divine Saviour,
a simple repose on the grace of the Holy Spirit, a
life of devoted and courageous obedience, were asso-
ciated with much uncommanded prostration of the
understanding to human authority, many dangerous
superstitions, and much uncharitable condemnation
of Protestants.
What an inconsistent creature is man ; and, at
the same time, what a powerful principle is the
divine grace which can raise him, notwithstanding
many errors, to such an elevated point of holy love !
What force can one principle, well followed out, acquire
over the whole character ! With what charity
should we judge of the persons of individuals, in
the most corrupt churches, whilst we still contend
against those churches, for the faith as once delivered
unto the saints ! And let Protestants look to them-
selves : we may have a beam in our own eye, which
prevents our clear discernment, when we attempt to
pluck out the mote from an eye like that of <strong>Quesnel</strong>.
Probably our pride of intellect, our cold, systematic,
metaphysical theology, our feeble faith, our tame and
worldly standard of practical piety, our little humi-
liation and small measure of real prostration of soul
before God, and our negligence of fasting and prayer,
may often be more offensive to our heavenly Father,
than many superstitions of the humble and spiri-
tually-minded Roman Catholic. Intellectual acute-
ness is nothing compared to heart-felt love. His is
often the fault of the understanding; ours of tlie