Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

XXIX
A second reason is, that we may caution young
students against any attempts to lessen the evil
OF religious errors, because they happen to be
associated, in such a case as that before us, with very
extraordinary excellencies. In a day like the pre-
sent, it is most necessary to be on our guard. Cor-
ruptions in doctrine are gradual. Declines in the
faith almost always begin with pious and eminent
persons, whose high attainments throw a veil over
their faults, and hand them down with a species of
authority. The direct tendency of the false doctrines,
the superstitions, the tyranny over the conscience,
the prohibition of the Scriptures maintained by the
church of Rome, is to ignorance, sell-righteousness,
irreligion, unholiness. <strong>Quesnel</strong> and such men are
the exception, and the rare exception ; not the rule.
The church of Rome never admitted and espoused,
as a body, such men as <strong>Quesnel</strong>, Pascal, Nicole ; but
condemned, persecuted, and cast them out. If our
Author be quoted as a proof of the excellent graces
which may be found in a Roman Catholic, let it be
remembered, that he was a Roman Catholic perse-
cuted, exiled, condemned;—let it be remembered,
that the very truths which he asserted with so much
zeal, were culled out from his book, were arranged
in 101 propositions, and branded as heretical.
With these cautions upon our mind, the reading
of <strong>Quesnel</strong>'s book may be most beneficial. We are
delighted to see in his case the fact, that a very high
measure of light, holiness, love, joy, deadness to
the world, interior union and communion with God,
real spiritual religion, may consist with many defects,
many errors, many grievous false doctrines. There