Questions for the coming week

[Terrance]

Paul Mackin wrote:

> Is Terrance going to apologize to Otto?

Went to confession last night and mass this morning. Lit a candle. Put a
hundred bucks extra in the basket. But when I tasted the blood of Christ
I immediately thought of the P-list and my sins here. 

It's called wine, said O'Brian with a faint smile.

I wonder why Orwell chose to name his "Catholic" high priest O'Brian? 

The celebration of the mass in _1984_ reminded me of the black mass in
V. and Their mass in GR. And I got to thinking about Orwell's debt to 
Swift. 

If Christianity were once abolished, how could the Free Thinkers,
the Strong Reasoners, and the Men of profound Learning, be able
to find another Subject so calculated in all Points whereon to
display their Abilities.  What wonderful Productions of Wit
should we be deprived of, from those whose Genius by continual
Practice hath been wholly turn'd upon Railery and Invectives
against Religion, and would therefore never be able to shine or
distinguish themselves upon any other Subject.  We are daily
complaining of the great decline of Wit among us, and would we
take away the greatest, perhaps the only Topick we have left? 
Who would ever have suspected Otto for a Wit, or
Jbor for a Philosopher, if the inexhaustible Stock of
Christianity had not been at hand to provide them with Materials. 
What other Subject through all Art or Nature could have produced
Pynchon for a profound Author, or furnished him with
Readers.  It is the wise Choice of the Subject that alone adorns
and distinguishes the Writer.  For, had a Hundred such Pens as
these been employed on the side of Religion, they would have
immediately sunk into Silence and Oblivion.

    

    IN the last Place I think nothing can be more plain, than
that by this Expedient, we shall run into the Evil we chiefly
pretend to avoid; and that the Abolishment of the
Christian Religion, will be the readiest Course we can
take to introduce Popery.  And I am the more inclined to this
Opinion, because we know it has been the constant Practice of the
Jesuits to send over Emissaries, with Instructions to
personate themselves Members of the several prevailing Sects
amongst us.  So it is recorded, that they have at sundry Times
appeared in the Guise of Presbyterians, Anabaptists,
Independents, and Quakers, according as any of these were
most in Credit; So, since the Fashion hath been taken up of
exploding Religion, the Popish Missionaries have not been
wanting to mix with the Free-Thinkers; among whom Otto 
the great Oracle of the Anti-Christians is an Irish
Priest, the Son of an Irish Priest; and the most learned
and ingenious Author of a Book called the Rights of the
Christian Church, was in a proper Juncture reconciled to the
Romish Faith, whose true Son, as appears by a hundred
Passages in his Treatise he still continues.  Perhaps I could add
some others to the Number; but the Fact is beyond Dispute, and
the Reasoning they proceed by is right: For supposing
Christianity to be extinguished, the People will never be at Ease
till they find out some other Method of Worship; which will as
infallibly produce Superstition, as this will end in
Popery. 

    AND therefore, if notwithstanding all I have said, it still
be thought necessary to have a Bill brought in for repealing
Christianity; I would humbly offer an Amendment; That instead of
the Word, Christianity, may be put Religion in general, which I
conceive will much better answer all the good Ends proposed by
the Projectors of it.  For, as long as we leave in being, a God
and his Providence, with all the necessary Consequences which
curious and inquisitive Men will be apt to draw from such
Premises, we do not strike at the Root of the Evil, though we
should ever so effectually annihilate the present Scheme of the
Gospel; For, of what Use is Freedom of Thought, if it will not
produce Freedom of Action, which is the sole End, how remote
soever in Appearance, of all Objections against Christianity; And
therefore, the Free-Thinkers consider it as a Sort of Edifice,
wherein all the Parts have such a mutual Dependence on each
other, that if you happen to pull out one single Nail, the whole
Fabrick must fall to the Ground.  This was happily exprest by him
who had heard of a Text brought for proof of the Trinity, which
in an ancient Manuscript was differently read; He thereupon
immediately took the Hint, and by a sudden Deduction of a long
<i>Sorites</i>, most Logically concluded: Why, if it be as you
say, I may safely Whore and Drink on, and defy the Parson.  From
which, and many the like Instances easy to be produced, I think
nothing can be more manifest, than that the Quarrel is not
against any particular Points of hard digestion in the Christian
System, but against Religion in general, which, by laying
Restraints on human Nature, is supposed the great Enemy to the
Freedom of Thought and Action.

    UPON the whole, if it shall still be thought for the Benefit
of Church and State, that Christianity be abolished; I conceive
however, it may be more convenient to defer the Execution to a
Time of Peace, and not venture in this Conjuncture to disoblige
our Allies, who as it falls out, are all Christians, and many of
them, by the Prejudices of their Education, so bigotted, as to
place a sort of Pride in the Appellation.  If upon being rejected
by them, we are to trust to an Alliance with the Turk, we
shall find our selves much deceived: For, as he is too remote,
and generally engaged in War with the Persian Emperor, so
his People would be more Scandalized at our Infidelity, than our
Christian Neighbours.  Because the Turks are not only
strict Observers of religious Worship; but what is worse, believe
a God, which is more than is required of us, even while we
preserve the Name of Christians.


    TO conclude, Whatever some may think of the great Advantages
to Trade by this favourite Scheme, I do very much apprehend, that
in Six Months time after the Act is past for the Extirpation of
the Gospel, the Bank, and East-India Stock, may fall at
least One per Cent.  And since that is Fifty times more
than ever the Wisdom of our Age thought fit to venture for the
Preservation of Christianity, there is no Reason we should
be at so great a Loss meerly for the sake of destroying
it.