Thomas Gordon

Name: Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses, examined; whether the same was a Judgment for his killing the Egyptian God Apis
Author: Thomas Gordon

Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (1721)

Summary

“Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses, examined; whether the same was a Judgment for his killing the Egyptian God Apis”, published in 1721, is a work by Thomas Gordon. It explores elements such as Cambyses, Egyptians and worship.

Quotes from Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (Thomas Gordon)

Thomas Gordon, Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (1721)

“ Many a good man has been killed in a more terrible manner, as were all the saints and martyrs.
Now where is the miracle of a sword falling out of the sheath, when a man is mounting his horse? And where was it more likely to fall than on his leg or his thigh? If indeed it had got out of the scabbard of its own accord, and mounted up to his head and cut it off, it might have looked like a judgment; but yet I should have looked out rather for any cause of it, than the killing of a deified bull. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Thomas Gordon, Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (1721)

“ SIR, The talent of writing history is so rare on this side the Alps, and more on this side the Channel, that I think most of our southern neighbours have far exceeded us in it; as much, perhaps, as some of the ancients have exceeded them. By far the most part of our English histories are pitiful performances, unworthy of a free, polite, and learned nation. But though many of our neighbours excel us in the histories of their own countries, we can boast of two universal histories, which do honour to the authors, and their country. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Thomas Gordon, Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (1721)

“ Without inquiring whether this be any compliment to truth and religion, I freely own, that the distressing or disturbing of any sort of people in any sort of worship, however false and ridiculous, where the same does not violate property or human society, is an invasion of the rights of nature and conscience, and no man can do it with a wise and honest design: And what men do of this kind, out of bitterness of spirit or self-ends, no one will justify. If people will play the fool in their devotion, they only expose themselves, but hurt not others ”

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Source: Wikisource

Thomas Gordon, Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (1721)

“ The primitive Fathers are every where full of sarcasms against the heathenish worship, which they treat constantly with ridicule and reproach, with contempt and bitterness: Did Christianity suffer by this behaviour of theirs; or did not Christianity rather gain advantage and new beauties, by comparing it with the absurdities, the fopperies, nonsense, corruptions, and vanities of the pagans? Truth cannot suffer by exposing falsehoods, which can no more bear the face of truth, than darkness can the face of the sun. No two things are more unlike than true and false religion ”

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Source: Wikisource

Thomas Gordon, Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (1721)

“ Every man reckons every religion false or foolish, which he does not embrace; and his own the best, though it be the worst. And if in this universal obstinacy of every man in every religious opinion which he has imbibed, a dispute by the sword, and arguments of authority and force, were encouraged, or but permitted, confusion and slaughter would be their chief employment. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Thomas Gordon, Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (1721)

“ Prideaux, Dean of Norwich; who has given us a body of universal history, written with such capacity, accuracy, industry, and honesty, as make it one of the best books that ever came into the world, and shew him to be one of the greatest men in it. No book was ever more universally read and approved. It is indeed a great publick service done to mankind, and entitles the author to the highest publick gratitude and honour. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Thomas Gordon, Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (1721)

“ Finding that the garrison of Pelusium, a strong frontier town, were all Egyptians, in an assault which he made upon the city, he placed a great number of cats, dogs, sheep, and others of those animals which the Egyptians reckoned sacred, in the front of the army; and therefore the soldiers not daring to throw a dart, or shoot an arrow, that way, for fear of killing some of those animals, Cambyses, made himself master of the place without any opposition. For these being the gods which the Egyptians then adored, it was reckoned the highest impiety to kill any of them ”

Thomas Gordon

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Quotes from Cato's Letter No. 53 — Dr. Prideaux's Reasoning about the Death of Cambyses… (Thomas Gordon)

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