Читать книгу Calvin's Interpretation of 'The Lord's Prayer'. A Rhetorical Approach - Professor J.H. Mazaheri - Страница 9

Concerning the way to pray, or how to address God, Jesus says to his followers: “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Mat 6:7–8).1 Calvin comments the first part (Mat 6:7) as follows:

Il reprend un autre vice en l’oraison, assavoir l’abondance de paroles. Il use de deux divers mots, mais toutefois en un mesme sens. Car, en premier lieu, il met le mot de Battologie, et puis le mot de Polylogie, desquels le premier signifie une repetition et une redite superflue et affectee. L’autre signifie un babil sans substance. Or Christ reprend la folie de ceux lesquels desgoisent beaucoup de paroles, afin de mieux persuader à Dieu ce qu’ils demandent. Et à ceste doctrine n’est point contraire l’assiduité de prier, qui est louée souvent en l’Escriture. Car quand la priere est prononcee d’une vraye affection, la langue ne s’avance point plus que le cœur. En apres, on ne pretend point de plaire à Dieu par une vaine suite de propos, mais plustost le cœur fidele deslasche ses affections, ne plus ne moins que fleches, pour parvenir iusques au ciel. Cependant ceci est pour condamner la superstition de ceux qui pensent par grans barbotemens rendre Dieu propice à leurs prieres. Duquel erreur nous voyons la Papauté tellement abbruvee, que le babil est là tenu pour la plus grande vertu de la priere. Car tant plus un chacun barbote longuement, d’autant plus estime-on qu’il ait bien prié. Davantage, leurs temples resonnent sans cesse de longue chantrerie, comme si la douceur du son retentissoit dedans les aureilles de Dieu pour le flechir à eux. (Commentaires 123)2

A too long prayer with “abondance de paroles” could even be unethical, if the words are superfluous. The Evangelist uses the Greek term “battology” (βαττολογία), which means, Calvin reminds the reader, vain repetition of words and an affected speech (“une repetition et une redite superflue et affectee”). The Gospel also uses the term “polylogy” (πολυλογία), meaning verbosity. The theologian describes it as “un babil sans subtance”. The word “babil” (futile speech) is stressed by the redundant “sans substance” (without any content). Christ, Calvin points out, rebukes people who are mad enough (“reprend la folie”) to think that by repeating and by being loquacious (as they “desgoisent beaucoup de paroles”), they can persuade God to do what they are requesting from Him (“ce qu’ils demandent”). Perseverance in praying (“l’assiduité de prier”) is not of course a problem. On the contrary, it is often praised in the Scriptures (“louée souvent en l’Escriture”), for when the words come from the heart (“prononcee d’une vraye affection”), the speech does not expand beyond the heart (“la langue ne s’avance point plus que le cœur”). We note again the emphasis put on the word “cœur” (heart). It is thus repeated in the following sentence. The faithful heart, in a true prayer, “unburdens” itself (“le cœur fidele deslasche ses affections”). The idea of superstition is also important in this passage: Calvin contends that those who make too long and repetitive prayers are just being “superstitious”. He condemns “la supersition de ceux qui pensent par grans barbotemens rendre Dieu propice à leurs prieres.” I will not insist on Calvin’s criticism of the Pope and his court (“la Papauté”), but rather on his disgust of long, futile, and artificial prayers, as well as his good intention to fight against “superstition” and promote real religion (“ceci est pour condamner la superstition de ceux qui…”). He thus accumulates a number of terms and expressions related to false prayers: “grans barbotemens”, “babil”, “barbote”, “longue chantrerie”…. He ends by saying that those who commit these acts cannot fool God—He will not listen to them, however beautiful their prayers may sound (“la douceur du son…”).

Moreover, continues Jesus, the Father already knows what we want to say when we pray, so we should not be like those superstitious people: “Do not be like them [the Gentiles], for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Mat 6: 8). Here is Calvin’s comment of this verse:

Ce seul remede suffit à purger et abolir la superstition qui est ici condamnee. Car d’ou vient cette folie que les hommes pensent beaucoup gagner quand ils importunent Dieu par leur babil, sinon pource qu’ils imaginent qu’il est semblable à un homme mortel, qui a besoin d’estre adverti et solicité? Mais quiconques est bien persuadé que Dieu non seulement a soin de nous, mais aussi cognoist nos necessitez, et previent nos souhaits et solicitudes avant que nous le requerions, cestuy-la sans beaucoup babiller se contentera de prolonger ses prieres tant qu’il sera besoin pour exercer sa foy; mais d’user de grande Rhetorique envers Dieu pour le flechir par paroles, il estimera cela mal-seant et ridicule. Sur ceci on pourroit dire que si Dieu, avant que nous le requerions, cognoist ce qui nous fait besoin, que c’est une chose superflue de prier. Car s’il est de soy-mesme enclin à nous aider, quel besoin est-il que nos prieres entrevienent pour empescher le cours volontaire de sa providence? La solution est facile, quand nous considerons quelle est la fin et le but de la priere. Car les fideles ne prient pas pour advertir Dieu de quelque chose qui luy soit incognue, pour l’inciter à faire son office, ou le soliciter, comme s’il tardoit trop, mais plustost afin de se resveiller eux-mesmes à le cercher, d’exercer leur foy en meditant ses promesses, de se soulager en deschargeant leurs solicitudes sur luy, et finalement pour rendre tesmoignage tant à eux-mesmes comme aux autres, qu’ils esperent et attendent tous biens de luy seul. Et aussi, luy de son costé, ce que liberalement et n’estant point encores requis, il a deliberé de nous donner. Toutesfois il promet qu’il l’ottroyera à nos prieres. Parquoy il nous faut entendre l’un et l’autre, assavoir qu’il previent volontairement nos requestes, et que toutesfois par prieres nous obtenons de luy ce que nous demandons. Touchant ce qu’il diffère quelque fois longuement à nous aider, et mesme quelque fois ne complaist pas à nos desirs, nous en traiterons en un autre lieu plus propre. (Commentaires 123)3

This text contains several interesting ideas:

 1º) The idea of “Superstition”. This term was relatively new in French, since the first use of it goes back to the late 14th century. It is thus mentioned, for the first time in all likelihood, in Raoul de Presles’ translation of Augustine’s De Civitate Dei (La Cité de Dieu) in 1375.4 In classical Latin, superstitio refers to the “attitude of irrational religious awe or credulity, particular superstitious belief or practice, foreign or non-orthodox religious practice or doctrine,” to which the Oxford English Dictionary adds that it is “in post-classical Latin also luxury, profusion (8th cent.), superfluity (9th cent.)…” (OED). Maybe, by the excess of words and repetitive prayers, some people think that they will be better heard by God. At any rate, it is thanks to the first translation in French of Augustine’s City of God, in 1375, that the term “superstition” was introduced first in French, then from the latter (Middle French) into English. But here is the passage where the word appears in Augustine’s work:Cicero the augur laughs at auguries, and reproves men for regulating the purposes of life by the cries of crows and jackdaws. But it will be said that an academic philosopher, who argues that all things are uncertain, is unworthy to have any authority in these matters. In the second book of his De Natura Deorum, he introduces Lucilius Balbus, who after showing that superstitions have their origin in physical and philosophical truths, expresses his indignation at the setting up of images and fabulous notions, speaking thus: ‘Do you not therefore see that from true and useful physical discoveries the reason may be drawn away to fabulous and imaginary gods? This gives birth to false opinions and turbulent errors, and superstitions well-nigh old wifeish.5Here, Calvin highlights the fact that verbosity (“babil”) is folly (“folie”), and is condemned (“condamnee”) by the Lord as superstition. One should not importune Him. What is superstitious, explains the exegete, is that people who pray long, futile, and repetitious prayers, imagine God to be like a human being (“pource qu’ils imaginent qu’il [God] est semblable à un homme mortel)—critique of anthropomorphism, though this term is anachronic.

 2º) But a long prayer is not necessarily a bad sign, Calvin thinks. Indeed, someone who earnestly has more to say to God, “se contentera de prolonger ses prieres tant qu’il sera besoin pour exercer sa foy.” It is then a matter of personal spiritual need—a prayer can be longer if one feels that in this way one’s faith gets more “exercised” or strengthened, and not because God may be more persuaded, which is just an unsuitable and ridiculous idea (“mal-seant et ridicule”).

 3º) Now, if someone objects that praying may not even be necessary, since God already knows what we want, he or she ought to consider the object and purpose of prayer (“quand nous considerons quelle est la fin et le but de la priere”). We are here reminded that if we pray, it is not because we want to tell God something He is not aware of, in order to incite Him “to do his duty” (“l’inciter à faire son office”) or “to listen to our request” (“le soliciter”). It is because we need to wake up and seek Him (“mais plustost afin de se resveiller eux-mesmes à le cercher”). Prayer is also a spiritual exercise: the believers pray to “exercer leur foy”, i.e., to put into practice their faith and strengthen it, as they meditate on God’s promises (“meditant ses promesses”). Furthermore, they relieve themselves from their solicitudes—word to be taken in the etymological sense (< Lat. Sollicitudo)—of worries, troubles, or anxieties (“se soulager en deschargeant leurs solicitudes sur luy”). Finally, if they pray, it is because they wish to demonstrate that their only hope resides in God, for they know that every good comes from Him.6 Finally, a prayer testifies to this belief (“finalement pour rendre tesmoignage tant à eux-mesmes comme aux autres, qu’ils esperent et attendent tous biens de luy seul”), and God, who even gives us more than what we request (“ce que liberalement et n’estant point encore requis, il a deliberé de nous donner”) will grant it with our prayer.

 4º) Sometimes, however, we may wait a long time before we receive what we have asked from Him (“il diffère quelque fois longuement à nous aider”), and even sometimes we do not receive it at all (“et mesmes quelque fois ne complaist pas à nos desirs”). The Reformer promises to discuss this issue in another and more appropriate place (“nous en traiterons en un autre lieu plus propre”).