Note 152 — LECTURE V. THE MORALITY OF PROVERBS.

Einmal, keinmal. This proverb was turned to such bad uses, that a German divine thought it necessary to write a treatise against it. There exist indeed several old works in German with such titles as the following, Ungodly Proverbs and their Refutation. It is not for nothing that Jeremy Taylor in one place gives this warning: “Be curious to avoid all proverbs and propositions, or odd sayings, by which evil life is encouraged, and the hands of the spirit weakened.” In like manner Chrysostom (Hom. 73 in Matt.) denounces the Greek proverb: γλυκὺ ἤτω καὶ πνιξάτω.