Stars and Their Strange Names

‘’As the astrojtoitiers call the glorious stars biells, snakes, drago7is, and other strange thi7tgs, so do tmgodly men miscall the most shifting and glorious graces. Zeal is fu7yj strictness, nicety; ajid patience, folly P’’ So far as the astronomers are concerned, the names which they give to the constellations are no dishonour to the lamps of heaven; it were well if the other misnomers were equally indifferent. Ill names are, however, a kind of persecution, a part of the cmel mockings” which are employed by the graceless. Evil comes of it, too, over and above the grieving of pious men, for weak minds avoid zeal when it is stigmatized as fanaticism, and many despise patience when it is maligned as meanness of spirit. Since the weak-minded are so many, this is a great evil which every man who loves his fellows should endeavour to correct. There is a great deal in a name after all. A great falsehood may be wrapped up in a short word, and a current misnomer may produce widespread evil. Let us call things by their right names, and stand up for all that is lovely and of good repute. Why should men bear false witness against the virtues, and viUify the fruits of the Spirit? If they will do so, let us not be so cowardly as to be silent; let us speak out boldly, and avow our hearty appreciation of that which the world despises. We will call the stars stars, and let the world call them bears, and crabs, and scorpions, if they will.