Friday diversion - Montaigne and Cicero

This Friday diversion really returns to the topic of two days ago, Prove All Things, but from a secular writer's perspective.  In his essay Of Repentance, Montaigne addresses the topic of virtue, vice, and conscience and calls upon the great Latin orator Cicero:

"You must use your own judgment...With regard to virtues and vices, your own conscience has great weight: take that away, and everything falls." Cicero quoted by Montaigne

Saint Paul tells us to prove all things relating to our thoughts and actions.   Neither Cicero, Montaigne, or least of all Saint Paul are appealing to our own ability in isolation to judge what is good or bad.  We are reminded in all cases of a greater objectivity that is outside ourselves.

Montaigne makes a further observation about our inner life, yet another facet to this admonition of proving all things:

"...but to be disciplined within, in his own bosom, where all is permissible, where all is concealed - that's the point." Of Repentance, Montaigne

Prove all things.