 A principle of secularism in interpretation: Contrary to a practice that was still common in Herder’s day in relation to the Bible, the interpretation of texts must never rely on religious assumptions or means, even when the texts are sacred ones, but must instead rely only on secular ones. (This principle is already prominent in Herder’s writings on biblical interpretation from the 1760s.) Relatedly, the temptation to give allegorical interpretations of sacred texts must be resisted, except in those relatively few cases, such as the parables of the New Testament, where they are clearly warranted by the text (see esp. Songs of Love from 1778).