1 thousand times rather than to deny Christ, and sacrifice to the gods. For this reason the heathen in M. Felix styles the Christians men of an undone, furious, and desperate party; respecting their fearless and resolute carriage under sufferings, for so he explains himself presently after: "Is it not a strange folly, and an incredible boldness? they despise torments that are present, and yet fear those that are future and uncertain; and while they fear to die after death, in the meantime they are not afraid to die. So sillily do they flatter themselves, and cajole their fears by a deceitful hope of some unknown comforts that shall arise to them.' This Arian, in his collection of Epictetus's Dissertations, confesses to be true of those whom, according to Julian's style, he calls the Galileans; that they underwent torments and death with a mighty courage, but which he makes to be the effect only of use and a customary bearing sufferings.3 The emperor M. Antoninus confesses also the matter of fact, that the Christians did thus readily and resolutely die; but ascribes it not to judgment and a rational consideration, but to mere stubbornness and obstinacy." "2 1 Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. vi. c. 4 Tuv siç javròv, lib. ii. §. 3. 19, p. 220. 3 Lib. iv. c. 7. p. 500. p. 106. END OF THE SECOND PART. PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY. PART III. OF THEIR RELIGION AS RESPECTING OTHER MEN. CHAPTER I. Of their Justice and Honesty. HAVING given some account of the religion of the ancient Christians, both as it respected their piety towards God, and their sober and virtuous carriage towards themselves; we come, in the last place, to consider it in reference to their carriage towards others, which the apostle describes under the title of righteousness, under which he comprehends all that duty and respect wherein we stand obliged to others; whereof we shall consider these following instances: their justice and integrity in matters of commerce and traffic; their mutual love and charity to one another; their unity and peaceableness; and their submission and subjection to civil govern ment. I begin with the first, their just and upright carriage in their outward dealings. One great design of the Christian law is to establish and ratify that great principle which is one of the prime and fun VOL. II. E 1 2 damental laws of nature, 'to hurt no man,' and 'to render to every one his due;' to teach us to carry ourselves as becomes us in our relations towards men. Next to our duty towards God, the Gospel obliges us to be righteous to men, sincere and upright in all our dealings, 'not going beyond, nor defrauding one another in any matter, to put away lying, and to speak truth to each other as fellowmembers' of the same Christian brotherhood and society. It settles that golden rule as the fundamental law of all just and equitable commerce, 'that all things whatsoever we would that men should do to us, we should even do so to them, this being the sum of the law and the prophets:" than which as no rule could have been more equitable in itself, so none could possibly have been contrived more short and plain, and more accommodate to the common cases of human life. Upon the account of these, and such like excellent precepts, Alexander Severus the Roman emperor had so great an honour for our Saviour, that he was resolved to build a temple to him, and to receive him into the number of their gods: and though he was overruled in this by some who having consulted the oracle, told him, that if it were done, all men would become Christians, and the temples of the gods would be left naked and empty; yet in his most private chapel he had the image of Christ amongst those of many noble heroes and deified persons, to whom he paid religious adoration every morning; and particularly for this precept, that what we would not have done to ourselves, we 1 1 Thess. iv. 6. Eph. iv. 25. 2 Matt vii. 12. 3 Lamprid. in vit. Alex. Sev. c. 43, p. 568, 4 Ibid. c. 29, p. 540. ૨ should not do to others.' His own historian confesses he learnt this either from the Jews or Christians, but most certainly from the Christians, in whose mouths it so often was, and in whose Gospel it was so plainly written; and he so highly valued it, that in all public punishments he caused it to be proclaimed by a common crier; nay, was so hugely fond of it, that he caused it to be written upon the walls of his palace, and upon all his public buildings, that, if possible, every room in his court, and every place in the city, might be a silent chancery and court of equity. So vast a reverence had the very enemies of Christianity for the Gospel upon this account-that it so admirably provides for the advance of civil righteousness and justice amongst men; which, however it has been slighted by some even amongst Christians, under the notion of moral principles, yet, without it, all other religion is but vain; it being a strange piece of folly for any to dream of being godly without being honest, or to think of being a disciple of the first, while a man is an enemy to the second table. Sure I am, the Christians of old looked upon honesty and an upright carriage as a considerable part of their religion; and, that to speak truth, to keep their words, to perform caths and promises, to act sincerely in all their dealings, was as sacred and as dear to them as their lives and beings. Speech, being the great ! Lamprid. in vit. Alex. Sev. c. 51, p. 577. 2 The Jews had the maxim, as expressed in Tobit. iv. 15, ὅ μισεῖς, μηδενὶ ποιήσης. Several heathen writers have also delivered it; and, among others, Seneca (Epist. 94.): Ab altero expeetes, alteri quod feceris. As a Christian precept it rests upon holier motives; and is something more sacred than a mere principle of human ethics. ED. |