Chapter XII: Christian Ethics (3)

[492] S. Matt. v. 48. Butler, _Serm._ 3 'Your obligation to obey this Law is its being the Law of your nature.... The correspondence of actions to the nature of the agent renders them natural.'

[493] Cp. Bp. Ellicott, _The Being of God_, p. 120.

[494] Rom. ii. 18 (γινώσκεις τὸ θέλημα) implies that when a man knows God's _will_, he knows his _duty_.

[495] S. John ix. 4; iv. 34. Cp. vi. 40; S. Luke iv. 43. See also Rom. xii. 2; Eph. v. 17, etc.

[496] The case of the young man (S. Matt. xix. 21) shews how obligation is extended by contact with Christ, i.e. by closer relation to God. The general principle is that each is bound to follow the law of his personal perfection as it unveils itself to him. See Bengel _in loc._ and cp. S. Luke xvii. 10.

[497] Wace, Lect. II.

[498] S. Matt. xvi. 25, 26. The discussion of 'Christian consolations,' by Mr. Cotter Morison, _Service of Man_, overlooks the fact that Christ's object was not to 'console' men, but to set before them the truth, and the law of their own perfection. The 'consolations' of Christianity can be won only if they are never made the _object_ of life. They are a _reward_, but never, in the higher forms of Christian consciousness, an _aim_. See _Church Quart. Rev._, Jan. 1888, p. 268.

[499] Witness the discussions on _fear_ commonly found in mediaeval theology. Bruce, _Parabolic teaching of Christ_, p. 359 foll., has some good remarks on this point. 'The parabolic form of instruction does not afford scope for the play of the highest class of motives. It is essentially popular wisdom, and it is the way of that which aims at teaching the million, _to make action spring from homely motives_.'

[500] Butler, _Analogy_, i. 5.

[501] See H. S. Holland, _Creed and Character_, Serm. XVIII. Cp. S. Matt. xxv. 21, Heb. xii. 2. Thom. Aquin. _Summa_, ii. iiᵃᵉ, xxviii.

[502] Sidgwick, _Outlines of the Hist. of Ethics_, chap. 3.

[503] Iren. iv. 16, § 3 [Stieren]. God appears in the decalogue 'praestruens hominem in suam amicitiam ... et ideo [verba] similiter permanent apud nos, extensionem et augmentum sed non dissolutionem accipientia per carnalem Eius adventum.' Thom. Aquin. _Summa_, i. iiᵃᵉ. Qu. c. Art. 3, 'Omnia praecepta [moralia] legis sunt quaedam partes praeceptorum decalogi.'

[504] Rom. vii. 14.

[505] S. Matt. xxii. 37. Cp. Aug. _de mor. Eccl._ xviii-xx; _de doc. Christ._ i. 29.

[506] Aug. l.c. 'Maxime Ei propinquat [homo] subjectione ista qua similis fit.'

[507] Thom. Aquin. _Summa_, i. iiᵃᵉ. c. 5, 'Principi communitatis tria debet homo, fidelitatem, reverentiam, famulatum.' Cp. Butler, _Analogy_, pt. ii. 1.

[508] Aug. _de disc. Christ._ iii. 'Proximus est omni homini omnis homo,' etc.

[509] R. W. Dale, _The Ten Commandments_, p. 241. Cp. Thom. Aquin. _Summa_, i. iiᵃᵉ. c. 6; Martineau, _Types_, etc., ii. 26.

[510] _Summa_, i. iiᵃᵉ. c. 5, 'Dilectio sui ipsius includitur in dilectione Dei et proximi; in hoc enim homo vere se diligit quod se ordinat in Deum.' _Ib._ ii. iiᵃᵉ. xix. 6, 'Homo se propter Deum, et in Deo diligit.' Aug. _Serm._, ccxvi. 8, 'Amate quod eritis: eritis enim filii Dei.' Pascal, _Pensées_, Art. xviii. 15, 'Que l'homme _s'aime_, car il a en lui une nature capable de bien.' Cp. Butler, _Serm._ i. etc.

[511] Sidgwick, _Outlines etc._, p. 108. Cp. Dorner, _System, etc._, p. 459 [Clark].

[512] Aug. _de Civ. Dei_, xiv. 28.

[513] See Ex. xxi. 33 foll.; Deut. xxii. 9 foll.; Levit. xix. etc. _Summa_, i. iiᵃᵉ. i. 2, 'Tota irrationalis natura comparatur ad Deum sicut instrumentum ad agens principale.'

[514] Consider Gen. ix. 10. Cp. Gen. viii. 1; Prov. xii. 10, etc.

[515] Martensen, _Special Ethics (Indiv.)_, p. 278 [Clark].

[516] See Trench, _Mediaeval Church History_, Lect. XXVII. Cp. Plato, _Phileb._ 64 E foll.

[517] _Ecce Homo_, c. x. Cp. S. John xxi. 25.

[518] It is significant that Mr. Cotter Morison in his _Service of Man_ discusses personal types of Christian saintliness.

[519] Dorner, _System, etc._, p. 377.

[520] See some remarks on this tendency in Liddon, _Bampton Lectures_, viii; and an Art. in the _Church Quart. Rev._, July, 1883, on 'Our Lord's Human Example.' For what follows, cp. Martensen, _Ethics (General)_, pp. 242, 256.

[521] Dean Church, Serm. on _Christ's Example_ [_Gifts of Civilization_, Serm. III].

[522] R. H. Hutton, Essay on _the Incarnation and Principles of Evidence_. Cp. the remarkable definition of Lactantius, _Div. Inst._ iii. 9, 'Pietas nihil aliud est quam _Dei parentis agnitio_.' _Ib._ 10, 'Efficitur ut is agnoscat Deum, qui unde ortus sit, quasi recordetur.'

[523] See Trench, _Syn. of the N.T._ § 42 (on ταπεινοφροσ). 'In His Human Nature [Christ] must be the pattern of all humility, of all creaturely _dependence_.... He evermore, as Man, took the place which beseemed the creature in the presence of its Creator.'

[524] S. John xvi. 32.

[525] Martensen, _Ethics (General)_, p. 255. Cp. Job v. 23.

[526] Christ's earthly life and work are described summarily as ὑπακόη, Rom. v. 19. Cp. Phil. ii. 8.

[527] Aug. _de Praed. Sanct._ xxx. 'An ... in Illo non libera voluntas erat, ac non tanto magis erat, quanto magis peccare non poterat?' Quoted by Liddon, _Bampt. Lect._ [ed. 11], note c.

[528] Aug. _de mor. Eccl._ xxiii. 'Fit ergo per caritatem ut conformemur Deo.'

[529] Dorner, pp. 336, 388. Cp. _Ecce Homo_, p. 136.

[530] Arist. _Eth._ vii. 14. 8 remarks that human nature is not simple (ἁπλῆ), adding ἐπεὶ, εἴ του ἡ φύσις ἁπλῆ εἴη ἀεὶ ἡ αὐτὴ πρᾶξις ἡδίστη ἐσται. Διὸ ὁ θεὸς ἀεὶ μίαν καὶ ἁπλῆν χαίρει ἡδονήν, κ.τ.λ. Cp. Bk. x. cc. 4. § 9, and 7. § 8.

[531] _Summa_, i. iiᵃᵉ. Qu. lxii. Art. 1. Cp. S. Matt. xix. 17.

[532] Abp. Trench.

[533] Heb. xi. 6. Cp. 1 S. John iv. 16; Rom. xiv. 23. _Summa_, i. iiᵃᵉ. Qu. lxii. art. 3. 'Quantum ad _intellectum_ adduntur homini quaedam principia supernaturalia, quae divino lumine capiuntur; et haec sunt credibilia de quibus est fides.' _Ib._ art. 4, 'Per fidem apprehendit intellectus ea quae sperat et amat. Unde opportet quod ordine generationis fides praecedat spem et caritatem.'

[534] S. John iv. 34; v. 36; xvii. 4. Cp. H. S. Holland, _Serm._ on 'The Energy of Unselfishness.' With regard to the relation of _Pleasure_ to action, we may observe that pleasure is inseparable from the right and effective exercise of any faculty; and therefore _accompanies_ virtuous activity, but can never be the moral _end_ of action. Cp. Arist. _Eth._ vii. 12. § 3, etc.

[535] See _Ecce Homo_, c. xiii.

[536] Aug. _de mor. Eccl._ xix. 'Id ipsum quo diligimus Deum mori non potest, nisi dum non diligit Deum: cum mors ipsa sit non diligere Deum.' Cp. Cyp. _de Unit._ xiv.

[537] Such classification, corresponding to three cardinal virtues, seems to be implied in S. Paul's words, Tit. ii. 12 ἵνα ... σωφρόνως, καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν.

[538] J. Cotter Morison, _The Service of Man_, p. 194 [ed. 3]. See Eph. i. 4; Col. i. 22; S. Luke i. 75.

[539] Rom. viii. 8; 1 Cor. vii. 32; 1 Thess. iv. 1. An instructive contrast might be drawn between the Pagan and Christian use of the word ἀρεσκεία.

[540] _Lacordaire, a biographical sketch_, H. S. Lear, p. 34.

[541] Wordsworth, _The Excursion_. Ep. _ad Diog._ v. πᾶσα ξένη πατρίς ἐστιν αὐτῶν, καὶ πᾶσα πατρὶς ξένη. This spirit does not exclude a true _patriotism_, and other civil virtues. Martensen, _Ethics (Social)_, § 82.

[542] _De mor. Eccl._ xxxvii and xxv. Cp. Bern. _de Consid._ v. 1.

[543] See the chap. with this title in _Ecce Homo_.

[544] S. Matt. v. 44 foll. Leo, _Serm. in Quad._ vii. 'Forma conversationis fidelium ab exemplo venit operum divinorum et merito Deus imitationem Sui ab eis exigit, quos ad imaginem et similitudinem suam fecit.' Cp. Iren. iv. 13. 3.

[545] _Ecce Homo_, c. xxii. Cp. Butler, _Serm._ ix. etc.

[546] Leo, _Serm. in Quad._, passim, esp. v, vi, ix. _Ecce Homo_, c. xxiii. For what follows, see Arist. _Eth._ v. 10. Cp. Eph. iv. 32.

[547] Mozley, _Univ. Serm._ ix. 'Ancient philosophy never opened the mine of happiness which lay in this principle. It was a discovery, like that of a new scientific principle, when it was made; and Christianity made it.'

[548] Rom. xiii. 10. Note the following words of S. Aug. (_de doct. Christ._ i. 29): 'Velle debemus, ut _omnes nobiscum diligant Deum_, et totum quod vel eos adjuvamus vel adjuvamur eis, ad unum illum finem referendum est.... Hinc efficitur ut inimicos etiam nostros diligamus.... _Misereamur_, quia tanto magis nos oderunt, quanto ab illo quem diligimus separati sunt.' Cp. _de disc. Chr._ v. 'Necesse est ut quem diligis tanquam te ipsum, _illuc illum trahas ad quod et tu amas_.' _Ecce Homo_, cc. xvii, xviii.

[549] Tert. _Apol._ 36.

[550] _De mor. Eccl._ lxiii. [Clark] _Obs._ There are duties imposed by our relationship even _to the dead_, _to posterity_, and of course _to the impersonal creature_. See Martensen, _Ethics (Indiv.)_, §§ 116-118. On duties to _posterity_, see a beautiful passage in Ruskin, _Seven Lamps of Architecture_, vi. § 9.

[551] Dean Church, _Disc. of the Christian Character_, p. 101. Cp. _Ecce Homo_ [ed. 13], p. 178.

[552] See Rom. xii. 3; 2 Cor. x. 5.

[553] Wisdom vi. 17.

[554] 1 Cor. vi. 19.

[555] Ep. _ad Diog._ vi. μισεῖ Χριστιάνους ὁ κόσμος μηδὲν ἀδικούμενοσς, ὅτι ταῖς ἡδόναις ἀντιτάσσονται.

[556] See Westcott, Essay on _The Church and the World_ [in his ed. of S. John's Epp.].

[557] Trench, _Syn. of N.T._ § xxxvii. On 'Resentment' see _Ecce Homo_, c. xxi; Butler, _Serm._ viii. Cp. Arist. _Eth._ iv. 5. See also Dale. _The Atonement_, Lect. VIII.

[558] Dean Church, _Gifts of Civilization_, p. 323. Cp. Martineau, _Types of Eth. Theory_, vol. ii, pp. 200-202.

[559] See _Service of Man_, cc. vii and ix. Those objections have been often met. See Dean Church, _Serm._ on 'Christ's Example.' Liddon, _Bampt. Lect._ [ed. 11] p. 130.

[560] Aug. _de mor. Eccl._ lxiii. 'Tu [Ecclesia] pueriliter pueros, fortiter juvenes, quiete senes prout cuiusque non corporis tantum, sed et animi aetas est, exerces ac doces etc.' Cp. Amb. _de Off. Min._ i. 17.

[561] Wace, _Boyle Lect._ (ser. 1) v. Cp. _Ecce Homo_, c. ix. We may consider how Christ gives a _practical_ turn to speculative inquiries. S. Luke xiii. 23, 24; S. John xxi. 21 foll.

[562] E.g. Clem. of Alexandria. See Bigg, _The Christian Platonists of Alexandria_, p. 80.

[563] S. Luke xiii. 32; Heb. ii. 10, v. 9. Cp. 1 Cor. xv. 45; and see Gal. ii. 20, iv. 19. Also an Art. in _Ch. Qu. Rev._ No. xxxii, on 'Our Lord's Human Example.'

[564] 1 Cor. i. 30. Cp. Rom. viii. 29. For the thought that follows, see Prof. Bruce on Heb. ii. 11-18 in _Expositor_, No. 50.

[565] _Service of Man_, pp. 84, 85.

[566] Chrys. _in Joh. hom._ x. 2 ἄμα δὲ καὶ ἐνδείξασθαι βούλεται ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὔδε ἡ χάρις ἔπεισιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς βουλομένοισ καὶ ἐσπουδακόσι, κ.τ.λ.

[567] See Tit. ii. 11, 12 ἡ χάρις ... παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς S. Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. Aug. _de disc. Chr._ i. '_Disciplinae domus_ est Ecclesia Christi.' Butler, _Analogy_, pt. ii. c. 1.

[568] Consider Col. i. 28; Eph. ii. 10.

[569] _Lyra Apostolica_, No. xxxvii [signed δ].

[570] Consider Phil. ii. 2, where the description of the Christian example and character is prefaced by an impressive appeal for Unity. The moral guilt of _heresy_ partly lies in its being a principle of disunion. Cyp. _de Unit._ xxvi. complains of particular ways in which disunion injures Christian character.

[571] Bruce (_Expositor_, No. 50, p. 84). 'God's paternal discipline, our own self-effort, Christ's example, priestly influence and sympathy, all contribute to the same end, persistency and progress in the Christian life.' It is specially instructive to contrast the Christian with the Pagan estimation of _Labour_, as a factor in the formation of character. See Martensen, _Ethics (Social)_, p. 129.

[572] For what follows, see especially the Lenten sermons of S. Leo. Also a very useful book by Canon Furse, _Helps to Holiness_.

[573] 1 Cor. vi. 13. See Cyp. _de orat. Dom._ iv, on the part of the _body_ in prayer.

[574] The particular shape which Almsgiving will assume is obviously to be 'suggested by the special conditions' of the age. See a noble passage in _Ecce Homo_ [ed. 13], p. 184, pointing out the way in which the Christian spirit is likely to regard social problems. Cp. Martensen, _Ethics (Social)_, p. 132. This point seems completely overlooked in the _Service of Man_, c. vii.

[575] Aug. _Enchir._ lxxii. 'Multa sunt genera eleemosynarum, quae cum facimus _adjuvamur_.' See also Cyp. _de op. et eleem._ xxv. Leo, _in Quad._ v. 4; _de Res._ i. 1; _de Pent._ i. 6, etc. Bruce, _Parabolic Teaching_, etc., pp. 371-375, has some striking remarks.

[576] S. Luke xi. 41.

[577] Leo, _in Quad._ xii. 2, 'In caelestibus Ecclesiae disciplinis, multum utilitatis adferunt _divinitus instituta_ jejunia.' Cp. Hooker, Bk. v. § 72.

[578] Ep. _ad Diogn._ vi. κακουργουμένθ σιτίοις καὶ πότοις ἡ ψυχὴ βελτιοῦται.

[579] Serm. _de Pass._ xix. 5. Cp. Martensen, _Ethics (Indiv.)_, p. 160; Martineau, _Types_, etc., vol. ii. 381.

[580] S. Matt. xxiv. 8 ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων.

[581] Rom. viii. 19.

[582] 1 Cor. vii. 31; 1 S. John ii. 17, etc.

[583] Cp. _The Ethics of Socialism_, by E. Belfort Bax, p. 19.

[584] Cp. Bern, _de consid._ v. 11.

[585] Ps. cxlix. 1.

[586] See the Bp. of Exeter's _Primary Charge_ on this subject. On the principle involved in this 'dual classification' see an impressive passage in Martineau, _Types_, etc., ii. 65-69.

[587] 2 Cor. v. 5; Col. i. 28; Butler, _Analogy_, i. c. 5.

[588] S. Luke xx. 36 ἰσάγγελοι ... καὶ υἱοί εἰσιν θεοῦ τῆς ἀναστάσεως υἱοὶ ὄντες. Cp. Leo Magn. _Serm. in Res. Dom._ i. c. 4.

[589] Vinc. Lirin. _Common._ c. xiii. 'Unoquoque hominum sine fine victuro, in unoquoque hominum sine fine necessario utriusque substantiae differentia permanebit.'

[590] Dorner, _System, etc._, § 2.

[591] Aug. _de Fid. et Symb._ xiii. 'Spirituale corpus intelligitur quod ita spiritui subditum est, ut caelesti habitationi conveniat.' The Resurrection of the flesh is thus seen to have vital relation to the idea of moral perfection. Cp. Thom. Aquin. _Summa_, i. iiᵃᵉ. Qu. iv. Art. 6-8.

[592] Iren. iv. 28. 2, 'Hi semper percipiunt regnum, et proficiunt.' Pet. Lomb. _Sent._ ii. xxv. 7, 'Post confirmationem vero ... nec vinci poterit nec premi [homo]: et tunc habebit _non posse peccare_.'

[593] S. Matt. xiii. 43; 2 Cor. iii. 18; 1 S. John iii. 2.

[594] 1 S. John i. 3-7; Heb. vii. 16; Westcott, _Hist. Faith_, p. 147.

[595] Aug. _de mor. Eccl._ iv. ['Beata vita,] cum id quod est hominis optimum, amatur et habetur.'

[596] ἔργα θεοῦ, S. John vi. 28. Cp. S. Matt. vi. 33.

[597] 1 Cor. iii. 22.