, 1874-07-26
DOWN Oh THE EEATHEN,.

The editor Of the Interior In late iasue as
su1ed his readers that he had never real Of one
| vittuous heather. Socrates had been named to
him as specimen; but Socrates. the learned
editor saya, Was only t'sentimental loafer !"
Socrates was the most yItuous OF the heathen
but 30 shiftless was he that 3auhppe was fully
| justified in pitching slop-water his philo-
| sophie head and beard So very bad WIS he
that, according to our editor, there is not a
woman in the country but would promptly apply
for divorce from husband who was no better
than Socrates.
Il, bya virtuous man, the editor Of tho Inferior
means only one who believes In tho fivo points
OF CalVinism. in total depravity, justification by
faith alone, and infant damnation, he is right
belief made man holy, or that little children
we're condemned to eternal pain for no fault Of
thei1a- There never WAS hcathen who could
tell whatthe ivepoints Of Calvinism we're, OF who
knew anything Of the Larger ind Shorter Cate
chsm. II. therefore, belief in the five points or
an acquaintance with the Westminster Catechism
is q sine qua non Of good life, then there mover
vas heathen who Was good man, and tho In
terror ID perfectly justified in its comments On
the life Of Socrates But we hardly think that this
is what the gentleman meant to say. He used.
we presume, tho word ''Tirtuous" in its usual
adjudication; and, il he did, the fact that he
never read Of q virtuous heathen is yerr lam
entable commentary On his Intelligence, and
proves only the narrowness Of his intellectual
horizon. There have been yirtuouB hoat1en.
There have been, always, as. tho Rev. F. ".
Farrar-autlor OF that admirable little work
!" Seekers After God "-says, men who, amid
Infinite difficulties, and surrounded By corrupt
society, devoted themselves to the earnest |
search after those truths which might best make |
their lives beautiful before God" The Rev.
Mr. Farrar and the editor of the Interior evi-
IDENTIFY do not agree, and no wonder; for
the former has read Of, studied, and
written on heatLen whose lives hare
been virtuous, while tho latter confes6es that
heard Of Socrates, but will not believe that ho
vas 7irtuous- Apparently he never heard Of
Seneca, Musonius Rufus, Epictetus, or Marcus
Aurelins- Seneca may not have been perfect
nan, but neither is the editor Of the Interior.
But then Seneca sought the truth So nearly
matter OF wonder he did not learn his wisdom
rom the lips Of Christ, Ills contemporary. The
arliest Christian writer's, who we're certainly az
zthodo1 as the editor of tho Interior, and as
ealous Of Gods glory cite him constantly with
pprobation. He ia quoted as an authority BY ,
'ertullian, LactantiuB, and st. Augustine. Jo- ]
ome calls him our Seneca Tho Council Of Trent I
uoto him rs ii he Wero ono Of the fathers Of i
40 Church. And no wonder. rs his life was :
l great measure the life Of Chris :
an, SO Ills writings bear q striking I
esemb1aoco to tho sacred writings Thus i
writes to his friend Luc;lit,s in his forty-rst
tier: t'God is near you, is with you, ia With =
you. A sacred spirit dwells within us, tho '
BOD; there Is no good man 7
ithout God" In another place he says "Do G.
N wonder that man goes to the gods +? God
mes to men; nay, what is get nearer, He comes | E
to men. No good mind is holy without God" b
ow like St. Paul, I. Cor, i'll, 16, "Knov 70 d
It that SO arc the temple Of God aud that n
9 spirit OF God dwelleth in you ?" Il
'a'n, he aays' in his his eigLty-thirl letter d.
What advantage is it that anything is hidden II
'm man? Nothing is closed to God: he ia n,
esent to our minds and enters INTO our GEN. 81
thoughts, which is but paraphrase OF II
'b. iv., IS: AN things are naked and oceped F.
to the eyes Of Him with whom We have to d." D,
knew, too, the nature Of goodness, He re