The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-02

the individual must be selfsacrific-
ing; an idea that, according to the
writer Of the Cornhill article, st. Paul
borrowed from the Stoics, though, as
he omits to point out, with decided
ly different application as to the in
ward force and JOY arising from the
Christian faith, which was the source
Of Paul's seIf-sufficiencY.
2. "A second great conception of
Stoicism was that of moral progress
by the will"
This point is elaborated by refer
ence to the Roman philosopher
in whose letters it is most fully
developed, and Seneca in this passage
is illustrating what is now regarded
as the Christian virtues of progress
and determination:
s'We ought each day to call upon our
soul to give up it's accounts; So Sextius
did. His day ended, before surrendering
himself to repose, he would enquire of his
soul: OF what fault hast thou this day
been healed2 What passion hast thou
subdued9 In what art thou better2
What is more comely than this habit of
thus reviewing the whole day. What
sleep surpasses that so won2 So calm it
borne her secret witness and submitted to
her judgment in praise or blame. Thus
do | myself, and call myself before my
own judgment-seat. When the light has
been removed from my chamber | pass
under review my whole day with it's words
and deeds. I blink no unpleasant fact
pass nothing over. For why should
fear to face any one of my faults when it
lies in my power to say For to-day par
don thee; but sin no more
On this point, also, the writer does
not, as it seems to us, bring into full
contrast the difference between Sene-
cas- teachings and those of st. Paul.
OF the former Nero, his pupil, might
be instanced, perhaps, as signal
failure of the philosopher to imbue
others with his ideas. The cold and
calm of philosophy may have an at
traction for certain class of minds,
but it lacks the element of universal
ity which so remarkably character
ICES the teachings of Christianity.
3. Seneca's and Marcus Aurelius's
catalogues of virtues are not unlike
those to be found in St. Paul's writings
as, for instance, these: "'Speak to me-
says Seneca, of piety, of justice, of
temperance, of chastity This is
the road to heaven, frugality, temper
ance, resignation Keep thyself,'
says Marcus Aurelius, simple, good,
pure, serious, free from affectation,
friend of justice, worshipper of
the gods, kind, affectionate, strenuous
in all proper acts I have found
nothing better in life than justice.
truth, temperance, fortitude.' Show
the qualities thou hast in thy power,
sincerity, gravity, endurance of labor
aversion to pleasure. contentment
with thy fortune and with few things,
benevolence, frankness, no love of
superHuity, freedom from trifing,
magnanimity.' The only thing worth
living for is to keep ones soul pure
You do not love men; it is not
enough to pardon them. You must
love those who injure you. Against
injury and ingratitude God has given
you the power of sweetness
f. The Stole conception of "city of
God" which finds abundant illustra-
ton in the writings of Marcus Aure-
lius, and to which st. Paul is thought
possibly to have been indebted.
5. A faint suggestion of the doc
trine of the Immortality of the soul
as inferred firm the Stole ide of the
"Clty of God"
Ofthe latter two headings it might
be added that it is not material who
first used the phrase "city of God"
The idea is beautifully fgurative and
even if St. Paul, the learned man
among the Apostles, was familiar with
the writings of the Stoics, as he seems
to have been, st. John also uses the
figure in the visions of the Apocalypse
and the idea also occurs elsewhere;
and is, indeed, but a natural corollary
of the saying of Jesus about the
place he went to prepare for his dis
ciples: a house of mansions, where
there would be certain community
of happiness and felicity.
This is the closing paragraph of
the Cornhill article, giving the writ
er's conclusions:
'The Christian religion, then, un-
like Stoicism, centres in person. Its
precepts of morality are excellent, its
law of love to all mankind is such
that makes it possible and easy to
keep them all-but how will it be
found possible to keep the law of
lovei The answer is, through love to