men entertain. This belief is not frightful nor grim, as those who calumniate providence, as if conceived only by the alarmed fancies of children, or invested with tragical horrors, pretend. Indeed, few of mankind fear God, so as that it would be better for them to have no such fear. But those who fear him as a sovereign propitious to the good, and hostile to the wicked, are, by that one fear, set free from the bondage of transgression; and depravity imperceptibly pining away in them, they are less agitated than those who boldly practise it, and are immediately after seized with terror and repentance.' · ο Καὶ λέγω μιμούμενος ὡς οὐχ ̓ ἡττόν ἐστι κακὸν ἀθεότης ὠμότητος καὶ δοξοκοπίας, εἰς ἣν ἄγουσιν ἡμᾶς οἱ τὴν χαρὰν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ τῆς ὀργῆς ἀναίρουντες. βέλτιον γὰρ ἐνυπάρχειν τι καὶ συγκεκρᾶσθαι τῇ περὶ θεῶν δόξῃ κοινὸν αιδοῦς καὶ φόβου πάθος, ἢ πανὺ τοῦτο φεύγοντας, μήτε ἐλπίδα, μήτε χάριν ἑαυτοῖς, μήτε θάρσος ἀγαθῶν παρόντων, μήτε τινὰ δυστυχοῦσιν ἀποστροφὴν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ἀπολείπεσθαι. δεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἀμέλει τῆς περὶ θεῶν δόξης, ὥσπερ ὄψεως λήμην, ἀφαιρεῖν τὴν δεισιδαιμονίαν· εἴδε τοῦτο ἀδύνατον, μὴ συνεκκόπτειν, μηδὲ τυφλοῦν τὴν πίστιν ἣν οἱ πλείστοι περὶ θεῶν ἔχουσιν. αὕτη δὲ ἐστὶν οὐ φοβοτερά τις, οὐδὲ σκυθρωπή, καθάπερ οὗτοι πλάττουσι, διαβάλλοντες τὴν πρόνοιαν, ὥσπερ παισὶν ἐμπιπτοῦσαν, ἢ ποινὴν, αλιτηριώδη καὶ τραγικήν επιγεγραμμένην. ἀλλ' ὀλίγοι μὲν τῶν ἀνθρώπων δεδίασι τὸν Θεὸν, οἷς οὐκ ἄμεινον μὴ δεδιέναι. δεδιότες γὰρ ὥσπερ ἄρχοντα χρηστοῖς ἤπιον, ἀπεχθῆ δὲ φαυλοῖς, ἑνὶ φόβῳ δι ̓ ἂν οὗ δέουσι πόλλων ἐλευθερούντων ἐπὶ τὸ ἀδίκειν, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς ἀτρεματὴν κακίαν ἔχοντες οἷαν ἀπομαραινομένην, ἧττον ταράτ τονται τῶν χρωμένων αὐτῇ, καὶ τολμώντων, εἶτα εὐθὺς δεδιότων και μεταμελομένων. The same author, in his book against Colotes, an Epicurean philosopher, expresses his opinion of the universality of the belief and worship of supernal power, in the following terms. "Make the circuit of the world, you may find cities destitute of walls, of learning, of royal governors, of houses, (in contradistinction to huts,) of money, of theatres, and places of public exercise: but, of any perfectly atheistical and irreligious, without prayers, oaths, oracles, or sacrifices for the obtaining of good and the averting of evil, there never yet has been, and never will be, a spectator. In my opinion, a city may more easily be built without a foundation, than a state be founded, or, if founded, be preserved, if all belief in Deity were removed."a Marcus Antoninus, in the third book of his Meditations on what concerned himself, (sect. 4.) after describing at some length the character of a good man, and urging some advice in regard to the best means of attaining and preserving it, thus expresses himself in terms very similar to some passages of Scripture." "Such a man, a Εὕροις δ ̓ ἂν ἐπιὼν καὶ πόλεις ἀτειχίστους, ἀγραμμάτους, βασι λεύτους, ἀοίκους, ἀχρημάτους, νομίσματος μὴ δεομένας, ἀπείρους θεάτρων, καὶ γυμνασίων. ἀνίερου δὲ πόλεως καὶ ἀθέου, μὴ χρωμένης εὐχαῖς, μηδὲ ὅρκοις, μηδὲ μαντείαις, μηδὲ θυσίαις επ' ἀγαθοῖς, μηδέ τροπαῖς κακῶν, οὐδείς ἐστιν, οὐδὲ ἔσται γεγονώς θεατής· ἀλλὰ πόλις ἄν μοι δοκέ μᾶλλον ἐδάφους χωρίς, ή πολιτεῖα τῆς, περὶ θεῶν δόξης ἀναιρεθείσης, παντάπασιν σύστασιν λαβεῖν, ἢ λαβοῦσα, τηςῆσαι. b 2 Pet. i. 5, 9. Rev. i. 6; v. 10; xx. 6. little concerned at not being already reckoned among the best in this world, is a kind of priest and minister of the gods; who, enjoying the Deity settled in his mind, exhibits a person uncontaminated by pleasure, unwounded by trouble, untouched by contumely, unconscious of depravity; is a combatant in the greatest of contests, in order not to be overcome by any passion; is imbued with justice, and with his entire soul receives whatever happens and is dispensed to him by providence.” The imperial writer, in his tenth book, sect. 8, after illustrating the just sense of those virtuous qualities which men are apt to assume to themselves, and pointing out both the difficulty of acting up to them, and what he deems to be the best resources in case of failure, adds, "That, to the constant recollection of these qualities, it is most conducive to remember the gods, who desire that rational beings should not flatter, but resemble them.” *' Ο γὰρ ἀνὴρ τοιοῦτος, οὐκ ἔτι ὑπερτιθέμενος τὸ ὡς ἐν ἀρίστοις ἤδη εἶναι, ἱερεύς τις καὶ ὑπουργὸς θεῶν, χρώμενος καὶ τῷ ἔνδον ἱδρυμένῳ ἀυτοῦ, · ὁ παρέχεται ἄνθρωπον ἄχραντον ἡδονῶν, ἄτρωτον ὑπὸ παντὸς πόνου, · πάσης ὕβρεως ἀνέπαφον, πάσης ἀναίσθητον πονηρίας, αθλήτην ἄθλου ·· τοῦ μεγίστου, τοῦ ὑπὸ μηδενὸς πάθους καταβληθῆναι, δικαιοσύνῃ βε βάμμενον εις βάθος, ἀσπαζόμενον μὲν, ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψύχης, τὰ συμ βαίνοντα καὶ ἀπονεμόμενα πάντα. b » Πρὸς μέντοι τὸ μεμνῆθαι τῶν ὀνομάτων μεγάλως συλλήψεται σοι, τὸ μεμνῆθαι θεῶν, καὶ ὅτι περ, οὐ κολακεύεθαι οὗτοι θέλουσιν, ἀλλὰ ἐξομοιοῦθαι ἑαυτοῖς τὰ λόγικα πάντα. Epictetus, (chap. xxxvii.) observes, that the "chief point of piety towards the gods, is to have just notions concerning them, as really existing, and as governing all things with wisdom and justice; to be disposed to obey them, to acquiesce in whatever happens, and willingly to follow their appointments, as ordained by the best intelligence."a In. the golden verses, commonly ascribed to Pythagoras, we find the following injunction. With patience bear whate'er the gods may send : Seek solace, but not impiously contend. But, be assured, whatever may betide, The smallest share of woes the good abide.b On these golden verses Hierocles has written a most excellent commentary. He was, in the reign of Diocletian, a most virulent and persecuting enemy of the Christians. Still, many of his sentiments contained in this commentary are * Τῆς περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς εὐσεβείας, ἴν, ὅτι τὸ κυριώτατον ἐκεῖνο ἐστιν. ὀρθὰς ὑπολήψεις, περὶ αυτῶν ἔχειν, ὡς ὄντων καὶ διοικούντων τὰ ὅλα καλῶς καὶ δικαίως. καὶ σαυτὸν εἰς τοῦτο κατατεταχέναι, τὸ πειθέσθαι αυτοῖς, καὶ εἴκειν πᾶσι τοῖς γινομένοις, καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν ἔκοντα, ὡς ὑπὸ τῆς ἀρίστης γνώμης ἐπιτελουμένοις. Β 'Ων ἂν μοῖραν ἔχῃς πράως φέρε, μηδ' αγανάκτει, extremely just, and conformable to the most rational principles of piety. I shall quote only the following extract from the beginning of the work. It is proper to observe that, with heathen ignorance and presumption, he lays it down as a law, that not only his immortal gods, but heroes, and the souls of men, are to be religiously hcnoured; and then prescribes the honour due to each of these ranks and orders of beings. He next proceeds, with much greater justness of sentiment: "You honour not God by giving him any thing, but by being worthy to receive from him. For, the Pythagoreans say, you will honour God most effectually by assimilating your mind to his. Whoever honours him as if he wanted any thing, affects to be superior to God; and the profusion of offerings is no honour to God, unless it is presented with a heart possessed by him. For, the gifts and sacrifices of fools are mere food for the fire, and their donations supply store for sacrilege. But a heavenly mind, strongly established, unites with God. Like draws to like. The wise man is called the only priest, the only friend of God, and the only one who knows how to pray. He alone knows to honour the Deity, who confounds not the dignity of the objects of reverence, who presents himself as the principal sacrifice, renders his own soul a divine image, and converts his mind into |