(xix. 16.), and both of them upon a third fimilar occafion in Luke (x. 27). In these two latter inftances, the queftion propofed was, "What fhall I do to inherit eternal life?" Upon all these occafions, I confider the words of our Saviour as expreffing precifely the fame thing as what I have put into the mouth of the moral philofopher. Nor do I think that it detracts much from the merit of the answer, that these precepts are extant in the Mofaic code: for his laying his finger, if I may so say, upon these precepts; his drawing them out from the rest of that voluminous inftitution; his ftating of them, not fimply amongst the number, but as the greatest and the fum of all the others; in a word, his propofing of them to his hearers for their rule and principle, was our Saviour's own. And what our Saviour had faid upon the subject, appears to me to have fixed the sentiment amongst his followers. St. St. Paul has it expressly, "If there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this faying, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf;" and again, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felft." This com St. John, in like manner, mandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother alfo ‡." St. Peter, not very differently, "Seeing that ye have purified your fouls in obeying the truth, through the fpirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren, fee that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently §." And it is fo well known, as to require no citations to verify it, that this love, or charity, or, in other words, regard to the welfare of others, runs in various forms. through all the preceptive parts of the apo *Rom. xiii. 7. Gal. v. 14. § 1 Pet. i. 22. ftolic writings. It is the theme of all their exhortations, that with which their morality begins and ends, from which all their details and enumerations fet out, and into which they return. And that this temper, for fome time at least, descended in its purity to fucceeding Christians, is attefted by one of the earliest and beft of the remaining writings of the apoftolical fathers, the epiftle of the Roman Clement. The meeknefs of the Christian character reigns throughout the whole of that excellent piece. The occafion called for it. It was to compofe the diffenfions of the church of Corinth. And the venerable hearer of the apoftles does not fall fhort, in the difplay of this principle, of the finest paffages of their writings. He calls to the remembrance of the Corinthian church its former character, in which "ye were all of you (he tells them) humble-minded, not boasting of any thing, defiring rather to be fubject than to govern, to give than to receive, being content with the portion God had had difpenfed to you, and hearkening diligently to his word; ye were enlarged in your bowels, having his fufferings always before your eyes. Ye contended day and night for the whole brotherhood, that with compaffion and a good confcience the number of his elect might be faved. Ye were fincere, and without offence, towards each other. Ye bewailed every one his neighbour's fins, efteeming their defects your own*." His prayer for them was for the "return of peace, long fuffering, and patience." And his advice to thofe, who might have been the occafion of difference in the fociety, is conceived in the true spirit, and with a perfect knowledge, of the Chriftian character. "Who is there among you that is generous? Who that is compassionate? Who that has any charity? Let him fay, if this fedition, this contention, and these fchifms, be upon my account, I am ready to depart, to go away whitherfoever ye please, and do whatsoever ye fhall command * Ep. Clem. Rom. c. 2. Abp. Wake's Translation. +Ib. c. 58. me, me, only let the flock of Christ be in peace, with the elders who are fet over it. He that shall do this, fhall get to himself a very great honour in the Lord; and there is no place but what will be ready to receive him, for the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. These things they, who have their converfation towards God, not to be repented of, both have done, and will always be ready to do *." This facred principle, this earnest recommendation of forbearance, lenity, and forgiveness, mixes with all the writings of that age. There are more quotations in the apoftolical fathers, of texts which relate to these points, than of any other. Chrift's fayings had ftruck them. "Not rendering (faid Polycarp, the difciple of John) evil for evil, or railing for railing, or striking for ftriking, or curfing for curfing t." Again, fpeaking of fome whose behaviour had given great offence," Be ye moderate (fays he) upon this occafion, and look not upon fuch * Ep. Clem. Rom. c. 54. + Pol. Ep. ad Phil. c. 2. .. as |