Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the LordAbbott, Edwin Abbott
Religion
Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the Lord
Abbott, Edwin Abbott
Christian fiction; Jesus Christ -- Fiction
Next, he described the statutes and judgments of the New Kingdom; and,
behold, instead of an easier yoke, he seemed to be placing upon us a yoke
even heavier than the yoke of the ancient Law, too heavy to be borne. For
the old Law forbade us to commit murder; but the new Law forbade us even
to hate our enemies. Again, the old Law forbade us to commit adultery; but
the new Law forbade us even to entertain a lustful thought in our hearts.
In a word, the old Law laid down certain ordinances, which if a man
obeyed, he should live therein; but the new Law laid down nothing fixed
nor certain for us, so that we might say “I have done this or that, and
therefore I have fulfilled the Law of Christ.” For the Law of Moses
touched the life of man, as it were, in certain points; as for example, in
sacrifices, and feasts, and purifications, and Sabbaths, and in the
obeying of the Ten Commandments: but the Law of Christ covered the whole
of the state of man, the thoughts as well as the deeds; even as the
encompassing air, which pierceth into every corner and cavern of the
earth, wheresoever human life is. In fine, whereas the Law of Moses
commanded us what we should do, the Law of Christ commanded what we should
be. For this cause Jesus set himself against all bookishness, and against
all worship of Traditions, and even of the precepts of the Scriptures; for
he taught that precepts, howsoever they may shape the outward action,
shape not the inner man.
Again, as concerning the laws, and the judgments, and the rewards, and the
punishments, in the New Kingdom, he spake as if they were not laws of
man’s device, but rather Laws according to the nature of things, like unto
the ordinances of the rain and the sunshine, the harvest and the seed‐
time. For he said that righteousness was not any such thing as could be
attained by a price, nor by the doing of deeds; but that it consisted in a
seeing of that which may be seen of God. He also spake of a certain eye of
the soul, which, if it were clear, the man would be righteous; but if it
were darkened, the man would be unrighteous. Also he spake of a certain
law of retributions, which decreeth that whoso judgeth shall be judged,
whoso forgiveth shall be forgiven, whoso giveth shall receive: adding
thereunto this most strange doctrine, that if we would go forth into the
world, giving and ready to give, then, from all sides, the world would
give to us again; yea, the angels of God, and the elements of the world
(which are His ministers) and even the children of men, should make us
marvel by reason of their gratitude, giving us back good measure pressed
down and running over. Now there is a saying in the Traditions that,
“Whensoever a poor man standeth at thy door, the Holy One (blessed is He)
standeth at his right hand. If thou givest him alms, know that thou shalt
receive a reward from Him who standeth at his right hand.” Jesus therefore
added to this doctrine, teaching that God standeth at the right hand not
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