Primitive Christian Worship: Or, The Evidence of Holy Scripture and the Church, Against the Invocation of Saints and Angels, and the Blessed Virgin MaryTyler, James Endell
Religion
Primitive Christian Worship: Or, The Evidence of Holy Scripture and the Church, Against the Invocation of Saints and Angels, and the Blessed Virgin Mary
Tyler, James Endell
Christian saints -- Cult; Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint -- Devotion to; Worship -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600
"There are two ways of doctrine and authority, one of light, the other
of darkness; and the difference between the two ways is great. Over the
one are appointed angels of God, conductors of the light; over the
other, angels of Satan: and the one (God) is Lord from everlasting to
everlasting; the other (Satan) is ruler of the age of iniquity. The way
of light is this ... Thou shalt love Him that made thee; thou shalt
glorify Him that redeemed thee from death. Thou shalt be single in
heart, and rich in spirit. Thou shalt not join thyself to those who are
walking in the path of death. Thou shalt hate to do what is displeasing
to God; thou shalt hate all hypocrisy. Thou shalt entertain no evil
counsel against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not take away thy hand from
thy son or thy daughter, but shalt teach them the fear of the Lord from
their youth. Thou shalt communicate with thy neighbour in all things,
and call not things thine own. Thou shalt not be of a froward tongue,
for the mouth is the snare of death. To the very utmost of thy power
keep thy soul chaste. Do not open thine hand to receive, and close it
against giving. Thou shalt love as the apple of thine eye every one who
speaketh to thee the word of the Lord. Call to remembrance the day of
judgment, night and day. Thou shalt search out every day the persons of
the saints [23]; both meditating by the word, {76} and proceeding to
exhort them, and anxiously caring to save a soul by the word. Thou shalt
preserve what thou hast received, neither adding thereto, nor taking
therefrom. Thou shalt not come with a bad conscience to thy prayer."
[Footnote 23: There is much obscurity in the phraseology of this
passage: [Greek: ekzaetaeseis kath hekastaen haemeran ta prosopa
ton hagion kai dia logou skopion kai poreuomenos eis to
parakalesai, kai meleton eis sosai psuchaen to logo]. In the
corresponding exhortation among the Apostolical Constitutions
(book vii. ch. 9), the expression is, "Thou shalt seek the
person ([Greek: prosopon]) of the saints, that thou mayest find
rest (or find refreshment, or refresh thyself) ([Greek: in
epanapanae tois logois auton]) in their words." The author seems
evidently to allude to the reciprocal advantage derived by
Christians from religious intercourse.]
The closing sentences contain this blessing: "Now God, who is the Lord
of all the world, give to you wisdom, skill, understanding, knowledge of
his judgments, with patience. And be ye taught of God; seeking what the
Lord requires of you, and do it, that ye may be saved in the day of
judgment.... The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit.
Amen."
* * * * *
THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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