PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY;

OR, THE

RELIGION OF THE ANCIENT CHRISTIANS IN THE FIRST AGES OF THE GOSPEL.

Part Second.

OF THE RELIGION OF THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS AS TO THOSE VIRTUES THAT RESPECT THEMSELVES.

CHAPTER I.

Of the Humility of the primitive Christians.

AFTER piety towards God, succeeds that part of religion that immediately respects ourselves, expressed by the apostle under the general name of SOBRIETY, or the keeping of ourselves within the bounds and measures which God has set us;-virtues for which the primitive christians were celebrated as well as for the others. Amongst these they are distinguished for their humility, their contempt of the world, their temperance and sobriety, their courage and constancy, and their exemplary patience under sufferings.

Humility is a virtue that seems more peculiar to the gospel; for though philosophers sometimes speak well of it, it made no impression on their lives; they were generally animalia gloriæ, creatures that sacrificed only to their own praise and honour. But the doctrines of the gospel tend to level all proud aspiring thoughts, to plant the world with mildness and modesty, and "to clothe men with humility, and the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit." By these we are taught to dwell at home, to converse more familiarly with ourselves, to be acquainted with our own deficiencies and imperfections, and rather to admire others than advance ourselves; not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, nor being unwilling that others should value us at the same rate that we thus esteem ourselves.

That this was the excellent spirit of the primitive christians will appear from their earnestly protesting against all ambitious and vain-glorious designs. How cheerfully they condescended to the meanest offices and employments, declining all advantages of applause and credit, being more willing to give praise to others than take it to themselves, in honour preferring one another. Clemens* highly commends his Corinthians that "they were of an humble temper, and exhorts them (after they were fallen into a little faction and disorder) still to be humble-minded, to lay aside all haughtiness and pride, foolishness and anger, and not to glory in wisdom, strength, or riches,

* Ep. p. 3.

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but to let him that glories, glory in the Lord; and to follow the example of our Lord, the sceptre of the majesty of God, who came not in the vain boasting of arrogancy and pride, although able to withstand whatsoever he pleased, but in great meekness and humility of mind, appearing in the world without any form or comeliness, or any beauty that he should be desired, suffering himself to be despised and rejected of men, who esteemed him not, and hid, as it were, their faces from him; who counted himself a worm and no man, and was accordingly made a reproach of men, and the derision of the people; all they that saw him, laughing him to scorn, shooting out the lip and shaking the head at him. Now if our Lord himself was so humble-minded, what should we be, who are come under the yoke of his grace?" Thus does Clemens describe and recommend the meek and excellent spirit of the gospel.

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Justin Martyr treads in the very same steps. He tells us, that we are to shun all sinister suspicions of others, and to be careful of the opinion we entertain of them; that we are to be of a meek and unpassionate mind, not envying the good esteem and respect which others have, and ambitiously exalting ourselves, humbly submitting, not in words only, but in all our actions, so as that we may appear to be not impostors or dissemblers, but mild and undesigning persons." When some, in the time of Cyprian,† had made a noble and resolute confession of

Christ in the face of the greatest danger, lest they should be exalted above measure in their own thoughts, he bids them "remember, according to the discipline of the gospel, to be humble, and modest, and quiet, and be as glorious in their actions, as they had been in their confessions of Christ; that they should imitate their Lord, who was not more proud, but more humble at the time of his passion, washing his apostles' feet; and to follow the counsel and pattern of St. Paul, who, in his greatest sufferings, continued meek and humble, and did not arrogate any thing to himself, even when he had been honoured with a translation into paradise and the third heaven."

Nazianzen* reports of his father (a bishop), that "his humility consisted not in his dress, but in the constancy of his mind; not in the hanging down of his head, or the softness of his tone, or the demureness of his look, or the gravity of his beard, or the shaving of his head [the cropping of his hair], or the manner of his gait; but in the frame and temper of his soul, being as humble in his mind as he was sublime and excellent in his life. Both in his garb and diet he equally avoided pomp and sordidness; and though a great restrainer of his appetite, would not yet seem to do it, lest he should be thought plainly to design glory to himself by being needlessly singular above other men." Justin Martyr+ "declines the commendation of his adversaries for the acuteness and elegancy of his reasonings, resolving all into the grace of God

* Oratio 19 in laud. pat. p. 300.

+ Dial. ad Tryph. p. 280.

that enabled him to understand and expound the scriptures, of which grace he persuades all men, freely and fully, to become partakers with him.” The primitive christians would not call themselves, or suffer others to call them, martyrs; they acknowledged themselves at best but vile and despicable confessors, and with tears begging their brethren to be instant with God by prayer, that they might perfect all by a real martyrdom.* Memorable was the humility of the great Constantine, who checked the language of one who praised his greatness, desiring him to turn his praises into prayers to God for him, that both here and hereafter he might be thought worthy to be numbered amongst the servants of God.+

I add one instance more, namely, their ready condescending to any office or employment, though never so mean, about the persons of the poorest christians, to provide victuals for them, to visit the imprisoned, to dress their wounds, and to wash their feet.-1 Tim v. 10. The Empress Placillat replied to some of her court who reproved her for condescending to visit the hospitals, and curing the lame and the sick with her own hands, and for preparing and giving them provisions, as much below her state and grandeur, that, “to distribute gold became the Emperor, but, for her part, she thought herself obliged to do this for God, who had advanced her to that honour and dignity."

Eus. Hist. lib. v. c. 2.

+ De Vita Const. lib. iv. c. 48.

Theod. H. Eccl. lib. v. c. 18.