Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

82 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOM" See you not how small a portion you are in comparisonof the whole ? That is in body ; for as tothe reason you are neither worse nor smaller thanthe gods. For the greatness of reason is judged notby length or by height, but by its decrees. Beingthen in something equal to the gods, are you notwilling to place your good in that something ?"Andhe says elsewhere, " A man who has realised thegreatness, the glory, the extent of this universe, thesystem of men and God, from which the seeds havefallen . . . upon all things generated and producedon earth, and eminently on the things possessingreason, for these alone by this connection of reasonhave a natural communion with God, why does notsuch an one call himself not by the name of any particularcountry, as an Athenian, or a Corinthian, but aworld-denizen ? Why not son of God ? Relationshipwith the emperor or any magnate at Rome givessecurity of life, but to have God for maker, father,and carer of us, shall it not deliver us from all painsand fears ?"He imagines his disciples coming to himand saying, " Epictetus, we can no longer endure togo on in the bondage of this wretched body, givingit food and drink, resting it and cleaning it. Weare kinsmen of God ; thence we came, thither let usgo. Free us from these chains which hang on us andbear us down." To which he will reply : " 0 men, waitfor God ; when lie gives the signal and releases youfrom this service, then depart to him." But that wemay not be misled by this language, he says elsewhere: " When God no longer gives you what isneedful, he sounds the recall, he opens the door, andbids you come! Whither ? To nothing dreadful.To that from which thou earnest, to the friendly, and