Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

106 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMobey him with fear and trembling, not with eye-serviceas a man-pleaser, but from the heart with goodwill, asdoing the will of God in that very service, and knowingthat whatever good he does he shall receive itback from the Lord. On the other hand he turnsthe same great doctrine's light and heat upon themaster, and with equal force bids him to act in thesame spirit to his slave, using no threat, and knowingthat he too has a Lord in heaven with whom is norespect of persons. Thus the Christian dogma seversfrom the heathen the pantheistic alloy, and exalts therational creature to an infinitely higher participationof the divine nature by grace than the Stoic imaginedby reason. The brotherhood with Jove was vagueand distant: that with Christ touched every fibre ofthe Christian's heart. Still the Stoic doctrine hereinmaintains, as in the former instances, a striking naturalanalogy with the Christian.10. But in no point is the resemblance and at thesame time the contrast between the Stoic and theChristian conception more remarkable than in thedoctrine of the submission of man to the order ofithe world. " The Stoic picture of the wise mis completed by his resignation to his lot. Withthis come repose and happiness of mind, mildnessand philanthropy, the fulfilling of all duties, thaharmonv of life in which virtue according to thStoic definition consists. As morality begins wit"- lition of the general law, so it concludes iditional submission to its arrangements." ThiSeneca says : " Good men labour, they spend andpent, and that willingly; they are not dragged bytune. . . . How does the good man act ? H1 Zeller, iv. 283.