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Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

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56 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMand passing away <strong>of</strong> the world there rules an absolutenecessity, which is identical with the regularity <strong>of</strong>nature and with the divine reason. This necessity isFate, and likewise Providence,1 which rules everything.<strong>The</strong> human soul is a portion or eilluence <strong>of</strong>the Deity, and stands in reciprocal action with it.It is the breath <strong>of</strong> heat in us. It overlasts the body,but yet is transient, and endures at the utmost onlyto the burning <strong>of</strong> the world. Its parts are the fivesenses, the faculty <strong>of</strong> speech, the power <strong>of</strong> reproduction,and the ruling power, which has its seat in theheart, and to which notions," desires, and understand-g belong<strong>The</strong> supreme end <strong>of</strong> life or the highest good isvirtue, that is, life in accordance with nature, theharmony <strong>of</strong> human conduct with the all-ruling law <strong>of</strong>ture, or <strong>of</strong> the human will with the divine will.Man's highest task lies in action, not inplation. But action refers to human society. Aelse is come into existence for the sake <strong>of</strong> gods andmen, but man for the sake <strong>of</strong> society. Virtue isfficient for happiness. It alone is good in the fullsense <strong>of</strong> the word. All which is not virtue or vice islikewise neither good nor evil, but something between.And in this between there is something that is to bepreferred, something that is to be avoided, somethingtoo that is entirely indifferent. Pleasure is somethingsuperadded to activity, and it should not be the end<strong>of</strong> our endeavours. <strong>The</strong> cardinal virtues are prudence,fortitude, temperance, and justice. He only whounites all virtues in himself can truly possess themsingly. <strong>The</strong> perfect fulfilling <strong>of</strong> duty3 is the doing, irp6voia. '- TO ijyffJiovtKov, (pavracria3TO Ka.T6pdufJ.a.

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