Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
"<br />
Seneca: His Character <strong>and</strong> Environment<br />
When we come to speak <strong>of</strong> the relation <strong>of</strong> Seneca<br />
to <strong>Christianity</strong>, but especially <strong>of</strong> his conversion by<br />
St. Paul, a thesis laboriously defended by more than<br />
one modern writer, we cannot do better than to<br />
transcribe a passage from Men vale setting forth<br />
clearly the courses that led men into a very natural<br />
error. After calling attention to the fact that both<br />
Seneca <strong>and</strong> Paul were moral reformers, he proceeds:<br />
There is so much in their principles, so much even<br />
in their language, which agrees together, so that one<br />
has been thought, though<br />
it must be allowed without<br />
adequate reason, to have borrowed directly<br />
from the<br />
other. But the philosopher, be it remembered, dis<br />
coursed to a large <strong>and</strong> not inattentive audience, <strong>and</strong><br />
surely the soil was not all unfruitful on which this<br />
seed was scattered, when he proclaimed that God<br />
dwells not in temples <strong>of</strong> wood or stone, nor wants<br />
the ministration <strong>of</strong> human h<strong>and</strong>s; that He has no<br />
delight in the blood <strong>of</strong> victims; that He is near to all<br />
His creatures; that His spirit resides in men s<br />
that all men are truly His <strong>of</strong>fspring; that<br />
hearts;<br />
we are members <strong>of</strong> one body, which is God or nature;<br />
that men must believe in God before they can ap<br />
proach Him-, that the true service <strong>of</strong> God is to be<br />
like unto Him; that all men have sinned, <strong>and</strong> none<br />
performed all the works <strong>of</strong> the law; that God is no<br />
respecter <strong>of</strong> nations, ranks, or conditions, but all,<br />
barbarian <strong>and</strong> Roman, bond <strong>and</strong> free, are alike un<br />
der His all-seeing providence. St. Paul enjoined<br />
submission <strong>and</strong> obedience even to the tyranny <strong>of</strong><br />
53