Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

434 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH ANDas far as possible from their natural causes.10 Thu>he admits in the whole direction of the world theruling of a divine power, of a reason which reachesits purpose; he believes in particular that the godsfor men, take an interest in him who lives inaccordance with reason; that happiness is thgift; he contradicts the notion that the godheadis envious, and so could withhold from man knowledge,the best of its gifts; but this divine providencecoincides for him entirely with the workingof natural causes. In his view the godhead O stands *in solitary self-contemplation outside the world,the object of admiration and reverence to man.The knowledge of it is the highest task for hi>intellect. It is the good to which in common witheverything that is finite he is struggling ; whoseperfection calls forth his love : but little as he canexpect a return of love from it, so little does hefind in it any cooperation distinct from the naturalconnection of things, and his reason is the onlypoint of immediate contact with it.Eeligion11 itself Aristotle treats as an unconditionalmoral necessity. The man who doubtswhether the ods should be honoured is a subjectfit not for instruction but for punishment, just asthe man who asks whether he should love hisparents. As the natural system of the worldcannot be imagined without God, so neither canman in it be imagined without religion. But he*10 Zeller, ii. 2, p. 625. " Ibid. p. C29.