ToaworldstrickenwithmoralenervationChristianityoffereditsspectacleofaninspiredself—sacrifice；tomenwhorefusedthemselvesnothing，itshowedonewhorefusedhimselfeverything；——’mySaviourbanishedjoy！’
saysGeorgeHerbert。WhenthealmaVenus，thelife—givingandjoy—givingpowerofnature，sofondlycherishedbythePaganworld，couldnotsaveherfollowersfromself—dissatisfactionandennui，theseverewordsoftheapostlecamebracinglyandrefreshingly：’Letnomandeceiveyouwithvainwords，forbecauseofthesethingscomeththewrathofGoduponthechildrenofdisobedience。’Throughageafterageandgenerationaftergeneration，ourrace，orallthatpartofourracewhichwasmostlivingandprogressive，wasbaptizedintoadeath；andendeavoured，bysufferingintheflesh，toceasefromsin。Ofthisendeavour，theanimatinglaboursandafflictionsofearlyChristianity，thetouchingasceticismofmediaevalChristianity，arethegreathistoricalmanifestations。Literarymonumentsofit，eachinitsownwayincomparable，remainintheEpistlesofSt。
Paul，inSt。Augustine’sConfessions，andinthetwooriginalandsimplestbooksoftheImitation。1
10Oftwodisciplineslayingtheirmainstress，theone，onclearintelligence，theother，onfirmobedience；theone，oncomprehensivelyknowingthegroundsofone’sduty，theother，ondiligentlypracticingit；theone，ontakingallpossiblecare（touseBishopWilson’swordsagain）thatthelightwehavebenotdarkness，theother，thataccordingtothebestlightwehavewediligentlywalk，——theprioritynaturallybelongstothatdisciplinewhichbracesallman’smoralpowers，andfoundsforhimanindispensablebasisofcharacter。And，therefore，itisjustlysaidoftheJewishpeople，whowerechargedwithsettingpowerfullyforththatsideofthedivineordertowhichthewordsconscienceandself—conquestpoint，thattheywere’entrustedwiththeoraclesofGod；’asitisjustlysaidofChristianity，whichfollowedJudaismandwhichsetforththissidewithamuchdeepereffectivenessandamuchwiderinfluence，thatthewisdomoftheoldPaganworldwasfoolishnesscomparedtoit。Nowordsofdevotionandadmirationcanbetoostrongtorenderthankstothesebeneficentforceswhichhavesoborneforwardhumanityinitsappointedworkofcomingtotheknowledgeandpossessionofitself；aboveall，inthosegreatmomentswhentheiractionwasthewholesomestandthemostnecessary。
11Buttheevolutionoftheseforces，separatelyandinthemselves，isnotthewholeevolutionofhumanity，——theirsinglehistoryisnotthewholehistoryofman；whereastheiradmirersarealwaysapttomakeitstandforthewholehistory。HebraismandHellenismare，neitherofthem，thelawofhumandevelopment，astheiradmirersarepronetomakethem；theyare，eachofthem，contributionstohumandevelopment，——augustcontributions，invaluablecontributions；andeachshowingitselftousmoreaugust，moreinvaluable，morepreponderantovertheother，accordingtothemomentinwhichwetakethem，andtherelationinwhichwestandtothem。Thenationsofourmodernworld，childrenofthatimmenseandsalutarymovementwhichbrokeupthePaganworld，inevitablystandtoHellenisminarelationwhichdwarfsit，andtoHebraisminarelationwhichmagnifiesit。TheyareinevitablypronetotakeHebraismasthelawofhumandevelopment，andnotassimplyacontributiontoit，howeverprecious。Andyetthelessonmustperforcebelearned，thatthehumanspiritiswiderthanthemostpricelessoftheforceswhichbearitonward，andthattothewholedevelopmentofmanHebraismitselfis，likeHellenism，butacontribution。