Page:Suppressed Gospels and Epistles.djvu/83

Seneca's advice.

PROFESS myself extremely pleased with the reading your letters to the Galatians, Corinthians, and people of Achaia.

For the Holy Ghost has in them by you delivered those sentiments which are very lofty, sublime, deserving of all respect, and beyond your own invention.

I could wish therefore, that when you are writing things so extraordinary, there might not be wanting an elegancy of speech agreeable to their majesty.

And I must own, my brother, that I may not at once dishonestly conceal anything from you, and be unfaithful to my own conscience, that the emperor is extremely pleased with the sentiments of your Epistles;

For when he heard the beginning of them read, he declared, that he was surprised to find such notions in a person, who had not had a regular education.

To which I replied, That the Gods sometimes made use of mean (innocent) persons to speak by, and gave him an instance of this in a mean countryman named Vatienus, who, when he was in the country of Reate, had two men appeared to him, called Castor and Pollux, and received a revelation from the gods. Farewell.

LTHOUGH I know the emperor is both an admirer and favourer of our religion, yet give me leave to advise you against your suffering any injury (by showing favour to us).

I think indeed you ventured upon a very dangerous attempt, when you would declare (to the emperor) that which is so very contrary to his religion, and way of worship; seeing he is a worshipper of the heathen gods.

I know not what you particularly had in view, when you told him of this; but I suppose you did it out of too great respect for me.

But I desire that for the future you would not do so; for you had need be careful, lest by showing your affection for me, you should offend your master:

His anger indeed will do us no harm, if he continue a heathen; nor will his not being angry be of any service to us:

And if the empress act worthy of her character, she will not be angry; but if she act as a woman, she will be affronted. Farewell.

NOW that my letter, wherein I acquainted you, that I had read to the Emperor your Epistles, does not so much affect you as the nature of the things (contained in them.)

Which do so powerfully divert men's minds from their former manners and practices, that I have always been surprised, and have been fully convinced of it by many arguments heretofore. Let us therefore begin afresh; and if any thing heretofore has been imprudently acted, do you forgive.

I have sent you a book de copia verborum. Farewell, dearest Paul.

S often as I write to you, and place my name before yours, I do a thing both disagreeable to myself, and contrary to our religion:

For I ought, as I have often declared, to become all things to all men, and to have that regard to your quality, which the Roman law has honoured all senators with; namely, to put my name last in the (inscription of the) Epistle, that I may not at length with uneasiness 79