Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/135

 VI] PHILOSOPHY AND DOGMA 117 expression in the Roman law. Accordingly, in the formulation of Christian teachings the substantial knowledge and rational basis was of necessity Greek philosophy, while the methods of reasoning might be those of philosophy or consist of the terminology and conceptions of the Roman law. The choice of Chris- tian theologians would be determined by their nation- ality and education, and by the language which they used ; the Latin temperament, education, and language being rather legal than philosophical, the Greek being the reverse. Although Greek philosophy alone could furnish knowledge, the fact that Roman ethical conceptions were fundamentally legal influenced the mode in which Christianity was apprehended by the Roman mind. There were analogies between Roman and Hebrew ways of conceiving justice and righteousness. Both races had a strong sense of the responsibility which rises from covenant, a sense of the absolute obligation of persons to fulfil their solemn promises. Among the Hebrews, righteousness and justice had their source in the archetypal covenant between Jeho- vah and Israel, and Hebrew ethical conceptions pro- gressed along the lines of its requirements. Through his part in the covenant with Jehovah the Hebrew owed his duties to his brethren. With Paul righteous- ness is still primarily a quality which justifies man before God. The Romans saw the matter directly from the side of covenant relations between citizens ; yet these depended on the State's superior power, and the Roman legal sanctio was connected with fear of divine vengeance, and so was partly religious.