Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/91

 V] ETHICS 73 Jehovah loves, to hate what He hates and as He loves and hates, is righteousness, is wisdom, is long life and length of days. In the Old Testament the ethical and religious standard was God's power and love; the means to righteousness was His aid and comfort given to those who seek His ways ; and the unapproachable pattern of all human righteousness was God Himself, and His ways with men. " Good Master ! Why callest thou me good ? There is none good but God " — " Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect" — "Thy faith hath saved thee " — " If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments." All these words of Christ accord with Old Testament thought, develop it, fulfil it. And Christianity in progressive development of the religious ethics of the Old Testament, was faith in God, and prayer, and love of Him ; a turning always unto Him for guidance and strength ; an utter hum- bling of self, a sense of insurmountable sinfulness, of failure to be like Christ ; a sense of righteousness never reached, but always to be striven for in the love and grace of God. This seeking unto righteous- ness and the love of God through the aid of un- merited Grace, was to be the holiest inspiration of mediaeval Christianity. But it did not come alto- gether nor at once to Greek and Roman Christians, though all devoted followers of Christ were touched by it. After Paul, hardly a man is found. completely possessed of these principles and held by them, until Augustine. That father of mediaeval Christianity, in his warfare with Pelagianism, was combating a sur- vival in Christianity of the general spirit of pagan