Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/45

 Now this Charge has nothing new in't, neither does it bear particularly against the Stoicks. For among all sorts of Persuasions, we may meet with enough that are meer Instruments and Organs in their Business, like Viol and Trumpet they entertain the Company, but not themselves ; they make Musick, but they don't hear it. The Stoicks were not the only People in the World, that had their Tongues tipt with Philosophy, and not one jot of Good in them beside. Even in the first Fervours of Christianity, the Apostles complained there were some, who said one thing, and did another. ''Who professed to know God, but in Works they denied him, who had a Form of Godliness, but denied the Power thereof. Who turned the the Grace of God into Lasciviousness : Who made use of their Liberty for a Cloak of Maliciousness; who promised others Liberty, and were themselves the Servants of Corruption : Now 'twould be very unreasonable to make a Judgment of the Christian Religion'' from the Misbehaviour of such Men. Such Men I say, as would have been a scandal to a much lower Institution ; And, as our Emperour speaks, were rather Ulcers, than Members of a Society. Crates the Philosopher used to say, that a Good Pomgranate, was seldom without a rotten  Rh