ur heart, your conscience
will condemn you. Your whole conduct will be an example witnessing
against you, testifying to your failure to do unto others as the
natural instinct of your being, more forcibly than all the examples of
the saints, has taught you to do. But how will it go with the
ecclesiasts in particular--the churchmen with their singing and
praying, their cowls and bald pates, and all their jugglery? I make no
comment on the fact that they have never observed the commandment. I
ask, however, when has their monastic fanaticism permitted them time
and opportunity to perceive for once this law in their hearts, to
become sensible of the example set them in their own human instinct,
or even to read the precept in books or hear it preached? Poor,
miserable people! Do you presume to think that God will make void
this, love's commandment, so deeply and clearly impressed upon the
heart, so beautifully and unmistakably illustrated in your own
natures, and in the many written and spoken words as well--think you
God will do this on account of your cowls and bald pates, and regard
what you have been devising and performing?

37. Alas, how shamelessly the world has ignored this beautiful and
impressive commandment wherein are so skilfully presented the
individual, the task, the model and the sphere of labor! And, on the
other hand, how shamefully it occupies itself with the very reverse of
what is taught in this commandment! Its whole practice and tendency
seem to be to place our responsibility upon others; monks and priests
must be righteous for us and pray in our stead, that we may personally
be excused. For the noblest virtue, love, we substitute self-devised
works; in the place of our neighbors we put wood and stone, raiment
and food, even dead souls--the saints of heaven. These we serve; with
them we are occupied; they are the sphere wherein we exercise
ourselves. Instead of the noblest example--"as thyself"--we look to
the legends and the works of saints. We presume to imitate such
outward examples, omitting the duty which our own nature and life
present and which the command of God outlines, notwithstanding such
duty offers more than we could ever fulfil. Even if we could
accomplish all it offers, we would still not equal Christ.

LOVE WORKS ONLY GOOD TO ITS NEIGHBOR.

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love, therefore, is the
fulfilment of the law."

38. The Ten Commandments forbid doing evil to our neig