The Unfailing Moral
Standard The Unfailing Moral
Standard- from "Toleration" by John Bigelow
CHAPTER II - Part 4
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All these things were new to the Athenians. The Golden Rule did not teach them, though teaching nothing in conflict with them. Hence Paul goes on:
"The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked."
So the conscience teaches everyone his duties to his neighbor, so far as they may be taught without revelation. It is this consciousness, everactive in every human heart-which informs us how we ought to conduct ourselves towards others by never letting us forget how we would like others to conduct themselves towards us-which gives such weight to these words of the prophet Malachi:
"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered unto my name and a pure offering, for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of Hosts." (Malachi 1: 2)
The Gentiles or heathen, of course, knew nothing of religion as revealed to the Jews. God's name was great among them and incense was offered to that name simply by their constitutional ability to know how others should be treated, through knowing how they would like to be treated themselves.
So when Jesus was teaching in the Temple and the chief priests and elders sought to embarrass him with questions, He said,
"Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."
And that not in virtue of any teaching from Jesus or His disciples, but through that inner light bestowed upon all, and of which no one while in this world is wholly bereaved.
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