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| Chapter IX.—Christian Doctrine of God and His Law. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Now we also confess that God exists, but that He is
one, the creator, and maker, and fashioner of this universe; and we know
that all things are arranged by His providence, but by Him alone. And we
have learned a holy law; but we have as lawgiver Him who is really God,
who teaches us to act righteously, and to be pious, and to do
good. And concerning piety647
He says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not
make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve
them: for I am the Lord
thy God.”648 And of doing good He said: “Honour
thy father and thy mother; that it may be well with thee, and
that thy days may be long in the land which I the Lord God give thee.” Again, concerning
righteousness: “Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not
kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour’s house, nor his land, nor his man-servant,
nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his beast of burden, nor any of
his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s. Thou shalt not
wrest the judgment of the poor in his cause.649 From every unjust matter
keep thee far. The innocent and righteous thou shalt not slay; thou shalt
not justify the wicked; and thou shalt not take a gift, for gifts blind
the eyes of them that see and pervert righteous words.” Of this
divine law, then, Moses, who also was God’s servant, was made the
minister both to all the world, and chiefly to the Hebrews, who were
also called Jews, whom an Egyptian king had in ancient days enslaved,
and who were the righteous seed of godly and holy men—Abraham,
and Isaac, and Jacob. God, being mindful of them, and doing marvellous
and strange miracles by the hand of Moses, delivered them, and led them
out of Egypt, leading them through what is called the desert; whom He
also settled again in the land of Canaan, which afterwards was called
judæa, and gave them a law, and taught them these things. Of this
great and wonderful law, which tends to all righteousness, the ten heads
are such as we have already rehearsed.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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