The Faith as Unfolded by Many Prophets/Of the Fruits of the Faith
OF THE FRUITS OF THE FAITH.
Eber went often to the house where the family of Nathan dwelt. Their riches were gone, and they were oppressed by some to whom their father had owed somewhat which they were no longer able to pay. Some despised them because they were Jews; and others, who would have assisted them if they had known their need, forgot them, because no complaints were heard from the sufferers. Eber opened to them his purse as freely as his heart, but they would receive nothing from him till he had promised that he would not seek aid for them from any who scorned their faith,—not even from Havilah. Therefore Eber kept silence with his friend concerning this household, while he rebuked their oppressors and comforted the oppressed, and gave to them all that he had to give.
One day as he approached their dwelling he saw Havilah coming forth. When they met, Havilah blamed him that he had not made known to him what he had done for this family, that he also might have helped them. — Eber told Havilah how he had been forbidden to seek aid of any who despised the faith of Nathan.
Havilah replied, Though the Prophet declares that unbelief is to be scorned, who hath ever bidden to despise the sorrowful? Doth not every religion rather teach, that to pity the afflicted and help the poor is blessed? Nathan the Jew fed the poor who were Faithful: Eber the Christian supports the Infidels who are oppressed: and, for myself, my heart is open to the sorrows of every man whom my hand can aid.
Then art thou my brother, said Eber, and the brother of these mourners whom thou hast come to comfort. O that it were thus everywhere! If the guardian angels were to go up from the four winds, all bearing prayers to God and records of good deeds to men, it would be written down that there is one faith in all the earth, though to that faith there are many names.
The Prophet taught, said Havilah, that the end of faith is virtue, arid that the greatest virtues are prayer and the giving of alms.
Christ also taught, replied Eber, that the end of faith is holiness, and that holiness is testified by devotion to God and love to man. Herein, my friend, are we of one mind, and let us henceforth act as if we were of one soul.
Havilah answered, In our good deeds to men we may join hands as brethren, but we must pray apart.
It is true, replied Eber, that there are prayers too sacred to be uttered in the hearing of man. There are also some which we could not offer with one accord, because our faith in the prophets is different; but since we adore the same God, and acknowledge the same eternal truth, and love mankind with the same earnest love, — why may we not pray together that the truth may prevail, and that man may be blessed?
Havilah replied, Though the devotion of the spirit is the life of prayer, so that without it no outward rites can avail; yet those outward rites are also commanded, and the Faithful can pray with none who use them not. Mohammed commanded that men should purify themselves with water before prayer, and that the body should express reverence as well as the thoughts. The Christians are but once purified, — when they are baptized; and many are not even thus made pure. Thenceforward they wash without thought of prayer, and pray without the preparation of washing. Neither do they prostrate themselves; and some there are who are seldom seen to bend the knee.
This is true, answered Eber; but think not therefore that the Christians esteem prayer less holy, or practise it less solemnly than the followers of Mohammed. Thy Prophet spoke wisely when he said, that 'prayer is the pillar of religion,' and that 'no religion is good which is without prayer:' for how should man truly love Him whom he seeks not, or be strong in faith if he finds not the highest strength? The Prophet also said truly, that 'prayer is the key of Paradise;' for if there be one hour rather than another when the peace of heaven succeeds to the troubles of earth, — when the glories of eternity may be discerned amidst the shadows of time, — it is when man draws near to his Maker. This communion, if pure, cannot be made more pure by the preparation of the body; if impure, it can by no such means be sanctified.
Was it not commanded to the Hebrews to purify themselves before prayer?
It was: but the Jews did not know God so fully as it is given to men now to know him; and it was necessary for them to learn how to cleanse the soul, by first cleansing the body, and to adore God in some measure as an earthly sovereign, before they could understand how spiritual is his glory. When Christ came, the ancient forms were done away: he taught that meat may be eaten with unwashen hands if the heart be clean, and that the Father could no longer be worshiped more acceptably in the temple or on the sacred mountain than in the chamber or the field. Jesus himself prayed without regarding forms like these. He prayed when he stood beside the sepulchre of Lazarus, and when he stretched forth his hand to heal the sick, and when he broke bread, and when he went forth alone among the hills, and when he wandered on the sea shore. He prayed in spirit and in truth; — and thus do his true followers also pray.
It is told in our traditions, and also in the gospel of Barnabas, said Havilah, that Abraham was taught by Gabriel himself to use such purifications as the Faithful use at this day. How then may we neglect that which was so taught?
If it had been so taught, replied Eber, is it not time that it should pass away, when other ceremonies of the Hebrews are abolished? From the Jews Mohammed learned all that he has commanded concerning purifications, and the times and manner of prayer: these things, therefore, like all else that is Jewish, should be of less esteem than the teachings of Christ.
Havilah answered, If Mohammed spoke truly of the importance of prayer, was he not also right when he said, that 'the practice of religion was founded on cleanliness?' and 'that cleanliness is one half of the faith, and the key of prayer?'
It is said among the Christians, replied Eber, that one who is holy in spirit will be also pure in body: but I see not that the duty of cleanliness, great as it is, has more connection with prayer than with almsgiving or any other righteous deed. I see, on the other hand, that by commanding that they should be thus connected, your Prophet has caused much superstition; — and by what is prayer made so impure as by superstition? When the company with whom I journeyed in the plain stopped to pray where there was no water, they made a pretence of washing themselves with the dust of the ground.
If our Prophet has learned much from the Jews, said Havilah, this practice were his followers taught by the Christians. In the baptism of Christians, fine sand has been used instead of water.
The practice is not therefore the less superstitious, replied Eber. Had it been done in the presence of Jesus, he would have rebuked his followers as he rebuked those who thought more of washing their hands than of cleansing the spirit.
Mohammed was more holy than Jesus, said Havilah, because he gave more strict commands concerning prayer. Five times every day must the Faithful worship.
Jesus commanded not the times of prayer, replied Eber, because he desired that the spirit should be composed, and the thoughts withdrawn from the things of the world when man draws near to God. Thus can it be with no one at five set times every day. He saw how the proud ones of the Jews were exact in the times of prayer, kneeling in the streets and speaking to God while they were desiring the praise of men. Because Jesus, being holy, knew what was the holiness of prayer, he desired that the words of the lips should not go before the desires of the spirit; and he therefore left every man free to choose in what form he should testify his devotion, and at what times he should humble himself before God. His followers should, like him, pray often, and be continually with God in spirit while they converse with men. When I hear men cry aloud on the name of God, it is my hope that his blessing may follow their prayers; but I esteem that homage yet more blessed which is offered in the stillness of the spirit, when the lips move not and no man knows what is done.
Yet the Christians meet publicly for prayer.
They do; and they find the rite blessed to them. But when they thus meet, it is that they may withdraw themselves from the world, and worship with one heart and one voice. Thus did the Apostles, and thus may it long be done by those who would be apostles in spirit! But by this practice all pray together, and not every man singly in the sight of many. They withdraw from the sights and sounds of the world, so that the thoughts of their merchandise, or their husbandry, or their household occupations may be put far away. Where this is done truly, this social worship is holy.
Is there not, asked Havilah, a day of assembly among the Christians as among the Faithful?
There is; but not the same day. The disciples of Jesus met together to worship on the first day of the week, because on that day their Lord was raised from the dead. The Christians have set apart the Lord's day for worship ever since. The followers of Mohammed have set apart the fifth day of the week, as their Prophet commanded. — In differences like these there is no evil, since no command of God is broken. If a day be kept holy, it matters not whether it be the first or the fifth. Therefore I make sacred the one in my own land, and the other in thine, rejoicing that I am in a country where any day is thus often hallowed.
If Eber rejoices in this holy season, why does he not observe others? To him all months are alike, and he observes no fasts.
Eber replied, I have not learned from the Scriptures, nor from traditions, nor by any other means, that one month is more sacred than another; and as for fasting, — does my friend speak of abstaining from food only, or of other kinds of self-restraint?
Havilah answered, The wise among us say that there are three kinds of fasting: — the mortifying the appetites of the body; the restraining the eyes and the ears and every other member from sin; and the refraining the thoughts from worldly desires and devoting them to God[1].
These things, replied Eber, do I desire to fulfill, not at holy seasons only, but every day. I pass no day without food, because by so doing my body would be weakened without the spirit being purified; but at all times would I be temperate, and able to deny myself: and as for the last two kinds of fasting, which the wise among you declare, — may I practise them more and more continually!
What said Christ to his followers concerning abstaining from food? asked Havilah, and what was their practice?
The Scriptures tell, replied Eber, that the disciples of John the Baptist fasted, while those of Christ fasted not; and that when Jesus was questioned concerning this, he answered that his disciples fasted not while he remained with them. That some of them fasted afterwards we know from other parts of the history; and also that Jesus did not forbid the practice; only desiring those who used it to make no vain display of their self-denial. Yet, as he nowhere gave command that any one should fast, and as other Jewish customs were then used by Christians, which are abolished at this day, many among the Christians believe, as I do, that it is no part of religion to restrain the body from the food which it requires. Neither do we believe, like the followers of Moses and those of Mohammed, that any kind of food or drink is more holy than another. That it was rightly declared to be so by Moses we know; but since Christ gave perfect freedom in the outward forms of religion, we refuse the commands of Mohammed to refrain from drinking the wine of which Jesus himself drank, or to refuse the wholesome meats which God has given to nourish the body. Yet while we feel ourselves thus far free, we know that excess in food is sin, and that drunkenness is to be abhorred.
Havilah replied, Not only did Mohammed command men to be temperate, by abstaining from certain meats and drinks, but he declared that 'fasting is the gate of heaven.'
Eber replied. It is however certain that it is more easy to make men temperate by putting into them the spirit of temperance, than by commanding them what they shall eat and what they shall drink. A true Christian, to whom all times are holy, and whose desires are fixed on higher things than any which can only gratify the body, is more pure in his life than many who outwardly fast often but whose inward desires are not controlled. Such men as he are holy, while they make no vain pretence of holiness: they are the husbands of one wife; they refresh themselves moderately with food, and wine, and sleep. Because they are inwardly pure, they are outwardly pure also, having laws of purification from their own consciences. Their moderation is not painful, because their desires are fixed on nothing which they may not innocently enjoy: they find their pleasures in loving God and in blessing mankind, and all other pleasure is as nothing compared with this. Thus does the spirit of religion make pure; and in making pure, thus does it make happy also.
Truly, said Havilah, in giving of alms is there more pleasure than in feasting.
The two highest duties of man yield also his purest pleasures, said Eber; and because Christ thus felt and taught, we know that he was sent by God. Prayer was to him in the dark night more refreshing than sleep on a silken couch; and to bless men he loved better than shade at noon-day, or food when he hungered, or rest when he was weary. When I see men eating and drinking to excess, or too earnestly desiring pleasures which yet their consciences forbid, I feel that they know not the joys of religion any more than its spirit. But when I behold one who loves all that the hand of God has made, who has compassion on sinners, and gives help to all who need, who has purity on his lips, and peace in his countenance, — I know that such an one is beloved of God as a true believer, and that he is blessed as the faithful alone can be blessed. There is joy in his prayers, and in his alms-deeds; and peace is about him, whether he kneels in his chamber or meditates in the fields, or is seen among men, where blessings follow him from a hundred tongues.
- ↑ Prelim. Dissert. page 112.