There are two Ways, one of Life and one of
The Way of Life is this: First, thou shalt
negative form of the Golden Rule.
It is found in some MSS. in the Apostolic decrees
in Acts xv. 28, and is, in various forms, met with in Jewish and Early Christian literature.
Now, the teaching of these words is this:Bless those that curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those that persecute you. For what credit is it to you if you love those that love you? Do not even the heathen do the same?
But, for your part, love those that hate you,
and you will have no enemy.
Abstain from carnal
and bodily lusts.
If any man smite thee on the
and thou wilt be perfect. If any man impress thee to go with him one mile, go with him two. If any man take thy coat, give him thy shirt also. If any man will take from thee what is thine, refuse it not
—not even if thou canst.for thou art not even able
; but this makes no sense, and though an emendation is difficult the sense must be something like that given by the translation—unless, indeed, the whole phrase be merely a flippant gloss, which has been erroneously taken into the text.
Give to everyonehe shall not come out thence until he pay the last farthing.
But concerning this it was also said, Let thine alms sweat into thine hands until thou knowest to whom thou art giving.