The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Gataker's Apology

161 gataker’s apology To this we shall subjoin the following extract from the same preface: Being Gatakers apology for employing, tho’ aChristianminister,somanyyears’time and labour on these Meditations of a Heathen Emperor, under whose reign the Christians suffered persecution. In fine, says he, that I may return to what I at first advertised you of from St. Jerom; I think it may be boldly asserted, there are no remaining monuments of the ancient * strangers, which come nearer to the doctrine of Christ, than the writings and admonitions of these two; Epictetus, and Antoninus. ’Tis certain, whatever precepts our Lord himself has given, in those sermons and conversations of his, inserted and interwoven into the history of the gospel; “a of abstaining from evil, even in thought: b of suppressing vicious affections: c of leaving off all idle conversation: d of cultivating the heart with all diligence; e and fashioningitaftertheimage of God: f of doing good to men from the most single disinterested view: g of bearing injuries with contentment: h of using moderation, and strict caution, in our admonitionsandreproofs:i of countingallthingswhatever, * So he calls the heathens after St. Paul. a. Matth. XV. 19. b. — V. 22, 28. c. — XII. 36. d. — V. 20. VI. 33. e. — V. 45, 48. f. — VI. 1, 3. g. — V. 39. h. — XVIII. 15, 16. i. Luke XIV. 26, 33. 162 gataker’s apology and even life itself, as nothing, when reason and the case demand them: and of undertaking and performing almost all the other duties of k piety, l affection, m equity, n humanity, o with the greatest diligence and ardour”: All these same precepts are to be found in Antoninus, just as if he had habitually read them; they are every where interspersed through this collection of histhoughts andmeditations;andcontinuallyinculcatedwith a surprising strength and life, which pierces to the bottom of the heart, and leaves the dart deep fixed in the soul. This every attentive reader will perceive; every honest one confess. But some may, perhaps, say: “to what purpose take those precepts from a stranger, and even an adversary to the Christian faith? When they can be had more readily from the sacred page, where they stand published to all. And as they come from the mouth of our masterhimself, areinforcedwith the higher authority of his command, and attended to with a stricter necessity of obedience.” To this I answer, that a careful perusal and serious reflection on these meditations of Antoninus, are several ways useful. For, in the first place, the sacred writers have given us only the chief heads of our Lord’s discourses, concisely digested as a taste or specimen: and those maxims and precepts only summarilyproposed,areinAntoninus more extensively applied, more fully explained; and, by a great variety of striking arguments, established, illustrated, inforced and inculcated upon us, and accommodated to practice in civil life. In all this, our Emperor particularly excells. And, then, another thing of no small moment is this. We discover the equity of the Christian doctrine, and its perfect agreement with reason, while we show it is approved and praised even by strangers and adversaries. a “A testimony from enemies is of great weight.” And, says b Dion Pruk . Matth. XXII. 37. l. — XXII. 39. m. — VII. 12. n. — V. 44. and Luke X. 37. o. — V. 19, 20. a. Isidor. Pelus. II. Epist. 228. and III. Epist. 335.1 b. Oration 51.2 gataker’s apology 163 saeus, “the encomium of those who admire tho’ they don’t receive, must be the finest of all praises.” The Apostle understood this very well, when he called in testimonies from c the inscriptions, and d writings of thestrangers , for proof of the doctrine he brought and was publishingamongthem. Surely it must conduce not a little, to vindicate and implant in the breasts of any whatever, the precepts and lessons of our Lord, as perfectly agreeable to equity and e reason; that, a man, who was a stranger, and unfavourable to the Christian name, (for he neither knew our mysteries, nor understood the reasons of our faith), shou’d yet recommend and establish them with such vehemence and ardour, and by so very forcible arguments . “Who is not sensible,” says f an author of high character, “that those have had a good cause who gain’d it before judges who were indifferent ?” What shall one say then of that cause...