COMMANDMENTS 63 



Resurrection. On the opposite hand, they prevented 

 these ideas from disappearing into the thin nebulous 

 spiritualism of the East. Says a writer : i " The African 

 spirit, in the fiery words of a Tertullian and an Augus- 

 tine, ran into a materialism which, opposed to the 

 opposite extreme of idealism, saved to the Church its 

 healthy realism." 



COMMANDMENTS 



However, as I have already remarked, it is not with 

 theology but with religion that I am concerned. My 

 only reason for obtruding Egypt's theology into this 

 discussion is because it has so colored that of Christen- 

 dom that we are apt to exaggerate the importance of 

 its theology and overlook the basic idea of its religion. 

 Let us put aside, therefore, the subtle but unprofitable 

 speculations of theologians, and ask what was the in- 

 fluence of this religion on the life of the people. Did 

 it in any way urge the supreme importance of sub- 

 ordinating self to the general good ? In reply, I quote 

 from the Ritual of the Dead, wherein the soul of each 

 individual man, coming for judgment before the Lords 

 of Truth, is thus made to address them: 2 



"I have not afflicted any. 



I have not told falsehoods. 



I have not made the laboring man do more than his 

 task. 



I have not been idle. 



I have not murdered. 



1 Ibid. p. 257. 2 Ibid. p. 220. 



