In reply to this Julius said:—
“Well, if this is so, then it means you fail to observe the teaching of Christ, and only pretend to observe it. For if you don’t give away your all, then there is no distinction between us and you. In my mind, if you are going to be a Christian, then you must fulfil the whole law; give everything away and remain a beggar.”
“That is the best way of all,” said Pamphilius. “Do so!”
“Yes, I will do so when I see that you do.”
“We do not wish to set an example. And I don’t advise you to join us and renounce your present life for a mere display; we act as we do, not for show, but as a part of our religion.”
“What do you mean—your ‘religion’?”
“Why, it means that salvation from the evils of the world, from death, is to be found only in life according to the teaching of Christ. And it makes no difference to us what men say about us. We are not doing this in the eyes of men, but because in this alone do we see life and welfare.”
“It is impossible not to live for self,” said Julius. “The gods instilled in us our instinct to love ourselves better than others and to seek happiness for ourselves. And you do the same thing. You confess that some of you have pity on yourselves; more and more they will look out for their own pleasures, and be ever more willing to give up your faith and do just what we are doing.”
“No,” replied Pamphilius; “our brethren will go in another path and will never weaken, but will become more and more confirmed in it: just as a fire will never go out when wood is added to it. In this is our faith.”
“I don’t find in what this faith consists.”