Library › Constantine Callinicos › Greek Orthodox Catechism
Greek Orthodox Catechism
Constantine Callinicos, London, 1926
Part II. Ethical, 18. The Moral Law in General
You have said that the Decalogue is the essence of the Moral Law given by God to Moses. Before you fully interpret to me this definition, I should like to know what is meant by law in general and what is meant by moral law.
Law is the will of God, in so far as it exists as a canon and rule, to which all things created by Him are required to adapt themselves, so that they shall not miss the purpose for which they were created. But as all things created by God can be classed in two categories—creatures not endowed with reason and free-will on the one hand, and, on the other hand, Man, who is endowed with reason and free-will, so also God’s law is called natural as it applies to the constant phenomena of non-reasoning and non-free nature, and moral as it affects Man. How are the revolution of the earth around the sun and the rotation of the earth upon its axis regulated? How the orbits of the stars? How the ebb and flow of the ocean tides? How the evaporation of the waters? How the growth and maturity of plants? How the development of living organisms? How the circulation of the blood or respiration in animals? All these things and others like them occur as part of an unchangeable divine programme existing from the beginning, that marks out the way, which natural phenomena have inevitably to take for the sake of their own existence and conservation. But: how shall I, a human being, behave in my own affairs, how towards my fellow-men, and how towards God, in order to fulfil my eternal destiny? In this I am guided by God’s moral law, which speaks to me with the express purpose of regulating my conduct and raising me above inert or mechanically moving matter, into the sphere of a self-moving and self-moved holiness.
Tell me, in what other points the moral law differs from the natural law.
The natural law of God is rigid and immutable, moving straight to its fulfilment; while the moral law is adaptable to human development through the ages. The stoppage of the circulation of the blood in a living organism, or that of the movement of the earth round the sun, would result in the immediate destruction of the one and the other; but a drunkard, a dissolute person, or a rogue is not punished with such lightning rapidity, although he surely moves, though with many fluctuations, towards final destruction. Further, the natural law acts without discrimination, scattering its good and evil results equally upon the good and bad, because its dominion is unconnected with morality. The fields of the righteous and the sinner bear fruit equally. The thunderbolt strikes without distinction the godly and the ungodly. But the moral law is provided, if we may say so, with open eyes; and, therefore, it benefits or harms according to the character of its subjects, to whose advantage or detriment it can shape even the forces of nature. Generally speaking, the most important difference between natural and moral law lies in the fact that natural law is based on force and necessity, while moral law is based on the free will of man.
And what is free will?
Free will is that God-given capacity of man, thanks to which he can choose, out of two or more actions which present themselves simultaneously to him, the one that seems to him the better. Man is not an automaton and does not act mechanically, nor is he guided by blind instinct like the unreasoning animals. Inasmuch as he is imprisoned in a body, he is of course subject to natural laws and necessities; but inasmuch as he is endowed with an immortal soul, he can still the pangs of natural hunger, face death for his faith or country, and achieve great things even though he may be physically weak. Free will is the most splendid crown of man. By exercising free will man himself creates, with his own hands, his own fate. Upon free will is established man’s responsibility, and the acts of each individual are recorded and attributed to him as an inalienable estate belonging to him only. Thanks to free will, man is raised to the status of a moral being who provokes praise or blame. No one ever praises a machine for its remarkable products; and the foolish scourging of the Hellespont by Xerxes only arouses laughter. Virtue, that is to say, the willing compliance with the divine law, Vice, that is to say, the wilful violation of the divine law, do not exist in machines and inanimate things, which therefore will not be subjected to judgment. But man is free, feeling in the depths of his soul responsibility and repentance, even when, under the influence of fear, interest, ignorance, passion, evil surrounding, etc., he has neglected his duty; and that is why he will be called upon to answer for the wickedness he has committed, or be rewarded for his good works. Not out of place here are the words of the wise Sheirach:—“God made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own counsel. If thou wilt, thou wilt keep the commandments and perform acceptable faithfulness. He hath set fire and water before thee; stretch forth thy hand, unto whether thou wilt. Before man is life and death, and whatsoever he liketh shall be given him.” (xv. 14—17.)