Luke 6:29

offer also the other The general principle "resist not evil" (Mat 5:39; 1 Corinthians 6:7; 1 Peter 2:19-23) impressed for ever on the memory and conscience of mankind by a striking paradox. That it is only meant as a paradox in its literalsense is shewn by the fact that our Lord Himself, while most divinely true to its spirit, did not act on the letter of it (John 18:22-23). The remark of a good man on reading the Sermon on the Mount, "either this is not true, or we are no Christians," need not be correct of any of us. The precepts are meant,

St Augustine said, more "ad praeparationem cordis quae intus est" than

" ad opus quod in aperto fit;"but still, the fewer exceptions we make the better, and the more absolutely we apply the spiritof the rules, the fewer difficulties shall we find about the letter.

thy cloke...thy coat The himationwas the upper garment, the shawl-like abba; the chitonwas the tunic. See on Luke 3:11.