Page:Tolstoy - Pamphlets.djvu/44

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PERSONAL CHRISTIAN LIFE
35

clothing which I regard as my own, as long as no one asserts his right to it, and so on, I shall be near to the law of Christ; but as soon as I admit in principle the right of property, I may very easily, in defending it, depart yet farther from the law of Non-resistance.

An example of such a deviation, or compromise, may be found in Matt. V. 22, where the words "without a cause" have been added.

No living man will ever fulfil the will of God perfectly. But because we see and know the impossibility of completely fulfilling God's will, it does not follow that we should determine beforehand to fulfil it incompletely, partially (this is a most common and dreadful sin). But we should, on the contrary, incessantly and always strive for its complete fulfilment. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things needful will be added unto you."

The question of utility must be altogether set aside by the Christian. No one can decide questions of utility,—who will be benefited, and in what way. Utility is beyond our power; but what we should do for the accomplishment