Pureness of heart is inseparable from simplicity and humility. It excludes all ideas of selfishness and pride. This was why Jesus took infancy as the symbol of purity and humility.

The doctrine of Jesus constantly teaches obedience and resignation, two virtues which are the companions of mildness and activity, although man wrongly confuses them with denial of sentiment and free-will. Obedience is the consent of reason; resignation is the consent of the heart Both are active forces since they carry the burden which has fallen upon them due to foolish revolt. The coward cannot be resigned, any more than the prideful and selfish can be obedient. Jesus was the very incarnation of these virtues, which were despised by material antiquity. He came to Earth at a time when Roman society was perishing in the failings of corruption. He came so that, even in the bosom of depressed humanity, the triumph of sacrifice and the renouncement of sensuality would shine forth. Thus, each epoch is marked with the stamp of the virtue or vice which it has either to save or to lose. The virtue of this generation is intellectuality, the vice is moral indifference. We merely use the word 'activity' because a genius may suddenly rise up and discover for him or herself the horizons which will be seen by the multitude only at a later date. Whereas activity denotes the reunion of the endeavours of everyone in order to reach a somewhat less brilliant conclusion, but one which will confirm the intellectual elevation of an epoch. Submit yourself then to the impulsion we have come to give your spirits. Obey the great law of progress which is the promise of your generation. Woe to the lazy ones, woe to all those not open to understanding! Woe unto them! Because we, who are the guides of humanity on the march, shall apply the whip and subdue the rebellion by means of the double action of brake and spur. All prideful resistance will have to be overcome sooner or later. However, blessed be all those who are mild for they will lend yielding ears to these teachings. -

LAZARUS (Paris, 1863).