Christianus Sum, Nihil Christiani A Me Alienum Puto

William Lisle Bowles, Life of Thomas Ken (1830), Vol. 1, p. 172:

"Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto," says the humane voice of Antiquity. "CHRISTIANUS sum," replies the humble CHRISTIAN!

Andrew Campbell Armstrong, The Hartford Seminary Record (1902), Vol. 12, p. 194:

Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto; thus singing, the pagan poet found nothing human of alient interest, seeing that he himself was a man. Christianus sum; Christiani nihil a me alienum puto; so the Christian thinker made religion the basis of his sympathy from the vantage-ground of faith. May we not unite the sentiments and venture a watchword for the Christian in our later age? Christianus sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto, Christianity in sympathy with essential and universal humanity! For who shall challenge the agreement of this motto with the mind of Christ?

Philip Schaff more than once explored how the Christian might adapt that famous saying of Terence, "Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto" (I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me.") (Heauton Timorumenos) and employ a paraphrase which was en vogue among ecumenicals of his day. In fact, he used as the motto of his series, History of the Christian Church, "Christianus sum, nihil Christiani a me alienum puto" ("I am a Christian, I consider nothing that is Christian alien to me") and explained why below. I leave it to the reader to consider wherein consists the noble wisdom of his sentiments and wherein he may have missed the mark.

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 1., General Introduction. §6 [on the duty of a Christian historian]:

3. Both scientific research and artistic representation must be guided by a sound moral and religious, that is, a truly Christian spirit. The secular historian should be filled with universal human sympathy, the church historian with universal Christian sympathy. The motto of the former is: "Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto;" the motto of the latter: "Christianus sum, nihil Christiani a me alienum puto."

The historian must first lay aside all prejudice and party zeal, and proceed in the pure love of truth. Not that he must become a tabula rasa. No man is able, or should attempt, to cast off the educational influences which have made him what he is. But the historian of the church of Christ must in every thing be as true as possible to the objective fact, "sine ira et studio;" do justice to every person and event; and stand in the centre of Christianity, whence he may see all points in the circumference, all individual persons and events, all confessions, denominations, and sects, in their true relations to each other and to the glorious whole....there is a common Christianity in the Church, as well as a common humanity in the world, which no Christian can disregard with impunity.

Then he must be in thorough sympathy with his subject, and enthusiastically devoted thereto. As no one can interpret a poet without poetic feeling and taste, or a philosopher without speculative talent, so no one can rightly comprehend and exhibit the history of Christianity without a Christian spirit. An unbeliever could produce only a repulsive caricature, or at best a lifeless statue. The higher the historian stands on Christian ground, the larger is his horizon, and the more full and clear his view of single regions below, and of their mutual bearings. Even error can be fairly seen only from the position of truth. "Verum est index sui et falsi." Christianity is the absolute truth, which, like the sun, both reveals itself and enlightens all that is dark. Church history, like the Bible, is its own best interpreter.

Philip Schaff, Theological Propaedeutic: A General Introduction to the Study of Theology Exegetical, Historical, Systematic, and Practical Including Encyclopaedia, Methodology, and Bibliography - A Manual for Students, pp. 257-258:

The moral qualification of the historian may be comprehended in the Christian spirit, which is the spirit of truth and love. "Malice to none, charity for all." The secular historian must have a general sympathy with humanity, according to the motto:

"Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto."

The Church historian must have a general sympathy with Christianity in all its forms and phases, and follow the motto:

"Christianus sum, nihil Christiani a me alienum puto."

No one can interpret poetry without poetic feeling and taste, or philosophy without speculative talent; so no one can rightly comprehend and exhibit the history of Christianity without the spirit that animates and controls it. An unbeliever could produce only a repulsive caricature, or at best a lifeless statue.

The higher the historian stands on Christian ground, the wider is his horizon, and the clearer and fuller his view of the regions below. Even error can be fairly seen only from the position of truth. "Verum est index sui et falsi."

Christianity is the absolute truth, which, like the sun, both reveals itself and enlightens all that is dark.

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3., Chap. 8. §102 [on Christian art]:

Man is a being intellectual, or thinking and knowing, moral, or willing and acting, and aesthetic, or feeling and enjoying. To these three cardinal faculties corresponds the old trilogy of the true, the good, and the beautiful, and the three provinces of science, or knowledge of the truth, virtue, or practice of the good, and art, or the representation of the beautiful, the harmony of the ideal and the real. These three elements are of equally divine origin and destiny.

Religion is not so much a separate province besides these three, as the elevation and sanctification of all to the glory of God. It represents the idea of holiness, or of union with God, who is the original of all that is true, good, and beautiful. Christianity, as perfect religion, is also perfect humanity. It hates only sin; and this belongs not originally to human nature, but has invaded it from without. It is a leaven which pervades the whole lump. It aims at a harmonious unfolding of all the gifts and powers of the soul. It would redeem and regenerate the whole man, and bring him into blessed fellowship with God. It enlightens the understanding, sanctifies the will, gives peace to the heart, and consecrates even the body a temple of the Holy Ghost. The ancient word: "Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto," is fully true only of the Christian. "All things are yours," says the Apostle. All things are of God, and for God. Of these truths we must never lose sight, notwithstanding the manifold abuses or imperfect and premature applications of them.