Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
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Plutarch <strong>and</strong> the Greece <strong>of</strong> His Age<br />
works on Superstition, <strong>and</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the most ingenious<br />
on Providence, we possess. He was probably the first<br />
writer who advocated very strongly humanity to<br />
ani<br />
mals on the broad ground <strong>of</strong> universal benevolence,<br />
as distinguished from the Pythagorean<br />
doctrine <strong>of</strong><br />
transmigration, as he was also remarkable, beyond all<br />
his contemporaries for his high sense <strong>of</strong> female ex<br />
cellence, <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> the sanctity <strong>of</strong> female love."<br />
Seneca, Plutarch, <strong>and</strong> the Apostle Paul were in a<br />
sense contemporaries.<br />
All three did what they could<br />
to make the world better in their time <strong>and</strong> after them.<br />
All<br />
three were preachers <strong>of</strong> righteousness, each in his<br />
way. All three wrote much that has engaged the<br />
attention <strong>of</strong> the world, <strong>and</strong> stimulated its thought.<br />
But how great the contrast between the projects <strong>of</strong><br />
these men, especially the two last! Plutarch was<br />
wholly lacking in Paul s devotion to an idea. He<br />
would have scouted the suggestion that a man should<br />
give up friends, social position, country, kindred,<br />
everything, to go forth to preach a new doctrine.<br />
How widely apart, how almost diametically opposite<br />
the methods <strong>of</strong> two men who are in a sense seeking<br />
the same end!<br />
The thoughts <strong>of</strong> the philosopher, his<br />
intellectual vision, was turned toward the setting sun.<br />
At most he could only hope, as we now see, to pro<br />
long the dim twilight that still hovered over the earth.<br />
The world had well-nigh lost faith in the power <strong>of</strong><br />
human reason to regenerate mankind. The spiritual<br />
eyes <strong>of</strong> the Christian were on the rising sun. Though<br />
he saw that it was as et shiniim- but diml, he had