Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

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