Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE GREEK PHILOSOPHY.407universe by whom all things consist, all that Platotaught should have been subordinated to this itsfirst principle, and the sum of his teaching to menshould have been to set him forth. So far is thisfrom the position which Plato really took, that inhis ideal Eepublic no other religion but the traditionalGreek religion was to subsist; he changesnothing in the very forms of the polytheistic worship; he refers the decision on many points tothe Delphic Apollo.54 And when in his last bookon the Laws55 he sets forth the notion of a secondbest state, one which can be realised underactual circumstances, wherein he gives a mass ofpractical directions for the needs of the lowerclasses, religion in its purely polytheistic dress isthe soul of his teaching, the groundwork of hisstructure. Men are to worship first of all theOlympian gods, and the gods who are the patronsof the city; then the gods of the earth; then demonsand heroes; and all these in the traditionalway by offerings, prayers, and vows. All good inpublic life is their gift; everything is to be consecratedto them; to violate their shrines is thegreatest of crimes. In fact, after all, but few ofmankind are capable of understanding or receivingthe philosophic God. However imperfect56 the54 Bellinger, p. 297, sec. 119, quoted.55 So likewise Zeller remarks, vol. ii. part 1, p. 604 : "Die Gesetze,welchen die philosophischen Regenten fehlen, behandeln die Volks-re-ligion durchweg ala die sittliche Grundlage des Staatswesens."56 Ibid. p. 605.