alexandria and her schools(亚历山大和她的学校)-第13章
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deliverances worked for their forefathers； and what seemed promises； too；
that that greatness should return。 The notion that those promises were
conditional； that they expressed eternal moral laws； and declared the
consequences of obeying those laws； they had lost long ago。 By looking
on themselves as exclusively and arbitrarily favoured by Heaven； they
were ruining their own moral sense。 Things were not right or wrong to
them because Right was eternal and divine； and Wrong the transgression
of that eternal right。 How could that be？ For then the right things the
Gentiles seemed to do would be right and divine；and that supposition in
their eyes was all but impious。 None could do right but themselves； for
they only knew the law of God。 So； right with them had no absolute or
universal ground； but was reduced in their minds to the performance of
certain acts commanded exclusively to thema form of ethics which
rapidly sank into the most petty and frivolous casuistry as to the outward
performance of those acts。 The sequel of those ethics is known to all the
world； in the spectacle of the most unrivalled religiosity； and scrupulous
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respectability； combined with a more utter absence of moral sense； in their
most cultivated and learned men； than the world has ever beheld before or
since。
In such a state of mind it was impossible for them to look on their old
prophets as true seers； beholding and applying eternal moral laws； and；
therefore； seeing the future in the present and in the past。 They must be
the mere utterers of an irreversible arbitrary fate； and that fate must； of
course； be favourable to their nation。 So now arose a school who picked
out from their old prophets every passage which could be made to predict
their future glory； and a science which settled when that glory was to
return。 By the arbitrary rules of criticism a prophetic day was defined to
mean a year； a week； seven years。 The most simple and human
utterances were found to have recondite meanings relative to their future
triumph over the heathens whom they cursed and hated。 If any of you
ever come across the popular Jewish interpretations of The Song of
Solomon； you will there see the folly in which acute and learned men can
indulge themselves when they have lost hold of the belief in anything
really absolute and eternal and moral； and have made Fate； and Time； and
Self； their real deities。 But this dream of a future restoration was in no
wise ennobled； as far as we can see； with any desire for a moral restoration。
They believed that a person would appear some day or other to deliver
them。 Even they were happily preserved by their sacred books from the
notion that deliverance was to be found for them； or for any man； in an
abstraction or notion ending in …ation or …ality。 In justice to them it must
be said； that they were too wise to believe that personal qualities； such as
power； will； love； righteousness； could reside in any but in a person； or be
manifested except by a person。 And among the earlier of them the belief
may have been； that the ancient unseen Teacher of their race would be
their deliverer： but as they lost the thought of Him； the expected
Deliverer became a mere human being： or rather not a human being； for
as they lost their moral sense； they lost in the very deepest meaning their
humanity； and forgot what man was like till they learned to look only for a
conqueror； a manifestation of power； and not of goodness； a destroyer of
the hated heathen； who was to establish them as the tyrant race of the
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whole earth。 On that fearful day on which； for a moment； they cast away
even that last dream； and cried； 〃We have no king but Caesar；〃 they spoke
the secret of their hearts。 It was a Caesar； a Jewish Caesar； for whom
they had been longing for centuries。 And if they could not have such a
deliverer； they would have none： they would take up with the best
embodiment of brute Titanic power which they could find； and crucify the
embodiment of Righteousness and Love。 Amid all the metaphysical
schools of Alexandria； I know none so deeply instructive as that school of
the Rabbis； 〃the glory of Israel。〃
But you will say： 〃This does not look like a school likely to
regenerate Alexandrian thought。〃 True： and yet it did regenerate it；
both for good and for evil； for these men had among them and preserved
faithfully enough for all practical purposes； the old literature of their race；
a literature which I firmly believe； if I am to trust the experience of 1900
years； is destined to explain all other literatures； because it has firm hold
of the one eternal root…idea which gives life； meaning； Divine sanction； to
every germ or fragment of human truth which is in any of them。 It did so；
at least； in Alexandria for the Greek literature。 About the Christian era； a
cultivated Alexandrian Jew； a disciple of Plato and of Aristotle； did seem
to himself to find in the sacred books of his nation that which agreed with
the deepest discoveries of Greek philosophy； which explained and
corroborated them。 And his announcement of this fact； weak and defective
as it was； had the most enormous and unexpected results。 The father of
New Platonism was Philo the Jew。
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LECTURE IIINEOPLATONISM
We now approach the period in which Alexandria began to have a
philosophy of its ownto be； indeed； the leader of human thought for
several centuries。
I shall enter on this branch of my subject with some fear and trembling；
not only on account of my own ignorance； but on account of the great
difficulty of handling it without trenching on certain controversial subjects
which are rightly and wisely forbidden here。 For there was not one
school of Metaphysic at Alexandria： there were two； which； during the
whole period of their existence； were in internecine struggle with each
other； and yet mutually borrowing from each other； the Heathen； namely；
and the Christian。 And you cannot contemplate； still less can you
understand； the one without the other。 Some of late years have become
all but unaware of the existence of that Christian school； and the word
Philosophy； on the authority of Gibbon； who； however excellent an
authority for facts； knew nothing about Philosophy； and cared less； has
been used exclusively to express heathen thought； a misnomer which in
Alexandria would have astonished Plotinus or Hypatia as much as it
would Clement or Origen。 I do not say that there is； or ought to be； a
Christian Metaphysic。 I am speaking； as you know； merely as a historian；
dealing with facts； and I say that there was one； as profound； as scientific；
as severe； as that of the Pagan Neoplatonists； starting indeed； as I shall
show hereafter； on many points from common ground with theirs。 One
can hardly doubt； I should fancy； that many parts of St。 John's Gospel and
Epistles； whatever view we may take of them； if they are to be called
anything； are to be called metaphysic and philosophic。 And one can no
more doubt that before writing them he had studied Philo； and was
expanding Philo's thought in the direction which seemed fit to him； than
we can doubt it of the earlier Neoplatonists。 The technical language is
often identical； so are the primary ideas from which he starts； howsoever
widely the conclusions may differ。 If Plotinus considered himself an
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intellectual disciple of Plato； so did Origen and Clemens。 And I must； as
I said before； speak of both； or of neither。 My only hope of escaping
delicate ground lies in the curious fact； that rightly or wrongly； the form in
which Christianity presented itself to the old Alexandrian thinkers was so
utterly different from the popular conception of it in modern England； that
one may very likely be able to tell what little one knows about it； almost
without mentioning a single doctrine which now influences the religious
world。
But far greater is my fear； that to a modern British auditory； trained in
the school of Locke； much of ancient thought； heathen as well as Christian；
may seem so utterly the product of the imagination； so utterly without any
corresponding reality in the universe； as to look like mere unintelligible
madness。 Still； I must try； only entreating my hearers to consider； that
how much soever we may honour Locke and his great Scotch followers；
we are not bound to believe them either infallible； or altogether world…
embracing； that there have been other methods than theirs of conceiving
the Unseen； that the common ground from which both Christian and
heathen Alexandrians start； is not merely a private vagary of their own； but
one which has been accepted undoubtingly； under so many various forms；
by so many different races； as to give something of an inductive
probability that it is not a mere dream； but may be a right and true instinct
of the human mind。 I mean the belief that the things whi
