alexandria and her schools(亚历山大和她的学校)-第21章
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And yet Alexandrian Christianity； notoriously enough； rotted away；
and perished hideously。 Most true。 But what if the causes of its decay
and death were owing to its being untrue to itself？
I do not say that they had no excuses for being untrue to their own
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faith。 We are not here to judge them。 That peculiar subtlety of mind；
which rendered the Alexandrians the great thinkers of the then world； had
with Christians； as well as Heathens； the effect of alluring them away from
practice to speculation。 The Christian school； as was to be expected from
the moral ground of their philosophy； yielded to it far more slowly than the
Heathen； but they did yield； and especially after they had conquered and
expelled the Heathen school。 Moreover； the long battle with the Heathen
school had stirred up in them habits of exclusiveness； of denunciation； the
spirit which cannot assert a fact； without dogmatising rashly and harshly
on the consequences of denying that fact。 Their minds assumed a
permanent habit of combativeness。 Having no more Heathens to fight；
they began fighting each other； excommunicating each other； denying to
all who differed from them any share of that light； to claim which for all
men had been the very ground of their philosophy。 Not that they would
have refused the Logos to all men in words。 They would have cursed a
man for denying the existence of the Logos in every man； but they would
have equally cursed him for acting on his existence in practice； and
treating the heretic as one who had that within him to which a preacher
might appeal。 Thus they became Dogmatists； that is； men who assert a
truth so fiercely； as to forget that a truth is meant to be used； and not
merely assertedif； indeed； the fierce assertion of a truth in frail man is
not generally a sign of some secret doubt of it； and in inverse proportion to
his practical living faith in it： just as he who is always telling you that he
is a man； is not the most likely to behave like a man。 And why did this
befall them？ Because they forgot practically that the light proceeded
from a Person。 They could argue over notions and dogmas deduced from
the notion of His personality： but they were shut up in those notions；
they had forgotten that if He was a Person； His eye was on them； His rule
and kingdom within them； and that if He was a Person； He had a character；
and that that character was a righteous and a loving character： and
therefore they were not ashamed； in defending these notions and dogmas
about Him； to commit acts abhorrent to His character； to lie； to slander； to
intrigue； to hate； even to murder； for the sake of what they madly called
His glory： but which was really only their own glorythe glory of their
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own dogmas； of propositions and conclusions in their own brain； which；
true or false； were equally heretical in their mouths； because they used
them only as watchwords of division。 Orthodox or unorthodox； they lost
the knowledge of God； for they lost the knowledge of righteousness； and
love； and peace。 That Divine Logos； and theology as a whole； receded
further and further aloft into abysmal heights； as it became a mere dreary
system of dead scientific terms； having no practical bearing on their hearts
and lives； and then they； as the Neoplatonists had done before them； filled
up the void by those daemonologies； images； base Fetish worships； which
made the Mohammedan invaders regard them； and I believe justly； as
polytheists and idolaters； base as the pagan Arabs of the desert。
I cannot but believe them； moreover； to have been untrue to the
teaching of Clement and his school； in that coarse and materialist
admiration of celibacy which ruined Alexandrian society； as their
dogmatic ferocity ruined Alexandrian thought。 The Creed which taught
them that in the person of the Incarnate Logos； that which was most divine
had been proved to be most human； that which was most human had been
proved to be most divine； ought surely to have given to them； as it has
given to modern Europe； nobler； clearer； simpler views of the true relation
of the sexes。 However； on this matter they did not see their way。 Perhaps；
in so debased an age； so profligate a world； as that out of which
Christianity had risen； it was impossible to see the true beauty and sanctity
of those primary bonds of humanity。 And while the relation of the sexes
was looked on in a wrong light； all other social relations were necessarily
also misconceived。 〃The very ideas of family and national life；〃 as it has
been said； 〃those two divine roots of the Church； severed from which she
is certain to wither away into that most cruel and most godless of spectres；
a religious world； had perished in the East； from the evil influence of the
universal practice of slave… holding； as well as from the degradation of that
Jewish nation which had been for ages the great witness for these ideas；
and all classes； like their forefather Adamlike； indeed； the Old Adamthe
selfish； cowardly； brute nature in every man and in every agewere
shifting the blame of sin from their own consciences to human
relationships and duties； and therein； to the God who had appointed them；
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and saying； as of old； 'The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me； she
gave me of the tree； and I did eat。'〃
Much as Christianity did； even in Egypt； for woman； by asserting her
moral and spiritual equality with the man； there seems to have been no
suspicion that she was the true complement of the man； not merely by
softening him； but by strengthening him； that true manhood can be no
more developed without the influence of the woman； than true
womanhood without the influence of the man。 There is no trace among
the Egyptian celibates of that chivalrous woman…worship which our
Gothic forefathers brought with them into the West； which shed a
softening and ennobling light round the mediaeval convent life； and
warded off for centuries the worst effects of monasticism。 Among the
religious of Egypt； the monk regarded the nun； the nun the monk； with
dread and aversion； while both looked on the married population of the
opposite sex with a coarse contempt and disgust which is hardly credible；
did not the foul records of it stand written to this day； in Rosweyde's
extraordinary 〃Vitae Patrum Eremiticorum；〃 no barren school of
metaphysic； truly； for those who are philosophic enough to believe that all
phenomena whatsoever of the human mind are worthy matter for scientific
induction。
And thus grew up in Egypt a monastic world； of such vastness that it
was said to equal in number the laity。 This produced； no doubt； an
enormous increase in the actual amount of moral evil。 But it produced
three other effects； which were the ruin of Alexandria。 First； a
continually growing enervation and numerical decrease of the population；
next； a carelessness of； and contempt for social and political life； and lastly；
a most brutalising effect on the lay population； who； told that they were；
and believing themselves to be； beings of a lower order； and living by a
lower standard； sank down more and more generation after generation。
They were of the world； and the ways of the world they must follow。
Political life had no inherent sanctity or nobleness； why act holily and
nobly in it？ Family life had no inherent sanctity or nobleness； why act
holily and nobly in it either； if there were no holy； noble； and divine
principle or ground for it？ And thus grew up； both in Egypt； Syria； and
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Byzantium； a chaos of profligacy and chicanery； in rulers and people； in
the home and the market； in the theatre and the senate； such as the world
has rarely seen before or since； a chaos which reached its culmination in
the seventh century； the age of Justinian and Theodora； perhaps the two
most hideous sovereigns； worshipped by the most hideous empire of
parasites and hypocrites； cowards and wantons； that ever insulted the long…
suffering of a righteous God。
But； for Alexandria at least； the cup was now full。 In the year 640 the
Alexandrians were tearing each other in pieces about some Jacobite and
Melchite controversy； to me incomprehensible； to you unimportant；
because the fighters on both sides seem to have lost （as all parties do in
their old age） the knowledge of what they were fighting for； and to have so
bewildered the question with personal intrigues； spites； and quarrels； as to
make it nearly as enigmatic as that famous contemporary war between the
blue and green factions at Constantinople； which began by backing in the
theatre； the charioteers who drove in blue dresses； against those wild drove
in green； then went on to identify themselves each with one of the
prevailing theological factions； gradually developed； the one into an
aristocratic； the other into a democratic； religious party； and ended by a
civil war in the streets of Constantinople； accompanied by the most
horrible excesses； which had nearly； at one time； given up the city to the
