gard the habits and opinions of men, and to live solely according to the dictates of pure reason. Acting on these principles, Anta'thenes and Diogenes, the founders of the sect, outraged decency and common sense. 1The name of Cynics was given them, from their similarity to dogs in their snarling and slovenly habits of life. 12 Aristip'pus of Cyre'ne, founded the sect of the Cyrena'ics, who ran into the opposite extreme; they held, that pleasure was the only good, and pain the only evil, a principle which naturally opened the way to every species of licentiousness. Epicu'rus indeed, who adopted the same principle, endeavoured to correct its dangerous tendency, by adding, that virtue was the true source of pleasure, and vice of pain; but his followers did not acknowledge the validity of the reasoning on which the second proposition was founded, especially as he denied the doctrine of the soul's immortality, by which alone it could be reasonably supported. 13. The sceptics 2, of whom Pyrrho was the most remarkable, were seceders from the Academy. They held, that every thing was equally uncertain; some even affected to doubt their own existence. The new Academics, as the followers of Carne'ades and Arces'ilas were called, adopted the same principle to some extent, and consequently introduced again the worst doctrines of the sophists. Several minor sects were formed from different modifications of these doctrines, which it is not necessary to enumerate. Enough has been said, to show how imperfect were all the systems devised, even by the highest exertions of human reason, and the gratitude that we should feel to the Author of all Mercy, for granting us to live in an age when all these imperfections are remedied by the superior efficacy of Revelation. 14. Christianity, the only light which can dispel "the 1 Kuwv, a dog. 2 From σKETтoμaι, to doubt. shadows, clouds, and darkness," that rest upon futurity, and solve those doubts and difficulties which unassisted reason attempted in vain, was first preached in Greece by the apostle Paul. Its success was rapid, for the popular religion had sunk beneath the attacks of the philosophers, and no system had been substituted in its stead. The great mass of the people lived literally "without God in the world," for they saw that the faith of their fathers was absurd, but knew not as yet of any better creed. Victims indeed still bled in the temples, and sacrifices smoked on the altars, but these observances were continued more from habit than from any belief in their efficacy-the spirit and fervour of devotion no longer existed. With this practical infidelity a violent superstition was strangely mingled; new deities were introduced from Egypt, from Asia, and even from the barbarous tribes of Northern Europe; but they still felt a distrust in these objects of their worship, and erected altars TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. The preaching of Christianity produced a wonderful change; all that the wisest philosophers had proposed, as the end of their speculations, was here offered indiscriminately; the nature of man's dependence on his Creator, the design of his creation, the conditions of his future existence-questions which the schools had almost resigned in despair, were explained with a simplicity and clearness that the weakest mind could comprehend. Converts became numerous, and in the course of his brief career the apostle founded several flourishing churches in the very seats of luxurious idolatry and haughty philosophy. Greece became a Christian country more rapidly than Italy, because speculations on natural theology were more familiar to its inhabitants; and they were consequently more disposed to seek remedies for the imperfections which they failed not to discover both in the philosophic and vulgar creeds. But; unfortunately, many carried into the new religion those habits of fanciful speculation which had so long in fested their philosophy. Dissatisfied with the pure simplicity of Gospel truth, they laboured to be "wise beyond what is written," and mixing up some of their old theories with the new religion, they introduced most of those strange heresies which, in the two first centuries, infested the Christian church. The philosophers of Alexandria took the lead in producing this evil; they combined the dreams of Plato with the simple truths of the Gospel, and produced systems whose absurdity seems scarce credible in our days. The evil spread into Western Europe, and finally produced the great schism between the Greek and Latin churches, which still continues. It must, however, be added, that the Greeks, during all their miseries, and all their sufferings, have steadily adhered to the profession of Christianity, and maintained at least its outward forms, undeterred by bitter persecutions, unallured by the favours with which renegades were rewarded. Questions. 1. How did Grecian philosophy differ from Asiatic? 2. What philosopher was accused of hostility to the popular religion? 3. Who was Pythagoras ? 4. Can a probable explanation be given of the Metempsychosis? 5. What led to the dispersion of the Pythagoreans? 6. What was the nature of the instruction given by the Sophists ? 7. How did Socrates differ from former philosophers? 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. What were the doctrines of the Academics Peripatetics-Stoics-Cynics-Epicureans-and Sceptics? 14. What was the progress of Christianity in Greece? APPENDIX. HISTORICAL NOTICES OF THE MINOR GRECIAN STATES, AND OF THE GRECIAN ISLANDS. SECTION I. The Minor Grecian States. United they had baffled every foe, RYAN. IN the preceding history, our attention has been principally engaged by the two leading republics, Athens and Sparta, not merely on account of their superior importance, but because most of the minor states were engaged in their wars, and shared in their fortunes. But there were of course many changes and revolutions occurring in these states, which could not be detailed without destroying the continuity of the narrative, but which are of too much importance to be wholly omitted. The following brief summary contains the leading facts in the history of the several minor states in their geographical order, beginning from the north. 1. The barbarous country of Thrace was early colonized by the Grecians, but more particularly by the Athenians when they btained supremacy by sea, after the second Persian war. Its original inhabitants were of Pelasgic descent, and made little or no progress in civilization. The greater part of it was subdued by Philip, and from this country both he and Alexander drew some of their best troops. The transfer of the seat of empire from Rome to Byzantium, the Thracian metropolis in a much later age, increased the importance of the country without improving the character of its inhabitants. It fell |