the evolution of theology-第15章

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death；　for　the　dross　of　the　law　in　which　it　was　embedded。

The　struggle　of　the　Jews；　under　the　Maccabean　house；　against　the

Seleucidae　was　as　important　for　mankind　as　that　of　the　Greeks

against　the　Persians。　And；　of　all　the　strange　ironies　of

history；　perhaps　the　strangest　is　that　〃Pharisee〃　is　current；　as

a　term　of　reproach；　among　the　theological　descendants　of　that

sect　of　Nazarenes　who；　without　the　martyr　spirit　of　those

primitive　Puritans；　would　never　have　come　into　existence。

They；　like　their　historical　successors；　our　own　Puritans；　have

shared　the　general　fate　of　the　poor　wise　men　who　save　cities。



A　criticism　of　theology　from　the　side　of　science　is　not　thought

of　by　the　prophets；　and　is　at　most　indicated　in　the　books　of　Job

and　Ecclesiastes；　in　both　of　which　the　problem　of　vindicating

the　ways　of　God　to　man　is　given　up；　though　on　different　grounds；

as　a　hopeless　one。　But　with　the　extensive　introduction　of　Greek

thought　among　the　Jews；　which　took　place；　not　only　during　the

domination　of　the　Seleucidae　in　Palestine；　but　in　the　great

Judaic　colony　which　flourished　in　Egypt　under　the　Ptolemies；

criticism；　on　both　ethical　and　scientific　grounds；　took　a

new　departure。



In　the　hands　of　the　Alexandrian　Jews；　as　represented　by　Philo；

the　fundamental　axiom　of　later　Jewish；　as　of　Christian

monotheism；　that　the　Deity　is　infinitely　perfect　and　infinitely

good；　worked　itself　out　into　its　logical　consequenceagnostic

theism。　Philo　will　allow　of　no　point　of　contact　between　God　and

a　world　in　which　evil　exists。　For　him　God　has　no　relation　to

space　or　to　time；　and；　as　infinite；　suffers　no　predicate　beyond

that　of　existence。　It　is　therefore　absurd　to　ascribe　to　Him

mental　faculties　and　affections　comparable　in　the　remotest

degree　to　those　of　men；　He　is　in　no　way　an　object　of　cognition；

He　is　＇Greek＇　and　＇Greek＇without　quality　and

incomprehensible。　That　is　to　say　the　Alexandrian　Jew　of　the

first　century　had　anticipated　the　reasonings　of　Hamilton　and

Mansell　in　the　nineteenth；　and；　for　him；　God　is　the　Unknowable

in　the　sense　in　which　that　term　is　used　by　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer。

Moreover；　Philo's　definition　of　the　Supreme　Being　would　not　be

inconsistent　with　that　〃substantia　constans　infinitis

attributis；　quorum　unumquodque　aeternam　et　infinitam　essentiam

exprimit；〃　given　by　another　great　Israelite；　were　it　not　that

Spinoza's　doctrine　of　the　immanence　of　the　Deity　in　the　world

puts　him；　at　any　rate　formally；　at　the　antipodes　of　theological

speculation。　But　the　conception　of　the　essential

incognoscibility　of　the　Deity　is　the　same　in　each　case。

However；　Philo　was　too　thorough　an　Israelite　and　too　much　the

child　of　his　time　to　be　content　with　this　agnostic　position。

With　the　help　of　the　Platonic　and　Stoic　philosophy；　he

constructed　an　apprehensible；　if　not　comprehensible；　quasi…deity

out　of　the　Logos；　while　other　more　or　less　personified　divine

powers；　or　attributes；　bridged　over　the　interval　between　God　and

man；　between　the　sacred　existence；　too　pure　to　be　called　by　any

name　which　implied　a　conceivable　quality；　and　the　gross　and　evil

world　of　matter。　In　order　to　get　over　the　ethical　difficulties

presented　by　the　naive　naturalism　of　many　parts　of　those

Scriptures；　in　the　divine　authority　of　which　he　firmly　believed；

Philo　borrowed　from　the　Stoics　（who　had　been　in　like　straits　in

respect　of　Greek　mythology）；　that　great　Excalibur　which　they　had

forged　with　infinite　pains　and　skillthe　method　of　allegorical

interpretation。　This　mighty　〃two…handed　engine　at　the　door〃　of

the　theologian　is　warranted　to　make　a　speedy　end　of　any　and

every　moral　or　intellectual　difficulty；　by　showing　that；　taken

allegorically　or；　as　it　is　otherwise　said；　〃poetically〃　or；　〃in

a　spiritual　sense；〃　the　plainest　words　mean　whatever　a　pious

interpreter　desires　they　should　mean。　In　Biblical　phrase；　Zeno

（who　probably　had　a　strain　of　Semitic　blood　in　him）　was　the

〃father　of　all　such　as　reconcile。〃　No　doubt　Philo　and　his

followers　were　eminently　religious　men；　but　they　did　endless

injury　to　the　cause　of　religion　by　laying　the　foundations　of　a

new　theology；　while　equipping　the　defenders　of　it　with　the

subtlest　of　all　weapons　of　offence　and　defence；　and　with　an

inexhaustible　store　of　sophistical　arguments　of　the　most

plausible　aspect。



The　question　of　the　real　bearing　upon　theology　of　the　influence

exerted　by　the　teaching　of　Philo's　contemporary；　Jesus　of

Nazareth；　is　one　upon　which　it　is　not　germane　to　my　present

purpose　to　enter。　I　take　it　simply　as　an　unquestionable　fact

that　his　immediate　disciples；　known　to　their　countrymen　as

〃Nazarenes；〃　were　regarded　as；　and　considered　themselves　to　be；

perfectly　orthodox　Jews；　belonging　to　the　puritanic　or　pharisaic

section　of　their　people；　and　differing　from　the　rest　only　in

their　belief　that　the　Messiah　had　already　come。　Christianity；　it

is　said；　first　became　clearly　differentiated　at　Antioch；　and　it

separated　itself　from　orthodox　Judaism　by　denying　the　obligation

of　the　rite　of　circumcision　and　of　the　food　prohibitions；

prescribed　by　the　law。　Henceforward　theology　became　relatively

stationary　among　the　Jews；　and　the　history　of　its　rapid

progress　in　a　new　course　of　evolution　is　the　history　of　the

Christian　Churches；　orthodox　and　heterodox。　The　steps　in　this

evolution　are　obvious。　The　first　is　the　birth　of　a　new

theological　scheme　arising　out　of　the　union　of　elements　derived

from　Greek　philosophy　with　elements　derived　from　Israelitic

theology。　In　the　fourth　Gospel；　the　Logos；　raised　to　a　somewhat

higher　degree　of　personification　than　in　the　Alexandrian

theosophy；　is　identified　with　Jesus　of　Nazareth。　In　the

Epistles；　especially　the　later　of　those　attributed　to　Paul；　the

Israelitic　ideas　of　the　Messiah　and　of　sacrificial　atonement

coalesce　with　one　another　and　with　the　embodiment　of　the　Logos

in　Jesus；　until　the　apotheosis　of　the　Son　of　man　is　almost；　or

quite；　effected。　The　history　of　Christian　dogma；　from　Justin　to

Athanasius；　is　a　record　of　continual　progress　in　the　same

direction；　until　the　fair　body　of　religion；　revealed　in　almost

naked　purity　by　the　prophets；　is　once　more　hidden　under　a　new

accumulation　of　dogmas　and　of　ritual　practices　of　which　the

primitive　Nazarene　knew　nothing；　and　which　he　would　probably

have　regarded　as　blasphemous　if　he　could　have　been　made　to

understand　them。



As；　century　after　century；　the　ages　roll　on；　polytheism　comes

back　under　the　disguise　of　Mariolatry　and　the　adoration　of

saints；　image…worship　becomes　as　rampant　as　in　old　Egypt；

adoration　of　relics　takes　the　place　of　the　old　fetish…worship；

the　virtues　of　the　ephod　pale　before　those　of　holy　coats　and

handkerchiefs；　shrines　and　calvaries　make　up　for　the　loss　of　the

ark　and　of　the　high　places；　and　even　the　lustral　fluid　of

paganism　is　replaced　by　holy　water　at　the　porches　of　the

temples。　A　touching　ceremonythe　common　meal　originally　eaten

in　pious　memory　of　a　loved　teacherbecomes　metamorphosed　into　a

flesh…and…blood　sacrifice；　supposed　to　possess　exactly　that

redeeming　virtue　which　the　prophets　denied　to　the　flesh…and…

blood　sacrifices　of　their　day；　while　the　minute　observance　of

ritual　is　raised　to　a　degree　of　punctilious　refinement　which

Levitical　legislators　might　envy。　And　with　the　growth　of　this

theology；　grew　its　inevitable　concomitant；　the　belief　in　evil

spirits；　in　possession；　in　sorcery；　in　charms　and　omens；　until

the　Christians　of　the　twelfth　century　after　our　era　were　sunk　in

more　debased　and　brutal　superstitions　than　are　recorded　of　the

Israelites　in　the　twelfth　century　before　it。



The　greatest　men　of　the　Middle　Ages　are　unable　to　escape　the

infection。　Dante's　〃Inferno〃　would　be　revolting　if　it　were　not

so　often　sublime；　so　often　exquisitely　tender。　The　hideous

pictures　which　cover　a　vast　space　on　the　south　wall　of　the　Campo

Santo　of　Pisa　convey　information；　as　terrible　as　it　is

indisputable；　of　the　theological　conceptions　of　Dante's

countrymen