The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-01-14
SOCRATES.
Rev. Mr.. Blanchard's Lecture lass Eve
ming.

INC one on 'Ihe Religion OF Greece"
MI Blanchard began by reeapitulating the
points OF that lecture, dwelling especially upon
the TACT that the religion OF Greece was with
out the feeling of awe. He then described
Athena In the year 40 B. O., made magnif-
cent under the administration of Pericles The
glory of architecture and Sculpture-the activ-
ity OF mind of theAthenians, resulting from the
war with Persia and the victories of Marathon
and Salamis, were all fully set forth. and the
picture drawn OF Socrates among the gay
young men of Athens.
The outlines Of the life of Socrates were then
given Born in 469 B. c., and dying in 399
B. @, -~she son of humble parents-vigorous in
body-given to protracted meditation--the
nearer of an inward voics-the withstander of
the frenzy of the people angry with generals
who had failed to bury the dead-the seeker o.
truth-the lover of men-the preacher of
righteousness,-Socr deserves the eulogy of
his disciples who ssid: "Of all men whom We
have known, he was the best, the wisest and
the most just" What then was the work of
Socrates? The bringing men to the knowledge
and the doing OF the right To understand the
greatness of his mission we must clearly see
the conditions OF his time. The preceding lee.
tnre showed the feet that the poems of Homer
were practically the scriptures of the Greeks.
AtheDians neither revered nor feared their DEF
ties. They had no sense OF Sin. They had no
inspiring hope of blessed immortality. The
era of being was enjoyment, not noble life or
course human nature could not be satisfied
with such a religion. The great dramatsts
taught the awful conse quences of evil-doing.
The philosophers, antecedent to Socrates,
Bought to lead mems minds to the study of the
mystery of Na'ure. But Socrates saw clearly
the failure of their efforts, and the uselsssnesF,
for right conduct, of their teachings First of
all, then, his work was to turn men away from
Improbable specuations. Thales and
Anaxagoras might say what was the basis of
the outward world, bat they did not make
clear present duty, nor give inspiration to its
performance. Like Confucius, therefore So
crates wished to turn mems thoughts upon
daily duties-to make them moral. Opposed
to the philosophers, he was no less opposed to
the Sophists. To understand these men We
must study the feelings of the new democracy
in Athens which rose after Marathon and Sa.
lamis. The CONFORMATION ana the climate of
Greeca and the sea had made q splendid by de-
veloped race OF men in body and in mind. Liv-
ing amid Nature which did not terrify-ln
Climate which helped ply steal perfecton-by
a sea that frightened men q wits by its oppor-
tunity OF inter communication anG adven-
ture, the Greeks, even before the war
with Persia, were intellectually developed.
But the strenuous forts of that war-the ex-
atation OF feeling and Of thought produced by
the magnificent victories OF Marathon and
Salamis, gave an activity to Athsnian thought
which made the people rise mp in power.
Democracy, therefore, in Athens clamored
for leaders and knowledge. To this demand
the response was given by the Sophists.
Among these, doubtless, there were Doble men,
Grote has high opinion of the class. But tits
probable that the majority we're mere "time
servers, as we should say todsy-men who,
NOV xpar d. go 1..,l.n
BILE to the "dead people,. We may Justly call
them demagogues. Socrates opposed them
strenuously. He found that their teachings
had greatly unsettled the minds of the young
men OF Athens. They had lost faith in old be-
lieis. Every great principle of social order aud
human right was now, at lsast, debated, and
Outlines denied. Unprinciplsd lihertinism was
making great progress. In the midst of facts
so awful, Socrates lifted up his voice. He was
the apostle OF righteousness He represented
God. He was moved, IS by divine impulse,
to cry out to men, "Know thyself, Know the
truth, Obey the Right"
The lecturer here gave illustrations of &C.
crates method in talking with men. Profess
log TO Know but little himself, and eagerly
anxious to have any one, who could, show him
thu truth, he would lead on his hearers by
skilful questionings to contradict themselves
to expose their own ignorance-to turn to So
crates in humility or turn away from him in
wrath. Underneath all these conversations
the students see that Socrates held fast to tive
great beliefs-frst, that man is q social and
sympathetic beingii secondly, that man is a
reasoning animal.
His purpose, then, in all his croes-
that all Isolation AID extreme individual
Ism we're contrary to nature.
Men indeed were selfsh-wished to
take advantage of their fsllows-were prone to
excl else power nnjustlj But in doing this,
they were unnatural. Sympathy was as much
part of mans nature as self love. The ball
ance between the two was to be LIES aim.
Whoever hated any one-whoever harmed by
word or deed-was acting contrary to nature.
Conceive of the power OF such message to
pleasure loving Creek
Moreover man was gifted with reason by
which he might learn the truth OF things. To
know himself was to he every man strenuous
endeaycr. And this knowledge must COM
prehend knowledge of ones capac. + es-of reli-
lions to Sothers and to outward world-of
adaptation OF powers to places men were call
ed to fill. The injunction of know thyself"
tnereIore, was spur to mental effort-to
knowledge of the inward man and the out
ward forces of the uuiverHe-to study of labor
and preparation fer it,
Conceive OF the power of this message to
pleasure loving Greeks, without sense of sin,
without study OF the soul, without aspiration
for holinessl Socrates was indeed an apostle
to rouse men. He was the apostle of righte-
BUSINESS.
In carrying out his magnificent mission, LIE
rendered to the intellectual world Of all tine
Unreasonable service. He taught men TO de-
hne general terms; he was the founder of in
dactive reasoning.
What do you mean By Truth, by Love.
by Friendship, by Justice? he would say.
Dshne your ords." "Know what YOU
really mean" Get your facts together; then
make your inference" How then was loved
oil men. loved of clear thinking, a loved of
Righteousness dong his splendid work in mag.
nificent Athens. In influence on the world,
he stands second oply.to Christ
Mr. Blanchard described the causes of the
charges brought against him-the trial, the
heroic attitude of Socrates, and finally his
death from drinking the hemleck.
They think wisely who think that in
Socrates we see one of Gods greatest sons.
They do wisely who give him homage. Still
he ia less than Christ The Christian may
gladly acknowledge immense indebtedness to
Socrates. The Christian may earnestly ap-
pland his influence upon men.
How then is the Atheuian inferior to the
Nszarene? Socrates came, as he said,
as Master to win men. Socrates depended
upon knowledge Christ depended on love.
Socrates had loving disciples who never organ
ized Christ founded a society-the Church
Universally hich eudures through all time
to redeem the world by the image and the
teachings of the Master. Honor to Socrates
love, reverence, alteration, obedience to tie
Christi
MIR. Blanchard dwelt st length upon these
points He showed how love for leader ia
mlghtier in reformation of character than
mere know ledge of ones own SINS He spoke
earnestly OF the grandeur OF Christ's charac-
ter, more clearly seen to-day, as old dogmas
disappear; seen clearly also by men who revere
Socrates. He showed the need OF an orgsniza-
ton, and claimed that the church can accom-
plish all that the philosophic echool can
achieve, and that to this are added the wor-
ship, the fellowship, the noble ideal, the warn
ing, the faith in immortality which only the
Church Universal gives.
The lecture closed with contrast of
ocrates' death in priton and Christ's death
pom the cross.
The next lecture on "The Religion OF
Rome" will be give on Tuesday, Jan. 27.