The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29

bShnpiNtiun vi Al tuhb u hTOunu us, ne ultl
mately arrives at the conviction Of the unit
OF God. This sketch we pass over, and con
fire ourselves to what is said OF the thcoiop,
OF Philo. which occupies the other extrem,
In the chain Of Jewish mysticism. II Influenced
the theological thinking Of the Church and
the speculations Of the Academy. The develop,
ment OF the Greek philosophy having ended In
eclecticism, or skepticism, II was now read
to he modified by the admission OF Oriental
ideas. In Alexandria no Oriental influence
was more powerful than that EXCITED by the
presence OF n large body OF thinkers belonging
tn the Jewish faith, chief among whom was
Philo. To gain universal acknowledgment for
his creed, and to elevate its mysteries to the
highest pinnacle, by showing that what OF
truth there was In Platonlsm WAS derived
from Judaism. such was rhilo's object.
AS to his general views Of Scripture, II may
suffice to point out that he chung with tenacity
to the letter In the version OF the Seventy, while
at tho same time pursuing an allegorical mode
OF Interpretation by which not only individual
passages were made to convey a profound and
mystical meaning. but Scripture as q whole be-
came one connected n~llegory. The ductrinal
Views of Philo may be characterized as a mix
ture OF Platouism and Jewish mysticism. In
point OF practice no advises conformity to the
Jewish ritual obscrvances. although mainly. II
"OulN Ntcll, WI lit ETtuHu VI HNOlllnR bCnIlunl.
Moral perfection Is sought in asceticism.
Tho theology OF Philo continually dwells on
the nntithcsis between God and the world. the
infinite and tho finite. and emphasizes the nbso.
lutte transcendnncy of God. Philo affirms that
the divine nature Is, in itself, without quality
and indefnable. All his definitions on this sub
ject are only negative, showing that neither
thought nor language can approach Him. Philo
maintains that all the passages in Scripture
which attribute affection. &c. to God are
only examples Of anthropomorphism, and
must be explained allegorically. But, al
though God can never be known by
mortals. yet. as He Is in all and provndes
all, His rational creatures may, by virtue
of the divine power IN them, rise to Him in
ecstatic moments, when the letters of matter
are, for a time, cast aside. In his
cosmology. Philo approaches to Plato
somewhat closely. This world is to him
the gate to the invisible. the first step to the
heavenly land. The order and adaptation of
the world point to a heavenly architect, while
tho fact that everything that exists Is depend
ent ION higher powers and subject to change,
sufficiently indicates its created origin. As re-
CARDS Philo's anthropology, attention is d.
rected to the distinction which he draws in the
immaterial part OF man between sensibility and
reason. The former of these, he says. was con-
utCLtu WIFI Tue DOuy anu Will Ole with III. Inc
reasoning part in man was not produced. as all
other creatures in the world were produced.
by the divine potencies. but is. like the
other high intelligences, OF whom 1t is
one, q direct emanation of the deity. and the
very image of the logos. or divine mind. In fact.
man stands on the dividing line between mortal
and immortal beings, so that he Is the micro
cosm, the corresponding macrocosm Of which is
the universe. Philo held that not only our
planet, but the whole universe is peopled. The
air, he thought. Is especially tho dwelling place
OF a higher class of beings, some Of whom had
descended on earth. and. by uniting with the
material elements there, originated the human
race. Evil angels are only the disem bodied
souls OF evil men. The body. as the seat and
cause of moral evil, is the prison of the soul.
and virtue consists IN victory over the material.
Love of pleasure is the source of all sin. and TO
its removal the energies of man must be directed.
vi.
In his ethical dis1uisitions Philo develops his
peculiar method of Scripture interpretations.
BY him the history of the Old Testament, as a
whole, was transformed into an ~allegory. Adam
Is pure reason. unconnected with sense. but
which. in order either to act or to be happy in
this world. had to assume a body. 1t was
not good for Adam to be alone. and God gave
him (pure reason a companion. namely, sensi-
bility. But they were both naked; that lie. not
properly connected. An end was put to this
state Of matters by the serpent. or pleasure.
The union thus brought about constitutes the
fall of pure reason. which, however. i'm
plies not sin. but imperfection and liza
bility to moral evil. The child. for instance,
though fallen. is not corrupt during the first
seven years Of Its life. 1t is only when reason is
steadily rejected and tho soul seeks after and
loves the sensual. that the dominion of sin Is
established. The beasts brought before Adam.
and over which he was to reign, are the pas
sions. From the connection between Adam and
reason and Sensibility) sprang, as first
child. pride and presumption, or Cain. For,
after tho union Of mind with the senses. the
mind at first considered everything as its own.
and. from this arrogance, or Cain, spring all
human ills. The names of the progeny of Cain
are eIpounded as allegorically expressing the
various ills OF the soul. On the contrary,
Abel was natural and unframed Piety,
The younger son, because It succeeds the tenn
pest of first born, youthful passion. Cain and
Abel enter into a contest in which Abel sue
cumbs, because his piety is uncultivated and his
mind unframed. The nsceticism advocated by
Philo consisted in abstinence from worldly or
pleasure, and In patient endurance OF
Ill suffering. Such asceticism did not imply
abstinence from the necessaries of life or the
'elf-intiction of pain for the modification of
he flesh. Its full practice In entire renuncia-
ion OF the world and retirement to the wilder
is only recommended to those of mature
and at the close of a practical life In which
he principles of asceticism have been studied
md partially exemplified.
Mysticism was represented In Egypt by the
of the Therapeutic, in Palestine by that of
he Essences. According to Philo. the diff
'rence between them was that the Thera-
,eutB led a contemplative. Tho Essences
n active life. Egypt. the homo of Chris
ian asceticism. produced also a sect OF
monks. Tho Therapeutic were men
nd women who for ascetic purposes left their
riends and dwellings,, and having disencum-
,ered themselves of every worldly care by CIV
ng their substance to their relatives, retired to |
lesert places. where they lived In community,
ach individual inhabiting a solitary dwelling,
ct all, for the purpose OF mutual protection,
within easy reach Of one another. The neighbor-
IoOd OF Alexandria, not far from Lake Mareotis,
as the chief resort OF these recluses. Their
Nynrn Of tln nnGf aipnEIa do.o.i,.iz, |