Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

126 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMRome itself, for there was no institution at Rome likethe University of the Ptolemies which would collecttogether by honourable salaries and the attraction oferudite society, the learned of many races and religions.From this time forth it became the point at whichthe Western as well as the Greek and the Easternminds were brought into contact and collision. Thusthe Greek writings of an Alexandrian at the time ofPhilo would either directly or indirectly affect thewhole cultured society of the Roman Empire, of whichGreek was more the language than Latin. All thoseespecially who were interested in philosophy wouldbecome acquainted with any view or doctrine ofimportance set forth in any school of Alexandria.When Philo thus in his learned leisure looked outupon the world, he would find it ruled by Romanpower and Greek mind. As a practical man he couldnot but appreciate what was pre-eminently the Romanart, the art of government. As a thinker, he couldnot but be drawn towards the people who for fivehundred years had been engaged in solving with theinstrument of an almost matchless language, and inthe main by efforts of reason, the most importantproblems which concerned man whether singly or insociety. Thirdly, as a Jew he believed with all hisheart that his own nation was in possession of truthsyearned after but imperfectly reached by the thinkerswhom he most admired. Quite different in the circumstancesof his life from a Jew of Palestine, hewould be exposed to the full force of the Greek civilisationin the midst of which he was placed, and hewould be inclined to look with favour on that Romanpower which secured for his people a second countrywherein they throve and were honoured. And yet