Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

344 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMtion uf the public worship gave the lie to their inwardteaching. This indicates the temper of the second andthird centuries as to the relation between philosophyand religion. It is, in the minds of the culturedclass, the juxtaposition of an esoteric belief, likethat of Epictetus, or Plutarch, or Plotinus, with anoutward and likewise real honouring of the gods, atleast as to the visible ceremonies of worship, butwith no harmony between the two; nay, with anutter contradiction.Never before had philosophy been so honourableand so lucrative a profession. We have hithertospoken of those who practised it seriously, but ofcourse there was a multitude of pretenders, philosophersof the beard, cloak, and stick only, who aredescribed by their rivals and enemies, the Rhetors,as the pests of society. The Cynics especially, underwhose name Epictetus has given a portrait of his idealteacher, bore a bad character. They were creditedwith every vice contrary to their assumed profession.Lucian has given us a vivid picture of the trickery,vanity, grasping avarice, and immorality of the pre-tenders to philosophy. And he is surpassed byAristides, who says their grasping is insatiable ; totake from others their property they call communityof goods; their envy is termed philosophy, their persistencein begging contempt of money. Insolent toall other men, they crouch before the rich, and evenbefore the cooks and bakers of th rich. Theirstrength lies in shameless cupidity, insulting, andslandering. iHowever, without dwelling on the abuse, we mayreflect on the work which the best of the class wereQuoted by Dollinger, Ueidenthuw, p. 605.