Page:The religion of Plutarch, a pagan creed of apostolic times; an essay (IA religionofplutar00oakeiala).pdf/233

 plausibly argued, against those who have maintained this latter view, that the elaboration of the belief in Dæmons, and the multiplication of the functions of these lesser divine beings, are factors which tend to emphasize the unity and purity of the Supreme God; and that Plutarch's Monotheism is no more destroyed by the recognition of a Dæmonic Race than is the Catholic Trinity overthrown by the Church's acceptance

Trench, who admits, concerning such writers as our author, that "many were by them enabled to live their lives after a far higher and nobler fashion than else they would have attained" cannot rid himself of the notion that had Plutarch actively opposed Christianity he would have committed an offence which our generosity might have pardoned, though our justice must recognize that it needed pardon. "Plutarch himself may be entirely acquitted of any conscious attempt to fight against that truth which was higher than any which he had" (p. 13).—"I have already mentioned that, through no fault of his own, he stood removed from all the immediate influences of the Christian Church" (p. 89). But suppose the facts to have been just the opposite of those indicated in the words we have italicized, it would involve the loss of all sense of historical perspective to draw the conclusion which would clearly have been drawn by Trench himself. The use of similar language by Prof. Mahaffy has already been noted. (Pref. p. xii.) The position assumed by writers who maintain this view, is one quite inappropriate for historical discussion, and its natural expression, if it must be expressed at all, is through the medium of such poetical aspirations as that breathed in the epigram of John, the Metropolitan of Euchaita:—
 * [Footnote: to have been a believer in the Christian faith. Even Archbishop

"If any Pagans, Lord, Thy grace shall save From wrath divine, this boon I humbly crave, Plato and Plutarch save: Thine was the cause Their speech supported: Thine, too, were the laws Their hearts obeyed; and if their eyes were blind To recognize Thee Lord of human kind, Needs only that Thy gift of grace be shown To bring them, and bring all men, to the Throne." ]