alexandria and her schools(亚历山大和她的学校)-第24章
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back on theurgy and magic； and utterly swallowed up the more rational；
though more hopeless； school of Porphyry。 Not that Porphyry； too； with
all his dislike of magic and the vulgar superstitionsa dislike intimately
connected with his loudly expressed dislike of the common herd； and
therefore of Christianity； as a religion for the common herd did not
believe a fact or two； which looks to us； nowadays； somewhat
unphilosophical。 From him we learn that one Ammonius； trying to crush
Plotinus by magic arts； had his weapons so completely turned against
himself； that all his limbs were contracted。 From him we learn that
Plotinus； having summoned in the temple of Isis his familiar spirit； a god；
and not a mere daemon； appeared。 He writes sensibly enough however to
one Anebos； an Egyptian priest； stating his doubts as to the popular
notions of the Gods； as beings subject to human passions and vices； and of
theurgy and magic； as material means of compelling them to appear； or
alluring them to favour man。 The answer of Abamnon； Anebos；
Iamblichus； or whoever the real author may have been； is worthy of
perusal by every metaphysical student； as a curious phase of thought； not
confined to that time； but rife； under some shape or other； in every age of
the world's history； and in this as much as in any。 There are many
passages full of eloquence； many more full of true and noble thought：
but on the whole； it is the sewing of new cloth into an old garment； the
attempt to suit the old superstition to the new one； by eclectically picking
and choosing； and special pleading； on both sides； but the rent is only
made worse。 There is no base superstition which Abamnon does not
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unconsciously justify。 And yet he is rapidly losing sight of the real
eternal human germs of truth round which those superstitions clustered；
and is really further from truth and reason than old Homer or Hesiod；
because further from the simple； universal； everyday facts； and relations；
and duties of man； which are； after all； among the most mysterious； and
also among the most sacred objects which man can contemplate。
It was not wonderful； however； that Neoplatonism took the course it
did。 Spirit； they felt rightly； was meant to rule matter； it was to be freed
from matter only for that very purpose。 No one could well deny that。 The
philosopher； as he rose and became； according to Plotinus； a god； or at
least approached toward the gods； must partake of some mysterious and
transcendental power。 No one could well deny that conclusion； granting
the premiss。 But of what power？ What had he to show as the result of
his intimate communion with an unseen Being？ The Christian Schools；
who held that the spiritual is the moral； answered accordingly。 He must
show righteousness； and love； and peace in a Holy Spirit。 That is the
likeness of God。 In proportion as a man has them； he is partaker of a
Divine nature。 He can rise no higher； and he needs no more。 Platonists
had saidNo； that is only virtue； and virtue is the means； not the end。 We
want proof of having something above that； something more than any man
of the herd； any Christian slave； can perform； something above nature；
portents and wonders。 So they set to work to perform wonders； and
succeeded； I suppose； more or less。 For now one enters into a whole
fairyland of those very phenomena which are puzzling us so nowadays
ecstasy； clairvoyance； insensibility to pain； cures produced by the effect of
what we now call mesmerism。 They are all there； these modern puzzles；
in those old books of the long bygone seekers for wisdom。 It makes us
love them； while it saddens us to see that their difficulties were the same
as ours； and that there is nothing new under the sun。 Of course； a great
deal of it all was 〃imagination。〃 But the question then； as now is； what is
this wonder…working imagination？unless the word be used as a mere
euphemism for lying； which really； in many cases； is hardly fair。 We
cannot wonder at the old Neoplatonists for attributing these strange
phenomena to spiritual influence； when we see some who ought to know
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better doing the same thing now； and others； who more wisely believe
them to be strictly physical and nervous； so utterly unable to give reasons
for them； that they feel it expedient to ignore them for awhile； till they
know more about those physical phenomena which can be put under some
sort of classification； and attributed to some sort of inductive law。
But again。 These ecstasies； cures； and so forth； brought them rapidly
back to the old priestcrafts。 The Egyptian priests； the Babylonian and
Jewish sorcerers； had practised all this as a trade for ages； and reduced it to
an art。 It was by sleeping in the temples of the deities； after due
mesmeric manipulations； that cures were even then effected。 Surely the
old priests were the people to whom to go for information。 The old
philosophers of Greece were venerable。 How much more those of the
East； in comparison with whom the Greeks were children？ Besides； if
these daemons and deities were so near them； might it not be possible to
behold them？ They seemed to have given up caring much for the world
and its course …
Effugerant adytis templisque relictis Di quibus imperium steterat。
The old priests used to make them appearperhaps they might do it
again。 And if spirit could act directly and preternaturally on matter； in
spite of the laws of matter； perhaps matter might act on spirit。 After all；
were matter and spirit so absolutely different？ Was not spirit some sort
of pervading essence； some subtle ethereal fluid； differing from matter
principally in being less gross and dense？ This was the point to which
they went down rapidly enough； the point to which all philosophies； I
firmly believe； will descend； which do not keep in sight that the spiritual
means the moral。 In trying to make it mean exclusively the intellectual；
they will degrade it to mean the merely logical and abstract； and when that
is found to be a barren and lifeless phantom； a mere projection of the
human brain； attributing reality to mere conceptions and names； and
confusing the subject with the object； as logicians say truly the
Neoplatonists did； then in despair； the school will try to make the spiritual
something real； or； at least； something conceivable； by reinvesting it with
the properties of matter； and talking of it as if it we
