Knowledge of tJte Ancients. 29 



of a false philosophy, and were mere children in 

 their knowledge of nature compared to us. They 

 had neither the background of history, nor the 

 thousand means of physical research that we pos- 

 They might be our masters in poetry and 

 sculpture, and even in mental acumen and philoso- 

 phi< . and yet not be able to -Tap pie with this 



question of God in natu can, any more than 



le to unfold the wonders of the heavens 

 as we do, a: .ire with our telescopes that 



multiply the eye's power a thousand times, and 

 with our analysis that traces planets that even the 

 telescoj> aled Socrates, that great 



master of ancient times, seemed to consider the 

 movement of the stars as above the comprehension 

 of men, and all study of the heavens a useless w; 

 of time, an attempt to pry into what belonged to the 

 god to know. lUirdencd as they were by 



false philosophy, and beclouded by ignorance of 

 can only wonder at the judicious 



they made of the materials at hand, and rejoice 

 above all in the strength of the religious nature 

 which impelled them to accept the great truths of 

 religion, though sustained at that time only by so- 

 phistry or del- roof. 



If we ask what progress has been made in modern 

 times, even in the boldest attempts at establishing 

 an absolute religion without the aid of revelation, 

 we know not, the authors of such systems know 

 not, how much of their light was first borrowed, and 

 then reflected. Are the most brilliant and leading 



