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PROFESSOR SIR W. M. RAMSAY, D.C.L., ON 



Greek and early Eoman time, gradually modifying itself, but 

 only really changing its character in the beginning of the 

 Christian period. 



Now take the position of the Christians in this city in 

 the fourth century after Christ ; there were the heirs to 

 slaves, the agriculturists, etc., and all the benefits which 

 liad been gained for them through the influence of the old 

 i-eligion and ' the ancient religious belief had been formed 

 into part of the nature of the people. I do not think that 

 it would be right that the Christian religion should eradicate 

 the old idea absolutely. The paganisation of Christianity is 

 the adaptation of old ideas, many of which are in themselves 

 right and good, and no person who has taken part in the 

 German celebration of Christmas, and observed the old pagan 

 ceremony of the Christmas tree, can imagine that I speak of 

 a process which is in itself entirely wrong. There was such a 

 process going on in Lycaonia ; the deity or goddess who had 

 taught all the arts on which life depended to mankind had 

 become an inalienable part in the national mind, temper, and 

 character. Through the influence of the old idea of the mother 

 goddess there was that in the mind of the Anatolians which we 

 have to take into account, the idea of the divine nature of the 

 mother, nurse, protector, guide and teacher. 



In the fourth and following centuries you And a series of 

 facts. In the first place there are the church buildings. Now, 

 exactly in accordance with the old condition, the church 

 building is the centre of religious life. In the church at Tyre, 

 which was built to take the place of one destroyed in the 

 persecution of Diocletian, this is plainly seen. We must 

 understand that in the Eastern Church generally, the church is 

 the centre of municipal life, and that this condition has its- 

 origin in times long before the Christian era. There are hints 

 sufficient just to show the beauty of the churches, and what 

 was the reason why there existed within the walls such charm- 

 ing surroundings. One might pursue to a considerable length 

 this topic of the Christian Church being the centre of this 

 Byzantine life. I want to hurry on to the next. I must 

 simply assume now that the Church and ecclesiastical buildings 

 are the centre of the town life, the sum of the town, and the 

 social life of the community as a whole. 



Next we want to know what was the development of this 

 country town in the terrilfle strife of the long wars against the 

 barbarians of Asia, and especially against the Mahometan. It 

 is not that I regard Mahometanism as necessarily a barbarian 



