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they were in each case successful. Grote describes the entrance 
of Pythagoras into Crotona, in Sicily, thus : — 
“ His preaching and his conduct produced an effect almost electric upon 
the minds of the people, with an extensive reform public as well as private. 
Political discontent was repressed, incontinence disappeared, luxury became 
discredited, and the women hastened to change their golden ornaments for 
the simplest attire. No less than two thousand persons were converted at 
his first preaching. Nor was his influence confined to Crotona ; other towns 
in Italy and Sicily — Svbaris, Metapontum, Rliegium, Catana, Himera, &c. 
— all felt the benefit of his exhortations, which extricated some of them 
even from slavery.” * 
Yet wider and more permanent reformation was effected by 
the Buddha and Confucius, as shown by Mr. Muller, and as 
proved by the extent and power of their influence to the 
present day. The fidelity of the three Hebrews caused a 
decree to be published to the princes, the governors, and the 
captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the 
sheriffs, and all the rulers of the Babylonian empire, — who 
had been assembled to inaugurate a new hero-god, — which 
acknowledged that the idol was nothing, and that there was 
no God who could save like Jehovah. But the devotion and 
the deliverance of Daniel caused a decree to go through the 
hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the Median empire in 
which Darius said : — 
u I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble 
and fear before the God of Daniel : for He is the living God, and stedfast 
for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His do- 
minion shall be unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh 
signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, Who hath delivered Daniel from 
the power of the lions.” f 
Thirdly, we have this special interposition at a time when 
the knowledge of God had greatly declined, when religion had 
become greatly debased, and when new elements of degrada- 
tion were being introduced. This is seen to be the case in 
Babylon and Persia, and abundantly testified by Mr. Muller 
as to India ; of China we know not so much, but, so far as we 
do know, it was an equally opportune deliverance. And the 
condition of many Grecian cities is seen in that they had not 
the perception of their fall or the power to profit from their 
visitation. We confess we are unable to explain this wonder- 
ful page of human history on any theory of chance, but we 
find no difficulty on the admission that the Creator is able to 
reveal Himself to man, and that, as the Upholder and Buler 
He has done so. And the condition of the world then sinking 
# History of Greece, vol. iv. p. 546. 
f Dan. vi, 26, 27. 
