the fiery words of a Tertullian and an
Augustine, ran into a materialism, which, opposed to the opposite extreme
of idealism, saved to the Church its healthy realism.

The elaborate work of Bunsen on "Egypt's Place in Universal History" does
not aid us much in finding the place of Egyptian religion in universal
religion. It was strictly an ethnic religion, never dreaming of extending
itself beyond the borders of the Nile, until long after the conquest of
Egypt by the Romans. Then, indeed, Egyptian temples were welcomed by the
large hospitality of Rome, and any traveller may see the ruins of the
temple of Serapis[203] at Pozzuoli, and that of Isis at Pompeii. The gods
of Greece, as we have seen, took some hints from Egypt, but the Greek
Olympus, with its bright forms, was very different from the mysterious
sombre worship of Egypt.

The worship of variety, the recognition of the Divine in nature, the
sentiment of wonder before the mystery of the world, the feeling that the
Deity is in all life, in all form, in all change as well as in what is
permanent and stable,--this is the best element and the most original part
of the Egyptian religion. So much we can learn from it positively; and
negatively, by its entire dissolution, its passing away forever, leaving
no knowledge of itself behind, we can learn how empty is any system of
faith which is based on concealment and mystery. All the vast range of
Egyptian wisdom has gone, and disappeared from the surface of the earth,
for it was only a religion of the priests, who kept the truth to
themselves and did not venture to communicate it to the people. It was
only priestcraft, and priestcraft, like all other craft, carries in itself
the principle of death. Only truth is immortal,--open, frank, manly truth.
Confucius was true; he did not know much, but he told all he knew. Buddha
told all he knew. Moses told all he heard. So they and their works
continue, being built on faith in men. But the vast fabric of Egyptian
wisdom,--its deep theologies, its mysterious symbolism, its majestic art,
its wonderful science,--remain only as its mummies remain and as its tombs
remain, an enigma exciting and baffling our curiosity, but not adding to
our real life.

Chapter VII.

The Gods of Greece.

Sec. 1. The Land and the Race.
Sec. 2. Idea and General Character of Greek Religion.
Sec. 3. The Gods of Greece before Homer.
Sec. 4. The Gods of the Poets.
Sec. 5. The Gods