The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THAT Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul was adopted by this New Platonic school as the corner-stone of its system, is plainly declared on all hands. It will be remembered, as we have shown, that "Plato refers to the head of the philosophy of nature his doctrine concerning the human soul." (Enfield's Hist. of Phil., p. 134.) This was the corner-stone of his system, wherein it differed from all other systems of philosophy. The following testimonies are from that eminent historian, Mosheim, and show that Plato's doctrine of the soul was received by the Alexandrian school:—

"They assumed therefore the name of Eclectics. But although these philosophers were really the partisans of no sect, it appears from a variety of testimonies that they much preferred Plato, and embraced most of his dogmas concerning God, the human soul, and the universe." (Eccl. Hist. vol. i, cent. ii. part ii. chap. i. p. 59.)

"The grounds of this system lay in the peculiar sentiments entertained by this sect of philosophers and by their friends, respecting the soul, demons, matter, and the universe. And when these sentiments were embraced by the Christian philosophers, the necessary consequences of them must also be adopted." (Ibid., p. 70.)

These testimonies are plain and decisive. The consequences to Christian doctrine and practice we shall soon see. The same author, in another critical history, says, "Those who originated this species of philosophy took their leading principles from the system of Plato; considering almost everything which he advanced respecting the Deity, the soul, the world, and the demons as indisputable axioms." (Hist. of Christ. in the First Three Cent., vol. i. p. 38.)

"Every one who laid claim to the character of a wise man, was strictly enjoined by him [Ammonius Saccas] to assert the liberty of his divine and immortal part, by extricating it, as it were, from all connection with the body. . . . In fine, to shrink from no exertion that might tend to free the immortal spirit from all corporeal influence." (Ibid., pp. 357, 358.)

Again: "And that he might the more really procure for this part of his system an acceptance with the world, he endeavored, as far as possible, by means of strained interpretations, or rather perversions, to enlist on his side the tenets of the Christians respecting the Deity, the human soul, the world," etc. (Ibid., p. 362.) "The restoration or resurrection of the dead was so interpreted as to accommodate it to the tenets of the Grecian sages." (Ibid., p. 375, note.)

Another eminent author says of this school: "The philosophy of Plato, already united with that of Pythagoras, was made the basis of this new system. . . . Not satisfied with arriving at a formal and essential intuition of divine natures, they aspired after a sort of deification of the human mind." (Enfield's Hist. of Phil., p. 343.) Here our orthodox brethren may see the origin of their present doctrine that the soul is a part of God.

Ammonius probably died about A. D. 243. "The school of Ammonius was continued, and the Eclectic system completed, by the most celebrated of his disciples, Plotinus, the chief of the Alexandrian Platonists, from whom the school afterward took its name." (Hist. of Phil., p. 328.) He was born A. D. 204. On account of his great abilities, the school became very famous, and was successful in the accomplishment of its object, as we shall see. Plotinus implicitly received Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul. The following, from Enfield, will illustrate this: "It was another proof of the fanatical spirit of Plotinus that, though well skilled in the medical art, he had such a contempt for the body that he could never be prevailed upon to make use of any means to cure, . . . or alleviate his pain. He had learned from Pythagoras and Plato that the soul is sent into the body for the punishment of its former sins, and must, in this prison, pass through a severe servitude before it can be sufficiently purified to return to the divine fountain from which it flowed. . . . When he found his end approaching, he said to Eustochius, The divine principle within me is now hastening to unite itself with that divine Being which animates the universe; herein expressing a leading principle of his philosophy, that the human soul is an emanation from the divine nature, and will return to the source whence it proceeded." (Ibid., p. 330.) This shows what a prominent place Plato's doctrine of the human soul held in this system.

Plotinus died A. D. 270. "The succession of the Platonic or Eclectic school in Alexandria terminated in Damascius, a native of Syria." (Ibid., p. 340.)

It would seem that very little penetration is needed to discern in this the original of the modern theological doctrine of the immortality of the soul, going to Heaven at death, etc. With this school, the resurrection of the body was either of little importance or denied entirely. This would naturally follow from their view of the impurity of matter. These facts I think sufficient to give a clear idea of the doctrines of this celebrated school concerning man, both soul and body.

GREAT POPULARITY OF THE ECLECTIC SCHOOL.

We will briefly notice how popular and extensive this school became. All agree that it acquired a wonderful degree of eminence, and soon extended itself over most of the Roman empire and eclipsed the glory of all other sects. To this effect writes Mosheim: "While the emperors and magistrates were striving to subvert the Christian commonwealth by means of laws and punishments, it was assailed with craft and subtilty, during this whole century, by the philosophers of the Anamonian school, who assumed the name of Platonists, extended their disciples over nearly all the Roman empire, and gradually obscured the glory of all other sects." Again: "The school of Ammonius, the origin and dogmas of which have been already stated, gradually cast all others into the background. From Egypt it spread in a short time over nearly the whole Roman empire, and drew after it almost all persons inclined to attend to metaphysical studies. This prosperity of the sect was owing especially to Plotinus, the most distinguished disciple of Ammonius, a man of intellectual acumen, and formed by nature for abstruse investigation; for he taught first in Persia, and afterward at Rome and in Campania, to vast concourses of youth; and embodied his precepts in various books." (Eccl. Hist., vol. i. p. 161; Com., vol. ii. p. 103.) Says Enfield: "The pernicious influence of the Eclectic system, both upon opinions and manners, through many succeeding ages, will be seen in the sequel." (Hist. of Phil., p. 349.)

Says Mosheim: "It is almost incredible what a number of pupils, in a short time, issued from the school of this man [Ammonius]. But among them no one is more celebrated than Porphyry, a Syrian, who spread over Sicily and many other countries the system of his master, enlarged with new discoveries and sedulously polished. At Alexandria, almost no other philosophy was publicly taught from the time of Ammonius down to the sixth century." (Eccl. Hist., vol. i. cent. iii. chap. i. pp. 161, 162.)

The first step which was taken toward apostasy was attending the school and cultivating a taste for its philosophy. An eminent historian says: "Of these [changes] the most considerable and important are to be attributed to a taste for the cultivation of philosophy and human learning, which, during the preceding [first] century, if not altogether treated with neglect and contempt by the Christians, had at least been wisely kept under, and by no means permitted to blend itself with religion; but in the age of which we are now treating [the second century], burst forth on a sudden into a flame, and spread itself with the utmost rapidity throughout a considerable part of the church. This may be accounted for, in some measure, from its having been the practice of the many Greek philosophers, who, in the course of this century, were induced to embrace Christianity, not only to retain their pristine denomination, garb, and mode of living, but also to persist in recommending the study of philosophy, and initiating youth therein. In proof of this, we may, from amidst numerous other examples, adduce in particular that of Justin, the celebrated philosopher and martyr. The immediate nursery, and very cradle, as it were, of Christian philosophy, must, however, be placed in the celebrated seminary which long flourished at Alexandria under the denomination of the Catechetical School. For the persons who presided therein in the course of the age of which we are treating, namely, Pantseus, Athenagoras, and Clement of Alexandria, not only engaged with ardor in the cultivation of philosophy themselves, but also exerted their influence in persuading those whom they were educating for the office of teachers in the church to follow their example in this respect, and make it their practice to associate philosophical principles with those of religion." (Mosheim's Hist. of First Three Cent., vol. i. cent. ii. sec. 25, p. 339.)