hich,
among the more enlightened, took the place of religion--were the
Grecian, adopted also by the Romans, and the oriental, with
numerous followers in Persia, Syria, Chaldaea, Egypt, and likewise
among the Jews. But the philosophers were divided into antagonistic
sects. Out of such conditions no practical religion could develop.
In the doctrines of Buddhism were to be found the spirit and
purpose of a devout and humanely religious people, but the
intricate mythology and racial and other limitations of Buddhism
forbade that, although it conquered the half of Asia, it should
ever become a universal faith.

The condition of the Jews at this period was little better than
that of other peoples. Among the Jews there was a lack of
intellectual unity, and their moral ideals had been lowered.
Oppressed by Herod, the tributary Roman King--who, although
professedly a Jew, copied the open despisers of all religion--they
yielded to the influences of Roman luxury and licentiousness which
spread over Palestine. Although still conducted by the priests and
Levites and under the eye of the Sanhedrim or senate, the Jewish
religion had lost much of its earlier character. Like philosophy,
it was vexed with contending sects. Strict observance of the Mosaic
law and the performance of prescriptive rites and duties were in
the main regarded as the sum of religion.

The race of prophets appeared extinct until prophecy was revived in
John the Baptist. The successors of the Maccabaean patriots were not
animated by their spirit. There was widespread and passionate
expectation of a national messiah, but not such a messiah as John
proclaimed and Jesus proved to be; rather a powerful warrior and
vindicator of Jewish liberty. Galilee, the early home of Jesus, was
especially stirred with messianic fervor. In such a condition of
the national mind, and at such a stage of the world's empire, it
seems natural in the course of spiritual evolution that such a
teacher as Jesus--a spiritual messiah--should arise to be the
deliverer not of one people only, but of the world itself. Among
the Jewish doctors when Jesus was a child was at least one wise and
liberal rabbi, Hillel, a Pharisee, the great reformer of his time,
and "the most eminent Jew of the generation before the birth of