is observed, and extends to persons converted not alone from heathenism, but from any sect of Christians sepa- rated from the commimion of Rome. The time, how- ever, is left to be determined by circumstances. The Uoman Catholic missionaries still give the name of ne- ophytes to the Jews, Mussulmans, or pagans who are converted to Ciiristianity, and the Church grants them numerous privileges in order to induce; others to follow their example (see Ferrari, Bibliolh. ranonica, s. v. Neo- phytus. No. 3). Gregory XIII established at Rome a special college for young neophytes, where they are instructed to become afterwards missionaries in their native countries ; it is called the College of the Propa- ganda, and is one of the most richly endowed and priv
tonists, i. e. the conciliation of philosophy and religion ; but the pagan school, especially during its later history, was characterized by an intense hostility to Ciiristian- ity, as well as bj' theosophical views and theurgic prac- tices. The influence of this form of philosophy did not disappear entirely with the suppression of its schools by Theodosius in the Gth century, but traces of it may be seen even in the scholasticism of the Middle Ages (not- ably in the writings of Erigena, who flourished in the 9th century) ; and after the revival of literature, in what are styled the modern times, the impress of this type of Platonism appears with more or less distinctness in the philosophical systems of Pletho, Ficinus, Paracelsus, and others of the 15th and IGth centuries, as well as,
ileged seminaries of the Roman Church. The name I subsequently, in those of Gale and Cudworth, and in
neophyte is also applied in Roman usage to newly- ordained priests, and sometimes, though more rarely, to tlie novices of a religious order. See Bergier, Diet, de Tlieolor/ie, s. v.; Martigny, Diet, des Antiqiiites, p. 433- 435: Si("^Q],C'liri'tllic/ie Altertkiimer, iii, 17 sq. ; Riddle, Christian Antiquities, p. 313, 522; Walcott, Sacred Ar- chisolorjy,fi.y. (J. II.W.)
Neophytus. A short but curious tract, published by Cotelerius in his Kcclesice Grcecce Monumeuta, ii, 457- 4G2, l)cars this title: 'Sio(pvTnv Trpsa/ivrkpov liovaxov Kai iyKXurrroi' irtpi tmv Kara ■xwpav KvTrpoi' mcuim', Neopliijti Presbi/tcri Monachi et Inclusi, de Calamitati- biis Ci/pri. It gives a brief accoimt of the usurpation of tlie island by Isaac Comnenus, its conquest, and the imprisonment of Isaac i)y Richard Cceur de Lion, king of England, and the sale of the island to the Latins (as the writer represents the transaction) by Richard. The writer was contemporary with these transactions, and therefore live<l about the close of the 12th century. He was a resident and jirobably a native of Cyprus. There are several jMSS. in the different European lil>raries bearing the name of Neophytus. Of these a ^IS. for- merly in the Colbertine Library at Paris contained thirty Oralhmes, evidently by this Neophytus ; a Catena in (,'antiriiin, and some others on theological sulijects, are of more dubious authorship, but they may be by the same author; a Demonstratio de J'laiilis. and one or two chemical treatises, are by another Neophytus, sur- named Prodromcnus; and Dejiniliones et Diri.tiones Snmmriri(F totiiis Aristotclis I'lri/o.i<ip/ii(P, ami Jyiilome in Porphurii quinque voces et in Aristotelis Organon, are
the speculations of Schelling and his school in regard to the identity of subject and object. In fact, the spirit of Neo-PIatonism has impregnated subsequent religious as well as philosophical thought in such a way and to such an extent as to make a careful examination of its history and doctrines an object worthy of the serious attention of those minds who are anxious to distinguish the truth which saves from the error which misleads and destroys.
L IIisto7-i/.— The rise and development of this philos- ophy may, for our present purpose, be sufhcicntly ex- hibited by. first, an outline of the causes tending to pro- duce it, followed, secondlij, by a brief sketch of tlie lives and opinions of only the most prominent characters who either, as precursors, prepared the way for its introduc- tion and establishment, or. as founders and disciples of the school, expounded and defended its doctrines. To this we shall add a summary of its general principles (mainly abridged from .Schwegler) and some observa- tions on its relations to Christianity ; and. lastly, such a list of works on the subject as will enal>le any one so desiring to inform himself more fully.
1. Subjective Causes.— \i^\i\c from the very great in- fluence manifestly exerted by Oriental ideas in shaping the character and tendencies of the iihilosophy of the period in wiiich Neo-Platonism had its birth, there were internal causes at work, growing out of the un- satisfactory results of the preceding pagan philosophir s, and the want felt, especially by earnest and tiioiightful siiirits, of sometliing different — something which gave better promise of satisfying the longings of the human
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race for a solution of the problem of its origin and des- tiny. Instead of giving clearer light and purer life to men groping after the knowledge of God and them- selves, tlie development of tlie old philosophies had ended in scepticism and moral debasement. This re- sult was disappointing and disheartening. Scepticism promised contentment of spirit, but, instead, produced only the opposite, viz. the necessity for an unceasing opposition to all positive assertions; and in place of the rest sought for, it gave only an unappeasable disquiet, which, in turn, begat a yearning for a condition abso- lutely satisfying and removed from all sceptical objec- tions. This longing for something absolutely certain found historical expression in Neo-Platonism.