M. Millet's Second Lecture.

Yesterday afternoon in Sanders Theatre M. Rene Millet gave the second of the series of Hyde lectures. He took as his special subject "Rupture de l'Unite. Le Christianisme et l'Islam."

Continuing from where he left off in his previous lecture, which dealt with the early history of the Mediterranean races and the Roman empire before its dissolution. M. Millet showed what an important role Christianity and Mohammedanism played in breaking up the unity of the old world. The philosophy of Christianity differed greatly from the Roman cult which demanded no personal reflection and did not address itself to the heart. The early Christians were to a great extent in the same position as the socialists and anarchists of the present day, who, on account of their unorthodox inspirations are rightly looked upon as revolutionary factors. As the church grew in strength the religious and monastic interests of the time were so alien to the civil and political life, that unity was impossible.

Mohammedanism was still another factor responsible for the rupture of the Mediterranean empire. The people of Asia hated emperors who were always trying to maintain the balance between the Orient and the Occident; they hated Christianity because they had a horror of the metaphysical Trinity as being an inhuman conception of God.

The Mohammedan philosophy, with its simple doctrine--"that there is no God but God, and Allah is his prophet"--is noble and deep. But it was this too great simplicity of religion which was responsible for the decadence of Mohammedanism. The Christian religion entertained a great hope for the development and benefit of the race, while the Allah of the Arabs was a stationary God. To the expansive quality of Christianity was due its widespread growth.

M. Millet will give his third lecture on Monday afternoon at 4.30 o'clock.