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But for this it would have sunk into a mere oriental despotism, which, indeed, it often dangerously resembled. Its Christianity, too, though not of the best and highest type, must have been a source of strength to it, and have been the means of raising up a number of men whose influence for good would be widely and powerfully felt. For however much the Christian religion may by human error and perverseness become corrupted, it can never wholly lose its great moral worth, or altogether fail to ally itself with some of our better feelings and instincts. The Christianity, indeed, of the East was far too metaphysical and too much addicted to subtle discussion of dogmas; but it had, we know, some truly noble representatives, and we may well believe that there were many whom it rescued from a low and unworthy life. But it was not such a power on the side of virtue and true progress as it ultimately became in the West. To this, among other causes, we may ascribe much of the feeble and unprogressive character of the Byzantine empire, and the consequent dulness of a great portion of its history.