pagan and christian creeds-第25部分

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tlook　of　the　doctrine　down　to　a　special　case〃As　in　Adam　all　die；　so　in　CHRIST　shall　all　be　made　alive。〃　The　Universal　Spirit　which　can　give　rebirth　and　salvation　to　EVERY　child　of　man　to　whom　it　comes；　was　offered　only　under　a　very　special　formthat　of　Jesus　Christ。＇1＇　In　this　respect　it　was　no　better　than　the　religions　which　preceded　it。　In　some　respectsthat　is；　where　it　was　especially　fanatical；　blinkered；　and　hostile　to　other　sectsit　was　WORSE。　But　to　those　who　perceive　that　the　Great　Spirit　may　bring　new　birth　and　salvation　to　some　under　the　form　of　Osiris；　equally　well　as　to　others　under　the　form　of　Jesus；　or　again　to　some　under　the　form　of　a　Siberian　totem…Bear　equally　as　to　others　under　the　form　of　Osiris；　these　questionings　and　narrowings　fall　away　as　of　no　importance。　We　in　this　latter　day　can　see　the　main　thing；　namely　that　Christianity　was　and　is　just　one　phase　of　a　world…old　religion；　slowly　perhaps　expanding　its　scope；　but　whose　chief　attitudes　and　orientations　have　been　the　same　through　the　centuries。

＇1＇　The　same　happened　with　regard　to　another　great　Pagan　doctrine　（to　which　I　have　just　alluded）；　the　doctrine　of　transformations　and　metamorphoses；　and　whereas　the　pagans　believed　in　these　things；　as　the　common　and　possible　heritage　of　EVERY　man；　the　Christians　only　allowed　themselves　to　entertain　the　idea　in　the　special　and　unique　instance　of　the　Transfiguration　of　Christ。


Many　other　illustrations　might　be　taken　of　the　truth　of　this　view；　but　I　will　confine　myself　to　two　or　three　more。　There　is　the　instance　of　the　Eucharist　and　its　exceedingly　widespread　celebration　（under　very　various　forms）　among　the　pagans　all　over　the　worldas　well　as　among　Christians。　I　have　already　said　enough　on　this　subject；　and　need　not　delay　over　it。　By　partaking　of　the　sacramental　meal；　even　in　its　wildest　and　crudest　shapes；　as　in　the　mysteries　of　Dionysus；　one　was　identified　with　and　united　to　the　god；　in　its　milder　and　more　spiritual　aspects　as　in　the　Mithraic；　Egyptian；　Hindu　and　Christian　cults；　one　passed　behind　the　veil　of　maya　and　this　ever…changing　world；　and　entered　into　the　region　of　divine　peace　and　power。＇1＇


＇1＇　Baring　Gould　in　his　Orig。　Relig。　Belief；　I。　401；　says：〃Among　the　ancient　Hindus　Soma　was　a　chief　deity；　he　is　called　the　Giver　of　Life　and　Health。　。　。　。　He　became　incarnate　among　men；　was　taken　by　them　and　slain；　and　brayed　in　a　mortar　＇a　god　of　corn　and　wine　apparently＇。　But　he　rose　in　flame　to　heaven　to　be　'the　Benefactor　of　the　World'　and　the　'Mediator　between　God　and　Man！'　Through　communion　with　him　in　his　sacrifice；　man　（who　partook　of　this　god）　has　an　assurance　of　immortality；　for　by　that　sacrament　he　obtains　union　with　his　divinity。〃


Or　again　the　doctrine　of　the　Saviour。　That　also　is　one　on　which　I　need　not　add　much　to　what　has　been　said　already。　The　number　of　pagan　deities　（mostly　virgin…born　and　done　to　death　in　some　way　or　other　in　their　efforts　to　save　mankind）　is　so　great＇1＇　as　to　be　difficult　to　keep　account　of。　The　god　Krishna　in　India；　the　god　Indra　in　Nepaul　and　Thibet；　spilt　their　blood　for　the　salvation　of　men；　Buddha　said；　according　to　Max　Muller；＇2＇　〃Let　all　the　sins　that　were　in　the　world　fall　on　me；　that　the　world　may　be　delivered〃；　the　Chinese　Tien　；　the　Holy　One〃one　with　God　and　existing　with　him　from　all　eternity〃died　to　save　the　world；　the　Egyptian　Osiris　was　called　Saviour；　so　was　Horus；　so　was　the　Persian　Mithras；　so　was　the　Greek　Hercules　who　overcame　Death　though　his　body　was　consumed　in　the　burning　garment　of　mortality；　out　of　which　he　rose　into　heaven。　So　also　was　the　Phrygian　Attis　called　Saviour；　and　the　Syrian　Tammuz　or　Adonis　likewiseboth　of　whom；　as　we　have　seen；　were　nailed　or　tied　to　a　tree；　and　afterwards　rose　again　from　their　biers；　or　coffins。　Prometheus；　the　greatest　and　earliest　benefactor　of　the　human　race；　was　NAILED　BY　THE　HANDS　and　feet；　and　with　arms　extended；　to　the　rocks　of　Mount　Caucasus。　Bacchus　or　Dionysus；　born　of　the　virgin　Semele　to　be　the　Liberator　of　mankind　（Dionysus　Eleutherios　as　he　was　called）；　was　torn　to　pieces；　not　unlike　Osiris。　Even　in　far　Mexico　Quetzalcoatl；　the　Saviour；　was　born　of　a　virgin；　was　tempted；　and　fasted　forty　days；　was　done　to　death；　and　his　second　coming　looked　for　so　eagerly　that　（as　is　well　known）　when　Cortes　appeared；　the　Mexicans；　poor　things；　greeted　HIM　as　the　returning　god！＇3＇　In　Peru　and　among　the　American　Indians；　North　and　South　of　the　Equator；　similar　legends　are；　or　were；　to　be　found。

＇1＇　See　for　a　considerable　list　Doane's　Bible　Myths；　ch。　xx。

＇2＇　Hist。　Sanskrit　Literature；　p。　80。

＇3＇　See　Kingsborough；　Mexican　Antiquities；　vol。　vi。


Briefly　sketched　as　all　this　is；　it　is　enough　to　prove　quite　abundantly　that　the　doctrine　of　the　Saviour　is　world…wide　and　world…old；　and　that　Christianity　merely　appropriated　the　same　and　（as　the　other　cults　did）　gave　it　a　special　color。　Probably　the　wide　range　of　this　doctrine　would　have　been　far　better　and　more　generally　known；　had　not　the　Christian　Church；　all　through；　made　the　greatest　of　efforts　and　taken　the　greatest　precautions　to　extinguish　and　snuff　out　all　evidence　of　pagan　claims　on　the　subject。　There　is　much　to　show　that　the　early　Church　took　this　line　with　regard　to　pre…Christian　saviours；＇1＇　and　in　later　times　the　same　policy　is　remarkably　illustrated　by　the　treatment　in　the　sixteenth　century　of　the　writings　of　Sahagun　the　Spanish　missionaryto　whose　work　I　have　already　referred。　Sahagun　was　a　wonderfully　broad…minded　and　fine　man　who；　while　he　did　not　conceal　the　barbarities　of　the　Aztec　religion；　was　truthful　enough　to　point　out　redeeming　traits　in　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　people　and　some　resemblances　to　Christian　doctrine　and　practice。　This　infuriated　the　bigoted　Catholics　of　the　newly　formed　Mexican　Church。　They　purloined　the　manuscripts　of　Sahagun's　Historia　and　scattered　and　hid　them　about　the　country；　and　it　was　only　after　infinite　labor　and　an　appeal　to　the　Spanish　Court　that　he　got　them　together　again。　Finally；　at　the　age　of　eighty；　having　translated　them　into　Spanish　（from　the　original　Mexican）　he　sent　them　in　two　big　volumes　home　to　Spain　for　safety；　but　there　almost　immediately　THEY　DISAPPEARED；　and　could　not　be　found！　It　was　only　after　TWO　CENTURIES　that　they　ultimately　turned　up　（1790）　in　a　Convent　at　Tolosa　in　Navarre。　Lord　Kingsborough　published　them　in　England　in　1830。

＇1＇　See　Tertullian's　Apologia；　c。　16；　Ad　Nationes；　c。　xii。


I　have　thus　dwelt　upon　several　of　the　main　doctrines　of　Christianitynamely；　those　of　Sin　and　Sacrifice；　the　Eucharist；　the　Saviour；　the　Second　Birth；　and　Transfigurationas　showing　that　they　are　by　no　means　unique　in　our　religion；　but　were　common　to　nearly　all　the　religions　of　the　ancient　world。　The　list　might　be　much　further　extended；　but　there　is　no　need　to　delay　over　a　subject　which　is　now　very　generally　understood。　I　will；　however；　devote　a　page　or　two　to　one　instance；　which　I　think　is　very　remarkable；　and　full　of　deep　suggestion。

There　is　no　doctrine　in　Christianity　which　is　more　reverenced　by　the　adherents　of　that　religion；　or　held　in　higher　estimation；　than　that　God　sacrificed　his　only　Son　for　the　salvation　of　the　world；　also　that　since　the　Son　was　not　only　of　like　nature　but　of　the　SAME　nature　with　the　Father；　and　equal　to　him　as　being　the　second　Person　of　the　Divine　Trinity；　the　sacrifice　amounted　to　an　immolation　of　Himself　for　the　good　of　mankind。　The　doctrine　is　so　mystical；　so　remote；　and　in　a　sense　so　absurd　and　impossible；　that　it　has　been　a　favorite　mark　through　the　centuries　for　the　ridicule　of　the　scoffers　and　enemies　of　the　Church；　and　here；　it　might　easily　be　thought；　is　a　belief　whichwhether　it　be　considered　glorious　or　whether　contemptibleis　at　any　rate　unique；　and　peculiar　to　that　Church。

And　yet　the　extraordinary　fact　is　that　a　similar　belief　ranges　all　through　the　ancient　religions；　and　can　be　traced　back　to　the　earliest　times。　The　word　host　which　is　used　in　the　Catholic　Mass　for　the　bread　and　wine　on　the　Altar；　supposed　to　be　the　transubstantiated　body　and　blood　of　Christ；　is　from　the　Latin　Hostia　which　the　dictionary　interprets　as　〃an　animal　slain　in　sacrifice；　a　sin…offering。〃　It　takes　us　far　far　back　to　the　Totem　stage　of　folk…life；　when　the　tribe；　as　I　have　already　explained；　crowned　a　victim…bull　or　bear　or　other　animal　with　flowers；　and　honoring　it　with　every　offering　of　food　and　worship；　sacrificed　the　victim　to　the　Totem　spirit　of　the　tribe；　and　consumed　it　in　an　Eucharistic　feastthe　medicine…man　or　priest　who　conducted　the　ritual　wearing　a　skin　of　the　same　beast　as　a　sign　that　he　represented　the　Totem…　divinity；　taking　part　in　the　sacrifice　of　'himself　to　himself。'　It　reminds　us　of　the　Khonds　of　Bengal　sacrificing　their　meriahs　crowned　and　decorated　as　gods　and　goddesses；　of　the　Aztecs　doing　the　same；　of　Quetzalcoatl　pricking　his　elbows　and　fingers　so　as　to　draw　blood；　which　he　offered　on　his　own　altar；　or　of　Odin　hanging　by　his　own　desire　upon　a　tree。　〃I　know　I　was　hanged　upon　a　tree　shaken　by　the　winds　for　nine　long　nights。　I　was　transfixed　by　a　spear；　I　was　moved　to　Odin；　myself　to　myself。〃　And　so　on。　The　instances　are　endless。　〃I　am　the　oblation；〃　says　the　Lord　Krishna　in　the　Bhagavad　Gita；＇1＇　〃I　am　the　sacrifice；　I　the　ancestral　offering。〃　〃In　the　truly　orthodox　co