pagan and christian creeds-第20章

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＇2＇　See　Catlin's　North…American　Indians；　vol。　i；　for　initiations　and　ordeals　among　the　Mandans。

＇3＇　De　Errore；　c。　22。

＇4＇　　


It　would　seem　that　at　some　very　early　time　in　the　history　of　tribal　and　priestly　initiations　an　attempt　was　made　to　impress　upon　the　neophytes　the　existence　and　over…　shadowing　presence　of　spiritual　and　ghostly　beings。　Perhaps　the　pains　endured　in　the　various　ordeals；　the　long　fastings；　the　silences　in　the　depth　of　the　forests　or　on　the　mountains　or　among　the　ice…floes；　helped　to　rouse　the　visionary　faculty。　The　developments　of　this　faculty　among　the　black　and　colored　peoplesEast…Indian；　Burmese；　African；　American…　Indian；　etc。are　well　known。　Miss　Alice　Fletcher；　who　lived　among　the　Omaha　Indians　for　thirty　years；　gives　a　most　interesting　account＇1＇　of　the　general　philosophy　of　that　people　and　their　rites　of　initiation。　〃The　Omahas　regard　all　animate　and　inanimate　forms；　all　phenomena；　as　pervaded　by　a　common　life；　which　was　continuous　with　and　similar　to　the　will…power　they　were　conscious　of　in　themselves。　This　mysterious　power　in　all　things　they　called　Wakonda；　and　through　it　all　things　were　related　to　man　and　to　each　other。　In　the　idea　of　the　continuity　of　life　a　relation　was　maintained　between　the　seen　and　the　unseen；　the　dead　and　the　living；　and　also　between　the　fragment　of　anything　and　its　entirety。〃＇2＇　Thus　an　Omaha　novice　might　at　any　time　seek　to　obtain　Wakonda　by　what　was　called　THE　RITE　OF　THE　VISION。　He　would　go　out　alone；　fast；　chant　incantations；　and　finally　fall　into　a　trance　（much　resembling　what　in　modern　times　has　been　called　COSMIC　CONSCIOUSNESS）　in　which　he　would　perceive　the　inner　relations　of　all　things　and　the　solidarity　of　the　least　object　with　the　rest　of　the　universe。

＇1＇　Summarized　in　Themis；　pp。　68…71。

＇2＇　A。　C。　Fletcher；　The　Significance　of　the　Scalp…lock；　Journal　of　Anthropological　Studies；　xxvii　（1897…8）；　p。　436。


Another　rite　in　connection　with　initiation；　and　common　all　over　the　pagan　worldin　Greece；　America；　Africa；　Australia；　New　Mexico；　etc。was　the　daubing　of　the　novice　all　over　with　clay　or　chalk　or　even　dung；　and　then　after　a　while　removing　the　same。＇1＇　The　novice　must　have　looked　a　sufficiently　ugly　and　uncomfortable　object　in　this　state；　but　later；　when　he　was　thoroughly　WASHED；　the　ceremony　must　have　afforded　a　thrilling　illustration　of　the　idea　of　a　new　birth；　and　one　which　would　dwell　in　the　minds　of　the　spectators。　When　the　daubing　was　done　as　not　infrequently　happened　with　white　clay　or　gypsum；　and　the　ritual　took　place　at　night；　it　can　easily　be　imagined　that　the　figures　of　young　men　and　boys　moving　about　in　the　darkness　would　lend　support　to　the　idea　that　they　were　spirits　belonging　to　some　intermediate　worldwho　had　already　passed　through　death　and　were　now　waiting　for　their　second　birth　on　earth　（or　into　the　tribe）　which　would　be　signalized　by　their　thorough　and　ceremonial　washing。　It　will　be　remembered　that　Herodotus　（viii）　gives　a　circumstantial　account　of　how　the　Phocians　in　a　battle　with　the　Thessalians　smeared　six　hundred　of　their　bravest　warriors　with　white　clay　so　that；　looking　like　supernatural　beings；　and　falling　upon　the　Thessalians　by　night；　they　terrified　the　latter　and　put　them　to　instant　flight。

＇1＇　See　A。　Lang's　Myth；　Ritual　and　Religion；　i；　274　sq。


Such　thenthough　only　very　scantily　describedwere　some　of　the　rites　of　Initiation　and　Second　Birth　celebrated　in　the　old　Pagan　world。　The　subject　is　far　too　large　for　adequate　treatment　within　the　present　limits；　but　even　so　we　cannot　but　be　struck　by　the　appropriateness　in　many　cases　of　the　teaching　thus　given　to　the　young；　the　concreteness　of　the　illustrations；　the　effectiveness　of　the　symbols　used；　the　dramatic　character　of　the　rites；　the　strong　enforcement　of　lessons　on　the　nature　and　duties　of　the　life　into　which　the　candidates　were　about　to　enter。　Christianity　followed　on；　and　inherited　these　traditions；　but　one　feels　that　in　its　ceremonies　of　Baptism　and　Confirmation；　which　of　course　correspond　to　the　Pagan　Initiations；　it　falls　short　of　the　latter。　Its　ceremonies　（certainly　as　we　have　them　to…day　in　Protestant　countries）　are　of　a　very　milk…and…watery　character；　all　allusion　to　and　teaching　on　the　immensely　important　subject　of　Sex　is　omitted；　the　details　of　social　and　industrial　morality　are　passed　by；　and　instruction　is　limited　to　a　few　rather　commonplace　lessons　in　general　morality　and　religion。


It　may　be　appropriate　here；　before　leaving　the　subject　of　the　Second　Birth；　to　inquire　how　it　has　come　about　that　this　doctrineso　remote　and　metaphysical　as　it　might　appearhas　been　taken　up　and　embodied　in　their　creeds　and　rituals　by　quite　PRIMITIVE　people　all　over　the　world；　to　such　a　degree　indeed　that　it　has　ultimately　been　adopted　and　built　into　the　foundations　of　the　latter　and　more　intellectual　religions；　like　Hinduism；　Mithraism；　and　the　Egyptian　and　Christian　cults。　I　think　the　answer　to　this　question　must　be　found　in　the　now…familiar　fact　that　the　earliest　peoples　felt　themselves　so　much　a　part　of　Nature　and　the　animal　and　vegetable　world　around　them　that　（whenever　they　thought　about　these　matters　at　all）　they　never　for　a　moment　doubted　that　the　things　which　were　happening　all　round　them　in　the　external　world　were　also　happening　within　themselves。　They　saw　the　Sun；　overclouded　and　nigh　to　death　in　winter；　come　to　its　birth　again　each　year；　they　saw　the　Vegetation　shoot　forth　anew　in　springthe　revival　of　the　spirit　of　the　Earth；　the　endless　breeding　of　the　Animals；　the　strange　transformations　of　Worms　and　Insects；　the　obviously　new　life　taken　on　by　boys　and　girls　at　puberty；　the　same　at　a　later　age　when　the　novice　was　transformed　into　the　medicine…　manthe　choupan　into　the　angakok　among　the　Esquimaux；　the　Dacotah　youth　into　the　wakan　among　the　Red　Indians；　and　they　felt　in　their　sub…conscious　way　the　same　everlasting　forces　of　rebirth　and　transformation　working　within　themselves。　In　some　of　the　Greek　Mysteries　the　newly　admitted　Initiates　were　fed　for　some　time　after　on　milk　only　〃as　though　we　were　being　born　again。〃　（See　Sallustius；　quoted　by　Gilbert　Murray。）　When　sub…conscious　knowledge　began　to　glimmer　into　direct　consciousness　one　of　the　first　aspects　（and　no　doubt　one　of　the　truest）　under　which　people　saw　life　was　just　thus：　as　a　series　of　rebirths　and　transformations。＇1＇　The　most　modern　science；　I　need　hardly　say；　in　biology　as　well　as　in　chemistry　and　the　field　of　inorganic　Nature；　supports　that　view。　The　savage　in　earliest　times　FELT　the　truth　of　some　things　which　we　to…day　are　only　beginning　intellectually　to　perceive　and　analyze。

＇1＇　The　fervent　and　widespread　belief　in　animal　metamorphoses　among　early　peoples　is　well　known。


Christianity　adopted　and　absorbedas　it　was　bound　to　dothis　world…wide　doctrine　of　the　second　birth。　Passing　over　its　physiological　and　biological　applications；　it　gave　to　it　a　fine　spiritual　significanceor　rather　it　insisted　especially　on　its　spiritual　significance；　which　（as　we　have　seen）　had　been　widely　recognized　before。　Onlyas　I　suppose　must　happen　with　all　local　religionsit　narrowed　the　application　and　outlook　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；　t