pagan and christian creeds-第21章

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　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　conception　of　sacrifice；〃　says　Elie　Reclus；＇2＇　〃the　consecrated　offering；　be　it　man；　woman　or　virgin；　lamb　or　heifer；　cock　or　dove；　represents　tHE　DEITY　HIMSELF。　。　。　。　Brahma　is　the　'imperishable　sacrifice'；　Indra；　Soma；　Hari　and　the　other　gods；　became　incarnate　in　animals　to　the　sole　end　that　they　might　be　immolated。　Perusha；　the　Universal　Being；　caused　himself　to　be　slain　by　the　Immortals；　and　from　his　substance　were　born　the　birds　of　the　air；　wild　and　domestic　animals；　the　offerings　of　butter　and　curds。　The　world；　declared　the　Rishis；　is　a　series　of　sacrifices　disclosing　other　sacrifices。　To　stop　them　would　be　to　suspend　the　life　of　Nature。　The　god　Siva；　to　whom　the　Tipperahs　of　Bengal　are　supposed　to　have　sacrificed　as　many　as　a　thousand　human　victims　a　year；　said　to　the　Brahamins：　'It　is　I　that　am　the　actual　offering；　it　is　I　that　you　butcher　upon　my　altars。'　〃

＇1＇　Ch。　ix；　v。　16。

＇2＇　Primitive　Folk；　ch。　vi。


It　was　in　allusion　to　this　doctrine　that　R。　W。　Emerson；　paraphrasing　the　Katha…Upanishad；　wrote　that　immortal　verse　of　his：…

　　　　　If　the　red　slayer　thinks　he　slays；　　　　　　　　　　　Or　the　slain　thinks　he　is　slain；　　　　　　They　know　not　well　the　subtle　ways　　　　　　　　　　　I　take；　and　pass；　and　turn　again。


I　say　it　is　an　astonishing　thing　to　think　and　realize　that　this　profound　and　mystic　doctrine　of　the　eternal　sacrifice　of　Himself；　ordained　by　the　Great　Spirit　for　the　creation　and　salvation　of　the　worlda　doctrine　which　has　attracted　and　fascinated　many　of　the　great　thinkers　and　nobler　minds　of　Europe；　which　has　also　inspired　the　religious　teachings　of　the　Indian　sages　and　to　a　less　philosophical　degree　the　writings　of　the　Christian　Saintsshould　have　been　seized　in　its　general　outline　and　essence　by　rude　and　primitive　people　before　the　dawn　of　history；　and　embodied　in　their　rites　and　ceremonials。　What　is　the　explanation　of　this　fact？

It　is　very　puzzling。　The　whole　subject　is　puzzling。　The　world…wide　adoption　of　similar　creeds　and　rituals　（and；　we　may　add；　legends　and　fairy　tales）　among　early　peoples；　and　in　far…sundered　places　and　times　is　so　remarkable　that　it　has　given　the　students　of　these　subjects　'furiously　to　think'＇1＇yet　for　the　most　part　without　great　success　in　the　way　of　finding　a　solution。　The　supposition　that　（1）　the　creed；　rite　or　legend　in　question　has　sprung　up；　so　to　speak；　accidentally；　in　one　place；　and　then　has　travelled　（owing　to　some　inherent　plausibility）　over　the　rest　of　the　world；　is　of　course　one　that　commends　itself　readily　at　first；　but　on　closer　examination　the　practical　difficulties　it　presents　are　certainly　very　great。　These　include　the　migrations　of　customs　and　myths　in　quite　early　ages　of　the　earth　across　trackless　oceans　and　continents；　and　between　races　and　peoples　absolutely　incapable　of　understanding　each　other。　And　if　to　avoid　these　difficulties　it　is　assumed　that　the　present　human　race　all　proceeds　from　one　original　stock　which　radiating　from　one　centresay　in　South…Eastern　Asia＇2＇overspread　the　world；　carrying　its　rites　and　customs　with　it；　why；　then　we　are　compelled　to　face　the　difficulty　of　supposing　this　radiation　to　have　taken　place　at　an　enormous　time　ago　（the　continents　being　then　all　more　or　less　conjoined）　and　at　a　period　when　it　is　doubtful　if　any　religious　rites　and　customs　at　all　existed；　not　to　mention　the　further　difficulty　of　supposing　all　the　four　or　five　hundred　languages　now　existing　to　be　descended　from　one　common　source。　The　far　tradition　of　the　Island　of　Atlantis　seems　to　afford　a　possible　explanation　of　the　community　of　rites　and　customs　between　the　Old　and　New　World；　and　this　without　assuming　in　any　way　that　Atlantis　（if　it　existed）　was　the　original　and　SOLE　cradle　of　the　human　race。＇3＇　Anyhow　it　is　clear　that　these　origins　of　human　culture　must　be　of　extreme　antiquity；　and　that　it　would　not　be　wise　to　be　put　off　the　track　of　the　investigation　of　a　possible　common　source　merely　by　that　fact　of　antiquity。

＇1＇　See　A。　Lang's　Myth；　Ritual　and　Religion；　vol。　ii。

＇2＇　See　Hastings；　Encycl。　Religion　and　Ethics；　art。　〃Ethnology。〃

＇3＇　E。　J。　Payne；　History　of　the　New　World　called　America　（vol。　i；　p。　93）　says：　〃It　is　certain　that　Europe　and　America　once　formed　a　single　continent；〃　but　inroads　of　the　sea　〃left　a　vast　island　or　peninsula　stretching　from　Iceland　to　the　Azoreswhich　gradually　disappeared。〃　Also　he　speaks　（i。　93）　of　the　〃Miocene　Bridge〃　between　Siberia　and　the　New　World。


A　second　supposition；　however；　is　（2）　that　the　natural　psychological　evolution　of　the　human　mind　has　in　the　various　times　and　climes　led　folk　of　the　most　diverse　surroundings　and　heredityand　perhaps　even　sprung　from　separate　anthropoid　stocksto　develop　their　social　and　religious　ideas　along　the　same　general　linesand　that　even　to　the　extent　of　exhibiting　at　times　a　remarkable　similarity　in　minute　details。　This　is　a　theory　which　commends　itself　greatly　to　a　deeper　and　more　philosophical　consideration；　but　it　brings　us　up　point…blank　against　another　most　difficult　question　（which　we　have　already　raised）；　namely；　how　to　account　for　extremely　rude　and　primitive　peoples　in　the　far　past；　and　on　the　very　borderland　of　the　animal　life；　having　been　SUSCEPTIBLE　to　the　germs　of　great　religious　ideas　（such　as　we　have　mentioned）　and　having　been　instinctivelythough　not　of　course　by　any　process　of　conscious　reasoningmoved　to　express　them　in　symbols　and　rites　and　ceremonials；　and　（later　no　doubt）　in　myths　and　legends；　which　satisfied　their　FEELINGS　and　sense　of　fitnessthough　they　may　not　have　known　WHY　and　afterwards　were　capable　of　being　taken　up　and　embodied　in　the　great　philosophical　religions。

This　difficulty　almost　compels　us　to　a　view　of　human　knowledge　which　has　found　supporters　among　some　able　thinkersthe　view；　namely；　that　a　vast　store　of　knowledge　is　already　contained　in　the　subconscious　mind　of　man　（and　the　animals）　and　only　needs　the　provocation　of　outer　experience　to　bring　it　to　the　surface；　and　that　in　the　second　stage　of　human　psychology　this　process　of　crude　and　piecemeal　externalization　is　taking　place；　in　preparation　for　the　final　or　third　stage　in　which　the　knowledge　will