pagan and christian creeds-第33章
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elled a certain result。 Those doctrines which we have described in the preceding chaptersdoctrines of Sin and Sacrifice； a Savior； the Eucharist； the Trinity； the Virgin…birth； and so forthwere in their various forms seething； so to speak； all around。 It was impossible for any new religious synthesis to escape them； all it could do would be to appropriate them； and to give them perhaps a color of its own。 Thus it is into the midst of this germinating mass that we must imagine the various pagan cults； like fertilizing streams； descending。 To trace all these streams would of course be an impossible task； but it may be of use； as an example of the process； to take the case of some particular belief。 Let us take the belief in the coming of a Savior…god； and this will be the more suitable as it is a belief which has in the past been commonly held to be distinctive of Christianity。 Of course we know now that it is not in any sense distinctive； but that the long tradition of the Savior comes down from the remotest times； and perhaps from every country of the world。＇1＇ The Messianic prophecies of the Jews and the fifty…third chapter of Isaiah emptied themselves into the Christian teachings； and infected them to some degree with a Judaic tinge。 The 〃Messiah〃 means of course the Anointed One。 The Hebrew word occurs some 40 times in the Old Testament； and each time in the Septuagint or Greek translation （made mainly in the third century BEFORE our era） the word is translated ； or Christos； which again means Anointed。 Thus we see that the idea or the word 〃The Christ〃 was in vogue in Alexandria as far back certainly as 280 B。C。； or nearly three centuries before Jesus。 And what the word 〃The Anointed〃 strictly speaking means； and from what the expression is probably derived； will appear later。 In The Book of Enoch； written not later than B。C。 170；＇2＇ the Christ is spoken of as already existing in heaven； and about to come as judge of all men； and is definitely called 〃the Son of Man。〃 The Book of Revelations is FULL of passages from Enoch； so are the Epistles of Paul； so too the Gospels。 The Book of Enoch believes in a Golden Age that is to come； it has Dantesque visions of Heaven and Hell； and of Angels good and evil； and it speaks of a 〃garden of Righteousness〃 with the 〃Tree of Wisdom〃 in its midst。 Everywhere； says Prof。 Drews； in the first century B。C。； there was the longing for a coming Savior。
＇1＇ Even to…day； the Arabian lands are always vibrating with prophecies of a coming Mahdi。
＇2＇ See Edition by R。 H。 Charles （1893）。
But the Savior…god； as we also know； was a familiar figure in Egypt。 The great Osiris was the Savior of the world； both in his life and death： in his life through the noble works he wrought for the benefit of mankind； and in his death through his betrayal by the powers of darkness and his resurrection from the tomb and ascent into heaven。＇1＇ The Egyptian doctrines descended through Alexandria into Christianityand though they did not influence the latter deeply until about 300 A。D。； yet they then succeeded in reaching the Christian Churches； giving a color to their teachings with regard to the Savior； and persuading them to accept and honor the Egyptian worship of Isis in the Christian form of the Virgin Mary。
＇1＇ See ch。 ii。
Again； another great stream of influence descended from Persia in the form of the cult of Mithra。 Mithra； as we have seen；＇1＇ stood as a great Mediator between God and man。 With his baptisms and eucharists； and his twelve disciples； and his birth in a cave； and so forth； he seemed to the early Fathers an invention of the devil and a most dangerous mockery on Christianityand all the more so because his worship was becoming so exceedingly popular。 The cult seems to have reached Rome about B。C。 70。 It spread far and wide through the Empire。 It extended to Great Britain； and numerous remains of Mithraic monuments and sculptures in this countryat York； Chester and other placestestify to its wide acceptance even here。 At Rome the vogue of Mithraism became so great that in the third century A。 D。； it was quite doubtful＇2＇ whether it OR Christianity would triumph； the Emperor Aurelian in 273 founded a cult of the Invincible Sun in connection with Mithraism；＇3＇ and as St。 Jerome tells us in his letters；＇4＇ the latter cult had at a later time to be suppressed in Rome and Alexandria by PHYSICAL FORCE； so powerful was it。
＇1＇ Ch。 ii。
＇2＇ See Cumont； op。 cit。； who says； p。 171：〃Jamais； pas meme a 1'epoque des invasions mussulmanes； l'Europe ne sembla plus pres de devenir asiatique qu'au moment ou Diocletien reconnaissait officiellement en Mithra； le protecteur de l'empire reconstitue。〃 See also Cumont's Mysteres de Mithra； preface。 The Roman Army； in fact； stuck to Mithra throughout； as against Christianity； and so did the Roman nobility。 （See S。 Augustine's Confessions； Book VIII； ch。 2。）
＇3＇ Cumont indeed says that the identification of Mithra with the Sun （the emblem of imperial power） formed one reason why Mithraism was NOT persecuted at that time。
＇4＇ Epist。 cvii； ad Laetam。 See Robertson's Pagan Christs； p。 350。
Nor was force the only method employed。 IMITATION is not only the sincerest flattery； but it is often the most subtle and effective way of defeating a rival。 The priests of the rising Christian Church were； like the priests of ALL religions； not wanting in craft； and at this moment when the question of a World…religion was in the balance； it was an obvious policy for them to throw into their own scale as many elements as possible of the popular Pagan cults。 Mithraism had been flourishing for 600 years； and it is； to say the least； CURIOUS that the Mithraic doctrines and legends which I have just mentioned should all have been adopted （quite unintentionally of course！） into Christianity； and still more so that some others from the same source； like the legend of the Shepherds at the Nativity and the doctrine of the Resurrection and Ascension； which are NOT mentioned at all in the original draft of the earliest Gospel （St。 Mark）； should have made their appearance； in the Christian writings at a later time； when Mithraism was making great forward strides。 History shows that as a Church progresses and expands it generally feels compelled to enlarge and fortify its own foundations by inserting material which was not there at first。 I shall shortly give another illustration of this； at present I will merely point out that the Christian writers； as time went on； not only introduced new doctrines； legends； miracles and so forthmost of which we can trace to antecedent pagan sourcesbut that they took especial pains to destroy the pagan records and so obliterate the evidence of their own dishonesty。 We learn from Porphyry＇1＇ that there were several elaborate treatises setting forth the religion of Mithra； and J。 M。 Robertson adds （Pagan Christs； p。 325）： 〃everyone of these has been destroyed by the care of the Church； and it is remarkable that even the treatise of Firmicus is mutilated at a passage （v。） where he seems to be accusing Christians of following Mithraic usages。〃 While again Professor Murray says； 〃The polemic literature of Christianity is loud and triumphant； the books of the Pagans have been DESTROYED。〃＇2＇
＇1＇ De Abstinentia； ii。 56； iv。 16。
＇2＇ Four Stages； p。 180。 We have probably an instance of this destruction in the total disappearance of Celsus' lively attack on Christianity （180 A。D。）； of which； however； portions have been fortunately preserved in Origen's rather prolix refutation of the same。
Returning to the doctrine of the Savior； I have already in preceding chapters given so many instances of belief in such a deity among the paganswhether he be called Krishna or Mithra or Osiris or Horus or Apollo or Hercules that it is not necessary to dwell on the subject any further in order to persuade the reader that the doctrine was 'in the air' at the time of the advent of Christianity。 Even Dionysus； then a prominent figure in the 'Mysteries；' was called Eleutherios； The Deliverer。 But it may be of interest to trace the same doctrine among the PRE…CHRISTIAN sects of Gnostics。 The Gnostics； says Professor Murray；＇1＇ 〃are still commonly thought of as a body of CHRISTIAN heretics。 In reality there were Gnostic sects scattered over the Hellenistic world BEFORE Christianity as well as after。 They must have been established in Antioch and probably in Tarsus well before the days of Paul or Apollos。 Their Savior； like the Jewish Messiah； was established in men's minds before the Savior of the Christians。 'If we look close；' says Professor Bousset； 'the result emerges with great clearness that the figure of the Redeemer as such did not wait for Christianity to force its way into the religion of Gnosis； but was already present there under various forms。' 〃
＇1＇ Four Stages； p。 143。
This Gnostic Redeemer； continues Professor Murray； 〃is descended by a fairly clear genealogy from the 'Tritos Soter' （'third Savior'）＇1＇ of early Greece； contaminated with similar figures； like Attis and Adonis from Asia Minor； Osiris from Egypt； and the special Jewish conception of the Messiah of the Chosen people。 He has various names； which the name of Jesus or 'Christos；' 'the Anointed；' tends gradually to supersede。 Above all； he is in some sense Man； or 'the second Man' or 'the Son of Man' 。 。 。 He is the real； the ultimate； the perfect and eternal Man； of whom all bodily men are feeble copies。〃＇2＇
＇1＇ There seems to be some doubt about the exact meaning of this expression。 Even Zeus himself was sometimes called 'Soter；' and at feasts； it is said； the THIRD goblet was always drunk in his honor。
＇2＇ See also The Gnostic Story of Jesus Christ； by Gilbert T。 Sadler （C。 W。 Daniel； 1919）。
This passage brings vividly before the mind the process of which I have spoken； namely； the fusion and mutual interchange of ideas on the subject of the Savior during the period anterior to our era。 Also it exemplifies to us through what an abstract sphere of Gnostic religious speculation the doctrine had to travel before reaching its expression in Christianity。＇1＇ This exalted and high philosophical conception passed on and came out again to some degree in the Fourth Gospel and the Pauline Epistles （especially I Cor。 xv）； but I need hardly say it was not maintained。 The enthusiasm of the little scattered Christian bodies with their communism of practice with regard to THIS world and their intensity of faith with regard to the next began to wane in the second and third centuries A。D。 As the Church （with capital initial） grew； so was it less and less occupied with real religious feeling； and more and more with its battles against persecution from outside； and its quarrels and dissensions concerning heresies within its own borders。 And when at the Council of Nicaea （325 A。D） it endeavored to establish an official creed； the strife and bitterness only increased。 〃There is no wild beast；〃 said the Emperor Julian； 〃like an angry theologian。〃 Where the fourth Evangelist had preached the gospel of Love； and Paul had announced redemption by an inner and spiritual identification with Christ； 〃As in Adam all die； so in Christ shall all be made alive〃； and whereas some at any rate of the Pa
