pagan and christian creeds-第42章

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belief　in　his　apostleship。〃　He　adopts　　terms　（like　；　　and　）＇2＇　which　were　in　use　among　the　hellenistic　sects　of　the　time；　and　he　writes；　as　in　Romans　vi。　4；　5；　about　being　〃buried〃　with　Christ　or　〃planted〃　in　the　likeness　of　his　death；　in　words　which　might　well　have　been　used　（with　change　of　the　name）　by　a　follower　of　Attis　or　Osiris　after　witnessing　the　corresponding　'mysteries'；　certainly　the　allusion　to　these　ancient　deities　would　have　been　understood　by　every　religionist　of　that　day。　These　few　points　are　sufficient　to　acentuate｛sic｝　the　two　elements　in　Paul；　the　Jewish　and　the　Greek；　and　to　explain　（so　far）　the　seeming　confusion　in　his　utterances。　Further　it　is　interesting　to　noteas　showing　the　pagan　influences　in　the　N。　T。　writingsthe　degree　to　which　the　Epistle　to　Philemon　（ascribed　to　Paul）　is　FULLshort　as　it　isof　expressions　like　PRISONER　of　the　Lord；　FELLOW　SOLDIER；　CAPTIVE　or　BONDMAN；＇3＇　which　were　so　common　at　the　time　as　to　be　almost　a　cant　in　Mithraism　and　the　allied　cults。　In　I　Peter　ii。　2＇4＇；　we　have　the　verse　〃As　newborn　babes；　desire　ye　the　sincere　MILK　of　the　word；　that　ye　may　grow　thereby。〃　And　again　we　may　say　that　no　one　in　that　day　could　mistake　the　reference　herein　contained　to　old　initiation　ceremonies　and　the　new　birth　（as　described　in　Chapter　VIII　above）；　for　indeed　milk　was　the　well…known　diet　of　the　novice　in　the　Isis　mysteries；　as　well　as　On　some　savage　tribes）　of　the　Medicine…man　when　practising　his　calling。

＇1＇　〃Die　Mysterien…anschauungen；　die　bei　Paulus　im　Hintergrunde　stehen；　drangen　sich　in　dem　sogenarmten　Deuteropaulinismus　machtig　vor〃　（Reitzenstein）。

＇2＇　Remindful　of　our　Three　Stages：　the　Animal；　the　Self…conscious；　and　the　Cosmic。

＇3＇　。

＇4＇　See　also　I　Cor。　iii。　2。


And　here　too　Democracy　comes　instrangely　foreboded　from　the　first　in　all　this　matter。＇1＇　Not　only　does　the　Third　Stage　bring　illumination；　intuitive　understanding　of　processes　in　Nature　and　Humanity；　sympathy　with　the　animals；　artistic　capacity；　and　so　forth；　but　it　necessarily　brings　a　new　Order　of　Society。　A　preposterousone　may　almost　say　a　hideoussocial　Age　is　surely　drawing　to　its　end；　The　debacle　we　are　witnessing　to…day　all　over　Europe　（including　the；　British　Islands）；　the　break…up　of　old　institutions；　the　generally　materialistic　outlook　on　life；　the　coming　to　the　surface　of　huge　masses　of　diseased　and　fatuous　populations；　the　scum　and　dregs　created　by　the　past　order；　all　point　to　the　End　of　a　Dispensation。　Protestantism　and　Commercialism；　in　the　two　fields　of　religion　and　daily　life　have；　as　I　have　indicated　before；　been　occupied　in　concentrating　the　mind　of　each　man　solely　on　his　OWN　welfare；　the　salvation　of　his　OWN　soul　or　body。　These　two　forces　have　therefore　been　disruptive　to　the　last　degree；　they　mark　the　culmination　of　the　Self…conscious　Agea　culmination　in　War；　Greed；　Materialism；　and　the　general　principle　of　Devil…　take…the…hindmostand　the　clearing　of　the　ground　for　the　new　order　which　is　to　come。　So　there　is　hope　for　the　human　race。　Its　evolution　is　not　all　a　mere　formless　craze　and　jumble。　There　is　an　inner　necessity　by　which　Humanity　unfolds　from　one　degree　or　plane　of　consciousness　to　another。　And　if　there　has　been　a　great　'Fall'　or　Lapse　into　conflict　and　disease　and　'sin'　and　misery；　occupying　the　major　part　of　the　Historical　period　hitherto；　we　see　that　this　period　is　only　brief；　so　to　speak；　in　comparison　with　the　whole　curve　of　growth　and　expansion。　We　see　also　that；　as　I　have　said　before；　the　belief　in　a　state　of　salvation　or　deliverance　has　in　the　past　ages　never　left　itself　quite　without　a　witness　in　the　creeds　and　rituals　and　poems　and　prophecies　of　mankind。　Art；　in　some　form　or　other；　as　an　activity　or　inspiration　dating　not　from　the　conscious　Intellect；　but　from　deeper　regions　of　sub…conscious　feeling　and　intuition；　has　continually　come　to　us　as　a　message　from　and　an　evidence　of　the　Third　stage　or　state；　and　as　a　promise　of　its　more　complete　realization　under　other　conditions。

　Through　the　long　night…time　where　the　Nations　wander　　　　　　From　Eden　past　to　Paradise　to　be；　　Art's　sacred　flowers；　like　fair　stars　shining　yonder；　　　　　　Alone　illumine　Life's　obscurity。

　O　gracious　Artists；　out　of　your　deep　hearts　　　　　　'Tis　some　great　Sun；　I　doubt；　by　men　unguessed；　　Whose　rays　come　struggling　thus；　in　slender　darts；　　　　　　To　shadow　what　Is；　till　Time　shall　manifest。


＇1＇　See　the　germs　of　Democracy　in　the　yoga　teaching　of　the　Hindus；　and　in　the　Upanishads；　the　Bhagavat　Gita；　and　other　books。


With　the　Cosmic　stage　comes　also　necessarily　the　rehabilitation　of　the　WHOLE　of　Society　in　one　fellowship　（the　true　Democracy）。　Not　the　rule　or　domination　of　one　class　or　casteas　of　the　Intellectual；　the　Pious；　the　Commercial　or　the　Militarybut　the　fusion　or　at　least　consentaneous　organization　of　ALL　（as　in　the　corresponding　functions　of　the　human　Body）。　Class　rule　has　been　the　mark　of　that　second　period　of　human　evolution；　and　has　inevitably　given　birth　during　that　period　to　wars　and　self…agrandizements　of　classes　and　sections；　and　their　consequent　greeds　and　tyrannies　over　other　classes　and　sections。　It　is　not　found　in　the　primitive　human　tribes　and　societies；　and　will　not　be　found　in　the　final　forms　of　human　association。　The　liberated　and　emancipated　Man　passes　unconstrained　and　unconstraining　through　all　grades　and　planes　of　human　fellowship；　equal　and　undisturbed；　and　never　leaving　his　true　home　and　abiding　place　in　the　heart　of　all。　Equally　necessarily　with　the　rehabilitation　of　Society　as　an　entirety　will　follow　the　rehabilitation　of　the　entire　physical　body　IN　each　member　of　Society。　We　have　spoken　already　of　Nakedness：　its　meaning　and　likely　extent　of　adoption　（Ch。　XII）。　The　idea　that　the　head　and　the　hands　are　the　only　seemly　and　presentable　members　of　the　organism；　and　that　the　other　members　are　unworthy　and　indecent；　is　obviously　as　onesided　and　lopsided　as　that　which　honors　certain　classes　in　the　commonwealth　and　despises　others。　Why　should　the　head　brag　of　its　ascendancy　and　domination；　and　the　heart　be　smothered　up　and　hidden？　It　will　only　be　a　life　far　more　in　the　open　air　than　that　which　we　lead　at　present；　which　will　restore　the　balance　and　ultimately　bring　us　back　to　sanity　and　health。



XVI。　THE　EXODUS　OF　CHRISTIANITY

We　have　dealt　with　the　Genesis　of　Christianity；　we　now　come　to　the　Exodus。　For　that　Christianity　can　CONTINUE　to　hold　the　field　of　Religion　in　the　Western　World　is　neither　probable　nor　desirable。　It　is　true；　as　I　have　remarked　already；　that　there　is　a　certain　trouble　about　defining　what　we　mean　by　〃Christianity〃　similar　to　that　about　the　word　〃Civilization。〃　If　we　select　out　of　the　great　mass　of　doctrines　and　rites　favored　by　the　various　Christian　Churches　just　those　which　commend　themselves　to　the　most　modern　and　humane　and　rational　human　mind　and　choose　to　call　that　resulting　（but　rather　small）　body　of　belief　and　practice　'Christianity'　we　are；　of　course；　entitled　to　do　so；　and　to　hope　（as　we　do　hope）　that　this　residuum　will　survive　and　go　forward　into　the　future。　But　this　sort　of　proceeding　is　hardly　fair　and　certainly　not　logical。　It　enables　Christianity　to　pose　as　an　angel　of　light　while　at　the　same　time　keeping　discreetly　out　of　sight　all　its　own　abominations　and　deeds　of　darkness。

The　Churchwhich　began　its　career　by　destroying；　distorting　and　denying　the　pagan　sources　from　which　it　sprang；　whose　bishops　and　other　ecclesiastics　assassinated　each　other　in　their　theological　rancour　〃of　wild　beasts；〃　which　encouraged　the　wicked　folly　of　the　Crusadesespecially　the　Children's　Crusadesand　the　shameful　murders　of　the　Manicheans；　the　Albigenses；　and　the　Huguenots；　which　burned　at　the　stake　thousands　and　thousands　of　poor　'witches'　and　'heretics'；　which　has　hardly　ever　spoken　a　generous　word　in　favor　or　defence　of　the　animals；　which　in　modern　times　has　supported　vivisection　as　against　the　latter；　Capitalism　and　Commercialism　as　against　the　poorer　classes　of　mankind；　and　whose　priests　in　the　forms　of　its　various　sects；　Greek　or　Catholic；　Lutheran　or　Protestant；　have　in　these　last　days　rushed　forth　to　urge　the　nations　to　slaughter　each　other　with　every　diabolical　device　of　Science；　and　to　glorify　the　war…cry　of　Patriotism　in　defiance　of　the　principle　of　universal　Brotherhoodsuch　a　Church　can　hardly　claim　to　have　established　the　angelic　character　of　its　mission　among　mankind！　And　if　it　be　saidas　it　often　IS　SAID：　〃Oh！　but　you　must　go　back　to　the　genuine　article；　and　the　Church's　real　origin　and　one　foundation　in　the　person　and　teaching　of　Jesus　Christ；〃　then　indeed　you　come　back　to　the　point　which　this　book；　as　above；　enforces：　namely；　that　as　to　the　person　of　Jesus；　there　is　no　CERTAINTY　at　all　that　he　ever　existed；　and　as　to　the　teaching　credited　to　him；　it　is　certain　that　that　comes　down　from　a　period　long　anterior　to　'Christianity'　and　is　part　of　what　may　justly　be　called　a　very　ancient　World…religion。　So；　as　in　the　case　of　'Civilization；'　we　are　compelled　to　see　that　it　is　useless　to　apply　the　word　to　some　ideal　state　of　affairs　or　doctrine　（an　ideal　by　no　means　the　same　in　all　people's　minds；　or　in　all　localities　and　times）；　but　that　the　only　reasonable　thing　to　do　is　to　apply　it　in　each　case　to　a　HISTORICAL　PERIOD。　In　the　case　of　Christianity　the　historical　period　has　lasted　nearly　2；000　years；　and；　as　I　say；　we　can　hardly　expect　or　wish　that　it　should　last　much　longer。

The　very　thorough　and　careful　investigation　of　religious　origins　which　has　been　made　during　late　years　by　a　great　number　of　students　and　observers　undoubtedly　tends　to　show　that　there　has　been　something　like　a　great　World…religion　coming　down　the　centuries　from　the　remotest　times　and　gradually　expanding　and　branching　as　it　has　comethat　is　to　say　that　the　similarity　（in　ESSENCE　though　not　always　in　external　detail）　between　the　creeds　and　rituals　of　widely　sundered　tribes　and　peoples　is　so　great　as　to　justify　the　view　advanced　in　the　present　volumethat　these　creeds　and　rituals　are　the　necessary　outgrowths　of　human　psychology；　slowly　evolving；　and　that　consequently　they　have　a　common　origin　and　in　their　various　forms　a　common　expression。　Of　this　great　World…religion；　so　coming　down；　Christianity　is　undoubtedly　a　branch；　and　an　important　branch。　But　there　have　been　important　branches　before；　and　while　it　may　be　true　that　Christianity　emphasizes　some　points　which　may　have　been　overlooked　or　neglected　in　the　Vedic　teachings　or　in　Buddhism；　or　in　the　Persian　and　Egyptian　and　Syrian　cults；　or　in　Mahommedanism；　and　so　forth；　it　is　also　equally　true　that　Christianity　has　itself　overlooked　or　neglected　valuable　points　in　these　religions。　It　has；　in　fact；　the　defects　of　its　qualities。　If　the　World…religion　is　like　a　great　tree；　one　cannot　expect　or　desire　that　all　its　branches　should　be　directed　towards　the　same　point　of　the　compass。

Reinach；　whose　studies　of　religious　origins　are　always　interesting　and　characterized　by　a　certain　Gallic　grace　and　nettete；　though　with　a　somewhat　Jewish　non…perception　of　the　mystic　element　in　life；　defines　Religion　as　a　combination　of　animism　and　scruples。　This　is　good　in　a　way；　because　it　gives　the　two　aspects　of　the　subject：　the　inner；　animism；　consisting　of　the　sense　of　contact　with　more　or　less　inte