按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
It was probable that this new religion would combine many elements from the preceding rituals in one cult。 In connection with the fine temples and elaborate services of Isis and Cybele and Mithra there was growing up a powerful priesthood； Franz Cumont＇1＇ speaks of 〃the learned priests of the Asiatic cults〃 as building up； on the foundations of old fetichism and superstition； a complete religious philosophyjust as the Brahmins had built the monism of the Vedanta on the 〃monstrous idolatries of Hinduism。〃 And it was likely that a similar process would evolve the new religion expected。 Toutain again calls attention to the patronage accorded to all these cults by the Roman Emperors； as favoring a new combination and synthesis： 〃Hadrien； Commode； Septime Severe； Julia Domna； Elagabal； Alexandre Severe； en particulier ont contribube personnellement a la popularite et au succes des cultes qui se celebraient en l'honneur de Serapis et d'Isis； des divinites syriennes et de Mithra。〃＇2＇
＇1＇ See Cumont； Religions Orientales dans le Paganisme Romain （Paris； 1906）； p。 253。
＇2＇ Cultes paiens dans l'Empire Romain （2 vols。； 1911）； vol。 ii； p。 263。
It was also probable that this new Religion would show （as indicated in the last chapter） a reaction against mere sex…indulgence； and； as regards its standard of Morality generally； that； among so many conflicting peoples with their various civic and local customs； it could not well identify itself with any ONE of these but would evolve an inner inspiration of its own which in its best form would be love of the neighbor； regardless of the race； creed or customs of the neighbor； and whose sanction would not reside in any of the external authorities thus conflicting with each other； but in the sense of the soul's direct responsibility to God。
So much for what we might expect a priori as to the influence of the surroundings on the general form of the new Religion。 And what about the kind of creed or creeds which that religion would favor？ Here again we must see that the influence of the surroundings compelled 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