Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions by T. W. Doane
6. The Mystical Letters I. H. S.[397:2]
1592 words | Chapter 291
In many cases the _Images_ of the Pagan gods were allowed to remain in
these temples, and, after being _Christianized_, continued to receive
divine honors.[397:3]
"In St. Peter's, Rome, is a statue of _Jupiter_, deprived of his
thunderbolt, which is replaced by the emblematic keys. In like manner,
much of the religion of the lower orders, which we regard as essentially
_Christian_, is ancient _heathenism_, refitted with Christian
symbols."[397:4] We find that as early as the time of St. Gregory,
Bishop of Neo-Cesarea (A. D. 243), the "simple" and "unskilled"
multitudes of Christians were allowed to pay divine honors to these
images, hoping that in the process of time they would learn
better.[398:1] In fact, as Prof. Draper says:
"Olympus was restored, but the divinities passed under other
names. The more powerful provinces insisted upon the adoption
of their time-honored conceptions. . . . Not only was the
adoration of _ISIS_ under a new name restored, but even her
image, standing on the crescent moon, reappeared. The
well-known effigy of that goddess with the infant Horus in her
arms, has descended to our days in the beautiful, artistic
creations of the Madonna and child. Such restorations of old
conceptions under novel forms were everywhere received with
delight. When it was announced to the Ephesians, that the
Council of that place, headed by Cyril, had declared that the
Virgin (Mary) should be called the '_Mother of God_,' with
tears of joy they embraced the knees of their bishop; it was
the old instinct cropping out; their ancestors would have done
the same for Diana."[398:2]
"O bright goddess; once again
Fix on earth thy heav'nly reign;
Be thy sacred name ador'd,
Altars rais'd, and rites restor'd."
Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople from 428 A. D., refused to call Mary
"_the mother of God_," on the ground that she could be the mother of the
human nature only, which the divine Logos used as its organ. Cyril,
Bishop of Alexandria, did all in his power to stir up the minds of the
people against Nestorius; the consequence was that, both at Rome and at
Alexandria, Nestorius was accused of heresy. The dispute grew more
bitter, and Theodosius II. thought it necessary to convoke an
OEcumenical Council at Ephesus in 431. On this, as on former occasions,
the affirmative party overruled the negative. The person of Mary began
to rise in the new empyrean. The paradoxical name of "_Mother of God_"
pleased the popular piety. Nestorius was condemned, and died in exile.
The shrine of many an old hero was filled by the statue of some
imaginary saint.
"They have not always" (says Dr. Conyers Middleton), "as I am
well informed, given themselves the trouble of making even
this change, but have been contented sometimes to take up with
the _old image_, just as they found it; after baptizing it
only, as it were, or consecrating it anew, by the imposition
of a Christian name. This their antiquaries do not scruple to
put strangers in mind of, in showing their churches, as it
was, I think, in that of St. Agnes, where they showed me an
antique statue of a young _BACCHUS_, which, with a new name,
and some little change of drapery, stands now worshiped under
the title of a female saint."[398:3]
In many parts of Italy are to be seen pictures of the "Holy Family," of
extreme antiquity, the grounds of them often of gold.
These pictures represent the mother with a child on her knee, and a
little boy standing close by her side; the _Lamb_ is generally seen in
the picture. They are inscribed "_Deo Soli_," and are simply ancient
representations of Isis and Horus. The _Lamb_ is "The Lamb that taketh
away the sins of the world," which, as we have already seen, was
believed on in the Pagan world centuries before the time of Christ
Jesus.[399:1] Some half-pagan Christian went so far as to forge a book,
which he attributed to Christ Jesus himself, which was for the purpose
of showing that he--Christ Jesus--was in no way against these heathen
gods.[399:2]
The _Icelanders_ were induced to embrace Christianity, with its legends
and miracles, and sainted divinities, as the Christian monks were ready
to substitute for Thor, their warrior-god, Michael, the warrior-angel;
for Freyja, their goddess, the Virgin Mary; and for the god Vila, a St.
Valentine--probably manufactured for the occasion.
"The statues of Jupiter, Apollo, Mercury, Orpheus, did duty for _The
Christ_.[399:3] The Thames River god officiates at the baptism of Jesus
in the Jordan. Peter holds the keys of Janus.[399:4] Moses wears the
horns of Jove. Ceres, Cybele, Demeter assume new names, as '_Queen of
Heaven_,' '_Star of the Sea_,' '_Maria Illuminatrix_;' Dionysius is St.
Denis; Cosmos is St. Cosmo; Pluto and Proserpine resign their seats in
the hall of final judgment to the Christ and his mother. The Parcæ
depute one of their number, Lachesis, the disposer of lots, to set the
stamp of destiny upon the deaths of Christian believers. The _aura
placida_ of the poets, the gentle breeze, is personified as Aura and
Placida. The _perpetua felicitas_ of the devotee becomes a lovely
presence in the forms of St. Perpetua and St. Felicitas, guardian angels
of the pious soul. No relic of Paganism was permitted to remain in its
casket. The depositories were all ransacked. The shadowy hands of
Egyptian priests placed the urn of holy water at the porch of the
basilica, which stood ready to be converted into a temple. Priests of
the most ancient faiths of Palestine, Assyria, Babylon, Thebes, Persia
were permitted to erect the altar at the point where the transverse beam
of the cross meets the main stem. The hands that constructed the temple
in cruciform shape had long become too attenuated to cast the faintest
shadow. There Devaki with the infant Crishna, Maya with the babe Buddha,
Juno with the child Mars, represent Mary with Jesus in her arms. Coarse
emblems are not rejected; the Assyrian dove is a tender symbol of the
Holy Ghost. The rag-bags and toy boxes were explored. A bauble which the
Roman schoolboy had thrown away was picked up, and called an '_agnus
dei_.' The musty wardrobes of forgotten hierarchies furnished costumes
for the officers of the new prince. Alb and chasuble recalled the
fashions of Numa's day. The cast-off purple habits and shoes of Pagan
emperors beautified the august persons of Christian popes. The cardinals
must be contented with the robes once worn by senators. Zoroaster bound
about the monks the girdle he invented as a protection against evil
spirits, and clothed them in the frocks he had found convenient for his
ritual. The pope thrust out his foot to be kissed, as Caligula,
Heliogabalus, and Julius Cesar had thrust out theirs. Nothing came amiss
to the faith that was to discharge henceforth the offices of spiritual
impression."[400:1]
The ascetic and monastic life practiced by some Christians of the
present day, is of great antiquity. Among the Buddhists there are
priests who are ordained, tonsured, live in monasteries, and make vows
of celibacy. There are also nuns among them, whose vows and discipline
are the same as the priests.[400:2]
The close resemblance between the ancient religion of _Thibet_ and
_Nepaul_--where the worship of a crucified God was found--and the Roman
Catholic religion of the present day, is very striking. In Thibet was
found the pope, or head of the religion, whom they called the "Dalai
Lama;"[400:3] they use holy water, they celebrate a sacrifice with bread
and wine; they give extreme unction, pray for the sick; they have
monasteries, and convents for women; they chant in their services, have
fasts; they worship one God in a trinity, believe in a hell, heaven, and
a half-way place or purgatory; they make prayers and sacrifices for the
dead, have confession, adore the cross; have chaplets, or strings of
beads to count their prayers, and many other practices common to the
Roman Catholic Church.[400:4]
The resemblance between Buddhism and Christianity has been remarked by
many travelers in the eastern countries. Sir John Francis Davis, in his
"History of China," speaking of Buddhism in that country, says:
"Certain it is--and the observance may be daily made even at
Canton--that they (the Buddhist priests) practice the
ordinances of celibacy, fasting, and prayers for the dead;
they have holy water, rosaries of beads, which they count with
their prayers, the worship of relics, and a monastic habit
resembling that of the Franciscans" (an order of Roman
Catholic monks).
Père Premere, a Jesuit missionary to China, was driven to conclude that
the devil had practiced a trick to perplex his friends, the Jesuits. To
others, however, it is not so difficult to account for these things as
it seemed for the good Father. Sir John continues his account as
follows:
"These priests are associated in monasteries attached to the
temples of Fo. They are in China precisely a society of
mendicants, and go about, like monks of that description in
the Romish Church, asking alms for the support of their
establishment. Their tonsure extends to the hair of the whole
head. There is a regular gradation among the priesthood; and
according to his reputation for sanctity, his length of
service and other claims, each priest may rise from the lowest
rank of servitor--whose duty it is to perform the menial
offices of the temple--to that of officiating priest--and
ultimately of 'Tae Hoepang,' Abbot or head of the
establishment."
The five principal precepts, or rather interdicts, addressed to the
Buddhist priests are:
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