CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Remains of Paganism in Christianity | [1] |
| Preliminary Survey—An Imaginary Past—Issue betweenProtestantism and Romanism—General Testimony Relative toPagan Elements in Christianity, from Dyer, Lord, Tiele,Baronius, Polydore Virgil, Fauchet, Mussard, De Choul,Wiseman, Middleton, Max Müller, Priestley, Thebaud,Hardwick, Maitland, Seymore, Renan, Killen, Farrar,Merivale, Westropp and Wake, and Lechler. | |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Pagan Methods of Interpreting the Scriptures | [31] |
| Contrast between the Christianity of the New Testament and Thatof the Later Centuries—Gnosticism and Allegorical Interpretation—Testimonyof Harnack and Bauer Concerning the “Hellenizationof Christianity”—Hatch on “Pagan Exegesis”—The “Fathers”as Allegorists; Justin, Clement of Alexandria, Barnabas, andOthers—Examples: “The Red Heifer a Type of Christ”;“Spiritual Circumcision”; “Scriptural Significance of Foods”;“The Cross in the Old Testament”; “Why Are There One Hundredand Fifty Psalms?”; “The Phœnix a Type of the Resurrection”;“Gnostic Exposition of the Decalogue”; “Types ofChrist”; Various Examples from Augustine. | |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| Asiatic Pagan Water-Worship | [71] |
| Fundamental Corruption of Christian Baptism through PaganWater-Worship—“Baptismal Regeneration,” the Product of Paganism—SpiritualPurity Sought through Pagan Baptism—Testimoniesfrom Jamblicus, Virgil, Ovid, Herodotus, Juvenal, andOthers—Baptism and Serpent-Worship—Baptism and EgyptianSun-Worship—The Sacred Nile—The Prevalence of Water-Worshipin India—Sacred Wells—Sacred Rivers—Modern Buddhisticand Modern Hindu Baptism. | |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Water-Worship in Northern Europe and in Mexico | [98] |
| Water-Worship Prominent in Many Ways, and Associated withHoly Seasons—Infant Baptism among the Scandinavians andTeutons—Pagan “Christening of Children”—Sacred Water as aSafeguard against Disease, etc.—Virtue of Water Used for MechanicalPurposes—Water Sprites—Similarity between Roman Catholicismand Paganism of Mexico—Aztec Baptism—Prayer for “BaptismalRegeneration” of Child by Mexican Midwife. | |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Greek Water-Worship | [112] |
| Sprinkling and Immersion Both Used—Prominence of “BaptismalRegeneration”—Lustral Water at Temple Doors—Baptism ofAnimals—Influence of “The Greek Mysteries” on Christian Baptism—InitiatoryBaptisms—Scenic Illustrations—Mithraic BaptismEngrafted on Grecian—“Creed,” “Symbol,” Drawn from GrecianWater-Worship Cult—Identity of Grecian and Roman CatholicForms—The Use of Spittle in Pagan Baptism. | |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Pagan Water-Worship Transferred to Christianity | [128] |
| Testimony from Tertullian, Barnabas, Justin, Methodius, theApostolic Constitutions, etc.—Holy Water, or Repeated Baptism,Borrowed without Change—Magical Effects of Holy Water, theSame in Christian as in Pagan Cult—Baptism of Animals by HolyWater, to Produce Magical Results—Holy Water Prepared afterthe Pagan Method—Consecration of Baptismal Waters Borrowedfrom Pagan Combination of Sun- and Water-Worship—The ChurchFilled with Baptized but Unconverted Pagans, and so Passed underPagan Control. | |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Pagan Sun-Worship | [156] |
| Sun-Worship the Oldest and Most Widely Diffused Form of Paganism—GnosticAntinomianism or Lawlessness—Anti-Judaism,Mainly of Pagan Origin—Anti-Sabbathism and Sunday ObservanceSynchronous—Anti-Lawism and Anti-Sabbathism Unscriptural—Christ’sTeachings Concerning the Law of God; Paul’s Teachingson the Same—Destructive Effect of Pagan Lawlessness on Christianity. | |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Sunday Observance Unknown to Christianity before the Middle of the Second Century | [171] |
| Mistaken Notions Concerning the Beginning of Sunday Observance—NoSunday Observance in the New Testament—SundayDirectly Referred to but Three Times—It is Never Spoken of as aSabbath, nor as Commemorative of Christ’s Resurrection—TheBible does Not State that Christ Rose on Sunday—Christ and HisDisciples Always Observed the Sabbath—The Change of theSabbath Unknown in the New Testament—The Sabbath NeverCalled “Jewish” in the Scriptures, nor by Any Writer until afterPaganism had Invaded the Church—Origin of Sunday ObservanceFound in Paganism—First Reference to Sunday Observance about150 A.D.—No Writer of the Early Centuries Claimed ScripturalReasons for Its Observance—Pagan Reasons and Arguments Adducedin Its Support; a Day of “Indulgence to the Flesh”—PretendedScriptural Reasons, ex post facto. | |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| State Religion a Pagan Institution | [188] |
| Christ’s Attitude toward the State—The Roman Conception of Religionas a Department of the State—Roman Civil Law Createdand Regulated All Religious Duties—Effect of the Pagan Doctrineof Religious Syncretism on Christianity—The Emperor a Demi-God,Entitled to Worship, and, ex officio, the Supreme Authorityin Religion—The Deep Corruption of Roman Morals and SocialLife under Pagan State Religion. | |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| The Control of Christianity by the State under Constantine and his Successors | [203] |
| A New Epoch in the Paganizing of Christianity—Paganism Seekinga New God, Strong Enough to Save the Empire—ConstantineNot a “Christian Emperor,” but Superstitious, Time-Serving, andAmbitious—Murdering His Kindred while Promoting Christianityas a Rising Political Influence—Seeking Christianity Mainly forAmbitious Ends—Professing Christianity Only on his Death-Bed—Makingthe Most of Both Worlds—Constantine Corrupted andPerverted Christianity More than He Aided It. | |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Constantine’s Legislation Concerning the Pagan Sunday | [217] |
| All His Tolerative Legislation Essentially Pagan—Christians didNot Seek for Sunday Laws—The First Sunday Law, 321 A.D., Paganin Every Particular—Essentially Identical with Existing Laws ConcerningOther Days—Legislation against Heathen Religions Feebleand Unenforced—Constantine Not a “Christian Prince.” | |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Other Forms of Pagan Residuum in Christianity | [231] |
| A Low Standard of Religious Life—Faith in Relics—The Cross anAncient Pagan (Phallic) Symbol—A “Charm” borrowed fromPaganism—Constantine’s Use of the Composite Symbol as a MilitaryStandard—Prevalence of Faith in “Charms”—Sign of theCross in Baptism—Baptism and Holy Water as “Charms”—StupendousMiracles, like Pagan Prodigies, through Baptism—DelayedBaptism—Orientation at Baptism, etc. | |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| Same Subject Continued | [263] |
| Lights in Worship—Worshipping “toward the East”—EasterFires—Beltane or Baal Fires—Penance—Mariolatry—The Mass—Purgatoryand Prayers for the Dead—Peter’s Keys—Christmas—Easter—Lent,etc. | |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Five Conclusions. The Fundamental Principles of Protestantism Involved in Present Issues | [282] |
| Protestants must Accept the Bible in Fact, as well as in Theory,or be Overthrown—The Bible must be Reinterpreted in the Lightof “Higher Criticism” and Deeper Spiritual Life—The PresentTendencies in Bible Study Mark the Opening of the Second Stageof the Protestant Movement—Baptism must Cease to be the Foot-Ballof Denominational Polemics and be Raised to a Question ofObedience to the Example of Christ—Protestants must Return tothe Sabbath, Christianized by Christ, and to True Sabbathism,Which Is as Undenominational as Faith—Such Sabbathism, andGod’s Sabbath, must be Restored to the Place from Which PaganNo-Sabbathism and the Pagan Sunday Drove Them—“Sabbath”Legislation Is Unchristian—All Union of Christianity with the Statemust Yield before the Normal Development of True Protestantism. | |
| Index | [301] |
PAGANISM IN CHRISTIANITY.
CHAPTER I.
REMAINS OF PAGANISM IN CHRISTIANITY.
Preliminary Survey—An Imaginary Past—Issue between Protestantism and Romanism—General Testimony Relative to Pagan Elements in Christianity, from Dyer, Lord, Tiele, Baronius, Polydore Virgil, Fauchet, Mussard, De Choul, Wiseman, Middleton, Max Müller, Priestley, Thebaud, Hardwick, Maitland, Seymore, Renan, Killen, Farrar, Merivale, Westropp and Wake, and Lechler.
A preliminary survey is the more necessary lest the general reader fail to grant the facts of history a competent hearing and a just consideration. Unconsciously men think of the earliest Christianity as being like that which they profess. They measure the early centuries by their own. Their Church, its doctrines, forms, creeds and customs, stands as the representative of all Christianity. It seems like a “rude awakening” to ask men to believe that there is a “pagan residuum” in their faith, or in the customs of their fathers. The average Christian must pass through a broadening process, before he can justly consider such a question. Unhappily, there are too many who are unwilling to undergo such an enlargement of their religious and historical horizon as will make them competent to consider those facts which every earnest student of history must face. But the Christian who believes in the immortality of truth, and in the certainty of its triumph, will welcome all facts, even though they may modify the creed he has hitherto accepted.
A writer in the Edinburgh Review and Critical Journal, commenting on the revised volumes of Bishop Lightfoot on Ignatius and Polycarp, speaking of the tendency to judge the early centuries by our own, thus vitiating our conclusions, says: