At the time of Pope and Dryden a classical reaction set in, and now again may be seen in every churchyard the broken shaft, the inverted torches, and innumerable marble urns which “in pride of place” rest upon the monuments in our cemeteries.
The phrase “ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” which occurs in almost every funeral sermon preached by modern clergymen, is but an allegory which was derived from the ancient custom of cineration. It is impossible to imagine ashes without the act of burning.
The inscription “peace to his ashes” which so often is found, in black or golden letters, on the tombstones of the present time, preaches incineration in our burial-grounds.
When the Romans embraced Christianity, it was transformed completely, and represented a strange commixture of rites partly of pagan and partly of Hebrew origin. The dalmatica of priests, utensils for celebrating mass, frankincense, etc., were derived from the Jews; whereas many other things, as for instance the worship of images, sprung from heathenism. The papal tiara has a remarkable resemblance to the historical conical cap of the Roman Pontifex Maximus; and to this day the Latin appellation of the Pope is identical with that of his pagan predecessor. The derivation of the crosier, the pastoral staff of the bishops, from the crook of the augurs is undeniable.
The mummy graves and representations upon the vessels of clay which were deposited in the sepulchres with the mummies testify that the cross (and indeed the upright cross) was one of the oldest and pre-Christian ornaments in the hands of the gods of ancient Egypt. It was not before the twelfth century that it was erroneously made a specific Christian symbol, ostensibly to demonstrate that although the cross was most contemptible, yet Christ himself had elevated it into dignity. Thus the sign of the cross became the symbol of Christianity. Such wooden crosses, history tells us, were also placed as a memorial upon the mounds of heathen graves.
If we would not want to imitate heathenism any more, we would have to quit eating with knives and forks, stop wearing boots and pantaloons, and do away with surcoats and rings. With the exception of steel pens and matches, but little would be left of our daily necessities of life that would not be an imitation of paganism.
The perpetual lamp burning at the ideal grave of the Saviour on the altars of Catholic churches is an imitation of the lamps which were lit on the memorial days of the deceased in the columbaria of ancient Rome, and by whose maintenance slaves, according to testamentary directions, attained the position of freedmen.
The decoration of our burial-grounds with flowers on the memorial days of the dead is copied from the analogous usage of the heathenish Romans.
The enemies of incineration say that every Christian is bound to practice interment because the Bible (I. Moses iii. 19) prescribes:—
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return into the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.”