Pagan Origin of Partialist Doctrines

by John Claudius Pitrat

Consequently, the Partialist Protestant Churches, as well as the Church of Rome, hold the doctrine that a small number of privileged Christians obtain the forgiveness of their sins, and are exempted from the punishment of those sins through the medium of a substitute. Then if it is proved that the origin of the doctrine that a small number of privileged Christians obtain the forgiveness of their sins, and are exempted from the punishment of those sins, through the medium of a substitute—as held by the Church of Rome—is Pagan, it will thereby be proved that the doctrine that a small number of privileged Christians obtain the forgiveness of their sins, and are exempted from the punishment of those sins, through the medium of a substitute—as held by the Partialist Protestant Churches—is also of Pagan origin.

In this chapter we shall prove that the origin of the doctrine that a small number of privileged Christians obtain the forgiveness of their sins, and are exempted from the punishment of those sins through the medium of a substitute—as held by the Church of Rome—is Pagan.

It will be evident that the origin of the doctrine that a small number of privileged Christians obtain the forgiveness of their sins, and are exempted from the punishment of their sins, through the medium of a substitute—as held by the Church of Rome—is Pagan, if it is proved, 1st, That there is a striking similarity between the practices required by the Church of Rome to obtain the forgiveness of sins, and to be exempted from the punishment of those sins, and those which were, and still now are, required in the Pagan religion for the same purpose; and, 2d, That those practices were not instituted among Christians in the first two centuries. But it can be proved, 1st, That there is a striking similarity between the practices required by the Church of Rome to obtain the forgiveness of sins, and to be exempted from the punishment of those sins, through the medium of a substitute, and those which were, and still now are, required in the Pagan religion for the same purpose; and, 2d, That those practices were not instituted among Christians in the first two centuries.

1st. We prove that there is a striking similarity between the practices required by the Church of Rome to obtain the forgiveness of sins, and to be exempted from the punishment of those sins, through the medium of a substitute, and those which were, and still now are, required in the Pagan religion for the same purpose.

The Pagans, publicly and privately, used lustral water, which, they thought, had the virtue of purifying the soul, and of remitting the punishment of certain impurities and sins. The Priests, in solemn religious ceremonies, aspersed the assistants with it; and the people kept and used it in their families. In the same manner, the Church of Rome believes that holy water has the virtue of purifying the soul, and of remitting the punishment of certain impurities and sins. The Roman Catholics use it publicly and privately. Every Sunday, before the celebration of the high mass, the priests asperse the people with holy water for the aforesaid end; and also pour it on the coffins of the dead at the funerals. The laymen keep and use it in their families for the same end.

These lustrations are practiced, even in our days, by many of the Pagans. The Madegasses believe that they can obtain the forgiveness of the punishment of their sins in dipping a piece of gold in a vessel full of water, and in drinking that water. The Father Jesuit Bouchet, a missionary in India, writes: "The Indians say that in bathing in certain rivers sins are entirely remitted; and that their mysterious waters wash not only the bodies, but also purify the souls in an admirable manner."

This testimony, Chateaubriand adds, is confirmed by the Memoirs of the English Society of Calcutta. The waters of the Ganges are reputed as having the greatest expiatory virtue: so the Church of Rome holds that the baptismal waters remit the original and all other sins, and exempt those baptized from punishment.

The Pagans believed that certain ceremonies, and their medals representing the gods, had an expiatory virtue: so the Church of Rome holds that genuflexions, the Agnus Dei, the beads, the medals of the saints, and of the virgin Mary, have an expiatory virtue. The Pagans believed that certain prayers remitted certain sins and their punishment; so the Church of Rome believes that Novenas, indulgences, the recitation of the first chapter of the Gospel of John, etc., remit venial sins, and their punishment. The Pagans went in pilgrimage to chapels, where the prayers of the priests, they thought, had an expiatory virtue greater than in other temples; this practice and this belief have been preserved even by the Mahomedans. Now there are at the door of the Mosque of Ali, at Mesched-Aly, dervishes, who, for money, expiate with their prayers the sins of the pilgrims: so the Church of Rome believes that the expiatory virtue of the prayers made by priests, in certain chapels of saints and of Mary, where multitudes of pilgrims resort, is greater than that of the prayers made in other temples.