pagan and christian creeds-第33章

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＇For　when　the　human　mind　has　reached　that　stage　of　consciousness　in　which　each　man　realizes　his　own　'self'　as　a　rational　and　consistent　being；　〃looking　before　and　after；〃　then；　as　I　have　said　already；　the　mind　projects　on　the　background　of　Nature　similarly　rational　Presences　which　we　may　call　'Gods'；　and　at　that　stage　'Religion'　begins。　Before　that；　when　the　mind　is　quite　unformed　and　dream…like；　and　consists　chiefly　of　broken　and　scattered　rays；　and　when　distinct　self…consciousness　is　hardly　yet　developed；　then　the　presences　imagined　in　Nature　are　merely　flickering　and　intermittent　phantoms；　and　their　propitiation　and　placation　comes　more　properly　under；　the　head　of　'Magic。'＇

So　much　for　the　genesis　of　the　religious　ideas　of　Sin　and　Sacrifice；　and　the　rites　connected　with　these　ideas　their　genesis　through　the　in…break　of　self…consciousness　upon　the　corporate　SUB…consciousness　of　the　life　of　the　Community。　But　an　exactly　similar　process　may　be　observed　in　the　case　of　the　other　religious　ideas。

I　spoke　of　the　doctrine　of　the　SECOND　BIRTH；　and　the　rites　connected　with　it　both　in　Paganism　and　in　Christianity。　There　is　much　to　show　that　among　quite　primitive　peoples　there　is　less　of　shrinking　from　death　and　more　of　certainty　about　a　continued　life　after　death　than　we　generally　find　among　more　intellectual　and　civilized　folk。　It　is；　or　has　been；　quite；　common　among　many　tribes　for　the　old　and　decrepit；　who　are　becoming　a　burden　to　their　fellows；　to　offer　themselves　for　happy　dispatch；　and　to　take　willing　part　in　the　ceremonial　preparations　for　their　own　extinction；　and　this　readiness　is　encouraged　by　their　nave　and　untroubled　belief　in　a　speedy　transference　to　〃happy　hunting…grounds〃　beyond　the　grave。　The　truth　is　that　when；　as　in　such　cases；　the　tribal　life　is　very　whole　and　unbrokeneach　individual　identifying　himself　completely　with　the　tribethe　idea　of　the　individual's　being　dropped　out　at　death；　and　left　behind　by　the　tribe；　hardly　arises。　The　individual　is　the　tribe；　has　no　other　existence。　The　tribe　goes　on；　living　a　life　which　is　eternal；　and　only　changes　its　hunting…grounds；　and　the　individual；　identified　with　the　tribe；　feels　in　some　subconscious　way　the　same　about　himself。

But　when　one　member　has　broken　faith　with　the　tribe；　when　he　has　sinned　against　it　and　become　an　outcast　ah！　then　the　terrors　of　death　and　extinction　loom　large　upon　him。　〃The　wages　of　sin　is　death。〃　There　comes　a　period　in　the　evolution　of　tribal　life　when　the　primitive　bonds　are　loosening；　when　the　tendency　towards　SELF…will　and　SELF…determination　（so　necessary　of　course　in　the　long　run　for　the　evolution　of　humanity）　becomes　a　real　danger　to　the　tribe；　and　a　terror　to　the　wise　men　and　elders　of　the　community。　It　is　seen　that　the　children　inherit　this　tendencyeven　from　their　infancy。　They　are　no　longer　mere　animals；　easily　herded；　it　seems　that　they　are　born　in　sinor　at　least　in　ignorance　and　neglect　of　their　tribal　life　and　calling。　The　only　cure　is　that　they　MUST　BE　BORN　AGAIN。　They　must　deliberately　and　of　set　purpose　be　adopted　into　the　tribe；　and　be　made　to　realize；　even　severely；　in　their　own　persons　what　is　happening。　They　must　go　through　the　initiations　necessary　to　impress　this　upon　them。　Thus　a　whole　series　of　solemn　rites　spring　up；　different　no　doubt　in　every　locality；　but　all　having　the　same　object　and　purpose。　＇And　one　can　understand　how　the　necessity　of　such　initiations　and　second　birth　may　easily　have　been　itself　felt　in　every　race；　at　some　stage　of　its　evolutionand　THAT　quite　as　a　spontaneous　growth；　and　independently　of　any　contagion　of　example　caught　from　other　races。＇

The　same　may　be　said　about　the　world…wide　practice　of　the　Eucharist。　No　more　effective　method　exists　for　impressing　on　the　members　of　a　body　their　community　of　life　with　each　other；　and　causing　them　to　forget　their　jangling　self…interests；　than　to　hold　a　feast　in　common。　It　is　a　method　which　has　been　honored　in　all　ages　as　well　as　to…day。　But　when　the　flesh　partaken　of　at　the　feast　is　that　of　the　Totemthe　guardian　and　presiding　genius　of　the　tribeor　perhaps　of　one　of　its　chief　food…animals　then　clearly　the　feast　takes　on　a　holy　and　solemn　character。　It　becomes　a　sacrament　of　unityof　the　unity　of　all　with　the　tribe；　and　with　each　other。　Self…interests　and　self…　consciousness　are　for　the　time　submerged；　and　the　common　life　asserts　itself；　but　here　again　we　see　that　a　custom　like　this　would　not　come　into　being　as　a　deliberate　rite　UNTIL　self…consciousness　and　the　divisions　consequent　thereon　had　grown　to　be　an　obvious　evil。　The　herd…　animals　（cows；　sheep；　and　so　forth）　do　not　have　Eucharists；　simply　because　they　are　sensible　enough　to　feed　along　the　same　pastures　without　quarrelling　over　the　richest　tufts　of　grass。

When　the　flesh　partaken　of　（either　actually　or　symbolically）　is　not　that　of　a　divinized　animal；　but　the　flesh　of　a　human…formed　godas　in　the　mysteries　of　Dionysus　or　Osiris　or　Christthen　we　are　led　to　suspect　（and　of　course　this　theory　is　widely　held　and　supported）　that　the　rites　date　from　a　very　far…back　period　when　a　human　being；　as　representative　of　the　tribe；　was　actually　slain；　dismembered　and　partly　devoured；　though　as　time　went　on；　the　rite　gradually　became　glossed　over　and　mitigated　into　a　love…communion　through　the　sharing　of　bread　and　wine。

It　is　curious　anyhow　that　the　dismemberment　or　division　into　fragments　of　the　body　of　a　god　（as　in　the　case　of　Dionysus；　Osiris；　Attis；　Praj