pagan and christian creeds-第49章
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o speak； NODAL points or periods at which the psychologic currents ran together and condensed themselves for a new start； and has each such node or point of condensation been marked by the appearance of an actual and heroic man （or woman） who supplied a necessary impetus for the new departure； and gave his name to the resulting movement？ OR is it sufficient to suppose the automatic formation of such nodes or starting…points without the intervention of any special hero or genius； and to imagine that in each case the myth… making tendency of mankind CREATED a legendary and inspiring figure and worshiped the same for a long period afterwards as a god？
As I have said before； this is a question which； interesting as it is； is not really very important。 The main thing being that the prophetic and creative spirit of mankind HAS from time to time evolved those figures as idealizations of its 〃heart's desire〃 and placed a halo round their heads。 The long procession of them becomes a REAL piece of History the history of the evolution of the human heart； and of human consciousness。 But with the psychology of the whole subject I shall deal in the next chapter。
I may here； however； dwell for a moment on two other points which belong properly to this chapter。 I have already mentioned the great reliance placed by the advocates of a unique 'revelation' on the high morality taught in the Gospels and the New Testament generally。 There is no need of course to challenge that morality or to depreciate it unduly； but the argument assumes that it is so greatly superior to anything of the kind that had been taught before that we are compelled to suppose something like a revelation to explain its appearancewhereas of course anyone familiar with the writings of antiquity； among the Greeks or Romans or Egyptians or Hindus or later Jews； knows perfectly well that the reported sayings of Jesus and the Apostles may be paralleled abundantly from these sources。 I have illustrated this already from the Sermon on the Mount。 If anyone will glance at the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchsa Jewish book composed about 120 B。 C。he will see that it is full of moral precepts； and especially precepts of love and forgiveness； so ardent and so noble that it hardly suffers in any way when compared with the New Testament teaching； and that consequently no special miracle is required to explain the appearance of the latter。
The twelve Patriarchs in question are the twelve sons of Jacob； and the book consists of their supposed deathbed scenes； in which each patriarch in turn recites his own （more or less imaginary） life and deeds and gives pious counsel to his children and successors。 It is composed in a fine and poetic style； and is full of lofty thought； remindful in scores of passages of the Gospelswords and all the coincidences being too striking to be accidental。 It evidently had a deep influence on the authors of the Gospels； as well as on St。 Paul。 It affirms a belief in the coming of a Messiah； and in salvation for the Gentiles。 The following are some quotations from it：＇1＇ Testament of Zebulun （p。 116）： 〃My children； I bid you keep the commands of the Lord； and show mercy to your neighbours； and have compassion towards all； not towards men only； but also towards beasts。〃 Dan （p。 127）： 〃Love the Lord through all your life； and one another with a true heart。〃 Joseph （p。 173）： 〃I was sick； and the Lord visited me； in prison； and my God showed favor unto me。〃 Benjamin （p。 209）： 〃For as the sun is not defiled by shining on dung and mire； but rather drieth up both and driveth away the evil smell； so also the pure mind； encompassed by the defilements of earth； rather cleanseth them and is not itself defiled。〃
＇1＇ The references being to the Edition by R。 H。 Charles （1907）。
I think these quotations are sufficient to prove the high standard of this book； which was written in the Second Century B。 C。； and FROM which the New Testament authors copiously borrowed。
The other point has to do with my statement at the beginning of this chapter that two of the main 'characteristics' of Christianity were its insistence on （a） a tendency towards renunciation of the world； and a consequent cultivation of a purely spiritual love； and （b） on a morality whose inspiration was a private sense of duty to God rather than a public sense of duty to one's neighbor and to society generally。 I think； however； that the last…mentioned characteristic ought to be viewed in relation to a third； namely； （c） the extraordinarily DEMOCRATIC tendency of the new Religion。＇1＇ Celsus （A。D。 200） jeered at the early Christians for their extreme democracy： 〃It is only the simpletons； the ignoble； the senselessslaves and womenfolk and childrenwhom they wish to persuade ＇to join their churches＇ or CAN persuade〃〃wool…dressers and cobblers and fullers； the most uneducated and vulgar persons；〃 and 〃whosoever is a sinner； or unintelligent or a fool； in a word； whoever is god…forsaken （）； him the Kingdom of God will receive。〃＇2＇ Thus Celsus； the accomplished； clever； philosophic and withal humorous critic； laughed at the new religionists； and prophesied their speedy extinction。 Nevertheless he was mistaken。 There is little doubt that just the inclusion of women and weaklings and outcasts did contribute LARGELY to the spread of Christianity （and Mithraism）。 It brought hope and a sense of human dignity to the despised and rejected of the earth。 Of the immense numbers of lesser officials who carried on the vast organization of the Roman Empire； most perhaps； were taken from the ranks of the freedmen and quondam slaves； drawn from a great variety of races and already familiar with pagan cults of all kindsEgyptian； Syrian； Chaldean； Iranian； and so forth。＇3＇ This fact helped to give to Christianityunder the fine tolerance of the Empire its democratic character and also its willingness to accept all。 The rude and menial masses； who had hitherto been almost beneath the notice of Greek and Roman culture； flocked in； and though this was doubtless； as time went on； a source of weakness to the Church； and a cause of dissension and superstition； yet it was in the inevitable line of human evolution； and had a psychological basis which I must now endeavor to explain。
＇1＇ It is important to note； however； that this same democratic tendency was very marked in Mithraism。 〃Il est certain；〃 says Cumont； 〃qu'il a fait ses premieres conquetes dans les classes inferieures de la societe et c'est l'a un fait considerable； le mithracisme est reste longtemps la religion des humbles。〃 Mysteres de Mithra； p。 68。
＇2＇ See Glover's Conflict of Religions in the early Roman Empire； ch。 viii。
＇3＇ See Toutain； Cultes paiens； vol。 ii； conclusion。
XIV。 THE MEANING OF IT ALL
The general drift and meaning of the present book must now； I think； from many hints scattered in the course of it； be growing clear。 But it will be well perhaps in this chapter； at the risk of some repetition； to bring the whole argument together。 And the argument is that since the dawn of humanity on the earthmany hundreds of thousands or perhaps a million years agothere has been a slow psychologic evolution； a gradual development or refinement of Consciousness； which at a certain stage has spontaneously given birth in the human race to the phenomena of religious belief and religious ritualthese phenomena （whether in the race at large or in any branch of it） always following； step by step； a certain order depending on the degrees of psychologic evolution concerned； and that it is this general fact which accounts for the strange similarities of belief and ritual which have been observed all over the world and in places far remote from each other； and which have been briefly noted in the preceding chapters。
And the main stages of this psychologic evolutionthose at any rate with which we are here concernedare Three： the stage of Simple Consciousness； the stage of Self… consciousness； and a third Stage which for want of a better word we may term the stage of Universal Consciousness。 Of course these three stages may at some future time be analyzed into lesser degrees； with useful result but at present I only desire to draw attention to the
