tude of the most intellectual and virtuous toward the admitted absurdities of the popular mythology. THEIR DEGENERACY AND FINAL DOWNFALL. From the nature of the Mysteries as a secret institution, they contained elements which could easily be turned to abuse. The time for initiation and for the grandest parts of the celebration was in the night. An immense rabble was drawn by curiosity to see whatever was public. Cheats, thieves, and prostitutes, were attracted, thinking this a favorable opportu nity to ply their callings. The later great councils of the Catholic Church brought together similar camp followers, so that, as in the case at Trent, the cities where these met, literally swarmed with them. When the concourse at the Eleusinian festival grew very large, as they were in the time of the Athenian supremacy, excesses of the most flagrant character did undoubtedly follow. These things became notorious as is shown by the fact that the comedians* frequently laid the scene of their plays at the celebration of the mysteries, and made the rape of a young woman the subject of their representations. Bacchus was associated with Ceres in the rites; and the nature of this divinity would naturally lead their devotees to engage in such irregularities as were supposed to be pleasing to their patrons. The xTɛis and pallós, which were carried in the processions as emblems of regeneration, and through the new birth, of purity in life, with most persons lost their moral significance, and were turned to incitements of lasciviousness.† Undoubtedly such a result has always followed the introduction of these emblems in religious rites, as may be shown from the Phallic worship in India and China, and in the Astarte pillars of the Syrian groves. A like result is shown whenever images or emblems are employed to aid worship. They may be innocent, nay even, incentives to worship, by enlisting the senses to help pure spiritual acts; but ere long the image supplants the abstract idea, and idolatry succeeds true devotion. The extension of the mysteries so as to admit great multitudes made the terms of admission more easy, and introduced Theodoret Therap, I. *Fab. Bib. Grace, II, 22 (Art. Com. deper.) laxities in government and morals. Priests set up for themselves, and established imitations in new situations, which, from their remoteness,* had little or no connection with the parent order. New divinities were worshipped in their solemnities, without the consent of the chief Hierophant. From these and similar causes combined, these mysteries, instead of remaining the guardians of truth and conservators of morality,† became rather the depositories of falsehood and corruption. But such was their hold upon public opinion that they survived long after they had become an acknowledged injury to public virtue. When the Emperor Hadrian had a mind to abolish all the mysteries, he was induced to make a special exception in the case of the Eleusinian;‡ since the people held them in such estimation, that it was thought life would be comfortless without them. Hence, it being feared that their abolition would be attended with a popular outbreak, the Emperor was induced to spare them.§ Even Xerxes, who most cordially hated everything pertaining to Greece, had respect to the temple at Eleusis when devastating all around it. At the time of the introduction of Christianity the Mysteries endeavored to make a stand against it by combining with the different philosophical sects; but the foundations of all alike being decayed, they fell together before that "Stone cut out of the mountain without hands," which levels all that opposes its course. After a struggling existence prolonged until the year A. D. 385, they were included in the general proscription of Theodosius the Great, and the magnificent temple of Eleusis was destroyed by Alaric in the year 396. The question: Whence did the Greeks derive their ideas of religion? naturally forces itself upon our attention. For the wisest among them had too much truth to derive it from mere natural religion; while, at the same time, their ideas were not distinct enough to show a direct revelation. The correspondence between their mythology and the Jewish Scriptures in many points is so clear that no candid mind can doubt their derivation indirectly from the Mosaic revelation and Hebrew traditions. A few of these correspondences only can now be Ammian., Mar. Hist., 22, 16. Clem. Alex. Ad. Gent. * Liv. 39. noticed. The two tables of stone from which the great secrets were read at the initiation of the mysteries, direct our thoughts at once to the revelation on Sinai, and compel us to believe that they were imitations of the two tables of the Law. The material from which these tables were made, their inseparable connection, their number, and their use to perpetuate the most holy mysteries of religion, could not be an accidental conformity to the tables of Moses. Hercules of Greece was certainly copied after Samson of Israel. They both begin their public life by slaying a lion; they spend their time in deeds of valor for the protection of others; both are ensnared and meet their death by faithless women. The sacrifice of Iphigenia, in all its leading circumstances, refers so directly to that of Isaac, that we instinctively feel the one was copied from the other. Deucalion and Pyrrha saved in the little ark, which rested upon a mountain,* point conclusively to Noah. It may not be pos sible to say precisely how much resemblance is necessary to establish such a connection between two narratives that we must admit one to be a copy. But still, there may be an amount and exactitude of conformity sufficient to make us feel, with a certainty only short of demonstration, that such connection exists. So it is in the cases named, and many other instances which might be mentioned. It may be said that similar resemblances can be traced between the Jewish and other religions besides the Greek. So far as this refers to nations which could, even by the most indirect means, have had intercourse with the Hebrews, it presents no difficulty. No doubt the rays from that light which was spread over the seed of Abraham were reflected to almost or quite all the earth. The Jews in their different dispersions visited nearly every land. And it is no new thing for the conquerors to be taught by the conquered; as Cicero so well says of the Romans in subduing the Greeks. The Latin race did the same thing for those who wasted Italy. The Arabs for their Castilian conquerors. And, in like manner, the wisdom of Egypt, so far from moulding the Hebrew doctrines of religion, as Ewald + strongly holds, was itself purified and strengthened by the visitors from Canaan and Arabia. Precisely the same state of things respecting the + Hist. Is., vol. II, § I. * Lucian, Timon. Esoteric and Exoteric doctrines, existed in Greece after it had free intercourse with Egypt, as there was in the latter country. The common people in both were polytheists; while the wise and learned had a more rational system jealously guarded from public inspection. The tendency of all men, when left to themselves, is to go backwards in culture and morality. The fittest never survives except by Divine superintendence. For we see that the descendants of Noah, after their separation had returned through the two stages of Polytheism and Nature worship; and, in the Arabic peninsula, sunk to the lowest of all. The family of Terah were idolaters. The book of Job* shows that the host of heaven was worshipped by the Idumean Emirs. Frequent notices in the Korant give evidence that devil worship existed generally in Arabia prior to Mahomet. Hence the constant necessity of repeated revelations to keep alive the true doctrine during that long stage of preparation, “the sundry times and divers manners when God spake by the mouths of prophets." Egypt had, doubtless, through the descendants of Shem, received the traditions of Eden and Ararat. But during the long time from the Noachic covenant until Abraham, when the oracles were silent, the truth had been corrupted though it had been gradually disseminated until all the neighboring peoples had received a share. Hence, when the Divine oracles spake again, the truths they uttered flowed silently and imperceptibly through the same channels of intercourse as before; so that we see no difficulty in asserting, that the Egyptian priests received their doctrines of the Hebrews during the sojourn of Jacob and his sons. The presence of Joseph in Egypt as its ruler, and the great distinction which he justly earned and which is shown by his new name, Saviour of the age, Zaphnath-paaneah; his intermarriage with the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On; the long residence of the Hebrews-all these things combined must have had a marked influence on the religion of this country. And whatever truths were borrowed from the Hebrews would naturally come to the governing class, since this was brought most in contact with them. In this way the Divine Unity and the Soul's Immortality, which always go hand in hand-being counterparts *Job 31, 26-28. Eg. Suras, 2, 5, 6. Ed. Flügel. of the highest religious culture-could be derived immediately from that people which had been entrusted with revelation. And from Egypt, as a centre of culture, and on the great highway of ancient travel, these ideas were extended to Greece, and through this medium disseminated over Europe. Thus the mysteries of Egypt and Greece became the receptacles and conservators of these truths which were necessary to educate men's minds until the fullness of times came, and the way was prepared for Him by whom life and immortality were brought to light. At his advent the heathen oracles were dumb because God had spoken. Mystery had passed away because the true Light had come into the world. |