pagan and christian creeds-第53部分

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。　Finally；　it　seems　that　we　are　now　on　the　edge　of　a　further　stage　when　the　theories　and　the　creeds；　scientific　and　religious；　are　on　the　verge　of　collapsing；　but　in　such　a　way　as　to　leave　the　sense　and　the　perception　of　Unitythe　real　content　of　the　whole　processnot　only　undestroyed；　but　immensely　heightened　and　illuminated。　Meanwhile　the　taboosof　which　there　remain　some　still；　both　religious　and　scientific　have　been　gradually　breaking　up　and　merging　themselves　into　a　reasonable　and　humane　order　of　life　and　philosophy。

I　have　said　that　out　of　this　World…religion　Christianity　really　sprang。　It　is　evident　that　the　time　has　arrived　when　it　must　either　acknowledge　its　source　and　frankly　endeavor　to　affiliate　itself　to　the　same；　or　failing　that　must　perish。　In　the　first　case　it　will　probably　have　to　change　its　name；　in　the　second　the　question　of　its　name　'will　interest　it　no　more。'

With　regard　to　the　first　of　these　alternatives；　I　might　venture　though　with　indifferenceto　make　a　few　suggestions。　Why　should　we　not　haveinstead　of　a　Holy　Roman　Churcha　Holy　HUMAN　Church；　rehabilitating　the　ancient　symbols　and　rituals；　a　Christianity　（if　you　still　desire　to　call　it　so）　frankly　and　gladly　acknowledging　its　own　sources？　This　seems　a　reasonable　and　even　feasible　proposition。　If　such　a　church　wished　to　celebrate　a　Mass　or　Communion　or　Eucharist　it　would　have　a　great　variety　of　rites　and　customs　of　that　kind　to　select　from；　those　that　were　not　appropriate　for　use　in　our　times　or　were　connected　with　the　worship　of　strange　gods　need　not　be　rejected　or　condemned；　but　could　still　be　commented　on　and　explained　as　approaches　to　the　same　ideathe　idea　of　dedication　to　the　Common　Life；　and　of　reinvigoration　in　the　partaking　of　it。　If　the　Church　wished　to　celebrate　the　Crucifixion　or　betrayal　of　its　Founder；　a　hundred　instances　of　such　celebrations　would　be　to　hand；　and　still　the　thought　that　has　underlain　such　celebrations　since　the　beginning　of　the　world　could　easily　be　disentangled　and　presented　in　concrete　form　anew。　In　the　light　of　such　teaching　expressions　like　〃I　know　that　my　Redeemer　liveth〃　would　be　traced　to　their　origin；　and　men　would　understand　that　notwithstanding　the　mass　of　rubbish；　cant　and　humbug　which　has　collected　round　them　they　really　do　mean　something　and　represent　the　age…long　instinct　of　Humanity　feeling　its　way　towards　a　more　extended　revelation；　a　new　order　of　being；　a　third　stage　of　consciousness　and　illumination。　In　such　a　Church　or　religious　organization　EVERY　quality　of　human　nature　would　have　to　be　represented；　every　practice　and　custom　allowed　for　and　its　place　accordedthe　magical　and　astronomical　meanings；　the　rites　connected　with　sun…worship；　or　with　sex；　or　with　the　worship　of　animals；　the　consecration　of　corn　and　wine　and　other　products　of　the　ground；　initiations；　sacrifices；　and　so　forthall　（if　indeed　it　claimed　to　be　a　World…religion）　would　have　to　be　represented　and　recognized。　For　they　all　have　their　long　human　origin　and　descent　in　and　through　the　pagan　creeds；　and　they　all　have　penetrated　into　and　become　embodied　to　some　degree　in　Christianity。　Christianity　therefore；　as　I　say；　must　either　now　come　frankly　forward　and；　acknowledging　its　parentage　from　the　great　Order　of　the　past；　seek　to　rehabilitate　THAT　and　carry　mankind　one　step　forward　in　the　path　of　evolutionor　else　it　must　perish。　There　is　no　other　alternative。＇1＇

＇1＇　Comte　in　founding　his　philosophy　of　Positivism　seems　to　have　had　in　view　some　such　Holy　Human　Church；　but　he　succeeded　in　making　it　all　so　profoundly　dull　that　it　never　flourished；　The　seed　of　Life　was　not　in　it。


Let　me　give　an　instance　of　how　a　fragment　of　ancient　ritual　which　has　survived　from　the　far　Past　and　is　still　celebrated；　but　with　little　intelligence　or　understanding；　in　the　Catholic　Church　of　to…day；　might　be　adopted　in　such　a　Church　as　I　have　spoken　of；　interpreted；　and　made　eloquent　of　meaning　to　modern　humanity。　When　I　was　in　Ceylon　nearly　30　years　ago　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　witness　a　night…festival　in　a　Hindu　Templethe　great　festival　of　Taipusam；　which　takes　place　every　year　in　January。　Of　course；　it　was　full　moon；　and　great　was　the　blowing　up　of　trumpets　in　the　huge　courtyard　of　the　Temple。　The　moon　shone　down　above　from　among　the　fronds　of　tall　coco…palms；　on　a　dense　crowd　of　native　worshipersmen　and　a　few　womenthe　men　for　the　most　part　clad　in　little　more　than　a　loin…cloth；　the　women　picturesque　in　their　colored　saris　and　jewelled　ear　and　nose　rings。　The　images　of　Siva　and　two　other　gods　were　carried　in　procession　round　and　round　the　templethree　or　four　times；　nautch　girls　danced　before　the　images；　musicians；　blowing　horns　and　huge　shells；　or　piping　on　flageolets　or　beating　tom…toms；　accompanied　them。　The　crowd　carrying　torches　or　high　crates　with　flaming　coco…nuts；　walked　or　rather　danced　along　on　each　side；　elated　and　excited　with　the　sense　of　the　present　divinity；　yet　pleasantly　free　from　any　abject　awe。　The　whole　thing　indeed　reminded　one　of　some　bas…relief　of　a　Bacchanalian　procession　carved　on　a　Greek　sarcophagusand　especially　so　in　its　hilarity　and　suggestion　of　friendly　intimacy　with　the　god。　There　were　singing　of　hymns　and　the　floating　of　the　chief　actors　on　a　raft　round　a　sacred　lake。　And　then　came　the　final　Act。　Siva；　or　his　image；　very　weighty　and　borne　on　the　shoulders　of　strong　men；　was　carried　into　the　first　chamber　or　hall　of　the　Temple　and　placed　on　an　altar　with　a　curtain　hanging　in　front。　The　crowd　followed　with　a　rush；　and　then　there　was　more　music；　recital　of　hymns；　and　reading　from　sacred　books。　From　where　we　stood　we　could　see　the　rite　which　was　performed　behind　the　curtain。　Two　five…branched　candlesticks　were　lighted；　and　the　manner　of　their　lighting　was　as　follows。　Each　branch　ended　in　a　little　cup；　and　in　the　cups　five　pieces　of　camphor　were　placed；　all　approximately　equal　in　size。　After　offerings　had　been　made；　of　fruit；　flowers　and　sandalwood；　the　five　camphors　in　each　candlestick　were　lighted。　As　the　camphor　flames　burned　out　the　music　became　more　wild　and　exciting；　and　then　at　the　moment　of　their　extinction　the　curtains　were　drawn　aside　and　the　congregation　outside　suddenly　beheld　the　god　revealed　and　in　a　blaze　of　light。　This　burning　of　camphor　was；　like　other　things　in　the　service；　emblematic。　The　five　lights　represent　the　five　senses。　Just　as　camphor　consumes　itself　and　leaves　no　residue　behind；　so　should　the　five　senses；　being　offered　to　the　god；　consume　themselves　and　disappear。　When　this　is　done；　that　happens　in　the　soul　which　was　now　figured　in　the　ritualthe　God　is　revealed　in　the　inner　light。＇1＇

＇1＇　For　a　more　detailed　account　of　this　Temple…festival；　see　Adam's　Peak　to　Elephanta　by　E。　Carpenter；　ch。　vii。


We　are　familiar　with　this　parting　or　rending　of　the　veil。　We　hear　of　it　in　the　Jewish　Temple；　and　in　the　Greek　and　Egyptian　Mysteries。　It　had　a　mystically　religious；　and　also　obviously　sexual；　signification。　It　occurs　here　and　there　in　the　Roman　Catholic　ritual。　In　Spain；　some　ancient　Catholic　ceremonials　are　kept　up　with　a　brilliance　and　splendor　hardly　found　elsewhere　in　Europe。　In　the　Cathedral；　at　Seville　the　service　of　the　Passion；　carried　out　on　Good　Friday　with　great　solemnity　and　accompanied　with　fine　music；　culminates　on　the　Saturday　morningi。e。　in　the　interval　between　the　Crucifixion　and　the　Resurrection　in　a　spectacle　similar　to　that　described　in　Ceylon。　A　rich　velvet…black　curtain　hangs　before　the　High　Altar。　At　the　appropriate　moment　and　as　the　very　emotional　strains　of　voices　and　instruments　reach　their　climax　in　the　〃Gloria　in　Excelsis；〃　the　curtain　with　a　sudden　burst　of　sound　（thunder　and　the　ringing　of　all　the　bells）　is　rent　asunder；　and　the　crucified　Jesus　is　seen　hanging　there　revealed　in　a　halo　of　glory。

There　is　also　held　at　Seville　Cathedral　and　before　the　High　Altar　every　year；　the　very　curious　Dance　of　the　Seises　（sixes）；　performed　now　by　16　instead　of　（as　of　old）　by　12　boys；　quaintly　dressed。　It　seems　to　be　a　survival　of　some　very　ancient　ritual；　probably　astronomical；　in　which　the　two　sets　of　six　represent　the　signs　of　the　Zodiac；　and　is　celebrated　during　the　festivals　of　Corpus　Christi；　the　Immaculate　Conception；　and　the　Carnival。

Numerous　instances　might　of　course　be　adduced　of　how　a　Church　aspiring　to　be　a　real　Church　of　Humanity　might　adopt　and　re…create　the　rituals　of　the　past　in　the　light　of　a　modern　inspiration。　Indeed　the　difficulty　would　be　to　limit　the　process；　for　EVERY　ancient　ritual；　we　can　now　see；　has　had　a　meaning　and　a　message；　and　it　would　be　a　real　joy　to　disentangle　these　and　to　expose　the　profound　solidarity　of　humanity　and　aspiration　from　the　very　dawn　of　civilization　down　to　the　present　day。　Nor　would　it　be　necessary　to　imagine　any　Act　of　Uniformity　or　dead　level　of　ceremonial　in　the　matter。　Different　groups　might　concentrate　on　different　phases　of　religious　thought　and　practice。　The　only　necessity　would　be　that　they　should　approach　the　subject　with　a　real　love　of　Humanity　in　their　hearts　and　a　real　desire　to　come　into　touch　with　the　deep　inner　life　and　mystic　growing…pains　of　the　souls　of　men　and　women　in　all　ages。　In　this　direction　M。　Loisy　has　done　noble　and　excellent　work；　but　the　dead　weight　and　selfish　blinkerdom　of　the　Catholic　organization　has　hampered　him　to