Paganism Surviving in ChristianityLewis, Abram Herbert
Religion
Paganism Surviving in Christianity
Lewis, Abram Herbert
Christianity and other religions; Paganism
When the current of history emerges at and after the middle of the
second century, marked changes appear which are so identical with
gnosticism and the Greek mysteries that there can be no question as to
their source.[112] Among these changes were the following:
The name is changed, and the new terms used come directly from
the familiar mysteries. Justin calls it ψωτισμός, φωτιζεσθαι,
“enlightenment.”[113] Those who had passed the tests were “sealed,”
φραγις--a term from the mysteries.[114] It was also called
μυστήριον,[115] “Mysteries” and many other terms, all of which sprung
from the “mysteries of Greek paganism, rather than from the New
Testament.”
The time of baptism of adults was changed to meet the pagan conception
of it as a purifying and saving act. A long preparation was demanded,
and, to meet the pagan idea that it removed sins, it was often
deferred until near the close of life in order to make the most of
both worlds.[116] The initiated in the Greek mysteries were given a
password: σύμβολον or σύνθημα. “So the catechumens had a formula which
was only entrusted to them in the last days of their catechumenate,
the baptismal formula itself, and the Lord’s Prayer.”[117] A special
rite accompanied the giving of this formula. Otherwise both the Lord’s
Prayer and the Creed were kept as “mysteries”; the technical name for
creed remains to this day as σύμβολον “symbol.”[118]
Hatch quotes a description of baptism in the Roman Catholic Church,
which shows every essential feature of the Eleusinian mysteries
transferred to “Christian baptism,” falsely so called. The account is
taken from Mabillon.[119] He writes thus:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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