Paganism Surviving in ChristianityLewis, Abram Herbert
Religion
Paganism Surviving in Christianity
Lewis, Abram Herbert
Christianity and other religions; Paganism
“And afterwards, let him say again: ‘Dost thou believe in our Lord
Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, the Father; that he became man in
a wonderful manner for us, in an incomprehensible unity, by his Holy
Spirit, of Mary, the Holy Virgin, without the seed of man; and that
he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, died of his own will,
once for our redemption, rose on the third day, loosening the bonds
(of death), he ascended up into heaven, sat on the right hand of his
good Father on high, and he cometh again to judge the living and the
dead at his appearing and his kingdom? And dost thou believe in the
Holy Good Spirit and Quickener, who wholly purifieth; and in the Holy
Church?’
“Let him say again: ‘I believe.’
“And let them go up out of the water, and the presbyter shall anoint
him with the oil of thanksgiving, saying: ‘I anoint thee with holy
anointing oil in the name of Jesus Christ.’ Thus he shall anoint
every one of the rest, and clothe them as the rest, and they shall
enter into the Church.”[131]
After entering the church the candidate was anointed a second time, in
connection with the “prayer of blessing” and the “kiss of peace.” This
was followed by the service of the communion, which included bread,
wine, _milk and honey_, showing that the Lord’s Supper, as well as
baptism, was corrupted with pagan elements.
Holy Water.
The use of holy water formed an important part of the pagan system.
It was a sort of continuous baptism, a succession of baptismal acts.
That it is wholly unscriptural, and in every way foreign to Christian
baptism, is too obvious to need statement. There are abundant evidences
of its pagan origin; among them are the following:
“Some persons derive the use of holy water in the churches from the
Jews; but that it has been derived from the ancient heathens of Rome
is now very generally believed, and, indeed, is warmly defended
by the intelligent Ecclesiastics at Rome, on the principle that,
as the heathen temples have been turned into Christian churches,
so it was well to lay hold of the heathen practices and turn them
into Christian customs, thus reconciling the heathen to a change of
religion, seeing it did not change their favorite rites and customs.
At the entrance of the heathen temples there were vessels of water
with which the votaries sprinkled themselves as they entered to
worship, and as it seemed desirable to make as little difference as
possible, so as to induce the heathen to conform the more readily to
Christian worship, similar vessels of water consecrated or made holy,
were placed at the entrance of the Christian churches, and thus the
custom has continued. Such at least is the origin generally ascribed
at Rome to this practice, and such the principle on which it is
defended by the men of mind and judgment among the priesthood.”[132]
Dr. JOSEPH PRIESTLEY thus supplements Mr. Seymore’s statements:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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