[199] _Feasts and Fasts_, p. 86, _et seq._
[200] _English Works from Original MS. in Bodleian Library_, book ii., p. 75.
[201] _Historical Commentaries_, book iv., chap. iv.
[202] _Sunday and the Mosaic Sabbath_ (Anonymous), p. 4.
[205] _Cf._ Robert Cox, _Sabbath Literature_, vol. i., p. 359. For the Scotch laws mentioned by Cox, see _Critical History of Sunday Legislation_, by the writer, pp. 144-146.
CHAPTER XII. OTHER FORMS OF PAGAN RESIDUUM IN CHRISTIANITY.
A Low Standard of Religious Life--Faith in Relics--The Cross an Ancient Pagan (Phallic) Symbol--A “Charm” Borrowed from Paganism--Constantine’s use of the Composite Symbol as a Military Standard--Prevalence of Faith in “Charms”--Sign of the Cross in Baptism--Baptism and Holy Water as “Charms”--Stupendous Miracles, like Pagan Prodigies, through Baptism--Delayed Baptism--Orientation at Baptism, etc.
Those who have made a study of paganism as it appeared in Christianity during and after the third century know that many other forms of it were prominent besides those fundamental errors which have been discussed in the preceding pages. Some of these have attracted more attention than the fundamental ones, since they lie more plainly on the surface of history. We shall glance at several, that the reader may see the field yet more fully.
That the standard of individual character in the Church was brought far below that of the New Testament, and much below what would be accepted at the present day, appears in the history of morals and social life, and in many ways in the Church.
The degenerate character of his time is thus set forth by CHRYSOSTOM:
“Plagues too, teeming with untold mischiefs, have lighted upon the Churches. The chief offices have become saleable. Hence numberless evils are springing, and there is no one to redress, no one to reprove them. Nay the disorder has assumed a sort of method and consistency. Has a man done wrong and been arraigned for it? His effort is not to prove himself guiltless, but to find if possible accomplices in his crimes. What is to become of us? since hell is our threatened portion. Believe me, had not God stored up punishment for us there, ye would see every day tragedies deeper than the disasters of the Jews. What then? However, let no one take offence, for I mention no names; suppose some one were to come into this church to present you that are here at this moment, those that are now with me, and to make inquisition of them; or rather not now, but suppose on Easter day any one endued with such a spirit, as to have such a thorough knowledge of the things they had been doing, should narrowly examine all that came to Communion and were being washed [in baptism] after they had attended the mysteries; many things would be discovered more shocking than the Jewish horrors. He would find persons who practise augury, who make use of charms, and omens, and incantations, and who have committed fornication, adulterers, drunkards, and revilers,--covetous I am unwilling to add, lest I should hurt the feelings of any of those who are standing here. What more? Suppose any one should make scrutiny into all the communicants in the world, what kind of transgression is there which he would not detect? And what if he examined those in authority? Would he not find them eagerly bent upon gain? making traffic of high places? envious, malignant, vainglorious, gluttonous and slaves to money?”[206]