The origin of the ancient mysteries may, with the greatest probability, be ascribed to the same weakness which forms associations of brotherhood1 among ourselves, and which established congregations under the direction of the Jesuits. It was probably this want of society which raised so many secret assemblies of artisans, of which scarcely any now remain besides that of the Freemasons. Even down to the very beggars themselves, all had their societies, their confraternities, their mysteries, and their particular jargon2, of which I have met with a small dictionary, printed in the sixteenth century.
This natural inclination3 in men to associate, to secure themselves, to become distinguished4 above others, and to acquire confidence in themselves, may be considered as the generating cause of all those particular bonds or unions, of all those mysterious initiations which afterwards excited so much attention and produced such striking effects, and which at length sank into that oblivion in which everything is involved by time.
Begging pardon, while I say it, of the gods Cabri, of the hierophants of Samothrace, of Isis, Orpheus, and the Eleusinian Ceres, I must nevertheless acknowledge my suspicions that their sacred secrets were not in reality more deserving of curiosity than the interior of the convents of Carmelites or Capuchins.
These mysteries being sacred, the participators in them soon became so. And while the number of these was small, the mystery was respected; but at length, having grown too numerous, they retained no more consequence and consideration than we perceive to attach to German barons6, since the world became full of barons.
Initiation5 was paid for, as every candidate pays his admission fees or welcome, but no member was allowed to talk for his money. In all ages it was considered a great crime to reveal the secrets of these religious farces7. This secret was undoubtedly8 not worth knowing, as the assembly was not a society of philosophers, but of ignorant persons, directed by a hierophant. An oath of secrecy9 was administered, and an oath was always regarded as a sacred bond. Even at the present day, our comparatively pitiful society of Freemasons swear never to speak of their mysteries. These mysteries are stale and flat enough; but men scarcely ever perjure10 themselves.
Diagoras was proscribed11 by the Athenians for having made the secret hymn12 of Orpheus a subject for conversation. Aristotle informs us, that ?schylus was in danger of being torn to pieces by the people, or at least of being severely13 beaten by them, for having, in one of his dramas, given some idea of those Orphean mysteries in which nearly everybody was then initiated14.
It appears that Alexander did not pay the highest respect possible to these reverend fooleries; they are indeed very apt to be despised by heroes. He revealed the secret to his mother Olympias, but he advised her to say nothing about it — so much are even heroes themselves bound in the chains of superstition15.
“It is customary,” says Herodotus, “in the city of Rusiris, to strike both men and women after the sacrifice, but I am not permitted to say where they are struck.” He leaves it, however, to be very easily inferred.
I think I see a description of the mysteries of the Eleusinian Ceres, in Claudian’s poem on the “Rape of Proserpine,” much clearer than I can see any in the sixth book of the “?neid.” Virgil lived under a prince who joined to all his other bad qualities that of wishing to pass for a religious character; who was probably initiated in these mysteries himself, the better to impose thereby16 upon the people; and who would not have tolerated such a profanation17. You see his favorite Horace regards such a revelation as sacrilege:—
. . . . Vetabo qui Cereris sacrum
?Fulgarit arcan? sub iisdem
Sit trabibus, vel fragilem que mecum
?Solvat phaselum.
— Horace, book iii, ode 2.
To silence due rewards we give;
?And they who mysteries reveal
Beneath my roof shall never live,
?Shall never hoist18 with me the doubtful sail.
— Francis.
Besides, the Cum?an sibyl and the descent into hell, imitated from Homer much less than it is embellished19 by Virgil, with the beautiful prediction of the destinies of the C?sars and the Roman Empire, have no relation to the fables20 of Ceres, Proserpine, and Triptolemus. Accordingly, it is highly probable that the sixth book of the “?neid” is not a description of those mysteries. If I ever said the contrary, I here unsay it; but I conceive that Claudian revealed them fully21. He flourished at a time when it was permitted to divulge22 the mysteries of Eleusis, and indeed all the mysteries of the world. He lived under Honorius, in the total decline of the ancient Greek and Roman religion, to which Theodosius I. had already given the mortal blow.
Horace, at that period, would not have been at all afraid of living under the same roof with a revealer of mysteries. Claudian, as a poet, was of the ancient religion, which was more adapted to poetry than the new. He describes the droll23 absurdities24 of the mysteries of Ceres, as they were still performed with all becoming reverence25 in Greece, down to the time of Theodosius II. They formed a species of operatic pantomime, of the same description as we have seen many very amusing ones, in which were represented all the devilish tricks and conjurations of Doctor Faustus, the birth of the world and of Harlequin who both came from a large egg by the heat of the sun’s rays. Just in the same manner, the whole history of Ceres and Proserpine was represented by the mystagogues. The spectacle was fine; the cost must have been great; and it is no matter of astonishment26 that the initiated should pay the performers. All live by their respective occupations.
Every mystery had its peculiar27 ceremonies; but all admitted of wakes or vigils of which the youthful votaries28 fully availed themselves; but it was this abuse in part which finally brought discredit29 upon those nocturnal ceremonies instituted for sanctification. The ceremonies thus perverted30 to assignation and licentiousness31 were abolished in Greece in the time of the Peloponnesian war; they were abolished at Rome in the time of Cicero’s youth, eighteen years before his consulship32. From the “Aulularia” of Plautus, we are led to consider them as exhibiting scenes of gross debauchery, and as highly injurious to public morals.
Our religion, which, while it adopted, greatly purified various pagan institutions, sanctified the name of the initiated, nocturnal feasts, and vigils, which were a long time in use, but which at length it became necessary to prohibit when an administration of police was introduced into the government of the Church, so long entrusted33 to the piety34 and zeal35 that precluded36 the necessity of police.
The principal formula of all the mysteries, in every place of their celebration, was, “Come out, ye who are profane37;” that is, uninitiated. Accordingly, in the first centuries, the Christians39 adopted a similar formula. The deacon said, “Come out, all ye catechumens, all ye who are possessed40, and who are uninitiated.”
It is in speaking of the baptism of the dead that St. Chrysostom says, “I should be glad to explain myself clearly, but I can do so only to the initiated. We are in great embarrassment41. We must either speak unintelligibly42, or disclose secrets which we are bound to conceal43.”
It is impossible to describe more clearly the obligation of secrecy and the privilege of initiation. All is now so completely changed, that were you at present to talk about initiation to the greater part of your priests and parish officers, there would not be one of them that would understand you, unless by great chance he had read the chapter of Chrysostom above noticed.
You will see in Minutius Felix the abominable44 imputations with which the pagans attacked the Christian38 mysteries. The initiated were reproached with treating each other as brethren and sisters, solely45 with a view to profane that sacred name. They kissed, it was said, particular parts of the persons of the priests, as is still practised in respect to the santons of Africa; they stained themselves with all those pollutions which have since disgraced and stigmatized46 the templars. Both were accused of worshipping a kind of ass’s head.
We have seen that the early Christian societies ascribed to each other, reciprocally, the most inconceivable infamies47. The pretext48 for these calumnies49 was the inviolable secret which every society made of its mysteries. It is upon this ground that in Minutius Felix, Cecilius, the accuser of the Christians, exclaims:
“Why do they so carefully endeavor to conceal what they worship, since what is decent and honorable always courts the light, and crimes alone seek secrecy?”
“Cur occultare et abscondere quidquid colunt magnopere nituntur? Quum honesta semper publico gaudeant, scelera secreta sint.”
It cannot be doubted that these accusations50, universally spread, drew upon the Christians more than one persecution51. Whenever a society of men, whatever they may be, are accused by the public voice, the falsehood of the charge is urged in vain, and it is deemed meritorious52 to persecute53 them.
How could it easily be otherwise than that the first Christians should be even held in horror, when St. Epiphanius himself urges against them the most execrable imputations? He asserts that the Christian Phibionites committed indecencies, which he specifies54, of the grossest character; and, after passing through various scenes of pollution, exclaimed each of them: “I am the Christ.”
According to the same writer, the Gnostics and the Stratiotics equalled the Phibionites in exhibitions of licentiousness, and all three sects55 mingled56 horrid57 pollutions with their mysteries, men and women displaying equal dissoluteness.
The Carpocratians, according to the same father of the Church, even exceeded the horrors and abominations of the three sects just mentioned.
The Cerinthians did not abandon themselves to abominations such as these; but they were persuaded that Jesus Christ was the son of Joseph.
The Ebionites, in their gospel, maintain that St. Paul, being desirous of marrying the daughter of Gamaliel, and not able to obtain her, became a Christian, and established Christianity out of revenge.
All these accusations did not for some time reach the ear of the government. The Romans paid but little attention to the quarrels and mutual58 reproaches which occurred between these little societies of Jews, Greeks, and Egyptians, who were, as it were, hidden in the vast and general population; just as in London, in the present day, the parliament does not embarrass or concern itself with the peculiar forms or transactions of Mennonites, Pietists, Anabaptists, Millennarians, Moravians, or Methodists. It is occupied with matters of urgency and importance, and pays no attention to their mutual charges and recriminations till they become of importance from their publicity59.
The charges above mentioned, at length, however, came to the ears of the senate; either from the Jews, who were implacable enemies of the Christians, or from Christians themselves; and hence it resulted that the crimes charged against some Christian societies were imputed60 to all; hence it resulted that their initiations were so long calumniated61; hence resulted the persecutions which they endured. These persecutions, however, obliged them to greater circumspection62; they strengthened themselves, they combined, they disclosed their books only to the initiated. No Roman magistrate63, no emperor, ever had the slightest knowledge of them, as we have already shown. Providence64 increased, during the course of three centuries, both their number and their riches, until at length, Constantius Chlorus openly protected them, and Constantine, his son, embraced their religion.
In the meantime the names of initiated and mysteries still subsisted65, and they were concealed66 from the Gentiles as much as was possible. As to the mysteries of the Gentiles, they continued down to the time of Theodosius.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
brotherhood
|
|
| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
jargon
|
|
| n.术语，行话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
inclination
|
|
| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
initiation
|
|
| n.开始 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
barons
|
|
| 男爵( baron的名词复数 )； 巨头； 大王； 大亨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
farces
|
|
| n.笑剧( farce的名词复数 )；闹剧；笑剧剧目；作假的可笑场面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
undoubtedly
|
|
| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
secrecy
|
|
| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
perjure
|
|
| v.作伪证；使发假誓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
proscribed
|
|
| v.正式宣布（某事物）有危险或被禁止( proscribe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
hymn
|
|
| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
severely
|
|
| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
initiated
|
|
| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
superstition
|
|
| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
thereby
|
|
| adv.因此，从而 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
profanation
|
|
| n.亵渎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
hoist
|
|
| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
embellished
|
|
| v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
fables
|
|
| n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
divulge
|
|
| v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
droll
|
|
| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
absurdities
|
|
| n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 )；荒谬；谬论；荒谬的行为 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
reverence
|
|
| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
votaries
|
|
| n.信徒( votary的名词复数 )；追随者；（天主教）修士；修女 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
29
discredit
|
|
| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
perverted
|
|
| adj.不正当的v.滥用( pervert的过去式和过去分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
licentiousness
|
|
| n.放肆，无法无天 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
consulship
|
|
| 领事的职位或任期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
33
entrusted
|
|
| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
piety
|
|
| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
zeal
|
|
| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
precluded
|
|
| v.阻止( preclude的过去式和过去分词 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
profane
|
|
| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
Christians
|
|
| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
unintelligibly
|
|
| 难以理解地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
conceal
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
abominable
|
|
| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
solely
|
|
| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
stigmatized
|
|
| v.使受耻辱，指责，污辱( stigmatize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
infamies
|
|
| n.声名狼藉( infamy的名词复数 )；臭名；丑恶；恶行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
pretext
|
|
| n.借口，托词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
calumnies
|
|
| n.诬蔑，诽谤，中伤（的话）( calumny的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
accusations
|
|
| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
persecution
|
|
| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
meritorious
|
|
| adj.值得赞赏的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
persecute
|
|
| vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
specifies
|
|
| v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
sects
|
|
| n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
mingled
|
|
| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
horrid
|
|
| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
mutual
|
|
| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
publicity
|
|
| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
imputed
|
|
| v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
calumniated
|
|
| v.诽谤，中伤( calumniate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
circumspection
|
|
| n.细心，慎重 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
magistrate
|
|
| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
providence
|
|
| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
subsisted
|
|
| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
concealed
|
|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |