The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-08
PAGANIZED CHRISTIANITY.

The early converts to Christianity
came from the two classes of Pagans
and Jews. Each brought his own pc
culiar views with him, which he, in a
modified form, embodied in his new
faith. This was inevitable. We see it
exhibited in all changes from one
sect to another. Let person be con
verted from Orthodoxy to Universal
ism, and he will unconsciously bring
some of his prejudices and pecuii nj
ties engendered by early education
and association with kindred spirits,
into his more enlarged and consistent
faith. Something of the spirit of
partial and vindictive views will still
cling to him, and influence him in his
new relations SO that he will not be
the same Christian that he would
have been, had he been brought up
in a more cheerful system of religion
He may in time outgrow it, but at
first his early associations will color
his new views and modify his adopted
system of belief.
So in the early ages of the Chris
tian Church, the convert from the
Jews was a different kind Of Chris
tan from those who came from the
Pagans. The one class with great
tenancity, clings to forms and cere-
monial observances while the other
throws off restraint and INDUCES in
loose and vain practices.
These two types of Christianity are
seen in the churches at Antioch and
Jerusalem, respectively, and in Paul
and Peter, one the apostle of the Gen
tiles, the other the preventative of
the exclusive Jewish element.
The influence of foreign elements
is seen in doctrines as we'll as prac-
tees. Many of the early converts
from the pagan source did not rid
themselves of the sentiment in which
they had been imbued, even after
they had long been in the Christian
church. They did not give up their
former opinions. but incorporated
them into the church. Says Hase
in his history of the Christian Church:
$50 many religious phases and festi
walls connected with idolatry were
preserved at Rome that it may more
properly be said to have been incor-
porated into the life of the Church
than abolished And in the san .
vein, Mr.. Thorn in his Commentary on
Corinthians, remarks: "The Corinthian,
though drawn to the Gospel by some
secret and powerful sympathy, would
not on the instant cease to be the
man he had been; he was not pre-
pared to forget ill moment his IA
vorite philosophy, or to renounce at
once his former indulgences; and the
tendency would be rather 70 engraft,
as far as possible, his old ideas and
usages on the new and healthy stock
of Christianity, than to find for it i'm
mediately clear admission into an
empty bosom"
The consequence was that in Rome
and Corinth, both pre-eminently pa
gan cities, many corrupt doctrines
and usages were fastened upon the
Church. And this is seen in the
Epistles of Paul to the churches, in
many passages which allude to the err
rors that had been thus introduced
as disturbing elements into the
church. The efforts of the apostles
and other teachers were specially di-
rected to the expulsion of these errors
and allaying the discussions which
arose therefrom.
TWAS in this way that the doctrines
of endless misery, the trinity and Vi
carious atonement were introduced.
These doctrines are found in pagan
ism. Its champions supposed the
gods were angry with sinners and re-
quired costly sacrifices of them in or
der to placate their wrath and make
them propitious. They believed in
corrigible Violators of the divine law
would be punished in Tartarus for
ever. And Plato, as we'll as the Bud
dhists gives US the idea of the trinity,