Chrysostom

also speaks of the betting on chariot races in his own time. The best feature was pagan tolerance, and religious liberty; but Christianity, when it attained to secular power, developed persecution, and suppre ed all other faiths, The Christian world in the west became full __ of beggars, and of slothful monks, of whom one small city in Egypt alone boasted 10,000, with 20,000 nuns—according to history. The drunkenne of converts (which even Paul notices) disgraced the Agape, and led not only to their suppre ion (see Agape), but also _ hece itated in the 8rd century a.c, the institution of the early fasting aaa alr mere symbol of the ancient supper. The Christian festivals, and celebrations at the tombs of saints and martyrs (as _ Ambrose tells us) led, among the rude converts, to scenes of licence. The institution of celibacy among the clergy (on which Pope Hildebrand insisted in the 11th century), resulted in the recognition of focaria and concubines, [The Germans at the Council of Trent complained _ that the tax on concubines was levied even on priests who had none. —t] “The world,” says Hallam (Middle Ages, p. 163), “grew “accustomed to extreme asceticism and gro ne ... especially in Antioch, famous for its hermits.” One abbot is mentioned who had 17 illegitimate children in one village; another is said to have had 70 concubines, and the Bishop of Lidge to have had 65 children Bilecky, Hist. of Morals, ii, pp. 348-355). Such was the degradation of Christianity in the Middle Ages, A The organisation, rites, and vestments of the Church were, alike, borrowed from Paganism. The ecclesia or “congregation ” resembled “many societies of the Roman Empire (see Renan’s Hist, of Christianity). pte “ elders” (presbuteroi), and the “ overseers ” (episkopoi), bore civil titles known much earlier to Greek pagans (see Dean Stanley’s Christian Institutions, and Principal Cunningham's Croal Lectures, 1886). But the “congregation ” was converted into a “church” of ecclesiastics, 2B} and her officers became “ priests” and “bishops.” The original episcopos, who obtained the power of the purse, “doled out clothes, food, and money to the poor of the Quaker-like fraternity,” and neglected not his own calling as a weaver, joiner, or farmer. The linen garments, the tonsure, incense, fasts, and images, the sacred wine and cake of Christian priests, were common to the worship of Isis in our 2nd century, as were the eucharist and mitre to that of Mithra, as Tertullian tells us—in speaking of the Haoma Mithraik rite—in the same age (see Renan’s Marcus Aurelius). The primitive congregation knew nothing of a fasting communion, or of an ‘‘apostolic succe ion.” Turning to consider the foundation on which this system of sacerdotal tyranny was based, we must remember that Jesus, as a humble Galilean, knew nothing of beliefs or literature outside his own small circle. [He is stated, in the third gospel, to have been related to a priest, which probably explains his education in the Hebrew scriptures. He spoke Aramaic, and there is nothing to show that he knew Greek. —Ep.] The Gentiles who accepted his teaching, or rather that of his. disciples, naturally clung to many of their old ideas, and sought to reconcile these with the new doctrines. We see this clearly in the differences which arose between Paul—educated at Tarsus where Greek philosophy flourished—and the strictly Jewish teaching of Peter, as well as in the Alexandrian type of Christianity, or again in the Roman Churches. 467