Identity of Papacy and Paganism.
By James Watson Esq.
MIDDLETON traced the altars of the Romanists to the altars of the pagans. His papist adversary of course preferred deriving them from the altar of incense in the temple of Jerusalem; and is surprised therefore how I can call it heathenish! Yet it is evident, from the nature of that institution, that it was never designed to be perpetual, and that, during its continuance, God would never have approved any other altar, either in Jerusalem or anywhere else. But let him answer directly to this plain question. Was there ever a temple in the world not strictly heathenish in which there were several altars all smoking with incense within one view and at one and the same time? It is certain that he must answer in the negative, yet it is certain that there were such temples in pagan Rome, and are as many still in Christian Rome. And since there was never an example of it but what was paganish before the time of popery, how is it possible that it could be derived to them from any other source? Or when we see so exact a resemblance in the copy, how can there be any doubt about the original? Many altars under the same roof indicate many objects of worship, and the Polytheism of the church of Rome is manifested by the first view of the interior of their cathedrals. This similarity in the Polytheism of paganism and popery is most clearly shown in the pope displacing Jupiter and all the gods from the Pantheon, to make way for the Virgin Mary and all the saints. The noblest heathen temple now remaining in the world, is the Pantheon or Rotunda, which, as the inscription over the portico informs us, having been impiously dedicated of old by Agrippa to Jove, and all the gods, was piously consecrated by Pope Boniface IV. to the blessed Virgin and all the saints. With this single alteration, it serves as exactly for all the purposes of the popish, as it did for the pagan worship, for which it was built. For as in the old temple every one might find the god of his country, and address himself to that deity whose religion he was most devoted to, so it is the same thing now—every one chooses the patron whom he likes best, and one here may see different services going on at the same time at different altars with distinct congregations around them, just as the inclinations of the people lead them to the worship of this or that particular saint. Middleton shows very well not only that the rites of the papist are borrowed from the pagan, but that many of those rites were condemned both by the Christian church and the Christian emperors even when religion was much corrupted. The Christian emperors strictly prohibited their pagan subjects to light up candles, offer incense or hang up garlands to senseless images, for these were then reckoned the notorious acts of genuine paganism. Yet now we see all these very acts performed every day in popish countries to the images of the popish saints. In a word, since there never was an image in the temple of the true God in any part of the world, yet a perpetual use of them in all the temples of the heathen, it is in vain to dispute about their origin. The thing is evident to a demonstration. They must necessarily be derived to the present Romans from those who always used, and not from those who always detested, them—that is from their pagan, not their Christian, ancestors. In their very priesthood they have contrived, one would think, to keep up as near a resemblance as they could to that of pagan Rome. And the sovereign pontiff, instead of deriving his succession from St. Peter, may, with more reason and a much better plea, style himself the successor of the Pontifex Maximus, or chief priest of old Rome, whose authority and dignity was the greatest in the republic. We see a simpler and more honest representation of popery than any that Bossuet or the doctors of the church afford in the conduct of the Portuguese, when they first arrived in India. In their devout and unsophisticated minds, popery and paganism were completely identified. The continual shouts of Chrishnu, Chrishnu, they confidently mistook for the invocation of Christ; the idol temples appeared to them Romish cathedrals, and the Brahmins, popish priests. From this place the kutwal escorted the general to one of their pagodas or idol temples, into which they entered, and which the kutwal said was a church of great holiness. This the general believed to be the case, fancying it to be a church of the Christians, which he the more readily believed, as he saw seven little bells hung over the principal door. In front of this entry there stood a pillar made of wire as tall as the mast of a ship, on the top of which was a weather-cock, likewise made of wire. This church was as large as a moderate convent, all built of freestone, and covered or vaulted over with brick, having a fine outward appearance, as if its inside were of splendid workmanship. Our general was much pleased with the church, as he actually believed himself in a Christian country, and gladly entered along with the kutwal. They were received by the priests, who were naked from their waists upward, having a petticoat of cotton hanging down from the girdle to their knees, and pieces of calico covering their armpits; their heads, legs, and feet bare. They were distinguished by wearing certain threads over their right shoulders which crossed over their breasts and under their left arms, much in the way in which our priests used formerly to wear their stoles when they said mass. These men are called kafirs, and are idolaters, serving as priests in the pagodas of Malabar; and on the general going into the pagoda, they took holy water with a sprinkler from a font, and threw it over the kutwal and him, and their attendants. After this, they gave them powdered sandal wood to throw upon their heads as used to be done amongst us with ashes; and they were directed to do the same on their arms. But our people, as being clothed, omitted this latter part of the ceremony, complying with the other. In the pagoda they saw many images painted on the walls, some of which had monstrous teeth179projecting an inch from their mouths, and some had four arms; all of them so ugly that they seemed like devils, which raised doubts amongst our people whether they were actually in a Christian church. In the middle of the pagoda stood a chapel, having a roof or dome of free-stone like a tower, in one part of which was a door of wire, to which there led a flight of stone steps. On the inside of this tower, an image was observed in a recess of the wall, which our men could not see distinctly, as the place was somewhat dark, and they were not permitted to go near, as none were allowed to approach except the priest. But, from certain words and signs, our people understood this to be an image of the Virgin; on which the general and his attendants went upon their knees to say their prayers. John de Sala, however, being very doubtful that this was a Christian church, owing to the numerous images on the walls, said as he fell on his knees, If this be the devil, I worship God—at which the general looked at him with a smile. Popery is paganism under a thin disguise of Christianity, and accordingly, in all things it is but a gross and material counterfeit of true and spiritual religion.—James Watson Esq.