Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries
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Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

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11.07.2015 Views

28 THE GODS OF THE NATIONSunseen objects of worship in visible characters ofwood or stone, if, finally, the ignorance of thetrue God, together with the beauty of the creaturesubstituted for Him,26 were the disposing causeswithin man to idolatry, there was a cause outsideof him which must not be forgotten. When welook upon this idolatry, occupying not one countryor race, but all; not merely bewildering savage oruncivilised man, " but throned in the chief seats ofthe world's choicest civilisation : when we loolupon its endlessly divergent forms, its palpablecontradictions, its cherished or commanded immoralities,its crowd of debasing, irrational, heterogeneoussuperstitions, its cruelty, sensuality, andfearfulness, all these being no less an insult toman's reason than a derogation from God's majesty,who is there that does not feel this to be thestrangest and most astonishing sight which historypresents to man ? And yet there is a unity whichruns through it all, and stamps it with a doublemark. ^Not only is it a service due from manto God, which is paid by him to the creaturerather than to the Creator,27 but more especiallyit is that service paid by man to God's enemies,the fallen angels. These it is who have assumed26 See S. Thomas, Summa, 2, 2, q. 94, a. 4.27 Of this whole polytheism in the mass S. Paul pronounces the judgment: Olrives /j.er'fjXXaav rrjv aA7]0etcw rov &eov eV T£ t//eu5et, /cat 6eXdrpsva-av ry Kruret irapa rbv Krliravra. Rom. i. 25. And the Psalmistadds :"Or* irdvres ol 0eot ruv tQv&v 8ai/j.6via' 6 Se Kvpios rovs ovpavovs e'TroSept. xcv. 5. See also Ps. cv. 37.

WHEN CHRIST APPEARED.29the mask of dead men ; these it is who within thesculptured forms of Jupiter, Juno, Mars, and Venus,of Baal and Derketo and My lit t a, of Anubisand Serapis, of Thor and Woden, and so manymore, receive man's adoration, and rejoice aboveall things in possessing his heart. These it iswho have seduced him by exhibitions of visiblebeauty, have lain in wait for him by fountain,forest, and field, and filled the groves and highplaces with the charms which best pleased himunder the name of worship ; or have promised todisclose future things O to him '; or, i again, " haveharrowed his soul with phantasms and terrors ofthe unseen world. These incoherent systems ;these deities, whose functions ran into and athwarteach other ; these investings of human passions,and even unnatural and monstrous vices, withimmortality and terrible power ; these rivals everquarrelling with each other, and jealous for thepossession of man's homage, all serve the purposeof those behind the scenes, are puppets undertheir command, and have a common end and resultin the captivity of their victim. More eventhan this ; while they seem disunited and contradictory,they are really i one, marshalled by thepower, directed by the mind, held in the handof him who is called " the ruler of this world,"" the power of darkness," " the might of theenemy," who "holds the power of death," "theancient serpent, who leads into error the whole

WHEN CHRIST APPEARED.29the mask <strong>of</strong> dead men ; these it is who within thesculptured forms <strong>of</strong> Jupiter, Juno, Mars, and Venus,<strong>of</strong> Baal and Derketo and My lit t a, <strong>of</strong> Anubisand Serapis, <strong>of</strong> Thor and Woden, and so manymore, receive man's adoration, and rejoice aboveall things in possessing his heart. <strong>The</strong>se it iswho have seduced him by exhibitions <strong>of</strong> visiblebeauty, have lain in wait for him by fountain,forest, and field, and filled the groves and highplaces with the charms which best pleased himunder the name <strong>of</strong> worship ; or have promised todisclose future things O to him '; or, i again, " haveharrowed his soul with phantasms and terrors <strong>of</strong>the unseen world. <strong>The</strong>se incoherent systems ;these deities, whose functions ran into and athwarteach other ; these investings <strong>of</strong> human passions,and even unnatural and monstrous vices, withimmortality and terrible power ; these rivals everquarrelling with each other, and jealous for thepossession <strong>of</strong> man's homage, all serve the purpose<strong>of</strong> those behind the scenes, are puppets undertheir command, and have a common end and resultin the captivity <strong>of</strong> their victim. More eventhan this ; while they seem disunited and contradictory,they are really i one, marshalled by thepower, directed by the mind, held in the hand<strong>of</strong> him who is called " the ruler <strong>of</strong> this world,"" the power <strong>of</strong> darkness," " the might <strong>of</strong> theenemy," who "holds the power <strong>of</strong> death," "theancient serpent, who leads into error the whole

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