they were one in Nature, however Ch. 6. different in their Subjects. Τελειώσεις 85. First, Their Terms were exactly the fame without any Alteration: They both made ufe of the words initiating and perfecting. They both Textil. call'd their MYSTERIES Myefeis, Te- Munges, leiofeis, Teleiotika, Epopteiai, &c. They Texewne both look'd upon Initiation as a kind ETT of deifying And they both ftil'd their was. Priefts Mystagogue, Myftes, Hierotele. "ItTensStes, &c. sn's. 86. Secondly, The Preparatives to their Initiations were the fame. The Gentiles us'd feveral Wafhings and Luftrations; they fafted, and ab- Kasaguos. ftain'd Sacerdos ftipatum me religiofa cohorte deducit ad proximas balneas, & priùs fueto lavacro traditum, prafatus Deûm veniam, puriffimè circumrorans abluit. Apul. Hæc fanctè ut pofcas, Tiberino in gurgite mergis Sect. 3. ftain'd from Women before Initiation ~ tho the wifer fort did laugh at those who thought fuch Actions could * expiate Sin, or appeafe Heaven. But the Fathers, the admir'd Fathers, imitated them in all these things; and this was the Origin of Abftinence from certain kinds of Meat, of your mock Anniverfary Fafts, and the Clerical Celibacy. 87. Thirdly, The Chriftians kept their Myfteries as fecret as the Hedthens did theirs. ↑ Chryfoftom fays, We fhat the Doors when we celebrate our Mysteries, and exclude the uninitiated. Bafil of Cefarea affures us, that the Efteem of Mysteries is preferv'd only by Silence. And (*) Synefius fays, that the Gentile Myfteries were perform'd by Night, because their Veneration proceeds from Mens Ignorance about them. But why * Omne nefas, omnemque mali purgamina caufam Credebant noftri tollere poffe fenes. Ovid. Faft. 1. 2. v. 35 Ah nimium faciles qui triftia crimina cædis, Fluminea tolli poffe putatis aqua! Idem ib. v.45. † Μυτήρια της θύρας κλείσαντες ἐπιτελέμην, καὶ τὸς apvires disponer. Homil. in Matth. Musher Toura ory Davao Da (*) 'Αγνωσία σεμνότης ότι τελετῶν, καὶ νυξ διὰ τε· Ti mseverni Ta' pushgia. De providen. Sect. 2. why should that deserve Blame in o-Ch. ~6. thers, good Synefius, which you allow in your own Party? or is it that the Ghriftians have a better Right to Myfteries than the Gentiles? 88. Fourthly, The Fathers were extreamly cautious not to speak intelligibly of their Myfteries before Unbelievers, or the Catechumens; whence you frequently meet in their Writings with thefe or the like Expreffions, *The Initiated know, the Initiated underftand what I fay. And as the Heathens did by Proclamation † drive a way all the Profane from their Myfteries, fo the Deacons of the Primitive Church cri'd aloud before the Celebration of Baptifm, but chiefly of the Supper, Go out all you Catechumens, walk out all that are not initiated, or fomething to this Effect, for they often vari'd the Form. Cyril of Jerufalem has a very fingular Paffage to our purpofe, *Norunt initiati. Auguft. in locis pluribus. "Is το μεμνημένοι τὸ λεγόμενον. Chryfoftom. in Genef. in Homil. 27. & alibi paffim. + Ovens Andre Beßnois. nus, doc. Η Όσοι κατεχόμενο περιλα όσοι αρνήσοι. Orpheus, Lucia EmECOMENTETTE Sect. 3. pofe, * Now when catechifing is re o hears' d, if a Catechumen Should ask you what the Teachers faid, tell it by no means to any that is not initiated : for we ene truft you with a Mystery, and the hope: of the Life to come. Keep this Mystery then to him that rewardeth; and if any fould fay unto you, What harm is it, if I alfo learn ? Anfwer him, that fo fick Perfons defire Wine: But if it be given to any unfeafonably, it makes him frantick, and fo two Evils happen; both the fick Man is deftroy'd, and the Phyfician is difparag'd. Thus if a Catechumen. hears **Οτε τοίνυν κατήχησις λέγεται, ἐὰν σὲ κατηχέμε νος ἐξεταση τι ερήκασιν οι διδάσκοντες, μηδὲν λέγω τῳ ἔξω. Μυςήριον γας σοι παραδίδομεν, καὶ ἐλπίδα μελλόντος αιώνος. Τήρησον τὸ μυςήριον τῷ μιθαποδό την μὴ ποτέ σοι τις είπη, τὶ βλάπτῃ, ἐὰν καὶ γιὰ κάτω Καὶ δι νοσέντες τὸν δινον ζητᾶσιν. ̓Αλλὰ ἐὰν ἀκαίρως δοθι φρενή την εργάζεται, καὶ δύο κακοὶ γίνεται, καὶ ὁ νοσῶν απόλλυται, καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς διαβάλλεται. Οὕτως W ὁ κατεχόμενος, ἐὰν ακέσῃ παρὰ πιςε, καὶ ὁ κατηχέμενος φρενιπο· ἐκ διδε γὰρ τὸ εκεσε, καὶ ἐλέγχει τὸ πράγμα, καὶ ἐκμυκτηρίζει τὸ λεγόμενον; καὶ ὁ πιςὸς ὡς προδότης κατακρίνεται ἤδη δὲ συ μεθορίω σήκεις, βλέπε μοι μὴ ἐκλαλήσης, ἐχ ὅτι ἐκ άξια λαλιᾶς τα λεγόμενα, ἀλλὰ ὅτι ἡ ἀκὴ ἀναξία τὸ δέξαθαι ἧς ποτὲ καὶ συ κατηχόμενος, ου διηγάμων σαι τα προκείμενα όταν τῇ πείρα λάβης τὸ ύψωμα του διδασκομένων, τότε αν γνώση ότι ανάξιοι οι κατηχέμενοι τῆς ̓Ακοής, Cyril. Hierofol. prafat. in Carechicf. Edit. Parif. 1637 193 bears thofe things from any of the Faith- Ch. 6. ful, he grows likewife frantick; for not understanding what he heard, he argues against the thing, and laughs at what is faid: fo the Believer that told it him is condemn'd as a Betrayer of Secrets. Now you being one of us, fee that you blab out nothing: not that what we fay are not worthy to be spoken, but that others are not worthy to hear them. When you were a Catechumen your felf, we never told jou what was propos'd. But when you have learnt by experience the Sublimity of those things which are taught, you will then be convinc'd that the Catechumens are unworthy to hear them. * 89. Fifthly, The Steps and Degrees in both their Initiations are the fame. The Heathens had five Degrees neceflary to Perfection. First, common Purgation; Secondly, more private Purgation; Thirdly, a liberty of ftanding amongst the Initiated; Fourthly, Initiation; and, Laftly, the Right of feeing every thing, or being Epopts. Among M * Ἐν τοῖς ἱερεῖς ἡγεντο μὲν ἀι πανδήμοι καθάρσεις, εἶτα όλι τανταις οι αποῤῥητότεραι, μετά ταύτας συ επάσεις, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύταις μνήσεις, ἐν τέλει δ ̓ ἐποπτείαι· Olympiodor. |