Ten Great Religions | Page 7

indignation against this worship, and had
he no sympathy with the spiritual needs which it expressed? It does not
seem so. He recognized piety in their souls. "I see that ye are, in all
ways, exceedingly pious." He recognized their worship as passing
beyond the idols, to the true God. He did not profess that he came to
revolutionize their religion, but to reform it. He does not proceed like

the backwoodsman, who fells the forest and takes out the stumps in
order to plant a wholly different crop; but like the nurseryman, who
grafts a native stock with a better fruit. They were already ignorantly
worshipping the true God. What the apostle proposed to do was to
enlighten that ignorance by showing them who that true God was, and
what was his character. In his subsequent remarks, therefore, he does
not teach them that there is one Supreme Being, but he assumes it, as
something already believed. He assumes him to be the creator of all
things; to be omnipotent,--"the Lord of heaven and earth";
spiritual,--"dwelleth not in temples made with hands"; absolute,--"not
needing anything," but the source of all things. He says this, as not
expecting any opposition or contradiction; he reserves his criticisms on
their idolatry for the end of his discourse. He then states, quite clearly,
that the different nations of the world have a common origin, belong to
one family, and have been providentially placed in space and time, that
each might seek the Lord in its own way. He recognized in them a
power of seeking and finding God, the God close at hand, and in whom
we live; and he quotes one of their own poets, accepting his statement
of God's fatherly character. Now, it is quite common for those who
deny that there is any truth in heathenism, to admire this speech of Paul
as a masterpiece of ingenuity and eloquence. But he would hardly have
made it, unless he thought it to be true. Those who praise his eloquence
at the expense of his veracity pay him a poor compliment. Did Paul tell
the Athenians that they were worshipping the true God when they were
not, and that for the sake of rhetorical effect? If we believe this
concerning him, and yet admire him, let us cease henceforth to find
fault with the Jesuits.
No! Paul believed what he said, that the Athenians were worshipping
the true God, though ignorantly. The sentiment of reverence, of
worship, was lifting them to its true object. All they needed was to have
their understanding enlightened. Truth he placed in the heart rather than
the understanding, but he also connected Christianity with Polytheism
where the two religions touched, that is, on their pantheistic side. While
placing God above the world as its ruler, "seeing he is Lord of heaven
and earth," he placed him in the world as an immanent presence,--"in
him we live, and move, and have our being." And afterward, in writing

to the Romans, he takes the same ground. He teaches that the Gentiles
had a knowledge of the eternal attributes of God (Rom. i. 19) and saw
him in his works (v. 20), and that they also had in their nature a law of
duty, enabling them to do the things contained in the law. This he calls
"the law written in the heart" (Rom. ii. 14,15). He blames them, not for
ignorance, but for disobedience. The Apostle Paul, therefore, agrees
with us in finding in heathen religions essential truth in connection with
their errors.
The early Christian apologists often took the same view. Thus Clement
of Alexandria believed that God had one great plan for educating the
world, of which Christianity was the final step. He refused to consider
the Jewish religion as the only divine preparation for Christianity, but
regarded the Greek philosophy as also a preparation for Christ. Neander
gives his views at length, and says that Clement was the founder of the
true view of history.[6] Tertullian declared the soul to be naturally
Christian. The Sibylline books were quoted as good prophetic works
along with the Jewish prophets. Socrates was called by the Fathers a
Christian before Christ.
Within the last few years the extravagant condemnation of the heathen
religions has produced a reaction in their favor. It has been felt to be
disparaging to human nature to suppose that almost the whole human
race should consent to be fed on error. Such a belief has been seen to be
a denial of God's providence, as regards nine tenths of mankind.
Accordingly it has become more usual of late to rehabilitate heathenism,
and to place it on the same level with Christianity, if not above it. The
Vedas are talked about as though they were somewhat superior to the