THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES.
i6
Tliere are also scattered passages in the
learning on this subject is set fortli at length.
fathers of the Church, e.g., Clemens Alexandrinus, which point to the same
writings of the
Assuming, then, these opinions to have existed, the question is, how far they
were taught in the Mysteries ? The writers who speak of them, and who were apparently
initiated, are always very reticent, and merely refer to such and such things which are known
conclusion.
to the initiated, but of course are not revealed.
masonry by an uninitiated writer
expect to
is
of
any value,
work on Freebe generally admitted, how can we
then, no contemporary
as will
understand the arcana of a similar, or somewhat similar, institution, which perished
nearly 2000 years ago
will readily appear
Selden
^
?
^
How
little is really
of
Legation
of the secret teachings of the Mysteries
by the following resume.
and foreshadowed
"
known
believed that they taught the unity of God, Eschenbachius
INfysteries disclosed the nature and origin of
it,
If,
human
the hopes and fears
also
Warburton
is characterised by
Moses was the only great
all
^
that the Eleusinian
means of preserving
life,
of the life to come.
The famous "Divine
his learning, hardihood, and love of paradox.
as well as the
who
did not proclaim the futirre state,
Following this up, he states that the (Greek)
Mysteries, in which the true religion was disclosed, was an invention of the Egyptian priests
for their own ends, though why, if found efficacious, they confined its teaching to a select
to him,
According
and that
legislator
this alone is a proof of his inspiration.
few, he does not explain.
Nothing daunts him, he speaks of the ancient legislators as if they
were personal acquaintances, gives at length the sermon delivered to the initiated and the
hymn which they sang, the sermon being the celebrated fragment attributed to Sanchoniatho,
and the hymn, the Orphic canticle, attributed to the Jew Aristobulus.
even understands, with Le Clerc, the famous parting benediction, Koy^, Sfiira^, which,
"
according to him, means Watch, and abstain from evil." The worship of the phallus, which,
or rather to Philo,
He
we
are told
been only
by Eissner, formed the essence
its
is
stated
by Warburton
to
have
corruption.*
Warburton was attacked
ViUoison.®
of the Mysteries,
The
first
of all in
England by Leland, but his ablest antagonist was
utter futility of aU such specu-
entire contest, however, only proves the
while Warburton maintains that the system disclosed by the IMysteries was
it to have been Pantheism.
Warburton asserts that they taught the
doctrine of retribution in the Life to come
Villoison that of palingenesis, or new birth
and
lations, for
Deism, Villoison holds
—
—
both agree only in making them the direct opposite of the popular
programme
faiths.
Villoison gives the
of the studies or lectures pursued at Eleusis,
of theology, cosmogony,
consisting
theogony, cosmology, physiology, anthropology, and metaphysics, a statement which would
doubtless have afforded much amusement to the worthy
hierophants if they could only have
seen
it.
Creuzer « believed that the Egyptian priests transplanted their
theology into Hellas, which
1
It is
"
Opera Omnia, 1726,
almost unnecessary to say that the Mysteries of Greece are
specially referred
to.
3 pe
Scribis Veterum Romanorum.
(De Diis Syris).
*
De Quincey {more sua) says "None but a man of extraordinary talents can write first-rate nonsense;
perhaps
"
the prince of all men ever formed by nature and education for
writing superior nonsense was Warburton
(Secret
But although many of AVarburton's cmieljisimts will not stand the test of nineteenth
Societies, edit. 1863, p. 259).
vol.
ii.,
pt.
ii.
:
century criticism, the scattered passages in classic literature relating to the Ancient Mysteries, collected in his famous
work, are a noble memorial of his learning and
industry.
»
De
Triplia Theologii Mysteriisque Commentatio.
«
Symbolik und Mythologie.