The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism [1911] - Get a Free Blog

PERSIA. 157
repeated lustrations. But, as in the Syrian cults of
the imperial period, these Mithraic rites did remain
simply formal, mechanical and of the flesh, inspired
by the old idea of tabu. Mithraic baptism wiped out
moral faults ;
the purity aimed at had become spiritual.
This perfect purity distinguishes the mysteries of
Mithra from those of all other Oriental gods. Serapis
is the brother and husband of Isis, Attis the lover of
Cybele, every Syrian Baal is coupled with a spouse ;
but Mithra lives alone. Mithra is chaste, Mithra is
holy (sanctus) ,s* and for the worship of fecundity he
substitutes a new reverence for continence.
However, although resistance to sensuality
able and although the ideal of perfection of this Maz-
is laud
dean sect inclined towards the asceticism to which the
Manichean conception of virtue led, yet good does not
consist exclusively in abnegation and self-control, but
also in action. It is not sufficient for a religion to
classify moral values, but in order to be effective it
must furnish motives for putting them into practice.
Dualism was peculiarly favorable for the development
of individual effort and human energy ; here its in
fluence was strongest. /It taught that the world is the
scene of a perpetual struggle between two powers that
share the mastery ;
the goal to be reached is the dis
appearance of evil and the uncontested dominion, the
exclusive reign, of the goodj Animals and plants, as
well as man, are drawn up in two rival camps per
petually hostile, and all nature participates in the eter
nal combat of the two opposing principles. The de
mons created by the infernal spirit emerge constantly
from the abyss and roam about the earth ; they pene
trate everywhere carrying corruption, distress, sick-