Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

33$ THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMIII. In all the various peoples composing the RonEmpire, except the Jews, belief as influencing acthad been detached from worship. The ereat actworship, sacrifice, subsisted in its material integrity,nd was performed daily on countless altars, and wastill connected with various priesthoods belonging t(he several deities. And certain stated prayers were>ffered still in coniunction with the sacrifice. Butthese priesthoods were not connected withby any hierarchical rule and institution. The religionstraditions to which their very existence bore witnesswere not drawn out by any religious writings into anyspecific form. Throughout this whole realm of heathendom,in all its regions, no religious instruction washabitually given. The priests discharged their severalliturgic offices, but the cure of souls, the forming thereligious character of their people, did not enter intotheir practice, and made in the opinion of the peopleno part of their function.Thus sacrifice itself had long failed to point to thatgreat religious doctrine for which it had been instituted,and so had ceased both to prophesy and topromise. It was performed mechanically, and theood of the nation or individual for whom it wasffered, and the favour of the gods, was supposeddepend upon its performance, whilst the reason of tdependence was lost to the mind both of people andpriest. There was then absence not only of churchbut of religious dogma. There remained only a traditionalbelief, which still acted as a ground of conductfor such as followed the leading of conscience,