pagan and christian creeds-第27部分

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imals　then　clearly　the　feast　takes　on　a　holy　and　solemn　character。　It　becomes　a　sacrament　of　unityof　the　unity　of　all　with　the　tribe；　and　with　each　other。　Self…interests　and　self…　consciousness　are　for　the　time　submerged；　and　the　common　life　asserts　itself；　but　here　again　we　see　that　a　custom　like　this　would　not　come　into　being　as　a　deliberate　rite　UNTIL　self…consciousness　and　the　divisions　consequent　thereon　had　grown　to　be　an　obvious　evil。　The　herd…　animals　（cows；　sheep；　and　so　forth）　do　not　have　Eucharists；　simply　because　they　are　sensible　enough　to　feed　along　the　same　pastures　without　quarrelling　over　the　richest　tufts　of　grass。

When　the　flesh　partaken　of　（either　actually　or　symbolically）　is　not　that　of　a　divinized　animal；　but　the　flesh　of　a　human…formed　godas　in　the　mysteries　of　Dionysus　or　Osiris　or　Christthen　we　are　led　to　suspect　（and　of　course　this　theory　is　widely　held　and　supported）　that　the　rites　date　from　a　very　far…back　period　when　a　human　being；　as　representative　of　the　tribe；　was　actually　slain；　dismembered　and　partly　devoured；　though　as　time　went　on；　the　rite　gradually　became　glossed　over　and　mitigated　into　a　love…communion　through　the　sharing　of　bread　and　wine。

It　is　curious　anyhow　that　the　dismemberment　or　division　into　fragments　of　the　body　of　a　god　（as　in　the　case　of　Dionysus；　Osiris；　Attis；　Praj