This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1877 edition. Excerpt: ... From this general sketch it will be seen by every observer that the Oriental or Greek Christianity of the present day bears a strong resemblance to the Roman Catholic religion in Europe during the worst period of its history, in the night of the dark ages. For though the arrogant tyranny and the heavy ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1877 edition. Excerpt: ... From this general sketch it will be seen by every observer that the Oriental or Greek Christianity of the present day bears a strong resemblance to the Roman Catholic religion in Europe during the worst period of its history, in the night of the dark ages. For though the arrogant tyranny and the heavy exactions of the Pope are wanting, and though the abominable corruptions produced by the celibacy of the clergy have no parallel in the Eastern Church, yet there is the same depth of ignorance in the priests, and the same unbounded credulity and superstition in the people, the same absence of moral and religious instruction, and of any rational religion. The services of the Church are equally unintelligible, and its rites equally wear the appearance of mysterious incantations and magical ceremonies. There is the same swarm of impostures and false miracles; the same idolatry of saints; the same sale and prostitution of the offices and sacraments of the Church; the same waste of the time and destruction of the industry and sobriety of the people in the fasts and festivals. Add to this the same ferocious bigotry, hatred, and persecution of the Jews. Again we repeat--and it cannot be too often repeated, to our Romanizing priests--this is the religion of tradition! That such a system should exert any wholesome influence on the morals of the people, that it should excite them to virtue or restrain them from crime, is not to be expected, seeing that it gives no instruction in the duties of life, that the most solemn act of repentance is represented by the ceremony of the kotow, that the Saints are everywhere propitiated with money, and that the guilty conscience and the dread of hell are habitually lulled with the opiate of absolution, sold like laudanum...
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