"BAPTISED PAGANISM."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 280, 24 November 1915, Page 7

"BAPTISED PAGANISM."

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The Very Rev. -Moderator used in his address the expression that the era of pure Christianity was followed by the era of "baptised paganism," by which was meant that of the Roman Catholicism of the' Middle Ages; that, and nothing else, of course. A slight examination of the expression '"baptised paganism" seems called for. When Christianity was introduced in the all-powerful Roman Empire, the Empire consisted of j Pagans, unbaptised Pagans. After a period of about four hundred years had passed, the once unbaptised population had become "'baptised Pagans," that is, Christians, or Roman Catholics; and a similar change took place afterwards throughout the rest of Europe, that is, the unbaptised Pagans became "baptised Pagans," or Christians. "Baptised Paganism" and Chrisftianity are, therefore, synonymous, quite; so that, so far as the Very Rev. Moderator is a Christian, so far is he a baptised Pagan, or a descendant of one. Whatever Christianity exists, or has existed, either in • Europe or elsewhere is, I need not say, due to "-baptised Paganism," and to i nothing else, which is not generally con- i sidered a justifiable cause for its dis- < I paragement.—l am, etc., D. O'DONOGHUE. ' "J.," Takapuna, also protests against i what he describes a "sectarian attack of extraordinary bitterness." He considers •that the Moderator practically admits that his church has failed In Its function, and he concludes: "I would remind , Mr. Scorgie that the regeneration of the ! human race will come, not from illbalanced and unrestrained rhetorical outbursts, but from that individual Banctification and self-sacrifice which tho Catholic Church unceasingly urges upon and demands from her children.'*