And
so these heathens meant, before they were Christians. The Romans used to
talk about some one called a Grace. The Greeks called her CHARIS; which
is exactly the word which St John and St Paul use, and from it come our
words charity and charitable. But more; they used to talk of three
Graces: they fancied that they were goddesses--spirits of some kind in
the shape of beautiful, and amiable, and innocent maidens, who took
delight in going about the world and making people happy and amiable like
themselves; and they used to make images of these graces, and pray to
them to make them lovely, and happy, and agreeable. And painters and
statuaries, too, used to pray to these graces, and ask them to put
beautiful fancies into their minds, that they might be able to paint
beautiful pictures, and carve beautiful statues. So when St Paul or St
John talked to these heathens about grace, or Charis (as the Testament
calls it), they knew quite well what the apostles meant.
Did the apostles, then, believe in these three goddesses? Heaven forbid.
They came to teach these heathens to turn from those very vanities, and
worship the living-God.
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