728 ECCLESIASTICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



Phenomena of this kind, however, manifestly belong to a 

 more advanced stage and not to that first stage in which, as 

 we see, the genesis of the god and the priest are concurrent. 



605. Thus, then, the ghost- theory, which explains the 

 multitudinous phenomena of religion in general, explains 

 also the genesis of the priestly function, and the original 

 union of it with the governing function. 



Propitiations of the doubles of dead men, made at first by 

 all their relatives and afterwards by heads of families, come 

 to be somewhat distinguished when made by the head of the 

 most powerful family. With increased predominance of the 

 powerful family, and conception of the ghost of its deceased 

 head as superior to other ghosts, there arises the wish, at first 

 in some, then in more, and then in all, to propitiate him. 

 And this wish eventually generates the habit of making 

 offerings and prayers to him through his ruling descendant, 

 whose priestly character thus becomes decided. 



We have now to observe how, with the progress of social 

 evolution, the sacerdotal function, though for a long time 

 retained and occasionally exercised by the political head, 

 comes to be performed more and more by proxy. 



