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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Bible Myths and their Parallels in other
+Religions, by T. W. Doane
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions
+       Being a Comparison of the Old and New Testament Myths and
+       Miracles with those of the Heathen Nations of Antiquity
+       Considering also their Origin and Meaning
+
+Author: T. W. Doane
+
+Release Date: April 4, 2010 [EBook #31885]
+[Last updated: August 22, 2012]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIBLE MYTHS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Lisa Reigel, and
+the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Notes: Greek words and some characters may not display
+properly--in that case, try another version. Transliterations of Greek
+words can be found in the ascii and html files. Words surrounded by
+_underscores_ are in italics in the original. Characters superscripted
+in the original are enclosed in {braces}. Ellipses match the original. A
+row of asterisks represents a thought break.
+
+Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in the
+original. A complete list of corrections follows the text.
+
+The original sometimes uses two numbered columns for comparisons. This
+text has the contents of the right column indented like a block quote
+below the contents of the left column.
+
+Other notes follow the text.
+
+
+
+
+                             BIBLE MYTHS
+
+                              AND THEIR
+
+                     PARALLELS IN OTHER RELIGIONS
+
+                      BEING A COMPARISON OF THE
+
+               Old and New Testament Myths and Miracles
+
+                                 WITH
+
+                THOSE OF HEATHEN NATIONS OF ANTIQUITY
+
+                           CONSIDERING ALSO
+
+                       THEIR ORIGIN AND MEANING
+
+
+                            BY T. W. DOANE
+
+
+                    _WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS_
+
+
+                           SEVENTH EDITION
+
+
+     "_He who knows only one religion knows none._"--PROF. MAX
+     MULLER.
+
+     "The same thing which is now called CHRISTIAN RELIGION existed
+     among the Ancients. They have begun to call Christian the true
+     religion which existed before."--ST. AUGUSTINE.
+
+     "Our love for what is old, our reverence for what our fathers
+     used, makes us keep still in the church, and on the very altar
+     cloths, symbols which would excite the smile of an _Oriental_,
+     and lead him to wonder why we send missionaries to his land,
+     while cherishing his faith in ours."--JAMES BONWICK.
+
+
+                              COPYRIGHT,
+                                1882.
+
+                          COPYRIGHT RENEWED,
+                                 1910
+
+
+                          Printed in U.S.A.
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+The idea of publishing the work here presented did not suggest itself
+until a large portion of the material it contains had been accumulated
+for the private use and personal gratification of the author. In
+pursuing the study of the Bible Myths, facts pertaining thereto, in a
+condensed form, seemed to be greatly needed, and nowhere to be found.
+Widely scattered through hundreds of ancient and modern volumes, most of
+the contents of this book may indeed be found; but any previous attempt
+to trace exclusively the myths and legends of the Old and New Testament
+to their origin, published as a separate work, is not known to the
+writer of this. Many able writers have shown our so-called Sacred
+Scriptures to be unhistorical, and have pronounced them largely
+legendary, but have there left the matter, evidently aware of the great
+extent of the subject lying beyond. As Thomas Scott remarks, in his
+_English Life of Jesus_: "_How_ these narratives (_i. e._, the New
+Testament narratives), unhistorical as they have been shown to be, came
+into existence, _it is not our business to explain_; and once again, at
+the end of the task, as at the beginning and throughout, we must
+emphatically disclaim the obligation." To pursue the subject from the
+point at which it is abandoned by this and many other distinguished
+writers, has been the labor of the author of this volume for a number of
+years. The result of this labor is herewith submitted to the reader,
+but not without a painful consciousness of its many imperfections.
+
+The work naturally begins with the Eden myth, and is followed by a
+consideration of the principal Old Testament legends, showing their
+universality, origin and meaning. Next will be found the account of the
+birth of Christ Jesus, with his history until the close of his life upon
+earth, showing, in connection therewith, the universality of the myth of
+the Virgin-born, Crucified and Resurrected Saviour.
+
+Before showing the _origin_ and _meaning_ of the myth (which is done in
+Chapter XXXIX.), we have considered the _Miracles of Christ Jesus_, the
+_Eucharist_, _Baptism_, the _Worship of the Virgin_, _Christian
+Symbols_, the _Birthday of Christ Jesus_, the _Doctrine of the Trinity_,
+_Why Christianity Prospered_, and the _Antiquity of Pagan Religions_,
+besides making a comparison of the legendary histories of _Crishna and
+Jesus_, and _Buddha and Jesus_. The concluding chapter relates to the
+question, What do we really know about Jesus?
+
+In the words of Prof. Max Mueller (_The Science of Religion_, p. 11): "A
+comparison of all the religions of the world, in which none can claim a
+privileged position, will no doubt seem to many dangerous and
+reprehensible, because ignoring that peculiar reverence which everybody,
+down to the mere fetish worshiper, feels for his own religion, and for
+his own god. Let me say, then, at once, that I myself have shared these
+misgivings, but that I have tried to overcome them, because I would not
+and could not allow myself to surrender either what I hold to be the
+truth, or what I hold still dearer than truth, the right of testing
+truth. Nor do I regret it. I do not say that the _Science of Religion_
+is all gain. No, it entails losses, and losses of many things which we
+hold dear. But this I will say, that, as far as my humble judgment goes,
+it does not entail the loss of anything that is essential to _true
+religion_, and that, if we strike the balance honestly, _the gain is
+immeasurably greater than the loss_."
+
+"All truth is safe, and nothing else is safe; and he who keeps back the
+truth, or withholds it from men, from motives of expediency, is either a
+coward or a criminal, or both."
+
+But little beyond the arrangement of this work is claimed as original.
+Ideas, phrases, and even whole paragraphs have been taken from the
+writings of others, and in most, if not in all cases, acknowledged; but
+with the thought in mind of the many hours of research this book may
+save the student in this particular line of study; with the
+consciousness of having done for others that which I would have been
+thankful to have found done for myself; and more than all, with the hope
+that it may in some way help to hasten the day when the mist of
+superstition shall be dispelled by the light of reason; with all its
+defects, it is most cheerfully committed to its fate by the author.
+
+BOSTON, MASS., _November, 1882_.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+     PART I.
+                                                                  PAGE
+     INTRODUCTION                                                  iii
+
+     LIST OF AUTHORITIES, AND BOOKS QUOTED FROM                     xi
+
+     CHAPTER I.
+         THE CREATION AND FALL OF MAN                                1
+
+     CHAPTER II.
+         THE DELUGE                                                 19
+
+     CHAPTER III.
+         THE TOWER OF BABEL                                         33
+
+     CHAPTER IV.
+         THE TRIAL OF ABRAHAM'S FAITH                               36
+
+     CHAPTER V.
+         JACOB'S VISION OF THE LADDER                               42
+
+     CHAPTER VI.
+         THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT                                      48
+
+     CHAPTER VII.
+         RECEIVING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS                             58
+
+     CHAPTER VIII.
+         SAMSON AND HIS EXPLOITS                                    62
+
+     CHAPTER IX.
+         JONAH SWALLOWED BY A BIG FISH                              77
+
+     CHAPTER X.
+         CIRCUMCISION                                               85
+
+     CHAPTER XI.
+         CONCLUSION OF PART FIRST                                   88
+
+
+     PART II.
+
+     CHAPTER XII.
+         THE MIRACULOUS BIRTH OF CHRIST JESUS                      111
+
+     CHAPTER XIII.
+         THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM                                     140
+
+     CHAPTER XIV.
+         THE SONG OF THE HEAVENLY HOST                             147
+
+     CHAPTER XV.
+         THE DIVINE CHILD RECOGNIZED, AND PRESENTED WITH GIFTS     150
+
+
+     CHAPTER XVI.
+         THE BIRTH-PLACE OF CHRIST JESUS                           154
+
+     CHAPTER XVII.
+         THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST JESUS                             160
+
+     CHAPTER XVIII.
+         THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS                            165
+
+     CHAPTER XIX.
+         THE TEMPTATION, AND FAST OF FORTY DAYS                    175
+
+     CHAPTER XX.
+         THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST JESUS                           181
+
+     CHAPTER XXI.
+         THE DARKNESS AT THE CRUCIFIXION                           206
+
+     CHAPTER XXII.
+         "HE DESCENDED INTO HELL."                                 211
+
+     CHAPTER XXIII.
+         THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF CHRIST JESUS            215
+
+     CHAPTER XXIV.
+         THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST JESUS, AND THE MILLENNIUM     233
+
+     CHAPTER XXV.
+         CHRIST JESUS AS JUDGE OF THE DEAD                         244
+
+     CHAPTER XXVI.
+         CHRIST JESUS AS CREATOR, AND ALPHA AND OMEGA              247
+
+     CHAPTER XXVII.
+         THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST JESUS, AND THE PRIMITIVE
+             CHRISTIANS                                            252
+
+     CHAPTER XXVIII.
+         CHRIST CRISHNA AND CHRIST JESUS                           278
+
+     CHAPTER XXIX.
+         CHRIST BUDDHA AND CHRIST JESUS                            289
+
+     CHAPTER XXX.
+         THE EUCHARIST OR LORD'S SUPPER                            305
+
+     CHAPTER XXXI.
+         BAPTISM                                                   316
+
+     CHAPTER XXXII.
+         THE WORSHIP OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER                          326
+
+     CHAPTER XXXIII.
+         CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS                                         339
+
+     CHAPTER XXXIV.
+         THE BIRTH-DAY OF CHRIST JESUS                             359
+
+     CHAPTER XXXV.
+         THE TRINITY                                               368
+
+     CHAPTER XXXVI.
+         PAGANISM IN CHRISTIANITY                                  384
+
+     CHAPTER XXXVII.
+         WHY CHRISTIANITY PROSPERED                                419
+
+     CHAPTER XXXVIII.
+         THE ANTIQUITY OF PAGAN RELIGIONS                          450
+
+     CHAPTER XXXIX.
+         EXPLANATION                                               466
+
+     CHAPTER XL.
+         CONCLUSION                                                508
+
+     APPENDIX                                                      531
+
+
+
+
+LIST
+
+OF
+
+AUTHORS AND BOOKS QUOTED
+
+IN THIS WORK.
+
+
+ABBOT (LYMAN). A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge, for Popular and
+Professional Use; comprising full information on Biblical, Theological,
+and Ecclesiastical Subjects. Edited by Rev. Lyman Abbott, assisted by
+Rev. T. J. Conant, D. D. New York: Harper & Bros., 1880.
+
+ACOSTA (REV. JOSEPH DE). The Natural and Moral History of the Indies, by
+Father Joseph De Acosta. Translated by Edward Grimston. London: 1604.
+
+AESCHYLUS. The Poems of AEschylus. Translated by the Rev. R. Potter, M. A.
+New York: Harper & Bros., 1836.
+
+ALLEN (REV. D. O.). India, Ancient and Modern, by David O. Allen, D. D.,
+Missionary of the American Board for twenty-five years in India. London:
+Truebner & Co., 1856.
+
+AMBERLY (VISCOUNT). An Analysis of Religious Belief, by Viscount
+Amberly, from the late London Edition. New York: D. M. Bennett, 1879.
+
+ASIATIC RESEARCHES. Asiatic Researches, or Transactions of the Society
+instituted in Bengal, for inquiring in the History and Antiquities, the
+Arts, Sciences, and Literature of Asia. London: J. Swain, 1801.
+
+BARING-GOULD (REV. S.). Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, by Rev. S.
+Baring-Gould, M. A. Boston: Roberts Bros., 1880.
+
+     ----. Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets, and other Old
+     Testament Characters, from various sources, by Rev. S.
+     Baring-Gould, M. A. New York: Holt & Williams, 1872.
+
+     ----. The Origin and Development of Religious Belief, by S.
+     Baring-Gould, M. A., in 2 vols. New York: D. Appleton & Co.,
+     1870.
+
+BARNABAS. The General Epistle of Barnabas, a companion and
+fellow-preacher with Paul.
+
+BARNES (ALBERT). Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels, by
+Rev. Albert Barnes, in 2 vols. New York: Harper & Bros., 1860.
+
+BEAL (SAMUEL). The Romantic Legend of Sakya Buddha, from the Chinese
+Sanscrit (being a translation of the Fo-pen-hing), by Samuel Beal.
+London: Truebner & Co., 1875.
+
+BELL (J.). Bell's New Pantheon, or Historical Dictionary of the Gods,
+Demi-Gods, Heroes, and Fabulous Personages of Antiquity; also of the
+Images and Idols, adored in the Pagan World, together with their
+Temples, Priests, Altars, Oracles, Fasts, Festivals, &c., in 2 vols.
+London: J. Bell, 1790.
+
+BHAGAVAT-GEETA. The Bhagavat-Geeta, or Dialogues of Crishna and Arjoon,
+in 18 Lectures, with notes. Translated from the original Sanscrit by
+Charles Wilkes. London: C. Nourse, 1785.
+
+BLAVATSKY (H. P.). Isis Unveiled: A Master Key to the Mysteries of
+Ancient and Modern Science and Theology, by H. P. Blavatsky, in 2 vols.
+New York: J. W. Bouton, 1877.
+
+BONWICK (JAMES). Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought, by James Bonwick,
+F. R. G. S. London: C. Kegan Paul & Co., 1878.
+
+BRINTON (DANIEL). The Myths of the New World: A Treatise on the
+Symbolism and Mythology of the Red Race of America, by Daniel Brinton,
+A. M., M. D. New York: L. Holt & Co., 1868.
+
+BRITANNICA (ENCYCLO.). The Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ninth Edition.
+
+BUCKLEY (T. A.). The Great Cities of the Ancient World, in their Glory
+and their Desolation, by Theodore A. Buckley, M. A. London: G. Routledge
+& Co., 1852.
+
+BULFINCH (THOMAS). The Age of Fable, or Beauties of Mythology, by Thomas
+Bulfinch. Boston: J. E. Tilton & Co., 1870.
+
+BUNCE (JOHN T.). Fairy Tales: Their Origin and Meaning, with some
+account of Dwellers in Fairy-land, by John Thackary Bunce. New York: D.
+Appleton & Co., 1878.
+
+BUNSEN (ERNEST DE). The Keys of St. Peter, or the House of Rochab,
+connected with the History of Symbolism and Idolatry, by Ernest de
+Bunsen. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1867.
+
+     ----. The Angel-Messiah of Buddhists, Essenes, and Christians,
+     by Ernest de Bunsen. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1880.
+
+     ----. The Chronology of the Bible, connected with
+     contemporaneous events in the history of Babylonians,
+     Assyrians, and Egyptians, by Ernest de Bunsen. London:
+     Longmans, Green & Co., 1874.
+
+CALMET. Calmet's Dictionary of the Holy Bible (Taylor's). London: 1798.
+
+CHADWICK (J. W.). The Bible of To-day: A Course of Lectures by John W.
+Chadwick, Minister of the Second Unitarian Church in Brooklyn, N. Y. New
+York: G. P. Putnam & Sons, 1878.
+
+CHAMBERS. Chambers' Encyclopaedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge
+for the People. American Revised Edition. Philadelphia: J. Lippincott &
+Co., 1877.
+
+CHAMPOLLION (M.). Precis du systeme Hieroglyphique des Anciens Egyptiens
+ou recherches sur les elemens premiers dec ette ecriture sacree, &c.,
+par M. Champollion Le Jeune. Seconde Edit. Paris: 1828.
+
+CHILD (L. M.). The Progress of Religious Ideas through Successive Ages,
+by L. Maria Child, in 3 vols. New York: C. S. Francis & Co., 1855.
+
+CLEMENT. The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians.
+
+COLENSO (REV. J. W.). The Pentateuch and Book of Joshua critically
+examined, by the Right Rev. John William Colenso, D. D., Bishop of
+Natal. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1863.
+
+     ----. Lectures on the Pentateuch and Moabite Stone, by the
+     Right Rev. John William Colenso, D. D., Bishop of Natal.
+     London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1873.
+
+CONSTANTINE (THE EMPEROR). The Emperor Constantine's Oration to the Holy
+Congregation of the Clergy. London: Thos. Coates, 1637.
+
+CONWAY (M. D.). The Sacred Anthology: A Book of Ethnical Scriptures,
+collated and edited by Moncure D. Conway. London: Truebner & Co., 1874.
+
+CORY. Cory's Ancient Fragments of the Phenician, Carthagenian,
+Babylonian, Egyptian, and other Authors. A new and enlarged edition,
+carefully revised by E. Richard Hodges, M. C. P. London: Reeves &
+Turner, 1876.
+
+COULANGES (F. DE). The Ancient City: A Study on the Religion, Laws, and
+Institutions of Greece and Rome, by Fustel de Coulanges. Translated from
+the latest French Edition by Williard Small. Boston: Lee & Shepherd,
+1874.
+
+COX (REV. G. W.). The Myths of the Aryan Nations, by George W. Cox, M.
+A., late Scholar of Trinity, Oxford, in 2 vols. London: Longmans, Green
+& Co., 1870.
+
+     ----. Tales of Ancient Greece, by Rev. George W. Cox, M. A.,
+     Bart. London: C. Kegan Paul & Co., 1880.
+
+DARWIN (CHARLES). Journal of Researches into the Natural History and
+Geology of the Countries visited during the Voyage of H. M. S. Beagle
+Round the World, by Charles Darwin, M. A., F. R. S. 2d Edit. London:
+John Murray, 1845.
+
+     ----. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, by
+     Charles Darwin, M. A. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1876.
+
+DAVIES (EDWARD). The Myths and Rites of the British Druids compared with
+Customs and Traditions of Heathen Nations, by Edward Davies, Rector of
+Brampton. London: J. Booth, 1809.
+
+DAVIS (J. F.). The Chinese: A General Description of the Empire of China
+and its Inhabitants, by John Francis Davis, Esq. F. R. S., in 2 vols.
+New York: Harper Bros., 1836.
+
+DELITCH (F.). See Keil (C. F.).
+
+DILLAWAY (C. K.). Roman Antiquities and Ancient Mythology, by Charles K.
+Dillaway. Boston: Gould, Kendall & Lincoln, 1840.
+
+DRAPER (J. W.). History of the Conflict between Religion and Science, by
+John W. Draper, M. D. 8th Edit. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1876.
+
+DUNLAP (S. F.). Vestiges of the Spirit History of Man, by S. F. Dunlap,
+Member of the American Oriental Soc., New Haven. New York: D. Appleton &
+Co., 1858.
+
+     ----. The Mysteries of Adoni, by S. F. Dunlap London: Williams
+     & Northgate, 1861.
+
+     ----. Sod, the Son of the Man, by S. F. Dunlap. London:
+     Williams & Northgate, 1861.
+
+DUPUIS. The Origin of all Religious Worship, translated from the French
+of Mons. Dupuis. New Orleans: 1872.
+
+EUSEBIUS. The Life of Constantine, in Four Books, by Eusebius
+Pamphilius, Bishop of Cesarea. London: Thomas Coates, 1637.
+
+     ----. The Ancient Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius
+     Pamphilius, Bishop of Cesarea in Palestine, in Ten Books.
+     London: George Miller, 1636.
+
+FARRAR (F. W.). The Life of Christ, by Frederick W. Farrar, D. D., F. R.
+S., late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Albany: Rufus Wendell,
+1876.
+
+FERGUSSON (JAMES). Tree and Serpent Worship, or Illustrations of
+Mythology and Art in India, by James Fergusson. London: 1868.
+
+FISKE (JOHN). Myths and Myth-Makers; Old Tales and Superstitions
+Interpreted by Comparative Mythology, by John Fiske, M. A., LL. B.,
+Harvard University. Boston: J. R. Osgood & Co., 1877.
+
+FROTHINGHAM (O. B.). The Cradle of the Christ: A Study in Primitive
+Christianity, by Octavius Brooks Frothingham. New York: G. P. Putnam &
+Sons, 1877.
+
+GAUGOOLY (J. C.). Life and Religion of the Hindoos, by Joguth Chunder
+Gaugooly. Boston: Crosby, Nichols & Co., 1860.
+
+GEIKIE (C.) The Life and Words of Christ, by Cunningham Geikie, D. D.,
+in 2 vols. New York: D. Appleton & Co, 1880.
+
+GERBET (L'ABBE). The Lily of Israel, or the life of the Blessed Virgin
+Mary, Mother of God. From the French of the Abbe Gerbet New York: P. J.
+Kennedy, 1878.
+
+GIBBON (EDWARD). The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman
+Empire, by Edward Gibbon, Esq., in 6 vols. Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen
+& Hoffelfinger, 1876.
+
+GILES. Hebrew and Christian Records: An Historical Enquiry concerning
+the Age and Authorship of the Old and New Testaments, by the Rev. Dr.
+Giles, in 2 vols. London: Truebner & Co., 1877.
+
+GINSBURGH (C. D.) The Essenes: Their History and Doctrines; an Essay, by
+Charles D. Ginsburgh. London: Longman, Green, Roberts & Green, 1864.
+
+GOLDZHIER (I.). Mythology among the Hebrews, and its Historical
+Development, by Ignaz Goldzhier, Ph. D., Member of the Hungarian Academy
+of Sciences. Translated from the German by Russel Martineau. London:
+Longmans, Green & Co., 1877.
+
+GORI. Etrurische Alterthuemer. Muernburg: G. Lichtensleger, 1770.
+
+GREG (W. R.). The Creed of Christendom: Its Foundations contrasted with
+its Superstructure, by William Rathbone Greg. Detroit: Rose-Belford Pub.
+Co., 1878.
+
+GROSS (J. B.). The Heathen Religion in its Popular and Symbolical
+Development, by Rev. Joseph B. Gross. Boston; J. P. Jewett & Co., 1856.
+
+GUTZLAFF. The Journal of Two Voyages along the Coast of China (in
+1831-2), and Remarks on the Policy, Religion, &c., of China, by the Rev.
+Mr. Gutzlaff. New York: John P. Haven, 1833.
+
+HARDY (R. S.). The Legends and Theories of the Buddhists compared with
+History and Science, with Introductory Notices of the Life of Gautama
+Buddha, by R. Spence Hardy, Hon. M. R. A. S. London: Williams &
+Northgate, 1866.
+
+     ----. Eastern Monachism: An Account of the Origin, Laws,
+     Discipline, &c., of the Order of Mendicants founded by Gautama
+     Buddha, by R. Spence Hardy. London: Williams & Northgate,
+     1860.
+
+     ----. A Manual of Buddhism in its Modern Development.
+     Translated from the Singalese MSS. by R. S. Hardy. London:
+     Williams & Northgate, 1860.
+
+HERMAS. The First Book of Hermas, Brother of Pius, Bishop of Rome, which
+is called his _Vision_.
+
+HERODOTUS. The History of Herodotus, the Greek Historian: A New and
+Literal Version, from the Text of Baehr, by Henry Cary, M. A. New York:
+Harper & Bros., 1871.
+
+HIGGINS (GODFREY). The Celtic Druids, by Godfrey Higgins, Esq., F. R.
+A. S. London: Hunter & Co., 1827.
+
+     ----. Anacalypsis: An Enquiry into the Origin of Languages,
+     Nations, and Religions, by Godfrey Higgins, Esq., F. R. S., F.
+     R. A. S., in 2 vols. London: Longman, Rees, Orne, Brown &
+     Longman.
+
+HOOYKAAS (I.). See Oort (H.).
+
+HUC (L'ABBE). Christianity in China, Tartary and Thibet, by M. L'Abbe
+Huc, formerly Missionary Apostolic in China, in 2 vols. London: Longman,
+Brown & Co., 1857.
+
+HUMBOLDT (A. DE). Researches concerning the Institutions and Monuments
+of the Ancient Inhabitants of Mexico, by Alexander de Humboldt, in 2
+vols. (Translated by Helen Maria Williams.) London: Longman, Rees & Co.,
+1814.
+
+     ----. Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain, by
+     Alexander de Humboldt, in 2 vols. (Translated by John Black.)
+     London: Longman, Hurst & Co., 1822.
+
+HUME (DAVID). Essays and Treaties on Various Subjects, by David Hume
+(author of Hume's History of England). Boston: From the London Edit. J.
+P. Mendum.
+
+HUXLEY (T. H.). Evidence as to Man's Place in Nature, by Thomas H.
+Huxley, F. R. S., F. L. S. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1873.
+
+IGNATIUS. The Epistle of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch in Syria, to the
+Ephesians.
+
+     ----. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians.
+
+     ----. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians.
+
+     ----. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians.
+
+INFANCY (APOC.). The Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ (Apocryphal).
+
+INMAN (THOMAS). Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism Exposed and
+Explained, by Thomas Inman, M. D., Physician to the Royal Infirmary, &c.
+London: 1869.
+
+     ----. Ancient Faiths Embodied in Ancient Names, or An Attempt
+     to Trace the Religious Belief, Sacred Rites, and Holy Emblems
+     of certain Nations, by Thomas Inman, M. D. London: Truebner &
+     Co., 1872.
+
+     ----. Ancient Faiths and Modern: A Dissertation upon Worship,
+     Legends, and Divinities in Central and Western Asia, Europe,
+     and Elsewhere, before the Christian Era, by Thomas Inman, M.
+     D. London: Truebner & Co. 1876.
+
+JAMESON. The History of Our Lord as Exemplified in Works of Art;
+commenced by the late Mrs. Jameson, continued and completed by Lady
+Eastlake, in 2 vols. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1864.
+
+JENNINGS (H.). The Rosicrucians: Their Rites and Mysteries. Second
+Edit. revised by Hargrave Jennings. London: Catto & Windus, 1879.
+
+JOHNSON (SAMUEL). Oriental Religions, and their Relation to Universal
+Religion (India), by Samuel Johnson. Boston: J. R. Osgood, 1872.
+
+JOSEPHUS (FLAVIUS). Antiquities of the Jews, in Twenty Books, by Flavius
+Josephus, the learned and authentic Jewish Historian and celebrated
+Warrior. Translated by William Whiston, A. M. Baltimore: Armstrong &
+Berry, 1839.
+
+     ----. The Wars of the Jews, or the History of the Destruction
+     of Jerusalem, in Seven Books, by Flavius Josephus. Baltimore:
+     1839.
+
+     ----. Flavius Josephus Against Apion, in Two Books. Baltimore:
+     1839.
+
+KEIGHTLEY (T.). The Mythology of Ancient Greece and Italy, by Thomas
+Keightley. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1843.
+
+KEIL (C. F.). Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, by C. F. Keil,
+D. D., and F. Delitch, D. D., Professors in Theology, in 3 vols.
+Translated from the German by Rev. James Martin, B. A. Edinboro': T. &
+T. Clarke, 1872.
+
+KENRICK (J.). Ancient Egypt under the Pharaohs, by John Kenrick, M. A.,
+in 2 vols. London: B. Fellows, 1850.
+
+KING (C. W.). The Gnostics and their Remains, Ancient and Mediaeval, by
+C. W. King, M. A., Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. London: Bell &
+Dudley, 1864.
+
+KINGSBOROUGH (LORD). Antiquities of Mexico, comprising Fac-similes of
+Ancient Mexican Paintings and Hieroglyphics, preserved in the Royal
+Libraries of Paris, Berlin, and Dresden, in the Imperial Library of
+Vienna, &c., &c., together with the Monuments of New Spain, by Lord
+Kingsborough, in 7 vols. London: Robert Havill & Coyglen, Son & Co.,
+1831.
+
+KNAPPERT (J.). The Religion of Israel, a Manual: Translated from the
+Dutch of J. Knappert, pastor at Leiden, by Richard A. Armstrong, B. A.
+Boston: Roberts Bros., 1878.
+
+KNIGHT (R. P.). The Symbolical Language of Ancient Art and Mythology. An
+Enquiry, by Richard Payne Knight, author of "The Worship of Priapus,"
+&c. A new Edit. with Introduction, Notes and Additions, by Alexander
+Wilder, M. D. New York: J. W. Bouton, 1876.
+
+KORAN. The Koran, commonly called the Al Coran of Mohammed; translated
+into English immediately from the original Arabic, by Geo. Sale, Gent.
+
+KUNEN (A.). See Oort (H.).
+
+LARDNER (N.). The Works of Nathaniel Lardner, D. D., with a Life, by Dr.
+Kipps, in 10 vols. London: Wm. Ball. 1838.
+
+LELAND (CHAS. G.). Fusang: or the Discovery of America by Buddhist
+Priests in the 5th Century, by Chas. C. Leland. London: Truebner & Co.,
+1875.
+
+LILLIE (ARTHUR). Buddha and Early Buddhism, by Arthur Lillie. London:
+Truebner & Co., 1881.
+
+LUBBOCK (JOHN). Pre-historic Times, as Illustrated by Ancient Remains,
+and the Manners and Customs of Modern Savages, by Sir John Lubbock, F.
+R. S. London: Williams & Northgate, 1865.
+
+LUNDY (J. P.). Monumental Christianity, or the Art and Symbolism of the
+Primitive Church as Witness and Teachers of the One Catholic Faith and
+Practice, by John P. Lundy, Presbyter. New York: J. W. Bouton, 1876.
+
+MAHAFFY (J. P.). Prolegomena to Ancient History, by John P. Mahaffy, A.
+M., M. R. I. A., Fellow and Tutor in Trinity College, and Lecturer in
+Ancient History in the University of Dublin. London: Longmans, Green &
+Co., 1871.
+
+MALLET. Northern Antiquities; or an Historical Account of the Manners,
+Customs, Religion and Laws of the Ancient Scandinavians, by M. Mallet.
+Translated from the French by Bishop Percy. London: H. S. Bohn, 1847.
+
+MARSH (HERBERT). A Course of Lectures, containing a Description and
+Systematic Arrangement of the several Branches of Divinity by Herbert
+Marsh, D. D. Cambridge: W. Hillard, 1812.
+
+MARY (APOC.). The Gospel of the Birth of Mary, attributed to St.
+Matthew. Translated from the Works of St. Jerome.
+
+MAURICE (THOMAS). Indian Antiquities: or Dissertations on the
+Geographical Division, Theology, Laws, Government and Literature of
+Hindostan, compared with those of Persia, Egypt and Greece, by Thomas
+Maurice, in 6 vols. London: W. Richardson, 1794.
+
+     ----. The History of Hindostan; Its Arts and its Sciences, as
+     connected with the History of the other Great Empires of Asia,
+     during the most Ancient Periods of the World, in 2 vols., by
+     Thomas Maurice. London: Printed by H. L. Galabin, 1798.
+
+MAURICE (F. D.). The Religions of the World, and Their Relation to
+Christianity, by Frederick Denison Maurice, M. A., Professor of Divinity
+in Kings' College. London: J. W. Parker, 1847.
+
+MIDDLETON (C.). The Miscellaneous Works of Conyers Middleton, D. D.,
+Principal Librarian of the University of Cambridge, in 4 vols. ("Free
+Enquiry" vol. I., "Letters from Rome" vol. III.). London: Richard Manby,
+1752.
+
+MONTFAUCON (B.). L'Antiquite Expliquee; par Dom Bernard de Montfaucon.
+Second edit. Paris: 1722.
+
+MOOR (EDWARD). Plates illustrating the Hindoo Pantheon, reprinted from
+the work of Major Edward Moor, F. R. S., edited by Rev. Allen Moor, M.
+A. London: Williams & Norgate, 1816.
+
+MORTON (S. G.). Types of Mankind: or Ethnological Researches based upon
+the Ancient Monuments, Paintings, Sculptures, and Crania of Races, by
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+1854.
+
+MUeLLER (MAX). A History of Ancient Sanscrit Literature, so far as it
+illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmins, by Max Mueller, M. A.
+London: Williams & Norgate, 1860.
+
+     ----. Introduction to the Science of Religion; Four Lectures
+     delivered at the Royal Institution, with Two Essays on False
+     Analogies, and the Philosophy of Mythology, by (F.) Max
+     Mueller, M. A. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1873.
+
+     ----. Chips from a German Workshop; by Max Mueller, M. A., in 3
+     vols. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1876.
+
+     ----. Lectures on the Origin and Growth of Religion, as
+     Illustrated by the Religious of India. Delivered in the Chapel
+     House, Westminster Abbey, by (F.) Max Mueller, M. A. London:
+     Longmans, Green & Co., 1878.
+
+MURRAY (A. S.). Manual of Mythology, by Alexander S. Murray, Department
+of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum, 2d Edit. New York:
+Armstrong & Co., 1876.
+
+NICODEMUS (APOC.). The Gospel of Nicodemus the Disciple, concerning the
+Sufferings and Resurrection of Our Master and Saviour Jesus Christ.
+
+OORT (H.). The Bible for Learners, by Dr. H. Oort, Prof. of Oriental
+Languages, &c., at Amsterdam, and Dr. I. Hooykaas, pastor at Rotterdam,
+with the assistance of Dr. A. Kunen, Prof. of Theology at Leiden, in 3
+vols. Translated from the Dutch by Philip A. Wicksteed, M. A. Boston:
+Roberts Bros., 1878.
+
+ORTON (JAMES). The Andes and the Amazon; or Across the Continent of
+South America, by James Orton, M. A., 3d Edit. New York: Harper & Bros.,
+1876.
+
+OWEN (RICHARD). Man's Earliest History, an Address delivered before the
+International Congress of Orientalists, by Prof. Richard Owen. Tribune
+Extra, No. 23. New York Tribune Pub. Co., 1874.
+
+PESCHEL (OSCAR). The Races of Man, and their Geographical Distribution
+from the German of Oscar Peschel. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1876.
+
+POLYCARP. The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, translated by
+Archbishop Wake.
+
+PORTER (SIR R. K.). Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, Ancient
+Babylonia, &c., by Sir Robert Kir Porter, in 2 vols. London: Longmans,
+Hurst, Rees, Orm & Brown, 1821.
+
+PRESCOTT (WM. H.). History of the Conquest of Mexico, with a preliminary
+view of the Ancient Mexican Civilization, and the life of the conqueror,
+Hernando Cortez, by Wm. H. Prescott, in 3 vols. Philadelphia: J. P.
+Lippincott & Co., 1873.
+
+PRICHARD (J. C.). An Analysis of the Historical Records of Ancient
+Egypt, by J. C. Prichard, M. D., F. R. S. London: Sherwood, Gilbert &
+Piper, 1838.
+
+     ----. An Analysis of Egyptian Mythology, and the Philosophy of
+     the Ancient Egyptians, compared with those of the Indians and
+     others, by J. C. Prichard, M. D., F. R. S. London: Sherwood,
+     Gilbert & Piper, 1838.
+
+PRIESTLEY (JOSEPH). A Comparison of the Institutions of Moses with those
+of the Hindoos and other Ancient Nations, by Joseph Priestley, LL. D.,
+F. R. S. Northumberland: A. Kennedy, 1799.
+
+PROTEVANGELION APOC. The Protevangelion, or, An Historical Account of
+the Birth of Christ, and the perpetual Virgin Mary, His Mother, by James
+the Lesser, Cousin and Brother to the Lord Jesus.
+
+REBER (GEO.). The Christ of Paul, or the Enigmas of Christianity, by
+Geo. Reber. New York: C. P. Somerby, 1876.
+
+RENAN (ERNEST). Lectures on the Influence of the Institutions, Thought
+and Culture of Rome on Christianity, and the Development of the Catholic
+Church, by Ernest Renan, of the French Academy. Translated by Charles
+Beard, B. A. London: Williams & Norgate, 1880.
+
+RENOUF (P. LE PAGE). Lectures on the Origin and Growth of Religion as
+Illustrated by the Religion of Ancient Egypt, by P. Le Page Renouf.
+London: Williams & Norgate, 1880.
+
+REVILLE (ALBERT). History of the Dogma of the Deity of Jesus Christ, by
+Albert Reville. London: Williams & Norgate, 1870.
+
+RHYS-DAVIDS (T. W.) Buddhism: Being a Sketch of the Life and Teachings
+of Gautama, the Buddha, by T. W. Rhys-Davids, of the Middle Temple,
+Barrister-at-Law, and late of the Ceylon Civil Service. London: Soc. for
+Promoting Christian Knowledge.
+
+SCOTT (THOMAS). The English Life of Jesus, by Thomas Scott. Published by
+the Author. London: 1872.
+
+SEPTCHENES (M. LE CLERC DE). The Religion of the Ancient Greeks,
+Illustrated by an Explanation of their Mythology. Translated from the
+French of M. Le Clerc de Septchenes. London: 1788.
+
+SHARPE (SAMUEL). Egyptian Mythology and Egyptian Christianity, with
+their Influence on the Opinions of Modern Christendom, by Samuel Sharpe.
+London: J. R. Smith, 1863.
+
+SHIH-KING (THE). The Shih-King, or Book of Poetry. Translated from the
+Chinese by James Legge. London: Macmillan & Co., 1879.
+
+SHOBEIL (F.). Persia; containing a description of the Country, with an
+account of its Government, Laws, and Religion, by Frederick Shobeil.
+Philadelphia: John Grigg, 1828.
+
+SMITH. Smith's Comprehensive Dictionary of the Bible, with many
+important Additions and Improvements. Edited by Rev. Samuel Barnum. New
+York: D. Appleton & Co., 1879.
+
+SMITH (GEORGE). Assyrian Discoveries: An account of Explorations and
+Discoveries on the Site of Nineveh during 1873 and 1874, by George
+Smith, of the Department of Oriental Antiquity, British Museum. Now
+York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1875.
+
+     ----. The Chaldean Account of Genesis, containing the
+     description of the Creation, the Fall of Man, the Deluge, the
+     Tower of Babel, the Times of the Patriarchs and Nimrod;
+     Babylonian Fables, and Legends of the Gods, from the Cuneiform
+     Inscriptions, by George Smith, of the British Museum. New
+     York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1876.
+
+SOCRATES. The Ancient Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus,
+of Constantinople, in Seven Books. Translated out of the Greek Tongue by
+Meredith Hanmer, D. D. London: George Miller, 1636.
+
+SPENCER (HERBERT). The Principles of Sociology, by Herbert Spencer, in 2
+vols. New York; D. Appleton & Co., 1877.
+
+SQUIRE (E. G.). The Serpent Symbol, and the Worship of the Reciprocal
+Principles of Nature in America, by E. G. Squire, A. M. New York: George
+P. Putnam, 1861.
+
+STANLEY (A. P.). Lectures on the History of the Jewish Church, by Arthur
+P. Stanley, D. D., Dean of Westminster. New York: Charles Scribner,
+1863.
+
+     ----. In a Sermon preached in Westminster Abbey on February
+     28th, 1880, after the funeral of Sir Charles Lyell, entitled:
+     "The Religious Aspect of Geology."
+
+STEINTHAL (H.). The Legend of Samson: An Essay, by H. Steinthal,
+Professor of the University of Berlin. Appendix to Goldzhier's Hebrew
+Mythology.
+
+SYNCHRONOLOGY. Synchronology of the Principal Events in Sacred and
+Profane History from the Creation to the Present Time. Boston: S. Hawes,
+1870.
+
+TACITUS (C.). The Annals of Cornelius Tacitus, the Roman Historian.
+Translated by Arthur Murphy, Esq. London: Jones & Co., 1831.
+
+     ----. The History of Cornelius Tacitus. Translated by Arthur
+     Murphy. London: Jones & Co., 1831.
+
+     ----. Treatise on the Situation, Manners, and People of
+     Germany, by Cornelius Tacitus. Translated by Arthur Murphy.
+     London: Jones & Co., 1831.
+
+TAYLOR (CHARLES). Taylor's Fragments: Being Illustrations of the
+Manners, Incidents, and Phraseology of the Holy Scriptures. Intended as
+an Appendix to Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible. London: W. Stratford,
+1801.
+
+TAYLOR (ROBERT). The Diegesis: Being a Discovery of the Origin,
+Evidences, and Early History of Christianity, by Rev. Robert Taylor, A.
+B. (From the London Edit.) Boston: J. P. Mendum, 1873.
+
+     ----. Syntagma of the evidences of the Christian Religion, by
+     Rev. Robert Taylor, A. B., with a brief Memoir of the Author.
+     (From the London Edit.) Boston: J. P. Mendum, 1876.
+
+TAYLOR (THOMAS). Taylor's Mysteries; A Dissertation on the Eleusinian
+and Bacchic Mysteries, by Thomas Taylor. Amsterdam.
+
+THORNTON (THOMAS). A History of China, from the Earliest Records to the
+Treaty with Great Britain in 1842, by Thomas Thornton, Esq., Member of
+the R. A. S. London: William H. Allen & Co., 1844.
+
+TYLOR (E. B.). Researches Into the Early History of Mankind, and the
+Development of Civilization, by Edward B. Tylor. 2d Edit. London: John
+Murray, 1870.
+
+     ----. Primitive Culture; Researches into the Development of
+     Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, &c., by Edward B. Tylor, in 2
+     vols. London: John Murray, 1871.
+
+VISHNU PURANA. The Vishnu Purana, A System of Hindoo Mythology and
+Tradition, Translated from the Original Sanscrit, by H. H. Wilson, M.
+A., F. R. S. London: 1840.
+
+VOLNEY (C. F.). New Researches in Ancient History, Translated from the
+French of C. F. Volney, Count and Peer of France. (From the London
+Edit.) Boston: J. P. Mendum, 1874.
+
+     ----. The Ruins; or, Meditations on the Revolutions of
+     Empires, by Count de Volney, Translated under the immediate
+     inspection of the Author. (From the latest Paris Edit.)
+     Boston: J. P. Mendum, 1872.
+
+WAKE (C. S.). See Westropp.
+
+WESTROPP (H. M.). Ancient Symbol Worship. Influence of the Phallic Ideas
+in the Religions of Antiquity, by Hodder M. Westropp and C. S. Wake,
+with Appendix by Alexander Wilder, M. D. London: Truebner & Co., 1874.
+
+WILLIAMS (MONIER). Indian Wisdom; or Examples of the Religious,
+Philosophical, and Ethnical Doctrines of the Hindoos, by Monier
+Williams, M. A., Prof. of Sanscrit in the University of Oxford. London:
+W. H. Allen, 1875.
+
+     ----. Hinduism; by Monier Williams, M. A., D. C. L., Published
+     under the Direction of the Committee of General Literature and
+     Education Appointed by the Society for Promoting Christian
+     Knowledge. London: 1877.
+
+WISDOM (APOC.). The Book of Wisdom, Attributed to Solomon, King of
+Israel.
+
+WISE (ISAAC M.). The Martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth. A Historic Treatise
+on the Last Chapters of the Gospel, by Dr Isaac M. Wise. Cincinnati.
+
+
+ADDITIONS TO THIRD EDITION.
+
+Beausobre's _Histoire Critique de Manichee et du Manicheisme_, Amsterdam
+1734; Baronius' _Annales Ecclesiastici_; Hydes' _Historia Religionis
+Veterum Persarum_; Rawlinson's _Herodotus_; Lenormant's _The Beginnings
+of History_; Hardwick's _Christ and other Masters_; Daille's _Treatise
+on the Right Use of the Fathers_, London, 1841; _Apollonius de Tyana, sa
+vie, ses voyages, et ses prodiges_, par Philostrate, Paris, 1862; Sir
+John Malcolm's _History of Persia_, in 2 vols., London, 1815; Michaelis'
+_Introduction to the New Testament_, in 4 vols. edited by Dr. Herbert
+Marsh, London, 1828; Archbishop Wake's _Genuine Epistles of the
+Apostolical Fathers_, London, 1719; Jeremiah Jones' _Canon of the New
+Testament_, in 3 vols., Oxford, 1793; Milman's _History of
+Christianity_; Barrow's _Travels in China_, London, 1840; Deane's
+_Worship of the Serpent_, London, 1883; Baring-Gould's _Lost and Hostile
+Gospels_, London, 1874; B. F. Westcott's _Survey of the History of the
+Canon of the New Testament_, 4th Edit., London, 1875; Mosheim's
+_Ecclesiastical History_, in 6 vols., Amer. ed. 1810; J. W. Rosses'
+_Tacitus and Bracciolini_, London, 1878; and the writings of the
+Christian Fathers, Justin Martyr, St. Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus,
+Origen, Tertullian and Minucius Felix.
+
+
+
+
+BIBLE MYTHS.
+
+
+
+
+PART I.
+
+THE OLD TESTAMENT.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+THE CREATION AND FALL OF MAN.
+
+
+The Old Testament commences with one of its most interesting myths, that
+of the Creation and Fall of Man. The story is to be found in the first
+_three_ chapters of Genesis, the substance of which is as follows:
+
+After God created the "Heavens" and the "Earth," he said: "Let there be
+light, and there was light," and after calling the light Day, and the
+darkness Night, the _first_ day's work was ended.
+
+God then made the "Firmament," which completed the _second_ day's work.
+
+Then God caused the dry land to appear, which he called "Earth," and the
+waters he called "Seas." After this the earth was made to bring forth
+grass, trees, &c., which completed the _third_ day's work.
+
+The next things God created were the "Sun,"[1:1] "Moon" and "Stars,"
+and after he had _set them in the Firmament_, the _fourth_ day's work
+was ended.[2:1]
+
+After these, God created great "whales," and other creatures which
+inhabit the water, also "winged fowls." This brought the _fifth_ day to
+a close.
+
+The work of creation was finally completed on the _sixth_ day,[2:2] when
+God made "beasts" of every kind, "cattle," "creeping things," and lastly
+"man," whom he created "male and female," in his own image.[2:3]
+
+     "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the
+     host of them. And on the _seventh_[2:4] day God ended his work
+     which he had made: and he _rested_ on the seventh day, from
+     all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh
+     day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had _rested_
+     from all his work which God created and made."
+
+After this information, which concludes at the _third_ verse of Genesis
+ii., strange though it may appear, _another_ account of the Creation
+commences, which is altogether different from the one we have just
+related. This account commences thus:
+
+     "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when
+     they were created, in the day (not days) that the Lord God
+     made the earth and the heavens."
+
+It then goes on to say that "the Lord God formed man of the dust of the
+ground,"[2:5] which appears to be the _first_ thing he made. After
+planting a garden eastward in Eden,[2:6] the Lord God put the man
+therein, "and out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree
+that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the _Tree of
+Life_,[2:7] also in the midst of the garden, and the _Tree of
+Knowledge_ of good and evil. And a _river_ went out of Eden to water
+the garden, and from thence it was parted, and became into _four_
+heads." These _four rivers_ were called, first Pison, second Gihon,
+third Hiddekel, and the fourth Euphrates.[3:1]
+
+After the "Lord God" had made the "Tree of Life," and the "Tree of
+Knowledge," he said unto the man:
+
+     "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of
+     the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat
+     of it, _for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt
+     surely die_." Then the Lord God, thinking that it would not be
+     well for man to live alone, formed--out of the ground--"every
+     beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought
+     them unto Adam to see what he would call them, and whatever
+     Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof."
+
+After Adam had given names to "all cattle, and to the fowls of the air,
+and to every beast of the field," "the Lord God caused a deep sleep to
+fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he (the Lord God) took one of his
+(Adam's) ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof."
+
+     "And of the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made
+     he a _woman_, and brought her unto Adam." "And they were both
+     naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed."
+
+After this everything is supposed to have gone harmoniously, until a
+_serpent_ appeared before the _woman_[3:2]--who was afterwards called
+Eve--and said to her:
+
+     "Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"
+
+The woman, answering the serpent, said:
+
+     "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of
+     the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God
+     hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, _lest ye die_."
+
+Whereupon the serpent said to her:
+
+     "Ye shall _not_ surely die" (which, according to the
+     narrative, was the truth).
+
+He then told her that, upon eating the fruit, their eyes would be
+opened, and that they would be as _gods_, knowing good from evil.
+
+The woman then looked upon the tree, and as the fruit was tempting, "she
+took of the fruit, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband, and he
+did eat." The result was _not_ death (as the Lord God had told them),
+but, as the serpent had said, "the eyes of both were opened, and they
+knew they were naked, and they _sewed_ fig leaves together, and made
+themselves aprons."
+
+Towards evening (_i. e._, "in the cool of the day"), Adam and his wife
+"_heard_ the voice of the Lord God _walking_ in the garden," and being
+afraid, they hid themselves among the trees of the garden. The Lord God
+not finding Adam and his wife, said: "Where art thou?" Adam answering,
+said: "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was
+naked, and I hid myself."
+
+The "Lord God" then told Adam that he had eaten of the tree which he had
+commanded him not to eat, whereupon Adam said: "The _woman_ whom thou
+gavest to be with me, _she_ gave me of the tree and I did eat."
+
+When the "Lord God" spoke to the woman concerning her transgression, she
+blamed the _serpent_, which she said "beguiled" her. This sealed the
+serpent's fate, for the "Lord God" cursed him and said:
+
+     "Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and _dust_ shalt thou eat all
+     the days of thy life."[4:1]
+
+Unto the woman the "Lord God" said:
+
+     "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception; in
+     sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall
+     be to thy husband, _and he shall rule over thee_."
+
+Unto Adam he said:
+
+     "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and
+     hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying,
+     Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake;
+     in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.
+     Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and
+     thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face
+     shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, _for
+     out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust
+     shalt thou return_."
+
+The "Lord God" then made coats of skin for Adam and his wife, with
+which he clothed them, after which he said:
+
+     "Behold, the man is become _as one of us_,[5:1] to know good
+     and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also
+     of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" (he must be
+     sent forth from Eden).
+
+     "So he (the Lord God) drove out the man (and the woman); and
+     he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, Cherubims, and a
+     flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the
+     Tree of Life."
+
+Thus ends the narrative.
+
+Before proceeding to show from whence this legend, or legends, had their
+origin, we will notice a feature which is very prominent in the
+narrative, and which cannot escape the eye of an observing reader, _i.
+e._, _the two different and contradictory accounts of the creation_.
+
+The first of these commences at the first verse of chapter first, and
+ends at the third verse of chapter second. The second account commences
+at the fourth verse of chapter second, and continues to the end of the
+chapter.
+
+In speaking of these contradictory accounts of the Creation, Dean
+Stanley says:
+
+     "It is now clear to diligent students of the Bible, that the
+     first and second chapters of Genesis contain two narratives of
+     the Creation, side by side, differing from each other in most
+     every particular of time and place and order."[5:2]
+
+Bishop Colenso, in his very learned work on the Pentateuch, speaking on
+this subject, says:
+
+     "The following are the most noticeable points of difference
+     between the two cosmogonies:
+
+     "1. In the first, the earth emerges from the waters and is,
+     therefore, _saturated with moisture_.[5:3] In the second, the
+     'whole face of the ground' _requires to be moistened_.[5:4]
+
+     "2. In the first, the birds and the beasts are created
+     _before man_.[6:1] In the second, man is created _before the
+     birds and the beasts_.[6:2]
+
+     "3. In the first, 'all fowls that fly' are made out of the
+     _waters_.[6:3] In the second 'the fowls of the air' are made
+     out of the _ground_.[6:4]
+
+     "4. In the first, man is created in the image of God.[6:5] In
+     the second, man is made of the dust of the ground, and merely
+     animated with the breath of life; and it is only after his
+     eating the forbidden fruit that 'the Lord God said, Behold,
+     the man has become _as one of us_, to know good and
+     evil.'[6:6]
+
+     "5. In the first, man is made lord of the _whole earth_.[6:7]
+     In the second, he is merely placed in the garden of Eden, 'to
+     dress it and to keep it.'[6:8]
+
+     "6. In the first, the man and the woman are _created
+     together_, as the closing and completing work of the whole
+     creation,--created also, as is evidently implied, in the same
+     kind of way, to be the complement of one another, and, thus
+     created, they are blessed _together_.[6:9]
+
+     "In the second, the beasts and birds are created _between_ the
+     man and the woman. First, the man is made of the dust of the
+     ground; he is placed by _himself_ in the garden, charged with
+     a solemn command, and threatened with a curse if he breaks it;
+     _then the beasts and birds are made_, and the man gives names
+     to them, and, lastly, after all this, _the woman is made out
+     of one of his ribs_, but merely as a helpmate for the
+     man.[6:10]
+
+     "The fact is, that the _second_ account of the Creation,[6:11]
+     together with the story of the Fall,[6:12] is manifestly
+     composed by a _different writer_ altogether from him who wrote
+     _the first_.[6:13]
+
+     "This is suggested at once by the circumstance that,
+     throughout the _first_ narrative, the Creator is always spoken
+     of by the name Elohim (God), whereas, throughout the _second_
+     account, as well as the story of the Fall, he is always called
+     Jehovah Elohim (Lord God), except when the writer seems to
+     abstain, for some reason, from placing the name Jehovah in the
+     mouth of the serpent.[6:14] This accounts naturally for the
+     above contradictions. It would appear that, for some reason,
+     the productions of two pens have been here united, without any
+     reference to their inconsistencies."[6:15]
+
+Dr. Kalisch, who does his utmost to maintain--as far as his knowledge of
+the truth will allow--the general historical veracity of this narrative,
+after speaking of the _first_ account of the Creation, says:
+
+     "But now the narrative seems not only to pause, but to go
+     backward. The grand and powerful climax seems at once broken
+     off, and a languid repetition appears to follow. _Another
+     cosmogony is introduced, which, to complete the perplexity,
+     is, in many important features, in direct contradiction to the
+     former._
+
+     "_It would be dishonesty to conceal these difficulties. It
+     would be weakmindedness and cowardice. It would be flight
+     instead of combat. It would be an ignoble retreat, instead of
+     victory. We confess there is an apparent dissonance._"[6:16]
+
+Dr. Knappert says:[7:1]
+
+     "The account of the Creation from the hand of the _Priestly
+     author_ is utterly different from the _other narrative_,
+     beginning at the fourth verse of Genesis ii. Here we are told
+     that God created Heaven and Earth in six days, and rested on
+     the _seventh_ day, obviously with a view to bring out the
+     holiness of the Sabbath in a strong light."
+
+Now that we have seen there are two different and contradictory accounts
+of the Creation, to be found in the first two chapters of Genesis, we
+will endeavor to learn if there is sufficient reason to believe they are
+copies of _more ancient legends_.
+
+We have seen that, according to the first account, God divided the work
+of creation into _six_ days. This idea agrees with that of the ancient
+_Persians_.
+
+The Zend-Avesta--the sacred writings of the Parsees--states that the
+Supreme being Ahuramazda (Ormuzd), created the universe and man in _six_
+successive periods of time, in the following order: First, the Heavens;
+second, the Waters; third, the Earth; fourth, the Trees and Plants;
+fifth, Animals; and sixth, Man. After the Creator had finished his work,
+he rested.[7:2]
+
+The Avesta account of the Creation is limited to this announcement, but
+we find a more detailed history of the origin of the human species in
+the book entitled _Bundehesh_, dedicated to the exposition of a complete
+cosmogony. This book states that Ahuramazda created the first man and
+women joined together at the back. After dividing them, he endowed them
+with motion and activity, placed within them an intelligent soul, and
+bade them "to be humble of heart; to observe the law; to be pure in
+their thoughts, pure in their speech, pure in their actions." Thus were
+born Mashya and Mashyana, the pair from which all human beings are
+descended.[7:3]
+
+The idea brought out in this story of the first human pair having
+originally formed a single androgynous being with two faces, separated
+later into two personalities by the Creator, is to be found in the
+Genesis account (v. 2). "Male and female created he them, and blessed
+them, and named their name Adam." Jewish tradition in the Targum and
+Talmud, as well as among learned rabbis, allege that Adam was created
+man and woman at the same time, having two faces turned in two opposite
+directions, and that the Creator separated the feminine half from him,
+in order to make of her a distinct person.[7:4]
+
+The ancient _Etruscan_ legend, according to Delitzsch, is almost the
+same as the Persian. They relate that God created the world in _six_
+thousand years. In the first thousand he created the Heaven and Earth;
+in the second, the Firmament; in the third, the Waters of the Earth; in
+the fourth, the Sun, Moon and Stars; in the fifth, the Animals belonging
+to air, water and land; and in the sixth, Man alone.[8:1]
+
+Dr. Delitzsch, who maintains to the utmost the historical truth of the
+Scripture story in Genesis, yet says:
+
+     "Whence comes the surprising agreement of the _Etruscan_ and
+     _Persian_ legends with this section? How comes it that the
+     _Babylonian_ cosmogony in Berosus, and the _Phoenician_ in
+     Sanchoniathon, in spite of their fantastical oddity, come in
+     contact with it in remarkable details?"
+
+After showing some of the similarities in the legends of these different
+nations, he continues:
+
+     "These are only instances of that which they have in common.
+     _For such an account outside of Israel, we must, however,
+     conclude, that the author of Genesis i. has no vision before
+     him, but a tradition._"[8:2]
+
+Von Bohlen tells us that the old _Chaldaean_ cosmogony is also _the
+same_.[8:3]
+
+To continue the _Persian_ legend; we will now show that according to it,
+after the Creation man was tempted, and _fell_. Kalisch[8:4] and Bishop
+Colenso[8:5] tell us of the Persian legend that the first couple lived
+originally in purity and innocence. Perpetual happiness was promised
+them by the Creator if they persevered in their virtue. But an evil
+demon came to them in the form of a _serpent_, sent by Ahriman, the
+prince of devils, and gave them fruit of a wonderful _tree_, which
+imparted immortality. Evil inclinations then entered their hearts, and
+all their moral excellence was destroyed. Consequently they fell, and
+forfeited the eternal happiness for which they were destined. They
+killed beasts, and clothed themselves in their skins. The evil demon
+obtained still more perfect power over their minds, and called forth
+envy, hatred, discord, and rebellion, which raged in the bosom of the
+families.
+
+Since the above was written, Mr. George Smith, of the British Museum,
+has discovered cuneiform inscriptions, which show conclusively that the
+Babylonians had this legend of the Creation and Fall of Man, some 1,500
+years or more before the Hebrews heard of it.[9:1] The cuneiform
+inscriptions relating to the Babylonian legend of the Creation and Fall
+of Man, which have been discovered by English archaeologists, are not,
+however, complete. The portions which relate to the _Tree_ and _Serpent_
+have not been found, but Babylonian gem engravings show that these
+incidents were evidently a part of the original legend.[9:2] The _Tree
+of Life_ in the Genesis account appears to correspond with the sacred
+grove of Anu, which was guarded by a sword turning to all the four
+points of the compass.[9:3] A representation of this Sacred Tree, with
+"_attendant cherubim_," copied from an Assyrian cylinder, may be seen in
+Mr. George Smith's "Chaldean Account of Genesis."[9:4] Figure No. 1,
+which we have taken from the same work,[9:5] shows the tree of
+knowledge, fruit, and the serpent. Mr. Smith says of it:
+
+     "One striking and important specimen of early type in the
+     British Museum collection, has two figures sitting one on each
+     side of a _tree_, holding out their hands to the fruit, while
+     at the back of one (the _woman_) is scratched a _serpent_. We
+     know well that in these early sculptures none of these figures
+     were chance devices, but all represented events, or supposed
+     events, and figures in their legends; thus it is evident that
+     a form of the story of the Fall, similar to that of Genesis,
+     was known in early times in Babylonia."[9:5]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 1]
+
+This illustration might be used to illustrate the narrative of
+_Genesis_, and as Friedrich Delitzsch has remarked (G. Smith's
+_Chaldaeische Genesis_) is capable of no other explanation.
+
+M. Renan does not hesitate to join forces with the ancient commentators,
+in seeking to recover a trace of the same tradition among the Phenicians
+in the fragments of Sanchoniathon, translated into Greek by Philo of
+Byblos. In fact, it is there said, in speaking of the first human pair,
+and of AEon, which seems to be the translation of _Havvah_ (in Phenician
+_Havath_) and stands in her relation to the other members of the pair,
+that this personage "has found out how to obtain nourishment from the
+fruits of the tree."
+
+The idea of the Edenic happiness of the first human beings constitutes
+one of the universal traditions. Among the Egyptians, the terrestrial
+reign of the god Ra, who inaugurated the existence of the world and of
+human life, was a golden age to which they continually looked back with
+regret and envy. Its "like has never been seen since."
+
+The ancient Greeks boasted of their "Golden Age," when sorrow and
+trouble were not known. Hesiod, an ancient Grecian poet, describes it
+thus:
+
+     "Men lived like Gods, without vices or passions, vexation or
+     toil. In happy companionship with divine beings, they passed
+     their days in tranquillity and joy, living together in perfect
+     equality, united by mutual confidence and love. The earth was
+     more beautiful than now, and spontaneously yielded an abundant
+     variety of fruits. Human beings and animals spoke the same
+     language and conversed with each other. Men were considered
+     mere boys at a hundred years old. They had none of the
+     infirmities of age to trouble them, and when they passed to
+     regions of superior life, it was in a gentle slumber."
+
+In the course of time, however, all the sorrows and troubles came to
+man. They were caused by inquisitiveness. The story is as follows:
+Epimetheus received a gift from Zeus (God), in the form of a beautiful
+woman (Pandora).
+
+     "She brought with her a vase, the lid of which was (by the
+     command of God), to remain closed. The curiosity of her
+     husband, however, tempted him to open it, and suddenly there
+     escaped from it troubles, weariness and illness from which
+     mankind was never afterwards free. All that remained was
+     _hope_."[10:1]
+
+Among the _Thibetans_, the paradisiacal condition was more complete and
+spiritual. The desire to eat of a certain sweet herb deprived men of
+their spiritual life. There arose a sense of shame, and the need to
+clothe themselves. Necessity compelled them to agriculture; the virtues
+disappeared, and murder, adultery and other vices, stepped into their
+place.[10:2]
+
+The idea that the Fall of the human race is connected with _agriculture_
+is found to be also often represented in the legends of the East African
+negroes, especially in the Calabar legend of the Creation, which
+presents many interesting points of comparison with the biblical story
+of the Fall. The first human pair are called by a bell at meal-times to
+Abasi (the Calabar God), in heaven; and in place of the forbidden tree
+of Genesis are put _agriculture_ and _propagation_, which Abasi
+strictly denies to the first pair. The Fall is denoted by the
+transgression of both these commands, especially through the use of
+implements of tillage, to which the _woman_ is tempted by a female
+friend who is given to her. From that moment man fell _and became
+mortal_, so that, as the Bible story has it, he can eat bread only in
+the sweat of his face. There agriculture is a curse, a fall from a more
+perfect stage to a lower and imperfect one.[11:1]
+
+Dr. Kalisch, writing of the Garden of Eden, says:
+
+     "The _Paradise_ is no exclusive feature of the early history
+     of the Hebrews. _Most of the ancient nations have similar
+     narratives about a happy abode, which care does not approach,
+     and which re-echoes with the sounds of the purest
+     bliss._"[11:2]
+
+The _Persians_ supposed that a region of bliss and delight called
+_Heden_, more beautiful than all the rest of the world, _traversed by a
+mighty river_, was the original abode of the first men, before they were
+tempted by the evil spirit in the form of a _serpent_, to partake of the
+fruit of the forbidden tree _Hom_.[11:3]
+
+Dr. Delitzsch, writing of the _Persian_ legend, observes:
+
+     "Innumerable attendants of the Holy One keep watch against the
+     attempts of Ahriman, over the tree _Hom_, which contains in
+     itself the power of the resurrection."[11:4]
+
+The ancient Greeks had a tradition concerning the "Islands of the
+Blessed," the "Elysium," on the borders of the earth, abounding in every
+charm of life, and the "Garden of the Hesperides," the Paradise, in
+which grew a _tree_ bearing the golden apples of Immortality. It was
+guarded by three nymphs, and a Serpent, or Dragon, the ever-watchful
+Ladon. It was one of the labors of Hercules to gather some of these
+apples of life. When he arrived there he found the garden protected by a
+_Dragon_. Ancient medallions represent a tree with a serpent twined
+around it. Hercules has gathered an apple, and near him stand the three
+nymphs, called Hesperides.[11:5] This is simply a parallel of the Eden
+myth.
+
+The Rev. Mr. Faber, speaking of _Hercules_, says:
+
+     "On the _Sphere_ he is represented in the act of contending
+     with the Serpent, the head of which is placed under his foot;
+     and this Serpent, we are told, is that which guarded the tree
+     with golden fruit in the midst of the garden of the
+     Hesperides. But the garden of the Hesperides _was none other
+     than the garden of Paradise_; consequently the serpent of that
+     garden, the head of which is crushed beneath the heel of
+     Hercules, and which itself is described as encircling with its
+     folds the trunk of the mysterious tree, must necessarily be a
+     transcript of that Serpent whose form was assumed by the
+     tempter of our first parents. We may observe the same ancient
+     tradition in the Phoenician fable representing Ophion or
+     Ophioneus."[12:1]
+
+And Professor Fergusson says:
+
+     "_Hercules'_ adventures in the garden of the Hesperides, is
+     the Pagan form of the myth that most resembles the precious
+     Serpent-guarded fruit of the Garden of Eden, though the moral
+     of the fable is so widely different."[12:2]
+
+The ancient _Egyptians_ also had the legend of the "Tree of Life." It is
+mentioned in their sacred books that Osiris ordered the names of some
+souls to be written on this "Tree of Life," the fruit of which made
+those who ate it to become as gods.[12:3]
+
+Among the most ancient traditions of the _Hindoos_, is that of the "Tree
+of Life"--called _Soma_ in Sanskrit--the juice of which imparted
+immortality. This most wonderful tree was guarded by spirits.[12:4]
+
+Still more striking is the Hindoo legend of the "Elysium" or "Paradise,"
+which is as follows:
+
+     "In the sacred mountain _Meru_, which is perpetually clothed
+     in the golden rays of the Sun, and whose lofty summit reaches
+     into heaven, no sinful man can exist. _It is guarded by a
+     dreadful dragon._ It is adorned with many celestial plants and
+     trees, and is watered by _four rivers_, which thence separate
+     and flow to the four chief directions."[12:5]
+
+The Hindoos, like the philosophers of the Ionic school (Thales, for
+instance), held _water_ to be the first existing and all-pervading
+principle, at the same time allowing the co-operation and influence of
+an _immaterial_ intelligence in the work of creation.[12:6] A Vedic
+poet, meditating on the Creation, uses the following expressions:
+
+     "Nothing that is was then, even what is not, did not exist
+     then." "There was no space, no life, and lastly there was no
+     time, no difference between day and night, no solar torch by
+     which morning might have been told from evening." "Darkness
+     there was, and all at first was veiled in gloom profound, as
+     ocean without light."[12:7]
+
+The Hindoo legend approaches very nearly to that preserved in the Hebrew
+Scriptures. Thus, it is said that Siva, as the Supreme Being, desired to
+tempt Brahma (who had taken human form, and was called Swayambhura--son
+of the self-existent), and for this object he dropped from heaven a
+blossom of the sacred _fig_ tree.
+
+Swayambhura, instigated by his wife, Satarupa, endeavors to obtain this
+blossom, thinking its possession will render him immortal and divine;
+but when he has succeeded in doing so, he is cursed by Siva, and doomed
+to misery and degradation.[13:1] The sacred Indian _fig_ is endowed by
+the Brahmins and the Buddhists with mysterious significance, as the
+"Tree of Knowledge" or "Intelligence."[13:2]
+
+There is no Hindoo legend of the _Creation_ similar to the Persian and
+Hebrew accounts, and Ceylon was never believed to have been the Paradise
+or home of our first parents, although such stories are in
+circulation.[13:3] The Hindoo religion states--as we have already
+seen--Mount Meru to be the Paradise, out of which went _four rivers_.
+
+We have noticed that the "Gardens of Paradise" are said to have been
+guarded by _Dragons_, and that, according to the Genesis account, it was
+Cherubim that protected Eden. This apparent difference in the legends is
+owing to the fact that we have come in our modern times to speak of
+Cherub as though it were an other name for an Angel. But the Cherub of
+the writer of Genesis, the Cherub of Assyria, the Cherub of Babylon, the
+Cherub of the entire Orient, at the time the Eden story was written, was
+not at all an Angel, but an animal, and a mythological one at that. The
+Cherub had, in some cases, the body of a lion, with the head of an other
+animal, or a man, and the wings of a bird. In Ezekiel they have the body
+of a man, whose head, besides a human countenance, has also that of a
+_Lion_, an _Ox_ and an _Eagle_. They are provided with four wings, and
+the whole body is spangled with innumerable eyes. In Assyria and Babylon
+they appear as winged bulls with human faces, and are placed at the
+gateways of palaces and temples as guardian genii who watch over the
+dwelling, as the Cherubim in Genesis watch the "Tree of Life."
+
+Most Jewish writers and Christian Fathers conceived the Cherubim as
+Angels. Most theologians also considered them as Angels, until Michaelis
+showed them to be a mythological animal, a poetical creation.[13:4]
+
+We see then, that our _Cherub_ is simply a _Dragon_.
+
+To continue our inquiry regarding the prevalence of the Eden-myth among
+nations of antiquity.
+
+The _Chinese_ have their Age of Virtue, when nature furnished abundant
+food, and man lived peacefully, surrounded by all the beasts. In their
+sacred books there is a story concerning a mysterious _garden_, where
+grew a _tree_ bearing "apples of immortality," guarded by a winged
+serpent, called a Dragon. They describe a primitive age of the world,
+when the earth yielded abundance of delicious fruits without
+cultivation, and the seasons were untroubled by wind and storms. There
+was no calamity, sickness, or death. Men were then good without effort;
+for the human heart was in harmony with the peacefulness and beauty of
+nature.
+
+The "Golden Age" of the past is much dwelt upon by their ancient
+commentators. One of them says:
+
+     "All places were then equally the native county of every man.
+     Flocks wandered in the fields without any guide; birds filled
+     the air with their melodious voices; and the fruits grew of
+     their own accord. Men lived pleasantly with the animals, and
+     all creatures were members of the same family. Ignorant of
+     evil, man lived in simplicity and perfect innocence."
+
+Another commentator says:
+
+     "In the first age of perfect purity, all was in harmony, and
+     the passions did not occasion the slightest murmur. Man,
+     united to sovereign reason within, conformed his outward
+     actions to sovereign justice. Far from all duplicity and
+     falsehood, his soul received marvelous felicity from heaven,
+     and the purest delights from earth."
+
+Another says:
+
+     "A delicious _garden_ refreshed with zephyrs, and planted with
+     odoriferous trees, was situated in the middle of a mountain,
+     which was the avenue of heaven. The _waters_ that moistened it
+     flowed from a source called the '_Fountain of Immortality_'.
+     He who drinks of it never dies. Thence flowed _four rivers_. A
+     Golden River, betwixt the South and East, a Red River, between
+     the North and East, the River of the Lamb between the North
+     and West."
+
+The animal Kaiming guards the entrance.
+
+Partly by an undue thirst for knowledge, and partly by increasing
+sensuality, and the seduction of _woman_, man fell. Then passion and
+lust ruled in the human mind, and war with the animals began. In one of
+the Chinese sacred volumes, called the Chi-King, it is said that:
+
+     "All was subject to man at first, _but a woman threw us into
+     slavery_. The wise husband raised up a bulwark of walls, _but
+     the woman, by an ambitious desire of knowledge, demolished
+     them_. Our misery did not come from heaven, _but from a
+     woman_. _She lost the human race._ Ah, unhappy _Poo See!_ thou
+     kindled the fire that consumes us, and which is every day
+     augmenting. Our misery has lasted many ages. _The world is
+     lost._ Vice overflows all things like a mortal poison."[15:1]
+
+Thus we see that the Chinese are no strangers to the doctrine of
+original sin. It is their invariable belief that man is a fallen being;
+admitted by them from time immemorial.
+
+The inhabitants of _Madagascar_ had a legend similar to the Eden story,
+which is related as follows:
+
+     "The first man was created of the _dust of the earth_, and was
+     placed in a _garden_, where he was subject to none of the ills
+     which now affect mortality; he was also free from all bodily
+     appetites, and though surrounded by delicious _fruit_ and
+     limpid _streams_ yet felt no desire to taste of the fruit or
+     to quaff the water. The Creator had, moreover, _strictly
+     forbid him either to eat or to drink_. The great enemy,
+     however, came to him, and painted to him, in glowing colors,
+     the sweetness of the apple, and the lusciousness of the date,
+     and the succulence of the orange."
+
+After resisting the temptations for a while, he at last ate of the
+fruit, and consequently _fell_.[15:2]
+
+A legend of the Creation, similar to the Hebrew, was found by Mr. Ellis
+among the _Tahitians_, and appeared in his "Polynesian Researches." It
+is as follows:
+
+After Taarao had formed the world, he created man out of araea, red
+earth, which was also the food of man until bread was made. Taarao one
+day called for the man by name. When he came, he caused him to fall
+asleep, and while he slept, he took out one of his _ivi_, or bones, and
+with it made a woman, whom he gave to the man as his wife, and they
+became the progenitors of mankind. The woman's name was _Ivi_, which
+signifies a bone.[15:3]
+
+The prose Edda, of the ancient _Scandinavians_, speaks of the "Golden
+Age" when all was pure and harmonious. This age lasted until the arrival
+of _woman_ out of Jotunheim--the region of the giants, a sort of "land
+of Nod"--who corrupted it.[15:4]
+
+In the annals of the _Mexicans_, the first woman, whose name was
+translated by the old Spanish writers, "the woman of our flesh," is
+always represented as accompanied by a great male serpent, who seems to
+be talking to her. Some writers believe this to be the _tempter_
+speaking to the primeval mother, and others that it is intended to
+represent the _father_ of the human race. This Mexican Eve is
+represented on their monuments as the mother of twins.[15:5]
+
+Mr. Franklin, in his "Buddhists and Jeynes," says:
+
+     "A striking instance is recorded by the very intelligent
+     traveler (Wilson), regarding a representation of the Fall of
+     our first parents, sculptured in the magnificent temple of
+     Ipsambul, in Nubia. He says that a very exact representation
+     of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden is to be seen in that
+     cave, and that the _serpent_ climbing round the tree is
+     especially delineated, and the whole subject of the tempting
+     of our first parents most accurately exhibited."[16:1]
+
+Nearly the same thing was found by Colonel Coombs in the _South of
+India_. Colonel Tod, in his "Hist. Rajapoutana," says:
+
+     "A drawing, brought by Colonel Coombs from a sculptured column
+     in a cave-temple in the South of India, represents the first
+     pair at the foot of the ambrosial tree, and a _serpent_
+     entwined among the heavily-laden boughs, presenting to them
+     some of the fruit from his mouth. The tempter appears to be at
+     that part of his discourse, when
+
+      '----his words, replete with guile,
+     Into her heart too easy entrance won:
+     Fixed on the fruit she gazed.'
+
+     "_This is a curious subject to be engraved on an ancient Pagan
+     temple._"[16:2]
+
+So the Colonel thought, no doubt, but it is not so very curious after
+all. It is the same myth which we have found--with but such small
+variations only as time and circumstances may be expected to
+produce--among different nations, in both the Old and New Worlds.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 2]
+
+Fig. No. 2, taken from the work of Montfaucon,[16:3] represents one of
+these ancient Pagan sculptures. Can any one doubt that it is allusive to
+the myth of which we have been treating in this chapter?
+
+That man was originally created a perfect being, and is now only a
+fallen and broken remnant of what he once was, we have seen to be a
+piece of _mythology_, not only unfounded in fact, but, beyond
+intelligent question, proved untrue. What, then, is the significance of
+the exposure of this myth? What does its loss as a scientific fact, and
+as a portion of Christian dogma, imply? It implies that with
+it--although many Christian divines who admit this to be a legend, do
+not, or do not _profess_, to see it--_must fall the whole Orthodox
+scheme, for upon this_ MYTH _the theology of Christendom is built_. The
+doctrine of the _inspiration of the Scriptures_, the _Fall_ of _man_,
+his _total depravity_, the _Incarnation_, the _Atonement_, the _devil_,
+_hell_, in fact, the entire theology of the Christian church, falls to
+pieces with the historical inaccuracy of this story, _for upon it is it
+built; 'tis the foundation of the whole structure_.[17:1]
+
+According to Christian dogma, the Incarnation of Christ Jesus had become
+necessary, merely _because he had to redeem the evil introduced into the
+world by the Fall of man_. These two dogmas cannot be separated from
+each other. _If there was no Fall, there is no need of an atonement, and
+no Redeemer is required._ Those, then, who consent in recognizing in
+Christ Jesus a _God_ and _Redeemer_, and who, notwithstanding, cannot
+resolve upon admitting the story of the Fall of man to be _historical_,
+should exculpate themselves from the reproach of _inconsistency_. There
+are a great number, however, in this position at the present day.
+
+Although, as we have said, many Christian divines do not, or do not
+profess to, see the force of the above argument, there are many who do;
+and they, regardless of their scientific learning, cling to these old
+myths, professing to believe them, _well knowing what must follow with
+their fall_. The following, though written some years ago, will serve to
+illustrate this style of reasoning.
+
+The Bishop of Manchester (England) writing in the "Manchester Examiner
+and Times," said:
+
+     "The very _foundation of our faith_, the very _basis of our
+     hopes_, the very nearest and dearest of our consolations are
+     taken from us, _when one line of that sacred volume, on which
+     we base everything, is declared to be untruthful and
+     untrustworthy_."
+
+The "English Churchman," speaking of clergymen who have "_doubts_,"
+said, that any who are not throughly persuaded "_that the Scriptures
+cannot in any particular be untrue_," should leave the Church.
+
+The Rev. E. Garbett, M. A., in a sermon preached before the University
+of Oxford, speaking of the "_historical truth_" of the Bible, said:
+
+     "It is the clear teaching of those doctrinal formularies, to
+     which we of the Church of England have expressed our solemn
+     assent, _and no honest interpretation of her language can get
+     rid of it_."
+
+And that:
+
+     "In all consistent reason, _we must accept the whole of the
+     inspired autographs, or reject the whole_."
+
+Dr. Baylee, Principal of a theological university--_St. Aiden's
+College_--at Birkenhead, England, and author of a "Manual," called
+Baylee's "_Verbal Inspiration_," written "_chiefly for the youths of St.
+Aiden's College_," makes use of the following words, in that work:
+
+     "_The whole Bible_, as a revelation, is a declaration of the
+     mind of God towards his creatures on all the subjects of which
+     the Bible treats."
+
+     "_The Bible is God's word_, in the same sense as if he had
+     made use of no human agent, but had _Himself spoken it_."
+
+     "The Bible cannot be less than verbally inspired. _Every word,
+     every syllable, every letter_, is just what it would be, had
+     God spoken from heaven without any human intervention."
+
+     "Every scientific statement is infallibly correct, all its
+     history and narrations of every kind, _are without any
+     inaccuracy_."[18:1]
+
+A whole volume might be filled with such quotations, not only from
+religious works and journals published in England, but from those
+published in the United States of America.[18:2]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[1:1] The idea that the sun, moon and stars were _set_ in the firmament
+was entertained by most nations of antiquity, but, as strange as it may
+appear, Pythagoras, the Grecian philosopher, who flourished from 540 to
+510 B. C.--as well as other Grecian philosophers--taught that the sun
+was placed in the centre of the universe, _with the planets roving round
+it in a circle_, thus making day and night. (See Knight's Ancient Art
+and Mythology, p. 59, and note.) The Buddhists anciently taught that the
+universe is composed of limitless systems or worlds, called _sakwalas_.
+
+They are scattered throughout space, and each sakwala has a sun and
+moon. (See Hardy: Buddhist Legends, pp. 80 and 87.)
+
+[2:1] Origen, a Christian Father who flourished about A. D. 230, says:
+"What man of sense will agree with the statement that the first, second,
+and third days, in which the _evening_ is named and the _morning_, were
+without sun, moon and stars?" (Quoted in Mysteries of Adoni, p. 176.)
+
+[2:2] "The geologist reckons not by _days_ or by _years_; the whole six
+thousand years, which were until lately looked on as the sum of the
+world's age, are to him but as a unit of measurement in the long
+succession of past ages." (Sir John Lubbock.)
+
+"It is now certain that the vast epochs of time demanded by scientific
+observation are incompatible both with the six thousand years of the
+Mosaic chronology, and the six days of the Mosaic creation." (Dean
+Stanley.)
+
+[2:3] "Let us make man in our own likeness," was said by Ormuzd, the
+Persian God of Gods, to his WORD. (See Bunsen's Angel Messiah, p. 104.)
+
+[2:4] The number SEVEN was sacred among almost every nation of
+antiquity. (See ch. ii.)
+
+[2:5] According to Grecian Mythology, the God Prometheus created men, in
+the image of the gods, _out of clay_ (see Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p.
+26; and Goldzhier: Hebrew Myths, p. 373), and the God Hephaistos was
+commanded by Zeus to mold of _clay_ the figure of a maiden, into which
+Athene, the dawn-goddess, _breathed the breath of life_. This is
+Pandora--the gift of all the gods--who is presented to Epimetheus. (See
+Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. ii., p. 208.)
+
+[2:6] "What man is found such an idiot as to suppose that God planted
+trees in Paradise, in Eden, like a husbandman." (Origen: quoted in
+Mysteries of Adoni, p. 176.) "There is no way of preserving the literal
+sense of the first chapter of Genesis, without impiety, and attributing
+things to God unworthy of him." (St. Augustine.)
+
+[2:7] "The records about the '_Tree of Life_' are the sublimest proofs
+of the unity and continuity of tradition, and of its Eastern origin.
+_The earliest records of the most ancient Oriental tradition refer to a
+'Tree of Life,' which was guarded by spirits._ The juice of the fruit of
+this sacred tree, like the tree itself, was called _Soma_ in Sanscrit,
+and _Haoma_ in Zend; it was revered as the life preserving essence."
+(Bunsen: Keys of St. Peter, p. 414)
+
+[3:1] "According to the Persian account of Paradise, _four_ great rivers
+came from Mount Alborj; two are in the North, and two go towards the
+South. The river Arduisir nourishes the _Tree of Immortality_, the Holy
+Hom." (Stiefelhagen: quoted in Mysteries of Adoni p. 149.)
+
+"According to the _Chinese_ myth, the waters of the Garden of Paradise
+issue from the fountain of immortality, which divides itself into _four
+rivers_." (Ibid., p. 150, and Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i., p. 210.) The
+Hindoos call their Mount Meru the Paradise, out of which went _four_
+rivers. (Anacalypsis, vol. i., p. 357.)
+
+[3:2] According to Persian legend, Arimanes, the Evil Spirit, _by eating
+a certain kind of fruit_, transformed himself into a _serpent_, and went
+gliding about on the earth to tempt human beings. His Devs entered the
+bodies of men and produced all manner of diseases. They entered into
+their minds, and incited them to sensuality, falsehood, slander and
+revenge. Into every department of the world they introduced discord and
+death.
+
+[4:1] Inasmuch as the physical construction of the serpent never could
+admit of its moving in any other way, and inasmuch as it _does not eat
+dust_, does not the narrator of this myth reflect unpleasantly upon the
+wisdom of such a God as Jehovah is claimed to be, as well as upon the
+ineffectualness of his first curse?
+
+[5:1] "Our writer unmistakably recognizes the existence of _many gods_;
+for he makes Yahweh say: 'See, the man has become as ONE OF US, knowing
+good and evil;' and so he evidently implies the existence of other
+similar beings, to whom he attributes immortality and insight into the
+difference between good and evil. Yahweh, then, was, in his eyes, the
+god of gods, indeed, but not the _only_ god." (Bible for Learners, vol.
+i. p. 51.)
+
+[5:2] In his memorial sermon, preached in Westminster Abbey, after the
+funeral of Sir Charles Lyell. He further said in this address:--
+
+"It is well known that when the science of geology first arose, it was
+involved in endless schemes of _attempted_ reconciliation with the
+letter of Scripture. There was, there are perhaps still, two modes of
+reconciliation of Scripture and science, which have been each in their
+day attempted, _and each have totally and deservedly failed_. One is the
+endeavor to wrest the words of the Bible from their natural meaning,
+_and force it to speak the language of science_." After speaking of the
+earliest known example, which was the interpolation of the word "_not_"
+in Leviticus xi. 6, he continues: "This is the earliest instance of _the
+falsification of Scripture to meet the demands of science_; and it has
+been followed in later times by the various efforts which have been made
+to twist the earlier chapters of the book of Genesis into _apparent_
+agreement with the last results of geology--representing days not to be
+days, morning and evening not to be morning and evening, the deluge not
+to be the deluge, and the ark not to be the ark."
+
+[5:3] Gen. i. 9, 10.
+
+[5:4] Gen. ii. 6.
+
+[6:1] Gen. i. 20, 24, 26.
+
+[6:2] Gen. ii. 7, 9.
+
+[6:3] Gen. i. 20.
+
+[6:4] Gen. ii. 19.
+
+[6:5] Gen. i. 27.
+
+[6:6] Gen. ii. 7: iii. 22.
+
+[6:7] Gen. i. 28.
+
+[6:8] Gen. ii. 8, 15.
+
+[6:9] Gen. i. 28.
+
+[6:10] Gen. ii. 7, 8, 15, 22.
+
+[6:11] Gen. ii. 4-25.
+
+[6:12] Gen. iii.
+
+[6:13] Gen. i. 1-ii. 8.
+
+[6:14] Gen. iii. 1, 3, 5.
+
+[6:15] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. ii. pp. 171-173.
+
+[6:16] Com. on Old Test. vol. i. p. 59.
+
+[7:1] The Relig. of Israel, p. 186.
+
+[7:2] Von Bohlen: Intro. to Gen. vol. ii. p. 4.
+
+[7:3] Lenormant: Beginning of Hist. vol. i. p. 6.
+
+[7:4] See Ibid. p. 64; and Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 31.
+
+[8:1] "The Etruscans believed in a creation of six thousand years, and
+in the successive production of different beings, the last of which was
+man." (Dunlap: Spirit Hist. p. 357.)
+
+[8:2] Quoted by Bishop Colenso: The Pentateuch Examined, vol. iv. p.
+115.
+
+[8:3] Intro. to Genesis, vol. ii. p. 4.
+
+[8:4] Com. on Old Test. vol. i. p. 63.
+
+[8:5] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. iv. p. 158.
+
+[9:1] See Chapter xi.
+
+[9:2] Mr. Smith says, "Whatever the primitive account may have been from
+which the earlier part of the Book of Genesis was copied, it is evident
+that the brief narration given in the Pentateuch omits a number of
+incidents and explanations--for instance, as to the origin of evil, the
+fall of the angels, the wickedness of the serpent, &c. Such points as
+these are included in the cuneiform narrative." (Smith: Chaldean Account
+of Genesis, pp. 13, 14.)
+
+[9:3] Smith: Chaldean Account of Genesis, p. 88.
+
+[9:4] Ibid. p. 89.
+
+[9:5] Ibid. p. 91.
+
+[10:1] Murray's Mythology, p. 208.
+
+[10:2] Kalisch's Com. vol. i. p. 64.
+
+[11:1] Goldziher: Hebrew Mythology, p. 87.
+
+[11:2] Com. on the Old Test. vol. i. p. 70.
+
+[11:3] Ibid.
+
+[11:4] Ibid. "The fruit, and sap of this '_Tree of Life_' begat
+immortality." (Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 240.)
+
+[11:5] See Montfaucon: L'Antiquite Expliquee, vol. i. p. 211, and Pl.
+cxxxiii.
+
+[12:1] Faber: Origin Pagan Idolatry, vol. i. p. 443; in Anacalypsis,
+vol. i. p. 237.
+
+[12:2] Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 13.
+
+[12:3] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 159.
+
+[12:4] See Bunsen's Keys of St. Peter, p. 414.
+
+[12:5] Colenso: The Pentateuch Examined, vol. iv. p. 153.
+
+[12:6] Buckley: Cities of the Ancient World, p. 148.
+
+[12:7] Mueller: Hist. Sanskrit Literature, p. 559.
+
+[13:1] See Wake: Phallism in Ancient Religions, pp. 46, 47; and Maurice:
+Hist. Hindostan, vol. i. p. 408.
+
+[13:2] Hardwick: Christ and Other Masters, p. 215.
+
+[13:3] See Jacolliot's "Bible in India," which John Fisk calls a "very
+discreditable performance," and "a disgraceful piece of charlatanry"
+(Myths, &c. p. 205). This writer also states that according to Hindoo
+legend, the first man and woman were called "Adima and Heva," which is
+certainly not the case. The "bridge of Adima" which he speaks of as
+connecting the island of Ceylon with the mainland, is called "Rama's
+bridge;" and the "Adam's footprints" are called "Buddha's footprints."
+The Portuguese, who called the mountain _Pico d' Adama_ (Adam's Peak),
+evidently invented these other names. (See Maurice's Hist. Hindostan,
+vol. i. pp. 301, 362, and vol. ii. p. 242).
+
+[13:4] See Smith's Bible Dic. Art. "Cherubim," and Lenormant's Beginning
+of History, ch. iii.
+
+[15:1] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 206-210, The Pentateuch
+Examined, vol. iv. pp. 152, 153, and Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 38.
+
+[15:2] Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 31.
+
+[15:3] Quoted by Mueller: The Science of Relig., p. 302.
+
+[15:4] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 409.
+
+[15:5] See Baring Gould's Legends of the Patriarchs; Squire's Serpent
+Symbol, p. 161, and Wake's Phallism in Ancient Religions, p. 41.
+
+[16:1] Quoted by Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 403.
+
+[16:2] Tod's Hist. Raj., p. 581, quoted by Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i.
+p. 404.
+
+[16:3] L'Antiquite Expliquee, vol. i.
+
+[17:1] Sir William Jones, the first president of the Royal Asiatic
+Society, saw this when he said: "Either the first eleven chapters of
+Genesis, all due allowance being made for a figurative Eastern style,
+are _true_, or the whole fabric of our religion is false." (In Asiatic
+Researches, vol. i. p. 225.) And so also did the learned Thomas Maurice,
+for he says: "If the Mosaic History be indeed a fable, the whole fabric
+of the national religion is false, since the main pillar of Christianity
+rests upon that important original promise, that the seed of the woman
+should bruise the head of the serpent." (Hist. Hindostan, vol. i. p.
+20.)
+
+[18:1] The above extracts are quoted by Bishop Colenso, in The
+Pentateuch Examined, vol. ii. pp. 10-12, from which we take them.
+
+[18:2] "_Cosmogony_" is the title of a volume lately written by Prof.
+Thomas Mitchell, and published by the American News Co., in which the
+author attacks all the modern scientists in regard to the geological
+antiquity of the world, evolution, atheism, pantheism, &c. He
+believes--and rightly too--that, "_if the account of Creation in Genesis
+falls, Christ and the apostles follow: if the book of Genesis is
+erroneous, so also are the Gospels_."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+THE DELUGE.[19:1]
+
+
+After "man's shameful fall," the earth began to be populated at a very
+rapid rate. "The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were
+fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. . . . . There
+were _giants_ in the earth in those days,[19:2] and also . . . mighty
+men . . . men of renown."
+
+But these "giants" and "mighty men" were very wicked, "and God saw the
+wickedness of man . . . _and it repented the Lord that he had made man
+upon the earth_,[19:3] and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord
+said; I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth,
+both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air,
+for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the
+eyes of the Lord (for) Noah was a just man . . . and walked with God.
+. . . And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me,
+for the earth is filled with violence through them, and, behold, I will
+destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood, rooms
+shalt thou make in the ark, (and) a window shalt thou make to the ark;
+. . . . And behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth,
+to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven,
+and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee shall I
+establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy
+sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives, with thee. And of every living
+thing of all flesh, _two_ of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark,
+to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls
+after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping
+thing of the earth after his kind, _two_ of every sort shall come in to
+thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is
+eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for
+thee and for them. _Thus did Noah, according to all that God commanded
+him._"[20:1]
+
+When the ark was finished, the Lord said unto Noah:
+
+     "Come thou and all thy house into the ark. . . . Of every clean
+     beast thou shalt take to thee by _sevens_, the male and his
+     female; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and
+     his female. Of fowls also of the air by _sevens_, the male and
+     the female."[20:2]
+
+Here, again, as in the Eden myth, there is a _contradiction_. We have
+seen that the Lord told Noah to bring into the ark "of every living
+thing, of all flesh, _two_ of _every sort_," and now that the ark is
+finished, we are told that he said to him: "Of every clean beast thou
+shalt take to thee by _sevens_," and, "of fowls also of the air by
+_sevens_." This is owing to the story having been written by _two
+different writers_--the Jehovistic, and the Elohistic--one of which took
+from, and added to the narrative of the other.[20:3] The account goes on
+to say, that:
+
+     "Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives
+     with him, into the ark. . . . Of _clean_ beasts, and of beasts
+     _that are not clean_, and of _fowls_, and of _every thing_
+     that creepeth upon the earth, there went in _two and two_,
+     unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, _as God had
+     commanded Noah_."[20:4]
+
+We see, then, that Noah took into the ark _of all kinds_ of beasts, of
+_fowls_, and of every thing that creepeth, _two of every sort_, and that
+this was "_as God had commanded Noah_." This clearly shows that the
+writer of these words knew nothing of the command to take in _clean
+beasts_, and _fowls_ of the air, by _sevens_. We are further assured,
+that, "_Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him_."
+
+After Noah and his family, and every beast after his kind, and all the
+cattle after their kind, the fowls of the air, and every creeping thing,
+had entered the ark, the Lord shut them in. Then "were all the fountains
+of the great deep broken up, _and the windows of heaven were opened_.
+And the rain was upon the earth _forty days and forty nights_. . . . .
+And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the hills,
+that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upwards
+did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. And all flesh
+died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl and of cattle, and of
+beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and
+every man. And Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in
+the ark."[21:1] The object of the flood was now accomplished, "_all
+flesh died that moved upon the earth_." The Lord, therefore, "made a
+wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged. The fountains of
+the deep, and the windows of heaven, were stopped, and the rain from
+heaven was restrained. And the waters decreased continually. . . . . And
+it came to pass at the end of _forty days_, that Noah opened the window
+of the ark, which he had made. And he sent forth a raven, which went
+forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. He
+also sent forth a dove, . . . but the dove found no rest for the sole of
+her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark." . . .
+
+At the end of _seven_ days he again "sent forth the dove out of the ark,
+and the dove came in to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth was an
+olive leaf, plucked off."
+
+At the end of another _seven_ days, he again "sent forth the dove, which
+returned not again to him any more."
+
+And the ark rested in the _seventh_ month, on the seventeenth day of the
+month, upon the mountains of Ararat. Then Noah and his wife, and his
+sons, and his sons' wives, and every living thing that was in the ark,
+went forth out of the ark. "And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord,
+. . . and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a
+sweet savour, and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the
+ground any more for man's sake."[21:2]
+
+We shall now see that there is scarcely any considerable race of men
+among whom there does not exist, in some form, the tradition of a great
+deluge, which destroyed all the human race, except _their own_
+progenitors.
+
+The first of these which we shall notice, and the one with which the
+Hebrew agrees most closely, having been copied from it,[22:1] is the
+_Chaldean_, as given by Berosus, the Chaldean historian.[22:2] It is as
+follows:
+
+     "After the death of Ardates (the ninth king of the Chaldeans),
+     his son _Xisuthrus_ reigned eighteen sari. In his time
+     happened a great _deluge_, the history of which is thus
+     described: The deity Cronos appeared to him (Xisuthrus) in a
+     vision, and warned him that upon the fifteenth day of the
+     month Desius there would be a flood, by which mankind would be
+     destroyed. He therefore enjoined him to write a history of the
+     beginning, procedure, and conclusion of all things, and to
+     bury it in the City of the Sun at Sippara; and to build a
+     vessel, and take with him into it his friends and relations,
+     and to convey on board everything necessary to sustain life,
+     together with all the different animals, both birds and
+     quadrupeds, and trust himself fearlessly to the deep. Having
+     asked the deity whither he was to sail, he was answered: 'To
+     the Gods;' upon which he offered up a prayer for the good of
+     mankind. He then obeyed the divine admonition, and built a
+     vessel five stadia in length, and two in breadth. Into this he
+     put everything which he had prepared, and last of all conveyed
+     into it his wife, his children, and his friends. After the
+     flood had been upon the earth, and was in time abated,
+     Xisuthrus sent out birds from the vessel; which not finding
+     any food, nor any place whereupon they might rest their feet,
+     returned to him again. After an interval of some days, he sent
+     them forth a second time; and they now returned with their
+     feet tinged with mud. He made a trial a third time with these
+     birds; but they returned to him no more: from whence he judged
+     that the surface of the earth had appeared above the waters.
+     He therefore made an opening in the vessel, and upon looking
+     out found that it was stranded upon the side of some mountain;
+     upon which he immediately quitted it with his wife, his
+     daughter, and the pilot. Xisuthrus then paid his adoration to
+     the earth, and, having constructed an altar, offered
+     sacrifices to the gods."[22:3]
+
+This account, given by Berosus, which agrees in almost every particular
+with that found in Genesis, and with that found by George Smith of the
+British Museum on terra cotta tablets in Assyria, is nevertheless
+different in some respects. But, says Mr. Smith:
+
+     "When we consider the difference between the two countries of
+     Palestine and Babylonia, these variations do not appear
+     greater than we should expect. . . . It was only natural that, in
+     relating the same stories, each nation should color them in
+     accordance with its own ideas, and stress would naturally in
+     each case be laid upon points with which they were familiar.
+     Thus we should expect beforehand that there would be
+     differences in the narrative such as we actually find, and we
+     may also notice that the cuneiform account does not always
+     coincide even with the account of the same events given by
+     Berosus from Chaldean sources."[23:1]
+
+The most important points are the same however, _i. e._, _in both cases_
+the virtuous man is informed by the Lord that a flood is about to take
+place, which would destroy mankind. _In both cases_ they are commanded
+to build a vessel or ark, to enter it with their families, and to take
+in beasts, birds, and everything that creepeth, also to provide
+themselves with food. _In both cases_ they send out a bird from the ark
+_three times_--the third time it failed to return. _In both cases_ they
+land on a mountain, and upon leaving the ark they offer up a sacrifice
+to the gods. Xisuthrus was the tenth king,[23:2] and Noah the tenth
+patriarch.[23:3] Xisuthrus had three sons (Zerovanos, Titan and
+Japetosthes),[23:4] and Noah had three sons (Shem, Ham and
+Japhet).[23:5]
+
+As Cory remarks in his "Ancient Fragments," the history of the flood, as
+given by Berosus, so remarkably corresponds with the Biblical account of
+the Noachian Deluge, that no one can doubt that both proceeded from one
+source--they are evidently transcriptions, except the names, from some
+ancient document.[23:6]
+
+This legend became known to the Jews from Chaldean sources,[23:7] it was
+not known in the country (Egypt) out of which they evidently came.[23:8]
+Egyptian history, it is said, had gone on uninterrupted for ten
+thousand years before the time assigned for the birth of Jesus.[24:1]
+And it is known as absolute fact that the land of Egypt was never
+visited by other than its annual beneficent overflow of the river
+Nile.[24:2] The Egyptian Bible, _which is by far the most ancient of all
+holy books[24:3], knew nothing of the Deluge_.[24:4] The Phra (or
+Pharaoh) Khoufou-Cheops was building his pyramid, according to Egyptian
+chronicle, when the whole world was under the waters of a universal
+deluge, according to the Hebrew chronicle.[24:5] A number of other
+nations of antiquity are found destitute of any story of a flood,[24:6]
+which they certainly would have had if a universal deluge had ever
+happened. Whether this legend is of high antiquity in India has even
+been doubted by distinguished scholars.[24:7]
+
+The _Hindoo_ legend of the Deluge is as follows:
+
+     "Many ages after the creation of the world, Brahma resolved to
+     destroy it with a deluge, on account of the wickedness of the
+     people. There lived at that time a pious man named
+     _Satyavrata_, and as the lord of the universe loved this pious
+     man, and wished to preserve him from the sea of destruction
+     which was to appear on account of the depravity of the age, he
+     appeared before him in the form of _Vishnu_ (the Preserver)
+     and said: In _seven_ days from the present time . . . the
+     worlds will be plunged in an ocean of death, but in the midst
+     of the destroying waves, a large vessel, sent by me for thy
+     use, shall stand before thee. Then shalt thou take all
+     medicinal herbs, all the variety of feeds, and, accompanied by
+     _seven_ saints, encircled by _pairs_ of all brute animals,
+     thou shalt enter the spacious ark, and continue in it, secure
+     from the flood, on one immense ocean without light, except the
+     radiance of thy holy companions. When the ship shall be
+     agitated by an impetuous wind, thou shalt fasten it with a
+     large sea-serpent on my horn; for I will be near thee (in
+     the form of a fish), drawing the vessel, with thee and thy
+     attendants. I will remain on the ocean, O chief of men, until
+     a night of _Brahma_ shall be completely ended. Thou shalt then
+     know my true greatness, rightly named the Supreme Godhead; by
+     my favor, all thy questions shall be answered, and thy mind
+     abundantly instructed."
+
+Being thus directed, Satyavrata humbly waited for the time which the
+ruler of our senses had appointed. It was not long, however, before the
+sea, overwhelming its shores, began to deluge the whole earth, and it
+was soon perceived to be augmented by showers from immense clouds. He,
+still meditating on the commands of the Lord, saw a vessel advancing,
+and entered it with the saints, after having carried into effect the
+instructions which had been given him.
+
+_Vishnu_ then appeared before them, in the form of a fish, as he had
+said, and Satyavrata fastened a cable to his horn.
+
+The deluge in time abated, and Satyavrata, instructed in all divine and
+human knowledge, was appointed, by the favor of _Vishnu_, the Seventh
+Menu. After coming forth from the ark he offers up a sacrifice to
+Brahma.[25:1]
+
+The ancient temples of Hindostan contain representations of Vishnu
+sustaining the earth while overwhelmed by the waters of the deluge. _A
+rainbow is seen on the surface of the subsiding waters._[25:2]
+
+The _Chinese_ believe the earth to have been at one time covered with
+water, which they described as flowing abundantly and then subsiding.
+This great flood divided the higher from the lower age of man. It
+happened during the reign of Yaou. This inundation, which is termed
+_hung-shwuy_ (great water), almost ruined the country, and is spoken of
+by Chinese writers with sentiments of horror. The _Shoo-King_, one of
+their sacred books, describes the waters as reaching to the tops of some
+of the mountains, covering the hills, and expanding as wide as the vault
+of heaven.[25:3]
+
+The _Parsees_ say that by the temptation of the evil spirit men became
+wicked, and God destroyed them with a deluge, except a few, from whom
+the world was peopled anew.[25:4]
+
+In the _Zend-Avesta_, the oldest sacred book of the Persians, of whom
+the Parsees are direct descendants, there are sixteen countries spoken
+of as having been given by Ormuzd, the Good Deity, for the Aryans to
+live in; and these countries are described as a land of delight, which
+was turned by Ahriman, the Evil Deity, into a land of death and cold,
+partly, it is said, by a great flood, which is described as being like
+Noah's flood recorded in the Book of Genesis.[26:1]
+
+The ancient _Greeks_ had records of a flood which destroyed nearly the
+whole human race.[26:2] The story is as follows:
+
+     "From his throne in the high Olympos, Zeus looked down on the
+     children of men, and saw that everywhere they followed only
+     their lusts, and cared nothing for right or for law. And ever,
+     as their hearts waxed grosser in their wickedness, they
+     devised for themselves new rites to appease the anger of the
+     gods, till the whole earth was filled with blood. Far away in
+     the hidden glens of the Arcadian hills the sons of Lykaon
+     feasted and spake proud words against the majesty of Zeus, and
+     Zeus himself came down from his throne to see their way and
+     their doings. . . . Then Zeus returned to his home on Olympos,
+     and he gave the word that a flood of waters should be let
+     loose upon the earth, that the sons of men might die for their
+     great wickedness. So the west wind rose in its might, and the
+     dark rain-clouds veiled the whole heaven, for the winds of the
+     north which drive away the mists and vapors were shut up in
+     their prison house. On hill and valley burst the merciless
+     rain, and the rivers, loosened from their courses, rushed over
+     the whole plains and up the mountain-side. From his home on
+     the highlands of Phthia, Deukalion looked forth on the angry
+     sky, and, when he saw the waters swelling in the valleys
+     beneath, he called Pyrrha, his wife, and said to her: 'The
+     time has come of which my father, the wise Prometheus,
+     forewarned me. Make ready, therefore, the ark which I have
+     built, and place in it all that we may need for food while the
+     flood of waters is out upon the earth.' . . . Then Pyrrha
+     hastened to make all things ready, and they waited till the
+     waters rose up to the highlands of Phthia and floated away the
+     ark of Deukalion. The fishes swam amidst the old elm-groves,
+     and twined amongst the gnarled boughs on the oaks, while on
+     the face of the waters were tossed the bodies of men; and
+     Deukalion looked on the dead faces of stalwart warriors, of
+     maidens, and of babes, as they rose and fell upon the heavy
+     waves."
+
+When the flood began to abate, the ark rested on Mount Parnassus, and
+Deucalion, with his wife Pyrrha, stepped forth upon the desolate earth.
+They then immediately constructed an altar, and offered up thanks to
+Zeus, the mighty being who sent the flood and saved them from its
+waters.[26:3]
+
+According to Ovid (a Grecian writer born 43 B. C.), Deucalion does not
+venture out of the ark until a dove which he sent out returns to him
+with an olive branch.[26:4]
+
+It was at one time extensively believed, even by intelligent scholars,
+that the myth of Deucalion was a corrupted tradition of the Noachian
+deluge, _but this untenable opinion is now all but universally
+abandoned_.[27:1]
+
+The legend was found in the West among the Kelts. They believed that a
+great deluge overwhelmed the world and drowned all men except Drayan and
+Droyvach, who escaped in a boat, and colonized Britain. This boat was
+supposed to have been built by the "Heavenly Lord," and it received into
+it a pair of every kind of beasts.[27:2]
+
+The ancient _Scandinavians_ had their legend of a deluge. The _Edda_
+describes this deluge, from which only one man escapes, with his family,
+by means of a bark.[27:3] It was also found among the ancient Mexicans.
+They believed that a man named Coxcox, and his wife, survived the
+deluge. Lord Kingsborough, speaking of this legend,[27:4] informs us
+that the person who answered to Noah entered the ark with six others;
+and that the story of sending birds out of the ark, &c., is the same in
+general character with that of the Bible.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Dr. Brinton also speaks of the _Mexican_ tradition.[27:5] They had not
+only the story of sending out the _bird_, but related that the ark
+landed _on a mountain_. The tradition of a deluge was also found among
+the Brazilians, and among many Indian tribes.[27:6] The mountain upon
+which the ark is supposed to have rested, was pointed to by the
+residents in nearly every quarter of the globe. The mountain-chain of
+Ararat was considered to be--by the _Chaldeans_ and _Hebrews_--the place
+where the ark landed. The _Greeks_ pointed to Mount Parnassus; the
+_Hindoos_ to the Himalayas; and in Armenia numberless heights were
+pointed out with becoming reverence, as those on which the few survivors
+of the dreadful scenes of the deluge were preserved. On the Red River
+(in America), near the village of the Caddoes, there was an eminence to
+which the Indian tribes for a great distance around paid devout homage.
+The Cerro Naztarny on the Rio Grande, the peak of Old Zuni in New
+Mexico, that of Colhuacan on the Pacific coast, Mount Apoala in Upper
+Mixteca, and Mount Neba in the province of Guaymi, are some of many
+elevations asserted by the neighboring nations to have been places of
+refuge for their ancestors when the fountains of the great deep broke
+forth.
+
+The question now may naturally be asked, How could such a story have
+originated unless there was some foundation for it?
+
+In answer to this question we will say that we do not think such a story
+could have originated without some foundation for it, and that most, if
+not all, legends, have a basis of truth underlying the fabulous,
+although not always discernible. This story may have an _astronomical_
+basis, as some suppose,[28:1] or it may not. At any rate, it would be
+very easy to transmit by memory the fact of the _sinking_ of _an
+island_, or that of _an earthquake_, or a _great flood_, caused by
+overflows of rivers, &c., which, in the course of time, would be added
+to, and enlarged upon, and, in this way, made into quite a lengthy tale.
+According to one of the most ancient accounts of the deluge, we are told
+that at that time "the forest trees were dashed against each other;"
+"the mountains were involved with smoke and flame;" that there was
+"fire, and smoke, and wind, which ascended in thick clouds replete with
+lightning." "The roaring of the ocean, whilst violently agitated with
+the whirling of the mountains, was like the bellowing of a mighty cloud,
+&c."[28:2]
+
+A violent earthquake, with eruptions from volcanic mountains, and the
+sinking of land into the sea, would evidently produce such a scene as
+this. We know that at one period in the earth's history, such scenes
+must have been of frequent occurrence. The science of geology
+demonstrates this fact to us. _Local deluges_ were of frequent
+occurrence, and that some persons may have been saved on one, or perhaps
+many, such occasions, by means of a raft or boat, and that they may have
+sought refuge on an eminence, or mountain, does not seem at all
+improbable.
+
+During the _Champlain_ period in the history of the world--which came
+after the _Glacial_ period--the climate became warmer, _the continents
+sank_, and there were, consequently, continued _local floods_ which must
+have destroyed considerable animal life, including man. The foundation
+of the deluge myth may have been laid at this time.
+
+Some may suppose that this is dating the history of man too far back,
+making his history too remote; but such is not the case. There is every
+reason to believe that man existed for ages _before the Glacial epoch_.
+It must not be supposed that we have yet found remains of the earliest
+human beings; there is evidence, however, that man existed during the
+_Pliocene_, if not during the _Miocene_ periods, when hoofed quadrupeds,
+and Proboscidians abounded, human remains and implements having been
+found mingled with remains of these animals.[29:1]
+
+Charles Darwin believed that the animal called man, might have been
+properly called by that name at an epoch as remote as the _Eocene_
+period.[29:2] Man had probably lost his hairy covering by that time, and
+had begun to look human.
+
+Prof. Draper, speaking of the antiquity of man, says:
+
+     "So far as investigations have gone, they _indisputably_ refer
+     the existence of man to a date remote from us by many
+     _hundreds of thousands of years_," and that, "it is difficult
+     to assign a shorter date from the last glaciation of Europe
+     than a quarter of a million of years, _and human existence
+     antedates that_."[29:3]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "Recent researches give reason to believe that, under low and
+     base grades, the existence of man can be traced back into the
+     _Tertiary_ times. He was contemporary with the Southern
+     Elephant, the Rhinoceros-leptorhinus, the great Hippopotamus,
+     perhaps even in the _Miocene_, contemporary with the
+     Mastodon."[29:4]
+
+Prof. Huxley closes his "Evidence as to Man's Place in Nature," by
+saying:
+
+     "Where must we look for primeval man? Was the oldest _Homo
+     Sapiens_ Pliocene or Miocene, _or yet more ancient_? . . .
+     If any form of the doctrine of progressive development is
+     correct, _we must extend by long epochs the most liberal
+     estimate that has yet been made of the antiquity of
+     man_."[30:1]
+
+Prof. Oscar Paschel, in his work on "Mankind," speaking of the deposits
+of human remains which have been discovered in caves, mingled with the
+bones of wild animals, says:
+
+     "The examination of one of these caves at Brixham, by a
+     geologist as trustworthy as Dr. Falconer, convinced the
+     specialists of Great Britain, as early as 1858, that man was a
+     contemporary of the Mammoth, the Woolly Rhinoceros, the
+     Cave-lion, the Cave-hyena, the Cave-bear, _and therefore of
+     the Mammalia of the Geological period antecedent to our
+     own_."[30:2]
+
+The positive evidence of man's existence during the _Tertiary_ period,
+are facts which must firmly convince every one--who is willing to be
+convinced--of _the great antiquity of man_. We might multiply our
+authorities, but deem it unnecessary.
+
+The observation of shells, corals, and other remains of _aquatic
+animals_, in places above the level of the sea, and even on high
+mountains, may have given rise to legends of a great flood.
+
+Fossils found imbedded in high ground have been appealed to, both in
+ancient and modern times, both by savage and civilized man, as evidence
+in support of their traditions of a flood; and, moreover, the argument,
+apparently unconnected with any tradition, is to be found, that because
+there are marine fossils in places away from the sea, _therefore the sea
+must once have been there_.
+
+It is only quite recently that the presence of fossil shells, &c., on
+high mountains, has been abandoned as evidence of the Noachic flood.
+
+Mr. Tylor tells us that in the ninth edition of "Horne's Introduction to
+the Scriptures," published in 1846, the evidence of fossils _is
+confidently held to prove_ the universality of the Deluge; _but the
+argument disappears from the next edition, published ten years
+later_.[30:3]
+
+Besides fossil remains of aquatic animals, _boats_ have been found on
+tops of mountains.[30:4] A discovery of this kind may have given rise to
+the story of an _ark_ having been made in which to preserve the favored
+ones from the waters, and of its landing on a mountain.[30:5]
+
+Before closing this chapter, it may be well to notice a striking
+incident in the legend we have been treating, _i. e._, the frequent
+occurrence of the number _seven_ in the narrative. For instance: the
+Lord commands Noah to take into the ark clean beasts by _sevens_, and
+fowls also by _sevens_, and tells him that in _seven_ days he will cause
+it to rain upon the earth. We are also told that the ark rested in the
+_seventh_ month, and the _seven_teenth day of the month, upon the
+mountains of Ararat. After sending the dove out of the ark the first
+time, Noah waited _seven_ days before sending it out again. After
+sending the dove out the second time, "he stayed yet another _seven_
+days" ere he again sent forth the dove.
+
+_This coincidence arises from the mystic power attached to the number
+seven, derived from its frequent occurrence in astrology._
+
+We find that in _all religions_ of antiquity the number _seven_--which
+applied to the _sun_, _moon_ and the _five planets_ known to the
+ancients--is a _sacred number_, represented in all kinds and sorts of
+forms;[31:1] for instance: The candlestick with _seven_ branches in the
+temple of Jerusalem. The _seven_ inclosures of the temple. The _seven_
+doors of the cave of Mithras. The _seven_ stories of the tower of
+Babylon.[31:2] The _seven_ gates of Thebes.[31:3] The flute of _seven_
+pipes generally put into the hand of the god Pan. The lyre of _seven_
+strings touched by Apollo. The book of "Fate," composed of _seven_
+books. The _seven_ prophetic rings of the Brahmans.[31:4] The _seven_
+stones--consecrated to the _seven_ planets--in Laconia.[31:5] The
+division into _seven_ castes adopted by the Egyptians and Indians. The
+_seven_ idols of the Bonzes. The _seven_ altars of the monument of
+Mithras. The _seven_ great spirits invoked by the Persians. The _seven_
+archangels of the Chaldeans. The _seven_ archangels of the Jews.[31:6]
+
+The _seven_ days in the week.[32:1] The _seven_ sacraments of the
+Christians. The _seven_ wicked spirits of the Babylonians. The
+sprinkling of blood _seven_ times upon the altars of the Egyptians. The
+_seven_ mortal sins of the Egyptians. The hymn of _seven_ vowels chanted
+by the Egyptian priests.[32:2] The _seven_ branches of the Assyrian
+"Tree of Life." Agni, the Hindoo god, is represented with _seven_ arms.
+Sura's[32:3] horse was represented with _seven_ heads. _Seven_ churches
+are spoken of in the Apocalypse. Balaam builded _seven_ altars, and
+offered _seven_ bullocks and _seven_ rams on each altar. Pharaoh saw
+_seven_ kine, &c., in his dream. The "Priest of Midian" had _seven_
+daughters. Jacob served _seven_ years. Before Jericho _seven_ priests
+bare _seven_ horns. Samson was bound with _seven_ green withes, and his
+marriage feast lasted _seven_ days, &c., &c. We might continue with as
+much more, but enough has been shown to verify the statement that, "in
+all religions of antiquity, the number SEVEN is a _sacred_ number."
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[19:1] See "The Deluge in the Light of Modern Science," by Prof. Wm.
+Denton: J. P. Mendum, Boston.
+
+[19:2] "There were _giants_ in the earth in those days." It is a
+scientific fact that most races of men, in former ages, instead of being
+_larger_, were _smaller_ than at the present time. There is hardly a
+suit of armor in the Tower of London, or in the old castles, that is
+large enough for the average Englishman of to-day to put on. Man has
+grown in stature as well as intellect, and there is no proof
+whatever--in fact, the opposite is certain--that there ever was a race
+of what might properly be called _giants_, inhabiting the earth. Fossil
+remains of large animals having been found by primitive man, _and a
+legend invented to account for them_, it would naturally be that: "There
+were giants in the earth in those days." As an illustration we may
+mention the story, recorded by the traveller James Orton, we believe (in
+"The Andes and the Amazon"), that, near Punin, in South America, was
+found the remains of an extinct species of the horse, the mastodon, and
+other large animals. This discovery was made, owing to the assurance of
+the natives that _giants_ at one time had lived in that country, _and
+that they had seen their remains at this certain place_. Many legends
+have had a similar origin. But the originals of all the _Ogres_ and
+_Giants_ to be found in the mythology of almost all nations of
+antiquity, are the famous Hindoo demons, the _Rakshasas_ of our Aryan
+ancestors. The Rakshasas were very terrible creatures indeed, and in the
+minds of many people, in India, are so still. Their natural form, so the
+stories say, is that of huge, unshapely _giants_, like _clouds_, with
+hair and beard of the color of the _red lightning_. This description
+explains their origin. _They are the dark, wicked and cruel clouds_,
+personified.
+
+[19:3] "And it _repented_ the Lord that he had made man." (Gen. iv.)
+"God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that _he
+should repent_." (Numb. xxiii. 19.)
+
+[20:1] Gen. iv.
+
+[20:2] Gen. vi. 1-3.
+
+[20:3] See chapter xi.
+
+[20:4] The image of Osiris of Egypt was by the priests shut up in a
+sacred ark on the 17th of Athyr (Nov. 13th), the very day and month on
+which Noah is said to have entered his ark, (See Bonwick's Egyptian
+Belief, p. 165, and Bunsen's Angel Messiah, p. 22.)
+
+[21:1] Gen. vi.
+
+[21:2] Gen. viii.
+
+[22:1] See chapter xi.
+
+[22:2] Josephus, the Jewish historian, speaking of the flood of Noah
+(Antiq. bk. 1, ch. iii.), says: "All the writers of the Babylonian
+histories make mention of _this_ flood and this ark."
+
+[22:3] Quoted by George Smith: Chaldean Account of Genesis, pp. 43-44;
+see also, The Pentateuch Examined, vol. iv. p. 211; Dunlap's Spirit
+Hist. p. 138; Cory's Ancient Fragments, p. 61, et seq. for similar
+accounts.
+
+[23:1] Chaldean Account of Genesis, pp. 285, 286.
+
+[23:2] Volney: New Researches, p. 119; Chaldean Acct. of Genesis, p.
+290; Hist. Hindostan, vol. i. p. 417, and Dunlap's Spirit Hist. p. 277.
+
+[23:3] Ibid.
+
+[23:4] Legends of the Patriarchs, pp. 109, 110.
+
+[23:5] Gen. vi. 8.
+
+[23:6] The Hindoo ark-preserved Menu had _three_ sons; Sama, Cama, and
+Pra-Japati. (Faber: Orig. Pagan Idol.) The Bhattias, who live between
+Delli and the Panjab, insist that they are descended from a certain king
+called Salivahana, who had three sons, Bhat, Maha and Thamaz. (Col.
+Wilford, in vol. ix. Asiatic Researches.) The Iranian hero Thraetona had
+_three_ sons. The Iranian Sethite Lamech had _three_ sons, and Hellen,
+the son of Deucalion, during whose time the flood is said to have
+happened, had _three_ sons. (Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, pp. 70, 71.) All
+the ancient nations of Europe also describe their origin from the
+_three_ sons of some king or patriarch. The Germans said that Mannus
+(son of the god Tuisco) had _three_ sons, who were the original
+ancestors of the three principal nations of Germany. The Scythians said
+that Targytagus, the founder of their nation, had _three_ sons, from
+whom they were descended. A tradition among the Romans was that the
+Cyclop Polyphemus had by Galatea _three_ sons. Saturn had _three_ sons,
+Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto; and Hesiod speaks of the _three_ sons which
+sprung from the marriage of heaven and earth. (See Mallet's Northern
+Antiquities, p. 509.)
+
+[23:7] See chap. xi.
+
+[23:8] "It is of no slight moment that the Egyptians, with whom the
+Hebrews are represented as in earliest and closest intercourse, had no
+traditions of a flood, while the Babylonian and Hellenic tales bear a
+strong resemblance in many points to the narrative in Genesis." (Rev.
+George W. Cox: Tales of Ancient Greece, p. 340. See also Owen: Man's
+Earliest History, p. 28, and ch. xi. this work.)
+
+[24:1] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 198, and Knight's Ancient Art and
+Mythology, p. 107. "Plato was told that Egypt had hymns dating back ten
+thousand years before his time." (Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 185.)
+Plato lived 429 B. C. Herodotus relates that the priests of Egypt
+informed him that from the first king to the present priest of Vulcan
+who last reigned, were three hundred forty and one generations of men,
+and during these generations there were the same number of chief priests
+and kings. "Now (says he) three hundred generations are equal to ten
+thousand years, for three generations of men are one hundred years; and
+the forty-one remaining generations that were over the three hundred,
+make one thousand three hundred and forty years," making _eleven
+thousand three hundred and forty years_. "Conducting me into the
+interior of an edifice that was spacious, and showing me wooden
+colossuses to the number I have mentioned, they reckoned them up; for
+every high priest places an image of himself there during his life-time;
+the priests, therefore, reckoning them and showing them to me, pointed
+out that each was the son of his own father; going through them all,
+from the image of him who died last until they had pointed them all
+out." (Herodotus, book ii. chs. 142, 143.) The discovery of mummies of
+royal and priestly personages, made at Deir-el-Bahari (Aug., 1881), near
+Thebes, in Egypt, would seem to confirm this statement made by
+Herodotus. Of the thirty-nine mummies discovered, one--that of King
+Raskenen--is about three thousand seven hundred years old. (See a Cairo
+[Aug. 8th,] Letter to the London Times.)
+
+[24:2] Owen: Man's Earliest History, p. 28.
+
+[24:3] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 185.
+
+[24:4] Ibid. p. 411.
+
+[24:5] Owen: Man's Earliest History, pp. 27, 28.
+
+[24:6] Goldzhier: Hebrew Mytho. p. 319.
+
+[24:7] Ibid. p. 320.
+
+[25:1] Translated from the _Bhagavat_ by Sir Wm. Jones, and published in
+the first volume of the "Asiatic Researches," p. 230, _et seq._ See also
+Maurice: Ind. Ant. ii. 277, _et seq._, and Prof. Max Mueller's Hist.
+Ancient Sanskrit Literature, p. 425, _et seq._
+
+[25:2] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 55.
+
+[25:3] See Thornton's Hist. China, vol. i. p. 30, Prog. Relig. Ideas,
+vol. i. p. 205, and Priestley, p. 41.
+
+[25:4] Priestley, p. 42.
+
+[26:1] Bunce: Fairy Tales, Origin and Meaning, p. 18.
+
+[26:2] The _oldest_ Greek mythology, however, has no such idea; it
+cannot be proved to have been known to the Greeks earlier than the 6th
+century B. C. (See Goldzhier: Hebrew Mytho., p. 319.) This could not
+have been the case had there ever been a _universal_ deluge.
+
+[26:3] Tales of Ancient Greece, pp. 72-74. "Apollodorus--a Grecian
+mythologist, born 140 B. C.,--having mentioned Deucalion consigned to
+the ark, takes notice, upon his quitting it, of his offering up an
+immediate sacrifice to God." (Chambers' Encyclo., art, _Deluge_.)
+
+[26:4] In Lundy's Monumental Christianity (p. 209, Fig. 137) may be seen
+a representation of Deucalion and Pyrrha landing from the ark. _A dove
+and olive branch_ are depicted in the scene.
+
+[27:1] Chambers' Encyclo., art. Deucalion.
+
+[27:2] Baring-Gould: Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 114. See also Myths
+of the British Druids, p. 95.
+
+[27:3] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 99.
+
+[27:4] Mex. Antiq. vol. viii.
+
+[27:5] Myths of the New World, pp. 203, 204.
+
+[27:6] See Squire: Serpent Symbol, pp. 189, 190.
+
+[28:1] Count de Volney says: "The Deluge mentioned by Jews, Chaldeans,
+Greeks and Indians, as having destroyed the world, are one and the same
+_physico-astronomical event_ which is still repeated every year," and
+that "all those personages that figure in the Deluge of Noah and
+Xisuthrus, are still in the celestial sphere. It was a real picture of
+the calendar." (Researches in Ancient Hist., p. 124.) It was on the same
+day that Noah is said to have shut himself up in the ark, that the
+priests of Egypt shut up in their sacred coffer or ark the image of
+Osiris, a personification of the Sun. This was on the 17th of the month
+Athor, in which the Sun enters the Scorpion. (See Kenrick's Egypt, vol.
+i. p. 410.) The history of Noah also corresponds, in some respects, with
+that of Bacchus, another personification of the Sun.
+
+[28:2] See Maurice's Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 268.
+
+[29:1] "In America, along with the bones of the _Mastodon_ imbedded in
+the alluvium of the Bourbense, were found arrow heads and other traces
+of the savages who had killed this member of an order no longer
+represented in that part of the world." (Herbert Spencer: Principles of
+Sociology, vol. i. p. 17.)
+
+[29:2] Darwin: Descent of Man, p. 156. We think it may not be out of
+place to insert here what might properly be called: "_The Drama of
+Life_," which is as follows:
+
+     Act i.                   Azoic: Conflict of Inorganic Forces.
+     Act ii.                  Paleozoic: Age of Invertebrates.
+                   { Scene i. Eozoic: Enter Protozoans and Protophytes.
+                   {   "  ii. Silurian: Enter the Army of Invertebrates.
+     Primary       {   " iii. Devonian: Enter Fishes.
+                   {   "  iv. Carboniferous: (Age of Coal Plants) Enter
+                                  First _Air_ breathers.
+     Act iii.                 Mesozoic: Enter Reptiles.
+                   { Scene i. Triassic: Enter Batrachians.
+     Secondary     {   "  ii. Jurassic: Enter huge Reptiles of Sea, Land
+                   {              and Air.
+                   {   " iii. Cretaceous: (Age of Chalk) Enter Ammonites.
+     Act iv.                  Cenozoic: (Age of Mammals.)
+                   { Scene i. Eocene: Enter Marine Mammals, and probably
+                   {              _Man_.
+     Tertiary      {   "  ii. Miocene: Enter Hoofed Quadrupeds.
+                   {   " iii. Pliocene: Enter Proboscidians and Edentates.
+     Act v.                   Post Tertiary: _Positive_ Age of Man.
+                   { Scene i. Glacial: Ice and Drift Periods.
+                   {   "  ii. Champlain: _Sinking Continents_; Warmer;
+                   {              Tropical Animals go _North_.
+     Post Tertiary {   " iii. Terrace: Rising Continents; Colder.
+                   {   "  iv. Present: Enter Science, Iconoclasts, &c., &c.
+
+[29:3] Draper: Religion and Science, p. 199.
+
+[29:4] Ibid. pp. 195, 196.
+
+[30:1] Huxley: Man's Place in Nature, p. 184.
+
+[30:2] Paschel: Races of Man, p. 36.
+
+[30:3] Tylor: Early History of Mankind, p. 328.
+
+[30:4] Ibid. pp. 329, 330
+
+[30:5] We know that many legends have originated in this way. For
+example, Dr. Robinson, in his "Travels in Palestine" (ii. 586), mentions
+a tradition that a city had once stood in a desert between Petra and
+Hebron, the people of which had perished for their vices, and been
+converted into stone. Mr. Seetzen, who went to the spot, found no traces
+of ruins, but a number of stony concretions, resembling in form and size
+the human head. _They had been ignorantly supposed to be petrified
+heads, and a legend framed to account for their owners suffering so
+terrible a fate._ Another illustration is as follows:--The Kamchadals
+believe that volcanic mountains are the abode of devils, who, after they
+have cooked their meals, fling the fire-brands out of the chimney. Being
+asked what these devils eat, they said "_whales_." Here we see, _first_,
+a story invented to account for the volcanic eruptions from the
+mountains; and, _second_, a story invented to account for the _remains
+of whales found on the mountains_. The savages _knew_ that this was
+true, "because their old people had said so, and believed it
+themselves." (Related by Mr. Tylor, in his "_Early History of Mankind_,"
+p. 326.)
+
+[31:1] "Everything of importance was calculated by, and fitted into,
+this number (SEVEN) by the Aryan philosophers,--ideas as well as
+localities." (Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 407).
+
+[31:2] Each one being consecrated to a _planet_. First, to Saturn;
+second, to Jupiter; third, to Mars; fourth, to the Sun; fifth, to Venus;
+sixth, to Mercury; seventh, to the Moon. (The Pentateuch Examined, vol.
+iv. p. 269. See also The Angel Messiah, p. 106.)
+
+[31:3] Each of which had the name of a _planet_.
+
+[31:4] On each of which the name of a _planet_ was engraved.
+
+[31:5] "There was to be seen in Laconia, _seven_ columns erected in
+honor of the _seven planets_." (Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p.
+34.)
+
+[31:6] "The Jews believed that the Throne of Jehovah was surrounded by
+his _seven_ high chiefs: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, &c." (Bible
+for Learners, vol. iii. p. 46.)
+
+[32:1] Each one being consecrated to a planet, and the Sun and Moon.
+Sunday, "_Dies Solis_," sacred to the SUN. Monday, "Dies Lunae," sacred
+to the MOON. Tuesday, sacred to Tuiso or MARS. Wednesday, sacred to Odin
+or Woden, and to MERCURY. Thursday, sacred to Thor and others. Friday,
+sacred to Freia and VENUS. Saturday, sacred to SATURN. "The (ancient)
+Egyptians assigned a day of the week to the SUN, MOON, and five planets,
+and the number SEVEN was held there in great reverence." (Kenrick:
+Egypt, i. 238.)
+
+[32:2] "The Egyptian priests chanted the _seven_ vowels as a hymn
+addressed to _Serapis_." (The Rosicrucians, p. 143.)
+
+[32:3] _Sura_: the Sun-god of the Hindoos.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+THE TOWER OF BABEL.
+
+
+We are informed that, at one time, "the whole earth was of one language,
+and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they (the inhabitants of the
+earth) journeyed from the East, that they found a plain in the land of
+Shinar, and they dwelt there.
+
+"And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them
+thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
+
+"And they said, Go to, let us build us a city, and a tower, _whose top
+may reach unto heaven_, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered
+abroad upon the face of the whole earth. _And the Lord came down to see
+the city and the tower_, which the children of men builded. And the Lord
+said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and
+this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them,
+which they have imagined to do. Go to, _let us go down_, and there
+confound their language, that they may not understand one another's
+speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of
+all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the
+name of it called _Babel_, because the Lord did there confound the
+language of all the earth; and from thence did the Lord scatter them
+abroad upon the face of all the earth."[33:1]
+
+Such is the "Scripture" account of the origin of languages, which
+differs somewhat from the ideas of Prof. Max Mueller and other
+philologists.
+
+Bishop Colenso tells us that:
+
+     "The story of the dispensation of tongues is connected by the
+     Jehovistic writer with the famous unfinished temple of
+     _Belus_, of which probably some wonderful reports had reached
+     him. . . . The derivation of the name _Babel_ from the Hebrew
+     word _babal_ (confound) which seems to be the connecting point
+     between the story and the tower of Babel, _is altogether
+     incorrect_."[33:2]
+
+The literal meaning of the word being _house_, or _court_, or _gate_ of
+Bel, or gate of God.[34:1]
+
+John Fiske confirms this statement by saying:
+
+     "The name '_Babel_' is really '_Bab-il_', or '_The Gate of
+     God_'; but the Hebrew writer _erroneously_ derives the word
+     from the root '_babal_'--to confuse--and hence arises the
+     _mystical explanation_, that Babel was a place where human
+     speech became confused."[34:2]
+
+The "wonderful reports" that reached the Jehovistic writer who inserted
+this tale into the Hebrew Scriptures, were from the Chaldean account of
+the confusion of tongues. It is related by _Berosus_ as follows:
+
+The first inhabitants of the earth, glorying in their strength and
+size,[34:3] and despising the gods, undertook to raise a tower whose top
+should reach the sky, in the place where Babylon now stands. But when it
+approached the heavens, the winds assisted the gods, and overthrew the
+work of the contrivers, and also introduced a diversity of tongues among
+men, who till that time had all spoken the same language. The ruins of
+this tower are said to be still in Babylon.[34:4]
+
+Josephus, the Jewish historian, says that it was _Nimrod_ who built the
+tower, that he was a very wicked man, and that the tower was built in
+case the Lord should have a mind to drown the world again. He continues
+his account by saying that when Nimrod proposed the building of this
+tower, the multitude were very ready to follow the proposition, as they
+could then avenge themselves on God for destroying their forefathers.
+
+     "And they built a tower, neither sparing any pains nor being
+     in any degree negligent about the work. And by reason of the
+     multitude of hands employed on it, it grew very high, sooner
+     than any one could expect. . . . . It was built of burnt
+     brick, cemented together, with mortar made of bitumen, that it
+     might not be liable to admit water. When God saw that they had
+     acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly,
+     _since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the
+     former sinners_, but he caused a tumult among them, by
+     producing in them divers languages, and causing, that through
+     the multitude of those languages they should not be able to
+     understand one another. The place where they built the tower
+     is now called Babylon."[34:5]
+
+The tower in Babylonia, which seems to have been a foundation for the
+legend of the confusion of tongues to be built upon, was evidently
+originally built for _astronomical purposes_.[35:1] This is clearly seen
+from the fact that it was called the "Stages of the Seven
+Spheres,"[35:2] and that each one of these stages was consecrated to the
+Sun, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury.[35:3]
+Nebuchadnezzar says of it in his _cylinders_:
+
+     "The building named the 'Stages of the Seven Spheres,' which
+     was the tower of Borsippa (Babel), had been built by a former
+     king. He had completed forty-two cubits, but he did not finish
+     its head. From the lapse of time, it had become ruined; they
+     had not taken care of the exits of the waters, so the rain and
+     wet had penetrated into the brick-work; the casing of burnt
+     brick had bulged out, and the terraces of crude brick lay
+     scattered in heaps. Merobach, my great Lord, inclined my heart
+     to repair the building. I did not change its site, nor did I
+     destroy its foundation, but, in a fortunate month, and upon an
+     auspicious day, I undertook the rebuilding of the crude brick
+     terraces and burnt brick casing, &c., &c."[35:4]
+
+There is not a word said here in these cylinders about the confusion of
+tongues, nor anything pertaining to it. The ruins of this ancient tower
+being there in Babylonia, and a legend of how the gods confused the
+speech of mankind also being among them, it was very convenient to point
+to these ruins as evidence that the story was true, just as the ancient
+Mexicans pointed to the ruins of the tower of Cholula, as evidence of
+the truth of the similar story which they had among them, and just as
+many nations pointed to the remains of aquatic animals on the tops of
+mountains, as evidence of the truth of the deluge story.
+
+The _Armenian_ tradition of the "Confusion of Tongues" was to this
+effect:
+
+The world was formerly inhabited by men "with strong bodies and huge
+size" (giants). These men being full of pride and envy, "they formed a
+godless resolve to build a high tower; but whilst they were engaged on
+the undertaking, a fearful wind overthrew it, which the wrath of God had
+sent against it. _Unknown words were at the same time blown about among
+men_, wherefore arose strife and confusion."[35:5]
+
+The _Hindoo_ legend of the "Confusion of Tongues," is as follows:
+
+There grew in the centre of the earth, the wonderful "_World Tree_," or
+the "_Knowledge Tree_." It was so tall that it reached almost to heaven.
+"It said in its heart: 'I shall hold my head in heaven, and spread my
+branches over all the earth, and gather all men together under my
+shadow, and protect them, and prevent them from separating.' But Brahma,
+to punish the pride of the tree, cut off its branches and cast them down
+on the earth, when they sprang up as _Wata trees, and made differences
+of belief, and speech, and customs_, to prevail on the earth, to
+disperse men over its surface."[36:1]
+
+Traces of a somewhat similar story have also been met with among the
+_Mongolian Tharus_ in the north of India, and, according to Dr.
+Livingston, among the Africans of Lake _Nganu_.[36:2] The ancient
+_Esthonians_[36:3] had a similar myth which they called "The Cooking of
+Languages;" so also had the ancient inhabitants of the continent of
+_Australia_.[36:4] The story was found among the ancient Mexicans, and
+was related as follows:
+
+Those, with their descendants, who were saved from the deluge which
+destroyed all mankind, excepting the few saved in the ark, resolved to
+build a tower which would reach to the skies. The object of this was to
+see what was going on in Heaven, and also to have a place of refuge in
+case of another deluge.[36:5]
+
+The job was superintended by one of the _seven_ who were saved from the
+flood.[36:6] He was a _giant_ called Xelhua, surnamed "the
+Architect."[36:7]
+
+Xelhua ordered bricks to be made in the province of Tlamanalco, at the
+foot of the Sierra of Cocotl, and to be conveyed to _Cholula_, where the
+tower was to be built. For this purpose, he placed a file of men
+reaching from the Sierra to Cholula, who passed the bricks from hand to
+hand.[36:8] The gods beheld with wrath this edifice,--the top of which
+was nearing the clouds,--and were much irritated at the daring attempt
+of Xelhua. They therefore hurled fire from Heaven upon the pyramid,
+which threw it down, and killed many of the workmen. The work was then
+discontinued,[36:9] as each family interested in the building of the
+tower, _received a language of their own_,[36:10] and the builders could
+not understand each other.
+
+Dr. Delitzsch must have been astonished upon coming across this legend;
+for he says:
+
+     "_Actually_ the Mexicans had a legend of a _tower-building_ as
+     well as of a _flood_. Xelhua, one of the _seven giants_
+     rescued from the flood, built the great pyramid of Cholula, in
+     order to reach heaven, until the gods, angry at his audacity,
+     threw fire upon the building and broke it down, whereupon
+     every separate family received a language of its own."[37:1]
+
+The ancient Mexicans pointed to the ruins of a tower at Cholula as
+evidence of the truth of their story. This tower was seen by Humboldt
+and Lord Kingsborough, and described by them.[37:2]
+
+We may say then, with Dr. Kalisch, that:
+
+     "Most of the ancient nations possessed myths concerning
+     impious giants who attempted to storm heaven, either to share
+     it with the immortal gods, or to expel them from it. In some
+     of these fables _the confusion of tongues_ is represented as
+     the punishment inflicted by the deities for such
+     wickedness."[37:3]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[33:1] Genesis xi. 1-9.
+
+[33:2] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. iv. p. 268.
+
+[34:1] Ibid. p. 268. See also Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 90.
+
+[34:2] Myths and Myth-makers, p. 72. See also Encyclopaedia Britannica,
+art. "Babel."
+
+[34:3] "There were _giants_ in the earth in those days." (Genesis vi.
+4.)
+
+[34:4] Quoted by Rev. S. Baring-Gould: Legends of the Patriarchs, p.
+147. See also Smith: Chaldean Account of Genesis, p. 48, and Volney's
+Researches in Ancient History, pp. 130, 131.
+
+[34:5] Jewish Antiquities, book 1, ch. iv. p. 30.
+
+[35:1] "Diodorus states that the great tower of the temple of Belus was
+used by the Chaldeans as an _observatory_." (Smith's Bible Dictionary,
+art. "Babel.")
+
+[35:2] The Hindoos had a sacred _Mount Meru_, the abode of the gods.
+This mountain was supposed to consist of _seven stages_, increasing in
+sanctity as they ascended. Many of the Hindoo temples, or rather altars,
+were "studied transcripts of the sacred Mount Meru;" that is, they were
+built, like the tower of Babel, in _seven stages_. Within the upper
+dwelt Brahm. (See Squire's Serpent Symbol, p. 107.) Herodotus tells us
+that the upper stage of the tower of Babel was the abode of the god
+Belus.
+
+[35:3] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. iv. p. 269. See also Bunsen: The
+Angel Messiah, p. 106.
+
+[35:4] Rawlinson's Herodotus, vol. ii. p. 484.
+
+[35:5] Legends of the Patriarchs, pp. 148, 149.
+
+[36:1] Ibid. p. 148. The ancient _Scandinavians_ had a legend of a
+somewhat similar tree. "The Mundane Tree," called _Yggdrasill_, was in
+the centre of the earth; its branches covered over the surface of the
+earth, and its top reached to the highest heaven. (See Mallet's Northern
+Antiquities.)
+
+[36:2] Encyclopaedia Britannica, art. "Babel."
+
+[36:3] _Esthonia_ is one of the three Baltic, or so-called, provinces of
+Russia.
+
+[36:4] Encyclopaedia Britannica, art. "Babel."
+
+[36:5] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 27.
+
+[36:6] Brinton: Myths of the New World, p. 204.
+
+[36:7] Humboldt: American Researches, vol. i. p. 96.
+
+[36:8] Ibid.
+
+[36:9] Ibid., and Brinton: Myths of the New World, p. 204.
+
+[36:10] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. iv. p. 272.
+
+[37:1] Quoted by Bishop Colenso: The Pentateuch Examined, vol. iv. p.
+272.
+
+[37:2] Humboldt: American Researches, vol. i. p. 97. Lord Kingsborough:
+Mexican Antiquities.
+
+[37:3] Com. on Old Test. vol. i. p. 196.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE TRIAL OF ABRAHAM'S FAITH.
+
+
+The story of the trial of Abraham's faith--when he is ordered by the
+Lord to sacrifice his only son Isaac--is to be found in Genesis xxii.
+1-19, and is as follows:
+
+     "And it came to pass . . . that God did tempt Abraham, and
+     said unto him: 'Abraham,' and he said: 'Behold, here I am.'
+     And he (God) said: 'Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac,
+     whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and
+     offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
+     which I will tell thee of.'
+
+     "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his
+     ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his
+     son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up
+     and went into the place which God had told him. . . . (When
+     Abraham was near the appointed place) he said unto his young
+     men: 'Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go
+     yonder and worship, and come again to thee. And Abraham took
+     the wood for the burnt offering, and laid it upon (the
+     shoulders of) Isaac his son, and he took the fire in his hand,
+     and a knife, and they went both of them together. And Isaac
+     spake unto Abraham his father, and said: 'Behold the fire and
+     the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' And
+     Abraham said: 'My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a
+     burnt offering.' So they went both of them together, and they
+     came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built
+     an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac
+     his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham
+     stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
+     And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and
+     said: 'Abraham! Abraham! lay not thine hand upon the lad,
+     neither do thou anything unto him, for now I know that thou
+     fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine
+     only son from me.'
+
+     "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind
+     him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns, and Abraham went
+     and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in
+     the stead of his son. . . . And the angel of the Lord called unto
+     Abraham, out of heaven, the second time, and said: 'By myself
+     have I _sworn_ saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this
+     thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, . . . I
+     will bless thee, and . . . I will multiply thy seed as the
+     stars in the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea
+     shore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And
+     in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blest,
+     because thou hast obeyed my voice.' So Abraham returned unto
+     his young men, and they rose up and went together to
+     Beer-sheba, and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba."
+
+There is a Hindoo story related to the Sankhayana-sutras, which, in
+substance, is as follows: King Hariscandra had no son; he then prayed to
+Varuna, promising, that if a son were born to him, he would sacrifice
+the child to the god. Then a son was born to him, called Rohita. When
+Rohita was grown up his father one day told him of the vow he had made
+to Varuna, and bade him prepare to be sacrificed. The son objected to
+being killed and ran away from his father's house. For six years he
+wandered in the forest, and at last met a starving Brahman. Him he
+persuaded to sell one of his sons named Sunahsepha, for a hundred cows.
+This boy was bought by Rohita and taken to Hariscandra and about to be
+sacrificed to Varuna as a substitute for Rohita, when, on praying to the
+gods with verses from the Veda, he was released by them.[39:1]
+
+There was an ancient _Phenician_ story, written by Sanchoniathon, who
+wrote about 1300 years before our era, which is as follows:
+
+     "Saturn, whom the Phoenicians call _Israel_, had by a nymph of
+     the country a _male_ child whom he named Jeoud, that is, _one
+     and only_. On the breaking out of a war, which brought the
+     country into imminent danger, Saturn erected an altar, brought
+     to it his son, clothed in royal garments, and sacrificed
+     him."[39:2]
+
+There is also a _Grecian_ fable to the effect that one Agamemnon had a
+daughter whom he dearly loved, and she was deserving of his affection.
+He was commanded by God, through the Delphic Oracle, _to offer her up as
+a sacrifice_. Her father long resisted the demand, but finally
+succumbed. Before the fatal blow had been struck, however, the goddess
+Artemis or Ashtoreth interfered, and carried the maiden away, whilst in
+her place was substituted a stag.[39:3]
+
+Another similar _Grecian_ fable relates that:
+
+     "When the Greek army was detained at Aulis, by contrary winds,
+     the augurs being consulted, declared that one of the kings had
+     offended Diana, and she demanded the sacrifice of his daughter
+     Iphigenia. It was like taking the father's life-blood, but he
+     was persuaded that it was his duty to submit for the good of
+     his country. The maiden was brought forth for sacrifice, in
+     spite of her tears and supplications; but just as the priest
+     was about to strike the fatal blow, Iphigenia suddenly
+     disappeared, and a goat of uncommon beauty stood in her
+     place."[39:4]
+
+There is yet still another, which belongs to the same country, and is
+related thus:
+
+     "In _Sparta_, it being declared upon one occasion that the
+     gods demanded a human victim, the choice was made by lot, and
+     fell on a damsel named Helena. But when all was in readiness,
+     an eagle descended, carried away the priest's knife, and laid
+     it on the head of a heifer, which was sacrificed in her
+     stead."[40:1]
+
+The story of Abraham and Isaac was written at a time when the Mosaic
+party in Israel was endeavoring to abolish idolatry among their people.
+They were offering up _human sacrifices_ to their gods Moloch, Baal, and
+Chemosh, and the priestly author of this story was trying to make the
+people think that the Lord had abolished such offerings, as far back as
+the time of Abraham. The Grecian legends, which he had evidently heard,
+may have given him the idea.[40:2]
+
+Human offerings to the gods were at one time almost universal. In the
+earliest ages the offerings were simple, and such as shepherds and
+rustics could present. They loaded the altars of the gods with the first
+fruits of their crops, and the choicest products of the earth.
+Afterwards they sacrificed animals. When they had once laid it down as a
+principle that the effusion of the blood of these animals appeased the
+anger of the gods, and that their justice turned aside upon the victims
+those strokes which were destined for men, their great care was for
+nothing more than to conciliate their favor by so easy a method. It is
+the nature of violent desires and excessive fear to know no bounds, and
+therefore, when they would ask for any favor which they ardently wished
+for, or would deprecate some public calamity which they feared, the
+blood of animals was not deemed a price sufficient, but they began to
+shed that of men. It is probable, as we have said, that this barbarous
+practice was formerly almost universal, and that it is of very remote
+antiquity. In time of war the captives were chosen for this purpose, but
+in time of peace they took the slaves. The choice was partly regulated
+by the opinion of the bystanders, and partly by lot. But they did not
+always sacrifice such mean persons. In great calamities, in a pressing
+famine, for example, if the people thought they had some pretext to
+impute the cause of it to their _king_, they even sacrificed him without
+hesitation, as the _highest price_ with which they could purchase the
+Divine favor. In this manner, the first King of Vermaland (a province of
+Sweden) was burnt in honor of Odin, the Supreme God, to put an end to a
+great dearth; as we read in the history of Norway. The kings, in their
+turn, did not spare the blood of their subjects; and many of them even
+shed that of their children. Earl Hakon, of Norway, offered his son in
+sacrifice, to obtain of Odin the victory over the Jomsburg pirates. Aun,
+King of Sweden, devoted to Odin the blood of his nine sons, to prevail
+on that god to prolong his life. Some of the kings of Israel offered up
+their first-born sons as a sacrifice to the god Baal or Moloch.
+
+The altar of Moloch reeked with blood. Children were sacrificed and
+burned in the fire to him, while trumpets and flutes drowned their
+screams, and the mothers looked on, and were bound to restrain their
+tears.
+
+The Phenicians offered to the gods, in times of war and drought, the
+fairest of their children. The books of Sanchoniathon and Byblian Philo
+are full of accounts of such sacrifices. In Byblos boys were immolated
+to Adonis; and, on the founding of a city or colony, a sacrifice of a
+vast number of children was solemnized, in the hopes of thereby averting
+misfortune from the new settlement. The Phenicians, according to
+Eusebius, yearly sacrificed their dearest, and even their only children,
+to Saturn. The bones of the victims were preserved in the temple of
+Moloch, in a golden ark, which was carried by the Phenicians with them
+to war.[41:1] Like the Fijians of the present day, those people
+considered their gods as beings like themselves. They loved and they
+hated; they were proud and revengeful; they were, in fact, savages like
+themselves.
+
+If the eldest born of the family of Athamas entered the temple of the
+Laphystian Jupiter, at Alos, in Achaia, he was sacrificed, crowned with
+garlands, like an animal victim.[41:2]
+
+The offering of human sacrifices to the Sun was extensively practiced in
+Mexico and Peru, before the establishment of Christianity.[41:3]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[39:1] See Mueller's Hist. Sanscrit Literature; and Williams' Indian
+Wisdom, p. 29.
+
+[39:2] Quoted by Count de Volney; New Researches in Anc't Hist., p. 144.
+
+[39:3] See Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 104.
+
+[39:4] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 302.
+
+[40:1] Ibid.
+
+[40:2] See chapter xi.
+
+[41:1] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 368.
+
+[41:2] Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 448.
+
+[41:3] See Acosta: Hist. Indies, vol. ii.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+JACOB'S VISION OF THE LADDER.
+
+
+In the 28th chapter of Genesis, we are told that Isaac, after blessing
+his son Jacob, sent him to Padan-aram, to take a daughter of Laban's
+(his mother's brother) to wife. Jacob, obeying his father, "went out
+from Beer-sheba (where he dwelt), and went towards Haran. And he lighted
+upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was
+set. And he took of the stones of the place, and put them for his
+pillow, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold,
+a _ladder_ set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. _And
+he beheld the angels of God ascending and descending on it._ And,
+behold, the Lord stood above it, and said: 'I am the Lord God of Abraham
+thy father, and the God of Isaac, the land whereon thou liest, to thee
+will I give it, and to thy seed.' . . . And Jacob awoke out of his
+sleep, and he said: 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I know it
+not.' And he was afraid, and said: 'How _dreadful_ is this place, _this
+is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven_.'
+And Jacob rose up early in the morning, _and took the stone that he had
+put for his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the
+top of it_. And he called the name of that place _Beth-el_."
+
+The doctrine of Metempsychosis has evidently something to do with this
+legend. It means, in the theological acceptation of the term, the
+supposed transition of the soul after death, into another substance or
+body than that which it occupied before. The belief in such a transition
+was common to the most civilized, and the most uncivilized, nations of
+the earth.[42:1]
+
+It was believed in, and taught by, the _Brahminical Hindoos_,[42:2] the
+_Buddhists_,[42:3] the natives of _Egypt_,[42:4] several philosophers of
+ancient _Greece_,[43:1] the ancient _Druids_,[43:2] the natives of
+_Madagascar_,[43:3] several tribes of _Africa_,[43:4] and _North
+America_,[43:5] the ancient _Mexicans_,[43:4] and by some _Jewish_ and
+_Christian_ sects.[43:5]
+
+     "It deserves notice, that in both of these religions (_i. e._,
+     _Jewish_ and _Christian_), it found adherents as well in
+     ancient as in modern times. Among the _Jews_, the doctrine of
+     transmigration--the Gilgul Neshamoth--was taught in the
+     mystical system of the _Kabbala_."[43:6]
+
+     "All the souls," the spiritual code of this system says, "are
+     subject to the trials of transmigration; and men do not know
+     which are the ways of the Most High in their regard." "The
+     principle, in short, of the _Kabbala_, is the same as that of
+     _Brahmanism_."
+
+     "On the ground of this doctrine, which was shared in by Rabbis
+     of the highest renown, it was held, for instance, that the
+     soul of _Adam_ migrated into _David_, and will come in the
+     _Messiah_; that the soul of _Japhet_ is the same as that of
+     _Simeon_, and the soul of _Terah_, migrated into _Job_."
+
+     "Of all these transmigrations, biblical instances are adduced
+     according to their mode of interpretation--in the writings of
+     Rabbi Manasse ben Israel, Rabbi Naphtali, Rabbi Meyer ben
+     Gabbai, Rabbi Ruben, in the Jalkut Khadash, and other works of
+     a similar character."[43:4]
+
+The doctrine is thus described by Ovid, in the language of Dryden:
+
+     "What feels the body when the soul expires,
+     By time corrupted, or consumed by fires?
+     Nor dies the spirit, but new life repeats
+     Into other forms, and only changes seats.
+     Ev'n I, who these mysterious truths declare,
+     Was once Euphorbus in the Trojan war;
+     My name and lineage I remember well,
+     And how in fight by Spartan's King I fell.
+     In Argive Juno's fame I late beheld
+     My buckler hung on high, and own'd my former shield
+     Then death, so called, is but old matter dressed
+     In some new figure, and a varied vest.
+     Thus all things are but alter'd, nothing dies,
+     And here and there the unbodied spirit flies."
+
+The Jews undoubtedly learned this doctrine after they had been subdued
+by, and become acquainted with other nations; and the writer of this
+story, whoever he may have been, was evidently endeavoring to strengthen
+the belief in this doctrine--he being an advocate of it--by inventing
+this story, _and making Jacob a witness to the truth of it_. Jacob would
+have been looked upon at the time the story was written (_i. e._, after
+the Babylonian captivity), as of great authority. We know that several
+writers of portions of the Old Testament have written for similar
+purposes. As an illustration, we may mention the book of _Esther_. This
+book was written for the purpose of explaining the origin of the
+festival of _Purim_, and _to encourage the Israelites to adopt it_. The
+writer, _who was an advocate of the feast_, lived long after the
+Babylonish captivity, and is quite unknown.[44:1]
+
+The writer of the seventeenth chapter of Matthew has made Jesus a
+teacher of the doctrine of Transmigration.
+
+The Lord had promised that he would send Elijah (Elias) the prophet,
+"before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord,"[44:2] and
+Jesus is made to say that he had already come, or, _that his soul had
+transmigrated unto the body of John the Baptist_, and they knew it
+not.[44:3]
+
+And in Mark (viii. 27) we are told that Jesus asked his disciples,
+saying unto them; "Whom do men say that _I_ am?" whereupon they answer:
+"Some say Elias; and others, one of the prophets;" or, in other words,
+that the soul of Elias, or one of the prophets, had transmigrated into
+the body of Jesus. In John (ix. 1, 2), we are told that Jesus and his
+disciples seeing a man "_which was blind from his birth_," the disciples
+asked him, saying; "Master, who did sin, _this man_ (in some former
+state) or his parents." Being _born_ blind, how else could he sin,
+_unless in some former state_? These passages result from the fact,
+which we have already noticed, that some of the Jewish and Christian
+sects believed in the doctrine of Metempsychosis.
+
+According to some Jewish authors, _Adam_ was re-produced in _Noah_,
+_Elijah_, and other Bible celebrities.[44:4]
+
+The Rev. Mr. Faber says:
+
+     "Adam, and Enoch, and Noah, might in outward appearance be
+     _different_ men, but they were really the _self-same_ divine
+     persons who had been promised as the seed of the woman,
+     successively animating various human bodies."[44:5]
+
+We have stated as our belief that the vision which the writer of the
+twenty-eighth chapter of Genesis has made Jacob to witness, was intended
+to strengthen the belief in the doctrine of the Metempsychosis, that he
+was simply seeing the souls of men ascending and descending from heaven
+_on a ladder_, during their transmigrations.
+
+We will now give our reasons for thinking so.
+
+The learned Thomas Maurice tells us that:
+
+The _Indians_ had, in remote ages, in their system of theology, _the
+sidereal ladder of seven gates_, which described, in a symbolical
+manner, the _ascending and descending of the souls of men_.[45:1]
+
+We are also informed by Origen that:
+
+     This descent (_i. e._, the descent of souls from heaven to
+     enter into some body), was described in a symbolical manner,
+     _by a ladder which was represented as reaching from heaven to
+     earth_, and divided into _seven_ stages, at each of which was
+     figured a gate; the eighth gate was at the top of the ladder,
+     which belonged to the sphere of the celestial firmament.[45:2]
+
+That souls dwell in the _Galaxy_ was a thought familiar to the
+_Pythagoreans_, who gave it on their master's word, that the souls that
+crowd there, _descend and appear to men as dreams_.[45:3]
+
+The fancy of the _Manicheans_ also transferred pure souls to this column
+of light, _whence they could come down to earth and again return_.[45:4]
+
+Paintings representing a scene of this kind may be seen in works of art
+illustrative of _Indian Mythology_.
+
+Maurice speaks of one, in which he says:
+
+     "The souls of men are represented as ascending and descending
+     (on a ladder), according to the received opinion of the
+     sidereal Metempsychosis in Asia."[45:5]
+
+Mons. Dupuis tells us that:
+
+     "Among the mysterious pictures of the _Initiation_, in the
+     cave of the Persian God Mithras, there was exposed to the view
+     _the descent of the souls to the earth, and their return to
+     heaven_, through the seven planetary spheres."[45:6]
+
+And Count de Volney says:
+
+     "In the cave of Mithra _was a ladder with seven steps_,
+     representing the seven spheres of the planets by means of
+     which _souls ascended and descended_. This is precisely the
+     ladder of Jacob's vision. There is in the Royal Library (of
+     France) a superb volume of pictures of the Indian gods, in
+     which the ladder is represented with the souls of men
+     ascending it."[45:7]
+
+In several of the Egyptian sculptures also, the Transmigration of Souls
+is represented by the ascending and descending of souls from heaven to
+earth, _on a flight of steps_, and, as the souls of wicked men were
+supposed to enter pigs and other animals, therefore pigs, monkeys, &c.,
+are to be seen on the steps, descending from heaven.[45:8]
+
+     "And he dreamed, _and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and
+     the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God
+     ascending and descending on it_."
+
+These are the words of the sacred text. Can anything be more
+convincing? It continues thus:
+
+     "And Jacob awoke out of his sleep . . . and he was afraid, and
+     said . . . this is none other but the house of God, _and this
+     is the gate of heaven_."
+
+Here we have "the gate of heaven," mentioned by Origen in describing the
+_Metempsychosis_.
+
+According to the ancients, the _top_ of this ladder was supposed to
+reach _the throne_ of _the most high God_. This corresponds exactly with
+the vision of Jacob. The ladder which he is made to see reached unto
+heaven, _and the Lord stood above it._[46:1]
+
+     "And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the _stone_
+     that he had put for his pillow, _and set it up for a pillar,
+     and poured oil upon the top of it_."[46:2]
+
+This concluding portion to the story has evidently an allusion to
+_Phallic_[46:3] worship. There is scarcely a nation of antiquity which
+did not set up these stones (as emblems of the reproductive power of
+nature) and worship them. Dr. Oort, speaking of this, says:
+
+Few forms of worship were so universal in ancient times as the homage
+paid to sacred stones. In the history of the religion of even the most
+civilized peoples, such as the Greeks, Romans, Hindoos, Arabs and
+Germans, we find traces of this form of worship.[46:4] The ancient
+_Druids_ of Britain also worshiped sacred stones, which were _set up on
+end_.[46:5]
+
+Pausanias, an eminent Greek historian, says:
+
+     "The _Hermiac_ statue, which they venerate in Cyllene above
+     other _symbols_, is an erect _Phallus_ on a pedestal."[46:6]
+
+This was nothing more than a smooth, oblong _stone_, set erect on a flat
+one.[46:7]
+
+The learned Dr. Ginsburg, in his "Life of Levita," alludes to the
+ancient mode of worship offered to the heathen deity Hermes, or Mercury.
+A "Hermes" (_i. e._, a _stone_) was frequently set up on the road-side,
+and each traveller, as he passed by, paid his homage to the deity by
+either throwing a stone on the heap (which was thus collected), or by
+_anointing_ it. This "Hermes" was the symbol of Phallus.[46:8]
+
+Now, when we find that _this form of worship was very prevalent among
+the Israelites_,[47:1] that these sacred stones which were "set up,"
+were called (by the heathen), BAETY-LI,[47:2] (which is not unlike
+BETH-EL), and that _they were anointed with oil_,[47:3] I think we have
+reasons for believing that the story of Jacob's _setting up_ a stone,
+_pouring oil upon it_, and calling the place _Beth-el_, "has evidently
+an allusion to Phallic worship."[47:4]
+
+The male and female powers of nature were denoted respectively by an
+upright and an oval emblem, and the conjunction of the two furnished at
+once the altar and the _Ashera_, or grove, against which the Hebrew
+prophets lifted up their voices in earnest protest. In the kingdoms,
+both of Judah and Israel, the rites connected with these emblems assumed
+their most corrupting form. Even in the temple itself, stood the
+_Ashera_, or the upright emblem, on the circular altar of Baal-Peor, the
+Priapos of the Jews, thus reproducing the _Linga_, and _Yoni_ of the
+Hindu.[47:5] For this symbol, the women wove hangings, as the Athenian
+maidens embroidered the sacred peplos for the ship presented to Athene,
+at the great Dionysiac festival. This _Ashera_, which, in the authorized
+English version of the Old Testament is translated "_grove_," was, in
+fact, a pole, or stem of a tree. It is reproduced in our modern
+"Maypole," around which maidens dance, as maidens did of yore.[47:6]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[42:1] See Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Transmigration."
+
+[42:2] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Transmigration." Prichard's Mythology,
+p. 213, and Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 59.
+
+[42:3] Ibid. Ernest de Bunsen says: "The first traces of the doctrine of
+Transmigration of souls is to be found among the Brahmins and
+Buddhists." (The Angel Messiah, pp. 63, 64.)
+
+[42:4] Prichard's Mythology, pp. 213, 214.
+
+[43:1] Gross: The Heathen Religion. Also Chambers's Encyclo., art.
+"Transmigration."
+
+[43:2] Ibid. Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 13; and Myths of the
+British Druids, p. 15.
+
+[43:3] Chambers's Encyclo.
+
+[43:4] Ibid.
+
+[43:5] Ibid. See also Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, pp. 63, 64. Dupuis, p.
+357. Josephus: Jewish Antiquities, book xviii. ch. 13. Dunlap: Son of
+the Man, p. 94; and Beal: Hist. Buddha.
+
+[43:6] Chambers, art. "Transmigration."
+
+[44:1] See The Religion of Israel, p. 18.
+
+[44:2] Malachi iv. 5.
+
+[44:3] Matthew xvii. 12, 13.
+
+[44:4] See Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 78.
+
+[44:5] Faber: Orig. Pagan Idol, vol. iii. p. 612; in Anacalypsis, vol.
+i. p. 210.
+
+[45:1] Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 202.
+
+[45:2] Contra Celsus, lib. vi. c. xxii.
+
+[45:3] Tylor: Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 324.
+
+[45:4] Ibid.
+
+[45:5] Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 262.
+
+[45:6] Dupuis: Origin of Religious Beliefs, p. 344.
+
+[45:7] Volney's Ruins, p. 147, _note_.
+
+[45:8] See Child's Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 160, 162.
+
+[46:1] Genesis xxviii. 12, 13.
+
+[46:2] Genesis xxviii. 18, 19.
+
+[46:3] "Phallic," from "Phallus," a representation of the male
+generative organs. For further information on this subject, see the
+works of R. Payne Knight, and Dr. Thomas Inman.
+
+[46:4] Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 175, 276. See, also, Knight:
+Ancient Art and Mythology; and Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. i. and ii.
+
+[46:5] See Myths of the British Druids, p. 300; and Higgins: Celtic
+Druids.
+
+[46:6] Quoted by R. Payne Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 114,
+_note_.
+
+[46:7] See Illustrations in Dr. Inman's Pagan and Christian Symbolism.
+
+[46:8] See Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. i. pp. 543, 544.
+
+[47:1] Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 177, 178, 317, 321, 322.
+
+[47:2] Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 356.
+
+[47:3] Ibid.
+
+[47:4] We read in Bell's "Pantheon of the Gods and Demi-Gods of
+Antiquity," under the head of BAELYLION, BAELYLIA or BAETYLOS, that they
+are "_Anointed Stones_, worshiped among the Greeks, Phrygians, and other
+nations of the East;" that "these Baetylia were greatly venerated by the
+ancient Heathen, many of their idols being no other;" and that, "in
+reality no sort of idol was more common in the East, than that of oblong
+stones _erected_, and hence termed by the Greeks _pillars_." The Rev.
+Geo. W. Cox, in his Aryan Mythology (vol. ii. p. 113), says: "The
+erection of these stone columns or pillars, the forms of which in most
+cases tell their own story, are common throughout the East, some of the
+most elaborate being found near Ghizni." And Mr. Wake (Phallism in
+Ancient Religions, p. 60), says: "Kiyun, or Kivan, the name of the deity
+said by Amos (v. 26), to have been worshiped in the wilderness by the
+Hebrews, signifies GOD OF THE PILLAR."
+
+[47:5] We find that there was nothing gross or immoral in the worship of
+the male and female generative organs among the ancients, when the
+subject is properly understood. Being the most intimately connected with
+the reproduction of life on earth, the _Linga_ became the symbol under
+which the _Sun_, invoked with a thousand names, has been worshiped
+throughout the world _as the restorer of the powers of nature_ after the
+long sleep or death of winter. But if the _Linga_ is the Sun-god in his
+majesty, the _Yoni_ is the earth who yields her fruit under his
+fertilizing warmth.
+
+The _Phallic tree_ is introduced into the narrative of the book of
+Genesis: but it is here called a tree, not of life, but of the knowledge
+of good and evil, that knowledge which dawns in the mind with the first
+consciousness of difference between man and woman. In contrast with this
+tree of carnal indulgence, tending to death, is the tree of life,
+denoting the higher existence for which man was designed, and which
+would bring with it the happiness and the freedom of the children of
+God. In the brazen serpent of the Pentateuch, the two emblems of the
+_cross_ and _serpent_, the quiescent and energising Phallos, are united.
+(See Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. pp. 113, 116, 118.)
+
+[47:6] See Cox: Aryan Mytho., ii. 112, 113.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT, AND PASSAGE THROUGH THE RED SEA.
+
+
+The children of Israel, who were in bondage in Egypt, making bricks, and
+working in the field,[48:1] were looked upon with compassion by the
+Lord.[48:2] He heard their groaning, and remembered his covenant with
+Abraham,[48:3] with Isaac, and with Jacob. He, therefore, chose Moses
+(an Israelite, who had murdered an Egyptian,[48:4] and who, therefore,
+was obliged to flee from Egypt, as Pharaoh sought to punish him), as his
+servant, to carry out his plans.
+
+Moses was at this time keeping the flock of Jeruth, his father-in-law,
+in the land of Midian. The angel of the Lord, or the Lord himself,
+appeared to him there, and said unto him:
+
+     "I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of
+     Isaac, and the God of Jacob. . . . I have seen the affliction of
+     _my people_ which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by
+     reason of their tormentors; for I know their sorrows. And I am
+     _come down_ to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians,
+     and to bring them up out of that land into a good land and a
+     large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. I will send
+     thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the
+     children of Israel, out of Egypt."
+
+Then Moses said unto the Lord:
+
+     "Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall
+     say unto them, the God of your fathers hath sent me unto you,
+     and they shall say unto me: What is his name? What shall I say
+     unto them?"
+
+Then God said unto Moses:
+
+     "I AM THAT I AM."[48:5] "Thus shalt thou say unto the children
+     of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."[48:6]
+
+And God said, moreover, unto Moses:
+
+     "Go and gather the Elders of Israel together, and say unto
+     them: the Lord God of your fathers . . . appeared unto me,
+     saying: 'I have surely visited you, and seen that which is
+     done to you in Egypt. And I have said, I will bring you up out
+     of the affliction of Egypt . . . unto a land flowing with milk
+     and honey.' And they shall hearken to thy voice, and thou
+     shall come, thou and the Elders of Israel, unto the king of
+     Egypt, and ye shall say unto him: 'the Lord God of the Hebrews
+     hath met with us, and now let us go, we beseech thee, _three
+     days journey in the wilderness_, that we may sacrifice to the
+     Lord our God.'[49:1]
+
+     "_I am sure_ that the king of Egypt will _not_ let you go, no,
+     not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and
+     smite Egypt with all my wonders, which I will do in the midst
+     thereof: _and after that he will let you go_. And I will give
+     this people (the Hebrews) favor in the sight of the Egyptians,
+     and it shall come to pass, that when ye go, _ye shall not go
+     empty_. But every woman shall _borrow_ of her neighbor, and of
+     her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver and jewels
+     of gold, and raiment. And ye shall put them upon your sons and
+     upon your daughters, _and ye shall spoil the
+     Egyptians_."[49:2]
+
+The Lord again appeared unto Moses, in Midian, and said:
+
+     "Go, return into Egypt, for all the men are dead which sought
+     thy life. And Moses took his wife, and his son, and set them
+     upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses
+     took the _rod of God_ (which the Lord had given him) in his
+     hand."[49:3]
+
+Upon arriving in Egypt, Moses tells his brother Aaron, "all the words of
+the Lord," and Aaron tells all the children of Israel. Moses, who was
+not eloquent, but had a slow speech,[49:4] uses Aaron as his
+spokesman.[49:5] They then appear unto Pharaoh, and falsify, "_according
+to the commands of the Lord_," saying: "Let us go, we pray thee, _three
+days' journey in the desert_, and sacrifice unto the Lord our
+God."[49:6]
+
+The Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart, so that he does not let the children
+of Israel go to sacrifice unto their God, in the desert.
+
+Moses and Aaron continue interceding with him, however, and, for the
+purpose of showing their miraculous powers, they change their rods into
+serpents, the river into blood, cause a plague of frogs and lice, and a
+swarm of flies, &c., &c., to appear. Most of these feats were imitated
+by the magicians of Egypt. Finally, the first-born of Egypt are slain,
+when Pharaoh, after having had his heart hardened, by the Lord, over and
+over again, consents to let Moses and the children of Israel go to serve
+their God, _as they had said_, that is, for _three_ days.
+
+The Lord having given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians,
+they borrowed of them jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment,
+"_according to the commands of the Lord_." And they journeyed toward
+Succoth, there being _six hundred thousand, besides children_.[50:1]
+
+     "And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in
+     Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before
+     them by day, _in a pillar of a cloud_, to lead them the way;
+     and by night _in a pillar of fire_, to give them light to go
+     by day and night."[50:2]
+
+     "And it was told the king of Egypt, that the people fled. . . .
+     And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him.
+     And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots
+     of Egypt, . . . and he pursued after the children of Israel,
+     and overtook them encamping beside the sea. . . . And when
+     Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel . . . were sore
+     afraid, and . . . (they) cried out unto the Lord. . . . And
+     the Lord said unto Moses, . . . speak unto the children of
+     Israel, that they go forward. But lift thou up thy rod, and
+     stretch out thine hand over the Red Sea, and divide it, and
+     the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the
+     midst of the sea. . . . And Moses stretched out his hand over
+     the sea,[50:3] and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a
+     strong east wind that night, and made the sea dry land, and
+     the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into
+     the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; _and the waters were
+     a wall unto them upon the right hand, and on their left_. And
+     the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of
+     the sea, _even all Pharaoh's horses, and his chariots, and his
+     horse-men_."
+
+After the children of Israel had landed on the other side of the sea,
+the Lord said unto Moses:
+
+     "Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come
+     again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their
+     horse-men. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea,
+     and the sea returned to his strength. . . . And the Lord
+     overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the
+     waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horse-men,
+     and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after
+     them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the
+     children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the
+     sea, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand,
+     and on their left. . . . And Israel saw the great work which
+     the Lord did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the
+     Lord, and believed the Lord and his servant Moses."[51:1]
+
+The writer of this story, whoever he may have been, was evidently
+familiar with the legends related of the Sun-god, _Bacchus_, as he has
+given Moses the credit of performing some of the miracles which were
+attributed to that god.
+
+It is related in the hymns of Orpheus,[51:2] that Bacchus had a _rod_
+with which he performed miracles, and which he could change into a
+_serpent_ at pleasure. _He passed the Red Sea, dry shod, at the head of
+his army._ He divided the waters of the rivers Orontes and Hydaspus, by
+the touch of his rod, and passed through them dry-shod.[51:3] _By the
+same mighty wand, he drew water from the rock_,[51:4] and wherever they
+marched, the land flowed with wine, milk and honey.[51:5]
+
+Professor Steinthal, speaking of Dionysus (Bacchus), says:
+
+Like Moses, he strikes fountains of wine and water out of the rock.
+Almost all the acts of Moses correspond to those of the Sun-gods.[51:6]
+
+Mons. Dupuis says:
+
+     "Among the different miracles of Bacchus and his Bacchantes,
+     there are prodigies very similar to those which are attributed
+     to Moses; for instance, such as the sources of water which the
+     _former_ caused to sprout from the innermost of the
+     rocks."[51:7]
+
+In Bell's Pantheon of the Gods and Heroes of Antiquity,[51:8] an account
+of the prodigies attributed to Bacchus is given; among these, are
+mentioned his striking water from the rock, with his magic wand, his
+turning a twig of ivy into a snake, his passing through the Red Sea and
+the rivers Orontes and Hydaspus, and of his enjoying the light of the
+Sun (while marching with his army in India), when the day was spent, and
+it was dark to others. All these are parallels too striking to be
+accidental.
+
+We might also mention the fact, that Bacchus, as well as Moses was
+called the "_Law-giver_," and that it was said of Bacchus, as well as of
+Moses, that his laws were written on _two tables of stone_.[52:1]
+Bacchus was represented _horned_, and so was Moses.[52:2] Bacchus "was
+picked up in a box, that floated on the water,"[52:3] and so was
+Moses.[52:4] Bacchus had two mothers, one by nature, and one by
+adoption,[52:5] and so had Moses.[52:6] And, as we have already seen,
+Bacchus and his army enjoyed the light of the Sun, during the night
+time, and Moses and his army enjoyed the light of "a pillar of fire, by
+night."[52:7]
+
+In regard to the children of Israel going out from the land of Egypt, we
+have no doubt that such an occurrence took place, although not in the
+manner, and not for such reasons, as is recorded by the _sacred
+historian_. We find, from other sources, what is evidently nearer the
+truth.
+
+It is related by the historian Choeremon, that, at one time, the land of
+Egypt was infested with disease, and through the advice of the sacred
+scribe Phritiphantes, the king caused the infected people (who were none
+other than the brick-making slaves, known as the children of Israel), to
+be collected, _and driven out of the country_.[52:8]
+
+_Lysimachus_ relates that:
+
+     "A filthy disease broke out in Egypt, and the Oracle of Ammon,
+     being consulted on the occasion, commanded the king to purify
+     the land _by driving out the Jews_ (who were infected with
+     leprosy, &c.), a race of men who were hateful to the
+     Gods."[52:9] "_The whole multitude of the people were
+     accordingly collected and driven out into the
+     wilderness._"[52:10]
+
+_Diodorus Siculus_, referring to this event, says:
+
+     "In ancient times Egypt was afflicted with a great plague,
+     which was attributed to the anger of God, on account of the
+     multitude of foreigners in Egypt: by whom the rites of the
+     native religion were neglected. _The Egyptians accordingly
+     drove them out._ The most noble of them went under Cadmus and
+     Danaus to Greece, but the greater number followed _Moses_, a
+     wise and valiant leader, to Palestine."[52:11]
+
+After giving the different opinions concerning the origin of the Jewish
+nation, Tacitus, the Roman historian, says:
+
+     "In this clash of opinions, _one point seems to be universally
+     admitted_. A pestilential disease, disfiguring the race of
+     man, and making the body an object of loathsome deformity,
+     spread all over Egypt. Bocchoris, at that time the reigning
+     monarch, consulted the oracle of Jupiter Hammon, and received
+     for answer, that the kingdom must be purified, by
+     exterminating the infected multitude, as a race of men
+     detested by the gods. After diligent search, the wretched
+     sufferers were collected together, and in a wild and barren
+     desert abandoned to their misery. In that distress, while the
+     vulgar herd was sunk in deep despair, Moses, one of their
+     number, reminded them, that, by the wisdom of his councils,
+     they had been already rescued out of impending danger.
+     Deserted as they were by men and gods, he told them, that if
+     they did not repose their confidence in him, as their chief by
+     divine commission, they had no resource left. His offer was
+     accepted. Their march began, they knew not whither. Want of
+     water was their chief distress. Worn out with fatigue, they
+     lay stretched on the bare earth, heart broken, ready to
+     expire, when a troop of wild asses, returning from pasture,
+     went up the steep ascent of a rock covered with a grove of
+     trees. The verdure of the herbage round the place suggested
+     the idea of springs near at hand. Moses traced the steps of
+     the animals, and discovered a plentiful vein of water. By this
+     relief the fainting multitude was raised from despair. They
+     pursued their journey for six days without intermission. On
+     the seventh day they made halt, and, having expelled the
+     natives, took possession of the country, where they built
+     their city, and dedicated their temple."[53:1]
+
+Other accounts, similar to these, might be added, among which may be
+mentioned that given by Manetho, an Egyptian priest, which is referred
+to by Josephus, the Jewish historian.
+
+Although the accounts quoted above are not exactly alike, _yet the main
+points are the same_, which are to the effect that Egypt was infected
+with disease owing to the foreigners (among whom were those who were
+afterwards styled "the children of Israel") that were in the country,
+and who were an unclean people, and that they were accordingly driven
+out into the wilderness.
+
+When we compare this statement with that recorded in Genesis, it does
+not take long to decide which of the two is nearest the truth.
+
+Everything putrid, or that had a tendency to putridity, was carefully
+avoided by the ancient Egyptians, and so strict were the Egyptian
+priests on this point, that they wore no garments made of any animal
+substance, circumcised themselves, and shaved their whole bodies, even
+to their eyebrows, lest they should unknowingly harbor any filth,
+excrement or vermin, supposed to be bred from putrefaction.[53:2] We
+know from the laws set down in _Leviticus_, that the Hebrews were not a
+remarkably clean race.
+
+Jewish priests, _in making a history for their race_, have given us but
+a shadow of truth here and there; it is almost wholly mythical. The
+author of "The Religion of Israel," speaking on this subject, says:
+
+     "The history of the religion of Israel _must start from the
+     sojourn_ of _the Israelites in Egypt_. Formerly it was usual
+     to take a much earlier starting-point, and to begin with a
+     religious discussion of the religious ideas of the
+     _Patriarchs_. And this was perfectly right, so long as the
+     accounts of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were considered
+     _historical_. _But now that a strict investigation has shown
+     us that all these stories are entirely unhistorical_, of
+     course we have to begin the history later on."[54:1]
+
+The author of "The Spirit History of Man," says:
+
+     "The Hebrews came out of Egypt and settled among the
+     Canaanites. _They need not be traced beyond the Exodus. That
+     is their historical beginning._ It was very easy to cover up
+     this remote event by the recital of mythical traditions, and
+     to prefix to it an account of their origin in which the gods
+     (Patriarchs), should figure as their ancestors."[54:2]
+
+Professor Goldzhier says:
+
+     "The residence of the Hebrews in Egypt, and their exodus
+     thence under the guidance and training of an enthusiast for
+     the freedom of his tribe, form a series of strictly historical
+     facts, which find confirmation even in the documents of
+     ancient Egypt (which we have just shown). But the traditional
+     narratives of these events (were) _elaborated by the Hebrew
+     people_."[54:3]
+
+Count de Volney also observes that:
+
+     "What Exodus says of their (the Israelites) servitude under
+     the king of Heliopolis, and of the oppression of their hosts,
+     the Egyptians, is extremely probable. _It is here their
+     history begins. All that precedes . . . is nothing but
+     mythology and cosmogony._"[54:4]
+
+In speaking of the sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt, Dr. Knappert
+says:
+
+     "According to the tradition preserved in Genesis, it was the
+     promotion of Jacob's son, Joseph, to be viceroy of Egypt, that
+     brought about the migration of the sons of Israel from Canaan
+     to Goshen. The story goes that this Joseph was sold as a slave
+     by his brothers, and after many changes of fortune received
+     the vice-regal office at Pharaoh's hands through his skill in
+     interpreting dreams. Famine drives his brothers--and
+     afterwards his father--to him, and the Egyptian prince gives
+     them the land of Goshen to live in. _It is by imagining all
+     this that the legend tries to account for the fact that
+     Israel passed some time in Egypt._ But we must look for the
+     real explanation in a migration of certain tribes which could
+     not establish or maintain themselves in Canaan, and were
+     forced to move further on.
+
+     "We find a passage in Flavius Josephus, from which it appears
+     that in Egypt, too, a recollection survived of the sojourn of
+     some foreign tribes in the north-eastern district of the
+     country. For this writer gives us two fragments out of a lost
+     work by Manetho, a priest, who lived about 250 B. C. In one of
+     these we have a statement that pretty nearly agrees with the
+     Israelitish tradition about a sojourn in Goshen. _But the
+     Israelites were looked down on by the Egyptians as foreigners,
+     and they are represented as lepers and unclean._ Moses himself
+     is mentioned by name, and we are told that he was a priest and
+     joined himself to these _lepers_ and gave them laws."[55:1]
+
+To return now to the story of the Red Sea being divided to let Moses and
+his followers pass through--of which we have already seen one
+counterpart in the legend related of Bacchus and his army passing
+through the same sea dry-shod--there is another similar story concerning
+Alexander the Great.
+
+The histories of Alexander relate that the Pamphylian Sea was divided to
+let him and his army pass through. Josephus, after speaking of the Red
+Sea being divided for the passage of the Israelites, says:
+
+     "For the sake of those who accompanied Alexander, king of
+     Macedonia, who yet lived comparatively but a little while ago,
+     the Pamphylian Sea retired and offered them a passage through
+     itself, when they had no other way to go . . . _and this is
+     confessed to be true by all who have written about the actions
+     of Alexander_."[55:2]
+
+He seems to consider both legends of the same authority, quoting the
+latter to substantiate the former.
+
+"Callisthenes, who himself accompanied Alexander in the expedition,"
+"wrote, how the Pamphylian Sea did not only open a passage for
+Alexander, but, rising and elevating its waters, did pay him homage as
+its king."[55:3]
+
+It is related in Egyptian mythology that Isis was at one time on a
+journey with the eldest child of the king of Byblos, when coming to the
+river Phoedrus, which was in a "rough air," and wishing to cross, she
+commanded the stream to be _dried up_. This being done she crossed
+without trouble.[56:1]
+
+There is a _Hindoo_ fable to the effect that when the infant Crishna was
+being sought by the reigning tyrant of Madura (King Kansa)[56:2] his
+foster-father took him and departed out of the country. Coming to the
+river Yumna, and wishing to cross, it was divided for them by the Lord,
+and they passed through.
+
+The story is related by Thomas Maurice, in his "History of Hindostan,"
+who has taken it from the _Bhagavat Pooraun_. It is as follows:
+
+     "Yasodha took the child Crishna, and carried him off (from
+     where he was born), but, coming to the river Yumna, directly
+     opposite to Gokul, Crishna's father perceiving the current to
+     be very strong, it being in the midst of the rainy season, and
+     not knowing which way to pass it, Crishna commanded the water
+     to give way on both sides to his father, _who accordingly
+     passed dry-footed, across the river_."[56:3]
+
+This incident is illustrated in Plate 58 of Moore's "Hindu Pantheon."
+
+There is another Hindoo legend, recorded in the _Rig Veda_, and quoted
+by Viscount Amberly, from whose work we take it,[56:4] to the effect
+that an Indian sage called Visvimati, having arrived at a river which he
+wished to cross, that holy man said to it: "Listen to the Bard who has
+come to you from afar with wagon and chariot. Sink down, become
+fordable, and reach not up to our chariot axles." The river answers: "I
+will bow down to thee like a woman with full breast (suckling her
+child), as a maid to a man, will I throw myself open to thee."
+
+This is accordingly done, and the sage passes through.
+
+We have also an Indian legend which relates that a courtesan named
+Bindumati, _turned back the streams of the river Ganges_.[56:5]
+
+We see then, that the idea of seas and rivers being divided for the
+purpose of letting some chosen one of God pass through is an old one
+peculiar to other peoples beside the Hebrews, and the probability is
+that many nations had legends of this kind.
+
+That Pharaoh and his host should have been drowned in the Red Sea, and
+the fact not mentioned by any historian, is simply impossible,
+especially when they have, as we have seen, noticed the fact of the
+Israelites being driven out of Egypt.[56:6] Dr. Inman, speaking of this,
+says:
+
+     "We seek in vain amongst the Egyptian hieroglyphs for scenes
+     which recall such cruelties as those we read of in the Hebrew
+     records; and in the writings which have hitherto been
+     translated, we find nothing resembling the wholesale
+     destructions described and applauded by the Jewish historians,
+     as perpetrated by their own people."[57:1]
+
+That Pharaoh should have pursued a tribe of diseased slaves, _whom he
+had driven out of his country_, is altogether improbable. In the words
+of Dr. Knappert, we may conclude, by saying that:
+
+     "_This story, which was not written until more than five
+     hundred years after the exodus itself, can lay no claim to be
+     considered historical_."[57:2]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[48:1] Exodus i. 14.
+
+[48:2] Exodus ii. 24, 25.
+
+[48:3] See chapter x.
+
+[48:4] Exodus ii. 12.
+
+[48:5] The Egyptian name for God was "_Nuk-Pa-Nuk_," or "I AM THAT I
+AM." (Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 395.) This name was found on a temple
+in Egypt. (Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 17.) "'I AM' was a Divine
+name understood by all the initiated among the Egyptians." "The 'I AM'
+of the Hebrews, and the 'I AM' of the Egyptians are identical." (Bunsen:
+Keys of St. Peter, p. 38.) The name "_Jehovah_," which was adopted by
+the Hebrews, was a name esteemed sacred among the Egyptians. They called
+it Y-HA-HO, or Y-AH-WEH. (See the Religion of Israel, pp. 42, 43; and
+Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 329, and vol. ii. p. 17.) "None dare to enter
+the temple of Serapis, who did not bear on his breast or forehead the
+name of JAO, or J-HA-HO, a name almost equivalent in sound to that of
+the Hebrew _Jehovah_, and probably of identical import; and no name was
+uttered in Egypt with more reverence than this IAO." (Trans. from the
+Ger. of Schiller, in Monthly Repos., vol. xx.; and Voltaire: _Commentary
+on Exodus_; Higgins' Anac., vol. i. p. 329; vol. ii. p. 17.) "That this
+divine name was well-known to the _Heathen_ there can be no doubt."
+(Parkhurst: Hebrew Lex. in Anac., i. 327.) So also with the name _El
+Shaddai_. "The extremely common Egyptian expression _Nutar Nutra_
+exactly corresponds in sense to the Hebrew _El Shaddai_, the very title
+by which God tells Moses he was known to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob."
+(Prof. Renouf: Relig. of Anc't Egypt, p. 99.)
+
+[48:6] Exodus iii. 1, 14.
+
+[49:1] Exodus iii. 15-18.
+
+[49:2] Exodus iii. 19-22. Here is a command from the Lord to _deceive_,
+and _lie_, and _steal_, which, according to the narrative, was carried
+out to the letter (Ex. xii. 35, 36); and yet we are told that this _same
+Lord_ said: "_Thou shalt not steal._" (Ex. xx. 15.) Again he says:
+"_That shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him._" (Leviticus
+xix. 18.) Surely this is inconsistency.
+
+[49:3] Exodus iv. 19, 20.
+
+[49:4] Exodus iv. 10.
+
+[49:5] Exodus iv. 16.
+
+[49:6] Exodus v. 3.
+
+[50:1] Exodus vii. 35-37. Bishop Colenso shows, in his Pentateuch
+Examined, how ridiculous this statement is.
+
+[50:2] Exodus xiii. 20, 21.
+
+[50:3] "The sea over which Moses stretches out his hand with the staff,
+and which he divides, so that the waters stand up on either side like
+walls while he passes through, must surely have been originally the Sea
+of Clouds. . . . A German story presents a perfectly similar feature.
+The conception of the cloud as sea, rock and wall, recurs very
+frequently in mythology." (Prof. Steinthal: The Legend of Samson, p.
+429.)
+
+[51:1] Exodus xiv. 5-13.
+
+[51:2] Orpheus is said to have been the earliest poet of Greece, where
+he first introduced the rites of Bacchus, which he brought from Egypt.
+(See Roman Antiquities, p. 134.)
+
+[51:3] The Hebrew fable writers not wishing to be outdone, have made the
+waters of the river Jordan to be divided to let Elijah and Elisha pass
+through (2 Kings ii. 8), and also the children of Israel. (Joshua iii.
+15-17.)
+
+[51:4] Moses, with his rod, drew water from the rock. (Exodus xvii. 6.)
+
+[51:5] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 191, and Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii.
+p. 19.
+
+[51:6] The Legend of Samson, p. 429.
+
+[51:7] Dupuis: Origin of Religious Beliefs, p. 135.
+
+[51:8] Vol. i. p. 122.
+
+[52:1] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 122; and Higgins: Anacalypsis vol.
+ii. p. 19.
+
+[52:2] Ibid. and Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 174.
+
+[52:3] Taylor's Diegesis, p. 190; Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. under
+"Bacchus;" and Higgins: Anacalypsis ii. 19.
+
+[52:4] Exodus ii. 1-11.
+
+[52:5] Taylor's Diegesis, p. 191; Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. under
+"Bacchus;" and Higgins: p. 19, vol. ii.
+
+[52:6] Exodus ii. 1-11.
+
+[52:7] Exodus xiii. 20, 21.
+
+[52:8] See Prichard's Historical Records, p. 74; also Dunlap's Spirit
+Hist., p. 40; and Cory's Ancient Fragments, pp. 80, 81, for similar
+accounts.
+
+[52:9] "All persons afflicted with leprosy were considered displeasing
+in the sight of the Sun-god, by the Egyptians." (Dunlap: Spirit. Hist.
+p. 40.)
+
+[52:10] Prichard's Historical Records, p. 75.
+
+[52:11] Ibid. p. 78.
+
+[53:1] Tacitus: Hist. book v. ch. iii.
+
+[53:2] Knight: Anc't Art and Mythology, p. 89, and Kenrick's Egypt, vol.
+i. p. 447. "The cleanliness of the Egyptian priests was extreme. They
+shaved their heads, and every three days shaved their whole bodies. They
+bathed two or three times a day, often in the night also. They wore
+garments of white linen, deeming it more cleanly than cloth made from
+the hair of animals. If they had occasion to wear a woolen cloth or
+mantle, they put it off before entering a temple; so scrupulous were
+they that nothing impure should come into the presence of the gods."
+(Prog. Relig. Ideas, i. 168.)
+
+"Thinking it better to be clean than handsome, the (Egyptian) priests
+shave their whole body every third day, that neither lice nor any other
+impurity may be found upon them when engaged in the service of the
+gods." (Herodotus: book ii. ch. 37.)
+
+[54:1] The Religion of Israel, p. 27.
+
+[54:2] Dunlap: Spirit Hist. of Man, p. 266.
+
+[54:3] Hebrew Mythology, p. 23.
+
+[54:4] Researches in Ancient History, p. 146.
+
+[55:1] The Religion of Israel, pp. 31, 32.
+
+[55:2] Jewish Antiq. bk. ii. ch. xvi.
+
+[55:3] Ibid. _note_.
+
+"It was said that the waters of the Pamphylian Sea miraculously opened a
+passage for the army of Alexander the Great. Admiral Beaufort, however,
+tells us that, 'though there are no tides in this part of the
+Mediterranean, considerable depression of the sea is caused by
+long-continued north winds; and Alexander, taking advantage of such a
+moment, may have dashed on without impediment;' and we accept the
+explanation as a matter of course. But the waters of the Red Sea are
+said to have miraculously opened a passage for the children of Israel;
+and we insist on the literal truth of _this_ story, and reject natural
+explanations as monstrous." (Matthew Arnold.)
+
+[56:1] See Prichard's Egyptian Mytho. p. 60.
+
+[56:2] See ch. xviii.
+
+[56:3] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 312.
+
+[56:4] Analysis Relig. Belief, p. 552.
+
+[56:5] See Hardy: Buddhist Legends, p. 140.
+
+[56:6] In a cave discovered at Deir-el-Bahari (Aug., 1881), near Thebes,
+in Egypt, was found _thirty-nine_ mummies of royal and priestly
+personages. Among these was King Ramses II., the third king of the
+Nineteenth Dynasty, and the veritable Pharaoh of the Jewish captivity.
+It is very strange that he should be _here_, among a number of other
+kings, if he had been lost in the Red Sea. The mummy is wrapped in
+rose-colored and yellow linen of a texture finer than the finest Indian
+muslin, upon which lotus flowers are strewn. It is in a perfect state of
+preservation. (See a Cairo [Aug. 8th] letter to the _London Times_.)
+
+[57:1] Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 58.
+
+[57:2] The Religion of Israel, p. 41.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+RECEIVING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
+
+
+The receiving of the _Ten Commandments_ by Moses, from the Lord, is
+recorded in the following manner:
+
+     "In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone
+     forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into
+     the wilderness of Sinai, . . . and there Israel camped before
+     the Mount. . . .
+
+     "And it came to pass on the third day that there were thunders
+     and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the Mount, and the
+     voice of the tempest exceedingly loud, so that all the people
+     that was in the camp trembled. . . .
+
+     "And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord
+     descended upon it in fire, and the smoke thereof ascended as
+     the smoke of a furnace, and the whole Mount quaked greatly.
+     And when the voice of the tempest sounded long, and waxed
+     louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a
+     voice.
+
+     "_And the Lord came down upon the Mount_, and called Moses up
+     to the top of the Mount, and Moses went up."[58:1]
+
+The Lord there communed with him, and "he gave unto Moses . . . . two
+tables of testimony, tables of stone, _written with the finger of
+God_."[58:2]
+
+When Moses came down from off the Mount, he found the children of Israel
+dancing around a golden calf, which his brother Aaron had made, and, as
+his "anger waxed hot," he cast the tables of stone on the ground, and
+broke them.[58:3] Moses again saw the Lord on the Mount, however, and
+received two more tables of stone.[58:4] When he came down this time
+from off Mount Sinai, "the skin of his face did shine."[58:5]
+
+These two tables of stone contained the _Ten Commandments_,[59:1] so it
+is said, which the Jews and Christians of the present day are supposed
+to take for their standard.
+
+They are, in substance, as follows:
+
+      1--To have no other God but Jehovah.
+      2--To make no image for purpose of worship.
+      3--Not to take Jehovah's name in vain.
+      4--Not to work on the Sabbath-day.
+      5--To honor their parents.
+      6--Not to kill.
+      7--Not to commit adultery.
+      8--Not to steal.
+      9--Not to bear false witness against a neighbor.
+     10--Not to covet.[59:2]
+
+We have already seen, in the last chapter, that Bacchus was called the
+"_Law-giver_," and that his laws were written on _two tables of
+stone_.[59:3] This feature in the Hebrew legend was evidently copied
+from that related of Bacchus, but, the idea of his (Moses) receiving the
+commandments from the Lord on a _mountain_ was obviously taken from the
+_Persian_ legend related of Zoroaster.
+
+Prof. Max Mueller says:
+
+     "What applies to the religion of Moses applies to that of
+     Zoroaster. It is placed before us as a complete system from
+     the first, _revealed by Ahuramazda_ (Ormuzd), _proclaimed by
+     Zoroaster_."[59:4]
+
+The disciples of Zoroaster, in their profusion of legends of the master,
+relate that one day, as he prayed _on a high mountain_, in the midst of
+thunders and lightnings ("fire from heaven"), the Lord himself appeared
+before him, and delivered unto him the "Book of the Law." While the King
+of Persia and the people were assembled together, Zoroaster came down
+from the mountain unharmed, bringing with him the "Book of the Law,"
+which had been revealed to him by Ormuzd. They call this book the
+_Zend-Avesta_, which signifies the _Living Word_.[59:5]
+
+According to the religion of the Cretans, Minos, their law-giver,
+ascended a _mountain_ (Mount Dicta) and there received from the Supreme
+Lord (Zeus) the sacred laws which he brought down with him.[60:1]
+
+Almost all nations of antiquity have legends of their holy men ascending
+a _mountain_ to ask counsel of the gods, such places being invested with
+peculiar sanctity, and deemed nearer to the deities than other portions
+of the earth.[60:2]
+
+According to Egyptian belief, it is Thoth, the Deity itself, that speaks
+and reveals to his elect among men the will of God and the arcana of
+divine things. Portions of them are expressly stated to have been
+written by the very finger of Thoth himself; to have been the work and
+composition of the great god.[60:3]
+
+Diodorus, the Grecian historian, says:
+
+The idea promulgated by the ancient Egyptians that their _laws_ were
+received direct from the Most High God, _has been adopted with success
+by many other law-givers, who have thus insured respect for their
+institutions_.[60:4]
+
+The Supreme God of the ancient Mexicans was _Tezcatlipoca_. He occupied
+a position corresponding to the Jehovah of the Jews, the Brahma of
+India, the Zeus of the Greeks, and the Odin of the Scandinavians. His
+name is compounded of Tezcatepec, the name of a _mountain_ (_upon which
+he is said to have manifested himself to man_) _tlil_, dark, and _poca_,
+smoke. The explanation of this designation is given in the _Codex
+Vaticanus_, as follows:
+
+Tezcatlipoca was one of their most potent deities; they say he once
+appeared on the top of a mountain. They paid him great reverence and
+adoration, and addressed him, in their prayers, as "Lord, whose servant
+we are." No man ever saw his face, for he appeared only "as a shade."
+Indeed, the Mexican idea of the godhead was similar to that of the Jews.
+Like Jehovah, Tezcatlipoca dwelt in the "midst of thick darkness." _When
+he descended upon the mount of Tezcatepec, darkness overshadowed the
+earth, while fire and water, in mingled streams, flowed from beneath his
+feet, from its summit._[61:1]
+
+Thus, we see that other nations, beside the Hebrews, believed that their
+laws were actually received from God, that they had legends to that
+effect, and that a _mountain_ figures conspicuously in the stories.
+
+Professor Oort, speaking on this subject, says:
+
+     "No one who has any knowledge of antiquity will be surprised
+     at this, for similar beliefs were very common. All peoples who
+     had issued from a life of barbarism and acquired regular
+     political institutions, more or less elaborate laws, and
+     established worship, and maxims of morality, attributed all
+     this--their birth as a nation, so to speak--to one or more
+     great men, all of whom, without exception, _were supposed to
+     have received their knowledge from some deity_.
+
+     "Whence did Zoroaster, the prophet of the Persians, derive his
+     religion? According to the beliefs of his followers, and the
+     doctrines of their sacred writings, it was from Ahuramazda,
+     the God of light. Why did the Egyptians represent the god
+     Thoth with a writing tablet and a pencil in his hand, and
+     honor him especially as the god of the priests? Because he was
+     'the Lord of the divine Word,' the foundation of all wisdom,
+     from whose inspiration the priests, who were the scholars, the
+     lawyers, and the religious teachers of the people, derived all
+     their wisdom. Was not Minos, the law-giver of the Cretans, the
+     friend of Zeus, the highest of the gods? Nay, was he not even
+     his son, and did he not ascend to the sacred cave on Mount
+     Dicte to bring down the laws which his god had placed there
+     for him? From whom did the Spartan law-giver, Lycurgus,
+     himself say that he had obtained his laws? From no other than
+     the god Apollo. The Roman legend, too, in honoring Numa
+     Pompilius as the people's instructor, at the same time
+     ascribed all his wisdom to his intercourse with the nymph
+     Egeria. It was the same elsewhere; and to make one more
+     example,--this from later times--Mohammed not only believed
+     himself to have been called immediately by God to be the
+     prophet of the Arabs, but declared that he had received every
+     page of the Koran from the hand of the angel Gabriel."[61:2]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[58:1] Exodus xix.
+
+[58:2] Exodus xxxi. 18.
+
+[58:3] Exodus xxii. 19.
+
+[58:4] Exodus xxxiv.
+
+[58:5] Ibid.
+
+It was a common belief among ancient Pagan nations that the gods
+appeared and conversed with men. As an illustration we may cite the
+following, related by _Herodotus_, the Grecian historian, who, in
+speaking of Egypt and the Egyptians, says: "There is a large city called
+Chemmis, situated in the Thebaic district, near Neapolis, in which is a
+quadrangular temple dedicated to (the god) Perseus, son of (the Virgin)
+Danae; palm-trees grow round it, and the portico is of stone, very
+spacious, and over it are placed two large stone statues. In this
+inclosure is a temple, and in it is placed a statue of Perseus. The
+Chemmitae (or inhabitants of Chemmis), _affirm that Perseus has
+frequently appeared to them on earth, and frequently within the
+temple_." (Herodotus, bk. ii. ch. 91.)
+
+[59:1] _Buddha_, the founder of Buddhism, had TEN commandments. 1. Not
+to kill. 2. Not to steal. 3. To be chaste. 4 Not to bear false witness.
+5. Not to lie. 6. Not to swear. 7. To avoid impure words. 8. To be
+disinterested. 9. Not to avenge one's-self. 10. Not to be superstitious.
+(See Huc's Travels, p. 328, vol. i.)
+
+[59:2] Exodus xx. Dr. Oort says: "The original ten commandments probably
+ran as follows: I Yahwah am your God. Worship no other gods beside me.
+Make no image of a god. Commit no perjury. Remember to keep holy the
+Sabbath day. Honor your father and your mother. Commit no murder. Break
+not the marriage vow. Steal not. Bear no false witness. Covet not."
+(Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 18.)
+
+[59:3] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 122. Higgins, vol. ii. p. 19. Cox:
+Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p. 295.
+
+[59:4] Mueller: Origin of Religion, p. 130.
+
+[59:5] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 257, 258. This book, the
+_Zend-Avesta_, is similar, in many respects, to the _Vedas_ of the
+_Hindoos_. This has led many to believe that Zoroaster was a Brahman;
+among these are Rawlinson (See Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 831)
+and Thomas Maurice. (See Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 219.)
+
+The Persians themselves had a tradition that he came from some country
+to the East of them. That he was a foreigner is indicated by a passage
+in the _Zend-Avesta_ which represents Ormuzd as saying to him: "Thou, O
+Zoroaster, by the promulgation of my law, shalt restore to me my former
+glory, which was pure light. Up! haste thee to the land of _Iran_, which
+thirsteth after the law, and say, thus said Ormuzd, &c." (See Prog.
+Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 263.)
+
+[60:1] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 301.
+
+[60:2] "The deities of the Hindoo Pantheon dwell on the sacred Mount
+Meru; the gods of Persia ruled from Albordj; the Greek Jove thundered
+from Olympus, and the Scandinavian gods made Asgard awful with their
+presence. . . . Profane history is full of examples attesting the
+attachment to high places for purpose of sacrifice." (Squire: Serpent
+Symbols, p. 78.)
+
+"The offerings of the Chinese to the deities were generally on the
+summits of high mountains, as they seemed to them to be nearer heaven,
+to the majesty of which they were to be offered." (Christmas's Mytho. p.
+250, in Ibid.) "In the infancy of civilization, high places were chosen
+by the people to offer sacrifices to the gods. The first altars, the
+first temples, were erected on mountains." (Humboldt: American
+Researches.) The Himalayas are the "_Heavenly mountains_." In Sanscrit
+_Himala_, corresponding to the M. Gothic, _Himins_; Alem., _Himil_;
+Ger., Swed., and Dan., _Himmel_; Old Norse, _Himin_; Dutch, _Hemel_;
+Ang.-Sax., _Heofon_; Eng., _Heaven_. (See Mallet's Northern Antiquities,
+p. 42.)
+
+[60:3] Bunsen's Egypt, quoted in Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 367. Mrs.
+Child says: "The _laws_ of Egypt were handed down from the earliest
+times, and regarded with the utmost veneration as a portion of religion.
+Their first legislator represented them as dictated by the gods
+themselves and framed expressly for the benefit of mankind by their
+secretary _Thoth_." (Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 173.)
+
+[60:4] Quoted in Ibid.
+
+[61:1] See Squire's Serpent Symbol, p. 175.
+
+[61:2] Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 301.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+SAMSON AND HIS EXPLOITS.
+
+
+This Israelite hero is said to have been born at a time when the
+children of Israel were in the hands of the Philistines. His mother, who
+had been barren for a number of years, is entertained by an angel, who
+informs her that she shall conceive, and bear a son,[62:1] and that the
+child shall be a _Nazarite_ unto God, from the womb, and he shall begin
+to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.
+
+According to the prediction of the angel, "the woman bore a son, and
+called his name _Samson_; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him."
+
+     "And Samson (after he had grown to man's estate), went down to
+     Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the
+     Philistines. And he came up and told his father and his
+     mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the
+     daughters of the Philistines; now therefore get her for me to
+     wife."
+
+Samson's father and mother preferred that he should take a woman among
+the daughters of their own tribe, but Samson wished for the maid of the
+Philistines, "for," said he, "she pleaseth me well."
+
+The parents, after coming to the conclusion that it was the will of the
+Lord, that he should marry the maid of the Philistines, consented.
+
+     "Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to
+     Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath, and, behold, a
+     young lion roared against him (Samson). And the spirit of the
+     Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him (the lion) as he
+     would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand."
+
+This was Samson's _first_ exploit, which he told not to any one, not
+even his father, or his mother.
+
+He then continued on his way, and went down and talked with the woman,
+and she pleased him well.
+
+And, after a time, he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see
+the carcass of the lion, and behold, "there was a swarm of bees, and
+honey, in the carcass of the lion."
+
+Samson made a feast at his wedding, which lasted for _seven_ days. At
+this feast, there were brought thirty companions to be with him, unto
+whom he said: "I will now put forth a riddle unto you, if ye can
+certainly declare it me, within the _seven_ days of the feast, and find
+it out, then I will give you thirty sheets, and thirty changes of
+garments. But, if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty
+sheets, and thirty changes of garments." And they said unto him, "Put
+forth thy riddle, that we may hear it." And he answered them: "Out of
+the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness."
+
+This riddle the thirty companions could not solve.
+
+"And it came to pass, on the _seventh_ day, that they said unto Samson's
+wife: 'Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle.'"
+
+She accordingly went to Samson, and told him that he could not love her;
+if it were so, he would tell her the answer to the riddle. After she had
+wept and entreated of him, he finally told her, and she gave the answer
+to the children of her people. "And the men of the city said unto him,
+on the _seventh_ day, before the sun went down, 'What is sweeter than
+honey, and what is stronger than a lion?'"
+
+Samson, upon hearing this, suspected how they managed to find out the
+answer, whereupon he said unto them: "If ye had not ploughed with my
+heifer, ye had not found out my riddle."
+
+Samson was then at a loss to know where to get the thirty sheets, and
+the thirty changes of garments; but, "the spirit of the Lord came upon
+him, and he went down to Ashkelon, _and slew thirty men of them_, and
+took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded
+the riddle."
+
+This was the hero's _second_ exploit.
+
+His anger being kindled, he went up to his father's house, instead of
+returning to his wife.[64:1] But it came to pass, that, after a while,
+Samson repented of his actions, and returned to his wife's house, and
+wished to go in to his wife in the chamber; but her father would not
+suffer him to go. And her father said: "I verily thought that thou hadst
+utterly hated her, therefore, I gave her to thy companion. Is not her
+younger sister fairer than she? Take her, I pray thee, instead of her."
+
+This did not seem to please Samson, even though the younger was fairer
+than the older, for he "went and caught three hundred foxes, and took
+firebrands, and turned (the foxes) tail to tail, and put a firebrand in
+the midst between two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he
+let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burned up
+both the shocks and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and
+olives."
+
+This was Samson's _third_ exploit.
+
+When the Philistines found their corn, their vineyards, and their olives
+burned, they said: "Who hath done this?"
+
+     "And they answered, 'Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite,
+     because he had taken his wife, and given her to his
+     companion.' And the Philistines came up, and burned her and
+     her father with fire. And Samson said unto them: 'Though ye
+     have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I
+     will cease.' _And he smote them hip and thigh with a great
+     slaughter_, and he went and dwelt in the top of the rock
+     Etam."
+
+This "great slaughter" was Samson's _fourth_ exploit.
+
+     "Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and
+     spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said: 'Why are
+     ye come up against us?' And they answered: 'To bind Samson are
+     we come up, and to do to him as he hath done to us.' Then
+     three thousand men of Judah went up to the top of the rock
+     Etam, and said to Samson: 'Knowest thou not that the
+     Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast
+     done unto us?' And he said unto them: 'As they did unto me, so
+     have I done unto them.' And they said unto him: 'We are come
+     down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hands of
+     the Philistines.' And Samson said unto them: 'Swear unto me
+     that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.' And they spake unto
+     him, saying, 'No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee
+     into their hands: but surely we will not kill thee.' And they
+     bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the
+     rock. And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted
+     against him; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon
+     him, _and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax
+     that was burned with fire, and his bands loosed from off his
+     hands_. And he found a new jaw-bone of an ass, and put forth
+     his hand and took it, _and slew a thousand men with it_."
+
+This was Samson's _fifth_ exploit.
+
+After slaying a thousand men he was "sore athirst," and called unto the
+Lord. And "God clave a hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came
+water thereout, and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he
+revived."[65:1]
+
+     "Then went Samson to Gaza and saw there a harlot, and went in
+     unto her. And it was told the Gazites, saying, 'Samson is come
+     hither.' And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all
+     night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night,
+     saying: 'In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.'
+     And Samson lay (with the harlot) till midnight, and arose at
+     midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the
+     two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them
+     upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of a hill
+     that is in Hebron."
+
+This was Samson's _sixth_ exploit.
+
+     "And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the
+     valley of Soreck, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the
+     Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her: 'Entice him,
+     and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we
+     may prevail against him.'"
+
+Delilah then began to entice Samson to tell her wherein his strength
+lay.
+
+     "She pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that
+     his soul was vexed unto death. Then he told her all his heart,
+     and said unto her: 'There hath not come a razor upon mine
+     head, for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's
+     womb. If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I
+     shall become weak, and be like any other man.' And when
+     Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she went and
+     called for the lords of the Philistines, saying: 'Come up this
+     once, for he hath showed me all his heart.' Then the lords of
+     the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their
+     hands (for her).
+
+     "And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she
+     called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the _seven_
+     locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his
+     strength went from him."
+
+The Philistines then took him, put out his eyes, and put him in prison.
+And being gathered together at a great sacrifice in honor of their God,
+Dagon, they said: "Call for Samson, that he may make us sport." And they
+called for Samson, and he made them sport.
+
+     "And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand.
+     Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house
+     standeth, that I may lean upon them.
+
+     "Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords
+     of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof
+     about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson
+     made sport.
+
+     "And Samson called unto the Lord, and said: 'O Lord God,
+     remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only
+     this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the
+     Philistines for my two eyes.'
+
+     "And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the
+     house stood and on which it was borne up, of the one with his
+     right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said:
+     'Let me die with the Philistines.' And he bowed himself with
+     all his might; and (having regained his strength) the house
+     fell upon the lords, and upon the people that were therein. So
+     the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which
+     he slew in his life."[66:1]
+
+Thus ended the career of the "strong man" of the Hebrews.
+
+That this story is a copy of the legends related of Hercules, or that
+they have both been copied from similar legends existing among some
+other nations,[66:2] is too evident to be disputed. Many churchmen have
+noticed the similarity between the history of Samson and that of
+Hercules. In Chambers's Encyclopaedia, under "Samson," we read as
+follows:
+
+     "It has been matter of most contradictory speculations, how
+     far his existence is to be taken as a reality, or, in other
+     words, what substratum of historical truth there may be in
+     this supposed circle of popular legends, artistically rounded
+     off, in the four chapters of Judges which treat of him. . . .
+
+     "The miraculous deeds he performed have taxed the ingenuity of
+     many commentators, and the text has been _twisted and turned
+     in all directions_, to explain, _rationally_, his slaying
+     those prodigious numbers single-handed; his carrying the gates
+     of Gaza, in one night, a distance of about fifty miles, &c.,
+     &c."
+
+That this is simply a _Solar_ myth, no one will doubt, we believe, who
+will take the trouble to investigate it.
+
+Prof. Goldziher, who has made "Comparative Mythology" a special study,
+says of this story:
+
+     "The most complete and rounded-off _Solar myth_ extant in
+     Hebrew, is that of Shimshon (Samson), a cycle of mythical
+     conceptions fully comparable with the Greek myth of
+     Hercules."[66:3]
+
+We shall now endeavor to ascertain if such is the case, by comparing the
+exploits of Samson with those of Hercules.
+
+The first wonderful act performed by Samson was, as we have seen, _that
+of slaying a lion_. This is said to have happened when he was but a
+youth. So likewise was it with Hercules. At the age of eighteen, he slew
+an enormous lion.[66:4]
+
+The valley of Nemea was infested by a terrible lion; Eurystheus ordered
+Hercules to bring him the skin of this monster. After using in vain his
+club and arrows against the lion, Hercules strangled the animal with his
+hands. He returned, carrying the dead lion on his shoulders; but
+Eurystheus was so frightened at the sight of it, and at this proof of
+the prodigious strength of the hero, that he ordered him to deliver the
+accounts of his exploits in the future outside the town.[67:1]
+
+To show the courage of Hercules, it is said that he entered the cave
+where the lion's lair was, closed the entrance behind him, and at once
+grappled with the monster.[67:2]
+
+Samson is said to have torn asunder the _jaws_ of the lion, and we find
+him generally represented slaying the beast in that manner. So likewise,
+was this the manner in which Hercules disposed of the Nemean lion.[67:3]
+
+The skin of the lion, Hercules tore off with his fingers, and knowing it
+to be impenetrable, resolved to wear it henceforth.[67:4] The statues
+and paintings of Hercules either represent him carrying the lion's skin
+over his arm, or wearing it hanging down his back, the skin of its head
+fitting to his crown like a cap, and the fore-legs knotted under his
+chin.[67:5]
+
+Samson's second exploit was when he went down to Ashkelon and slew
+thirty men.
+
+Hercules, when returning to Thebes from the lion-hunt, and wearing its
+skin hanging from his shoulders, as a sign of his success, met the
+heralds of the King of the Minyae, coming from Orchomenos to claim the
+annual tribute of a hundred cattle, levied on Thebes. Hercules cut off
+the ears and noses of the heralds, bound their hands, and sent them
+home.[67:6]
+
+Samson's third exploit was when he caught three hundred foxes, and took
+fire-brands, and turned them tail to tail, and put a fire-brand in the
+midst between two tails, and let them go into the standing corn of the
+Philistines.
+
+There is no such feature as this in the legends of Hercules, the nearest
+to it in resemblance is when he encounters and kills the Learnean
+Hydra.[67:7] During this encounter a _fire-brand_ figures conspicuously,
+and _the neighboring wood is set on fire_.[67:8]
+
+We have, however, an explanation of this portion of the legend, in the
+following from Prof. Steinthal:
+
+At the festival of Ceres, held at Rome, in the month of April, a
+fox-hunt through the circus was indulged in, _in which burning torches
+were bound to the foxes' tails_.
+
+This was intended to be a symbolical reminder of the damage done to the
+fields by mildew, called the "_red fox_," which was exorcised in various
+ways at this momentous season (the last third of April). It is the time
+of the _Dog-Star_, at which the mildew was most to be feared; if at that
+time great solar heat follows too close upon the hoar-frost or dew of
+the cold nights, this mischief rages like a burning fox through the
+corn-fields.[68:1]
+
+He also says that:
+
+     "This is the sense of the story of the foxes, which Samson
+     caught and sent into the Philistines' fields, with fire-brands
+     fastened to their tails, to burn the crops. Like the lion, the
+     fox is an animal that indicated the solar heat, being well
+     suited for this both by its color and by its long-haired
+     tail."[68:2]
+
+Bouchart, in his "Hierozoicon," observes that:
+
+     "At this period (_i. e._, the last third of April) they cut
+     the corn in Palestine and Lower Egypt, and a few days after
+     the setting of the Hyads arose the _Fox_, in whose train or
+     tail comes the fires or torches of the dog-days, represented
+     among the Egyptians by red marks painted on the backs of their
+     animals."[68:3]
+
+Count de Volney also tells us that:
+
+     "The inhabitants of Carseoles, an ancient city of Latium,
+     every year, in a religious festival, burned a number of foxes
+     _with torches tied to their tails_. They gave, as the reason
+     for this whimsical ceremony, that their corn had been formerly
+     burnt by a fox to whose tail a young man had fastened a bundle
+     of lighted straw."[68:4]
+
+He concludes his account of this peculiar "religious festival," by
+saying:
+
+     "This is exactly the story of Samson with the Philistines, but
+     it is a Phenician tale. _Car-Seol_ is a compound word in that
+     tongue, signifying _town of foxes_. The Philistines,
+     originally from Egypt, do not appear to have had any colonies.
+     The Phenicians had a great many; and it can scarcely be
+     admitted that they borrowed this story from the Hebrews, as
+     obscure as the Druses are in our own times, or that a simple
+     adventure gave rise to a religious ceremony; _it evidently can
+     only be a mythological and allegorical narration_."[68:4]
+
+So much, then, for the foxes and fire-brands.
+
+Samson's fourth exploit was when he smote the Philistines "hip and
+thigh," "with great slaughter."
+
+It is related of Hercules that he had a combat with an _army_ of
+Centaurs, who were armed with pine sticks, rocks, axes, &c. They flocked
+in wild confusion, and surrounded the _cave_ of Pholos, where Hercules
+was, when a violent fight ensued. Hercules was obliged to contend
+against this large armed force single-handed, but he came off
+victorious, and slew a great number of them.[69:1] Hercules also
+encountered and fought against _an army of giants_, at the Phlegraean
+fields, near Cumae.[69:2]
+
+Samson's next wonderful exploit was when "three thousand men of Judah"
+bound him with _cords_ and brought him up into Lehi, when the
+Philistines were about to take his life. The cords with which he was
+bound immediately became as flax, and loosened from off his hands. He
+then, with the jaw-bone of an ass, slew one thousand Philistines.[69:3]
+
+A very similar feature to this is found in the history of Hercules. He
+is made prisoner by the Egyptians, who wish to take his life, but while
+they are preparing to slay him, he breaks loose his bonds--having been
+tied with _cords_--and kills Buseris, the leader of the band, _and the
+whole retinue_.[69:4]
+
+On another occasion, being refused shelter from a storm at Kos, he was
+enraged at the inhabitants, and accordingly _destroyed the whole
+town_.[69:5]
+
+Samson, after he had slain a thousand Philistines, was "sore athirst,"
+and called upon _Jehovah_, his father in heaven, to succor him,
+whereupon, water immediately gushed forth from "a hollow place that was
+in the jaw-bone."
+
+Hercules, departing from the Indies (or rather Ethiopia), and conducting
+his army through the desert of Lybia, feels a burning thirst, and
+conjures _Ihou_, his father, to succor him in his danger.
+
+Instantly the (celestial) Ram appears. Hercules follows him and arrives
+at a place where the Ram scrapes with his foot, _and there instantly
+comes forth a spring of water_.[70:1]
+
+Samson's sixth exploit happened when he went to Gaza to visit a harlot.
+The Gazites, who wished to take his life, laid wait for him all night,
+but Samson left the town at midnight, and took with him the gates of the
+city, and the _two posts_, on his shoulders. He carried them to the top
+of a hill, some fifty miles away, and left them there.
+
+This story very much resembles that of the "Pillars of Hercules," called
+the "_Gates of Cadiz_."[70:2]
+
+Count de Volney tells us that:
+
+     "Hercules was represented naked, carrying on his shoulders
+     _two columns_ called the Gates of Cadiz."[70:3]
+
+"The _Pillars_ of Hercules" was the name given by the ancients to the
+two rocks forming the entrance or _gate_ to the Mediterranean at the
+Strait of Gibraltar.[70:4] Their erection was ascribed by the Greeks to
+Hercules, on the occasion of his journey to the kingdom of Geryon.
+According to one version of the story, they had been united, but
+Hercules tore them asunder.[70:5]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 3.]
+
+Fig. No. 3 is a representation of Hercules with the two posts or pillars
+on his shoulders, as alluded to by Count de Volney. We have taken it
+from Montfaucon's "L'Antiquite Expliquee."[70:6]
+
+J. P. Lundy says of this:
+
+     "Hercules carrying his two columns to erect at the Straits of
+     Gibraltar, may have some reference to the Hebrew story."[71:1]
+
+We think there is no doubt of it. By changing the name Hercules into
+Samson, the legend is complete.
+
+Sir William Drummond tells us, in his "OEdipus Judaicus," that:
+
+     "_Gaza_ signifies a Goat, and was the type of the Sun in
+     Capricorn. The _Gates of the Sun_ were feigned by the ancient
+     Astronomers to be in Capricorn and Cancer (that is, in
+     _Gaza_), from which signs the tropics are named. Samson
+     carried away the gates from Gaza to Hebron, the city of
+     conjunction. Now, Count Gebelin tells us that at Cadiz, where
+     Hercules was anciently worshiped, there was a representation
+     of him, _with a gate on his shoulders_."[71:2]
+
+The stories of the amours of Samson with Delilah and other females, are
+simply counterparts of those of Hercules with Omphale and Iole.
+Montfaucon, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "Nothing is better known in the fables (related of Hercules)
+     than his amours with Omphale and Iole."[71:3]
+
+Prof. Steinthal says:
+
+     "The circumstance that Samson is so addicted to sexual
+     pleasure, has its origin in the remembrance that the _Solar
+     god_ is the god of fruitfulness and procreation. We have as
+     examples, the amours of Hercules and Omphale; Ninyas, in
+     Assyria, with Semiramis; Samson, in Philistia, with Delila,
+     whilst among the Phenicians, Melkart pursues Dido-Anna."[71:4]
+
+Samson is said to have had long hair. "There hath not come a razor upon
+my head," says he, "for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's
+womb."
+
+Now, strange as it may appear, Hercules is said to have had long hair
+also, and he was often represented that way. In Montfaucon's
+"L'Antiquite Expliquee"[71:5] may be seen a representation of Hercules
+_with hair reaching almost to his waist_. Almost all _Sun_-gods are
+represented thus.[71:6]
+
+Prof. Goldzhier says:
+
+     "Long locks of hair and a long beard are mythological
+     attributes of the Sun. The Sun's rays are compared with locks
+     of hair on the face or head of the Sun.
+
+     "When the sun sets and leaves his place to the darkness, or
+     when the powerful Summer Sun is succeeded by the weak rays of
+     the Winter Sun, then Samson's long locks, in which alone his
+     strength lies, are cut off through the treachery of his
+     deceitful concubine, Delilah, the 'languishing, languid,'
+     according to the meaning of the name (Delilah). The Beaming
+     Apollo, moreover, is called the _Unshaven_; and Minos cannot
+     conquer the solar hero Nisos, _till the latter loses his
+     golden hair_."[72:1]
+
+Through the influence of Delilah, Samson is at last made a prisoner. He
+tells her the secret of his strength, the _seven_ locks of hair are
+shaven off, and his strength leaves him. The shearing of the locks of
+the Sun must be followed by darkness and ruin.
+
+From the shoulders of Phoibos Lykegenes flow the sacred locks, over
+which no razor might pass, and on the head of Nisos they become a
+palladium, invested with a mysterious power.[72:2] The long locks of
+hair which flow over his shoulders are taken from his head by Skylla,
+while he is asleep, and, like another Delilah, she thus delivers him and
+his people into the power of Minos.[72:3]
+
+Prof. Steinthal says of Samson:
+
+     "His hair is a figure of increase and luxuriant fullness. In
+     Winter, when nature appears to have lost all strength, the god
+     of growing young life has lost his hair. In the Spring the
+     hair grows again, and nature returns to life again. Of this
+     original conception the Bible story still preserves a trace.
+     Samson's hair, after being cut off, grows again, and his
+     strength comes back with it."[72:4]
+
+Towards the end of his career, Samson's eyes are put out. Even here, the
+Hebrew writes with a singular fidelity to the old mythical speech. The
+tender light of evening is blotted out by the dark vapors; the light of
+the _Sun_ is quenched in gloom. _Samson's eyes are put out._
+
+OEdipus, whose history resembles that of Samson and Hercules in many
+respects, tears out his eyes, towards the end of his career. In other
+words, the _Sun_ has blinded himself. Clouds and darkness have closed in
+about him, and the clear light is blotted out of the heaven.[72:5]
+
+The final act, Samson's death, reminds us clearly and decisively of the
+Phenician Hercules, as Sun-god, who died at the Winter Solstice in the
+furthest West, where his _two pillars_ are set up to mark the end of his
+wanderings.
+
+Samson also died at the _two pillars_, but in his case they are not the
+Pillars of the World, but are only set up in the middle of a great
+banqueting-hall. A feast was being held in honor of Dagon, the
+Fish-god; the Sun was in the sign of the Waterman, _Samson, the Sun-god,
+died_.[73:1]
+
+The ethnology of the _name_ of Samson, as well as his adventures, are
+very closely connected with the _Solar_ Hercules. _"Samson" was the name
+of the Sun._[73:2] In Arabic, "_Shams-on_" means the _Sun_.[73:3] Samson
+had _seven_ locks of hair, the number of the planetary bodies.[73:4]
+
+The author of "The Religion of Israel," speaking of Samson, says:
+
+     "The story of Samson and his deeds originated in a _Solar
+     myth_, which was afterwards transformed by the narrator into a
+     _saga_ about a mighty hero and deliverer of Israel. The very
+     _name_ 'Samson,' is derived from the Hebrew word, and means
+     'Sun.' The hero's flowing locks were originally the _rays of
+     the sun_, and other traces of the old myth have been
+     preserved."[73:5]
+
+Prof. Oort says:
+
+     "The story of Samson is simply a solar myth. In some of the
+     features of the story the original meaning may be traced quite
+     clearly, but in others the myth can no longer be recognized.
+     The exploits of some Danite hero, such as Shamgar, who 'slew
+     six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad' (Judges iii. 31),
+     have been woven into it; the whole has been remodeled after
+     the ideas of the prophets of later ages, and finally, it has
+     been fitted into the framework of the period of the Judges, as
+     conceived by the writer of the book called after them."[73:6]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "The myth that lies at the foundation of this story is a
+     description of the sun's course during the six winter months.
+     The god is gradually encompassed by his enemies, mist and
+     darkness. At first he easily maintains his freedom, and gives
+     glorious proofs of his strength; but the fetters grow stronger
+     and stronger, until at last he is robbed of his crown of rays,
+     and loses all his power and glory. _Such is the Sun in
+     Winter._ But he has not lost his splendor forever. Gradually
+     his strength returns, at last he reappears; and though he
+     still seems to allow himself to be mocked, yet the power of
+     avenging himself has returned, and in the end he triumphs over
+     his enemies once more."[73:7]
+
+Other nations beside the Hebrews and Greeks had their "mighty men" and
+lion-killers. The Hindoos had their Samson. His name was Bala-Rama, the
+"_Strong Rama_." He was considered by some an incarnation of
+Vishnu.[73:8]
+
+Captain Wilford says, in "Asiatic Researches:"
+
+     "The _Indian_ Hercules, according to Cicero, was called
+     _Belus_. He is the same as _Bala_, the brother of Crishna, and
+     both are conjointly worshiped at Mutra; indeed, they are
+     considered as one Avatar or Incarnation of Vishnou. _Bala_ is
+     represented as a stout man, _with a club in his hand_. He is
+     also called _Bala-rama._"[74:1]
+
+There is a Hindoo legend which relates that Sevah had an encounter with
+a tiger, "whose mouth expanded like a cave, and whose voice resembled
+thunder." He slew the monster, and, like Hercules, covered himself with
+the skin.[74:2]
+
+The Assyrians and Lydians, both Semitic nations, worshiped a Sun-god
+named Sandan or Sandon. He also was believed to be a _lion-killer_, and
+frequently figured struggling with the lion, or standing upon the slain
+lion.[74:3]
+
+Ninevah, too, had her mighty hero and king, who slew a lion and other
+monsters. Layard, in his excavations, discovered a _bas-relief_
+representation of this hero triumphing over the lion and wild
+bull.[74:4]
+
+The Ancient Babylonians had a hero lion-slayer, Izdubar by name. The
+destruction of the lion, and other monsters, by Izdubar, is often
+depicted on the cylinders and engraved gems belonging to the early
+Babylonian monarchy.[74:5]
+
+Izdubar is represented as a great or mighty man, who, in the early days
+after the flood, destroyed wild animals, and conquered a number of petty
+kings.[74:6]
+
+Izdubar resembles the Grecian hero, Hercules, in other respects than as
+a destroyer of wild animals, &c. We are told that he "wandered to the
+regions where gigantic composite monsters held and controlled the rising
+and setting sun, from these learned the road to _the region of the
+blessed_, and passing across _a great waste of land_, he arrived at a
+region where _splendid trees were laden with jewels_."[74:7]
+
+He also resembles Hercules, Samson, and other solar-gods, in the
+particular of _long flowing locks of hair_. In the Babylonian and
+Assyrian sculptures he is always represented with a marked physiognomy,
+and always indicated as a man with _masses of curls over his head_ and a
+large curly beard.[74:8]
+
+Here, evidently, is the Babylonian legend of Hercules. He too was a
+_wanderer_, going from the furthest East to the furthest West. He
+crossed "a great waste of land" (the desert of Lybia), visited "the
+region of the blessed," where there were "splendid trees laden with
+jewels" (golden apples).
+
+The ancient Egyptians had their Hercules. According to Herodotus, he was
+known several thousand years before the Grecian hero of that name. This
+the Egyptians affirmed, and that he was _born_ in their country.[75:1]
+
+The story of Hercules was known in the Island of Thasos, by the
+Phenician colony settled there, five centuries before he was known in
+Greece.[75:2] Fig. No. 4 is from an ancient representation of Hercules
+in conflict with the lion, taken from Gorio.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 4]
+
+Another mighty hero was the Grecian Bellerophon. The minstrels sang of
+the beauty and the great deeds of Bellerophon throughout all the land of
+Argos. His arm was strong in battle; his feet were swift in the chase.
+None that were poor and weak and wretched feared the might of
+Bellerophon. To them the sight of his beautiful form brought only joy
+and gladness; but the proud and boastful, the slanderer and the robber,
+dreaded the glance of his keen eye. For a long time he fought the Solymi
+and the Amazons, until all his enemies shrank from the stroke of his
+mighty arm, and sought for mercy.[75:3]
+
+The second of the principal gods of the Ancient _Scandinavians_ was
+named Thor, and was no less known than Odin among the Teutonic nations.
+The Edda calls him expressly the most valiant of the sons of Odin. He
+was considered the "_defender_" and "_avenger_." He always carried a
+mallet, which, as often as he discharged it, returned to his hand of
+itself; he grasped it with gauntlets of iron, and was further possessed
+of a girdle which had the virtue of renewing his strength as often as
+was needful. It was with these formidable arms that he overthrew to the
+ground the monsters and giants, when he was sent by the gods to oppose
+their enemies. He was represented of gigantic size, and as the stoutest
+and strongest of the gods.[76:1] Thor was simply the Hercules of the
+Northern nations. He was the Sun personified.[76:2]
+
+Without enumerating them, we can safely say, that there was not a nation
+of antiquity, from the remotest East to the furthest West, that did not
+have its mighty hero, and counterpart of Hercules and Samson.[76:3]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[62:1] The idea of a woman conceiving, and bearing a son in her old age,
+seems to have been a Hebrew peculiarity, as a number of their remarkable
+personages were born, so it is said, of parents well advanced in years,
+or of a woman who was supposed to have been _barren_. As illustrations,
+we may mention this case of _Samson_, and that of _Joseph_ being born of
+Rachel. The beautiful Rachel, who was so much beloved by Jacob, her
+husband, was barren, and she bore him no sons. This caused grief and
+discontent on her part, and anger on the part of her husband. In her old
+age, however, she bore the wonderful child Joseph. (See Genesis, xxx.
+1-29.)
+
+_Isaac_ was born of a woman (Sarah) who had been barren many years. _An
+angel appeared to her_ when her lord (Abraham) "was ninety years old and
+nine," and informed her that she would conceive and bear a son. (See
+Gen. xvi.)
+
+_Samuel_, the "holy man," was also born of a woman (Hannah) who had been
+barren many years. In grief, she prayed to the Lord for a child, and was
+finally comforted by receiving her wish. (See 1 Samuel, i. 1-20.)
+
+_John the Baptist_ was also a miraculously conceived infant. His mother,
+Elizabeth, bore him _in her old age_. _An angel also informed her_ and
+her husband Zachariah, that this event would take place. (See Luke, i.
+1-25.)
+
+_Mary_, the mother of _Jesus_, was born of a woman (Anna) who was "old
+and stricken in years," and who had been barren all her life. _An angel
+appeared to Anna and her husband_ (Joachim), and told them what was
+about to take place. (See "The Gospel of Mary," Apoc.)
+
+Thus we see, that the idea of a wonderful child being born of a woman
+who had passed the age which nature had destined for her to bear
+children, and who had been barren all her life, was a favorite one among
+the Hebrews. The idea that the ancestors of a race lived to a fabulous
+old age, is also a familiar one among the ancients.
+
+Most ancient nations relate in their fables that their ancestors lived
+to be very old men. For instance; the _Persian_ patriarch Kaiomaras
+reigned 560 years; Jemshid reigned 300 years; Jahmurash reigned 700
+years; Dahak reigned 1000 years; Feridun reigned 120 years; Manugeher
+reigned 500 years; Kaikans reigned 150 years; and Bahaman reigned 112
+years. (See Dunlap: Son of the Man, p. 155, _note_.)
+
+[64:1] Judges, xiv.
+
+[65:1] Judges, xv.
+
+[66:1] Judges, xvi.
+
+[66:2] Perhaps that of Izdubar. See chapter xi.
+
+[66:3] Hebrew Mythology, p. 248.
+
+[66:4] Manual of Mythology, p. 248. The Age of Fable, p. 200.
+
+[67:1] Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 200.
+
+[67:2] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 249.
+
+[67:3] Roman Antiquities, p. 124; and Montfaucon, vol. i. plate cxxvi.
+
+[67:4] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 249.
+
+[67:5] See Ibid. Greek and Italian Mythology, p. 129, and Montfaucon,
+vol. i. plate cxxv. and cxxvi.
+
+[67:6] Manual of Mythology, p. 247.
+
+[67:7] "It has many heads, one being immortal, as the storm must
+constantly supply new clouds while the vapors are driven off by the
+_Sun_ into space. Hence the story went that although Herakles could burn
+away its mortal heads, as the _Sun_ burns up the clouds, still he can
+but hide away the mist or vapor itself, which at its appointed time must
+again darken the sky." (Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 48.)
+
+[67:8] See Manual of Mytho., p. 250.
+
+[68:1] Steinthal: The Legend of Samson, p. 398. See, also, Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 240, and Volney: Researches in Anc't History, p.
+42.
+
+[68:2] Ibid.
+
+[68:3] Quoted by Count de Volney: Researches in Ancient History, p. 42,
+_note_.
+
+[68:4] Volney: Researches in Ancient History, p. 42.
+
+[69:1] See Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 251.
+
+"The slaughter of the Centaurs by Hercules is the conquest and
+dispersion of the vapors by the _Sun_ as he rises in the heaven." (Cox:
+Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 47.)
+
+[69:2] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 257.
+
+[69:3] Shamgar also slew six hundred Philistines with an ox goad. (See
+Judges, iii. 31.)
+
+"It is scarcely necessary to say that these weapons are the heritage of
+all the _Solar_ heroes, that they are found in the hands of Phebus and
+Herakles, of OEdipus, Achilleus, Philoktetes, of Siguard, Rustem, Indra,
+Isfendujar, of Telephos, Meleagros, Theseus, Kadmos, Bellerophon, and
+all other slayers of noxious and fearful things." (Rev. Geo. Cox: Tales
+of Ancient Greece, p. xxvii.)
+
+[69:4] See Volney: Researches in Ancient History, p. 41. Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 239; Montfaucon: L'Antiquite Expliquee, vol. i.
+p. 213, and Murray: Manual of Mythology, pp. 259-262.
+
+It is evident that _Herodotus_, the Grecian historian, was somewhat of a
+skeptic, for he says: "The Grecians say that 'When Hercules arrived in
+Egypt, the Egyptians, having crowned him with a garland, led him in
+procession, as designing to sacrifice him to Jupiter, and that for some
+time he remained quiet, but when they began the preparatory ceremonies
+upon him at the altar, he set about defending himself and slew every one
+of them.' Now, since Hercules was but one, and, besides, a mere man, as
+they confess, how is it possible that he should slay many thousands?"
+(Herodotus, book ii. ch. 45).
+
+[69:5] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 263.
+
+[70:1] Volney: Researches in Anc't History, pp. 41, 42.
+
+In Bell's "Pantheon of the Gods and Demi-Gods of Antiquity," we read,
+under the head of _Ammon_ or _Hammon_ (the name of the Egyptian Jupiter,
+worshiped under the figure of a _Ram_), that: "_Bacchus_ having subdued
+Asia, and passing with his army through the deserts of Africa, was in
+great want of water; but Jupiter, his father, assuming the shape of a
+_Ram_, led him to a fountain, where he refreshed himself and his army;
+in requital of which favor, Bacchus built there a temple to Jupiter,
+under the title of _Ammon_."
+
+[70:2] Cadiz (ancient Gades), being situated near the _mouth_ of the
+Mediterranean. The first author who mentions the Pillars of Hercules is
+Pindar, and he places them there. (Chambers's Encyclo. "Hercules.")
+
+[70:3] Volney's Researches, p. 41. See also Tylor: Primitive Culture,
+vol. i. p. 357.
+
+[70:4] See Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Art. "Hercules." Cory's Ancient
+Fragments, p. 36, _note_; and Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 201.
+
+[70:5] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Hercules."
+
+[70:6] Vol. i. plate cxxvii.
+
+[71:1] Monumental Christianity, p. 399.
+
+[71:2] OEd. Jud. p. 360, in Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 239.
+
+[71:3] "Rien de plus connu dans la fable que ses amours avec Omphale et
+Iole."--L'Antiquite Expliquee, vol. i. p. 224.
+
+[71:4] The Legend of Samson, p. 404.
+
+[71:5] Vol. i. plate cxxvii.
+
+[71:6] "Samson was remarkable for his long hair. The meaning of this
+trait in the original myth is easy to guess, and appears also from
+representations of the Sun-god amongst other peoples. _These long hairs
+are the rays of the Sun._" (Bible for Learners, i. 416.)
+
+"The beauty of the sun's rays is signified by the golden locks of
+Phoibos, _over which no razor has ever passed_; by the flowing hair
+which streams from the head of Kephalos, and falls over the shoulders of
+Perseus and Bellerophon." (Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. i. p. 107.)
+
+[72:1] Hebrew Mytho., pp. 137, 138.
+
+[72:2] Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. i. p. 84.
+
+[72:3] Tales of Ancient Greece, p. xxix.
+
+[72:4] The Legend of Samson, p. 408.
+
+[72:5] Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 72.
+
+[73:1] The Legend of Samson, p. 406.
+
+[73:2] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 237. Goldzhier: Hebrew
+Mythology, p. 22. The Religion of Israel, p. 61. The Bible for Learners,
+vol. i. p. 418. Volney's Ruins, p. 41, and Stanley: History of the
+Jewish Church, where he says: "His _name_, which Josephus interprets in
+the sense of 'strong,' was still more characteristic. He was 'the
+Sunny'--the bright and beaming, though wayward, likeness of the great
+luminary."
+
+[73:3] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 237, and Volney's Researches, p.
+43, _note_.
+
+[73:4] See chapter ii.
+
+[73:5] The Religion of Israel, p. 61. "The yellow hair of Apollo was a
+symbol of the solar rays." (Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 679.)
+
+[73:6] Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 414.
+
+[73:7] Ibid. p. 422.
+
+[73:8] Williams' Hinduism, pp. 108 and 167.
+
+[74:1] Vol. v. p. 270.
+
+[74:2] Maurice: Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 155.
+
+[74:3] Steinthal: The Legend of Samson, p. 386.
+
+[74:4] Buckley: Cities of the World, 41, 42.
+
+[74:5] Smith: Assyrian Discoveries, p. 167, and Chaldean Account of
+Genesis, p. 174.
+
+[74:6] Assyrian Discoveries, p. 205, and Chaldean Account of Genesis, p.
+174.
+
+[74:7] Chaldean Account of Genesis, p. 310.
+
+[74:8] Ibid. pp. 193, 194, 174.
+
+[75:1] See Tacitus: Annals, book ii. ch. lix.
+
+[75:2] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 92.
+
+[75:3] See Tales of Ancient Greece, p. 153.
+
+[76:1] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, pp. 94, 417, and 514.
+
+[76:2] See Cox: Aryan Mythology.
+
+[76:3] See vol. i. of Aryan Mythology, by Rev. G. W. Cox.
+
+"Besides the fabulous Hercules, the son of Jupiter and Alcmena, there
+was, in ancient times, no warlike nation who did not boast of its own
+particular Hercules." (Arthur Murphy, Translator of Tacitus.)
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+JONAH SWALLOWED BY A BIG FISH.
+
+
+In the book of Jonah, containing four chapters, we are told the word of
+the Lord came unto Jonah, saying: "Arise, go to Ninevah, that great
+city, and cry against it, for their wickedness is come up against me."
+
+Instead of obeying this command Jonah sought to flee "from the presence
+of the Lord," by going to Tarshish. For this purpose he went to _Joppa_,
+and there took ship for Tarshish. But the Lord sent a great wind, and
+there was a mighty tempest, so that the ship was likely to be broken.
+
+The mariners being afraid, they cried every one unto _his_ God; and
+casting lots--that they might know which of them was the cause of the
+storm--the lot fell upon Jonah, showing him to be the guilty man.
+
+The mariners then said unto him; "What shall we do unto thee?" Jonah in
+reply said, "Take me up and cast me forth into the sea, for I know that
+for my sake this great tempest is upon you." So they took up Jonah, and
+cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased raging.
+
+And the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, _and Jonah was
+in the belly of the fish three days and three nights_. Then Jonah prayed
+unto the Lord out of the fish's belly. And the Lord spake unto the fish,
+and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
+
+The Lord again spake unto Jonah and said:
+
+"Go unto Ninevah and preach unto it." So Jonah arose and went unto
+Ninevah, according to the command of the Lord, and preached unto it.
+
+There is a _Hindoo_ fable, very much resembling this, to be found in the
+_Somadeva Bhatta_, of a person by the name of _Saktideva_ who was
+swallowed by a huge fish, and finally came out unhurt. The story is as
+follows:
+
+"There was once a king's daughter who would marry no one but the man
+who had seen the Golden City--of legendary fame--and Saktideva was in
+love with her; so he went travelling about the world seeking some one
+who could tell him where this Golden City was. In the course of his
+journeys _he embarked on board a ship_ bound for the Island of Utsthala,
+where lived the King of the Fishermen, who, Saktideva hoped, would set
+him on his way. On the voyage _there arose a great storm_ and the ship
+went to pieces, _and a great fish swallowed Saktideva whole_. Then,
+driven by the force of fate, the fish went to the Island of Utsthala,
+and there the servants of the King of the Fishermen caught it, and the
+king, wondering at its size, had it cut open, _and Saktideva came out
+unhurt_."[78:1]
+
+In Grecian fable, Hercules is said to have been swallowed by a whale, at
+a place called Joppa, _and to have lain three days in his entrails_.
+
+Bernard de Montfaucon, speaking of Jonah being swallowed by a whale, and
+describing a piece of Grecian sculpture representing Hercules standing
+by a huge sea monster, says:
+
+     "Some ancients relate to the effect that Hercules was also
+     swallowed by the whale that was watching Hesione, _that he
+     remained three days in his belly_, and that he came out
+     bald-pated after his sojourn there."[78:2]
+
+Bouchet, in his "Hist. d'Animal," tells us that:
+
+     "The great fish which swallowed up _Jonah_, although it be
+     called a whale (Matt. xii. 40), yet it was not a whale,
+     properly so called, but a _Dog-fish_, called _Carcharias_.
+     Therefore in the Grecian fable _Hercules_ is said to have been
+     swallowed up of a _Dag_, and to have lain three days in his
+     entrails."[78:3]
+
+Godfrey Higgins says, on this subject:
+
+     "The story of _Jonas_ swallowed up by a whale, is nothing but
+     part of the fiction of _Hercules_, described in the Heracleid
+     or Labors of Hercules, of whom the same story was told, and
+     who was swallowed up at the very same place, _Joppa_, and for
+     the same period of time, _three days_. Lycophron says that
+     Hercules was three nights in the belly of a fish."[78:4]
+
+We have still another similar story in that of "_Arion the Musician_,"
+who, being thrown overboard, was caught on the back of a _Dolphin_ and
+landed safe on shore. The story is related in "Tales of Ancient Greece,"
+as follows:
+
+Arion was a Corinthian harper who had travelled in Sicily and
+
+Italy, and had accumulated great wealth. Being desirous of again seeing
+his native city, he set sail from Taras for Corinth. The sailors in the
+ship, having seen the large boxes full of money which Arion had brought
+with him into the ship, made up their minds to kill him and take his
+gold and silver. So one day when he was sitting on the bow of the ship,
+and looking down on the dark blue sea, three or four of the sailors came
+to him and said they were going to kill him. Now Arion knew they said
+this because they wanted his money; so he promised to give them all he
+had if they would spare his life. But they would not. Then he asked them
+to let him jump into the sea. When they had given him leave to do this,
+Arion took one last look at the bright and sunny sky, and then leaped
+into the sea, and the sailors saw him no more. But Arion was not drowned
+in the sea, for a great fish called a dolphin was swimming by the ship
+when Arion leaped over; and it caught him on its back and swam away with
+him towards Corinth. So presently the fish came close to the shore and
+left Arion on the beach, and swam away again into the deep sea.[79:1]
+
+There is also a Persian legend to the effect that Jemshid was devoured
+by a great monster waiting for him at the bottom of the sea, but
+afterwards rises again out of the sea, like Jonah in the Hebrew, and
+Hercules in the Phenician myth.[79:2] This legend was also found in the
+myths of the _New World_.[79:3]
+
+It was urged, many years ago, by Rosenmueller--an eminent German divine
+and professor of theology--and other critics, that the miracle recorded
+in the book of Jonah is not to be regarded as an historical fact, "_but
+only as an allegory, founded on the Phenician myth of Hercules rescuing
+Hesione from the sea monster by leaping himself into its jaws, and for
+three days and three nights continuing to tear its entrails_."[79:4]
+
+That the story is an allegory, and that it, as well as that of
+Saktideva, Hercules and the rest, are simply different versions of the
+same myth, the significance of which is the alternate swallowing up and
+casting forth of _Day_, or the _Sun_, by _Night_, is now all but
+universally admitted by scholars. The _Day_, or the _Sun_, is swallowed
+up by _Night_, to be set free again at dawn, and from time to time
+suffers a like but shorter durance in the maw of the eclipse and the
+storm-cloud.[79:5]
+
+Professor Goldzhier says:
+
+     "The most prominent mythical characteristic of the story of
+     Jonah is his celebrated abode in the sea in the belly of a
+     whale. This trait is eminently _Solar_. . . . As on occasion
+     of the storm the storm-dragon or the storm-serpent _swallows
+     the Sun_, so when he sets, he (Jonah, as a personification of
+     the Sun) is swallowed by a mighty fish, waiting for him at the
+     bottom of the sea. Then, when he appears again on the horizon,
+     he is _spit out on the shore_ by the sea-monster."[80:1]
+
+The _Sun_ was called Jona, as appears from Gruter's inscriptions, and
+other sources.[80:2]
+
+In the _Vedas_--the four sacred books of the Hindoos--when _Day_ and
+_Night_, _Sun_ and _Darkness_, are opposed to each other, the one is
+designated _Red_, the other _Black_.[80:3]
+
+The _Red Sun_ being swallowed up by the _Dark Earth_ at _Night_--as it
+apparently is when it sets in the west--to be cast forth again at _Day_,
+is also illustrated in like manner. Jonah, Hercules and others personify
+the _Sun_, and a huge _Fish_ represents the _Earth_.[80:4] _The Earth
+represented as a huge Fish is one of the most prominent ideas of the
+Polynesian mythology._[80:5]
+
+At other times, instead of a _Fish_, we have a great raving _Wolf_, who
+comes to devour its victim and extinguish the _Sun_-light.[80:6] The
+Wolf is particularly distinguished in ancient _Scandinavian_ mythology,
+being employed as an emblem of the _Destroying Power_, which attempts to
+destroy the _Sun_.[80:7] This is illustrated in the story of Little
+_Red_ Riding-Hood (the Sun)[80:8] who is devoured by the great _Black
+Wolf_ (Night) and afterwards _comes out unhurt_.[80:9]
+
+The story of Little Red Riding-Hood _is mutilated in the English
+version_. The original story was that the little maid, in her _shining
+Red Cloak_, was swallowed by the great _Black Wolf_, and that _she came
+out safe and sound_ when the hunters cut open the sleeping beast.[80:10]
+
+In regard to these heroes remaining _three days and three nights_ in
+the bowels of the Fish, _they represent the Sun at the Winter Solstice_.
+From December 22d to the 25th--that is, _for three days and three
+nights_--the _Sun_ remains in the _Lowest Regions_, in the bowels of the
+Earth, in the belly of the Fish; it is then cast forth and renews its
+career.
+
+Thus, we see that the story of Jonah being swallowed by a big fish,
+meant originally the Sun swallowed up by Night, and that it is identical
+with the well-known nursery-tale. How such legends are transformed from
+intelligible into unintelligible myths, is very clearly illustrated by
+Prof. Max Mueller, who, in speaking of "the comparison of the different
+forms of Aryan Religion and Mythology," in India, Persia, Greece, Italy
+and Germany, says:
+
+     "In each of these nations there was a tendency to change the
+     original conception of divine powers; to misunderstand the
+     many names given to these powers, and to misinterpret the
+     praises addressed to them. In this manner some of the divine
+     names were changed into half-divine, half-human heroes, _and
+     at last the myths which were true and intelligible as told
+     originally of the Sun, or the Dawn, or the Storms, were turned
+     into legends or fables too marvellous to be believed of common
+     mortals_. This process can be watched in _India_, in _Greece_,
+     and in _Germany_. The same story, or nearly the same, is told
+     of gods, of heroes, and of men. The _divine myth_ became an
+     _heroic legend_, and the _heroic legend_ fades away into a
+     _nursery tale_. Our nursery tales have well been called the
+     modern _patois_ of the ancient sacred mythology of the Aryan
+     race."[81:1]
+
+How striking are these words; how plainly they illustrate the process by
+which the story, that was true and intelligible as told originally of
+the _Day_ being swallowed up by _Night_, or the _Sun_ being swallowed up
+by the _Earth_, was transformed into a legend or fable, too marvellous
+to be believed by common mortals. How the "_divine myth_" became an
+"_heroic legend_," and how the heroic legend faded away into a "_nursery
+tale_."
+
+In regard to Jonah's going to the city of Ninevah, and preaching unto
+the inhabitants, we believe that the old "Myth of Civilization," so
+called,[82:1] is partly interwoven here, and that, in this respect, he
+is nothing more than the Indian _Fish Avatar of Vishnou_, or the
+Chaldean _Oannes_. At his first Avatar, _Vishnou_ is alleged to have
+appeared to humanity in form like a fish,[82:2] or half-man and
+half-fish, just as Oannes and Dagon were represented among the Chaldeans
+and other nations. In the temple of _Rama_, in India, there is a
+representation of _Vishnou_ which answers perfectly to that of
+_Dagon_.[82:3] Mr. Maurice, in his "Hist. Hindostan," has proved the
+identity of the Syrian _Dagon_ and the Indian Fish Avatar, and concludes
+by saying:
+
+     "From the foregoing and a variety of parallel circumstances, I
+     am inclined to think that the Chaldean _Oannes_, the Phenician
+     and Philistian _Dagon_, and the _Pisces_ of the Syrian and
+     Egyptian Zodiac, were the same deity with the Indian
+     _Vishnu_."[82:4]
+
+In the old mythological remains of the Chaldeans, compiled by Berosus,
+Abydenus, and Polyhistor, there is an account of one _Oannes_, a
+fish-god, who rendered great service to mankind.[82:5] This being is
+said to have _come out of_ the Erythraean Sea.[82:6] This is evidently
+_the Sun rising out of the sea_, as it apparently does, in the
+East.[82:7]
+
+Prof. Goldzhier, speaking of Oannes, says:
+
+     "That this founder of civilization has a _Solar character_,
+     like similar heroes in all other nations, is shown . . . in
+     the words of Berosus, who says: '_During the day-time_ Oannes
+     held intercourse with man, _but when the Sun set_, Oannes
+     fell into the sea, where he used to pass the night.' Here,
+     evidently, only the _Sun_ can be meant, who, in the evening,
+     dips into the sea, and comes forth again in the morning, and
+     passes the day on the dry land in the company of men."[82:8]
+
+_Dagon_ was sometimes represented as _a man emerging from a fish's
+mouth_, and sometimes as half-man and half-fish.[82:9] It was believed
+that he came _in a ship_, and taught the people. Ancient history abounds
+with such mythological personages.[82:10] There was also a _Durga_, a
+fish deity, among the _Hindoos_, represented as _a full grown man
+emerging from a fish's mouth_[82:9] The Philistines worshiped Dagon,
+and in Babylonian Mythology _Odakon_ is applied to a fish-like being,
+who _rose from the waters of the Red Sea_ as one of the benefactors of
+men.[83:1]
+
+On the coins of Ascalon, where she was held in great honor, the goddess
+Derceto or Atergatis is represented as a woman with her lower
+extremities like a fish. This is Semiramis, who appeared at _Joppa_ as a
+mermaid. She is simply a personification of the _Moon_, who follows the
+course of the _Sun_. At times she manifests herself to the eyes of men,
+at others she seeks concealment in the Western flood.[83:2]
+
+The Sun-god Phoibos traverses the sea in the form of a fish, and imparts
+lessons of wisdom and goodness when he has come forth from the green
+depths. All these powers or qualities are shared by Proteus in Hellenic
+story, as well as by the fish-god, Dagon or Oannes.[83:3]
+
+In the Iliad and Odyssey, Atlas is brought into close connection with
+Helios, the bright god, the Latin Sol, and our Sun. In these poems he
+rises every morning from a beautiful lake by the deep-flowing stream of
+Ocean, and having accomplished his journey across the heavens, plunges
+again into the Western waters.[83:4]
+
+The ancient Mexicans and Peruvians had likewise semi-fish gods.[83:5]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 5]
+
+Jonah then, is like these other personages, in so far as they are all
+_personifications of the Sun_; they all _come out of the sea_; they are
+all represented as _a man emerging from a fish's mouth_; and they are
+all _benefactors of mankind_. We believe, therefore, that it is one and
+the same myth, whether Oannes, Joannes, or Jonas,[83:6] differing to a
+certain extent among different nations, just as we find to be the case
+with other legends. This we have just seen illustrated in the story of
+"Little Red Riding-Hood," which is considerably mutilated in the English
+version.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 6]
+
+Fig. No. 5 is a representation of _Dagon_, intended to illustrate a
+creature half-man and half-fish; or, perhaps, a man emerging from a
+fish's mouth. It is taken from Layard. Fig. No. 6[84:1] is a
+representation of the Indian Avatar of Vishnou, _coming forth from the
+fish_.[84:2] It would answer just as well for a representation of Jonah,
+as it does for the Hindoo divinity. It should be noticed that in both of
+these, the god has a crown on his head, surmounted with a _triple_
+ornament, both of which had evidently the same meaning, _i. e._, _an
+emblem of the trinity_.[84:3] The Indian Avatar being represented with
+four arms, evidently means that he is god of the whole world, his _four_
+arms extending to the _four corners of the world_. The _circle_, which
+is seen in one hand, is an emblem of eternal reward. The _shell_, with
+its eight convolutions, is intended to show the place in the number of
+the cycles which he occupied. The _book_ and _sword_ are to show that he
+ruled both in the right of the book and of the sword.[84:4]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[78:1] Tylor: Early Hist. Mankind, pp. 344, 345.
+
+[78:2] "En effet, quelques anciens disent qu' Hercule fut aussi devora
+par la beleine qui gurdoit Hesione, qu'il demeura trois jours dans son
+ventre, et qu'il sortit chauve de ce sejour." (L'Antiquite Expliquee,
+vol. i. p. 204.)
+
+[78:3] Bouchet: Hist. d'Animal, in Anac., vol. i. p. 240.
+
+[78:4] Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 638. See also Tylor: Primitive Culture,
+vol. i. p. 306, and Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Jonah."
+
+[79:1] Tales of Ancient Greece, p. 296.
+
+[79:2] See Hebrew Mythology, p. 203.
+
+[79:3] See Tylor's Early Hist. Mankind, and Primitive Culture, vol. i.
+
+[79:4] Chambers's Encyclo., art. Jonah.
+
+[79:5] See Fiske: Myths and Myth Makers, p. 77, and _note_; and Tylor:
+Primitive Culture, i. 302.
+
+[80:1] Goldzhier: Hebrew Mythology, pp. 102, 103.
+
+[80:2] This is seen from the following, taken from Pictet: "_Du Culte
+des Carabi_," p. 104, and quoted by Higgins: _Anac._, vol. i. p. 650:
+"Vallancy dit que _Ionn_ etoit le meme que Baal. En Gallois _Jon_, le
+Seigneur, Dieu, la cause premiere. En Basque _Jawna_, _Jon_, _Jona_,
+&c., Dieu, et Seigneur, Maitre. Les Scandinaves appeloient le _Soleil_
+John. . . . Une des inscriptions de Gruter montre ques les Troyens
+adoroient _le meme_ astre sous le nom de _Jona_. En Persan le _Soleil_
+est appele _Jawnah_." Thus we see that the _Sun_ was called _Jonah_, by
+different nations of antiquity.
+
+[80:3] See Goldzhier: Hebrew Mythology, p. 148.
+
+[80:4] See Tylor: Early History of Mankind, p. 845, and Goldzhier:
+Hebrew Mythology, pp. 102, 103.
+
+[80:5] See Tylor: Early History of Mankind, p. 345.
+
+[80:6] Fiske: Myths and Myth Makers, p. 77.
+
+[80:7] See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, pp. 88, 89, and Mallet's
+Northern Antiquities.
+
+[80:8] In ancient _Scandinavian_ mythology, the _Sun_ is personified in
+the form of a beautiful _maiden_. (See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p.
+458.)
+
+[80:9] See Fiske: Myths and Myth Makers, p. 77. Bunce: Fairy Tales, 161.
+
+[80:10] Tylor: Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 307.
+
+"The story of Little Red Riding-Hood, as we call her, or Little Red-Cap,
+came from the same (_i. e._, the ancient Aryan) source, and refers to
+the _Sun_ and the _Night_."
+
+"One of the fancies of the most ancient Aryan or Hindoo stories was that
+there was a great dragon that was trying to devour the Sun, and to
+prevent him from shining upon the earth and filling it with brightness
+and life and beauty, and that Indra, the Sun-god, killed the dragon.
+Now, this is the meaning of Little Red Riding-Hood, as it is told in our
+nursery tales. Little Red Riding-Hood is the evening Sun, which is
+always described as red or golden; the old grandmother is the earth, to
+whom the rays of the Sun bring warmth and comfort. The wolf--which is a
+well-known figure for the clouds and darkness of night--is the dragon in
+another form. First he devours the grandmother; that is, he wraps the
+earth in thick clouds, which the evening Sun is not strong enough to
+pierce through. Then, with the darkness of night, he swallows up the
+evening Sun itself, and all is dark and desolate. Then, as in the German
+tale, the night-thunder and the storm-winds are represented by the loud
+snoring of the wolf; and then the huntsman, the morning Sun, comes in
+all his strength and majesty, and chases away the night-clouds and kills
+the wolf, and revives old Grandmother Earth, and brings Little Red
+Riding-Hood to life again." (Bunce, Fairy Tales, their Origin and
+Meaning, p. 161.)
+
+[81:1] Mueller's Chips, vol. ii. p. 260.
+
+[82:1] See Goldzhier's Hebrew Mythology, p. 198, et seq.
+
+[82:2] See Maurice: Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 277.
+
+[82:3] See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 259. Also, Fig. No. 5, next page.
+
+[82:4] Hist. Hindostan, vol. i. pp. 418-419.
+
+[82:5] See Pilchard's Egyptian Mythology, p. 190. Bible for Learners,
+vol. i. p. 87. Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 646. Cory's Ancient
+Fragments, p. 57.
+
+[82:6] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 646. Smith: Chaldean Account
+of Genesis, p. 39, and Cory's Ancient Fragments, p. 57.
+
+[82:7] Civilizing gods, who diffuse intelligence and instruct
+barbarians, are also _Solar Deities_. Among these _Oannes_ takes his
+place, as the _Sun-god_, giving knowledge and civilization. (Rev. S.
+Baring-Gould: Curious Myths, p. 367.)
+
+[82:8] Goldzhier: Hebrew Mythology, pp. 214, 215.
+
+[82:9] See Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 111.
+
+[82:10] See Chamber's Encyclo., art "Dagon."
+
+[83:1] See Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, and Chambers's Encyclo.,
+art. "Dagon" in both.
+
+[83:2] See Baring-Gould's Curious Myths.
+
+[83:3] See Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 26.
+
+[83:4] Ibid. p. 38.
+
+[83:5] Curious Myths, p. 372.
+
+[83:6] Since writing the above we find that Mr. Bryant, in his
+"_Analysis of Ancient Mythology_" (vol. ii. p. 291), speaking of the
+mystical nature of the name _John_, which is the same as _Jonah_, says:
+"The prophet who was sent upon an embassy to the Ninevites, is styled
+_Ionas_: a title probably bestowed upon him as a messenger of the Deity.
+The great Patriarch who preached righteousness to the Antediluvians, is
+styled _Oan_ and _Oannes_, which is _the same as Jonah_."
+
+[84:1] From Maurice: Hist. Hindostan, vol. i. p. 495.
+
+[84:2] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 634. See also, Calmet's
+Fragments, 2d Hundred, p. 78.
+
+[84:3] See the chapter on "The Trinity," in part second.
+
+[84:4] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 640.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+CIRCUMCISION.
+
+
+In the words of the Rev. Dr. Giles:
+
+     "The rite of circumcision must not be passed over in any work
+     that concerns the religion and literature of that (the Jewish)
+     people."[85:1]
+
+The first mention of Circumcision, in the Bible, occurs in
+Genesis,[85:2] where God is said to have commanded the Israelites to
+perform this rite, and thereby establish a covenant between him and his
+chosen people:
+
+     "This is my _covenant_ (said the Lord), which ye shall keep,
+     between me and you and thy seed after thee; every male child
+     among you shall be circumcised."
+
+"We _need not doubt_," says the Rev. Dr. Giles, "that a _Divine command_
+was given to Abraham that all his posterity should practice the rite of
+circumcision."[85:3]
+
+Such may be the case. If we believe that the Lord of the Universe
+communes with man, we _need not doubt_ this; yet, we are compelled to
+admit that nations other than the Hebrews practiced this rite. The
+origin of it, however, as practiced among other nations, has never been
+clearly ascertained. It has been maintained by some scholars that this
+rite drew its origin from considerations of health and cleanliness,
+which seems very probable, although doubted by many.[85:4] Whatever may
+have been its origin, it is certain that it was practiced by many of the
+ancient Eastern nations, who never came in contact with the Hebrews, in
+early times, and, therefore, could not have learned it from them.
+
+The _Egyptians_ practiced circumcision at a very early period,[85:5] at
+least as early as the _fourth_ dynasty--pyramid one--and therefore, long
+before the time assigned for Joseph's entry into Egypt, from whom some
+writers have claimed the Egyptians learned it.[86:1]
+
+In the decorative pictures of Egyptian tombs, one frequently meets with
+persons on whom the denudation of the prepuce is manifested.[86:2]
+
+On a stone found at Thebes, there is a representation of the
+circumcision of Ramses II. A mother is seen holding her boy's arms back,
+while the operator kneels in front.[86:3] All Egyptian priests were
+obliged to be circumcised,[86:4] and Pythagoras had to submit to it
+before being admitted to the Egyptian sacerdotal mysteries.[86:5]
+
+Herodotus, the Greek historian, says:
+
+     "As this practice can be traced both in Egypt and Ethiopia, to
+     the remotest antiquity, it is not possible to say which first
+     introduced it. The Phenicians and Syrians of Palestine
+     acknowledge that they borrowed it from Egypt."[86:6]
+
+It has been recognized among the _Kaffirs_ and other tribes of
+_Africa_.[86:7] It was practiced among the _Fijians_ and _Samoans of
+Polynesia_, and some races of _Australia_.[86:8] The _Suzees_ and the
+_Mandingoes_ circumcise their women.[86:9] The _Assyrians_, _Colchins_,
+_Phenicians_, and others, practiced it.[86:10] It has been from time
+immemorial a custom among the _Abyssinians_, though, at the present
+time, Christians.[86:11]
+
+The antiquity of the custom may be assured from the fact of the _New
+Hollanders_, (never known to civilized nations until a few years ago)
+having practiced it.[86:12]
+
+The _Troglodytes_ on the shore of the Red Sea, the _Idumeans_,
+_Ammonites_, _Moabites_ and _Ishmaelites_, had the practice of
+circumcision.[86:11]
+
+The _ancient Mexicans_ also practiced this rite.[86:13] It was also
+found among the _Amazon_ tribes of _South America_.[87:1] These
+Indians, as well as some African tribes, were in the habit of
+circumcising their women. Among the _Campas_, the women circumcised
+themselves, and a man would not marry a woman who was not
+circumcised.[87:2] They performed this singular rite upon arriving at
+the age of puberty.[87:3]
+
+Jesus of Nazareth was circumcised,[87:4] and had he been really the
+founder of the Christian religion, so-called, it would certainly be
+incumbent on all Christians to be circumcised as he was, and to observe
+that Jewish law which he observed, and which he was so far from
+abrogating, that he declared: "heaven and earth shall pass away" ere
+"one jot or one tittle" of that law should be dispensed with.[87:5] But
+the Christians are not followers of the religion of Jesus.[87:6] They
+are followers of the religion of the _Pagans_. This, we believe, we
+shall be able to show in Part Second of this work.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[85:1] Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. i. p. 249.
+
+[85:2] Genesis, xvii. 10.
+
+[85:3] Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. i. p. 251.
+
+[85:4] Mr. Herbert Spencer shows (Principles of Sociology, pp. 290, 295)
+that the sacrificing of a part of the body as a religious offering to
+their deity, was, and is a common practice among savage tribes.
+Circumcision may have originated in this way. And Mr. Wake, speaking of
+it, says: "The _origin_ of this custom has not yet, so far as I am
+aware, been satisfactorily explained. The idea that, under certain
+climatic conditions, circumcision is necessary for cleanliness and
+comfort, does not appear to be well founded, as the custom is not
+universal even within the tropics." (Phallism in Ancient Religs., p.
+36.)
+
+[85:5] "Other men leave their private parts as they are formed by
+nature, except those who have learned otherwise from them; but the
+Egyptians are _circumcised_. . . . They are circumcised for the sake of
+cleanliness, thinking it better to be clean than handsome." (Herodotus,
+Book ii. ch. 36.)
+
+[86:1] We have it also on the authority of Sir J. G. Wilkinson, that:
+"this custom was established long before the arrival of Joseph in
+Egypt," and that "this is proved by the ancient monuments."
+
+[86:2] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, pp. 414, 415.
+
+[86:3] Ibid. p. 415.
+
+[86:4] Ibid. and Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 89.
+
+[86:5] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 415.
+
+[86:6] Herodotus: Book ii. ch. 36.
+
+[86:7] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 114. Amberly: Analysis
+Religious Belief, p. 67, and Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 309.
+
+[86:8] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 414, and Amberly's Analysis, pp.
+63, 73.
+
+[86:9] Amberly: Analysis of Relig. Belief, p. 73.
+
+[86:10] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 414: Amberly's Analysis, p. 63;
+Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 163, and Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii.
+pp. 18, 19.
+
+[86:11] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 414.
+
+[86:12] Kendrick's Egypt, quoted by Dunlap; Mysteries of Adoni, p. 146.
+
+[86:13] Amberly's Analysis, p. 63, Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p.
+309, and Acosta, ii. 369.
+
+[87:1] Orton: The Andes and the Amazon, p. 322.
+
+[87:2] This was done by cutting off the _clytoris_.
+
+[87:3] Orton: The Andes and the Amazon, p. 322. Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv.
+p. 563, and Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 319.
+
+"At the time of the conquest, the Spaniards found circumcised nations in
+Central America, and on the Amazon, the Tecuna and Manaos tribes still
+observe this practice. In the South Seas it has been met with among
+three different races, but it is performed in a somewhat different
+manner. On the Australian continent, not all, but the majority of
+tribes, practiced circumcision. Among the Papuans, the inhabitants of
+New Caledonia and the New Hebrides adhere to this custom. In his third
+voyage, Captain Cook found it among the inhabitants of the Friendly
+Islands, in particular at Tongataboo, and the younger Pritchard bears
+witness to its practice in the Samoa or Fiji groups." (Oscar Peschel:
+The Races of Man, p. 22.)
+
+[87:4] Luke, ii. 21.
+
+[87:5] Matthew, v. 18.
+
+[87:6] In using the words "the religion of Jesus," we mean simply _the
+religion of Israel_. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was a _Jew_, in
+every sense of the word, and that he did not establish a new religion,
+or preach a new doctrine, in any way, shape, or form. "The preacher from
+the Mount, the prophet of the Beatitudes, does but repeat with
+persuasive lips what the law-givers of his race proclaimed in mighty
+tones of command." (See chap. xi.)
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+CONCLUSION OF PART FIRST.
+
+
+There are many other legends recorded in the Old Testament which might
+be treated at length, but, as we have considered the principal and most
+important, and as we have so much to examine in Part Second, which
+treats of the New Testament, we shall take but a passing glance at a few
+others.
+
+In Genesis xli. is to be found the story of
+
+     PHARAOH'S TWO DREAMS,
+
+which is to the effect that Pharaoh dreamed that he stood by a river,
+and saw come up out of it _seven_ fat kine, and _seven_ lean kine, which
+devoured the fat ones. He then dreamed that he saw _seven_ good ears of
+corn, on one stalk, spring up out of the ground. This was followed by
+_seven_ poor ears, which sprang up after them, and devoured the good
+ears.
+
+Pharaoh, upon awaking from his sleep, and recalling the dreams which he
+dreamed, was greatly troubled, "and he sent and called for all the
+magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof, and Pharaoh told them
+his dreams, but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh."
+Finally, his chief butler tells him of one Joseph, who was skilled in
+interpreting dreams, and Pharaoh orders him to be brought before his
+presence. He then repeats his dreams to Joseph, who immediately
+interprets them to the great satisfaction of the king.
+
+A very similar story is related in the Buddhist _Fo-pen-hing_--one of
+their sacred books, which has been translated by Prof. Samuel
+Beal--which, in substance, is as follows:
+
+Suddhodana Raja dreamed _seven_ different dreams in one night, when,
+"awaking from his sleep, and recalling the visions he had seen, was
+greatly troubled, so that the very hair on his body stood erect, and his
+limbs trembled." He forthwith summoned to his side, within his palace,
+all the great ministers of his council, and exhorted them in these
+words: "Most honorable Sirs! be it known to you that during the present
+night I have seen in my dreams strange and potent visions--there were
+_seven_ distinct dreams, which I will now recite (he recites the
+dreams). I pray you, honorable Sirs! let not these dreams escape your
+memories, but in the morning, when I am seated in my palace, and
+surrounded by my attendants, let them be brought to my mind (that they
+may be interpreted.)"
+
+At morning light, the king, seated in the midst of his attendants,
+issued his commands to all the Brahmans, interpreters of dreams, within
+his kingdom, in these terms, "All ye men of wisdom, explain for me by
+interpretation the meaning of the dreams I have dreamed in my sleep."
+
+Then all the wise Brahmans, interpreters of dreams, began to consider,
+each one in his own heart, what the meaning of these visions could be;
+till at last they addressed the king, and said: "Maha-raja! be it known
+to you that we never before have heard such dreams as these, _and we
+cannot interpret their meaning_."
+
+On hearing this, Suddhodana was very troubled in his heart, and
+exceeding distressed. He thought within himself: "Who is there that can
+satisfy these doubts of mine?"
+
+Finally a "holy one," called _T'so-Ping_, being present in the inner
+palace, and perceiving the sorrow and distress of the king, assumed the
+appearance of a Brahman, and under this form he stood at the gate of the
+king's palace, and cried out, saying: "I am able fully to interpret the
+dreams of Suddhodana Raja, and with certainty to satisfy all the
+doubts."
+
+The king ordered him to be brought before his presence, and then related
+to him his dreams. Upon hearing them, _T'so-Ping_ immediately
+interpreted them, to the great satisfaction of the king.[89:1]
+
+In the second chapter of Exodus we read of
+
+     MOSES THROWN INTO THE NILE,
+
+which is done _by command of the king_.
+
+There are many counterparts to this in ancient mythology; among them may
+be mentioned that of the infant Perseus, who was, _by command of the
+king_ (Acrisius of Argos), shut up in a chest, and cast into the sea. He
+was found by one Dictys, who took great care of the child, and--as
+Pharaoh's daughter did with the child Moses--educated him.[89:2]
+
+The infant Bacchus was confined in a chest, _by order of Cadmus, King
+of Thebes_, and thrown into the Nile.[90:1] He, like Moses, had two
+mothers, one by nature, the other by adoption.[90:2] He was also, like
+Moses, represented _horned_.[90:3]
+
+Osiris was also confined in a chest, and thrown into the river
+Nile.[90:4]
+
+When Osiris was shut into the coffer, and cast into the river, he
+floated to Phenicia, and was there received under the name of Adonis.
+Isis (his mother, or wife) wandered in quest of him, came to Byblos, and
+seated herself by a fountain in silence and tears. She was then taken by
+the servants of the royal palace, and made to attend on the young prince
+of the land. In like manner, Demeter, after Aidoneus had ravished her
+daughter, went in pursuit, reached Eleusis, seated herself by a well,
+conversed with the daughters of the queen, and became _nurse to her
+son_.[90:5] So likewise, when Moses was put into the ark made of
+bulrushes, and cast into the Nile, he was found by the daughters of
+Pharaoh, and his own mother became his nurse.[90:6] This is simply
+another version of the same myth.
+
+In the second chapter of the second book of Kings, we read of
+
+     ELIJAH ASCENDING TO HEAVEN.
+
+There are many counterparts to this, in heathen mythology.
+
+Hindoo sacred writings relate many such stories--how some of their Holy
+Ones were taken up alive into heaven--and impressions on rocks are
+shown, said to be foot-prints, made when they ascended.[90:7]
+
+According to Babylonian mythology, _Xisuthrus_ was translated to
+heaven.[90:8]
+
+The story of Elijah ascending to heaven in a chariot of fire may also be
+compared to the fiery, flame-red chariot of _Ushas_.[90:9] This idea of
+some Holy One ascending to heaven without dying was found in the ancient
+mythology of the _Chinese_.[90:10]
+
+The story of
+
+     DAVID KILLING GOLIATH,
+
+by throwing a stone and hitting him in the forehead,[90:11] may be
+compared to the story of _Thor_, the Scandinavian hero, throwing a
+hammer at Hrungnir, and striking him in the forehead.[91:1]
+
+We read in Numbers[91:2] that
+
+     BALAAM'S ASS SPOKE
+
+to his master, and reproved him.
+
+In ancient fables or stories in which animals play prominent parts, each
+creature is endowed with the power of speech. This idea was common in
+the whole of Western Asia and Egypt. It is found in various Egyptian and
+Chaldean stories.[91:3] Homer has recorded that the _horse_ of Achilles
+spoke to him.[91:4]
+
+We have also a very wonderful story in that of
+
+     JOSHUA'S COMMAND TO THE SUN.
+
+This story is related in the tenth chapter of the book of Joshua, and is
+to the effect that the Israelites, who were at battle with the Amorites,
+wished the day to be lengthened that they might continue their
+slaughter, whereupon Joshua said: "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon,
+and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. _And the sun stood still_, and
+the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their
+enemies. . . . And there was no day like that before it or after it."
+
+There are many stories similar to this, to be found among other nations
+of antiquity. We have, as an example, that which is related of Bacchus
+in the Orphic hymns, wherein it says that this god-man arrested the
+course of the sun and the moon.[91:5]
+
+An Indian legend relates that the sun stood still to hear the pious
+ejaculations of Arjouan after the death of Crishna.[91:6]
+
+A holy Buddhist by the name of Matanga prevented the sun, at his
+command, from rising, and bisected the moon.[91:7] Arresting the course
+of the sun was a common thing among the disciples of Buddha.[91:8]
+
+The _Chinese_ also, had a legend of the sun standing still,[91:9] and a
+legend was found among the _Ancient Mexicans_ to the effect that one of
+their holy persons commanded the sun to stand still, which command was
+obeyed.[91:10]
+
+We shall now endeavor to answer the question which must naturally arise
+in the minds of all who see, for the first time, the similarity in the
+legends of the Hebrews and those of other nations, namely: have the
+Hebrews copied from other nations, or, have other nations copied from
+the Hebrews? To answer this question we shall; _first_, give a brief
+account or history of the Pentateuch and other books of the Old
+Testament from which we have taken legends, and show about what time
+they were written; and, _second_, show that other nations were possessed
+of these legends long before that time, _and that the Jews copied from
+them_.
+
+The Pentateuch is ascribed, in our _modern_ translations, to _Moses_,
+and he is generally supposed to be the author. This is altogether
+erroneous, as Moses had _nothing whatever_ to do with these five books.
+Bishop Colenso, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "The books of the Pentateuch _are never ascribed to Moses in
+     the inscriptions of Hebrew manuscripts, or in printed copies
+     of the Hebrew Bible_. Nor are they styled the '_Books of
+     Moses_' in the Septuagint[92:1] or Vulgate,[92:2] _but only in
+     our modern translations_, after the example of many eminent
+     Fathers of the Church, who, with the exception of Jerome, and,
+     perhaps, Origen, were, one and all of them, very little
+     acquainted with the Hebrew language, and still less with its
+     criticism."[92:3]
+
+The author of "The Religion of Israel," referring to this subject, says:
+
+     "The Jews who lived _after_ the Babylonish Captivity, and the
+     Christians following their examples, ascribed these books (the
+     Pentateuch) to Moses; and for many centuries the _notion_ was
+     cherished that he had really written them. _But strict and
+     impartial investigation has shown that this opinion must be
+     given up_; and that _nothing_ in the whole Law really comes
+     from Moses himself except the Ten Commandments. _And even
+     these were not delivered by him in the same form as we find
+     them now._ If we still call these books by his name, it is
+     only because the Israelites always thought of him as their
+     first and greatest law-giver, _and the actual authors grouped
+     all their narratives and laws around his figure, and
+     associated them with his name_."[92:4]
+
+As we cannot go into an extended account, and show _how this is known_,
+we will simply say that it is principally by _internal_ evidence that
+these facts are ascertained.[92:5]
+
+Now that we have seen that Moses did not write the books of the
+Pentateuch, our next endeavor will be to ascertain _when_ they were
+written, and _by whom_.
+
+We can say that they were not written by any _one_ person, nor were they
+written _at the same time_.
+
+We can trace _three_ principal redactions of the Pentateuch, that is to
+say, the material was _worked over_, and _re-edited_, with
+_modifications_ and _additions_, by _different people_, at _three
+distinct epochs_.[93:1]
+
+The two principal writers are generally known as the _Jehovistic_ and
+the _Elohistic_. We have--in speaking of the "Eden Myth" and the legend
+of the "Deluge"--already alluded to this fact, and have illustrated how
+these writers' narratives conflict with each other.
+
+The _Jehovistic_ writer is supposed to have been a prophet, who, it
+would seem, was anxious to give Israel a history. He begins at Genesis,
+ii. 4, with a _short_ account, of the "_Creation_," and then he carries
+the story on regularly until the Israelites enter Canaan. It is to him
+that we are indebted for the _charming_ pictures of the patriarchs. _He
+took these from other writings, or from the popular legends._[93:2]
+
+About 725 B. C. the Israelites were conquered by Salmanassar, King of
+Assyria, and many of them were carried away captives. _Their place was
+supplied by Assyrian colonists from Babylon, Persia, and other
+places._[93:3] This fact is of the greatest importance, and should not
+be forgotten, as we find that the _first_ of the three writers of the
+Pentateuch, spoken of above, _wrote about this time_, and the Israelites
+heard, _from the colonists from Babylon, Persia, and other places--for
+the first time--many of the legends which this writer wove into the
+fabulous history which he wrote, especially the accounts of the Creation
+and the Deluge_.
+
+The Pentateuch remained in this, its _first_ form, until the year 620 B.
+C. Then a certain _priest_ of marked prophetic sympathies wrote a book
+of law which has come down to us in Deuteronomy, iv. 44, to xxvi., and
+xxviii. Here we find the demands which the _Mosaic_ party at _that day_
+were making thrown into the form of laws. It was by King Josiah that
+this book was first introduced and proclaimed as authoritative.[93:4] It
+was soon afterwards _wove into_ the work of the _first_ Pentateuchian
+writer, and at the same time "_a few new passages_" were added, some of
+which related to Joshua, the successor of Moses.[94:1]
+
+At this period in Israel's history, Jehovah had become almost forgotten,
+and "other gods" had taken his place.[94:2] The Mosaic party, so
+called--who worshiped Jehovah exclusively--were in the minority, but
+when King Amon--who was a worshiper of Moloch--died, and was succeeded
+by his son Josiah, a change immediately took place. This young prince,
+who was only eight years old at the death of his father, the Mosaic
+party succeeded in winning over to their interests. In the year 621 B.
+C., Josiah, now in the eighteenth year of his reign, began a thorough
+reformation which completely answered to the ideas of the Mosaic
+party.[94:3]
+
+It was during this time that the _second_ Pentateuchian writer wrote,
+and _he_ makes _Moses_ speak as the law-giver. This writer was probably
+Hilkiah, _who claimed to have found a book, written by Moses, in the
+temple,[94:4] although it had only just been drawn up_.[94:5]
+
+The principal objections which _were_ brought against the claims of
+Hilkiah, _but which are not needed in the present age of inquiry_, was
+that Shaphan and Josiah read it off, not as if it were an _old_ book,
+_but as though it had been recently written_, when any person who is
+acquainted, in the slightest degree, with language, must know that a man
+could not read off, at once, _a book written eight hundred years
+before_. The phraseology would necessarily be so altered by time as to
+render it comparatively unintelligible.
+
+We must now turn to the _third_ Pentateuchian writer, _whose writings
+were published 444 B. C._
+
+At that time Ezra (or Ezdras) _added_ to the work of his two
+_predecessors_ a series of _laws_ and _narratives_ which had been drawn
+up _by some of the priests in Babylon_.[94:6] This "series of laws and
+narratives," which was written by "some of the (Israelitish) priests in
+Babylon," was called "_The Book of Origins_" (probably containing the
+Babylonian account of the "_Origin of Things_," or the "_Creation_").
+Ezra brought the book from _Babylon_ to Jerusalem. He made some
+modifications in it and constituted it a code of law for Israel,
+_dove-tailing it into those parts of the Pentateuch which existed
+before_. A few _alterations_ and _additions_ were subsequently made,
+but these are of minor importance, and we may fairly say _that Ezra put
+the Pentateuch into the form in which we have it_ (about 444 B. C.).
+
+These priestly passages are partly occupied with historical matter,
+comprising a very free account of things from the creation of the world
+to the arrival of Israel in Canaan. Everything is here presented from
+the _priestly_ point of view; some events, elsewhere recorded, are
+_touched up in the priestly spirit, and others are entirely
+invented_.[95:1]
+
+It was the belief of the Jews, asserted by the _Pirke Aboth_ (Sayings of
+the Fathers), one of the oldest books of the _Talmud_,[95:2] as well as
+other Jewish records, that Ezra, acting in accordance with a divine
+commission, re-wrote the Old Testament, the manuscripts of which were
+said to have been lost in the destruction of the first temple, when
+Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem.[95:3] This we _know_ could not have been
+the case. The fact that Ezra wrote--adding to, and taking from the
+already existing books of the Pentateuch--was probably the foundation
+for this tradition. The account of it is to be found in the Apocryphal
+book of Esdras, a book deemed authentic by the Greek Church.
+
+Dr. Knappert, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "For many centuries, both the Christians and the Jews supposed
+     that Ezra had brought together the sacred writings of his
+     people, united them in one whole, and introduced them as a
+     book given by the Spirit of God--a Holy Scripture.
+
+     "The only authority for this supposition was a very modern and
+     altogether untrustworthy _tradition_. The historical and
+     critical studies of our times have been emancipated from the
+     influence of this tradition, and the most ancient statements
+     with regard to the subject have been hunted up and compared
+     together. These statements are, indeed, scanty and incomplete,
+     and many a detail is still obscure; but the main facts have
+     been completely ascertained.
+
+     "_Before the Babylonish captivity, Israel had no sacred
+     writings._ There were certain laws, prophetic writings, and a
+     few historical books, but no one had ever thought of ascribing
+     binding and divine authority to these documents.
+
+     "_Ezra brought the priestly law with him from Babylon,
+     altering it and amalgamating it with the narratives and laws
+     already in existence, and thus produced the Pentateuch in
+     pretty much the same form_ (though not quite, as we shall
+     show) _as we still have it. These books got the name of the
+     'Law of Moses,' or simply the 'Law.'_ Ezra introduced them
+     into Israel (B. C. 444), and gave them binding authority, _and
+     from that time forward they were considered divine_."[95:4]
+
+From the time of Ezra until the year 287 B. C., when the Pentateuch was
+translated into Greek by order of Ptolemy Philadelphus, King of Egypt,
+these books evidently underwent some changes. This the writer quoted
+above admits, in saying:
+
+     "Later still (viz., after the time of Ezra), _a few more
+     changes and additions were made_, and so the Pentateuch grew
+     into its present form."[96:1]
+
+In answer to those who claim that the Pentateuch was written by _one_
+person, Bishop Colenso says:
+
+     "It is certainly inconceivable that if the _Pentateuch_ be the
+     production of _one and the same hand throughout_, it should
+     contain _such a number of glaring inconsistencies_. . . . No
+     single author could have been guilty of such absurdities; but
+     it is quite possible, and what was almost sure to happen in
+     such a case, that, if the Pentateuch be the work of _different
+     authors_ in _different ages_, this fact should betray itself
+     _by the existence of contradictions in the narrative_."[96:2]
+
+Having ascertained the origin of the Pentateuch, or first five books of
+the Old Testament, it will be unnecessary to refer to the others _here_,
+as we have nothing to do with _them_ in our investigations. Suffice it
+to say then, that: "In the earlier period after Ezra, _none of the other
+books_ which already existed, enjoyed the same authority as the
+Pentateuch."[96:3]
+
+It is probable[96:4] that Nehemiah made a collection of historical and
+prophetic books, songs, _and letters from Persian kings_, not to form a
+second collection, but for the purpose of saving them from being lost.
+The scribes of Jerusalem, followers of Ezra, who were known as "the men
+of the Great Synagogue," _were the collectors of the second and third
+divisions of the Old Testament_. They collected together the historical
+and prophetic books, songs, &c., which were then in existence, _and
+after altering many of them_, they were added to the collection of
+_sacred_ books. It must not be supposed that any fixed plan was pursued
+in this work, _or that the idea was entertained from the first, that
+these books would one day stand on the same level with the
+Pentateuch_.[96:5]
+
+In the course of time, however, many of the Jews began to consider
+_some_ of these books as _sacred_. The Alexandrian Jews adopted books
+into the canon which those of Jerusalem did not, _and this difference of
+opinion lasted for a long time, even till the second century after
+Christ. It was not until this time that all the books of the Old
+Testament acquired divine authority._[96:6] It is not known, however,
+_just when_ the canon of the Old Testament was closed. _The time and
+manner in which it was done is altogether obscure._[97:1] Jewish
+tradition indicates that the full canonicity of several books was not
+free from doubt till the time of the famous Rabbi Akiba,[97:2] who
+flourished about the beginning of the second century after Christ.[97:3]
+
+After giving a history of the books of the Old Testament, the author of
+"The Religion of Israel," whom we have followed in this investigation,
+says:
+
+     "The great majority of the writers of the Old Testament had no
+     other source of information about the past history of Israel
+     than simple _tradition_. Indeed, it could not have been
+     otherwise, for in primitive times no one used to record
+     anything in writing, and the only way of preserving a
+     knowledge of the past was to hand it down by word of mouth.
+     The father told the son what his elders had told him, and the
+     son handed it on to the next generation.
+
+     "Not only did the historian of Israel draw from tradition with
+     perfect freedom, and write down without hesitation anything
+     they heard and what was current in the mouths of the people,
+     _but they did not shrink from modifying their representation
+     of the past in any way that they thought would be good and
+     useful_. It is difficult for us to look at things from this
+     point of view, because our ideas of historical good faith are
+     so utterly different. When we write history, we know that we
+     ought to be guided solely by a desire to represent facts
+     exactly as they really happened. All that we are concerned
+     with is _reality_; we want to make the old times live again,
+     and we take all possible pains not to remodel the past from
+     the point of view of to-day. All we want to know is what
+     happened, and how men lived, thought, and worked in those
+     days. The Israelites had a very different notion of the nature
+     of historical composition. When a prophet or a priest related
+     something about bygone times, his object was not to convey
+     knowledge about those times; on the contrary, he used history
+     merely as a vehicle for the conveyance of instruction and
+     exhortation. Not only did he confine his narrative to such
+     matters as he thought would serve his purpose but he never
+     hesitated to modify what he knew of the past, _and he did not
+     think twice about touching it up from his own imagination,
+     simply that it might be more conducive to the end he had in
+     view and chime in better with his opinions. All the past
+     became colored through and through with the tinge of his own
+     mind._ Our own notions of honor and good faith would never
+     permit all this; but we must not measure ancient writers by
+     our own standard; they considered that they were acting quite
+     within their rights and in strict accordance with duty and
+     conscience."[97:4]
+
+It will be noticed that, in our investigations on the authority of the
+Pentateuch, we have followed, principally, Dr. Knappert's ideas as set
+forth in "The Religion of Israel."
+
+This we have done because we could not go into an extended
+investigation, and because his words are very expressive, and just to
+the point. To those who may think that his ideas are not the same as
+those entertained by other Biblical scholars of the present day, we
+subjoin, in a note below, a list of works to which they are
+referred.[98:1]
+
+We shall now, after giving a brief history of the Pentateuch, refer to
+the legends of which we have been treating, and endeavor to show from
+whence the Hebrews borrowed them. The first of these is "_The Creation
+and Fall of Man_."
+
+Egypt, the country out of which the Israelites came, had no story of the
+Creation and Fall of Man, _such as we have found among the Hebrews_;
+they therefore could not have learned it from _them_. The _Chaldeans_,
+however, as we saw in our first chapter, had this legend, and it is from
+them that the Hebrews borrowed it.
+
+The account which we have given of the Chaldean story of the Creation
+and Fall of Man, was taken, as we stated, from the writings of Berosus,
+the Chaldean historian, who lived in the time of Alexander the Great
+(356-325 B. C.), and as the Jews were acquainted with the story some
+centuries earlier than this, his works did not prove that these
+traditions were in Babylonia before the Jewish captivity, and could not
+afford testimony in favor of the statement that the Jews borrowed this
+legend from the Babylonians _at that time_. It was left for Mr. George
+Smith, of the British Museum, to establish, without a doubt, the fact
+that this legend was known to the Babylonians at least _two thousand
+years before the time assigned for the birth of Jesus_. The cuneiform
+inscriptions discovered by him, while on an expedition to Assyria,
+organized by the London "Daily Telegraph," was the means of doing this,
+and although by far the greatest number of these tablets belong to the
+age of Assurbanipal, who reigned over Assyria B. C. 670, it is
+"acknowledged on all hands that these tablets are not the originals,
+_but are only copies from earlier texts_." "The Assyrians acknowledge
+themselves that this literature was borrowed from Babylonian sources,
+and of course it is to Babylonia we have to look to ascertain the
+approximate dates of the original documents."[98:2] Mr. Smith then
+shows, from "fragments of the Cuneiform account of the Creation and
+Fall" which have been discovered, that, "_in the period from B. C. 2000
+to 1500, the Babylonians believed in a story similar to that in
+Genesis_." It is probable, however, says Mr. Smith, that this legend
+existed as _traditions_ in the country _long before it was committed to
+writing_, and some of these traditions exhibited great difference in
+details, _showing that they had passed through many changes_.[99:1]
+
+Professor James Fergusson, in his celebrated work on "Tree and Serpent
+Worship," says:
+
+     "The two chapters which refer to this (_i. e._, the Garden,
+     the Tree, and the Serpent), as indeed the whole of the first
+     eight of Genesis, are now generally admitted by scholars to be
+     made up of fragments of earlier books or earlier traditions,
+     belonging, properly speaking, to Mesopotamia rather than to
+     Jewish history, the exact meaning of which the writers of the
+     Pentateuch seem hardly to have appreciated when they
+     transcribed them in the form in which they are now
+     found."[99:2]
+
+John Fiske says:
+
+     "The story of the Serpent in Eden is an Aryan story in every
+     particular. The notion of Satan as the author of evil appears
+     only in the later books, _composed after the Jews had come
+     into close contact with Persian ideas_."[99:3]
+
+Prof. John W. Draper says:
+
+     "In the old legends of dualism, the evil spirit was said to
+     have _sent a serpent to ruin Paradise_. These legends became
+     known to the Jews _during their Babylonian captivity_."[99:4]
+
+Professor Goldziher also shows, in his "Mythology Among the
+Hebrews,"[99:5] that the story of the creation was borrowed by the
+Hebrews from the Babylonians. He also informs us that the notion of the
+_bore_ and _yoser_, "Creator" (the term used in the cosmogony in
+Genesis) as an integral part of the idea of God, _are first brought into
+use by the prophets of the captivity_. "Thus also the story of the
+_Garden of Eden_, as a supplement to the history of the Creation, _was
+written down at Babylon_."
+
+Strange as it may appear, after the _Genesis_ account, we may pass
+through the whole Pentateuch, and other books of the Old Testament,
+clear to the end, and will find that the story of the "_Garden of Eden_"
+and "_Fall of Man_," is hardly alluded to, if at all. Lengkerke says:
+"One single _certain_ trace of the employment of the story of Adam's
+fall is entirely wanting in the Hebrew Canon (after the Genesis
+account). Adam, Eve, the Serpent, the woman's seduction of her husband,
+&c., are all images, _to which the remaining words of the Israelites
+never again recur_."[100:1]
+
+This circumstance can only be explained by the fact that the first
+chapters of Genesis were not written until _after_ the other portions
+had been written.
+
+It is worthy of notice, that this story of the Fall of Man, upon which
+the whole orthodox scheme of a divine Saviour or Redeemer is based, was
+_not_ considered by the learned Israelites as _fact_. They simply looked
+upon it as a story which satisfied the ignorant, but which should be
+considered as _allegory_ by the learned.[100:2]
+
+Rabbi Maimonides (Moses Ben Maimon), one of the most celebrated of the
+Rabbis, says on this subject:--
+
+     "We must not understand, or take in a literal sense, what is
+     written in _the book_ on the _Creation_, nor form of it the
+     same ideas which are participated by the generality of
+     mankind; _otherwise our ancient sages would not have so much
+     recommended to us, to hide the real meaning of it, and not to
+     lift the allegorical veil, which covers the truth contained
+     therein_. When taken in its _literal sense_, the work gives
+     the most absurd and most extravagant ideas of the Deity.
+     'Whosoever should divine its true meaning ought to take great
+     care in not divulging it.' This is a maxim repeated to us by
+     all our sages, principally concerning the understanding of the
+     work of the six days."[100:3]
+
+Philo, a Jewish writer contemporary with Jesus, held the same opinion of
+the character of the sacred books of the Hebrews. He has made two
+particular treatises, bearing the title of "_The Allegories_," and he
+traces back to the _allegorical_ sense the "Tree of Life," the "Rivers
+of Paradise," and the other fictions of the Genesis.[100:4]
+
+Many of the early Christian Fathers declared that, in the story of the
+Creation and Fall of Man, there was but an _allegorical fiction_. Among
+these may be mentioned St. Augustine, who speaks of it in his "City of
+God," and also Origen, who says:
+
+     "What man of sense will agree with the statement that the
+     first, second, and third days, in which the _evening_ is named
+     and the _morning_, were without sun, moon and stars? What man
+     is found such an idiot as to suppose that God planted trees in
+     Paradise like an husbandman? _I believe that every man must
+     hold these things for images under which a hidden sense is
+     concealed._"[100:5]
+
+Origen believed aright, as it is now almost universally admitted, that
+the stories of the "Garden of Eden," the "Elysian Fields," the "Garden
+of the Blessed," &c., which were the abode of the blessed, where grief
+and sorrow could not approach them, where plague and sickness could not
+touch them, were founded on _allegory_. These abodes of delight were far
+away in the _West_, where the sun goes down beyond the bounds of the
+earth. They were the "Golden Islands" sailing in a sea of blue--_the
+burnished clouds floating in the pure ether_. In a word, _the "Elysian
+Fields" are the clouds at eventide_. The picture was suggested by the
+images drawn from the phenomena of sunset and twilight.[101:1]
+
+Eating of the forbidden fruit was simply a figurative mode of expressing
+the performance of the act necessary to the perpetuation of the human
+race. The "Tree of Knowledge" was a Phallic tree, and the fruit which
+grew upon it was Phallic fruit.[101:2]
+
+In regard to the story of "_The Deluge_," we have already seen[101:3]
+that "Egyptian records tell nothing of a cataclysmal deluge," and that,
+"the land was _never_ visited by other than its annual beneficent
+overflow of the river Nile." Also, that "the Pharaoh Khoufou-cheops was
+building his pyramid, according to Egyptian chronicle, when the whole
+world was under the waters of a universal deluge, according to the
+Hebrew chronicle." This is sufficient evidence that the Hebrews did not
+borrow the legend from the Egyptians.
+
+We have also seen, in the chapter that treated of this legend, that it
+corresponded in all the principal features with the _Chaldean_ account.
+We shall now show that it was taken from this.
+
+Mr. Smith discovered, on the site of Ninevah, during the years 1873-4,
+cylinders belonging to the early Babylonian monarchy, (from 2500 to 1500
+B. C.) which contained the legend of the flood,[101:4] and which we gave
+in Chapter II. _This was the foundation for the Hebrew legend, and they
+learned it at the time of the Captivity._[101:5] The myth of Deucalion,
+the Grecian hero, was also taken from the same source. The Greeks
+learned it from the Chaldeans.
+
+We read in Chambers's Encyclopaedia, that:
+
+     "It was at one time extensively believed, even by intelligent
+     scholars, that the myth of Deucalion was a corrupted
+     tradition of the _Noachian_ deluge, but this _untenable_
+     opinion is now all but universally abandoned."[102:1]
+
+This idea was abandoned after it was found that the Deucalion myth was
+older than the Hebrew.
+
+What was said in regard to the Eden story not being mentioned in other
+portions of the Old Testament save in Genesis, also applies to this
+story of the Deluge. _Nowhere_ in the other books of the Old Testament
+is found any reference to this story, except in Isaiah, where "the
+waters of Noah" are mentioned, and in Ezekiel, where simply the _name_
+of Noah is mentioned.
+
+We stated in Chapter II. that some persons saw in this story an
+_astronomical_ myth. Although not generally admitted, yet there are very
+strong reasons for believing this to be the case.
+
+According to the _Chaldean_ account--which is the oldest one
+known--there were _seven_ persons saved in the ark.[102:2] There were
+also _seven_ persons saved, according to some of the _Hindoo_
+accounts.[102:3] That this referred to the sun, moon, and five planets
+looks very probable. We have also seen that Noah was the _tenth_
+patriarch, and Xisuthrus (who is the Chaldean hero) was the _tenth_
+king.[102:4] Now, according to the Babylonian table, their _Zodiac_
+contained _ten_ gods called the "_Ten Zodiac_ gods."[102:5] They also
+believed that whenever all the _planets_ met in the sign of Capricorn,
+_the whole earth was overwhelmed with a deluge of water_.[102:6] The
+_Hindoos_ and other nations had a similar belief.[102:7]
+
+It is well known that the Chaldeans were great astronomers. When
+Alexander the Great conquered the city of Babylon, the Chaldean priests
+boasted to the Greek philosophers, who followed his army, that they had
+continued their astronomical calculations through a period of more than
+forty thousand years.[102:8] Although this statement cannot be credited,
+yet the great antiquity of Chaldea cannot be doubted, and its immediate
+connection with Hindostan, or Egypt, is abundantly proved by the little
+that is known concerning its religion, and by the few fragments that
+remain of its former grandeur.
+
+In regard to the story of "_The Tower of Babel_" little need be said.
+This, as well as the story of the Creation and Fall of Man, and the
+Deluge, was borrowed from the Babylonians.[102:9]
+
+"It seems," says George Smith, "from the indications in the (cuneiform)
+inscriptions, that there happened in the interval between 2000 and 1850
+B. C. a general _collection_ of the development of the various
+traditions of the Creation, Flood, Tower of Babel, and other similar
+legends." "These legends were, however, traditions before they were
+committed to writing, _and were common in some form to all the
+country_."[103:1]
+
+The Tower of Babel, or the confusion of tongues, is nowhere alluded to
+in the Old Testament outside of Genesis, where the story is related.
+
+The next story in order is "_The Trial of Abraham's Faith_."
+
+In this connection we have shown similar legends taken from _Grecian_
+mythology, which legends may have given _the idea_ to the writer of the
+Hebrew story.
+
+It may appear strange that the _Hebrews_ should have been acquainted
+with _Grecian_ mythology, yet we know this was the case. The fact is
+accounted for in the following manner:
+
+Many of the Jews taken captive at the Edomite sack of Jerusalem were
+sold to the _Grecians_,[103:2] who took them to their country. While
+there, they became acquainted with Grecian legends, and when they
+returned from "the Islands of the Sea"--as they called the Western
+countries--_they brought them to Jerusalem_.[103:3]
+
+This legend, as we stated in the chapter which treated of it, was
+written at the time when the Mosaic party in Israel were endeavoring to
+abolish human sacrifices and other "abominations," and the author of the
+story invented it to make it appear that the Lord had abolished them in
+the time of Abraham. The earliest _Targum_[103:4] knows nothing about
+the legend, showing that the story was not in the Pentateuch at the time
+this Targum was written.
+
+We have also seen that a story written by Sanchoniathon (about B. C.
+1300) of one Saturn, whom the Phenicians called _Israel_, bore a
+resemblance to the Hebrew legend of Abraham. Now, Count de Volney
+tells us that "a similar tradition prevailed among the _Chaldeans_,"
+and that they had the history of one _Zerban_--which means
+"rich-in-gold"[103:5]--that corresponded in many respects with the
+history of Abraham.[103:6] It may, then, have been from the Chaldean
+story that the Hebrew fable writer got his idea.
+
+The next legend which we examined was that of "_Jacob's Vision of the
+Ladder_." We claimed that it probably referred to the doctrine of the
+transmigration of souls from one body into another, and also gave the
+apparent reason for the invention of the story.
+
+The next story was "_The Exodus from Egypt, and Passage through the Red
+Sea_," in which we showed, from Egyptian history, that the Israelites
+were _turned out_ of the country on account of their uncleanness, and
+that the wonderful exploits recorded of Moses were simply copies of
+legends related of the sun-god Bacchus. These legends came from "the
+Islands of the Sea," and came in very handy for the Hebrew fable
+writers; they saved them the trouble of _inventing_.
+
+We now come to the story relating to "_The Receiving of the Ten
+Commandments_" by Moses from the Lord, on the top of a mountain, 'mid
+thunders and lightnings.
+
+All that is likely to be historical in this account, is that Moses
+assembled, not, indeed, the whole of the people, but the heads of the
+tribes, and gave them the code which he had prepared.[104:1] The
+_marvellous_ portion of the story was evidently copied from that related
+of the law-giver Zoroaster, by the _Persians_, and the idea that there
+were _two_ tables of stone with the Law written thereon was evidently
+taken from the story of Bacchus, the Law-giver, who had _his_ laws
+written on _two tables of stone_.[104:2]
+
+The next legend treated was that of "_Samson and his Exploits_."
+
+Those who, _like the learned of the last century_, maintain that the
+Pagans copied from the Hebrews, may say that Samson was the model of all
+their similar stories, but now that our ideas concerning antiquity are
+enlarged, and when we know that Hercules is well known to have been the
+God _Sol_, whose _allegorical history_ was spread among many nations
+long before the Hebrews were ever heard of, we are authorized to believe
+and to say that some Jewish _mythologist_--for what else are their
+so-called historians--composed the anecdote of Samson, by partly
+disfiguring the popular traditions of the Greeks, Phenicians and
+Chaldeans, and claiming that hero for his own nation.[104:3]
+
+The Babylonian story of Izdubar, the lion-killer, who wandered to _the
+regions of the blessed_ (the Grecian Elysium), who crossed _a great
+waste of land_ (the desert of _Lybia_, according to the Grecian mythos),
+and arrived at a region _where splendid trees were laden with jewels_
+(the Grecian Garden of the Hesperides), is probably the foundation for
+the Hercules and other corresponding myths. This conclusion is drawn
+from the fact that, although the story of Hercules was known in the
+island of Thasus, by the _Phenician_ colony settled there, _five
+centuries before he was known in Greece_,[105:1] yet _its antiquity
+among the Babylonians antedates that_.
+
+The age of the legends of Izdubar among the Babylonians cannot be placed
+with certainty, yet, the cuneiform inscriptions relating to this hero,
+which have been found, may be placed at about 2000 years B. C.[105:2]
+"As these stories were _traditions_," says Mr. Smith, the discoverer of
+the cylinders, "before they were committed to writing, their antiquity
+as tradition is probably much greater than that."[105:3]
+
+With these legends before them, the Jewish priests in Babylon had no
+difficulty in arranging the story of Samson, and adding it to their
+already fabulous history.
+
+As the Rev. Dr. Isaac M. Wise remarks, in speaking of the ancient
+Hebrews: "They adopted forms, terms, ideas and myths of all nations with
+whom they came in contact, and, like the Greeks, in their way, _cast
+them all in a peculiar Jewish religious mold_."
+
+We have seen, in the chapter which treats of this legend, that it is
+recorded in the book of Judges. _This book was not written till after
+the first set of Israelites had been carried into captivity, and perhaps
+still later._[105:4]
+
+After this we have "_Jonah swallowed by a Big Fish_," which is the last
+legend treated.
+
+We saw that it was a _solar myth_, known to many nations of antiquity.
+The writer of the book--whoever he may have been--_lived in the fifth
+century before Christ_--after the Jews had become acquainted and had
+mixed with other nations. The writer of this wholly fictitious story,
+taking the prophet Jonah--who was evidently an historical personage--for
+his hero, was perhaps intending to show the loving-kindness of
+Jehovah.[105:5]
+
+We have now examined all the _principal_ Old Testament legends, and,
+after what has been seen, we think that no _impartial_ person can still
+consider them _historical facts_. That so great a number of educated
+persons still do so seems astonishing, in our way of thinking. They have
+repudiated Greek and Roman mythology with disdain; why then admit with
+respect the mythology of the Jews? Ought the miracles of Jehovah to
+impress us more than those of Jupiter? We think not; they should all be
+looked upon as _relics of the past_.
+
+That Christian writers are beginning to be aroused to the idea that
+another tack should be taken, differing from the old, is very evident.
+This is clearly seen by the words of Prof. Richard A. Armstrong, the
+translator of Dr. Knappert's "Religion of Israel" into English. In the
+_Preface_ of this work, he says:
+
+     "It appears to me to be profoundly important that the youthful
+     English mind should be faithfully and accurately informed of
+     the results of modern research into the early development of
+     the Israelitish religion. Deplorable and irreparable mischief
+     will be done to the generation, now passing into manhood and
+     womanhood, if their educators leave them ignorant or loosely
+     informed on these topics; for they will then be rudely
+     awakened by the enemies of Christianity from a blind and
+     unreasoning faith in the supernatural inspiration of the
+     Scriptures; and being suddenly and bluntly made aware that
+     Abraham, Moses, David, and the rest did not say, do, or write
+     what has been ascribed to them, they will fling away all care
+     for the venerable religion of Israel and all hope that it can
+     nourish their own religious life. How much happier will those
+     of our children and young people be who learn what is now
+     known of the actual origin of the Pentateuch and the Writings,
+     from the same lips which have taught them that the Prophets
+     indeed prepared the way for Jesus, and that God is indeed our
+     Heavenly Father. For these will, without difficulty, perceive
+     that God's love is none the feebler and that the Bible is no
+     less precious, because Moses knew nothing of the Levitical
+     legislation, or because it was not the warrior monarch on his
+     semi-barbaric throne, but some far later son of Israel, who
+     breathed forth the immortal hymn of faith, 'The Lord is my
+     Shepherd; I shall not want.'"
+
+For the benefit of those who may think that the evidence of plagiarism
+on the part of the Hebrew writers has not been sufficiently
+substantiated, we will quote a few words from Prof. Max Mueller, who is
+one of the best English authorities on this subject that can be
+produced. In speaking of this he says:
+
+     "The opinion that the _Pagan_ religions were mere corruptions
+     of the religion of the Old Testament, once supported by men of
+     high authority and great learning, _is now as completely
+     surrendered as the attempts of explaining Greek and Latin as
+     the corruptions of Hebrew_."[106:1]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "As soon as the ancient language and religion of India became
+     known in Europe it was asserted that Sanskrit, _like all other
+     languages_, was to be derived from Hebrew, and the ancient
+     religion of the Brahmans from the Old Testament. There was at
+     that time an enthusiasm among Oriental scholars, particularly
+     at Calcutta, and an interest for Oriental antiquities in the
+     public at large, of which we, in these days of apathy for
+     Eastern literature, can hardly form an adequate idea.
+     Everybody wished to be first in the field, and to bring to
+     light some of the treasures which were supposed to be hidden
+     in the sacred literature of the Brahmans. . . . No doubt the
+     temptation was great. No one could look down for a moment into
+     the rich mine of religious and mythological lore that was
+     suddenly opened before the eyes of scholars and theologians,
+     _without being struck by a host of similarities, not only in
+     the languages, but also in the ancient traditions of the
+     Hindoos_, the Greeks, and the Romans; and if at that time the
+     Greeks and Romans were still _supposed_ to have borrowed their
+     language and their religion from Jewish quarters, _the same
+     conclusion could hardly be avoided with regard to the language
+     and the religion of the Brahmans of India_. . . .
+
+     "The student of Pagan religion as well as Christian
+     missionaries were bent on discovering more striking and more
+     startling coincidences, _in order to use them in confirmation
+     of their favorite theory that some rays of a primeval
+     revelation, or some reflection of the Jewish religion, had
+     reached the uttermost ends of the world_."[107:1]
+
+The result of all this is summed up by Prof. Mueller as follows:
+
+     "_It was the fate of all (these) pioneers, not only to be left
+     behind in the assault which they had planned, but to find that
+     many of their approaches were made in a false direction, and
+     had to be abandoned._"[107:2]
+
+Before closing this chapter, we shall say a few words on the religion of
+Israel. It is supposed by many--in fact, we have heard it asserted by
+those who should know better--that the Israelites were always
+_monotheists_, that they worshiped One God only--_Jehovah_.[107:3] This
+is altogether erroneous; they were not different from their
+neighbors--the Heathen, so-called--in regard to their religion.
+
+In the first place, we know that they revered and worshiped a _Bull_,
+called _Apis_,[107:4] just as the ancient Egyptians did. They worshiped
+the _sun_,[108:1] the _moon_,[108:2] the _stars_ and all the host of
+heaven.[108:3]
+
+They worshiped _fire_, and kept it burning on an altar, just as the
+Persians and other nations.[108:4] They worshiped _stones_,[108:5]
+revered an _oak tree_,[108:6] and "bowed down" to _images_.[108:7] They
+worshiped a "Queen of Heaven" called the goddess _Astarte_ or _Mylitta_,
+and "burned incense" to her.[108:8] They worshiped _Baal_,[108:9]
+Moloch,[108:10] and _Chemosh_,[108:11] _and offered up human sacrifices
+to them_,[108:12] after which in some instances, _they ate the
+victim_.[108:13]
+
+It was during the Captivity that idolatry ceased among the
+Israelites.[108:14] The Babylonian Captivity is clearly referred to in
+the book of Deuteronomy, as the close of Israel's idolatry.[108:15]
+
+There is reason to believe that the real genius of the people was first
+called into full exercise, and put on its career of development at this
+time; that Babylon was a _forcing nursery_, not a prison cell; _creating
+instead of stifling a nation_. The astonishing outburst of intellectual
+and moral energy that accompanied the return from the Babylonish
+Captivity, attests the spiritual activity of that "mysterious and
+momentous" time. As Prof. Goldziher says: "The intellect of _Babylon_
+and _Assyria_ exerted a more than passing influence on that of the
+_Hebrews_, not merely touching it, but _entering deep into it_, and
+_leaving its own impression upon it_."[108:16]
+
+This impression we have already partly seen in the legends which they
+borrowed, and it may also be seen in the religious ideas which they
+imbibed.
+
+The Assyrian colonies which came and occupied the land of the tribes of
+Israel filled the kingdom of Samaria with the dogma of the _Magi_, which
+very soon penetrated into the kingdom of Judah. Afterward, Jerusalem
+being subjugated, the defenseless country was entered by persons of
+different nationalities, who introduced their opinions, and in this way,
+the religion of Israel was doubly mutilated. Besides, the priests and
+great men, who were transported to Babylon, were educated in the
+sciences of the Chaldeans, and imbibed, during a residence of fifty
+years, nearly the whole of their theology. It was not until this time
+that the dogmas of the hostile genius (Satan), the angels Michael,
+Uriel, Yar, Nisan, &c., the rebel angels, the battle in heaven, the
+immortality of the soul, and the resurrection, were introduced and
+naturalized among the Jews.[109:1]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+NOTE.--It is not generally known that the Jews were removed from their
+own land until the time of the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, but there is
+evidence that Jerusalem was plundered by the _Edomites_ about 800 B. C.,
+who sold some of the captive Jews to the Greeks (Joel, iii. 6). When the
+captives returned to their country from "the Islands which are beyond
+the sea" (Jer. xxv. 18, 22), they would naturally bring back with them
+much of the Hellenic lore of their conquerors. In Isaiah (xi. 11), we
+find a reference to this first captivity in the following words: "In
+that day the Lord shall set his hand again the _second time_ to recover
+the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from
+Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar,
+and from Hamath, and from the _Islands of the sea_;" i. e., GREECE.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[89:1] See Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. 111, _et seq._
+
+[89:2] Bell's Pantheon, under "Perseus;" Knight: Ancient Art and Mytho.,
+p. 178, and Bulfinch: Age of Fables, p. 161.
+
+[90:1] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 118. Taylor's Diegesis, p. 190.
+Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 19.
+
+[90:2] Ibid.
+
+[90:3] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 122. Dupuis: Origin of Religious
+Belief, p. 174. Goldziher: Hebrew Mythology, p. 179. Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 19.
+
+[90:4] Bell's Pantheon, art. "Osiris;" and Bulfinch: Age of Fable, p.
+391
+
+[90:5] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, i. 159.
+
+[90:6] Exodus, ii.
+
+[90:7] See Child: Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 6, and most any work on
+Buddhism.
+
+[90:8] See Smith: Chaldean Account of Genesis.
+
+[90:9] See Goldziher: Hebrew Mythology, p. 128, _note_.
+
+[90:10] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 213, 214.
+
+[90:11] I. Samuel, xvii.
+
+[91:1] See Goldzhier: Hebrew Mythology, p. 430, and Bulfinch: Age of
+Fable, 440.
+
+[91:2] Chapter xxii.
+
+[91:3] See Smith's Chaldean Account of Genesis, p. 188, _et seq._
+
+[91:4] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 323.
+
+[91:5] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 19.
+
+[91:6] Ibid. i. 191, and ii. 241; Franklin: Bud. & Jeynes, 174.
+
+[91:7] Hardy: Buddhist Legends, pp. 50, 53, and 140.
+
+[91:8] See Ibid.
+
+[91:9] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 191.
+
+[91:10] Ibid. p. 39.
+
+[92:1] "Septuagint."--The Old _Greek_ version of the Old Testament.
+
+[92:2] "Vulgate."--The _Latin_ version of the Old Testament.
+
+[92:3] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. ii. pp. 186, 187.
+
+[92:4] The Religion of Israel, p. 9.
+
+[92:5] Besides the many other facts which show that the Pentateuch was
+not composed until long after the time of Moses and Joshua, the
+following may be mentioned as examples: _Gilgal_, mentioned in Deut. xi.
+30, was not given as the name of that place till _after_ the entrance
+into Canaan. _Dan_, mentioned in Genesis xiv. 14, was not so called till
+long _after_ the time of Moses. In Gen. xxxvi. 31, the beginning of the
+reign of the kings over Israel is spoken of _historically_, an event
+which did not occur before the time of Samuel. (See, for further
+information, Bishop Colenso's Pentateuch Examined, vol. ii. ch. v. and
+vi.)
+
+[93:1] The Religion of Israel, p. 9.
+
+[93:2] Ibid. p. 10.
+
+[93:3] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Jews."
+
+[93:4] The Religion of Israel, pp. 10, 11.
+
+[94:1] The Religion of Israel, p. 11.
+
+[94:2] See Ibid. pp. 120, 122.
+
+[94:3] See Ibid. p. 122.
+
+[94:4] The account of the _finding_ of this book by Hilkiah is to be
+found in II. Chronicles, ch. xxxiv.
+
+[94:5] See Religion of Israel, pp. 124, 125.
+
+[94:6] Ibid. p. 11.
+
+[95:1] The Religion of Israel, pp. 186, 187.
+
+[95:2] "_Talmud._"--The books containing the Jewish traditions.
+
+[95:3] See Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Bible."
+
+[95:4] The Religion of Israel, pp. 240, 241.
+
+[96:1] The Religion of Israel, p. 11.
+
+[96:2] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. ii. p. 178.
+
+[96:3] The Religion of Israel, p. 241.
+
+[96:4] On the strength of II. Maccabees, ii. 12.
+
+[96:5] The Religion of Israel, p. 242.
+
+[96:6] Ibid. p. 243.
+
+[97:1] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Bible."
+
+[97:2] Ibid.
+
+[97:3] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Akiba."
+
+[97:4] The Religion of Israel, pp. 19, 23.
+
+[98:1] "What is the Bible," by J. T. Sunderland. "The Bible of To-day,"
+by J. W. Chadwick. "Hebrew and Christian Records," by the Rev. Dr.
+Giles, 2 vols. Prof. W. R. Smith's article on "The Bible," in the last
+edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Introduction to the Old
+Testament," by Davidson. "The Pentateuch and the Book of Joshua
+Examined," by Bishop Colenso. Prof. F. W. Newman's "Hebrew Monarchy."
+"The Bible for Learners" (vols. i. and ii.), by Prof. Oort and others.
+"The Old Testament in the Jewish Church," by Prof. Robertson Smith, and
+Kuenen's "Religion of Israel."
+
+[98:2] Smith: Chaldean Account of Genesis, pp. 22, 29.
+
+[99:1] Ibid. pp. 29, 100. Also, Assyrian Discoveries, p. 397.
+
+[99:2] Tree and Serpent Worship, pp. 6, 7.
+
+[99:3] Myths and Myth-Makers, p. 112.
+
+[99:4] Draper: Religion and Science, p. 62.
+
+[99:5] Goldziher: Hebrew Mythology, p. 328, _et seq._
+
+[100:1] Quoted by Bishop Colenso: The Pentateuch Examined, iv. 283.
+
+[100:2] "Much of the Old Testament which Christian divines, in their
+ignorance of Jewish lore, have insisted on receiving and interpreting
+_literally_, the informed Rabbis never dreamed of regarding as anything
+but _allegorical_. The '_literalists_' they called fools. The account of
+the _Creation_ was one of the portions which the unlearned were
+specially forbidden to meddle with." (Greg: The Creed of Christendom, p.
+80.)
+
+[100:3] Quoted by Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 226.
+
+[100:4] See Ibid. p. 227.
+
+[100:5] Quoted by Dunlap: Mysteries of Adoni, p. 176. See also, Bunsen:
+Keys of St. Peter, p. 406.
+
+[101:1] See Appendix, c.
+
+[101:2] See Westropp & Wakes, "Phallic Worship."
+
+[101:3] In chap. ii.
+
+[101:4] See Assyrian Discoveries, pp. 167, 168, and Chaldean Account of
+Genesis.
+
+[101:5] "Upon the carrying away of the Jews to Babylon, they were
+brought into contact with a flood of Iranian as well as Chaldean myths,
+_and adopted them without hesitation_." (S. Baring-Gould; Curious Myths,
+p. 316.)
+
+[102:1] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Deucalion."
+
+[102:2] See chapter ii.
+
+[102:3] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 185, and Maurice: Indian
+Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 277.
+
+[102:4] Chapter ii.
+
+[102:5] See Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 153, _note_.
+
+[102:6] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 254.
+
+[102:7] See Ibid. p. 367.
+
+[102:8] See Ibid. p. 252.
+
+[102:9] Goldzhier: Hebrew Mythology, pp. 130-135, and Smith's Chaldean
+Account of Genesis.
+
+[103:1] Chaldean Account of Genesis, pp. 27, 28.
+
+[103:2] See Note, p. 109.
+
+[103:3] See Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 685.
+
+[103:4] "_Targum._"--The general term for the Aramaic versions of the
+Old Testament.
+
+[103:5] In Genesis xxiii. 2, Abraham is called rich in gold and in
+silver.
+
+[103:6] See Volney's Researches in Ancient History, pp. 144-147.
+
+[104:1] The Religion of Israel, p. 49.
+
+[104:2] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 122. Higgins: vol. ii. p. 19.
+
+[104:3] In claiming the "mighty man" and "lion-killer" as one of their
+own race, the Jews were simply doing what other nations had done before
+them. The Greeks claimed Hercules as _their_ countryman; stated where he
+was born, and showed his tomb. The Egyptians affirmed that he was born
+in _their_ country (see Tacitus, Annals, b. ii. ch. lix.), and so did
+many other nations.
+
+[105:1] See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, pp. 92, 93.
+
+[105:2] Chaldean Account of Genesis, pp. 168 and 174; and Assyrian
+Discoveries, p. 167.
+
+[105:3] Chaldean Account of Genesis, p. 168.
+
+[105:4] See The Religion of Israel, p. 12; and Chadwick's Bible of
+To-Day, p. 55.
+
+[105:5] See The Religion of Israel, p. 41, and Chadwick's Bible of
+To-Day, p. 24.
+
+[106:1] The Science of Religion, p. 48.
+
+[107:1] They even claimed that one of the "lost tribes of Israel" had
+found their way to America, and had taught the natives _Hebrew_.
+
+[107:2] The Science of Religion, pp. 285, 292.
+
+[107:3] "It is an _assumption_ of the popular theology, and an almost
+universal belief in the popular mind, that the Jewish nation was
+selected by the Almighty to preserve and carry down to later ages a
+knowledge of the _One_ and true God--that the Patriarchs possessed this
+knowledge--that Moses delivered and enforced this doctrine as the
+fundamental tenet of the national creed; and that it was, in fact, the
+received and distinctive dogma of the Hebrew people. This _alleged
+possession of the true faith_ by one only people, while all surrounding
+tribes were lost in Polytheism, or something worse, has been adduced by
+divines in general as a proof of the truth of the sacred history, and of
+the divine origin of the Mosaic dispensation." (Greg: The Creed of
+Christendom, p. 145.)
+
+Even such authorities as Paley and Milman have written in this strain.
+(See quotations from Paley's "_Evidences of Christianity_," and Dean
+Milman's "_History of the Jews_," made by Mr. Greg in his "_Creed of
+Christendom_," p. 145.)
+
+[107:4] See the Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 321, vol. ii. p. 102; and
+Dunlap: Mysteries of Adoni, p. 108.
+
+[108:1] See the Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 317, 418; vol. ii. p.
+301. Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 3, and his Spirit Hist., pp. 68 and
+182. Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. pp. 782, 783; and Goldziher: Hebrew
+Mythol., pp. 227, 240, 242.
+
+[108:2] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 317. Dunlap's Son of the Man,
+p. 3; and Spirit Hist., p. 68. Also, Goldziher: Hebrew Mythol., p. 159.
+
+[108:3] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 26, and 317; vol. ii. p. 301
+and 328. Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 3. Dunlap's Spirit Hist., 68;
+Mysteries of Adoni, pp. xvii. and 108; and The Religion of Israel, p.
+38.
+
+[108:4] Bunsen: Keys of St. Peter, pp. 101, 102.
+
+[108:5] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 175-178, 317, 322, 448.
+
+[108:6] Ibid. 115.
+
+[108:7] Ibid. i. 23, 321; ii. 102, 103, 109, 264, 274. Dunlap's Spirit
+Hist., p. 108. Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 438; vol. ii. p. 30.
+
+[108:8] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 88, 318; vol. ii. pp. 102,
+113, 300. Dunlap: Son of the Man, p. 3; and Mysteries of Adoni, p. xvii.
+Mueller: The Science of Religion, p. 261.
+
+[108:9] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 21-25, 105, 391; vol. ii.
+pp. 102, 136-138. Dunlap: Son of the Man, p. 3. Mysteries of Adoni, pp.
+106, 177. Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. pp. 782, 783. Bunsen: The Keys
+of St. Peter, p. 91. Mueller: The Science of Religion, p. 181. _Bal_,
+_Bel_ or _Belus_ was an idol of the Chaldeans and Phenicians or
+Canaanites. The word _Bal_, in the Punic language, signifies Lord or
+Master. The name _Bal_ is often joined with some other, as _Bal_-berith,
+_Bal_-peor, _Bal_-zephon, &c. "The Israelites made him their god, and
+erected altars to him on which they offered human sacrifices," and "what
+is still more unnatural, they _ate_ of the victims they offered."
+(Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. pp. 113, 114.)
+
+[108:10] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 17, 26; vol. ii. pp. 102,
+299, 300. Bunsen: Keys of St. Peter, p. 110. Mueller: The Science of
+Religion, p. 285. _Moloch_ was a god of the Ammonites, also worshiped
+among the Israelites. Solomon built a temple to him, on the Mount of
+Olives, _and human sacrifices were offered to him_. (Bell's Pantheon,
+vol. ii. pp. 84, 85.)
+
+[108:11] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 153; vol. ii. pp. 71, 83,
+125. Smith's Bible Dictionary art. "Chemosh."
+
+[108:12] The Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 26, 117, 148, 319, 320;
+vol. ii. pp. 16, 17, 299, 300. Dunlap's Spirit Hist., pp. 108, 222.
+Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. pp. 100, 101. Mueller: Science of
+Religion, p. 261. Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. 113, 114; vol. ii. 84, 85.
+
+[108:13] See note 9 above.
+
+[108:14] See Bunsen: Keys of St. Peter, 291.
+
+[108:15] Ibid. p. 27.
+
+[108:16] Goldziher: Hebrew Mythology, p. 319
+
+[109:1] The _Talmud_ of Jerusalem expressly states that the names of the
+angels and the months, such as Gabriel, Michael, Yar, Nisan, &c., came
+from Babylon with the Jews. (Goldziher, p. 319.) "There is no trace of
+the doctrine of Angels in the Hebrew Scriptures composed or written
+before the exile." (Bunsen: The Angel Messiah, p. 285) "The Jews
+adopted, during the Captivity, the idea of angels, Michael, Raphael,
+Uriel, Gabriel," &c. (Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 54.) See,
+for further information on this subject, Dr. Knappert's "Religion of
+Israel," or Prof. Kuenen's "Religion of Israel."
+
+
+
+
+PART II.
+
+THE NEW TESTAMENT.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE MIRACULOUS BIRTH OF CHRIST JESUS.
+
+
+According to the dogma of the deity of Jesus, he who is said to have
+lived on earth some eighteen centuries ago, as _Jesus of Nazareth_, is
+second of the three persons in the Trinity, the SON, God as absolutely
+as the Father and the Holy Spirit, except as eternally deriving his
+existence from the Father. What, however, especially characterizes the
+Son, and distinguishes him from the two other persons united with him in
+the unity of the Deity, is this, that the Son, at a given moment of
+time, became incarnate, and that, without losing anything of his divine
+nature, he thus became possessed of a complete human nature; so that he
+is at the same time, without injury to the unity of his person, "_truly
+man and truly God_."
+
+The story of the miraculous birth of Jesus is told by the _Matthew_
+narrator as follows:[111:1]
+
+     "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his
+     mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together,
+     she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her
+     husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a
+     public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while
+     he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
+     appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of
+     David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that
+     which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall
+     bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he
+     shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done,
+     that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the
+     prophet, saying: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and
+     shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name
+     Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."[111:2]
+
+A Deliverer was hoped for, expected, prophesied, in the time of Jewish
+misery[112:1] (and _Cyrus_ was perhaps the first referred to); but as no
+one appeared who did what the Messiah, according to prophecy, should do,
+they went on degrading each successive conqueror and hero from the
+Messianic dignity, and are still expecting the true Deliverer. Hebrew
+and Christian divines both start from the same assumed unproven
+premises, viz.: that a Messiah, having been foretold, must appear; but
+there they diverge, and the Jews show themselves to be the sounder
+logicians of the two: the Christians assuming that Jesus was the Messiah
+_intended_ (though not the one _expected_), wrest the obvious meaning of
+the prophecies to show that they were fulfilled in him; while the Jews,
+assuming the obvious meaning of the prophecies to be their real meaning,
+argue that they were not fulfilled in Christ Jesus, and therefore that
+the Messiah is yet to come.
+
+We shall now see, in the words of Bishop Hawes: "that God should, in
+some extraordinary manner, visit and dwell with man, is an idea which,
+as we read the writings of the _ancient Heathens_, meets us in a
+thousand different forms."
+
+Immaculate conceptions and celestial descents were so currently received
+among the ancients, that whoever had greatly distinguished himself in
+the affairs of men was thought to be of supernatural lineage. Gods
+descended from heaven and were made incarnate in men, and men ascended
+from earth, and took their seat among the gods, so that these
+incarnations and apotheosises were fast filling Olympus with divinities.
+
+In our inquiries on this subject we shall turn first to _Asia_, where,
+as the learned Thomas Maurice remarks in his _Indian Antiquities_, "in
+every age, and in almost every region of the Asiatic world, there seems
+uniformly to have flourished an immemorial tradition that one god had,
+from all eternity, _begotten another god_."[112:2]
+
+In India, there have been several _Avatars_, or incarnations of
+Vishnu,[112:3] the most important of which is _Heri Crishna_,[112:4] or
+_Crishna the Saviour_.
+
+In the _Maha-bharata_, an Indian epic poem, written about the sixth
+century B. C., Crishna is associated or identified with Vishnu the
+Preserving god or Saviour.[113:1]
+
+Sir William Jones, first President of the Royal Asiatic Society,
+instituted in Bengal, says of him:
+
+     "Crishna continues to this hour the darling god of the Indian
+     woman. The sect of Hindoos who adore him with enthusiastic,
+     and almost exclusive devotion, have broached a doctrine, which
+     they maintain with eagerness, and which seems general in these
+     provinces, that he was distinct from all the _Avatars_
+     (incarnations) who had only an _ansa_, or a portion, of his
+     (_Vishnu's_) divinity, _while Crishna was the person of Vishnu
+     himself in human form_."[113:2]
+
+The Rev. D. O. Allen, Missionary of the American Board, for twenty-five
+years in India, speaking of Crishna, says:
+
+     "He was greater than, and distinct from, all the _Avatars_
+     which had only a portion of the divinity in them, while he was
+     the very person of Vishnu himself in human form."[113:3]
+
+Thomas Maurice, in speaking of _Mathura_, says:
+
+     "It is particularly celebrated for having been the birth-place
+     of _Crishna_, who is esteemed in India, not so much an
+     incarnation of the divine Vishnu, _as the deity himself in
+     human form_."[113:4]
+
+Again, in his "_History of Hindostan_," he says:
+
+     "It appears to me that the Hindoos, idolizing some eminent
+     character of antiquity, distinguished, in the early annals of
+     their nation, by heroic fortitude and exalted piety, have
+     applied to that character those ancient traditional accounts
+     of an _incarnate God_, or, as they not improperly term it, an
+     _Avatar_, which had been delivered down to them from their
+     ancestors, the virtuous Noachidae, to descend amidst the
+     darkness and ignorance of succeeding ages, at once to reform
+     and instruct mankind. We have the more solid reason to affirm
+     this of the Avatar of Crishna, because it is allowed to be the
+     most illustrious of them all; since we have learned, that, in
+     the _seven_ preceding Avatars, the deity brought only an
+     _ansa_, or portion of his divinity; but, in the _eighth_, he
+     descended in all the plentitude of the Godhead, _and was
+     Vishnu himself in a human form_."[113:5]
+
+Crishna was born of a chaste virgin,[113:6] called _Devaki_, who, on
+account of her purity, was selected to become the "_mother of God_."
+
+According to the "BHAGAVAT POORAUN," _Vishnu_ said:
+
+     "I will become incarnate at Mathura in the house of _Yadu_,
+     and will issue forth to mortal birth from the womb of
+     Devaki. . . . It is time I should display my power, and
+     relieve the oppressed earth from its load."[114:1]
+
+Then a chorus of angels exclaimed:
+
+     "In the delivery of this favored woman, all nature shall have
+     cause to exult."[114:2]
+
+In the sacred book of the Hindoos, called "_Vishnu Purana_," we read as
+follows:
+
+     "Eulogized by the gods, Devaki bore in her womb the lotus-eyed
+     deity, the protector of the world. . . .
+
+     "No person could bear to gaze upon Devaki, from the light that
+     invested her, and those who contemplated her radiance felt
+     their minds disturbed. The gods, invisible to mortals,
+     celebrated her praises continually from the time that _Vishnu_
+     was contained in her person."[114:3]
+
+Again we read:
+
+     "The divine _Vishnu himself_, the root of the vast universal
+     tree, inscrutable by the understandings of all gods, demons,
+     sages, and men, past, present, or to come, adored by Brahma
+     and all the deities, he who is without beginning, middle, or
+     end, being moved to relieve the earth of her load, descended
+     into the womb of Devaki, and was born as her son, Vasudeva,"
+     _i. e._, _Crishna_.[114:4]
+
+Again:
+
+     "Crishna is the very _Supreme Brahma_, though it be a
+     _mystery_[114:5] how the Supreme _should assume the form of a
+     man_."[114:6]
+
+The Hindoo belief in a divine incarnation has at least, above many
+others, its logical side of conceiving that God manifests himself on
+earth whenever the weakness or the errors of humanity render his
+presence necessary. We find this idea expressed in one of their sacred
+books called the "_Bhagavat Geeta_," wherein it says:
+
+     "I (the Supreme One said), I am made evident by my own power,
+     and as often as there is a decline of virtue, and an
+     insurrection of vice and injustice in the world, I make myself
+     evident, _and thus I appear from age to age_, for the
+     preservation of the just, the destruction of the wicked, and
+     the establishment of virtue."[114:7]
+
+Crishna is recorded in the "_Bhagavat Geeta_" as saying to his beloved
+disciple Arjouna:
+
+     "He, O Arjoun, who, from conviction, acknowledgeth my _divine
+     birth_ (upon quitting his mortal form), entereth into
+     me."[115:1]
+
+Again, he says:
+
+     "The foolish, being _unacquainted with my supreme and divine
+     nature, as Lord of all things_, despise me in this _human
+     form_, trusting to the evil, diabolic, and deceitful principle
+     within them. They are of vain hope, of vain endeavors, of vain
+     wisdom, and void of reason; whilst men of great minds,
+     trusting to their divine natures, _discover that I am before
+     all things and incorruptible_, and serve me with their hearts
+     undiverted by other gods."[115:2]
+
+The next in importance among the _God-begotten_ and _Virgin-born_
+Saviours of India, is _Buddha_[115:3] who was born of the Virgin Maya or
+Mary. He in mercy left Paradise, and came down to earth because he was
+filled with compassion for the sins and miseries of mankind. He sought
+to lead them into better paths, and took their sufferings upon himself,
+that he might expiate their crimes, and mitigate the punishment they
+must otherwise inevitably undergo.[115:4]
+
+According to the _Fo-pen-hing_,[115:5] when Buddha was about to descend
+from heaven, to be born into the world, the angels in heaven, calling to
+the inhabitants of the earth, said:
+
+     "Ye mortals! adorn your earth! for Bodhisatwa, the great
+     Mahasatwa, not long hence shall descend from Tusita to be born
+     amongst you! make ready and prepare! Buddha is about to
+     descend and be born!"[115:6]
+
+The womb that bears a Buddha is like a casket in which a relic is
+placed; no other being can be conceived in the same receptacle; the
+usual secretions are not formed; and from the time of conception,
+Maha-maya was free from passion, and lived in the strictest
+continence.[115:7]
+
+The resemblance between this legend and the doctrine of the _perpetual
+virginity_ of Mary the mother of Jesus, cannot but be remarked. The
+opinion that she had ever borne other children was called heresy by
+Epiphanius and Jerome, long before she had been exalted to the station
+of supremacy she now occupies.[115:8]
+
+M. l'Abbe Huc, a French Missionary, in speaking of Buddha, says:
+
+     "In the eyes of the Buddhists, this personage is sometimes a
+     man and sometimes a god, or rather both one and the other, _a
+     divine incarnation_, _a man-god_; who came into the world to
+     enlighten men, to redeem them, and to indicate to them the way
+     of safety.
+
+     "This idea of redemption by a _divine incarnation_ is so
+     general and popular among the Buddhists, that during our
+     travels in Upper Asia, we everywhere found it expressed in a
+     neat formula. If we addressed to a Mongol or a Thibetan the
+     question, 'Who is Buddha?' he would immediately reply: '_The
+     Saviour of Men._'"[116:1]
+
+He further says:
+
+     "The miraculous birth of Buddha, his life and instructions,
+     contain a great number of the moral and dogmatic truths
+     professed in Christianity."[116:2]
+
+This Angel-Messiah was regarded as the divinely chosen and incarnate
+messenger, the vicar of God. He is addressed as "God of Gods," "Father
+of the World," "Almighty and All-knowing Ruler," and "Redeemer of
+All."[116:3] He is called also "The Holy One," "The Author of
+Happiness," "The Lord," "The Possessor of All," "He who is Omnipotent
+and Everlastingly to be Contemplated," "The Supreme Being, the Eternal
+One," "The Divinity worthy to be Adored by the most praiseworthy of
+Mankind."[116:4] He is addressed by Amora--one of his followers--thus:
+
+     "Reverence be unto thee in the form of Buddha! Reverence be
+     unto thee, the Lord of the Earth! Reverence be unto thee, an
+     incarnation of the Deity! Of the Eternal One! Reverence be
+     unto thee, O God, in the form of the God of Mercy; the
+     dispeller of pain and trouble, the Lord of all things, the
+     deity, the guardian of the universe, the emblem of
+     mercy."[116:5]
+
+The incarnation of Gautama Buddha is recorded to have been brought about
+by the descent of the divine power called The "_Holy Ghost_" upon the
+Virgin _Maya_.[116:6] This Holy Ghost, or Spirit, descended in the form
+of a _white elephant_. The _Tikas_ explain this as indicating power and
+wisdom.[117:1]
+
+The incarnation of the angel destined to become Buddha took place in a
+spiritual manner. The Elephant is the symbol of power and wisdom; and
+Buddha was considered the organ of divine power and wisdom, as he is
+called in the Tikas. For these reasons Buddha is described by Buddhistic
+legends as having descended from heaven in the form of an Elephant to
+the place where the Virgin Maya was. But according to Chinese Buddhistic
+writings, it was the Holy Ghost, or _Shing-Shin_, who descended on the
+Virgin Maya.[117:2]
+
+The _Fo-pen-hing_ says:
+
+     "If a mother, in her dream, behold
+     A white elephant enter her right side,
+     That mother, when she bears a son,
+     Shall bear one chief of all the world (Buddha);
+     Able to profit all flesh;
+     Equally poised between preference and dislike;
+     Able to save and deliver the world and men
+     From the deep sea of misery and grief."[117:3]
+
+In Prof. Fergusson's "_Tree and Serpent Worship_" may be seen (Plate
+xxxiii.) a representation of Maya, the mother of Buddha, asleep, and
+dreaming that a white elephant appeared to her, and entered her womb.
+
+This dream being interpreted by the Brahmans learned in the _Rig Veda_,
+was considered as announcing the incarnation of him who was to be in
+future the deliverer of mankind from pain and sorrow. It is, in fact,
+the form which the Annunciation took in Buddhist legends.[117:4]
+
+                                   "----Awaked,
+     Bliss beyond mortal mother's filled her breast,
+     And over half the earth a lovely light
+     Forewent the morn. The strong hills shook; the waves
+     Sank lulled; all flowers that blow by day came forth
+     As 'twere high noon; down to the farthest hells
+     Passed the Queen's joy, as when warm sunshine thrills
+     Wood-glooms to gold, and into all the deeps
+     A tender whisper pierced. 'Oh ye,' it said,
+     'The dead that are to live, the live who die,
+     Uprise, and hear, and hope! Buddha is come!'
+     Whereat in Limbos numberless much peace
+     Spread, and the world's heart throbbed, and a wind blew
+     With unknown freshness over land and seas.
+     And when the morning dawned, and this was told,
+     The grey dream-readers said, 'The dream is good!
+     The Crab is in conjunction with the Sun;
+     The Queen shall bear a boy, a holy child
+     Of wondrous wisdom, profiting all flesh,
+     Who shall deliver men from ignorance,
+     Or rule the world, if he will deign to rule.'
+     In this wise was the holy Buddha born."
+
+In Fig. 4, Plate xci., the same subject is also illustrated. Prof.
+Fergusson, referring to it, says:
+
+     "Fig. 4 is another edition of a legend more frequently
+     repeated than almost any other in Buddhist Scriptures. It was,
+     with their artists, as great a favorite as the Annunciation
+     and Nativity were with Christian painters."[118:1]
+
+When Buddha _avatar_ descended from the regions of the souls, and
+entered the body of the Virgin Maya, her womb suddenly assumed the
+appearance of clear, transparent crystal, in which Buddha appeared,
+beautiful as a flower, kneeling and reclining on his hands.[118:2]
+
+Buddha's representative on earth is the _Dalai Lama_, or _Grand Lama_,
+the High Priest of the Tartars. He is regarded as the vicegerent of God,
+with power to dispense divine blessings on whomsoever he will, and is
+considered among the Buddhists to be a sort of divine being. He is the
+Pope of Buddhism.[118:3]
+
+The _Siamese_ had a Virgin-born God and Saviour whom they called
+_Codom_. His mother, a beautiful young virgin, being inspired from
+heaven, quitted the society of men and wandered into the most
+unfrequented parts of a great forest, there to await the coming of a god
+which had long been announced to mankind. While she was one day
+prostrate in prayer, she was _impregnated by the sunbeams_. She
+thereupon retired to the borders of a lake, between Siam and Cambodia,
+where she was delivered of a "_heavenly boy_," which she placed within
+the folds of a _lotus_, that opened to receive him. When the boy grew
+up, he became a prodigy of wisdom, performed miracles, &c.[118:4]
+
+The first Europeans who visited Cape Comorin, the most southerly
+extremity of the peninsula of Hindostan, were surprised to find the
+inhabitants worshiping a Lord and Saviour whom they called _Salivahana_.
+They related that his father's name was Taishaca, but that he was _a
+divine child horn of a Virgin_, in fact, an incarnation of the Supreme
+_Vishnu_.[119:1]
+
+The belief in a virgin-born god-man is found in the religions of China.
+As Sir John Francis Davis remarks,[119:2] "China has her mythology in
+common with all other nations, and under this head we must range the
+persons styled _Fo-hi_ (or Fuh-he), _Shin-noong_, _Hoang-ty_ and their
+immediate successors, who, like the demi gods and heroes of Grecian
+fable, rescued mankind by their ability or enterprise from the most
+primitive barbarism, and have since been invested with _superhuman_
+attributes. The most extravagant prodigies are related of these persons,
+and the most incongruous qualities attributed to them."
+
+Dean Milman, in his "History of Christianity" (Vol. i. p. 97), refers to
+the tradition, found among the Chinese, that _Fo-hi_ was born of a
+virgin; and remarks that, the first Jesuit missionaries who went to
+China were appalled at finding, in the mythology of that country, a
+counterpart of the story of the virgin of Judea.
+
+Fo-hi is said to have been born 3463 years B. C., and, according to some
+Chinese writers, with him begins the historical era and the foundation
+of the empire. When his mother conceived him in her womb, a rainbow was
+seen to surround her.[119:3]
+
+The Chinese traditions concerning the birth of Fo-hi are, some of them,
+highly poetical. That which has received the widest acceptance is as
+follows:
+
+     "Three nymphs came down from heaven to wash themselves in a
+     river; but scarce had they got there before the herb _lotus_
+     appeared on one of their garments, with its coral fruit upon
+     it. They could not imagine whence it proceeded, and one was
+     tempted to taste it, whereby she became pregnant and was
+     delivered of a boy, who afterwards became a great man, a
+     founder of religion, a conqueror, and legislator."[119:4]
+
+The sect of _Xaca_, which is evidently a corruption of Buddhism, claim
+that their master was also of supernatural origin. Alvarez Semedo,
+speaking of them, says:
+
+     "The third religious sect among the Chinese is from India,
+     from the parts of Hindostan, which sect they call _Xaca_, from
+     the founder of it, concerning whom they fable--that he was
+     conceived by his mother Maya, from a white elephant, which
+     she saw in her sleep, and for more purity she brought him from
+     one of her sides."[120:1]
+
+_Lao-kiun_, sometimes celled _Lao-tsze_, who is said to have been born
+in the third year of the emperor _Ting-wang_, of the Chow dynasty (604
+B. C.), was another miraculously-born man. He acquired great reputation
+for sanctity, and marvelous stories were told of his birth. It was said
+that he had existed from all eternity; that he had descended on earth
+_and was born of a virgin_, black in complexion, described "marvelous
+and beautiful as jasper." Splendid temples were erected to him, and he
+was worshiped as a _god_. His disciples were called "Heavenly Teachers."
+They inculcated great tenderness toward animals, and considered strict
+celibacy necessary for the attainment of perfect holiness. Lao-kiun
+believed in _One God_ whom he called _Tao_, and the sect which he formed
+is called _Tao-tse_, or "Sect of Reason." Sir Thomas Thornton, speaking
+of him, says:
+
+     "The mythological history of this 'prince of the doctrine of
+     the _Taou_,' which is current amongst his followers,
+     _represents him as a divine emanation incarnate in a human
+     form_. They term him the 'most high and venerable prince of
+     the portals of gold of the palace of the _genii_,' and say
+     that he condescended to a contact with humanity when he became
+     incorporated with the 'miraculous and excellent Virgin of
+     jasper.' Like Buddha, he came out of his mother's side, and
+     was born under a tree.
+
+     "The legends of the _Taou-tse_ declare their founder to have
+     existed antecedent to the birth of the elements, in the Great
+     Absolute; that he is the 'pure essence of the teen;' that he
+     is the 'original ancestor of the prime breath of life;' and
+     that he gave form to the heavens and the earth."[120:2]
+
+M. Le Compte says:
+
+     "Those who have made this (the religion of Taou-tsze) their
+     professed business, are called _Tien-se_, that is, 'Heavenly
+     Doctors;' they have houses (Monasteries) given them to live
+     together in society; they erect, in divers parts, temples to
+     their master, and king and people honor him with _divine_
+     worship."
+
+_Yu_ was another _virgin-born_ Chinese sage, who is said to have lived
+upon earth many ages ago. Confucius--as though he had been questioned
+about him--says: "I see no defect in the character of Yu. He was sober
+in eating and drinking, and eminently pious toward spirits and
+ancestors."[120:3]
+
+_Hau-ki_, the Chinese hero, was of supernatural origin.
+
+The following is the history of his birth, according to the "Shih-King:"
+
+     "His mother, who was childless, had presented a pure offering
+     and sacrificed, that her childlessness might be taken away.
+     She then trod on a toe-print made by God, and was
+     moved,[121:1] in the large place where she rested. She became
+     pregnant; she dwelt retired; she gave birth to and nourished a
+     son, who was _Hau-ki_. When she had fulfilled her months, her
+     first-born son came forth like a lamb. There was no bursting,
+     no rending, no injury, no hurt; showing how wonderful he would
+     be. Did not God give her comfort? Had he not accepted her pure
+     offering and sacrifice, so that thus easily she brought forth
+     her son?"[121:2]
+
+Even the sober Confucius (born B. C. 501) was of supernatural origin.
+The most important event in Chinese literary and ethical history is the
+birth of _Kung-foo-tsze_ (Confucius), both in its effects on the moral
+organization of this great empire, and the study of Chinese philosophy
+in Europe.
+
+Kung-foo-tsze (meaning "the sage Kung" or "the wise excellence") was of
+_royal descent_; and his family the most ancient in the empire, as his
+genealogy was traceable directly up to Hwang-te, the reputed organizer
+of the state, the first emperor of the semi-historical period (beginning
+2696 B. C.).
+
+At his birth a prodigious quadruped, called the Ke-lin, appeared and
+prophesied that the new-born infant "would be a king without throne or
+territory." Two dragons hovered about the couch of _Yen-she_ (his
+mother), and five celestial sages, or angels, entered at the moment of
+the birth of the wondrous child; heavenly strains were heard in the air,
+and harmonious chords followed each other, fast and full. Thus was
+Confucius ushered into the world.
+
+His disciples, who were to expound his precepts, were seventy-two in
+number, _twelve_ of whom were his ordinary companions, the depositories
+of his thoughts, and the witnesses of all his actions. To them he
+minutely explained his doctrines, and charged them with their
+propagation after his death. YAN-HWUY was his favorite disciple, who, in
+his opinion, had attained the highest degree of moral perfection.
+Confucius addressed him in terms of great affection, which denoted that
+he relied mainly upon him for the accomplishment of his work.[121:3]
+
+Even as late as the seventeenth century of our era, do we find the myth
+of the virgin-born God in China.[121:4]
+
+All these god-begotten and virgin-born men were called _Tien-tse_, _i.
+e._, "Sons of Heaven."
+
+If from China we should turn to Egypt we would find that, for ages
+before the time of Jesus of Nazareth, the mediating deity, born of a
+virgin, and without a worldly father, was a portion of the Egyptian
+belief.[122:1]
+
+_Horus_, who had the epithet of "_Saviour_," was born of the virgin
+Isis. "His birth was one of the greatest Mysteries of the Egyptian
+religion. Pictures representing it appear on the walls of
+temples."[122:2] He is "the second emanation of _Amon_, the son whom he
+begot."[122:3] Egyptian monuments represent the infant Saviour in the
+arms of his virgin mother, or sitting on her knee.[122:4] An inscription
+on a monument, translated by Champollion, reads thus:
+
+     "O thou avenger, God, son of a God; O thou avenger, Horus,
+     manifested by Osiris, engendered of the goddess Isis."[122:5]
+
+The Egyptian god _Ra_ was born from the side of his mother, _but was not
+engendered_.[122:6]
+
+The ancient Egyptians also deified kings and heroes, in the same manner
+as the ancient Greeks and Romans. An Egyptian king became, in a sense,
+"the vicar of God on earth, the infallible, and the personated
+deity."[122:7]
+
+P. Le Page Renouf, in his Hibbert Lectures on the Religion of Ancient
+Egypt, says:
+
+     "I must not quit this part of my subject without a reference
+     to the belief that the ruling sovereign of Egypt was the
+     living image and vicegerent of the Sun-god (_Ra_). _He was
+     invested with the attributes of divinity_, and that in the
+     earliest times of which we possess monumental
+     evidence."[122:8]
+
+_Menes_, who is said to have been the first king of Egypt, was believed
+to be a god.[122:9]
+
+Almost all the temples of the left bank of the Nile, at Thebes, had been
+constructed in view of the worship rendered to the Pharaohs, their
+founders, after their death.[122:10]
+
+On the wall of one of these Theban temples is to be seen a picture
+representing the god Thoth--the messenger of God--telling the _maiden_,
+Queen Mautmes, that she is to give birth to a _divine son_, who is to be
+King _Amunothph_ III.[123:1]
+
+An inscription found in Egypt makes the god _Ra_ say to his son Ramses
+III.:
+
+     "I am thy father; by me are begotten all thy members as
+     divine; I have formed thy shape like the Mendesian god; I have
+     begotten thee, impregnating thy venerable mother."[123:2]
+
+_Raam-ses_, or _Ra-me-ses_, means "Son of the Sun," and _Ramses Hek An_,
+a name of Ramses III., means "engendered by Ra (the Sun), Prince of An
+(Heliopolis)."[123:3]
+
+"_Thotmes_ III., on the tablet of Karnak, presents offerings to his
+predecessors; so does _Ramses_ on the tablet of Abydos. Even during his
+life-time the Egyptian king was denominated '_Beneficent God_.'"[123:4]
+
+The ancient Babylonians also believed that their kings were gods upon
+earth. A passage from Menaut's translation of the great inscription of
+Nebuchadnezzar, reads thus:
+
+     "I am Nabu-kuder-usur . . . the first-born son of Nebu-pal-usur,
+     King of Babylon. The god _Bel_ himself created me, the god
+     _Marduk_ engendered me, and deposited himself the germ of my
+     life in the womb of my mother."[123:5]
+
+In the life of _Zoroaster_, the law-giver of the _Persians_, the common
+mythos is apparent. He was born in innocence, of an immaculate
+conception, of a ray of the Divine Reason. As soon as he was born the
+glory from his body enlightened the whole room.[123:6] Plato informs us
+that Zoroaster was said to be "the son of Oromasdes, which was the name
+the Persians gave to the Supreme God"[123:7]--therefore he was the _Son
+of God_.
+
+From the East we will turn to the West, and shall find that many of the
+ancient heroes of Grecian and Roman mythology were regarded as of divine
+origin, were represented as men, possessed of god-like form, strength
+and courage; were believed to have lived on earth in the remote, dim
+ages of the nation's history; to have been occupied in their life-time
+with thrilling adventures and extraordinary services in the cause of
+human civilization, and to have been after death in some cases
+translated to a life among the gods, and entitled to sacrifice and
+worship. In the hospitable Pantheon of the Greeks and Romans, a niche
+was always in readiness for every new divinity who could produce
+respectable credentials.
+
+The Christian Father Justin Martyr, says:
+
+     "It having reached the Devil's ears that the prophets had
+     foretold the coming of Christ (_the Son of God_), he set the
+     _Heathen Poets_ to bring forward a great many who should be
+     called _the sons of Jove_. The Devil laying his scheme in
+     this, to get men to imagine that the _true_ history of Christ
+     was of the same character as the _prodigious fables_ related
+     of the sons of Jove."
+
+Among these "sons of Jove" may be mentioned the following: _Hercules_
+was the son of Jupiter by a mortal mother, Alcmene, Queen of
+Thebes.[124:1] Zeus, the god of gods, spake of Hercules, his son, and
+said: "This day shall a child be born of the race of Perseus, who shall
+be the mightiest of the sons of men."[124:2]
+
+_Bacchus_ was the son of Jupiter and a mortal mother, Semele, daughter
+of Kadmus, King of Thebes.[124:3] As Montfaucon says, "It is the son of
+Jupiter and Semele which the poets celebrate, and which the monuments
+represent."[124:4]
+
+Bacchus is made to say:
+
+     "I, son of Deus, am come to this land of the Thebans, Bacchus,
+     whom formerly Semele the daughter of Kadmus brings forth,
+     being delivered by the lightning-bearing flame: _and having
+     taken a mortal form_ instead of a god's, I have arrived at the
+     fountains of Dirce and the water of Ismenus."[124:5]
+
+_Amphion_ was the son of Jupiter and a mortal mother, Antiope, daughter
+of Nicetus, King of Boeotia.[124:6]
+
+_Prometheus_, whose name is derived from a Greek word signifying
+foresight and providence, was a deity who united the divine and human
+nature in one person, and was confessedly both man and god.[124:7]
+
+_Perseus_ was the son of Jupiter by the virgin Danae, daughter of
+Acrisius, King of Argos.[124:8] Divine honors were paid him, and a
+temple was erected to him in Athens.[124:9]
+
+Justin Martyr (A. D. 140), in his Apology to the Emperor Adrian, says:
+
+     "By declaring the Logos, the first-begotten of God, our
+     Master, Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin, without any
+     human mixture, we (Christians) _say no more in this than what
+     you_ (Pagans) _say of those whom you style the Sons of Jove_.
+     For you need not be told what a parcel of sons the writers
+     most in vogue among you assign to Jove. . . .
+
+     "As to the Son of God, called Jesus, should we allow him to be
+     nothing more than man, yet the title of 'the Son of God' is
+     very justifiable, upon the account of his wisdom, considering
+     that you (Pagans) have your Mercury in worship under the title
+     of the Word, a messenger of God. . . .
+
+     "As to his (Jesus Christ's) being born of a virgin, _you have
+     your Perseus to balance that_."[125:1]
+
+_Mercury_ was the son of Jupiter and a mortal mother, Maia, daughter of
+Atlas. Cyllene, in Arcadia, is said to have been the scene of his birth
+and education, and a magnificent temple was erected to him there.[125:2]
+
+_AEolus_, king of the Lipari Islands, near Sicily, was the son of Jupiter
+and a mortal mother, Acasta.[125:3]
+
+_Apollo_ was the son of Jupiter and a mortal mother, Latona.[125:4] Like
+Buddha and Lao-Kiun, Apollo, so the Ephesians said, was born under a
+tree; Latona, taking shelter under an olive-tree, was delivered
+there.[125:5] Then there was joy among the undying gods in Olympus, and
+the Earth laughed beneath the smile of Heaven.[125:6]
+
+_Aethlius_, who is said to have been one of the institutors of the
+Orphic games, was the son of Jupiter by a mortal mother,
+Protogenia.[125:7]
+
+_Arcas_ was the son of Jupiter and a mortal mother.[125:8]
+
+_Aroclus_ was the son of Jupiter and a mortal mother.[125:9]
+
+We might continue and give the names of many more sons of Jove, but
+sufficient has been seen, we believe, to show, in the words of Justin,
+that Jove had a great "parcel of sons." "The images of self-restraint,
+of power used for the good of others, are prominent in the lives of all
+or almost all the Zeus-born heroes."[125:10]
+
+This Jupiter, who begat so many sons, was the supreme god of the Pagans.
+In the words of _Orpheus_:
+
+     "Jupiter is omnipotent; the first and the last, the head and
+     the midst; Jupiter, the giver of all things, the foundation of
+     the earth, and the starry heavens."[125:11]
+
+The ancient Romans were in the habit of deifying their living and
+departed emperors, and gave to them the title of DIVUS, or the Divine
+One. It was required throughout the whole empire that divine honors
+should be paid to the emperors.[125:12] They had a ceremony called
+_Apotheosis_, or deification. After this ceremony, temples, altars, and
+images, with attributes of divinity, were erected to the new deity. It
+is related by Eusebius, Tertullian, and Chrysostom, that Tiberius
+proposed to the Roman Senate the Apotheosis or deification of Jesus
+Christ.[126:1] AElius Lampridius, in his Life of Alexander Severus (who
+reigned A. D. 222-235), says:
+
+     "This emperor had two private chapels, one more honorable than
+     the other; and in the former were placed the deified emperors,
+     and also some _eminent good men_, among them Abraham, Christ,
+     and Orpheus."[126:2]
+
+_Romulus_, who is said to have been the founder of Rome, was believed to
+have been the son of God by a pure virgin, Rhea-Sylvia.[126:3] One
+Julius Proculus took a solemn oath, that Romulus himself appeared to him
+and ordered him to inform the Senate of his being called up to the
+assembly of the gods, under the name of Quirinus.[126:4]
+
+_Julius Caesar_ was supposed to have had a god for a father.[126:5]
+
+_Augustus Caesar_ was also believed to have been of celestial origin, and
+had all the honors paid to him as to a divine person.[126:6] His
+divinity is expressed by Virgil, in the following lines:
+
+           "----Turn, turn thine eyes, see here thy race divine,
+     Behold thy own imperial Roman Sine:
+     Caesar, with all the Julian name survey;
+     See where the glorious ranks ascend to-day!--
+     This--this is he--_the chief so long foretold_,
+     To bless the land where Saturn ruled of old,
+     And give the Learnean realms a second eye of gold!
+     The promised prince, _Augustus the divine_,
+     Of Caesar's race, and Jove's immortal line."[126:7]
+
+"The honors due to the gods," says Tacitus, "were no longer sacred:
+_Augustus_ claimed equal worship. Temples were built, and statues were
+erected, to him; a mortal man was adored, and priests and pontiffs were
+appointed to pay him impious homage."[126:8]
+
+Divine honors were declared to the memory of Claudius, after his death,
+and he was added to the number of the gods. The titles "Our Lord," "Our
+Master," and "Our God," were given to the Emperors of Rome, even while
+living.[126:9]
+
+In the deification of the Caesars, a testimony upon oath, of an eagle's
+flying out of the funeral pile, toward heaven, which was supposed to
+convey the soul of the deceased, was the established proof of their
+divinity.[127:1]
+
+_Alexander the Great_, King of Macedonia (born 356 B. C.), whom genius
+and uncommon success had raised above ordinary men, was believed to have
+been a god upon earth.[127:2] He was believed to have been the son of
+Jupiter by a mortal mother, Olympias.
+
+Alexander at one time visited the temple of Jupiter Ammon, which was
+situated in an oasis in the Libyan desert, and the _Oracle_ there
+declared him to be a son of the god. He afterwards issued his orders,
+letters, decrees, &c., styling himself "_Alexander, son of Jupiter
+Ammon_."[127:3]
+
+The words of the oracle which declared him to be divine were as follows,
+says Socrates:
+
+     "Let altars burn and incense pour, please Jove Minerva eke;
+     The potent Prince though nature frail, his favor you must seek,
+     For Jove from heaven to earth him sent, lo! Alexander king,
+     As God he comes the earth to rule, and just laws for to bring."[127:4]
+
+_Ptolemy_, who was one of Alexander's generals in his Eastern campaigns,
+and into whose hands Egypt fell at the death of Alexander, was also
+believed to have been of divine origin. At the siege of Rhodes, Ptolemy
+had been of such signal service to its citizens that in gratitude they
+paid _divine honors_ to him, and saluted him with the title of _Soter_,
+_i. e._, Saviour. By that designation, "_Ptolemy Soter_," he is
+distinguished from the succeeding kings of the Macedonian dynasty in
+Egypt.[127:5]
+
+_Cyrus_, King of Persia, was believed to have been of _divine origin_;
+he was called the "_Christ_," or the "_Anointed_ of God," and God's
+messenger.[127:6]
+
+_Plato_, born at Athens 429 B. C., was believed to have been the son of
+God by a _pure virgin_, called Perictione.[127:7]
+
+The reputed father of Plato (Aris) was admonished in a dream to respect
+the person of his wife until after the birth of the child of which she
+was then pregnant by a god.[127:8]
+
+Prof. Draper, speaking of Plato, says:
+
+     "The Egyptian disciples of Plato would have looked with anger
+     on those who rejected the legend that Perictione, the mother
+     of that great philosopher, a pure virgin, had suffered an
+     immaculate conception through the influences of (the god)
+     Apollo, _and that the god had declared to Aris, to whom she
+     was betrothed, the parentage of the child_."[128:1]
+
+Here we have the legend of the angel appearing to Joseph--to whom Mary
+was betrothed--believed in by the disciples of Plato for centuries
+before the time of Christ Jesus, the only difference being that the
+virgin's name was Perictione instead of Mary, and the confiding
+husband's name Aris instead of Joseph. We have another similar case.
+
+The mother of _Apollonius_ (B. C. 41) was informed by a god, who
+appeared to her, _that he himself should be born of her_.[128:2] In the
+course of time she gave birth to Apollonius, who became a great
+religious teacher, and performer of miracles.[128:3]
+
+_Pythagoras_, born about 570 B. C., had divine honors paid him. His
+mother is said to have become impregnated through a _spectre_, or Holy
+Ghost. His father--or foster-father--was also informed that his wife
+should bring forth a son, who should be a benefactor to mankind.[128:4]
+
+_AEsculapius_, the great performer of miracles,[128:5] was supposed to be
+the son of a god and a worldly mother, Coronis. The Messenians, who
+consulted the oracle at Delphi to know where AEsculapius was born, and of
+what parents, were informed that a god was his father, Coronis his
+mother, and that their son was born at Epidaurus.
+
+Coronis, to conceal her pregnancy from her father, went to Epidaurus,
+where she was delivered of a son, whom she exposed on a mountain.
+Aristhenes, a goat-herd, going in search of a goat and a dog missing
+from his fold, discovered the child, whom he would have carried to his
+home, had he not, upon approaching to lift him from the earth,
+_perceived his head encircled with fiery rays, which made him believe
+the child was divine_. The voice of fame soon published the birth of a
+miraculous infant, upon which the people flocked from all quarters _to
+behold this heaven-born child_.[128:6]
+
+Being honored as a god in Phenicia and Egypt, his worship passed into
+Greece and Rome.[128:7]
+
+_Simon the Samaritan_, surnamed "_Magus_" or the "Magician," who was
+contemporary with Jesus, was believed to be a _god_. In Rome, where he
+performed wonderful miracles, he was honored as a god, and his picture
+placed among the gods.[129:1]
+
+Justin Martyr, quoted by Eusebius, tells us that Simon Magus attained
+great honor among the Romans. That he was believed to be a _god_, and
+that he was worshiped as such. Between two bridges upon the River
+Tibris, was to be seen this inscription: "Simoni Deo Sancto," _i. e._
+"To Simon the Holy God."[129:2]
+
+It was customary with all the heroes of the northern nations (Danes,
+Swedes, Norwegians and Icelanders), to speak of themselves as sprung
+from their supreme deity, _Odin_. The historians of those times, that is
+to say, the poets, never failed to bestow the same honor on all those
+whose praises they sang; and thus they multiplied the descendants of
+Odin as much as they found convenient. The first-begotten son of Odin
+was Thor, whom the Eddas call the most valiant of his sons. "Baldur the
+Good," the "Beneficent Saviour," was the son of the Supreme Odin and the
+goddess Frigga, whose worship was transferred to that of the Virgin
+Mary.[129:3]
+
+In the mythological systems of _America_, a virgin-born god was not less
+clearly recognized than in those of the Old World. Among the savage
+tribes his origin and character were, for obvious reasons, much
+confused; but among the more advanced nations he occupied a well-defined
+position. Among the nations of Anahuac, he bore the name of
+_Quetzalcoatle_, and was regarded with the highest veneration.
+
+For ages before the landing of Columbus on its shores, the inhabitants
+of ancient Mexico worshiped a "Saviour"--as they called
+him--(_Quetzalcoatle_) who was _born of a pure virgin_.[129:4] _A
+messenger from heaven announced to his mother that she should bear a son
+without connection with man._[129:5] Lord Kingsborough tells us that the
+annunciation of the _virgin Sochiquetzal_, mother of Quetzalcoatle,--who
+was styled the "_Queen of Heaven_"[129:6]--was the subject of a Mexican
+hieroglyph.[129:7]
+
+The embassador was sent from heaven to this virgin, who had two sisters,
+Tzochitlique and Conatlique. "These three being alone in the house, two
+of them, on perceiving the embassador from heaven, died of fright,
+Sochiquetzal remaining alive, to whom the ambassador announced that it
+was the will of God that she should conceive a son."[130:1] She
+therefore, according to the prediction, "conceived a son, _without
+connection with man_, who was called Quetzalcoatle."[130:2]
+
+Dr. Daniel Brinton, in his "Myths of the New World," says:
+
+     "The Central figure of Toltec mythology is _Quetzalcoatle_.
+     Not an author on ancient Mexico, but has something to say
+     about the glorious days when he ruled over the land. No one
+     denies him to have been a god. _He was born of a virgin_ in
+     the land of _Tula_ or _Tlopallan_."[130:3]
+
+The Mayas of _Yucatan_ had a virgin-born god, corresponding entirely
+with Quetzalcoatle, if he was not the same under a different name, a
+conjecture very well sustained by the evident relationship between the
+Mexican and Mayan mythologies. He was named _Zama_, and was the
+only-begotten son of their supreme god, Kinchahan.[130:4]
+
+The _Muyscas_ of Columbia had a similar hero-god. According to their
+traditionary history, he bore the name of _Bochica_. He was the
+incarnation of the Great Father, whose sovereignty and paternal care he
+emblematized.[130:5]
+
+The inhabitants of _Nicaragua_ called their principal god Thomathoyo;
+and said that he had a _son_, who came down to earth, whose name was
+Theotbilahe, and that he was their general instructor.[130:6]
+
+We find a corresponding character in the traditionary history of _Peru_.
+The Sun--the god of the Peruvians--deploring their miserable condition,
+sent down his son, _Manco Capac_, to instruct them in religion,
+&c.[130:7]
+
+We have also traces of a similar personage in the traditionary _Votan_
+of _Guatemala_; but our accounts concerning him are more vague than in
+the cases above mentioned.
+
+We find this traditional character in countries and among tribes where
+we would be least apt to suspect its existence. In _Brazil_, besides the
+common belief in an age of violence, during which the world was
+destroyed by water, there is a tradition of a supernatural personage
+called _Zome_, whose history is similar, in some respects, to that of
+Quetzalcoatle.[130:8]
+
+The semi-civilized agricultural tribes of _Florida_ had like traditions.
+The _Cherokees_, in particular, had a priest and law-giver _essentially
+corresponding to Quetzalcoatle and Bochica_. He was their great prophet,
+and bore the name of _Wasi_. "He told them what had been from the
+beginning of the world, and what would be, and gave the people in all
+things directions what to do. He appointed their feasts and fasts, and
+all the ceremonies of their religion, and enjoined upon them to obey his
+directions from generation to generation."[131:1]
+
+Among the savage tribes the same notions prevailed. The _Edues_ of the
+Californians taught that there was a supreme Creator, _Niparaga_, and
+that his son, _Quaagagp_, came down upon the earth and instructed the
+Indians in religion, &c. Finally, through hatred, the Indians killed
+him; but although dead, he is incorruptible and beautiful. To him they
+pay adoration, as the _mediatory power_ between earth and the Supreme
+Niparaga.[131:2]
+
+The _Iroquois_ also had a beneficent being, uniting in himself the
+character of _a god and man_, who was called _Tarengawagan_. He imparted
+to them the knowledge of the laws of the Great Spirit, established their
+form of government, &c.[131:3]
+
+Among the _Algonquins_, and particularly among the _Ojibways_ and other
+remnants of that stock of the North-west, this intermediate great
+teacher (denominated, by Mr. Schoolcraft, in his "_Notes of the
+Iroquois_," "the great incarnation of the North-west") is fully
+recognized. He bears the name of _Michabou_, and is represented as _the
+first-born son of a great celestial Manitou_, or _Spirit, by an earthly
+mother_, and is esteemed the friend and protector of the human
+race.[131:4]
+
+I think we can now say with M. Dupuis, that "the idea of a God, who came
+down on earth to save mankind, is neither new nor peculiar to the
+Christians," and with Cicero, the great Roman orator and philosopher,
+that "brave, famous or powerful men, after death, came to be _gods_, and
+they are the very ones whom we are accustomed to worship, pray to and
+venerate."
+
+Taking for granted that the synoptic Gospels are historical, there is no
+proof that Jesus ever claimed to be either God, or a god; on the other
+hand, it is quite the contrary.[131:5] As Viscount Amberly says: "The
+best proof of this is that Jesus never, at any period of his life,
+desired his followers to worship him, either as God, or as the Son of
+God," in the sense in which it is now understood. Had he believed of
+himself what his followers subsequently believed of him, that he was one
+of the constituent persons in a divine Trinity, he must have enjoined
+his Apostles both to address him in prayer themselves, and to desire
+their converts to do likewise. It is quite plain that he did nothing of
+the kind, and that they never supposed him to have done so.
+
+Belief in Jesus _as the Messiah_ was taught as the first dogma of
+Christianity, but adoration of Jesus _as God_ was not taught at all.
+
+But we are not left in this matter to depend on conjectural inferences.
+The words put into the mouth of Jesus are plain. Whenever occasion
+arose, _he asserted his inferiority to the Father_, though, as no one
+had then dreamt of his equality, it is natural that the occasions should
+not have been frequent.
+
+He made himself _inferior in knowledge_ when he said that of the day and
+hour of the day of judgment no one knew, neither the angels in heaven
+nor the Son; no one except the Father.[132:1]
+
+He made himself _inferior in power_ when he said that seats on his right
+hand and on his left in the kingdom of heaven were not his to
+give.[132:2]
+
+He made himself _inferior in virtue_ when he desired a certain man not
+to address him as "Good Master," for there was none good but God.[132:3]
+
+The words of his prayer at Gethsemane, "all things are possible unto
+_thee_," imply that all things were _not_ possible to _him_, while its
+conclusion "not what _I will_, but what _thou wilt_," indicates
+submission to a superior, not the mere execution of a purpose of his
+own.[132:4] Indeed, the whole prayer would have been a mockery, useless
+for any purpose but the deception of his disciples, if he had himself
+been identical with the Being to whom he prayed, and had merely been
+giving effect by his death to their common counsels. While the cry of
+agony from the cross, "_My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken
+me?_"[132:5] would have been quite unmeaning if _the person forsaken_,
+and _the person forsaking_, had been _one and the same_.
+
+_Either, then, we must assume that the language of Jesus has been
+misreported, or we must admit that he never for a moment pretended to be
+co-equal, co-eternal or consubstantial with God._
+
+It also follows of necessity from _both the genealogies_,[133:1] that
+their compilers entertained no doubt that _Joseph_ was the father of
+Jesus. Otherwise the descent of Joseph would not have been in the least
+to the point. All attempts to reconcile this inconsistency with the
+doctrine of the Angel-Messiah has been without avail, although the most
+learned Christian divines, for many generations past, have endeavored to
+do so.
+
+So, too, of the stories of the Presentation in the Temple,[133:2] and of
+the child Jesus at Jerusalem,[133:3] _Joseph is called his father_.
+Jesus is repeatedly described as _the son of the carpenter_,[133:4] or
+the _son of Joseph_, without the least indication that the expression is
+not strictly in accordance with the fact.[133:5]
+
+If his parents fail to understand him when he says, at twelve years old,
+that he must be about his Father's business;[133:6] if he afterwards
+declares that he finds no faith among his nearest relations;[133:7] if
+he exalts his faithful disciples above his _unbelieving mother_ and
+brothers;[133:8] above all, if Mary and her other sons put down his
+prophetic enthusiasm to _insanity_;[133:9]--then the untrustworthy
+nature of these stories of his birth is absolutely certain. If even a
+_little_ of what they tell us had been true, then _Mary at least_ would
+have believed in Jesus, and would not have failed so utterly to
+understand him.[133:10]
+
+The Gospel of Mark--which, in this respect, at least, abides most
+faithfully by the old apostolic tradition--says not a word about
+Bethlehem or _the miraculous birth_. The congregation of Jerusalem to
+which Mary and the brothers of Jesus belonged,[133:11] and over which
+the eldest of them, James, presided,[133:12] can have known nothing of
+it; for the later Jewish-Christian communities, the so-called Ebionites,
+who were descended from the congregation at Jerusalem, called Jesus _the
+son of Joseph_. Nay, the story that the _Holy Spirit_ was the father of
+Jesus, must have risen among the _Greeks_, or elsewhere, and not among
+the first believers, who were Jews, for the Hebrew word for _spirit_ is
+of _the feminine gender_.[134:1]
+
+The immediate successors of the "congregation at Jerusalem"--to which
+Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers belonged--were, as we have
+seen, the Ebionites. Eusebius, the first ecclesiastical historian (born
+A. D. 264), speaking of the _Ebionites_ (_i. e._ "poor men"), tell us
+that they believed Jesus to be "_a simple and common man_," born as
+other men, "_of Mary and her husband_."[134:2]
+
+The views held by the Ebionites of Jesus were, it is said, derived from
+the Gospel of Matthew, _and what they learned direct from the Apostles_.
+Matthew had been a hearer of Jesus, a companion of the Apostles, and had
+seen and no doubt conversed with Mary. When he wrote his Gospel
+everything was fresh in his mind, and there could be no object, on his
+part, in writing the life of Jesus, to state falsehoods or omit
+important truths in order to deceive his countrymen. If what is stated
+in the _interpolated_ first two chapters, concerning the miraculous
+birth of Jesus, were true, Matthew would have known of it; and, knowing
+it, why should he omit it in giving an account of the life of
+Jesus?[134:3]
+
+The Ebionites, or Nazarenes, as they were previously called were
+rejected by the Jews _as apostates_, and by the Egyptian and Roman
+Christians _as heretics_, therefore, until they completely disappear,
+their history is one of tyrannical persecution. Although some traces of
+that obsolete sect may be discovered as late as the fourth century, they
+insensibly melted away, either into the Roman Christian Church, or into
+the Jewish Synagogue,[134:4] and with them perished the _original_
+Gospel of Matthew, _the only Gospel written by an apostle_.
+
+"Who, where masses of men are burning to burst the bonds of time and
+sense, to deify and to adore, wants what seems earth-born, prosaic fact?
+Woe to the man that dares to interpose it! Woe to the sect of faithful
+Ebionites even, and on the very soil of Palestine, that dare to maintain
+the earlier, humbler tradition! Swiftly do they become heretics,
+revilers, blasphemers, though sanctioned by a James, brother of the
+Lord."
+
+Edward Gibbon, speaking of this most unfortunate sect, says:
+
+     "A laudable regard for the honor of the first proselytes has
+     countenanced the belief, the hope, the wish, that the
+     Ebionites, or at least the Nazarenes, were distinguished only
+     by their obstinate perseverance in the practice of the Mosaic
+     rites. Their churches have disappeared, _their books are
+     obliterated_, their obscure freedom might allow a latitude of
+     faith, and the softness of their infant creed would be
+     variously moulded by the zeal of prejudice of three hundred
+     years. Yet the most charitable criticism must refuse these
+     sectaries any knowledge of the pure and proper _divinity of
+     Christ_. Educated in the school of Jewish prophecy and
+     prejudice, they had never been taught to elevate their hope
+     above _a human_ and temporal Messiah. If they had courage to
+     hail their king when he appeared in a plebeian garb, their
+     grosser apprehensions were incapable of discerning their God,
+     _who had studiously disguised his celestial character under
+     the name and person of a mortal_.
+
+     "The familiar companions of Jesus of Nazareth conversed with
+     their friend and countryman, who, in all the actions of
+     rational and human life, appeared of the same species with
+     themselves. His progress from infancy to youth and manhood was
+     marked by a regular increase in stature and wisdom; and after
+     a painful agony of mind and body, he expired on the
+     cross."[135:1]
+
+The Jewish Christians then--the congregation of Jerusalem, and their
+immediate successors, the Ebionites or Nazarenes--saw in their master
+nothing more than _a man_. From this, and the other facts which we have
+seen in this chapter, it is evident that the man Jesus of Nazareth was
+deified long after his death, just as many other men had been deified
+centuries before his time, and even _after_. Until it had been settled
+by a council of bishops that Jesus was not only _a God_, but "_God
+himself in human form_," who appeared on earth, as did Crishna of old,
+to redeem and save mankind, there were many theories concerning his
+nature.
+
+Among the early Christians there were a certain class called by the
+later Christians _Heretics_. Among these may be mentioned the
+"_Carpocratians_," named after one Carpocrates. They maintained that
+Jesus was a _mere man_, born of Joseph and Mary, _like other men_, but
+that he was good and virtuous. "Some of them have the vanity," says
+_Irenaeus_, "to think that they may equal, or in some respects exceed,
+Jesus himself."[135:2]
+
+These are called by the general name of _Gnostics, and comprehend almost
+all the sects of the first two ages_.[135:3] They said that "all the
+ancients, and even the Apostles themselves, received and taught the same
+things which they held; and that the truth of the Gospel had been
+preserved till the time of _Victor_, the thirteenth Bishop of Rome, but
+by his successor, _Zephyrinus_, the truth had been corrupted."[135:4]
+
+Eusebius, speaking of _Artemon_ and his followers, who denied the
+divinity of Christ, says:
+
+     "They affirm that all our ancestors, yea, and the Apostles
+     themselves, were of the same opinion, and taught the same with
+     them, and that this their true doctrine (for so they call it)
+     was preached and embraced unto the time of Victor, the
+     thirteenth Bishop of Rome after Peter, and corrupted by his
+     successor Zephyrinus."[136:1]
+
+There were also the "_Cerinthians_," named after one Cerinthus, who
+maintained that Jesus was _not_ born of a virgin, which to them
+appeared impossible, but that he was the son of Joseph and Mary, _born
+altogether as other men are_; but he excelled all men in virtue,
+knowledge and wisdom. At the time of his baptism, "_the Christ_" came
+down upon him in the shape of a dove, and _left him_ at the time of his
+crucifixion.[136:2]
+
+Irenaeus, speaking of Cerinthus and his doctrines, says:
+
+     "He represents Jesus as the son of Joseph and Mary, according
+     to the ordinary course of human generation, and _not_ as
+     having been born of a virgin. He believed nevertheless that he
+     was more righteous, prudent and wise than most men, and that
+     _the Christ_ descended upon, and entered into him, at the time
+     of his baptism."[136:3]
+
+The _Docetes_ were a numerous and learned sect of Asiatic Christians who
+invented the _Phantastic_ system, which was afterwards promulgated by
+the Marcionites, the Manicheans, and various other sects.
+
+They denied the truth and authenticity of the Gospels, as far as they
+related to the conception of Mary, the birth of Jesus, and the thirty
+years that preceded the exercise of his ministry.
+
+Bordering upon the Jewish and Gentile world, the _Cerinthians_ labored
+to reconcile the _Gnostic_ and the _Ebionite_, by confessing in the
+_same Messiah_ the supernatural union of a man and a god; and this
+_mystic_ doctrine was adopted, with many fanciful improvements, by many
+sects. The hypothesis was this: that Jesus of Nazareth was a mere
+mortal, the legitimate son of Joseph and Mary, but he was _the best_ and
+wisest of the human race, selected as the worthy instrument to restore
+upon earth the worship of the true and supreme Deity. When he was
+baptized in the Jordan, _and not till then_, he became _more than man_.
+At that time, _the Christ_, the first of the _AEons_, the Son of God
+himself, descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, _to inhabit his
+mind_, and direct his actions during the allotted period of _his
+ministry_. When he was delivered into the hands of the Jews, _the
+Christ_ forsook him, flew back to the world of spirits, and left the
+_solitary Jesus_ to suffer, to complain, and to die. This is why he
+said, while hanging on the cross: "My God! My God! why hast thou
+forsaken me?"[137:1]
+
+Here, then, we see the _first_ budding out of--what was termed by the
+_true_ followers of Jesus--_heretical doctrines_. The time had not yet
+come to make Jesus _a god_, to claim that he had been born of a virgin.
+As he _must_, however, have been different from other mortals--throughout
+the period of his ministry, at least--the Christ _must_ have entered
+into him at the time of his baptism, and _as mysteriously_ disappeared
+when he was delivered into the hands of the Jews.
+
+In the course of time, the seeds of the faith, which had slowly arisen
+in the rocky and ungrateful soil of Judea, were transplanted, in full
+maturity, to the happier climes of the _Gentiles_; and the strangers of
+_Rome_ and _Alexandria, who had never beheld the manhood_, were more
+ready to embrace the _divinity_ of Jesus.
+
+The polytheist and the philosopher, the Greek and the barbarian, were
+alike accustomed to receive--as we have seen in this chapter--a long
+succession and infinite chain of angels, or deities, or _aeons_, or
+emanations, issuing from the throne of light. Nor could it seem strange
+and incredible _to them_, that the first of the _aeons_, the Logos, or
+Word of God, of the same substance with the Father, should descend upon
+earth, to deliver the human race from vice and error. The histories of
+their countries, their odes, and their religions were teeming with such
+ideas, as happening in the past, and they were also _looking for and
+expecting an Angel-Messiah_.[137:2]
+
+Centuries rolled by, however, before the doctrine of Christ Jesus, the
+Angel-Messiah, became a settled question, an established tenet in the
+Christian faith. The dignity of Christ Jesus was measured by _private
+judgment_, according to the indefinite _rule of Scripture_, or
+_tradition_ or _reason_. But when his pure and proper divinity had been
+established _on the ruins of Arianism_, the faith of the Catholics
+trembled _on the edge of a precipice_ where it was impossible to recede,
+dangerous to stand, dreadful to fall; and the _manifold inconveniences
+of their creed_ were aggravated by the sublime character of their
+theology. They hesitated to pronounce that _God himself_, the second
+person of an equal and consubstantial Trinity, was _manifested in the
+flesh_,[137:3] that the Being who pervades the universe _had been
+confined in the womb of Mary_; that his eternal duration had been
+marked by the days, and months, and years of human existence; _that the
+Almighty God had been scourged and crucified_; that his impassible
+essence _had felt pain and anguish_; that his omniscience was _not
+exempt from ignorance_; and that _the source of life and immortality
+expired on Mount Calvary_.
+
+These alarming consequences were affirmed with unblushing simplicity by
+Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea, and one of the luminaries of the
+Church. The son of a learned grammarian, he was skilled in all the
+sciences of Greece; eloquence, erudition, and philosophy, conspicuous in
+the volumes of Apollinaris, were humbly devoted to the service of
+religion.
+
+The worthy friend of Athanasius, the worthy antagonist of Julian, he
+bravely wrestled with the Arians and polytheists, _and though he
+affected the rigor of geometrical demonstration_, his commentaries
+revealed the literal and allegorical sense of the Scriptures.
+
+_A mystery_, which had long floated in the looseness of popular belief,
+was defined by his perverse diligence in a technical form, _and he first
+proclaimed the memorable words, "One incarnate nature of
+Christ._"[138:1]
+
+This was about A. D. 362, he being Bishop of Laodicea, in Syria, at that
+time.[138:2]
+
+The recent zeal against the errors of Apollinaris reduced the Catholics
+to a seeming agreement with the _double-nature_ of Cerinthus. But
+instead of a temporary and occasional alliance, they established, and
+Christians _still embrace_, the substantial, indissoluble, and
+everlasting _union of a perfect God with a perfect man_, of the second
+person of the Trinity with a reasonable soul and human flesh. In the
+beginning of the _fifth century_, the unity of the two natures was the
+prevailing doctrine of the church.[138:3] From that time, until a
+comparatively recent period, the cry was: "_May those who divide
+Christ[138:4] be divided with the sword; may they be hewn in pieces,
+may they be burned alive!_" These were actually the words of a
+_Christian_ synod.[139:1] Is it any wonder that after this came the
+_dark ages_? How appropriate is the name which has been applied to the
+centuries which followed! _Dark_ indeed they were. Now and then,
+however, a ray of light was seen, which gave evidence of the coming
+_morn_, whose glorious light we now enjoy. But what a grand light is yet
+to come from the noon-day sun, which must shed its glorious rays over
+the whole earth, ere it sets.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[111:1] Matthew, i. 18-25.
+
+[111:2] The Luke narrator tells the story in a different manner. His
+account is more like that recorded in the KORAN, which says that Gabriel
+appeared unto Mary in the shape of a perfect man, that Mary, upon seeing
+him, and seeming to understand his intentions, said: "If thou fearest
+God, thou wilt not approach me." Gabriel answering said: "Verily, I am
+the messenger of the Lord, and am sent to give thee a holy son." (Koran,
+ch. xix.)
+
+[112:1] Instead, however, of the benevolent Jesus, the "Prince of
+Peace"--as Christian writers make him out to be--the Jews were expecting
+a daring and irresistible warrior and conqueror, who, armed with greater
+power than Caesar, was to come upon earth to rend the fetters in which
+their hapless nation had so long groaned, to avenge them upon their
+haughty oppressors, and to re-establish the kingdom of Judah.
+
+[112:2] Vol. v. p. 294.
+
+[112:3] Moor, in his "_Pantheon_," tells us that a learned Pandit once
+observed to him that the English were a new people, and had only the
+record of one Avatara, but the Hindoos were an ancient people, and had
+accounts of a great many.
+
+[112:4] This name has been spelled in many different ways, such as
+Krishna, Khrishna, Krishnu, Chrisna, Cristna, Christna, &c. We have
+followed Sir Wm. Jones's way of spelling it, and shall do so throughout.
+
+[113:1] See Asiatic Researches, vol. i. pp. 259-275.
+
+[113:2] Ibid. p. 260. We may say that, "In him dwelt the fulness of the
+Godhead bodily." (Colossians, ii. 9.)
+
+[113:3] Allen's India, p. 397.
+
+[113:4] Indian Antiquities, vol. iii. p. 45.
+
+[113:5] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 270.
+
+[113:6] Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, Devaki is called the "_Virgin
+Mother_," although she, as well as Mary, is said to have had other
+children.
+
+[114:1] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 327.
+
+[114:2] Ibid. p. 329.
+
+[114:3] Vishnu Purana, p. 502.
+
+[114:4] Ibid. p. 440.
+
+[114:5] "Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my
+gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation
+of the _mystery_, which was kept secret since the world began." (Romans,
+xvi. 15.) "And without controversy, great is the _mystery_ of godliness:
+God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels,
+preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into
+glory." (1 Timothy, iii. 16.)
+
+[114:6] Vishnu Purana, p. 492, _note_ 3.
+
+[114:7] Geeta, ch. iv.
+
+[115:1] Bhagavat Geeta, Lecture iv. p. 52.
+
+[115:2] Ibid., Lecture iv. p. 79.
+
+[115:3] It is said that there have been several Buddhas (see ch. xxix).
+We speak of _Gautama_. Buddha is variously pronounced and expressed
+Boudh, Bod, Bot, But, Bud, Budd, Buddou, Bouttu, Bota, Budso, Pot, Pout,
+Pota, Poti, and Pouti. The Siamese make the final _t_ or _d_ quiescent,
+and sound the word Po; whence the Chinese still further vary it to Pho
+or Fo. BUDDHA--which means _awakened_ or _enlightened_ (see Mueller: Sci.
+of Relig., p. 308)--is the proper way in which to spell the name. We
+have adopted this throughout this work, regardless of the manner in
+which the writer from which we quote spells it.
+
+[115:4] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 86.
+
+[115:5] FO-PEN-HING is the life of Gautama Buddha, translated from the
+Chinese Sanskrit by Prof. Samuel Beal.
+
+[115:6] Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. 25.
+
+[115:7] Hardy: Manual of Buddhism, p. 141.
+
+[115:8] A Christian sect called Collyridians believed that Mary was born
+of a virgin, as Christ is related to have been born of her (See _note_
+to the "Gospel of the Birth of Mary" [Apocryphal]; also King: The
+Gnostics and their Remains, p. 91, and Gibbon's Hist. of Rome, vol. v.
+p. 108, _note_). This idea has been recently adopted by the Roman
+Catholic Church. They now claim that Mary was born as immaculate as her
+son. (See Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 75, and The Lily of Israel,
+pp. 6-15; also fig. 17, ch. xxxii.)
+
+"The gradual _deification_ of Mary, though slower in its progress,
+follows, in the Romish Church, a course analogous to that which the
+Church of the first centuries followed, in elaborating the deity of
+Jesus. With almost all the Catholic writers of our day, Mary is the
+universal mediatrix; _all power has been given to her in heaven and upon
+earth_. Indeed, more than one serious attempt has been already made in
+the Ultramontane camp to unite Mary in some way to the _Trinity_; and if
+Mariolatry lasts much longer, this will probably be accomplished in the
+end." (Albert Reville.)
+
+[116:1] Huc's Travels, vol. i. pp. 326, 327.
+
+[116:2] Ibid. p. 327.
+
+[116:3] Oriental Religions, p. 604.
+
+[116:4] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah.
+
+[116:5] Asiatic Researches, vol. ii. p. 309, and King's Gnostics, p.
+167.
+
+[116:6] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, pp. 10, 25 and 44.
+
+[117:1] See Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. 36, _note_. Ganesa, the Indian God of
+Wisdom, is either represented as an elephant or a man with an elephant's
+head. (See Moore's Hindu Pantheon, and vol. i. of Asiatic Researches.)
+
+[117:2] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 83.
+
+[117:3] Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 38, 39.
+
+[117:4] Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 131.
+
+[118:1] Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 212.
+
+[118:2] King: The Gnostics and their Remains, p. 168, and Hist.
+Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 485. R. Spence Hardy says: "The body of the Queen
+was transparent, and the child could be distinctly seen, like a priest
+seated upon a throne in the act of saying bana, or like a golden image
+enclosed in a vase of crystal; so that it could be known how much he
+grew every succeeding day." (Hardy: Manual of Buddhism, p. 144.) The
+same thing was said of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Early art represented
+the infant distinctly visible in her womb. (See Inman's Ancient Pagan
+and Modern Christian Symbolism, and chap. xxix. this work.)
+
+[118:3] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 34.
+
+[118:4] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 185. See also Anacalypsis, vol. i.
+pp. 162 and 308.
+
+[119:1] See Asiatic Res., vol. x., and Anac., vol. i. p. 662.
+
+[119:2] Davis: Hist. China, vol. i. p. 161.
+
+[119:3] Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. pp. 21, 22.
+
+[119:4] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 184.
+
+[120:1] Semedo: Hist. China, p. 89, in Anac., vol. ii. p. 227.
+
+[120:2] Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. pp. 134-137. See also Chambers's
+Encyclo., art. Lao-tsze.
+
+[120:3] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 204, 205.
+
+[121:1] "The '_toe-print made by God_' has occasioned much speculation
+of the critics. We may simply draw the conclusion that the poet meant to
+have his readers believe with him that the conception of his hero was
+SUPERNATURAL." (James Legge.)
+
+[121:2] The Shih-King, Decade ii. Ode 1.
+
+[121:3] See Thornton's Hist. China, vol. i. pp. 199, 200, and Buckley's
+Cities of the Ancient World, pp. 168-170.
+
+[121:4] "Le Dieu LA des LAMAS est ne d'une _Vierge_: plusieurs princes
+de l'Asie, entr'autres _l'Empereur Kienlong_, aujourd'hui regnant a la
+Chine, et qui est de la race de ces Tartares Mandhuis, qui conquirent
+cet empire en 1644, croit, et assure lui-meme, etre descendu d'une
+_Vierge_." (D'Hancarville: Res. Sur l'Orig., p. 186, in Anac., vol. ii.
+p. 97.)
+
+[122:1] See Mahaffy: Proleg. to Anct. Hist., p. 416, and Bonwick's
+Egyptian Belief, p. 406.
+
+[122:2] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 157.
+
+[122:3] Renouf: Relig. Anct. Egypt, p. 162.
+
+[122:4] See the chapter on "The Worship of the Virgin Mother."
+
+[122:5] "O toi vengeur, Dieu fils d'un Dieu; O toi vengeur, Horus,
+manifeste par Osiris, engendre d'Isis deesee." (Champollion, p. 190.)
+
+[122:6] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 406.
+
+[122:7] Ibid. p. 247.
+
+[122:8] Renouf: Religion of Ancient Egypt, p. 161.
+
+[122:9] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. pp. 67 and 147.
+
+[122:10] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 248.
+
+[123:1] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 407.
+
+[123:2] Renouf: Relig. of Anct. Egypt, p. 163.
+
+[123:3] See Herbert Spencer's Principles of Sociology, vol. i. p. 420.
+
+[123:4] Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 431.
+
+[123:5] Spencer's Principles of Sociology, vol. i. p. 421.
+
+[123:6] Malcolm: Hist. Persia, vol. i. p. 494.
+
+[123:7] Anac. vol. i. p. 117.
+
+[124:1] Roman Antiq., p. 124. Bell's Panth., i. 128. Dupuis, p. 258.
+
+[124:2] Tales of Anct. Greece, p. 55.
+
+[124:3] Greek and Italian Mytho., p. 81. Bell's Panth., i. 117. Roman
+Antiq., p. 71, and Murray's Manual Mytho., p. 118.
+
+[124:4] L'Antiquite Expliquee, vol. i. p. 229.
+
+[124:5] Euripides: Bacchae. Quoted by Dunlap: Spirit Hist. of Man, p.
+200.
+
+[124:6] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 58. Roman Antiquities, p. 133.
+
+[124:7] See the chapter on "The Crucifixion of Jesus," and Bell's
+Pantheon, ii. 195.
+
+[124:8] Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 170. Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p.
+161.
+
+[124:9] Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 171.
+
+[125:1] Apol. 1, ch. xxii.
+
+[125:2] Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 67. Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p.
+19.
+
+[125:3] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 25.
+
+[125:4] Ibid. p. 74, and Bulfinch: p. 248.
+
+[125:5] Tacitus: Annals, iii. lxi.
+
+[125:6] Tales of Anct. Greece, p. 4.
+
+[125:7] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 31.
+
+[125:8] Ibid. p. 81.
+
+[125:9] Ibid. p. 16.
+
+[125:10] Bell's Pantheon, ii. p. 30.
+
+[125:11] Cox: Aryan Mythology, ii. 45.
+
+[125:12] The Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 3.
+
+[126:1] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 78.
+
+[126:2] Quoted by Lardner, vol. iii. p. 157.
+
+[126:3] Draper: Religion and Science, p. 8.
+
+[126:4] Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 37. In the case of _Jesus_,
+one _Saul_ of Tarsus, said to be of a worthy and upright character,
+declared most solemnly, that Jesus himself appeared to him while on his
+way to Damascus, and again while praying in the temple at Jerusalem.
+(Acts xxii.)
+
+[126:5] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 345. Gibbon's Rome, vol.
+i. pp. 84, 85.
+
+[126:6] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 611.
+
+[126:7] AEneid, lib. iv.
+
+[126:8] Tacitus: Annals, bk. i. ch. x.
+
+[126:9] Ibid. bk. ii, ch. lxxxii. and bk. xiii. ch. ii.
+
+[127:1] See Middleton's Letters from Rome, pp. 37, 38.
+
+[127:2] See Religion of the Ancient Greeks, p. 81, and Gibbon's Rome,
+vol. i. pp. 84, 85.
+
+[127:3] Draper: Religion and Science, p. 8.
+
+[127:4] Socrates: Eccl. Hist. Lib. 3, ch. xix.
+
+[127:5] Draper: Religion and Science, p. 17.
+
+[127:6] See Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 418. Bunsen: Bible
+Chronology, p. 5, and The Angel-Messiah, pp. 80 and 298.
+
+[127:7] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 113, and Draper: Religion
+and Science, p. 8.
+
+[127:8] Hardy: Manual Budd., p. 141. Higgins: Anac., i. 618.
+
+[128:1] Draper: Religion and Science, p. 8. Compare Luke i. 26-35.
+
+[128:2] Philostratus, p. 5.
+
+[128:3] See the chapter on Miracles.
+
+[128:4] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 151.
+
+[128:5] See the chapter on Miracles.
+
+[128:6] Bell's Pantheon, i. 27. Roman Ant., 136. Taylor's Diegesis, p.
+150.
+
+[128:7] Ibid.
+
+[129:1] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2, ch. xiii.
+
+[129:2] Ibid. ch. xiii.
+
+[129:3] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities.
+
+[129:4] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 32, Kingsborough: Mexican
+Antiquities, vol. vi. 166 and 175-6.
+
+[129:5] Ibid.
+
+[129:6] See Kingsborough: Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 176.
+
+[129:7] Ibid. p. 175.
+
+[130:1] See Kingsborough: Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 176.
+
+[130:2] Ibid. p. 166.
+
+[130:3] Brinton: Myths of the New World, pp. 180, 181.
+
+[130:4] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 187.
+
+[130:5] Ibid. p. 188.
+
+[130:6] Ibid.
+
+[130:7] Ibid.
+
+[130:8] Ibid. p. 190.
+
+[131:1] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 191.
+
+[131:2] Ibid.
+
+[131:3] Ibid.
+
+[131:4] Ibid. p. 192.
+
+[131:5] "If we seek, in the first three Gospels, to know what his
+biographers thought of Jesus, we find his _true humanity_ plainly
+stated, and if we possessed only the Gospel of _Mark_ and the discourses
+of the Apostles in the _Acts_, the whole Christology of the New
+Testament would be reduced to this: that Jesus of Nazareth was '_a
+prophet mighty in deeds and in words_, made by God Christ and Lord.'"
+(Albert Reville.)
+
+[132:1] Mark, xiii. 32.
+
+[132:2] Mark, x. 40.
+
+[132:3] Mark, x. 18.
+
+[132:4] Mark, xiv. 36.
+
+[132:5] Mark, xv. 34.
+
+[133:1] Matt. and Luke.
+
+"The passages which appear most confirmatory of Christ's Deity, or
+Divine nature, are, in the first place, the narratives of the
+Incarnation and of the Miraculous Conception, as given by Matthew and
+Luke. Now, the two narratives do not harmonize with each other; they
+neutralize and negative the _genealogies_ on which depend so large a
+portion of the proof of Jesus being the Messiah--the marvellous
+statement they contain is not referred to in any subsequent portion of
+the two Gospels, and is tacitly but positively negatived by several
+passages--it is never mentioned in the Acts or in the Epistles, and was
+evidently unknown to all the Apostles--and, finally, the tone of the
+narrative, especially in Luke, is poetical and legendary, and bears a
+marked similarity to the stories contained in the Apocryphal Gospels."
+(W. R. Greg: The Creed of Christendom, p. 229.)
+
+[133:2] Luke, ii. 27.
+
+[133:3] Luke, ii. 41-48.
+
+[133:4] Matt. xiii. 55.
+
+[133:5] Luke, iv. 22. John, i. 46; vi. 42. Luke, iii. 23.
+
+[133:6] Luke, ii. 50.
+
+[133:7] Matt. xiii. 57. Mark, vi. 4.
+
+[133:8] Matt. xii. 48-50. Mark, iii. 33-35.
+
+[133:9] Mark, iii. 21.
+
+[133:10] Dr. Hooykaas.
+
+[133:11] Acts, i. 14.
+
+[133:12] Acts, xxi. 18. Gal. ii. 19-21.
+
+[134:1] See The Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 57.
+
+[134:2] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 3, ch. xxiv.
+
+[134:3] Mr. George Reber has thoroughly investigated this subject in his
+"Christ of Paul," to which the reader is referred.
+
+[134:4] See Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. pp. 515-517.
+
+[135:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. pp. 488, 489.
+
+[135:2] See Lardner's Works, vol. viii. pp. 395, 396.
+
+[135:3] Ibid. p. 306.
+
+[135:4] Ibid. p. 571.
+
+[136:1] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 5, ch. xxv.
+
+[136:2] Lardner: vol. viii. p. 404.
+
+[136:3] Irenaeus: Against Heresies, bk. i. c. xxiv.
+
+[137:1] See Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. pp. 492-495.
+
+[137:2] Not a _worldly Messiah_, as the Jews looked for, but an
+_Angel-Messiah_, such an one as always came at the end of a _cycle_. We
+shall treat of this subject anon, when we answer the question _why_
+Jesus was believed to be an _Avatar_, by the Gentiles, and not by the
+Jews; why, in fact, the doctrine of _Christ incarnate_ in Jesus
+succeeded and prospered.
+
+[137:3] "This strong expression might be justified by the language of
+St. Paul (_God_ was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen
+of angels, &c. I. Timothy, iii. 16), but we are deceived by our modern
+Bibles. The word _which_ was altered to _God_ at Constantinople in the
+beginning of the sixth century: the true meaning, which is visible in
+the Latin and Syriac versions, still exists in the reasoning of the
+Greek, as well as of the Latin fathers; and this fraud, with that of the
+_three witnesses of St. John_ (I. John, v. 7), is admirably detected by
+Sir Isaac Newton." (Gibbon's Rome, iv. 496, _note_.) _Dean Milman_ says:
+"The weight of authority is so much against the common reading of both
+these points (_i. e._, I. Tim. iii. 16, and I. John, v. 7), that they
+are no longer urged by prudent controversialists." (Note in Ibid.)
+
+[138:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. pp. 492-497.
+
+[138:2] See Chambers's Encyclopaedia, art. "Apollinaris."
+
+[138:3] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. p. 498.
+
+[138:4] That is, separate _him_ from God the Father, by saying that
+_he_, Jesus of Nazareth, was _not_ really and truly God Almighty himself
+in human form.
+
+[139:1] See Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. p. 516.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
+
+
+Being born in a miraculous manner, as other great personages had been,
+it was necessary that the miracles attending the births of these
+virgin-born gods should be added to the history of Christ Jesus,
+otherwise the legend would not be complete.
+
+The first which we shall notice is the story of the _star_ which is said
+to have heralded his birth, and which was designated "_his_ star." It is
+related by the _Matthew_ narrator as follows:[140:1]
+
+     "When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, of Judea, in the days of
+     Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
+     Jerusalem, saying: 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
+     for we have seen _his star_ in the east, and are come to
+     worship him.'"
+
+Herod the king, having heard these things, he privately called the wise
+men, and inquired of them what time the star appeared, at the same time
+sending them to Bethlehem to search diligently for the young child. The
+wise men, accordingly, departed and went on their way towards Bethlehem.
+"The star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came _and
+stood over_ where the young child was."
+
+The general legendary character of this narrative--its similarity in
+style with those contained in the apocryphal gospels--and more
+especially its conformity with those _astrological notions_ which,
+though prevalent in the time of the Matthew narrator, have been exploded
+by the sounder scientific knowledge of our days--all unite to stamp upon
+the story the impress of poetic or mythic fiction.
+
+The fact that the writer of this story speaks not of _a star_ but of
+_his star_, shows that it was the popular belief of the people among
+whom he lived, that each and every person was born under a star, and
+that this one which had been seen was _his star_.
+
+All ancient nations were very superstitious in regard to the influence
+of the stars upon human affairs, and this ridiculous idea has been
+handed down, in some places, even to the present day. Dr. Hooykaas,
+speaking on this subject, says:
+
+     "In ancient times the Jews, like other peoples, might very
+     well believe that there was some immediate connection between
+     the stars and the life of man--an idea which we still preserve
+     in the forms of speech that so-and-so was born under a lucky
+     or under an evil star. They might therefore suppose that the
+     birth of great men, such as Abraham, for instance, was
+     announced in the heavens. In our century, however, if not
+     before, all serious belief in astrology has ceased, and it
+     would be regarded as an act of the grossest superstition for
+     any one to have his horoscope drawn; for the course, the
+     appearance and the disappearance of the heavenly bodies have
+     been long determined with mathematical precision by
+     science."[141:1]
+
+The Rev. Dr. Geikie says, in his _Life of Christ_:[141:2]
+
+     "The Jews had already, long before Christ's day, dabbled
+     in astrology, and the various forms of magic which became
+     connected with it. . . . They were much given to cast horoscopes
+     from the numerical value of a name. Everywhere throughout the
+     whole Roman Empire, Jewish magicians, dream expounders, and
+     sorcerers, were found.
+
+     "'The life and portion of children,' says the _Talmud_, 'hang
+     not on righteousness, but on _their_ star.' 'The planet of the
+     day has no virtue, but the planet of the hour (of nativity)
+     has much.' 'When the Messiah is to be revealed,' says the book
+     _Sohar_, 'a star will rise in the east, shining in great
+     brightness, and _seven_ other stars round it will fight
+     against it on every side.' 'A star will rise in the east,
+     which is the star of the Messiah, and will remain in the east
+     fifteen days.'"
+
+The moment of every man's birth being supposed to determine every
+circumstance in his life, it was only necessary to find out in what mode
+the _celestial bodies_--supposed to be the primary wheels to the
+universal machine--operated at that moment, in order to discover all
+that would happen to him afterward.
+
+The regularity of the risings and settings of the fixed stars, though it
+announced the changes of the seasons and the orderly variations of
+nature, could not be adapted to the capricious mutability of human
+actions, fortunes, and adventures: wherefore the astrologers had
+recourse to the planets, whose more complicated revolutions offered more
+varied and more extended combinations. Their different returns to
+certain points of the Zodiac, their relative positions and conjunctions
+with each other, were supposed to influence the affairs of men; whence
+daring impostors presumed to foretell, not only the destinies of
+individuals, but also the rise and fall of empires, and the fate of the
+world itself.[141:3]
+
+The inhabitants of _India_ are, and have always been, very superstitious
+concerning the stars. The Rev. D. O. Allen, who resided in India for
+twenty-five years, and who undoubtedly became thoroughly acquainted with
+the superstitions of the inhabitants, says on this subject:
+
+     "So strong are the superstitious feelings of many, concerning
+     the supposed influence of the stars on human affairs, that
+     some days are _lucky_, and others again are _unlucky_, that no
+     arguments or promises would induce them to deviate from the
+     course which these _stars_, signs, &c., indicate, as the way
+     of safety, prosperity, and happiness. The evils and
+     inconveniences of these superstitions and prejudices are among
+     the things that press heavily upon the people of
+     India."[142:1]
+
+The _Nakshatias_--twenty-seven constellations which in Indian astronomy
+separate the moon's path into twenty-seven divisions, as the signs of
+the Zodiac do that of the sun into twelve--are regarded as deities who
+exert a vast influence on the destiny of men, not only at the moment of
+their entrance into the world, but during their whole passage through
+it. These formidable constellations are consulted at births, marriages,
+and on all occasions of family rejoicing, distress or calamity. No one
+undertakes a journey or any important matter except on days which the
+aspect of the Nakshatias renders lucky and auspicious. If any
+constellation is unfavorable, it must by all means be propitiated by a
+ceremony called S'anti.
+
+The _Chinese_ were very superstitious concerning the stars. They
+annually published astronomical calculations of the motions of the
+planets, for every hour and minute of the year. They considered it
+important to be very exact, because the hours, and even the minutes, are
+lucky or unlucky, according to the aspect of the stars. Some days were
+considered peculiarly fortunate for marrying, or beginning to build a
+house; and the gods are better pleased with sacrifice offered at certain
+hours than they are with the same ceremony performed at other
+times.[142:2]
+
+The ancient _Persians_ were also great astrologers, and held the stars
+in great reverence. They believed and taught that the destinies of men
+were intimately connected with their motions, and therefore it was
+important to know under the influence of what star a human soul made its
+advent into this world. Astrologers swarmed throughout the country, and
+were consulted upon all important occasions.[142:3]
+
+The ancient _Egyptians_ were exactly the same in this respect. According
+to Champollion, the tomb of Ramses V., at Thebes, contains tables of the
+constellations, and of their influence on human beings, for every hour
+of every month of the year.[142:4]
+
+The Buddhists' sacred books relate that the birth of _Buddha_ was
+announced in the heavens by an _asterim_ which was seen rising on the
+horizon. It is called the "_Messianic star_."[143:1]
+
+The Fo-pen-hing says:
+
+     "The time of Bodhisatwa's incarnation is, when the
+     constellation _Kwei_ is in conjunction with the Sun."[143:2]
+
+"Wise men," known as "Holy Rishis," were informed by these celestial
+signs that the Messiah was born.[143:3]
+
+In the _Ramayana_ (one of the sacred books of the Hindoos) the horoscope
+of Rama's birth is given. He is said to have been born on the 9th Tithi
+of the month Caitra. _The planet Jupiter_ figured at his birth; it being
+in Cancer at that time.[143:4] Rama was an incarnation of Vishnu. When
+_Crishna_ was born "_his stars_" were to be seen in the heavens. They
+were pointed out by one Nared, a great prophet and astrologer.[143:5]
+
+Without going through the list, we can say that the birth of every
+Indian _Avatar_ was foretold by _celestial signs_.[143:6]
+
+The same myth is to be found in the legends of China. Among others they
+relate that a star figured at the birth of _Yu_, the founder of the
+first dynasty which reigned in China,[143:7] who--as we saw in the last
+chapter--was of heavenly origin, having been born of a virgin. It is
+also said that a star figured at the birth of _Laou-tsze_, the Chinese
+sage.[143:8]
+
+In the legends of the Jewish patriarchs and prophets, it is stated that
+a _brilliant star_ shone at the time of the birth of _Moses_. It was
+seen by the _Magi_ of Egypt, who immediately informed the king.[143:9]
+
+When _Abraham_ was born "_his star_" shone in the heavens, if we may
+believe the popular legends, and its brilliancy outshone all the other
+stars.[143:10] Rabbinic traditions relate the following:
+
+     "Abraham was the son of Terah, general of Nimrod's army. He
+     was born at Ur of the Chaldees 1948 years after the Creation.
+     On the night of his birth, Terah's friends--among whom were
+     many of Nimrod's councillors and soothsayers--were feasting in
+     his house. On leaving, late at night, _they observed an
+     unusual star in the east_, it seemed to run from one quarter
+     of the heavens to the other, and to devour four stars which
+     were there. All amazed in astonishment at this wondrous
+     sight, 'Truly,' said they, '_this can signify nothing else but
+     that Terah's new-born son will become great and
+     powerful_.'"[144:1]
+
+It is also related that Nimrod, in a dream, saw a star rising above the
+horizon, which was very brilliant. The soothsayers being consulted in
+regard to it, foretold that a child was born who would become a great
+prince.[144:2]
+
+A brilliant star, which eclipsed all the other stars, was also to be
+seen at the birth of the Caesars; in fact, as Canon Farrar remarks, "The
+Greeks and Romans had _always_ considered that the births and deaths of
+great men were symbolized by the appearance and disappearance of
+heavenly bodies, and the same belief has continued down to comparatively
+modern times."[144:3]
+
+Tacitus, the Roman historian, speaking of the reign of the Emperor Nero,
+says:
+
+     "A comet having appeared, in this juncture, the phenomenon,
+     according to the _popular opinion_, announced that governments
+     were to be changed, and kings dethroned. In the imaginations
+     of men, Nero was already dethroned, and who should be his
+     successor was the question."[144:4]
+
+According to Moslem authorities, the birth of _Ali_--Mohammed's great
+disciple, and the chief of one of the two principal sects into which
+Islam is divided--was foretold by celestial signs. "A light was
+distinctly visible, resembling a bright column, extending from
+the earth to the firmament."[144:5] Even during the reign of the
+Emperor Hadrian, a hundred years after the time assigned for the
+death of Jesus, a certain Jew who gave himself out as the "_Messiah_,"
+and headed the last great insurrection of his country, assumed the name
+of _Bar-Cochba_--that is, "_Son of a Star_."[144:6]
+
+This myth evidently extended to the New World, as we find that the
+symbol of _Quetzalcoatle_, the virgin-born Saviour, was the "_Morning
+Star_."[144:7]
+
+We see, then, that among the ancients there seems to have been a very
+general idea that the birth of a great person would be announced by a
+star. The Rev. Dr. Geikie, who maintains to his utmost the truth of the
+Gospel narrative, is yet constrained to admit that:
+
+     "It was, indeed, universally believed, that extraordinary
+     events, especially the birth and death of great men, were
+     heralded by appearances of stars, and still more of comets, or
+     by conjunctions of the heavenly bodies."[145:1]
+
+The whole tenor of the narrative recorded by the _Matthew_ narrator is
+the most complete justification of the science of _astrology_; that the
+first intimation of the birth of the Son of God was given to the
+worshipers of Ormuzd, who have the power of distinguishing with
+certainty _his_ peculiar star; that from these _heathen_ the tidings of
+his birth are received by the Jews at Jerusalem, _and therefore that the
+theory must be right which connects great events in the life of men with
+phenomena in the starry heavens_.
+
+If this _divine sanction of astrology_ is contested on the ground that
+this was an _exceptional_ event, in which, simply to bring the Magi to
+Jerusalem, God caused the star to appear in accordance with their
+superstitious science, the difficulty is only pushed one degree
+backwards, for in this case God, it is asserted, wrought an event which
+was perfectly certain to strengthen the belief of the Magi, of Herod, of
+the Jewish priests, and of the Jews generally, in the truth of
+astrology.
+
+If, to avoid the alternative, recourse be had to the notion that the
+star appeared _by chance_, or that this _chance_ or _accident_ directed
+the Magi aright, is the position really improved? Is _chance_ consistent
+with any notion of supernatural interposition?
+
+We may also ask the question, why were the Magi brought to Jerusalem at
+all? If they knew that the star which they saw was the star of Christ
+Jesus--as the narrative states[145:2]--and were by this knowledge
+conducted to Jerusalem, why did it not suffice to guide them _straight
+to Bethlehem_, and thus prevent the Slaughter of the Innocents? Why did
+the star desert them after its first appearance, not to be seen again
+till they issued from Jerusalem? or, if it did not desert them, why did
+they ask of Herod and the priests the road which they should take, when,
+by the hypothesis, the star was ready to guide them?[145:3]
+
+It is said that in the oracles of Zoroaster there is to be found a
+prophecy to the effect that, _in the latter days_, a virgin would
+conceive and bear a son, and that, at the time of his birth, a star
+would shine at noonday. Christian divines have seen in this a prophecy
+of the birth of _Christ_ Jesus, but when critically examined, it does
+not stand the test. The drift of the story is this:
+
+Ormuzd, the Lord of Light, who created the universe in _six_ periods of
+time, accomplished his work by making the first man and woman, and
+infusing into them the breath of life. It was not long before Ahriman,
+the evil one, contrived to seduce the first parents of mankind by
+persuading them to eat of the forbidden fruit. Sin and death are now in
+the world; the principles of _good_ and _evil_ are now in deadly strife.
+Ormuzd then reveals to mankind his _law_ through his prophet Zoroaster;
+the strife between the two principles continues, however, and will
+continue until the end of a destined term. During the last three
+thousand years of the period Ahriman is predominant. The world now
+hastens to its doom; religion and virtue are nowhere to be found;
+mankind are plunged in sin and misery. _Sosiosh_ is born of a virgin,
+and redeems them, subdues the Devs, awakens the dead, _and holds the
+last judgment_. A comet sets the world in flames; the Genii of Light
+combat against the Genii of Darkness, and cast them into Duzakh, where
+Ahriman and the Devs and the souls of the wicked are thoroughly cleansed
+and purified by fire. Ahriman then submits to Ormuzd; evil is absorbed
+into goodness; the unrighteous, thoroughly purified, are united with the
+righteous, and _a new earth and a new heaven_ arise, free from all evil,
+where peace and innocence will forever dwell.
+
+Who can fail to see that this virgin-born _Sosiosh_ was to come, _not
+eighteen hundred years ago_, but, in the "_latter days_," when the world
+is to be set on fire by a _comet_, the _judgment_ to take place, and the
+"new heaven and new earth" is to be established? Who can fail to see
+also, by a perusal of the New Testament, that the idea of a _temporal
+Messiah_ (a mighty king and warrior, who should liberate and rule over
+his people Israel), and the idea of an _Angel-Messiah_ (who had come to
+announce that the "kingdom of heaven was at hand," that the "stars
+should fall from heaven," and that all men would shortly be judged
+according to their deeds), are both jumbled together in a heap?
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[140:1] Matthew, ch. ii.
+
+[141:1] Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 72.
+
+[141:2] Vol. i. p. 145.
+
+[141:3] See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 52.
+
+[142:1] Allen's India, p. 456.
+
+[142:2] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 221.
+
+[142:3] Ibid. p. 261.
+
+[142:4] See Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 456.
+
+[143:1] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, pp. 22, 23, 38.
+
+[143:2] See Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 23, 33, 35.
+
+[143:3] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 36.
+
+[143:4] Williams's Indian Wisdom, p. 347.
+
+[143:5] See Hist. Hindostan, ii. 336.
+
+[143:6] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 561. For that of Crishna,
+see Vishnu Purana, book v. ch. iii.
+
+[143:7] See Ibid. p. 618.
+
+[143:8] Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. p. 137.
+
+[143:9] See Anac., i. p. 560, and Geikie's Life of Christ, i. 559.
+
+[143:10] See Ibid., and The Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 72, and
+Calmet's Fragments, art. "Abraham."
+
+[144:1] Baring-Gould: Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 149.
+
+[144:2] Calmet's Fragments, art. "Abraham."
+
+[144:3] Farrar's Life of Christ, p. 52.
+
+[144:4] Tacitus: Annals, bk. xiv. ch. xxii.
+
+[144:5] Amberly's Analysis of Religious Belief, p. 227.
+
+[144:6] Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 73.
+
+[144:7] Brinton: Myths of the New World, pp. 180, 181, and Squire:
+Serpent Symbol.
+
+[145:1] Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 144.
+
+[145:2] Matthew ii. 2.
+
+[145:3] See Thomas Scott's English Life of Jesus for a full
+investigation of this subject.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+THE SONG OF THE HEAVENLY HOST.
+
+
+The story of the Song of the Heavenly Host belongs exclusively to the
+_Luke_ narrator, and, in substance, is as follows:
+
+At the time of the birth of Christ Jesus, there were shepherds abiding
+in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the angel of
+the Lord appeared among them, and the glory of the Lord shone round
+about them, and the angel said: "I bring you good tidings of great joy,
+which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city
+of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
+
+And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host,
+praising God in song, saying: "Glory to God in the highest; and on earth
+peace, good will towards men." After this the angels went _into
+heaven_.[147:1]
+
+It is recorded in the _Vishnu Purana_[147:2] that while the virgin
+Devaki bore _Crishna_, "the protector of the world," in her womb, she
+was eulogized by the gods, and on the day of Crishna's birth, "the
+quarters of the horizon were irradiate with joy, as if moonlight was
+diffused over the whole earth." "_The spirits and the nymphs of heaven
+danced and sang_," and, "at _midnight_,[147:3] when the support of all
+was born, _the clouds emitted low pleasing sounds, and poured down rain
+of flowers_."[147:4]
+
+Similar demonstrations of celestial delight were not wanting at the
+birth of _Buddha_. All beings everywhere were full of joy. Music was to
+be heard all over the land, and, as in the case of Crishna, there fell
+from the skies a gentle shower of flowers and perfumes. Caressing
+breezes blew, and a marvellous light was produced.[147:5]
+
+The Fo-pen-hing relates that:
+
+     "The attending spirits, who surrounded the Virgin Maya and the
+     infant Saviour, singing praises of 'the Blessed One,' said:
+     'All joy be to you, Queen Maya, rejoice and be glad, for the
+     child you have borne is holy.' Then the Rishis and Devas who
+     dwelt on earth exclaimed with great joy: 'This day Buddha is
+     born for the good of men, to dispel the darkness of their
+     ignorance.' Then the four heavenly kings took up the strain
+     and said: 'Now because Bodhisatwa is born, to give joy and
+     bring peace to the world, therefore is there this brightness.'
+     Then the gods of the thirty-three heavens took up the burden
+     of the strain, and the Yama Devas and the Tusita Devas, and so
+     forth, through all the heavens of the Kama, Rupa, and Arupa
+     worlds, even up to the Akanishta heavens, all the Devas joined
+     in this song, and said: '_To-day Bodhisatwa is born on earth,
+     to give joy and peace to men and Devas, to shed light in the
+     dark places, and to give sight to the blind._"[148:1]
+
+Even the sober philosopher _Confucius_ did not enter the world, if we
+may believe Chinese tradition, without premonitory symptoms of his
+greatness.[148:2]
+
+Sir John Francis Davis, speaking of Confucius, says:
+
+     "Various prodigies, _as in other instances_, were the
+     forerunners of the birth of this extraordinary person. On the
+     eve of his appearance upon earth, _celestial music_ sounded in
+     the ears of his mother; and when he was born, this inscription
+     appeared on his breast: 'The maker of a rule for setting the
+     World.'"[148:3]
+
+In the case of _Osiris_, the Egyptian Saviour, at his birth, a voice was
+heard proclaiming that: "The Ruler of all the Earth is born."[148:4]
+
+In Plutarch's "_Isis_" occurs the following:
+
+     "At the birth of Osiris, there was heard a voice that the Lord
+     of all the Earth was coming in being; and some say that a
+     woman named Pamgle, as she was going to carry water to the
+     temple of Ammon, in the city of Thebes, heard that voice,
+     which commanded her to proclaim it with a loud voice, that the
+     great beneficent god Osiris was born."[148:5]
+
+Wonderful demonstrations of delight also attended the birth of the
+heavenly-born _Apollonius_. According to Flavius Philostratus, who wrote
+the life of this remarkable man, a flock of swans surrounded his mother,
+and clapping their wings, as is their custom, they sang in unison, while
+the air was fanned by gentle breezes.
+
+When the god _Apollo_ was born of the virgin Latona in the Island of
+Delos, there was joy among the undying gods in Olympus, and the Earth
+laughed beneath the smile of Heaven.[148:6]
+
+At the time of the birth of "_Hercules the Saviour_," his father Zeus,
+the god of gods, spake from heaven and said:
+
+     "This day shall a child be born of the race of Perseus, who
+     shall be the mightiest of the sons of men."[149:1]
+
+When _AEsculapius_ was a helpless infant, and when he was about to be put
+to death, a voice from the god Apollo was heard, saying:
+
+     "Slay not the child with the mother; _he is born to do great
+     things_; but bear him to the wise centaur Cheiron, and bid him
+     train the boy in all his wisdom and teach him to do brave
+     deeds, that men may praise his name in the generations that
+     shall be hereafter."[149:2]
+
+As we stated above, the story of the Song of the Heavenly Host belongs
+exclusively to the _Luke_ narrator; none of the other writers of the
+synoptic Gospels know anything about it, which, if it really happened,
+seems very strange.
+
+If the reader will turn to the apocryphal Gospel called
+"_Protevangelion_" (chapter xiii.), he will there see one of the reasons
+why it was thought best to leave this Gospel out of the canon of the New
+Testament. It relates the "Miracles at Mary's labor," similar to the
+_Luke_ narrator, but in a still more wonderful form. It is probably from
+this apocryphal Gospel that the Luke narrator copied.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[147:1] Luke, ii. 8-15.
+
+[147:2] Translated from the original Sanscrit by H. H. Wilson, M. D., F.
+R. S.
+
+[147:3] All the virgin-born Saviours are born at _midnight or early
+dawn_.
+
+[147:4] Vishnu Purana, book v. ch. iii. p. 502.
+
+[147:5] See Amberly's Analysis, p. 226. Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 45, 46,
+47, and Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 35.
+
+[148:1] See Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 43, 55, 56, and Bunsen's
+Angel-Messiah, p. 35.
+
+[148:2] See Amberly: Analysis of Religious Belief, p. 84.
+
+[148:3] Davis: History of China, vol. ii. p. 48. See also Thornton:
+Hist. China, i. 152.
+
+[148:4] See Prichard's Egyptian Mythology, p. 56, and Kenrick's Egypt,
+vol. i. p. 408.
+
+[148:5] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 424, and Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i.
+p. 408.
+
+[148:6] See Tales of Ancient Greece, p. 4.
+
+[149:1] See Tales of Ancient Greece, p. 55.
+
+[149:2] Ibid. p. 45.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+THE DIVINE CHILD RECOGNIZED AND PRESENTED WITH GIFTS.
+
+
+The next in order of the wonderful events which are related to have
+happened at the birth of Christ Jesus, is the recognition of the divine
+child, and the presentation of gifts.
+
+We are informed by the _Matthew_ narrator, that being guided by a star,
+the _Magi_[150:1] from the east came to where the young child was.
+
+     "And when they were come into the _house_ (not _stable_) they
+     saw the young child, with Mary his mother, and fell down and
+     worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they
+     presented unto him gifts, gold, frankincense, and
+     myrrh."[150:2]
+
+The _Luke_ narrator--who seems to know nothing about the Magi from the
+east--informs us that _shepherds_ came and worshiped the young child.
+They were keeping their flocks by night when the angel of the Lord
+appeared before them, saying:
+
+     "Behold, I bring you good tidings--for unto you is born this
+     day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
+
+After the angel had left them, they said one to another:
+
+     "Let us go unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to
+     pass, which the Lord hath made known to us. And they came with
+     haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a
+     _manger_."[150:3]
+
+The Luke narrator evidently borrowed this story of the _shepherds_ from
+the "_Gospel of the Egyptians_" (of which we shall speak in another
+chapter), or from other sacred records of the biographies of Crishna or
+Buddha.
+
+It is related in the legends of _Crishna_ that the divine child was
+cradled among shepherds, to whom were first made known the stupendous
+feats which stamped his character with marks of the divinity. He was
+recognized as the promised _Saviour_ by Nanda, a shepherd, or cowherd,
+and his companions, who prostrated themselves before the heaven-born
+child. After the birth of Crishna, the Indian prophet Nared, having
+heard of his fame, visited his father and mother at Gokool, examined the
+stars, &c., and declared him to be of celestial descent.[151:1]
+
+Not only was Crishna adored by the shepherds and Magi, and received with
+_divine honors_, but he was _also presented with gifts_. These gifts
+were "sandal wood and perfumes."[151:2] (Why not "frankincense and
+myrrh?")
+
+Similar stories are related of the infant _Buddha_. He was visited, at
+the time of his birth, by _wise men_, who at once recognized in the
+marvellous infant all the characters of the divinity, and he had
+scarcely seen the day before he was hailed god of gods.[151:3]
+
+                    "'Mongst the strangers came
+     A grey-haired saint, Asita, one whose ears,
+     Long closed to earthly things, caught heavenly sounds,
+     And heard at prayer beneath his peepul-tree,
+     The Devas singing songs at Buddha's birth."
+
+Viscount Amberly, speaking of him, says:[151:4]
+
+     "He was visited and adored by a very eminent _Rishi_, or
+     hermit, known as _Asita_, who predicted his future greatness,
+     but wept at the thought that he himself was too old to see the
+     day when the law of salvation would be taught by the infant
+     whom he had come to contemplate."
+
+     "I weep (said Asita), because I am old and stricken in years,
+     and shall not see all that is about to come to pass. The
+     Buddha Bhagavat (God Almighty Buddha) comes to the world only
+     after many kalpas. This bright boy will be Buddha. _For the
+     salvation of the world_ he will teach the law. He will succor
+     the old, the sick, the afflicted, the dying. He will release
+     those who are bound in the meshes of _natural corruption_. He
+     will quicken the spiritual vision of those whose eyes are
+     darkened by the thick darkness of ignorance. Hundreds of
+     thousands of millions of beings will be carried by him to the
+     'other shore'--will put on immortality. And I shall not see
+     this perfect Buddha--this is why I weep."[151:5]
+
+He returns rejoicing, however, to his mountain-home, for his eyes had
+seen the promised and expected Saviour.[151:6]
+
+Paintings in the _cave_ of Ajunta represent Asita with the infant
+Buddha in his arms.[152:1] The marvelous gifts of this child had become
+known to this eminent ascetic by _supernatural signs_.[152:2]
+
+Buddha, as well as Crishna and Jesus, was presented with "costly jewels
+and precious substances."[152:3] (Why not gold and perfumes?)
+
+_Rama_--the seventh incarnation of Vishnu for human deliverance from
+evil--is also hailed by "_aged saints_"--(why not "wise _men_"?)--who
+die gladly when their eyes see the long-expected one.[152:4]
+
+_How-tseich_, who was one of those personages styled, in China,
+"Tien-Tse," or "Sons of Heaven,"[152:5] and who came into the world in a
+miraculous manner, was laid in a narrow lane. When his mother had
+fulfilled her time:
+
+     "Her first-born son (came forth) like a lamb.
+      There was no bursting, no rending,
+      No injury, no hurt--
+      Showing how wonderful he would be."
+
+When born, the sheep and oxen protected him with loving care.[152:6]
+
+The birth of _Confucius_ (B. C. 551), like that of all the demi-gods and
+saints of antiquity, is fabled to have been attended with allegorical
+prodigies, amongst which was the appearance of the _Ke-lin_, a
+miraculous quadruped, prophetic of happiness and virtue, which announced
+that the child would be "a king without a throne or territory." _Five
+celestial sages, or "wise men" entered the house at the time of the
+child's birth, whilst vocal and instrumental music filed the
+air._[152:7]
+
+_Mithras_, the Persian Saviour, and mediator between God and man, was
+also visited by "wise men" called Magi, at the time of his birth.[152:8]
+He was presented with gifts consisting of gold, frankincense and
+myrrh.'[152:9]
+
+According to Plato, at the birth of _Socrates_ (469 B. C.) there came
+three Magi from the east to worship him, bringing gifts of gold,
+frankincense and myrrh.[152:10]
+
+_AEsculapius_, the virgin-born Saviour, was protected by goatherds (why
+not shepherds?), who, upon seeing the child, knew at once that he was
+divine. The voice of fame soon published the birth of this miraculous
+infant, upon which people flocked from all quarters to behold and
+worship this heaven-born child.[153:1]
+
+Many of the Grecian and Roman demi-gods and heroes were either fostered
+by or worshiped by shepherds. Amongst these may be mentioned _Bacchus_,
+who was educated among shepherds,[153:2] and _Romulus_, who was found on
+the banks of the Tiber, and educated by shepherds.[153:3] _Paris_, son
+of Priam, was educated among shepherds,[153:4] and _AEgisthus_ was
+exposed, like AEsculapius, by his mother, found by shepherds and educated
+among them.[153:5]
+
+Viscount Amberly has well said that: "Prognostications of greatness in
+infancy are, indeed, among the stock incidents in the mythical or
+semi-mythical lives of eminent persons."
+
+We have seen that the _Matthew_ narrator speaks of the infant Jesus, and
+Mary, his mother, being in a "_house_"--implying that he had been born
+there; and that the _Luke_ narrator speaks of the infant "lying in a
+manger"--implying that he was born in a stable. We will now show that
+there is still _another_ story related of the _place_ in which he was
+born.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[150:1] "The original word here is '_Magoi_,' from which comes our word
+'_Magician_.' . . . The persons _here_ denoted were philosophers,
+priests, or _astronomers_. They dwelt chiefly in Persia and Arabia. They
+were the learned men of the Eastern nations, devoted to _astronomy_, to
+religion, and to medicine. They were held in high esteem by the Persian
+court; were admitted as councilors, and followed the camps in war to
+give advice." (Barnes's Notes, vol. i. p. 25.)
+
+[150:2] Matthew, ii. 2.
+
+[150:3] Luke, ii. 8-16.
+
+[151:1] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp. 129, 130, and Maurice: Hist.
+Hindostan, vol. ii. pp. 256, 257 and 317. Also, The Vishnu Purana.
+
+[151:2] Oriental Religions, pp. 500, 501. See also, Ancient Faiths, vol.
+ii. p. 353.
+
+[151:3] Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 157.
+
+[151:4] Amberly's Analysis, p. 177. See also, Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p.
+36.
+
+[151:5] Lillie: Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 76.
+
+[151:6] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 6, and Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 58,
+60.
+
+[152:1] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 36.
+
+[152:2] See Amberly's Analysis p. 231, and Bunsen's Angel Messiah, p.
+36.
+
+[152:3] Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. 58.
+
+[152:4] Oriental Religions, p. 491.
+
+[152:5] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 200.
+
+[152:6] See Amberly's Analysis of Religious Belief, p. 226.
+
+[152:7] See Thornton's Hist. China, vol. i. p. 152.
+
+[152:8] King: The Gnostics and their Remains, pp. 134 and 149.
+
+[152:9] Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 353.
+
+[152:10] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 96.
+
+[153:1] Taylor's Diegesis, p. 150. Roman Antiquities, p. 136, and Bell's
+Pantheon, vol. i. p. 27.
+
+[153:2] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 322.
+
+[153:3] Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 213.
+
+[153:4] Ibid. vol. i. p. 47.
+
+[153:5] Ibid. p. 20.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+THE BIRTH-PLACE OF CHRIST JESUS.
+
+
+The writer of that portion of the Gospel according to _Matthew_ which
+treats of the _place_ in which Jesus was born, implies, as we stated in
+our last chapter, that he was born in a _house_. His words are these:
+
+     "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea _in the days of
+     Herod the king_, behold, there came wise men from the east" to
+     worship him. "And when they were come _into the house_, they
+     saw the young child with Mary his mother."[154:1]
+
+The writer of the _Luke_ version implies that he was born in _a stable_,
+as the following statement will show:
+
+     "The days being accomplished that she (Mary) should be
+     delivered . . . she brought forth her first-born son, and
+     wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and _laid him in a manger_,
+     there being no room for him in the _inn_."[154:2]
+
+If these accounts were contained in these Gospels in the time of
+Eusebius, the first ecclesiastical historian, who flourished during the
+Council of Nice (A. D. 327), it is very strange that, in speaking of the
+birth of Jesus, he should have omitted even mentioning them, and should
+have given an altogether different version. He tells us that Jesus was
+neither born in a _house_, nor in a _stable_, but in a _cave_, and that
+at the time of Constantine a magnificent temple was erected on the spot,
+so that the Christians might worship in the place where their Saviour's
+feet had stood.[154:3]
+
+In the apocryphal Gospel called "_Protevangelion_," attributed to James,
+the brother of Jesus, we are informed that Mary and her husband, being
+away from their home in Nazareth, and when within three miles of
+Bethlehem, to which city they were going, Mary said to Joseph:
+
+     "Take me down from the ass, for that which is in me presses to
+     come forth."
+
+Joseph, replying, said:
+
+     "Whither shall I take thee, _for the place is desert_?"
+
+Then said Mary again to Joseph:
+
+     "Take me down, for that which is within me mightily presses
+     me."
+
+Joseph then took her down from off the ass, and he found there a _cave_
+and put her into it.
+
+Joseph then left Mary in the cave, and started toward Bethlehem for a
+midwife, whom he found and brought back with him. When they neared the
+spot a bright cloud overshadowed the cave.
+
+     "But on a sudden the cloud became _a great light in the cave_,
+     so their eyes could not bear it. But the light gradually
+     decreased, until the infant appeared and sucked the breast of
+     his mother."[155:1]
+
+Tertullian (A. D. 200), Jerome (A. D. 375) and other Fathers of the
+Church, also state that Jesus was born in a _cave_, and that the
+_heathen_ celebrated, in their day, the birth and _Mysteries_ of their
+Lord and Saviour Adonis in this very cave near Bethlehem.[155:2]
+
+Canon Farrar says:
+
+     "That the actual place of Christ's birth was a _cave_, is a
+     very ancient tradition, and this cave used to be shown as the
+     scene of the event even so early as the time of Justin Martyr
+     (A. D. 150)."[155:3]
+
+Mr. King says:
+
+     "The place _yet_ shown as the scene of their (the Magi's)
+     adoration at Bethlehem is a _cave_."[155:4]
+
+The Christian ceremonies in the Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem are
+celebrated to this day in a _cave_,[155:5] and are undoubtedly nearly
+the same as were celebrated, _in the same place_, in honor of _Adonis_,
+in the time of Tertullian and Jerome; and as are yet celebrated in Rome
+every Christmas-day, _very early in the morning_.
+
+We see, then, that there are _three_ different accounts concerning the
+_place_ in which Jesus was born. The first, and evidently true one, was
+that which is recorded by the _Matthew_ narrator, namely, that he was
+born in a _house_. The stories about his being born in a _stable_ or in
+a _cave_[155:6] were later inventions, caused from the desire to place
+him in as _humble_ a position as possible in his infancy, and from the
+fact that the virgin-born Saviours who had _preceded_ him had almost
+all been born in a position the most humiliating--such as a cave, a
+cow-shed, a sheep-fold, &c.--or had been placed there after birth. This
+was a part of the _universal mythos_. As illustrations we may mention
+the following:
+
+_Crishna_, the Hindoo virgin-born Saviour, was born in a _cave_,[156:1]
+fostered by an honest _herdsman_,[156:2] and, it is said, placed in a
+_sheep-fold_ shortly after his birth.
+
+_How-Tseih_, the Chinese "Son of Heaven," when an infant, was left
+unprotected by his mother, but the _sheep_ and _oxen_ protected him with
+loving care.[156:3]
+
+_Abraham_, the Father of Patriarchs, is said to have been _born in a
+cave_.[156:4]
+
+_Bacchus_, who was the son of God by the virgin Semele, is said to have
+been _born in a cave_, or placed in one shortly after his birth.[156:5]
+Philostratus, the Greek sophist and rhetorician, says, "the inhabitants
+of India had a tradition that Bacchus was born at _Nisa_, and was
+brought up in a _cave_ on Mount Meros."
+
+_AEsculapius_, who was the son of God by the virgin Coronis, was left
+exposed, when an infant, on a mountain, where he was found and cared for
+by a _goatherd_.[156:6]
+
+_Romulus_, who was the son of God by the virgin Rhea-Sylvia, was left
+exposed, when an infant, on the banks of the river Tiber, where he was
+found and cared for by a _shepherd_.[156:7]
+
+_Adonis_, the "Lord" and "Saviour," was placed in a _cave_ shortly after
+his birth.[156:8]
+
+_Apollo_ (Phoibos), son of the Almighty Zeus, was born in a cave at
+early dawn.[156:9]
+
+_Mithras_, the Persian Saviour, was born in a _cave or grotto_,[156:10]
+at early dawn.
+
+_Hermes_, the son of God by the mortal _Maia_, was born early in the
+morning, in _a cave or grotto_ of the Kyllemian hill.[156:11]
+
+_Attys_, the god of the Phrygians,[156:12] was born in a _cave_ or
+grotto.[156:13]
+
+The _object_ is the same in all of these stories, however they may
+differ in detail, which is to place the heaven-born infant in the most
+humiliating position in infancy.
+
+We have seen it is recorded that, at the time of the birth of Jesus
+"there was a _great light_ in the cave, so that the eyes of Joseph and
+the midwife could not bear it." This feature is also represented in
+early Christian art. "Early Christian painters have represented the
+infant Jesus as welcoming three Kings of the East, _and shining as
+brilliantly as if covered with phosphuretted oil_."[157:1] In all
+pictures of the Nativity, the light is made to arise from the body of
+the infant, and the father and mother are often depicted with glories
+round their heads. This too was a part of the old mythos, as we shall
+now see.
+
+The moment _Crishna_ was born, his mother became beautiful, and her form
+brilliant. The whole cave was splendidly illuminated, being filled with
+a _heavenly light_, and the countenances of his father and his mother
+emitted rays of glory.[157:2]
+
+So likewise, it is recorded that, at the time of the birth of Buddha,
+"the Saviour of the World," which, according to one account, took place
+in an _inn_, "_a divine light diffused around his person_," so that "the
+Blessed One" was "heralded into the world by a supernatural
+light."[157:3]
+
+When _Bacchus_ was born, a _bright light_ shone round him,[157:4] so
+that, "_there was a brilliant light in the cave_."
+
+When _Apollo_ was born, _a halo of serene light encircled his cradle_,
+the nymphs of heaven attended, and bathed him in pure water, and girded
+a broad golden band around his form.[157:5]
+
+When the Saviour _AEsculapius_ was born, his countenance shone like the
+sun, and he was surrounded by a fiery ray.[157:6]
+
+In the life of _Zoroaster_ the common mythos is apparent. He was born in
+innocence of an immaculate conception of a Ray of the Divine Reason. As
+soon as he was born, _the glory arising from his body enlightened the
+whole room_, and he laughed at his mother.[157:7]
+
+It is stated in the legends of the Hebrew Patriarchs that, at the birth
+of _Moses_, a bright light appeared and shone around.[157:8]
+
+There is still another feature which we must notice in these narratives,
+that is, the contradictory statements concerning the _time_ when Jesus
+was born. As we shall treat of this subject more fully in the chapter on
+"The Birthday of Christ Jesus," we shall allude to it here simply as far
+as necessary.
+
+The _Matthew_ narrator informs us that Jesus was born _in the days of
+Herod the King_, and the _Luke_ narrator says he was born _when
+Cyrenius_ was _Governor of Syria_, or later. This is a very awkward and
+unfortunate statement, as Cyrenius was not Governor of Syria until some
+_ten years after the time of Herod_.[158:1]
+
+The cause of this dilemma is owing to the fact that the Luke narrator,
+after having interwoven into _his_ story, of the birth of Jesus, the
+_old myth_ of the tax or tribute, which is said to have taken place at
+the time of the birth of some _previous_ virgin-born Saviours, looked
+among the records to see if a taxing had ever taken place in Judea, so
+that he might refer to it in support of his statement. He found the
+account of the taxing, referred to above, and without stopping to
+consider _when_ this taxing took place, or whether or not it would
+conflict with the statement that Jesus was born _in the days of Herod_,
+he added to his narrative the words: "And this taxing was _first made_
+when Cyrenius was governor of Syria."[158:2]
+
+We will now show the ancient myth of the taxing. According to the
+_Vishnu Purana_, when the infant Saviour _Crishna_ was born, his foster
+father, _Nanda_, had come to the city _to pay his tax or yearly tribute
+to the king_. It distinctly speaks of Nanda, and other cowherds,
+"_bringing tribute or tax to Kansa_" the reigning monarch.[158:3]
+
+It also describes a scene which took place after the taxes had been
+paid.
+
+Vasudeva, an acquaintance of Nanda's, "went to the wagon of Nanda, and
+found Nanda there, rejoicing that a son (Crishna) had been born to him.
+
+"Vasudeva spoke to him kindly, and congratulated him _on having a son in
+his old age_.[158:4]
+
+"'Thy yearly tribute,' he added, 'has been paid to the king . . . why do
+you delay, now that your affairs are settled? Up, Nanda, quickly, and
+set off to your own pastures.' . . . Accordingly Nanda and the other
+cowherds returned to their village."[158:5]
+
+Now, in regard to _Buddha_, the same myth is found.
+
+Among the thirty-two signs which were to be fulfilled by the mother of
+the expected Messiah (Buddha), the fifth sign was recorded to be, "_that
+she would be on a journey at the time of her child's birth_."
+Therefore, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
+prophets," the virgin Maya, in the tenth month after her heavenly
+conception, was on a journey to her father, when lo, the birth of the
+Messiah took place under a tree. One account says that "she had alighted
+at an _inn_ when Buddha was born."[159:1]
+
+The mother of _Lao-tsze_, the Virgin-born Chinese sage, was away from
+home when her child was born. She stopped to rest _under a tree_, and
+there, like the virgin Maya, gave birth to her son.[159:2]
+
+_Pythagoras_ (B. C. 570), whose real father was the Holy Ghost,[159:3]
+was also born at a time when his mother was away from home on a journey.
+She was travelling with her husband, who was _about his mercantile
+concerns_, from Samos to Sidon.[159:4]
+
+_Apollo_ was born when his mother was away from home. The Ionian legend
+tells the simple tale that Leto, the mother of the unborn Apollo, could
+find no place to receive her in her hour of travail until she came to
+Delos. The child was born like Buddha and Lao-tsze--_under a
+tree_.[159:5] The mother knew that he was destined to be a being of
+mighty power, ruling among the undying gods and mortal men.[159:6]
+
+Thus we see that the stories, one after another, relating to the birth
+and infancy of Jesus, are simply old myths, and are therefore not
+historical.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[154:1] Matthew, ii.
+
+[154:2] Luke, ii.
+
+[154:3] Eusebius's Life of Constantine, lib. 3, chs. xl., xli. and xlii.
+
+[155:1] Protevangelion. Apoc. chs. xii., xiii., and xiv., and Lily of
+Israel, p. 95.
+
+[155:2] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. pp. 98, 99.
+
+[155:3] Farrar's Life of Christ, p. 38, and _note_. See also, Hist.
+Hindostan, ii. 311.
+
+[155:4] King: The Gnostics and their Remains, p. 134.
+
+[155:5] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 95.
+
+[155:6] Some writers have tried to connect these by saying that it was a
+_cave-stable_, but why should a stable be in a _desert place_, as the
+narrative states?
+
+[156:1] Aryan Myths, vol. ii. p. 107.
+
+[156:2] See Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 259.
+
+[156:3] See Amberly's Analysis, p. 226.
+
+[156:4] See Calmet's Fragments, art. "Abraham."
+
+[156:5] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 321. Bell's Pantheon, vol.
+i. p. 118, and Dupuis, p. 284.
+
+[156:6] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 150, and Bell's Pantheon under
+"AEsculapius."
+
+[156:7] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 218.
+
+[156:8] See Ibid. vol. i. p. 12.
+
+[156:9] Aryan Mythology, vol. i. pp. 72, 158.
+
+[156:10] See Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, p. 124, and Aryan Mythology,
+vol. ii. p. 134.
+
+[156:11] Ibid.
+
+[156:12] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Beliefs, p. 255.
+
+[156:13] See Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, p. 124.
+
+[157:1] Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 460.
+
+[157:2] Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 133. Higgins: Anacalypsis,
+vol. i. p. 130. See also, Vishnu Purana, p. 502, where it says:
+
+"No person could bear to gaze upon Devaki from the light that invested
+her."
+
+[157:3] See Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 43, 46, or Bunsen's Angel-Messiah,
+pp. 34, 35.
+
+[157:4] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 322, and Dupuis: Origin of
+Relig. Belief, p. 119.
+
+[157:5] Tales of Anct. Greece, p. xviii.
+
+[157:6] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 27. Roman Antiquities, p. 136.
+
+[157:7] Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 460. Anacalypsis, vol. i. p.
+649.
+
+[157:8] See Hardy: Manual of Buddhism, p. 145.
+
+[158:1] See the chapter on "Christmas."
+
+[158:2] It may be that this verse was added by another hand some time
+after the narrative was written. We have seen it stated somewhere that,
+in the manuscript, this verse is in brackets.
+
+[158:3] See Vishnu Purana, book v. chap. iii.
+
+[158:4] Here is an exact counterpart to the story of Joseph--the
+foster-father, so-called--of Jesus. He too, had a son in his old age.
+
+[158:5] Vishnu Purana, book v. chap. v.
+
+[159:1] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 34. See also, Beal: Hist. Buddha,
+p. 32, and Lillie: Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 73.
+
+[159:2] Thornton: Hist. China, i. 138.
+
+[159:3] As we saw in Chapter XII.
+
+[159:4] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 150.
+
+[159:5] See Rhys David's Buddhism, p. 25.
+
+[159:6] See Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. ii. p. 31.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST JESUS.
+
+
+The biographers of Jesus, although they have placed him in a position
+the most humiliating in his infancy, and although they have given him
+poor and humble parents, have notwithstanding made him to be of _royal
+descent_. The reasons for doing this were twofold. First, because,
+according to the Old Testament, the expected Messiah was to be of the
+seed of Abraham,[160:1] and second, because the Angel-Messiahs who had
+previously been on earth to redeem and save mankind had been of _royal
+descent_, therefore Christ Jesus must be so.
+
+The following story, taken from Colebrooke's "_Miscellaneous
+Essays_,"[160:2] clearly shows that this idea was general:
+
+     "The last of the Jinas, Vardhamana, was _at first_ conceived
+     by Devananda, a Brahmana. The conception was announced to
+     her by a dream. Sekra, being apprised of his incarnation,
+     prostrated himself and worshiped the future saint (who was in
+     the womb of Devananda); but reflecting that _no great saint
+     was ever born in an indigent or mendicant family_, as that of
+     a Brahmana, Sekra commanded his chief attendant to remove the
+     child from the womb of Devananda to that of Trisala, wife of
+     Siddhartha, _a prince of the race of Jeswaca_, of the Kasyapa
+     family."
+
+In their attempts to accomplish their object, the biographers of Jesus
+have made such poor work of it, that all the ingenuity Christianity has
+yet produced, has not been able to repair their blunders.
+
+The genealogies are contained in the first and third Gospels, and
+although they do not agree, yet, if either is right, then Jesus was
+_not_ the son of God, engendered by the "Holy Ghost," but the legitimate
+son of Joseph and Mary. In any other sense they amount to nothing. That
+Jesus can be of royal descent, and yet be the Son of God, in the sense
+in which these words are used, is a conclusion which can be acceptable
+to those only who believe in _alleged_ historical narratives on no other
+ground than that they wish them to be true, and dare not call them into
+question.
+
+The _Matthew_ narrator states that _all_ the generations from Abraham to
+David are _fourteen_, from David until the carrying away into Babylon
+are _fourteen_, and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Jesus are
+_fourteen_ generations.[161:1] Surely nothing can have a more
+_mythological_ appearance than this. But, when we confine our attention
+to the genealogy itself, we find that the generations in the third
+stage, including Jesus himself, amount to only _thirteen_. All attempts
+to get over this difficulty have been without success; the genealogies
+are, and have always been, hard nuts for theologians to crack. Some of
+the early Christian fathers saw this, and they very wisely put an
+_allegorical_ interpretation to them.
+
+Dr. South says, in Kitto's Biblical Encyclopaedia:
+
+     "Christ's being the true Messiah depends upon his being the
+     son of David and king of the Jews. _So that unless this be
+     evinced the whole foundation of Christianity must totter and
+     fall._"
+
+Another writer in the same work says:
+
+     "In these two documents (Matthew and Luke), which profess to
+     give us the genealogy of Christ, there is no notice whatever
+     of the connection of his only earthly parent with the stock of
+     David. On the contrary, both the genealogies profess to give
+     us the descent of Joseph, to connect our Lord with whom by
+     natural generation, would be to falsify the whole story of his
+     miraculous birth, and overthrow the Christian faith."
+
+Again, when the idea that one of the genealogies is Mary's is spoken of:
+
+     "One thing is certain, that our belief in Mary's descent from
+     David is grounded on inference and tradition and not on any
+     direct statement of the sacred writings. And there has been a
+     ceaseless endeavor, both among ancients and moderns, to
+     gratify the natural cravings for knowledge on this subject."
+
+Thomas Scott, speaking of the genealogies, says:
+
+     "It is a favorite saying with those who seek to defend the
+     history of the Pentateuch against the scrutiny of modern
+     criticism, that the objections urged against it were known
+     long ago. The objections to the _genealogy_ were known long
+     ago, indeed; and perhaps nothing shows more conclusively than
+     this knowledge, the disgraceful dishonesty and willful
+     deception of the most illustrious of Christian
+     doctors."[161:2]
+
+Referring to the two genealogies, Albert Barnes says:
+
+     "No two passages of Scripture have caused more difficulty than
+     these, and various attempts have been made to explain them.
+     . . . Most interpreters have supposed that Matthew gives the
+     genealogy of Joseph, and Luke that of Mary. _But though this
+     solution is plausible and may be true, yet it wants
+     evidence._"
+
+Barnes furthermore admits the fallibility of the Bible in his remarks
+upon the genealogies; 1st, by comparing them to _our_ fallible family
+records; and 2d, by the remark that "the only inquiry which can now be
+fairly made _is whether they copied these tables correctly_."
+
+Alford, Ellicott, Hervey, Meyer, Mill, Patritius and Wordsworth hold
+that both genealogies are Joseph's; and Aubertin, Ebrard, Greswell,
+Kurtz, Lange, Lightfoot and others, hold that one is Joseph's, and the
+other Mary's.
+
+When the genealogy contained in _Matthew_ is compared with the Old
+Testament _they are found to disagree_; there are omissions which any
+writer with the least claim to historical sense would never have made.
+
+When the genealogy of the _third_ Gospel is turned to, the difficulties
+greatly increase, instead of diminish. It not only contradicts the
+statements made by the _Matthew_ narrator, but it does not agree with
+the Old Testament.
+
+What, _according to the three first evangelists_, did Jesus think of
+himself? In the first place he made no allusion to any miraculous
+circumstances connected with his birth. He looked upon himself as
+belonging to _Nazareth_, not as the child of Bethlehem;[162:1] _he
+reproved the scribes for teaching that the Messiah must necessarily be a
+descendant of David,[162:2] and did not himself make any express claim
+to such descent_.[162:3]
+
+As we cannot go into an extended inquiry concerning the genealogies, and
+as there is no real necessity for so doing, as many others have already
+done so in a masterly manner,[162:4] we will continue our investigations
+in another direction, and show that Jesus was not the only Messiah who
+was claimed to be of royal descent.
+
+To commence with _Crishna_, the Hindoo Saviour, he was of _royal
+descent_, although born in a state the most abject and humiliating.[163:1]
+Thomas Maurice says of him:
+
+     "Crishna, in the _male_ line, was of royal descent, being of
+     the Yadava line, the oldest and noblest of India; and nephew,
+     by his _mother's_ side, to the reigning sovereign; but, though
+     royally descended, he was actually born in a state the most
+     abject and humiliating; and, though not in a stable, yet in a
+     dungeon."[163:2]
+
+_Buddha_ was of _royal descent_, having descended from the house of
+Sakya, the most illustrious of the caste of Brahmans, which reigned in
+India over the powerful empire of Mogadha, in the Southern Bahr.[163:3]
+
+R. Spence Hardy says, in his "Manual of Buddhism:"
+
+     "The ancestry of Gotama Buddha is traced from his father,
+     Sodhodana, through various individuals and races, all of royal
+     dignity, to Maha Sammata, the first monarch of the world.
+     Several of the names, and some of the events, are met with in
+     the Puranas of the Brahmins, but it is not possible to
+     reconcile one order of statement with the other; and it would
+     appear that the Buddhist historians have introduced races, and
+     invented names, that they may invest their venerated sage with
+     all the honors of heraldry, in addition to the attributes of
+     divinity."
+
+How remarkably these words compare with what we have just seen
+concerning the genealogies of Jesus!
+
+_Rama_, another Indian _avatar_--the seventh incarnation of Vishnu--was
+also of _royal descent_.[163:4]
+
+_Fo-hi_; or _Fuh-he_, the virgin-born "Son of Heaven," was of _royal
+descent_. He belonged to the oldest family of monarchs who ruled in
+China.[163:5]
+
+_Confucius_ was of _royal descent_. His pedigree is traced back in a
+summary manner to the monarch _Hoang-ty_, who is said to have lived and
+ruled more than two thousand years before the time of Christ
+Jesus.[163:6]
+
+_Horus_, the Egyptian virgin-born Saviour, was of _royal descent_,
+having descended from a line of kings.[163:7] He had the title of "Royal
+Good Shepherd."[163:8]
+
+_Hercules_, the Saviour, was of _royal descent_.[163:9]
+
+_Bacchus_, although the Son of God, was of _royal descent_.[164:1]
+
+_Perseus_, son of the virgin Danae, was of _royal descent_.[164:2]
+
+_AEsculapius_, the great performer of miracles, although a son of God,
+was notwithstanding of _royal descent_.[164:3]
+
+Many more such cases might be mentioned, as may be seen by referring to
+the histories of the virgin-born gods and demi-gods spoken of in Chapter
+XII.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[160:1] That is, a passage in the Old Testament was construed to mean
+this, although another and more plausible meaning might be inferred. It
+is when Abraham is blessed by the Lord, who is made to say: "_In thy
+seed_ shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast
+obeyed my voice." (Genesis, xxii. 18.)
+
+[160:2] Vol. ii. p. 214.
+
+[161:1] Matthew, i. 17.
+
+[161:2] Scott's English Life of Jesus.
+
+[162:1] Matthew, xiii. 54; Luke, iv. 24.
+
+[162:2] Mark, ii. 35.
+
+[162:3] "There is no doubt that the authors of the genealogies regarded
+him (Jesus), as did his countrymen and contemporaries generally, as the
+eldest son of Joseph, Mary's husband, and that they had no idea of
+anything miraculous connected with his birth. All the attempts of the
+old commentators to reconcile the inconsistencies of the evangelical
+narratives are of no avail." (Albert Reville: Hist. Dogma, Deity, Jesus,
+p. 15.)
+
+[162:4] The reader is referred to Thomas Scott's English Life of Jesus,
+Strauss's Life of Jesus, The Genealogies of Our Lord, by Lord Arthur
+Hervey, Kitto's Biblical Encyclopaedia, and Barnes' Notes.
+
+[163:1] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 130. Asiatic Researches,
+vol. i. p. 259, and Allen's India, p. 379.
+
+[163:2] Hist. Hindostan, ii. p. 310.
+
+[163:3] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 157. Bunsen: The
+Angel-Messiah. Davis: Hist. of China, vol. ii. p. 80, and Huc's Travels,
+vol. i. p. 327.
+
+[163:4] Allen's India, p. 379.
+
+[163:5] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 200, and Chambers's Encyclo.,
+art. "Fuh-he."
+
+[163:6] Davis: History of China, vol. ii. p. 48, and Thornton: Hist.
+China, vol. i. p. 151.
+
+[163:7] See almost any work on Egyptian history or the religions of
+Egypt.
+
+[163:8] See Lundy: Monumental Christianity, p. 403.
+
+[163:9] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 152. Roman Antiquities, p. 124, and
+Bell's Pantheon, i. 382.
+
+[164:1] See Greek and Italian Mythology, p. 81. Bell's Pantheon, vol. i.
+p. 117. Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 118, and Roman Antiquities, p.
+71.
+
+[164:2] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 170, and Bulfinch: The Age of
+Fable, p. 161.
+
+[164:3] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 27. Roman Antiquities, p. 136,
+and Taylor's Diegesis, p. 150.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS.
+
+
+Interwoven with the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus, the star,
+the visit of the Magi, &c., we have a myth which belongs to a common
+form, and which, in this instance, is merely adapted to the special
+circumstances of the age and place. This has been termed "the myth of
+the dangerous child." Its general outline is this: A child is born
+concerning whose future greatness some prophetic indications have been
+given. But the life of the child is fraught with danger to some powerful
+individual, generally a monarch. In alarm at his threatened fate, this
+person endeavors to take the child's life, but it is preserved by divine
+care.
+
+Escaping the measures directed against it, and generally remaining long
+unknown, it at length fulfills the prophecies concerning its career,
+while the fate which he has vainly sought to shun falls upon him who had
+desired to slay it. There is a departure from the ordinary type, in the
+case of Jesus, inasmuch as Herod does not actually die or suffer any
+calamity through his agency. But this failure is due to the fact that
+Jesus did not fulfill the conditions of the Messiahship, according to
+the Jewish conception which Matthew has here in mind. Had he--as was
+expected of the Messiah--become the actual sovereign of the Jews, he
+must have dethroned the reigning dynasty, whether represented by Herod
+or his successors. But as his subsequent career belied the expectations,
+the evangelist was obliged to postpone to a future time his accession to
+that throne of temporal dominion which the incredulity of his countrymen
+had withheld from him during his earthly life.
+
+The story of the slaughter of the infants which is said to have taken
+place in Judea about the time of the birth of Jesus, is to be found in
+the second chapter of _Matthew_, and is as follows:
+
+     "When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of
+     Herod the king, there came wise men from the East to
+     Jerusalem, saying: 'Where is he that is born _king of the
+     Jews_? for we have seen _his star_ in the East and have come
+     to worship him.' When Herod the king had heard these things,
+     he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. Then Herod, when
+     he had privately called the wise men, enquired of them
+     diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to
+     Bethlehem, and said: 'Go and search diligently for the young
+     child; and when ye have found him, bring me word.'"
+
+The wise men went to Bethlehem and found the young child, but instead of
+returning to Herod as he had told them, they departed into their own
+country another way, having been warned of God _in a dream_, that they
+should not return to Herod.
+
+     "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men,
+     was exceeding wroth, _and sent forth, and slew all the
+     children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts
+     thereof, from two years old and under_."
+
+We have in this story, told by the _Matthew_ narrator--which the writers
+of the other gospels seem to know nothing about,--almost a counterpart,
+if not an exact one, to that related of _Crishna_ of India, which shows
+how closely the mythological history of Jesus has been copied from that
+of the Hindoo Saviour.
+
+Joguth Chunder Gangooly, a "Hindoo convert to Christ," tells us, in his
+"Life and Religion of the Hindoos," that:
+
+     "A _heavenly voice_ whispered to the foster father of Crishna
+     and told him to fly with the child across the river Jumna,
+     which was immediately done.[166:1] This was owing to the fact
+     that the reigning monarch, King Kansa, sought the life of the
+     infant Saviour, and to accomplish his purpose, he sent
+     messengers '_to kill all the infants in the neighboring
+     places_.'"[166:2]
+
+Mr. Higgins says:
+
+     "Soon after Crishna's birth he was carried away by night and
+     concealed in a region remote from his natal place, for fear of
+     a tyrant whose destroyer it was foretold he would become; and
+     who had, for that reason, ordered all the male children born
+     at that period to be slain."[166:3]
+
+Sir William Jones says of Crishna:
+
+     "He passed a life, according to the Indians, of a most
+     extraordinary and incomprehensible nature. His birth was
+     concealed through fear of the reigning tyrant Kansa, who, at
+     the time of his birth, _ordered all new-born males to be
+     slain, yet this wonderful babe was preserved_."[166:4]
+
+In the Epic poem Mahabarata, composed more than two thousand years ago,
+we have the whole story of this incarnate deity, born of a virgin, and
+miraculously escaping in his infancy from the reigning tyrant of his
+country, related in its original form.
+
+Representations of this flight with the babe at midnight are sculptured
+on the walls of ancient Hindoo temples.[167:1]
+
+This story is also the subject of an immense sculpture in the
+cave-temple at Elephanta, where the children are represented as being
+slain. The date of this sculpture is lost in the most remote antiquity.
+It represents a person holding a drawn sword, surrounded by slaughtered
+_infant boys_. Figures of men and women are also represented who are
+supposed to be supplicating for their children.[167:2]
+
+Thomas Maurice, speaking of this sculpture, says:
+
+     "The event of Crishna's birth, and the attempt to destroy him,
+     took place by night, and therefore the shadowy mantle of
+     darkness, _upon which mutilated figures of infants are
+     engraved_, darkness (at once congenial with his crime and the
+     season of its perpetration), involves the tyrant's bust; the
+     string of _death heads_ marks the multitude of infants slain
+     by his savage mandate; and every object in the sculpture
+     illustrates the events of that Avatar."[167:3]
+
+Another feature which connects these stories is the following:
+
+Sir Wm. Jones tells us that when Crishna was taken out of reach of the
+tyrant Kansa who sought to slay him, he was fostered at _Mathura_ by
+Nanda, the herdsman;[167:4] and Canon Farrar, speaking of the sojourn of
+the Holy Family in Egypt, says:
+
+     "St. Matthew neither tells us where the Holy Family abode in
+     Egypt, nor how long their exile continued; but ancient legends
+     say that they remained two years absent from Palestine, and
+     lived at Matareeh, a few miles north-east of Cairo."[167:5]
+
+Chemnitius, out of Stipulensis, who had it from Peter Martyr, Bishop of
+Alexandria, in the third century, says, that the place in Egypt where
+Jesus was banished, is now called Matarea, about ten miles beyond Cairo,
+that the inhabitants constantly burn a lamp in remembrance of it, and
+that there is a garden of trees yielding a balsam, which was planted by
+Jesus when a boy.[167:6]
+
+Here is evidently one and the same legend.
+
+_Salivahana_, the virgin-born Saviour, anciently worshiped near Cape
+Comorin, the southerly part of the Peninsula of India, had the same
+history. It was attempted to destroy him in infancy by a tyrant who was
+afterward killed by him. Most of the other circumstances, with slight
+variations, are the same as those told of Crishna and Jesus.[167:7]
+
+_Buddha's_ life was also in danger when an infant. In the southern
+country of Magadha, there lived a king by the name of Bimbasara, who,
+being fearful of some enemy arising that might overturn his kingdom,
+frequently assembled his principal ministers together to hold discussion
+with them on the subject. On one of these occasions they told him that
+away to the north there was a respectable tribe of people called the
+Sakyas, and that belonging to this race there was a youth newly-born,
+the first-begotten of his mother, &c. This youth, who was Buddha, they
+said was liable to overturn him, they therefore advised him to "at once
+raise an army and destroy the child."[168:1]
+
+In the chronicles of the East Mongols, the same tale is to be found
+repeated in the following story:
+
+     "A certain king of a people called Patsala, had a son whose
+     peculiar appearance led the Brahmins at court to prophesy that
+     he would bring evil upon his father, and to advise his
+     destruction. Various modes of execution having failed, _the
+     boy was laid in a copper chest and thrown into the Ganges_.
+     Rescued by an old peasant who brought him up as his son, he,
+     in due time, learned the story of his escape, and returned to
+     seize upon the kingdom destined for him from his
+     birth."[168:2]
+
+_Hau-ki_, the Chinese hero of supernatural origin, was exposed in
+infancy, as the "Shih-king" says:
+
+     "He was placed in a narrow lane, but the sheep and oxen
+     protected him with loving care. He was placed in a wide
+     forest, where he was met with by the wood-cutters. He was
+     placed on the cold ice, and a bird screened and supported him
+     with its wings," &c.[168:3]
+
+Mr. Legge draws a comparison with this to the Roman legend of Romulus.
+
+_Horus_, according to the Egyptian story, was born in the winter, and
+brought up secretly in the Isle of Buto, for fear of Typhon, who sought
+his life. Typhon at first schemed to prevent his birth and then sought
+to destroy him when born.[168:4]
+
+Within historical times, _Cyrus_, king of Persia (6th cent. B. C.), is
+the hero of a similar tale. His grandfather, Astyages, had dreamed
+certain dreams which were interpreted by the Magi to mean that the
+offspring of his daughter Mandane would expel him from his kingdom.
+
+Alarmed at the prophecy, he handed the child to his kinsman Harpagos to
+be slain; but this man having entrusted it to a shepherd to be exposed,
+the latter contrived to save it by exhibiting to the emissaries of
+Harpagos the body of a still-born child of which his own wife had just
+been delivered. Grown to man's estate Cyrus of course justified the
+prediction of the Magi by his successful revolt against Astyages and
+assumption of the monarchy.
+
+Herodotus, the Grecian Historian (B. C. 484), relates that Astyages, in
+a vision, appeared to see a vine grow up from Mandane's womb, which
+covered all Asia. Having seen this and communicated it to the
+interpreters of dreams, he put her under guard, resolving to destroy
+whatever should be born of her; for the Magian interpreters had
+signified to him from his vision that the child born of Mandane would
+reign in his stead. Astyages therefore, guarding against this, as soon
+as Cyrus was born sought to have him destroyed. The story of his
+exposure on the mountain, and his subsequent good fortune, is then
+related.[169:1]
+
+_Abraham_ was also a "dangerous child." At the time of his birth,
+Nimrod, king of Babylon, was informed by his soothsayers that "a child
+should be born in Babylonia, who would shortly become a great prince,
+and that he had reason to fear him." The result of this was that Nimrod
+then issued orders that "all women with child should be guarded with
+great care, _and all children born of them should be put to
+death_."[169:2]
+
+The mother of Abraham was at that time with child, but, of course, _he_
+escaped from being put to death, although many children were
+slaughtered.
+
+_Zoroaster_, the chief of the religion of the Magi, was a "dangerous
+child." Prodigies had announced his birth; he was exposed to dangers
+from the time of his infancy, and was obliged to fly into Persia, like
+Jesus into Egypt. Like him, he was pursued by a king, his enemy, who
+wanted to get rid of him.[169:3]
+
+His mother had alarming dreams of evil spirits seeking to destroy the
+child to whom she was about to give birth. But a good spirit came to
+comfort her and said: "Fear nothing! Ormuzd will protect this infant. He
+has sent him as a prophet to the people. The world is waiting for
+him."[169:4]
+
+_Perseus_, son of the Virgin Danae, was also a "dangerous child."
+Acrisius, king of Argos, being told by the oracle that a son born of his
+virgin daughter would destroy him, immured his daughter Danae in a
+tower, _where no man could approach her_, and by this means hoped to
+keep his daughter from becoming _enceinte_. The god Jupiter, however,
+visited her there, as it is related of the Angel Gabriel visiting the
+Virgin Mary,[170:1] the result of which was that she bore a
+son--_Perseus_. Acrisius, on hearing of his daughter's disgrace, caused
+both her and the infant to be shut up in a chest and cast into the sea.
+They were discovered by one Dictys, and liberated from what must have
+been anything but a pleasant position.[170:2]
+
+_AEsculapius_, when an infant, was exposed on the Mount of Myrtles, and
+left there to die, but escaped the death which was intended for him,
+having been found and cared for by _shepherds_.[170:3]
+
+_Hercules_, son of the virgin Leto, was left to die on a plain, but was
+found and rescued by a maiden.[170:4]
+
+_OEdipous_ was a "dangerous child." Laios, King of Thebes, having been
+told by the Delphic Oracle that OEdipous would be his destroyer, no
+sooner is OEdipous born than the decree goes forth that the child must
+be slain: but the servant to whom he is intrusted contents himself with
+exposing the babe on the slopes of Mount Kithairon, where a _shepherd_
+finds him, and carries him, like Cyrus or Romulus, to his wife, who
+cherishes the child with a mother's care.[170:5]
+
+The Theban myth of OEdipous is repeated substantially in the Arcadian
+tradition of _Telephos_. He is exposed, when a babe, on Mount Parthenon,
+and is suckled by a doe, which represents the wolf in the myth of
+Romulus, and the dog of the Persian story of Cyrus. Like Moses, he is
+brought up in the palace of a king.[170:6]
+
+As we read the story of Telephos, we can scarcely fail to think of the
+story of the Trojan _Paris_, for, like Telephos, Paris is exposed as a
+babe on the mountain-side.[170:7] Before he is born, there are portents
+of the ruin which he is to bring upon his house and people. Priam, the
+ruling monarch, therefore decrees that the child shall be left to die on
+the hill-side. But the babe lies on the slopes of _Ida_ and is nourished
+by a she-bear. He is fostered, like Crishna and others, by _shepherds_,
+among whom he grows up.[170:8]
+
+_Iamos_ was left to die among the bushes and violets. Aipytos, the
+chieftain of Phaisana, had learned at Delphi that a child had been born
+who should become the greatest of all the seers and prophets of the
+earth, and he asked all his people where the babe was: but none had
+heard or seen him, for he lay away amid the thick bushes, with his soft
+body bathed in the golden and pure rays of the violets. So when he was
+found, they called him Iamos, the "violet child;" and as he grew in
+years and strength, he went down into the Alpheian stream, and prayed to
+his father that he would glorify his son. Then the voice of Zeus was
+heard, bidding him come to the heights of Olympus, where he should
+receive the gift of prophecy.[171:1]
+
+_Chandragupta_ was also a "dangerous child." He is exposed to great
+dangers in his infancy at the hands of a tributary chief who has
+defeated and slain his suzerain. His mother, "relinquishing him to the
+protection of the Devas, places him in a vase, and deposits him at the
+door of a _cattle pen_." A _herdsman_ takes the child and rears it as
+his own.[171:2]
+
+_Jason_ is another hero of the same kind. Pelias, the chief of Iolkos,
+had been told that one of the children of Aiolos would be his destroyer,
+and decreed, therefore, that all should be slain. Jason only is
+preserved, and brought up by Cheiron.[171:3]
+
+_Bacchus_, son of the virgin Semele, was destined to bring ruin upon
+Cadmus, King of Thebes, who therefore orders the infant to be put into a
+chest and thrown into a river. He is found, and taken from the water by
+loving hands, and lives to fulfill his mission.[171:4]
+
+Herodotus relates a similar story, which is as follows:
+
+     "The constitution of the _Corinthians_ was formerly of this
+     kind; it was an _oligarchy_, (a government in the hands of a
+     selected few), and those who were called _Bacchiadae_ governed
+     the city. About this time one Eetion, who had been married to
+     a maiden called Labda, and having no children by her, went to
+     Delphi to inquire of the oracle about having offspring. Upon
+     entering the temple he was immediately saluted as follows;
+     'Eetion, no one honors thee, though worthy of much honor.
+     Labda is pregnant and will bring forth a round stone; it will
+     fall on monarchs, and vindicate Corinth.' This oracle,
+     pronounced to Eetion, was by chance reported to the
+     _Bacchiadae_, who well knew that it prophesied the birth of a
+     son to Eetion who would overthrow them, and reign in their
+     stead; and though they comprehended, they kept it secret,
+     purposing to destroy the offspring that should be born to
+     Eetion. As soon as the woman brought forth, they sent ten
+     persons to the district where Eetion lived, to put the child
+     to death; but, the child, _by a divine providence_, was saved.
+     His mother hid him in a chest, and as they could not find the
+     child they resolved to depart, and tell those who sent them
+     that they had done all that they had commanded. After this,
+     Eetion's son grew up, and having escaped this danger, the name
+     of Cypselus was given him, from the chest. When Cypselus
+     reached man's estate, and consulted the oracle, an ambiguous
+     answer was given him at Delphi; relying on which he attacked
+     and got possession of Corinth."[171:5]
+
+_Romulus_ and _Remus_, the founders of Rome, were exposed on the banks
+of the Tiber, when infants, and left there to die, but escaped the death
+intended for them.
+
+The story of the "dangerous child" was well known in ancient Rome, and
+several of their emperors, so it is said, were threatened with death at
+their birth, or when mere infants. Julius Marathus, in his life of the
+Emperor Augustus Caesar, says that before his birth there was a prophecy
+in Rome that a king over the Roman people would soon be born. To obviate
+this danger to the republic, the Senate ordered that all the male
+children born in that year should be abandoned or exposed.[172:1]
+
+The flight of the virgin-mother with her babe is also illustrated in the
+story of Astrea when beset by Orion, and of Latona, the mother of
+Apollo, when pursued by the monster.[172:2] It is simply the same old
+story, over and over again. Someone has predicted that a child born at a
+certain time shall be great, he is therefore a "dangerous child," and
+the reigning monarch, or some other interested party, attempts to have
+the child destroyed, but he invariably escapes and grows to manhood, and
+generally accomplishes the purpose for which he was intended. This
+almost universal mythos was added to the fictitious history of Jesus by
+its fictitious authors, who have made him escape in his infancy from the
+reigning tyrant with the usual good fortune.
+
+When a marvellous occurrence is said to have happened _everywhere_, we
+may feel sure that it never happened anywhere. Popular fancies propagate
+themselves indefinitely, but historical events, especially the striking
+and dramatic ones, are rarely repeated. That this is a fictitious story
+is seen from the narratives of the birth of Jesus, which are recorded by
+the first and third Gospel writers, without any other evidence. In the
+one--that related by the _Matthew_ narrator--we have a birth at
+Bethlehem--implying the ordinary residence of the parents there--and a
+_hurried flight_--almost immediately after the birth--from that place
+into Egypt,[172:3] the slaughter of the infants, and a journey, after
+many months, from Egypt to Nazareth in Galilee. In the other story--that
+told by the _Luke_ narrator--the parents, who have lived in Nazareth,
+came to Bethlehem only for business of the State, and the casual birth
+in the cave or stable is followed by a quiet sojourn, during which the
+child is circumcised, and by a leisurely journey to Jerusalem; whence,
+everything having gone off peaceably and happily, they return naturally
+to their own former place of abode, full, _it is said over and over
+again_, of wonder at the things that had happened, and deeply impressed
+with the conviction that their child had a special work to do, and was
+specially gifted for it. _There is no fear of Herod, who seems never to
+trouble himself about the child, or even to have any knowledge of him.
+There is no trouble or misery at Bethlehem, and certainly no mourning
+for children slain._ Far from flying hurriedly away by night, his
+parents _celebrate openly_, and at the usual time, the circumcision of
+the child; and when he is presented in the temple, there is not only no
+sign that enemies seek his life, _but the devout saints give public
+thanks for the manifestation of the Saviour_.
+
+Dr. Hooykaas, speaking of the slaughter of the innocents, says:
+
+     "Antiquity in general delighted in representing great men,
+     such as Romulus, Cyrus, and many more, as having been
+     threatened in their childhood by fearful dangers. This served
+     to bring into clear relief both the lofty significance of
+     their future lives, and the special protection of the deity
+     who watched over them.
+
+     "The brow of many a theologian has been bent over this
+     (Matthew) narrative! For, as long as people believed in the
+     miraculous inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, of course they
+     accepted every page as literally true, and thought that there
+     _could_ not be any contradiction between the different
+     accounts or representations of Scripture. The worst of all
+     such pre-conceived ideas is, that they compel those who hold
+     them to do violence to their own sense of truth. For when
+     these so-called religious prejudices come into play, people
+     are afraid to call things by their right names, and, without
+     knowing it themselves, become guilty of all kinds of evasive
+     and arbitrary practices; for what would be thought quite
+     unjustifiable in any other case is here considered a duty,
+     inasmuch as it is supposed to tend toward the maintenance of
+     faith and the glory of God!"[173:1]
+
+As we stated above, this story is to be found in the fictitious gospel
+according to Matthew only; contemporary history has nowhere recorded
+this audacious crime. It is mentioned neither by Jewish nor Roman
+historians. Tacitus, who has stamped forever the crimes of despots with
+the brand of reprobation, it would seem then, did not think such
+infamies worthy of his condemnation. Josephus also, who gives us a
+minute account of the atrocities perpetrated by Herod up to even the
+very last moment of his life, does not say a single word about this
+unheard-of crime, which must have been so notorious. Surely he must have
+known of it, and must have mentioned it, had it ever been committed. "We
+can readily imagine the Pagans," says Mr. Reber, "who composed the
+learned and intelligent men of their day, at work in exposing the story
+of Herod's cruelty, by showing that, considering the extent of
+territory embraced in the order, and the population within it, the
+assumed destruction of life stamped the story false and ridiculous. A
+governor of a Roman province who dared make such an order would be so
+speedily overtaken by the vengeance of the Roman people, that his head
+would fall from his body before the blood of his victims had time to
+dry. Archelaus, his son, was deposed for offenses not to be spoken of
+when compared with this massacre of the infants."
+
+No wonder that there is no trace at all in the Roman catacombs, nor in
+Christian art, of this fictitious story, until about the beginning of
+the fifth century.[174:1] Never would Herod dared to have taken upon
+himself the odium and responsibility of such a sacrifice. _Such a crime
+could never have happened at the epoch of its professed perpetration._
+To such lengths were the early Fathers led, by the servile adaptation of
+the ancient traditions of the East, they required a _second edition_ of
+the tyrant Kansa, and their holy wrath fell upon Herod. The Apostles of
+Jesus counted too much upon human credulity, they trusted too much that
+the future might not unravel their maneuvers, the sanctity of their
+object made them too reckless. They destroyed all the evidence against
+themselves which they could lay their hands upon, but they did not
+destroy it all.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[166:1] _A heavenly voice_ whispered to the foster-father of Jesus, and
+told him to fly with the child into Egypt, which was immediately done.
+(See Matthew, ii. 13.)
+
+[166:2] Life and Relig. of the Hindoos, p. 134.
+
+[166:3] Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 129. See also, Cox: Aryan Mythology,
+vol. ii. p. 134, and Maurice: Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 331.
+
+[166:4] Asiatic Researches, vol. i. pp. 273 and 259.
+
+[167:1] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 61.
+
+[167:2] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. 130, 13-, and Maurice: Indian
+Antiquities, vol. i. pp. 112, 113, and vol. iii. pp. 45, 95.
+
+[167:3] Indian Antiquities, vol. i. pp. 112, 113.
+
+[167:4] Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 259.
+
+[167:5] Farrar's Life of Christ, p. 58.
+
+[167:6] See Introduction to Gospel of Infancy, Apoc.
+
+[167:7] See vol. x. Asiatic Researches.
+
+[168:1] Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 103, 104.
+
+[168:2] Amberly's Analysis, p. 229.
+
+[168:3] The Shih-king. Decade ii, ode 1.
+
+[168:4] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, pp. 158 and 186.
+
+[169:1] Herodotus, bk. 1, ch. 110.
+
+[169:2] Calmet's Fragments, art. "Abraham."
+
+[169:3] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 240.
+
+[169:4] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. "Religions of Persia."
+
+[170:1] In the Apocryphal Gospel of the Birth of Mary and
+"Protevangelion."
+
+[170:2] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 9. Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol.
+ii. p. 58, and Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 161.
+
+[170:3] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 27. Cox: Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p.
+34.
+
+[170:4] Cox: Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p. 44.
+
+[170:5] Ibid. p. 69, and Tales of Ancient Greece, p. xlii.
+
+[170:6] Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 14.
+
+[170:7] Ibid. p. 75.
+
+[170:8] Ibid. p. 78.
+
+[171:1] Cox: Aryan Mytho. ii. p. 81.
+
+[171:2] Ibid. p. 84.
+
+[171:3] Ibid. p. 150.
+
+[171:4] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 188. Cox: Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p.
+296.
+
+[171:5] Herodotus: bk. v. ch. 92.
+
+[172:1] See Farrar's Life of Christ, p. 60.
+
+[172:2] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 168.
+
+[172:3] There are no very early examples in Christian art of the flight
+of the Holy Family into Egypt. (See Monumental Christianity, p. 289.)
+
+[173:1] Bible for Learners, vol. iii. pp. 71-74.
+
+[174:1] See Monumental Christianity, p. 238.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+THE TEMPTATION, AND FAST OF FORTY DAYS.
+
+
+We are informed by the _Matthew_ narrator that, after being baptized by
+John in the river Jordan, Jesus was led by the spirit into the
+wilderness "_to be tempted of the devil_."
+
+     "And when he had fasted _forty days and forty nights_, he was
+     afterward an hungered. And when the _tempter_ came to him he
+     said: 'If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be
+     made bread.' . . . Then the devil taketh him up into the holy
+     city, _and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple_, and saith
+     unto him: 'If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down.'
+     . . . Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high
+     mountain, _and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world_, and
+     the glory of them, and saith unto him:' _All these things will
+     I give thee_ if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' Then
+     saith Jesus unto him, 'Get thee hence, Satan: for it is
+     written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
+     shalt thou serve.' Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold,
+     angels came and ministered unto him."[175:1]
+
+This is really a very peculiar story; it is therefore not to be wondered
+at that many of the early Christian Fathers rejected it as being
+fabulous,[175:2] but this, according to orthodox teaching, cannot be
+done; because, in all consistent reason, "_we must accept the whole of
+the inspired autographs or reject the whole_,"[175:3] and, because, "the
+very foundations of our faith, the very basis of our hopes, the very
+nearest and dearest of our consolations, are taken from us, when _one
+line_ of that sacred volume, on which we base everything, is declared to
+be untruthful and untrustworthy."[175:4]
+
+The reason why we have this story in the New Testament is because the
+writer wished to show that Christ Jesus was proof against all
+temptations, that _he_ too, as well as _Buddha_ and others, could resist
+the powers of the prince of evil. This Angel-Messiah was tempted by the
+devil, and he fasted for forty-seven days and nights, without taking an
+atom of food.[175:5]
+
+The story of Buddha's temptation, presented below, is taken from the
+"_Siamese Life of Buddha_," by Moncure D. Conway, and published in his
+"_Sacred Anthology_," from which we take it.[176:1] It is also to be
+found in the _Fo-pen-hing_,[176:2] and other works on Buddha and
+Buddhism. Buddha went through a more lengthy and severe trial than did
+Jesus, having been tempted in many different ways. The portion which
+most resembles that recorded by the Matthew narrator is the following:
+
+     "The Grand Being (Buddha) applied himself to practice
+     asceticism of the extremest nature. _He ceased to eat_ (that
+     is, _he fasted_) and held his breath. . . . _Then it was that
+     the royal Mara_ (the Prince of Evil) _sought occasion to tempt
+     him._ Pretending compassion, he said: 'Beware, O Grand Being,
+     your state is pitiable to look on; you are attenuated beyond
+     measure, . . . you are practicing this mortification in vain;
+     I can see that you will not live through it. . . . Lord, that
+     art capable of such vast endurance, go not forth to adopt a
+     religious life, but return to thy kingdom, and in _seven_ days
+     thou shalt become _the Emperor of the World_, riding over the
+     four great continents.'"
+
+To this the Grand Being, Buddha, replied:
+
+     "'Take heed, O Mara; I also know that in seven days I might
+     gain universal empire, but I desire not such possessions. I
+     know that the pursuit of religion is better than the empire of
+     the world. You, thinking only of evil lusts, would force me to
+     leave all beings without guidance into your power. _Avaunt!
+     Get thou away from me!_'
+
+     "The Lord (then) rode onwards, intent on his purpose. The
+     skies rained flowers, and delicious odors pervaded the
+     air."[176:3]
+
+Now, mark the similarity between these two legends.
+
+Was Jesus about "beginning to preach" when he was tempted by the evil
+spirit? So was Buddha about to go forth "to adopt a religious life,"
+when he was tempted by the evil spirit.
+
+Did Jesus fast, and was he "afterwards an hungered"? So did Buddha
+"cease to eat," and was "attenuated beyond measure."
+
+Did the evil spirit take Jesus and show him "all the kingdoms of the
+world," which he promised to give him, provided he did not lead the life
+he contemplated, but follow him?
+
+So did the evil spirit say to Buddha: "Go not forth to adopt a religious
+life, and in seven days thou shalt become an emperor of the world."
+
+Did not Jesus resist these temptations, and say unto the evil one, "Get
+thee behind me, Satan"?
+
+So did Buddha resist the temptations, and said unto the evil one, "Get
+thee away from me."
+
+After the evil spirit left Jesus did not "angels come and minister unto
+him"?
+
+So with Buddha. After the evil one had left him "the skies rained
+flowers, and delicious odors pervaded the air."
+
+These parallels are too striking to be accidental.
+
+_Zoroaster_, the founder of the religion of the Persians, was tempted by
+the devil, who made him magnificent promises, in order to induce him to
+become his servant and to be dependent on him, but the temptations were
+in vain.[177:1] "His temptation by the devil, forms the subject of many
+traditional reports and legends."[177:2]
+
+_Quetzalcoatle_, the virgin-born Mexican Saviour, was also tempted by
+the devil, and the forty days' fast was found among them.[177:3]
+
+Fasting and self-denial were observances practiced by all nations of
+antiquity. The _Hindoos_ have days set apart for fasting on many
+different occasions throughout the year, one of which is when the
+birth-day of their Lord and Saviour Crishna is celebrated. On this
+occasion, the day is spent in fasting and worship. They abstain entirely
+from food and drink for more than thirty hours, at the end of which
+Crishna's image is worshiped, and the story of his miraculous birth is
+read to his hungry worshipers.[177:4]
+
+Among the ancient _Egyptians_, there were times when the priests
+submitted to abstinence of the most severe description, being forbidden
+to eat even bread, and at other times they only ate it mingled with
+hyssop. "The priests in Heliopolis," says Plutarch, "have many fasts,
+during which they meditate on divine things."[177:5]
+
+Among the _Sabians_, fasting was insisted on as an essential act of
+religion. During the month _Tammuz_, they were in the habit of fasting
+from sunrise to sunset, without allowing a morsel of food or drop of
+liquid to pass their lips.[177:6]
+
+The Jews also had their fasts, and on special occasions they gave
+themselves up to prolonged fasts and mortifications.
+
+Fasting and self-denial were observances required of the Greeks who
+desired initiation into the _Mysteries_. Abstinence from food, chastity
+and hard couches prepared the neophyte, who broke his fast on the third
+and fourth day only, on consecrated food.[177:7]
+
+The same practice was found among the ancient _Mexicans_ and
+_Peruvians_. Acosta, speaking of them, says:
+
+     "These priests and religious men used great fastings, of five
+     and ten days together, before any of their great feasts, and
+     they were unto them as our four ember weeks. . . .
+
+     "They drank no wine, and slept little, for the greatest part
+     of their exercises (of penance) were at night, committing
+     great cruelties and martyring themselves for the devil, and
+     all to be reputed great fasters and penitents."[178:1]
+
+In regard to the number of days which Jesus is said to have fasted being
+specified as _forty_, this is simply owing to the fact that the number
+_forty_ as well as _seven_ was a sacred one among most nations of
+antiquity, particularly among the Jews, and because _others_ had fasted
+that number of days. For instance; it is related[178:2] that _Moses_
+went up into a mountain, "and he was there with the Lord _forty days and
+forty nights, and he did neither eat bread, nor drink water_," which is
+to say that he _fasted_.
+
+In Deuteronomy[178:3] Moses _is made to say_--for he did not write it,
+"When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, . . .
+then I abode in the mount _forty days and forty nights_, I neither did
+eat bread nor drink water."
+
+_Elijah_ also had a long fast, which, _of course_, was continued for a
+period of _forty days and forty nights_.[178:4]
+
+_St. Joachim_, father of the "ever-blessed Virgin Mary," had a long
+fast, which was also continued for a period of _forty days and forty
+nights_. The story is to be found in the apocryphal gospel
+_Protevangelion_.[178:5]
+
+The ancient _Persians_ had a religious festival which they annually
+celebrated, and which they called the "Salutation of Mithras." During
+this festival, _forty days_ were set apart for thanksgiving and
+sacrifice.[178:6]
+
+The _forty days' fast_ was found in the New World.
+
+Godfrey Higgins tells us that:
+
+     "The ancient _Mexicans_ had a _forty days' fast_, in memory of
+     one of their sacred persons (Quetzalcoatle) who was tempted
+     (and fasted) _forty days_ on a mountain."[178:7]
+
+Lord Kingsborough says:
+
+     "The temptation of Quetzalcoatle, and _the fast of forty days,
+     . . . are very curious and mysterious_."[178:8]
+
+The ancient Mexicans were also in the habit of making their prisoners
+of war fast for a term of _forty days_ before they were put to
+death.[179:1]
+
+Mr. Bonwick says:
+
+     "The Spaniards were surprised to see the _Mexicans_ keep the
+     vernal _forty days' fast_. The Tammuz month of Syria was in
+     the spring. The _forty days_ were kept for Proserpine. Thus
+     does history repeat itself."[179:2]
+
+The Spanish monks accounted for what Lord Kingsborough calls "very
+curious and mysterious" circumstances, by the agency of the devil, and
+burned all the books containing them, whenever it was in their power.
+
+The forty days' fast was also found among some of the Indian tribes in
+the New World. Dr. Daniel Brinton tells us that "the females of the
+_Orinoco_ tribes _fasted forty days_ before marriage,"[179:3] and Prof.
+Max Mueller informs us that it was customary for some of the females of
+the South American tribes of Indians "to fast before and after the birth
+of a child," and that, among the _Carib-Coudave_ tribe, in the West
+Indies, "when a child is born the mother goes presently to work, but the
+father begins to complain, and takes to his hammock, and there he is
+visited as though he were sick. _He then fasts for forty days._"[179:4]
+
+The females belonging to the tribes of the Upper Mississippi, were held
+unclean for _forty days_ after childbirth.[179:5] The prince of the
+Tezcuca tribes _fasted forty days_ when he wished an heir to his throne,
+and the Mandanas supposed it required _forty days and forty nights_ to
+wash clean the earth at the deluge.[179:6]
+
+The number _forty_ is to be found in a great many instances in the Old
+Testament; for instance, at the end of _forty days_ Noah sent out a
+raven from the ark.[179:7] Isaac and Esau were each _forty years_ old
+when they married.[179:8] _Forty days_ were fulfilled for the embalming
+of Jacob.[179:9] The spies were _forty days_ in search of the land of
+Canaan.[179:10] The Israelites wandered _forty years_ in the
+wilderness.[179:11] The land "had rest" _forty years_ on three
+occasions.[179:12] The land was delivered into the hand of the
+Philistines _forty years_.[179:13] Eli judged Israel _forty
+years_.[179:14] King David reigned _forty years_.[179:15]
+
+King Solomon reigned _forty years_.[180:1] Goliath presented himself
+_forty days_.[180:2] The rain was upon the earth _forty days_ at the
+time of the deluge.[180:3] And, as we saw above, Moses was on the mount
+_forty days_ and _forty nights_ on each occasion.[180:4] Can anything be
+more mythological than this?
+
+The number forty was used by the ancients in constructing temples. There
+were _forty_ pillars around the temple of Chilminar, in Persia; the
+temple at Baalbec had _forty_ pillars; on the frontiers of China, in
+Tartary, there is to be seen the "Temple of the _forty_ pillars."
+_Forty_ is one of the most common numbers in the Druidical temples, and
+in the plan of the temple of Ezekiel, the four oblong buildings in the
+middle of the courts have each _forty_ pillars.[180:5] Most temples of
+antiquity were imitative--were microcosms of the Celestial Templum--and
+on this account they were surrounded with pillars recording
+_astronomical_ subjects, and intended both to do honor to these
+subjects, and to keep them in perpetual remembrance. In the Abury
+temples were to be seen the cycles of 650-608-600-60-40-30-19-12,
+etc.[180:6]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[175:1] Matthew, iv. 1-11.
+
+[175:2] See Lardner's Works, vol. viii. p. 491.
+
+[175:3] Words of the Rev. E. Garbett, M. A., in a sermon preached before
+the University of Oxford, England.
+
+[175:4] The Bishop of Manchester (England), in the "Manchester Examiner
+and Times."
+
+[175:5] See Lillie's Buddhism, p. 100.
+
+[176:1] Pp. 44 and 172, 173.
+
+[176:2] Translated by Prof. Samuel Beal.
+
+[176:3] See also Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, pp. 38, 39. Beal: Hist. Buddha,
+pp. xxviii., xxix., and 190, and Hardy: Buddhist Legends, p. xvii.
+
+[177:1] Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 240.
+
+[177:2] Chambers's Encyclo. art. "Zoroaster."
+
+[177:3] See Kingsborough: Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 200.
+
+[177:4] Life and Relig. of the Hindoos, p. 134.
+
+[177:5] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 341.
+
+[177:6] Ibid.
+
+[177:7] Ibid. p. 340.
+
+[178:1] Acosta: Hist. Indies, vol. ii. p. 339.
+
+[178:2] Exodus, xxiv. 28.
+
+[178:3] Deut. ix. 18.
+
+[178:4] 1 Kings, xix. 8.
+
+[178:5] Chapter i.
+
+[178:6] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 272.
+
+[178:7] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 19.
+
+[178:8] Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. pp. 197-200.
+
+[179:1] See Kingsborough's Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 223.
+
+[179:2] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 370.
+
+[179:3] Brinton: Myths of the New World, p. 94.
+
+[179:4] Max Mueller's Chips, vol. ii. p. 279.
+
+[179:5] Brinton: Myths of the New World, p. 94.
+
+[179:6] Ibid. According to Genesis, vii. 12, "the rain was upon the
+earth forty days and forty nights" at the time of the flood.
+
+[179:7] Genesis, viii. 6.
+
+[179:8] Gen. xxv. 20-xxvi. 34.
+
+[179:9] Gen. i. 3.
+
+[179:10] Numbers, xiii. 25.
+
+[179:11] Numbers, xiii. 13.
+
+[179:12] Jud. iii. 11; v. 31; viii. 28.
+
+[179:13] Jud. xiii. 1.
+
+[179:14] I. Samuel, iv. 18.
+
+[179:15] I. Kings, ii. 11.
+
+[180:1] I. Kings, xi. 42.
+
+[180:2] I. Samuel, xvii. 16.
+
+[180:3] Gen. vii. 12.
+
+[180:4] Exodus, xxiv. 18-xxxiv. 28.
+
+[180:5] See Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 798; vol. ii. p. 402.
+
+[180:6] See Ibid. vol. ii. p. 708.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST JESUS.
+
+
+The punishment of an individual by crucifixion, for claiming to be "King
+of the Jews," "Son of God," or "The Christ;" which are the causes
+assigned by the Evangelists for the Crucifixion of Jesus, would need but
+a passing glance in our inquiry, were it not for the fact that there is
+much attached to it of a _dogmatic_ and _heathenish_ nature, which
+demands considerably more than a "passing glance." The doctrine of
+atonement for sin had been preached long before the doctrine was deduced
+from the Christian Scriptures, long before these Scriptures are
+pretended to have been written. Before the period assigned for the birth
+of Christ Jesus, the poet _Ovid_ had assailed the demoralizing delusion
+with the most powerful shafts of philosophic scorn: "_When thou thyself
+art guilty,_" says he, "_why should a victim die for thee? What folly it
+is to expect salvation from the death of another._"
+
+The idea of expiation by the sacrifice of a _god_ was to be found among
+the Hindoos even in _Vedic_ times. _The sacrificer was mystically
+identified with the victim_, which was regarded as the ransom for sin,
+and the instrument of its annulment. The _Rig-Veda_ represents the gods
+as sacrificing _Purusha_, the primeval male, supposed to be coeval with
+the Creator. This idea is even more remarkably developed in the
+_Tandya-brahmanas_, thus:
+
+     "The lord of creatures (_praja-pati_) _offered himself a
+     sacrifice for the gods_."
+
+And again, in the _Satapatha-brahmana_:
+
+     "He who, knowing this, sacrifices the _Purusha-medha_, or
+     sacrifice of the primeval male, becomes everything."[181:1]
+
+Prof. Monier Williams, from whose work on _Hindooism_ we quote the
+above, says:
+
+     "Surely, in these mystical allusions to the sacrifice of a
+     representative man, we may perceive traces of the original
+     institution of sacrifice as a _divinely-appointed ordinance
+     typical of the one great sacrifice of the Son of God for the
+     sins of the world_."[182:1]
+
+This idea of redemption from sin through the sufferings and death of a
+Divine Incarnate Saviour, is simply the crowning-point of the idea
+entertained by primitive man that the gods _demanded_ a sacrifice of
+some kind, to atone for some sin, or avert some calamity.
+
+In primitive ages, when men lived mostly on vegetables, they offered
+only grain, water, salt, fruit, and flowers to the gods, to propitiate
+them and thereby obtain temporal blessings. But when they began to eat
+meat and spices, and drink wine, they offered the same; naturally
+supposing the deities would be pleased with whatever was useful or
+agreeable to themselves. They imagined that some gods were partial to
+animals, others to fruits, flowers, etc. To the celestial gods they
+offered _white_ victims at sunrise, or at open day. To the infernal
+deities they sacrificed _black_ animals in the night. Each god had some
+creature peculiarly devoted to his worship. They sacrificed a _bull_ to
+Mars, a _dove_ to Venus, and to Minerva, a _heifer_ without blemish,
+which had never been put to the yoke. If a man was too poor to sacrifice
+a living animal, he offered an image of one made of bread.
+
+In the course of time, it began to be imagined that the gods demanded
+something more sacred as offerings or atonements for sin. This led to
+the sacrifice of _human beings_, principally slaves and those taken in
+war, then, their own children, even their most beloved "first-born." It
+came to be an idea that every sin must have its prescribed amount of
+punishment, _and that the gods would accept the life of one person as
+atonement for the sins of others_. This idea prevailed even in Greece
+and Rome: but there it mainly took the form of heroic self-sacrifice for
+the public good. Cicero says: "The force of religion was so great among
+our ancestors, that some of their commanders have, with their faces
+veiled, and with the strongest expressions of sincerity, _sacrificed
+themselves to the immortal gods to save their country_."[182:2]
+
+In Egypt, offerings of human sacrifices, for the atonement of sin,
+became so general that "if the eldest born of the family of Athamas
+entered the temple of the Laphystan Jupiter at Alos in Achaia, he was
+sacrificed, crowned with garlands like an animal victim."[182:3]
+
+When the Egyptian priests offered up a sacrifice to the gods, they
+pronounced the following imprecations on the head of the victim:
+
+     "If any evil is about to befall either those who now
+     sacrifice, or Egypt in general, _may it be averted on this
+     head_."[183:1]
+
+This idea of atonement finally resulted in the belief that the incarnate
+_Christ_, the _Anointed_, the _God among us_, was to _save_ mankind from
+a curse by God imposed. Man had sinned, and God could not and did not
+forgive without a propitiatory _sacrifice_. The curse of God must be
+removed from the _sinful_, and the _sinless_ must bear the load of that
+curse. It was asserted that _divine justice_ required BLOOD.[183:2]
+
+The belief of redemption from sin by the sufferings of a _Divine
+Incarnation_, whether by death on the cross or otherwise, was general
+and popular among the heathen, centuries before the time of Jesus of
+Nazareth, and this dogma, no matter how sacred it may have become, or
+how _consoling_ it may be, must fall along with the rest of the material
+of which the Christian church is built.
+
+Julius Firmicius, referring to this popular belief among the _Pagans_,
+says: "The _devil_ has _his Christs_."[183:3] This was the general
+off-hand manner in which the Christian Fathers disposed of such matters.
+Everything in the religion of the Pagans which corresponded to their
+religion was of the devil. Most Protestant divines have resorted to the
+_type_ theory, of which we shall speak anon.
+
+As we have done heretofore in our inquiries, we will first turn to
+_India_, where we shall find, in the words of M. l'Abbe Huc, that "_the
+idea of redemption by a divine incarnation_," who came into the world
+for the express purpose of redeeming mankind, was "general and
+popular."[183:4]
+
+"A sense of _original corruption_," says Prof. Monier Williams, seems
+to be felt by all classes of Hindoos, as indicated by the following
+prayer used after the _Gayatri_ by some Vaishnavas:
+
+     "'I am sinful, I commit sin, my nature is sinful, _I am
+     conceived in sin_. Save me, O thou lotus-eyed Heri (Saviour),
+     the remover of sin.'"[184:1]
+
+Moreover, the doctrine of _bhakti_ (_salvation by faith_) existed among
+the Hindoos from the earliest times.[184:2]
+
+Crishna, the virgin-born, "the Divine Vishnu himself,"[184:3] "he who is
+without beginning, middle or end,"[184:4] being moved "to relieve the
+earth of her load,"[184:5] came upon earth and redeemed man by his
+_sufferings_--to _save_ him.
+
+The accounts of the deaths of most all the virgin-born Saviours of whom
+we shall speak, are conflicting. It is stated in one place that such an
+one died in such a manner, and in another place we may find it stated
+altogether differently. Even the accounts of the death of Jesus, as we
+shall hereafter see, are conflicting; therefore, until the chapter on
+"_Explanation_" is read, these myths cannot really be thoroughly
+understood.
+
+As the Rev. Geo. W. Cox remarks, in his _Aryan Mythology_, Crishna is
+described, in one of his aspects, as a self-sacrificing and unselfish
+hero, a being who is filled with divine wisdom and love, who offers up a
+sacrifice which he alone can make.[184:6]
+
+The _Vishnu Purana_[184:7] speaks of _Crishna_ being shot in the _foot_
+with an arrow, and states that _this_ was the cause of his death. Other
+accounts, however, state that he was suspended on a tree, or in other
+words, _crucified_.
+
+Mons. Guigniaut, in his "_Religion de l'Antiquite_" says:
+
+     "The death of Crishna is very differently related. One
+     remarkable and convincing tradition makes him perish on a
+     _tree_, to which he was _nailed_ by the stroke of an
+     arrow."[184:8]
+
+Rev. J. P. Lundy alludes to this passage of Guigniaut's in his
+"Monumental Christianity," and translates the passage "un bois fatal"
+(see note below) "_a cross_." Although we do not think he is justified
+in doing this, as M. Guigniaut has distinctly stated that this "bois
+fatal" (which is applied to a gibbet, a cross, a scaffold, etc.) was "un
+arbre" (a _tree_), yet, he is justified in doing so on other accounts,
+for we find that _Crishna_ is represented _hanging on a cross_, and we
+know that a _cross_ was frequently called the "accursed _tree_." It was
+an ancient custom to use trees as gibbets for crucifixion, or, if
+artificial, to call the cross a tree.[185:1]
+
+A writer in _Deuteronomy_[185:2] speaks of hanging criminals upon a
+_tree_, as though it was a general custom, and says:
+
+     "He that is hanged (on a tree) is accursed of God."
+
+And _Paul_ undoubtedly refers to this text when he says:
+
+     "Christ hath redeemed us from the _curse_ of the law, being
+     made a curse for us; for it is written, 'Cursed is every one
+     that hangeth on a tree.'"[185:3]
+
+It is evident, then, that to be hung on a cross was anciently called
+hanging on a _tree_, and to be hung on a tree was called crucifixion. We
+may therefore conclude from this, and from what we shall now see, that
+Crishna was said to have been _crucified_.
+
+In the earlier copies of Moor's "_Hindu Pantheon_," is to be seen
+representations of Crishna (as _Wittoba_),[185:4] with marks of holes in
+both feet, and in others, of holes in the hands. In Figures 4 and 5 of
+Plate 11 (Moor's work), the figures have _nail-holes in both feet_.
+Figure 6 has a _round hole in the side_; to his collar or shirt hangs
+the emblem of a _heart_ (which we often see in pictures of Christ Jesus)
+and on his head he has a _Yoni-Linga_ (which we _do not_ see in pictures
+of Christ Jesus.)
+
+Our Figure No. 7 (next page), is a pre-Christian crucifix of _Asiatic_
+origin,[185:5] evidently intended to represent Crishna crucified. Figure
+No. 8 we can speak more positively of, it is surely Crishna crucified.
+It is unlike any Christian crucifix ever made, and, with that described
+above with the _Yoni-Linga_ attached to the head, would probably not be
+claimed as such. Instead of the _crown of thorns_ usually put on the
+head of the Christian Saviour, it has the turreted coronet of the
+Ephesian Diana, the ankles are tied together by a cord, _and the dress
+about the loins is exactly the style with which Crishna is almost always
+represented_.[185:6]
+
+Rev. J. P. Lundy, speaking of the Christian crucifix, says:
+
+     "I object to the crucifix because it is an _image_, and
+     liable to gross abuse, _just as the old Hindoo crucifix was an
+     idol_."[186:1]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 7]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 8]
+
+And Dr. Inman says:
+
+     "Crishna, whose history so closely resembles our Lord's, was
+     also like him in his being crucified."[186:2]
+
+The Evangelist[186:3] relates that when Jesus was crucified two others
+(malefactors) were crucified with him, one of whom, through his favor,
+went to heaven. One of the malefactors reviled him, but the other said
+to Jesus: "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." And
+Jesus said unto him: "Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with
+me in paradise." According to the _Vishnu Purana_, the hunter who shot
+the arrow at Crishna afterwards said unto him: "Have pity upon me, who
+am consumed by my crime, for thou art able to consume me!" Crishna
+replied: "Fear not thou in the least. _Go, hunter, through my favor, to
+heaven, the abode of the gods._" As soon as he had thus spoken, a
+celestial car appeared, and the hunter, ascending it, forthwith
+proceeded to heaven. Then the illustrious Crishna, having united himself
+with his own pure, spiritual, inexhaustible, inconceivable, unborn,
+undecaying, imperishable and universal spirit, which is one with
+_Vasudeva_ (God),[186:4] abandoned his mortal body, and the condition of
+the threefold equalities.[186:5] One of the titles of Crishna is
+"_Pardoner of sins_," another is "_Liberator from the Serpent of
+death_."[187:1]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 9]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 10]
+
+The monk Georgius, in his _Tibetinum Alphabetum_ (p. 203), has given
+plates of _a crucified god_ who was worshiped in _Nepal_. These
+crucifixes were to be seen at the corners of roads and on eminences. He
+calls it the god _Indra_. Figures No. 9 and No. 10 are taken from this
+work. They are also different from any Christian crucifix yet produced.
+Georgius says:
+
+     "If the matter stands as Beausobre thinks, then the
+     inhabitants of India, and the Buddhists, whose religion is the
+     same as that of the inhabitants of Thibet, have received these
+     new portents of fanatics nowhere else than from the
+     Manicheans. For those nations, especially in the city of
+     Nepal, in the month of August, being about to celebrate the
+     festival days of the god _Indra_, erect crosses, wreathed with
+     _Abrotono_, to his memory, everywhere. You have the
+     description of these in letter B, the picture following after;
+     for A is the representation of _Indra_ himself _crucified_,
+     bearing on his forehead, hands and feet the signs
+     _Telech_."[187:2]
+
+P. Andrada la Crozius, one of the first Europeans who went to Nepal and
+Thibet, in speaking of the god whom they worshiped there--_Indra_--tells
+us that they said _he spilt his blood for the salvation of the human
+race_, and that he was pierced through the body with nails. He further
+says that, although they do not say he suffered the penalty of the
+cross, yet they find, nevertheless, figures of it in their books.[188:1]
+
+In regard to Beausobre's ideas that the religion of India is corrupted
+Christianity, obtained from the Manicheans, little need be said, as all
+scholars of the present day know that the religion of India is many
+centuries older than Mani or the Manicheans.[188:2]
+
+In the promontory of India, in the South, at Tanjore, and in the North,
+at Oude or Ayoudia, was found the worship of the _crucified god Bal-li_.
+This god, who was believed to have been an incarnation of Vishnu, was
+represented with holes in his hands and side.[188:3]
+
+The incarnate god Buddha, although said to have expired peacefully at
+the foot of a tree, is nevertheless described as a suffering Saviour,
+who, "when his mind was moved by pity (for the human race) _gave his
+life like grass for the sake of others_."[188:4]
+
+A hymn, addressed to Buddha, says:
+
+     "Persecutions without end,
+      Revilings and many prisons,
+      _Death and murder_,
+      These hast thou suffered with love and patience
+      (To secure the happiness of mankind),
+      Forgiving thine executioners."[188:5]
+
+He was called the "Great Physician,"[188:6] the "Saviour of the
+World,"[188:7] the "Blessed One,"[188:8] the "God among Gods,"[188:9]
+the "Anointed," or the "Christ,"[188:10] the "Messiah,"[188:11] the
+"Only Begotten,"[188:12] etc. He is described by the author of the
+"Cambridge Key"[188:13] as sacrificing his life to wash away the
+offenses of mankind, and thereby to make them partakers of the kingdom
+of heaven. This induces him to say "Can a Christian doubt that this
+Buddha was the TYPE of the Saviour of the World."[189:1]
+
+As a spirit in the fourth heaven, he resolves to give up "all that
+glory, in order to be born into the world," "to rescue all men from
+their misery and every future consequence of it." He vows "to deliver
+all men, who are left as it were without a _Saviour_."[189:2]
+
+While in the realms of the blest, and when about to descend upon earth
+to be born as man, he said:
+
+     "I am now about to assume a body; not for the sake of gaining
+     wealth, or enjoying the pleasures of sense, but I am about to
+     descend and be born, among men, _simply to give peace and rest
+     to all flesh; to remove all sorrow and grief from the
+     world_."[189:3]
+
+M. l'Abbe Huc says:
+
+     "In the eyes of the Buddhists, this personage (Buddha) is
+     sometimes a man and sometimes a god, or rather both one and
+     the other--a divine incarnation, a man-god--who came into the
+     world to enlighten men, to _redeem them_, and to indicate to
+     them the way of safety. This idea of _redemption by a divine
+     incarnation_ is so general and popular among the Buddhists,
+     that during our travels in Upper Asia we everywhere found it
+     expressed in a neat formula. If we addressed to a Mongol or a
+     Thibetan the question 'Who is Buddha?' he would immediately
+     reply: '_The Saviour of Men!_'"[189:4]
+
+According to Prof. Max Mueller, Buddha is reported as saying:
+
+     "_Let all the sins that were committed in this world fall on
+     me, that the world may be delivered._"[189:5]
+
+The _Indians_ are no strangers to the doctrine of _original sin_. It is
+their invariable belief that _man is a fallen being_; admitted by them
+from time immemorial.[189:6] And what we have seen concerning their
+beliefs in _Crishna_ and _Buddha_ unmistakably shows a belief in a
+_divine Saviour_, who _redeems man_, and takes upon himself the sins of
+the world; so that "_Baddha_ paid it all, all to him is due."[189:7]
+
+The idea of redemption through the sufferings and death of a _Divine
+Saviour_, is to be found even in the ancient religions of China. One of
+their five sacred volumes, called the _Y-King_, says, in speaking of
+_Tien, the "Holy One"_:
+
+     "The _Holy One_ will unite in himself all the virtues of
+     heaven and earth. By his justice the world will be
+     re-established in the ways of righteousness. He will labor and
+     suffer much. He must pass the great torrent, whose waves shall
+     enter into his soul; _but he alone can offer up to the Lord a
+     sacrifice worthy of him_."[190:1]
+
+An ancient commentator says:
+
+     "The common people sacrifice their lives to gain bread; the
+     philosophers to gain reputation; the nobility to perpetuate
+     their families. The _Holy One_ (_Tien_) does not seek himself,
+     but the good of others. _He dies to save the world._"[190:2]
+
+_Tien_, the Holy One, is always spoken of as one with God, existing with
+him from all eternity, "before anything was made."
+
+_Osiris_ and _Horus_, the Egyptian virgin-born gods, suffered
+death.[190:3] Mr. Bonwick, speaking of _Osiris_, says:
+
+     "He is one of the _Saviours_ or deliverers of humanity, to be
+     found in almost all lands." "In his efforts to do good, he
+     encounters evil; in struggling with that he is overcome; he is
+     killed."[190:4]
+
+Alexander Murray says:
+
+     "_The Egyptian Saviour Osiris_ was gratefully regarded as the
+     great exemplar of self-sacrifice, in _giving his life for
+     others_."[190:5]
+
+Sir J. G. Wilkinson says of him:
+
+     "The sufferings and death of _Osiris_ were the great Mystery
+     of the Egyptian religion, and some traces of it are
+     perceptible among other peoples of antiquity. His being the
+     _Divine Goodness_, and the abstract idea of 'good,' his
+     manifestation upon earth (like a Hindoo god), his death and
+     resurrection, and his office as judge of the dead in a future
+     state, _look like the early revelation of a future
+     manifestation of the deity converted into a mythological
+     fable_."[190:6]
+
+_Horus_ was also called "The Saviour." "As Horus Sneb, he is the
+_Redeemer_. He is the Lord of Life and the Eternal One."[190:7] He is
+also called "The Only-Begotten."[190:8]
+
+_Attys_, who was called the "_Only Begotten Son_"[190:9] and
+"_Saviour_," was worshiped by the Phrygians (who were regarded as one of
+the oldest races of Asia Minor). He was represented by them as _a man
+tied to a tree_, at the foot of which was a _lamb_,[191:1] and, without
+doubt, also _as a man nailed to the tree, or stake_, for we find
+Lactantius making this Apollo of Miletus (anciently, the greatest and
+most flourishing city of Ionia, in Asia Minor) say that:
+
+     "He was a mortal according to the flesh; wise in miraculous
+     works; but, being arrested by an armed force by command of the
+     Chaldean judges, _he suffered a death made bitter with nails
+     and stakes_."[191:2]
+
+In this god of the Phrygians, we again have the myth of the _crucified
+Saviour of Paganism_.
+
+By referring to Mrs. Jameson's "History of Our Lord in Art,"[191:3] or
+to illustrations in chapter xl. this work, it will be seen that a common
+mode of representing a crucifixion was that of a man, tied with cords by
+the hands and feet, to an upright beam or stake. The _lamb_, spoken of
+above, which signifies considerable, we shall speak of in its proper
+place.
+
+_Tammuz_, or _Adonis_, the Syrian and Jewish _Adonai_ (in Hebrew "Our
+Lord"), was another _virgin-born_ god, who suffered for mankind, and who
+had the title of _Saviour_. The accounts of his death are conflicting,
+just as it is with almost all of the so-called Saviours of mankind
+(_including the Christian Saviour_, as we shall hereafter see) one
+account, however, makes him a _crucified Saviour_.[191:4]
+
+It is certain, however, that the ancients who honored him as their Lord
+and Saviour, celebrated, annually, a feast in commemoration of his
+death. An image, intended as a representation of their Lord, was laid on
+a bed or bier, and bewailed in mournful ditties--just as the Roman
+Catholics do at the present day in their "Good Friday" mass.
+
+During this ceremony the priest murmured:
+
+     "_Trust ye in your Lord, for the pains which he endured, our
+     salvation have procured._"[191:5]
+
+The Rev. Dr. Parkhurst, in his "Hebrew Lexicon," after referring to what
+we have just stated above, says:
+
+     "I find myself _obliged_ to refer _Tammuz_ to that class of
+     idols which were originally designed to represent the promised
+     Saviour, the Desire of all Nations. His other name, _Adonis_,
+     is almost the very Hebrew _Adoni_ or _Lord_, a well-known
+     title of Christ."[191:6]
+
+_Prometheus_ was a crucified Saviour. He was "an immortal god, a friend
+of the human race, _who does not shrink even from sacrificing himself
+for their salvation_."[192:1]
+
+The tragedy of the crucifixion of Prometheus, written by AEschylus, was
+acted in Athens five hundred years before the Christian Era, and is by
+many considered to be the most ancient dramatic poem now in existence.
+The plot was derived from materials even at that time of an infinitely
+remote antiquity. Nothing was ever so exquisitely calculated to work
+upon the feelings of the spectators. No author ever displayed greater
+powers of poetry, with equal strength of judgment, in supporting through
+the piece the august character of the _Divine Sufferer_. The spectators
+themselves were unconsciously made a party to the interest of the scene:
+its hero was their friend, their benefactor, their creator, and their
+_Saviour_; his wrongs were incurred in their quarrel--_his sorrows were
+endured for their salvation_; "he was wounded for their transgressions,
+and bruised for their iniquities; the chastisement of their peace was
+upon him, and by his stripes they were healed;" "he was oppressed and
+afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth." The majesty of his silence,
+whilst the ministers of an offended god were _nailing him by the hands
+and feet to Mount Caucasus_,[192:2] could be only equaled by the modesty
+with which he relates, _while hanging with arms extended in the form of
+a cross_, his services to the human race, which had brought on him that
+horrible crucifixion.[192:3] "None, save myself," says he, "opposed his
+(Jove's) will,"
+
+                                "I dared;
+     And boldly pleading saved them from destruction,
+     Saved them from sinking to the realms of night.
+     For this offense I bend beneath these pains,
+     Dreadful to suffer, piteous to behold:
+     For mercy to mankind I am not deem'd
+     Worthy of mercy; but with ruthless hate
+     In this uncouth appointment am fix'd here
+     A spectacle dishonorable to Jove."[192:4]
+
+In the catastrophe of the plot, his especially professed friend,
+Oceanus, _the Fisherman_--as his name _Petraeus_ indicates,[193:1]--being
+unable to prevail on him to make his peace with Jupiter, by throwing the
+cause of human redemption out of his hands,[193:2] forsook him and fled.
+None remained to be witness of his dying agonies but the chorus of
+ever-amiable and ever-faithful which also bewailed and lamented
+him,[193:3] but were unable to subdue his inflexible philanthropy.[193:4]
+
+In the words of Justin Martyr: "Suffering was common to all the sons of
+Jove." They were called the "Slain Ones," "Saviours," "Redeemers," &c.
+
+_Bacchus_, the offspring of Jupiter and Semele,[193:5] was called the
+"_Saviour_."[193:6] He was called the "_Only Begotten Son_,"[193:7] the
+"Slain One,"[193:8] the "Sin Bearer,"[193:9] the "Redeemer,"[193:10] &c.
+Evil having spread itself over the earth, through the inquisitiveness of
+Pandora, the Lord of the gods is begged to come to the relief of
+mankind. Jupiter lends a willing ear to the entreaties, "and wishes that
+his _son_ should be the _redeemer_ of the misfortunes of the world; _The
+Bacchus Saviour_. He promises to the earth a _Liberator_ . . The
+universe shall worship him, and shall praise in songs his blessings." In
+order to execute his purpose, Jupiter overshadows the beautiful young
+maiden--the virgin Semele--who becomes the mother of the
+_Redeemer_.[193:11]
+
+     "It is I (says the lord Bacchus to mankind), who guides you;
+     it is I who protects you, and who saves you; I who am Alpha
+     and Omega."[193:12]
+
+_Hercules_, the son of Zeus, was called "The Saviour."[193:13] The words
+"Hercules the Saviour" were engraven on ancient coins and
+monuments.[193:14] He was also called "The Only Begotten," and the
+"Universal Word." He was re-absorbed into God. He was said by Ovid to be
+the "Self-produced," the Generator and Ruler of all things, and the
+Father of time.[193:15]
+
+_AEsculapius_ was distinguished by the epithet "The Saviour."[194:1] The
+temple erected to his memory in the city of Athens was called: "_The
+Temple of the Saviour_."[194:2]
+
+_Apollo_ was distinguished by the epithet "_The Saviour_."[194:3] In a
+hymn to _Apollo_ he is called: "The willing _Saviour_ of distressed
+mankind."[194:4]
+
+_Serapis_ was called "The Saviour."[194:5] He was considered by Hadrian,
+the Roman emperor (117-138 A. D.), and the Gentiles, to be the peculiar
+god of the Christians.[194:6] A _cross_ was found under the ruins of his
+temple in Alexandria in Egypt.[194:7] Fig. No. 11 is a representation of
+this Egyptian Saviour, taken from Murray's "Manual of Mythology." It
+certainly resembles the pictures of "the peculiar God of the
+Christians." It is very evident that the pictures of Christ Jesus, as we
+know them to-day, are simply the pictures of some of the Pagan gods, who
+were, for certain reasons which we shall speak of in a subsequent
+chapter, always represented with _long yellow or red hair, and a florid
+complexion_. If such a person as Jesus of Nazareth ever lived in the
+flesh, he was undoubtedly a _Jew_, and would therefore have _Jewish
+features_; this his pictures do not betray.[194:8]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 11]
+
+_Mithras_, who was "Mediator between God and man,"[194:9] was called
+"The Saviour." He was the peculiar god of the Persians, who believed
+that he had, by his sufferings, worked their salvation, and on this
+account he was called their _Saviour_.[194:10] He was also called "_The
+Logos_."[194:11]
+
+The Persians believed that they were tainted with _original sin_, owing
+to the fall of their first parents who were tempted by the evil one in
+the form of a serpent.[194:12]
+
+They considered their law-giver _Zoroaster_ to be also a _Divine
+Messenger_, sent to redeem men from their evil ways, and they always
+worshiped his memory. To this day his followers mention him with the
+greatest reverence, calling him "_The Immortal Zoroaster_," "_The
+Blessed Zoroaster_," "The First-Born of the Eternal One," &c.[195:1]
+
+"In the life of Zoroaster the common mythos is apparent. He was born in
+innocence, of an immaculate conception, of a ray of the Divine Reason.
+As soon as he was born, the glory arising from his body enlightened the
+room, and he laughed at his mother. He was called a _Splendid Light from
+the Tree of Knowledge_, and, in fine, he or his soul was _suspensus a
+lingo_, hung upon a tree, and this was the Tree of Knowledge."[195:2]
+
+How much this resembles "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and
+from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints."[195:3]
+
+_Hermes_ was called "_The Saviour_." On the altar of Pepi (B. C. 3500)
+are to be found prayers to Hermes--"_He who is the good
+Saviour._"[195:4] He was also called "_The Logos._" The church fathers,
+Hippolytus, Justin Martyr, and Plutarch (_de Iside et Osir_) assert that
+the _Logos_ is _Hermes_.[195:5] The term "_Logos_" is Greek, and
+signifies literally "_Word_."[195:6] He was also "_The Messenger of
+God_."[195:7]
+
+Dr. Inman says:
+
+     "There are few words which strike more strongly upon the
+     senses of an inquirer into the nature of ancient faiths, than
+     _Salvation_ and _Saviour_. Both were used long before the
+     birth of Christ, and they are still common among those who
+     never heard of Jesus, or of that which is known among us as
+     the Gospels."[195:8]
+
+He also tells us that there is a very remarkable figure copied in Payne
+Knight's work, in which we see on a man's shoulders a _cock's_ head,
+whilst on the pediment are placed the words: "_The Saviour of the
+World._"[195:9]
+
+Besides the titles of "God's First-Born," "Only Begotten," the
+"Mediator," the "Shepherd," the "Advocate," the "Paraclete or
+Comforter," the "Son of God," the "Logos," &c.,[195:10] being applied to
+heathen virgin-born gods, before the time assigned for the birth of
+Jesus of Nazareth, we have also that of _Christ_ and _Jesus_.
+
+_Cyrus_, King of Persia, was called the "Christ," or the "Anointed of
+God."[196:1] As Dr. Giles says, "_Christ_" is "a name having no
+spiritual signification, and importing nothing more than an _ordinary
+surname_."[196:2] The worshipers of _Serapis_ were called
+"_Christians_," and those devoted to Serapis were called "Bishops of
+Christ."[196:3] _Eusebius_, the ecclesiastical historian, says, that the
+names of "Jesus" and "Christ," were both known and honored among the
+ancients.[196:4]
+
+_Mithras_ was called the "Anointed" or the "Christ;"[196:5] and _Horus_,
+_Mano_, _Mithras_, _Bel-Minor_, _Iao_, _Adoni_, &c., were each of them
+"God of Light," "Light of the World," the "Anointed," or the
+"Christ."[196:6]
+
+It is said that Peter called his Master _the Christ_, whereupon "he
+straightway charged them (the disciples), and commanded them to tell no
+man _that thing_."[196:7]
+
+The title of "_Christ_" or "The Anointed," was held by the kings of
+Israel. "Touch not my Christ and do my prophets no harm," says the
+Psalmist.[196:8]
+
+The term "Christ" was applied to religious teachers, leaders of
+factions, necromancers or wonder-workers, &c. This is seen by the
+passage in _Matthew_, where the writer says:
+
+     "There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall
+     show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were
+     possible, they shall deceive the very elect."[196:9]
+
+The virgin-born Crishna and Buddha were incarnations of Vishnu, called
+Avatars. An Avatar is an _Angel-Messiah_, a _God-man_, a CHRIST; for the
+word _Christ_ is from the Greek _Christos_, an _Anointed One_, a
+_Messiah_.
+
+The name _Jesus_, which is pronounced in Hebrew _Yezua_, and is
+sometimes Grecized into _Jason_, was very common. After the Captivity it
+occurs quite frequently, and is interchanged with the name _Joshua_.
+Indeed Joshua, the successor of Moses, is called Jesus in the New
+Testament more than once,[196:10] though the meaning of the two names is
+not really quite the same. We know of a Jesus, son of Sirach, a writer
+of proverbs, whose collection is preserved among the apocryphal books
+of the Old Testament. The notorious _Barabbas_[197:1] or _son of Abbas_,
+was himself called Jesus. Among Paul's opponents we find a magician
+called Elymas, _the Son of Jesus_. Among the early Christians a certain
+Jesus, also called Justus, appears. Flavius Josephus mentions more than
+_ten_ distinct persons--priests, robbers, peasants, and others--who bore
+the name of Jesus, all of whom lived during the last century of the
+Jewish state.[197:2]
+
+To return now to our theme--_crucified gods before the time of Jesus of
+Nazareth_.
+
+The holy Father _Minucius Felix_, in his _Octavius_, written as late as
+A. D. 211, indignantly _resents the supposition that the sign of the
+cross should be considered exclusively as a Christian symbol_, and
+represents his advocate of the Christian argument as retorting on an
+infidel opponent. His words are:
+
+     "As for the adoration of _crosses_ which you (_Pagans_) object
+     against us (_Christians_), I must tell you, _that we neither
+     adore crosses nor desire them; you it is, ye Pagans_ . . . who
+     are the most likely people to adore wooden crosses . . . for
+     what else are your ensigns, flags, and standards, _but crosses
+     gilt and beautiful_. Your victorious trophies not only
+     represent a simple cross, _but a cross with a man upon
+     it_."[197:3]
+
+The existence, in the writings of Minucius Felix, of this passage, is
+probably owing to an oversight of the destroyers of all evidences
+against the Christian religion that could be had. The practice of the
+Romans, here alluded to, of carrying _a cross with a man on it_, or, in
+other words, a _crucifix_, has evidently been concealed from us by the
+careful destruction of such of their works as alluded to it. The priests
+had everything their own way for centuries, and to destroy what was
+evidence against their claims was a very simple matter.
+
+It is very evident that this celebrated Christian Father alludes to some
+Gentile mystery, of which the prudence of his successors has deprived
+us. When we compare this with the fact that for centuries after the time
+assigned for the birth of Christ Jesus, he was not represented as a man
+on a cross, and that the Christians did not have such a thing as a
+_crucifix_, we are inclined to think that the effigies of a black or
+_dark-skinned crucified man_, which were to be seen in many places in
+Italy even during the last century, may have had something to do with
+it.[197:4]
+
+While speaking of "_a cross with a man on it_" as being carried by the
+Pagan Romans as a _standard_, we might mention the fact, related by
+Arrian the historian,[198:1] that the troops of Porus, in their war with
+Alexander the Great, carried on their standards _the figure of a
+man_.[198:2] Here is evidently the _crucifix standard_ again.
+
+     "This must have been (says Mr. Higgins) a Staurobates or
+     Salivahana, and looks very like the figure of a man carried on
+     their standards by the Romans. This was similar to the dove
+     carried on the standards of the Assyrians. This must have been
+     the crucifix of Nepaul."[198:3]
+
+Tertullian, a Christian Father of the second and third centuries,
+writing to the Pagans, says:
+
+     "The origin of _your_ gods is derived from _figures moulded on
+     a cross_. All those rows of _images on your standards_ are the
+     appendages of crosses; those hangings on your standards and
+     banners are the robes of crosses."[198:4]
+
+We have it then, on the authority of a Christian Father, as late as A.
+D. 211, that the Christians "_neither adored crosses nor desired them_,"
+but that the _Pagans_ "adored crosses," and not that alone, but "_a
+cross with a man upon it_." This we shall presently find to be the case.
+Jesus, in those days, nor for centuries after, was _not_ represented as
+a _man on a cross_. He was represented as a _lamb_, and the adoration of
+the crucifix, by the Christians, was a later addition to their religion.
+But this we shall treat of in its place.
+
+We may now ask the question, who was this _crucified man_ whom the
+Pagans "_adored_" before and after the time of Jesus of Nazareth? Who
+did the crucifix represent? It was, undoubtedly, "the Saviour crucified
+for the salvation of mankind," long before the Christian Era, _whose
+effigies were to be seen in many places all over Italy_. These Pagan
+crucifixes were either destroyed, corrupted, or adopted; the latter was
+the case with many ancient paintings of the _Bambino_,[198:5] on which
+may be seen the words _Deo Soli_. Now, these two words can never apply
+to Christ Jesus. He was _not Deus Solus_, in any sense, according to the
+idiom of the Latin language, and the Romish faith. Whether we construe
+the words to "the only God," or "God alone," they are equally heretical.
+No priest, in any age of the Church, would have thought of putting them
+there, _but finding them there_, they tolerated them.
+
+In the "_Celtic Druids_," Mr. Higgins describes a _crucifix_, a _lamb_,
+and an _elephant_, which was cut upon the "fire tower"--so-called--at
+Brechin, a town of Forfarshire, in Scotland. Although they appeared to
+be of very ancient date, he supposed, at that time, that they were
+modern, and belonged to Christianity, but some years afterwards, he
+wrote as follows:
+
+     "I now doubt (the modern date of the tower), for we have, over
+     and over again, seen the crucified man before Christ. We have
+     also found 'The Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world,'
+     among the Carnutes of Gaul, before the time of Christ; and
+     when I contemplate these, and the _Elephant_ or
+     _Ganesa_,[199:1] and the _Ring_[199:2] and its Cobra,[199:3]
+     _Linga_,[199:4] _Iona_,[199:5] and Nandies, found not far from
+     the tower, on the estate of Lord Castles, with the Colidei,
+     the island of Iona, and Ii, . . . I am induced to doubt my
+     former conclusions. The Elephant, the Ganesa of India, is a
+     very stubborn fellow to be found here. The Ring, too, when
+     joined with other matters, I cannot get over. _All these
+     superstitions must have come from India._"[199:6]
+
+On one of the Irish "round towers" is to be seen _a crucifix of
+unmistakable Asiatic origin_.[199:7]
+
+If we turn to the New World, we shall find strange though it may appear,
+that the ancient _Mexicans_ and _Peruvians_ worshiped a _crucified
+Saviour_. This was the virgin-born _Quetzalcoatle_ whose crucifixion is
+represented in the paintings of the "_Codex Borgianus_," and the "_Codex
+Vaticanus_."
+
+These paintings illustrate the religious opinions of the ancient
+Mexicans, and were copied from the hieroglyphics found in Mexico. The
+Spaniards destroyed nearly all the books, ancient monuments and
+paintings which they could find; had it not been for this, much more
+regarding the religion of the ancient Mexicans would have been handed
+down to us. Many chapters were also taken--by the Spanish
+authorities--from the writings of the first historians who wrote on
+ancient Mexico. _All manuscripts had to be inspected previous to being
+published._ Anything found among these heathens resembling the religion
+of the Christians, was destroyed when possible.[199:8]
+
+The first Spanish monks who went to Mexico were surprised to find the
+_crucifix_ among the heathen inhabitants, and upon inquiring what it
+meant, were told that it was a representation of _Bacob_
+(Quetzalcoatle), the Son of God, who was put to death by _Eopuco_. They
+said that he was placed on a beam of wood, _with his arms stretched
+out_, and that he died there.[200:1]
+
+Lord Kingsborough, from whose very learned and elaborate work we have
+taken the above, says:
+
+     "Being questioned as to the manner in which they became
+     acquainted with these things, they replied that the lords
+     instructed their sons in them, and that thus this doctrine
+     descended from one to another."[200:2]
+
+Sometimes Quetzalcoatle or Bacob is represented as _tied_ to the
+cross--just as we have seen that _Attys_ was represented by the
+Phrygians--and at other times he is represented "in the attitude of a
+person crucified, with impressions of nail-holes in his hands and feet,
+but not actually upon a cross"--just as we have found the Hindoo
+_Crishna_, and as he is represented in Fig. No. 8. Beneath _this_
+representation of Quetzalcoatle crucified, is an image of Death, which
+an angry serpent seems threatening to devour.[200:3]
+
+On the 73d page of the Borgian MS., he is represented _crucified on a
+cross of the Greek form_. In this print there are also _impressions of
+nails_ to be seen on the _feet and hands_, and his body is strangely
+covered with _suns_.[200:4]
+
+In vol. ii. plate 75, the god is crucified in a circle of nineteen
+figures, and a _serpent_ is depriving him of the organs of generation.
+
+Lord Kingsborough, commenting on these paintings, says:
+
+     "It is remarkable that in these Mexican paintings the faces of
+     many of the figures are _black_, and that the visage of
+     Quetzalcoatle is frequently painted in a very deformed
+     manner."[200:5]
+
+His lordship further tells us that (according to the belief of the
+ancient Mexicans), "the death of Quetzalcoatle upon the cross" was "_an
+atonement for the sins of mankind_."[200:6]
+
+Dr. Daniel Brinton, in his "_Myths of the New World_," tells us that the
+_Aztecs_ had a feast which they celebrated "_in the early spring_," when
+"_victims were nailed to a cross and shot with an arrow_."[200:7]
+
+Alexander Von Humboldt, in his "_American Researches_," also speaks of
+this feast, when the Mexicans crucified a man, and pierced him with an
+arrow.[200:8]
+
+The author of _Monumental Christianity_, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "Here is the old story of the _Prometheus crucified_ on the
+     Caucasus, _and of all other Pagan crucifixions of the young
+     incarnate divinities of India, Persia, Asia Minor and
+     Egypt_."[201:1]
+
+This we believe; _but how did this myth get there_? He does not say, but
+we shall attempt to show, in a future chapter, how _this_ and _other_
+myths of Eastern origin became known in the New World.[201:2]
+
+It must not be forgotten, in connection with what we have seen
+concerning the Mexican crucified god being sometimes represented as
+_black_, and the feast when the _crucified man_ was shot with an arrow,
+that effigies of a _black crucified man were found in Italy_; that
+Crishna, the crucified, is very often represented _black_; and that
+_Crishna_ was shot with an arrow.
+
+Crosses were also found in _Yucatan_, as well as Mexico, _with a man
+upon them_.[201:3] Cogolludo, in his "History of Yucatan," speaking of a
+crucifix found there, says:
+
+     "Don Eugenio de Alcantara (one of the true teachers of the
+     Gospel), told me, not only once, that I might safely write
+     that the Indians of Cozumel possessed this holy cross in the
+     time of their paganism; and that some years had elapsed since
+     it was brought to Medira; for having heard from many persons
+     what was reported of it, he had made particular inquiries of
+     some very old Indians who resided there, who assured him that
+     it was the fact."
+
+He then speaks of the difficulty in accounting for this crucifix being
+found among the Indians of Cozumel, and ends by saying:
+
+     "But if it be considered that these Indians believed that the
+     Son of God, whom they called Bacob, _had died upon a cross,
+     with his arms stretched out upon it_, it cannot appear so
+     difficult a matter to comprehend that they should have formed
+     his image according to the religious creed which they
+     possessed."[201:4]
+
+We shall find, in another chapter, that these virgin-born "_Saviours_"
+and "Slain Ones;" Crishna, Osiris, Horus, Attys, Adonis, Bacchus,
+&c.--whether torn in pieces, killed by a boar, or crucified--_will all
+melt into_ ONE.
+
+We now come to a very important fact not generally known, namely: _There
+are no early representations of Christ Jesus suffering on the cross._
+
+Rev. J. P. Lundy, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "Why should a fact so well known to the heathen as the
+     crucifixion be concealed? _And yet its actual realistic
+     representation never once occurs in the monuments of
+     Christianity, for more than six or seven centuries._"[202:1]
+
+Mrs. Jameson, in her "History of Our Lord in Art," says:
+
+     "The crucifixion is _not_ one of the subjects of early
+     Christianity. The death of our Lord was represented by various
+     _types_, but _never in its actual form_.
+
+     "The _earliest_ instances of the _crucifixion_ are found in
+     illustrated manuscripts of various countries, and in those
+     _ivory and enameled forms_ which are described in the
+     Introduction. Some of these are ascertained, by historical or
+     by internal evidence, to have been executed in the _ninth
+     century_, there is one also, of an extraordinary rude and
+     fantastic character, in a MS. in the ancient library of St.
+     Galle, which is ascertained to be of the _eighth century_. _At
+     all events, there seems no just grounds at present for
+     assigning an earlier date._"[202:2]
+
+     "Early Christian art, such as it appears in the bas-reliefs on
+     sarcophagi, gave but one solitary incident from the story of
+     Our Lord's Passion, _and that utterly divested of all
+     circumstances of suffering_. Our Lord is represented as young
+     and beautiful, free from bonds, with no '_accursed tree_' on
+     his shoulders."[202:3]
+
+The oldest representation of Christ Jesus was a figure of a
+_lamb_,[202:4] to which sometimes a vase was added, into which his blood
+flowed, and at other times couched at the foot of a cross. _This custom
+subsisted up to the year 680, and until the pontificate of Agathon,
+during the reign of Constantine Pogonat._ By the sixth synod of
+Constantinople (canon 82) it was ordained that instead of the ancient
+symbol, which had been the LAMB, _the figure of a man fastened to a
+cross_ (such as the _Pagans_ had adored), should be represented. All
+this was confirmed by Pope Adrian I.[202:5]
+
+A simple cross, which was the symbol of eternal life, or of salvation,
+among the ancients, was sometimes, as we have seen, placed alongside of
+the _Lamb_. In the course of time, the _Lamb_ was put on the cross, as
+the ancient _Israelites_ had put the paschal lamb centuries
+before,[202:6] and then, as we have seen, they put a _man_ upon it.
+
+Christ Jesus is also represented in early art as the "Good Shepherd,"
+that is, as a young man with a lamb on his shoulders.[202:7]
+
+This is just the manner in which the Pagan Apollo, Mercury and others
+were represented centuries before.[203:1]
+
+Mrs. Jameson says:
+
+     "_Mercury_ attired as a _shepherd_, with a _ram_ on his
+     shoulders, borne in the same manner as in many of the
+     Christian representations, was no unfrequent object (in
+     ancient art) and in some instances led to a difficulty in
+     distinguishing between the two,"[203:2] that is, between
+     _Mercury_ and _Christ Jesus_.
+
+M. Renan says:
+
+     "The Good Shepherd of the catacombs in Rome is a copy from the
+     _Aristeus_, or from the _Apollo Nomius_, which figured in the
+     same posture on the _Pagan_ sarcophagi; and still carries the
+     flute of _Pan_, in the midst of the four half-naked
+     seasons."[203:3]
+
+The Egyptian Saviour _Horus_ was called the "Shepherd of the
+People."[203:4]
+
+The Hindoo Saviour _Crishna_ was called the "Royal Good
+Shepherd."[203:5]
+
+We have seen, then, on the authority of a Christian writer who has made
+the subject a special study, that, "there seems no just grounds at
+present for assigning an earlier date," for the "earliest instances of
+the crucifixion" of Christ Jesus, represented in art, than the _eighth_
+or _ninth_ century. Now, a few words in regard to _what these crucifixes
+looked like_. If the reader imagines that the crucifixes which are
+familiar to us at the present day are similar to those early ones, we
+would inform him that such is not the case. The earliest artists of the
+crucifixion represent the Christian Saviour as _young and beardless_,
+always without the crown of thorns, alive, and erect, apparently elate;
+no signs of bodily suffering are there.[203:6]
+
+On page 151, plate 181, of Jameson's "History of Our Lord in Art" (vol.
+ii.), he is represented standing on a foot-rest on the cross, alive, and
+eyes open. Again, on page 330, plate 253, he is represented standing
+"with body upright and arms extended straight, with _no nails_, _no
+wounds_, _no crown of thorns_--frequently clothed, and with a regal
+crown--a God, young and beautiful, hanging, as it were, without
+compulsion or pain."
+
+On page 167, plate 188, are to be seen "the thieves _bound_ to their
+_cross (which is simply an upright beam, without cross-bars)_, with the
+figure of the Lord _standing_ between them." He is not bound nor nailed
+to a cross; no cross is there. He is simply standing erect in the form
+of a cross. This is a representation of what is styled, "_Early
+crucifixion with thieves_." On page 173, plate 190, we have a
+representation of the crucifixion, in which Jesus and the thieves are
+represented crucified on the Egyptian _tau_ (see Fig. No. 12). The
+thieves are _tied_, but the man-god is _nailed_ to the cross. A similar
+representation may be seen on page 189, plate 198.
+
+On page 155, plate 183, there is a representation of what is called
+"Virgin and St. John at foot of _cross_," but this _cross_ is simply _an
+upright beam_ (as Fig. No. 13). There are no cross-bars attached. On
+page 167, plate 188, the thieves are _tied_ to an upright beam (as Fig.
+13), and Jesus stands between them, _with arms extended in the form of a
+cross_, as the Hindoo Crishna is to be seen in Fig. No. 8. On page 157,
+plate 185, Jesus is represented crucified on the Egyptian cross (as No.
+12).
+
+Some ancient crucifixes represent the Christian Saviour crucified on a
+cross similar in form to the Roman figure which stands for the number
+_ten_ (see Fig. No. 14). Thus we see that there was no uniformity in
+representing the "cross of Christ," among the early Christians; even the
+cross which Constantine put on his "Labarum," or sacred banner, was
+nothing more than the monogram of the Pagan god Osiris (Fig. No.
+15),[204:1] as we shall see in a subsequent chapter.
+
+[Illustration: No. 12, No. 13, No. 14, No. 15]
+
+The dogma of the _vicarious atonement_ has met with no success whatever
+among the Jews. The reason for this is very evident. The idea of
+vicarious atonement, in any form, is contrary to Jewish ethics, but it
+is in full accord with the _Gentile_. The _law_ ordains that[205:1]
+"every man shall be put to death for _his own_ sin," and not for the sin
+or crime committed by any other person. No ransom should protect the
+murderer against the arm of justice.[205:2] The principle of equal
+rights and equal responsibilities is fundamental in the law. If the law
+of _God_--for as such it is received--denounces the vicarious atonement,
+viz., _to slaughter an innocent person to atone for the crimes of
+others_, then God must abhor it. What is more, Jesus is said to have
+sanctioned this law, for is he not made to say: "Think not that I am
+come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but
+to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one
+jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law."[205:3]
+
+"Salvation is and can be nothing else than learning the laws of life and
+keeping them. There is, in the modern world, neither place nor need for
+any of the theological 'schemes of salvation' or theological 'Saviours.'
+No wrath of either God or devil stands in man's way; and therefore no
+'sacrifice' is needed to get them out of the way. Jesus saves only as he
+helps men know and keep God's laws. Thousands of other men, in their
+degree, are Saviours in precisely the same way. As there has been no
+'fall of man,' all the hundreds of theological devices for obviating its
+supposed effects are only imaginary cures for imaginary ills. What man
+does need is to be taught the necessary laws of life, and have brought
+to bear upon him adequate motives for obeying them. To know and keep
+God's laws is being reconciled to him. This is health; and out of
+health--that is, the perfect condition of the whole man, called holiness
+or wholeness--comes happiness, in this world and in all worlds."
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[181:1] Monier Williams: Hinduism, pp. 36-40.
+
+[182:1] Monier Williams: Hinduism, p. 36.
+
+[182:2] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 303.
+
+[182:3] Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 443.
+
+[183:1] Herodotus: bk. ii. ch. 39.
+
+[183:2] In the trial of Dr. Thomas (at Chicago) for "_doctrinal
+heresy_," one of the charges made against him (Sept. 8, 1881) was that
+he had said "the BLOOD of the Lamb had nothing to do with salvation."
+And in a sermon preached in Boston, Sept. 2, 1881, at the Columbus
+Avenue Presbyterian Church, by the Rev. Andrew A. Bonar. D. D., the
+preacher said: "No sinner dares to meet the holy God until his sin has
+been forgiven, or until he has received _remission_. The penalty of sin
+is death, _and this penalty is not remitted by anything the sinner can
+do for himself_, but only through the BLOOD of Jesus. If you have
+accepted Jesus as your Saviour, you can take the blood of Jesus, and
+with boldness present it to the Father _as payment in full of the
+penalties of all your sins_. Sinful man has no right to the benefits and
+the beauties and glories of nature. _These were all lost to him through
+Adam's sin_, but to the blood of Christ's sacrifice he has a right; it
+was shed for him. It is Christ's death that does the blessed work of
+salvation for us. It was _not_ his life nor his Incarnation. His
+Incarnation could not pay a farthing of our debt, but his _blood_ shed
+in redeeming love, _pays it all_." (See Boston Advertiser, Sept. 3,
+1881.)
+
+[183:3] _Habet ergo Diabolus Christos suos._
+
+[183:4] Huc's Travels, vol. i. pp. 326 and 327.
+
+[184:1] Hinduism, p. 214.
+
+[184:2] Ibid. p. 115.
+
+[184:3] Vishnu Purana, p. 440.
+
+[184:4] Ibid.
+
+[184:5] Ibid.
+
+[184:6] Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 132.
+
+[184:7] Pages 274 and 612.
+
+[184:8] "On reconte fort diversement la mort de Crishna. Une tradition
+remarquable et averee le fait perir sur un bois fatal (un arbre), ou il
+fut cloue d'un coup de fleche." (Quoted by Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i.
+p. 144.)
+
+[185:1] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 499, and Mrs. Jameson's
+"History of Our Lord in Art," ii. 317, where the cross is called the
+"accursed tree."
+
+[185:2] Chap. xxi. 22, 23: "If a man have committed a sin worthy of
+death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: his
+body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any
+wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that
+thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an
+inheritance."
+
+[185:3] Galatians, iii. 13.
+
+[185:4] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 146, and Inman's Ancient
+Faiths, vol. i. p. 402.
+
+"The crucified god Wittoba is also called Balue. He is worshiped in a
+marked manner at Pander-poor or Bunder-poor, near Poonah." (Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 750, _note_ 1.)
+
+"A form of Vishnu (Crishna), called _Viththal_ or _Vithoba_, is the
+popular god at Pandharpur in Maha-rashtra, the favorite of the
+celebrated Marathi poet Tukarama." (Prof. Monier Williams: Indian
+Wisdom, p. xlviii.)
+
+[185:5] See Lundy: Monumental Christianity, p. 160.
+
+[185:6] This can be seen by referring to Calmet, Sonnerat, or Higgins,
+vol. ii., which contain plates representing Crishna.
+
+[186:1] Monumental Christianity, p. 128.
+
+[186:2] Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 411.
+
+[186:3] Luke, xxiii. 39-43.
+
+[186:4] Vasudeva means God. See Vishnu Purana, p. 274.
+
+[186:5] Vishnu Purana, p. 612.
+
+[187:1] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 72.
+
+[187:2] "Si ita se res habet, ut existimat Beausobrius, _Indi_, et
+_Budistae_ quorum religio, eadem est ac Tibetana, nonnisi a Manichaeis
+nova haec deliriorum portenta acceperunt. Haenamque gentes praesertim in
+urbe Nepal, Luna XII. _Badr_ seu _Bhadon Augusti_ mensis, dies festos
+auspicaturae Dei _Indrae_, erigunt ad illius memoriam ubique locorum
+_cruces_ amictas _Abrotono_. Earum figuram descriptam habes ad lit. B,
+Tabula pone sequenti. Nam A effigies est ipsius _Indrae crucifixi_ signa
+Telech in fronte manibus pedibusque gerentis." (Alph Tibet, p. 203.
+Quoted in Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 130.)
+
+[188:1] "Ils conviennent qu'il a repandu son sang pour le salut du genre
+humain, ayant ete perce de clous par tout son corps. Quoiqu'ils ne
+disent pas qu'il a souffert le supplice de la croix, ou en trouve
+pourtant la figure dans leurs livres." (Quoted in Higgins' Anacalypsis,
+vol. ii. p. 118.)
+
+[188:2] "Although the nations of Europe have changed their religions
+during the past eighteen centuries, the Hindoo has not done so, except
+very partially. . . . The religious creeds, rites, customs, and habits
+of thought of the Hindoos generally, have altered little since the days
+of Manu, 500 years B. C." (Prof. Monier Williams: Indian Wisdom, p. iv.)
+
+[188:3] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp. 147, 572, 667 and 750;
+vol. ii. p. 122, and note 4, p. 185, this chapter.
+
+[188:4] See Max Mueller's Science of Religion, p. 224.
+
+[188:5] Quoted in Lillie's Buddhism, p. 93.
+
+[188:6] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 20.
+
+[188:7] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, pp. 20, 25, 85. Prog. Relig. Ideas,
+vol. i. p. 247. Huc's Travels, vol. i. pp. 326, 327, and almost any work
+on Buddhism.
+
+[188:8] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 20.
+
+[188:9] Ibid. Johnson's Oriental Religions, p. 604. See also Asiatic
+Researches, vol. iii., or chapter xii. of this work.
+
+[188:10] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 18.
+
+[188:11] Ibid.
+
+[188:12] Ibid.
+
+[188:13] Vol. i. p. 118.
+
+[189:1] Quoted in Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 118.
+
+[189:2] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 20.
+
+[189:3] Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. 33.
+
+[189:4] Huc's Travels, vol. i. pp. 326, 337.
+
+[189:5] Mueller: Hist. Sanscrit Literature, p. 80.
+
+[189:6] See Maurice: Indian Antiquities, vol. v. p. 95, and Williams:
+Hinduism, p. 214.
+
+[189:7] "He in mercy left paradise, and came down to earth, because he
+was filled with compassion for the sins and miseries of mankind. He
+sought to lead them into better paths, _and took their sufferings upon
+himself, that he might expiate their crimes_, and mitigate the
+punishment they must otherwise inevitably undergo." (Prog. Relig. Ideas,
+vol. ii. p. 86.)
+
+"The object of his mission on earth was to instruct those who were
+straying from the right path, _expiate the sins of mortals by his own
+sufferings_, and produce for them a happy entrance into another
+existence by obedience to his precepts and prayers in his name. They
+always speak of him as one with God from all eternity. His most common
+title is '_The Saviour of the World_.'" (Ibid. vol. i. p. 247.)
+
+[190:1] Quoted in Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 211.
+
+[190:2] Ibid.
+
+[190:3] See Renouf: Religions of Ancient Egypt, p. 178.
+
+[190:4] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 155.
+
+[190:5] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 848.
+
+[190:6] In Rawlinson's Herodotus, vol. ii. p. 171. Quoted in Knight's
+Art and Mythology, p. 71.
+
+[190:7] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 185.
+
+[190:8] See Mysteries of Adoni, p. 88.
+
+[190:9] See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. xxii. note.
+
+[191:1] Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 255.
+
+[191:2] Vol. ii.
+
+[191:3] Lactant. Inst., div. iv. chap. xiii. In Anacalypsis, vol. i. p.
+544.
+
+[191:4] See chapter xxxix. this work.
+
+[191:5] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 114, and Taylor's
+Diegesis, p. 163.
+
+[191:6] See the chapter on "The Resurrection of Jesus."
+
+[192:1] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Prometheus."
+
+[192:2] "_Prometheus_ has been a favorite subject with the poets. He is
+represented as the friend of mankind, who interposed in their behalf
+when Jove was incensed against them." (Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p.
+32.)
+
+"In the mythos relating to Prometheus, he always appears as the friend
+of the human race, suffering in its behalf the most fearful tortures."
+(John Fiske: Myths and Myth-makers, pp. 64, 65.) "Prometheus was
+_nailed_ to the rocks on Mount Caucasus, _with arms extended_."
+(Alexander Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 82.) "Prometheus is said to
+have been _nailed up with arms extended_, near the Caspian Straits, on
+Mount Caucasus. The history of Prometheus on the Cathedral at Bordeaux
+(France) here receives its explanation." (Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii.
+p. 113.)
+
+[192:3] See AEschylus' "Prometheus Chained." Translated by the Rev. R.
+Potter: Harper & Bros., N. Y.
+
+[192:4] Ibid. p. 82.
+
+[193:1] Petraeus was an interchangeable synonym of the name Oceanus.
+
+[193:2] "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying: Be it far
+from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee." (Matt. xvi. 22.)
+
+[193:3] "And there followed him a great company of people, and of women,
+which also bewailed and lamented him." (Luke, xxiii. 27.)
+
+[193:4] See Taylor's Diegesis, pp. 193, 194, or Potter's AEschylus.
+
+[193:5] "They say that the god (Bacchus), the offspring of Zeus and
+Demeter, was torn to pieces." (Diodorus Siculus, in Knight, p. 156,
+_note_.)
+
+[193:6] See Knight: Anct. Art and Mythology, p. 98, _note_. Dupuis:
+Origin of Religious Belief, 258. Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 102.
+
+[193:7] Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. xxii. _note_.
+
+[193:8] Ibid.
+
+[193:9] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 169.
+
+[193:10] Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 135.
+
+[193:11] Ibid.
+
+[193:12] Beausobre quotes the inscription on a monument of Bacchus,
+thus: "C'est moi, dit il, qui vous conduis, C'est moi, qui vous
+conserve, ou qui vous sauve; Je sui Alpha et Omega, &c." (See chap.
+xxxix this work.)
+
+[193:13] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 322. Dupuis: Origin of
+Religious Belief, p. 195. Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 152. Dunlap:
+Mysteries of Adoni, p. 94.
+
+[193:14] See Celtic Druids, Taylor's Diegesis, p. 153, and Montfaucon,
+vol. i.
+
+[193:15] See Mysteries of Adoni, p. 91, and Higgins: Anac., vol. i. p.
+322.
+
+[194:1] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 153.
+
+[194:2] See the chapter on "Miracles of Jesus."
+
+[194:3] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 254.
+
+[194:4] See Monumental Christianity, p. 186.
+
+[194:5] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 15.
+
+[194:6] See Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 86.
+
+[194:7] See Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 15, and _our_ chapter on Christian
+Symbols.
+
+[194:8] This subject will be referred to again in chapter xxxix.
+
+[194:9] See Dunlap's Spirit Hist., pp. 237, 241, 242, and Mysteries of
+Adoni, p. 123, _note_.
+
+[194:10] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 99.
+
+[194:11] See Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 20.
+
+"According to the most ancient tradition of the East-Iranians recorded
+in the _Zend-Avesta_, the God of Light (Ormuzd) communicated his
+mysteries to some men through his _Word_." (Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p.
+75.)
+
+[194:12] Wake: Phallism, &c., p. 47.
+
+[195:1] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 258, 259.
+
+[195:2] Malcolm: Hist. Persia, vol. i. Ap. p. 494; Nimrod, vol. ii. p.
+31. Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 649.
+
+[195:3] Col. i. 26.
+
+[195:4] See Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 102.
+
+[195:5] See Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 89, _marginal note_.
+
+[195:6] "In the beginning was the _Word_, and the _Word_ was with God,
+and the _Word_ was God." (John, i. 1.)
+
+[195:7] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. 69 and 71.
+
+[195:8] Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 652.
+
+[195:9] Ibid. vol. i. p. 537.
+
+[195:10] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 119. Knight's Ancient Art and
+Mythology, pp. xxii. and 98. Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 71, and Spirit
+History, pp. 183, 205, 206, 249. Bible for Learners, vol. ii. p. 25.
+Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. pp. 195, 237, 516, besides the authorities
+already cited.
+
+[196:1] See Bunsen's Bible Chronology, p. 5. Keys of St. Peter, 135.
+Volney's Ruins, p. 168.
+
+[196:2] Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, p. 64, vol. ii.
+
+[196:3] Ibid. p. 86, and Taylor's Diegesis, pp. 202, 206, 407. Dupuis:
+p. 267.
+
+[196:4] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. iv.
+
+[196:5] See Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 78.
+
+[196:6] See Ibid. p. 39.
+
+[196:7] Luke, iv. 21.
+
+[196:8] Psalm, cv. 15. The term "an _Anointed One_," which we use in
+English, is _Christos_ in Greek, and _Messiah_ in Hebrew. (See Bible for
+Learners, and Religion of Israel, p. 147.)
+
+[196:9] Matthew, xxiv. 24.
+
+[196:10] Acts, vii. 45; Hebrews, iv. 8; compare Nehemiah, viii. 17.
+
+[197:1] He who, it is said, was liberated at the time of the crucifixion
+of Jesus of Nazareth.
+
+[197:2] See Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 60.
+
+[197:3] Octavius, c. xxix.
+
+[197:4] See Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 116.
+
+[198:1] In his _History of the Campaigns of Alexander_.
+
+[198:2] See Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 118.
+
+[198:3] Ibid.
+
+[198:4] Apol. c. 16; Ad Nationes, c. xii.
+
+[198:5] See the chapter on "The Worship of the Virgin."
+
+[199:1] _Ganesa_ is the _Indian_ God of Wisdom. (See Asiatic Researches,
+vol. i.)
+
+[199:2] The _Ring_ and circle was an emblem of god, or eternity, among
+the _Hindoos_. (See Lundy: Monumental Christianity, p. 87.)
+
+[199:3] The Cobra, or hooded snake, is a native of the _East Indies_,
+where it is held as sacred. (See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 16,
+and Fergusson's Tree and Serpent Worship.)
+
+[199:4] _Linga_ denotes, in the sectarian worship of the _Hindoos_, the
+_Phallus_, an emblem of the male or generative power of nature.
+
+[199:5] _Iona_, or _Yoni_, is the counterpart of Linga, _i. e._, an
+emblem of the female generative power. We have seen that these were
+attached to the effigies of the _Hindoo_ crucified Saviour, Crishna.
+
+[199:6] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 130.
+
+[199:7] See Lundy: Monumental Christianity, pp. 253, 254, 255.
+
+[199:8] See Kingsborough: Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. pp. 165 and 179.
+
+[200:1] See Kingsborough: Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 166.
+
+[200:2] Ibid. p. 162.
+
+[200:3] Ibid. p. 161.
+
+[200:4] Ibid. p. 167.
+
+[200:5] Ibid. p. 167.
+
+[200:6] Ibid. p. 166.
+
+[200:7] Brinton: Myths of the New World, p. 95.
+
+[200:8] See, also, Monumental Christianity, p. 393.
+
+"Once a year the ancient Mexicans made an image of one of their gods,
+which was pierced by an arrow, shot by a priest of Quetzalcoatle."
+(Dunlap's Spirit Hist., 207.)
+
+[201:1] Monumental Christianity, p. 393.
+
+[201:2] See Appendix A.
+
+[201:3] See Monumental Christianity, p. 390, and Mexican Antiquities,
+vol. vi. p. 169.
+
+[201:4] Quoted by Lord Kingsborough: Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p.
+172.
+
+[202:1] Monumental Christianity, p. 246.
+
+[202:2] History of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii. p. 137.
+
+[202:3] Ibid. p. 317.
+
+[202:4] See Illustrations in Ibid. vol. i.
+
+[202:5] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 252. Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. ii. 111, and Monumental Christianity, p. 246, _et
+seq._
+
+[202:6] The paschal lamb was roasted on a _cross_, by ancient Israel,
+and is still so done by the Samaritans at Nablous. (See Lundy's
+Monumental Christianity, pp. 19 and 247.)
+
+"The _lamb_ slain (at the feast of the passover) was roasted whole, with
+two spits thrust through it--one lengthwise, and one
+transversely--crossing each other near the fore legs; so that the animal
+was, in a manner, _crucified_. Not a bone of it might be broken--a
+circumstance strongly representing the sufferings of our Lord Jesus,
+_the passover slain for us_." (Barnes's Notes, vol. i. p. 292.)
+
+[202:7] See King: The Gnostics and their Remains, p. 138. Also,
+Monumental Christianity, and Jameson's History of Our Lord in Art, for
+illustrations.
+
+[203:1] See King's Gnostics, p. 178. Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology,
+p. xxii., and Jameson's History of Our Lord in Art, ii. 340.
+
+[203:2] Jameson: Hist. of Our Lord in Art, p. 340, vol. ii.
+
+[203:3] Quoted in Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. xxii. _note_.
+
+[203:4] Dunlap: Spirit Hist., p. 185.
+
+[203:5] See chapter xvii. and vol. ii. Hist. Hindostan.
+
+[203:6] See Jameson's Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii. p. 142.
+
+[204:1] "It would be difficult to prove that the cross of Constantine
+was of the simple construction as now understood. . . . As regards the
+_Labarum_, the coins of the time, in which it is especially set forth,
+prove that the so-called cross upon it was nothing else than the same
+ever-recurring monogram of Christ" (that is, the XP). (History of Our
+Lord in Art, vol. ii. p. 310. See also, Smith's Bible Dictionary, art.
+"Labarum.")
+
+[205:1] Deut. xxiv. 16.
+
+[205:2] Num. xxv. 31-34.
+
+[205:3] Matt. v. 17, 18.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+THE DARKNESS AT THE CRUCIFIXION.
+
+
+The _Luke_ narrator informs us that at the time of the death of Christ
+Jesus, the sun was darkened, and there was darkness over the earth from
+the sixth until the ninth hour; also the veil of the temple was rent in
+the midst.[206:1]
+
+The _Matthew_ narrator, in addition to this, tells us that:
+
+     "The earth did quake, and the rocks were rent, and the graves
+     were opened, _and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
+     and came out of their graves_ . . . and went into the holy
+     city and appeared unto many."[206:2]
+
+"_His star_" having shone at the time of his birth, and his having been
+born in a miraculous manner, it was necessary that at the death of
+Christ Jesus, something miraculous should happen. Something of an
+unusual nature had happened at the time of the death of other
+supernatural beings, therefore something must happen at _his_ death;
+_the myth would not have been complete without it_. In the words of
+Viscount Amberly: "The darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour, the
+rending of the temple veil, the earthquake, the rending of the rocks,
+_are altogether like the prodigies attending the decease of other great
+men_."[206:3]
+
+The Rev. Dr. Geikie, one of the most orthodox writers, says:[206:4]
+
+     "It is impossible to explain the _origin_ of this darkness.
+     The passover moon was then at the full, so that it could not
+     have been an _eclipse_. The early Fathers, relying on a notice
+     of _an_ eclipse that _seemed_ to coincide in time, though it
+     really _did not_, fancied that the darkness was caused by it,
+     but incorrectly."
+
+Perhaps "the _origin_ of this darkness" may be explained from what we
+shall now see.
+
+At the time of the death of the Hindoo Saviour _Crishna_, there came
+calamities and bad omens of every kind. A black circle surrounded the
+moon, _and the sun was darkened at noon-day_; the sky rained fire and
+ashes; flames burned dusky and livid; demons committed depredations on
+earth; at sunrise and sunset, thousands of figures were seen skirmishing
+in the air; spirits were to be seen on all sides.[207:1]
+
+When the conflict began between _Buddha_, the Saviour of the World, and
+the Prince of Evil, _a thousand appalling meteors fell; clouds and
+darkness prevailed_. Even this earth, with the oceans and mountains it
+contains, though it is unconscious, _quaked like a conscious
+being_--like a fond bride when forcibly torn from her bridegroom--like
+the festoons of a vine shaken under the blast of a whirlwind. The ocean
+rose under the vibration of this earthquake; rivers flowed back toward
+their sources; peaks of lofty mountains, where countless trees had grown
+for ages, rolled crumbling to the earth; a fierce storm howled all
+around; the roar of the concussion became terrific; _the very sun
+enveloped itself in awful darkness, and a host of headless spirits
+filled the air_.[207:2]
+
+When _Prometheus_ was crucified on Mount Caucasus, _the whole frame of
+nature became convulsed_. The earth did quake, thunder roared, lightning
+flashed, the wild winds rent the vexed air, the boisterous billows rose,
+and the dissolution of the universe seemed to be threatened.[207:3]
+
+The ancient Greeks and Romans, says Canon Farrar,[207:4] had always
+considered that the _births_ and _deaths_ of great men were announced by
+_celestial signs_. We therefore find that at the death of _Romulus_, the
+founder of Rome, the sun was darkened, _and there was darkness over the
+face of the earth for the space of six hours_.[207:5]
+
+When _Julius Caesar_, who was the son of a god, was murdered, there was a
+darkness over the earth, _the sun being eclipsed for the space of six
+hours_.[207:6]
+
+This is spoken of by _Virgil_, where he says:
+
+     "He (the Sun) covered his luminous head with a sooty darkness,
+      And the impious ages feared eternal night."[207:7]
+
+It is also referred to by Tibullus, Ovid, and Lucian (poets), Pliny,
+Appian, Dion Cassius, and Julius Obsequenes (historians.)[207:8]
+
+When _AEsculapius_ the Saviour was put to death, _the sun shone dimly
+from the heavens_; the birds were silent in the darkened groves; the
+trees bowed down their heads in sorrow; and the hearts of all the sons
+of men fainted within them, because the healer of their pains and
+sickness lived no more upon the earth.[208:1]
+
+When _Hercules_ was dying, he said to the faithful female (Iole) who
+followed him to the last spot on earth on which he trod, "Weep not, my
+toil is done, and now is the time for rest. I shall see thee again in
+the bright land which is never trodden by the feet of night." Then, as
+the dying god expired, _darkness was on the face of the earth_; from the
+high heaven came down the thick cloud, _and the din of its thunder
+crashed through the air_. In this manner, Zeus, the god of gods, carried
+his son home, and the halls of Olympus were opened to welcome the bright
+hero who rested from his mighty toil. There he now sits, clothed in a
+white robe, with a crown upon his head.[208:2]
+
+When _OEdipus_ was about to leave this world of pain and sorrow, he
+bade Antigone farewell, and said, "Weep not, my child, I am going to my
+home, and I rejoice to lay down the burden of my woe." Then there were
+_signs_ in the heaven above and on the earth beneath, that the end was
+nigh at hand, _for the earth did quake, and the thunder roared_ and
+echoed again and again through the sky.[208:3]
+
+"The Romans had a god called _Quirinius_. His soul emanated from the
+sun, and was restored to it. He was begotten by the god of armies upon a
+_virgin_ of the royal blood, and exposed by order of the jealous tyrant
+Amulius, and was preserved and educated among _shepherds_. He was torn
+to pieces at his death, when he ascended into heaven; _upon which the
+sun was eclipsed or darkened_."[208:4]
+
+When _Alexander the Great_ died, similar prodigies are said to have
+happened; again, when foul murders were committed, it is said that the
+sun seemed to hide its face. This is illustrated in the story of
+_Atreus_, King of Mycenae, who foully murdered the children of his
+brother Thyestes. At that time, the sun, unable to endure a sight so
+horrible, "_turned his course backward and withdrew his light._"[208:5]
+
+At the time of the death of the virgin-born _Quetzalcoatle_, the
+Mexican crucified Saviour, _the sun was darkened_, and withheld its
+light.[209:1]
+
+Lord Kingsborough, speaking of this event, considers it very strange
+that the Mexicans should have preserved an account of it among their
+records, when "the great eclipse which sacred history records" is _not_
+recorded in profane history.
+
+Gibbon, the historian, speaking of this phenomenon, says:
+
+     "Under the reign of Tiberius, the whole earth,[209:2] or at
+     least a celebrated province of the Roman empire,[209:3] was
+     involved in a perpetual darkness of three hours. Even this
+     miraculous event, which ought to have excited the wonder, the
+     curiosity, and the devotion of mankind, passed without notice
+     in an age of science and history. It happened during the
+     life-time of Seneca[209:4] and the elder Pliny,[209:5] who
+     must have experienced the immediate effects, or received the
+     earliest intelligence, of the prodigy. Each of these
+     philosophers, in a laborious work, has recorded all the great
+     phenomena of nature, earthquakes, meteors, comets and
+     eclipses, which his indefatigable curiosity could
+     collect.[209:6] But the one and the other have omitted to
+     mention the greatest phenomenon to which the mortal eye has
+     been witness since the creation of the globe."[209:7]
+
+This account of the darkness at the time of the death of Jesus of
+Nazareth, is one of the prodigies related in the New Testament which no
+Christian commentator has been able to make appear reasonable. The
+favorite theory is that it was a _natural_ eclipse of the sun, which
+_happened_ to take place at that particular time, but, if this was the
+case, there was nothing _supernatural_ in the event, and it had nothing
+whatever to do with the death of Jesus. Again, it would be necessary to
+prove from other sources that such an event happened at that time, but
+this cannot be done. The argument from the duration of the
+darkness--_three hours_--is also of great force against such an
+occurrence having happened, _for an eclipse seldom lasts in great
+intensity more than six minutes_.
+
+Even if it could be proved that an eclipse really happened at the time
+assigned for the crucifixion of Jesus, how about the earthquake, when
+the rocks were rent and the graves opened? and how about the "saints
+which slept" rising _bodily_ and walking in the streets of the Holy City
+and _appearing to many_? Surely, the faith that would remove
+mountains,[209:8] is required here.
+
+Shakespeare has embalmed some traditions of the kind exactly analogous
+to the present case:
+
+     "In the most high and palmy state of Rome,
+      A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,
+      The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead
+      Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets."[210:1]
+
+Belief in the influence of the _stars_ over life and death, _and in
+special portents at the death of great men_, survived, indeed, to recent
+times. Chaucer abounds in allusions to it, and still later Shakespeare
+tells us:
+
+     "When beggars die there are no comets seen;
+      The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes."
+
+It would seem that this superstition survives even to the present day,
+for it is well known that the dark and yellow atmosphere which settled
+over so much of the country, on the day of the removal of President
+Garfield from Washington to Long Branch, was sincerely held by hundreds
+of persons to be a death-warning sent from heaven, and there were
+numerous predictions that dissolution would take place before the train
+arrived at its destination.
+
+As Mr. Greg remarks, there can, we think, remain little doubt in
+unprepossessed minds, that the whole legend in question was one of those
+intended to magnify Christ Jesus, which were current in great numbers at
+the time the Matthew narrator wrote, and which he, with the usual want
+of discrimination and somewhat omnivorous tendency, which distinguished
+him as a compiler, admitted into his Gospel.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[206:1] Luke, xxiii. 44, 45.
+
+[206:2] Matthew, xxvii. 51-53.
+
+[206:3] Amberly: Analysis of Religious Belief, p. 268.
+
+[206:4] Life of Christ, vol. ii. p. 643.
+
+[207:1] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 71.
+
+[207:2] Rhys David's Buddhism, pp. 36, 37.
+
+[207:3] See Potter's AEschylus, "Prometheus Chained," last stanza.
+
+[207:4] Farrar's Life of Christ, p. 52.
+
+[207:5] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp. 616, 617.
+
+[207:6] See Ibid. and Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. pp. 159 and 590, also
+Josephus: Jewish Antiquities, book xiv. ch. xii. and _note_.
+
+[207:7]
+
+     "Cum caput obscura nitidum ferrugine texit
+      Impiaquae aeternam timuerunt saecula noctem."
+
+[207:8] See Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. pp. 159 and 590.
+
+[208:1] Tales of Ancient Greece, p. 46.
+
+[208:2] Ibid. pp. 61, 62.
+
+[208:3] Ibid. p. 270.
+
+[208:4] Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 822.
+
+[208:5] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 106.
+
+[209:1] See Kingsborough's Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 5.
+
+[209:2] The Fathers of the Church seem to cover the whole earth with
+darkness, in which they are followed by most of the moderns. (Gibbon.
+Luke, xxiii. 44, says "_over all the earth_.")
+
+[209:3] Origen (a Father of the third century) and a few modern critics,
+are desirous of confining it to the land of Judea. (Gibbon.)
+
+[209:4] Seneca, a celebrated philosopher and historian, born in Spain a
+few years B. C., but educated in Rome, and became a "Roman."
+
+[209:5] Pliny the elder, a celebrated Roman philosopher and historian,
+born about 23 A. D.
+
+[209:6] Seneca: Quaest. Natur. l. i. 15, vi. l. vii. 17. Pliny: Hist.
+Natur. l. ii.
+
+[209:7] Gibbon's Rome, i. 589, 590.
+
+[209:8] Matt. xvi. 20.
+
+[210:1] Hamlet, act 1, s. 1.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+"HE DESCENDED INTO HELL."
+
+
+The doctrine of Christ Jesus' descent into hell is emphatically part of
+the Christian belief, although not alluded to by Christian divines
+excepting when unavoidable.
+
+In the first place, it is taught in the _Creed_ of the Christians,
+wherein it says:
+
+     "_He descended into hell, and on the third day he rose again
+     from the dead._"
+
+The doctrine was also taught by the Fathers of the Church. St.
+Chrysostom (born 347 A. D.) asks:
+
+     "Who but an infidel would deny that Christ was in
+     hell?"[211:1]
+
+And St. Clement of Alexandria, who flourished at the beginning of the
+third century, is equally clear and emphatic as to Jesus' descent into
+hell. He says:
+
+     "The Lord preached the gospel to those in Hades, as well as to
+     all in earth, in order that all might believe and be saved,
+     wherever they were. If, then, the Lord descended to Hades for
+     no other end but to preach the gospel, _as He did descend_, it
+     was either to preach the gospel to all, or to the Hebrews
+     only. If accordingly to all, then all who believe shall be
+     saved, although they may be of the Gentiles, on making their
+     profession there."[211:2]
+
+Origen, who flourished during the latter part of the second, and
+beginning of the third centuries, also emphatically declares that Christ
+Jesus descended into hell.[211:3]
+
+Ancient Christian works of art represent his descent into hell.[211:4]
+
+The apocryphal gospels teach the doctrine of Christ Jesus' descent into
+hell, the object of which was to preach to those in bondage there, and
+to liberate the _saints_ who had died before his advent on earth.
+
+On account of the sin committed by Adam in the Garden of Eden, all
+mankind were doomed, all had gone to hell--excepting those who had been
+translated to heaven--even those persons who were "after God's own
+heart," and who had belonged to his "chosen people." The coming of
+Christ Jesus into the world, however, made a change in the affairs of
+man. The _saints_ were then liberated from their prison, and all those
+who believe in the efficacy of his name, shall escape hereafter the
+tortures of hell. This is the doctrine to be found in the apocryphal
+gospels, and was taught by the Fathers of the Church.[212:1]
+
+In the "_Gospel of Nicodemus_" (apoc.) is to be found the whole story of
+Christ Jesus' descent into hell, and of his liberating the saints.
+
+Satan, and the Prince of Hell, having heard that Jesus of Nazareth was
+about to descend to their domain, began to talk the matter over, as to
+what they should do, &c. While thus engaged, on a sudden, there was a
+voice as of thunder and the rushing of winds, saying: "Lift up your
+gates, O ye Princes, and be ye lifted up, O ye everlasting gates, and
+the King of Glory shall come in."
+
+When the Prince of Hell heard this, he said to his impious officers:
+"Shut the brass gates . . . and make them fast with iron bars, and fight
+courageously."
+
+The _saints_ having heard what had been said on both sides, immediately
+spoke with a loud voice, saying: "Open thy gates, that the King of Glory
+may come in." The divine prophets, _David_ and _Isaiah_, were
+particularly conspicuous in this protest against the intentions of the
+Prince of Hell.
+
+Again the voice of Jesus was heard saying: "Lift up your gates, O
+Prince; and be ye lifted up, ye gates of hell, and the King of Glory
+will enter in." The Prince of Hell then cried out: "Who is the King of
+Glory?" upon which the prophet _David_ commenced to reply to him, but
+while he was speaking, the mighty Lord Jesus appeared in the form of a
+man, and broke asunder the fetters which before could not be broken, and
+crying aloud, said: "Come to me, all ye saints, who were created in my
+image, who were condemned by the tree of the forbidden fruit . . . live
+now by the word of my cross."
+
+Then presently all the saints were joined together, hand in hand, and
+the Lord Jesus laid hold on Adam's hand, and ascended from hell, and all
+the saints of God followed him.[212:2]
+
+When the saints arrived in paradise, two "very ancient men" met them,
+and were asked by the saints: "Who are ye, who have not been with us in
+hell, and have had your bodies placed in paradise?" One of these "very
+ancient men" answered and said: "I am _Enoch_, who was translated by the
+word of God, and this man who is with me is Elijah the Tishbite, who was
+translated in a fiery chariot."[213:1]
+
+The doctrine of the descent into hell may be found alluded to in the
+_canonical_ books; thus, for instance, in I. Peter:
+
+     "It is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for
+     well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath suffered
+     for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
+     God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the
+     spirit: _by which also he went and preached unto the spirits
+     in prison_."[213:2]
+
+Again, in "Acts," where the writer is speaking of David as a _prophet_,
+he says:
+
+     "He, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ,
+     _that his soul was not left in hell_, neither his flesh did
+     see corruption."[213:3]
+
+The reason why Christ Jesus has been made to descend into hell, is
+because _it is a part of the universal mythos_, even the _three days'_
+duration. The _Saviours_ of mankind had all done so, _he_ must therefore
+do likewise.
+
+_Crishna_, the Hindoo Saviour, _descended into hell_, for the purpose of
+raising the dead (the doomed),[213:4] before he returned to his heavenly
+seat.
+
+_Zoroaster_, of the Persians, _descended into hell_.[213:5]
+
+_Osiris_, the Egyptian Saviour, _descended into hell_.[213:6]
+
+_Horus_, the virgin-born Saviour, _descended into hell_.[213:7]
+
+_Adonis_, the virgin-born Saviour, _descended into hell_.[213:8]
+
+_Bacchus_, the virgin-born Saviour, _descended into hell_.[213:9]
+
+_Hercules_, the virgin-born Saviour, _descended into hell_.[213:10]
+
+_Mercury_, the _Word_ and Messenger of God, _descended into
+hell_.[213:11]
+
+_Baldur_, the Scandinavian god, after being killed, _descended into
+hell_.[214:1]
+
+_Quetzalcoatle_, the Mexican crucified Saviour, _descended into
+hell_.[214:2]
+
+All these gods, and many others that might be mentioned, _remained in
+hell for the space of three days and three nights_. "They descended into
+hell, and on the third day rose again."[214:3]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[211:1] Quoted by Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 46.
+
+[211:2] Strom, vi. c. 6.
+
+[211:3] Contra Celsus, bk. ii. c. 43.
+
+[211:4] See Jameson's Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii. pp. 354, 355.
+
+[212:1] See Jameson's Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii. pp. 250, 251.
+
+[212:2] Nicodemus: Apoc. ch. xvi. and xix.
+
+[213:1] Nicodemus: Apoc. ch. xx.
+
+[213:2] I. Peter, iii. 17-19.
+
+[213:3] Acts, ii. 31.
+
+[213:4] See Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 237. Bonwick's Egyptian
+Belief, p. 168, and Maurice: Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 85.
+
+[213:5] See Monumental Christianity, p. 286.
+
+[213:6] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 256, Bonwick's
+Egyptian Belief, and Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, pp. 125, 152.
+
+[213:7] See Chap. XXXIX.
+
+[213:8] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 12.
+
+[213:9] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 322. Dupuis: Origin of
+Religious Belief, p. 257, and Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, p. 33.
+
+[213:10] See Taylor's Mysteries, p. 40, and Mysteries of Adoni, pp.
+94-96.
+
+[213:11] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 72. Our Christian writers
+discover considerable apprehension, and a jealous caution in their
+language, when the resemblance between _Paganism_ and _Christianity_
+might be apt to strike the mind too cogently. In quoting Horace's
+account of Mercury's descent into hell, and his causing a cessation of
+the sufferings there, Mr. Spence, in "Bell's Pantheon," says: "As this,
+perhaps, may be a mythical part of his character, _we had better let it
+alone_."
+
+[214:1] See Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 169, and Mallet, p. 448.
+
+[214:2] See Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 166.
+
+[214:3] See the chapter on _Explanation_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF CHRIST JESUS.
+
+
+The story of the resurrection of Christ Jesus is related by the four
+Gospel narrators, and is to the effect that, after being crucified, his
+body was wrapped in a linen cloth, laid in a tomb, and a "great stone"
+rolled to the door. The sepulchre was then made sure by "sealing the
+stone" and "setting a watch."
+
+On the first day of the week some of Jesus' followers came to see the
+sepulchre, when they found that, in spite of the "sealing" and the
+"watch," the angel of the Lord had descended from heaven, had rolled
+back the stone from the door, and that "_Jesus had risen from the
+dead_."[215:1]
+
+The story of his _ascension_ is told by the _Mark_[215:2] narrator, who
+says "he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God;"
+by _Luke_,[215:3] who says "he was carried up into heaven;" and by the
+writer of the _Acts_,[215:4] who says "he was taken up (to heaven) and a
+cloud received him out of sight."
+
+We will find, in stripping Christianity of its robes of Paganism, that
+these miraculous events must be put on the same level with those we have
+already examined.
+
+_Crishna_, the crucified Hindoo Saviour, _rose from the dead_,[215:5]
+and _ascended bodily into heaven_.[215:6] At that time a great light
+enveloped the earth and illuminated the whole expanse of heaven.
+Attended by celestial spirits, and luminous as on that night when he was
+born in the house of Vasudeva, _Crishna_ pursued, by his own light, the
+journey between earth and heaven, to the bright paradise from whence he
+had descended. All men saw him, and exclaimed, "_Lo, Crishna's soul
+ascends its native skies!_"[215:7]
+
+Samuel Johnson, in his "Oriental Religions," tells us that _Rama_--an
+incarnation of Vishnu--after his manifestations on earth, "_at last
+ascended to heaven_," "resuming his divine essence."
+
+"By the blessings of Rama's name, and through previous faith in him, all
+sins are remitted, and every one who shall at death pronounce his name
+with sincere worship shall be forgiven."[216:1]
+
+The mythological account of _Buddha_, the son of the Virgin Maya, who,
+as the God of Love, is named _Cam-deo_, _Cam_, and _Cama_, is of the
+same character as that of other virgin-born gods. When he died there
+were tears and lamentations. Heaven and earth are said equally to have
+lamented the loss of "_Divine Love_," insomuch that _Maha-deo_ (the
+supreme god) was moved to pity, and exclaimed, "_Rise, holy love!_" on
+which _Cama_ was restored and the lamentations changed into the most
+enthusiastic joy. The heavens are said to have echoed back the exulting
+sound; then the deity, supposed to be lost (_dead_), was restored,
+"_hell's great dread and heaven's eternal admiration_."[216:2]
+
+The coverings of the body unrolled themselves, and the lid of his coffin
+was opened by supernatural powers.[216:3]
+
+_Buddha_ also ascended bodily to the celestial regions when his mission
+on earth was fulfilled, and marks on the rocks of a high mountain are
+shown, and believed to be the last impression of his footsteps on this
+earth. By prayers in his name his followers expect to receive the
+rewards of paradise, and finally to become one with him, as he became
+one with the Source of Life.[216:4]
+
+_Lao-Kiun_, the virgin-born, he who had existed from all eternity, when
+his mission of benevolence was completed on earth, _ascended bodily into
+the paradise above_. Since this time he has been worshiped as a _god_,
+and splendid temples erected to his memory.[216:5]
+
+_Zoroaster_, the founder of the religion of the ancient Persians, who
+was considered "a divine messenger sent to redeem men from their evil
+ways," _ascended to heaven_ at the end of his earthly career. To this
+day his followers mention him with the greatest reverence, calling him
+"The Immortal Zoroaster," "The Blessed Zoroaster," "The Living Star,"
+&c.[216:6]
+
+_AEsculapius_, the Son of God, the Saviour, after being put to death,
+_rose from the dead_. His history is portrayed in the following lines of
+_Ovid's_, which are prophecies foretelling his life and actions:
+
+     "Once, as the sacred infant she surveyed,
+      The god was kindled in the raving maid;
+      And thus she uttered her prophetic tale:
+      Hail, great Physician of the world! all hail!
+      Hail, mighty infant, who in years to come
+      Shalt heal the nations, and defraud the tomb!
+      Swift be thy growth, thy triumphs unconfined,
+      Make kingdoms thicker, and increase mankind.
+      Thy daring art shall animate the dead,
+      And draw the thunder on thy guilty head;
+      _Then shalt thou die, but from the dark abode
+      Shalt rise victorious, and be twice a god_."[217:1]
+
+The Saviour _Adonis_ or _Tammuz_, after being put to death, _rose from
+the dead_. The following is an account given of the rites of Tammuz or
+of Adonis by Julius Firmicius (who lived during the reign of
+Constantine):
+
+     "On a certain night (while the ceremony of the Adonia, or
+     religious rites in honor of Adonis, lasted), an image was laid
+     upon a bed (or bier) and bewailed in doleful ditties. After
+     they had satiated themselves with fictitious lamentations,
+     light was brought in: then the mouths of all the mourners were
+     anointed by the priests (_with oil_), upon which he, with a
+     gentle murmur, whispered:
+
+          'Trust, ye Saints, your God restored.
+           Trust ye, _in your risen Lord_;
+           For the pains which he endured
+           Our salvation have procured.'
+
+     "Literally, 'Trust, ye _communicants_: the God having been
+     saved, there shall be to us out of pain, _Salvation_.'"[217:2]
+
+Upon which their sorrow was turned into joy.
+
+Godwyn renders it:
+
+     "_Trust ye in God, for out of pains,
+      Salvation is come unto us._"[217:3]
+
+Dr. Prichard, in his "_Egyptian Mythology_," tells us that the Syrians
+celebrated, _in the early spring_, this ceremony in honor of _the
+resurrection of Adonis_. After lamentations, his restoration was
+commemorated with joy and festivity.[217:4]
+
+Mons. Dupuis says:
+
+     "The obsequies of _Adonis_ were celebrated at _Alexandria_ (in
+     Egypt) with the utmost display. His image was carried with
+     great solemnity to a tomb, which served the purpose of
+     rendering him the last honors. Before singing his return to
+     life, there were mournful rites celebrated in honor of his
+     suffering and his death. The large wound he had received was
+     shown, just as the wound was shown which was made to Christ by
+     the thrust of the spear. _The feast of his resurrection was
+     fixed at the 25th of March._"[218:1]
+
+In Calmet's "Fragments," the resurrection of _Adonis_ is referred to as
+follows:
+
+     "In these _mysteries_, after the attendants had for a long
+     time bewailed the death of this _just person_, he was at
+     length understood to be _restored to life_, to have
+     experienced a _resurrection_; signified by the re-admission of
+     light. On this the priest addressed the company, saying,
+     'Comfort yourselves, all ye who have been partakers of the
+     mysteries of the deity, thus preserved: for we shall now enjoy
+     some respite from our labors:' to which were added these
+     words: 'I have scaped a sad calamity, and my lot is greatly
+     mended.' The people answered by the invocation: 'Hail to the
+     Dove! the Restorer of Light!'"[218:2]
+
+Alexander Murray tells us that the ancient Greeks also celebrated this
+festival in honor of the resurrection of Adonis, in the course of which
+a figure of him was produced, and the ceremony of burial, with weeping
+and songs of wailing, gone through. After these a joyful shout was
+raised: "_Adonis lives and is risen again._"[218:3]
+
+Plutarch, in his life of Alcibiades and of Nicias, tells us that it was
+at the time of the celebration of the death of _Adonis_ that the
+Athenian fleet set sail for its unlucky expedition to Sicily; that
+nothing but images of dead Adonises were to be met with in the streets,
+and that they were carried to the sepulchre in the midst of an immense
+train of women, crying and beating their breasts, and imitating in every
+particular the lugubrious pomp of interments. Sinister omens were drawn
+from it, which were only too much realized by subsequent events.[218:4]
+
+It was in an oration or address delivered to the Emperors Constans and
+Constantius that Julius Firmicius wrote concerning the rites celebrated
+by the heathens in commemoration of the resurrection of Adonis. In his
+tide of eloquence he breaks away into indignant objurgation of the
+priest who officiated in those _heathen mysteries_, which, he admitted,
+resembled the _Christian sacrament_ in honor of the death and
+resurrection of Christ Jesus, so closely that there was really no
+difference between them, except that no sufficient proof had been given
+to the world of the resurrection of Adonis, _and no divine oracle had
+borne witness to his resurrection_, nor had he shown himself alive
+after his death to those who were concerned to have assurance of the
+fact that they might believe.
+
+The _divine oracle_, be it observed, which Julius Firmicius says had
+borne testimony to Christ Jesus' resurrection, _was none other than the
+answer of the god Apollo, whom the Pagans worshiped at Delphos_, which
+this writer derived from Porphyry's books "_On the Philosophy of
+Oracles_."[219:1]
+
+Eusebius, the celebrated ecclesiastical historian, has also condescended
+to quote this claimed testimony from _a Pagan oracle_, as furnishing one
+of the most convincing proofs that could be adduced in favor of the
+resurrection of Christ Jesus.
+
+     "But thou at least (says he to the Pagans), _listen to thine
+     own gods, to thy oracular deities themselves_, who have borne
+     witness, and ascribed to our Saviour (Jesus Christ) not
+     imposture, but piety and wisdom, and ascent into heaven."
+
+This was vastly obliging and liberal of the god Apollo, but, it happens
+awkwardly enough, that the whole work (consisting of several books)
+ascribed to Porphyry, in which this and other admissions equally
+honorable to the evidences of the Christian religion are made, was _not_
+written by Porphyry, but is altogether the pious fraud of Christian
+hands, who have kindly fathered the great philosopher with admissions,
+which, as he would certainly never have made himself, they have very
+charitably made for him.[219:2]
+
+The festival in honor of the resurrection of Adonis was observed in
+Alexandria in Egypt--_the cradle of Christianity_--in the time of St.
+Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria (A. D. 412), and at Antioch--the ancient
+capital of the Greek Kings of Syria--even as late as the time of the
+Emperor Julian (A. D. 361-363), whose arrival there, during the
+solemnity of the festival, was taken as an ill omen.[219:3]
+
+It is most curious that the arrival of the Emperor Julian at
+Antioch--where the followers of Christ Jesus, it is said, were first
+called Christians--at that time, should be considered an _ill omen_. Why
+should it have been so? He was not a Christian, but a known apostate
+from the Christian religion, and a zealous patron of _Paganism_. The
+evidence is very conclusive; _the celebration in honor of the
+resurrection of Adonis had become to be known as a Christian festival,
+which has not been abolished even unto this day_. The ceremonies held in
+Roman Catholic countries on Good Friday and on Easter Sunday, are
+nothing more than the festival of the death and resurrection of Adonis,
+as we shall presently see.
+
+Even as late as the year A. D. 386, the resurrection of Adonis was
+celebrated in _Judea_. St. Jerome says:
+
+     "Over Bethlehem (in the year 386 after Christ) the grove of
+     Tammuz, that is, of Adonis, was casting its shadow! And in the
+     _grotto_ where formerly the infant Anointed (_i. e._, _Christ
+     Jesus_) cried, the lover of Venus was being mourned."[220:1]
+
+In the idolatrous worship practiced by the _children of Israel_ was that
+of the worship of _Adonis_.
+
+Under the designation of _Tammuz_, this god was worshiped, and had his
+altar even in the Temple of the Lord which was at Jerusalem. Several of
+the Psalms of David were parts of the liturgical service employed in his
+worship; the 110th, in particular, is an account of a friendly alliance
+between the two gods, Jehovah and Adonis, in which Jehovah adorns Adonis
+for his priest, as sitting at his right hand, and promises to fight for
+him against his enemies. This god was worshiped at Byblis in Phoenicia
+with precisely the same ceremonies: the same articles of faith as to his
+mystical incarnation, his precious death and burial, and his glorious
+resurrection and ascension, and even in the very same words of religious
+adoration and homage which are now, with the slightest degree of
+variation that could well be conceived, addressed to the Christ of the
+Gospel.
+
+The prophet Ezekiel, when an exile, painted once more the scene he had
+so often witnessed of the Israelitish women in the Temple court
+bewailing the death of Tammuz.[220:2]
+
+Dr. Parkhurst says, in his "Hebrew Lexicon":
+
+     "I find myself _obliged_ to refer Tammuz, as well as the Greek
+     and Roman Hercules, to that class of idols _which were
+     originally designed to represent the promised Saviour_ (Christ
+     Jesus), the desire of all nations. His other name, Adonis, is
+     almost the very Hebrew word 'Our Lord,' a well-known title of
+     Christ."[220:3]
+
+So it seems that the ingenious and most learned orthodox Dr. Parkhurst
+was _obliged_ to consider Adonis a type of "the promised Saviour (Christ
+Jesus), the desire of all nations." This is a very favorite way for
+Christian divines to express themselves, when pushed thereto, by the
+striking resemblance between the Pagan, virgin-born, crucified, and
+resurrected gods and Christ Jesus.
+
+If the reader is satisfied that all these things are types or symbols of
+what the "_real Saviour_" was to do and suffer, he is welcome to such
+food. The doctrine of Dr. Parkhurst and others comes with but an ill
+grace, however, from Roman Catholic priests, _who have never ceased to
+suppress information when possible_, and when it was impossible for them
+to do so, they claimed these things to be the work of the devil, in
+imitation of their predecessors, the Christian Fathers.
+
+Julius Firmicius has said: "The devil has his Christs," and does not
+deny that _Adonis_ was one. Tertullian and St. Justin explain all the
+conformity which exists between _Christianity_ and _Paganism_, by
+asserting "that a long time before there were Christians in existence,
+the devil had taken pleasure to have their future mysteries and
+ceremonies copied by his worshipers."[221:1]
+
+_Osiris_, the Egyptian Saviour, after being put to death, _rose from the
+dead_,[221:2] and bore the title of "_The Resurrected One_."[221:3]
+
+Prof. Mahaffy, lecturer on ancient history in the University of Dublin,
+observes that:
+
+     "The _Resurrection_ and reign over an eternal kingdom, by an
+     _incarnate mediating deity_ born of a virgin, was a
+     theological conception which pervaded the oldest religion of
+     Egypt."[221:4]
+
+The ancient Egyptians celebrated annually, in early spring, about the
+time known in Christian countries as Easter, the resurrection and
+ascension of Osiris. During these mysteries the misfortunes and tragical
+death of the "_Saviour_" were celebrated in a species of drama, in which
+all the particulars were exhibited, accompanied with loud lamentations
+and every mark of sorrow. At this time his image was carried in a
+procession, covered--as were those in the temples--_with black veils_.
+On the 25th of March his _resurrection from the dead_ was celebrated
+with great festivity and rejoicings.[221:5]
+
+Alexander Murray says:
+
+     "The worship of _Osiris_ was universal throughout Egypt, where
+     he was gratefully regarded as the great exemplar of
+     _self-sacrifice_--in giving his life for others--as the
+     manifestor of good, as the opener of truth, and as being full
+     of goodness and truth. _After being dead, he was restored to
+     life._"[221:6]
+
+Mons. Dupuis says on this subject:
+
+     "The Fathers of the Church, and the writers of the Christian
+     sect, speak frequently of these feasts, celebrated in honor of
+     Osiris, _who died and arose from the dead_, and they draw a
+     parallel with the adventurers of _their_ Christ. Athanasius,
+     Augustin, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Minucius Felix, Lactantius,
+     Firmicius, as also the ancient authors who have spoken of
+     _Osiris_ . . . all agree in the description of the universal
+     mourning of the Egyptians at the festival, when the
+     commemoration of that death took place. They describe the
+     ceremonies which were practiced at his sepulchre, the tears,
+     which were there shed during several days, and the festivities
+     and rejoicings, which followed after that mourning, at the
+     moment when his resurrection was announced."[222:1]
+
+Mr. Bonwick remarks, in his "Egyptian Belief," that:
+
+     "It is astonishing to find that, at least, five thousand years
+     ago, men trusted an _Osiris_ as the '_Risen Saviour_,' and
+     confidently hoped to rise, as he arose, from the
+     grave."[222:2]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "Osiris was, unquestionably, the popular god of Egypt. . . .
+     Osiris was dear to the hearts of the people. He was
+     pre-eminently '_good_.' He was in life and death their friend.
+     His birth, death, burial, resurrection and ascension, embraced
+     the leading points of Egyptian theology." "In his efforts to
+     do good, he encounters evil. In struggling with that, he is
+     overcome. He is killed. The story, entered into in the account
+     of the Osiris myth, is a circumstantial one. Osiris is buried.
+     His tomb was the object of pilgrimage for thousands of years.
+     _But he did not rest in his grave. At the end of three days,
+     or forty, he arose again_, and ascended to heaven. This is the
+     story of his humanity." "As the _invictus Osiris_, his tomb
+     was illuminated, as is the holy sepulchre of Jerusalem now.
+     The mourning song, whose plaintive tones were noted by
+     Herodotus, and has been compared to the '_miserere_' of Rome,
+     was followed, _in three days_, by the language of
+     triumph."[222:3]
+
+Herodotus, who had been initiated into the Egyptian and Grecian
+"_Mysteries_," speaks thus of them:
+
+     "At Sais (in Egypt), in the sacred precinct of Minerva; behind
+     the chapel and joining the wall, is the tomb of one whose name
+     I consider it impious to divulge on such an occasion; and in
+     the inclosure stand large stone obelisks, and there is a lake
+     near, ornamented with a stone margin, formed in a circle, and
+     in size, as appeared to me, much the same as that in Delos,
+     which is called the circular. In this lake they perform by
+     night the representation of that person's adventures, which
+     they call _mysteries_. On these matters, however, though
+     accurately acquainted with the particulars of them, _I must
+     observe a discreet silence_; and respecting the sacred rites
+     of Ceres, which the Greeks call Thesmyphoria, although I am
+     acquainted with them, I must observe silence except so far as
+     is lawful for me to speak of them."[222:4]
+
+_Horus_, son of the virgin _Isis_, experienced similar misfortunes. The
+principal features of this sacred romance are to be found in the
+writings of the Christian Fathers. They give us a description of the
+grief which was manifested at his death, and of the rejoicings at his
+_resurrection_, which are similar to those spoken of above.[222:5]
+
+_Atys_, the Phrygian Saviour, was put to death, _and rose again from
+the dead_. Various histories were given of him in various places, but
+all accounts terminated in the usual manner. He was one of the "Slain
+Ones" who rose to life again on the 25th of March, or the "_Hilaria_" or
+primitive Easter.[223:1]
+
+_Mithras_, the Persian Saviour, and mediator between God and man, was
+believed by the inhabitants of Persia, Asia Minor and Armenia, to have
+been put to death, _and to have risen again from the dead_. In their
+mysteries, the body of a young man, apparently dead, was exhibited,
+which was feigned to be restored to life. By his sufferings he was
+believed to have worked their salvation, and on this account he was
+called their "_Saviour_." His priests watched his tomb to the midnight
+of the veil of the 25th of March, _with loud cries, and in darkness_;
+when all at once the lights burst forth from all parts, and the priest
+cried:
+
+     "_Rejoice, Oh sacred Initiated, your god is risen. His death,
+     his pains, his sufferings, have worked our salvation._"[223:2]
+
+Mons. Dupuis, speaking of the resurrection of this god, says:
+
+     "It is chiefly in the religion of _Mithras_. . . . that we
+     find mostly these features of analogy with the death and
+     resurrection of Christ, and with the mysteries of the
+     Christians. _Mithras_, who was also born on the 25th of
+     December, like Christ, died as he did; and he had his
+     sepulchre, over which his disciples came to shed tears. During
+     the night, the priests carried his image to a tomb, expressly
+     prepared for him; he was laid out on a litter, like the
+     Phoenician _Adonis_.
+
+     "These funeral ceremonies, like those on Good Friday (in Roman
+     Catholic churches), were accompanied with funeral dirges and
+     groans of the priests; after having spent some time with these
+     expressions of feigned grief; after having lighted the sacred
+     _flambeau_, or their paschal candle, and anointed the image
+     with _chrism_ or perfumes, one of them came forward and
+     pronounced with the gravest mien these words: '_Be of good
+     cheer, sacred band of Initiates, your god has risen from the
+     dead. His pains and his sufferings shall be your
+     salvation._'"[223:3]
+
+In King's "_Gnostics and their Remains_" (Plate XI.), may be seen the
+representation of a bronze medal, or rather disk, engraved in the
+coarsest manner, on which is to be seen a female figure, standing in the
+attitude of adoration, the object of which is expressed by the
+inscription--ORTVS SALVAT, "_The Rising of the Saviour_"--_i. e._, of
+_Mithras_.[224:1]
+
+     "This medal" (says Mr. King), "doubtless had accompanied the
+     interment of some individual initiated into the Mithraic
+     mysteries; and is certainly the most curious relic of that
+     faith that has come under my notice."[224:2]
+
+_Bacchus_, the Saviour, son of the virgin Semele, after being put to
+death, also _arose from the dead_. During the commemoration of the
+ceremonies of this event the dead body of a young man was exhibited with
+great lamentations, in the same manner as the cases cited above, and at
+dawn on the 25th of March his resurrection from the dead was celebrated
+with great rejoicings.[224:3] After having brought solace to the
+misfortunes of mankind, he, after his resurrection, _ascended into
+heaven_.[224:4]
+
+_Hercules_, the Saviour, the son of Zeus by a mortal mother, was put to
+death, but arose from the funeral pile, _and ascended into heaven_ in a
+_cloud_, 'mid peals of thunder. His followers manifested gratitude to
+his memory by erecting an altar on the spot from whence be
+ascended.[224:5]
+
+_Memnon_ is put to death, but rises again to life and immortality. His
+mother Eos weeps tears at the death of her son--as Mary does for Christ
+Jesus--but her prayers avail to bring him back, like Adonis or Tammuz,
+and Jesus, from the shadowy region, to dwell always in Olympus.[224:6]
+
+The ancient Greeks also believed that _Amphiaraus_--one of their most
+celebrated prophets and demi-gods--_rose from the dead_. They even
+pointed to the place of his resurrection.[224:7]
+
+_Baldur_, the Scandinavian Lord and Saviour, is put to death, but does
+not rest in his grave. He too rises again to life and immortality.[224:8]
+
+When "Baldur the Good," the beneficent god, descended into hell, Hela
+(Death) said to Hermod (who mourned for Baldur): "If all things in the
+world, both living and lifeless, weep for him, then shall he return to
+the AEsir (the gods)." Upon hearing this, messengers were dispatched
+throughout the world to beg everything to weep in order that Baldur
+might be delivered from hell. All things everywhere willingly complied
+with this request, both men and every other living being, so that
+_wailing_ was heard in all quarters.[225:1]
+
+Thus we see the same myth among the northern nations. As Bunsen says:
+
+     "The tragedy of the _murdered and risen god_ is familiar to us
+     from the days of ancient Egypt: must it not be of equally
+     primeval origin here?" [In Teutonic tradition.]
+
+The ancient Scandinavians also worshiped a god called _Frey_, who was
+put to death, _and rose again from the dead_.[225:2]
+
+The ancient _Druids_ celebrated, in the British Isles, in heathen times,
+the rites of the resurrected Bacchus, and other ceremonies, similar to
+the Greeks and Romans.[225:3]
+
+_Quetzalcoatle_, the Mexican crucified Saviour, after being put to
+death, _rose from the dead_. His resurrection was represented in Mexican
+_hieroglyphics_, and may be seen in the _Codex Borgianus_.[225:4]
+
+The Jews in Palestine celebrated their _Passover_ on the same day that
+the Pagans celebrated the resurrection of their gods.
+
+Besides the resurrected gods mentioned in this chapter, who were
+believed in for centuries before the time assigned for the birth of
+Christ Jesus, many others might be named, as we shall see in our chapter
+on "Explanation." In the words of Dunbar T. Heath:
+
+     "We find men taught everywhere, from Southern Arabia to
+     Greece, by hundreds of symbolisms, the birth, death, and
+     resurrection of deities, and a resurrection too, apparently
+     after the second day, _i. e._, _on the third_."[225:5]
+
+And now, to conclude all, _another god_ is said to have been born on the
+_same day_[225:6] as these Pagan deities; he is crucified and buried,
+and on the _same day_[225:7] rises again from the dead. Christians of
+Europe and America celebrate annually the resurrection of _their_
+Saviour in almost the identical manner in which the Pagans celebrated
+the resurrection of _their_ Saviours, centuries before the God of the
+Christians is said to have been born. In Roman Catholic churches, in
+Catholic countries, the body of a young man is laid on a bier, and
+placed before the altar; the wound in his side is to be seen, and his
+death is bewailed in mournful dirges, and the verse, _Gloria Patri_, is
+discontinued in the mass. All the images in the churches and the altar
+_are covered with black_, and the priest and attendants are robed in
+black; nearly all lights are put out, and the windows are darkened. This
+is the "Agonie," the "Miserere," the "Good Friday" mass. On Easter
+Sunday[226:1] all the drapery has disappeared; the church is
+_illuminated_, and rejoicing, in place of sorrow, is manifest. The
+Easter hymns partake of the following expression:
+
+     "_Rejoice, Oh sacred Initiated, your God is risen. His death,
+     his pains, his sufferings, have worked our salvation._"
+
+Cedrenus (a celebrated Byzantine writer), speaking of the 25th of March,
+says:
+
+     "The first day of the first month, is the first of the month
+     _Nisan_; it corresponds to the 25th of March of the _Romans_,
+     and the _Phamenot_ of the _Egyptians_. On that day Gabriel
+     saluted Mary, in order to make her conceive the Saviour. I
+     observe that it is the same month, _Phamenot_, that _Osiris_
+     gave fecundity to _Isis_, according to the Egyptian theology.
+     _On the very same day, our God Saviour _(Christ Jesus)_, after
+     the termination of his career, arose from the dead_; that is,
+     what our forefathers called the _Pass-over_, or the passage of
+     the Lord. It is also on the _same day_, that our ancient
+     theologians have fixed his return, or his second
+     advent."[226:2]
+
+We have seen, then, that a festival celebrating the resurrection of
+their several gods was annually held among the Pagans, before the time
+of Christ Jesus, and that it was almost universal. That it dates to a
+period of great antiquity is very certain. The adventures of these
+incarnate gods, exposed in their infancy, put to death, and rising again
+from the grave to life and immortality, were acted on the _Deisuls_ and
+in the sacred theatres of the ancient Pagans,[226:3] just as the
+"Passion Play" is acted to-day.
+
+Eusebius relates a _tale_ to the effect that, at one time, the
+Christians were about to celebrate "the solemn vigils of Easter," when,
+to their dismay, they found that _oil_ was wanted. Narcissus, Bishop of
+Jerusalem, who was among the number, "commanded that such as had charge
+of the _lights_, speedily to bring unto him water, drawn up out of the
+next well." This water Narcissus, "by the wonderful power of God,"
+changed into _oil_, and the celebration was continued.[227:1]
+
+This tells the whole story. Here we see the _oil_--which the Pagans had
+in their ceremonies, and with which the priests anointed the lips of the
+Initiates--and the _lights_, which were suddenly lighted when the god
+was feigned to have risen from the dead.
+
+With her usual policy, the Christian Church endeavored to give a
+_Christian_ significance to the rites borrowed from Paganism, and in
+this case, as in many others, the conversion was particularly easy.
+
+In the earliest times, the Christians did not celebrate the resurrection
+of their Lord from the grave. They made the _Jewish Passover_ their
+chief festival, celebrating it on the same day as the Jews, the 14th of
+Nisan, no matter in what part of the week that day might fall.
+Believing, according to the tradition, that Jesus on the eve of his
+death had eaten the Passover with his disciples, they regarded such a
+solemnity as a commemoration of the Supper and not as a memorial of the
+Resurrection. But in proportion as Christianity more and more separated
+itself from Judaism and imbibed paganism, this way of looking at the
+matter became less easy. A new tradition gained currency among the Roman
+Christians to the effect that Jesus before his death had not eaten the
+Passover, but had died on the very day of the Passover, thus
+substituting himself for the Paschal Lamb. The great Christian festival
+was then made the Resurrection of Jesus, and was celebrated on the first
+pagan holiday--_Sun-day_--after the Passover.
+
+This _Easter_ celebration was observed in _China_, and called a
+"Festival of Gratitude to Tien." From there it extended over the then
+known world to the extreme West.
+
+The ancient Pagan inhabitants of Europe celebrated annually this same
+feast, which is yet continued over all the Christian world. This
+festival began with a week's indulgence in all kinds of sports, called
+the _carne-vale_, or the taking _a farewell to animal_ food, because it
+was followed by a fast of forty days. This was in honor of the Saxon
+goddess _Ostrt_ or _Eostre_ of the Germans, whence our _Easter_.[227:2]
+
+The most characteristic Easter rite, and the one most widely diffused,
+is the use of _Easter eggs_. They are usually stained of various colors
+with dye-woods or herbs, and people mutually make presents of them;
+sometimes they are kept as _amulets_, sometimes eaten. Now, "dyed eggs
+were sacred Easter offerings in _Egypt_;"[228:1] the ancient _Persians_,
+"when they kept the festival of the solar new year (in March), mutually
+presented each other with colored eggs;"[228:2] "the _Jews_ used eggs in
+the feast of the Passover;" and the custom prevailed in Western
+countries.[228:3]
+
+The stories of the resurrection written by the Gospel narrators are
+altogether different. This is owing to the fact that the story, as
+related by one, was written to correct the mistakes and to endeavor to
+reconcile with common sense the absurdities of the other. For instance,
+the "_Matthew_" narrator says: "And when they saw him (after he had
+risen from the dead) they worshiped him; _but some doubted_."[228:4]
+
+To leave the question where this writer leaves it would be fatal. In
+such a case there must be no doubt. Therefore, the "_Mark_" narrator
+makes Jesus appear _three times_, under such circumstances as to render
+a mistake next to impossible, and to silence the most obstinate
+skepticism. He is first made to appear to Mary Magdalene, who was
+convinced that it was Jesus, because she went and told the disciples
+that he had risen, and that she had seen him. They--_notwithstanding
+that Jesus had foretold them of his resurrection_[228:5]--disbelieved,
+nor could they be convinced until he appeared to _them_. They in turn
+told it to the other disciples, who were also skeptical; and, that they
+might be convinced, Jesus also appeared to _them_ as they sat at meat,
+when he upbraided them for their unbelief.
+
+This story is much improved in the hands of the "_Mark_" narrator, but,
+in the anxiety to make a clear case, it is overdone, as often happens
+when the object is to remedy or correct an oversight or mistake
+previously made. In relating that the disciples _doubted_ the words of
+Mary Magdalene, he had probably forgotten Jesus had promised them that
+he should rise, for, if he had told them this, _why did they doubt_?
+
+Neither the "_Matthew_" nor the "_Mark_" narrator says in what _way_
+Jesus made his appearance--whether it was in the _body_ or only in the
+_spirit_. If in the latter, it would be fatal to the whole theory of
+the resurrection, as it is a _material_ resurrection that Christianity
+taught--just like their neighbors the Persians--and not a
+spiritual.[229:1]
+
+To put this disputed question in its true light, and to silence the
+objections which must naturally have arisen against it, was the object
+which the "_Luke_" narrator had in view. He says that when Jesus
+appeared and spoke to the disciples they were afraid: "But they were
+terrified and affrighted, and _supposed_ they had seen a
+_spirit_."[229:2] Jesus then--to show that he was _not_ a spirit--showed
+the wounds in his hands and feet. "And they gave him a piece of a
+broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. And he took it, _and did eat before
+them_."[229:3] After this, who is there that can doubt? but, if the
+_fish_ and _honeycomb_ story was true, why did the "_Matthew_" and
+"_Mark_" narrators fail to mention it?
+
+The "_Luke_" narrator, like his predecessors, had also overdone the
+matter, and instead of convincing the skeptical, he only excited their
+ridicule.
+
+The "_John_" narrator now comes, and endeavors to set matters right. He
+does not omit entirely the story of Jesus eating fish, _for that would
+not do, after there had been so much said about it_. He might leave it
+to be inferred that the "_Luke_" narrator made a mistake, so he modifies
+the story and omits the ridiculous part. The scene is laid on the shores
+of the Sea of Tiberias. Under the direction of Jesus, Peter drew his net
+to land, full of fish. "Jesus said unto them: Come and dine. And none of
+the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
+Jesus then cometh, and taketh _bread_, and _giveth them_, and _fish_
+likewise."[229:4]
+
+It does not appear from _this_ account that Jesus ate the fish at all.
+He took the fish and _gave to the disciples_; the inference is that
+_they_ were the ones that ate. In the "_Luke_" narrator's account _the
+statement is reversed_; the disciples gave the fish to Jesus, _and he
+ate_. The "_John_" narrator has taken out of the story that which was
+absurd, but he leaves us to infer that the "_Luke_" narrator was
+_careless_ in stating the account of what took place. If we leave out of
+the "_Luke_" narrator's account the part that relates to the fish and
+honeycomb, he fails to prove what it really was which appeared to the
+disciples, as it seems from this that the disciples could not be
+convinced that Jesus was not a spirit until he had actually eaten
+something.
+
+Now, if the _eating_ part is struck out--which the "_John_" narrator
+does, and which, no doubt, the ridicule cast upon it drove him to
+do--the "_Luke_" narrator leaves the question _just where he found it_.
+It was the business of the "_John_" narrator to attempt to leave it
+clean, and put an end to all cavil.
+
+Jesus appeared to the disciples when they assembled at Jerusalem. "And
+when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side."[230:1]
+They were satisfied, and no doubts were expressed. But Thomas was not
+present, and when he was told by the brethren that Jesus had appeared to
+them, he refused to believe; nor would he, "Except I shall see in his
+hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the
+nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."[230:2]
+Now, if Thomas could be convinced, with all _his_ doubts, it would be
+foolish after _that_ to deny that Jesus was not in the _body_ when he
+appeared to his disciples.
+
+After eight days Jesus again appears, for no other purpose--as it would
+seem--but to convince the doubting disciple Thomas. Then said he to
+Thomas: "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither
+thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but
+believing."[230:3] This convinced Thomas, and he exclaimed: "My Lord and
+my God." After _this evidence_, if there were still unbelievers, they
+were even more skeptical than Thomas himself. We should be at a loss to
+understand _why the writers of the first three Gospels entirely omitted
+the story of Thomas_, if we were not aware that when the "_John_"
+narrator wrote the state of the public mind was such that proof of the
+most unquestionable character was demanded that Christ Jesus had risen
+in the body. The "_John_" narrator selected a person who claimed he was
+hard to convince, and if the evidence was such as to satisfy _him_, it
+ought to satisfy the balance of the world.[230:4]
+
+The first that we knew of the fourth Gospel--attributed to _John_--is
+from the writings of _Irenaeus_ (A. D. 177-202), and the evidence is that
+_he is the author of it_.[230:5] That controversies were rife in his day
+concerning the resurrection of Jesus, is very evident from other
+sources. We find that at this time the resurrection of the dead
+(according to the accounts of the Christian forgers) was very far from
+being esteemed an uncommon event; that the miracle was frequently
+performed on necessary occasions by great fasting and the joint
+supplication of the church of the place, and that the persons thus
+restored by their prayers had lived afterwards among them many years. At
+such a period, when faith could boast of so many wonderful victories
+over death, it seems difficult to account for the skepticism of those
+philosophers, who still rejected and derided the doctrine of the
+resurrection. A noble Grecian had rested on this important ground the
+whole controversy, and promised Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, _that if
+he could be gratified by the sight of a single person who had been
+actually raised from the dead, he would immediately embrace the
+Christian religion_.
+
+"It is somewhat remarkable," says Gibbon, the historian, from whom we
+take the above, "that the prelate of the first Eastern Church, however
+anxious for the conversion of his friend, thought proper to _decline_
+this fair and reasonable challenge."[231:1]
+
+This Christian _saint_, Irenaeus, had invented many stories of others
+being raised from the dead, for the purpose of attempting to strengthen
+the belief in the resurrection of Jesus. In the words of the Rev.
+Jeremiah Jones:
+
+     "Such _pious frauds_ were very common among Christians even in
+     the first three centuries; and a forgery of this nature, with
+     the view above-mentioned, _seems natural and probable_."
+
+One of these "_pious frauds_" is the "_Gospel of Nicodemus the Disciple,
+concerning the Sufferings and Resurrection of our Master and Saviour
+Jesus Christ_." Although attributed to Nicodemus, a disciple of Jesus,
+it has been shown to be a forgery, written towards the close of the
+second century--during the time of _Irenaeus_, the well-known pious
+forger. In this book we find the following:
+
+     "And now hear me a little. We all know the blessed Simeon, the
+     high-priest, who took Jesus when an infant into his arms in
+     the temple. This same Simeon had two sons of his own, _and we
+     were all present at their death and funeral_. Go therefore and
+     see their _tombs_, for these are open, _and they are risen_;
+     and behold, they are in the city of Arimathaea, spending their
+     time together in offices of devotion."[231:2]
+
+The purpose of this story is very evident. Some "zealous believer,"
+observing the appeals for proof of the resurrection, wishing to make it
+appear that resurrections from the dead were common occurrences,
+invented this story _towards the close of the second century_, and
+fathered it upon Nicodemus.
+
+We shall speak, anon, more fully on the subject of the frauds of the
+early Christians, the "lying and deceiving _for the cause of Christ_,"
+which is carried on even to the present day.
+
+As President Cheney of Bates College has lately remarked, "_The
+resurrection is the doctrine of Christianity and the foundation of the
+entire system_,"[232:1] but outside of the four spurious gospels this
+greatest of all recorded miracles is hardly mentioned. "We have epistles
+from Peter, James, John, and Jude--all of whom are said by the
+evangelists to have _seen_ Jesus after he rose from the dead, in none of
+which epistles is the fact of the resurrection even stated, much less
+that Jesus was seen by the writer after his resurrection."[232:2]
+
+Many of the early Christian sects denied the resurrection of Christ
+Jesus, but taught that he will rise, when there shall be a general
+resurrection.
+
+No actual representation of the resurrection of the Christian's Saviour
+has yet been found among the monuments of _early_ Christianity. The
+earliest representation of this event that has been found is an ivory
+carving, and belongs to the _fifth or sixth_ century.[232:3]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[215:1] See Matthew, xxviii. Mark, xvi. Luke, xxiv. and John, xx.
+
+[215:2] Mark, xvi. 19.
+
+[215:3] Luke, xxiv. 51.
+
+[215:4] Acts, i. 9.
+
+[215:5] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 240. Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. ii. pp. 142 and 145.
+
+[215:6] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 131. Bonwick's Egyptian
+Belief, p. 168. Asiatic Researches, vol. i. pp. 259 and 261.
+
+[215:7] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 72. Hist. Hindostan, ii. pp.
+466 and 473.
+
+"In Hindu pictures, Vishnu, who is identified with Crishna, is often
+seen mounted on the Eagle Garuda." (Moore: Hindu Panth. p. 214.) And M.
+Sonnerat noticed "two basso-relievos placed at the entrance of the choir
+of Bordeaux Cathedral, one of which represents the ascension of our
+Saviour to heaven on an Eagle." (Higgins: Anac., vol. i. p. 273.)
+
+[216:1] Oriental Religions, pp. 494, 495.
+
+[216:2] Asiatic Res., vol. x. p. 129. Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 103.
+
+[216:3] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 49.
+
+[216:4] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 86. See also, Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 159.
+
+[216:5] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 214.
+
+[216:6] Ibid. p. 258.
+
+[217:1] Ovid's Metamorphoses, as rendered by Addison. Quoted in Taylor's
+Diegesis, p. 148.
+
+[217:2] Quoted by Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 114. See also,
+Taylor's Diegesis, pp. 163, 164.
+
+[217:3] Taylor's Diegesis, p. 164.
+
+[217:4] Prichard's Egyptian Mythology, pp. 66, 67.
+
+[218:1] Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 161. See also, Dunlap's
+Mysteries of Adoni, p. 23, and Spirit Hist. of Man, p. 216.
+
+[218:2] Calmet's Fragments, vol. ii. p. 21.
+
+[218:3] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 86.
+
+[218:4] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Beliefs, p. 261.
+
+[219:1] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Beliefs, p. 247, and Taylor's
+Diegesis, p. 164.
+
+[219:2] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 164. We shall speak of _Christian_
+forgeries anon.
+
+[219:3] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 2.
+
+[220:1] Quoted in Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. vii. See also, Knight:
+Ancient Art and Mythology, p. xxvii.
+
+"From the days of the prophet Daniel, down to the time when the red
+cross knights gave no quarter (fighting for _the Christ_) in the streets
+of Jerusalem, the Anointed was worshiped in Babylon, Basan, Galilee and
+Palestine." (Son of the Man, p. 38.)
+
+[220:2] Ezekiel, viii. 14.
+
+[220:3] Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 162, and Higgins: Anacalypsis,
+vol. ii. p. 114.
+
+[221:1] See Justin: Cum. Typho, and Tertullian: De Bap.
+
+[221:2] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 16, and vol. i. p. 519.
+Also, Prichard's Egyptian Mythology, p. 66, and Bonwick's Egyptian
+Belief, p. 163.
+
+[221:3] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 166, and Dunlap's Mysteries of
+Adoni, pp. 124, 125.
+
+[221:4] Prolegomena to Ancient History.
+
+[221:5] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 102.
+
+[221:6] Murray: Manual of Mythology, pp. 347, 348.
+
+[222:1] Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 256.
+
+[222:2] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. vi.
+
+[222:3] Ibid. pp. 150-155, 178.
+
+[222:4] Herodotus, bk. ii. chs. 170, 171.
+
+[222:5] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 263, and Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. ii. 108.
+
+[223:1] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 169. Higgins: Anacalypsis,
+vol. ii. p. 104. Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 255. Dunlap's
+Mysteries of Adoni, p. 110, and Knight: Anct. Art and Mythology, p. 86.
+
+[223:2] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 99. _Mithras_ remained in the
+grave a period of _three days_, as did Christ _Jesus_, and the other
+Christs. "The Persians believed that the soul of man remained yet _three
+days_ in the world after its separation from the body." (Dunlap:
+Mysteries of Adoni, p. 63.)
+
+"In the Zoroastrian religion, after soul and body have separated, the
+souls, _in the third night_ after death--as soon as the shining sun
+ascends--come over the Mount Berezaiti upon the bridge Tshinavat which
+leads to Garonmana, the dwelling of the good gods." (Dunlap's Spirit
+Hist., p. 216, and Mysteries of Adoni, 60.)
+
+The Ghost of Polydore says:
+
+"Being raised up this _third day_--light, Having deserted my body!"
+
+(Euripides, Hecuba, 31, 32.)
+
+[223:3] Dupuis: Origin of Religious Beliefs, pp. 246, 247.
+
+[224:1] King's Gnostics and their Remains, p. 225.
+
+[224:2] Ibid. p. 226.
+
+[224:3] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 102. Dupuis: Origin of
+Religious Belief, pp. 256, 257, and Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 169.
+
+[224:4] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 135, and Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. i. 322.
+
+[224:5] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 294. See also, Goldzhier's Hebrew
+Mythology, p. 127. Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 322, and Chambers's
+Encyclo., art. "Hercules."
+
+[224:6] Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 90.
+
+[224:7] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 56.
+
+[224:8] Aryan Mytho., vol. ii p. 94.
+
+[225:1] Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 449.
+
+[225:2] See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 85.
+
+[225:3] See Davies: Myths and Rites of the British Druids, pp. 89 and
+208.
+
+[225:4] See Kingsborough's Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 166.
+
+[225:5] Quoted in Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 174.
+
+[225:6] As we shall see in the chapter on "The Birth-day of Christ
+Jesus."
+
+[225:7] _Easter_, the triumph of Christ, was originally solemnized on
+the 25th of March, the very day upon which the Pagan gods were believed
+to have risen from the dead. (See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief,
+pp. 244, 255.)
+
+A very long and terrible schism took place in the Christian Church upon
+the question whether _Easter_, the day of the resurrection, was to be
+celebrated on the 14th day of the first month, after the Jewish custom,
+or on the Lord's day afterward; and it was at last decided in favor of
+the Lord's day. (See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 90, and
+Chambers's Encyclopaedia, art. "Easter.")
+
+The day upon which Easter should be celebrated was not settled until the
+Council of Nice. (See Euseb. Life of Constantine, lib. 3, ch. xvii.
+Also, Socrates' Eccl. Hist. lib. 1, ch. vi.)
+
+[226:1] Even the name of "EASTER" is derived from the heathen goddess,
+_Ostrt_, of the Saxons, and the _Eostre_ of the Germans.
+
+"Many of the popular observances connected with Easter are clearly of
+_Pagan origin_. The goddess Ostara or Eastre seems to have been the
+personification of the morning or East, and also of the opening year or
+Spring. . . . With her usual policy, the church endeavored to give a
+Christian significance to such of the rites as could not be rooted out;
+and in this case the conversion was practically easy." (Chambers's
+Encyclo., art. "Easter.")
+
+[226:2] Quoted in Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 244.
+
+[226:3] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 340.
+
+[227:1] Eccl. Hist., lib. 6, c. viii.
+
+[227:2] Anacalypsis, ii. 59.
+
+[228:1] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 24.
+
+[228:2] See Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Easter."
+
+[228:3] Ibid.
+
+[228:4] Matthew, xxviii. 17.
+
+[228:5] See xii. 40; xvi. 21; Mark, ix. 31; xiv. 23; John, ii. 10.
+
+[229:1] "And let not any one among you say, that _this very flesh_ is
+not judged, neither raised up. Consider, in what were ye saved? in what
+did ye look up, if not whilst ye were in this flesh? We must, therefore,
+keep our flesh as the temple of God. For in like manner as ye were
+called in the flesh, _ye shall also come to judgment_ in the flesh. Our
+one Lord Jesus Christ, who has saved us, being first a spirit, was made
+flesh, and so called us: _even so we also in this flesh, shall receive
+the reward_ (_of heaven_)." (II. Corinthians, ch. iv. _Apoc._ See also
+the Christian Creed: "I believe in the resurrection of the _body_.")
+
+[229:2] Luke, xxiv. 37.
+
+[229:3] Luke, xxiv. 42, 43.
+
+[229:4] John, xxi. 12, 13.
+
+[230:1] John, xx. 20.
+
+[230:2] John, xx. 25.
+
+[230:3] John, xx. 27.
+
+[230:4] See, for a further account of the resurrection, Reber's Christ
+of Paul; Scott's English Life of Jesus; and Greg's Creed of Christendom.
+
+[230:5] See the Chapter xxxviii.
+
+[231:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. p. 541.
+
+[231:2] Nicodemus, Apoc. ch. xii.
+
+[232:1] Baccalaureate Sermon, June 26th, 1881.
+
+[232:2] Greg: The Creed of Christendom, p. 284.
+
+[232:3] See Jameson's Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii., and Lundy's
+Monumental Christianity.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST JESUS, AND THE MILLENNIUM.
+
+
+The second coming of Christ Jesus is clearly taught in the canonical, as
+well as in the apocryphal, books of the New Testament. Paul teaches, or
+_is made to teach it_,[233:1] in the following words:
+
+     "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
+     also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we
+     say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive
+     _and remain unto the coming of the Lord_, shall not prevent
+     them which are asleep. _For the Lord himself shall descend
+     from heaven_ with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
+     and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise
+     first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be _caught up_
+     together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord _in the
+     air_: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."[233:2]
+
+He further tells the Thessalonians to "abstain from all appearance of
+evil," and to "be preserved blameless _unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
+Christ_."[233:3]
+
+James,[233:4] in his epistle to the brethren, tells them not to be in
+too great a hurry for the coming of their Lord, but to "be patient" and
+wait for the "coming of the Lord," as the "husbandman waiteth for the
+precious fruit of the earth." But still he assures them that "the coming
+of the Lord draweth nigh."[233:5]
+
+Peter, in his first epistle, tells his brethren that "the end of all
+things is at hand,"[233:6] and that when the "chief shepherd" does
+appear, they "shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not
+away."[233:7]
+
+John, in his first epistle, tells the Christian community to "abide in
+him" (Christ), so that, "when he shall appear, we may have confidence,
+and not be ashamed before him."[234:1]
+
+He further says:
+
+     "Behold, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
+     appear what we shall be, but we know that, _when he shall
+     appear_, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he
+     is."[234:2]
+
+According to the writer of the book of "The Acts," when Jesus ascended
+into heaven, the Apostles stood looking _up_ towards heaven, where he
+had gone, and while thus engaged: "behold, two men stood by them
+(dressed) in white apparel," who said unto them:
+
+     "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This
+     same Jesus which is _taken up_ from you into heaven, _shall so
+     come in like manner as ye have seen him go_ (up) _into
+     heaven_."[234:3]
+
+The one great object which the writer of the book of Revelations wished
+to present to view, was "_the second coming of Christ_." This writer,
+who seems to have been anxious for that time, which was "surely" to come
+"quickly;" ends his book by saying: "Even so, come Lord Jesus."[234:4]
+
+The two men, dressed in white apparel, who had told the Apostles that
+Jesus should "come again," were not the only persons whom they looked to
+for authority. He himself (according to the Gospel) had told them so:
+
+     "The Son of man shall come (again) in the glory of his Father
+     with his angels."
+
+And, as if to impress upon their minds that his second coming should not
+be at a distant day, he further said:
+
+     "Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which
+     shall not taste of death, _till they see the Son of man coming
+     in his kingdom_."[234:5]
+
+This, surely, is very explicit, but it is not the only time he speaks of
+his second advent. When foretelling the destruction of the temple, his
+disciples came unto him, saying:
+
+     "Tell us when shall these things be, _and what shall be the
+     sign of thy coming_?"[234:6]
+
+His answer to this is very plain:
+
+     "Verily I say unto you, _this generation shall not pass till
+     all these things be fulfilled_ (_i. e_, the destruction of the
+     temple and his second coming), but of that day and hour
+     knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father
+     only."[234:7]
+
+In the second Epistle _attributed_ to Peter, which was written after
+that generation had passed away,[235:1] there had begun to be some
+impatience manifest among the _believers_, on account of the long delay
+of Christ Jesus' second coming. "Where is the promise of his coming?"
+say they, "for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they
+were from the beginning of the creation."[235:2] In attempting to
+smoothe over matters, this writer says: "There shall come in the last
+days scoffers, saying: 'Where is the promise of his coming?'" to which
+he replies by telling them that they were ignorant of all the ways of
+the Lord, and that: "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
+thousand years as one day." He further says: "The Lord is not slack
+concerning his promise;" and that "the day of the Lord _will come_."
+This coming is to be "as a thief in the night," that is, when they least
+expect it.[235:3]
+
+No wonder there should have been scoffers--as this writer calls
+them--the generation which was not to have passed away before his
+coming, had passed away; all those who stood there had been dead many
+years; the sun had not yet been darkened; the stars were still in the
+heavens, and the moon still continued to reflect light. None of the
+predictions had yet been fulfilled.
+
+Some of the early Christian Fathers have tried to account for the words
+of Jesus, where he says: "Verily I say unto you, there be some standing
+here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming
+in his kingdom," by saying that he referred to _John_ only, and that
+that Apostle was not dead, but sleeping. This fictitious story is
+related by Saint Augustin, "from the report," as he says, "of credible
+persons," and is to the effect that:
+
+     "At Ephesus, where St. John the Apostle lay buried, he was not
+     believed to be dead, _but to be sleeping only in the grave_,
+     which he had provided for himself till our Saviour's second
+     coming: in proof of which, they affirm, that the earth, under
+     which he lay, was seen to heave up and down perpetually, in
+     conformity to the motion of his body, in the act of
+     breathing."[235:4]
+
+This story clearly illustrates the stupid credulity and superstition of
+the primitive age of the church, and the faculty of imposing any
+fictions upon the people, which their leaders saw fit to inculcate.
+
+The doctrine of the _millennium_ designates a certain period in the
+history of the world, lasting for a long, indefinite space (vaguely a
+_thousand years_, as the word "_millennium_" implies) during which the
+kingdom of _Christ Jesus_ will be visibly established on the earth. The
+idea undoubtedly originated proximately in the Messianic expectation of
+the Jews (as Jesus _did not_ sit on the throne of David and become an
+earthly ruler, it _must be_ that he is _coming again_ for this purpose),
+but more remotely in the Pagan doctrine of the final triumph of the
+several "Christs" over their adversaries.
+
+In the first century of the Church, _millenarianism_ was a _whispered_
+belief, to which the book of Daniel, and more particularly the
+predictions of the _Apocalypse_[236:1] gave an apostolical authority,
+but, when the church imbibed _Paganism_, their belief on this subject
+lent it a more vivid coloring and imagery.
+
+The unanimity which the early Christian teachers exhibit in regard to
+_millenarianism_, proves how strongly it had laid hold of the
+imagination of the Church, to which, in this early stage, immortality
+and future rewards were to a great extent things of this world as yet.
+Not only did Cerinthus, but even the orthodox doctors--such as Papias
+(Bishop of Hierapolis), Irenaeus, Justin Martyr and others--delighted
+themselves with dreams of the glory and magnificence of the millennial
+kingdom. Papias, in his collection of traditional sayings of Christ
+Jesus, indulges in the most monstrous representations of the re-building
+of Jerusalem, and the colossal vines and grapes of the millennial reign.
+
+According to the general opinion, the millennium was to be preceded by
+great calamities, after which the Messiah, _Christ Jesus_, would appear,
+and would bind Satan for a thousand years, annihilate the godless
+heathen, or make them slaves of the believers, overturn the Roman
+empire, from the ruins of which a new order of things would spring
+forth, in which "the dead in Christ" would rise, and along with the
+surviving saints enjoy an incomparable felicity in the city of the "New
+Jerusalem." Finally, all nations would bend their knee to _him_, and
+acknowledge _him only_ to be _the Christ_--his religion would reign
+supreme. This is the "Golden Age" of the future, which all nations of
+antiquity believed in and looked forward to.
+
+We will first turn to _India_, and shall there find that the _Hindoos_
+believed their "_Saviour_," or "Preserver" _Vishnu_, who appeared in
+mortal form as _Crishna_, is _to come again in the latter days_. Their
+sacred books declare that in the last days, when the fixed stars have
+all apparently returned to the point whence they started, at the
+beginning of all things, in the month _Scorpio_, Vishnu will appear
+among mortals, in the form of an armed warrior, riding a winged _white
+horse_.[236:2] In one hand he will carry a scimitar, "blazing like a
+comet," to destroy all the impure who shall then dwell on the face of
+the earth. In the other hand he will carry a large shining ring, to
+signify that the great circle of _Yugas_ (ages) is completed, and that
+the end has come. At his approach _the sun and moon will be darkened,
+the earth will tremble, and the stars fall from the firmament_.[237:1]
+
+The Buddhists believe that _Buddha_ has repeatedly assumed a human form
+to facilitate the reunion of men with his own universal soul, so they
+believe that _"in the latter days" he will come again_. Their sacred
+books predict this coming, and relate that his mission will be to
+restore the world to order and happiness.[237:2] This is exactly the
+Christian idea of the millennium.
+
+The _Chinese_ also believe that "_in the latter days_" there is to be a
+_millennium_ upon earth. Their five sacred volumes are full of
+prophesies concerning this "Golden Age of the Future." It is the
+universal belief among them that a "_Divine Man_" will establish himself
+on earth, and everywhere restore peace and happiness.[237:3]
+
+The ancient _Persians_ believed that in the last days, there would be a
+millennium on earth, when the religion of Zoroaster would be accepted by
+all mankind. The Parsees of to-day, who are the remnants of the once
+mighty Persians, have a tradition that a holy personage is waiting in a
+region called Kanguedez, for a summons from the Ized Serosch, who in the
+last days will bring him to Persia, to restore the ancient dominion of
+that country, and spread the religion of Zoroaster over the whole
+earth.[237:4]
+
+The Rev. Joseph B. Gross, in his "Heathen Religion,"[237:5] speaking of
+the belief of the ancient Persians in the millennium, says:
+
+     "The dead would be raised,[237:6] and he who has made all
+     things, cause the earth and the sea to return again the
+     remains of the departed.[237:7] Then Ormuzd shall clothe them
+     with flesh and blood, while they that live at the time of the
+     resurrection, must die in order to likewise participate in its
+     advantage.
+
+     "Before this momentous event takes place, three illustrious
+     prophets shall appear, who will announce their presence by the
+     performance of miracles.
+
+     "During this period of its existence, and till its final
+     removal, the earth will be afflicted with pestilence,
+     tempests, war, famine, and various other baneful
+     calamities."[237:8]
+
+     "After the resurrection, every one will be apprised of the
+     good or evil which he may have done, and the righteous and the
+     wicked will be separated from each other.[238:1] Those of the
+     latter whose offenses have not yet been expiated, will be cast
+     into hell during the term of three days and three
+     nights,[238:2] in the presence of an assembled world, in order
+     to be purified in the burning stream of liquid ore.[238:3]
+     After this, they enjoy endless felicity in the society of the
+     blessed, and the pernicious empire of Ahriman (the devil), is
+     fairly exterminated.[238:4] Even this lying spirit will be
+     under the necessity to avail himself of this fiery ordeal, and
+     made to rejoice in its expurgating and cleansing efficacy.
+     Nay, hell itself is purged of its mephitic impurities, and
+     washed clean in the flames of a universal regeneration.[238:5]
+
+     "The earth is now the habitation of bliss, all nature glows in
+     light; and the equitable and benignant laws of Ormuzd reign
+     supremely through the illimitable universe.[238:6] Finally,
+     after the resurrection, mankind will recognize each other
+     again; wants, cares, and passions will cease;[238:7] and
+     everything in the paradisian and all-embracing empire of
+     light, shall rebound to the praise of the benificent
+     God."[238:8]
+
+The disciples of _Bacchus_ expected his _second advent_. They hoped he
+would assume at some future day the government of the universe, and that
+he would restore to man his primary felicity.[238:9]
+
+The _Esthonian_ from the time of the German invasion lived a life of
+bondage under a foreign yoke, and the iron of his slavery entered into
+his soul. He told how the ancient hero Kalewipoeg sits in the realms of
+shadows, waiting until his country is in its extremity of distress, when
+he will _return to earth_ to avenge the injuries of the Esths, and
+elevate the poor crushed people into a mighty power.[238:10]
+
+The suffering _Celt_ has his Brian Boroihme, or Arthur, _who will come
+again_, the first to inaugurate a Fenian millennium, the second to
+regenerate Wales. Olger Dansk waits till the time arrives when he is to
+start from sleep to the assistance of the _Dane_ against the hated
+Prussian. The Messiah is to come and restore the kingdom of the _Jews_.
+Charlemagne was the Messiah of mediaeval Teutondom. He it was who founded
+the great German empire, and shed over it the blaze of Christian truth,
+and now he sleeps in the Kyffhauserberg, waiting till German heresy has
+reached its climax and Germany is wasted through internal conflicts, to
+rush to earth once more, and revive the great empire and restore the
+Catholic faith.[239:1]
+
+The ancient _Scandinavians_ believed that in the "latter days" great
+calamities would befall mankind. The earth would tremble, and the stars
+fall from heaven. After which, the great _serpent_ would be chained, and
+the religion of Odin would reign supreme.[239:2]
+
+The disciples of _Quetzalcoatle_, the Mexican Saviour, expected his
+second advent. Before he departed this life, he told the inhabitants of
+Cholula that he would return again to govern them.[239:3] This
+remarkable tradition was so deeply cherished in their hearts, says Mr.
+Prescott in his "Conquest of Mexico," that "the Mexicans looked
+confidently to the return of their benevolent deity."[239:4]
+
+So implicitly was this believed by the subjects, that when the Spaniards
+appeared on the coast, they were joyfully hailed as the returning god
+and his companions. Montezuma's messengers reported to the Inca that "it
+was Quetzalcoatle who was coming, bringing his temples (ships) with
+him." All throughout New Spain they expected the reappearance of this
+"Son of the Great God" into the world, who would renew all
+things.[239:5]
+
+Acosta alludes to this, in his "History of the Indies," as follows:
+
+     "In the beginning of the year 1518, they (the Mexicans),
+     discovered a fleet at sea, in the which was the Marques del
+     Valle, Don Fernando Cortez, with his companions, a news which
+     much troubled Montezuma, and conferring with his council, they
+     all said, that without doubt, their great and ancient lord
+     Quetzalcoatle was come, who had said that he would return from
+     the East, whither he had gone."[239:6]
+
+The doctrine of the millennium and the second advent of Christ Jesus,
+has been a very important one in the Christian church. The ancient
+Christians were animated by a contempt for their present existence, and
+by a just confidence of immortality, of which the doubtful and imperfect
+faith of modern ages cannot give us any adequate notion. In the
+primitive church, the influence of truth was powerfully strengthened by
+an opinion, which, however much it may deserve respect for its
+usefulness and antiquity, has not been found agreeable to experience.
+_It was universally believed, that the end of the world and the kingdom
+of heaven were at hand._[240:1] The near approach of this wonderful
+event had been predicted, as we have seen, by the Apostles; the
+tradition of it was preserved by their earliest disciples, and those who
+believed that the discourses _attributed_ to Jesus were really uttered
+by him, were _obliged_ to expect the second and glorious coming of the
+"Son of Man" in the clouds, _before that generation was totally
+extinguished_ which had beheld his humble condition upon earth, and
+which might still witness the calamities of the Jews under Vespasian or
+Hadrian. The revolution of seventeen centuries has instructed us not to
+press too closely the _mysterious_ language of prophecy and revelation;
+but as long as this error was permitted to subsist in the church, it was
+productive of the most salutary effects on the faith and practice of
+Christians, who lived in the awful expectation of that moment when the
+globe itself and all the various races of mankind, _should tremble at
+the appearance of their divine judge_. This expectation was
+countenanced--as we have seen--by the twenty-fourth chapter of St.
+Matthew, and by the first epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians. Erasmus
+(one of the most vigorous promoters of the Reformation) removes the
+difficulty by the help of _allegory_ and _metaphor_; and the learned
+Grotius (a learned theologian of the 16th century) ventures to
+insinuate, that, for wise purposes, _the pious deception was permitted
+to take place_.
+
+_The ancient and popular doctrine of the millennium_ was intimately
+connected with the second coming of Christ Jesus. As the works of the
+creation had been fixed in _six days_, their duration in the present
+state, according to a tradition which was attributed to the prophet
+Elijah, was fixed to _six thousand years_.[240:2] By the same analogy it
+was inferred, that this long period of labor and contention, which had
+now almost elapsed, would be succeeded by a joyful Sabbath of a
+_thousand years_, and that Christ Jesus, with the triumphant band of the
+saints and the elect who had escaped death, or who had been miraculously
+revived, would reign upon earth until the time appointed for the last
+and general resurrection. So pleasing was this hope to the mind of the
+believers, that the "New Jerusalem," the seat of this blissful kingdom,
+was quickly adorned with all the gayest colors of the imagination. A
+felicity consisting only of pure and spiritual pleasure would have been
+too refined for its inhabitants, who were still supposed to possess
+their human nature and senses. A "Garden of Eden," with the amusements
+of the pastoral life, was no longer suited to the advanced state of
+society which prevailed under the Roman empire. A city was therefore
+erected of gold and precious stones, and a supernatural plenty of corn
+and wine was bestowed on the adjacent territory; in the free enjoyment
+of whose spontaneous productions, the happy and benevolent people were
+never to be restrained by any jealous laws of exclusive property. Most
+of these pictures were borrowed from a misrepresentation of Isaiah,
+Daniel, and the Apocalypse. One of the grossest images may be found in
+Irenaeus (l. v.) the disciple of Papias, who had seen the Apostle St.
+John. Though it might not be universally received, it appears to have
+been the reigning sentiment of the orthodox believers; and it seems so
+well adapted to the desires and apprehensions of mankind, that it must
+have contributed in a very considerable degree to the progress of the
+Christian faith. But when the edifice of the church was almost
+completed, the temporary support was laid aside. The doctrine of Christ
+Jesus' reign upon earth was at first treated as a profound _allegory_,
+was considered by degrees as a _doubtful_ and _useless_ opinion, and was
+at length rejected as the absurd invention of heresy and fanaticism. But
+although this doctrine had been "laid aside," and "rejected," it was
+again resurrected, and is alive and rife at the present day, even among
+those who stand as the leaders of the orthodox faith.
+
+The expectation of the "last day" in the year 1000 A. D., reinvested the
+doctrine with a transitory importance; but it lost all credit again when
+the hopes so keenly excited by the _crusades_ faded away before the
+stern reality of Saracenic success, and the predictions of the
+"Everlasting Gospel," a work of Joachim de Floris, a Franciscan abbot,
+remained unfulfilled.[241:1]
+
+At the period of the _Reformation_, millenarianism once more experienced
+a partial revival, because it was not a difficult matter to apply some
+of its symbolism to the papacy. The Pope, for example, was
+_Antichrist_--a belief still adhered to by some extreme Protestants. Yet
+the doctrine was not adopted by the great body of the reformers, but by
+some fanatical sects, such as the Anabaptists, and by the Theosophists
+of the seventeenth century.
+
+During the civil and religious wars in France and England, when great
+excitement prevailed, it was also prominent. The "Fifth Monarchy Men" of
+Cromwell's time were millenarians of the most exaggerated and dangerous
+sort. Their peculiar tenet was that the millennium _had_ come, and that
+_they_ were the saints who were to inherit the earth. The excesses of
+the French Roman Catholic Mystics and Quietists terminated in
+_chiliastic_[242:1] views. Among the Protestants it was during the
+"Thirty Years' War" that the most enthusiastic and learned chiliasts
+flourished. The awful suffering and wide-spread desolation of that time
+led pious hearts to solace themselves with the hope of a peaceful and
+glorious future. Since then the _penchant_ which has sprung up for
+expounding the prophetical books of the Bible, and particularly the
+_Apocalypse_, with a view to present events, has given the doctrine a
+faint semi-theological life, very different, however, from the earnest
+faith of the first Christians.
+
+Among the foremost chiliastic teachers of modern centuries are to be
+mentioned Ezechiel Meth, Paul Felgenhauer, Bishop Comenius, Professor
+Jurien, Seraris, Poiret, J. Mede; while Thomas Burnet and William
+Whiston endeavored to give chiliasm a geological foundation, but without
+finding much favor. Latterly, especially since the rise and extension of
+missionary enterprise, the opinion has obtained a wide currency, that
+after the conversion of the whole world to Christianity, a blissful and
+glorious era will ensue; but not much stress--except by extreme
+literalists--is now laid on the nature or duration of this far-off
+felicity.
+
+Great eagerness, and not a little ingenuity have been exhibited by many
+persons in fixing a _date_ for the commencement of the millennium. The
+celebrated theologian, Johann Albrecht Bengel, who, in the eighteenth
+century, revived an earnest interest in the subject amongst orthodox
+Protestants, asserted from a study of the prophecies that the millennium
+would begin in 1836. This date was long popular. Swedenborg held that
+the last judgment _took place_ in 1757, and that the new church, or
+"_Church of the New Jerusalem_," as his followers designate
+themselves--in other words, the millennial era--_then began_.
+
+In America, considerable agitation was excited by the preaching of one
+William Miller, who fixed the second advent of Christ Jesus about 1843.
+Of late years, the most noted English millenarian was Dr. John Cumming,
+who placed the end of the _present dispensation_ in 1866 or 1867; but as
+that time passed without any millennial symptoms, he modified his
+original views considerably, before he died, and conjectured that the
+beginning of the millennium would not differ so much after all from the
+years immediately preceding it, as people commonly suppose.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[233:1] We say "is made to teach it," for the probability is that Paul
+never wrote this passage. The authority of _both_ the Letters to the
+_Thessalonians_, attributed to Paul, is undoubtedly spurious. (See The
+Bible of To-Day, pp. 211, 212.)
+
+[233:2] I. Thessalonians, iv. 14-17.
+
+[233:3] Ibid. v. 22, 23.
+
+[233:4] We say "James," but, it is probable that we have, in this
+epistle of James, another pseudonymous writing which appeared after the
+time that James must have lived. (See The Bible of To-Day, p. 225.)
+
+[233:5] James, v. 7, 8.
+
+[233:6] I. Peter, iv. 7.
+
+[233:7] I. Peter, v. 7. This Epistle is not authentic. (See The Bible of
+To-Day, pp. 226, 227, 228.)
+
+[234:1] I. John, ii. 26. This epistle is not authentic. (See Ibid. p.
+231.)
+
+[234:2] I. John, v. 2.
+
+[234:3] Acts, i. 10, 11.
+
+[234:4] Rev. xxii. 20.
+
+[234:5] Matt. xvi. 27, 28.
+
+[234:6] Ibid. xxiv. 3.
+
+[234:7] Ibid. xxiv. 34-36.
+
+[235:1] Towards the close of the second century. (See Bible of To-Day.)
+
+[235:2] II. Peter, iii. 4.
+
+[235:3] II. Peter, iii. 8-10.
+
+[235:4] See Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 188.
+
+[236:1] Chapters xx. and xxi. in particular.
+
+[236:2] The _Christian Saviour_, as well as the _Hindoo Saviour_, will
+appear "in the latter days" among mortals "in the form of an armed
+warrior, riding a _white horse_." St. John sees this in his _vision_,
+and prophecies it in his "Revelation" thus: "And I saw, and behold a
+_white horse_: and he that sat on him had a _bow_; and a _crown_ was
+given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." (Rev. vi.
+2.)
+
+[237:1] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 75. Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. pp.
+497-503. See also, Williams: Hinduism, p. 108.
+
+[237:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas, i. 247, and Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 48.
+
+[237:3] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 209.
+
+[237:4] See Ibid. p. 279. The Angel-Messiah, p. 287, and chap. xiii.
+this work.
+
+[237:5] Pp. 122, 123.
+
+[237:6] "And I saw the _dead_, small and great, stand before God." (Rev.
+xx. 12.)
+
+[237:7] "And the _sea_ gave up the dead which were in it." (Rev. xx.
+13.)
+
+[237:8] "And ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars." "Nation shall
+rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be
+famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places." (Matt. xxiv. 6,
+7.)
+
+[238:1] "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
+separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from
+the goats." (Matt. xxv. 32, 33.)
+
+[238:2] "He descended into hell, the third day he rose (again) from the
+dead." (Apostles' Creed.)
+
+[238:3] Purgatory--a place in which souls are supposed by the papists to
+be purged by fire from carnal impurities, before they are received into
+heaven.
+
+[238:4] "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
+Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years." (Rev. xx. 2.)
+
+[238:5] "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. xx.
+14.)
+
+[238:6] "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first earth,
+and the first heaven were passed away." (Rev. xxi. 1.)
+
+[238:7] "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
+shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there
+be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Rev. xxi. 1.)
+
+[238:8] "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in
+heaven, saying, 'Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honor, and power,
+unto the Lord, our God.'" (Rev. xix. 1.) "For the Lord God omnipotent
+reigneth." (Rev. xix. 6.)
+
+[238:9] Dupuis: Orig. Relig. Belief.
+
+[238:10] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 407.
+
+[239:1] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 407.
+
+[239:2] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities.
+
+[239:3] Humboldt: Amer. Res., vol. i. p. 91.
+
+[239:4] Prescott: Con. of Mexico, vol. i. p. 60.
+
+[239:5] Fergusson: Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 87. Squire: Serpent
+Symbol, p. 187.
+
+[239:6] Acosta: Hist. Indies, vol. ii. p. 513.
+
+[240:1] Over all the Higher Asia there seems to have been diffused an
+immemorial tradition relative to a second grand convulsion of nature,
+and the final dissolution of the earth by the terrible agency of FIRE,
+as the first is said to have been by that of WATER. It was taught by the
+Hindoos, the Egyptians, Plato, Pythagoras, Zoroaster, the Stoics, and
+others, and was afterwards adopted by the Christians. (II. Peter, iii.
+9. Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. pp. 498-500.)
+
+[240:2] "And God made, in six days, the works of his hands, . . . the
+meaning of it is this; that in _six thousand years_ the Lord will bring
+all things to an end." (Barnabas. _Apoc._ c. xiii.)
+
+[241:1] After the devotees and followers of the new gospel had in vain
+expected the _Holy One_ who was to come, they at last pitched upon St.
+Francis as having been the expected one, and, of course, the most
+surprising and absurd miracles were said to have been performed by him.
+Some of the fanatics who believed in this man, maintained that St.
+Francis was "wholly and entirely transformed into the person of
+Christ"--_Totum Christo configuratum_. Some of them maintained that the
+gospel of Joachim was expressly preferred to the gospel of Christ.
+(Mosheim: Hist. Cent., xiii. pt. ii. sects. xxxiv. and xxxvi.
+Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 695.)
+
+[242:1] _Chiliasm_--the thousand years when Satan is bound.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+CHRIST JESUS AS JUDGE OF THE DEAD.
+
+
+According to Christian dogma, "God the Father" is not to be the judge at
+the last day, but this very important office is to be held by "God the
+Son." This is taught by the writer of "The Gospel according to St.
+John"--whoever he may have been--when he says:
+
+     "For the Father judgeth no man, _but hath committed all
+     judgment unto the Son_."[244:1]
+
+Paul also, in his "Epistle to the Romans" (or some other person who has
+interpolated the passage), tells us that:
+
+     "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men," this
+     judgment shall be done "by _Jesus Christ_," his son.[244:2]
+
+Again, in his "Epistle to Timothy,"[244:3] he says:
+
+     "_The Lord Jesus Christ_ shall judge the quick and the dead,
+     at his appearing and his kingdom."[244:4]
+
+The writer of the "Gospel according to St. Matthew," also describes
+Christ Jesus as judge at the last day.[244:5]
+
+Now, the question arises, _is this doctrine original with Christianity_?
+To this we must answer _no_. It was taught, for ages before the time of
+Christ Jesus or Christianity, that the Supreme Being--whether "Brahma,"
+"Zeruane Akerene," "Jupiter," or "Yahweh,"[244:6]--was not to be the
+judge at the last day, but that their _sons_ were to hold this position.
+
+The sectarians of _Buddha_ taught that he (who was the _Son of God_
+(Brahma) and the Holy Virgin Maya), is to be the judge of the
+dead.[244:7]
+
+According to the religion of the Hindoos, _Crishna_ (who was the _Son
+of God_, and the Holy Virgin Devaki), is to be the judge at the last
+day.[245:1] And _Yama_ is the god of the departed spirits, and the judge
+of the dead, according to the _Vedas_.[245:2]
+
+_Osiris_, the Egyptian "Saviour" and son of the "Immaculate Virgin"
+Neith or Nout, was believed by the ancient Egyptians to be the judge of
+the dead.[245:3] He is represented on Egyptian monuments, seated on his
+throne of judgment, bearing a staff, and carrying the _crux ansata_, or
+cross with a handle.[245:4] _St. Andrew's cross_ is upon his breast. His
+_throne_ is in checkers, to denote the good and evil over which he
+presides, or to indicate the good and evil who appear before him as the
+judge.[245:5]
+
+Among the many hieroglyphic titles which accompany his figure in these
+sculptures, and in many other places on the walls of temples and tombs,
+are "Lord of Life," "The Eternal Ruler," "Manifester of Good," "Revealer
+of Truth," "Full of Goodness and Truth," &c.[245:6]
+
+Mr. Bonwick, speaking of the Egyptian belief in the last judgment, says:
+
+     "A perusal of the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew will prepare
+     the reader for the investigation of the Egyptian notion of the
+     last judgment."[245:7]
+
+Prof. Carpenter, referring to the Egyptian Bible--which is by far the
+most ancient of all holy books[245:8]--says:
+
+     "In the 'Book of the Dead,' there are used the very phrases we
+     find in the New Testament, _in connection with the day of
+     judgment_."[245:9]
+
+According to the religion of the _Persians_, it is _Ormuzd_, "_The First
+Born of the Eternal One_," who is judge of the dead. He had the title of
+"The All-Seeing," and "The Just Judge."[245:10]
+
+Zeruane Akerene is the name of him who corresponds to "God the Father"
+among other nations. He was the "One Supreme essence," the "Invisible
+and Incomprehensible."[245:11]
+
+Among the ancient _Greeks_, it was _Aeacus_--Son of the Most High
+God--who was to be judge of the dead.[245:12]
+
+The Christian Emperor Constantine, in his oration to the clergy,
+speaking of the ancient poets of Greece, says:
+
+     "They affirm that men who are the _sons of the gods_, do
+     judge departed souls."[246:1]
+
+Strange as it may seem, "there are no examples of Christ Jesus
+conceived as judge, or the last judgment, in the _early_ art of
+Christianity."[246:2]
+
+The author from whom we quote the above, says, "It would be difficult to
+define the _cause_ of this, though many may be conjectured."[246:3]
+
+Would it be unreasonable to "conjecture" that the _early_ Christians did
+not teach this doctrine, but that it was imbibed, in after years, with
+many other heathen ideas?
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[244:1] John, v. 22.
+
+[244:2] Romans, ii. 16.
+
+[244:3] Not authentic. (See The Bible of To-Day, p. 212.)
+
+[244:4] II. Timothy, iv. 1.
+
+[244:5] Matt. xxv. 31-46.
+
+[244:6] Through an error we pronounce this name _Jehovah_.
+
+[244:7] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 366.
+
+[245:1] See Samuel Johnson's Oriental Religions, p. 504.
+
+[245:2] See Williams' Hinduism, p. 25.
+
+[245:3] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 120. Renouf: Religions of the
+Ancient Egyptians, p. 110, and Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 152.
+
+[245:4] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 151, and Prog. Relig. Ideas,
+vol. i. p. 152.
+
+[245:5] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 151.
+
+[245:6] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 154.
+
+[245:7] Egyptian Belief, p. 419.
+
+[245:8] See Ibid. p. 185.
+
+[245:9] Quoted in Ibid. p. 419.
+
+[245:10] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 259.
+
+[245:11] Ibid. p. 258.
+
+[245:12] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 16.
+
+[246:1] Constantine's Oration to the Clergy, ch. x.
+
+[246:2] Jameson: History of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii. p. 392.
+
+[246:3] Ibid.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+CHRIST JESUS AS CREATOR, AND ALPHA AND OMEGA.
+
+
+Christian dogma also teaches that it was not "God the Father," but "God
+the Son" who created the heavens, the earth, and all that therein is.
+
+The writer of the fourth Gospel says:
+
+     "_All things were made by him_, and without him was not
+     anything made that was made."[247:1]
+
+Again:
+
+     "He was in the world _and the world was made by him_, and the
+     world knew him not."[247:2]
+
+In the "Epistle to the Colossians," we read that:
+
+     "By _him_ were all things created that are in heaven and that
+     are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones,
+     or dominions, or principalities, or powers; _all things were
+     created by him_."[247:3]
+
+Again, in the "Epistle to the Hebrews," we are told that:
+
+     "God hath spoken unto us by _his son_, whom he hath appointed
+     heir of all things, _by whom also he made the world_."[247:4]
+
+Samuel Johnson, D. O. Allen,[247:5] and Thomas Maurice,[247:6] tell us
+that, according to the religion of the _Hindoos_, it is _Crishna_, the
+Son, and the second person in the ever blessed Trinity,[247:7] "who is
+the origin and end of all the worlds; _all this universe, came into
+being through him, the eternal maker_."[247:8]
+
+In the holy book of the Hindoos, called the "_Bhagvat Geeta_," may be
+found the following words of _Crishna_, addressed to his "beloved
+disciple" Ar-jouan:
+
+     "I am _the Lord of all created beings_."[247:9] "_Mankind was
+     created by me_ of four kinds, distinct in their principles and
+     in their duties; _know me then to be the Creator of mankind_,
+     uncreated, and without decay."[247:10]
+
+In Lecture VII., entitled: "Of the Principles of Nature, and the Vital
+Spirit," he also says:
+
+     "I am the creation and the dissolution of the whole universe.
+     There is not anything greater than I, and all things hang on
+     me."
+
+Again, in Lecture IX., entitled, "Of the Chief of Secrets and Prince of
+Science," Crishna says:
+
+     "The whole world was spread abroad by me in my invisible form.
+     All things are dependent on me." "I am the Father and the
+     Mother of this world, the Grandsire and the Preserver. I am
+     the Holy One worthy to be known; the mystic figure OM.[248:1]
+     . . . I am the journey of the good; the _Comforter_; the
+     _Creator_; the _Witness_; the _Resting-place_; the _Asylum_
+     and the _Friend_."[248:2]
+
+In Lecture X., entitled, "Of the diversity of the Divine Nature," he
+says:
+
+     "_I am the Creator of all things_, and all things proceed from
+     me. Those who are endued with spiritual wisdom, believe this
+     and worship me; their very hearts and minds are in me; they
+     rejoice amongst themselves, and delight in speaking of my
+     name, and teaching one another my doctrine."[248:3]
+
+Innumerable texts, similar to these, might be produced from the Hindoo
+Scriptures, but these we deem sufficient to show, in the words of Samuel
+Johnson quoted above, that, "According to the religion of the Hindoos,
+it is Crishna who is the origin and the end of all the worlds;" and that
+"all this universe came into being through him, the Eternal Maker." The
+_Chinese_ believed in One Supreme God, to whose honor they burnt
+incense, but of whom they had no image. This "God the Father" was _not_
+the Creator, according to their theology or mythology; but they had
+another god, of whom they had statues or idols, called _Natigai_, who
+was the god of all terrestrial things; in fact, God, _the Creator of
+this world_--inferior or subordinate to the Supreme Being--from whom
+they petition for fine weather, or whatever else they want--a sort of
+_mediator_.[248:4]
+
+_Lanthu_, who was born of a "pure, spotless virgin," is believed by his
+followers or disciples to be the Creator of all things;[248:5] and
+_Taou_, a deified hero, who is mentioned about 560 B. C., is believed by
+some sects and affirmed by their books, to be "the original source and
+first productive cause of all things."[248:6]
+
+In the _Chaldean_ oracles, the doctrine of the "Only Begotten Son," I A
+O, as _Creator_, is plainly taught.
+
+According to ancient _Persian_ mythology, there is one supreme essence,
+invisible and incomprehensible, named "_Zeruane Akerene_" which
+signifies "unlimited time," or "the eternal." From him emanated
+_Ormuzd_, the "King of Light," the "First-born of the Eternal One," &c.
+Now, this "First-born of the Eternal One" is he by whom all things were
+made, all things came into being through him; _he is the
+Creator_.[249:1]
+
+A large portion of the _Zend-Avesta_--the Persian Sacred Book or
+Bible--is filled with prayers to Ormuzd, God's First-Born. The following
+are samples:
+
+     "I address my prayer to Ormuzd, _Creator of all_ things; who
+     always has been, who is, and who will be forever; who is wise
+     and powerful; who made the great arch of heaven, the sun, the
+     moon, stars, winds, clouds, waters, earth, fire, trees,
+     animals and men, whom Zoroaster adored. Zoroaster, who brought
+     to the world knowledge of the law, who knew by natural
+     intelligence, and by the ear, what ought to be done, all that
+     has been, all that is, and all that will be; the science of
+     sciences, _the excellent word_, by which souls pass the
+     luminous and radiant bridge, separate themselves from the evil
+     regions, and go to light and holy dwellings, full of
+     fragrance. _O Creator_, I obey thy laws, I think, act, speak,
+     according to thy orders. I separate myself from all sin. I do
+     good works according to my power. I adore thee with purity of
+     thought, word, and action. I pray to Ormuzd, who recompenses
+     good works, who delivers unto the end all those who obey his
+     laws. Grant that I may arrive at paradise, where all is
+     fragrance, light, and happiness."[249:2]
+
+According to the religion of the ancient _Assyrians_, it was _Narduk_,
+the Logos, the WORD, "the eldest son of Hea," "the Merciful One," "the
+Life-giver," &c., who created the heavens, the earth, and all that
+therein is.[249:3]
+
+_Adonis_, the Lord and Saviour, was believed to be the Creator of men,
+and god of the resurrection of the dead.[249:4]
+
+_Prometheus_, the Crucified Saviour, is the divine forethought, existing
+before the souls of men, and the creator Hominium.[249:5]
+
+The writer of "The Gospel according to St. John," has made Christ Jesus
+_co-eternal_ with God, as well as Creator, in these words:
+
+     "In the beginning was the _Word_, and the Word was with God."
+     "The same was in the beginning with God."[249:6]
+
+Again, in praying to his Father, he makes Jesus say:
+
+     "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with
+     the glory _which I had with thee before the world
+     was_."[249:7]
+
+Paul is made to say:
+
+     "And he (Christ) is before all things."[250:1]
+
+Again:
+
+     "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and
+     forever."[250:2]
+
+St. John the Divine, in his "Revelation," has made Christ Jesus say:
+
+     "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end"--"which is,
+     and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty,"[250:3]
+     "the first and the last."[250:4]
+
+Hindoo scripture also makes _Crishna_ "the first and the last," "the
+beginning and the end." We read in the "Geeta," where Crishna is
+reported to have said:
+
+     "I myself never was not."[250:5] "Learn that he by whom all
+     things were formed" (meaning himself) "is
+     incorruptible."[250:6] "I am eternity and
+     non-eternity."[250:7] "I am before all things, and the mighty
+     ruler of the universe."[250:8] "I am the beginning, the middle
+     and the end of all things."[250:9]
+
+Arjouan, his disciple, addresses him thus:
+
+     "Thou art the Supreme Being, incorruptible, worthy to be
+     known; thou art prime supporter of the universal orb; thou art
+     the never-failing and eternal guardian of religion; _thou art
+     from all beginning_, and I esteem thee."[250:10] Thou art "the
+     Divine Being, before all other gods."[250:11]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "Reverence! Reverence be unto thee, before and behind!
+     Reverence be unto thee on all sides, O thou who art all in
+     all! Infinite in thy power and thy glory! Thou includest all
+     things, wherefore thou art all things."[250:12]
+
+In another Holy Book of the Hindoos, called the "Vishnu Purana," we also
+read that Vishnu--in the form of Crishna--"who descended into the womb
+of the (virgin) Devaki, and was born as her son" was "_without
+beginning, middle or end_."[250:13]
+
+_Buddha_ is also Alpha and Omega, without beginning or end, "The Lord,"
+"the Possessor of All," "He who is Omnipotent and Everlastingly to be
+Contemplated," "the Supreme Being, the Eternal One."[250:14]
+
+_Lao-kiun_, the Chinese virgin-born God, who came upon earth about six
+hundred years before Jesus, was without beginning. It was said that he
+had existed from all eternity.[250:15]
+
+The legends of the Taou-tsze sect in China declare their founder to
+have existed antecedent to the birth of the elements, in the Great
+Absolute; that he is the "pure essence of the _teen_;" that he is the
+original ancestor of the prime breath of life; that he gave form to the
+heavens and the earth, and caused creations and annihilations to succeed
+each other, in an endless series, during innumerable periods of the
+world. He himself is made to say:
+
+     "I was in existence prior to the manifestation of any
+     corporeal shape; I appeared anterior to the supreme being, or
+     first motion of creation."[251:1]
+
+According to the _Zend Avesta_, Ormuzd, the first-born of the Eternal
+One, is he "who is, always has been, and who will be forever."[251:2]
+
+_Zeus_ was Alpha and Omega. An Orphic line runs thus:
+
+     "Zeus is the beginning, Zeus is the middle, out of Zeus all
+     things have been made."[251:3]
+
+_Bacchus_ was without beginning or end. An inscription on an ancient
+medal, referring to him, reads thus:
+
+     "It is I who leads you; it is I who protects you, and who
+     saves you, I am Alpha and Omega."
+
+Beneath this inscription is a serpent, with his tail in his mouth, thus
+forming a _circle_, which was an emblem of _eternity_ among the
+ancients.[251:4]
+
+Without enumerating them, we may say that the majority of the
+virgin-born gods spoken of in Chapter XII. were like Christ
+Jesus--without beginning or end--and that many of them were considered
+Creators of all things. This has led M. Dridon to remark (in his Hist.
+de Dieu), that in _early works of art_, Christ Jesus is made to take the
+place of his Father in _creation_ and in similar labors, just as in
+heathen religions an inferior deity does the work under a superior one.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[247:1] John, i. 3.
+
+[247:2] John, i. 10.
+
+[247:3] Colossians, i.
+
+[247:4] Hebrews, i. 2.
+
+[247:5] Allen's India, pp. 137 and 380.
+
+[247:6] Indian Antiq., vol. ii. p. 288.
+
+[247:7] See the chapter on the Trinity.
+
+[247:8] Oriental Religions, p. 502.
+
+[247:9] Lecture iv. p. 51.
+
+[247:10] Geeta, p. 52.
+
+[248:1] O. M. or A. U. M. is the Hindoo ineffable name; the mystic
+emblem of the deity. It is never uttered aloud, but only mentally by the
+devout. It signifies Brahma, Vishnou, and Siva, the _Hindoo Trinity_.
+(See Charles Wilkes in Geeta, p. 142, and King's Gnostics and their
+Remains, p. 163.)
+
+[248:2] Geeta, p. 80.
+
+[248:3] Geeta, p. 84.
+
+[248:4] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 48.
+
+[248:5] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 35.
+
+[248:6] See Davis: Hist. China, vol. ii. pp. 109 and 113, and Thornton,
+vol. i. p. 137.
+
+[249:1] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 259. In the most ancient
+parts of the Zend-Avesta, Ormuzd is said to have created the world by
+his WORD. (See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 104, and Gibbon's Rome, vol.
+ii. p. 302, Note by Guizot.) "In the beginning was the WORD, and the
+WORD was with God, and the WORD was God." (John, i. 1.)
+
+[249:2] Quoted in Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 267.
+
+[249:3] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 404.
+
+[249:4] See Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, p. 156.
+
+[249:5] See Ibid. p. 156, and Bulfinch, Age of Fable.
+
+[249:6] John, i. 1, 2.
+
+[249:7] John, xvii. 5.
+
+[250:1] Col. i. 17.
+
+[250:2] Hebrews, xiii. 8.
+
+[250:3] Rev. i. 8, 23, 13.
+
+[250:4] Rev. i. 17; xii. 13.
+
+[250:5] Geeta, p. 35.
+
+[250:6] Geeta, p. 36.
+
+[250:7] Lecture ix. p. 80.
+
+[250:8] Lecture x. p. 83.
+
+[250:9] Lecture x. p. 85.
+
+[250:10] Lecture ix. p. 91.
+
+[250:11] Lecture x. p. 84.
+
+[250:12] Lecture xi. p. 95.
+
+[250:13] See Vishnu Purana, p. 440.
+
+[250:14] See chapter xii.
+
+[250:15] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 200.
+
+[251:1] Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. p. 137.
+
+[251:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas, ii. p. 267.
+
+[251:3] Mueller's Chips, vol. ii. p. 15.
+
+[251:4] "C'est moi qui vous conduis, vous et tout ce qui vous regarde.
+C'est moi, qui vous conserve, on qui vous sauve. Je suis Alpha et Omega.
+Il y a au dessous de l'inscription un serpent qui tient sa queue dans sa
+gueule et dans la cercle qu'il decrit, cest trois lettre Greques {~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER XI~}{~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER EPSILON~},
+qui sont le nombre 365. Le serpent, qui est'ordinaire un embleme de
+l'eternite est ici celui de soleil et de ses revolutions." Beausobre:
+Hist. de Manichee, Tom. ii. p. 56.
+
+"I say that I am immortal, Dionysus (Bacchus), son of Deus."
+_Aristophanes_, in Myst. Of Adoni, pp. 80, and 105.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST JESUS AND THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS.
+
+
+The legendary history of Jesus of Nazareth, contained in the books of
+the New Testament, is full of prodigies and wonders. These alleged
+prodigies, and the faith which the people seem to have put in such a
+tissue of falsehoods, indicate the prevalent disposition of the people
+to believe in everything, and it was among such a class that
+Christianity was propagated. All leaders of religion had the reputation
+of having performed miracles; the biographers of Jesus, therefore, not
+wishing _their_ Master to be outdone, have made him also a
+wonder-worker, and a performer of miracles; without them Christianity
+could not prosper. Miracles were needed in those days, on all special
+occasions. "There is not a single historian of antiquity, whether Greek
+or Latin, who has not recorded oracles, prodigies, prophecies, and
+_miracles_, on the occasion of some memorable events, or revolutions of
+states and kingdoms. Many of these are attested in the gravest manner by
+the gravest writers, _and were firmly believed at the time by the
+people_."[252:1]
+
+Hindoo sacred books represent _Crishna_, their Saviour and Redeemer, as
+in constant strife against the evil spirit. He surmounts extraordinary
+dangers; strews his way with miracles; raising the dead, healing the
+sick, restoring the maimed, the deaf and the blind; everywhere
+supporting the weak against the strong, the oppressed against the
+powerful. The people crowded his way and adored him as a GOD, and these
+miracles were the evidences of his divinity for centuries before the
+time of Jesus.
+
+The learned Thomas Maurice, speaking of Crishna, tells us that he passed
+his innocent hours at the home of his foster-father, in rural
+diversions, his divine origin not being suspected, _until repeated
+miracles soon discovered his celestial origin_;[252:2] and Sir William
+Jones speaks of his _raising the dead_, and saving multitudes _by his
+miraculous powers_.[253:1] To enumerate the miracles of Crishna would
+be useless and tedious; we shall therefore mention but a few, of which
+the Hindoo sacred books are teeming.
+
+When Crishna was born, his life was sought by the reigning monarch,
+Kansa, who had the infant Saviour and his father and mother locked in a
+dungeon, guarded, and barred by seven iron doors. While in this dungeon
+the father heard a secret voice distinctly utter these words: "Son of
+Yadu, take up this child and carry it to Gokool, to the house of Nanda."
+Vasudeva, struck with astonishment, answered: "How shall I obey this
+injunction, thus vigilantly guarded and barred by seven iron doors that
+prohibit all egress?" The unknown voice replied: "The doors shall open
+of themselves to let thee pass, and behold, I have caused a deep slumber
+to fall upon thy guards, which shall continue till thy journey be
+accomplished." Vasudeva immediately felt his chains miraculously
+loosened, and, taking up the child in his arms, hurried with it through
+all the doors, the guards being buried in profound sleep. When he came
+to the river Yumna, which he was obliged to cross to get to Gokool, the
+waters immediately rose up to kiss the child's feet, and then
+respectfully retired on each side to make way for its transportation, so
+that Vasudeva passed dry-shod to the opposite shore.[253:2]
+
+When Crishna came to man's estate, one of his first miracles was the
+cure of a leper.
+
+A passionate Brahman, having received a slight insult from a certain
+Rajah, on going out of his doors, uttered this curse: "That he should,
+from head to foot, be covered with boils and leprosy;" which being
+fulfilled in an instant upon the unfortunate king, he prayed to Crishna
+to deliver him from his evil. At first, Crishna did not heed his
+request, but finally he appeared to him, asking what his request was? He
+replied, "To be freed from my distemper." The Saviour then cured him of
+his distemper.[253:3]
+
+Crishna was one day walking with his disciples, when "they met a poor
+cripple or lame woman, having a vessel filled with spices, sweet-scented
+oils, sandal-wood, saffron, civet and other perfumes. Crishna making a
+halt, she made a certain sign with her finger on his forehead, _casting
+the rest upon his head_. Crishna asking her what it was she would
+request of him, the woman replied, nothing but the use of my limbs.
+Crishna, then, setting his foot upon hers, and taking her by the hand,
+raised her from the ground, and not only restored her limbs, but
+renewed her age, so that, instead of a wrinkled, tawny skin, she
+received a fresh and fair one in an instant. At her request, Crishna and
+his company lodged in her house."[254:1]
+
+On another occasion, Crishna having requested a learned Brahman to ask
+of him whatever boon he most desired, the Brahman said, "Above all
+things, I desire to have my two dead sons restored to life." Crishna
+assured him that this should be done, and immediately the two young men
+were restored to life and brought to their father.[254:2]
+
+The learned Orientalist, Thomas Maurice, after speaking of the miracles
+performed by Crishna, says:
+
+     "In regard to the numerous miracles wrought by Crishna, it
+     should be remembered that miracles are never wanting to the
+     decoration of an Indian romance; they are, in fact, the life
+     and soul of the vast machine; nor is it at all a subject of
+     wonder that the dead should be raised to life in a history
+     expressly intended, like all other sacred fables of Indian
+     fabrication, for the propagation and support of the whimsical
+     doctrine of the Metempsychosis."[254:3]
+
+To speak thus of the miracles of Christ Jesus, would, of course, be
+heresy--although what applies to the miracles of Crishna apply to those
+of Jesus--we, therefore, find this gentleman branding as "_infidel_" a
+learned French orientalist who was guilty of doing this thing.
+
+_Buddha_ performed great miracles for the good of mankind, and the
+legends concerning him are full of the most extravagant prodigies and
+wonders.[254:4] "By miracles and preaching," says Burnouf, "was the
+religion of Buddha established."
+
+R. Spence Hardy says of Buddha:
+
+     "All the principal events of his life are represented as being
+     attended by incredible prodigies. He could pass through the
+     air at will, and know the thoughts of all beings."[254:5]
+
+Prof. Max Mueller says:
+
+     "The Buddhist legends teem with miracles attributed to Buddha
+     and his disciples--miracles which in wonderfulness certainly
+     surpass the miracles of any other religion."[254:6]
+
+Buddha was at one time going from the city of Rohita-vastu to the city
+of Benares, when, coming to the banks of the river Ganges, and wishing
+to go across, he addressed himself to the owner of a ferry-boat, thus;
+"Hail! respectable sir! I pray you take me across the river in your
+boat!" To this the boatman replied, "If you can pay me the fare, I will
+willingly take you across the river." Buddha said, "Whence shall I
+procure money to pay you your fare, I, who have given up all worldly
+wealth and riches, &c." The boatman still refusing to take him across,
+Buddha, pointing to a flock of geese flying from the south to the north
+banks of the Ganges, said:
+
+     "See yonder geese in fellowship passing o'er the Ganges,
+      They ask not as to fare of any boatman,
+      But each by his inherent strength of body
+      Flies through the air as pleases him.
+      So, by my power of spiritual energy,
+      Will I transport myself across the river,
+      Even though the waters on this southern bank
+      Stood up as high and firm as (Mount) Semeru."[255:1]
+
+He then floats through the air across the stream.
+
+In the _Lalita Vistara_ Buddha is called the "Great Physician" who is to
+"dull all human pain." At his appearance the "sick are healed, the deaf
+are cured, the blind see, the poor are relieved." He visits the sick
+man, Su-ta, and heals soul as well as body.
+
+At Vaisali, a pest like modern cholera was depopulating the kingdom, due
+to an accumulation of festering corpses. Buddha, summoned, caused a
+strong rain which carried away the dead bodies and cured every one. At
+Gaudhara was an old mendicant afflicted with a disease so loathsome that
+none of his brother monks could go near him on account of his fetid
+humors and stinking condition. The "Great Physician" was, however, not
+to be deterred; he washed the poor old man and attended to his maladies.
+A disciple had his feet hacked off by an unjust king, and Buddha cured
+even him. To convert certain skeptical villagers near Sravasti, Buddha
+showed them a man walking across the deep and rapid river without
+immersing his feet. Purna, one of Buddha's disciples, had a brother in
+imminent danger of shipwreck in a "black storm." The "spirits that are
+favorable to Purna and Arya" apprised him of this and he at once
+performed the miracle of transporting himself to the deck of the ship.
+"Immediately the black tempest ceased, as if Sumera arrested it."[255:2]
+
+When Buddha was told that a woman was suffering in severe labor, unable
+to bring forth, he said, Go and say: "I have never knowingly put any
+creature to death since I was born; by the virtue of this obedience may
+you be free from pain!" When these words were repeated in the presence
+of the mother, the child was instantly born with ease.[256:1]
+
+Innumerable are the miracles ascribed to Buddhist saints, and to others
+who followed their example. Their garments, and the staffs with which
+they walked, are supposed to imbibe some mysterious power, and blessed
+are they who are allowed to touch them.[256:2] A Buddhist saint who
+attains the power called "_perfection_," is able to rise and float along
+through the air.[256:3] Having this power, the saint exercises it by
+mere determination of his will, his body becoming imponderous, as when a
+man in the common human state determines to leap, and leaps. Buddhist
+annals relate the performance of the miraculous suspension by Gautama
+Buddha, himself, as well as by other _saints_.[256:4]
+
+In the year 217 B. C., a Buddhist missionary priest, called by the
+Chinese historians Shih-le-fang, came from "the west" into Shan-se,
+accompanied by eighteen other priests, with their sacred books, in order
+to propagate the faith of Buddha. The emperor, disliking foreigners and
+exotic customs, imprisoned the missionaries; but an angel, genii, or
+spirit, came and opened the prison door, and liberated them.[256:5]
+
+Here is a third edition of "Peter in prison," for we have already seen
+that the Hindoo sage Vasudeva was liberated from prison in like manner.
+
+_Zoroaster_, the founder of the religion of the Persians, opposed his
+persecutors by performing miracles, in order to confirm his divine
+mission.[256:6]
+
+_Bochia_ of the Persians also performed miracles; the places where he
+performed them were consecrated, and people flocked in crowds to visit
+them.[256:7]
+
+_Horus_, the Egyptian Saviour, performed great miracles, among which was
+that of raising the dead to life.[256:8]
+
+_Osiris_ of Egypt also performed great miracles;[256:9] and so did the
+virgin goddess _Isis_.
+
+Pilgrimages were made to the temples of Isis, in Egypt, by the sick.
+Diodorus, the Grecian historian, says that:
+
+     "Those who go to consult in dreams the goddess Isis recover
+     perfect health. Many whose cure has been despaired of by
+     physicians have by this means been saved, and others who have
+     long been deprived of sight, or of some other part of the
+     body, by taking refuge, so to speak, in the arms of the
+     goddess, have been restored to the enjoyment of their
+     faculties."[257:1]
+
+_Serapis_, the Egyptian Saviour, performed great miracles, principally
+those of healing the sick. He was called "The Healer of the
+World."[257:2]
+
+_Marduk_, the Assyrian God, the "Logos," the "Eldest Son of Hea;" "He
+who made Heaven and Earth;" the "Merciful One;" the "Life-Giver," &c.,
+performed great miracles, among which was that of raising the dead to
+life.[257:3]
+
+_Bacchus_, son of Zeus by the virgin Semele, was a great performer of
+miracles, among which may be mentioned his changing water into
+wine,[257:4] as it is recorded of Jesus in the Gospels.
+
+"In his gentler aspects he is the giver of joy, the healer of
+sicknesses, the guardian against plagues. As such he is even a law-giver
+and a promoter of peace and concord. As kindling new or strange thoughts
+in the mind, he is a giver of wisdom and the revealer of hidden secrets
+of the future."[257:5]
+
+The legends related of this god state that on one occasion Pantheus,
+King of Thebes, sent his attendants to seize Bacchus, the "vagabond
+leader of a faction"--as he called him. This they were unable to do, as
+the multitude who followed him were too numerous. They succeeded,
+however, in capturing one of his disciples, Acetes, who was led away and
+shut up fast in prison; but while they were getting ready the
+instruments of execution, _the prison doors came open of their own
+accord, and the chains fell from his limbs_, and when they looked for
+him he was nowhere to be found.[257:6] Here is still another edition of
+"Peter in prison."
+
+_AEsculapius_ was another great performer of miracles. The ancient Greeks
+said of him that he not only cured the sick of the most malignant
+diseases, _but even raised the dead_.
+
+A writer in Bell's Pantheon says:
+
+     "As the Greeks always carried the encomiums of their great men
+     beyond the truth, so they feigned that AEsculapius was so
+     expert in medicine as not only to cure the sick, but even to
+     raise the dead."[258:1]
+
+Eusebius, the ecclesiastical historian, speaking of AEsculapius, says:
+
+     "He sometimes appeared unto them (the Cilicians) in dreams and
+     visions, and sometimes restored the sick to health."
+
+He claims, however, that this was the work of the DEVIL, "who by this
+means did withdraw the minds of men from the knowledge of the _true_
+SAVIOUR."[258:2]
+
+For many years after the death of AEsculapius, miracles continued to be
+performed by the efficacy of faith in his name. Patients were conveyed
+to the temple of AEsculapius, and there cured of their disease. A short
+statement of the symptoms of each case, and the remedy employed, were
+inscribed on tablets and hung up in the temples.[258:3] There were also
+a multitude of eyes, ears, hands, feet, and other members of the human
+body, made of wax, silver, or gold, and presented by those whom the god
+had cured of blindness, deafness, and other diseases.[258:4]
+
+Marinus, a scholar of the philosopher Proclus, relates one of these
+remarkable cures, in the life of his master. He says:
+
+     "Asclipigenia, a young maiden who had lived with her parents,
+     was seized with a grievous distemper, incurable by the
+     physicians. All help from the physicians failing, the father
+     applied to the philosopher, earnestly entreating him to pray
+     for his daughter. Proclus, full of faith, went to the temple
+     of AEsculapius, intending to pray for the sick young woman to
+     the god--for the city (Athens) was at that time blessed in
+     him, and still enjoyed the undemolished temple of THE
+     SAVIOUR--but while he was praying, a sudden change appeared in
+     the damsel, and she immediately became convalescent, for the
+     _Saviour_, AEsculapius, as being God, easily healed
+     her."[258:5]
+
+Dr. Conyers Middleton says:
+
+     "Whatever proof the primitive (Christian) Church might have
+     among themselves, of the miraculous gift, yet it could have
+     but little effect towards making proselytes among those who
+     pretended to the same gift--possessed more largely and exerted
+     more openly, than in the private assemblies of the Christians.
+     For in the temples of _AEsculapius_, all kinds of diseases were
+     believed to be publicly cured, by the pretended help of that
+     deity, in proof of which there were erected in each temple,
+     columns or tables of brass or marble, on which a distinct
+     narrative of each particular cure was inscribed.
+     Pausanias[258:6] writes that in the temple at Epidaurus there
+     were many columns anciently of this kind, and six of them
+     remaining to his time, _inscribed with the names of men and
+     women who had been cured by the god_, with an account of their
+     several cases, and the method of their cure; and that there
+     was an old pillar besides, which stood apart, dedicated to the
+     memory of Hippolytus, _who had been raised from the dead_.
+     Strabo, also, another grave writer, informs us that these
+     temples were constantly filled with the sick, imploring the
+     help of the god, and that they had tables hanging around them,
+     in which all the miraculous cures were described. There is a
+     remarkable fragment of one of these tables still extant, and
+     exhibited by Gruter in his collection, as it was found in the
+     ruins of AEsculapius's temple in the Island of the Tiber, in
+     Rome, which gives an account of two blind men restored to
+     sight by AEsculapius, in the open view,[259:1] and with the
+     loud acclamation of the people, acknowledging the manifest
+     power of the god."[259:2]
+
+Livy, the most illustrious of Roman historians (born B. C. 61), tells us
+that temples of _heathen gods_ were rich in the number of offerings
+_which the people used to make in return for the cures and benefits
+which they received from them_.[259:3]
+
+A writer in _Bell's Pantheon_ says:
+
+     "Making presents to the gods was a custom even from the
+     earliest times, either to deprecate their wrath, obtain some
+     benefit, or acknowledge some favor. These donations consisted
+     of garlands, garments, cups of gold, or whatever conduced to
+     the decoration or splendor of their temples. They were
+     sometimes laid on the floor, sometimes hung upon the walls,
+     doors, pillars, roof, or any other conspicuous place.
+     Sometimes the occasion of the dedication was inscribed, either
+     upon the thing itself, or upon a tablet hung up with
+     it."[259:4]
+
+No one custom of antiquity is so frequently mentioned by ancient
+historians, as the practice which was so common among the _heathens_, of
+making votive offerings to their deities, and hanging them up in their
+temples, many of which are preserved to this day, viz., images of metal,
+stone, or clay, as well as legs, arms, and other parts of the body, _in
+testimony of some divine cure effected in that particular
+member_.[259:5]
+
+Horace says:
+
+        "----Me tabula sacer
+     Votiva paries indicat humida
+     Suspendisse potenti
+     Vestimenta maris Deo." (Lib. 1, Ode V.)
+
+It was the custom of offering _ex-votos_ of _Priapic_ forms, at the
+church of Isernia, in the _Christian_ kingdom of Naples, during the last
+century, which induced Mr. R. Payne Knight to compile his remarkable
+work on Phallic Worship.
+
+Juvenal, who wrote A. D. 81-96, says of the goddess _Isis_, whose
+religion was at that time in the greatest vogue at Rome, that the
+painters get their livelihood out of her. This was because "the most
+common of all offerings (made by the heathen to their deities) were
+_pictures_ presenting the history of the miraculous cure or deliverance,
+vouchsafed upon the vow of the donor."[260:1] One of their prayers ran
+thus:
+
+     "Now, Goddess, help, for thou canst help bestow,
+      _As all these pictures round thy altars show_."[260:2]
+
+In _Chambers's Encyclopaedia_ may be found the following:
+
+     "Patients that were cured of their ailments (by _AEsculapius_,
+     or through faith in him) hung up a tablet in his temple,
+     recording the name, the disease, and the manner of cure. _Many
+     of these votive tablets are still extant._"[260:3]
+
+Alexander S. Murray, of the department of Greek and Roman Antiquities in
+the British Museum, speaking of the miracles performed by _AEsculapius_,
+says:
+
+     "A person who had recovered from a local illness would dictate
+     a sculptured representation of the part that had been
+     affected. _Of such sculptures there are a number of examples
+     in the British Museum._"[260:4]
+
+Justin Martyr, in his _Apology_ for the Christian religion, addressed to
+the Emperor Hadrian, says:
+
+     "As to _our_ Jesus curing the lame, and the paralytic, and
+     such as were crippled from birth, this is little more than
+     what you say of your _AEsculapius_."[260:5]
+
+At a time when the Romans were infested with the plague, having
+consulted their sacred books, they learned that in order to be delivered
+from it, they were to go in quest of _AEsculapius_ at Epidaurus;
+accordingly, an embassy was appointed of ten senators, at the head of
+whom was Quintus Ogulnius, and the worship of AEsculapius was established
+at Rome, A. U. C. 462, that is, B. C. 288. But the most remarkable
+coincidence is that the worship of this god continued with scarcely any
+diminished splendor, for several hundred years after the establishment
+of Christianity.[260:6]
+
+Hermes or Mercury, the Lord's Messenger, was a wonder-worker. The staff
+or rod which Hermes received from Phoibos (Apollo), and which connects
+this myth with the special emblem of Vishnu (the Hindoo Saviour), was
+regarded as denoting his heraldic office. It was, however, always
+endowed with magic properties, and had the power even of raising the
+dead.[261:1]
+
+Herodotus, the Grecian historian, relates a wonderful miracle which
+happened among the _Spartans_, many centuries before the time assigned
+for the birth of Christ Jesus. The story is as follows:
+
+     A Spartan couple of great wealth and influence, had a daughter
+     born to them who was a cripple from birth. Her nurse,
+     perceiving that she was misshapen, and knowing her to be the
+     daughter of opulent persons, and deformed, and seeing,
+     moreover, that her parents considered her form a great
+     misfortune, considering these several circumstances, devised
+     the following plan. She carried her every day to the temple of
+     the Goddess _Helen_, and standing before her image, prayed to
+     the goddess to free the child from its deformity. One day, as
+     the nurse was going out of the temple, a woman appeared to
+     her, and having appeared, asked what she was carrying in her
+     arms; and she answered that she was carrying an infant;
+     whereupon she bid her show it to her, but the nurse refused,
+     for she had been forbidden by the parents to show the child to
+     any one. The woman, however--who was none other than the
+     Goddess herself--urged her by all means to show it to her, and
+     the nurse, seeing that the woman was so very anxious to see
+     the child, at length showed it; upon which she, stroking the
+     head of the child with her hands, said that she would surpass
+     all the women in Sparta in beauty. From that day her
+     appearance began to change, her deformed limbs became
+     symmetrical, and when she reached the age for marriage she was
+     the most beautiful woman in all Sparta.[261:2]
+
+_Apollonius_ of Tyana, in Cappadocia, who was born in the latter part of
+the reign of Augustus, about four years before the time assigned for the
+birth of Jesus, and who was therefore contemporary with him, was
+celebrated for the wonderful miracles he performed. Oracles in various
+places declared that he was endowed with a portion of Apollo's power to
+cure diseases, and foretell events; and those who were affected were
+commanded to apply to him. The priests of Iona made over the diseased to
+his care, and his cures were considered so remarkable, that divine
+honors were decreed to him.[261:3]
+
+He at one time went to Ephesus, but as the inhabitants did not hearken
+to his preaching, he left there and went to Smyrna, where he was well
+received by the inhabitants. While there, ambassadors came from
+Ephesus, begging him to return to that city, where a terrible plague was
+raging, _as he had prophesied_. He went immediately, and as soon as he
+arrived, he said to the Ephesians: "Be not dejected, I will this day put
+a stop to the disease." According to his words, the pestilence was
+stayed, and the people erected a statue to him, in token of their
+gratitude.[262:1]
+
+In the city of Athens, there was one of the dissipated young citizens,
+who laughed and cried by turns, and talked and sang to himself, without
+apparent cause. His friends supposed these habits were the effects of
+early intemperance, but Apollonius, who happened to meet the young man,
+told him he was possessed of a _demon_; and, as soon as he fixed his
+eyes upon him, the demon broke out into all those horrid, violent
+expressions used by people on the rack, and then swore he would depart
+out of the youth, and never enter another.[262:2] The young man had not
+been aware that he was possessed by a devil, but from that moment, his
+wild, disturbed looks changed, he became very temperate, and assumed the
+garb of a Pythagorean philosopher.
+
+Apollonius went to Rome, and arrived there after the emperor Nero had
+passed very severe laws against _magicians_. He was met on the way by a
+person who advised him to turn back and not enter the city, saying that
+all who wore the philosopher's garb were in danger of being arrested as
+magicians. He heeded not these words of warning, but proceeded on his
+way, and entered the city. It was not long before he became an object of
+suspicion, was closely watched, and finally arrested, but when his
+accusers appeared before the tribunal and unrolled the parchment on
+which the charges against him had been written, they found that all the
+characters had disappeared. Apollonius made such an impression on the
+magistrates by the bold tone he assumed, that he was allowed to go where
+he pleased.[262:3]
+
+Many miracles were performed by him while in Rome, among others may be
+mentioned his restoring a _dead maiden to life_.
+
+She belonged to a family of rank, and was just about to be married, when
+she died suddenly. Apollonius met the funeral procession that was
+conveying her body to the tomb. He asked them to set down the bier,
+saying to her betrothed: "I will dry up the tears you are shedding for
+this maiden." They supposed he was going to pronounce a funeral oration,
+but he merely _took her hand_, bent over her, and uttered a few words in
+a low tone. She opened her eyes, and began to speak, and was carried
+back alive and well to her father's house.[263:1]
+
+Passing through Tarsus, in his travels, a young man was pointed out to
+him who had been bitten thirty days before by a mad dog, and who was
+then running on all fours, barking and howling. Apollonius took his case
+in hand, and it was not long before the young man was restored to his
+right mind.[263:2]
+
+Domitian, Emperor of Rome, caused Apollonius to be arrested, during one
+of his visits to that city, on charge of allowing himself to be
+worshiped (the people having given him _divine honors_), speaking
+against the reigning powers, and pretending that his words were inspired
+by the gods. He was taken, loaded with irons, and cast into prison. "I
+have bound you," said the emperor, "and you will not escape me."
+
+Apollonius was one day visited in his prison by his steadfast disciple,
+Damus, who asked him when he thought he should recover his liberty,
+whereupon he answered: "This instant, if it depended upon myself," and
+drawing his legs out of the shackles, he added: "Keep up your spirits,
+you see the freedom I enjoy." He was brought to trial not long after,
+and so defended himself, that the emperor was induced to acquit him, but
+forbade him to leave Rome. Apollonius then addressed the emperor, and
+ended by saying: "You cannot kill me, because I am not mortal;" and as
+soon as he had said these words, _he vanished from the tribunal_.[263:3]
+Damus (the disciple who had visited him in prison) had previously been
+sent away from Rome, with the promise of his master that he would soon
+rejoin him. Apollonius vanished from the presence of the emperor (at
+Rome) at noon. _On the evening of the same day, he suddenly appeared
+before Damus and some other friends who were at Puteoli, more than a
+hundred miles from Rome._ They started, being doubtful whether or not it
+was his spirit, but he stretched out his hand, saying: "Take it, and if
+I escape from you regard me as an apparition."[263:4]
+
+When Apollonius had told his disciples that he had made his defense in
+Rome, only a few hours before, they marveled how he could have performed
+the journey so rapidly. He, in reply, said that they must ascribe it to
+a god.[264:1]
+
+The Empress Julia, wife of Alexander Severus, was so much interested in
+the history of Apollonius, that she requested Flavius Philostratus, an
+Athenian author of reputation, to write an account of him. The early
+Christian Fathers, alluding to this life of Apollonius, do not deny the
+miracles it recounts, but attribute to them the aid of evil
+spirits.[264:2]
+
+Justin Martyr was one of the believers in the miracles performed by
+Apollonius, and by others through him, for he says:
+
+     "How is it that the talismans of Apollonius have power in
+     certain members of creation? for they prevent, _as we see_,
+     the fury of the waves, and the violence of the winds, and the
+     attacks of wild beasts, and whilst _our_ Lord's miracles _are
+     preserved by tradition alone, those of Apollonius are most
+     numerous, and actually manifested in present facts, so as to
+     lead astray all beholders_."[264:3]
+
+So much for Apollonius. We will now speak of another miracle performer,
+_Simon Magus_.
+
+Simon the Samaritan, generally called Simon _Magus_, produced marked
+effects on the times succeeding him; being the progenitor of a large
+class of sects, which long troubled the Christian churches.
+
+In the time of Jesus and Simon Magus it was almost universally believed
+that men could foretell events, cure diseases, and obtain control over
+the forces of nature, by the aid of spirits, if they knew how to invoke
+them. It was Simon's proficiency in this occult science which gained him
+the surname of _Magus_, or _Magician_.
+
+The writer of the eighth chapter of "_The Acts of the Apostles_" informs
+us that when Philip went into Samaria, "to preach Christ unto them," he
+found there "a certain man called Simon, which beforetime in the same
+city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that
+himself was some great one. To whom they all gave heed, from the least
+to the greatest, saying: This man is the great power of God."[264:4]
+
+Simon traveled about preaching, and made many proselytes. He professed
+to be "_The Wisdom of God_," "_The Word of God_," "_The Paraclete_, or
+_Comforter_," "_The Image of the Eternal Father, Manifested in the
+Flesh_," and his followers claimed that he was "_The First Born of the
+Supreme_."[265:1] All of these are titles, which, in after years, were
+applied to Christ Jesus. His followers had a gospel called "_The Four
+Corners of the World_," which reminds us of the reason given by Irenaeus,
+for there being _four_ Gospels among the Christians. He says:
+
+     "It is impossible that there could be more or less than
+     _four_. For there are _four_ climates, and _four_ cardinal
+     winds; but the _Gospel_ is the pillar and foundation of the
+     Church, and its breath of life. The Church, therefore, was to
+     have _four pillars_, blowing immortality from every quarter,
+     and giving life to men."[265:2]
+
+Simon also composed some works, of which but slight fragments remain,
+Christian authority having evidently destroyed them. That he made a
+lively impression on his contemporaries is indicated by the subsequent
+extension of his doctrines, under varied forms, by the wonderful stories
+which the Christian Fathers relate of him, and by the strong dislike
+they manifested toward him.
+
+Eusebius, the ecclesiastical historian, says of him:
+
+     "The malicious power of _Satan_, enemy to all honesty, and foe
+     to all human salvation, brought forth at that time this
+     monster Simon, a father and worker of all such mischiefs, _as
+     a great adversary unto the mighty and holy Apostles_.
+
+     "Coming into the city of Rome, he was so aided by that power
+     which prevaileth in this world, that in short time he brought
+     his purpose to such a pass, that his picture was there placed
+     with others, and he honored as a god."[265:3]
+
+Justin Martyr says of him:
+
+     "After the ascension of _our_ Savior into heaven, the DEVIL
+     brought forth certain men which called themselves gods, who
+     not only suffered no vexation of you (Romans), but attained
+     unto honor amongst you, by name one _Simon_, a Samaritan, born
+     in the village of Gitton, who (under Claudius Caesar) by the
+     art of _devils_, through whom he dealt, wrought devilish
+     enchantments, was esteemed and counted in your regal city of
+     Rome for a _god_, and honored by you as a _god_, with a
+     picture between two bridges upon the river Tibris, having this
+     Roman inscription: '_Simoni deo Sancto_' (To Simon the Holy
+     God). And in manner all the Samaritans, and certain also of
+     other nations, do worship him, acknowledging him for their
+     chief god."[265:4]
+
+According to accounts given by several other Christian Fathers, he could
+make his appearance wherever he pleased to be at any moment; could poise
+himself on the air; make inanimate things move without visible
+assistance; produce trees from the earth suddenly; cause a stick to reap
+without hands; change himself into the likeness of any other person, or
+even into the forms of animals; fling himself from high precipices
+unhurt, walk through the streets accompanied by spirits of the dead; and
+many other such like performances.[266:1]
+
+Simon went to Rome, where he gave himself out to be an "Incarnate Spirit
+of God."[266:2] He became a favorite with the Emperor Claudius, and
+afterwards with Nero. His Christian opponents, as we have seen in the
+cases cited above, did not deny the miracles attributed to him, but said
+they were done through the agency of evil spirits, which was a common
+opinion among the Fathers. They claimed that every _magician_ had an
+attendant evil spirit, who came when summoned, obeyed his commands, and
+taught him ceremonies and forms of words, by which he was able to do
+supernatural things. In this way they were accustomed to account for all
+the miracles performed by Gentiles and heretics.[266:3]
+
+_Menander_--who was called the "Wonder-Worker"--was another great
+performer of miracles. Eusebius, speaking of him, says that he was
+skilled in magical art, and performed _devilish_ operations; and that
+"as yet there be divers which can testify the same of him."[266:4]
+
+Dr. Conyers Middleton, speaking on this subject, says:
+
+     "It was universally received and believed through all ages of
+     the primitive church, that there was a number of magicians,
+     necromancers, or conjurors, both among the _Gentiles_, and the
+     _heretical Christians_, who had each their peculiar _demon_ or
+     evil spirit, for their associates, perpetually attending on
+     their persons and obsequious to their commands, by whose help
+     they could perform miracles, foretell future events, call up
+     the souls of the dead, exhibit them to open view, and infuse
+     into people whatever dreams or visions they saw fit, all which
+     is constantly affirmed by the primitive writers and
+     apologists, and commonly applied by them to prove the
+     immortality of the soul."[266:5]
+
+After quoting from Justin Martyr, who says that these _magicians_ could
+convince any one "that the souls of men exist still after death," he
+continues by saying:
+
+     "Lactantius, speaking of certain philosophers who held that
+     the soul perished with the body, says: 'they durst not have
+     declared such an opinion, in the presence of _any magician_,
+     for if they had done it, he would have confuted them upon the
+     spot, by sensible experiments; _by calling up souls from the
+     dead, and rendering them visible to human eyes, and making
+     them speak and foretell future events_."[267:1]
+
+The Christian Father Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, who was contemporary
+with Irenaeus (A. D. 177-202), went so far as to declare that it was evil
+spirits who inspired the old poets and prophets of Greece and Rome. He
+says:
+
+     "The truth of this is manifestly shown; because those who are
+     possessed by devils, even at this day, are sometimes exorcised
+     by us in the name of God; and the seducing spirits confess
+     themselves to be the same demons who before inspired the
+     Gentile poets."[267:2]
+
+Even in the second century after Christianity, foreign conjurors were
+professing to exhibit miracles among the Greeks. Lucian gives an account
+of one of these "foreign barbarians"--as he calls them[267:3]--and says:
+
+     "I believed and was overcome in spite of my resistance, for
+     what was I to do when I saw him carried through the air in
+     daylight, and walking on the water,[267:4] and passing
+     leisurely and slowly through the fire?"[267:5]
+
+He further tells us that this "foreign barbarian" was able to raise the
+dead to life.[267:6]
+
+Athenagoras, a Christian Father who flourished during the latter part of
+the second century, says on this subject:
+
+     "We (Christians) do not deny that in several places, cities,
+     and countries, there are some extraordinary works performed in
+     the name of _idols_," _i. e._, heathen gods.[267:7]
+
+Miracles were not uncommon things among the Jews before and during the
+time of Christ Jesus. Casting out devils was an every-day
+occurrence,[267:8] and miracles frequently happened to confirm the
+sayings of Rabbis. One cried out, when his opinion was disputed, "May
+this tree prove that I am right!" and forthwith the tree was torn up by
+the roots, and hurled a hundred ells off. But his opponents declared
+that a tree could prove nothing. "May this stream, then, witness for
+me!" cried Eliezar, and at once it flowed the opposite way.[268:1]
+
+Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells us that _King Solomon_ was expert
+in casting out devils who had taken possession of the body of mortals.
+This gift was also possessed by many Jews throughout different ages. He
+(Josephus) relates that he saw one of his own countrymen (Eleazar)
+casting out devils, in the presence of a vast multitude.[268:2]
+
+Dr. Conyers Middleton says:
+
+     "It is remarkable that all the Christian Fathers, who lay so
+     great a stress on the particular gift of _casting out devils_,
+     allow the same power both to the Jews and the Gentiles, _as
+     well before as after our Saviour's coming_."[268:3]
+
+_Vespasian_, who was born about ten years after the time assigned for
+the birth of Christ Jesus, performed wonderful miracles, for the good of
+mankind. Tacitus, the Roman historian, informs us that he cured a _blind
+man_ in Alexandria, by means of his spittle, and a _lame man_ by the
+mere touch of his foot.
+
+The words of Tacitus are as follows:
+
+     "Vespasian passed some months at Alexandria, having resolved
+     to defer his voyage to Italy till the return of summer, when
+     the winds, blowing in a regular direction, afford a safe and
+     pleasant navigation. During his residence in that city, a
+     number of incidents, out of the ordinary course of nature,
+     seemed to mark him as the peculiar favorite of the gods. A man
+     of mean condition, born at Alexandria, had lost his sight by a
+     defluxion on his eyes. He presented himself before Vespasian,
+     and, falling prostrate on the ground, implored the emperor to
+     administer a cure for his blindness. He came, he said, by the
+     admonition of Serapis, the god whom the superstition of the
+     Egyptians holds in the highest veneration. The request was,
+     that the emperor, with his spittle, would condescend to
+     moisten the poor man's face and the balls of his eyes.[268:4]
+     Another, who had lost the use of his hand, inspired by the
+     same god, begged that he would tread on the part affected.
+     . . . In the presence of a prodigious multitude, all erect
+     with expectation, he advanced with an air of serenity, and
+     hazarded the experiment. The paralytic hand recovered its
+     functions, and the blind man saw the light of the sun.[268:5]
+     By living witnesses, who were actually on the spot, both
+     events are confirmed at this hour, when deceit and flattery
+     can hope for no reward."[268:6]
+
+The striking resemblance between the account of these miracles, and
+those attributed to Jesus in the Gospels "_according to_" Matthew and
+Mark, would lead us to think that one had been copied from the other,
+but when we find that Tacitus wrote his history A. D. 98,[269:1] and
+that the "_Matthew_" and Mark narrators' works were not known until
+_after_ that time,[269:2] the evidence certainly is that Tacitus was
+_not_ the plagiarist, but that this charge must fall on the shoulders of
+the Christian writers, whoever they may have been.
+
+To come down to earlier times, even the religion of the Mahometans is a
+religion of miracles and wonders. Mahomet, like Jesus of Nazareth, did
+not claim to perform miracles, but the votaries of Mahomet are more
+assured than himself of his miraculous gifts; and their confidence and
+credulity increase as they are farther removed from the time and place
+of his spiritual exploits. They believe or affirm that trees went forth
+to meet him; that he was saluted by stones; that water gushed from his
+fingers; that he fed the hungry, cured the sick, and raised the dead;
+that a beam groaned to him; that a camel complained to him; that a
+shoulder of mutton informed him of its being poisoned; and that both
+animate and inanimate nature were equally subject to the apostle of God.
+His dream of a nocturnal journey is seriously described as a real and
+corporeal transaction. A mysterious animal, the Borak, conveyed him from
+the temple of Mecca to that of Jerusalem; with his companion Gabriel he
+successively ascended the seven heavens, and received and repaid the
+salutations of the patriarchs, the prophets, and the angels in their
+respective mansions. Beyond the seventh heaven, Mahomet alone was
+permitted to proceed; he passed the veil of unity, approached within two
+bow-shots of the throne, and felt a cold that pierced him to the heart,
+when his shoulder was touched by the hand of God. After a familiar,
+though important conversation, he descended to Jerusalem, remounted the
+Borak, returned to Mecca, and performed in the tenth part of a night the
+journey of many thousand years. His resistless word split asunder the
+orb of the moon, and the obedient planet stooped from her station in the
+sky.[269:3]
+
+These and many other wonders, similar in character to the story of Jesus
+sending the demons into the swine, are related of Mahomet by his
+followers.
+
+It is very certain that the same circumstances which are claimed to have
+taken place with respect to the Christian religion, are also claimed to
+have taken place in the religions of Crishna, Buddha, Zoroaster,
+AEsculapius, Bacchus, Apollonius, Simon Magus, &c. Histories of these
+persons, with miracles, relics, circumstances of locality, suitable to
+them, were as common, as well authenticated (if not better), and as much
+believed by the devotees as were those relating to Jesus.
+
+All the Christian theologians which the world has yet produced have not
+been able to procure any evidence of the miracles recorded in the
+_Gospels_, half so strong as can be procured in evidence of miracles
+performed by heathens and heathen gods, both before and after the time
+of Jesus; and, as they cannot do this, let them give us a reason why we
+should reject the one and receive the other. And if they cannot do this,
+let them candidly confess that we must either admit them all, or reject
+them all, for they all stand on the same footing.
+
+In the early times of the Roman republic, in the war with the Latins,
+the gods Castor and Pollux are said to have appeared on white horses in
+the Roman army, which by their assistance gained a complete victory: in
+memory of which, the General Posthumius vowed and built a temple to
+these deities; and for a proof of the fact, there was shown, we find, in
+Cicero's time (106 to 43 B. C.), the marks of the horses' hoofs on a
+rock at Regillum, where they first appeared.[270:1]
+
+Now this miracle, with those which have already been mentioned, and many
+others of the same kind which could be mentioned, has as authentic an
+attestation, if not more so, as any of the Gospel miracles. It has, for
+instance: The decree of a senate to confirm it; visible marks on the
+spot where it was transacted; and all this supported by the best authors
+of antiquity, amongst whom Dionysius, of Halicarnassus, who says that
+there was subsisting in his time at Rome many evident proofs of its
+reality, besides a yearly festival, with a solemn sacrifice and
+procession, in memory of it.[270:2]
+
+With all these evidences in favor of this miracle having really
+happened, it seems to us so ridiculous, that we wonder how there could
+ever have been any so simple as to believe it, yet we should believe
+that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, after he had been in the tomb
+four days, our only authority being that _anonymous_ book known as the
+"Gospel according to St. John," which was not known until after A. D.
+173. Albert Barnes, in his "Lectures on the Evidences of Christianity,"
+speaking of the authenticity of the Gospel miracles, makes the following
+damaging confession:
+
+     "An important question is, whether there is any stronger
+     evidence in favor of miracles, than there is in favor of
+     witchcraft, or sorcery, or the re-appearance of the dead, of
+     ghosts, of apparitions? Is not the evidence in favor of these
+     as strong as any that can be adduced in favor of miracles?
+     Have not these things been matters of universal belief? In
+     what respect is the evidence in favor of the miracles of the
+     Bible stronger than that which can be adduced in favor of
+     witchcraft and sorcery? Does it differ in nature and degrees;
+     and if it differs, is it not in favor of witchcraft and
+     sorcery? Has not the evidence in favor of the latter been
+     derived from as competent and reliable witnesses? Has it not
+     been brought to us from those who saw the facts alleged? Has
+     it not been subjected to a close scrutiny in the courts of
+     justice, to cross-examination, to tortures? Has it not
+     convinced those of highest legal attainments; those accustomed
+     to sift testimony; those who understood the true principles of
+     evidence? Has not the evidence in favor of witchcraft and
+     sorcery had, what the evidence in favor of miracles has not
+     had, the advantage of strict judicial investigation? and been
+     subjected to trial, where evidence should be, before courts of
+     law? Have not the most eminent judges in the most civilized
+     and enlightened courts of Europe and America admitted the
+     force of such evidence, and on the ground of it committed
+     great numbers of innocent persons to the gallows and to the
+     stake? _I confess that of all the questions ever asked on the
+     subject of miracles, this is the most perplexing and the most
+     difficult to answer._ It is rather to be wondered at that it
+     has not been pressed with more zeal by those who deny the
+     reality of miracles, and that they have placed their
+     objections so extensively on other grounds."
+
+It was a common adage among the Greeks, "_Miracles for fools_," and the
+same proverb obtained among the shrewder Romans, in the saying: "_The
+common people like to be deceived--deceived let them be._"
+
+St. Chrysostom declares that "miracles are proper only to excite
+sluggish and vulgar minds, _men of sense have no occasion for them_;"
+and that "they frequently carry some untoward suspicion along with
+them;" and Saint Chrysostom, Jerome, Euthemius, and Theophylact, prove
+by several instances, that _real miracles_ had been performed by those
+who were not Catholic, but heretic, Christians.[271:1]
+
+Celsus (an Epicurean philosopher, towards the close of the second
+century), the first writer who entered the lists against the claims of
+the Christians, in speaking of the miracles which were claimed to have
+been performed by Jesus, says:
+
+     "His miracles, _granted to be true_, were nothing more than
+     the common works of those _enchanters_, who, for a few
+     _oboli_, will perform greater deeds in the midst of the Forum,
+     calling up the souls of heroes, exhibiting sumptuous banquets,
+     and tables covered with food, which have no reality. Such
+     things do not prove these jugglers to be sons of God; nor do
+     Christ's miracles."[271:2]
+
+Celsus, in common with most of the Grecians, looked upon Christianity
+as a _blind faith_, that shunned the light of reason. In speaking of the
+Christians, he says:
+
+     "They are forever repeating: 'Do not examine. _Only believe_,
+     and thy _faith_ will make thee blessed. _Wisdom_ is a bad
+     thing in life; _foolishness_ is to be preferred.'"[272:1]
+
+He jeers at the fact that _ignorant men_ were allowed to preach, and
+says that "weavers, tailors, fullers, and the most illiterate and rustic
+fellows," set up to teach strange paradoxes. "They openly declared that
+none but the ignorant (were) fit disciples for the God they worshiped,"
+and that one of their rules was, "let no man that is learned come among
+us."[272:2]
+
+The _miracles_ claimed to have been performed by the Christians, he
+attributed to _magic_,[272:3] and considered--as we have seen
+above--their miracle performers to be on the same level with all Gentile
+magicians. He says that the "wonder-workers" among the Christians
+"rambled about to play tricks at fairs and markets," that they never
+appeared in the circles of the wiser and better sort, but always took
+care to intrude themselves among the ignorant and uncultured.[272:4]
+
+     "The magicians in Egypt (says he), cast out evil spirits, cure
+     diseases by a breath, call up the spirits of the dead, make
+     inanimate things move as if they were alive, and so influence
+     some uncultured men, that they produce in them whatever sights
+     and sounds they please. But because they do such things shall
+     we consider them the sons of God? Or shall we call such things
+     the tricks of pitiable and wicked men?"[272:5]
+
+He believed that Jesus was like all these other wonder-workers, that is,
+simply a _necromancer_, and that he learned his magical arts in
+Egypt.[272:6] All philosophers, during the time of the Early Fathers,
+answered the claims that Jesus performed miracles, in the same manner.
+"They even ventured to call him a _magician_ and a deceiver of the
+people," says Justin Martyr,[272:7] and St. Augustine asserted that it
+was generally believed that Jesus had been initiated in _magical art_ in
+Egypt, and that he had written books concerning magic, one of which was
+called "_Magia Jesu Christi_."[272:8] In the Clementine Recognitions,
+the charge is brought against Jesus that he did not perform his miracles
+as a Jewish prophet, but as a magician, an initiate of the heathen
+temples.[272:9]
+
+The casting out of devils was the most frequent and among the most
+striking and the oftenest appealed to of the miracles of Jesus; yet, in
+the conversation between himself and the Pharisees (Matt. xii. 24-27),
+he speaks of it as one that was constantly and habitually performed by
+their own _exorcists_; and, so far from insinuating any difference
+between the two cases, _expressly puts them on a level_.
+
+One of the best proofs, and most unquestionable, that Jesus was accused
+of being a _magician_, or that some of the early Christians believed him
+to have been such, may be found in the representations of him performing
+miracles. On a _sarcophagus_ to be found in the _Museo Gregoriano_,
+which is paneled with bas-reliefs, is to be seen a representation of
+Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave. He is represented as a young man,
+beardless, and equipped with a _wand_ in the received guise of a
+_necromancer_, whilst the corpse of Lazarus is swathed in bandages
+exactly as an Egyptian mummy.[273:1] On other Christian monuments
+representing the miracles of Jesus, he is pictured in the same manner.
+For instance, when he is represented as turning the water into wine, and
+multiplying the bread in the wilderness, he is a necromancer with a
+_wand_ in his hand.[273:2]
+
+_Horus_, the Egyptian Saviour, is represented on the ancient monuments
+of Egypt, _with a wand in his hand raising the dead to life_, "just as
+we see Christ doing the same thing," says J. P. Lundy, "in the same way,
+to Lazarus, in our Christian monuments."[273:3]
+
+Dr. Conyers Middleton, speaking of the primitive Christians, says:
+
+     "In the performance of their miracles, they were always
+     charged with fraud and imposture, by their adversaries. Lucian
+     (who flourished during the second century), tells us that
+     whenever any crafty juggler, expert in his trade, and who knew
+     how to make a right use of things, went over to the
+     Christians, he was sure to grow rich immediately, by making a
+     prey of their simplicity. And Celsus represents all the
+     Christian wonder-workers as mere vagabonds and common cheats,
+     who rambled about to play their tricks at fairs and markets;
+     not in the circles of the wiser and the better sort, for among
+     such they never ventured to appear, but wherever they observed
+     a set of raw young fellows, slaves or fools, there they took
+     care to intrude themselves, and to display all their
+     arts."[273:4]
+
+The same charge was constantly urged against them by Julian, Porphyry
+and others. Similar sentiments were entertained by Polybius, the Pagan
+philosopher, who considered all miracles as fables, invented to preserve
+in the unlearned a due sense of respect for the deity.[273:5]
+
+Edward Gibbon, speaking of the miracles of the Christians, writes in
+his familiar style as follows:
+
+     "How shall we excuse the supine inattention of the Pagan and
+     philosophic world, to those evidences which were represented
+     by the hand of Omnipotence, not to their reason, but to their
+     senses? During the age of Christ, of his apostles, and of
+     their first disciples, the doctrine which they preached was
+     confirmed by innumerable prodigies. The lame walked, the blind
+     saw, the sick were healed, the dead were raised, demons were
+     expelled, and the laws of nature were frequently suspended for
+     the benefit of the church. But the sages of Greece and Rome
+     turned aside from the awful spectacle, and, pursuing the
+     ordinary occupations of life and study, appeared unconscious
+     of any alterations in the moral or physical government of the
+     world."[274:1]
+
+The learned Dr. Middleton, whom we have quoted on a preceding page,
+after a searching inquiry into the miraculous powers of the Christians,
+says:
+
+     "From these short hints and characters of the primitive
+     wonder-workers, as given both by friends and enemies, we may
+     fairly conclude, that the celebrated gifts of these ages were
+     generally engrossed and exercised by the primitive Christians,
+     chiefly of the laity, who used to travel about from city to
+     city, to assist the ordinary pastors of the church, and
+     preachers of the Gospel, in the conversion of Pagans, by the
+     extraordinary gifts with which they were supposed to be indued
+     by the spirit of God, and the miraculous works which they
+     pretended to perform. . . .
+
+     "We have just reason to suspect that there was some original
+     fraud in the case; and that the strolling wonder-workers, by a
+     dexterity of jugglery which art, not heaven, had taught them,
+     imposed upon the credulity of the pious Fathers, whose strong
+     prejudices and ardent zeal for the interest of Christianity
+     would dispose them to embrace, without examination, whatever
+     seemed to promote so good a cause. That this was really the
+     case in some instances, is certain and notorious, and that it
+     was so in all, will appear still more probable, when we have
+     considered the particular characters of the several Fathers,
+     on whose testimony the credit of these wonderful narratives
+     depends."[274:2]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "The pretended miracles of the primitive church were all mere
+     fictions, which the pious and zealous Fathers, partly from a
+     weak credulity, and partly from reasons of policy, believing
+     some perhaps to be true, and knowing all of them to be useful,
+     were induced to espouse and propagate, for the support of a
+     righteous cause."[274:3]
+
+Origen, a Christian Father of the third century, uses the following
+words in his answer to Celsus:
+
+     "A vast number of persons who have left those horrid
+     debaucheries in which they formerly wallowed, and have
+     professed to embrace the Christian religion, shall receive a
+     bright and massive crown when this frail and short life is
+     ended, _though they don't stand to examine the grounds on
+     which their faith is_ built, nor defer their conversion till
+     they have a fair opportunity and capacity to apply themselves
+     to rational and learned studies. And since our adversaries are
+     continually making such a stir about our _taking things on
+     trust_, I answer, that we, who see plainly and have found the
+     vast advantage that the common people do manifestly and
+     frequently reap thereby (who make up by far the greater
+     number), I say, we (the Christian clergy), who are so well
+     advised of these things, _do professedly teach men to believe
+     without examination_."[275:1]
+
+Origen flourished and wrote A. D. 225-235, which shows that at that
+early day there was no rational evidence for Christianity, but it was
+professedly taught, and men were supposed to believe "_these things_"
+(_i. e._ the Christian legends) _without severe examination_.
+
+The primitive Christians were perpetually reproached for their gross
+credulity, by all their enemies. Celsus, as we have already seen,
+declares that they cared neither to receive nor give any reason for
+their faith, and that it was a usual saying with them: "Do not examine,
+but believe only, and thy faith will save thee;" and Julian affirms
+that, "the sum of all their wisdom was comprised in the single precept,
+'_believe_.'"
+
+Arnobius, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "The Gentiles make it their constant business to laugh at our
+     faith, and to lash our credulity with their facetious jokes."
+
+The Christian Fathers defended themselves against these charges by
+declaring that they did nothing more than the heathens themselves had
+always done; and reminds them that they too had found the same method
+useful with the uneducated or common people, who were not at leisure to
+examine things, and whom they taught therefore, to believe without
+reason.[275:2]
+
+This "believing without reason" is illustrated in the following words of
+Tertullian, a Christian Father of the second century, who reasons on the
+evidence of Christianity as follows:
+
+     "I find no other means to prove myself to be impudent with
+     success, and happily a fool, than by my contempt of shame; as,
+     for instance--I maintain that the son of God was born: why am
+     I not ashamed of maintaining such a thing? Why! but because it
+     is a shameful thing. I maintain that the son of God died:
+     well, _that_ is wholly credible because it is monstrously
+     absurd. I maintain that after having been buried, he rose
+     again: and _that_ I take to be absolutely true, because it was
+     manifestly impossible."[275:3]
+
+According to the very books which record the miracles of Jesus, he never
+claimed to perform such deeds, and Paul declares that the great reason
+why Israel did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah was that "the Jews
+required a sign."[276:1] He meant: "Signs and wonders are the only
+proofs they will admit that any one is sent by God and is preaching the
+truth. If they cannot have this palpable, external proof, they withhold
+their faith."
+
+A writer of the second century (John, in ch. iv. 18) makes Jesus aim at
+his fellow-countrymen and contemporaries, the reproach: "Unless you see
+signs and wonders, you do not believe." In connection with Paul's
+declaration, given above, these words might be paraphrased: "The reason
+why the Jews never believed in Jesus was that they never saw him do
+signs and wonders."
+
+Listen to the reply he (Jesus) made when told that if he wanted people
+to believe in him he must first prove his claim by a miracle: "A wicked
+and adulterous generation asks for a _sign_, and no sign shall be given
+it except the sign of the prophet Jonas."[276:2] Of course, this answer
+did not in the least degree satisfy the questioners; so they presently
+came to him again with a more direct request: "If the kingdom of God is,
+as you say, close at hand, show us at least some _one_ of the signs in
+heaven which are to precede the Messianic age." What could appear more
+reasonable than such a request? Every one knew that the end of the
+present age was to be heralded by fearful signs in heaven. The light of
+the sun was to be put out, the moon turned to blood, the stars robbed of
+their brightness, and many other fearful signs were to be shown![276:3]
+If any _one_ of these could be produced, they would be content; but if
+not, they must decline to surrender themselves to an idle joy which must
+end in a bitter disappointment; and surely Jesus himself could hardly
+expect them to believe in him on his bare word.
+
+_Historians_ have recorded miracles said to have been performed by other
+persons, but not a word is said by _them_ about the miracles claimed to
+have been performed by Jesus.
+
+Justus of Tiberias, who was born about five years after the time
+assigned for the crucifixion of Jesus, wrote a _Jewish History_. Now, if
+the miracles attributed to Christ Jesus, and his death and resurrection,
+had taken place in the manner described by the Gospel narrators, he
+could not have failed to allude to them. But Photius, Patriarch of
+Constantinople, tells us that it contained "_no mention of the coming of
+Christ, nor of the events concerning him, nor of the prodigies he
+wrought_." As Theodore Parker has remarked: "The miracle is of a most
+_fluctuating_ character. The miracle-worker of to-day is a
+matter-of-fact juggler to-morrow. Science each year adds new wonders to
+our store. The master of a locomotive steam-engine would have been
+thought greater than Jupiter Tonans, or the Elohim, thirty centuries
+ago."
+
+In the words of Dr. Oort: "Our increased knowledge of nature has
+gradually undermined the belief in the possibility of miracles, and the
+time is not far distant when in the mind of every man, of any culture,
+all accounts of miracles will be banished together to their proper
+region--_that of legend_."
+
+What had been said to have been done in _India_ was said by the "_half
+Jew_"[277:1] writers of the Gospels to have been done in Palestine. The
+change of names and places, with the mixing up of various sketches of
+_Egyptian_, _Phenician_, _Greek_ and _Roman_ mythology, was all that was
+necessary. They had an abundance of material, and with it they built. A
+long-continued habit of imposing upon others would in time subdue the
+minds of the impostors themselves, and cause them to become at length
+the dupes of their own deception.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[252:1] Dr. Conyers Middleton: Free Enquiry, p. 177.
+
+[252:2] Indian Antiquities, vol. iii. p. 46.
+
+[253:1] Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 237.
+
+[253:2] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 331.
+
+[253:3] Ibid. p. 319.
+
+[254:1] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 320. Vishnu Parana, bk. v. ch. xx.
+
+[254:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 68.
+
+[254:3] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 269.
+
+[254:4] See Hardy's Buddhist Legends, and Eastern Monachism. Beal's
+Romantic Hist. Buddha. Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, and Huc's Travels, &c.
+
+[254:5] Hardy: Buddhist Legends, pp. xxi. xxii.
+
+[254:6] The Science of Religion, p. 27.
+
+[255:1] Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 246, 247.
+
+[255:2] Dhammapada, pp. 47, 50 and 90. Bigandet, pp. 186 and 192.
+Bournouf: Intro. p. 156. In Lillie's Buddhism, pp. 139, 140.
+
+[256:1] Hardy: Manual of Buddhism.
+
+[256:2] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 229.
+
+[256:3] See Tylor: Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 135, and Hardy:
+Buddhist Legends, pp. 98, 126, 137.
+
+[256:4] See Tylor: Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 135.
+
+[256:5] Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. p. 341.
+
+[256:6] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 240, and Inman's
+Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 460.
+
+[256:7] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 34.
+
+[256:8] See Lundy: Monumental Christianity, pp. 303-405.
+
+[256:9] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief.
+
+[257:1] Quoted by Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 397.
+
+[257:2] See Prichard's Mythology, p. 347.
+
+[257:3] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 404.
+
+[257:4] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, 258, and Anacalypsis,
+vol. ii. p. 102. Compare John, ii. 7.
+
+A _Grecian_ festival called THYIA was observed by the Eleans _in honor
+of Bacchus_. The priests conveyed three empty vessels into a chapel, in
+the presence of a large assembly, after which the doors were shut and
+_sealed_. "On the morrow the company returned, and after every man had
+looked upon his own seal, and seen that it was unbroken, the doors being
+opened, the vessels were found full of wine." The god himself is said to
+have appeared in person and filled the vessels. (Bell's Pantheon.)
+
+[257:5] Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 295.
+
+[257:6] Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 225. "And they laid their hands
+on the apostles, and put them in the common prison; but the angel of the
+Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth." (Acts,
+v. 18, 19.)
+
+[258:1] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 28.
+
+[258:2] Eusebius: Life of Constantine, lib. 3, ch. liv.
+
+"_AEsculapius_, the son of Apollo, was endowed by his father with such
+skill in the healing art that he even restored the dead to life."
+(Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 246.)
+
+[258:3] Murray: Manual of Mythology, pp. 179, 180.
+
+[258:4] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 304.
+
+[258:5] Marinus: Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 151.
+
+[258:6] Pausanias was one of the most eminent Greek geographers and
+historians.
+
+[259:1] "And when Jesus departed thence, _two blind men_ followed him,
+crying and saying: thou son of David, have mercy on us. . . . And Jesus
+said unto them: Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto
+him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying: According to your
+faith be it unto you, and their eyes were opened." (Matt. ix. 27-30.)
+
+[259:2] Middleton's Works, vol. i. pp. 63, 64.
+
+[259:3] Ibid. p. 48.
+
+[259:4] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 62.
+
+[259:5] See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 76.
+
+[260:1] See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 76.
+
+[260:2]
+
+     "Nunc Dea, nunc succurre mihi, nam posse mederi
+      Picta docet temptes multa tabella tuis."
+
+(Horace: Tibull. lib. 1, Eleg. iii. In Ibid.)
+
+[260:3] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "AEsculapius."
+
+[260:4] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 180.
+
+[260:5] Apol. 1, ch. xxii.
+
+[260:6] Deane: Serp. Wor. p. 204. See also, Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p.
+29.
+
+"There were numerous oracles of AEsculapius, but the most celebrated one
+was at Epidaurus. Here the sick sought responses and the recovery of
+their health by sleeping in the temple. . . . The worship of AEsculapius
+was introduced into Rome in a time of great sickness, and an embassy
+sent to the temple Epidaurus to entreat the aid of the god." (Bulfinch:
+The Age of Fable, p. 397.)
+
+[261:1] Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p. 238.
+
+[261:2] Herodotus: bk. vi. ch. 61.
+
+[261:3] See Philostratus: Vie d'Apo.
+
+Gibbon, the historian, says of him: "Apollonius of Tyana, born about the
+same time as Jesus Christ. His life (that of the former) is related in
+so fabulous a manner by his disciples, that we are at a loss to discover
+whether he was a sage, an impostor, or a fanatic." (Gibbon's Rome, vol.
+i. p. 353, _note_.) What this learned historian says of Apollonius
+applies to Jesus of Nazareth. _His_ disciples have related his life in
+so fabulous a manner, that some consider him to have been an impostor,
+others a fanatic, others a sage, and others a GOD.
+
+[262:1] See Philostratus, p. 146.
+
+[262:2] Ibid. p. 158.
+
+[262:3] See Ibid. p. 182.
+
+[263:1] Compare Matt. ix. 18-25. "There came a certain ruler and
+worshiped him, saying: 'My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay
+thy hand upon her, and she shall live.' And Jesus arose and followed
+him, and so did his disciples. . . . And when Jesus came into the
+ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he
+said unto them: 'Give peace, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.'
+And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he
+went in, _and took her by the hand_, and the maid arose."
+
+[263:2] See Philostratus, pp. 285-286.
+
+[263:3] "He could render himself invisible, evoke departed spirits,
+utter predictions, and discover the thoughts of other men." (Hardy:
+Eastern Monachism, p. 380.)
+
+[263:4] "And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of
+them, and said unto them: 'Peace be unto you.' But they were terrified
+and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said
+unto them: 'Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your
+hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is myself; handle me and
+see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke,
+xxiv. 36-39.)
+
+[264:1] See Philostratus, p. 342.
+
+[264:2] Ibid. p. 5.
+
+[264:3] Justin Martyr's "_Quaest._" xxiv. Quoted in King's Gnostics, p.
+242.
+
+[264:4] Acts, viii. 9, 10.
+
+[265:1] See Mosheim, vol. i. pp. 137, 140.
+
+[265:2] Irenaeus: Against Heresies, bk. iii. ch. xi. The _authorship_ of
+the fourth gospel, attributed to John, has been traced to this same
+_Irenaeus_. He is the _first_ person who speaks of it; and adding this
+fact to the statement that "it is impossible that there could be more or
+less than _four_," certainly makes it appear very suspicious. We shall
+allude to this again.
+
+[265:3] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist. lib. 2, ch. xiv.
+
+[265:4] Apol. 1, ch. xxiv.
+
+[266:1] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. pp. 241, 242.
+
+[266:2] According to Hieronymus (a Christian Father, born A. D. 348),
+Simon Magus applied to himself these words: "I am the Word (or Logos) of
+God; I am the Beautiful, I the Advocate, I the Omnipotent; I am all
+things that belong to God." (See "Son of the Man," p. 67.)
+
+[266:3] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 316, and Middleton's Free
+Inquiry, p. 62.
+
+[266:4] Eusebius: Ecc. Hist., lib. 3, ch. xiv.
+
+[266:5] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 54.
+
+[267:1] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 54.
+
+[267:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 312, and Middleton's Works, vol.
+i. p. 10.
+
+[267:3] "The Egyptians call all men '_barbarians_' who do not speak the
+same language as themselves." (Herodotus, book ii. ch. 158.)
+
+"By '_barbarians_' the Greeks meant all who were not sprung from
+themselves--all foreigners." (Henry Cary, translator of _Herodotus_.)
+
+The Chinese call the English, and all foreigners from western countries,
+"_western barbarians_;" the Japanese were called by them the "_eastern
+barbarians_." (See Thornton's History of China, vol. i.)
+
+The Jews considered all who did not belong to their race to be
+_heathens_ and _barbarians_.
+
+The Christians consider those who are not followers of Christ Jesus to
+be _heathens_ and _barbarians_.
+
+The Mohammedans consider all others to be _dogs_, _infidels_, and
+_barbarians_.
+
+[267:4] "And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them,
+walking on the sea." (Matt. xiv. 25.)
+
+[267:5] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 236. We have it on the authority
+of _Strabo_ that Roman priests walked barefoot over burning coals,
+without receiving the slightest injury. This was done in the presence of
+crowds of people. _Pliny_ also relates the same story.
+
+[267:6] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 236.
+
+[267:7] Athenagoras, Apolog. p. 25. Quoted in Middleton's Works, vol. i.
+p. 62.
+
+[267:8] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. ii. p. 619.
+
+[268:1] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 75.
+
+[268:2] Jewish Antiquities, bk. viii. ch. ii.
+
+[268:3] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 68.
+
+[268:4] "And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring a _blind man_ unto
+him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the
+hand . . . _and when he had spit on his eyes_, . . . he looked up and
+said: 'I see men and trees,' . . . and he was restored." (Mark, viii.
+22-25.)
+
+[268:5] "And behold there was a man _which had his hand withered_. . . .
+Then said he unto the man, 'Stretch forth thine hand;' and he stretched
+it forth, and it was restored whole, like as the other." (Matt. xii.
+10-13.)
+
+[268:6] Tacitus: Hist., lib. iv. ch. lxxxi.
+
+[269:1] See Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Tacitus."
+
+[269:2] See The Bible of To-Day, pp. 273, 278.
+
+[269:3] See Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. pp. 539-541.
+
+[270:1] Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 102. See also, Bell's
+Pantheon, vol. i. p. 16.
+
+[270:2] Dionysius of Halicarnassus, one of the most accurate historians
+of antiquity, says: "In the war with the Latins, Castor and Pollux
+appeared visibly on white horses, and fought on the side of the Romans,
+who by their assistance gained a complete victory. As a perpetual
+memorial of it, a temple was erected and a yearly festival instituted in
+honor of these deities." (Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 323, and
+Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 103.)
+
+[271:1] See Prefatory Discourse to vol. iii. Middleton's Works, p. 54.
+
+[271:2] See Origen: Contra Celsus, bk. 1, ch. lxviii.
+
+[272:1] See Origen: Contra Celsus, bk. 1, ch. ix.
+
+[272:2] Ibid. bk. iii. ch. xliv.
+
+[272:3] Ibid.
+
+[272:4] Ibid. bk. 1, ch. lxviii.
+
+[272:5] Ibid.
+
+[272:6] Ibid.
+
+[272:7] Dial. Cum. Typho. ch. lxix.
+
+[272:8] See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 148.
+
+[272:9] See Baring-Gould's Lost and Hostile Gospels. A knowledge of
+magic had spread from Central Asia into Syria, by means of the return of
+the Jews from Babylon, and had afterwards extended widely, through the
+mixing of nations produced by Alexander's conquests.
+
+[273:1] See King's Gnostics, p. 145. Monumental Christianity, pp. 100
+and 402, and Jameson's Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. i. p. 16.
+
+[273:2] See Monumental Christianity, p. 402, and Hist. of Our Lord, vol.
+i. p. 16.
+
+[273:3] Monumental Christianity, pp. 403-405.
+
+[273:4] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 19.
+
+[273:5] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 59.
+
+[274:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. p. 588. An eminent heathen challenged his
+Christian friend Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, a champion of the
+Gospel, to show him but one person who had been raised from the dead, on
+the condition of turning Christian himself upon it. _The Christian
+bishop was unable to give him that satisfaction._ (See Gibbon's Rome,
+vol. i. p. 541, and Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 60.)
+
+[274:2] Middleton's Works, vol. i. pp. 20, 21.
+
+[274:3] Ibid. p. 62. The Christian Fathers are noted for their frauds.
+Their writings are full of falsehoods and deceit.
+
+[275:1] Contra Celsus, bk. 1, ch. ix. x.
+
+[275:2] See Middleton's Works, pp. 62, 63, 64.
+
+[275:3] On The Flesh of Christ, ch. v.
+
+[276:1] I. Corinthians, i. 22, 23.
+
+[276:2] Matt. xii. 29.
+
+[276:3] See for example, Joel, ii. 10, 31; iii. 15; Matt. xxiv. 29, 30;
+Acts, ii. 19, 20; Revelations, vi. 12, 13; xvi. 18, _et seq._
+
+[277:1] The writers of the Gospels were "I know not what sort of _half_
+Jews, not even agreeing with themselves." (Bishop Faustus.)
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+CHRIST CRISHNA AND CHRIST JESUS COMPARED.
+
+
+Believing and affirming, that the _mythological portion_ of the history
+of Jesus of Nazareth, contained in the books forming the Canon of the
+New Testament, is nothing more or less than a copy of the mythological
+histories of the Hindoo Saviour _Crishna_, and the Buddhist Saviour
+_Buddha_,[278:1] with a mixture of mythology borrowed from the Persians
+and other nations, we shall in this and the chapter following, compare
+the histories of these _Christs_, side by side with that of Christ
+Jesus, the Christian Saviour.
+
+In comparing the history of Crishna with that of Jesus, we have the
+following remarkable parallels:
+
+1. "Crishna was born of a chaste virgin, called Devaki, who was selected
+by the Lord for this purpose on account of her purity."[278:2]
+
+     1. Jesus was born of a chaste virgin, called Mary, who was
+     selected by the Lord for this purpose, on account of her
+     purity.[278:3]
+
+2. A chorus of Devatas celebrated with song the praise of Devaki,
+exclaiming: "In the delivery of this favored woman all nature shall have
+cause to exult."[278:4]
+
+     2. The angel of the Lord saluted Mary, and said: "Hail Mary!
+     the Lord is with you, you are blessed above all women, . . .
+     for thou hast found favor with the Lord."[278:5]
+
+3. The birth of Crishna was announced in the heavens by _his
+star_.[278:6]
+
+     3. The birth of Jesus was announced in the heavens by _his
+     star_.[278:7]
+
+4. On the morn of Crishna's birth, "the quarters of the horizon were
+irradiate with joy, as if moonlight was diffused over the whole earth;"
+"the spirits and nymphs of heaven danced and sang," and "the clouds
+emitted low pleasing sounds."[279:1]
+
+     4. When Jesus was born, the angels of heaven sang with joy,
+     and from the clouds there came pleasing sounds.[279:2]
+
+5. Crishna, though royally descended, was actually born in a state the
+most abject and humiliating, having been brought into the world in a
+_cave_.[279:3]
+
+     5. "The birth of Jesus, the King of Israel, took place under
+     circumstances of extreme indigence; and the place of his
+     nativity, according to the united voice of the ancients, and
+     of oriental travelers, was in a _cave_."[279:4]
+
+6. "The moment Crishna was born, the whole cave was splendidly
+illuminated, and the countenances of his father and his mother emitted
+rays of glory."[279:5]
+
+     6. The moment Jesus was born, "there was a great light in the
+     cave, so that the eyes of Joseph and the midwife could not
+     bear it.[279:6]"
+
+7. "Soon after Crishna's mother was delivered of him, and while she was
+weeping over him _and lamenting his unhappy destiny_, the compassionate
+infant assumed the power of speech, and soothed and comforted his
+afflicted parent."[279:7]
+
+     7. "Jesus spake even when he was in his cradle, and said to
+     his mother: 'Mary, I am Jesus, the Son of God, that _Word_
+     which thou didst bring forth according to the declaration of
+     the Angel Gabriel unto thee, and my Father hath sent me for
+     the salvation of the world.'"[279:8]
+
+8. The divine child--Crishna--was recognized, and adored by cowherds,
+who prostrated themselves before the heaven-born child.[279:9]
+
+     8. The divine child--Jesus--was recognized, and adored by
+     shepherds, who prostrated themselves before the heaven-born
+     child.[279:10]
+
+9. Crishna was received with divine honors, and presented with gifts of
+sandal-wood and perfumes.[279:11]
+
+     9. Jesus was received with divine honors, and presented with
+     gifts of frankincense and myrrh.[279:12]
+
+10. "Soon after the birth of Crishna, the holy Indian prophet Nared,
+hearing of the fame of the infant Crishna, pays him a visit at Gokul,
+examines the _stars_, and declares him to be of celestial
+descent."[279:13]
+
+     10. "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, behold,
+     there came wise men from the East, saying: Where is he that is
+     born King of the Jews, for we have seen his _star_ in the East
+     and have come to worship him."[279:14]
+
+11. Crishna was born at a time when Nanda--his foster-father--was away
+from home, having come to the city to pay his tax or yearly tribute, to
+the king.[279:15]
+
+     11. Jesus was born at a time when Joseph--his
+     foster-father--was away from home, having come to the city to
+     pay his tax or tribute to the governor.[279:16]
+
+12. Crishna, although born in a state the most abject and humiliating,
+was of royal descent.[280:1]
+
+     12. Jesus, although born in a state the most abject and
+     humiliating, was of royal descent.[280:2]
+
+13. Crishna's father was warned by a "heavenly voice," to "fly with the
+child to Gacool, across the river Jumna," as the reigning monarch sought
+his life.[280:3]
+
+     13. Jesus' father was warned "in a dream" to "take the young
+     child and his mother, and flee into Egypt," as the reigning
+     monarch sought his life.[280:4]
+
+14. The ruler of the country in which Crishna was born, having been
+informed of the birth of the divine child, sought to destroy him. For
+this purpose, he ordered "the massacre in all his states, of all the
+children of the male sex, born during the night of the birth of
+Crishna."[280:5]
+
+     14. The ruler of the country in which Jesus was born, having
+     been informed of the birth of the divine child, sought to
+     destroy him. For this purpose, he ordered "all the children
+     that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof," to be
+     slain.[280:6]
+
+15. "Mathura (pronounced Mattra), was the city in which Crishna was
+born, where his most extraordinary miracles were performed, and which
+continues at this day the place where his name and _Avatar_ are held in
+the most sacred veneration of any province in Hindostan."[280:7]
+
+     15. Matarea, near Hermopolis, in Egypt, is said to have been
+     the place where Jesus resided during his absence from the land
+     of Judea. At this place he is reported to have wrought many
+     miracles.[280:8]
+
+16. Crishna was preceded by _Rama_, who was born a short time before
+him, and whose life was sought by Kansa, the ruling monarch, at the time
+he attempted to destroy the infant Crishna.[280:9]
+
+     16. Jesus was preceded by _John_ the "divine herald," who was
+     born a short time before him, and whose life was sought by
+     Herod, the ruling monarch, at the time he attempted to destroy
+     the infant Jesus.[280:10]
+
+17. Crishna, being brought up among shepherds, wanted the advantage of a
+preceptor to teach him the sciences. Afterwards, when he went to
+Mathura, a tutor, profoundly learned, was obtained for him; but, in a
+very short time, he became such a scholar as utterly to astonish and
+perplex his master with a variety of the most intricate questions in
+Sanscrit science.[280:11]
+
+     17. Jesus was sent to Zaccheus the schoolmaster, who wrote out
+     an alphabet for him, and bade him say _Aleph_. "Then the Lord
+     Jesus said to him, Tell me first the meaning of the letter
+     Aleph, and then I will pronounce Beth, and when the master
+     threatened to whip him, the Lord Jesus explained to _him_ the
+     meaning of the letters Aleph and Beth; also which where the
+     straight figures of the letters, which the oblique, and what
+     letters had double figures; which had points, and which had
+     none; why one letter went before another; and many other
+     things he began to tell him and explain, of which the master
+     himself had never heard, nor read in any book."[281:1]
+
+18. "At a certain time, Crishna, taking a walk with the other cowherds,
+they chose him their _King_, and every one had his place assigned him
+under the new King."[281:2]
+
+     18. "In the month Adar, Jesus gathered together the boys, and
+     ranked them as though he had been a KING. . . . And if any one
+     happened to pass by, they took him by force, and said, Come
+     hither, and worship the King."[281:3]
+
+19. Some of Crishna's play-fellows were stung by a serpent, and he,
+filled with compassion at their untimely fate, "and casting upon them an
+eye of divine mercy, they immediately rose," and were restored.[281:4]
+
+     19. When Jesus was at play, a boy was stung by a serpent, "and
+     he (Jesus) touched the boy with his hand," and he was restored
+     to his former health.[281:5]
+
+20. Crishna's companions, with some calves, were stolen, and hid in a
+cave, whereupon Crishna, "by his power, created other calves and boys,
+in all things, perfect resemblances of the others."[281:6]
+
+     20. Jesus' companions, who had hid themselves in a furnace,
+     were turned into kids, whereupon Jesus said: "Come hither, O
+     boys, that we may go and play; and immediately the kids were
+     changed into the shape of boys."[281:7]
+
+21. "One of the first miracles performed by Crishna, when mature, was
+the curing of a leper."[281:8]
+
+     21. One of the first miracles performed by Jesus, when mature,
+     was the curing of a leper.[281:9]
+
+22. A poor cripple, or lame woman, came, with "a vessel filled with
+spices, sweet-scented oils, sandal-wood, saffron, civet, and other
+perfumes, and made a certain sign on his (Crishna's) forehead, _casting
+the rest upon his head_."[281:10]
+
+     22. "Now, when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the
+     leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of
+     very precious ointment, _and poured it on his head_, as he sat
+     at meat."[281:11]
+
+23. Crishna was crucified, and he is represented with arms extended,
+hanging on a cross.[281:12]
+
+     23. Jesus was crucified, and he is represented with arms
+     extended, hanging on a cross.
+
+24. At the time of the death of Crishna, there came calamities and bad
+omens of every kind. A black circle surrounded the moon, and the sun was
+darkened at noon-day; the sky rained fire and ashes; flames burned dusky
+and livid; demons committed depredations on earth; at sunrise and
+sunset, thousands of figures were seen skirmishing in the air; spirits
+were to be seen on all sides.[282:1]
+
+     24. At the time of the death of Jesus, there came calamities
+     of many kinds. The veil of the temple was rent in twain from
+     the top to the bottom, the sun was darkened from the sixth to
+     the ninth hour, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of
+     the saints which slept arose and came out of their
+     graves.[282:2]
+
+25. Crishna was pierced with an arrow.[282:3]
+
+     25. Jesus was pierced with a spear.[282:4]
+
+26. Crishna said to the hunter who shot him: "Go, hunter, through my
+favor, to heaven, the abode of the gods."[282:5]
+
+     26. Jesus said to one of the malefactors who was crucified
+     with him: "Verily I say unto thee, this day shalt thou be with
+     me in paradise."[282:6]
+
+27. Crishna descended into hell.[282:7]
+
+     27. Jesus descended into hell.[282:8]
+
+28. Crishna, after being put to death, rose again from the dead.[282:9]
+
+     28. Jesus, after being put to death, rose again from the
+     dead.[282:10]
+
+29. Crishna ascended bodily into heaven, and many persons witnessed his
+ascent.[282:11]
+
+     29. Jesus ascended bodily into heaven, and many persons
+     witnessed his ascent.[282:12]
+
+30. Crishna is to come again on earth in the latter days. He will appear
+among mortals as an armed warrior, riding a white horse. At his approach
+the sun and moon will be darkened, the earth will tremble, and the stars
+fall from the firmament.[282:13]
+
+     30. Jesus is to come again on earth in the latter days. He
+     will appear among mortals as an armed warrior, riding a white
+     horse. At his approach, the sun and moon will be darkened, the
+     earth will tremble, and the stars fall from the
+     firmament.[282:14]
+
+31. Crishna is to be judge of the dead at the last day.[282:15]
+
+     31. Jesus is to be judge of the dead at the last day.[282:16]
+
+32. Crishna is the creator of all things visible and invisible; "all
+this universe came into being through him, the eternal maker."[282:17]
+
+     32. Jesus is the creator of all things visible and invisible;
+     "all this universe came into being through him, the eternal
+     maker."[282:18]
+
+33. Crishna is Alpha and Omega, "the beginning, the middle, and the end
+of all things."[282:19]
+
+     33. Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the beginning, the middle, and
+     the end of all things.[282:20]
+
+34. Crishna, when on earth, was in constant strife against the evil
+spirit.[282:21] He surmounts extraordinary dangers, strews his way with
+miracles, raising the dead, healing the sick, restoring the maimed, the
+deaf and the blind, everywhere supporting the weak against the strong,
+the oppressed against the powerful. The people crowded his way, and
+adored him as a _God_.[283:1]
+
+     34. Jesus, when on earth, was in constant strife against the
+     evil spirit.[282:22] He surmounts extraordinary dangers,
+     strews his way with miracles, raising the dead, healing the
+     sick, restoring the maimed, the deaf and the blind,
+     everywhere supporting the weak against the strong, the
+     oppressed against the powerful. The people crowded his way and
+     adored him as a _God_.[283:2]
+
+35. Crishna had a beloved disciple--_Arjuna_.[283:3]
+
+     35. Jesus had a beloved disciple--_John_.[283:4]
+
+36. Crishna was transfigured before his disciple Arjuna. "All in an
+instant, with a thousand suns, blazing with dazzling luster, so beheld
+he the glories of the universe collected in the one person of the God of
+Gods."[283:5]
+
+Arjuna bows his head at this vision, and folding his hands in reverence,
+says:
+
+"Now that I see thee as thou really art, I thrill with terror! Mercy!
+Lord of Lords, once more display to me thy human form, thou habitation
+of the universe."[283:6]
+
+     36. "And after six days, Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John
+     his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart,
+     and was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as
+     the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. . . While he
+     yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and
+     behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said: &c." "And when
+     the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were
+     sore afraid."[283:7]
+
+37. Crishna was "the meekest and best tempered of beings." "He preached
+very nobly indeed, and sublimely." "He was pure and chaste in
+reality,"[283:8] and, as a lesson of humility, "he even condescended to
+wash the feet of the Brahmins."[283:9]
+
+     37. Jesus was the meekest and best tempered of beings. He
+     preached very nobly indeed, and sublimely. He was pure and
+     chaste, and he even condescended to wash the feet of his
+     disciples, to whom he taught a lesson of humility.[283:10]
+
+38. "Crishna is the very Supreme Brahma, though it be a _mystery_ how
+the Supreme should assume the form of a man."[283:11]
+
+     38. Jesus is the very Supreme Jehovah, though it be a
+     _mystery_ how the Supreme should assume the form of a man, for
+     "Great is the mystery of Godliness."[283:12]
+
+39. Crishna is the second person in the Hindoo Trinity.[283:13]
+
+     39. Jesus is the second person in the Christian
+     Trinity.[283:14]
+
+40. Crishna said: "Let him if seeking God by deep abstraction, abandon
+his possessions and his hopes, betake himself to some secluded spot, and
+fix his heart and thoughts on God alone."[284:1]
+
+     40. Jesus said: "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy
+     closet, and when then hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father,
+     which is in secret."[284:2]
+
+41. Crishna said: "Whate'er thou dost perform, whate'er thou eatest,
+whate'er thou givest to the poor, whate'er thou offerest in sacrifice,
+whate'er thou doest as an act of holy presence, do all as if to me, O
+Arjuna. I am the great Sage, without beginning; I am the Ruler and the
+All-sustainer."[284:3]
+
+     41. Jesus said: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or
+     whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God"[284:4] who is
+     the great Sage, without beginning; the Ruler and the
+     All-sustainer.
+
+42. Crishna said: "I am the cause of the whole universe; through me it
+is created and dissolved; on me all things within it hang and suspend,
+like pearls upon a string."[284:5]
+
+     42. "Of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things."
+     "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything
+     made that was made."[284:6]
+
+43. Crishna said: "I am the light in the Sun and Moon, far, far beyond
+the darkness. I am the brilliancy in flame, the radiance in all that's
+radiant, and the light of lights."[284:7]
+
+     43. "Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying: I am the light
+     of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
+     but shall have the light of life."[284:8]
+
+44. Crishna said: "I am the sustainer of the world, its friend and Lord.
+I am its way and refuge."[284:9]
+
+     44. "Jesus said unto them, I am the way, the truth, and the
+     life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me."[284:10]
+
+45. Crishna said: "I am the Goodness of the good; I am Beginning,
+Middle, End, Eternal Time, the Birth, the Death of all."[284:11]
+
+     45. "I am the first and the last; and have the keys of hell
+     and of death."[284:12]
+
+46. Crishna said: "Then be not sorrowful, from all thy sins I will
+deliver thee. Think thou on me, have faith in me, adore and worship me,
+and join thyself in meditation to me; thus shalt thou come to me, O
+Arjuna; thus shalt thou rise to my supreme abode, where neither sun nor
+moon hath need to shine, for know that all the lustre they possess is
+mine."[284:13]
+
+     46. Jesus said: "Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven
+     thee."[284:14] "My son, give me thine heart."[284:15] "The
+     city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in
+     it; for the glory of God did lighten it."[284:16]
+
+Many other remarkable passages might be adduced from the Bhagavad-gita,
+the following of which may be noted:[284:17]
+
+     "He who has brought his members under subjection, but sits
+     with foolish minds thinking in his heart of sensual things, is
+     called a hypocrite." (Compare Matt. v. 28.)
+
+     "Many are my births that are past; many are thine too, O
+     Arjuna. I know them all, but thou knowest them not." (Comp.
+     John, viii. 14.)
+
+     "For the establishment of righteousness am I born from time to
+     time." (Comp. John, xviii. 37; I. John, iii. 3.)
+
+     "I am dearer to the wise than all possessions, and he is
+     dearer to me." (Comp. Luke, xiv. 33; John, xiv. 21.)
+
+     "The ignorant, the unbeliever, and he of a doubting mind
+     perish utterly." (Comp. Mark, xvi. 16.)
+
+     "Deluded men despise me when I take human form." (Comp. John,
+     i. 10.)
+
+Crishna had the titles of "Saviour," "Redeemer," "Preserver,"
+"Comforter," "Mediator," &c. He was called "The Resurrection and the
+Life," "The Lord of Lords," "The Great God," "The Holy One," "The Good
+Shepherd," &c. All of which are titles applied to Christ Jesus.
+
+Justice, humanity, good faith, compassion, disinterestedness, in fact,
+all the virtues, are said[285:1] to have been taught by Crishna, both by
+precept and example.
+
+The Christian missionary Georgius, who found the worship of the
+crucified God in India, consoles himself by saying: "That which P.
+Cassianus Maceratentis had told me before, I find to have been observed
+more fully in French by the Living De Guignes, a most learned man; _i.
+e._, that _Crishna_ is the very name corrupted of Christ the
+Saviour."[285:2] Many others have since made a similar statement, but
+unfortunately for them, the name _Crishna_ has nothing whatever to do
+with "Christ the Saviour." It is a purely Sanscrit word, and means "_the
+dark god_" or "_the black god_."[285:3] The word _Christ_ (which is not
+a name, but a title), as we have already seen, is a Greek word, and
+means "the Anointed," or "the Messiah." The fact is, the history of
+Christ Crishna is older than that of Christ Jesus.
+
+Statues of Crishna are to be found in the very oldest cave temples
+throughout India, and it has been satisfactorily proved, on the
+authority of a passage of _Arrian_, that the _worship_ of Crishna was
+practiced in the time of Alexander the Great at what still remains one
+of the most famous temples of India, the temple of Mathura, on the Jumna
+river,[285:4] which shows that he was considered a _god_ at that
+time.[286:1] We have already seen that, according to Prof. Monier
+Williams, he was _deified_ about the fourth century B. C.
+
+Rev. J. P. Lundy says:
+
+     "If we may believe so good an authority as Edward Moor (author
+     of Moor's "Hindu Pantheon," and "Oriental Fragments"), both
+     the name of Crishna, and the general outline of his history,
+     were long anterior to the birth of our Saviour, _as very
+     certain things_, and probably extended to the time of Homer,
+     nearly nine hundred years before Christ, or more than a
+     hundred years before Isaiah lived and prophesied."[286:2]
+
+In the Sanscrit Dictionary, compiled more than two thousand years ago,
+we have the whole story of Crishna, the incarnate deity, born of a
+virgin, and miraculously escaping in his infancy from Kansa, the
+reigning monarch of the country.[286:3]
+
+The Rev. J. B. S. Carwithen, known as one of the "Brampton Lecturers,"
+says:
+
+     "Both the name of Crishna and the general outline of his story
+     are long anterior to the birth of our Saviour; and this we
+     know, _not on the presumed antiquity of the Hindoo records
+     alone_. Both Arrian and Strabo assert that the god Crishna was
+     anciently worshiped at Mathura, on the river Jumna, where he
+     is worshiped at this day. But the emblems and attributes
+     essential to this deity are also transplanted into the
+     mythology of the West."[286:4]
+
+On the walls of the most ancient Hindoo temples, are sculptured
+representations of the flight of Vasudeva and the infant Saviour
+Crishna, from King Kansa, who sought to destroy him. The story of the
+slaughtered infants is also the subject of an immense sculpture in the
+cave temple of Elephanta. A person with a drawn sword is represented
+surrounded by slaughtered infant boys, while men and women are
+supplicating for their children. The date of this sculpture is lost in
+the most remote antiquity.[286:5]
+
+The _flat roof_ of this cavern-temple, and that of Ellora, and every
+other circumstance connected with them, prove that their origin must be
+referred to a very remote epoch. The _ancient_ temples can easily be
+distinguished from the more modern ones--such as those of Solsette--by
+the shape of the roof. The ancient are flat, while the more modern are
+arched.[286:6]
+
+The _Bhagavad gita_, which contains so many sentiments akin to
+Christianity, and which was not written until about the first or second
+century,[287:1] has led many _Christian_ scholars to believe, and
+attempt to prove, that they have been borrowed from the New Testament,
+but unfortunately for them, their premises are untenable. Prof. Monier
+Williams, _the_ accepted authority on Hindooism, and a thorough
+Christian, writing for the "Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,"
+knowing that he could not very well overlook this subject in speaking of
+the _Bhagavad-gita_, says:
+
+     "To any one who has followed me in tracing the outline of this
+     remarkable philosophical dialogue, and has noted the numerous
+     parallels it offers to passages in _our_ Sacred Scriptures, it
+     may seem strange that I hesitate to concur to any theory which
+     explains these coincidences by supposing that the author had
+     access to the New Testament, or that he derived some of his
+     ideas from the first propagaters of Christianity. Surely it
+     will be conceded that the probability of contact and
+     interaction between Gentile systems and the Christian religion
+     of the first two centuries of our era must have been greater
+     in Italy than in India. Yet, if we take the writings and
+     sayings of those great Roman philosophers, Seneca, Epictetus,
+     and Marcus Aurelius, we shall find them full of resemblances
+     to passages in our Scriptures, while their appears to be no
+     ground whatever for supposing that these eminent Pagan writers
+     and thinkers derived any of their ideas from either Jewish or
+     Christian sources. In fact, the Rev. F. W. Farrar, in his
+     interesting and valuable work 'Seekers after God,' has clearly
+     shown that 'to say that Pagan morality kindled its faded taper
+     at the Gospel light, whether furtively or unconsciously, that
+     it dissembled the obligation and made a boast of the splendor,
+     as if it were originally her own, is to make an assertion
+     wholly untenable.' He points out that the attempts of the
+     Christian Fathers to make out Pythagoras a debtor to Hebraic
+     wisdom, Plato an 'Atticizing Moses,' Aristotle a picker-up of
+     ethics from a Jew, Seneca a correspondent of St. Paul, were
+     due 'in some cases to ignorance, in some to a want of perfect
+     honesty in controversial dealing.'[287:2]
+
+     "_His arguments would be even more conclusive if applied to
+     the Bhagavad-gita_, the author of which was probably
+     contemporaneous with Seneca.[287:3] It must, indeed, be
+     admitted that the flames of true light which emerge from the
+     mists of pantheism in the writings of Indian philosophers,
+     must spring from the same source of light as the Gospel
+     itself; but it may reasonably be questioned whether there
+     could have been any actual contact of the Hindoo systems with
+     Christianity without a more satisfactory result in the
+     modification of pantheistic and anti-Christian ideas."[288:1]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "It should not be forgotten that although the nations of
+     Europe have changed their religions during the past eighteen
+     centuries, _the Hindu has not done so, except very partially_.
+     Islam converted a certain number by force of arms in the
+     eighth and following centuries, and Christian truth is at last
+     slowly creeping onwards and winning its way by its own
+     inherent energy in the nineteenth; _but the religious creeds,
+     rites, customs, and habits of thought of the Hindus generally,
+     have altered little since the days of Manu, five hundred years
+     B. C._"[288:2]
+
+These words are conclusive; comments, therefore, are unnecessary.
+
+Geo. W. Cox, in his "Aryan Mythology," speaking on this subject says:
+
+     "It is true that these myths have been crystallized around the
+     name of Crishna in ages subsequent to the period during which
+     the earliest _vedic_ literature came into existence; _but the
+     myths themselves are found in this older literature associated
+     with other gods_, and not always only in germ. _There is no
+     more room for inferring foreign influence in the growth of any
+     of these myths than, as Bunsen rightly insists, there is room
+     for tracing Christian influence in the earlier epical
+     literature of the Teutonic tribes._ Practically the myths of
+     Crishna seems to have been fully developed in the days of
+     Megasthenes (fourth century B. C.) who identifies him with the
+     Greek Hercules."[288:3]
+
+It should be remembered, in connection with this, that Dr. Parkhurst and
+others have considered _Hercules_ a type of Christ Jesus.
+
+In the ancient epics Crishna is made to say:
+
+     "I am Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, and the source as well as the
+     destruction of things, the creator and the annihilator of the
+     whole aggregate of existences. While all men live in
+     unrighteousness, I, the unfailing, build up the bulwark of
+     righteousness, as the ages pass away."[288:4]
+
+These words are almost identical with what we find in the
+_Bhagavad-gita_. In the _Maha-bharata_, Vishnu is associated or
+identified with Crishna, just as he is in the _Bhagavad-gita_ and
+_Vishnu Purana_, showing, in the words of Prof. Williams, that: the
+_Puranas_, although of a comparatively modern date, are nevertheless
+composed of matter to be found in the two great epic poems the
+_Ramayana_ and the _Maha-bharata_.[288:5]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[278:1] It is also very evident that the history of Crishna--or that
+part of it at least which has a _religious aspect_--is taken from that
+of Buddha. Crishna, in the ancient epic poems, is simply a great hero,
+and it is not until about the fourth century B. C., that he is _deified_
+and declared to be an incarnation of Vishnu, or Vishnu himself in human
+form. (See Monier Williams' Hinduism, pp. 102, 103.)
+
+"If it be urged that the attribution to Crishna of qualities or powers
+belonging to the other deities is a mere device by which his devotees
+sought to supersede the more ancient gods, _the answer must be that
+nothing is done in his case which has not been done in the case of
+almost every other member of the great company of the gods_, and that
+the systematic adoption of this method is itself conclusive proof of the
+looseness and flexibility of the materials of which the cumbrous
+mythology of the Hindu epic poems is composed." (Cox: Aryan Mythology,
+vol. ii. p. 130.) These words apply very forcibly to the history of
+Christ Jesus. He being attributed with qualities and powers belonging to
+the deities of the heathen is a mere device by which _his_ devotees
+sought to supersede the more ancient gods.
+
+[278:2] See ch. xii.
+
+[278:3] See The Gospel of Mary, _Apoc._, ch. vii.
+
+[278:4] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 329.
+
+[278:5] Mary, _Apoc._, vii. Luke, i. 28-30.
+
+[278:6] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. pp. 317 and 336.
+
+[278:7] Matt. ii. 2.
+
+[279:1] Vishnu Purana, p. 502.
+
+[279:2] Luke, ii. 13.
+
+[279:3] See ch. xvi.
+
+[279:4] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 311. See also, chap. xvi.
+
+[279:5] See ch. xvi.
+
+[279:6] Protevangelion, _Apoc._, chs. xii. and xiii.
+
+[279:7] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. 311.
+
+[279:8] Infancy, _Apoc._, ch. i. 2, 3.
+
+[279:9] See ch. xv.
+
+[279:10] Luke, ii. 8-10.
+
+[279:11] See Oriental Religions, p. 500, and Inman's Ancient Faiths,
+vol. ii. p. 353.
+
+[279:12] Matt. ii. 2.
+
+[279:13] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 317.
+
+[279:14] Matt., ii. 1, 2.
+
+[279:15] Vishnu Purana, bk. v. ch. iii.
+
+[279:16] Luke, ii. 1-17.
+
+[280:1] Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 259. Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p.
+310.
+
+[280:2] See the Genealogies in Matt. and Luke.
+
+[280:3] See ch. xviii.
+
+[280:4] Matt. ii. 13.
+
+[280:5] See ch. xviii.
+
+[280:6] Matt. ii. 16.
+
+[280:7] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 317. Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p.
+259.
+
+[280:8] Introduc. to Infancy, Apoc. Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p.
+130. Savary: Travels in Egypt, vol. i. p. 126, in Hist. Hindostan, vol.
+ii. p. 318.
+
+[280:9] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 316.
+
+[280:10] "Elizabeth, hearing that her son John was about to be searched
+for (by Herod), took him and went up into the mountains, and looked
+around for a place to hide him. . . . But Herod made search after John,
+and sent servants to Zacharias," &c. (Protevangelion, Apoc. ch. xvi.)
+
+[280:11] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 321.
+
+[281:1] Infancy, Apoc., ch. xx. 1-8.
+
+[281:2] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 321.
+
+[281:3] Infancy, Apoc., ch. xviii. 1-3.
+
+[281:4] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 343.
+
+[281:5] Infancy, Apoc., ch. xviii.
+
+[281:6] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 340. Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 136.
+
+[281:7] Infancy, Apoc., ch. xvii.
+
+[281:8] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 319, and ch. xxvii. this work.
+
+[281:9] Matthew, viii. 2.
+
+[281:10] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 320.
+
+[281:11] Matt. xxvi. 6-7.
+
+[281:12] See ch. xx.
+
+[282:1] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 71.
+
+[282:2] Matt. xxii. Luke, xxviii.
+
+[282:3] See ch. xx.
+
+[282:4] John, xix. 34.
+
+[282:5] See Vishnu Purana, p. 612.
+
+[282:6] Luke, xxiii. 43.
+
+[282:7] See ch. xxii.
+
+[282:8] See Ibid.
+
+[282:9] See ch. xxiii.
+
+[282:10] Matt. xxviii.
+
+[282:11] See ch. xxiii.
+
+[282:12] See Acts, i. 9-11.
+
+[282:13] See ch. xxiv.
+
+[282:14] See passages quoted in ch. xxiv.
+
+[282:15] See Oriental Religions, p. 504.
+
+[282:16] Matt. xxiv. 31. Rom. xiv. 10.
+
+[282:17] See ch. xxvi.
+
+[282:18] John, i. 3. I. Cor. viii. 6. Eph. iii. 9.
+
+[282:19] See Geeta, lec. x. p. 85.
+
+[282:20] Rev. i. 8, 11; xxii. 13; xxi. 6.
+
+[282:21] He is described as a superhuman organ of light, to whom the
+superhuman organ of darkness, the evil serpent, was opposed. He is
+represented "bruising the head of the serpent," and standing upon him.
+(See illustrations in vol. i. Asiatic Researches; vol. ii. Higgins'
+Anacalypsis; Calmet's Fragments, and other works illustrating Hindoo
+Mythology.)
+
+[282:22] Jesus, "the Sun of Righteousness," is also described as a
+superhuman organ of light, opposed by Satan, "the old serpent." He is
+claimed to have been the seed of the woman who should "bruise the head
+of the serpent." (Genesis, iii. 15.)
+
+[283:1] See ch. xxvii.
+
+[283:2] According to the New Testament.
+
+[283:3] See Bhagavat Geeta.
+
+[283:4] John, xiii. 23.
+
+[283:5] Williams' Hinduism, p. 215.
+
+[283:6] Ibid. p. 216.
+
+[283:7] Matt. xvii. 1-6.
+
+[283:8] "He was pure and chaste in _reality_," although represented as
+sporting amorously, when a youth, with cowherdesses. According to the
+pure Vaishnava faith, however, Crishna's love for the Gopis, and
+especially for his favorite Radha, is to be explained allegorically, as
+symbolizing the longing of the human soul for the Supreme. (Prof. Monier
+Williams: Hinduism, p. 144.) Just as the amorous "_Song of Solomon_" is
+said to be _allegorical_, and to mean "Christ's love for his church."
+
+[283:9] See Indian Antiquities, iii. 46, and Asiatic Researches, vol. i.
+p. 273.
+
+[283:10] John, xiii.
+
+[283:11] Vishnu Purana, p. 492, _note_ 3.
+
+[283:12] I. Timothy, iii. 16.
+
+[283:13] Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. _Crishna is Vishnu in human form._ "A
+more personal, and, so to speak, _human_ god than Siva was needed for
+the mass of the people--a god who could satisfy the yearnings of the
+human heart for religion of faith (_bhakti_)--a god who could sympathize
+with, and condescend to human wants and necessities. Such a god was
+found in the second member of the Tri-murti. It was as _Vishnu_ that the
+Supreme Being was supposed to exhibit his sympathy with human trials,
+and his love for the human race.
+
+"If _Siva_ is the great god of the Hindu Pantheon, to whom adoration is
+due from all indiscriminately, _Vishnu_ is certainly its most popular
+deity. He is the god selected by far the greater number of individuals
+as their Saviour, protector and friend, who rescues them from the power
+of evil, interests himself in their welfare, and finally admits them to
+his heaven. But it is not so much _Vishnu_ in his own person as _Vishnu_
+in his _incarnations_, that effects all this for his votaries." (Prof.
+Monier Williams: Hinduism, p. 100.)
+
+[283:14] Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Jesus is the Son in human form.
+
+[284:1] Williams' Hinduism, p. 211.
+
+[284:2] Matt. vi. 6.
+
+[284:3] Williams' Hinduism, p. 212.
+
+[284:4] I. Cor. x. 31.
+
+[284:5] Williams' Hinduism, p. 213.
+
+[284:6] John, i. 3.
+
+[284:7] Williams' Hinduism, p. 213.
+
+[284:8] John, viii. 12.
+
+[284:9] Williams' Hinduism, p. 213.
+
+[284:10] John, xiv. 6.
+
+[284:11] Williams' Hinduism, p. 213.
+
+[284:12] Rev. i. 17, 18.
+
+[284:13] Williams' Hinduism, p. 214.
+
+[284:14] Matt. ix. 2.
+
+[284:15] Prov. xxiii. 26.
+
+[284:16] Rev. xxi. 23.
+
+[284:17] Quoted from Williams' Hinduism, pp. 217-219.
+
+[285:1] It is said in the Hindoo sacred books that Crishna was a
+religious teacher, but, as we have previously remarked, this is a later
+addition to his legendary history. In the ancient epic poems he is
+simply a great hero and warrior. The portion pertaining to his religious
+career, is evidently a copy of the history of Buddha.
+
+[285:2] "Est Crishna (quod ut mihi pridem indicaverat P. Cassianus
+Maceratentis, sic nunc uberius in Galliis observatum intelligo avivo
+litteratissimo De Guignes) nomen ipsum corruptum Christi Servatoris."
+
+[285:3] See Williams' Hinduism, and Maurice: Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii.
+p. 269.
+
+[285:4] See Celtic Druids, pp. 256, 257.
+
+[286:1] "Alexander the Great made his expedition to the banks of the
+Indus about 327 B. C., and to this invasion is due the first trustworthy
+information obtained by Europeans concerning the north-westerly portion
+of India and the region of the five rivers, down which the Grecian
+troops were conducted in ships by Nearchus. Megasthenes, who was the
+ambassador of Seleukos Nikator (Alexander's successor, and ruler over
+the whole region between the Euphrates and India, B. C. 312), at the
+court of Candra-gupa (Sandrokottus), in Pataliputra (Patna), during a
+long sojourn in that city collected further information, of which
+Strabo, Pliny, _Arrian_, and others availed themselves." (Williams'
+Hinduism, p. 4.)
+
+[286:2] Monumental Christianity, p. 151. See also, Asiatic Researches,
+i. 273.
+
+[286:3] See Asiatic Researches, vol. i. pp. 259-273.
+
+[286:4] Quoted in Monumental Christianity, pp. 151, 152.
+
+[286:5] See chapter xviii.
+
+[286:6] See Prichard's Egyptian Mythology, p. 112.
+
+[287:1] In speaking of the antiquity of the _Bhagavad-gita_, Prof.
+Monier Williams says: "The author was probably a Brahman and nominally a
+Vishnava, but really a philosopher whose mind was cast in a broad and
+comprehensive mould. He is supposed to have lived in India during the
+first and second century of our era. Some consider that he lived as late
+as the third century, and some place him even later, _but with these I
+cannot agree_." (Indian Wisdom, p. 137.)
+
+[287:2] In order that the resemblances to Christian Scripture in the
+writings of Roman philosophers may be compared, Prof. Williams refers
+the reader to "Seekers after God," by the Rev. F. W. Farrar, and Dr.
+Ramage's "Beautiful Thoughts." The same sentiments are to be found in
+_Mann_, which, says Prof. Williams, "few will place later than the fifth
+century B. C." The _Mahabhrata_, written many centuries B. C., contains
+numerous parallels to New Testament sayings. (See our chapter on
+"Paganism in Christianity.")
+
+[287:3] Seneca, the celebrated Roman philosopher, was born at Cordoba,
+in Spain, a few years B. C. When a child, he was brought by his father
+to Rome, where he was initiated in the study of eloquence.
+
+[288:1] Indian Wisdom, pp. 153, 154. Similar sentiments are expressed in
+his Hinduism, pp. 218-220.
+
+[288:2] Indian Wisdom, p. iv.
+
+[288:3] Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. pp. 137, 138.
+
+[288:4] Ibid. p. 131.
+
+[288:5] Williams' Hinduism, pp. 119-110. It was from these sources that
+the doctrine of _incarnation_ was first evolved by the Brahman. They
+were written many centuries B. C. (See Ibid.)
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+CHRIST BUDDHA AND CHRIST JESUS COMPARED.
+
+     "The more I learn to know Buddha the more I admire him, and
+     the sooner all mankind shall have been made acquainted with
+     his doctrines the better it will be, for he is certainly one
+     of the heroes of humanity."
+                                                 _Fausboell._
+
+
+The _mythological_ portions of the histories of Buddha and Jesus are,
+without doubt, nearer in resemblance than that of any two characters of
+antiquity. The _cause_ of this we shall speak of in our chapter on "Why
+Christianity Prospered," and shall content ourselves for the present by
+comparing the following analogies:
+
+1. Buddha was born of the Virgin Mary,[289:1] who conceived him without
+carnal intercourse.[289:2]
+
+     1. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, who conceived him
+     without carnal intercourse.[289:3]
+
+2. The incarnation of Buddha is recorded to have been brought about by
+the descent of the divine power called the "_Holy_ Ghost," upon the
+Virgin Maya.[289:4]
+
+     2. The incarnation of Jesus is recorded to have been brought
+     about by the descent of the divine power called the "Holy
+     Ghost," upon the Virgin Mary.[289:3]
+
+3. When Buddha descended from the regions of the souls,[290:1] and
+entered the body of the Virgin Maya, her womb assumed the appearance of
+clear transparent crystal, in which Buddha appeared, beautiful as a
+flower.[290:2]
+
+     3. When Jesus descended from his heavenly seat, and entered
+     the body of the Virgin Mary, her womb assumed the appearance
+     of clear transparent crystal, in which Jesus appeared
+     beautiful as a flower.[290:3]
+
+4. The birth of Buddha was announced in the heavens by an _asterim_
+which was seen rising on the horizon. It is called the "Messianic
+Star."[290:4]
+
+     4. The birth of Jesus was announced in the heavens by "his
+     star," which was seen rising on the horizon.[290:5] It might
+     properly be called the "Messianic Star."
+
+5. "The son of the Virgin Maya, on whom, according to the tradition, the
+'Holy Ghost' had descended, was said to have been born on Christmas
+day."[290:6]
+
+     5. The Son of the Virgin Mary, on whom, according to the
+     tradition, the 'Holy Ghost' had descended, was said to have
+     been born on Christmas day.[290:7]
+
+6. Demonstrations of celestial delight were manifest at the birth of
+Buddha. The _Devas_[290:8] in heaven and earth sang praises to the
+"Blessed One," and said: "To day, _Bodhisatwa_ is born on earth, to give
+joy and peace to men and Devas, to shed light in the dark places, and to
+give sight to the blind."[290:9]
+
+     6. Demonstrations of celestial delight were manifest at the
+     birth of Jesus. The angels in heaven and earth sang praises to
+     the "Blessed One," saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and
+     on earth peace, good will toward men."[290:10]
+
+7. "Buddha was visited by wise men who recognized in this marvelous
+infant all the characters of the divinity, and he had scarcely seen the
+day before he was hailed God of Gods."[290:11]
+
+     7. Jesus was visited by wise men who recognized in this
+     marvelous infant all the characters of the divinity, and he
+     had scarcely seen the day before he was hailed God of
+     Gods.[290:12]
+
+8. The infant Buddha was presented with "costly jewels and precious
+substances."[290:13]
+
+     8. The infant Jesus was presented with gifts of gold,
+     frankincense, and myrrh.[290:14]
+
+9. When Buddha was an infant, just born, he spoke to his mother, and
+said: "I am the greatest among men."[290:15]
+
+     9. When Jesus was an infant in his cradle, he spoke to his
+     mother, and said: "I am Jesus, the Son of God."[290:16]
+
+10. Buddha was a "dangerous child." His life was threatened by King
+Bimbasara, who was advised to destroy the child, as he was liable to
+overthrow him.[291:1]
+
+     10. Jesus was a "dangerous child." His life was threatened by
+     King Herod,[291:2] who attempted to destroy the child, as he
+     was liable to overthrow him.[291:3]
+
+11. When sent to school, the young Buddha surprised his masters. Without
+having ever studied, he completely worsted all his competitors, not only
+in writing, but in arithmetic, mathematics, metaphysics, astrology,
+geometry, &c.[291:4]
+
+     11. When sent to school, Jesus surprised his master Zaccheus,
+     who, turning to Joseph, said: "Thou hast brought a boy to me
+     to be taught, who is more learned than any master."[291:5]
+
+12. "When _twelve_ years old the child Buddha is presented in the
+temple. He explains and asks learned questions; he excels all those who
+enter into competition with him."[291:6]
+
+     12. "And when he was _twelve_ years old, they brought him to
+     (the temple at) Jerusalem . . . . While in the temple among
+     the doctors and elders, and learned men of Israel, he proposed
+     several questions of learning, and also gave them
+     answers."[291:7]
+
+13. Buddha entered a temple, on which occasion forthwith all the statues
+rose and threw themselves at his feet, in act of worship.[291:8]
+
+     13. "And as Jesus was going in by the ensigns, who carried the
+     standards, the tops of them bowed down and worshiped
+     Jesus."[291:9]
+
+14. "The ancestry of Gotama Buddha is traced from his father,
+
+_Sodhodana_, through various individuals and races, all of royal
+dignity, to _Maha Sammata_, the first monarch of the world. Several of
+the names and some of the events are met with in the Puranas of the
+Brahmans, but it is not possible to reconcile one order of statement
+with the other; and it would appear that the Buddhist historians have
+introduced races, and invented names, that they may invest their
+venerated Sage with all the honors of heraldry, in addition to the
+attributes of divinity."[292:1]
+
+     14. The ancestry of Jesus is traced from his father, Joseph,
+     through various individuals, nearly all of whom were of royal
+     dignity, to Adam, the first monarch of the world. Several of
+     the names, and some of the events, are met with in the sacred
+     Scriptures of the Hebrews, but it is not possible to reconcile
+     one order of statement with the other; and it would appear
+     that the Christian historians have invented and introduced
+     names, that they may invest their venerated Sage with all the
+     honors of heraldry, in addition to the attributes of
+     divinity.[292:2]
+
+15. When Buddha was about to go forth "to adopt a religious life,"
+_Mara_[292:3] appeared before him, to tempt him.[292:4]
+
+     15. When Jesus was about "beginning to preach," the _devil_
+     appeared before him, to tempt him.[292:5]
+
+16. _Mara_ said unto Buddha: "Go not forth to adopt a religious life,
+and in seven days thou shalt become an emperor of the world."[292:6]
+
+     16. The _devil_ said to Jesus: If thou wilt fall down and
+     worship me, I will give thee all the kingdoms of the
+     world.[292:7]
+
+17. Buddha would not heed the words of the Evil One, and said to him:
+"Get thee away from me."[292:8]
+
+     17. Jesus would not heed the words of the Evil One, and said
+     to him: "Get thee behind me, Satan."[292:9]
+
+18. After _Mara_ had left Buddha, "the skies rained flowers, and
+delicious odors pervaded the air."[292:10]
+
+     18. After the _devil_ had left Jesus, "angels came and
+     ministered unto him."[292:11]
+
+19. Buddha fasted for a long period.[292:12]
+
+     19. Jesus fasted forty days and nights.[292:13]
+
+20. Buddha, the Saviour, was baptized, and at this recorded water
+baptism the Spirit of God was present; that is, not only the highest
+God, but also the "Holy Ghost," through whom the incarnation of Gautama
+Buddha is recorded to have been brought about by the descent of that
+Divine power upon the Virgin Maya.[292:14]
+
+     20. Jesus was baptized by John in the river Jordan, at which
+     time the Spirit of God was present; that is, not only the
+     highest God, but also the "Holy Ghost," through whom the
+     incarnation of Jesus is recorded to have been brought about,
+     by the descent of that Divine power upon the Virgin
+     Mary.[292:15]
+
+21. "On one occasion toward the end of his life on earth, Gautama Buddha
+is reported to have been _transfigured_. When _on a mountain_ in Ceylon,
+suddenly a flame of light descended upon him and encircled the crown of
+his head with a circle of light. The mount is called _Pandava_, or
+yellow-white color. It is said that 'the glory of his person shone forth
+with double power,' that his body was 'glorious as a bright golden
+image,' that he 'shone as the brightness of the sun and moon,' that
+bystanders expressed their opinion, that he could not be 'an every-day
+person,' or 'a mortal man,' and that his body was divided into
+_three_[293:1] parts, from each of which a ray of light issued
+forth."[293:2]
+
+     21. On one occasion during his career on earth, Jesus is
+     reported to have been transfigured: "Jesus taketh Peter,
+     James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a _high
+     mountain_ apart. And was transfigured before them: and his
+     face did shine as the sun, and his raiment as white as the
+     light."[292:16]
+
+22. "Buddha performed great miracles for the good of mankind, and the
+legends concerning him are full of the greatest prodigies and
+wonders."[293:3]
+
+     22. Jesus performed great miracles for the good of the
+     mankind, and the legends concerning him are full of the
+     greatest prodigies and wonders.[293:4]
+
+23. By prayers in the name of Buddha, his followers expect to receive
+the rewards of paradise.[293:5]
+
+     23. By prayers in the name of Jesus, his followers expect to
+     receive the rewards of paradise.
+
+24. When Buddha died and was buried, "the coverings of the body unrolled
+themselves, and the lid of his coffin was opened by supernatural
+powers."[293:6]
+
+     24. When Jesus died and was buried, the coverings of the body
+     were unrolled from off him, and his tomb was opened by
+     supernatural powers.[293:7]
+
+25. Buddha ascended bodily to the celestial regions, when his mission on
+earth was fulfilled.[293:8]
+
+     25. Jesus ascended bodily to the celestial regions, when his
+     mission on earth was fulfilled.[293:9]
+
+26. Buddha is to come upon the earth again in the latter days, his
+mission being to restore the world to order and happiness.[293:10]
+
+     26. Jesus is to come upon the earth again in the latter days,
+     his mission being to restore the world to order and
+     happiness.[293:11]
+
+27. Buddha is to be judge of the dead.[293:12]
+
+     27. Jesus is to be judge of the dead.[293:13]
+
+28. Buddha is Alpha and Omega, without beginning or end, "the Supreme
+Being, the Eternal One."[293:14]
+
+     28. Jesus is Alpha and Omega, without beginning or
+     end,[293:15] "the Supreme Being, the Eternal One."[293:16]
+
+29. Buddha is represented as saying: "Let all the sins that were
+committed in this world fall on me, that the world may be
+delivered."[293:17]
+
+     29. Jesus is represented as the Saviour of mankind, and all
+     the sins that are committed in this world may fall on him,
+     that the world may be delivered.[293:18]
+
+30. Buddha said: "Hide your good deeds, and confess before the world the
+sins you have committed."[293:19]
+
+     30. Jesus taught men to hide their good deeds,[293:20] and
+     confess before the world the sins they had committed.[293:21]
+
+31. "Buddha was described as a superhuman organ of light, to whom a
+superhuman organ of darkness, Mara or Naga, the Evil Serpent, was
+opposed."[294:1]
+
+     31. Jesus was described as a superhuman organ of light--"the
+     _Sun_ of Righteousness"[294:2]--opposed by "the old Serpent,"
+     the Satan, hinderer, or adversary.[294:3]
+
+32. Buddha came, not to destroy, but to fulfill, the law. He delighted
+in "representing himself as a _mere link_ in a long chain of enlightened
+teachers."[294:4]
+
+     32. Jesus said: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law,
+     or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
+     fulfill."[294:5]
+
+33. "One day Ananda, the disciple of Buddha, after a long walk in the
+country, meets with Matangi, a woman of the low caste of the Kandalas,
+near a well, and asks her for some water. She tells him what she is, and
+that she must not come near him. But he replies, 'My sister, I ask not
+for thy caste or thy family, I ask only for a draught of water.' She
+afterwards became a disciple of Buddha."[294:6]
+
+     33. One day Jesus, after a long walk, cometh to the city of
+     Samaria, and being wearied with his journey, sat on a well.
+     While there, a woman of Samaria came to draw water, and Jesus
+     said unto her: "give me to drink." "Then said the woman unto
+     him: How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of me,
+     which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings
+     with the Samaritans."[294:7]
+
+34. "According to Buddha, the motive of all our actions should be _pity_
+or _love_ for our neighbor."[294:8]
+
+     34. "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
+     them that hate you."[294:9]
+
+35. During the early part of his career as a teacher, "Buddha went to
+the city of Benares, and there delivered a discourse, by which Kondanya,
+and afterwards _four_ others, were induced to become his disciples. From
+that period, whenever he preached, multitudes of men and women embraced
+his doctrines."[294:10]
+
+     35. During the early part of his career as a teacher, Jesus
+     went to the city of Capernaum, and there delivered a
+     discourse. It was at this time that _four_ fishermen were
+     induced to become his disciples.[294:11] From that period,
+     whenever he preached, multitudes of men and women embraced his
+     doctrines.[294:12]
+
+36. Those who became disciples of Buddha were told that they must
+"renounce the world," give up all their riches, and avow
+poverty.[294:13]
+
+     36. Those who became disciples of Jesus were told that they
+     must renounce the world, give up all their riches, and avow
+     poverty.[294:14]
+
+37. It is recorded in the "Sacred Canon" of the Buddhists that the
+multitudes "_required a sign_" from Buddha "that they might
+believe."[295:1]
+
+     37. It is recorded in the "Sacred Canon" of the Christians
+     that the multitudes required a sign from Jesus that they might
+     believe.[295:2]
+
+38. When Buddha's time on earth was about coming to a close, he,
+"foreseeing the things that would happen in future times," said to his
+disciple Ananda: "Ananda, when I am gone, you must not think there is no
+Buddha; the _discourses_ I have delivered, and the _precepts_ I have
+enjoined, _must be my successors_, or representatives, and be to you as
+Buddha."[295:3]
+
+     38. When Jesus' time on earth was about coming to a close, he
+     told of the things that would happen in future times,[295:4]
+     and said unto his disciples: "Go ye therefore, and teach all
+     nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
+     commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
+     of the world."[295:5]
+
+39. In the Buddhist _Somadeva_, is to be found the following: "To give
+away our riches is considered the most difficult virtue in the world; he
+who gives away his riches is like a man who gives away his life: for our
+very life seems to cling to our riches. But Buddha, when his mind was
+moved by pity, _gave his life_ like grass, for the sake of others; why
+should we think of miserable riches! By this exalted virtue, Buddha,
+when he was freed from all desires, and had obtained divine knowledge,
+attained unto Buddhahood. Therefore let a wise man, after he has turned
+away his desires from all pleasures, do good to all beings, even unto
+sacrificing his own life, that thus he may attain to true
+knowledge."[295:6]
+
+     39. "And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what
+     good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? . . .
+     Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that
+     thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure
+     in heaven: and come and follow me."[295:7] "Lay not up for
+     yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
+     corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up
+     for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
+     rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor
+     steal."[295:8]
+
+40. Buddha's aim was to establish a "Religious Kingdom," a "_Kingdom of
+Heaven_."[296:1]
+
+     40. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,
+     Repent: for the _Kingdom of Heaven_ is at hand."[296:2]
+
+41. Buddha said: "I now desire to turn the wheel of the excellent
+law.[296:3] For this purpose am I going to the city of Benares,[296:4]
+to give light to those enshrouded in darkness, and to open the gate of
+Immortality to man."[296:5]
+
+     41. Jesus, after his temptation by the devil, began to
+     establish the dominion of his religion, and he went for this
+     purpose to the city of Capernaum. "The people which sat in
+     darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region
+     and shadow of death, light is sprung up."[296:6]
+
+42. Buddha said: "Though the heavens were to fall to earth, and the
+great world be swallowed up and pass away: Though Mount Sumera were to
+crack to pieces, and the great ocean be dried up, yet, Ananda, be
+assured, the words of Buddha are true."[296:7]
+
+     42. "The law was given by Moses, but grace and _truth_ came by
+     Jesus Christ."[296:8]
+
+     "_Verily_ I say unto you . . . heaven and earth shall pass
+     away, _but my words shall not pass away_."[296:9]
+
+43. Buddha said: "There is no passion more violent than voluptuousness.
+Happily there is but one such passion. If there were two, not a man in
+the whole universe could follow the truth." "Beware of fixing your eyes
+upon women. If you find yourself in their company, let it be as though
+you were not present. If you speak with them, guard well your
+hearts."[296:10]
+
+     43. Jesus said: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old
+     time. Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that
+     whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed
+     adultery with her already in his heart."[296:11]
+
+44. Buddha said: "A wise man should avoid married life as if it were a
+burning pit of live coals. One who is not able to live in a state of
+celibacy should not commit adultery."[297:1]
+
+     44. "It is good for a man not to touch a woman," "but if they
+     cannot contain let them marry, for it is better to marry than
+     to burn." "To avoid fornication, let every man have his own
+     wife and let every woman have her own husband."[297:2]
+
+45. "Buddhism is convinced that if a man reaps sorrow, disappointment,
+pain, he himself, and no other, must at some time have sown folly,
+error, sin; and if not in this life then in some former birth."[297:3]
+
+     45. "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was _blind
+     from his birth_. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master,
+     who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born
+     blind."[297:4]
+
+46. Buddha knew the thoughts of others: "By directing his mind to the
+thoughts of others, he can know the thoughts of all beings."[297:5]
+
+     46. Jesus knew the thoughts of others. By directing his mind
+     to the thoughts of others, he knew the thoughts of all
+     beings.[297:6]
+
+47. In the _Somadeva_ a story is related of a Buddhist ascetic whose eye
+offended him, he therefore plucked it out, and cast it away.[297:7]
+
+     47. It is related in the New Testament that Jesus said: "If
+     thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from
+     thee."[297:8]
+
+48. When Buddha was about to become an ascetic, and when riding on the
+horse "Kantako," his path was strewn with flowers, thrown there by
+Devas.[297:9]
+
+     48. When Jesus was entering Jerusalem, riding on an ass, his
+     path was strewn with palm branches, thrown there by the
+     multitude.[297:10]
+
+Never were devotees of any creed or faith as fast bound in its thraldom
+as are the disciples of Gautama Buddha. For nearly two thousand four
+hundred years it has been the established religion of Burmah, Siam,
+Laos, Pega, Cambodia, Thibet, Japan, Tartary, Ceylon and Loo-Choo, and
+many neighboring islands, beside about two-thirds of China and a large
+portion of Siberia; and at the present day no inconsiderable number of
+the simple peasantry of Swedish Lapland are found among its firm
+adherents.[297:11]
+
+Well authenticated records establish indisputably the facts, that
+together with a noble physique, superior mental endowments, and high
+moral excellence, there were found in Buddha a purity of life, sanctity
+of character, and simple integrity of purpose, that commended themselves
+to all brought under his influence. Even at this distant day, one cannot
+listen with tearless eyes to the touching details of his pure, earnest
+life, and patient endurance under contradiction, often fierce
+persecution for those he sought to benefit. Altogether he seems to have
+been one of those remarkable examples, of genius and virtue occasionally
+met with, unaccountably superior to the age and nation that produced
+them.
+
+There is no reason to believe that he ever arrogated to himself any
+higher authority than that of a teacher of religion, but, _as in modern
+factions_, there were readily found among his followers those who
+carried his peculiar tenets much further than their founder. These, not
+content with lauding during his life-time the noble deeds of their
+teacher, exalted him, within a quarter of a century after his death, to
+a place among their deities--worshiping as a God one they had known only
+as a simple-hearted, earnest, truth-seeking philanthropist.[298:1]
+
+This worship was at first but the natural upgushing of the veneration
+and love Gautama had inspired during his noble life, and his sorrowing
+disciples, mourning over the desolation his death had occasioned, turned
+for consolation to the theory that he still lived.
+
+Those who had known him in life cherished his name as the very synonym
+of all that was generous and good, and it required but a step to exalt
+him to divine honors; and so it was that Gautama Buddha became a God,
+and continues to be worshiped as such.
+
+For more than forty years Gautama thus dwelt among his followers,
+instructing them daily in the sacred law, and laying down many rules
+for their guidance when he should be no longer with them.[299:1]
+
+He lived in a style the most simple and unostentatious, bore
+uncomplainingly the weariness and privations incident to the many long
+journeys made for the propagation of the new faith; and performed
+countless deeds of love and mercy.
+
+"When the time came for him to be perfected, he directed his followers
+no longer to remain together, but to go out in companies, and proclaim
+the doctrines he had taught them, found schools and monasteries, build
+temples, and perform acts of charity, that they might 'obtain merit,'
+and gain access to the blessed shade of Nigban, which he told them he
+was about to enter, and where they believe he has now reposed more than
+two thousand years."
+
+To the pious Buddhist it seems irreverent to speak of Gautama by his
+mere ordinary and human name, and he makes use therefore, of one of
+those numerous epithets which are used only of the Buddha, "the
+Enlightened One." Such are _Sakya-sinha_, "the Lion of the Tribe of
+Sakya;" _Sakya-muni_, "the Sakya Sage;" _Sugata_, "the Happy One;"
+_Sattha_, "the Teacher;" _Jina_, "the Conqueror;" _Bhagavad_, "the
+Blessed One;" _Loka-natha_, "the Lord of the World;" _Sarvajna_, "the
+Omniscient One;" _Dharma-raja_, "the King of Righteousness;" he is also
+called "the Author of Happiness," "the Possessor of All," "the Supreme
+Being," "the Eternal One," "the Dispeller of Pain and Trouble," "the
+Guardian of the Universe," "the Emblem of Mercy," "the Saviour of the
+World," "the Great Physician," "the God among Gods," "the Anointed" or
+"the Christ," "the Messiah," "the Only-Begotten," "the Heaven-Descended
+Mortal," "the Way of Life, and of Immortality," &c.[299:2]
+
+At no time did Buddha receive his knowledge from a human source, that
+is, from flesh and blood. His source was the power of his divine wisdom,
+the spiritual power of Maya, which he already possessed before his
+incarnation. It was by this divine power, which is also called the "Holy
+Ghost," that he became the Saviour, the Kung-teng, the Anointed or
+Messiah, to whom prophecies had pointed. Buddha was regarded as the
+supernatural light of the world; and this world to which he came was his
+own, his possession, for he is styled: "The Lord of the World."[300:1]
+
+"Gautama Buddha taught that all men are brothers;[300:2] that charity
+ought to be extended to all, even to enemies; that men ought to love
+truth and hate the lie; that good works ought not be done openly, but
+rather in secret; that the dangers of riches are to be avoided; that
+man's highest aim ought to be purity in thought, word and deed, since
+the higher beings are pure, whose nature is akin to that of man."[300:3]
+
+"Sakya-Muni healed the sick, performed miracles and taught his doctrines
+to the poor. He selected his first disciples among laymen, and even two
+women, the mother and wife of his first convert, the sick Yasa, became
+his followers. He subjected himself to the religious obligations imposed
+by the recognized authorities, avoided strife, and illustrated his
+doctrines by his life."[300:4]
+
+It is said that eighty thousand followers of Buddha went forth from
+Hindostan, as missionaries to other lands; and the traditions of various
+countries are full of legends concerning their benevolence, holiness,
+and miraculous power. His religion has never been propagated by the
+sword. It has been effected entirely by the influence of peaceable and
+persevering devotees.[300:5] The era of the Siamese is the death of
+Buddha. In Ceylon, they date from the introduction of his religion into
+their island. It is supposed to be more extensively adopted than any
+religion that ever existed. Its votaries are computed at four hundred
+millions; more than one-third of the whole human race.[300:6]
+
+There is much contradiction among writers concerning the _date_ of the
+Buddhist religion. This confusion arises from the fact that there are
+several Buddhas,[301:1] objects of worship; because the word is not a
+name, but a title, signifying an extraordinary degree of holiness. Those
+who have examined the subject most deeply have generally agreed that
+Buddha Sakai, from whom the religion takes its name, must have been a
+real, historical personage, who appeared many centuries before the time
+assigned for the birth of Christ Jesus.[301:2] There are many things to
+confirm this supposition. In some portions of India, his religion
+appears to have flourished for a long time side by side with that of the
+Brahmans. This is shown by the existence of many ancient temples, some
+of them cut in subterranean rock, with an immensity of labor, which it
+must have required a long period to accomplish. In those old temples,
+his statues represent him with hair knotted all over his head, which was
+a very ancient custom with the anchorites of Hindostan, before the
+practice of shaving the head was introduced among their devotees.[301:3]
+His religion is also mentioned in one of the very ancient epic poems of
+India. The severity of the persecution indicates that their numbers and
+influence had became formidable to the Brahmans, who had everything to
+fear from a sect which abolished hereditary priesthood, and allowed the
+holy of all castes to become teachers.[301:4]
+
+It may be observed that in speaking of the pre-existence of Buddha in
+heaven--his birth of a virgin--the songs of the angels at his birth--his
+recognition as a divine child--his disputation with the doctors--his
+temptation in the wilderness--his transfiguration on the Mount--his life
+of preaching and working miracles--and finally, his ascension into
+heaven, we referred to Prof. Samuel Beal's "History of Buddha," as one
+of our authorities. This work is simply a translation of the
+"_Fo-pen-hing_," made by Professor Beal from a Chinese copy, in the
+"Indian Office Library."
+
+Now, in regard to the antiquity of this work, we will quote the words
+of the translator in speaking on this subject.
+
+First, he says:
+
+     "_We know_ that the _Fo-pen-hing_ was translated into Chinese
+     from _Sanscrit_ (the ancient language of _Hindostan_) so early
+     as the eleventh year of the reign of Wing-ping (Ming-ti), of
+     the Han dynasty, _i. e._, 69 or 70 A. D. _We may, therefore,
+     safely suppose that the original work was in circulation in
+     India for some time previous to this date._"[302:1]
+
+Again, he says:
+
+     "There can be no doubt that the present work (_i. e._ the
+     Fo-pen-hing, or Hist. of Buddha) contains as a woof (so to
+     speak) some of the earliest verses (Gathas) in which the
+     History of Buddha was sung, _long before the work itself was
+     penned_.
+
+     "These Gathas were evidently composed in different Prakrit
+     forms (during a period of disintegration) _before the more
+     modern type of Sanscrit_ was fixed by the rules of Panini, and
+     the popular epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana."[302:2]
+
+Again, in speaking of the points of resemblance in the history of Buddha
+and Jesus, he says:
+
+     "These points of agreement with the Gospel narrative naturally
+     arouse curiosity _and require explanation_. If we could prove
+     that they (the legends related of Buddha) were unknown in the
+     East for some centuries _after_ Christ, the explanation would
+     be easy. _But all the evidence we have goes to prove the
+     contrary._
+
+     "It would be a natural inference that many of the events in
+     the legend of Buddha were borrowed from the Apocryphal
+     Gospels, if we were quite certain that these Apocryphal
+     Gospels had not borrowed from it. How then may we explain the
+     matter? It would be better at once to say that in our present
+     state of knowledge there is no complete explanation to
+     offer."[302:3]
+
+There certainly is no "complete explanation" to be offered by one who
+attempts to uphold the historical accuracy of the New Testament. The
+"Devil" and "Type" theories having vanished, like all theories built on
+sand, nothing now remains for the honest man to do but acknowledge the
+truth, which is, _that the history of Jesus of Nazareth as related in
+the books of the New Testament, is simply a copy of that of Buddha, with
+a mixture of mythology borrowed from other nations_. Ernest de Bunsen
+almost acknowledges this when he says:
+
+     "With the remarkable exception of the death of Jesus on the
+     cross, and of the doctrine of atonement by vicarious
+     suffering, which is absolutely excluded by Buddhism, the _most
+     ancient_ of the Buddhistic records known to us contain
+     statements about the life and the doctrines of Gautama Buddha
+     which correspond in a remarkable manner, _and impossibly by
+     mere chance_, with the traditions recorded in the Gospels
+     about the life and doctrines of Jesus Christ. It is still more
+     strange that these Buddhistic legends about Gautama _as the
+     Angel-Messiah_ refer to a doctrine which we find only in the
+     Epistles of Paul and in the fourth Gospel. This can be
+     explained by the assumption of a common source of revelation;
+     but then the serious question must be considered, why the
+     doctrine of the Angel-Messiah, supposing it to have been
+     revealed, and which we find in the East and in the West, is
+     not contained in any of the Scriptures of the Old Testament
+     which can possibly have been written before the Babylonian
+     Captivity, nor in the first three Gospels. _Can the systematic
+     keeping-back of essential truth be attributed to God or to
+     man?_"[303:1]
+
+Beside the work referred to above as being translated by Prof. Beal,
+there is another copy originally composed in verse. This was translated
+by the learned Fonceau, who gives it an antiquity of _two thousand
+years_, "although the original treatise must be attributed to an earlier
+date."[303:2]
+
+In regard to the teachings of Buddha, which correspond so strikingly
+with those of Jesus, Prof. Rhys Davids, says:
+
+     "With regard to Gautama's teaching we have more reliable
+     authority than we have with regard to his life. It is true
+     that none of the books of the Three Pitakas can at present be
+     satisfactorily traced back before the Council of Asoka, held
+     at Patna, about 250 B. C., that is to say, at least one
+     hundred and thirty years after the death of the teacher; but
+     they undoubtedly contain a great deal of much older
+     matter."[303:3]
+
+Prof. Max Mueller says:
+
+     "Between the language of Buddha and his disciples, and the
+     language of Christ and his apostles, there are strange
+     coincidences. Even some of the Buddhist legends and parables
+     sound as if taken from the New Testament; _though we know that
+     many of them existed before the beginning of the Christian
+     Era_."[303:4]
+
+Just as many of the myths related of the Hindoo Saviour Crishna were
+_previously current_ regarding some of the Vedic gods, so likewise, many
+of the myths _previously current_ regarding the god _Sumana_, worshiped
+both on Adam's peak, and at the cave of Dambulla, _were added to the
+Buddha myth_.[303:5] Much of the legend which was transferred to the
+Buddha, had previously existed, and had clustered around the idea of a
+_Chakrawarti_.[303:6] Thus we see that the legend of _Christ_ Buddha, as
+with the legend of _Christ_ Jesus, _existed before his time_.[303:7]
+
+We have established the fact then--_and no man can produce better
+authorities_--that Buddha and Buddhism, which correspond in such a
+remarkable manner with Jesus and Christianity, were long anterior to the
+Christian era. Now, as Ernest de Bunsen says, this remarkable similarity
+in the histories of the founders and their religion, could not possibly
+happen by chance.
+
+Whenever two religious or legendary histories of mythological personages
+resemble each other so completely as do the histories and teachings of
+Buddha and Jesus, the older must be the parent, and the younger the
+child. We must therefore conclude that, since the history of Buddha and
+Buddhism is very much older than that of Jesus and Christianity, the
+Christians are incontestably _either sectarians or plagiarists of the
+religion of the Buddhists_.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[289:1] Maya, and Mary, as we have already seen, are one and the same
+name.
+
+[289:2] See chap. xii. Buddha is considered to be an incarnation of
+Vishnu, although he preached against the doctrines of the Brahmans. The
+adoption of Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu was really owning to the
+desire of the Brahmans to effect a compromise with Buddhism. (See
+Williams' Hinduism, pp. 82 and 108.)
+
+"Buddha was brought forth not from the matrix, but from the right side,
+of a virgin." (De Guignes: Hist. des Huns, tom. i. p. 224.)
+
+"Some of the (Christian) heretics maintained that Christ was born from
+the side of his mother." (Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 157.)
+
+"In the eyes of the Buddhists, this personage is sometimes a man and
+sometimes a god, or rather both one and the other, a divine incarnation,
+a man-god; who came into the world to enlighten men, to redeem them, and
+to indicate to them the way of safety. This idea of redemption by a
+divine incarnation is so general and popular among the Buddhists, that
+during our travels in Upper Asia, we everywhere found it expressed in a
+neat formula. If we addressed to a Mongol or Thibetan the question, 'Who
+is Buddha?' he would immediately reply, 'The Saviour of Men.'" (M.
+L'Abbe Huc: Travels, vol. i. p. 326.)
+
+"The miraculous birth of Buddha, his life and instructions, contain a
+great number of the moral and dogmatic truths professed in
+Christianity." (Ibid. p. 327.)
+
+"He in mercy left paradise, and came down to earth because he was filled
+with compassion for the sins and misery of mankind. He sought to lead
+them into better paths, and took their sufferings upon himself, that he
+might expiate their crimes, and mitigate the punishment they must
+otherwise inevitably undergo." (L. Maria Child.)
+
+[289:3] Matt. ch. i.
+
+[289:4] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, pp. 10, 25 and 44. Also, ch. xiii.
+this work.
+
+[290:1] "As a spirit in the fourth heaven he resolves to give up all
+that glory in order to be born in the world for the purpose of rescuing
+all men from their misery and every future consequence of it: he vows to
+deliver all men who are left as it were without a _Saviour_." (Bunsen:
+The Angel-Messiah, p. 20.)
+
+[290:2] See King's Gnostics, p. 168, and Hardy's Manual of Buddhism, p.
+144.
+
+[290:3] See chap. xii. _note_ 2, page 117.
+
+"On a painted glass of the sixteenth century, found in the church of
+Jouy, a little village in France, the Virgin is represented standing,
+her hands clasped in prayer, and the naked body of the child in the same
+attitude appears upon her stomach, apparently supposed to be seen
+through the garments and body of the mother. M. Drydon saw at Lyons a
+Salutation painted on shutters, in which the two infants (Jesus and
+John) likewise depicted on their mothers' stomachs, were also saluting
+each other. This precisely corresponds to Buddhist accounts of the
+Boddhisattvas ante-natal proceedings." (Viscount Amberly: Analysis of
+Relig. Belief, p. 224, _note_.)
+
+[290:4] See chap. xiii.
+
+[290:5] Matt. ii. 1, 2.
+
+[290:6] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. x.
+
+[290:7] We show, in our chapter on "The Birth-Day of Christ Jesus," that
+this was not the case. This day was adopted by his followers long after
+his death.
+
+[290:8] "_Devas_," _i. e._, angels.
+
+[290:9] See chap. xiv.
+
+[290:10] Luke, ii. 13, 14.
+
+[290:11] See chap. xv.
+
+[290:12] Matt. ii. 1-11.
+
+[290:13] See chap. xi.
+
+[290:14] Matt. ii. 11.
+
+[290:15] See Hardy's Manual of Buddhism, pp. 145, 146.
+
+[290:16] Gospel of Infancy, _Apoc._, i. 3. No sooner was _Apollo_ born
+than he spoke to his virgin-mother, declaring that he should teach to
+men the councils of his heavenly father Zeus. (See Cox: Aryan Mythology,
+vol. ii. p. 22.) _Hermes_ spoke to his mother as soon as he was born,
+and, according to Jewish tradition, so did _Moses_. (See Hardy's Manual
+of Buddhism, p. 145.)
+
+[291:1] See Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 103, 104.
+
+[291:2] See Matt. ii. 1.
+
+[291:3] That is, provided he was the expected Messiah, who was to be a
+mighty prince and warrior, and who was to rule his people Israel.
+
+[291:4] See Hardy's Manual of Buddhism; Bunsen's Angel-Messiah; Beal's
+Hist. Buddha, and other works on Buddhism.
+
+This was a common myth. For instance: A Brahman called _Dashthaka_, a
+"_heaven descended mortal_," after his birth, _without any human
+instruction whatever_, was able thoroughly to explain the four _Vedas_,
+the collective body of the sacred writings of the Hindoos, which were
+considered as directly revealed by Brahma. (See Beal's Hist. Buddha, p.
+48.)
+
+_Confucius_, the miraculous-born Chinese sage, was a wonderful child. At
+the age of seven he went to a public school, the superior of which was a
+person of eminent wisdom and piety. The faculty with which Confucius
+imbibed the lessons of his master, the ascendency which he acquired
+amongst his fellow pupils, and the superiority of his genius and
+capacity, raised universal admiration. He appeared to acquire knowledge
+_intuitively_, and his mother found it superfluous to teach him what
+"heaven had already engraven upon his heart." (See Thornton's Hist.
+China, vol. i. p. 153.)
+
+[291:5] See Infancy, _Apoc._, xx. 11, and Luke, ii. 46, 47.
+
+[291:6] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 37, and Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp.
+67-69.
+
+[291:7] See Infancy, _Apoc._, xxi. 1, 2, and Luke, ii. 41-48.
+
+[291:8] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 37, and Beal: Hist. Bud. 67-69.
+
+[291:9] Nicodemus, _Apoc._, ch. i. 20.
+
+[292:1] R. Spence Hardy, in Manual of Buddhism.
+
+[292:2] See chap. xvii.
+
+[292:3] "_Mara_" is the "Author of Evil," the "King of Death," the "God
+of the World of Pleasure," &c., _i. e._, the _Devil_. (See Beal: Hist.
+Buddha, p. 36.)
+
+[292:4] See ch. xix.
+
+[292:5] Matt. iv. 1-18.
+
+[292:6] See ch. xix.
+
+[292:7] Matt. iv. 8-19.
+
+[292:8] See ch. xix.
+
+[292:9] Luke, iv. 8.
+
+[292:10] See ch. xix.
+
+[292:11] Matt. iv. 11.
+
+[292:12] See ch. xix.
+
+[292:13] Matt. iv. 2.
+
+[292:14] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 45.
+
+[292:15] Matt. iii. 13-17.
+
+[292:16] Matt. xvii. 1, 2.
+
+[293:1] This has evidently an allusion to the Trinity. Buddha, as an
+incarnation of Vishnu, would be one god and yet three, three gods and
+yet one. (See the chapter on the _Trinity_.)
+
+[293:2] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 45, and Beal: Hist. Buddha, p.
+177.
+
+_Iamblichus_, the great _Neo-Platonic mystic_, was at one time
+_transfigured_. According to the report of his servants, _while in
+prayer to the gods_, his body and clothes were changed to a beautiful
+gold color, but after he ceased from prayer, his body became as before.
+He then returned to the society of his followers. (Primitive Culture, i.
+136, 137.)
+
+[293:3] See ch. xxvii.
+
+[293:4] See that recorded in Matt. viii. 28-34.
+
+[293:5] See ch. xxiii.
+
+[293:6] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 49.
+
+[293:7] See Matt. xxviii. John, xx.
+
+[293:8] See chap. xxiii.
+
+[293:9] See Acts, i. 9-12.
+
+[293:10] See ch. xxiv.
+
+[293:11] See Ibid.
+
+[293:12] See ch. xxv.
+
+[293:13] Matt. xvi. 27; John, v. 22.
+
+[293:14] "Buddha, the Angel-Messiah, was regarded as the divinely chosen
+and incarnate messenger, the vicar of God, and God himself on earth."
+(Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 33. See also, our chap. xxvi.)
+
+[293:15] Rev. i. 8; xxii. 13.
+
+[293:16] John, i. 1. Titus, ii. 13. Romans, ix. 5. Acts, vii. 59, 60.
+
+[293:17] Mueller: Hist. Sanscrit Literature, p. 80.
+
+[293:18] This is according to Christian dogma:
+
+     "Jesus paid it all,
+        All to him is due,
+      Nothing, either great or small,
+        Remains for me to do."
+
+[293:19] Mueller: Science of Religion, p. 28.
+
+[293:20] "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of
+them: otherwise ye have no reward of your father which is in heaven."
+(Matt. vi. 1.)
+
+[293:21] "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
+that ye may be healed." (James, v. 16.)
+
+[294:1] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, pp. x. and 39.
+
+[294:2] "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh
+into the world." (John, i. 9.)
+
+[294:3] Matt. iv. 1; Mark, i. 13; Luke, iv. 2.
+
+[294:4] Mueller: Science of Religion, p. 140.
+
+[294:5] Matt. v. 17.
+
+[294:6] Mueller: Science of Religion, p. 243. See also, Bunsen's
+Angel-Messiah, pp. 47, 48, and Amberly's Analysis, p. 285.
+
+[294:7] John, iv. 1-11.
+
+Just as the Samaritan woman wondered that Jesus, a Jew, should ask drink
+of _her_, one of a nation with whom the Jews had no dealings, so this
+young Matangi warned Ananda of her caste, which rendered it unlawful for
+her to approach a monk. And as Jesus continued, nevertheless, to
+converse with the woman, so Ananda did not shrink from this outcast
+damsel. And as the disciples "marvelled" that Jesus should have
+conversed with this member of a despised race, so the respectable
+Brahmans and householders who adhered to Brahmanism were scandalized to
+learn that the young Matangi had been admitted to the order of
+mendicants.
+
+[294:8] Mueller: Religion of Science, p. 249.
+
+[294:9] Matt. v. 44.
+
+[294:10] Hardy: Eastern Monachism, p. 6.
+
+[294:11] See Matt. iv. 13-25.
+
+[294:12] "And there followed him great multitudes of people." (Matt. iv.
+25.)
+
+[294:13] Hardy: Eastern Monachism, pp. 6 and 62 _et seq._
+
+While at Rajageiha Buddha called together his followers and addressed
+them at some length on the means requisite for Buddhist salvation. This
+sermon was summed up in the celebrated verse:
+
+     "To cease from all sin,
+      To get virtue,
+      To cleanse one's own heart--
+      This is the religion of the Buddhas."
+
+                             --(Rhys David's Buddha, p. 62.)
+
+
+
+[294:14] See Matt. viii. 19, 20; xvi. 25-28.
+
+[295:1] Mueller: Science of Religion, p. 27.
+
+[295:2] Hardy: Eastern Monachism, p. 230.
+
+"Gautama Buddha is said to have announced to his disciples that the time
+of his departure had come: 'Arise, let us go hence, my time is come.'
+Turned toward the East and with folded arms he prayed to the highest
+spirit who inhabits the region of purest light, to Maha-Brahma, to the
+king in heaven, to Devaraja, who from his throne looked down on Gautama,
+and appeared to him in a self-chosen personality." (Bunsen: The
+Angel-Messiah. Compare with Matt. xxvi. 36-47.)
+
+[295:3] "Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying,
+Master, we would see a sign from thee." (Matt. xii. 38.)
+
+[295:4] See Matt. xxiv; Mark, viii. 31; Luke, ix. 18.
+
+[295:5] Mark, xxviii. 18-20.
+
+Buddha at one time said to his disciples: "Go ye now, and preach the
+most excellent law, expounding every point thereof, and unfolding it
+with care and attention in all its bearings and particulars. Explain the
+beginning, the middle, and the end of the law, to all men without
+exception; let everything respecting it be made publicly known and
+brought to the broad daylight." (Rhys David's Buddhism, p. 55, 56.)
+
+When Buddha, just before his death, took his last formal farewell of his
+assembled followers, he said unto them: "Oh mendicants, thoroughly
+learn, and practice, and perfect, and spread abroad the law thought out
+and revealed by me, in order that this religion of mine may last long,
+and be perpetuated for the good and happiness of the great multitudes,
+out of pity for the world, to the advantage and prosperity of gods and
+men." (Ibid. p. 172.)
+
+[295:6] Mueller: Science of Religion, p. 244.
+
+[295:7] Matt. xix. 16-21.
+
+[295:8] Matt. vi. 19, 20.
+
+[296:1] Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. x, _note_.
+
+[296:2] Matt. iv. 17.
+
+[296:3] _i. e._, to establish the dominion of religion. (See Beal: p.
+244, _note_.)
+
+[296:4] The Jerusalem, the Rome, or the Mecca of India.
+
+This celebrated city of Benares, which has a population of 200,000, out
+of which at least 25,000 are Brahmans, was probably one of the first to
+acquire a fame for sanctity, and it has always maintained its reputation
+as the most sacred spot in all India. Here, in this fortress of
+Hindooism, Brahmanism displays itself in all its plentitude and power.
+Here the degrading effect of idolatry is visibly demonstrated as it is
+nowhere else except in the extreme south of India. Here, temples, idols,
+and symbols, sacred wells, springs, and pools, are multiplied beyond all
+calculation. Here every particle of ground is believed to be hallowed,
+and the very air holy. The number of temples is at least two thousand,
+not counting innumerable smaller shrines. In the principal temple of
+Siva, called Visvesvara, are collected in one spot several thousand
+idols and symbols, the whole number scattered throughout the city,
+being, it is thought, at least half a million.
+
+Benares, indeed, must always be regarded as the Hindoo's Jerusalem. The
+desire of a pious man's life is to accomplish at least one pilgrimage to
+what he regards as a portion of heaven let down upon earth; and if he
+can die within the holy circuit of the Pancakosi stretching with a
+radius of ten miles around the city--nay, if any human being die there,
+be he Asiatic or European--no previously incurred guilt, however
+heinous, can prevent his attainment of celestial bliss.
+
+[296:5] Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. 245.
+
+[296:6] Matt. iv. 13-17.
+
+[296:7] Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. 11.
+
+[296:8] John, i. 17.
+
+[296:9] Luke, xxi. 32, 33.
+
+[296:10] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 228.
+
+[296:11] Matt. v. 27, 28.
+
+On one occasion Buddha preached a sermon on the five senses and the
+heart (which he regarded as a sixth organ of sense), which pertained to
+guarding against the passion of lust. Rhys Davids, who, in speaking of
+this sermon, says: "One may pause and wonder at finding such a sermon
+preached so early in the history of the world--more than 400 years
+before the rise of Christianity--and among a people who have long been
+thought peculiarly idolatrous and sensual." (Buddhism, p. 60.)
+
+[297:1] Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 138.
+
+[297:2] I. Corinth. vii. 1-7.
+
+[297:3] Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 103.
+
+[297:4] John, ix. 1, 2.
+
+This is the doctrine of transmigration clearly taught. If this man was
+born blind, as punishment for some sin committed by him, this sin must
+have been committed in _some former birth_.
+
+[297:5] Hardy: Buddhist Legends, p. 181.
+
+[297:6] See the story of his conversation with the woman of Samaria.
+(John, iv. 1.) And with the woman who was cured of the "bloody issue."
+(Matt. ix. 20.)
+
+[297:7] Mueller: Science of Religion, p. 245.
+
+[297:8] Matt. v. 29.
+
+[297:9] Hardy: Buddhist Legends, p. 134.
+
+[297:10] Matt. xxi. 1-9.
+
+_Bacchus_ rode in a triumphal procession, on approaching the city of
+_Thebes_. "Pantheus, the king, who had no respect for the new worship
+(instituted by Bacchus) forbade its rites to be performed. But when it
+was known that Bacchus was advancing, men and women, but chiefly the
+latter, young and old, poured forth to meet him and to join his
+triumphal march. . . . It was in vain Pantheus remonstrated, commanded
+and threatened. 'Go,' said he to his attendants, 'seize this vagabond
+leader of the rout and bring him to me. I will soon make him confess his
+false claim of heavenly parentage and renounce his counterfeit
+worship.'" (Bulfinch: Age of Fable, p. 222. Compare with Matt. xxvi.;
+Luke, xxii.; John xviii.)
+
+[297:11] "There are few names among the men of the West that stand forth
+as saliently as Gotama Buddha, in the annals of the East. In little more
+than two centuries from his decease the system he established had spread
+throughout the whole of India, overcoming opposition the most
+formidable, and binding together the most discordant elements; and at
+the present moment Buddhism is the prevailing religion, under various
+modifications, of Tibet, Nepal, Siam, Burma, Japan, and South Ceylon;
+and in China it has a position of at least equal prominence with its two
+great rivals, Confucianism and Taouism. A long time its influence
+extended throughout nearly three-fourths of Asia; from the steppes of
+Tartary to the palm groves of Ceylon, and from the vale of Cashmere to
+the isles of Japan." (R. Spence Hardy: Buddhist Leg. p. xi.)
+
+[298:1] "Gautama was _very early_ regarded as omniscient, and absolutely
+sinless. His perfect wisdom is declared by the ancient epithet of
+_Samma-sambuddha_, 'the Completely Enlightened One;' found at the
+commencement of every Pali text; and at the present day, in Ceylon, the
+usual way in which Gautama is styled is _Sarwajnan-wahanse_,' the
+Venerable Omniscient One.' From his perfect wisdom, according to
+Buddhist belief, _his sinlessness would follow as a matter of course_.
+He was the first and the greatest of the Arahats. _As a consequence of
+this doctrine_ the belief soon sprang up that he could not have been,
+that he was not, born as ordinary men are; that he had no earthly
+father; that he descended of his own accord into his mother's womb from
+his throne in heaven; and that he gave unmistakable signs, immediately
+after his birth of his high character and of his future greatness."
+(Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 162.)
+
+[299:1] Gautama Buddha left behind him no written works, but the
+Buddhists believe that he composed works which his immediate disciples
+learned by heart in his life-time, and which were handed down by memory
+in their original state until they were committed to writing. This is
+not impossible: it is known that the _Vedas_ were handed down in this
+manner for many hundreds of years, and none would now dispute the
+enormous powers of memory to which Indian priests and monks attained,
+when written books were not invented, or only used as helps to memory.
+Even though they are well acquainted with writing, the monks in Ceylon
+do not use books in their religions services, but, repeat, for instance,
+the whole of the _Patimokkha_ on Uposatha (Sabbath) days by heart. (See
+Rhys Davids' Buddhism, pp. 9, 10.)
+
+[299:2] Compare this with the names, titles, and characters given to
+Jesus. He is called the "Deliverer," (Acts, vii. 35); the "First
+Begotten" (Rev. i. 5); "God blessed forever" (Rom. ix. 5); the "Holy
+One" (Luke, iv. 34; Acts, iii. 14); the "King Everlasting" (Luke, i.
+33); "King of Kings" (Rev. xvii. 14); "Lamb of God" (John, i. 29, 36);
+"Lord of Glory" (I. Cor. ii. 8); "Lord of Lords" (Rev. xvii. 14); "Lion
+of the tribe of Judah" (Rev. v. 5); "Maker and Preserver of all things"
+(John, i. 3, 10; I. Cor. viii. 6; Col. i. 16); "Prince of Peace" (Isai.
+ix. 6); "Redeemer," "Saviour," "Mediator," "Word," &c., &c.
+
+[300:1] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 41.
+
+[300:2] "He joined to his gifts as a thinker a prophetic ardor and
+missionary zeal which prompted him to popularize his doctrine, and to
+preach to all without exception, men and women, high and low, ignorant
+and learned alike." (Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 53.)
+
+[300:3] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 45.
+
+[300:4] Ibid. p. 46.
+
+[300:5] "The success of Buddhism was in great part due to the reverence
+the Buddha inspired by his own personal character. He practiced honestly
+what he preached enthusiastically. He was sincere, energetic, earnest,
+self-sacrificing, and devout. Adherents gathered in thousands around the
+person of the consistent preacher, and the Buddha himself became the
+real centre of Buddhism." (Williams' Hinduism, p. 102.)
+
+[300:6] "It may be said to be the prevailing religion of the world. Its
+adherents are estimated at _four hundred millions_, more than a third of
+the human race." (Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Buddhism." See also,
+Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 251.)
+
+[301:1] It should be understood that the Buddha of this chapter, and in
+fact, the Buddha of _this_ work, is _Gautama_ Buddha, the Sakya Prince.
+According to Buddhist belief there have been many different Buddhas on
+earth. _The names_ of _twenty-four_ of the Buddhas who appeared previous
+to Gautama have been handed down to us. The _Buddhavansa_ or "History of
+the Buddhas," gives the lives of all the previous Buddhas before
+commencing the account of Gautama himself. (See Rhys Davids' Buddhism,
+pp. 179, 180.)
+
+[301:2] "The date usually fixed for Buddha's death is 543 B. C. Whether
+this precise year for one of the greatest epochs in the religious
+history of the human race can be accepted is doubtful, but it is
+tolerably certain that Buddhism arose in Behar and Eastern Hindustan
+about five centuries B. C.; and that it spread with great rapidity, _not
+by force of arms, or coercion of any kind_, like Muhammedanism, but by
+the sheer persuasiveness of its doctrine." (Monier Williams' Hinduism,
+p. 72.)
+
+[301:3] "Of the high antiquity of Buddhism there is much collateral as
+well as direct evidence--evidence that neither internecine nor foreign
+strife, not even religious persecution, has been able to destroy. . . .
+Witness the gigantic images in the caves of Elephanta, near Bombay and
+those of Lingi Sara, in the interior of Java, all of which are known to
+have been in existence at least four centuries prior to our Lord's
+advent." (The Mammoth Religion.)
+
+[301:4] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 250.
+
+[302:1] Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. vi.
+
+[302:2] Ibid. pp. x. and xi.
+
+[302:3] Ibid. pp. vii., ix. and _note_.
+
+[303:1] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 50.
+
+[303:2] Quoted by Prof. Beal: Hist. Buddha, p. viii.
+
+[303:3] Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 86.
+
+[303:4] Science of Religion, p. 243.
+
+[303:5] Rhys Davids' Buddhism.
+
+[303:6] Ibid. p. 184.
+
+"It is surprising," says Rhys Davids, "that, like Romans worshiping
+Augustus, or Greeks adding the glow of the sun-myth to the glory of
+Alexander, the Indians should have formed an ideal of their Chakravarti,
+and transferred to this new ideal many of the dimly sacred and half
+understood traits of the Vedic heroes? Is it surprising that the
+Buddhists should have found it edifying to recognize in _their_ hero the
+Chakravarti of Righteousness, and that the story of the Buddha should be
+tinged with the coloring of these Chakravarti myths?" (Ibid. Buddhism,
+p. 220.)
+
+[303:7] In Chapter xxxix., we shall explain the _origin_ of these myths.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+
+THE EUCHARIST OR LORD'S SUPPER.
+
+
+We are informed by the _Matthew_ narrator that when Jesus was eating his
+last supper with the disciples,
+
+     "He took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to
+     the disciples, and said, Take, eat, _this is my body_. And he
+     took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
+     drink ye all of it, _for this is my blood_ of the New
+     Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of
+     sins."[305:1]
+
+According to Christian belief, Jesus _instituted_ this
+"_Sacrament_"[305:2]--as it is called--and it was observed by the
+primitive Christians, as he had enjoined them; but we shall find that
+this breaking of bread, and drinking of wine,--_supposed to be the body
+and blood of a god_[305:3]--is simply another piece of Paganism imbibed
+by the Christians.
+
+The _Eucharist_ was instituted many hundreds of years before the time
+assigned for the birth of Christ Jesus. Cicero, the greatest orator of
+Rome, and one of the most illustrious of her statesmen, born in the year
+106 B. C., mentions it in his works, and wonders at the strangeness of
+the rite. "How can a man be so stupid," says he, "as to imagine that
+which he eats to be a God?" There had been an esoteric meaning attached
+to it from the first establishment of the _mysteries_ among the Pagans,
+and the Eucharistia is one of the oldest rites of antiquity.
+
+The adherents of the Grand Lama in Thibet and Tartary offer to their god
+a sacrament of _bread and wine_.[305:4]
+
+P. Andrada La Crozius, a French missionary, and one of the first
+Christians who went to Nepaul and Thibet, says in his "History of
+India:"
+
+     "Their Grand Lama celebrates a species of sacrifice with
+     _bread_ and _wine_, in which, after taking a small quantity
+     himself, he distributes the rest among the Lamas present at
+     this ceremony."[306:1]
+
+In certain rites both in the _Indian_ and the _Parsee_ religions, the
+devotees drink the juice of the Soma, or _Haoma_ plant. They consider it
+a _god_ as well as a plant, just as the wine of the Christian sacrament
+is considered both the juice of the grape, and the blood of the
+Redeemer.[306:2] Says Mr. Baring-Gould:
+
+     "Among the ancient Hindoos, _Soma_ was a chief deity; he is
+     called 'the Giver of Life and of health,' the 'Protector,' he
+     who is 'the Guide to Immortality.' He became incarnate among
+     men, was taken by them and slain, and brayed in a mortar. But
+     he rose in flame to heaven, to be the 'Benefactor of the
+     World,' and the 'Mediator between God and Man.' Through
+     communion with him in his sacrifice, man, (who partook of this
+     god), has an assurance of immortality, for by that _sacrament_
+     he obtains union with his divinity."[306:3]
+
+The ancient _Egyptians_--as we have seen--annually celebrated the
+_Resurrection_ of their God and Saviour _Osiris_, at which time they
+commemorated his death by the _Eucharist_, eating the sacred cake, or
+wafer, _after it had been consecrated by the priest, and become
+veritable flesh of his flesh_.[306:4] The bread, after sacerdotal rites,
+became mystically the body of _Osiris_, and, in such a manner, _they ate
+their god_.[306:5] Bread and wine were brought to the temples by the
+worshipers, as offerings.[306:6]
+
+The _Therapeutes_ or _Essenes_, whom we believe to be of Buddhist
+origin, and who lived in large numbers in Egypt, also had the ceremony
+of the sacrament among them.[306:7] Most of them, however, being
+temperate, substituted water for wine, while others drank a mixture of
+water and wine.
+
+Pythagoras, the celebrated Grecian philosopher, who was born about the
+year 570 B. C., performed this ceremony of the _sacrament_.[306:8] He is
+supposed to have visited Egypt, and there availed himself of all such
+mysterious lore as the priests could be induced to impart. He and his
+followers practiced asceticism, and peculiarities of diet and clothing,
+similar to the Essenes, which has led some scholars to believe that he
+instituted the order, but this is evidently not the case.
+
+The Kenite "King of Righteousness," _Melchizedek_, "a priest of the Most
+High God," brought out BREAD _and_ WINE as a _sign_ or _symbol_ of
+worship; as _the mystic elements of Divine presence_. In the visible
+symbol of _bread and wine_ they worshiped _the invisible presence of the
+Creator of heaven and earth_.[307:1]
+
+To account for this, Christian divines have been much puzzled. The Rev.
+Dr. Milner says, in speaking of this passage:
+
+     "It was in offering up a sacrifice of bread and wine, instead
+     of slaughtered animals, that Melchizedek's sacrifice differed
+     from the generality of those in the old law, and that he
+     _prefigured_ the sacrifice which Christ was to _institute_ in
+     the new law from the same elements. No other sense than this
+     can be elicited from the Scripture as to this matter; and
+     accordingly the holy fathers unanimously adhere to this
+     meaning."[307:2]
+
+This style of reasoning is in accord with the TYPE theory concerning the
+Virgin-born, Crucified and Resurrected Saviours, but it is not
+altogether satisfactory. If it had been said that the religion of
+Melchizedek, and the religion of the Persians, were the _same_, there
+would be no difficulty in explaining the passage.
+
+Not only were bread and wine brought forth by Melchizedek when he
+blessed Abraham, but it was offered to God and eaten before him by
+Jethro and the elders of Israel, and some, at least, of the _mourning_
+Israelites broke bread and drank "the cup of consolation," in
+remembrance of the departed, "to comfort them for the dead."[307:3]
+
+It is in the ancient religion of Persia--the religion of Mithra, the
+Mediator, the Redeemer and Saviour--that we find the nearest resemblance
+to the sacrament of the Christians, and from which it was evidently
+borrowed. Those who were initiated into the mysteries of Mithra, or
+became _members_, took the sacrament of bread and wine.[307:4]
+
+M. Renan, speaking of _Mithraicism_, says:
+
+     "It had its mysterious meetings: its chapels, which bore a
+     strong resemblance to little churches. It forged a very
+     lasting bond of brotherhood between its initiates: it had a
+     _Eucharist_, a Supper so like the Christian Mysteries, that
+     good Justin Martyr, the Apologist, can find only one
+     explanation of the apparent identity, namely, that Satan, in
+     order to deceive the human race, determined to imitate the
+     Christian ceremonies, and so stole them."[307:5]
+
+The words of St. Justin, wherein he alludes to this ceremony, are as
+follows:
+
+     "The apostles, in the commentaries written by themselves,
+     which we call Gospels, have delivered down to us how that
+     Jesus thus commanded them: He having taken bread, _after he
+     had given thanks_,[308:1] said, Do this in commemoration of
+     me; this is my body. And having taken a cup, and returned
+     thanks, he said: This is my blood, and delivered it to them
+     alone. Which thing indeed the evil spirits have taught to be
+     done out of mimicry in the Mysteries and Initiatory rites of
+     Mithra.
+
+     "For you either know, or can know, that bread and a cup of
+     water (or wine) are given out, with certain incantations, in
+     the consecration of the person who is being initiated in the
+     Mysteries of Mithra."[308:2]
+
+This food they called the Eucharist, of which no one was allowed to
+partake but the persons who believed that the things they taught were
+true, and who had been washed with the washing that is for the remission
+of sin.[308:3] Tertullian, who flourished from 193 to 220 A. D., also
+speaks of the Mithraic devotees celebrating the Eucharist.[308:4]
+
+The Eucharist of the Lord and Saviour, as the Magi called Mithra, the
+second person in their Trinity, or their Eucharistic sacrifice, was
+always made exactly and in every respect the same as that of the
+orthodox Christians, for both sometimes used water instead of wine, or a
+mixture of the two.[308:5]
+
+The Christian Fathers often liken their rites to those of the Therapeuts
+(Essenes) and worshipers of Mithra. Here is Justin Martyr's account of
+Christian initiation:
+
+     "But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced
+     and assented to our teachings, bring him to the place where
+     those who are called _brethren_ are assembled, in order that
+     we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and the
+     _illuminated_ person. Having ended our prayers, we salute one
+     another with a kiss. There is then brought to the president of
+     the brethren _bread and a cup of wine mixed with water_. When
+     the president has given thanks, and all the people have
+     expressed their assent, those that are called by us _deacons_
+     give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine
+     mixed with water."[308:6]
+
+In the service of Edward the Sixth of England, water is directed to be
+mixed with the wine.[309:1] This is a union of the two; not a half
+measure, but a double one. If it be correct to take it with wine, then
+they were right; if with water, they still were right; as they took
+both, they could not be wrong.
+
+The _bread_, used in these Pagan Mysteries, was carried in _baskets_,
+which practice was also adopted by the Christians. St. Jerome, speaking
+of it, says:
+
+     "Nothing can be richer than one who carries _the body of
+     Christ_ (viz.: _the bread_) in a basket made of twigs."[309:2]
+
+The Persian Magi introduced the worship of Mithra into Rome, and his
+mysteries were solemnized in a _cave_. In the process of initiation
+there, candidates were also administered the sacrament of _bread and
+wine_, and were marked on the forehead with the sign of the
+cross.[309:3]
+
+The ancient _Greeks_ also had their "_Mysteries_," wherein they
+celebrated the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The Rev. Robert Taylor,
+speaking of this, says:
+
+     "The _Eleusinian_ Mysteries, or, Sacrament of the Lord's
+     Supper, was the most august of all the Pagan ceremonies
+     celebrated, more especially by the Athenians, every fifth
+     year,[309:4] in honor of _Ceres_, the goddess of corn, who, in
+     allegorical language, _had given us her flesh to eat_; as
+     _Bacchus_, the god of wine, in like sense, _had given us his
+     blood to drink_. . . .
+
+     "From these ceremonies is derived the very name attached to
+     our _Christian_ sacrament of the Lord's Supper,--'_those holy
+     Mysteries_;'--and not one or two, but absolutely all and every
+     one of the observances used in our Christian solemnity. Very
+     many of our forms of expression in that solemnity are
+     precisely the same as those that appertained to the Pagan
+     rite."[309:5]
+
+Prodicus (a Greek sophist of the 5th century B. C.) says that, the
+ancients worshiped _bread_ as Demeter (_Ceres_) and _wine_ as Dionysos
+(_Bacchus_);[309:6] therefore, when they ate the bread, and drank the
+wine, after it had been consecrated, they were doing as the Romanists
+claim to do at the present day, _i. e._, _eating the flesh and drinking
+the blood of their god_.[309:7]
+
+Mosheim, the celebrated ecclesiastical historian, acknowledges that:
+
+     "The profound respect that was paid to the Greek and Roman
+     _Mysteries_, and the extraordinary sanctity that was
+     attributed to them, induced the Christians of the second
+     century, to give _their_ religion a _mystic_ air, in order to
+     put it upon an equal footing in point of dignity, with that of
+     the Pagans. For this purpose they gave the name of _Mysteries_
+     to the institutions of the Gospels, and decorated particularly
+     the 'Holy Sacrament' with that title; they used the very terms
+     employed in the _Heathen Mysteries_, and adopted some of the
+     rites and ceremonies of which those renowned mysteries
+     consisted. This imitation began in the eastern provinces; but,
+     after the time of Adrian, who first introduced the mysteries
+     among the Latins, it was followed by the Christians who dwelt
+     in the western part of the empire. A great part, therefore, of
+     the service of the Church in this--the second--century, had a
+     certain air of the Heathen Mysteries, and resembled them
+     considerably in many particulars."[310:1]
+
+
+_Eleusinian Mysteries_ and _Christian Sacraments Compared_.
+
+1. "But as the benefit of Initiation was great, such as were convicted
+of witchcraft, murder, even though unintentional, or any other heinous
+crimes, were debarred from those mysteries."[310:2]
+
+     1. "For as the benefit is great, if, with a true penitent
+     heart and lively faith, we receive that holy sacrament, &c.,
+     if any be an open and notorious evil-liver, or hath done wrong
+     to his neighbor, &c., that he presume not to come to the
+     Lord's table."[310:3]
+
+2. "At their entrance, purifying themselves, by washing their hands in
+_holy water_, they were at the same time admonished to present
+themselves with pure minds, without which the external cleanness of the
+body would by no means be accepted."[310:4]
+
+     2. See the fonts of _holy water_ at the entrance of every
+     Catholic chapel in Christendom for the same purpose.
+
+     "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
+     faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
+     and our bodies washed with pure water."[310:5]
+
+3. "The priests who officiated in these sacred solemnities, were called
+Hierophants, or '_revealers of holy things_.'"[310:6]
+
+     3. The priests who officiate at these Christian solemnities
+     are supposed to be 'revealers of holy things.'
+
+4. The Pagan Priest dismissed their congregation with these words:
+
+          "_The Lord be with you._"[310:7]
+
+     4. The Christian priests dismiss their congregation with these
+     words:
+
+          "_The Lord be with you._"
+
+These Eleusinian Mysteries were accompanied with various rites,
+expressive of the purity and self-denial of the worshiper, and were
+therefore considered to be an expiation of past sins, and to place the
+initiated under the special protection of the awful and potent goddess
+who presided over them.[310:8]
+
+These _mysteries_ were, as we have said, also celebrated in honor of
+_Bacchus_ as well as _Ceres_. A consecrated cup of wine was handed
+around after supper, called the "Cup of the Agathodaemon"--the Good
+Divinity.[311:1] Throughout the whole ceremony, the name of the _Lord_
+was many times repeated, and his brightness or glory not only exhibited
+to the eye by the rays which surrounded his name (or his monogram, I. H.
+S.), but was made the peculiar theme or subject of their triumphant
+exultation.[311:2]
+
+The mystical wine and bread were used during the Mysteries of _Adonis_,
+the Lord and Saviour.[311:3] In fact, the communion of bread and wine
+was used in the worship of nearly every important deity.[311:4]
+
+The rites of _Bacchus_ were celebrated in the British Islands in heathen
+times,[311:5] and so were those of _Mithra_, which were spread over Gaul
+and Great Britain.[311:6] We therefore find that the ancient _Druids_
+offered the sacrament of bread and wine, during which ceremony they were
+dressed in white robes,[311:7] just as the Egyptian priests of Isis were
+in the habit of dressing, and as the priests of many Christian sects
+dress at the present day.
+
+Among some negro tribes in Africa there is a belief that "on eating and
+drinking consecrated food they eat and drink the god himself."[311:8]
+
+The ancient _Mexicans_ celebrated the mysterious sacrament of the
+Eucharist, called the "most holy supper," during which they ate the
+flesh of their god. The bread used at their Eucharist was made of _corn_
+meal, which they mixed with _blood_, instead of wine. This was
+_consecrated_ by the priest, and given to the people, who ate it with
+humility and penitence, _as the flesh of their god_.[311:9]
+
+Lord Kingsborough, in his "_Mexican Antiquities_," speaks of the ancient
+Mexicans as performing this sacrament; when they made a cake, which they
+called _Tzoalia_. The high priest blessed it in his manner, after which
+he broke it into pieces, and put it into certain very clean vessels. He
+then took a thorn of _maguery_, which resembles a thick needle, with
+which he took up with the utmost reverence single morsels, _which he put
+into the mouth of each individual, after the manner of a
+communion_.[311:10]
+
+The writer of the "Explanation of Plates of the _Codex
+Vaticanus_,"--which are copies of Mexican _hieroglyphics_--says:
+
+     "I am disposed to believe that these poor people have had the
+     knowledge of our mode of communion, or of the annunciation of
+     the gospel; or perhaps the _devil_, most envious of the honor
+     of God, may have led them into this superstition, in order
+     that by this ceremony he might be adored and served as Christ
+     our Lord."[312:1]
+
+The Rev. Father Acosta says:
+
+     "That which is most admirable in the hatred and presumption of
+     Satan is, that he hath not only counterfeited in idolatry and
+     sacrifice, but also in certain ceremonies, _our Sacraments_,
+     which Jesus Christ our Lord hath instituted and the holy
+     Church doth use, having especially pretended to imitate in
+     some sort the _Sacrament of the Communion_, which is the most
+     high and divine of all others."
+
+He then relates how the _Mexicans_ and _Peruvians_, in certain
+ceremonies, ate the flesh of their god, and called certain morsels of
+paste, "the flesh and bones of _Vitzilipuzlti_."
+
+     "After putting themselves in order about these morsels and
+     pieces of paste, they used certain ceremonies with singing, by
+     means whereof they (the pieces of paste) were blessed and
+     consecrated for the flesh and bones of this idol."[312:2]
+
+These facts show that the _Eucharist_ is another piece of Paganism
+adopted by the Christians. The story of Jesus and his disciples being at
+supper, where the Master did break bread, may be true, but the statement
+that he said, "Do this in remembrance of me,"--"this is my body," and
+"this is my blood," was undoubtedly invented to give authority to the
+_mystic_ ceremony, which had been borrowed from Paganism.
+
+Why should they do this in remembrance of Jesus? Provided he took this
+supper with his disciples--which the _John_ narrator denies[312:3]--he
+did not do anything on that occasion new or unusual among Jews. To
+pronounce the benediction, break the bread, and distribute pieces
+thereof to the persons at table, was, and is now, a common usage of the
+Hebrews. Jesus could not have commanded born Jews to do in remembrance
+of him what they already practiced, and what every religious Jew does to
+this day. The whole story is evidently a myth, as a perusal of it with
+the eye of a critic clearly demonstrates.
+
+The _Mark_ narrator informs us that Jesus sent two of his disciples to
+the city, and told them this:
+
+     "Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a
+     pitcher of water; follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in,
+     say ye to the _goodman_ of the house, The Master saith, Where
+     is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my
+     disciples? And he will show you a large upper room _furnished
+     and prepared_: there make ready for us. And his disciples went
+     forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto
+     them: and they made ready the passover."[313:1]
+
+The story of the passover or the last supper, seems to be introduced in
+this unusual manner to make it manifest that a divine power is
+interested in, and conducting the whole affair, parallels of which we
+find in the story of Elieser and Rebecca, where Rebecca is to identify
+herself in a manner pre-arranged by Elieser with God;[313:2] and also in
+the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, where by God's
+directions a journey is made, and the widow is found.[313:3]
+
+It suggests itself to our mind that this style of connecting a
+supernatural interest with human affairs was not entirely original with
+the Mark narrator. In this connection it is interesting to note that a
+man in Jerusalem should have had an unoccupied and _properly_ furnished
+room just at _that_ time, when two millions of pilgrims sojourned in and
+around the city. The man, it appears, was not distinguished either for
+wealth or piety, for his _name_ is not mentioned; he was not present at
+the supper, and no further reference is made to him. It appears rather
+that the Mark narrator imagined an ordinary man who had a furnished room
+to let for such purposes, and would imply that Jesus knew it
+_prophetically_. He had only to pass in his mind from Elijah to his
+disciple Elisha, for whom the great woman of Shunem had so richly
+furnished an upper chamber, to find a like instance.[313:4] _Why should
+not somebody have furnished also an upper chamber for the Messiah?_
+
+The Matthew narrator's account is free from these embellishments, and
+simply runs thus: Jesus said to some of his disciples--the number is not
+given--
+
+     "Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master
+     saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy
+     house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had
+     appointed them; and _they_ made ready the passover."[313:5]
+
+In this account, no pitcher, no water, no prophecy is mentioned.[313:6]
+
+It was many centuries before the genuine heathen doctrine of
+_Transubstantiation_--a change of the elements of the Eucharist into
+the _real_ body and blood of Christ Jesus--became a tenet of the
+Christian faith. This greatest of mysteries was developed gradually. As
+early as the second century, however, the seeds were planted, when we
+find Ignatius, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus advancing the opinion, that
+the mere bread and wine became, in the Eucharist, _something
+higher_--the earthly, something heavenly--without, however, ceasing to
+be bread and wine. Though these views were opposed by some eminent
+individual Christian teachers, yet both among the people and in the
+ritual of the Church, the miraculous or supernatural view of the Lord's
+Supper gained ground. After the third century the office of presenting
+the bread and wine came to be confined to the _ministers_ or _priests_.
+This practice arose from, and in turn strengthened, the notion which was
+gaining ground, that in this act of presentation by the priest, a
+sacrifice, similar to that once offered up in the death of Christ Jesus,
+though bloodless, was ever anew presented to God. This still deepened
+the feeling of _mysterious_ significance and importance with which the
+rite of the Lord's Supper was viewed, and led to that gradually
+increasing splendor of celebration which took the form of the _Mass_. As
+in Christ Jesus two distinct natures, the divine and the human, were
+wonderfully combined, so in the Eucharist there was a corresponding
+union of the earthly and the heavenly.
+
+For a long time there was no formal declaration of the mind of the
+Church on the _real presence_ of Christ Jesus in the Eucharist. At
+length a _discussion_ on the point was raised, and the most
+distinguished men of the time took part in it. One party maintained that
+"the bread and wine are, in the act of consecration, transformed by the
+omnipotence of God into the _very body_ of Christ which was once born of
+Mary, nailed to the cross, and raised from the dead." According to this
+conception, nothing remains of the bread and wine but the outward form,
+the taste and the smell; while the other party would only allow that
+there is _some change_ in the bread and wine themselves, but granted
+that an actual transformation of their power and efficacy takes place.
+
+The greater accordance of the first view with the credulity of the age,
+its love for the wonderful and magical, the interest of the priesthood
+to add lustre, in accordance with the heathens, to a rite which enhanced
+their own office, resulted in the doctrine of Transubstantiation being
+declared an article of faith of the Christian Church.
+
+Transubstantiation, the invisible change of the bread and wine into the
+body and blood of Christ, is a tenet that may defy the powers of
+argument and pleasantry; but instead of consulting the evidence of their
+senses, of their sight, their feeling, and their taste, the first
+Protestants were entangled in their own scruples, and awed by the
+reputed words of Jesus in the institution of the sacrament. Luther
+maintained a _corporeal_, and Calvin a _real_ presence of Christ in the
+Eucharist; and the opinion of Zuinglius, that it is no more than a
+spiritual communion, a simple memorial, has slowly prevailed in the
+reformed churches.[315:1]
+
+Under Edward VI. the reformation was more bold and perfect, but in the
+fundamental articles of the Church of England, a strong and explicit
+declaration against the real presence was _obliterated_ in the original
+copy, to please the people, or the Lutherans, or Queen Elizabeth. At the
+present day, the Greek and Roman Catholics alone hold to the original
+doctrine of the _real presence_.
+
+Of all the religious observances among heathens, Jews, or Turks, none
+has been the cause of more hatred, persecution, outrage, and bloodshed,
+than the Eucharist. Christians persecuted one another like relentless
+foes, and thousands of Jews were slaughtered on account of the Eucharist
+and the Host.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[305:1] Matt. xxvi. 26. See also, Mark, xiv. 22.
+
+[305:2] At the heading of the chapters named in the above note may be
+seen the words: "Jesus keepeth the Passover (and) _instituteth_ the
+Lord's Supper."
+
+[305:3] According to the Roman Christians, the Eucharist is the natural
+body and blood of Christ Jesus _vere et realiter_, but the Protestant
+sophistically explains away these two plain words _verily_ and _indeed_,
+and by the grossest abuse of language, makes them to mean _spiritually
+by grace and efficacy_. "In the sacrament of the altar," says the
+Protestant divine, "is the _natural_ body and blood of Christ _vere et
+realiter_, verily and indeed, if you take these terms for _spiritually
+by grace and efficacy_; but if you mean _really and indeed_, so that
+thereby you would include a lively and movable body under the form of
+bread and wine, then in that sense it is _not_ Christ's body in the
+sacrament really and indeed."
+
+[305:4] See Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 203, and Anacalypsis, i.
+232.
+
+[306:1] "Leur grand Lama celebre une espece de sacrifice avec du pain et
+du vin dont il prend une petite quantite, et distribue le reste aux
+Lamas presens a cette ceremonie." (Quoted in Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p.
+118.)
+
+[306:2] Viscount Amberly's Analysis, p. 46.
+
+[306:3] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 401.
+
+[306:4] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 163.
+
+[306:5] See Ibid. p. 417.
+
+[306:6] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 179.
+
+[306:7] See Bunsen's Keys of St. Peter, p. 199; Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p.
+60, and Lillie's Buddhism, p. 136.
+
+[306:8] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 60.
+
+[307:1] See Bunsen's Keys of St. Peter, p. 55, and Genesis, xiv. 18, 19.
+
+[307:2] St. Jerome says: "Melchizedek in typo Christi panem et vinum
+obtulit: et mysterium Christianum in Salvatoris sanguine et corpore
+dedicavit."
+
+[307:3] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 227.
+
+[307:4] See King's Gnostics and their Remains, p. xxv., and Higgins'
+Anacalypsis, vol. ii. pp. 58, 59.
+
+[307:5] Renan's Hibbert Lectures, p. 35.
+
+[308:1] In the words of Mr. King: "This expression shows that the notion
+of blessing or consecrating the elements was _as yet_ unknown to the
+Christians."
+
+[308:2] Apol. 1. ch. lxvi.
+
+[308:3] Ibid.
+
+[308:4] De Praescriptione Haereticorum, ch. xl. Tertullian explains this
+conformity between Christianity and Paganism, by asserting that the
+devil copied the Christian mysteries.
+
+[308:5] "De Tinctione, de oblatione panis, et de imagine resurrectionis,
+videatur doctiss, de la Cerda ad ea Tertulliani loca ubi de hiscerebus
+agitur. Gentiles citra Christum, talia celebradant Mithriaca quae
+videbantur cum doctrina _eucharistae_ et _resurrectionis_ et aliis
+ritibus Christianis convenire, quae fecerunt ex industria ad imitationem
+Christianismi: unde Tertulliani et Patres aiunt eos talia fecisse, duce
+diabolo, quo vult esse simia Christi, &c. Volunt itaque eos res suas ita
+comparasse, ut _Mithrae mysteria essent eucharistiae Christianae imago_.
+Sic Just. Martyr (p. 98), et Tertullianus et Chrysostomus. In suis etiam
+sacris habebant Mithriaci lavacra (quasi regenerationis) in quibus
+tingit et ipse (sc. sacerdos) quosdam utique credentes et fideles suos,
+et expiatoria delictorum de lavacro repromittit et sic adhuc initiat
+Mithrae." (Hyde: De Relig. Vet. Persian, p. 113.)
+
+[308:6] Justin: 1st Apol., ch. lvi.
+
+[309:1] Dr. Grabes' Notes on Irenaeus, lib. v. c. 2, in Anac., vol. i. p.
+60.
+
+[309:2] Quoted in Monumental Christianity, p. 370.
+
+[309:3] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 369.
+
+"The Divine Presence called his angel of mercy and said unto him: 'Go
+through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set
+the mark of Tau ({~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER TAU~}, the headless cross) upon the foreheads of the men
+that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the
+midst thereof.'" Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 305.
+
+[309:4] They were celebrated every fifth year at _Eleusis_, a town of
+Attica, from whence their name.
+
+[309:5] Taylor's Diegesis, p. 212.
+
+[309:6] Mueller: Origin of Religion, p. 181.
+
+[309:7] "In the _Bacchic_ Mysteries a consecrated cup (of wine) was
+handed around after supper, called the cup of the _Agathodaemon_."
+(Cousin: Lec. on Modn. Phil. Quoted in Isis Unveiled, ii. 513. See also,
+Dunlap's Spirit Hist., p. 217.)
+
+[310:1] Eccl. Hist. cent. ii. pt. 2, sec. v.
+
+[310:2] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 282.
+
+[310:3] Episcopal Communion Service.
+
+[310:4] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 282.
+
+[310:5] Hebrews, x. 22.
+
+[310:6] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 213.
+
+[310:7] See Ibid.
+
+[310:8] Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 471.
+
+[311:1] See Dunlap's Spirit Hist., p. 217, and Isis Unveiled, vol. ii.
+p. 513.
+
+[311:2] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 214.
+
+[311:3] See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 139.
+
+[311:4] See Ibid. p. 513.
+
+[311:5] See Myths of the British Druids, p. 89.
+
+[311:6] See Dupuis: Origin of Relig. Belief, p. 238.
+
+[311:7] See Myths of the British Druids, p. 280, and Prog. Relig. Ideas,
+vol. i. p. 376.
+
+[311:8] Herbert Spencer: Principles of Sociology, vol. i. p. 299.
+
+[311:9] See Monumental Christianity, pp. 390 and 393.
+
+[311:10] Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 220.
+
+[312:1] Quoted In Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 221.
+
+[312:2] Acosta: Hist. Indies, vol. ii. chs. xiii. and xiv.
+
+[312:3] According to the "_John_" narrator, Jesus ate no Paschal meal,
+but was captured the evening before Passover, and was crucified before
+the feast opened. According to the _Synoptics_, Jesus partook of the
+Paschal supper, was captured the first night of the feast, and executed
+on the first day thereof, which was on a Friday. If the _John_
+narrator's account is true, that of the _Synoptics_ is not, or _vice
+versa_.
+
+[313:1] Mark, xiv. 13-16.
+
+[313:2] Gen. xxiv.
+
+[313:3] I. Kings, xvii. 8.
+
+[313:4] II. Kings, iv. 8.
+
+[313:5] Matt. xxvi. 18, 19.
+
+[313:6] For further observations on this subject, see Dr. Isaac M.
+Wise's "Martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth," a valuable little work,
+published at the office of the American Israelite, Cincinnati, Ohio.
+
+[315:1] See Gibbon's Rome, vol. v. pp. 399, 400. Calvin, after quoting
+_Matt._ xxvi. 26, 27, says: "There is no doubt that as soon as these
+words are added to the bread and the wine, the bread and the wine become
+the _true_ body and the _true_ blood of Christ, so that the substance of
+bread and wine is transmuted into the _true_ body and blood of Christ.
+He who denies this calls the omnipotence of Christ in question, and
+charges Christ himself with foolishness." (Calvin's Tracts, p. 214.
+Translated by Henry Beveridge, Edinburgh, 1851.) In other parts of his
+writings, Calvin seems to contradict this statement, and speaks of the
+bread and wine in the Eucharist as being _symbolical_. Gibbon evidently
+refers to the passage quoted above.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+BAPTISM.
+
+
+Baptism, or purification from sin by water, is supposed by many to be an
+exclusive _Christian_ ceremony. The idea is that circumcision was given
+up, but _baptism took its place_ as a compulsory form indispensable to
+salvation, and was declared to have been instituted by Jesus himself or
+by his predecessor John.[316:1] That Jesus was baptized by John may be
+true, or it may not, but that he never directly enjoined his followers
+to call the _heathen_ to a share in the privileges of the _Golden Age_
+is gospel doctrine;[316:2] and this saying:
+
+     "Go out into _all the world_ to preach the gospel to every
+     creature. And whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved,
+     but whoever believes not shall be damned,"
+
+must therefore be of comparatively late origin, dating from a period at
+which the mission to the heathen was not only fully recognized, but even
+declared to have originated with the followers of Jesus.[316:3] When the
+early Christians received members among them they were _not_ initiated
+by baptism, but with prayer and laying on of hands. This, says
+_Eusebius_, was the "_ancient custom_," which was followed until the
+time of Stephen. During his bishopric controversies arose as to whether
+members should be received "after the ancient Christian custom" or by
+baptism,[316:4] after the heathen custom. Rev. J. P. Lundy, who has made
+ancient religions a special study, and who, being a thorough Christian
+writer, endeavors to get over the difficulty by saying that:
+
+     "John the Baptist simply _adopted_ and practiced the
+     _universal custom_ of sacred bathing _for the remission of
+     sins_. Christ sanctioned it; the church inherited it from his
+     example."[316:5]
+
+When we say that baptism is a _heathen_ rite adopted by the Christians,
+we come near the truth. Mr. Lundy is a strong advocate of the _type_
+theory--of which we shall speak anon--therefore the above mode of
+reasoning is not to be wondered at.
+
+The facts in the case are that baptism by immersion, or sprinkling in
+infancy, _for the remission of sin_, was a common rite, to be found in
+countries the most widely separated on the face of the earth, and the
+most unconnected in religious genealogy.[317:1]
+
+If we turn to India we shall find that in the vast domain of the
+Buddhist faith the birth of children is regularly the occasion of a
+ceremony, at which the priest is present. In Mongolia and Thibet this
+ceremony assumes the special form of _baptism_. Candles burn and incense
+is offered on the domestic altar, the priest reads the prescribed
+prayers, _dips the child three times in water, and imposes on it a
+name_.[317:2]
+
+_Brahmanism_, from the very earliest times, had its initiatory rites,
+similar to what we shall find among the ancient Persians, Egyptians,
+Greeks and Romans. Mr. Mackenzie, in his "Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia,"
+(_sub voce_ "Mysteries of Hindustan,") gives a capital digest of these
+mysteries from the "Indische Alterthum-Skunde" of Lassen. After an
+invocation to the SUN, an oath was demanded of the aspirant, to the
+effect of implicit obedience to superiors, purity of body, and
+inviolable secrecy. _Water was then sprinkled over him_, suitable
+addresses were made to him, &c. This was supposed to constitute the
+_regeneration_ of the candidate, and he was now invested with the white
+robe and the tiara. A peculiar cross was marked on his forehead, and the
+Tau cross on his breast. Finally, he was given the sacred word, A. U.
+M.[317:3]
+
+The Brahmans had also a mode of baptism similar to the Christian sect of
+Baptists, the ceremony being performed in a river.
+
+The officiating Brahman priest, who was called Gooroo, or
+Pastor,[318:1] rubbed mud on the candidate, _and then plunged him three
+times into the water_. During the process the priest said:
+
+     "O Supreme Lord, this man is impure, like the mud of this
+     stream; but as water cleanses him from this dirt, _do thou
+     free him from his sin_."[318:2]
+
+Rivers, as sources of fertility and purification, were at an early date
+invested with a sacred character. Every great river was supposed to be
+permeated with the divine essence, and its waters held to cleanse from
+all moral guilt and contamination. And as the Ganges was the most
+majestic, so it soon became the holiest and most revered of all rivers.
+No sin too heinous to be removed, no character too black to be washed
+clean by its waters. Hence the countless temples, with flights of steps,
+lining its banks; hence the array of priests, called "Sons of the
+Ganges," sitting on the edge of its streams, ready to aid the ablutions
+of conscience-stricken bathers, and stamp them as white-washed when they
+emerge from its waters. Hence also the constant traffic carried on in
+transporting Ganges water in small bottles to all parts of the
+country.[318:3]
+
+The ceremony of baptism was a practice of the followers of _Zoroaster_,
+both for infants and adults.
+
+M. Beausobre tells us that:
+
+     "The ancient _Persians_ carried their infants to the temple a
+     few days after they were born, and presented them to the
+     priest before the sun, and before the fire, which was his
+     symbol. _Then the priest took the child and baptized it for
+     the purification of the soul._ Sometimes he plunged it into a
+     great vase full of water: it was in the same ceremony that the
+     father gave a name to the child."[318:4]
+
+The learned Dr. Hyde also tells us that infants were brought to the
+temples and baptized by the priests, sometimes by sprinkling and
+sometimes by immersion, plunging the child into a large vase filled with
+water. This was to them a regeneration, or a purification of their
+souls. A name was at the same time imposed upon the child, as indicated
+by the parents.[318:5]
+
+The rite of baptism was also administered to adults in the _Mithraic_
+mysteries during initiation. The foreheads of the initiated being marked
+at the same time with the "_sacred sign_," which was none other than the
+sign of the CROSS.[319:1] The Christian Father Tertullian, who believed
+it to be the work of the devil, says:
+
+     "He BAPTIZES his believers and followers; he promises the
+     remission of sins at the _sacred fount_, and thus initiates
+     them into the religion of _Mithra_; he _marks on the forehead_
+     his own soldiers," &c.[319:2]
+
+"He marks on the forehead," _i. e._, he marks _the sign of the cross_ on
+their foreheads, just as priests of Christ Jesus do at the present day
+to those who are initiated into the Christian mysteries.
+
+Again, he says:
+
+     "The nations who are strangers to all spiritual powers (the
+     heathens), ascribe to their idols (gods) the power of
+     impregnating the waters with the same efficacy as in Christian
+     baptism." For, "in certain sacred rites of theirs, the mode of
+     initiation is by baptism," and "whoever had defiled himself
+     with murder, expiation was sought in purifying water."[319:3]
+
+He also says that:
+
+     "The devil signed his soldiers in the forehead, in imitation
+     of the Christians."[319:4]
+
+And St. Augustin says:
+
+     "The _cross_ and _baptism_ were never parted."[319:5]
+
+The ancient _Egyptians_ performed their rite of baptism, and those who
+were initiated into the mysteries of Isis were baptized.[319:6]
+
+Apuleius of Madura, in Africa, who was initiated into these mysteries,
+shows that baptism was used; that the ceremony was performed by the
+attending priest, and that purification and forgiveness of sin was the
+result.[319:7]
+
+The custom of baptism in Egypt is known by the hieroglyphic term of
+"_water of purification_." The water so used in immersion absolutely
+cleansed the soul, _and the person was said to be regenerated_.[320:1]
+
+They also believed in baptism _after death_, for it was held that the
+dead were washed from their sins by Osiris, the beneficent saviour, in
+the land of shades, and the departed are often represented (on the
+sarcophagi) kneeling before Osiris, who pours over them water from a
+pitcher.[320:2]
+
+The ancient _Etruscans_ performed the rite of baptism. In _Tab._ clxxii.
+Gorius gives two pictures of ancient Etruscan baptism by water. In the
+first, the youth is held in the arms of one priest, and another is
+pouring water upon his head. In the second, the young person is going
+through the same ceremony, kneeling on a kind of altar. At the time of
+its baptism the child was named, blessed and marked on the forehead with
+_the sign of the cross_.[320:3]
+
+Baptism, or the application of water, was a rite well known to the Jews
+before the time of Christ Jesus, and was practiced by them when they
+admitted proselytes to their religion from heathenism. When children
+were baptized they received the sign of the cross, were anointed, and
+fed with milk and honey.[320:4] "It was not customary, however, among
+them, to baptize those who were converted to the Jewish religion, _until
+after the Babylonish captivity_."[320:5] This clearly shows that they
+learned the rite from their heathen oppressors.
+
+Baptism was practiced by the ascetics of Buddhist origin, known as the
+_Essenes_.[320:6] John the Baptist was, evidently, nothing more than a
+member of this order, with which the deserts of Syria and the Thebais of
+Egypt abounded.
+
+The idea that man is restrained from perfect union with God by his
+imperfection, uncleanness and sin, was implicitly believed by the
+ancient _Greeks_ and _Romans_. In Thessaly was yearly celebrated a great
+festival of cleansing. A work bearing the name of "_Museus_" was a
+complete ritual of purifications. The usual mode of purification was
+dipping in water (immersion), or it was performed by aspersion. These
+sacraments were held to have virtue independent of the dispositions of
+the candidates, an opinion which called forth the sneer of Diogenes, the
+Grecian historian, when he saw some one undergoing baptism by aspersion.
+
+     "Poor wretch! do you not see that since these sprinklings
+     cannot repair your grammatical errors, they cannot repair
+     either, the faults of your life."[321:1]
+
+And the belief that water could wash out the stains of original sin, led
+the poet _Ovid_ (43 B. C.) to say:
+
+     "Ah, easy fools, to think that a whole flood
+      Of water e'er can purge the stain of blood."
+
+These ancient Pagans had especial gods and goddesses who presided over
+the birth of children. The goddess _Nundina_ took her name from the
+ninth day, _on which all male children were sprinkled with holy
+water_,[321:2] as females were on the eighth, at the same time receiving
+their name, of which _addition_ to the ceremonial of Christian baptism
+we find no mention in the Christian Scriptures. When all the forms of
+the Pagan nundination were duly complied with, the priest gave a
+certificate to the parents of the regenerated infant; it was, therefore,
+duly recognized as a legitimate member of the family and of society, and
+the day was spent in feasting and hilarity.[321:3]
+
+Adults were also baptized; and those who were initiated in the sacred
+rites of the _Bacchic_ mysteries were regenerated and admitted by
+baptism, just as they were admitted into the mysteries of Mithra.[321:4]
+Justin Martyr, like his brother Tertullian, claimed that this ablution
+was invented by demons, in imitation of the _true_ baptism, that their
+votaries might also have their pretended purification by water.[321:5]
+
+Infant Baptism was practiced among the ancient inhabitants of northern
+Europe--the Danes, Swedes, Norwegians and Icelanders--long before the
+first dawn of Christianity had reached those parts. Water was poured on
+the head of the new-born child, and a name was given it at the same
+time. Baptism is expressly mentioned in the _Hava-mal_ and _Rigs-mal_,
+and alluded to in other epic poems.[322:1]
+
+The ancient _Livonians_ (inhabitants of the three modern Baltic
+provinces of Courland, Livonia, and Esthonia), observed the same
+ceremony; which also prevailed among the ancient _Germans_. This is
+expressly stated in a letter which the famous Pope Gregory III. sent to
+their apostle Boniface, directing him how to act in respect to
+it.[322:2]
+
+The same ceremony was performed by the ancient Druids of Britain.[322:3]
+
+Among the _New Zealanders_ young children were baptized. After the
+ceremony of baptism had taken place, prayers were offered to make the
+child sacred, and clean from all impurities.[322:4]
+
+The ancient _Mexicans_ baptized their children shortly after birth.
+After the relatives had assembled in the court of the parents' house,
+the midwife placed the child's head to the east, and prayed for a
+blessing from the _Saviour_ Quetzalcoatle, and the goddess of the water.
+The breast of the child was then touched with the fingers dipped in
+water, and the following prayer said:
+
+     "May it (the water) destroy and separate from thee all the
+     evil that was beginning in thee before the beginning of the
+     world."
+
+After this the child's body was washed with water, and all things that
+might injure him were requested to depart from him, "that now he may
+live again and be born again."[322:5]
+
+Mr. Prescott alludes to it as follows, in his "Conquest of
+Mexico:"[322:6]
+
+     "The lips and bosom of the infant were sprinkled with water,
+     and the Lord was implored to permit the holy drops to wash
+     away that sin that was given to it before the foundation of
+     the world, so that the child might be born anew." "This
+     interesting rite, usually solemnized with great formality, in
+     the presence of assembled friends and relations, is detailed
+     with minuteness by Sahagun and by Zuazo, both of them
+     eyewitnesses."
+
+Rev. J. P. Lundy says:
+
+     "Now, as baptism of some kind has been the _universal custom_
+     of all religious nations and peoples for purification and
+     regeneration, it is not to be wondered at that it had found
+     its way from high Asia, the centre of the Old World's religion
+     and civilization, into the American continent. . . .
+
+     "American priests were found in Mexico, beyond Darien,
+     baptizing boys and girls a year old in the temples at the
+     cross, pouring the water upon them from a small
+     pitcher."[323:1]
+
+The water which they used was called the "WATER OF REGENERATION."[323:2]
+
+The Rev. Father Acosta alludes to this baptism by saying:
+
+     "The Indians had an infinite number of other ceremonies and
+     customs which resembled to the ancient law of Moses, and some
+     to those which the Moores use, and some approaching near to
+     the Law of the Gospel, as the baths or _Opacuna_, as they
+     called them; _they did wash themselves in water to cleanse
+     themselves from sin_."[323:3]
+
+After speaking of "_confession which the Indians used_," he says:
+
+     "When the Inca had been confessed, he made a certain bath to
+     cleanse himself, in a running river, saying these words: '_I
+     have told my sins to the Sun_ (his god); _receive them, O thou
+     River, and carry them to the Sea, where they may never appear
+     more._'"[323:4]
+
+He tells us that the Mexicans also had a baptism for infants, which they
+performed with great ceremony.[323:5]
+
+Baptism was also practiced in Yucatan. They administered it to children
+three years old; and called it REGENERATION.[323:6]
+
+The ancient Peruvians also baptized their children.[323:7]
+
+History, then, records the fact that all the principal nations of
+antiquity administered the rite of baptism to their children, and to
+adults who were initiated into the sacred mysteries. The words
+"_regenerationem et impunitatem perjuriorum suorum_"--used by the
+heathen in this ceremony--prove that the doctrines as well as the
+outward forms were the same. The giving of a name to the child, the
+marking of him with the _cross_ as a sign of his being a soldier of
+Christ, followed at fifteen years of age by his admission into the
+mysteries of the ceremony of _confirmation_, also prove that the two
+institutions are identical. But the most striking feature of all is the
+_regeneration_--and consequent forgiveness of sins--the being "_born
+again_." This shows that the Christian baptism in _doctrine_ as well as
+in _outward ceremony_, was precisely that of the heathen. We have seen
+that it was supposed to destroy all the evil in him, and all things that
+might injure him were requested to depart from him. So likewise among
+the Christians; the priest, looking upon the child, and baptizing him,
+was formerly accustomed to say:
+
+     "I command thee, unclean spirit, in the name of the Father,
+     of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that thou come out and
+     depart from this infant, whom our Lord Jesus Christ has
+     vouchsafed to call to this holy baptism, to be made member of
+     his body and of his holy congregation. And presume not
+     hereafter to exercise any tyranny towards this infant, whom
+     Christ hath bought with his precious blood, and by this holy
+     baptism called to be of his flock."
+
+The ancients also baptized with _fire_ as well as water. This is what is
+alluded to many times in the gospels; for instance, Matt. (iii. 11)
+makes John say, "I, indeed, baptize you with water; he shall baptize you
+with the Holy Ghost and with FIRE."
+
+The baptism by _fire_ was in use by the Romans; it was performed by
+jumping _three times_ through the flames of a sacred fire. This is still
+practiced in India. Even at the present day, in some parts of Scotland,
+it is a custom at the baptism of children to swing them in their clothes
+over a fire _three times_, saying, "_Now, fire, burn this child, or
+never._" Here is evidently a relic of the heathen _baptism by fire_.
+
+Christian baptism was not originally intended to be administered to
+unconscious infants, but to persons in full possession of their
+faculties, and responsible for their actions. Moreover, it was
+performed, as is well known, not merely by sprinkling the forehead, but
+by causing the candidate to descend naked into the water, the priest
+joining him there, and pouring the water over his head. The catechumen
+could not receive baptism until after he understood something of the
+nature of the faith he was embracing, and was prepared to assume its
+obligations. A rite more totally unfitted for administration to
+_infants_ could hardly have been found. Yet such was the need that was
+felt for a solemn recognition by religion of the entrance of a child
+into the world, that this rite, in course of time, completely lost its
+original nature, and, as with the heathen, _infancy_ took the place of
+maturity: sprinkling of immersion. But while the age and manner of
+baptism were altered, the ritual remained under the influence of the
+primitive idea with which it had been instituted. The obligations were
+no longer confined to the persons baptized, hence they must be
+undertaken for them. Thus was the Christian Church landed in the
+absurdity--unparalleled, we believe, in any other natal ceremony--of
+requiring the most solemn promises to be made, not by those who were
+thereafter to fulfill them, _but by others in their name_; these others
+having no power to enforce their fulfillment, and neither those actually
+assuming the engagement, nor those on whose behalf it was assumed, being
+morally responsible in case it should be broken. Yet this strange
+incongruity was forced upon the church by an imperious want of human
+nature itself, and the insignificant sects who have adopted the baptism
+of adults only, have failed, in their zeal for historical consistency,
+to recognize a sentiment whose roots lie far deeper than the
+chronological foundation of Christian rites, and stretch far wider than
+the geographical boundaries of the Christian faith.
+
+The intention of all these forms of baptism is identical. Water, as the
+natural means of physical cleansing, is the universal symbol of
+spiritual purification. Hence immersion, or washing, or sprinkling,
+implies the deliverance of the infant from the stain of original
+sin.[325:1] The _Pagan_ and _Christian_ rituals, as we have seen, are
+perfectly clear on this head. In both, the avowed intention is to wash
+away the sinful nature common to humanity; in both, the infant is
+declared to be born again by the agency of water. Among the early
+Christians, as with the Pagans, the sacrament of baptism was supposed to
+contain a full and absolute expiation of sin; and the soul was instantly
+restored to its original purity, and entitled to the promise of eternal
+salvation. Among the proselytes of Christianity, there were many who
+judged it imprudent to precipitate a salutary rite, which could not be
+repeated; to throw away an inestimable privilege, which could never be
+recovered. By the delay of their baptism, they could venture freely to
+indulge their passions in the enjoyments of this world, while they still
+retained in their own hands the means of a sure and easy absolution. St.
+Constantine was one of these.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[316:1] The Rev. Dr. Geikie makes the assertion that: "With the call to
+repent, John united a significant rite for all who were willing to own
+their sins, and promise amendment of life. It was the _new_ and striking
+requirement of baptism, _which John had been sent by divine appointment
+to_ INTRODUCE." (Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 394.)
+
+[316:2] See Galatians, ii. 7-9. Acts, x. and xi.
+
+[316:3] See The Bible for Learners, vol. iii. pp. 658 and 472.
+
+[316:4] See Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 7, ch. ii.
+
+[316:5] Monumental Christianity, p. 385.
+
+[317:1] "Among all nations, and from the very earliest period, WATER has
+been used as a species of religious sacrament. . . . Water was the agent
+by means of which everything was _regenerated or born again_. Hence, in
+all nations, we find the Dove, or Divine Love, operating by means of its
+agent, water, and all nations using the ceremony of plunging, or, as we
+call it, baptizing, for the remission of sins, to introduce the
+candidate to a regeneration, to a new birth unto righteousness."
+(Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 529.)
+
+"Baptism is a very ancient rite pertaining to _heathen_ religions,
+whether of Asia, Africa, Europe or America." (Bonwick: Egyptian Belief,
+p. 416.)
+
+"Baptism, or purification by water, was a ceremony common to all
+religions of antiquity. It consists in being made clean from some
+supposed pollution or defilement." (Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 201.)
+
+"L'usage de ce _Bapteme_ par immersion, qui subsista dans l'Occident
+jusqu' au 8{e} ciecle, se maintient encore dans l'Eglise Greque: c'est
+celui que Jean le _Precurseur_ administra, dans le Jourdain, a Jesus
+Christ meme. Il fut pratique chez les Juifs, chez les Grecs, _et chez
+presque tous les peuples_, bien des siecles _avant_ l'existence de la
+religion Chretienne." (D'Ancarville: Res., vol. i. p. 292.)
+
+[317:2] See Amberly's Analysis, p. 61. Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 42.
+Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 69, and Lillie's Buddhism, pp. 55 and
+184.
+
+[317:3] Lillie's Buddhism, p. 134.
+
+[318:1] Life and Religion of the Hindus, p. 94.
+
+[318:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 125.
+
+"Every orthodox Hindu is perfectly persuaded that the dirtiest water, if
+taken from a _sacred stream_ and applied to his body, either externally
+or internally, _will purify his soul_." (Prof. Monier Williams:
+Hinduism, p. 157.) The Egyptians bathed in the water of the Nile; the
+Chaldeans and Persians in the Euphrates, and the Hindus, at we have
+seen, in the Ganges, all of which were considered as "sacred waters" by
+the different nations. The Jews looked upon the Jordan in the same
+manner.
+
+Herodotus, speaking of the Persians' manners, says:
+
+"They (the Persians) neither make water, nor spit, nor wash their hands
+in a river, nor defile the stream with urine, nor do they allow any one
+else to do so, but they pay extreme veneration to all rivers." (Hist.
+lib. i. ch. 138.)
+
+[318:3] Williams' Hinduism, p. 176.
+
+[318:4] Hist. Manichee, lib. ix. ch. vi. sect. xvi. in Anac., vol. ii.
+p. 65. See also, Dupuis: Orig. Relig. Belief, p. 249, and Baring-Gould:
+Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 392.
+
+[318:5] "Pro infantibus non utuntur circumcisione, sed tantum baptismo
+seu lotione ad animae purificationem internam. Infantem ad sacerdotem in
+ecclesiam adductum sistunt coram sole et igne, qua facta ceremonia,
+eundem sanctiorem existimant. D. Lord dicit quod aquam ad hoc afferunt
+in cortice arboris Holm: ea autem arbor revers est Haum Magorum, cujus
+mentionem alia occasione supra fecimus. Alias, aliquando fit immergendo
+in magnum vas aquae, ut dicit Tavernier. Post talem lotionem seu
+baptismum, sacerdos imponit nomen a parentibus inditum." (Hyde de Rel.
+Vet. Pers., p. 414.) After this Hyde goes on to say, that when he comes
+to be fifteen years of age he is confirmed by receiving the girdle, and
+the sudra or cassock.
+
+[319:1] See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. xxv. Higgins: _Anac._, vol.
+i pp. 218 and 222. Dunlap: Mysteries of Adoni, p. 189. King: The
+Gnostics and their Remains, p. 51.
+
+[319:2] De Praescrip. ch. xi.
+
+[319:3] Ibid.
+
+[319:4] "Mithra signat illic in frontibus milites suos."
+
+[319:5] "Semper enim cruci baptismus jungitur." (Aug. Temp. Ser. ci.)
+
+[319:6] See Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 69, and Monumental Christianity, p.
+385.
+
+[319:7] "Sacerdos, stipatum me religiosa cohorte, deducit ad proximas
+balucas; et prius sueto lavraco traditum, proefatus deum veniam,
+purissime circumrorans abluit." (Apuleius: Milesi, ii. citat. a
+Higgins: Anac., vol. ii. p. 69.)
+
+[320:1] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 416. Dunlap: Mysteries Adoni, p.
+139.
+
+[320:2] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 392.
+
+[320:3] See Higgins: Anac., vol. ii. pp. 67-69.
+
+[320:4] Barnes: Notes, vol. i. p. 38. Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p.
+65.
+
+[320:5] Barnes: Notes, vol. i. p. 41.
+
+[320:6] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 121, Gainsburgh's Essenes, and
+Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. ii. pp. 66, 67.
+
+[321:1] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 391.
+
+[321:2] "_Holy Water_"--water wherein the person is baptized, in the
+name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Church of
+England Catechism.)
+
+[321:3] See Taylor's Diegesis, pp. 333, 334, and Higgins' Anacalypsis,
+ii. p. 65.
+
+[321:4] See Taylor's Diegesis, pp. 80 and 232, and Baring-Gould's Orig.
+Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 391.
+
+"De-la-vint, que pour devenir capable d'entendre les secrets de la
+creation, reveles dans ces memes mysteres, il fallut se faire
+_regenerer_ par _l'initiation_. Cette ceremonie, par laquelle, _on
+apprenoit les vrais principes de la vie_, s'operoit par le moyen de
+_l'eau_ qui voit ete celui de la _regeneration_ du monde. On conduisoit
+sur les bords de l'Ilissus le candidat qui devoit etre initie; apres
+l'avoir purifie avec le sel et l'eau de la mer, on repandoit de l'orge
+sur lui, on le couronnoit de fleurs, et _l'Hydranos_ ou le _Baptisseur_
+le plongeoit dans le fleuve." (D'Ancarville: Res., vol. i. p. 292.
+Anac., ii. p. 65.)
+
+[321:5] Taylor's Diegesis, p. 232.
+
+[322:1] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, pp. 306, 313, 320, 366.
+Baring-Gould's Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. pp. 392, 393, and Dupuis, p.
+242.
+
+[322:2] Mallet: Northern Antiquities, p. 206.
+
+[322:3] Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 393. Higgins:
+Anac., vol. ii. p. 67, and Davies: Myths of the British Druids.
+
+[322:4] Sir George Grey: Polynesian Mytho., p. 32, in Baring-Gould:
+Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 392.
+
+[322:5] See Viscount Amberly's Analysis Relig. Belief, p. 59.
+
+[322:6] Vol. i. p. 64.
+
+[323:1] Monumental Christianity, pp. 389, 390.
+
+[323:2] Kingsborough: Mex. Antiq., vol. vi. p. 114.
+
+[323:3] Hist. Indies, vol. ii. p. 369.
+
+[323:4] Ibid. p. 361.
+
+[323:5] Ibid. p. 369.
+
+[323:6] Monumental Christianity, p. 390.
+
+[323:7] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 416.
+
+[325:1] That man is born in _original sin_ seems to have been the belief
+of all nations of antiquity, especially the Hindus. This sense of
+original corruption is expressed in the following prayer, used by them:
+
+"I am sinful, I commit sin, my nature is sinful, _I am conceived in
+sin_. Save me, O thou lotus-eyed Heri, the remover of Sin." (Williams'
+Hinduism, p. 214.)
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXII.
+
+THE WORSHIP OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER.
+
+
+The worship of the "Virgin," the "Queen of Heaven," the "Great Goddess,"
+the "Mother of God," &c., which has become one of the grand features of
+the Christian religion--the Council of Ephesus (A. D. 431) having
+declared Mary "Mother of God," her assumption being declared in 813, and
+her Immaculate Conception by the Pope and Council in 1851[326:1]--was
+almost universal, for ages before the birth of Jesus, and "the _pure
+virginity_ of the celestial mother was a tenet of faith for two thousand
+years before the virgin now adored was born."[326:2]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 16]
+
+In _India_, they have worshiped, for ages, _Devi_, _Maha-Devi_--"The One
+Great Goddess"[326:3]--and have temples erected in honor of her.[326:4]
+Gonzales states that among the Indians he found a temple "_Pariturae
+Virginis_"--of the Virgin about to bring forth.[326:5]
+
+_Maya_, the mother of Buddha, and _Devaki_ the mother of Crishna, were
+worshiped as _virgins_,[326:6] and represented with the infant Saviours
+in their arms, just as the virgin of the Christians is represented at
+the present day. Maya was so pure that it was impossible for God, man,
+or Asura to view her with carnal desire. Fig. No. 16 is a
+representation of the Virgin Devaki, with, the infant Saviour Crishna,
+taken from Moor's "Hindu Pantheon."[327:1] "No person could bear to gaze
+upon Devaki, because of the light that invested her." "The gods,
+invisible to mortals, celebrated her praise continually from the time
+that _Vishnu_ was contained in her person."[327:2]
+
+"Crishna and his mother are almost always represented _black_,"[327:3]
+and the word "_Crishna_" means "_the black_."
+
+The _Chinese_, who have had several _avatars_, or virgin-born gods,
+among them, have also worshiped a Virgin Mother from time immemorial.
+Sir Charles Francis Davis, in his "History of China," tells us that the
+Chinese at Canton worshiped an idol, to which they gave the name of "The
+Virgin."[327:4]
+
+The Rev. Joseph B. Gross, in his "Heathen Religion," tells us that:
+
+     "Upon the altars of the Chinese temples were placed, behind a
+     screen, an image of _Shin-moo_, or the '_Holy Mother_,'
+     _sitting with a child in her arms_, in an alcove, with rays of
+     glory around her head, and tapers constantly burning before
+     her."[327:5]
+
+Shin-moo is called the "Mother Goddess," and the "Virgin." Her child,
+who was exposed in his infancy, was brought up by poor fishermen. He
+became a great man, and performed wonderful miracles. In wealthy houses
+the sacred image of the "Mother Goddess" is carefully kept in a recess
+behind an altar, veiled with a silken screen.[327:6]
+
+The Rev. Mr. Gutzlaff, in his "Travels," speaking of the Chinese people,
+says:
+
+     "Though otherwise very reasonable men, they have always showed
+     themselves bigoted heathens. . . . They have everywhere built
+     splendid temples, chiefly in honor of _Ma-tsoo-po_, the
+     '_Queen of Heaven_.'"[327:7]
+
+_Isis_, mother of the Egyptian Saviour, Horus, was worshiped as a
+virgin. Nothing is more common on the religious monuments of Egypt than
+the infant Horus seated in the lap of his virgin mother. She is styled
+"Our Lady," the "Queen of Heaven," "Star of the Sea," "Governess,"
+"Mother of God," "Intercessor," "Immaculate Virgin," &c.;[328:1] all of
+which epithets were in after years applied to the Virgin Mother
+worshiped by the Christians.[328:2]
+
+"The most common representation of Horus is being nursed on the knee of
+Isis, or suckled at her breast."[328:3] In _Monumental Christianity_
+(Fig. 92), is to be seen a representation of "Isis and Horus." The
+infant Saviour is sitting on his mother's knee, while she gazes into his
+face. A cross is on the back of the seat. The author, Rev. J. P. Lundy,
+says, in speaking of it:
+
+     "Is this Egyptian mother, too, meditating her son's conflict,
+     suffering, and triumph, as she holds him before her and gazes
+     into his face? And is this CROSS meant to convey the idea of
+     life through suffering, and conflict with Typho or Evil?"
+
+In some statues and _basso-relievos_, when Isis appears alone, she is
+entirely veiled from head to foot, in common with nearly every other
+goddess, as a symbol of a mother's chastity. No mortal man hath ever
+lifted her veil.
+
+Isis was also represented standing on the _crescent_ moon, with _twelve
+stars_ surrounding her head.[328:4] In almost every Roman Catholic
+Church on the continent of Europe may be seen pictures and statues of
+_Mary_, the "Queen of Heaven," standing on the crescent moon, and her
+head surrounded with _twelve_ stars.
+
+Dr. Inman, in his "Pagan and Christian Symbolism," gives a figure of the
+Virgin Mary, with her infant, standing on the _crescent moon_. In
+speaking of this figure, he says:
+
+     "In it the Virgin is seen as the 'Queen of Heaven,' nursing
+     her infant, and identified with the crescent moon. . . . Than
+     this, nothing could more completely identify the Christian
+     mother and child, with Isis and Horus."[328:5]
+
+This _crescent moon_ is the symbol of Isis and Juno, and is the _Yoni_
+of the Hindoos.[328:6]
+
+The priests of Isis yearly dedicated to her a new ship (emblematic of
+the YONI), laden with the first fruits of spring. Strange as it may
+seem, the carrying in procession of ships, in which the Virgin Mary
+takes the place of the heathen goddesses, has not yet wholly gone out of
+use.[328:7]
+
+Isis is also represented, with the infant Saviour in her arms, enclosed
+in a framework of the flowers of the Egyptian bean, or _lotus_.[328:8]
+The Virgin _Mary_ is very often represented in this manner, as those who
+have studied mediaeval art, well know.
+
+Dr. Inman, describing a painting of the Virgin Mary, which is to be
+seen in the South Kensington Museum, and which is enclosed in a
+framework of flowers, says:
+
+     "It represents the Virgin and Child precisely as she used to
+     be represented in Egypt, in India, in Assyria, Babylonia,
+     Phoenicia, and Etruria."[329:1]
+
+The lotus and poppy were sacred among all Eastern nations, and were
+consecrated to the various virgins worshiped by them. These virgins are
+represented holding this plant in their hands, just as the Virgin,
+adored by the Christians, is represented at the present day.[329:2] Mr.
+Squire, speaking of this plant, says:
+
+     "It is well known that the '_Nymphe_'--lotus or water-lily--is
+     held sacred throughout the East, and the various sects of that
+     quarter of the globe represented their deities either
+     decorated with its flowers, holding it as a sceptre, or seated
+     on a lotus throne or pedestal. _Lacshmi_, the beautiful Hindoo
+     goddess, is associated with the lotus. The Egyptian _Isis_ is
+     often called the 'Lotus-_crowned_,' in the ancient
+     invocations. The Mexican goddess _Corieotl_, is often
+     represented with a water-plant resembling the lotus in her
+     hand."[329:3]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 17]
+
+In Egyptian and Hindoo mythology, the offspring of the virgin is made to
+bruise the head of the serpent, but the Romanists have given this office
+to the mother. Mary is often seen represented standing on the serpent.
+Fig. 17 alludes to this, and to her _immaculate conception_, which, as
+we have seen, was declared by the Pope and council in 1851. The notion
+of the divinity of Mary was broached by some at the Council of Nice, and
+they were thence named Marianites.
+
+The Christian Father Epiphanius accounts for the fact of the Egyptians
+worshiping a virgin and child, by declaring that the prophecy--"Behold,
+a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son"--must have been revealed
+to them.[329:4]
+
+In an ancient Christian work, called the "Chronicle of Alexandria,"
+occurs the following:
+
+     "Watch how Egypt has constructed the childbirth of a virgin,
+     and the birth of her son, _who was exposed in a crib to the
+     adoration of the people_."[330:1]
+
+We have another Egyptian Virgin Mother in Neith or Nout, mother of
+"Osiris the Saviour." She was known as the "Great Mother," and yet
+"Immaculate Virgin."[330:2] M. Beauregard speaks of
+
+     "The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin (Mary), who can
+     henceforth, as well as the Egyptian Minerva, the mysterious
+     Neith, boast of having come from herself, and of having given
+     birth to god."[330:3]
+
+What is known in Christian countries as "Candlemas day," or the
+Purification of the Virgin Mary, is of Egyptian origin. The feast of
+Candlemas was kept by the ancient Egyptians in honor of the goddess
+Neith, and on the very day that is marked on our Christian almanacs as
+"Candlemas day."[330:4]
+
+The ancient _Chaldees_ believed in a celestial virgin, who had purity of
+body, loveliness of person, and tenderness of affection; and who was one
+to whom the erring sinner could appeal with more chance of success than
+to a stern father. She was portrayed as a mother, although a virgin,
+with a child in her arms.[330:5]
+
+The ancient Babylonians and Assyrians worshiped a goddess mother, and
+son, who was represented in pictures and in images as an infant in his
+mother's arms (see Fig. No. 18). Her name was _Mylitta_, the divine son
+was _Tammuz_, the Saviour, whom we have seen rose from the dead. He was
+invested with all his father's attributes and glory, and identified with
+him. He was worshiped as _mediator_.[330:6]
+
+There was a temple at Paphos, in Cyprus, dedicated to the Virgin
+Mylitta, and was the most celebrated one in Grecian times.[330:7]
+
+The ancient _Etruscans_ worshiped a Virgin Mother and Son, who was
+represented in pictures and images in the arms of his mother. This was
+the goddess _Nutria_, to be seen in Fig. No. 19. On the arm of the
+mother is an inscription in Etruscan letters. This goddess was also
+worshiped in Italy. Long before the Christian era temples and statues
+were erected in memory of her. "To the Great Goddess Nutria," is an
+inscription which has been found among the ruins of a temple dedicated
+to her. No doubt the Roman Church would have claimed her for a Madonna,
+but most unluckily for them, she has the name "_Nutria_," in Etruscan
+letters on her arm, after the Etruscan practice.
+
+The Egyptian _Isis_ was also worshiped in Italy, many centuries before
+the Christian era, and all images of her, with the infant Horus in her
+arms, have been adopted, as we shall presently see, by the Christians,
+even though they represent her and her child as _black_ as an Ethiopian,
+in the same manner as we have seen that Devaki and Crishna were
+represented.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 18]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 19]
+
+The children of Israel, who, as we have seen in a previous chapter, were
+idolaters of the worst kind--worshiping the sun, moon and stars, and
+offering human sacrifices to their god, Moloch--were also worshipers of
+a Virgin Mother, whom they styled the "Queen of Heaven."
+
+Jeremiah, who appeared in Jerusalem about the year 625 B. C., and who
+was one of the prophets and reformers, rebukes the Israelites for their
+idolatry and worship of the "Queen of Heaven," whereupon they answer him
+as follows:
+
+     "As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us, in the name of
+     the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly
+     do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn
+     incense unto the _Queen of Heaven_, and to pour out drink
+     offerings unto her, _as we have done, we, and our fathers, our
+     kings, and our princes, in the city of Judah, and in the
+     streets of Jerusalem_: for then we had plenty of victuals, and
+     were well, and saw no evil.
+
+     "But since we left off to burn incense to the _Queen of
+     Heaven_, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have
+     wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by
+     the famine. And when we burned incense to the _Queen of
+     Heaven_, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make
+     her _cakes_ to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto
+     her, without our men?"[332:1]
+
+The "_cakes_" which were offered to the "Queen of Heaven" by the
+Israelites were marked with a _cross_, or other symbol of sun
+worship.[332:2] The ancient Egyptians also put a cross on their "sacred
+cakes."[332:3] Some of the early Christians offered "sacred cakes" to
+the Virgin Mary centuries after.[332:4]
+
+The ancient Persians worshiped the Virgin and Child. On the monuments of
+Mithra, the Saviour, the Mediating and Redeeming God of the Persians,
+the Virgin Mother of this god is to be seen suckling her infant.[332:5]
+
+The ancient Greeks and Romans worshiped the Virgin Mother and Child for
+centuries before the Christian era. One of these was _Myrrha_,[332:6]
+the mother of _Bacchus_, the Saviour, who was represented with the
+infant in her arms. She had the title of "Queen of Heaven."[332:7] At
+many a _Christian_ shrine the infant Saviour Bacchus may be seen
+reposing in the arms of his deified mother. The names are changed--the
+ideas remain as before.[332:8]
+
+The Rev. Dr. Stuckley writes:
+
+     "Diodorus says Bacchus was born of Jupiter, the Supreme God,
+     and Ceres (Myrrha). Both Ceres and Proserpine were called
+     _Virgo_ (Virgin). The story of this woman being deserted by a
+     man, and espoused by a god, has somewhat so exceedingly like
+     that passage, Matt. i. 19, 20, of the blessed Virgin's
+     history, that we should wonder at it, _did we not see the
+     parallelism infinite between the sacred and the profane
+     history before us_.
+
+     "There are many similitudes between the Virgin (Mary) and the
+     mother of Bacchus (also called Mary--see note 6 below)--in all
+     the old fables. Mary, or Miriam, St. Jerome interprets Myrrha
+     Maris. Orpheus calls the mother of Bacchus a _Sea Goddess_
+     (and the mother of Jesus is called '_Mary, Star of the
+     Sea_.'")[332:9]
+
+Thus we see that the reverend and learned Dr. Stuckley has clearly made
+out that the story of Mary, the "Queen of Heaven," the "Star of the
+Sea," the mother of the Lord, with her translation to heaven, &c., was
+an _old story_ long before Jesus of Nazareth was born. After this
+Stuckley observes that the _Pagan_ "Queen of Heaven" has upon her head a
+crown of twelve stars. This, as we have observed above, is the case of
+the _Christian_ "Queen of Heaven" in almost every Romish church on the
+continent of Europe.
+
+The goddess _Cybele_ was another. She was equally called the "Queen of
+Heaven" and the "Mother of God." As devotees now collect alms in the
+name of the Virgin Mary, so did they in ancient times in the name of
+Cybele. The _Galli_ now used in the churches of Italy, were anciently
+used in the worship of Cybele (called _Galliambus_, and sang by her
+priests). "Our Lady Day," or the day of the Blessed Virgin of the Roman
+Church, was heretofore dedicated to Cybele.[333:1]
+
+_Minerva_, who was distinguished by the title of "Virgin Queen,"[333:2]
+was extensively worshiped in ancient Greece. Among the innumerable
+temples of Greece, the most beautiful was the _Parthenon_, meaning, the
+_Temple of the Virgin Goddess_. It was a magnificent Doric edifice,
+dedicated to Minerva, the presiding deity of Athens.
+
+_Juno_ was called the "Virgin Queen of Heaven."[333:3] She was
+represented, like _Isis_ and _Mary_, standing on the crescent
+moon,[333:4] and was considered the special protectress of women, from
+the cradle to the grave, just as Mary is considered at the present day.
+
+_Diana_, who had the title of "Mother," was nevertheless famed for her
+virginal purity.[333:5] She was represented, like _Isis_ and _Mary_,
+with stars surrounding her head.[333:6]
+
+The ancient _Muscovites_ worshiped a sacred group, composed of a woman
+with a _male child_ in her lap, and another _standing by her_. They had
+likewise another idol, called _the golden heifer_, which, says Mr.
+Knight, "seems to have been the animal _symbol_ of the same
+personage."[333:7] Here we have the Virgin and infant Saviour, with the
+companion (John the Baptist), and "The _Lamb_ that taketh away the sins
+of the world," among the ancient _Muscovites_ before the time of Christ
+Jesus. This goddess had also the title of "Queen of Heaven."[334:1]
+
+The ancient _Germans_ worshiped a virgin goddess under the name of
+_Hertha_, or Ostara, who was fecundated by the active spirit, _i. e._,
+the "Holy Spirit."[334:2] She was represented in images as a woman with
+a child in her arms. This image was common in their consecrated forests,
+and was held peculiarly sacred.[334:3] The Christian celebration called
+_Easter_ derived its _name_ from this goddess.
+
+The ancient _Scandinavians_ worshiped a virgin goddess called Disa. Mr.
+R. Payne Knight tells us that:
+
+     "This goddess is delineated on the sacred drums of the
+     Laplanders, _accompanied by a child_, similar to the _Horus_
+     of the Egyptians, who so often appears in the lap of Isis on
+     the religious monuments of that people."[334:4]
+
+The ancient _Scandinavians_ also worshiped the goddess Frigga. She was
+mother of "Baldur the Good," his father being Odin, the supreme god of
+the northern nations. It was she who was addressed, as Mary is at the
+present day, in order to obtain happy marriages and easy childbirths.
+The Eddas style her the most favorable of the goddesses.[334:5]
+
+In _Gaul_, the ancient Druids worshiped the _Virgo-Paritura_ as the
+"Mother of God," and a festival was annually celebrated in honor of this
+virgin.[334:6]
+
+In the year 1747 a monument was found at Oxford, England, of pagan
+origin, on which is exhibited a female nursing an infant.[334:7] Thus we
+see that the Virgin and Child were worshiped, in pagan times, from China
+to Britain, and, if we turn to the New World, we shall find the same
+thing there; for, in the words of Dr. Inman, "even in Mexico the 'Mother
+and Child' were worshiped."[334:8]
+
+This mother, who had the title of "Virgin," and "Queen of
+Heaven,"[334:9] was Chimalman, or Sochiquetzal, and the infant was
+Quetzalcoatle, the crucified Saviour. Lord Kingsborough says:
+
+     "She who represented 'Our Lady' (among the ancient Mexicans)
+     had her hair tied up in the manner in which the Indian women
+     tie and fasten their hair, and in the knot behind was
+     inserted a small _cross_, by which it was intended to show
+     that she was the Most Holy."[335:1]
+
+The Mexicans had pictures of this "Heavenly Goddess" on long pieces of
+leather, which they rolled up.[335:2]
+
+The annunciation to the Virgin Chimalman, that she should become the
+mother of the Saviour Quetzalcoatle, was the subject of a Mexican
+hieroglyphic, and is remarkable in more than one respect. She appears to
+be receiving a bunch of flowers from the embassador or angel,[335:3]
+which brings to mind the _lotus_, the sacred plant of the East, which is
+placed in the hands of the Pagan and Christian virgins.
+
+The 25th of March, which was celebrated throughout the ancient Grecian
+and Roman world, in honor of "the Mother of the Gods," was appointed to
+the honor of the Christian "Mother of God," and is now celebrated in
+Catholic countries, and called "Lady day."[335:4] The festival of the
+conception of the "Blessed Virgin Mary" is also held on the very day
+that the festival of the miraculous conception of the "Blessed Virgin
+Juno" was held among the pagans,[335:5] which, says the author of the
+"Perennial Calendar," "is a remarkable coincidence."[335:6] It is not
+such a very "remarkable coincidence" after all, when we find that, even
+as early as the time of St. Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea, who
+flourished about A. D. 240-250, Pagan festivals were changed into
+Christian holidays. This saint was commended by his namesake of Nyssa
+for changing the Pagan festivals into Christian holidays, the better to
+draw the heathens to the religion of Christ.[335:7]
+
+The month of _May_, which was dedicated to the heathen Virgin Mothers,
+is also the month of Mary, the Christian Virgin.
+
+Now that we have seen that the worship of the Virgin and Child was
+universal for ages before the Christian era, we shall say a few words on
+the subject of pictures and images of the Madonna--so called.
+
+The most ancient pictures and statues in Italy and other parts of
+Europe, of what are supposed to be representations of the Virgin _Mary_
+and the infant Jesus, are _black_. The infant god, in the arms of his
+black mother, his eyes and drapery white, is himself perfectly
+black.[335:8]
+
+Godfrey Higgins, on whose authority we have stated the above, informs us
+that, at the time of his writing--1825-1835--images and paintings of
+this kind were to be seen at the cathedral of Moulins; the famous chapel
+of "the Virgin" at Loretto; the church of the Annunciation, the church
+of St. Lazaro, and the church of St. Stephens, at _Genoa_; St. Francis,
+at _Pisa_; the church at _Brixen_, in the Tyrol; the church at _Padua_;
+the church of St. Theodore, at _Munich_--in the two last of which the
+white of the eyes and teeth, and the studied redness of the lips, are
+very observable.[336:1]
+
+"The _Bambino_[336:2] at _Rome_ is black," says Dr. Inman, "and so are
+the Virgin and Child at Loretto."[336:3] Many more are to be seen in
+Rome, and in innumerable other places; in fact, says Mr. Higgins,
+
+     "There is scarcely an old church in Italy where some remains
+     of the worship of the _black Virgin_, and _black child_, are
+     not met with;" and that "pictures in great numbers are to be
+     met with, where the white of the eyes, and of the teeth, and
+     the lips a little tinged with red, like the black figures in
+     the museum of the Indian company."[336:4]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 20]
+
+Fig. No. 20 is a copy of the image of the Virgin of Loretto. Dr. Conyers
+Middleton, speaking of it, says:
+
+     "The mention of Loretto puts me in mind of the surprise that I
+     was in at the first sight of the Holy Image, for its face is
+     as black as a negro's. But I soon recollected, that this very
+     circumstance of its complexion made it but resemble the more
+     exactly the _old idols of Paganism_."[336:5]
+
+The reason assigned by the Christian priests for the images being black,
+is that they are made so by smoke and incense, but, we may ask, if they
+became black by smoke, why is it that the _white_ drapery, _white_
+teeth, and the _white_ of the eyes have not changed in color? Why are
+the lips of a bright red color? Why, we may also ask, are the black
+images crowned and adorned with jewels, just as the images of the Hindoo
+and Egyptian virgins are represented?
+
+When we find that the Virgin Devaki, and the Virgin Isis were
+represented just as these so-called _ancient Christian_ idols represent
+Mary, we are led to the conclusion that they are Pagan idols adopted by
+the Christians.
+
+We may say, in the words of Mr. Lundy, "what jewels are doing on the
+neck of this poor and lowly maid, it is not easy to say."[337:1] The
+_crown_ is also foreign to early representations of the Madonna and
+Child, but not so to Devaki and Crishna,[337:2] and Isis and Horus. The
+_coronation_ of the Virgin Mary is unknown to primitive Christian art,
+but is common in Pagan art.[337:3] "It may be well," says Mr. Lundy, "to
+compare some of the oldest _Hindoo_ representations of the subject with
+the Romish, and see how complete the resemblance is;"[337:4] and Dr.
+Inman says that, "the head-dress, as put on the head of the Virgin Mary,
+is of Grecian, Egyptian, and Indian origin."[337:5]
+
+The whole secret of the fact of these early representations of the
+Virgin Mary and Jesus--so-called--being _black_, crowned, and covered
+with jewels, is that they are of pre-Christian origin; they are _Isis_
+and _Horus_, and perhaps, in some cases, Devaki and Crishna, baptized
+anew.
+
+The Egyptian "Queen of Heaven" was worshiped in Europe for centuries
+before and after the Christian Era.[337:6] Temples and statues were also
+erected in honor of Isis, one of which was at Bologna, in Italy.
+
+Mr. King tells us that the Emperor Hadrian zealously strove to reanimate
+the forms of that old religion, whose spirit had long since passed away,
+and it was under his patronage that the creed of the Pharaohs blazed up
+for a moment with a bright but fictitious lustre.[337:7] To this period
+belongs a beautiful sard, in Mr. King's collection, representing
+Serapis[337:8] and Isis, with the legend: "Immaculate is Our Lady
+Isis."[337:9]
+
+Mr. King further tells us that:
+
+     "The '_Black Virgins_' so highly reverenced in certain French
+     cathedrals during the long night of the middle ages, proved,
+     when at last examined critically, basalt figures of
+     Isis."[337:10]
+
+And Mr. Bonwick says:
+
+     "We may be surprised that, as Europe has _Black_ Madonnas,
+     Egypt had _Black_ images and pictures of Isis. At the same
+     time it is a little odd that the Virgin Mary copies most
+     honored should not only be _Black_, but have a decided _Isis
+     cast_ of feature."[338:1]
+
+The shrine now known as that of the "Virgin in Amadon," in France, was
+formerly an old Black _Venus_.[338:2]
+
+     "To this we may add," (says Dr. Inman), "that at the Abbey of
+     Einsiedelen, on Lake Zurich, the object of adoration is an old
+     _black doll_, dressed in gold brocade, and glittering with
+     jewels. She is called, apparently, the Virgin of the Swiss
+     Mountains. My friend, Mr. Newton, also tells me that he saw,
+     over a church door at Ivrea, in Italy, twenty-nine miles from
+     Turin, the fresco of a _Black_ Virgin and child, the former
+     bearing a _triple crown_."[338:3]
+
+This _triple crown_ is to be seen on the heads of Pagan gods and
+goddesses, especially those of the Hindoos.
+
+Dr. Barlow says:
+
+     "The doctrine of the Mother of God was of Egyptian origin. It
+     was brought in along with the worship of the Madonna by Cyril
+     (Bishop of Alexandria, and the Cyril of Hypatia) and the monks
+     of Alexandria, in the fifth century. The earliest
+     representations of the Madonna have quite a Greco-Egyptian
+     character, and there can be little doubt that Isis nursing
+     Horus was the origin of them all."[338:4]
+
+And Arthur Murphy tells us that:
+
+     "The superstition and religious ceremonies of the _Egyptians_
+     were diffused over Asia, Greece, _and the rest of Europe_.
+     Brotier says, that inscriptions of Isis and Serapis (Horus?)
+     have been frequently found in _Germany_. . . . The missionaries
+     who went in the eighth and ninth centuries to propagate the
+     Christian religion in those parts, _saw many images and
+     statues of these gods_."[338:5]
+
+These "many images and statues of these gods" were evidently baptized
+anew, given other names, and allowed to remain where they were.
+
+In many parts of Italy are to be seen pictures of the Virgin with her
+infant in her arms, inscribed with the words: "Deo Soli." This betrays
+their Pagan origin.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[326:1] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 115, and Monumental
+Christianity, pp. 206 and 226.
+
+[326:2] Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 159.
+
+[326:3] See Williams' Hinduism.
+
+[326:4] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 540.
+
+[326:5] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 185.
+
+[326:6] _St. Jerome_ says: "It is handed down as a tradition among the
+Gymnosophists of India, that _Buddha_, the founder of their system was
+brought forth by a virgin from her side." (_Contra Jovian_, bk. i.
+Quoted in Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 183.)
+
+[327:1] Plate 59.
+
+[327:2] Monumental Christianity, p. 218.
+
+Of the Virgin _Mary_ we read: "Her face was shining as snow, and its
+brightness could hardly be borne. Her conversation was with the angels,
+&c." (Nativity of Mary, _Apoc._)
+
+[327:3] See Ancient Faiths, i. 401.
+
+[327:4] Davis' China, vol. ii. p. 95.
+
+[327:5] The Heathen Relig., p. 60.
+
+[327:6] Barrows: Travels in China, p. 467.
+
+[327:7] Gutzlaff's Voyages, p. 154.
+
+[328:1] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 141.
+
+[328:2] See The Lily of Israel, p. 14.
+
+[328:3] Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 425.
+
+[328:4] See Draper's Science and Religion, pp. 47, 48, and Higgins'
+Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 804.
+
+[328:5] Pagan and Christian Symbolism, p. 50.
+
+[328:6] See Monumental Christianity, p. 307, and Dr. Inman's Ancient
+Faiths.
+
+[328:7] See Cox's Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 119, _note_.
+
+[328:8] See Pagan and Christian Symbolism, pp. 13, 14.
+
+[329:1] Pagan and Christian Symbolism, pp. 4, 5.
+
+[329:2] See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, pp. 45, 104, 105.
+
+"We see, in pictures, that the Virgin and Child are associated in modern
+times with the split apricot, the pomegranate, rimmon, and the Vine,
+just as was the ancient Venus." (Dr. Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p.
+528.)
+
+[329:3] Serpent Symbol, p. 39.
+
+[329:4] Taylor's Diegesis, p. 185.
+
+[330:1] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 143.
+
+[330:2] Ibid. p. 115.
+
+[330:3] Quoted in Ibid. p. 115.
+
+[330:4] Ibid., and Kenrick's Egypt.
+
+[330:5] Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 59.
+
+[330:6] See Monumental Christianity, p. 211, and Ancient Faiths, vol.
+ii. p. 350.
+
+[330:7] Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 213.
+
+[332:1] Jeremiah, xliv. 16-22.
+
+[332:2] See Colenso's Lectures, p. 297, and Bonwick's Egyptian Belief,
+p. 148.
+
+[332:3] See the Pentateuch Examined, vol. vi. p. 115, App., and
+Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 148.
+
+[332:4] See King's Gnostics, p. 91, and Monumental Christianity, p. 224.
+
+[332:5] See Dupuis: Origin of Relig. Belief, p. 237.
+
+[332:6] It would seem more than chance that so many of the virgin
+mothers and goddesses of antiquity should have the same name. The mother
+of _Bacchus_ was Myrrha: the mother of Mercury or Hermes was Myrrha or
+Maia (See Fergusson's Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 186, and Inman's
+Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 233); the mother of the Siamese
+Saviour--Sommona Cadom--was called Maya Maria, _i. e._, "the Great
+Mary;" the mother of Adonis was Myrrha (See Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 314,
+and Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 253); the mother of Buddha was
+Maya; now, all these names, whether Myrrha, Maia or Maria, are the same
+as _Mary_, the name of the mother of the Christian Saviour. (See Inman's
+Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. pp. 353 and 780. Also, Dunlap's Mysteries of
+Adoni, p. 124.) The month of _May_ was sacred to these goddesses, so
+likewise is it sacred to the Virgin Mary at the present day. _She_ was
+also called Myrrha and Maria, as well as Mary. (See Anacalypsis, vol. i.
+p. 304, and Son of the Man, p. 26.)
+
+[332:7] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp. 303, 304.
+
+[332:8] Prof. Wilder, in "Evolution," June, '77. Isis Unveiled, vol. ii.
+
+[332:9] Stuckley: Pal. Sac. No. 1, p. 34, in Anacalypsis, i. p. 304.
+
+[333:1] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 305.
+
+[333:2] See Bell's Pantheon, and Knight: Ancient Art and Mytho., p. 175.
+
+[333:3] See Roman Antiquities, p. 73. Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 82, and
+Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 160.
+
+[333:4] See Monumental Christianity, p. 308--Fig. 144.
+
+[333:5] See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., pp. 175, 176.
+
+[333:6] See Montfaucon, vol. i. plate xcii.
+
+[333:7] Knight's Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 147.
+
+[334:1] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. pp. 109, 110.
+
+[334:2] See Knight's Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 21.
+
+[334:3] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 374, and Mallet: Northern
+Antiquities.
+
+[334:4] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 147.
+
+[334:5] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities.
+
+[334:6] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. pp. 108, 109, 259. Dupuis:
+Orig. Relig. Belief, p. 257. Celtic Druids, p. 163, and Taylor's
+Diegesis, p. 184.
+
+[334:7] See Celtic Druids, p. 163, and Dupuis, p. 237.
+
+[334:8] Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 100.
+
+[334:9] See Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 33, and Mexican Antiquities, vol.
+vi. p. 176.
+
+[335:1] Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 176.
+
+[335:2] Ibid.
+
+[335:3] Ibid.
+
+[335:4] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 304.
+
+[335:5] Ibid. vol. ii. p. 82.
+
+[335:6] Quoted in Ibid.
+
+[335:7] See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 236.
+
+[335:8] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 138.
+
+[336:1] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 138.
+
+[336:2] _Bambino_--a term in art, descriptive of the swaddled figure of
+the infant Saviour.
+
+[336:3] Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 401.
+
+[336:4] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 138.
+
+[336:5] Letters from Rome, p. 84.
+
+[337:1] Monumental Christianity, p. 208.
+
+[337:2] See Ibid. p. 229, and Moore's Hindu Pantheon, Inman's Christian
+and Pagan Symbolism, Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. ii., where the figures
+of Crishna and Devaki may be seen, crowned, laden with jewels, and a ray
+of glory surrounding their heads.
+
+[337:3] Monumental Christianity, p. 227.
+
+[337:4] Ibid.
+
+[337:5] Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 767.
+
+[337:6] In King's Gnostics and their Remains, p. 109, the author gives a
+description of a procession, given during the second century by
+Apuleius, in honor of _Isis_, the "Immaculate Lady."
+
+[337:7] King's Gnostics, p. 71.
+
+[337:8] "Serapis does not appear to be one of the native gods, or
+monsters, who sprung from the fruitful soil of Egypt. The first of the
+Ptolemies had been commanded, by a dream, to import the mysterious
+stranger from the coast of Pontus, where he had been long adored by the
+inhabitants of Sinope; but his attributes and his reign were so
+imperfectly understood, that it became a subject of dispute, whether he
+represented the bright orb of day, or the gloomy monarch of the
+subterraneous regions." (Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 143.)
+
+[337:9] Ibid.
+
+[337:10] King's Gnostics, p. 71, _note_.
+
+[338:1] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 141. "_Black_ is the color of the
+Egyptian Isis." (The Rosecrucians, p. 154.)
+
+[338:2] Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 159. In Montfaucon, vol. i. plate
+xcv., may be seen a representation of a _Black_ Venus.
+
+[338:3] Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 264.
+
+[338:4] Quoted in Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 142.
+
+[338:5] Notes 3 and 4 to Tacitus' Manners of the Germans.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIII.
+
+CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS.
+
+
+A thorough investigation of this subject would require a volume,
+therefore, as we can devote but a chapter to it, it must necessarily be
+treated somewhat slightingly.
+
+The first of the Christian Symbols which we shall notice is the CROSS.
+
+Overwhelming historical facts show that the cross was used, _as a
+religious emblem_, many centuries before the Christian era, by every
+nation in the world. Bishop Colenso, speaking on this subject, says:--
+
+     "From the dawn of organized Paganism in the Eastern world, to
+     the final establishment of Christianity in the West, the cross
+     was undoubtedly one of the commonest and most sacred of
+     symbolical monuments. Apart from any distinctions of social or
+     intellectual superiority, of caste, color, nationality, or
+     location in either hemisphere, it appears to have been the
+     aboriginal possession of every people in antiquity.
+
+     "Diversified forms of the symbol are delineated more or less
+     artistically, according to the progress achieved in
+     civilization at the period, on the ruined walls of temples and
+     palaces, on natural rocks and sepulchral galleries, on the
+     hoariest monoliths and the rudest statuary; on coins, medals,
+     and vases of every description; and in not a few instances,
+     are preserved in the architectural proportions of subterranean
+     as well as superterranean structures of tumuli, as well as
+     fanes.
+
+     "Populations of essentially different culture, tastes, and
+     pursuits--the highly-civilized and the semi-civilized, the
+     settled and the nomadic--vied with each other in their
+     superstitious _adoration_ of it, and in their efforts to
+     extend the knowledge of its exceptional import and virtue
+     amongst their latest posterities.
+
+     "Of the several varieties of the cross still in vogue, as
+     national and ecclesiastical emblems, and distinguished by the
+     familiar appellations of St. George, St. Andrew, the Maltese,
+     the Greek, the Latin, &c., &c., _there is not one amongst
+     them, the existence of which may not be traced to the remotest
+     antiquity. They were the common property of the Eastern
+     nations._
+
+     "That each known variety has been derived from a common
+     source, and is emblematical of one and the same truth may be
+     inferred from the fact of forms identically the same, whether
+     simple or complex, cropping out in contrary directions, in the
+     Western as well as the Eastern hemisphere."[339:1]
+
+The cross has been adored in _India_ from time immemorial, and was a
+symbol of mysterious significance in Brahmanical iconography. It was the
+symbol of the Hindoo god Agni, the "Light of the World."[340:1]
+
+In the Cave of Elephanta, over the head of the figure represented as
+destroying the infants, whence the story of Herod and the infants of
+Bethlehem (which was unknown to all the Jewish, Roman, and Grecian
+historians) took its origin, may be seen the Mitre, the Crosier, and the
+Cross.[340:2]
+
+It is placed by Mueller in the hand of Siva, Brahma, Vishnu, Crishna,
+Tvashtri and Jama. To it the worshipers of Vishnu attribute as many
+virtues as does the devout Catholic to the Christian cross.[340:3] Fra
+Paolino tells us it was used by the ancient kings of India as a
+sceptre.[340:4]
+
+Two of the principal pagodas of India--Benares and Mathura--were erected
+in the forms of vast crosses.[340:5] The pagoda at Mathura was sacred to
+the memory of the Virgin-born and crucified Saviour Crishna.[340:6]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 21]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 22]
+
+The cross has been an object of profound veneration among the Buddhists
+from the earliest times. One is the sacred Swastica (Fig. No. 21). It is
+seen in the old Buddhist Zodiacs, and is one of the symbols in the Asoka
+inscriptions. It is the sectarian mark of the Jains, and the distinctive
+badge of the sect of Xaca Japonicus. The Vaishnavas of India have also
+the same sacred sign.[340:7] And, according to Arthur Lillie,[340:8]
+"_the only Christian cross in the catacombs is this Buddhist Swastica_."
+
+The cross is adored by the followers of the Lama of Thibet.[340:9] Fig.
+No. 22 is a representation of the most familiar form of Buddhist cross.
+The close resemblance between the ancient religion of Thibet and that
+of the Christians has been noticed by many European travellers and
+missionaries, among whom may be mentioned Pere Grebillon, Pere Grueber,
+Horace de la Paon, D'Orville, and M. L'Abbe Huc. The Buddhists, and
+indeed all the sects of India, marked their followers on the head with
+the sign of the cross.[341:1] This was undoubtedly practiced by almost
+all heathen nations, as we have seen in the chapter on the _Eucharist_
+that the initiates into the Heathen mysteries were marked in that
+manner.
+
+The ancient _Egyptians_ adored the cross with the profoundest
+veneration. This sacred symbol is to be found on many of their ancient
+monuments, some of which may be seen at the present day in the British
+Museum.[341:2] In the museum of the London University, a cross upon a
+Calvary is to be seen upon the breast of one of the Egyptian
+mummies.[341:3] Many of the Egyptian images hold a cross in their hand.
+There is one now extant of the Egyptian Saviour Horus holding a cross in
+his hand,[341:4] and he is represented as an infant sitting on his
+mother's knee, with a cross on the back of the seat they occupy.[341:5]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 23]
+
+The commonest of all the Egyptian crosses, the CRUX ANSATA (Fig. No. 23)
+was adopted by the Christians. Thus, beside one of the Christian
+inscriptions at Phile (a celebrated island lying in the midst of the
+Nile) is seen both a _Maltese cross_ and a _crux ansata_.[341:6] In a
+painting covering the end of a church in the cemetery of El Khargeh, in
+the Great Oasis, are three of these crosses round the principal subject,
+which seems to have been a figure of a saint.[341:7] In an inscription
+in a Christian church to the east of the Nile, in the desert, these
+crosses are also to be seen. Beside, or in the hand of, the Egyptian
+gods, this symbol is generally to be seen. When the Saviour Osiris is
+represented holding out the _crux ansata_ to a mortal, it signifies that
+the person to whom he presents it has put off mortality, and entered on
+the life to come.[341:8]
+
+The Greek cross, and the cross of St. Anthony, are also found on
+Egyptian monuments. A figure of a Shari (Fig. No. 24), from Sir Gardner
+Wilkinson's book, has a necklace round his throat, from which depends a
+pectoral cross. A third Egyptian cross is that represented in Fig. No.
+25, which is apparently intended for a Latin cross rising out of a
+heart, like the mediaeval emblem of "_Cor in Cruce, Crux in Corde_:" it
+is the hieroglyph of goodness.[342:1]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 24]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 25]
+
+It is related by the ecclesiastical historians Socrates and Sozomon,
+that when the temple of Serapis, at Alexandria, in Egypt, was demolished
+by one of the Christian emperors, beneath the foundation was discovered
+a cross. The words of Socrates are as follows:
+
+     "In the temple of Serapis, now overthrown and rifled
+     throughout, there were found engraven in the stones certain
+     letters . . . resembling the form of the cross. The which when
+     both Christians and Ethnics beheld, every one applied to his
+     proper religion. The Christians affirmed that the cross was a
+     sign or token of the passion of Christ, and the proper
+     cognizance of their profession. _The Ethnics avouched that
+     therein was contained something in common, belonging as well
+     to Serapis as to Christ._"[342:2]
+
+It should be remembered, in connection with this, that the Emperor
+Hadrian saw no difference between the worshipers of Serapis and the
+worshipers of Christ Jesus. In a letter to the Consul Servanus he says:
+
+     "There are there (in Egypt) _Christians_ who worship
+     _Serapis_, and devoted to Serapis are those who call
+     themselves '_Bishops of Christ_.'"[342:3]
+
+The ancient Egyptians were in the habit of putting a cross on their
+sacred cakes, just as the Christians of the present day do on Good
+Friday.[342:4] The plan of the chamber of some Egyptian sepulchres has
+the form of a cross,[342:5] and the cross was worn by Egyptian ladies as
+an ornament, in precisely the same manner as Christian ladies wear it at
+the present day.[342:6]
+
+The ancient Babylonians honored the cross as a religious symbol. It is
+to be found on their oldest monuments. Anu, a deity who stood at the
+head of the Babylonian mythology, had a cross for his sign or
+symbol.[343:1] It is also the symbol of the Babylonian god Bal.[343:2] A
+cross hangs on the breast of Tiglath Pileser, in the colossal tablet
+from Nimroud, now in the British Museum. Another king, from the ruins of
+Ninevah, wears a Maltese cross on his bosom. And another, from the hall
+of Nisroch, carries an emblematic necklace, to which a Maltese cross is
+attached.[343:3] The most common of crosses, the _crux ansata_ (Fig. No.
+21) was also a sacred symbol among the Babylonians. It occurs repeatedly
+on their cylinders, bricks and gems.[343:4]
+
+The ensigns and standards carried by the Persians during their wars with
+Alexander the Great (B. C. 335), were made in the form of a cross--as we
+shall presently see was the style of the ancient _Roman_ standards--and
+representations of these cross-standards have been handed down to the
+present day.
+
+Sir Robert Ker Porter, in his very valuable work entitled: "Travels in
+Georgia, Persia, Armenia, and Ancient Babylonia,"[343:5] shows the
+representation of a _bas-relief_, of very ancient antiquity, which he
+found at Nashi-Roustam, or the Mountain of Sepulchres. It represents a
+combat between two horsemen--Baharam-Gour, one of the old Persian kings,
+and a Tartar prince. Baharam-Gour is in the act of charging his opponent
+with a spear, and behind him, scarcely visible, appears an almost
+effaced form, which must have been his standard-bearer, as the _ensign_
+is very plainly to be seen. _This ensign is a cross._ There is another
+representation of the same subject to be seen in a _bas-relief_, which
+shows the standard-bearer and his _cross_ ensign very plainly.[343:6]
+This _bas-relief_ belongs to a period when the Arsacedian kings governed
+Persia,[343:7] which was within a century after the time of Alexander,
+and consequently more than two centuries B. C.
+
+Sir Robert also found at this place, sculptures cut in the solid rock,
+which are in the form of crosses. These belong to the early race of
+Persian monarchs, whose dynasty terminated under the sword of Alexander
+the Great.[343:8] At the foot of Mount Nakshi-Rajab, he also found
+_bas-reliefs_, among which were two figures carrying a cross-standard.
+Fig. No. 26 is a representation of this.[343:9] It is coeval with the
+sculptures found at Nashi-Roustam,[343:10] and therefore belongs to a
+period before the time of Alexander's invasion.
+
+The cross is represented frequently and prominently on the coins of
+Asia Minor. Several have a ram or lamb on one side, and a cross on the
+other.[344:1] On some of the early coins of the Phenicians, the cross is
+found attached to a chaplet of beads placed in a circle, so as to form a
+complete rosary, such as the Lamas of Thibet and China, the Hindoos, and
+the Roman Catholics, now tell over while they pray.[344:2] On a
+Phenician medal, found in the ruins of Citium, in Cyprus, and printed in
+Dr. Clark's "Travels" (vol. ii. c. xi.), are engraved a cross, a rosary,
+and a lamb.[344:3] This is the "Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of
+the world."
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 26]
+
+The ancient Etruscans revered the cross as a religious emblem. This
+sacred sign, accompanied with the heart, is to be seen on their
+monuments. Fig. No. 27, taken from the work of Gorrio (Tab. xxxv.),
+shows an ancient tomb with angels and the cross thereon. It would answer
+perfectly for a Christian cemetery.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 27]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 28]
+
+The cross was adored by the ancient Greeks and Romans for centuries
+before the Augustan era. An ancient inscription in Thessaly is
+accompanied by a Calvary cross (Fig. No. 28); and Greek crosses of equal
+arms adorn the tomb of Midas (one of the ancient kings), in
+Phrygia.[344:4]
+
+The adoration of the cross by the Romans is spoken of by the Christian
+Father Minucius Felix, when denying the charge of idolatry which was
+made against his sect.
+
+     "As for the adoration of cross," (says he to the Romans),
+     "which you object against us, I must tell you that we neither
+     adore crosses nor desire them. You it is, ye Pagans, who
+     worship wooden gods, who are the most likely people to adore
+     wooden crosses, as being part of the same substance with your
+     deities. For what else are your ensigns, flags, and standards,
+     but crosses, gilt and beautiful. Your victorious trophies not
+     only represent a cross, but a cross with a man upon
+     it."[345:1]
+
+The principal silver coin among the Romans, called the _denarius_, had
+on one side a personification of Rome as a warrior with a helmet, and on
+the reverse, a chariot drawn by four horses. The driver had a
+cross-standard in one hand. This is a representation of a denarius of
+the earliest kind, which was first coined 296 B. C.[345:2] The cross was
+used on the roll of the Roman soldiery as the sign of _life_.[345:3]
+
+But, long before the Romans, long before the Etruscans, there lived in
+the plains of Northern Italy a people to whom the cross was a religious
+symbol, the sign beneath which they laid their dead to rest; a people of
+whom history tells nothing, knowing not their name; but of whom
+antiquarian research has learned this, that they lived in ignorance of
+the arts of civilization, that they dwelt in villages built on platforms
+over lakes, and that they trusted to the cross to guard, and may be to
+revive, their loved ones whom they committed to the dust.
+
+The examination of the tombs of Golasecca proves, in a most convincing,
+positive, and precise manner that which the terramares of Emilia had
+only indicated, but which had been confirmed by the cemetery of
+Villanova, that above a thousand years B. C., the cross was already a
+religious emblem of frequent employment.[345:4]
+
+     "It is more than a coincidence," (says the Rev. S.
+     Baring-Gould), "that Osiris by the cross should give life
+     eternal to the spirits of the just; that with the cross Thor
+     should smite the head of the great Serpent, and bring to life
+     those who were slain; that beneath the cross the Muysca
+     mothers should lay their babes, trusting to that sign to
+     secure them from the power of evil spirits; that with that
+     symbol to protect them, the ancient people of Northern Italy
+     should lay them down in the dust."[345:5]
+
+The cross was also found among the ruins of Pompeii.[345:6]
+
+It was a sacred emblem among the ancient Scandinavians.
+
+     "It occurs" (says Mr. R. Payne Knight), "on many Runic
+     monuments found in Sweden and Denmark, which are of an age
+     long anterior to the approach of Christianity to those
+     countries, and, probably, to its appearance in the
+     world."[346:1]
+
+Their god Thor, son of the Supreme god Odin, and the goddess Freyga, had
+the hammer for his symbol. It was with this hammer that Thor crushed the
+head of the great Mitgard serpent, that he destroyed the giants, that he
+restored the dead goats to life, which drew his car, that he consecrated
+the pyre of Baldur. _This hammer was a cross._[346:2]
+
+The cross of Thor is still used in Iceland as a magical sign in
+connection with storms of wind and rain.
+
+King Olaf, Longfellow tells us, when keeping Christmas at Drontheim:
+
+     "O'er his drinking-horn, the sign
+     He made of the Cross Divine,
+     And he drank, and mutter'd his prayers;
+     But the Berserks evermore
+     Made the sign of the hammer of Thor
+                             Over theirs."
+
+Actually, they both made the same symbol.
+
+This we are told by Snorro Sturleson, in the Heimskringla (Saga iv. c.
+18), when he describes the sacrifice at Lade, at which King Hakon,
+Athelstan's foster-son, was present:
+
+     "Now when the first full goblet was filled, Earl Sigurd spoke
+     some words over it, and blessed it in Odin's name, and drank
+     to the king out of the horn; and the king then took it, and
+     made the sign of the cross over it. Then said Kaare of
+     Greyting, 'What does the king mean by doing so? will he not
+     sacrifice?' But Earl Sigurd replied, 'The King is doing what
+     all of you do who trust in your power and strength; for he is
+     blessing the full goblet in the name of Thor, by making the
+     sign of his hammer over it before he drinks it."[346:3]
+
+The cross was also a _sacred_ emblem among the _Laplanders_. "In solemn
+sacrifices, all the Lapland idols were marked with it from the blood of
+the victims."[346:4]
+
+It was adored by the ancient _Druids_ of Britain, and is to be seen on
+the so-called "fire towers" of Ireland and Scotland. The "consecrated
+trees" of the Druids had a _cross beam_ attached to them, making the
+figure of a cross. On several of the most curious and most ancient
+monuments of Britain, the cross is to be seen, evidently cut thereon by
+the Druids. Many large stones throughout Ireland have these Druid
+crosses cut in them.[346:5]
+
+Cleland observes, in his "Attempt to Revive Celtic Literature," that
+the Druids taught the doctrine of an overruling providence, and the
+immortality of the soul: that they had also their Lent, their Purgatory,
+their Paradise, their Hell, their Sanctuaries, and the similitude of the
+May-pole _in form to the cross_.[347:1]
+
+"In the Island of I-com-kill, at the monastery of the Culdees, at the
+time of the Reformation, there were three hundred and sixty
+crosses."[347:2] The Caaba at Mecca was surrounded by three hundred and
+sixty crosses.[347:3] This number has nothing whatever to do with
+Christianity, but is to be found everywhere among the ancients. It
+represents the number of days of the ancient year.[347:4]
+
+When the Spanish missionaries first set foot upon the soil of _America_,
+in the fifteenth century, they were amazed to find that the _cross_ was
+as devoutly worshiped by the red Indians as by themselves. The hallowed
+symbol challenged their attention on every hand, and in almost every
+variety of form. And, what is still more remarkable, the cross was not
+only associated with other objects corresponding in every particular
+with those delineated on Babylonian monuments; but it was also
+distinguished by the Catholic appellations, "the tree of subsistence,"
+"the wood of health," "the emblem of life," &c.[347:5]
+
+When the Spanish missionaries found that the cross was no new object of
+veneration to the red men, they were in doubt whether to ascribe the
+fact to the pious labors of St. Thomas, whom they thought might have
+found his way to America, or the sacrilegious subtlety of Satan. It was
+the central object in the great temple of Cozamel, and is still
+preserved on the _bas-reliefs_ of the ruined city of Palenque. From time
+immemorial it had received the prayers and sacrifices of the Aztecs and
+Toltecs, and was suspended as an august emblem from the walls of temples
+in Popogan and Cundinamarca.[347:6]
+
+The ruined city of Palenque is in the depths of the forests of Central
+America. It was not inhabited at the time of the conquest of Mexico by
+the Spaniards. They discovered the temples and palaces of Chiapa, but of
+Palenque they knew nothing. According to tradition it was founded by
+Votan in the ninth century before the Christian era. The principal
+building in this ruined city is the palace. A noble tower rises above
+the courtyard in the centre. In this building are several small temples
+or chapels, with altars standing. At the back of one of these altars is
+a slab of gypsum, on which are sculptured two figures, one on each side
+of a cross (Fig. No. 29). The cross is surrounded with rich
+feather-work, and ornamental chains.[348:1] "The style of scripture,"
+says Mr. Baring-Gould, "and the accompanying hieroglyphic inscriptions,
+leave no room for doubting it to be a heathen representation."[348:2]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 29]
+
+The same cross is represented on old pre-Mexican MSS., as in the Dresden
+Codex, and that in the possession of Herr Fejervary, at the end of which
+is a colossal cross, in the midst of which is represented a bleeding
+deity, and figures stand round a _Tau_ cross, upon which is perched the
+sacred bird.[348:3]
+
+The cross was also used in the north of Mexico. It occurs among the
+Mixtecas and in Queredaro. Siguenza speaks of an Indian cross which was
+found in the cave of Mixteca Baja. Among the ruins on the island of
+Zaputero, in Lake Nicaragua, were also found old crosses reverenced by
+the Indians. White marble crosses were found on the island of St. Ulloa,
+on its discovery. In the state of Oaxaca, the Spaniards found that
+wooden crosses were erected as sacred symbols, so also in Aguatoleo, and
+among the Zapatecas. The cross was venerated as far as Florida on one
+side, and Cibola on the other. In South America, the same sign was
+considered symbolical and sacred. It was revered in Paraguay. In Peru
+the Incas honored a cross made out of a single piece of jasper; it was
+an emblem belonging to a former civilization.[348:4]
+
+Among the Muyscas at Cumana the cross was regarded with devotion, and
+was believed to be endowed with power to drive away evil spirits;
+consequently new-born children were placed under the sign.[348:5]
+
+The Toltecs said that their national deity Quetzalcoatle--whom we have
+found to be a virgin-born and crucified Saviour--had introduced the
+sign and ritual of the cross, and it was called the "Tree of Nutriment,"
+or "Tree of Life."[349:1]
+
+Malcom, in his "Antiquities of Britain," says
+
+     "Gomara tells that St. Andrew's cross, which is the same with
+     that of Burgundy, was in great veneration among the Cumas, in
+     South America, and that they fortified themselves with the
+     cross against the incursions of evil spirits, and were in use
+     to put them upon new-born infants; which thing very justly
+     deserves admiration."[349:2]
+
+Felix Cabrara, in his "Description of the Ancient City of Mexico," says:
+
+     "The adoration of the cross has been more general in the
+     world, than that of any other emblem. It is to be found in the
+     ruins of the fine city of Mexico, near Palenque, where there
+     are many examples of it among the hieroglyphics on the
+     buildings."[349:3]
+
+In "Chambers's Encyclopaedia" we find the following:
+
+     "It appears that the sign of the _cross_ was in use _as an
+     emblem having certain religious and mystic meanings attached
+     to it, long before the Christian era_; and the Spanish
+     conquerors were astonished to find it _an object of religious
+     veneration_ among the nations of Central and South
+     America."[349:4]
+
+Lord Kingsborough, in his "Antiquities of Mexico," speaks of crosses
+being found in Mexico, Peru, and Yucatan.[349:5] He also informs us that
+the _banner_ of Montezuma was a cross, and that the historical paintings
+of the "Codex Vaticanus" represent him carrying a cross as his
+banner.[349:6]
+
+A very fine and highly polished marble cross which was taken from the
+Incas, was placed in the Roman Catholic cathedral at Cuzco.[349:7]
+
+Few cases have been more powerful in producing mistakes in ancient
+history, than the idea, hastily taken by Christians in all ages, that
+every monument of antiquity marked with a cross, or with any of those
+symbols which they conceived to be monograms of their god, was of
+Christian origin. The early Christians did not adopt it as one of their
+symbols; it was not until Christianity began to be paganized that it
+became a Christian monogram, and even then it was not the cross as we
+know it to-day. "It is not until the middle of the _fifth_ century that
+the pure form of the cross emerges to light."[349:8] The cross of
+Constantine was nothing more than the [Symbol: PX], the monogram of
+Osiris, and afterwards of Christ.[349:9] This is seen from the fact
+that the "_Labarum_," or sacred banner of Constantine--on which was
+placed the sign by which he was to conquer--was inscribed with this
+sacred monogram. Fig. No. 30 is a representation of the Labarum, taken
+from Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. The author of "The History of Our
+Lord in Art" says:
+
+     "It would be difficult to prove that the cross of Constantine
+     was of the simple construction as now understood. As regards
+     the Labarum, the coins of the time, in which it is expressly
+     set forth, proves that the so-called cross upon it was nothing
+     else than the same ever-recurring monogram of Christ."[350:1]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 30]
+
+Now, this so-called monogram of Christ, like everything else called
+Christian, is of Pagan origin. It was the monogram of the Egyptian
+Saviour, Osiris, and also of Jupiter Ammon.[350:2] As M. Basnage remarks
+in his _Hist. de Juif_:[350:3]
+
+     "Nothing can be more opposite to Jesus Christ, than the Oracle
+     of _Jupiter Ammon_. And yet the _same cipher_ served the false
+     god as well as the true one; for we see a medal of Ptolemy,
+     King of Cyrene, having an eagle carrying a thunderbolt, _with
+     the monogram of Christ to signify the Oracle of Jupiter
+     Ammon_."
+
+Rev. J. P. Lundy says:
+
+     "Even the P.X., which I had thought to be exclusively
+     Christian, are to be found in combination thus: [Symbol: PX]
+     (just as the early Christians used it), on coins of the
+     Ptolemies, and on those of Herod the Great, struck forty years
+     before our era, together with this other form, so often seen
+     on the early Christian monuments, viz.: [Symbol: P with
+     horizontal cross-bar]."[350:4]
+
+This monogram is also to be found on the coins of Decius, a Pagan Roman
+emperor, who ruled during the commencement of the third century.[350:5]
+
+Another form of the same monogram is [Symbol: X over H] and X H. The
+monogram of the _Sun_ was [Symbol: Y with superimposed circle]. P. H.
+All these are now called monograms of Christ, and are to be met with in
+great numbers in almost every church in Italy.[351:1] The monogram of
+Mercury was a cross.[351:2] The monogram of the Egyptian Taut was formed
+by three crosses.[351:3] The monogram of Saturn was a cross and a ram's
+horn; it was also a monogram of Jupiter.[351:4] The monogram of Venus
+was a cross and a circle.[351:5] The monogram of the Phenician Astarte,
+and the Babylonian Bal, was also a cross and a circle.[351:6] It was
+also that of Freya, Holda, and Aphrodite.[351:7] Its true significance
+was the Linga and Yoni.
+
+The cross, which was so universally adored, in its different forms among
+heathen nations, was intended as an emblem or symbol of the _Sun_, of
+_eternal life_, the _generative powers_, &c.[351:8]
+
+As with the cross, and the X. P., so likewise with many other so-called
+Christian symbols--they are borrowed from Paganism. Among these may be
+mentioned the mystical three letters I. H. S., to this day retained in
+some of our Protestant, as well as Roman Catholic churches, and falsely
+supposed to stand for "_Jesu Hominium Salvator_," or "In Hoc Signo." It
+is none other than the identical monogram of the heathen god
+_Bacchus_,[351:9] and was to be seen on the coins of the Maharajah of
+_Cashmere_.[351:10] Dr. Inman says:
+
+     "For a long period I. H. S., I. E. E. S., was a monogram of
+     Bacchus; letters now adopted by Romanists. _Hesus_ was an old
+     divinity of Gaul, possibly left by the Phenicians. We have the
+     same I. H. S. in _Jazabel_, and reproduced in our _Isabel_.
+     The idea connected with the word is '_Phallic
+     Vigor_.'"[351:11]
+
+The TRIANGLE, which is to be seen at the present day in Christian
+churches as an emblem of the "Ever-blessed Trinity," is also of Pagan
+origin, and was used by them for the same purpose.
+
+Among the numerous symbols, the Triangle is conspicuous in _India_.
+Hindoos attached a mystic signification to its _three_ sides, and
+generally placed it in their temples. It was often composed of lotus
+plants, with an eye in the center.[351:12] It was sometimes represented
+in connection with the mystical word AUM[351:13] (Fig. No. 31), and
+sometimes surrounded with rays of glory.[351:14]
+
+This symbol was engraved upon the tablet of the ring which the religious
+chief, called the _Brahm-atma_ wore, as one of the signs of his
+dignity, and it was used by the Buddhists as emblematic of the
+Trinity.[352:1]
+
+The ancient _Egyptians_ signified their divine _Triad_ by a single
+_Triangle_.[352:2]
+
+Mr. Bonwick says:
+
+     "The _Triangle_ was a religious form from the first. It is to
+     be recognized in the Obelisk and Pyramid (of Egypt). To this
+     day, in some Christian churches, the priest's blessing is
+     given as it was in Egypt, by the sign of a triangle; viz.: two
+     fingers and a thumb. An Egyptian god is seen with a triangle
+     over his shoulders. This figure, in ancient Egyptian theology,
+     was the type of the Holy Trinity--three in one."[352:3]
+
+And Dr. Inman says:
+
+     "The Triangle is a sacred symbol in our modern churches, and
+     it was the sign used in ancient temples before the initiated,
+     to indicate the Trinity--three persons 'co-eternal together,
+     and co-equal.'"[352:4]
+
+The Triangle is found on ancient Greek monuments.[352:5] An ancient seal
+(engraved in the Memoires de l'Academie royale des Inscriptions et
+Belles Lettres), supposed to be of Phenician origin, "has as subject a
+standing figure between two stars, beneath which are handled crosses.
+Above the head of the deity is the TRIANGLE, or symbol of the
+Trinity."[352:6]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 31]
+
+One of the most conspicuous among the symbols intended to represent the
+Trinity, to be seen in Christian churches, is the compound leaf of the
+_trefoil_. Modern story had attributed to St. Patrick the idea of
+demonstrating a trinity in unity, by showing the _shamrock_ to his
+hearers; but, says Dr. Inman, "like many other things attributed to the
+moderns, the idea belongs to the ancients."[352:7]
+
+The _Trefoil_ adorned the head of _Osiris_, the Egyptian Saviour, and is
+to be found among the Pagan symbols or representations of the
+_three-in-one_ mystery.[353:1] Fig. No. 32 is a representation of the
+_Trefoil_ used by the ancient Hindoos as emblematic of their celestial
+Triad--Brahma, Vishnu and Siva--and afterwards adopted by the
+Christians.[353:2] The leaf of the _Vila_, or _Bel-tree_, is typical of
+Siva's attributes, because _triple_ in form.[353:3]
+
+The _Trefoil_ was a sacred plant among the ancient Druids of Britain. It
+was to them an emblem of the mysterious _three in one_.[353:4] It is to
+be seen on their _coins_.[353:5]
+
+The _Tripod_ was very generally employed among the ancients as an emblem
+of the _Trinity_, and is found composed in an endless variety of ways.
+On the coins of Menecratia, in Phrygia, it is represented between two
+asterisks, with a serpent wreathed around a battle-axe, inserted into
+it, as an accessory symbol, signifying preservation and destruction. In
+the ceremonial of worship, the number _three_ was employed with mystic
+solemnity.[353:6]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 32]
+
+The three lines, or three human legs, springing from a central disk or
+circle, which has been called a _Trinacria_, and supposed to allude to
+the island of Sicily, is simply an ancient emblem of the _Trinity_. "It
+is of _Asiatic_ origin; its earliest appearance being upon the very
+ancient coins of Aspendus in Pamphylia; sometimes alone in the square
+incuse, and sometimes upon the body of an eagle or the back of a
+lion."[353:7]
+
+We have already seen, in the chapter on the _crucifixion_, that the
+earliest emblems of the Christian Saviour were the "Good Shepherd" and
+the "Lamb." Among these may also be mentioned the _Fish_. "The only
+satisfactory explanation why Jesus should be represented as a _Fish_,"
+says Mr. King, in his Gnostics and their Remains,[353:8] "seems to be
+the circumstance that in the quaint jargon of the Talmud the Messiah is
+often designated 'Dag,' or 'The Fish;'" and Mr. Lundy, in his
+"Monumental Christianity," says:
+
+     "Next to the sacred monogram (the [Symbol: PX]) the _Fish_
+     takes its place in importance as a sign of Christ in his
+     special office of _Saviour_." "In the Talmud the Messiah is
+     called 'Dag' or 'Fish.'" "Where did the Jews learn to apply
+     'Dag' to their Messiah? And why did the primitive Christians
+     adopt it as a sign of Christ?" "I cannot disguise facts. Truth
+     demands no concealment or apology. _Paganism_ has its types
+     and prophecies of Christ as well as Judaism. What then is the
+     Dag-on of the old Babylonians? The _fish_-god or being that
+     taught them all their civilization."[354:1]
+
+As Mr. Lundy says, "truth demands no concealment or apology," therefore,
+when the truth is exposed, we find that _Vishnu_, the Hindoo Messiah,
+Preserver, Mediator and _Saviour_, was represented as a "dag," or fish.
+The _Fish_ takes its place in importance as a sign of _Vishnu_ in his
+special office of _Saviour_.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 33]
+
+Prof. Monier Williams says:
+
+     "It is as _Vishnu_ that the Supreme Being, according to the
+     Hindoos, exhibited his sympathy with human trials, his love
+     for the human race. Nine principal occasions have already
+     occurred in which the god has thus interposed for the
+     salvation of his creatures. The first was _Matsaya_, the
+     _Fish_. In this Vishnu became a fish to save the seventh Manu,
+     the progenitor of the human race, from the universal
+     deluge."[354:2]
+
+We have already seen, in Chap. IX., the identity of the Hindoo _Matsaya_
+and the Babylonian Dagon.
+
+The fish was sacred among the Babylonians, Assyrians and Phenicians, as
+it is among the Romanists of to-day. It was sacred also to _Venus_, and
+the Romanists still eat it on the very day of the week which was called
+"_Dies veneris_," Venus' day; fish day.[354:3] It was an emblem of
+_fecundity_. The most ancient symbol of the productive power was a fish,
+and it is accordingly found to be the universal symbol upon many of the
+earliest coins.[354:4] Pythagoras and his followers did not eat fish.
+They were ascetics, and the eating of fish was supposed to tend to
+carnal desires. This ancient superstition is entertained by many even at
+the present day.
+
+The fish was the earliest symbol of Christ Jesus. Fig. No. 33 is a
+design from the catacombs.[354:5] This cross-fish is not unlike the
+sacred monogram.
+
+That the Christian Saviour should be called a fish may at first appear
+strange, but when the mythos is properly understood (as we shall
+endeavor to make it in Chap. XXXIX.), it will not appear so. The Rev.
+Dr. Geikie, in his "Life and Words of Christ," says that a fish stood
+for his _name_, from the significance of the Greek letters in the word
+that expresses the idea, and for this reason he was called a fish. But,
+we may ask, why was Buddha not only called Fo, or Po, but _Dag-Po_,
+which was literally the Fish Po, or Fish Buddha? The fish did not stand
+for his name. The idea that Jesus was called a fish because the Messiah
+is designated "Dag" in the Talmud, is also an unsatisfactory
+explanation.
+
+Julius Africanus (an early Christian writer) says:
+
+     "Christ is the great Fish taken by the fish-hook of God, and
+     whose flesh nourishes the whole world."[355:1]
+
+          "The fish fried
+           Was Christ that died,"
+
+is an old couplet.[355:2]
+
+Prosper Africanus calls Christ,
+
+     "The great fish who satisfied for himself the disciples on the
+     shore, and offered himself as a fish to the whole
+     world."[355:3]
+
+The _Serpent_ was also an emblem of Christ Jesus, or in other words,
+represented Christ, among some of the early Christians.
+
+Moses _set up_ a brazen _serpent_ in the wilderness, and Christian
+divines have seen in this a type of Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Gospels
+sanction this; for it is written:
+
+     "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the
+     Son of man be lifted up."
+
+From this serpent, Tertullian asserts, the early sect of Christians
+called _Ophites_ took their rise. Epiphanius says, that the "Ophites
+sprung out of the Nicolaitans and Gnostics, who were so called from the
+_serpent_, which they worshiped." "The Gnostics," he adds, "_taught that
+the ruler of the world was of a dracontic form_." The Ophites preserved
+live serpents in their sacred chest, and looked upon them as the
+_mediator_ between them and God. Manes, in the third century, taught
+serpent worship in Asia Minor, under the name of Christianity,
+promulgating that
+
+     "_Christ was an incarnation of the Great Serpent, who glided
+     over the cradle of the Virgin Mary, when she was asleep, at
+     the age of a year and a half._"[355:4]
+
+"The Gnostics," says Irenaeus, "represented the Mind (the Son, the
+Wisdom) in the form of a serpent," and "the Ophites," says Epiphanius,
+"have a veneration for the serpent; they esteem him the same as Christ."
+"They even quote the Gospels," says Tertullian, "to prove that Christ
+was an imitation of the serpent."[356:1]
+
+The question now arises, Why was the Christian Saviour represented as a
+serpent? Simply because the heathen Saviours were represented in like
+manner.
+
+From the earliest times of which we have any historical notice, the
+serpent has been connected with the preserving gods, or Saviours; the
+gods of goodness and of wisdom. In Hindoo mythology, the serpent is
+intimately associated with Vishnu, the preserving god, the
+Saviour.[356:2] Serpents are often associated with the Hindoo gods, as
+emblems of eternity.[356:3] It was a very sacred animal among the
+Hindoos.[356:4]
+
+Worshipers of Buddha venerate serpents. "This animal," says Mr. Wake,
+"became equal in importance as Buddha himself." And Mr. Lillie says:
+
+     "That God was worshiped at an early date by the Buddhists
+     under the symbol of the _Serpent_ is proved from the
+     sculptures of oldest topes, where worshipers are represented
+     so doing."[356:5]
+
+The Egyptians also venerated the serpent. It was the special symbol of
+Thoth, a primeval deity of Syro-Egyptian mythology, and of all those
+gods, such as Hermes and Seth, who can be connected with him.[356:6]
+Kneph and Apap were also represented as serpents.[356:7]
+
+Herodotus, when he visited Egypt, found sacred serpents in the temples.
+Speaking of them, he says:
+
+     "In the neighborhood of Thebes, there are sacred serpents, not
+     at all hurtful to men: they are diminutive in size, and carry
+     two horns that grow on the top of the head. When these
+     serpents die, they bury them in the temple of Jupiter; for
+     they say they are sacred to that god."[356:8]
+
+The third member of the Chaldean triad, Hea, or Hoa, was represented by
+a serpent. According to Sir Henry Rawlinson, the most important titles
+of this deity refer "to his functions as the source of all knowledge and
+science." Not only is he "The Intelligent Fish," but his name may be
+read as signifying both "Life" and a "Serpent," and he may be considered
+as "figured by the great serpent which occupies so conspicuous a place
+among the symbols of the gods on the black stones recording Babylonian
+benefactors."[357:1]
+
+The Phenicians and other eastern nations venerated the serpent as
+symbols of their beneficent gods.[357:2]
+
+As god of medicine, Apollo, the central figure in Grecian mythology, was
+originally worshiped under the form of a serpent, and men invoked him as
+the "Helper." He was the Solar Serpent-god.[357:3]
+
+AEsculapius, the healing god, the Saviour, was also worshiped under the
+form of a serpent.[357:4] "Throughout Hellas," says Mr. Cox, "AEsculapius
+remained the 'Healer,' and the 'Restorer of Life,' and accordingly the
+serpent is everywhere his special emblem."[357:5]
+
+Why the serpent was the symbol of the Saviours and beneficent gods of
+antiquity, will be explained in Chap. XXXIX.
+
+The _Dove_, among the Christians, is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The
+Matthew narrator relates that when Jesus went up out of the water, after
+being baptized by John, "the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw
+the Spirit of God descending like a _dove_, and lighting upon him."
+
+Here is another piece of Paganism, as we find that the _Dove_ was the
+symbol of the Holy Spirit among all nations of antiquity. Rev. J. P.
+Lundy, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "It is a remarkable fact that this spirit (_i. e._, the Holy
+     Spirit) has been symbolized among all religious and civilized
+     nations by the _Dove_."[357:6]
+
+And Earnest De Bunsen says:
+
+     "The symbol of the Spirit of God was the _Dove_, in Greek,
+     _peleia_, and the Samaritans had a brazen fiery dove, instead
+     of the brazen fiery serpent. Both referred to fire, the symbol
+     of the Holy Ghost."[357:7]
+
+Buddha is represented, like Christ Jesus, with a dove hovering over his
+head.[357:8]
+
+The virgin goddess Juno is often represented with a dove on her head. It
+is also seen on the heads of the images of Astarte, Cybele, and Isis; it
+was sacred to Venus, and was intended as a symbol of the Holy
+Spirit.[357:9]
+
+Even in the remote islands of the Pacific Ocean, a _bird_ is believed to
+be an emblem of the Holy Spirit.[357:10]
+
+R. Payne Knight, in speaking of the "mystic Dove," says:
+
+     "A bird was probably chosen for the emblem of the third
+     person (_i. e._, the Holy Ghost) to signify incubation, by
+     which was figuratively expressed the fructification of inert
+     matter, caused by the vital spirit moving upon the waters.
+
+     "The _Dove_ would naturally be selected in the East in
+     preference to every other species of bird, on account of its
+     domestic familiarity with man; it usually lodging under the
+     same roof with him, and being employed as his messenger from
+     one remote place to another. Birds of this kind were also
+     remarkable for the care of their offspring, and for a sort of
+     conjugal attachment and fidelity to each other, as likewise
+     for the peculiar fervency of their sexual desires, whence they
+     were sacred to Venus, and emblems of love."[358:1]
+
+Masons' marks are conspicuous among the Christian symbols. On some of
+the most ancient Roman Catholic cathedrals are to be found figures of
+Christ Jesus with Mason's marks about him.
+
+Many are the so-called Christian symbols which are direct importations
+from paganism. To enumerate them would take, as we have previously said,
+a volume of itself. For further information on this subject the reader
+is referred to Dr. Inman's "Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian
+Symbolism," where he will see how many ancient Indian, Egyptian,
+Etruscan, Grecian and Roman symbols have been adopted by Christians, a
+great number of which are _Phallic_ emblems.[358:2]
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[339:1] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. vi. p. 113.
+
+[340:1] Monumental Christianity, p. 14.
+
+[340:2] Baring-Gould: Curious Myths, p. 301. Higgins: Anac., vol. i. p.
+220.
+
+[340:3] Curious Myths, p. 301.
+
+[340:4] Ibid. p. 302.
+
+[340:5] Maurice: Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 350.
+
+[340:6] Ibid. vol. iii. p. 47.
+
+[340:7] Curious Myths, pp. 280-282. Buddha and Early Buddhism, pp. 7, 9,
+and 22, and Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 223.
+
+[340:8] Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 227.
+
+[340:9] Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 409. Higgins: Anac., vol. i.
+p. 230.
+
+[341:1] See Ibid.
+
+[341:2] See Celtic Druids, p. 126; Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 217, and
+Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, pp. 216, 217 and 219.
+
+[341:3] Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 217.
+
+[341:4] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 58.
+
+[341:5] See Inman's "Symbolism," and Lundy's Monu. Christianity, Fig.
+92.
+
+[341:6] Baring-Gould: Curious Myths, p. 285.
+
+[341:7] Hoskins' Visit to the great Oasis, pl. xii. in Curious Myths, p.
+286.
+
+[341:8] Curious Myths, p. 286.
+
+[342:1] Curious Myths, p. 287.
+
+[342:2] Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. v. ch. xvii.
+
+[342:3] Quoted by Rev. Dr. Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii.
+p. 86, and Rev. Robert Taylor: Diegesis, p. 202.
+
+[342:4] See Colenso's Pentateuch Examined, vol. vi. p. 115.
+
+[342:5] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 12.
+
+[342:6] Ibid. p. 219.
+
+[343:1] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 218, and Smith's Chaldean Account
+of Genesis, p. 54.
+
+[343:2] Egyptian Belief, p. 218.
+
+[343:3] Bonomi: Ninevah and Its Palaces, in Curious Myths, p. 287.
+
+[343:4] Curious Myths, p. 287.
+
+[343:5] Vol. i. p. 337, pl. xx.
+
+[343:6] Travels in Persia, vol. i. p. 545, pl. xxi.
+
+[343:7] Ibid. p. 529, and pl. xvi
+
+[343:8] Ibid., and pl. xvii.
+
+[343:9] Ibid. pl. xxvii.
+
+[343:10] Ibid. p. 573.
+
+[344:1] Curious Myths, p. 290.
+
+[344:2] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 31.
+
+[344:3] See Illustration in Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 224.
+
+[344:4] Baring-Gould: Curious Myths, p. 291.
+
+[345:1] Octavius, ch. xxix.
+
+[345:2] See Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Denarius."
+
+[345:3] Curious Myths, p. 291.
+
+[345:4] Ibid. pp. 291, 296.
+
+[345:5] Ibid. p. 311.
+
+[345:6] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. vi. p. 115.
+
+[346:1] Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 30.
+
+[346:2] Curious Myths, pp. 280, 281.
+
+[346:3] Ibid. pp. 281, 282.
+
+[346:4] Knight: Ancient Art and Mytho., p. 30.
+
+[346:5] See Celtic Druids, pp. 126, 130, 131.
+
+[347:1] Cleland, p. 102, in Anac., i. p. 716.
+
+[347:2] Celtic Druids, p. 242, and Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Cross."
+
+[347:3] Ibid.
+
+[347:4] See Maurice: Indian Antiquities, vol. ii. 103.
+
+[347:5] The Pentateuch Examined, vol. vi. p. 114.
+
+[347:6] Brinton: Myths of the New World, p. 95.
+
+[348:1] Stephens: Central America, vol. ii. p. 346, in Curious Myths, p.
+298.
+
+[348:2] Curious Myths, p. 298
+
+[348:3] Klemm Kulturgeschichte, v. 142, in Curious Myths, pp. 298, 299.
+
+[348:4] Curious Myths, p. 299.
+
+[348:5] Mueller: Geschichte der Amerikanischen Urreligionen, in Ibid.
+
+[349:1] Curious Myths, p. 301.
+
+[349:2] Quoted in Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 30.
+
+[349:3] Quoted in Celtic Druids, p. 131.
+
+[349:4] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Cross."
+
+[349:5] Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. pp. 165, 180.
+
+[349:6] Ibid. p. 179.
+
+[349:7] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 32.
+
+[349:8] Jameson's Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii. p. 318.
+
+[349:9] "These two letters in the old Samaritan, as found on coins,
+stand, the first for 400, the second for 200-600. This is the staff of
+Osiris. It is also the monogram of Osiris, and has been adopted by the
+Christians, and is to be seen in the churches in Italy in thousands of
+places. See Basnage (lib. iii. c. xxxiii.), where several other
+instances of this kind may be found. In Addison's 'Travels in Italy'
+there is an account of a medal, at Rome, of Constantius, with this
+inscription; _In hoc signo Victor eris_ [Symbol: PX]." (Anacalypsis, vol.
+i. p. 222.)
+
+[350:1] Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii. p. 316.
+
+[350:2] See Celtic Druids, p. 127, and Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p.
+218.
+
+[350:3] Bk. iii. c. xxiii. in Anac., i. p. 219.
+
+[350:4] Monumental Christianity, p. 125.
+
+[350:5] See Celtic Druids, pp. 127, 128.
+
+[351:1] See Ibid. and Monumental Christianity, pp. 15, 92, 123, 126,
+127.
+
+[351:2] See Celtic Druids, p. 101. Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 220. Indian
+Antiq., ii. 68.
+
+[351:3] See Celtic Druids, p. 101. Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 103.
+
+[351:4] See Celtic Druids, p. 127, and Taylor's Diegesis, p. 201.
+
+[351:5] See Celtic Druids, p. 127.
+
+[351:6] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 218.
+
+[351:7] See Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. 115.
+
+[351:8] See The Pentateuch Examined, vol. vi. pp. 113-115.
+
+[351:9] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp. 221 and 328. Taylor's
+Diegesis, p. 187. Celtic Druids, p. 127, and Isis Unveiled, p. 527, vol.
+ii.
+
+[351:10] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 212.
+
+[351:11] Ancient Faiths, vol. i. pp. 518, 519.
+
+[351:12] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 94.
+
+[351:13] This word--AUM--stood for Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the Hindoo
+Trinity.
+
+[351:14] See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 31.
+
+[352:1] See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 81.
+
+[352:2] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 196.
+
+[352:3] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 213.
+
+[352:4] Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 328.
+
+[352:5] See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 196.
+
+[352:6] Curious Myths, p. 289.
+
+[352:7] Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. i. pp. 153, 154.
+
+[353:1] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 242.
+
+[353:2] See Inman's Pagan and Christian Symbolism, p. 30.
+
+[353:3] See Williams' Hinduism, p. 99.
+
+[353:4] See Myths of the British Druids, p. 448.
+
+[353:5] Ibid. p. 601.
+
+[353:6] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 170.
+
+[353:7] Ibid. pp. 169, 170.
+
+[353:8] Page 138.
+
+[354:1] Monumental Christianity, pp. 130, 132, 133.
+
+[354:2] Indian Wisdom, p. 329.
+
+[354:3] Inman: Anct. Faiths, vol. i. pp. 528, 529, and Mueller: Science
+of Relig., p. 315.
+
+[354:4] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 111.
+
+[354:5] Lillie: Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 227.
+
+[355:1] Quoted in Monumental Christianity, p. 134.
+
+[355:2] Ibid. p. 135.
+
+[355:3] Ibid. p. 372.
+
+[355:4] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 246.
+
+[356:1] Fergusson: Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 9.
+
+[356:2] Wake: Phallism in Ancient Religs., p. 72.
+
+[356:3] Williams' Hinduism, p. 169.
+
+[356:4] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 16, and Fergusson: Tree and
+Serpent Worship.
+
+[356:5] Wake, p. 73. Lillie: p. 20.
+
+[356:6] Wake, p. 40, and Bunsen's Keys, p. 101.
+
+[356:7] Champollion, pp. 144, 145.
+
+[356:8] Herodotus, bk. ii. ch. 74.
+
+[357:1] Wake: Phallism in Anct. Religs., p. 30.
+
+[357:2] See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 16. Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol.
+ii. p. 128. Fergusson's Tree and Serpent Worship, and Squire's Serpent
+Symbol.
+
+[357:3] Deane: Serpent Worship, p. 213.
+
+[357:4] Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 7, and Bulfinch: Age of Fable, p.
+397.
+
+[357:5] Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 36.
+
+[357:6] Monumental Christianity, p. 293.
+
+[357:7] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 44.
+
+[357:8] See ch. xxix.
+
+[357:9] Monumental Christianity, pp. 323 and 234.
+
+[357:10] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 169.
+
+[358:1] Knight's Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 170.
+
+[358:2] See also R. Payne Knight's Worship of Priapus, and the other
+works of Dr. Thomas Inman.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIV.
+
+THE BIRTH-DAY OF CHRIST JESUS.
+
+
+Christmas--December the 25th--is a day which has been set apart by the
+Christian church on which to celebrate the birth of their Lord and
+Saviour, Christ Jesus, and is considered by the majority of persons to
+be really the day on which he was born. This is altogether erroneous, as
+will be seen upon examination of the subject.
+
+There was no uniformity in the period of observing the Nativity among
+the early Christian churches; some held the festival in the month of May
+or April, others in January.[359:1]
+
+The _year_ in which he was born is also as uncertain as the month or
+day. "The year in which it happened," says Mosheim, the ecclesiastical
+historian, "has not hitherto been fixed with certainty, notwithstanding
+the deep and laborious researches of the learned."[359:2]
+
+According to IRENAEUS (A. D. 190), on the authority of "The Gospel," and
+"all the elders who were conversant in Asia with John, the disciple of
+the Lord," Christ Jesus lived to be nearly, if not quite, _fifty years
+of age_. If this celebrated Christian father is correct, and who can say
+he is not, Jesus was born some twenty years before the time which has
+been assigned as that of his birth.[359:3]
+
+The Rev. Dr. Giles says:
+
+     "Concerning the _time_ of Christ's birth there are even
+     greater doubts than about the _place_; for, though the four
+     Evangelists have noticed several contemporary facts, which
+     would seem to settle this point, yet on comparing these dates
+     with the general history of the period, we meet with serious
+     discrepancies, which involve the subject in the greatest
+     uncertainty."[359:4]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "Not only do we date our time from the exact year in which
+     Christ _is said to have been born_, but our ecclesiastical
+     calendar has determined with scrupulous minuteness the day and
+     almost the hour at which every particular of Christ's
+     wonderful life is stated to have happened. All this is
+     implicitly believed by millions; _yet all these things are
+     among the most uncertain and shadowy that history has
+     recorded. We have no clue to either the day or the time of
+     year, or even the year itself, in which Christ was
+     born._"[360:1]
+
+Some Christian writers fix the year 4 B. C., as the time when he was
+born, others the year 5 B. C., and again others place his time of birth
+at about 15 B. C. The Rev. Dr. Geikie, speaking of this, in his _Life of
+Christ_, says:
+
+     "The whole subject is _very uncertain_. Ewald appears to fix
+     the date of the birth at _five_ years earlier than our era.
+     Petavius and Usher fix it on the 25th of December, _five_
+     years before our era. Bengel on the 25th of December, _four_
+     years before our era; Anger and Winer, _four_ years before our
+     era, _in the Spring_; Scaliger, _three_ years before our era,
+     in _October_; St. Jerome, _three_ years before our era, on
+     December 25th; Eusebius, _two_ years before our era, on
+     _January_ 6th; and Idler, _seven_ years before our era, in
+     _December_."[360:2]
+
+Albert Barnes writes in a manner which implies that he knew all about
+the _year_ (although he does not give any authorities), but knew nothing
+about the _month_. He says:
+
+     "The birth of Christ took place _four_ years before the common
+     era. That era began to be used about A. D. 526, being first
+     employed by Dionysius, and is supposed to have been placed
+     about four years too late. Some make the difference two,
+     others three, four, five, and even eight years. He was born at
+     the commencement of the last year of the reign of Herod, or at
+     the close of the year preceding."[360:3]
+
+     "The Jews sent out their flocks into the mountainous and
+     desert regions during the summer months, and took them up in
+     the latter part of October or the first of November, when the
+     cold weather commenced. . . . It is clear from this that our
+     Saviour was born before the 25th of December, or before what
+     we call _Christmas_. At that time it is cold, and especially
+     in the high and mountainous regions about Bethlehem. _God has
+     concealed the time of his birth. There is no way to ascertain
+     it._ By different learned men it has been fixed at each month
+     in the year."[360:4]
+
+Canon Farrar writes with a little more caution, as follows:
+
+     "Although the date of Christ's birth cannot be fixed with
+     absolute certainty, there is at least a large amount of
+     evidence to render it _probable_ that he was born _four_ years
+     before our present era. It is universally admitted that our
+     received chronology, which is not older than Dionysius
+     Exiguus, in the sixth century, is wrong. But all attempts to
+     discover the _month_ and the _day_ are useless. No data
+     whatever exists to enable us to determine them with even
+     approximate accuracy."[360:5]
+
+Bunsen attempts to show (on the authority of _Irenaeus_, above quoted),
+that Jesus was born some _fifteen_ years before the time assigned, and
+that he lived to be nearly, if not quite, fifty years of age.[361:1]
+
+According to Basnage,[361:2] the Jews placed his birth near a century
+sooner than the generally assumed epoch. Others have placed it even in
+the _third century_ B. C. This belief is founded on a passage in the
+"_Book of Wisdom_,"[361:3] written about 250 B. C., which is supposed to
+refer to Christ _Jesus_, and none other. In speaking of some individual
+who lived _at that time_, it says:
+
+     "He professeth to have the knowledge of God, and he calleth
+     himself _the child of the Lord_. He was made to reprove our
+     thoughts. He is grievous unto us even to behold; for his life
+     is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion. We
+     are esteemed of him as counterfeits; he abstaineth from our
+     ways as from filthiness; he pronounceth the end of the just to
+     be blessed, _and maketh his boast that God is his father_. Let
+     us see if his words be true; and let us prove what shall
+     happen in the end of him. For if the _just man_ be the son of
+     God, he (God) will help him, and deliver him from the hand of
+     his enemies. Let us examine him with despitefulness and
+     torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his
+     patience. Let us condemn him with a shameful death; for by his
+     own saying he shall be respected."
+
+This is a very important passage. Of course, the church claim it to be a
+_prophecy_ of what Christ Jesus was to do and suffer, but this does not
+explain it.
+
+If the writer of the "_Gospel according to Luke_" is correct, Jesus was
+not born until about A. D. 10, for he explicitly tells us that this
+event did not happen until Cyrenius was governor of Syria.[361:4] Now it
+is well known that Cyrenius was not appointed to this office until long
+after the death of Herod (during whose reign the Matthew narrator
+informs us Jesus was born[361:5]), and that the taxing spoken of by the
+Luke narrator as having taken place at this time, did not take place
+until about ten years after the time at which, according to the Matthew
+narrator, Jesus was born.[361:6]
+
+Eusebius, the first ecclesiastical historian,[361:7] places his birth at
+the time Cyrenius was governor of Syria, and therefore at about A. D.
+10. His words are as follows:
+
+     "It was the two and fortieth year after the reign of Augustus
+     the Emperor, and the eight and twentieth year after the
+     subduing of Egypt, and the death of Antonius and Cleopatra,
+     when last of all the Ptolemies in Egypt ceased to bear rule,
+     when our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, at the time of the
+     first taxing--Cyrenius, then President of Syria--was born in
+     Bethlehem, a city of Judea, according unto the prophecies in
+     that behalf premised."[362:1]
+
+Had the Luke narrator known anything about Jewish history, he never
+would have made so gross a blunder as to place the taxing of Cyrenius in
+the days of Herod, and would have saved the immense amount of labor that
+it has taken in endeavoring to explain away the effects of his
+ignorance. One explanation of this mistake is, that there were _two_
+assessments, one about the time Jesus was born, and the other ten years
+after; but this has entirely failed. Dr. Hooykaas, speaking of this,
+says:
+
+     "The Evangelist (Luke) falls into the most extraordinary
+     mistakes throughout. In the first place, history is silent as
+     to a census of the whole (Roman) world ever having been made
+     at all. In the next place, though Quirinius certainly did make
+     such a register in Judea and Samaria, it did not extend to
+     Galilee; so that Joseph's household was not affected by it.
+     Besides, _it did not take place until ten years after the
+     death of Herod_, when his son Archelaus was deposed by the
+     emperor, and the districts of Judea and Samaria were thrown
+     into a Roman province. Under the reign of Herod, nothing of
+     the kind took place, nor was there any occasion for it.
+     Finally, at the time of the birth of Jesus, the Governor of
+     Syria was not Quirinius, but Quintus Sentius
+     Saturninus."[362:2]
+
+The institution of the festival of the Nativity of Christ Jesus being
+held on the 25th of December, among the Christians, is attributed to
+Telesphorus, who flourished during the reign of Antonius Pius (A. D.
+138-161), but the first _certain_ traces of it are found about the time
+of the Emperor Commodus (A. D. 180-192).[362:3]
+
+For a long time the Christians had been trying to discover upon what
+particular day Jesus had possibly or probably come into the world; and
+conjectures and traditions that rested upon absolutely no foundation,
+led one to the 20th of May, another to the 19th or 20th of April, and a
+third to the 5th of January. At last the opinion of the _community at
+Rome_ gained the upper hand, and the 25th of December was fixed
+upon.[362:4] It was not until the _fifth_ century, however, that this
+day had been _generally_ agreed upon.[362:5] _How it happened_ that this
+day finally became fixed as the birthday of Christ Jesus, may be
+inferred from what we shall now see.
+
+On the first moment after midnight of the 24th of December (_i. e._, on
+the morning of the 25th), nearly all the nations of the earth, as if by
+common consent, celebrated the accouchement of the "_Queen of Heaven_,"
+of the "_Celestial Virgin_" of the sphere, and the birth of the god
+_Sol_.
+
+In _India_ this is a period of rejoicing everywhere.[363:1] It is a
+great religious festival, and the people _decorate their houses with
+garlands_, and _make presents to friends and relatives_. This custom is
+of very great antiquity.[363:2]
+
+In _China_, religious solemnities are celebrated at the time of the
+_winter solstice_, the last week in _December_, when all shops are shut
+up, and the courts are closed.[363:3]
+
+_Buddha_, the son of the Virgin Maya, on whom, according to Chinese
+tradition, "the Holy Ghost" had descended, was said to have been born on
+Christmas day, December 25th.[363:4]
+
+Among the ancient _Persians_ their most splendid ceremonials were in
+honor of their Lord and Saviour _Mithras_; they kept his birthday, with
+many rejoicings, on the 25th of December.
+
+The author of the "_Celtic Druids_" says:
+
+     "It was the custom of the heathen, long before the birth of
+     Christ, to celebrate the birth-day of their gods," and that,
+     "the 25th of December was a great festival with the
+     _Persians_, who, in very early times, celebrated the birth of
+     their god _Mithras_."[363:5]
+
+The Rev. Joseph B. Gross, in his "_Heathen Religion_," also tells us
+that:
+
+     "The ancient Persians celebrated a festival in honor of
+     _Mithras_ on the first day succeeding the _Winter Solstice_,
+     the object of which was to _commemorate the Birth of
+     Mithras_."[363:6]
+
+Among the ancient _Egyptians_, for centuries before the time of Christ
+Jesus, the 25th of December was set aside as the birthday of their gods.
+M. Le Clerk De Septchenes speaks of it as follows:
+
+     "The ancient Egyptians fixed the pregnancy of _Isis_ (the
+     _Queen of Heaven_, and the _Virgin Mother_ of the Saviour
+     Horus), on the last days of March, and towards the end of
+     _December_ they placed the commemoration of her
+     delivery."[363:7]
+
+Mr. Bonwick, in speaking of _Horus_, says:
+
+     "He is the great God-loved of Heaven. His birth was one of the
+     greatest mysteries of the Egyptian religion. Pictures
+     representing it appeared on the walls of temples. One passed
+     through the holy _Adytum_[364:1] to the still more sacred
+     quarter of the temple known as the birth-place of Horus. He
+     was presumably the child of Deity. _At Christmas time_, or
+     that answering to our festival, his image was brought out of
+     that sanctuary with peculiar ceremonies, as the image of the
+     infant _Bambino_[364:2] is still brought out and exhibited in
+     Rome."[364:3]
+
+Rigord observes that the Egyptians not only worshiped a _Virgin Mother_
+"prior to the birth of our Saviour, but exhibited the effigy of her son
+lying in the manger, in the manner the infant Jesus was afterwards laid
+in the cave at Bethlehem."[364:4]
+
+The "Chronicles of Alexandria," an ancient Christian work, says:
+
+     "Watch how Egypt has constructed the childbirth of a Virgin,
+     and the birth of her son, _who was exposed in a crib to the
+     adoration of the people_."[364:5]
+
+_Osiris_, son of the "_Holy Virgin_," as they called Ceres, or Neith,
+his mother, was born on the 25th of December.[364:6]
+
+This was also the time celebrated by the ancient _Greeks_ as being the
+birthday of _Hercules_. The author of "_The Religion of the Ancient
+Greeks_" says:
+
+     "The night of the _Winter Solstice_, which the Greeks named
+     the triple night, was that which they thought gave birth to
+     _Hercules_."[364:7]
+
+He further says:
+
+     "It has become an epoch of singular importance in the eyes of
+     the Christian, who has destined it to celebrate the birth of
+     the Saviour, the _true_ Sun of Justice, who alone came to
+     dissipate the darkness of ignorance."[364:8]
+
+_Bacchus_, also, was born at early dawn on the 25th of December. Mr.
+Higgins says of him:
+
+     "The birth-place of Bacchus, called Sabizius or Sabaoth, was
+     claimed by several places in Greece; but on Mount Zelmissus,
+     in Thrace, his worship seems to have been chiefly celebrated.
+     He was born of a virgin on the 25th of December, and was
+     always called the SAVIOUR. In his Mysteries, he was shown to
+     the people, as an infant is by the Christians at this day, on
+     Christmas-day morning, in Rome."[364:9]
+
+The birthday of _Adonis_ was celebrated on the 25th of December. This
+celebration is spoken of by Tertullian, Jerome, and other Fathers of
+the Church,[365:1] who inform us that the ceremonies took place in a
+cave, and that the cave in which they celebrated his mysteries in
+Bethlehem, was that in which Christ Jesus was born.
+
+This was also a great holy day in ancient Rome. The Rev. Mr. Gross says:
+
+     "In _Rome_, before the time of Christ, a festival was observed
+     on the 25th of December, under the name of '_Natalis Solis
+     Invicti_' (Birthday of Sol the Invincible). It was a day of
+     universal rejoicings, illustrated by illuminations and public
+     games."[365:2] "All public business was suspended,
+     declarations of war and criminal executions were postponed,
+     _friends made presents to one another_, and the slaves were
+     indulged with great liberties."[365:3]
+
+A few weeks before the winter solstice, the Calabrian shepherds came
+into Rome to play on the pipes. Ovid alludes to this when he says:
+
+              "Ante Deum matrem cornu tibicen adunco
+               Cum canit, exiguae quis stipis aera neget."
+
+                                        --(Epist. i. l. ii.)
+
+     _i. e._, "When to the mighty mother pipes the swain,
+               Grudge not a trifle for his pious strain."
+
+This practice is kept up to the present day.
+
+The ancient _Germans_, for centuries before "the _true_ Sun of Justice"
+was ever heard of, celebrated annually, at the time of the _Winter
+solstice_, what they called their Yule-feast. At this feast agreements
+were renewed, the gods were consulted as to the future, sacrifices were
+made to them, and the time was spent in jovial hospitality. Many
+features of this festival, such as burning the yule-log on
+Christmas-eve, still survive among us.[365:4]
+
+_Yule_ was the old name for Christmas. In French it is called _Noel_,
+which is the Hebrew or Chaldee word _Nule_.[365:5]
+
+The greatest festival of the year celebrated among the ancient
+_Scandinavians_, was at the _Winter solstice_. They called the night
+upon which it was observed, the "_Mother-night_." This feast was named
+_Jul_--hence is derived the word _Yule_--and was celebrated in honor of
+_Freyr_ (son of the Supreme God Odin, and the goddess Frigga), who was
+born on that day. Feasting, nocturnal assemblies, and all the
+demonstrations of a most dissolute joy, were then authorized by the
+general usage. At this festival the principal guests _received
+presents_--generally horses, swords, battle-axes, and gold rings--at
+their departure.[365:6]
+
+The festival of the 25th of December was celebrated by the ancient
+_Druids_, in Great Britain and Ireland, with great fires lighted on the
+tops of hills.[366:1]
+
+Godfrey Higgins says:
+
+     "Stuckley observes that the worship of Mithra was spread all
+     over Gaul and Britain. The Druids kept this night as a great
+     festival, and called the day following it Nolagh or Noel, or
+     the day of regeneration, and celebrated it with great fires on
+     the tops of their mountains, which they repeated on the day of
+     the Epiphany or twelfth night. The Mithraic monuments, which
+     are common in Britain, have been attributed to the Romans, but
+     this festival proves that the Mithraic worship was there prior
+     to their arrival."[366:2]
+
+This was also a time of rejoicing in Ancient Mexico. Acosta says:
+
+     "In the first month, which in Peru they call Rayme, and
+     answering to our _December_, they made a solemn feast called
+     _Capacrayme_ (the Winter Solstice), wherein they made many
+     sacrifices and ceremonies, which continued many days."[366:3]
+
+The evergreens, and particularly the mistletoe, which are used all over
+the Christian world at Christmas time, betray its heathen origin.
+Tertullian, a Father of the Church, who flourished about A. D. 200,
+writing to his brethren, affirms it to be "_rank idolatry_" to deck
+their doors "_with garlands or flowers, on festival days, according to
+the custom of the heathen_."[366:4]
+
+This shows that the heathen in those days, did as the Christians do now.
+What have evergreens, and garlands, and Christmas trees, to do with
+Christianity? Simply _nothing_. It is the old Yule-feast which was held
+by all the northern nations, from time immemorial, handed down to, and
+observed at the present day. In the greenery with which Christians deck
+their houses and temples of worship, and in the Christmas-trees laden
+with gifts, we unquestionably see a relic of the symbols by which our
+heathen forefathers signified their faith in the powers of the returning
+sun to clothe the earth again with green, and hang new fruit on the
+trees. Foliage, such as the laurel, myrtle, ivy, or oak, and in general,
+_all evergreens_, were _Dionysiac plants_, that is, symbols of the
+generative power, signifying perpetuity of youth and vigor.[366:5]
+
+Among the causes, then, that co-operated in fixing this period--December
+25th--as the birthday of Christ Jesus, was, as we have seen, that almost
+every ancient nation of the earth held a festival on this day in
+commemoration of the birth of _their_ virgin-born god.
+
+On this account the Christians _adopted it_ as the time of the birth of
+_their_ God. Mr. Gibbon, speaking of this in his "Decline and Fall of
+the Roman Empire," says:
+
+     "The Roman Christians, ignorant of the real date of his
+     (Christ's) birth, fixed the solemn festival to the 25th of
+     December, the _Brumalia_, or Winter Solstice, when the Pagans
+     annually celebrated the birth of _Sol_."[367:1]
+
+And Mr. King, in his "Gnostics and their Remains," says:
+
+     "The ancient festival held on the 25th of December in honor of
+     the 'Birthday of the Invincible One,' and celebrated by the
+     'great games' at the circus, was afterwards transferred to the
+     commemoration of the birth of Christ, the precise day of which
+     many of the Fathers confess was then unknown."[367:2]
+
+St. Chrysostom, who flourished about A. D. 390, referring to this Pagan
+festival, says:
+
+     "_On this day, also, the birth of Christ was lately fixed at
+     Rome_, in order that whilst the heathen were busy with their
+     _profane_ ceremonies, the Christians might perform their _holy
+     rites_ undisturbed."[367:3]
+
+Add to this the fact that St. Gregory, a Christian Father of the third
+century, was instrumental in, and commended by other Fathers for,
+changing _Pagan festivals_ into Christian _holidays_, for the purpose,
+as they said, of drawing the heathen to the religion of Christ.[367:4]
+
+As Dr. Hooykaas remarks, the church was always anxious to meet the
+heathen _half way_, by allowing them to retain the feasts they were
+accustomed to, only giving them a _Christian dress_, or attaching a new
+or Christian signification to them.[367:5]
+
+In doing these, and many other such things, which we shall speak of in
+our chapter on "_Paganism in Christianity_," the Christian Fathers,
+instead of drawing the heathen to their religion, drew themselves into
+Paganism.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[359:1] See Bible for Learners vol. iii. p. 66; Chambers's Encyclo.,
+art. "_Christmas_."
+
+[359:2] Eccl. Hist., vol. i. p. 53. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 104.
+
+[359:3] See Chapter XL., this work.
+
+[359:4] Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 189.
+
+[360:1] Hebrew and Christian Records, p. 194.
+
+[360:2] Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 556.
+
+[360:3] Barnes' Notes, vol. ii. p. 402.
+
+[360:4] Ibid. p. 25.
+
+[360:5] Farrar's Life of Christ, App., pp. 673, 4.
+
+[361:1] Bible Chronology, pp. 73, 74.
+
+[361:2] Hist. de Juif.
+
+[361:3] Chap. ii. 13-20.
+
+[361:4] Luke, ii. 1-7.
+
+[361:5] Matt. ii. 1.
+
+[361:6] See Josephus: Antiq., bk. xviii. ch. i. sec. i.
+
+[361:7] Eusebius was Bishop of Cesarea from A. D. 315 to 340, in which
+he died, in the 70th year of his age, thus playing his great part in
+life chiefly under the reigns of Constantine the Great and his son
+Constantine.
+
+[362:1] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. vi.
+
+[362:2] Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 56.
+
+[362:3] See Chamber's Encyclo., art. "_Christmas_."
+
+[362:4] See Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 66.
+
+[362:5] "By the fifth century, however, whether from the influence of
+some tradition, or from the desire to supplant _Heathen Festivals_ of
+that period of the year, such as the Saturnalia, the 25th of December
+had been generally agreed upon." (Encyclopaedia Brit., art. "Christmas.")
+
+[363:1] See Monier Williams: Hinduism, p. 181.
+
+[363:2] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 126.
+
+[363:3] Ibid. 216.
+
+[363:4] See Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, pp. x.-25, and 110, and Lillie:
+Buddha and Buddhism, p. 73.
+
+Some writers have asserted that _Crishna_ is said to have been born on
+December 25th, but this is not the case. His birthday is held in
+July-August. (See Williams' Hinduism, p. 183, and Life and Religion of
+the Hindoos, p. 134.)
+
+[363:5] Celtic Druids, p. 163. See also, Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p.
+272; Monumental Christianity, p. 167; Bible for Learners, iii. pp. 66,
+67.
+
+[363:6] The Heathen Religion, p. 287. See also, Dupuis: p. 246.
+
+[363:7] Relig. of the Anct. Greeks, p. 214. See also, Higgins:
+Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 99.
+
+[364:1] "_Adytum_"--the interior or sacred part of a heathen temple.
+
+[364:2] "_Bambino_"--a term used for representations of the infant
+Saviour, Christ Jesus, in _swaddlings_.
+
+[364:3] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 157. See also, Dupuis, p. 237.
+
+[364:4] "Deinceps Egyptii PARITURAM VIRGINEM magno in honore habuerunt;
+quin soliti sunt puerum effingere jacentem in praesepe, quali POSTEA in
+Bethlehemetica spelunca natus est." (Quoted in Anacalypsis, p. 102, of
+vol. ii.)
+
+[364:5] Quoted by Bonwick, p. 143.
+
+[364:6] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 99.
+
+[364:7] Relig. Anct. Greece, p. 215.
+
+[364:8] Ibid.
+
+[364:9] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 102; Dupuis, p. 237, and Baring Gould:
+Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 322.
+
+[365:1] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 99.
+
+[365:2] The Heathen Religion, p. 287; Dupuis, p. 283.
+
+[365:3] Bulfinch, p. 21.
+
+[365:4] See Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 67, and Chambers, art.
+"Yule."
+
+[365:5] See Chambers's, art. "Yule," and "Celtic Druids," p. 162.
+
+[365:6] Mallet's Northern Antiquities, pp. 110 and 355. Knight: p. 87.
+
+[366:1] Dupuis, 160; Celtic Druids, and Monumental Christianity, p. 167.
+
+[366:2] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 99.
+
+[366:3] Hist. Indies, vol. ii. p. 354.
+
+[366:4] See Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 80.
+
+[366:5] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 82.
+
+[367:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. p. 383.
+
+[367:2] King's Gnostics, p. 49.
+
+[367:3] Quoted in Ibid.
+
+[367:4] See the chapter on "Paganism in Christianity."
+
+[367:5] Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 67.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXV.
+
+THE TRINITY.
+
+     "Say not there are three Gods, God is but One God."--(Koran.)
+
+
+The doctrine of the Trinity is the highest and most mysterious doctrine
+of the Christian church. It declares that there are _three_ persons in
+the Godhead or divine nature--the Father, the Son, and the Holy
+Ghost--and that "these three are _one_ true, eternal God, the same in
+substance, equal in power and glory, although distinguished by their
+personal propensities." The most celebrated statement of the doctrine is
+to be found in the Athanasian creed,[368:1] which asserts that:
+
+     "The Catholic[368:2] faith is this: That we worship _One_ God
+     as Trinity, and Trinity in Unity--neither confounding the
+     persons, nor dividing the substance--for there is One person
+     of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy
+     Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of
+     the Holy Ghost _is all one_; the glory equal, the majesty
+     co-eternal."
+
+As M. Reville remarks:
+
+     "The dogma of the Trinity displayed its contradictions with
+     true bravery. The Deity divided into _three_ divine persons,
+     _and yet_ these _three_ persons forming only _One_ God; of
+     these three _the first only_ being self-existent, the two
+     others _deriving their existence_ from the first, _and yet_
+     these three persons being considered as _perfectly equal_;
+     each having his special, distinct character, his individual
+     qualities, wanting in the other two, _and yet_ each one of the
+     three being supposed to possess the fullness of
+     perfection--here, it must be confessed, we have the
+     deification of the contradictory."[368:3]
+
+We shall now see that this very peculiar doctrine of three in one, and
+one in three, is of _heathen_ origin, and that it must fall with all the
+other dogmas of the Christian religion.
+
+The number _three_ is sacred in all theories derived from oriental
+sources. Deity is always a trinity of some kind, or the successive
+emanations proceeded in threes.[369:1]
+
+If we turn to _India_ we shall find that one of the most prominent
+features in the Indian theology is the doctrine of a divine triad,
+governing all things. This triad is called _Tri-murti_--from the
+Sanscrit word _tri_ (three) and _murti_ (form)--and consists of Brahma,
+Vishnu, and Siva. It is an _inseparable_ unity, though three in
+form.[369:2]
+
+"When the universal and infinite being Brahma--the only really existing
+entity, wholly without form, and unbound and unaffected by the three
+Gunas or by qualities of any kind--wished to create for his own
+entertainment the phenomena of the universe, he assumed the quality of
+activity and became a male person, as _Brahma_ the creator. Next, in the
+progress of still further self-evolution, he willed to invest himself
+with the second quality of goodness, as _Vishnu_ the preserver, and with
+the third quality of darkness, as _Siva_ the destroyer. This development
+of the doctrine of triple manifestation (_tri-murti_), which appears
+first in the Brahmanized version of the Indian Epics, had already been
+adumbrated in the Veda in the triple form of fire, and in the triad of
+gods, Agni, Surya, and Indra; and in other ways."[369:3]
+
+This divine _Tri-murti_--says the Brahmans and the sacred books--is
+indivisible in essence, and indivisible in action; mystery profound!
+which is explained in the following manner:
+
+_Brahma_ represents the _creative_ principle, the unreflected or
+unevolved protogoneus state of divinity--the _Father_.
+
+_Vishnu_ represents the _protecting_ and _preserving_ principle, the
+evolved or reflected state of divinity--the _Son_.[369:4]
+
+_Siva_ is the principle that presides at destruction and
+re-construction--the Holy Spirit.[369:5]
+
+The third person was the Destroyer, or, in his good capacity, the
+Regenerator. The dove was the emblem of the Regenerator. As the
+_spiritus_ was the passive cause (brooding on the face of the waters) by
+which all things sprang into life, the dove became the emblem of the
+Spirit, or Holy Ghost, the third person.
+
+These three gods are the first and the highest manifestations of the
+Eternal Essence, and are typified by the three letters composing the
+mystic syllable OM or AUM. They constitute the well known Trimurti or
+Triad of divine forms which characterizes Hindooism. It is usual to
+describe these three gods as Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, but this
+gives a very inadequate idea of their complex characters. Nor does the
+conception of their relationship to each other become clearer when it is
+ascertained that their functions are constantly interchangeable, and
+that each may take the place of the other, according to the sentiment
+expressed by the greatest of Indian poets, Kalidasa (Kumara-sambhava,
+Griffith, vii. 44):
+
+     "In those three persons the One God was shown--
+     Each first in place, each last--not one alone;
+     Of Siva, Vishnu, Brahma, each may be
+     First, second, third, among the blessed three."
+
+A devout person called Attencin, becoming convinced that he should
+worship but _one_ deity, thus addressed Brahma, Vishnu and Siva:
+
+     "O you _three_ Lords; know that I recognize only _One_ God;
+     inform me therefore, _which of you is the true divinity_, that
+     I may address to him alone my vows and adorations."
+
+The three gods became manifest to him, and replied:
+
+     "Learn, O devotee, that there is no real distinction between
+     us; what to you _appears_ such is only by semblance; _the
+     Single Being appears under three forms, but he is
+     One_."[370:1]
+
+Sir William Jones says:
+
+     "Very respectable natives have assured me, that one or two
+     missionaries have been absurd enough in their zeal for the
+     conversion of the Gentiles, to urge that the Hindoos were even
+     now almost Christians; because their Brahma, Vishnou, and
+     Mahesa (Siva), were no other than the Christian
+     Trinity."[370:2]
+
+Thomas Maurice, in his "Indian Antiquities," describes a magnificent
+piece of Indian sculpture, of exquisite workmanship, and of stupendous
+antiquity, namely:
+
+     "A bust composed of _three heads_, united to _one body_,
+     adorned with the _oldest_ symbols of the Indian theology, and
+     thus expressly fabricated according to the unanimous
+     confession of the sacred sacerdotal tribe of India, to
+     indicate _the Creator_, the _Preserver_, and the
+     _Regenerator_, of mankind; which _establishes the solemn fact,
+     that from the remotest eras, the Indian nations had adored a
+     triune deity_."[371:1]
+
+Fig. No. 34 is a representation of an Indian sculpture, intended to
+represent the Triune God,[371:2] evidently similar to the one described
+above by Mr. Maurice. It is taken from "a very ancient granite" in the
+museum at the "Indian House," and was dug from the ruins of a temple in
+the island of Bombay.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 34]
+
+The Buddhists, as well as the Brahmans, have had their Trinity from a
+very early period.
+
+Mr. Faber, in his "Origin of Heathen Idolatry," says:
+
+     "Among the Hindoos, we have the Triad of Brahma, Vishnu,
+     and Siva; so, among the votaries of Buddha, we find the
+     self-triplicated Buddha declared to be the same as the Hindoo
+     Trimurti. Among the Buddhist sect of the Jainists, we have the
+     triple Jiva, in whom the Trimurti is similarly declared to be
+     incarnate."
+
+In this Trinity _Vajrapani_ answers to Brahma, or Jehovah, the
+"All-father," _Manjusri_ is the "deified teacher," the counterpart of
+Crishna or Jesus, and _Avalokitesvara_ is the "Holy Spirit."
+
+Buddha was believed by _his_ followers to be, not only an incarnation of
+the deity, but "God himself in human form"--as the followers of Crishna
+believed him to be--and therefore "three gods in one." This is clearly
+illustrated by the following address delivered to Buddha by a devotee
+called Amora:
+
+     "Reverence be unto thee, O God, in the form of the God of
+     mercy, the dispeller of pain and trouble, the Lord of all
+     things, the guardian of the universe, the emblem of mercy
+     towards those who serve thee--OM! the possessor of all things
+     in vital form. Thou art Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa; thou art
+     Lord of all the universe. Thou art under the proper form of
+     all things, movable and immovable, the possessor of the whole,
+     and thus I adore thee. I adore thee, who art celebrated by a
+     thousand names, and under various forms; in the shape of
+     Buddha, the god of mercy."[371:3]
+
+The inhabitants of _China_ and _Japan_, the majority of whom are
+Buddhists, worship God in the form of a Trinity. Their name for him
+(Buddha) is Fo, and in speaking of the Trinity they say: "The three
+pure, precious or honorable Fo."[372:1] This triad is represented in
+their temples by images similar to those found in the pagodas of India,
+and when they speak of God they say: "_Fo is one person, but has three
+forms._"[372:2]
+
+In a chapel belonging to the monastery of Poo-ta-la, which was found in
+Manchow-Tartary, was to be seen representations of Fo, in the form of
+three persons.[372:3]
+
+Navarette, in his account of China, says:
+
+     "This sect (of Fo) has another idol they call _Sanpao_. It
+     consists of _three_, equal in all respects. This, which has
+     been represented as an image of the Most Blessed Trinity, is
+     exactly the same with that which is on the high altar of the
+     monastery of the Trinitarians at Madrid. If any Chinese
+     whatsoever saw it, he would say that _Sanpao_ of his country
+     was worshiped in these parts."
+
+And Mr. Faber, in his "Origin of Heathen Idolatry," says:
+
+     "Among the Chinese, who worship Buddha under the name of _Fo_,
+     we find this God mysteriously multiplied into _three
+     persons_."
+
+The mystic syllable O. M. or A. U. M. is also reverenced by the Chinese
+and Japanese,[372:4] as we have found it reverenced by the inhabitants
+of India.
+
+The followers of Laou-tsze, or Laou-keum-tsze--a celebrated philosopher
+of China, and deified hero, born 604 B. C.--known as the Taou sect, are
+also worshipers of a Trinity.[372:5] It was the leading feature in
+Laou-keun's system of philosophical theology, that Taou, the eternal
+reason, produced _one_; one produced _two_; two produced _three_; and
+three produced all things.[372:6] This was a sentence which Laou-keun
+continually repeated, and which Mr. Maurice considers, "a most singular
+axiom for a _heathen_ philosopher."[372:7]
+
+The sacred volumes of the Chinese state that:
+
+     "The Source and Root of all is _One_. This self-existent unity
+     necessarily produced a _second_. The first and second, by
+     their union, produced a _third_. These _Three_ produced
+     all."[372:8]
+
+The ancient emperors of China solemnly sacrificed, every three years, to
+"Him who is One and Three."[372:9]
+
+The ancient _Egyptians_ worshiped God in the form of a Trinity, which
+was represented in sculptures on the most ancient of their temples. The
+celebrated symbol of the wing, the globe, and the serpent, is supposed
+to have stood for the different attributes of God.[373:1]
+
+The priests of Memphis, in Egypt, explained this mystery to the novice,
+by intimating that the premier (first) _monad_ created the _dyad_, who
+engendered the _triad_, and that it is this triad which shines through
+nature.
+
+Thulis, a great monarch, who at one time reigned over all Egypt, and who
+was in the habit of consulting the oracle of Serapis, is said to have
+addressed the oracle in these words:
+
+     "Tell me if ever there was before one greater than I, or will
+     ever be one greater than me?"
+
+The oracle answered thus:
+
+     "First _God_, afterward the _Word_, and with them the _Holy
+     Spirit_, all these are of the same nature, and make but _one_
+     whole, of which the power is eternal. Go away quickly,
+     _mortal_, thou who hast but an uncertain life."[373:2]
+
+The idea of calling the second person in the Trinity the _Logos_, or
+_Word_[373:3] is an Egyptian feature, and was engrafted into
+Christianity many centuries after the time of Christ Jesus.[373:4]
+_Apollo_, who had his tomb at Delphi in Egypt, was called the
+Word.[373:5]
+
+Mr. Bonwick, in his "Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought," says:
+
+     "Some persons are prepared to admit that the most astonishing
+     development of the old religion of Egypt was in relation to
+     the _Logos_ or Divine _Word_, by whom all things were made,
+     and who, though from God, was God. It had long been known that
+     Plato, Aristotle, and others before the Christian era,
+     cherished the idea of this Demiurgus; but it was not known
+     till of late that Chaldeans and Egyptians recognized this
+     mysterious principle."[373:6]
+
+     "The _Logos_ or _Word_ was a great mystery (among the
+     Egyptians), in whose sacred books the following passages may
+     be seen: 'I know the mystery of the divine Word;' 'The Word of
+     the Lord of All, which was the maker of it;' 'The Word--this
+     is the first person after himself, uncreated, infinite ruling
+     over all things that were made by him.'"[374:1]
+
+The Assyrians had Marduk for their Logos;[374:2] one of their sacred
+addresses to him reads thus:
+
+     "Thou art the powerful one--Thou art the life-giver--Thou also
+     the prosperer--Merciful one among the gods--Eldest son of Hea,
+     who made heaven and earth--Lord of heaven and earth, who an
+     equal has not--Merciful one, who dead to life raises."[374:3]
+
+The Chaldeans had their _Memra_ or "Word of God," corresponding to the
+Greek _Logos_, which designated that being who organized and who still
+governs the world, and is inferior to God only.[374:4]
+
+The Logos was with Philoa most interesting subject of discourse,
+tempting him to wonderful feats of imagination. There is scarcely a
+personifying or exalting epithet that he did not bestow on the Divine
+Reason. He described it as a distinct being; called it "a Rock," "The
+Summit of the Universe," "Before all things," "First-begotten Son of
+God," "Eternal Bread from Heaven," "Fountain of Wisdom," "Guide to God,"
+"Substitute for God," "Image of God," "Priest," "Creator of the Worlds,"
+"Second God," "Interpreter of God," "Ambassador of God," "Power of God,"
+"King," "Angel," "Man," "Mediator," "Light," "The Beginning," "The
+East," "The Name of God," "The Intercessor."[374:5]
+
+This is exactly the Logos of John. It becomes a man, "is made flesh;"
+appears as an _incarnation_; in order that the God whom "no man has seen
+at any time," may be manifested.
+
+The worship of God in the form of a Trinity was to be found among the
+ancient _Greeks_. When the priests were about to offer up a sacrifice to
+the gods, the altar was _three times_ sprinkled by dipping a laurel
+branch in holy water, and the people assembled around it were _three
+times_ sprinkled also. Frankincense was taken from the censer with
+_three fingers_, and strewed upon the altar _three times_. This was done
+because an oracle had declared that _all sacred things ought to be in
+threes_, therefore, that number was scrupulously observed in most
+religious ceremonies.[374:6]
+
+Orpheus[374:7] wrote that:
+
+     "All things were made by _One_ godhead in _three_ names, and
+     that this god is all things."[375:1]
+
+This Trinitarian view of the Deity he is said to have brought from
+Egypt, and the Christian Fathers of the third and fourth centuries
+claimed that Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Plato--who taught the doctrine
+of the Trinity--had drawn their theological philosophy from the writings
+of Orpheus.[375:2]
+
+The works of Plato were extensively studied by the Church Fathers, one
+of whom joyfully recognizes in the great teacher, the schoolmaster who,
+in the fullness of time, was destined to educate the heathen for Christ,
+as Moses did the Jews.[375:3]
+
+The celebrated passage: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
+with God, and the Word was God,"[375:4] is a fragment of some Pagan
+treatise on the Platonic philosophy, evidently written by
+Irenaeus.[375:5] It is quoted by _Amelius_, a Pagan philosopher, as
+strictly applicable to the Logos, or Mercury, the Word, apparently as an
+honorable testimony borne to the Pagan deity by a barbarian--for such is
+what he calls the writer of John i. 1. His words are:
+
+     "This plainly was the Word, by whom all things were made, he
+     being himself eternal, as Heraclitus also would say; and by
+     Jove, the same whom the _barbarian_ affirms to have been in
+     the place and dignity of a principal, and to be with God, and
+     to be God, by whom all things were made, and in whom
+     everything that was made has its life and being."[375:6]
+
+The Christian Father, Justin Martyr, _apologizing_ for the Christian
+religion, tells the Emperor Antoninus Pius, that the Pagans need not
+taunt the Christians for worshiping the Logos, which "was with God, and
+was God," as _they were also guilty of the same act_.
+
+     "If we (Christians) hold," says he, "some opinions near of kin
+     to the poets and philosophers, in great repute among you, why
+     are we thus unjustly hated?" "There's _Mercury_, Jove's
+     interpreter, in imitation of the Logos, in worship among you,"
+     and "as to the Son of God, called Jesus, should we allow him
+     to be nothing more than man, yet the title of the 'Son of God'
+     is very justifiable, upon the account of his wisdom,
+     considering _you_ have your _Mercury_, (also called the 'Son
+     of God') in worship under the title of the _Word_ and
+     Messenger of God."[375:7]
+
+We see, then, that the title "Word" or "Logos," being applied to Jesus,
+is another piece of Pagan amalgamation with Christianity. _It did not
+receive its authorized Christian form until the middle of the second
+century after Christ._[376:1]
+
+The ancient Pagan _Romans_ worshiped a Trinity. An oracle is said to
+have declared that there was, "first God, then the Word, and with them
+the Spirit."[376:2]
+
+Here we see distinctly enumerated, God, the Logos, and the Spirit or
+Holy Ghost, in ancient Rome, where the most celebrated temple of this
+capital--that of Jupiter Capitolinus--was dedicated to _three_ deities,
+which three deities were honored with joint worship.[376:3]
+
+The ancient _Persians_ worshiped a Trinity.[376:4] This trinity
+consisted of Oromasdes, Mithras, and Ahriman.[376:5] It was virtually
+the same as that of the Hindoos: Oromasdes was the Creator, Mithras was
+the "Son of God," the "Saviour," the "Mediator" or "Intercessor," and
+Ahriman was the Destroyer. In the oracles of Zoroaster the Persian
+lawgiver, is to be found the following sentence:
+
+     "A _Triad_ of Deity shines forth through the whole world, of
+     which a _Monad_ (an invisible thing) is the head."[376:6]
+
+Plutarch, "De Iside et Osiride," says:
+
+     "Zoroaster is said to have made a _threefold_ distribution of
+     things: to have assigned the first and highest rank to
+     Oromasdes, who, _in the Oracles_, is called the _Father_; the
+     lowest to Ahrimanes; and the middle to Mithras; who, in the
+     _same Oracles_, is called the _second Mind_."
+
+The _Assyrians_ and _Phenicians_ worshiped a Trinity.[376:7]
+
+"It is a curious and instructive fact, that the Jews had symbols of the
+divine Unity in Trinity as well as the Pagans."[376:8] The _Cabbala_ had
+its Trinity: "the _Ancient_, whose name is sanctified, is with _three_
+heads, which make but _one_."[376:9]
+
+Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai says:
+
+     "Come and see the _mystery_ of the word _Elohim_: there are
+     _three degrees_, and each degree by itself alone, and yet,
+     notwithstanding, _they are all One_, and _joined together in
+     One_, and cannot be divided from each other."
+
+According to Dr. Parkhurst:
+
+     "The _Vandals_[376:10] had a god called Triglaff. One of these
+     was found at Hertungerberg, near Brandenburg (in Prussia). He
+     was represented with _three heads_. This was apparently the
+     _Trinity of Paganism_."[377:1]
+
+The ancient _Scandinavians_ worshiped a triple deity who was yet one
+god. It consisted of Odin, Thor, and Frey. A triune statue representing
+this Trinity in Unity was found at Upsal in Sweden.[377:2] The three
+principal nations of Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, and Norway) vied with
+each other in erecting temples, but none were more famous than the
+temple at Upsal in Sweden. It glittered on all sides with gold. It
+seemed to be particularly consecrated to the _Three Superior Deities_,
+Odin, Thor and Frey. The statues of these gods were placed in this
+temple on three thrones, one above the other. _Odin_ was represented
+holding a sword in his hand: _Thor_ stood at the left hand of Odin, with
+a crown upon his head, and a scepter in his hand; _Frey_ stood at the
+left hand of Thor, and was represented of both sexes. Odin was the
+supreme God, the _Al-fader_; Thor was the first-begotten son of this
+god, and Frey was the bestower of fertility, peace and riches. King
+Gylfi of Sweden is supposed to have gone at one time to _Asgard_ (the
+abode of the gods), where he beheld three thrones raised one above
+another, with a man sitting on each of them. Upon his asking what the
+names of these lords might be, his guide answered: "He who sitteth on
+the lowest throne is _the Lofty One_; the second is _the equal to the
+Lofty One_; and he who sitteth on the highest throne is called _the
+Third_."[377:3]
+
+The ancient _Druids_ also worshiped: "_Ain Treidhe Dia ainm Taulac, Fan,
+Mollac_;" which is to say: "Ain triple God, of name Taulac, Fan,
+Mollac."[377:4]
+
+The ancient inhabitants of _Siberia_ worshiped a triune God. In remote
+ages, wanderers from India directed their eyes northward, and crossing
+the vast Tartarian deserts, finally settled in Siberia, bringing with
+them the worship of a triune God. This is clearly shown from the fact
+stated by Thomas Maurice, that:
+
+     "The first Christian missionaries who arrived in those
+     regions, found the people already in possession of that
+     fundamental doctrine of the true religion, which, among
+     others, they came to impress upon their minds, and universally
+     adored an idol fabricated to resemble, as near as possible, _a
+     Trinity in Unity_."
+
+This triune God consisted of, first "the Creator of all things," second,
+"the God of Armies," third, "the Spirit of Heavenly Love," and yet these
+three were but _one_ indivisible God.[377:5]
+
+The _Tartars_ also worshiped God as a Trinity in Unity. On one of their
+medals, which is now in the St. Petersburgh Museum, may be seen a
+representation of the triple God seated on the lotus.[378:1]
+
+Even in the remote islands of the Pacific Ocean, the supreme deities are
+God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, the latter of which is
+symbolized as a bird.[378:2]
+
+The ancient _Mexicans_ and _Peruvians_ had their Trinity. The supreme
+God of the Mexicans (_Tezcatlipoca_), who had, as Lord Kingsborough
+says, "all the attributes and powers which were assigned to Jehovah by
+the Hebrews," had associated with him two other gods, _Huitzlipochtli_
+and _Tlaloc_; one occupied a place upon his left hand, the other on his
+right. This was the Trinity of the Mexicans.[378:3]
+
+When the bishop Don Bartholomew de las Casas proceeded to his bishopric,
+which was in 1545, he commissioned an ecclesiastic, whose name was
+Francis Hernandez, who was well acquainted with the language of the
+Indians (as the natives were called), to visit them, carrying with him a
+sort of catechism of what he was about to preach. In about one year from
+the time that Francis Hernandez was sent out, he wrote to Bishop las
+Casas, stating that:
+
+     "The Indians believed in the God who was in heaven; that this
+     God was the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that the Father
+     was named _Yzona_, the Son _Bacab_, who was born of a Virgin,
+     and that the Holy Ghost was called _Echiah_."[378:4]
+
+The Rev. Father Acosta says, in speaking of the _Peruvians_:
+
+     "It is strange that the devil after his manner hath brought a
+     Trinity into idolatry, for the three images of the Sun called
+     _Apomti_, _Churunti_, and _Intiquaoqui_, signifieth Father and
+     Lord Sun, the Son Sun, and the Brother Sun.
+
+     "Being in Chuquisaca, an honorable priest showed me an
+     information, which I had long in my hands, where it was proved
+     that there was a certain oratory, whereat the Indians did
+     worship an idol called _Tangatanga_, which they said was 'One
+     in Three, and Three in One.' And as this priest stood amazed
+     thereat, I said that the devil by his internal and obstinate
+     pride (whereby he always pretends to make himself God) did
+     steal all that he could from the truth, to employ it in his
+     lying and deceits."[378:5]
+
+The doctrine was recognized among the Indians of the Californian
+peninsula. The statue of the principal deity of the New Granadian
+Indians had "three heads on one body," and was understood to be "three
+persons with one heart and one will."[378:6]
+
+The result of our investigations then, is that, for ages before the
+time of Christ Jesus or Christianity, God was worshiped in the form of a
+TRIAD, and that this doctrine was extensively diffused through all
+nations. That it was established in regions as far distant as China and
+Mexico, and immemorially acknowledged through the whole extent of Egypt
+and India. That it flourished with equal vigor among the snowy mountains
+of Thibet, and the vast deserts of Siberia. That the barbarians of
+central Europe, the Scandinavians, and the Druids of Britain and
+Ireland, bent their knee to an idol of a _Triune God_. What then becomes
+of "the Ever-Blessed Trinity" of Christianity? It must fall, together
+with all the rest of its dogmas, and be buried with the Pagan debris.
+
+The learned Thomas Maurice imagined that this mysterious doctrine must
+have been revealed by God to Adam, or to Noah, or to Abraham, or to
+somebody else. Notice with what caution he wrote (A. D. 1794) on this
+subject. He says:
+
+     "In the course of the wide range which I have been compelled
+     to take in the field of Asiatic mythology, certain topics have
+     arisen for discussion, _equally delicate and perplexing_.
+     Among them, in particular, a species of Trinity forms a
+     constant and prominent feature in nearly all the systems of
+     Oriental theology."
+
+After saying, "_I venture with a trembling step_," and that, "It was not
+from _choice_, but from _necessity_, that I entered thus upon this
+subject," he concludes:
+
+     "This extensive and interesting subject engrosses a
+     considerable portion of this work, _and my anxiety to prepare
+     the public mind to receive it_, my efforts to elucidate so
+     _mysterious_ a point of theology, induces me to remind the
+     candid reader, that visible traces of this doctrine are
+     discovered, not only in the _three_ principals of the Chaldaic
+     theology; in the _Triplasios_ Mithra of Persia; in the
+     _Triad_, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, of India--where it was
+     evidently promulgated in the Geeta, _fifteen hundred years
+     before the birth of Plato_;[379:1] but in the Numen Triplex of
+     Japan; in the inscription upon the famous medal found in the
+     deserts of Siberia, "To the Triune God," to be seen at this
+     day in the valuable cabinet of the Empress, at St.
+     Petersburgh; in the Tanga-Tanga, or Three in One, of the South
+     Americans; and, finally, without mentioning the vestiges of it
+     in Greece, in the Symbol of the Wing, the Globe, and the
+     Serpent, conspicuous on most of the ancient temples of Upper
+     Egypt."[379:2]
+
+It was a long time after the followers of Christ Jesus had made him _a_
+God, before they ventured to declare that he was "_God himself in human
+form_," and, "_the second person in the Ever-Blessed Trinity_." It was
+_Justin Martyr, a Christian convert from the Platonic school_,[380:1]
+who, about the middle of the second century, first promulgated the
+opinion, that Jesus of Nazareth, the "Son of God," was the second
+principle in the Deity, and the Creator of all material things. He is
+the earliest writer to whom the opinion can be traced. This knowledge,
+he does not ascribe to the Scriptures, but to the special favor of
+God.[380:2]
+
+The passage in I. John, v. 7, which reads thus: "For there are three
+that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
+and these three are one," is _one of the numerous interpolations which
+were inserted into the books of the New Testament, many years after
+these books were written_.[380:3] These passages are retained and
+circulated as the _word of God_, or as of equal authority with the rest,
+though known and admitted by the learned on all hands, to be forgeries,
+willful and wicked interpolations.
+
+The subtle and profound questions concerning the nature, generation, the
+distinction, and the quality of the three divine persons of the
+mysterious triad, or Trinity, were agitated in the philosophical and in
+the Christian schools of _Alexandria in Egypt_,[380:4] but it was not a
+part of the established Christian faith until as late as A. D. 327, when
+the question was settled at the Councils of Nice and Constantinople. _Up
+to this time there was no understood and recognized doctrine on this
+high subject._ The Christians were for the most part accustomed to use
+scriptural expressions in speaking of the Father, and the Son, and the
+Spirit, without defining articulately their relation to one
+another.[380:5]
+
+In these trinitarian controversies, which first broke out in
+Egypt--_Egypt, the land of Trinities_--the chief point in the discussion
+was to define the position of "the Son."
+
+There lived in _Alexandria_ a presbyter of the name of _Arius_, a
+disappointed candidate for the office of bishop. He took the ground
+that there was a time when, from the very nature of _Sonship_, the Son
+did not exist, and a time at which he commenced to be, asserting that it
+is the necessary condition of the filial relation _that a father must be
+older than his son_. But this assertion evidently denied the
+_co-eternity_ of the three persons of the Trinity, it suggested a
+_subordination_ or _inequality_ among them, and indeed implied a time
+when the Trinity did not exist. Hereupon, the bishop, who had been the
+successful competitor against Arius, displayed his rhetorical powers in
+public debates on the question, and, the strife spreading, the Jews and
+Pagans, who formed a very large portion of the population of Alexandria,
+_amused themselves with theatrical representations of the contest on the
+stage--the point of their burlesques being the equality of age of the
+Father and the Son_. Such was the violence the controversy at length
+assumed, that the matter had to be referred to the emperor
+(Constantine).
+
+At first he looked upon the dispute as altogether frivolous, and perhaps
+in truth inclined to the assertion of Arius, that in the very nature of
+the thing a father must be older than his son. So great, however, was
+the pressure laid upon him, that he was eventually compelled to summon
+the Council of Nicea, which, to dispose of the conflict, set forth a
+formulary or creed, and attached to it this anathema:
+
+     "The Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes those
+     who say that there was a time when the Son of God was not, and
+     that, before he was begotten, he was not, and that, he was
+     made out of nothing, or out of another substance or essence,
+     and is created, or changeable, or alterable."
+
+Constantine at once _enforced_ the decision of the council by the civil
+power.[381:1]
+
+Even after this "subtle and profound question" had been settled at the
+Council of Nice, those who settled it did not understand the question
+they had settled. Athanasius, who was a member of the first general
+council, and who is said to have written the _creed_ which bears his
+name, which asserts that the true Catholic faith is this:
+
+     "That we worship _One_ God as Trinity, and Trinity in
+     Unity--neither confounding the persons nor dividing the
+     substance--for there is one person of the Father, another of
+     the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost, but the Godhead of the
+     Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost _is all one_,
+     the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal,"
+
+--also confessed that whenever he forced his understanding to meditate
+on the divinity of the Logos, his toilsome and unavailing efforts
+recoiled on themselves; _that the more he thought the less he
+comprehended; and the more he wrote the less capable was he of
+expressing his thoughts_.[382:1]
+
+We see, then, that this great question was settled, not by the consent
+of all members of the council, but simply because the _majority_ were in
+favor of it. Jesus of Nazareth was "God himself in human form;" "one of
+the persons of the Ever-Blessed Trinity," who "had no beginning, and
+will have no end," _because the majority of the members of this council
+said so_. Hereafter--so it was decreed--_all must believe it_; if not,
+they must not oppose it, but forever hold their peace.
+
+The Emperor Theodosius declared his resolution of expelling from all the
+churches of his dominions, the bishops and their clergy who should
+obstinately refuse to believe, _or at least to profess_, the doctrine of
+the Council of Nice. His lieutenant, Sapor, was armed with the ample
+powers of a general law, a special commission, _and a military force_;
+and this ecclesiastical resolution was conducted _with so much
+discretion and vigor, that the religion of the Emperor was
+established_.[382:2]
+
+Here we have the historical fact, that bishops of the Christian church,
+and their clergy, _were forced to profess their belief in the doctrine
+of the Trinity_.
+
+We also find that:
+
+     "This orthodox Emperor (Theodosius) considered every heretic
+     (as he called those who did not believe as he and his
+     ecclesiastics professed) as a rebel against the supreme powers
+     of heaven and of earth (he being one of the supreme powers of
+     earth) _and each of the powers_ might exercise their peculiar
+     jurisdiction _over the soul and body of the guilty_.
+
+     "The decrees of the Council of Constantinople had ascertained
+     the _true_ standard of the faith, _and the ecclesiastics, who
+     governed the conscience of Theodosius, suggested the most
+     effectual methods of persecution_. In the space of fifteen
+     years he promulgated at least fifteen severe edicts against
+     the heretics, _more especially against those who rejected the
+     doctrine of the Trinity_."[382:3]
+
+Thus we see one of the many reasons why the "most holy Christian
+religion" spread so rapidly.
+
+Arius--who declared that in the nature of things a father must be older
+than his son--was excommunicated for his so-called heretical notions
+concerning the Trinity. His followers, who were very numerous, were
+called Arians. Their writings, if they had been permitted to
+exist,[383:1] would undoubtedly contain the lamentable story of the
+persecution which affected the church under the reign of the impious
+Emperor Theodosius.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[368:1] The celebrated passage (I. John, v. 7) "For there are three that
+bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and
+these three are one," is now admitted on all hands to be an
+interpolation into the epistle many centuries after the time of Christ
+Jesus. (See Giles' Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 12.
+Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 556. Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p.
+886. Taylor's Diegesis and Reber's Christ of Paul.)
+
+[368:2] That is, the _true_ faith.
+
+[368:3] Dogma Deity Jesus Christ, p. 95.
+
+[369:1] "The notion of a _Triad_ of Supreme Powers is indeed common to
+most ancient religions." (Prichard's Egyptian Mytho., p. 285.)
+
+"Nearly all the Pagan nations of antiquity, in their various theological
+systems, acknowledged a trinity in the divine nature." (Maurice: Indian
+Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 35.)
+
+"The ancients imagined that their _triad_ of gods or persons, only
+constituted one god." (Celtic Druids, p. 197.)
+
+[369:2] The three attributes called Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, are
+indicated by letters corresponding to our A. U. M., generally pronounced
+OM. This mystic word is never uttered except in prayer, and the sign
+which represents it in their temples is an object of profound adoration.
+
+[369:3] Monier Williams' Indian Wisdom, p. 324.
+
+[369:4] That is, the Lord and Saviour _Crishna_. The Supreme Spirit, in
+order to preserve the world, produced Vishnu. Vishnu came upon earth for
+this purpose, in the form of Crishna. He was believed to be an
+incarnation of the Supreme Being, one of the persons of their holy and
+mysterious trinity, to use their language, "The Lord and Savior--three
+persons and one god." In the Geita, Crishna is made to say: "I am the
+Lord of all created beings." "I am the mystic figure O. M." "I am
+Brahma Vishnu, and Siva, three gods in one."
+
+[369:5] See The Heathen Religion, p. 124.
+
+[370:1] Allen's India, pp. 382, 383.
+
+[370:2] Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 272.
+
+[371:1] Indian Antiquities, vol. iv. p. 372.
+
+[371:2] Taken from Moore's "Hindoo Pantheon," plate 81.
+
+[371:3] Asiatic Researches, vol. iii. pp. 285, 286. See also, King's
+Gnostics, 167.
+
+[372:1] Davis' China, vol. ii. p. 104.
+
+[372:2] Ibid. pp. 103 and 81.
+
+[372:3] Ibid. pp. 105, 106.
+
+[372:4] Ibid. pp. 103, 81.
+
+[372:5] Ibid. 110, 111. Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 36. Dunlap's Spirit
+Hist., 150.
+
+[372:6] Indian Antiquities, vol. v. p. 41. Dupuis, p. 285. Dunlap's
+Spirit Hist., 150.
+
+[372:7] Indian Antiquities, vol. v. p. 41.
+
+This Taou sect, according to John Francis Davis, and the Rev. Charles
+Gutzlaff, both of whom have resided in China--call their trinity "the
+three pure ones," or "the three precious ones in heaven." (See Davis'
+China, vol. ii. p. 110, and Gutzlaff's Voyages, p. 307.)
+
+[372:8] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 210.
+
+[372:9] Ibid.
+
+[373:1] Indian Antiquities, vol. i. p. 127.
+
+[373:2] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 14.
+
+The following answer is stated by Manetho, an Egyptian priest, to have
+been given by an Oracle to Sesostris: "On his return through Africa he
+entered the sanctuary of the Oracle, saying: 'Tell me, O thou strong in
+fire, who before me could subjugate all things? and who shall after me?'
+But the Oracle rebuked him, saying, 'First, _God_; then the _Word_; and
+with them, the _Spirit_.'" (Nimrod, vol. i. p. 119, in Ibid. vol. i. p.
+805.)
+
+Here we have distinctly enumerated God, the Logos, and the Spirit or
+Holy Ghost, in a very early period, long previous to the Christian era.
+
+[373:3] I. John, v. 7. John, i. 1.
+
+[373:4] The _Alexandrian_ theology, of which the celebrated _Plato_ was
+the chief representative, taught that the _Logos_ was "_the second
+God_;" a being of divine essence, but distinguished from the Supreme
+God. It is also called "_the first-born Son of God_."
+
+"The _Platonists_ furnished brilliant recruits to the Christian churches
+of Asia Minor and Greece, and brought with them their love for system
+and their idealism." "It is in the Platonizing or Alexandrian, branch of
+Judaism that we must seek for the antecedents of the Christian doctrine
+of the _Logos_." (A. Reville: Dogma Deity Jesus, p. 29.)
+
+[373:5] Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 102. _Mithras_, the Mediator,
+and Saviour of the Persians, was called the _Logos_. (See Dunlap's Son
+of the Man, p. 20. Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 75.) _Hermes_ was called
+the _Logos_. (See Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 39, _marginal note_.)
+
+[373:6] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 402.
+
+[374:1] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 404.
+
+[374:2] Ibid.
+
+[374:3] Ibid.
+
+[374:4] Ibid. p. 28.
+
+[374:5] Frothingham's Cradle of the Christ, p. 112.
+
+[374:6] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 307.
+
+[374:7] Orpheus is said to have been a native of Thracia, the oldest
+poet of Greece, and to have written before the time of Homer; but he is
+evidently a mythological character.
+
+[375:1] See Indian Antiquities, vol. iv. p. 332, and Taylor's Diegesis,
+p. 189.
+
+[375:2] See Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Orpheus."
+
+[375:3] Ibid., art. "Plato."
+
+[375:4] John, i. 1.
+
+[375:5] The first that we know of this gospel for certain is during the
+time of Irenaeus, the great Christian forger.
+
+[375:6] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 185.
+
+[375:7] Apol. 1. ch. xx.-xxii.
+
+[376:1] See Fiske: Myths and Myth-makers, p. 205. _Celsus_ charges the
+Christians with a _recoinage_ of the misunderstood doctrine of the
+Logos.
+
+[376:2] See Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 105.
+
+[376:3] See Indian Antiquities, vol. iii. p. 158.
+
+[376:4] See Indian Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 346. Monumental
+Christianity, p. 65, and Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 819.
+
+[376:5] Ibid.
+
+[376:6] Indian Antiquities, vol. iv. p. 259.
+
+[376:7] See Monumental Christianity, p. 65, and Ancient Faiths, vol. ii.
+p. 819.
+
+[376:8] Monumental Christianity, p. 923. See also, Maurice's Indian
+Antiquities.
+
+[376:9] Idra Suta, Sohar, iii. 288. B. Franck, 138. Son of the Man, p.
+78.
+
+[376:10] _Vandals_--a race of European barbarians, either of Germanic or
+Slavonic origin.
+
+[377:1] Parkhurst: Hebrew Lexicon, Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 216.
+
+[377:2] See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 169. Maurice: Indian
+Antiq., vol. v. p. 14, and Gross: The Heathen Religion, p. 210.
+
+[377:3] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities.
+
+[377:4] Celtic Druids, p. 171; Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 123; and Myths of
+the British Druids, p. 448.
+
+[377:5] Indian Antiquities, vol. v. pp. 8, 9.
+
+[378:1] Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 48.
+
+[378:2] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 169.
+
+[378:3] Squire: Serpent Symbol, pp. 179, 180. Mexican Ant., vol. vi. p.
+164.
+
+[378:4] Kingsborough: Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 164.
+
+[378:5] Acosta: Hist. Indies, vol. ii. p. 373. See also, Indian Antiq.,
+vol. v. p. 26, and Squire's Serpent Symbol, p. 181.
+
+[378:6] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 181.
+
+[379:1] The ideas entertained concerning the antiquity of the Geeta, at
+the time Mr. Maurice wrote his Indian Antiquities, were erroneous. This
+work, as we have elsewhere seen, is not as old as he supposed. The
+doctrine of the _Trimurti_ in India, however, is to be found in the
+_Veda_, and epic poems, which are of an antiquity long anterior to the
+rise of Christianity, preceding it by many centuries. (See Monier
+Williams' Indian Wisdom, p. 324, and Hinduism, pp. 109, 110-115.)
+
+"The grand cavern pagoda of Elephants, the oldest and most magnificent
+temple in the world, is neither more nor less than a superb temple of a
+Triune God." (Maurice: Indian Antiquities, vol. iii. p. ix.)
+
+[379:2] Indian Antiquities, vol. i. pp. 125-127.
+
+[380:1] We have already seen that Plato and his followers taught the
+doctrine of the Trinity centuries before the time of Christ Jesus.
+
+[380:2] Israel Worsley's Enquiry, p. 54. Quoted in Higgins' Anacalypsis,
+vol. i. p. 116.
+
+[380:3] "The memorable test (I. John v. 7) which asserts the unity of
+the three which bear witness in heaven, is condemned by the universal
+silence of the orthodox Fathers, ancient versions, and authentic
+manuscripts. It was first alleged by the Catholic Bishop whom Hunneric
+summoned to the Conference of Carthage (A. D. 254), or, more properly,
+by the four bishops who composed and published the profession of faith,
+in the name of their brethren." (Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 556, and
+note 117.) None of the ancient manuscripts now extant, above four-score
+in number, _contain this passage_. (Ibid. note 116.) In the eleventh and
+twelfth centuries, the Bible was corrected. Yet, notwithstanding these
+corrections, the passage is still wanting in twenty-five Latin
+manuscripts. (Ibid. note 116. See also Dr. Giles' Hebrew and Christian
+Records, vol. ii. p. 12. Dr. Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 886.
+Rev. Robert Taylor's Diegesis, p. 421, and Reber's Christ of Paul.)
+
+[380:4] See Gibbon's Rome, ii. 309.
+
+[380:5] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Trinity."
+
+[381:1] Draper: Religion and Science, pp. 53, 54.
+
+[382:1] Athanasius, tom. i. p. 808. Quoted in Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. p.
+310.
+
+Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople, was so much amazed by the
+extraordinary composition called "Athanasius' Creed," that he frankly
+pronounced it to be the work of a drunken man. (Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii.
+p. 555, note 114.)
+
+[382:2] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 87.
+
+[382:3] Ibid. pp. 91, 92.
+
+[383:1] All their writings were ordered to be destroyed, and any one
+found to have them in his possession was severely punished.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVI.
+
+PAGANISM IN CHRISTIANITY.
+
+
+Our assertion that that which is called Christianity is nothing more
+than the religion of Paganism, we consider to have been fully verified.
+We have found among the heathen, centuries before the time of Christ
+Jesus, the belief in an incarnate God born of a virgin; his previous
+existence in heaven; the celestial signs at the time of his birth; the
+rejoicing in heaven; the adoration by the magi and shepherds; the
+offerings of precious substances to the divine child; the slaughter of
+the innocents; the presentation at the temple; the temptation by the
+devil; the performing of miracles; the crucifixion by enemies; and the
+death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. We have also found the
+belief that this incarnate God was from all eternity; that he was the
+Creator of the world, and that he is to be Judge of the dead at the last
+day. We have also seen the practice of Baptism, and the sacrament of the
+Lord's Supper or Eucharist, added to the belief in a Triune God,
+consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Let us now compare the
+Christian creed with ancient Pagan belief.
+
+_Christian Creed._
+
+1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth:
+
+     _Ancient Pagan Belief._
+
+     1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and
+     earth:[384:1]
+
+2. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, Our Lord.
+
+     2. And in his only Son, our Lord.[384:2]
+
+3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,
+
+     3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin
+     Mary.[384:3]
+
+4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried.
+
+     4. Suffered under (whom it might be), was crucified, dead, and
+     buried.[384:4]
+
+5. He descended into Hell;
+
+     5. He descended into Hell;[385:1]
+
+6. The third day he rose again from the dead;
+
+     6. The third day he rose again from the dead;[385:2]
+
+7. He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the
+Father Almighty;
+
+     7. He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of
+     God the Father Almighty;[385:3]
+
+8. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
+
+     8. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the
+     dead.[385:4]
+
+9. I believe in the Holy Ghost;
+
+     9. I believe in the Holy Ghost;[385:5]
+
+10. The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints;
+
+     10. The Holy Catholic Church,[385:6] the Communion of Saints;
+
+11. The forgiveness of sins;
+
+     11. The forgiveness of sins;[385:7]
+
+12. The resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.
+
+     12. The resurrection of the body; and the life
+     everlasting.[385:8]
+
+The above is the so-called "_Apostles' Creed_," as it now stands in the
+book of common prayer of the United Church of England and Ireland, as by
+law established.
+
+It is affirmed by Ambrose, that:
+
+     "The twelve apostles, as skilled artificers, assembled
+     together, and made a key by their common advice, that is, the
+     Creed, by which the darkness of the devil is disclosed, that
+     the light of Christ may appear."
+
+Others fable that every Apostle inserted an article, by which the Creed
+is divided into twelve articles.
+
+The earliest account of its origin we have from Ruffinus, an historical
+compiler and traditionist of the _fourth_ century, but not in the form
+in which it is known at present, it having been added to since that
+time. The most important addition is that which affirms that Jesus
+descended into hell, which has been added since A. D. 600.[385:9]
+
+Beside what we have already seen, the ancient Pagans had many beliefs
+and ceremonies which are to be found among the Christians. One of these
+is the story of "_The War in Heaven_."
+
+The New Testament version is as follows:
+
+     "There was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
+     against the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his angels, and
+     prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in
+     heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,
+     called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world,
+     he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out
+     with him."[386:1]
+
+The cause of the revolt, it is said, was that Satan, who was then an
+angel, desired to be as great as God. The writer of Isaiah, xiv. 13, 14,
+is supposed to refer to it when he says:
+
+     "Thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I
+     will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also
+     upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the North;
+     I will ascend before the heights of the clouds; I will be like
+     the Most High."
+
+The Catholic theory of the fall of the angels is as follows:
+
+     "In the beginning, before the creation of heaven and earth,
+     God made the angels, free intelligences, and free wills, out
+     of his love He made them, that they might be eternally happy.
+     And that their happiness might be complete, he gave them the
+     perfection of a created nature, that is, he gave them freedom.
+     But happiness is only attained by the free will agreeing in
+     its freedom to accord with the will of God. Some of the angels
+     by an act of free will obeyed the will of God, and in such
+     obedience found perfect happiness. Other angels, by an act of
+     free will, rebelled against the will of God, and in such
+     disobedience found misery."[386:2]
+
+They were driven out of heaven, after having a combat with the obedient
+angels, and cast into hell. The writer of second _Peter_ alludes to it
+in saying that God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down
+into hell.[386:3]
+
+The writer of _Jude_ also alludes to it in saying:
+
+     "The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their
+     own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under
+     darkness unto the judgment of the great day."[386:4]
+
+According to the _Talmudists_, Satan, whose proper name is Sammael, was
+one of the Seraphim of heaven, with six wings.
+
+     "He was not driven out of heaven until after he had led Adam
+     and Eve into sin; then Sammael and his host were precipitated
+     out of the place of bliss, with God's curse to weigh them
+     down. In the struggle between Michael and Sammael, the falling
+     Seraph caught the wings of Michael, and tried to drag him down
+     with him, but God saved him, when Michael derived his
+     name,--the Rescued."[386:5]
+
+Sammael was formerly chief among the angels of God, and now he is
+prince among devils. His name is derived from Simme, which means, to
+blind and deceive. He stands on the left side of men. He goes by various
+names; such as "The Old Serpent," "The Unclean Spirit," "Satan,"
+"Leviathan," and sometimes also "Asael."[387:1]
+
+According to _Hindoo_ mythology, there is a legion of evil spirits
+called _Rakshasas_, who are governed by a prince named _Ravana_. These
+Rakshasas are continually aiming to do injury to mankind, and are the
+same who fought desperate battles with _Indra_, and his Spirits of
+Light. They would have taken his paradise by storm, and subverted the
+whole order of the universe, if Brahma had not sent _Vishnou_ to
+circumvent their plans.
+
+In the _Aitareya-brahmana_ (Hindoo) written, according to Prof. Monier
+Williams, seven or eight centuries B. C., we have the following legend:
+
+     "The gods and demons were engaged in warfare.
+     The evil demons, like to mighty kings,
+     Made these worlds castles; then they formed the earth
+     Into an iron citadel, the air
+     Into a silver fortress, and the sky
+     Into a fort of gold. Whereat the gods
+     Said to each other, 'Frame me other worlds
+     In opposition to these fortresses.'
+     Then they constructed sacrificial places,
+     Where they performed a triple burnt oblation.
+     By the first sacrifice they drove the demons
+     Out of their earthly fortress, by the second
+     Out of the air, and by the third oblation
+     Out of the sky. Thus were the evil spirits
+     Chased by the gods in triumph from the worlds."[387:2]
+
+The ancient _Egyptians_ were familiar with the tale of the war in
+heaven; and the legend of the revolt against the god Ra, the Heavenly
+Father, and his destruction of the revolters, was discovered by M.
+Naville in one of the tombs at Biban-el-moluk.[387:3]
+
+The same story is to be found among the ancient _Persian_ legends, and
+is related as follows:
+
+     "Ahriman, the devil, was not created evil by the eternal one,
+     but he became evil by revolting against his will. This revolt
+     resulted in a 'war in heaven.' In this war the _Iveds_ (good
+     angels) fought against the _Divs_ (rebellious ones) headed by
+     _Ahriman_, and flung the conquered into Douzahk or
+     hell."[387:4]
+
+An extract from the Persian _Zend-avesta_ reads as follows:
+
+     "_Ahriman_ interrupted the order of the universe, raised an
+     army against _Ormuzd_, and having maintained a fight against
+     him during ninety days, was at length vanquished by Honover,
+     the divine Word."[388:1]
+
+The _Assyrians_ had an account of a war in heaven, which was like that
+described in the book of Enoch and the Revelation.[388:2]
+
+This legend was also to be found among the ancient Greeks, in the
+struggle of the _Titans_ against _Jupiter_. Titan and all his rebellious
+host were cast out of heaven, and imprisoned in the dark abyss.[388:3]
+
+Among the legends of the ancient _Mexicans_ was found this same story of
+the war in heaven, and the downfall of the rebellious angels.[388:4]
+
+"The natives of the _Caroline Islands_ (in the North Pacific Ocean),
+related that one of the inferior gods, named _Merogrog_, was driven by
+the other gods out of heaven."[388:5]
+
+We see, therefore, that this also was an almost universal legend.
+
+The belief in _a future life_ was almost universal among nations of
+antiquity. The _Hindoos_ have believed from time immemorial that man has
+an invisible body within the material body; that is, a soul.
+
+Among the ancient _Egyptians_ the same belief was to be found. All the
+dead, both men and women, were spoken of as "_Osiriana_;" by which they
+intended to signify "gone to Osiris."
+
+Their belief in One Supreme Being, and the immortality of the soul, must
+have been very ancient; for on a monument, which dates ages before
+Abraham is said to have lived, is found this epitaph: "May thy soul
+attain to the Creator of all mankind." Sculptures and paintings in these
+grand receptacles of the dead, as translated by Champollion, represent
+the deceased ushered into the world of spirits by funeral deities, who
+announce, "A soul arrived in Amenti."[388:6]
+
+The Hindoo idea of a subtile invisible body within the material body,
+reappeared in the description of Greek poets. They represented the
+constitution of man as consisting of three principles: the soul, the
+invisible body, and the material body. The invisible body they called
+the ghost or shade, and considered it as the material portion of the
+soul. At death, the soul, clothed in this subtile body, went to enjoy
+paradise for a season, or suffer in hell till its sins were expiated.
+This paradise was called the "Elysian Fields," and the hell was called
+Tartarus.
+
+The paradise, some supposed to be a part of the lower world, some placed
+them in a middle zone in the air, some in the moon, and others in
+far-off isles in the ocean. There shone more glorious sun and stars than
+illuminated this world. The day was always serene, the air forever pure,
+and a soft, celestial light clothed all things in transfigured beauty.
+Majestic groves, verdant meadows, and blooming gardens varied the
+landscape. The river Eridanus flowed through winding banks fringed with
+laurel. On its borders lived heroes who had died for their country,
+priests who had led a pure life, artists who had embodied genuine beauty
+in their work, and poets who had never degraded their muse with subjects
+unworthy of Apollo. There each one renewed the pleasures in which he
+formerly delighted. Orpheus, in long white robes, made enrapturing music
+on his lyre, while others danced and sang. The husband rejoined his
+beloved wife; old friendships were renewed, the poet repeated his
+verses, and the charioteer managed his horses.
+
+Some souls wandered in vast forests between Tartarus and Elysium, not
+good enough for one, or bad enough for the other. Some were purified
+from their sins by exposure to searching winds, others by being
+submerged in deep waters, others by passing through intense fires. After
+a long period of probation and suffering, many of them gained the
+Elysian Fields. This belief is handed down to our day in the Roman
+Catholic idea of _Purgatory_.
+
+A belief in the existence of the soul after death was indicated in all
+periods of history of the world, by the fact that man was always
+accustomed to address prayers to the spirits of their ancestors.[389:1]
+
+These _heavens_ and _hells_ where men abode after death, vary, in
+different countries, according to the likes and dislikes of each nation.
+
+All the Teutonic nations held to a fixed Elysium and a hell, where the
+valiant and the just were rewarded, and where the cowardly and the
+wicked suffered punishment. As all nations have made a god, and that god
+has resembled the persons who made it, so have all nations made a
+heaven, and that heaven corresponds to the fancies of the people who
+have created it.
+
+In the prose Edda there is a description of the joys of _Valhalla_ (the
+Hall of the Chosen), which states that: "All men who have fallen in
+fight since the beginning of the world are gone to Odin (the Supreme
+God), in Valhalla." A mighty band of men are there, "and every day, as
+soon as they have dressed themselves, they ride out into the court (or
+field), and there fight until they cut each other into pieces. This is
+their pastime, but when the meal-tide approaches, they remount their
+steeds, and return to drink in _Valhalla_. As it is said (in
+Vafthrudnis-mal):
+
+     'The Einherjar all
+     On Odin's plain
+     Hew daily each other,
+     While chosen the slain are.
+     From the frey they then ride,
+     And drink ale with the AEsir.'"[390:1]
+
+This description of the palace of Odin is a natural picture of the
+manners of the ancient Scandinavians and Germans. Prompted by the wants
+of their climate, and the impulse of their own temperament, they formed
+to themselves a delicious paradise in their own way; where they were to
+eat and drink, and fight. The women, to whom they assigned a place
+there, were introduced for no other purpose but to fill their cups.
+
+The Mohammedan paradise differs from this. Women _there_, are for man's
+pleasure. The day is always serene, the air forever pure, and a soft
+celestial light clothes all things in transfigured beauty. Majestic
+groves, verdant meadows, and blooming gardens vary the landscape. There,
+in radiant halls, dwell the departed, ever blooming and beautiful, ever
+laughing and gay.
+
+The American Indian calculates upon finding successful chases after wild
+animals, verdant plains, and no winter, as the characteristics of his
+"future life."
+
+The red Indian, when told by a missionary that in the "promised land"
+they would neither eat, drink, hunt, nor marry a wife, contemptuously
+replied, that instead of wishing to go there, he should deem his
+residence in such a place as the greatest possible calamity. Many not
+only rejected such a destiny for themselves, but were indignant at the
+attempt to decoy their children into such a comfortless region.
+
+All nations of the earth have had their heavens. As Moore observes:
+
+     "A heaven, too, ye must have, ye lords of dust--
+     A splendid paradise, poor souls, ye must:
+     That prophet ill sustains his holy call
+     Who finds not heavens to suit the tastes of all.
+     Vain things! as lust or _vanity_ inspires,
+     The heaven of each is but what each desires."
+
+_Heaven_ was born of the sky,[391:1] and nurtured by cunning priests,
+who made man a coward and a slave.
+
+_Hell_ was built by priests, and nurtured by the fears and servile
+fancies of man during the ages when dungeons of torture were a
+recognized part of every government, and when God was supposed to be an
+infinite tyrant, with infinite resources of vengeance.
+
+_The devil_ is an imaginary being, invented by primitive man to account
+for the existence of evil, and relieve God of his responsibility. The
+famous Hindoo _Rakshasas_ of our Aryan ancestors--the dark and evil
+_clouds_ personified--are the originals of all devils. The cloudy shape
+has assumed a thousand different forms, horrible or grotesque and
+ludicrous, to suit the changing fancies of the ages.
+
+But strange as it may appear, the god of one nation became the devil of
+another.
+
+The rock of Behistun, the sculptured chronicle of the glories of Darius,
+king of Persia, situated on the western frontier of Media, on the
+high-road from Babylon to the eastward, was used as a "holy of holies."
+It was named _Bagistane_--"the place of the _Baga_"--referring to
+Ormuzd, chief of the Bagas. When examined with the lenses of linguistic
+science, the "_Bogie_" or "_Bug-a-boo_" or "_Bugbear_" of nursery lore,
+turns out to be identical with the Slavonic "_Bog_" and the "_Baga_" of
+the cuneiform inscriptions, both of which are names of the _Supreme
+Being_. It is found also in the old Aryan "_Bhaga_," who is described in
+a commentary of the _Rig-Veda_ as the lord of life, the giver of bread,
+and the bringer of happiness. Thus, the same name which, to the _Vedic_
+poet, to the Persian of the time of Xerxes, and to the modern Russian,
+suggests the supreme majesty of deity, is in English associated with an
+ugly and ludicrous fiend. Another striking illustration is to be found
+in the word _devil_ itself. When traced back to its primitive source, it
+is found to be a name of the Supreme Being.[391:2]
+
+The ancients had a great number of festival days, many of which are
+handed down to the present time, and are to be found in Christianity.
+
+We have already seen that the 25th of December was almost a universal
+festival among the ancients; so it is the same with the _spring_
+festivals, when days of fasting are observed.
+
+The _Hindoos_ hold a festival, called _Siva-ratri_, in honor of _Siva_,
+about the middle or end of February. _A strict fast is observed during
+the day._ They have also a festival in April, when a strict fast is kept
+by some.[392:1]
+
+At the _spring equinox_ most nations of antiquity set apart a day to
+implore the blessings of their god, or gods, on the fruits of the earth.
+At the autumnal equinox, they offered the fruits of the harvest, and
+returned thanks. In China, these religious solemnities are called
+"Festivals of gratitude to Tien."[392:2] The last named corresponds to
+_our_ "Thanksgiving" celebration.
+
+One of the most considerable festivals held by the ancient
+_Scandinavians_ was the _spring_ celebration. This was held in honor of
+Odin, at the beginning of spring, in order to welcome in that pleasant
+season, and to obtain of their god happy success in their projected
+expeditions.
+
+Another festival was held toward the autumn equinox, when they were
+accustomed to kill all their cattle in good condition, and lay in a
+store of provision for the winter. This festival was also attended with
+religious ceremonies, when Odin, the supreme god, was thanked for what
+he had given them, by having his altar loaded with the fruits of their
+crops, and the choicest products of the earth.[392:3]
+
+There was a grand celebration in Egypt, called the "Feast of Lamps,"
+held at Sais, in honor of the goddess Neith. Those who did not attend
+the ceremony, as well as those who did, burned lamps before their houses
+all night, filled with oil and salt: thus all Egypt was illuminated. It
+was deemed a great irreverence to the goddess for any one to omit this
+ceremony.[392:4]
+
+The _Hindoos_ also held a festival in honor of the goddesses Lakshmi and
+Bhavanti, called "_The feast of Lamps_."[392:5] This festival has been
+handed down to the present time in what is called "Candlemas day," or
+the purification of the Virgin Mary.
+
+The most celebrated Pagan festival held by modern Christians is that
+known as "_Sunday_," or the "Lord's day."
+
+All the principal nations of antiquity kept the _seventh_ day of the
+week as a "holy day," just as the ancient Israelites did. This was owing
+to the fact that they consecrated the days of the week to the Sun, the
+Moon, and the five planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
+_The seventh day was sacred to Saturn from time immemorial._ Homer and
+Hesiod call it the "Holy Day."[393:1] The people generally visited the
+temples of the gods, on that day, and offered up their prayers and
+supplications.[393:2] The Acadians, thousands of years ago, kept holy
+the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th of each month as _Salum_ (rest), on which
+certain works were forbidden.[393:3] The _Arabs_ anciently worshiped
+Saturn under the name of Hobal. In his hands he held _seven_ arrows,
+symbols of the planets that preside over the seven days of the
+week.[393:4] The _Egyptians_ assigned a day of the week to the sun,
+moon, and five planets, and the number _seven_ was held there in great
+reverence.[393:5]
+
+The planet _Saturn_ very early became the chief deity of Semitic
+religion. Moses consecrated the number seven to him.[393:6]
+
+In the _old_ conception, which finds expression in the Decalogue in
+Deuteronomy (v. 15), the Sabbath has a purely theocratic significance,
+and is intended to remind the Hebrews of their miraculous deliverance
+from the land of Egypt and bondage. When the story of _Creation_ was
+borrowed from the _Babylonians_, the celebration of the Sabbath was
+established on entirely new grounds (Ex. xx. 11), for we find it is
+because the "Creator," after his six days of work, rested on the
+seventh, that the day should be kept holy.
+
+The Assyrians kept this day holy. Mr. George Smith says:
+
+     "In the year 1869, I discovered among other things a curious
+     religious calendar of the Assyrians, in which every month is
+     divided into four weeks, and the _seventh_ days or
+     '_Sabbaths_,' are marked out as days on which no work should
+     be undertaken."[393:7]
+
+The ancient _Scandinavians_ consecrated one day in the week to their
+Supreme God, _Odin_ or _Wodin_.[393:8] Even at the present time we call
+this day _Odin's-day_.[393:9]
+
+The question now arises, how was the great festival day changed from
+the _seventh_--Saturn's day--to the _first_--_Sun_-day--among the
+Christians?
+
+"If we go back to the founding of the church, we find that the most
+marked feature of that age, so far as the church itself is concerned, is
+the grand division between the 'Jewish faction,' as it was called, and
+the followers of Paul. This division was so deep, so marked, so
+characteristic, that it has left its traces all through the New
+Testament itself. It was one of the grand aspects of the time, and the
+point on which they were divided was simply this: the followers of
+Peter, those who adhered to the teachings of the central church in
+Jerusalem, held that all Christians, both converted Jews and Gentiles,
+were under obligation to keep the Mosaic law, ordinances, and
+traditions. That is, a Christian, according to their definition, was
+first a Jew; Christianity was something _added to_ that, not something
+taking the place of it.
+
+"We find this controversy raging violently all through the early
+churches, and splitting them into factions, so that they were the
+occasion of prayer and counsel. Paul took the ground distinctly that
+Christianity, while it might be spiritually the lineal successor of
+Judaism, was not Judaism; and that he who became a Christian, whether a
+converted Jew or Gentile, was under no obligation whatever to keep the
+Jewish law, so far as it was separate from practical matters of life and
+character. We find this intimated in the writings of Paul; for we have
+to go to the New Testament for the origin of that which, we find,
+existed immediately after the New Testament was written. Paul says: 'One
+man esteemeth one day above another: another man esteemeth every day
+alike' (Rom. xiv. 5-9). He leaves it an open question; they can do as
+they please. Then: 'Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I
+am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain' (Gal. iv.
+10, 11). And if you will note this Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, you
+will find that the whole purpose of his writing it was to protest
+against what he believed to be the viciousness of the Judaizing
+influences. That is, he says: 'I have come to preach to you the perfect
+truth, that Christ hath made us free; and you are going back and taking
+upon yourselves this yoke of bondage. My labor is being thrown away; my
+efforts have been in vain.' Then he says, in his celebrated Epistle to
+the Colossians, that has never yet been explained away or met: 'Let no
+man therefore judge you any more in meat, or in drink, or in respect of
+an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days' (Col. ii. 16,
+17), distinctly abrogating the binding authority of the Sabbath on the
+Christian church. So that, if Paul's word anywhere means anything--if
+his authority is to be taken as of binding force on any point
+whatever--then Paul is to be regarded as authoritatively and distinctly
+abrogating the Sabbath, and declaring that it is no longer binding on
+the Christian church."[395:1]
+
+This breach in the early church, this controversy, resulted at last in
+Paul's going up to Jerusalem "to meet James and the representatives of
+the Jerusalem church, to see if they could find any common platform of
+agreement--if they could come together so that they could work with
+mutual respect and without any further bickering. What is the platform
+that they met upon? It was distinctly understood that those who wished
+to keep up the observance of Judaism should do so; and the church at
+Jerusalem gave Paul this grand freedom, substantially saying to him: 'Go
+back to your missionary work, found churches, and teach them that they
+are perfectly free in regard to all Mosaic and Jewish observances, save
+only these four: Abstain from pollutions of idols, from fornication,
+from things strangled, and from blood."[395:2]
+
+The point to which our attention is forcibly drawn is, that the question
+of Sabbath-keeping is one of those that is left out. The point that Paul
+had been fighting for was conceded by the central church at Jerusalem,
+and he was to go out thenceforth free, so far as that was concerned, in
+his teaching of the churches that he should found.
+
+There is no mention of the Sabbath, or the Lord's day, as binding in the
+New Testament. What, then, was the actual condition of affairs? What did
+the churches do in the first three hundred years of their existence?
+Why, they did just what Paul and the Jerusalem church had agreed upon.
+Those who wished to keep the Jewish Sabbath did so; and those who did
+not wish to, did not do so. This is seen from the fact that Justin
+Martyr, a Christian Father who flourished about A. D. 140, did not
+observe the day. In his "Dialogue" with Typho, the Jew reproaches the
+Christians for not keeping the "Sabbath." Justin admits the charge by
+saying:
+
+     "Do you not see that the Elements keep no Sabbaths and are
+     never idle? Continue as you were created. If there was no need
+     of circumcision before Abraham's time, and no need of the
+     Sabbath, of festivals and oblations, before the time of Moses,
+     _neither of them are necessary after the coming of Christ_. If
+     any among you is guilty of perjury, fraud, or other crimes,
+     let him cease from them and repent, and he will have kept
+     _the_ kind of Sabbath pleasing to God."
+
+There was no binding authority then, among the Christians, as to
+whether they should keep the first or the seventh day of the week holy,
+or not, until the time of the first Christian Roman Emperor.
+"_Constantine, a Sun worshiper, who had, as other Heathen, kept the
+Sun-day, publicly ordered this to supplant the Jewish Sabbath._"[396:1]
+He commanded that this day should be kept holy, throughout the whole
+Roman empire, and sent an edict to all governors of provinces to this
+effect.[396:2] _Thus we see how the great Pagan festival, in honor of
+Sol the invincible, was transformed into a Christian holy-day._
+
+Not only were Pagan festival days changed into Christian holy-days, but
+Pagan idols were converted into Christian saints, and Pagan temples into
+Christian churches.
+
+A Pagan temple at Rome, formerly sacred to the "_Bona Dea_" (the "Good
+Goddess"), was Christianized and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In a
+place formerly sacred to Apollo, there now stands the church of Saint
+Apollinaris. Where there anciently stood the temple of Mars, may now be
+seen the church of Saint Martine.[396:3] A Pagan temple, originally
+dedicated to "_Caelestis Dea_" (the "Heavenly Goddess"), by one Aurelius,
+a Pagan high-priest, was converted into a Christian church by another
+Aurelius, created Bishop of Carthage in the year 390 of Christ. He
+placed his episcopal chair in the very place where the statue of the
+Heavenly Goddess had stood.[396:4]
+
+The noblest heathen temple now remaining in the world, is the _Pantheon_
+or _Rotunda_, which, as the inscription over the portico informs us,
+having been _impiously_ dedicated of old by Agrippa to "Jove and all the
+gods," was _piously_ reconsecrated by Pope Boniface the Fourth, to "The
+Mother of God and all the Saints."[396:5]
+
+The church of Saint Reparatae, at Florence, was formerly a Pagan temple.
+An inscription was found in the foundation of this church, of these
+words: "To the Great Goddess Nutria."[396:6] The church of St. Stephen,
+at Bologna, was formed from heathen temples, one of which was a temple
+of Isis.[396:7]
+
+At the southern extremity of the present Forum at Rome, and just under
+the Palatine hill--where the noble babes, who, miraculously preserved,
+became the founders of a state that was to command the world, were
+exposed--stands the church of St. Theodore.
+
+This temple was built in honor of Romulus, and the brazen
+wolf--commemorating the curious manner in which the founders of Rome
+were nurtured--occupied a place here till the sixteenth century. And, as
+the Roman matrons of old used to carry their children, when ill, to the
+temple of Romulus, so too, the women still carry their children to St.
+Theodore on the same occasions.
+
+In _Christianizing_ these Pagan temples, free use was made of the
+sculptured and painted stones of heathen monuments. In some cases they
+evidently painted over one name, and inserted another. This may be seen
+from the following
+
+INSCRIPTIONS FORMERLY IN PAGAN TEMPLES.
+
+1. To Mercury and Minerva, Tutelary Gods.
+
+_and_
+
+     INSCRIPTIONS NOW IN CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
+
+     1. To St. Mary and St. Francis, My Tutelaries.
+
+2. To the Gods who preside over this Temple.
+
+     2. To the Divine Eustrogius, who presides over this Temple.
+
+3. To the Divinity of Mercury the Availing, the Powerful, the
+Unconquered.
+
+     3. To the Divinity of St. George the Availing, the Powerful,
+     the Unconquered.
+
+4. Sacred to the Gods and Goddesses, with Jove the best and greatest.
+
+     4. Sacred to the presiding helpers, St. George and St.
+     Stephen, with God the best and greatest.
+
+5. Venus' Pigeon.
+
+     5. The Holy Ghost represented as a Pigeon.
+
+6. The Mystical Letters I. H. S.[397:1]
+
+     6. The Mystical Letters I. H. S.[397:2]
+
+In many cases the _Images_ of the Pagan gods were allowed to remain in
+these temples, and, after being _Christianized_, continued to receive
+divine honors.[397:3]
+
+"In St. Peter's, Rome, is a statue of _Jupiter_, deprived of his
+thunderbolt, which is replaced by the emblematic keys. In like manner,
+much of the religion of the lower orders, which we regard as essentially
+_Christian_, is ancient _heathenism_, refitted with Christian
+symbols."[397:4] We find that as early as the time of St. Gregory,
+Bishop of Neo-Cesarea (A. D. 243), the "simple" and "unskilled"
+multitudes of Christians were allowed to pay divine honors to these
+images, hoping that in the process of time they would learn
+better.[398:1] In fact, as Prof. Draper says:
+
+     "Olympus was restored, but the divinities passed under other
+     names. The more powerful provinces insisted upon the adoption
+     of their time-honored conceptions. . . . Not only was the
+     adoration of _ISIS_ under a new name restored, but even her
+     image, standing on the crescent moon, reappeared. The
+     well-known effigy of that goddess with the infant Horus in her
+     arms, has descended to our days in the beautiful, artistic
+     creations of the Madonna and child. Such restorations of old
+     conceptions under novel forms were everywhere received with
+     delight. When it was announced to the Ephesians, that the
+     Council of that place, headed by Cyril, had declared that the
+     Virgin (Mary) should be called the '_Mother of God_,' with
+     tears of joy they embraced the knees of their bishop; it was
+     the old instinct cropping out; their ancestors would have done
+     the same for Diana."[398:2]
+
+          "O bright goddess; once again
+           Fix on earth thy heav'nly reign;
+           Be thy sacred name ador'd,
+           Altars rais'd, and rites restor'd."
+
+Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople from 428 A. D., refused to call Mary
+"_the mother of God_," on the ground that she could be the mother of the
+human nature only, which the divine Logos used as its organ. Cyril,
+Bishop of Alexandria, did all in his power to stir up the minds of the
+people against Nestorius; the consequence was that, both at Rome and at
+Alexandria, Nestorius was accused of heresy. The dispute grew more
+bitter, and Theodosius II. thought it necessary to convoke an
+OEcumenical Council at Ephesus in 431. On this, as on former occasions,
+the affirmative party overruled the negative. The person of Mary began
+to rise in the new empyrean. The paradoxical name of "_Mother of God_"
+pleased the popular piety. Nestorius was condemned, and died in exile.
+
+The shrine of many an old hero was filled by the statue of some
+imaginary saint.
+
+     "They have not always" (says Dr. Conyers Middleton), "as I am
+     well informed, given themselves the trouble of making even
+     this change, but have been contented sometimes to take up with
+     the _old image_, just as they found it; after baptizing it
+     only, as it were, or consecrating it anew, by the imposition
+     of a Christian name. This their antiquaries do not scruple to
+     put strangers in mind of, in showing their churches, as it
+     was, I think, in that of St. Agnes, where they showed me an
+     antique statue of a young _BACCHUS_, which, with a new name,
+     and some little change of drapery, stands now worshiped under
+     the title of a female saint."[398:3]
+
+In many parts of Italy are to be seen pictures of the "Holy Family," of
+extreme antiquity, the grounds of them often of gold.
+
+These pictures represent the mother with a child on her knee, and a
+little boy standing close by her side; the _Lamb_ is generally seen in
+the picture. They are inscribed "_Deo Soli_," and are simply ancient
+representations of Isis and Horus. The _Lamb_ is "The Lamb that taketh
+away the sins of the world," which, as we have already seen, was
+believed on in the Pagan world centuries before the time of Christ
+Jesus.[399:1] Some half-pagan Christian went so far as to forge a book,
+which he attributed to Christ Jesus himself, which was for the purpose
+of showing that he--Christ Jesus--was in no way against these heathen
+gods.[399:2]
+
+The _Icelanders_ were induced to embrace Christianity, with its legends
+and miracles, and sainted divinities, as the Christian monks were ready
+to substitute for Thor, their warrior-god, Michael, the warrior-angel;
+for Freyja, their goddess, the Virgin Mary; and for the god Vila, a St.
+Valentine--probably manufactured for the occasion.
+
+"The statues of Jupiter, Apollo, Mercury, Orpheus, did duty for _The
+Christ_.[399:3] The Thames River god officiates at the baptism of Jesus
+in the Jordan. Peter holds the keys of Janus.[399:4] Moses wears the
+horns of Jove. Ceres, Cybele, Demeter assume new names, as '_Queen of
+Heaven_,' '_Star of the Sea_,' '_Maria Illuminatrix_;' Dionysius is St.
+Denis; Cosmos is St. Cosmo; Pluto and Proserpine resign their seats in
+the hall of final judgment to the Christ and his mother. The Parcae
+depute one of their number, Lachesis, the disposer of lots, to set the
+stamp of destiny upon the deaths of Christian believers. The _aura
+placida_ of the poets, the gentle breeze, is personified as Aura and
+Placida. The _perpetua felicitas_ of the devotee becomes a lovely
+presence in the forms of St. Perpetua and St. Felicitas, guardian angels
+of the pious soul. No relic of Paganism was permitted to remain in its
+casket. The depositories were all ransacked. The shadowy hands of
+Egyptian priests placed the urn of holy water at the porch of the
+basilica, which stood ready to be converted into a temple. Priests of
+the most ancient faiths of Palestine, Assyria, Babylon, Thebes, Persia
+were permitted to erect the altar at the point where the transverse beam
+of the cross meets the main stem. The hands that constructed the temple
+in cruciform shape had long become too attenuated to cast the faintest
+shadow. There Devaki with the infant Crishna, Maya with the babe Buddha,
+Juno with the child Mars, represent Mary with Jesus in her arms. Coarse
+emblems are not rejected; the Assyrian dove is a tender symbol of the
+Holy Ghost. The rag-bags and toy boxes were explored. A bauble which the
+Roman schoolboy had thrown away was picked up, and called an '_agnus
+dei_.' The musty wardrobes of forgotten hierarchies furnished costumes
+for the officers of the new prince. Alb and chasuble recalled the
+fashions of Numa's day. The cast-off purple habits and shoes of Pagan
+emperors beautified the august persons of Christian popes. The cardinals
+must be contented with the robes once worn by senators. Zoroaster bound
+about the monks the girdle he invented as a protection against evil
+spirits, and clothed them in the frocks he had found convenient for his
+ritual. The pope thrust out his foot to be kissed, as Caligula,
+Heliogabalus, and Julius Cesar had thrust out theirs. Nothing came amiss
+to the faith that was to discharge henceforth the offices of spiritual
+impression."[400:1]
+
+The ascetic and monastic life practiced by some Christians of the
+present day, is of great antiquity. Among the Buddhists there are
+priests who are ordained, tonsured, live in monasteries, and make vows
+of celibacy. There are also nuns among them, whose vows and discipline
+are the same as the priests.[400:2]
+
+The close resemblance between the ancient religion of _Thibet_ and
+_Nepaul_--where the worship of a crucified God was found--and the Roman
+Catholic religion of the present day, is very striking. In Thibet was
+found the pope, or head of the religion, whom they called the "Dalai
+Lama;"[400:3] they use holy water, they celebrate a sacrifice with bread
+and wine; they give extreme unction, pray for the sick; they have
+monasteries, and convents for women; they chant in their services, have
+fasts; they worship one God in a trinity, believe in a hell, heaven, and
+a half-way place or purgatory; they make prayers and sacrifices for the
+dead, have confession, adore the cross; have chaplets, or strings of
+beads to count their prayers, and many other practices common to the
+Roman Catholic Church.[400:4]
+
+The resemblance between Buddhism and Christianity has been remarked by
+many travelers in the eastern countries. Sir John Francis Davis, in his
+"History of China," speaking of Buddhism in that country, says:
+
+     "Certain it is--and the observance may be daily made even at
+     Canton--that they (the Buddhist priests) practice the
+     ordinances of celibacy, fasting, and prayers for the dead;
+     they have holy water, rosaries of beads, which they count with
+     their prayers, the worship of relics, and a monastic habit
+     resembling that of the Franciscans" (an order of Roman
+     Catholic monks).
+
+Pere Premere, a Jesuit missionary to China, was driven to conclude that
+the devil had practiced a trick to perplex his friends, the Jesuits. To
+others, however, it is not so difficult to account for these things as
+it seemed for the good Father. Sir John continues his account as
+follows:
+
+     "These priests are associated in monasteries attached to the
+     temples of Fo. They are in China precisely a society of
+     mendicants, and go about, like monks of that description in
+     the Romish Church, asking alms for the support of their
+     establishment. Their tonsure extends to the hair of the whole
+     head. There is a regular gradation among the priesthood; and
+     according to his reputation for sanctity, his length of
+     service and other claims, each priest may rise from the lowest
+     rank of servitor--whose duty it is to perform the menial
+     offices of the temple--to that of officiating priest--and
+     ultimately of 'Tae Hoepang,' Abbot or head of the
+     establishment."
+
+The five principal precepts, or rather interdicts, addressed to the
+Buddhist priests are:
+
+     1. Do not kill.
+     2. Do not steal.
+     3. Do not marry.
+     4. Speak not falsely.
+     5. Drink no wine.
+
+Poo-ta-la is the name of a monastery, described in Lord Macartney's
+mission, and is an extensive establishment, which was found in
+Manchow-Tartary, beyond the great wall. This building offered shelter to
+no less than eight hundred Chinese Buddhist priests.[401:1]
+
+The Rev. Mr. Gutzlaff, in his "Journal of Voyages along the coast of
+China," tells us that he found the Buddhist "Monasteries, nuns, and
+friars very numerous;" and adds that: "their priests are generally very
+ignorant."[401:2]
+
+This reminds us of the fact that, for centuries during the "dark ages"
+of Christianity, Christian bishops and prelates, the teachers, spiritual
+pastors and masters, were mostly _marksmen_, that is, they supplied, by
+the sign of the cross, their inability to write their own name.[402:1]
+Many of the bishops in the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon, it is
+said, could not write their names. Ignorance was not considered a
+disqualification for ordination. A cloud of ignorance overspread the
+whole face of the Church, hardly broken by a few glimmering lights, who
+owe almost the whole of their distinction to the surrounding
+darkness.[402:2]
+
+One of the principal objects of curiosity to the Europeans who first
+went to China, was a large monastery at Canton. This monastery, which
+was dedicated to Fo, or Buddha, and which is on a very large scale, is
+situated upon the southern side of the river. There are extensive
+grounds surrounding the building, planted with trees, in the center of
+which is a broad pavement of granite, which is kept very clean. An
+English gentleman, Mr. Bennett, entered this establishment, which he
+fully describes. He says that after walking along this granite pavement,
+they entered a temple, where the priesthood happened to be assembled,
+worshiping. They were arranged in rows, chanting, striking gongs, &c.
+These priests, with their shaven crowns, and arrayed in the yellow robes
+of the religion, appeared to go through the mummery with devotion. As
+soon as the mummery had ceased, the priests all flocked out of the
+temple, adjourned to their respective rooms, divested themselves of
+their official robes, and the images--among which were evidently
+representations of Shin-moo, the "Holy Mother," and "Queen of Heaven,"
+and "The Three Pure Ones,"--were left to themselves, with lamps burning
+before them.
+
+To expiate sin, offerings made to these priests are--according to the
+Buddhist idea--sufficient. To facilitate the release of some unfortunate
+from purgatory, they said masses. Their prayers are counted by means of
+a rosary, and they live in a state of celibacy.
+
+Mr. Gutzlaff, in describing a temple dedicated to Buddha, situated on
+the island of Poo-ta-la, says:
+
+     "We were present at the vespers of the priests, which they
+     chanted in the Pali language, not unlike the Latin service of
+     the Romish church. They held their rosaries in their hands,
+     which rested folded upon their breasts. One of them had a
+     small bell, by the tingling of which the service was
+     regulated."
+
+The Buddhists in _India_ have similar institutions. The French
+missionary, M. L'Abbe Huc, says of them:
+
+     "The Buddhist ascetic not aspiring to elevate himself only, he
+     practiced virtue and applied himself to perfection to make
+     other men share in its belief; and by the institution of an
+     order of religious mendicants, which increased to an immense
+     extent, he attached towards him, and restored to society, the
+     poor and unfortunate. It was, indeed, precisely because Buddha
+     received among his disciples miserable creatures who were
+     outcasts from the respectable class of India, that he became
+     an object of mockery to the Brahmins. But he merely replied to
+     their taunts, 'My law is a law of mercy for all.'"[403:1]
+
+In the words of Viscount Amberly, we can say that, "Monasticism, in
+countries where Buddhism reigns supreme, is a vast and powerful
+institution."
+
+The _Essenes_, of whom we shall speak more fully anon, were an order of
+ascetics, dwelling in monasteries. Among the order of Pythagoras, which
+was very similar to the Essenes, there was an order of nuns.[403:2] The
+ancient Druids admitted females into their sacred order, and initiated
+them into the mysteries of their religion.[403:3] The priestesses of the
+Saxon Frigga devoted themselves to perpetual virginity.[403:4] The
+vestal virgins[403:5] were bound by a solemn vow to preserve their
+chastity for a space of thirty years.[403:6]
+
+The Egyptian priests of Isis were obliged to observe perpetual
+chastity.[403:7] They were also tonsured like the Buddhist
+priests.[403:8] The Assyrian, Arabian, Persian and Egyptian priests wore
+_white_ surplices,[403:9] and so did the ancient Druids. The Corinthian
+Aphrodite had her Hierodoulio, the pure Gerairai ministered to the
+goddess of the Parthenon, the altar of the Latin Vesta was tended by her
+chosen virgins, and the Romish "Queen of Heaven" has her nuns.
+
+When the Spaniards had established themselves in Mexico and Peru, they
+were astonished to find, among other things which closely resembled
+their religion, _monastic institutions_ on a large scale.
+
+The Rev. Father Acosta, in his "Natural and Moral History of the
+Indies," says:
+
+     "There is one thing worthy of special regard, the which is,
+     how the Devil, by his pride, hath opposed himself to God; and
+     that which God, by his wisdom, hath decreed for his honor and
+     service, and for the good and health of man, the devil strives
+     to imitate and pervert, to be honored, and to cause men to be
+     damned: for as we see the great God hath Sacrifices, Priests,
+     Sacraments, Religious Prophets, and Ministers, dedicated to
+     his divine service and holy ceremonies, so likewise the devil
+     hath his Sacrifices, Priests, his kinds of Sacraments, his
+     Ministers appointed, his secluded and feigned holiness, with a
+     thousand sorts of false prophets."[403:10]
+
+     "We find among all the nations of the world, men especially
+     dedicated to the service of the true God, or to the false,
+     which serve in sacrifices, and declare unto the people what
+     their gods command them. There was in Mexico a strange
+     curiosity upon this point. And the devil, counterfeiting the
+     use of the church of God, hath placed in the order of his
+     Priests, some greater or superiors, and some less, the one as
+     Acolites, the other as Levites, and that which hath made most
+     to wonder, was, that the devil would usurp to himself the
+     service of God; yea, and use the same name: for the Mexicans
+     in their ancient tongue call their high priests _Papes_, as
+     they should say sovereign bishops, as it appears now by their
+     histories."[404:1]
+
+In Mexico, within the circuit of the great temple, there were two
+monasteries, one for virgins, the other for men, which they called
+religious. These men lived poorly and chastely, and did the office of
+Levites.[404:2]
+
+     "These priests and religious men used great fastings, of five
+     or ten days together, before any of their great feasts, and
+     they were unto them as our four ember week; they were so
+     strict in continence that some of them (not to fall into any
+     sensuality) slit their members in the midst, and did a
+     thousand things to make themselves unable, lest they should
+     offend their gods."[404:3]
+
+     "There were in Peru many monasteries of virgins (for there are
+     no other admitted), at the least one in every province. In
+     these monasteries there were two sorts of women, one ancient,
+     which they called Mamacomas (mothers), for the instruction of
+     the young, and the other was of young maidens placed there for
+     a certain time, and after they were drawn forth, either for
+     their gods or for the Inca." "If any of the Mamacomas or
+     Acllas were found to have trespassed against their honor, it
+     was an inevitable chastisement to bury them alive or to put
+     them to death by some other kind of cruel torment."[404:4]
+
+The Rev. Father concludes by saying:
+
+     "In truth it is very strange to see that this false opinion of
+     religion hath so great force among these young men and maidens
+     of Mexico, that they will serve the devil with so great rigor
+     and austerity, which many of us do not in the service of the
+     most high God, the which is a great shame and
+     confusion."[404:5]
+
+The religious orders of the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians are described
+at length in Lord Kingsborough's "Mexican Antiquities," and by most
+every writer on ancient Mexico. Differing in minor details, the grand
+features of self-consecration are everywhere the same, whether we look
+to the saintly Rishis of ancient India, to the wearers of the yellow
+robe in China or Ceylon, to the Essenes among the Jews, to the devotees
+of Vitziliputzli in pagan Mexico, or to the monks and nuns of Christian
+times in Africa, in Asia, and in Europe. Throughout the various creeds
+of these distant lands there runs the same unconquerable impulse,
+producing the same remarkable effects.
+
+The "_Sacred Heart_," was a great mystery with the ancients.
+
+_Horus_, the Egyptian virgin-born Saviour, was represented carrying the
+sacred heart outside on his breast. _Vishnu_, the Mediator and Preserver
+of the Hindoos, was also represented in that manner. So was it with
+_Bel_ of Babylon.[405:1] In like manner, Christ Jesus, the Christian
+Saviour, is represented at the present day.
+
+The amulets or charms which the Roman Christians wear, to drive away
+diseases, and to protect them from harm, are other relics of paganism.
+The ancient pagans wore these charms for the same purpose. The name of
+their favorite god was generally inscribed upon them, and we learn by a
+quotation from Chrysostom that the Christians at Antioch used to bind
+brass coins of Alexander the Great about their heads, to keep off or
+drive away diseases.[405:2] The Christians also used amulets with the
+name or monogram of the god _Serapis_ engraved thereon, which show that
+it made no difference whether the god was their own or that of another.
+Even the charm which is worn by the Christians at the present day, has
+none other than the monogram of _Bacchus_ engraved thereon, _i. e._, I.
+H. S.[405:3]
+
+The ancient Roman children carried around their necks a small ornament
+in the form of a heart, called _Bulla_. This was imitated by the early
+Christians. Upon their ancient monuments in the Vatican, the heart is
+very common, and it may be seen in numbers of old pictures. After some
+time it was succeeded by the _Agnus Dei_, which, like the ancient
+_Bulla_, was supposed to avert dangers from the children and the wearers
+of them. Cardinal Baronius (an eminent Roman Catholic ecclesiastical
+historian, born at Sora, in Naples, A. D. 1538) says, that those who
+have been baptized carry pendent from their neck an _Agnus Dei_, in
+imitation of a devotion of the Pagans, who hung to the neck of their
+children little bottles in the form of a heart, which served as
+preservatives against charms and enchantments. Says Mr. Cox:
+
+     "That ornaments in the shape of a _vesica_ have been popular
+     in all countries as preservatives against dangers, and
+     especially from evil spirits, can as little be questioned as
+     the fact that they still retain some measure of their ancient
+     popularity in England, where horse-shoes are nailed to walls
+     as a safeguard against unknown perils, where a shoe is thrown
+     by way of good-luck after newly-married couples, and where the
+     villagers have not yet ceased to dance round the May-pole on
+     the green."[405:4]
+
+All of these are emblems of either the Linga or Yoni.
+
+The use of amulets was carried to the most extravagant excess in
+ancient Egypt, and their Sacred Book of the Dead, even in its earliest
+form, shows the importance attached to such things.[406:1]
+
+We can say with M. Renan that:
+
+     "Almost all our superstitions are the remains of a religion
+     anterior to Christianity, and which Christianity has not been
+     able entirely to root out."[406:2]
+
+Baptismal fonts were used by the pagans, as well as the little cisterns
+which are to be seen at the entrance of Catholic churches. In the temple
+of Apollo, at Delphi, there were two of these; one of silver, and the
+other of gold.[406:3]
+
+Temples always faced the east, to receive the rays of the rising sun.
+They contained an outer court for the public, and an inner sanctuary for
+the priests, called the "_Adytum_." Near the entrance was a large
+vessel, of stone or brass, filled with water, made holy by plunging into
+it a burning torch from the altar. All who were admitted to the
+sacrifices were sprinkled with this water, and none but the unpolluted
+were allowed to pass beyond it. In the center of the building stood the
+statue of the god, on a pedestal raised above the altar and enclosed by
+a railing. On festival occasions, the people brought laurel, olive, or
+ivy, to decorate the pillars and walls. Before they entered they always
+washed their hands, as a type of purification from sin.[406:4] A story
+is told of a man who was struck dead by a thunderbolt because he omitted
+this ceremony when entering a temple of Jupiter. Sometimes they crawled
+up the steps on their knees, and bowing their heads to the ground,
+kissed the threshold. Always when they passed one of these sacred
+edifices they kissed their right hand to it, in token of veneration.
+
+In all the temples of Vishnu, Crishna, Rama, Durga, and Kali, in India,
+there are to be seen idols before which lights and incense are burned.
+Moreover, the idols of these gods are constantly decorated with flowers
+and costly ornaments, especially on festive occasions.[406:5] The
+ancient Egyptian worship had a great splendor of ritual. There was a
+morning service, a kind of mass, celebrated by a priest, shorn and
+beardless; there were sprinklings of holy water, &c., &c.[406:6] All of
+this kind of worship was finally adopted by the Christians.
+
+The sublime and simple theology of the primitive Christians was
+gradually corrupted and degraded by the introduction of a popular
+mythology, which tended to restore the reign of polytheism.
+
+As the objects of religion were gradually reduced to the standard of the
+imagination, the rites and ceremonies were introduced that seemed most
+powerfully to affect the senses of the vulgar. If, in the beginning of
+the fifth century, Tertullian, or Lactantius, had been suddenly raised
+from the dead, to assist at the festival of some popular saint or
+martyr, they would have gazed with astonishment and indignation on the
+profane spectacle, which had succeeded to the pure and spiritual worship
+of a Christian congregation.[407:1]
+
+Dr. Draper, in speaking of the early Christian Church, says:
+
+     "Great is the difference between Christianity under Severus
+     (born 146) and Christianity under Constantine (born 274). Many
+     of the doctrines which at the latter period were pre-eminent,
+     in the former were unknown. Two causes led to the amalgamation
+     of Christianity with Paganism. 1. The political necessities of
+     the new dynasty: 2. The policy adopted by the new religion to
+     insure its spread.
+
+     "Though the Christian party had proved itself sufficiently
+     strong to give a master to the empire, it was never
+     sufficiently strong to destroy its antagonist, Paganism. The
+     issue of the struggle between them _was an amalgamation of the
+     principles of both_. In this, Christianity differed from
+     Mohammedanism, which absolutely annihilated its antagonist,
+     and spread its own doctrines without adulteration.
+
+     "Constantine continually showed by his acts that he felt he
+     must be the impartial sovereign of all his people, not merely
+     the representative of a successful faction. Hence, if he built
+     Christian churches, he also restored Pagan temples; if he
+     listened to the clergy, he also consulted the haruspices; if
+     he summoned the Council of Nicea, he also honored the statue
+     of Fortune; if he accepted the rite of Baptism, he also struck
+     a medal bearing his title of 'God.' His statue, on top of the
+     great porphyry pillar at Constantinople, consisted of an
+     ancient image of Apollo, whose features were replaced by those
+     of the emperor, and its head surrounded by the nails feigned
+     to have been used at the crucifixion of Christ, arranged so as
+     to form a crown of glory.
+
+     "Feeling that there must be concessions to the defeated Pagan
+     party, in accordance with its ideas, he looked with favor on
+     the idolatrous movements of his court. In fact, the leaders of
+     these movements were persons of his own family.
+
+     "To the emperor,--a mere worldling--a man without any
+     religious convictions, doubtless it appeared best for himself,
+     best for the empire, and best for the contending parties,
+     Christian and Pagan, to promote their _union or amalgamation
+     as much as possible_. Even sincere Christians do not seem to
+     have been averse to this; perhaps they believed that the new
+     doctrines would diffuse most thoroughly by incorporating in
+     themselves ideas borrowed from the old; that Truth would
+     assert herself in the end, and the impurities be cast off. In
+     accomplishing this amalgamation, Helen, the Empress-mother,
+     aided by the court ladies, led the way.
+
+     "As years passed on, the faith described by Tertullian (A. D.
+     150-195) was transformed into one more fashionable and more
+     debased. It was incorporated with the old Greek mythology.
+     Olympus was restored, but the divinities passed under new
+     names. . . .
+
+     "Heathen rites were adopted, a pompous and splendid ritual,
+     gorgeous robes, mitres, tiaras, wax-tapers, processional
+     services, lustrations, gold and silver vases, were introduced.
+
+     "The festival of the Purification of the Virgin was invented
+     to remove the uneasiness of heathen converts on account of the
+     loss of their Lupercalia, or feasts of Pan.
+
+     "The apotheosis of the old Roman times was replaced by
+     canonization; tutelary _saints_ succeeded to local
+     mythological divinities. Then came the mystery of
+     _transubstantiation_, or the conversion of bread and wine by
+     the priest into the flesh and blood of Christ. As centuries
+     passed, the _paganization_ became more and more
+     complete."[408:1]
+
+The early Christian saints, bishops, and fathers, _confessedly_ adopted
+the liturgies, rites, ceremonies, and terms of heathenism; making it
+their boast, that the pagan religion, properly explained, really was
+nothing else than Christianity; that the best and wisest of its
+professors, in all ages, had been Christians all along; that
+Christianity was but a name more recently acquired to a religion which
+had previously existed, and had been known to the Greek philosophers, to
+Plato, Socrates, and Heraclitus; and that "if the writings of Cicero had
+been read as they ought to have been, there would have been no occasion
+for the Christian Scriptures."
+
+And our Protestant, and most orthodox Christian divines, the best
+learned on ecclesiastical antiquity, and most entirely persuaded of the
+truth of the Christian religion, unable to resist or to conflict with
+the constraining demonstration of the data that prove the absolute
+sameness and identity of Paganism and Christianity, and unable to point
+out so much as one single idea or notion, of which they could show that
+it was peculiar to Christianity, or that Christianity had it, and
+Paganism had it not, have invented the apology of an hypothesis, that
+the Pagan religion was _typical_, and that Crishna, Buddha, Bacchus,
+Hercules, Adonis, Osiris, Horus, &c., were all of them _types_ and
+forerunners of the _true_ and _real_ Saviour, Christ Jesus. Those who
+are satisfied with this kind of reasoning are certainly welcome to it.
+
+That Christianity is nothing more than Paganism under a new name, has,
+as we said above, been admitted over and over again by the Fathers of
+the Church, and others. Aringhus (in his account of subterraneous Rome)
+acknowledges the conformity between the Pagan and Christian form of
+worship, and defends the admission of the ceremonies of heathenism into
+the service of the Church, by the authority of the wisest prelates and
+governors, whom, he says, found it necessary, in the conversion of the
+Gentiles, to dissemble, and wink at many things, and yield to the times;
+and not to use force against customs which the people were so
+obstinately fond of.[409:1]
+
+Melito (a Christian bishop of Sardis), in an _apology_ delivered to the
+Emperor Marcus Antoninus, in the year 170, claims the patronage of the
+emperor, for the _now_ called Christian religion, which he calls "_our
+philosophy_," "on account of its _high antiquity_, as having been
+_imported_ from countries lying beyond the limits of the Roman empire,
+in the region of his ancestor Augustus, who found its _importation_
+ominous of good fortune to his government."[409:2] This is an absolute
+demonstration that Christianity did _not_ originate in Judea, which was
+a Roman province, but really was an exotic oriental fable, _imported_
+from India, and that Paul was doing as he claimed, viz.: preaching a God
+manifest in the flesh who had been "believed on in the world" centuries
+before his time, and a doctrine which had already been preached "unto
+every creature under heaven."
+
+Baronius (an eminent Catholic ecclesiastical historian) says:
+
+     "It is permitted to the Church to use, _for the purpose of
+     piety_, the ceremonies which the pagans used _for the purpose
+     of impiety_ in a superstitious religion, after having first
+     expiated them by consecration--to the end, that the devil
+     might receive a greater affront from employing, in honor of
+     Jesus Christ, that which his enemy had destined for his own
+     service."[409:3]
+
+Clarke, in his "Evidences of Revealed Religion," says:
+
+     "Some of the ancient writers of the church have not scrupled
+     expressly to call the Athenian _Socrates_, and some others of
+     the best of the _heathen moralists_, by the name of
+     _Christians_, and to affirm, as the law was as it were a
+     schoolmaster, to bring the Jews unto Christ, so true moral
+     philosophy was to the Gentiles a preparative to receive the
+     gospel."[409:4]
+
+Clemens Alexandrinus says:
+
+     "Those who lived according to the _Logos_ were really
+     _Christians_, though they have been thought to be atheists; as
+     Socrates and Heraclitus were among the Greeks, and such as
+     resembled them."[409:5]
+
+And St. Augustine says:
+
+     "_That_, in our times, is the _Christian religion_, which to
+     know and follow is the most sure and certain health, called
+     according to that name, but not according to the thing
+     itself, of which it is the name; for the thing itself which is
+     now called the _Christian religion_, really was known to the
+     ancients, nor was wanting at any time from the beginning of
+     the human race, until the time when Christ came in the flesh,
+     from whence the true religion, _which had previously existed_,
+     began to be called _Christian_; and this in our days is the
+     Christian religion, not as having been wanting in former
+     times, but as having in later times received this
+     name."[410:1]
+
+Eusebius, the great champion of Christianity, admits that that which is
+called the Christian religion, is neither new nor strange, but--if it be
+lawful to testify the truth--was known to the _ancients_.[410:2]
+
+How the common people were Christianized, we gather from a remarkable
+passage which Mosheim, the ecclesiastical historian, has preserved for
+us, in the life of Gregory, surnamed "_Thaumaturgus_," that is, "the
+wonder worker." The passage is as follows:
+
+     "When Gregory perceived that the simple and unskilled
+     multitude persisted in their worship of images, on account of
+     the pleasures and sensual gratifications which they enjoyed at
+     the Pagan festivals, _he granted them a permission to indulge
+     themselves in the like pleasures_, in celebrating the memory
+     of the holy martyrs, hoping that in process of time, they
+     would return of their own accord, to a more virtuous and
+     regular course of life."[410:3]
+
+The historian remarks that there is no sort of doubt, that by this
+permission, Gregory allowed the Christians to dance, sport, and feast at
+the tombs of the martyrs, upon their respective festivals, and to do
+everything which the Pagans were accustomed to do in their temples,
+during the feasts celebrated in honor of their gods.
+
+The learned Christian advocate, M. Turretin, in describing the state of
+Christianity in the fourth century, has a well-turned rhetoricism, the
+point of which is, that "it was not so much the empire that was brought
+over to the faith, as the faith that was brought over to the empire; not
+the Pagans who were converted to Christianity, but Christianity that was
+converted to Paganism."[410:4]
+
+Edward Gibbon says:
+
+     "It must be confessed that the ministers of the Catholic
+     church imitated the profane model which they were impatient to
+     destroy. The most respectable bishops had persuaded
+     themselves, that the ignorant rusties would more cheerfully
+     renounce the superstitions of Paganism, if they found some
+     resemblance, some compensation, in the bosom of Christianity.
+     The religion of Constantine achieved, in less than a century,
+     the final conquest of the Roman empire: _but the victors
+     themselves were insensibly subdued by the arts of their
+     vanquished rivals_."[411:1]
+
+Faustus, writing to St. Augustine, says:
+
+     "You have substituted your agapae for the sacrifices of the
+     Pagans; for their idols your martyrs, whom you serve with the
+     very same honors. You appease the shades of the dead with wine
+     and feasts; you celebrate the solemn festivities of the
+     _Gentiles_, their calends, and their solstices; and, as to
+     their manners, those you have retained without any alteration.
+     _Nothing distinguishes you from the Pagans, except that you
+     hold your assemblies apart from them._"[411:2]
+
+Ammonius Saccus (a Greek philosopher, founder of the Neo-platonic
+school) taught that:
+
+     "Christianity and Paganism, when rightly understood, differ in
+     no essential points, but had a common origin, _and are really
+     one and the same thing_."[411:3]
+
+Justin explains the thing in the following manner:
+
+     "It having reached the devil's ears that the prophets had
+     foretold that Christ would come . . . he (the devil) set the
+     heathen poets to bring forward a great many who should be
+     called sons of Jove, (_i. e._, "The Sons of God.") The devil
+     laying his scheme in this, to get men to imagine that the
+     _true_ history of Christ was of the same character as the
+     prodigious fables and poetic stories."[411:4]
+
+Caecilius, in the Octavius of Minucius Felix, says:
+
+     "All these fragments of crack-brained opiniatry and silly
+     solaces played off in the sweetness of song by (the) deceitful
+     (Pagan) poets, by you too credulous creatures (_i. e._, the
+     Christians) have been shamefully reformed and made over to
+     your own god."[411:5]
+
+Celsus, the Epicurean philosopher, wrote that:
+
+     "The Christian religion contains nothing but what Christians
+     hold in common with heathens; nothing new, or truly
+     great."[411:6]
+
+This assertion is fully verified by Justin Martyr, in his apology to the
+Emperor Adrian, which is one of the most remarkable admissions ever made
+by a Christian writer. He says:
+
+     "In saying that all things were made in this beautiful order
+     by God, what do we seem to say more than Plato? When we teach
+     a general conflagration, what do we teach more than the
+     Stoics? By opposing the worship of the works of men's hands,
+     we concur with Menander, the comedian; and by declaring the
+     Logos, the first begotten of God, our master Jesus Christ, to
+     be born of a virgin, without any human mixture, to be
+     crucified and dead, and to have rose again, and ascended into
+     heaven: _we say no more in this, than what you say of those
+     whom you style the Sons of Jove_. For you need not be told
+     what a parcel of sons, the writers most in vogue among you,
+     assign to Jove; there's Mercury, Jove's interpreter, in
+     imitation of the Logos, in worship among you. There's
+     AEsculapius, the physician, smitten by a thunderbolt, and after
+     that ascending into heaven. There's Bacchus, torn to pieces;
+     and Hercules, burnt to get rid of his pains. There's Pollux
+     and Castor, the sons of Jove by Leda, and Perseus by Danae;
+     and not to mention others, I would fain know why you always
+     deify the departed emperors and have a fellow at hand to make
+     affidavit that he saw Caesar mount to heaven from the funeral
+     pile?
+
+     "As to the son of God, called Jesus, should we allow him to be
+     nothing more than man, yet the title of the son of God is very
+     justifiable, upon the account of his wisdom, considering that
+     you have your Mercury in worship, under the title of the Word
+     and Messenger of God.
+
+     "_As to the objection of our Jesus's being crucified_, I say,
+     that suffering was common to all the forementioned sons of
+     Jove, but only they suffered another kind of death. As to his
+     being born of a virgin, you have your Perseus to balance that.
+     As to his curing the lame, and the paralytic, and such as were
+     cripples from birth, this is little more than what you say of
+     your AEsculapius."[412:1]
+
+The most celebrated Fathers of the Christian church, the most frequently
+quoted, and those whose names stand the highest were nothing more nor
+less than Pagans, being born and educated Pagans. Pantaenus (A. D. 193)
+was one of these half-Pagan, half-Christian, Fathers. He at one time
+presided in the school of the faithful in _Alexandria_ in Egypt, and was
+celebrated on account of his learning. He was brought up in the Stoic
+philosophy.[412:2]
+
+Clemens Alexandrinus (A. D. 194) or St. Clement of Alexandria, was
+another Christian Father of the same sort, being originally a Pagan. He
+succeeded Pantaenus as president of the _monkish_ university at
+Alexandria. His works are very extensive, and his authority very high in
+the church.[412:3]
+
+Tertullian (A. D. 200) may next be mentioned. He also was originally a
+Pagan, and at one time Presbyter of the Christian church of Carthage, in
+Africa. The following is a specimen of his manner of reasoning on the
+evidences of Christianity. He says:
+
+     "I find no other means to prove myself to be impudent with
+     success, and happily a fool, than by my contempt of shame; as,
+     for instance--I maintain that the Son of God was born; why am
+     I not ashamed of maintaining such a thing? Why! but because it
+     is itself a shameful thing. I maintain that the Son of God
+     died: well, that is wholly credible because it is monstrously
+     absurd. I maintain that after having been buried, he rose
+     again: and that I take to be absolutely true, because it was
+     manifestly impossible."[412:4]
+
+Origen (A. D. 230), one of the shining lights of the Christian church,
+was another Father of this class. Porphyry (a Neo-platonist philosopher)
+objects to him on this account.[413:1]
+
+He also was born in the great cradle and nursery of
+superstition--Egypt--and studied under that celebrated philosopher,
+Ammonius Saccus, who taught that "Christianity and Paganism, when
+rightly understood, differed in no essential point, but had a common
+origin." This man was so sincere in his devotion to the cause of
+monkery, or Essenism, that he made himself an eunuch "for the kingdom of
+heaven's sake."[413:2] The writer of the twelfth verse of the nineteenth
+chapter of Matthew, was without doubt an Egyptian monk. The words are
+put into the mouth of the _Jewish_ Jesus, which is simply ridiculous,
+when it is considered that the Jews did not allow an eunuch so much as
+to enter the congregation of the Lord.[413:3]
+
+St. Gregory (A. D. 240), bishop of Neo-Caesarea in Pontus, was another
+celebrated Christian Father, born of Pagan parents and educated a Pagan.
+He is called Thaumaturgus, or the wonder-worker, and is said to have
+performed miracles when still a Pagan.[413:4] He, too, was an
+Alexandrian student. This is the Gregory who was commended by his
+namesake of Nyssa for changing the Pagan festivals into Christian
+holidays, the better to draw the heathen to the religion of
+Christ.[413:5]
+
+Mosheim, the ecclesiastical historian, in speaking of the Christian
+church during the second century, says:
+
+     "The profound respect that was paid to the Greek and Roman
+     _mysteries_, and the extraordinary sanctity that was
+     attributed to them, induced the Christians to give their
+     religion a _mystic_ air, in order to put it upon an equal
+     footing, in point of dignity, with that of the Pagans. For
+     this purpose they gave the name of _mysteries_ to the
+     institutions of the gospel, and decorated, particularly the
+     holy sacrament, with that solemn title. They used, in that
+     sacred institution, as also in that of baptism, several of the
+     terms employed in the heathen mysteries, and proceeded so far
+     at length, as even to adopt some of the rites and ceremonies
+     of which those renowned mysteries consisted."[413:6]
+
+We have seen, then, that the only difference between Christianity and
+Paganism is that Brahma, Ormuzd, Osiris, Zeus, Jupiter, etc., are called
+by another name; Crishna, Buddha, Bacchus, Adonis, Mithras, etc., have
+been turned into Christ Jesus: Venus' pigeon into the Holy Ghost; Diana,
+Isis, Devaki, etc., into the Virgin Mary; and the demi-gods and heroes
+into saints. The exploits of the one were represented as the miracles of
+the other. Pagan festivals became Christian holidays, and Pagan temples
+became Christian churches.
+
+Mr. Mahaffy, Fellow and Tutor in Trinity College, and Lecturer on
+Ancient History in the University of Dublin, ends his "Prolegomena to
+Ancient History" in the following manner:
+
+     "There is indeed, hardly a great or fruitful idea in the
+     Jewish or Christian systems, which has not its analogy in the
+     (ancient) Egyptian faith. The development of the one God into
+     a _trinity_; the incarnation of the mediating deity in a
+     Virgin, and without a father; his conflict and his momentary
+     defeat by the powers of darkness; his partial victory (for the
+     enemy is not destroyed); his resurrection and reign over an
+     eternal kingdom with his justified saints; his distinction
+     from, and yet identity with, the uncreate incomprehensible
+     Father, whose form is unknown, and who dwelleth not in temples
+     made with hands--_all these theological conceptions pervade
+     the oldest religion of Egypt_. So, too, the contrast and even
+     the apparent inconsistencies between our moral and theological
+     beliefs--the vacillating attribution of sin and guilt partly
+     to moral weakness, partly to the interference of evil spirits,
+     and likewise of righteousness to moral worth, and again to the
+     help of good genii or angels; the immortality of the soul and
+     its final judgment--_all these things have met us in the
+     Egyptian ritual and moral treatises_. So, too, the purely
+     human side of morals, and the catalogue of virtues and vices,
+     are by natural consequences as like as are the theological
+     systems. _But I recoil from opening this great subject now; it
+     is enough to have lifted the veil and shown the scene of many
+     a future contest._"[414:1]
+
+In regard to the _moral sentiments_ expressed in the books of the New
+Testament, and believed by the majority of Christians to be peculiar to
+Christianity, we shall touch them but lightly, as this has already been
+done so frequently by many able scholars.
+
+The moral doctrines that appear in the New Testament, even the sayings
+of the Sermon on the Mount and the Lord's Prayer, are found with slight
+variation, among the Rabbins, who have certainly borrowed nothing out of
+the New Testament.
+
+Christian teachers have delighted to exhibit the essential superiority
+of Christianity to Judaism, have quoted with triumph the maxims that are
+said to have fallen from the lips of Jesus, and which, they surmised,
+could not be paralleled in the elder Scriptures, and have put the least
+favorable construction on such passages in the ancient books as seemed
+to contain the thoughts of evangelists and apostles. A more ingenious
+study of the Hebrew law, according to the oldest traditions, as well as
+its later interpretations by the prophets, reduces these differences
+materially by bringing into relief sentiments and precepts whereof the
+New Testament morality is but an echo.
+
+There are passages in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, even tenderer in
+their humanity than anything in the Gospels. The preacher from the
+Mount, the prophet of the Beatitudes, does but repeat with persuasive
+lips what the law-givers of his race proclaimed in mighty tones of
+command. Such an acquaintance with the later literature of the Jews as
+is really obtained now from popular sources, will convince the
+ordinarily fair mind that the originality of the New Testament has been
+greatly over-estimated.
+
+     "To feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the
+     naked, bury the dead, loyally serve the king, forms the first
+     duty of a pious man and faithful subject,"
+
+is an abstract from the Egyptian "Book of the Dead," the oldest Bible in
+the world.
+
+Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, born 551 B. C., said:
+
+     "Obey Heaven, and follow the orders of Him who governs it.
+     _Love your neighbor as yourself._ Do to another what you would
+     he should do unto you; and do not unto another what you would
+     should not be done unto you; thou only needest this law alone,
+     it is the foundation and principle of all the rest.
+     Acknowledge thy benefits by the return of other benefits, _but
+     never revenge injuries_."[415:1]
+
+The following extracts from Manu and the _Maha-bharata_, an Indian epic
+poem, written many centuries before the time of Christ Jesus,[415:2]
+compared with similar sentiment contained in the books of the New
+Testament, are very striking.
+
+"An evil-minded man is quick to see his neighbor's faults, though small
+as mustard-seed; but when he turns his eyes towards his own, though
+large as Bilva fruit, he none descries." (Maha-bharata.)
+
+     "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye,
+     but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Matt.
+     vii. 3.)
+
+"Conquer a man who never gives by gifts; subdue untruthful men by
+truthfulness; vanquish an angry man by gentleness; and overcome the evil
+man by goodness." (Ibid.)
+
+     "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
+     (Romans, xii. 21.)
+
+"To injure none by thought or word or deed, to give to others, and be
+kind to all--this is the constant duty of the good. High-minded men
+delight in doing good, without a thought of their own interest; when
+they confer a benefit on others, they reckon not on favors in return."
+(Ibid.)
+
+     "Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing
+     again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the
+     children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful
+     and to the evil." (Luke, vii. 35.)
+
+"Two persons will hereafter be exalted above the heavens--the man with
+boundless power, who yet forbears to use it indiscreetly, and he who is
+not rich, and yet can give." (Ibid.)
+
+"Just heaven is not so pleased with costly gifts, offered in hope of
+future recompense, as with the merest trifle set apart from honest
+gains, and sanctified by faith." (Ibid.)
+
+     "And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how
+     people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich
+     cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she
+     threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto
+     him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you,
+     that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which
+     have cast into the treasury: For all _they_ did cast in of
+     their abundance, but she of her want did cast all that she
+     had, even all her living." (Mark, xii. 41-44.)
+
+"To curb the tongue and moderate the speech, is held to be the hardest
+of all tasks. The words of him who talk too volubly have neither
+substance nor variety." (Ibid.)
+
+     "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of
+     deadly poison." (James, iii. 8.)
+
+"Even to foes who visit us as guests due hospitality should be
+displayed; the tree screens with its leaves, the man who fells it."
+(Ibid.)
+
+     "Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst,
+     give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire
+     on his head." (Rom. xii. 20.)
+
+"In granting or refusing a request, a man obtains a proper rule of
+action by looking on his neighbor as himself." (Ibid.)
+
+     "Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt. xxii. 39.)
+
+     "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them
+     likewise." (Luke vi. 31.)
+
+"Before infirmities creep o'er thy flesh; before decay impairs thy
+strength and mars the beauty of thy limbs; before the Ender, whose
+charioteer is sickness, hastes towards thee, breaks up thy fragile frame
+and ends thy life, lay up the only treasure: Do good deeds; practice
+sobriety and self-control; amass that wealth which thieves cannot
+abstract, nor tyrants seize, which follows thee at death, which never
+wastes away, nor is corrupted." (Ibid.)
+
+     "Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the
+     evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt
+     say: I have no pleasure in them." (Ecc. xii. 1.)
+
+     "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth
+     and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
+     steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
+     neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
+     break through and steal." (Matt. vi. 19-20.)
+
+"This is the sum of all true righteousness--Treat others as thou wouldst
+thyself be treated. Do nothing to thy neighbor, which hereafter thou
+would'st not have thy neighbor do to thee. In causing pleasure, or in
+giving pain, in doing good or injury to others, in granting or refusing
+a request, a man obtains a proper rule of action by looking on his
+neighbor as himself." (Ibid.)
+
+     "Ye have heard that it hath been said: Thou shall love thy
+     neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your
+     enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
+     you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
+     persecute you." (Matt. v. 43-44.)
+
+     "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another:
+     as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John,
+     xii. 34.)
+
+     "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt, xi 39.)
+
+     "Think constantly, O Son, how thou mayest please
+      Thy father, mother, teacher,--these obey.
+      By deep devotion seek thy debt to pay.
+      This is thy highest duty and religion."
+
+                                                     (Manu.)
+
+     "Wound not another, though by him provoked.
+      Do no one injury by thought or deed.
+      Utter no word to pain thy fellow-creatures."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "Treat no one with disdain, with patience bear
+      Reviling language; with an angry man
+      Be never angry; blessings give for curses."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "E'en as a driver checks his restive steeds,
+      Do thou, if thou art wise, restrain thy passions,
+      Which, running wild, will hurry thee away."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "Pride not thyself on thy religious works.
+      Give to the poor, but talk not of thy gifts.
+      By pride religious merit melts away,
+      The merit of thy alms by ostentation."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "Good words, good deeds, and beautiful expressions
+      A wise man ever culls from every quarter,
+      E'en as a gleaner gathers ears of corn."
+
+                                             (Maha-bharata.)
+
+     "Repeated sin destroys the understanding,
+      And he whose reason is impaired, repeats
+      His sins. The constant practice of virtue
+      Strengthens the mental faculties, and he
+      Whose judgment stronger grows, acts always right."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "If thou art wise seek ease and happiness
+      In deeds of virtue and of usefulness;
+      And ever act in such a way by day
+      That in the night thy sleep may tranquil be;
+      And so comport thyself when thou art young
+      That when thou art grown old, thy age may pass
+      In calm serenity. So ply thy talk
+      Through thy life, that when thy days are ended,
+      Thou may'st enjoy eternal bliss hereafter."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "Do naught to others which if done to thee
+      Would cause thee pain; this is the sum of duty."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "No sacred lore can save the hypocrite,--
+      Though he employ it craftily,--from hell;
+      When his end comes, his pious texts take wings,
+      Like fledglings eager to forsake their nest."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "Iniquity once practiced, like a seed,
+      Fails not to yield its fruit to him who wrought it,
+      If not to him, yet to his sons and grandsons."
+
+                                                     (Manu.)
+
+     "Single is every living creature born,
+      Single he passes to another world.
+      Single he eats the fruit of evil deeds,
+      Single, the fruit of good; and when he leaves
+      His body like a log or heap of clay
+      Upon the ground, his kinsmen walk away;
+      Virtue alone stands by him at the tomb,
+      And bears him through the dreary, trackless gloom."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "Thou canst not gather what thou dost not sow;
+      As thou dost plant the tree so will it grow."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+     "He who pretends to be what he is not,
+      Acts a part, commits the worst of crimes,
+      For, thief-like, he abstracts a good man's heart."
+
+                                                     (Ibid.)
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[384:1] "Before the separation of the Aryan race, before the existence
+of Sanscrit, Greek, or Latin, before the gods of the Veda had been
+worshiped, ONE SUPREME DEITY had been found, had been named, and had
+been invoked by the ancestors of our race." (Prof. Max Mueller: The
+Science of Religion, p. 67.)
+
+[384:2] See Chap. XII. and Chap. XX., for Only-begotten Sons.
+
+[384:3] See Chap. XII. and Chap. XXXII., where we have shown that many
+other virgin-born gods were conceived by the Holy Ghost, and that the
+name MARY is the same as Maia, Maya, Myrra, &c.
+
+[384:4] See Chap. XX., for Crucified Saviours.
+
+[385:1] See Chap. XXII.
+
+[385:2] See Chaps. XXII. and XXXIX., for Resurrected Saviours.
+
+[385:3] See Ibid.
+
+[385:4] See Chap. XXIV., and Chap. XXV.
+
+[385:5] See Chap. XII., and Chap. XXXV.
+
+[385:6] That is, the holy _true_ Church. All peoples who have had a
+religion believe that _theirs_ was the _Catholic_ faith.
+
+[385:7] There was no nation of antiquity who did not believe in "the
+forgiveness of sins," especially if some innocent creature _redeemed_
+them by the shedding of his blood (see Chap. IV., and Chap. XX.), and as
+far as _confession_ of sins is concerned, and thereby being forgiven,
+this too is almost as old as humanity. Father Acosta found it even among
+the Mexicans, and said that "the father of lies (the Devil)
+counterfeited the sacrament of confession, so that he might be honored
+with ceremonies very like the Christians." (See Acosta, vol. ii. p.
+360.)
+
+[385:8] "No doctrine except that of a supreme and subtly-pervading
+deity, is so extended, and has retained its primitive form so
+distinctly, _as a belief in immortality_, and a future state of rewards
+and punishments. Among the most savage races, the idea of a future
+existence in a place of delight is found." (Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie.)
+
+"Go back far as we may in the history of the Indo-European race, of
+which the Greeks and Italians are branches, and we do not find that this
+race has ever thought that after this short life all was finished for
+man. The most ancient generations, long before there were philosophers,
+believed in a second existence after the present. They looked upon death
+not as a dissolution of our being, but simply as a change of life." (M.
+De Coulanges: The Ancient City, p. 15.)
+
+[385:9] For full information on this subject see Archbishop Wake's
+Apostolic Fathers, p. 108, Justice Bailey's Common Prayer, Taylor's
+Diegesis, p. 10, and Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Creeds."
+
+[386:1] Rev. xi. 7-9.
+
+[386:2] S. Baring-Gould: Legends of Patriarchs, p. 25.
+
+[386:3] II. Peter, ii. 4.
+
+[386:4] Jude, 6.
+
+[386:5] S. Baring-Gould: Legends of Patriarchs, p. 16.
+
+[387:1] S. Baring-Gould: Legends of Patriarchs, p. 17.
+
+[387:2] Indian Wisdom, p. 39.
+
+[387:3] See Renouf's Hibbert Lectures, p. 165. Dupuis: Origin of Relig.
+Beliefs, p. 73, and Baring-Gould's Legends of the Prophets, p. 19.
+
+[387:4] S. Baring-Gould's Legends of Patriarchs, p. 19.
+
+[388:1] Priestley, p. 35.
+
+[388:2] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 411.
+
+[388:3] See Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 819. Taylor's Diegesis,
+p. 215, and Dupuis: Origin of Relig. Beliefs, p. 78.
+
+[388:4] See Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 31.
+
+[388:5] S. Baring-Gould's Legends of Patriarchs, p. 20.
+
+[388:6] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 159, and Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i.
+
+[389:1] This subject is most fully entered into by Mr. Herbert Spencer,
+in vol. i. of "Principles of Sociology."
+
+[390:1] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 426.
+
+[391:1] See Appendix C.
+
+[391:2] See Fiske, pp. 104-107.
+
+[392:1] Williams' Hinduism, pp. 182, 183.
+
+[392:2] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 216.
+
+[392:3] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 111.
+
+[392:4] See Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 466.
+
+[392:5] Williams' Hinduism, p. 184.
+
+[393:1] "The _Seventh_ day was sacred to _Saturn_ throughout the East."
+(Dunlap's Spirit Hist., pp. 35, 36.)
+
+"Saturn's day was made sacred to God, and the planet is now called
+cochab shabbath, 'The Sabbath Star.'
+
+"The sanctification of the Sabbath is clearly connected with the word
+Shabua or Sheba, _i. e._, _seven_." (Inman's Anct. Faiths, vol. ii. p.
+504.) "The Babylonians, Egyptians, Chinese, and the natives of India,
+were acquainted with the _seven_ days' division of time, as were the
+ancient Druids." (Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 412.) "With the
+Egyptians the _Seventh_ day was consecrated to God the Father." (Ibid.)
+"Hesiod, Herodotus, Philostratus, &c., mention that day. Homer,
+Callimachus, and other ancient writers call the _Seventh_ day the _Holy
+One_. Eusebius confesses its observance by almost all philosophers and
+poets." (Ibid.)
+
+[393:2] Ibid.
+
+[393:3] Ibid. p. 413.
+
+[393:4] Pococke Specimen: Hist. Arab., p. 97. Quoted in Dunlap's Spirit
+Hist., p. 274. "Some of the families of the Israelites worshiped
+_Saturn_ under the name of Kiwan, which may have given rise to the
+religious observance of the Seventh day." (Bible for Learners, vol. i,
+p. 317.)
+
+[393:5] Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 283.
+
+[393:6] Mover's Phoenizier, vol. i. p. 313. Quoted in Dunlap's Spirit
+Hist., p. 36.
+
+[393:7] Assyrian Discoveries.
+
+[393:8] Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 92.
+
+[393:9] Old Norse, _Odinsdagr_; Swe. and Danish, _Onsdag_; Ang. Sax.,
+_Wodensdeg_; Dutch, _Woensdag_; Eng., _Wednesday_.
+
+[395:1] Rev. M. J. Savage.
+
+[395:2] Acts, xv. 20.
+
+[396:1] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 182.
+
+[396:2] See Eusebius' Life of Constantine, lib. iv. chs. xviii. and
+xxiii.
+
+[396:3] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 237.
+
+[396:4] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 187, and Gibbon's Rome, vol.
+iii. pp. 142, 143.
+
+[396:5] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 236, and Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. pp.
+142, 143.
+
+[396:6] Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 137.
+
+[396:7] Ibid. p. 307.
+
+[397:1] Gruter's Inscriptions. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 237.
+
+[397:2] Boldonius' Epigraphs. Quoted in Ibid.
+
+[397:3] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 237. Taylor's Diegesis, p. 48,
+and Middleton's Letters from Rome.
+
+[397:4] Baring-Gould's Curious Myths, p. 428.
+
+[398:1] Mosheim, Cent. ii. p. 202. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 48.
+
+[398:2] Draper: Religion and Science, pp. 48, 49.
+
+[398:3] Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 84.
+
+[399:1] See Higgins' Anacalypsis.
+
+[399:2] Jones on the Canon, vol. i. p. 11. Diegesis, p. 49.
+
+[399:3] Compare "Apollo among the Muses," and "The Vine and its
+Branches" (that is, Christ Jesus and his Disciples), in Lundy's
+_Monumental Christianity_, pp. 141-143. As Mr. Lundy says, there is so
+striking a resemblance between the two, that one looks very much like a
+copy of the other. Apollo is also represented as the "_Good Shepherd_,"
+with a lamb upon his back, just exactly as Christ Jesus is represented
+in Christian Art. (See Lundy's Monumental Christianity, and Jameson's
+Hist. of Our Lord in Art.)
+
+[399:4] The Roman god Jonas, or Janus, with his keys, was changed into
+Peter, who was surnamed Bar-Jonas. Many years ago a statue of the god
+Janus, in bronze, being found in Rome, he was perched up in St. Peter's
+with his keys in his hand: the very identical god, in all his native
+ugliness. This statue sits as St. Peter, under the cupola of the church
+of St. Peter. It is looked upon with the most profound veneration: the
+toes are nearly kissed away by devotees.
+
+[400:1] Frothingham: The Cradle of the Christ, p. 179.
+
+[400:2] See Hardy's Eastern Monachism.
+
+[400:3] The "_Grand Lama_" is the head of a priestly order in Thibet and
+Tartar. The office is not hereditary, but, like the Pope of Rome, he is
+elected by the priests. (Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 203. See
+also, Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. pp. 32-34.)
+
+[400:4] See Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 233, Inman's Ancient
+Faiths, vol. ii. p. 203, and Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 211.
+
+[401:1] Davis: Hist. China, vol. ii. pp. 105, 106.
+
+[401:2] Gutzlaff's Voyages, p. 309.
+
+[402:1] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 34.
+
+[402:2] See Hallam's Middle Ages.
+
+[403:1] Huc's Travels, vol. i. p. 329.
+
+[403:2] See Hardy's Eastern Monachism, p. 163.
+
+[403:3] Ibid.
+
+[403:4] Ibid.
+
+[403:5] "Vestal Virgins," an order of virgins consecrated to the goddess
+Vesta.
+
+[403:6] Hardy: Eastern Monachism, p. 163.
+
+[403:7] Ibid. p. 48.
+
+[403:8] See Herodotus, b. ii. ch. 36.
+
+[403:9] Dunlap: Son of the Man, p. x.
+
+[403:10] Acosta, vol. ii. p. 324.
+
+[404:1] Acosta, vol. ii. p. 330.
+
+[404:2] Ibid. p. 336.
+
+[404:3] Ibid. p. 338.
+
+[404:4] Ibid. pp. 332, 333.
+
+[404:5] Ibid. p. 337.
+
+[405:1] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 241.
+
+[405:2] See Lardner's Works, vol. viii. pp. 375, 376.
+
+[405:3] See Chap. XXXIII.
+
+[405:4] Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 127.
+
+[406:1] Renouf: Hibbert Lectures, p. 191.
+
+[406:2] Renan: Hibbert Lectures, p. 32.
+
+[406:3] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 232.
+
+[406:4] "At their entrance, purifying themselves by washing their hands
+in _holy water_, they were at the same time admonished to present
+themselves with pure minds, without which the external cleanness of the
+body would by no means be accepted." (Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 282.)
+
+[406:5] See Williams' Hinduism, p. 99.
+
+[406:6] See Renan's Hibbert Lectures, p. 35.
+
+[407:1] Edward Gibbon: Decline and Fall, vol. iii. p. 161.
+
+[408:1] Draper: Science and Religion, pp. 46-49.
+
+[409:1] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 237.
+
+[409:2] Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 249. See also, Eusebius: Eccl.
+Hist., book iv. ch. xxvi. who alludes to it.
+
+[409:3] Baronius' Annals, An. 36.
+
+[409:4] Quoted by Rev. R. Taylor, Diegesis p. 41.
+
+[409:5] Strom. bk. i. ch. xix.
+
+[410:1] "Es est nostris temporibus Christiana religio, quam cognoscere
+ac sequi securissima et certissima salus est: secundum hoc nomen dictum
+est non secundum ipsam rem cujus hoc nomen est: nam res ipsa quae nunc
+Christiana religio nuncupatur erat et apud antiquos, nec defuit ab
+initio generis humani, quousque ipse Christus veniret in carne, unde
+vera religio quae jam erat caepit appellari Christiana. Haec est nostris
+temporibus Christiana religio, non quia prioribus temporibus non fuit,
+sed quia posterioribus hoc nomen accepit." (Opera Augustini, vol. i. p.
+12. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 42.)
+
+[410:2] See Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2, ch. v.
+
+[410:3] "Cum animadvertisset Gregorius quod ob corporeas delectationes
+et voluptates, simplex et imperitum vulgus in simulacrorum cultus errore
+permaneret--permisit eis, ut in memoriam et recordationem sanctorum
+martyrum sese oblectarent, et in laetitiam effunderentur, quod successu
+temporis aliquando futurum esset, ut sua sponte, ad honestiorem et
+accuratiorem vitae rationem, transirent." (Mosheim, vol. i. cent. 2, p.
+202.)
+
+[410:4] "Non imperio ad fidem adducto, sed et imperii pompa ecclesiam
+inficiente. Non ethnicis ad Christum conversis, sed et Christi religione
+ad Ethnicae formam depravata." (Orat. Academ. De Variis Christ. Rel.
+fatis.)
+
+[411:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 163.
+
+[411:2] Quoted by Draper: Science and Religion, p. 48.
+
+[411:3] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 329.
+
+[411:4] Justin: Apol. 1, ch. lix.
+
+[411:5] Octavius, ch. xi.
+
+[411:6] See Origen: Contra Celsus.
+
+[412:1] Apol. 1, ch. xx, xii, xxii.
+
+[412:2] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 323.
+
+[412:3] See Ibid. p. 324.
+
+[412:4] On the Flesh of Christ, ch. v.
+
+[413:1] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 328.
+
+[413:2] Matt. xix. 12.
+
+[413:3] Deut. xxiii. 1.
+
+[413:4] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 339.
+
+[413:5] See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 236; Mosheim, vol. i.
+cent. 2, pt. 2, ch. 4.
+
+[413:6] Eccl. Hist. vol. 1. p. 199.
+
+[414:1] Prolegomena to Ancient History, pp. 416, 417.
+
+[415:1] Tindal: Christianity as Old as the Creation.
+
+[415:2] Manu's works were written during the _sixth_ century B. C. (see
+Williams' Indian Wisdom, p. 215), and the Maha-bharata about the same
+time.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVII.
+
+WHY CHRISTIANITY PROSPERED.
+
+
+We now come to the question, Why did Christianity prosper, and why was
+Jesus of Nazareth believed to be a divine incarnation and Saviour?
+
+There were many causes for this, but as we can devote but one chapter to
+the subject, we must necessarily treat it briefly.
+
+For many centuries before the time of Christ Jesus there lived a sect of
+religious monks known as _Essenes_, or _Therapeutae_;[419:1] _these
+entirely disappeared from history shortly after the time assigned for
+the crucifixion of Jesus_. There were thousands of them, and their
+_monasteries_ were to be counted by the score. Many have asked the
+question, "What became of them?" We now propose to show, 1. That they
+were expecting the advent of an _Angel-Messiah_; 2. That they considered
+Jesus of Nazareth to be _the_ Messiah; 3. That they came over to
+Christianity in a body; and, 4. That they brought the legendary
+histories of the former Angel-Messiahs with them.
+
+The origin of the sect known as _Essenes_ is enveloped in mist, and will
+probably never be revealed. To speak of all the different ideas
+entertained as to their origin would make a volume of itself, we can
+therefore but glance at the subject. It has been the object of Christian
+writers up to a comparatively recent date, to claim that almost
+everything originated with God's chosen people, the _Jews_, and that
+even all languages can be traced to the _Hebrew_. Under these
+circumstances, then, it is not to be wondered at that we find they have
+also traced the Essenes to Hebrew origin.
+
+Theophilus Gale, who wrote a work called "The Court of the Gentiles"
+(Oxford, 1671), to demonstrate that "the origin of _all human
+literature_, both philology and philosophy, is from the Scriptures and
+the Jewish church," undoubtedly hits upon the truth when he says:
+
+     "Now, the origination or rise of these Essenes (among the
+     Jews) I conceive by the best conjectures I can make from
+     antiquity, _to be in or immediately after the Babylonian
+     captivity_, though some make them later."
+
+Some Christian writers trace them to Moses or some of the prophets, but
+that they originated in _India_, and were a sort of Buddhist sect, we
+believe is their true history.
+
+Gfroerer, who wrote concerning them in 1835, and said that "_the Essenes
+and the Therapeutae are the same sect, and hold the same views_," was
+undoubtedly another writer who was touching upon historical ground.
+
+The identity of many of the precepts and practices of _Essenism_ and
+those of the _New Testament_ is unquestionable. Essenism urged on its
+disciples to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.[420:1]
+The Essenes forbade the laying up of treasures upon earth.[420:2] The
+Essenes demanded of those who wished to join them to sell all their
+possessions, and to divide it among the poor brethren.[420:3] The
+Essenes had all things in common, and appointed one of the brethren as
+steward to manage the common bag.[420:4] Essenism put all its members on
+the same level, forbidding the exercise of authority of one over the
+other, and enjoining mutual service.[420:5] Essenism commanded its
+disciples to call no man master upon the earth.[420:6] Essenism laid the
+greatest stress upon being meek and lowly in spirit.[420:7] The Essenes
+commended the poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst after
+righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemaker. They
+combined the healing of the body with that of the soul. They declared
+that the power to cast out evil spirits, to perform miraculous cures,
+&c., should be possessed by their disciples as signs of their
+belief.[420:8] The Essenes did not swear at all; their answer was yea,
+yea, and nay, nay.[420:9] When the Essenes started on a mission of
+mercy, they provided neither gold nor silver, neither two coats, neither
+shoes, but relied on hospitality for support.[420:10] The Essenes,
+though repudiating offensive war, yet took weapons with them when they
+went on a perilous journey.[421:1] The Essenes abstained from connubial
+intercourse.[421:2] The Essenes did not offer animal sacrifices, but
+strove to present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable
+unto God, which they regarded as a reasonable service.[421:3] It was the
+great aim of the Essenes to live such a life of purity and holiness as
+to be the temples of the Holy Spirit, and to be able to prophesy.[421:4]
+
+Many other comparisons might be made, but these are sufficient to show
+that there is a great similarity between the two.[421:5] These
+similarities have led many Christian writers to believe that Jesus
+belonged to this order. Dr. Ginsburg, an advocate of this theory, says:
+
+     "It will hardly be doubted that _our_ Saviour himself belonged
+     to this holy brotherhood. This will especially be apparent
+     when we remember that the whole Jewish community, at the
+     advent of Christ, was divided into three parties, the
+     Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes, and that every Jew
+     had to belong to one of these sects. Jesus, who, in all
+     things, conformed to the Jewish law, and who was holy,
+     harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, would
+     therefore naturally associate himself with that order of
+     Judaism which was most congenial to his holy nature. Moreover,
+     the fact that Christ, with the exception of once, was not
+     heard of in public until his thirtieth year, implying that he
+     lived in seclusion with this fraternity, and that though he
+     frequently rebuked the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees, he
+     never denounced the Essenes, strongly confirms this
+     conclusion."[421:6]
+
+The _facts_--as Dr. Ginsburg calls them--which confirm his conclusions,
+are simply _no facts at all_. Jesus may or may not have been a member of
+this order; but when it is stated as a fact that he never rebuked the
+Essenes, it is implying too much. We know not whether the words _said to
+have been_ uttered by Jesus were ever uttered by him or not, and it is
+almost certain that _had he_ rebuked the Essenes, and had his words been
+written in the Gospels, _they would not remain there long_. We hear very
+little of the Essenes after A. D. 40,[421:7] therefore, when we read of
+the "_primitive Christians_," we are reading of _Essenes_, and others.
+
+The statement that, with the exception of once, Jesus was not heard in
+public life till his _thirtieth_ year, is also uncertain. One of the
+early Christian Fathers (Irenaeus) tells us that he did not begin to
+teach until he was _forty_ years of age, or thereabout, and that he
+lived to be nearly _fifty_ years old.[422:1] "_The records of his life
+are very scanty; and these have been so shaped and colored and modified
+by the hands of ignorance and superstition and party prejudice and
+ecclesiastical purpose, that it is hard to be sure of the original
+outlines._"
+
+The similarity of the sentiments of the Essenes, or Therapeutae, to those
+of the Church of Rome, induced the learned Jesuit, Nicolaus Serarius, to
+seek for them an honorable origin. He contended therefore, that they
+were Asideans, and derived them from the Rechabites, described so
+circumstantially in the thirty-fifth chapter of Jeremiah; at the same
+time, he asserted that the first Christian monks were Essenes.[422:2]
+
+Mr. King, speaking of the _Christian_ sect called Gnostics, says:
+
+     "Their chief doctrines had been held for centuries before
+     (their time) in many of the cities of Asia Minor. There, it is
+     probable, they first came into existence as 'Mystae,' _upon the
+     establishment of a direct intercourse with India under the
+     Seleucidae and the Ptolemies_. The colleges of _Essenes_ and
+     Megabyzae at Ephesus, the Orphics of Thrace, the Curetes of
+     Crete, _are all merely branches of one antique and common
+     religion, and that originally Asiatic_."[422:3]
+
+Again:
+
+     "The introduction of _Buddhism_ into Egypt and Palestine
+     _affords the only true solution of innumerable difficulties in
+     the history of religion_."[422:4]
+
+Again:
+
+     "That Buddhism had actually been planted in the dominions of
+     the Seleucidae and Ptolemies (Palestine belonging to the
+     former) before the beginning of the third century B. C., is
+     _proved to demonstration_ by a passage in the Edicts of Asoka,
+     grandson of the famous Chandragupta, the Sandracottus of the
+     Greeks. These edicts are engraven on a rock at Girnur, in
+     Guzerat."[422:5]
+
+Eusebius, in quoting from Philo concerning the Essenes, seems to take it
+for granted that _they and the Christians were one and the same_, and
+from the manner in which he writes, it would appear that it was
+generally understood so. He says that Philo called them "Worshipers,"
+and concludes by saying:
+
+     "But whether he himself gave them this name, or whether at the
+     _beginning_ they were so called, _when as yet the name of
+     Christians was not everywhere published_, I think it not
+     needful curiosity to sift out."[422:6]
+
+This celebrated ecclesiastical historian considered it very probable
+that the writings of the Essenic Therapeuts in Egypt had been
+incorporated into the gospels of the New Testament, and into some
+Pauline epistles. His words are:
+
+     "It is very likely that the commentaries (Scriptures) which
+     were among them (the Essenes) were the Gospels, and the works
+     of the apostles, and certain expositions of the ancient
+     prophets, such as partly that epistle unto the Hebrews, and
+     also the other epistles of Paul do contain."[423:1]
+
+The principal doctrines and rites of the Essenes can be connected with
+the _East_, with Parsism, and especially with _Buddhism_. Among the
+doctrines which Essenes and Buddhists had in common was that of the
+_Angel-Messiah_.[423:2]
+
+Godfrey Higgins says:
+
+     "The _Essenes_ were called physicians of the soul, or
+     _Therapeutae_; being resident both in Judea and Egypt, they
+     probably spoke or had their sacred books in Chaldee. They were
+     _Pythagoreans_, as is proved by all their forms, ceremonies,
+     and doctrines, and they called themselves sons of Jesse. If
+     the Pythagoreans or Conobitae, as they are called by Jamblicus,
+     were Buddhists, the Essenes were Buddhists. The Essenes lived
+     in Egypt, on the lake of Parembole or Maria, in _monasteries_.
+     These are the very places in which we formerly found the
+     _Gymnosophists_, or _Samaneans_, or _Buddhist_ priests to have
+     lived; which Gymnosophistae are placed also by Ptolemy in
+     north-eastern India."
+
+     "Their (the Essenes) parishes, churches, bishops, priests,
+     deacons, festivals are all identically the same (as the
+     Christians). They had apostolic founders; the manners which
+     distinguished the immediate apostles of Christ; scriptures
+     divinely inspired; the same allegorical mode of interpreting
+     them, which has since obtained among Christians, and the same
+     order of performing public worship. They had missionary
+     stations or colonies of their community established in Rome,
+     Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Phillippi, Colosse, and
+     Thessalonica, precisely such, and in the same circumstances,
+     as were those to whom St. Paul addressed his letters in those
+     places. All the fine moral doctrines which are attributed to
+     the Samaritan Nazarite, and I doubt not justly attributed to
+     him, are to be found among the doctrines of these
+     ascetics."[423:3]
+
+And Arthur Lillie says:
+
+     "It is asserted by calm thinkers like Dean Mansel that within
+     two generations of the time of Alexander the Great, the
+     missionaries of Buddha made their appearance at
+     _Alexandria_.[423:4] This theory is confirmed--in the east by
+     the Asoka monuments--in the west by Philo. He expressly
+     maintains the identity in creed of the higher Judaism and that
+     of the _Gymnosophists_ of India who abstained from the
+     'sacrifice of living animals'--in a word, the BUDDHISTS. It
+     would follow from this that the priestly religion of
+     Babylonia, Palestine, Egypt, and Greece were undermined by
+     certain kindred mystical societies organized by Buddha's
+     missionaries under the various names of Therapeutes, Essenes,
+     Neo-Pythagoreans, Neo-Zoroastrians, &c. _Thus Buddhism
+     prepared the way for Christianity._"[424:1]
+
+The Buddhists have the "eight-fold holy path" (Dhammapada), eight
+spiritual states leading up to Buddhahood. The first state of the
+Essenes resulted from baptism, and it seems to correspond with the first
+Buddhistic state, those who have entered the (mystic) stream. Patience,
+purity, and the mastery of passion were aimed at by both devotees in the
+other stages. In the last, magical powers, healing the sick, casting
+out evil spirits, etc., were supposed to be gained. Buddhists and
+Essenes seem to have doubled up this eight-fold path into four, for
+some reason or other. Buddhists and Essenes had three orders of
+ascetics or monks, but this classification is distinct from the
+spiritual classifications.[424:2]
+
+The doctrine of the "_Anointed Angel_," of the man from heaven, the
+Creator of the world, the doctrine of the atoning sacrificial death of
+Jesus by the blood of his cross, the doctrine of the Messianic antetype
+of the Paschal lamb of the Paschal omer, and thus of the resurrection of
+Christ Jesus, the third day, according to the Scriptures, these
+doctrines of Paul can, with more or less certainty, be connected with
+the Essenes. It becomes almost a certainty that Eusebius was right in
+surmising that _Essenic writings have been used by Paul and the
+evangelists_. Not Jesus, but Paul, is the cause of the separation of the
+Jews from the Christians.[424:3]
+
+The probability, then, that that sect of vagrant quack-doctors, the
+Therapeutae, who were established in Egypt and its neighborhood many ages
+before the period assigned by later theologians as that of the birth of
+Christ Jesus, were the original fabricators of the writings contained in
+the New Testament, becomes a certainty on the basis of evidence, than
+which history has nothing more certain, furnished by the unguarded, but
+explicit, unwary, but most unqualified and positive statement of the
+historian Eusebius, that "_those ancient Therapeutae were Christians, and
+that their ancient writings were our gospels and epistles_."
+
+The Essenes, the Therapeuts, the Ascetics, the Monks, the Ecclesiastics,
+and the Eclectics, are but different names for one and the self-same
+sect.
+
+The word "_Essene_" is nothing more than the Egyptian word for that of
+which Therapeut is the Greek, each of them signifying "healer" or
+"doctor," and designating the character of the sect as professing to be
+endued with the miraculous gift of healing; and more especially so with
+respect to diseases of the mind.
+
+Their name of "_Ascetics_" indicated the severe discipline and exercise
+of self-mortification, long fastings, prayers, contemplation, and even
+making of themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake, as did
+Origen, Melito, and others who derived their Christianity from the same
+school; Jesus himself is represented to have recognized and approved
+their practice.
+
+Their name of "_Monks_" indicated their delight in solitude, their
+contemplative life, and their entire segregation and abstraction from
+the world, which Jesus, in the Gospel, is in like manner represented as
+describing, as characteristic of the community of which he was a member.
+
+Their name of "_Ecclesiastics_" was of the same sense, and indicated
+their being called out, elected, separated from the general fraternity
+of mankind, and set apart to the more immediate service and honor of
+God.
+
+They had a flourishing university, or corporate body, established upon
+these principles, at Alexandria in Egypt, long before the period
+assigned for the birth of Christ Jesus.[425:1]
+
+From this body they sent out missionaries, and had established colonies,
+auxiliary branches, and affiliated communities, in various cities of
+Asia Minor, which colonies were in a flourishing condition, before the
+preaching of St. Paul.
+
+"_The very ancient and Eastern doctrine of an Angel-Messiah had been
+applied to Gautama-Buddha, and so it was applied to Jesus Christ by the
+Essenes of Egypt and of Palestine, who introduced this new Messianic
+doctrine into Essenic Judaism and Essenic Christianity._"[425:2]
+
+In the Pali and Sanscrit texts the word _Buddha_ is always used as a
+_title_, not as a name. It means "The Enlightened One." Gautama Buddha
+is represented to have taught that he was only one of a long series of
+Buddhas, who appear at intervals in the world, and who all teach the
+same system. After the death of each Buddha his religion flourishes for
+a time, but finally wickedness and vice again rule over the land. Then
+a _new_ Buddha appears, who again preaches the lost _Dharma_ or truth.
+The names of twenty-four of these Buddhas who appeared previous to
+Gautama have been handed down to us. The _Buddhavansa_, or "History of
+the Buddhas," the last book of the _Khuddaka Nikaya_ in the second
+Pitca, gives the lives of all the previous Buddhas before commencing its
+account of Gautama himself; and the Pali commentary on the _Jatakas_
+gives certain details regarding each of the twenty-four.[426:1]
+
+An _Avatar_ was expected about every six hundred years.[426:2] At the
+time of Jesus of Nazareth an Avatar was expected, not by some of the
+Jews alone, but by most every eastern nation.[426:3] Many persons were
+thought at that time to be, and undoubtedly thought themselves to be,
+_the_ Christ, and the only reason why the name of Jesus of Nazareth
+succeeded above all others, is because the _Essenes_--who were expecting
+an Angel-Messiah--espoused it. Had it not been for this almost
+indisputable fact, the name of Jesus of Nazareth would undoubtedly not
+be known at the present day.
+
+Epiphanius, a Christian bishop and writer of the fourth century, says,
+in speaking of the Essenes:
+
+     "They who believed on Christ were called JESSAEI (or Essenes),
+     _before they were called Christians_. These derived their
+     constitution from the signification of the name Jesus, which
+     in Hebrew signifies the same as _Therapeutes_, that is, a
+     saviour or physician."
+
+Thus we see that, according to Christian authority, the Essenes and
+Therapeutes are one, and that the Essenes espoused the cause of Jesus of
+Nazareth, accepted him as an Angel-Messiah, and became known to history
+as _Christians_, or believers in the Anointed Angel.
+
+This ascetic _Buddhist_ sect called Essenes were therefore expecting an
+Angel-Messiah, for had not Gautama announced to his disciples that
+another Buddha, and therefore another angel in human form, another organ
+or advocate of the wisdom from above, would descend from heaven to
+earth, and would be called the "Son of Love."
+
+The learned Thomas Maurice says:
+
+     "From the earliest post-diluvian age, to that in which the
+     Messiah appeared, together with the traditions which so
+     expressly recorded the fall of the human race from a state of
+     original rectitude and felicity, there appears, from an
+     infinite variety of hieroglyphic monuments and of written
+     documents, to have prevailed, from generation to generation,
+     _throughout all the regions of the higher Asia_, an uniform
+     belief that, in the course of revolving ages, _there should
+     arise a sacred personage, a mighty deliverer of mankind from
+     the thraldom of sin and of death_. In fact, the memory of the
+     grand original promise, that the seed of the woman should
+     eventually crush the serpent, was carefully preserved in the
+     breasts of the _Asiatics_; it entered deeply into their
+     symbolic superstitions, and was engraved aloft amidst their
+     mythologic sculptures."[427:1]
+
+That an Angel-Messiah was generally expected at this time may be
+inferred from the following facts: Some of the Gnostic sects of
+Christians, who believed that Jesus was an emanation from God, likewise
+supposed that there were several _AEons_, or emanations from the Eternal
+Father. Among those who taught this doctrine was _Basilides_ and his
+followers.[427:2]
+
+SIMON MAGUS was believed to be "He who should come." Simon was worshiped
+in Samaria and other countries, as the expected Angel-Messiah, as a God.
+
+Justin Martyr says:
+
+     "After the ascension of our Lord into heaven, certain _men_
+     were suborned by demons as their agents, who said that they
+     were gods (_i. e._, _the_ Angel Messiah). Among these was
+     _Simon_, a certain Samaritan, whom nearly all the Samaritans
+     and a few also of other nations, worshiped, confessing him as
+     a Supreme God."[427:3]
+
+His miracles were notorious, and admitted by all. His followers became
+so numerous that they were to be found in all countries. In Rome, in the
+reign of Claudius, a statue was erected in his honor. Clement of Rome,
+speaking of Simon Magus, says that:
+
+     "He wishes to be considered an exalted person, and to be
+     considered 'the Christ.' He claims that he can never be
+     dissolved, asserting that he will endure to eternity."
+
+Montanus was another person who evidently believed himself to be an
+Angel-Messiah. He was called by himself and his followers the
+"Paraclete," or "Holy Spirit."[428:1]
+
+Socrates, in his Ecclesiastical History, tells us of one _Buddhas_ (who
+lived after Jesus):
+
+     "Who afore that time was called Terebynthus, which went to the
+     coasts of Babylon, inhabited by Persians, and there published
+     of himself many false wonders: that he was born of a virgin,
+     that he was bred and brought up in the mountains, etc."[428:2]
+
+He was evidently one of the many fanatics who believed themselves to be
+the Paraclete or Comforter, the "Expected One."
+
+Another one of these _Christs_ was _Apollonius_. This remarkable man was
+born a few years before the commencement of the Christian era, and
+during his career, sustained the role of a philosopher, religious
+teacher and reformer, and a worker of miracles. He is said to have lived
+to be a hundred years old. From the history of his life, written by the
+learned sophist and scholar, Philostratus, we glean the following:
+
+Before his birth a god appeared to his mother and informed her that he
+himself should be born of her. At the time of her delivery, the most
+wonderful things happened. All the people of the country acknowledged
+that he was the "Son of God." As he grew in stature, his wonderful
+powers, greatness of memory, and marvelous beauty attracted the
+attention of all. A great part of his time was spent, when a youth,
+among the learned doctors; the disciples of Plato, Chrysippus and
+Aristotle. When he came to man's estate, he became an enthusiastic
+admirer and devoted follower of Pythagoras. His fame soon spread far and
+near, and wherever he went he reformed the religious worship of the day.
+He went to Ephesus, like Christ Jesus to Jerusalem, where the people
+flocked about him. While at Athens, in Greece, he cast out an evil
+spirit from a youth. As soon as Apollonius fixed his eyes upon him, the
+demon broke out into the most angry and horrid expressions, and then
+swore he would depart out of the youth. He put an end to a plague which
+was raging at Ephesus, and at Corinth he raised a dead maiden to life,
+by simply taking her by the hand and bidding her arise. The miracles of
+Apollonius were extensively believed, _by Christians as well as others_,
+for centuries after his time. In the fourth century Hierocles drew a
+parallel between the two Christs--Apollonius and Jesus--which was
+answered by Eusebius, the great champion of the Christian church. In it
+he admits the miracles of Apollonius, but attributes them to sorcery.
+
+Apollonius was worshiped as a god, in different countries, as late as
+the fourth century. A beautiful temple was built in honor of him, and he
+was held in high esteem by many of the Pagan emperors. Eunapius, who
+wrote concerning him in the fifth century, says that his history should
+have been entitled "_The Descent of a God_ upon Earth." It is as Albert
+Reville says:
+
+     "The universal respect in which Apollonius was held by the
+     whole pagan world, testified to the deep impression which the
+     life of this _Supernatural Being_ had left indelibly fixed in
+     their minds; an expression which caused one of his
+     contemporaries to exclaim, '_We have a God living among us._'"
+
+A Samaritan, by name Menander, who was contemporary with the apostles of
+Jesus, was another of these fanatics who believed himself to be the
+Christ. He went about performing miracles, claiming that he was a
+SAVIOUR, "sent down from above from the invisible worlds, _for the
+salvation of mankind_."[429:1] He baptized his followers in his own
+name. His influence was great, and continued for several centuries.
+Justin Martyr and other Christian Fathers wrote against him.
+
+Manes evidently believed himself to be "the Christ," or "he who was to
+come." His followers also believed the same concerning him. Eusebius,
+speaking of him, says:
+
+     "He presumed to represent the person of Christ; he proclaimed
+     himself to be the Comforter and the Holy Ghost, and being
+     puffed up with this frantic pride, chose, as if he were
+     Christ, _twelve_ partners of his new-found doctrine, patching
+     into one heap false and detestable doctrines of old, rotten,
+     and rooted out heresies, _the which he brought out of
+     Persia_."[429:2]
+
+The word Manes, says Usher in his Annals, has the meaning of Paraclete
+or Comforter or Saviour. This at once lets us into the secret--a new
+incarnation, an Angel-Messiah, a Christ--born from the side of his
+mother, and put to a violent death--flayed alive, and hung up, or
+crucified, by a king of Persia.[429:3] This is the teacher with his
+twelve apostles on the rock of Gualior.
+
+Du Perron, in his life of Zoroaster, gives an account of certain
+prophecies to be found in the sacred books of the _Persians_. One of
+these is to the effect that, at successive periods of time, there will
+appear on earth certain "Sons of Zoroaster," who are to be the result
+of _immaculate conceptions_. These virgin-born gods will come upon earth
+for the purpose of establishing the law of God. It is also asserted that
+Zoroaster, when on earth, declared that in the "latter days" a pure
+virgin would conceive, and bear a son, and that as soon as the child was
+born a _star_ would appear, blazing even at noonday, with undiminished
+splendor. This Christ is to be called _Sosiosh_. He will redeem mankind,
+and subdue the Devs, who have been tempting and leading men astray ever
+since the fall of our first parents.
+
+Among the Greeks the same prophecy was found. The Oracle of Delphi was
+the depository, according to Plato, of an ancient and _secret_ prophecy
+of the birth of a "Son of Apollo," who was to restore the reign of
+justice and virtue on the earth.[430:1]
+
+Those who believed in successive emanations of AEons from the Throne of
+Light, pointed to the passage in the Gospels where Jesus is made to say
+that he will be succeeded by the Paraclete or Comforter. Mahommed was
+believed by many to be this Paraclete, and it is said that he too told
+his disciples that _another_ Paraclete would succeed him. From present
+appearances, however, there is some reason for believing that the
+Mohammedans are to have their ancient prophecy set at naught by the
+multiplicity of those who pretend to be divinely appointed to fulfill
+it. The present year was designated as the period at which this great
+reformer was to arise, who should be almost, if not quite, the equal of
+Mahommed. His mission was to be to to purify the religion from its
+corruptions; to overthrow those who had usurped its control, and to
+rule, as a great spiritual caliph, over the faithful. According to
+accepted tradition, the prophet himself designated the line of descent
+in which his most important successor would be found, and even indicated
+his personal appearance. The time having arrived, it is not strange that
+the man is forthcoming, only in this instance there is more than one
+claimant. There is a "holy man" in Morocco who has allowed it to be
+announced that he is the designated reformer, while cable reports show
+that a rival pretender has appeared in Yemen, in southern Arabia, and
+his supporters, sword in hand, are now advancing upon Mecca, for the
+purpose of proclaiming their leader as caliph within the sacred city
+itself.
+
+History then relates to us the indisputable fact that at the time of
+Jesus of Nazareth an Angel-Messiah was expected, that many persons
+claimed, and were believed to be, _the_ "Expected One," and that the
+reason why _Jesus_ was accepted above all others was because the
+Essenes--a very numerous sect--believed him to be the true Messiah, and
+came over to his followers in a body. It was because there were so many
+of these _Christs_ in existence that some follower of Jesus--but no one
+knows _who_--wrote as follows:
+
+     "If any man shall say to you, Lo, _here is Christ_, or, lo, he
+     is _there_; believe him not; for _false Christs_ and false
+     prophets shall rise, _and shall show signs and wonders_ to
+     seduce, if it were possible, even the elect."[431:1]
+
+The reasons why Jesus was not accepted as the Messiah by the _majority_
+of the Jews was because the majority expected a daring and irresistible
+warrior and conqueror, who, armed with greater power than Caesar, was to
+come upon earth to rend the fetters in which their hapless nation had so
+long groaned, to avenge them upon their haughty oppressors, and to
+re-establish the kingdom of Judah; and this Jesus--although he evidently
+claimed to be the Messiah--did not do.
+
+Tacitus, the Roman historian, says:
+
+     "The generality had a strong persuasion that it was contained
+     in the ancient writings of the priests, that at that very time
+     the east should prevail: and that some one, who should come
+     out of Judea, _should obtain the empire of the world_; which
+     ambiguities foretold Vespasian and Titus. But the common
+     people (of the Jews), according to the influence of human
+     wishes, appropriated to themselves, by their interpretation,
+     this vast grandeur foretold by the fates, nor could be brought
+     to change their opinion for the true, by all their
+     adversities."
+
+Suetonius, another Roman historian, says:
+
+     "There had been for a long time all over the east a constant
+     persuasion that it was recorded in the fates (books of the
+     fates, or foretellings), that at that time some one who should
+     come out of Judea _should obtain universal dominion_. It
+     appears by the event, that this prediction referred to the
+     Roman emperor; but the Jews, referring it to themselves,
+     rebelled."
+
+This is corroborated by Josephus, the Jewish historian, who says:
+
+     "That which, chiefly excited them (the Jews) to war, was an
+     _ambiguous prophecy_, which was also found in the sacred
+     books, that at that time some one, within their country,
+     should arise, that should obtain _the empire of the whole
+     world_. For this they had received by tradition, that it was
+     spoken of one of their nation; and many wise men were deceived
+     with the interpretation. But, in truth, Vespasian's empire was
+     designed in this prophecy, who was created emperor (of Rome)
+     _in Judea_."
+
+As the Rev. Dr. Geikie remarks, the central and dominant characteristic
+of the teaching of the rabbis, was the certain advent of a great
+national _Deliverer_--the Messiah--but not a God from heaven.
+
+For a time _Cyrus_ appeared to realize the promised Deliverer, or, at
+least, to be the chosen instrument to prepare the way for him, and, in
+his turn, _Zerubabel_ became the centre of Messianic hopes. In fact, the
+national mind had become so inflammable, by constant brooding on this
+one theme, that any bold spirit, rising in revolt against the Roman
+power, could find an army of fierce disciples who trusted that it should
+be he who would redeem Israel.[432:1]
+
+The "_taxing_" which took place under Cyrenius, Governor of Syria (A. D.
+7), excited the wildest uproar against the Roman power. The Hebrew
+spirit was stung into exasperation; the puritans of the nation, the
+enthusiasts, fanatics, the zealots of the law, the literal
+constructionists of prophecy, appealed to the national temper, revived
+the national faith, and fanned into flame the combustible elements that
+smoldered in the bosom of the race. The Messianic hope was strong in
+these people; all the stronger on account of their political
+degradation. Born in sorrow, the anticipation grew keen in bitter hours.
+That Jehovah would abandon them could not be believed. The thought would
+be atheism. The hope kept the eastern Jews in a perpetual state of
+insurrection. The cry "Lo here, lo there!" was incessant. Claimant after
+claimant of the dangerous supremacy of the _Messiah_ appeared, pitched a
+camp in the wilderness, raised the banner, gathered a force, was
+attacked, defeated, banished, or crucified; but the frenzy did not
+abate.
+
+The last insurrection among the Jews, that of Bar-Cochba--"Son of the
+Star"--revealed an astonishing frenzy of zeal. It was purely a
+_Messianic_ uprising. Judaism had excited the fears of the Emperor
+Hadrian, and induced him to inflict unusual severities on the people.
+The effect of the violence was to stimulate that conviction to fury. The
+night of their despair was once more illumined by the star of the east.
+The banner of the Messiah was raised. Portents, as of old, were seen in
+the sky; the clouds were watched for the glory that should appear.
+_Bar-Cochba_ seemed to fill out the popular idea of the deliverer.
+Miracles were ascribed to him; flames issued from his mouth. The vulgar
+imagination made haste to transform the audacious fanatic into a child
+of David. Multitudes flocked to his standard. The whole Jewish race
+throughout the world was in commotion. The insurrection gained head. The
+heights about Jerusalem were seized and occupied, and fortifications
+were erected; nothing but the "host of angels" was needed to insure
+victory. The angels did not appear; the Roman legions did. The
+"Messiah," not proving himself a conqueror, was held to have proved
+himself an impostor, the "son of a lie."[433:1]
+
+The impetuous zeal with which the Jews rushed to the standard of this
+Messianic impostor, in the 130th year of the Christian era, demonstrates
+the true Jewish character, and shows how readily any one who made the
+claim, was believed to be "He who should come." Even the celebrated
+Rabbi Akiba sanctioned this daring fraud. Akiba declared that the
+so-called prophecy of Balaam,--"_a star shall rise out of Jacob_,"--was
+accomplished. Hence the impostor took his title of _Bar-Cochabas_, or
+_Son of the Star_; and Akiba not only publicly anointed him "KING OF THE
+JEWS," and placed an imperial diadem upon his head, but followed him to
+the field at the head of four-and-twenty thousand of his disciples, and
+acted in the capacity of master of his horse.
+
+Those who believed on the meek and benevolent Jesus--and whose number
+was very small--were of that class who believed in the doctrine of the
+_Angel-Messiah_,[433:2] first heard of among them when taken captives to
+Babylon. These believed that just as Buddha appeared at different
+intervals, and as Vishnu appeared at different intervals, the avatars
+appeared among the Jews. Adam, and Enoch, and Noah, and Elijah or Elias,
+might in outward appearance be different men, but they were really the
+self-same divine person successively animating various human
+bodies.[433:3] Christ _Jesus_ was the _avatar_ of the ninth age, Christ
+_Cyrus_ was the _avatar_ of the eighth. Of the hero of the eighth age it
+is said: "Thus said the Lord to his Anointed (_i. e._, his _Christ_),
+his Messiah, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden to subdue
+nations."[434:1] The eighth period began about the Babylonish captivity,
+about six hundred years before Christ _Jesus_. The ninth began with
+Christ Jesus, making in all eight cycles before Jesus.
+
+"What was known in Judea more than a century before the birth of Jesus
+Christ cannot have been introduced among Buddhists by Christian
+missionaries. It will become equally certain that the bishop and
+church-historian, Eusebius, was right when he wrote, that he considered
+it highly probable that the writings of the Essenic Therapeuts in Egypt
+had been incorporated into our Gospels, and into some Pauline
+epistles."[434:2]
+
+For further information on the subject of the connection between
+Essenism and Christianity, the reader is referred to Taylor's Diegesis,
+Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, and the works of S. F. Dunlap. We shall now
+speak of another powerful lever which was brought to bear upon the
+promulgation of Christianity; namely, that of FRAUD.
+
+It was a common thing among the early Christian Fathers and saints to
+lie and deceive, if their lies and deceits helped the cause of their
+Christ. Lactantius, an eminent Christian author who flourished in the
+fourth century, has well said:
+
+     "Among those who seek power and gain from their religion,
+     there will never be wanting an inclination to forge and lie
+     for it."[434:3]
+
+Gregory of Nazianzus, writing to St. Jerome, says:
+
+     "A little jargon is all that is necessary to impose on the
+     people. The less they comprehend, the more they admire. Our
+     forefathers and doctors have often said, not what they
+     thought, but what circumstances and necessity
+     dictated."[434:4]
+
+The celebrated _Eusebius_, Bishop of CAESAREA, and friend of Constantine
+the Great, who is our chief guide for the early history of the Church,
+_confesses that he was by no means scrupulous to record the whole truth
+concerning the early Christians in the various works which he has left
+behind him_.[434:5] Edward Gibbon, speaking of him, says:
+
+     "The gravest of the ecclesiastical historians, Eusebius
+     himself, indirectly confesses that he has related what might
+     redound to the glory, and that he has suppressed all that
+     could tend to the disgrace of religion. Such an acknowledgment
+     will naturally excite a suspicion that a writer who has so
+     openly violated one of the fundamental laws of history, has
+     not paid a very strict regard to the observance of the other;
+     and the suspicion will derive additional credit from the
+     character of Eusebius, which was less tinctured with
+     credulity, and more practiced in the arts of courts, than that
+     of almost any of his contemporaries."[435:1]
+
+The great theologian, Beausobre, in his "Histoire de Manichee," says:
+
+     "We see in the history which I have related, a sort of
+     hypocrisy, that has been perhaps, but too common at all times;
+     that churchmen not only do not say what they think, but they
+     do say the direct contrary of what they think. Philosophers in
+     their cabinets; out of them they are content with fables,
+     though they well know they are fables. Nay, more; they deliver
+     honest men to the executioner, for having uttered what they
+     themselves know to be true. How many atheists and pagans have
+     burned holy men under the pretext of heresy? Every day do
+     hypocrites consecrate, and make people adore the host, though
+     as well convinced as I am, that it is nothing but a bit of
+     bread."[435:2]
+
+M. Daille says:
+
+     "This opinion has always been in the world, that to settle a
+     certain and assured estimation upon that which is good and
+     true, it is necessary to remove out of the way, whatsoever may
+     be an hinderance to it. _Neither ought we to wonder that even
+     those of the honest, innocent, primitive times made use of
+     these deceits, seeing for a good end they made no scruple to
+     forge whole books._"[435:3]
+
+Reeves, in his "Apologies of the Fathers," says:
+
+     "It was a Catholic opinion among the philosophers, that pious
+     frauds were good things, and that the people ought to be
+     imposed on in matters of religion."[435:4]
+
+Mosheim, the ecclesiastical historian, says:
+
+     "It was held as a maxim that it was not only lawful but
+     praiseworthy to _deceive_, and even to use the expedient of a
+     _lie_, in order to advance the cause of truth and
+     piety."[435:5]
+
+Isaac de Casaubon, the great ecclesiastical scholar, says:
+
+     "It mightily affects me, to see how many there were in the
+     earliest times of the church, who considered it as a capital
+     exploit, to lend to heavenly truth the help of their own
+     inventions, in order that the new doctrine might be more
+     readily allowed by the wise among the Gentiles. _These
+     officious lies, they were wont to say, were devised for a good
+     end._"[435:6]
+
+The Apostolic Father, Hermas, who was the fellow-laborer of St. Paul in
+the work of the ministry; who is greeted as such in the New Testament;
+and whose writings are expressly quoted as of divine inspiration, by the
+early Fathers, ingenuously confesses that lying was the easily-besetting
+sin of a Christian. His words are:
+
+     "O Lord, I never spake a true word in my life, but I have
+     always lived in dissimulation, and affirmed a lie for truth to
+     all men, and no man contradicted me, but all gave credit to my
+     words."
+
+To which the holy angel, whom he addresses, condescendingly admonishes
+him, that as the lie was up, now, he had better keep it up, and as in
+time it would come to be believed, it would answer as well as
+truth.[436:1]
+
+Dr. Mosheim admits, that the Platonists and Pythagoreans held it as a
+maxim, that it was not only lawful, but praiseworthy, to deceive, and
+even to use the expedient of a lie, in order to advance the cause of
+truth and piety. The Jews who lived in Egypt, had learned and received
+this maxim from them, before the coming of Christ Jesus, as appears
+incontestably from a multitude of ancient records, _and the Christians
+were infected from both these sources, with the same pernicious
+error_.[436:2]
+
+Of the fifteen letters ascribed to Ignatius (Bishop of Antioch after 69
+A. D.), _eight have been rejected by Christian writers as being
+forgeries_, having no authority whatever. "_The remaining seven_
+epistles were accounted genuine by most critics, although disputed by
+some, previous to the discoveries of Mr. Cureton, _which have shaken,
+and indeed almost wholly destroyed the credit and authenticity of all
+alike_."[436:3]
+
+Paul of Tarsus, who was preaching a doctrine which had already been
+preached to every nation on earth,[436:4] inculcates and avows the
+principle of deceiving the common people, talks of his having been
+upbraided by his own converts with being crafty and catching them with
+guile,[436:5] and of his known and willful lies, abounding to the glory
+of God.[436:6]
+
+Even the orthodox Doctor Burnet, an eminent English author, in his
+treatise "_De Statu Mortuorum_," purposely written in Latin, that it
+might serve for the instruction of the clergy only, and not come to the
+knowledge of the laity, because, as he said, "_too much light is hurtful
+for weak eyes_," not only justified but recommended the practice of the
+most consummate hypocrisy, and would have his clergy seriously preach
+and maintain the reality and eternity of hell torments, even though they
+should believe nothing of the sort themselves.[437:1]
+
+The incredible and very ridiculous stories related by Christian Fathers
+and ecclesiastical historians, _on whom we are obliged to rely for
+information on the most important of subjects_, show us how
+untrustworthy these men were. We have, for instance, the story related
+by St. Augustine, who is styled "the greatest of the Latin Fathers," of
+his preaching the Gospel to people _without heads_. In his 33d Sermon he
+says:
+
+     "I was already Bishop of Hippo, when I went into Ethiopia with
+     some servants of Christ there to preach the Gospel. In this
+     country we saw many men and women without heads, who had two
+     great eyes in their breasts; and in countries still more
+     southly, we saw people who had but one eye in their
+     foreheads."[437:2]
+
+This same holy Father bears an equally unquestionable testimony to
+several resurrections of the dead, of _which he himself had been an
+eye-witness_.
+
+In a book written "towards the close of the second century, by some
+zealous believer," and fathered upon one Nicodemus, who is said to have
+been a disciple of Christ Jesus, we find the following:
+
+     "We all know the blessed Simeon, the high priest, who took
+     Jesus when an infant into his arms in the temple. This same
+     Simeon had two sons of his own, _and we were all present at
+     their death and funeral_. Go therefore and see their tombs,
+     for these are open, and they are risen; and behold, _they are
+     in the city of Arimathaea, spending their time together in
+     offices of devotion_."[438:1]
+
+Eusebius, "the Father of ecclesiastical history," Bishop of Caesarea, and
+one of the most prominent personages at the Council of Nice, relates as
+truth, the ridiculous story of King Agbarus writing a letter to Christ
+Jesus, and of Jesus' answer to the same.[438:2] And Socrates relates how
+the Empress Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem
+for the purpose of finding, if possible, "the cross of Christ." This she
+succeeded in doing, also the nails with which he was nailed to the
+cross.[438:3]
+
+Beside forging, lying, and deceiving for the cause of Christ, the
+Christian Fathers destroyed all evidence against themselves and their
+religion, which they came across. Christian divines seem to have always
+been afraid of too much light. In the very infancy of printing, Cardinal
+Wolsey foresaw its effect on Christianity, and in a speech to the
+clergy, publicly forewarned them, that, _if they did not destroy the
+Press, the Press would destroy them_.[438:4] There can be no doubt, that
+had the objections of Porphyry,[438:5] Hierocles,[438:6] Celsus,[438:7]
+and other opponents of the Christian faith, been permitted to come down
+to us, the plagiarism in the Christian Scriptures from previously
+existing Pagan documents, is the specific charge they would have
+presented us. But these were ordered to be burned, by the prudent piety
+of the Christian emperors.
+
+In Alexandria, in Egypt, there was an immense library, founded by the
+Ptolemies. This library was situated in the Alexandrian Museum; the
+apartments which were allotted for it were beautifully sculptured, and
+crowded with the choicest statues and pictures; the building was built
+of marble. This library eventually comprised four hundred thousand
+volumes. In the course of time, probably on account of inadequate
+accommodation for so many books, an additional library was established,
+and placed in the temple of Serapis. The number of volumes in this
+library, which was called the daughter of that in the museum, was
+eventually three hundred thousand. There were, therefore, _seven hundred
+thousand volumes in these royal collections_.
+
+In the establishment of the museum, Ptolemy Soter, and his son
+Philadelphus, had three objects in view: 1. The perpetuation of such
+knowledge as was then in the world; 2. Its increase; 3. Its diffusion.
+
+1. _For the perpetuation of knowledge._ Orders were given to the chief
+librarian to buy, at the king's expense, whatever books he could. A body
+of transcribers was maintained in the museum, whose duty it was to make
+correct copies of such works as their owners were not disposed to sell.
+_Any books brought by foreigners into Egypt_ were taken at once to the
+museum, and when correct copies had been made, the transcript was given
+to the owner, and the original placed in the library. Often a very large
+pecuniary indemnity was paid.
+
+2. _For the increase of knowledge._ One of the chief objects of the
+museum was that of serving as the home of a body of men who devoted
+themselves to study, and were lodged and maintained at the king's
+expense. In the original organization of the museum the residents were
+divided into four faculties,--Literature, Mathematics, Astronomy, and
+Medicine. An officer of very great distinction presided over the
+establishment, and had general charge of its interests. Demetius
+Phalareus, perhaps the most learned man of his age, who had been
+Governor of Athens for many years, was the first so appointed. Under him
+was the librarian, an office sometimes held by men whose names have
+descended to our times, as Eratosthenes and Apollonius Rhodius. In
+connection with the museum was a botanical and a zoological garden.
+These gardens, as their names imply, were for the purpose of
+facilitating the study of plants and animals. There was also an
+astronomical observatory, containing armillary spheres, globes,
+solstitial and equatorial armils, astrolabes, parallactic rules, and
+other apparatus then in use, the graduation on the divided instruments
+being into degrees and sixths.
+
+3. _For the diffusion of knowledge._ In the museum was given, by
+lectures, conversation, or other appropriate methods, instruction in all
+the various departments of human knowledge.
+
+_There flocked to this great intellectual centre, students from all
+countries._ It is said that at one time not fewer than fourteen thousand
+were in attendance. Subsequently even the Christian church received from
+it some of the most eminent of its Fathers, as Clemens Alexandrinus,
+Origen, Athanasius, &c.
+
+The library in the museum was burned during the siege of Alexandria by
+Julius Caesar. To make amends for this great loss, the library collected
+by Eumenes, King of Pergamus, was presented by Mark Antony to Queen
+Cleopatra. Originally it was founded as a rival to that of the
+Ptolemies. It was added to the collection in the Serapion, or the temple
+of Serapis.[440:1]
+
+It was not destined, however, to remain there many centuries, as this
+very valuable library was willfully destroyed by the Christian
+Theophilus, and on the spot where this beautiful temple of Serapis
+stood, in fact, on its very foundation, was erected a church in honor of
+the "noble army of martyrs," who had never existed.
+
+This we learn from the historian Gibbon, who says that, after this
+library was destroyed, "the appearance of the empty shelves excited the
+regret and indignation of every spectator, whose mind was not totally
+darkened by religious prejudice."[440:2]
+
+The destruction of this library was almost the death-blow to
+free-thought--wherever Christianity ruled--for more than a thousand
+years.
+
+The death-blow was soon to be struck, however, which was done by _Saint
+Cyril_, who succeeded _Theophilus_ as Bishop of Alexandria.
+
+_Hypatia_, the daughter of Theon, the mathematician, endeavored to
+continue the old-time instructions. Each day before her academy stood a
+long train of chariots; her lecture-room was crowded with the wealth and
+fashion of _Alexandria_. They came to listen to her discourses on those
+questions which man in all ages has asked, but which have never yet been
+answered: "What am I? Where am I? What can I know?"
+
+Hypatia and Cyril; philosophy and bigotry; they cannot exist together.
+As Hypatia repaired to her academy, she was assaulted by (Saint) Cyril's
+mob--_a mob of many monks_. Stripped naked in the street, she was
+dragged into a _church_, and there killed _by the club of Peter the
+Reader_. The corpse was cut to pieces, the flesh was scraped from the
+bones with shells, and the remnants cast into a fire. _For this
+frightful crime Cyril was never called to account. It seemed to be
+admitted that the end sanctified the means. So ended Greek philosophy in
+Alexandria_, so came to an untimely close the learning that the
+Ptolemies had done so much to promote.
+
+The fate of Hypatia was a warning to all who would cultivate profane
+knowledge. _Henceforth there was to be no freedom for human thought.
+Every one must think as ecclesiastical authority ordered him_; A. D.
+414. In Athens itself philosophy awaited its doom. Justinian at length
+prohibited its teaching and caused all its schools in that city to be
+closed.[441:1]
+
+After this followed the long and dreary _dark ages_, but the _sun of
+science_, that bright and glorious luminary, was destined to rise again.
+
+The history of this great Alexandrian library is one of the keys which
+unlock the door, and exposes to our view the manner in which the Hindoo
+incarnate god _Crishna_, and the meek and benevolent _Buddha_, came to
+be worshiped under the name of _Christ Jesus_. For instance, we have
+just seen:
+
+1. That, "orders were given to the chief librarian to buy at the king's
+expense _whatever books he could_."
+
+2. That, "one of the chief objects of the museum was that of serving as
+the home of a _body of men_ who devoted themselves to study."
+
+3. That, "any books brought by foreigners into Egypt were taken at once
+to the museum and correct copies made."
+
+4. That, "there flocked to this great intellectual centre students from
+all countries."
+
+5. That, "the Christian church received from it some of the most eminent
+of its Fathers."
+
+And also:
+
+6. That, the chief doctrines of the Gnostic Christians "had been held
+for centuries before their time in many of the cities in Asia Minor.
+There, it is probable, they first came into existence as 'Mystae,' _upon
+the establishment of a direct intercourse with India_ under the
+Seleucidae and the Ptolemies."
+
+7. That, "the College of ESSENES at Ephesus, the Orphics of Thrace, the
+Curetes of Crete, _are all merely branches of one_ antique and common
+religion, _and that originally Asiatic_."
+
+8. That, "_the introduction of Buddhism into Egypt and Palestine
+affords the only true solution of innumerable difficulties in the
+history of religion_."
+
+9. That, "_Buddhism_ had actually been planted in the dominions of the
+Seleucidae and Ptolemies (Palestine belonging to the former) _before the
+beginning of the third century_ B. C. and is proved to demonstration by
+a passage in the edicts of Asoka."
+
+10. That, "it is very likely that the commentaries (Scriptures) which
+were among them (the _Essenes_) were the Gospels."
+
+11. That, "the principal doctrines and rites of the _Essenes_ can be
+connected with the East, with Parsism, and especially with _Buddhism_."
+
+12. That, "among the doctrines which the _Essenes_ and _Buddhists_ had
+in common was that of the _Angel-Messiah_."
+
+13. That, "they (the _Essenes_) had a flourishing university or
+corporate body, established at _Alexandria, in Egypt_, long before the
+period assigned for the birth of Christ."
+
+14. That, "the _very ancient_ and Eastern doctrine of the
+_Angel-Messiah_ had been applied to Gautama Buddha, _and so it was
+applied to Jesus Christ by the Essenes of Egypt and Palestine_, who
+introduced this new Messianic doctrine into Essenic Judaism and Essenic
+Christianity."
+
+15. That, "we hear very little of them (the _Essenes_) after A. D. 40;
+and there can hardly be any doubt that the _Essenes_ as a body must have
+embraced Christianity."
+
+Here is the solution of the problem. The sacred books of Hindoos and
+Buddhists were among the _Essenes_, and in the library at Alexandria.
+The _Essenes_, who were afterwards called _Christians_, applied the
+legend of the _Angel-Messiah_--"the very ancient Eastern doctrine,"
+which we have shown throughout this work--to Christ Jesus. It was simply
+a transformation of names, _a transformation which had previously
+occurred in many cases_.[442:1] After this came _additions_ to the
+legend from other sources. Portions of the legends related of the
+Persian, Greek and Roman Saviours and Redeemers of mankind, were, from
+time to time, added to the already legendary history of the Christian
+Saviour. Thus history was repeating itself. Thus the virgin-born God
+and Saviour, worshiped by all nations of the earth, though called by
+different names, was but one and the same.
+
+In a subsequent chapter we shall see _who_ this One God was, and _how_
+the myth originated.
+
+Albert Reville says:
+
+     "_Alexandria_, the home of Philonism, and Neo-Platonism (and
+     we might add _Essenism_), was naturally the centre _whence
+     spread the dogma of the deity of Jesus Christ_. In that city,
+     through the third century, flourished a school of
+     transcendental theology, afterwards looked upon with suspicion
+     by the conservators of ecclesiastical doctrine, but not the
+     less the real cradle of orthodoxy. It was still the Platonic
+     tendency which influenced the speculations of Clement, Origen
+     and Dionysius, and the theory of the Logos was at the
+     foundation of their theology."[443:1]
+
+Among the numerous gospels in circulation among the Christians of the
+first three centuries, there was one entitled "The Gospel of the
+_Egyptians_." Epiphanius (A. D. 385), speaking of it, says:
+
+     "Many things are proposed (in this Gospel of the Egyptians) in
+     a hidden, _mysterious manner_, as by our Saviour, as though he
+     had said to his disciples, that the Father was the same
+     person, the Son the same person, and the Holy Ghost the same
+     person."
+
+That this was one of the "_Scriptures_" of the Essenes, becomes very
+evident when we find it admitted by the most learned of Christian
+theologians that it was in existence "_before either of the canonical
+Gospels_," and that it contained the doctrine of the _Trinity_, a
+doctrine not established in the Christian church until A. D. 327, but
+which was taught by this Buddhist sect in Alexandria, in Egypt, which
+has been well called, "Egypt, the land of Trinities."
+
+The learned Dr. Grabe thought it was composed by _some Christians in
+Egypt_, and that it was published _before either of the canonical
+Gospels_. Dr. Mill also believed that it was composed _before either of
+the canonical Gospels_, and, what is more important than all, _that the
+authors of it were Essenes_.
+
+_These "Scriptures" of the Essenes were undoubtedly amalgamated with the
+"Gospels" of the Christians, the result being the canonical Gospels as
+we now have them._ The "Gospel of the Hebrews," and such like, on the
+one hand, and the "Gospel of the Egyptians," or Essenes, and such like,
+on the other. That the "Gospel of the Hebrews" spoke of Jesus of
+Nazareth as the son of Joseph and Mary, _according to the flesh_, and
+that it taught _nothing_ about his miracles, his resurrection from the
+dead, and other such prodigies, is admitted on all hands. That the
+"Scriptures" of the Essenes contained the whole legend of the
+Angel-Messiah, which was afterwards added to the history of Jesus,
+_making him a_ CHRIST, _or an Anointed Angel_, is a probability almost
+to a certainty. Do we now understand how all the traditions and legends,
+originally _Indian_, escaping from the great focus through _Egypt_, were
+able to reach Judea, Greece and Rome?
+
+To continue with our subject, "why Christianity prospered," we must now
+speak of another great support to the cause, _i. e._, _Persecution_.
+Ernest de Bunsen, speaking of Buddha, says:
+
+     "His religion has never been propagated by the sword. It has
+     been effected entirely by the influence of peaceable and
+     persevering devotees."
+
+Can we say as much for what is termed "the religion of Christ?" No! this
+religion has had the aid of the sword and firebrand, the rack and the
+thumb-screw. "_Persecution_," is to be seen written on the pages of
+ecclesiastical history, from the time of Constantine even to the present
+day.[444:1] This Christian emperor and saint was the first to check
+free-thought.
+
+     "We search in vain," (says M. Renan), "in the collection of
+     Roman laws _before Constantine_, for any enactment aimed at
+     free thought, or in the history of the emperors, for a
+     persecution of abstract doctrine. Not a single _savant_ was
+     disturbed. Men whom the Middle Ages would have burned--such as
+     Galen, Lucian, Plotinus--lived in peace, protected by the
+     law."[444:2]
+
+Born and educated a pagan, Constantine embraced the Christian faith from
+the following motives. Having committed horrid crimes, in fact, having
+committed murders,[444:3] and,
+
+     "When he would have had his (Pagan) priests purge him by
+     sacrifice, of these horrible murders, and could not have his
+     purpose (for they answered plainly, it lay not in their power
+     to cleanse him)[444:4] he lighted at last upon an _Egyptian_
+     who came out of Iberia, and being persuaded by him that the
+     Christian faith was of force to wipe away every sin, were it
+     ever so heinous, he embraced willingly at whatever the
+     Egyptian told him."[444:5]
+
+Mons. Dupuis, speaking of this conversion, says:
+
+     "Constantine, soiled with all sorts of crimes, and stained
+     with the blood of his wife, after repeated perjuries and
+     assassinations, presented himself before the heathen priests
+     in order to be absolved of so many outrages he had committed.
+     He was answered, that amongst the various kinds of expiations,
+     there was none which could expiate so many crimes, and that no
+     religion whatever could offer efficient protection against the
+     justice of the gods; and Constantine was emperor. One of the
+     courtiers of the palace, who witnessed the trouble and
+     agitation of his mind, torn by remorse, which nothing could
+     appease, informed him, that the evil he was suffering was not
+     without a remedy; that there existed in the religion of the
+     Christians certain purifications, which expiated every kind of
+     misdeeds, of whatever nature, and in whatsoever number they
+     were: that one of the promises of the religion was, that
+     whoever was converted to it, as impious and as great a villain
+     as he might be, could hope that his crimes were immediately
+     forgotten.[445:1] From that moment, Constantine declared
+     himself the protector of a sect which treats great criminals
+     with so much lenity.[445:2] He was a great villain, who tried
+     to lull himself with illusions to smother his remorse."[445:3]
+
+By the delay of baptism, a person who had accepted the _true_ faith
+could venture freely to indulge their passions in the enjoyment of this
+world, while they still retained in their own hands the means of
+salvation; therefore, we find that Constantine, although he accepted the
+faith, did not get baptized until he was on his death-bed, as he wished
+to continue, as long as possible, the wicked life he was leading. Mr.
+Gibbon, speaking of him, says:
+
+     "The example and reputation of Constantine seemed to
+     countenance the delay of baptism. Future tyrants were
+     encouraged to believe, that the innocent blood which they
+     might shed in a long reign would instantly be washed away in
+     the waters of regeneration; and the abuse of religion
+     dangerously undermined the foundations of moral
+     virtue."[445:4]
+
+Eusebius, in his "Life of Constantine," tells us that:
+
+     "_When he thought that he was near his death_, he confessed
+     his sins, desiring pardon for them of God, and was baptized.
+
+     "Before doing so, he assembled the bishops of Nicomedia
+     together, and spake thus unto them:
+
+     "'Brethren, the salvation which I have earnestly desired of
+     God these many years, I do now this day expect. It is time
+     therefore that we should be sealed and signed with the badge
+     of immortality. And though I proposed to receive it in the
+     river Jordan, in which our Saviour for our example was
+     baptized, yet God, knowing what is fittest for me, hath
+     appointed that I shall receive it in this place, _therefore
+     let me not be delayed_.'"
+
+     "And so, after the service of baptism was read, they baptized
+     him with all the ceremonies belonging to this mysterious
+     sacrament. So that Constantine was the first of all the
+     emperors who was regenerated by the new birth of baptism, and
+     that was signed with the sign of the cross."[446:1]
+
+When Constantine had heard the good news from the Christian monk from
+Egypt, he commenced by conferring many dignities on the Christians, and
+those only who were addicted to Christianity, he made governors of his
+provinces, &c.[446:2] He then issued edicts against heretics,--_i. e._,
+those who, like Arius, did not believe that Christ was "_of one
+substance with the Father_," and others--calling them "enemies of truth
+and eternal life," "authors and councillors of death," &c.[446:3] He
+"_commanded by law_" that none should dare "to meet at conventicles,"
+and that "all places where they were wont to keep their meetings should
+be _demolished_," or "confiscated to the Catholic church;"[446:4] _and
+Constantine was emperor_. "By this means," says Eusebius, "_such as
+maintained doctrines and opinions contrary to the church, were
+suppressed._"[446:5]
+
+This Constantine, says Eusebius:
+
+     "Caused his image to be engraven on his gold coins, in the
+     form of prayer, with his hands joined together, and looking up
+     towards Heaven." "And over divers gates of his palace, he was
+     drawn praying, and lifting up his hands and eyes to
+     heaven."[446:6]
+
+After his death, "effigies of this blessed man" were engraved on the
+Roman coins, "sitting in and driving a chariot, and a hand reached down
+from heaven to receive and take him up."[446:7]
+
+The hopes of wealth and honors, the example of an emperor, his
+exhortations, his irresistible smiles, diffused conviction among the
+venal and obsequious crowds which usually fill the apartments of a
+palace, and as the lower ranks of society are governed by example, the
+conversion of those who possessed any eminence of birth, of power, or of
+riches, _was soon followed by dependent multitudes_. Constantine passed
+a law which gave freedom to all the slaves who should embrace
+Christianity, and to those who were not slaves, he gave a white garment
+and twenty pieces of gold, upon their embracing the Christian faith. The
+common people were thus _purchased_ at such an easy rate that, in one
+year, _twelve thousand men were baptised at Rome_, besides a
+proportionable number of women and children.[447:1]
+
+To suppress the opinions of philosophers, which were contrary to
+Christianity, the Christian emperors published edicts. The respective
+decrees of the emperors Constantine and Theodosius,[447:2] generally ran
+in the words, "that all writings adverse to the claims of the Christian
+religion, in the possession of whomsoever they should be found, should
+be committed to the fire," as the pious emperors would not that those
+things tending to provoke God to wrath, should be allowed to offend the
+minds of the piously disposed.
+
+The following is a decree of the Emperor Theodosius of this purport:
+
+     "We decree, therefore, that all writings, whatever, which
+     Porphyry or anyone else hath written against the Christian
+     religion, in the possession of whomsoever they shall be found
+     should be committed to the fire; for we would not suffer any
+     of those things so much as to come to men's ears, which tend
+     to provoke God to wrath and offend the minds of the
+     _pious_."[447:3]
+
+A similar decree of the emperor for establishing the doctrine of the
+Trinity, concludes with an admonition to all who shall object to it,
+that,
+
+     "Besides the condemnation of divine justice, they must expect
+     to suffer the severe penalties, which _our_ authority, guided
+     by heavenly wisdom, may think proper to inflict upon
+     them."[447:4]
+
+This orthodox emperor (Theodosius) considered every heretic (as he
+called those who did not believe as he and his ecclesiastics
+_professed_) a rebel against the supreme powers of heaven and of earth
+(he being one of the supreme powers of earth), _and each of the powers_
+might exercise their peculiar jurisdiction _over the soul and body of
+the guilty_.
+
+The decrees of the Council of Constantinople had ascertained the _true_
+standard of the faith, _and the ecclesiastics, who governed the
+conscience of Theodosius, suggested the most effectual methods of
+persecution_. In the space of fifteen years he promulgated at least
+fifteen severe edicts against the heretics, _more especially against
+those who rejected the doctrine of the Trinity_.[448:1]
+
+_Arius_ (the presbyter of whom we have spoken in Chapter XXXV., as
+declaring that, in the nature of things, _a father must be older than
+his son_) was _excommunicated_ for his so-called _heretical_ notions
+concerning the Trinity. His followers, who were very numerous, were
+called Arians. Their writings, _if they had been permitted to
+exist_,[448:2] would undoubtedly contain the lamentable story of the
+persecution which affected the church under the reign of the impious
+Emperor _Theodosius_.
+
+In Asia Minor the people were persecuted by orders of Constantius, and
+these orders were more than obeyed by Macedonius. The civil and military
+powers were ordered to obey his commands; the consequence was, he
+disgraced the reign of Constantius. "The rites of baptism were conferred
+on women and children, who, for that purpose, had been torn from the
+arms of their friends and parents; the mouths of the communicants were
+held open by a wooden engine, while the consecrated bread was forced
+down their throats; the breasts of tender virgins were either burned
+with red-hot egg-shells, or inhumanly compressed between sharp and heavy
+boards."[448:3] The principal assistants of Macedonius--the tool of
+Constantius--in the work of persecution, were the two bishops of
+Nicomedia and Cyzicus, who were esteemed for their virtues, and
+especially for their charity.[448:4]
+
+Julian, the successor of Constantius, has described some of the
+theological calamities which afflicted the empire, and more especially
+in the East, in the reign of a prince who was the slave of his own
+passions, and of those of his eunuchs: "Many were imprisoned, and
+persecuted, and driven into exile. Whole troops of those who are styled
+_heretics_ were massacred, particularly at Cyzicus, and at Samosata. In
+Paphlagonia, Bithynia, Gallatia, and in many other provinces, towns and
+villages were laid waste, and utterly destroyed."[449:1]
+
+Persecutions in the name of Christ Jesus were inflicted on the heathen
+in most every part of the then known world. Even among the Norwegians,
+the Christian sword was unsheathed. They clung tenaciously to the
+worship of their forefathers, and numbers of them died real martyrs for
+their faith, after suffering the most cruel torments from their
+persecutors. It was by sheer compulsion that the Norwegians embraced
+Christianity. The reign of Olaf Tryggvason, a Christian king of Norway,
+was in fact entirely devoted to the propagation of the new faith, by
+means the most revolting to humanity. His general practice was to enter
+a district at the head of a formidable force, summon a _Thing_,[449:2]
+and give the people the alternative of fighting with him, or of being
+baptized. Most of them, of course, preferred baptism to the risk of a
+battle with an adversary so well prepared for combat; and the recusants
+were tortured to death with fiend-like ferocity, and their estates
+confiscated.[449:3]
+
+These are some of the reasons "why Christianity prospered."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+NOTE.--The learned Christian historian Pagi endeavors to smoothe over
+the crimes of Constantine. He says: "As for those few murders (which
+Eusebius says nothing about), had he thought it worth his while to refer
+to them, he would perhaps, with Baronius himself have said, that the
+young Licinius (his infant nephew), although the fact might not
+generally have been known, had most likely been an accomplice in the
+treason of his father. That as to the murder of his son, the Emperor is
+rather to be considered as unfortunate than as criminal. And with
+respect to his putting his wife to death, he ought to be pronounced
+rather a just and righteous judge. As for his numerous friends, whom
+Eutropius informs us he put to death one after another, we are bound to
+believe that most of them deserved it, and they were found out to have
+abused the Emperor's too great credulity, for the gratification of their
+own inordinate wickedness, and insatiable avarice; and such no doubt was
+that SOPATER the philosopher, who was at last put to death upon the
+accusation of Adlabius, and that by the righteous dispensation of God,
+for his having attempted to alienate the mind of Constantine from the
+true religion." (_Pagi Ann._ 324, quoted in Latin by Dr. Lardner, vol.
+iv. p. 371, in his notes for the benefit of the _learned_ reader, but
+gives no rendering into English.)
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[419:1] "Numerous bodies of ascetics (Therapeutae), especially near Lake
+Mareotis, devoted themselves to discipline and study, abjuring society
+and labor, and often forgetting, it is said, the simplest wants of
+nature, in contemplating the hidden wisdom of the _Scriptures_. Eusebius
+even claimed them as _Christians_; and some of the forms of monasticism
+were evidently modeled after the _Therapeutae_." (Smith's Bible
+Dictionary, art. "_Alexandria_.")
+
+[420:1] Comp. Matt. vi. 33; Luke, xii. 31.
+
+[420:2] Comp. Matt. vi. 19-21.
+
+[420:3] Comp. Matt. xix. 21; Luke, xii. 33.
+
+[420:4] Comp. Acts, ii. 44, 45; iv. 32-34; John, xii. 6; xiii. 29.
+
+[420:5] Comp. Matt. xx. 25-28; Mark, ix. 35-37; x. 42-45.
+
+[420:6] Comp. Matt. xxiii. 8-10.
+
+[420:7] Comp. Matt. v. 5; xi. 29.
+
+[420:8] Comp. Mark, xvi. 17; Matt. x. 8; Luke, ix. 1, 2; x. 9.
+
+[420:9] Comp. Matt. v. 34.
+
+[420:10] Comp. Matt. x. 9, 10.
+
+[421:1] Comp. Luke, xxii. 36.
+
+[421:2] Comp. Matt. xix. 10-12; I. Cor. viii.
+
+[421:3] Comp. Rom. xii. 1.
+
+[421:4] Comp. I. Cor. xiv. 1, 39.
+
+[421:5] The above comparisons have been taken from Ginsburg's "Essenes,"
+to which the reader is referred for a more lengthy observation on the
+subject.
+
+[421:6] Ginsburg's Essenes, p. 24.
+
+[421:7] "We hear very little of them after A. D. 40; and there can
+hardly be any doubt that, owing to the great similarity existing between
+their precepts and practices and those of primitive Christians, the
+Essenes _as a body_ must have embraced Christianity." (Dr. Ginsburg, p.
+27.)
+
+[422:1] This will be alluded to in another chapter.
+
+[422:2] It was believed by some that the order of _Essenes_ was
+instituted by Elias, and some writers asserted that there was a regular
+succession of hermits upon Mount Carmel from the time of the prophets to
+that of Christ, and that the hermits embraced Christianity at an early
+period. (See Ginsburgh's Essenes, and Hardy's Eastern Monachism, p.
+358.)
+
+[422:3] King's Gnostics and their Remains, p. 1.
+
+[422:4] Ibid. p. 6.
+
+[422:5] King's Gnostics, p. 23.
+
+[422:6] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2, ch. xvii.
+
+[423:1] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2, ch. xvii.
+
+[423:2] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. vii. "The New Testament is the
+Essene-Nazarene Glad Tidings! Adon, Adoni, Adonis, style of worship."
+(S. F. Dunlap: Son of the Man, p. iii.)
+
+[423:3] Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 747; vol. ii. p. 34.
+
+[423:4] "In this," says Mr. Lillie, "he was supported by philosophers of
+the calibre of Schilling and Schopenhauer, and the great Sanscrit
+authority, Lassen. Renan also sees traces of this Buddhist propagandism
+in Palestine before the Christian era. Hilgenfeld, Mutter, Bohlen, King,
+all admit the Buddhist influence. Colebrooke saw a striking similarity
+between the Buddhist philosophy and that of the Pythagoreans. Dean
+Milman was convinced that the Therapeuts sprung from the 'contemplative
+and indolent fraternities' of India." And, he might have added, the Rev.
+Robert Taylor in his "_Diegesis_," and Godfrey Higgins in his
+"Anacalypsis," have brought strong arguments to bear in support of this
+theory.
+
+[424:1] Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. vi.
+
+[424:2] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 121.
+
+[424:3] Ibid. p. 240.
+
+[425:1] "The Essenes abounded in Egypt, especially about Alexandria."
+(Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2, ch. xvii.)
+
+[425:2] Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 255.
+
+[426:1] Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 179.
+
+[426:2] This is clearly shown by Mr. Higgins in his Anacalypsis. It
+should be remembered that Gautama Buddha, the "Angel-Messiah," and
+Cyrus, the "Anointed" of the Lord, are placed about six hundred years
+before Jesus, the "Anointed." This cycle of six hundred years was called
+the "_great year_." Josephus, the Jewish historian, alludes to it when
+speaking of the patriarchs that lived to a great age. "God afforded them
+a longer time of life," says he, "on account of their virtue, and the
+good use they made of it in astronomical and geometrical discoveries,
+which would not have afforded the time for foretelling (the periods of
+the stars), unless they had lived _six hundred years_; for the _great
+year_ is completed in that interval." (Josephus, Antiq., bk. i. c. iii.)
+"From this cycle of _six hundred_," says Col. Vallancey, "came the name
+of the bird Phoenix, called by the Egyptians Phenu, with the well-known
+story of its going to Egypt to burn itself on the altar of the Sun (at
+Heliopolis) and rise again from its ashes, at the end of a certain
+period."
+
+[426:3] "Philo's writings prove the probability, almost rising to a
+certainty, that already in his time the Essenes did expect an
+Angel-Messiah as one of a series of divine incarnations. Within about
+fifty years after Philo's death, Elkesai the Essene probably applied
+this doctrine to Jesus, and it was promulgated in Rome about the same
+time, if not earlier, by the Pseudo-Clementines." (Bunsen: The
+Angel-Messiah, p. 118.)
+
+"There was, at this time (_i. e._, at the time of the birth of Jesus), a
+prevalent expectation that some remarkable personage was about to appear
+in Judea. The Jews were anxiously looking for the coming of the
+_Messiah_. By computing the time mentioned by Daniel (ch. ix. 23-27),
+they knew that the period was approaching when the Messiah should
+appear. This personage, _they supposed_, would be a temporal prince, and
+they were expecting that he would deliver them from Roman bondage. _It
+was natural that this expectation should spread into other countries._"
+(Barnes' Notes, vol. i. p. 27.)
+
+[427:1] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 273.
+
+[427:2] See Lardner's Works, vol. viii. p. 353.
+
+[427:3] Apol. 1, ch. xxvi.
+
+[428:1] See Lardner's Works, vol. viii. p. 593.
+
+[428:2] Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. i. ch. xvii.
+
+[429:1] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 3, ch. xxiii.
+
+[429:2] Ibid. lib. 7, ch. xxx.
+
+[429:3] The death of Manes, according to Socrates, was as follows: The
+King of Persia, hearing that he was in Mesopotamia, "made him to be
+apprehended, flayed him alive, took his skin, filled it full of chaff,
+and hanged it at the gates of the city." (Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. xv.)
+
+[430:1] Plato in Apolog. Anac., ii. p. 189.
+
+[431:1] Mark, xiii. 21, 22.
+
+[432:1] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 79.
+
+[433:1] Frothingham's Cradle of the Christ.
+
+[433:2] "The prevailing opinion of the Rabbis and the people alike, in
+Christ's day, was, that the Messiah would be simply a great prince, who
+should found a kingdom of matchless splendor." "With a few, however, the
+conception of the Messiah's kingdom was pure and lofty. . . . Daniel,
+and all who wrote after him, painted the 'Expected One' as a _heavenly
+being_. He was the 'messenger,' the 'Elect of God,' appointed from
+eternity, to appear in due time, and _redeem_ his people." (Geikie's
+Life of Christ, vol. i. pp. 80, 81.)
+
+In the book of _Daniel_, by some supposed to have been written during
+the captivity, by others as late as Antiochus Epiphanes (B. C. 75), the
+restoration of the Jews is described in tremendous language, and the
+Messiah is portrayed as a supernatural personage, in close relation with
+Jehovah himself. In the book of Enoch, supposed to have been written at
+various intervals between 144 and 120 (B. C.) and to have been completed
+in its present form in the first half of the second century that
+preceded the advent of Jesus, the figure of the Messiah is invested with
+superhuman attributes. He is called "The Son of God," "whose name was
+spoken before the Sun was made;" "who existed from the beginning in the
+presence of God," that is, was pre-existent. At the same time his human
+characteristics are insisted on. He is called "Son of Man," even "Son of
+Woman," "The Anointed" or "The Christ," "The Righteous One," &c.
+(Frothingham: The Cradle of the Christ, p. 20.)
+
+[433:3] This is clearly seen from the statement made by the Matthew
+narrator (xvii. 9-13) that the disciples of Christ Jesus supposed John
+the Baptist was Elias.
+
+[434:1] Isaiah, xlv. 1.
+
+[434:2] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 17.
+
+[434:3] Quoted in Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 51.
+
+[434:4] Hieron ad Nep. Quoted Volney's Ruins, p. 177, _note_.
+
+[434:5] See his Eccl. Hist., viii. 21.
+
+[435:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. pp. 79, 80.
+
+[435:2] "On voit dans l'histoire que j'ai rapportee une sorte
+d'hypocrisie, qui n'a peut-etre ete que trop commune dans tous les tems.
+C'est que des ecclesiastiques, non-seulement ne disent pas ce qu'ils
+pensent, mais disent tout le contraire de ce qu'ils pensent. Philosophes
+dans leur cabinet, hors dela, ils content des fables, quoiqu'ils sachent
+bien que ce sont des fables. Ils font plus; ils livrent au bourreau des
+gens de biens, pour l'avoir dit. Combiens d'athees et de profanes ont
+fait bruler de saints personnages, sous pretexte d'heresie? Tous les
+jours des hypocrites, consacrent et font adorer l'hostie, bien qu'ils
+soient aussi convaincus que moi, que ce n'est qu'un morceau de pain."
+(Tom. 2, p. 568.)
+
+[435:3] On the Use of the Fathers, pp. 36, 37.
+
+[435:4] Quoted in Taylor's Syntagma, p. 170.
+
+[435:5] Mosheim: vol. 1, p. 198.
+
+[435:6] "Postremo illud quoque me vehementer movet, quod videam primis
+ecclesiae temporibus, quam plurimos extitisse, qui facinus palmarium
+judicabant, caelestem veritatem, figmentis suis ire adjutum, quo facilius
+nova doctrina a gentium sapientibus admitteretur Officiosa haec mendacia
+vocabant bono fine exeogitata." (Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 44, and
+Giles' Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 19.)
+
+[436:1] See the Vision of Hermas, b. 2, c. iii.
+
+[436:2] Mosheim, vol. i. p. 197. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 47.
+
+[436:3] Dr. Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 99.
+
+[436:4] "Continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved
+away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
+preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made
+a minister." (Colossians, i. 23.)
+
+[436:5] "Being crafty, I caught you with guile." (II. Cor. xii. 16.)
+
+[436:6] "For if the truth of God had more abounded _through my lie_ unto
+his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner." (Romans, iii. 7.)
+
+[437:1] "Si me tamen audire velis, mallem te paenas has dicere
+indefinitas quam infinitas. Sed veniet dies, cum non minus absurda,
+habebitur et odiosa haec opinio quam transubstantiatio hodie." (De Statu
+Mort., p. 304. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 43.)
+
+[437:2] Quoted in Taylor's Syntagma, p. 52.
+
+Among the ancients, there were many stories current of countries, the
+inhabitants of which were of peculiar size, form or features. Our
+Christian saint evidently believed these tales, and thinking thus,
+sought to make others believe them. We find the following examples
+related by _Herodotus_: "Aristeas, son of Caystrobius, a native of
+Proconesus, says in his epic verses that, inspired by Apollo, he came to
+the Issedones; that beyond the Issedones dwell the Arimaspians, _a
+people that have only one eye_." (Herodotus, book iv. ch. 13.) "When one
+has passed through a considerable extent of the rugged country (of the
+Seythians), a people are found living at the foot of lofty mountains,
+_who are said to be all bald from their birth_, both men and women
+alike, and they are flat-nosed, and have large chins." (Ibid. ch. 23.)
+"These bald men say, what to me is incredible, that _men with goat's
+feet_ inhabit these mountains; and when one has passed beyond them,
+other men are found, _who sleep six months at a time_, but this I do not
+at all admit." (Ibid. ch. 24.) In the country westward of Libya, "there
+are enormous serpents, and lions, elephants, bears, asps, and asses with
+horns, and monsters with dog's heads and without heads, _who have eyes
+in their breasts_, at least, as the Libyans say, and wild men and wild
+women, and many other wild beasts which are not fabulous." (Ibid. ch.
+192.)
+
+[438:1] Nicodemus, Apoc., ch. xii.
+
+[438:2] See Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. xiv.
+
+[438:3] Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. xiii.
+
+[438:4] In year 1444, Caxton published the first book ever printed in
+England. In 1474, the then Bishop of London, in a convocation of his
+clergy, said: "_If we do not destroy this dangerous invention, it will
+one day destroy us._" (See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 4.) The
+reader should compare this with Pope Leo X.'s avowal that, "_it is well
+known how profitable this fable of Christ has been to us_;" and
+Archdeacon Paley's declaration that "_he could ill afford to have a
+conscience_."
+
+[438:5] _Porphyry_, who flourished about the year 270 A. D., a man of
+great abilities, published a large work of fifteen books against the
+Christians. "His objections against Christianity," says Dr. Lardner,
+"were in esteem with Gentile people for a long while; and the Christians
+were not insensible of the importance of his work; as may be concluded
+from the several answers made to it by Eusebius, and others in great
+repute for learning." (Vol. viii. p. 158.) There are but fragments of
+these _fifteen_ books remaining, _Christian magistrates_ having ordered
+them to be destroyed. (Ibid.)
+
+[438:6] _Hierocles_ was a Neo-Platonist, who lived at Alexandria about
+the middle of the fifth century, and enjoyed a great reputation. He was
+the author of a great number of works, a few extracts of which alone
+remain.
+
+[438:7] _Celsus_ was an Epicurean philosopher, who lived in the second
+century A. D. He wrote a work called "The True Word," against
+Christianity, but as it has been destroyed we know nothing about it.
+Origen claims to give quotations from it.
+
+[440:1] Draper: Religion and Science, pp. 18-21.
+
+[440:2] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 146.
+
+[441:1] Draper: Religion and Science, pp. 55, 56. See also, Socrates'
+Eccl. Hist., lib. 7, ch. xv.
+
+[442:1] We have seen this particularly in the cases of Crishna and
+Buddha. Mr. Cox, speaking of the former, says: "If it be urged that the
+attribution to Crishna of qualities or powers belonging to the other
+deities is a mere device by which _his_ devotees sought to supersede the
+more ancient gods, _the answer must be that nothing has been done in his
+case which has not been done in the case of almost every other member of
+the great company of the gods_." (Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 130.)
+These words apply to the case we have before us. Jesus was simply
+attributed with the qualities or powers which _had been previously
+attributed to other deities_. This we hope to be able to fully
+demonstrate in our chapter on "_Explanation_."
+
+[443:1] "Dogma of the Deity of Jesus Christ," p. 41.
+
+[444:1] Adherents of the old religion of Russia have been persecuted in
+that country within the past year, and even in enlightened England, a
+gentleman has been persecuted by government officials because he
+believes in neither a personal God or a personal Devil.
+
+[444:2] Renan, Hibbert Lectures, p. 22.
+
+[444:3] The following are the names of his victims:
+
+     Maximian,      His wife's father,        A. D. 310
+     Bassianus,     His sister's husband,     A. D. 314
+     Licinius,      His nephew,               A. D. 319
+     Fausta,        His wife,                 A. D. 320
+     Sopater,       His former friend,        A. D. 321
+     Licinius,      His sister's husband,     A. D. 325
+     Crispus,       His own son,              A. D. 326
+
+Dr. Lardner, in speaking of the murders committed by this Christian
+saint, is constrained to say that: "The death of Crispus is altogether
+without any _good_ excuse, so likewise is the death of the young
+Licinianus, who could not have been more than a little above eleven
+years of age, and appears not to have been charged with any fault, and
+could hardly be suspected of any."
+
+[444:4] The Emperor Nero could not be _baptized_ and be initiated into
+Pagan Mysteries--as Constantine was initiated into those of the
+Christians--on account of the murder of his mother. And he did not dare
+to _compel_--which he certainly could have done--the priests to initiate
+him.
+
+[444:5] Zosimus, in Socrates, lib. iii. ch. xl.
+
+[445:1] "The sacrament of baptism was supposed to contain a full and
+absolute expiation of sin; and the soul was instantly restored to its
+original purity and entitled to the promise of eternal salvation. Among
+the proselytes of Christianity, there were many who judged it imprudent
+to precipitate a salutary rite, which could not be repeated. By the
+delay of their baptism, they could venture freely to indulge their
+passions in the enjoyments of this world, while they still retained in
+their own hands the means of a sure and speedy absolution." (Gibbon: ii.
+pp. 272, 273.)
+
+[445:2] "Constantine, as he was praying about noon-tide, God showed him
+a vision in the sky, which was the sign of the cross lively figured in
+the air, with this inscription on it: 'In hoc vince;' that is, 'By this
+overcome.'" This is the story as related by Eusebius (Life of
+Constantine, lib. 1, ch. xxii.), but it must be remembered that Eusebius
+acknowledged that he told falsehoods. That night Christ appeared unto
+Constantine in his dream, and commanded him to make the figure of the
+cross which he had seen, and to wear it in his _banner_ when he went to
+battle with his enemies. (See Eusebius' Life of Constantine, lib. 1, ch.
+xxiii. See also, Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. ii.)
+
+[445:3] Dupuis, p. 405.
+
+[445:4] Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. p. 373. The Fathers, who censured this
+criminal delay, could not deny the certain and victorious efficacy even
+of a death-bed baptism. The ingenious rhetoric of Chrysostom (A. D.
+347-407) could find only three arguments against these prudent
+Christians. 1. "That we should love and pursue virtue for her own sake,
+and not merely for the reward. 2. That we may be surprised by death
+without an opportunity of baptism. 3. That although we shall be placed
+in heaven, we shall only twinkle like little stars, when compared to the
+suns of righteousness who have run their appointed course with labor,
+with success, and with glory." (Chrysostom in Epist. ad Hebraeos. Homil.
+xiii. Quoted in Gibbon's "Rome," ii. 272.)
+
+[446:1] Lib. 4, chs. lxi. and lxii., and Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2,
+ch. xxvi.
+
+[446:2] Eusebius: Life of Constantine, lib. 2, ch. xliii.
+
+[446:3] Ibid. lib. 3, ch. lxii.
+
+[446:4] Ibid. lib. 3, ch. lxiii.
+
+[446:5] Ibid. lib. 3, ch. lxiv.
+
+[446:6] Ibid. lib. 4, ch. xv.
+
+[446:7] Ibid. ch. lxiii.
+
+Plato places the ferocious tyrants in the Tartarus, such as Ardiacus of
+Pamphylia, who had slain his own father, a venerable old man, also an
+elder brother, and was stained with a great many other crimes.
+Constantine, covered with similar crimes, was better treated by the
+Christians, who have sent him to heaven, and _sainted_ him besides.
+
+[447:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. p. 274.
+
+[447:2] "Theodosius, though a professor of the orthodox Christian faith,
+was not baptized till 380, and his behavior after that period stamps him
+as one of the most cruel and vindictive persecutors who ever wore the
+purple. His arbitrary establishment of the Nicene faith over the whole
+empire, the deprivation of civil rites of all apostates from
+Christianity and of the Eunomians, the sentence of death on the
+Manicheans, and Quarto-decimans all prove this." (Chambers's Encyclo.,
+art. Theodosius.)
+
+[447:3] Quoted in Taylor's Syntagma, p. 54.
+
+[447:4] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 81.
+
+[448:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. pp. 91, 92.
+
+[448:2] All their writings were ordered to be destroyed.
+
+[448:3] Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. p. 359.
+
+[448:4] Ibid. note 154.
+
+[449:1] Julian: Epistol. lii. p. 436. Quoted in Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii.
+p. 360.
+
+[449:2] "_Thing_"--a general assembly of the freemen, who gave their
+assent to a measure by striking their shields with their drawn swords.
+
+[449:3] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, pp. 180, 351, and 470.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVIII.
+
+THE ANTIQUITY OF PAGAN RELIGIONS.
+
+
+We shall now compare the great antiquity of the sacred books and
+religions of Paganism with those of the Christian, so that there may be
+no doubt as to which is the original, and which the copy. Allusions to
+this subject have already been made throughout this work, we shall
+therefore devote as little space to it here as possible.
+
+In speaking of the sacred literature of India, Prof. Monier Williams
+says:
+
+     "Sanskrit literature, embracing as it does nearly every branch
+     of knowledge is entirely deficient in one department. It is
+     wholly destitute of trustworthy historical records. Hence,
+     little or nothing is known of the lives of ancient Indian
+     authors, and the dates of their most celebrated works cannot
+     be fixed with certainty. A fair conjecture, however, may be
+     arrived at by comparing the most ancient with the more modern
+     compositions, and estimating the period of time required to
+     effect the changes of structure and idiom observable in the
+     language. In this manner we may be justified in assuming that
+     the hymns of the Veda were probably composed by a succession
+     of poets at different dates between 1500 and 1000 years B.
+     C."[450:1]
+
+Prof. Wm. D. Whitney shows the great antiquity of the Vedic hymns from
+the fact that,
+
+     "The language of the Vedas is an _older_ dialect, varying very
+     considerably, both in its grammatical and lexical character,
+     from the classical Sanscrit."
+
+And M. de Coulanges, in his "Ancient City," says:
+
+     "We learn from the hymns of the _Vedas_, which are certainly
+     very ancient, and from the laws of Manu," "what the Aryans of
+     the east thought nearly thirty-five centuries ago."[450:2]
+
+That the _Vedas_ are of very high antiquity is unquestionable; but
+however remote we may place the period when they were written, we must
+necessarily presuppose that the Hindostanic race had already attained
+to a comparatively high degree of civilization, otherwise men capable of
+framing such doctrines could not have been found. Now this state of
+civilization must necessarily have been preceded by several centuries of
+barbarism, during which we cannot possibly admit a more refined faith
+than the popular belief in elementary deities.
+
+We shall see in our next chapter that these very ancient Vedic hymns
+contain the _origin_ of the legend of the Virgin-born God and Saviour,
+the great benefactor of mankind, who is finally put to death, and rises
+again to life and immortality on the third day.
+
+The _Geetas_ and _Puranas_, although of a comparatively modern date,
+are, as we have already seen, nevertheless composed of matter to be
+found in the two great epic poems, the _Ramayana_ and the _Mahabharata_,
+which were written many centuries before the time assigned as that of
+the birth of Christ Jesus.[451:1]
+
+The Pali sacred books, which contain the legend of the virgin-born God
+and Saviour--Sommona Cadom--are known to have been in existence 316 B.
+C.[451:2]
+
+We have already seen that the religion known as Buddhism, and which
+corresponds in such a striking manner with Christianity, has now existed
+for upwards of twenty-four hundred years.[451:3]
+
+Prof. Rhys Davids says:
+
+     "There is every reason to believe that the _Pitakas_ (the
+     sacred books which contain the legend of 'The Buddha'), now
+     extant in Ceylon, are substantially identical with the books
+     of the Southern Canon, as settled at the Council of Patna
+     about the year 250 B. C.[451:4] As no works would have been
+     received into the Canon which were not _then_ believed to be
+     very old, the _Pitakas_ may be approximately placed in the
+     _fourth century_ B. C., and parts of them possibly reach back
+     very nearly, if not quite, to the time of Gautama
+     himself."[451:5]
+
+The religion of the ancient _Persians_, which corresponds in so very
+many respects with that of the Christians, was established by
+Zoroaster--who was undoubtedly a Brahman[451:6]--and is contained in
+the _Zend-Avesta_, their sacred book or Bible. This book is very
+ancient. Prof. Max Mueller speaks of "the sacred book of the
+Zoroastrians" as being "older in its language than the cuneiform
+inscriptions of Cyrus (B. C. 560), Darius (B. C. 520), and Xerxes (B. C.
+485) those ancient Kings of Persia, who knew that they were kings by the
+grace of _Auramazda_, and who placed his sacred image high on the
+mountain-records of Behistun."[452:1] That ancient book, or its
+fragments, at least, have survived many dynasties and kingdoms, and is
+still believed in by a small remnant of the Persian race, now settled at
+Bombay, and known all over the world by the name of Parsees.[452:2]
+
+"The Babylonian and Phenician sacred books date back to a fabulous
+antiquity;"[452:3] and so do the sacred books and religion of Egypt.
+
+Prof. Mahaffy, in his "Prolegomena to Ancient History," says:
+
+     "There is indeed hardly a great and fruitful idea in the
+     Jewish or Christian systems which has not its analogy in the
+     Egyptian faith, and _all these theological conceptions pervade
+     the oldest religion of Egypt_."[452:4]
+
+The worship of Osiris, the Lord and Saviour, must have been of extremely
+ancient date, for he is represented as "Judge of the Dead," in
+sculptures contemporary with the building of the Pyramids, centuries
+before Abraham is said to have been born. Among the many hieroglyphic
+titles which accompany his figure in those sculptures, and in many other
+places on the walls of temples and tombs, are, "Lord of Life," "The
+Eternal Ruler," "Manifester of Good," "Revealer of Truth," "Full of
+Goodness and Truth," etc.
+
+In speaking of the "Myth of Osiris," Mr. Bonwick says:
+
+     "This great mystery of the Egyptians demands serious
+     consideration. Its antiquity--its universal hold upon the
+     people for over five thousand years--its identification with
+     the very life of the nation--_and its marvellous likeness to
+     the creed of modern date_, unite in exciting the greatest
+     interest."[452:5]
+
+This myth, and that of Isis and Horus, were known before the Pyramid
+time.[453:1]
+
+The worship of the Virgin Mother in Egypt--from which country it was
+imported into Europe[453:2]--dates back thousands of years B. C. Mr.
+Bonwick says:
+
+     "In all probability she was worshiped three thousand years
+     before Moses wrote. 'Isis nursing her child Horus, was
+     represented,' says Mariette Bey, 'at least six thousand years
+     ago.' We read the name of Isis on monuments of the fourth
+     dynasty, and she lost none of her popularity to the close of
+     the empire."
+
+     "The Egyptian Bible is by far the most ancient of all holy
+     books." "Plato was told that Egypt possessed hymns dating back
+     ten thousand years before his time."[453:3]
+
+Bunsen says:
+
+     "The origin of the ancient prayers and hymns of the 'Book of
+     the Dead,' is anterior to Menes; it implies that the system of
+     Osirian worship and mythology was already formed."[453:4]
+
+And, says Mr. Bonwick:
+
+     "Besides opinions, we have facts as a basis for arriving at a
+     conclusion, and justifying the assertion of Dr. Birch, that
+     the work dated from a period long anterior to the rise of
+     Ammon worship at Thebes."[453:5]
+
+Now, "this most ancient of all holy books," establishes the fact that a
+virgin-born and resurrected Saviour was worshiped in Egypt thousands of
+year before the time of Christ Jesus.
+
+P. Le Page Renouf says:
+
+     "The _earliest monuments_ which have been discovered present
+     to us the _very same_ fully-developed civilization and the
+     _same religion_ as the later monuments. . . . The gods whose
+     names appear in the _oldest tombs_ were worshiped down to the
+     Christian times. The same kind of priesthoods which are
+     mentioned in the tablets of Canopus and Rosetta in the
+     Ptolemaic period are as ancient as the pyramids, and more
+     ancient than any pyramid of which we know the date."[453:6]
+
+In regard to the doctrine of the _Trinity_. We have just seen that "the
+development of the One God into a Trinity" pervades the oldest religion
+of Egypt, and the same may be said of India. Prof. Monier Williams,
+speaking on this subject, says:
+
+     "It should be observed that the native commentaries on the
+     Veda often allude to thirty-three gods, which number is also
+     mentioned in the Rig-Veda. This is a multiple of _three_,
+     which is a sacred number constantly appearing in the Hindu
+     religious system. It is probable, indeed, that although the
+     Tri-murti is not named in the Vedic hymns,[454:1] yet the
+     Veda is the real source of this Triad of personifications,
+     afterwards so conspicuous in Hindu mythology. This much, at
+     least, is clear, that the Vedic poets exhibited a tendency to
+     group all the forces and energies of nature under three heads,
+     and the assertion that the number of the gods was
+     thirty-three, amounted to saying that each of the three
+     leading personifications was capable of eleven
+     modifications."[454:2]
+
+The great antiquity of the legends referred to in this work is
+demonstrated in the fact that they were found in a great measure on the
+continent of America, by the first Europeans who set foot on its soil.
+Now, how did they get there? Mr. Lundy, in his "Monumental
+Christianity," speaking on this subject, says:
+
+     "So great was the resemblance between the two sacraments of
+     the Christian Church (viz., that of Baptism and the Eucharist)
+     and those of the ancient Mexicans; so many other points of
+     similarity, also, in _doctrine_ existed, as to the unity of
+     God, the Triad, the Creation, the Incarnation and Sacrifice,
+     the Resurrection, etc., that Herman Witsius, no mean scholar
+     and thinker, was induced to believe that Christianity had been
+     preached on this continent by some one of the apostles,
+     perhaps St. Thomas, from the fact that he is reported to have
+     carried the Gospel to India and Tartary, whence he came to
+     America."[454:3]
+
+Some writers, who do not think that St. Thomas could have gotten to
+America, believe that St. Patrick, or some other saint, must have, in
+some unaccountable manner, reached the shores of the Western continent,
+and preached their doctrine there.[454:4] Others have advocated the
+devil theory, which is, that the devil, being jealous of the worship of
+Christ Jesus, set up a religion of his own, and imitated, nearly as
+possible, the religion of Christ. All of these theories being untenable,
+we must, in the words of Burnouf, the eminent French Orientalist, "learn
+one day that all ancient traditions disfigured by emigration and legend,
+_belong to the history of India_."
+
+That America was inhabited by Asiatic emigrants, and that the American
+legends are of _Asiatic origin_, we believe to be indisputable. There is
+an abundance of proof to this effect.[454:5]
+
+In contrast to the great antiquity of the sacred books and religions of
+Paganism, we have the facts that the Gospels were not written by the
+persons whose names they bear, that they were written many years after
+the time these men are said to have lived, and that they are full of
+interpolations and errors. The first that we know of the four gospels
+is at the time of Irenaeus, who, in the second century, intimates that he
+had received four gospels, as authentic scriptures. This pious forger
+was probably the author of the _fourth_, as we shall presently see.
+
+Besides these gospels there were many more which were subsequently
+deemed apocryphal; the narratives related in them of Christ Jesus and
+his apostles were stamped as forgeries.
+
+"The Gospel according to Matthew" is believed by the majority of
+biblical scholars of the present day to be the oldest of the four, and
+to be made up principally of a pre-existing one, called "The Gospel of
+the Hebrews." The principal difference in these two gospels being that
+"_The Gospel of the Hebrews_" commenced with giving the genealogy of
+Jesus from David, through Joseph "_according to the flesh_." The story
+of Jesus being born of a virgin _was not to be found there_, it being an
+afterpiece, originating either with the writer of "_The Gospel according
+to Matthew_," or some one after him, and was evidently taken from "The
+Gospel of the Egyptians." "_The Gospel of the Hebrews_"--from which, we
+have said, the _Matthew_ narrator copied--_was an intensely Jewish
+gospel_, and was to be found--in one of its forms--among the Ebionites,
+who were the narrowest Jewish Christians of the second century. "_The
+Gospel according to Matthew_" is, therefore, the most Jewish gospel of
+the four; in fact, the most Jewish book in the New Testament, excepting,
+perhaps, the _Apocalypse_ and the _Epistle of James_.
+
+Some of the more conspicuous Jewish traits, to be found in this gospel,
+are as follows:
+
+Jesus is sent _only_ to the lost sheep of the house of _Israel_. The
+twelve are forbidden to go among the _Gentiles_ or the _Samaritans_.
+They are to sit on twelve thrones, _judging the twelve tribes of
+Israel_. The genealogy of Jesus is traced back to _Abraham_, and there
+stops.[455:1] The works of the _law_ are frequently insisted on. There
+is a superstitious regard for the _Sabbath_, &c.
+
+There is no evidence of the existence of the Gospel of Matthew,--_in its
+present form_--until the year 173, A. D. It is at this time, also, that
+it is first ascribed to Matthew, by Apollinaris, Bishop of Hierapolis.
+The original oracles of the Gospel of the Hebrews, however,--which were
+made use of by the author of our present Gospel of Matthew,--were
+written, likely enough, not long before the destruction of Jerusalem,
+but the Gospel itself dates from about A. D. 100.[456:1]
+
+"_The Gospel according to Luke_" is believed to come next--in
+chronological order--to that of Matthew, and to have been written some
+fifteen or twenty years after it. The author was a _foreigner_, as his
+writings plainly show that he was far removed from the events which he
+records.
+
+In writing his Gospel, the author made use of that of Matthew, the
+Gospel of the Hebrews, and Marcion's Gospel. He must have had, also,
+still other sources, as there are parables peculiar to it, which are not
+found in them. Among these may be mentioned that of the "_Prodigal
+Son_," and the "_Good Samaritan_." Other parables peculiar to it are
+that of the two debtors; the friend borrowing bread at night; the rich
+man's barns; Dives and Lazarus; the lost piece of silver; the unjust
+steward; the Pharisee and the Publican.
+
+Several miracles are also peculiar to the Luke narrator's Gospel, the
+raising of the widow of Nain's son being the most remarkable. Perhaps
+these stories were delivered to him _orally_, and perhaps _he is the
+author of them_,--we shall never know. The foundation of the legends,
+however, undoubtedly came from the "_certain scriptures_" of the Essenes
+in Egypt. The principal _object_ which the writer of this gospel had in
+view was to reconcile _Paulinism_ and the _more Jewish_ forms of
+Christianity.[456:2]
+
+The next in chronological order, according to the same school of
+critics, is "The Gospel according to Mark." This gospel is supposed to
+have been written within ten years of the former, and its author, as of
+the other two gospels, is unknown. It was probably written at _Rome_, as
+the Latinisms of the author's style, and the apparent motive of his
+work, strongly suggest that he was a Jewish citizen of the Eternal City.
+He made use of the Gospel of Matthew as his principal authority, and
+probably referred to that of Luke, as he has things in common with Luke
+only.
+
+The object which the writer had in view, was to have a neutral
+go-between, a compromise between Matthew as too Petrine (Jewish), and
+Luke as too Pauline (Gentile). The different aspects of Matthew and Luke
+were found to be confusing to believers, and provocative of hostile
+criticism from without; hence the idea of writing a shorter gospel, that
+should combine the most essential elements of both. Luke was itself a
+compromise between the opposing Jewish and universal tendencies of
+early Christianity, but Mark endeavors by avoidance and omission to
+effect what Luke did more by addition and contrast. Luke proposed to
+himself to open a door for the admission of Pauline ideas without
+offending Gentile Christianity; Mark, on the contrary, in a negative
+spirit, to publish a Gospel which should not hurt the feelings of either
+party. Hence his avoidance of all those disputed questions which
+disturbed the church during the first quarter of the second century. The
+genealogy of Jesus is omitted; this being offensive to Gentile
+Christians, and even to some of the more liberal Judaizers. The
+supernatural birth of Jesus is omitted, this being offensive to the
+Ebonitish (extreme Jewish) and some of the Gnostic Christians. For every
+Judaizing feature that is sacrificed, a universal one is also
+sacrificed. Hard words against the Jews are left out, but with equal
+care, hard words about the Gentiles.[457:1]
+
+We now come to the fourth, and last gospel, that "_according to John_,"
+which was not written until many years after that "according to
+Matthew."
+
+"It is impossible to pass from the Synoptic[457:2] Gospels," says Canon
+Westcott, "to the fourth, without feeling that the transition involves
+the passage from one world of thought to another. No familiarity with
+the general teachings of the Gospels, no wide conception of the
+character of the Saviour, is sufficient to destroy the contrast which
+exists in form and spirit between the earlier and later narratives."
+
+The discrepancies between the fourth and the Synoptic Gospels are
+numerous. If Jesus was the _man_ of Matthew's Gospel, he was not the
+_mysterious being_ of the fourth. If his ministry was only _one_ year
+long, it was not _three_. If he made but _one_ journey to Jerusalem, he
+did not make _many_. If his method of teaching was that of the
+Synoptics, it was not that of the fourth Gospel. If he was the _Jew_ of
+Matthew, he was not the _Anti-Jew_ of John.[457:3]
+
+Everywhere in John we come upon a more developed stage of Christianity
+than in the Synoptics. The scene, the atmosphere, is different. In the
+Synoptics Judaism, the Temple, the Law and the Messianic Kingdom are
+omnipresent. In John they are remote and vague. In Matthew Jesus is
+always yearning for _his own_ nation. In John he has no other sentiment
+for it than _hate and scorn_. In Matthew the sanction of the Prophets is
+his great credential. In John his dignity can tolerate no previous
+approximation.
+
+"Do we ask," says Francis Tiffany, "who wrote this wondrous Gospel?
+Mysterious its origin, as that wind of which its author speaks, which
+bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof and canst
+not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth. As with the Great Unknown
+of the book of Job, the Great Unknown of the later Isaiah, the ages keep
+his secret. _The first absolutely indisputable evidence of the existence
+of the book dates from the latter half of the second century._"
+
+The first that we know of the _fourth_ Gospel, for certainty, is at the
+time of Irenaeus (A. D. 179).[458:1] We look in vain for an express
+recognition of the _four_ canonical Gospels, or for a _distinct mention_
+of any one of them, in the writings of St. Clement (A. D. 96), St.
+Ignatius (A. D. 107), St. Justin (A. D. 140), or St. Polycarp (A. D.
+108). All we can find is incidents from the life of Jesus, sayings, etc.
+
+That Irenaeus is the author of it is very evident. This learned and pious
+forger says:
+
+     "John, the disciple of the Lord, wrote his Gospel to confute
+     the doctrine _lately_ taught by Cerinthus, and a great while
+     before by those called Nicolaitans, a branch of the Gnostics;
+     and to show that there is one God who made all things by his
+     WORD: and not, as they say, that there is one the Creator, and
+     another the Father of our Lord: and one the Son of the
+     Creator, and another, even the Christ, who descended from
+     above upon the Son of the Creator, and continued impassible,
+     and at length returned to his pleroma or fulness."[458:2]
+
+The idea of God having inspired _four_ different men to write a history
+of the _same transactions_,--or rather, of many different men having
+undertaken to write such a history, of whom God inspired _four only_ to
+write correctly, leaving the others to their own unaided resources, and
+giving us no test by which to distinguish the inspired from the
+uninspired--certainly appears self-confuting, and anything but natural.
+
+The reasons assigned by Irenaeus for there being _four_ Gospels are as
+follows:
+
+     "It is impossible that there could be more or less than
+     _four_. For there are _four_ climates, and _four_ cardinal
+     winds; but the Gospel is the pillar and foundation of the
+     church, and its breath of life. _The church therefore was to
+     have four pillars, blowing immortality from every quarter, and
+     giving life to man._"[459:1]
+
+It was by this Irenaeus, with the assistance of Clement of Alexandria,
+and Tertullian, one of the Latin Fathers, that the four Gospels were
+introduced into _general_ use among the Christians.
+
+In these four spurious Gospels, and in some which are considered
+_Apocryphal_--because the bishops at the Council of Laodicea (A. D. 365)
+rejected them--we have the only history of Jesus of Nazareth. Now, if
+all accounts or narratives of Christ Jesus and his Apostles were
+forgeries, as it is admitted that all the _Apocryphal_ ones were, what
+can the superior character of the received Gospels prove for them, but
+that they are merely superiorly executed forgeries? The existence of
+Jesus is implied in the New Testament outside of the Gospels, _but
+hardly an incident of his life is mentioned, hardly a sentence that he
+spoke has been preserved_. Paul, writing from twenty to thirty years
+after his death, has but a single reference to anything he ever said or
+did.
+
+Beside these four Gospels there were, as we said above, many others,
+for, in the words of Mosheim, the ecclesiastical historian:
+
+     "Not long after Christ's ascension into heaven, several
+     histories of his life and doctrines, full of _pious frauds_
+     and _fabulous wonders_, were composed by persons whose
+     intentions, perhaps, were not bad, but whose writings
+     discovered the greatest superstition and ignorance. Nor was
+     this all; _productions appeared, which were imposed upon the
+     world by fraudulent men, as the writings of the holy
+     apostles_."[459:2]
+
+Dr. Conyers Middleton, speaking on this subject, says:
+
+     "There never was any period of time in all ecclesiastical
+     history, in which so many rank heresies were publicly
+     professed, _nor in which so many spurious books were forged_
+     and published by the Christians, under the names of Christ,
+     and the Apostles, and the Apostolic writers, as in those
+     primitive ages. _Several of these forged books are frequently
+     cited and applied to the defense of Christianity, by the most
+     eminent fathers of the same ages, as true and genuine
+     pieces._"[459:3]
+
+Archbishop Wake also admits that:
+
+     "It would be useless to insist on all the spurious pieces
+     which were attributed to St. Paul alone, in the primitive ages
+     of Christianity."[460:1]
+
+Some of the "spurious pieces which were attributed to St. Paul," may be
+found to-day in our canonical New Testament, and are believed by many to
+be the word of God.[460:2]
+
+The learned Bishop Faustus, in speaking of the authenticity of the _New
+Testament_, says:
+
+     "It is certain that the New Testament was not written by
+     Christ himself, nor by his apostles, but a long while after
+     them, _by some unknown persons_, who, lest they should not be
+     credited when they wrote of affairs they were little
+     acquainted with, affixed to their works the names of the
+     apostles, or of such as were supposed to have been their
+     companions, asserting that what they had written themselves,
+     was written according to these persons to whom they ascribed
+     it."[460:3]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "Many things have been inserted by our ancestors in the
+     speeches of our Lord, which, though put forth under his name,
+     agree not with his faith; especially since--_as already it has
+     been often proved_--these things were not written by Christ,
+     nor his apostles, but a long while after their assumption, by
+     I know not what sort of half Jews, not even agreeing with
+     themselves, who made up their tale out of reports and opinions
+     merely, and yet, fathering the whole upon the names of the
+     apostles of the Lord, or on those who were supposed to follow
+     the apostles, they mendaciously pretended that they had
+     written their lies and conceits according to them."[460:4]
+
+What had been said to have been done in _India_, was said by these
+"half-Jews" to have been done in _Palestine_; the change of names and
+places, with the mixing up of various sketches of the Egyptian, Persian,
+Phenician, Greek and Roman mythology, was all that was necessary. They
+had an abundance of material, and with it they built. The foundation
+upon which they built was undoubtedly the "_Scriptures_," or Diegesis,
+of the Essenes in Alexandria in Egypt, which fact led Eusebius, the
+ecclesiastical historian--"without whom," says Tillemont, "we should
+scarce have had any knowledge of the history of the first ages of
+Christianity, or of the authors who wrote in that time"--to say that the
+sacred writings used by this sect were none other than "_Our Gospels_."
+
+We offer below a few of the many proofs showing the Gospels to have
+been written a long time after the events narrated are said to have
+occurred, and by persons unacquainted with the country of which they
+wrote.
+
+"He (Jesus) came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the
+coasts of Decapolis," is an assertion made by the Mark narrator (vii.
+31), when there were no coasts of Decapolis, nor was the name so much as
+known before the reign of the emperor Nero.
+
+Again, "He (Jesus) departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of
+Judea, beyond Jordan," is an assertion made by the Matthew narrator
+(xix. 1), when the Jordan itself was the eastern boundary of Judea, and
+there were no coasts of Judea beyond it.
+
+Again, "But when he (Joseph) heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea, in
+the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither,
+notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into
+the parts of Galilee, and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth;
+that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophets, he shall
+be called a Nazarene," is another assertion made by the Matthew narrator
+(ii. 22, 23), when--1. It was a son of Herod who reigned in Galilee as
+well as Judea, so that he could not be more secure in one province than
+in the other; and when--2. It was impossible for him to have gone from
+Egypt to Nazareth, without traveling through the whole extent of
+Archelaus's kingdom, or making a peregrination through the deserts on
+the north and east of the Lake Asphaltites, and the country of Moab; and
+then, either crossing the Jordan into Samaria or the Lake of Gennesareth
+into Galilee, and from thence going to the city of Nazareth, which is no
+better geography, than if one should describe a person as _turning
+aside_ from Cheapside into the parts of Yorkshire; and when--3. There
+were no prophets whatever who had prophesied that Jesus "_should be
+called a Nazarene_."
+
+The Matthew narrator (iv. 13) states that "He departed into Galilee, and
+leaving Nazareth, came and dwelt in Capernaum," as if he imagined that
+the city of Nazareth was not as properly in Galilee as Capernaum was;
+which is much such geographical accuracy, as if one should relate the
+travels of a hero, who departed into Middlesex, and leaving London, came
+and dwelt in Lombard street.[461:1]
+
+There are many other falsehoods in gospel geography beside these,
+which, it is needless to mention, plainly show that the writers were not
+the persons they are generally supposed to be.
+
+Of gospel statistics there are many falsehoods; among them may be
+mentioned the following:
+
+"Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto
+John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness," is an assertion made by
+the Luke narrator (Luke iii. 2); when all Jews, or persons living among
+them, must have known that there never was but _one_ high priest at a
+time, as with ourselves there is but one mayor of a city.
+
+Again we read (John vii. 52), "Search (the Scriptures) and look, for out
+of Galilee ariseth no prophet," when the most distinguished of the
+Jewish prophets--Nahum and Jonah--were both Galileans.
+
+See reference in the Epistles to "_Saints_," a religious order, owing
+its origin to the popes. Also, references to the distinct orders of
+"_Bishops_," "_Priests_," and "_Deacons_," and calls to a monastic life;
+to fasting, etc., when, the titles of "Bishop," "Priest," and "Deacon"
+were given to the Essenes--whom Eusebius calls Christians--and, as is
+well known, _monasteries_ were the abode of the Essenes or Therapeuts.
+
+See the words for "_legion_," "_aprons_," "_handkerchiefs_,"
+"_centurion_," etc., in the original, not being Greek, but Latin,
+written in Greek characters, a practice first to be found in the
+historian Herodian, in the third century.
+
+In Matt. xvi. 18, and Matt. xviii. 17, the word "_Church_" is used, and
+its _papistical_ and infallible authority referred to as then existing,
+which is known not to have existed till ages after. And the passage in
+Matt. xi. 12:--"From the days of John the Baptist until _now_, the
+kingdom of heaven suffereth violence," etc., could not have been written
+till a very late period.
+
+Luke ii. 1, shows that the writer (whoever he may have been) lived long
+after the events related. His dates, about the fifteenth year of
+Tiberius, and the government of Cyrenius (the only indications of time
+in the New Testament), are manifestly false. The general ignorance of
+the four Evangelists, not merely of the geography and statistics of
+Judea, but even of its language,--their egregious blunders, which no
+writers who had lived in that age could be conceived of as
+making,--prove that they were not only no such persons as those who have
+been willing to be deceived have taken them to be, but that they were
+not Jews, had never been in Palestine, and neither lived at, or at
+anywhere near the times to which their narratives seem to refer. The
+ablest divines at the present day, of all denominations, have yielded as
+much as this.[463:1]
+
+The Scriptures were in the hands of the clergy only, and they had every
+opportunity to insert whatsoever they pleased; thus we find them full of
+_interpolations_. Johann Solomo Semler, one of the most influential
+theologians of the eighteenth century, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "The Christian doctors never brought their sacred books before
+     the common people; although people in general have been wont
+     to think otherwise; during the first ages, they were in the
+     hands of the clergy only."[463:2]
+
+Concerning the _time_ when the canon of the New Testament was settled,
+Mosheim says:
+
+     "The opinions, or rather the _conjectures_, of the learned
+     concerning the _time_ when the books of the New Testament were
+     collected into one volume; as also about the authors of that
+     collection, are extremely different. This important question
+     is attended with great and almost insuperable difficulties to
+     us in these later times."[463:3]
+
+The Rev. B. F. Westcott says:
+
+     "It is impossible to point to any period as marking the date
+     at which our present canon was determined. When it first
+     appears, it is presented not as a novelty, but as an ancient
+     tradition."[463:4]
+
+Dr. Lardner says:
+
+     "Even so late as the middle of the _sixth century_, the canon
+     of the New Testament had not been settled by any authority
+     that was decisive and universally acknowledged, but Christian
+     people were at liberty to judge for themselves concerning the
+     genuineness of writings proposed to them as apostolical, and
+     to determine according to evidence."[464:1]
+
+The learned Michaelis says:
+
+     "No manuscript of the New Testament now extant is prior to the
+     _sixth century_, and what is to be lamented, various readings
+     which, as appears from the quotations of the Fathers, were in
+     the text of the Greek Testament, are to be found in none of
+     the manuscripts which are at present remaining."[464:2]
+
+And Bishop Marsh says:
+
+     "It is a certain fact, that several readings in our common
+     printed text are nothing more than _alterations_ made by
+     Origen, whose authority was so great in the Christian Church
+     (A. D. 230) that emendations which he proposed, though, as he
+     himself acknowledged, they were supported by the evidence of
+     no manuscript, were very generally received."[464:3]
+
+In his Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius gives us a list of what books at
+that time (A. D. 315) were considered canonical. They are as follows:
+
+     "The four-fold writings of the Evangelists," "The Acts of the
+     Apostles," "The Epistles of Peter," "after these the _first_
+     of John, and that of Peter," "_All these are received for
+     undoubted._" "The Revelation of St. John, _some disavow_."
+
+     "The books which are _gainsaid_, though well known unto many,
+     are these: the Epistle of James, the Epistle of Jude, the
+     _latter_ of Peter, the _second_ and _third_ of John, _whether
+     they were John the Evangelist, or some other of the same
+     name_."[464:4]
+
+Though Irenaeus, in the second century, is the first who mentions the
+evangelists, and Origen, in the third century, is the first who gives us
+a catalogue of the books contained in the New Testament, Mosheim's
+admission still stands before us. We have no grounds of assurance that
+the mere mention of the _names_ of the evangelists by Irenaeus, or the
+arbitrary drawing up of a particular catalogue by Origen, were of any
+authority. It is still unknown _by whom_, or _where_, or _when_, the
+canon of the New Testament was settled. But in this absence of positive
+evidence we have abundance of negative proof. We know when it was _not_
+settled. We know it was not settled in the time of the Emperor
+Justinian, nor in the time of Cassiodorus; that is, not at any time
+_before the middle of the sixth century_, "by any authority that was
+decisive and universally acknowledged; but Christian people were at
+liberty to judge for themselves concerning the genuineness of writings
+proposed to them as apostolical."
+
+We cannot do better than close this chapter with the words of Prof. Max
+Mueller, who, in speaking of Buddhism, says:
+
+     "We have in the history of Buddhism an excellent opportunity
+     for watching the process by which a canon of sacred books is
+     called into existence. We see here, _as elsewhere_, that
+     during the life-time of the teacher, no record of events, no
+     sacred code containing the sayings of the Master, was wanted.
+     His presence was enough, and thoughts of the future, and more
+     particularly, of future greatness, seldom entered the minds of
+     those who followed him. It was only after Buddha had left the
+     world to enter into _Nirvana_, that his disciples attempted to
+     recall the sayings and doings of their departed friend and
+     master. At that time, everything that seemed to redound to the
+     glory of Buddha, however extraordinary and incredible, was
+     eagerly welcomed, while witnesses who would have ventured to
+     criticise or reject unsupported statements, or to detract in
+     any way from the holy character of Buddha, had no chance of
+     ever being listened to. And when, in spite of all this,
+     differences of opinion arose, they were not brought to the
+     test by a careful weighing of evidence, but the names of
+     '_unbeliever_' and '_heretic_' were quickly invented in India
+     _as elsewhere_, and bandied backwards and forwards between
+     contending parties, till at last, when the doctors disagreed,
+     the help of the secular power had to be invoked, and kings and
+     emperors assembled councils for the suppression of schism, for
+     the settlement of an orthodox creed, and for the completion of
+     a _sacred canon_."[465:1]
+
+That which Prof. Mueller describes as taking place in the religion of
+Christ Buddha, is exactly what took place in the religion of Christ
+Jesus. That the miraculous, and many of the non-miraculous, events
+related in the Gospels never happened, is demonstrable from the facts
+which we have seen in this work, that nearly all of these events, had
+been previously related of the gods and goddesses of heathen nations of
+antiquity, more especially of the Hindoo Saviour _Crishna_, and the
+Buddhist Saviour _Buddha_, whose religion, with less alterations than
+time and translations have made in the Jewish Scriptures, may be traced
+in nearly every dogma and every ceremony of the evangelical mythology.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+NOTE.--The _Codex Sinaiticus_, referred to on the preceding page,
+(_note_ 2,) was found at the Convent of St. Catherine on Mt. Sinai, by
+Tischendorf, in 1859. He _supposes_ that it belongs to the 4th cent.;
+but Dr. Davidson (in Kitto's Bib. Ency., Art. MSS.) thinks different. He
+says: "_Probably_ it is of the 6th _cent._," while he states that the
+_Codex Vaticanus_ "is _believed_ to belong to the 4th cent.," and the
+_Codex_ Alexandrinus to the 5th cent. McClintock & Strong's Ency. (Art.
+MSS.,) relying probably on Tischendorf's conjecture, places the _Codex
+Sinaiticus_ first. "It is _probably_ the oldest of the MSS. of the N.
+T., and of the 4th cent.," say they. The _Codex Vaticanus_ is considered
+the next oldest, and the _Codex Alexandrinus_ is placed third in order,
+and "was _probably_ written in the first half of the 5th cent." The
+writer of the art. N. T. in Smith's _Bib. Dic._ says: "The _Codex
+Sinaiticus_ is probably the oldest of the MSS. of the N. T., and of the
+4th cent.;" and that the _Codex Alexandrinus_ "was _probably_ written in
+the first half of the 5th cent." Thus we see that in determining the
+dates of the MSS. of the N. T., Christian divines are obliged to resort
+to _conjecture_; there being no certainty whatever in the matter. But
+with all their "suppositions," "probabilities," "beliefs" and
+"conjectures," we have the words of the learned Michaelis still before
+us, that: "No MSS. of the N. T. now extant are prior to the _sixth
+cent._" This remark, however, does not cover the _Codex Sinaiticus_,
+which was discovered since Michaelis wrote his work on the N. T.; but,
+as we saw above, Dr. Davidson does not agree with Tischendorf in regard
+to its antiquity, and places it in the 6th cent.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[450:1] Williams' Hinduism, p. 19. See also, Prof. Max Mueller's Lectures
+on the Origin of Religion, pp. 145-158, and p. 67, where he speaks of
+"the Hindus, who, thousands of years ago, had reached in Upanishads the
+loftiest heights of philosophy."
+
+[450:2] The Ancient City, p. 13.
+
+[451:1] See Monier Williams' Hinduism, pp. 109, 110, and Indian Wisdom,
+p. 493.
+
+[451:2] See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 576, for the authority of Prof.
+Max Mueller.
+
+[451:3] "The religion known as Buddhism--from the title of 'The Buddha,'
+meaning 'The Wise,' 'The Enlightened'--has now existed for 2400 years,
+and may be said to be the prevailing religion of the world." (Chambers's
+Encyclo.)
+
+[451:4] This Council was assembled by Asoka in the eighteenth year of
+his reign. The name of this king is honored wherever the teachings of
+Buddha have spread, and is reverenced from the Volga to Japan, from
+Ceylon and Siam to the borders of Mongolia and Siberia. Like his
+Christian prototype Constantine, he was converted by a miracle. After
+his conversion, which took place in the tenth year of his reign, he
+became a very zealous supporter of the new religion. He himself built
+many monasteries and dagabas, and provided many _monks_ with the
+necessaries of life; and he encouraged those about his court to do the
+same. He published edicts throughout his empire, enjoining on all his
+subjects morality and justice.
+
+[451:5] Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 10.
+
+[451:6] See Chapter VII.
+
+[452:1] Mueller: Lectures on the Science of Religion, p. 235.
+
+[452:2] This small tribe of Persians were driven from their native land
+by the Mohammedan conquerors under the Khalif Omar, in the seventh
+century of our era. Adhering to the ancient religion of Persia, which
+resembles that of the _Veda_, and bringing with them the records of
+their faith, the _Zend-Avesta_ of their prophet Zoroaster, they settled
+down in the neighborhood of Surat, about one thousand one hundred years
+ago, and became great merchants and shipbuilders. For two or three
+centuries we know little of their history. Their religion prevented them
+from making proselytes, and they never multiplied within themselves to
+any extent, nor did they amalgamate with the Hindoo population, so that
+even now their number only amounts to about seventy thousand.
+Nevertheless, from their busy, enterprising habits, in which they
+emulate Europeans, they form an important section of the population of
+Bombay and Western India.
+
+[452:3] Movers: Quoted in Dunlap's Spirit Hist., p. 261.
+
+[452:4] Prolegomena, p. 417.
+
+[452:5] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 162.
+
+[453:1] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 163.
+
+[453:2] Ibid. p. 142, and King's Gnostics, p. 71.
+
+[453:3] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, pp. 135, 140, and 143.
+
+[453:4] Quoted in Ibid. p. 186.
+
+[453:5] Ibid.
+
+[453:6] Renouf: Religion of Ancient Egypt, p. 81.
+
+[454:1] That is, the Tri-murti Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, for he tells
+us that the three gods, Indra, Agni, and Surya, constitute the _Vedic_
+chief triad of Gods. (Hinduism, p. 24.) Again he tells us that the idea
+of a Tri-murti was _first_ dimly shadowed forth in the Rig-Veda, where a
+triad of principal gods--Agni, Indra and Surya--is recognized. (Ibid. p.
+88.) The worship of the three members of the Tri-murti, Brahma, Vishnu
+and Siva, is to be found in the period of the epic poems, from 500 to
+308 B. C. (Ibid. pp. 109, 110, 115.)
+
+[454:2] Williams' Hinduism, p. 25.
+
+[454:3] Monumental Christianity, p. 890.
+
+[454:4] See Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi.
+
+[454:5] See Appendix A.
+
+[455:1] The genealogy which traces him back to _Adam_ (Luke iii.) makes
+his religion not only a Jewish, but a _Gentile_ one. According to this
+Gospel he is not only a Messiah sent to the Jews, but to all nations,
+sons of Adam.
+
+[456:1] See The Bible of To-Day, under "_Matthew_."
+
+[456:2] See Ibid. under "_Luke_."
+
+[457:1] See the Bible of To-Day, under "_Mark_."
+
+[457:2] "_Synoptics_;" the Gospels which contain accounts of the same
+events--"parallel passages," as they are called--which can be written
+side by side, so as to enable us to make a general view or _synopsis_ of
+all the three, and at the same time compare them with each other. Bishop
+Marsh says: "The most eminent critics are at present decidedly of
+opinion that one of the two suppositions must necessarily be adopted,
+either that the three Evangelists copied from each other, or that all
+the three drew from a common source, and that the notion of an absolute
+independence, in respect to the composition of the three first Gospels,
+is no longer tenable."
+
+[457:3] "On opening the New Testament and comparing the impression
+produced by the Gospel of Matthew or Mark with that by the Gospel of
+John, the observant eye is at once struck with as salient a contrast as
+that already indicated on turning from the _Macbeth_ or _Othello_ of
+Shakespeare to the _Comus_ of Milton or to Spenser's _Faerie Queene_."
+(Francis Tiffany.)
+
+"To learn how far we may trust them (the Gospels) we must in the first
+place compare them with each other. The moment we do so we notice that
+the _fourth_ stands quite alone, while the _first three form a single
+group_, not only following the same general course, but sometimes even
+showing a verbal agreement which cannot possibly be accidental." (The
+Bible for Learners, vol. ii. p. 27.)
+
+[458:1] "Irenaeus is the first person who mentions the four Gospels by
+name." (Bunsen: Keys of St. Peter, p. 328.)
+
+"Irenaeus, in the second century, is the first of the fathers who, though
+he has nowhere given us a professed catalogue of the books of the New
+Testament, intimates that he had received four Gospels, as authentic
+Scriptures, the authors of which he describes." (Rev. R. Taylor:
+Syntagma, p. 109.)
+
+"The authorship of the _fourth_ Gospel has been the subject of much
+learned and anxious controversy among theologians. _The earliest, and
+only very important external testimony we have is that of_ IRENAEUS (A.
+D. 179.)" (W. R. Grey: _The Creed of Christendom_, p. 159.)
+
+[458:2] Against Heresies, bk. ii. ch. xi. sec. 1.
+
+[459:1] Against Heresies, bk. iii. ch. xi. sec. 8.
+
+[459:2] Mosheim: vol. i. p. 109.
+
+[459:3] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 59.
+
+[460:1] Genuine Epist. Apost. Fathers, p. 98.
+
+[460:2] See Chadwick's Bible of To-Day, pp. 191, 192.
+
+[460:3] "Nec ab ipso scriptum constat, nec ab ejus apostolis sed longo
+post tempore a quibusdam incerti nominis viris, qui ne sibi non
+haberetur fides scribentibus quae nescirent, partim apostolorum, partim
+eorum qui apostolos secuti viderentur nomina scriptorum suorum frontibus
+indiderunt, asseverantes secundum eos, se scripsisse quae scripserunt."
+(Faust, lib. 2. Quoted by Rev. R. Taylor: Diegesis, p. 114.)
+
+[460:4] "Multa enim a majoribus vestris, eloquiis Domini nostri inserta
+verba sunt; quae nomine signata ipsius, cum ejus fide non congruant,
+praesertim, quia, ut jam saepe probatum a nobis est, nec ab ipso haec sunt,
+nec ab ejus apostolis scripta, sed multo post eorum assumptionem, a
+nescio quibus, et ipsis inter se non concordantibus SEMI-JUDAEIS, per
+famas opinionesque comperta sunt; qui tamen omnia eadem in apostolorum
+Domini conferentes nomina vel eorum qui secuti apostolos viderentur,
+errores ac mendacia sua secundum eos se scripsisse mentiti sunt."
+(Faust.: lib. 88. Quoted in Ibid. p. 66.)
+
+[461:1] Taylor's Diegesis.
+
+[463:1] Says Prof. Smith upon this point: "All the earliest external
+evidence points to the conclusion _that the synoptic gospels are
+non-apostolic digests of spoken and written_ apostolic tradition, and
+that the arrangement of the earlier material in orderly form took place
+only gradually and by many essays."
+
+_Dr. Hooykaas_, speaking of the four "Gospels," and "Acts," says of
+them: "Not one of these five books was really written by the person
+whose name it bears, and they are all of more recent date than the
+heading would lead us to suppose."
+
+"We cannot say that the "Gospels" and book of "Acts" are _unauthentic_,
+for not one of them professes to give the name of its author. _They
+appeared anonymously._ The titles placed above them in our Bibles owe
+their origin to a later ecclesiastical tradition which deserves no
+confidence whatever." (Bible for Learners, vol. iii. pp. 24, 25.)
+
+These Gospels "can hardly be said to have had authors at all. _They had
+only editors or compilers._ What I mean is, that those who enriched the
+old Christian literature with these Gospels did not go to work as
+independent writers and compose their own narratives out of the accounts
+they had collected, but simply took up the different stories or sets of
+stories which they found current in the _oral_ tradition or already
+reduced to writing, _adding here_ and _expanding there_, and so sent out
+into the world a very artless kind of composition. These works were
+then, from time to time, somewhat enriched by _introductory matter or
+interpolations_ from the hands of later Christians, and perhaps were
+modified a little here and there. Our first two Gospels appear to have
+passed through more than one such revision. The third, whose writer says
+in his preface, that 'many had undertaken to put together a narrative
+(Gospel),' before him, appears to proceed from a single collecting,
+arranging, and modifying hand." (Ibid. p. 29.)
+
+[463:2] "Christiani doctores non in vulgus prodebant libros sacros,
+licet soleant plerique aliteropinari, erant tantum in manibus
+clericorum, priora per saecula." (Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 48.)
+
+[463:3] Mosheim: vol. i. pt. 2, ch. ii.
+
+[463:4] General Survey of the Canon, p. 459.
+
+[464:1] Credibility of the Gospels.
+
+[464:2] Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ii. p. 160. The Sinaitic MS. is believed
+by Tischendorf to belong to the fourth century.
+
+[464:3] Ibid. p. 368.
+
+[464:4] Eusebius: Ecclesiastical Hist. lib. 3, ch. xxii.
+
+[465:1] The Science of Religion, pp. 30, 31.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIX.
+
+EXPLANATION.
+
+
+After what we have seen concerning the numerous virgin-born, crucified
+and resurrected Saviours, believed on in the Pagan world for so many
+centuries before the time assigned for the birth of the Christian
+Saviour, the questions naturally arise: were they real personages? did
+they ever exist in the flesh? whence came these stories concerning them?
+have they a foundation in truth, or are they simply creations of the
+imagination?
+
+The _historical_ theory--according to which _all_ the persons mentioned
+in mythology were once real human beings, and the legends and fabulous
+traditions relating to them were merely the additions and embellishments
+of later times--which was so popular with scholars of the last century,
+has been altogether abandoned.
+
+Under the historical point of view the gods are mere deified mortals,
+either heroes who have been deified after their death, or
+Pontiff-chieftains who have passed themselves off for gods, and who, it
+is gratuitously supposed, found people stupid enough to believe in their
+pretended divinity. This was the manner in which, formerly, writers
+explained the mythology of nations of antiquity; but a method that
+pre-supposed an historical Crishna, an historical Osiris, an historical
+Mithra, an historical Hercules, an historical Apollo, or an historical
+Thor, was found untenable, and therefore, does not, at the present day,
+stand in need of a refutation. As a writer of the early part of the
+present century said:
+
+     "We shall never have an ancient history worthy of the perusal
+     of men of common sense, till we cease treating poems as
+     history, and send back such personages as Hercules, Theseus,
+     Bacchus, etc., to the heavens, whence their history is taken,
+     and whence they never descended to the earth."
+
+The historical theory was succeeded by the _allegorical_ theory, which
+supposes that all the myths of the ancients were _allegorical_ and
+_symbolical_, and contain some moral, religious, or philosophical truth
+or historical fact under the form of an allegory, which came in process
+of time to be understood literally.
+
+In the preceding pages we have spoken of the several virgin-born,
+crucified and resurrected Saviours, as real personages. We have
+attributed to these individuals words and acts, and have regarded the
+words and acts recorded in the several sacred books from which we have
+quoted, as said and done by them. But in doing this, we have simply used
+the language of others. These gods and heroes were not real personages;
+_they are merely personifications of the_ SUN. As Prof. Max Mueller
+observes in his Lectures on the Science of Religion:
+
+     "One of the earliest objects that would strike and stir the
+     mind of man, and for which a _sign_ or a _name_ would soon be
+     wanted, is surely the _Sun_.[467:1] It is very hard for us to
+     realize the feelings with which the first dwellers on the
+     earth looked upon the Sun, or to understand fully what they
+     meant by a morning prayer or a morning sacrifice. Perhaps
+     there are few people who have watched a sunrise more than once
+     or twice in their life; few people who have ever known the
+     meaning of a morning prayer, or a morning sacrifice. But think
+     of man at the very dawn of time. . . . think of the Sun
+     awakening the eyes of man from sleep, and his mind from
+     slumber! Was not the sunrise to him the first wonder, the
+     first beginning of all reflection, all thought, all
+     philosophy? Was it not to him the first revelation, the first
+     beginning of all trust, of all religion? . . . .
+
+     "Few nations only have preserved in their ancient poetry some
+     remnants of the natural awe with which the earlier dwellers on
+     the earth saw that brilliant being slowly rising from out of
+     the darkness of the night, raising itself by its own might
+     higher and higher, till it stood triumphant on the arch of
+     heaven, and then descended and sank down in its fiery glory
+     into the dark abyss of the heaving and hissing sea. In the
+     hymns of the _Veda_, the poet still wonders whether the Sun
+     will rise again; he asks how he can climb the vault of heaven?
+     why he does not fall back? why there is no dust on his path?
+     And when the rays of the morning rouse him from sleep and call
+     him back to new life, when he sees the Sun, as he says,
+     stretching out his golden arms to bless the world and rescue
+     it from the terror of darkness, he exclaims, 'Arise, our life,
+     our spirit has come back! the darkness is gone, the light
+     approaches.'"
+
+Many years ago, the learned Sir William Jones said:
+
+     "We must not be surprised at finding, on a close examination,
+     that the characters of all the Pagan deities, male and female,
+     melt into each other, and at last into one or two; for it
+     seems as well founded opinion, that the whole crowd of gods
+     and goddesses of ancient Rome, and modern Varanes, mean only
+     the powers of nature, and principally those of the SUN,
+     expressed in a variety of ways, and by a multitude of fanciful
+     names."[467:2]
+
+Since the first learned president of the Royal Asiatic Society paved
+the way for the science of _comparative mythology_, much has been
+learned on this subject, so that, as the Rev. George W. Cox remarks,
+"recent discussions on the subject seem to justify the conviction that
+the foundations of the science of _comparative mythology_ have been
+firmly laid, and that its method is unassailable."[468:1]
+
+If we wish to find the gods and goddesses of the ancestors of our race,
+we must look to the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the earth, the
+sea, the dawn, the clouds, the wind, &c., _which they personified and
+worshiped_. That these have been the gods and goddesses of all nations
+of antiquity, is an established fact.[468:2]
+
+The words which had denoted the sun and moon would denote not merely
+living things but living persons. From personification to deification
+the steps would be but few; and the process of disintegration would at
+once furnish the materials for a vast fabric of mythology. All the
+expressions which had attached a living force to natural objects would
+remain as the description of personal and anthropomorphous gods. Every
+word would become an attribute, and all ideas, once grouped around a
+simple object, would branch off into distinct personifications. The sun
+had been the lord of light, the driver of the chariot of the day; he had
+toiled and labored for the sons of men, and sunk down to rest, after a
+hard battle, in the evening. But now the lord of light would be Phoibos
+Apollon, while Helios would remain enthroned in his fiery chariot, and
+his toils and labors and death-struggles would be transferred to
+Hercules. The violet clouds which greet his rising and his setting would
+now be represented by herds of cows which feed in earthly pastures.
+There would be other expressions which would still remain as floating
+phrases, not attached to any definite deities. These would gradually be
+converted into incidents in the life of heroes, and be woven at length
+into systematic narratives. Finally, these gods or heroes, and the
+incidents of their mythical career, would receive each "a local
+habitation and a name." _These would remain as genuine history, when the
+origin and meaning of the words had been either wholly or in part
+forgotten._
+
+For the proofs of these assertions, the Vedic poems furnish indisputable
+evidence, that such as this was the origin and growth of Greek and
+Teutonic mythology. In these poems, the names of many, perhaps of most,
+of the Greek gods, indicate natural objects which, if endued with life,
+have not been reduced to human personality. In them Daphne is still
+simply the morning twilight ushering in the splendor of the new born
+sun; the cattle of Helios there are still the light-colored clouds which
+the dawn leads out into the fields of the sky. There the idea of
+Hercules has not been separated from the image of the toiling and
+struggling sun, and the glory of the life-giving Helios has not been
+transferred to the god of Delos and Pytho. In the Vedas the myths of
+Endymion, of Kephalos and Prokris, Orpheus and Eurydike, are exhibited
+in the form of detached mythical phrases, which furnished for each their
+germ. The analysis may be extended indefinitely: but the conclusion can
+only be, that in the Vedic language we have the foundation, not only of
+the glowing legends of Hellas, but of the dark and sombre mythology of
+the Scandinavian and the Teuton. Both alike have grown up chiefly from
+names which have been grouped around the sun; but the former has been
+grounded on those expressions which describe the recurrence of day and
+night, the latter on the great tragedy of nature, in the alternation of
+summer and winter.
+
+Of this vast mass of solar myths, some have emerged into independent
+legends, others have furnished the groundwork of whole epics, others
+have remained simply as floating tales whose intrinsic beauty no poet
+has wedded to his verse.[469:1]
+
+"The results obtained from the examination of language in its several
+forms leaves no room for doubt that the general system of mythology has
+been traced to its fountain head. We can no longer shut our eyes to the
+fact that there was a stage in the history of human speech, during which
+all the abstract words in constant use among ourselves were utterly
+unknown, when men had formed no notions of virtue or prudence, of
+thought and intellect, of slavery or freedom, but spoke only of the man
+who was strong, who could point the way to others and choose one thing
+out of many, of the man who was not bound to any other and able to do as
+he pleased.
+
+"That even this stage was not the earliest in the history of language is
+now a growing opinion among philologists; but for the _comparison_ of
+legends current in different countries it is not necessary to carry the
+search further back. Language without words denoting abstract qualities
+implies a condition of thought in which men were only awakening to a
+sense of the objects which surrounded them, and points to a time when
+the world was to them full of strange sights and sounds, some beautiful,
+some bewildering, some terrific, when, in short, they knew little of
+themselves beyond the vague consciousness of their existence, and
+nothing of the phenomena of the world without. _In such a state they
+could but attribute to all that they saw or touched or heard, a life
+which was like their own in its consciousness, its joys, and its
+sufferings._ That power of sympathizing with nature which we are apt to
+regard as the peculiar gift of the poet was then shared alike by all.
+This sympathy was not the result of any effort, it was inseparably bound
+up with the words which rose to their lips. It implied no special purity
+of heart or mind; it pointed to no Arcadian paradise where shepherds
+knew not how to wrong or oppress or torment each other. We say that the
+morning light rests on the mountains; they said that the sun was
+greeting his bride, as naturally as our own poet would speak of the
+sunlight clasping the earth, or the moonbeams as kissing the sea.
+
+"We have then before us a stage of language corresponding to a stage in
+the history of the human mind _in which all sensible objects were
+regarded as instinct with a conscious life_. The varying phases of that
+life were therefore described as truthfully as they described their own
+feelings or sufferings; and hence every phase became a picture. But so
+long as the conditions of their life remained unchanged, they knew
+perfectly what the picture meant, and ran no risk of confusing one with
+another. Thus they had but to describe the things which they saw, felt,
+or heard, in order to keep up an inexhaustible store of phrases
+faithfully describing the facts of the world from their point of view.
+This language was indeed the result of an observation not less keen than
+that by which the inductive philosopher extorts the secrets of the
+natural world. Nor was its range much narrower. Each object received its
+own measure of attention, and no one phenomenon was so treated as to
+leave no room for others in their turn. They could not fail to note the
+changes of days and years, of growth and decay, of calm and storm; _but
+the objects which so changed were to them living things, and the rising
+and setting of the sun, the return of winter and summer, became a drama
+in which the actors were their enemies or their friends_.
+
+"That this is a strict statement of facts in the history of the human
+mind, philology alone would abundantly prove; but not a few of these
+phrases have come down to us in their earliest form, and point to the
+long-buried stratum of language of which they are the fragments. _These
+relics exhibit in their germs the myths which afterwards became the
+legends of gods and heroes with human forms, and furnished the
+groundwork of the epic poems, whether of the eastern or the western
+world._
+
+"The mythical or mythmaking language of mankind had no partialities; and
+if the career of the _Sun_ occupies a large extent of the horizon, we
+cannot fairly simulate ignorance of the cause. Men so placed would not
+fail to put into words the thoughts or emotions roused in them by the
+varying phases of that mighty world on which we, not less than they,
+feel that our life depends, although we may know something more of its
+nature.
+
+"Thus grew up a multitude of expressions which described the sun as the
+child of the night, as the destroyer of the darkness, as the lover of
+the dawn and the dew--of phrases which would go on to speak of him as
+killing the dew with his spears, and of forsaking the dawn as he rose in
+the heaven. The feeling that the fruits of the earth were called forth
+by his warmth would find utterance in words which spoke of him as the
+friend and the benefactor of man; while the constant recurrence of his
+work would lead them to describe him as a being constrained to toil for
+others, as doomed to travel over many lands, and as finding everywhere
+things on which he could bestow his love or which he might destroy by
+his power. His journey, again, might be across cloudless skies, or amid
+alternations of storm and calm; his light might break fitfully through
+the clouds, or be hidden for many a weary hour, to burst forth at last
+with dazzling splendor as he sank down in the western sky. He would thus
+be described as facing many dangers and many enemies, none of whom,
+however, may arrest his course; as sullen, or capricious, or resentful;
+as grieving for the loss of the dawn whom he had loved, or as nursing
+his great wrath and vowing a pitiless vengeance. Then as the veil was
+rent at eventide, they would speak of the chief, who had long remained
+still, girding on his armor; or of the wanderer throwing off his
+disguise, and seizing his bow or spear to smite his enemies; of the
+invincible warrior whose face gleams with the flush of victory when the
+fight is over, as he greets the fair-haired Dawn who closes, as she had
+begun, the day. To the wealth of images thus lavished on the daily life
+and death of the Sun there would be no limit. He was the child of the
+morning, or her husband, or her destroyer; he forsook her and he
+returned to her, either in calm serenity or only to sink presently in
+deeper gloom.
+
+"So with other sights and sounds. The darkness of night brought with it
+a feeling of vague horror and dread; the return of daylight cheered them
+with a sense of unspeakable gladness; and thus the Sun who scattered
+the black shade of night would be the mighty champion doing battle with
+the biting snake which lurked in its dreary hiding-place. But as the Sun
+accomplishes his journey day by day through the heaven, the character of
+the seasons is changed. The buds and blossoms of spring-time expand in
+the flowers and fruits of summer, and the leaves fall and wither on the
+approach of winter. Thus the daughter of the earth would be spoken of as
+dying or as dead, as severed from her mother for five or six weary
+months, not to be restored to her again until the time for her return
+from the dark land should once more arrive. But as no other power than
+that of the Sun can recall vegetation to life, this child of the earth
+would be represented as buried in a sleep from which the touch of the
+Sun alone could arouse her, when he slays the frost and cold which lie
+like snakes around her motionless form.
+
+"_That these phrases would furnish the germs of myths or legends teeming
+with human feeling, as soon as the meaning of the phrases were in part
+or wholly forgotten, was as inevitable as that in the infancy of our
+race men should attribute to all sensible objects the same kind of life
+which they were conscious of possessing themselves._"
+
+Let us compare the history of the _Saviour_ which we have already seen,
+with that of the _Sun_, as it is found in the _Vedas_.
+
+We can follow in the _Vedic_ hymns, step by step, the development which
+changes the _Sun_ from a mere luminary into a "_Creator_,"
+"_Preserver_," "_Ruler_," and "_Rewarder of the World_"--in fact, into a
+_Divine or Supreme Being_.
+
+The first step leads us from the mere light of the Sun to that light
+which in the morning wakes man from sleep, and seems to give new life,
+not only to man, but to the whole of nature. He who wakes us in the
+morning, who recalls all nature to new life, is soon called "_The Giver
+of Daily Life_."
+
+Secondly, by another and bolder step, the Giver of Daily Light and Life
+becomes the giver of light and life in general. _He who brings light and
+life to-day, is the same who brought light and life on the first of
+days._ As light is the beginning of the day, so light was the beginning
+of creation, and the Sun, from being a mere light-bringer or life-giver,
+becomes a Creator, and, if a Creator, then soon also a Ruler of the
+World.
+
+Thirdly, as driving away the dreaded darkness of the night, and likewise
+as fertilizing the earth, the Sun is conceived as a "Defender" and kind
+"Protector" of all living things.
+
+Fourthly, the Sun sees everything, both that which is good and that
+which is evil; and how natural therefore that the evil-doer should be
+told that the sun sees what no human eye may have seen, and that the
+innocent, when all other help fails him, should appeal to the sun to
+attest his guiltlessness!
+
+Let us examine now, says Prof. Mueller, from whose work we have quoted
+the above, a few passages (from the _Rig-Veda_) illustrating every one
+of these perfectly natural transitions.
+
+     "In hymn vii. we find the Sun invoked as '_The Protector of
+     everything that moves or stands, of all that exists_.'"
+
+     "Frequent allusion is made to the Sun's power of seeing
+     everything. The stars flee before the all-seeing Sun, like
+     thieves (R. V. vii.). He sees the right and the wrong among
+     men (Ibid.). He who looks upon the world, knows also all the
+     thoughts in men (Ibid.)."
+
+     "As the Sun sees everything and knows everything, he is asked
+     to forget and forgive what he alone has seen and knows (R. V.
+     iv.)."
+
+     "The Sun is asked to drive away illness and bad dreams (R. V.
+     x.)."
+
+     "Having once, and more than once, been invoked as the
+     life-bringer, the Sun is also called the breath or life of all
+     that moves and rests (R. V. i.); and lastly, he becomes _the
+     maker of all things_, by whom all the worlds have been brought
+     together (R. V. x.), and . . . Lord of man and of all living
+     creatures."
+
+     "He is the God among gods (R. V. i.); he is the divine leader
+     of all the gods (R. V. viii.)."
+
+     "He alone rules the whole world (R. V. v.). The laws which he
+     has established are firm (R. V. iv.), and the other gods not
+     only praise him (R. V. vii.), but have to follow him as their
+     leader (R. V. v.)."[473:1]
+
+That the history of _Christ_ Jesus, the Christian Saviour,--"the true
+_Light_, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,"[473:2]--is
+simply the history of the _Sun_--the real Saviour of mankind--is
+demonstrated beyond a doubt from the following indisputable facts:
+
+1. _The birth of Christ Jesus_ is said to have taken place at _early
+dawn_[473:3] on the 25th day of December. Now, this is the _Sun's
+birthday_. At the commencement of the sun's apparent annual revolution
+round the earth, he was said to have been born, and, on the first moment
+after midnight of the 24th of December, all the heathen nations of the
+earth, as if by common consent, celebrated the accouchement of the
+"_Queen of Heaven_," of the "_Celestial Virgin of the Sphere_," and the
+birth of the god _Sol_. On that day the sun having fully entered the
+winter solstice, the _Sign of the Virgin_ was rising on the eastern
+horizon. The woman's symbol of this stellar sign was represented first
+by ears of corn, then with a new-born male child in her arms. Such was
+the picture of the _Persian_ sphere cited by Aben-Ezra:
+
+     "The division of the first decan of the Virgin represents a
+     beautiful virgin with flowing hair, sitting in a chair, with
+     two ears of corn in her hand, and suckling an infant called
+     IESUS by some nations, and _Christ_ in Greek."[474:1]
+
+This denotes the _Sun_, which, at the moment of the winter solstice,
+precisely when the Persian magi drew the horoscope of the new year, was
+placed on the bosom of the Virgin, rising heliacally in the eastern
+horizon. On this account he was figured in their astronomical pictures
+under the form of a child suckled by a chaste virgin.[474:2]
+
+Thus we see that Christ Jesus was born on the same day as Buddha,
+Mithras, Osiris, Horus, Hercules, Bacchus, Adonis and other
+_personifications of the_ SUN.[474:3]
+
+2. _Christ Jesus was born of a Virgin._ In this respect he is also the
+_Sun_, for 'tis the sun alone who can be born of an immaculate virgin,
+who conceived him without carnal intercourse, and who is still, after
+the birth of her child, a virgin.
+
+This Virgin, of whom the Sun, the true "Saviour of Mankind," is born, is
+either the bright and beautiful _Dawn_,[474:4] or the dark
+_Earth_,[474:5] or _Night_.[474:6] Hence we have, as we have already
+seen, the _Virgin_, or _Virgo_, as one of the signs of the
+zodiac.[474:7]
+
+This Celestial Virgin was feigned to be a mother. She is represented in
+the Indian Zodiac of Sir William Jones, with ears of corn in one hand,
+and the lotus in the other. In Kircher's Zodiac of Hermes, she has corn
+in both hands. In other planispheres of the Egyptian priests she carries
+ears of corn in one hand, and the infant Saviour _Horus_ in the other.
+In Roman Catholic countries, she is generally represented with the
+child in one hand, and the lotus or lily in the other. In Vol. II. of
+Montfaucon's work, she is represented as a female nursing a child, with
+ears of corn in her hand, and the legend IAO. She is seated on clouds, a
+star is at her head. The reading of the Greek letters, from right to
+left, show this to be very ancient.
+
+In the Vedic hymns Aditi, _the Dawn_, is called the "_Mother of the
+Gods_." "She is the mother with powerful, terrible, with _royal sons_."
+She is said to have given birth to the _Sun_.[475:1] "As the _Sun_ and
+all the _solar deities_ rise from the _east_," says Prof. Max Mueller,
+"we can well understand how Aditi (the Dawn) came to be called the
+'Mother of the Bright Gods.'"[475:2]
+
+The poets of the Veda indulged freely in theogonic speculations without
+being frightened by any contradictions. They knew of Indra as the
+greatest of gods, they knew of Agni as the god of gods, they knew of
+Varuna as the ruler of all; but they were by no means startled at the
+idea that their Indra had a mother, or that Varuna was nursed in the lap
+of Aditi. All this was true to nature; for their god was the _Sun_, and
+the mother who bore and nursed him was the _Dawn_.[475:3]
+
+We find in the _Vishnu Purana_, that Devaki (the virgin mother of the
+Hindoo Saviour Crishna, whose history, as we have seen, corresponds in
+most every particular with that of Christ Jesus) _is called
+Aditi_,[475:4] which, in the _Rig-Veda_, is the name for the _Dawn_.
+Thus we see the legend is complete. Devaki is Aditi, Aditi is the Dawn,
+and the Dawn is the Virgin Mother. "The Saviour of Mankind" who is born
+of her is the Sun, the Sun is Crishna, and Crishna is Christ.
+
+In the _Mahabharata_, Crishna is also represented as the "Son of
+_Aditi_."[475:5] As the hour of his birth grew near, the mother became
+more beautiful, and her form more brilliant.[475:6]
+
+_Indra_, the sun, who was worshiped in some parts of India as a
+_Crucified God_, is also represented in the Vedic hymns as the _Son of
+the Dawn_. He is said to have been born of Dahana, who is Daphne, a
+personification of the Dawn.[475:7]
+
+The _humanity_ of this SOLAR GOD-MAN, this demiurge, is strongly
+insisted on in the _Rig-Veda_. He is the son of God, but also the son
+of Aditi. He is Purusha, the man, the male. Agni is frequently called
+the "Son of man." It is expressly explained that the titles Agni, Indra,
+Mitra, &c., all refer to _one Sun god_ under "many names." And when we
+find the name of a mortal, _Yama_, who once lived upon earth, included
+among these names, the humanity of the demiurge becomes still more
+accentuated, and we get at the root idea.
+
+_Horus_, the Egyptian Saviour, was the son of the virgin _Isis_. Now,
+this Isis, in Egyptian mythology, is the same as the virgin Devaki in
+Hindoo mythology. She is the _Dawn_.[476:1] _Isis_, as we have already
+seen, is represented suckling the infant Horus, and, in the words of
+Prof. Renouf, we may say, "in whose lap can the _Sun_ be nursed more
+fitly than in that of the _Dawn_?"[476:2]
+
+Among the goddesses of Egypt, the highest was Neith, who reigned
+inseparably with Amun in the upper sphere. She was called "Mother of the
+gods," "Mother of the sun." She was the feminine origin of all things,
+as Amun was the male origin. She held the same rank at Sais as Amun did
+at Thebes. Her temples there are said to have exceeded in colossal
+grandeur anything ever seen before. On one of these was the celebrated
+inscription thus deciphered by Champollion:
+
+     "I am all that has been, all that is, all that will be. No
+     mortal has ever raised the veil that conceals me. _My
+     offspring is the Sun._"
+
+She was mother of the _Sun_-god _Ra_, and, says Prof. Renouf, "is
+commonly supposed to represent _Heaven_; but some expressions which are
+hardly applicable to heaven, render it more probable that she is one of
+the many names of the _Dawn_."[476:3]
+
+If we turn from Indian and Egyptian, to Grecian mythology, we shall also
+find that their _Sun-gods_ and _solar heroes_ are born of the same
+virgin mother. Theseus was said to have been born of Aithra, "_the pure
+air_," and OEdipus of Iokaste, "_the violet light of morning_."
+Perseus was born of the virgin Danae, and was called the "_Son of the
+bright morning_."[476:4] In Io, the mother of the "sacred bull,"[476:5]
+the mother also of Hercules, we see the _violet-tinted morning_ from
+which the sun is born; all these gods and heroes being, like _Christ_
+Jesus, _personifications of the Sun_.[476:6]
+
+"The Saviour of Mankind" was also represented as being born of the
+"_dusky mother_," which accounts for many Pagan, and so-called
+Christian, goddesses being represented _black_.[477:1] This is the _dark
+night_, who for many weary hours travails with the birth of her child.
+The Sun, which scatters the darkness, is also the child of the darkness,
+and so the phrase naturally went _that he was born of her_. Of the two
+legends related in the poems afterwards combined in the "Hymn to
+Apollo," the former relates the birth of Apollo, the _Sun_, from Leto,
+the _Darkness_, which is called his mother.[477:2] In this case, Leto
+would be _personified_ as a "black virgin," either with or without the
+child in her arms.
+
+The _dark earth_ was also represented as being the mother of the god
+Sun, who apparently came out of, or was born of her, in the East,[477:3]
+as Minos (the sun) was represented to have been born of Ida (the
+earth).[477:4]
+
+In Hindoo mythology, the _Earth_, under the name of _Prithivi_, receives
+a certain share of honors as one of the primitive goddesses of the Veda,
+being thought of as the "_kind mother_." Moreover, various _deities_
+were regarded as the progeny resulting from the fancied union of the
+Earth with Dyaus (_Heaven_).[477:5]
+
+Our Aryan forefathers looked up to the _heavens_ and they gave it the
+name of _Dyaus_, from a root-word which means "_to shine_." And when,
+out of the forces and forms of nature, they afterwards fashioned other
+gods, this name of Dyaus became _Dyaus pitar_, the _Heaven-father_, or
+Lord of All; and in far later times, when the western Aryans had found
+their home in Europe, the _Dyaus pitar_ of the central Asian land became
+the _Zeupater_ of the Greeks, and the _Jupiter_ of the Romans, and the
+first part of his name gave _us_ the word _Deity_.
+
+According to Egyptian mythology, Isis was also the Earth.[477:6] Again,
+from the union of Seb and Nut sprung the mild Osiris. Seb is the
+_Earth_, Nut is _Heaven_, and Osiris is the _Sun_.[477:7]
+
+Tacitus, the Roman historian, speaking of the Germans in A. D. 98, says:
+
+     "There is nothing in these several tribes that merit
+     attention, except that they all agree in worshiping the
+     goddess _Earth_, or as they call her, _Herth_, whom they
+     consider as the common mother of all."[477:8]
+
+These virgin mothers, and virgin goddesses of antiquity, were also, at
+times, personifications of the _Moon_, or of Nature.[478:1]
+
+Who is "God the _Father_," who overshadows the maiden? The overshadowing
+of the maiden by "God the Father," whether he be called Zeus, Jupiter or
+Jehovah, is simply the _Heaven_, the _Sky_, the "_All-father_,"[478:2]
+looking down upon with love, and overshadowing the maiden, the broad
+flushing light of _Dawn_, or the _Earth_. From this union the _Sun_ is
+born without any carnal intercourse. The _mother_ is yet a _virgin_.
+This is illustrated in Hindoo mythology by the union of Pritrivi,
+"_Mother Earth_," with Dyaus, "Heaven." Various deities were regarded as
+their progeny.[478:3] In the Vedic hymns the _Sun_--the Lord and
+Saviour, the Redeemer and Preserver of Mankind--is frequently called the
+"_Son of the Sky_."[478:4]
+
+According to Egyptian mythology, Seb (the _Earth_) is overshadowed by
+Nut (_Heaven_), the result of this union being the beneficent Lord and
+Saviour, Osiris.[478:5] The same thing is to be found in ancient Grecian
+mythology. Zeus or Jupiter is the _Sky_,[478:6] and Danae, Leto,
+Iokaste, Io and others, are the _Dawn_, or _the violet light of
+morning_.[478:7]
+
+     "The _Sky_ appeared to men (says Plutarch), to perform the
+     functions of a _Father_, as the _Earth_ those of a _Mother_.
+     The sky was the father, for it cast seed into the bosom of the
+     earth, which in receiving them became fruitful, and brought
+     forth, and was the mother."[479:1]
+
+This union has been sung in the following verses by Virgil:
+
+     "Tum pater omnipotens fecundis imbribis aether
+      Conjugis in grenium laetae descendit."
+
+                                                 (Geor. ii.)
+
+The _Phenician_ theology is founded on the same principles. _Heaven_ and
+_Earth_ (called Ouranos and Ghe) are at the head of a genealogy of aeons,
+whose adventures are conceived in the mythological style of these
+physical allegorists.[479:2]
+
+In the Samothracian mysteries, which seem to have been the most
+anciently established ceremonies of the kind in Europe, the _Heaven_ and
+the _Earth_ were worshiped as a male and female _divinity_, and as the
+_parents of all things_.[479:3]
+
+The Supreme God (the _Al-fader_), of the ancient _Scandinavians_ was
+_Odin_, a personification of the _Heavens_. The principal goddess among
+them was _Frigga_, a personification of the _Earth_. It was the opinion
+among these people that this Supreme Being or Celestial God had united
+with the Earth (Frigga) to produce "Baldur the Good" (the Sun), who
+corresponds to the Apollo of the Greeks and Romans, and the Osiris of
+the Egyptians.[479:4]
+
+_Xiuletl_, in the Mexican language, signifies _Blue_, and hence was a
+name which the Mexican gave to _Heaven_, from which _Xiuleticutli_ is
+derived, an epithet signifying "_the God of Heaven_," which they
+bestowed upon _Tezcatlipoca_, who was the "Lord of All," the "Supreme
+God." He it was who overshadowed the Virgin of Tula, Chimelman, who
+begat the Saviour Quetzalcoatle (the Sun).
+
+3. _His birth was foretold by a star._ This is the bright _morning
+star_--
+
+     "Fairest of stars, last in the train of Night,
+      If better, thou belongst not to the Dawn,
+      Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn
+      With thy bright circlet"--
+
+which heralds the birth of the god _Sol_, the beneficent Saviour.
+
+A glance at a geography of the heavens will show the "chaste, pure,
+immaculate Virgin, suckling an infant," preceded by a _Star_, which
+rises immediately preceding the Virgin and her child. This can truly be
+called "_his Star_," which informed the "Wise Men," the
+"Magi"--_Astrologers and Sun-worshipers_--and "the shepherds who watched
+their flocks by night" that the Saviour of Mankind was about to be born.
+
+4. _The Heavenly Host sang praises._ All nature smiles at the birth of
+the Heavenly Being. "To him all angels cry aloud, the heavens, and all
+the powers therein." "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
+good will towards men." "The quarters of the horizon are irradiate with
+joy, as if moonlight was diffused over the whole earth." "The spirits
+and nymphs of heaven dance and sing." "Caressing breezes blow, and a
+marvelous light is produced." For the Lord and Saviour is born, "to give
+joy and peace to men and Devas, _to shed light in the dark places_, and
+to give sight to the blind."[480:1]
+
+5. _He was visited by the Magi._ This is very natural, for the Magi were
+_Sun-worshipers_, and at early dawn on the 25th of December, the
+astrologers of the Arabs, Chaldeans, and other Oriental nations, greeted
+the infant Saviour with gold, frankincense and myrrh. They started to
+salute their God long before the rising of the Sun, and having ascended
+a high mountain, they waited anxiously for his birth, facing the East,
+and there hailed his first rays with incense and prayer.[480:2] The
+shepherds also, who remained in the open air watching their flocks by
+night, were in the habit of prostrating themselves, and paying homage to
+their god, the Sun. And, like the poet of the Veda, they said:
+
+     "Will the powers of darkness be conquered by the _god of light_?"
+
+And when the Sun rose, they wondered how, just born, he was so mighty.
+They greeted him:
+
+     "Hail, Orient Conqueror of Gloomy Night."
+
+And the human eye felt that it could not bear the brilliant majesty of
+him whom they called, "The Life, the Breath, the Brilliant Lord and
+Father." And they said:
+
+     "Let us worship again the _Child of Heaven_, the Son of
+     Strength, Arusha, the Bright Light of the Sacrifice." "He
+     rises as a mighty flame, he stretches out his wide arms, he is
+     even like the wind." "His light is powerful, and his (virgin)
+     mother, the Dawn, gives him the best share, the first worship
+     among men."[480:3]
+
+6. _He was born in a Cave._ In this respect also, the history of
+_Christ_ Jesus corresponds with that of other Sun-gods and Saviours,
+for they are nearly all represented as being born in a cave or dungeon.
+This is the dark abode from which the wandering _Sun_ starts in the
+morning.[481:1] As the Dawn springs fully armed from the forehead of the
+cloven Sky, so the eye first discerns the blue of heaven, as the first
+faint arch of light is seen in the East. This arch is the cave in which
+the infant is nourished until he reaches his full strength--in other
+words, until the day is fully come.
+
+As the hour of his birth drew near, the mother became more beautiful,
+her form more brilliant, while the dungeon was filled with a heavenly
+light as when Zeus came to Danae in a golden shower.[481:2]
+
+At length the child is born, and a halo of serene light encircles his
+cradle, just as the Sun appears at early dawn in the East, in all its
+splendor. His presence reveals itself there, in the dark cave, by his
+first rays, which brightens the countenances of his mother and others
+who are present at his birth.[481:3]
+
+6. _He was ordered to be put to death._ All the Sun-gods are fated to
+bring ruin upon their parents or the _reigning monarch_.[481:4] For this
+reason, they attempt to prevent his birth, and failing in this, seek to
+destroy him when born. Who is the dark and wicked Kansa, or his
+counterpart Herod? He is _Night_, who reigns supreme, but who must lose
+his power when the young prince of glory, the Invincible, is born.
+
+The _Sun_ scatters the _Darkness_; and so the phrase went that the child
+was to be the destroyer of the reigning monarch, or his parent, _Night_;
+and oracles, and magi, it was said, warned the latter of the doom which
+would overtake him. The newly-born babe is therefore ordered to be put
+to death by the sword, or exposed on the bare hillside, as the Sun seems
+to rest on the Earth (Ida) at its rising.[481:5]
+
+In oriental mythology, the destroying principle is generally
+represented as a serpent or dragon.[482:1] Now, the position of the
+sphere on Christmas-day, the birthday of the Sun, shows the Serpent all
+but touching, and certainly aiming at the woman--that is, the figure of
+the constellation _Virgo_--who suckles the child Iessus in her arms.
+Thus we have it illustrated in the story of the snake who was sent to
+kill Hercules, when an infant in his cradle;[482:2] also in the story of
+Typhon, who sought the life of the infant Saviour Horus. Again, it is
+illustrated in the story of the virgin mother Astrea, with her babe
+beset by Orion, and of Latona, the mother of Apollo, when pursued by the
+monster.[482:3] And last, that of the virgin mother Mary, with her babe
+beset by Herod. But like Hercules, Horus, Apollo, Theseus, Romulus,
+Cyrus and other _solar heroes_, _Christ_ Jesus has yet a long course
+before him. Like them, he grows up both wise and strong, and the "old
+Serpent" is discomfited by him, just as the sphynx and the dragon are
+put to night by others.
+
+7. _He was tempted by the devil._ The temptation by, and victory over
+the evil one, whether Mara or Satan, is the victory of the _Sun_ over
+the clouds of storm and darkness.[482:4] Growing up in obscurity, the
+day comes when he makes himself known, tries himself in his first
+battles with his gloomy foes, and _shines_ without a rival. He is rife
+for his destined mission, but is met by the demon of storm, who runs to
+dispute with him in the duel of the storm. In this struggle against
+darkness the beneficent hero remains the conqueror, the gloomy army of
+Mara, or Satan, broken and rent, is scattered; the Apearas, daughters of
+the demon, the last light vapors which float in the heaven, try in vain
+to clasp and retain the vanquisher; he disengages himself from their
+embraces, repulses them; they writhe, lose their form, and vanish.
+
+Free from every obstacle, and from every adversary, he sets in motion
+across space his disk with a thousand rays, having avenged the attempts
+of his eternal foe. He appears then in all his glory, and in his
+sovereign splendor; the god has attained the summit of his course, it is
+the moment of triumph.
+
+8. _He was put to death on the cross._ The Sun has now reached his
+extreme Southern limit, his career is ended, and he is at last overcome
+by his enemies. The powers of _darkness_, and of _winter_, which had
+sought in vain to wound him, have at length won the victory. The bright
+Sun of summer is finally slain, _crucified in the heavens_, and pierced
+by the arrow, spear or thorn of winter.[483:1] Before he dies, however,
+he sees all his disciples--his retinue of light, and the _twelve_ hours
+of the day, or the twelve months of the year--disappear in the
+sanguinary melee of the clouds of the evening.
+
+Throughout the tale, the _Sun-god_ was but fulfilling his doom. These
+things must be. The suffering of a violent death was a necessary part of
+the mythos; and, when his hour had come, he must meet his doom, as
+surely as the Sun, once risen, must go across the sky, and then sink
+down into his bed beneath the earth or sea. It was an iron fate from
+which there was no escaping.
+
+Crishna, the crucified Saviour of the Hindoos, is a personification of
+the Sun crucified in the heavens. One of the names of the Sun in the
+Vedic hymns is _Vishnu_,[483:2] and Crishna is Vishnu in human
+form.[483:3]
+
+In the hymns of the _Rig-Veda_ the _Sun_ is spoken of as "_stretching
+out his arms_," in the heavens, "to bless the world, _and to rescue it
+from the terror of darkness_."
+
+Indra, the crucified Saviour worshiped in Nepal and Tibet,[484:1] is
+identical with Crishna, the Sun.[484:2]
+
+The principal Phenician deity, El, which, says Parkhurst, in his Hebrew
+Lexicon, "was the very name the heathens gave to their god SOL, their
+Lord or Ruler of the Hosts of Heaven," was called "_The Preserver_ (or
+_Saviour_) of _the World_," for the benefit of which _he offered a
+mystical sacrifice_.[484:3]
+
+The crucified _Iao_ ("Divine Love" personified) is the crucified Adonis,
+the Sun. The Lord and Saviour Adonis was called _Iao_.[484:4]
+
+_Osiris_, the Egyptian Saviour, was crucified in the heavens. To the
+Egyptian the cross was the symbol of immortality, an emblem of the
+_Sun_, and the god himself was crucified to the tree, which denoted his
+fructifying power.[484:5]
+
+_Horus_ was also crucified in the heavens. He was represented, like
+Crishna and Christ Jesus, with _outstretched arms in the vault of
+heaven_.[484:6]
+
+The story of the crucifixion of _Prometheus_ was allegorical, for
+Prometheus was only a title of the SUN, expressing _providence_ or
+_foresight_, wherefore his being _crucified_ in the extremities of the
+earth, signified originally no more than the restriction of the power of
+the SUN during the winter months.[484:7]
+
+Who was _Ixion_, bound on the wheel? He was none other than the god
+_Sol_, crucified in the heavens.[484:8] Whatever be the origin of the
+name, _Ixion_ is the "_Sun of noonday_," crucified in the heavens, whose
+four-spoked wheel, in the words of Pindar, is seen whirling in the
+highest heaven.[484:9]
+
+The _wheel_ upon which Ixion and criminals were said to have been
+extended _was a cross_, although the name of the thing was dissembled
+among Christians; it was a St. Andrew's cross, of which two spokes
+confined the arms, and two the legs. (See Fig. No. 35.)
+
+The allegorical tales of the triumphs and misfortunes of the _Sun_-gods
+of the ancient Greeks and Romans, signify the alternate exertion of the
+generative and destructive attributes.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 35]
+
+_Hercules_ is torn limb from limb; and in this catastrophe we see the
+_blood-red sunset_ which closes the career of Hercules.[485:1] The
+Sun-god cannot rise to the life of the blessed gods until he has been
+slain. The morning cannot come until the Eos who closed the previous day
+has faded away and died in the black abyss of night.
+
+_Achilleus_ and _Meleagros_ represent alike the _short-lived Sun_, whose
+course is one of toil for others, ending in an early death, after a
+series of wonderful victories alternating with periods of darkness and
+gloom.[485:2]
+
+In the tales of the Trojan war, it is related of Achilleus that he
+expires at the Skaian, or _western gates of the evening_. He is slain by
+Paris, who here appears as the Pani, or dark power, who blots out the
+light of the Sun from the heaven.[485:3]
+
+We have also the story of _Adonis_, born of a virgin, and known in the
+countries where he was worshiped as "The Saviour of Mankind," killed by
+the wild _boar_, afterwards "rose from the dead, and ascended into
+heaven." This Adonis, Adonai--in Hebrew "My Lord"--is simply the _Sun_.
+He is crucified in the heavens, put to death by the wild boar, _i. e._,
+_Winter_. "Babylon called Typhon or Winter _the boar_; they said he
+killed Adonis or the fertile _Sun_."[485:4]
+
+The _Crucified Dove_ worshiped by the ancients, was none other than the
+crucified Sun. Adonis was called the _Dove_. At the ceremonies in honor
+of his resurrection from the dead, the devotees said, "Hail to the Dove!
+the Restorer of Light."[485:5] Fig. No. 35 is the "Crucified Dove" as
+described by Pindar, the great lyric poet of Greece, born about 522 B.
+C.
+
+     "We read in Pindar, (says the author of a learned work
+     entitled "Nimrod,") of the venerable bird Iynx bound to the
+     wheel, and of the pretended punishment of Ixion. But this
+     rotation was really no punishment, being, as Pindar saith,
+     _voluntary_, and prepared _by himself_ and _for himself_; or
+     if it was, it was appointed in derision of his false
+     pretensions, whereby he gave himself out as _the crucified
+     spirit of the world_." "The four spokes represent St. Andrew's
+     cross, adapted to the four limbs extended, and furnish perhaps
+     the oldest _profane_ allusion to the crucifixion. The same
+     cross of St. Andrew was the _Taw_, which Ezekiel commands them
+     to mark upon the foreheads of the faithful, as appears from
+     all Israelitish coins whereon that letter is engraved. The
+     same idea was familiar to Lucian, who calls T _the letter of
+     crucifixion_. Certainly, the veneration for the cross is very
+     ancient. Iynx, the bird of Mautic inspiration, bound to the
+     four-legged wheel, gives the notion of _Divine Love
+     crucified_. The wheel denotes the world, of which she is the
+     spirit, and the cross _the sacrifice made for that
+     world_."[486:1]
+
+This "_Divine Love_," of whom Nimrod speaks, was "_The First-begotten
+Son_" of the Platonists. The crucifixion of "_Divine Love_" is often
+found among the Greeks. Ioenah or Juno, according to the _Iliad_, was
+bound with fetters, and _suspended in space_, between heaven and earth.
+Ixion, Prometheus, Apollo of Miletus, (anciently the greatest and most
+flourishing city of Ionia, in Asia Minor), were all crucified.[486:2]
+
+Semi-Ramis was both a queen of unrivaled celebrity, and also a goddess,
+worshiped under the form of a Dove. Her name signifies the _Supreme
+Dove_. She is said to have been slain by the last survivor of her sons,
+while others say, she flew away as a bird--a Dove. In both Grecian and
+Hindoo histories this mystical queen Semiramis is said to have fought a
+battle on the banks of the Indus, with a king called Staurobates, in
+which she was defeated, and from which she flew away in the form of a
+Dove. Of this Nimrod says:
+
+     "The name Staurobates, the king by whom Semiramis was finally
+     overpowered, _alluded to the cross on which she perished_,"
+     and that, "_the crucifixion was made into a glorious mystery
+     by her infatuated adorers_."[486:3]
+
+Here again we have the crucified Dove, the _Sun_, for it is well known
+that the ancients personified the Sun _female_ as well as male.
+
+We have also the fable of the Crucified Rose, illustrated in the jewel
+of the _Rosicrucians_. The jewel of the Rosicrucians is formed of a
+transparent red stone, with a red _cross_ on one side, and a red _rose_
+on the other--thus it is a _crucified rose_. "The Rossi, or
+Rosy-crucians' idea concerning this emblematic red cross," says Hargrave
+Jennings, in his _History of the Rosicrucians_, "probably came from the
+fable of _Adonis_--_who was the Sun whom we have so often seen
+crucified_--being changed into a red rose by Venus."[487:1]
+
+The emblem of the _Templars_ is a red rose on a cross. "When it can be
+done, it is surrounded with a glory, and placed on a calvary (Fig. No.
+36). This is the Naurutz, Natsir, or Rose of Isuren, of Tamul, or
+Sharon, or the Water Rose, the Lily Padma, Pena, Lotus, _crucified in
+the heavens for the salvation of man_."[487:2]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 36.]
+
+Christ Jesus was called the ROSE--the Rose of Sharon--of Isuren. He was
+the renewed incarnation of _Divine Wisdom_. He was the son of Maia or
+Maria. He was the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley, which
+bloweth in the month of his mother Maia. Thus, when the angel Gabriel
+gives the salutation to the Virgin, he presents her with the lotus or
+lily; as may be seen in hundreds of old pictures in Italy. We see
+therefore that Adonis, "the Lord," "the Virgin-born," "the Crucified,"
+"the Resurrected Dove," "the Restorer of Light," is one and the same
+with the "Rose of Sharon," the crucified Christ Jesus.
+
+Plato (429 B. C.) in his _Pimaeus_, philosophizing about the Son of God,
+says:
+
+     "The _next power_ to the Supreme God was decussated or figured
+     _in the shape of a cross on the universe_."
+
+This brings to recollection the doctrine of certain so-called Christian
+_heretics_, who maintained that Christ Jesus was crucified in the
+heavens.
+
+The _Chrestos_ was the Logos, the _Sun_ was the manifestation of the
+Logos or Wisdom to men; or, as it was held by some, it was his peculiar
+habitation. The Sun being crucified at the time of the winter solstice
+was represented by the young man slaying the _Bull_ (_an emblem of the
+Sun_) in the Mithraic ceremonies, and the slain _lamb_ at the foot of
+the cross in the Christian ceremonies. The Chrest was the Logos, or
+Divine Wisdom, or a portion of divine wisdom incarnate; in this sense
+he is really the Sun or the solar power incarnate, and to him everything
+applicable to the Sun will apply.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 37]
+
+Fig. No. 37, taken from Mr. Lundy's "Monumental Christianity," is
+evidently a representation of the Christian Saviour _crucified in the
+heavens_. Mr. Lundy calls it "Crucifixion in Space," and believes that
+it was intended for the Hindoo Saviour Crishna, who is also represented
+crucified in space (See Fig. No. 8, Ch. XX.). This (Fig. 37) is exactly
+in the form of a Romish crucifix, _but not fixed to a piece of wood_,
+though the legs and feet are put together in the usual way. There is a
+glory over it, _coming from above_, not shining _from the figure_, as is
+generally seen in a Roman crucifix. It has a pointed _Parthian coronet_
+instead of a crown of thorns. All the avatars, or incarnations of
+Vishnu, are painted with Ethiopian or Parthian coronets. For these
+reasons the Christian author will not own that it is a representation of
+the "True Son of Justice," for he _was not_ crucified in space; but
+whether it was intended to represent Crishna, Wittoba, or Jesus,[488:1]
+it tells a secret: it shows that some one was represented _crucified in
+the heavens_, and undoubtedly has something to do with "The next power
+to the Supreme God," who, according to Plato, "was decussated or figured
+_in the shape of a cross on the universe_."
+
+Who was the crucified god whom the ancient Romans worshiped, and whom
+they, according to Justin Martyr, represented as _a man on a cross_? Can
+we doubt, after what we have seen, that he was this same _crucified
+Sol_, whose birthday they annually celebrated on the 25th of December?
+
+In the poetical tales of the ancient _Scandinavians_, the same legend is
+found. Frey, _the Deity of the Sun_, was fabled to have been killed, at
+the time of the winter solstice, by the same boar who put the god Adonis
+to death, therefore a boar was annually offered to him at the great
+feast of Yule.[489:1] "Baldur the Good," son of the supreme god Odin,
+and the virgin-goddess Frigga, was also put to death by the sharp thorn
+of winter.
+
+The ancient _Mexican_ crucified Saviour, Quetzalcoatle, another
+personification of the Sun, was sometimes represented as crucified in
+space, _in the heavens_, in a circle of nineteen figures, the number of
+the metonic cycle. A _serpent_ (the emblem of evil, darkness, and
+winter) is depriving him of the organs of generation.[489:2]
+
+We have seen in Chapter XXXIII. that Christ Jesus, and many of the
+heathen saviours, healers, and preserving gods, were represented in the
+form of a Serpent. This is owing to the fact that, _in one of its
+attributes_, the Serpent was an emblem of the _Sun_. It may, at first,
+appear strange that the Serpent should be an emblem of evil, and yet
+also an emblem of the beneficent divinity; but, as Prof. Renouf remarks,
+in his _Hibbert Lectures_, "The moment we understand the nature of a
+myth, all impossibilities, contradictions, and immoralities disappear."
+The serpent is an emblem of evil when represented with his _deadly
+sting_; he is the emblem of eternity when represented _casting off his
+skin_;[489:3] and an emblem of the Sun when represented _with his tail
+in his mouth_, thus forming a circle.[489:4] Thus there came to be, not
+only good, but also bad, serpents, both of which are referred to in the
+narrative of the Hebrew exodus, but still more clearly in the struggle
+between the good and the bad serpents of Persian mythology, which
+symbolized Ormuzd, or Mithra, and the evil spirit Ahriman.[489:5]
+
+As the Dove and the Rose, emblems of the Sun, were represented on the
+cross, so was the Serpent.[489:6] The famous "Brazen Serpent," said to
+have been "set up" by Moses in the wilderness, is called in the Targum
+(the general term for the Aramaic versions of the Old Testament) the
+SAVIOUR. It was probably a serpentine crucifix, as it is called a
+_cross_ by Justin Martyr. The crucified serpent (Fig. No. 38) denoted
+the _quiescent Phallos_, or the Sun after it had lost its power. It is
+the Sun in winter, crucified on the tree, which denoted its fructifying
+power.[490:1] As Mr. Wake remarks, "There can be no doubt that both the
+Pillar (Phallus) and the Serpent were associated with many of the
+_Sun-gods_ of antiquity."[490:2]
+
+This is seen in Fig. No. 39, taken from an ancient medal, which
+represents the serpent with rays of glory surrounding his head.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 38]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 39]
+
+The Ophites, who venerated the serpent as an emblem of Christ Jesus, are
+said to have maintained that the serpent of Genesis--who brought
+_wisdom_ into the world--was Christ Jesus. The brazen serpent was called
+the WORD by the Chaldee paraphrast. The Word, or Logos, was _Divine
+Wisdom_, which was crucified; thus we have the cross, or Linga, or
+Phallus, with the serpent upon it. Besides considering the serpent as
+the emblem of Christ Jesus, or of the Logos, the Ophites are said to
+have revered it as the cause of all the arts of civilized life. In
+Chapter XII. we saw that several illustrious females were believed to
+have been selected and impregnated by the Holy Ghost. In some cases, a
+serpent was supposed to be the form which it assumed. This was the
+incarnation of the Logos.
+
+The serpent was held in great veneration by the ancients, who, as we
+have seen, considered it as the symbol of the beneficent Deity, and an
+emblem of eternity. As such it has been variously expressed on ancient
+sculptures and medals in various parts of the globe.
+
+Although generally, it did not always, symbolize the god _Sun_, or the
+power of which the Sun is an emblem; but, invested with various
+meanings, it entered widely into the primitive mythologies. As Mr.
+Squire observes:
+
+     "It typified wisdom, power, duration, the _good_ and _evil_
+     principles, life, reproduction--in short, in Egypt, Syria,
+     Greece, India, China, Scandinavia, America, everywhere on the
+     globe, it has been a prominent emblem."[491:1]
+
+The serpent was the symbol of Vishnu, the preserving god, the Saviour,
+the _Sun_.[491:2] It was an emblem of the _Sun_-god Buddha, the
+Angel-Messiah.[491:3] The Egyptian _Sun_-god Osiris, the Saviour, is
+associated with the snake.[491:4] The Persian Mithra, the Mediator,
+Redeemer, and Saviour, was symbolized by the serpent.[491:5] The
+Phenicians represented their beneficent _Sun_-god Agathodemon, by a
+serpent.[491:6] The serpent was, among the Greeks and Romans, the emblem
+of a _beneficent genius_. Antipator of Sidon, calls the god Ammon, the
+"Renowned Serpent."[491:7] The Grecian Hercules--the Sun-god--was
+symbolized as a serpent; and so was AEsculapius and Apollo. The Hebrews,
+who, as we have seen in Chapter XI., worshiped the god Sol, represented
+him in the form of a serpent. This is the _seraph_--spoken of above--as
+set up by Moses (Num. xxi. 3) and worshiped by the children of Israel.
+SE RA PH is the singular of seraphim, meaning _Semilice_--_splendor_,
+_fire_, _light_--emblematic of the fiery disk of the Sun, and which,
+under the name of _Nehush-tan_, "Serpent-dragon," was broken up by the
+reforming Hezekiah.
+
+The principal god of the _Aztecs_ was _Tonac_-atlcoatl, which means the
+_Serpent Sun_.[491:8]
+
+The Mexican virgin-born Lord and Saviour, Quetzalcoatle, was represented
+in the form of a serpent. In fact, his name signifies "_Feathered
+Serpent_." Quetzalcoatle was a personification of the _Sun_.[491:9]
+
+Under the aspect of the _active principle_, we may rationally connect
+the _Serpent_ and the _Sun_, as corresponding symbols of the
+_reproductive_ or _creative power_. Figure No. 40 is a symbolical sign,
+representing the disk of the _Sun_ encircled by the serpent _Uraeus_,
+meaning the "KING SUN," or "ROYAL SUN," as it often surmounts the
+persons of Egyptian monarchs, confirmed by the _emblem of_ LIFE
+depending from the serpent's neck.[492:1]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 40]
+
+The mysteries of Osiris, Isis, and Horus, in _Egypt_; Atys and Cybele,
+in _Phrygia_; Ceres and Proserpine, at _Eleusis_; of Venus and Adonis,
+in _Phenicia_; of Bona Dea and Priapus, in _Rome_, are all susceptible
+of one explanation. They all set forth and illustrated, by solemn and
+impressive rites, and _mystical symbols_, the grand phenomenon of
+_nature_, especially as connected with the creation of things and the
+perpetuation of life. In all, it is worthy of remark, the SERPENT was
+more or less conspicuously introduced, and always as symbolical of the
+invigorating or active energy of nature, the SUN.
+
+We have seen (in Chapter XX.) that in early Christian art Christ Jesus
+also was represented as a _crucified Lamb_. This crucified lamb is "the
+Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world, and slain from the
+foundation of the world."[492:2] In other words, the crucified lamb
+typifies the _crucified Sun_, for the lamb was another symbol of the
+Sun, as we shall presently see.
+
+We find, then, that the stories of the crucifixions of the different
+so-called SAVIOURS of mankind _all melt into ONE_, and that they are
+_allegorical_, for "_Saviour_" was only a title of the _Sun_,[492:3] and
+his being put to death on the cross, signifies no more than the
+restriction of the power of the Sun in the winter quarter. With Justin
+Martyr, then, we can say:
+
+     "There exists not a people, whether Greek or barbarian, or any
+     other race of men, by whatsoever appellation or manners they
+     may be distinguished, however ignorant of arts or agriculture,
+     whether they dwell under the tents, or wander about in
+     crowded wagons, among whom prayers are not offered up in the
+     name of A CRUCIFIED SAVIOUR[493:1] to the Father and creator
+     of all things."[493:2]
+
+9. "_And many women were there beholding afar off._"[493:3] The tender
+mother who had watched over him at his birth, and the fair maidens whom
+he has loved, will never forsake him. They yet remain with him, and
+while their tears drop on his feet, which they kiss, their voices cheer
+him in his last hour. In these we have the _Dawn_, who bore him, and the
+fair and beautiful lights which flush the Eastern sky as the Sun sinks
+or dies in the West.[493:4] Their tears are the tears of dew, such as
+Eos weeps at the death of her child.
+
+All the Sun-gods forsake their homes and virgin mothers, and wander
+through different countries doing marvellous things. Finally, at the end
+of their career, the mother, from whom they were parted long ago, is by
+their side to cheer them in their last hours.[493:5]
+
+The ever-faithful women were to be found at the last scene in the life
+of _Buddha_. Kasyapa having found the departed master's feet soiled and
+wet, asked Nanda the cause of it. "He was told that a weeping woman had
+embraced Gautama's feet shortly before his death, and that her tears had
+fallen on his feet and left the marks on them."[493:6]
+
+In his last hours, _OEdipous_ (the Sun) has been cheered by the
+presence of Antigone.[493:7]
+
+At the death of _Hercules_, Iole (_the fair-haired Dawn_) stands by his
+side, cheering him to the last. With her gentle hands she sought to
+soothe his pain, and with pitying words to cheer him in his woe. Then
+once more the face of Hercules flushed with a deep joy, and he said:
+
+     "Ah, Iole, brightest of maidens, thy voice shall cheer me as I
+     sink down in the sleep of death. I saw and loved thee in the
+     bright _morning time_, and now again thou hast come, _in the
+     evening_, fair as the soft clouds which gather around the
+     _dying Sun_."
+
+The _black mists_ were spreading over the sky, but still Hercules sought
+to gaze on the fair face of Iole, and to comfort her in her sorrow.
+
+     "Weep not, Iole," he said, "my toil is done, and now is the
+     time for rest. I shall see thee again in the bright land which
+     is never trodden by the feet of night."
+
+The same story is related in the legend of _Apollo_. The Dawn, from
+whom he parted in the early part of his career, comes to his side at
+_eventide_, and again meets him when his journey on earth has well nigh
+come to an end.[494:1]
+
+When the Lord _Prometheus_ was crucified on Mt. Caucasus, his especially
+professed friend, Oceanus, the fisherman, as his name, Petraeus,
+indicates,[494:2] being unable to prevail on him to make his peace with
+Jupiter, by throwing the cause of human redemption out of his
+hands,[494:3] "forsook him and fled." None remained to be witnesses of
+his dying agonies, but the chorus of ever amiable and ever-faithful
+women, which also bewailed and lamented him, but were unable to subdue
+his inflexible philanthropy.[494:4]
+
+10. "_There was darkness all over the land._"[494:5] In the same manner
+ends the tale of the long toil and sorrows of other Sun-gods. The last
+scene exhibits a manifest return to the spirit of the solar myth. He
+must not die the common death of all men, for no disease or corruption
+can touch the body of the brilliant Sun. After a long struggle against
+the dark clouds who are arrayed against him, he is finally overcome, and
+dies. Blacker and blacker grow the evening shades, and finally "there is
+darkness on the face of the earth," and the din of its thunder clashes
+through the air.[494:6]
+
+It is the picture of a sunset in wild confusion, of a sunset more awful,
+yet not more sad, than that which is seen in the last hours of many
+other _Sun_-gods.[494:7] It is the picture of the loneliness of the
+_Sun_, who sinks slowly down, with the ghastly hues of death upon his
+face, while none is nigh to cheer him save the ever-faithful women.
+
+11. "_He descended into hell._"[494:8] This is the _Sun's_ descent into
+the _lower regions_. It enters the sign Capricornus, or the Goat, and
+the astronomical winter begins. The days have reached their shortest
+span, and the _Sun_ has reached his extreme southern limit. The winter
+solstice reigns, and the Sun seems to stand still in his southern
+course. For three days and three nights he remains in hell--the lower
+regions.[495:1] In this respect _Christ_ Jesus is like other
+Sun-gods.[495:2]
+
+In the ancient sagas of Iceland, the hero who is the Sun personified,
+descends into a tomb, where he fights a vampire. After a desperate
+struggle, the hero overcomes, and rises to the surface of the earth.
+"This, too, represents the Sun in the northern realms, descending into
+the tomb of winter, and there overcoming the power of darkness."[495:3]
+
+12. _He rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven._
+Resurrections from the dead, and ascensions into heaven, are generally
+acknowledged to be _solar_ features, as the history of many solar heroes
+agree in this particular.
+
+At the _winter solstice_ the ancients wept and mourned for _Tammuz_, the
+fair Adonis, and other Sun-gods, done to death by the boar, or
+crucified--slain by the thorn of winter--and on the _third day_ they
+rejoiced at the resurrection of their "Lord of Light."[495:4]
+
+With her usual policy, the Church endeavored to give a Christian
+significance to the rites which they borrowed from heathenism, and in
+this case, the mourning for Tammuz, the fair Adonis, became the mourning
+for Christ Jesus, and joy at the rising of the natural Sun became joy at
+the rising of the "Sun of Righteousness"--at the resurrection of Christ
+Jesus from the grave.
+
+This festival of the Resurrection was generally held by the ancients on
+the 25th of March, when the awakening of _Spring_ may be said to be the
+result of the return of the Sun from the lower or far-off regions to
+which he had departed. At the equinox--say, the vernal--at _Easter_,
+the Sun has been below the equator, and suddenly rises above it. It has
+been, as it were, dead to us, but now it exhibits a resurrection.[496:1]
+The Saviour rises triumphant over the powers of darkness, to life and
+immortality, on the 25th of March, when the Sun rises in Aries.
+
+Throughout all the ancient world, _the resurrection of the god Sol_,
+under different names, was celebrated on March 25th, with great
+rejoicings.[496:2]
+
+In the words of the Rev. Geo. W. Cox:
+
+     "The wailing of the Hebrew women at the death of Tammuz, the
+     crucifixion and resurrection of Osiris, the adoration of the
+     Babylonian Mylitta, the Sacti ministers of Hindu temples, the
+     cross and crescent of Isis, the rites of the Jewish altar of
+     Baal-Peor, wholly preclude all doubt of the real nature of the
+     great _festivals_ and _mysteries_ of Phenicians, Jews,
+     Assyrians, Egyptians, and Hindus."[496:3]
+
+All this was _Sun_ and Nature worship, symbolized by the _Linga_ and
+_Yoni_. As Mr. Bonwick says:
+
+     "The philosophic theist who reflects upon the story, known
+     from the walls of China, across Asia and Europe, to the
+     plateau of Mexico, cannot resist the impression that no
+     _materialistic_ theory of it can be satisfactory."[496:4]
+
+_Allegory_ alone explains it.
+
+     "The Church, at an early date, selected the heathen festivals
+     of _Sun worship_ for its own, ordering the _birth at
+     Christmas_, a fixed time, and the _resurrection at Easter_, a
+     varying time, as in all Pagan religions; since, though the Sun
+     rose directly after the vernal equinox, the festival, to be
+     correct in a _heathen_ point of view, had to be associated
+     with the new moon."[496:5]
+
+The Christian, then, may well say:
+
+     "When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of winter, thou didst
+     open the kingdom of heaven (_i. e._, bring on the reign of
+     summer), to all believers."
+
+13. _Christ Jesus is Creator of all things._ We have seen (in Chapter
+XXVI.) that it was not God the Father, who was supposed by the ancients
+to have been the _Creator_ of the world, but God the Son, the Redeemer
+and Saviour of Mankind. Now, this Redeemer and Saviour was, as we have
+seen, the Sun, and Prof. Max Mueller tells us that in the _Vedic_
+mythology, the Sun is not the bright Deva only, "who performs his daily
+task in the sky, but he is supposed to perform much greater work. He is
+looked upon, in fact, as the _Ruler_, as the _Establisher_, as the
+_Creator of the world_."[496:6]
+
+Having been invoked as the "Life-bringer," the Sun is also called--in
+the Rig-Veda--"the Breath or Life of all that move and rest;" and lastly
+he becomes "_The Maker of all things_," by whom all the worlds have been
+brought together.[497:1]
+
+There is a prayer in the _Vedas_, called _Gayatree_, which consists of
+three measured lines, and is considered the holiest and most efficacious
+of all their religious forms. Sir William Jones translates it thus:
+
+     "Let us adore the supremacy of that spiritual Sun, the
+     godhead, who illuminates all, who re-creates all, from whom
+     all proceed, to whom all must return; whom we invoke to direct
+     our undertakings aright in our progress toward his holy seat."
+
+With Seneca (a Roman philosopher, born at Cordova, Spain, 61 B. C.)
+then, we can say:
+
+     "You may call the Creator of all things by different names
+     (Bacchus, Hercules, Mercury, etc.), but they are only
+     different names of the same divine being, the _Sun_."
+
+14. _He is to be Judge of the quick and the dead._ Who is better able
+than the Sun to be the judge of man's deeds, seeing, as he does, from
+his throne in heaven, all that is done on earth? The Vedas speak of
+Surya--the pervading, irresistible luminary--as seeing all things and
+hearing all things, _noting the good and evil deeds of men_.[497:2]
+
+According to Hindoo mythology, says Prof. Max Mueller:
+
+     "The Sun sees everything, both what is good and what is evil;
+     and how natural therefore that (in the Indian Veda) both the
+     evil-doer should be told that the sun sees what no human eye
+     may have seen, and that the innocent, when all other help
+     fails him, should appeal to the sun to attest his
+     guiltlessness."
+
+     "Frequent allusion is made (in the Rig-Veda), to the sun's
+     power of seeing everything. The stars flee before the
+     all-seeing sun, like thieves. He sees the right and the wrong
+     among men. He who looks upon the world knows also the thoughts
+     in all men. As the sun sees everything and knows everything,
+     he is asked to forget and forgive what he alone has seen and
+     knows."[497:3]
+
+On the most ancient Egyptian monuments, Osiris, the Sun personified, is
+represented as Judge of the dead. The Egyptian "Book of the Dead," the
+oldest Bible in the world, speaks of Osiris as "seeing all things, and
+hearing all things, noting the good and evil deeds of men."
+
+15. _He will come again sitting on a white horse._ The "second coming"
+of Vishnu (Crishna), _Christ_ Jesus, and other Sun-gods, are also
+_astronomical allegories_. The _white horse_, which figures so
+conspicuously in the legend, was the universal symbol of the Sun among
+Oriental nations.
+
+Throughout the whole legend, _Christ_ Jesus is the toiling Sun, laboring
+for the benefit of others, not his own, and doing hard service for a
+mean and cruel generation. Watch his sun-like career of brilliant
+conquest, checked with intervals of storm, and declining to a death
+clouded with sorrow and derision. He is in constant company with his
+_twelve_ apostles, the _twelve signs of the zodiac_.[498:1] During the
+course of his life's journey he is called "The God of Earthly Blessing,"
+"The Saviour through whom a new life springs," "The Preserver," "The
+Redeemer," &c. Almost at his birth the Serpent of darkness attempts to
+destroy him. Temptations to sloth and luxury are offered him in vain. He
+has his work to do, and nothing can stay him from doing it, as nothing
+can arrest the Sun in his journey through the heavens. Like all other
+solar heroes, he has his faithful women who love him, and the Marys and
+Martha here play the part. Of his toils it is scarcely necessary to
+speak in detail. They are but a thousand variations on the story of the
+great conflict which all the Sun-gods wage against the demon of
+darkness. He astonishes his tutor when sent to school. This we might
+expect to be the case, when an incomparable and incommunicable wisdom is
+the heritage of the Sun. He also represents the wisdom and beneficence
+of the bright Being who brings life and light to men. As the Sun wakens
+the earth to life when the winter is done, so Crishna, Buddha, Horus,
+AEsculapius, and _Christ_ Jesus were raisers of the dead. When the leaves
+fell and withered on the approach of winter, the "daughter of the earth"
+would be spoken of as dying or dead, and, as no other power than that of
+the Sun can recall vegetation to life, this child of the earth would be
+represented as buried in a sleep from which the touch of the Sun alone
+could rouse her.
+
+_Christ_ Jesus, then, is the Sun, in his short career and early death.
+He is the child of the Dawn, whose soft, violet hues tint the clouds of
+early morn; his father being the Sky, the "Heavenly Father," who has
+looked down with love upon the Dawn, and overshadowed her. When his
+career on earth is ended, and he expires, the loving mother, who parted
+from him in the morning of his life, is at his side, looking on the
+death of the Son whom she cannot save from the doom which is on him,
+while her tears fall on his body like rain at sundown. From her he is
+parted at the beginning of his course; to her he is united at its close.
+But _Christ_ Jesus, like Crishna, Buddha, Osiris, Horus, Mithras,
+Apollo, Atys and others, _rises again_, and thus the myth takes us a
+step beyond the legend of Serpedon and others, which stop at the end of
+the eastward journey, when the night is done.
+
+According to the Christian calendar, the birthday of John the Baptist is
+on the day of the summer solstice, when the sun begins to decrease. How
+true to nature then are the words attributed to him in the fourth
+Gospel, when he says that he must _decrease_, and Jesus _increase_.
+
+Among the ancient Teutonic nations, fires were lighted, on the tops of
+hills, on the 24th of June, in honor of the WENDING SUN. This custom is
+still kept up in Southern Germany and the Scotch highlands, and it is
+the day selected by the Roman Catholic church to celebrate the nativity
+of John the Baptist.[499:1]
+
+Mosheim, the ecclesiastical historian, speaking of the uncertainty of
+the time when _Christ_ Jesus was born, says: "The uncertainty of this
+point is of no great consequence. We know that the _Sun of
+Righteousness_ has shone upon the world; and although we cannot fix the
+precise period in which he arose, this will not preclude us from
+enjoying the direction and influence of his vital and salutary beams."
+
+These sacred legends abound with such expressions as can have no
+possible or conceivable application to any other than to the "God of
+day." He is "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory (or
+brightness) of his people."[499:2] He is come "a light into the world,
+that whosoever believeth in him should not abide in darkness."[499:3] He
+is "the light of the world."[499:4] He "is light, and in him no darkness
+is."[499:5]
+
+     "Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, Adonai, and by thy
+     great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this
+     night."--_Collect, in Evening Service._
+
+     God of God, light of light, very God of very God."--_Nicene
+     Creed._
+
+     "Merciful Adonai, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of
+     light upon thy Church."--_Collect of St. John._
+
+     "To thee all angels cry aloud, the heavens, and all the powers
+     therein."
+
+     "Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory" (or
+     brightness).
+
+     "The glorious company of the (_twelve months_, or) apostles
+     praise thee."
+
+     "Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ!"
+
+     "When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou passest
+     through the constellation, or zodiacal sign--the Virgin."
+
+     "When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of winter, thou didst
+     open the kingdom of heaven (_i. e._, bring on the reign of the
+     summer months) to all believers."
+
+"All are agreed," says Cicero, "that Apollo is none other than the SUN,
+because the attributes which are commonly ascribed to Apollo do so
+wonderfully agree thereto."
+
+Just so surely as Apollo is the Sun, so is the Lord _Christ_ Jesus the
+Sun. That which is so conclusive respecting the Pagan deities, applies
+also to the God of the Christians; but, like the Psalmist of old, they
+cry, "Touch not MY Christ, and do my prophets no harm."
+
+Many Christian writers have seen that the history of their Lord and
+Saviour is simply the history of the Sun, but they either say nothing,
+or, like Dr. Parkhurst and the Rev. J. P. Lundy, claim that the Sun is a
+type of the true Sun of Righteousness. Mr. Lundy, in his "Monumental
+Christianity," says:
+
+     "Is there no bright Sun of Righteousness--no _personal_ and
+     loving Son of God, _of whom the material Sun has been the type
+     or symbol, in all ages and among all nations_? What power is
+     it that comes from the Sun to give light and heat to all
+     created things? If the symbolical Sun leads such a great
+     earthly and heavenly flock, what must be said to the _true_
+     and only begotten Son of God? If Apollo was adopted by early
+     Christian art as a _type_ of the Good Shepherd of the New
+     Testament, _then this interpretation of the Sun-god among all
+     nations must be the solution of the universal mythos, or what
+     other solution can it have_? To what other _historical_
+     personage but Christ can it apply? _If this mythos has no
+     spiritual meaning, then all religion becomes mere idolatry, or
+     the worship of material things._"[500:1]
+
+Mr. Lundy, who seems to adhere to this once-upon-a-time favorite theory,
+illustrates it as follows:
+
+     "The young _Isaac_ is his (Christ's) Hebrew type, bending
+     under the wood, as Christ fainted under the cross; _Daniel_ is
+     his type, stripped of all earthly fame and greatness, and cast
+     naked into the deepest danger, shame and humiliation." "_Noah_
+     is his type, in saving men from utter destruction, and
+     bringing them across the sea of death to a new world and a new
+     life." "_Orpheus_ is a type of Christ. _Agni_ and _Crishna_ of
+     India; _Mithra_ of Persia; _Horus_ and _Apollo_ of Egypt, are
+     all types of Christ." "_Samson_ carrying off the gates of Gaza
+     and defeating the Philistines by his own death, was considered
+     as a type of Christ bursting open and carrying away the gates
+     of Hades, and conquering His and our enemies by his death and
+     resurrection."[501:1]
+
+According to this theory, the whole Pagan religion was typical of Christ
+and Christianity. Why then were not the Pagans the Lord's _chosen_
+people instead of the children of Israel?
+
+The early Christians were charged with being a sect of _Sun
+worshipers_.[501:2] The ancient Egyptians worshiped the god _Serapis_,
+and Serapis was the _Sun_. Fig. No. 11, page 194, shows the manner in
+which Serapis was personified. It might easily pass for a representation
+of the Sun-god of the Christians. Mr. King says, in his "Gnostics, and
+their Remains":
+
+     "There can be no doubt that the head of Serapis, marked as the
+     face is by a grave and pensive majesty, _supplied the first
+     idea for the conventional portraits of the Saviour_."[501:3]
+
+The Imperial Russian Collection _boasts_ of a head of Christ Jesus which
+is said to be very ancient. It is a fine intaglio on emerald. Mr. King
+says of it:
+
+     "It is in reality a head of _Serapis_, seen in front and
+     crowned with Persia boughs, easily mistaken for thorns, though
+     the bushel on the head leaves no doubt as to the real
+     personage intended."[501:4]
+
+It must not be forgotten, in connection with this, that the worshipers
+of Serapis, or the Sun, were called _Christians_.[501:5]
+
+Mrs. Jameson, speaking on this subject, says:
+
+     "We search in vain for the lightest evidence of his (Christ's)
+     human, individual semblance, in the writing of those disciples
+     who knew him so well. In this instance the instincts of
+     earthly affection seem to have been mysteriously overruled. He
+     whom all races of men were to call brother, was not to be too
+     closely associated with the particular lineaments of any one.
+     St. John, the beloved disciple, could lie on the breast of
+     Jesus with all the freedom of fellowship, but not even he has
+     left a word to indicate what manner of man was the Divine
+     Master after the flesh. . . . Legend has, in various form,
+     supplied this natural craving, but it is hardly necessary to
+     add, that all accounts of pictures of our Lord taken from
+     Himself are without historical foundation. _We are therefore
+     left to imagine the expression_ most befitting the character
+     of him who took upon himself our likeness, and looked at the
+     woes and sins of mankind through the eyes of our
+     mortality."[501:6]
+
+The Rev. Mr. Geikie says, in his "Life of Christ":
+
+     "No hint is given in the New Testament of Christ's
+     _appearance_; and the early Church, in the absence of all
+     guiding facts, had to fall back on imagination."
+
+     "In its _first_ years, the Christian church fancied its
+     Lord's visage and form _marred more than those of other men_;
+     and that he must have had no attractions of personal beauty.
+     Justin Martyr (A. D. 150-160) speaks of him as _without beauty
+     or attractiveness_, and of _mean appearance_. Clement of
+     Alexandria (A. D. 200), describes him as of an _uninviting
+     appearance_, and _almost repulsive_. Tertullian (A. D.
+     200-210) says he had not even _ordinary human beauty_, far
+     less heavenly. Origen (A. D. 230) went so far as to say that
+     he was '_small in body and deformed_', as well as low-born,
+     and that, '_his only beauty was in his soul and
+     life_.'"[502:1]
+
+One of the favorite ways finally, of depicting him, was, as Mr. Lundy
+remarks:
+
+     "Under the figure of a beautiful and adorable youth, of about
+     fifteen or eighteen years of age, beardless, with a sweet
+     expression of countenance, _and long and abundant hair flowing
+     in curls over his shoulders_. His brow is sometimes encircled
+     by a diadem or bandeau, _like a young priest of the Pagan
+     gods_; that is, in fact, the favorite figure. On sculptured
+     sarcophagi, in fresco paintings and Mosaics, Christ is thus
+     represented as a graceful youth, _just as Apollo was figured
+     by the Pagans_, and as angels are represented by
+     Christians."[502:2]
+
+Thus we see that the Christians took the paintings and statues of the
+Sun-gods Serapis and Apollo _as models_, when they wished to represent
+_their_ Saviour. That the former is the favorite at the present day need
+not be doubted when we glance at Fig. No. 11, page 194.
+
+Mr. King, speaking of this god, and his worshipers, says:
+
+     "There is very good reason to believe that in the _East_ the
+     worship of _Serapis_ was at first combined with
+     _Christianity_, and gradually merged into it with an entire
+     change of name, _not substance_, carrying with it many of its
+     ancient notions and rites."[502:3]
+
+Again he says:
+
+     "In the second century the syncretistic sects that had sprung
+     up in _Alexandria_, the very hotbed of Gnosticism, found out
+     in _Serapis_ a prophetic _type_ of Christ, or the Lord and
+     Creator of all."[502:4]
+
+The early _Christians_, or worshipers of the Sun, under the name of
+"_Christ_," had, as all Sun-worshipers, _a peculiar regard to the
+East_--the quarter in which their god rose--_to which point they
+ordinarily directed their prayers_.[502:5]
+
+The followers of Mithra always turned towards the East, when they
+worshiped; the same was done by the Brahmans of the East, and the
+Christians of the West. In the ceremony of baptism, the catechumen was
+placed with his face to the West, the symbolical representation of the
+prince of darkness, in opposition to the East, and made to spit towards
+it at the evil one, and renounce his works.
+
+Tertullian says, that Christians were taken for worshipers of the Sun
+because they prayed towards the East, after the manner of those who
+adored the Sun. The Essenes--whom Eusebius calls Christians--always
+turned to the east to pray. The Essenes met once a week, and spent the
+night in singing hymns, &c., which lasted till sun-rising. As soon as
+dawn appeared, they retired to their cells, after saluting one another.
+Pliny says the Christians of Bithynia met before it was light, and sang
+hymns to Christ, as to a God. After their service they saluted one
+another. Surely the circumstances of the two classes of people meeting
+before daylight, is a very remarkable coincidence. It is just what the
+Persian Magi, who were Sun worshipers, were in the habit of doing.
+
+When a Manichaean Christian came over to the orthodox Christians, he was
+required to curse his former friends in the following terms:
+
+     "I curse Zarades (Zoroaster?) who, Manes said, had appeared as
+     a god before his time among the Indians and Persians, _and
+     whom he calls the Sun_. I curse those who say _Christ is the
+     Sun_, and who make prayers to the _Sun_, and who do not pray
+     to the true God, only towards the East, but who turn
+     themselves round, following the motions of the Sun with their
+     innumerable supplications. _I curse those person who say that
+     Zarades and Budas and Christ and the Sun are all one and the
+     same._"
+
+There are not many circumstances more striking than that of Christ Jesus
+being originally worshiped under the form of a LAMB--the actual "Lamb of
+God, which taketh away the sins of the world." As we have already seen
+(in Chap. XX.), it was not till the Council of Constantinople, called
+_In Trullo_, held so late as the year 707, that pictures of Christ Jesus
+were ordered to be drawn in the form of a man. It was ordained that, in
+the place of the figure of a LAMB, the symbol used to that time, the
+figure of a man nailed to a cross, should in future be used.[503:1] From
+this decree, the identity of the worship of the _Celestial Lamb_ and the
+Christian Saviour is certified beyond the possibility of doubt, and the
+mode by which the ancient superstitions were propagated is
+satisfactorily shown. Nothing can more clearly prove the general
+practice than the order of a council to regulate it.
+
+The worship of the constellation of _Aries_ was the worship of the Sun
+in his passage through that sign. "This constellation was called by the
+ancients the _Lamb of God_. He was also called the _Saviour_, and was
+said to save mankind from their sins. He was always honored with the
+appellation of _Dominus_ or _Lord_. He was called _The Lamb of God which
+taketh away the sins of the world_. The devotees addressed him in their
+litany, constantly repeating the words, '_O Lamb of God, that taketh
+away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Grant us thy peace._'"
+
+On an ancient medal of the _Phenicians_, brought by Dr. Clark from
+Citium (and described in his "Travels," vol. ii. ch. xi.) this _Lamb of
+God_ is described with the CROSS and the ROSARY, which shows that they
+were both used in his worship.
+
+Yearly the SUN-GOD, as the zodiacal horse (Aries) was supposed by the
+Vedic Aryans _to die to save all flesh_. Hence the practice of
+sacrificing horses. The "guardian spirits" of the prince Sakya Buddha
+sing the following hymn:
+
+     "Once when thou wast the _white horse_,[504:1]
+      In pity for the suffering of man,
+      Thou didst fly across heaven to the region of the evil demons,
+      _To secure the happiness of mankind_.
+      Persecutions without end,
+      Revilings and many prisons,
+      _Death and murder_;
+      These hast thou suffered with love and patience,
+      _Forgiving thine executioners_."[504:2]
+
+We have seen, in Chapter XXXIII., that Christ Jesus was also symbolized
+as a _Fish_, and that it is to be seen on all the ancient Christian
+monuments. But what has the Christian Saviour to do with a _Fish_? Why
+was he called a _Fish_? The answer is, _because the fish was another
+emblem of the_ SUN. Abarbanel says:
+
+     "The sign of his (Christ's) coming is the junction of Saturn
+     and Jupiter, _in the Sign Pisces_."[504:3]
+
+Applying the astronomical emblem of _Pisces_ to Jesus, does not seem
+more absurd than applying the astronomical emblem of the Lamb. They
+applied to him the monogram of the Sun, IHS, the astronomical and
+alchemical sign of Aries, or the ram, or Lamb [Symbol: Aries]; and, in
+short, what was there that was _Heathenish_ that they have not applied
+to him?
+
+The preserving god Vishnu, the Sun, was represented as a fish, and so
+was the Syrian Sun-god Dagon, who was also a Preserver or Saviour. The
+Fish was sacred among many nations of antiquity, and is to be seen on
+their monuments. Thus we see that everything at last centres in the SUN.
+
+Constantine, the first Christian emperor, had on his _coins_ the figure
+of the Sun, with the legend: "To the Invincible Sun, my companion and
+guardian," as being a representation, says Mr. King, "either of the
+ancient Phoebus, _or the_ new _Sun of Righteousness_, equally acceptable
+to both Christian and Gentile, from the double interpretation of which
+the type was susceptible."[505:1]
+
+The worship of the Sun, under the name of Mithra, "long survived in
+Rome, _under the Christian emperors_, and, doubtless, much longer in the
+remoter districts of the semi-independent provinces."[505:2]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 41]
+
+_Christ_ Jesus is represented with a halo of glory surrounding his head,
+a florid complexion, long golden locks of hair, and a flowing robe. Now,
+all _Sun_-gods, from Crishna of India (Fig. No. 41) to Baldur of
+Scandinavia, are represented with a halo of glory surrounding their
+heads, and the flowing locks of golden hair, and the flowing robe, are
+not wanting.[505:3] By a process of metaphor, the rays of the Sun were
+changed into golden hair, into spears and lances, and robes of light.
+From the shoulders of Phoibus Lykegenes, the light-born, flow the sacred
+locks over which no razor might pass. On the head of Nisos, as on that
+of Samson, they became a palladium invested with a mysterious power.
+From Helios, the Sun, who can scorch as well as warm, comes the robe of
+Medeia, which appears in the poisoned garments of Deianeira.[506:1]
+
+We see, then, that _Christ_ Jesus, like _Christ_ Buddha,[506:2] Crishna,
+Mithra, Osiris, Horus, Apollo, Hercules and others, is none other than a
+personification of the Sun, and that the Christians, like their
+predecessors the Pagans, are really Sun worshipers. It must not be
+inferred, however, that we advocate the theory that no such person as
+_Jesus of Nazareth_ ever lived in the flesh. The _man_ Jesus is
+evidently an historical personage, just as the Sakaya prince Buddha,
+Cyrus, King of Persia, and Alexander, King of Macedonia, are historical
+personages; but the _Christ_ Jesus, the _Christ_ Buddha, the mythical
+Cyrus, and the mythical Alexander, _never lived in the flesh_. The
+_Sun-myth_ has been added to the histories of these personages, in a
+greater or less degree, just as it has been added to the history of many
+other real personages. If it be urged that the attribution to Christ
+Jesus of qualities or powers belonging to the Pagan deities would hardly
+seem reasonable, the answer must be that nothing is done in his case
+which has not been done in the case of almost every other member of the
+great company of the gods. The tendency of myths to _reproduce
+themselves_, with differences only of _names_ and _local coloring_,
+becomes especially manifest after perusing the legendary histories of
+the gods of antiquity. It is a fact demonstrated by history, that when
+one nation of antiquity came in contact with another, _they adopted each
+other's myths without hesitation_. After the Jews had been taken
+captives to Babylon, around the history of _their King Solomon_
+accumulated the fables which were related of _Persian heroes_. When the
+fame of Cyrus and Alexander became known over the then known world, the
+popular _Sun-myth_ was interwoven with their true history. The mythical
+history of Perseus is, in all its essential features, the history of the
+Attic hero Theseus, and of the Theban OEdipus, and they all reappear
+with heightened colors in the myths of Hercules. We have the same thing
+again in the mythical and religious history of Crishna; it is, in nearly
+all its essential features, the history of Buddha, and reappears again,
+with heightened colors, in the history of _Christ_ Jesus. The myths of
+Buddha and Jesus differ from the legends of the other virgin-born
+Saviours only in the fact that in their cases it has gathered round
+unquestionably historical personages. In other words, an old myth has
+been added to names undoubtedly historical. But it cannot be too often
+repeated that from the _myth_ we learn nothing of their history. How
+much we really know of the man Jesus will be considered in our next, and
+last, chapter.[507:1] That his biography, as recorded in the books of
+the New Testament, contains some few grains of actual history, is all
+that the historian or philosopher can rationally venture to urge. But
+the very process which has stripped these legends of all value as a
+chronicle of actual events has invested them with a new interest. Less
+than ever are they worthless fictions which the historian or philosopher
+may afford to despise. These legends of the birth, life, and death of
+the Sun, present to us a form of society and a condition of thought
+through which all mankind had to pass before the dawn of history. Yet
+that state of things was as real as the time in which we live. They who
+spoke the language of these early tales were men and women with joys and
+sorrows not unlike our own. In the following verses of Martianus
+Capella, the universal veneration for the Sun is clearly shown:
+
+     "Latium invokes thee, _Sol_, because thou alone art in honor,
+     _after the Father_, the centre of light; and they affirm that
+     thy sacred head bears a golden brightness in twelve rays,
+     because thou formest that number of months and that number of
+     hours. They say that thou guidest four winged steeds, because
+     thou alone rulest the chariot of the elements. For, dispelling
+     the darkness, thou revealest the shining heavens. Hence they
+     esteem thee, Phoebus, the discoverer of the secrets of the
+     future; or, because thou preventest nocturnal crimes. Egypt
+     worships thee as Serapis, and Memphis as Osiris. Thou art
+     worshiped by different rites as Mithra, Dis, and the cruel
+     Typhon. Thou art alone the beautiful Atys, and the fostering
+     son of the bent plough. Thou art the Ammon of arid Libya, and
+     the Adonis of Byblos. _Thus under a varied appellation the
+     whole world worship thee._ Hail! thou true image of the gods,
+     and of thy father's face! thou whose sacred name, surname, and
+     omen, three letters make to agree with the number 608.[507:2]
+     Grant us, oh Father, to reach the eternal intercourse of mind,
+     and to know the starry heaven under this sacred name. May the
+     great and universally adorable Father increase these his
+     favors."
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[467:1] "In the _Vedas_, the _Sun_ has twenty different names, not pure
+equivalents, but each term descriptive of the Sun in one of its aspects.
+It is brilliant (Surya), the friend (Mitra), generous (Aryaman),
+beneficent (Bhaga), that which nourishes (Pushna), the Creator
+(Tvashtar), the master of the sky (Divaspati), and so on." (Rev. S.
+Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 150.)
+
+[467:2] Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 267.
+
+[468:1] Preface to "Tales of Anct. Greece."
+
+[468:2] See Appendix B.
+
+[469:1] Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. pp. 51-53.
+
+[473:1] Mueller: Origin of Religions, pp. 264-268.
+
+[473:2] John, i. 9.
+
+[473:3] The Christian ceremonies of the Nativity are celebrated in
+Bethlehem and Rome, even at the present time, _very early in the
+morning_.
+
+[474:1] Quoted by Volney, Ruins, p. 166, and _note_.
+
+[474:2] See Ibid. and Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 236.
+
+[474:3] See Chap. XXXIV.
+
+[474:4] The _Dawn_ was _personified_ by the ancients--a _virgin mother_,
+who bore the _Sun_. (See Max Mueller's Chips, vol. ii. p. 137. Fiske's
+Myths and Mythmakers, p. 156, and Cox: Tales of Ancient Greece, and
+Aryan Mytho.)
+
+[474:5] In Sanscrit "Ida" is the _Earth_, the wife of Dyaus (the Sky),
+and so we have before us the mythical phrase, "the _Sun_ at its birth
+rests on the earth." In other words, "the Sun at birth is nursed in the
+lap of its mother."
+
+[474:6] "The moment we understand the _nature_ of a myth, all
+impossibilities, contradictions and immoralities disappear. If a
+mythical personage be nothing more than a name of the _Sun_, his birth
+may be derived from ever so many different mothers. He may be the son of
+the _Sky_ or of the _Dawn_ or of the _Sea_ or of the _Night_." (Renouf's
+Hibbert Lectures, p. 108.)
+
+[474:7] "The sign of the _Celestial Virgin_ rises above the horizon at
+the moment in which we fix the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ."
+(Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 314, and Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p.
+147.)
+
+"We have in the first decade the _Sign of the Virgin_, following the
+most ancient tradition of the Persians, the Chaldeans, the Egyptians,
+Hermes and AEsculapius, a young woman called in the Persian language,
+_Seclinidos de Darzama_; in the Arabic, _Aderenedesa_--that is to say, a
+chaste, pure, immaculate virgin, suckling an infant, which some nations
+call _Jesus_ (_i. e._, Saviour), but which we in Greek call _Christ_."
+(Abulmazer.)
+
+"In the first decade of the Virgin, rises a maid, called in Arabic,
+'Aderenedesa,' that is: 'pure immaculate virgin,' graceful in person,
+charming in countenance, modest in habit, with loosened hair, holding in
+her hands two ears of wheat, sitting upon an embroidered throne, nursing
+a BOY, and rightly feeding him in the place called _Hebraea_. A boy, I
+say, names IESSUS by certain nations, which signifies Issa, whom they
+also call _Christ_ in Greek." (Kircher, OEdipus AEgypticus.)
+
+[475:1] Max Mueller: Origin of Religions, p. 261.
+
+[475:2] Ibid. p. 230.
+
+[475:3] "With scarcely an exception, all the names by which the _Virgin
+goddess_ of the Akropolis was known point to this mythology of the
+_Dawn_." (Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. i. p. 228.)
+
+[475:4] We also read in the Vishnu Purana that: "The Sun of Achyuta
+(God, the Imperishable) _rose in the dawn of Devaki_, to cause the lotus
+petal of the universe (_Crishna_) to expand. On the day of his birth the
+quarters of the horizon were irradiate with joy," &c.
+
+[475:5] Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. iii. pp. 105, and 130, vol. ii.
+
+[475:6] Ibid. p. 133. See Legends in Chap. XVI.
+
+[475:7] Fiske: Myths and Mythmakers, p. 113.
+
+[476:1] Renouf: Hibbert Lectures, p. 111 and 161.
+
+[476:2] Ibid. p. 161 and 179.
+
+[476:3] Ibid. pp. 179.
+
+[476:4] See Tales of Ancient Greece, pp. xxxi. and 82.
+
+[476:5] The _Bull_ symbolized the productive force in nature, and hence
+it was associated with the SUN-gods. This animal was venerated by nearly
+all the peoples of antiquity. (Wake: Phallism in Anct. Religs., p. 45.)
+
+[476:6] See Aryan Myths, vol. i. p. 229.
+
+[477:1] See Chap. XXXII.
+
+[477:2] See Tales of Ancient Greece, p. xviii.
+
+[477:3] "The idea entertained by the ancients that these god-begotten
+heroes were engendered without any carnal intercourse, and that they
+were the sons of Jupiter, is, in plain language, the result of the
+ethereal spirit, _i. e._, the Holy Spirit, operating on the virgin
+mother _Earth_." (Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 156.)
+
+[477:4] Cox: Aryan Myths, p. 87.
+
+[477:5] See Williams' Hinduism, p. 24, and Mueller's Chips, vol. ii. pp.
+277 and 290.
+
+[477:6] See Bulfinch, p. 389.
+
+[477:7] See Renouf's Hibbert Lectures, pp. 110, 111.
+
+[477:8] Manners of the Germans, p. xi.
+
+[478:1] See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, pp. 81, 99, and 166.
+
+The Moon was called by the ancients, "The Queen;" "The Highest
+Princess;" "The Queen of Heaven;" "The Princess and Queen of Heaven;"
+&c. She was Istar, Ashera, Diana, Artemis, Isis, Juno, Lucina, Astarte.
+(Goldzhier, pp. 158. Knight, pp. 99, 100.)
+
+In the beginning of the eleventh book of Apuleius' Metamorphosis, Isis
+is represented as addressing him thus: "I am present; I who am _Nature_,
+the parent of things, queen of all the elements, &c., &c. The primitive
+Phrygians called me _Pressinuntica, the mother of the gods_; the native
+Athenians, Ceropian Minerva; the floating Cyprians, Paphian Venus; the
+arrow-bearing Cretans, Dictymian Diana; the three-tongued Sicilians,
+Stygian Proserpine; and the inhabitants of Eleusis, the ancient goddess
+Ceres. Some again have invoked me as _Juno_, others as _Beliona_, others
+as Hecate, and others as Rhamnusia: and those who are enlightened by the
+emerging rays of the rising _Sun_, the Ethiopians, Ariians and
+Egyptians, powerful in ancient learning, who reverence my divinity with
+ceremonies perfectly proper, call me by a true appellation, '_Queen
+Isis_.'" (Taylor's Mysteries, p. 76.)
+
+[478:2] The "God the Father" of all nations of antiquity was nothing
+more than a personification of the _Sky_ or the _Heavens_. "The term
+_Heaven_ (pronounced _Thien_) is used everywhere in the Chinese classics
+for the _Supreme Power_, ruling and governing all the affairs of men
+with an omnipotent and omniscient righteousness and goodness." (James
+Legge.)
+
+In one of the Chinese sacred books--the Shu-king--_Heaven_ and _Earth_
+are called "Father and Mother of all things." Heaven being the Father,
+and Earth the Mother. (Taylor: Primitive Culture, pp. 294-296.)
+
+The "God the Father" of the Indians is _Dyaus_, that is, the _Sky_.
+(Williams' Hinduism, p. 24.)
+
+Ormuzd, the god of the ancient Persians, was a personification of the
+sky. Herodotus, speaking of the Persians, says: "They are accustomed to
+ascend the highest part of the mountains, and offer sacrifice to Jupiter
+(Ormuzd), _and they call the whole circle of the heavens by the name of
+Jupiter_." (Herodotus, book 1, ch. 131.)
+
+In Greek iconography Zeus is the _Heaven_. As Cicero says: "The
+refulgent Heaven above is that which all men call, unanimously, Jove."
+
+The Christian God supreme of the nineteenth century is still _Dyaus_
+Pitar, the "Heavenly Father."
+
+[478:3] Williams' Hinduism, p. 24.
+
+[478:4] Mueller: Origin of Religions, pp. 261, 290.
+
+[478:5] Renouf: Hibbert Lectures, pp. 110, 111.
+
+[478:6] See Note 2.
+
+[478:7] See Cox: Tales of Ancient Greece, pp. xxxi. and 82, and Aryan
+Mythology, vol. i. p. 229.
+
+[479:1] Quoted by Westropp: Phallic Worship, p. 24.
+
+[479:2] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 66. "In Phenician Mythology Ouranos
+(Heaven) weds Ghe (the Earth) and by her becomes father of Oceanus,
+Hyperon, Iapetus, Cronos, and other gods." (Phallic Worship, p. 26.)
+
+[479:3] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 64.
+
+[479:4] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, pp. 80, 93, 94, 406, 510,
+511.
+
+[480:1] See Chap. XIV.
+
+[480:2] See Dupuis: Orig. Relig. Belief, p. 234. Higgins' Anacalypsis,
+vol. ii. pp. 96, 97, and Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 272.
+
+[480:3] Extracts from the Vedas. Mueller's Chips, vol. ii. pp. 96 and
+187.
+
+[481:1] Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 153.
+
+[481:2] Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 133.
+
+[481:3] When Christ Jesus was born, on a sudden there was a great light
+in the cave, so that their eyes could not bear it. (Protevangelion,
+Apoc. ch. xiv.)
+
+[481:4] "Perseus, Oidipous, Romulus and Cyrus are doomed to bring ruin
+on their parents. They are exposed in their infancy on the hill-side,
+and rescued by a shepherd. _All the solar heroes begin life in this
+way._ Whether, like Apollo, born of the dark night (Leto), or like
+Oidipous, of the violet dawn (Iokaste), they are alike destined to bring
+destruction on their parents, as the Night and the Dawn are both
+destroyed by the Sun." (Fiske: p. 198.)
+
+[481:5] "The exposure of the child in infancy represents the long rays
+of the morning sun resting on the hill-side." (Fiske: Myths and
+Mythmakers, p. 198.)
+
+The Sun-hero Paris is exposed on the slopes of Ida, Oidipous on the
+slopes of Kithairon, and AEsculapius on that of the mountain of Myrtles.
+This is the rays of the newly-born sun resting on the mountain-side.
+(Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. i. pp. 64 and 80.)
+
+In Sanscrit _Ida_ is the Earth, and so we have the mythical phrase, the
+Sun at its birth is exposed on Ida--the hill-side. The light of the sun
+must rest on the hill-side long before it reaches the dells beneath.
+(See Cox: vol. i. p. 221, and Fiske: p. 114.)
+
+[482:1] Even as late as the seventeenth century, a German writer would
+illustrate a thunder-storm destroying a crop of corn, by a picture of a
+dragon devouring the produce of the field with his flaming tongue and
+iron teeth. (See Fiske: Myths and Mythmakers, p. 17, and Cox: Aryan
+Mythology, vol. ii.)
+
+[482:2] The history of the Saviour Hercules is so similar to that of the
+Saviour Christ Jesus, that the learned Dr. Parkhurst was forced to say,
+"The labors of Hercules seem to have been originally designed as
+emblematic memorials of what the REAL Son of God, the Saviour of the
+world, was to do and suffer for our sakes, _bringing a cure for all our
+ills_, as the Orphic hymn speaks of Hercules."
+
+[482:3] Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, pp. 158, 166, and 168.
+
+[482:4] In ancient mythology, all heroes of light were opposed by the
+"Old Serpent," the Devil, symbolized by Serpents, Dragons, Sphinxes and
+other monsters. The Serpent was, among the ancient Eastern nations, the
+symbol of _Evil_, of _Winter_, of _Darkness_ and of _Death_. It also
+symbolized the _dark cloud_, which, by harboring the _rays of the Sun_,
+preventing its shining, and therefore, is apparently _attempting to
+destroy it_. The Serpent is one of the chief mystic personifications of
+the _Rig-Veda_, under the names of _Ahi_, _Suchna_, and others. They
+represent the _Cloud_, the enemy of the _Sun_, keeping back the
+fructifying rays. Indra struggles victoriously against him, and spreads
+life on the earth, with the shining warmth of the Father of Life, the
+Creator, _the Sun_.
+
+Buddha, the Lord and Saviour, was described as a superhuman organ of
+light, to whom a superhuman organ of darkness, Mara, the Evil Serpent,
+was opposed. He, like _Christ_ Jesus, resisted the temptations of this
+evil one, and is represented sitting on a serpent, as if its conqueror.
+(See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 39.)
+
+Crishna also overcame the evil one, and is represented "bruising the
+head of the serpent," and standing upon it. (See vol. i. of Asiatic
+Researches, and vol. ii. of Higgins' Anacalypsis.)
+
+In Egyptian Mythology, one of the names of the god-_Sun_ was _Ra_. He
+had an adversary who was called _Apap_, represented in the form of a
+serpent. (See Renouf's Hibbert Lectures, p. 109.)
+
+Horus, the Egyptian incarnate god, the Mediator, Redeemer and Saviour,
+is represented in Egyptian art as overcoming the Evil Serpent, and
+standing triumphantly upon him. (See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 158,
+and Monumental Christianity, p. 402.)
+
+Osiris, Ormuzd, Mithras, Apollo, Bacchus, Hercules, Indra, OEdipus,
+Quetzalcoatle, and many other _Sun-gods_, overcame the Evil One, and are
+represented in the above described manner. (See Cox's Tales of Ancient
+Greece, p. xxvii. and Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 129. Baring-Gould's
+Curious Myths, p. 256. Bulfinch's Age of Fable, p. 34. Bunsen's
+Angel-Messiah, p. x., and Kingsborough's Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi.
+p. 176.)
+
+[483:1] The crucifixion of the Sun-gods is simply the power of Darkness
+triumphing over the "Lord of Light," and Winter overpowering the Summer.
+It was at the _Winter_ solstice that the ancients wept for Tammuz, the
+fair Adonis, and other Sun-gods, who were put to death by the boar,
+slain by the thorn of winter. (See Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p.
+113.)
+
+Other versions of the same myth tell us of Eurydike stung to death by
+the hidden serpent, of Sifrit smitten by Hagene (the Thorn), of
+Isfendiyar slain by the thorn or arrow of Rustem, of Achilleus
+vulnerable only in the heel, of Brynhild enfolded within the dragon's
+coils, of Meleagros dying as the torch of doom is burnt out, of Baldur,
+the brave and pure, smitten by the fatal mistletoe, and of Crishna and
+others being crucified.
+
+In Egyptian mythology, Set, the destroyer, triumphs in the _West_. He is
+the personification of _Darkness_ and _Winter_, and the Sun-god whom he
+puts to death, is Horus the Saviour. (See Renouf's Hibbert Lectures, pp.
+112-115.)
+
+[483:2] "In the _Rig-Veda_ the god _Vishnu_ is often named as a
+manifestation of the _Solar_ energy, or rather as a form of the Sun."
+(Indian Wisdom, p. 322.)
+
+[483:3] Crishna says: "I am Vishnu, Brahma, _Indra_, and the source as
+well as the destruction of things, the creator and the annihilator of
+the whole aggregate of existences." (Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p.
+131.)
+
+[484:1] See Chap. XX.
+
+[484:2] _Indra_, who was represented as a crucified god, is also the
+_Sun_. No sooner is he born than he speaks to his mother. Like Apollo
+and all other Sun-gods he has _golden locks_, and like them he is
+possessed of an inscrutable wisdom. He is also born of a virgin--the
+Dawn. Crishna and Indra are one. (See Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. i. pp.
+88 and 341; vol. ii. p. 131.)
+
+[484:3] Wake: Phallism, &c., p. 55.
+
+[484:4] See Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 113.
+
+[484:5] Ibid. pp. 115 and 125.
+
+[484:6] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 157.
+
+[484:7] Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 88.
+
+A great number of the Solar heroes or Sun-gods are forced to endure
+being bound, which indicates the tied-up power of the sun in winter.
+(Goldzhier: Hebrew Mythology, p. 406.)
+
+[484:8] The Sun, as climbing the heights of heaven, is an arrogant
+being, given to making exorbitant claims, who must be bound to the fiery
+cross. "The phrases which described the Sun as revolving daily on his
+four-spoked _cross_, or as doomed to sink in the sky when his orb had
+reached the zenith, would give rise to the stories of _Ixion_ on his
+flaming wheel." (Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 27.)
+
+[484:9] "So was Ixion bound on the fiery wheel, and the sons of men see
+the flaming spokes day by day as it whirls in the high heaven."
+
+[485:1] Cox: Tales of Ancient Greece, p. xxxii.
+
+[485:2] Ibid. p. xxxiii.
+
+[485:3] "That the story of the Trojan war is almost wholly mythical, has
+been conceded even by the stoutest champions of Homeric unity." (Rev. G.
+W. Cox.)
+
+[485:4] See Mueller's Science of Religion, p. 186.
+
+[485:5] See Calmet's Fragments, vol. ii. pp. 21, 22.
+
+[486:1] Nimrod: vol. i. p. 278, in Anac., i. p. 503.
+
+[486:2] At Miletus was the crucified Apollo--Apollo, who overcome the
+Serpent or evil principle. Thus Callimachus, celebrating this
+achievement, in his hymn to Apollo, has these remarkable words:
+
+     "Thee thy blest _mother_ bore, and pleased assign'd
+      The willing SAVIOUR of distressed mankind."
+
+[486:3] These words apply to _Christ_ Jesus, as well as Semiramis,
+according to the Christian Father Ignatius. In his Epistle to the Church
+at Ephesus, he says: "Now the virginity of Mary, and he who was born of
+her, was kept in secret from the prince of this world, as was also the
+death of our Lord: _three of the mysteries the most spoken of throughout
+the world, yet done in secret by God_."
+
+[487:1] The Rosicrucians, p. 260.
+
+[487:2] Ibid.
+
+[488:1] The Sun-gods Apollo, Indra, Wittoba or Crishna, and Christ
+Jesus, are represented as having their feet pierced with nails (See Cox:
+Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 23, and Moor's Hindu Pantheon.)
+
+[489:1] Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., pp. 87, 88.
+
+[489:2] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 32.
+
+[489:3] "This notion is quite consistent with the ideas entertained by
+the Phenicians as to the Serpent, which they supposed to have the
+quality of putting off its old age, and assuming a second youth."
+Sanchoniathon: (Quoted by Wake: Phallism, &c., p. 43.)
+
+[489:4] Une serpent qui tient sa queue dans sa gueule et dans le circle
+qu'il decrit, ces trois lettres Greques {~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER GAMMA~}{~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER XI~}{~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER EPSILON~}, qui sont le nombre 365. Le
+Serpent, qui est d'ordinaire un embleme de l'eternete est ici celui de
+_Soleil_ et des ses revolutions. (Beausobre: Hist. de Manich. tom. ii.
+p. 55. Quoted by Lardner, vol. viii. p. 379.)
+
+"This idea existed even in _America_. The great century of the Aztecs
+was encircled by _a serpent grasping its own tail_, and the great
+_calendar stone_ is entwined by serpents bearing human heads in their
+distended jaws."
+
+"The annual passage of the Sun, through the signs of the zodiac, being
+in an oblique path, resembles, or at least the ancients thought so, the
+tortuous movements of the Serpent, and the facility possessed by this
+reptile of casting off his skin and producing out of itself a new
+covering every year, bore some analogy to the termination of the old
+year and the commencement of the new one. Accordingly, all the ancient
+spheres--the Persian, Indian, Egyptian, Barbaric, and Mexican--were
+surrounded by the figure of a serpent _holding its tail in its mouth_."
+(Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 249.)
+
+[489:5] Wake: Phallism, p. 42.
+
+[489:6] See Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 128.
+
+[490:1] Being the most intimately connected with the reproduction of
+life on earth, the _Linga_ became the symbol under which the _Sun_,
+invoked with a thousand names, has been worshiped throughout the world
+as the restorer of the powers of nature after the long sleep or death of
+Winter. In the brazen _Serpent_ of the Pentateuch, the two emblems of
+the _Cross_ and _Serpent_, the quiescent and energizing _Phallos_, are
+united. (Cox: Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. pp. 113-118.)
+
+[490:2] Wake: Phallism, &c., p. 60.
+
+[491:1] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 155.
+
+[491:2] Wake: Phallism in Anct. Religs., p. 72.
+
+[491:3] Ibid. p. 73. Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 195.
+
+[491:4] Faber: Orig. Pagan Idol., in Squire, p. 158.
+
+[491:5] Ibid.
+
+[491:6] Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 375.
+
+[491:7] Ibid.
+
+[491:8] Squire: p. 161.
+
+[491:9] Ibid. p. 185.
+
+[492:1] Squire: p. 169.
+
+[492:2] Lundy: Monumental Christianity, p. 185.
+
+[492:3] "SAVIOUR was a common title of the SUN-gods of antiquity."
+(Wake: Phallism in Anct. Religs., p. 55.)
+
+The ancient Greek writers speak of the Sun, as the "Generator and
+Nourisher of all Things;" the "Ruler of the World;" the "First of the
+Gods," and the "Supreme Lord of all Beings." (Knight: Ancient Art and
+Mytho., p. 37.)
+
+Pausanias (500 B. C.) speaks of "The Sun having the surname of SAVIOUR."
+(Ibid. p. 98, _note_.)
+
+"There is a very remarkable figure copied in Payne Knight's Work, in
+which we see on a man's shoulders a _cock's_ head, whilst on the
+pediment are placed the words: "THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD." (Inman: Anct.
+Faiths, vol. i. p. 537.) This refers to the SUN. The cock being the
+natural herald of the day, he was therefore sacred, among the ancients,
+to the Sun." (See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 70, and Lardner: vol.
+viii. p. 377.)
+
+[493:1] The name _Jesus_ is the same as _Joshua_, and signifies
+_Saviour_.
+
+[493:2] Justin Martyr: Dialog. Cum Typho. Quoted in Gibbon's Rome, vol.
+i. p. 582.
+
+[493:3] Matt. xxvii. 55.
+
+[493:4] The ever-faithful woman who is always near at the death of the
+Sun-god is "the fair and tender light which sheds its soft hue over the
+Eastern heaven as the Sun sinks in death beneath the Western waters."
+(Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. i. p. 223.)
+
+[493:5] See Ibid. vol. i. p. 80.
+
+[493:6] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 49.
+
+[493:7] Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 223.
+
+[494:1] See Tales of Ancient Greece, p. xxxi.
+
+[494:2] PETRAEUS was an interchangeable synonym of the name Oceanus.
+
+[494:3] "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far
+from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee." (Matt. xvi. 22.)
+
+[494:4] See Potter's AEschylus.
+
+[494:5] Matt. xxvii. 45.
+
+[494:6] As the Sun dies, or sinks in the West, blacker and blacker grows
+the evening shades, till there is darkness on the face of the earth.
+Then from the high heavens comes down the thick clouds, and the din of
+its thunder crashes through the air. (Description of the death of
+Hercules, Tales of Ancient Greece, pp. 61, 62.)
+
+[494:7] It Is the battle of the clouds over the dead or dying Sun, which
+is to be seen in the legendary history of many Sun-gods. (Cox: Aryan
+Mythology, vol. ii. p. 91.)
+
+[494:8] This was one of the latest additions of the Sun-myth to the
+history of _Christ_ Jesus. This has been proved not only to have been an
+invention after the Apostles' time, but even after the time of Eusebius
+(A. D. 325). The doctrine of the descent into hell was not in the
+ancient creeds or rules of faith. It is not to be found in the rules of
+faith delivered by Irenaeus (A. D. 190), by Origen (A. D. 230), or by
+Tertullian (A. D. 200-210). It is not expressed in those creeds which
+were made by the Councils as larger explications of the Apostles' Creed;
+not in the Nicene, or Constantinopolitan; not in those of Ephesus, or
+Chalcedon; not in those confessions made at Sardica, Antioch, Selencia,
+Sirmium, &c.
+
+[495:1] At the end of his career, the Sun enters the _lowest regions_,
+the bowels of the earth, therefore nearly all Sun-gods are made to
+"descend into hell," and remain there for three days and three nights,
+for the reason that from the 22d to the 25th of December, the Sun
+apparently remains in the same place. Thus Jonah, a personification of
+the Sun (see Chap. IX.), who remains three days and three nights in the
+bowels of the earth--typified by a fish--is made to pay: "Out of the
+belly of hell cried I, and thou heardst my voice."
+
+[495:2] See Chapter XXII.
+
+[495:3] Baring-Gould: Curious Myths, p. 260.
+
+"The mighty Lord appeared in the form of a man, and enlightened those
+places which had ever before been in darkness; and broke asunder the
+fetters which before could not be broken; and with his _invincible
+power_ visited those who sat in the deep darkness by iniquity, and the
+shadow of death by sin. Then the King of Glory trampled upon Death,
+seized the Prince of Hell, and deprived him of all his power."
+(Description of _Christ's_ Descent into Hell. Nicodemus: Apoc.)
+
+[495:4] "The women weeping for Tammuz was no more than expressive of the
+Sun's loss of power in the winter quarter." (King's Gnostics, p. 102.
+See also, Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 113.)
+
+After remaining for three days and three nights in the lowest regions,
+the Sun begins to ascend, thus he "rises from the dead," as it were, and
+"ascends into heaven."
+
+[496:1] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 174.
+
+[496:2] Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 100.
+
+[496:3] Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 125.
+
+[496:4] Egyptian Belief, p. 182.
+
+[496:5] Ibid.
+
+[496:6] Origin of Religions, p. 264.
+
+[497:1] Origin of Religions, p. 268.
+
+[497:2] Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 384.
+
+[497:3] Origin of Religion, pp. 264-268.
+
+[498:1] The number twelve appears in many of the Sun-myths. It refers to
+the twelve hours of the day or night, or the twelve moons of the lunar
+year. (Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 165. Bonwick: Egyptian Belief,
+p. 175.)
+
+Osiris, the Egyptian Saviour, had twelve apostles. (Bonwick, p. 175.)
+
+In all religions of antiquity the number _twelve_, which applies to the
+twelve signs of the zodiac, are reproduced in all kinds and sorts of
+forms. For instance: such are the _twelve_ great gods; the _twelve_
+apostles of Osiris; the _twelve_ apostles of Jesus; the _twelve_ sons of
+Jacob, or the _twelve_ tribes; the _twelve_ altars of James; the
+_twelve_ labors of Hercules; the _twelve_ shields of Mars; the _twelve_
+brothers Arvaux; the _twelve_ gods Consents; the _twelve_ governors in
+the Manichean System; the _adectyas_ of the East Indies; the _twelve_
+asses of the Scandinavians; the city of the _twelve_ gates in the
+Apocalypse; the _twelve_ wards of the city; the _twelve_ sacred
+cushions, on which the Creator sits in the cosmogony of the Japanese;
+the _twelve_ precious stones of the _rational_, or the ornament worn by
+the high priest of the Jews, &c., &c. (See Dupuis, pp. 39, 40.)
+
+[499:1] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 505.
+
+[499:2] Luke, ii. 32.
+
+[499:3] John, xii, 46.
+
+[499:4] John, ix. v.
+
+[499:5] I. John, i. 5.
+
+[500:1] Monumental Christianity, p. 117.
+
+[501:1] See Monumental Christianity, pp. 189, 191, 192, 238, and 296.
+
+[501:2] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 283.
+
+[501:3] King's Gnostics, p. 68.
+
+[501:4] Ibid. p. 137.
+
+[501:5] See Chapter XX.
+
+[501:6] Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. i. p. 31.
+
+[502:1] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 151.
+
+[502:2] Monumental Christianity, p. 231.
+
+[502:3] King's Gnostics, p. 48.
+
+[502:4] Ibid. p. 68.
+
+[502:5] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 13.
+
+[503:1] Following are the words of the decree now in the Vatican
+library: "In quibusdam sanctorum imaginum picturis agnus exprimitur, &c.
+Nos igitur veteres figuras atque umbras, et veritatis notas, et signa
+ecclesiae tradita, complectentes, gratiam, et veritatem anteponimus, quam
+ut plenitudinem legis acceptimus. Itaque id quod perfectum est, in
+picturis etiam omnium oculis subjiciamus, agnum illum qui mundi peccatum
+tollit, Christum Deum nostrum, loco veteris Ayni, humana forma posthae
+exprimendum decrevimus," &c.
+
+[504:1] "The _solar horse_, with two serpents upon his head (the
+Buddhist Aries) is Buddha's symbol, and Aries is the symbol of Christ."
+(Arthur Lillie: Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 110.)
+
+[504:2] Quoted by Lillie: Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 93.
+
+[504:3] Quoted by King: The Gnostics &c., p. 138.
+
+[505:1] Quoted by King: The Gnostics, &c., p. 49.
+
+[505:2] Ibid. p. 45.
+
+[505:3] _Indra_, the crucified Sun-god of the Hindoos, was represented
+with golden locks. (Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. i. p. 341.)
+
+_Mithras_, the Persian Saviour, was represented with long flowing locks.
+
+_Izdubar_, the god and hero of the Chaldeans, was represented with long
+flowing locks of hair (Smith: Chaldean Account of Genesis, p. 193), and
+so was his counterpart, the Hebrew Samson.
+
+"The Sakya-prince (Buddha) is described as an Aryan by Buddhistic
+tradition; his face was reddish, his hair of light color and curly, his
+general appearance of great beauty." (Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 15.)
+
+"Serapis has, in some instances, long hair formally turned back, and
+disposed in ringlets hanging down upon his breast and shoulders like
+that of a woman. His whole person, too, is always enveloped in drapery
+reaching to his feet." (Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 104.)
+
+"As for _yellow hair_, there is no evidence that Greeks have ever
+commonly possessed it; but no other color would do for a solar hero, and
+it accordingly characterizes the entire company of them, wherever
+found." (Fiske: Myths and Mythmakers, p. 202.)
+
+Helios (the Sun) is called by the Greeks the "yellow-haired."
+(Goldzhier: Hebrew Mytho., p. 137.)
+
+The Sun's rays is signified by the flowing golden locks which stream
+from the head of Kephalos, and fall over the shoulders of Bellerophon.
+(Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. i. p. 107.)
+
+Perseus, son of the virgin Danae, was called the "Golden Child." (Ibid.
+vol. ii. p. 58.) "The light of early morning is not more pure than was
+the color on his fair cheeks, and the golden locks streamed bright over
+his shoulders, like the rays of the sun when they rest on the hills at
+midday." (Tales of Ancient Greece, p. 83.)
+
+The Saviour Dionysus wore a long flowing robe, and had long golden hair,
+which streamed from his head over his shoulders. (Aryan Mythology, vol.
+ii. p. 293.)
+
+Ixion was the "Beautiful and Mighty," with golden hair flashing a glory
+from his head, dazzling as the rays which stream from Helios, when he
+drives his chariot up the heights of heaven; and his flowing robe
+glistened as he moved, like the vesture which the Sun-god gave to the
+wise maiden Medeia, who dwelt in Kolchis. (Tales of Ancient Greece, p.
+47.)
+
+Theseus enters the city of Athens, as Christ Jesus is said to have
+entered Jerusalem, with a long flowing robe, and with his _golden hair_
+tied gracefully behind his head. His "soft beauty" excites the mockery
+of the populace, who pause in their work to jest with him. (Cox: Aryan
+Mythology, vol. ii. p. 63.)
+
+Thus we see that long locks of golden hair, and a flowing robe, are
+mythological attributes of the Sun.
+
+[506:1] Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 49.
+
+[506:2] We have already seen (in Chapter XX.) that the word "_Christ_"
+signifies the "Anointed," or the "Messiah," and that many other
+personages beside Jesus of Nazareth had this _title_ affixed to their
+names.
+
+[507:1] The theory which has been set forth in this chapter, is also
+more fully illustrated in Appendix C.
+
+[507:2] These three letters, _the monogram of the Sun_, are the
+celebrated I. H. S., which are to be seen in Roman Catholic churches at
+the present day, and which are now the monogram of the Sun-god _Christ_
+Jesus. (See Chapter XXXVI.)
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XL.
+
+CONCLUSION.
+
+
+We now come to the last, but certainly not least, question to be
+answered; which is, what do we really know of the man Jesus of Nazareth?
+How much of the Gospel narratives can we rely upon as fact?
+
+Jesus of Nazareth is so enveloped in the mists of the past, and his
+history so obscured by legend, that it may be compared to footprints in
+the sand. We know _some one_ has been there, but as to what manner of
+man he may have been, we certainly know little as fact. The Gospels,
+_the only records we have of him_,[508:1] have been proven, over and
+over again, unhistorical and legendary; to state _anything as positive_
+about the man is nothing more nor less than _assumption_; we can
+therefore _conjecture_ only. Liberal writers philosophize and wax
+eloquent to little purpose, when, after demolishing the historical
+accuracy of the New Testament, they end their task by eulogizing the man
+Jesus, claiming for him the _highest_ praise, and asserting that he was
+the _best_ and _grandest_ of our race;[508:2] but this manner of
+reasoning (undoubtedly consoling to many) _facts_ do not warrant. We may
+consistently revere his name, and place it in the long list of the great
+and noble, the reformers and religious teachers of the past, all of whom
+have done their part in bringing about the freedom we now enjoy, but to
+go beyond this, is, to our thinking, unwarranted.
+
+If the life of Jesus of Nazareth, as related in the books of the New
+Testament, be in part the story of a man who really lived and suffered,
+that story has been so interwoven with images borrowed from myths of a
+bygone age, as to conceal forever any fragments of history which may lie
+beneath them. Gautama Buddha was undoubtedly an historical personage,
+yet the Sun-god myth has been added to his history to such an extent
+that we really know nothing positive about him. Alexander the Great was
+an historical personage, yet his history is one mass of legends. So it
+is with Julius Cesar, Cyrus, King of Persia, and scores of others. "The
+story of Cyrus' perils in infancy belongs to _solar_ mythology as much
+as the stories of the magic slipper, of Charlemagne and Barbarossa. His
+grandfather, Astyages, is purely a mythical creation, his name being
+identical with that of the night demon, Azidahaka, who appears in the
+Shah-Nameh as the biting serpent."
+
+The actual Jesus is inaccessible to scientific research. His image
+cannot be recovered. He left no memorial in writing of himself; his
+followers were illiterate; the mind of his age was confused. Paul
+received only traditions of him, how definite we have no means of
+knowing, apparently not significant enough to be treasured, nor
+consistent enough to oppose a barrier to his own speculations. As M.
+Renan says: "The Christ who communicates private revelations to him _is
+a phantom of his own making_;" "it is _himself_ he listens to, _while
+fancying that he hears Jesus_."[509:1]
+
+In studying the writings of the early advocates of Christianity, and
+Fathers of the Christian Church, where we would naturally look for the
+language that would indicate the real occurrence of the facts of the
+Gospel--if real occurrences they had ever been--we not only find no such
+language, but everywhere find every sort of sophistical ambages,
+ramblings from the subject, and evasions of the very business before
+them, as if on purpose to balk our research, and insult our skepticism.
+If we travel to the very sepulchre of Christ Jesus, it is only to
+discover that he was never there: _history_ seeks evidence of his
+existence as a man, but finds no more trace of it than of the shadow
+that flits across the wall. "The Star of Bethlehem" shone not upon _her_
+path, and the order of the universe was suspended without _her_
+observation.
+
+She asks, with the Magi of the East, "Where is he that is born King of
+the Jews?" and, like them, finds no solution of her inquiry, but the
+guidance that guides as well to one place as another; descriptions that
+apply to AEsculapius, Buddha and Crishna, as well as to Jesus;
+prophecies, without evidence that they were ever prophesied; miracles,
+which those who are said to have seen, are said also to have denied
+seeing; narratives without authorities, facts without dates, and records
+without names. In vain do the so-called disciples of Jesus point to the
+passages in Josephus and Tacitus;[510:1] in vain do they point to the
+spot on which he was crucified; to the fragments of the true cross, or
+the nails with which he was pierced, and to the _tomb_ in which he was
+laid. Others have done as much for scores of _mythological personages_
+who never lived in the flesh. Did not Damus, the beloved disciple of
+Apollonius of Tyana, while on his way to India, see, on Mt. Caucasus,
+the identical chains with which Prometheus had been bound to the rocks?
+Did not the Scythians[510:2] say that Hercules had visited their
+country? and did they not show the print of his foot upon a rock to
+substantiate their story?[510:3] Was not his _tomb_ to be seen at Cadiz,
+where his _bones_ were shown?[510:4] Was not the _tomb_ of Bacchus to be
+seen in Greece?[510:5] Was not the _tomb_ of Apollo to be seen at
+Delphi?[510:6] Was not the _tomb_ of Achilles to be seen at Dodona,
+where Alexander the Great honored it by placing a crown upon it?[510:7]
+Was not the _tomb_ of AEsculapius to be seen in Arcadia, in a grove
+consecrated to him, near the river Lusius?[510:8] Was not the _tomb_ of
+Deucalion--he who was saved from the Deluge--long pointed out near the
+sanctuary of Olympian Jove, in Athens?[510:9] Was not the _tomb_ of
+Osiris to be seen in Egypt, where, at stated seasons, the priests went
+in solemn procession, and covered it with flowers?[510:10] Was not the
+tomb of Jonah--he who was "swallowed up by a big fish"--to be seen at
+Nebi-Yunus, near Mosul?[510:11] Are not the _tombs_ of Adam, Eve, Cain,
+Abel, Seth, Abraham, and other Old Testament characters, to be seen even
+at the present day?[510:12] And did not the Emperor Constantine dedicate
+a beautiful church over the _tomb_ of St. George, the warrior
+saint?[510:13] Of what value, then, is such evidence of the existence of
+such an individual as Jesus of Nazareth? The fact is, "the records of
+his life are so very scanty, and these have been so shaped and colored
+and modified by the hands of ignorance and superstition and party
+prejudice and ecclesiastical purpose, that it is hard to be sure of the
+original outlines."
+
+In the first two centuries the professors of Christianity were divided
+into many sects, but these might be all resolved into two divisions--one
+consisting of Nazarenes, Ebionites, and orthodox; the other of
+_Gnostics_, under which all the remaining sects arranged themselves. The
+former are supposed to have believed in Jesus crucified, in the common,
+literal acceptation of the term; the latter--believers in the _Christ_
+as an _AEon_--though they admitted the crucifixion, considered it to have
+been in some _mystic_ way--perhaps what might be called _spiritualiter_,
+as it is called in the Revelation: but notwithstanding the different
+opinions they held, they all denied that _the Christ_ did really die, in
+the literal acceptation of the term, on the cross.[511:1] The Gnostic,
+or Oriental, Christians undoubtedly took their doctrine from the _Indian
+crucifixion_[511:2] (of which we have treated in Chapters XX. and
+XXXIX.), as well as many other tenets with which we have found the
+Christian Church deeply tainted. They held that:
+
+     "To deliver the soul, a captive in darkness, the 'Prince of
+     Light,' the 'Genius of the Sun,' charged with the redemption
+     of the intellectual world, of which the Sun is the type,
+     manifested itself among men; that the light appeared in the
+     darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not; that, in fact,
+     light could not unite with darkness; it put on only the
+     appearance of the human body; that at the crucifixion Christ
+     Jesus only _appeared_ to suffer. His person having
+     disappeared, the bystanders saw in his place a cross of light,
+     over which a celestial voice proclaimed these words; 'The
+     Cross of Light is called Logos, Christos, the Gate, the Joy.'"
+
+Several of the texts of the Gospel histories were quoted with great
+plausibility by the Gnostics in support of their doctrine. The story of
+Jesus passing through the midst of the Jews when they were about to cast
+him headlong from the brow of a hill (Luke iv. 29, 30), and when they
+were going to stone him (John iii. 59; x. 31, 39), were examples not
+easily refuted.
+
+The Manichean Christian Bishop Faustus expresses himself in the
+following manner:
+
+     "Do you receive the gospel? (ask ye). Undoubtedly I do! Why
+     then, you also admit that Christ was born? Not so; for it by
+     no means follows that in believing the gospel, I should
+     therefore believe that Christ was born! Do you then think that
+     he was of the Virgin Mary? Manes hath said, 'Far be it that I
+     should ever own that Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . . . . .'"
+     etc.[512:1]
+
+Tertullian's manner of reasoning on the evidences of Christianity is
+also in the same vein, as we saw in our last chapter.[512:2]
+
+Mr. King, speaking of the Gnostic Christians, says:
+
+     "Their chief doctrines had been held for centuries before
+     (their time) in many of the cities in _Asia Minor_. There, it
+     is probable, they first came into existence as _Mystae_, upon
+     the establishment of direct intercourse with _India_, under
+     the Seleucidae and Ptolemies. The college of _Essenes_ and
+     _Megabyzae_ at Ephesus, the _Orphics_ of Thrace, the _Curets_
+     of Crete, _are all merely branches of one antique and common
+     religion, and that originally Asiatic_."[512:3]
+
+These early Christian Mystics are alluded to in several instances in the
+New Testament. For example:
+
+     "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come _in
+     the flesh_ is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not
+     that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God."[512:4]
+     "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess
+     not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh."[512:5]
+
+This is language that could not have been used, if the reality of Christ
+Jesus' existence as a man could not have been denied, or, it would
+certainly seem, if the apostle himself had been able to give any
+evidence whatever of the claim.
+
+The quarrels on this subject lasted for a long time among the early
+Christians. _Hermas_, speaking of this, says to the brethren:
+
+     "Take heed, my children, that your dissensions deprive you not
+     of your lives. How will ye instruct the elect of God, when ye
+     yourselves want correction? Wherefore admonish one another,
+     and be at peace among yourselves; that I, standing before your
+     father, may give an account of you unto the Lord."[512:6]
+
+_Ignatius_, in his Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, says:[512:7]
+
+     "Only in the name of Jesus Christ, I undergo all, to suffer
+     together with him; he who was made a perfect man strengthening
+     me. _Whom some, not knowing, do deny_; or rather have been
+     denied by him, being the advocates of death, rather than of
+     the truth. Whom neither the prophecies, nor the law of Moses,
+     have persuaded; _nor the Gospel itself even to this day_, nor
+     the sufferings of any one of us. _For they think also the
+     same thing of us_; for what does a man profit me, if he shall
+     praise me, and blaspheme my Lord; _not confessing that he was
+     truly made man_?"
+
+In his Epistle to the Philadelphians he says:[513:1]
+
+     "I have heard of some who say, _unless I find it written in
+     the originals_, I will not believe it to be written in the
+     Gospel. And when I said, It is written, they answered what lay
+     before them in their corrupted copies."
+
+_Polycarp_, in his Epistle to the Philippians, says:[513:2]
+
+     "Whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the
+     flesh, he is Antichrist: _and whosoever does not confess his
+     sufferings upon the cross_, is from the devil. And whosoever
+     perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts; and says
+     that there shall neither be any resurrection, nor judgment, he
+     is the first-born of Satan."
+
+_Ignatius_ says to the Magnesians:[513:3]
+
+     "Be not deceived with strange doctrines; nor with old fables
+     which are unprofitable. For if we still continue to live
+     according to the Jewish law, we do confess ourselves _not_ to
+     have received grace. For even the most holy prophets lived
+     according to Jesus Christ. . . . Wherefore if they who were
+     brought up in these ancient laws came nevertheless to the
+     newness of hope; no longer observing Sabbaths, but keeping the
+     Lord's Day, in which also our life is sprung up by him, and
+     through his death, _whom yet some deny_. By which _mystery_
+     we have been brought to believe, and therefore wait that
+     we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only
+     master. . . . . These things, my beloved, I write unto you,
+     not that I know of any among you _that be under this error_;
+     but as one of the least among you, I am desirous to forewarn
+     you that ye fall not into the snares of vain doctrine."
+
+After reading this we can say with the writer of Timothy,[513:4]
+"Without controversy, great is the MYSTERY of godliness."
+
+Beside those who denied that Christ Jesus had ever been manifest _in the
+flesh_, there were others who denied that _he_ had been
+crucified.[513:5] This is seen from the words of Justin Martyr, in his
+_Apology_ for the Christian Religion, written A. D. 141, where he says:
+
+     "As to the _objection_ to _our_ Jesus's being crucified, I
+     say, suffering was common to all the Sons of Jove."[513:6]
+
+This is as much as to say: "_You_ Pagans claim that _your_ incarnate
+gods and _Saviours_ suffered and died, then why should not _we_ claim
+the same for _our_ Saviour?"
+
+The _Koran_, referring to the _Jews_, says:
+
+     "They have not believed in Jesus, and have spoken against Mary
+     a grievous calumny, and have said: 'Verily we have slain
+     Christ Jesus, the son of Mary' (the apostle of God). _Yet they
+     slew him not, neither crucified him, but he was represented by
+     one in his likeness. And verily they who disagreed concerning
+     him were in a doubt as to this matter, and had no sure
+     knowledge thereof, but followed only an uncertain
+     opinion._"[514:1]
+
+This passage alone, from the Mohammedan Bible, is sufficient to show, if
+other evidence were wanting, that the early Christians "disagreed
+concerning him," and that "they had no sure knowledge thereof, but
+followed only an uncertain opinion."
+
+In the books which are _now_ called _Apocryphal_, but which _were_ the
+most quoted, and of equal authority with the others, and which were
+_voted not_ the word of God--for obvious reasons--and were therefore
+cast out of the canon, we find many allusions to the strife among the
+early Christians. For instance; in the "First Epistle of Clement to the
+Corinthians,"[514:2] we read as follows:
+
+     "Wherefore are there strifes, and anger, and divisions, and
+     schisms, and wars, among us? . . . Why do we rend and tear in
+     pieces the members of Christ, and raise seditions against our
+     own body? and are come to such a height of madness, as to
+     forget that we are members one of another."
+
+In his Epistle to the Trallians, Ignatius says:[514:3]
+
+     "I exhort you, or rather not I, but the love of Jesus Christ,
+     that ye use none but Christian nourishment; abstaining from
+     pasture which is of another kind. I mean _Heresy_. For they
+     that are heretics, confound together the doctrine of Jesus
+     Christ with their own poison; whilst they seem worthy of
+     belief. . . . Stop your ears, therefore, as often as any one
+     shall speak contrary to Jesus Christ, who was of the race of
+     David, of the Virgin Mary. Who was _truly_ born, and did eat
+     and drink; was _truly_ persecuted under Pontius Pilate; was
+     _truly_ crucified and dead; both those in heaven and on earth,
+     and under the earth, being spectators of it. . . . But if, as
+     some who are atheists, that is to say, infidels, pretend,
+     _that he only seemed to suffer_, why then am I bound? Why do I
+     desire to fight with beasts? Therefore do I die in vain."
+
+We find St. Paul, the very first Apostle of the Gentiles, expressly
+avowing that _he was made a minister of the gospel, which had already
+been preached to every creature under heaven_,[514:4] and preaching _a
+God manifest in the flesh_, who had been _believed on in the
+world_,[514:5] therefore, _before the commencement of his ministry_; and
+who could not have been the man of Nazareth, who had certainly not been
+preached, _at that time_, nor generally believed on in the world, till
+ages after that time.[514:6] We find also that:
+
+1. This Paul owns himself a _deacon_, the lowest ecclesiastical grade
+of the _Therapeutan_ church.
+
+2. The Gospel of which these Epistles speak, had been extensively
+preached and fully established before the time of Jesus, by the
+Therapeuts or Essenes, who believed in the doctrine of the
+Angel-Messiah, the AEon from heaven.[515:1]
+
+Leo the Great, so-called (A. D. 440-461), writes thus:
+
+     "Let those who with impious murmurings find fault with the
+     Divine dispensations, and who complain about the _lateness_ of
+     our Lord's nativity, cease from their grievances, as if what
+     was _carried out_ in later ages of the world, had not been
+     impending _in time past_. . . .
+
+     "What the Apostles preached, the prophets (in Israel) had
+     announced before, and what has _always been (universally)
+     believed_, cannot be said to have been _fulfilled_ too late.
+     By this delay of his work of salvation, the wisdom and love of
+     God have only made us more fitted for his call; so that, _what
+     had been announced before by many Signs and Words and
+     Mysteries during so many centuries_, should not be doubtful or
+     uncertain in the days of the gospel. . . God has not provided
+     for the interests of men by a _new council_ or by a _late
+     compassion_; but he had instituted from the beginning for all
+     men, _one and the same path of salvation_."[515:2]
+
+This is equivalent to saying that, "God, in his '_late compassion_,' has
+sent his Son, Christ Jesus, to save _us_, therefore do not complain or
+'murmur' about 'the lateness of his coming,' for the Lord has already
+provided for those who _preceded us_; he has given them '_the same path
+of salvation_' by sending to _them_, as he has sent to _us_, a
+_Redeemer_ and a _Saviour_."
+
+Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Typho,[515:3] makes a similar
+confession (as we have already seen in our last chapter), wherein he
+says that there exists not a people, civilized or semi-civilized, who
+have not offered up prayers in the name of a _crucified Saviour_ to the
+Father and Creator of all things.
+
+Add to this medley the fact that St. Irenaeus (A. D. 192), one of the
+most celebrated, most respected, and most quoted of the early Christian
+Fathers, tells us on the authority of his master, Polycarp, who had it
+from St. John himself, and from all the old people of Asia, that Jesus
+was not crucified at the time stated in the Gospels, but that he lived
+to be nearly _fifty_ years old. The passage which, most fortunately, has
+escaped the destroyers of all such evidence, is to be found in Irenaeus'
+second book against heresies,[515:4] of which the following is a
+portion:
+
+     "As the chief part of thirty years belongs to youth, and
+     every one will confess him to be such till the fortieth year:
+     but from the fortieth year to the fiftieth he declines into
+     old age, _which our Lord (Jesus) having attained he taught us
+     the Gospel, and all the elders who, in Asia, assembled with
+     John, the disciple of the Lord, testify; and as John himself
+     had taught them_. And he (John?) remained with them till the
+     time of Trajan. And some of them saw not only John but other
+     Apostles, _and heard the same thing from them, and bear the
+     same testimony to this revelation_."
+
+The escape of this passage from the destroyers can be accounted for only
+in the same way as the passage of Minucius Felix (quoted in Chapter XX.)
+concerning the Pagans worshiping a crucifix. These two passages escaped
+from among, probably, hundreds destroyed, of which we know nothing,
+under the decrees of the emperors, yet remaining, by which they were
+ordered to be destroyed.
+
+In John viii. 56, Jesus is made to say to the Jews: "Your father Abraham
+rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it and was glad." Then said the Jews
+unto him: "Thou art not yet _fifty_ years old, and hast thou seen
+Abraham?"
+
+If Jesus was then but about _thirty_ years of age, the Jews would
+evidently have said: "thou art not yet _forty_ years old," and would not
+have been likely to say: "thou art not yet _fifty_ years old," unless he
+was past forty.
+
+There was a tradition current among the early Christians, that _Annas_
+was high-priest when Jesus was crucified. This is evident from the
+_Acts_.[516:1] Now, Annas, or Ananias, _was not high-priest until about
+the year 48 A. D._;[516:2] therefore, if Jesus was crucified at that
+time he must have been about _fifty_ years of age;[516:3] but, as we
+remarked elsewhere, there exists, outside of the New Testament, no
+evidence whatever, in book, inscription, or monument, that Jesus of
+Nazareth was either scourged or crucified under Pontius Pilate.
+Josephus, Tacitus, Plinius, Philo, nor any of their contemporaries, ever
+refer to the fact of this crucifixion, or express any belief
+thereon.[516:4] In the Talmud--the book containing Jewish
+traditions--Jesus is not referred to as the "crucified one," but as the
+"hanged one,"[516:5] while elsewhere it is narrated he was _stoned_ to
+death; so that it is evident they were ignorant of the manner of death
+which he suffered.[516:6]
+
+In _Sanhedr. 43 a_, Jesus it said to have had five disciples, among
+whom were Mattheaus and Thaddeus. He is called "That Man," "The
+Nazarine," "The Fool," and "The Hung." Thus Aben Ezra says that
+Constantine put on his _labarum_ "a figure of the hung;" and, according
+to R. Bechai, the Christians were called "Worshipers of the Hung."
+
+Little is said about Jesus in the _Talmud_, except that he was a scholar
+of Joshua Ben Perachiah (who lived a century before the time assigned by
+the Christians for the birth of Jesus), accompanied him into Egypt,
+there learned magic, and was a seducer of the people, and was finally
+put to death by being stoned, and then hung as a blasphemer.
+
+"The conclusion is, that no clearly defined traces of the personal Jesus
+remain on the surface, or beneath the surface, of Christendom. The
+silence of Josephus and other secular historians may be accounted for
+without falling back on a theory of hostility or contempt.[517:1] The
+_Christ_-idea cannot be spared from Christian development, but the
+personal Jesus, in some measure, can be."
+
+"The person of Jesus, though it may have been immense, is indistinct.
+That a great character was there may be conceded; but precisely wherein
+the character was great, is left to our _conjecture_. Of the eminent
+persons who have swayed the spiritual destinies of mankind, none has
+more completely disappeared from the critical view. The ideal image
+which Christians have, for nearly two thousand years, worshiped under
+the name of Jesus, has no authentic, distinctly visible, counterpart in
+history."
+
+"His followers have gone on with the process of idealization, placing
+him higher and higher; making his personal existence more and more
+essential; insisting more and more urgently on the necessity of private
+intercourse with him; letting the Father subside into the background, as
+an 'effluence,' and the Holy Ghost lapse from individual identity into
+impersonal influence, in order that he might be all in all as
+Regenerator and Saviour. From age to age the personal Jesus has been
+made the object of an extreme adoration, till now _faith_ in the living
+Christ is the heart of the Gospel; philosophy, science, culture,
+humanity are thrust resolutely aside, and the great teachers of the age
+are extinguished in order that _his_ light may shine." But, as Mr.
+Frothingham remarks, in "The Cradle of the Christ": "In the order of
+experience, historical and biographical truth is discovered by stripping
+off layer after layer of exaggeration, and going back to the statements
+of contemporaries. As a rule, figures are _reduced_, not enlarged, by
+criticism. The influence of admiration is recognized as distorting and
+falsifying, while exalting. The process of legend-making begins
+immediately, goes on rapidly and with accelerating speed, and must be
+liberally allowed for by the seeker after truth. In scores of instances
+the historical individual turns out to be very much smaller than he was
+painted by his terrified or loving worshipers. In no single case has it
+been established that he was greater, or as great. It is, no doubt,
+conceivable that such a case should occur, but it never has occurred, in
+known instances, and cannot be presumed to have occurred in any
+particular instance. The presumptions are against the correctness of the
+glorified image. The disposition to exaggerate is so much stronger than
+the disposition to underrate, that even really great men are placed
+higher than they belong oftener than lower. The historical method works
+backwards. Knowledge shrinks the man."[518:1]
+
+As we are allowed to _conjecture_ as to what is true in the Gospel
+history, we shall now do so.
+
+The death of Herod, which occurred a few years before the time assigned
+for the birth of Jesus, was followed by frightful social and political
+convulsions in Judea. For two or three years all the elements of
+disorder were abroad. Between pretenders to the vacant throne of Herod,
+_and aspirants to the Messianic throne of David_, Judea was torn and
+devastated. Revolt assumed the wildest form, the higher enthusiasm of
+faith yielded to the lower fury of _fanaticism_; the celestial visions
+of a kingdom of heaven were completely banished by the smoke and flame
+of political hate. _Claimant after claimant of the dangerous supremacy
+of the Messiah appeared, pitched a camp in the wilderness, raised the
+banner, gathered a force, was attacked, defeated, banished or
+crucified_; but _the frenzy did not abate_.
+
+The popular aspect of the Messianic hope was _political_, not religious
+or moral. The name _Messiah_ was synonymous with _King of the Jews_; it
+suggested _political designs and aspirations_. The assumption of that
+character by any individual drew on him the vigilance of the police.
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 42]
+
+[Illustration: Fig. No. 43]
+
+That Jesus of Nazareth assumed the character of "_Messiah_," as did many
+before and after him, and that his crucifixion[520:1] was simply an act
+of the law on _political grounds_, just as it was in the case of other
+so-called _Messiahs_, we believe to be the truth of the matter.[520:2]
+"He is represented as being a native of _Galilee_, the _insurgent
+district of the country_; nurtured, if not born, in Nazareth, one of its
+chief cities; reared as a youth amid traditions of patriotic devotion,
+and amid scenes associated with heroic dreams and endeavors. The
+Galileans were restless, excitable people, beyond the reach of
+conventionalities, remote from the centre of power, ecclesiastical and
+secular, simple in their lives, bold of speech, independent in thought,
+thoroughgoing in the sort of radicalism that is common among people who
+live 'out of the world,' who have leisure to discuss the exciting topics
+of the day, but too little knowledge, culture, or sense of social
+responsibility to discuss them soundly. Their mental discontent and
+moral intractability were proverbial. They were belligerents. The Romans
+had more trouble with them than with the natives of any other province.
+_The Messiahs all started out from Galilee, and never failed to collect
+followers round their standard._ The Galileans, more than others, lived
+in the anticipation of the Deliverer. The reference of the Messiah to
+Galilee is therefore already an indication of the character he is to
+assume."
+
+To show the state the country must have been in at that time, we will
+quote an incident or two from Josephus.
+
+A religious enthusiast called the Samaritans together upon Mount
+Gerizim, and assured them that he would work a miracle. "So they came
+thither _armed_, and thought the discourse of the man probable; and as
+they abode at a certain village, which was called Tirathaba, they got
+the rest together of them, and desired to go up the mountain in a great
+multitude together: but Pilate prevented their going up, by seizing upon
+the roads by a great band of horsemen and footmen, who fell upon those
+who were gotten together in the village; and when it came to an action,
+some of them they slew, and others of them they put to flight, and took
+a great many alive, the principal of whom, and also the most potent of
+those that fled away, Pilate ordered to be slain."[521:1]
+
+Not long before this Pilate pillaged the temple treasury, and used the
+"sacred money" to bring a current of water to Jerusalem. The _Jews_ were
+displeased with this, "and many ten thousands of the people got together
+and made a clamor against him. Some of them used reproaches, and abused
+the man, as crowds of such people usually do. So he habited a great
+number of his soldiers in their habits, who carried daggers under their
+garments, and sent them to a place where they might surround them. So he
+bade the Jews himself go away; but they boldly casting reproaches upon
+him, he gave the soldiers that signal which had been beforehand agreed
+on; who laid upon them with much greater blows than Pilate had commanded
+them, and equally punished those that were tumultuous, and those that
+were not; nor did they spare them in the least: and since the people
+were unarmed, and were caught by men prepared for what they were about,
+there were a great number of them slain by this means, and others ran
+away wounded. And thus an end was put to this sedition."[522:1]
+
+It was such deeds as these, inflicted upon the Jews by their oppressors,
+that made them think of the promised Messiah who was to deliver them
+from bondage, and which made many zealous fanatics imagine themselves to
+be "He who should come."[522:2]
+
+There is reason to believe, as we have said, that Jesus of Nazareth
+assumed the title of "_Messiah_." His age was throbbing and bursting
+with suppressed energy. The pressure of the Roman Empire was required to
+keep it down. "The Messianic hope had such vitality that it condensed
+into moments the moral result of ages. The common people were watching
+to see the heavens open, interpreted peals of thunder as angel voices,
+and saw divine potents in the flight of birds. Mothers dreamed their
+boys would be Messiah. The wildest preacher drew a crowd. The heart of
+the nation swelled big with the conviction that the hour of destiny was
+about to strike, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. _The crown was
+ready for any kingly head that might assume it._"[522:3]
+
+The actions of this man, throughout his public career, we believe to be
+those of a zealot whose zeal overrode considerations of wisdom; in fact,
+a Galilean fanatic. Pilate condemns him reluctantly, feeling that he is
+a harmless visionary, but is obliged to condemn him as one of the many
+who persistently claimed to be the "_Messiah_," or "_King of the Jews_,"
+an enemy of Caesar, an instrument against the empire, a pretender to the
+throne, a bold inciter to rebellion. The death he undergoes is the death
+of the traitor and mutineer,[522:4] the death that was inflicted on many
+such claimants, the death that would have been decreed to Judas the
+Galilean,[522:5] had he been captured, and that was inflicted on
+thousands of his deluded followers. _It was the Romans, then, who
+crucified the man Jesus, and not the Jews._
+
+"In the Roman law the _State_ is the main object, for which the
+individual must live and die, with or against his will. In Jewish law,
+the _person_ is made the main object, for which the State must live and
+die; because the fundamental idea of the Roman law is power, and the
+fundamental idea of Jewish law is justice."[523:1] _Therefore Caiaphas
+and his conspirators did not act from the Jewish standpoint._ They
+represented _Rome_, her principles, interest, and barbarous
+caprices.[523:2] Not one point in the whole trial agrees with Jewish
+laws and custom.[523:3] It is impossible to save it; it must be given up
+as a transparent and unskilled invention of a _Gentile Christian_, who
+knew nothing of Jewish law and custom, and was ignorant of the state of
+civilization in Palestine, in the time of Jesus.
+
+Jesus had been proclaimed the "_Messiah_," the "_Ruler of the Jews_,"
+and the restorer of the kingdom of heaven. No Roman ear could understand
+these pretensions, otherwise than in their rebellious sense. That
+Pontius Pilate certainly understood under the title, "_Messiah_," the
+king (the political chief of the nation), is evident from the
+subscription of the cross, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews," which
+he did not remove in spite of all protestations of the Jews. There is
+only one point in which the _four_ Gospels agree, and that is, that
+early in the morning Jesus was delivered over to the _Roman governor_,
+Pilate; that he was accused of high-treason against _Rome_--having been
+proclaimed King of the Jews--and that in consequence thereof he was
+condemned first to be scourged, and then to be crucified; all of which
+was done in hot haste. _In all other points the narratives of the
+Evangelists differ widely_, and so essentially that one story cannot be
+made of the four accounts; nor can any particular points stand the test
+of historical criticism, and vindicate its substantiality as a fact.
+
+The Jews could not have crucified Jesus, _according to their laws_, if
+they had inflicted on him the highest penalty of the law, since
+crucifixion was _exclusively Roman_.[524:1] If the priests, elders,
+Pharisees, Jews, or all of them wanted Jesus out of the way so badly,
+why did they not have him quietly put to death while he was in their
+power, and done at once. The writer of the fourth Gospel seems to have
+understood this difficulty, and informs us that they could not kill him,
+_because he had prophesied what death he should die_; so he could die no
+other. It was dire necessity, that the heathen symbol of life and
+immortality--the cross[524:2]--should be brought to honor among the
+early Christians, and Jesus had to die on the cross (the Roman Gibbet),
+_according to John_[524:3] simply because it was so _prophesied_. The
+fact is, the crucifixion story, like the symbol of the crucifix itself,
+_came from abroad_.[524:4] It was told with the avowed intention of
+exonerating the Romans, and criminating the Jews, so they make the Roman
+governor take water, "and wash his hands before the multitude, saying,
+_I_ am innocent of the blood of this _just person_: see _ye_ to it." To
+be sure of their case, they make the Jews say: "_His blood be on us, and
+on our children._"[524:5]
+
+"Another fact is this. Just at the period of time when misfortune and
+ruination befell the Jews most severely, in the first post-apostolic
+generation, the Christians were most active in making proselytes among
+Gentiles. To have then preached that _a crucified Jewish Rabbi of
+Galilee_ was their Saviour, would have sounded supremely ridiculous to
+those heathens. To have added thereto, that the said Rabbi was crucified
+by command of a Roman Governor, because he had been proclaimed 'King of
+the Jews,' would have been fatal to the whole scheme. In the opinion of
+the vulgar heathen, where the Roman Governor and Jewish Rabbi came in
+conflict, the former must unquestionably be right, and the latter
+decidedly wrong. To have preached a Saviour who was justly condemned to
+die the death of a slave and villain, would certainly have proved fatal
+to the whole enterprise. Therefore it was necessary to exonerate Pilate
+and the Romans, and to throw the whole burden upon the Jews, in order to
+establish the innocence and martyrdom of Jesus in the heathen mind."
+
+That the crucifixion story, as related in the synoptic Gospels, was
+written _abroad_, and _not_ in the Hebrew, or in the dialect spoken by
+the Hebrews of Palestine, is evident from the following particular
+points, noticed by Dr. Isaac M. Wise, a learned Hebrew scholar:
+
+The _Mark_ and _Matthew_ narrators call the place of crucifixion
+"_Golgotha_," to which the Mark narrator adds, "which is, being
+interpreted, _the place of skulls_." The Matthew narrator adds the same
+interpretation, which the John narrator copies without the word
+"_Golgotha_," and adds, _it was a place near Jerusalem_. The Luke
+narrator calls the place of crucifixion "_Calvary_," which is the LATIN
+_Calvaria_, viz., "_the place of bare skulls_." Therefore the name does
+not refer to the form of the hill, _but to the bare skulls upon
+it_.[525:1] Now "_there is no such word as GOLGOTHA anywhere in Jewish
+literature, and there is no such place mentioned anywhere near Jerusalem
+or in Palestine by any writer_; and, in fact, there was no such place;
+there could have been none near Jerusalem. The Jews buried their dead
+carefully. Also the executed convict had to be buried before night. No
+bare skulls, bleaching in the sun, could be found in Palestine,
+especially not near Jerusalem. _It was law, that a bare skull, the bare
+spinal column, and also the imperfect skeleton of any human being, make
+man unclean by contact, and also by having either in the house._ Man,
+thus made unclean, could not eat of any sacrificial meal, or of the
+sacred tithe, before he had gone through the ceremonies of purification;
+and whatever he touched was also unclean (Maimonides, Hil. Tumath Meth.,
+iii. 1). Any impartial reader can see that the object of this law was to
+prevent the barbarous practice of heathens of having human skulls and
+skeletons lie about exposed to the decomposing influences of the
+atmosphere, as the Romans did in Palestine after the fall of Bethar,
+when for a long time they would give no permission to bury the dead
+patriots. This law was certainly enforced most rigidly in the vicinity
+of Jerusalem, of which they maintained "Jerusalem is more holy than all
+other cities surrounded with walls," so that it was not permitted to
+keep a dead body over night in the city, or to transport through it
+human bones. Jerusalem was the place of the sacrificial meals and the
+consumption of the sacred tithe, which was considered very holy
+(Maimonides, Hil. Beth Habchirah, vii. 14); there, and in the
+surroundings, skulls and skeletons were certainly never seen on the
+surface of the earth, and consequently there was no place called
+"_Golgotha_," and there was no such word in the Hebrew dialect. It is a
+word coined by the Mark narrator to translate the Latin term
+"_Calvaria_," which, together with the crucifixion story, _came from
+Rome_. But after the Syrian word was made, nobody understood it, and the
+Mark narrator was obliged to expound it."[526:1]
+
+In the face of the arguments produced, the crucifixion story, as related
+in the Gospels, cannot be upheld as an historical fact. There exists,
+certainly, no rational ground whatever for the belief that the affair
+took place _in the manner the Evangelists describe it_. All that can be
+saved of the whole story is, that after Jesus had answered the first
+question before Pilate, viz., "Art thou the King of the Jews?" which it
+is natural to suppose he was asked, and also this can be supposed only,
+he was given over to the Roman soldiers to be disposed of as soon as
+possible, before his admirers and followers could come to his rescue, or
+any demonstration in his favor be made. He was captured in the night, as
+quietly as possible, and guarded in some place, probably in the
+high-priest's court, completely secluded from the eyes of the populace;
+and early in the morning he was brought before Pilate as cautiously and
+quietly as it could be done, and at _his_ command, disposed of by the
+soldiers as quickly as practicable, and in a manner not known to the
+mass of the people. All this was done, most likely, while the multitude
+worshiped on Mount Moriah, and nobody had an intimation of the tragical
+end of the Man of Nazareth.
+
+The bitter cry of Jesus, as he hung on the tree, "My God, my God, why
+hast thou forsaken me?" disclosed the hope of deliverance that till the
+last moment sustained his heart, and betrayed the anguish felt when the
+hope was blighted; the sneers and hooting of the Roman soldiers
+expressed their conviction that he had pretended to be what he was not.
+
+The miracles ascribed to him, and the moral precepts put into his mouth,
+in after years, are what might be expected; history was simply repeating
+itself; the same thing had been done for others. "The preacher of the
+Mount, the prophet of the Beatitudes, does but repeat, with persuasive
+lips, what the law-givers of his race proclaimed in mighty tones of
+command."[527:1]
+
+The martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth has been gratefully acknowledged by
+his disciples, whose lives he saved by the sacrifice of his own, and by
+their friends, who would have fallen by the score had he not prevented
+the rebellion ripe at Jerusalem.[527:2] Posterity, infatuated with Pagan
+apotheoses, made of that simple martyrdom an interesting legend, colored
+with the myths of resurrection and ascension to that very heaven which
+the telescope has put out of man's way. It is a novel myth, made to suit
+the gross conceptions of ex-heathens. Modern theology, understanding
+well enough that the myth cannot be saved, seeks refuge in the greatness
+and self-denial of the man who died for an idea, as though Jesus had
+been the only man who had died for an idea. Thousands, tens of thousands
+of Jews, Christians, Mohammedans and Heathens, have died for ideas, and
+some of them were very foolish. But Jesus did not die for an idea. He
+never advanced anything new, that we know of, to die for. He was not
+accused of saying or teaching anything _original_. Nobody has ever been
+able to discover anything new and original in the Gospels. He evidently
+died to save the lives of his friends, and this is much more meritorious
+than if he had died for a questionable idea. But then the whole fabric
+of vicarious atonement is demolished, and modern theology cannot get
+over the absurdity that the Almighty Lord of the Universe, the infinite
+and eternal cause of all causes, had to kill some innocent person in
+order to be reconciled to the human race. However abstractly they
+speculate and subtilize, there is always an undigested bone of man-god,
+god-man, and vicarious atonement in the theological stomach. Therefore
+theology appears so ridiculous in the eyes of modern philosophy. The
+theological speculation cannot go far enough to hold pace with modern
+astronomy. However nicely the idea may be dressed, the great God of the
+immense universe looks too small upon the cross of Calvary; and the
+human family is too large, has too numerous virtues and vices, to be
+perfectly represented by, and dependent on, one Rabbi of Galilee.
+Speculate as they may, one way or another, they must connect the Eternal
+and the fate of the human family with the person and fate of Jesus. That
+is the very thing which deprives Jesus of his crown of martyrdom, and
+brings religion in perpetual conflict with philosophy. It was not the
+religious idea which was crucified in Jesus and resurrected with him, as
+with all its martyrs; although his belief in immortality may have
+strengthened him in the agony of death. It was the idea of duty to his
+disciples and friends which led him to the realms of death. This
+deserves admiration, but no more. It demonstrates the nobility of human
+nature, but proves nothing in regard to providence, or the providential
+scheme of government.
+
+The Christian story, _as the Gospels narrate it_, cannot stand the test
+of criticism. You approach it critically and it falls. _Dogmatic
+Christology_ built upon it, has, therefore, a very frail foundation.
+Most so-called lives of Christ, or biographies of Jesus, are works of
+fiction, erected by imagination on the shifting foundation of meagre and
+unreliable records. There are very few passages in the Gospels which can
+stand the rigid application of honest criticism. In modern science and
+philosophy, orthodox _Christology_ is out of the question.
+
+"This 'sacred tradition' has in itself a glorious vitality, which
+Christians may unblameably entitle immortal. But it certainly will not
+lose in beauty, grandeur, or truth, if all the details concerning Jesus
+which are current in the Gospels, and all the mythology of his person,
+be forgotten or discredited. Christianity will remain without Christ.
+
+"This formula has in it nothing paradoxical. Rightly interpreted, it
+simply means: _All that is best in Judaeo-Christian sentiment, moral or
+spiritual, will survive, without Rabbinical fancies, cultured by
+perverse logic; without huge piles of fable built upon them: without the
+Oriental Satan, a formidable rival to the throne of God; without the
+Pagan invention of Hell and Devils_."
+
+In modern criticism, the Gospel sources become so utterly worthless and
+unreliable, that it takes more than ordinary faith to believe a large
+portion thereof to be true. The _Eucharist_ was not established by
+Jesus, and cannot be called a sacrament. The trials of Jesus are
+positively not true: they are pure inventions.[528:1] The crucifixion
+story, _as narrated_, is certainly not true, and it is extremely
+difficult to save the bare fact that Jesus was crucified. What can the
+critic do with books in which a few facts must be ingeniously guessed
+from under the mountain of ghost stories,[528:2] childish
+miracles,[529:1] and dogmatic tendencies?[529:2] It is absurd to expect
+of him to regard them as sources of religious instruction, in preference
+to any other mythologies and legends. That is the point at which modern
+critics have arrived, therefore, the Gospels have become books for the
+museum and archaeologist, for students of mythology and ancient
+literature.
+
+The spirit of dogmatic Christology hovers still over a portion of
+civilized society, in antic organizations, disciplines, and hereditary
+forms of faith and worship; in science and philosophy, in the realm of
+criticism, its day is past. The universal, religious, and ethical
+element of Christianity has no connection whatever with Jesus or his
+apostles, with the Gospel, or the Gospel story; _it exists independent
+of any person or story_. Therefore it needs neither the Gospel story nor
+its heroes. If we profit by the example, by the teachings, or the
+discoveries of men of past ages, to these men we are indebted, and are
+in duty bound to acknowledge our indebtedness; but why should we give to
+_one_ individual, Jesus of Nazareth, the credit of it _all_? It is true,
+that by selecting from the Gospels whatever portions one may choose, a
+_common practice among Christian writers_, a noble and grand character
+may be depicted, _but who was the original of this character_? We may
+find the same individual outside of the Gospels, and before the time of
+Jesus. The moral precepts of the Gospels, also, were in existence before
+the Gospels themselves were in existence.[529:3] Why, then, extol the
+hero of the Gospels, and forget all others?
+
+As it was at the end of Roman Paganism, so is it now: the masses are
+deceived and fooled, or do it for themselves, and persons of vivacious
+fantasies prefer the masquerade of delusion, to the simple sublimity of
+naked but majestic truth. The decline of the church as a political power
+proves beyond a doubt the decline of Christian faith. The conflicts of
+Church and State all over the European continent, and the hostility
+between intelligence and _dogmatic Christianity_, demonstrates the death
+of _Christology_ in the consciousness of modern culture. It is useless
+to shut our eyes to these facts. Like rabbinical Judaism, dogmatic
+Christianity was the product of ages without typography, telescopes,
+microscopes, telegraphs, and power of steam. "These right arms of
+intelligence have fought the titanic battles, conquered and demolished
+the ancient castles, and remove now the debris, preparing the ground
+upon which there shall be the gorgeous temple of humanity, one universal
+republic, one universal religion of intelligence, and one great
+universal brotherhood. This is the new covenant, the gospel of humanity
+and reason."
+
+     "----Hoaryheaded selfishness has felt
+      Its death-blow, and is tottering to the grave:
+      A brighter morn awaits the human day;
+      War with its million horrors, and fierce hell,
+      Shall live but in the memory of time,
+      Who, like a penitent libertine, shall start,
+      Look back, and shudder at his younger years."
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[508:1] "For knowledge of the man Jesus, of his idea and his aims, and
+of the outward form of his career, the _New Testament_ is our only hope.
+If this hope fails, the pillared firmament of his starry fame is
+rottenness; the base of Christianity, so far as it was personal and
+individual, is built on stubble." (John W. Chadwick.)
+
+[508:2] M. Renan, after declaring Jesus to be a "_fanatic_," and
+admitting that, "his friends thought him, at moments, beside himself;"
+and that, "his enemies declared him possessed by a devil," says: "The
+man here delineated merits a place at the summit of human grandeur."
+"This is the Supreme man, a sublime personage;" "to call him divine is
+no exaggeration." Other liberal writers have written in the same strain.
+
+[509:1] "The Christ of Paul was not a person, but an _idea_; he took no
+pains to learn the facts about the individual Jesus. He actually boasted
+that the Apostles had taught him nothing. _His_ Christ was an ideal
+conception, evolved from his own feeling and imagination, and taking on
+new powers and attributes from year to year to suit each new emergency."
+(John W. Chadwick.)
+
+[510:1] This subject is considered in Appendix D.
+
+[510:2] _Scythia_ was a name employed in ancient times, to denote a
+vast, indefinite, and almost unknown territory north and east of the
+Black Sea, the Caspian, and the Sea of Aral.
+
+[510:3] See Herodotus, book 4, ch. 82.
+
+[510:4] See Dupuis, p. 264.
+
+[510:5] See Knight's Anct. Art and Mythology, p. 96, and Mysteries of
+Adoni, p. 90.
+
+[510:6] See Dupuis, p. 264.
+
+[510:7] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 7.
+
+[510:8] See Ibid. vol. i. p. 27.
+
+[510:9] Ibid.
+
+[510:10] Ibid. vol. i. p. 2, and Bonwick, p. 155.
+
+[510:11] See Chambers, art. "Jonah."
+
+[510:12] See Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 152, and Goldzhier, p. 280.
+
+[510:13] See Curious Myths, p. 264.
+
+[511:1] "Whilst, in one part of the Christian world, the chief objects
+of interest were the _human_ nature and _human_ life of Jesus, in
+another part of the Christian world the views taken of his person
+because so _idealistic_, that his humanity _was reduced to a phantom
+without reality_. The various _Gnostic_ systems generally agreed in
+saying that the Christ was an _AEon_, the redeemer of the _spirits_ of
+men, and that he had little or no contact with their corporeal nature."
+(A. Reville: Hist. of the Dogma of the Deity of Jesus.)
+
+[511:2] Epiphanius says that there were TWENTY heresies BEFORE CHRIST,
+and there can be no doubt that there is much truth in the observation,
+for most of the rites and doctrines of the Christians of all sects
+existed before the time of Jesus of Nazareth.
+
+[512:1] "Accipis avengelium? et maxime. Proinde ergo et natum accipis
+Christum. Non ita est. Neque enim sequitur ut si evangelium accipio,
+idcirco et natum accipiam Christum. Ergo non putas cum ex Maria Virgine
+esse? Manes dixit, Absit ut Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum per naturalia
+pudenda mulieris de scendisse confitear." (Lardner's Works, vol. iv. p.
+20.)
+
+[512:2] "I maintain," says he, "that the Son of God was _born_: why am I
+not ashamed of maintaining such a thing? Why! because it is itself a
+shameful thing--I maintain that the Son of God _died_: well, _that_ is
+wholly credible because it is monstrously absurd. I maintain that after
+having been buried, _he rose again_: and _that_ I take to be absolutely
+true, _because it was manifestly impossible_."
+
+[512:3] King's Gnostics, p. 1.
+
+[512:4] I. John, iv. 2, 3.
+
+[512:5] II. John, 7.
+
+[512:6] 1st Book Hermas: Apoc., ch. iii.
+
+[512:7] Chapter II.
+
+[513:1] Chapter II.
+
+[513:2] Chapter III.
+
+[513:3] Chapter III.
+
+[513:4] I. Timothy, iii. 16.
+
+[513:5] Irenaeus, speaking of them, says: "They hold that men ought not
+to confess him who _was crucified_, but him who came in the form of man,
+_and was supposed to be crucified_, and was called Jesus." (See Lardner:
+vol. viii. p. 353.) They could not conceive of "the first-begotten Son
+of God" being put to death on a cross, and suffering like an ordinary
+being, so they thought Simon of Cyrene must have been substituted for
+him, as the ram was substituted in the place of Isaac. (See Ibid. p.
+857.)
+
+[513:6] Apol. 1, ch. xxi.
+
+[514:1] Koran, ch. iv.
+
+[514:2] Chapter XX.
+
+[514:3] Chapter II.
+
+[514:4] Col. i. 23.
+
+[514:5] I. Timothy, iii. 16.
+
+[514:6] The authenticity of these Epistles has been freely questioned,
+even by the most conservative critics.
+
+[515:1] See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, and Chapter XXXVII., this work.
+
+[515:2] Quoted by Max Mueller: The Science of Relig., p. 228.
+
+[515:3] Ch. cxvii.
+
+[515:4] Ch. xxii.
+
+[516:1] Ch. iv. 5.
+
+[516:2] Josephus: Antiq., b. xx. ch. v. 2.
+
+[516:3] It is true there was another Annas high-priest at Jerusalem, but
+this was when _Gratus_ was procurator of Judea, some twelve or fifteen
+years before Pontius Pilate held the same office. (See Josephus: Antiq.,
+book xviii. ch. ii. 3.)
+
+[516:4] See Appendix D.
+
+[516:5] See the Martyrdom of Jesus, p. 100.
+
+[516:6] According to Dio Cassius, Plutarch, Strabo and others, there
+existed, in the time of Herod, among the Roman Syrian heathens, a
+wide-spread and deep sympathy for a "_Crucified King of the Jews_." This
+was the youngest son of Aristobul, the heroic Maccabee. In the year 43
+B. C., we find this young man--_Antigonus_--in Palestine claiming the
+crown, his cause having been declared just by Julius Caesar. Allied with
+the Parthians, he maintained himself in his royal position for six years
+against Herod and Mark Antony. At last, after a heroic life and reign,
+he fell in the hands of this Roman. "_Antony now gave the kingdom to a
+certain Herod, and, having stretched Antigonus on a cross and scourged
+him, a thing never done before to any other king by the Romans, he put
+him to death._" (Dio Cassius, book xlix. p. 405.)
+
+The fact that all prominent historians of those days mention this
+extraordinary occurrence, and the manner they did it, show that it was
+considered one of Mark Antony's worst crimes: and that the sympathy with
+the "Crucified King" was wide-spread and profound. (See The Martyrdom of
+Jesus of Nazareth, p. 106.)
+
+Some writers think that there is a connection between this and the
+Gospel story; that they, in a certain measure, put Jesus in the place of
+Antigonus, just as they put Herod in the place of Kansa. (See Chapter
+XVIII.)
+
+[517:1] Canon Farrar thinks that Josephus' silence on the subject of
+Jesus and Christianity, was as deliberate as it was dishonest. (See his
+Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 63.)
+
+[518:1] Many examples might be cited to confirm this view, but the case
+of _Joseph Smith_, in our own time and country, will suffice.
+
+The Mormons regard him very much as Christians regard Jesus; as the
+Mohammedans do Mohammed; or as the Buddhists do Buddha. A coarse sort of
+religious feeling and fervor appears to have been in Smith's nature. He
+seems, from all accounts, to have been cracked on theology, as so many
+zealots have been, and cracked to such an extent that his early
+acquaintances regarded him as a downright fanatic.
+
+The common view that he was an impostor is not sustained by what is
+known of him. He was, in all probability, of unbalanced mind, a
+monomaniac, as most prophets have been; but there is no reason to think
+that he did not believe in himself, and substantially in what he taught.
+He has declared that, when he was about fifteen, he began to reflect on
+the importance of being prepared for a future state. He went from one
+church to another without finding anything to satisfy the hunger of his
+soul, consequently, he retired into himself; he sought solitude; he
+spent hours and days in meditation and prayer, after the true manner of
+all accredited saints, and was soon repaid by the visits of angels. One
+of these came to him when he was but eighteen years old, and the house
+in which he was seemed filled with consuming fire. The presence--he
+styles it a personage--had a pace like lightning, and proclaimed himself
+to be an angel of the Lord. He vouchsafed to Smith a vast deal of highly
+important information of a celestial order. He told him that his
+(Smith's) prayers had been heard, and his sins forgiven; that the
+covenant which the Almighty had made with the old Jews was to be
+fulfilled; that the introductory work for the second coming of Christ
+was now to begin; that the hour for the preaching of the gospel in its
+purity to all peoples was at hand, and that Smith was to be an
+instrument in the hands of God, to further the divine purpose in the new
+dispensation. The celestial stranger also furnished him with a sketch of
+the origin, progress, laws and civilization of the American aboriginals,
+and declared that the blessing of heaven had finally been withdrawn from
+them. To Smith was communicated the momentous circumstance that certain
+plates containing an abridgment of the records of the aboriginals and
+ancient prophets, who had lived on this continent, were hidden in a hill
+near Palmyra. The prophet was counseled to go there and look at them,
+and did so. Not being holy enough to possess them as yet, he passed some
+months in spiritual probation, after which the records were put into his
+keeping. These had been prepared, it is claimed, by a prophet called
+Mormon, who had been ordained by God for the purpose, and to conceal
+them until he should produce them for the benefit of the faithful, and
+unite them with the Bible for the achievement of his will. They form the
+celebrated Book of Mormon--whence the name Mormon--and are esteemed by
+the Latter-Day Saints as of equal authority with the Old and New
+Testaments, and as an indispensable supplement thereto, because they
+include God's disclosures to the Mormon world. These precious records
+were sealed up and deposited A. D. 420 in the place where Smith had
+viewed them by the direction of the angel.
+
+The records were, it is held, in the reformed Egyptian tongue, and Smith
+translated them through the inspiration of the angel, and one Oliver
+Cowdrey wrote down the translation as reported by the God-possessed
+Joseph. This translation was published in 1830, and its divine origin
+was attested by a dozen persons--all relatives and friends of Smith.
+Only these have ever pretended to see the original plates, which have
+already become traditional. The plates have been frequently called for
+by skeptics, but all in vain. Naturally, warm controversy arose
+concerning the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and disbelievers have
+asserted that they have indubitable evidence that it is, with the
+exception of various unlettered interpolations, principally borrowed
+from a queer, rhapsodical romance written by an eccentric ex-clergyman
+named Solomon Spalding.
+
+Smith and his disciples were ridiculed and socially persecuted; but they
+seemed to be ardently earnest, and continued to preach their creed,
+which was to the effect that the millennium was at hand; that our
+aboriginals were to be converted, and that the New Jerusalem--the last
+residence and home of the saints--was to be near the centre of this
+continent. The Vermont prophet, later on, was repeatedly mobbed, even
+shot at. His narrow escapes were construed as interpositions of divine
+providence, but he displayed perfect coolness and intrepidity through
+all his trials. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was
+first established in the spring of 1830 at Manchester, N. Y.; but it
+awoke such fierce opposition, particularly from the orthodox, many of
+them preachers, that Smith and his associates deemed it prudent to move
+farther west. They established themselves at Kirtland, O., and won there
+many converts. Hostility to them still continued, and grew so fierce
+that the body transferred itself to Missouri, and next to Illinois,
+settling in the latter state near the village of Commerce, which was
+renamed Nauvoo.
+
+The Governor and Legislature of Illinois favored the Mormons, but the
+anti-Mormons made war on them in every way, and the custom of "sealing
+wives," which is yet mysterious to the Gentiles, caused serious
+outbreaks, and resulted in the incarceration of the prophet and his
+brother Hiram at Carthage. Fearing that the two might be released by the
+authorities, a band of ruffians broke into the jail, in the summer of
+1844, and murdered them in cold blood. This was most fortunate for the
+memory of Smith and for his doctrines. It placed him in the light of a
+holy martyr, and lent to them a dignity and vitality they had never
+before enjoyed.
+
+[520:1] When we speak of Jesus being _crucified_, we do not intend to
+convey the idea that he was put to death on a cross of the _form_
+adopted by Christians. This cross was the symbol of _life_ and
+_immortality_ among our heathen ancestors (see Chapter XXXIII.), and in
+adopting _Pagan religious symbols_, and baptizing them anew, the
+Christians took this along with others. The crucifixion was not a symbol
+of the _earliest_ church; no trace of it can be found in the Catacombs.
+Some of the earliest that did appear, however, are similar to figures
+No. 42 and No. 43, above, which represent two of the modes in which the
+Romans crucified their slaves and criminals. (See Chapter XX., on the
+Crucifixion of Jesus.)
+
+[520:2] According to the Matthew and Mark narrators, Jesus' head was
+_anointed_ while sitting at table in the house of Simon the leper. Now,
+this practice was common among the kings of Israel. It was the sign and
+symbol of royalty. The word "_Messiah_" signifies the "Anointed One,"
+and none of the kings of Israel were styled the Messiah unless anointed.
+(See The Martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth, p. 42.)
+
+[521:1] Josephus: Antiquities, book xviii. ch. iv. 1.
+
+[522:1] Josephus: Antiquities, book xviii. chap. iii. 2.
+
+[522:2] "From the death of Herod, 4 B. C., to the death of Bar-Cochba,
+132 A. D., no less than _fifty_ different enthusiasts set up as the
+Messiah, and obtained more or less following." (John W. Chadwick.)
+
+[522:3] "There was, at _this time_, a prevalent expectation that some
+remarkable personage was about to appear in Judea. The Jews were
+anxiously looking for the coming of the MESSIAH. This personage, they
+supposed, would be a _temporal prince_, and they were expecting that he
+would deliver them from Roman bondage." (Albert Barnes: Notes, vol. i.
+p. 7.)
+
+"The central and dominant characteristic of the teaching of the Rabbis,
+was the certain advent of a great national Deliverer--the MESSIAH. . . .
+The national mind had become so inflammable, by constant brooding on
+this one theme, _that any bold spirit rising in revolt against the Roman
+power, could find an army of fierce disciples who trusted that it should
+be he who would redeem Israel_." (Geikie: The Life of Christ, vol. i. p.
+79.)
+
+[522:4] "The penalty of _crucifixion_, according to Roman law and
+custom, was inflicted on slaves, and in the provinces _on rebels only_."
+(The Martyrdom of Jesus, p. 96.)
+
+[522:5] Judas, the _Gaulonite_ or _Galilean_, as Josephus calls him,
+declared, when Cyrenius came to tax the Jewish people, that "this
+taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery," and exhorted
+the nation to assert their liberty. He therefore prevailed upon his
+countrymen to revolt. (See Josephus: Antiq., b. xviii. ch. i. 1, and
+Wars of the Jews, b. ii. ch. viii. 1.)
+
+[523:1] The Martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth, p. 30.
+
+[523:2] "That the High Council did accuse Jesus, I suppose no one will
+doubt; and since they could neither wish or expect the Roman Governor to
+make himself judge of _their sacred law_, it becomes certain that their
+accusation was _purely political_, and took such a form as this: 'He has
+accepted tumultuous shouts that he is the legitimate and predicted _King
+of Israel_, and in this character has ridden into Jerusalem with the
+forms of state understood to be _royal_ and _sacred_; with what purpose,
+we ask, if not to overturn _our_ institutions, and _your_ dominion?' If
+Jesus spoke, at the crisis which Matthew represents, the virulent speech
+attributed to him (Matt. xxiii.), we may well believe that this gave a
+new incentive to the rulers; for it is such as no government in Europe
+would overlook or forgive: _but they are not likely to have expected
+Pilate to care for any conduct which might be called an ecclesiastical
+broil_. The assumption of _royalty_ was clearly the point of their
+attack. Even the mildest man among them may have thought his conduct
+dangerous and needing repression." (Francis W. Newman, "What is
+Christianity without Christ?")
+
+_According to the Synoptic Gospels_, Jesus was completely innocent of
+the charge which has sometimes been brought against him, _that he wished
+to be considered as a God come down to earth_. His enemies certainly
+would not have failed to make such a pretension the basis and the
+continual theme of their accusations, if it had been possible to do so.
+_The two grounds upon which he was brought before the Sanhedrim were,
+first, the bold words he was supposed to have spoken about the temple;
+and, secondly and chiefly, the fact that he claimed to be the Messiah_,
+i. e., "_The King of the Jews_." (Albert Reville: "The Doctrine of the
+Dogma of the Deity of Jesus," p. 7.)
+
+[523:3] See The Martyrdom of Jesus, p. 30.
+
+[524:1] See _note_ 4, p. 522.
+
+[524:2] See Matt. xx. 19.
+
+[524:3] John xviii. 31, 32.
+
+[524:4] That is, the crucifixion story _as related in the Gospels_. See
+_note_ 1, p. 520.
+
+[524:5] Matthew xxvii. 24, 25.
+
+[525:1] Commentators, in endeavoring to get over this difficulty, say
+that, "it _may_ come from the look or form of the spot itself, bald,
+round, and skull-like, and therefore a mound or hillock," but, if it
+means "_the place of bare skulls_," no such construction as the above
+can be put to the word.
+
+[526:1] The Martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth, pp. 109-111.
+
+[527:1] O. B. Frothingham: The Cradle of the Christ, p. 11.
+
+The reader is referred to "Judaism: Its Doctrines and Precepts," by Dr.
+Isaac M. Wise. Printed at the office of the "American Israelite,"
+Cincinnati, Ohio.
+
+[527:2] If Jesus, instead of giving himself up quietly, had _resisted_
+against being arrested, there certainly would have been bloodshed, as
+there was on many other similar occasions.
+
+[528:1] If what is recorded In the Gospels on the subject was true, no
+historian of that day could fail to have noticed it, but instead of this
+there is _nothing_.
+
+[528:2] See Matthew, xxvii. 51-53.
+
+[529:1] See Matt. xiv. 15-22: Mark, iv. 1-3, and xi. 14; and Luke, vii.
+26-37.
+
+[529:2] See Mark, xvi. 16.
+
+[529:3] This fact has at last been admitted by the most orthodox among
+the Christians. The Rev. George Matheson, D. D., Minister of the Parish
+of Innellan, and a member of the Scotch Kirk, speaking of the precept
+uttered by Confucius, five hundred years before the time assigned for
+the birth of Jesus of Nazareth ("Whatsoever ye would not that others
+should do unto you, do not ye unto them"), says: "That Confucius is the
+_author_ of this precept is undisputed, _and therefore it is
+indisputable that Christianity has incorporated an article of Chinese
+morality_. It has appeared to some as if this were to the disparagement
+of Christianity--as if the originality of its Divine Founder were
+impaired by consenting to borrow a precept from a heathen source. _But
+in what sense does Christianity set up the claim of moral originality?_
+When we speak of the religion of Christ as having introduced into the
+world a purer life and a surer guide to conduct, what do we mean? Do we
+mean to suggest that Christianity has, _for the first time_, revealed to
+the world the existence of a set of self-sacrificing precepts--that
+here, _for the first time_, man has learned that he ought to be meek,
+merciful, humble, forgiving, sorrowful for sin, peaceable, and pure in
+heart? The proof of such a statement would destroy Christianity itself,
+for an _absolute original code of precepts_ would be equivalent to a
+foreign language. _The glory of Christian morality is that it is_ NOT
+ORIGINAL--that its words appeal to something which _already exists
+within the human heart_, and on that account have a meaning to the human
+ear: _no new revelation can be made except through the medium of an old
+one_. When we attribute originality to the ethics of the Gospel, we do
+so on the ground, _not that it has given new precepts_, but that it has
+given us a new impulse to obey the moral instincts of the soul.
+Christianity itself claims on the field of morals this originality, _and
+this alone_--'A new commandment give I unto you, that you love one
+another." (St. Giles Lectures, Second Series: The Faiths of the World.
+Religion of China, by the Rev. George Matheson, D. D., Minister of the
+Parish of Innellan. Wm. Blackwood & Sons: Edinburgh, 1882.)
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX A.
+
+
+Among the ancient Mexicans, Peruvians, and some of the Indian tribes of
+North and South America, were found fragments of the _Eden Myth_. The
+Mexicans said that the primeval mother was made out of a _man's bone_,
+and that she was the mother of _twins_.[533:1]
+
+The Cherokees supposed that heavenly beings _came down_ and made the
+world, after which they made a man and woman of _clay_.[533:2] The
+intention of the creators was that men should live always. But the Sun,
+when he passed over, told them that there was not land enough, and that
+people had better die. At length, _the daughter of the Sun_ was bitten
+by a _Snake_, and died. The Sun, however--whom they worshiped as a
+god--consented that human beings might live always. He intrusted to
+their care a _box_, charging them that they should not open it. However,
+impelled by curiosity, they opened it, contrary to the injunction of the
+Sun, and the _spirit_ it contained escaped, _and then the fate of all
+men was decided, that they must die_.[533:3]
+
+The inhabitants of the New World had a legend of a _Deluge_, which
+destroyed the human race, excepting a few who were saved in a boat,
+which landed on a _mountain_.[533:4] They also related that _birds_ were
+sent out of the ark, for the purpose of ascertaining if the flood was
+abating.[533:5]
+
+The ancient Mexicans had the legend of the _confusion of tongues_, and
+related the whole story as to how the gods destroyed the tower which
+mankind was building so as to reach unto heaven.[533:6]
+
+The Mexicans, and several of the Indian tribes of North America, believe
+in the doctrine of _Metempsychosis_, or the transmigration of souls from
+one body into another.[533:7] This, as we have already seen,[533:8] was
+universally believed in the Old World.
+
+The legend of _the man being swallowed by a fish_, and, after a three
+days' sojourn in his belly, coming out safe and sound, was found among
+the Mexicans and Peruvians.[534:1]
+
+The ancient Mexicans, and some Indian tribes, practiced _Circumcision_,
+which was common among all Eastern nations of the Old World.[534:2]
+
+They also had a legend to the effect that one of their holy persons
+commanded _the sun to stand still_.[534:3] This, as we have already
+seen,[534:4] was a familiar legend among the inhabitants of the Old
+World.
+
+The ancient Mexicans were _fire-worshipers_; so were the ancient
+Peruvians. They kept a fire continually burning on an altar, just as the
+fire-worshipers of the Old World were in the habit of doing.[534:5] They
+were also _Sun-worshipers_, and had "temples of the Sun."[534:6]
+
+The _Tortoise-myth_ was found in the New World.[534:7] Now, in the Old
+World, the Tortoise-myth belongs especially to _India_, and the idea is
+developed there in a variety of forms. The tortoise that holds the world
+is called in Sanscrit Kura-mraja, "King of the Tortoises," and many
+Hindoos believe to this day that the world rests on its back. "The
+striking analogy between the Tortoise-myth of North America and India,"
+says Mr. Tyler, "is by no means a matter of new observation; it was
+indeed remarked upon by Father Lafitau nearly a century and a half ago.
+Three great features of the Asiatic stories are found among the North
+American Indians, in the fullest and clearest development. The earth is
+supported on the back of a huge floating tortoise, the tortoise sinks
+under the water and causes a deluge, and the tortoise is conceived as
+being itself the earth, floating upon the face of the deep."[534:8]
+
+We have also found among them the belief in an Incarnate God born of a
+virgin;[534:9] the One God worshiped in the form of a Trinity;[534:10]
+the crucified _Black_ god;[534:11] the descent into hell;[534:12] the
+resurrection and ascension into heaven,[534:13] all of which is to be
+found in the oldest Asiatic religions. We also found monastic
+habits--friars and nuns.[534:14]
+
+The Mexicans denominated their high-places, sacred houses, or "_Houses
+of God_." The corresponding sacred structures of the Hindoos are called
+"_God's House_."[535:1]
+
+Many nations of the _East_ entertained the notion that there were _nine
+heavens_, and so did the ancient Mexicans.[535:2]
+
+There are few things connected with the ancient mythology of _America_
+more certain than that there existed in that country before its
+discovery by Columbus, extreme veneration for the _Serpent_.[535:3] Now,
+the Serpent was venerated and worshiped throughout the East.[535:4]
+
+The ancient Mexicans and Peruvians, and many of the Indian tribes,
+believed the Sun and Moon not only to be brother and sister, but man and
+wife; so, likewise, among many nations of the Old World was this belief
+prevalent.[535:5] The belief in were-wolves, or man-wolves, man-tigers,
+man-hyenas, and the like, which was almost universal among the nations
+of Europe, Asia and Africa, was also found to be the case among South
+American tribes.[535:6] The idea of calling the earth "mother," was
+common among the inhabitants of both the Old and New Worlds.[535:7] In
+the mythology of Finns, Lapps, and Esths, Earth-Mother is a divinely
+honored personage. It appears in China, where _Heaven_ and _Earth_ are
+called in the _Shuking_--one of their sacred books--"Father and Mother
+of all things."
+
+Among the native races of _America_ the Earth-Mother is one of the great
+personages of mythology. The Peruvians worshiped her as _Mama-Phacha_,
+or Earth-Mother. The Caribs, when there was an earthquake, said it was
+their mother-earth dancing, and signifying to them to dance and make
+merry likewise, which they accordingly did.[535:8]
+
+It is well-known that the natives of Africa, when there is an eclipse of
+the sun or moon, believe that it is being devoured by some great
+monster, and that they, in order to frighten and drive it away, beat
+drums and make noises in other ways. So, too, the rude Moguls make a
+clamor of rough music to drive the attacking Arachs (Rahu) from Sun or
+Moon.[535:9]
+
+The Chinese, when there is an eclipse of the Sun or Moon, proceed to
+encounter the ominous monster with gongs and bells.[535:10]
+
+The ancient Romans flung firebrands into the air, and blew trumpets, and
+clanged brazen pots and pans.[535:11] Even as late as the seventeenth
+century, the Irish or Welsh, during eclipses, ran about beating kettles
+and pans.[536:1] Among the native races of America was to be found the
+same superstition. The Indians would raise a frightful howl, and shoot
+arrows into the sky to drive the monsters off.[536:2] The Caribs,
+thinking that the demon Maboya, hater of all light, was seeking to
+devour the Sun and Moon, would dance and howl in concert all night long
+to scare him away. The Peruvians, imagining such an evil spirit in the
+shape of a monstrous beast, raised the like frightful din when the Moon
+was eclipsed, shouting, sounding musical instruments, and beating the
+dogs to join their howl to the hideous chorus.[536:3]
+
+The starry band that lies like a road across the sky, known as the
+_milky way_, is called by the Basutos (a South African tribe of
+savages), "The Way of the Gods;" the Ojis (another African tribe of
+savages), say it is the "Way of Spirits," which souls go up to heaven
+by. North American tribes know it as "the Path of the Master of Life,"
+the "Path of Spirits," "the Road of Souls," where they travel to the
+land beyond the grave.[536:4]
+
+It is almost a general belief among the inhabitants of Africa, and was
+so among the inhabitants of Europe and Asia, that monkeys were once men
+and women, and that they can even now really speak, but judiciously hold
+their tongues, lest they should be made to work. This idea was found as
+a serious matter of belief, in Central and South America.[536:5] "The
+Bridge of the Dead," which is one of the marked myths of the Old World,
+was found in the New.[536:6]
+
+It is well known that the natives of South America told the Spaniards
+that inland there was to be found a fountain, the waters of which turned
+old men back into youths, and how Juan Ponce de Leon fitted out two
+caravels, and went to seek for this "Fountain of Youth." Now, the
+"Fountain of Youth" is known to the mythology of India.[536:7]
+
+The myth of foot-prints stamped into the rocks by gods or mighty men, is
+to be found among the inhabitants of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
+Egyptians, Greeks, Brahmans, Buddhists, Moslems, and Christians, have
+adopted it as relics each from their own point of view, and _Mexican_
+eyes could discern in the solid rock at Tlanepantla the mark of hand and
+foot left by the mighty Quetzalcoatle.[536:8]
+
+The Incas, in order to preserve purity of race, married their own
+sisters, as did the Kings of Persia, and other Oriental nations.[537:1]
+
+The Peruvian embalming of the royal dead takes us back to _Egypt_; the
+burning of the wives of the deceased Incas reveals _India_; the
+singularly patriarchical character of the whole Peruvian policy is like
+that of _China_ in the olden time; while the system of espionage, of
+tranquillity, of physical well-being, and the iron-like immovability in
+which their whole social frame was cast, bring before us _Japan_--as it
+was a very few years ago. In fact, there is something strangely Japanese
+in the entire cultus of Peru as described by all writers.[537:2]
+
+The dress and costume of the Mexicans, and their sandals, resemble the
+apparel and sandals worn in early ages in the East.[537:3]
+
+Mexican priests were represented with a Serpent twined around their
+heads, so were Oriental kings.[537:4] The Mexicans had the head of a
+rhinoceros among their paintings,[537:5] and also the head of an
+elephant on the body of a man.[537:6] Now, these animals were unknown in
+America, but well known in Asia; and what is more striking still is the
+fact that the man with the elephant's head is none other than the Ganesa
+of India; the God of Wisdom. Humboldt, who copied a Mexican painting of
+a man with an elephant's head, remarks that "it presents some remarkable
+and apparently _not accidental_ resemblances with the Hindoo Ganesa."
+
+The horse and the ass, although natives of America,[537:7] became
+extinct on the Western Continent in an early period of the earth's
+history, yet the Mexicans had, among their hieroglyphics,
+representations of both these animals, which show that it must have been
+seen in the old world by the author of the hieroglyph. When the Mexicans
+saw the horses which the Spaniards brought over, they were greatly
+astonished, and when they saw the Spaniards on horseback, they imagined
+man and horse to be _one_.
+
+Certain of the temples of _India_ abound with sculptural representations
+of the symbols of _Phallic Worship_. Turning now to the temples of
+_Central America_, which in many respects exhibit a strict
+correspondence with those in India, _we find precisely the same symbols,
+separate and in combination_.[537:8]
+
+We have seen that many of the religious conceptions of _America_ are
+identical with those of the _Old World_, and that they are embodied or
+symbolized under the same or cognate forms; and it is confidently
+asserted that a comparison and analysis of her primitive systems, in
+connection with those of other parts of the globe, philosophically
+conducted, would establish the grand fact, that in ALL their leading
+elements, and in many of their details, they are essentially the
+same.[538:1]
+
+The _architecture_ of many of the most ancient buildings in South
+America resembles the Asiatic. Around Lake Titicaca are massive
+monuments, which speak of a very ancient and civilized nation.[538:2]
+
+E. Spence Hardy, says:
+
+     "The ancient edifices of Chi Chen, in Central America, bear a
+     striking resemblance to the topes of India. The shape of one
+     of the domes, its apparent size, the small tower on the
+     summit, the trees growing on the sides, the appearance of
+     masonry here and there, the style of the ornaments, and the
+     small doorway at the base, are so exactly similar to what I
+     had seen at Anuradhapura, _that when my eye first fell upon
+     the engravings of these remarkable ruins, I supposed that they
+     were presented in illustration of the dagobas of
+     Ceylon_."[538:3]
+
+E. G. Squire, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "The Bud'hist temples of Southern India, and of the islands of
+     the Indian Archipelago, as described to us by the learned
+     members of the Asiatic Society, and the numerous writers on
+     the religion and antiquities of the Hindoos, correspond, with
+     great exactness, in all their essential and in many of their
+     minor features, with those of _Central America_."[538:4]
+
+Structures of a _pyramidal_ style, which are common in India, were also
+discovered in Mexico. The pyramid tower of Cholula was one of
+these.[538:5]
+
+Sir R. Kir Porter writes as follows:
+
+     "What striking analogies exist between the monuments of the
+     old continents and those of the Toltecs, who, arriving on
+     Mexican soil, built several of these colossal structures,
+     truncated pyramids, divided by layers, like the temple of
+     Belus at Babylon. _Whence did they take the model of these
+     edifices? Were they of the Mongolian race? Did they descend
+     from a common stock with the Chinese, the Hiong-nu, and the
+     Japanese?_"[538:6]
+
+The similarity in _features_ of the Asiatic and the American race is
+very striking. Alexander de Humboldt, speaking of this, says:
+
+     "There are striking contrasts between the Mongol and American
+     races."[538:7] "Over a million and a half of square leagues,
+     from the Terra del Fuego islands to the River St. Lawrence and
+     Behring's Straits, we are struck at the first glance with the
+     general resemblance in the features of the inhabitants. _We
+     think we perceive that they all descended from the same
+     stock_, notwithstanding the enormous diversity of language
+     which separates them from one another."[538:8]
+
+     "This analogy is particularly evident in the color of the
+     skin and hair, in the defective beard, high cheek-bones, and
+     in the direction of the eyes."[539:1]
+
+Dr. Morton says:
+
+     "In reflecting on the aboriginal races of America, we are at
+     once met by the striking fact, that their physical characters
+     are wholly independent of all climatic or known physical
+     influences. Notwithstanding their immense geographical
+     distribution, embracing every variety of climate, it is
+     acknowledged by all travellers, that there is among this
+     people a prevailing type, around which all the tribes--north,
+     south, east and west--cluster, though varying within
+     prescribed limits. With trifling exceptions, all our American
+     Indians bear to each other some degree of family resemblance,
+     quite as strong, for example, as that seen at the present day
+     among full-blooded Jews."[539:2]
+
+James Orton, the traveler, was also struck with the likeness of the
+American Indians to the Chinese, including the flatted nose. Speaking of
+the Zaparos of the Napo River, he says:
+
+     "The Zaparos in physiognomy somewhat resemble the Chinese,
+     having a middle stature, round face, small eyes set angularly,
+     and a broad, flat nose."[539:3]
+
+Oscar Paschel says:
+
+     "The obliquely-set eyes and prominent cheek-bones of the
+     inhabitants of Veragua were noticed by Monitz Wagner, and
+     according to his description, out of four Bayano Indians from
+     Darien, three had thoroughly Mongolian features, including the
+     flatted nose."
+
+In 1866, an officer of the Sharpshooter, the first English man-of-war
+which entered the Parana River in Brazil, remarks in almost the same
+words of the Indians of that district, that their features vividly
+reminded him of the Chinese. Burton describes the Brazilian natives at
+the falls of Cachauhy as having thick, round Kalmuck heads, flat Mongol
+faces, wide, very prominent cheek bones, oblique and sometimes
+narrow-slit Chinese eyes, and slight mustaches.
+
+Another traveler, J. J. Von Tschudi, declares in so many words that he
+has seen Chinese whom at the first glance he mistook for Botocudos, and
+that since then he has been convinced that the American race ought not
+to be separated from the Mongolian. His predecessor, St. Hilaire,
+noticed narrow, obliquely-set eyes and broad noses among the Malali of
+Brazil. Reinhold Hensel says of the Coroados, that their features are of
+Mongoloid type, due especially to the prominence of the cheek-bones, but
+that the oblique position of the eyes is not perceptible. Yet the
+oblique opening of the eye, which forms a good though not an essential
+characteristic of the Mongolian nations, is said to be characteristic of
+all the Guarani tribes in Brazil. Even in the extreme south, among the
+Hiullitches of Patagonia, King saw a great many with obliquely set
+eyes. Those writers who separate the Americans as a peculiar race fail
+to give distinctive characters, common to them all, which distinguish
+them from the Asiatic Mongols. All the tribes have stiff, long hair,
+cylindrical in section. The beard and hair of the body is always scanty
+or totally absent. The color of the skin varies considerably, as might
+be expected in a district of 110 deg. of latitude; it ranges from a light
+South European darkness of complexion among the Botocudos, of the
+deepest dye among the Aymara, or to copper red in the Sonor tribes. But
+no one has tried to draw limits between races on account of these shades
+of color, especially as they are of every conceivable gradation.[540:1]
+
+Charles G. Leland says:
+
+     "The Tunguse, Mongolians, and a great part of the Turkish race
+     formed originally, according to all external organic tokens,
+     as well as the elements of their language, but one people,
+     closely allied with the Esquimaux, the _Skraeling_, or dwarf of
+     the Norseman, and the races of the New World. This is the
+     irrefutable result to which all the more recent inquiries in
+     anatomy and physiology, as well as comparative philology and
+     history, have conduced. All the aboriginal Americans have
+     those distinctive tokens which forcibly recall their neighbors
+     dwelling on the other side of Behring's Straits. They have the
+     four-cornered head, high cheek-bones, heavy jaws, large
+     angular eye-cavities, and a retreating forehead. The skulls of
+     the oldest Peruvian graves exhibit the same tokens as the
+     heads of the nomadic tribes of Oregon and California."[540:2]
+     "It is very certain that thousands of American Indians,
+     especially those of small stature or of dwarfish tribes, bear
+     a most extraordinary likeness to Mongols."[540:3]
+
+John D. Baldwin, in his "_Ancient America_," says:
+
+     "I find myself more and more inclined to believe that the wild
+     Indians of the North came originally from _Asia_, where the
+     race to which they belong seems still represented by the
+     _Koraks_ and _Cookchees_, found in that part of Asia which
+     extends to Behring's Straits."[540:4]
+
+Hon. Charles D. Poston, late commissioner of the United States of
+America in Asia, in a work entitled, "_The Parsees_," speaking of an
+incident which took place "beyond the Great Wall," says:
+
+     "A Mongolian came riding up on a little black pony, followed
+     by a servant on a camel, rocking like a windmill. He stopped a
+     moment to exchange pantomimic salutations. He was full of
+     electricity, and alive with motion; the blood was warm in his
+     veins, and the fire was bright in his eye. I could have sworn
+     that he was an _Apache;_ every action, motion and look
+     reminded me of my old enemies and neighbors in _Arizona_. They
+     are the true descendants of the nomadic Tartars of Asia and
+     preserve every instinct of the race. He shook hands friendlily
+     but timidly, keeping all the time in motion like an
+     Apache."[540:5]
+
+That the continents of Asia and America were at one time joined
+together by an isthmus, at the place where the channel of Behring's
+straits is now found, is a well known fact. That the severance of Asia
+from America was, geologically speaking, very recent, is shown by the
+fact that not only the straits, but the sea which bears the name of
+Behring, is extraordinarily shallow, so much so, indeed, that whalers
+lie at anchor in the middle of it.[541:1] This is evidently the manner
+in which America was peopled.[541:2]
+
+During the _Champlain_ period in the earth's history the climate of the
+northern portion of the American continent, instead of being frigid, and
+the country covered with sheets of ice, was more like the climate of the
+Middle States of the present day. Tropical animals went North, and
+during the Terrace period--which followed the Champlain--the climate
+changed to frigid, and many of these tropical animals were frozen in the
+ice, and some of their remains were discovered centuries after.
+
+It was probably during the time when the climate in those northern
+regions was warm, that the aborigines crossed over, and even if they did
+not do so at that time, we must not be startled at the idea that Asiatic
+tribes crossed over from Asia to America, when the country was covered
+with ice. There have been nations who lived in a state of nudity among
+ice-fields, and, even at the present day, a naked nation of fishermen
+still exist in Terra del Fuego, where the glaciers stretch down to the
+sea, and even into it.[541:3]
+
+Chas. Darwin, during his voyage round the world in H. M. S. Beagle, was
+particularly struck with the hardiness of the Fuegians, who go in a
+state of nudity, or almost entirely so. He says:
+
+     "Among these central tribes the men generally have an
+     otter-skin, or some small scrap, about as large as a
+     pocket-handkerchief, to cover their nakedness, which is barely
+     sufficient to cover their backs as low down as their
+     loins."[541:4]
+
+One day while going on shore near Wollaston Island, Mr. Darwin's party
+pulled alongside a canoe which contained six Fuegians, who were, he
+says, "quite naked, and even one full-grown woman was absolutely so. It
+was raining heavily, and the fresh water, together with the spray,
+trickled down her body. In another harbor not far distant, a woman, who
+was suckling a recently-born child, came one day alongside the vessel,
+and remained there out of mere curiosity, whilst the sleet fell and
+thawed on her naked bosom, and on the skin of her naked baby!"[542:1]
+
+This was during the winter season.
+
+A few pages farther on Mr. Darwin says that on the night of the 22d
+December, a small family of Fuegians--who were living in a cove near the
+quarters--"soon joined our party round a blazing fire. We were well
+clothed, and though sitting close to the fire were far from too warm;
+yet these naked savages, though further off, were observed, to our great
+surprise, to be streaming with perspiration at undergoing such a
+scorching. They seemed, however, very well pleased, and all joined in
+the chorus of the seamen's songs; but the manner in which they were
+invariably a little behind was quite ludicrous."[542:2]
+
+The Asiatics who first crossed over to the American continent were
+evidently in a very barbarous stage, although they may have known how to
+produce fire, and use bows and arrows.[542:3] The tribe who inhabited
+Mexico at the time it was discovered by the Spaniards was not the first
+to settle there; they had driven out a people, and had taken the country
+from them.[542:4]
+
+That Mexico was visited by Orientals, who brought and planted their
+religion there, in a comparatively recent period, is very probable. Mr.
+Chas. G. Leland, who has made this subject a special study, says:
+
+     "While the proofs of the existence or residence of Orientals
+     in America are extremely vague and uncertain, and while they
+     are supported only by coincidences, the antecedent probability
+     of their having come hither, or having been able to come, is
+     stronger than the Norse discovery of the New World, or even
+     than that of Columbus himself would appear to be. Let the
+     reader take a map of the Northern Pacific; let him ascertain
+     for himself the fact that from Kamtschatka, which was well
+     known to the old Chinese, to Alaska the journey is far less
+     arduous than from China proper, and it will be seen that there
+     was in all probability intercourse of some kind between the
+     continents. In early times the Chinese were bold and skillful
+     navigators, to whom the chain of the Aleutian Islands would
+     have been simply like stepping-stones over a shallow brook to
+     a child. For it is a well ascertained fact, that a sailor in
+     an open boat might cross from Asia to America by the Aleutian
+     Islands in summer-time, and hardly ever be out of sight of
+     land, and this in a part of the sea generally abounding in
+     fish, as is proved by the fishermen who inhabit many of these
+     islands, on which fresh water is always to be found."[543:1]
+
+Colonel Barclay Kennon, formerly of the U. S. North Pacific surveying
+expedition, says:
+
+     "From the result of the most accurate scientific observation,
+     it is evident that the voyage from China to America can be
+     made without being out of sight of land more than a few hours
+     at any one time. To a landsman, unfamiliar with long voyages,
+     the mere idea of being 'alone on the wide, wide sea,' with
+     nothing but water visible, even for an hour, conveys a strange
+     sense of desolation, of daring, and of adventure. But in truth
+     it is regarded as a mere trifle, not only by regular seafaring
+     men, but even by the rudest races in all parts of the world;
+     and I have no doubt that from the remotest ages, and on all
+     shores, fishermen in open boats, canoes, or even coracles,
+     guided simply by the stars and currents, have not hesitated to
+     go far out of sight of land. At the present day, natives of
+     many of the South Pacific Islands undertake, without a
+     compass, and successfully, long voyages which astonish even a
+     regular Jack-tar, who is not often astonished at anything. If
+     this can be done by savages, it hardly seems possible that the
+     Asiatic-American voyage was not successfully performed by
+     people of advanced scientific culture, who had, it is
+     generally believed, the compass, and who from an early age
+     were proficient in astronomy."[543:2]
+
+Prof. Max Mueller, it would seem, entertains similar ideas to our own,
+expressed as follows:
+
+     "In their (the American Indians') languages, as well as in
+     their religions, traces may possibly still be found, before it
+     is too late, _of pre-historic migrations of men from the
+     primitive Asiatic to the American Continent, either across the
+     stepping-stones of the Aleutic bridge in the North, or lower
+     South, by drifting with favorable winds from island to island,
+     till the hardy canoe was landed or wrecked on the American
+     coast, never to return again to the Asiatic home from which it
+     had started_."[543:3]
+
+It is very evident then, that the religion and mythology of the Old and
+New Worlds, have, in part, at least, a common origin. Lord Kingsborough
+informs us that the Spanish historians of the 16th century were not
+disposed to admit that America had ever been colonized from the West,
+"chiefly on account of the state in which religion was found in the new
+continent."[543:4]
+
+And Mr. Tylor says:
+
+     "Among the mass of Central American traditions . . . there
+     occur certain passages in the story of an early emigration of
+     the Quiche race, which have much the appearance of vague and
+     broken stories derived in some way from high Northern
+     latitudes."[543:5]
+
+Mr. McCulloh, in his "Researches," observes that:
+
+     "In analyzing many parts of their (the ancient Americans')
+     institutions, especially those belonging to their cosmogonal
+     history, their religious superstitions, and astronomical
+     computations, we have, in these abstract matters, found
+     abundant proof to assert that there has been formerly a
+     connection between the people of the two continents. Their
+     communications, however, have taken place at a very remote
+     period of time; for those matters in which they more decidedly
+     coincide, are undoubtedly those which belong to the earliest
+     history of mankind."
+
+It is unquestionably from _India_ that we have derived, partly through
+the Persians and other nations, most of our metaphysical and theological
+doctrines, as well as our nursery tales. Who then can deny that these
+same doctrines and legends have been handed down by oral tradition to
+the chief of the Indian tribes, and in this way have been preserved,
+although perhaps in an obscure and imperfect manner, in some instances
+at least, until the present day? The facts which we have before us, with
+many others like them which are to be had, point with the greatest
+likelihood to a common fatherland, the cradle of all nations, from which
+they came, taking these traditions with them.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[533:1] Baring-Gould's Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 46.
+
+[533:2] Squire's Serpent Symbol, p. 67.
+
+[533:3] Ibid. Here we see the parallel to the _Grecian_ fable of
+Epimetheus and Pandora.
+
+[533:4] Brinton: Myths of the New World, p. 203. Higgins: Anacalypsis,
+vol. ii. p. 27.
+
+[533:5] Ibid.
+
+[533:6] Brinton: Myths of the New World, p. 204.
+
+[533:7] See Chapter V.
+
+[533:8] See Ibid. and Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Transmigration."
+
+[534:1] See Chapter XI.
+
+[534:2] See Chapter X.
+
+[534:3] See Chapter XI.
+
+[534:4] Ibid.
+
+[534:5] See Early Hist. Mankind, p. 252; Squire's Serpent Symbol; and
+Prescott: Con. Peru.
+
+[534:6] See Ibid., and the Andes and the Amazon, p. 454.
+
+[534:7] See Early Hist. Mankind, p. 842.
+
+[534:8] Ibid.
+
+[534:9] See Chapter XII.
+
+[534:10] See Chapter XXV.
+
+[534:11] See Chapter XX.
+
+Mr. Prescott, speaking of the Pyramid of Cholula, in his Mexican
+History, says: "On the summit stood a sumptuous temple, in which was the
+image of the mystic deity (_Quetzalcoatle_), with _ebon_ features,
+unlike the fair complexion which he bore upon earth." And Kenneth R. H.
+Mackenzie says (in Cities of the Ancient World, p. 180): "From the
+woolly texture of the hair, I am inclined to assign to the Buddha of
+India, the Fuhi of China, the Sommonacom of the Siamese, the Xaha of the
+Japanese, and the Quetzalcoatle of the Mexicans, the same, and indeed an
+African, or rather Nubian, origin."
+
+[534:12] See Chapter XXII.
+
+[534:13] See Chapter XXIII.
+
+[534:14] See Chapter XXVI.
+
+[535:1] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 77.
+
+[535:2] Ibid. p. 109.
+
+[535:3] See Fergusson's Tree and Serpent Worship, and Squire's Serpent
+Symbol.
+
+[535:4] See Ibid.
+
+[535:5] See Tylor, Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 361, and Squire's
+Serpent Symbol.
+
+[535:6] Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 280, and Squire's Serpent Symbol.
+
+[535:7] Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 294, and Squire's Serpent Symbol.
+
+[535:8] Tylor: Primitive Culture, vol. i. pp. 295, 296.
+
+[535:9] Ibid. p. 300.
+
+[535:10] Ibid.
+
+[535:11] Ibid. p. 301.
+
+[536:1] Tylor; Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 101.
+
+[536:2] Ibid. p. 291.
+
+[536:3] Ibid.
+
+[536:4] Ibid. p. 234.
+
+[536:5] Ibid. p. 240 and 243.
+
+[536:6] Early Hist. Mankind, pp. 357 and 361.
+
+[536:7] Ibid. p. 361.
+
+The legend of the "Elixir of Life" of the Western World, was well-known
+in _China_. (Buckley: Cities of the Ancient World, p. 167.)
+
+[536:8] Ibid. p. 118, and Squire's Serpent Symbol.
+
+[537:1] Fusang, p. 56.
+
+[537:2] Ibid. p. 55.
+
+[537:3] Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. p. 181.
+
+[537:4] Ibid., and Squire's Serpent Symbol.
+
+[537:5] Mexican Antiq., vol. vi. p. 180.
+
+[537:6] Early Hist. Mankind, p. 311.
+
+[537:7] The traveler, James Orton, found fossil bones of an extinct
+species of the horse, the mastodon, and other animals, near Punin, in
+South America, all of which had passed away before the arrival of the
+human species. This native American horse was succeeded, in after ages,
+by the countless herds descended from a few introduced with the Spanish
+colonists. (See the Andes and the Amazon, pp. 154, 155.)
+
+[537:8] Serpent Symbol, p. 47.
+
+[538:1] Serpent Symbol, p. 193.
+
+[538:2] The Andes and the Amazon, p. 454.
+
+[538:3] Eastern Monachism, p. 222.
+
+[538:4] Serpent Symbol, p. 43.
+
+[538:5] See Ibid.
+
+[538:6] Travels in Persia, vol. ii. p. 284.
+
+[538:7] New Spain, vol. i. p. 136.
+
+[538:8] Ibid. p. 141.
+
+[539:1] New Spain, vol. i. p. 153.
+
+[539:2] Types of Mankind, p. 275.
+
+[539:3] The Andes and the Amazon, p. 170.
+
+[540:1] Paschel: Races of Man, pp. 402-404.
+
+[540:2] Fusang, p. 7.
+
+[540:3] Ibid. 118.
+
+[540:4] Quoted in Ibid.
+
+[540:5] Quoted In Ibid. p. 94.
+
+[541:1] Paschel: Races of Man, pp. 400, 401.
+
+[541:2] To those who may think that the Old World might have been
+peopled from the new, we refer to Oscar Paschel's "Races of Man," p. 32.
+The author, in speaking on this subject, says: "There at one time
+existed a great continent, to which belonged Madagascar and perhaps
+portions of Eastern Africa, the Maldives and Laccadives, and also the
+Island of Ceylon, which was never attached to India, perhaps even the
+island of Celebes in the far East, which possesses a perplexing fauna,
+with semi-African features." On this continent, which was situated in
+the now Indian Ocean, must we look for the _cradle of humanity_.
+
+[541:3] Paschal: Races of Man, p. 31.
+
+[541:4] Darwin's Journal, p. 213.
+
+[542:1] Darwin's Journal, p. 213.
+
+[542:2] Ibid. pp. 220, 221.
+
+[542:3] This is seen from the fact that they did not know the use of
+iron. Had they known the use of this metal, they would surely have gone
+to work and dug into their mountains, which are abundantly filled with
+ore, and made use of it.
+
+[542:4] The Aztecs were preceded by the Toltecs, Chichimecks, and the
+Nahualtecs. (Humboldt's New Spain, p. 133, vol. i.)
+
+"The races of barbarians which successively followed each other from the
+north to the south always murdered, hunted down, and subdued the
+previous inhabitants, and formed in course of time a new social and
+political life upon the ruins of the old system, to be again destroyed
+and renewed in a few centuries, by a new invasion of barbarians. The
+later native conquerors in the New World can, of course, no more be
+considered in the light of original inhabitants than the present races
+of men in the Old World."
+
+[543:1] Fusang, p. 56.
+
+[543:2] Quoted in Fusang, p. 71.
+
+[543:3] Science of Religion, p. 121.
+
+[543:4] Mexican Antiq., vol. vi. p. 161.
+
+[543:5] Early Hist. Mankind, p. 307.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX B.
+
+
+Commencing at the farthest East we shall find the ancient religion of
+_China_ the same as that which was universal in all quarters of the
+globe, viz., an adoration of the Sun, Moon, Stars and elements.[544:1]
+That the Chinese religion was in one respect the same as that of India,
+is seen from the fact that they named successive days for the same seven
+planets that the Hindoos did.[544:2] The ancient books of the Chinese
+show that astronomy was not only understood by them at a very early
+period, but that it formed an important branch of state policy, and the
+basis of public ceremonies. Eclipses are accurately recorded which
+occurred twenty centuries before Jesus; and the Confucian books refer
+continually to observations of the heavenly bodies and the rectification
+of the calendar. The ancient Chinese astronomers seem to have known
+precisely the excess of the solar year beyond 365 days. The _religion_
+of China, under the emperors who preceded the first dynasty, is an
+enigma. The notices in the only authentic works, the _King_, are on this
+point scanty, vague, and obscure. It is difficult to separate what is
+spoken with reference to the science of _astronomy_ from that which may
+relate to _religion_, properly so called. The terms of reverence and
+respect, with which the _heavenly bodies_ are spoken of in the
+_Shoo-King_, seem to warrant the inference that those terms have more
+than a mere astronomical meaning, _and that the ancient religion_ of
+_China partook_ of _star-worship, one of the oldest heresies in the
+world_.[545:1]
+
+In _India_ the Sun, Moon, Stars and the powers of Nature were worshiped
+and personified, and each quality, mental and physical, had its emblem,
+which the Brahmans taught the ignorant to regard as realities, till the
+Pantheon became crowded.
+
+"Our Aryan ancestors learned to look up to the sky, the Sun, and the
+dawn, and there to see the presence of a living power, half-revealed,
+and half-hidden from their senses, those senses which were always
+postulating something beyond what they could grasp. They went further
+still. In the bright sky they perceived an _Illuminator_, in the
+all-encircling firmament an _Embracer_, in the roar of the thunder or in
+the voice of the storm they felt the presence of a _Shouter_ and of
+furious _Strikers_, and out of the rain they created an _Indra_, or
+giver of rain."[545:2]
+
+Prof. Monier Williams, speaking of "the hymns of the _Veda_," says:
+
+     "To what deities, it will be asked, were the prayers and hymns
+     of these collections addressed? The answer is: They worshiped
+     _those physical forces_ before which _all nations_, if guided
+     solely by the light of nature, have in the early period of
+     their life, instinctively bowed down, and before which even
+     the most civilized and enlightened have always been compelled
+     to bend in awe and reverence, if not in adoration."[545:3]
+
+The following sublime description of _Night_ is an extract from the
+_Vedas_, made by Sir William Jones:
+
+     "Night approaches, illumined with stars and planets, and,
+     looking on all sides with numberless eyes, overpowers all
+     meaner lights. The immortal goddess pervades the firmament,
+     covering the low valleys and shrubs, the lofty mountains and
+     trees, but soon she disturbs the gloom with celestial
+     effulgence. Advancing with brightness, at length she recalls
+     her sister _Morning_; and the nightly shade gradually melts
+     away. May she at this time be propitious! She, in whose early
+     watch we may calmly recline in our mansions, as birds repose
+     upon the trees. Mankind now sleep in their towns; now herds
+     and flocks peacefully slumber, and the winged creatures, swift
+     falcons, and vultures. O Night! avert from us the she-wolf
+     and the wolf; and, oh! suffer us to pass thee in soothing
+     rest! Oh, morn! remove in due time this black, yet visible
+     overwhelming darkness, which at present enfolds me, as thou
+     enablest me to remove the cloud of their dells. _Daughter of
+     Heaven_, I approach thee with praise, as the cow approaches
+     her milker; accept, O Night! not the hymn only, but the
+     oblation of thy suppliant, who prays that his foes may be
+     subdued."
+
+Some of the principal gods of the Hindoo Pantheon are, Dyaus (the Sky),
+Indra (the Rain-giver), Surya (the Sun), the Maruts (Winds), Aditi, (the
+Dawn), Parvati (the Earth),[546:1] and Siva, her consort. The worship of
+the SUN is expressed in a variety of ways, and by a multitude of
+fanciful names. One of the principal of these is _Crishna_. The
+following is a prayer addressed to him:
+
+     "Be auspicious to my lay, O Chrishna, thou only God of the
+     seven heavens, who swayest the universe through the immensity
+     of space and matter. O universal and resplendent Sun! Thou
+     mighty governor of the heavens; thou sovereign regulator of
+     the connected whole; thou sole and universal deity of mankind;
+     thou gracious and Supreme Spirit; my noblest and most happy
+     inspiration is thy praise and glory. Thy power I will praise,
+     for thou art my sovereign Lord, whose bright image continually
+     forces itself on my attention, eager imagination. Thou art the
+     Being to whom heroes pray in perils of war; nor are their
+     supplications vain, when thus they pray; whether it be when
+     thou illuminest the eastern region with thy orient light, when
+     in thy meridian splendor, or when thou majestically descendest
+     in the West."
+
+Crishna is made to say:
+
+     "I am the light in the Sun and Moon, far, far beyond the
+     darkness. I am the brilliancy in flame, the radiance in all
+     that's radiant, and the light of lights."[546:2]
+
+In the _Maha-bharata_, Crishna, who having become the son of Aditi (the
+Dawn), is called _Vishnu_, another name for the Sun.[546:3] The demon
+_Putana_ assaults the child Crishna, which identifies him with Hercules,
+the Sun-god of the Greeks.[546:4] In his Solar character he must again
+be the slayer of the Dragon or Black-snake _Kulnika_, the "Old Serpent"
+with the thousand heads.[546:5] Crishna's amours with the maidens makes
+him like Indra, Phoibus, Hercules, Samson, Alpheios, Paris and other
+Sun-gods. This is the hot and fiery Sun greeting the moon and the dew,
+or the Sun with his brides the _Stars_.[546:6]
+
+Moore, in his Hindu Pantheon, observes:
+
+     "Although all the Hindu deities partake more or less remotely
+     of the nature and character of Surya, or the SUN, and all more
+     or less directly radiate from, or merge in, him, yet no one
+     is, I think, so intimately identified with him as Vishnu;
+     whether considered in his own person, or _in the character of
+     his most glorious Avatara of_ CRISHNA."
+
+The ancient religion of EGYPT, like that of Hindostan, was founded on
+astronomy, and eminently metaphysical in its character. The Egyptian
+priests were far advanced in the science of astronomy. They made
+astronomy their peculiar study. They knew the figure of the earth, and
+how to calculate solar and lunar eclipses. From very ancient time, they
+had observed the order and movement of the stars, and recorded them with
+the utmost care. Ramses the Great, generally called Sesostris, is
+supposed to have reigned one thousand five hundred years before the
+Christian era, about coeval with Moses, or a century later. In the tomb
+of this monarch was found a large massive circle of wrought gold,
+divided into three hundred and sixty-five degrees, and each division
+marked the rising and setting of the stars for each day.[547:1] This
+fact proves how early they were advanced in astronomy. In their great
+theories of mutual dependence between all things in the universe was
+included a belief in some mysterious relation between the Spirits of the
+Stars and human souls, so that the destiny of mortals was regulated by
+the motions of the heavenly bodies. This was the origin of the famous
+system of Astrology. From the conjunction of planets at the hour of
+birth, they prophesied what would be the temperament of an infant, what
+life he would live, and what death he would die. Diodorus, who wrote in
+the century preceding Christ Jesus, says:
+
+     "They frequently foretell with the greatest accuracy what is
+     about to happen to mankind; showing the failure or abundance
+     of crops, and the epidemic diseases about to befall men or
+     cattle. Earthquakes, deluges, rising of comets, and all those
+     phenomena, the knowledge of which appears impossible to common
+     comprehensions, they foresee by means of their long continued
+     observation."
+
+P. Le Page Renouf, who is probably the best authority on the religion of
+ancient Egypt which can be produced, says, in his Hibbert
+Lectures:[547:2]
+
+     "The Lectures on the Science of Language, delivered nearly
+     twenty years ago by Prof. Max Mueller, have, I trust, made us
+     fully understand how, among the _Indo-European_ races, the
+     names of the _Sun_, of _Sunrise_ and _Sunset_, and of other
+     such phenomena, come to be talked of and considered as
+     _personages_, of whom wondrous legends have been told.
+     _Egyptian_ mythology not merely admits, but imperatively
+     _demands, the same explanation_. And this becomes the more
+     evident when we consider the question how these mythical
+     personages came to be invested with the attributes of divinity
+     by men who, like the Egyptians, had so lively a sense of the
+     divine."
+
+Kenrick, in his "History of Egypt," says:
+
+     "We have abundant evidence that the Egyptian theology had its
+     origin in the personification of the powers of nature, under
+     male and female attributes, and that this conception took a
+     sensible form, such as the mental state of the people
+     required, by the identification of these powers with the
+     elements and the heavenly bodies, fire, earth, water, the sun
+     and moon, and the Nile. Such appears _everywhere_ to be the
+     origin of the objective form of polytheism; and it is equally
+     evident among the nations most closely allied to the Egyptians
+     by position and general character--the Phenicians, the
+     Babylonians, and in remote connection, the Indians on the one
+     side and the Greeks on the other."
+
+The gods and goddesses of the ancient PERSIANS were also
+personifications of the Sun, Moon, Stars, the elements, &c.
+
+_Ormuzd_, "The King of Light," was god of the _Firmament_, and the
+"Principle of Goodness" and of Truth. He was called "The Eternal Source
+of Sunshine and Light," "The Centre of all that exists," "The First-born
+of the Eternal One," "The Creator," "The Sovereign Intelligence," "The
+All-seeing," "The Just Judge." He was described as "sitting on the
+throne of the good and the perfect, in regions of pure light," crowned
+with rays, and with a ring on his finger--a circle being an emblem of
+infinity; sometimes as a venerable, majestic man, seated on a Bull,
+their emblem of creation.
+
+"_Mithras the Mediator_" was the god-Sun. Their most splendid
+ceremonials were in honor of Mithras. They kept his birth-day, with many
+rejoicings, on the twenty-fifth of December, when the Sun perceptibly
+begins to return northward, after his long winter journey; and they had
+another festival in his honor, at the vernal equinox. Perhaps no
+religious festival was ever more splendid than the "_Annual Salutation
+of Mithras_," during which _forty days_ were set apart for thanksgiving
+and sacrifice. The procession to salute the god was formed long before
+the rising of the Sun. The High Priest was followed by a long train of
+the Magi, in spotless white robes, chanting hymns, and carrying the
+sacred fire on silver censers. Then came three hundred and sixty-five
+youths in scarlet, to represent the days of the year and the color of
+fire. These were followed by the Chariot of the Sun, empty, decorated
+with garlands, and drawn by superb _white horses_ harnessed with pure
+gold. Then came a white horse of magnificent size, his forehead blazing
+with gems, in honor of Mithras. Close behind him rode the king, in a
+chariot of ivory inlaid with gold, followed by his royal kindred in
+embroidered garments, and a long train of nobles riding on camels richly
+caparisoned. This gorgeous retinue, facing the East, slowly ascended
+Mount Orontes. Arrived at the summit, the High Priest assumed his tiara
+wreathed with myrtle, and hailed the first rays of the rising Sun with
+incense and prayer. The other Magi gradually joined him in singing hymns
+to Ormuzd, the source of all blessing, by whom the radiant Mithras had
+been sent to gladden the earth and preserve the principle of life.
+Finally, they all joined in one universal chorus of praise, while king,
+princes and nobles, prostrated themselves before the orb of day.
+
+The HEBREWS worshiped the Sun, Moon, Stars, and "all the host of
+heaven."[549:1] _El-Shaddai_ was one of the names given to the god Sun.
+Parkhurst, in his "Hebrew Lexicon," says, "_El_ was the very name the
+heathens gave to their god _Sol_, their Lord or Ruler of the hosts of
+heaven." _El_, which means "the strong one in heaven"--the Sun, was
+invoked by the ancestors of all the Semitic nations, before there were
+Babylonians in Babylon, Phenicians in Sydon and Tyrus, before there were
+Jews in Mesopotamia or Jerusalem.[549:2]
+
+The Sun was worshiped by the Hebrews under the names of Baal, Moloch,
+Chemosh, &c.; the Moon was Ashtoreth, the "Queen of Heaven."[549:3]
+
+The gods of the ancient GREEKS and ROMANS were the same as the gods of
+the Indian epic poems. We have, for example: Zeupiter (Jupiter),
+corresponding to Dyaus-pitar (the Heaven-father), Juno, corresponding to
+Parvati (the Mother Goddess), and Apollo, corresponding to Crishna (the
+Sun, the Saviour).[549:4] Another name for the Sun among those people
+was _Bacchus_. An Orphic verse, referring to the Sun, says, "he is
+called Dionysos (a name of Bacchus) because he is carried with a
+circular motion through the immensely extended heavens."[549:5]
+
+Dr. Prichard, in his "Analysis of Egyptian Mythology,"[549:6] speaking
+of the ancient Greeks and Romans, says:
+
+     "That the worship of the _powers of nature_, mitigated,
+     indeed, and embellished, constituted the foundation of the
+     Greek and Roman religion, will not be disputed by any person
+     who surveys the fables of the Olympian Gods with a more
+     penetrating eye than that of a mere antiquarian."
+
+M. De Coulanges, speaking of them, says:
+
+     "The _Sun_, which gives fecundity; the _Earth_, which
+     nourishes; the _Clouds_, by turns beneficent and
+     destructive,--_such were the different powers of which they
+     could make gods_. But from each one of these elements
+     thousands of gods were created; because the same physical
+     agent, _viewed under different aspects_, received from men
+     different names. The Sun, for example, was called in one place
+     _Hercules_ (the glorious); in another, _Phoebus_ (the shining);
+     and still again, _Apollo_ (he who drives away night or evil);
+     one called him _Hyperion_ (the elevated being); another,
+     _Alexicacos_ (the beneficent); and in the course of time
+     groups of men, who had given these various names to the
+     brilliant luminary, _no longer saw that they had the same
+     god_."[549:7]
+
+Richard Payne Knight says:
+
+     "The primitive religion of the _Greeks_, like that of all
+     other nations not enlightened by _Revelation_, appears to have
+     been _elementary_, and to have consisted in an indistinct
+     worship of the SUN, the MOON, the STARS, the EARTH, and the
+     WATERS, or rather, the spirits supposed to preside over these
+     bodies, and to direct their motions, and regulate their modes
+     of existence. Every river, spring or mountain had its local
+     genius, or peculiar deity; and as men naturally endeavored to
+     obtain the favor of their gods by such means as they feel best
+     adapted to win their own, the first worship consisted in
+     offering to them certain portions of whatever they held to be
+     most valuable. At the same time, the regular motions of the
+     heavenly bodies, the stated returns of summer and winter, of
+     day and night, with all the admirable order of the universe,
+     taught them to believe in the existence and agency of such
+     superior powers; the irregular and destructive efforts of
+     nature, such as lightnings and tempests, inundations and
+     earthquakes, persuaded them that these mighty beings had
+     passions and affections similar to their own, and only
+     differed in possessing greater strength, power, and
+     intelligence."[550:1]
+
+When the Grecian astronomers first declared that the Sun was not a
+person, but a huge hot ball, instantly an outcry arose against them.
+They were called "_blaspheming atheists_," and from that time to the
+present, when any new discovery is made which seems to take away from
+man his god, the cry of "_Atheist_" is instantly raised.
+
+If we turn from the ancient Greeks and Romans, and take a look still
+farther West and North, we shall find that the gods of all the TEUTONIC
+nations were the same as we have seen elsewhere. They had Odin or
+Woden--from whom we have our _Wednesday_--the Al-fader (the Sky),
+Frigga, the Mother Goddess (the Earth), "Baldur the Good," and
+Thor--from whom we have our Thursday (personifications of the Sun),
+besides innumerable other _genii_, among them Freyja--from whom we have
+our Friday--and as she was the "Goddess of Love," we eat _fish_ on that
+day.[550:2]
+
+The gods of the ancient inhabitants of what are now called the "British
+Islands" were identically the same. The _Sun_-god worshiped by the
+Ancient Druids was called _Hu_, _Beli_, _Budd_ and _Buddu-gre_.[550:3]
+
+The same worship which we have found in the Old World, from the farthest
+East to the remotest West, may also be traced in AMERICA, from its
+simplest or least clearly defined form, among the roving hunters and
+squalid Esquimaux of the North, through every intermediate stage of
+development, to the imposing systems of Mexico and Peru, where it took a
+form nearly corresponding that which it at one time sustained on the
+banks of the Ganges, and on the plains of Assyria.[550:4]
+
+Father Acosta, speaking of the Mexicans, says:
+
+     "Next to Viracocha, or their Supreme God, that which most
+     commonly they have, and do adore, is the _Sun_; and after,
+     those things which are most remarkable in the celestial or
+     elementary nature, as the Moon, Stars, Sea, and Land.
+
+     "Whoso shall merely look into it, shall find this manner which
+     the Devil hath used to deceive the Indians, to be the same
+     wherewith he hath deceived the Greeks and Romans, and other
+     ancient Gentiles, giving them to understand that these notable
+     creatures, the Sun, Moon, Stars, and elements, had power or
+     authority to do good or harm to men."[551:1]
+
+We see, then, that the gods and heroes of antiquity were originally
+personifications of certain elements of Nature, and that the legends of
+adventures ascribed to them are merely mythical forms of describing the
+phenomena of these elements.
+
+These legends relating to the elements of Nature, whether they had
+reference to the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, or a certain natural
+phenomenon, became, in the course of time, to be regarded as accounts of
+men of a high order, who had once inhabited the earth. Sanctuaries and
+temples were erected to these heroes, their bones were searched for, and
+when found--which was always the case--were regarded as a great source
+of strength to the town that possessed them; all relics of their stay on
+earth were hallowed, and a form of worship was specially adapted to
+them.
+
+The idea that heavenly luminaries were inhabited by spirits, of a nature
+intermediate between God and men, first led mortals to address prayers
+to the orbs over which they were supposed to preside. In order to
+supplicate these deities, when Sun, Moon, and Stars were not visible,
+_they made images of them_, which the priests consecrated with many
+ceremonies. Then they pronounced solemn invocations to draw down the
+spirits into the statues provided for their reception. By this process
+it was supposed that a mysterious connection was established between the
+spirit and the image, so that prayers addressed to one were thenceforth
+heard by the other. This was probably the origin of image worship
+everywhere.
+
+The _motive_ of this worship was the same among all nations of
+antiquity, _i. e._, _fear_. They supposed that these deities were
+irritated by the sins of men, but, at the same time, were merciful, and
+capable of being appeased by prayer and repentance; for this reason men
+offered to these deities sacrifices and prayers. How natural that such
+should have been the case, for, as Abbe Dubois observes: "To the rude,
+untutored eye, the 'Host of Heaven,' clothed in that calm beauty which
+distinguishes an Oriental night, might well appear to be instinct with
+some divine principle, endowed with consciousness, and the power to
+influence, from its throne of unchanging splendor on high, the fortunes
+of transitory mortals."
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[544:1] "All Paganism is at bottom _a worship of nature_ in some form or
+other, and in all Pagan religions the deepest and most awe-inspiring
+attribute of _nature_ was its power of reproduction." (Encyclo. Brit.,
+art. "Christianity.")
+
+[544:2] In Montfaucon's L'Antiquite Expliquee (vol. i.), may be seen a
+representation of the seven planets _personified_. It was by such
+personifications that the real objects worshiped became unknown. At
+first the real Sun, Moon, Stars, &c., would be worshiped, but as soon as
+man personified them, other terms would be introduced, and peculiar
+rites appropriated to each, so that in time they came to be considered
+as so many different deities.
+
+[545:1] Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. pp. 14, 49 and 50.
+
+[545:2] Max Mueller: The Science of Religion, p. 298.
+
+[545:3] Indian Wisdom, p. 10.
+
+[546:1] The emblem of Parvati, the "Mother Goddess," was the YONI, and
+that of her consort Siva, the LINGHAM.
+
+[546:2] Williams' Hinduism, p. 213.
+
+[546:3] See Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. pp. 105 and 130.
+
+[546:4] Ibid. p. 135.
+
+[546:5] Ibid. p. 137.
+
+[546:6] See Ibid. p. 88, and Moor's Hindu Pantheon, p. 63.
+
+[547:1] "According to Champollion, the tomb of Ramses V. at Thebes,
+contains tables of the constellations and of their influence (on human
+beings) for every hour of every month of the year." (Kenrick's Egypt,
+vol. i. p. 456.)
+
+[547:2] P. 118.
+
+[549:1] See Chapter XI.
+
+[549:2] Mueller: The Science of Relig., p. 190.
+
+[549:3] See Chapter XI.
+
+[549:4] See Indian Wisdom, p. 426.
+
+[549:5] Taylor's Mysteries, p. 163.
+
+[549:6] Page 239.
+
+[549:7] The Ancient City, p. 162.
+
+[550:1] Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 1.
+
+[550:2] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities. Though spoken of in Northern
+mythology as distinct, Frigga and Freyja are _originally_ ONE.
+
+[550:3] See Myths of the British Druids, p. 116.
+
+[550:4] See Squire's Serpent Symbol.
+
+[551:1] Acosta: vol. ii. pp. 303-305.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX C.
+
+
+All the chief stories that we know so well are to be found in all times,
+and in almost all countries. _Cinderella_, for one, is told in the
+language of every country in Europe, and the same legend is found in the
+fanciful tales related by the Greek poets; and still further back, it
+appears in very ancient Hindoo legends. So, again, does _Beauty and the
+Beast_; so does our familiar tale of _Jack, the Giant-Killer_; so also
+do a great number of other fairy stories, each being told in different
+countries and in different periods, with so much likeness as to show
+that all the versions came from the same source, and yet with enough
+difference to show that none of the versions are directly copied from
+each other. "Indeed, when we compare the myths and legends of one
+country with another, and of one period with another, we find out how
+they have come to be so much alike, and yet in some things so different.
+We see that there must have been _one origin_ for all these stories,
+that they must have been invented by _one people_, that this people must
+have been afterwards divided, and that each part or division of it must
+have brought into its new home the legends once common to them all, and
+must have shaped and altered these according to the kind of place in
+which they came to live; those of the North being sterner and more
+terrible, those of the South softer and fuller of light and color, and
+adorned with touches of more delicate fancy." And this, indeed, is
+really the case. All the chief stories and legends are alike, because
+they were first made by _one people_; and all the nations in which they
+are now told in one form or another tell them because they are all
+descended from this one common stock, the _Aryan_.
+
+From researches made by Prof. Max Mueller, the Rev. George W. Cox, and
+others, in England and Germany, in the science of _Comparative
+Mythology_, we begin to see something of these ancient forefathers of
+ours; to understand what kind of people they were, and to find that _our
+fairy stories_ are really made out of _their religion_.
+
+The mind of the Aryan peoples in their ancient home was full of
+imagination. They never ceased to wonder at what they saw and heard in
+the sky and upon the earth. Their language was highly figurative, and so
+the things which struck them with wonder, and which they could not
+explain, were described under forms and names which were familiar to
+them. "Thus, the thunder was to them the bellowing of a mighty beast, or
+the rolling of a great chariot. In the lightning they saw a brilliant
+serpent, or a spear shot across the sky, or a great fish darting swiftly
+through the sea of cloud. The clouds were heavenly cows, who shed milk
+upon the earth and refreshed it; or they were webs woven by heavenly
+women who drew water from the fountains on high and poured it down as
+rain." Analogies which are but fancy to us, were realities to these men
+of past ages. They could see in the waterspout a huge serpent who
+elevated himself out of the ocean and reached his head to the skies.
+They could feel, in the pangs of hunger, a live creature gnawing within
+their bodies, and they heard the voices of the hill-dwarfs answering in
+the echo. The _Sun_, the first object which struck them with wonder,
+was, to them, the child of Night; the Dawn came before he was born, and
+died as he rose in the heavens. He strangled the serpents of the night;
+he went forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber, and like a giant, to
+run his course.[553:1] He had to do battle with clouds and
+storms.[553:2] Sometimes his light grew dim under their gloomy veil, and
+the children of men shuddered at the wrath of the hidden Sun.[553:3]
+Sometimes his ray broke forth, only, after brief splendor, to sink
+beneath a deeper darkness; sometimes he burst forth at the end of his
+course, trampling on the clouds which had dimmed his brilliancy, and
+bathing his pathway with blood.[553:4] Sometimes, beneath mountains of
+clouds and vapors, he plunged into the leaden sea.[553:5] Sometimes he
+looked benignly on the face of his mother or his bride who came to greet
+him at his journey's end.[553:6] Sometimes he was the lord of heaven and
+of light, irresistible in his divine strength; sometimes he toiled for
+others, not for himself, in a hard, unwilling servitude.[553:7] His
+light and heat might give light and destroy it.[553:8] His chariot might
+scorch the regions over which it passed, his flaming fire might burn up
+all who dared to look with prying eyes into his dazzling
+treasure-house.[553:9] He might be the child destined to slay his
+parents, or to be united at the last in an unspeakable peace, to the
+bright Dawn who for a brief space had gladdened his path in the
+morning.[553:10] He might be the friend of the children of men, and the
+remorseless foe of those powers of darkness who had stolen away his
+bride.[553:11] He might be a warrior whose eye strikes terror into his
+enemies, or a wise chieftain skilled in deep and hidden
+knowledge.[554:1] Sometimes he might appear as a glorious being doomed
+to an early death, which no power could avert or delay.[554:2] Sometimes
+grievous hardships and desperate conflicts might be followed by a long
+season of serene repose.[554:3] Wherever he went, men might welcome him
+in love, or shrink from him in fear and anguish.[554:4] He would have
+many brides in many lands, and his offspring would assume aspects
+beautiful, strange or horrible.[554:5] His course might be brilliant and
+beneficent; or gloomy, sullen, and capricious.[554:6] As compelled to
+toil for others, he would be said to fight in quarrels not his own; or
+he might for a time withhold the aid of an arm which no enemy could
+withstand.[554:7] He might be the destroyer of all whom he loved, he
+might slay the Dawn with his kindling rays, he might scorch the Fruits,
+who were his children; he might woo the deep blue sky, the bride of
+heaven itself, and an inevitable doom might bind his limbs on the
+blazing wheel for ever and ever.[554:8] Nor in this crowd of phrases,
+all of which have borne their part in the formation of mythology, is
+there one which could not be used naturally by ourselves to describe the
+phenomena of the outward world, and there is scarcely one, perhaps,
+which has not been used by our own poets. There is a beauty in them,
+which can never grow old or lose its charm. Poets of all ages recur to
+them instinctively in times of the deepest grief or the greatest joy;
+but, in the words of Professor Max Mueller, "it is impossible to enter
+fully into the thoughts and feelings which passed through the minds of
+the early poets when they formed names for that far East from whence
+even the early Dawn, the Sun, the Day, their own life seemed to spring.
+A new life flashed up every morning before their eyes, and the fresh
+breezes of the Dawn reached them like greetings wafted across the golden
+threshold of the sky from the distant lands beyond the mountains, beyond
+the clouds, beyond the dawn, beyond the immortal sea which brought us
+hither! The Dawn seemed to them to open golden gates for the Sun to pass
+in triumph; and while those gates were open, their eyes and their minds
+strove, in their childish way, to pierce beyond the limits of this
+finite world. That silent aspect wakened in the human mind the
+conception of the Infinite, the Immortal, the Divine; and the names of
+the Dawn became naturally the names of higher powers.[554:9]
+
+"This imagery of the Aryans was applied by them to all they saw in the
+sky. Sometimes, as we have said, the clouds were cows; they were also
+dragons, which sought to slay the Sun; or great ships floating across
+the sky, and casting anchor upon earth; or rocks, or mountains, or deep
+caverns, in which evil deities hid the golden light. Then, also, they
+were shaped by fancy into animals of various kinds--the bear, the wolf,
+the dog, the ox; and into giant birds, and into monsters which were both
+bird and beast.
+
+"The winds, again, in their fancy, were the companions or ministers of
+India, the sky-god. The spirits of the winds gathered into their host
+the souls of the dead--thus giving birth to the Scandinavian and
+Teutonic legend of the Wild Horseman, who rides at midnight through the
+stormy sky, with his long train of dead behind him, and his weird hounds
+before.[555:1] The Ribhus, or Arbhus, again, were the sunbeams or the
+lightning, who forged the armor of the gods, and made their
+thunderbolts, and turned old people young, and restored out of the hides
+alone the slaughtered cow on which the gods had feasted."[555:2]
+
+Aryan myths, then, were no more than poetic fancies about light and
+darkness, cloud and rain, night and day, storm and wind; and when they
+moved westward and southward, _the Aryan race brought these legends with
+it_; and out of these were shaped by degrees innumerable gods and demons
+of the Hindoos, the devs and jinns of the Persians; the great gods, the
+minor deities, and nymphs, and fauns, and satyrs of Greek mythology and
+poetry; the stormy divinities, the giants, and trolls of the cold and
+rugged North; the dwarfs of the German forests; the elves who dance
+merrily in the moonlight of an English summer; and the "good people" who
+play mischievous tricks upon stray peasants among the Irish hills.
+_Almost all, indeed, that we have of a legendary kind comes to us from
+our Aryan forefathers_--sometimes scarcely changed, sometimes so altered
+that we have to puzzle out the links between the old and the new; but
+all these myths and traditions, and old-world stories, when we come to
+know the meaning of them, take us back to the time when the Aryan race
+dwelt together in the high lands of central Asia, and they all mean the
+same things--that is, the relation between the Sun and the earth, the
+succession of night and day, of winter and summer, of storm and calm, of
+cloud and tempest, and golden sunshine, and bright blue sky. And this is
+the source from which we get our fairy stories, and tales of gods and
+heroes; for underneath all of them there are the same fanciful meanings,
+only changed and altered in the way of putting them by the lapse of ages
+of time, by the circumstances of different countries, and by the fancy
+of those who kept the wonderful tales alive without knowing what they
+meant.
+
+Thousands of years ago, the Aryan people began their march out of their
+old country in mid-Asia. From the remains of their language, and the
+likeness of their legends to those among other nations, we know that
+ages and ages ago their country grew too small for them, so they were
+obliged to move away from it. Some of them turned southward into India
+and Persia, and some of them went westward into Europe--the time,
+perhaps, when the land of Europe stretched from the borders of Asia to
+the islands of Great Britain, and when there was no sea between them and
+the main land. How they made their long and toilsome march we know not.
+But, as Kingsley writes of such a movement of an ancient tribe, so we
+may fancy these old Aryans marching westward--"the tall, bare-limbed
+men, with stone axes on their shoulders and horn bows at their backs,
+with herds of gray cattle, guarded by huge lap-eared mastiffs, with
+shaggy white horses, heavy-horned sheep, and silky goats, moving always
+westward through the boundless steppes, whither or why we know not, but
+that the Al-Father had sent them forth. And behind us (he makes them
+say) the rosy snow-peaks died into ghastly gray, lower and lower, as
+every evening came; and before us the plains spread infinite, with
+gleaming salt-lakes, and ever fresh tribes of gaudy flowers. Behind us,
+dark lines of living beings streamed down the mountain slopes; around
+us, dark lines crawled along the plains--all westward, westward ever.
+Who could stand against us? We met the wild asses on the steppe, and
+tamed them, and made them our slaves. We slew the bison herds, and swam
+broad rivers on their skins. The python snake lay across our path; the
+wolves and wild dogs snarled at us out of their coverts; we slew them
+and went on. Strange giant tribes met us, and eagle visaged hordes,
+fierce and foolish; we smote them, hip and thigh, and went on, westward
+ever."[556:1] And so they went on, straight toward the West, or, as they
+turned North and South, and thus overspread new lands, _they brought
+with them their old ways of thought and forms of belief_, and the
+stories in which these had taken form; _and on these were built up the
+gods and heroes_, and all wonder-working creatures and things, and the
+poetical fables and fancies which have come down to us, and which still
+linger in our customs and our fairy tales; bright and sunny and
+many-colored in the warm regions of the South, sterner and wilder and
+rougher in the North, more homelike in the middle and western countries;
+but always alike in their main features, and always having the same
+meaning when we come to dig it out, and these forms and their meaning
+being the same in the lands of the West Aryans as in those still peopled
+by the Aryans of the East.
+
+The story of _Cinderella_ is one of the many fairy tales which help us
+to find out their meaning, and take us straight back to the far-off land
+where fairy legends began, and to the people who made them. This
+well-known fairy tale has been found among the myths of our Aryan
+ancestors, and from this we know that it is the story of the _Sun_ and
+the _Dawn_. Cinderella, gray and dark and dull, is all neglected when
+she is away from the Sun, obscured by the envious clouds, her sisters,
+and by her step-mother, the Night. So she is Aurora, the Dawn, and the
+Fairy Prince is the Morning Sun, ever pursuing her, to claim her for his
+bride. This is the legend as it is found in the ancient Hindoo books;
+and this explains at once the _source_ and the _meaning_ of the fairy
+tale.[557:1]
+
+Another tale which helps us in our task is that of _Jack the
+Giant-Killer_, who is really one of the very oldest and most widely
+known characters in wonder-land. Now, who is this wonderful little
+fellow? He is none other than the hero who, in all countries and ages,
+fights with monsters and overcomes them; like Indra, the ancient Hindoo
+Sun-god, whose thunderbolts slew the demons of drought in the far East;
+or Perseus, who, in Greek story, delivers the maiden from the
+sea-monster; or Odysseus, who tricks the giant Polyphemus, and causes
+him to throw himself into the sea; or Thor, whose hammer beats down the
+frost giants of the North. "The gifts bestowed upon Jack are found in
+Tartar stories, Hindoo tales, in German legends, and in the fables of
+Scandinavia."
+
+Still another is that of _Little Red Riding-Hood_. The story of Little
+Red Riding Hood, as we call her, or Little Red-Cap, as she is called in
+the German tales, also comes from the same source, and (as we have seen
+in Chapter IX.), refers to the _Sun_ and _Night_.
+
+"One of the fancies in the most ancient Aryan or Hindoo stories was that
+there was a great dragon that was trying to devour the Sun, to prevent
+him from shining upon the earth, and filling it with brightness and life
+and beauty, and that Indra, the Sun-god, killed the dragon. Now, this is
+the meaning of Little Red Riding-Hood, as it is told in our nursery
+tales. Little Red Riding-Hood is the Evening _Sun_, which is always
+described as red or golden; the old grandmother is the _Earth_, to whom
+the rays of the Sun bring warmth and comfort. The wolf--which is a
+well-known figure for the _Clouds_ and blackness of _Night_ (in
+Teutonic mythology)[558:1]--is the dragon in another form. First, he
+devours the grandmother; that is, he wraps the earth in thick clouds,
+which the Evening Sun is not strong enough to pierce through. Then, with
+the darkness of Night, he swallows up the Evening Sun itself, and all is
+dark and desolate. Then, as in the German tale, the night-thunder and
+the storm winds are represented by the loud snoring of the wolf; and
+then the huntsman, the _Morning Sun_, comes in all his strength and
+majesty, and chases away the night clouds and kills the wolf, and
+revives old grandmother Earth and Little Red Riding Hood to life again."
+
+Nor is it in these stories alone that we can trace the ancient Hindoo
+legends, and the Sun-myth. There is, as Mr. Bunce observes in his "Fairy
+Tales, their Origin and Meaning," scarcely a tale of Greek or Roman
+mythology, no legend of Teutonic or Celtic or Scandinavian growth, no
+great romance of what we call the middle ages, no fairy story taken down
+from the lips of ancient folk, and dressed for us in modern shape and
+tongue, that we do not find, in some form or another, in these Eastern
+poems, _which are composed of allegorical tales of gods and heroes_.
+
+When, in the Vedic hymns, Kephalos, Prokris, Hermes, Daphne, Zeus,
+Ouranos, stand forth as simple names for the Sun, the Dew, the Wind, the
+Dawn, the Heaven and the Sky, each recognized as such, yet each endowed
+with the most perfect consciousness, we feel that the great riddle of
+mythology is solved, and that we no longer lack the key which shall
+disclose its most hidden treasures. When we hear the people saying, "Our
+friend the Sun is dead. Will he rise? Will the Dawn come back again?" we
+see the death of Hercules, and the weary waiting while Leto struggles
+with the birth of Phoibos. When on the return of day we hear the cry--
+
+     "Rise! our life, our spirit has come back, the darkness is
+     gone, the light draws near!"
+
+--we are carried at once to the Homeric hymn, and we hear the joyous
+shout of all the gods when Phoibos springs to life and light on
+Delos.[558:2]
+
+That the peasant folk-lore of modern Europe still displays episodes of
+nature-myth, may be seen in the following story of _Vassalissa, the
+Beautiful_.
+
+Vassalissa's stepmother and two sisters, plotting against her life, send
+her to get a light at the house of _Baba Yaga_, the witch, and her
+journey contains the following history of the _Day_, told, as Mr. Tylor
+says, in truest mythic fashion:
+
+     "Vassalissa goes and wanders, wanders in the forest. She goes,
+     and she shudders. Suddenly before her bounds a rider, he
+     himself white, and clad in white, and the trappings white.
+     _And Day began to dawn._ She goes farther, when a second rider
+     bounds forth, himself red, clad in red, and on a red horse.
+     _The Sun began to rise._ She goes on all day, and towards
+     evening arrives at the witch's house. Suddenly there comes
+     again a rider, himself black, clad in all black, and on a
+     black horse; he bounded to the gates of the _Baba Yaga_, and
+     disappeared _as if he had sunk through the earth_. _Night
+     fell._ After this, when Vassalissa asks the witch, 'Who was
+     the white rider?' she answered, 'That is my clear _Day_;' 'Who
+     was the red rider?' 'That is my red _Sun_;' 'Who was the black
+     rider?' 'That is my black _Night_. They are all my trusty
+     friends.'"[559:1]
+
+We have another illustration of allegorical mythology in the Grecian
+story of Hephaestos splitting open with his axe the head of Zeus, and
+Athene springing from it, full armed; for we perceive behind this savage
+imagery Zeus as the bright _Sky_, his forehead the _East_, Hephaestos as
+the young, not yet risen _Sun_, and Athene as the _Dawn_, the daughter
+of the Sky, stepping forth from the fountain-head of light,--with eyes
+like an owl, pure as a virgin; the golden; lighting up the tops of the
+mountains, and her own glorious Parthenon in her own favorite town of
+Athens; whirling the shafts of light; the genial warmth of the morning;
+the foremost champion in the battle between night and day; in full
+armor, in her panoply of light, driving away the darkness of night, and
+awakening men to a bright life, to bright thoughts, to bright
+endeavors.[559:2]
+
+Another story of the same sort is that of Kronos. Every one is familiar
+with the story of Kronos, who devoured his own children. Now, Kronos is
+a mere creation from the older and misunderstood epithet Kronides or
+Kronion, the ancient of days. When these days or time had come to be
+regarded as a person the myth would certainly follow that he devoured
+his own children, as Time is the devourer of the Dawns.[559:3] Saturn,
+who devours his own children, is the same power whom the Greeks called
+Kronos (Time), which may truly be said to destroy whatever it has
+brought into existence.
+
+The idea of a _Heaven_, the "Elysian fields," is also born of the sky.
+
+The "_Elysian plain_" is far away in the _West_, where the sun goes
+down beyond the bonds of the earth, when Eos gladdens the close of day
+as she sheds her violet tints over the sky. The "Abodes of the Blessed"
+are golden islands sailing in a sea of blue,--_the burnished clouds
+floating in the pure ether_. Grief and sorrow cannot approach them;
+plague and sickness cannot touch them. The blissful company gathered
+together in that far _Western land_ inherits a tearless eternity.
+
+Of the other details in the picture the greater number would be
+suggested directly by these images drawn from the phenomena of sunset
+and twilight. What spot or stain can be seen on the deep blue ocean in
+which the "Islands of the Blessed" repose forever? What unseemly forms
+can mar the beauty of that golden home, lighted by the radiance of a
+_Sun_ which can never set? Who then but the pure in heart, the truthful
+and the generous, can be suffered to tread the violet fields? And how
+shall they be tested save by judges who can weigh the thoughts and the
+interests of the heart? Thus every soul, as it drew near that joyous
+land, was brought before the august tribunal of Minos, Rhadamanthys, and
+Aiakos; and they whose faith was in truth a quickening power, might draw
+from the ordeals those golden lessons which Plato has put into the mouth
+of Socrates, and some unknown persons into the mouths of Buddha and
+Jesus. The belief of earlier ages pictured to itself the meetings in
+that blissful land, the forgiveness of old wrongs, and the
+reconciliation of deadly feuds,[560:1] just as the belief of the present
+day pictures these things to itself.
+
+The story of a _War in Heaven_, which was known to all nations of
+antiquity, is allegorical, and refers to the battle between light and
+darkness, sunshine and storm cloud.[560:2]
+
+As examples of the prevalence of the legend relating to the struggle
+between the co-ordinate powers of good and evil, light and darkness, the
+Sun and the clouds, we have that of Phoibos and Python, Indra and
+Vritra, Sigurd and Fafuir, Achilleus and Paris, Oidipous and the Sphinx,
+Ormuzd and Ahriman, and from the character of the struggle between Indra
+and Vritra, and again between Ormuzd and Ahriman, we infer that a myth,
+purely _physical_, in the land of the Five Streams, assumed a moral and
+spiritual meaning in Persia, and the fight between the co-ordinate
+powers of good and evil, _gave birth to the dualism which from that time
+to the present has exercised so mighty an influence through the East and
+West_.
+
+The Apocalypse exhibits Satan with the physical attributes of Ahriman;
+he is called the "dragon," the "old serpent," who fights against God and
+his angels. The _Vedic myth_, transformed and exaggerated in the Iranian
+books, _finds its way through this channel_ into Christianity. The idea
+thus introduced was that of the struggle between Satan and Michael,
+which ended in the overthrow of the former, and the casting forth of all
+his hosts out of heaven, but it coincides too nearly with a myth spread
+in countries held by all the Aryan nations to avoid further
+modification. Local tradition substituted St. George or St. Theodore for
+Jupiter, Apollo, Hercules, or Perseus. It is under this disguise that
+the Vedic myth has come down to our own times, and has still its
+festivals and its monuments. Art has consecrated it in a thousand ways.
+St. Michael, lance in hand, treading on the dragon, is an image as
+familiar now as, _thirty centuries ago_, that of Indra treading under
+foot the demon Vritra could possibly have been to the Hindoo.[561:1]
+
+The very ancient doctrine of a TRINITY, three gods in one, can be
+explained, rationally, by allegory only. We have seen that the Sun, in
+early times, was believed to be the _Creator_, and became the first
+object of adoration. After some time it would be observed that this
+powerful and beneficent agent, the solar fire, was the most potent
+_Destroyer_, and hence would arise the first idea of a Creator and
+Destroyer united in the same person. But much time would not elapse
+before it must have been observed, that the destruction caused by this
+powerful being was destruction only in appearance, that destruction was
+only reproduction in another form--_regeneration_; that if he appeared
+sometimes to destroy, he constantly repaired the injury which he seemed
+to occasion--and that, without his light and heat, everything would
+dwindle away into a cold, inert, unprolific mass. Thus, at once, in the
+same being, became concentrated, the creating, the preserving, and the
+destroying powers--the latter of the three being at the same time both
+the _Destroyer_ and _Regenerator_. Hence, by a very natural and obvious
+train of reasoning, arose the _Creator_, the _Preserver_, and the
+_Destroyer_--in India _Brahma_, _Vishnu_, and _Siva_; in Persia
+_Oromasdes_, _Mithra_, and _Arimanius_; in Egypt _Osiris_, _Horus_, and
+_Typhon_: in each case THREE PERSONS AND ONE GOD. And thus undoubtedly
+arose the TRIMURTI, or the celebrated Trinity.
+
+Traces of a similar refinement may be found in the Greek mythology, in
+the Orphic _Phanes_, _Ericapeus_ and _Metis_, who were all identified
+with the _Sun_, and yet embraced in the first person, _Phanes_, or
+Protogones, the Creator and Generator.[562:1] The invocation to the Sun,
+in the Mysteries, according to Macrobius, was as follows: "O all-ruling
+_Sun_! _Spirit_ of the world! _Power_ of the world! _Light_ of the
+world!"[562:2]
+
+We have seen in Chap. XXXV, that the _Peruvian_ Triad was represented by
+three statues, called, respectively, "Apuinti, Churiinti, and
+Intihoaoque," which is, "Lord and Father _Sun_; Son _Sun_; and Air or
+Spirit, Brother _Sun_."[562:3]
+
+Mr. Faber, in his "Origin of Pagan Idolatry," says:
+
+     "The peculiar mode in which the Hindoos identify their _three
+     great gods_ with the _solar orb_, is a curious specimen of the
+     physical refinements of ancient mythology. At night, in the
+     west, the Sun is _Vishnu_; he is _Brahma_ in the east and in
+     the morning; and from noon to evening he is _Siva_."[562:4]
+
+Mr. Moor, in his "Hindu Pantheon," says:
+
+     "Most, if not all, of the gods of the Hindoo Pantheon will, on
+     close investigation, resolve themselves into the _three
+     powers_ (Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva), and those powers into _one
+     Deity_, Brahm, _typified by the Sun_."[562:5]
+
+Mr. Squire, in his "Serpent Symbol," observes:
+
+     "It is highly probable that the triple divinity of the Hindoos
+     was originally no more than a personification of the _Sun_,
+     whom they called _Three-bodied_, in the triple capacity of
+     _producing_ forms by his general _heat_, _preserving_ them by
+     his _light_, or _destroying_ them by the counteracting force
+     of his _igneous_ matter. _Brahma_, the _Creator_, was
+     indicated by the _heat of the Sun_; _Vishnu_, the _Preserver_,
+     by the _light of the Sun_, and _Siva_, the _Reproducer_, by
+     the _orb of the Sun_. In the morning the Sun was _Brahma_, at
+     noon _Vishnu_, at evening _Siva_."[562:6]
+
+"He is at once," says Mr. Cox, in speaking of the Sun, "the 'Comforter'
+and 'Healer,' the 'Saviour' and 'Destroyer,' who can slay and make alive
+at will, and from whose piercing glance no secret can be kept
+hid."[562:7]
+
+Sir William Jones was also of the opinion that the whole Triad of the
+Hindoos were identical with the Sun, expressed under the mythical term
+O. M.
+
+The idea of a _Tri-murti_, or triple personification, was developed
+gradually, and as it grew, received numerous accretions. It was first
+dimly shadowed forth and vaguely expressed in the _Rig-Veda_, where a
+triad of principal gods, _Agni_, _Indra_, and _Surya_ is recognized. And
+these three gods are _One_, the SUN.[562:8]
+
+We see then that the religious myths of antiquity and the fireside
+legends of ancient and modern times, have a common root in the mental
+habits of primeval humanity, and that they are the earliest recorded
+utterances of men concerning the visible phenomena of the world into
+which they were born. At first, thoroughly understood, the _meaning_ in
+time became unknown. How stories originally told of the Sun, the Moon,
+the Stars, &c., became believed in as facts, is plainly illustrated in
+the following story told by Mrs. Jameson in her "History of Our Lord in
+Art:" "I once tried to explain," says she, "to a good old woman, the
+meaning of the word _parable_, and that the story of the _Prodigal Son_
+was not a fact; she was scandalized--she was quite sure that Jesus would
+never have told anything to his disciples that was not true. Thus she
+settled the matter in her own mind, and I thought it best to leave it
+there undisturbed."
+
+Prof. Max Mueller, in speaking of "the comparison of the different forms
+of Aryan religion and mythology in India, Persia, Greece, Italy and
+Germany," clearly illustrates how such legends are transformed from
+intelligible into unintelligible myths. He says:
+
+"In each of these nations there was a tendency to change the original
+conception of divine powers, to misunderstand the many names given to
+these powers, and to misinterpret the praises addressed to them. In this
+manner some of the divine names were changed into half-divine,
+half-human heroes, and at last the myths which were true and
+intelligible as told originally of the _Sun_, or the _Dawn_, or the
+_Storms_, were turned into legends or fables too marvelous to be
+believed of common mortals. This process can be watched in India, in
+Greece, and in Germany. The same story, or nearly the same, is told of
+gods, of heroes, and of men. The divine myth became an heroic legend,
+and the heroic legend fades away into a nursery tale. Our nursery tales
+have well been called the modern _patois_ of the ancient mythology of
+the Aryan race."[563:1]
+
+In the words of this learned author, "we never lose, we always gain,
+when we discover the most ancient intention of sacred traditions,
+instead of being satisfied with their later aspect, and their modern
+misinterpretations."
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[553:1] This picture would give us the story of Hercules, who strangled
+the serpent in his cradle, and who, in after years, in the form of a
+giant, ran his course.
+
+[553:2] This would give us St. George killing the Dragon.
+
+[553:3] This would give us the story of the monster who attempted to
+devour the Sun, and whom the "untutored savage" tried to frighten away
+by making loud cries.
+
+[553:4] This would give us the story of Samson, whose strength was
+renewed at the end of his career, and who slew the Philistines--who had
+dimmed his brilliance--and bathed his path with blood.
+
+[553:5] This would give us the story of Oannes or Dagon, who, beneath
+the clouds of the evening sky, plunged into the sea.
+
+[553:6] This would give us the story of Hercules and his bride Iole, or
+that of Christ Jesus and his mother Mary, who were at their side at the
+end of their career.
+
+[553:7] This would give us the story of the labors of Hercules.
+
+[553:8] This is the Sun as _Seva_.
+
+[553:9] Here again we have the Sun as Siva the _Destroyer_.
+
+[553:10] Here we have Apollo, Achilleus, Bellerophon and Odysseus.
+
+[553:11] This would give us the story of Samson, who was "the friend of
+the children of men, and the remorseless foe of those powers of
+darkness" (the Philistines), who had stolen away his bride. (See Judges,
+ch. xv.)
+
+[554:1] This would give us the stories of _Thor_, the mighty warrior,
+the terror of his enemies, and those of Cadmus, Romulus or Odin, the
+wise chieftains, who founded nations, and taught their people knowledge.
+
+[554:2] This would give us the story of Christ Jesus, and other
+Angel-Messiahs; Saviours of men.
+
+[554:3] This would give us the stories of spellbound maidens, who sleep
+for years.
+
+[554:4] This is Hercules and his counterparts.
+
+[554:5] This again is Hercules.
+
+[554:6] This would depend upon whether his light was obscured by clouds,
+or not.
+
+[554:7] This again is Hercules.
+
+[554:8] This is Apollo, Siva and Ixion.
+
+[554:9] Rev. G. W. Cox.
+
+[555:1] Who has not heard it said that the howling or whining of a dog
+forebodes death?
+
+[555:2] Bunce: Fairy Tales, Origin and Meaning.
+
+[556:1] Quoted by Bunce: Fairy Tales.
+
+[557:1] See Bunce: Fairy Tales, p. 34.
+
+[558:1] "The _Sun_," said _Gaugler_, "speeds at such a rate as if _she_
+feared that some one was pursuing her for her destruction." "And well
+she may," replied _Har_, "for he that seeks her is not far behind, and
+she has no way to escape but to run before him." "And who is he," asked
+_Gaugler_, "that causes her this anxiety?" "It is the _Wolf_ Skoell,"
+answered _Har_, "who pursues the Sun, and it is he that she fears, for
+he shall one day overtake and devour her." (Scandinavian _Prose Edda_.
+See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 407). This Wolf is, as we have
+said, a personification of _Night_ and _Clouds_, we therefore have the
+almost universal practice among savage nations of making noises at the
+time of eclipses, to frighten away the monsters who would otherwise
+devour the Sun.
+
+[558:2] Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 103.
+
+[559:1] Tylor: Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 308.
+
+[559:2] Mueller: The Science of Religion, p. 65.
+
+[559:3] Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 1.
+
+[560:1] As the hand of Hector is clasped in the hand of the hero who
+slew him. There, as the story ran, the lovely Helen "pardoned and
+purified," became the bride of the short-lived, yet long-suffering
+Achilleus, even as Iole comforted the dying Hercules on earth, and Hebe
+became his solace in Olympus. But what is the meeting of Helen and
+Achilleus, of Iole and Hebe and Hercules, but the return of the violet
+tints to greet the Sun in the _West_, which had greeted him in the East
+in the morning? The idea was purely physical, yet it suggested the
+thoughts of trial, atonement, and purification; and it is unnecessary to
+say that the human mind, having advanced thus far, must make its way
+still farther. (Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 822.)
+
+[560:2] The black storm-cloud, with the flames of lightning issuing from
+it, was the original of the dragon with tongues of fire. Even as late as
+A. D. 1600, a German writer would illustrate a thunder-storm destroying
+a crop of corn by a picture of a dragon devouring the produce of the
+field with his flaming tongue and iron teeth. (Baring-Gould: Curious
+Myths, p. 342.)
+
+[561:1] M. Breal, and G. W. Cox.
+
+[562:1] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 59.
+
+[562:2] Ibid.
+
+[562:3] Ibid. p. 181.
+
+[562:4] Book iv. ch. i. in Anac., vol. i. p. 137.
+
+[562:5] P. 6.
+
+[562:6] Squire: Serpent Symbol, p. 33.
+
+[562:7] Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 33.
+
+[562:8] Williams' Hinduism, p. 88.
+
+[563:1] Mueller's Chips, vol. ii. p. 260.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX D.
+
+
+We maintain that not so much as one single passage purporting to be
+written, _as history_, within the first hundred years of the Christian
+era, can be produced to show the existence _at_ or before that time of
+such a person as Jesus of Nazareth, called the Christ, or of such a set
+of men as could be accounted his disciples or followers. Those who would
+be likely to refer to Jesus or his disciples, but who have not done so,
+wrote about:
+
+     A. D. 40 Philo.[564:1]
+           40 Josephus.
+           79 C. Plinius Second, the Elder.[564:2] }
+           69 L. Ann. Seneca.                      } Philosophers.
+           79 Diogenes Laertius.                   }
+           79 Pausanias.   } Geographers.
+           79 Pompon Mela. }
+           79 Q. Curtius Ruf. }
+           79 Luc. Flor.      }
+          110 Cornel Tacitus. } Historians.
+          123 Appianus.       }
+          140 Justinus.       }
+          141 AElianus.        }
+
+Out of this number it has been claimed that one (Josephus) spoke of
+Jesus, and another (Tacitus) of the Christians. Of the former it is
+almost needless to speak, as that has been given up by Christian divines
+many years ago. However, for the sake of those who still cling to it we
+shall state the following:
+
+Dr. Lardner, who wrote about A. D. 1760, says:
+
+     1. It was never quoted by any of our Christian ancestors
+     before _Eusebius_.
+
+     2. Josephus has nowhere else mentioned the name or word
+     _Christ_, in any of his works, except the testimony above
+     mentioned,[564:3] and the passage concerning James, the Lord's
+     brother.[564:4]
+
+     3. It interrupts the narrative.
+
+     4. The language is quite Christian.
+
+     5. It is _not_ quoted by Chrysostom,[564:5] though he often
+     refers to Josephus, and could not have omitted quoting it, had
+     it been _then_, in the text.
+
+     6. It is _not_ quoted by Photius, though he has three articles
+     concerning Josephus.
+
+     7. Under the article _Justus of Tiberius_, this author
+     (Photius) expressly states that this historian (Josephus),
+     being a Jew, _has not taken the least notice of Christ_.
+
+     8. Neither Justin, in his dialogue with Typho the Jew, nor
+     Clemens Alexandrinus, who made so many extracts from ancient
+     authors, nor Origen against Celsus, _have even mentioned this
+     testimony_.
+
+     9. But, on the contrary, Origen openly affirms (ch. xxxv., bk.
+     i., against Celsus), that Josephus, who had mentioned John the
+     Baptist, _did not acknowledge Christ_.[565:1]
+
+In the "Bible for Learners," we read as follows:
+
+     "Flavius Josephus, the well-known historian of the Jewish
+     people, was born in A. D. 37, only two years after the death
+     of Jesus; but though his work is of inestimable value as our
+     chief authority for the circumstances of the times in which
+     Jesus and his Apostles came forward, yet he does not seem to
+     have ever mentioned Jesus himself. At any rate, the passage in
+     his '_Jewish Antiquities_' that refers to him is certainly
+     spurious, and was inserted by a later and a _Christian hand_.
+     The _Talmud_ compresses the history of Jesus into a single
+     sentence, and later Jewish writers concoct mere slanderous
+     anecdotes. The ecclesiastical fathers mention a few sayings or
+     events, the knowledge of which they drew from oral tradition
+     or from writings that have since been lost. The Latin and
+     Greek historians just mention his name. This meager harvest is
+     all we reap from sources outside the Gospels."[565:2]
+
+Canon Farrar, who finds himself _compelled_ to admit that this passage
+in Josephus is an interpolation, consoles himself by saying:
+
+     "The single passage in which he (Josephus) alludes to Him
+     (Christ) is interpolated, if not wholly spurious, and no one
+     can doubt that his silence on the subject of Christianity was
+     as deliberate as it was dishonest."[565:3]
+
+The Rev. Dr. Giles, after commenting on this subject, concludes by
+saying:
+
+     "_Eusebius_ is the first who quotes the passage, and our
+     reliance on the judgment, _or even the honesty_, of this
+     writer _is not so great as to allow of our considering
+     everything found in his works as undoubtedly genuine_."[565:4]
+
+Eusebius, then, is the first person who refers to these passages.[565:5]
+Eusebius, "_whose honesty is not so great as to allow of our considering
+everything found in his works as undoubtedly genuine_." Eusebius, who
+says that _it is lawful to lie and cheat for the cause of
+Christ_.[565:6] This Eusebius is the sheet-anchor of reliance for most
+we know of the first three centuries of the Christian history. What then
+must we think of the _history_ of the first three centuries of the
+Christian era?
+
+The celebrated passage in Tacitus which Christian divines--and even
+some liberal writers--attempt to support, is to be found in his
+_Annals_. In this work he is made to speak of _Christians_, who "had
+their denomination from _Christus_, who, in the reign of Tiberius, was
+put to death as a criminal by the procurator Pontius Pilate."
+
+In answer to this we have the following:
+
+1. This passage, which would have served the purpose of Christian
+quotation better than any other in all the writings of Tacitus, or of
+any Pagan writer whatever, _is not quoted by any of the Christian
+Fathers_.
+
+2. It is not quoted by Tertullian, though he had read and largely quotes
+the works of Tacitus.
+
+3. And though his argument immediately called for the use of this
+quotation with so loud a voice (Apol. ch. v.), that his omission of it,
+if it had really existed, amounts to a _violent improbability_.
+
+4. This Father has spoken of Tacitus in a way that it is absolutely
+impossible that he should have spoken of him, had his writings contained
+such a passage.
+
+5. It is not quoted by Clemens Alexandrinus, _who set himself entirely
+to the work of adducing and bringing together all the admissions and
+recognitions which Pagan authors had made of the existence of Christ
+Jesus or Christians before his time_.
+
+6. It has been nowhere stumbled upon by the laborious and all-seeking
+Eusebius, who could by no possibility have overlooked it, and whom it
+would have saved from the labor of forging the passage in Josephus; of
+adducing the correspondence of Christ Jesus and Abgarus, and the
+Sibylline verses; of forging a divine revelation from the god Apollo, in
+attestation of Christ Jesus' ascension into heaven; and innumerable
+other of his pious and holy cheats.
+
+7. Tacitus has in no other part of his writings made the least allusion
+to "_Christ_" or "_Christians_."
+
+8. The use of this passage as part of the evidences of the Christian
+religion, is absolutely modern.
+
+9. There is no vestige nor trace of its existence anywhere in the world
+before the 15th century.[566:1]
+
+10. No reference whatever is made to this passage by any writer or
+historian, monkish or otherwise, before that time,[567:1] which, to say
+the least, is very singular, considering that after that time it is
+quoted, or referred to, in an endless list of works, which by itself is
+all but conclusive that it was not in existence till the fifteenth
+century, which was an age of imposture and of credulity so immoderate
+that people were easily imposed upon, believing, as they did, without
+sufficient evidence, whatever was foisted upon them.
+
+11. The interpolator of the passage makes Tacitus speak of "_Christ_,"
+not of Jesus _the_ Christ, showing that--like the passage in
+Josephus--it is, comparatively, a modern interpolation, for
+
+12. The word "_Christ_" is _not a name_, but a TITLE;[567:2] it being
+simply the Greek for the Hebrew word "_Messiah_." Therefore,
+
+13. When Tacitus is made to speak of Jesus as "Christ," it is equivalent
+to my speaking of Tacitus as "Historian," of George Washington as
+"General," or of any individual as "Mister," without adding a _name_ by
+which either could be distinguished. And therefore,
+
+14. It has no sense or meaning as he is said to have used it.
+
+15. Tacitus is also made to say that the _Christians_ had their
+denomination from _Christ_, which would apply to any other of the
+so-called _Christs_ who were put to death in Judea, as well as to Christ
+Jesus. And
+
+16. "The disciples were _called_ Christians first at Antioch" (Acts xi.
+26), not because they were followers of a certain Jesus who claimed to
+be the Christ, but because "Christian" or "Chrestian," was a name
+applied, at that time, to any good man.[567:3] And,
+
+17. The worshipers of the Sun-god, _Serapis_, were also called
+"Christians," and his disciples "Bishops of Christ."[568:1]
+
+So much, then, for the celebrated passage in Tacitus.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+NOTE.--Tacitus says--according to the passage attributed to him--that
+"those who confessed [to be Christians] were first seized, and then on
+their evidence _a huge multitude_ (_Ingens Multitudo_) were convicted,
+not so much on the charge of incendiarism as for _their hatred to
+mankind_." Although M. Renan may say (_Hibbert Lectures_, p. 70) that
+the authenticity of this passage "cannot be disputed," yet the absurdity
+of "a huge multitude" of Christians being in Rome, in the days of Nero,
+A. D. 64--about thirty years' after the time assigned for the
+crucifixion of Jesus--has not escaped the eye of thoughtful scholars.
+Gibbon--who saw how ridiculous the statement is--attempts to reconcile
+it with common sense by supposing that Tacitus knew so little about the
+Christians that he confounded them with the Jews, and that the hatred
+universally felt for the latter fell upon the former. In this way he
+believes Tacitus gets his "huge multitude," as the Jews established
+themselves in Rome as early as 60 years B. C., where they multiplied
+rapidly, living together in the Trastevere--the most abject portion of
+the city, where all kinds of rubbish was put to rot--where they became
+"old clothes" men, the porters and hucksters, bartering tapers for
+broken glass, hated by the mass and pitied by the few. Other scholars,
+among whom may be mentioned Schwegler (_Nachap Zeit._, ii. 229); Koestlin
+(_Johann-Lehrbegr._, 472); and Baur (_First Three Centuries_, i. 133);
+also being struck with the absurdity of the statement made by some of
+the early Christian writers concerning the wholesale prosecution of
+Christians, said to have happened at that time, suppose it must have
+taken place during the persecution of Trajan, A. D. 101. It is strange
+we hear of no Jewish martyrdoms or Jewish persecutions till we come to
+the times of the Jewish war, and then chiefly in Palestine! But fables
+must be made realities, so we have the ridiculous story of a "huge
+multitude" of Christians being put to death in Rome, in A. D. 64,
+evidently for the purpose of bringing Peter there, making him the first
+Pope, and having him crucified head downwards. This absurd story is made
+more evident when we find that it was not until about A. D. 50--only 14
+years before the alleged persecution--that the first Christians--a mere
+handful--entered the capitol of the Empire. (See Renan's _Hibbert
+Lectures_, p. 55.) They were a poor dirty set, without manners, clad in
+filthy gaberdines, and smelling strong of garlic. From these, then, with
+others who came from Syria, we get our "huge multitude" in the space of
+14 years. The statement attributed to Tacitus is, however, outdone by
+Orosius, who asserts that the persecution extended "through all the
+provinces." (Orosius, ii. 11.) That it was a very easy matter for some
+Christian writer to interpolate or alter a passage in the _Annals_ of
+Tacitus may be seen from the fact that the MS. was not known to the
+world before the 15th century, and from information which is to be
+derived from reading Daille _On the Right Use of the Fathers_, who shows
+that they were accustomed to doing such business, and that these
+writings are, to a large extent, unreliable.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[564:1] The Rev. Dr. Giles says: "Great is our disappointment at finding
+nothing in the works of Philo about the Christians, their doctrines, or
+their sacred books. About the _books_ indeed we need not expect any
+notice of these works, but about the Christians and their doctrines his
+silence is more remarkable, seeing that he was about sixty years old at
+the time of the crucifixion, and living mostly in Alexandria, so closely
+connected with Judea, and the Jews, could hardly have failed to know
+something of the _wonderful events_ that had taken place in the city of
+Jerusalem." (Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 61.)
+
+The Rev. Dr. assumes that these "wonderful events" really took place,
+but, if they did not take place, of course Philo's silence on the
+subject is accounted for.
+
+[564:2] Both these philosophers were living, and must have experienced
+the immediate effects, or received the earliest information of the
+existence of Christ Jesus, had such a person as the Gospels make him out
+to be ever existed. Their ignorance or their willful silence on the
+subject, is not less than _improbable_.
+
+[564:3] Antiquities, bk. xviii. ch. iii. 3.
+
+[564:4] Ibid. bk. xx. ch. ix. 1.
+
+[564:5] John, Bishop of Constantinople, who died....
+
+[565:1] Lardner: vol. vi. ch. iii.
+
+[565:2] Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 27.
+
+[565:3] Life of Christ, vol. I. p. 63.
+
+[565:4] Hebrew and Christ. Rec. vol. ii. p. 62.
+
+[565:5] In his Eccl. Hist. lib. 2. ch. xii.
+
+[565:6] Ch. 31, bk. xii. of Eusebius _Prae paratio Evangelica_ is
+entitled: "How far it may be proper to use falsehood as a medium for the
+benefit of those who require to be deceived;" and he closes his work
+with these words: "I have repeated whatever may rebound to the glory,
+and suppressed all that could tend to the disgrace of our religion."
+
+[566:1] The original MSS. containing the "Annals of Tacitus" were
+"discovered" in the fifteenth century. Their existence cannot be traced
+back further than that time. And as it was an age of imposture, some
+persons are disposed to believe that not only portions of the _Annals_,
+but the whole work, was forged at that time. Mr. J. W. Ross, in an
+elaborate work published in London some years ago, contended that the
+_Annals_ were forged by Poggio Bracciolini, their professed discoverer.
+At the time of Bracciolini the temptation was great to palm off literary
+forgeries, especially of the chief writers of antiquity, on account of
+the Popes, in their efforts to revive learning, giving money rewards and
+indulgences to those who should procure MS. copies of any of the ancient
+Greek or Roman authors. Manuscripts turned up as if by magic, in every
+direction; from libraries of monasteries, obscure as well as famous; the
+most out-of-the-way places,--the bottom of exhausted wells, besmeared by
+snails, as the History of Velleius Paterculus, or from garrets, where
+they had been contending with cobwebs and dust, as the poems of
+Catullus.
+
+[567:1] A portion of the passage--that relating to the manner in which
+the Christians were put to death--is found in the _Historia Sacra_ of
+Sulpicius Severus, a Christian Father, who died A. D. 420; but it is
+evident that this writer did not take it from the _Annals_. On the
+contrary, the passage was taken--as Mr. Ross shows--from the _Historia
+Sacra_, and bears traces of having been so appropriated. (See Tacitus &
+Bracciolini, the Annals forged in the XVth century, by J. W. Ross.)
+
+[567:2] "_Christ_ is a name having no spiritual signification, _and
+importing nothing more than an ordinary surname_." (Dr. Giles: Hebrew
+and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 64.)
+
+"The name of _Jesus_ and _Christ_ was both known and honored among the
+ancients." (Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. iv.)
+
+"The name _Jesus_ is of Hebrew origin, and signifies _Deliverer_, and
+_Savior_. It is the same as that translated in the Old Testament
+_Joshua_. The word _Christ_, of Greek origin, is properly _not a name_
+but _a title_, signifying _The Anointed_. The whole name is therefore,
+_Jesus the Anointed_ or _Jesus the Messiah_." (Abbott and Conant; Dic.
+of Relig. Knowledge, art. "_Jesus Christ_.")
+
+In the oldest Gospel extant, that attributed to Matthew, we read that
+Jesus said unto his disciples, "Whom say ye that I am?" whereupon Simon
+Peter answers and says: "Thou art THE CHRIST, the Son of the living God.
+. . . Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he
+was Jesus THE Christ." (Matt. xvi. 15-20.)
+
+This clearly shows that "_the Christ_" was simply a _title_ applied to
+the man Jesus, therefore, if a _title_, it cannot be a _name_. All
+passages in the New Testament which speak of _Christ_ as a _name_,
+betray their modern date.
+
+[567:3] "This name (Christian) occurs but three times in the New
+Testament, and is never used by Christians of themselves, only as spoken
+by or coming from those without the Church. The general names by which
+the early Christians called themselves were 'brethren,' 'disciples,'
+'believers,' and 'saints.' The presumption is that the name _Christian_
+was originated by the _Heathen_." (Abbott and Conant: Dic. of Relig.
+Knowledge, art. "Christian.")
+
+"We are called Christians (_not_, we call ourselves Christians). So,
+then, _we are the best of men_ (Chrestians), and it can never be just
+to hate what is (Chrest) _good and kind_;" [or, "therefore to hate what
+is _Chrestian_ is unjust."] (Justin Martyr: _Apol._ 1. c. iv.)
+
+"Some of the ancient writers of the Church have not scrupled expressly
+to call the Athenian _Socrates_, and some others of the _best_ of the
+heathen moralists, by the name of _Christians_." (Clark: Evidences of
+Revealed Relig., p. 284. Quoted in Ibid. p. 41.)
+
+"Those who lived according to the Logos, (_i. e._, the _Platonists_),
+were really _Christians_." (Clemens Alexandrinus, in _Ibid._)
+
+"Undoubtedly we are called _Christians_, for this reason, _and none
+other_, than because _we are anointed with the oil of God_." (Theophilus
+of Antioch, in Ibid. p. 399.)
+
+"Christ is the Sovereign Reason of whom the whole human race
+participates. _All those who have lived comformably to a right reason,
+have been Christians_, notwithstanding that they have always been looked
+upon as Atheists." (Justin Martyr: _Apol._ 1. c. xlvi.)
+
+Lucian makes a person called Triephon answer the question, whether the
+affairs of the _Christians_ were recorded in heaven. "All nations are
+there recorded, since Chrestus exists even among the Gentiles."
+
+[568:1] "Egypt, which you commended to me, my dearest Servianus, I have
+found to be wholly fickle and inconsistent, and continually wafted about
+by every breath of fame. The worshipers of SERAPIS (here) are called
+_Christians_, and those who are _devoted_ to the god Serapis (I find),
+call themselves _Bishops of Christ_." (The Emperor _Adrian_ to
+Servianus, written A. D. 134. Quoted by Dr. Giles, vol. ii. p. 86.)
+
+
+
+
+INDEX.
+
+
+     A.
+
+     _Abraham_, story of, 38;
+       Hindoo parallel, 39;
+       other parallels, 39, 40;
+       the foundation of, 103;
+       his birth announced by a star, 144;
+       supposed to have had the same soul as Adam, David, and the
+           Messiah, 504.
+
+     _Absolution_ from sin by sacrifice of ancient origin, 181;
+       by baptism, 316;
+       refused to Constantine by Pagan priests, 444.
+
+     _Abury_, the temple at, 180.
+
+     _Achilleus_, a personification of the Sun, 485.
+
+     _Adam_, was reproduced in Noah, Elijah, and other Bible
+           celebrities, 44;
+       no trace of the story of the fall of, in the Hebrew Canon, after
+           the Genesis account, 99.
+
+     _Aditi_, "Mother of the Gods," 475;
+       a personification of the Dawn, 475;
+       is identified with Devaki, 475.
+
+     _Adonis_, is born of a Virgin, 191;
+       has title of "Saviour," 191, 217;
+       is slain, 191;
+       rises from the dead, 218;
+       is creator of the world, 249;
+       his temple at Bethlehem, 220;
+       his birth on December 25th, 364;
+       a personification of the Sun, 484;
+       in Hebrew "My Lord," 485.
+
+     _AEolus_, son of Jupiter, 125.
+
+     _AEon_, Christ Jesus an, 427;
+       there have been several, 427;
+       the Gnostics believed Christ Jesus to have been an, 511;
+       the Essenes believed in the doctrine of an, 515.
+
+     _AEschylus'_ Prometheus Bound, 192.
+
+     _AEsculapius_, a son of Jove, 128;
+       worshiped as a God, 128;
+       is called the "Saviour," 194;
+       the "Logos," 374;
+       Death and Resurrection of, 217.
+
+     _Agni_, represented with seven arms, 32;
+       a Hindoo God, 32;
+       the Cross a symbol of, 340.
+
+     _Agnus Dei_, the, succeeded the Bulla, 405;
+       worn by children, 405.
+
+     _Agony_, the, on Good Friday, is the weeping for Tammuz, the fair
+         Adonis, 226.
+
+     _Akiba_, Rabbi, believed Bar-Cochaba to be the Messiah, 433.
+
+     _Alcmena_, mother of Hercules, 124.
+
+     _Alexander_, divides the Pamphylian Sea, 61;
+       believed to be a divine incarnation, 127;
+       visits the temple of Jupiter Ammon, 127;
+       and styles himself "Son of Jupiter Ammon," 127.
+
+     _Alexandria_, the library of, 438;
+       the great intellectual centre, 440;
+       and the cradle of Christianity, 219, 442.
+
+     _Allegorical_, the, interpretation of the Scriptures practiced by
+         Rabbis, 100;
+       the historical theory succeeded by, 466, 552, 563.
+
+     _Allegory_, the story of the "Fall of Man" an, 100.
+
+     _All-father_, the, of all nations, a personification of the Sky, 478.
+
+     _Alpha and Omega_, Jesus believed to be, 250;
+       Crishna, 250;
+       Buddha, 250;
+       Lao-Kiun, 250;
+       Ormuzd, 251;
+       Zeus, 251;
+       Bacchus, 251.
+
+     _Ambrose, St._, affirms that the Apostles made a creed, 385.
+
+     _America_, populated from Asia, 540;
+       was at one time joined to Asia, 541.
+
+     _American Trinity_, the, 378.
+
+     _Americans_, their connection with the old world, 533.
+
+     _Ammon_, Jupiter, his temple visited by Alexander, 127.
+
+     _Amphion_, son of Jove, 124.
+
+     _Amulets_ and Charms, worn by the Christians, 405;
+       are relics of Paganism, 405.
+
+     _Ananda_, and the Matangi Girl, 294.
+
+     _Andrew's, St._, Cross, of Pagan origin, 339.
+
+     _Angel Messiah_, Buddha an, 116;
+       Crishna an, 196;
+       Christ an, 196;
+       the Essenes applied the legend of, to Jesus, 442.
+
+     _Angels_, the fallen, 386;
+       believed in by all nations of antiquity, 386-388.
+
+     _Animals_, none sacrificed in early times, 182.
+
+     _Antiquity_, the, of Pagan religions, compared with Christianity, 451.
+
+     _Apis_, or the Bull, worshiped by the children of Israel, 107;
+       symbolized the productive power in Nature, 476, _note_ 5.
+
+     _Apollo_, a lawgiver, 61;
+       son of Jove, 125;
+       has the title of "Saviour," 194;
+       is put to death, 191;
+       resurrection of, 218;
+       a type of Christ, 500;
+       is a personification of the Sun, 500-506.
+
+     _Apostles_, the, 500.
+
+     _Apostles' Creed_, the, not written by them, 385.
+
+     _Apotheosis_, the, of Pagans, 126.
+
+     _Apollonius_, considered divine, 126;
+       cured diseases, 261;
+       raised a dead maiden to life, 262;
+       his life written by Flavius Philostratus, 264.
+
+     _Arabia_, "wise men" came from, 150, _note_ 1.
+
+     _Arabs_, the, anciently worshiped Saturn, 393;
+       celebrated the birth of the Sun on December 25th, with offerings
+           of gold, frankincense and myrrh, 480.
+
+     _Ararat_, Mount, Noah's ark landed on, 21.
+
+     _Arcas_, a son of Jove, 125.
+
+     _Architecture_, the, of India same as Mexico, 538.
+
+     _Aries_, the sign of a symbol of Christ, 503;
+       personified and called the "Lamb of God," 504;
+       the worship of, the worship of the Sun, 504.
+
+     _Arimanes_, the evil spirit, according to Persian legend, 3.
+
+     _Arion_, a Corinthian harper, 78.
+
+     _Arjoon or Arjuna_, the cousin and beloved disciple of Crishna, 247.
+
+     _Ark_, the, of Noah, 20;
+       and others, 22-27.
+
+     _Armenian_, the, tradition of "Confusion of Tongues," 35.
+
+     _Aroclus_, son of Jove, 125.
+
+     _Artemon_, denied the divinity of Jesus, 135.
+
+     _Ascension_, of Jesus, 215;
+       of Crishna, 215;
+       of Rama, 216;
+       of Buddha, 216;
+       of Lao-Kiun, 216;
+       of Zoroaster, 216;
+       of AEsculapius, 217;
+       of Osiris, 222;
+       Atys, 222;
+       Mithras, 222.
+
+     _Asceticism_, as practiced among the Christians, of great
+         antiquity, 400.
+
+     _Ashera_, the, or upright emblem, stood in the Temple at Jerusalem,
+         47.
+
+     _Asia_, the continent of, at one time joined to America, 541;
+       America inhabited from, 454, 533.
+
+     _Asia Minor_, the people persecuted in by orders of Constantius, 448.
+
+     _Asita_, the holy Rishi, visits Buddha at his birth, 151.
+
+     _Asoka_, the council of, 303.
+
+     _Assyrian Dove_, the, a symbol of the Holy Ghost, 400.
+
+     _Assyrians_, the, worshiped a sun-god called Sandon, 74;
+       had an account of a war in Heaven, 388;
+       kept the seventh day holy, 393.
+
+     _Astaroth_, the goddess, saved the life of a Grecian maiden, 39.
+
+     _Astarte_, or Mylitta, worshiped by the Hebrews, 108.
+
+     _Astrology_, practiced by the ancients, 141, 142.
+
+     _Astronomers_, the ancient Egyptians great, 547.
+
+     _Astronomy_, understood by the ancient Chinese, 544.
+
+     _Athanasian Creed_, the, 381.
+
+     _Athens_, the Parthenon of, 333.
+
+     _Atlas_, a personification of the sun, 83.
+
+     _Atonement_, the doctrine of, taught before the time of Christ
+         Jesus, 181.
+
+     _Atys_, the Crucified, 190;
+       is called the "Only-begotten Son," and "Saviour," 190;
+       rose from the dead, 223.
+
+     _Augustine, St._, saw men and women without heads, 437.
+
+     _Aurora placida_, made into St. Aura and St. Placida, 399.
+
+     _Avatar_, Jesus considered an, 111;
+       a star at birth of every, 143, 479;
+       an "Angel-Messiah," a "Christ," 196;
+       an, expected about every 600 years, 426.
+
+
+     B.
+
+     _Baal_, and Moloch, worshiped by the children of Israel, 108.
+
+     _Baal-peor_, the Priapos of the Jews, 47.
+
+     _Babel_, the tower of, 33;
+       literally "the Gate of God," 34;
+       built at Babylon, 34;
+       a parallel to in other countries, 35;
+       built for astronomical purposes, 35.
+
+     _Babylonian Captivity_, the, put an end to Israel's idolatry, 108.
+
+     _Bacab_, the Son, in the Mexican Trinity, 378.
+
+     _Bacchus_, performed miracles, 50;
+       passed through the Red Sea dry-shod, 51;
+       divided the waters of the rivers Orontes and Hydaspus, 51;
+       drew water from a rock, 51;
+       was a law-giver, 52;
+       the son of Jupiter, 124;
+       was born in a cave, 156;
+       torn to pieces, 193, 209;
+       was called the "Saviour," 193;
+       "Only-begotten Son," 193;
+       "Redeemer," 193;
+       the sun darkened at his death, 208;
+       ascended into heaven, 208;
+       rose from the dead, 228;
+       a personification of the sun, 492.
+
+     _Baga_, the, of the cuneiform inscriptions a name of the Supreme
+         Being, 391;
+       is in English associated with an ugly fiend, 391.
+
+     _Balaam_, his ass speaks, 91;
+       parallels to in Egypt, Chaldea and Greece, 91.
+
+     _Bala-rama_, the brother of Crishna, 74;
+       the Indian Hercules, 74.
+
+     _Baldur_, called "The Good," 129;
+       "The Beneficent Saviour," 129;
+       Son of the Supreme God Odin, 129;
+       is put to death and rises again, 224;
+       a personification of the sun, 479.
+
+     _Bambino_, the, at Rome is black, 336.
+
+     _Baptism_, a heathen rite adopted by the Christians, 317;
+       practiced in Mongolia and Thibet, 317;
+       by the Brahmins, 317;
+       by the followers of Zoroaster, 318;
+       administered in the Mithraic mysteries, 319;
+       performed by the ancient Egyptians, 319.
+
+     _Baptismal fonts_, used by the Pagans, 406.
+
+     _Bar-Cochba_, the "Son of a Star," 144;
+       believed to be the Messiah, 432.
+
+     _Beads_ (see Rosary).
+
+     _Beatitudes_, the, the prophet of, 527.
+
+     _Belief_, or faith, salvation by, existed in the earliest times, 184.
+
+     _Bellerophon_, a mighty Grecian hero, 75.
+
+     _Belus_, the tower of, 34.
+
+     _Benares_, the Hindoo Jerusalem, 296.
+
+     _Berosus_, on the flood, 22.
+
+     _Bible_, the Egyptian, the oldest in the world, 24.
+
+     _Birth_, the Miraculous, of Jesus, 111;
+       Crishna, 113;
+       Buddha, 115;
+       Codom, 118;
+       Fuh-he, 119;
+       Lao-Kiun, 120;
+       Yu, Hau-Ki, 120;
+       Confucius, 121;
+       Horus, 122;
+       Zoroaster, 123;
+       and others, 123-131.
+
+     _Birth-day_, the, of the gods, on December 25th, 364.
+
+     _Birth-place_, the, of Christ Jesus, in a cave, 154;
+       the, of other saviours, in a cave, 155-158.
+
+     _Black God_, the, crucified, 201.
+
+     _Black Mother_, the, and child, 336.
+
+     _Bochia_, of the Persians, performed miracles, 256.
+
+     _Bochica_, a god of the Muyscas, 130.
+
+     _Bodhisatwa_, a name of Buddha, 115.
+
+     _Books, sacred_, among heathen nations, 61.
+
+     _Brahma_, the first person in Hindoo Trinity, 369.
+
+     _Brahmins_, the, perform the rite of baptism, 317.
+
+     _Bread and Wine_, a sacrifice with, celebrated by the Grand Lama of
+         Thibet, 306;
+       by the Essenes, 306;
+       by Melchizedek, 307;
+       by those who were initiated into the mysteries of Mithras, 307.
+
+     _Blind Man_, cured by Jesus, 268;
+       by the Emperor Vespasian at Alexandria, 268.
+
+     _Brechin_, the fire tower of, 199;
+       a crucifix cut upon, 198.
+
+     _Buddha_, born of the Virgin Maya, 115;
+       his birth announced by a star, 143;
+       demonstrations of delight at his birth, 147;
+       is visited by Asita, 151;
+       was of royal descent, 163;
+       a dangerous child, 168;
+       tempted by the devil, 176;
+       fasted, 176;
+       died and rose again to life, 216;
+       ascended into heaven, 216;
+       compared with Jesus, 289.
+
+     _Buddhism_, the established religion of Burmah, Siam, Laos, Pega,
+         Cambodia, Thibet, Japan, Tartary, Ceylon, and Loo-Choo, 297.
+
+     _Buddhist religion_, the, compared with Christianity, 302.
+
+     _Buddhists_, the monastic system among, 401.
+
+     _Bull_, the, an emblem of the sun, 476.
+
+     _Bulla_, the, worn by Roman children, 405;
+       and now a lamb, the Agnus Dei, 405.
+
+
+     C.
+
+     _Cabala_, the, had its Trinity, 376.
+
+     _Cadiz_, the gates of, 70.
+
+     _Caesar_ (Augustus), was believed to be divine, 126.
+
+     _Caesar_ (Julius), was likened to the divine, 126.
+
+     _Calabrian Shepherds_, the, a few weeks before Winter solstice,
+         came into Rome to play on the pipes, 365.
+
+     _Cam-Deo_, the God of Love, 216.
+
+     _Capricorn_, when the planets met in, the world was deluged with
+         water, 102.
+
+     _Cardinals_, the, of Rome, wear the robes once worn by Roman
+         senators, 400.
+
+     _Carmelites_, the, and Essenes the same, 422.
+
+     _Canon_, the, of the New Testament, when settled, 463.
+
+     _Carne-vale_, a farewell to animal food, 227.
+
+     _Carnutes_, the, of Gaul, 198;
+       the Lamb of, 199.
+
+     _Castles_, Lord, a ring found on his estate, 199.
+
+     _Catholic_ rites and ceremonies are imitations of those of the
+         Pagans, 384.
+
+     _Catholic theory_, the, of the fall of the angels, 386.
+
+     _Cave_, Jesus born in a, 154;
+       Crishna born in a, 156;
+       Abraham born in a, 156;
+       Apollo born in a, 156;
+       Mithras born in a, 156;
+       Hermes born in a, 156.
+
+     _Caves_, all the oldest temples were in, 286.
+
+     _Celibacy_, among Pagan priests, 400-404.
+
+     _Celts_, the, Legend of the Deluge found among, 27.
+
+     _Cerinthus_, denied the divinity of Jesus, 136.
+
+     _Ceylon_, never believed to have been the Paradise, 13.
+
+     _Chaldean_, the, account of the Deluge, 22.
+
+     _Chaldeans_, the, Legend of the Deluge borrowed from, 101;
+       worshiped the Sun, 480.
+
+     _Champlain period_, the, 28.
+
+     _Chandragupta_, a dangerous child, 171.
+
+     _Chastity_, among Mexican priests, 404.
+
+     _Charlemagne_, the Messiah of medieval Teutondom, 239.
+
+     _Cherokees_, the, had a priest and law-giver called Wasi, 130.
+
+     _Cherubim_, the, of Genesis, a dragon, 14.
+
+     _Child_, the dangerous, 165.
+
+     _Chiliasm_, the thousand years when Satan is bound, 242.
+
+     _Chimalman_, the Mexican virgin, 334.
+
+     _Chinese_, the, have their Age of Virtue, 14;
+       have a legend of a deluge, 25;
+       worship a Virgin-born God, 119;
+       worship a "Queen of Heaven," 327;
+       worship a Trinity, 371;
+       have "Festivals of gratitude to Tien," 392;
+       have monasteries for priests, friars and nuns, 401;
+       identified with the American race, 539.
+
+     _Cholula_, the tower of, 36.
+
+     _Chrest_, the, 568.
+
+     _Christ_ (Buddha), compared with Jesus, 289.
+
+     _Christ_ (Crishna), compared with Jesus, 278.
+
+     _Christ_ (Jesus), born of a Virgin, 111;
+       a star heralds his birth, 140;
+       is visited by shepherds and wise men, 150;
+       is born in a cave, 154;
+       is of royal descent, 160;
+       is tempted by the devil, 175;
+       fasts for forty days, 175;
+       is put to death, 181;
+       no early representations of, on the cross, 201;
+       descends into hell, 211;
+       rises from the dead, 215;
+       ascends into heaven, 215;
+       will come again, 233;
+       will be judge of the dead, 245;
+       as creator, 246;
+       performs miracles, 252;
+       compared with Crishna, 278;
+       compared with Buddha, 289;
+       his birth-day not known, 359;
+       a personification of the Sun, 498;
+       not identical with the historical Jesus, 506.
+
+     _Christian_, the name, originated by Heathens, 567, _note_ 3.
+
+     _Christianity_, identical with Paganism, 384;
+       why it prospered, 419.
+
+     _Christians_, the disciples first called, at Antioch, 567;
+       the worshipers of Serapis called, 568;
+       heathen moralists called by the name of, 568.
+
+     _Christian Symbols_, of Pagan origin, 339.
+
+     _Christening_, a Pagan rite, 320.
+
+     _Circumcision_, the universal practice of, 85.
+
+     _Claudius_, Roman Emperor, 126;
+       considered divine, 126.
+
+     _Cobra_, the, or hooded snake, held sacred in India, 199.
+
+     _Codom_, the Siamese Virgin-born Saviour, 118.
+       The legend of, contained in the Pali books, 316 B. C., 451.
+
+     _Comets_, superstitions concerning, 144, 210.
+
+     _Coming_, the second, of Christ Jesus, 233;
+       of Vishnu, 236;
+       of Buddha, 237;
+       of Bacchus, 238;
+       of Arthur, 238;
+       of Charlemagne, 239;
+       of Quetzalcoatle, 239.
+
+     _Commandments_, the ten, of Moses, and of Buddha, 59.
+
+     _Conception_, the immaculate, of Jesus, 111;
+       of Crishna, 113;
+       of Buddha, 115;
+       of Codom, 118;
+       of Salivahana, 119;
+       of Fuh-he, 119;
+       of Fo-hi, 119;
+       of Xaca, 119;
+       of Lao-kiun, 120;
+       of Yu, 120;
+       of Hau-ki, 120;
+       of Confucius, 121;
+       of Horus, 122;
+       of Raam-ses, 123;
+       of Zoroaster, 123;
+       of Hercules, 124;
+       of Bacchus, 125;
+       of Perseus, 125;
+       of Mercury, 126;
+       Apollo, 126;
+       of Quetzalcoatle, 129.
+
+     _Confession_, the, of sins, of Pagan origin, 403.
+
+     _Confirmation_, the, of children, of Pagan origin, 319.
+
+     _Confucius_, was of supernatural origin, 121;
+       had seventy-two disciples, 121;
+       author of the "Golden Rule," 415.
+
+     _Confusion of Tongues_, the "Scripture" account of, 33;
+       the Armenian tradition, 35;
+       the Hindoo legend of, 35;
+       the Mexican legend of, 36.
+
+     _Constantine_ (Saint), the first Roman emperor to check free
+         thought, 444;
+       accepts the Christian faith, 444;
+       commits murders, 444;
+       baptized on his death-bed, 445;
+       the first Roman emperor who embraced the Christian faith, 446;
+       his edicts against heretics, 446;
+       his effigies engraved on Roman coins, 446;
+       conferred dignities on the Christians, 446.
+
+     _Coronis_, the mother of AEsculapius, 128;
+       impregnated by a god, 128.
+
+     _Creation_, the, Hebrew legend of, 1;
+       two different and contradictory accounts of, 5;
+       Bishop Colenso on, 5;
+       Persian legend of, 7;
+       Etruscan legend of, 7;
+       Hebrew legend of, borrowed from Chaldeans, 98.
+
+     _Creator_, the, Jesus considered, 247;
+       Crishna, according to the Hindoos, 247;
+       Lauther, according to the Chinese, 248;
+       Iao, according to the Chaldeans, 248;
+       Ormuzd, according to the Persians, 249;
+       Narduk, according to the Assyrians, 249;
+       Adonis and Prometheus believed to be, 249.
+
+     _Creed_, the Apostles', 385;
+       compared with the Pagan, 385;
+       not known before the fourth century, 385;
+       additions to since A. D. 600, 385.
+
+     _Crescent_, the, an emblem of the female generative principle, 328.
+
+     _Crestos_, the, was the Logos, 487.
+
+     _Crishna_, born of the Virgin Devaki, 113;
+       the greatest of all the Avatars, 113;
+       is "Vishnu himself in human form," 113;
+       his birth announced in the heavens by a star, 278;
+       spoke to his mother shortly after birth, 279;
+       adored by cowherds, 279;
+       presented with gifts, 279;
+       was of royal descent, 280;
+       performed miracles, 281;
+       was crucified, 280;
+       descended into hell, 282;
+       rose from the dead, 282;
+       a personification of the sun, 483.
+
+     _Cross_, the, used as a religious symbol before the Christian era,
+         338;
+       adored in India, 340;
+       adored by the Buddhists of Thibet, 340;
+       found on Egyptian monuments, 342;
+       found under the temple of Serapis, 342;
+       universally adored before the Christian era, 339-347.
+
+     _Crucifixes_, the earliest Christian, described, 203-205.
+
+     _Crucifixion_, the, of Jesus, 180;
+       of "Saviours" before the Christian era, 181-193;
+       of all the gods, explained, 484, 485.
+
+     _Crux Ansata_, the, of Egypt, 341.
+
+     _Cuneiform Inscriptions_, the, of Babylonians, relate the legends
+         of creation and fall of man, 9, 98.
+
+     _Cybele_, the goddess, called "Mother of God," 333.
+
+     _Cyril, St._, caused the death of Hypatia, 440.
+
+     _Cyrus_, king of Persia, 127;
+       considered divine, 127;
+       called the "Christ," 127, 196;
+       believed to be the Messiah, 433;
+       sun myth added to the history of, 506.
+
+
+     D.
+
+     _Dag_, a, Hercules swallowed up by, 78.
+
+     _Dagon_, a fish-god of the Philistines, 82;
+       identical with the Indian fish Avatar of Vishnu, 82.
+
+     _Danae_, a "Virgin Mother," 124.
+
+     _Dangerous_ Child, the, myth of, 165.
+
+     _Daphne_, a personification of the morning, 469.
+
+     _Darkness_, at crucifixion of Jesus, 206;
+       parallels to, 206-210;
+       the, explained, 494.
+
+     _David_, killed Goliath, 90;
+       compared with Thor, 91.
+
+     _Dawn_, the, personified, and called Aditi, the "Mother of the
+         Gods," 475.
+
+     _Day_, the, swallowed up by night, 79.
+
+     _December_ 25th, birth-day of the gods, 359.
+
+     _Delphi_, Apollo's tomb at, 510.
+
+     _Deluge_, the, Hebrew legend of, 19;
+       parallels to, 20-30.
+
+     _Demi-gods_, the, of antiquity not real personages, 467.
+
+     _Demons_, cast out, by Jews and Gentiles, 269.
+
+     _Denis, St._, is Dionysus, 399.
+
+     _Deo Soli_, pictures of the Virgin inscribed with the words, 338.
+
+     _Derceto_, the goddess, represented as a mermaid, 83.
+
+     _Deucalion_, the legend of, 26;
+       derived from Chaldean sources, 101.
+
+     _Devaki_, a virgin mother, 326.
+
+     _Devil_, the, counterfeits the religion of Christ, 124;
+       formerly a name of the Supreme Being, 391.
+
+     _Diana_, called "Mother," yet famed for her virginity, 333.
+
+     _Dionysus_, a name of Bacchus, 51.
+
+     _Divine incarnation_, the idea of redemption by a, was general and
+         popular among the Heathen, 183.
+
+     _Divine incarnations_, common before the time of Jesus, 112.
+
+     _Divine Love_, crucified, 484;
+       the sun, 487.
+
+     _Divus_, the title of, given to Roman emperors, 125.
+
+     _Docetes_, Asiatic Christians who invented the phantastic system, 136.
+
+     _Dove_, the, a symbol of the Holy Ghost among all nations of
+         antiquity, 357;
+       the, crucified, 485.
+
+     _Dragon_, a, protected the garden of the Hesperides, 11;
+       the cherub of Genesis, 14.
+
+     _Drama_ of Life, the, 29.
+
+     _Druids_, the, of Gaul, worshiped the Virgo-Paritura as the Mother
+         of God, 333.
+
+     _Durga_, a fish deity among the Hindoos, 82.
+
+     _Dyaus_, the Heavenly Father, 478;
+       a personification of the sky, 478.
+
+
+     E.
+
+     _East_, turning to in worship, practiced by Christians, 503.
+
+     _Easter_, origin of, 226;
+       observed in China, 227;
+       controversies about, 227;
+       dyed eggs on, of Pagan origin, 228;
+       the primitive was celebrated on March 25th, 335.
+
+     _Eating_, the forbidden fruit, the story of, figurative, 101.
+
+     _Ebionites_, the first Christians called, 134.
+
+     _Ecclesiastics_, the Essenes called, 424.
+
+     _Eclectics_, the Essenes called, 424.
+
+     _Eclipse_, an, of the Sun, occurred at the death of Jesus, 206;
+       of Romulus, 207;
+       of Julius Caesar, 207;
+       of AEsculapius, 208;
+       of Hercules, 208;
+       of Quirinius, 208.
+
+     _Edda_, the, of the Scandinavians speaks of the "Golden" Age, 15;
+       describes the deluge, 27.
+
+     _Egypt_, legend of the Deluge not known in, 23;
+       the Exodus from, 48;
+       circumcision practiced in, 85;
+       virgin-born gods worshiped in, 122;
+       kings of considered gods, 123;
+       Virgin Mother worshiped in, 329, 330;
+       the cross adored in, 341.
+
+     _Egyptian faith_, hardly an idea in the Christian system which has
+         not its analogy in the, 414.
+
+     _Egyptian kings_ considered gods, 123.
+
+     _Egyptians_, the, had a legend of the "Tree of Life," 12;
+       received their laws direct from God, 60;
+       practiced circumcision at an early period, 85;
+       were great astrologers, 142;
+       were familiar with the war in heaven, 387.
+
+     _El_, the Phenician deity, 484;
+       called the "Saviour," 484.
+
+     _Elephant_, the, a symbol of power and wisdom, 117;
+       cut on the fire tower at Brechin, in Scotland, 198;
+       in America, 537.
+
+     _Eleusinian_, the, Mysteries, 310.
+
+     _Eleusis_, the ceremonies at, 310.
+
+     _Elijah_ ascends to heaven, 90;
+       its parallel, 90.
+
+     _Elohistic_, the, narrative of the Creation and Deluge differs from
+         the Jehovistic, 93.
+
+     _Elysium_, the, of the Greeks, 11;
+       meaning of, 101.
+
+     _Emperors_, the, of Rome considered divine, 126.
+
+     _Eocene period_, the, 29.
+
+     _Eostre_, or _Oster_, the Saxon Goddess, 226, 227.
+
+     _Epimetheus_, the first man, brother of Prometheus, 10.
+
+     _Equinox_, at the Spring, most nations set apart a day to implore
+         the blessings of their gods, 492.
+
+     _Esdras_, the apocryphal book of, 95.
+
+     _Essenes_, the, and the Therapeutae the same, 419;
+       the origin of not known, 419;
+       compared with the primitive Christians, 420;
+       their principal rites connected with the East, 423;
+       the "Scriptures" of, 443.
+
+     _Etruscan_, baptism, 320;
+       Goddess, 330.
+
+     _Etruscans_, the, had a legend of creation similar to Hebrew, 75;
+       performed the rite of baptism, 320;
+       worshiped a "Virgin Mother," 330.
+
+     _Eucharist_, the, or Lord's Supper, 305;
+       instituted before the Christian era, 305;
+       performed by various ancient nations, 305-312.
+
+     _Eudes_, the, of California, worshiped a mediating deity, 131.
+
+     _Eusebius_, speaks of the Ebionites, 134;
+       of Easter, 226;
+       of Simon Magus, 265;
+       of Menander the "Wonder Worker," 266;
+       of an "ancient custom" among the Christians, 316;
+       the birth of Jesus, 361;
+       calls the Essenes Christians, 422.
+
+     _Eve_, the first woman, 3.
+
+     _Evil_, origin of, 4.
+
+     _Exorcism_, practiced by the Jews before the time of Jesus, 268.
+
+     _Explanation_, the, of the Universal Mythos, 466.
+
+     _Ezra_, added to the Pentateuch, 94.
+
+
+     F.
+
+     _Faith_, salvation by, taught before the Christian era, 184.
+
+     _Fall of Man_, the, Hebrew account of, 4;
+       parallels to, 7-16;
+       hardly alluded to outside of Genesis, 99;
+       allegorical meaning of, 101.
+
+     _Fall of the Angels_, the, 386.
+
+     _Fasting_, for forty days, a common occurrence, 179;
+       at certain periods, practiced by the ancients, 177, 392.
+
+     _Father, Son and Holy Ghost_, the, of Pagan origin, 369.
+
+     _Females_, the, of the Orinoco tribes, fasted forty days before
+         marriage, 179.
+
+     _Festivals_, held by the Hindoos, the Chinese, the Egyptians, and
+         others, 392.
+
+     _Fifty_, Jesus said to have lived to the age of, 515.
+
+     _Fig-tree_, the, sacred, 13.
+
+     _Fijians_, the, practiced circumcision, 86.
+
+     _Fire_, worshiped by the Mexicans and Peruvians, 532.
+
+     _Fire Tower_, the, of Brechin, 199.
+
+     _Firmicius_ (Julius), says the Devil has his Christs, 183.
+
+     _Fish_, the, a symbol of Christ Jesus, 355;
+       meaning of, 504.
+
+     _Fleur de Lis_, or Lotus, a sacred plant, 329.
+
+     _Flood_, the, Hebrew legend of, 19;
+       parallels to, 22-27.
+
+     _Flower_, Jesus called a, 487.
+
+     _Fo-hi_, of China, born of a Virgin, 119.
+
+     _Forty_, a sacred number, 179.
+
+     _Fraud_, practiced by the early Christians, 434.
+
+     _Frey_, the deity of the Sun, 488;
+       killed at the time of the winter solstice, 488.
+
+     _Freyga_, the goddess, of the Scandinavians, transformed into the
+         Virgin Mary, 399;
+       a personification of the earth, 479.
+
+     _Friday_, fish day, why, 354.
+
+     _Frigga_ (see Freyga).
+
+     _Fuh-he_, Chinese sage, 119;
+       considered divine, 119.
+
+     _Future Life_, the doctrine of, taught by nearly all nations of
+         antiquity, 388.
+
+
+     G.
+
+     _Gabriel_, the angel, salutes the Virgin Mary, 111.
+
+     _Galaxy_, the, souls dwell in, 45.
+
+     _Galilee_, Jesus a native of, 520;
+       the insurgent district of the country, 520;
+       the Messiahs all started out from, 521.
+
+     _Galli_, the, now sung in Christian churches, was once sung by the
+         priests of Cybele, 333.
+
+     _Ganesa_, the Indian God of Wisdom, 117.
+
+     _Ganges_, the, a sacred river, 318.
+
+     _Garden_, the, of Eden, 2;
+       of the Hesperides, 11;
+       identical, 11;
+       hardly alluded to outside of Genesis, 99.
+
+     _Gaul_, the worship of the Virgo-Paritura in, 334.
+
+     _Gautama_, a name of Buddha, 297.
+
+     _Geetas_, the, antiquity of, 451.
+
+     _Genealogy_, the, of Jesus, 160;
+       of Crishna, 163;
+       of Buddha, 163;
+       of Rama, 163;
+       of Fo-hi, 163;
+       of Confucius, 163;
+       of Horus, 163;
+       of Hercules, 163;
+       of Bacchus, 164.
+
+     _Genesis_, two contradictory accounts of the Creation in, 2.
+
+     _Gentiles_, the, religion of, adopted by Christians, 384;
+       celebrate the birth of god Sol on December 25th, 363.
+
+     _Germans_, the ancient, worshiped a Virgin-goddess under the name
+         of Hertha, 334, 477.
+
+     _Germany_, the practice of baptism found in, by Boniface, 322.
+
+     _Ghost_, the Holy, impregnates the Virgin Mary, 111;
+       and the Virgin Maya, 117;
+       is one with the Father and the Son, 368;
+       is symbolized by the Dove among Heathen and Christian nations, 357.
+
+     _Giants_, fossil remains of animals supposed to have been those of,
+         19;
+       the Rakshasas of the Hindoos the origin of all, 19.
+
+     _Glacial period_, the, 24.
+
+     _Gnostic_, the, heresy, 135.
+
+     _Gnostics_, the, maintained that Jesus was a mere man, 135;
+       the Essenes the same as, 422;
+       their doctrine, 511.
+
+     _God_, a, believed in by nearly all nations of antiquity, 384.
+
+     _Godhead_, the, a belief in the Trinitarian nature of, before the
+         Christian era, 368.
+
+     _God of Israel_, the, same as the Gentiles, 87-88.
+
+     _Gods_, the, created the heaven and earth, 4, _note_ 1;
+       descended from heaven and were made incarnate in men, 112.
+
+     _God's first-born_, applied to Heathen Virgin-born gods, 195.
+
+     _God the Father_, the, of all nations, a personification of the
+         sky, 478.
+
+     _Golden Age_, the, of the past, believed in by all nations of
+         antiquity, 8-16.
+
+     _Goliath_, killed by David, 90.
+
+     _Good Friday_, the, "Agonie" at Rome on, same as the weeping for
+         Adonis, 226.
+
+     _Gospel_, the, of the Egyptians, 443.
+
+     _Gospels_, the, were not written by the persons whose names they
+         bear, 454;
+       full of interpolations and errors, 454.
+
+     _Greece_, the gods and goddesses of, personifications of natural
+         objects, 467.
+
+     _Greeks_, the ancient, boasted of their "Golden Age," 10;
+       had a tradition of the "Islands of the Blessed," and the "Garden
+           of the Hesperides," 11;
+       had records of a Deluge, 26;
+       considered that the births of great men were announced by
+           celestial signs, 207;
+       had the rite of baptism, 320;
+       worshiped the virgin mother, and child, 342;
+       adored the cross, 344;
+       celebrated the birth of their gods on December 25th, 364;
+       worshiped a trinity, 374.
+
+     "_Grove_," the, of the Old Testament, is the "Ashera" of the
+         Pagans, 47.
+
+     _Gruter_ (inscriptions of), 397.
+
+     _Gymnosophists_, the, and the Essenes, the same, 423.
+
+
+     H.
+
+     _Hair_, long, attributes of the sun, 71;
+       worn by all sun-gods, 71, 72.
+
+     _Hau-Ki_, Chinese sage, of supernatural origin, 120.
+
+     _Heathen_, the, the religion of, same as Christian, 384.
+
+     _Heaven_, all nations believed in a, 389;
+       is born of the sky, 391, 559.
+
+     _Heavenly host_, the, sang praises at the birth of Jesus, 146;
+       parallels to, 146-149.
+
+     _Hebrew people_, the, history of, commences with the Exodus, 52-55.
+
+     _Hebrews_, the gospel of the, 455.
+
+     _Hell_, Christ Jesus descended into, 211;
+       Crishna descended into, 213;
+       Zoroaster descended into, 213;
+       Osiris, Horus, Adonis, Bacchus, Hercules, Mercury, all descended
+           into, 213;
+       built by priests, 391.
+
+     _Hercules_, compared with Samson, 66-72;
+       a personification of the Sun, 73, 485;
+       all nations had their, 76;
+       was the son of Jupiter, 124;
+       was exposed when an infant, 170;
+       was called the "Saviour," 193;
+       the "Only begotten," 193;
+       is put to death, 485;
+       is comforted by Iole, 493.
+
+     _Heretics_, the first, 134;
+       denied the crucifixion of "the Christ," 511;
+       denied that "the Christ" ever came in the flesh, 512.
+
+     _Heri_, means "Saviour," 112;
+       Crishna so called, 112.
+
+     _Hermes_, or Mercury, the son of Jupiter and a mortal mother, 125;
+       is born in a cave, 156;
+       was called the "Saviour," 195;
+       the "Logos" and "Messenger of God," 195.
+
+     _Herod_, orders all the children in Bethlehem to be slain, 166;
+       the Hindoo parallel to, 166-167;
+       a personification of Night, 481.
+
+     _Herodotus_, speaks of Hercules, 69;
+       speaks of circumcision, 86;
+       relates a wonderful miracle, 261.
+
+     _Hesione_, rescued from the sea monster, 78.
+
+     _Hesperides_, the apples of, the tree of knowledge, 11-12.
+
+     _Hieroglyphics_, the Mexican, describe the crucifixion of
+         Quetzalcoatle, 199.
+
+     _Hilkiah_, claimed to have found the "Book of the Law," 94.
+
+     _Himalayas_, the, the Hindoo ark rested on, 27.
+
+     _Hindoos_, the, had no legend of the creation similar to the
+         Hebrew, 13;
+       believe Mount Meru to have been the Paradise, 13;
+       had a legend of the Deluge, 24;
+       had a legend of the "Confusion of Tongues," 35;
+       had their Samson or Strong Man, 73;
+       worshiped a virgin-born god, 113;
+       adored a trinity, 371;
+       have believed in a soul from time immemorial, 388.
+
+     _Historical_ theory, the, succeeded by the allegorical, 466.
+
+     _Histories_, the, of the gods are fabulous, 466.
+
+     _Holy Ghost_, the, impregnates the Virgin Mary, 111;
+       and the Virgin Maya, 117;
+       is one with the Father and the Son, 368;
+       is symbolized by the dove among Heathen nations, 357.
+
+     _Holy One_, the, of the Chinese, 190.
+
+     _Holy Trinity_, the, of the Christians, the same as that of the
+         Pagans, 370.
+
+     _Homa_, or Haoma, a god of the Hindoos, called the "Benefactor of
+         the World," 306.
+
+     _Horus_, the Egyptian Saviour, 122;
+       born of the Virgin Isis, 122;
+       is put to death, 190;
+       descended into hell, 213;
+       rose from the dead, 222;
+       performed miracles, 256;
+       raised the dead to life, 256;
+       is represented as an infant on the lap of his virgin mother, 327;
+       is born on December 25th, 363;
+       a personification of the sun, 476;
+       crucified in the heavens, 484.
+
+     _Hydaspus_, the river, divided by Bacchus, 51.
+
+     _Hypatia_, put to death by a Christian mob, 440.
+
+
+     I.
+
+     _Iamos_, left to die among the bushes and violets, 170;
+       received from Zeus the gift of prophecy, 171.
+
+     _Iao_, a name sacred in Egypt, 49;
+       probably the same as Jehovah, 49;
+       the crucified, 484.
+
+     _Ida_, the earth, 481.
+
+     _Idolatry_, practiced by the Hebrews, 107;
+       adopted by the Christians, 384.
+
+     _Idols_, the worship of, among Christians, 397.
+
+     _I. H. S._, formerly a monogram of the god Bacchus, and now the
+         monogram of Christ Jesus, 351.
+
+     _Images_, the worship of, among Christians, 397.
+
+     _Immaculate Conception_, the, of Jesus, 111;
+       Crishna, 113;
+       Buddha, 115;
+       Codom, 118;
+       Fo-hi, 119;
+       and others, 119-130.
+
+     _Immortality of the Soul_, the, believed in by all nations of
+         antiquity, 385.
+
+     _Incas_, the, of Peru, married their own sisters, 537.
+
+     _India_, a virgin-born god worshiped in, 113;
+       the story of Herod and the infants of Bethlehem from, 166;
+       the crucified god in, 186;
+       the Trinity in, 370;
+       our religion and nursery tales from, 544.
+
+     _Indians_, the, no strangers to the doctrine of original sin, 189;
+       they believe man to be a fallen being, 189.
+
+     _Indra_, worshiped as a crucified god in Nepaul, 187;
+       his festival days in August, 187;
+       is identical with Crishna, 484;
+       a personification of the sun, 484.
+
+     _Infant Baptism_, practiced by the Persians, 318;
+       by the Etruscans, 320;
+       by the Greeks and Romans, 321;
+       by the Scandinavians, 321;
+       by the New Zealanders, 322;
+       by the Mexicans, 322;
+       by the Christians, 323;
+       all identical, 323.
+
+     _Innocents_, the, slain at the time of birth of Jesus, 165;
+       at the birth of Crishna, 166;
+       at the birth of Abraham, 169.
+
+     _Inscriptions_, formerly in Pagan temples, and inscriptions in
+         Christian churches compared, 397.
+
+     _Incense_, burned before idols or images in Pagan temples, 406.
+
+     _Iona_, or Yoni, an emblem of the female generative powers, 199.
+
+     _Ioenah_, or Juno, suspended in space, 486.
+
+     _Irenaeus_, the fourth gospel not known until the time of, 458;
+       reasons given by, for there being four gospels, 458.
+
+     _Iroquois_, the, worshiped a god-man called Tarengawagan, 131.
+
+     _Isaac_, offered as a sacrifice by Abraham, 38;
+       parallels to, 39-41.
+
+     _Isis_, mother of Horus, 122;
+       a virgin mother, 327;
+       represented on Egyptian monuments with an infant in her arms, 327;
+       she is styled "Our Lady," "Queen of Heaven," "Mother of God,"
+           &c., 327.
+
+     _Islands of the Blessed_, 11;
+       meaning of, 101, 559, 560.
+
+     _Islands of the Sea_, Western countries called the, by the Hebrews,
+         103.
+
+     _Israel_, the religion of, same as the Heathen, 107, 108.
+
+     _Italy_, effigies of a black crucified man, in, 197;
+       the cross adored in, before Christian era, 345.
+
+     _Ixion_, bound on the wheel, is the crucified Sun, 484.
+
+     _Izdubar_, the Lion-killer of the Babylonians, 74;
+       the foundation for the Samson and the Hercules myths, 105;
+       the cuneiform inscriptions speak of, 105.
+
+
+     J.
+
+     _Jacob_, his vision of the ladder, 42;
+       explained, 42, 104.
+
+     _Janus_, the keys of, transferred to Peter, 399.
+
+     _Japanese_, the American race descended from the same stock as the,
+         538.
+
+     _Jason_, a dangerous child, 171;
+       brought up by Cheiron, 171;
+       the same name as Jesus, 196.
+
+     _Jehovah_, the name, esteemed sacred among the Egyptians, 48;
+       the same as Y-ha-ho, 48;
+       well known to the Heathens, 49.
+
+     _Jehovistic writer_, the, of the Pentateuch, 93.
+
+     _Jemshid_, devoured by a great monster, 18.
+
+     _Jerusalem_, Jews taken at the Ebionite sack of, were sold to the
+         Grecians, 103.
+
+     _Jesuits_, the, in China, appalled at finding, in that country, a
+         counterpart to the Virgin of Judea, 119.
+
+     _Jesus_, not born of a Virgin according to the Ebionites or
+         Nazarenes, 134;
+       the day, month or year of his birth not known, 359;
+       was an historical personage, 506;
+       no clearly defined traces of, in history, 517;
+       his person indistinct, 517;
+       assumed the character of "Messiah," 520;
+       a native of Galilee, 520;
+       a zealot, 522;
+       is put to death by the Romans, 522;
+       not crucified by the Jews, 524;
+       the martyrdom of, has been gratefully acknowledged, 527;
+       nothing original in the teachings of, 529.
+
+     _Jews_, the, where their history begins, 54;
+       driven out of Egypt, 52;
+       worshiped Baal and Moloch, 108;
+       their religion the same as other nations, 108;
+       did not crucify Jesus, 524.
+
+     _John_, the same name as Jonah, 83;
+       the gospel according to, 457;
+       Irenaeus the author of, 458.
+
+     _John the Baptist_, his birth-day is on the day of the Summer
+         Solstice, 499.
+
+     _Jonah_, swallowed by a big fish, 77;
+       parallels to, 78, 79;
+       the meaning of, 79;
+       the Sun called, 80;
+       identified with Dagon and Oannes, 82, 83;
+       the same as John, 84;
+       the myth of, explained, 105.
+
+     _Jordan_, the river, considered sacred, 318.
+
+     _Josephus_, does not speak of Jesus, 564.
+
+     _Joshua_, arrests the course of the Sun, 91;
+       parallel to, 91.
+
+     _Jove_, the Sons of, numerous, 125;
+       the Supreme God, 125.
+
+     _Judea_, the Virgin of, 111;
+       a counterpart to, found by the first Christian missionaries in
+           China, 119.
+
+     _Judaism_, its doctrine and precepts, by I. M. Wise, referred to, 527.
+
+     _Judge of the Dead_, Jesus, 244;
+       Sons of God, 244;
+       Buddha, 244;
+       Crishna, 245;
+       Osiris, 245;
+       Aeacus, 245;
+       no examples of Jesus as, in early Christian art, 246.
+
+     _Julius Caesar_ (see Caesar).
+
+     _Juno_, the "Queen of Heaven," 333;
+       was represented standing on the crescent moon, 333;
+       considered the protectress of woman, 333;
+       often represented with a dove on her head, 357;
+       suspended in space, 486.
+
+     _Jupiter_, the Supreme God of the Pagans, 125;
+       a statue of, in St. Peter's, Rome, 397.
+
+     _Justin Martyr_, on the work of the Devil, 124, 265.
+
+
+     K.
+
+     _Kadmus_, king of Thebes, 124.
+
+     _Kaffirs_, the, practice circumcision, 86.
+
+     _Kama_, attempts the life of Crishna, 166;
+       is a personification of Night, 481.
+
+     _Ke-lin_, the, appeared at the birth of Confucius, 121.
+
+     _Key_, the, which unlocks the door to the mystery, 441.
+
+     _Knichahan_, the Supreme God of the Mayas of Yucatan, 130.
+
+     _Kings_, the, of Egypt considered divine, 122.
+
+     _Kronos_, the myth of, explained, 559.
+
+     _Kung-foo-tsze_ (see Confucius).
+
+
+     L.
+
+     _Labarum_, the, of Constantine, inscribed with the monogram of
+         Osiris, 350.
+
+     _Ladder_, the, of Jacob, 42;
+       explained, 42-47.
+
+     _Lama_, the, of Thibet, considered divine, 118;
+       the high priest of the Tartars, 118;
+       the Pope of Buddhism, 118.
+
+     _Lamb_, the, of God, a personification of the Sun, 492.
+
+     _Lamb_, the oldest representation of Christ Jesus was the figure of
+         a, 202, 503.
+
+     _Lamps_, feast of, 392.
+
+     _Lanthu_, born of a pure spotless Virgin, 248;
+       the creator of the world, 248.
+
+     _Lao-Kiun_, born of a Virgin, 120;
+       believed in one God, 120;
+       formed the Tao-tsze, or sect of reason, 120.
+
+     _Lao-tse_ (see Lao-Kiun).
+
+     _Latona_, the mother of Apollo, 125.
+
+     _Law-giver_, Moses a, 59;
+       Bacchus a, 59;
+       Zoroaster a, 59;
+       Minos a, 60;
+       Thoth a, 60;
+       Lycurgus a, 61;
+       Apollo a, 61.
+
+     _Lazarus_, raised from the grave, 273.
+
+     _Leto_, a personification of darkness, 477.
+
+     _Libations_, common among all nations of antiquity, 317.
+
+     _Library_, the, of Alexandria, 438.
+
+     _Lights_, are kept burning before images in Pagan temples, 406.
+
+     _Lily_, the, or Lotus, sacred among all Eastern nations, 529;
+       put into the hands of all "Virgin Mothers," 329.
+
+     _Linga_, the, and Yoni, adored by the Jews, 47;
+       the symbol under which the sun was worshiped, 47, 496.
+
+     _Logos_, the, an Egyptian feature, 373;
+       Apollo called, 373;
+       Marduk of the Assyrians, called, 374;
+       the, of Philo, 374;
+       the, of John, 374;
+       identical, 374.
+
+     _Loretto_, the Virgin of, 338;
+       black as an Ethiopian, 338.
+
+     _Lotus_, the, or Lily, sacred among all Eastern nations, 329.
+
+     _Luke_, the Gospel "according" to, 456.
+
+     _Lycophron_, says that Hercules was three nights in the belly of a
+         fish, 78.
+
+
+     M.
+
+     _Madonna_, the, and child, worshiped by all nations of Antiquity, 326.
+
+     _Magi_, the religion of, adopted by the Jews, 109.
+
+     _Magic_, Jesus learned, in Egypt, 272.
+
+     _Magician_, Jesus accused of being a, 273.
+
+     _Mahabharata_, the, quotations from, 415-417.
+
+     _Mahomet_, the miracles of, 269.
+
+     _Maia_, the mother of Mercury, 125;
+       the same name as Mary, 332.
+
+     _Man_, the Fall of, 4;
+       parallels to, 4-16;
+       the antiquity of, 29.
+
+     _Manco_ Capac, a god of the Peruvians, 130.
+
+     _Manes_, believed himself to be the "Christ," 429;
+       the word, has the meaning of "Comforter" or "Saviour," 429.
+
+     _Manetho_, an Egyptian priest, gives an account of the sojourn of
+         the Israelites in Egypt, 53.
+
+     _Manicheans_, the, transferred pure souls to the Galaxy, 45;
+       their doctrine of the divinity of Christ Jesus, 511.
+
+     _Manu_, quotations from, 415.
+
+     _March_ 25th, the primitive Easter solemnized on, 225, 495;
+       celebrated throughout the ancient world in honor of the "Mother
+           of God," 335;
+       appointed to the honor of the Christian Virgin, 335.
+
+     _Maria_, the name, same as Mary, 332.
+
+     _Mark_, the Gospel according to, 456.
+
+     _Matangi girl_, the, and Ananda, the disciple of Buddha, 294.
+
+     _Martianus Capella_, his ode to the Sun, 507.
+
+     _Martyr_ (Justin), compares Christianity with Paganism, 124.
+
+     _Mary_, the mother of Jesus, 111;
+       same name as Maya, Maria, &c., 332;
+       called the "Mother of God," 398.
+
+     _Masons' Marks_, conspicuous among Christian symbols, 358.
+
+     _Mass_, the, of Good Friday, of Pagan origin, 226.
+
+     _Mastodon_, the remains of, found in America, 19.
+
+     _Mathura_, the birth-place of Crishna, 113.
+
+     _Matthew_, the "Gospel according to," 455.
+
+     _May_, the month of, dedicated to the Heathen Virgin Mothers, 335;
+       is now the month of Mary, 335.
+
+     _Maya_, the same name as Mary, 332.
+
+     _Mayus_, the, of Yucatan, worship a Virgin-born god, 130.
+
+     _May-pole_, the, of moderns, is the "Ashera" of the ancients, 47;
+       an emblem of the male organ of generation, 47;
+       the Linga of the Hindoos, 47.
+
+     _Mecca_, the Mohammedans' Jerusalem, 296.
+
+     _Mediator_, the title of, applied to Virgin-born gods before the
+         time of Jesus, 195.
+
+     _Melchizedek_, the Kenite King of Righteousness, brought out _bread_
+         and _wine_ as a sign or symbol of worship, 307.
+
+     _Menander_, called the "Wonder Worker," performed miracles, 266;
+       believed himself to be the Christ, 429.
+
+     _Mendicants_, among the Buddhists in China, 400-403.
+
+     _Menes_, the first king of Egypt, 122;
+       considered divine, 122.
+
+     _Menu_, Satyavrata the Seventh, 25.
+
+     _Mercury_, the Son of Jupiter and a mortal mother, 125;
+       called "God's Messenger," 195.
+
+     _Meru_ (Mount), the Hindoo Paradise, out of which went four rivers,
+         13.
+
+     _Messiahs_, many, before the time of Jesus, 196, 519, 521, 522.
+
+     _Metempsychosis_, or transmigration of souls, 42;
+       the doctrine taught by all the Heathen nations of antiquity, 43;
+       by the Jews and Christians, 43.
+
+     _Mexicans_, the, had their semi-fish gods, 83;
+       practiced circumcision, 86;
+       compared with the inhabitants of the old world, 533.
+
+     _Mexico_, the architecture of, compared with that of the old world,
+         538.
+
+     _Michabou_, a god of the Algonquins, 131.
+
+     _Michael_, the angel, the story of, borrowed from Chaldean sources,
+         109;
+       fought with his angels against the dragon, 386.
+
+     _Miletus_, the crucified god of, 191.
+
+     _Millennium_, doctrine of the, 239.
+
+     _Minos_, the Lawgiver of the Cretans, 60;
+       receives the Laws from Zeus, 60.
+
+     _Minutius Felix_, on the crucified man, 197.
+
+     _Miracles_, the, of Jesus, 252;
+       of Crishna, 253;
+       of Buddha, 254, 255;
+       of Zoroaster, 256;
+       Bochia, 256;
+       Horus, 256;
+       Osiris, 256;
+       Serapis, 257;
+       Marduk, 257;
+       Bacchus, 257;
+       AEsculapius, 257;
+       Apollonius, 261;
+       Simon Magus, 264;
+       Menander, 266;
+       Vespasian, 268.
+
+     _Miraculous Conception_, the, of, Jesus, 111;
+       parallels to, 112-131.
+
+     _Mithras_, a "Mediator between God and Man," 194;
+       called the "Saviour," and the "Logos," 194;
+       is put to death, and rises again to life, 223;
+       a personification of the Sun, 507.
+
+     _Mohammed_ (see Mahomet).
+
+     _Molech_, the god, worshiped by the Heathen nations, and the
+         children of Israel, 108.
+
+     _Monad_, a, in the Egyptian Trinity, 373.
+
+     _Monasteries_, among Heathen nations, 400.
+
+     _Monasticism_, a vast and powerful institution in Buddhist
+         countries, 403.
+
+     _Monks_, were common among Heathen nations before the Christian
+         era, 400-404.
+
+     _Montanus_, believed himself an Angel-Messiah, 428.
+
+     _Months_, the twelve, compared with the Apostles, 500.
+
+     _Moon_, the, was personified among ancient nations, and called the
+         "Queen of Heaven," 478.
+
+     _Moral Sentiments_, the, of the New Testament, compared with those
+         from Heathen Bibles, 415.
+
+     _Mosaic_ history, the so-called, a myth, 17.
+
+     _Moses_, divides the Red Sea, 50;
+       is thrown into the Nile, 89.
+
+     _Mother_, the, of God, worshiped among the ancients, 326.
+
+     _Mother Night_, the 24th of December called, 365.
+
+     _Mother of the Gods_, the, Aditi called, 475.
+
+     _Mount Meru_, the Hindoo paradise on, 13.
+
+     _Mummy_, a cross on the breast of an Egyptian, in the British
+         Museum, 341.
+
+     _Muscovites_, the, worshiped a virgin and child, 333;
+       worshiped a Trinity, 378.
+
+     _Mylitta_, the goddess, worshiped by the Hebrews, 108.
+
+     _Myrrha_, the mother of Bacchus, 332;
+       same as Mary, 332.
+
+     _Myth_, a, the theology of Christendom built upon, 17.
+
+     _Mythology_, all religions founded upon, 563.
+
+     _Mythos_, the universal, 505.
+
+
+     N.
+
+     _Nganu_, the Africans of Lake, had a similar story to the "Confusion
+         of Tongues," 36.
+
+     _Nakshatias_, the, of the Indian Zodiac, are regarded as deities, 142.
+
+     _Nanda_, the foster-father of Crishna, 158.
+
+     _Nared_, a great prophet and astrologer, 143;
+       pointed out Crishna's stars, 143.
+
+     _Nazarenes_, the, saw in Jesus nothing more than a mere man, 135.
+
+     _Nebuchadnezzar_, repaired the tower of Babel, 85.
+
+     _Necromancer_, Jesus represented as a, 273.
+
+     _Nehush-tan_, the Sun worshiped under the name of, 491.
+
+     _Neith_, the mother of Osiris, 364;
+       called the "Holy Virgin," 364;
+       the "Mother of the Gods," and "Mother of the Sun," 476;
+       a personification of the dawn, 476.
+
+     _Nepaul_, the crucified God found in, 187.
+
+     _Nicaragua_, the inhabitants of, called their principal God
+         Thomathoyo, 130.
+
+     _Nice_, the Council of, 381;
+       anathematized those who say that there was a time when the Son of
+           God was not, 381.
+
+     _Nile_, the temples on the north bank of the river dedicated to the
+         kings of Egypt, 122;
+       a sacred river, 318.
+
+     _Nimrod_, built the tower of Babel, 34.
+
+     _Ninevah_, Jonah goes to, 81;
+       cylinders discovered on the site of, contained the legend of the
+           flood, 101.
+
+     _Niparaga_, the Supreme Creator of the Endes of California, 131.
+
+     _Nisan_, the angel, borrowed from the Chaldeans, 109.
+
+     _Noah_, the ark of, 119.
+
+     _Noel_, Christmas in French called, 365.
+
+     _Nut_, a personification of Heaven, 477.
+
+     _Nutar Nutra_, the, of the Egyptians, corresponds to the Hebrew
+         El-Shaddai, 49.
+
+
+     O.
+
+     _Oannes_, Chaldean fish-god, 82;
+       the same as Jonah, 83.
+
+     _Odin_, the Supreme God of the Scandinavians, 479;
+       a personification of the Heavens, 479.
+
+     _OEdipus_, the history of, resembles that of Samson and Hercules,
+         72;
+       tears out his eyes, 72;
+       is a dangerous child, 170;
+       cheered in his last hours by Antigone, 493;
+       a personification of the Sun, 493.
+
+     _Offerings_ (Votive) made to the Heathen deities, 259.
+
+     _Olympus_, the, of the Pagans, restored, 398.
+
+     _O. M._, or _A. U. M._, a sacred name among the Hindoos, 372;
+       an emblem of the Trinity, 352.
+
+     _Omphale_, the amours of Hercules with, 71.
+
+     _One_, the myths of the crucified gods melt into, 492.
+
+     _One God_, worshiped by the ancestors of our race, 384.
+
+     _Only Begotten Son_, common before the Christian era, 193.
+
+     _Oort, Prof._, on the sacred laws of ancient nations, 61.
+
+     _Ophites_, the, worshiped serpents as emblems of Christ, 355.
+
+     _Orders_, religious among all nations of antiquity, 400-404.
+
+     _Origen_, declared the story of creation and fall of man to be
+         allegorical, 100.
+
+     _Original_ Sin, the doctrine of, of great antiquity, 184;
+       the Indians no strangers to, 189.
+
+     _Ormuzd_, the Supreme God of the Persians, 7;
+       divided the work of creation into six parts, 7.
+
+     _Orontes_, the river, divided by Bacchus, 81.
+
+     _Osiris_, confined in a chest and thrown into the Nile, 90;
+       a Virgin-born God, 190;
+       suffers death, 190;
+       rose from the dead, 222;
+       the judge of the dead, 245;
+       performed miracles, 256;
+       the worship of, of great antiquity, 452;
+       a personification of the Sun, 484.
+
+     _Oude_, the crucified God Bal-li worshiped at, 188.
+
+     _Ovid_, describes the doctrine of Metempsychosis, 43.
+
+
+     P.
+
+     _Pagan Religion_, the, adopted by the Christians, 384;
+       was typical of Christianity, 501.
+
+     _Pan_, had a flute of seven pipes, 81.
+
+     _Pandora_, the first woman, in Grecian mythology, 10.
+
+     _Pantheon_, the, a niche always ready in, of the ancients, for a
+         new divinity, 123.
+
+     _Paraclete_, Simon Magus claimed to be the, 164.
+
+     _Paradise_, all nations believed in a, 389, 390.
+
+     _Parsees_, the, direct descendants of the Persians, 25;
+       say that man was once destroyed by a deluge, 25.
+
+     _Parnassus_, Mount, the ark of Deucalion rested on, 26.
+
+     _Parthenon_, the, at Athens, sacred to Minerva, 333.
+
+     _Passover_, the, celebrated by the Jews on the same day that the
+         Heathens celebrated the resurrections of their Gods, 226;
+       the Jews used eggs in the feast of, 228.
+
+     _Patriarchs_, the, all stories of, unhistorical, 54.
+
+     _Paul, St._, a minister of the Gospel which had been preached to
+         every creature under heaven, 514.
+
+     _Pentateuch_, the, never ascribed to Moses in the inscriptions of
+         Hebrew manuscripts, 92;
+       ascribed to Moses after the Babylonian captivity, 92;
+       origin of, 93, 96.
+
+     _Perictione_, a Virgin mother, 127.
+
+     _Perseus_, shut up in a chest, and cast into the sea, 89;
+       the son of Jupiter by the Virgin Danae, 124;
+       a temple erected to him in Athens, 124;
+       a dangerous child, 169.
+
+     _Persia_, pre-Christian crosses found in, 343, 344.
+
+     _Persians_, the, denominate the first man Adama, 7;
+       had a legend of creation corresponding with the Hebrew, 8;
+       had a legend of the war in heaven, 387.
+
+     _Peru_, crosses found in, 349;
+       worship of a Trinity found in, 378.
+
+     _Peruvians_, the, adored the cross, 349;
+       worshiped a Trinity, 378.
+
+     _Peter, St._, has the keys of Janus, 399.
+
+     _Phallic tree_, the, is introduced into the narrative in Genesis, 47.
+
+     _Phallic worship_, the story of Jacob setting up a pillar alludes
+         to, 46;
+       practiced by the nations of antiquity, 46, 47.
+
+     _Phallic Emblems_, in Christian churches, 358.
+
+     _Phallus_, the, a "Hermes," set up on the road-side, was the symbol
+         of, 46.
+
+     _Pamphylian Sea_, the, divided by Alexander, 55.
+
+     _Pharaoh_, his dreams, 88;
+       parallel to, 89.
+
+     _Phenician deity_, the principal, was El, 484.
+
+     _Philo_, considered the fictions of Genesis allegories, 100;
+       says nothing about Jesus, or the Christians, 564.
+
+     _Philosophers_, the, of ancient Greece, called Christians, 409.
+
+     _Philosophy_, the Christian religion called a, 567.
+
+     _Phoedrus_, the river, dried up by Isis, 55.
+
+     _Phoenicians_, the, offered the fairest of their children to the
+         gods, 41.
+
+     _Phoenix_, the, lived 600 years, 426.
+
+     _Phrygians_, the, worshiped the god Atys, 190.
+
+     _Pilate_, pillaged the temple treasury, 521;
+       crucified Jesus, 526.
+
+     _Pillars_ of Hercules, the, 79.
+
+     _Pious Frauds_, 231.
+
+     _Pisces_, the sign of, applied to Christ Jesus, 355-504.
+
+     _Plato_, believed to have been the son of a pure virgin, 127.
+
+     _Platonists_, the, believed in a Trinity, 375.
+
+     _Pole, or Pillar_, a, worshiped by the ancients, 46, 47.
+
+     _Polynesian Mythology_, in, a fish is emblematic of the earth, 80.
+
+     _Pontius Pilate_ (see Pilate).
+
+     _Poo-ta-la_, the name of a Buddhist monastery found in China, 401.
+
+     _Pope_, the, thrusts out his foot to be kissed as the Roman Emperors
+         were in the habit of doing, 400.
+
+     _Portuguese_, the, call the mountain in Ceylon, Pico d' Adama, 13.
+
+     _Porus_, the troops of, carried on their standards the figure of a
+         man, 198.
+
+     _Prayers_, for the dead, made by Buddhist priests, 401.
+
+     _Priests_, the Buddhist, have fasting, prayers for the dead, holy
+         water, rosaries of beads, the worship of relics, and a monastic
+         habit resembling the Franciscans, 401.
+
+     _Priestesses_, among the ancients, similar to the modern nuns, 403,
+         404.
+
+     _Primeval male_, the, offered himself a sacrifice for the gods, 181.
+
+     _Prithivi_, the Earth worshiped under the name of, by the Hindoos,
+         477.
+
+     _Prometheus_, a deity who united the divine and human nature in one
+         person, 124;
+       a crucified Saviour, 192;
+       an earthquake happened at the time of the death of, 207;
+       the story of the crucifixion of, allegorical, 484;
+       a title of the Sun, 484.
+
+     _Prophet_, the, of the Beatitudes, does but repeat the words of
+         others, 526.
+
+     _Protogenia_, mother of Aethlius, 125.
+
+     _Ptolemy_ (Soter), believed to have been of divine origin, 127.
+
+     _Puranas_, the, 451.
+
+     _Purgatory_, the doctrine of, of pre-Christian origin, 389.
+
+     _Purim_, the feast of, 44;
+       the book of Esther written for the purpose of describing, 44.
+
+     _Pyrrha_, the wife of Deucalion, 26;
+       was saved from the Deluge by entering an ark with her husband, 26.
+
+     _Pythagoras_, taught that souls dwelt in the Galaxy, 45;
+       had divine honors paid to him, 128;
+       his mother impregnated through a spectre, 128.
+
+
+     Q.
+
+     _Quetzalcoatle_, the Virgin-born Saviour, 129;
+       was tempted and fasted, 178;
+       was crucified, 199;
+       rose from the dead, 225;
+       will come again, 239;
+       is a personification of the Sun, 489.
+
+     _Queen of Heaven_, the, was worshiped by all nations of antiquity
+         before the Christian era, 326-336.
+
+     _Quirinius_, a name of Romulus, 126;
+       educated among shepherds, 208;
+       torn to pieces at his death, 208;
+       ascended into heaven, 208;
+       the Sun darkened at his death, 208.
+
+
+     R.
+
+     _Ra_, the Egyptian God, born from the side of his mother, 122.
+
+     _Raam-ses_, king of Egypt, 123;
+       means "Son of the Sun," 123.
+
+     _Rabbis_, the, taught the allegorical interpretation of Scripture,
+         100;
+       performed miracles, 267;
+       taught the mystery of the Trinity, 376.
+
+     _Rakshasas_, the, of our Aryan ancestors, the originals of all
+         giants, ogres or demons, 19;
+       are personifications of the dark clouds, 19;
+       fought desperate battles with Indrea, and his spirits of light, 387.
+
+     _Ram_ or _Lamb_, the, used as a symbol of Christ Jesus, 202;
+       a symbol of the Sun, 503, 504.
+
+     _Rama_, an incarnation of Vishnu, 143;
+       a star at his birth, 143;
+       is hailed by aged saints, 152.
+
+     _Rayme_, a Mexican festival held in the month of, answering to our
+         Christmas celebration, 366.
+
+     _Rays_ of glory, surround the heads of all the Gods, 505.
+
+     _Real Presence_, the, in the Eucharist, borrowed from Paganism,
+         305-312.
+
+     _Red Riding-Hood_, the story of, explained, 80.
+
+     _Red Sea_, the, divided by Moses, 50;
+       divided by Bacchus, 51.
+
+     _Religion_, the, of Paganism, compared with Christianity, 384.
+
+     _Religions_, the, of all nations, formerly a worship of the sun,
+         moon, stars and elements, 544.
+
+     _Resurrection_, the, of Jesus, 215;
+       parallels to, 216, 226.
+
+     _Rhea-Sylvia_, the Virgin mother of Romulus, 126.
+
+     _Rivers_, divided by the command of Bacchus, 51.
+
+     _Rivers_ (sacred), 318.
+
+     _Romans_, the, deified their emperors, 125.
+
+     _Rome_, the Pantheon of, dedicated to "Jove and all the Gods," and
+         reconsecrated to "the Mother of God and all the Saints," 396.
+
+     _Romulus_, son of the Virgin Rhea-Sylvia, 126;
+       called Quirinius, 126;
+       a dangerous child, 172;
+       put to death, 308;
+       the sun darkened at time of his death, 208.
+
+     _Rosary_, the Buddhist priests count their prayers with a, 401;
+       found on an ancient medal of the Phenicians, 504.
+
+     _Rose_, the, of Sharon, Jesus called, 487.
+
+     _Rosicrucians_, the, jewel of, a crucified rose, 487.
+
+     _Ruffinus_, the "Apostles' creed" first known in the days of, 385.
+
+     _Russia_, adherents of the old religion of, persecuted, 444.
+
+
+     S.
+
+     _Sabbath_, the, kept holy by the ancients, 392, 393.
+
+     _Sacrament_, the, of the Lord's Supper instituted many centuries
+         before the Christian era, 305-312.
+
+     _Sacred Books_, among heathen nations, 61.
+
+     _Sacred Heart_, the, a great mystery among the ancients, 404.
+
+     _Sacrifices_, or offerings to the Gods, at one time, almost
+         universal, 40, 41;
+       human, for atonement, was general, 182.
+
+     _Saints_, the, of the Christians, are Pagan Gods worshiped under
+         other names, 398, 399.
+
+     _Sais_, the "Feast of Lamps," held at, 392.
+
+     _Saktideva_, swallowed by a fish and came out unhurt, 77.
+
+     _Sakya-Muni_, a name of Buddha, 300.
+
+     _Salivahana_, the ancient inhabitants of Cape Comorin worshiped a
+         Virgin-born Saviour called, 118, 119.
+
+     _Salvation_, from the death of another, of great antiquity, 181;
+       by faith, existed among the Hindoos, 184.
+
+     _Sammael_, the proper name of Satan according to the Talmud, 386.
+
+     _Samothracian_ mysteries, in the Heaven and Earth were worshiped, 479.
+
+     _Samson_, his exploits, 62-66;
+       compared with Hercules, 60-70;
+       a solar god, 71-73.
+
+     _Satan_, the proper name of, is Sammael, 386;
+       a personification of storm-clouds and darkness, 482.
+
+     _Saturday_, or the seventh day, kept holy by the ancients, 393.
+
+     _Saturn_, worshiped by the ancients, 393.
+
+     _Saturnalia_, the, of the ancient Romans, 365.
+
+     _Satyavrata_, saved from the deluge in an ark, according to the
+         Hindoo legend, 24,25.
+
+     _Scandinavians_, the, worshiped a "Beneficent Saviour," called
+         Baldur, 129;
+       the heaven of, described, 390;
+       consecrated one day in the week to Odin, 393;
+       worshiped Frey, the deity of the Sun, 489.
+
+     _Scriptures_, the, of the Essenes, the ground work of the gospels,
+         443-460.
+
+     _Seb_, a personification of the Earth, 477.
+
+     _Second Coming_, the, of Jesus, 233;
+       of Vishnu, 236;
+       of Buddha, 237;
+       of Bacchus, 238;
+       of Kalewipoeg, 238;
+       of Arthur, 238;
+       of Quetzalcoatle, 239.
+
+     _Seed of the Woman_, the, bruised the head of the Serpent, according
+         to the mythology of all nations, 482.
+
+     _Semele_, the mother of Bacchus, 124
+
+     _Semi-ramis_, the Supreme Dove crucified, 486.
+
+     _Senators_, the Cardinals of Roman Christianity wear the robes once
+         worn by Romans, 400.
+
+     _Serapis_, the god, worshiped in Alexandria in Egypt, 342;
+       a cross found in the temple of, 342.
+
+     _Serpent_, the, seduced the first woman, 3;
+       in Eden, an Aryan story, 99;
+       an emblem of Christ Jesus, 355;
+       Moses set up, as an object of worship, 355;
+       worshiped by the Christians, 355;
+       symbolized the Sun, 490;
+       called the Word, or Divine Wisdom, 490.
+
+     _Seven_, the number, sacred among all nations of antiquity, 31.
+
+     _Seventh-day_, the, kept sacred by the ancients, 392, 393.
+
+     _Seventy-two_, Confucius had, disciples, 121.
+
+     "_Shams-on_," the Sun in Arabic, 73.
+
+     _Sharon_, the Rose of, Jesus called, 486.
+
+     _Shepherds_, the infant Jesus worshiped by, 150.
+
+     _Shoo-king_, the, a sacred book of the Chinese, 25;
+       speaks of the deluge, 25.
+
+     _Siamese_, the, had a virgin-born god, 118.
+
+     _Simon Magus_, believed to be a god, 129;
+       his picture placed among the gods in Rome, 129;
+       professed to be the "Word of God," the "Paraclete," or
+           "Comforter," 164;
+       performed great miracles, 125.
+
+     _Sin-Bearer_, the, Bacchus called, 193.
+
+     _Sin, Original_, the doctrine of, believed in by Heathen nations,
+         181, 184.
+
+     _Siva_, the third god in the Hindoo Trinity, 369;
+       the Hindoos held a festival in honor of, 392.
+
+     _Skylla delivers_ Nisos into the power of his enemies, 72;
+       a Solar Myth, 72.
+
+     _Slaughter_, the, of the innocents at the time of Jesus, 165;
+       parallels to, 166-172.
+
+     _Sochiquetzal_, mother of Quetzalcoatle, 129;
+       a Virgin Mother, 129;
+       called the "Queen of Heaven," 129.
+
+     _Socrates_, visited at his birth by Wise Men, and presented with
+         gifts, 152.
+
+     _Sol_, crucified in the heavens, 484.
+
+     _Soma_, a god of the Hindoos, 306;
+       gave his body and blood to man, 306.
+
+     _Sommona Codom_ (see Codom).
+
+     _Son of a Star_ (see Bar-Cochba).
+
+     _Son of God_, the Heathen worshiped a mediating deity who had the
+         title of, 111-129.
+
+     _Son of the Sun_, the name Raam-ses means, 123.
+
+     "_Sons of Heaven_," the virgin-born men of China called, 122.
+
+     _Song_, the, of the Heavenly Host, 147;
+       parallels to, 148-150.
+
+     _Soul_, the, immortality of, believed in by nations of antiquity, 385.
+
+     _Sosiosh_, the virgin-born Messiah, 146;
+       yet to come, 146.
+
+     _Space_, crucifixion in, 488.
+
+     _Spanish monks_, the first, who went to Mexico were surprised to
+         find the crucifix there, 199.
+
+     _Spirit_, the Hebrew word for, of feminine gender, 134.
+
+     _Standards_, the, of the ancient Romans, wore crosses gilt and
+         beautiful, 345.
+
+     _Star_, the, of Bethlehem, 140;
+       parallels to, 142-145.
+
+     _Staurobates_, the King by whom Semiramis was overpowered, 486.
+
+     _Stone pillars_, set up by the Hebrews were emblems of the Phallus,
+         46.
+
+     "_Strong Rama_," the, of the Hindoos, a counterpart of Samson, 73.
+
+     _Suddho-dana_, the dreams of, compared with Pharaoh's two dreams, 88.
+
+     _Sun_, the, nearly all the Pagan deities were personifications of,
+         467;
+       Christ Jesus said to have been born on the birth-day of, 473;
+       Christ Jesus a personification of, 500;
+       universally worshiped, 507.
+
+     _Sun-day_, a pagan holiday adopted by the Christians, 394-396.
+
+     _Sun-gods_, Samson and Hercules are, 71-73.
+
+     _Sun-myth_, the, added to the histories of Jesus of Nazareth,
+         Buddha, Cyrus, Alexandria and others, 506.
+
+     _Sweden_, the famous temple at Upsal in, dedicated to a triune
+         deity, 377.
+
+     _Symbolical_, the history of the gods, 466.
+
+     _Synoptic Gospels_, the discrepancies between the fourth and the,
+         numerous, 457.
+
+
+     T.
+
+     _Tacitus_, the allusion to Jesus in, a forgery, 566-568.
+
+     _Tables of Stone_, the, of Moses, 58;
+       of Bacchus, 59.
+
+     _Talmud_, the books containing Jewish tradition, 95;
+       in the, Jesus is called the "hanged one," 516.
+
+     _Tammuz_, the Saviour, after being put to death, rose from the
+         dead, 217;
+       worshiped in the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, 222.
+
+     _Tanga-tanga_, the "Three in One, and One in Three," or the Trinity
+         of the ancient Peruvians, 378.
+
+     _Tao_, the "one god" supreme, worshiped by Lao-Kiun, the Chinese
+         sage, 120.
+
+     _Tao-tse_, the, or "Sect of Reason," formed by Lao-Kiun, 120.
+
+     _Tau_, the cross, worshiped by the Egyptians, 341.
+
+     _Temples_, all the oldest were in caves, 286.
+
+     _Temptation_, the, of Jesus, 175;
+       of Buddha, 176;
+       of Zoroaster, 177;
+       of Quetzalcoatle, 177;
+       meaning of, 482.
+
+     _Temples_, Pagan, changed into Christian churches, 396, 397.
+
+     _Ten Commandments_, the, of Moses, 59;
+       of Buddha, 59.
+
+     _Ten_, the, Zodiac gods of the Chaldeans, 102.
+
+     _Tenth_, the, Xisuthrus, King of the Chaldeans, 23;
+       Noah, patriarch, 23.
+
+     _Tezcatlipoca_, the Supreme God of the Mexicans, 60.
+
+     _Testament_, the New, written many years later than generally
+         supposed, 454.
+
+     _Therapeutae_, the, and Essenes the same, 423.
+
+     _Thor_, a Scandinavian god, 75;
+       considered the "Defender" and "Avenger," 75;
+       the Hercules of the Northern nations, 76;
+       the Sun personified, 76;
+       compared with David, 90, 91;
+       the son of Odin, 129.
+
+     _Thoth_, the deity itself, speaks and reveals to his elect among
+         men the will of God, 60.
+
+     _Thibet_, the religion of, similar to Christianity, 400.
+
+     _Three_, a sacred number among all nations of antiquity, 368-378.
+
+     _Thursday_, sacred to the Scandinavian god, Thor, 32.
+
+     _Tibet_, the religion of, similar to Roman Christianity, 400.
+
+     _Tien_, the name of the Supreme Power among the Chinese, 476.
+
+     _Titans_, the, struggled against Jupiter, 388.
+
+     _Tombs_, the, of persons who never lived in the flesh were to be
+         seen at different places, 510.
+
+     _Tower_, the, of Babel, 33;
+       parallels to, 35-37;
+       story of, borrowed from Chaldean sources, 102;
+       nowhere alluded to outside of Genesis, 103.
+
+     _Transmigration of Souls_, the, represented on Egyptian sculptures,
+         45;
+       taught by all nations of antiquity, 42-45.
+
+     _Transubstantiation_, the Heathen doctrine of, became a tenet of
+         the Christian faith, 313, 314.
+
+     _Tree_, the, of Knowledge, 2, 3;
+       parallels to, 3-16;
+       a Phallic tree, 101;
+       Zoroaster hung upon the, 195.
+
+     _Trefoil_, the, a sacred plant among the Druids of Britain, 353.
+
+     _Trimurti_, the, of the Hindoos, 369;
+       the same as the Christian Trinity, 369, 370.
+
+     _Trinity_, the, doctrine of, the most mysterious of the Christian
+         church, 368;
+       adored by the Brahmins of India, 369;
+       the inhabitants of China and Japan, 371;
+       the Egyptians, 373;
+       and many other nations of antiquity, 373-378;
+       can be explained by allegory only, 561.
+
+     _Twelve_, the number which applies to the twelve signs of the
+         Zodiac, to be found in all religions of antiquity, 498.
+
+     _Twins_, the Mexican Eve the mother of, 15.
+
+     _Types_ of Christ Jesus, Crishna, Buddha, Bacchus, Hercules,
+         Adonis, Osiris, Horus, &c., all of them were, 408;
+       all the sun-gods of Paganism were, 500.
+
+     _Typhon_, the destroying principle in the Egyptian Trinity,
+         corresponding to the Siva of the Hindoos, 561.
+
+
+     U.
+
+     _Upright Emblem_, the, or the "Ashera," stood in the temple at
+         Jerusalem, 47.
+
+     _Uriel_, the angel, borrowed from Chaldean sources, 109.
+
+     _Ushas_, the flame-red chariot of, compared to the fiery chariot of
+         Elijah, 90.
+
+     _Utsthala_, the island of, 78.
+
+
+     V.
+
+     _Valentine, St._, formerly the Scandinavian god Vila, 399.
+
+     _Valhalla_, the Scandinavian Paradise, 390.
+
+     _Vasudeva_, a name of Crishna, 114.
+
+     _Vedas_, the, antiquity of, 450.
+
+     _Vedic Poems_, the, show the origin and growth of Greek and
+         Teutonic mythology, 468.
+
+     _Venus_, the Dove was sacred to the goddess, 357.
+
+     _Vernal equinox_, the, festivals held at the time of, by the
+         nations of antiquity, 392.
+
+     _Vespasian_, the Miracles of, 268, 269.
+
+     _Vestal Virgins_, the, were bound by a solemn vow to preserve their
+         chastity for a space of thirty years, 403.
+
+     _Vicar_ of God on Earth, the Grand Lama of the Tartars considered
+         to be the, 118.
+
+     _Vila_, the god, of the Scandinavians, changed to St. Valentine, 399.
+
+     _Virgin_, the worship of a, before the Christian era, 326.
+
+     _Virgo_, the, of the Zodiac personified as a Virgin Mother.
+
+     _Vishnu_, appeared as a fish, at the time of the Deluge, 25;
+       the mediating or preserving God in the Hindoo Trinity, 369.
+
+     _Votan_, of Guatemala, 130.
+
+     _Votive_ offerings, given by the Heathen to their gods, and now
+         practiced by the Christians, 258, 259.
+
+     _Vows of Chastity_, taken by the males and females who entered
+         Pagan monasteries, 402, 403.
+
+
+     W.
+
+     _War in Heaven_, the, believed in by the principal nations of
+         antiquity, 368.
+
+     _Wasi_, the priest and law-giver of the Cherokees, 130.
+
+     _Water_, purification from sin by, a Pagan ceremony, 317-323.
+
+     _Wednesday_, Woden's or Odin's day, 393.
+
+     _Welsh_, the, as late as the seventeenth century, during eclipses,
+         ran about beating kettles and pans, 536.
+
+     _West_, the sun-gods die in the, 493.
+
+     _Wisdom_, Ganesa the god of, 117.
+
+     _Wise Men_, worshiped the infant Jesus, 150;
+       worshiped the infant Crishna, 151;
+       worshiped the infant Buddha, 151;
+       and others, 151, 152.
+
+     _Wittoba_, the god, crucified, 185.
+
+     _Wodin_, or Odin, the supreme god of the Scandinavians, 393.
+
+     _Wolf_, the, an emblem of the Destroying power, 80.
+
+     _Word_, or Logos, the, of John's Gospel, of Pagan origin, 374.
+
+     _World_, the, destroy by a deluge, whenever all the planets met in
+         the sign of Capricorn, 103.
+
+
+     X.
+
+     _Xaca_, born of a Virgin, 119.
+
+     _Xelhua_, one of the seven giants rescued from the flood, 37.
+
+     _Xerxes_, the god of, is the _devil_ of to-day, 391;
+       the Zend-avesta older than the inscriptions of, 452.
+
+     _Xisuthrus_, the deluge happened in the days of, 22;
+       was the tenth King of the Chaldeans, 23;
+       had three sons, 23;
+       was translated to heaven, 90.
+
+     _X-P_, the, was formerly a monogram of the Egyptian Saviour Osiris,
+         but now the monogram of Christ Jesus, 350.
+
+
+     Y.
+
+     _Yadu_, Vishnu became incarnate in the House of, 113.
+
+     _Yao_, or Jao, a sacred name, 49.
+
+     _Yan_-hwuy, the favorite disciples of Confucius, 121.
+
+     _Yar_, the angel, borrowed from Chaldean sources, 109.
+
+     _Yen-she_, the mother of Confucius, 121.
+
+     _Y-ha-ho_, a name esteemed sacred among the Egyptians, 48;
+       the same as Jehovah, 48.
+
+     _Yezua_, the name Jesus is pronounced in Hebrew, 196.
+
+     _Yoni_, the, attached to the head of the crucified Crishna, 185;
+       symbolized nature, 496.
+
+     _Yoser_, the term (Creator) first brought into use by the prophets
+         of the Captivity, 99.
+
+     _Yu_, a virgin-born Chinese sage, 120.
+
+     _Yucatan_, the Mayas of, worshiped a virgin-born god, 130;
+       crosses found in, 201.
+
+     _Yule_, the old name for Christmas, 365.
+
+     _Yumna_, the river, divided by Crishna, 57.
+
+
+     Z.
+
+     _Zama_, the only-begotten Son of the Supreme God, according to the
+         Mayas of Yucatan, 130.
+
+     _Zarathustra_ (see Zoroaster).
+
+     _Zend-Avesta_, the sacred writings of the Parsees, 7;
+       signifies the "Living Word," 59;
+       older than the cuneiform inscriptions of Cyrus, 452.
+
+     _Zephyrinus_, the truth corrupted by, 135.
+
+     _Zeru-akerene_, the Supreme God of the Persians, 245.
+
+     _Zerubabel_, supposed to be the Messiah, 432.
+
+     _Zeupater_, the Dyaus-pitar of Asia, became the, of the Greeks, 477.
+
+     _Zeus_, the Supreme God of the Greeks, 477;
+       visited Danae in a golden shower, 481.
+
+     _Zome_, a supernatural being worshiped in Brazil, 130.
+
+     _Zoroaster_, the Law giver of the Persians, 59;
+       receives the "Book of the Law" from Ormuzd, 59;
+       the Son of Ormuzd, 123;
+       a dangerous child, 169;
+       a "Divine Messenger," 194;
+       the "First-born of the Eternal One," 195;
+       performed miracles, 256;
+       the religion of the Persians established by, 451.
+
+
+
+
+TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
+
+
+The abbreviations B. C. and A. D. have been spaced throughout the text
+for consistency.
+
+The anchors for footnotes [44:3] and [112:2] are missing in the original
+and have been added by the Transcriber.
+
+Footnote [288:5] reads as follows: "Williams' Hinduism, pp. 119-110."
+The page references are in error, but Transcriber has left the note as
+printed.
+
+Some of the words in Footnote [560:2] are cut off in the page scan.
+Unclear words have been extrapolated from context.
+
+Footnote [564:5] is printed "John, Bishop of Constantinople, who died".
+Whatever text is intended to follow is missing from the original.
+Transcriber has added an ellipsis to indicate missing text.
+
+In Chapter XXXIX., there are two consecutive sections numbered 6. They
+have been left as in the original.
+
+     6. _He was born in a Cave._
+     6. _He was ordered to be put to death._
+
+The following corrections have been made to the text:
+
+     Page xii, under Bell (J.): in 2 vols. London: J. Bell,
+     1790.[period missing in original]
+
+     Page xii, under Blavatsky (H. P.): by H. P.
+     Blavatsky,[original has period] in 2 vols.
+
+     Page xv, under Hardy (R. S.): A Manual of Buddhism in its
+     Modern Development.[period missing in original]
+
+     Page xvi, under Higgins (Godfrey): London: Longman,
+     Rees,[comma missing in original] Orne, Brown & Longman.
+
+     Page xviii, under Lillie (Arthur): London: Truebner[original
+     has Trubner] & Co.
+
+     Pave xviii, under Mary (Apoc.): The Gospel of the Birth of
+     Mary, attributed to St. Matthew.[original has comma]
+
+     Page xviii, under Maurice (Thomas): compared with those of
+     Persia, Egypt[original has Egyp-]
+
+     Page xviii, under Montfaucon (B.): Second edit.[period missing
+     in original] Paris: 1722.
+
+     Page xxii, under Taylor (Robert): Evidences, and Early History
+     of Christianity[original has Chiristianity]
+
+     Page xxii, under Taylor (Robert): Boston:[original has
+     semi-colon] J. P. Mendum
+
+     Page xxiii: Beausobre's[original has Beausobres'] _Histoire
+     Critique de Manichee et du Manicheisme_
+
+     Page xxiii: Sir John Malcolm's[original has Malcom's] _History
+     of Persia_
+
+     Page 3: closed up the flesh instead thereof."[closing
+     quotation mark missing in original]
+
+     Page 10: it was in a gentle slumber."[closing quotation mark
+     missing in original]
+
+     Page 11: the power of the resurrection."[closing quotation
+     mark missing in original]
+
+     Page 23: in his "Ancient Fragments," the[original has "The]
+     history
+
+     Page 32: Agni, the[original has the the] Hindoo god
+
+     Page 52: "[quotation mark missing in original]The whole
+     multitude of the people
+
+     Page 55: Chambers's Encyclopaedia[original has Encylopaedia]
+
+     Page 82: this founder of civilization[original has
+     cizilization] has a _Solar character_
+
+     Page 89: as Pharaoh's[original has Pharoah's] daughter did
+     with the child
+
+     Page 107: "[original has single quote]The student of Pagan
+     religion
+
+     Page 109: (Joel,[original has period] iii. 6)
+
+     Page 136: Xisuthrus[original has Xisthrus] (who is the
+     Chaldean hero)
+
+     Page 141: birth of great men[original has greatmen], such as
+     Abraham
+
+     Page 146: mankind by persuading[original has pursuading] them
+     to eat
+
+     Page 149: apocryphal Gospel called "[quotation mark missing in
+     original]_Protevangelion_"
+
+     Page 176: applied himself to practice asceticism[original has
+     ascetcism]
+
+     Page 181: folly it is to expect salvation[original has
+     savlation]
+
+     Page 182: temple of the Laphystian[original has Laphystan]
+     Jupiter
+
+     Page 245: who appear before him as the judge.[original has
+     extraneous quotation mark]
+
+     Page 247: _all things were created by him_."[original has
+     single quote]
+
+     Page 282: Jesus was pierced with a spear.[282:4][period and
+     footnote anchor missing in original]
+
+     Page 283: 36. "[quotation mark missing in original]And after
+     six days
+
+     Page 284: fix his heart and thoughts on God alone."[closing
+     quotation mark missing in original]
+
+     Page 287: Aristotle[original has Aristote] a picker-up of
+     ethics
+
+     Page 298: [original has extraneous quotation mark]Well
+     authenticated records establish
+
+     Page 299: "[quotation mark missing in original]When the time
+     came
+
+     Page 300: Gautama Buddha taught that all men are
+     brothers;[semi-colon missing in original]
+
+     Page 301: before the practice of shaving the head[original has
+     dead]
+
+     Page 302: "[quotation mark missing in original]_We know_ that
+     the _Fo-pen-hing_ was translated
+
+     Page 302: "[quotation mark missing in original]These Gathas
+     were evidently composed
+
+     Page 302: "[quotation mark missing in original]It would be a
+     natural inference
+
+     Page 303: around the idea of a _Chakravarti_[original has
+     Chakrawarti]
+
+     Page 308: "[quotation mark missing in original]For you either
+     know, or can know
+
+     Page 312: the flesh and bones of _Vitziliputzli_[original has
+     Vitzilipuzlti]
+
+     Page 313: It suggests itself to our mind that[original has
+     that that] this style
+
+     Page 321: he saw some one undergoing baptism by
+     aspersion.[original has extraneous colon]
+
+     Page 322: blessing from the _Saviour_ Quetzalcoatle[original
+     has Quetzacoatle]
+
+     Page 330: worshiped a Virgin Mother and Son,[original has
+     period] who was represented
+
+     Page 334: title of "Queen of Heaven."[closing quotation mark
+     missing in original]
+
+     Page 340: It is placed by Mueller[original has Muller]
+
+     Page 342: it is the hieroglyph[original has hierogylph] of
+     goodness
+
+     Page 343: also the symbol[original has symobl] of the
+     Babylonian god Bal
+
+     Page 351: I. E. E. S.[period missing in original], was a
+     monogram of Bacchus
+
+     Page 393: no work should be undertaken."[quotation mark
+     missing in original]
+
+     Page 399: Thames River god officiates[original has officates]
+     at the baptism
+
+     Page 405: Cardinal Baronius[original has Baronias]
+
+     Page 405: emblems of either the Linga[original has Lingha] or
+     Yoni
+
+     Page 407: "[quotation mark missing in original]To the
+     emperor,--a mere worldling
+
+     Page 416: unruly evil, full of deadly poison."[quotation mark
+     missing in original]
+
+     Page 443: Whose judgment stronger grows, acts always
+     right."[closing quotation mark missing in original]
+
+     Page 447: crowds which usually[original has unsually] fill the
+     apartments
+
+     Page 449: doubt was that SOPATER the philosopher[original has
+     philospher]
+
+     Page 459: for there[original has their] being _four_ Gospels
+
+     Page 460: may be found to-day[original has to day] in our
+     canonical New Testament
+
+     Page 464: concerning the genuineness[original has genuiness]
+     of writings
+
+     Page 467: the light approaches.'[single quote missing in
+     original]"
+
+     Page 479: birth of the god _Sol_, the beneficent[original has
+     benificent] Saviour
+
+     Page 487: _crucified in the heavens for the salvation of
+     man_."[quotation mark missing in original]
+
+     Page 507: Thus under a varied appellation[original has
+     appelation]
+
+     Page 510: Did not Damus[original has Damis], the beloved
+     disciple of Apollonius
+
+     Page 512: "[quotation mark missing in original]For many
+     deceivers are entered
+
+     Page 535: [original has extraneous quotation mark]In the
+     mythology of Finns
+
+     Page 538: the Hiong-nu, and the Japanese?"[quotation mark
+     missing in original]
+
+     Page 540: "[quotation mark missing in original]The Tunguse,
+     Mongolians, and a great part
+
+     Page 540: "[quotation mark missing in original]It is very
+     certain that thousands
+
+     Page 552: Max Mueller, the[original has The] Rev. George W. Cox
+
+     Page 557: most widely known[original has extraneous comma]
+     characters
+
+     Page 559: Hephaestos[original has Hesphaestos] as the young, not
+     yet risen _Sun_
+
+     Page 564: our Christian ancestors before _Eusebius_[original
+     has Esuebius]
+
+     Page 569: AEolus[original has AEolis]
+
+     Page 570, under Ascension: of Zoroaster, 216[comma and page
+     number missing in original]
+
+     Page 570, Atonement: the doctrine of,[comma missing in
+     original] taught before the time
+
+     Page 571, under Black God: the, crucified, 201.[original has
+     comma]
+
+     Page 572, under Carnutes: the, of Gaul, 198;[original has
+     comma] the Lamb of, 199.
+
+     Page 572, under Christ (Jesus): not identical with the
+     historical Jesus, 506.[period missing in original]
+
+     Page 573, under Claudius: Roman Emperor, 126;[original has
+     comma] considered divine, 126.
+
+     Page 573, under Conception: of Fo-hi[hyphen missing in
+     original], 119
+
+     Page 575, under Eclipse: of Julius Caesar,[comma missing in
+     original] 207
+
+     Page 575, under Essenes: and the Therapeutae[original has
+     Therapeute]
+
+     Page 575, under Females: fasted forty days before marriage,
+     179.[original has semi-colon]
+
+     Page 576, under Germans: under the name of Hertha,
+     334,[original has hyphen] 477
+
+     Page 577: Hau-Ki[original has Han-Ki]
+
+     Page 578, under Ioenah: Juno[original has Juna], suspended in
+     space
+
+     Page 579, under John the Baptist: the day of the
+     Summer[original has Sumner] Solstice
+
+     Page 579: under Judge of the Dead, Aeacus[original has AEeacus]
+
+     Page 580, under March 25th: honor of the Christian[original
+     has Christain] Virgin
+
+     Page 581, under Messiahs: time of Jesus, 196,[original has
+     semi-colon] 519
+
+     Page 582: Nebuchadnezzar[original has Nebuchadonazar]
+
+     Page 582: Nutar[original has Nuter] Nutra
+
+     Page 583, under Parthenon, the, at Athens[original has Atheas]
+
+     Page 584, under Portuguese: mountain in Ceylon, Pico[original
+     has Peco] d' Adama
+
+     Page 584: under Protogenia, mother of Aethlius[original has
+     AEthlius]
+
+     Page 584, under Ra: born from the side of his mother[original
+     has mothe.]
+
+     Page 584: Raam-ses[original has Raam-sees]
+
+     Page 585: Rosicrucians[original has Rosi-crucians]
+
+     Page 585, under Scandinavians, Beneficent[original has
+     Benificent] Saviour
+
+     Page 585, under Second Coming: of Kalewipoeg[original has
+     Kalewipeog]
+
+     Page 586, under Simon Magus: professed to be the "Word of
+     God,[original has semi-colon]" the "Paraclete," or
+     "Comforter," 164
+
+     Page 586, under Tacitus, the allusion to Jesus in, a forgery,
+     566-568.[page number references missing in original]
+
+     Page 587, under Tao-tse: formed by Lao-Kiun[original has
+     Lao-Kuin]
+
+     Page 588: under Yadu: Vishnu[original has Vishna] became
+     incarnate in the House of, 113
+
+     Page 589: _Zarathustra_[original has Zarathrustra] (see
+     Zoroaster).
+
+     Page 589, under Zend-Avesta, signifies the "Living
+     Word,[original has semi-colon]" 59
+
+     Page 589: Zerubabel[original has Zeru-babel]
+
+     Page 589, under Zeupater[original has Zeu-pater]: the
+     Dyaus-pitar[original has Dyans-pitar] of Asia
+
+     Footnote [23:6] Bhat, Maha and Thamaz.[original has extraneous
+     quotation mark]
+
+     Footnote [28:1] the Deluge of Noah and Xisuthrus[original has
+     Xisuthus]
+
+     Footnote [45:5] Indian Antiquities[original has Antiqities]
+
+     Footnote [45:8] See Child's Prog.[period missing in original]
+     Relig. Ideas
+
+     Footnote [46:4] vol.[original has extraneous comma] i. pp. 175,
+     276.
+
+     Footnote [70:4] See Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Art.[period
+     missing in original] "Hercules."
+
+     Footnote [80:2] En Gallois _Jon_, le Seigneur[original has
+     Seignenr], Dieu, la cause premiere.
+
+     Footnote [82:7] (Rev. S. Baring-Gould: Curious Myths, p.
+     367.)[closing parenthesis missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [92:5] vol. ii. ch. v. and vi.)[closing parenthesis
+     missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [98:1] by the Rev. Dr. Giles, 2[original has
+     extraneous period] vols.
+
+     Footnote [98:1]  "The Bible for Learners" (vols. i. and ii.),
+     by Prof. Oort[original has Oot]
+
+     Footnote [101:2] See Westropp[original has Westopp] & Wakes,
+     "Phallic Worship."
+
+     Footnote [119:1] See Asiatic[original has Asiastic] Res., vol.
+     x.
+
+     Footnote [134:3] to which[original has Which] the reader is
+     referred.
+
+     Footnote [167:2] Anacalypsis, vol. i. 130, 13-,[dash represents
+     a digit missing in original--original also has period instead
+     of comma]
+
+     Footnote [177:2] Chambers's Encyclo.[original has Enclyclo.]
+     art. "Zoroaster."
+
+     Footnote [183:2] redeeming love, _pays it all_."[original has
+     single quote]
+
+     Footnote [192:3] See AEschylus' "Prometheus Chained.[original
+     has comma]"
+
+     Footnote [195:2] Malcolm[original has Malcom]: Hist. Persia,
+     vol. i.
+
+     Footnote [199:3] Fergusson's Tree and Serpent Worship.)[closing
+     parenthesis missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [229:1] receive the reward (_of heaven_)."[quotation
+     mark missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [249:1] "[quotation mark missing in original]In the
+     beginning was the WORD
+
+     Footnote [251:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas,[original has period] ii.
+     p. 267.
+
+     Footnote [271:2] Contra Celsus[original has Celus], bk. 1, ch.
+     lxviii.[period missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [281:11] Matt. xxvi. 6-7[hyphen missing in original].
+
+     Footnote [283:13] the second member of the Tri-murti[original
+     has Tri-mutri]
+
+     Footnote [284:17] Quoted from Williams' Hinduism,[comma missing
+     in original] pp. 217-219.
+
+     Footnote [293:2] See Bunsen's[original has Buensen's]
+     Angel-Messiah
+
+     Footnote [308:5] "[quotation mark missing in original]De
+     Tinctione, de oblatione panis
+
+     Footnote [319:5] (Aug.[original has comma] Temp. Ser. ci.)
+
+     Footnote [319:7] stipatum me religiosa cohorte,[original has
+     period] deducit ad proximas balucas
+
+     Footnote [321:4] De-la-vint[original has De-la-vint]
+                      de l'Ilissus[original has l'ilissus] le candidat
+                      et l'eau de la[original has lar] mer
+                      le couronnoit[original has couronoit] de fleurs
+                      le plongeoit[original has pongeoit] dans le fleuve
+                          [original has fleure]
+
+     Footnote [328:4] pp. 47, 48,[comma missing in original] and
+     Higgins' Anacalypsis
+
+     Footnote [332:6] Fergusson's[original has Ferguson's] Tree and
+     Serpent Worship
+
+     Footnote [332:9] Stuckley: Pal. Sac. No. 1,[comma missing in
+     original] p. 34
+
+     Footnote [338:2] In Montfaucon[original has Montefaucon], vol.
+     i. plate xcv.
+
+     Footnote [342:4] See Colenso's Pentateuch Examined,[comma
+     missing in original] vol.
+
+     Footnote [349:9] See Basnage[original has Basuage] (lib. iii.
+     c. xxxiii.)
+
+     Footnote [362:5] (Encyclopaedia Brit., art.
+     "Christmas.")[closing parenthesis missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [373:3] I. John, v. 7. John,[comma missing in
+     original] i. 1.
+
+     Footnote [376:4] Monumental Christianity, p. 65,[original has
+     period] and Ancient
+
+     Footnote [392:2] See Prog.[period missing in original] Relig.
+     Ideas, vol. i. p. 216.
+
+     Footnote [393:1] (Dunlap's Spirit Hist., pp. 35, 36.)[closing
+     parenthesis missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [410:3] (Mosheim, vol. i. cent. 2, p. 202.)[closing
+     parenthesis missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [419:1] (Smith's Bible Dictionary, art.
+     "_Alexandria_.")[closing parenthesis missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [420:4] John, xii.[original has comma] 6; xiii. 29.
+
+     Footnote [423:4] indolent fraternities' of India."[original has
+     single quote]
+
+     Footnote [425:1] (Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2, ch.
+     xvii.)[closing parenthesis missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [435:2] non-seulement[original has non-sulement] ne
+                          disent pas ce qu'ils pensent
+                      mais disent[original has desent] tout le contraire
+                      sachent bien[original has bein] que ce sont des
+                          fables
+                      ont fait bruler[original has bruler] de saints
+                          personnages
+                      que ce n'est[original has cen'est]
+                      morceau de pain."[original has single quote]
+
+     Footnote [435:6] Giles' Hebrew and Christian Records,[comma
+     missing in original] vol. ii.
+
+     Footnote [478:1] (Goldzhier, pp. 158[original has 158, 158].
+     Knight, pp. 99, 100.)
+
+     Footnote [483:3] whole aggregate of existences."[quotation mark
+     missing in original]
+
+     Footnote [486:3] three of[original has o] the mysteries
+
+     Footnote [489:3] ([parenthesis missing in original]Quoted by
+     Wake: Phallism, &c., p. 43.)
+
+     Footnote [505:3] over the shoulders of Bellerophon[original has
+     Bellerphon]
+
+     Footnote [507:2] are the celebrated I. H. S.[original has I. S.
+     H.]
+
+     Footnote [517:1] thinks that Josephus'[apostrophe missing in
+     original] silence on the subject
+
+     Footnote [529:3] in what sense does[original has dose]
+     Christianity
+
+     Footnote [535:3] See Fergusson's[original has Ferguson's] Tree
+     and Serpent Worship
+
+     Footnote [546:2] Williams'[apostrophe missing in original]
+     Hinduism
+
+     Footnote [547:2] P.[original has p.] 118.
+
+     Footnote [562:4] Book iv.[period missing in original] ch. i. in
+     Anac.
+
+     Footnote [562:5] P.[original has p.] 6.
+
+     Footnote [563:1] Mueller's[original has Muller's] Chips, vol.
+     ii. p. 260.
+
+     Footnote [566:1] writers of antiquity, on account[original has
+     acount] of
+
+     Either a period has been added or a comma has been changed to
+     a period after the word "Ibid" in the following footnotes:
+     [36:9], [73:7], [74:8], [91:6], [91:10], [94:2], [94:3],
+     [94:6], [96:6], [99:1], [170:5], and [193:11].
+
+     Either a period has been added or a comma has been changed to
+     a period after the word "vol" in the following footnotes:
+     [145:1], [215:6], [403:10], [435:6], [469:1], and [505:3].
+
+     Either a period has been added or a comma has been changed to
+     a period after "p" or "pp" in the following footnotes: [12:1],
+     [145:1], and [478:1].
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Bible Myths and their Parallels in
+other Religions, by T. W. Doane
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIBLE MYTHS ***
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