,,the ,,world',s ,,sixteen ,,crucified  
,,saviors  ,,or1 ,,christianity ,,before
 ,,christ  ,,containing ,,new1          
,,startling1 ,,and ,,extraordinary      
,,revelations ,,in ,,religious          
,,history1 ,,which ,,disclose ,,the     
,,oriental ,,origin ,,of ,,all ,,the    
,,doctrines1 ,,principles1 ,,precepts1  
,,and ,,miracles ,,of ,,the ,,christian 
,,new ,,testament1 ,,and ,,furnishing ,a
 ,,key ,,for ,,unlocking ,,many ,,of    
,,its ,,sacred ,,mysteries1 ,,besides   
,,comprising ,,the ,,history ,,of #af   
,,heathen ,,crucified ,,gods4  ,by      
,kersey ,graves     ,,preface4          
,,inversely to the remoteness of time   
has been man's ascent toward the temple 
of knowledge4 ,truth has made its       
ingress into the human mind in the ratio
 by which man has attained the capacity 
to receive and appreciate it ,hence1 as 
we tread back the meandering pathway of 
human history1 every step in the        
receding process brings us to a lower   
plane of intelligence and a state of    

mind more thoroughly encrusted with     
ignorance and superstition4 ,it is1     
therefore1 no source of surprise to     
learn1 when we take a survey of the     
world two or three thousand years in the
 past1 that every religious writer of   
that era committed errors on every      
subject which employed his pen1         
involving a scientific principle4       
,hence1 the bible1 or sacred book1 to   
which he was a contributor1 is now found
 to bear the marks of human             
imperfection4 ,for the temple of        
knowledge was but partially reared1 and 
its chambers but dimly lighted up4 ,the 
intellectual brain was in a dark1 feeble
 and dormant condition4 ,hence1 the     
moral and religious feelings were       
drifted about without a pilot on the    
turbulent waves of superstition1 and    
finally stranded on the shoals of       
bigotry4 ,the ,christian bible1 like    
other bibles1 having been written in an 
age when science was but budding into   
life1 and philosophy had attained but a 

feeble growth1 should be expected to    
teach many things incompatible with the 
principles of modern science4 ,and      
accordingly it is found to contain1 like
 other bibles1 numerous statements so   
obviously at war with present           
established scientific truths that      
almost any school-boy1 at the present   
day1 can demonstrate their falsity4 ,let
 the unbiased reader examine and compare
 the oriental and ,christian bibles     
together1 and he will note the following
 facts1 viz3--  #a4 ,that the cardinal  
religious conceptions of all bibles are 
essentially the same--all running in    
parable grooves4  #b4 ,that every       
chapter of every bible is but a         
transcript of the mental chart of the   
writer4  #c4 ,that no bible1 pagan or   
,christian1 contains anything surpassing
 the natural1 mental and moral capacity 
of the writer to originate4 ,and hence  
no divine aid or inspiration was        
necessary for its production4  #d4 ,that
 the moral and religious teachings of no

 bible reach a higher altitude than the 
intelligence and mental development of  
the age and country which produced it4  
#e4 ,that the ,christian bible1 in some 
respects1 is superior to some of the    
other bibles1 but only to the extent to 
which the age in which it was written   
was superior in intelligence and natural
 mental capacity to the era in which the
 older bibles were penned2 and that this
 superiority consists not its more      
exalted religious conceptions1 but only 
in the fact that1 being of more modern  
origin1 the progress of mind had worn   
away some of the legendary rubbish of   
the past4 ,being written in a later and 
more enlightened age1 it is consequently
 a little less encrusted with           
mythological tradition and oriental     
imagery4 ,though not free from these    
elements1 it possesses them in less     
degree4 ,and by comparing ,christ's     
history with those of the oriental      
,gods1 it will be found3--  #a4 ,that he
 taught no new doctrine or moral        

precept4  #b4 ,that he inculcated the   
same religion and morality1 which he    
elaborated1 as other moral teachers1 to 
great extremes4  #c4 ,that ,christ      
differs so little in his character1     
preaching1 and practical life from some 
of the oriental ,gods1 that no person   
whose mind is not deplorably warped and 
biased by early training can call one   
divine while he considers the other     
human4  #d4 ,that if ,christ was a ,god1
 then all were ,gods4  ,the ,author4    
,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,second ,,edition4
  ,the author desires to say that this  
work has been carefully reviewed and    
corrected1 and some additions made1     
embracing two chapters from the ,bible  
of ,bibles1 and some explanatory notes1 
and is now able to place before the     
reader a greatly improved edition4  ,the
 author also desires to say here1 that  
the many flattering letters he has      
received from various parts of the      
country1 from those who have supplied   
themselves with the work1 excites in his

 mind the hope it will ultimately effect
 something towards achieving the        
important end sought to be attained by  
its publication--the banishment of that 
wide-spread delusion comprehended in the
 belief in an incarnate1 virgin-born    
,god1 called ,jesus ,christ1 and the    
infallibility of his teachings1 with the
 numerous evils growing legitimately out
 of this belief--among the most         
important of which is1 its cramping     
effect upon the mind of the possessor1  
which interdicts its growth1 and thus   
constitutes a serious obstacle to the   
progress both of the individual and of  
society4 ,and such has been the blinding
 effect of this delusion upon all who   
have fallen victims to its influence1   
that the numerous errors and evils of   
our popular system of religious faith1  
which constitutes its legitimate fruits1
 have passed from age to age1 unnoticed 
by all except scientific and progressive
 minds1 who are constantly bringing     
these errors and evils to light4 ,this  

state of things has been a source of    
sorrow and regret to every              
philanthropist desiring the welfare of  
the race4 ,and if this work shall       
achieve anything towards arresting this 
great evil1 the author will feel that he
 is amply compensated for the years of  
toil and mental labor spent in its      
preparation4  ,note4--,as the different 
works consulted have assigned different 
dates for the same event1 the author    
has1 in one or two cases1 followed their
 example1 accepting them as authority2  
as in the date of the birth and death of
 the ,gods of ,mexico4 ,the reader will 
also notice that the name of the same   
,god is found in different countries4   
,example--,adonis and ,bacchus are found
 amongst the ,gods of both ,greece and  
,egypt4     ,,explanation  ,the ,world's
 ,sixteen ,crucified ,saviors4 ,what an 
imposing title for a book6 ,what        
startling developments of religious     
history it implies6 ,is it founded on   
fact or on fiction8 ,if it has a basis  

of truth1 where was such an             
extraordinary mine of sacred lore       
discovered8 ,where were such startling  
facts obtained as the title of the work 
suggests4 ,these queries will doubtless 
arise as soliloquies in the minds of    
many readers on glancing at the         
title-page4 ,and the author is disposed 
to gratify this natural and most        
probable1 in some cases1 excited        
curiosity by a brief explanation4 ,in   
doing this1 he deems it only necessary1 
to state that many of the most important
 facts collated in this work were       
derived from ,sir ,godfrey ,higgins'    
,anacalypsis1 a work as valuable as it  
is rare--a work comprising the result of
 twenty years' labor1 devoted to the    
investigation of religious history4 ,and
 although embodying many important      
historical facts which should have      
commanded for it a word-wide            
circulation1 but a few copies of this   
invaluable treasury of religious        
knowledge have ever found their way into

 this country4 ,one of these copies the 
author of this work obtained1 at no     
inconsiderable expense1 long enough to  
glean from its pages such facts as he   
presumed would be most interesting and  
instructive to the general reader1 some 
of which will be found in nearly every  
chapter of this volume4 ,with the facts 
and materials derived from this source1 
and two hundred other unimpeachable     
historical records1 the present work    
might have been swelled to fourfold its 
present size without exhausting the     
author's ample store of materials and   
would have possessed such unwieldy      
dimensions but for a strict conformity  
to the most rigid rules of eclecticism  
and condensation4 ,encouraged by the    
extensive demand for his former work1   
,the ,biography of ,satan1 which has    
passed through seven editions1 the      
author cherishes the hope that the      
present work will meet with a           
circulation commensurate with the       
importance of the many invaluable facts 

which it contains4 ,for he possesses the
 sad conviction that the many religious 
errors and evils which it is the object 
of this work to expose1 operate very    
seriously to retard the moral and       
intellectual growth and prosperity of   
all ,christian countries4 ,they have the
 effect to injure mentally1 morally and 
religiously the great body of ,christian
 professors4  ,dr4 ,prince1 of ,long    
,island 7now deceased71 wrote to the    
author1 respecting the thirty-fifth     
chapter of this work1 entitled ,the     
,logical ,view of the ,incarnation1     
after he had seen it in the columns of a
 newspaper1 ,it is a masterly piece of  
logic1 and will startle1 if it does not 
revolutionize1 the orthodox world4 ,and 
the chapters comprising ',the           
,philosophical ,view1' and ',the        
,physiological ,view1' were afterward   
pronounced specimens of profound and    
unanswerable logical reasoning4 ,we thus
 call the reader's attention to these   
chapters in advance1 in order to induce 

that thorough attention to their facts  
and arguments which will result in      
banishing from his mind the last        
vestiges of a belief 7if he entertain   
any7 in the doctrine of the divine      
incarnation4   ,,important ,,facts      
,,constituting ,,the ,,basis ,,of ,,this
 ,,work4  ,,ignorance of science and    
ignorance of history are the two great  
bulwarks of religious error4 ,there is  
scarcely a tenet of religious faith now 
propagated to the world by the professed
 disciples of ,christ but that1 if      
subjected to a rigid test in the ordeal 
of modern science would be found to     
contain more or less error4 ,vast       
acquisitions have been made in the      
fields of science and history within the
 last half century1 the moral lessons of
 which have done much to undermine and  
unsettle our popular system of religious
 faith1 and to bring into disrepute or  
effectually change many of its          
long-cherished dogmas4 ,the scientific  
and historical facts thus brought before

 the intelligent public1 have served as 
keys for explaining many of the         
doctrines comprised in the popular      
creed4 ,they have poured a flood of     
light upon our whole system of religion 
as now taught by its popular            
representatives1 which have had the     
effect to reveal many of its errors to  
those who have had the temerity1 or the 
curiosity1 to investigate it upon these 
grounds4 ,many of the doctrines and     
miraculous events which have always been
 assigned a divine emanation by the     
disciples of the ,christian faith1 are1 
by these scientific and historical      
disclosures1 shown to be explainable    
upon natural grounds1 and to have       
exclusively a natural basis4 ,some of   
them are shown to be solvable by        
recently developed spiritual laws1 while
 others are proven to be founded wholly 
in error4 ,the intelligent community are
 now acquainted with many of these      
important facts1 so that no man of      
science can be found in this enlightened

 age who can popularly be termed a      
,christian4 ,no man can be found in any 
,christian country who has the          
established reputation of being a man of
 science1 or who has made any           
proficiency in the whole curriculum of  
the sciences1 whose creed1 when examined
 by an orthodox committee1 would not be 
pronounced unsound4 ,it is true that    
many of the scientific class1 not       
possessing the conviction that duty     
imposes the moral necessity of making   
living martyrs of themselves1 have      
refrained from fully avowing or         
disclosing to the public their real     
convictions of the popular faith4  ,the 
changes and improvements in religious   
ideas now observant in the most         
intelligent portion of the community1   
are due in part to the rapid progress of
 scientific discovery and the           
dissemination of scientific knowledge in
 ,christian countries4 ,the explorer in 
the field of religious history1 however1
 comes in here for his meed of praise4  

,new stores of historic facts and data  
may be reckoned among the recent        
acquisitions of the laborious           
archeologist2 new fountains of religious
 history have recently been unsealed1   
which have had the effect to reveal many
 errors and false claims set up for the 
current religion of ,christendom--a     
religion long regarded as settled and   
stereotyped4 ,for many centuries        
subsequent to the establishment of the  
,christian religion1 but little was     
known by its disciples of the character1
 claims and doctrines of the oriental   
systems of worship4 ,these religions1 in
 fact1 were scarcely known to exist1    
because they had long been veiled in    
secrecy4 ,they were found1 in some      
cases1 enshrined in religious books     
printed or written in a language so very
 ancient and obscure1 as to bid defiance
 for centuries to the labors of the most
 indefatigable1 profound and erudite    
archeological scholar to decipher it4   
,that obstacle is now partially         

surmounted4  ,the recent translation for
 the first time of the ,hindoo ,vedas   
into the ,english language 7the oldest  
bible now extant or ever written7 has   
revealed to the unwelcome gaze of the   
,christian reader the startling fact    
that the heathen had long been in       
possession of holy books1 possessing    
essentially the same character1 and     
teaching essentially the same doctrines 
as the ,christian bible--there being1 as
 ,horace ,greeley expressed it1 ,no     
doctrine of ,christianity but what has  
been anticipated by the ,vedas4 7,see   
,vol4 ,,ii41 ,chap4 i1 of this work47   
,if1 then1 this heathen bible 7compiled1
 according to the ,christian missionary1
 ,rev4 ,d4 ,g ,allen1 #adjj ,b4 ,c471   
contains all the doctrines of           
,christianity1 then away goes over the  
dam all claim for the ,christian bible  
as an original bible as an original     
revelation1 or a work of divine         
inspiration4  ,bibles are thus shown to 
be of heathen and human origin1 instead 

of heavenly and divine authorship1 as   
claimed for them by their respective    
disciples--the ,christian bible forming 
no exception to this statement4 ,the    
latter1 being essentially like other    
bibles1 it must1 of course1 have had the
 same or a similar origin--a fact which1
 though it may be new and startling to  
millions1 will be universally accepted  
as truth before the lapse of many       
generations1 and a fact which confronts 
with open denial the claims of two      
hundred millions of ,christian          
professors1 who assert with unscrupulous
 boldness that every doctrine1 principle
 and precept of their bible is of divine
 emanation4  ,how utterly groundless and
 untenable is such a claim when arranged
 by the side of modern discoveries in   
religious history6  ,equally            
unsupportable is the declaration that   
there is no other name given under      
heaven whereby men can be saved1 than   
that of ,jesus ,christ and him          
crucified1 when viewed in the light of  

the modern explorations of ,sir ,godfrey
 ,higgins1 which have disclosed the     
history of nearly a score of crucified  
,gods and sin-atoning ,saviors1 who1 we 
have equal proof1 died for the sins of  
mankind4  ,thus1 the two prime articles 
of the ,christian faith--,revelation and
 ,crucifixion--are forever established  
as human and heathen conceptions4 ,and  
the hope might be reasonably entertained
 that the important historical facts    
disclosed in this work will have the    
effect to open the eyes of the          
professors of the ,christian religion to
 see their serious error in putting     
forth such exalted claims for their     
bible and their religion as that of     
being perfect products of infinite      
wisdom1 did not the past history of all 
religious countries furnish sad proof   
that reason and logic1 and even the most
 cogent and convincing facts of science 
and history often prove powerless when  
arrayed against a religious conviction1 
enstamped upon the mind for thousands of

 years in the past1 and transmitted from
 parent to child until it has grown to a
 colossal stature1 and become a part of 
the living tissues of the soul4  ,no    
matter how glaringly absurd1 how        
palpably erroneous1 or how demonstrably 
false an opinion or doctrine is shown to
 be1 they cannot see it1 but will still 
continue to hug it to their bosoms as a 
divinely-revealed truth4 ,no facts or   
evidence can prove an overmatch for the 
inherited convictions of a thousand     
generations4 ,in this respect the       
,mahomedan1 the ,hindoo and the         
,christian all stand upon a level4 ,it  
is about as easy to convince one as the 
other of their easily demonstrated      
errors4   ,,religion ,,of ,,natural     
,,origin4  ,among the numerous errors   
traceable in the history of every       
religious sect1 commemorated in the     
annals of the world1 none possesses a   
more serious character1 or has been     
attended with more deplorable           
consequences1 than that of assigning a  

wrong origin to religion4 ,every bible1 
every sect1 every creed1 every          
catechism1 and every orthodox sermon    
teaches that religion is the gift of    
,god1 that it is infused into the soul  
by the spirit and power of the ,lord4   
,never was a greater mistake ever       
committed4 ,every student of            
anthropology1 every person who has read 
any of the numerous modern works on     
mental science1 and tested their        
easily-demonstrated facts1 knows that   
religion is of natural and not          
supernatural origin2 that it is a       
natural element of the human mind1 and  
not a direct gift from ,god2 that it    
grows as spontaneously out of the soul  
as flowers spring out of the ground4 ,it
 is as natural as eating1 sleeping or   
breathing4 ,this conclusion is not the  
offspring of mere imagination4 ,it is no
 hastily-concocted theory1 but an       
oft-demonstrated and                    
scientifically-established fact1 which  
any person can test the truth of for    

himself4  ,and this modern discovery    
will1 at no distant day1 revolutionize  
all systems of religious faith in       
existence1 and either dissolve and      
dissipate them1 or modify and establish 
them upon a more natural and enduring   
basis1 expurgated of their dogmatic     
errors4  ,let us1 then1 labor to banish 
the wide-spread delusion believed and   
taught by a thousand systems of         
worship--,jew1 ,pagan and               
,christian--that religion is of         
supernatural or divine origin1 and the  
many ruinous errors2 senseless dogmas   
and deplorable soul-crushing            
superstitions so thoroughly inwrought   
into the ,christian system will vanish  
like fog before the morning sun1 and be 
replaced by a religion which sensible1  
intelligent and scientific men and women
 can accept1 and will delight to honor  
and practice4     ,,address ,,to ,,the  
,,clergy4  ,,friends and                
brethren--teachers of the ,christian    
faith3 ,will you believe us when we tell

 you the divine claims of your religion 
are gone--all swept away by the logic of
 history1 and nullified by the          
demonstrations of science8  ,the        
recently opened fountains of historic   
law1 many of whose potent facts will be 
found interspersed through the pages of 
this work1 sweep away the last inch of  
ground on which can be predicated the   
least show for either the divine origin 
of the ,christian religion1 or the      
divinity of ,jesus ,christ4  ,for these 
facts demonstrate beyond all cavil and  
criticism1 and with a logical force     
which can leave not the vestige of a    
doubt upon any unbiased mind1 that all  
its doctrines are an outgrowth from     
older heathen systems4 ,several systems 
of religion essentially the same in     
character and spirit as that religion   
now known as ,christianity1 and setting 
forth the same doctrines1 principles and
 precepts1 and several personages       
filling a chapter in history almost     
identical with that of ,jesus ,christ1  

it is now known to those who are up with
 the discoveries and intelligence of the
 age1 were venerated in the ,east       
centuries before a religion called      
,christian1 or a personage called ,jesus
 ,christ were known to history4  ,will  
you not1 then1 give it up that your     
religion is merely a human production1  
reconstructed from heathen              
materials--from oriental systems several
 thousand years older than yours--or    
will you continue1 in spite of the      
unanimous and unalterable verdict of    
history1 science1 facts and logic1 to   
proclaim to the world the now           
historically demonstrated error which   
you have so long preached1 that ,god is 
the author of your religion1 and ,jesus 
,christ a ,deity-begotten ,messiah8     
,though you may have heretofore honestly
 believed these doctrines to be true1   
you can now no longer plead ignorance as
 an excuse for propagating such gigantic
 and serious errors1 as they are now    
overwhelmingly demonstrated by a        

thousand facts of history to be untrue4 
,you must abandon such exalted claims   
for your religion1 or posterity will    
mark you as being blind leaders of the  
blind4 ,they will heap upon your honored
 names their unmitigated ridicule and   
condemnation4 ,they will charge you as  
being either deplorably ignorant1 or    
disloyal to the cause of truth4 ,and    
shame and ignominy will be your portion4
  ,the following propositions 7fatal to 
your claims for ,christianity7 are      
established beyond confutation by the   
historical facts cited in this work1    
viz3--  #a4 ,there were many cases of   
the miraculous birth of ,gods reported  
in history before the case of ,jesus    
,christ4  #b ,also many other cases of  
,gods being born of virgin mothers4  #c4
 ,many of these ,gods1 like ,christ1    
were 7reputedly7 born on the #beth of   
,december4  #d4 ,their advent into the  
world1 like that of ,jesus ,christ1 is  
in many cases claimed to have been      
foretold by inspired prophets4  #e4     

,stars figured at the birth of several  
of them1 as in the case of ,christ4  #f4
 ,also angels1 shepherds1 and magi1 or  
wise men4  #g4 ,many of them1 like      
,christ1 were claimed to be of royal or 
princely descent4  #h4 ,their lives1    
like his1 were also threatened in       
infancy by the ruler of the country4    
#i4 ,several of them1 like him1 gave    
early proof of divinity4  #aj4 ,and1    
like him1 retired from the world and    
fasted4  #aa4 ,also1 like him1 declared1
 ,my kingdom is not of this world4  #ab4
 ,some of them preached a spiritual     
religion1 too1 like his4  #ac4 ,and were
 anointed with oil1 like him4  #ad4     
,many of them1 like him1 were crucified 
for the sins of the world4  #ae4 ,and   
after three days' interment rose from   
the dead4  #af4 ,and1 finally1 like him1
 are reported as ascending back to      
heaven4  #ag4 ,the same violent         
convulsions of nature at the crucifixion
 of several are reported4  #ah4 ,they   
were nearly all called ,saviors1 ,son of

 ,god1 ,messiah1 ,redeemer1 ,lord1 c4   
#ai4 ,each one was the second member of 
the trinity of ,father1 ,son and ,holy  
,ghost4  #bj4 ,the doctrines of         
,original ,sin1 ,fall of ,man1 ,the     
,atonement1 ,the ,trinity1 ,the ,word1  
,forgiveness1 ,an ,angry ,god1 ,future  
,endless ,punishment1 etc41 etc4 7see   
the author's ,biography of ,satan17 were
 a part of the religion of each of these
 sin-atoning ,gods1 as found set forth  
in several oriental bibles and holy     
books1 similar in character and spirit  
to the ,christian's bible1 and written1 
like it1 by inspired and holy men before
 the time of either ,christ or ,moses   
7before ,moses1 in some cases1 at       
least74 ,all these doctrines and        
declarations1 and many others not here  
enumerated1 the historical citations of 
this work abundantly prove1 were taught 
in various oriental heathen nations     
centuries before the birth of ,christ1  
or before ,christianity1 as a religion1 
was known in the world4  ,will you1     

then1 after learning these facts1 longer
 dare assert that ,christianity is of   
divine emanation1 or claim a special    
divine paternity for its author4 ,only  
the priest1 who loves his salary more   
than the cause of truth 7and ,i fear    
this class are numerous17 or who is     
deplorably ignorant of history1 will    
have the effrontery or audacity to do   
so4 ,for the historical facts herein set
 forth as clearly prove such assumptions
 to be false1 as figures can demonstrate
 the truth of any mathematical problem4 
,and no logic can overthrow1 and no     
sophistry can set aside these facts4    
,they will stand till the end of time in
 spite of your efforts either to evade1 
ignore1 or invalidate them4  ,we will   
here briefly state3--   ,,why ,,all     
,,the ,,ancient ,,religions ,,were      
,,alike4  ,two causes are obviously     
assignable for ,christianity in all its 
essential features and phases1 being so 
strikingly similar to the ancient pagan 
systems which preceded it1 as also the  

close analogies of all the principal    
systems1 whose doctrines and practical  
teachings have found a place on the     
pages of history4  #a4 ,the primary and 
constituent elements and properties of  
human nature being essentially the same 
in all countries and all centuries1 and 
the feeling called ,religion being a    
spontaneous outgrowth of the devotional 
elements of the human mind1 the         
coincidence would naturally produce     
similar feelings1 similar thoughts1     
similar views and similar doctrines on  
the subject of religion in different    
countries1 however widely separated4    
,this accounts in part for the analogous
 features observable in all the primary 
systems of religious faith1 which have  
flourished in the past ages4  #b4 ,a    
more potent cause1 however1 for the     
proximate identity extending to such an 
elaborate detail1 as is evinced by the  
foregoing schedule1 is found in the     
historical incident which brought the   
disciples of the various systems of     

worship together1 face to face1 in the  
then grand religious emporium of the    
world--the royal and renowned city of   
,alexandria1 the capital of ,egypt      
,here1 drawn together by various motives
 and influences1 the devotee of ,india  
7the devout disciple of ,buddhism71 the 
ever-prayerful worshipper of ,mithra1   
the ,mediator1 the representatives of   
the crucified ,quexalcoate of ,mexico1  
the self-denying ,essene1 the           
superstitious ,egyptian1 the godly      
,chaldean1 the imitative ,judean        
founders of ,christianity1 and the      
disciples of other sin-atoning ,gods1   
met and interchanged ideas1 discussed   
their various dogmas1 remolded their    
doctrines1 and recast and rehabilitated 
their systems of religious faith by     
borrowing from each other1 and from     
other systems there represented4 ,in    
this way all became remarkably similar  
and alike in all their doctrines and    
details4 ,and thus the mystery is       
solved1 and the singular resemblance of 

all the ancient systems of religion     
satisfactorily accounted for4 7,for a   
fuller explanation of this matter1 see  
,chapters ,,xxx4 and ,,xxxi4 of this    
work47  ,in conclusion1 please note the 
following points3--  #a4 ,the religious 
conceptions of the ,old ,testament are  
as easily traced to heathen sources as  
those of the ,new ,testament4 ,but we   
are compelled to exclude such an        
exposition from this work4  #b4 ,the    
comparative exhibition of the doctrines 
and teachings of twenty bibles which    
proves them to be in their leading      
features essentially alike 7originally  
designed for this volume71 is found to  
be1 when completed1 of sufficient       
magnitude to constitute a volume of     
itself4  #c4 ,here ,i desire to impress 
upon the minds of my clerical brethren  
the important fact1 that the gospel     
histories of ,christ were written by men
 who had formerly been ,jews 7see ,acts 
xxi4 #bj71 and probably possessing the  
strong proclivity to imitate and borrow 

which their bible shows was             
characteristic of that nation2 and being
 written many years after ,christ's     
death1 according to that standard       
,christian author1 ,dr4 ,lardner1 it was
 impossible1 under such circumstances1  
for them to separate 7if they had       
desired to7 the real facts and events of
 his life from the innumerable fictions 
and fables then afloat everywhere       
relative to the heathen ,gods who had   
pre-enacted a similar history4 ,two     
reasons are thus furnished for their    
constructing a history of ,christ almost
 identical with that of other ,gods1 as 
shown in chapters ,,xxx41 ,,xxxi4 and   
,,xxxii4 of this work4  #d4 ,the        
singular and senseless defense of your  
now tottering system we have known to be
 attempted by members of your order1 by 
the self-complacent soliloquy           
,christianity1 whether divine or human1 
is good enough for me4 ,but such a      
subterfuge betrays both a weak mind and 
a weak cause4 ,the disciples of all the 

oriental systems cherished a similar    
feeling and a similar sentiment4 ,and   
the deluded followers of ,brigham ,young
 exclaimed in like manner1 ,i want      
nothing better than ,mormonism4 ,snakes1
 lizards and frogs are good enough for  
me1 a ,south ,sea ,islander once        
exclaimed to a missionary1 when a reform
 diet was proposed4 ,such logic1 if     
universally adopted1 would keep the     
world eternally in barbarism4 ,no       
progress can be made where such         
sentiments prevail4 ,the truth is1 no   
system of religion1 whatever its        
ostensible marks of perfection1 can long
 remain good enough for aspiring and    
progressive minds1 unless occasionally  
improved1 like other institutions4 ,and 
then it should be borne in mind1 that   
our controversy does not appertain so   
much to the character as to the origin  
of the ,christian religion4 ,our many   
incontrovertible proofs1 that it is of  
human and heathen origin1 proves at the 
same time that it is an imperfect       

system1 and as such1 needing occasional 
improvement1 like other institutions4   
,and its assumed perfection and divine  
origin which have always guarded it from
 improvement1 amply accounts for its    
present corrupt1 immoral1 declining and 
dying condition4 ,and it will ere long  
die with paralysis1 unless its          
assumption of divine perfection is soon 
exchanged for the principles of         
improvement and reconstruction4 ,this   
policy alone can save it4  #e4 ,we will 
here notice another feeble1 futile and  
foolish expedient we have known resorted
 to by persons of your order to save    
your sinking cause when the evidence is 
presented with such cogency as to admit 
of no disproof1 that all the important  
doctrines of ,christianity were taught  
by older heathen systems before the era 
of ,christ ,the plea is1 that those     
systems were mere types1 or ante-types1 
of the ,christian religion4 ,but this   
plea is of itself a borrowed subterfuge 
of heathenism1 and is moreover devoid of

 evidence4 ,the ancient ,egyptians1 also
 the ,greeks1 claimed that ,brahminism  
was a type1 or ante-type1 of their      
religious systems4 ,and ,mahomedans now 
claim that both ,judaism and            
,christianity were designed by ,god as  
foreshadowing types of religion of the  
,koran4 ,and the disciples of more than 
a thousand systems of religion which    
have flourished in past ages1 could have
 made such logic equally available in   
showing1 in each case1 that every system
 preceding theirs was designed by       
,infinite ,wisdom as simply a typical or
 ante-typical forerunner of theirs4 ,how
 ridiculous and senseless1 therefore1 is
 the argument thus shown to be when     
critically examined in the light of     
history6 ,so much so as scarcely to     
merit a serious notice4  #f4 ,here      
permit us to say that we believe        
,christianity to be not only of human   
origin1 but of natural origin also2 ,i  
that is1 a natural outgrowth1 like other
 systems1 of the religious elements of  

the human mind--a hypothesis which      
accounts most beautifully for the       
numerous human imperfections now visible
 in nearly every line of its teachings4 
,those imperfections correspond exactly 
to the imperfect minds which produced   
it4  #g4 ,and we believe that the       
principle teacher of ,christianity1 the 
man ,christ ,jesus1 possessed a very    
exalted and superior mind for that age  
in the moral and religious departments1 
and in the intellectual to some extent  
also4 ,but his superiority in these     
respects was not probably greater than  
that of ,zera ,colburn or ,henry        
,salford in the mathematical department4
 ,and all probably derived their        
peculiar extraordinary traits of mind   
from the same causes--that of strong    
psychological influence impressed upon  
the mind of the mothers prior to their  
births4 ,had these ante-natal influences
 been as well understood then as now1 we
 presume ,christ would have escaped the 
fate of an exaltation to the ,godhead4  

,the author1 stating the above1         
demonstrates that same      assumption  
of a truth which he criticises in the   
,christians1 ,mohamedens and other      
proponents of religions4      ,ed4  #h4 
,in conclusion1 permit us to say that   
the numerous and overwhelming facts of  
this work render it utterly impossible  
that the exalted claims you put forth   
for your religion and its assumed author
 7that of a divine character7 can be    
true4 ,and posterity will so decide1    
whether you do or not4  ,cherishing for 
you naught but feelings of kindness and 
brotherly love1 and desiring to promote 
the truth1 we will answer any question1 
or discuss any proposition embraced in  
this work you may desire4  ,your        
brother1  ,kersey ,graves4     ,,the    
,,world',s ,,sixteen ,,crucified        
,,saviors4     ,,chapter ,i4 ,,rival    
,,claims ,,of ,,the ,,saviors  ,,it is  
claimed by the disciples of ,jesus      
,christ1 that he was of supernatural and
 divine origin2 that he had a human     

being for a mother1 and a ,god for his  
father2 that1 although he was           
woman-conceived1 he was ,deity-begotten1
 and molded in the human form1 but      
comprehending in essence a full measure 
of the infinite ,godhead2 thus making   
him half human and half divine in his   
sublunary origin4 ,it is claimed that he
 was full and perfect ,god1 and perfect 
man2 and while he was ,god1 he was also 
the son of ,god1 and as such was sent   
down by his father to save a fallen and 
guilty world2 and that thus his mission 
pertained to the whole human race2 and  
his inspired seers are made to declare  
that ultimately every nation1 tongue1   
kindred1 and people under heaven will   
acknowledge allegiance to his           
government1 and concede his right to    
reign and rule the world2 that every    
knee must bow1 and every tongue confess 
that ,jesus is ,lord1 to the glory of   
,god the ,father4  ,but we do not find  
that this prophecy has ever been or is  
likely to be fulfilled4 ,we do not      

observe that this claim to the infinite 
deityship of ,jesus ,christ has been or 
is likely to be universally conceded4   
,on the contrary1 it is found that by a 
portion1 and a large portion of the     
people of even those nations now called 
,christian1 this claim has been steadily
 and unswervingly controverted1 through 
the whole line of history1 stretching   
through the nearly two thousand years   
which have elapsed since his advent to  
earth4  ,even some of those who are     
represented to have been personally     
acquainted with him--aye6 some of his   
own brethren in the flesh1 children in  
the same household1 children of the same
 mother--had the temerity to question   
the tenableness of his claim to a divine
 emanation4 ,and when we extend our     
researches to other countries1 we find  
this claim1 so far from being conceded1 
is denied and contested by whole nations
 upon other grounds4 ,it is met and     
confronted by rival claims4  ,upon this 
ground hundreds of millions of the      

established believers in divine         
revelation--hundreds of millions of     
believers in the divine character and   
origin of religion--eject the           
pretentions set up for ,jesus ,christ4  
,they admit both a ,god and a ,savior1  
but do not accept ,jesus of ,nazareth as
 being either4 ,they admit a ,messiah1  
but not the ,messiah2 these nations     
contend that the title is misplaced     
which makes the man ,christ ,jesus the  
,savior of the world4 ,they claim to    
have been honored with the birth of the 
true ,savior among them1 and defend this
 claim upon the ground of priority of   
date4 ,they aver that the advent of     
their ,messiahs were long prior to that 
of the ,christians'1 and that this      
circumstance adjudicates for them a     
superiority of claim as to having had   
the true ,messiah born upon their soil4 
,it is argued that1 as the story of the 
incarnation of the ,christians' ,savior 
is of more recent date than that of     
these oriental and ancient religions 7as

 is conceded by ,christians themselves71
 the origin of the former is thus       
indicated and foreshadowed as being an  
outgrowth from1 if not a plagiarism upon
 the latter--a borrowed copy1 of which  
the pagan stories furnish the original4 
,here1 then1 we observe a rivalship of  
claims1 as to which of the remarkable   
personages who have figured in the world
 as ,saviors1 ,messiahs1 and ,sons of   
,god1 in different ages and different   
countries1 can be considered the true   
,savior and sent of ,god or whether all 
should be1 or the claims of all         
rejected4  ,for researches into oriental
 history reveal the remarkable fact that
 stories of incarnate ,gods answering to
 and resembling the miraculous character
 of ,jesus ,christ have been prevalent  
in most if not all the principal        
religious heathen nations of antiquity2 
and the accounts and narrations of some 
of these deific incarnations bear such a
 striking resemblance to that of the    
,christian ,savior--not only in their   

general features1 but in some cases in  
the most minute details1 from the legend
 of the immaculate conception to that of
 the crucifixion1 and subsequent        
ascension into heaven--that one might   
almost be mistaken for the other4  ,more
 than twenty claims of this kind--claims
 of beings invested with divine honor   
7deified7--have come forward and        
presented themselves at the bar of the  
world with their credentials1 to contest
 the verdict of ,christendom1 in having 
proclaimed ,jesus ,christ1 the only son1
 and sent of ,god3 twenty ,messiahs1    
,saviors1 and ,sons of ,god1 according  
to history or tradition1 have1 in past  
times1 descended from heaven1 and taken 
upon themselves the form of men1        
clothing themselves with human flesh1   
and furnishing incontestable evidence of
 a divine origin1 by various miracles1  
marvelous works1 and superlative        
virtues2 and finally these twenty ,jesus
 ,christs 7accepting their character for
 the name7 laid the foundation for the  

salvation of the world1 and ascended    
back to heaven4  #a4 ,chrishna of       
,hindostan4  #b4 ,budha ,sakia of       
,india4  #c4 ,salivahana of ,bermuda4   
#d4 ,zulis1 or ,zhule1 also ,osiris and 
,orus1 of ,egypt4  #e4 ,odin of the     
,scandinavians4  #f4 ,crite of ,chaldea4
  #g4 ,zoroaster and ,mithra of ,persia4
  #h4 ,baal and ,taut1 the only         
,begotten of ,god1 of ,phenicia4  #i4   
,indra of ,thibet4  #aj4 ,bali of       
,afghanistan4  #aa4 ,jao of ,nepaul4    
#ab4 ,wittoba of the ,bilingonese4  #ac4
 ,thammuz of ,syria4  #ad4 ,atys of     
,phrygia4  #ae4 ,xamolxis of ,thrace4   
#af4 ,zoar of the ,bonzes4  #ag4 ,adad  
of ,assyria4  #ah4 ,deva ,tat1 and      
,sammonocadam of ,siam4  #ai4 ,alcides  
of ,thebes4  #bj4 ,mikado of the        
,sintoos4  #ba4 ,beddru of ,japan4  #bb 
,hesus or ,eros1 and ,bremrillah1 of the
 ,druids4  #bc4 ,thor1 son of ,odin1 of 
the ,gauls4  #bd4 ,cadmus of ,greece4   
#be4 ,hil and ,feta of the ,mandaites4  
#bf4 ,gentaut and ,quexalcote of        

,mexico4  #bg4 ,universal ,monarch of   
the ,sibyls4  #bh4 ,ischy of the ,island
 of ,formosa4  #bi4 ,divine ,teacher of 
,plato4  #cj4 ,holy ,one of ,xaca4  #ca4
 ,fohi and ,tien of ,china4  #cb4       
,adonis1 son of the virgin ,io of       
,greece4  #cc4 ,ixion and ,quirinus of  
,rome4  #cd4 ,prometheus of ,caucasus4  
#ce4 ,mohamud1 or ,mahomet1 of ,arabia4 
,these have all received divine honors1 
have nearly all been worshiped as ,gods1
 or sons of ,god2 were mostly incarnated
 as ,christs1 ,saviors1 ,messiahs1 or   
,mediators2 not a few of them were      
reputedly born of virgins2 some of them 
filling a character almost identical    
with that ascribed by the ,christian's  
bible to ,jesus ,christ2 many of them1  
like him1 are reported to have been     
crucified2 and all of them1 taken       
together1 furnish a prototype and       
parallel for nearly every important     
incident and wonder-inciting miracle1   
doctrine and precept recorded in the    
,new ,testament1 of the ,christian's    

,savior4 ,surely1 with so many ,saviors 
the world cannot1 or should not1 be     
lost4  ,we have now presented before us 
a two-fold ground for doubting and      
disputing the claims put forth by the   
,christian world in behalf of ,our ,lord
 and ,savior ,jesus ,christ4 ,in the    
first place1 allowing the question to be
 answered in the affirmative as to      
whether he was really a ,savior1 or     
supernatural being1 or more than a mere 
man1 a negative answer to which seems to
 have been sprung 7as previously        
intimated7 at the very hour of his      
birth1 and that by his kindred1 his own 
nearest relatives2 as it is declared1   
his own brethren did not believe on     
him--a skepticism which has been growing
 deeper and broader from that day to    
this4  ,and now1 upon the heel of this  
question1 we find another formidable    
query to be met and answered1 viz43 ,was
 he 7,christ7 the only ,savior1 seeing  
that a multitude of similar claims are  
now upon our council-board to be        

disposed of8  ,we shall1 however1 leave 
the theologians of the various religious
 schools to adjust and settle this      
difficulty among themselves4 ,we shall  
leave them to settle the question as    
best they can as to whether ,jesus      
,christ was the only son and sent of    
,god--the only begotten of the ,father1 
as ,john declares him to be 7,john i4   
#ad7--;in view of the fact that long    
prior to his time various personages1 in
 different nations1 were invested with  
the title ,son of ,god1 and have left   
behind them similar proofs and          
credentials of the justness of their    
claims to such a title1 if being        
essentially alike--as we shall prove and
 demonstrate them to be--can make their 
claims similar4  ,we shall present an   
array of facts and historical proofs1   
drawn from numerous histories and the   
,holy ,scriptures and bibles            
appertaining to these various ,saviors1 
and which include a history of their    
lives and doctrines1 that will go to    

show that in nearly all their leading   
features1 and mostly even in their      
details1 they are strikingly similar4   
,a comparison1 or parallel view1        
extended through their sacred histories1
 so as to include an exhibition         
presented in parallels of the teachings 
of their respective bibles1 would make  
it clearly manifest that1 with respect  
to nearly every important thought1 deed1
 word1 action1 doctrine1 principle1     
precept1 tenet1 ritual1 ordinance or    
ceremony1 and even the various important
 characters or personages1 who figure in
 their religious dramas as ,saviors1    
prophets1 apostles1 angels1 devils1     
demons1 exalted or fallen genii--in a   
word1 nearly every miraculous or        
marvelous story1 moral precept1 or tenet
 of religious faith1 noticed in either  
the ,old or ,new ,testament ,scriptures 
of ,christendom--from the ,jewish       
cosmogony1 or story of creation in      
,genesis1 to the last legendary tale in 
,st4 ,john's ,arabian ,nights 7alias the

 ,apocalypse7--there is to be found an  
antitype for1 or outline of1 somewhere  
in the sacred records or bibles of the  
oriental heathen nations1 making equal  
if not higher pretention to a divine    
emanation and divine inspiration1 and   
admitted by all historians1 even the    
most orthodox1 to be of much more       
ancient date2 for while ,christians only
 claim1 for the earthly advent of their 
,savior and the birth of their religion1
 a period less than nineteen hundred    
years in the past1 on the contrary1 most
 of the deific or divine incarnations of
 the heathen and their respective       
religions are1 by the concurrent and    
united verdict of all history1 assigned 
a date several hundred or several       
thousand years earlier1 thus leaving the
 inference patent that so far as there  
has been any borrowing or transfer of   
materials from one system to another1   
,christianity has been the borrower4    
,and as nearly the whole outline and    
constituent parts of the ,christian     

system are found scattered through these
 older systems1 the query is at once    
sprung as to whether ,christianity did  
not derive its materials from these     
sources--that is1 from heathenism1      
instead of from high heaven--as it      
claims4     ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,messianic 
,,prophecies  ,,nearly all religious    
history is prophetic of the coming of   
,saviors1 ,messiahs1 ,redeemers1 and    
virgin-born ,gods4 ,most religious      
countries1 and more than a score of     
religious systems1 had a standing       
prophecy that a divine deliverer would  
descend from heaven and relieve them    
from their depressed state1 and         
ameliorate their condition4 ,and in most
 cases that prophecy was believed to    
have been fulfilled by the birth of a   
being1 who1 as he approached the goal of
 moral and intellectual manhood         
exhibited such remarkable proof of      
superiority of mind as to be readily    
accepted as the promised ,messiah4  ,we 
can only find room for a few citations  

and illustrations in proof of this      
statement4 ,many texts have been hunted 
out and marked in the ,christian bible1 
by interested priests1 as prophetic of  
the coming and mission of ,christ4 ,but 
a thorough1 candid1 and impartial       
investigation will convince any reader  
that none of these texts have the       
remotest allusion to ,christ1 nor were  
they intended to have4 ,on the contrary1
 most of them refer to events already   
past4 ,the others are the mere          
ebullitions of pent-up feelings         
hopefully prayerful in their            
anticipation of better times1 but very  
indefinite as to the period and the     
agencies or means in which1 or by which1
 the desired reformation was to be      
brought about4 ,a divine man was prayed 
for and hopefully expected4 ,but no such
 being as ,jesus ,christ is anticipated1
 or alluded to1 or dreamed of1 by the   
prophecies4 ,and it requires the most   
unwarrantable distortion to make one    
text refer to him4  ,but this perversion

 has been wrought on many texts4 ,we    
will cite one case in proof4 ,in        
,isaiah's famous prophecy so-called1 the
 phrase ,unto us a child is born 7,isa4 
ix4 #f71 the context clearly shows1     
refers to the prophet's own child1 and  
the past tense1 is born1 is an evidence 
the child was then born4 ,and the title 
,mighty ,god1 found in the text1 ,dr4   
,beard shows should have been translated
 the ,mighty ,hero1 thus proving it has 
no reference to a ,god4 ,and the        
,everlasting ,father should have been   
rendered1 according to this ,christian  
writer1 the ,father of the ,everlasting 
,age4 ,and other texts often quoted as  
prophecies by biased ,christian writers1
 the doctor proves1 are erroneously     
translated1 and have no more reference  
to ,christ than to ,mahomet4  ,it is    
true the ,jews1 in common with other    
nations1 cherished strong anticipations 
of the arrival of a ,mighty ,deliverer  
amongst them2 and this august personage 
some of them supposed would be a ,god1  

or a ,god-man 7a demi-,god74 ,hence1    
such prophetic utterances as ,behold1 a 
king shall reign in righteousness 7,isa4
 xxxii4 i71 ,and all nations shall flow 
unto ,zion 7,isa4 ii4 #b74  ,the ,hindoo
 ,budhists long previously indulged     
similar anticipations with respect to   
the triumph of their religion4 ,hence1  
their seers prophesied that at the end  
of the ,cali ,yug period1 a divine child
 7,avatar1 or ,savior7 would be born1   
who would understand the divine writings
 7the ,holy ,scriptures7 and the        
sciences1 without the labor of learning 
them4 ,he will supremely understand all 
things4 ,he will relieve the earth of   
sin1 and cause justice and truth to     
reign everywhere4 ,and will bring the   
whole earth into the acceptance of the  
,hindoo religion4 ,and the ,hindoo      
prophet ,bala also predicted that a     
divine ,savior would become incarnate in
 the house of ,yadu1 and issue forth to 
mortal birth from the womb of ,devaci 7a
 ,holy ,virgin71 and relieve the        

oppressed earth of its load of sin and  
sorrow4 ,much more similar language may 
be found in their holy bible1 the       
,vedas4 ,colonel ,wilford tells us the  
advent of their ,savior ,chrishna       
occurred in exact fulfillment of        
prophecy found in their sacred books4   
,and the ,chinese bible also contains a 
number of ,messianic prophecies4 ,in one
 of the five volumes a prophecy runs    
thus3 ,the ,holy one1 when he comes1    
will unite in himself all the virtues of
 heaven and earth4 ,by his justice the  
world will be established in            
righteousness4 ,he will labor and suffer
 much14444 and will finally offer up a  
sacrifice worthy of himself1 i4 e41     
worthy of a ,god4 ,and a singular       
animal1 called the ,kilin 7signifying   
the ,lamb of ,god71 was seen in the     
yard1 with a stone in its mouth1 on     
which was inscribed a prophecy of the   
event4 ,and when the young ,god         
7,chang-ti7 was born1 in fulfillment of 
this prophecy1 heavenly music1 and      

angels and shepherds attended the scene4
 7,see ,history of ,china1 by ,martinus2
 also ,halde's ,history of ,china47  ,we
 will also give place to a ,messianic   
prophecy of ,persia4 ,mr4 ,faber1 an    
,english writer1 in his ,history of     
,idolatry1 tells us that ,zoroaster     
prophetically declared1 that ,a virgin  
should conceive and bear a son1 and a   
star would appear blazing at midday to  
signalize the occurrence4 ,when you     
behold the star1 said he to his         
followers1 follow it whithersoever it   
leads you4 ,adore the mysterious child1 
offering him gifts with profound        
humility4 ,he is indeed the ,almighty   
,word which created the heavens4 ,he is 
indeed your ,lord and everlasting ,ring 
7,faber1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ib74              
,abulfaragius1 in his ,historia         
,dynastarium1 and ,maurice1 in his      
,indian ,skeptics ,refuted1 both speak  
of this prophecy1 fulfilled1 according  
to ,mr4 ,higgins1 by the advent of the  
,persian and ,chaldean ,god ,josa4 ,and 

,chalcidus 7of the second century71 in  
his ,comments on the ,times of ,plato1  
speaks of a star which presaged neither 
disease nor death1 but the descent of a 
,god amongst men1 and which is attested 
by ,chaldean astronomers1 who           
immediately hastened to adore the       
newborn deity1 and present him gifts4   
,we are compelled to omit1 for the want 
of room1 the notice of numerous         
,messianic prophecies found in the      
sacred writings of ,egypt1 ,greece1     
,rome1 ,mexico1 ,arabia1 and other      
countries1 all of which tend to show    
that the same prophetic spirit pervaded 
all religious countries1 reliable only  
to the extent it might have issued from 
an interior spiritual vision1 or have   
been illuminated by departed spirits4   
,and we find as much evidence that these
 pagan prophecies were inspired1 and    
also fulfilled1 as those found in       
,jew-,christian bible1 thus reducing all
 to a common level4 ,the possibility of 
the interior vision being expanded and  

illuminated by spiritual beings1 so as  
to enable the possessor to forestall the
 occurrence of future events1 we1       
however1 by no means deny1 since we have
 abundant proof of it in connection with
 the practical history of modern        
spiritualism4 7,see ,chapter ,,xxxiv41  
section #b74     ,,chapter ,,iii4       
,,prophecies ,,by ,,the ,,figure ,,of ,a
 ,,serpent  ,the ,seed of the ,woman    
,bruising the ,serpent's ,head4  ,,and  
,i will put emnity between thee and the 
woman1 and between thy seed and her     
seed4 ,it shall bruise thy head1 and    
thou shall bruise his heel4 7,gen4 ill4 
#ae47 ,this text is often cited by      
,christian writers and controversialists
 as prefiguring the mission of the      
,christian ,savior1 viz41 the           
destruction of the serpent1 alias the   
devil4 ,st4 ,john calls the grand       
adversary of souls which deceiveth the  
whole world1 the dragon1 the serpent1   
the devil1 and ,satan4 7,rev4 xii4 #h47 
,the serpent1 then1 is the devil2 that  

is1 the dragon1 the serpent1 the devil  
and ,satan are all one4 ,the object of  
this chapter is to show the origin of   
the singular figure set forth in the    
first text quoted1 and to prove that    
those ,christian writers who assume it  
to be a revelation from heaven were     
profoundly ignorant of oriental history1
 as the same figure is found in several 
heathen systems of older date1 as we    
will now cite the facts to prove4  ,some
 of the saviors or demigods of ,egypt1  
,india1 ,greece1 ,persia1 ,mexico and   
,etruria are represented as performing  
the same drama with the serpent or      
devil4 ,osiris of ,egypt 7says ,mr4     
,bryant7 bruised the head of the serpent
 after it had bitten his heel4          
,descending to ,greece1 ,mr4 ,faber     
relates that1 on the spheres ,hercules  
is represented in the act of contending 
with the serpent1 the head of which is  
placed under his foot2 and this serpent 
guarded the tree with golden fruit in   
the midst of the garden                 

,hesperides--,eden4 7,origin of         
,idolatry1 vol4 i4 p4 #ddc47 ,and we may
 observe1 says this author1 the same    
tradition in the ,phoenician fable of   
,ophion or ,ophiones4 7,ibid47 ,in      
,genesis the serpent is the subject of  
two legends4 ,but here it will be       
observed that they are both couched in  
one4  ,again1 it is related by more than
 one oriental writer that ,chrishna of  
,india is represented on some very      
ancient sculptures and stone monuments  
with his heel on the head of a serpent4 
,mr4 ,maurice1 in his ,indian           
,antiquities1 vol4 ii41 speaks of       
,chrishna crushing the head of a serpent
 with his foot1 and pronounces the      
striking similarity of this story with  
that found in the ,christian bible as   
very mysterious4 ,another author tells  
us ,the image of ,chrishna is sculptured
 in the ancient temples of ,india1      
sometimes wreathed in the folds of a    
serpent which is biting his foot1 and   
sometimes treading victoriously on the  

head of a serpent4 7,prog4 ,rel4 ,ideas1
 vol4 i47 ,in the ,mexican ,antiquities1
 vol4 vi41 we are told1 ,a messenger    
from heaven announced to the first woman
 created 7,suchiquecul71 that she should
 bear a son who should bruise the       
serpent's head1 and then presented her  
with a rose4 ,here is the origin of the 
,genesis legend1 the rose being the     
fruit of the tree of the knowledge of   
good and evil4 ,the ancient ,persians1  
says ,volney1 in his ,ruin of ,empires1 
p4 #afi1 had the tradition of a virgin1 
from whom they predicted would be born1 
or would spring up1 a shoot 7a son7 that
 would crush the serpent's head1 and    
thus deliver the world from sin4 ,and   
both the serpent and the virgin1 he     
tells us1 are represented imaginarily in
 the heavens1 and pictured on their     
astronomical globes and spheres1 as on  
those of the ,romish ,christian4 7,see  
,burritt's ,geography of the ,heavens47 
,in the ancient ,etrurian story1 instead
 of the seed of the woman 7the virgin71 

it is the woman herself who is          
represented as standing with one foot on
 the head of a serpent1 which has the   
twig of an apple tree in its mouth to   
which an apple is suspended 7the        
forbidden fruit71 while its tail is     
twisted around a celestial globe1 thus  
reminding us of ,st4 ,john's dragon     
hauling down one-third of the stars with
 his tail4 7,see ,rev4 xii4 #d47 ,in the
 ancient celestial diagram of the       
,etrurian1 the head of the virgin is    
surmounted with a crown of              
stars--doubtless the same legend from   
which ,st4 ,john borrowed his metaphor  
of a a woman with a crown of twelve     
stars on her head4 7,rev4 xiii47 ,the   
,regina ,stellarum 7,queen of the       
,stars71 spoken of in some of the       
ancient systems appertains to the same  
fable4 ,also the tradition of ,achilles 
of ,greece being invulnerable in the    
heel1 as related by ,homer4 ,the last   
clause of the first text quoted reads   
,it shall bruise thy head--a very       

curious prophetic reference to the      
savior of the world1 if the text refers 
to him1 to represent him as being of the
 neuter gender1 for the neuter pronoun  
it always refers to a thing without sex4
  ,in the further exposition of the     
serpent tradition1 we are now brought to
 notice1 and will trace to its origin1  
the story of the original transgression 
and fall of man--two cardinal doctrines 
of the ,christian religion4 ,like every 
other tenet of the ,christian faith1 we 
find these doctrines taught in heathen  
systems much older than ,christianity1  
and whose antiquity antedates even the  
birth of ,moses4 ,we will first notice  
the ,persian tradition4 ,according to   
the doctrine of the ,persians1 says the 
,rev4 ,j4 ,c4 ,pitrat1 ,meshia and      
,meshiane1 the first man and first      
woman1 were pure1 and submitted to      
,ormuzd1 their maker4 ,but ,ahriman 7the
 evil one7 saw them1 and envied them    
their happiness4 ,he approached them    
under the form of a serpent1 presented  

fruits to them1 and persuaded them that 
he was the maker of man1 of animals1 of 
plants1 and of the beautiful universe in
 which they dwelt4 ,they believed it4   
,since that time ,ahriman was their     
master4 ,their natures became corrupt1  
and this corruption infested their whole
 posterity4 ,this story is taken from   
the ,vandidatsade of the ,persians1 pp4 
#cje and #dbh4  ,the ,indian or ,hindoo 
story is furnished us by the ,rev4      
,father ,bouchat1 in a letter to the    
bishops of ,avranches1 and runs thus3   
,our ,hindoos say the ,gods tried by all
 means to obtain immortality4 ,after    
many inquiries and trials1 they         
conceived the idea that they would find 
it in the tree of life1 which is the    
,chorcan 7paradise74 ,in fact they      
succeeded1 and by eating once in a while
 of the fruits of that tree1 they kept  
the precious treasure they so much      
valued4 ,a famous snake1 named ,cheiden1
 saw that the tree of life had been     
found by the ,gods of the second order4 

,as probably he had been intrusted with 
guarding that tree1 he became so angry  
because his vigilance had been deceived1
 that he immediately poured out an      
enormous quantity of poison1 which      
spread over the whole earth4 ,how much  
like this story is the story of ,st4    
,john1 ,and the serpent cast out of his 
mouth water as a flood after the woman  
that he might cause her to be carried   
away of the flood6 7,rev4 xii4 #ae47    
,the idea of a snake or serpent         
inundating the earth from its mouth1 as 
taught in both stories is so novel1 and 
so far removed from the sphere of       
natural causes and possible events1 that
 we are compelled to the conclusion that
 one is borrowed from the other1 or both
 from a common original4  ,and as facts 
cited in other chapters prove beyond    
dispute that the ,hindoo system1        
containing this story1 extends in       
antiquity far beyond the time of ,moses1
 the question is thus settled as to     
which system borrowed the story from the

 other4  ,before closing the chapter1 we
 wish to call the attention of the      
reader to the important fact that three 
out of four of the cardinal doctrines of
 the ,christian faith are taught in the 
two heathen mythological stories of     
creation just presented1 viz43--  #a4   
,original sin4  #b4 ,the fall of man    
caused by a serpent  #c4 ,the consequent
 corruption and depravity of the human  
race4  ,these doctrines1 then1 it must  
be admitted1 are of heathen origin1 and 
not1 as ,christians claim1 important    
truths revealed from heaven4 ,for a     
historical exposition of the other      
cardinal doctrine of the ,christian     
faith1 viz41 man's restoration by the   
atonement achieved through the          
crucifixion of a ,god1 see ,chapters    
xvi4 and xxi4     ,,chapter ,,iv4       
,,miraculous ,,and ,,immaculate         
,,conception ,,of ,,the ,,gods  ,,the   
ancients very naturally concluded that  
an offspring of ,god 7a son of ,god7    
should have a purer1 higher and holier  

maternal origin than is incident to the 
lot of mortals1 and this was to         
constitute one of the evidences of his  
emanation from the ,deity--that is1 of  
his supernatural or divine origin4 ,he1 
as a matter of course1 must not only    
have a different origin1 but one in the 
highest degree superior and             
supernatural4 ,he must not only be able 
to claim the highest paternal origin1   
but the highest maternal also4 ,and on  
the part of the mother1 a sexual        
connection with the great ,potentate of 
heaven would evince for her offspring   
the very acme of superiority with       
respect to his origin1 moral perfection 
and authority4 ,that the ,savior was    
born of a woman could not possibly be   
made a matter of concealment4 ,but his  
paternal parentage was not so obvious   
and apparent to general observation1    
being cognizant alone to the mother4    
,this circumstance furnished the most   
propititious opportunity to concoct the 
story that ,the ,most ,high had         

condescended and descended to become    
both a father and a grandfather to a    
human being1 or a being apparently human
 at least4  ,we say grandfather1        
because1 if ,god 7as the ,christian     
bible itself frequently asserts1 both   
directly and by implication7 is father  
of the whole human family1 then he was  
father to the maternal parent2 so that  
her son1 though deriving existence from 
him1 would be his grandson as well as   
his son4 ,hence the corollary1 ,jesus   
,christ was a grandson of ,god as well  
as a son of ,god1 and ,jehovah both his 
father and grandfather4  ,again1 to make
 the origin and character of the ,god   
and ,savior stand higher for purity1 and
 partake in the highest degree of the   
miraculous1 the impression must go      
abroad that he was born of a woman while
 she was yet a maiden--i4 e41 before she
 was contaminated by illicit association
 with the masculine sex4 ,hence1 nearly 
all the saviors were reputedly born of  
virgins4 ,and the process of birth1 too1

 was out of the line of natural causes1 
in order to invest the character of the 
savior with the ne plus ultra of the    
miraculous4  ,and hence it is related of
 ,jesus ,christ 7in an ,apocryphal      
,gospel71 of ,chrishna of ,india1 and   
other saviors1 that they were born      
through the mother's side4  ,it is true 
our present canonical gospels are silent
 as to the manner of ,christ's birth2   
but one of the ,apocryphal gospels1     
which gives the matter in fuller detail1
 and whose authority in the earlier ages
 of the ,christian church was not       
disputed1 declares that the manner of   
his birth was as related above4 ,and1   
besides1 some of the early ,christian   
fathers fully indorsed the story4 ,the  
same is related in the pagan bibles of  
heathen ,gods4 ,the motives which       
originated the reports of the immaculate
 conception of the ,saviors1 it may be  
further remarked1 were of a two-fold    
character3--  #a4 ,to establish their   
spotless origin 7as the word immaculate 

means spotless47  #b4 ,to make it appear
 that there was a ,deific power and     
agency concerned in their conception4   
,and we may observe here that it is not 
the ,saviors alone who are reported to  
have been ushered into tangible         
existence without a human father1 but it
 is declared of beings known and        
acknowledged to be men1 as ,plato1      
,pythagoras1 ,alexander1 ,augustus and a
 number of others4 ,of ,plato an author 
remarks1 ,he was born of ,paretonia1 and
 begotten of ,apollo1 and not ,ariston1 
his father4 ,both the manner1 or        
process1 and the source of the influence
 by which the ,gods and ,saviors were   
generated1 seem to have been different  
in different countries1 though the idea 
of overshadowing with the ,holy ,ghost  
seems to have been most current4 ,mr4   
,higgins says that the ,supreme ,first  
,cause was generally believe to         
overshadow1 or in some other mysterious 
manner to impregnate1 the mother of the 
,god1 or personage 7vol4 i4 #cgh74 ,we  

are told that ,pythais1 the mother of   
,pythagoras1 five hundred and fifty     
years ,b4 ,c41 conceived by a spectre or
 ghost 7of course the ,holy ,ghost7 of  
the ,god ,apollo1 or ,god ,sol4  ,in    
,malcolm's ,history of ,persia 7vol4 i4 
#did7 the author tells us that          
,zoroaster was born of an immaculate    
conception by a ray from the ,divine    
,reason4 ,the immaculate conception of  
,juno of ,greece is thus described by   
the poet3--       ,juno touched the     
flower2      ,its wondrous virtues such1
      ,she touched it1 and grew pregnant
 at the touch2      ,then entered       
,thrace--the ,propontic shore2          
,when mistress of her touch1      ,god  
,mars she bore4  ,this case may         
certainly be set down as the ne plus    
ultra of etiquette with respect to      
sexual commerce or purity of conception4
 ,the sweet odor of an expanded flower1 
we are here taught1 is adequate to the  
conception and production of a ,god4    
,here we have the immaculate conception 

in the superlative degree1 and while    
much more beautiful and grand it cannot 
be more senseless or unreasonable than  
the conception by a ghost4 ,it proves at
 least that the doctrine of the         
immaculate conception is of very ancient
 date4 ,and this fastidious maiden lady 
and immaculate virgin1 ,juno1 not only  
conceived the ,god ,mars by the touch of
 a flower1 but she also 7so the story   
reads7 conceived ,vulcan by being       
overshadowed by the wind--exactly a     
parallel case with that of the virgin   
,mary1 as we find that ghost1 in the    
original1 means wind4 ,thus we observe  
that ,vulcan1 long before ,jesus        
,christ1 was born of the ,holy ,ghost1  
i4 e41 both were conceived by the ,holy 
,wind4 ,and the author of the ,perennial
 ,calendar speaks of the miraculous     
conception of ,juno ,jugulis1 the       
blessed virgin queen of heaven1 and     
describes it as falling on the second of
 ,february1 the very day which the early
 ,christians celebrated with a festival1

 as being the date of the conception of 
the ever ,blessed ,virgin ,mary4  ,of   
the ancient ,mexicans1 it is said they  
had the immaculate conception1 the      
crucifixion1 and the resurrection after 
three days4 7,mex4 ,antiq41 vol4 i47    
,and in an ancient work called ,codex   
,vaticanus1 the immaculate conception is
 spoken of as a part of the history of  
,quexalcote1 the ,mexican ,savior4      
,suchiquecal1 says the ,mexican         
,antiquities1 was called the ,queen of  
,heaven4 ,she conceived a son without   
connection with a man--a very obvious   
case of immaculate conception4  ,alvarez
 ,semedo1 in his ,history of ,china1    
page #hi1 speaks of a sect in that      
country who worshiped a ,savior known as
 ,xaca1 who was reputedly conceived of  
his mother1 ,maia1 by a white elephant1 
which she saw in her sleep1 and for     
greater purity1 she brought him forth   
from one of her sides4 ,colonel ,tod1 of
 ,england1 tells us in his ,history of  
the ,rajahs1 page #eg1 that ,yu1 the    

first ,chinese monarch1 was conceived by
 his mother being struck with a star    
while traveling4  ,in the case of       
,christ1 it will be recollected1 the    
star did not appear till after his      
birth4 ,but here the star is the author 
and agent of the conception4  ,according
 to ,ranking's ,history of the ,moguls1 
page #agh1 ,tamerlane's mother 7of      
,bermuda7 professedly conceived by      
having had sexual intercourse with the  
,god of ,day4 ,the mother of ,ghengis   
,khan1 of ,tartary1 being too modest to 
claim that she was the mother of the son
 of ,god1 said only that he was the son 
of the sun4 7,history of ,mogul1 page   
#fe47  ,both ,julis and ,osiris of      
,egypt are spoken of by some authors as 
having been honored with a divine       
immaculate conception--the former being 
the son of the beautiful virgin ,cronis 
,celestine1 and begotten by the ,father 
of all ,gods4  ,both ,budha and         
,chrishna1 of ,india1 are reported as   
having been immaculately conceived4 ,the

 mother of the latter 7,god7 was 7as the
 ,hindoo ,holy ,book declares7          
overshadowed by the ,supreme ,god1      
,brahma1 while the spirit-author of the 
conception 7that is1 the ,holy ,ghost7  
was ,naraan4 ,the mother of ,apollonius 
of ,cappadocia1 who was cotemporary with
 ,jesus ,christ 7according to his       
history by ,philostratus7--and his      
7,apollonius'7 disciple ,damis testifies
 to the same effect gave birth to this  
,god and rival ,savior of ,jesus        
,christ1 by having been previously      
overshadowed by the supreme ,god        
,proteus4 ,for the corporeal existence  
and earthly career of ,augustus ,caesar1
 the world has ostensibly to acknowledge
 itself indebted to the overshadowing   
influence and generating power of ,jove1
 by whose divine influence he was       
immaculously conceived in the temple of 
,apollo1 according to the statement of  
,nimrod1 his biographer4 ,the virgin    
mother ,shing-,mon of ,china furnishes  
another case of immaculate conception4  

,possessing a sensibility too lofty and 
too refined to descend to the ordinary  
routine of the world1 she gave birth to 
the ,god ,yu from previous conception by
 a water lily4 ,this case1 with respect 
to the degree of procreative delicacy   
and refinement evinced1 may be classed  
with that of ,juno of ,greece4 ,here it 
may be noted as a curious circumstance1 
that several of the virgin mothers of   
,gods and great men are specifically    
represented as going ten months between 
conception and delivery4 ,the mothers of
 ,hercules1 ,sakia1 ,guatama1 ,scipio1  
,arion1 ,solomon and ,jesus ,christ may 
be mentioned as samples of this         
character4 ,this tradition probably grew
 out of the established belief in the   
ten sacred cycles which constitute the  
great prospective and portentous        
millennial epoch1 as described in       
,chapter ,,xxx4 ,arion1 mentioned above1
 is represented as being both           
miraculously and immaculously conceived 
by the ,gods in the citadel of ,byrsa4  

,in view of the foregoing facts1 drawn  
from accredited histories1 the reader   
will readily concede that the tradition 
of the miraculous conceptions of ,gods  
7sons of ,god71 ,saviors and ,messiahs  
was very prevalent in the world at a    
very ancient period of time1 and long   
before the mother of ,jesus was         
overshadowed by the ,most ,high4        
,indeed1 says ,mr4 ,higgins1 the belief 
in the immaculate conception extended to
 every nation in the world4 ,and ,grote1
 referring to ,greece1 makes the        
remarkable declaration1 that the furtive
 pregnancy of young women1 often by a   
,god1 is one of the most frequently     
recurring incidents in the legendary    
narratives of the country4 ,and we find 
that both the prevalency and great      
antiquity of the doctrine of the        
immaculate conception among the heathen 
is conceded by ,christian writers       
themselves 7of former ages7 in their    
attempts to find arguments and          
commendatory precedents to justify their

 own belief in the doctrine4 ,for proof 
of this1 we need only cite the          
,christian writer ,mr4 ,bailey1 who     
remarks1 ,what ,i have said of ,st4     
,augustine is applicable also to ,origen
 and ,lactanius1 who have endeavored to 
persuade us of the immaculate virginity 
of the mother of ,jesus ,christ by the  
example of similar events stored by the 
heathen4 ,here we have several          
,christian authorities cited by another 
writer1 also a ,christian1 for placing  
the doctrine of the immaculate          
conception among the heathen legends in 
ages long anterior to ,christ4  ,with   
respect to the degree of credence to be 
attached to the story of the immaculate 
conception of the mother of ,jesus1 it  
need only be observed that there was no 
other person concerned in the           
transaction but herself who could       
possess positive1 absolute knowledge of 
the parentage4 ,and she1 let it be      
noted1 settles the matter forever1 by   
virtually affirming that ,joseph was his

 father in the declaration addressed to 
,jesus when she found him in the temple1
 ,i and thy father have sought thee     
sorrowing4 7,luke ii4 #dh47 ,no one will
 dispute that the father here spoken of 
was ,joseph1 which amounts to a positive
 declaration by the mother1 that ,joseph
 was ,jesus' father4   ,,immaculate     
,,conception ,,and ,,miraculous ,,birth 
,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,savior4  ,the  
following considerations exhibit some of
 the numerous absurdities involved in   
the story of the miraculous birth of    
,jesus ,christ4  #a4 ,the evangelical   
narratives show that ,christ himself did
 not claim to have a miraculous birth4  
,he did not once allude to such an      
event2 while if1 as ,christians claim1  
it is the principal evidence of his     
deityship1 he certainly would have done 
so4  #b4 ,his paternal genealogy1 as    
made out by ,matthew and ,luke1         
completely disproves the story of his   
miraculous conception by a virgin4 ,for 
they both trace his lineage through     

,joseph1 which they could not do only on
 the assumption that ,joseph was his    
father4 ,this1 of course1 disproves his 
sireship by the ,holy ,ghost1 ergo1 the 
miraculous conception4 ,it is the       
lineage and parentage of ,joseph1 and   
not ,mary1 that is given in tracing back
 his ancestry to the royal household--a 
fact which completely overthrows the    
story of his miraculous birth4  #c4 ,and
 the fact that his own disciple         
7,philip7 declared him to be the son of 
,joseph1 and that several texts show    
that it was the current impression1 is  
still further confirmation of the       
conclusion4  #d4 ,we find the story of  
the immaculate conception resting       
entirely upon the slender foundation    
comprised in the legends of an angel and
 a dream4 ,we are told that ,mary got it
 by an angel1 and ,joseph by a dream4   
,and through these sources we have the  
whole groundwork and foundation of the  
story of the divinity of ,jesus ,christ4
  #e4 ,it should be noticed that we have

 neither ,joseph's nor ,mary's report of
 these things1 but only ,matthew and    
,luke's version of the affair4 ,and we  
are not informed that either of them    
ever saw or conversed with ,joseph or   
,mary on the subject4 ,it is probable   
they got it from ,dame ,rumor1 with her 
thousand tongues4  #f4 ,if ,christ were 
a miraculously born ,god1 is it possible
 his mother would have reproved him for 
misconduct when she found him in the    
temple1 as she must have known his      
character8  #g4 ,if ,mary was           
miraculously conceived1 why was the     
important secret kept so long from      
,joseph8 ,why did she keep the wool     
drawn over his eyes till an angel had to
 be sent from heaven to let him into the
 secret8  #h4 ,if she were a            
virtuously-minded woman1 why did she    
thus attempt to deceive him8  #i4 ,why  
did not ,god inform ,joseph by          
inspiration instead of employing the    
roundabout way of sending an angel to do
 it8  #aj4 ,we are told that ,mary was  

found with child of the ,holy ,ghost4   
,but as we are not informed who found it
 out1 or who made the discovery1 or how 
it was made1 is it not thus left in a   
very suspicious aspect8  #aa4 ,as the   
whole affair seems to have been based on
 dreams1 and was carried on through     
dreams1 and has no better foundation    
than dreams1 why should we consider it  
entitled to any better credit than      
similar stories found in works on       
heathen mythology8  #ab4 ,and would it  
not prove that ,christianity is rather a
 dreamy religion8  #ac4 ,should not the 
astounding and incredible report of the 
birth of a ,god be based on a better    
foundation than that of dreams and      
angels and the legends of oriental      
mythology1 to entitle it to the belief  
of an intelligent and scientific age8   
#ad4 ,or can any man of science         
entertain for a moment the superlative  
solecism of an ,infinite ,god by any    
special act overshadowing a finite human
 female1 especially as modern science   

teaches us that ,god is both male and   
female1 and as much one as the other8   
#ae4 ,as history teaches us the ancient 
orientalists believed that sexual       
commerce is sinful and contaminating to 
the child thus begotten and born1 and   
hence had their incarnate ,gods sent    
into the world through human virgins1   
can any unbiased mind resist the        
conviction that this is the source of   
the origin of the story of ,christ's    
immaculate conception8  #af4 ,and       
finally1 if it were necessary for       
,christ to come into the world in such a
 way as to avoid the impure channel of  
human conception and parturition1 why   
did he not descend directly from heaven 
in person8 ,why could he not descend on 
the clouds by his first advent1 as the  
bible says he will do when he makes his 
second advent8  #ag4 ,would not this    
course have furnished a hundred fold    
more convincing proof and demonstration 
of his divine power and divine          
attributes than the ridiculous story and

 inscrutable mystery of the divine      
conception1 which is not susceptible of 
either investigation or proof8          
,,chapter ,v4 ,,virgin ,,mothers ,,and  
,,virgin-,,born ,,gods  ,,the report in 
authentic history of a case of a        
virtuous woman giving birth to a child  
with the usual form1 and possessing the 
usual characteristics of a human being1 
and who should testify she had no male  
partner in the conception1 might in an  
age of miracles and ignorance of natural
 law1 be believed with implicit         
credulity4 ,but in an age of            
intelligence1 when the keys of science  
have unlocked the sacred shrines and    
hallowed vaults of sacerdotal mysteries1
 and modern researches of history have  
laid bare the fact that most ancient    
religious countries abound in reports of
 this character1 a profound and general 
skepticism must be the result1 and a    
total rejection of their truth by all   
men of science and historic             
intelligence4  ,many are the cases noted

 in history of young maidens claiming a 
paternity for their male offspring by a 
,god4  ,in ,greece it became so common  
that the reigning king issued an edict1 
decreeing the death of all young women  
who should offer such an insult to deity
 as to lay to him the charge of         
begetting their children4 ,the virgin   
,alcmene furnishes a case of a young    
woman claiming ,god as the father of her
 offspring1 when she brought forth the  
divine ,redeemer ,alcides1 #abhj years  
,b4 ,c4 ,and ,ceres1 the virgin mother  
of ,osiris1 claimed that he was begotten
 by the father of all ,gods4 ,mr4       
,kenrick tells us the likeness of this  
virgin mother1 with the divine child in 
her arms1 may now be seen represented in
 sculpture on some of the ancient1      
ruined temples of that ruined empire4   
,and ,mr4 ,higgins makes the broad      
declaration that the worship of this    
virgin mother1 with her ,god-begotten   
child1 prevailed everywhere4 ,this      
author also quotes ,mr4 ,riquord as     

saying1 this son of ,god was exhibited  
in effigy1 lying in a manger1 in the    
same manner the infant ,jesus was       
afterward laid in the cave at           
,bethlehem4 ,mr4 ,higgins further       
testifies that the worship of this      
virgin ,god-mother 7that is1 the ,god   
and the mother7 is of very ancient date 
and universal prevalence in all the     
eastern countries1 as is proved by      
sculptured figures bearing the marks of 
great age4  ,in corroboration of this   
statement we might cite many cases1 if  
our space would permit1 from the        
religious records of ,india1 ,egypt1    
,persia1 ,greece1 ,rome1 ,mexico1       
,thibet1 etc4 ,maia1 mother of ,sakia   
and ,yasoda of ,chrishna2 ,celestine1   
mother of the crucified ,zulis2         
,chimalman1 mother of ,quex-alcote2     
,semele1 mother of the ,egyptian        
,bacchus1 and ,minerva1 mother of the   
,grecian ,bacchus2 ,prudence1 mother of 
,hercules2 ,alcmene1 mother of ,alcides2
 ,shing-,mon1 mother-of ,yu1 and        

,mayence1 mother of ,hesus1 were all as 
confidently believed to be pure1 holy   
and chaste virgins1 while giving birth  
to these ,gods1 sons of ,god1 ,saviors  
and sin-atoning ,mediators1 as was      
,mary1 mother of ,jesus1 and long before
 her time4  ,mr4 ,higgins remarks that  
the mother was still held to be a       
virgin1 even after she had given birth  
to other children besides the           
deity-begotten bantling1 which furnishes
 another striking parallel to the       
history of ,mary1 as she was still      
called a virgin after she had given     
birth to ,jesus and his brothers ,james 
and ,john4 ,and it is an incident worth 
noticing here1 that1 in the case of     
,mayence1 virgin-mother of the          
,god-sired ,hesus of the ,druids1 the   
ancient traditions of the country1 more 
than two thousand years old1 represent  
her body as being enveloped in light1   
and a crown of twelve stars upon her    
head1 corresponding exactly to the      
apocalyptic figure described by the     

mystagogue1 ,st4 ,john1 in the twelfth  
chapter of his ,revelation4 ,she is also
 represented with her foot on the head  
of a serpent1 according to ,davie's     
,universal ,etymology4 7,vide the case  
of the seed of the woman bruising the   
serpent's head1 ,gen4 iii4 #ae47        
,auguste ,nichols tells us1 in his      
,philosophical ,essays on ,christianity1
 that ,io is called1 in ,eschylus1 the  
,chaste ,virgin1 and her son the ,son of
 ,god4 7,for other similar cases1 see   
,guigne's ,history of the ,huns47       
,gonzales informs us he found on an     
ancient temple in ,india the ,latin     
inscription ,patiuro virginis1 the      
virgin about to bring forth4 ,and       
similar inscriptions have been found on 
pagan temples in the country of the     
ancient ,gauls4 7,for proof1 see        
,riquord's ,theology of the ,ancient    
,gauls1 ,chapter ,x47 ,he who hath ears 
to hear1 let him hear1 and treasure up  
these facts4 ,according to ,chinese     
history there were two beings--,tien and

 ,chang-,ti--worshiped in that country  
as ,gods more than twenty-five hundred  
years ago1 born of virgins who knew no  
man4 ,the mother of the mighty and the  
almighty ,god ,hercules1 we are told1   
knew only ,jove4  ,if history and       
tradition1 then1 are to be credited1    
,god had many well beloved sons1 born of
 pious and holy virgins1 besides ,jesus 
,christ4 ,and some of them are          
represented as being his only begotten1 
and others his first begotten1 sons4    
,and all these cases appear to be       
equally as well authenticated as the    
story of ,jesus ,christ4 ,all stand upon
 a level1 the same kind and the same    
amount of evidence being offered in each
 case4  ,here we will note it as a      
curious circumstance1 that several of   
the above-named ,saviors are represented
 as being black1 ,jesus ,christ included
 with this number4  ,there is as much   
evidence that the ,christian ,savior was
 a black man1 or at least a dark man1 as
 there is of his being the son of the   

,virgin ,mary1 or that he once lived and
 moved upon the earth4 ,and that        
evidence is the testimony of his        
disciples1 who had nearly as good an    
opportunity of knowing what his         
complexion was as the evangelists1 who  
omit to say anything about it4 ,in the  
pictures and portraits of ,christ by the
 early ,christians1 he is uniformly     
represented as being black4 ,and to make
 this the more certain1 the red tinge is
 given to the lips2 and the only text in
 the ,christian bible quoted by orthodox
 ,christians1 as describing his         
complexion1 represents it as being      
black4 ,solomon's declaration1 ,i am    
black1 but comely1 ,o ye daughters of   
,jerusalem 7,sol4 i4 #e71 is often cited
 as referring to ,christ4 ,according to 
the bible itself1 then1 ,jesus ,christ  
was a black man4  ,let us suppose that1 
at some future time1 he makes his second
 advent to the earth1 as some           
,christians anticipate he will do1 and  
that he comes in the character of a     

sable ,messiah1 how would he be received
 by our negro-hating ,christians1 of    
sensitive olfactory nerves8 ,would they 
worship a negro ,god8 ,let us imagine he
 enters one of our fashionable churches1
 with his rough and ready               
linsey-woolsey1 seamless garment on1    
made of wild sea-grass1 thus presenting 
a very forbidding appearance1 and what  
would be the result8 ,would the sexton  
show him to a seat8 ,would he not rather
 point to the door1 and exclaim1 ,get   
out of here2 no place here for niggers8 
,what a ludicrous series of ideas is    
thus suggested by the thought that      
,jesus ,christ was a darkey4  ,and the  
tradition of divine ,saviors being born 
of undefiled and undeflowered virgins   
has an astronomical chapter we must not 
omit to notice4 ,the virgin1 with her   
,god-begotten child1 was pictured       
imaginarily in the heavens from time    
immemorial4 ,they are represented on the
 ,hindoo zodiac1 at least three thousand
 years old1 and on the ancient ,egyptian

 planispheres4 ,and if you will examine 
,burritt's ,geography of the ,heavens1  
you will find the infant ,god-son 7the  
sun7 is represented as being born into a
 new year on the #beth of ,december 7the
 very date assigned for ,christ's       
birth71 and may be seen rising over the 
eastern horizon1 out of ,mary1 ,maria1  
or ,mare 7the ,latin for sea71 with the 
infant ,god in her arms1 being heralded 
and preceded by a bright star1 which    
rises immediately preceding the virgin  
and her child1 thus suggesting the text1
 ,we have seen his star in the east1 and
 have come to worship him4 7,matt4      
ii4#h47 ,such facts led the learned     
,alphonso to exclaim1 ,the adventures of
 ,jesus ,christ are all depicted among  
the stars4  ,and such facts fasten the  
conviction on our mind that the stories 
of ,gods cohabiting with young maids or 
virgins1 and begetting other ,gods1 is  
of astrological origin--the story of    
,jesus ,christ included4 ,a critical    
research shows that astronomy and       

religion were interblended1 interwoven1 
and confounded together at a very early 
period of time1 so indissolubly1 that it
 now becomes impossible to separate     
them4     ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,stars       
,,point ,,out ,,the ,,time ,,and ,,the  
,,saviors' ,,birth-,,place  ,,profusion 
of evidence is furnished at every step  
along the devious pathway of sacred     
history1 tending to show that all the   
systems of worship which have existed in
 the past have had a dip in the halo of 
the heavenly orbs1 and hence shine with 
a light derived from that source4  ,we  
find the stars acting directly a        
conspicuous part at the births of       
several of the ,saviors1 besides        
figuring in some cases by marking       
important events in their subsequent    
history4  ,mr4 ,higgins remarks that    
,among the ancients there seems to have 
been a very general idea that the       
arrival of ,gods and great personages   
who were expected to come1 would be     
announced by a star4 ,and the cases of  

,abraham1 ,caesar1 ,pythagoras1 ,yu1    
,chrishna1 and ,christ1 may be cited in 
proof of this declaration4 ,a star      
figured either before or at the birth of
 each1 according to their respective    
histories4  ,and it is a historical fact
 that should be noted here that the     
practice of calculating nativities by   
the stars was in vogue in the era and   
country of ,christ's birth1 and had been
 for a long period previously in various
 countries4 ,we have seen his star in   
the east1 and have come to worship him4 
7,matt4 ii4 i47 ,now mark1 here1 it was 
not the star1 nor a star1 but his star2 
thus disclosing its unmistakable        
astrological features4 ,mr4 ,faber 7in  
his ,origin of ,idolatry1 vol4 ii4 p4   
#gg7 reports ,zoroaster 7#fjj ,b4 ,c47  
as prophetically announcing to the wise 
men of that country that a ,savior would
 be born1 attended by a star at noonday4
 ,for a fuller exposition of this case  
see ,chapter ,,ii4  ,in the history of  
the ,hindoo ,savior ,chrishna1 we are   

told that as soon as ,nared1 who1 having
 heard of his fame1 had examined the    
stars1 he declared him to be from ,god2 
i4 e41 the ,son of ,god' ,the ,roman    
,calcidius speaks of a wonderful star1  
presaging the descent of a ,god amongst 
men4 7,see ,maurice's ,indian ,skeptics 
,refuted1 p4 #fb47 ,quite suggestive of 
the star apprising the wise men of      
,christ's descent from above4 ,and a    
star is said to have foretokened the    
birth of the ,roman ,julius ,csar4 ,the 
,chinese ,god ,yu was not only heralded 
by a star1 but conceived and brought to 
mortal birth by a star4  ,in ,numbers   
xxiv4 #ag1 it is declared ,there shall  
come a star out of ,jacob1 etc4 ,this is
 a text often quoted by ,christian      
writers as having a prophetic reference 
to the ,christian ,messiah4 ,but the    
same text declares further1 ,it shall   
destroy the children of ,seth1 a        
prediction which no rational            
interpretation can make apply to ,jesus 
,christ4 ,and then we find this star of 

,jacob or ,judah 7the same7 represented 
on astronomical maps as a prominent star
 in the constellation ,virgo 7the       
,virgin71 fancifully termed by the      
,hebrew ,ephraim4  ,it was known in the 
,syrian1 ,arabian and ,persian systems  
of astronomy as ,messaeil 7suggestive of
 ,messiah71 and was considered the      
ruling genius of the constellation4     
,the star of ,jacob1 then1 was simply a 
figure borrowed from the ancient pagan  
systems of astronomy1 in which they     
fancifully represent a virgin rising    
with an infant ,messiah 7,messaeil7 in  
her arms4 ,messaeil is1 when analyzed1  
,messaeh-el 7,messiah-,god71 and is     
found in the constellation ,virgo1 which
 commences rising at midnight1 on the   
#beth of ,december1 with this star in   
the east in her arms--the star which    
piloted the wise men4 ,the whole thing1 
then1 is evidently an astronomical      
legend4  ,albert the ,great1 in his     
,book on the ,universe1 tells us1 ,the  
sign of the celestial virgin rises above

 the horizon1 at the moment we find     
fixed for the birth of our ,lord ,jesus 
,christ4 ,to which we will add the      
declaration of ,sir ,william ,drummond1 
who1 in his ,odipus ,judaicus1 p4 #bg1  
most significantly remarks1 ,the        
anointed of ,el the male infant1 who    
rises in the arms of ,virgo1 was called 
,jesus by the ,hebrews1444 and was      
hailed as the anointed king or          
,messiah--still further proof of the    
astrological origin of the story4  ,dr4 
,hales1 in his ,chronology1 calls       
,christ the star of our salvation1 the  
true ,apollo1 the sun of                
righteousness--all of which are         
astronomical terms4  ,and here we may   
recur to the fact that some of the early
 inhabitants of the earth regarded a    
star as a thing of life1 because it     
appeared to move1 and acted as though   
controlled by a living spirit4 ,and this
 fetchic idea we observe lurking amongst
 the borrowed orientalisms of the       
,jewish ,old ,testament4 ,the           

representation of the morning stars     
joining in a chorus and singing together
 7see ,job xxxviii4 #i71 is an instance 
of this kind of fetchic conception4     
,and then we find a much stronger and   
more conclusive case in the ,new        
,testament1 where ,matthew represents a 
star as breaking loose from its orbit1  
and traveling some millions of miles1 in
 order to stand over the young child    
,jesus1 as he lay amongst the oxen and  
asses in a stable4 7,see ,matt4 ii4 #g47
 ,wonderfully accommodating star indeed6
 ,how did its inhabitants feel while    
thus traveling with the velocity of     
lightning8 ,this achievement would not  
only require life1 but an active        
intelligence1 on the part of the star1  
as it is represented as being an act of 
the planet itself4  ,all nations1 says  
,mr4 ,higgins1 once believed that the   
planetary bodies or their inhabitants   
controlled the affairs of men1 and even 
their births4 ,hence the cant phrases1  
,my stars1 ,he is ill-starred1 etc41 in 

use then1 and still in use at the       
present day4 ,the good or ill luck of a 
person was attributed to the good or    
evil stars which it was believed ruled  
at the hour of his birth4  ,we find a   
counterpart to the story of ,matthew's  
traveling star in ,virgil's writings1   
who declares 7#fj ,b4 ,c47 that a star  
guided neas in a journey westward from  
,troy4 ,in the days of ,pliny 7see his  
,natural ,history1 ,book ,,ii471 the    
people of ,rome fancied they saw a ,god 
in a star or comet in the form of a man4
 ,the ,apocryphal book of ,seth relates 
that a star descended from heaven and   
lighted on a mountain1 in the midst of  
which a divine child was seen bearing a 
cross4 ,christ betrays the same         
ignorance of astronomy1 when he speaks  
of the stars falling from heaven to the 
earth4 7,see ,matt4 xxiv4 #bi47 ,for if 
there could be any falling in the case1 
the falling would be in the other       
direction1 and the earth would fall to  
the stars1 as larger bodies always      

attract smaller ones4  ,as shown above1 
the stupendous orbs of night were       
represented by ,jew1 ,pagan and         
,christian as breaking away from their  
orbits1 and running hither and thither1 
like a fly on a ceiling1 or a ball from 
a sky-rocket1 being regarded as mere    
jack-a-lanterns1 that could appear      
anywhere at any time creative fancy     
might dictate or require2 while science 
teaches that the stars are stupendous   
orbs1 some of them a thousand times     
larger than the planet on which we live1
 and that they could not depart one rod 
from their accustomed orbits without    
breaking up the whole planetary system1 
and destroying the universe4  ,and then 
observe the absurdity in ,matthew's     
story1 which teaches that the wise men  
followed the star in the east1 when     
they1 coming from the east1 were1 as a  
matter of course1 traveling westward1   
which would place the star to their     
backs4 ,that must be a sui generis pilot
 or guide which follows after1 instead  

of going before4 ,omitting further      
citations from history1 we will only    
observe further that the ancient        
,hindoos1 ,egyptians1 ,chaldeans1       
,syrians1 ,mexicans1 etc41 took great   
account of stars1 and employed them on  
all important occasions1 especially on  
long journeys and at the births of ,gods
 and great personages--a circumstance   
which aids in explaining the star       
chapter in the gospel history of        
,christ4     ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,angels1 
,,shepherds ,,and ,,magi ,,visit ,,the  
,,infant ,,saviors  ,,in an age when    
,gods and men were on the most familiar 
terms1 and when the character of one    
furnished a transcript for the other1   
and when each consented to act a        
reciprocal part towards elevating1      
honoring and glorifying the other1 the  
birth of a ,god or ,messiah was1 as a   
matter of course1 regarded as an event  
of sufficient importance to attract the 
attention of the great ones of the      
earth1 and even the denizens of heaven  

also4  ,and hence we find it related in 
the history of several of the           
,god-begotten ,saviors of antiquity1    
that as soon as they were born into the 
world they were visited by wise men from
 a distance 7or ,magi1 as they were     
called by the ,persians and ,brahmins74 
,and in some cases they were likewise   
waited upon and adored by the           
neighboring shepherds2 and even         
celestial spirits are reported in some  
instances as leaving their star-gilt    
homes to wing their way to the humble   
mansion1 the rude tenement1 containing a
 new-born ,god1 that they might honor   
and adore the ,savior of men1 the       
,savior of the world4  ,the sacred      
biographies of both ,confucius and      
,christ furnish examples of the angel   
host forsaking their golden pavilions in
 the skies to pay their devoirs to a    
,deity-begotten bantling1 sent down by  
the ,father of ,mercies1 to save a      
guilt-laden world4 ,and in both cases   
the ,magi are reported as assembling to 

present their offerings to the infant   
,god4  ,in the case of ,confucius 7born 
#eih ,b4 ,c471 it is declared1 ,five    
wise men from a distance came to the    
house1 celestial music was heard in the 
skies1 and angels attended the scene4   
7,see the ,five ,volumes47 ,now let us  
observe how strikingly similar to this  
ancient legend1 in each of the several  
characteristics1 is the ,christian      
story4 ,matthew 7ii4 #a7 speaks of wise 
men from the east journeying to         
,jerusalem to visit the infant ,christ1 
soon after his birth1 amongst the mules 
and oxen in a stable1 though he omits to
 state the number of itinerant adorers  
who presented themselves on the         
occasion4  ,the ,persian story is more  
specific1 as it gives the number of     
,magi who visited the young ,savior of  
that country as five4  ,luke 7ii4 #ac7  
speaks of a multitude of the heavenly   
host praising ,god1 in gratulation of   
the birth of the ,judean ,savior4 ,now1 
when we bear in mind that one method of 

praising ,god1 with the orientals1 was  
by music1 as we will at once observe    
that this is only another mode of       
proclaiming1 as in the case of          
,confucius1 that celestial music was    
heard in the skies4  ,and angels        
attended the scene of ,confucius' birth4
 ,so1 likewise1 ,luke 7ii4 #ae7 relates 
that the angels1 after rejoicing with   
the shepherds on the occasion of the    
birth of ,christ1 went away into heaven4
  ,how complete the parallel6 and1 but  
for the digression1 and monopoly of     
space1 we might trace it much further1  
and show that ,confucius1 like ,christ1 
had twelve chosen disciples2 that he was
 descended from a royal house of        
princes1 as ,christ from the royal house
 of ,david2 that he1 in like manner1    
retired for a long period from the noise
 and bustle of society into religious   
contemplative seclusion2 that he        
inculcated the same ,golden ,rule of    
doing to others as we desire them to act
 toward us1 and other moral maxims equal

 in importance to anything that can be  
found in the ,christian ,scriptures1    
etc4  ,but to the line of history4      
,other ,saviors at birth1 we are told1  
were visited by both angels and         
shepherds1 also wise men1 at least great
 men4 ,chrishna1 the eighth avatar of   
,india 7#abjj ,b4 ,c47 7so it is related
 by the inspired penman of their pagan  
theocracy7 was visited by angels1       
shepherds and prophets 7avatars74       
,immediately after his birth he was     
visited by a chorus of devatas 7angels71
 and surrounded by shepherds1 all of    
whom were impressed with the conviction 
of his future greatness4 ,we are        
informed further that gold1 frankincense
 and myrrh were presented to him as     
offerings4  ,the well-known modern      
traveler1 ,mr4 ,ditson1 who visited     
,india but a few years since1 uses the  
emphatic declaration1 ,in fact1 as soon 
as ,chrishna was born he was saluted by 
a chorus of devatas1 or angels4 ,in the 
evangelical narrative of the ,christian 

,savior an angel is reported to have    
saluted his mother thus3 ,hail1 thou    
that art highly favored2 the ,lord is   
with thee2 blessed art thou among women4
 7,luke1 i4 #bh47 ,and in the next      
chapter the angel is reported as joining
 with the heavenly host in praising     
,god4 ,a similar report is found in the 
,hindoo bible 7the ,ramayana71          
appertaining to the mother of the eighth
 ,savior1 of whom it is declared ,brahma
 and ,siva1 with a host of attending    
spirits1 came to her and sang1 ',in thy 
delivery1 ,o favored among women1 all   
nations shall have cause to exult4' ,and
 when the celestial infant 7,chrishna7  
appeared 7it is related in a subsequent 
chapter71 a chorus of heavenly spirits  
saluted him with hymns2 the whole room  
was illuminated by his light1 and the   
countenance of his father and mother    
shone with brightness and glory 7by     
reflection71 their understandings were  
opened so that they knew him to be the  
,preserver of the world1 and they began 

to worship him4 ,the last text here     
quoted brings to mind ,luke xxiv4 #de1  
which declares1 ,then he 7,christ7      
opened their 7his parents7              
understandings4  ,the ninth avatar of   
,india 7,sakia7 furnishes to some extent
 a similar parallel4 ,according to the  
account of an exploration made in       
,india1 and published in the ,new ,york 
,correspondent of #ahbh1 ,there is on a 
silver plate in a cave in ,india an     
inscription stating that about the time 
of the advent of ,budha ,sakia 7#fjj ,b4
 ,c471 a saint in the woods learned by  
inspiration that another avatar         
7,messiah or ,savior7 had appeared in   
the house of ,rajah of ,lailas4         
,learning which1 he flew through the air
 to the place1 and when he beheld the   
new-born ,savior he declared him to be  
the great avatar 7,savior or prophet71  
and that he was destined to establish a 
new religion--the ,new ,covenant        
,religion4  ,we next draw on the history
 of ,greece4 ,it is authentically       

related of ,pythagoras 7#fjj ,b471 that 
his fame having reached ,miletas and    
neighboring cities1 men renowned for    
wisdom 7wise men7 came to visit him4    
7,progress of ,religious ,ideas1 vol4   
i47 ,in the ,anacalypsis we are told    
that ,magi came from the ,east to offer 
gifts at ,socrates' birth1 bringing     
gold1 frankincense and myrrh1 the same  
kind of offering as that presented to   
the two divine infants ,chrishna and    
,christ1 according to their respective  
inspired biographers4 7,see ,matt4 ii4  
#d1 and the ,ramayana74  ,and the legend
 of ,mithra1 of ,persia1 might also be  
included in our category of comparison1 
if we had space for it4 ,all the four   
,saviors last named 7if ,socrates may be
 called such7 are reported as having    
been honored and enriched with aromatic 
offerings at their respective births4   
,and we have the statement from ,mr4    
,higgins1 that the same assortment of   
spices 7with the gold7 constituted the  
materials offered as gifts to the sun1  

in ,persia more than three thousand     
years ago2 and likewise in ,arabia near 
the same era4 ,and it may be stated     
here1 that an ancient historic account  
of ,zoroaster of ,persia 7#f1jjj ,b4    
,c41 according to ,pliny and            
,aristotle71 speaks of his having also  
been visited by ,magi1 or ,magia1 at the
 period of his earthly advent4  ,and it 
is1 perhaps1 well to note in this place1
 that ,magi is the term used in the     
,apocryphal ,gospels1 to designate the  
wise men who visited ,christ at birth2  
and that ,magi1 ,magic and ,magician are
 but variations of the same word1 at    
least derivations from the same root1   
all suggesting a wisdom correlated to   
the ,gods4 ,osiris1 an incarnate deity  
of ,egypt1 we may cite as another case  
of an infantile ,god receiving signal   
honors and eclat at birth1 as he was    
visited while yet in the cradle by a    
host of admiring adorers4 ,people       
flocked from all parts of the world to  
behold the heaven-born infant4 ,such a  

world-wide fame must have had the effect
 to attract1 with the numerous crowd who
 thronged to see and worship him1 no    
small number of wise men4  ,at this     
stage of our historical exposition1 we  
will suggest it as rather a singular    
circumstance that the divine ,father1 in
 his infinite wisdom1 should have chosen
 to reveal the intelligence of the birth
 of his son ,jesus ,christ to a set of  
nomadic heathen idolaters hundreds of   
miles distant 7though known as wise men 
because of their skill in astrology7    
before he made it known to his own      
chosen people 7the ,jews71 who had ever 
regarded themselves as the recipients of
 his special favors4 ,and perhaps it is 
still more singular that these pagan    
pedestrians should have been denominated
 wise men1 while men of ,god's own      
election1 according to the ,christian   
bible1 were often stigmatized and       
denounced as fools1 a 4generation of    
vipers1 etc4 ,but it so happens that    
human reason finds many ,incongruities  

in ,divine ,revelations4     ,,chapter  
,,viii4 ,,the ,,twenty-,,fifth ,,of     
,,december ,,the ,,birthday ,,of ,,the  
,,gods4  ,,divested of all explanation1 
the announcement of the fact that the   
time of the birth of many of the        
incarnated ,gods and ,saviors of        
antiquity was fixed at the same period1 
and this period the twenty-fifth of     
,december1 celebrated all over          
,christendom as the birthday of ,jesus  
,christ1 would sound marvelously        
strange1 especially when it is noticed  
that this period formerly dated the     
birth of a new year--the birth of ,king 
,sol4 ,and when we find that the ancient
 pagans were in the habit of celebrating
 this venerated twenty-fifth of         
,december as the birthday of their ,gods
 in the same manner ,christians now     
celebrate it as the birthday of ,christ1
 we are driven to admit that something  
more than mere fortuitous accident must 
be adduced to account for the           
coincidence4  ,according to ,dr4        

,lightfoot1 the temple of ,jerusalem was
 employed in celebrating the birthday of
 a pagan ,god 7,adonis7 on the very     
night ,christians assign for the birth  
of ,christ4 ,and ,robert ,taylor informs
 us that nearly all the nations of the  
,east were once in the habit of rising  
at midnight to celebrate the birthday of
 their ,gods1 on the twenty-fifth of    
,december4 ,and to this statement ,mr4  
,higgins adds that1 ,at the first moment
 after midnight of the twenty-fourth of 
,december1 the ancient nations          
celebrated the accouchement of the queen
 of heaven and celestial virgin1 and the
 birth of the ,god ,sol1 the ,infant    
,savior1 and the ,god of ,day4  ,bacchus
 of ,egypt1 ,bacchus of ,greece1 ,adonis
 of ,greece1 ,chrishna of ,india1       
,chang-ti of ,china1 ,chris of ,chaldea1
 ,mithra of ,persia1 ,sakia of ,india1  
,jao ,wapaul 7a crucified ,savior of    
ancient ,britain71 were all born on the 
twenty-fifth of ,december1 according to 
their respective histories4 ,chrishna is

 represented to have been born at       
midnight on the twenty-fifth of the     
month ,savarana1 which answers to our   
,december1 and millions of his disciples
 celebrated his birthday by decorating  
their houses with garlands and gilt     
paper1 and the bestowment of presents to
 friends4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,barret tells 
us1 ,it was once common for the women in
 ,rome to perambulate the streets on the
 twenty-fifth of ,december1 singing in a
 loud voice1 ',unto us a child is born  
this day4'  ,the twenty-fifth of        
,december1 then1 it will be observed1   
was marked as the birthday of the       
incarnated ,gods1 ,saviors1 and ,sons of
 ,god1 of many of the religious systems 
of antiquity1 long prior to the birth of
 ,christ ,and why his birth was fixed at
 that date is not hard to account for4  
,according to the celebrated ,christian 
writer ,mr4 ,goodrich1 the ,christian   
world had no chronology and recorded no 
dates for several centuries after the   
commencement of the ,christian era4     

7,see ,history of all ,nations1 p4 #bc47
 ,no event of their history was marked  
by dates for nearly four hundred years4 
,hence1 the time of ,christ's birth is  
altogether a matter of conjecture1 as is
 also every other event noticed in the  
,christian bible4 ,this is proved by the
 fact that the ablest ,christian writers
 and chronologists differ to the extent 
of thirty-five hundred years in fixing  
the time of every event in the bible4 ,a
 ,mr4 ,kennedy presents us with three   
hundred different chronological systems1
 by different ,christian writers1 all   
founded on the bible1 and proving that  
the date of its various events are      
inextricably involved in a labyrinth of 
doubt1 darkness and uncertainty4        
,relative to the time of ,christ's      
birth1 the ,encyclopedia ,britannica    
says3 ,christians count one hundred and 
thirty-three contrary opinions of       
different authors concerning the year   
the ,messiah appeared on earth--many of 
them celebrated writers4 7,art4 ,chron47

 ,mark the declaration--one hundred and 
thirty-three different opinions as to   
the year ,christ was born in2 one       
hundred and thirty-three different years
 fixed on by different ,christian       
chronologists as the time of the birth  
of the most extraordinary and most noted
 being1 as ,christians would have us    
believe1 that ever appeared on earth4   
,think of an omnipotent ,god descending 
from heaven1 performing astounding      
miracles1 and presenting other proofs of
 being a ,god1 and yet not one of the   
three hundred writers of that era take  
any notice of him1 or make any note of  
his birth or any event of his life4     
,this circumstance is of itself         
sufficient to banish and dissipate all  
faith in his divinity4  ,it is evident1 
from the facts just presented1 that all 
systems of ,christian chronology are    
founded on mere conjecture1 and hence   
should be rejected as worthless4 ,what  
event of ,christ's life1 then1 can be   
accepted as certain1 when no record was 

made of it till the time was forgotten1 
and none for at least half a century    
after the dawn of the ,christian era1   
according to ,dr4 ,lardner1 when nearly 
all who witnessed it must have been     
dead8  ,we think the most reasonable    
conclusion in the case is1 that ,christ1
 instead of performing those ,munchausen
 prodigies attributed to him--such as   
casting out devils1 raising the dead1   
controlling the elements of nature1     
etc4--led such an ordinary1 obscure     
life--excelling only in healing the sick
 and other noble deeds of charity and   
philanthropy--that he attracted but     
little notice by the higher classes1 or 
by anybody but those of a similar turn  
of mind1 till he was deified by         
,constantine1 in the year #cbe ,a4 ,d4  
,hence1 the time of his birth was not   
recorded1 and was forgotten4            
,consequently1 the twenty-fifth of      
,december was selected as his birthday1 
because it was the birthday of other    
,gods1 and because it was regarded by   

the heathen1 from time immemorial1 as   
the birthday of ,sol1 the glorious      
luminary of heaven1 it being the period 
he is born again into a new year1 and   
commences again his journey and his     
life2 and because1 also1 this epoch was1
 as ,sharon ,turner informs us1 in his  
,history of the ,anglo-,saxons1 the     
commencement of a new year up to the    
tenth century4  ,these events signalized
 the twenty-fifth of ,december1 and made
 it a period of sufficient importance to
 lead the early ,christians to suppose  
it must have been the birthday of their 
,messiah4 ,mosheim1 however1 confesses  
that the day or the year in which it    
happened has not been fixed with        
certainty1 notwithstanding the profound 
researches of the learned4 ,so that it  
is still an open question as to when    
,christ was born4 ,what day of the      
month1 what year1 or what century it    
took place in1 is still unknown4 ,this  
circumstance is1 as before suggested1   
sufficient of itself to utterly         

prostrate all faith in the divine claims
 for ,jesus ,christ4 ,what would be     
thought of a witness who should testify 
in court to the truth of an occurrence  
of which he did not know the year1 or   
even the century1 in which it took      
place1 or who could come no nearer than 
one hundred and thirty-three years in   
fixing or guessing at the time4 ,would  
the court accept such testimony8        
,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,titles ,,of ,,the     
,,saviors  ,,the various deific titles  
applied to ,jesus ,christ in the ,new   
,testament are regarded by some         
,christian writers as presumptive       
evidence of his divinity4 ,but the      
argument proves too much for the case2  
as we find the proof in history that    
many other beings1 whom ,christians     
regard as men1 were honored and         
addressed by the same titles1 such as   
,god1 ,lord1 ,savior1 ,redeemer1        
,mediator1 ,messiah1 etc4  ,the ,hindoo 
,chrishna1 more than two thousand years 
ago1 was prayerfully worshiped as ,god  

the ,most ,high4 ,his disciple ,amarca  
once addressed him thus3 ,thou art the  
,lord of all things1 the ,god of the    
universe1 the emblem of mercy1 the      
bestower of salvation4 ,be propitious ,o
 most ,high ,god1 etc4 ,here he is      
addressed both as ,lord and ,god4 ,he is
 also styled ,god of ,gods4  ,adonis of 
,greece was addressed as ,god ,supreme1 
and ,osiris of ,egypt as the ,lord of   
,life4 ,in ,phrygia1 it was ,lord ,atys1
 as ,christians say1 ,lord ,jesus       
,christ ,narayan of ,bermuda was styled 
the ,holy ,living ,god4 ,the title ,son 
of ,god was so common in nearly all     
religious countries as to excite but    
little awe or attention4  ,st4 ,basil   
says1 ,every uncommonly good man was    
called 'the ,son of ,god4' ,the ,asiatic
 ,researches says1 the ,tamulese adored 
a divine ,son of ,god1 and ,thor of the 
,scandinavians was denominated the      
first-born ,son of ,god and so was      
,chrishna of ,india1 and other demigods4
  ,it requires1 therefore1 a wide       

stretch of faith to believe that ,jesus 
,christ was in any peculiar sense the   
,son of ,god1 because so denominated1 or
 the only begotten ,son of ,god1 when so
 many others are reported in history    
bearing that title4  ,the title ,savior 
is found in the legends of every        
religious country4 ,so also ,god1       
,redeemer1 and ,mediator4 ,when a ,mogul
 or ,thibetan is asked who is ,chrishna1
 says the ,christian missionary ,hue1   
the reply is1 instantly1 'the ,savior of
 men4' ,budha was known as the ,savior1 
,creator and ,wisdom of ,god1 and       
,mithra as both ,mediator and ,savior1  
also as the ,redeemer1 and ,chrishna as 
the ,divine ,redeemer1 also the         
,redeemer of the ,world4 ,the terms     
,mediator and ,intercessor were also    
frequently applied to him by his        
disciples4 ,and both he and ,quexalcote 
were hailed as the ,messiah4 ,in short1 
most ancient religious nations were     
honored with or expected a ,messiah4    
,was ,jesus ,christ the ,lamb of ,god8  

7,john i4 #i47 ,so was ,chrishna styled 
the ,holy ,lamb4 ,the ,mexicans1        
preferring a full-grown sheep1 had their
 ,ram of ,god4 ,the ,celts had their    
,heifer of ,god1 and the ,egyptians     
their ,bull of ,god4 ,all these terms   
are ludicrous emblems of ,deity1        
representing him as a quadruped1 as the 
title ,lamb of ,god does ,jesus ,christ1
 a term no less ludicrous than the      
titles of the pagan ,gods as cited      
above4  ,and was ,christ the ,true      
,light8 7,john i4 #i47 ,so was ,chrishna
 likewise called the ,true ,light1 also 
the ,giver of ,light1 the ,inward       
,light1 etc4 ,osiris was the ,redeemer  
of ,light1 and ,pythagoras was both     
,light and ,truth4 ,apollonius was      
styled the ,true ,light of the ,world2  
while ,simon ,magus was called the      
,light of all ,men4  ,several nations   
had also their ,christs1 though in many 
cases the word is differently spelled4  
,chrest1 the ,greek mode of spelling    
,christ1 may be found on several of the 

ancient tombstones of that country4 ,the
 ,christian writer ,elsley1 in his      
,annotations of the ,gospels 7vol4 i4 p4
 #be71 spells the word ,christ in this  
manner1 ,chrest ,the people of ,loretto 
had a black ,savior1 called ,chrest1 or 
,christ4 ,lucian1 in his ,philopatris1  
admits the ancient ,gentiles had the    
name of ,christ1 which shows it was a   
heathen title4 ,the ,chaldeans had their
 ,chris1 the ,hindoos their ,chrishna1  
the ,greeks their ,chrest1 and the      
,christians their ,christ1 all1         
doubtless1 derived from the same        
original root4  ,as for ,jesus1 it was a
 common name among the ,jews long before
 the advent of ,christ4 ,josephus refers
 to seven or eight persons by that name1
 as ,jesus1 brother of ,onias1 ,jesus1  
son of ,phabet1 etc4 ,joshua in the     
,greek form1 ,jesus1 was in still more  
common use4  ,again1 was ,jesus ,christ 
the ,alpha and ,omega1 the ,beginning   
and the ,end8 so1 likewise1 ,chrishna   
proclaimed1 ,i am the ,beginning1 the   

,middle1 and the ,end4 ,osiris and      
,chrishna were both proclaimed ,judge of
 the ,dead1 as ,jesus was ,judge of     
quick and dead4 ,isaiah represents the  
,father as proclaiming1 ,i am ,jehovah2 
besides me there is no ,savior4 7,isa4  
xliii4 #aa47 ,with what consistency1    
then1 can ,christ be called the ,savior1
 if there is but one ,savior1 and that  
is the ,father8  ,and other divine      
titles besides those above named--in    
fact1 all those applied to ,christ--are 
found used also in reference to the     
older pagan gods1 and hence prove       
nothing4   ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,terms  
,,mediator1 ,,intercessor1 ,,etc4       
,several causes contributed to originate
 a belief in the offices imaginarily    
assigned to divine ,god-descended       
,mediators1 ,redeemers1 and             
,intercessors4  #a4 ,in the first place1
 the ,great ,supreme ,god was believed  
to be too far off and too aristocratic  
to be on familiar terms with his        
subjects1 or at all times accessible to 

their prayers4 ,hence1 was gotten up a  
,mediator1 or middle ,god1 to stand     
midway between the ,great ,supreme and  
the people1 and transmit messages one   
from the other1 and thus serve as agent 
for both parties4 ,confirmatory of this 
statement is the declaration of         
,mamoides1 in his ,guide to the ,erring1
 that the ancient ,sabeans conceived the
 principal ,god1 on account of his great
 distance1 to be inaccessible2 and      
hence1 in imitation of the people in    
their conduct toward their king1 who had
 to address him through a person        
appointed for the purpose1 they         
imaginarily employed a middle divinity1 
who was called a ,mediator1 to present  
their claims to the ,supreme ,god4 ,here
 the whole secret is out1 the whole     
thing is explained1 and we now          
understand why ,christ is called a      
,mediator1 ,intercessor1 ,advocate with 
the ,father1 etc4  #b4 ,again1 the      
,supreme ,god was supposed to be        
frequently angry with the people1 and   

threatening to punish if not to destroy 
them4 ,i will punish the multitude4     
7,jer4 xlvi4 #be47 ,i will destroy the  
people4 7,ex4 xxiii4 #bg74 ,hence1 this 
middle divinity1 this second person of  
the trinity1 stepped in to plead and    
intercede on their behalf1 being1 as we 
must presume1 a better-natured and more 
merciful being than the ,father4 ,and   
thus interceding1 he received the titles
 of ,intercessor and ,advocate with the 
,father4 7#a ,john1 ii4 #a47  #c4 ,the  
principal circumstance1 however1 which  
led to the conception of a divine       
,savior was the desire to find some way 
to continue in sin and wrong-doing and  
escape its natural and legitimate       
consequences2 in other words1 to evade  
the penalty4 ,hence1 it came to be      
believed that people might run riot in  
sin1 and plunge into the indulgence of  
their passions and their lusts1 till the
 hour of death approached1 when they    
would have nothing to do but to ask     
forgiveness1 and cast the burden of     

their sins and sufferings on the merits 
of a crucified ,savior and ,redeemer1   
who suffered once for all1 that we might
 escape1 and thus dodge the penalty for 
sin4 ,it was1 as ,mr4 ,fleurbach        
expresses it1 ,a realized wish to be    
free from the laws of morality1 and     
escape the natural consequences of wrong
 doing4     ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the         
,,saviors ,,of ,,royal ,,descent1 ,,but 
,,humble ,,birth  ,,we have the singular
 coincidence presented in the histories 
of several of the ,saviors of their     
lineal descent through a line of kings  
or princes1 and yet commencing their    
probationary life under the most humble 
and adverse circumstances--being born in
 stables1 caves1 and other inauspicious 
situations4  ,the story of their royal  
blood was calculated to add dignity to  
their characters1 while their humble    
birth in the midst of poverty1 and      
unmarked by ostentation1 would evince   
their humility1 meekness1 condescension1
 and absence of pride1 and thus proclaim

 a lesson of humility and resignation to
 their disciples and followers4  ,here1 
seems to be plainly indicated the       
motives for assigning them to such a    
birth1 and such a character4  ,christ's 
lineal descent1 it will be remembered1  
is professedly traced 7though in a very 
zig-zag1 disjointed manner7 from the    
royal house of ,david4 ,and yet his     
royal blood did not save him from the   
most ignoble and ignominious birth1 and 
obscure exordium of his earth life4  ,a 
singular story1 and yet a similar story1
 is told of the ,indian ,savior         
,chrishna1 who was1 according to the    
,rev4 ,mr4 ,allen 7,india1 p4 #cgi7 of  
the royal house of ,kousa1 traced back  
through many generations4 ,yet1 in order
 to teach the world a lesson of true    
humility1 and administer a just         
reprehension to pride1 he submitted to  
be born in a cave1 amid the denizens of 
subterranean abodes4 ,and here let it be
 noted1 the best and most orthodox      
writers concede that while ,christ is   

said to have born in a manger1 that     
manger was in a cave4 ,mr4 ,fleetwood 7a
 very popular ,christian writer7        
testifies in this matter that the ,greek
 fathers generally agree that the place 
of ,christ's birth was a cave4 7,life of
 ,christ1 p4 #efh47 ,then the           
coincidence in this respect between     
,christ and ,chrishna may be set down as
 complete4  ,we have no means of        
learning how many of the ,saviors were  
of royal blood1 as the genealogy of some
 of them is not given4 ,but those whose 
lineal descent is furnished us are      
almost uniformly traced to or evinced as
 springing from royal parentage1 and    
practical humility--so far as it can be 
taught by an unostentatious birth--is a 
lesson taught by nearly all4 ,budha     
,sakia of ,hindostan is directly traced 
through a royal pedigree4  ,speaking on 
this point1 one writer remarks3         
,tradition affirms that his mother was  
betrothed to a rajah1 and of course her 
son belonged to the same royal caste    

that ,chrishna did during his existence 
on earth4 7,prog4 ,rel4 ,ideas1 vol1 i4 
#hd47  ,the ,great ,prophet of ,arabia  
7,mahomet7 not only commenced his       
earthly career in a humble situation1   
but resembled ,christ in having nowhere 
to lay his head4 ,it is said of the     
,great ,prophet1 ,a cloak spread on the 
ground served him for a bed1 and a skin 
filled with date leaves was his pillow4 
,the genealogy of the ,god ,yu 7of      
,china7 is traced through a line of     
princes to a very remote origin1 while  
his whole life was a lesson of practical
 humility1 and proclaimed at every step1
 ,this is the way2 walk ye in it4       
,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,christ',s ,,genealogy 
,,in order to exalt the dignity and     
character of the ,christian ,messiah    
still higher than a mere claim for a    
divine origin paternally would have the 
effect to do1 two of his assumed to be  
inspired biographers have set up for him
 a claim to a royal lineage through the 
maternal line4  ,hence1 they tell us    

that he descended from and through a    
line of kings embracing the house of    
,david4 ,but in presenting the names1   
and the number of generations1 in their 
attempts to make out this royal         
distinction1 this kingly exaltation of  
birth1 they exhibit a most egregious    
bungle1 and the most barefaced tissue of
 discrepancies4 ,for they not only      
differ widely with each other in this   
matter1 but differ with the ,old        
,testament genealogy1 and differ with   
those texts which give the maternal     
ancestry of ,jesus4  ,indeed1 though    
varying as wide as the poles from each  
other1 they both miss ,jesus and arrive 
at ,joseph in tracing down the          
generations from ,abraham 7unless we    
assume they intended to represent       
,joseph as being his father74  ,luke1 in
 his gospel1 names and counts off       
forty-one generations from ,david to    
,joseph1 though he had previously       
represented it as being forty-two2 but  
,matthew says that from ,abraham to     

,david are fourteen generations1 but    
according to his own showing1 and       
according to his own list of names1     
there are but thirteen4 ,and then he    
tells us there are but fourteen         
generations from ,david to the carrying 
away into ,babylon4 ,b,ut according to  
the ,old ,testament genealogy 7see i    
,chron4 iii47 there were eighteen4  ,and
 then the names comprised in the two    
genealogies of ,matthew and ,luke are so
 widely different from that found in    
,chronicles1 as to set all analogy and  
agreement at defiance4  ,in fact1 in    
their whole list of names1 from ,david  
down to ,joseph1 they only come together
 twice4 ,their names are all different  
but two1 that of ,salathiel and         
,zorobabel1 which names alone are found 
in both lists4  ,matthew tells us that  
the son of ,david1 through whom ,joseph 
descended1 was ,solomon1 but ,luke says 
it was ,nathan4 ,the next name in       
,matthew's list is that of ,roboam1 but 
the corresponding name in ,luke's list  

is ,mattatha4 ,matthew's next name is   
,abia1 which ,luke gives as ,menan1     
while ,chronicles differs from both1 and
 gives it as ,abijah4 ,matthew says     
,joram begat ,ozias1 but ,chronicles    
virtually declares ,joram had no such   
son1 although he had a                  
great-great-grandson ,uzziah4 ,but ,luke
 says1 in effect1 there was no such     
person in the genealogical tree1 or     
family line1 as either ,joram1 ,ozias or
 ,uzziah4 ,matthew says again1 ,josias  
begat ,jechonias and his brethren1 about
 the time they were carried away to     
,babylon4 7,matt4 i4 ii47  ,but         
,chronicles declares that ,jechonias was
 ,jehoiakim's son1 and not ,josiah's1   
and that ,josiah had no such son4 ,and1 
besides1 we learn1 from #b ,kings xiii41
 that ,josiah was killed eleven years   
before the exile to ,babylon1 and could 
not well beget a son after he had been  
defunct a tenth of a century4  ,matthew1
 after naming twenty-four generations as
 filling out the line1 and making it    

complete between ,david and ,jacob1     
concludes by saying1 and ,jacob begat   
,joseph1 the husband of ,mary4  ,but    
,luke1 antecedent to spinning out his   
list to fourteen generations more than  
,matthew1 i4 e41 making it fourteen     
generations longer1 declares that       
,joseph was the son of ,heli4 ,so that  
,joseph either had two fathers1 ,jacob  
and ,heli2 or ,matthew or ,luke1 or     
both1 were most egregiously mistaken1   
with all their inspiration4  ,again1    
,luke says that ,salathiel was the son  
of ,neri2 but ,chronicles says he was   
the son of ,jechonias4 ,and after       
,chronicles had registered ,zorobabel as
 the son of ,penniah1 ,matthew and      
,luke1 assuming to become wise above    
what was written1 both declare that he  
was the son of ,salathiel4 ,they agree  
here in contradicting ,chronicles1 which
 is the only instance but one of their  
agreement in the whole list of          
progenitors from ,david to ,joseph4     
,with this exception they contradict    

each other all the way through1 and in  
many instances that of ,chronicles1 too4
  ,this is a strange way1 indeed1 of    
proving ,jesus ,christ to have had two  
fathers6--to be both the son of ,god and
 son of ,david6 ,and it is still        
stranger that they should trace his     
genealogy to ,joseph1 if they did not   
consider him ,joseph's son4 ,otherwise1 
the genealogy of ,sinbad the ,sailor1 or
 ,harry ,haulaway1 would have been as   
apropos4  ,such are the beautiful       
harmony and agreement in the words of   
divine inspiration which ,christians    
prate so much about4  ,and all this     
appears to be the result of an attempt  
to elevate the man ,christ ,jesus to a  
level with the demigods of antiquity1   
nearly all of whom claimed to be of     
royal or princely descent4 ,such        
continual blundering1 guessing1         
cross-firing1 and clashing of names as  
is exhibited in the foregoing           
exposition1 reminds us of the           
,hibernian's reply when asked for the   

number and names of his brothers3       
,well1 sir1 ,i have fourteen brothers1  
and they are all named ,bill but        
,bob--his name is ,tom4  ,matthew and   
,luke's attempt to exalt and dignify the
 character of ,christ by making out for 
him a pure1 holy and royal lineage we   
find1 upon a critical examination not   
only proved a very signal but a very    
singular and ludicrous failure1 for all 
his female anchors who are brought to   
notice were persons of libidinous or    
licentious tendencies1 according to     
their own biblical history4  ,it is     
remarkable1 says ,dr4 ,alexander        
,walker1 7a ,christian writer1 in his   
work on ,woman1 p4 #ccj71 that in the   
genealogy of ,christ only four women are
 named3 ,thamar1 who seduced the father 
of her late husband1 and ,rachel1 a     
common prostitute1 and ,ruth1 who1      
instead of marrying one of her cousins1 
went to bed with another of them1 and   
,bathsheba1 an adulteress1 who espoused 
,david1 the murderer of her first       

husband4  ,what a pedigree for an       
incarnate ,god--a being ostensibly of   
spotless origin6 though his impure      
ancestral origin does not detract from  
the high moral character and            
distinguished moral life which marks the
 history of the man ,christ ,jesus1 many
 incidents of whose life show him to    
have been what is now known as a        
spiritual medium4     ,,chapter ,,xii4  
,,the ,,world',s ,,saviors ,,saved      
,,from ,,destruction ,,in ,,infancy     
,,of course such an extraordinary       
circumstance as the birth of a ,god into
 the world must be marked with unusual  
incidents and great eclat4 ,this was    
first exhibited by angels1 shepherds1   
prophets1 magi or wise men1 flocking    
around their cradles4 ,in the second    
place we observe an unusual display of  
divine power and providential care on   
the part of the great ,father ,god1 who 
was still left in heaven to save the    
young saviors through their infancy4    
,it is certainly a remarkable           

circumstance that so many of the infant 
,saviors should have been threatened    
with the most imminent danger of        
destruction1 and yet in every case      
miraculously preserved1 and thus were   
the ,saviors saved4  ,a jealousy seems  
to have existed in several instances in 
the mind of the tyrant king or ruler of 
the country that the young ,saviors and 
prospective spiritual rulers 7who were  
mostly of royal descent7 would          
ultimately acquire such favor with the  
people1 by such a display of superior   
power and greatness of mind1 as to      
endanger his retaining peaceable        
possession of the secular throne2 to    
express it in brief1 he feared the young
 ,god would prove a rival king1 and     
hence took measures to destroy him4  ,in
 the case of the ,christian ,savior we  
are told that an angel1 or the angel1   
warned ,joseph 7the assumed father7 to  
take the young ,savior and ,god and flee
 with him into ,egypt1 because ,herod   
the king sought to destroy the young    

child's life1 and had1 in order to      
effect this end1 decreed the destruction
 of all the children under two years    
old4 ,and ,joseph heeded the divine     
warning1 and fled as directed4 ,an angel
 and a dream1 then1 it will be observed1
 were the instrumentalities used to save
 the young ,judean ,savior from         
massacre4  ,and strange as it may seem1 
we find the same agencies had been      
previously employed to effect the rescue
 of other ,saviors likewise and         
similarly threatened4  ,in the case of  
,chrishna of ,india1 in particular1 the 
similitude is very striking in nearly   
every feature of the whole story4  ,in  
the first place there is the angel      
warning4 ,in the ,christian story we are
 not specifically informed how the      
tyrant ,herod first became apprised of  
the birth of the ,judean ,savior4 ,the  
,hindoo story is fuller1 and indicates  
that the angel was not only sufficiently
 thoughtful to warn the parents to flee 
from a danger which threatened to       

dispossess them of a divine child1 and  
the world of a ,savior1 but was         
condescending enough to apprise the     
tyrant ruler 7,cansa7 of his danger     
likewise--as we are told he heard an    
angel voice announcing that a rival     
ruler was born in his kingdom4  ,and    
hence1 like ,herod1 he set about        
concocting measures to destroy him      
without a direct attack4 ,why either of 
them should have taken such a circuitous
 or roundabout way of killing an infant1
 when the life of the strongest man1 and
 every man in their kingdoms1 was at    
their instant disposal1 divine          
inspiration does not inform us4  ,but so
 it was4 ,and we must not seek to become
 wise above what is written in their    
bibles4 ,herod's decree required the    
destruction of all infants under two    
years of age 7see ,matt4 ii4            
#af7--;first ordering1 however1 ,go1 and
 search diligently for the young child4 
7,matt4 ii4 #h47 ,cansa's decree ran    
thus3 ,let active search be made for    

whatever young children there may be    
upon earth1 and let every boy in whom   
there may be found signs of unusual     
greatness be slain without remorse4     
,now1 let it be specially noticed that  
there is to this day in the cave temple 
at ,elephanta1 in ,india1 the sculptured
 likeness of a king represented with a  
drawn sword1 and surrounded with        
slaughtered infants--admitted by all    
writers to be much older than           
,christianity4 ,mr ,forbes1 in his      
,oriental ,memories1 vol4 iii4 p4 #ddg1 
says1 ,the figures of the slaughtered   
infants in the cave of ,elephanta       
represent them as being all boys1 who   
are surrounded by groups of figures of  
men and women in the act1 apparently1 of
 supplicating for those children4 ,and  
,mr4 ,higgins testifies relative to the 
case1 that ,chrishna was carried away by
 night1 and concealed in a region remote
 from his natal place1 for fear of a    
tyrant whose destroyer it had been      
foretold he would become1 who1 for that 

reason1 had ordered all the male        
children born at that time to be slain4 
,sculptures in ,elephanta attest the    
story where the tyrant is represented as
 destroying the children4 ,the date of  
this sculpture is of the most remote    
antiquity4 ,he who hath ears to hear1   
let him hear1 and deduce the pregnant   
inference4 ,joseph and ,mary fled with  
the young ,judean ,god into ,egypt2     
,chrishna's parents likewise fled with  
the young ,hindoo ,savior to ,gokul4    
,now1 let us observe for a moment the   
chain or category or resemblance4  #a4  
,there was an angel warning in each case
 relative to the impending danger4  #b4 
,the governor or ruler was hostile in   
each case to the mission of the young   
,savior4  #c4 ,a bloody decree was      
issued in both cases1 having for its    
object the destruction of these infant  
,messiahs4  #d4 ,the hurried flight of  
the parents takes place in each case4   
#e4 ,and it may be remarked further1    
that the ,gospel of the ,infancy of     

,jesus1 once believed by the ,christian 
world to be inspired1 and which for     
hundreds of years passed current as     
divine authority1 relates that ,christ  
and his parents sojourned for a time at 
a place called ,matarea1 or ,mathura1 as
 ,sir ,william ,jones spells it1 who    
says it was the birth place of          
,chrishna4  ,it is further related in   
the case of ,chrishna1 that as he and   
his parents approached the ,river ,jumna
 in their flight1 the waters parted     
hither and thither1 so that they passed 
over dry shod1 like ,moses and the      
,israelites in crossing the ,red ,sea4  
,and here let it be noted that the      
representation of this flight1 which is 
said to have occurred at midnight1 is   
like that of the massacre perpetuated   
and attested by imperishable monuments  
of stone bearing evidence of being now  
several thousand years old4  ,sir       
,william ,jones says3--  ,the ,indian   
incarnate ,god ,chrishna1 the ,hindoos  
believe1 had a virgin mother of the     

royal race1 who was sought to be        
destroyed in his infancy about nine     
hundred years before ,christ4 ,it       
appears that he passed his life in      
working miracles1 and preaching1 and was
 so humble as to wash his friends' feet2
 at length1 dying1 but rising from the  
dead1 he ascended into heaven in the    
presence of a multitude4 ,the ,cingalese
 relate nearly the same things of their 
,budha4 ,and several authors of         
,egyptian history refer to a story      
perpetuated in the ,egyptian legends    
concerning the ,god ,osiris1 who was    
threatened with destruction by the      
tyrant ,amulius1 to save whom his       
parents fled and concealed him in an arm
 of the ,river ,nile1 as ,christ was    
concealed in the same country1 and1 for 
aught that appears to the contrary1 in  
the same locality4 ,the mother of       
another and older ,savior of ,egypt fled
 by a timely warning to ,epidamis before
 the birth of the divine child1 and was 
there delivered of our ,lord and        

,savior1 ,horus4 ,and the earthly or    
adopted father of the ,grecian ,savior1 
and ,god1 ,alcides1 had to flee with him
 and his mother to ,galem for protection
 from threatening danger4  ,in the ninth
 and tenth volumes of the ,asiatic      
,researches1 we find the story of the   
only begotten or first begotten son of  
,god1 ,salvahana1 of ,cape ,comorin1 son
 of a virgin mother 7as were all the    
other ,saviors referred to71 and a      
carpenter by the name of ,taishnea4 7,it
 will be remembered that ,joseph1       
foster-father of ,jesus1 was a          
carpenter47 ,the story of this ,son of  
,god presents several features very     
similar to that relating to ,jesus4 ,sir
 ,william ,jones1 ,colonel ,wilford1 and
 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,maurice all confess to 
the antiquity of this story1 as         
originating before the birth of ,christ4
 ,speaking of ,zoroaster of ,persia     
7another case71 #fjj ,b4 ,c41 an author 
remarks1 ,tradition reports that his    
mother had alarming dreams of evil      

spirits seeking to destroy the child to 
whom she was about to give birth4 ,but a
 good spirit came to rescue him1 and    
consoled her by saying1 ',fear not2 ,god
 ,ormuzd will protect the infant1 who   
has sent him as a prophet to the people 
and the world who are waiting for him4  
,china1 too1 presents us with a case of 
the threatened destruction of a ,savior 
in infancy1 evidently recorded more than
 two thousand five hundred years ago4   
,it is the case of the ,god ,yu1 who was
 concealed in a manner similar to that  
of ,moses--a commemoration of the story 
of which is perpetuated by an image or  
picture of the virgin mother with a babe
 upon her knee--sometimes in her arms4  
,now1 let it be noted that these        
virgin-born ,gods1 who1 we are told1    
came to save the world1 could not save  
themselves1 but had to be protected and 
saved by other ,gods4  ,without pursuing
 the subject further in detail1 we may  
mention by way of recapitulation1 that  
,chrishna1 ,alcides1 ,zoraster1         

,salvahana1 ,yu1 to which list we may   
add ,bacchus1 ,romulus1 ,moses and      
,cyrus1 according to their reputed      
history1 were threatened with death and 
destruction1 but were providentially and
 miraculously preserved4 ,the case of   
,augustus is related by ,suetonius1 that
 of ,romulus by ,livy1 and that of      
,cyrus by ,herodotus4 ,it will be       
recollected that ,pharaoh1 like ,herod1 
in order to reach the infant ,moses1    
ordered the massacre of all the male    
infants 7,herod making no distinction of
 sex71 in order that he might1 by this  
singular and circuitous method1 reach   
the object of his jealousy and malignity
 without passing a direct sentence of   
death upon him4  ,the whole story of    
,herod's slaughter edict1 with the      
familiar history of its execution1 like 
nearly every other miraculous incident  
related in ,the ,holy ,scriptures1 which
 detail their histories1 are traceable  
in the skies4 ,herod1 we are told1      
literally means hero of the skin--a term

 applied also to ,hercules1 a           
personification of the sun--because the 
sun1 on entering the constellation of   
the ,zodiac in ,july1 was supposed or   
assumed to invest himself with the skin 
of the lion1 and this became the hero of
 the skin1 or a hero with a new skin4   
,now this solar ,herod1 passing through 
the astronomical twins and young infants
 of ,may1 was said to destroy them1     
though the word destroy is in the ,greek
 anairean1 which any person1 on turning 
to the ,greek lexicon1 will observe     
means also to take away1 pass through1  
or withdraw from1 so that ,pharaoh more 
properly passed through the infants than
 destroyed them4  ,the text1 ,in ,rama  
there was a voice heard1 ,rachel weeping
 for her children1 etc41 is quoted by a 
writer 7,strauss7 as referring to the   
children slaughtered by ,pharaoh4 ,let  
two things be noticed here3 #a4 ,rama is
 the ,indian and ,phoenician name for   
the zodiac4 #b4 ,rachel had but two     
children to weep for--,joseph and       

,benjamin--just the number found in the 
fifth sign1 or ,may sign1 of the zodiac4
 ,and ,venus1 among the ancient         
,assyrians and ,phoenicians1 was in     
tears when the sun1 in his annual cross 
through the heavens1 passed through or  
over the astronomical ,twins 7,gemini71 
doubtless fearfully apprehending their  
destruction4  ,the case of the massacre 
is an illustration and example of the   
manner in which all the miraculous      
stories related in the ,christian       
,scriptures1 as having been practically 
exemplified in the life of ,jesus       
,christ1 are traceable to older sources1
 frequently terminating among the stars4
   ,,section ,,ii4--,,incredibility ,,of
 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,massacre    
,,of ,,the ,,hebrew ,,infants4  #a4 ,it 
is a cogent and potent fact1 calculated 
to render the story of the murder of the
 ,hebrew children by ,herod wholly      
incredible1 that not one writer of that 
age1 or that nation1 or any other       
nation1 makes any mention of the        

circumstance4  #b4 ,even the ,rabbinical
 writers who detail his wicked life so  
minutely1 and who bring to his charge so
 many flagitious acts1 fail to record   
any notice of this horrible and         
atrocious deed1 which must have been    
published far and wide1 and known to all
 the writers of that age and country1   
had it occurred4  #c4 ,and still more   
logically ruinous to the credit of the  
story is the omission of ,josephus to   
throw out one hint that such a wholesale
 slaughter ever took place in ,judea4   
,and yet he not only lived in that      
country1 but was related to ,herod's    
wife1 and regarded him as his most      
implacable enemy1 and professes to write
 out the whole history of his wicked    
life in the most minute detail1 devoting
 thirty-seven chapters of his large work
 to this subject1 and apparently        
enumerates every evil act of his life4  
,and yet ,josephus says not a word about
 his inhuman and infamous butchery of   
the babes which ,matthew charges him    

with 7about fourteen thousand in        
number7--a bloody deed1 unmatched in the
 annals of tyranny4 ,such facts prove   
the story not only incredible1 but      
impossible4 ,josephus could not and     
would not have omitted to notice this   
the most notorious and nefarious act of 
his life1 had it occurred4 ,it1         
therefore1 could not have occurred4 ,and
 it is almost equally incredible that   
,roman historians1 who furnish us with a
 particular account of ,herod's         
character1 should pass over in silence  
such a villainous and bloody deed4  #d4 
,and then some of our ablest and most   
reliable chronologists have shown that  
,herod was not living at the time this  
bloody decree should have been issued by
 him2 that he died about three years    
prior to that period1 and hence could   
have been guilty of no such villainy1   
and highhanded murder1 and cruel        
infanticide4  #e4 ,and even if living1  
he would have been an old man 7not less 
than sixty-eight according to           

,josephus74 ,hence1 he could not have   
calculated on surviving long enough for 
the son of a village carpenter1 then a  
babe1 to oust him from his throne4  #f4 
,it is wholly incredible1 also1 that    
,herod should have adopted such a       
roundabout method of destroying the     
object of his fear and envy when he     
could have singled him out1 and put him 
to death at once1 and thus avoid the    
felonious act of breaking the hearts of 
thousands of parents1 and his most loyal
 subjects1 too4  #g4 ,from the foregoing
 considerations1 we endorse the         
sentiment of the ,rev4 ,edward ,evanson1
 that it is an incredible1 borrowed     
fiction4     ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the    
,,saviors ,,exhibit ,,early ,,proofs    
,,of ,,divinity4  ,,of course1 all ,gods
 must be heroes--physically or          
intellectually1 or both4 ,the more      
danger they encounter1 and the earlier  
they manifest a precocious or           
preternatural smartness1 the more like  
,gods4  ,and hence we find several of   

the ,saviors in very early childhood    
displaying great physical prowess in    
meeting and conquering danger1 while    
others exhibit their superiority        
mentally by vanquishing their opponents 
in argument4 ,christ first began to     
exhibit proof of his divine character   
and greatness by meeting and silencing  
the doctors in the temple when only     
about twelve years of age4  ,and similar
 proofs of divinity at or near this age 
is found in the history of some of the  
pagan ,saviors4  ,of ,christ it is      
declared1 ,there went out a fame of him 
through all the region round about4     
7,luke iv4 #ad47 ,and of the ,grecian   
,esculapius it is likewise declared1    
,the voice of fame soon published the   
birth of a miraculous child1 and the    
people flocked from all quarters to     
behold him4 ,of ,confucius of ,china it 
is declared1 ,his extensive knowledge   
and great wisdom soon made him known1   
and kings were governed by his counsels1
 and the people adored him wherever he  

went4 ,and it is further declared of    
this ,divine ,man1 that he seemed to    
arrive at reason and the perfect use of 
his faculties almost from infancy4 ,it  
is reported of the ,god ,chang-ti1 that 
when questioned on the subject of       
government and the duties of princes and
 rulers while yet a child1 his answers  
were such as to astonish the whole      
empire by his knowledge and wisdom4  ,it
 is related of a ,grecian ,god that he  
demolished the serpents which attempted 
to bite or destroy him while in his     
cradle4 ,the proof of ,osiris's divinity
 was a blaze of light shining around his
 cradle soon after he was born4         
,relative to ,pythagoras of the same    
country1 we have it upon the authority  
of a ,christian writer1 that he         
exhibited such a remarkable character1  
even in youth1 as to attract the        
attention of all who saw and heard him  
speak4 ,and the author further testifies
 of him that he never was at any time   
overcome with anger1 laughter1 or       

perturbation of mind or precipitation of
 conduct4 ,his fame having reached      
,miletus and neighboring cities1 it is  
said by another writer1 the people      
flocked to see and hear him1 and he was 
reverenced by multitudes4  ,luke        
declares of ,christ1 that the people    
were astonished at his understanding and
 answers4 7,luke ii4 #dg47 ,and the     
,gospel of the ,infancy tells us that   
his tutor ,zacheas was astonished at his
 learning1 which reminds us of the      
statement found in ,the ,divine ,word of
 the ,hindoos 7,the ,mahabarat71 that   
the parents of the ,savior ,chrishna1 in
 making arrangements to give him an     
education1 sent him to a learned        
,brahmin as tutor1 whom he instantly    
astonished with his vast learning1 and  
under whose tuition he mastered the     
whole circle of sciences in a day and a 
night4 ,men1 seeing the wonders         
performed by this child1 told ,nanda    
7his adopted father7 that this could not
 possibly be his son4  ,it is told of   

,budha ,sakia of ,india that1 as soon as
 he was born1 a light shone around his  
cradle1 when he stood up and proclaimed 
his mission1 and that the ,river ,ganges
 daring this time rose in a miraculous  
manner1 which was stilled by his divine 
power1 as ,christ stilled the tempest on
 the sea4 ,he was born1 says the ,new   
,american ,cyclopedia 7vol4 iv4 p4 #fa71
 amidst great miracles1 and soon as     
born1 most solemnly proclaims his       
mission4  ,of ,narayan1 the ,holy1 it is
 declared that mysterious words dropped 
from his lips on various occasions1     
giving hints of his divine nature and   
the purposes for which he had come down 
to the earth4 7,prog4 ,rel4 ,ideas1 vol4
 i4 p4 #abh47 ,the divine power and     
mission of ,yu of ,china was very early 
evinced by the display of great         
miracles4  ,and here let us observe that
 some of the ,old ,testament or ,jewish 
heroes--as ,moses1 ,solomon and         
,samuel--are reported as exhibiting     
great superiority of mind in very early 

life2 thus proving 7it was thought7 that
 if they were not ,gods1 they were at   
least from ,god--that is1 endowed by him
 with divine power while yet mere       
children4 ,thus the histories of all    
,gods and divine personages run in      
parallel grooves4     ,,chapter ,,xiv4  
,,the ,,saviors2 ,,kingdoms ,,not ,,of  
,,this ,,world  ,retirement and ,forty  
,days' ,fasting4  ,,christ taught1 ,my  
kingdom is not of this world4  ,and we  
find that most of the other ,saviors    
virtually and practically taught the    
same doctrine4  ,the first practical    
evincement of it was exhibited by       
retiring from the world2 that is1 they  
retired from the noise and commotion1   
from the busy scenes of life1 into some 
sequestered spot excluded from human    
observation4 ,christ is reported to have
 withdrawn from society1 and to have    
spent some forty days in the wilderness 
fasting and being tempted by ,satan--a  
man of straw conjured up in order to    
furnish the hero ,god something to      

combat with1 that he might thereby      
exhibit practical proof of his divine   
power and prowess4 ,it was simply the   
two kings or rulers of two hostile      
kingdoms 7heaven and hell7 contending   
for the mastery4  ,lord ,kingsborough   
tells us1 ,the ancient ,mexicans had a  
forty days' fast in honor and memory of 
one of their demigods or ,saviors1 who  
was tempted forty days on a mountain4   
,he is called 'the ,morning ,star'4 ,mr4
 ,kingsborough 7being a ,christian7     
remarks1 ,these things are very curious 
and mysterious4  ,it is said of the ,son
 of ,god and ,savior ,chrishna that he  
imparted his doctrines and precepts in  
the silent depths of the forest4 ,of the
 ,egyptian ,god ,osiris1 we are informed
 in his sacred legends1 that he observed
 both fasting and penance1 while        
,pythagoras of ,greece spent several    
years in meditation and retirement in a 
cave1 and was much given to fasting1 and
 often inculcated the doctrine of       
forsaking the world and the things      

thereof4 ,he taught these things both by
 precept and example1 even to the       
forsaking of relations4 ,both ,confucius
 and the ,divine ,savior ,chang-ti of   
,china1 in order to attain to a more    
perfect state of holiness1 spent several
 years in retirement and divine         
meditation1 the former in a wilderness1 
the latter on a mountain1 and fasted1   
and their disciples after them often    
fasted in a very devout manner4 ,the    
,persian ,zoroaster also spent several  
years in retirement and contemplation on
 true holiness--partly in a wilderness  
and partly on a holy mountain1 holy     
mountains being the favorite places of  
resort of most of the holy ,saviors1    
holy ,gods1 and holy men of antiquity4  
,one of the most ancient ,saviors1      
,thammuz1 is reported to have spent     
twelve years in devout and contemplative
 retirement from the busy world4        
,according to the ,christian bible1     
,moses1 ,elijah1 and ,christ1 each      
fasted forty days1 and a ,mexican       

,savior1 too 7,quexalcote71 spent forty 
days in a similar manner1 and other     
cases are so reported4  ,we may         
institute the inquiry here1 ,how happens
 this coincidence8  ,the answer is      
indicated by the ,hierophant1 which     
says1 ,jesus in his baptism and forty   
days' fast imitated the passage of the  
sun through the constellation ,aquarius1
 where ,john1 ,joannes1 or ,janus the   
baptizer had his domicile1 and baptized 
the earth with his yearly rains4 ,having
 been baptized in ,jordan1 he fasted    
forty days in the wilderness1 in        
imitation of the passage of the sun from
 the constellation ,aquarius through the
 ,fishes to the ,lamb or ,ram of ,march4
 ,during the forty days when the sun is 
among the ,fishes 7in the sign of the   
,fish7 the faithful ,catholics1         
,episcopalians and ,mahommedans abstain 
from meat and live upon the fishes      
during the season of ,lent1 as did the  
,jews and pagans1 and did also ,jesus1  
to fulfill all righteousness4           

,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,saviors ,,were  
,,real ,,personages  ,,it is            
unwarrantably assumed by ,christian     
writers that the incarnated ,gods and   
crucified ,saviors of the pagan         
religions were all either mere fabulous 
characters1 or ordinary human beings    
invested with divine titles1 and divine 
attributes2 while1 on the other hand1   
the assumption is put forth with equal  
boldness that ,jesus ,christ was a real 
divine personage1 seen and believed on  
in the world1 and finally crucified on  
,mount ,calvary4  ,but we do not find   
the facts in history to warrant any such
 assumptions or any such distinctions4  
,they all stand in these respects upon  
the same ground and on equal footing4   
,and their respective disciples point to
 the same kind of evidence to prove     
their real existence and their divine   
character1 and to prove that they once  
walked and talked amongst men1 as well  
as now sit on the eternal throne in     
heaven at the right hand of the father4 

,and we find even ,christian writers    
admitting the once bona fide or personal
 existence on earth of most of the pagan
 ,saviors4  ,as to the two chief        
incarnated ,gods of ,india--,chrishna   
and ,sakia--there is scarcely a peg left
 to hang a doubt upon as to the fact of 
their having descended to the earth1    
taken upon themselves the form of men1  
and having been worshiped as veritable  
,gods4  ,indeed1 we believe but few of  
the missionaries who have visited that  
country question the statement and      
general belief prevalent there of their 
once personal reality4 ,col4 ,todd1 in  
his ,history of the ,rajahs 7p4 #dd71   
says3 ,we must discard the idea that the
 ,mahabaret1 the history of ,rama1 of   
,chrishna1 and the five ,padua brothers 
are mere allegories2 colossal figures1  
ancient temples1 and caves inscribed    
with characters yet unknown1 confirm the
 reality1 and their race1 their cities1 
and their coins yet exist4 ,to argue    
further the personal reality of this    

crucified ,god would be a waste of      
words1 as it is generally admitted1 both
 by historical writers and missionaries4
  ,mr4 ,higgins declares1 ,chrishna     
lived at the conclusion of the brazen   
age1 which is calculated to have been   
eleven hundred or twelve hundred years  
before ,christ4 ,here is a very positive
 and specific declaration as to his     
tangible actuality4 ,col4 ,dow1 ,mr4    
,robinson1 and others use similar       
language4  ,relative to ,bacchus1 of    
whose history many writers have spoken  
as being wholly fabulous or fictitious1 
,diodorus ,siculus says 7lib4 iii4 p4   
#acg71 the ,libyans claim ,bacchus1 and 
say that he was the son of ,ammon1 a    
king of ,libya2 that he built a temple  
to his father1 ,ammon4 ,and that        
world-wide famous historian 7,mr4       
,goodrich7 is still more explicit1 if   
possible1 as to his material entity4    
,after giving it directly as his opinion
 that there was such a being1 he says1  
,he planted vine-yards and fig-trees1   

and erected many noble cities4 ,he      
moreover tells us1 ,his skill in        
legislation and agriculture is much     
praised 7p4 #dii74  ,with respect to    
,osiris of ,egypt1 another ,god-,savior1
 ,mr4 ,hittle declares unqualifiedly    
that ,herodotus saw the tomb of ,osiris1
 at ,sais nearly five centuries before  
,christ 7vol4 i4 p4 #bdf74 ,rather a    
strong evidence of his previous         
personality certainly1 but not more so  
than that furnished by the ,new ,york   
,journal of ,commerce a few years since1
 relative to the ,egyptian ,apis or     
,thulis1 whose theophany was annually   
celebrated1 at the rising of the ,nile1 
with great festivities and devotion1    
several thousand years ago4 ,the ,paris 
correspondent of that journal1 after    
speaking of ,mr4 ,auguste ,marietta's   
travels1 a distinguished scientific     
gentleman who for four years past had   
been employed by the ,french ,government
 in making ,egyptian researches1 having 
returned home1 says1 ,the most important

 of ,mr4 ,marietta's discoveries was the
 tomb of ,apis 7,thulis71 a monument    
excavated entirely in lime-rock4 ,there 
are 7he says in conclusion7 epitaphs1   
forming a chronological record of each  
of the ,apis buried in the common tomb4 
,the sculpture is of the date of the    
,pyramids1 and the statues are in the   
best state of preservation2 the colors  
are perfectly bright ,the execution is  
admirable1 and they convey an exact idea
 of the physical character of the       
primitive population4  ,the ,new        
,american ,cyclopedia 7art4 ,apis7 in   
speaking of this ,egyptian ,god1 tells  
us his lifetime was twenty-five years2  
in harmony with one of the              
theologico-astronomical cycles of the   
,egyptians4 ,the same work and volume   
7p4 #acb71 in speaking of the real      
existence of ,adonis of ,greece1 tells  
us1 upon the authority of the poet      
,panyasis1 that he was a veritable son  
of ,theias1 king of ,syria4  ,but of all
 the characters who figured in the      

mythological works or lawless rhapsodies
 of the ancients1 and worshiped by them 
as crucified ,gods and sin-atoning      
,saviors1 none has1 perhaps1 been so    
indubitably1 so positively1 and so      
universally set down as mythological or 
fabulous as that of ,prometheus of      
,caucasus4  ,and yet ,mr4 ,lempriere1   
,d4 ,d41 tells us in his ,classical     
,dictionary that he was the son of      
,japetus4 ,sir ,isaac ,newton says he   
was a descendant of the famous ,african 
,sesostris2 while that erudite and      
masterly historian 7,mr4 ,higgins7 seems
 to have entertained no doubt of his    
personal esse2 nor1 indeed1 of many1 if 
any1 of the pagan ,saviors1 as the      
following declaration will show4 ,he    
says1 ,finding men in ,india and other  
countries of the same name of the       
inferior ,gods 7as it is quite common to
 name men for them7 has led some to     
conclude that those deified men never   
existed1 but are merely mythological    
names of the sun4 ,true1 the first      

supreme ,god of every nation 7not       
excepting the ,jews7 was the sun4 ,but  
more modernly the names were transferred
 to men4 ,again1 he says1 ,inasmuch as  
some of them are found to have been real
 bona fide human beings1 there is       
nothing unreasonable in concluding that 
all were ,and if we take into           
consideration the true and indisputable 
fact that the priests had everything at 
their disposal1 and the strongest       
motives for concealing and suppressing1 
not to say garbling and destroying      
evidence1 it is not to be wondered at   
that the histories of some of these     
,gods should be somewhat obscure and    
ambiguous4 ,further on he declares1 ,in 
every case the ,savior was incarnate1   
and in nearly every case the place in   
which he was actually born was exhibited
 to the people4 ,and upon the authority 
of the ,hierophant1 we will add1 the    
memories of many of them have been      
consecrated and perpetuated by tombs    
placed beside their temples1 which is   

perhaps the most convincing species of  
evidence that could be offered4  ,the   
evidence1 then1 is precisely of the same
 character as that offered in the case  
of ,jesus ,christ to prove that the     
pagan ,saviors did really possess a     
substantial1 earthly and bodily         
existence4 ,though it is true that it   
never has been universally conceded or  
believed by ,christian themselves that  
,jesus ,christ ever had a personal or   
corporeal existence on earth4           
,cotilenius1 in a note on ,ignatius1    
,epistle to the ,trallians1 written in  
the third century of the ,christian era1
 declares that it is as absurd to deny  
the doctrine which taught that ,jesus   
,christ's body was a phantom as to deny 
that the sun shone at midday4 ,his      
physical body of course was meant1 for  
it appears he believed in his eternal   
existence as a spirit in heaven4  ,and  
we find whole sects advocating similar  
views in the early ages of the          
,christian church4 ,one of the most     

primitive and learned sects1 says a     
writer1 were the ,manicheans1 who denied
 that ,jesus ,christ ever existed in    
flesh and blood1 but believed him to be 
a ,god in spirit only2 others denied him
 to be a ,god1 but believed him to have 
been a prophet1 or inspired character1  
like the ,unitarians of the present day4
 ,some denied his crucifixion1 others   
asserted it4 ,it is more than probable  
that this was the cause of dispute      
between ,paul and ,barnabas1 mentioned  
in the ,acts of the ,apostles1 seeing   
that ,paul had laid such peculiar       
emphasis on ,jesus ,christ and him      
crucified4  ,and this conclusion is     
corroborated by its being expressly     
stated in the ,gospel of ,barnabas that 
,jesus ,christ was not crucified1 but   
was carried to heaven by four angels4   
,there was a long list1 says the same   
writer1 from the earliest times1 of     
sincere ,christians who denied that     
,jesus ,christ rose from the dead2      
while1 as we may remark here1 there     

could not have been at that early date  
any grounds for denying these things1   
had he really figured in the world in   
the miraculous and extraordinary and    
public manner as that related in the    
,gospels4     ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,sixteen
 ,,saviors ,,crucified  ,for ,i         
determined not to know anything among   
you1 save ,jesus ,christ and him        
crucified4 7i ,cor4 ii4 #b47 ,there must
 have existed a very considerable amount
 of skepticism in the community as to   
the truth of the report of the          
crucifixion of ,jesus ,christ in the    
country and era of its occurrence to    
make it necessary thus to erect it into 
an important dogma1 and make it         
imperative to believe it ,there must    
have been a large margin for distrusting
 its truth4  ,the determination not to  
know anything but the crucifixion of    
,jesus ,christ was narrowing down his   
knowledge to rather a small compass4    
,and such a resolution would necessarily
 preclude him from acquainting himself  

with the history of any other cases of  
crucifixion that might have occurred    
before that of his own favorite         
,messiah4 ,what6 ,was there ever a case 
of crucifixion beside that of ,jesus    
,christ8 a good ,christian brother or   
sister sometimes exclaims1 when the     
world's sixteen crucified ,saviors are  
spoken of4  ,we meet the question with  
the reply1 ,you seem to be a disciple of
 ,paul1 whose position would not allow  
him to know of any other cases of       
crucifixion but that of ,jesus ,christ4 
,hence1 he may have considered it       
meritorious to perpetuate his ignorance 
on the subject ,and you1 perhaps1 are   
ignorant from the same cause4  ,it is   
the nature of all religions based on    
fear and unchangeable dogmas1 to deter  
and thus exclude its disciples from all 
knowledge adverse to their own creeds4  
,and sometimes their own religious      
systems are magnified to such an exalted
 appreciation above all others as to    
lead them to destroy the evidence of the

 existence of the latter for fear of    
their ultimate rivalry4  ,mr4 ,taylor   
informs us that some of the early       
disciples of the ,christian faith       
demolished accessible monuments         
representing and memorializing the      
crucifixion of the ancient oriental     
sin-atoning ,gods1 so that they are now 
unknown in the annals of ,christian     
history4 ,hence1 the surprise excited in
 the minds of ,christian professors when
 other cases are mentioned4  ,such      
influences as referred to above have    
shut out from the minds of the disciples
 of several religious systems a         
knowledge of all crucified ,gods but    
their own4 ,hence1 the ,hindoo rejoices 
in knowing only ,chrishna and him       
crucified4 ,the ,persian entwines around
 his heart the remembrance only of the  
atoning sufferings on the cross of      
,mithra the ,mediator4 ,the ,mexican    
daily sends up his earnest1             
soul-breathing prayer for the return of 
the spirit of his crucified             

,savior--,quexalcote4 ,while the        
,caucasian1 with equal devotion1 chants 
daily praises to his slain ,divine      
,intercessor for voluntarily offering   
himself upon the cross for the sins of a
 fallen race4 ,and the ,christian       
disciple hugs to his bosom the bloody   
cross of the murdered ,jesus1 unhaunted 
by the suspicion that other ,gods died  
for the sins of man long anterior to the
 advent of the immaculate ,nazarene4    
,we will now lay before the reader a    
brief account of the crucifixion of more
 than a dozen virgin-born ,gods and     
sin-atoning ,saviors1 predicated upon   
facts which have escaped the hands of   
the ,christian iconoclasts determined to
 know only ,jesus ,christ crucified4 ,we
 will first notice the case of the      
,indian ,god--,chrishna4                
,i4--,,crucifixion ,,of ,,chrishna ,,of 
,,india1 #abjj ,b4 ,c4  ,among the      
sin-atoning ,gods who condescended in   
ancient times to forsake the throne of  
heaven1 and descend upon the plains of  

,india1 through human birth1 to suffer  
and die for the sins and transgressions 
of the human race1 the eighth ,avatar1  
or ,savior1 may be considered the most  
important and the most exalted          
character1 as he led the most           
conspicuous life1 and commanded the most
 devout and the most universal homage4  
,and while some of the other incarnate  
demigods were invested with only a      
limited measure of the infinite         
deityship1 ,chrishna1 according to the  
teachings of their ,new ,testament 7the 
,ramazand71 comprehended in himself a   
full measure of the ,god-head bodily4   
,the evidence of his having been        
crucified is as conclusive as any other 
sacrificial or sin-atoning ,god1 whose  
name has been memorialized in history1  
or embalmed as a sacred idol in the     
memories of his devout worshipers4  ,mr4
 ,moore1 an ,english traveler and       
writer1 in a large collection of        
drawings taken from ,hindoo sculptures  
and monuments1 which he has arranged    

together in a work entitled ,the ,hindoo
 ,pantheon1 has one representing1       
suspended on the cross1 the ,hindoo     
crucified ,god and ,son of ,god1 our    
,lord and ,savior ,chrishna1 with holes 
pierced in his feet1 evidently intended 
to represent the nail-holes made by the 
act of crucifixion4 ,mr4 ,higgins1 who  
examined this work1 which he found in   
the ,british ,museum1 makes a report of 
a number of the transcript drawings     
intended to represent the crucifixion of
 this oriental and mediatorial ,god1    
which we will here condense4 ,in plate  
ninety-eight this ,savior is represented
 with a hole in the top of one foot1    
just above the toes1 where the nail was 
inserted in the act of crucifixion4  ,in
 another drawing he is represented      
exactly in the form of a ,romish        
,christian crucifix1 but not fixed or   
fastened to a tree1 though the legs and 
feet are arranged in the usual way1 with
 nail-holes in the latter4 ,there is a  
halo of glory over it1 emanating from   

the heavens above1 just as we have seen 
,jesus ,christ represented in a work by 
a ,christian writer1 entitled ,quarles' 
,emblems1 also in other ,christian      
books4 ,in several of the icons         
7drawings7 there are marks of holes in  
both feet1 and in others of holes in the
 hands only4 ,in the first drawing which
 he consulted the marks are very faint1 
so as to be scarcely visible4 ,in       
figures four and five of plate eleven   
the figures have nail-holes in both     
feet1 while the hands are not           
represented4 ,figure six has on it the  
representation of a round hole in the   
side4 ,to his collar or shirt hangs an  
emblem of a heart1 represented in the   
same manner as those attached to the    
imaginary likenesses of ,jesus ,christ1 
which may now be found in some          
,christian countries ,figure ninety-one 
has a hole in one foot and a nail       
through the other1 and a round nail or  
pin mark in one hand only1 while the    
other is ornamented with a dove and a   

serpent 7both emblems of deity in the   
,christian's bible74  ,now1 we raise the
 query here1 and drive it into the      
innermost temple of the ,christian's    
conscience1 with the overwhelming force 
of the unconquerable logic of           
history--,what does all this mean8  ,and
 if they will only let conviction have  
its perfect work while answering this   
question unhampered by the inherited    
prejudices of a thousand years1 they can
 henceforth rejoice in the discovery of 
a glorious historical truth1 calculated 
to disenthrall their minds from the     
soul-cramping superstitions of crosses1 
crucifixions and bloody atonements on   
which they have been accustomed to hang 
the salvation of the world4  ,if the    
credibility of the relation of these    
incidents going to prove an astonishing 
coincidence in the sacred histories of  
the ,hindoo and ,christian ,saviors1 and
 demonstrating the doctrine of the      
crucifixion as having been practically  
realized1 and preached to the world long

 anterior to the offering of a ,god once
 for all on ,mount ,calvary2 if its     
credibility rested on mere ex parte     
testimony1 mere pagan tradition1 or even
 upon the best digested and most        
authentic annals of the past that have  
escaped the ravages of time1 there might
 still be a forlorn hope for the        
stickler for the ,christian faith now   
struggling in the agonies of a credal   
skepticism1 that the whole thing has    
been plagiarized from the ,christian    
,gospels4 ,for paper and parchment      
history can be--and has been--mutilated4
 ,but the verity of this account rests  
upon no such a precarious basis4 ,its   
antiquity1 reaching far beyond the      
,christian era1 is corroborated and     
demonstrated by imperishable monuments1 
deep-chiseled indentures burrowed into  
the granite rock1 which bid defiance to 
the fingers of time1 and even the hands 
of the frenzied iconoclast1 to destroy  
or deface1 though impelled and spurred  
on to the effort by the long-cherished  

conviction burning in his soul1 that the
 salvation of the human race depends    
upon believing that there is no other   
name given under heaven whereby men can 
be saved than his own crucified ,god1   
and that all others are but thieves1    
robbers and antichrists4 ,some of the   
disciples of the oriental systems       
cherished this conviction1 and          
,christians and ,mahommedans seem to    
have inherited it in magnified          
proportions4  ,hence1 we are credibly   
informed that some of the earlier       
,christian saints1 having determined1   
like ,paul1 to know only ,jesus ,christ 
and him crucified1 made repeated efforts
 to obliterate these sacred facts 7so   
fatally damaging to their one-sided     
creeds7 from the page of history4 ,mr4  
,higgins suggests that if we could have 
persons less under the influence of     
sectarian prejudice to visit1 examine1  
and report on the sculptures and        
monuments of ,india1 covered over as    
they are with antiquated and significant

 figures appertaining to and            
illustrating their religious history1 we
 might accumulate still more light      
bearing upon the history of the         
crucifixion of the ,savior and          
sin-atoning ,chrishna4 ,most of our     
reports1 he declares1 are fragmentary1  
if not one-sided1 having come through   
the hands of ,christian missionaries1   
bishops and priests4  ,he informs us    
that a report on the ,hindoo religion1  
made out by a deputation from the       
,british ,parliament1 sent to ,india for
 the purpose of examining their sacred  
books and monuments1 being left in the  
hands of a ,christian bishop at         
,calcutta1 and with instructions to     
forward it to ,england1 was found1 on   
its arrival in ,london1 to be so        
horribly mutilated and eviscerated as to
 be scarcely cognizable4 ,the account of
 the crucifixion was gone---cancelled   
out4 ,the inference is patent4  ,and we 
have it upon the authority of this same 
reliable and truthful writer 7,sir      

,godfrey ,higgins7 that the author of   
the ,hindoo ,pantheon 7,mr4 ,moor71     
after having announced his intention to 
publish it to the world1 was visited and
 labored with by some of his devout     
,christian neighbors zealous for the    
faith once delivered to the saints1 who 
endeavored to dissuade him from         
publishing such facts to the world as he
 represented his book to contain1 for   
fear it would have the effect to        
unsettle the faith of some of the weak  
brethren 7some of the weak-kneed church 
members7 in the soul-saving religion of 
,jesus ,christ1 by raising doubts in    
their minds as to the originality of the
 gospel story of the crucifixion of     
,christ1 or at least of his having been 
crucified as a ,god for a sin-offering4 
,his crucifixion is a possible event4   
,it may be thus far a true narrative1   
but the adjunct of the atonement1 with  
its efficacy to obliterate the effects  
of sin1 connected with the idea that an 
infinite1 omnipotent and self-existent  

,god was put to death1 when a human form
 was slain upon the cross--never1 no1   
never4 ,it is a thought too monstrous to
 find lodgment in an enlightened human  
mind4  ,another case evincing the same  
spirit as that narrated above is found  
in the circumstance of a ,christian     
missionary 7a ,mr4 ,maurice7 publishing 
a historical account of this man-god or 
demigod of the ,hindoos1 and omitting   
any allusion to his crucifixion2 this   
was entirely left out1 apparently from  
design4 ,his death1 resurrection and    
ascension were spoken of1 but the       
crucifixion skipped over4 ,he could not 
have been ignorant of this chapter in   
his history as the writers preceding    
him1 from whom he copied1 had related   
it4  ,among this number may be mentioned
 the learned ,french writer ,monsieur   
,guigniant1 who1 in his ,religion of the
 ,ancients1 speaks so specifically of   
the crucifixion of this ,god1 as to name
 the circumstance of his being nailed to
 a tree4 ,he also states1 that before   

his exit he made some remarkable        
prophecies appertaining to the crimes   
and miseries of the world in the        
approaching future1 reminding us of the 
wars and rumors of wars predicted by the
 ,christian ,messiah4 ,mr4 ,higgins     
names the same circumstance4  ,we have  
it upon the authority of more than one  
writer on ,hindoo or ,indian antiquities
 that there is a rock temple at ,mathura
 in the form of a cross1 and facing the 
four cardinal points of the compass1    
which is admitted by all beholders as   
presenting the proof in bold relief of  
extreme age1 and inside of this temple  
stands a statue of the ,savior of men1  
,chrishna of ,india1 presenting the     
proof of being coeval in construction   
with the temple itself by the           
circumstance of its being cut out of the
 same rock and constituting a part of   
the temple4 7,further citations of this 
character will be found under the head  
of ,parallels1 ,chapter ,,xxxii47  ,thus
 we have the proof deeply and indelibly 

carved in the old1 time-chiseled rocks  
of ,india--that their ,lord and ,savior 
,chrishna atoned for the sins of a      
grief-stricken world by pouring out his 
blood as a propitiatory offering while  
stretched upon the cross4 ,no wonder1 in
 view of such historic bulwarks1 ,col4  
,wiseman1 for ten years a ,christian    
missionary should have exclaimed1 ,can  
we be surprised that the enemies of our 
holy religion should seize upon this    
legend 7the crucifixion of ,chrishna7 as
 containing the original of our gospel  
history8  ,christian reader1 please     
ponder over the facts of this chapter1  
and let conviction have its perfect     
work4   ,,life1 ,,character1 ,,religion1
 ,,and ,,miracles ,,of ,,chrishna4  ,the
 history of ,chrishna ,zeus 7or ,jeseus1
 as some writers spell it7 is contained 
principally in the ,baghavat ,gita1 the 
episode portion of the ,mahabaret bible4
 ,the book is believed to be divinely   
inspired1 like all other bibles2 and the
 ,hindoos claim for it an antiquity of  

six thousand years4 ,like ,christ1 he   
was of humble origin1 and like him had  
to encounter opposition and persecution4
  ,but he seems to have been more       
successful in the propagation of his    
doctrines2 for it is declared1 he soon  
became surrounded by many earnest       
followers1 and the people in vast       
multitudes followed him1 crying aloud1  
',this is indeed the ,redeemer promised 
to our fathers4' ,his pathway was       
thickly strewn with miracles1 which     
consisted in healing the sick1 curing   
lepers1 restoring the dumb1 deaf and the
 blind1 raising the dead1 aiding the    
weak1 comforting the sorrow-stricken1   
relieving the oppressed1 casting out    
devils1 etc4 ,he come not ostensibly to 
destroy the previous relgion1 but to    
purify it of its impurities1 and to     
preach a better doctrine4 ,he came1 as  
he declared1 to reject evil and restore 
the reign of good1 and redeem man from  
the consequences of the fall1 and       
deliver the oppressed earth from its    

load of sin and suffering4 ,his         
disciples believed him to be ,god       
himself1 and millions worshiped him as  
such in the time of ,alexander the      
,great1 #ccj ,b4 ,c4  ,the hundreds of  
counterparts to the history of ,christ1 
proving their histories to be almost    
identical1 will be found enumerated in  
,chapter ,,xxxii41 such as--#a4 ,his    
miraculous birth by a virgin4 #b4 ,the  
mother and child being visited by       
shepherds1 wise men and the angelic     
host1 who joyously sang1 ,in thy        
delivery1 ,o favored among women1 all   
nations shall have cause to exult4 #c4  
,the edict of the tyrant ruler ,cansa1  
ordering all the first born to be put to
 death4 #d4 ,the miraculous escape of   
the mother and child from his bloody    
decree by the parting of the waves of   
the ,river ,jumna to permit them to pass
 through on dry ground4 #e4 ,the early  
retirement of ,chrishna to a desert4 #f4
 ,his baptism or ablution in the ,river 
,ganges1 corresponding to ,christ's     

baptism in ,jordan4 #g4 ,his            
transfiguration at ,madura1 where he    
assured his disciples that present or   
absent1 ,i will always be with you4 #h4 
,he had a favorite disciple 7,arjoon71  
who was his bosom friend1 as ,john was  
,christ's4 #i4 ,he was anointed with oil
 by women1 like ,christ4 #aj4 ,a        
somewhat similar fish story is told of  
him--his disciples being enabled by him 
to catch large draughts of the finny    
prey in their nets4 7,for three hundred 
other similar parallels1 see ,chapter   
,,xxxii47  ,like ,christ1 he taught much
 by parables and precepts4 ,a notable   
sermon preached by him is also reported1
 which we have not space for here4  ,on 
one occasion1 having returned from a    
ministerial journey1 as he entered      
,madura1 the people came out in crowds  
to meet him1 strewing the ground with   
the branches of cocoa-nut trees1 and    
desiring to hear him4 ,he addressed them
 in parables--the conclusion and moral  
of one of which1 called the parable of  

the fishes1 runs thus3 ,and thus it is1 
,o people of ,madura1 that you ought to 
protect the weak and each other1 and not
 retaliate upon an enemy the wrongs he  
may have done you4 ,here we see the     
peace doctrine preached in its purity4  
,and thus it was1 says a writer1 that   
,chrishna spread among the people the   
holy doctrines of purest morality1 and  
initiated his hearers into the exalted  
principles of charity1 of self-denial1  
and self-respect at a time when the     
desert countries of the west were       
inhabited only by savage tribes2 and we 
will add1 long before ,christianity was 
thought of4 ,purity of life and         
spiritual insight1 we are told1 were    
distinguishing traits in the character  
of this oriental sin-atoning ,savior1   
and that he was often moved with        
compassion for the downtrodden and the  
suffering4  ,a ,budhist in ,ceylon1 who 
sent his son to a ,christian school1    
once remarked to a missionary1 ,i       
respect ,christianity as a help to      

,budhism4 ,thus is disclosed the fact   
that the motives of some of the heathen 
in sending to ,christian schools is the 
promotion of their own religion1 which  
they consider superior1 and in many     
respects most of them are4 7,for proof1 
see ,chapter on ,bibles47  ,we have the 
remarkable admission of the ,christian  
,examiner that the best precepts of the 
7,christian7 bible are contained in the 
,hindoo ,baghavat4 ,then it is not true 
that ,christ spake as man never spake4  
,and if his best precepts were          
previously recorded in an old heathen   
bible1 then they afford no proof of his 
divinity4 ,this suicidal concession of  
the ,examiner pulls up the claims of    
orthodox ,christianity by the roots4    
,and many of the precepts uttered by    
,chrishna display a profound wisdom and 
depth of thought equal to any of those  
attributed to ,jesus ,christ4 ,in proof 
of the statement1 we will cite a few    
examples out of the hundreds in our     
possession3--  #a4 ,those who do not    

control their passions cannot act       
properly toward others4  #b4 ,the evils 
we inflict upon others follow us as our 
shadows follow our bodies4  #c4 ,only   
the humble are beloved of ,god4  #d4    
,virtue sustains the soul as the muscles
 sustain the body4  #e4 ,when the poor  
man knocks at your door1 take him and   
administer to his wants1 for the poor   
are the chosen of ,god4 7,christ said1  
,god hath chosen the poor47  #f4 ,let   
your hand be always open to the         
unfortunate4  #g4 ,look not upon a woman
 with unchaste desires4  #h4 ,avoid     
envy1 covetousness1 falsehood1 imposture
 and slander1 and sexual desires4  #i4  
,above all things1 cultivate love for   
your neighbor4  #aj4 ,when you die you  
leave your worldly wealth behind you1   
but your virtues and vices follow you4  
#aa4 ,contemn riches and worldly honor4 
#ab4 ,seek the company of the wicked in 
order to reform them4  #ac4 ,do good for
 its own sake1 and expect not your      
reward for it on earth4  #ad4 ,the soul 

is immortal1 but must be pure and free  
from all sin and stain before it can    
return to ,him who gave it4  #ae4 ,the  
soul is inclined to good when it follows
 the inward light4  #af4 ,the soul is   
responsible to ,god for its actions1 who
 has established rewards and            
punishments4  #ag4 ,cultivate that      
inward knowledge which teaches what is  
right and wrong4  #ah4 ,never take      
delight in another's misfortunes4  #ai4 
,it is better to forgive an injury than 
to avenge it  #bj4 ,you can accomplish  
by kindness what you cannot by force4   
#ba4 ,a noble spirit finds a cure for   
injustice by forgetting it4  #bb4       
,pardon the offense of others1 but not  
your own4  #bc4 ,what you blame in      
others do not practice yourself4  #bd4  
,by forgiving an enemy you make many    
friends4  #be4 ,do right from hatred of 
evil1 and not from fear of punishment4  
#bf4 ,a wise man corrects his own errors
 by observing those of others4  #bg4 ,he
 who rules his temper conquers his      

greatest enemy4  #bh4 ,the wise man     
governs his passions1 but the fool obeys
 them4  #bi4 ,be at war with men's      
vices1 but at peace with their persons4 
#cj4 ,there should be no disagreement   
between your lives and your doctrine4   
#ca4 ,spend every day as though it were 
the last4  #cb4 ,lead not one life in   
public and another in private4  #cc4    
,anger in trying to torture others      
punishes itself4  #cd4 ,a disgraceful   
death is honorable when you die in a    
good cause4  #ce4 ,by growing familiar  
with vices1 we learn to tolerate them   
easily4  #cf4 ,we must master our evil  
propensities1 or they will master us4   
#cg4 ,he who has conquered his          
propensities rules over a kingdom4  #ch4
 ,protect1 love and assist others1 if   
you would serve ,god4  #ci4 ,from       
thought springs the will1 and from the  
will action1 true or false1 just or     
unjust4  #dj4 ,as the sandal tree       
perfumes the axe which fells it1 so the 
good man sheds fragrance on his enemies4

  #da4 ,spend a portion of each day in  
pious devotion4  #db4 ,to love the      
virtues of others is to brighten your   
own4  #dc4 ,he who gives to the needy   
loses nothing himself4  #dd4 ,a good1   
wise and benevolent man cannot be rich4 
#de4 ,much riches is a curse to the     
possessor4  #df4 ,the wounds of the soul
 are more important than those of the   
body4  #dg4 ,the virtuous man is like   
the banyan tree1 which shelters and     
protects all around it4  #dh4 ,money    
does not satisfy the love of gain1 but  
only stimulates it4  #di4 ,your greatest
 enemy is in your own bosom4  #ej4 ,to  
flee when charged is to confess your    
guilt4  #ea4 ,the wounds of conscience  
leave a scar4  ,compare these fifty-one 
precepts of ,chrishna with the forty-two
 precepts of ,christ1 and you must      
confess they suffer nothing by the      
comparison4 ,if we had space we would   
like to quote also from the ,vedas4 ,we 
will merely cite a few examples relative
 to woman4  #a4 ,he who is cursed by    

woman is cursed by ,god4  #b4 ,god will 
punish him who laughs at woman's        
sufferings4  #c4 ,when woman is honored1
 ,god is honored4  #d4 ,the virtuous    
woman will have but one husband1 and the
 right-minded man but one wife4  #e4 ,it
 is the highest crime to take advantage 
of the weakness of woman4  #f4 ,woman   
should be loved1 respected and protected
 by husbands1 fathers and brothers1 etc4
 7,for more1 see ,chapter on ,bibles47  
,before we close this chapter we must   
anticipate and answer an objection4 ,it 
will be said that the reported amours of
 ,chrishna and his reencounter with     
,cansa constitute a criticism on his    
character4 ,if so1 we will point to     
,christ's fight or angry combat with the
 money-changers in the temple as an     
offset to it ,and then it should be     
remembered that ,chrishna's disciples   
claim that these stories are mere fable1
 or allegorical1 and are not found in   
the most approved or canonical writings4
   ,,ii4--,,crucifixion ,,of ,,the      

,,hindoo ,,sakia1 #fjj ,b4 ,c4  ,how    
many ,gods who figured in ,hindoo       
history suffered death upon the cross as
 atoning offerings for the sins of      
mankind is a point not clearly          
established by their sacred books4 ,but 
the death of the ,god above named1 known
 as ,sakia1 ,budha ,sakia1 or ,sakia    
,muni1 is distinctly referred to by     
several writers1 both oriental and      
,christian1 though there appears to be  
in ,budhist countries different accounts
 of the death of the famous and         
extensively worshiped sin-atoning       
,saviors4  ,in some countries1 the story
 runs1 a ,god was crucified by an arrow 
being driven through his body1 which    
fastened him to a tree2 the tree1 with  
the arrow thus projecting at right      
angles1 formed the cross1 emblematical  
of the atoning sacrifice4  ,sakia1 an   
account states1 was crucified by his    
enemies for the humble act of plucking a
 flower in a garden--doubtless seized on
 as a mere pretext1 rather than as being

 considered a crime4  ,one of the       
accusations brought against ,christ1 it 
will be remembered1 was that of plucking
 the ripened ears of corn on the        
,sabbath4 ,and it is a remarkable       
circumstance1 that in the pictures of   
,christian countries representing the   
virgin ,mary with the infant ,jesus in  
her arms1 either the child or the mother
 is frequently represented with a bunch 
of flowers in the hand4  ,here1 let it  
be noted1 the association of flowers    
with divinely born ,saviors1 in ,india1 
is indicated in the religious books of  
that country to have originated from the
 conception of the virgin parting with  
the flowers of her virginity by giving  
birth to a divine child1 whereby she    
lost the immortality of her physical    
nature1 it being transferred by that act
 to her ,deity-begotten son4 ,and from  
this circumstance1 ,sakia is represented
 as having been crucified for           
abstracting a flower from a garden4     
,that his crucifixion was designed as a 

sin-atoning offering1 is evident from   
the following declaration found in his  
sacred biography1 viz43 ,he in mercy    
left ,paradise1 and came down to earth  
because he was filled with compassion   
for the sins and miseries of mankind4   
,he sought to lead them into better     
paths1 and took their sufferings upon   
himself that he might expiate their     
crimes and mitigate the punishment they 
must otherwise inevitably undergo4      
7,prog4 ,rel4 ,ideas1 vol4 i4 p4 #hf47  
,he believed and taught his followers   
that all sin is inevitably punished1    
either in this or the future life2 and  
so great were his sympathy and          
tenderness1 that he condescended to     
suffer that punishment himself1 by an   
ignominious death upon the cross1 after 
which he descended into ,hades 7,hell71 
to suffer for a time 7three days7 for   
the inmates of that dreadful and        
horrible prison1 that he might show he  
sympathized with them4 ,after his       
resurrection1 and before his ascension  

to heaven1 as well as during his earthly
 sojourn1 he imparted to the world some 
beautiful1 lofty1 and soul-elevating    
precepts4  ,the object of his mission1  
says a writer1 was to instruct those who
 were straying from the right path1 and 
expiate the sins of mortals by his own  
suffering1 and procure for them a happy 
entrance into ,paradise by obedience to 
his precepts and prayers to his name4   
7,ibid47 ,his followers always speak of 
him as one with ,god from all eternity4 
7,ibid47 ,his most common title was the 
,savior of the ,world4 ,he was also     
called the ,benevolent ,one1 the        
,dispenser of ,grace1 the ,source of    
,life1 the ,light of the ,world1 the    
,true ,light1 etc4  ,his mother was a   
very pure1 refined1 pious and devout    
woman2 never indulged in any impure     
thoughts1 words or actions4 ,she was so 
much esteemed for her virtues and for   
being the mother of a ,god1 that an     
escort of ladies attended her wherever  
she went4 ,the trees bowed before her as

 she passed through the forest1 and     
flowers sprang up wherever her foot     
pressed the ground4 ,she was saluted as 
the ,holy ,virgin1 ,queen of ,heaven4   
,it is said that when her divine child  
was born1 he stood upright and          
proclaimed1 ,i will put an end to the   
sufferings and sorrows of the world4    
,and immediately a light shone around   
about the young ,messiah4 ,he spent much
 time in retirement1 and like ,christ in
 another respect1 was once tempted by a 
demon who offered him all the honors and
 wealth of the world4 ,but he rebuked   
the devil1 saying1 ,be gone2 hinder me  
not4  ,he began1 like ,christ1 to preach
 his gospel and heal the sick when about
 twenty-eight years of age4 ,and it is  
declared1 the blind saw1 the deaf heard1
 the dumb spoke1 the lame danced and the
 crooked became straight4 ,hence1 the   
people declared1 ,he is no mortal child1
 but an incarnation of the ,deity4 ,his 
religion was of a very superior         
character4 ,he proclaimed1 ,my law is a 

law of grace for all4 ,his religion knew
 no race1 no sex1 no caste1 and no      
aristocratic priesthood4  ,it taught1   
says ,max ,muller1 the equality of all  
men1 and the brotherhood of the human   
race4 ,all men1 without regard to rank1 
birth or nation1 says ,dunckar1 form1   
according to ,budha's view1 one great   
suffering association in this earthly   
vale of tears2 therefore1 the           
commandments of love1 forbearance1      
patience1 compassion1 pity1             
brotherliness of all men4 ,klaproth 7a  
,german professor of oriental languages7
 says this religion is calculated to    
ennoble the human race4 ,it is difficult
 to comprehend1 says a ,french writer   
7,m4 ,leboulay71 how men1 not assisted  
by revelation1 could have soared so     
high1 and approached so near the truth4 
,dunckar says this oriental ,god taught 
self-denial1 chastity1 temperance1 the  
control of the passions1 to bear        
injustice from others1 to suffer death  
quietly1 and without hate of your       

persecutor1 to grieve not for one's own 
misfortunes1 but for those of others4   
,an investigation of their history will 
show that that they lived up to these   
moral injunctions4 ,besides the five    
great commandments1 says a ,wesleyan    
missionary 7,spense ,hardy7 in his      
,dahmma ,padam1 every shade of vice1    
hypocrisy1 anger1 pride1 suspicion1     
greediness1 gossiping1 and cruelty to   
animals is guarded against by special   
precepts4 ,among the virtues1           
recommended1 we find not only reverence 
for parents1 care for children1         
submission to authority1 gratitude1     
moderation in all things1 submission in 
time of trial1 equanimity at all times1 
but virtues1 unknown in some systems of 
morality1 such as the duty of forgiving 
injuries1 and not rewarding evil for    
evil4 ,and we will add1 both charity and
 love are specially recommended4  ,we   
have it also upon the authority of      
,dunckar that ,budha proclaimed that    
salvation and redemption have come for  

all1 even the lowest and most abject    
classes4 ,for he broke down the iron    
caste of the ,brahminical code which had
 so long ruled ,india1 and aimed to     
place all mankind upon a level4 ,his    
followers have been stigmatize6 by      
,christian professors as idolaters4 ,but
 ,sir ,john ,bowling1 in his ,kingdom   
and ,people of ,siam1 denies that they  
are idolaters--because1 says he1 no     
,budhist believes his image to be ,god1 
or anything more than an outward        
representation of ,deity4 ,their deific 
images are looked upon with the same    
views and feelings as a ,christian      
venerates the photograph of his deceased
 friend4 ,hence1 if one is an idolater1 
the other is also4 ,with respect to the 
charge of polytheism1 ,missionary ,hue  
says1 that although their religion      
embraces many inferior deities1 who fill
 the same offices that angels do under  
the ,christian system1 yet1--adds ,m4   
,hue--monotheism is the real character  
of ,buddhism2 and confirms the statement

 by the testimony of a ,thibetan4  ,it  
should be noted here that although      
,budhism succeeded in converting about  
three hundred millions1 or one-third of 
the inhabitants of the globe1 it was    
never propagated by the sword1 and never
 persecuted the disciples of other      
religions4 ,its conquests were made by a
 rational appeal to the human mind4 ,mr4
 ,hodgson says1 ,it recognizes the      
infinite capacity of the human          
intellect4 ,and ,st4 ,hilaire declares1 
,love for all beings is its nucleus2 and
 to love our enemies1 and not prosecute1
 are the virtues of this people4 ,max   
,muller says1 ,its moral code1 taken by 
itself1 is one of the most perfect the  
world has ever known4  ,its five        
commandments are3--  #a4 ,thou shalt not
 kill4  #b4 ,thou shalt not steal4  #c4 
,thou shalt not commit adultery or any  
impurity4  #d4 ,thou shall not lie4  #e4
 ,thou shalt not intoxicate thyself4    
,to establish the above cited doctrines 
and precepts1 ,budha sent forth his     

disciples into the world to preach his  
gospel to every creature4 ,and if any   
convert had committed a sin in word1    
thought or deed1 he was to confess and  
repent4 ,one of the tracts which they   
distributed declares1 ,there is         
undoubtedly a life after this1 in which 
the virtuous may expect the reward of   
their good deeds4444 ,judgment takes    
place immediately after death4  ,budha  
and his followers set an example to the 
world of enduring opposition and        
persecution with great patience and     
non-resistance4 ,and some of them       
suffered martyrdom rather than abandon  
their principles1 and gloried in thus   
sealing their doctrines with their      
lives4  ,a story is told of a rich      
merchant by the name of ,purna1         
forsaking all to follow his lord and    
master2 and also of his encountering and
 talking with a woman of low caste at a 
well1 which reminds us of similar       
incidents in the history of ,christ4    
,but his enemies1 becoming jealous and  

fearful of his growing power1 finally   
crucified him near the foot of the      
,nepaul mountains1 about #fjj ,b4 ,c4   
,but after his death1 burial and        
resurrection1 we are told he ascended   
back to heaven1 where millions of his   
followers believed he had existed with  
,brahma from all eternity4  ,note4--,in 
the cases of crucifixion which follow1  
nothing like accuracy can be expected   
with respect to the dates of their      
occurrence1 as all history covering the 
period beyond the modern era1 or prior  
to the time of ,alexander the ,great    
7#ccj ,b4 ,c47 is involved in a         
labyrinth of uncertainty with respect to
 dates4 ,hence1 bible chronologists     
differ to the extent of three thousand  
years with respect to the time of every 
event recorded in the ,old ,testament4  
,compare the ,hebrew and ,septuagint    
versions of the bible3 ,the former makes
 the world three thousand nine hundred  
and forty four1 and the latter five     
thousand two hundred and seventy years  

old at the birth of ,christ--a          
difference of thirteen hundred and      
twenty-six years4 ,and other            
translations differ still more widely4  
,all the cases of crucifixion which     
follow occurred before the time of      
,christ1 but the exact time of many of  
them cannot be fixed with certainty4    
,,iii4--,,thammuz ,,of ,,syria          
,,crucified1 #aafj ,b4 ,c4  ,the history
 of this ,god is furnished us in        
fragments by several writers1 portions  
of which will be found in other chapters
 of this work4 ,the fullest history     
extant of this ,god-,savior is probably 
that of ,ctesias 7#djj ,b4 ,c471 author 
of ,persika4 ,the poet has perpetuated  
his memory in rhyme4       ,trust1 ye   
saints1 your ,lord restored1      ,trust
 ye in your risen ,lord2      ,for the  
pains which ,thammuz endured      ,our  
salvation have procured4  ,mr4 ,higgins 
informs us 7,anac4 vol4 i4 p4 #bdf7 that
 this ,god was crucified at the period  
above named1 as a sin-atoning offering  

,the stanza just quoted is predicated   
upon the following ,greek text1         
translated by ,godwin3 ,trust ye in     
,god1 for out of his loins salvation has
 come unto us4 ,julius ,firmicus speaks 
of this ,god rising from the dead for   
the salvation of the world4 ,the        
,christian writer ,parkhurst alludes to 
this ,savior as preceding the advent of 
,christ1 and as filling to some extent  
the same chapter in sacred history4     
,,iv4--,,crucifixion ,,of ,,wittoba ,,of
 ,,the ,,telingoness1 #eeb ,b4 ,c4  ,we 
have a very conclusive historical proof 
of the crucifixion of this heathen ,god4
 ,mr4 ,higgins tells us1 ,he is         
represented in his history with         
nail-holes in his hands and the soles of
 his feet4 ,nails1 hammers and pincers  
are constantly seen represented on his  
crucifixes1 and are objects of adoration
 among his followers4 ,and the iron     
crown of ,lombardy has within it a nail 
of what is claimed as his true original 
cross1 and is much admired and venerated

 on that account4 ,the worship of this  
crucified ,god1 according to our author1
 prevails chiefly in the ,travancore and
 other southern countries in the region 
of ,madura4   ,v4--,,iao ,,of ,,nepaul  
,,crucified1 #fbb ,b4 ,c4  ,with respect
 to the crucifixion of this ancient     
,savior1 we have this very definite and 
specific testimony that he was crucified
 on a tree in ,nepaul4 7,see ,georgius1 
p4 #bjb47 ,the name of this incarnate   
,god and oriental ,savior occurs        
frequently in the holy bibles and sacred
 books of other countries4 ,some suppose
 that lao 7often spelt ,jao7 is the root
 of the name of the ,jewish ,god        
,jehovah4   ,,vi4--,,hesus ,,of ,,the   
,,celtic ,,druids ,,crucified1 #hcd ,b4 
,c4  ,mr4 ,higgins informs us that the  
,celtic ,druids represent their ,god    
,hesus as having been crucified with a  
lamb on one side and an elephant on the 
other1 and that this occurred long      
before the ,christian era4 ,also that a 
representation of it may now be seen    

upon the fire-tower of ,brechin4  ,in   
this symbolical representation of the   
crucifixion1 the elephant1 being the    
largest animal known1 was chosen to     
represent the magnitude of the sins of  
the world1 while the lamb1 from its     
proverbial innocent nature1 was chosen  
to represent the innocency of the victim
 7the ,god offered as a propitiatory    
sacrifice74 ,and thus we have the ,lamb 
of ,god taking away the sins of the     
world--symbolical language used with    
respect to the offering of ,jesus       
,christ4 ,and here is indicated very    
clearly the origin of the figure4 ,it is
 evidently borrowed from the ,druids4   
,we have the statement of the above     
writer that this legend was found       
amongst the ,canutes of ,gaul long      
before ,jesus ,christ was known to      
history4 7,see ,anac4 vol4 ii4 p4 #acj47
   ,,vii4--,,quexalcote ,,of ,,mexico   
,,crucified1 #ehg ,b4 ,c4  ,historical  
authority1 relative to the crucifixion  
of this ,mexican ,god1 and to his       

execution upon the cross as a           
propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of  
mankind1 is explicit1 unequivocal and   
ineffaceable4 ,the evidence is tangible1
 and indelibly engraven upon steel and  
metal plates4 ,one of these plates      
represents him as having been crucified 
on a mountain2 another represents him as
 having been crucified in the heavens1  
as ,st4 ,justin tells us ,christ was4   
,according to another writer1 he is     
sometimes represented as having been    
nailed to a cross1 and by other accounts
 as hanging with a cross in his hand4   
,the ,mexican ,antiquities 7vol4 vi4 p4 
#aff7 says1 ,quexalcote is represented  
in the paintings of ',codex ,borgianus' 
as nailed to the cross4 ,sometimes two  
thieves are represented as having been  
crucified with him4  ,that the advent of
 this crucified ,savior and ,mexican    
,god was long anterior to the era of    
,christ1 is admitted by ,christian      
writers1 as we have shown elsewhere4 ,in
 the work above named ,codex ,borgianus1

 may be found the account1 not only of  
his crucifixion1 but of his death1      
burial1 descent into hell1 and          
resurrection on the third day4 ,and     
another work1 entitled ,codex           
,vaticanus1 contains the story of his   
immaculate birth by a virgin mother by  
the name of ,chimalman4  ,many other    
incidences are found related of him in  
his sacred biography1 in which we find  
the most striking counterparts to the   
more modern gospel story of ,jesus      
,christ1 such as his forty days'        
temptation and fasting1 his riding on an
 ass1 his purification in the temple1   
his baptism and regeneration by water1  
his forgiving of sins1 being anointed   
with oil1 etc4 ,all these things1 and   
many more1 found related of this        
,mexican ,god in their sacred books1    
says ,lord ,kingsborough 7a ,christian  
writer71 are curious and mysterious4    
7,see the books above cited47           
,,viii4--,,quirinus ,,of ,,rome         
,,crucified1 #ejf ,b4 ,c4  ,the         

crucifixion of this ,roman ,savior is   
briefly noticed by ,mr4 ,higgins1 and is
 remarkable for presenting 7like other  
crucified ,gods7 several parallel       
features to that of the ,judean ,savior1
 not only in the circumstances related  
as attending his crucifixion1 but also  
in a considerable portion of his        
antecedent life4  ,he is represented1   
like ,christ3--  #a4 ,as having been    
conceived and brought forth by a virgin4
  #b4 ,his life was sought by the       
reigning king 7,amulius71  #c4 ,he was  
of royal blood1 his mother being of     
kingly descent4  #d4 ,he was put to     
death by wicked hands--i4 e41 crucified4
  #e4 ,at his mortal exit the whole     
earth is said to have been enveloped in 
darkness1 as in the case of ,christ1    
,chrishna1 and ,prometheus4  #f4 ,and   
finally he is resurrected1 and ascends  
back to heaven4   ,,ix4--7,,schylus7    
,,prometheus ,,crucified1 #edg ,b4 ,c4  
,in the account of the crucifixion of   
,prometheus of ,caucasus1 as furnished  

by ,seneca1 ,hesiod1 and other writers1 
it is stated that he was nailed to an   
upright beam of timber1 to which were   
affixed extended arms of wood1 and that 
this cross was situated near the        
,caspian ,straits4 ,the modern story of 
this crucified ,god1 which represents   
him as having been bound to a rock for  
thirty years1 while vultures preyed upon
 his vitals1 ,mr4 ,higgins pronounces an
 impious ,christian fraud4 ,for1 says   
this learned historical writer1 ,i have 
seen the account which declares he was  
nailed to a cross with hammer and nails4
 7,anac4 vol4 i4 #cbg47 ,confirmatory of
 this statement is the declaration of   
,mr4 ,southwell1 that he exposed himself
 to the wrath of ,god in his zeal to    
save mankind4  ,the poet1 in portraying 
his propitiatory offering1 says         
,lo6 streaming from the fatal tree      
,his all atoning blood1      ,is this   
the ,infinite8--      ,yes1 'tis he1    
,prometheus1 and a ,god6       ,well    
might the sun in darkness hide1         

,and veil his glories in1      ,when    
,god1 the great ,prometheus1 died       
,for man the creature's sin4  ,the ,new 
,american ,cyclopedia 7vol4 i4 p4 #aeg7 
contains the following significant      
declaration relative to this sin-atoning
 oriental ,savior3 ,it is doubtful      
whether there is to be found in the     
whole range of ,greek letters deeper    
pathos than that of the divine woe of   
the beneficent demigod ,prometheus1     
crucified on his ,scythian crags for his
 love to mortals4 ,here we have         
first-class authority for the           
crucifixion of this oriental ,god4  ,in 
,lempriere's ,classical ,dictionary1    
,higgins' ,anacalypsis1 and other works1
 may be found the following particulars 
relative to the final exit of the ,god  
above named1 viz43--  #a4 ,that the     
whole frame of nature became convulsed4 
#b4 ,the earth shook1 the rocks were    
rent1 the graves were opened1 and in a  
storm1 which seemed to threaten the     
dissolution of the universe1 the solemn 

scene forever closed1 and ,our ,lord and
 ,savior ,prometheus gave up the ghost4 
,the cause for which he suffered1 says  
,mr4 ,southwell1 was his love for the   
human race4 ,mr4 ,taylor makes the      
statement in his ,syntagma 7p4 #ie71    
that the whole story of ,prometheus'    
crucifixion1 burial and resurrection was
 acted in pantomime in ,athens five     
hundred years before ,christ1 which     
proves its great antiquity4 ,minutius   
,felix1 one of the most popular         
,christian writers of the second century
 7in his ,octavius1 sect4 #bi71 thus    
addresses the people of ,rome3 ,your    
victorious trophies not only represent a
 simple cross1 but a cross with a man on
 it1 and this man ,st4 ,jerome calls a  
,god4  ,these coincidences furnish still
 further proof that the tradition of the
 crucifixion of ,gods has been very long
 prevalent among the heathen4           
,x4--,,crucifixion ,,of ,,thulis ,,of   
,,egypt1 #agjj ,b4 ,c4  ,thulis of      
,egypt1 whence comes ,ultima ,thule1    

died the death of the cross about       
thirty-five hundred years ago4  ,ultima 
,thule was the island which marked the  
ultimate bounds of the extensive empire 
of this legitimate descendant of the    
,gods4  ,this ,egyptian ,savior appears 
also to have been known as ,zulis1 and  
with this name--,mr4 ,wilkison tells    
us--his history is curiously illustrated
 in the sculptures1 made seventeen      
hundred years ,b4 ,c41 of a small1      
retired chamber lying nearly over the   
western adytum of the temple- ,we are   
told twenty-eight lotus plants near his 
grave indicate the number of years he   
lived on the earth4 ,after suffering a  
violent death1 he was buried1 but rose  
again1 ascended into heaven1 and there  
became the judge of the dead1 or of     
souls in a future state4 ,wilkison says 
he came down from heaven to benefit     
mankind1 and that he was said to be full
 of grace and truth4                    
,,xi4--,,crucifixion ,,of ,,indra ,,of  
,,thibet1 #gbe ,b4 ,c4  ,the account of 

the crucifixion of the ,god and ,savior 
,indra may be found in ,georgius1       
,thibetinum ,alphabetum1 p4 #bcj4 ,a    
brief notice of the case is all we have 
space for here4 ,in the work just       
referred to may be found plates         
representing this ,thibetan ,savior as  
having been nailed to the cross4 ,there 
are five wounds1 representing the       
nailholes and the piercing of the side4 
,the antiquity of the story is beyond   
dispute4  ,marvelous stories are told of
 the birth of the ,divine ,redeemer4    
,his mother was a virgin of black       
complexion1 and hence his complexion was
 of the ebony hue1 as in the case of    
,christ and some other sin-atoning      
,saviors4 ,he descended from heaven on a
 mission of benevolence1 and ascended   
back to the heavenly mansion after his  
crucifixion4 ,he led a life of strict   
celibacy1 which1 he taught1 was         
essential to true holiness4 ,he         
inculcated great tenderness toward all  
living beings4 ,he could walk upon the  

water or upon the air2 he could foretell
 future events with great accuracy4 ,he 
practiced the most devout contemplation1
 severe discipline of the body and mind1
 and acquired the most complete         
subjection of his passions4 ,he was     
worshiped as a ,god who had existed as a
 spirit from all eternity1 and his      
followers were called ,heavenly         
,teachers4   ,,xii4--,,alcestos ,,of    
,,euripides ,,crucified1 #fjj ,b4 ,c4   
,the ,english ,classical ,journal 7vol4 
xxxvii47 furnishes us with the story of 
another crucified ,god1 known as        
,alcestos--a female ,god or ,goddess2   
and in this respect1 it is a novelty in 
sacred history1 being the first1 if not 
the only example of a feminine ,god     
atoning for the sins of the world upon  
the cross4 ,the doctrine of the trinity 
and atoning offering for sin was        
inculcated as a part of her religion4   
,,xiii4--,,atys ,,of ,,phrygia          
,,crucified1 #aagj ,b4 ,c4  ,speaking of
 this crucified ,messiah1 the           

,anacalypsis informs us that several    
histories are given of him1 but all     
concur in representing him as having    
been an atoning offering for sin4 ,and  
the ,latin phrase suspensus lingo1 found
 in his history1 indicates the manner of
 his death4 ,he was suspended on a tree1
 crucified1 buried and rose again4      
,,xiv4--,,crite ,,of ,,chaldea          
,,crucified1 #abjj ,b4 ,c4  ,the        
,chaldeans1 as ,mr4 ,higgins informs us1
 have noted in their sacred books the   
account of the crucifixion of a ,god    
with the above name4 ,he was also known 
as the ,redeemer1 and was styled the    
,ever ,blessed ,son of ,god1 the ,savior
 of the ,race1 the ,atoning ,offering   
for an ,angry ,god4 ,and when he was    
offered up1 both heaven and earth were  
shaken to their foundations4            
,,xv4--,,bali ,,of ,,orissa ,,crucified1
 #gbe ,b4 ,c4  ,we learn by the oriental
 books1 that in the district of country 
known as ,orissa1 in ,asia1 they have   
the story of a crucified ,god1 known by 

several names1 including the above1 all 
of which1 we are told1 signify ,lord    
,second1 having reference to him as the 
second person or second member of the   
trinity1 as most of the crucified ,gods 
occupied that position in the trial of  
deities constituting the trinity1 as    
indicated by the language ,father1 ,son1
 and ,holy ,ghost1 the ,son1 in all     
cases1 being the atoning offering1 the  
crucified ,redeemer1 and the second     
person of the trinity4 ,this ,god ,bali 
was also called ,baliu1 and sometimes   
,bel4 ,the ,anacalypsis informs us 7vol4
 i4 #beg7 that monuments of this        
crucified ,god1 bearing great age1 may  
be found amid the ruins of the          
magnificent city of ,mahabalipore1      
partially buried amongst the figures of 
the temple4   ,,xvi4--,,mithra ,,of     
,,persia ,,crucified1 #fjj ,b4 ,c4      
,this ,persian ,god1 according to ,mr4  
,higgins1 was slain upon the cross to   
make atonement for mankind1 and to take 
away the sins of the world4 ,he was     

reputedly born on the twenty-fifth day  
of ,december1 and crucified on a tree4  
,it is a remarkable circumstance that   
two ,christian writers 7,mr4 ,faber and 
,mr4 ,bryant7 both speak of his being   
slain1 and yet both omit to speak of the
 manner in which he was put to death4   
,and the same policy has been pursued   
with respect to other crucified ,gods of
 the pagans1 as we have shown elsewhere4
  ,our list is full1 or we might note   
other cases of crucifixion4 ,devatat of 
,siam1 ,ixion of ,rome1 ,apollonius of  
,tyana in ,cappadocia1 are all reported 
in history as having died the death of  
the cross4  ,ixion1 #djj ,b4 ,c41       
according to ,nimrod1 was crucified on a
 wheel1 the rim representing the world1 
and the spokes constituting the cross4  
,it is declared1 ,he bore the burden of 
the world 7that is1 the sins of the     
world7 on his back while suspended on   
the cross4 ,hence1 he was sometimes     
called the crucified spirit of the      
world4  ,with respect to ,apollonius1 it

 is a remarkable1 if not a suspicious   
circumstance that should not be passed  
unnoticed1 that several ,christian      
writers1 while they recount a long list 
of miracles and remarkable incidents in 
the life of this ,cappadocian ,savior1  
extending through his whole life1 and   
forming a parallel to similar incidents 
of the ,christian ,savior1 not a word is
 said about his crucifixion4  ,and a    
similar policy has been pursued with    
respect to ,mithra and other sin-atoning
 ,gods1 including ,chrishna and         
,prometheus1 as before noticed4  ,this  
important chapter in their history has  
been omitted by ,christian writers for  
fear the relation of it would damage the
 credibility of the crucifixion of      
,christ1 or lessen its spiritual force4 
,for1 like ,paul1 they were determined  
to know nothing but ,jesus ,christ and  
him crucified 7i ,cor4 ii4 #b7 i4 e41 to
 know no other ,god had been crucified  
but ,jesus ,christ4 ,they thus exalted  
the tradition of the crucifixion into   

the most important dogma of the         
,christian faith4 ,hence1 their efforts 
to conceal from the public a knowledge  
of the fact that it is of pagan origin4 
,by reference to ,mackey's ,lexicon of  
,freemasonry 7p4 #ce7 we learn that     
,freemasons secretly taught the doctrine
 of the crucifixion1 atonement and      
resurrection long anterior to the       
,christian era1 and that similar        
doctrines were taught in all the ancient
 mysteries1 thus proving that the       
conception of these tenets of faith     
existed at a very early period of time4 
,and it may be noted here1 that the     
doctrine of salvation by crucifixion had
 likewise1 with most of the ancient     
forms of religious faith1 an            
astronomical representation--i4 e41 a   
representation in astronomical symbols4 
,according to the emblematical figures  
comprised in their astral worship1      
people were saved by the sun's          
crucifixion or crossification1 realized 
by crossing over the equinoctial line   

into the season of spring1 and thereby  
gave out a saving heat and light to the 
world and stimulated the generative     
organs of animal and vegetable life4 ,it
 was from this conception that the      
ancients were in the habit of carving or
 painting the organs of generation upon 
the walls of their holy temples4 ,the   
blood of the grape1 which was ripened by
 the heat of the sun1 as he crossed over
 by resurrection into spring1 7i4 e41   
was crucified71 was symbolically the    
blood of the cross1 or the blood of the 
,lamb4  ,if we should be met here with  
the statement1 that the stories of the  
ancient crucifixions of ,gods were mere 
myths or fables1 unwarrantably saddled  
on to their histories as mere romance1  
and have no foundation in fact1 we      
reply--there is as much ground for      
suspecting the same thing as being true 
of ,jesus ,christ4  ,one of the most    
celebrated and most frequently quoted   
,christian writers of the ancient       
bishops 7,irenus7 declares upon the     

authority of the martyr ,polycarp1 who  
claimed to have got it from ,st4 ,john  
and all the elders of ,asia1 that ,jesus
 ,christ was not crucified1 but lived to
 be about fifty years old4  ,we find    
there has always been a margin for doubt
 amongst his own followers as to the    
fact of his crucifixion4  ,many of the  
early ,christians and cotemporary ,jews 
and ,gentiles doubted it1 and some      
openly disputed its ever having taken   
place4 ,others bestowed upon it a mere  
spiritual signification1 and not a few  
considered it symbolical of a holy life4
 ,one circumstance1 calculated to lead  
to the entire discredit of the story of 
the crucifixion of ,christ1 is the      
relation1 in connection with it1 of a   
violent convulsion of nature1 and the   
resurrection of the long-buried         
saints--events not supported by any     
authentic cotemporaneous history1 sacred
 or profane4 7,see ,chap4 ,,xvii41      
,aphanasia74  ,and as these events must 
be set down as fabulous1 they leave the 

mind in doubt with respect to the fact  
of the crucifixion itself1 especially   
when the many absurdities involved in   
the doctrine of the crucifixion are     
brought to view1 in connection with it1 
some of them so palpably erroneous that 
an unlettered savage could see and point
 them out4  ,the ,indian chief ,red     
,jacket is reported to have replied to  
the ,christian missionaries1 when they  
urged upon his attention the benefits of
 ,christ's death by crucifixion1        
,brethren1 if you white men murdered the
 son of the ,great ,spirit1 we ,indians 
have nothing to do with it1 and it is   
none of our affair4 ,if he had come     
among us1 we would not have killed him4 
,we would have treated him well4 ,you   
must make amends for that crime         
yourselves4  ,this view of the          
crucifixion suggested to the mind of an 
illiterate heathen we deem more sensible
 and rational than that of the orthodox 
,christians1 which makes it a           
meritorious act and a moral necessity4  

,for this would not only exonerate      
,judas from any criminality or guilt for
 the part he took in the affair1 but    
would entitle him as well as ,christ to 
the honorable title of a ,savior for    
performing an act without which the     
crucifixion and consequent salvation of 
the world could not have been effected4 
,if it was necessary for ,christ to     
suffer death upon the cross as an       
atonement for sin1 then the act of      
crucifixion was right1 and a monument   
should be erected to the memory of      
,judas for bringing it about4 ,we       
challenge ,christian logic to find a    
flaw in this argument4  ,and another    
important consideration arises here4 ,if
 the inhabitants of this planet required
 the murderous death of a ,god as an    
atonement1 we must presume that the     
eighty-five millions of inhabited worlds
 recently discovered by astronomers are1
 or have been1 in equal need of a divine
 atonement4 ,and this would require the 
crucifixion of eighty-five millions of  

,gods4 ,assuming one of these ,gods to  
be crucified every minute1 the whole    
would occupy a period of nearly twenty  
years4 ,this would be killing off ,gods 
at rather a rapid rate1 and would make  
the work of the atonement and salvation 
a very murderous and bloody affair--a   
conception which brings to the mind a   
series of very revolting reflections4   
,the conception of ,gods coming down    
from heaven1 and being born of virgins1 
and dying a violent death for the moral 
blunders of the people1 originated in an
 age of the world when man was a savage1
 and dwelt exclusively upon the animal  
plane1 and blood was the requisition for
 every offense4 ,and it was an age when 
no world was known to exist but the one 
we inhabit4 ,the stars were then        
supposed to be mere blazing tapers set  
in the azure vault to light this pygmy  
planet1 or peep-holes for ,gods to look 
out of heaven1 to see and learn what is 
going on below4 ,such conceptions are in
 perfect keeping with the doctrine of   

the atoning crucifixion of ,gods1 which 
could never have originated or been     
entertained for a moment by an          
astronomer1 with a knowledge of the     
existence of innumerable inhabited      
worlds4 ,for as there is to the         
monotheistic ,christian but one ,god1 or
 ,son of ,god1 to be offered1 he must be
 incarnated and crucified every day for 
a thousand years to make a sin-offering 
for each of these worlds--a conception  
too monstrous and preposterous to find a
 lodgment in a rational mind4   ,,origin
 ,,of ,,the ,,belief ,,of ,,the         
,,crucifixion ,,of ,,gods4  ,it has     
always been presumed that death1 and    
especially death by crucifixion1        
involved the highest state of suffering 
possible to be endured by mortals4      
,hence1 the ,gods must suffer in this   
way as an example of courage and        
fortitude1 and to show themselves       
willing to undergo all the affliction   
and misery incident to the lot1 and     
unavoidable to the lives1 of their      

devoted worshipers4 ,they must not only 
be equal1 but superior to their subjects
 in this respect ,hence1 they would not 
merely die1 but choose1 or at least     
uncomplainingly submit to the most      
ignoble and ignominious mode of         
suffering death that could be devised1  
and that was crucifixion4 ,this gave the
 highest finishing touch to the drama4  
,and thus the legend of the crucifixion 
became the crowning chapter1 the        
aggrandizing episode in the history of  
their lives4 ,it was presumed that      
nothing less than a ,god could endure   
such excruciating tortures without      
complaining4  ,hence1 when the victim   
was reported to have submitted with such
 fortitude that no murmur was heard to  
issue from his lips1 this circumstance  
of itself was deemed sufficient evidence
 of his ,godship4 ,the story of the     
crucifixion1 therefore1 whether true or 
false1 deified or helped deify many     
great men and exalt them to the rank of 
,gods4 ,though some of the disciples of 

,budhism1 and some of the primitive     
professors of ,christianity also        
7including1 according to ,christian     
history1 ,peter and his brother         
,andrew71 voluntarily chose this mode of
 dying in imitation of their crucified  
,lord1 without experiencing1 however1   
the desired promotion to divine honors4 
,they failed of an exaltation to the    
deityship1 and hence are not now        
worshiped as ,gods4  ,christian reader1 
what can you now make of the story of   
the crucifixion of ,jesus ,christ but a 
borrowed legend--at least the story of  
his being crucified as a ,god6          
,note4--,the author desires it to be    
understood with respect to the cases of 
crucifixion here briefly narrated1 that 
they are not vouched foras actual       
occurrences1 of which there is much     
ground to doubt4 ,it has neither been   
his aim or desire to prove them to be   
real historical events1 nor to establish
 any certain number of cases4 ,indeed1  
he deems it unimportant to know1 if it  

could be determined1 whether they are   
fact or fiction1 or whether one ,god was
 crucified1 or many4 ,the moral lesson  
designed to be taught by this chapter   
is1 simply1 that the belief in the      
crucifixion of ,gods was prevalent in   
various oriental or heathen countries   
long prior to the reported crucifixion  
of ,christ4 ,if this point is           
established--which he feels certain no  
reader will dispute--then he is not     
concerned to know whether he has made   
out sixteen cases of crucifixion or not4
 ,six will prove it as well as sixteen4 
,in fact1 one case is sufficient to     
establish the important proposition in  
view4 ,the reader is1 therefore1 left to
 decide each case for himself1 according
 as he may value the evidence presented4
 ,more authorities could have been      
adduced1 and a more extended history    
presented of each ,god brought to       
notice4 ,but this would have operated to
 exclude other matter1 which the author 
considers of more importance4           

,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,aphanasia1    
,,or ,,darkness ,,at ,,the              
,,crucifixion4  ,,matthew tells us      
7xxvii4 #ca7 that when ,christ was      
crucified1 there was darkness all over  
the land for three hours1 and the earth 
did quake1 and the rocks were rent1 and 
many of the saints came out of their    
graves4  ,here we have a series of      
events spoken of so strange1 so unusual 
and so extraordinary that1 had they     
occurred1 they must have attracted the  
attention of the whole world--especially
 the amazing scene of the sun's         
withdrawing his light and ceasing to    
shine1 and thereby causing an almost    
total darkness near the middle of the   
day4 ,and yet no writer of that age or  
country1 or any other age or country1   
mentions the circumstance but ,matthew4 
,a phenomenon so terrible and so serious
 in its effects as literally to unhinge 
the planets and partially disorganize   
the universe must have excited the alarm
 and amazement of the whole world1 and  

caused a serious disturbance in the     
affairs of nations4 ,and yet strange1   
superlatively strange1 not one of the   
numerous historians of that age makes   
the slightest allusion to such an       
astounding event4  ,even ,seneca and the
 elder ,pliny1 who so particularly and  
minutely chronicle the events of those  
times1 are as silent as the grave       
relative to this greatest event in the  
history of the world4 ,nor do ,mark1    
,luke or ,john1 who all furnish us with 
a history of the crucifixion1 make the  
slightest hint at any of these          
wonder-exciting events1 except ,mark's  
incidental allusion to the darkness4    
,gibbon says1 ,it happened during the   
life of ,seneca and the elder ,pliny1   
who must have experienced its immediate 
effects1 or received the earliest       
intelligence of the prodigy4 ,each of   
these philosophers1 in a labored work1  
has recorded all the phenomena of       
,nature's earthquakes1 meteors and      
eclipses1 which his indefatigable       

curiosity could collect4 ,both the one  
and the other have omitted to mention   
the greatest phenomenon1 to which the   
mortal eye has been witness since the   
creation of the world4 7,gibbon1 p4     
#dea47  #b4 ,with reference to the      
bodies of the dead saints coming out of 
their tombs 7for it is declared their   
bodies arose1 see ,matt1 xxvii4 #eb71   
many rather curious and puzzling        
questions might be started1 which would 
at once disclose its utter absurdity4   
,we might ask1 for example  #a4 ,who    
were those many saints who came out of  
their graves1 seeing there were as yet  
but few ,christians to occupy graves1 if
 they had been all dead1 as the         
enumeration at ,antioch made out only   
one hundred and twenty8 7,see ,acts47   
#b4 ,how long had they lain in their    
graves8  #c4 ,how long since their      
bodies had turned to dust1 and been food
 for worms8 #d4 ,and would not those    
worms have to be hunted up and required 
to disgorge the contents of their       

stomachs in order to furnish the saints 
with the materials for their bodies     
again8 #e4 ,and were the shrouds or     
grave clothes of those saints also      
resurrected8 or did they travel about in
 a state of nudity8 #f4 ,for what       
purpose were they re-animated8 #g4 ,and 
should not ,matthew have furnished us1  
by way of proof1 with the names of some 
of these ghostly visitors8 #h4 ,how long
 did they live the second time8 #i4 ,did
 they die again1 or did they ascend to  
heaven with their new-made bodies8 #aj4 
,what business did they engage in8 #aa4 
,why have we not some account of what   
they said and did8 #ab4 ,and what       
finally became of them8  ,until these   
questions are rationally answered1 the  
story must be regarded as too incredible
 and too ludicrous to merit serious     
notice4  #c4 ,nearly all the phenomena  
represented as occurring at the         
crucifixion of ,christ are reported to  
have been witnessed also at the final   
exit of ,senerus1 an ancient pagan      

demigod1 who figured in history at a    
still more remote period of time4 ,and  
similar incidents are related likewise  
in the legendary histories of several   
other heathen demigods and great men    
partially promoted to the honor of      
,gods4 ,in the time-honored records of  
the oldest religion in the world1 it is 
declared1 ,a cloud surrounded the moon2 
and the sun was darkened at noonday1 and
 the sky rained fire and ashes during   
the crucifixion of the ,indian ,god     
,chrishna4 ,in the case of ,osiris of   
,egypt1 ,mr4 ,southwell says1 ,as his   
birth had been attended by an eclipse of
 the sun1 so his death was attended by a
 still greater darkness of the solar    
orb4 ,at the critical juncture of the   
crucifixion of ,prometheus1 it is       
declared1 ,the whole frame of nature    
became convulsed1 the earth shook1 the  
rocks were rent1 the graves opened1 and 
in a storm which threatened the         
dissolution of the universe1 the scene  
closed 7,higgins74 ,according to ,livy1 

the last hours of the mortal demise of  
,romulus were marked by a storm and by a
 solar eclipse4  ,and similar stories   
are furnished us by several writers of  
,csar and ,alexander the ,great4 ,with  
respect to the latter1 ,mr4 ,nimrod     
says1 ,six hours of darkness formed his 
aphanasia1 and his soul1 like           
,polycarp's1 was seen to fly away in the
 form of a dove4 7,nimrod1 vol4 iii4 p4 
#deh47 ,it is remarkable1 says a writer1
 what a host of respectable authorities 
vouch for an acknowledged fable--the    
preternatural darkness which followed   
,csar's death4 ,gibbon alludes to this  
event when he speaks of the singular    
defect of light which followed the      
murder of ,caesar4 ,he likewise says1   
,this season of darkness had already    
been celebrated by most of the poets and
 historians of that memorable age4      
7,gibbon1 p4 #deb47 ,it is very         
remarkable that ,pliny speaks of a      
darkness attending ,csar's death1 but   
omits to mention such a scene as        

attending the crucifixion of ,christ4   
,virgil also seeks to exalt this royal  
personage by relating this prodigy4     
7,see his ,georgius1 p4 #dfe47 ,another 
writer says1 ,similar prodigies were    
supposed or said to accompany the great 
men of former days4  ,let the reader    
make a note of this fact--that the same 
story was told of the graves opening1   
and the dead rising at the final mortal 
exit of several heathen ,gods and       
several great men long before it was    
penned as a chapter in the history of   
,christ4  ,shakespeare1 in his ,hamlet  
says3--       ,in the most high and     
palmy days of ,rome1      ,a little ere 
the mighty ,julius fell--      ,the     
graves stood tenantless1 and the sheeted
 dead      ,did squeak and gibber in the
 ,roman streets4  ,these historical     
citations strongly press the conclusion 
that this portion of the history of     
,christ was borrowed from old pagan     
legends4  #d4 ,many cases are recorded  
in history of the light of the sun being

 obscured at midday so as to result in  
almost total darkness1 when it was known
 not to be produced by an eclipse4 ,and 
it is probable that these natural events
 furnish the basis in part for those    
wild legends we have brought to notice4 
,humboldt relates in his ,cosmos1 that1 
in the year #ceh1 before the earthquake 
of ,numidia1 the darkness was very dense
 for two or three hours4 ,another       
obscuration of the sun took place in the
 year #cfj1 which lasted five or six    
hours1 and was so dense that the stars  
were visible at midday4 ,another        
circumstance of this kind was witnessed 
on the nineteenth of ,may1 #agcj1 which 
lasted eight hours4 ,and so great was   
the darkness1 that candles and lamps had
 to be lighted at midday to dine by4    
,similar events are chronicled for the  
years #ajid1 #abjf1 #abda1 #aedg1 and   
#agcj4 ,and if any such solar           
obscurations occurred near the mortal   
exit of any of the ,gods above named1 of
 course they would be seized on as a    

part of their practical history wrought 
up into hyperbole1 and interwoven in    
their narratives1 to give eclat to the  
pageantry of their biographies--a fact  
which helps to solve the mystery4       
,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the  
,,aphanasia ,,at ,,the ,,crucifixion4   
,there is but little ground to doubt but
 that the various stories of a similar  
character then current in different     
countries1 as shown above1 first        
suggested the thought to ,christ's      
biographers of investing history with   
the incredible events reported as being 
connected with the crucifixion4 ,the    
principal motive1 however1 seems to have
 grown out of a desire to fulfill a     
prophecy of the ,jewish prophet ,joel1  
as we may find many of the important    
miraculous events ingrafted into        
,christ's history were recorded by way  
of fulfilling some prophecy4 ,that the  
prophecy might be fulfilled is the very 
language his evangelical biographers    
use4  ,joel's prediction runs thus3 ,and

 ,i will show wonders in the heavens1   
and in the earth1 flood and fire1 and   
pillars of smoke4 ,the sun shall be     
turned into darkness1 and the moon into 
blood1 before the great and terrible day
 of the ,lord come4 7,joel ii4 #cj47 ,a 
little impartial investigation will     
satisfy any unprejudiced mind that this 
poetic rhapsody has not the most remote 
allusion to the closing events in the   
life of ,christ1 and was not intended to
 have4  ,but his biographers1 writing a 
long time after his death1 supposing and
 assuming that this and various other   
texts1 which they quote from the        
prophets1 had reference to him1 and had 
been fulfilled1 incorporated it into his
 history as a part of his practical     
life4 ,the conviction that the prophecy 
must have been fulfilled1 without       
knowing that it had1 added to similar   
stories of other ,gods1 with which      
,christ's history became confounded1    
misled them into the conclusion that    
they were warranted in assuming that the

 incredible events they name were really
 witnessed at the mortal termination of 
,christ's earthly career1 when they did 
not know it1 and could not have known   
it4  ,this view of the case becomes very
 rational and very forcible when we     
observe various texts quoted from the   
prophets by the gospel writers1 or1     
rather1 most butcheringly misquoted1    
tortured or distorted into ,messianic   
prophecies1 when the context shows they 
have no reference to ,christ whatever4  
,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,descent ,,of ,,the 
,,saviors ,,into ,,hell4  ,,the next    
most important event in the histories of
 the ,saviors after their crucifixion1  
and the act of giving up the ghost1 is  
that of their descent into the infernal 
regions4 ,that ,jesus ,christ descended 
into hell after his crucifixion is not  
expressly taught in the ,christian      
bible1 but it is a matter of such       
obvious inference from several passages 
of scripture1 the early ,christians     
taught it as a scriptural doctrine4 ,mr4

 ,sears1 a ,christian writer1 tells us  
that on the doctrine of ,christ's       
underground mission the early           
,christians were united4444 ,it was a   
point too well settled to admit of      
dispute4 7,see ,foregleams of           
,immortality1 p4 #bfb74  ,and besides   
this testimony1 the ,apostles' ,creed   
teaches the doctrine explicitly1 which  
was once as good authority throughout   
,christendom as the bible itself2       
indeed1 it may be considered as         
constituting a part of the bible prior  
to the council of ,nice 7,a4 ,d4 #cbe71 
being supposed to have been written by  
the apostles themselves4 ,it declares   
that ,jesus ,christ suffered under      
,pontius ,pilate1 was crucified 7dead7  
and buried4 ,he descended into hell2 the
 third day he rose again from the dead1 
etc4 ,this testimony is very explicit4  
,and ,peter is supposed to refer to the 
same event when he says1 being put to   
death in the flesh1 but quickened by the
 spirit1 by which also he went and      

preached unto the spirits in prison4 7i 
,peter iii4 #ah47 ,the word prison1     
which occurs in this text1 has undoubted
 reference to the ,christian fabled     
hell4 ,for no possible sense can be     
attached to the word prison in this     
connection without such a construction4 
,where have spirits ever been supposed  
to be imprisoned but in hell8 ,and then 
we find a text in the ,acts of the      
,apostles1 which seems to remove all    
doubt in the case1 and banishes at once 
all ground for dispute4 ,it is          
explicitly stated that his soul was not 
left in hell1 neither did his flesh see 
corruption4 7,adis ii4 #ca47 ,why talk  
about his soul not being left in hell if
 it had never been there8 ,language     
could hardly be plainer4 ,the most      
positive declaration that ,christ did   
descend into hell could not make it more
 certainly a scriptural ,christian      
doctrine4  ,we1 then1 rest the case     
here1 and proceed to enumerate other    
cases of ,gods and ,saviors descending  

into ,pandemonium 7the realms of ,pluto7
 long before ,jesus ,christ walked on   
the water or on the earth4 ,it is       
unquestionably stated in the ,hindoo    
bible1 written more than three thousand 
years ago1 that the ,savior ,chrishna   
went down to hell to preach to the      
inmates of that dark and dreary prison1 
with the view of reforming them1 and    
getting them back to heaven1 and was    
willing himself to suffer to abridge the
 period of their torment4 ,and          
certainly1 in the midst of the fire and 
smoke of brimstone1 it could not have   
been hard to effect their conversion or 
repentance4 ,one writer tells us that so
 great was his 7,chrishna's7 tenderness1
 that he even descended into hell to    
teach souls in bondage4 ,now observe how
 much teaching souls in bondage sounds  
like preaching to souls in prison1 as   
,peter represents ,christ as doing4 ,and
 can any reader doubt that the meaning  
in the two cases is the same8 ,and must 
we not confess that we are greatly      

indebted to the ,hindoo bible for an    
explanation of the two occult and       
mysterious texts which ,i have quoted   
from the ,christian bible1 and which    
have puzzled so many learned critics to 
explain1 or find a meaning for8  ,we    
have another case of a ,god descending  
into hell in the person or spirit of the
 ,savior ,quexalcote of ,mexico1 7#cjj  
,b4 ,c47 ,the story will be found in the
 ,codex ,borgianus1 wherein is related  
the account of his death1 and burial    
after crucifixion1 his descent into     
hell1 and subsequent resurrection4 ,of  
,adonis of ,greece it is declared1 that 
after his descent into hell1 he rose    
again to life and immortality4          
,prometheus of ,caucasus 7#fjj ,b4 ,c47 
likewise is represented as suffering and
 descending into hell1 rising again from
 the dead1 and ascending to heaven4     
,horus of ,greece is described as first 
reigning a thousand years1 then dying1  
and being buried for three days1 at the 
end of which time he triumphed over     

,typhon1 the evil principle1 and rose   
again to life evermore4 ,and ,osiris of 
,egypt also is represented as making a  
descent into hell1 and after a period of
 three days rose again4  ,homer and     
,virgil speak of several cases of       
descent into ,pluto's dominions4        
,hercules1 ,ulysses and neas are        
represented as performing the hellward  
journey on1 as we infer1 benevolent     
missions4 ,higgins remarks1 ,the ,gods  
became incarnate1 and descended into    
hell to teach humility and set an       
example of suffering4  ,the story of    
their descent into hell was doubtless   
invented to find employment for them    
during their three days of hibernation  
or conservation in the tomb1 that they  
might not appear to be really dead nor  
idle in the time1 and as a still further
 proof of their matchless and unrivalled
 capacity and fortitude for suffering4  
,and the story of the three days'       
entombment is likewise clearly traceable
 in appearance to the astronomical      

incident of the sun's lying apparently  
dead1 and buried1 and motionless for    
nearly three days at the period of the  
vernal epoch1 from the twenty-first to  
the twenty-fifth of ,march4 ,it was a   
matter of belief or fancy that the sun  
remained stationary for about three     
days1 when he gradually rose again into 
newness of life4 ,and hence1 this period
 or era was chosen to figuratively      
represent the three days' descent of the
 ,gods into hell4 ,we are told that the 
,persians have an ancient astronomical  
figure representing the descent of a    
,god1 divine1 into hell1 and returning  
at the time that ,orsus1 the goddess of 
spring1 had conquered the ,god or genus 
of winter1 after the manner ,st4 ,john  
describes the ,lamb of ,god 7see ,rev4  
xii7 as conquering the dragon1 which may
 be interpreted as the ,scorpion or     
,dragon of the first month of winter    
7,october7 being conquered by the ,lamb 
of ,march or spring4     ,,chapter      
,,xix4 ,,resurrection ,,of ,,the        

,,saviors  ,,we find presented in the   
canonized histories of several of the   
demigod ,saviors the following          
remarkable coincidences appertaining to 
their death3--  #a4 ,their resurrection 
from the dead4  #b4 ,their lying in the 
tomb just three days4  #c4 ,the         
resurrection of several of them about   
the time of the vernal equinox4 ,the    
twenty-fifth of ,march is the period    
assigned by the ,christian world        
generally for the resurrection of       
,christ1 though some ,christian writers 
have assigned other dates for this      
event4 ,they all agree1 however1 that   
,christ rose from the dead1 and that    
this occurred three days after the      
entombment4 ,bishop ,theophilus of      
,cesarea remarks1 relative to this      
event1 ,since the birth of ,christ is   
celebrated on the twenty-fifth of       
,december14444 so also should the       
resurrection of ,jesus be celebrated on 
the twenty-fifth of ,march1 on whatever 
day of the week it may fall1 the ,lord  

having risen again on that day4 7,cent4 
ii4 ,call1 p4 #aah47 ,all the ancient   
,christians1 says a writer1 were        
persuaded that ,christ was crucified on 
the twenty-third of ,march1 and rose    
from the dead on the twenty-fifth4 ,and 
accordingly ,constantine and cotemporary
 ,christians celebrated the twenty-fifth
 of ,march with great eclat as the date 
of the resurrection4 ,the twenty-third  
and twenty-fifth1 including the         
twenty-fourth1 would comprise a period  
of three days1 the time of the          
entombment4  ,now mark1 ,quexalcote of  
,mexico1 ,chris of ,chaldea1 ,quirinus  
of ,rome1 ,prometheus of ,caucasus1     
,osiris of ,egypt1 ,atys of ,phrygia1   
and ,mithra the ,mediator of ,persia    
did1 according to their respective      
histories1 rise from the dead after     
three days' burial1 and the time of     
their resurrection is in several cases  
fixed for the twenty-fifth of ,march4   
,and there is an account more than three
 thousand years old of the ,hindoo      

crucified ,savior ,chrishna1 three days 
after his interment1 forsaking the      
silent bourn1 whence 7as we are told7 no
 traveler ever returns1 and laying aside
 the moldy cerements of the dead1 again 
walking forth to mortal life1 to be     
again seen1 recognized1 admired1 and    
adored by his pious1 devout and         
awe-stricken followers1 and thus present
 to the gaze of a hoping yet doubting   
world the first fruits of the           
resurrection4  ,at the annual           
celebration of the resurrection of the  
,persian ,savior ,mithra the ,mediator1 
more than three thousand years ago1 the 
priests were in the habit of exclaiming 
in a solemn and loud voice1 ,cheer up1  
holy mourners2 your ,god has come again 
to life2 his sorrows and his sufferings 
will save you4 7,see ,pitrat1 p4 #aje47 
,the twenty-fifth of ,march was with the
 ancient ,persians the commencement of a
 new year1 and on that day was          
celebrated the feast of the ,neurone1   
and by the ancient ,romans the festival 

of the ,hilaria4 ,and we find the       
ancients had both the crucifixion and   
resurrection of a ,god symbolically and 
astronomically represented among the    
plants4 ,their foundation1 says ,clement
 of ,alexandria1 was the fictitious     
death and resurrection of the sun1 the  
soul of the world1 the principle of life
 and motion4 ,the inauguration of spring
 7the twenty-fifth of ,march71 and the  
summer solstice 7the twenty-fifth of    
,june71 were both important periods with
 the ancients4  ,hence1 the latter      
period was fixed on as the birthday of  
,john the ,baptist 7as marked in the    
almanacs71 when the sun begins to       
decline southward--that is1 decrease4   
,how appropriately1 therefore1 ,john is 
made to say1 ,i shall decrease1 but he  
shall increase4 ,and the consecrated    
twenty-fifth of ,march is also the day  
marked in our calendars as the date of  
the conception and annunciation of the  
,blessed ,virgin ,mary4 ,and it was     
likewise the period of the conception of

 the ancient ,roman ,virgin ,asteria1   
and of the ever-chaste and holy virgin  
,iris1 as well as the time of the       
conjugal embrace of the solar and lunar 
potentates of the visible universe4 ,may
 we not1 then1 very appropriately       
exclaim of religion and astronomy1 what 
,god hath joined together1 let no man   
put asunder4  ,resurrection of ,jesus   
,christ4  ,with respect to the physical 
resurrection of the ,christian ,savior1 
it may be observed that1 aside from the 
physical impossibility of such an       
occurrence1 the account1 as reported to 
us by his four inspired ,gospel         
biographers1 are so palpably at variance
 with each other1 so entirely           
contradictory in their reports1 as to   
render their testimony as infallible    
writers utterly unworthy of credence1   
and impels us to the conclusion that the
 event is both physically and           
historically incredible4 ,there is      
scarcely one incident or particular in  
which they all agree4 ,they are at      

loggerheads1--  #a4 ,with respect to the
 time of its discovery4  #b4 ,the       
persons who made the discovery 7for no  
witness claims to have seen it74  #c4   
,with respect to what took place at the 
sepulchre4  #d4 ,what ,peter saw and did
 there4  #e4 ,and as to what occurred   
afterward1 having a relation to that    
event4  #a4 ,relative to the time the   
witness or witnesses visited the        
sepulchre and learned of the            
resurrection1 ,matthew 7chap4 xxviii47  
tells us1 ,it was at the end of the     
,sabbath1 as it began to dawn2 but      
according to ,mark 7xvi471 the ,sabbath 
was past1 and the sun was rising2 while 
,john 7chap4 xx7 declares it was yet    
dark4 ,now there is certainly some      
difference between the three periods1   
the dawning of the day1 the rising of   
the sun1 and the darkness of night4 ,if 
the writers were divinely inspired1     
there would be a perfect agreement4  #b4
 ,with respect to the persons who first 
visited the sepulchre1 ,matthew states  

that it was ,mary ,magdalene and another
 ,mary2 but ,luke says it was ,mary     
,magdalene and ,joanna1 and ,mary the   
mother of ,james1 and other women2      
while1 according to ,john 7and he       
virtually reiterates it71 ,mary         
,magdalene went alone4 ,it will be      
observed1 then1 that the first inspired 
and infallible witness testifies there  
were two women2 the second that there   
were four2 and the third witness        
declares there was but one4 ,what       
beautiful harmony6 ,no court in the     
civilized world would accept such       
discordant testimony6  #c4 ,and in      
relation to what took place at the tomb1
 ,matthew testifies that the angel of   
the ,lord sat upon a stone at the door  
of the sepulchre1 and told the women    
their ,lord was risen4 ,but ,luke steps 
forward here1 and avers that instead of 
an angel they found two men there1 not  
outside1 but inside1 and not sitting1   
but standing4 ,but ,mark sets the       
testimony of both these inspired        

witnesses aside by affirming there was  
but one man there1 and he was sitting4  
,while ,matthew says they1 ,st4 ,john   
says she 7speaking of the person or     
persons who left the sepulchre74        
,according to ,matthew the angel who    
rolled away the stone from the sepulchre
 sent a message to the disciples4 ,but  
,mark affirms that it was not an angel  
outside1 but a young man inside1 who did
 this4 ,and here the question naturally 
arises3 ,why was it necessary for a     
being who could say1 ,i have power to   
lay down my life and take it up again   
7,john71 to have an angel to roll away  
the stone from the sepulchre4           
,certainly1 if he possessed such        
omnipotent power1 he needed no aid from 
any being to perform such an act4  #d4  
,and relative to ,peter's visit to the  
tomb1 there is a total disparity in the 
testimony of the witnesses4 ,according  
to ,luke1 he did not go into the        
sepulchre1 but only stooped down and    
looked in4 ,but ,mark affirms he did go 

in1 and that it was the disciple who    
went with him who stooped down4  #e4    
,and with respect to the events which   
occurred immediately subsequent to the  
resurrection1 there is no less          
discrepancy1 no nearer agreement1 in the
 testimony of the evangelical witnesses4
 ,matthew says that when ,christ's      
disciples first met him after the       
resurrection1 they worshiped him1 and   
held him by the feet4 7,matt1 xxviii4   
#i7 ,strange1 indeed1 and wholly        
incredible1 if ,john is a reliable      
witness1 for he affirms he did not allow
 even his best and dearest friend       
7,mary7 to touch him4 ,and then ,john   
combats this testimony of his by        
declaring he invited the skeptical      
,thomas1 not only to touch him1 but to  
thrust his hand into his side for       
tangible proof of his identity4  #f4    
,and why1 let us ask here1 was not the  
skeptical ,thomas damned for his        
doubting1 when we1 who live thousands of
 miles from the place1 and nearly two   

thousand years from the time1 are often 
told by the priesthood we must believe  
or be damned8  #g4 ,and if ,thomas was  
really convinced by this occurrence1 or 
if it ever took place1 why have we no   
account of his subsequent life8 ,what   
good was effected by his convincement if
 he never said or did anything          
afterward8  #h4 ,john tells us ,mary    
first saw ,christ1 after his            
resurrection1 at the tomb1 but ,matthew 
says it was on her way home she first   
saw him4  #i4 ,we are told by ,luke     
7xxiv4 #cf7 that when ,christ appeared  
to his disciples on a certain occasion1 
they were frightened1 supposing it to be
 a spirit4 ,but ,john 7xx4 #bj7 says    
they were glad4 ,which must we believe8 
#aj4 ,according to ,matthew1 the        
disciples were all present on this      
occasion2 but according to ,john1       
,thomas was not there4  #aa4 ,here let  
it be noted that none of the narrators  
claim to have seen ,christ rise from the
 tomb1 nor to have got it from anybody  

who did see it ,the only proof in this  
case is their declaration1 ,it came to  
pass4  #ab4 ,and we are prompted to ask 
here1 how it came to pass that the chief
 priests and pharisees cherished        
sufficient faith in ,christ's           
resurrection to set a watch for it1 as  
,matthew reports1 when his own disciples
 were too faithless in such an event to 
be present1 or to believe he had risen  
after the report reached their ears2 for
 we are told some doubted4 7,see ,matt1 
xxiii47  #ac4 ,and how came ,matthew to 
know the soldiers were bribed to say    
,christ's body was stolen away by his   
disciples1 when the disclosures of such 
a secret would have been death under the
 ,roman government4  #ad4 ,and their    
confession of being asleep1 as related  
by ,matthew1 would have subjected them  
to the same fatal penalty by the civil  
rulers of ,rome4  #ae4 ,and if the      
soldiers were all asleep1 can we not    
suggest several ways the body may have  
disappeared without being restored to   

life8  #af4 ,and here we would ask if   
,christ rose from the dead in order to  
convince the world of his divine power1 
why did not the event take place in     
public8 ,why was it seen only by a few  
credulous and interested disciples8     
#ag4 ,and if such an astonishing and    
miraculous event did occur1 why does not
 one of the numerous cotemporary writers
 of those times make any allusion to it8
 ,neither ,pliny1 ,tacitus1 nor         
,josephus1 who detail the events very   
minutely1 not only of those times1 but  
of that very country1 says a word about 
such a wonder-exciting occurrence4 ,this
 fact of itself entirely overthrows the 
credibility of the story4  #ah4 ,and the
 fact that several ,christian sects1    
which flourished near those times1 as   
the ,corinthians and ,carpocratians1    
etc41 rejected the story in toto1       
furnishes another powerful argument for 
discrediting it4  #ai4 ,and then add to 
this fact that his own chosen followers 
were upbraided for their unbelief in the

 matter4  #bj4 ,and what was ,christ    
doing during the forty days between his 
resurrection and ascension1 that he     
should only be seen a few times1 and but
 a few minutes at a time1 and by but a  
few persons1 and those interested8  #ba4
 ,and we would ask1 likewise1--,what    
more can be proved by ,christ's physical
 resurrection than that of the          
resurrection of ,lazarus1 the widow's   
son1 and several cases related in the   
,old ,testament1 or the numerous cases  
reported in oriental history8  #bb4 ,and
 what analogy is there in the           
resurrection of the dead body of a      
perfect and self-existent ,god and that 
of vile man8  #bc4 ,and why should      
,christ be called the first fruits of   
the resurrection1 when so many cases are
 reported as occurring before his8  #bd4
 ,and why do ,christians build their    
hopes of immortality almost entirely    
upon ,christ's alleged resurrection1 in 
view of the numerous facts we have cited
 showing it to be a mere sandy          

foundation8  #be4 ,of course no person  
who believes in modern spiritualism will
 discredit the story of ,christ being   
visually recognized after his death as a
 spirit--for they have ocular proof that
 many such cases have occurred within   
the last decade of years4 ,but it is the
 story of his physical resurrection we  
are combating--the reanimation of his   
flesh and bones after having been       
subjected three days to the laws of     
decomposition4 ,neither science nor     
sense can indorse such a story4  #bf4   
,it was a very easy matter1 and very    
natural to mistake ,christ's spiritual  
body for his physical body2 for such    
mistakes have been made a thousand times
 in the world's history4  #bg4 ,is it   
not strange1 in view of the countless   
defects in the story of ,christ's       
physical resurrection as enumerated     
above1 that the orthodox ,christian     
world should rely upon it as the great  
sheet anchor of their faith1 and as     
their chief and almost their only hope  

of immortal life8     ,,chapter ,,xx4   
,,reappearance ,,and ,,ascension ,,of   
,,the ,,saviors4  ,,many cases are      
related by their respective sacred      
narratives of the ancient ,saviors1 and 
other beings possessing the form of man1
 and previously recognized as men1      
reappearing to their disciples and      
friends1 after having been consigned to 
the tomb for three days1 or a longer or 
shorter period of time1 and of their    
final ascension to the house of many    
mansions4  ,it is related of the ,indian
 or ,hindoo ,savior ,chrishna1 that     
after having risen from the dead1 he    
appeared again to his disciples4 ,he    
ascended to ,voiacantha 7heaven71 to    
,brahma1 the first person of the trinity
 7he himself being the second71 and that
 as he ascended1 all men saw him1 and   
exclaimed1 ',lo6 ,chrishna's soul       
ascends to his native skies4' ,and it is
 further related that1 attended by      
celestial spirits14444 he pursued by his
 own light the journey between earth and

 heaven1 to the bright paradise whence  
he had descended4  ,of the ninth        
incarnation of ,india1 the ,savior      
,sakia1 it is declared1 that he ascended
 to the celestial regions1 and his pious
 and devout disciples point the skeptic 
to indelible impressions and            
ineffaceable footprints on the rocks of 
a high mountain as an imperishable proof
 of the declaration that he took his    
last leave of earth and made his ascent 
from that point4  ,it is related of the 
crucified ,prometheus1 likewise1 that   
after having given up the ghost on the  
cross1 descended to hell1 ,christ's soul
 was not left in hell1 see ,acts ii4    
#ca71 he rose again from the dead1 and  
ascended into heaven4  ,and then it is  
declared of the ,egyptian ,savior       
,alcides1 that after having been seen a 
number of times1 he ascended to a higher
 life1 going up1 like ,elijah1 in a     
chariot of fire4  ,the story of the     
crucifixion of ,quexalcote of ,mexico1  
followed by his burial1 resurrection and

 ascension1 is distinctly related in the
 holy and inspired gospels of that      
country1 which ,lord ,kingsborough      
admitted to be more than two thousand   
years old4  ,of ,laotsi of ,china1 it is
 said that when he had completed his    
mission of benevolence1 he ascended     
bodily alive into the paradise above4   
7,prog1 of ,rel4 ,ideas1 vol4 #bad47    
,and it is related of ,fo of the same   
country1 that having completed his      
glorious mission on earth1 he ascended  
back to paradise1 where he had          
previously existed from all eternity4   
,it is related also in the ancient      
legends1 that the ,savior or ,god       
,xamalxis of ,thrace1 having died1 and  
descended beneath the earth1 and        
remained there three years1 made his    
appearance again in the fourth year     
after his death1 as he had previously   
foretold1 and eventually ascended to    
heaven about #fjj ,b4 ,c4 ,even some of 
the ,hindoo saints are reported in their
 holy and time-honored books to have    

been seen ascending to heaven4 ,and     
impressions on the rocks are shown1 says
 an author1 said to be of footprints    
they had left when they ascended4  ,it  
is related both by the ,grecian         
biographer ,plutarch1 in his life of    
,romulus1 and by a ,roman historian1    
that the great founder of ,rome         
7,romulus7 suddenly ascended in a       
tempest during a solar eclipse1 about   
#gac ,b4 ,c4 ,and ,julius ,proculis1 a  
,roman senator of great fame and high   
reputation1 declared1 under solemn oath1
 that he saw him1 and talked with him   
after his death4   ,,astronomical       
,,version ,,of ,,the ,,story4  ,before  
dismissing this chapter1 we may state   
that1 in common with most other         
religious conceptions1 the doctrine of  
the ascension has in the ancient legends
 an astronomical representation4        
,having said that a planet was buried   
because it sunk below the horizon1 when 
it returned to light and gained its     
state of eminence1 they spoke of it as  

dead1 risen again1 and ascended into    
heaven4 7,volney1 p4 #adc47 ,what is the
 story of the ascension of ,christ worth
 in view of these ancient pagan         
traditions of earlier origin8           
,,ascension ,,of ,,the ,,christian      
,,savior4  #a4 ,the different scriptural
 accounts of the ascension of ,christ   
are1 like the different stories of the  
resurrection1 quite contradictory1 and1 
hence1 entitled to as little credit4 ,in
 ,luke 7xxiv471 he is represented as    
ascending on the evening of the third   
day after the crucifixion4 ,but the     
writer of ,acts 7i4 #c7 says he did not 
ascend till forty days after his        
resurrection2 while1 according to his   
own declaration to the thief on the     
cross1 ,this day shalt thou be with me  
in paradise1 he must have ascended on   
the same day of his crucifixion4 ,which 
statement must we accept as inspired1 or
 what is proved by such contradictory   
testimony8  #b4 ,which must we believe1 
,paul's declaration that he was seen by 

above five hundred of the brethren at   
once 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #f71 or the statement
 of the author of the ,acts 7i4 #ae71   
that there were but one hundred and     
twenty brethren in all after that       
period8  #c4 ,how would his ascension do
 anything toward proving his divinity1  
unless it also proves the divinity of   
,enoch and ,elijah1 who are reported to 
have ascended long prior to that era8   
#d4 ,as these stories of the ascension  
of ,christ1 according to ,lardner1 were 
written many years after his            
crucifixion4 ,is it not hence probable  
they grew out of similar stories        
relative to the heathen ,gods long      
previously prevalent in oriental        
countries8  #e4 ,as these gospel writers
 could not have been present to witness 
the ascension1 as it must have occurred 
before their time of active life1 does  
not this fact of itself seriously damage
 the credibility of the accounts1 and   
more especially as neither ,mark nor    
,luke1 who are the only reporters of the

 occurrence1 were not disciples of      
,christ at the time1 while ,matthew and 
,john1 who were1 say nothing about      
it8--another fact which casts a shade on
 the credibility of the story4          
,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,the                  
,,atonement--,,its ,,oriental ,,or      
,,heathen ,,origin4  ,,there were       
various practices in vogue amongst the  
orientalists1 which originated with the 
design of appeasing the anger1 and      
propitiating the favor of a presumed to 
be irascible deity4 ,most of these      
practices consisted in some kind of     
sacrifice or destructive offering called
 the atonement4 ,but here let it be     
observed1 that the doctrine of atonement
 for sin1 by sacrifice1 was unfolded by 
degrees1 and that the crucifixion of a  
,god was not the first practical        
exhibition of it4 ,on the contrary1 it  
appears to have commenced with the most 
valueless or cheapest species of        
property then known4 ,and from this     
starting-point ascended gradually1 so as

 finally to embody the most costly      
commodities2 and did not stop here1 but 
reached forward till it laid its        
murderous hands on human beings1 and    
immolated them upon its bloody altars4  
,and finally1 to cap the climax1 it     
assumed the effrontery to drag a ,god   
off the throne of heaven1 to stanch its 
blood-thirsty spirit1 as evinced by     
,paul's declaration1 ,without the       
shedding of blood there can be no       
remission of sin4 ,rather a bloody      
doctrine1 and one which our humanity    
rejects with instinctive horror4  ,we   
will trace the doctrine of the atonement
 briefly through its successive stages  
of growth and development4  ,the idea   
seems to have started very early in the 
practical history of the human race1    
that the sacrifice and consequent       
deprivation of earthly goods1 or some   
terrestial enjoyment1 would have the    
effect to mitigate the anger1 propitiate
 the favor1 and obtain the mercy of an  
imaginary and vengeful ,god4 ,this idea 

obviously was suggested by observing    
that their earthly rulers always smiled1
 and became less rigorous in their laws1
 and milder in their treatment of their 
subjects1 when they made them presents  
of some valuable or desirable commodity4
 ,they soon learned that such offerings 
had the effect to check their cruel and 
bloody mode of governing the people2 so 
that when their houses were shaken down1
 or swallowed up by earthquakes1 the    
trees riven by lightning1 and prostrated
 by storms1 and their cattle swept away 
by floods1 supposing it to be the work  
of an angry ,god1 the thought arose in  
their minds at once1 that perhaps his   
wrath could be abated by the same       
expedient as that which had served in   
the case of their mundane lords--that of
 making presents of property4 ,but as   
this property could not be carried up to
 the celestial throne1 the expedient was
 adopted of burning it1 so that the     
substance or quintessence of it would be
 conveyed up to the heavenly ,potentate 

in the shape of steam and smoke1 which  
would make for him1 as the ,jews express
 it1 a sweet-smelling savor4 ,abundant  
and conspicuous is the evidence in      
history to show that the custom of      
burnt-offerings and atonements for sin  
originated in this way4  ,the first     
species of property made use of for     
burnt-offerings appears to have been the
 fruits of the earth--vegetables1       
fruits1 roots1 etc41--the lowest kind of
 property in point of value4 ,but the   
thought soon naturally sprang up in the 
mind of the devotee1 that a more        
valuable offering would sooner and more 
effectually secure the divine favor4    
,hence1 levies were made on living herds
 of cattle1 sheep1 goats and other      
domestic animals4 ,this was the second  
step in the ascending scale toward      
,gods4  ,and here we find the key to    
open and solve the mystery of ,jehovah's
 preferring ,abel's offering to ,cain's4
 ,while the latter consisted in mere    
inanimate substances1 the former        

embraced the firstlings of the flock--a 
higher and more valuable species of     
property1 and quite sufficient to induce
 the selfish ,jehovah to prefer ,abel's 
offering to ,cain's1 or rather for the  
selfish ,jews to cherish this           
conception4 ,in all nations where       
offerings were made1 the conclusion     
became established in the minds of the  
people that the amount of ,god's favor  
procured in this way must be            
proportionate to the value of the       
commodity or victim offered up--a       
conviction which ultimately led to the  
seizure of human beings for the atoning 
offerings1 which brings us to the third 
stage of growth in the atonement        
doctrine4 ,children frequently          
constituted the victims in this case4   
,the sacrifice of ,jephthah's daughter1 
as related in ,judges xi4 #cj1 and other
 cases cited by bible writers1 7,isaiah 
xxxii4 #be71 and modern ,christian      
authors1 prove that this practice was in
 vogue among ,god's holy people4  ,one  

step more 7constituting the fourth stage
 of development7 brings us to the       
sacrifice of ,gods4 ,the climax is now  
reached2 the conception can go no       
higher4 ,the ancient ,birmese taught    
that while common property in           
burnt-offerings would procure the       
temporary favor of the ruling ,god1 the 
sacrifice of human beings would secure  
his good pleasure for a thousand years1 
and cancel out all the sins committed in
 that period4 ,and when one of the three
 ,gods on the throne of heaven was      
dragged down1 or voluntarily came down  
7as some of the sects taught71 and was  
put to death on the cross as an         
atonement for sin1 such was the value of
 the victim1 such the magnitude of the  
offering1 that it atoned for all sin1   
past1 present and future1 for all the   
human race4  ,the ,hindoos1 cherishing  
this conception1 taught that the        
crucifixion of their sin-atoning ,savior
 ,chrishna 7#abjj ,b4 ,c47 put an end to
 both animal and human sacrifices1 and  

accordingly such offerings ceased in    
most ,hindoo countries centuries ago4   
,thus far back in the mire and midnight 
of human ignorance1 and amid the clouds 
of mental darkness1 while man dwelt upon
 the animal plane1 and was governed by  
his brutal feelings1 and blood for blood
 was the requisition for human offenses1
 originated the bloody1 savage and      
revolting doctrine of the atonement4    
,another mode of adjudicating the sins  
of the people in vogue in some countries
 anterior to the custom of shedding     
blood as an expiation1 was that of      
packing them on the back1 head1 or horns
 of some animal by a formal hocus-pocus 
process1 and then driving the animal    
into a wilderness1 or some other place  
so remote that the brute could not find 
its way back amongst the people with its
 cargo of sins4 ,the cloth or fabric    
used for inclosing the sins and         
iniquities of the people was usually of 
a red or scarlet color--of the semblance
 of blood4 ,in fact1 it was generally   

dipped in blood4 ,this1 being lashed to 
the animal1 would of course be exposed  
to the weather and the drenching rains1 
would consequently1 in the course of    
time1 fade and become white4 ,hence1 we 
have the key to ,isaiah's declaration1  
,though your sins be 7red7 as scarlet1  
they shall become 7white7 as wool4 7,see
 ,isaiah1 i4 #ah47 ,and thus the meaning
 of this obscure text is clearly        
explained by tracing its origin to its  
oriental source4  ,and there are many   
other texts in the ,christian bible     
which might be elucidated in a similar  
manner by using oriental tradition1 or  
oriental sacred books1 as a key to      
unlock and explain their meaning4 ,we   
have stated above that some animal was  
made use of by different nations to     
convey the imaginary load of the        
people's sins out of the country4 ,for  
this purpose the ,jews had their        
scapegoat1 the ,egyptians their         
scape-ox1 the ,hindoos their            
scape-horse1 the ,chaldeans their       

scape-ram1 the ,britons their           
scape-bull1 the ,mexicans their         
scape-lamb and scape-mouse1 the         
,tamalese their scape-hen1 and the      
,christians at a later period their     
scape-,god4 ,jesus ,christ may properly 
be termed the scape-,god of orthodox    
,christians1 as he stands in the same   
relation to his disciples1 who believe  
in the atonement1 as the goat did to the
 ,jews1 and performs the same end and   
office4 ,the goat and the other         
sin-offering animals took away the sin  
of the nation in each case respectively4
 ,in like manner ,jesus ,christ takes   
away the sin of the world1 being called 
the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the  
sin of the world4 7,john i4 #bi47 ,and  
more than two thousand years ago the    
,mexicans sacrificed a lamb as an       
atonement1 which they called the ,lamb  
of ,god--the same title scripturally    
applied to ,jesus ,christ4 ,the         
conception in each case is1 then1 the   
same--that of the atonement for sin by  

the sacrifice of an innocent victim4    
,the above citations show that the      
present custom of orthodox ,christendom1
 in packing their sins upon the back of 
a ,god1 is just the same substantially  
as that of various heathen nations1 who 
were anciently in the habit of packing  
them upon the backs of various dumb     
animals4 ,if some of our ,christian     
brethren should protest against our     
speaking of the church's idea of        
atonement as that of packing their sins 
upon the back of a ,god1 we will here   
prove the appropriateness of the term   
upon the authority of the bible4 ,peter 
expressly declares ,christ bore our sins
 upon his own body on a tree 7see #a    
,peter ii4 #bd71 just as the ,jews      
declared the goat bore their sins on his
 body1 and the ancient ,brahmins taught 
that the bulls and the heifers bore     
theirs away1 etc41 which shows that the 
whole conception is of purely heathen   
origin4 ,and hereafter1 when they laugh 
at the ,jewish superstition of a        

scape-goat1 let them bear in mind that  
more sensible and intelligent people may
 laugh in turn at their superstitious   
doctrine of a scape-,god4  ,these       
superstitious customs were simply       
expedients of different nations to evade
 the punishment of their sins--an       
attempt to shift their retributive      
consequences on to other beings4 ,the   
divine atonement more especially        
possessed this character4 ,this system  
teaches that the son of ,god and ,savior
 of the world was sent down and         
incarnated1 in order to die for the     
people1 and thus suffer by proxy the    
punishment meted out by divine wrath for
 the sins of the whole world4 ,the blood
 of a ,god must atone for the sins of   
the whole human family1 as rams1 goats1 
bullocks and other animals had atoned   
for the sins of families and nations    
under older systems4 ,thus taught       
,brahminism1 ,budhism1 ,persianism1 and 
other religious systems1 before the dawn
 of ,christianity4 ,the nucleus of the  

atoning system is founded in the        
doctrine1 ,without the shedding of blood
 there is no remission for sin 7,rom4 v4
 #i7--;a monstrous and morally revolting
 doctrine--a doctrine which teaches us  
that somebodys blood must be shed1      
somebody's veins and arteries depleted1 
for every trivial offense committed     
against the moral law4 ,somebody must   
pay the penalty in blood1 somebody must 
be slaughtered for every little foible  
or peccadillo or moral blunder into     
which erring man may chance to stumble  
while upon the pilgrimage of life1 while
 journeying through the wilderness of   
time1 even if a ,god has to be dragged  
from his throne in heaven1 and murdered 
to accomplish it4 ,nothing less will    
mitigate the divine wrath4  ,whose      
soul--possessing the slightest moral    
sensibility--does not inwardly and      
instinctively revolt at such a doctrine8
 ,we would not teach it to the world1   
for it is founded in butchery and       
bloodshed1 and is an old pagan          

superstition1 which originated far back 
in the midnight of mental darkness and  
heathen ignorance1 when the whole human 
race were under the lawless sway of     
their brutal propensities1 and when the 
ennobling attributes of love1 mercy and 
forgiveness had as yet found no place1  
no abiding home1 in the human bosom4    
,the bloody soul of the savage first    
gave it birth4 ,we hold the doctrine to 
be a a high-handed insult to the        
,all-loving ,father1 who1 we are told1  
is long-suffering in mercy1 and         
plentiful in forgiveness1 to charge ,him
 with sanctioning such a doctrine1 much 
less with originating it4  ,there is no 
mercy or forgiveness in putting an      
innocent being to death for any pretext 
whatever4 ,and for the ,father to       
consent to the brutal assassination of  
,his own innocent ,son upon the cross to
 gratify an implacable revenge toward   
his own children1 the workmanship of his
 own hands1 rather than forgive a moral 
weakness implanted in their natures by a

 voluntary act of his own1 and for which
 consequently he alone ought to be      
responsible1 would be nothing short of  
murder in the first degree4  ,we cherish
 no such conception4 ,we cannot for a   
moment harbor a blasphemous doctrine1   
which represents the ,universal ,father 
as being a bloody-minded and murderous  
being1 instead of a being of infinite   
love1 infinite wisdom1 and infinite in  
all the moral virtues4 ,such a character
 would be a deep-dyed stigma upon any   
human being4 ,and no person actuated by 
a strict sense of justice would accept  
salvation upon any such terms as that   
prescribed by the ,christian atonement4 
,it is manifestly too unjust1 too devoid
 of moral principle1 besides being a    
flagrant violation of the first         
principles of civil and criminal        
jurisprudence4 ,it is a double wrong to 
punish the innocent for the guilty4 ,it 
is the infliction of injustice on the   
one hand1 and the omission of justice on
 the other4 ,it inflicts the highest    

penalty of the law upon an innocent     
being1 whom that law ought to shield    
from punishment1 while it exculpates and
 liberates the guilty party1 whose      
punishment the moral law demands4 ,it   
robs society of a useful man on the one 
hand1 and turns a moral pest upon       
community on the other1 thus committing 
a twofold wrong1 or act of injustice4   
,no court in any civilized country would
 be allowed to act upon such a          
principle2 and the judge who should     
indorse it1 or favor a law1 or          
principle1 which punishes the innocent  
for the guilty1 would be ruled off the  
bench at once4  ,here1 however1 we are  
sometimes met with the plea1 that the   
offering of ,jesus ,christ was a        
voluntary act1 that it was made with his
 own free will4 ,but the plea don't do  
away with either the injustice or       
criminality of the act4  ,no innocent   
person has a right to suffer for the    
guilty1 and the courts have no right to 
accept the offer or admit the           

substitute4 ,an illustration will show  
this4 ,if ,jefferson ,davis had been    
convicted of the crime of treason1 and  
sentenced to be hung1 and ,abraham      
,lincoln had come forward and offered to
 be stretched upon the gallows in his   
place1 is there a court in the civilized
 world which would have accepted the    
substitute1 and hung ,lincoln1 and      
liberated ,davis8 ,to ask the question  
is but to answer it4 ,it is an insult to
 reason1 law and justice to entertain   
the proposition4  ,the doctrine of the  
atonement also involves the infinite    
absurdity of ,god punishing himself to  
appease his own wrath4 ,for if the      
fullness of the ,godhead dwelt in       
,christ bodily 7as taught in ,col4 ii4  
#i71 then his death was the death of    
,god--that is1 a divine suicide1        
prompted and committed by a feeling of  
anger and revenge1 which terminated the 
life of the ,infinite ,ruler--a doctrine
 utterly devoid of reason1 science or   
sense4 ,we are sometimes told man owes a

 debt to his ,maker1 and the atonement  
pays that debt4 ,to be sure6 ,and to    
whom is the debt owing1 and who pays it8
 ,why1 the debt is owing to ,god1 and   
,god 7in the person of ,jesus ,christ7  
pays it--pays it to himself4 ,we will   
illustrate4 ,a man approaches his       
neighbor1 and says1 ,sir1 ,i owe you a  
thousand dollars1 but can never pay it4 
,very well1 it makes no difference1     
replies the claimant1 ,i will pay it    
myself2 and forthwith thrusts his hand  
into his right pocket and extracts the  
money1 transfers it to the left pocket  
and exclaims--,there1 the debt is paid6 
,a curious way of paying debts1 and one 
utterly devoid of sense4 ,and yet the   
orthodox world have adopted it for their
 ,god4 ,we find1 however1 that they     
carefully avoid practicing this         
principle themselves in their dealings  
with each other4 ,when they have a claim
 against a neighbor1 we do not find them
 ever thrusting their hands into their  
own pockets to pay it off1 but sue him1 

and compel him to pay--if he refuses to 
do it without compulsion--thus proving  
they do not consider it a correct       
principle of trade4  ,but we find1 upon 
further investigation1 that the assumed 
debt is not paid--after all4  ,when a   
debt is paid1 it is canceled1 and       
dismissed from memory1 and nothing more 
said about it4 ,but in this case the    
sinner is told he must still suffer the 
penalty for every sin he commits1       
notwithstanding ,christ died to atone   
for and cancel that sin4  ,where1 then1 
is the virtue of the atonement8 ,like   
other doctrines of the orthodox creed1  
it is at war with reason and common     
sense1 and every principle of sound     
morality1 and will be marked by coming  
ages as a relic of barbarism4           
,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost  
,,of ,,oriental ,,origin  ,,of all the  
weird1 fanciful1 and fabulous stories   
appertaining to the ,gods and other     
spiritual entities of the olden times1  
whose capricious adventures we find so  

profusely narrated in oriental          
mythology--of all the strange1 mythical 
and mystical feats1 and ever-varying and
 ever-diverging changes in the shape1   
appearance1 sex1 and modes of           
manifestation which characterize the    
hobgoblins or ghostly beings which      
comprise the esoteric stock of the      
ancient mysteries1 that appertaining to 
the third member of the hypostatic      
union1 the ,holy ,ghost1 seems to stand 
pre-eminent4 ,and ,i propose here to    
submit the facts to show that the ,holy 
,ghost story of the ,christian ,gospels1
 like the more ancient pagan versions of
 the same story1 is marked by the same  
wild1 discordant and legendary          
characteristics which abound in all the 
accounts of gods and ghosts found       
recorded in the religious books of      
various nations4  ,the following brief  
exposition of the history and exploits  
of this anomalous1 nondescript1         
chameleon-like being will clearly evince
 that the same fanciful1 metaphorical   

and fabulous changes in the size1 shape1
 sex and appearance of this third limb  
of the triune ,god are found in the     
,christian ,scriptures which are        
disclosed in the more ancient oriental  
traditions4  ,we will first exhibit a   
classification of the names and         
characteristics of this imaginary being 
drawn from the gospels and epistles of  
the ,christian bible1 by which it will  
be observed that scarcely any two       
references to it agree in assigning it  
the same character or attributes4  #a4  
,in ,john xiv4 #bf1 the ,holy ,ghost is 
spoken of as a person or personal ,god4 
#b4 ,in ,luke iii4 #bb1 the ,holy ,ghost
 changes1 and assumes the form of a     
dove4  #c4 ,in ,matt4 xiii4 #af1 the    
,holy ,ghost becomes a spirit  #d4 ,in  
,john i4 #cb1 the ,holy ,ghost is       
presented as an inanimate1 senseless    
object4  #e4 ,in ,john v4 #g1 the ,holy 
,ghost becomes a ,god--the third member 
of the ,trinity4'  #f4 ,in ,acts ii4 #a1
 the ,holy ,ghost is averred to be a    

mighty1 rushing wind4  #g4 ,in ,acts x4 
#ch1 the ,holy ,ghost1 we infer1 from   
its mode of application1 is an ointment4
  #h4 ,in ,john xx4 #bb1 the ,holy      
,ghost is the breath1 as we legitimately
 infer by its being breathed into the   
mouth of the recipient after the ancient
 oriental custom4  #i4 ,in ,adis ii4 #c1
 we learn the ,holy ,ghost sat upon each
 of them1 probably in the form of a     
bird1 as at ,jesus' baptism4  #aj4 ,in  
,adis ii4 #a1 the ,holy ,ghost appears  
as cloven tongues of fire4  #aa4 ,in    
,luke ii4 #bf1 the ,holy ,ghost is the  
author of a revelation or inspiration4  
#ab4 ,in ,adis viii4 #ag1 the ,holy     
,ghost is a magnetic aura imparted by   
the laying on of hands4  #ac4 ,in ,mark 
i4 #h1 the ,holy ,ghost is a medium or  
element for baptism4  #ad4 ,in ,adis    
xxviii4 #be1 the ,holy ,ghost appears   
with vocal organs1 and speaks4  #ae4 ,in
 ,heb4 vi4 #d1 the ,holy ,ghost is dealt
 out or imparted by measure4  #af4 ,in  
,luke iii4 #bb1 the ,holy ,ghost appears

 with a tangible body4  #ag4 ,in ,luke  
i4 #e1 and many other texts1 we are     
taught people are filled with the ,holy 
,ghost4  #ah4 ,in ,matt4 xi4 #ae1 the   
,holy ,ghost falls upon the people as a 
ponderable substance4  #ai4 ,in ,luke   
iv4 #a1 the ,holy ,ghost is a ,god      
within a ,god--,jesus being full of the 
,holy ,ghost4  #bj4 ,in ,acts xxi4 #aa1 
the ,holy ,ghost is a being of the      
masculine or feminine gender--,thus     
saith the ,holy ,ghost1 etc4  #ba4 ,in  
,john i4 #cb1 the ,holy ,ghost is of the
 neuter gender--,it 7the ,holy ,ghost7  
abode upon him4  #bb4 ,in ,matt4 i4 #ah1
 the ,holy ,ghost becomes a vicarious   
agent in the procreation of another     
,god2 that is1 this third member of the 
,trinity aids the first member 7the     
,father7 in the creation or generation  
of the second member of the triad of    
bachelor ,gods--the ,word1 or ,savior1  
or ,son of ,god4  ,such are the         
ever-shifting scenes presented in the   
,scripture panorama of the ,holy ,ghost4

 ,surpassing the fabulous changes of    
some of the more ancient demigods1 the  
,christian ,holy ,ghost undergoes 7as is
 shown by the above-quoted texts7 a     
perpetual metathesis or                 
metamorphosis--being variously presented
 on different occasions as a personal   
and rational being1 a dove1 a spirit1 an
 inanimate object1 a ,god1 the wind or a
 wind1 an ointment1 the breath or a     
breath1 cloven tongue of fire1 a bird1  
or some other flying recumbent animal1 a
 revelator or divine messenger1 a medium
 or element for baptism1 an intelligent1
 speaking being1 a lifeless1 bodiless1  
sexless being1 a measurable fluid       
substance1 a being possessing a body1   
ponderable1 unconscious substance1 a    
,god dwelling within a ,god1 and1       
finally--though really first in         
order--the author or agent of the       
incarnation of the second ,god in the   
,trinity 7,jesus ,christ74  ,that many  
of these fabulous conceptions were drawn
 from mythological sources will be made 

manifest by the following facts of      
history3--  #a4 ,the ,holy ,ghost in the
 shape of a bird1 a dove or a pigeon4   
,this is proven to be a very ancient    
pagan tradition1 as it is found         
incorporated in several of the oriental 
religious systems4 ,in ancient ,india1  
whose prolific spiritual fancies        
constitute the primary parentage of     
nearly all the doctrines1 dogmas and    
superstitions found incorporated in the 
,christian ,scriptures1 a dove was      
uniformly the emblem of the ,holy       
,spirit1 or ,spirit of ,god4            
,confirmatory of this statement1 we find
 the declaration in the ,anacalypsis1   
that a dove stood for or represented a  
third member of the ,trinity1 and was   
the regenerator or regeneratory power4  
,this meets the ,christian idea of      
regeneration and renewing of the ,holy  
,ghost4 7,titus iii4 #e47 ,a person     
being baptized under the ,brahminical   
theocracy was said to be regenerated and
 born again1 or1 as the above-quoted    

writer expresses it1 ,they were born    
into the spirit1 or the spirit into     
them--that is1 the dove into or upon    
them1 7,as vide the case of the         
,christian's ,holy ,ghost descending in 
bodily shape like a dove1 and alighting 
on ,christ's head at baptism1 as related
 in ,luke iii4 #bb47 ,in ancient ,rome a
 dove or pigeon was the emblem of the   
female procreative energy1 and          
frequently a legendary spirit1 the      
accompaniment of ,venus4 ,and hence1 as 
a writer remarks1 ,it is very           
appropriately represented as descending 
at baptism in the character of the third
 member of the ,trinity4 ,the same      
writer tells us1 ,the dove fills the    
,grecian oracles with their spirit and  
power4 ,we find the dove1 also1 in the  
romantic eclogues of ancient ,syria4 ,in
 the time-chiseled ,syrian temple of    
,hierapolis1 ,semiramis is represented  
with a dove on her head1 thus           
constituting the prototype of the dove  
on the head of the ,christian ,messiah  

at baptism4 ,and a dove was in more than
 one of the ancient religious           
systems--,the ,spirit of ,god 7,holy    
,ghost7 moving on the face of the waters
 at creation1 as implied in ,gen4 i4 #b1
 though a pigeon1 was often             
indiscriminately substituted4 ,in       
,howe's ,ancient ,mysteries it is       
related that in ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral1
 at the feast of ,whitsuntide1 the      
descent of the ,holy ,ghost was         
performed by a white pigeon being let   
fly out of a hole in the midst of the   
roof of the great aisle4 ,the dove and  
the pigeon1 being but slight variations 
of the same species of the feathered    
tribe1 were used indiscriminately4  #b4 
,as evinced above1 the ,holy ,ghost was 
the third member of the ,trinity in     
several of the oriental systems4        
,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost1 or      
,father1 ,word and ,holy ,ghost 7#a     
,john v4 #g71 are familiar ,christian   
terms to express the divine triad1 which
 shows the ,holy ,ghost to be the       

acknowledged third member of the        
,christian ,trinity4 ,and1 as already   
suggested1 the same is true of the more 
ancient systems4 ,the ,holy ,spirit and 
the ,evil ,spirit were1 each in their   
turn 7says ,mr4 ,higgins71 third member 
of the ,trinity4 ,we might1 if space    
would allow1 draw largely upon the      
ancient defunct systems in proof of this
 statement4 ,in these triads 7says ,mr4 
,hillell7 the third member1 as might be 
supposed1 was not of equal rank with the
 other two4 ,and hence1 in the ,theban  
,trinity1 ,khonso was inferior to ,arion
 and ,mant4 ,in the ,hindoo triad1 ,siva
 was subordinate to ,brahma and ,vishnu4
 ,and a score of similar examples might 
be adduced from the fancy-constructed   
trinities of other and older oriental   
religious systems 7but for the          
inflexible rule of brevity which forbids
 their presentation here71 with all of  
which the more modern ,holy ,ghost      
conception of the ,christian world is an
 exact correspondence1 as this          

imaginary1 fabulous being is less       
conspicuous than and has always stood   
third in rank with the ,father and      
second to the ,son1 alias the ,word1 and
 is now seldom addressed in practical   
,christian devotion2 and thus the       
analogy is complete4 ,mr4 ,maurice says1
 ,this notion of a third person in the  
,deity 7the ,holy ,ghost7 was diffused  
among all the nations of the earth4     
7,see ,ind4 ,antiq4 vol4 iv4 p4 #ge;a7  
,and ,mr4 ,worseley1 in his ,voyage     
7vol4 i4 p4 #bei71 avers this doctrine  
to be of very great antiquity1 and      
generally received by all the ,gothic   
and ,celtic nations4  #c4 ,the ,holy    
,ghost was the ,holy ,breath which1 in  
the ,hindoo traditions1 moved on the    
face of the waters at creation1 and     
imparted life and vitality into         
everything created4 ,a similar          
conception is recognized in the         
,christian ,scriptures4 ,in ,psalms     
xxxiii4 #f1 we read1 ,by the ,word of   
the ,lord were the heavens made1 and all

 the host of them by the breath of his  
mouth4 ,here is the ,brahminical        
conception1 square out1 of the act of   
creation by the ,divine ,breath1 which  
is the ,holy ,ghost1 the same1 also1    
which was breathed into ,adam1 by which 
he became a living soul4 ,m4 ,dubois    
observes1 ,the ,prana1 or principle of  
life1 of the ,hindoos is the breath of  
life by which the ,creator 7,brahma7    
animates the clay1 and man became a     
living soul4 7,page #bic47  #d4 ,holy   
,ghost1 ,holy ,breath and ,holy ,wind   
appear to have been synonymous and      
convertible terms for the living vocal  
emanations from the mouth of the        
,supreme ,god1 as memorialized in       
several of the pagan traditions4 ,the   
last term 7,holy ,wind7 is suggested by 
the mighty rushing wind from heaven     
which filled the house1 or church1 on   
the day of ,pentecost4 7,see ,acts ii4  
#b47 ,several of the old religious      
systems recognize the ,holy ,wind as a  
term for the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the doxology

 7reported by a missionary7 in the      
religious service of the ,syrian worship
 runs thus3--       ,praise to the ,holy
 ,spiritual ,wind1 which is the ,holy   
,ghost2      ,praise to the three       
persons which are one true ,god4  ,some 
writers maintain that the ,hebrew ,ruk  
,aliem4 translated ,spirit of ,god      
7,gen4 i4 #b7 in our version1 should    
read1 ,wind of the ,gods4 ,and we find  
that the word pneuma of our ,greek ,new 
,testament1 is sometimes translated     
,ghost and sometimes ,wind1 as best     
suited the fancy of the translators4 ,in
 ,john iii4 #e1 we find the word        
,spirit1 and in verse eight both ,wind  
and ,spirit are found2 and in ,luke i4  
#ce1 we observe the term ,holy          
,ghost--all translated from the same    
word4 ,let it be specially noted that in
 the ,greek ,testament the word pneuma  
is used in all these cases1 thus proving
 that ,spirit1 ,holy ,ghost and ,wind   
are used in the ,christian ,scriptures  
as synonymous terms2 and proving1 also1 

that an unwarranted license has been    
assumed by translators in rendering the 
same word three different ways4 ,m4     
,auvaroff1 in his ,essays on the        
,eleusinian ,mysteries1 speaks of the   
torch being ignited at the command of   
,hermes of ,egypt1 the spiritual agent  
in the workshop of creation1 relative to
 which statement a writer remarks1      
,hermes appears in this instance as a   
personification of ,wind or ,spirit1 as 
in the bible 7meaning the ,christian    
bible71 ,god1 ,wind and ,spirit are     
often interchangeable terms1 and the    
,word appears to be from the same windy 
source4  #e4 ,the ,holy ,ghost as a     
tongue of fire1 which sat upon each of  
them 7the apostles74 7,see ,acts4 ii4   
#c47 ,even this conception is an        
orientalism4 ,mr4 ,higgins tells us that
 ,budha1 an incarnate ,god of the       
,hindoos 7three thousand years ago71 is 
often seen with a glory or tongue of    
fire upon his head4 ,and the tradition  
of the visible manifestation of the     

,holy ,ghost by fire was prevalent among
 the ancient ,budhists1 ,celts1 ,druids 
and ,etrurians4 ,in fact1 as our author 
truly remarks1 ,the ,holy ,ghost1 or    
,holy ,spirit1 when visible1 was always 
in the form of fire 7or a bird71 and was
 always accompanied with wisdom and     
power4 ,hence1 is disclosed the origin  
of the ancient custom amongst the       
,hindoos1 ,persians and ,chaldeans1 of  
making offerings to the solar fire1     
emblem of the ,holy ,ghost or ,holy     
,spirit4  #f4 ,inspiration by the ,holy 
,ghost 7,luke ii4 #bf47 ,holy men of    
,god1 including some of the prophets1   
are claimed to have been inspired by the
 ,holy ,ghost 7,see #b ,peter i4 #ba2   
,acts xxviii4 #be47 ,in like manner1 as 
we are informed by ,mr4 ,cleland in his 
,specimens 7see ,appendix71 the ancient 
,celts were not only moved by the ,holy 
,ghost in their divine decrees and      
prophetic utterances1 but they claimed  
that their ,salic laws 7seventy-two in  
number7 were inspired by the ,salo      

,ghost 7,holy ,ghost71 known also as the
 ,wisdom of the ,spirit1 or the ,voice  
of the ,spirit4 ,this author several    
times alludes to the fact1 and exhibits 
the proof1 that the doctrine of the     
,holy ,ghost was known to this ancient  
people4  #g4 ,the ,holy ,ghost imparted 
by the laying on of hands4 ,this1 too1  
is an ancient oriental custom4 ,and by  
the imposition of hands on the head of  
the candidate1 says ,mr4 ,cleland1      
speaking of the ,celts1 the ,holy       
,ghost1 or ,holy ,spirit1 was conveyed4 
,and thus was the ,holy ,spirit1 ,ghost1
 ,gas1 ,wind1 ,electrical ,fire or      
,spirit of ,authority imparted to the   
hierophant or gospel novitiate4 ,and    
their public assemblies1 continues our  
author1 were always opened by an        
invocation to the ,holy ,ghost4  #h4    
,baptism by or into the ,holy ,ghost    
accompanied with fire4 7,matt4 iii4     
#aa47 ,this rite1 too1 is traceable to a
 very ancient period1 and was practiced 
by several of the old symbolical and    

mythological systems4 ,the ,tuscans1 or 
,etrurians1 baptized with fire1 wind    
7ghost7 and water4 ,baptism into the    
first member of the ,trinity 7the       
,father7 was with fire2 baptism into the
 second member of the ,trinity 7the     
,word7 was with water2 while baptism    
into the third member of the ,trinity   
7the ,holy ,ghost1 or ,holy ,spirit7    
consisted of the initiatory spiritual or
 symbolical application of gas1 gust1   
ghost1 wind1 or spirit4 ,it appears from
 ,herbert's ,travels1 that1 in ancient  
countries1 the child was taken to the   
priest1 who named him 7christened him7  
before the sacred fire after which      
ceremony he was sprinkled with holy     
water from a vessel made of the sacred  
tree known as ,the ,holme4  #i4 ,the    
,holy ,ghost imparted by breathing4     
7,see ,john xx4 #bb74 ,sometimes1 says  
,mr4 ,higgins1 relative to this custom  
among the ancient heathen1 the priest   
blew his breath upon the child1 which   
was then considered baptized by air1    

spiritus sanctus1 or ghost--i4 e41      
baptism by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,in case of
 baptism1 a portion of the ,holy ,ghost 
was supposed to be transferred from the 
priest to the candidate4 ,the practice  
of breathing in or upon1 says our       
author1 was quite common among the      
ancient heathen4  #aj4 ,the ,holy ,ghost
 as the agent in divine conception1 or  
the procreation of other ,gods4 ,jesus  
is said to have been conceived by the   
,holy ,ghost 7see ,matt4 i4 #ah71 and we
 find similar claims instituted still   
more anciently for other incarnate      
demigods4 ,in the ,mexican ,trinity1 ,y1
 ,zona was the father1 ,bacal the ,word1
 and ,eckvah the ,holy ,ghost1 by the   
last of whom ,chimalman conceived and   
brought forth the enfleshed ,god        
,quexalcote4 7,see ,mex4 ,ant41 vol4 vi4
 p4 #afej47 ,in the ,hindoo mythos1     
,sakia was conceived by the ,holy ,ghost
 ,nara-an4  ,other cases might be cited1
 proving the same point4  ,thus1 we     
observe that the various heterogeneous  

conceptions1 discordant traditions1 and 
contradictory superstitions appertaining
 to that anomalous nondescript being    
known as the ,holy ,ghost1 are traceable
 to various oriental countries1 and to a
 very remote antiquity4  ,we will only  
occupy space with one or two more       
historical citations of a general       
nature1 tending to prove the prevalence 
of this ghostly myth in other countries1
 not yet cited4 ,tell me1 ,o thou strong
 in fire6 ejaculated ,sesostris of      
,egypt1 to the oracle1 as reported by   
,manetho1 who before me could subjugate 
all things1 and who shall after me8 ,but
 the oracle rebuked him1 saying1 ,first 
,god1 then the ,word1 and with them the 
,spirit4 7,see ,nimrod1 vol4 i4 p4      
#aai47 ,and ,plutarch1 in his ',life of 
,numa1' says our oft-quoted author1     
shows that the incarnation of the ,holy 
,spirit was known both to the ancient   
,romans and ,egyptians4  ,the doctrine  
is thus shown to have been nearly       
universal4   ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,holy 

,,ghost ,,superstition4  ,the origin of 
the tradition respecting this fabulous  
and mythical being is easily traced to  
the ancient ,brahminical trifold        
conception of the ,deity1 in which      
stands1 in ,trinity order1 first1 the   
,god of power or might--,brahma or      
,brahm 7the ,father72 second1 the ,god  
of creation--the ,word--answering to    
,john's creative ,word 7see ,john i4    
#c72 and third1 the ,god of generation  
and regeneration--the ,holy ,spirit or  
,holy ,ghost4 ,the last member of the   
triune conception of the ,deity was     
considered1 under the ,brahminical      
theocracy1 the living1 vital1 active1   
life-imparting agent in both the first  
and second births of men and the gods4  
,it will be borne in mind by the reader 
that the ,holy ,ghost is represented in 
the ,christian ,scripture as being the  
active generating agent of ,christ's    
conception1 he being1 as ,matthew       
declares1 conceived by the ,holy ,ghost4
 ,the ,holy ,ghost was also the         

regenerating agent at his baptism4      
,although the specific object of the    
descent of the ,holy ,ghost on that     
occasion is not stated by ,luke1 who    
relates it2 although it is not stated   
for what purpose the ,holy ,spirit1     
after assuming the form of a bird1      
alighted and sat upon his head1 yet the 
motive is fully disclosed in the older  
mythical religions1 where we find the   
matter in fuller detail4  ,baptism      
itself is claimed by all its ,christian 
votaries as regenerating or imparting a 
new spiritual life2 and this new        
spiritual life was believed by several  
nations1 as before stated1 to make its  
appearance in the character and shape of
 a bird--sometimes a pigeon1 sometimes a
 dove2 and thus the origin of this      
tradition is most clearly and           
unmistakably exposed4  ,as the foregoing
 historical exposition exhibits the     
,holy ,ghost as performing several      
distinct and discordant offices1 so we  
likewise find it possessing at least two

 distinct genders1 the masculine and    
neuter1 i4 e41 no gender--changing1     
ghost-like1 from one to the other1 as   
occasion seemed to require4  ,from all  
these metamorphoses it is shown and     
demonstrated that the sexual and other  
changes of this mysterious being equal  
many of the demigods of mythology4 ,the 
primary windy conception of the ,holy   
,ghost is traceable to that early period
 of society when the rude and untutored 
denizens of the earth1 in their profound
 ignorance of natural causes1 were very 
easily and naturally led into the belief
 that wherever there was motion there   
was a ,god1 or the active manifestation 
of a ,god1 whether it was in the wind1  
breath1 water1 fire1 or the sun4        
,hence1 the ,buddhists had their god    
,vasus who manifested himself variously 
in the shape or character of fire1 wind1
 storms1 gas1 ghosts1 gusts1 and the    
breath1 thus constituting a very        
nearly-allied counterpart to the        
,christian ,holy ,ghost1 which ,mr4     

,parkhurst tells us originally meant air
 in motion4 ,this god was believed to   
have sprung from the supreme1 primordial
 ,god1 which the ancient ,brahmins and  
,buddhists generally believed was       
constituted of a fine1 spiritual        
substance1--aura1 anima1 wind1 ether1   
igneous fluid1 or electrical fire1 i4   
e41 fire from the sun1 giving rise to   
baptism by fire and hence1 the third    
,god1 or third member of the ,trinity1  
subsequently arising out of this        
compound being1 was also necessarily    
composed of or consisted of the same    
properties--all of which were believed  
to be correlated1 if not identical4     
,such is a complete1 though brief1      
historical elucidation of that          
mysterious1 imaginary being so          
corporally intangible that ,faustus1 of 
the third century1 declared respecting  
it1 ,the ,holy ,spirit1 the third       
majesty1 has the air for his residence4 
,and it is a fabulous ,god whose        
scriptural biography is invested with so

 many ludicrous and abstruse incidents  
as to incite several hundred ,christian 
writers to labor hard with a godly zeal1
 by a reconstruction of ,god's ,word and
 a rehabiliment of the ghostly texts1 to
 effect some kind of a reconciliation of
 the story with reason and common       
sense--with what success the reader is  
left to judge4   ,,the ,,unpardonable   
,,sin ,,against ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost4   
,before dismissing our ghostly          
narrative1 it may effect something in   
the way of mitigating the anxious fears 
of some of our ,christian brothers and  
sisters to explain the nature of the sin
 against the ,holy ,ghost1 and assign   
the reason for its being unpardonable4  
,the sin against the ,holy ,ghost       
consisted1 according to the ancient     
,mexican traditions1 in resisting its   
operations in the second birth--that is1
 the regeneration of the heart or soul  
by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and as the        
rectification of the heart or soul was a
 prominent idea with ,christ1 there is  

scarcely any ground to doubt but that   
this was the notion he cherished of the 
nature of the sin against the ,holy     
,ghost4 ,and it was considered          
unpardonable1 simply because as the     
pardoning and cleansing process         
consisted in1 or was at least always    
accompanied with baptism by water1 in   
which operation the ,holy ,ghost was the
 agent in effecting a new birth1        
therefore1 when the ministrations or    
operations of this indispensable agent  
were resisted or rejected1 there was no 
channel1 no means1 no possible mode left
 for the sinner to find a renewed       
acceptance with ,god4 ,when a person    
sinned against the ,father or the ,word 
7the ,son71 he could find a door of     
forgiveness through the baptizing       
processes spiritual or elementary1 of   
the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but an offense       
committed against this third limb of the
 ,godhead had the effect to close and   
bar the door so that there could be no  
forgiveness1 either in this life or that

 which is to come4 ,to sin against the  
,holy ,ghost was to tear down the       
scaffold by which the door of heaven was
 to be reached4  ,and thus it is        
explained the great mystery of          
godliness1 the unpardonable sin against 
the ,holy ,ghost1 which1 on account of  
the frightful penalty annexed to it1    
while it is impossible to learn what it 
consists in--it being undefined and     
undefinable--has caused thousands1 and  
probably millions1 of the disciples of  
the ,christian faith the most agonizing 
hours of alarm and despair4             
,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,divine ,,word
 ,,of ,,oriental ,,origin4  ,the ,word  
as ,creator1 as ,second ,person of the  
,trinity1 and its ,pre-,existence4      
,,the ,,word ,,of ,,oriental ,,origin4  
,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the
 ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was 
,god4 7,john i4 i47 ,the doctrine of the
 divine creative word 7from the ,greek  
,logos7 appears to have been coeval in  
its origin with that of the ,trinity1 if

 not inseparably connected with it1 as  
it constitutes the second member of the 
,trinity of ,father1 ,word1 and ,holy   
,ghost in most of the ancient systems of
 religion4 ,works on heathen mythology  
show that it was anciently a very       
prevalent custom to personify ideas1    
thoughts and words into angels and      
,gods4 ,words were first personated1 and
 transformed into men1 then into angels1
 and finally into ,gods4  ,and here is  
foreshadowed the origin of ,john's      
personification of the ,word made flesh4
 ,it was simply the word of the supreme 
,god as it escaped from his mouth1      
assuming the form and characteristics of
 a divine being like himself1 and taking
 position as a secondary ,god and second
 member of the ,trinity4 ,this was the  
orient conception1 and it appears to    
have been ,john's4 ,he evidently had no 
thought of ,christ experiencing human   
birth1 at first1 or being born of a     
woman1 but believed1 like some of the   
orientalists1 that he came out of the   

mouth of the ,father1 and was thus made 
flesh4 7,john i4 #b47 ,not a word of    
,christ being born is found in ,john's  
,gospel1 till after his existence as the
 ,word is spoken of4 7,see first note in
 back of book47   ,,the ,,word ,,as     
,,creator4  ,john also represents the   
,word as having been the ,creator4 ,all 
things were made by him4 7,john i4 #c47 
,and ,peter declares1 ,by the word of   
,god the heavens were of old4 7#b iii4  
#e47 ,now1 let it be observed here1 as a
 notable circumstance1 that the ,chinese
 bible1 much older than the ,christian's
 ,new ,testament1 likewise declares1    
,god pronounced the primeval ,word1 and 
his own eternal and glorious abode      
sprang into existence4 ,mr4 ,guizot1 in 
a note on ,gibbon's work1 says1         
,according to the ,zend-,avesta 7the    
,persian bible1 more than three thousand
 years old71 it is by the ,word1 more   
ancient than the world1 that ,ormuzd    
created the universe4  ,in like manner  
the sacred writings of the ancient      

,thibetans speak of the ,word which     
produced the world--an exact counterpart
 to ,john's declaration1 ,all things    
were made by him4 ,and the ancient      
,greek writer ,amelias1 speaking of the 
,god ,mercury1 says1 ,and this plainly  
was the ,logos 7the ,word71 by whom all 
things were made1 he being himself      
eternal1 as ,heraclitus would say14444  
,he assumed to be with ,god1 and to be  
,god1 and in him everything that was    
made1 has its life and being1 who1      
descending into body1 and putting on    
flesh1 took the appearance of a man1    
though still retaining the majesty of   
his nature4 ,here is the ,word made     
flesh set forth in most explicit terms4 
,the ,psalmist exclaims1 ,by the ,word  
of ,god were the heavens made1 and all  
the host of them by the ,breath of his  
mouth4 7,ps4 xxxiii4 #f47 ,here is      
disclosed not only the conception of the
 ,word as ,creator1 but also the ,word  
and the ,breath as synonymous terms1    
both of which conceptions oriental      

history amply proves to be of heathen   
derivation4  ,it was anciently believed 
that the ,word and ,breath of ,god were 
the same1 and possessed a vitalizing    
power1 which1 as they issued from his   
mouth1 might be transformed into another
 being known as a secondary ,god4 ,both 
the ,jews and the ,christians seem to   
have inherited this belief1 as evinced  
by the foregoing quotations from their  
bible4 ,the most ancient tradition      
taught that the ,word emanated from the 
mouth of the principal ,god1 and became 
flesh1 that is1 took form1 as the       
ancient ,brahmins expressed it1 for the 
special purpose of serving as agent in  
the work of creation1 that is1 to become
 the creator of the external universe4  
,st4 ,john evidently borrowed this idea4
 ,read his first chapter4               
,,pre-,,existence ,,of ,,the ,,word4    
,the pre-existence or previous existence
 of the ,word1 antecedent to the date of
 its metamorphosis into the human form1 
we find taught in several of the ancient

 systems of religion1 as well as the    
more modern ,christian system4 ,several 
texts in the ,christian ,new ,testament 
set forth the doctrine quite explicitly4
 ,christ1 as the ,divine ,word1         
declared1 ,before ,abraham was ,i am1   
and that he had an existence with the   
,father before the foundation of the    
world1 etc41 which is a distinct avowal 
of the doctrine of pre-existence4  ,but 
oriental history proves the doctrine is 
much older than ,christianity4  ,the    
,hindoo very anciently taught that the  
,word had existed with ,god from all    
eternity1 and when spoken it became a   
glorious form1 the aggregate embodiment 
of all the divine ideas1 and performed  
the work of creation4 ,and of ,chrishna1
 it is affirmed that while upon the     
earth he existed also in heaven4 7,see  
,baghavat ,gita47  ,in like manner it is
 declared of an ,egyptian ,god1 that    
though he was born into the world1 he   
existed with his father ,god before the 
world was made4 ,and parallel to this is

 the statement of the ,chinese bible1   
that though the ,holy ,word 7,chang-si7 
will be born upon the earth1 yet he     
existed before anything was made4 ,even 
for ,pythagoras it was claimed he       
existed in heaven before he was born    
upon the earth4 ,mr4 ,higgins1 in       
summing up the matter1 declares1 ,all   
the old religions believed the world was
 created by the ,word1 and that this    
,word existed before creation 7,ana41   
vol4 ii4 p4 #gg71 which clearly         
indicates the source of ,st ,john's     
creative ,word4   ,,the ,,dual ,,or     
,,two-,,fold ,,name ,,of ,,the ,,word4  
,in most cases the living ,divine ,word 
was known by different names and titles1
 prior to the era of its assuming the   
mortal form1 from that by which it was  
known after its fleshly investment4     
,among the ancient ,persians1 the name  
for the divine spiritual ,word was      
,honover4 ,after its human birth1 it was
 called ,mithra the ,mediator4 ,the     
,hindoo oriental term for the primeval  

,word was ,om1 or ,aum4 ,after assuming 
its most important incarnate form1 it   
was known as ,chrishna4 ,the ,chinese   
,holy ,interior ,word was ,om-i-to1 and 
its principal incarnation was ,chang-ti 
or ,ti-en-ti4 ,the ,japanese also       
proclaimed their belief in a ,divine    
,word before the ,christian era1 which1 
in their language1 was ,amina4 ,they    
taught1 like ,john1 that it came forth  
from the mouth of the ,supreme ,god     
7,brahm7 to perform the work of         
creation1 after which1 it was known as  
,sakia4 ,and that popular ,christian    
writer1 ,mr4 ,milman1 informs us that   
the ,jewish founders of ,christianity   
believed in an original ,divine ,word1  
which they call ,memra4 ,when it        
descended to the earth1 and became      
flesh1 and dwelt amongst us 7,john i4   
#d47 according to the evangelist ,john1 
it was known as ,jesus ,christ4 ,mr4    
,milman states also1 that the           
appellation to the ,word is found in the
 ,indian 7,hindoo71 ,persian1 the       

,platonic1 and the ,alexandrian systems4
 7,hist1 of ,chr41 ,book ,i41 ,chap4    
#b47  ,thus1 the question is settled by 
,christian testimony--that the various  
conceptions of the ,divine ,word are of 
heathen origin4   ,,the ,,word ,,as ,a  
,,second ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,trinity4 
,there are three that bear record in    
heaven1 the ,father1 the ,word1 and the 
,holy ,ghost4 7#a ,john v4 #g47         
,observe1 the ,word is the second person
 in the ,trinity4 ,and this was its post
 in the ,brahman1 ,hindoo1 ,persian1 and
 other systems4 ,all religions1 says a  
writer1 which taught the existence of   
the ,word as a great primeval spirit1   
represent him as secondary to the       
supreme4 7,p4 ,r4 #c1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ccf47
 ,the ,hindoos reverenced it next to    
,brahm4 ,mr4 ,higgins cuts the matter   
short by declaring ,the ,logos1 or      
,word1 was the second person of the     
,trinity in all the ancient systems1 as 
in the ,christian system1 which again   
indicates its heathen origin4   ,,the   

,,word ,,as ,a ,,biblical ,,title4  ,the
 ,word1 the ,holy ,word1 the ,divine    
,word1 etc41 are terms now frequently   
applied to the ,christian bible1 without
 any suspicion of their heathen origin4 
,the ,zend-,avesta1 the ,persian bible1 
was always called ,the ,living ,word of 
,god1 for that is the meaning of the    
term ,zend-,avesta1 and the oldest bible
 in the world is the ,vedas1 and it     
means both ,word and ,wisdom4 ,om1 the  
,egyptian's ,holy ,word1 they frequently
 applied both to their incarnate ,gods  
and to their sacred writings4  ,the     
practice of calling bibles ,the ,word of
 ,god originated from the belief that1  
when the incarnate ,word left the earth 
and returned to heaven1 he infused a    
portion of his living spirits into the  
divine writings which contained his     
history and his doctrines1 and which he 
himself had prompted his disciples to   
write as his ,last ,revelation to man4  
,they then must contain a portion of    
him1 i4 e41 a portion of the ,holy      

,word--hence1 both were called ,the     
,holy ,word4  ,and this heathen custom  
,christians borrowed4   ,,origin ,,of   
,,the ,,word ,,as ,,creator4  ,the      
motive which prompted a belief in the   
creative ,word may be styled a          
theological necessity4 ,it was believed 
that the principal ,god1 like the rulers
 of earth1 was too aristocratic to labor
 with his own hands4 ,hence1 another    
,god was originated to perform the work 
of creation1 and called ,the ,word4     
,the origin of the creative ,word is    
still further indicated by ,blackwood's 
,magazine4  ,it says3--  ,creation      
became impossible to a being already    
infinite1 and was a derogation to a     
being already perfect4 ,some lower ,god1
 some ,avatar1 must be interposed 7as an
 emanation from the mouth of the ,god   
supreme7 to perform the subordinate task
 of creation4 ,hence1 originated and    
came forth the ,word as ,creator4       
,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,trinity ,,very
 ,,anciently ,a ,,current ,,heathen     

,,doctrine  ,,there are three that bear 
record in heaven1 the ,father1 the      
,word1 and the ,holy ,ghost1 and these  
three are one4 7i ,john v4 #g47 ,this   
text1 which evidently discloses a belief
 in the existence of three separate and 
distinct beings in the ,godhead1 sets   
forth a doctrine which was anciently of 
almost universal prevalence4 ,nearly    
every nation1 whether oriental or       
occidental1 whose religious faith has   
been commemorated in history1 discloses 
in its creed a belief in the trifold    
nature and triune division of the       
,deity4 ,st4 ,jerome testifies          
unequivocally1 ,all the ancient nations 
believed in the ,trinity4  ,and a volume
 of facts and figures might be cited    
here1 if we had space for them1 in proof
 of this statement ,a text from one of  
the ,hindoo bibles1 7the ,puranas7 will 
evince the antiquity and prevalence of  
this belief in a nation of one hundred  
and fifty millions of people more than  
two thousand years ago4 ,o you three    

,lords6 ejaculated ,attencion1 know that
 ,i recognize only one ,god4 ,inform me1
 therefore1 which of you is the true    
divinity that ,i may address to him     
alone my vows and adorations4 ,the three
 ,gods1 ,brahma1 ,vishnu1 and ,siva1    
becoming manifest to him1 replied1      
,learn1 ,o devotee1 that there is no    
real distinction between us4 ,what to   
you appears such is only by semblance4  
,the single being appears under three   
forms by the acts of creation1          
preservation and destruction but he is  
one4  ,now1 reader1 note the remark     
here1 that the ancient ,christian       
fathers almost universally and          
unanimously proclaimed the doctrine of  
the ,trinity as one of the leading      
tenets of the ,christian faith1 and as a
 doctrine derived directly by revelation
 from heaven4 ,but here we find it most 
explicitly set forth by a disciple of a 
pagan religion more than three thousand 
years ago1 as the ,christian missionary 
,d4 ,o4 ,allen states1 that the ,hindoo 

bible1 in which it was found was        
compiled fourteen hundred years before  
,christ1 and written at a still earlier 
period4 ,and we find the same doctrine  
very explicitly taught in the ancient   
,brahmin1 ,persian1 ,chaldean1 ,chinese1
 ,mexican and ,grecian systems --all    
much older than ,christianity4  ,no     
writer ever taught or avowed a belief in
 any tenet of religious faith more fully
 or plainly than ,plato sets forth1 the 
doctrine of the ,trinity in his         
,phaedon1 written four hundred years ,b4
 ,c4 ,and his terms are found to be in  
most striking conformity to the         
,christian doctrine on this subject1 as 
taught in the ,new ,testament ,plato's  
first term for the ,trinity was in      
,greek--#a4 ,to ,agathon1 the supreme   
,god or ,father4 #b4 ,the ,logos1 which 
is the ,greek term for the ,word4 ,and1 
#c4 ,psyche1 which the ,greek ,lexicon  
defines to mean soul1 spirit or         
ghost--of course1 the ,holy ,ghost4     
,here we have the three terms of the    

,christian ,trinity1 ,father1 ,word1 and
 ,holy ,ghost1 as plainly taught as     
language can express it1 thus making    
,plato's exposition of the ,trinity and 
definition of its terms1 published four 
hundred years ,b4 ,c41 identical in     
meaning with those of ,st4 ,john's1 as  
found in his ,gospel1 and contained in  
the above quoted text4 ,where1 then1 is 
the foundation for the dogmatic claim on
 the part of the ,christian professors  
for the divine origin of the ,trinity   
doctrine8  ,we will here cite the       
testimony of some ,christian writers to 
prove that the ,trinity is a            
pagan-derived doctrine4 ,a ,christian   
bishop1 ,mr4 ,powell1 declares1 ,i not  
only confess but ,i maintain1 such a    
similitude of ,plato's and ,john's      
,trinity doctrines as bespeaks a common 
origin4 7,thirteenth letter to ,dr4     
,priestley47 ,what is that you say1     
bishop8 ,a common origin4 ,then you     
concede both are heaven-derived1 or both
 heathen-derived4 ,if the former1 then  

revelation and heathenism are synonymous
 terms4 ,if the latter1 then            
,christianity stands on a level with    
heathen mythology4 ,which horn of the   
dilemma will you choose8 ,st4 ,augustine
 confessed he found the beginning of    
,john's ,gospel in ,plato's ,phdon1     
which is a concession of the whole      
ground4  ,another writer1 ,chataubron1  
speaks of an ancient ,greek inscription 
on the great obelisk at ,rome1 which    
reads--#a4 ,the ,mighty ,god4 #b4 ,the  
,begotten of ,god as ,christ is declared
 to be the only begotten of the ,father 
7,john i4 #ad74 ,and1 #c4 ,apollo the   
,spirit--the ,holy ,spirit or ,holy     
,ghost--thus presenting in plain        
language the three terms of the         
,trinity4 ,and ,mr4 ,cudworth1 in       
corroboration of this report1 says1 ,the
 ,greeks had a first ,god1 and second   
,god1 and third ,god1 and the second was
 begotten by the first4 ,and yet for all
 that1 continues ,mr4 ,cudworth1 they   
considered all these one4  ,in the      

,platonic or ,grecian ,trinity1 the     
first person was considered the planner 
of the work of creation1 the second     
person the creator1 and the third person
 the ghost or spirit which moved upon   
the face of the waters1 and infused life
 into the mighty deep at creation--the  
same ,holy ,ghost which descended from  
heaven to infuse life into the waters at
 ,christ's baptism2 thus1 the           
resemblance is complete4 ,mr4 ,basnage  
quotes a ,christian writer of the fifth 
century as declaring1 ,the ,athenian    
sage ,plato marvelously anticipated one 
of the most important and mysterious    
doctrines of the ,christian             
religion--meaning the ,trinity--an      
important concession truly4  ,the oldest
 and probably the original form of the  
,trinity is that found in the ,brahmin  
and ,hindoo systems--the terms of which 
are--i4 ,brahma1 the ,father or supreme 
,god4 #b4 ,vishnu1 the incarnate ,word  
and ,creator4 #c4 ,siva1 the ,spirit of 
,god1 i4 e41 the ,holy ,spirit or       

,ghost--each answering to corresponding 
terms of the ,christian ,trinity1 and   
yet two thousand years older1 according 
to ,dr4 ,smith4  ,we have not allowable 
space for other facts and citations 7as 
this work is designed as a mere         
epitome71 although we have but entered  
upon the threshold of the evidence      
tending to prove that the ,christian    
,trinity was born of heathen parents1   
that it is an offspring of heathen      
mythology1 like other doctrines of the  
,christian faith1 claimed by its        
disciples as the gift of divine         
revelation4  ,here let it be noted as a 
curious chapter in sacred history that  
the numerous divine ,trinities which    
have constituted a part of nearly every 
religious system ever propagated to the 
world were composed1 in every case1 of  
male ,gods4 ,no female has ever yet been
 admitted into the triad of ,gods       
composing the orthodox ,trinity4 ,every 
member of the ,trinity in every case is 
a male1 and an old bachelor--a doctrine 

most flagrantly at war with the         
principles of modern philosophy4  ,for  
this science teaches us that the        
endowment of a being with either male or
 female organs1 presupposes the         
existence of the other sex2 and that    
either sex1 without the other would be a
 ludicrous anomaly1 and a ludicrous     
distortion of nature unparalleled in the
 history of science4 ,as sexual organs  
create an imperious desire for the other
 sex1 no male or female could long enjoy
 full happiness in the absence of the   
other party4 ,what an unhappy1 lonesome 
place1 therefore1 the orthodox heaven   
must have been1 during the eternity of  
the past1 with no society but old       
bachelors6 ,the ,trinity was constituted
 of males simply because woman has      
always been considered a mere cipher in 
society--a mere tool for man's          
convenience1 an appendage to his wants4 
,hence1 instead of having a place among 
the ,gods she led the practical life of 
a servant and a menial1 which accounts  

for her exclusion from the ,trinity4    
,but the time is coming when she will   
rule both heaven and earth with the     
omnipotent power of her love nature4    
,then we shall have no war in heaven1   
and no fighting on earth4     ,,chapter 
,,xxv4 ,,absolution1 ,,and ,,the        
,,confession ,,of ,,sins1 ,,of ,,heathen
 ,,origin  ,,some ,christian writers    
have labored to make it appear that this
 is exclusively a ,christian doctrine1  
while others have labored as hard to get
 it out of their bible1 or make the     
people believe that it is not therein   
taught4  ,we shall show1 upon scriptural
 and historical authority1 that both are
 wrong4  ,there can be no question as to
 this rite having existed outside of    
,christianity1 or of its being much     
older than ,christianity4 ,history      
proves both4 ,nor can it be successfully
 denied that it is taught in the        
,christian ,scriptures1 both the        
confessing of sins and that of forgiving
 sins4 ,the apostle ,james1 with respect

 to the former1 is quite explicit4 ,he  
enjoins1 emphatically1 ,confess your    
faults one to another4 7,james v4 #af47 
,the practice of forgiving sins is also 
enjoined4 ,forgiving one another is     
recommended both in ,ephesians 7iv4 #cb7
 and ,colossians4 7iii4 #ac74 ,and      
whatsoever ye shall lose on earth shall 
be loosed in heaven 7,matthew xviii     
#ah71 is interpreted as conferring the  
power to forgive sins4  ,and then we    
remark that the practices both of       
confessing and forgiving sins are very  
ancient pagan rites and customs4        
,speaking of their prevalence in ancient
 ,india1 the author of the ,anacalypsis 
remarks1 ,the person offering sacrifices
 made a verbal confession of his sins1  
and received absolution4 ,auricular     
confession was also practiced among the 
ancient ,mithriacs1 or ,persians1 and   
the ,parsees proper of the same country4
 ,mr4 ,volney tells us1 ,they observed  
all the ,christian sacraments1 even to  
the laying on of hands in the           

confirmation4 7#baa47 ,and the          
,christian ,tertullian also tells us    
that ,the priests of ,mithra promised   
absolution from sin on confession and   
baptism1 while another author adds1 that
 on such occasions ,mithra marked his   
followers 7the servants of ,god7 in     
their foreheads1 and that he celebrated 
the sacrifice of bread1 which is the    
resurrection4  ,in the collection of the
 ,jewish laws called ,the ,mishna1 we   
are told the ,jews confessed their sins 
by placing their hands upon a calf      
belonging to the priest1 and that this  
was called the ,confession of ,calves4  
7,see ,mishna1 tom4 ii4 p4 #cid47       
,confessing sins was practiced in       
ancient ,mexico2 also under ,numa of    
,rome1 whose priests1 we are informed1  
had to clear their consciences by       
confessing their sins before they could 
offer sacrifices4 ,the practice of      
confessing and forgiving sins as        
recommended in the ,christian bible1 and
 practiced by some of the ,christian    

sects1 has been the source of much      
practical evil by furnishing a pretext  
and license1 to some extent1 for the    
commission of crime and sin4 ,while sins
 can be so easily obliterated they will 
be committed--perpetrated without much  
remorse or restraint4 ,in ,china 7says  
the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,pitrat1 #bcb71 the      
invocation of ,omito is sufficient to   
remit the punishment of the greatest    
crimes4 ,the same author tells us1 ,the 
ancient initiation of the pagans had    
tribunals of penance1 where the priests1
 under the name of ,roes1 heard from the
 mouth of the sinners themselves the    
avowal of their sins of which their     
souls were to be purified1 and from the 
punishment of which they wished to be   
exempted4 7,page #cg47 ,the granting of 
absolution for sin or misconduct among  
the early primitive ,christians was so  
common1 ,st4 ,cyprian informs us1 that  
thousands of reprieves were granted     
daily1 which served as an indirect      
license to crime4 ,and thus the doctrine

 of divine forgiveness1 as taught by    
pagans and ,christians1 has proved to be
 demoralizing in its effects upon       
society4     ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,origin 
,,of ,,baptism ,,by ,,water1 ,,fire1    
,,blood ,,and ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost      
,,baptism1 in some of its various forms1
 is a very ancient rite1 and was        
extensively practiced in several        
oriental countries4 ,it was administered
 in a great varieties of forms1 and with
 the use of different elements4 ,water  
was the most common1 but fire and air1  
wind1 spirit ghost were also used2 and  
both the living and the dead were made  
the subjects of its solemn and imposing 
ceremonies4  ,we will notice each of    
these modes of baptism                  
separate--appropriating a brief space to
 each4  #a4 ,baptism by ,water4         
,baptism by water1 says ,mr4 ,higgins1  
is a very old rite1 being practised by  
the followers of ,zoroaster1 by the     
,romans1 the ,egyptians1 and other      
nations4 ,it was also vogue among the   

ancient ,hindoos at a still earlier day 
,their mode of administering it was to  
dip the candidate for immersion three   
times in the watery element1 in the same
 manner as is now practiced by some of  
the ,christian sects during the         
performance of which the hierophant     
would ejaculate the following prayer and
 ceremony3 ,o ,lord this man is impure1 
like the mud of this stream6 ,but as    
thou cleanse and deliver his soul from  
sin as the water cleanses his body4     
,they believed that water possesses the 
virtue of purifying both soul and       
body--the latter from filth and the     
former from sin4 ,the ancient ,mexican1 
,persians1 ,hindoos and ,jews were in   
the habit of baptizing their infants    
soon after they were born4 ,and the     
water used for this purpose was called  
the water of regeneration4 ,paul speaks 
of being saved by the washing of        
regeneration4 7,see ,titus iii4 #e47    
,those who touched these infants before 
they were baptized were deemed impure4  

,and as this was unavoidable on the part
 of the mothers1 they were required1 as 
in the cases of the mothers of ,chrishna
 and ,christ1 to present themselves on  
the eighth day after accouchement to the
 priest in the temple to be purified4   
,the ,romans chose the eighth day for   
girls and the ninth for boys4 ,the child
 was usually named 7christened7 at the  
time it was baptized4 ,and in ,india1   
the name1 or ,god's name1 or some other 
mark1 was engraven or written on the    
forehead4 ,this custom is several times 
recognized in the ,christian bible1 both
 in the old and in the ,new ,testament4 
7,see ,ezek4 ix #d2 ,rev4 xiv4 #i2 xix4 
#bj1 etc47 ,john speaks of a mark being 
made on the forehead4 7,see ,rev4 xiii4 
#af47 ,also of the name of ,god being   
written on the forehead4 7,rev4 iii4    
#ab47   ,,the ,,dove ,,descending ,,at  
,,baptism4  ,at this stage of our       
inquiry it may be stated that several of
 the ancient religious orders had the   
legend of a dove or pigeon descending at

 baptism--a counterpart to the          
evangelical story of the ,spirit of ,god
 descending in bodily shape like a dove1
 and alighting on the head of ,jesus    
,christ while being baptized by ,john in
 ,jordan4 7,see ,luke iii4 #bb47 ,it    
will be observed here that the spirit1  
or soul1 of ,god descended not only in  
the manner1 but in bodily shape like a  
dove4 ,this accords with the tradition  
anciently prevalent among the ,hindoos1 
,mexicans1 ,greeks1 ,romans and         
,persians1 or ,babylonians1 that all    
souls1 or spirits1 possessed1 or were   
capable of assuming1 the form of a dove4
 ,hence1 it is reported of ,polycarp1   
,semiramis1 ,caesar and others1 that at 
death their souls1 or spirits1 were seen
 to leave the body in bodily shape like 
a dove and ascend to heaven4 ,the       
,divine ,love1 or ,eros1 says ,mr4      
,higgins1 was supposed by the oriental  
heathen to descend often in the form of 
a dove to bless the candidate for       
baptism4 ,these traditions1 doubtless1  

gave rise to the story of the dove      
descending at ,christ's baptism--that is
 ,god in the shape of a dove1 for that  
is clearly the meaning of the text4 ,we 
are also informed by our author just    
quoted1 that a dove stood for and       
represented1 among the orientalists1 the
 third person of the ,trinity1 as it    
does in the gospel story of ,christ--he 
being the second member of the          
,christian ,trinity of ,father1 ,son and
 ,holy ,ghost4 ,it was considered the   
regenerator1 or regenerating spirit1 and
 persons being baptized were said to be 
born again into the spirit or the spirit
 into them2 that is1 the dove into or   
upon them4  ,what a master-key is       
furnished by these oriental religions   
for solving the mysteries of the        
,christian bible6 ,how much more lucid  
than ,divine ,revelation--so-called6    
,we will quote again from ,higgins3     
,among all nations1 from the very       
earliest period1 water has been used as 
a species of religious sacrament4       

,because1 as it dripped from the clouds1
 it was observed to have the power of   
reviving drooping nature and creating   
anew1 or regenerating the whole         
vegetable kingdom in spring1 it was     
hence chosen as an emblem of spiritual  
regeneration and a medium of baptism4   
,water was the element by means of which
 everything was born again through the  
agency of the ,eros1 ,dove1 or ,divine  
,love4 ,and1 hence1 the ceremony of     
dipping or plunging 7or1 as it is       
modernly termed1 baptizing7 came into   
vogue for the remission of sins and the 
regeneration into a new and more holy   
life4  ,some streams were supposed to   
have more efficacy in these respects    
than others4 ,hence1 nearly all         
religious nations had their ,holy       
,rivers1 ,holy ,water1 ,sacred ,pools1  
etc4 ,the ,hindoos resorted to the ,holy
 ,ganges1 the ,egyptians to the ,holy   
,nile1 the ,chaldeans and ,persians to  
the ,holy ,euphrates1 the ,greeks to    
their ,holy ,lustral ,water1 the        

,italians to the river ,po1 and the     
,jews and ,christians to their holy     
river ,jordan4 ,if ,jordan was not      
called holy1 it was undoubtedly         
considered so1 else why did ,elisha     
order ,naaman to wash seven times in    
that stream instead of ,damascus1 which 
was much nearer and more accessible8    
,and why was ,christ baptized in        
,jordan8 ,and all the land of ,judea1   
and they of ,jerusalem1 were baptized in
 ,jordan1 confessing their sins4 7,matt 
iii4 vi47 ,why1 as several streams were 
handier to a large portion of the       
candidates1 simply because ,jordan was  
considered to be more holy4 ,and        
,christians had their sacred pool of    
,bethesda1 as the ,hindoos had their    
,sahar4  ,the rite of baptism was at    
first generally practiced in caves--as  
were also other religious rites2 and as 
these caves were often difficult of     
access1 and their mouths1 doors or gates
 narrow and difficult to enter1 they    
fully exemplify ,christ's declaration1  

,straight is the gate and narrow is the 
way that leadeth unto life4 7,matt4 vii4
 #ad47 ,and when he declared1 ,except a 
man be born of water and of the spirit  
he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven   
7,john iii4 #e7 he was only seconding   
the exhortation of the priests to enter 
these subterranean vaults and be        
baptized after the oriental and ,jewish 
custom4 ,thus originated baptism by     
water in the form of dipping1 or        
immersion4   ,,baptism ,,by             
,,sprinkling4  ,owing to the scarcity of
 water in some countries1 and its entire
 absence in others1 and the fatal       
effects sometimes resulting from the    
practice of baptizing infants and       
invalids by immersion1 a new mode of    
baptism eventually sprung up1 now known 
as sprinkling1 in which sometimes water 
and sometimes blood was used4 ,virgil1  
,ovid and ,cicero all speak of its      
prevalence amongst the ancient ,romans  
or ,latins4 ,we are informed that the   
ancient ,jews practiced it upon their   

women while in a state of nudity1 the   
ceremony being administered by three    
rabbis1 or priests4 ,but the custom     
finally gave way to one more consonant  
with decorum4 ,blood1 being considered  
the life thereof of man1 was deemed more
 efficacious than water1 and hence was  
often used in lieu of that element4 ,the
 ,greeks kept a holy vessel for this    
purpose1 known as the ,facina4 ,the     
,romans used a brush1 which may now be  
seen engraven upon some of their ancient
 coins and sculptured on their ancient  
temples4 ,the ,hindoos and ,persians    
used a branch of laurel or some other   
shrub for sprinkling the repentant      
candidate1 whether water or blood was   
used4  ,in some countries the rite was  
practiced as a talisman against evil    
spirits4 ,the ,mexicans never approached
 their altars without sprinkling them   
with blood drawn from their own bodies1 
as the ,jews sprinkled the walls and    
door-posts of their temples with blood  
under the requisition of the ,levitical 

code4 ,this mode of fancied purification
 by sprinkling either with water or     
blood we find recognized1 and apparently
 sanctioned1 in the ,christian bible1   
both in the ,old and ,new ,testaments4  
,ezekiel says1 ,i will sprinkle clean   
water on you4 7,ezek4 xxxvi4 #be47      
,peter uses the phrase1 ,the sprinkling 
of the blood of ,jesus ,christ4 7#a     
,peter i4 #b47 ,and ,paul makes use of  
the expression1 ,the blood of           
sprinkling1 that speaketh better things 
than that of ,abel 7,heb4 xii4 #bd71    
which we regard as an indirect sanction 
of the senseless heathen idea of        
effecting spiritual purification by     
drops of blood4 7,see ,potter's         
,antiquities and ,herbert's ,travels47  
,,baptism ,,by ,,fire4  ,baptism by fire
 was a form or mode of application which
 seems to have been introduced from the 
belief that it was productive of a      
higher degree of purification4 ,there   
were several ways of using fire in the  
baptismal rite4 ,in some cases the      

candidate for immortality ran through   
blazing streams of fire--a custom which 
was called the baptism of fire4 ,m4 de  
,humboldt1 in his ,views of the         
,cordilleras and ,monuments of ,america1
 informs us it prevailed in ,india1     
,chaldea and ,syria1 and throughout     
eastern ,asia4 ,it appears to have been 
gotten up as a substitute for           
sun-worship1 as this luminary was       
believed to be constituted of fire1     
though in reality there never was any   
such thing as sun or solar worship4     
,christian writers represent the ancient
 ,persians as has having been addicted  
to solar worship4 ,but ,firdausi1       
,cudworth and other authors declare that
 neither they nor any other nation ever 
worshiped the sun1 but merely an        
imaginary ,deity supposed to reside in  
the sun4 ,heathen nations have been     
charged with many things of which they  
were not guilty2 though it is true that 
in the spirit of ,christ's exhortation1 
,whosoever loseth his life for my sake  

shall find it1 some of the candidates   
for the fiery ordeal voluntarily        
sacrificed their lives in the operation1
 under the persuasion that it was       
necessary to purify the soul1 and would 
enable them to ascend to higher posts or
 planes of enjoyment in the celestial   
world4 ,and some of them were taught    
that sins not expurgated by fire1 or    
some other efficaciously renovating     
process in this life1 would be punished 
by fire in the life to come4 ,here we   
will mention that there is a seeming    
recognition of this ancient heathen rite
 in both departments of the ,christian's
 bible4 ,isaiah says1 ,when thou walkest
 through fire thou shalt not be burned4 
7lxiii4 #b47 ,and the ,baptist ,john    
recognizes three modes of baptism3 ,i   
indeed baptize you with water1 but he   
that cometh after me shall baptize you  
with fire and the ,holy ,ghost4 7,matt4 
iii4 #aa74 ,and ,paul teaches the       
necessity of being purified by fire4    
7,see i ,cor4 iii4 #ae47 ,so it is both 

a heathen and a ,christian idea4        
,,baptism ,,by ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost4    
,this fanciful ceremony is both a       
,christian and a heathen rite1 and is   
undoubtedly of heathen origin4 ,the mode
 of applying it was to breathe into or  
upon the seeker for divine favors4 ,this
 was done by the priest1 who1 it was    
believed1 imparted the ,spirit of ,god  
by the process4 ,the custom1 ,mr4       
,herbert informs us1 was anciently quite
 common in oriental countries1 and was  
at a later date borrowed by ,christ and 
his apostles and incorporated into the  
,christian ceremonies4 ,we find that    
,christ not only sanctioned it but      
practised it1 as it is declared when he 
met his disciples after his resurrection
 he breathed on them1 and saith unto    
them1 ,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost4     
7,john xx4 #bb47  ,and the following    
language of ,ezekiel is evidently a     
sanction of the same heathen custom3    
,thus saith the ,lord ,god1 ,come from  
the four winds1 ,o breath1 and breathe  

upon these slain1 that they may live4   
7xxxvii4 #i47 ,let it be borne in mind  
here that breath1 air1 wind1 spirit and 
ghost were used as synonymous terms1    
according to ,mr4 ,parkhurst 7see ,chap4
 ,,xxii471 and this breathing was       
supposed to impart spiritual life1 being
 nothing less than the ,spirit of ,god1 
the same as that breathed into ,adam    
when he became a living soul4 7,see     
,gen4 ii4 #g47 ,for a fuller exposition 
see ,chapter ,,xxii4   ,,baptism ,,of   
,,or ,,for ,,the ,,dead4  ,it was       
customary among the ,hindoos and other  
nations to postpone baptism till near   
the supposed terminus of life1 in order 
that the ablution might extinguish all  
the sins and misdeeds of the subject's  
earthly probation4 ,but it sometimes    
happened that men and women were killed1
 or died unexpectedly1 before the rite  
was administered4 ,and as it would not  
do for these unfortunate souls to be    
deprived of the benefit of this         
soul-saving ordinance1 the custom was   

devised of baptizing the defunct body1  
or more commonly some living person in  
its stead4 ,the method of executing the 
latter expedient1 according to ,st4     
,chrysostom1 was to place some living   
person under the bed or couch on which  
the corpse was reclining1 when the      
defunct was asked if he would be        
baptized4 ,the living man1 responding   
for the dead1 answered in the           
affirmative4 ,the corpse was then taken 
and dipped in a vessel prepared for the 
purpose4 ,this silly practice was in    
vogue among the early ,christians1 and  
,paul seems to regard it as an important
 custom4 ,else what shall they do which 
are baptized for the dead1 if the dead  
rise not at all4 7i ,cor4 xv4 #i47  ,the
 inference derivable from this text is1 
that ,paul held that the labor of       
baptizing the dead would be lost in the 
event of the falsification of the       
doctrine of the resurrection1 but       
otherwise it would be valid--which      
evinces his faith in the senseless and  

superstitious practice4 ,it will be     
observed from the historical exposition 
of this chapter that all the various    
ancient heathen modes and rites of      
baptism have been practiced by          
,christians1 and are sanctioned by their
 bible4     ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,the    
,,sacrament ,,or ,,eucharist ,,of       
,,heathen ,,origin  ,,at the feast of   
the ,passover1 ,christ is represented1  
while distributing bread to his         
disciples1 to have said1 ,take1 eat2    
this is my body 7,matt4 xxvi4 #bf72 and 
while handing round the consecrated cup1
 he enjoined1 ,drink ye all of it1 for  
this is my blood of the new covenant1   
which is shed for many for the remission
 of sins 7xxvi4 #bg74 ,here is a very   
clear and explicit indorsement of what  
is generally termed the ,eucharist or   
,sacrament4 ,and nothing can be more    
susceptible of proof than that this rite
 or ordinance is of pagan origin1 and   
was practically recognized many         
centuries prior to the dawn of the      

,christian era4  ,so we observe1 by the 
text above quoted1 the ,christian       
,savior and ,lawgiver copied1 or        
reproduced1 an old pagan rite as a part 
of his professedly new and spiritual    
system1 one of the most ancient and     
widely-extended formulas of pagandom4   
,and stranger still1 the catechisms of  
the ,christian church represent this    
ordinance as having originated in the   
design and motive to keep the ancient   
,christian world in remembrance of the  
death and sufferings and sacrifice of   
,christ1 while we find it existing long 
prior to his time1 both among ,jews and 
pagans1 this being virtually admitted in
 the bible itself1 so far as respects   
the pagans1 thus proving that it did not
 originate with ,christ1 and therefore  
is not of ,christian origin4 ,for in    
,gen4 viv4 #ah1 we read1 ,and           
,melchisedek1 king of ,salem1 brought   
forth bread and wine1 and he was the    
priest of the ,most ,high ,god4 ,because
 the ,melchisedek here spoken of is     

represented as being a priest of the    
,most ,high ,god1 and showed so much    
respect to ,abraham1 it is presumed and 
assumed1 by ,christian writers1 that he 
was a ,jewish priest and king2 and ,mr4 
,faber 7vol4 i4 p4 #gb7 calls him an    
incarnation of the son of ,god4 ,but    
there is no intimation throughout the   
,jewish ,scriptures of the ,jews ever   
having had a king or priest by that     
name4 ,and besides1 ,eupolemus 7vol4 i4 
p4 #ci71 tells us that the temple of    
,melchisedek was the temple of ,jupiter1
 in which ,pythagoras studied           
philosophy4 ,then1 again1 according to  
some writers1 the name is synonymous    
with ,moloch1 the ,god of war among the 
,greeks4 ,strange1 then1 that           
,melchisedek should be claimed as a     
priest and king among the ,jews4 ,be    
this as it may1 the case proves that the
 ceremony of offering bread and wine    
existed long before the era of ,jesus   
,christ4  ,and then we have much more   
and much stronger proof of this fact    

than is here furnished4 ,the ,christian 
,mr4 ,faber virtually admits it1 when he
 tells us1 ,the devil led the heathen to
 anticipate ,christ with respect to     
several things1 as the mysteries of the 
,eucharist1 etc4 ,and this very         
solemnity 7says ,st ,justin7 the evil   
spirit introduced into the mysteries of 
,mithra4 7,reeves1 ,justin1 p4 #hf47    
,mr4 ,higgins observes1 ,it was         
instituted hundreds of years before the 
,lord's death took place4 ,amongst the  
ancient religious orders and nations who
 practiced this rite1 we may name the   
,essenes1 ,persians1 ,pythagoreans1     
,gnostics1 ,brahmins and ,mexicans4 ,for
 proof of its existence and antiquity   
among the last-named nation1 we refer   
the reader to the ,travels 7chap4 ii47  
of that ,christian writer1 ,father      
,acosta4 ,mr4 ,marolles1 in his ,memoirs
 7p4 #bae7 quotes ,tibullus as saying1  
,the pagan appeased the divinity with   
holy bread4 ,and ,tibullus1 in a        
panegyric on ,marcella1 wrote1 ,a little

 cake1 a little morsel of bread1        
appeased the divinities4  ,and here we  
discover the idea which originated the  
ceremony4 ,it was started1 like animal  
sacrifices1 for the purpose of appeasing
 the wrath or propitiating the favor of 
the angry ,gods4 ,tracing the conception
 still further in the rear of its       
progress1 and apparently to its primary 
inception1 ,mr4 ,higgins observes1 ,the 
whole paschal supper 7the ,lord's supper
 with the ,christians7 was in fact a    
festival of joy to celebrate the passage
 of the sun across the equinox of       
spring4  ,we find one pagan writer who  
had intelligence enough to ridicule this
 senseless ceremonial custom1 called the
 sacrament4 ,cicero1 some forty years   
before ,christ1 shows up the doctrine of
 the sacrament1 or substantiation1 in   
its true light4 ,he asks1 ,how can a man
 be so stupid as to imagine that which  
he eats to be a ,god8 ,a writer quoted  
above says1 ,mass1 or the sacrifice of  
bread and wine1 was common to many      

ancient nations4 7,anac4 vol4 ii4 p4    
#fb47 ,according to ,alnetonae1 the     
ancient ,brahmins had a kind of         
,eucharist called prajadam4 ,and the    
same writer informs us that the ancient 
,peruvians1 after sacrificing a lamb1   
mingled his blood with flour1 and       
distributed it among the people4        
,writers on ,grecian mythology relate   
that ,ceres1 the goddess of corn1 gave  
her flesh to eat1 and that ,bacchus1 the
 ,god of wine1 gave blood to drink4 ,nor
 is there any evidence that ,christ and 
his followers made a better use1 or     
different use1 or a more spiritual      
application of the sacrament1 or        
ceremonial offering of bread and wine1  
than the pagans did1 though some have   
claimed this4 ,it was a species of      
symbolism with both1 notwithstanding    
,mr4 ,glover1 a ,christian writer1      
declares1 that in the sacrament of the  
altar are the natural body and blood of 
,christ1 verily and indeed4 7,see       
,glover's ,remarks on ,bishop ,marsh's  

,compendious ,review47 ,it may be noted 
here that the ,persians1 ,pythagoreans1 
,essenes and ,gnostics used water       
instead of wine1 and that this mode of  
practice was less objectionable than    
that of the ,christians1 who 7as sad    
experience proves7 have too often laid  
the foundation for the ruin of some poor
 unsuspecting devotee1 by luring him to 
the fatal fascination of the            
intoxicating bowl1 by holding the sacred
 and ceremonial wine to his lips1 while 
administering the sacrament or the      
,lord's supper4     ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 
,,anointing ,,with ,,oil ,,of ,,oriental
 ,,origin  ,,the custom and ceremony of 
anointing with oil by way of imparting  
some fancied spiritual power and        
religious qualification seems to have   
been extensively practiced by the ,jews 
and primitive ,christians1 and still    
more anciently by various oriental      
nations4 ,mark 7xiv4 #d71 reports ,jesus
 ,christ as speaking commendingly of the
 practice1 by which it was evident he   

was in favor of the superstitious       
custom4 ,the apostle ,james not only    
sanctions it1 but recommends it in the  
most specific language4 ,is any sick    
among you1 let him call for the elders  
of the church1 and let them pray over   
him1 anointing him with oil in the name 
of the ,lord4 7,james v4 #ad47  ,the    
practice of greasing or smearing with   
oil1 it may be noted here1 was in vogue 
from other motives besides the one here 
indicated4 ,we find the statement in the
 ,new ,american ,cyclopedia 7vol4 i4 p4 
#fbj71 that anointing with perfumed oil 
was in common use among the ,greeks and 
,romans as a mark of hospitality to     
guests4 ,and modern travelers in the    
,east still find it a custom for        
visitors to be sprinkled with           
rose-water1 or their head1 face and     
beard anointed with olive oil4          
,anointing1 we are also told1 is an     
ancient and still prevalent custom      
throughout the ,east1 by pouring        
aromatic oils on persons as a token of  

honor4444 ,it was also employed in      
consecrating priests1 prophets and      
kings1 and the places and instruments   
appointed for worship4 7,ibid47 ,joshua 
anointed the ten stones he set up in    
,jordan1 and ,jacob the stone on which  
he slept at the time of his great       
vision4  ,the early ,christians were in 
the habit of anointing the altars1 and  
even the walls1 of the churches1 in the 
same manner as the images1 obelisks1    
statues1 etc41 had long been consecrated
 by the devotees of the oriental        
systems4 ,aaron1 ,saul1 ,david1         
,solomon1 and even ,jesus ,christ were  
anointed with oil in the same way4      
,david ,malcom1 in his ,essay on the    
,antiquity of the ,britons1 p4 #add1    
says1 ,the ,mexican king was anointed   
with ,holy ,unction by the high priest  
while dancing before the ,lord4 ,vide   
the case of ,david dancing before the   
,lord with all his might4 ,dr4          
,lightfoot1 in his ,harmony of the ,new 
,testament1 speaks of the custom among  

the ,jews of anointing the sick on the  
,sabbath day 7see ,works1 vol4 i1 p4    
#ccc2 also ,toland1 ,sect4 ,naz4 p4     
#ed71 as afterwards recommended by the  
apostle ,james1 as shown above4 ,this   
accords exactly with the method of      
treating the sick in ancient ,india and 
other heathen countries several thousand
 years ago4 ,for proof consult ,hyde1   
,bryant1 ,tertullian and other writers4 
,the custom of anointing the sick1      
accompanied with prayer and other       
ceremonies1 was quite fashionable in the
 ,east long before the birth of either  
,jesus or ,james4 ,one writer testifies 
that the practice of anointing with oil1
 so much in vogue among the ,jews1 and  
sanctioned by ,christ and his followers1
 was held in high esteem in nearly all  
the ,eastern religions4  ,the foregoing 
historical facts furnish still further  
proof that ,christianity is the         
offspring of heathenism4     ,,chapter  
,,xxix4 ,,how ,,men1 ,,including ,,jesus
 ,,christ1 ,,came ,,to ,,be ,,worshiped 

,,as ,,gods   ,,jesus ,,christ ,a       
,,demigod1 ,,according ,,to ,,christian 
,,writers4  ,,it is truly surprising to 
observe the damaging concessions of some
 of the early ,christian writers1       
ruinous to the dogmas of their own faith
 with respect to the divinity of ,jesus 
,christ1 placing him1 as they do1 on an 
exact level with the heathen demigods1  
proving that the belief in his divinity 
originated in the same manner the belief
 in theirs did1 by which it is clearly  
shown to be a pagan derived doctrine4   
,several ,christian writers admit the   
belief in earth-born ,gods 7called ,sons
 of ,gods71 and their coming into the   
world by human birth was prevalent among
 the heathen long prior to the time of  
,christ4 ,hear the proof4  ,we will     
first quote ,st4 ,justin relative to the
 prevalence of the belief among the     
ancient ,greeks and ,romans4 ,addressing
 them1 he says1 ,the title of ,son of   
,god 7,as applied to ,jesus ,christ7 is 
very justifiable upon the account of his

 wisdom1 considering you have your      
,mercury in your worship1 under the     
title of ,word or ,messenger of ,god4   
7,reeves ,apol4 p4 #gf47 ,here is the   
proof that the tradition of the ,son of 
,god coming into the world1 and the     
,word becoming flesh1 was established   
amongst the ancient ,greeks and ,romans 
long prior to the era of ,christianity1 
or the birth of ,christ4  ,and yet more 
than a hundred millions of ,christian   
professors can now be found1 who1 in    
their historic ignorance1 suppose ,st4  
,john was the first writer who taught   
the doctrine of the ,word becoming      
flesh1 and that ,jesus ,christ was the  
first and only begotten ,son of ,god who
 ever made his appearance on earth4 ,how
 true it is that ignorance is the mother
 of devotion to creeds4  ,how the man   
,christ ,jesus came to be worshiped as a
 ,god1 is pretty clearly indicated by   
,bishop ,horne1 who shows that the      
doctrine of the incarnation was of      
universal prevalence long before ,jesus 

,christ came into the flesh4 ,he says1  
,that ,god should1 in some extraordinary
 manner1 visit and dwell with man1 is an
 idea1 which1 as we read the writings of
 the ancient heathen1 meets us in a     
thousand different forms4 ,if1 then1 the
 tradition of ,god being born into the  
world was so universally established in 
heathen countries before the ,christian 
era1 as here shown1 why should not1 and 
why will not1 our good ,christian       
brethren dismiss their prejudices1 and  
tear the scales from their eyes1 so as  
to see that this universal belief would 
as naturally lead to the deification and
 worship of the man ,christ ,jesus as   
water flows down a descending plane8    
,and1 certainly a thousand times more   
reasonable is the assumption that his   
deification originated in this way1 than
 that1 with all his frailties and       
foibles1 he was entitled to the         
appellation of a ,god--a conclusion     
strongly corroborated by the testimony  
of that able ,christian writer1 ,mr4    

,norton1 who tells us that many of the  
first ,christians being converts from   
,gentileism1 their imaginations were    
familiar with the reputed incarnation of
 heathen deities4 ,how natural it would 
be for such converts to worship the man 
,christ ,jesus as a ,god on account of  
his superior manhood6  ,again1 that     
ancient pillar of the ,christian church1
 ,st4 ,justin1 concedes that the ancient
 oriental heathen held all the cardinal 
doctrines of the ,christian faith       
relating to the incarnation long prior  
to the introduction and establishment of
 ,christianity4 ,hear him3 ,addressing  
the pagans1 he says1 ,for by declaring  
the ,logos the first begotten ,son of   
,god1 our ,master1 ,jesus ,christ1 to be
 born of a virgin without any human     
mixture1 and to be crucified1 and dead1 
and to have risen again into heaven1 we 
say no more in this than what you say of
 those whom you style the sons of ,jove4
 7,reeves1 ,apol4 vol4 i4 p4 #fi47 ,now1
 ,christian reader1 mark the several    

important admissions which are made     
here3--  #a4 ,here is traced to ancient 
heathen tradition the belief in an      
incarnate ,son of ,god4  #b4 ,the       
doctrine of a first begotten ,son of    
,god4  #c4 ,of his being born of a      
virgin4  #d4 ,of his crucifixion4  #e4  
,of his resurrection4  #f4 ,of his final
 ascension into heaven4  ,all these     
cardinal doctrines of ,christianity are 
here shown to have been in existence1   
and to have been preached by pagan      
priests long anterior to the ,christian 
era1 thus entirely oversetting the      
common belief of ,christendom that these
 doctrines were never known or preached 
in the world until heralded by the first
 disciples of the ,christian religion4  
,a fatal mistake1 truly6 ,this suicidal 
admission of ,st ,justin 7a standard    
,christian writer7 thus entirely uptrips
 all pretensions to originality in the  
fundamental doctrines of the ,christian 
faith1 and shows it to be a mere        
travesty of the more ancient heathen    

systems4  ,and we have still other      
testimony to corroborate this           
conclusion4 ,the ,french writer ,bazin  
says1 ,the most ancient histories are   
those of ,gods becoming incarnate in    
order to govern mankind4 ,again he says1
 ,the idea sprang up everywhere from    
confused ideas of ,god1 which prevailed 
everywhere among mankind that ,gods     
formerly descended upon earth4 ,the     
fertile imagination of the people of    
various nations converted men into      
,gods4  ,and to the same effect is the  
declaration of ,mr4 ,higgins1 that there
 was incarnate ,gods in all religions4  
,sadly beclouded and warped indeed must 
be that mind which cannot see that here 
is set in as plain view as the cloudless
 sun at noonday1 the origin of the      
deification of the man ,christ ,jesus4  
,no unbiased mind can possibly stave off
 the conclusion that such a universal   
prevalence of the practice of           
,god-making throughout the religious    
world would cause such a man as ,jesus  

,christ to be worshiped as a            
,god--especially when we look at the    
various motives which promoted men to   
,gods1 which we will now present4       
,,motives ,,to ,,incarnation1 ,,or ,,the
 ,,cause ,,of ,,men ,,being ,,worshiped 
,,as ,,gods4  ,the causes which led to  
the conception of ,gods and ,sons of    
,god becoming clothed in human          
flesh--the manner in which the absurd   
idea originated of an infinite being    
descending from heaven1 assuming the    
form of a man1 being born of a pure and 
spotless virgin1 and finally being      
killed by his own children1 the subjects
 of his own government1 are palpably    
plain and easily understood' in the     
light of oriental history4  ,and at the 
same time it is so shockingly absurd1   
that the rapid march of science and     
civilization will soon inaugurate the   
era when the man or woman who shall     
still be found clinging to these        
childish and superstitious              
conceptions--the offspring of ignorance1

 and the relics of barbarism1 and a     
certain proof of undeveloped or         
unenlightened minds--will be looked upon
 as deplorably ignorant and             
superstitious4 ,we will proceed to      
enumerate some of the causes which      
promoted men to the dignity of ,gods4   
#a4 ,god must come down to suffer and   
sympathize with the people4  ,the people
 of all ancient religious countries were
 so externally-minded1 that they        
demanded a ,god whom they could know by 
virtue of his corporeity1 really        
sympathized with their sorrows1 their   
sufferings1 their wrongs1 and their     
oppressions1 and1 like ,jesus ,christ1  
touched with a feeling of our           
infirmities 7,heb4 iv4 #ae7--;a ,god so 
far invested with human attributes1     
human frailties1 and human sympathies1  
that he could shoulder their burdens and
 their infirmities1 and take upon       
himself a portion of their sufferings4  
,hence it is said of ,christ1 himself   
took our infirmities4 7,matt4 iii4 #ag47

  ,the same conception runs through the 
pagan systems4 ,one writer sets forth   
the matter thus3 ,the ,creator          
occasionally assumed a mortal form to   
assist mankind in great emergencies 7as 
,jesus ,christ was afterward reported as
 being the ,creator4 ,see ,col4 i4 #af47
 ,and as repeated sojourners on earth in
 various capacities1 they 7the ,saviors7
 became practically acquainted with all 
the sorrows and temptations of humanity1
 and could justly judge of its sins     
while they sympathized with its         
weaknesses and its sufferings4 ,when    
they again returned to the higher       
regions 7heaven71 they remembered the   
lower forms they had dwelt amongst1 and 
felt a lively interest in the world they
 had once inhabited4 ,they could        
penetrate even the secret thoughts of   
mortals4  ,the people then demanding a  
,god of sympathy and suffering 7as shown
 above71 their credulous imaginations   
would not be long in finding one4 ,let a
 man rise up in society endowed with an 

extraordinary degree of spirituality and
 sympathy for human suffering2 let him1 
like ,chrishna1 ,pythagoras1 ,christ1   
and ,mahomet1 spend his time in visiting
 the hovels of the poor1 or consoling   
their sorrows1 laboring to mitigate     
their griefs1 and in performing acts of 
charity1 disinterested alms and deeds of
 benevolence1 kindness and love1 and so 
certain would he sooner or later command
 the homage of a ,god4 ,for this was    
always the mode adopted1 in an ignorant1
 undeveloped1 and unenlightened age1 for
 accounting not merely for moral        
greatness1 but for every species of     
mental and physical superiority1 as will
 be hereafter shown4 ,we will proceed to
 notice the second cause of men being   
invested with divine attributes4  #b4   
,the people must and would have an      
external ,god they could see1 hear1 and 
talk to4  ,all the oriental nations1 as 
well as ,christian1 taught that ,god was
 a spirit1 but no nation or class of    
people1 not even the founders of        

,christianity1 entertained a consistent 
view of the doctrine4 ,only a few       
learned philosophers saw the scientific 
impossibility of an infinite spirit     
being crowded into the human form4      
,hence they alone were contented to     
worship ,god in spirit and in truth4    
,every religious nation went counter to 
the spirit of this injunction in        
worshiping for a ,god a being in the    
human form4 ,even the founders of       
,christianity1 though making high claims
 to spirituality1 were too gross1 too   
sensuous in their conceptions1 too      
externally-minded1 and too idolatrous in
 their feelings and proclivities1 to be 
content to worship ,god in spirit4      
,hence their deification of the man     
,christ ,jesus to answer the requisition
 of an external worship1 by which they  
violated the command to worship ,god as 
a spirit4 ,that the practice of         
promoting men to the ,godhead originated
 with minds on the external plane1 and  
evinces a want of spiritual development1

 is clearly set forth by the author of  
,the ,nineteenth ,century 7a ,christian 
writer7 who tells us1 ,the idea of the  
primitive ages were wholly sensuous1 and
 the masses did not believe in anything 
except that which they could touch1 see1
 hear and taste4 ,a true description1 no
 doubt1 of the ancient pagan worshipers 
of demigods4 ,but we warn the ,christian
 reader not to cast anchor here1 for we 
have at our elbow abundance of          
,christian testimony from the pens of   
the very oracles of the church to prove 
that the same state of things1 the same 
state of society1 the same state of     
mind1 the same proclivity for           
,god-making1 existed with the people    
among whom ,christ was born1 and that it
 was owing to this sensuous1 idolatrous 
state of mind among his disciples that  
he received the homage and title of a   
,god4  ,hence the famous ,archbishop    
,tillotson says1 ,another very common   
notion1 and rife in the heathen world1  
and a great source of their idolatry1   

was their deification of great men fit  
to be worshiped as ,gods4444 ,there was 
a great inclination in mankind to the   
worship of a visible ,deity4 ,so ,god   
was pleased to appear in our nature1    
that they who were fond of a visible    
,deity might have one1 even a true and  
natural incarnation of ,god the ,father1
 the express image of his person4 ,now1 
we enjoin the reader to mark this       
testimony well1 and impress it indelibly
 upon his memory4 ,according to this    
orthodox ,christian bishop1 ,jesus      
,christ appeared on earth as a ,god in  
condescension to the wishes of a people 
too devoid of spirituality1 and too     
strongly inclined to idolatry1 to       
worship ,god as a spirit4 ,for he admits
 the worship of a ,god-man or a man-,god
 is a species of idolatry4 ,this tells  
the whole story of the apotheosis of the
 man ,christ ,jesus4 ,we have no doubt  
but that here is suggested one of the   
true causes of his elevation to the     
,deityship4 ,again he says1 ,the world  

was mightily bent on addressing their   
requests and supplications1 not to the  
,deity immediately1 but by some         
,mediator between the ,gods and men4    
7,see ,wadsworth's ,eccles4 ,biog4 p4   
#agb47 ,here1 then1 we have the most    
conclusive proof that the belief in     
mediators is of pagan origin4 ,we will  
now hear from another archbishop on this
 subject4 ,in his ,caution to the ,times
 7p1 #ga 71 ,archbishop ,whately says1  
,as the ,infinite ,being is an object   
too remote and incomprehensible for our 
minds to dwell upon1 he has manifested  
himself in his ,son1 the man ,jesus     
,christ ,precisely so #a just the kind  
of reasoning employed to account for the
 worship of man-,gods among the heathen4
 ,this logic fits one case as well as   
the other4  ,the ,christian writer ,f4  
,d4 ,maurice declares in like manner1   
,we accept the fact of the incarnation  
7of ,jesus ,christ71 because we feel    
that it is impossible to know the       
absolute invisible ,god without an      

incarnation1 as man needs to know him1  
and craves to know him4 7,logical       
,essay1 p4 #gi47 ,here is more pagan    
logic--the same reasoning they employed 
to prove the divinity of their ,saviors 
and demigods4 ,and the ,rev4 ,dr4       
,thomas ,arnold declares1 ,it 7the      
incarnation of ,christ7 was very        
necessary1 especially at a time when men
 were so accustomed to worship their    
highest ,gods under the form of men     
7,sermon on ,christian ,life1 p4 #fa47  
,let the reader attentively observe the 
explicit avowal here made1 and mark well
 its pregnant inferences4 ,he makes     
,jesus ,christ come into the world in   
condescension to the idolatrous rivalry 
of the ,jews to be up with the heathen  
nations in worshiping ,god in the form  
of man2 that is1 the founders of        
,christianity1 having been ,jews1       
disclosed the true ,jewish character in 
running after and adopting the customs  
of heathen countries then so rife--that 
of hunting up a great man1 and making   

him a ,god--which was only one case out 
of many of the ,jews adopting some of   
the numerous forms of idolatry and other
 religious customs of their heathen     
neighbors4 ,their whole history1 as set 
forth in the ,bible1 proves1 as we have 
shown in another chapter1 that they were
 strongly prone to such acts4 ,it is not
 strange1 therefore1 that they should   
and did convert the man ,christ ,jesus  
into a ,god4 ,we will now listen to     
another ,christian writer1 the notable  
and noteworthy ,dr4 ,t4 ,chambers4      
,whatever the falsely or superstitiously
 fearful imagination conjures up because
 of ,god being at a distance1 can only  
be dispelled by ,god being brought nigh 
to us4444 ,the veil which hides the     
unseen ,god from the eyes of mortals    
must be somehow withdrawn4 7,select     
,works1 vol4 iii4 p4 #afa47 ,most       
significant indeed is this species of   
reasoning4 ,it is the same kind of logic
 which had led to the promotion of more 
than a score of great men to the        

,godhead among the ancient heathen4 ,the
 veil which hides the unseen ,god must  
be removed' says ,dr4 ,chambers2 and so 
had reasoned in soliloquy a thousand    
pagans long before1 when determined to  
worship men for ,gods4 ,it is simply    
saying1 ,we are too carnally-minded to  
worship ,god in spirit2 we must and will
 have a ,god of flesh and blood--a ,god 
who can be recognized by the external   
senses2 he must become flesh1 and dwell 
amongst us4 7,see ,john i4 #ad47 ,our   
author continues3 ,now all this         
7removing the veil from the unseen ,god7
 has been done once1 and done only once 
in the person of ,jesus ,christ4        
7,ibid47 ,mistake1 most fatal mistake1  
brother ,chambers6 ,it has been done    
more than a score of times in various   
heathen countries--a fact which proves  
you ignorant of oriental history4  ,now 
let the reader mark the foregoing       
citations from standard ,christian      
authors1 setting forth some of the      
reasons which led the founders of       

,christianity to adopt a visible        
man-,god in their worship in the person 
of ,jesus ,christ1 ,language could      
hardly be used to prove more            
conclusively that the whole thing grew  
out of an idolatrous proclivity to      
man-worship1--that is1 the gross1       
sensuous1 carnally-minded propensity to 
worship an extetnal1 visible            
,god1--proving1 with the corroborative  
evidence of many other facts1 that they 
were not a whit above the heathen in    
spiritual development4 ,the reason      
employed by the ,thibetan for the       
worship of the ,hindoo ,chrishna as a   
,god1 tells the whole story of the      
worship and the deification of ,jesus   
,christ ,we could not always have ,god  
behind the clouds2 so we had him come   
down where we could see him4 ,this is   
the same kind of reasoning made use of  
by the ,christian writer above quoted1  
all of which discloses a state of mind  
among both heathen and ,christians that 
would not long rest satisfied without   

deifying somebody1 in order to have a   
visible ,god to worship4 ,and hence     
,christians deified the man ,christ     
,jesus for this purpose4  ,the more     
externally minded 7says ,fleurbach71 the
 greater was the determination to       
worship a personal ,god--,god in the    
form of man4 ,and as the ,jewish        
founders of ,christianity 7as every     
chapter of their history demonstrates7  
were dwelling on the external plane1 it 
was not an act of direct innovation1    
therefore1 for them to fall into the    
habit of worshiping the personal ,jesus 
as a ,god4 ,it involved no serious      
incursion on previous thoughts or       
habits4 ,and warped and blinded1 indeed1
 must be that mind which cannot here    
discover the true key to the apotheosis 
of ,jesus--one of the real causes of his
 being stripped of his manhood1 and     
advanced to the ,godhead4 ,it was as    
naturally to be expected from the then  
state of the religious world1 and the   
state of the ,jewish mind concerned in  

the founding of ,christianity1 as that  
an autumnal crop of fruit should succeed
 the bloom of spring4  ,let it be       
specially noted1 that all the ,christian
 writers above cited tell us1 in effect1
 that ,god sent his ,son ,jesus ,christ 
into the world to be worshiped as a ,god
 in condescension to the ignorance and  
superstitious tendencies1 and we will   
add1 idolatrous proclivities of the     
people4 ,from this stand-point we       
challenge the world to show why ,god may
 not have sent the oriental ,saviors    
into the world for the same reason--that
 is1 in condescension to the prejudices 
of the devout worshipers under the      
heathen systems4 ,why1 then1 is there   
not as much probability that he did do  
so8 ,why would he not be as likely to   
accommodate their ignorance and         
prejudices in this way as those of the  
founders of the ,christian system4 ,this
 question we shall keep standing before 
the ,christian world till it is         
answered1 and we challenge them to meet 

it1 and overthrow it if they can4  #c4  
,men deified on account of mental and   
moral superiority4  ,the ancient        
nations1 in their entire ignorance of   
the philosophy of the human mind1 and   
the laws controlling its actions1 always
 accounted for the appearance of great  
men amongst them by supposing them to be
 ,gods4 ,every country occasionally     
produced a man1 who1 by virtue of       
natural superiority1 rose so high in the
 scale of moral and intellectual        
greatness as to fill the ideal of the   
people with respect to the              
characteristics of a ,god4 ,so low1 so  
limited1 so narrow1 so greatly          
circumscribed were the conceptions of   
deity1 of the undeveloped and           
intellectually dwarfed minds of all     
religious countries in that age1 that a 
man had to rise but a few degrees above 
the common level of the populace to     
become a ,god4 ,he could easily fill the
 bill1 and exhibit all the qualities    
they assigned to the highest ,god in the

 heavens4 ,and this is as true of the   
,jewish mind as that of any other       
nation1 a portion of whom adored ,jesus 
as a ,god4 ,or if they lacked anything  
in natural inclination1 they made it up 
by imitation1 a propensity which they   
possessed in no small degree1 that is1 a
 proneness to imitate the customs of    
other nations4  ,mr4 ,higgins tells us  
that men of brilliant intellects and    
high moral attainments1 and great       
healers 7of which ,christ was one71 were
 almost certain to be deified4 ,in like 
manner ,archbishop ,tillotson says1 they
 deified famous and eminent persons by  
advancing them after their death to the 
dignity of an inferior kind of ,gods fit
 to be worshiped by men on earth4 ,mark 
the expression1 after their death ,we   
have shown in another chapter that      
,jesus ,christ was not generally        
considered a ,god1 even by his          
followers1 till more than three hundred 
years after his death1 when ,constantine
 declared him to be ,god of very ,god--a

 circumstance of itself sufficient to   
establish the conclusion that he did not
 possess this character4 ,a ,god would  
be adored as such by everybody while    
living1 but a man's worshipers rise up  
after his death1 as in the case of the  
man ,christ ,jesus4 ,great mental       
endowments1 or great moral attainments1 
would1 in most countries1 bring the most
 ignorant down on their knees to worship
 such a man as a ,god4 ,but it re-quired
 years1 and sometimes centuries1 to get 
him fully established among the ,gods4  
,this is as true of ,jesus ,christ as   
the other human-descended deities4      
,whatever amount of homage ,jesus might 
have received while living1 any person  
who will institute a thorough1 unbiased 
scrutiny in the case will discover that 
it was his great healing powers and     
superior mental qualities which finally 
deified him4 ,his ignorant admirers knew
 no way of accounting for such          
extraordinary qualities but to suppose  
him to be the embodiment of infinite    

wisdom4 ,like the ,chinaman who         
exclaimed1 ,see the ,god in that man1   
when an ,englishman cured a young woman 
of partial blindness by anointing her   
eyes with kerosene4 ,such a deed would  
deify almost any man1 in almost any     
country1 before the dawn of letters and 
the recognition of the science of mind4 
,the missionary ,rev4 ,d4 ,o4 ,allen's  
method of accounting for the deification
 of the ,hindoo ,god ,chrishna is so    
suggestive1 that we here present it4 ,he
 tells us that as the exploits ascribed 
to ,chrishna exceed mere human power1   
the difficulty was removed by placing   
him among the incarnations of ,vishnu4  
7,india1 ,ancient and ,modern1 p4 #bf47 
,exactly so6 ,we are glad of such       
historic information4 ,we hope the      
,christian reader will note the lesson  
it suggests4 ,for certainly1 every      
reader1 who has not had his reason      
shipwrecked on the shoals of a blind and
 dogmatic theology1 can see here a key  
to unlock the great mystery of the      

,christian incarnation--the divinity of 
,jesus ,christ ,as some of the exploits 
of ,chrishna were supposed to exceed    
mere human power1 we are told the       
difficulty was explained by imagining   
him to be a ,god4 ,how powerful the     
suggestion6 how conclusive the          
explanation1 not only for the ,godhood  
of this sin-atoning ,savior1 but for    
that of our ,lord and ,savior ,jesus    
,christ1 and all the other ,lords1 and  
,gods1 and ,saviors of antiquity6 ,a    
single hint will sometimes explain whole
 volumes of obscure history1 as does    
this of the ,rev4 ,christian ,hindoo    
missionary ,d4 ,o4 ,allen4 ,and surely1 
most deplorably blinded by superstition 
must be the two hundred millions of     
,christ worshipers1 the three hundred   
millions who worship ,chrishna1 the one 
hundred and twenty million adorers of   
,confucius1 the fifty millions of       
suppliants of ,mithra the ,mediator1 and
 the one hundred and fifty millions of  
followers of ,mahomet1 who cannot see   

here a satisfactory solution of the     
deityship of all these ,gods1 and all   
the other man-,gods of antiquity4  ,the 
question is sometimes asked1 ,how could 
two hundred millions of people come to  
believe that ,jesus was a ,god merely   
because of his superiority as a man8 ,we
 will answer by pointing to the history 
of the ,hindoo ,chrishna1 and by asking 
the same question with respect to his   
,godhead4 ,how could three hundred      
millions of people be brought to believe
 in his divinity1 and worship him as a  
,god1 merely because he was a superior  
human being8 ,one question is as easily 
answered as the other1 and posterity    
will answer both questions alike4 ,when 
we observe it taught as an important and
 easily learned lesson of history1 and  
one based on a thousand facts1 that no  
man could rise to intellectual greatness
 or moral distinction in the era in     
which ,christ was born without being    
advanced to the dignity of a ,god1 and  
worshiped as such1 it is really a source

 of humility and sorrow to every        
unshackled lover of truth and humanity  
to reflect that there are so many       
millions of people whose mental vision  
is so beclouded by a dogmatic and       
inexorable theology that they cannot see
 the logical potency of these           
facts1--that they cannot be even moved  
by this great and overwhelming amount of
 evidence against the divinity dogma1   
and observe that it explodes it into a  
thousand fragments1 but still cling to  
the delusion that the man ,christ       
,jesus1 with all the human qualities and
 human frailties with which his own     
history 7the ,gospels7 invest him1 was  
nevertheless a ,god1--ay1 the monstrous 
delusion that any being possessing a    
finite form could be an infinite        
being--a most self-evident and shocking 
absurdity4 ,and we challenge all        
,christendom to show1 or approximate one
 inch toward showing1 that there was    
sufficient difference between ,christ   
and ,chrishna to require us to accept   

one as a man and the other as a ,god4   
,it cannot be done4  ,we have shown1    
then1 by the foregoing exposition1 that 
one cause of the deification of men was 
simply an attempt to solve the problem  
of human greatness1--an attempt to      
account for the moral and intellectual  
superiority of men which enabled them to
 perform deeds and otherwise exhibit a  
character far above the capacity of the 
multitude to comprehend1 and which they 
could find no other way to account for  
than to suppose them to be ,gods1 while 
the low and groveling conceptions which 
most religious nations1 and especially  
the ,jews1 had formed of the character  
and essential attributes of the         
,infinite ,deity 7often investing him   
with the most ignoble human attributes1 
human passions1 and human               
imperfections71 made it perfectly easy  
to convert their great men by           
imagination into ,gods4 ,the ,jews      
represented ,god not only as a coming   
down from heaven in propria persona1 and

 walking1 talking1 wrestling1 c41 as a  
man 7on one occasion we are told he and 
,jacob scuffled all night71 but he is   
often represented as acting the part of 
a wicked man1 such as lying 7see #b     
,chron4 v4 #bb71 getting mad 7see ,deut4
 i4 #cg71 swearing1 sanctioning the     
highhanded and demoralizing crimes of   
stealing 7see ,ex4 iii4 #b71 of robbery 
7see ,ex4 xii4 #cf71 of murder 7see     
,deut4 xiii4 #b7 and even fornication   
7see ,gen4 xxxi4 #a1 and ,num4 xxxi7 and
 thus they invested ,diety with such    
mean1 low1 despicable attributes as to  
reduce his moral character to a level   
with the most immoral man in society4   
,so that it was very easy1 if not very  
natural1 to elevate their great men 7if 
it really required any elevation7 to a  
level with their ,god4  ,men and ,gods  
were in character and conception so     
nearly alike1 that it was easy to bring 
them on a level1 or to mistake one for  
the other4 ,and hence it is we find an  
incarnated ,god1 ,savior1 ,son of ,god1 

,redeemer1 c41 figuring in the early    
history of nearly every oriental        
religious nation whose name and history 
has descended to us4 ,indeed1 the       
practice of deifying men1 or mistaking  
men for ,gods1 was once so common1 so   
nearly universal1 that it must require a
 mind very ignorant of oriental history 
to adore ,jesus ,christ as having been  
the only character of this kind who     
figured in the religious world4 ,it was1
 as before suggested1 deemed the most   
rational way of accounting for the      
marked superiority among men1 to suppose
 that some men had a divine birth1 and  
were begotten by the great ,infinite    
,deity himself1 and descended to the    
earth through the purest human 7virgin7 
channel4  ,as ,mr4 ,higgins remarks1    
,every person who possessed a striking  
superiority of mind1 either for talent  
or goodness1 was supposed anciently to  
have a portion of the divine mind or    
essence incorporated or incarnated in   
him4 ,the ,jews had a number of men     

whose names imply a participation in the
 divine nature1 among which we will cite
 ,elijah and ,elisha 7,el-i-jah and     
,el-i-sha71 ,el being the ,hebrew name  
or term for ,god1 while ,jah is ,jehovah
 7see ,ps4 lxviii4 #d71 and ,sha means a
 ,savior4 ,elijah1 then1 is an          
approximation to ,god--,jehovah1 and    
,elisha is ,god--a ,savior4 ,the        
character of men and ,gods were cast in 
molds so approximately similar1 so      
nearly identical1 as to make the        
transition1 or change from one to the   
other1 so slight and easy2 either of men
 into ,gods or ,gods into men1 that     
several nations went so far as to teach 
that a man might by his own natural     
exertions1 his own voluntary powers1    
raise himself to a level with the       
,diety1 and thereby become a ,god4  ,mr4
 ,ritter in his ,history of ,ancient    
,philosophy 7,chap4 ,,ii471 tells us    
that some of the ,budhist sect held that
 a man by freeing himself by holiness of
 conduct from the obstacles of nature1  

may deliver his fellows from the        
corruption of the times1 and become a   
benefactor and redeemer of his race1 and
 also even become a ,god--a ,budha--i4  
e41 a ,savior and ,son of ,god4         
,singular enough that the ,christian    
should object to this doctrine as being 
rather blasphemous1 when his own bible  
abundantly and explicitly teaches the   
same doctrine in effect6  ,we find the  
same thing substantially taught over and
 over again in the ,christian           
,scriptures4 ,be ye perfect even as your
 ,father in heaven is perfect 7,matt4 v4
 #ah71 requires a man to become morally 
perfect as ,god1 which is all that the  
,budhist precept requires or            
contemplates1 and no man can become     
perfect as ,god without becoming a ,god4
 ,but we are not left to mere inference 
in the matter1 ,we have the doctrine    
several times expressed and             
unquestionably taught in the ,christian 
bible of man's power and prerogative to 
become either a ,god or ,son of ,god4   

,said ,i not that ye are ,gods8 7,ex4   
iv4 #af74 ,behold now1 we are the sons  
of ,god4 7i ,john i4 #b47  ,here is the 
,budhist doctrine as explicitly stated  
as it can be taught4 ,it is1 then1 a    
,christian bible doctrine as well as a  
pagan doctrine1 that man can become a   
,god1 and that ,god can be born of      
woman1 and thereby invested with all the
 frail and imperfect attributes of man4 
,it cannot be considered a matter of    
marvel1 therefore1 that so many of the  
good1 the great1 and the wise men of    
almost every country1 including the man 
,christ ,jesus1 should be honored and   
adored with the titles of ,deity1 and   
worshiped as ,god absolute1 ,son of     
,god1 ,savior1 ,redeemer1 ,intercessor  
,mediator1 c4  #d4 ,god comes down and  
is incarnated to fight and conquer the  
devil4 ,we will proceed to enumerate    
other causes and motives which conspired
 in various cases to invest some one or 
more of the great men of a nation with  
divine honors1 and adore them as        

veritable ,gods and ,saviors come down  
to us in the form of men4 ,it was a     
tenant of faith with most of the ancient
 religions1 that almost at the dawn of  
human existence a devil or evil         
principle found its way into the world1 
to the great discomfiture of man and the
 no small annoyance of the ,supreme     
,creator himself1 and that hence there  
must needs be a ,savior1 a ,redeemer1 an
 ,intercessor to combat and if possible 
destroy the devil and his works4  ,for  
this purpose appeared the ,savior       
,chrishna1 in ,india1 the ,savior       
,osiris1 in ,egypt1 the ,god or         
,mediator ,mithra1 in ,persia1 the      
,redeemer ,quexalcote1 in ,mexico1 the  
,savior ,jesus ,christ1 in ,judea1 c4   
,in the initiatory chapter on the       
transgression and fall of man1 some of  
the oriental bibles graphically describe
 the scene of the war in heaven--a      
counterpart to the story of ,st4 ,john1 
as found in the twelfth chapter of      
,revelation1 wherein ,michael and the   

dragon are represented as the captains  
and commander-in-chief of their         
respective embattled hosts1 and in which
 the former was crowned as victor in the
 contest1 as he succeeded in vanquishing
 and casting out the evil one4 ,in the  
pagan military drama the scene of the   
war in heaven is transferred to the     
earth4 ,a ,god1 a ,savior 7a ,son of    
,god71 comes down to put a stop to the  
machinations of the ,evil ,one1 i4 e41  
to destroy the devil and his works as we
 are told ,christ came for that purpose4
 7#a ,john iii4 #h 7 ,see the ,author's 
,biography of ,satan4  ,the ,egyptian   
story runs thus3 ,osiris appeared on    
earth to benefit mankind1 and after he  
had performed the duties of his mission1
 and had fallen a sacrifice to ,typhon  
7the devil1 or evil principle71 which1  
however1 he eventually overcame         
7'overcame the wicked one1' #a ,john ii4
 #aa71 by rising from the dead1 after   
being crucified1 he became the judge of 
mankind in a future state4 7,see        

,kerrick's ,ancient ,egypt1 also        
,wilkinson's ,egypt47  ,the ,budhist1 or
 ,hindoo1 version of the story is on    
this wise3 ,the prince 7of darkness71 or
 evil spirit1 ,ravana1 or ,mahesa1 got  
into a contest and a war with the divine
 hero ,rama1 in which the latter proved 
victorious1 and put to flight the army  
of 'the wicked one1' but not till after 
considerable injury had been done to the
 human family1 and the whole order of   
the universe subverted2 to rectify      
which1 and to achieve a final and       
complete triumph over ,ravana 7the      
devil7 and his works1 and thus save the 
human race from utter destruction1 the  
gods besought ,vishnu 7the second person
 of the ,trinity7 to descend to the     
earth and take upon himself the form and
 flesh of man4 ,and it was argued that  
as the mission appertained to man1 the  
,god ,vishnu1 when he descended to the  
earth in the capacity of a ,savior1     
should become half man and half ,god1   
and that the most feasible way to       

accomplish this end was for him to be   
born of a woman4  ,and that the glory   
and honor of his triumph over ,ravana1  
the devil1 would be greater if achieved 
in this capacity than if he were to come
 down from heaven and conquer ,ravana   
wholly with his attributes as a ,god1 or
 wholly in his divine character--i4e41  
as absolute ,god1 uninvested with human 
nature4 ,the suggestion was approved by 
,vishnu1 who descended and took upon    
himself the form of man 7the form of a  
servant--,phil4 ii4 #g74 ,and that his  
metamorphosis or earth-born life might  
be the purer1 it was decided that he    
should be born of a woman wholly        
uncontaminated with man--that is1 a     
virgin4 ,and thus1 far back in the      
midnight of mythology and fable1        
originated the story of divine ,saviors 
and ,gods being born of virgins--a      
conception now found incorporated in the
 religious histories of various ancient 
nations4  ,and now let us observe how   
substantially the ,christian story of a 

,savior conforms to the above4 ,jesus1  
like the ,saviors of ,india and ,egypt1 
was believed to be a man-,god--half man 
and half ,god1 and reputedly he came    
into the world1 like them1 to destroy   
the devil and his works1 or the works of
 the devil--that is1 to put an end to   
the evil or malignant principle         
introduced into the world by the serpent
 in the garden of ,eden2 as it is       
declared the seed of the woman shall    
bruise the serpent's head 7,gen4 iii4   
#ae7--which is interpreted as referring 
to ,christ4 ,and like these and various 
other pagan ,saviors ,jesus is assigned 
the highest and most ennobling human    
origin--a birth from a virgin4 ,and1 as 
in the instances above named1 ,jesus had
 also several encounters with the devil2
 first in the wilderness1 then on a     
mountain1 and finally1 like them1 falls 
a sacrifice to his insidious1 malignant 
power acting through the agency and     
mediumship of ,judas ,iscariot2 for his 
betrayal is ascribed wholly to ,satan1  

whom ,john called the serpent1 entering 
into ,judas and prompting the act4 7,see
 ,rev4 xii4 #c74 ,and thus ,christ1 like
 the other saviors1 falls a victim to   
the serpentine or satanic power acting  
through the instrumentality of a ,judas 
,iscariot2 but finally1 triumphed1 like 
the ,savior of ,egypt 7,osiris71 by     
rising from the dead--the first fruits  
of immortality4 ,and thus the stories   
run parallel--the more modern ,christian
 with the more ancient pagan4           
7,for a full exposition of the belief   
and traditions      respecting a devil  
and a hell in all ages and all          
countries1      see the ,author's       
,biography of ,satan47     ,,chapter    
,,xxx4 ,,sacred ,,cycles ,,explaining   
,,the ,,advent ,,of ,,the ,,gods  ,the  
,master-,key to the ,divinity of ,jesus 
,christ4  ,extraordinary ,revelations in
 ,history and ,science4  ,,recent       
explorations in the field of oriental   
sacred history have revealed to the     
antiquarian some curious and deeply     

interesting facts appertaining to       
traditions founded on1 and growing out  
of1 astronomical phenomena and changes  
in the visible heavens1 which throw much
 light on1 and go far toward elucidating
 and furnishing a satisfactory          
explanation of many of the mysteries of 
the ,christian bible4 ,the works which  
we have consulted1 containing the       
reports and results of researches of    
this character1 tend to elucidate and   
establish the following conclusions3--  
#a4 ,that anciently1 in religious       
countries1 time was divided into        
,cycles1 ,aetas1 or ,neros4  #b4 ,that  
these measures of time grew out of1 and 
represented periodical changes1 or      
periodically occurring phenomena in the 
astronomical heavens4  #c4 ,that some   
religious nations had three ,cycular    
periods of different lengths1           
representing three orders and degrees of
 miraculous births4 ,in ,india the      
length of the first or shorter ,cycle   
was thirty days1 the length of one moon 

or month4 ,every change of the moon     
marked an important event in their      
religious history4 ,each change was     
supposed to denote the birth of some    
angel or celestial being known as an    
,eon4 ,the second ,cycular period was of
 six hundred years' duration1 and was   
founded on a text of the sacred book of 
,india1 known as the ,surya ,sidhanta1  
which declares the equinoctial point    
moves eastward one degree in thirty     
times twenty years 7thirty times twenty 
being #fjj74 ,at every occurrence of    
this equinoctial change hightened by an 
eclipse of the sun or moon1 or some     
other wonder-exciting phenomenon1 a ,god
 was supposed to be born4 ,such a       
marvelous and terror-inspiring event1 in
 the apprehensions of the credulous and 
superstitious populace of an            
unscientific age1 could not be designed 
for anything less than the birth of a   
,god or ,divine ,savior4 ,their theology
 teaches that such was the wickedness of
 man1 that a ,god had to descend from   

heaven1 and suffer and die for the      
people1 in some way1 every six hundred  
years4  ,and this period was announced  
by the ,god's causing a collision of the
 sun and moon1 or some other            
terror-exciting phenomena in the heavens
 above or the earth beneath4 ,when one  
of these six hundred ,cycular periods   
was about to expire1 and another        
commence1 every remarkable phenomenon in
 the heavens was watched and interpreted
 as being connected with it4 ,and some  
person born at that period1 who         
exhibited any remarkable or             
extraordinary trait of character1 was   
certain to be promoted to the ,godhead1 
as being miraculously born and brought  
forth for the special occasion4 ,he was 
the ,avatar ,savior or ,messiah for that
 ,cycle4 ,there were two extraordinary  
events to be accounted for--one was the 
display of unusual and terror-exciting  
phenomena in the heavens1 and the other 
the birth of extraordinary men on earth4
 ,and it was natural for an ignorant age

 to associate them together1 and make   
one aid in accounting for the other4    
,and as these celestial phenomena were  
only witnessed at intervals distant     
apart1 the thought naturally arose1 and 
the conclusion was easily established1  
that they came periodically1 and for the
 special purpose of heralding the birth 
of a ,god4  ,and as tradition reported  
that similar events were witnessed six  
hundred years before the conviction was 
fixed in the popular mind1 this was the 
established period intervening between  
these great epochs4 ,and thus the six   
hundred year ,cycular tradition became  
established in ,india1 and finally      
spread through all the ,eastern         
countries4 ,we find traces of it in     
,egypt1 ,syria1 ,persia1 ,chaldea1      
,china1 ,italy1 and ,judea4 ,and the    
proof that the deification of great men 
in some countries grew out of this      
,cycular tradition is found in the fact 
that many of them were born at the      
commencement of ,cycles4 ,the ,hindoos  

are able to recount the names of ten    
sin-atoning ,saviors who made their     
appearance on earth at these regular    
intervals of six hundred years4 ,the    
name of the first ,avatar ,mediator and 
,savior who forsook the throne of heaven
 to come down and die for the people was
 ,matsa4 ,tradition and the sacred books
 fix his birth at about six thousand    
years ,b4 ,c4 ,the names and advent of  
the other sin-atoning ,saviors occur in 
the following order3 #b4 ,vurahay1 #c4  
,kurma1 #d4 ,nursu1 #e4 ,waman1 #f4     
,pursuram1 #g4 ,kama1 #h4 ,chrishna1 #i4
 ,sakia1 #aj4 ,salavahana4 ,the last    
named ,savior was cotemporary with      
,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,god and ,savior   
,sakia was born six hundred years ,b4   
,c4 ,our ,lord and ,savior and ,son of  
,god1 ,chrisna1 was immaculately        
conceived and miraculously born1        
according to ,higgins1 #abjj ,b4 ,c4  ,a
 circumstance strongly confirming the   
conclusion that ,cycular periods had    
much to do with the promotion of men to 

the dignity of ,gods is1 that most of   
the deified personages reported in      
history were1 according to the best     
authorities1 born near the commencement 
of ,cycles4 ,recurring back to the      
eighth ,cycle1 we observe the advent of 
that period of ,chrishna1 ,zoroaster    
#b;d1 ,bali1 ,thammuz1 ,atys1 ,osiris1  
and several others4 ,at the commencement
 of the ninth ,cycle appeared ,sakia1   
,quexalcote1 ,zoroaster #b;d1 ,xion1    
,qairious1 ,prometheus1 ,mithra and many
 others4  ,the tenth ,cycle brought in  
,jesus ,christ1 ,salavhana1             
,apollonious1 and others that might be  
named4 ,mahomet succeeded ,jesus ,christ
 just six hundred years 7he was born in 
the year #fjj ,a4 ,d471 which           
inaugurated another ,cycle4 ,many facts 
are recorded in history proving the     
prevalence and sacredness of the ,cycle 
idea in different countries4 ,the story 
in ,egypt of the bird called the        
,phoenix1 being hatched1 according to   
tradition1 just #fjj years ,b4 ,c41 and 

living to be just six hundred years old1
 and having the power to renew itself   
every six hundred years1 shows the      
prevalence of the ,cycular tradition in 
that country4  ,we have the statement   
upon the records of history that when   
the first six hundred years after the   
foundation of ,rome were about to       
expire1 the people became greatly       
excited with the apprehension that some 
extraordinary event1 must attend the    
occasion4 ,and but for the influence of 
the philosophers1 some extraordinary man
 would have been hunted up and promoted 
to divine honor as being the ,god born  
for that ,cycle4 ,the writings of       
,plato1 ,plutarch1 ,ovid1 ,cicero1      
,virgil1 and ,aristotle1 all evince a   
belief in ,cycles1 and the belief that  
ten ,cycles1 or ,aetas1 were the        
measure1 for the duration of the world4 
,according to ,m4 ,faber1 a new-born    
,savior was always expected to make his 
appearance at the commencement of one of
 these ,cycles4 ,hence the deification  

of those personages above named1 and    
many others that might be named4 ,it is 
a remarkable circumstance that the      
,jewish bible should speak of ,noah as  
being six hundred years old at the      
commencement of the flood1 when it was a
 tradition amongst the ancient          
,egyptians that the ushering in of the  
six hundreth year ,cycle was to be      
attended with a flood4  ,and the time   
antecedent to ,noah after creation1 was 
the measure of three ,cycles1 according 
to the chronology of the ,samaritan     
bible1 it being #fjjd-fjjfjj #ahjj years
 from ,adam to ,noah4 ,it is an         
interesting fact that those enigmatical 
figures made use of by ,daniel1 as also 
some of those found in the ,apocalypse1 
are susceptible of a ,cycular           
explanation4 ,these occult prophecies1  
as they are supposed to be1 which have  
puzzled and bewildered many thousands of
 ,christian minds and bible expounders  
in their attempt to evolve their        
signification1 are susceptible of a     

,cycular explanation4 ,they are of easy 
solution on a ,cycular basis1 or with   
the ,cycular key4  ,take1 for example1  
,daniel's famous prophecy 7so called7 of
 the seventy weeks1 as found in the     
ninth chapter1 announcing the advent of 
a ,messiah at the end of that period4   
,we find by a calculation based on      
,tyson's ,historical ,atlas1 and        
,haskell's ,chronology and ,universal   
,history1 that ,daniel lived in the     
hundred and tenth year of the ninth     
,cycle1 at which time the prefigure     
seems to have been used4 ,assuming this 
as a basis1 and multiplying seventy     
weeks by seven1 to convert it into      
years1 as ,christian essayists are      
accustomed to doing1 and we have as the 
result #gjx#gdij1 which being added to  
one hundred and ten1 the year that gave 
birth to the prophesy1 makes six        
hundred1 which exactly completes the    
,cycle1 and furnishes a simple and      
beautiful explanation of a mystical     
figure1 on which many thousands of      

conjectures1 speculations1 and guesses  
have been founded1 but on which they    
have failed to throw any light4  ,the   
#gjx#gjdij years1 were wanting to       
complete the ,cycle2 and when this      
rolled away1 it brought a new ,cycle1   
and with it a new sin-atoning ,savior   
was always expected in some countries   
7the country in which ,daniel lived     
being one of this number72 a new        
,messiah 7or sin-atoning ,savior71 and  
some great man born at that time1 was   
fixed upon and deified as being that    
,messiah4 ,hence the ,jews1 in imitation
 of their neighbors1 yielding to their  
strong proclivities to borrow from and  
copy after heathen nations1 selected the
 man ,christ ,jesus as their ,messiah   
and ,savior4 ,the mystical era of       
,daniel1 signified by a time1 times1 and
 the dividing of time 7,dan4 vii4 #be71 
or1 as ,st4 ,john has it1 a time1 times1
 and a half time 7see ,rev4 xii4 #ad7 is
 explainable by the same ,cycular key4  
,some writers have conjectured that     

,daniel was a ,chaldean priest4 ,if so1 
he must have had a knowledge of their   
astronomical ,cycle of two thousand one 
hundred and sixty years1 which completed
 the period of the precession of the    
equinoxes4 ,explained by this ,cycle1   
his time1 times1 and dividing of time1  
or half time1 or a time1 another time1  
and a half time1 as some writers have   
rendered it1 would be #bafj f           
#bafj-;,i-#ajhj #edjj2 nine ,cycles     
exactly1 as #fjj,x#i #edjj4 ,add this to
 the ,cycle in which he lived1 and we   
have #edjjfjjfjjj1 the great ,millennial
 ,cycle1 when not only a new ,savior and
 ,messiah was to be born1 but a new     
world also4 ,both the long and short    
,cycle 7and one was a measure of the    
other7 were expected to expire at that  
time1 according to a ,chaldean          
tradition4 ,and thus is beautifully     
explained another deep1 dark and        
unfathomable mystery1 which thousands of
 devout minds have exhausted their      
ingenuity in trying to find a meaning   

for4 ,again1 look at the frightful      
nightmare visions of ,daniel and the    
author of the ,apocalypse1 in which they
 saw a monstrous beast with seven heads 
and ten horns1 though ,daniel mentions  
only the horns4 ,the seven heads were1  
in all probability1 the seven auspicious
 months of the year in which some of the
 nations revealed in the enjoyment of1  
and praised and celebrated their        
fruitful1 bountiful blessings1 the year 
being divided into two seasons1 seven   
summer months and five winter months4   
,now1 let it be noted1 ,st4 ,john lived 
near the tenth ,cycle1 which answers to 
the ten horns of the beast4 ,hence is   
most forcibly suggested that            
interpretation of the figure4 ,daniel's 
ten horns should have been translated   
eleven horns1 as he lived in the ninth  
,cycle1 though so near the tenth1 that  
he probably constructed his figure on   
the tenth4 ,and ,daniel's prophetic     
declaration 7so considered71 found in   
the eighth chapter1 that it would be two

 thousand three hundred days until the  
sanctuary should be closed1 is          
explainable in the same manner4         
,according to ,mr4 ,irving1 ,mr4 ,frere1
 and other writers1 there was a large   
fraction over the three hundred days1   
making it nearer four hundred1 and hence
 might have been so rendered1 which     
would make #bjjjd-djjbdjj2 the exact    
length of four ,cycles1 #fjjx#dbdjj4    
,and their are other mystical figures1  
frightful visions1 and occult metaphors 
found in the ,apocalypse susceptible of 
a ,cycular solution4 ,the ,cycle is the 
true key for unlocking many of the      
ancient mysteries of various religions4 
,the ,chinese have always reckoned by   
,cycles of sixty years1 instead of by   
centuries4 7,see ,new ,am4 ,encyclop4   
vol4 v4 p4 #aje47  ,we will now bestow a
 brief notice on the ,millennial ,cycle3
 the sacred period of #fjjj years1      
composed of ten of the smaller ,cycles1 
#fjjx#ajfjjj4 ,dr4 ,hales says1 ,a      
tradition of ,millennial ages prevailed 

throughout the east1 and finally reached
 the west4 7,chron4 vol4 i4 p4 #dd47 ,we
 are told by astronomers that if the    
angle which the plane of the ecliptic   
forms with the plane of the ,equator had
 decreased gradually1 as it was once    
supposed to do1 the two planes would    
coincide in about six thousand years--a 
period which comprises ten of the       
smaller ,cycles1 #fjj,x#aj #fjjj4 ,and  
it was very easy and very natural for an
 ignorant and superstitious age to      
conclude that such a prodigious1        
astounding1 and awful event as that of  
two stupendous orbits or planes coming  
in contact with each other1 should be   
attended with some direful and          
calamitous event1 and with a tremendous 
display of divine power4 ,nothing less  
than an entire revolution1 if not the   
total destruction of the world1 could   
comport with the majesty and magnitude  
of such an event4  ,and this great      
crisis was to bring down the ,omnipotent
 ,divine ,judge from the throne of      

heaven2 that is1 the ,almighty being who
 caused it was to come down1 or send his
 ,son to call the nations to judgment1  
and drown the world1 or set it on fire4 
,the first destruction according to the 
tradition of the ,chaldeans1 ,persians1 
,assyrians1 ,mexicans1 and some other   
nations1 was to be by water1 and the    
next by fire1 when the oceans1 seas1 and
 lakes were to be converted into ashes4 
,and ,christ's apostles seemed to have  
cherished this tradition4 ,peter says1  
whereby the world that was then1 being  
overflowed by water1 perished4 ,but the 
heavens and the earth which are now1 by 
the same word are kept in store1        
reserved unto fire against the day of   
judgment1 7#b ,peter iii4 #f47 ,this was
 a pagan belief long prior to the era of
 ,peter4 ,josephus says1 ,adam predicted
 that the world would be twice          
destroyed1 once by water1 next by fire4 
,a writer says1 ,a glorious1 blissful   
future attends the destruction of the   
world by fire1 and the reappearance of  

,vishnu 7i4 e41 eleventh incarnation of 
,vishnu7 has been for several thousand  
years the hopeful anticipation of       
,india4 ,the last coming of ,vishnu in  
power and glory1 says another writer1 to
 consummate the final overthrow of evil1
 sin1 and death1 is so firmly fixed in  
the minds of the devotees1 that they    
have an annual festival in commemoration
 of their prophesy referring to it1 at  
which they exclaim1 in a loud voice1    
',when will the ,divine ,helper come8   
when will the ,deliverer appear8'  ,at  
the consummation of this event1 a comet 
will roll under the moon and set the    
world on fire2 so affirms their bible4  
,and the ,persian bible1 the            
,zend-,avesta1 in like manner predicts  
that a star1 with a tail in course of   
its revolution1 will strike the earth   
and set it on fire4 ,seneca predicts    
that the time will come when the world  
will be wrapped in flames1 and the      
opposite powers in conflict will        
mutually destroy each other4  ,ovid     

prophesies poetically1--       ,for thus
 the stern1 unyielding ,fates decree4   
,that earth1 air1 heaven1 with the      
capacious sea1      ,all shall fall     
victims to devouring fire1      ,and in 
fierce flames the blazing orbs expire4  
,lucian1 in a like spirit1 exclaims1--  
,one vast1 appointed flame1 by ,fate's  
decree1      ,shall waste yon azure     
heavens1 the earth and sea4  ,the       
,egyptians marked their houses with red1
 to indicate that the world would be    
destroyed by fire4 ,orpheus1 #abjj ,b4  
,c41 at the inauguration of the eighth  
,cycle1 entertained fearful forebodings 
of the speedy destruction of the world  
by water or fire4 ,some nations held    
that the alternate destruction of the   
world by water and fire had already     
occurred1 and would occur again4        
,theopompus informs us that some of the 
orientalists believed that the ,god of  
light and the ,god of darkness reigned  
by turn every six thousand years        
7commencing with an astronomical ,cycle 

of course71 and that during this period 
the other was held in subjection1 which 
finally resulted in a war in heaven2 a  
counterpart to ,st4 ,john's story4 7,see
 ,rev4 chap4 xii47  ,this accords with  
,volney's statement1 that it was        
recorded in the sacred books of the     
,persians and ,chaldeans that the world1
 composed of a total revolution of      
twelve thousand periods1 was divided    
into two partial revolutions of six     
thousand years each--one being the reign
 of good1 and the other the reign of    
evil4 7,ruins1 p4 #bdd47 ,this belief   
was disseminated through most of the    
nations4 ,one of these revolutions was  
produced1 some believed1 by a concussion
 of worlds1 which displaced the ocean   
and seas1 and thus produced a general   
flood1 which drowned every living thing 
on the earth4 ,the next revolution will 
be caused by a collision of worlds1     
which will produce fire1 and burn the   
earth to ashes4  ,now1 let it be noted  
that all of these grand epochs were     

founded on ,cycles1 and accompanied by  
the tradition of a ,god being born upon 
the earth 7conceived by a virgin maid71 
or descending in person2 that is1 men   
were promoted to the ,godhead4 ,and in  
this way ,jesus ,christ was deified4    
,volney explains the matter thus3 ,now1 
according to the ,jewish computation1   
six thousand years had nearly elapsed   
since the supposed creation of the world
 7according to their chronology74 ,this 
coincidence produced considerable       
fermentation in the minds of the people4
 ,nothing was thought of but the        
approaching termination4 ,the great     
,mediator and ,final ,judge was         
expected1 and his advent desired1 that  
an end might be put to their calamities4
 7,ruins1 p4 #afh74  ,mr4 ,higgins      
corroborates this statement1 when he    
tells us that about the time of the     
,csars1 there seems to have been a      
general expectation that some ,great    
,one was to appear4 ,and finally1 when  
the ,cycle had passed1 the people1 the  

,jew-,christians1 began to look about to
 see who that ,great ,one was4 ,some    
fixed on ,herod1 some on ,julius ,csar1 
and some on others4 ,but finally public 
opinion settled on one ,jesus of        
,nazareth1 on account of his superiority
 in morals and intellect1 while the     
,hindoos deified ,salavahana1 the       
,greeks ,apollonious1 c4 ,and thus      
science and history join hand in hand to
 explain most beautifully and           
conclusively the greatest mystery that  
ever brought two hundred millions of    
people daily upon their knees--the      
apotheosis1 or deification of the man   
,christ ,jesus4     ,,chapter ,,xxxi4   
,,christianity ,,derived ,,from         
,,heathen ,,and ,,oriental ,,systems    
,,more than twenty thousand sermons are 
preached in the ,christian pulpits1 on  
every recurring ,sabbath1 to convince   
the people that the religion and        
morality taught and practiced by ,jesus 
,christ was of divine emanation1 and was
 never before taught in the world1--that

 his system of morality was without a   
parallel1 and his practical life without
 a precedent1--that the doctrine of     
self-denial1 humility1 unselfishness1   
benevolence1 and charity1--also devout  
piety1 kind treatment of enemies1 and   
love for the human race1 which he       
preached and practiced1 had never before
 been exemplified in the life and       
teachings of any individual or nation4  
,but a thorough acquaintance with the   
history and moral systems of some of the
 oriental nations1 and the practical    
lives of piety and self-denial          
exemplified in their leading men long   
anterior to the birth of ,christ1 and   
long before the name of ,christianity   
was anywhere known1 must convince any   
unprejudiced mind that such a claim is  
without foundation4 ,and to prove it1 we
 will here institute a critical         
comparison between ,christianity and    
some of the older systems with respect  
to the essential spirit of their        
teachings1 and observe how utterly      

untenable and groundless is the dogmatic
 assumption which claims for the        
,christian religion either any          
originality or any superiority4 ,of     
course if their is nothing new or       
original1 there is nothing superior4    
,we will first arrange ,christianity    
side by side with the ancient system    
known as ,essenism--a religion whose    
origin has never been discovered1 though
 it is known that the ,essenes existed  
in the days of ,jonathan ,maccabeus1 ,b4
 ,c4 #aej1 and that they were of ,jewish
 origin1 and constituted one of the     
three ,jewish sects 7the other two being
 ,pharisees and ,sadducees74 ,we have   
but fragments of their history as       
furnished by ,philo1 ,josephus1 ,pliny1 
and their copyists1 ,eusebius1 ,dr4     
,ginsburg1 and others1 on whose         
authority we will proceed to show that  
,alexandrian and ,judean ,essenism was  
identically the same system in spirit   
and essence as its successor ,judean    
,christianity2 in other words1 ,judean  

,christianity teaches the same doctrines
 and moral precepts which had been      
previously inculcated by the disciples  
of the ,essenian religion4   ,a         
,,parallel ,,exhibition ,,of ,,the      
,,precepts ,,and ,,practical ,,lives    
,,of ,,christ ,,and ,,the ,,essenes4    
,we will condense from ,philo1          
,josephus1 and other authors4  #a4      
,philo says1 ,it is our first duty to   
seek the kingdom of ,god and his        
righteousness so the ,essenes believed  
and taught4  ,scripture parallel4 ,seek 
first the kingdom of ,god1 and his      
righteousness1 and all else shall be    
added4 7,matt4 vi4 #cc2 ,luke xii4 #ca47
  #b4 ,philo says1 ,they abjured all    
amusements1 all elegances1 and all      
pleasures of the senses4  ,scripture    
parallel4 ,forsake the world and the    
things thereof4  #c4 ,the ,essenes say1 
,lay up nothing on earth1 but fix your  
mind solely on heaven4  ,scripture      
parallel4 ,lay not up treasures on      
earth1 c4  #d4 ,the ,essenes1 having    

laid aside all the anxieties of life1   
says ,philo1 and leaving society1 they  
make their residence in solitary wilds  
and in gardens4  ,scripture parallel4   
,they wandered in deserts1 and in       
mountains1 and in dens1 and in caves of 
the earth4 7,heb4 xi4 #ch47  #e4        
,josephus says1 ,they neither buy nor   
sell among themselves1 but give of what 
they have to him that wanteth4          
,scripture parallel4 ,and parted them   
7their goods7 to all men as every man   
had need4 7,acts ii4 #de47  #f4         
,eusebius says1 ,even as it is related  
in the ,acts of the ,apostles1 all 7the 
,esseues7444 were wont to sell their    
possessions and their substance1 and    
divide among all according as any one   
had need1 so that there was not one     
among them in want4  ,scripture         
parallel4 ,neither was their any among  
them that lacked1 for as many as were   
possessors of lands or houses sold them1
 and brought the price of the things    
that were sold1 c4 7,acts iv4 #cd47  #g4

 ,eusebius says1 ,for whoever1 of       
,christ's disciples1 were owners of     
estates or houses1 sold them1 and       
brought the price thereof1 and laid them
 at the apostles' feet1 and distribution
 was made as every one had need4 ,so    
,philo relates things exactly similar of
 the ,essenes4  ,scripture parallel4    
7,the text above quoted47  #h4 ,philo   
tells us 7says ,eusebius7 that the      
,essenes forsook father1 mother1        
brothers and sisters1 houses and lands1 
for their religion4  ,scripture         
parallel4 ,whosoever forsaketh not      
father and mother1 houses and lands1 c4 
cannot be my disciples4  #i4 ,their     
being sometimes called monks was owing  
to their abstraction from the world1    
says ,eusebius4  ,scripture parallel4   
,they are not of the world1 even as ,i  
am not of the world4 7,john xvii4 #af47 
#aj4 ,and the name ,ascetics was applied
 to them on account of their rigid      
discipline1 their prayers1 fasting1     
self-mortification1 c41 as they made    

themselves eunuchs4  ,scripture         
parallel4 ,there be eunuchs which have  
made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom 
of heaven's sake4  #aa4 ,they maintained
 a perfect community of goods1 and an   
equality of external rank4 7,mich4 vol4 
iv4 p4 #hc47  ,scripture parallel4      
,whosoever will be chief among you1 let 
him be your servant4 7,matt4 xx4 #bg47  
#ab4 ,the ,essenes had all things in    
common1 and appointed one of their      
number to manage the common bag4 7,dr4  
,ginsburg47  ,scripture parallel ,and   
had all things in common4 7,acts ii4    
#dd2 see also ,acts iv4 #cb47  #ac4 ,all
 ornamental dress they 7,essenes7       
detested4 7,mich4 vol4 iv4 p4 #hc47     
,scripture parallel4 ,whose adorning let
 it not be that outward adorning of     
plaiting the hair1 and of wearing of    
gold1 and putting on of apparel4 7#a    
,peter iii4 #c47  #ad4 ,they would call 
no man master4 7,mich47  ,scripture     
parallel4 ,be not called ,rabbi1 for one
 is your ,master4 7,matt1 xxiii4 #h47   

#ae4 ,they said the ,creator made all   
mankind equal4 7,mich47  ,scripture     
parallel4 ,god hath made of one blood   
all them that dwell upon the earth4     
#af4 ,they renounced oaths1 saying1 ,he 
who cannot be believed without swearing 
is condemned already4 7,mich47          
,scripture parallel4 ,swear not at all4 
#ag4 ,they would not eat anything which 
had blood in it1 or meat which had been 
offered to idols4 ,their food was       
hyssop1 and bread1 and salt2 and water  
their only drink4 7,mich47  ,scripture  
parallel4 ,that ye abstain from meat    
offered to idols1 and from blood4 7,acts
 xv4 #bi47  #ah4 ,take nothing with     
them1 neither meat or drink1 nor        
anything necessary for the wants of the 
body4  ,scripture parallel4 ,take       
nothing for your journey2 neither staves
 nor script2 neither bread1 neither     
money1 neither have two coats apiece4   
#ai4 ,they expounded the literal sense  
of the ,holy ,scriptures by allegory4   
,scripture parallel4 ,which things are  

an allegory4 7,gal4 iv4 #bd47  #bj4     
,they abjured the pleasures of the body1
 not desiring mortal offspring1 and they
 renounced marriage1 believing it to be 
detrimental to a holy life4 7,mich47    
,scripture parallel4 ,it will be        
recollected that neither ,jesus nor     
,paul ever married1 and that they       
discouraged the marriage relation4      
,christ says1 ,they that shall be       
counted worthy of that world and the    
resurrection neither marry nor are given
 in marriage4 ,and ,paul says1 ,the     
unmarried careth for the things of the  
,lord4 7i ,cor4 vii4 #cb47  #ba4 ,they  
strove to disengage their minds entirely
 from the world4  ,scripture parallel4  
,if any man love the world1 the love of 
the ,father is not in him4  #bb4        
,devoting themselves to the ,lord1 they 
provide not for future subsistence4     
,scripture parallel4 ,take no thought   
for the morrow1 what ye shall eat and   
drink1 c4  #bc4 ,regarding the body as a
 prison1 they were ashamed to give it   

sustenance4 7c4 ii4 #ga47  ,scripture   
parallel4 ,who shall change our vile    
bodies8 7,phil4 iii4 #ba47  #bd4 ,they  
spent nearly all their time in silent   
meditation and inward prayer4 7c4 ii4   
#ga47  ,scripture parallel4 ,men ought  
always to pray4 7,luke xviii4 #a47 ,pray
 without ceasing4 7#a ,thess4 v4 #ag47  
#be4 ,believing the poor were the       
,lord's favorites1 they vowed perpetual 
chastity and poverty4 7c4 ii4 #ga47     
,scripture parallel4 ,blessed be ye     
poor4 7,luke vi4 #bj47 ,hath not ,god   
chosen the poor8 7,james ii4 #e47  #bf4 
,they devoted themselves entirely to    
contemplation in divine things4 7c4 ii4 
#ga47  ,scripture parallel4 ,mediate    
upon these 7divine7 things2 give thyself
 wholly to them4 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #ae47    
#bg4 ,they fasted often1 sometimes      
tasting food but once in three or even  
six days4  ,scripture parallel4         
,christ's disciples were in fastings    
often4 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #bg2 see also v4   
#cd47  #bh4 ,they offered no sacrifices1

 believing that a serious and devout    
soul was most acceptable4 7c4 ii4 #ga47 
,scripture parallel4 ,there is no more  
offering for sin4 7,heb4 x4 #ah47  #bi4 
,they believed in and practiced         
baptizing the dead4 7c4 ii4 #ga47       
,scripture parallel4 ,else what shall   
they do which are baptized for the dead4
 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #bi47  #cj4 ,they gave a 
mystical sense to the ,scriptures1      
disregarding the letter4  ,scripture    
parallel4 ,the letter killeth1 but the  
spirit maketh alive4 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #f47
  #ca4 ,they taught by metaphors1       
symbols1 and parables4  ,scripture      
parallel4 ,without a parable spake he   
not unto them4 7,matt4 xiii4 #cd47  #cb4
 ,they had many mysteries in their      
religion which they were sworn to keep  
secret4  ,scripture parallel4 ,to you it
 is given to know the mysteries of the  
kingdom2 to them it is not given4 7,matt
 xiii4 #aa47 ,great is the mystery of   
godliness4  #cc4 ,they had in their     
churches1 bishops1 elders1 deacons1 and 

priests4  ,scripture parallel4 ,ordained
 elders in every church4 7,acts xiv4    
#bc47 ,for deacons1 see #a ,tim4 iii4   
#a4  #cd4 ,when assembled together they 
would often sing psalms4  ,scripture    
parallel4 ,teaching and admonishing one 
another in psalms4 7,col4 iii4 #af47    
#ce4 ,they healed and cured the minds   
and bodies of those who joined them4    
,scripture parallel ,healing all manner 
of sickness1 c4 7,matt iv4 #bc47  #cf4  
,they practiced certain ceremonial      
purifications by water4  ,scripture     
parallel4 ,the accomplishment of the    
days of purification4 7,acts xxi4 #bf47 
#cg4 ,they assembled at the ,sabbath    
festivals clothed in white garments4    
,scripture parallel ,shall be clothed in
 white garments4 7,rev4 iii4 #d47  #ch4 
,they disbelieved in the resurrection of
 the external body4  ,scripture parallel
 ,it is sown a natural body1 it is      
raised a spiritual body4 7#a ,cor4 xv4  
#dd47  #ci4 ,pliny says1 ,they were the 
only sort of men who lived without money

 and without women4  ,scripture parallel
 ,the love of money is the root of all  
evil4 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #aj47 ,christ's     
disciples travelled without money and   
without scrip1 and eschew the lusts of  
the flesh4  #dj4 ,they practiced the    
extremest charity to the poor4 7c4 ii4  
#ga47  ,scripture parallel ,bestow all  
thy goods to feed the poor4 7#a ,cor4   
xiii4 #c47  #da4 ,they were skillful in 
interpreting dreams1 and in foretelling 
future events4  ,scripture parallel     
,your sons and daughters shall prophesy1
 and your old men shall dream dreams4   
7,acts ii4 #ag47  #db4 ,they believed in
 a paradise1444 and in a place of       
never-ending lamentations4  ,scripture  
parallel ,life everlasting4 7,gal4 viii4
 #h47 ,weeping1 wailing1 and gnashing of
 teeth4 7,matt4 xiii4 #db47  #dc4 ,they 
affirmed1 says ,josephus1 that ,god     
foreordained all the events of human    
life4  ,scripture parallel'             
,foreordained before the foundation of  
the world4 7#a ,peter47  #dd4 ,they     

believed in ,mediators between ,god and 
the souls of men4  ,scripture parallel4 
,one ,mediator between ,god and men4 7#a
 ,tim4 ii4 #e47  #de4 ,they practiced   
the pantomimic representation of the    
death1 burial1 and resurrection of      
,god--,christ the ,spirit4  ,scripture  
parallel4 ,with respect to the death1   
burial1 and resurrection of ,christ1 see
 #a ,cor4 xv4 #d4  #df4 ,they inculcated
 the forgiveness of injuries4           
,scripture parallel4 ,father1 forgive   
them2 for they know not what they do4   
7,luke xxiii4 #cd47  #dg4 ,they totally 
disapproved of all war4  ,scripture     
parallel ,if my kingdom were of this    
world1 then would my servants fight4    
7,john xviii4 #cf47  #dh4 ,they         
inculcated obedience to magistrates1 and
 to the civil authorities4  ,scripture  
parallel4 ,obey them which have the rule
 over you4 7,heb4 xiii4 #ag2 xxvi4 #fe47
  #di4 ,they retired within themselves  
to receive interior revelations of      
divine truth4 7c4 ii4 #ga47  ,scripture 

parallel4 ,every one of you hath a      
revelation4 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #bf47  #ej4  
,they were scrupulous in speaking the   
truth4  ,scripture parallel ,speaking   
all things in truth4 7#b ,cor4 vii4     
#ad47  #ea4 ,they perform many wonderful
 miracles4  ,scripture parallel ,many   
texts teach us that ,christ and his     
apostles did the same4  #eb4 ,essenism  
put all its members upon the same level1
 forbidding the exercise of authority of
 one over another4 7,dr4 ,ginsburg47    
,scripture parallel4 ,christ did the    
same4 ,for proof1 see ,matt4 xx4 #be2   
,mark ix4 #ce4  #ec4 ,essenism laid the 
greatest stress on being meek and lowly 
in spirit4 7,dr4 ,ginsburg47  ,scripture
 parallel4 ,see ,matt4 v4 #e2 ix4 #bh4  
#ed4 ,the ,essenes commended the poor in
 spirit1 those who hunger and thirst    
after righteousness1 and the merciful1  
and the pure in heart4 7,dr ,ginsburg47 
,scripture parallel4 ,for proof that    
,christ did the same1 see ,matt4  #ee4  
,the ,essenes commended the peacemakers4

 7,dr4 ,ginsburg47  ,scripture parallel4
 ,blessed are the peacemakers4  #ef4    
,the ,essenes declared their disciples  
must cast out evil spirits1 and perform 
miraculous cures1 as signs and proof of 
their faith4 7,dr4 ,ginsburg47          
,scripture parallel4 ,christ's disciples
 were to cast out devils1 heal the sick1
 and raise the dead1 c41 as signs and   
proof of their faith4 7,mark xvi4 #ag47 
#eg4 ,they sacrificed the lusts of the  
flesh to gain spiritual happiness4      
,scripture parallel4 ,you abstain from  
fleshly lusts4 7#a ,peter ii4 #aa47     
#eh4 ,the breaking of bread was a       
veritable ordinance among the ,essenes4 
,scripture parallel4 ,he 7,jesus7 took  
bread1 and gave thanks1 and brake it4   
7,luke xxii4 #ai47  #ei4 ,the ,essenes  
enjoined the loving of enemies4         
7,philo47  ,scripture parallel4 ,so did 
,christ say1 ,love your enemies1 c4     
#fj4 ,the ,essenes enjoined1 ,doing unto
 others as you would have them do unto  
you4  ,scripture parallel' ,the         

,confucian golden rule1 as taught by    
,christ4  ,this parallel might be       
extended much further1 but we will      
proceed to present the reader with a    
general description of ,essenism1 as    
furnished us by ,philo1 ,josephus1 and  
some ,christian writers4 ,philo1 who was
 born in ,alexandria #bj ,b4 ,c41 and   
lived to #fj ,a4 ,d41 and who was       
himself an ,essenian ,jew1 in his       
account of them1 says1 ,they do not lay 
up treasures of gold or silver1444 but  
provide themselves only with the        
necessities of life4 ,paul afterwards1  
having caught the same spirit1 advises  
the same course of life4 ,having food   
and raiment1 therewith be content4      
,contentment of mind they regarded as   
the greatest of riches4 ,they make no   
instruments of war4 ,they repudiate     
every inducement to covetousness4 ,none 
are held as slaves1 but all are free1   
and serve each other4 ,they are         
instructed in piety and holiness1       
righteousness1 economy1 c4 ,they are    

guided by a threefold rule3 love of     
,god1 love of virtue1 and love of       
mankind4 ,of their love of ,god they    
give innumerable demonstrations1 which  
is found in their constant and          
unalterable holiness throughout the     
whole of their lives1 their avoidance of
 oaths and falsehoods1 and their firm   
belief that ,god is the source of all   
good1 but of nothing evil4 ,of their    
love of virtue they give proof in their 
contempt for money1 fame1 and pleasures1
 their continence1 easy satisfying of   
their wants1 their simplicity1 modesty1 
c4 ,their love of man is proved by their
 benevolence and equality1 and their    
having all things in common1 which is   
beyond all deception4 ,they reverence   
and take care of the aged1 as children  
do their parents4 7,condensed from      
,philo's treatise1 ,every ,virtuous ,man
 is ,free47  ,josephus1 #cg ,a4 ,d41 and
 who was also at one time a member of   
the ,essenian ,brotherhood1 furnishes   
another fragmentary account of the      

,essenes in his ,jewish ,wars1 of which 
the following is the substance3--  ,they
 love each other more than others 7that 
is1 are partial to the household of     
faith72 they despise riches1 and have   
all things in common1 so that there is  
neither abjectness of poverty nor       
distinction of riches among them2 they  
change neither garments nor shoes till  
they are worn out or become unfit for   
use2 they neither buy nor sell among    
themselves2 their piety is              
extraordinary2 they never speak about   
wordly matters before sunrise2 they are 
girt about with a linen apron1 and have 
a baptism of cold water2 they eat but   
one kind of a food at a time1 and       
commence with a prayer1 and the priest  
must say grace before any one eats 7that
 is1 breaks and blesses as ,christ did72
 they also return thanks after eating1  
and then put off their white garments2  
strangers were made welcome at their    
tables without money and without price2 
they give food to the hungry and the    

needy and show mercy to all2 they curb  
their passions1 restrain their anger1   
and claim to be ministers of peace2 an  
oath they regard as worse than perjury2 
they excommunicate offenders 7',go tell 
it to the churches1 says ,christ72 they 
condemn finery in dress2 though         
condemning in most solemn terms oaths1  
members were admitted to the secret     
brotherhood by an oath 7',see thou tell 
no man1' said ,christ72 they endured    
pain with heroic fortitude1 and regarded
 an honorable death as better than long 
life2 they read and study their ,holy   
,scriptures from youth1 often prophesy1 
and it was very seldom they failed in   
their predictions4  ,dr4 ,ginburg's     
testimony1 abridged1 is as follows3--   
,the ,essenes had a high appreciations  
of the inspired law of ,god4 ,the       
highest aim of their lives was to become
 fit temples of the ,holy ,ghost 7see i 
,cor4 vi4 #ai72 also to perform         
miraculous cures1 and to be spiritually 
qualified for forerunners of the        

,messiah4 ,they taught the duty of      
mortifying the flesh and the lusts      
thereof1 and to become meek and lowly in
 spirit2 they answered by yea1 yea1 and 
nay1 nay 7see ,matt471 scrupulously     
avoiding oaths2 they avoided impure     
contact with the heathen and the world's
 people1 and lived retired from the     
world1 being in numbers about four      
thousand2 they strove to be like the    
angels of heaven2 there were no rich and
 poor1 or masters and servants1 amongst 
them2 they lived peaceably with all men2
 a mysterious silence was observed while
 eating2 a solemn oath was required on  
becoming a member of the secret order1  
which required three things3  #a4 ,love 
of ,god2  #b4 ,merciful justice to all  
men1 and to avoid the wicked1 and help  
the righteous2  #c4 ,purity of          
character1 which implied love of truth1 
hatred of falsehood1 and strict         
observance of 'the mysteries of         
godliness' to outsiders--that is1       
'heathen and publicans2' they endured   

suffering for righteousness' sake1 with 
rejoicings1 and even sought it2         
regarding the body as a prison for the  
soul1 they desired the time to come to  
escape from it2 they recognized eight   
different stages of spiritual growth and
 perfection3 #a4 ,bodily purity2 #b4    
,celibacy2 #c4 ,spiritual purity2 #d4   
,the suppression of anger and malice1   
and the cultivation of a meek1 lowly    
spirit2 #e4 ,the attainment of true     
holiness2 #f4 ,becoming fit temples for 
the ,holy ,ghost2 #g4 ,the ability to   
perform miraculous cures1 and raise the 
dead2 #h4 ,becoming forerunners of the  
,messiah2 and finally they took a solemn
 vow to exercise1 piety toward ,god and 
justice toward all men1 to hate the     
wicked1 assist the good to keep clear of
 theft and unrighteous gains1 to conceal
 none of their 'mysteries of godliness' 
from each other1 or disclose them to    
others4 ',great is the mystery of       
godliness' 7',see thou tell no man'72   
they were to walk humbly with ,god1 shun

 bad society1 forgive their enemies1    
sacrifice their passions1 and crucify   
the lusts of the flesh2 they disregarded
 bodily suffering1 and even gloried in  
martyrdom1 preaching and singing to ,god
 amid their sufferings2 but in their    
domestic habits they were extremely     
filthy2 they wore their clothes until   
they became ragged1 filthy1 and         
offensive1 never changing them till they
 were wore out2 their food consisted of 
bread and water1 and wild roots and     
fruits of the palm tree2 they enjoined  
their duty1 not only of forgiving their 
enemies1 but of seeking to benefit them1
 and of even blessing the destroyer who 
took life and property4 ,such was the   
religion1 such the moral system1 such   
the devout piety1 and such the practical
 lives of the ,essenian ,jews1 a        
religious sect which flourished in      
,alexandria and ,judea several hundred  
years before the birth of ,christ1 and  
went out of history the hour            
,christianity came in4  ,now1 as the    

foregoing exposition shows that         
,essenism and ,christianity are most    
strikingly alike in all their essential 
features1 that the former system        
contains nearly every important doctrine
 and precept of the ,christian religion1
 the question occurs here as one of     
momentous import1 how is this striking  
resemblance1 this identity of character 
of the two religions1 to be accounted   
for8 ,does it not go far toward proving 
that ,christianity is an outgrowth1 a   
legitimate offspring1 of ,judean        
,essenism8 ,indeed1 are we not          
absolutely driven to such a conclusion8 
,let us briefly recite some of the      
important facts brought to light by the 
investigation of the character and      
history of these two religions1 and see 
if those facts do not bring them        
together and weld them as one system--as
 one and the same religion4  #a4 ,both  
are alike1 and ,essenism is much the    
older system4  #b4 ,both religions are  
an outgrowth of ,judaism4  #c4 ,both    

were known and taught in ,judea and in  
,alexandria4  #d4 ,josephus living in   
,judea1 and ,philo in ,alexandria1      
neither of them speaks of ,christianity1
 or refers to any such religion by that 
name1 and yet both describe a religion  
inculcating the same doctrines and moral
 precepts1 which they call ,essenism4   
,is not this very nearly conclusive     
proof that ,essenism was only another   
name for ,christianity--that it had not 
yet changed its name to ,christianity8  
,that famous standard author1 ,mr4      
,gibbon1 was evidently of this opinion  
when he said1 ,whether1 indeed1 the     
first of that sect 7the ,essenes7 took  
the name of ,christian when the         
appellation of ,christian had as yet    
been nowhere announced1 it is by no     
means necessary to discuss4 7,book ,,ii4
 chap4 xvi47 ,here is evidence that     
,gibbon believed that the ,essenes1     
after having borne that name for        
centuries1 changed the appellation to   
,christian4 ,and we find still stronger 

language than this in the writings of   
the same author expressive of this      
opinion4 ,in a note to chapter xv4 he   
says1 ,it is probable that the          
,therapeuts 7,essenes7 changed their    
name to ,christians1 as some writers    
affirm1 and adopted some new articles of
 faith4 ,here the position is assumed   
that the ,christian religion is an      
outgrowth of ,essenism1 that is1 merely 
a continuation of that religion under a 
change of name1 with a slight           
modification of its creed4  #e4 ,and    
then we have the declaration of         
,christian writers1 expressed in the    
most positive terms1 that ,essenism and 
,christianity were the same religion1   
the former name being used at an earlier
 period4 ,hear ,eusebius1 a standard    
ecclesiastical writer of the fourth     
century4 ,he asserts positively1 ,those 
ancient ,therapeuts 7,essenes7 were     
,christians1 and their ancient writings 
were our gospels4 7,eccl4 ,hist4 p4     
#fc47 ,hark6 ,hark6 my good ,christian  

reader1 here is one of your own sworn   
witnessess testifying that the ,essenes 
originated and established the          
,christian religion2 i4 e41 the religion
 now known by that name4 ,will you then 
give it up8 ,if not1 we have other      
testimony of a similar character1       
rendering the proposition still         
stronger4 ,robert ,taylor declares1 ,the
 learned ,basnage has shown that the    
,essenes were really ,christians        
centuries before ,christ1 and that they 
were actually in possession of those    
very writings which are now our ,gospels
 and ,epistles4 7p4 #ha47 ,and then we  
have the declaration of the author of   
,christ the ,spirit 7p4 no71 that the   
,christians were the later              
,essenes--that is1 the ,essenes of the  
time of ,eusebius under a changed name1 
that name having been made at ,antioch1 
where the disciples were first called   
,christian4 ,the same writer suggests   
that their sacred books are our sacred  
books4 ,we will now hear ,eusebius      

again3 ,it is highly probable that their
 7the ,essenes'7 ancient commentaries1  
which ,philo says the ,essenes have1 are
 the very ,gospels and writings of the  
,apostles4  ,based upon this conclusion1
 he calls the ,essenes the first heralds
 of the gospel4 ,i find it1 therefore1  
most probable1 says ,mr4 ,weilting1 that
 ,jesus and ,john belonged literally to 
the society of the ,essenes4 ,and then  
the ,new ,american ,encyclopedia        
furnishes us with the testimony of a    
very able ,english author of the last   
century 7,de ,quincy71 who concurs with 
all the writers cited above4 ,mr4 ,de   
,quincy 7it says7 identified the        
,essenes as being the early ,christians2
 i4 e41 the early ,christians were known
 as ,essenes4 ,such testimony1 coming   
from such a source1 is entitled to much 
weight4 7,vol4 i4 p4 #aeg47 ,and to the 
same effect is the testimony of ,bishop 
,marsh1 who admits that our ,gospels    
were drawn from those of the ,essenes4  
7,see his edition of ,michaelis'        

translation of the ,new ,testament47    
,thus far historical writers4 ,we will  
now lay before the reader some          
historical facts1 fraught with          
unanswerable logical potency1 and       
pointing to the same conclusion4 ,it is 
a fact1 and one of deep logical import1 
and tending to corroborate the          
conclusion of some of the writers cited 
above1 who tell us the ,christian       
,gospels were first composed by the     
,essenes2 that the language in which    
those ,gospels were originally written  
was ,greek1 the language in which the   
,alexandrian ,essenes always wrote1     
while the evangelical writers1 ,matthew1
 ,mark1 ,luke1 and ,john1 being         
illiterate fishermen1 could have had no 
knowledge of any but the ,jewish1 their 
own mother-tongue1--at least it is      
susceptible of satisfactory proof that  
they never wrote in any other language4 
,hence the conclusion is irresistible   
that they were not the original authors 
of the ,gospels4  ,the works of several 

authors are now lying at our elbow1 who 
express the conviction unequivocally    
that the ,gospels were copied1 if not   
translated1 from older writings4 ,mr4   
,le ,clerc1 one of the ablest writers of
 his time1 maintained this position1 and
 did it ably4 ,another writer1 a ,mr4   
,hatfield1 was awarded a prize in #agic1
 by the theological faculty of          
,gottingen1 for an essay1 in which the  
position was ably argued that ,matthew1 
,mark1 ,luke1 and ,john were not the    
authors of the books which bear their   
names1 but were mere copyists4 ,dr4     
,lessing and others concur with him in  
this conclusion4 ,a circumstance        
confirming this verdict is found in the 
fact that the word church occurs in our 
,gospels1 which were written before such
 an institution was established by those
 who were then called ,christians4  ,go 
tell it to the church 7,matt1 xviii4    
#ag7 was uttered before any steps had   
been taken by the then representatives  
of the ,christian faith to organize such

 a body--an evidence this1 that he      
alluded to the church of the ,essenes1  
as there were no other churches in      
existence at the time2 which leaves the 
inference patent and irresistible that  
he and his disciples were ,essenes1     
perhaps then under the changed name of  
,christians4 ,centuries prior to that   
era the ,essenes had not only churches1 
but their whole ecclesiastical          
nomenclature of bishops1 deacons1       
elders1 priests1 disciples1 scriptures1 
gospels1 epistles1 psalms1 hymns1       
mystery1 allegory1 c4 ,if ,christianity 
was re-established in the days of       
,christ and his apostles1 they had      
nothing to originate1 either with       
respect to doctrines1 precepts1 church  
polity1 or ecclesiastical terms--all    
being established for them centuries    
before that era4 ,with these facts in   
view1 it seems impossible that the two  
religious orders--,essenes and          
,christians--could have been in         
existence at the same time as separate  

institutions4 ,the former must have     
ended when the latter commenced4        
,josephus says1 the ,essenes were       
scattered far and wide1 and were in     
every city1 being quite numerous in     
,judea in his time4 ,but he makes no    
reference to any sect or religious order
 by the title of ,christian--a strong   
inferential evidence1 upon sound priori 
reasoning1 that ,christianity as yet was
 sailing under another name4 ,josephus  
must have known and named the fact1 had 
there been a ,christian sect or disciple
 there bearing that name4 ,impossible   
otherwise4 ,we are then 7upon the       
logical force of these and many other   
facts7 driven to the conclusion that    
,christianity began when ,essenism      
ended1 and the change was only in name4 
,i challenge the whole ,christian world 
to find the historical proof that       
,christianity commenced one hour before 
the termination of ,essenism1 or of     
,essenism overlapping the ,christian    
religion so far as to survive one day   

beyond or after its birth4 ,i will      
confront them with the logic of dates1  
and defy them to find any proof except  
their own unauthorized1 unauthenticated1
 and fictitious chronology1 that a      
,christian was ever known in any country
 by that name prior to the time of      
,tacitus1 #ajd ,a4,d41 who is the first 
of the three hundred writers of that era
 that makes any mention of              
,christianity1 ,christ1 or a ,christian4
 ,this was long after ,josephus' time1  
which accounts most satisfactory for his
 omitting any allusion to ,christ or    
,christianity4 ,that religion had not   
yet dropped the name of ,essenism and   
adopted that of ,christianity4  ,now1   
hard indeed must distorted reason fight 
the ramparts of logic and history to    
resist the conviction1 in view of the   
foregoing facts1 that ,christianity is  
simply an outcropping of ,essenism1     
either direct or through ,budhism4 ,and 
even if it were possible to prove that  
the two religions never became welded   

together1 yet it is not possible to     
disprove the striking identity of their 
doctrines1 and the spirit of their      
precepts1 and the practical lives of    
their disciples4 ,and this identity1    
coupled with the fact that ,essenism is 
the older system1 is of itself most     
superlatively fatal to all pretension or
 claim to originality for the doctrines 
of the ,christian faith4  ,it is a      
matter of no importance whether         
,christianity was originally known by   
another name1 so long as it can be shown
 that its doctrines had all been        
preached and proclaimed to the world    
centuries prior to the date assigned for
 its origin4 ,and this is proved by the 
long list of paralellisms presented in  
the incipient pages of this chapter4    
,and this proof explodes the pretensions
 of ,christianity to an original divine 
revelation1 and brings it down to a     
level with pagan orientalism4 ,and the  
fact that it sprang up in a country     
where its doctrine had long been taught 

by pagans and orientalists1 must produce
 the conviction1 deep and indelible1 in 
all unbiased minds1 that orientalism was
 the mother and heathenism the father of
 the ,christian religion1 even in the   
absence of any other proof4 ,in fact1 no
 other proof can be needed4  ,and what  
are the arguments1 it may be well here  
to inquire1 with which orthodox         
,christians attempt to meet1 combat1 and
 vanquish the overwhelming mass of      
historical facts and historical         
testimonies we have presented in        
preceding pages1 tending to prove and   
demonstrate the oriental origin of their
 religion and its identity with         
,essenism8 ,their whole argument is     
comprised in the naked postulate of the 
,rev4 ,mr4 ,paideaux1 ,d4 ,d41 that the 
,essenes did not believe in the         
resurrection of the physical body 7but  
believed in a spiritual resurrection71  
and omit from their creed the ,trinity  
and ,incarnation doctrine1 and therefore
 they could not have been the           

originators of the ,christian religion2 
but this argument is as easily          
demolished as a cobweb1 as the following
 facts will prove3--  #a4 ,we have but a
 fragment of the ,essenian              
religion1--but one end of their         
creed1--mere scraps furnished us by     
,philo1 ,josephus1 and ,pliny4 ,we have 
none of their sacred books apart from   
the ,christian ,new ,testament4  #b4    
,they had secret books1 as we have      
shown1 in which doctrines were taught   
which they regarded as too sacred to be 
thrown before the public1 as pearls     
before swine4 ,and no doctrines were    
regarded as more sacred or secret in    
that age than the doctrines of the      
,trinity and ,incarnation4 ,christ's    
injunction1 ,see thou tell no man1 was  
probably their motto1 which prevented   
the publicity of a portion of their     
doctrines4 ,and as their sacred books1  
containing their doctrines1 perished    
with the extinction of the sect 7except 
those now found in the ,christian ,new  

,testament71 a full knowledge of their  
doctrines1 therefore1 never reached the 
public mind4 ,all religious sects had   
secret doctrines1 designated as         
,mysteries of ,godliness1 including the 
principal ,jewish sects and the earliest
 ,christian churches4 ,it is1 therefore1
 highly probable that if we were in     
possession of all their sacred books1 we
 would be in possession of the proof    
that they believed and taught in their  
monasteries the doctrines above named4  
,but we are not left to mere inference  
that the ,essenes' creed did include the
 doctrines of the ,trinity and the      
,divine ,incarnation4 ,we find skeletons
 of these doctrines scattered along the 
line of their history4 ,philo himself1  
an ,essene teacher1 most distinctly     
teaches the doctrine of the ,incarnation
 of the ,divine ,word or ,logos4 ,and   
,son of ,god1 ,mediator1 ,intercessor1  
and ,messiah1 were familiar words with  
him4 ,the idea often reappears in his   
writings1 that the ,word could become   

flesh2 that the ,son of ,god could      
appear as a personality1 and return to  
the bosom of the ,father4 ,moreover1 one
 writer informs us that the ,essenes    
celebrated the birth and death of a     
,divine ,savior as a ,mystery of        
,godliness4 ,and they claimed in their  
earlier history to be forerunners of the
 ,messiah--a claim which would soon     
bring a ,messiah before the world1 that 
is1 lead them to deify and worship some 
great man as ,the ,messia4  ,as for the 
doctrine of the ,trinity1 we have the   
authority of ,eusebius that they taught 
this doctrine too4 ,so that it is not   
true that they did not recognize these  
two prime articles of the ,christian    
faith1 the ,incarnation and ,trinity    
doctrines4 ,some modern ,christians     
assert that the ,essenes not only       
omitted to teach these doctrines1 but   
that1 on the other hand1 they taught    
other doctrines not taught in the       
,christian ,new ,testament4 ,this is not
 improbable4 ,for the ,christian        

religion has been characterized by      
frequent changes in its doctrines in    
every stage of its practical history1 as
 was also the ,jewish religion which    
preceded it1 and from which it emanated4
 ,judaism is a perpetual series of      
changes4 ,it changed even the name of   
its ,god from ,elohim to ,jehovah4 ,its 
leader and founder ,abram was changed to
 ,abraham1 and his grandson and         
successor from ,jacob to ,israel4 ,and  
we have the works of many ,christian    
writers in our possession who prove by  
their own bible that the ,jews made many
 changes in their religious polity and  
religious doctrines4 ,this is more      
especially observable when they came in 
contact with nations teaching a         
different religion4 ,their whole history
 shows they were prone to imitate1 and  
borrow1 and always did borrow on such   
occasions1 and engraft the new doctrines
 thus obtained into their own creed1 and
 thus effected important changes in     
their religion4 ,we have the authority  

of ,dr4 ,campbell for saying the ,jews  
never believed and taught the doctrine  
of future punishment 7and other         
doctrines that might be named7 till     
after they were brought in contact with 
,persians in ,babylon who had long      
taught these doctrines4 7,see           
,dissertation ,,vi4 7 ,and ,dr4 ,enfield
 declares their theological opinions    
underwent thorough changes during this  
period of seventy years' captivity4     
,even their national title was changed  
at one period from ,israelites to ,jews4
 ,with all these changes of names1      
titles1 and doctrines in view1 it is not
 incredible that one of the ,jewish     
sects should change its name from       
,essenes to ,christians1 and with this  
change modify some of the doctrines4    
,and more especially as their title1    
according to ,dr4 ,ginsburg1 had been   
changed before from ,chassidim to       
,essenes4 ,and ,philo at one period     
calls them ,therapeuts1 while ,eusebius 
says the ,therapeuts were ,christians4  

,put this and that together1 and the    
question is forever settled4  ,now1 with
 all this overwhelming mass of          
historical evidence before us1 piled    
mountain high1 tending to prove the     
truth of the proposition that           
,christianity is the offspring and      
outgrowth of ancient ,judean ,essenism1 
we feel certain that no sophistry1 from 
interested charlatans or stereotyped    
creed worshipers1 can stave off or      
obliterate the conviction in            
unprejudiced minds1 that the proposition
 is most amply proven4  ,we will now    
collate ,christianity with another      
ancient religious system1 which we are  
certain it will not be disputed1 after  
the comparison is critically examined1  
contains the sum total of the doctrines 
and teachings of ,christianity in all   
their details4     ,,chapter ,,xxxii4   
,,three ,,hundred ,,and ,,forty-,,six   
,,striking ,,analogies ,,between        
,,christ ,,and ,,chrishna   ,i4 ,,their 
,,miraculous ,,history ,,and ,,leading  

,,principles4  #a4 ,the advent of each  
,savior was miraculously foretold by    
prophets4  #b4 ,the fallen and          
degenerate condition of the human race  
is taught in the religion of each4  #c4 
,a plan of restoration or salvation is  
provided for in each case4  #d4 ,a      
divine ,savior is considered necessary  
in both cases4  #e4 ,the necessity of   
atoning for sin is taught in the        
religion of each4  #f4 ,a ,god1 or ,son 
of ,god1 is selected as the victim for  
the atoning sacrifice in each case4  #g4
 ,this ,god is sent down from heaven in 
each case in the form of a man4  #h4    
,the ,god or ,savior in each case is the
 second person of the ,trinity4  #i4    
,chrishna1 as well as ,christ1 was held 
to be really ,god incarnate4  #aj4 ,the 
mission of each ,savior is the same4    
#aa4 ,there is a resemblance in         
name-,chrishna and ,christ4  #ab4       
,chrishna1 as well as ,christ1 was      
incarnated and born of a woman4  #ac4   
,the mother in each case was a holy     

virgin4  #ad4 ,the same peculiarities of
 a miraculous conception and birth are  
related of each4  #ae4 ,each had an     
adopted earthly father4  #af4 ,the      
father of ,chrishna1 as well as that of 
,christ1 was a carpenter4  #ag4 ,god is 
claimed as the real father in both      
cases4  #ah4 ,a ,spirit or ,ghost was   
the author of the conception of each4   
#ai4 ,there was rejoicing on earth when 
each ,savior was born4  #bj4 ,there was 
also joy in heaven at the birth and     
advent of each4  #ba4 ,chrishna1 as well
 as ,christ1 was of royal descent4  #bb4
 ,their mothers were both reputedly     
pious women4  #bc4 ,the names of two    
mothers are somewhat similar--,mary and 
,maia4  #bd4 ,each had a special female 
friend--,elizabeth in the one case1 and 
the wife of ,nanda in the other4  #be4  
,neither ,savior was born in a house1   
but both in obscure situations4  #bf4   
,both were born on the #beth of         
,december4  #bg4 ,both1 at birth1 were  
visited by wise men and shepards4  #bh4 

,the visitors conducted by a star in    
each case4  #bi4 ,the rite of           
purification observed by the mothers of 
each4  #cj4 ,an angel warning of        
impending danger in each case4  #ca4    
,the incumbent ruler was hostile in each
 case4  #cb4 ,a bloody decree in each   
case for the destruction of the infant  
,savior4  #cc4 ,a flight of the parents 
takes place in both cases4  #cd4 ,the   
parents of one sojourned at ,muturea1   
the other at ,mathura4  #ce4 ,each      
,savior had a forerunner--,john the     
,baptist in one case1 ,bali ,rama in the
 other4  #cf4 ,both were preternaturally
 smart in childhood4  #cg4 ,each        
disputed with and vanquished learned    
opponents4  #ch4 ,both became objects of
 search by their parents4  #ci4 ,and    
both occasioned anxiety1 if not sorrow1 
to their parents4  #dj4 ,the mother of  
each had other children--that is        
children begotten by man as well as     
,god4  #da4 ,both ,saviors retired to1  
and spent considerable time in the      

wilderness4  #db4 ,the religious rite of
 fasting was practiced by each ,savior4 
#dc4 ,each delivered a noteworthy       
sermon1 or series of moral lessons4     
#dd4 ,chrishna1 as well as ,christ1 was 
called and considered ,god4  #de4 ,each 
was both ,god and the ,son of ,god 7so  
regarded74  #df4 ,savior was one of the 
divine titles of each4  #dg4 ,each was  
designated the ,savior of man1 the      
,savior of the world1 c4  #dh4 ,both    
expressed a desire to save all4  #di4   
,each sustained the character of a      
,messiah4  #ej4 ,chrishna1 as well as   
,christ1 was a ,redeemer4  #ea4 ,each   
,savior was called ,shepard4  #eb4 ,both
 were believed to be the ,creator of the
 world4  #ec4 ,each is sometimes spoken 
of1 also1 as only an agent in the       
creation4  #ed4 ,both were the ,light   
and ,life of men4  #ee4 ,each brought   
life and immortality to light4  #ef4    
,both are represented as the seed of the
 woman bruising the serpent's head4     
#eg4 ,was ,christ a ,dispenser of grace1

 so was the ,hindoo ,savior4  #eh4 ,one 
was the lion of the tribe of ,judah1 the
 other the lion of the tribe of ,saki4  
#ei4 ,christ was the ,beginning of the  
,end1 ,chrishna the ,beginning1 the     
,middle1 and the ,end4  #fj4 ,both      
proclaimed1 ,i am the ,resurrection4    
#fa4 ,each was the way to the ,father4  
#fb4 ,both represented emblematically   
the ,sun of ,righteousness4  #fc4 ,each 
is figuratively represented as being all
 in all4  #fd4 ,both speak of having    
existed prior to human birth4  #fe4 ,a  
dual existence--an existence in both    
heaven and earth at once--is claimed by 
or for both4  #ff4 ,chrishna1 as well as
 ,christ1 was without sin4  #fg4 ,both  
assumed the divine prerogative of       
forgiving sins4  #fh4 ,the mission of   
each was to deliver from sin4  #fi4     
,both came to destroy the devil and his 
works4  #gj4 ,the doctrine of the       
atonement is practically realized in    
each case4  #ga4 ,each made a voluntary 
offering for the sins of the world4     

#gb4 ,both were human as well as divine4
  #gc4 ,chrishna1 as well as ,christ1   
was worshiped as ,god absolute4  #gd4   
,each was regarded as the ,lord from    
,heaven4  #ge4 ,chrishna1 as well as    
,christ1 had applied to him all the     
attributes of ,god4  #gf4 ,was ,christ  
omniscient1 so was ,chrishna4  #gg4 ,was
 one omnipotent1 so was the other 7so   
believed74  #gh4 ,and both are          
represented as being omnipresent4  #gi4 
,each was believed to be divinely       
perfect4  #hj4 ,was one ,lord of lords1 
so was the other4  #ha4 ,each embodied  
the power and wisdom of ,god4  #hb4 ,all
 power was committed unto each 7so      
claimed74  #hc4 ,chrishna performed many
 miracles as well as ,christ4  #hd4 ,one
 of the first miracles of each was the  
cure of a leper4  #he4 ,each healed all 
manner of diseases4  #hf4 ,the work of  
casting out devils constitutes a part of
 the mission of each4  #hg4 ,each       
practically proved his power to raise   
the dead4  #hh4 ,a miracle appertaining 

to a tree is related of both4  #hi4     
,both could read the thoughts of the    
people4  #ij4 ,the power to detect and  
eject evil spirits was claimed by both4 
#ia4 ,both had the keys or control of   
death4  #ib4 ,each led an extraordinary 
life4  #ic4 ,each had a character for   
supernatural greatness4  #id4 ,both     
possesed or claimed a oneness with the  
,father4  #ie4 ,a oneness with his ,lord
 and ,master is claimed1 also1 for the  
disciples of each4  #if4 ,a strong      
reciprocal affection between ,master and
 disciple in each case4  #ig4 ,each     
offers to shoulder the burdens of his   
disciples4  #ih4 ,a portion of the life 
of each was spent in preaching4  #ii4   
,both made converts by their miracles   
and preaching4  #ajj4 ,a numerous       
retinue of believers springs up in each 
case4  #aja4 ,both had commissioned     
apostles to proclaim their religion4    
#ajb4 ,each was an innovator upon the   
antecedent religion4  #ajc4 ,a beautiful
 reform in religion was inaugurated by  

each ,savior4  #ajd4 ,each opposed the  
existing popular priesthood4  #aje4     
,both abolished the law of lineal       
descent in the ancient priesthood4      
#ajf4 ,each was an object of conspiracy 
by his enemies4  #ajg4 ,humility and    
external poverty distinguished the life 
of each4  #ajh4 ,each denounced riches  
and rich men1 and loathed and detested  
wealth4  #aji4 ,both had a character for
 meekness4  #aaj4 ,chastity or unmarried
 life was a distinguishing              
characteristic of each4  #aaa4 ,mercy   
was a noteworthy characteristic of each4
  #aab4 ,both were censured for         
associating with sinners4  #aac4 ,each  
was a special friend to the poor4  #aad4
 ,a poor widow woman receives marked    
attention by each4  #aae4 ,each         
encounters a gentile woman at a well4   
#aaf4 ,both submitted unresistingly to  
injuries and insults4  #aag4 ,general   
practical philanthropy and impartiality 
marks the life of each ,savior4  #aah4  
,each took more pleasure in repentant   

sinners than in virtuous saints4  #aai4 
,both practically disclosed ,god's      
attempt to reconcile the world to       
himself4  #abj4 ,the closing incidents  
in the earth-life of each were          
strikingly similar4  #aba4 ,a memorable 
last supper marked the closing career of
 both4  #abb4 ,both were put to death by
 wicked hands4  #abc4 ,chrishna1 as well
 as ,christ1 was crucified4  #abd4      
,darkness attended the crucifixion of   
each4  #abe4 ,both were crucified       
between two thieves4  #abf4 ,each is    
reported to have forgiven his enemies4  
#abg4 ,the age of each at death         
corresponds 7being between thirty and   
thirty-six years74  #abh4 ,each1 after  
giving up the ghost1 descends into hell4
  #abi4 ,the resurrection from the dead 
is a marked period in the history of    
each4  #acj4 ,each ascends to heaven    
after his resurrection4  #aca4 ,many    
people are reported to have witnessed   
the ascension in each case4  #acb4 ,each
 is reported as having both descended   

and ascended4  #acc4 ,the head of each1 
while living on earth1 was anointed with
 oil4   ,,ii4 ,,doctrines4  #acd4 ,there
 is a similarity in the doctrines of    
their respective religions4  #ace4 ,the 
same doctrines are propagated by the    
disciples of each4  #acf4 ,the doctrine 
of future rewards and punishments is a  
part of each system4  #acg4 ,analogous  
views of heaven are found in each       
system4  #ach4 ,a third heaven is spoken
 of in each system4  #aci4 ,all sin must
 be punished according to the bible     
teachings of each4  #adj4 ,each has a   
hell provided for the wicked4  #ada4    
,both teach a hell of darkness and a    
hell of light4  #adb4 ,an immortal worm 
finds employment in the hell of each    
system 7the worm that dieth not47  #adc4
 ,the arch-demon of the under world uses
 brimstone for fuel in one case1 and oil
 in the other4  #add4 ,the motive for   
future punishment is in both cases the  
same4  #ade4 ,each has a purgatory or   
sort of half-way house4  #adf4 ,special 

divine judgments on nations are taught  
by each4  #adg4 ,a great and final day  
of judgment is taught by each4  #adh4 ,a
 general resurrection also is taught in 
each religion4  #adi4 ,that there is a  
,judge of the dead is a doctrine of     
each4  #aej4 ,two witnesses are to      
report on human actions in the final    
assizes4  #aea4 ,we are furnished in    
each case with the dimension of heaven  
or the holy city4  #aeb4 ,man is        
enjoined to strive against temptation to
 sin by each4  #aec4 ,and repentance for
 sin is a doctrine taught by the bible  
of each4  #aed4 ,each has a prepared    
city for a paradise4  #aee4 ,the bibles 
of both teach that we have no continuing
 city here4  #aef4 ,souls are carried to
 heaven by angels1 as in the instance of
 ,lazarus1 in each case4  #aeg4 ,a      
belief in angels or spirits is a tenant 
of each religion4  #aeh4 ,the doctrine  
of fallen or evil angels is found in    
both system4  #aei4 ,obsession by wicked
 or evil spirits is taught by each4     

#afj4 ,both teach that sickness or      
disease is caused by evil spirits4      
#afa4 ,each has a king-devil or         
arch-demon with a posse of subalterns or
 evil spirits4  #afb4 ,both bibles      
record the story of a hellaballoo or war
 in heaven4  #afc4 ,both teach that an  
evil man can neither do nor speak a good
 thing4  #afd4 ,both teach that sin is a
 disadvantage in the present life as    
well as in the future4  #afe4 ,the      
doctrine of free will or free agency is 
taught by each4  #aff4 ,predestination  
seems to be inferentially taught by     
each4  #afg4 ,in each case man is a     
prize in a lottery1 with ,god and the   
devil for ticket-holders4  #afh4 ,both  
make the devil 7or devils7 a scape-goat 
for sin4  #afi4 ,both teach the devil or
 evil spirits as the primary cause of   
all evil4  #agj4 ,the destiny of both   
body and soul is pointed out by each4   
#aga4 ,the true believers are known as  
saints under both systems4  #agb4       
,saints with white robes are spoken of  

by each4  #agc4 ,both specify the ,word 
of ,logos as ,god4  #agd4 ,wisdom1 too1 
is personified as ,god by the holy      
,scriptures of each4  #age4 ,both teach 
that ,god may be known by his works4    
#agf4 ,the doctrine of one supreme ,god 
is taught in each bible4  #agg4 ,light  
and truth are important words in the    
religious nomenclature of each4  #agh4  
,both profess a high veneration for     
truth4  #agi4 ,where the treasure is1   
there is the heart also1 is taught by   
each4  #ahj4 ,seek and ye shall find is 
a condition prescribed by each4  #aha4  
,religious toleration is a virtue       
professed by both4  #ahb4 ,all nations  
are professedly based on an equality by 
each4  #ahc4 ,both1 however1 enjoin     
partiality to the household of faith4   
#ahd4 ,the doors of salvation are thrown
 open to high and low1 rich and poor1 by
 each4  #ahe4 ,each professes to have   
the only true and saving faith4  #ahf4  
,there is a mystery in the mission of   
each ,savior4  #ahg4 ,rama is a well    

known word in the bible of each4  #ahh4 
,the understanding of the wise is a     
phrase in each4  #ahi4 ,both speak      
figuratively of the blind leading the   
blind4  #aij4 ,a new heaven and a new   
earth is spoken of by each4  #aia4 ,the 
doctrine of a ,trinity in the ,godhead  
is taught by each4  #aib4 ,baptism by   
water is a tenant and ordinance of each4
  #aic4 ,living water is a metaphor     
found in each4  #aid4 ,baptism by fire  
seems also to be recognized by each4    
#aie4 ,fasting is emphatically enjoined 
by each4  #aif4 ,sacrifices are of      
secondary importance in each system1 and
 are partially or wholly abandoned by   
each4  #aig4 ,the higher law is         
paramount to ceremonies in each         
religion4  #aih4 ,the bible of each     
religion literally condemns idolatry4   
#aii4 ,both also make concessions to    
idolatry4  #bjj4 ,polygamy is not       
literally encouraged nor openly         
condemned by either4  #bja4 ,the power  
to forgive sins is conferred on the     

disciples of each4  #bjb4 ,the doctrine 
of blasphemy is recognized by each4     
#bjc4 ,pantheism1 or the reciprocal     
in-being of ,god in nature and nature in
 ,god1 is taught by both4   ,,iii4      
,,bibles ,,and ,,holy ,,scriptures4     
#bjd4 ,each has a bible which is the    
idolized fountain of all religious      
teaching4  #bje4 ,both have an ,old     
,testament and a ,new ,testament1       
virtually4  #bjf4 ,the ,new ,testament  
inaugurates a new and reform system of  
religion in each case4  #bjg4 ,all      
,scripture is given by inspiration of   
,god is the faith of the disciples of   
each4  #bjh4 ,each system claimed to    
have its inspired men to write its      
scriptures4  #bji4 ,both hold a         
spiritual qualification necessary to    
understand their bibles4  #baj4 ,it is a
 sin to become wise beyond what is      
written in their respective bibles4     
#baa4 ,both recommend knowing the       
,scriptures in youth4  #bab4 ,alteration
 of their respective bibles is divinely 

interdicted4  #bac4 ,the bible is an    
infallible rule of faith and practice in
 both cases4  #bad4 ,all scripture is   
profitable for doctrine is the faith of 
each4  #bae4 ,both explain away the     
errors of their bibles4   ,,iv4         
,,spirituality ,,of ,,the ,,two         
,,religions4  #baf4 ,the religion of    
,chrishna is pre-eminently spiritual no 
less than ,christ's4  #bag4 ,both teach 
that to be carnally minded is death4    
#bah4 ,external rites are practically   
dispensed with in each religion4  #bai4 
,the spiritual law written on the heart 
is recognized by each4  #bbj4 ,god is   
within you1 ,budhists teach as well as  
,christians4  #bba4 ,both recognize an  
invisible spiritual ,savior4  #bbb4 ,god
 dwells in the heart1 say ,hindoo as    
well as ,christians4  #bbc ,an inward   
recognition of the divine law is amply  
seen in both4  #bbd4 ,both confess      
allegiance to an inward monitor4  #bbe4 
,the doctrine of inspiration and        
internal illumination is found in both4 

#bbf4 ,the indwelling ,comforter is     
believed in by both4  #bbg4 ,both also  
teach that religion is an inward work4  
#bbh4 ,both speak of being born         
again--i4 e41 the second birth4  #bbi4  
,a spiritual body is also believed in by
 both4  #bcj4 ,spiritual things are     
incomprehensible to the natural man say 
each4  #bca4 ,god's spiritually         
sustaining power ,budhists also         
acknowledge4  #bcb4 ,both give a        
spiritual interpretation to their       
bibles4  #bcc4 ,each has a new and more 
interior law superseding the old law4   
#bcd4 ,the spiritual cross--self-denial 
or asceticism--is a prominent feature of
 each religion4  #bce4 ,the duty of     
renouncing and abandoning the external  
world is solemnly enjoined by each4     
#bcf4 ,budhists renounce the world more 
practically than ,christians4  #bcg4    
,withdrawal or seclusion from society is
 recommended by each4  #bch4 ,bodily    
suffering as a benefit to the soul is   
encouraged by each4  #bci4 ,voluntary   

suffering for righteousness' sake is a  
virtue with each4  #bdj4 ,the cross is a
 religious emblem in each system4  #bda4
 ,both glory in the religion of the     
cross as better than a religion without 
suffering4  #bdb4 ,hence both teach the 
greater the cross the greater the crown4
  #bdc4 ,earthly pleasures are regarded 
as evil by both4  #bdd4 ,contempt for   
the body as an enemy to the soul is     
visible in both4  #bde4 ,retirement for 
religious contemplation is a duty with  
each4  #bdf4 ,the forsaking of relations
 is also enjoined by each4  #bdg4       
,spiritual relationship is superior to  
external relationship with both4  #bdh4 
,to die is great gain we are taught by  
each4  #bdi4 ,a subjugation of the      
passions is a religious duty with each4 
#bej4 ,the road to heaven is a narrow   
one with each4  #bea4 ,the same state of
 religious perfection is aspired to by  
the disciples of each4   ,v4 ,,the      
,,doctrine ,,of ,,faith ,,or ,,belief4  
#beb4 ,faith is an all-important element

 and doctrine with each4  #bec4 ,heresy1
 or want of faith1 is a sin of great    
magnitude with both4  #bed4 ,faith in   
the ,savior is a condition to salvation 
by both4  #bee4 ,confessing the ,savior 
is also required in both cases4  #bef4  
,believe or be damned is the condition  
or profess to believe the terrible sine 
qua non to salvation by each4  #beg4    
,skeptics or unbelievers are with both  
the chief of sinners4  #beh4 ,faith can 
remove mountains1 either with a         
,bud-hist or a ,christian4  #bei4 ,both 
contrast faith with works4  #bfj4 ,faith
 without works is dead--so teach both   
,bud-hists and ,christians4   ,,vi4     
,,the ,,doctrine ,,and ,,practice ,,of  
,,prayer4  #bfa4 ,prayer is an important
 rite in each religion4  #bfb4 ,private 
or secret prayer is recommended by both4
  #bfc4 ,each has also a formula of     
prayer4  #bfd4 ,pray without ceasing is 
a ,budhist as well as a ,christian      
injunction4  #bfe4 ,praying to their    
respective ,saviors in sickness and in  

health is a custom with both4  #bff4    
,the custom of praying for the dead is  
recognized in each system4   ,,vii4     
,,treatment ,,of ,,enemies4  #bfg4 ,it  
is a ,hindoo as well as a ,christian    
injunction to treat enemies kindly4     
#bfh4 ,passive submission to injuries   
and abuse is enjoined by both4  #bfi4   
,the holy ,scriptures of both require us
 to pray for enemies1 and feed them4    
#bgj4 ,and even love to enemies is a    
part of the spirit of each religion4    
,,viii4 ,,the ,,millennium4  #bga4      
,hindoos1 like ,christians1 prophesy of 
a great millennial era4  #bgb4 ,there is
 a remarkable similarity in their       
notions with respect to it4  #bgc4 ,both
 anticipate a second advent or new      
,savior on the occasion4  #bgd4 ,the    
destruction of the world also is to take
 place in both cases4  #bge4 ,and an    
entire renovation and a new order of    
things are to be established in each    
case4   ,,ix4 ,,miracles4  #bgf4 ,there 
is almost a constant display of         

miraculous power in each system4  #bgg4 
,the disciples of both are professedly  
endowed with this power4  #bgh4         
,miraculous cures of the lame1 the      
blind1 and the sick are reported in both
 cases4  #bgi4 ,miracles of handling    
poisonous reptiles with impunity are    
reported by both4  #bhj4 ,swallowing    
deadly poison is enjoined by ,christians
 and practiced by ,hindoos4  #bha4 ,many
 cases of the miraculous ejection of    
devils are reported by both4  #bhb4 ,the
 miracle of thought-reading is displayed
 by both4  #bhc4 ,the saints in both    
cases are reported as raising the dead4 
,x4 ,,precepts4  #bhd4 ,the kingdom of  
heaven was to be sought first of all    
things in each case4  #bhe4 ,love to    
,god is a paramount obligation under    
each system4  #bhf4 ,and the worship of 
,god is an essential requisition in each
 religious polity4  #bhg4 ,cease to do  
evil and learn to do well is virtually  
enjoined by each4  #bhh4 ,an inward     
knowledge of ,god is taught as essential

 by both systems4  #bhi4 ,a reliance on 
works is discouraged by both4  #bij4    
,purity of heart is inculcated by       
,hindoos as well as ,christians4  #bia4 
,speak and think evil of no man is a    
gospel injunction of each4  #bib4 ,a    
love of all beings is more prominently  
the spirit of ,budhism than that of     
,christianity4  #bic4 ,the practice of  
strict godly virtue is enjoined by both4
  #bid4 ,moderation and temperance are  
recommended by both4  #bie4 ,patience is
 a virtue in each religion4  #bif4 ,the 
duty of controlling our thoughts is     
taught by each4  #big4 ,charity has a   
high appreciation by each4  #bih4 ,both 
make the poor objects of attention4     
#bii4 ,the practice of hospitality is   
recommended by each4  #cjj4 ,humility is
 a duty and a virtue under both systems4
  #cja4 ,mirthfulness or light          
conversation is forbidden by each4      
#cjb4 ,purity of life is a duty with    
,hindoos as well as ,christians4  #cjc4 
,chasteness in conversation is          

inculcated by both4  #cjd4 ,respect to  
persons is a sin in the moral polity of 
both4  #cje4 ,alms-giving is religiously
 enjoined by the holy ,scriptures of    
both4  #cjf4 ,both teach that it is     
better to give than to receive4  #cjg4  
,loyalty to rulers is a moral           
requisition of each system4  #cjh4      
,honor to father and mother is esteemed 
a great virtue by both4  #cji4 ,the     
correct training of children is with    
each a scriptural duty4  #caj4 ,look not
 upon a woman is more than hinted by    
each4  #caa4 ,the reading of the holy   
,scriptures is enjoined by both4  #cab4 
,lying or falsehood is with each a sin  
of great magnitude4  #cac4 ,swearing is 
discountenanced by both religions4      
#cad4 ,theft or stealing is specially   
condemned by both4  #cae4 ,both         
deprecate and condemn the practice of   
war4  #caf4 ,both discountenance        
fighting4  #cag4 ,neither of them       
professes to believe in slavery4  #cah4 
,drunkenness and the use of wine are    

more specifically condemned by the      
,hindoo religion4  #cai4 ,adultery and  
fornication are heinous sins in the eyes
 of both4  #cbj4 ,both condemn          
covetousness as a great sin4  #cba4     
,budhists more practically condemn anger
 than ,christians do4   ,,xi4           
,,miscellaneous ,,analogies4  #cbb4     
,both have their apocryphal as well as  
their canonical ,scriptures4  #cbc4     
,stories are found in the bible of each 
which would be rejected if found        
elsewhere4  #cbd4 ,both make their bible
 a finality in matters of faith4  #cbe4 
,both have had their councils and       
commentaries to reveal theis bibles over
 again4  #cbf4 ,numerous schisms1       
divisions1 sects1 and creeds have sprung
 up in each4  #cbg4 ,various religious  
reforms have sprung up under each4      
#cbh4 ,conversion from one religious    
sect to another is common to both4      
#cbi4 ,both religions have been troubled
 with numerous skeptics or infidels4    
#ccj4 ,both have often resorted to new  

interpretations for their bibles to suit
 the times4  #cca4 ,the unconverted are 
stigmatized by each4  #ccb4 ,knock and  
it shall be opened is the invitation of 
each4  #ccc4 ,public confession of sins 
in class-meetings is known to each4     
#ccd4 ,death-bed repentance often       
witnessed under both religious systems4 
#cce4 ,a belief in haunted houses       
incident to the religious countries of  
both4  #ccf4 ,a superior respect for    
woman claimed by each4  #ccg4 ,an       
idolatrous veneration for religious     
ancestors by each4  #cch4 ,each sustain 
a numerous horde of expensive priests4  
#cci4 ,a divine call or illumination to 
preach claimed by each4  #cdj4          
,religious martyrdom the glory of each4 
#cda4 ,both have encountered perils by  
sea and land for their religion4  #cdb4 
,he who loseth his life 7for his        
religion7 shall find it1 say both4      
#cdc4 ,both in ancient times suffered   
much persecution4  #cdd4 ,the disciples 
of both have suffered death without     

flinching from the faith4  #cde4 ,each  
sent numerous missionaries abroad to    
preach and convert4  #cdf4 ,and1        
finally1 each cherished the hope of     
converting the world to their religion4 
,the author has in his possession       
historical quotations to prove the truth
 of each one of the above parallels4 ,he
 has all the historical facts on which  
they were constructed found in and drawn
 from the sacred books of the ,hindoo   
religion and the works of ,christian    
writers descriptive of their religion4  
,but they would swell the present volume
 to unwieldy dimensions1 and far beyond 
its proper and prescribed limits1 to    
present them here2 they are therefore   
reserved for the second volume1 and may 
be published in pamphlet form also4  ,in
 proof of the correctness of the        
foregoing comparative analogies1 we will
 now summon the testimony of various    
authors setting forth the historical    
character of the ,hindoo ,god ,chrishna1
 and the essential nature of his        

religion1 so far as it approximates in  
its doctrines and moral teachings to the
 ,christian religion4 ,we will first    
hear from ,colonel ,wiseman1 for ten    
years a ,christian missionary in ,india4
  ,there is one ,indian 7,hindoo7 legend
 of considerable importance says this   
writer444 ,this is the story of         
,chrishna1 the ,indian ,apollo4 ,in     
native legends he is represented as an  
,avatar1 or incarnation of the          
,divinity4 ,at his birth1 choirs of     
,devitas 7angels7 sung hymns of praise1 
while shepherds surrounded his cradle4  
,it was necessary to conceal his birth  
from the tyrant ruler1 ,cansa1 to whom  
it had been foretold that the infant    
,savior should destroy him4 ,the child  
escaped with his parents beyond the     
coast of ,lamouna4 ,for a time he lived 
in obscurity1 and then commenced a      
public life distinguished for prowess   
and beneficence4 ,he washed the feet of 
the ,brahmins1 and preached the most    
excellent doctrines2 but at length the  

power of his enemies prevailed4444      
,before dying1 he foretold the miseries 
which would take place in the           
,cali-yuga1 or wicked age 7,dark ,age7  
of the world4  ,chrishna 7says another  
writer7 taught his followers that they  
alone were the true believers of the    
saving faith2 throwing down the barriers
 of caste1 and elevating the dogmas of  
their faith above the sacerdotal class1 
he admitted every one who felt an inward
 desire to the ministry to the preaching
 of their religion4 ,a system thus      
associating itself with the habits1     
feelings1 and personal advantages of its
 disciples could not fail to make rapid 
progress4 7,upham's ,history4 ,doctrines
 of ,budhism47  ,budhism inculcates     
benevolence1 tenderness1 forgiveness of 
injuries1 and love of enemies2 and      
forbids sensuality1 love of pleasure1   
and attachment to worldly objects4      
7,judson74  ,at the moment of his       
7,chrishna's7 conception a ,god left    
heaven to enter the womb of his mother  

7a virgin74 ,immediately after his birth
 he was recognized as a divine          
personage1 and it was predicted that he 
would surpass all previous divine       
incarnations in holiness4 ,every one    
adored him1 saluting him as 'the ,god of
 ,gods4' ,when twenty years of age he   
went into a desert1 and lived there in  
the austerest retirement1 poverty1      
simplicity1 and virtue1 spending his    
whole time in religious contemplation4  
,he was tempted in various ways1 but his
 self-denial resisted all the seductive 
approaches of sin4 ,he declared1        
',religion is my essence4' ,he          
experienced a lively opposition from the
 priests attached to the ancient creeds 
7as ,christ subsequently did74 ,but he  
triumphed over all his enemies after    
holding a discussion with them 7as      
,christ did with the doctors in the     
,temple74 ,he revised the existing code 
of morals and the social law4 ,he       
reduced the main principles of morality 
to four1 viz3 mercy1 aversion to        

cruelty1 unbounded sympathy for all     
animated beings and the strictest       
adherence to the moral law4 ,he also    
gave a decalogue of commandments1 viz43 
#a4 ,not to kill4 #b4 ,not to steal4 #c4
 ,to be chaste4 #d4 ,not to testify     
falsely4 #e4 ,not to lie4 #f4 ,not to   
swear4 #g4 ,to avoid all impure words4  
#h4 ,to be disinterested4 #i4 ,not to   
take revenge4 #aj4 ,and not to be       
superstitious4 ,this code of morals was 
firmly established in the hearts of his 
followers4 7,abridged from ,hardy's     
,manual of ,budhism47  ,it was          
prophesied in olden times that a person 
would arise and redeem ,hindostan from  
'the yoke of bondage4' ,at midnight1    
when the birth of ,chrishna was taking  
place1 the clouds emitted low music1 and
 poured down a rain of flowers4 ,the    
celestial child was greeted with hymns  
by attending spirits4  ,the room was    
illuminated by his light1 and the       
countenances of his father and mother   
emitted rays of glory1 and they bowed in

 worship4' ',the people believed he was 
a ,god4' ,they eagerly caught the words 
which fell from his lips1 which taught  
his divine mission1 and they called him 
the ',holy ,one1' and finally the       
',living ,god4' ,he performed miraculous
 cures4 ,at his birth a marvelous light 
illumined the earth4 ,his followers     
baptised1 and performed miraculous      
cures4 ,and he1 when a child1 attracted 
attention by his miracles4 ,while       
attending the herds with his            
foster-father a great serpent poisoned  
the river1 which caused the death of    
cows and shepherd-boys when they drank  
of it1 whom ,chrishna restored to life  
by a look of divine power4 ,his life was
 devoted to mercy and charity4 ,he left 
paradise from pure compassion1 to die   
for suffering sinners4 ,he sought to    
lead men to better paths and lives of   
virtue and rectitude4 ,he suffered to   
atone for the sins of the world2 and the
 sinner1 through faith in him1 can be   
saved4 ,christ and ,chrishna both taught

 the equality of man4 ,prayers addressed
 to ,chrishna were after this fashion3  
',o thou ,supreme ,one6 thy essence is  
inscrutable4 ,thou art all in all4 ,the 
understanding of man cannot reach thy   
,almighty ,power4 ,i1 who know nothing1 
fly to thee for protection4 ,show mercy 
unto me1 and enable me to see and know  
thee4' ,chrishna replies1 ',have faith  
in me4 ,no one who worships me can      
perish4 ,address thyself to me as the   
only asylum4 ,i will deliver thee from  
sin4 ,i am animated with equal          
benevolence toward all beings4 ,i know  
neither hatred nor partiality4 ,those   
who adore me devoutly are in me and ,i  
in them'--,christ within you the hope of
 glory4 7,abridged from ,mr4 ,tuttle47  
,if we consider that ,budhism proclaimed
 the equality of all men and women in   
the sight of ,god1 that it denounced the
 impious pretensions of the most        
mischievous priesthood the world ever   
saw1 and that it inculcated a pure      
system of practical morality1 we must   

admit that the innovation was as        
advantageous as it was extensively      
spread and adopted4 7,hue's ,journey    
through ,china1 chap4 v47  ,to ,chrishna
 the ,hindoos were indebted for a code  
of pure and practical morality1 which   
inculcated charity and chastity1        
performance of good works1 abstinence   
from evil1 and general kindness to all  
living things4 7,cunningham47  ,budhism 
never confounds right or wrong1 and     
never excuses any sin 7,catharine       
,beecher47  ,he 7,chrishna7 honored     
humanity by his virtues4 7,st ,hilaire47
  ,it is probable that every incident in
 his 7,chrisna's7 life is founded in    
fact1 which1 if separated from          
surrounding fable1 would afford a       
history that would scarce have any equal
 in the importance of the lessons it    
would teach4 7,hardy's ,manual of       
,budhism47  ,he 7,chrishna7 undertakes  
and counsels a constant struggle against
 the body4 ,in his eyes the body is the 
enemy of man's soul 7as ,paul thought   

when he spoke of 'our vile bodies4'7 ,he
 aims to subdue the body and the burning
 passions which consume it4444 ,he      
requires humility1 disregard of wordly  
wealth1 patience and resignation in     
adversity1 love to enemies1 religious   
tolerance1 horror at falsehood1         
avoidance of frivolous conversation1    
consideration and esteem for women1     
sanctity of the marriage relation1      
non-resistance to evil1 confession of   
sins1 and conversion4 7,st4 ,hilaire47  
,budhism has been called the            
,christianity of the ,east4 7,abel      
,remuset47  ,the doctrine and practical 
piety of their bible 7the ,baghavat     
,gita7 bear a strong resemblance to     
those of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,it has 
scarcely a precept or principle that is 
not found in the 7,christian7 bible4    
,and were the people to live up to its  
principles of peace and love1 oppression
 and injury would be known no more      
within their borders444 ,it has no      
mythology of obscene and ferocious      

deities1 no sanguinary or impure        
observances1 no self-inflicting         
tortures1 no tyrannizing priesthood1 no 
confounding of right and wrong by making
 certain iniquities laudable in worship4
 ,in its moral code1 its description of 
the purity and peace of the first ages1 
and the shortening of man's life by sin1
 it seems to follow genuine traditions4 
,in almost every respect it seems to be 
the best religion ever invented by man4 
7,rev4 ,h4 ,malcom's ,travels in ,asia47
  ,if the morality of ,budhism be       
examined1 its exhortations to guard the 
will1 to curb the thoughts1 to exercise 
kindness towards others1 to abstain from
 wrong to all1 it propounds a very high 
standard of practice4 7,upham's         
,doctrines and ,history of ,budhism47   
,it seeks the highest triumphants of    
humanity in the exercise of devotion1   
self-contemplation1 and self-denial4    
7,theogony of the ,hindoos1 by          
,bjornsjerma47  ,and the doctrines of   
,budhism are not alone in the beauty of 

their sentiments and the excellence of  
much of their morality4 ',it is not     
permitted to you to return evil for     
evil' is one of the sentiments of       
,socrates4 7,rev4 ,h4 ,s4 ,hardy's      
,eastern ,monachism47  ,budhism insists 
on the necessity of taking the          
intellectual faculties for guides in    
philosophical researches4 7,tiberghien47
  ,it sought to wean mankind from the   
pleasures and vanities of life by       
pointing to the transitoriness of all   
human enjoyment4 7,smith's ,mongolia47  
,the principal characteristics of       
,budhism are the doctrines of mildness  
and the universal brotherhood of man4   
7,ibid47  ,life is a state of probation 
and misery1 according to ,budhism4      
7,upham1 chap4 vi47  ,the ,brahmins     
found fault with him 7,chrishna7 for    
receiving as disciples the outcasts of  
,hindoo society 7as the ,jews did       
,christ for fellowshipping publicans and
 sinners74 ,but he 7,chrishna7 replied1 
',my law is a law of mercy to all4'     

7,hue's ,voyages through ,china47       
,budhism attracted and furnished        
consolation for the poor and            
unfortunate4 7,ibid47  ,budhism is a    
rationalistic and reform system as      
compared with ,brahminism4 ,landresse   
expresses his high admiration of the    
heroism with which the ,budhist         
missionaries before ,christ crossed     
streams and seas which had arrested     
armies1 and traversed deserts and       
mountains upon which no caravans dared  
to venture1 and braved dangers and      
surmounted obstacles which had defied   
the omnipotence of the emperors4 7,a    
note on ,landresse's ,foe ,koui ,ki47   
,if we addressed a ,mogul or ,thibetan  
this question1 ,who is ,chrishna8 the   
reply was1 instantly1 ',the ,savior of  
men4' 7,hue's ,journey through ,china47 
,chrishna1 the incarnate ,deity of the  
,sanscrit romance continues to this hour
 the darling ,god of the women of       
,india4444 ,chrishna was the person of  
,vishnu 7,god7 himself in the human     

form4 7,asiat4 ,researches1 #bfj74      
,respectable natives told me that some  
of the missionaries had told them that  
they were even now almost ,christians   
7owing to the two religions being so    
nearly alike74 7,ibid74  ,all that      
converting the ,hindoos to ,christianity
 does for them is to change the object  
of their worship from ,chrishna to      
,christ4 7,robert ,cheyne47  ,brahminism
 or ,budhism in some of its forms is    
said to constitute the religion of      
considerably more than half the human   
race4 ,it teaches the existence of one  
supreme eternal1 and uncreated ,god1    
called ,brahma1 who created the world   
through ,chrishna1 the second member of 
the ,trinity4 ,paul says1 ,god created  
the world through ,jesus ,christ1 the   
second member of the ,christian         
,trinity4 7,eph4 iii4 #i47 ,how striking
 the resemblance6 ,the doctrine of the  
incarnation1 the descent of the ,deity  
upon earth1 and his manifestation in a  
human form for the redemption of        

mankind1 seems to have existed in the   
shape of prophecy or fact in all ages of
 the world4 ,hindooism teaches nine of  
these incarnations4 ,furthermore1 it    
teaches the doctrine of the ,trinity1   
the fall and redemption of man1 and a   
state of future rewards and punishments 
in a future life4444 ,this religion in  
chief of ,asia is traceable to remote   
ages4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity is  
represented in the ,elephantine cavern1 
and taught in the ,mahabarat1 which goes
 back for its origin nearly two thousand
 years before ,christ4 7,new ,york      
,sunday ,despatch1 #ahee47  ,in the year
 #cfjj1 ,chrishna descended to the earth
 for the purpose of defeating the evil  
machinations of ,chivan 7the devil71 as 
,christ 'came to destroy the devil and  
his works4' 7,see ,john iii4 #h47 ,after
 a fierce combat with the devil1 or     
serpent1 he defeated him by bruising his
 head--he receiving1 during the contest1
 a wound in the heel4 7',it the serpent 
shall bruise thy head1 and thou shalt   

bruise his heel4'--,gen4 iii4 #ae47 ,he 
died at last between two thieves4444 ,he
 lead a pure and holy life1 and was a   
meek1 tender1 and benevolent being1 and 
enjoined charity1 hospitality1 and      
mercy1 and forbade lying1 prevarication1
 hypocrisy1 and overreaching in dealing1
 and pilfering1 and theft1 and violence 
toward any being4 7,lecture before the  
,free ,press ,association in #ahbg47    
,the birthplace of the ,hindoo hero     
7,chrishna7 is called ,mathura1 which is
 easily changed1 and by correct         
translation becomes ,maturea1 the place 
where ,christ is said to have stopped1  
between ,nazareth and ,egypt444 ,to show
 his humility he washed the feet of the 
,brahmins 7as ,christ is said to have   
washed the feet of the ,jews--see ,john 
xiii4 #ad74 ,one day a woman came to him
 and anointed his hair with oil1 in     
return for which he healed her maladies4
 ,one of his first miracles was that of 
healing a leper1 like ,christ 7,see     
,mark i4 #d74 ,finally1 he was          

crucified1 then descended to ,hades4    
7,it is said of ,christ1 'his soul was  
not left in hell4'--,acts ii4 #ca47 ,he 
7,chrishna7 rose from the dead and      
ascended to ,voicontha 7heaven47        
7,higgin's ,anacalypsis1 vol4 ii4 p4    
#bci74  ,now1 we ask1 is it any wonder1 
in view of the foregoing historical     
exposition1 that ,eusebius should       
exclaim1 ,the religion of ,jesus ,christ
 is neither new nor strange8 7,eccl4    
,hist4 ch4 iv47 ,truly did ,st4         
,augustine say1 ,this1 in our day1 is   
the ,christian religion1 not as having  
been unknown in former times1 but as    
having recently received that name4     
,here1 then1 we pause to ask our good   
,christian reader1 ,where is your       
original ,christianity now8 or what     
constitutes the revealed religion of    
,jesus ,christ8 or where is the evidence
 that any new religion was revealed by  
him or preached by him1 seeing we have  
all his religion1 as shown by the       
foregoing historical citations1 included

 in an old heathen system more than a   
thousand years old when ,jesus ,christ  
was born8 ,we find it all here in this  
old oriental system of ,budhism--every  
essential part1 particle and principle  
of it4 ,we find ,christianity all       
here--its ,alpha and ,omega1 its        
beginning and end4 ,we find it here in  
all its details1--its root1 essence1 and
 entity1--all its revealed doctrines1   
religious ideas1 beautiful truths1      
senseless dogmas and oriental phantoms4 
,not1 a doctrine1 principle1 or precept 
of the ,christian system1 but that is   
here proclaimed to the world ages before
 the angels announced the birth of a    
divine babe in ,bethlehem4 ,will you1   
then1 persist in claiming that truth1   
life1 and immortality came by ,jesus    
,christ1 and that ,christ came to preach
 a new gospel to the world1 and to set  
forth a new religion never before heard 
amongst men 7to use the language of     
,archbishop ,tillotson71 when the       
historical facts cited in this work     

demonstrate a hundred times over that   
such a position is palpably erroneous8  
,will you still persist1 with all those 
undeniable facts staring you in the face
 7proving and reproving1 with           
overwhelming demonstration1 that the    
statement is untrue71 in declaring that 
the religion of ,jesus ,christ is the   
only true and soul-saving religion1 and 
all other systems are mere straw1       
stubble1 tradition1 and superstition 7as
 asserted by a popular ,christian       
writer71 when no mathematician ever     
demonstrated a scientific problem more  
clearly than we have proved in these    
pages that all the principle systems of 
the past1 by no means excepting         
,christianity1 are essentially alike in 
every important particular--all of their
 cardinal doctrines being the same1     
differing only in unimportant details8  
,seeing1 then1 that all systems of      
religion have been found to be          
essentially alike in spirit and in      
practice1 the all-important question    

arises here1 ,what is the true cause    
assignable for this striking            
resemblance8 ,how is it to be accounted 
for8 ,perhaps some of our good          
,christian readers1 unacquainted with   
history1 may cherish the thought that   
all the oriental systems brought to     
notice are but imitations of            
,christianity2 that they were           
reconstructed out of materials obtained 
from that source2 that ,christianity is 
the parent1 and they the off-spring4    
,but1 alas for their long-cherished     
idol1 those who entertain such forlorn  
hopes are sowing to the wind1 and are   
doomed to disappointment4 ,with the     
exception of ,mahomedanism alone1       
,christianity is the youngest system in 
the whole catalogue4 ,the historical    
facts to prove this statement are       
voluminous4 ,but as it needs no proof to
 those who have read religious history1 
but little space will be occupied with  
citations for this purpose4 ,with       
respect to the antiquity of the         

principal oriental system1 we need only 
to quote the testimony of ,sir ,william 
,jones1 a devout ,christian writer1 who 
spent years in ,india1 and whose        
testimony will be accepted by any person
 acquainted with his history4 ,he makes 
the emphatic declaration1 ,that the name
 of ,chrishna1 and the general outline  
of his history1 were long anterior to   
the birth of our ,savior1 and probably  
to the time of ,homer 7#ijj b4 ,c47 we  
know very certainly4 7,asiat4 ,res4 vol4
 i4 p4 #bed47 ,no guess-work about it4  
,we know very certainly4  ,and being a  
scholar1 a traveler1 and a sojourner    
among the ,hindoos1 and well versed in  
their history1 no person ever had a     
better opportunity to know than he4 ,we 
will hear this renowned author further4 
,in the ,sanscrit dictionary1 compiled  
more than two thousand years ago1 we    
have the whole history of the incarnate 
deity 7,chrishna71 born of a virgin1 and
 miraculously escaping in his infancy   
from the reigning tyrant of his country 

7,cansa74 ,he passed a life of the most 
extraordinary and incomprehensible      
devotion4 ,his birth was concealed from 
the tyrant ,cansa1 to whom it had been  
predicted that one born at that time1   
and in that family1 would destroy him2  
i4 e41 destroy his power4 7,asiat4 ,res4
 vol4 i4 p4 #bgc47 ,this writer also    
states that the first ,christian        
missionaries who entered ,india were    
astonished to find there a religion so  
near like their own1 and could only     
account for it by supposing that the    
devil1 foreseeing the advent of ,christ1
 originated a system of religion in     
advance of his1 and just like it4       
,stated in other words1 he got out the  
second edition of the gospel plan of    
salvation before the first edition was  
published or had an existence4 ,rather a
 smart trick this1 thus to outwit ,god  
,almighty4  ,with respect to the vast   
antiquity of the ,hindoo oriental       
religion1 which indicates it as being   
not only the source from which the      

materials of the ,christian religion    
were drawn1 but as being the parent of  
all the leading systems1 with their     
three thousand subordinate branches     
which existed at a much earlier period  
than ,christianity1 we need only point  
to the deep chiseled sculptures and     
imperishable monuments enstamped on     
their time-honored temples1 tombs1      
altars1 vases1 columns1 pagodas1 ruined 
towers1 c41 which1 with contemporary    
inscriptions1 warrant us in antedating  
the religion of the ,himmalehas far     
beyond the authentic records of any     
other religion that has floated down to 
us on the stream of time4 ,the numerous 
images of their crucified ,gods1        
,chrishna and ,saki1 emblazoned on their
 old rock temples in various parts of   
the country1 some of which are          
constructed of clay porphyry1 now the   
very hardest species of rock1 with their
 attendant inscriptions in a language so
 very ancient as to be lost to the      
memory of man1 vie with the ,sanscrit in

 age1 the oldest deciphered language in 
the world4  ,all these and a hundred    
corroboratory historical facts fix on   
,india as being the birthplace of the   
mother of all religions now existing1 or
 that ever had an existence1 while the  
great workshop in which they were       
subsequently remodeled was in           
,alexandria in ,egypt1 whose theological
 schools furnished the model for nearly 
every system now found noticed on the   
page of history--,christianity of course
 included4 ,so much for the unrivaled   
antiquity of the ,hindoo religion4 ,now1
 the more important query arises1 ,what 
relationship does ancient heathen or    
,hindoo ,budhism bear to ,christianity8 
,what is the evidence that the latter is
 an outgrowth of the former8 ,as an     
answer to this question1 the reader will
 please note the following facts of     
history3--  #a4 ,alexandria1 the home of
 the world's great conqueror1 was at one
 period of time the great focal center  
for religious speculation and           

propagandism1 the great emporium for    
religious dogmas throughout the ,east1  
and a place of resort for the disciples 
of nearly every system of religious     
faith then existing4  #b4 ,in this      
capital city1 comprising about five     
hundred thousand inhabitants1 were      
established a voluminous library1 and   
vast theological schools1 in which men  
of every religious order1 and of every  
phase of faith1 met and exchanged       
religious ideas1 and borrowed new       
doctrines1 with which they remodeled    
their former systems of faith1 amounting
 in some cases to an entire change of   
their long-established creeds4  #c4 ,in 
these theological schools the ,jewish   
sect1 which afterward became the        
founders of ,christianity1 were         
extensively represented2 for1 let it be 
noted1 its first disciples and founders 
had all been ,jews1 probably of the     
,essene sect4 ,for a long time the      
,christians were but a ,jewish sect1    
says ,m4 ,reuss' ,history of ,christian 

,theology4 ,alexander had1 previous to  
this time 7that is1 about #ccj b4 c471  
subjected the whole of ,western ,asia to
 his dominions1 including1 of course1   
,the ,holy ,land--,judea4  #d4 ,by this 
act a large portion of the ,jewish      
nation were transferred from their own  
country to ,alexandria4 ,and this number
 was afterward vastly increased by      
,alexander's successor1 ,ptolemy ,sotor1
 who carried off and settled in that    
credal city one hundred thousand more   
,jews4  #e4 ,as the result1 in part1 of 
these repeated calamities1 the ,lord's  
chosen people were literally broken up4 
,they lost their law1 lost their leader 
and lawgiver1 lost their language1 lost 
the control of their country1 the       
,promised ,land which 7they verily      
believed7 the ,lord had deeded to them  
in fee simple1 and ratified in the high 
court of heaven1 and had declared they  
should hold and possess forever4 ,and   
finally they partially lost their       
nationality1 being literally dissolved  

and broken up2 and were finally almost  
lost to history--the ten tribes         
disappearing entirely4  #f4 ,the ,jews  
had ever manifested a proneness for     
copying after the religious customs of  
their heathen neighbors1 and engrafting 
their doctrines into their own creeds1  
as their bible history furnishes ample  
proof4  #g4 ,in ,alexandria a very      
superior opportunity was afforded for   
doing this1 excelling in this respect   
any previous period of their history4   
#h4 ,the shattered condition of their   
own religion1 with all its conventional 
creeds1 customs1 and ceremonies1 now    
suspended and literally prostrated1 as  
above shown1 vastly augmented the       
temptation ever rife with them to make  
another change in their religion1 and   
subject their creed to another          
installment of new doctrines1 by which  
it became ,christianity4  #i4 ,the      
liberal character and tolerant spirit of
 the political and religious            
institutions of the kingdom of          

,alexandria1 with its vast and          
attractive library of two hundred       
thousand volumes1 established           
principally by ,ptolemy ,phila-delphus1 
with other attractive features already  
pointed out1 furnished great facilities1
 as well as increased temptations to    
religious propagandists to absorb new   
theories1 and make new creeds out of the
 vast medley of religious doctrines and 
speculative dogmas preached and         
propagated in that royal city by the    
disciples and representatives of nearly 
every religious system then in          
existence1 brought together by the      
attractions above specified4  #aj4      
,hence every consideration would lead us
 to conclude1 taken in connection with  
the facts above stated1 and the         
well-known borrowing proclivity and     
imitative propensity of the ,jews1 that 
they would not1 and could not1 withstand
 the overweening and overpowering       
temptation to make another radical      
change in their religion by a new       

draught on the boundless reservoir of   
speculative ideas1 religious tenets1 and
 specious theories then glowing in the  
popular schools of ,alexandria4  #aa4   
,all the facts above enumerated would   
impel us to the conclusion that the     
,jews would--and every page of history  
touching the matter proves they         
did--make important changes in their    
religion by this contact with the       
oriental systems1 as they had repeatedly
 done before4 ,some of this proof we    
will here present1 to show how they     
originated ,christianity4  #ab4 ,the    
schools of ,alexandria says ,mr4        
,enfield1 a ,christian writer1 by       
pretending to teach sublime doctrines   
concerning ,god and divine things1      
enticed men of different countries and  
religions1 and among the rest the ,jews1
 to study its mysteries1 and incorporate
 them with their own4444 ,the ,jewish   
faith mixed with the ,pythagorean1 and  
afterward with the ,egyptian oriental   
theology 7that is1 they became ,essenes 

in the ,grecian school of ,pythagoras1  
who taught the doctrines of that        
religious order1 then ,bud-hists in the 
,egyptian schools of ,alexandria74 ,and 
finally1 with ,christ as their leader1  
who taught the doctrines of both schools
 7they being essentially alike71 they   
assumed the name of ,christian in honor 
of him1 and thus is ,christianity from  
,essene ,budhism4  #ac4 ,beers in his   
,history of the ,jews1 sustains the     
above statement by the declaration that 
the ,essenian ,jews fled to ,egypt at   
the time of the ,babylonian captivity1  
and there became acquainted with the    
,pythagorean philosophy1 and ingrafted  
it upon the religion of ,moses1 which   
would make them ,essenian ,budhists--for
 ,cunningham assures us that the        
doctrine of ,pythagoras were intensely  
,budhistic4 7,philsa4 ,topus1 chap4 x47 
#ad4 ,we will condense a few more       
historical testimonies relative to the  
entire change of the ,jewish faith1     
while in ,alexandria1 as well as on     

other occasions1 to show how easy and   
natural it was for that portion of the  
,jews who afterward became the founders 
of ,christianity to slide into and adopt
 ,essenian ,budhism1 whose doctrines    
they took to constitute the ,christian  
religion4  #ae4 ,mr4 ,gibbon 7chap4     
xxi47 declares that the theological     
opinions of the ,jews underwent great   
changes by their contact with the       
various foreigners they found in        
,alexandria4 ,mr4 ,tytler likewise1 in  
his ,universal ,history1 assures us that
 the ,jewish religion became totally    
changed by the intermixture of heathen  
doctrines4 ,dr4 ,campbell also testifies
 that their views came pretty much to   
coincide with those of the pagans4 7,see
 his ,dissertation1 vi47 ,and the author
 of ,the ,expositor for #ahed complains 
that the pagan theology stole upon them 
from every quarter1 and mingled in all  
the views of the then known tribes1 so  
that by the year #aej b4 c41 it had     
wrought visible changes in their notions

 and habits of thought4 7,p4 #dbc47     
,here we have the proof that the whole  
,jewish religion underwent a change in  
,alexandria4  #af4 ,now1 most1 certainly
 a nation or sect professing a religion 
so easily changed1 and possessing a     
character so fickle1 or so irrepressible
 as to yield on every slight occasion1  
and embrace every opportunity to imbibe 
new religious ideas and doctrines1 would
 easily1 if not naturally1 slide into   
the adoption of the religious system    
then promulgated in ,alexandria under   
the name of ,budhism1 and afterward     
remodeled or transformed1 and called    
,christianity4  #ag4 ,the ,jews of the  
,essenian order1 as we have in part     
shown in a previous chapter1 set forth  
in their creed all the leading doctrines
 now comprised in the ,christian        
religion hundreds of years before the   
advent of ,christ1 not excepting the    
doctrine of the divine incarnation and  
its adjuncts1 as these concomitants of  
the present popular faith1 we will now  

prove1 were not unknown to the ,jewish  
theology1 but constituted a part of the 
religion of some of the principal       
,jewish sects4 ,that standard ,christian
 author1 ,mr4 ,milman1 in his ,history  
of ,christianity1 tells us that the     
doctrine of the incarnation 7',god      
manifest in the flesh'7 was the doctrine
 from the ,ganges1 and even the shores  
of the ,yellow ,sea to the ,ilissus4 ,it
 was the fundamental principle of the   
,indian ,budhist religion and           
philosophy4 ,it was the basis of        
,zoroasterism4 ,it was pure ,platonism4 
,it was ,platonic ,judaism in the       
,alexandrian school4 ,here it is        
positively declared1 by a popular       
,christian writer1 whose work is a part 
of nearly every popular library in      
,christiandom as a standard authority1  
that the appearance of ,god amongst men 
in the human form1 by human birth1 was a
 doctrine of the ,jewish religion in    
some of its branches1 especially the    
,essenian branch--further proof that    

,christianity originated nothing1 and   
gave utterance to no new doctrine or    
precepts1 and performed no new miracles4
 ,where1 then1 is the claim for its     
originality8 ,on what ground is it      
predicated8 ,please answer us1 good     
,christian brother4  #ah4 ,it is a      
question of no importance1 if it could  
be settled1 whether ,christianity is a  
direct outgrowth from one of the        
new-fangled sects of ,judaism1 or       
whether it derived a portion of its     
doctrines from this source and the      
balance from ascetic ,budhism4 ,yet we  
regard it as an incontrovertible        
proposition that it all grew out of     
,budhism originally1 either directly or 
indirectly4  #ai4 ,christ may have      
received his doctrines secondhanded1 all
 or a portion from the ,essenian ,jews2 
for that sect held all the leading      
doctrines of ,budhism 7as we have shown 
in a previous chapter71 which now goes  
under the name of the religion of ,jesus
 ,christ4  #bj4 ,or we may indulge the  

not unreasonable hypothesis that the    
founders of ,christianity1 who          
republished the doctrines of ,budhism   
and adopted them as their own1 received 
them all direct from the disciples of   
that religious order2 for they were     
everywhere1 as one writer 7,mr4 ,taylor7
 declares1 speaking of their extensive  
travels to propagate their doctrines    
through the world4 ,and it was about    
that period1 as ,mr4 ,goodrich informs  
us1 they sent out nine hundred          
missionaries1 who made six millions of  
converts1--a small fraction of their    
present number 7three hundred and eighty
 millions1 as given by some of our      
geographies71--one third more than the  
entire census of ,christendom1 and six  
times the number of believers in the    
,christian religion1 if we omit ,greeks 
and ,catholics4 ,it is4 as a writer     
remarks1 the oldest and most widely     
spread religion in the world4 ,and1     
whatever hypothesis may be adduced to   
account for the fact1 ,christianity is  

now all ,budhism4  #ba4 ,it is          
impossible1 with the historic darkness  
which at present environs and beclouds  
our pathway1 to determine at what period
 or in what manner ,christ became an    
,essene1--whether he was born of        
,essenian parents1 or became a convert  
to the faith1--because the whole period 
of his life1 with the exception of about
 three years1 is a total blank in       
history4 ,there is but one incident     
related of his movements by his bible   
biographers prior to his twenty-seventh 
year1 leaving more than a quarter of a  
century of his probably active life     
unreported--a period that may have      
witnessed several important changes in  
his religion4 ,we have not even his     
ancestry reported in his scriptural     
biography1 in either parental line1     
unless we assume ,joseph to have been   
his father4 ,the parental lineage of his
 mother is entirely omitted ,had we his 
line of ancestry1 or could we trace him 
back to his national or family origin1  

we doubt not but we should there find a 
clue to the origin of his religion4 ,we 
should find his ancestors were ,essenian
 ,jews4  #bb4 ,nor can we fix the date  
when ,essenian ,budhism among the ,jews 
received the name of ,christianity for a
 similar reason4 ,there is a link--a    
chain of events of four hundred years   
left out of the bible between ,judaism  
and ,christianity--thus lacking four    
hundred years of connecting the two     
religions together1 or of showing how   
the latter grew out of the former4      
,malachi1 the last book of the ,old     
,testament1 antedates the first events  
of ,christian history four centuries1 or
 twelve generations1 thus leaving a wide
 and dark gap between them4 ,and        
besides1 we cannot find the name of     
,christ or ,christianity mentioned in   
any of the contemporary histories of    
that era till one hundred and four years
 after the time fixed for ,christ's     
birth by ,christendom2 ,tacitus being   
the first writer who names either1 and  

this was at that date4  #bc4 ,these     
facts disclose the whole secret with    
respect to the mystery and darkness     
thrown around the origin of the         
,christian religion--the how1 the when1 
and the where of its origin4 ,that      
chapter of ,christian history is left   
out of the record4 ,the bible account   
itself is but fragmentary1 as it leaves 
nine tenths of ,christ's history a      
blank1--twenty-seven years out of the   
thirty1--and omits all mention of his   
ancestors beyond his grandmother1 and   
leaves even the time of his birth a     
blank4 ,the researches of the learned1  
says ,mr4 ,mosheim 7a standard          
,christian author71 though long and ably
 conducted1 have been unable to fix the 
time of ,christ's birth with certainty4 
7,eccl4 ,hist4 p4 #bc47 ,wonderful      
admission1 truly1 as it is an evidence  
that nothing else can be fixed with     
certainty1 with respect to the history  
of the man ,christ ,jesus1 only that his
 doctrines and precepts were all        

borrowed perhaps during the twenty-seven
 dark and mysteries years of his life1  
if not an ,essene by birth4  #bd4 ,there
 is no escaping the conclusion that     
,christianity is a borrowed system--an  
outgrowth and remodeling of ,budhism1   
with a change of name only4 ,a thousand 
facts of history prove and proclaim it1 
and the verdict of posterity will be    
unanimous in affirming it4  #be4 ,from  
the almost endless chain of analogies1  
exhibiting a striking resemblance even  
in their minute details of ,christianity
 and ,budhism1 we are compelled to      
conclude that one furnished the         
materials for the other2 that one is the
 offspring--the legitimate child--of the
 other4 ,and as it is a settled         
historical fact that ,budhism is much   
the older system1 there is hence no     
difficulty in determining which is the  
parent and which is the child4  #bf4 ,in
 the ,hindoo story of the creation of   
the human race1 we find ,adimo and ,heva
 given as the names of the first man and

 woman answering to our ,adam and ,eve4 
,and our ,shem1 ,ham1 and ,japheth are  
traceable to their ,sherma1 ,hama1 and  
,jiapheta2 the difference in the mode of
 spelling is probably owing to the      
difference in the languages4 ,and under 
the new era we have ,christ ,jesus      
answering to their ,chrishna ,zeus1 as  
some writers give the name of the eighth
 ,avatar4 ,and for ,maia1 a godmother1  
we have ,mary4 ,and other similar       
analogies might be pointed out besides  
the long string of strikingly similar   
events previously presented in the      
history of the two ,saviors 7,christ and
 ,chrishna71 amounting to hundreds4     
#bg4 ,such an almost countless list of  
similar and nearly identical incidents  
bids defiance1 and absolutely sets at   
naught all attempts to account for it as
 a mere fortuitous accident4 ,there is  
no other explanation possible but that  
,christianity is a re-vamp or           
re-establishment of ,budhism4  #bh4     
,here let it be noted that ,christianity

 was not the only religion which was    
rehabilitated in the ,alexandrian       
schools4 ,on the contrary1 all the      
popular oriental systems then in active 
being had long previously passed through
 the same representative theological    
schools and creed-making institutions of
 that royal and commercial city4 ,all   
were remodeled in its theological       
workshops--a fact which accounts most   
conclusively for the same train of      
religions ideas and historical incidents
 being found in the later sacred books  
of each4 ,and besides1 ,sir ,william    
,jones says1 ,the disciples of these    
various systems of religion had         
intercourse with each other long before 
the time of ,christ1 which would        
necessarily bring about a uniformity in 
the doctrines and general character of  
each system4  #bi4 ,the disciples of all
 the religious systems cited their      
initiatory miracles as a proof of being 
on familiar terms with ,god ,almighty4  
,they all 7as is claimed7 healed the    

sick2 all restored the deaf1 the dumb1  
and the blind2 all cast out devils1 and 
all raised the dead4 7,see chapter on   
,parallels47 ,in fact1 all their        
miracles and legendary marvels run in   
parallel lines1 because all were recast 
in the same creed-mold in ,alexandria4  
,a coincidence is thus beautifully      
explained1 which would otherwise be hard
 to account for4  #cj4 ,mr4 ,gibbon     
says1 ,it was in the school of          
,alexandria that the ,christian theology
 appears to have assumed a regular and  
scientific form 7,decline1 c41 chap4    
xv472 that is1 the regular and          
scientific form of ,budhism or          
,essenism4  #ca4 ,pregnant with meaning 
is the text1 ,it was in the city of     
,antioch the disciples were first called
 ,christians4 7,acts xi4 #cf47 ,here is 
conclusive proof that the disciples of  
the ,christian faith were not always    
known by the same name1 and were not at 
first called ,christians4 ,then what    
were they called during the earlier     

years of their history8  ,here is a     
great and important query1 and one      
involving a momentous problem4 ,couple  
the two facts together1 that the        
disciples were first known as           
,christians at ,antioch1 and that the   
,essenian order of believers expired and
 went out of history about that period1 
and the question is at once and forever 
satisfactorily settled4 ,it was not an  
infrequent act on making important      
changes in a religion1 and adopting some
 new items of faith to change the title 
of the system1 and give it a new name4  
,after ,alexander ,campbell had made    
some modifications in his previous      
religious faith1 and started a new      
church1 his followers were popularly    
called ,campbellites4 ,elias ,hicks     
ingrafted some reform ideas into the    
,quaker faith1 and instituted a new     
society of that order4 ,hence1 and      
henceforth1 his disciples were known as 
,hicksites4 ,in like manner ,jesus      
,christ having made some innovations in 

his inherited ,jewish faith 7which was  
of the ,essene stamp7 by ingrafting more
 of the ,budhist doctrine into it1 his  
followers were henceforth called        
,christians4 ,how complete the analogy6 
,here let it be borne in mind1 as       
powerfully confirmatory of this         
conclusion1 that the first ,christians  
were 7as history affirms7 merely        
reformatory ,jews4 ,the twelve chosen   
were all ,jews1 probably of the ,essene 
order4 ,according to the ,rev4 ,mr4     
,prideaux 7,jewish ,history71 the ,jews 
of this order were first called         
,israelites1 in common with the other   
tribes2 then ,chassidim2 and thirdly    
,essenes4 ,and finally1 after the       
,essenian ,jesus ,christ1 with some new 
radical ideas1 proclaimed1 ,ye have     
heard it hath been said by them of old  
time thus and so1 but ,i say unto you   
differently4 ,the title was again       
changed1 and they adopted or received   
the name of ,christians--the ,essenes   
going out of history at the very date   

,christians first appear in history4    
,put this and that together1 and the    
chain is welded4 ,thus we can as easily 
trace the origin of ,christianity as we 
can trace the origin of a root running  
beneath the soil in the direction of a  
certain tree4 ,history1 then1 proclaims 
that to the honest1 pious1              
deeply-devout1 self-denying1 yet        
ignorant1 slothful1 and filthy          
,budhistic ,essenes must be awarded the 
honor or dishonor of giving birth to    
that system of religion now known as    
,christianity4   ,,chrishna ,,as ,a     
,,god--,,additional ,,facts4  ,the      
following additional facts relative to  
the history1 character1 life1 and       
teachings of ,zeus ,chrishna1 or ,jeseus
 ,christna 7as styled by one writer7 are
 drawn mostly from the ,vedas1          
,baghavat1 ,gita 7,bible in ,india74    
#a4 ,his ,virgin ,mother1 her           
,character4--,the holy book declares1   
that through her the designs of ,god    
were accomplished4 ,she was pure and    

chaste2 no animal food ever touched her 
lips2 honey and milk were her           
sustenance2 her time was spent in       
solitude1 lost in the contemplation of  
,god who showered upon her innumerable  
blessings2 she looked upon death as the 
birth to a new and better life2 when she
 traveled1 a column of fire in the      
heavens went before her to guide her4   
,one evening1 as she was praying1 she   
heard celestial music1 and fell into a  
profound ecstasy1 and being overshadowed
 by the spirit of ,god1 she conceived   
the ,god ,chrishna4 7,baghavat1 ,gita74 
#b4 ,chrishna1 his ,life and            
,mission4--,this sin-atoning ,god was   
about sixteen when he commenced active  
life4 ,like ,christ1 he chose twelve    
disciples to aid him in propagating his 
doctrines4 ,he spent his time working   
miracles1 resuscitating the dead1       
healing lepers1 restoring the deaf and  
the blind1 defending the weak against   
the strong1 and the oppressed against   
the oppressor1 and in proclaiming his   

divine mission to redeem man from       
original sin1 and banish evil1 and      
restore the reign of good4 7,baghavat1  
,gita47 ,it is declared that he came to 
teach peace1 charity1 love to man1      
self-respect1 the practice of good for  
its own sake1 and faith in the          
inexhaustible goodness of the ,creator2 
also to preach the immortality of the   
soul1 and the doctrine of future rewards
 and punishments1 and to vanquish the   
prince of darkness1 ,rakshas4 ,it is    
further declared that ,brahma sent his  
son 7,chrishna7 upon the earth to die   
for the salvation of man4 ,his lofty    
precepts and the purity of his life     
spread his fame throughout all ,india1  
and finally won for him more than three 
millions of followers4 ,he inculcated   
the sublimest doctrines1 and the purest 
morals1 and the grand principles of     
charity and self-denial4 ,he forbade    
revenge1 and commanded to return good   
for evil1 and consoled the feeble and   
the unhappy4 ,he lived poor1 and loved  

the poor4 ,he lived chaste1 and enjoined
 chastity4 ,problems the most lofty1 and
 morals the most pure and sublime1 and  
the future destiny of man1 were themes  
which engaged his most profound         
attention4  ,chrishna1 we will venture  
to say 7says the ,bible in ,india7 was  
the greatest of philosophers1 not only  
of ,india1 but of the entire world4 ,he 
was the grandest moral figure of ancient
 times4 7,bible in ,india47 ,chrishna   
was a moralist and a philosopher4 ,we   
should admire his moral lessons1 so     
sublime and so pure4 ,he was recognized 
as the ',divine ,word4' ,he received the
 title of ,jeseus1 which means pure     
,essense4 ,chrishna signifies the       
,promised of ,god1 the ,messiah4 ,when  
he preached1 he often spoke from a      
mount4 ,he also spoke in parables4      
',parable plays a great part in the     
familiar instructions of this ,hindoo   
,redeemer4' ,he relates a very          
interesting parable of a fisherman who  
was much persecuted by his neighbors1   

but who in the time of a severe famine1 
when the people were suffering and dying
 for the want of food1 being so noble as
 to return good for evil1 he carried    
food to these same persecuting enemies1 
and thus saved them from starvation4    
,therefore1 said he do good to all1 both
 the evil and the good1 even your       
enemies4  ,his addresses to the people  
were simple1 but to his disciples they  
were elevated and philosophical4 ,such  
was the wisdom of his sermons and his   
parables1 that the people crowded around
 him1 eager to behold and hear him1     
saying1 ,this is indeed the ,redeemer   
promised to our ,fathers4 ,great        
multitudes followed him1 exclaiming1    
,this is he who resuscitates the dead1  
and heals the lame1 and the deaf1 and   
the blind4 ,on one occasion1 as he      
entered ,madura 7as ,christ once entered
 ,jerusalem71 the people came out in    
flocks to meet him1 and strewed branches
 in his way4 ,on another occasion two   
women approached him1 anointed him with 

oil1 and worshiped him4 ,when the people
 murmured at this waste1 he replied1    
,better is a little given with an humble
 heart than much given with ostentation4
 ,such was his sense of decorum1 that he
 admonished some girls he once observed 
playing in a state of nudity on the bank
 of a river after bathing4 ,they        
repented1 asked his forgiveness1 and    
reformed4 ,the followers of ,chrishna   
practiced all the virtues1 and observed 
a complete abnegation of self           
7self-denial71 and lived poor1 hoping   
for a reward in the future life4 ,they  
occupied all their time in the service  
of their ,divine ,master4 ,pure and     
majestic was their worship4 ,chrishna   
had a favorite disciple ,adjaurna1 who  
sustained to him the relation of ,john  
to ,christ1 while ,angada acted the part
 of ,judas by following him to the      
,ganges and betraying him4  #c4 ,his    
last ,hours4--,when ,chrishna knew his  
hour had come1 forbidding his disciples 
to follow him1 he repaired to the bank  

of the ,river ,ganges2 and having       
performed three ablutions1 he knelt     
down1 and looking up to heaven1 he      
prayed to ,brahma4 ,while nailed to the 
cross1 the tree on which he was         
suspended became suddenly covered with  
great red flowers1 which diffused their 
fragrance all around4 ,and it is said he
 often appeared to his disciples after  
his death in all his divine majesty4    
#d4 ,the second ,advent of              
,chrishna4--,there is not a ,hindoo or a
 ,brahmin who does not look upon the    
second coming of ,chrishna as an        
established article of faith4 ,their    
holy bibles 7the ,vedas and ,gita7      
prophesy of him thus3 ,he shall come    
crowned with lights2 he shall come1 and 
the heavens and the earth shall be      
joyous2 the stars shall pale before his 
splendor2 the earth will be too small to
 contain him1 for he is infinite1 he is 
,almighty1 he is ,wisdom1 he is ,beauty1
 he is all and in all2 and all men1 all 
animated beings1 beasts1 birds1 trees1  

and plants1 will chant his praises2 he  
will regenerate all bodies1 and purify  
all souls4 ,he will be as sweet as honey
 and ambrosia1 and as pure as the lamb  
without spot1 or as the lips of a       
virgin4 ,all hearts will be transported 
with joy4 ,from the rising to the       
setting of the sun it will be a day of  
joy and exultation1 when this ,god shall
 manifest his power and his glory1 and  
reconcile the world unto himself4 ,such 
are a few of the prophetic utterances of
 his devout and prayerful disciples4    
,we find1 says a writer1 in all the     
theogonies of different countries the   
hope of the advent of a ,god 7either his
 first or his second coming7--a hope    
which sprang from a sense of their own  
imperfections and sufferings1 which     
naturally induced them to look for a    
divine ,redeemer4  #e4 ,precepts of     
,chrishna4--,numerous are the           
prescriptive admonitions found in the   
holy books which set forth the religion 
of this heathen demigod 7so called by   

,christian professors74 ,they appertain 
to all the duties of life1 but are too  
numerous to be quoted here4 ,those      
appertaining to woman enjoin the most   
sacred regard for her rights1 such as   
woman should be protected with          
tenderness1 and shielded with fostering 
solicitude4 ,there is no crime more     
odious than to persecute woman1 or take 
advantage of her weakness4 ,degrade     
woman and you degrade man4 ,for other   
similar precepts1 see ,chapter ,,xxxii4 
,the injunctions to read their holy     
bible 7the ,vedas1 c47 are quite        
numerous1 such as1 ,let him study the   
holy ,scriptures unceasingly ,pray night
 and morning1 and read the holy         
,scriptures in the attitude of devotion4
 ,and many of them read it through upon 
their knees4 7,see ,chap4 ,,xliv47 ,we  
have not space for a further exposition 
of this subject here2 but it will be    
found more fully set forth in the       
pamphlet1 ,christ and ,chrishna         
,compared1 which will1 perhaps1 become  

an ,appendix to this work4  ,it may be  
objected that there are precepts and    
stories to be found in the religion of  
this ,hindoo ,god 7,chrishna71 which    
reflect but little credit or honor upon 
that religion4 ,this is true4 ,and      
similar reflections would materially    
damage the religion of ,christianity    
also4 ,the story of ,christ beating and 
maltreating the money-changers in the   
temple1 his cursing an innocent1        
unoffending1 and unconscious fig tree1  
and his indulgence in profane swearing  
at his enemies1--,o ye fools and blind1 
ye generation of vipers1 how can you    
escape the damnation of hell6--does not 
reflect any credit upon his religion1   
viewed as a system4 ,defects1 then1 may 
be found in both systems4 ,in viewing   
the analogies of the two religions1 it  
should be noted that the ,hindoos claim1
 with a forcible show of facts and      
logic1 that the religion of             
,christianity grew out of theirs4 ,it   
has not been long since a learned       

,hindoo maintained this position in a   
public debate with a missionary4 ,if all
 these facts effect nothing in the way  
of inducing the ,christian clergy to    
confess the falsity of their position in
 claiming their religion to be a direct 
emanation from ,god1 it will be a sad   
commentary upon either their            
intelligence or their honesty4  ,these  
historical facts1 with those set forth  
in the preceding chapters1 prove that   
the religion called ,christianity1      
instead of being1 as ,christians claim1 
the product of the ,divine ,mind1 is the
 product of heathen minds2 i4 e41 a     
spontaneous outgrowth of the moral and  
religious elements of the human mind4   
,and therefore1 for ,god to have        
revealed it over again to the founders  
of ,christianity would have been        
superfluous1 and a proof of his         
ignorance of history4  ,note4--,the     
author deems it proper to state here1   
with respect to the comparison between  
,christ and ,chrishna1 that some of the 

doctrines which he has selected as      
constituting a part of the religion of  
the ,hindoo ,savior1 are not found in   
the reported teachings of that deified  
moralist4 ,but as they appear to breathe
 forth the same spirit1 it is presumed  
he would have indorsed them1 had they   
come under his notice4 ,as ,christians  
assume the liberty to arrange the       
doctrines of ,paul and ,peter under the 
head of ,christianity because claimed to
 be in consonance with the religion of  
,christ1 though not all taught by him1  
the author1 in like manner1 has assumed1
 that some doctrines taught by other    
systems and religious teachers of ,india
 accord with those taught by ,chrishna1 
and hence has arranged them with his4   
,the author's purpose is not to set     
forth the doctrines of any sect1 any    
system1 or any religious teacher1 but to
 show that all the doctrines of         
,christianity are traceable to ancient  
,india4 ,but whether taught by this sect
 or that sect1 it is foreign to our     

purpose to inquire2 and hence1 for      
convenience1 he has arranged them all   
into one system1 and designated them    
,chrishnianity 7borrowing a new term74  
,there can be no more impropriety1 he   
presumes1 in arranging the doctrines of 
the various conflicting sects of ,india 
into one system 7including even         
,brahminism and ,budhism71 than to      
arrange1 as ,christians do1 the         
doctrines taught by the antagnostic     
system of ,catholicism and              
,protestantism1 and their six hundred   
conflicting sects1 under the head of    
,christianity4 ,hence1 ,christians1 of  
course1 will not fault the arrangement4 
,the classification above alluded to    
comprises1 in part1 the religion of many
 of the ,hindoo sects1 but does not set 
forth all their doctrines1 only those   
analogous to ,christianity4 ,chrishna   
was a ,vishnuite1 and not a ,brahmin1 as
 some writers assume4 ,he and ,christ   
were both reformers1 and departed from  
the ancient faith4 ,vishnuism appears to

 have finally centered in ,budhism4     
,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,apollonius1       
,,osiris1 ,,magus1 ,,etc4--,,gods       
,,miraculous ,,achievements ,,of ,,other
 ,,gods ,,and ,,demi-,,gods ,,of        
,,antiquity4  ,,the age in which ,christ
 flourished1 as before remarked1 was    
pre-eminently an age of miracle4 ,the   
practice of thaumaturgy1 and the legends
 invested with the display of the       
miracle-working power1 both preceding   
and subsequent to that era1 rose to a   
great height4 ,all nations of that time1
 says a writer1 were mightily bent on   
working miracles4 ,and the disciples who
 acted the part of biographers for the  
various crucified ,gods and sin-atoning 
,saviors1 throughout the ,east1 seemed  
to vie with each other in setting off   
the lives and histories of their        
favorite objects of worship             
respectively1 with marvelous exploits   
and the pageantry of the most astounding
 prodigies4 ,and the miracles in each   
case were pretty much of the same       

character1 thus indicating a common     
course for their origin1--all probably  
having been cast in the same mold--in   
the theological schools of the once     
famous1 world-renowned city of          
,alexandria1 the capital of ,egypt4     
,having1 in the preceding chapters1     
presented the miraculous achievements of
 the ,hindoo ,gods1 ,chrishna and ,saki1
 we will here bring to notice those of  
other ,gods4   ,,the ,,miracles         
,,recorded ,,of ,,alcides1 ,,osiris1    
,,and ,,other ,,gods ,,of ,,egypt4  #a4 
,we have the miraculous birth by a      
virgin in the case of ,alcides4  #b4    
,osiris1 while a sucking infant in his  
cradle1 killed two serpents which came  
to destroy him4  #c4 ,alcides performed 
many miraculous cures4  #d4 ,according  
to ,ovid he cured by a miracle the      
daughter of ,archiades4  #e4 ,also the  
wife of ,theogenes1 after the doctors   
had given her up4  #f4 ,and both these  
,gods converted water into wine4  #g4   
,both of them frequently cast out       

devils4  #h4 ,julius declares ,alcides  
raised ,tyndarus and ,hippo-litus from  
the dead4  #i4 ,when ,zulis was         
crucified1 the sun became dark and the  
moon refused to shine4  #aj4 ,both he   
and ,osiris were resurrected by a       
miracle4  #ab4 ,both ascend to heaven in
 sight of many witnesses4  #ab4 ,and    
finally we are told that from           
,alexandria the whole empire became     
filled with the fame of these           
miracle-workers1 who restored the blind 
to sight1 cured the paralytic1 caused   
the dumb to speak1 the lame to walk1 c4 
,all these miracles were as credibly    
related of these ,gods as similar       
miracles of ,jesus ,christ4   ,,miracles
 ,,performed ,,by ,,pythagoras ,,and    
,,other ,,gods ,,of ,,greece4  #a4      
,pythagoras was a spirit in heaven      
before he was born on earth4  #b4 ,his  
birth was miraculously foretold4  #c4   
,his mother conceived him by a specter  
7the ,holy ,ghost74  #d4 ,his mother    
7,pytheas7 was a holy virgin of great   

moral purity4  #e4 ,plato's mother1     
,paretonia 7says ,olympiodorus71        
conceived him by the ,god ,apollo4  #f4 
,pythagoras in his youth astonishes the 
doctors by his wisdom4  #g4 ,was        
worshiped as the ,son of ,god1          
,paraclete1 ,child of ,divinity1 c4  #h4
 ,coaid see events many ages in the     
future 7says ,richardson1 his           
biographer74  #i4 ,could bring down the 
eagle from his lofty height by command4 
#aj4 ,could approach and subdue the     
wild1 ferocious ,daunian bear4  #aa4    
,could1 like ,christ1 appear at two     
places at once4  #ab4 ,could walk on the
 water and travel on the air4  #ac4     
,could discern and read the thoughts of 
his disciples4  #ad4 ,could handle      
poisonous reptiles with impunity4  #ae4 
,cured all manner of diseases4  #af4    
,restored sight to the blind4  #ag4 ,he 
cast out devils4  #ah4 ,jamblicus says  
he could allay storms on the sea4  #ai4 
,raised several persons from the dead4  
#bj4 ,and1 finally1 a thousand other    

wonderful things are told of him1 says  
,jamblicus4  ,with respect to his       
character1 it is said that for humility1
 and practical goodness1 and the wisdom 
of his moral precepts1 he stood without 
a rival4 ,he discarded bloody           
sacrifices1 discouraged wars1 forbade   
the use of wine and other intoxicating  
drinks1 enjoined the forgiveness of     
enemies and their kind treatment1 and   
also respect to parents4 ,he was a      
special friend to the poor1 and taught  
that they were the favorites of ,god4   
,blessed are ye poor4 ,he practiced and 
recommended the silent worship of ,god4 
,he retired from the world1 and often   
fasted1 and was a great enemy to riches 
7like ,jesus ,christ74 ,he considered   
poverty a virtue1 and despised the pomp 
of the world4 ,he recommended 7like     
,christ7 the abandonment of parents1    
relations1 and friends1 houses and      
lands1 c41 for religion's sake4 ,his    
disciples1 like those of ,christ1 had a 
common treasury and a general community 

of goods1 to which all had free access1 
so that there was no poverty or         
suffering amongst them while the supply 
lasted4 ,all shared alike4 ,in fact1    
with respect to the spirit of his       
precepts1 his moral lessons1 and nearly 
his whole practical life1 he bore a     
striking resemblance to ,jesus ,christ1 
and presented the same kind of evidence1
 and equally convincing evidence1 of    
being a ,god4 ,and as he was born into  
the world five hundred and fifty-four   
years before ,christ1 the latter        
probably obtained the materials of his  
moral system from that ,grecian teacher1
 or in the same school of the ,essenian 
,budhists1 in which both ,pythagoras and
 ,christ appear to have taken lessons4  
,,miracles ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,gods    
,,quirinus ,,and ,,prometheus4  #a4     
,prometheus was honored with a          
miraculous birth4  #b4 ,quirinus was    
miraculously preserved in infancy1 when 
threatened with destruction by the      
tyrant ruler ,amulius4  #c4 ,he         

performed the miracles1 according to    
,seneca and ,hesiod1 of curing the sick1
 restoring the blind1 raising the dead1 
and casting out devils4  #d4 ,both these
 ,gods were crucified amid signs1 and   
wonders1 and miracles4  #e4 ,all nature 
was convulsed1 and the saints arose when
 they were crucified4  #f4 ,the sun was 
also darkened1 and refused to shine4    
#g4 ,both descended to hell1 and rose   
from it by divine power4  #h4 ,and      
,prometheus was seen to ascend to       
heaven4  ,we cite these lists of        
miraculous events as if real facts1 not 
because we believe they were such1 but  
as possessing the same degree of        
credibility as those related of ,jesus  
,christ4   ,,miracles ,,and ,,religion  
,,of ,,apollonius ,,of ,,tyana4  #a4    
,everything was subject to his          
miraculous power4  #b4 ,he performed    
many miraculous cures4  #c4 ,he restored
 sight to the blind4  #d4 ,he cast out  
devils1 which sometimes cut up like     
those of ,christ  #e4 ,he enabled the   

lame to walk4  #f4 ,he re-animated the  
dead4  #g4 ,he could read the thoughts  
of bystanders4  #h4 ,sometimes          
disappeared in a miraculous manner4  #i4
 ,caused a tree to bloom1 while ,christ 
made another tree to wither away4  #aj4 
,the laws of nature obeyed him4  #aa4   
,could speak in many languages he had   
never learned4  #ab4 ,was at one time   
transfigured1 like ,christ  #ac4 ,his   
birth was miraculously foretold by an   
angel4  #ad4 ,was born of a spotless    
virgin4  #ae4 ,there were demonstrations
 of joy and singing at his birth4  #af4 
,exhibited proofs in infancy of being a 
,god4  #ag4 ,manifested extraordinary   
wisdom in childhood4  #ah4 ,he was      
called the ,son of ,god4  #ai4 ,also the
 image of the ,eternal ,father          
manifested in the flesh4  #bj4 ,he was  
also styled a prophet4  #ba4 ,like      
,christ1 he retired into mystic silence4
  #bb4 ,his religion was one of exalted 
spirituality4  #bc4 ,he taught the      
doctrine of the ,inner ,life4  #bd4 ,he 

possessed exalted views of purity and   
holiness4  #be4 ,like ,christ1 he was a 
religious ascetic4  #bf4 ,his religion1 
as in the case of ,christ1 forbade him  
to marry4  #bg4 ,he ate no animal food1 
and would wear no woolen garments4  #bh4
 ,gave his substance to the poor4  #bi4 
,eschewed love for wine and women4  #cj4
 ,refrained from artificial ornaments   
and sumptuous living4  #ca4 ,he was a   
high-toned moral reformer4  #cb4 ,he    
condemned external sacrifices4  #cc4    
,also condemned gladiatorial shows4     
#cd4 ,he religiously opposed dancing and
 sexual pleasures4  #ce4 ,he recommended
 the pursuit of wisdom4  #cf4 ,was of a 
serene temper1 and never got angry4     
#cg4 ,was a true prophet1 foresaw and   
foretold many future events4  #ch4      
,foresaw a plague1 and stopped it after 
it had commenced4  #ci4 ,crowds were    
attracted by his great miracles and his 
wisdom4  #dj4 ,he disputed with and     
vanquished the wise men of ,greece and  
,asia1 as ,christ did the learned       

doctors in the temple4  #da4 ,when      
imprisoned by ,domitian and loaded with 
chains1 he disinthralled himself by     
divine power4  #db4 ,he was followed by 
crowds when entering ,alexandria1 like  
,christ when entering ,jerusalem4  #dc4 
,was crucified amidst a display of      
divine power4  #dd4 ,he rose from the   
dead4  #de4 ,appeared to his disciples  
after his resurrection4  #df4 ,like     
,christ1 he convinced a ,tommy ,didymus 
by getting him to feel the print of the 
nails in his hands and feet4  #dg4 ,was 
seen by many witnesses after his        
resurrection1 and was hailed by them as 
the ,god ,incarnate1 the ,lord from     
,heaven4  #dh4 ,he finally ascended back
 to heaven1 and now sits at the right   
hand of the ,father1 pleading for a     
sinful world4  #di4 ,when he entered the
 temple of ,diana1 a voice from above   
was heard saying1 ',come to heaven4     
#ej4 ,accordingly he was seen no more on
 earth only as a spirit  ,the reader    
will observe that the foregoing list of 

analogies1 drawn from the history of    
,apollonius1 as furnished us by his     
disciple ,damos and his biographer      
,philostratus1 are found also1 in almost
 every particular1 in the history of    
,jesus ,christ4 ,and the list might have
 been extended4 ,it is declared1 ,a     
beauty shone in his countenance1 and the
 words he uttered were divine1 which    
reminds us of ,christ's transfiguration4
 ,and his staying a plague at ,ephesus  
revives the case of ,christ stilling the
 tempest on the waters4 ,now1 the       
question very naturally arises here1    
,how came the histories of ,apollonius  
and ,christ to be so strikingly alike8  
,was one plagiarized from the other8 ,as
 for the miraculous history of          
,apollonius being reconstructed from    
that of ,jesus ,christ1 as some         
,christians have assumed1 there is not  
the slightest foundation for such a     
conclusion1 as the following facts will 
show1 viz43--  #a4 ,the ,cappadocian    
,savior 7,apollonius7 was born several  

years anterior to the advent of the     
,christian ,savior1 and appeared at an  
earlier date upon the stage of active   
life1 and thus got the start of ,christ 
in the promulgations of his doctrines   
and the exhibition of his miracles4     
,christ's active life1 ,christians      
concede and the bible proves1 did not   
commence till about his twenty-eighth or
 thirtieth year1 which was long after   
,apollonius had inaugurated his         
religion1 and long after he had         
commenced the promulgation of his       
doctrines1 and attested them by         
wonderful miracles1 according to his    
biographer ,philostratus4  #b4 ,the ,new
 ,american ,cyclopedia tells us1        
,apollonius labored for the purity of   
,paganism1 and to sustain its tottering 
edifice against the assaults of the     
,christians4 ,so that1 being placed in a
 hostile attitude toward the            
representatives of the ,christian faith1
 it is not likely he would condescend to
 borrow their doctrines and the         

miraculous history of their incarnate   
,god1 to invest his own life with4 ,he  
was probably one of the anti-,christs   
spoken of in the ,new ,testament2 but   
this circumstance reflects nothing      
dishonorable upon his character2 for    
some of those distinguished personages  
denounced as anti-,christ1 by ,christ's 
gospel biographers1 were1 according to  
impartial history1 noble1 honest1 and   
righteous men4 ,their only offense      
consisted in robbing ,christ of his     
divine laurels1 by claiming similar     
titles1 and claiming to perform the same
 kind of miracles2 and there is as much 
proof that they did achieve these       
prodigies as that ,christ did4  #c4 ,the
 early ,christian writers conceded that 
,apollonius and the other oriental ,gods
 did perform the miracles which are     
ascribed to them by their respective    
disciples1 but accounted for it by the  
childish expedient of obsession4 ,christ
 was assumed to perform miracles by     
divine power1 they by the power of the  

devil--a childish and senseless         
distinction truly1 and one which can    
have no logical force in this           
enlightened age4   ,,miracles ,,and     
,,claims ,,for ,,simon ,,magus4 ,b4 ,c4 
#a4 ,it is declared1 he was in the      
beginning with ,god4  #b4 ,that he      
existed with ,god from all eternity4    
#c4 ,that he took upon himself the form 
of a man4  #d4 ,that he was the ,son of 
,god1 the ,word1 c4  #e4 ,that he was   
the second person in the godhead4  #f4  
,that he came down to destroy the devil 
and his works4  #g4 ,that he was the    
image of the ,eternal ,father4  #h4     
,that he was the first-born ,son of     
,god4  #i4 ,that he could control the   
elements4  #aj4 ,that he could walk on  
the air as ,christ did on the water4    
#aa4 ,could move anything by the        
command1 ,be thou removed4  #ab4 ,that  
he could raise the dead4  #ac4 ,that he 
could transform himself into the image  
of any man4  #ad4 ,that he was the      
,paraclete1 or ,comforter4  #ae4 ,that  

he came to redeem the world from sin4   
#af4 ,finally1 he was the world's       
,savior1 ,redeemer1 the ,only ,begotten 
of the ,father1 and through his name men
 are to be saved4  ,the reader will call
 to mind that this ,simon ,magus is     
mentioned and condemned in the ,acts of 
the ,apostles1 for offering to pay      
,peter for a bestowment of the gift of  
the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and yet every        
philosopher in this age must concede    
that ,magus' assumption in the case is  
more sensible and philosophical than    
that of ,peter's4 ,for the latter calls 
it a gift from ,god1 whereas every      
person now acquainted with the nature1  
principles1 and science of animal       
magnetism1 knows that such manifestation
 as that which ,peter ascribes to ,god  
and the ,holy ,ghost1 is a simple       
natural phenomenon2 and that1           
consequently1 it can be no more a       
violation of the rules of propriety to  
pay for the labor of making such        
developments than it is to pay a teacher

 for developing the mind of a child4 ,it
 was certainly a greater act of courtesy
 to offer to pay for it than to demand  
it as a gratuitous favor4 ,hence we     
infer he excelled ,peter in his demeanor
 as a gentleman1 especially as he bore  
,peter's severe reprimand with patience1
 and apparently with a better spirit    
than that which dictated it4 ,and we may
 remark here1 also1 that notwithstanding
 this ,samaritan ,jew is so unsparingly 
denounced by the godly ,peter1 and by   
the early ,christian fathers also1 yet  
we have the historical proof that he was
 an ,honest1 pious1 and ardently devout 
man4 ,his whole life was absorbed in the
 cause of religion1 and his whole soul  
devoted to his religious duties and the 
worship of his ,god4 ,hence we think    
,peter's rebuke was uncalled for4  ,let 
the reader note the fact here that there
 are three circumstances amply          
sufficient to account for bibles and    
religious books being profusely supplied
 with the reports of groundless         

miracles4  #a4 ,as everybody then       
believed in miracles 7at least everybody
 who dared speak7 there was nobody to   
investigate the reports of such         
occurrences1 to learn whether they were 
true or false4  #b4 ,the few who        
attempted to disprove the truth of those
 miraculous occurrences now found       
reported in sacred history1 had their   
books burned1 as in the case of         
,porphyry and ,celsus1 in the early     
history of ,christianity1 who called in 
question the truth of bible miracles4   
#c4 ,these marvelous facts were not     
usually recorded till long after the    
period in which they are said to have   
occurred1 when the witnesses had left   
the stage of time1 and every event      
exciting ay attention had grown to a    
monstrous prodigy4 ,these circumstances1
 in an age of boundless credulity and   
scientific ignorance1 which magnified   
every phenomenon1 and looked upon every 
natural event as a direct display of    
divine power1 accounts most fully and   

satisfactorily for the burdensome       
repetition of groundless miraculous     
stories found upon nearly every page of 
the sacred history of every religious   
nation1 without driving us to the       
necessity of challenging the veracity of
 the writers who recorded them4 ,they   
may all have been honest men4           
,,confucius ,,of ,,china1 ,,born #eea   
,b4 ,c4  ,this moral teacher1 religious 
chieftain1 and philosopher1 though not  
subjected to the ignominious death of   
the cross1 deserves a passing notice for
 the excellency of his morals and the   
acquisition of a world-wide fame4 ,in   
the following particulars his history   
bears a strong analogy to that of ,jesus
 ,christ4  #a4 ,he commenced as a       
religious teacher when about thirty     
years of age4  #b4 ,the ,golden ,rule   
7see ,chap4 ,,xxxiv47 was his favorite  
maxim4  #c4 ,most of his moral maxims   
were sound and of a high order4 ,the    
,new ,american ,cyclopedia says 7vol4 v4
 p4 #fjd71 ,his writings approach the   

,christian standard of morality2 and in 
some respects they excel4  #d4 ,he      
traveled in different countries1        
preaching and teaching his doctrines4   
#e4 ,he made a host of converts1        
amounting now to one hundred and fifty  
millions4  #f4 ,his religion and morals 
have been propagated by apostles and    
missionaries1 some of whom are now      
traveling in this country1 laboring to  
convert ,christians to their superior   
religion and morals4 ,there was a time1 
says the work above quoted1 when        
,european philosophers vied with each   
other in extolling ,confucius as one of 
the sublimest teachers of truth among   
mankind4  ,in the following respects his
 teachings were superior to those of    
,christ3--  #a4 ,he taught that the     
knowledge of one's self is the basis of 
all real advances in morals and manners4
 ,a lesson ,christ neglected to teach4  
#b4 ,the duties man owes to society and 
himself are minutely defined by         
,confucius1 says the ,cyclopedia4       

,another important work ,christ         
partially omitted4  ,he constructed     
several hundred beautiful and           
instructive moral maxims1 which we have 
not space for here1 and which amply     
prove that the holiest truths were      
inculcated by pagan philosophers4       
,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,,the ,,three        
,,pillars ,,of ,,the ,,christian        
,,faith--,,miracles1 ,,prophecies1 ,,and
 ,,precepts  ,,when ,christians are     
asked for the proof of the divinity of  
,jesus ,christ1 they point to his       
miracles and precepts1 and the          
,messianic prophecies1 said to have been
 fulfilled by his coming4 ,and the same 
kind of evidence is adduced to prove the
 divine claims of their bible and its   
religion1 including the ,old ,testament1
 which contains the prophecies4 ,their  
divine origin and supernatural character
 are claimed to be proved by the        
miracles1 prophecies1 and precepts found
 recorded in the ,holy ,book4 ,all1     
then1 stand or fall together--the       

divinity of ,christ1 and the divinity of
 the bible and its religion1 all1 rest  
on this threefold argument4 ,all1 it is 
claimed1 are attested and proved by a   
threefold display of divine power1      
manifested1--  #a4 ,by the performance  
of various acts1 transcending human     
power and the laws of nature1 called    
,miracles4  #b4 ,by the discernment of  
events lying in the future which no     
human sagacity or prescience could have 
foreseen1 unless aided by ,omniscience2 
the display of such power being called  
,prophecy4  #c4 ,by the enunciation of  
,moral ,precepts beyond the mental      
capacity of human beings to originate4  
,these three propositions cover the     
whole ground4 ,they constitute the three
 grand pillars of the ,christian faith1 
which1 if shown to be untenable1 must   
prostrate the whole superstructure to   
the ground4 ,we will examine each       
separately1 commencing with miracles4   
,i4 ,miracles the first ,pillar of the  
,christian ,faith4  ,we will not occupy 

space in discussing the various meanings
 assigned to the word miracle by        
different writers1 but take the popular 
definition as given above1 and proceed  
to inquire how much evidence can be     
deduced from the miracles represented as
 having been performed by ,jesus        
,christ1 toward proving his divinity and
 the truth of his religion4 ,in the     
first place1 it should be borne in mind 
that ,christianity is not the only      
religion which appeals to miracles as a 
proof of its divine authorship4 ,more   
than three hundred systems and sects are
 reported in history1 most of which     
have1 from time immemorial1 gloried in  
being able to wield this knock-down     
argument as they claim it to be1 in     
support of the truth and divine         
authenticity of their various systems of
 faith4 ,we have briefly noticed some of
 the miraculous achievements reported in
 their sacred books1 and ascribed to    
their ,gods and sin-atoning ,saviors1   
and compare them with similar ones      

related of ,jesus ,christ1 commencing   
with ,pagan ,miracles4  ,as the whole   
pathway of religious history is thickly 
be-studded with miracles wrought in all 
ages and countries1 and every page of   
the oriental bibles and religious books 
is literally loaded down with the       
relation of these marvelous prodigies   
said to have been wrought by their      
,gods1 ,demigods1 and crucified         
,saviors1 it places a writer in a       
quandary to know where to begin to make 
a selection4 ,we will express no opinion
 here as to whether these astounding    
feats were ever witnessed or not2 but   
will merely state that they come to us  
as well authenticated as those reported 
in the ,christian bible4 ,there is as   
much evidence that ,zoroaster1 at the   
request of ,king ,gustaph1 caused a tree
 to spring up in a man's yard forthwith1
 of such magnificent proportions that no
 rope could be found large enough to    
reach around it1 as that ,jesus ,christ 
caused a fig tree to wither away by     

merely cursing it4 ,and we have the same
 kind of evidence that the ,hindoo      
,messiah1 ,chrishna1 of ,india1 restored
 two boys to life who had been killed by
 the bites of serpents1 as that ,jesus  
,christ resurrected ,lazarus and the    
widow's son of ,nain2 and as much proof 
that ,bacchus turned water into wine1 as
 that ,jesus performed this act six     
hundred years after4 ,and a hundred     
other similar comparisons might be      
drawn4 ,the evidence of the truth of    
these performances in both cases1 pagan 
and ,christian1 is simply the report of 
the writer4 ,if there are any exceptions
 to be made in either case of better    
evidence1 it will be found in favor of  
pagan religion2 for its adherents are   
able in many cases to point to          
imperishable monuments of stone erected 
in commemoration of their miracles4 ,and
 ,mr4 ,goodrich tells us this is the    
highest species of evidence that can be 
offered to prove the truth of any       
ancient event4 ,but as ,christians1 on  

the other hand1 can find no such        
evidence to prove the performance of any
 miracles reported in their bible1 it   
will be seen at once that the pagan     
miracles are the best authenticated4    
,the famous historian ,pausanias states 
upon current authority that ,esculapius 
raised several persons from the dead1   
and names ,hippolytus among the number1 
and then points to a stone monument     
erected as a proof of the               
occurrence--thus furnishing1 according  
to ,christian logic1 the most conclusive
 proof of one of the most astounding    
miracles ever wrought4 ,and yet no      
philosopher or man of science in this   
age can credit the literal truth of the 
story4 ,but a spiritualist can easily   
conceive that he and others might have  
mistaken the risen spirits of those     
resurrected persons for their physical  
bodies1 because they know that many     
mistakes of this kind have occurred in  
modern times4  ,we might refer to many  
other cases of pagan miracles attested  

by monumental evidence if our space     
would permit--such as the names of many 
persons engraven upon the walls of the  
,temple of ,serapis1 miraculously carved
 by the ,god ,esculapius4 ,strabo tells 
us the ancient temples are full of      
tablets describing miraculous cures     
performed by virgin-born ,gods of those 
times1 and names a case of two blind men
 being restored to sight by the son of  
,god ,alcides in the presence of a large
 multitude of people1 who acknowledged  
the miraculous power of the ,god with   
loud acclaim4 ,many spiritualists at the
 present day know by practical          
experience how these miraculous cures   
were performed4 ,without continuing the 
citation of cases1 suffice it to say1   
the sin-atoning ,gods of the orientals  
are reported as performing the same     
train of miracles assigned to ,jesus    
,christ1 such as performing astonishing 
cures1 casting out devils1 raising the  
dead1 c4 ,now1 sadly warped indeed by   
education must be that mind which cannot

 see that if the account of such        
prodigies1 reported in the history of   
,jesus ,christ1 can do anything towards 
proving him to have been a ,god1 then   
the world must have been full of ,gods  
long before his time4 ,it is impossible 
to dodge or evade such a conclusion4    
,christians are in the habit of assuming
 that all the miraculous reports in the 
bible are unquestionably true1 while    
those reported in pagan bibles are mere 
fables and fiction4 ,but if they will   
reverse this proposition1 it can be     
easier supported1 because we have shown 
their miracles are better attested and  
authenticated4 ,their own bible admits  
that the heathen not only could and did 
perform miracles1 but miraculous        
prodigies of the most astonishing       
character1 equal to anything reported in
 their own religious history--such as   
transmuting water into blood1 sticks    
into serpents1 and stones into frogs4   
,in a word1 it is admitted they         
performed all the miraculous feats of   

,moses with the single exception of     
turning dust into lice4 ,but certainly  
making lice was not a more difficult    
achievement than that of making frogs1  
and this is admitted they did do        
successfully4  ,hence it will be seen   
that the ,egyptian pagans made as great 
a display of divine or miraculous power 
as ,god's ,holy ,people1 according to   
the admission of the bible itself4 ,and 
there is no intimation that the mode of 
performing the miracles was not the same
 in both cases1 but a strong probability
 exists that it was1 a conclusion       
confirmed by the bible report of the    
case which leads us to infer that they  
performed the miracles in the same way  
,moses did4 ,for it is said1 ,the       
,egyptians did so with their            
enchantments--that is1 with the         
enchanting rod used on such occasions by
 the ,egyptians1 ,assyrians1            
,babylonians1 and other nations1        
including also the ,jews4 ,now1 as      
,moses always used the enchanting rod in

 performing miracles1 called by him the 
rod of ,god1 the rod of divination1 c4  
7see ,ex4 iv4 71 there is thus furnished
 the most satisfactory proof that he    
performed his miracles on this occasion1
 as well as all other occasions1 by the 
same stratagem as the ,egyptians and    
other nations did4 ,and even if the mode
 adopted by the ,egyptians had been     
different1 it is still admitted they    
performed the miracles4 ,in the name of 
reason and common sense1 then1 we ask if
 such facts as here presented with the  
case just referred to do not forever    
prostrate and annihilate all arguments  
based on miracles toward proving the    
divine character or divine origin of the
 religion of the bible1 or towards      
proving  ,jesus ,christ1 or any other   
being reported to have performed        
miracles1 as possessing divine          
attributes8   ,,catholic ,,miracles4    
,some of the most astonishing and best  
authenticated miracles ever performed by
 any religious sect we find reported in 

the history of the ,roman ,catholic     
church1 looked upon and styled by the   
,protestants the mother of ,harlots and 
,abomination4 ,and yet there is much    
stronger proof that the ,catholic       
religion has the divine sanction1 if    
miracles can furnish such proof4 ,the   
editor of ,the ,official ,memoirs       
declares that during the ,italian war in
 #agig1 several pictures of the virgin  
,mary1 situated in different parts of   
the country1 were seen to open and shut 
their eyes for the space of six or seven
 months1 and that no less than sixty    
thousand people actually saw this       
miracle performed1 including many       
bishops1 deacons1 cardinals1 and other  
officers of the church1 whose names are 
given4 ,and ,forsyth's ,italy 7p4 #cdd71
 written by a highly accredited author1 
tells us that a withered elm tree was   
suddenly restored to full life and vigor
 by coming in contact with the body of  
,st4 ,zenobis1 and that this miracle    
took place in the most public part of   

the town1 in the presence of many       
thousands of people2 that it is recorded
 by contemporary historians1 and        
inscribed upon a marble column now      
standing where the tree stood4  ,now1   
the question may be asked here1 ,would  
the people have allowed such an impudent
 trick to insult them as the erection of
 a monument for an event that never took
 place8 ,if not1 how is the matter to be
 explained8 ,these are only specimens of
 a hundred more ,catholic miracles of an
 astonishing character at our command4  
,several queries may be entertained in  
the solution of these stories4 #ast1    
,were some phenomena really witnessed on
 which these stories were constructed1  
but which got magnified from a molehill 
to a mountain before they found their   
way into history8 or1 #b;d1 ,were they  
manufactured as a pious fraud1 which was
 rather a fashionable business with the 
early disciples of the ,christian faith1
 according to ,mr4 ,mosheim8 ,whatever  
answer may be given to these questions  

will explain the miracles of the        
,christian bible1 excepting those which 
can be accounted for on natural         
principles4   ,,satanic ,,miracles4     
,among all the workers of miracles      
reported in the bible the devil seems to
 have been pre-eminent1 and hence must  
come in for the better end of the       
argument toward proving him to have been
 a ,god4 ,no miracle could excel the act
 of his transforming himself into an    
angel of light1 as stated in #b ,cor4   
xi4 #ad4 ,it is not transcended by any  
other case1 not even by ,christ's       
transfiguration4 ,and according to ,paul
 he was endowed with all power1 and     
signs1 and lying wonders4 7,thess4 ii4  
#i47 ,if1 then1 he possessed all power1 
,christ1 and no other ,god1 could have  
possessed a miraculous power superior to
 his1 for all comprehends the whole1    
beyond which nothing can reach4 ,where1 
then1 is the evidence to come from to   
prove that ,christ was a ,god1 because  
he was a miracle-worker1 or his religion

 divine1 because attested by            
miracles--seeing the devil performed    
some of the most difficult miracles ever
 wrought8 ,should we not then change his
 title from that of a demon to a ,god1  
and place his religion amongst the      
divinely endowed systems8 ,st4 ,john    
represents the ,evil ,one as having     
power to make fire come down from heaven
 in the sight of men1 and to deceive    
those that dwell on the earth by means  
of those miracles which he hath power to
 do4 7,rev4 xiii47  ,here the question  
arises1 ,what can a miracle prove1 what 
end can it serve1 or what good can      
possibly arise from the display of the  
miracle-working power1 when it is liable
 to deceive those that dwell upon the   
earth8 ,certainly1 therefore1 it proves 
nothing1 and accomplishes nothing4 ,and 
may not the apostles themselves have    
been deceived in ascribing some of the  
miracles they record to ,jesus instead  
of the devil8 ,certainly we are drifted 
upon the quicksands of uncertainty by   

such a display of the miracle-working   
power1 and are obnoxious to most fatal  
deception1 which proves the total       
inutility and futility of such          
prodigies4   ,,christ',s ,,miracles     
,,not ,,his ,,own1 ,,but ,,wrought      
,,through ,,him ,,and ,,not ,,by ,,him4 
,how could ,christ's miracles1 assuming 
they were wrought1 do anything toward   
proving his divinity1 when he did not   
claim to be their author1 but merely the
 agent or instrument in the hands of the
 ,father1 like the apostles1 who are    
reported to have performed the same     
miracles8 ,the ,father he doeth the     
work1 is his own declaration4 ,and the  
,apostles seem to have accepted his     
word1 and his view of the matter4 ,for  
proof listen to ,peter3 ,ye men of      
,israel1 hear these words3 ,jesus of    
,nazareth1 a man approved of ,god among 
you by miracles1 and wonders1 and signs1
 which ,god did by him in the midst of  
you1 as ye yourselves do know4 7,acts   
ii4 #bb47 ,let it be noted1 then1 the   

,christ's miracles were not performed by
 him as a ,god1 but as a man approved of
 ,god2 he was the mere medium or        
instrument in the case--a fact which    
banishes at once all grounds for        
controversy relative to his miracles    
serving the purpose of attesting his    
divinity1 especially when it is conceded
 that men1 magicians1 and devils could  
achieve the same feats4   ,,christ',s   
,,miracles ,,did ,,not ,,convince ,,the 
,,people4  ,as the miracles of ,christ  
seem to have had little effect toward   
convincing the people of his claims to  
the godhead1 it is evident they could   
have been but little superior to those  
performed by others1 and therefore not  
designed1 at least not calculated1 to   
convince them that he was a ,god4 ,the  
frequent instances in which he upbraids 
the people for their unbelief1 and calls
 them fools1 slow of heart1 c41 is a    
proof of this statement4   ,,christ',s  
,,miracles ,,not ,,designed ,,to        
,,convince ,,the ,,people4  ,a          

circumstance involving pretty strong    
proof that ,christ's miraculous         
achievements were not considered as     
evidence of his divinity1 is the fact   
that they were frequently performed in  
private1 sometimes in the night1 and    
often under the injunction of secrecy4  
,see thou tell no man1 was the          
injunction1 after the feat was          
performed1 perhaps1 in a private room4  
,how can such facts be reconciled with  
the assumption that his miracles were   
designed to convince the people of his  
claims to the ,divine ,entity1 as       
,christians frequently assert1 when the 
people were not allowed to witness them1
 nor his disciples even to report them8 
,who can believe that he was a ,divine  
,being1 or ,messiah1 when he charged his
 disciples to tell no man that he was   
such a ,being8 ,such incongruities verge
 to a contradiction4 ,it is a logical   
contradiction to say that private       
miracles were designed to dissolve      
public skepticism4 ,and yet many1 if not

 most1 of his reputed miraculous        
achievements were of this character4    
,when he cured a blind man1 he not only 
led him out of the town 7,mark viii4    
#bc71 but forbid him1 when his sight was
 restored1 returning to the city1 for   
fear he would publish it4 ,when he      
resurrected ,lazarus1 he did not call   
the whole country around to witness it1 
but performed the act before a private  
party4 ,the reanimation of ,jairus's    
daughter was in the same concealed      
manner1 in a private room1 where nobody 
was admitted but his three confidential 
disciples 7,peter1 ,james1 and ,john7   
and the parents1 none of whom make any  
report of the case4 ,how1 therefore1 the
 reporter 7,mark7 found it out1 when he 
was not present1 and none of the party  
were allowed to tell it to anybody1 or  
why he should betray his trust by       
publishing it1 if he was informed of it1
 is a mystery of ,godliness not easily  
divined4  ,when ,christ cleansed the    
leper1 he sent him to the priest1       

enjoining him to say nothing to any man4
 ,the dumb1 when restored to speech1 was
 not allowed to exhibit any practical   
proof of the fact by using his tongue4  
,his miraculous perambulation on the    
surface of the sea 7walking on the      
water7 was not only alone1 but in the   
dark4 ,his transfiguration1 likewise1   
according to ,dr4 ,barnes1 took place in
 the night1 his three favorite          
companions being the only witnesses1 and
 they heavy with sleep4 ,and finally1   
the crowning miracle of all1 the        
resurrection1 is not only represented as
 taking place in the night1 but without 
one substantial or terrestrial witness  
to report it4 ,verily such facts as     
these are not calculated to augment the 
faith jr work the conviction of a       
skeptic that these miracles were ever   
performed1 seeing so few are reported as
 witnessing them1 and even their        
testimony is not given4 ,we have not the
 testimony of one person who claims to  
have been present and seen these wonders

 performed4 ,such facts are calculated  
to cast distrust upon the whole matter1 
especially when taken in connection with
 the fact that nine tenths of his life  
form a perfect blank in history4 ,is it 
possible1 we ask1 to reconcile such a   
fact with the belief of his divinity8   
,is it possible a ,god could lead a     
private life1 or live twenty-seven years
 on earth1 and do nothing worthy of     
note--a ,god known to nobody and noticed
 by nobody8 ,most transcendingly absurd 
is such a thought4 ,had ,christ         
possessed the character that is claimed 
for him1 not an hour of his life could  
have passed unaccompanied by some       
remarkable incident that would have been
 heralded abroad1 and its record        
indelibly engraven upon the page of     
history2 but instead of this1 his acts  
were too commonplace to be noticed4     
,,all ,,history ,,ignores ,,him4  ,the  
fact that no history1 sacred or         
profane1--that not one of the three     
hundred histories of that age1--makes   

the slightest allusion to ,christ1 or   
any of the miraculous incidents         
ingrafted into his life1 certainly      
proves1 with a cogency that no logic can
 overthrow1 no sophistry can contradict1
 and no honest skepticism can resist1   
that there never was such a miraculously
 endowed being as his many orthodox     
disciples claim him to have been4 ,the  
fact that ,christ finds no place in the 
history of the era in which he          
lived1--that not one event of his life  
is recorded by anybody but his own      
interested and prejudiced               
biographers1--settles the conclusion1   
beyond cavil or criticism1 that the     
godlike achievements ascribed to him are
 naught but fable or fiction4 ,it not   
only proves he was not miraculously     
endowed1 but proves he was not even     
naturally endowed to such an            
extraordinary degree as to make him an  
object of general attention4 ,it would  
be a historical anomaly without a       
precedent1 that ,christ should have     

performed any of the extraordinary acts 
attributed to him in the ,gospels1 and  
no ,roman or ,grecian historian1 and    
neither ,philo nor ,josephus1 both      
writing in that age1 and both living    
almost on the spot where they are said  
to have been witnessed1 and both        
recording minutely all the religious    
events of that age and country1 make the
 slightest mention of one of them1 nor  
their reputed authors4 ,such a          
historical fact banishes the last shadow
 of faith in their reality4  ,it is true
 a few lines are found in one of        
,josephus's large works alluding to     
,christ4 ,but it is so manifestly a     
forgery1 that we believe all modern     
critics of any note1 even of the        
orthodox school1 reject it as a base    
interpolation4 ,even ,dr4 ,lardner1 one 
of the ablest defenders of the          
,christian faith that ever wielded a pen
 in its support1 and who has written ten
 large volumes to bolster it up1 assigns
 nine cogent reasons 7which we would    

insert here if we had space7 for the    
conclusion that ,josephus could not have
 penned those few lines found in his    
,jewish ,antiquities referring to       
,christ4 ,no ,jew could possibly use    
such language4 ,it would be a glaring   
absurdity to suppose a leading ,jew     
could call ,jesus ,the ,christ1 when the
 whole ,jewish nation have ever         
contested the claim with the sternest   
logic1 and fought it to the bitter end4 
,it ought1 therefore 7says ,dr4         
,lardner1 for the nine reasons which he 
assigns71 to be forever discarded from  
any place among the evidences of        
,christianity4 7,life of ,lardner by    
,dr4 ,kippis1 p4 #bc47  ,as the passage 
is not found in any edition of ,josephus
 prior to the era of ,eusebius1 the     
suspicion has fastened upon that        
,christian writer as being its author1  
who argued that falsehood might be used 
as a medicine for the benefit of the    
churches4 7,see his ,eccles4 ,hist47    
,origen1 who lived before ,eusebius1    

admitted ,josephus makes no allusion to 
,christ4 ,of course the passage was not1
 then1 in ,josephus4 ,one or two other  
similar passages have been found1 in    
other authors of that era1 which it is  
not necessary to notice here1 as they   
are rejected by ,christian writers4 ,it 
must be conceded1 therefore1 that the   
numerous histories covering the epoch of
 the birth of ,christ chronicle none of 
the astounding feats incorporated in his
 ,gospel biographies as signalizing his 
earthly career1 and make no mention of  
the reputed hero of these achievements1 
either by name or character4 ,the       
conclusion is thus irresistibly forced  
upon us1 not only that he was not a     
miracle-worker1 but that he must have   
led rather an obscure life1 entirely    
incompatible with his being a ,god or a 
,messiah1 who came to draw all men unto 
him4 ,and it should also be noted here  
that none of ,christ's famous           
biographers1 ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 or 
,john1 are honored with a notice in     

history till one hundred and ninety     
years after the birth of ,christ4 ,and  
then the notice was by a ,christian     
writer 7,ireneus74  ,we look in vain1   
says a writer1 for any cotemporary      
notice of the ,gospels1 or ,christ the  
subject of the ,gospels1 outside of the 
,new ,testament4 ,so little was this    
'king of the ,jews' known1 that the     
,romans were compelled to pay one of his
 apostles to turn traitor and act as    
guide before they could find him4 ,it is
 impossible to observe this negative    
testimony of all history against ,christ
 and his miracles1 and not be struck    
with amazement1 and seized with the     
conviction that he was not a ,god1 and  
not a very extraordinary man4 ,who can  
believe that a ,god1 from off the throne
 of heaven1 could make his appearance on
 earth1 and while performing the most   
astounding miracles ever recorded in any
 history1 or that ever excited the      
credulity of any people1 and be finally 
publicly crucified in the vicinity of a 

great city1 and yet all the histories   
written in those times1 both sacred and 
profane1 pass over with entire silence  
the slightest notice of any of these    
extraordinary events4 ,impossible--most 
self-evidently impossible66 ,and when we
 find that this omission was so absolute
 that no record was made of the day or  
year of his birth by any person in the  
era in which he lived1 and that they    
were finally forgotten1 and hence that  
there are1 as a writer informs us1 no   
less then one hundred and thirty-three  
different opinions about the matter1 the
 question assumes a still more serious  
aspect4 ,from the logical potency of    
these facts we are driven to the        
conclusion that ,christ received but    
little attention outside of the circle  
of his own credulous and interested     
followers1 and consequently stands on a 
level with ,chrishna of ,india1 ,mithra 
of ,persia1 ,osiris of ,egypt1 and other
 demigods of antiquity1 all whose       
miraculous legends were ingrafted in    

their histories long after their death4 
,this leads us to consider   ,,how      
,,christ',s ,,incredible ,,legends ,,got
 ,,into ,,his ,,history4  ,there is a   
remarkably easy and satisfactory way of 
accounting for all the marvelous feats  
and incredible stories found in the     
,gospel narratives of ,jesus ,christ1   
without assuming their reality or any   
intentional fraud or falsehood by the   
writers4 ,when we learn that none of his
 evangelical biographies were penned 7as
 ,dr4 ,lardner affirms7 till long after 
his death1 we are no longer puzzled for 
a moment to understand exactly how many 
statements wholly incredible and morally
 impossible crept into his history1     
without challenging or calling in       
question the veracity or honesty of the 
writer4 ,perhaps the most powerful cord 
of moral conviction which holds the     
,christian professor to a belief in the 
divinity of ,jesus ,christ1 is the      
difficulty of bringing himself to       
believe that the numerous miracles      

ascribed to him in the ,gospels are     
merely the work of fiction1 fabricated  
without a basis of truth1 when they were
 evidently penned by men of the deepest 
piety and the strictest moral integrity4
 ,we ourselves were once environed with 
this difficulty4 ,but it stands in our  
way no longer4 ,we are disenthralled4   
,we have solved the problem4 ,we have   
found the true explanation4 ,the key and
 clew to the whole secret is found in   
the simple fact1 admitted by ,christian 
writers and evidenced by the bible      
itself1 that no history of ,christ's    
practical life was written out by a     
person claim-ing to have been an        
eyewitness of the events reported1 nor  
until every incident and act of the     
noble-minded ,nazarene had had ample    
time to become enormously magnified and 
distorted by rumor1 fable1 and fiction2 
so that it was impossible to            
discriminate or separate the real from  
the unreal1 the true from the false1 in 
his partly-forgotten life4 ,it could not

 be done4 ,a true history could not then
 be1 nor have been written under such   
circumstances4 ,it is manifestly        
impossible4 ,the time for writing each  
,gospel is fixed by ,dr4 ,lardner as    
follows1 viz43 ,matthew #fb ,a4 ,d41    
,mark #fd ,a4 ,d41 ,luke #fc or #fd ,a4 
,d41 and ,john #fh ,a4 ,d42 thus        
allowing ample time for every noteworthy
 incident of his life to grow from      
molehills to mountains1 and to swell    
into fiction1 fable1 and prodigy1 a     
tendency to which was then very rife and
 very prevalent in all religious        
countries4 ,having made a note of this  
fact1 let the reader treasure in memory1
 as another equally important fact1 that
 the biography of no man of note who    
figured in that era1 or who lived prior 
to the dawn of letters 7if penned many  
years after his death1 as was frequently
 the case71 is free from a large        
percentage of extravagant detail1 and   
simple incidents magnified into         
miracles4 ,this was the uncurbed        

tendency of the age which ultimated into
 universal custom4  ,the simplest       
incident in every man's life1 who       
exhibited mind enough to attract        
attention1 by rolling from year to year1
 and passing from mouth to mouth1       
invariably got to be finally swelled    
into such undue and enormous            
proportions1 that it could only be      
accounted for by assuming the actor to  
have been a ,god4 ,in this way many men 
of different countries1 who had made a  
mark in the world1 received divine      
honors and divine attributes1 including 
such characters as ,chrishna of ,india1 
,mithra of ,persia1 ,quirinus of ,rome1 
,eras of the ,druids1 ,quexalcote of    
,mexico1 ,jesus ,christ of ,judea1 and  
many others who might be mentioned4     
,this circumstance deified them4 ,the   
evidence of history to prove this       
declaration is abundant and             
irresistible4   ,,posthumous ,,histories
 ,,alone ,,deified ,,men4  ,to the two  
important facts above cited1 viz41 that 

,jesus ,christ's evangelical histories  
were all written long after his death1  
and that unwritten histories of great   
men always become swollen and distorted 
with the lapse of time1 let the reader  
add the equally significant fact that   
there is in all cases a vast difference 
in the biographies of famous men1 penned
 during their actual lives1 or          
immediately subsequent to their death1  
while every act and incident of their   
career was fresh and vigorous in the    
minds and memories of the cotemporaneous
 people1 and before the ball of         
exaggerated rumor was set rolling1      
compared with those written at a later  
date1 after molehills of fact had become
 mountains of fiction4 ,the former are  
natural and reasonable1 the latter      
unnatural and extravagant1 and often    
fabulous4 ,we will cite a few cases in  
proof4 ,let the reader compare the      
biographical sketches of ,alexander the 
,great written near the epoch of his    
practical life1 and those composed since

 the dawn of the ,christian era1 and he 
will find that the posthumous notices of
 him alone contain the story of the sun 
becoming obscured1 and the earth        
developed in darkness1 at the time of   
his mortal exit4 ,it will be found1     
also1 that ,virgil's account of the     
sheeted dead1 rising from their graves  
at the time of ,caesar's death1 and     
which was written long after that famous
 hero left the stage of action1 is      
omitted in all the cotemporary notices  
of that monarch1 having crept in        
subsequently4  ,in like manner1 the     
various miracles recorded of ,pythagoras
 by his biographer ,jamblicus1--such as 
his walking on the air1 stilling the    
tempest1 raising the dead1 c41--are not 
related of him by any cotemporaneous    
writers who lived in the era of his     
practical life4 ,and let the reader     
compare1 also1 ,damos' life of          
,apollonius with that of his later      
biography by ,philostratus1 as an       
illustration of the same historical     

fact4 ,mahomet and his biograhers might 
be included in the same category4 ,it is
 a remarkable circumstance that neither 
,mahomet himself nor any of his         
immediate followers claim for him more  
than the humble title of prophet1 or    
,god's holy prophet1 while his later    
admirers and devout disciples have      
elevated him to the throne of heaven1   
and given him a seat among the ,gods4   
,and this historical analysis might be  
extended much farther if necessary4 ,but
 cases enough have been cited to prove  
the principle and establish the         
proposition4 ,and what is the lesson    
taught by these facts8 ,a               
deeply-instructive and all-important    
one4 ,from the foregoing historical     
illustrations we are impelled to the    
important conclusion1 that the tissue of
 extravagant and incredible stories of  
demigod performances which run as a vein
 of fiction through the ,gospel         
narrations of ,jesus ,christ1 all grow  
out of long-continued rumor1 in an age  

when the imagination was untamed and    
unbounded1 and credulity uncurbed by a  
practical knowledge of the principles of
 science1 and consequently the pen of   
the historian had lawless scope4 ,all   
difficulty then vanishes1 and the       
question is put forever at rest by      
assuming that if the ,gospel histories  
of ,jesus had been written by men who   
claimed to record only what they saw and
 heard themselves1 we should have a more
 credible and instructive history of the
 great ,judean reformer1 freed from     
those ,munchausen prodigies and that    
wild romance which mar the beauty and   
credibility of those now in popular use4
 ,this conclusion is not only natural1  
but irresistible1 to a mind untrammeled 
by education and unbefogged by          
priestcraft4 ,all that is wanting to    
convince us that miracles constitute no 
part of the real history of ,christ1 is 
a cotemporary instead of a posthumous   
biography--a history written in the age 
which knew him1 and by an unprejudiced  

writer who witnessed all his movements4 
,and we are perfectly willing to risk   
our reputation in this life1 and our    
salvation in the next1 by stating our   
conviction that this will be the        
unanimous verdict of posterity before   
fifty generations pass away4            
,,christ',s ,,miracles ,,reconstructed  
,,from ,,former ,,miracles4  ,there are 
other circumstances than those noticed  
in the preceding chapter1 which can aid 
us very materially in solving the       
problem of ,christ's divinity2 or1 in   
other words1 can aid us in tracing his  
miracles to their origin1 and thus      
confirm the truth of the preceding      
proposition4 ,moses and the prophets    
were considered by the evangelists      
antetypes or archetypes of the coming   
,savior4 ,hence some of the more        
important incidents of their lives were 
hunted up and worked over again1 to make
 them fit the life of ,christ as the    
,messiah1 reconstructed and applied to  
him as the second ,moses1 and a new     

prophet2 for ,moses is represented as   
saying1 ,a prophet shall the ,lord your 
,god raise up like unto me4 ,hence      
,moses comes in with the prophets as an 
antetype of ,christ4 ,the               
transfiguration of ,christ is therefore 
constituted after the model of the      
transfiguration of ,moses on ,mount     
,sinai4 ,and ,christ is represented as  
raising the dead1 not only because      
,elijah and ,elisha had performed such  
miracles1 but did it under circumstances
 which prove1 as they suppose1 he       
possessed superior power4 ,for while    
they could only reanimate the body      
immediately after the breath had left   
it1 ,christ could raise a man after he  
had been dead four days 7the case of    
,lazarus74 ,hence the ,new ,prophet was 
superior to the old1 and more like a    
,god--the thing they desired to prove4  
,both ,elijah and ,christ are           
represented as raising a widows         
son1--,elijah being considered the      
special prototype of ,christ1 who1 many 

believed1 had re-appeared under the     
changed name of ,elias4 7,see ,john v4  
#ag47 ,and then we observe that while   
,elisha exhausted his skill in making   
three gallons of oil1 ,christ could make
 thirty gallons of wine--another proof  
of the superiority of the ,new ,prophet4
 ,then1 again1 the miracle of feeding   
one hundred men with twenty loaves is   
far excelled by the latter1 who feeds   
five thousand men with five loaves4 ,and
 both prophets1 ,elisha and ,christ1    
encountered unfordable streams in their 
travels2 the expedient of the former is 
to make a passage1 but ,christ performed
 the greater miracle of walking on the  
surface4 ,and while ,moses had to send  
the leper without the camp before he    
could heal him1 ,christ could heal him  
instantly with a single touch4 ,the same
 slaughter of the infants is commanded  
by ,herod1 in order to destroy ,christ1 
that ,pharaoh had ordered to effect the 
destruction of ,moses4 ,and thus many of
 the miracles of ,jesus can be accounted

 for as reconstructions of former       
miracles4 ,it was simply a competition  
or rivalry between the ,new ,messianic  
prophet and the old prophets4 ,the ,new 
,prophet excels and comes off victorious
 in every case1 and is thus considered  
to be a ,god4 ,the object of the        
competition is to show that while the   
prophets1 assisted by ,god1 could       
perform marvelous deeds1 ,christ1 being 
,god himself1 could perform greater4    
,this was to be the proof of his being a
 ,god1 that he could outvie the servants
 of ,god in every miraculous thing      
ascribed to them4 ,this was one way     
adopted to prove his divinity4          
,,christ',s ,,miracles ,,manufactured   
,,from ,,prophecies4  ,several of       
,christs miracles seem to have grown out
 of the ,messianic prophecies2 that is1 
were manufactured in order to fulfill   
the prophecies4 ,there was1 as we learn 
by the ,gospels1 an impression deep and 
wide-spread among the disciples of      
,christ1 that the ,old ,testament was   

full of texts foretelling the advent of 
their ,messiah1 and foreshadowing his   
practical life4 ,under this conviction1 
a number of passages are quoted in the  
,gospels from the prophets as referring 
to ,christ1 but which1 however1 the     
context shows could not possibly have   
been written with any such thought or   
intention4 ,matthew has five miracles   
appertaining to ,christ1 built on       
prophecies1 in his first two chapters4  
,and they are represented as taking     
place in order that the prophecy might  
be fulfilled1 that is1 ,matthew1 writing
 sixty-four years after ,christ's       
advent1 assumes those miracles had taken
 place because the prophecy required    
their performance1 and hence recorded it
 as a fact without knowing it to be     
such4 ,a great deal of that kind of     
license was assumed in that and         
subsequent ages1 as the facts of history
 are ample to prove4 ,it was done under 
the religious conviction that the cause 
of ,god and the church required it to be

 done1 and that therefore it was        
justifiable4   ,,strict ,,veracity ,,not
 ,,required ,,or ,,observed4  ,it is by 
no means necessary to assume that the   
recorders of the ,new ,testament        
miracles knew they had been performed1  
or that they would hesitate to record   
them as facts because they did not know 
them to be such4 ,we are under no moral 
obligation to suppose they knew anything
 about it4 ,people in that age were not 
so nice or so morally exact1 as to      
require proof of a thing before they    
stated it1 or never to state it unless  
they had the proof for its being true4  
,we would be ,very far from accusing the
 apostolic writers of malicious         
falsehood1 or criminal                  
misrepresentation4 ,but we find that the
 disciples of all religions1 in that age
 of the world1 considered it not only   
allowable1 but a religious duty1 in the 
absence of knowledge1 to supply         
omissions by guess-work or conjecture2  
that is1 to use assumption in the place 

of proof1 and to state that a thing was 
so when there was no proof of it        
whatever1 and even when the proof was   
against it4 ,all religious history is   
full of the exhibition of this kind of  
elasticity of conscience4 ,even a       
species of pious lying was considered   
justifiable in many cases4 ,paul        
furnishes evidence of this1 when he     
says1 ,if the truth of ,god hath more   
abounded through my lie unto his glory1 
why am ,i judged a sinner8 7,rom4 iii4  
#af47 ,no sin to lie for the glory of   
,god1 seems to be the teaching of this  
text4 ,although ,paul does not clearly  
disclose for what purpose this policy   
was employed1 yet it can easily be      
inferred4 ,a part of the important      
business of the ,new ,testament writers 
was to build a reputation for ,christ   
and his inspired band of disciples for  
working miracles4 ,a fame for achieving 
signs and wonders was the great set off 
of the age4 ,there seems to have been an
 almost boundless competition amongst   

the disciples of the various religious  
orders1 including ,jews1 ,pagans1 and   
,christians1 as to who could1 or whose  
,god could outstrip all competitors in  
achieving astonishing prodigies that    
should set the laws of nature at        
defiance4 ,and no devout disciple1 who  
had good inventive powers1 would allow  
any rival to outdo him4 ,nothing could  
authenticate the claim of the adopted   
,messiah to the throne or heaven1 or a  
participation in the ,divine ,essence1  
like a miraculous display of divine     
power4 ,hence the history of all the    
,gods and demi-gods of the illiterate   
ages1 including that of ,christ1 is     
loaded down with miraculous feats4      
,there is the clearest proof that       
,christ's disciples were in this general
 rivalry--this universal miracle-working
 mle4  ,two things very necessary to be 
accomplished1 in the estimation of the  
apostles1 were1 first1 to show that     
,christ outdid the heathen ,gods1 and   
even the prophets1 in the display of the

 wonder-exciting miraculous power1 and  
thus proved his divinity2 and second1   
that the prophecies had been fulfilled  
in his coming and his practical life4   
,and there is reason to believe all the 
,new ,testament miracles are founded on 
and grew out of prophecy4 ,for1 although
 we do not find prophecies in the ,old  
,testament for every miracle related of 
,christ1 yet it is probable1 if we had  
the ,book of ,god1 the ,book of ,jehu1  
the ,like of ,hezekiah1 and other lost  
books mentioned in the ,old ,testament1 
we should find the supposed prophecy for
 every miracle of the ,new ,testament4  
,we should there find the key to every  
miracle4 ,the true explanation of the   
matter seems to be1 that the apostolic  
writers1 looking through the ,old       
,testament1 and finding texts therein   
which they believed to be prophetic of  
the display of the miraculous power of  
,jesus1 and passages which they         
religiously believed foreshadowed his   
coming and mission1 or some important   

event in his history1 they were         
impressed with the deepest conviction   
that ,god would not suffer any prophecy 
to go unfulfilled4 ,but when they sat   
down to write the history of their      
,messiah1 long after his death1 they    
found they had not the evidence before  
them that the prophecies had been       
fulfilled4 ,a third of a century had    
rolled away since his history had been  
practically before the people4 ,the     
subject of their narrative had long     
since gone to the house of many         
mansions1 and left not a note1 or       
scratch of a pen1 of any act of his life
 behind him4 ,and the current of time   
had washed away1 or partially           
obliterated1 nearly every event of his  
earthly career4 ,the witnesses had      
nearly all left the stage of action1 and
 their voices were forever hushed in the
 silent tomb4 ,what was to be done in   
such an emergency8 ,it was all-important
 to show that the prophecies had been   
fulfilled to the letter in his practical

 life4 ,this quandary1 however1 did not 
beset them long4 ,the difficulty was    
easily surmounted4 ,every religious     
country1 including ,judea1 was full of  
miraculous legends and astonishing      
prodigies appertaining to the           
terrestrial movements of their ,gods and
 demigods1 some of which had floated    
down on the stream of tradition from    
time immemorial4 ,and all had become    
blended1 confounded1 and mixed up       
together1 until it was impossible to    
know whence they originated1 where they 
belonged1 or to what ,god they          
appertained4 ,these miraculous stories  
were so numerous1 and so varied in      
character1 that there was no little     
difficulty in finding which seemed to be
 the fulfillment of any ,messianic      
prophecy that had been or might be found
 in the ,old ,testament2 and thus of the
 hundreds of miraculous stories afloat1 
one was picked out and assumed to be the
 fulfillment of the prophecy4 ,with the 
countless number of such stories before 

them1 which had been for half a century 
current in the community1 they set      
themselves to work to select and reject1
 prune and remodel1 honestly believing  
that this miracle was intended to       
fulfill this prophecy1 and that miracle 
that prophecy1 c4 ,and accordingly we   
now find it so stated in the ,new       
,testament4 ,as1 for example1 a story   
had long been going the rounds that the 
parents of a young ,god had to flee with
 him out of the country1 to save his    
life from being destroyed by its jealous
 ruler4 ,this they supposed must of     
course refer to ,jesus1 because they had
 found a supposed prophecy of such an   
event in the ,jewish bible1 when a more 
thorough acquaintance with history would
 have taught them that the story did not
 refer to the ruler of ,judea 7,herod71 
but to ,cansa1 an ancient1 jealous1     
despotic king1 who ruled ,india at a    
much earlier period4 ,and the story of  
the darkness at the crucifixion they    
incorporated as a part of the history of

 ,jesus1 because they had seen a text in
 ,joel which they supposed presaged such
 an event1 while1 if they had been well 
versed in oriental history1 they would  
have known that it had long been        
recorded as the last chapter in the     
earthly drama of the ,hindoo ,god       
,chrishna4 ,and so of the other miracles
 now found related as a part of the     
history of ,jesus4 ,a historical        
investigation of the matter would have  
shown the ,gospel writers that they were
 a part of the written history of other 
and more ancient ,gods1 and had never   
formed a part of the practical life of  
,jesus1 or been realized in his         
experience4 ,this is a more charitable  
and honorable explanation of the matter 
than that found in the assumption of    
some other writers1 that every miracle  
was constructed for the occasion--that  
it is a sheer fabrication2 and yet there
 are some plausible grounds for this    
solution of the case4  ,these critical  
writers tell us there was a religious   

persuasion deeply enstamped upon the    
minds of all religious countries1 that  
,god often justified a departure from   
the truth--the conscientious or         
veracious faculty being in that age but 
feebly developed4 ,and the bible itself 
is full of evidence to establish the    
allegation4 ,the prophets often disclose
 it1 and the apostles were their strict 
imitators4 ,ezekiel represents ,god as  
saying1 ,if a prophet is deceived1 ,i   
the ,lord deceived that prophet4 7,ezek4
 xiv4 #i47 ,and ,jeremiah asks ,god1    
,wilt thou be to me as a liar8 7,jer4   
xv4 #h47 ,while the writer of ,kings    
represents ,god as putting a lying      
spirit into the mouth of his own        
prophets1 7i ,kings xxii4 #bc47 ,and    
most certainly if ,god himself might    
thus habitually depart from the truth1  
it was an ample warrant for his         
apostles1 as well as the prophets1 to   
adopt the same expedient4 ,the case of  
,paul lying for the glory of ,god1 which
 we have cited from ,romans iii4 #d1    

proves they were morally capable of     
doing this4 ,mosheim tells us that among
 the early ,christians1 it was an almost
 universally adopted maxim1 that it was 
an act of virtue to deceive and lie1    
when by so doing they could promote the 
interest of the church4 7,mosh4 vol4 i4 
p4 #aih47 ,and ,mr4 ,higgins informs us 
that great numbers1 of every age and of 
every religion1 have been guilty of     
systematic frauds and falsehoods to     
support their religions1 to an extent of
 which we can have no conception4 ,they 
not only practiced it1 but they reduced 
it to system4 ,they avowed it1 and they 
justified it by declaring it to be      
meritorious to lie in a good cause4     
7,ana4 vol4 i4 p4 #adc47 ,the reader who
 can hesitate to credit these statements
 only betrays his ignorance of the moral
 weakness of human nature1 and the      
imperfect growth in that era of the     
veracious faculty1 which consequently   
had but a feeble voice in the councils  
of the mind4 ,even the most pious and   

devout professors of religion did not   
consider a rigid conformity to truth    
necessary1 or morally obligatory1 in    
their labors to promote the glory of    
,god and the salvation of souls4 ,and   
when direct falsehood was not resorted  
to1 the writer still allowed himself to 
color1 magnify1 and invent largely2 that
 is1 to draw copiously upon the         
resources of his imagination1 in the way
 of supplying omissions and defects1 and
 filling out missing links in the chain 
of history4 ,and hence it is that all   
ancient sacred history is so profusely  
inlaid with stories and statements      
manifestly fabricated for the occasion1 
without any historical support1 and     
therefore wholly incredible4 ,let the   
,christian reader not1 however1         
misapprehend us by supposing we wish to 
drive him to the extreme alternative of 
accepting this as the true explanation1 
or as indicating the real origin of the 
incredible stories and senseless        
miraculous feats interwoven into the    

,gospel life of ,jesus4 ,we only offer  
it as a plausible1 but not as the       
probable explanation4 ,the above        
citations from the ,scriptures and other
 history prove most clearly that sacred 
writers were morally capable of         
fabricating or manufacturing history to 
supply assumed omissions4 ,and this     
explanation is twofold more reasonable  
than to accept the miracles as real     
occurrences1 for such a belief would be 
at war with common sense1 and prostrate 
our reason beneath our feet4 ,but there 
is no necessity of adopting lying       
hypotheses1 while the borrowing theory  
is amply adequate to account for every  
,gospel miracle4 ,there is not a        
miraculous story or incredible legend   
incorporated in the ,new ,testament as a
 part of the history of ,jesus1 that was
 not afloat in some shape or form1 on   
the wings of tradition in nearly every  
religious country1 ages before his      
birth4 ,the model for each and every    
miracle was already constructed1 was    

already in the market1 and already a    
part of the history or tradition of     
other and older ,gods4 ,and all that was
 wanted to make it appear as a part of  
the history of the ,christian's deified 
,jesus1 was to fill in names and dates4 
,yes1 history with a hundred tongues    
proclaims it as the real explanation of 
the incredible and the impossible in the
 history of ,jesus ,christ4 ,and the    
evidence is so voluminous and so        
overwhelming to disprove the common     
,christian dogma which makes the son of 
,joseph and ,mary a miracle-working ,god
 7a portion of which we have presented  
under the several propositions of this  
chapter71 that it really demolishes the 
last timber in the ,christian fabric1   
and leaves it a heap of ruins4 ,and we  
are certain that if we could divest the 
,christian reader's mind1 for a few     
moments1 of an inherited and fostered   
prejudice1 he would see that our        
explanation is much more rational1 more 
probable1 more beautiful than the       

popular belief1 which degrades the      
illustrious ,judean reformer to a level 
with the heathen thaumaturgist1 and     
gives him the same undignified          
reputation as a miracle-worker4  ,but we
 are sometimes told we are under as much
 moral obligation to believe in the     
miracles reported of ,jesus1 as to      
believe in any other portion of his     
history2 that we must accept his ,gospel
 history as a whole1 or reject it in    
toto4 ,but this is manifestly a false   
assumption1 and one easily exploded4 ,no
 person who is acquainted with ,grecian 
history doubts that ,alexander the      
,great was born in ,macedonia1 and      
founded a city in ,egypt bearing his own
 name4 ,yet not one of those readers    
will credit for a moment what one of his
 biographers relates of him1 that he    
stopped the sun in its course1 or that  
he had no human father4 ,we all accept  
,pythagoras as a real entity1 while we  
reject the story of his walking on the  
air4 ,are we morally bound to accept    

,romulus and ,remus1 founders of ,rome1 
as mere fabulous beings1 because their  
biographers relate the incredible story 
of their being suckled by a wolf8 ,many 
other illustrations might be given in   
proof of the falsity of the assumption  
that1 because a portion of a man's      
biography is found to be incredible1 the
 whole must be rejected as false1 as    
unworthy of credence4 ,this would be to 
annihilate history4 ,for no biography of
 any person1 and no history of any      
nation1 can be accepted as plenarily    
pure1 unmixed truth4 ,there is always   
more or less chaff with the grain1 and  
it is our privilege and our duty to     
separate them4 ,and by so doing we not  
only confer a favor on the cause of     
truth1 but add to the luster and honor  
of the name of the deceased reformer2   
and especially is this true of the      
renowned ,judean philanthropist and     
reformer4 ,much more lovely and         
beautiful would his evangelical history 
stand before the world if stripped of   

the wild1 the weird1 and the miraculous4
 ,much more interesting is he when      
viewed and venerated as a man than when 
worshipped as a ,god1 guilty of the     
frequent violation of his own laws1 by  
the display of the miracle-working      
power4  ,and much more beautiful and    
much more rational is the doctrine which
 accepts every event that ever occurred 
as the legitimate and harmonious        
operation of the great machinery of     
nature1 than as the smart trick1 the    
lawless caprice or wild feat1 of an     
arbitrary1 wonder-exciting ,god1        
performed not to make the people better1
 more moral or more righteous 7for      
miracles cannot do this71 but merely to 
make them gape and stare1 and shout1    
,what a smart ,god we have got6  ,and   
then the belief in miracles involves an 
utter repudiation of all law1 all order1
 and all system1 and introduces in their
 stead chaos1 anarchy1 and universal    
confusion4 ,it is simply the doctrine of
 chance4 which all orthodox ,christendom

 professes to deprecate and execrate as 
the quintessence of atheism4 ,but they  
make a mistake2 chance is more          
legitimately the fruit of miracle than  
of atheism2 an assertion which we will  
here briefly prove4  ,if the sun may be 
arrested in his course through the      
heavens1 the moon turned into blood1 and
 the stars fall from the heaven1--sticks
 turned into serpents1 water into blood1
 and dust into lice1--all of which      
orthodox ,christians profess to believe 
were witnessed in the days of ,moses and
 ,christ1 then everything is thrown upon
 the wheel of chance2 everything is     
involved in uncertainty4 ,if the course 
of nature could be arrested1 or the     
natural qualities of objects changed by 
the prayer of a prophet1 patriarch1 or  
apostle1 then the food set before us to 
eat may suddenly1 in compliance with the
 prayers of some absent saint1 become a 
deadly poison2 the clothes we wear may  
be instantly transformed into virulent  
adders1 which may inflict the fatal     

sting before we suspect it2 some        
favorite servant of ,god 7a ,moses or an
 ,elijah7 might be this moment praying  
to ,god to stop the dews from falling1  
or the rain from descending for the next
 three months1 or three years1 as the   
latter is reported as doing 7see ,james 
v4 #ag71 so that we could not plant with
 any certainty that the seed would grow1
 or that we should be rewarded by a     
crop4 ,such would be the incertitude1   
such the chance against us in everything
 in which we might engage1 if it were   
true that ,god ever intercepts the      
action of his laws by working a miracle1
 that we should eventually become       
discouraged by this chaos of chance1 the
 wheels of industry would stop1 and the 
car of civilization go backward4 ,if it 
were true1 as taught by orthodox        
,christians1 that ,god in his           
providence1 or ,god in the dispensation 
of his providence1 often visits people  
with sickness1 then it would be useless 
to study the laws of health with a view 

of complying with them4 ,for we could   
not know in any case whether our        
sickness had been brought upon us by1 an
 overruling providence1 or by our own   
imprudence4 ,our inventives to study and
 comply with these laws1 if there could 
be any1 would consequently be very weak 
indeed1 for we might comply with every  
physiological requisition1 and yet there
 would be several chances1 against us   
that to-morrow we may be stretched upon 
a sick bed and rolling pillow by the    
visitation of ,god4 ,thus the doctrine  
of miracles is shown to be pre-eminently
 the doctrine of chance4  ,the doctrine 
of miraculous agency makes ,god an      
imperfect being1 by implying that his   
laws were defective in their original   
construction1 that by mistake he left   
some emergency unprovided for1 and now  
has to supply the omission by an        
afterclap exercise of power4 ,or if his 
laws were originally perfect1 then the  
working of a miracle would disturb them1
 and make them imperfect2 if originally 

imperfect1 then ,god himself must have  
been imperfect1 and hence no ,god at    
all4 ,think of a wonderworking ,god     
violating1 suspending1 or intercepting  
his own laws4 ,such a ,god would be a   
puerile1 short-sighted being1 that only 
ignorant and uncultivated minds could   
admire and adore4  ,the age of miracles1
 however1 is gone4 ,the belief in divine
 prodigies has receded before the       
advancing genius of civilization4 ,it   
has died away in the exact ratio of the 
progress of science and general         
intelligence4 ,and a thorough           
acquaintance with nature's laws will    
banish the last vestige of such a       
belief4 ,hence it is that the most      
illiterate and ignorant nations and     
tribes have always been able to recount 
the longest list of miraculous prodigies
 achieved by a disorderly ,god1 who     
seems to have taken pleasure in         
violating his own laws1 or suspending   
them1 for the most trivial purposes4    
,yes1 the time is approaching when the  

belief in a miraculous interposition or 
special providences must pass away under
 the lights of science and civilization1
 and be numbered amongst the things     
which have been and can be no more1 and 
men will cherish more noble and elevated
 ideas of the great ,ruler of the       
universe1 who is infinite in order1     
infinite in wisdom1 ay1 infinite in all 
his attributes and virtues1 ever        
unchangeably the same4   ,,ii4          
,prophecy1 the second ,pillar of the    
,christian ,faith1 proves as much for   
,heathenism and ,spiritualism4          
,truthful prophecy1 attested to be such 
by its fulfillment1 is assumed to be one
 of the basic pillars and one of the    
main proofs of the truth of the         
,christian religion4 ,but the following 
consideration will show that this       
assumption has no logical force1 or     
real1 tangible foundation4  ,first4     
,every ancient system of religion had   
its prophets and seers1 who professed to
 be able to foresee events of the       

future4 ,and we find but little         
difference in the proofs each one has   
left to the world that they possessed   
this power1 if we except the ,greeks and
 ,romans1 some of whom evidently        
excelled all the ,jewish prophets in    
their ability to take cognizance of     
events lying behind the curtain of time4
 ,tacitus1 the ,latin historian1        
prophesied the downfall of the ,roman   
empire and its attendant calamities more
 than five hundred years before its     
occurrence1 which was fulfilled to the  
letter4 ,and ,solon1 one of the seven   
wise men of ,greece1 foresaw and        
foretold a series of calamities which   
befell the ,athenians two hundred years 
before they were realized4 ,a still more
 remarkable example is furnished in the 
history of ,marcus ,tullius ,cicero1    
who1 writing of the future1 with his    
mind fixed on the west1 about #ej ,b4   
,c41 exclaimed1 ,there will arise after 
many ages 7if we may credit the         
,sibylline oracles71 a hero who will    

deliver his oppressed countrymen from   
bondage--a prophecy most signally       
fulfilled in the life of ,general       
,washington4 ,many other examples of    
heathen prophecy and their fulfillment  
might be cited1 if we had space for     
them4  ,second4 ,the history of modern  
spiritualism furnishes many cases of    
future events being predicted long      
before they took place4 ,in fact1 many  
of the most important events of modern  
times which have occurred in this and   
other countries1 were foreseen and      
foretold by spiritual seers known as    
seeing mediums1 when there was not the  
slightest probability that such events  
would ever occur4 ,we will cite one or  
two cases1 by way of proof and          
illustration4 ,a few years ago ,john ,p4
 ,coles1 of ,new ,york1 known as a      
spiritual medium1 prophesied1 when under
 spirit control1 that ,nicholas of      
,russia would shortly have difficulty   
with his secretary ,menzicoff1 and just 
three months from that time would die--a

 prediction that was fulfilled to the   
very letter and to the very hour4 ,and  
yet there was not the slightest         
probability1 externally indicated1 at   
the time the prophecy was uttered1 that 
either of these events would ever be    
realized4 ,and this prophecy1 let it be 
noted1 was published in the ,new ,york  
,times at least two months before it was
 verified1 thus proving that the        
prediction was not an afterclap affair1 
but preceded the event4 ,take another   
example4 ,the serious calamity which    
befell the ill-fated steamer known as   
the ,arctic1 which was lost at sea a    
number of years ago1 with all on board1 
was prophetically described in minute   
detail1 by a spirit medium1 several     
months before it occurred2 and was seen 
and described by another medium1 while  
taking place more than a thousand miles 
distant4 ,the proof is at our command4  
,and the late disastrous war was        
foreseen and described by ,cora ,tappan1
 of ,new ,york1 and other mediums1 and  

its principal events pointed out long   
before the war broke out--a fact which  
is now a matter of history4 ,these are  
only a few cases out of hundreds that   
might be cited of a similar character1  
drawn from the practical history of     
modern spiritualism4 ,if1 then1 prophecy
 can do anything toward the truth or    
divine emanation of the ,christian      
religion1 it must do the same for the   
heathen and spiritual systems4 ,and thus
 proving too much1 it proves nothing at 
all4  ,third4 ,the ,jewish prophecies   
not fulfilled4 ,we have examined        
critically the various texts of the     
,christian bible called prophecies1 and 
find that1 if claimed as predictions of 
the future events beyond the powers of  
the natural mind to foresee1 they have  
all failed4 ,but few of them have been  
fulfilled in any sense1 and those few   
required no divine prescience to foresee
 the result4 ,many events have          
transpired in every country1 which the  
natural sagacity of the most observant  

minds in that country had anticipated as
 the result of natural causes1 such as  
the ravages and downfall of cities and  
the overthrow of empires by the         
merciless hand of war4 ,the ,jewish     
prophet1 fostering a spirit of envy and 
enmity towards ,egypt1 ,babylon1 and    
other superior kingdoms1 because they   
had been overpowered by them and long   
held in subjection to their superior    
sway1 were always prophesying evil      
things of these principalities4 ,and    
though some of the evils which          
constituted the burden of prophecy might
 have been reasonably anticipated as    
natural occurrences1 it is a signal fact
 they never transpired at all1--such as 
the total destruction of ,babylon1      
,tyre1 ,damascus1 and other cities      
belonging to those hostile kingdoms the 
,jews so much envied and execrated4     
,look1 for proof1 at the case of        
,damascus4 ,the prophets ,isaiah1       
,jeremiah1 and ,ezekiel1 all poured out 
their fulminatory thunders upon this    

city4 ,isaiah declared it should be a   
ruinous heap4 7,isa4 xvii4 ,i47 ,and    
,jeremiah predicted its destruction by  
fire4 7,jer4 xlix4 #bg47 ,and yet1      
notwithstanding these predictions of    
ruin1 ,damascus still stands as one of  
the paradises of the earth1 as one      
writer styles it1 with a population1    
according to ,burckhart1 of not less    
than two hundred and fifty thousand1    
being one of the most magnificent and   
prosperous commercial cities on the     
globe4 ,instead of being blotted out of 
existence1 as the ,jewish prophets      
prayed and predicted1 it has suffered   
less by ravages of war and the scythe of
 time than almost any other city of the 
east4 ,it has stood nearly three        
thousand years without becoming a       
ruinous heap1 or being consumed by fire 
or destroyed by war4 7,jer4 xlix4 #bf47 
,and the prophecy against ,tyre has most
 signally failed also4 ,ezekiel declared
 it should be destroyed by              
,nebuchadnezzar1 and never be found     

again4 7,ezek4 xxvi4-xxix47 ,but two    
hundred and fifty years after           
,nebuchadnezzar's time ,alexander found 
it a strong commercial city4 ,and it    
still contains a population of five     
thousand or more4 ,st4 ,jerome1 of the  
fourth century1 declared it to be then  
the finest city of ,phoenicia1 and was  
astonished that ,ezekiel's prophecy had 
so utterly failed4  ,and ,isaiah's      
famous prediction against ,babylon      
furnishes another proof of the utter    
failure of ,jewish prophecy4 ,he        
declared1 after predicting its          
destruction1 ,it shall never be         
inhabited1 neither shall it be dwelt in 
from generation to generation1 neither  
shall the ,arabian pitch tent there4    
7,isa4 xiii4 #bj47 ,of course he desired
 it should be so4 ,but1 unfortunately   
for his credit as a prophet1 it never   
suffered such a calamity4 ,on the       
contrary1 according to ,layard and      
,rawlinson1 ,british commissioners who  
recently visited the place1 it now      

presents all the activity of a hive of  
bees 7to use ,layard's language71 and   
contains several thousand inhabitants1  
though its name is1 since rebuilt1      
called ,hillah4 ,and thus the prophecy  
is falsified4 ,no1 exclaims a good      
,christian brother1 in forlorn hope1 it 
may be fulfilled yet4 ,but if he will   
examine the language of the prophecy1 he
 will find he is entirely cut off from  
this saving clause4 ,the prophet says1  
,her time is near to come1 and her days 
shall not be prolonged4 7,isa4 xiii4    
#bb47 ,thus it is evident the prophecy  
was to be fulfilled in that age and     
generation4 ,the failure1 then1 is      
absolute and indisputable4 ,and these   
are but mere samples of the complete    
failure of every text called a prophecy1
 when applied to the prognostication of 
future events4 ,numerous texts can be   
found in the prophets auguring evil for 
,egypt1 which have made no approximation
 toward fulfillment4 ,ezekiel prophesied
 the fall of ,egypt1 the desolation of  

,egypt1 the destruction of ,egypt1 c41  
not one of which calamities has ever    
been realized in her experience4        
,prophecies respecting the restoration  
of the lost tribes and the perpetuity of
 the ,israelitish throne are complete   
failures2 also all the ,messianic       
prophecies1 so called4 7,see ,chap4     
,,ii47 ,with respect to the prophecy on 
,babylon1 it may be further observed    
that while the prophet declares1        
,neither shall the ,arabian pitch tent  
there 7,isa4 xiii4 #bb71 ,layard        
declares that is the very thing they did
 do while he was there4 ,he says he saw 
a number of ,arabian tents pitched on   
the ground2 thus proving a failure of   
the prophecy all round in every         
particular4 7,see note page ,fourth74   
,the bible itself is a witness that     
truthful prophecy can do nothing toward 
authenticating a religion1 or toward    
proving the prophet divinely inspired4  
,the same damaging concession is made   
here as in the case of miracles1 that a 

heathen and an unbeliever could and did 
succeed as well as the true disciples of
 the faith4 ,the proof of this statement
 is found in the history of ,balaam4    
,his figurative representation of a star
 coming out of ,jacob and a scepter out 
of ,judah 7see ,numb4 chap4 xxiv47 is   
often quoted by ,christian writers as   
presaging or prefiguring the coming of  
,christ1--thus making a heathen and an  
unbeliever the oracle of a ,messianic   
prophecy1 and a heathen1 too1 of sinful 
and ungodly habits4 ,so that the        
,christian subterfuge is not available  
here1 that ,god might make a righteous  
man of any nation the vehicle of        
prophecy4 ,for we have the express      
declaration of the bible itself that he 
was not a righteous man1 but the very   
reverse4 ,peter tells us1 ,he loved the 
wages of unrighteousness1 at the very   
time this prophecy so called was uttered
 7 see #b ,peter ii4 #ac 71 which       
prostrates forever the ,christian plea  
the he might have possessed the true    

spirit of prophecy by virtue of being a 
righteous man1 and drives us to the     
admission that an unconverted savage and
 ungodly heathen unbeliever could make a
 true prophecy4 ,it not being necessary1
 then1 to be a ,jew1 or a ,christian1 or
 a believer1 or even a moral man1 to    
foresee or foretell the far-off         
important events of the future1 the     
argument falls forever to the ground    
that the fulfillment of the ,jewish     
prophecies1 if admitted to have been    
fulfilled1 could do anything toward     
proving the truth or divine acceptance  
of the religion of the bible1 or its    
superiority over any heathen or oriental
 religion then or subsequently known to 
history1 as they all present the same   
evidence of being endowed with the true 
spirit of prophecy4 ,all argument for   
,christianity based on the prophecies1  
or the gift of prophecy1 is1 then1      
forever at an end1 as it has been shown 
that the power to foretell future events
 is not restricted by the bible itself  

to any nation1 to any religion1 to any  
faith1 to any belief1 or to any moral or
 religious qualification4 ,what1 then1  
is prophecy worth1 or what does it      
prove8 ,another case1 and one similar to
 that of ,balaam in its essential       
points1 is found in the ,new ,testament4
 ,caiaphas1 though not claiming to be   
any part of a believer1 utters a        
prophecy in the interest of the         
,christian religion for which the bible 
itself gives him full credit as a       
prophet4 ,here1 then1 is another case of
 a heathen stealing the ,christian's    
thunder1 and another proof that the     
spirit of true prophecy has never been  
confined to any nation or any religion2 
and hence1 according to the teachings of
 the bible itself1 does nothing at all  
toward establishing the exalted claims  
of ,christianity1 or toward proving its 
superiority over other systems of       
religion4   ,,iii4 ,moral ,precepts the 
third ,pillar of the ,christian ,faith4 
,it is declared1 in view of the many    

wise precepts which issued from the     
mouth of ,jesus ,christ1 that he spake  
as never man spake4 7,john vii4 #df47   
,if this were true1 then ,gods must have
 been very numerous prior to the        
,christian era4 ,for there is not one of
 the moral maxims or preceptive commands
 which he gave utterance to that cannot 
be found literally or substantially in  
the older bibles of other nations1 or   
the writings of the ,greek philosophers1
 and the religious dissertations of     
heathen moralists1 who gave out moral   
and religious lessons for the           
instruction of the world long prior to  
the birth of ,christ4 ,even the ,golden 
,rule1 which ,christian writers1        
ignorant or oriental history1 have      
erroneously ascribed to ,jesus ,christ1 
and lauded him as being the author of1  
is found variously expressed in the     
writings of several heathen or oriental 
nations4 ,we find it in the ,chinese    
bible at least live hundred years older 
than ours1 almost word for word as      

,jesus uttered it4 ,we will here present
 it as expressed by different writers4  
#a4 ,golden ,rule by ,confucius1 #ejj   
,b4 ,c4  ,do unto another what you would
 have him do unto you1 and do not to    
another what you would not have him do  
unto you4 ,thou needest this law alone4 
,it is the foundation of all the rest4  
#b4 ,golden ,rule by ,aristotle1 #che   
,b4 ,c4  ,we should conduct ourselves   
toward others as we would have them act 
toward us4  #c4 ,golden ,rule by        
,pittacus1 #fej ,b4 ,c4  ,do not to your
 neighbor what you would take ill from  
him4  #d4 ,golden ,rule by ,thales1 #dfd
 ,b4 ,c4  ,avoid doing what you would   
blame others for doing4  #e4 ,golden    
,rule by ,isocrates1 #cch ,b4 ,c4  ,act 
toward others as you desire them to act 
toward you4  #f4 ,golden ,rule by       
,aristippus1 #cfe ,b4 ,c4  ,cherish     
reciprocal benevolence1 which will make 
you as anxious for another's welfare as 
your own4  #g4 ,golden ,rule by ,sextus1
 a ,pythagorean1 #djf ,b4 ,c4  ,what you

 wish your neighbors to be to you1 such 
be also to them4  #h4 ,golden ,rule by  
,hillel1 #ej ,b4 ,c4  ,do not to others 
what you would not like others to do to 
you4  ,here is the ,golden ,rule        
proclaimed by seven heathen moralists   
and a ,jew long before it was           
republished by the founder of           
,christianity2 thus proving it to be of 
heathen origin1 and proving that it does
 not transcend the natural capacity of  
the human brain to originate1 and hence 
needs no ,god to reveal it4 ,indeed1 it 
is one of the most natural sentiments of
 the human mind4 ,would ,i like to be   
treated thus8 is the first thought which
 naturally arises in the mind of a      
person when maltreating a neighbor2 thus
 showing that the ,golden ,rule is a    
spontaneous utterance of the moral      
feelings of the human mind4   ,,love    
,,and ,,kind ,,treatment ,,of ,,enemies4
  ,love to enemies is considered to be  
another praiseworthy precept1 which     
,christ has erroneously the credit of   

being the author of4 ,we have heard the 
declaration made in the ,christian      
pulpit1 that ,jesus ,christ was the     
first moral teacher who inculcated love 
to enemies2 a most transcendent error1  
as the following historical citations   
will show4 ,most of the religious books 
and religious teachers of the ancient   
oriental heathen breathe forth a spirit 
of love and kindness toward enemies4    
,the following is from the old ,persian 
bible1 the ,sadder3--  #a4              
,forgive thy foes1 nor that alone2      
,their evil deeds with good repay2      
,fill those with joy who leave thee     
none1      ,and kiss the hand upraised  
to slay4  ,the ,christian bible would be
 searched in vain to find a moral       
sentiment or precept superior to this4  
,certainly it is the loftiest sentiment 
of kindness toward enemies that ever    
issued from human lips1 or was ever     
penned by mortal man4 ,and yet it is    
found in an old heathen bible4 ,think of
 kissing the hand upraised to slay4     

,never was love1 and kindness1 and      
forbearance toward enemies more         
sublimely expressed than in the old     
,persian ballad4  #b4 ,treat thine enemy
 as though a friend1 and he will become 
thy friend1 was expressed by ,publius   
,syrus1 a ,roman slave1 which is a wiser
 admonition than that of ,christ1 ,love 
thine enemy1 as it is a moral           
impossibility4  #c4 ,all nature cries   
aloud1 ',shall man do less than heal the
 smiter1 and the railer bless8' 7,hafiz1
 a ,mahomedan47  #d4 ,bridle thine      
anger1 and forgive thine enemy2 give    
unto him who takes from thee4 7,koran1  
,mahomedan bible4 7  #e4 ,let no man be 
offended with those who are angry at    
him1 but reply gently to those who curse
 him4 7,code of ,menu47  #f4 ,let him   
endure injuries1 and despise no one4    
7,ibid47  #g4 ,commit no hostile action 
for your own preservation4 7,ibid47  #h4
 ,to be revenged on enemies1 become more
 virtuous4 7,diogenes47  #i4 ,to strike 
a man1 or vex him with words1 is a sin4 

7,zend-,avesta1 ,persian bible47  #aj4  
,even the intention to strike is a sin4 
7,ibid47  #aa4 ,desire not the death of 
thine enemy4 7,confucius47  #ab4        
,acknowledge benefits1 but never revenge
 injuries4 7,ibid47  #ac4 ,we may       
dislike an enemy without desiring       
revenge4 7,ibid47  #ad4 ,pardon the     
offenses of others1 but never your own4 
7,publius ,syrus47  #ae4 ,the noble     
spirit cures injustice by forgiving it4 
7,ibid47  #af4 ,it is much better to be 
injured than to kill a man4             
7,pythagoras47  #ag4 ,you can accomplish
 by kindness what you cannot by force4  
7,publius ,syrus47  #ah4 ,better        
overlook an injury than avenge it4      
7,publius ,syrus47  #ai4 ,it is enough  
to think ill of an enemy without        
avenging it4 7,publius ,syrus47  #bj4   
,it is a kingly spirit to return good   
deeds for evil ones4 7,ibid47  #ba4     
,learn for yon orient shell to love thy 
foe1      ,and store with pearls the    
hand that brings thee woe2      ,flee1  

like yon rock1 from base1 vindictive    
pride1      ,emblaze with gems the wrist
 that rends thy side4       7,hafiz47   
#bb4 ,to revenge yourself on an enemy1  
make him your friend4 7,pythagoras47    
#bc4 ,it is not permitted to a man who  
has received an injury to revenge it by 
doing another4 7,socrates1 in his       
,crito47  #bd4 ,seek him who turns thee 
out1 and pardon him who injures thee4   
7,koran47  #be4 ,return not evil for    
evil4 7,socrates47  #bf4 ,endure all    
things if you would serve ,god4         
7,sextus47  #bg4 ,desire to be able to  
benefit your enemies4 7,ibid47  #bh4    
,receive an injury rather than do one4  
7,publius ,syrus47  #bi4 ,be at war with
 men's vices1 but at peace with their   
persons4 7,ibid47  #cj4 ,cultivate      
friendship for an enemy4 7,pittacus47   
#ca4 ,be kind to your friends that they 
may continue so1 and to your enemies    
that they may become so4 7,ibid47  #cb4 
,prevent injuries if possible2 if not1  
do not revenge them4 7,ibid47  #cc4 ,an 

enemy should not be hated1 but cured4   
7,seneca47  #cd4 ,to act unkindly toward
 an enemy will increase his hate4       
7,antonius47  #ce4 ,be to everybody kind
 and friendly4 7,ibid47  #cf4 ,speak    
evil of no one1 not even your enemies4  
7,pittacus47  ,thus it will be observed 
that love and kindness toward all       
mankind1 both friends and enemies1 is   
not confined to the teachings of ,christ
 or to the ,christian religion1 as many 
have erroneously supposed1 but is       
unquestionably a natural sentiment of   
the moral instinct or moral impulses of 
the human mind1 and hence is no proof   
that their teacher is either a ,god or  
divinely inspired4  ,and we have in our 
possession nearly eight hundred more    
precepts 7see vol4 ii47 from the pens or
 mouths of the ancient heathen1         
enjoining just and kind treatment of    
women1 and setting forth nearly all the 
duties of life1 and teaching the        
immortality of the soul1 c4 ,and these  
precepts breathe the same lofty moral   

sentiment and moral feeling as those    
quoted above4 ,how ignorant and how     
conceited must be the ,christian        
professor who supposes all goodness is  
confined to ,christianity1 or that it   
even possesses any great superiority    
over other religious systems6 ,and how  
completely the three foregoing parts of 
this chapter1 ,miracles1 ,prophecies1   
and ,precepts1 prostrate the divine     
claims of ,christianity1 and leave not  
an inch of ground for them to rest upon6
     ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,,logical ,,or   
,,common ,,sense ,,view ,,of ,,the      
,,doctrine ,,of ,,divine ,,incarnation  
,,the incarnation of an infinite ,god is
 a shocking absurdity1 and an infinite  
impossibility4 ,we ask in all solemn    
earnestness1 and in the name of the     
intuitive monitions of an unshackled    
reason and an unbiased conscience1 can  
any man in his sober senses1 who has    
been in the habit of reflecting before  
he believes1 entertain for a moment the 
monstrous absurdity that the ,almighty  

and ,infinite ,maker of the universe was
 once reduced to a little wailing       
infant1 lying in senseless and helpless 
weakness on the lap of its mother1      
unable to walk a step1 or lisp a word1  
or do aught but cry with pain or for    
nourishment stored in the mother's      
breast8 ,what6 ,almighty ,god fallen    
from his burnished1 dazzling throne in  
the lofty heavens1 and reduced to       
helpless1 senseless babyhood6           
,omnipotence shorn of all power but to  
breathe1 and cry1 and smile6 ,what6 that
 ,omniscient ,being1 who leads one world
 by day1 and ten thousand more by night1
 becoming suddenly transformed into a   
human bantling1 which knows no higher   
enjoyment that that of being pleased    
with a rattle1 and tickled with a straw6
 ,who can believe it8 ,ay1 who dare     
believe it1 if he would escape the      
charge of blasphemy8 ,then say not that 
the man ,christ ,jesus1 though standing 
at the top of the ladder of moral       
manhood1 and high above the common plane

 of humanity1 was yet a ,god--the       
,infinite ,ruler of the infinite        
universe4 ,who can believe that that    
,being1 whose existence stretches to an 
eternity beyond human conception1 yea1  
whom the heaven of heavens cannot       
contain1 was ever cooped up in a human  
body1 reduced so near to nothing in     
dimensions as to be susceptible 7as was 
,jesus7 of being weighed in scales1 and 
measured with a yardstick8  ,we ask     
again1 ,who1 from the deepest depths of 
his inmost1 enlightened consciousness1  
can believe such revolting1 such        
atheistical doctrine as this8 ,or who   
will venture to descend still lower1 and
 conceive of an ,almighty1 ,omnipresent 
,being1 who fills all space above1      
around1 and beneath1 from infinity below
 to yon fixed star above1 and millions  
upon millions of miles beyond it1       
sinking and dwindling to that mere mite1
 speck1 or monad state and condition    
comprehended in the initiatory step of  
embryonic existence8 ,and then think of 

the ,almighty1 ,omnipotent ,creator of  
the universe lying in a manger with     
four-footed beasts and creeping things1 
sleeping with oxen and asses in a       
stable4 ,next he is seen an urchin on   
the street playing with marbles and     
jack-knives1 absorbed and forgetful of  
the world around him4 ,who can believe  
that awfully majestic ,being1 who is    
represented by his own inspired book as 
being so transcendently grand and       
awe-inspiring that no man san see him   
and live 7,ex4 xxxiii4 #bj71 was not    
only daily seen by hundreds and         
thousands1 but was on such familiar     
terms with men1 that they regarded him  
as their companion1 and equal1 and even 
sometimes coolly reprimanded him for    
supposed misdemeanors and errors8 ,could
 they believe this to be ,almighty ,god8
 ,impossible6 ,impossible6 ,and then who
 can believe that that infinite ,being1 
whom we have been taught to regard as   
absolutely and eternally unchangeable1  
could become subject to hunger and      

thirst 7as did ,jesus78 ,or who can     
believe that the eternally and          
unceasingly watchful ,omnipotent ,deity1
 whose eye1 we are told1 never slumbers1
 could sink into unconscious sleep1     
become to dumb forgetfulness a prey1    
night after night1 for thirty years1    
oblivious1 and unconscious of the world 
around him8 ,think of a being of        
incomprehensible majesty1 dignity1 and  
power1 able to shake the heavens and the
 earth also1 being unable to protect    
himself from insult1 and was therefore  
derided and spit upon1 and finally      
overcome by his enemies1 as is related  
of ,jesus4 ,can any man believe1 who has
 not made shipwreck of his senses1 or   
banished ,reason from her courts1 that  
,god ',almighty1 who comprehends in     
himself the most absolute and boundless 
perfection of goodness and wisdom1 was  
tempted by demons1 devils1 and crawling 
serpents8 ,who can believe that the     
,lord1 who owns the cattle upon a       
thousand hills 7,psalm #a4 io71 and the 

countless host of worlds besides1 that  
wheel their course through infinite     
space1 had not where to lay his head8   
,who can believe that that was the      
all-wise1 omnipotent1 and omnipresent   
,god1 possessing all power in heaven    
above and the earth beneath1 who was    
betrayed by weak1 finite mortals8 ,what6
 the ,almighty ,creator betrayed by a   
puny being of his own creation into the 
hands of his disobedient and rebellious 
children8 ,why could he not1 if         
possessing power to lay down his life1  
and take it up again 7,john x4 #ag71    
cause that all these children of his 7as
 we must assume they were1 if he was    
,almighty ,god1 and hence the ,father of
 all7 should love him1 instead of hating
 him8 ,can any man believe that ,jesus  
was possessed with omnipotent power     
while standing to be whipped 7scourged7 
by ,pontius ,pilate1 or that he         
possessed a power above that of finite  
mortals while in the act of praying1    
with such extreme ardor that the sweat  

dropped from his face1 that the cup of  
death might pass from his lips1 or while
 calling for an angel to support him in 
the hour of his mortal dissolution8 or  
that ,he1 by whom all things exist1     
could cease himself to exist1 by dying  
upon the cross between malefactors8     
,think of this1 reader6 and think of the
 eternal ,creator1 the infinite ,deity1 
the omnipotent ,jehovah1 the ,maker of  
worlds as numberless as the sands upon  
the sea-shore for multitude1 fainting1  
bleeding1 dying1 and pouring out his own
 blood to appease his own wrath2 dying  
an ignominious death to satisfy an      
implacable revenge6 ,away with such     
insulting mockery1 such blasphemous     
flummery6 ,it can only find place in the
 dark chambers of an unenlightened mind4
  ,well has ,watts said of ,locke's     
skepticism1--       ,reason could       
scarcely sustain to see1      ,or bear  
the infant ,deity3      ,a ransomed     
world1 a bleeding ,god1      ,and heaven
 appeased by flowing blood1      ,were  

themes too painful to be understood4    
,yes1 and too painful to be believed1   
too1 ,mr4 ,watts6 ,here we have a       
bleeding ,god1 an infant ,deity1 and a  
vengeful ,god1 appeased by murder and   
streams of flowing blood4 ,gracious     
heavens6 ,whose reason does not revolt  
at such a picture8 ,whose soul does not 
sicken at the thought1 and who would not
 prefer1 infinitely prefer1 to sink to  
annihilation1 if not to perdition       
itself1 to being thus saved by          
navigating a river of blood88 ,dr4      
,south hits off some of the absurdities 
involved in the ,christian doctrine of  
the incarnation so forcibly and so      
lucidly1 that we cannot resist the      
temptation to subjoin---here a few      
extracts from his sermon on the subject'
 ,but now1 says this ,christian         
clergyman1 was there ever any wonder    
comparable to this1 to behold the ,lord 
7,jesus ,christ7 thus clothed in flesh1 
the ,creator of all things1 humbled1 not
 only to the company1 but also to the   

cognation1 of his creatures8 ,it is as  
if one should imagine the whole world   
not only represented upon1 but also     
contained in1 one of our own artificial 
globes1 or the body of the sun enveloped
 in a cloud as big as a man's hand1 all 
of which would be looked upon as        
astonishing impossibilities1 and yet is 
as short of the other as the finite is  
of the infinite1 between which the      
disparity is immeasurable4 ,it is1 as it
 were1 to cancel the essential distances
 of things1 to remove the bounds of     
nature1 to bring heaven and earth1 and  
what is more1 both ends of the          
contradiction1 together4 ,men cannot    
persuade themselves that a ,deity and   
infinity should lie within so narrow a  
compass as the dimensions of a human    
body2 that omnipotence1 omnipresence    
should ever be wrapped in swaddling     
clothes1 and debased to the homely      
usages of a stable and a manger2 that   
the glorious ,artificer of the whole    
universe1 who spread out the heaven like

 a curtain1 and laid the foundations of 
the earth1 could ever turn carpenter1   
and exercise an inglorious trade in a   
little cell4 ,they cannot imagine that  
,he who once created and at present     
governs the world1 and shall hereafter  
judge the world1 should be abased in all
 his concerns and relations1 be         
scourged1 spit upon1 mocked and at last 
crucified4 ,all which are passages which
 lie extremely close to the notions of  
conceptions which reason has made to    
itself of that high and impossible      
perfection that resided in the divine   
,creator4 7,sermon1 #affe47 ,dr4 ,south1
 it will be observed1 admits that the   
doctrine of the divine incarnation      
involves many palpable absurdities and  
contradictions1 and lies directly across
 the path of reason4 ,fatal admission to
 the doctrine of the deityship of       
,christ1 but true1 as his own           
elucidation of the subject demonstrates4
 ,to the author1 since he first         
subjected the question to a logical     

scrutiny1 and looked at it with an      
unbiased mind1 it presents difficulties 
insurmountable1 and absurdities         
innumerable4 ,he can imagine nothing    
more transcendently shocking1 revolting1
 and dwarfing to the mind1 both morally 
and intellectually1 than the thought of 
believing that a being born of and      
suckled by a woman1 and possessing the  
mere form and dimensions of a man1 can  
be regarded as the great ,almighty and  
,omnipotent ,god1 the ,creator of       
unnumbered worlds1 millions of which are
 larger than this planet1 on which      
,jesus was born4  ,and then1 reader1    
look for a moment at some of the many   
childish incongruities and logical      
difficulties this giant absurdity drags 
with it4 ,it represents ,almighty ,god  
as coming into the world through the    
hands of a midwife1 as passing through  
the process of gestation and            
parturition4 ,it insults our reason with
 the idea that the great1 infinite      
,jehovah could be molded into the human 

form--a thought that is shocking to the 
moral sense1 and withering1 cramping1   
and dwarfing to the intellectual mind1  
imposing upon it a heavy drag-chain     
which checks its expansion1 and forbids 
its onward progress4 ,christians tell us
 that the human and the divine were     
united in the man ,christ ,jesus4 ,but  
this is a monstrous absurdity1 which no 
truly rational and unbiased mind can    
accept for an instant--that of hitching1
 splicing1 tying1 or dovetailing        
together finite man with the infinite   
,jehovah1 that of amalgamating and      
commingling human foibles with divine   
perfection4 ,think of wedding mortal    
weakness to omnipotent power1 local man 
with the omnipresent ,deity6 ,think of  
compounding the creature and the        
,creator in one and the same being6     
,think of the omnipresent ,i ,,am1 whose
 illimitable existence stretches far    
away throughout the expansive arena of a
 boundless universe1 occupying a        
dwelling within the narrow confines of  

the human temple6 ,as well essay to     
crowd the universe into your pocket1 or 
the ,himalayas ,mountains into a        
thimble4 ,on the other hand1 think of a 
small compound of flesh1 blood1 and     
bones1 a few feet in dimensions1 and    
weighing perhaps not more than one      
hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois1   
containing that infinite1 omnipresent   
,being1 whom1 we are told 7we repeat the
 quotation71 the heaven of heavens      
cannot contain6 ,and more than all1 kind
 reader1 ,i ask you if you can accept   
for a moment1 without the immolation of 
your common sense1 and the trampling of 
your reason beneath you feet1 the       
monstrous thought that that mighty and  
almighty ,architect who who created the 
countless myriads upon myriads of       
ponderous worlds1 which now roll in     
majestic order1 and eternal rotation    
along the great cerulean causeway of    
heaven1 that mighty ,architect who1 from
 time beyond human computation1 has been
 rolling out orb after orb1 world after 

world1 if not myriads at a time1 ten    
thousand times1 ten thousand of which   
would dwindle our little pygmy1         
,lilliputian planet into insignificance1
 if compared with it in size4  ,i ask1  
and drive home the query to your inward 
consciousness1 and the inmost temples of
 your sacred reason3  ,can you believe1 
after a moment's reflection1 that a     
,being who is too vast1 infinitely too  
vast in power and ubiquity to be grasped
 by the human understanding1 did become 
7as did the finite and humble ,jesus7 a 
helpless1 senseless1 unconscious1 human 
infant2 a suckling1 crying1 squalling   
babe1 powerless of speech1 and unable to
 walk8 ,ay1 worse1 more startling still1
 we are shocked with the thought that   
this mighty ,world-builder1 this        
infinite1 omnipotent ,creator1 was      
reduced so near to the verge of         
nonenity1 so near to the last glimmering
 spark or speck of existence1 and the   
world so near without a ,god1 as to     
become an inanimate foetus--a monad in  

the matrix of a human virgin8 ,shocking 
the thought6 ,blasphemous the doctrine6 
,believe it who will2 believe it who    
can6 ,we cannot2 we would not2 we are   
infinitely beyond it4 ,such a belief may
 be deposited by educational tradition  
in the affections1 but to enter the     
temple of ,reason1 it never did1 it     
never can4 ,she never unbarred her doors
 to admit such monstrous1 such enormous 
incongruities4 and all these logical    
absurdities1 and a thousand more1 grow  
legitimately out of the doctrine of the 
divine incarnation1--out of the         
postulate which would 7following in the 
line of the pagan superstitutions7      
elevate the finite1 humble1 mortal      
,jesus to the throne of heaven1 the     
exclusive prerogative of ,almighty ,god4
 ,come away1 my ,christian friends1 from
 such disparaging1 such dishonorable    
views of the ,deity1 such blasphemous   
caricatures of ,almighty ,god4 ,come    
away from such morally darkening and    
such intellectually dwarfing            

superstitutions1 the moldering relics of
 oriental mythology1 the expiring embers
 of childish credulity and tradition1   
which originated far back in the dark   
cradle of human existence1 in the       
infancy of an undeveloped age1 ruled by 
ignorance1 superstition1 and            
priestcraft4 ,yet millions of people    
laying claim to sense and intelligence1 
even now profess to believe it4 ,talk   
not to me of infidelity or blasphemy for
 denying the divinity or ,godhead of    
,jesus ,christ4 ,the blasphemy lies in  
the other direction4 ,the infidelity is 
with the opposite party4 ,it is with    
those who thus make the dignity and     
character of ,deity the sport of        
childish ,i baubles1 the game of        
priestly tawdryism4 ,and be assured1    
dear friends1 one and all1 that coming  
generations will mark the man who now   
worships the man ,christ ,jesus as being
 very ,god as an idolater1 if not a     
blasphemer--for worshipping a finite man
 for an infinite ,god1 even though the  

motives for such worship may be as pure 
as the pearly stream that issues forth  
from the golden fount which rolls and   
sparkles beneath the throne of ,almighty
 ,god4       ,note4 ,the words ,creator1
 ,maker1 c41 are used from a            
,christian standpoint ,science knows no 
,creator4     ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4        
,,philosophical ,,absurdities ,,of ,,the
 ,,doctrine ,,of ,,the ,,divine         
,,incarnation  ,,there is a             
philosophical principle underlying the  
doctrine of the ,divine ,incarnation1   
whose logical deductions completely     
overthrow the claim of ,jesus of        
,nazareth to the ,godhead1 and which we 
regard as settling the question as      
conclusively as any demonstrated problem
 in mathematics4 ,this argument is      
predicated upon the philosophical axiom1
 that two infinite beings of any        
description of conception1 cannot exist1
 either in whole or in part1 at the same
 time2 and per consequence1 it is       
impossible that the ,father and ,son    

should both be ,god in a divine sense1  
either conjointly or separately4 ,the   
word infinite comprehends all2 it covers
 the whole ground2 it fills the         
immensity of the universe1 and fills it 
to repletion6 so that there is no room  
left for any other being to exist4 ,and 
whoever and whatever does exist must    
constitute a part of this infinite      
whole4  ,now1 the ,christian world      
concedes 7 for it is the teaching of    
their ,scriptures71 that the ,father is 
,god1 always and truly1 perfect1        
complete1 and absolute2 that there is   
nothing wanting in him to constitute him
 ,god in the most comprehensive and     
absolute sense of the term2 that he is  
all we can conceive of as constituting  
,god1 the one only true ,god 7,john     
xvii4 #c71 and was such from all        
eternity1 before ,jesus ,christ was born
 into the world2 and ,paul puts the     
keystone into the arch by proclaiming1  
,to us there is but one ,god1 the       
,father4 7 #a ,cor4 viii4 #f47 ,hence we

 have here a logical proposition        
7despite the sophistry of ,christendom7 
as impregnable as the rocks of          
,gibraltar1 that the ,father alone is or
 can be ,god1 which effectually shuts   
out every other and all other beings in 
the universe from any participation in  
the ,godhead with the ,father4 ,and thus
 this parity of reasoning demonstrates  
that the very moment you attempt to make
 ,christ ,god1 or any part of the       
,godhead1 you attempt a philosophical   
impossibility4 ,you cannot introduce    
another being as ,god in the infinite   
sense until the first-named infinite    
,god is dethroned and put out of        
existence1 and this1 of course1 is a    
self-evident impossibility4 ,it it were 
not such1 then we should have two ,gods1
 both absolute and infinite4 ,on the    
other hand1 if that other being 7who    
with the ,christians is ,jesus ,christ1 
with the ,hindoos ,chrishna1 with the   
,budhists ,sakia1 c4 7 is introduced as 
only a part of the infinite and perfect 

,god1 then it is evident to every mind  
with the least philosophical perception1
 that some change or alteration must    
take place in the latter before such a  
union can be effected4 ,but such a      
change1 or any alteration1 in a perfect 
infinite being would at once reduce him 
to a changeable and finite being1 and   
thus he would cease to be ,god4 ,for it 
is a clear philosophical and            
mathematical axiom1 that a perfect and  
infinite being cannot become more than  
infinite4 ,and if he could and should   
become less than infinite1 he would at  
once become finite1 and thus lose all   
the attributes of the ,godhead4 ,to say 
or assume1 then1 that ,christ was ,god  
in the absolute or divine sense1 and the
 ,father also ,god absolute1 and yet    
that there is but one ,god1 or that the 
two could in any manner be united1 so as
 to constitute but one ,god1 is not only
 a glaring solecism1 but a positive     
contradiction in terms1 and an utter    
violation of the first axiomatic        

principles of philosophy and            
mathematics4 ,it also asserts the       
illogical hypothesis1 that a part can be
 equal to the whole2 it first assumes   
the ,father to be absolutely ,god1 then 
assumes the ,son also to be absolutely  
,god1 and finally assumes each to be    
only a part1 and has to unite them to   
make whole and culminates the           
theological farce4 ,such is ,christian  
ratiocination4  ,again1 it is conceded  
by ,christians1 that the ,father is an  
omnipresent being2 and we have shown    
that it is a mathematical impossibility 
for two omnipresent beings1 or two      
beings possessing any infinite          
attributes1 to exist at one and the same
 time4 ,hence the clear logical         
deducsequence1 not ,god4 ,again1 we have
 another philosophical maxim or axiom   
familiar to every schoolboy1 that no two
 substances or beings can occupy the    
same place at the same time2 the first  
must be removed before the second can by
 any possibility be introduced1 in order

 thus to make room for the latter4 ,but 
as omnipresent means existing           
everywhere1 there can be no place to    
remove on omnipresent being to1 or      
rather there can be no place or space he
 can be withdrawn from in order to make 
room for another being1 without his     
ceasing to be omnipresent himself1 and  
thereby ceasing to be ,god4  ,it is thus
 shown to be a demonstrable truth that  
the omnipresence of the ,father does and
 must exclude that of the ,son1 and thus
 exclude the possibility of his         
apatheosis or incarnated deityship4 ,in 
other words1 it is established as a     
scientific principle upon a             
philosophical and mathematical basis1   
that ,jesus ,christ was not and could   
not be the great ,i ,,am1 the only true 
,god4  ,we will notice one other        
philosophical absurdity involved in the 
doctrine of the divine incarnation--one 
other solecism comprehended in the      
childish notion which invests the       
infinite ,god with finite attributes4   

,it is a well-established and           
well-understood axiom in philosocomplete
 ,god2 and thereby that the ,son could  
not be omnipresent1 and that the less   
cannot be made to contain the greater4  
,a pint bottle cannot be made to contain
 a quart of wine4 ,for the same reason a
 finite body cannot contain an infinite 
spirit4 ,hence philosophy presses the   
conclusion that the man ,christ ,jesus  
could not have comprehended in himself  
the ,godhead bodily1 inasmuch as it     
would have required the infinite ,god to
 be incorporated in a finite human body4
 ,we are therefore compelled to reject  
the doctrine of the incarnate divinity1 
the belief in the deityship of ,jesus   
,christ1 because 7with many other       
reasons enumerated elsewhere7 it        
involves a direct tilt against some of  
the plainest principles of science1 and 
challenges1 ay1 virtually overthrows1   
some of the fundamental laws of both    
natural and moral philosophy4 ,no       
philosopher1 therefore1 does1 or can    

believe in the absolute divinity of     
,jesus ,christ4     ,,chapter ,,xxxvii4 
,,physiological ,,absurdities ,,of ,,the
 ,,doctrine ,,of ,,the ,,divine         
,,incarnation  ,,there is also a        
physiological principle 7discovered by  
the author7 comprised in the doctrine of
 the ,divine ,incarnation fatal in its  
practical and logical application to the
 divinity of ,jesus ,christ1 and all the
 other incarnate or flesh-invested ,gods
 of antiquity4 ,it is evidently fraught 
with much logical force4 ,it is based   
upon the law of mental and physical     
correspondence4 ,as is the physical     
conformation1 so is the mentality1 is a 
law of analogy which pilots us to nearly
 all our practical knowledge of the     
natural world4 ,a knowledge of either   
serves as an index to the other4  ,when 
we observe an animal possessing that    
physical form and construction peculiar 
to its species1 we expect to find it    
practically exhibiting the nature1      
character1 disposition1 and habits      

peculiar to that class of animals4 ,if  
it possesses1 for example1 the          
conformation of a sheep1 we infer at    
once that it has the disposition of a   
sheep1 and we are never disappointed in 
this conclusion4 ,and when we encounter 
an animal with the tiger form1 we expect
 to see exhibited the tiger spirit4 ,if 
it possesses the well-known physical    
conformation of the tiger1 we are never 
deceived or misled when we assign it a  
predatory disposition4 ,if it is a tiger
 form1 it is sure to be a tiger in      
character and habits4 ,and so of all the
 genera and species of animals that     
range upon the face of the globe4 ,we   
may travel through the whole field of   
animated nature1 and observe the        
infallible operation of this beautiful  
law of correspondence till we come1     
however1 to the crowning work of ,god1  
called ,man4 ,here we find this law1    
this beautiful chain of analogy1 broken 
by the doctrine of the divine           
incarnation4 ,god becomes a man1 at     

least is made to exhibit every external 
appearance of a man4 ,all external      
distinction between ,god and man is thus
 obliterated4 ,so that the very first   
being we meet in the street or on the   
highway possessing the form1 size1 and  
physical conformation of a man1 and     
presenting every other external         
appearance of being a man1 may          
nevertheless be a ,god4 ,and no less is 
this objection practically exemplified1 
and not less is the infraction of this  
beautiful law of analogy observable in  
the case of ,jesus ,christ1 than in the 
numerous other incarnate ,gods and      
demigods of antiquity4 ,being in        
appearance a man1 how was he to be1 or  
how could he be1 visually distinguished 
from a man8 ,or how could those men who 
were cotemporary with him1 know1 as they
 approached him1 or as they approached  
each other1 whether they were meeting a 
man or a ,god8 ,seeing that he was found
 in fashion as a man 7,phil4 ii4 #h71   
either he might be mistaken for a man1  

or they for a ,god4 ,they were          
constantly liable to be confounded4 ,if1
 then1 the infinite deityship was lodged
 in the person of ,jesus ,christ1 it is 
evident that that important fundamental 
law of nature--as is the form1 so is the
 character--was utterly annulled1       
prostrated1 annihilated1 and banished   
from the world by the act4 ,so that all 
was1 and is henceforth and forever1     
chaos1 confusion1 and uncertainty4 ,for 
if the principle can be violated in one 
instance1 it may be in another1 and in  
thousands of cases1 ad infinitum4 ,if   
one case could be allowed to occur1 the 
principle is established1 and nature's  
universal chain of analogy is broken and
 destroyed2 for to intercept the law is 
to break the tenth and ten thousandth   
link alike4  ,hence it is evident that  
if a being resembling a man may be a    
,god1 an animal resembling a cow may be 
a horse1 and yonder stick a poisonous   
adder2 and fatal may be the             
consequences1 in thousands of instances1

 in judging or inferring the nature and 
character of an animal by its form and  
size4 ,a supposed innocent animal might 
be a deadly enemy1 or vice versa4 ,can  
we then believe1 or dare we believe1 a  
doctrine so atheistical in its          
tendencies as that the ,infinite ,diety 
was incorporated in the person of the   
meek and lowly ,jesus1 when it would    
thus set at naught1 violate1 prostrate1 
and utterly cancel from the world one of
 ,god's own fundamental laws1 and one of
 the essential principles of natural    
science1 and banish forever the         
co-ordinate harmony of the universe1 and
 thus inaugurate a state of universal   
disorder1 incertitude1 anarchy1 and     
misrule into the otherwise beautifully  
law-governed1 well-regulated domain of  
nature8 ,certainly1 most certainly not6 
,if the incarnation of the ,deity1      
should or could take place1 there should
 be something strikingly peculiar1 ay1  
infinitely peculiar1 in his figure1     
size1 and general appearance1 in order  

to make him susceptible of being        
distinguished from the human4           
,otherwise1 men would be liable to be   
constantly mistaking and worshiping each
 other for the ,great ,almighty and     
,ubiquitous ,god1 and thus constantly   
blundering into idolatry4 ,and we       
actually find several cases reported in 
the ,scriptures 7mark the fact well7 of 
men1 ay1 the saints themselves1 being   
led into this error2 being led to commit
 the high-handed sin of idolatry in     
consequence of their previous acceptance
 of the belief in a man-,god--that is1 a
 ,god of human size and type4 ,st4      
,john1 in two instances1 was in the act 
of worshipping a being possessing the   
human form1 whom he mistook for the     
omnipotent and omnipresent ,god4 7,see  
,rev4 xix4 #aj1 and xxii4 #d47 ,having1 
perhaps1 been taught that the fullness  
of the ,godhead dwelt bodily in ,christ 
,jesus1 he probably mistook the being he
 met for ,him1 and hence offered to     
worship him4 ,if1 then1 ,christ's own   

inspired disciples could thus be        
betrayed into the sin of idolatry by    
having abolished the infinite           
distinction between the divine and the  
human1 we surely find here a very       
weighty argument against such a leveling
 and equalizing doctrine4 ,and certainly
 nothing could be better calculated to  
promote the sin of idolatry than thus to
 obliterate the broad1 the infinitely   
grand line of demarkation between the   
infinite ,god and his finite creature   
man4 ,indeed1 may we not here find the  
very origin and the cause of the now    
general prevalence of idolatry in pagan 
countries8 ,is it not directly traceable
 to the demolition of the broad1 high1  
and insurmountable wall of distinction  
which ought forever to stand between a  
,god of infinite attributes1 and a being
 caged up in the human form8 ,certainly1
 most certainly it is4 ,hence here ,i   
would ask1 ,how can ,christians1 after  
subscribing to the doctrine1 that the   
fullness of the ,godhead dwelt bodily in

 the man ,christ ,jesus 7as ,paul very  
appropriately calls him71 condemn the   
people of any age or nation for         
worshipping as ,god their               
fellow-beings--that is1 beings with the 
human form8 ,certainly the man who could
 believe that the infinite ,god could be
 comprehended or incorporated in the    
person of ,jesus1 could easily be       
brought to believe that the ,grand ,lama
 of ,thibet is a proper object of divine
 worship4 ,he only lacks the            
substitution of names4 ,substitute the  
,grand ,lama for that of ,jesus ,christ1
 and the thing is done4 ,and idolatry   
thus becomes an easily established      
institution1 and its abolition in any   
country an absolute moral impossibility4
     ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,a            
,,historical ,,view ,,of ,,the          
,,divinity ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ4  ,a   
,,most fatal distrust is thrown upon the
 miraculous portions of the history of  
,jesus ,christ1 as found in his ,gospel 
narratives1 by the discovery of the fact

 7brought to light through recent       
archaeological researches71 that the    
same marvelous feats1 the same          
miraculous incidents1 which were        
recorded in his life1 were long         
previously ingrafted into the sacred    
biographies of ,gods and demigods no    
less adored and worshipped as beings    
possessing divine attributes4 ,we shall 
leave the reader to account for the long
 list of astonishing coincidences1 as we
 proceed to recapitulate and abridge    
from previous chapters1 the almost      
innumerable parallel incidents running  
through the legendary history of the    
many demigods and sin-atoning saviors of
 antiquity4 ,the historical vouchers are
 given4 ,we shall first direct attention
 to the long string of corresponding    
events recorded in the sacred histories 
of ancient ,hindoo ,gods1 as compared   
with those of ,jesus ,christ at a much  
later period4  ,as far back as #abjj ,b4
 ,c41 sacred records were extant and    
traditions were current1 in the ,east1  

which taught that the heathen ,savior   
7,chrishna7 was1 #ast1 ,immaculately    
conceived and born of a spotless virgin1
 who had never known man4 #b;d1 ,that   
the author of1 or agent in1 the         
conception1 was a spirit or ghost 7of   
course a ,holy ,ghost74 #c;d1 ,that he  
was threatened in early infancy with    
death by the ruling tyrant1 ,cansa4     
#dth1 ,that his parents had1            
consequently1 to flee with him to ,gokul
 for safety4 #eth1 ,that all the young  
male children under two years of age    
were slain by an order issued by ,cansa1
 similar to that of ,herod in ,judea4   
#fth1 ,that angels and shepherds        
attended his birth4 #gth1 ,that his     
birth and advent occurred on the #beth  
of ,december4 #hth1 ,that it occurred in
 accordance with previous prophecy4     
#ith1 ,that he was presented at birth   
with frankincense1 myrrh1 c4 #ajth1     
,that he was saluted and worshipped as  
the ,savior of men1 according to the    
report of the late ,christian           

,missionary ,huelith1 ,that he led a    
life of humility and practical moral    
usefulness4 #abth1 ,that he wrought     
various astounding miracles1 such as    
healing the sick1 restoring sight to the
 blind1 casting out devils1 raising the 
dead to life1 c4 #acth1 ,that he was    
finally put to death upon the cross 7i4 
e41 crucified7 between two thieves4     
#adth4 ,after which he descended to     
hell1 rose from the dead1 and ascended  
back to heaven in the sight of all men1 
as his biblical history declares4 ,for  
hundreds of other similar parallels1    
including his doctrines and precepts1   
see ,chapter ,,xxxii4  ,now1 all these  
were matters of the firmest belief1 more
 than three thousand years ago1 in the  
minds of millions of the most devout    
worshippers that ever bowed the knee in 
humble prayer to the ,father of         
,mercies4 ,the reader can draw his own  
deduction4  ,and then we have presented 
similar brief lists of parallels in     
,chapter ,,xxiii41 comprised in a       

comparative view of the miraculous lives
 of the ,judean and ,egyptian ,saviors1 
,christ1 ,alcides1 ,osiris1 ,tulis1 c4  
,in this analogous exhibition1 it will  
be observed the ,egyptian ,gods are     
reported1 as remotely as #ijj ,b4 ,c1 as
 performing1 besides several of the     
miraculous achievements enumerated      
above1 other miracles equally indicative
 of divine power1 such as converting    
water into wine1 causing rain to descend
 from heaven1 c4 ,and on the occasion of
 the crucifixion of ,tulis we are told  
the sun became darkened and the moon    
refused to shine4  ,we find1 also1      
several well-authenticated instances of 
raising the dead to life1 in works      
portraying the miraculous achievements  
of the ,egyptian ,gods1 the relation    
being given in such specific detail in  
some cases that the names of the        
reanimated dead are furnished4 ,tyndarus
 and ,hypolitus were instances of this  
kind1 both 7according to ,julius7 having
 been raised from the dead4 ,descending 

the line of history1 until we arrive at 
the confines of ,grecian theology1 we   
find here the same train of marvelous   
events recorded in the histories of     
their virgin-born ,gods1 as we have     
shown in ,chapter ,,xxxiii41 such as    
their healing the sick and the cripples1
 causing the blind to see1 the lame to  
walk1 the dead to be resuscitated to    
life1 c4 ,and cases1 as we have shown1  
are reported of their reading the       
thoughts of their disciples1 as ,jesus  
did those of the woman of ,samaria4     
,apollonius declares he knew many       
,hindoo saints to perform this          
achievement with entire strangers4      
,likewise ,apollonius of ,tyana and     
,simon ,magus1 both cotemporary with    
,jesus ,christ1 we have arranged in the 
historic parallel 7see ,chapter         
,,xxxiii471 with their long train of    
miracles1 constituting an exact         
counterpart with those related in the   
,gospel history of ,christ1 and         
including in ,apollonius's case1 besides

 those specified in the histories of the
 ,gods above named1 the miracle of      
transfiguration1 the resurrection from  
the dead1 his visible ascent to heaven1 
c41 while ,simon ,magus was very expert 
in casting out devils1 raising the dead1
 allaying storms1 walking on the sea1 c4
  ,but without recapitulating further1  
we will recite some new historic facts  
not embraced in any of the preceding    
chapters of this work1 and tending to   
demonstrate still further the universal 
analogy of all religions1 past and      
present1 in their claims for a          
miraculous power for their ,gods and    
incarnate ,saviors4 ,the ,new ,york     
,correspondent1 published in #ahbh1     
furnishes us the following brief history
 of an ancient ,chinese ,god1 known as  
,beddou3--  ,all the ,eastern writers   
agree in placing the birth of ,beddou   
#ajbg ,b4 ,c4 ,the doctrines of this    
,deity prevailed over ,japan1 ,china1   
and ,ceylon4 ,according to the sacred   
tenets of his religion1 ',god is        

incessantly rendering himself           
incarnate1' but his greatest and most   
solemn incarnation was three thousand   
years ago1 in the province of ,cashmere1
 under the name of ,fot1 or ,beddou4 ,he
 was believed to have sprung from the   
right intercostal of a virgin of the    
royal blood1 who1 when she became a     
mother1 did not the less continue to be 
a virgin2 that the king of the country1 
uneasy at his birth1 was desirous to put
 him to death1 and hence caused all the 
males that were born at the same period 
to be put to death1 and also that1 being
 saved by shepherds1 he lived in the    
desert to the age of thirty years1 at   
which time he opened his commission1    
preaching the doctrines of truth1 and   
casting out devils2 that he performed a 
multitude of the most astonishing       
miracles1 spent his life fasting1 and in
 the severest mortifications1 and at his
 death bequeathed to his disciples the  
volume in which the principles of his   
religion are contained4  ,here1 it will 

be observed1 are some very striking     
counterparts to the miraculous incidents
 found related in the ,gospel history of
 ,jesus ,christ4 ,and no less analogous 
is the no less well-authenticated story 
of ,quexalcote of ,mexico1 which the    
,rev4 ,mr4 ,maurice concedes to be1 and 
,lord ,kingsborough and ,niebuhr 7in his
 history of ,rome7 prove to be much     
older than the ,gospel account of ,jesus
 ,christ ,according to ,maurice's ,ind4 
,ant41 ,humboldt's ,researches in       
,mexico1 ,lord ,kingsbor-ough's ,mexican
 ,ant41 and other works1 the incarnate  
,god ,quexalcote was born 7about #cjj   
,b4 ,c47 of a spotless virgin1 by the   
name ,chimalman1 and led a life of the  
deepest humility and piety2 retired to a
 wilderness1 fasted forty days1 was     
worshipped as a ,god1 and was finally   
crucified between two thieves2 after    
which he was buried and descended into  
hell1 but rose again the third day4 ,the
 following is a part of ,lord           
,kingsborough's testimony in the case3  

,the temptation of ,quexalcote1 the fast
 of forty days ordained by the ,mexican 
ritual1 the cup with which he was       
presented to drink 7on the cross71 the  
reed which was his sign1 the ',morning  
,star1' which he is designated1 the     
',teoteepall1 or ,divine ,stone1' which 
was laid on his altar1 and which was    
likewise an object of adoration1--all   
these circumstances1 connected with many
 others relating to ,quexalcote of      
,mexico1 but which are here omitted1 are
 very curious and mysterious4 7,vol4 vi4
 p4 #bcg1 ,mexican ,ant47  ,again       
,quexalcote is represented1 in the      
painting of ,codex ,borgianus1 as nailed
 to the cross4 7,see ,mex4 ,ant4 vol4   
vi4 p4 #aff47 ,one plate in this work   
represents him as being crucified in the
 heavens1 one as being crucified between
 two thieves4 ,sometimes he is          
represented as being nailed to the      
cross1 and sometimes as hanging with the
 cross in his hands4 ,the same work     
speaks of his burial1 descent into hell1

 and his resurrection2 while the account
 of his immaculate conception and       
miraculous birth are found in a work    
called ,codex ,vaticanus4  ,other       
parallel incidents could be cited1 if we
 had space for them1 appertaining to the
 history of this ,mexican ,god4 ,and    
parallels might also be constructed upon
 the histories of other ancient         
,gods1--as that of ,sakia of ,india1    
,salivahana of ,bermuda1 ,hesus1 or     
,eros1 of the ,celtic ,druids1 ,mithra  
of ,persia1 ,hil and ,feta of the       
,mandaites1 c4  ,but we will close with 
the testimony of a ,french philosopher  
7,bagin7 on the subject of deific       
incarnations4 ,this writer says1 ,the   
most ancient histories are those of     
,gods who became incarnate in order to  
govern mankind4 ,all those fables are   
the same in spirit1 and sprang up       
everywhere from confused ideas1 which   
have universally prevailed among        
mankind1--that ,gods formerly descended 
upon earth4  ,now1 we ask the ,christian

 reader1--and it will be the first query
 of every man whose religious faith has 
not made shipwreck of his reason1--,what
 does all this mean8 ,how are you going 
to sustain the declaration that ,jesus  
,christ was the only son and sent of    
,god1 in view of these historic facts8  
,where are the superior credentials of  
his claim8 ,how will you prove his      
apparently legendary history 7that is1  
the miraculous portion of his history7  
to be real1 and the others false8 ,we   
boldly aver it cannot be done4 ,please  
answer these questions1 or relinquish   
your doctrine of the divinity of ,jesus 
,christ4     ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,,the   
,,scriptural ,,view ,,of ,,christ',s    
,,divinity4  ,,the monstrous scientific 
paradox 7as coming ages will regard it7 
comprehended in the conception of an    
almighty1 omnipresent1 and infinite     
,being1 the ,creator of innumerable     
worlds1 7by him ,christ were all things 
made that were made1 ,john i4 #c-aj71   
being born of a frail and finite woman1 

as taught by both the oriental and      
,christian religion1 is so exceedingly  
shocking to every rational mind1 which  
has not been sadly warped1 perverted1   
and coerced into the belief by early    
psychological influence1 that we would  
naturally presume that those who1 on the
 assumption of the remotest possibility 
of its truth1 should venture to put     
forth a doctrine so glaringly           
unreasonable and so obviously untenable1
 would of course vindicate it and       
establish it by the strongest arguments 
and by the most unassailable and most   
irrefragable proofs2 and that in setting
 forth a doctrine so manifestly at war  
with every law and analogy of nature and
 every principle of science1 no language
 should have been used1 nor the         
slightest admission made1 that could    
possibly lead to the slightest degree of
 suspicion that the original authors and
 propagators of this doctrine had either
 any doubt of the truth of the doctrine 
themselves1 or were wanting in the most 

ample1 the most abundant proof to       
sustain it4 ,no language1 no text1 not a
 word1 not a syllable should have been  
used making the most remote concession  
damaging to the validity of the         
doctrine1 so that not the shadow of a   
shade of doubt could be left on any mind
 of its truth4 ,omnipotent indeed should
 be the logic1 and irresistible the     
proof1 in support of a thesis or a      
doctrine which so squarely confronts and
 contradicts all the observation1 all   
the experience1 the whole range of      
scientific knowledge1 and the common    
sense of mankind4 ,how startling then1  
to every devout and honest professor of 
the ,christian faith ought to be the    
recent discovery of the fact1 that the  
great majority of the texts having any  
bearing upon the doctrine of the        
divinity of ,jesus ,christ1--a large    
majority of the passages in the very    
book on which the doctrine is           
predicated1 and which is acknowledged as
 the sole warranty for such a           

belief1--are actually at variance with  
the doctrine1 and actually amount to its
 virtual denial and overthrow4 ,for we  
find1 upon a critical examination of the
 matter1 that at least three-fourths of 
the texts1 both in the ,gospels and     
,epistles1 which relate to the divinity 
of ,christ1 specifically or by          
implication either teach a different and
 a contrary doctrine1 or make           
concessions entirely fatal to it1 by    
investing him with finite human         
qualities utterly incompatible with the 
character and attributes of a divine or 
infinite ,being4 ,how strange1 then1 how
 superlatively strange1 that millions   
should yet hold to such a strange freak 
of nature1 such a dark relic of oriental
 heathenism1 such a monstrously foolish 
and childish superstition1 as that which
 teaches the infinite ,creator and      
,upholder of the universe could be      
reduced so near to nonentity1 as was    
required to pass through the ordinary   
stages of human generation1 human birth1

 and human parturition1 --a puerile     
notion which reason1 science1 nature1   
philosophy1 and common sense1 proclaim  
to be supremely absurd and              
self-evidently impossible1 and which    
even the ,scriptures fail to sustain1--a
 logical1 scriptural exposition1 of     
which we will here present a brief      
summary3--  #a4 ,the essential          
attributes of a self-existing ,god and  
,creator1 and ,upholder of all things4  
are infinitude1 omnipotence1            
omniscience1 and omnipresence1 and any  
being not possessing all these          
attributes to repletion1 or possessing  
any quality or characteristic in the    
slightest degree incompatible with any  
one of these attributes1 cannot be a    
,god in a divine sense1 but must of     
necessity be a frail1 fallible1 finite  
being4  #b4 ,jesus ,christ disclaims1   
hundreds of times over1 directly or     
impliedly1 the inherent possession of   
any one of these divine attributes4  #c4
 ,his evangelical biographers have      

invested him with the entire category of
 human qualities and characteristics1   
each one of which is entirely           
unbefitting a ,god1 and taken together  
are the only distinguishing             
characteristics by which we can know a  
man from a ,god4  #d4 ,furthermore1     
there issued from his own mouth various 
sayings and concessions most fatal to   
the conception of his being a ,god4  #e4
 ,his devout biographers have reported  
various actions and movements in his    
practical life which we are compelled to
 regard as absolutely irreconcilable    
with the infinite majesty1 lofty        
character1 and supreme attributes of an 
almighty ,being4  #f4 ,these human      
qualities were so obvious to all who saw
 him and all who became acquainted with 
him1 that doubts sprang up among his own
 immediate followers1 which ultimately  
matured into an open avowal of disbelief
 in his divinity in that early age4  #g4
 ,upon the axiomatical principles of    
philosophy it is an utter and absolute  

impossibility to unite in repletion the 
divine and the human in the same being4 
#h4 ,and then ,christ had a human birth4
  #i4 ,he was constituted in part1 like 
human beings1 of flesh and blood4  #aj4 
,he became1 on certain occasions1 an    
hungered1 like finite beings4  #aa4 ,he 
also became thirsty 7,john xix4 #bh71   
like perishable mortals4  #ab4 ,he often
 slept1 like mortals1 and thus became to
 dumb forgetfulness a prey4  #ac4 ,he   
sometimes became weary1 like human      
beings4 7,see ,john iv4 #f47  #ad4 ,he  
was occasionally tempted1 like fallible 
mortals4 7,matt4 iv4 #a47  #ae4 ,his    
soul became exceeding sorrowful1 as a   
frail1 finite being4 7,matt4 xxvi4 #ch47
  #af4 ,he disclosed the weakness of    
human passion by weeping4 7,john xi4    
#ce47  #ag4 ,he was originally an       
imperfect being1 made perfect through   
suffering4 7,heb4 ii4 #aj47  #ah4 ,he   
increased in wisdom and stature 7,luke  
ii4 #eb72 therefore he must have        
possessed finite1 changeable1 mortal    

attributes4  #ai4 ,and he finally died  
and was buried1 like all perishable     
mortals4 ,he could not possibly1 from   
these considerations1 have been a ,god4 
,it is utterly impracticable to         
associate with or comprehend1 in a ,god 
of infinite powers and infinite         
attributes1 all or any of these finite  
human qualities4  #bj4 ,dark1           
intellectually dark1 indeed1 must be    
that mind1 and sunk1 sorrowfully sunk in
 superstition1 that can worship a being 
as the great omniscient1 omnipotent1 and
 omnipresent ,i ,,am1 who possessed all 
those qualities which were              
constitutionally characteristic of the  
pious1 the noble1 the devout1 the       
,godlike1 yet finite and fallible       
,jesus1 according to his own admissions 
and the representations of his own      
interested biographers4  #ba4 ,the only 
step which the disciples of the         
,christian faith have made toward       
disproving or setting aside these       
arguments1 objections1 and difficulties1

 is that of assigning the incarnate     
,jesus a double or twofold nature--the  
amalgamation of the human and divine2 a 
postulate and a groundless assumption1  
which we have proved and demonstrated by
 thirteen arguments1 which we believe to
 be unanswerable1 is not only absurd1   
illogical1 and impossible1 but foolish  
and ludicrous in the highest degree4    
7,see vol4 ii47  #bb4 ,this senseless   
hypothesis1 and every other assumption  
and argument made use of by the         
professors of the ,christian faith to   
vindicate their favorite dogma of the   
divinity of ,jesus1 we have shown to be 
equally applicable to the demigods of   
the ancient heathen1 more than twenty of
 whom were invested with the same       
combination of human and divine         
qualities which the followers and       
worshippers of ,jesus claim for him4    
#bc4 ,testimony of the ,father against  
the divinity of the ,son4 ,the ,father  
utterly precludes the ,son from any     
participation in the divine essence1 or 

any claim in the ,godhead1 by such      
declarations as the following3 ,i am    
,jehovah1 and beside me there is no     
,savior4 7,isaiah xliii4 #aa47 ,how1    
then1 we would ask1 can ,jesus ,christ  
be the ,savior8 ,i1 ,jehovah1 am thy    
,savior and thy ,redeemer4 ,then ,christ
 can be neither the ,savior nor         
,redeemer4 ,there is no ,god else beside
 me1 a just ,god and a ,savior2 there is
 none beside me4 7,isaiah xiv4 #ba47 ,so
 the ,father virtually declares1        
according to the inspired prophet       
,isaiah1 that the ,son1 in a divine     
sense1 cannot be either ,god1 ,savior1  
or ,redeemer4 ,again1 ,i am ,jehovah1   
thy ,god1 and thou shalt not acknowledge
 a ,god beside me4 7,hosea xiii4 #d47   
,here ,christ is not only by implication
 cut off from the ,godhead1 but         
positively prohibited from being        
worshipped as ,god4 ,and thus the       
testimony of the ,father disproves and  
sets aside the divinity of the ,son4    
#bd4 ,testimony of the mother4 ,when    

,mary found1 after a long search1 her   
son ,jesus in the temple1 disputing with
 the doctors1 and chided or reproved him
 for staying from home without the      
consent of his parents1 and declared1   
thy father and ,i sought thee1 sorrowing
 7,luke ii4 #dh71 she proclaimed a      
twofold denial of his divinity4 ,in the 
first place it cannot be possible that  
she regarded her son ,jesus as that     
awful ,being1 before whom e'en the      
devout saints bow in trembling fear1    
when she used such language and evinced 
such a spirit as she did4 ,why hast thou
 thus dealt with us8 7,luke ii4 #dh7 is 
her chiding language4 ,and then1 when   
she speaks of ,joseph as his father1 thy
 father and ,i1 she issues a declaration
 against his divinity which ought to be 
regarded as settling the question       
forever4 ,for who could know better than
 the mother1 or rather1 who could know  
but the mother1 who the father of the   
child ,jesus was8 ,and as she           
acknowledges it was ,joseph1 she thus   

repudiates the story of the immaculate  
conception1 which constitutes the whole 
basis for the claim of his divinity4    
,hence the testimony of the mother1     
also1 disproves his title to the        
,godhead4  #be4 ,testimony or disclaimer
 of the ,son4 ,we will show by a        
specific citation of twenty-five texts  
that there is not one attribute         
comprehended in or peculiar to a divine 
and infinite ,being1 but that ,christ   
rejects as applicable to himself--that  
he most conclusively disclaims every    
attribute of a divine ,being1 both by   
precept and practice1 and often in the  
most explicit language4  #bf4 ,by       
declaring1 ,the ,son can do nothing of  
himself 7,john v4 #ai71 he most         
emphatically disclaims the attribute of 
omnipotence4 ,for an omnipotent ,being  
can need no aid1 and can accept of none4
  #bg4 ,when he acknowledged and avowed 
his ignorance of the day of judgment1   
which must be presumed to be the most   
important event in the world's history1 

he disclaimed the attribute of          
omniscience4 ,of that day and hour      
knoweth no man1 neither the ,son1 but   
the ,father only4 7,matt4 xxiv4 #cf47   
,now1 as an omniscient ,being must      
possess all knowledge1 his avowed       
ignorance in this case is a confession  
he was not omniscient1 and hence not a  
,god4  #bh4 ,and when he declares1 ,i am
 glad for your sakes ,i was not there   
7at the grave of ,lazarus71 he most     
distinctly disavows being omnipresent1  
and thus denies to himself another      
essential attribute of an infinite ,god4
  #bi4 ,and the emphatic declaration1 ,i
 live by the ,father 7,john vi4 #eg71 is
 a direct disclaimer of the attributes  
of self-existence2 as a being who lives 
by another cannot be self-existent1 and1
 per consequence1 not the infinite ,god4
  #cj ,he disclaims possessing infinite 
goodness1 another essential attribute of
 a supreme divine ,being4 ,why callest  
thou me good8 there is none good but    
one1 that is ,god4 7,mark x4 #ah47  #ca4

 ,he disclaim divine honors1 and        
directed them to the father4 ,i honor my
 ,father4 7,john viii4 #di47 ,i receive 
not honor from men4 7,john v4 #da47     
#cb4 ,he recommended supreme worship to 
the ,father1 and not to himself4 ,the   
true worshippers shall worship the      
,father in spirit and in truth4 7,john  
iv4 #ba47  #cc4 ,he ascribed supreme    
dominion to the ,father4 ,thine is the  
kingdom1 and the power1 and the glory   
forever4 7,matt4 vi4 #ac47  #cd4 ,it    
will be seen1 from the foregoing text1  
that ,christ also acknowledges that the 
kingdom is the ,father's4 ,a ,god       
without a kingdom would be a ludicrous  
state of things4  #ce4 ,he conceded     
supreme authority to the ,father4  ,my  
doctrine is not mine1 but his that sent 
me4 7,john vii4 #af47  #cf4 ,he         
considered the ,father as the supreme   
protector and preserver of even his own 
disciples4 ,i pray that thou shouldst   
keep them from the evil4 7,john xvii4   
#ae47 ,what1 omnipotence not able to    

protect his own disciples8  #cg4 ,in    
fine1 he humbly acknowledged that his   
power1 his will1 his ministry1 his      
mission1 his authority1 his works1 his  
knowledge1 and his very life1 were all  
from1 and belonged to and were under the
 control of1 the ,father4 ,i can do     
nothing of myself2 ,i came to do the    
will of him that sent me4 ,the ,father  
that dwelleth within me1 he doeth the   
work1 c4 ,a ,god within a ,god1 is an   
old pagan ,otaheitan doctrine4  #ch4 ,he
 declared that even spiritual communion 
was the work of the ,father4 7,see ,john
 vi4 #de47  #ci4 ,he acknowledged       
himself controlled by the ,father4 7,see
 ,john v4 #cj47  #dj4 ,he acknowledged  
his entire helplessness and dependence  
on the ,father4 ,the ,son can do nothing
 of himself1 but what he seeth the      
,father do4 7,john v4 #ai47  #da4 ,he   
acknowledged that even his body was the 
work of his ,father2 in other words1    
that he was dependent on his ,father for
 his physical life4 7,see ,heb4 xvi4    

#e47  #db4 ,and more than all1 he not   
only called the ,father the only true   
,god 7,john xvii4 #c71 but calls him my 
,father and my ,god4 7,john xx4 #ag47   
,now1 it would be superlative nonsense  
to consider a being himself a ,god1 or  
the ,god1 who could use such language as
 is here ascribed to the humble ,jesus4 
,this text1 this language1 is sufficient
 of itself to show that ,christ could   
not have laid any claim to the ,godhead 
on any occasion1 unless we degrade him  
to the charge of the most palpable and  
shameful contradiction4  #dc4 ,he       
uniformly directed his disciples to     
pray1 not to him1 but the ,father4 7,see
 ,matt4 vi4 #f47  #dd4 ,on one occasion1
 as we have cited the proof 7in ,matt4  
xi4 #aa71 he even acknowledged ,john the
 ,baptist to be greater than he2 while  
it must be patent to every reader that  
no man could be greater than the        
almighty1 supreme ,potentate of heaven  
and earth1 in any sense whatever4  #de4 
,testimony of the disciples4 ,another   

remarkable proof of the human sireship  
of ,jesus is1 that one of his own       
disciples--ay1 one of the chosen twelve1
 selected by him as being endowed with a
 perfect knowledge of his character1    
mission1 and origin--this witness1 thus 
posted and thus authorized1 proclaims1  
in unequivocal language1 that ,jesus was
 the son of ,joseph4 ,hear the language 
of ,philip addressed to ,nathanael4 ,we 
have found him of whom ,moses1 in the   
law and the prophets1 did write--,jesus 
of ,nazareth1 the son of ,joseph4 7,john
 i4 #de47 ,no language could be more    
explicit1 no declaration more positive1 
that ,jesus was the son of ,joseph4 ,and
 no higher authority could be adduced to
 settle the question1 coming as it does 
from headquarters4 ,and what will1 or   
what can1 the devout stickler for the   
divinely paternal origin of ,jesus      
,christ do with such testimony8 ,it is a
 clincher which no sophistry can set    
aside1 no reasoning can grapple with1   
and no logic overthrow4  #df4 ,his      

disciples1 instead of representing him  
as being the only true ,god1 often speak
 of him in contradistinction to ,god4   
#dg4 ,they never speak of him as the    
,god ,christ ,jesus1 but as the man     
,christ ,jesus4 7 #a ,tim4 ii4 #e47     
,jesus of ,nazareth1 a man approved of  
,god4 7,acts ii4 #bc47 ,it would        
certainly be blasphemy to speak of the  
,supreme ,being as a man approved of    
,god4 ,christian reader1 reflect upon   
this text4 ,by that man whom he 7die    
,father7 hath ordained 7,acts xvii4 #c71
 by the assumption of the ,godhead of   
,christ1 we would be presented with the 
double or twofold solecism1 #ast4 ,of   
,god being ordained by another ,god2 and
 #b;d4 ,that of his being blasphemously 
called a man4  #dh4 ,paul's declaration 
has been cited1 that unto us there is   
but one ,god--the ,father4 7 #a ,cor4   
iv4 #h4 7 ,now1 it is plain to common   
sense1 that if there is but one ,god1   
and that ,god is comprehended in the    
,father1 then ,christ is entirely       

excluded from the ,godhead4  #di4 ,if   
,john's declaration be true1 that no man
 hath seen ,god at any time 7,john iv4  
#ab71 then the important question       
arises1 ,how could ,christ be ,god1 as  
he was seen by thousands of men1 and    
seen hundreds of times8  #ej4 ,god the  
,father is declared to be the ,one1 the 
,holy ,one1 the only ,one1 c41 more than
 one hundred times1 as if purposely to  
exclude the participation of any other  
being in the ,godhead4  #ea4 ,this one1 
this only ,god1 is shown to be the      
,father alone in more than four thousand
 texts1 thirteen hundred and twenty-six 
of which are found in the ,new          
,testament4  #eb4 ,more than fifty texts
 have been found which declare1 either  
explicitly or by implication1 that ,god 
the ,father has no equal1 which         
effectually denies or shuts out the     
divine equality of the ,son4 ,to whom   
will ye liken me1 or shall ,i be equal  
with1 saith the holy ,one4 7,isaiah xl4 
#be47  #ec4 ,christ in the ,new         

,testament is called man1 and the ,son  
of man1 eighty-four times1--egregious   
and dishonorable misnomers1 most        
certainly1 to apply to a supreme and    
infinite ,deity4 ,on the other hand1 he 
is called ,god but three times1 and     
denominates himself the ,son of ,god but
 once1 and that rather obscurely4  #ed4 
,the ,father is spoken of1 in several   
instances1 as standing in the relation  
of ,god to the ,son1 as the ,god of our 
,lord ,jesus ,christ 7,acts iii4 #b47   
,ye are ,christ's1 and ,christ is ,gods4
 7i ,cor4 xi4 #c47 ,now1 the ,god of a  
,god is a polytheistic1 heathen         
conception2 and #a no meaning or        
interpretation1 as we have shown1 can be
 ,i forced upon such texts as these1    
that will not admit a plurality of      
,gods1 if we admit the titles as        
applicable to ,christ1 or that his      
scriptural biographers intend to apply  
such a title in a superior or supreme   
sense4  #ee4 ,many texts make ,christ   
the mere tool1 agent1 image1 servant1 or

 representative of ,god1 as ,christ1 the
 image of ,god 7,heb4 i4 #c71 ,christ1  
the appointed of ,god 7,heb4 iii4 #a71  
,christ1 the servant of ,god 7,matt4    
xii4  #ah71 c4 ,to consider a being thus
 spoken of as himself the supreme ,god1 
is1 as we have demonstrated1 the very   
climax of absurdity and nonsense4 ,to   
believe the servant of ,god is ,god     
himself1--that is1 the servant of       
himself1--and that ,god and his image   
are the same1 is to descend within one  
step of buffoonery4  #ef4 ,and then it  
has been ascertained that there are more
 than three hundred texts which declare1
 either expressly or by implication1    
,christ's subordination to and          
dependence on the ,father1 as1 ,i can do
 nothing of myself2 ,not mine1 but his  
that sent me2 ,i came to do the will of 
him that sent me 7,john iv4 #cd72 ,i    
seek the will of my ,father1 c4  #eg4   
,and more than one hundred and fifty    
texts make the ,son inferior to the     
,father1 as the ,son knoweth not1 but   

the ,father does 7,mark viii4 #cb72 ,my 
,father is greater than ,i2 ,the ,son   
can do nothing of himself 7,john v4     
#ai71 c4  #eh4 ,there are many divine   
titles applied to the ,father which are 
never used in reference to the ,son1 as 
,jehovah1 ,the ,most ,high1 ,god        
,almighty1 ,the ,almighty1 c4  ,on the  
other hand1 those few divine epithets or
 titles which are used in application to
 ,jesus ,christ1 as ,lord1 ,god1        
,savior1 ,redeemer1 ,intercessor1 c41 it
 has been shown were all used prior to  
the birth of ,christ1 in application to 
beings known and acknowledged to be men1
 and some of them are found so applied  
in the bible itself2 as1 for example1   
,moses is called a ,god in two          
instances1 as we have shown1 and cited  
the proof 7in ,ex4 iv4 #af1 vii4 #a71   
while the title of ,lord is applied to  
men at this day1 even in ,christian     
countries4 ,and instances have been     
cited in the bible of the term ,savior  
being applied to men1 both in the       

singular and plural numbers4 7,see #b   
,kings xiii4 #e1 and ,neh4 ix4 #bg47    
,seeing1 then1 that the most important  
divine titles which the writers of the  
,new ,testament have applied to ,jesus  
were previously used in application to  
men1 known and admitted to be such1 it  
is therefore at once evident that those 
titles do nothing toward proving him to 
be the ,great ,divine ,being1 as the    
modern ,christian world assume him to   
be1 even if we base the argument wholly 
on scriptural grounds4 ,while1 on the   
other hand1 we have demonstrated it to  
be an absolute impossibility to apply   
with any propriety or any sense to a    
divine infinite omnipotent ,being those 
finite human qualities which are so     
frequently used with reference to ,jesus
 throughout the ,new ,testament4 ,and   
hence1 even if we should suppose or     
concede that the writers of the ,new    
,testament did really believe him to be 
the great ,infinite ,spirit1 or the     
almighty1 omnipotent ,god1'we must      

conclude they were mistaken1 from their 
own language1 from their own description
 of him1 as well as his own virtual     
denial and rejection of such a claim1   
when he applied to himself1 as he did in
 nine cases out of ten1 strictly finite 
human qualities and human titles 7as we 
have shown71 wholly incompatible with   
the character of an infinite divine     
,being4 ,we say1 from the foregoing     
considerations1 if the primitive        
disciples of ,jesus did really believe  
him to be the great ,infinite1 both     
their descriptions of him and his       
description or representation of        
himself1 would amply and most           
conclusively prove that they were       
mistaken4 ,at least we are compelled to 
admit that there is either an error in  
applying divine titles to ,jesus1 or    
often an error in describing his        
qualities and powers1 by himself and his
 original followers1 as there is no     
compatibility or agreement between the  
two4 ,divine titles to such a being as  

they represent him to be1 would be an   
egregious misnomer4 ,we say1 then1 that 
it must be clearly and conclusively     
evident to every unbiased mind1 from    
evidence furnished by the bible itself1 
that if the divine titles applied to    
,jesus were intended to have a divine   
significance1 then they are misapplied4 
,yet we would not here conclude an      
intentional misrepresentation in the    
case1 but simply a mistake growing out  
of a misconception1 and the very limited
 childish conception1 of the nature1    
character1 and attributes of the great  
positive ,mind1 so universally prevalent
 in that semi-barbarous age1 and the    
apparently total ignorance of the       
distinguishing characteristics which    
separate the divine and the human4 ,we  
will illustrate3 some children1 on      
passing through a wild portion of the   
,state of ,maine recently1 reported they
 encountered a bear2 and to prove they  
could not be mistaken in the animal1    
they described it as being a tall1      

slight-built animal1 with long slender  
legs1 of yellowish auburn hue1 a short1 
white1 bushy tail1 cloven feet1 large   
branchy horns1 c4 ,now1 it will be seen 
at once that1 while their description of
 the animal is evidently in the main    
correct1 they had simply mistaken a deer
 for a bear1 and hence misnamed the     
animal4  ,in like manner we must        
conclude1 from the repeated instances in
 which ,christ's biographers have       
ascribed to him all the foibles1        
frailties1 and finite qualities and     
characteristics of a human being1 that  
if they have in any instance called him 
a ,god in a divine sense1 it is an      
egregious misnomer4 ,their description  
of him makes him a man1 and but a man1  
whatever may have been their opinion    
with respect to the propriety of calling
 him a ,god4 ,and if the two do not     
harmonize1 the former must rule the     
judgment in all cases4 ,the truth is1   
the ,jewish founders of ,christianity   
entertained such a low1 narrow1         

contracted1 and mean opinion of ,deity  
and the infinite distinction and        
distance between the divine and the     
human1 that their theology reduced him  
to a level with man2 and hence they     
usually described him as a man4         
,,chapter ,,xl4 ,a ,,metonymic ,,view   
,,of ,,the ,,divinity ,,of ,,jesus      
,,christ  ,,if ,jesus ,christ were truly
 ,god1 or if there existed such a       
co-equal and co-essential oneness       
between the ,father and the ,son that   
they constituted but one being or divine
 essence1 then what is true of one is   
true of the other1 and a change of names
 and titles from one to the other cannot
 alter the sense of the text4 ,let us1  
then1 substitute the titles found       
applied to the ,son in the ,new         
,testament1 to the ,father1 and observe 
the effect3--  ,my ,son is greater than 
,i4 7,john vii4 #bh47  ,god can do      
nothing of himself4 7,john v4 #ai47  ,i 
must be about my ,son's business4 7,luke
 ii4 #di47  ,the kingdom of heaven is   

not mine to give1 but the ,son's4       
7,matt4 xx4 #bc47  ,i am come in my     
,son's name1 and ye receive me not      
7,john v4 #dc47  ,god cried1 ,jesus1 why
 hast thou forsaken me8 7,matt4 xiii4   
#bh47  ,no man hath seen ,jesus at any  
time4 7#a ,john i4 #e-7  ,jesus created 
all things by his ,son4 7,eph4 iii4 #i47
  ,god sat down 7in heaven7 at the right
 hand of ,jesus4 7,luke xxii4 #fi47     
,there is one ,jesus1 one mediator      
between ,jesus and men4 7,gal4 iii4     
#bj47  ,jesus gave his only begotten    
,father4 7#a ,john iv4 #i7  ,god knows  
not the hour1 but ,jesus does4 7,mark   
viii4 #cb47  ,god is the servant of     
,jesus4 7,mark xii4 #ah47  ,god is      
ordained by ,jesus4 7,acts xvii4 #ca47  
,the head of ,god is ,christ4 7,eph4 i4 
#c47  ,we have an advocate with ,jesus1 
,god the righteous4 7#a ,john ii4 #a47  
,jesus gave all power to ,god4 7,matt1  
xxviii4 #ah47  ,god abode all night in  
prayer to ,jesus4 7,luke vi4 #ab47  ,god
 came down from heaven to do the will of

 ,jesus4 7,john vi4 #ch47  ,jesus has   
made the ,father his high priest4 7,heb4
 x4 #bd47  ,last of all1 the ,son sent  
the ,father4 7,matt4 xxi4 #ci47  ,jesus 
will save the world by that ,god whom he
 hath ordained4  ,jesus is ,god of the  
,father4 7,john xx4 #ag47  ,jesus hath  
exalted ,god1 and given him a more      
excellent name4 7,phil4 ii4 #i47  ,jesus
 hath made ,god a little lower than the 
angels4 7,heb4 ii4 #i47  ,god can do    
nothing except what he seeth ,jesus do4 
7,john v4 #ai47  ,now1 the question     
arises1 ,is the above representation a  
true one8 ,most certainly it must be1 if
 ,jesus and the ,father are but one     
almighty ,being4 ,a change of names and 
titles cannot alter the truth nor the   
sense4  ,to say that ,chief ,justice    
,chase has gone south2 ,secretary ,chase
 has gone south2 ,governor ,chase has   
gone south2 ,ex-,senator ,chase has gone
 south1 or ,salmon ,p4 ,chase has gone  
south1 are affirmations equally true and
 equally sensible1 because they all have

 reference to the same being2 the case  
is to plain to need argument4  ,the     
above reversal of names and titles of   
,jesus and the ,father may sound very   
unpleasant and rather grating to        
,christ-adoring ,christians1 simply     
because it is the transposition of the  
tides of two very scripturally          
dissimilar beings1 instead of being1 as 
generally taught by orthodox            
,christians1 one in essence1 one in     
mind1 one in body or being1 and one in  
name1 as the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,barnes affirms4
 ,most self-evidently false is his      
statement1 based solely on scriptural   
ground4 ,if ,jesus is very ,god1 and    
there is but one ,god1 then the         
foregoing transposition cannot mar the  
sense nor altar the truth of one text   
quoted4     ,,chapter ,,xli4 ,,the      
,,precepts ,,and ,,practical ,,life ,,of
 ,,jesus ,,christ2 ,,his ,,two ,,hundred
 ,,errors  ,,the exaltation of men to   
the character and homage of divine      
beings has always had the effect to draw

 a vail over their errors and           
imperfections1 so as to render them     
imperceptible to those who worship them 
as ,gods4 ,this is true of nearly all   
the deified men of antiquity1 who were  
adored as incarnate divinities1 among   
which may be included the ,christian's  
man-,god1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,the practice 
of the followers of these ,gods has     
been1 when an error was pointed out in  
their teachings1 brought to light by the
 progress of science and general        
intelligence1 to bestow upon the text   
some new and unwarranted meaning1       
entirely incompatible with its literal  
reading1 or else to insist with a godly 
zeal on the correctness of the sentiment
 inculcated by the text1 and thus essay 
to make error pass for truth4 ,in this  
way millions of the disciples of' these 
,gods have been misled and blinded1 and 
made to believe by their religious      
teachers and their religious education1 
that everything taught by their         
assumed-to-be divine exemplars is       

perfect truth1 in perfect harmony with  
science1 sense1 and true morals4        
,indeed1 the perversion of the mind and 
judgment by a religious education has   
been in many cases carried to such an   
extreme as to cause their devout and    
prejudiced followers either to entirely 
overlook and ignore their erroneous     
teachings1 or to magnify them into      
,god-given truths1 and thus1 as before  
stated1 clothe error with the livery of 
truth4 ,this state of things1 it has    
long been noticed by unprejudiced minds1
 exists amongst the millions of         
professed believers in the divinity of  
,jesus ,christ4 ,hence the errors1 both 
in his moral lessons and his practical  
life1 have passed from age to age       
unnoticed1 because his pious and        
awe-stricken followers1 having been     
taught that he was a divine teacher1    
have assumed that his teachings must all
 be true2 and hence1 too1 have          
instituted no scrutiny to determine     
their truth or falsity4 ,but we will now

 proceed to show that the progress of'  
science and general intelligence has    
brought to light many errors1 not only  
in his teachings1 but in his practical  
life also4 ,in enumerating them1 we will
 arrange them under the head   ,,moral  
,,and ,,religious ,,errors4  #a4 ,the   
first moral precept in the teachings of 
,christ1 which we will bring to notice1 
is one of a numerous class1 which may   
very properly be arranged under the head
 of ,moral ,extremism4 ,we find many of 
his admonitions of this character4      
,nearly everything that is said is      
oversaid1 carried to extremes--thus     
constituting an overwrought1 extravagant
 system of morality1 impracticable in   
its requisitions2 as1 for example1 ,take
 no thought for the morrow4 7,matt1 v47 
,if the spirit of this injunction were  
carried out in practical life1 there    
would be no grain sown and no seed      
planted in spring1 no reaping done in   
harvest1 and no crop garnered in autumn2
 and the result would be universal      

starvation in less than twelve months4  
,but1 fortunately for society1 the      
,christian world have laid this positive
 injunction upon the table under the    
rule of indefinite postponement4  #b4   
,christ's assumed-to-be most important  
requisition is found in the injunction1 
,seek ye first the ,kingdom of ,god1 and
 his righteousness1 and all else shall  
be added unto you4 7,matt4 vi4 #cc47    
,his early followers understood by this 
injunction1 and doubtless understood it 
correctly1 that they were to spend their
 lives in religious devotion1 and       
neglect the practical duties of life1   
leaving ,providence to take care of     
their families--a course of life which  
reduced many of them to the point of    
starvation4  #c4 ,the disciple of       
,christ is required1 when smitten on one
 cheek1 to turn the other also that is1 
when one cheek is pommeled into a jelly 
by some vile miscreant or drunken       
wretch1 turn the other1 to be smashed up
 in like manner4 ,this is an extravagant

 requisition1 which none of his modern  
disciples even attempt to observe4  #d4 
,resist not evil 7,matt4 v4 #cd7        
breathes forth a kindred spirit4 ,this  
injunction requires you to stand with   
your hands in your pocket while being   
maltreated so cruelly and unmercifully  
that the forfeiture of your life may be 
the consequence--at least ,christ's     
early followers so understood it4  #e4  
,the disciple of ,christ is required1   
when his cloak is formally wrested from 
him1 to give up his coat also4 7,see    
,matt1 v47 ,and to carry out the        
principle1 if the marauder demands it1  
he must next give up his boots1 then his
 shirt1 and thus strip himself of all   
his garments1 and go naked4 ,this looks 
like an invitation and bribe to robbery4
  #f4 ,lay not up for yourselves        
treasures on earth4 7,matt4 vi4 #ai47   
,this is another positive command of    
,christ1 which the modern ,christian    
world1 by common consent1 have laid on  
the table under the rule of indefinite  

postponement1 under the conviction that 
the wants of their families and the     
exigencies of sickness and old age      
cannot be served if they should live up 
to such an injunction4  #g4 ,sell all   
that thou hast1444 and come and follow  
me1 is another command which bespeaks   
more piety than wisdom1 as all who have 
attempted to comply with it have reduced
 their families to beggary and want4    
#h4 ,if any man love the world1 the love
 of the ,father is not in him4 ,then he 
must hate it1 as there are but the two  
principles1 and from hate proceed envy1 
strife1 evil surmisings1 and            
persecution4 ,evidently the remedy in   
this case for worldly-mindedness is     
worse than the disease4  #i4 ,he that   
cometh to me1 and hateth not father1    
mother1 brother1 and sister1 c41 cannot 
be my disciple4 7,luke xiv4 #bf74 ,this 
breathes forth the same spirit as the   
last text quoted above4 ,many learned   
expositions have been penned by         
,christian writers to make it appear1   

that hate in this case does not mean    
hate4 ,but certainly it would be a      
slander upon infinite wisdom to leave it
 to be inferred that he could not say or
 inspire his disciples to say exactly   
what he meant1 and to say it so plainly 
as to leave no possibility of being     
misunderstood1 or leave any ground for  
dispute about the meaning4  #aj4        
,rejoice and be exceeding glad when     
persecuted4 7,matt4 v4 #d47 ,now1 as a  
state of rejoicing is the highest       
condition of happiness that can be      
realized1 such advice must naturally    
prompt the religious zealot to court    
persecution1 in order to obtain complete
 happiness1 and consequently to pursue a
 dare-devil life to provoke persecution4
  #aa4 ,whosoever shall seek to save his
 life1 shall lose it1 c4 7,luke xvii4   
#cc47 ,here is displayed the spirit of  
martyrdom which has made millions       
reckless of life1 and goaded on the     
frenzied bigot to seek the fiery fagot  
and the halter4 ,we regard it as another

 display of religious fanaticism4  #ab4 
,ye shall be hated of all men for my    
name's sake4 7,matt4 x4 #ab47 ,how      
repulsive must have been their doctrines
 or their conduct6 ,no sensible religion
 could excite the universal hatred of   
mankind4 ,for it would contain something
 adapted to the moral1 religious1 or    
spiritual taste of some class or portion
 of society1 and hence make it and its  
disciples loved instead of hated4 ,and  
then how could they be hated of all men1
 when not one man in a thousand ever    
heard of them8 ,here is more of the     
extravagance of religious enthusiasm4   
#ac4 ,shake off the dust of your feet   
against those who cannot see the truth  
or utility of your doctrines4 7,matt4 x4
 #ad47 ,here ,christ encourages in his  
disciples a spirit of contempt for the  
opinions of others calculated to make   
them hated4 ,a proper regard for the    
rules of good-breeding would have       
forbidden such rudeness toward strangers
 for a mere honest difference of        

opinion4  #ad4 ,take nothing for your   
journey1 neither staff1 nor scrip1 nor  
purse 7,mark vi4 #h72 that is sponge on 
your friends1 and force yourselves on   
your enemies1 the latter class of which 
seem to have been much the most         
numerous4 ,a preacher who should attempt
 to carry out this advice at the present
 day would be stopped at the first      
toll-gate1 and compelled to return4     
,here is more violation of the rules of 
good-breeding1 and the common courtesies
 of civilized life4  #ae4 ,go and teach 
all nations1 c4 ,why issue an injunction
 that could not possibly be carried out8
 ,it never has been1 and never will be1 
executed1 for three-fourths of the human
 race have never yet heard of           
,christianity4 ,it was not1 therefore1 a
 mark of wisdom1 or a superior mind1 to 
issue such an injunction4  #af4 ,and he 
that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved2 but he that believeth not shall  
be damned4 ,what intolerance1 bigotry1  
relentless cruelty1 and ignorance of the

 science of mind are here displayed6 ,no
 philosopher would give utterance to1 or
 indorse such a sentiment4 ,it assumes  
that belief is a creature of the will1  
and that a man can believe anything he  
chooses1 which is wide of the truth4    
,and the assumption has been followed by
 persecution1 misery1 and bloodshed4    
#ag4 ,all things whatsoever ye shall ask
 in prayer1 believing1 ye shall receive4
 7,matt4 xxi4 #bb47 ,here is an entire  
negation of natural law in the necessity
 of physical labor as a means to procure
 the comforts of life4 ,when anything is
 wanted in the shape of food or raiment1
 it is to be obtained1 according to this
 text1 by going down on your knees and  
asking ,god to bestow it4 ,but no       
,christian ever realized all things     
whatsoever asked for in prayer1 thought 
believing with all his heart he should  
obtain it4 ,the author knows1 by his own
 practical experience1 that this        
declaration is not true4 ,this promise  
has been falsified thousands of times by

 thousands of praying ,christians4  #ah4
 ,be not called rabbi4 ,call no man your
 father4 7,matt1 xxiii47 ,the ,christian
 world assume that much of what ,christ 
taught is mere idle nonsense1 or the    
incoherent utterings of a religious     
fanatic2 for they pay no more practical 
attention to it than the barking of a   
dog4 ,and here is one command treated in
 this manner3 ,call no man father4      
,where is the ,christian who refuses to 
call his earthly sire a father8  #ai4   
,call no man master4 7,matt1 xxiii47    
,and yet mister1 which is the same      
thing1 is the most common title in      
,christendom4  #bj4 ,he who enunciates  
the two words1 ',thou fool4' shall be in
 danger of hell fire4 7,matt1 xxii47    
,mercy6 ,who1 then1 can be saved8 ,for  
there is probably not a live ,christian 
in the world who has not called somebody
 a fool1 when he knew him to be such1   
and could not with truthfulness be      
called anything else4 ,here1 then1 is   
another command universally ignored and 

indefinitely postponed4  #ba4 ,swear not
 at all1 neither by heaven nor earth4   
7,matt1 v47 ,and yet no ,christian      
refuses to indulge in legal1 if not     
profane1 swearing which the text        
evidently forbids4  #bb4 ,men ought     
always to pray4 7,luke xviii47 ,no time 
to be allowed for eating or sleeping4   
,more religious fanaticism4  #bc4       
,whosoever will be chief among you let  
him be your servant 7,matt4 xx4 #bg72   
that is1 no ,christian professor shall  
be a president1 governor1 major-general1
 deacon1 or priest4 ,another command    
laid on the table4  #bd4 ,love your     
enemies4 7,matt4 v4 #dd47 ,then what    
kind of feeling should we cultivate     
toward friends8 ,and how much did he    
love his enemies when he called them    
fools1 liars1 hypocrites1 generation of 
vipers1 c48 ,and yet he is held up as   
our example in love1 meekness1 and      
forbearance4 ,but no man ever did love  
an enemy4 ,it is a moral impossibility1 
as much so as to love bitter or         

nauseating food4 ,the advice of the     
,roman slave ,syrus is indicative of    
more sense and wisdom--,treat your enemy
 kindly1 and thus make him a friend4    
#be4 ,we are required to forgive an     
enemy four hundred and ninety times2    
that is1 seventy times seven4 7,matt1   
vii47 ,another outburst of religious    
enthusiasm2 another proof of an         
overheated imagination4  #bf4 ,be ye    
perfect1 even as your ,father in heaven 
is perfect4 7,matt4 v4 #dh47 ,here is   
more of the religious extravagance of a 
mind uncultured by science4 ,for it is  
self-evident that human beings can make 
no approximation to divine perfection4  
,the distance between human imperfection
 and a perfect ,god is1 and ever must   
be1 infinite4  #bg4 ,christ commended   
those who became eunuchs for the kingdom
 of heaven's sake 7,matt4 xix4 #ab7--;a 
custom requiring a murderous1           
self-butchering process2 destructive of 
the energies of life and the vigor of   
manhood1 and rendering the subject weak1

 effeminate1 and mopish1 and unfit for  
the business of life4 ,it is a low      
species of piety1 and discloses a       
lamentable lack of a scientific         
knowledge of the true functions of the  
sexual organs on the part of ,jesus4    
#bh4 ,christ also encouraged his        
disciples to pluck out the eye1 and cut 
off the hand1 as a means of rendering it
 impossible to perpetrate evil with     
those members4 ,and we would suggest1 if
 such advice is consistent with sound   
reasoning1 the head also should be cut  
off1 as a means of more effectually     
carrying out the same principle4 ,such  
advice never came from the mouth of a   
philosopher4 ,it is a part of ,christ's 
system of extravagant piety4  #bi4 ,he  
also taught the senseless1 oriental     
tradition of the unpardonable sin       
against the ,holy ,ghost--a fabulous    
being who figured more anciently in the 
history of various countries4 7,see     
,chapter ,,xxii47 ,no philosopher or man
 of science could harbor such childish  

misconceptions as are embodied in this  
tradition1 which neither describes the  
being nor explains the nature of the    
sin4  #cj4 ,we find many proofs1 in     
,christ's ,gospel history1 that he      
believed in the ancient heathen         
tradition which taught that disease is  
caused by demons and evil spirits4 7,see
 ,luke vii4 #ba1 and viii4 #b47  #ca4   
,many cases are reported of his         
relieving the obsessed by casting out   
the diabolical intruders1 in imitation  
of the oriental custom long in vogue in 
various countries1 by which he evinced a
 profound ignorance of the natural      
causes of disease4  #cb4 ,christ also   
taught the old pagan superstition that  
,god is a ,god of anger1 while modern   
science teaches that it would be as     
impossible for a ,god of perfect and    
infinite attributes to experience the   
feeling of anger as to commit suicide2  
and recent discoveries in physiology    
prove that anger is a species of        
suicide1 and that it is also a species  

of insanity4 ,hence an angry ,god would 
be an insane ,god--an omnipotent        
lunatic1 ruling the kingdom of heaven1  
which would make heaven a lunatic       
asylum1 and rather a dangerous place to 
live4  #cc4 ,and ,christ's injunction to
 fear ,god also implies that he is an   
angry being4 7,see ,luke xxiii4 #dj47   
,but y past history proves that the fear
 of ,god has always been the great lever
 of priestcraft1 and the most paltry and
 pitiful motive that ever moved the     
human mind4 ,it has paralyzed the       
noblest intellects1 crushed the         
elasticity of youth1 and augmented the  
hesitating indecision of old age1 and   
finally filled the world with cowardly1 
trembling slaves4 ,no philosopher will  
either love or worship a ,god he fears4 
,the fear of the ,lord is a very ancient
 heathen superstition4  #cd4 ,the       
inducement ,christ holds out for leading
 a virtuous life by the promise of ,well
 done1 thou good and faithful servant1  
bespeaks a childish ignorance of the    

nature of the human mind and the true   
science of life4 ,it ranks with the     
promise of the nurse of sugar-plums to  
the boy if he would keep his garments   
unsoiled4 7,for the remainder of the two
 hundred errors of ,christ1 see ,vol4   
,,ii47  ,there are many other errors    
found in the precepts and practical life
 of ,jesus ,christ 7which we are        
compelled to omit an exposition of      
here71 such as his losing his temper1   
and abusing the money-changers by       
overthrowing their counting-table1 and  
expelling them from the temple with a   
whip of cords when engaged in a lawful' 
and laudable business2 his getting mad  
at and cursing the fig tree2 his dooming
 ,capernaum to hell in a fit of anger2  
his being deceived by two of his        
disciples 7,peter and ,judas71 which    
prompted him to call them devils2 his   
implied approval of ,david1 with his    
fourteen crimes and penitentiary deeds1 
and also ,abraham1 with his falsehoods1 
polygamy1 and incest1 and his implied   

sanction of the ,old ,testament1 with   
all its errors and numerous crimes2 his 
promise to his twelve apostles to sit   
upon the twelve thrones of ,israel in   
heaven1 thus evincing a very limited and
 childish conception of the enjoyments  
of the future life2 his puerile idea of 
sin1 consisting in a personal affront to
 a personal ,god2 his omission to say   
anything about human freedom1 the       
inalienable rights of man1 c4   ,,the   
,,scientific ,,errors ,,of ,,christ4    
,that ,jesus ,christ was neither a      
natural or moral philosopher is evident 
from the following facts3--  #a4 ,he    
never made any use of the word          
philosophy4  #b4 ,never gave utterance  
to the word science4  #c4 ,never spoke  
of a natural law1 or assigned a natural 
cause for anything4 ,the fact that he   
never made use of these words now so    
current in all civilized countries1 is  
evidence that he was totally ignorant of
 these important branches of knowledge1 
the cultivation of which is now known to

 be essential to the progress of        
civilization4 ,and yet it is claimed his
 religion has been a great lever in the 
advancement of civilization4 ,but this  
is a mistake--a solemn mistake1 as      
elsewhere shown4 7,see ,chap4 ,,xlv47   
#d4 ,everything to ,christ was miracle2 
everything was produced and controlled  
by the arbitrary power of an angry or   
irascible ,god4 ,he evidently had no    
idea of a ruling principle in nature or 
of the existence of natural law1 as     
controlling any event he witnessed4     
,hence he set no bounds to anything1 and
 recognized no limits to the possible4  
,he believed ,god to be a supernatural  
personal being1 who possessed unlimited 
power1 and who ruled and controlled     
everything by his arbitrary will1       
without any law or any limitation to its
 exercises4 ,hence he told his disciples
 they would have anything they prayed   
for in faith2 that by faith they could  
roll mountains into the sea1 or bring to
 a halt the rolling billows of the      

mighty deep4 ,he evidently believed that
 the forked lightning1 the out-bursting 
earth-shaking thunder1 and the roaring1 
heaving volcano were but pliant tools or
 obsequious servants to the man of      
faith4 ,and he displays no less         
ignorance of the laws of mind than the  
laws of nature2 thus proving him to have
 been neither a natural1 moral1 nor     
mental philosopher4 ,he omitted to teach
 the great moral lessons learned by     
human experience1 of which he was       
evidently totally ignorant4  #e4 ,he    
never taught that the practice of virtue
 contains its own reward4  #f4 ,that the
 question of right and wrong of any     
action is to be decided by its effect   
upon the individual1 or upon society4   
#g4 ,that no life can be displeasing to 
,god which is useful to man4  #h4 ,and  
he omitted to teach the most important  
lesson that can engage the attention of 
man1 viz43 that the great purpose of    
life is self-development4  #i4 ,that no 
person can attain or approximate to real

 happiness without bestowing a special  
attention to the cultivation and        
exercise of all the mental and physical 
faculties1 so far as to keep them in a  
healthy condition4 ,none of the         
important lessons above named are hinted
 at in his teachings1 which1 if         
punctually observed1 would do more to   
advance the happiness of the human race 
than all the sermons ,christ or         
,chrishna ever preached1 or ever taught4
  #aj4 ,and then he taught many         
doctrines which are plainly contradicted
 by the established principle of modern 
science1 such as1--  #aa4 ,diseases     
being produced by demons1 devils1 or    
wicked spirits4 7,see ,mark ix4 #bj47   
,christ nowhere assigns a natural cause 
for disease1 or a scientific explanation
 for its cure4  #ab4 ,his rebuking a    
fever discloses a similar lack of       
scientific knowledge4 7 ,see ,luke iv4  
#ci47  #ac4 ,his belief in a literal    
hell and a lake of fire and brimstone   
7see ,matt1 xviii4 #h7 is an ancient    

heathen superstition science knows      
nothing about1 and has no use for4  #ad4
 ,his belief in a personal devil also   
7see ,matt4 xvii4 #hh71 which is another
 oriental tradition1 furnishes more sad 
proof of an utter want of scientific    
knowledge1 as science has no place for  
and no use for such a being4  #ae4      
,christ taught the unphilosophical      
doctrine of repentance1 as he declared  
he came to call sinners to repentance   
7,matt4 ix4 #ac7--;a mental process1    
which consists merely in a revival of   
early impressions1 and often leads a    
person to condemn that which is right1  
as well as that which is wrong4 7,for   
proof1 see ,chapter ,,xliii47  #af4 ,the
 doctrine of forgiveness1 which ,christ 
so often inculcated1 is also at variance
 with the teachings of science1 as it   
can do nothing toward changing the      
nature of the act forgiven1 or toward   
cancelling its previous effects upon    
society4 ,science teaches that every    
crime has its penalty attached to it1   

which no act of forgiveness1 by ,god or 
man1 can arrest or set aside4  #ag4 ,but
 nothing evinces1 perhaps1 more clearly 
,christ's total lack of scientific      
knowledge than his holding a man        
responsible for his belief1 and         
condemning for disbelief1 as he does in 
numerous instances 7see ,mark xvi4 #af71
 for a man could as easily control the  
circulation of the blood in his veins as
 control his belief4 ,science teaches   
that belief depends upon evidence1 and  
without it1 it is impossible to believe1
 and with it1 it is impossible to       
disbelieve4 ,how foolish and            
unphilosophical1 therefore1 to condemn  
for either belief or disbelief6  #ah4   
,the numerous cases in which ,christ    
speaks of the heart as being the seat of
 consciousness1 instead of the brain1   
evinces a remarkable ignorance of the   
science of mental philosophy4 ,he speaks
 of an upright heart1 a pure heart1 'c41
 when an upright liver1 a pure liver1   
would be as sensible1 as the latter has 

as much to do with the character as the 
former4  #ai4 ,and the many cases in    
which he makes it meritorious to have a 
right faith1 and places it above reason1
 and assumes it to be a voluntary act1  
shows his utter ignorance of the nature 
of the human mind4  #bj4 ,and ,christ   
evinced a remarkable ignorance of the   
cause of physical defects1 when he told 
his hearers a certain man was born      
blind1 in order that he might cure him4 
7,matt4 vii4 #bb47  #ba4 ,and ,christ's 
declaration1 that those who marry are   
not worthy of being saved 7see ,luke xx4
 #cd71 shows that he was very ignorant  
of the nature of the sexual functions of
 the human system4  #bb4 ,nothing could 
more completely demonstrate a total     
ignorance of the grand science of       
astronomy than ,christ's prediction of  
the stars falling to the earth4 7,see   
,luke xxi4 #be47  #bc4 ,and the         
conflagration of the world1 the         
gathering of the elect1 and the         
realization of a fancied millennium1    

which he several times predicted would  
take place in his time1 before this     
generation pass away 7,matt1 xxiv4 #cd71
 proves a like ignorance1 both of       
astronomy and philosophy4  #bd4 ,and his
 cursing of the fig tree for not bearing
 fruit in the winter season 7see ,matt4 
xxi4 #bj71 not only proves his ignorance
 of the laws of nature1 but evinces a   
bad temper4  #be4 ,christ indorses the  
truth of ,noah's flood story 7see ,luke 
xvii4 #bg71 which every person at the   
present day1 versed in science and      
natural law1 knows is mere fiction1 and 
never took place4  ,and numerous other  
errors1 evincing the most profound      
ignorance of science and natural law1   
might be pointed out in ,christ's       
teachings1 if we had space for them4 ,it
 has always been alleged by orthodox    
,christendom1 that ,christ's teaching   
and moral system are so faultless as to 
challenge criticism1 and so perfect as  
to defy improvement4 ,but this is a     
serious mistake4 ,for most of his       

precepts and moral inculcations which   
are not directly at war with the        
principles of science1 or do not involve
 a flagrant violation of the laws of    
nature1 are1 nevertheless1 characterized
 by a lawless and extravagant mode of   
expression peculiar to semi-savage life1
 and which1 as it renders it impossible 
to reduce them to practice1 shows they  
could not have emanated from a          
philosopher1 or man of science1 or a man
 of evenly-balanced mind4 ,they impose  
upon the world a system of morality1    
pushed to such extremes that its own    
professed admirers do not live it out1  
or even attempt to do so4 ,they long ago
 abandoned it as an impracticable duty4 
,we will prove this by enumerating most 
of its requisitions1 and showing that   
they are daily violated and trampled    
under foot by all ,christendom4 ,where  
can the ,christian professor be found   
who1 #a4 takes no thought for the morrow
 or1 #b4 who lays not up treasure on    
earth1 or1 at least1 tries to do it2 or1

 #c4 who gives up all his property to   
the poor2 or who1 when his cloak is     
wrested from him by a robber1 gives up  
his coat also2 or who calls no man      
master or mister 7the most common title 
in ,christendom72 or who calls no man   
father 7if he has a father72 or who     
calls no man a fool 7when he knows he is
 a fool72 or who1 when one cheek is     
pommeled into a jelly by some vile      
miscreant or drunken wretch1 turns the  
other to be battered up in the same way2
 or who prays without ceasing2 or who   
rejoices when persecuted2 or who        
forgives an enemy four hundred and      
ninety times 7#gj times #g72 or who     
manifests by his practical life that he 
loves his enemies 7the way he loves him 
is to report him to the grand jury1 or  
hand him over to the sheriff72 or who   
forsakes houses and land1 and           
everything1 for the kingdom of heaven's 
sake4 ,no ,christian professor lives up 
to these precepts1 or any of them1 or   
even tries to do so4 ,to talk1          

therefore1 of finding a practical       
,christian1 while nearly the whole moral
 code of ,christ is thus daily and      
habitually outraged and trampled under  
foot by all the churches and every one  
of the two hundred millions of          
,christian professors1 is bitter irony  
and supreme solecism4 ,we would go five 
hundred miles1 or pay five hundred      
dollars1 to see a ,christian4 ,if a man 
can be a ,christian while openly and    
habitually violating every precept of   
,christ1 then the word has no meaning4  
,these precepts1 the ,christian world   
finding to be impossible to practice1   
have unanimously laid upon the table    
under the rule of indefinite            
postponement4 ,they are the product of a
 mind with an ardent temperament1 and   
the religious faculties developed to    
excess1 and unrestrained by scientific  
or intellectual culture4 ,a similar vein
 of extravagant religious duty is found 
in the ,essenian1 ,budhist1 and         
,pythagorean systems4 ,as ,zera ,colburn

 possessed the mathematical faculty to  
excess1 and ,jenny ,lind the musical    
talent1 ,christ in like manner was all  
religion4 ,and from the extreme ardor of
 his religious feeling1 thus derived1   
sprang his extravagant notions of the   
duties of life4 ,this peculiarity of his
 organization explains the whole        
mystery4   ,,christ ,,as ,a ,,man1 ,,and
 ,,christ ,,as ,a ,,sectarian4  ,to     
every observant and unbiased mind a     
strange contrast must be visible in the 
practical life of ,jesus ,christ when   
viewed in his twofold capacity of a man 
and a priest4 ,while standing upon the  
broad plane of humanity1 with his deep  
sympathetic nature directed toward the  
poor1 the unfortunate1 and the          
downtrodden1 there often gushed forth   
from his impassioned bosom the most     
sublime expressions of pity1 and the    
strongest outburst of commiseration for 
wrongs and sufferings1 and his noble    
goodness and tender love yearned with a 
throbbing heart to relieve them4 ,but   

the moment he put on the sacerdotal     
robe1 and assumed the character of a    
priest1 that moment1 if any one crossed 
his path by refusing to yield to his    
requisitions of faith1 or dissented from
 his religious creed1 his whole nature  
was seemingly changed4 ,it was no       
longer1 ,blessed are ye1 but ,cursed are
 ye1 or ,woe unto you4 ,like the        
founders of other religious systems1 he 
was ardent toward friends and bitter    
toward enemies1 and extolled his own    
religion1 while he denounced all others4
 ,his way was the only way1 and all who 
did not walk threin1 or conform thereto1
 were loaded with curses and            
imprecations1 and all who could not     
accomplish the impossible mental        
achievement of believing everything he  
set forth or urged upon their credence1 
and that1 too1 without evidence1 were to
 be eternally damned4 ,all who climbed  
up any other way were thieves and       
robbers4 ,all who professed faith in any
 other religion than his were on the    

road to hell4 ,like the oriental ,gods1 
he taught that the world was to be saved
 through faith in him and his religion4 
,all who did not honor him were to be   
dishonored by the ,father4 ,and without 
faith 7in him and his religion71 it is  
impossible to please ,god4 ,he declared 
that all who were not for him were      
against him2 and all who were not on the
 same road are heathens and publicans4  
,his disciples were enjoined to shake   
off the dust from their feet as a       
manifestation of displeasure toward     
those who could not conscientiously     
subscribe to their creeds and dogmas4   
,thus we discover a strong vein of      
intolerance and sectarianism in the     
religion of the otherwise1 and in other 
respects1 the kind and loving ,jesus4   
,though most benignantly kind and       
affectionate while moving and acting    
under the controlling impulses of his   
lofty manhood1 yet when his ardent      
religious feelings were touched1 he     
became chafed1 irritated1 and sometimes 

intolerant4 ,he then could tolerate no  
such thing as liberty of conscience1 or 
freedom of thought1 or the right to     
differ with him in religious belief4    
,his extremely ardent devotional nature1
 when roused into action in defense of a
 stereotyped faith1 eclipsed his more   
noble1 lofty1 and lovely traits1 and    
often dimmed his mental vision1 thus    
presenting in the same individual a     
strange medley1 and a strange contrast  
of the most opposite traits of          
character4 ,that such a being should    
have been considered and worshipped as a
 ,god1 and for the very reason that he  
possessed such strange1 contradictory   
traits of character1 and often let his  
religion run riot with his reason1 will 
be looked upon by posterity as one of   
the strangest chapters in the history of
 the human race4 ,but so it is4         
,extraordinary good qualities1 though   
intermingled with many errors and human 
foibles1 have deified many men4  ,note4 
,one ,christian writer alleges1 in      

defense of the objectionable precepts of
 ,jesus ,christ1 that ,he taught some   
errors in condescension to the ignorance
 of the people4 ,if this be true1 that  
he taught both truth and falsehood1 then
 the question arises1 ,how can we know  
which is which8 ,by what rule can we    
discriminate them1 as he himself        
furnishes none8 ,or how are we to       
determine that he taught truth at all8  
,and then this plea would account for   
and excuse all the errors found in the  
teachings of the oriental ,gods4 ,if it 
will apply in one case1 it will in the  
other4 ,and thus it proves too much4    
,,chapter ,,xlii4 ,,christ ,,as ,a      
,,spiritual ,,medium  ,,there are many  
incidents related in the life of        
,christ1 which1 when critically         
examined1 furnish abundant evidence that
 he was what is now known as a spiritual
 medium4 ,he unquestionably represented1
 and often practically exhibited1       
several important phases of modern      
mediumship4  #a4 ,the many instantaneous

 cures which he wrought1 as reported in 
his ,gospel narrative1 performed in the 
same manner that spirit doctors now heal
 the sick1 prove that he was an         
excellent healing medium4  #b4 ,his     
declaration to ,nathanael1 ,when thou   
wast under the fig tree1 ,i saw thee1   
and his recounting to the woman of      
,samaria the deeds of her past life     
7acts similar to which are now performed
 every day by spiritualists71 are       
evidence that he was also a clairvoyant 
medium4  #c4 ,his walking on the water  
7if the story is true71 as ,d4 ,d4 ,home
 has frequently1 within the past few    
years1 walked or floated on the air in  
the presence of many witnesses          
7including men of science1 royal        
personages1 and members of parliament71 
entitles him to the appellation of a    
physical medium4  #d4 ,and the          
circumstance of his pointing his        
disciples to the mark of the spear in   
his side1 and the print of the nails in 
his hands1 while amongst them as a      

spirit1 has led many spiritualists to   
conclude he was also a medium for       
materialization4 ,his spirit was made to
 present the peculiar marks which had   
been inflicted upon his physical body1  
cases parallel to which are now         
witnessed every day by modern           
spiritualists4 ,hundreds of cases have  
occurred of departed spirits presenting 
themselves to their friends with all the
 peculiar marks which their physical    
bodies had long worn while in the earth 
life4 ,and the former physical wounds   
have often been exhibited by the spirit 
in the same manner ,christ exhibited    
his4 ,and thus spiritualism explains the
 phenomenon which otherwise would be    
entirely incredible4  #e4 ,and there is 
yet another phase of mediumship which   
,christ often exhibited in his practical
 life4 ,he claimed to have frequent     
intercourse with some invisible being1  
whom he called the ,father4 ,but as     
modern science has settled the question 
of the personality of ,god in the       

negative1 we are led to conclude that   
,christ1 like many eminent persons since
 his time1 mistook some finite spirit   
for the great infinite but impersonal   
,father spirit--though his attendant    
invisible companion was probably a      
spirit of a very high order4 ,and the   
great beauty and grandeur of his life   
are exhibited by his frequent           
intercourse with and dependence upon    
this his guardian spirit4 ,he declared  
he did nothing of himself1 so dependent 
was he upon his invisible guide4 ,and   
the strongest proof that he had a spirit
 companion1 which he often looked to for
 counsel and aid1 and that this was the 
being he called the ,father1 is         
furnished by the fact1 that when he     
prayed to the ,father1 his petition was 
answered by an angel spirit4 7,see ,luke
 xxii4 #dd47 ,and there is no account   
and no evidence of any invisible or     
spiritual being ever presenting itself  
to him but an angel or spirit4 ,that he 
should have supposed this spirit to be  

the great infinite ,father ,god was very
 natural4 ,thousands since1 and some    
before his time1 committed a similar    
mistake4 ,the author has known several  
persons who had long had intercourse    
with some invisible being they supposed 
to be ,god1 who have recently1 by the   
light afforded by modern spiritualism1  
become entirely convinced that they had 
simply mistaken a finite spirit for the 
great ,infinite ,spirit4 ,and did       
,christ live in our day1 he would       
probably be rescued from a similar error
 in the same way4 ,in conclusion1 we    
will remark that it was doubtless his   
frequent displays of several very       
remarkable phases of spiritual          
mediumship that contributed much to lead
 the people into the error of supposing 
him to be ,god4 ,and this fact will yet 
be known4     ,,chapter ,,xliii4        
,,conversion1 ,,repentance1 ,,and       
,,getting ,,religion ,,of ,,heathen     
,,origin   ,,their ,,numerous ,,evils   
,,and ,,absurdities4  ,,of all the      

follies ever enacted or exhibited under 
the sun1 and of all the ignorance of    
history1 science1 and human nature ever 
displayed in the history of the human   
race1 that which stands out in bold     
relief1 as pre-eminent1 is the          
fashionable custom of conversion1 or    
getting religion4 ,when the evidence    
lies all around us as thick as the      
fallen leaves of autumn1 clustering on  
the pages of history1 and proclaimed by 
every principle of mental science1 that 
what is called conversion is nothing but
 a mental and temperamental or nervous  
phenomenon--a psychological process--how
 can we rank those amongst intelligent  
people who still claim it to be the     
power of ,god operating upon the soul of
 the sinner8 ,ignorance is the only plea
 that can acquit them of the charge of  
imbecility4 ,the number who daily fall  
victims to this priestly delusion in    
various parts of the country may be     
reckoned by thousands4 ,we propose in   
this chapter to exhibit some of the     

evils and absurdities of this widespread
 delusion and religious mono-mania4 ,to 
do so the more effectually1 we will     
arrange the presentation of the subject 
under four separate heads4 ,we will     
attempt to show1--  #a4 ,its historical 
errors4  #b4 ,its logical errors4  #c4  
,its philosophical or scientific errors4
  #d4 ,its moral evils4  #ast4 ,its     
,historical ,errors4--,can we conceive  
it possible that the thousands of       
priests who are now employed in         
converting souls to ,god are so ignorant
 of history as not to know that it is an
 old pagan custom8 that it was prevalent
 in heathen countries long before a     
single soul was converted to            
,christianity1 and is carried on to some
 extent now1 both among pagans and      
,mahomedans8 ,from such facts it would  
appear 7viewing the matter from the     
,christian stand-point7 that ,god is    
indifferent as to what kind of religion1
 or what sort of religious nonsense1    
people are converted to1 or whether it  

is truth or error they embrace1 or      
whether it is a true religion or a false
 one they imbibe1 so he gets them       
converted4 ,according to ,mr4 ,higgins1 
the practice of converting people from  
one sect to another by the popular      
priesthood was prevalent under the      
ancient ,persian system1 and was carried
 on there quite extensively more than   
three thousand years ago2 and the       
process was essentially the same as that
 now in vogue amongst modem ,methodists1
 and the effect the same4 ,at their     
large revival meetings the whole        
congregation would sometimes become so  
affected under the eloquent             
ministrations of the officiating priest1
 as to cry1 and shout1 and prostrate    
themselves upon the ground1 which was   
afterward found to be drenched with     
their tears2 and on these occasions they
 would confess their sins to each other1
 and to their priests2 and yet those    
very sins they condemned were1 perhaps1 
amongst the best acts of their lives1   

while their real crimes were overlooked 
and justified1 instead of being         
condemned1 thus showing that an honest1 
just1 and sensible ,god could have had  
nothing to do with it4 ,and we have     
reports of similar scenes witnessed more
 recently among the ,mahomedans4 ,major 
,denham furnishes us an account of some 
revival meetings he attended a few years
 since in ,arabia1 carried on by one of 
the ,mahomedan sects4 ,on one occasion  
the effect of the discourse of the      
preacher upon the audience in the way of
 converting souls to ,god was so        
powerful1 that he could only convince   
himself that he was not in a ,methodist 
revival meeting by a knowledge of his   
geographical position4 ,the preacher's  
name was ,malem ,chadily1 and here is a 
specimen of some of his language4 ,turn1
 turn1 sinner1 unto ,god2 confess he is 
good1 and that ,mahomet is his prophet2 
wash1 and become clean of your sins1 and
 paradise is open before you3 without   
this nothing can save you from eternal  

fire4 ,during this earnest appeal 7says 
the major71 tears flowed plentifully1   
and everybody appeared to be affected4  
,one of his hearers1 becoming converted1
 shouted1 ,your words pierce my soul1   
and fell upon the floor4 ,now let it be 
borne in mind1 that ,mahomet is         
stigmatized and condemned by the        
,christian churches as a false prophet1 
and his religion denounced as a system  
of fraud1 a false religion1 c4 ,of      
course1 then1 ,christians will not      
argue1 nor admit1 that conversion1 and  
getting religion1 in this case1 is the  
work of ,god4 ,a just ,god would have   
nothing to do in converting people to a 
false religion4 ,what explanation shall 
we adopt for it then8 ,to assume it to  
be the work of the devil 7the dernier   
resort for all religious difficulties71 
and conversions among ,christians the   
work of ,god1 when both are so clearly  
and obviously alike1 is to insult common
 sense4 ,to assume that two things1     
exactly alike in character1 can be      

exactly and diametrically unlike in     
origin1 is a scientific paradox which no
 person of common intelligence can      
swallow1 or accept for a moment4 ,both1 
then1 we must admit1 have the same      
origin4 ,this train of argument leads us
 to speak of--  #b;d4 ,the ,logical     
,absurdities of the ,doctrine of        
,conversion4--,there are several        
circumstances which point1 unmistakably 
as the needle to the pole1 to the       
mundane origin of the phenomenon of     
conversion4  ,the character of many of  
the priestly conductors who run the     
battery1 is sufficient of itself to     
preclude the hypothesis of any divine   
agency in the matter4 ,the most powerful
 revivalist we ever knew1 the priest who
 could convert an audience the quickest1
 and bring down sinners to the mourners'
 bench faster than any other clergyman  
we ever heard dealing out damnation to  
the people1 was a broad-shouldered1     
muscular1 stentorian-voiced circuit     
rider of the ,buckeye ,state1 who1 as   

was afterward learned1 was guilty of    
perpetrating some of the blackest crimes
 that ever blotted the page of human    
history1 at the very time of his most   
successful career in the way of         
convicting souls of sin1 and converting 
them to ,god4 ,he was apprehended by the
 officers of the law in the midst of one
 of his most flourishing revivals1 under
 the twofold charge1 i4 ,of being the   
father of an illegitimate child1 the    
young mother of which was a member of   
his church2 #b4 ,of defrauding one of   
his neighbors in a trade1 to the amount 
of nearly a thousand dollars--both of   
which charges he was convicted of4 ,a   
similar case1 but possessing some worse 
features1 occurred a few years since in 
the county in which the author now      
resides4 ,a preacher1 who had had       
criminal connection with a young woman  
of his church1 in order to conceal his  
guilt resorted to the damnable expedient
 of administering poison to his victim  
shortly before his illicit intercourse  

with her would have been made manifest  
by the birth of a child1 thus committing
 a double murder4 ,he was apprehended   
for the crime while carrying on a most  
glorious revival1 as it was styled by   
some of the deluded congregation4 ,now  
to ascribe the irresistible power which 
these two preachers exerted over their  
audience 7in the way of converting them 
to ,god7 to a divine source1 as they    
claimed for it1 would be to trifle with 
common sense1 common decency1 and all   
honorable conceptions of a ,god4 ,these 
reverend scamps often instituted the    
high claim of being called of ,god to   
their ministerial labors4 ,but if we    
concede the claim1 we should have to    
conclude that ,god knew but little about
 them1 for he certainly would not       
knowingly employ such moral outlaws upon
 such an important mission4  ,having    
thus briefly spoken of the character of 
some of the actors and agents in the    
work of conversion1 we will now glance  
at the character of some of the         

religions and religious ideas1 and moral
 course of conduct1 to which the sinner 
is converted4 ,it is evident that if an 
,all-wise ,god had anything to do in the
 process of converting people to any    
system of religion1 he would also       
convert them to correct moral habits4   
,but in many cases1 after conversion    
they are no nearer right in this        
respect1 and in some cases further from 
it than before being thus sanctified4   
,in some cases their religion becomes   
worse1 their religious ideas less       
sensible1 and their moral conduct more  
objectionable1 by the change of heart in
 getting religion4 ,mr4 ,spencer informs
 us that the ,vewas1 a sect or tribe of 
the ,feegees1 often cry for hours under 
conviction for sin4 ,and what is that   
sin8 ,why1 the neglect to offer         
sacrifices to their ,god4 ,and those    
sacrifices consist in human beings1     
sometimes their own children4 ,and their
 conviction1 conversion1 and repentance 
only make them more diligent in         

practicing this crime4 ,it is evident1  
then1 that their religion is at war with
 their humanity1 and the former always  
triumphs in the contest4 ,they are      
addicted to cannibalism1 infanticide1   
and polygamy4 ,but as the process of    
getting religion never makes anybody    
more intelligent1 the change of heart1  
with the ,vewas1 never changes their    
views1 or opens their eyes to see the   
enormity of their crimes4 ,in getting   
religion people get neither sense1      
knowledge1 nor morality4 ,they get      
neither a larger stock1 nor an improved 
quality1 of either4 ,their moral conduct
 is not often sensibly improved1        
materially or permanently4  #c;d4       
,scientific ,errors1 and ,scientific    
,explanations of ,conversion4--,the     
phenomena of conversion and getting     
religion are so easily explained in the 
light of science and philosophy1 and    
that explanation is susceptible of so   
many proofs and demonstrations1 that it 
seems remarkably strange that any       

persons claiming to be intelligent1 and 
situated in the focal1 scientific light 
of the nineteenth century1 should still 
be hampered with the delusion that such 
phenomena are the direct display of the 
power of ,god4 ,it requires but little  
investigation and reflection to convince
 any person that what is called         
conversion1 and repentance for sin1 is  
nothing but the revival of early        
educational impressions resuscitated by 
the influence of mind on mind4 ,no      
person has ever been known to get or    
embrace a religion he was not biased in 
favor of prior to the time of his       
conversion1 unless we except a few      
weak-minded persons negative to any     
influence1 and convertible to any       
religion the priest may urge upon their 
attention4 ,a very strong proof of this 
statement is furnished by the history of
 the ,christian missionary enterprise4  
,the reports of travelers and sojourners
 in ,india show1 that with two hundred  
years' labor1 and two hundred           

missionaries in the field during a part 
of that period1 the churches have not   
succeeded in converting one in ten      
thousand of the ,hindoos to the         
,christian religion--unless we except   
those who1 while children1 were sent to 
,christian schools instituted by the    
missionaries for the special purpose of 
converting and warping the young mind1  
and welding it to the ,christian faith  
before ,it should receive an            
unchangeable and unyielding bias in     
favor of another religion4 ,so fruitless
 has been the effort to convert to      
,christianity those who were already    
established in the religion of the      
country1 that1 according to the estimate
 of ,colonel ,dow1 each convert1 on an  
average1 has cost the missionary        
enterprise not less than ten thousand   
dollars4 ,an intelligent ,hindoo1 while 
lecturing recently in ,london1 made the 
remarkable statement1 that conversions  
which are made to the ,christian        
religion are not amongst the intelligent

 or learned classes1 but are confined to
 the low1 ignorant1 and superstitious   
classes1 who have not sense or          
intelligence enough to perceive the     
difference between the religion they are
 converted to1 and that which they are  
converted from4 ,and the effort to      
convert the ,mahomedans1 ,chinese1      
,persians1 and the disciples of other   
religions has been attended with the    
same fruitless results--all seeming to  
warrant the conclusion that ,god can do 
but little toward converting any nation 
to ,christianity which has always been  
biased in favor of another religion4    
,the reason why people are so easily    
converted from one sect to another in   
,christian countries is owing to the    
fact that their religious convictions   
are unsettled4 ,the members of the      
different ,christian sects are all mixed
 up together in the various settlements 
throughout the country1 and are brought 
in daily contact with each other in the 
busy scenes of life4  ,hence the        

children have the seeds of ,methodism1  
,presbyterianism1 ,baptistism1          
,quakerism1 and various other isms      
implanted in their minds in very early  
life4 ,and which one of these will      
ultimately predominate depends upon what
 priest they fall victims to first4     
,having thus the germs of so many       
religious isms implanted in their minds1
 they are easily shifted about1 and     
converted from one sect to another4 ,and
 this shuttlecock process is called     
getting religion1 while1 if they had    
lived in a country where only one form  
of religion exists1 they would be as    
hard to convert as ,mahomedans and      
,hindoos4  ,repentance4--,much          
importance is attached by the orthodox  
churches to the act of getting religion 
in the dying hour1--called death-bed    
repentance1--as if the person were      
better capable of discriminating between
 right and wrong when his brain is      
deranged with fever1 and his whole      
system racked with disease and pain1    

than when in health4 ,such repentance   
can do nothing more than prove the      
honesty of the dying man or woman4 ,for 
very often their doctrines1 or religious
 belief1 will be found no nearer right1 
and sometimes more erroneous after      
repentance than before1 as repentance   
merely consists in the return to early  
impressions--the revival of former      
convictions1 which may be either right  
or wrong1 and are about as likely to be 
the latter as the former4 ,no instance  
can be found of a person condemning a   
wrong act1 or a wrong course of life1 in
 his dying moments1 unless he had       
previously believed it to be wrong1 or  
if he had always believed it to be      
right4 ,how much1 then1 does repentance 
do toward deciding what is right and    
what is wrong8 ,mahomedanism we know to 
be deeply fraught with error1 but we    
never read nor heard of an instance of  
the many millions who had been educated 
to believe it is right1 condemning it on
 their death-beds1 or repenting for not 

having embraced ,christianity1 and led  
the life of a ,christian1 or for adoring
 ,mahomet instead of ,jesus ,christ4 ,on
 the contrary we have a                 
well-authenticated instance of a        
,mahomedan 7a ,mr4 ,merton7 who had     
embraced ,christianity1 and lived the   
life of a ,christian for many years1    
renouncing it all1 and returning to his 
primitive faith1 when he was taken sick 
and became apprehensive he was going to 
die3 his early religious impressions1   
returning involuntarily1 wiped out his  
,christianity1 and he died glorying in  
,mahomedanism4 ,and we have an equally  
well authenticated case of an ,indian of
 the ,choctaw tribe1 who had been taught
 to believe from early life that the    
white man was his natural enemy1 and    
that it was his right and duty to kill  
him1 repenting on his death-bed for     
having a short time previously          
neglected1 when the opportunity         
presented1 to despatch a pale face he   
met in his travels4 ,instead of killing 

him1 he yielded for the moment to the   
impulse of his better feelings1 and     
passed him by4 ,but on reviewing his    
past life at the approach of death1 he  
came to the conclusion he had sinned in 
omitting to kill this man1 and he       
grieved and lamented sorely over this   
dereliction of apprehended duty4 ,here  
we have a case of repentance sanctioning
 murder4 ,must we1 therefore1 conclude  
that murder is morally right1 or a      
righteous act8 ,certainly1 according to 
orthodox logic4  ,their religious tracts
 assume that repentance is always for   
the right1 and is prima facie evidence  
of being right4 ,if not1 what does it   
prove1 or what moral value is it8       
,according to orthodox teaching1 being a
 murderer at heart1 he was as           
consignable to perdition as if he had   
committed the act4 ,there is no escaping
 the conclusion1 therefore1 that his    
repentance landed him in hell1 or else  
proves murder to be right according to  
orthodox logic4  ,we have known ,quakers

 to leave their dying testimony against 
water baptism2 and ,baptists1 with their
 last breath1 declare it is right1 and a
 sin to neglect it4 ,which is right8    
,who can tell8 ,we have also known      
,quakers to condemn dancing in their    
dying hours1 but ,shakers never2 because
 one had been taught that it is wrong1  
and the other that it is right4 ,and    
which testimony must we accept8         
,mahomedans often1 when approaching the 
confines of time1 repent 7sometimes in  
tears7 for not having lived out more    
rigidly the injunctions of the ,koran1  
but never regret not having been        
,christians4 ,they often call upon      
,mohamet to aid them through the gates  
of death3 but not one of the million who
 die every year ever calls upon ,jesus  
,christ4 ,what1 then1 does such a       
conflicting jargon of death-bed         
repentance prove8 ,what good can grow   
out of it1 or what moral value can      
possibly attach to it8 ,it establishes  
simply two principles1--  #ast4 ,that   

repentance grows out of education4      
#b;d4 ,that it depends entirely upon    
previous convictions as to what it may  
sanction1 and what it may condemn4  ,no 
,christian ever repents in favor of     
,mahomedan-ism2 and no ,mahomedan ever  
lifts up his dying voice in favor of    
,christianity as being superior to his  
own religion2 and no ,hindoo has ever   
been known to indulge in death-bed      
lamentation for not having previously   
embraced either ,christianity or        
,mahomedanism2 because their earlier    
education never turned their minds in   
that direction4 ,the mind has to be     
educated over again before it can       
embrace a new religion1 or even condemn 
a wrong act1 which1 up to that period1  
it had always believed to be right4     
,hence it is evident repentance may lead
 a person to condemn what is right and  
sanction what is wrong4 ,how profoundly 
ignorant of religious history and mental
 science must those persons therefore be
 who attach any importance to those     

diseased and often incoherent           
utterances1 called death-bed            
recantations1 or who believe a thing the
 sooner because sanctioned by a dying   
man or woman1 or that they do anything  
toward proving what is right or what is 
wrong with respect to either our belief 
or our moral conduct6 ,and yet we find  
the orthodox churches printing every    
year1 through their tract societies1    
stories of death-bed repentance in tract
 form1 and scattering them over the     
country by the million4 ,as they prove  
nothing but the honesty of the dying man
 or woman1 they are not worth the paper 
on which they are printed4  ,the        
phenomenon of repentance is simply the  
operation of a natural law1 by which the
 last impressions made upon the mind are
 generally cancelled from the memory    
first1 by the progress of fever and     
disease1 thus leaving the earlier       
impressions to rule the judgment4 ,the  
person is then virtually a child1       
controlled by his early youthful        

convictions1 with which1 if his late    
belief and conduct disagree1 it causes a
 mental conflict1 called repentance4    
,thus1 instead of being the visitation  
of ,god1 as ,christians claim1          
repentance is shown to be the product of
 natural causes4 ,the conclusion is thus
 established beyond disproof1 that the  
mental processes called conversion1     
repentance1 and getting religion are    
simply natural psychological operations1
 depending upon education1 organization1
 and intelligence4 ,they depend also    
upon intellect and scientific knowledge4
 ,for persons of large intellectual     
brains1 or extensive scientific culture1
 never fall victims to these mental     
derangements4 ,hence those priests who  
claim ,god as their author are either   
deplorably and inexcusably ignorant1 or 
lacking in moral honesty4     ,,chapter 
,,xliv4 ,,the ,,moral ,,lessons ,,of    
,,religious ,,history4  #a4 ,the most   
important lesson deducible from all the 
religious systems1 commemorated in      

history1 and noticed in this work1 is1  
that all religious conceptions1 whether 
in the shape of doctrine1 precept1      
prophecy1 prayer1 religious devotion1 or
 a belief in miracles1 are a spontaneous
 outgrowth of the moral and religious   
elements of the human mind4 ,and to     
assign them a higher origin is to ignore
 the developments of modern science1 and
 insult the highest intelligence of the 
age4  #b4 ,from the elevated scientific 
plane occupied by the most enlightened  
portion of the present age1 there is no 
difficulty in finding a satisfactory    
solution for every event1 every         
occurrence1 and every performance       
recorded in any of the numerous bibles  
which have long been afloat in the      
world1 and which have always constituted
 the sole basis for the claim to a      
divine origin of all the religious      
systems of the past2 so that such a     
claim can be no longer vindicated by    
historically intelligent people4  #c4   
,we have shown in this work that all the

 miraculous incidents related in the    
history of ,jesus ,christ as a proof of 
his divinity can find a more rational   
explanation than that which assigns them
 to divine agency4 ,some of them are now
 known to lie within the natural        
capacity of the human mind to achieve1  
others are explained by recently        
discovered natural laws4 ,another class 
are now well understood mental or       
nervous phenomena4 ,other stories1 now  
regarded by the ,christian world as     
referring to miraculous achievements1   
were probably designed by the writer as 
mere fable or metaphor4 ,all the events 
in ,christ's history1 we have shown1 are
 susceptible of a hundred fold more     
rational explanation than that which    
regards them as the feats of a ,god in  
violation of his own laws4  #d4 ,we have
 also shown that the same marvelous     
incidents now found incorporated in the 
,gospel history of ,jesus ,christ were  
related long previously as a part of the
 sacred history of other ,gods2 such as 

being miraculously conceived and born of
 a virgin2 born on the #beth of         
,december2 visited in infancy by angels 
and shepherds2' threatened by the ruler 
of the country2 being of royal lineage2 
receiving the same divine titles2       
performing the same miracles1 c4  ,in a 
word1 we have shown that various heathen
 ,gods and ,demigods had1 long before   
,christ's advent1 filled the same       
chapter in history now reported of him  
in the ,christian ,new ,testament4 ,all 
these stories of the heathen ,gods prove
 as conclusively as any scientific      
problem can be demonstrated by figures1 
that the same stories related of ,jesus 
,christ have no other foundation than   
that of heathen tradition4 ,and will the
 ,christian world1 then1 hereafter      
stultify their common sense by ignoring 
these facts of history so fatal to their
 claims8 ,past history points to an     
affirmative answer to this question1 as 
we will illustrate4  ,in the early      
history of this country1 several reports

 were published of showers of blood     
being seen to fall in some of the       
sea-coast states1 which were regarded as
 a divine judgment4 ,but the use of the 
telescope revealed the fact that it was 
the ordure of butterflies1 as those     
insects were seen at the time in vast   
swarms4 ,but the devout ,christian1     
whose faith in his religion has always  
been proof against the demonstrations of
 science1 would give it up4 ,he would   
not accept the butterfly explanation1   
but continued to teach his children that
 it came from ,god out of heaven as a   
manifestation of displeasure toward the 
sins of the people4 ,and it now remains 
to be seen whether ,christian professors
 at the present day will manifest a     
similar folly by standing out against   
the demonstrated truths and facts of    
this work4  #e4 ,we here cite it as the 
last and most sorrowful lesson of       
history1 that no facts1 no proofs1 no   
demonstrations of science can eradicate 
religious errors from the human mind1 if

 instilled in early life1 and never     
disturbed till the possessor arrives at 
mature age or middle life4     ,,chapter
 ,,xlv4 ,,conclusion ,,and ,,review4    
,,in writing the concluding chapter of  
this work1 the author deems it proper to
 re-state some points1 and elaborate    
others1 and anticipate some objections  
to some of the positions advanced4 ,each
 division of the subject will be marked 
by a separate figure1 and treated in a  
brief and succinct manner1 as follows3--
  #a4 ,several persons1 who examined    
this work before it went to press1 have 
expressed the opinion that it must exert
 a powerful influence in the way of     
producing an entire revolution in the   
religion of orthodox ,christendom sooner
 or later4 ,but this must of course be  
the work of time1 as moral revolutions  
are not the work of a day4 ,when the    
human system has been long prostrated   
with chronic disease1 no system of      
medication can restore it at once to    
health4 ,the same principle governing   

the mind makes it morally impossible to 
eradicate its deeply-seated moral and   
religious errors in a day by even the   
presentation of the most powerful and   
convincing truths and demonstrations    
that can be brought to bear or operate  
upon the human judgment4 ,the mind      
instinctively repels everything 7no     
difference how true or how beautiful7   
that conflicts with its long-established
 opinions and convictions4 ,the fires of
 truth usually require much time to burn
 their way through those incrustations  
of moral and religious error which often
 environ the human mind as the products 
of a false education4 ,but when they    
once enter1 the work of convincement is 
complete4  #b4 ,it has been stated that 
the resemblance between ,christianity   
and the more ancient heathen systems is 
complete and absolute throughout in all 
their essential doctrines1 and          
principles1 and precepts4 ,and if it    
shall be found1 on a critical reading of
 this work after it comes from the      

press1 that there is one feature of     
,christianity which has not been traced 
to pagan origin1 or that any points of  
resemblance have been omitted1 they will
 be supplied in an appendix4  #c4 ,it   
has been stated that a transfiguration  
is related of ,chrishna of ,india 7#abjj
 ,b4 ,c47 in the ,hindoo bible 7the     
,baghavat ,gita71 which is strikingly   
similar to that of ,christ4 ,we will    
here present the proof4 ,abandoning the 
mortal form1 he 7,chrishna7 appeared to 
his disciples in all the divine eclat of
 his ,divine ,majesty1 his brow         
encircled with such a brilliant light   
that ,adjouma and the other disciples1  
unable to bear it1 fell with their faces
 in the dust1 and prayed the ,lord      
7,chrishna7 to pardon their             
unworthiness4 ,he replied1 ',have you   
not faith in me8 ,know ye not1 that     
whether present or absent in body1 ,i   
will be ever present with you to guard  
and protect you8' 7,gaghavat ,gita47    
,how remarkable this to the story of    

,christ's transfiguration6  #d4 ,some   
readers1 perhaps1 will be surprised to  
observe that we have named so many      
crucified gods to whom some writers     
assign a different death4 ,but we have  
followed1 as we believe1 the best       
authorities in doing so4  #e4 ,in our   
work1 ,the ,bibles of ,bibles1 we have  
shown that the score of bibles which    
have been extant in the world teach     
essentially the same doctrines1         
principles1 and precepts4 ,there are to 
be found in the old pagan bibles the    
same grand and beautiful truths mixed up
 with the same mind-enslaving errors and
 deleterious superstitions as those     
contained in the ,christian bible4 ,and 
the same exalted claim is set up by the 
disciples of each for their respective  
holy books--that of being a direct      
revelation from ,god1 and inspired at   
the fountain of infinite wisdom4 ,and   
all were exalted1 adored1 and idolized  
by their respective admirers1 as        
containing a perfect embodiment of      

truth1 without any admixture of error4  
,the ancient ,persians carried their    
bibles in their bosoms1 and read them   
and prayed over them daily4 ,the        
,hindoos often read their bible through 
on their bended knees1 and sometimes    
committed it all to memory4 ,the        
,baghavat has the following text3 ,the  
most important of all duties is to study
 the ,holy ,scriptures1 which is the    
word of ,brahma and ,chrishna1 revealed 
to the world4 ,some of the ,mahomedans  
claim that immortal life can only be    
obtained by reading the ,koran1 and that
 the reading of it is essential to the  
progress and practice of good morals1   
and the advancement of civilization2 and
 that it will ultimately reform and     
civilize the world4 ,both they and the  
,hindoos1 like the ,christian world1    
have numerous commentaries1 explaining  
the obscure texts of their bibles1 and  
aiming to reconcile their teachings with
 reason and science4 ,and the disciples 
of all bibles had a mode of doing away  

with the immoral teachings1 and         
concealing the worst features of their  
sacred books by bestowing on them a     
spiritual meaning1 as ,christians do    
theirs1 thus dressing up error in the   
guise of truth4 ,the ,hindoo bible1 the 
,mahomedan bible1 and other holy books1 
consign those who disbelieve in their   
teachings to eternal damnation1         
denouncing them as infidels4 ,in this   
respect1 also1 they are like the        
,christian's bible4  #f4 ,but then1     
after all 7as some good pious ,christian
 will probably exclaim after reading    
this work71 the bible and ,christianity 
are essential to the progress of good   
morals1 and the advancement of the cause
 of civilization1 and the civilized     
world would sink into a state of heathen
 darkness1 demoralization1 and savagism 
without them2 for every enlightened     
nation owes its present moral and       
intellectual greatness to the ,christian
 bible and the ,christian religion1 and 
would relapse into barbarism without    

them4 ,this is a mistake1 a most        
egregious mistake1 my good brother      
,christian1 as the following facts of   
history will show3--  #a4 ,there are    
heathen nations now existing who never  
saw a bible1 and others which flourished
 in the past1 before our bible was      
written1 who nevertheless attained to a 
higher state of morals1 and a higher    
state of civilization in some respects1 
than any ,christian nation known to     
history4 ,a whole volume of facts might 
be adduced1 if we had space for them1   
drawn from the ablest and most reliable 
authorities1 to prove that ,india1      
,egypt1 ,greece1 and other countries had
 reached a high state of civilization   
centuries before ,christianity or any of
 its founders were even heat'd of1 or   
made their appearance in the world4     
,india was distinguished for her        
teaming1 her laws1 her legislation1 her 
civil courts1 her judicial tribunals1   
her astronomers1 her poets1 her         
philosophers1 her writers1 her          

moralists1 her libraries1 her men of    
literature1 and her good morals before  
,moses was found in the bulrushes4      
,jacolliot says1 ,india gave            
civilization to the world4 ,egypt       
borrowed of ,india1 the ,greeks of the  
,egyptians1 and the ,jews and           
,christians are indebted to the ,greeks 
for both their morals and their         
civilization4 ,dubois1 a ,christian     
missionary1 in his ,memoirs of ,india1  
testifies that kindness1 justice1       
humanity1 good faith1 compassion1       
disinterestedness1 and in fact nearly   
all the moral virtues1 were familiar to 
the ancient ,brahmans and ,hindoos1 and 
they taught them both by precept and    
example4 ,can as much be said of any    
,christian nation8 ,certainly not4 ,and 
the ,rev4 ,d4 ,o4 ,allen says they were 
distinguished for all the arts and      
refinement of civilized life--thus      
placing them on the highest plane of    
civilization and moral elevation4 ,and  
other nations might be referred to4     

,egypt had her vast temples of science1 
,chaldea her astronomical observatories1
 and ,greece her distinguished academies
 of learning1 her profound philosophers1
 and her high-toned moral writers and   
moral teachers1 while the ,jews1 ,god's 
holy people4 were in a state of         
semibarbarism4 ,so affirms the ,rev4    
,albert ,barnes4  #b4 ,no advancement   
has often been made in morals or        
civilization in any country by the      
introduction of the ,christian bible or 
the ,christian religion4 ,it is the arts
 and sciences which accompany or follow 
the bible which do the work4 ,a proof of
 this statement is found in the fact1   
that no improvement takes place in the  
morals of the people by the introduction
 of the bible till the arts and sciences
 are also introduced amongst them4 ,on  
the contrary1 the morals of many        
deteriorate by reading the bible alone1 
because it sanctions as well as condemns
 every species of crime then known to   
society4 7,for proof see ,chap4 ,,xxxix4

 of this work47 ,that ,india has become 
corrupted and sunk in morals since the  
introduction of the ,christian bible1 is
 admitted by the ,rev4 ,d4 ,o4 ,allen1  
for twenty-five years a missionary in   
that country4 ,but science1 especially  
moral science1 imparts a different      
influence4 ,it explains the nature of   
crimes1 and teaches and demonstrates    
that a life of honesty and virtue can   
alone produce true and real happiness1  
while the bible augments the temptation 
to commit sin by teaching that it is a  
sweet morsel to be rolled under the     
tongue1 and that its punitive effects   
may be entirely escaped by an act of    
divine forgiveness4 ,but science1 either
 directly or by the enlightening of the 
mind1 teaches and convinces the         
wrong-doer that there is no escape from 
the evil effects of a wrong or wicked   
act1 and that sin is not a sweet morsel1
 but ultimately a bitter pill4 ,and thus
 it arrests the demoralizing effects of 
this pernicious doctrine of the         

,christian bible4  #c4 ,it may startle  
some of the bible devotees to be told   
that their sacred book1 instead of being
 a prompter to civilization and good    
morals1 is really a hindrance to those  
ends2 and that consequently nations     
without bibles advance faster in these  
respects than those who are well        
supplied with this book4 ,but the facts 
of history seem to establish this as a  
fact4 ,as a proof we will contrast the  
present condition of heathen ,japan with
 that of ,christian ,abyssinia4 ,colonel
 ,hall and ,dr4 ,oliphant both testify  
that no drunkenness1 no fighting1 no    
quarreling1 no thefts1 no robberies1 no 
rapes1 no fornication1 no domestic feuds
 or broils1 and no fraudulent dealing   
take place in ,japan4 ,no locks or keys 
are used1 for none are needed4 ,there is
 no disposition to steal1 or even to    
cheat1 or overreach in dealing4 ,but in 
,christian ,abyssinia1 on the other     
hand1 according to ,mr4 ,goodrich1 where
 bibles and churches are numerous1 and  

preaching and praying are heard every   
day1 nearly all the crimes above        
enumerated are daily committed4 ,the    
people go naked1 eat raw flesh1 cheat1  
lie1 and murder1 and practice polygamy4 
,such a thing as a legitimate child1 he 
tells us1 is not known4 ,and thus it has
 been for fifteen hundred years1 while  
in the daily practice of reading their  
bible4 ,the arts and sciences have never
 been introduced amongst them4 ,and this
 fact explains the cause of their       
continued moral degradation4  #d4       
,according to ,noah ,webster1 the       
cultivation of the arts and sciences is 
essential to the progress of            
civilization and good morals4 ,but bible
 religion knows nothing about the arts  
and sciences4 ,it don't even use the    
words4 ,paul uses the word science only 
once1 and then to condemn it4 ,but      
,jesus omits any allusion to science1   
philosophy1 or natural law4 ,so         
thoroughly convinced were the early     
disciples of the ,christian faith that  

the teachings of their bible are        
inimical to the arts and sciences1 that 
they destroyed works of art wherever    
they could find them1 and opposed with a
 deadly aim every new discovery in the  
sciences4  #e4 ,as bibles represent only
 the morals and state of society in the 
age in which they are written1 and are  
not allowed to be altered or            
transcended1 they thus hold their       
disciples back in all coming time1 and  
compel them to teach and practice the   
morals of that semi-barbarous age as    
found taught in their bibles4 ,and thus 
bibles prevent the moral growth of the  
people as effectually as the ,chinese   
wooden shoes prevent the growth of the  
feet4 ,for a fuller exposition of this  
matter1 see ,the ,bible of ,bibles1     
,chap4 ,,xiv4     ,,notes   ,,note ,,of 
,,explanation4  ,in ,chapter ,,xxxi4 we 
have traced ,christianity to ,essenism4 
,this may need a fuller explanation than
 we have yet devoted to this point1     
though we have stated several times we  

consider them essentially one4 ,the     
,essenes had their ,exoteric and their  
,esoteric doctrines4 ,the latter1 which 
seems to have included the incarnation  
atonement1 trinity1 and all the other   
,budhist doctrines as set forth in      
,chapter ,,xxxii4 7and now included in  
the term ,christianity71 they never     
published to the world4 ,hence ,chapter 
,,xxxi4 sets forth only their ,exoteric 
doctrines4 ,but as ,philo1 ,milman1     
,tytler1 and other eminent authors show 
they held all the doctrines of ,budhism1
 we assume they were a ,budhist sect    
,hence1 when we speak of ,christianity  
growing out of ,budhism1 in ,chapter    
,,xxxii41 we mean ,budhism under the    
name of ,essenism4 ,we believe          
,christianity is from ,essenism and     
,budhism both1 because they are         
essentially one2 and that ,christianity 
is merely a continuation of ,budhism as 
taught by the ,essenian sect of         
,budhists4 ,hence we have sometimes used
 the term ,essenism1 and sometimes the  

term ,budhism1 as being the fountain    
head of ,christianity4 ,we have stated  
,christ may have been an ,essene either 
by birth or by conversion4 ,but our     
conviction now is1 that he was one by   
birth4 ,and we now think it probable    
that that portion of the ,jewish nation 
which became known as ,essenes sprang up
 in the ,budhist school of ,pythagoras1 
in ,alexandria1 in the second or third  
century before ,christ1 and thus became 
,essenian ,budhists2 i4 e41 a sect of   
,jewish ,budhists who called themselves 
,essenes4 ,and consequently1 neither    
,christ nor his disciples made any      
changes in the ,essenian religion1 when 
they changed its name to ,christianity1 
except to ingraft a few unimportant     
tenets borrowed from the principal      
,budhist sect ,we are now convinced that
 ,essenism was complete ,budhism1 that  
,christ was born of ,essene parents1 and
 that no important changes were made by 
dropping the term ,essenism1 and        
adopting the term ,christianity in its  

place4   ,,note ,,to ,,page #agh4  ,it  
may not be improper to explain more     
fully the reason for the opinion        
expressed on page #agh1 that the ,gospel
 writer ,john did not believe that      
,christ first came into existence       
through human birth1 but believed that  
he1 like some of the oriental ,gods1 was
 ,the ,word personified1 without the    
process of birth2 though he may1 like   
the heathen orientalists1 have cherished
 the tradition that the second ,god in  
the trinity 7as he represents ,christ to
 be71 after having sprung into existence
 as ,the ,word was subsequently         
subjected to human birth4 ,either so1 or
 else his allusion to the mother of     
,christ was done in condescension to the
 general belief among the people1 that  
he had a human mother4 ,be that as it   
may1 he declares1 ',his ,word was made  
flesh 7,john i4 #ad72 nearly the same   
language used by the                    
orientalists1--which with them did not  
imply human birth4 ,and the declaration1

 ,all things were made by him 7,john i4 
#c71 is proof positive he believed in   
,christ's existence as the creator1     
before his human birth4 ,much of ,john's
 language is so strikingly similar to   
that employed by the disciples of some  
of the oriental religions1 who believed 
that a second ,god emanated from the    
mouth of the ,supreme1 to perform the   
act of creation1 that we cannot resist  
the conviction that this was ,john's    
belief2 especially as many of them      
believed1 like him1 that this creative  
,word became afterward a subject of     
human birth4 ,thus1 as we conceive1 the 
proposition is established4   ,,note    
,,to ,,page #cdf4  ,our most reliable   
authorities testify that ,babylon never 
was destroyed1 but successfully         
resisted1 for one hundred and fifty     
years after ,isaiah's time1 many of the 
most powerful sieges1 and the mightiest 
munitions of war1 conducted by seven of 
the most skilful generals that ever     
wielded the sword--,cyrus1 ,darius1     

,alexander the ,great1 ,antigonus1      
,demetrius1 ,poliorcetes1 and           
,antiochus4 ,she then gradually declined
 by the removal of her inhabitants to   
other and newer cities2 thus falsifying 
the prediction of ,jeremiah 7li4 #h71   
,her end has come1 and of ,isaiah 7xiii4
 #bb71 ,her days shall not be prolonged1
 and that desolation shall come upon her
 in a day1 and her destruction shall be 
effected suddenly--all of which are     
falsified by the facts just presented4  
,and even if ,babylon had been          
destroyed1 the present existence of     
,hillah1 built in #aaja upon the same   
spot1 with a population1 according to   
,wellstead1 of twenty-five thousand1 is 
a signal overthrow of ,jeremiah's       
prophecy1 that it shall become a        
wilderness1 wherein no man dwelleth 7li4
 #dc71 and of ,isaiah1 also1 that it    
should not be dwelt in from generation  
to generation4 ,jeremiah first predicted
 that her sea and springs should dry up 
7li4 #ch71 and then declared the waves  

of the sea should come upon her 7li4    
#db72 and finally1 that she should sink 
to rise no more 7li4 #fd74 ,and         
,isaiah's prediction of ruin and        
destruction included with ,babylon1 the 
land of the ,chaldeans 7l4 #ci71 which  
was then1 and is yet1 a great commercial
 country1 with an annual revenue at this
 time1 according to ,harvey ,brydges1 of
 a million pounds sterling4 ,here1 then1
 is a long series of prophecies         
falsified4 ,our authority for saying    
that ,hillah occupies the site of       
ancient ,babylon is ,malte-,brun's      
,geography 7page #fee71 which declares1 
,hillah is situated within the precincts
 of ,babylon2 thus proving it is not a  
wilderness1 wherein no man dwelleth4    
,had we space1 we should present an     
extended view of the prophecies4