Chapter 121
Paul of Tarsus, who was preaching a doctrine which had already been preached to every nation on earth,[436:4] inculcates and avows the principle of deceiving the common people, talks of his having been upbraided by his own converts with being crafty and catching them with guile,[436:5] and of his known and willful lies, abounding to the glory of G.o.d.[436:6]
Even the orthodox Doctor Burnet, an eminent English author, in his treatise "_De Statu Mortuorum_," purposely written in Latin, that it might serve for the instruction of the clergy only, and not come to the knowledge of the laity, because, as he said, "_too much light is hurtful for weak eyes_," not only justified but recommended the practice of the most consummate hypocrisy, and would have his clergy seriously preach and maintain the reality and eternity of h.e.l.l torments, even though they should believe nothing of the sort themselves.[437:1]
The incredible and very ridiculous stories related by Christian Fathers and ecclesiastical historians, _on whom we are obliged to rely for information on the most important of subjects_, show us how untrustworthy these men were. We have, for instance, the story related by St. Augustine, who is styled "the greatest of the Latin Fathers," of his preaching the Gospel to people _without heads_. In his 33d Sermon he says:
"I was already Bishop of Hippo, when I went into Ethiopia with some servants of Christ there to preach the Gospel. In this country we saw many men and women without heads, who had two great eyes in their b.r.e.a.s.t.s; and in countries still more southly, we saw people who had but one eye in their foreheads."[437:2]
This same holy Father bears an equally unquestionable testimony to several resurrections of the dead, of _which he himself had been an eye-witness_.
In a book written "towards the close of the second century, by some zealous believer," and fathered upon one Nicodemus, who is said to have been a disciple of Christ Jesus, we find the following:
"We all know the blessed Simeon, the high priest, who took Jesus when an infant into his arms in the temple. This same Simeon had two sons of his own, _and we were all present at their death and funeral_. Go therefore and see their tombs, for these are open, and they are risen; and behold, _they are in the city of Arimathaea, spending their time together in offices of devotion_."[438:1]
Eusebius, "the Father of ecclesiastical history," Bishop of Caesarea, and one of the most prominent personages at the Council of Nice, relates as truth, the ridiculous story of King Agbarus writing a letter to Christ Jesus, and of Jesus' answer to the same.[438:2] And Socrates relates how the Empress Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem for the purpose of finding, if possible, "the cross of Christ." This she succeeded in doing, also the nails with which he was nailed to the cross.[438:3]
Beside forging, lying, and deceiving for the cause of Christ, the Christian Fathers destroyed all evidence against themselves and their religion, which they came across. Christian divines seem to have always been afraid of too much light. In the very infancy of printing, Cardinal Wolsey foresaw its effect on Christianity, and in a speech to the clergy, publicly forewarned them, that, _if they did not destroy the Press, the Press would destroy them_.[438:4] There can be no doubt, that had the objections of Porphyry,[438:5] Hierocles,[438:6] Celsus,[438:7]
and other opponents of the Christian faith, been permitted to come down to us, the plagiarism in the Christian Scriptures from previously existing Pagan doc.u.ments, is the specific charge they would have presented us. But these were ordered to be burned, by the prudent piety of the Christian emperors.
In Alexandria, in Egypt, there was an immense library, founded by the Ptolemies. This library was situated in the Alexandrian Museum; the apartments which were allotted for it were beautifully sculptured, and crowded with the choicest statues and pictures; the building was built of marble. This library eventually comprised four hundred thousand volumes. In the course of time, probably on account of inadequate accommodation for so many books, an additional library was established, and placed in the temple of Serapis. The number of volumes in this library, which was called the daughter of that in the museum, was eventually three hundred thousand. There were, therefore, _seven hundred thousand volumes in these royal collections_.
In the establishment of the museum, Ptolemy Soter, and his son Philadelphus, had three objects in view: 1. The perpetuation of such knowledge as was then in the world; 2. Its increase; 3. Its diffusion.
1. _For the perpetuation of knowledge._ Orders were given to the chief librarian to buy, at the king's expense, whatever books he could. A body of transcribers was maintained in the museum, whose duty it was to make correct copies of such works as their owners were not
_Any books brought by foreigners into Egypt_ were taken at once to the museum, and when correct copies had been made, the transcript was given to the owner, and the original placed in the library. Often a very large pecuniary indemnity was paid.
2. _For the increase of knowledge._ One of the chief objects of the museum was that of serving as the home of a body of men who devoted themselves to study, and were lodged and maintained at the king's expense. In the original organization of the museum the residents were divided into four faculties,--Literature, Mathematics, Astronomy, and Medicine. An officer of very great distinction presided over the establishment, and had general charge of its interests. Demetius Phalareus, perhaps the most learned man of his age, who had been Governor of Athens for many years, was the first so appointed. Under him was the librarian, an office sometimes held by men whose names have descended to our times, as Eratosthenes and Apollonius Rhodius. In connection with the museum was a botanical and a zoological garden.
These gardens, as their names imply, were for the purpose of facilitating the study of plants and animals. There was also an astronomical observatory, containing armillary spheres, globes, solst.i.tial and equatorial armils, astrolabes, parallactic rules, and other apparatus then in use, the graduation on the divided instruments being into degrees and sixths.
3. _For the diffusion of knowledge._ In the museum was given, by lectures, conversation, or other appropriate methods, instruction in all the various departments of human knowledge.
_There flocked to this great intellectual centre, students from all countries._ It is said that at one time not fewer than fourteen thousand were in attendance. Subsequently even the Christian church received from it some of the most eminent of its Fathers, as Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Athanasius, &c.
The library in the museum was burned during the siege of Alexandria by Julius Caesar. To make amends for this great loss, the library collected by Eumenes, King of Pergamus, was presented by Mark Antony to Queen Cleopatra. Originally it was founded as a rival to that of the Ptolemies. It was added to the collection in the Serapion, or the temple of Serapis.[440:1]
It was not destined, however, to remain there many centuries, as this very valuable library was willfully destroyed by the Christian Theophilus, and on the spot where this beautiful temple of Serapis stood, in fact, on its very foundation, was erected a church in honor of the "n.o.ble army of martyrs," who had never existed.
This we learn from the historian Gibbon, who says that, after this library was destroyed, "the appearance of the empty shelves excited the regret and indignation of every spectator, whose mind was not totally darkened by religious prejudice."[440:2]
The destruction of this library was almost the death-blow to free-thought--wherever Christianity ruled--for more than a thousand years.
The death-blow was soon to be struck, however, which was done by _Saint Cyril_, who succeeded _Theophilus_ as Bishop of Alexandria.
_Hypatia_, the daughter of Theon, the mathematician, endeavored to continue the old-time instructions. Each day before her academy stood a long train of chariots; her lecture-room was crowded with the wealth and fas.h.i.+on of _Alexandria_. They came to listen to her discourses on those questions which man in all ages has asked, but which have never yet been answered: "What am I? Where am I? What can I know?"
Hypatia and Cyril; philosophy and bigotry; they cannot exist together.
As Hypatia repaired to her academy, she was a.s.saulted by (Saint) Cyril's mob--_a mob of many monks_. Stripped naked in the street, she was dragged into a _church_, and there killed _by the club of Peter the Reader_. The corpse was cut to pieces, the flesh was sc.r.a.ped from the bones with sh.e.l.ls, and the remnants cast into a fire. _For this frightful crime Cyril was never called to account. It seemed to be admitted that the end sanctified the means. So ended Greek philosophy in Alexandria_, so came to an untimely close the learning that the Ptolemies had done so much to promote.
The fate of Hypatia was a warning to all who would cultivate profane knowledge. _Henceforth there was to be no freedom for human thought.
Every one must think as ecclesiastical authority ordered him_; A. D.
414. In Athens itself philosophy awaited its doom. Justinian at length prohibited its teaching and caused all its schools in that city to be closed.[441:1]
After this followed the long and dreary _dark ages_, but the _sun of science_, that bright and glorious luminary, was destined to rise again.
The history of this great Alexandrian library is one of the keys which unlock the door, and exposes to our view the manner in which the Hindoo incarnate G.o.d _Crishna_, and the meek and benevolent _Buddha_, came to be wors.h.i.+ped under the name of _Christ Jesus_. For instance, we have just seen:
1. That, "orders were given to the chief librarian to buy at the king's expense _whatever books he could_."
2. That, "one of the chief objects of the museum was that of serving as the home of a _body of men_ who devoted themselves to study."
3. That, "any books brought by foreigners into Egypt were taken at once to the museum and correct copies made."
4. That, "there flocked to this great intellectual centre students from all countries."
5. That, "the Christian church received from it some of the most eminent of its Fathers."
And also:
6. That, the chief doctrines of the Gnostic Christians "had been held for centuries before their time in many of the cities in Asia Minor.
There, it is probable, they first came into existence as 'Mystae,' _upon the establishment of a direct intercourse with India_ under the Seleucidae and the Ptolemies."
7. That, "the College of ESSENES at Ephesus, the Orphics of Thrace, the Curetes of Crete, _are all merely branches of one_ antique and common religion, _and that originally Asiatic_."
8. That, "_the introduction of Buddhism into Egypt and Palestine affords the only true solution of innumerable difficulties in the history of religion_."
9. That, "_Buddhism_ had actually been planted in the dominions of the Seleucidae and Ptolemies (Palestine belonging to the former) _before the beginning of the third century_ B. C. and is proved to demonstration by a pa.s.sage in the edicts of Asoka."
10. That, "it is very likely that the commentaries (Scriptures) which were among them (the _Essenes_) were the Gospels."
11. That, "the princ.i.p.al doctrines and rites of the _Essenes_ can be connected with the East, with Parsism, and especially with _Buddhism_."
12. That, "among the doctrines which the _Essenes_ and _Buddhists_ had in common was that of the _Angel-Messiah_."
13. That, "they (the _Essenes_) had a flouris.h.i.+ng university or corporate body, established at _Alexandria, in Egypt_, long before the period a.s.signed for the birth of Christ."
14. That, "the _very ancient_ and Eastern doctrine of the _Angel-Messiah_ had been applied to Gautama Buddha, _and so it was applied to Jesus Christ by the Essenes of Egypt and Palestine_, who introduced this new Messianic doctrine into Essenic Judaism and Essenic Christianity."
15. That, "we hear very little of them (the _Essenes_) after A. D. 40; and there can hardly be any doubt that the _Essenes_ as a body must have embraced Christianity."
Here is the solution of the problem. The sacred books of Hindoos and Buddhists were among the _Essenes_, and in the library at Alexandria.
The _Essenes_, who were afterwards called _Christians_, applied the legend of the _Angel-Messiah_--"the very ancient Eastern doctrine,"
which we have shown throughout this work--to Christ Jesus. It was simply a transformation of names, _a transformation which had previously occurred in many cases_.[442:1] After this came _additions_ to the legend from other sources. Portions of the legends related of the Persian, Greek and Roman Saviours and Redeemers of mankind, were, from time to time, added to the already legendary history of the Christian Saviour. Thus history was repeating itself. Thus the virgin-born G.o.d and Saviour, wors.h.i.+ped by all nations of the earth, though called by different names, was but one and the same.
In a subsequent chapter we shall see _who_ this One G.o.d was, and _how_ the myth originated.
Albert Reville says:
"_Alexandria_, the home of Philonism, and Neo-Platonism (and we might add _Essenism_), was naturally the centre _whence spread the dogma of the deity of Jesus Christ_. In that city, through the third century, flourished a school of transcendental theology, afterwards looked upon with suspicion by the conservators of ecclesiastical doctrine, but not the less the real cradle of orthodoxy. It was still the Platonic tendency which influenced the speculations of Clement, Origen and Dionysius, and the theory of the Logos was at the foundation of their theology."[443:1]