Chapter 124
[434:2] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 17.
[434:3] Quoted in Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 51.
[434:4] Hieron ad Nep. Quoted Volney's Ruins, p. 177, _note_.
[434:5] See his Eccl. Hist., viii. 21.
[435:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. pp. 79, 80.
[435:2] "On voit dans l'histoire que j'ai rapportee une sorte d'hypocrisie, qui n'a peut-etre ete que trop commune dans tous les tems.
C'est que des ecclesiastiques, non-seulement ne disent pas ce qu'ils pensent, mais disent tout le contraire de ce qu'ils pensent. Philosophes dans leur cabinet, hors dela, ils content des fables, quoiqu'ils sachent bien que ce sont des fables. Ils font plus; ils livrent au bourreau des gens de biens, pour l'avoir dit. Combiens d'athees et de profanes ont fait bruler de saints personnages, sous pretexte d'heresie? Tous les jours des hypocrites, consacrent et font adorer l'hostie, bien qu'ils soient aussi convaincus que moi, que ce n'est qu'un morceau de pain."
(Tom. 2, p. 568.)
[435:3] On the Use of the Fathers, pp. 36, 37.
[435:4] Quoted in Taylor's Syntagma, p. 170.
[435:5] Mosheim: vol. 1, p. 198.
[435:6] "Postremo illud quoque me vehementer movet, quod videam primis ecclesiae temporibus, quam plurimos ext.i.tisse, qui facinus palmarium judicabant, caelestem veritatem, figmentis suis ire adjutum, quo facilius nova doctrina a gentium sapientibus admitteretur Officiosa haec mendacia vocabant bono fine exeogitata." (Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 44, and Giles' Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 19.)
[436:1] See the Vision of Hermas, b. 2, c. iii.
[436:2] Mosheim, vol. i. p. 197. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 47.
[436:3] Dr. Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 99.
[436:4] "Continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister." (Colossians, i. 23.)
[436:5] "Being crafty, I caught you with guile." (II. Cor. xii. 16.)
[436:6] "For if the truth of G.o.d had more abounded _through my lie_ unto his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner." (Romans, iii. 7.)
[437:1] "Si me tamen audire velis, mallem te paenas has dicere indefinitas quam infinitas. Sed veniet dies, c.u.m non minus absurda, habebitur et odiosa haec opinio quam transubstantiatio hodie." (De Statu Mort., p. 304. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 43.)
[437:2] Quoted in Taylor's Syntagma, p. 52.
Among the ancients, there were many stories current of countries, the inhabitants of which were of peculiar size, form or features. Our Christian saint evidently believed these tales, and thinking thus, sought to make others believe them. We find the following examples related by _Herodotus_: "Aristeas, son of Caystrobius, a native of Proconesus, says in his epic verses that, inspired by Apollo, he came to the Issedones; that beyond the Issedones dwell the Arimaspians, _a people that have only one eye_." (Herodotus, book iv. ch. 13.) "When one has pa.s.sed through a considerable extent of the rugged country (of the Seythians), a people are found living at the foot of lofty mountains, _who are said to be all bald from their birth_, both men and women alike, and they are flat-nosed, and have large chins." (Ibid. ch. 23.) "These bald men say, what to me is incredible, that _men with goat's feet_ inhabit these mountains; and when one has pa.s.sed beyond them, other men are found, _who sleep six months at a time_, but this I do not at all admit." (Ibid. ch. 24.) In the country westward of Libya, "there are enormous serpents, and lions, elephants,
192.)
[438:1] Nicodemus, Apoc., ch. xii.
[438:2] See Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. xiv.
[438:3] Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. xiii.
[438:4] In year 1444, Caxton published the first book ever printed in England. In 1474, the then Bishop of London, in a convocation of his clergy, said: "_If we do not destroy this dangerous invention, it will one day destroy us._" (See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 4.) The reader should compare this with Pope Leo X.'s avowal that, "_it is well known how profitable this fable of Christ has been to us_;" and Archdeacon Paley's declaration that "_he could ill afford to have a conscience_."
[438:5] _Porphyry_, who flourished about the year 270 A. D., a man of great abilities, published a large work of fifteen books against the Christians. "His objections against Christianity," says Dr. Lardner, "were in esteem with Gentile people for a long while; and the Christians were not insensible of the importance of his work; as may be concluded from the several answers made to it by Eusebius, and others in great repute for learning." (Vol. viii. p. 158.) There are but fragments of these _fifteen_ books remaining, _Christian magistrates_ having ordered them to be destroyed. (Ibid.)
[438:6] _Hierocles_ was a Neo-Platonist, who lived at Alexandria about the middle of the fifth century, and enjoyed a great reputation. He was the author of a great number of works, a few extracts of which alone remain.
[438:7] _Celsus_ was an Epicurean philosopher, who lived in the second century A. D. He wrote a work called "The True Word," against Christianity, but as it has been destroyed we know nothing about it.
Origen claims to give quotations from it.
[440:1] Draper: Religion and Science, pp. 18-21.
[440:2] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 146.
[441:1] Draper: Religion and Science, pp. 55, 56. See also, Socrates'
Eccl. Hist., lib. 7, ch. xv.
[442:1] We have seen this particularly in the cases of Crishna and Buddha. Mr. c.o.x, speaking of the former, says: "If it be urged that the attribution to Crishna of qualities or powers belonging to the other deities is a mere device by which _his_ devotees sought to supersede the more ancient G.o.ds, _the answer must be that nothing has been done in his case which has not been done in the case of almost every other member of the great company of the G.o.ds_." (Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 130.) These words apply to the case we have before us. Jesus was simply attributed with the qualities or powers which _had been previously attributed to other deities_. This we hope to be able to fully demonstrate in our chapter on "_Explanation_."
[443:1] "Dogma of the Deity of Jesus Christ," p. 41.
[444:1] Adherents of the old religion of Russia have been persecuted in that country within the past year, and even in enlightened England, a gentleman has been persecuted by government officials because he believes in neither a personal G.o.d or a personal Devil.
[444:2] Renan, Hibbert Lectures, p. 22.
[444:3] The following are the names of his victims:
Maximian, His wife's father, A. D. 310 Ba.s.sia.n.u.s, His sister's husband, A. D. 314 Licinius, His nephew, A. D. 319 Fausta, His wife, A. D. 320 Sopater, His former friend, A. D. 321 Licinius, His sister's husband, A. D. 325 Crispus, His own son, A. D. 326
Dr. Lardner, in speaking of the murders committed by this Christian saint, is constrained to say that: "The death of Crispus is altogether without any _good_ excuse, so likewise is the death of the young Licinia.n.u.s, who could not have been more than a little above eleven years of age, and appears not to have been charged with any fault, and could hardly be suspected of any."
[444:4] The Emperor Nero could not be _baptized_ and be initiated into Pagan Mysteries--as Constantine was initiated into those of the Christians--on account of the murder of his mother. And he did not dare to _compel_--which he certainly could have done--the priests to initiate him.
[444:5] Zosimus, in Socrates, lib. iii. ch. xl.
[445:1] "The sacrament of baptism was supposed to contain a full and absolute expiation of sin; and the soul was instantly restored to its original purity and ent.i.tled to the promise of eternal salvation. Among the proselytes of Christianity, there were many who judged it imprudent to precipitate a salutary rite, which could not be repeated. By the delay of their baptism, they could venture freely to indulge their pa.s.sions in the enjoyments of this world, while they still retained in their own hands the means of a sure and speedy absolution." (Gibbon: ii.
pp. 272, 273.)
[445:2] "Constantine, as he was praying about noon-tide, G.o.d showed him a vision in the sky, which was the sign of the cross lively figured in the air, with this inscription on it: 'In hoc vince;' that is, 'By this overcome.'" This is the story as related by Eusebius (Life of Constantine, lib. 1, ch. xxii.), but it must be remembered that Eusebius acknowledged that he told falsehoods. That night Christ appeared unto Constantine in his dream, and commanded him to make the figure of the cross which he had seen, and to wear it in his _banner_ when he went to battle with his enemies. (See Eusebius' Life of Constantine, lib. 1, ch.
xxiii. See also, Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. ii.)
[445:3] Dupuis, p. 405.
[445:4] Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. p. 373. The Fathers, who censured this criminal delay, could not deny the certain and victorious efficacy even of a death-bed baptism. The ingenious rhetoric of Chrysostom (A. D.
347-407) could find only three arguments against these prudent Christians. 1. "That we should love and pursue virtue for her own sake, and not merely for the reward. 2. That we may be surprised by death without an opportunity of baptism. 3. That although we shall be placed in heaven, we shall only twinkle like little stars, when compared to the suns of righteousness who have run their appointed course with labor, with success, and with glory." (Chrysostom in Epist. ad Hebraeos. Homil.
xiii. Quoted in Gibbon's "Rome," ii. 272.)
[446:1] Lib. 4, chs. lxi. and lxii., and Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2, ch. xxvi.
[446:2] Eusebius: Life of Constantine, lib. 2, ch. xliii.
[446:3] Ibid. lib. 3, ch. lxii.