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Title' Astral Worship
Author' J. H. Hill
Posting (ate' April ), *+,- .EBook /00112
3elease (ate' 4epte"ber, *++1
5irst Poste!' August ,-, *++6
&anguage' English
7haracter set enco!ing' A4788
999 4TA3T :5 TH84 P3:JE7T G;TE<BE3G EB::= A4T3A& W:34H8P 999
Pro!uce! by (a#i! (eley
Astral Worship
by
J. H. Hill, >. (.
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THE GE:7E<T387 4$4TE> :5 <AT;3E ,6
The Earth ,6
The 5ir"a"ent ,6
The Planets ,-
The 7onstellations ,1
The Bo!iac ,1
THE 4A73E( <;>BE34 C A<( ,* ,C
THE TWE&DE TH:;4A<( $EA3 7$7&E ,0
THE A<78E<T T38A( ,E
G:( 4:& **
THE A<78E<T 7:4>:G:<$ 6+
5A&& A<( 3E(E>PT8:< :5 >A< 6,
8<7A3<AT8:<4 :5 G:( 4:& 66
5AB&E :5 THE TWE&DE &AB:34 6)
A<<8DE34A38E4 :5 4:&A3 W:34H8P -+
The <ati#ity -+
Epiphany or Telfth (ay -,
&ent or &enten 4eason -*
Passion Week --
Passion Plays -1
3esurrection an! Easter 5esti#al -)
Annunciation -0
Ascension -E
Assu"ption -E
The &or!Fs 4upper 1+
Transubstantiation 1+
Autu"nal 7rucifiGion 1,
>ichael"as 1)
PE34:<8587AT8:<4 :5 THE (8D848:<4 :5 T8>E 1C
The Hours 1C
The (ays 1C
The >onths 10
The 4easons )+
Half $ear of 8ncreasing (ays )6
Half $ear of (ecreasing (ays )6
&ast Huarter of the $ear )-
B:(8A7A& 4$>B:&4 :5 4:&A3 W:34H8P )-
The 4phinG )1
The (ragon ))
The Bull )C
The 3a" )0
The &a"b )0
The 5ish C,
48G<4 :5 THE 73:44 C*
5;T;3E 3EWA3(4 A<( P;<84H>E<T4 C-
The :riental 4yste" C1
The :cci!ental 4yste" C1
The 4econ! or General Ju!g"ent CC
JEW84H, :3 A<78E<T 7H384T8A<8T$ CE
THE P3:PHE78E4 06
3:>A< :3 >:(E3< 7H384T8A<8T$ 00
53EE>A4:<3$ A<( (3;8(84> ,+E
THE 4ABBATH ,,C
P8:;4 53A;(4 ,*,
7:<7&;48:< ,*1
8<T3:(;7T8:<.
8n an article, entitle! ?Then an! <o,? publishe! in the (ece"ber
nu"ber, ,0E+, of ?The Arena,? its author, a !istinguishe! ;nitarian
(.(. of Boston, >ass., says. ?Astrono"y has shattere! the fallacies of
AstrologyI an! people ha#e foun! out that the stars are "in!ing their
on business instea! of "e!!ling ith theirs.? <o, hile it is true
that "o!ern Astrono"y has superse!e! the ancient syste", an! people
ha#e cease! to belie#e that the stars are inter#ening in "un!ane
affairs, nothing coul! be further fro" the truth than the assertion
that ?Astrono"y has shattere! the fallacies of AstrologyI? an! those of
our rea!ers ho ill accor! to this ork an unpreju!ice! perusal can
har!ly fail to be con#ince! that a large "ajority of the people of
7hristen!o" are !o"inate! as "uch by these fallacies as ere our Pagan
ancestry%%the only !ifference being a change of na"e. The !og"atic
ele"ent of religion, hich as anciently !esignate! as Astrology, is
no knon as Theology.
All the e#i!ences bearing upon the subject in!icate that the foun!ers
of the pri"ary for" of religion ere a sect of philosophers, knon as
>agi, or ise "en, of the Aryan race of 7entral Asia, ho, ha#ing li#e!
ages before any conceptions of the supernatural ha! obtaine! in the
orl!, an! speculating relati#e to the ?beginnings of things,? ere
necessarily confine! to the conte"plation an! stu!y of nature, the
ele"ents of hich they belie#e! to be self%eGistent an! en!less in
!urationI but, being holly ithout knole!ge of her inherent forces,
they eGplaine! her "anifol! processes by concei#ing the i!ea that she
as ani"ate! by a great an! inherent soul or spirit, e"anations fro"
hich i"presse! all her parts ith life an! "otion. Thus, en!oing "an,
an! other ani"als, ith souls e"anating alike fro" the i"aginary great
soul of nature, they belie#e!, an! taught, that i""e!iately after !eath
all souls ere absorbe! into their source, here, as ?the !e!rop slips
into the shining sea,? all personal i!entity as fore#er lost. Hence e
see that although recogniAing the soul as i""ortal, consi!ering it, not
as an entity eGisting in!epen!ent of "atter, but as the spirit of
"atter itself, the pri"ary religion as the eGponent of the purest for"
of >aterialis".
Being the Astrono"ers of their !ay, an! "istaking the apparent for the
real, the ancient >agi constructe! that erroneous syste" of nature
knon as the Geocentric, an!, in confor"ity thereto, co"pose! a
collection of Astrono"ical Allegories, in hich the e"anations fro" the
i"aginary great soul of nature, by hich they belie#e! all
"aterialities eFre i"presse! ith life an! "otion, ere personifie!
an! "a!e to play their respecti#e parts. Basing the religion they
institute! upon their syste" of Allegorical Astrono"y, an! "aking its
personifications the objects of orship, they thus originate! the
anthropo"orphic or "an%like Go!s, an!, clai"ing to ha#e co"pose! the"
un!er the inspiration of these self sa"e !i#inities, they !esignate!
the" as sacre! recor!s, or 4criptures, an! taught the ignorant "asses
that they ere literal histories, an! their personifications real
personages, ho, ha#ing once li#e! upon earth, an!I for the goo! of
"ankin!, perfor"e! the on!rous orks i"pute! to the", ere then in
hea#en hence they ca"e.
Thus e see that the pri"ary religion, hich is popularly knon as
Paganis", as foun!e! in the orship of personifie! natureI that,
accor!ing special ho"age to the i"aginary genii of the stars, an!
inculcating supre"e a!oration to the !i#inity suppose! to resi!e in the
sun, it as anciently knon by the general na"e of Astrolatry, an! by
the "ore specific one of solar orshipI an! that its foun!ers,
arrogating to the"sel#es the title of Astrologers, ga#e to its !og"atic
ele"ent the na"e of Astrology.
8n stu!ying the pri"iti#e for"s of religion it ill be foun! that none
of the" taught anything relati#e to a future life, for the si"ple
reason that their foun!ers ha! no conceptions of such a state. Hence it
follos that the las they enacte! ere inten!e! solely for the
regulation of their social relations, an!, to secure their obser#ance,
they ere e"bo!ie! into their sacre! recor!s an! "a!e part of their
religion. :ne for" of that "ost ancient orship as knon as 4abais",
or 4abis". Another for" of the sa"e religion as the Ancient Ju!ais",
as portraye! in the :l! Testa"ent, an! "ore especially in the
Pentateuch, or first fi#e booksI in the (ecalogue of hich the only
pro"ise "a!e for the obser#ance of one of the 7o""an!"ents is length of
!ays on earthI an!, in a general su""ing up of the blessings an! curses
to be enjoye! or suffere!, for the obser#ance or #iolation of the las,
as recor!e! in the *0th chapter of (euterono"y, it ill be seen they
are all of a te"poral character only. At the beginning of the 7hristian
era there ere still in eGistence a sect of Jes knon as 4a!!ucees,
ho ere strict a!herents to the pri"iti#e for" of orship, an! their
belief relati#e to the state of the !ea! e fin! recor!e! in
Ecclesiastes Gii., C, hich rea!s' ?Then shall the !ust return to earth
as it as, an! the spirit shall return to Go! ho ga#e it.?
5or ages the !octrine of soul absorption, i""e!iately after !eath,
constitute! the belief of "ankin!I but ulti"ately recogniAing the fact
that the te"poral punish"ents of the eGisting las ere holly
ina!eJuate to the pre#ention of cri"e, an! concei#ing the i!ea that the
ignorant an! #icious "asses coul! be go#erne! ith a surer han! by
appealing to the senti"ents of hope an! fear in relation to the rear!s
an! punish"ents of an i"aginary future life, the ancient Astrologers
resol#e! to re"o!el the !og"atic ele"ents of religion so as to inclu!e
that !octrine. But realiAing the necessity, of suppressing the belief
in the absorption of all souls, i""e!iately after !eath, they cease! to
teach it, an! ulti"ately it as e"bo!ie! in that secret an! unritten
syste" knon as the Esoteric philosophy, in hich the Astrologers
for"ulate! their on pri#ate belief, an! hich for "any centuries as
kept fro" the knole!ge of the uninitiate! by their successors in the
priestly office. As they ere the sole custo!ians of the 4criptures,
they "a!e !o change in their #erbiage, but, a!!ing the !octrine of
future rear!s an! punish"ents to that ritten an! openly taught syste"
of faith knon as the EGoteric cree!, they "a!e it the "ore i"pressi#e
by instituting a syste" of i"posing rites an! cere"onies, hich they
!esignate! as >ysteries, into hich they initiate! the neophytes, an!
in hich ere portraye!, in the "ost #i#i! "anner, the rear!s an!
punish"ents of the i"aginary future life, hich they taught ere the
aar!s of the Go!s for the obser#ance or #iolation of the las. These
teachings ere inculcate! in the lesser !egrees only, but those ho
ere foun! orthy of so great a !istinction ere also in!ucte! into the
higher !egrees, in hich as i"parte! the knole!ge of the Esoteric
philosophy. 8n both the lesser an! higher !egrees the initiates
recei#e! instruction in an oral "anner onlyI an! all ere boun! by the
"ost fearful oaths not to re#eal the secrets i"parte! to the".
Thus ere the #otaries of the ancient Astral orship !i#i!e! into to
!istinct classes, the Esoterics, or GnosticsI an! the EGoterics, or
AgnosticsI the for"er co"prising those ho kne that the Go!s ere
"ythical an! the scriptures allegoricalI an! the latter, those ho ere
taught that the Go!s ere real, an! the scriptures historicalI or, in
other or!s, it as philosophy for the culture! fe, an! religion for
the ignorant "ultitu!e. The initiates into the secrets of these to
syste"s recogniAe! the" as the to GospelsI an! Paul "ust ha#e ha!
reference to the" in his Epistle to the Galatians ii., *, here he
!istinguishes the Gospel hich he preache! on or!inary occasions fro"
that Gospel hich he preache! ?pri#ately to the" hich ere of
reputation.?
4uch as the syste" of Astrolatry, hich, originating in the :rient,
an! beco"ing, after being re"o!elle! in Egypt, the prototype of all
:cci!ental for"s of orship, as recogniAe!, successi#ely, as the state
religion of the Grecian an! 3o"an E"piresI an! e propose to !escribe
the erroneous syste" of nature upon hich it as base!, an! to !e#elop
the origins of its cycles, !og"as, or!inances, anni#ersaries,
personifications an! sy"bols, ith the #ie to pro#ing that it as the
#ery sa"e syste" hich as ulti"ately perpetuate! un!er the na"e of
7hristianity. We also propose to present the origins an! abri!ge!
histories of its to for"s, the Jeish, or ancient, an! the 3o"an, or
"o!ernI an! to gi#e an account of the conflict beteen the #otaries of
the latter, an! the a!herents to the establishe! for" of orship, hich
cul"inate! in the fourth century in the substitution of 7hristianity as
the state religion of the 3o"an E"pire. We further"ore propose to sho
the changes to hich the cree! an! scriptures ere subjecte! !uring the
>i!!le Ages, an! at the 3efor"ation in the siGteenth century, through
hich they assu"e! the phases as no taught in the theologies,
respecti#ely of 7atholicis" an! :rtho!oG Protestantis". We also present
an article relati#e to 5ree"asonry an! (rui!is", for the purpose of
shoing that, pri"arily, they ere but !ifferent for"s of the ancient
Astrolatry. We also !e#ote a fe pages to the subjects of the 4abbath,
an! to that of ?Pious 5rau!s.?
<ote.%%5or the "atter publishe! in this ork, e are principally
in!ebte! to the ritings of 3obert Taylor, an eru!ite but recusant
"inister of the church of Englan!, ho flourishe! about se#enty years
ago, an! ho, being too honest to continue to preach hat, after
thorough in#estigation, he !i! not belie#e, began to gi#e eGpression to
his !oubts by riting an! lecturing. <ot being able to cope ith his
argu"ents, the clergy, un!er the charge of the i"possible cri"e of
blasphe"y, ha! hi" i"prisone! for "ore than to years, !uring hich
ti"e he rote his great ork entitle! ?The (iegesis,? hich shoul! be
rea! by all persons ho are in#estigating the clai" of the 7hristian
religion to (i#ine authenticity.
THE GE:7E<T387 4$4TE> :5 <AT;3E.
8n constructing their syste" of nature, the ancient Astrono"ers
constitute! it of the Earth, the 5ir"a"ent, the Planets, the
7onstellations an! the Bo!iac, an! e ill refer to the" in the or!er
na"e!.
The Earth.
Belie#ing that the earth as the only orl!, that it as a #ast
circular plane, an! that it as the fiGe! an! i""o#able center aroun!
hich re#ol#e! the celestial lu"inaries, the ancient Astrono"ers, in
confor"ity to the reJuire"ent of the !octrine of future rear!s an!
punish"ents, as inculcate! in the Egyptian Dersion of the EGoteric
7ree!, !i#i!e! it into an upper an! an un!er, or nether orl!, hich
they connecte! by a sinuous an! tenebrious passage.
The 5ir"a"ent.
The aAure !o"e, calle! the fir"a"ent in the book of Genesis, as
belie#e! to be a soli! transparency, hich e fin! !escribe!, in the
fourth chapter an! siGth #erse, of that collection of Astrono"ical
Allegories, calle! the Apocalypse, or Book of 3e#elation, ?as a sea of
glass like unto crystal.? 8t as represente! as being supporte! by four
pillars, resting upon the earth, one at each of the car!inal points,
hich ere !esignate! as ?the pillars of hea#en.? 7oncei#ing the i!ea
that there ere in!os in the fir"a"ent, the ancient Astrono"ers
calle! the" ?the in!os of hea#en? an! taught that they ere opene!
hen it raine!, an! close! hen it cease! to rain. Hence it is e#i!ent
that the ancient Astrono"ers !i! not refer to these pillars an! in!os
in a figurati#e sense, but as real appurtenances to a soli! fir"a"ent,
as ill be seen by reference to Gen. #ii. ,,, an! #iii. *, Job GG#i.
,,, an! >alachi iii. ,+.
The Planets.
Belie#ing that the stars ere but "ere fla"beauG, suspen!e! beneath the
fir"a"ent, an! re#ol#ing roun! the earth, for the sole purpose of
gi#ing it light an! heatI an! obser#ing that se#en of these, ansering
to the 4un, >oon, >ercury, Denus, >ars, Jupiter an! 4aturn, ha!
perceptible "o#e"ents, in relation to the other lu"inaries, the ancient
astrono"ers !esignate! the" as planets or an!ering stars.
The 7onstellations.
Percei#ing that the other celestial lu"inaries "aintaine! the sa"e
relation to each other, an! !esignating the" as fiGe! stars, the
ancient astrono"ers groupe! those #isible to the" into forty%eight
7onstellationsI an! gi#ing na"es to these, they also attache! na"es to
the stars of larger "agnitu!e, hich as !one for the purpose of
locating an! !istinguishing the" ith greater ease.
The Bo!iac.
Through tel#e of these 7onstellations, "ostly containe! ithin a belt
of ,) !egrees in i!th, an! ithin hich the planets appeare! to
re#ol#e, the ancient astrono"ers inscribe! a central line representing
the Ecliptic, or apparent orbit of the sun, hich they !i#i!e! into 6)+
!egreesI an! Juartering these to !enote the seasons, they na"e! the
car!inal points the 4u""er an! Winter 4olstices, an! the Dernal an!
Autu"nal EJuinoGesI the for"er referring to the longest an! shortest
!ays of the yearI an! the latter to the to perio!s hen the !ays an!
nights are eJual. An abbre#iatory sign ha#ing been attache! to each of
these constellations, the great celestial belt containing the" as
calle! ?the heel of the signs,? or ?a heel in the "i!!le of a heel,?
as !esignate! by that ol! Astrologer, EAekiel the Prophet, in chap. i.
an! ,)th #erse. But for the reason that, ith only one eGception, the
for"s of li#ing things, either real or "ythical, ere gi#en to the",
this belt, ulti"ately, a! !esignate! as the Bo!iacI or 7ircle of
li#ing 7reatures, see EAekiel, chap. i. 7onstituting the essential
feature of the ancient Astrono"y, e present, in our frontispiece, a
!iagra" of the Bo!iac, as anciently represente!, to hich, as ell as
to BurrittsF 7elestial Atlas, our rea!ers ill be necessitate! to "ake
freJuent reference.
.4ee plate,.gif2
3ecent researches a"ong the ruins of ancient cities ha#e !e#elope! the
fact that se#eral centuries before the beginning of our era the
astrono"ers ha! in#ente! the telescope, an! !isco#ere! the true or
heliocentric syste" of natureI but for the reason that religion ha!
been base! upon the false, or geocentric syste", it as !ee"e! pru!ent
not to teach it to the "asses. Hence, hi!ing it aay a"ong the other
secrets of the Esoteric philosophy, the knole!ge of it as lost !uring
the >i!!le AgesI an! hen re!isco#ere!, the hierarchy of the 7hurch of
3o"e, upon the plea that it as contrary to the teachings of 4cripture,
resorte! to inJuisitorial tortures to suppress its pro"ulgationI but,
in spite of all their efforts, it has been uni#ersally accepte!I an!,
in this otherise enlightene! age, e ha#e presente! to us the ano"aly
of a religion base! upon a false syste" of Astrono"y, hile its
#otaries belie#e in the true syste".
THE 4A73E( <;>BE34 C A<( ,*.
8n reference to the planets, an! the signs of the Bo!iac, the nu"bers
se#en an! tel#e ere recogniAe! as sacre! by the ancient Astrologers,
an! !e!ications ere "a!e to the" in all kin!s an! sorts of for"s. 8n
the allegories, the genii of the planets ere !esignate! as spirits or
"essengers to the 4upre"e (eity, i"aginarily enthrone! abo#e the
fir"a"ent, hich e fin! !escribe! in 3e#elations i#. 1, as ?4e#en
la"ps of fire burning before the throne, hich are the se#en spirits of
Go!I? an! hich ere represente! by lights burning in se#en branche!
can!lesticks set before the altars in the te"plesI the central light
for the 4unI the >oon, >ercury an! Denus on one si!eI an! >ars, Jupiter
an! 4aturn on the other. The se#en branche! can!lesticks seen in all
7atholic churches, an! in so"e Protestant ones, are inten!e! to
represent the sa"e planetary syste".
A"ong the nu"erous !e!ications to the genii of the planets e "ention
the se#en !ays of the eek, the se#en stories of the toer of Babylon,
the se#en gates of Thebes, the se#en pipe! flute of Pan, the se#en
stringe! lyre of Apollo, the se#en books of fate, the book of se#en
seals, the se#en castes into hich the Egyptians an! East 8n!ians ere
!i#i!e!, an! the jubilee of se#en ti"es se#en years. A"ong the
!e!ications to the tel#e signs e "ention the tel#e "onths of the
year, the gran! cycle of ,*,+++ years, the tel#e altars of Ja"es, the
tel#e labors of Hercules, the tel#e !i#isions of the Egyptian
&abyrinth, the tel#e shiel!s of >ars, the tel#e precious stones,
range! in threes to !enote the seasons, in the breastplate of High
Priest, the tel#e foun!ations of the 4acre! 7ity, referre! to in the
Book of 3e#elation, the tel#e sons of Jacob, the tel#e tribes of
8srael, an! the tel#e (isciples. 8n the Book of 3e#elation alone the
nu"ber C is repeate! tenty%four ti"es, an! the nu"ber ,* fourteen
ti"es.
THE TWE&DE TH:;4A<( $EA3 7$7&E.
8n !eter"ining the !uration of the perio! ithin hich ere to occur
the e#ents taught in the !octrines of the EGoteric 7ree!, the ancient
Astrologers !e!icate! a thousan! years to each of the signs of the
Bo!iac, an! thus inaugurating the cycle of tel#e thousan! years,
taught that, at its conclusion, the hea#en an! the earth, hich they
belie#e! to be co"pose! of the in!estructible ele"ents of fire, air,
earth an! ater, oul!, through the agency of the first of these, be
re!uce! to chaos, as a preli"inary to the reorganiAation of a ne
hea#en an! a ne earth at the beginning of the succee!ing cycle. 4uch
as the origin of the gran! cycle of the ancient Astrolatry, an! it
"ust be borne in "in! that its authors "a!e its conclusion to
correspon! in ti"e an! circu"stance to the !octrines relating to the
finale of the plan of re!e"ption.
THE A<78E<T T38A(.
After concei#ing the i!ea of a pri"e#al chaos, constitute! of four
in!estructible ele"ents of hich fire as the lea!ing one, the :riental
astrologers began to in!ulge in speculations relati#e to the agencies
hich ere engage! in its organiAation. Ha#ing no knole!ge of the
forces inherent in nature, they i"pute! this ork to three
intelligences, hich, e"bo!ying the All in All, they personifie! by the
figure of a "an ith three hea!s, an! to this trinity ga#e the na"es of
Brah"a, Dishnu an! 4i#a. 4uch a figure, car#e! in stone, "ay be seen in
the islan! 7a#e of Elephanta, near Bo"bay, 8n!ia, an! is popularly
belie#e! to represent the 7reator, Preser#er an! (estroyerI but, in
!eter"ining their true signification, e "ust be go#erne! by the
ancient teachings that ?All things ere "a!e by one go!%hea! ith three
na"es, an! this Go! is all things.? Hence the conclusion is
irresistible that the first person represents neither the creator nor
organiAer of chaos, but chaos itselfI the secon! person, its organiAer
an! go#ernorI an! the thir! person, the agent in nature hich i"presses
all her parts ith life an! "otionI the latter being the i"aginary
great soul or spirit inculcate! in the Esoteric philosophy. 8n support
of this opinion it ill be foun! that the Egyptian Tria! of 5ather, 4on
an! 4pirit is #irtually the sa"e e ha#e assigne! to its :riental
prototype. Thus e see that to the ancient Astrolatry 7hristen!o" is
in!ebte! for the Trinity of
?Go! the 5ather, Go! the 4on,
Go! the 4pirit%%three in one.?
But, ha#ing ascribe! supre"e intelligence or reason to its secon!
person, un!er the na"e of the &ogos, or Wor!, an! !esignating its thir!
person as the Holy Ghost, the ancient Tria! as usually for"ulate! as
the 5ather, the Wor! an! the Holy Ghost, as "ay be seen by reference to
the teGt in the allegories hich e fin! recor!e! in 8 John #. C, hich
rea!s that ?There are three that bear recor! in hea#en, the 5ather, the
Wor! an! the Holy Ghost, an! these three are one.?
7onsi!ere! in so"e for"s of Astrolatry as too sacre! to attach a na"e
to the triune (eity, he as calle! ?the :ne,? an! e fin! hi" thus
!esignate! in the -th chapter of 3e#elation, here, like Beus an!
Jupiter, of the Grecian an! 3o"an "ythologies, he is represente! as
seate! abo#e the fir"a"ent, upon a throne fro" hich ?procee!e!
lightnings an! thun!erings,? an! to ho" all, the subor!inate
!i#inities ere "a!e to pay ho"age. As the hurler of thun!erbolts he
as calle! ?the Thun!erer,? an! as the opener of the in!os of hea#en,
hen it raine!, he as !esignate! ?Jupiter Plu#ius.? 4uch as the
ancient Tria! "a!e to say of hi"self, in an inscription foun! in the
ruins of the te"ple at 4ais in Egypt, ?8 a" all that has been, all that
is, an! all that shall be, an! no "ortal has lifte! yet the #eil that
co#ers "eI? an! such as the Triunity referre! to as the Go! ;ni#erse
by Pliny, the 3o"an philosopher an! naturalist, ho, flourishing in the
first century of the 7hristian era, rote that he is ?An infinite Go!
hich has ne#er been create!, an! hich shall ne#er co"e to an en!. To
look for so"ething else beyon! it is useless labor for "an an! out of
his reach. Behol! that truly sacre! Being, eternal an! i""ense, hich
inclu!es ithin itself e#erythingI it is All in All, or rather itself
is All. 8t is the ork of nature, an! itself is nature.?
Thus e see that, although inculcating ho"age to a "ultitu!e of
subor!inate !i#inities, the ancient Astrolatry as only an apparent
Polytheis"I its enlightene! #otaries, recogniAing the !og"a of the
unity of Go!, ere in reality >onotheists, paying supre"e a!oration to
the "ythical genius of the 4un, to ho" e ill no !irect attention.
G:( 4:&.
8n !eter"ining the characteristics of the supre"e !i#inity of astral
orship, it "ust be borne in "in! that its foun!ers taught that he as
e#ol#e! or engen!ere! by the 5ather, or first person in the sacre!
Tria!, fro" his pure substance, hich as e ha#e shon as constitute!
of chaos or the pri"e#al fire into hich they suppose! all things ere
re!uce! through the agency of that ele"ent at the conclusion of ,*,+++
year cycles. Hence, !esignating that "ythical being as the only
begotten of the 5ather, they personifie! hi" as Go! the 4on, or secon!
person in the sacre! Tria!I an! recogniAing the 4un as the ruling star,
#ery appropriately "a!e hi" the presi!ing genius of that lu"inary,
un!er the title of Go! 4ol. Accor!ing ho"age to light as his chief
attribute, he is referre! to in the allegories as ?The true &ight,
hich lighteth e#ery "an that co"eth into the orl!,? John i., EI an!,
although !esignate! as the only begotten of the 5ather, his
co%eGistence ith hi", un!er the title of the &ogos or Wor!, is shon
in the teGt hich rea!s, ?8n the beginning as the Wor!, an! the Wor!
as ith Go!, an! the Wor! as Go!,? John i., ,.
Personifying the principles of Goo! an! E#il in Go! 4ol, the ancient
Astrologers consecrate! the siG !i#isions of the ,*,+++ year cycle,
correspon!ing to the repro!ucti#e "onths of 4pring an! 4u""er, to hi"
as &or! of Goo!, an! sy"boliAing hi" by the constellation of the Bo!iac
in hich the Dernal EJuinoG successi#ely occurre!, as eGplaine!
hereafter, they !e!icate! the siG !i#isions of that cycle,
correspon!ing to the !estructi#e "onths of Autu"n an! Winter, to hi" as
&or! of E#il, an! as such, sy"boliAing hi" by the serpent, "arke! the
beginning of his reign by the constellation ?4erpens,? place! in
conjunction ith the Autu"nal EJuinoG. Personifying in hi" the opposing
principles of Goo! an! E#il, he as to the ancients both Go! an! (e#il,
or the #arie! Go!, ho, in relation to the seasons, as !escribe! as
beautiful in 4pring, poerful in 4u""er, beneficent in Autu"n an!
terrible in Winter. Thus un!er #arious na"es, inten!e! to represent Go!
4ol in relation to the !i#ersifie! seasons, e fin! recor!e! in the
4criptures, or solar fables, nu"erous portrayals of i"aginary
conflicts, in hich the E#il principle, triu"phing !uring Autu"n an!
Winter, is conJuere! at the Dernal EJuinoG by the Goo! principle, ho,
bringing back eJual !ays an! nights, restores the har"ony of nature.
The eternal en"ity beteen the principles of Goo! an! E#il, as
"anifeste! in the !i#ersity of the seasons, e fin! portraye! in the
7onstellations Hercules an! (raco, place! in the northern hea#ens, in
hich the heel of the for"er, representing one of the "ost ancient of
the i"aginary incarnations of Go! 4ol, to hich e ill refer
hereafter, is resting upon the hea! of the latter, as referre! to in
Genesis iii., ,1, hich "akes Go! 4ol, or the &or! Go!, say to the
serpent, ?8 ill put en"ity beteen thee an! the o"an, an! beteen thy
see! an! her see!I it shall bruise thy hea!, an! thou shalt bruise his
heel.? The o"an allu!e! to in this teGt is the Dirgo of the Bo!iac, as
ill be "a!e apparent hereafter.
.4ee plate*.gif2
:f all the !i#inities of the ancient "ythology Go! 4ol as the only one
!istinguishe! by the eGalte! title of &or! or &or! Go!, for the reason
that he as "a!e the organiAer of chaos an! go#ernor of hea#en an!
earth. Hence, ha#ing constitute! hi" the lor! of light an! !arkness, as
ell as goo! an! e#il, the ancient astrologers in co"posing the solar
fables "a!e hi" say of hi"self, ?8 for" the light an! create !arknessI
8 "ake peace an! create e#il, 8 the &or! !o all these things,? 8saiah
Gl#., C. ?4hall there be e#il in a city, an! the &or! hath not !one
itK? A"os iii., ). Besi!es the title of &or! or &or! Go!, the solar
!i#inity is also !esignate! in the allegories as the &or! of &or!s an!
the =ing of =ings, the 8n#incible, the >ighty Go!, etc.
4ubjecting the "ythical genius of the sun, in his apparent annual
re#olution roun! the earth, to the four stages of hu"an life fro"
infancy to ol! age, the ancient >agi fiGe! the natal !ay of the young
Go! 4ol at the inter solstice, the Dirgo of the Bo!iac as "a!e his
"other, an! the constellation in conjunction ith her, hich is no
knon as Bootes, but anciently calle! Arcturus, his foster father. He
is represente! as hol!ing in leash to hunting !ogs an! !ri#ing ;rsa
>ajor, or the Great Bear, aroun! the north pole, thus shoing that the
original occupation of the celestial foster father of the young Go! 4ol
as that of a bear !ri#er, an! that his sons, referre! to in job
GGG#iii., 6*, are the !ogs Asterion an! 7hara. 8t ill be obser#e! that
Dirgo is represente! in our illustration ith a chil! in her ar"s, for
the reason that she is so represente! in the ancient Bo!iacs, an! the
fact ill be rea!ily conce!e! that she is the only Dirgin ho coul!
gi#e birth to a chil! an! be a #irgin still.
.4ee plate6.gif2
THE A<78E<T 7:4>:G:<$.
4peculating relati#e to the or!er in hich chaos ha! been organiAe!,
the ancient Astrologers constructe! a 7os"ogony, hich !i#i!e! the
labors of Go! the 4on, or secon! person in the Trinity, into siG
perio!s of a thousan! years eachI an! hich, ansering to the siG
!i#isions of the ,*,+++ year cycle correspon!ing to the repro!ucti#e
"onths of 4pring an! 4u""er, taught that in the first perio! he "a!e
the earthI in the secon!, the fir"a"entI in the thir!, #egetationI in
the fourth, the 4un an! >oon an! ?the stars alsoI? in the fifth, the
ani"als, fishes, bir!s, etc., an! in the siGth, >an.
That #egetation as "a!e before the 4un as not an inconsistent i!ea to
the originators of the ancient 7os"ogony. They i"agine! that the heat
an! light, e"anating fro" the ele"entary fire, ere sufficient to
sti"ulate its groth, after hich Go! the 4on gathere! it together an!
"a!e the 7elestial lu"inaries. 8n the solar fables this i"aginary
ele"ent is calle! the fire%ether, or sacre! fire of the stars.
5A&& A<( 3E(E>PT8:< :5 >A<.
3eligion ha#ing been base! upon the orship of personifie! nature, it
is e#i!ent that its foun!ers fabricate! its !og"atic ele"ent fro" their
conceptions of her !estructi#e an! repro!ucti#e processes as "anifeste!
in the rotation an! !i#ersity of the seasons. The apparent retreat of
the sun fro" the earth, in inter, an! his return in the spring,
suggesting the i!ea of a figurati#e !eath an! resurrection of the
genius of that lu"inary, they applie! these pheno"ena of the year to
"an, an! co"pose! the allegories relati#e to his fall an! re!e"ption,
as inculcate! in the EGoteric 7ree!. 8n the allegory relating to the
fall, it as taught that, after "aking the first hu"an pair, the &or!
of Goo! or the &or! Go! place! the" in a beautiful gar!en%%correspon!ing
to the seasons of fruits an! floers or "onths of 4pring an! 4u""er,
ith the injunction, un!er a penalty, not to eat of the fruit of a
certain tree. When the &or! of E#il, or (e#il, sy"boliAe! by the serpent
an! represente! by the constellation ?4erpens? place! in conjunction
ith the Autu"nal EJuinoG, "eeting the" on the confines of his !o"inion,
an! te"pting the o"an, an! she the "an, they ate of the forbi!!en
fruitI thus, falling fro" their first estate, an! co""itting the
original sin, they in#ol#e! the hole hu"an race in the conseJuences
of their !isobe!ience. Then the &or! Go!, pronouncing a curse against
the serpent, clothe! the "an an! o"an ith skins to protect the"
against the incle"ency of his, !o"inion as &or! of E#il, an! !ro#e the"
fro" the gar!enI after hich they ere necessitate! to earn their brea!
by tilling the groun!.
8n, reference to the plan of re!e"ption, the ancient Astrologers
!i#i!e! the ),+++ years appropriate! to "an, as the !uration of his
race on earth, into ten eJual cycles, an! taught that at the conclusion
of each Go! 4ol, as &or! of Goo!, oul! "anifest hi"self in the flesh,
to !estroy his orks as &or! of E#il, an! through suffering an! !eath
"ake an atone"ent for sin. Thus ha#ing originate! the !octrines of
original sin, incarnation an! #icarious atone"ent, as parts of the plan
of re!e"ption, an! "aking its finale correspon!, in point of ti"e, to
the conclusion of the ,*,+++ year cycle, their successors in the
priestly office ulti"ately inculcate! the a!!itional !og"as of the
general ju!g"ent an! future rear!s an! punish"ents, as e ha#e shon
in our intro!uction.
Ha#ing base! the fables of the fall an! re!e"ption of "an upon the i!ea
that he as i"pelle!, ithout his #olition, to pass fro" the !o"inion
of Go! to that of the (e#il, or in other or!s, upon his subjection to
the ineGorable necessity hich "akes the incle"ent seasons of Autu"n
an! Winter succee! the beneficent ones of 4pring an! 4u""er, its
authors co"pose! the original of the teGt hich, foun! in 3o"ans #iii.,
*+, rea!s that ?The creature as "a!e subject to #anity LE#ilM, not
illingly, but by reason of hi" ho hath subjecte! the sa"e in hope.?
But for the popular teaching in fa#or of its being literal history, no
one coul! rea! the account of the fall of "an, as recor!e! in the thir!
chapter of Genesis, ithout recogniAing it as si"ply an allegoryI or
fail to realiAe, the force of the argu"ent of no fall, no re!e"ption,
an! if no re!e"ption, no Go! to rear! or (e#il to punishI no hell to
suffer, or hea#en to enjoy. The fact is that these are but antithetical
i!eas hich ca"e in together, an! "ust sur#i#e or perish together. They
cannot be separate! ithout !estroying the hole theological fabric.
8<7A3<AT8:<4 :5 G:( 4:&.
Belie#ing that Go! 4ol as necessitate! to re"ain at his post to !irect
the course of the sun, the ancient astrologers concei#e! the i!ea of
teaching that, atten!e! by a retinue of subor!inate genii, he !escen!e!
to earth through the "e!iu" of incarnations at the en! of )++ year
cycles, to perfor" the ork of "anFs re!e"ption an!, ha#ing "a!e Dirgo
of the Bo!iac the "other of the 4olar !i#inity, they taught in their
allegorical Astrono"y, or scriptures, that his incarnations ere born
of a Dirgin. Hence e fin! that Go! 4ol, usually !esignate! by the
title of the Wor!, ?as "a!e flesh, an! !elt a"ong us.? John i., ,-.
8n a !iscourse upon this teGt !eli#ere! by Tillotson, Archbishop of
7anterbury, in the year ,)0+, publishe! in the fourth #olu"e of
Woo!houseFs e!ition of his GraceFs ser"ons, in the year ,C--,
concerning the 8ncarnation of our blesse! 4a#iour, he eGplains the
necessity of incarnation by saying that ?There as likeise a great
inclination in "ankin! to the orship of a #isible (eity, so Go! as
please! to appear in our nature, that they, ho ere so fon! of a
#isible (eity, "ight ha#e one, e#en a true an! natural i"age of Go! the
5ather, the eGpress i"age of his person.? 8t only reJuires a little
reflection to appreciate the PrelateFs co#ert irony an! ant of faith.
Ha#ing ascribe! to the i"aginary incarnations of Go! 4ol the
characteristics of hea#en%!escen!ing, #irgin%born, earth%alking,
on!er%orking, !ying, resuscitate! an! ascen!ing sons of Go!, the
ancient Astrologers attache! to the" the se#eral titles of 4a#iour,
3e!ee"er, A#atar, (i#ine%Helper, 4hiloh, >essiah, 7hristI an!, in
reference to their foster%father, that of 4on of >an. Teaching that
they continue! to "ake intercession for sin, after their ascension to
the right han! of the 5ather, they ere also calle! 8ntercessors,
>e!iators or A!#ocates ith the 5ather. 5ro" teaching their appearance
e#ery )++ years originate! the Egyptian legen! of the PhoeniG, a bir!
sai! to !escen! fro" the sun at these inter#als, an!, after being
consu"e! upon the altar in the te"ple of :n, or city of the sun%%calle!
Heliopolis by the Greeks%%oul! rise fro" its ashes an! ascen! to its
source. Accor!ing to the ci#il las of Egypt, "anhoo! as not attaine!
until the age of thirty years. Hence the earthly "ission of incarnate
4a#iours as "a!e to begin at that ageI an! for the reason that,
relating to the apparent transit of the sun through the tel#e signs of
the Bo!iac, it as co"plete! !uring the perio! of one year.
To i"press the ignorant "asses ith the belief that the scriptures ere
literal histories, an! the incarnate 4a#iours real personages, the
ancient Astrologers cause! to"bs to be erecte! in hich it as clai"e!
they ere burie!. 4uch sepulchres ere erecte! to Hercules at 7a!iA, to
Apollo at (elphi, an! to other 4a#iours at "any other places, to hich
their respecti#e #otaries ere in!uce! to perfor" pilgri"ages. 8n Egypt
the pyra"i!s ere built, partly for astrono"ical purposes, an! partly
as to"bs for 4a#iours, clai"e! to ha#e been kings, ho ha! once rule!
o#er the countryI an! hy shoul! e not recogniAe that "agnificent
structure knon as the 7hurch of the Holy 4epulchre, at Jerusale", as
but another of those to"bs of 4a#iours in hich no 4a#iour as e#er
ento"be!K
Thus e ha#e shon that it as Go! 4ol, the only begotten of the
5ather, or secon! person in the sacre! Tria!, to ho" supre"e a!oration
as inculcate! in all for"s of the ancient AstrolatryI an! that its
culture! #otaries, un!erstan!ing that the !octrines pertaining to the
fall an! re!e"ption of "an ere e#ol#e! fro" the figurati#e !eath an!
resurrection of the solar !i#inity, recogniAe! the !octrine of
incarnation as a priestly in#ention inten!e! only for the ignorant
"asses.
5AB&E :5 THE TWE&DE &AB:34.
The authors of the original solar fables, ha#ing li#e! in that re"ote
age in hich physical proess as recogniAe! as the highest attribute
of hu"anity, concei#e! the i!ea that Go! 4ol, hile passing through his
apparent orbit, ha! to fight his ay ith the ani"als of the Bo!iac,
an! ith others in conjunction ith the". Hence, !esignating hi" as the
>ighty Hunter, an! calling his eGploits the tel#e labors, they "a!e
the incarnate 4a#iours the heroes of si"ilar ones on earth, hich they
taught ere perfor"e! for the goo! of "ankin!I an! that, after
fulfilling their earthly "ission, they ere eGhale! to hea#en through
the agency of fire. When these fables ere co"pose! the 4u""er 4olstice
as in the sign of &eo, an! "aking the tel#e labors begin in it, the
first consiste! in the killing of a lion, an! the secon!, in rescuing a
#irgin LDirgoM by the !estruction of a Hy!ra, the constellation in
conjunction ith her. ;pon one of the Assyrian "arbles on eGhibition in
the British >useu" these to labors are represente! as ha#ing been
perfor"e! by a sa#iour by the na"e of <i"rou!. 8n the constellations of
Taurus, the bull of the Bo!iac, an! of :rion, originally knon as
Horns, in conjunction thereith, e ha#e groupings of stars
representing the latter as one of the "ighty hunters of the ancient
Astrolatry, supporting on his left ar" the shiel! of the lionFs skin,
the trophy of the first labor, an! hol!ing a club in his uplifte! right
han!, is engage! in perfor"ing the tenth labor by a conflict ith the
for"er.
.4ee plate-.gif2
The fable of the tel#e labors constitute! the sacre! recor!s or
scriptures of the ol!er for"s of Astrolatry, one #ersion of hich,
ritten ith the cuneifor" character upon tel#e tablets of burnt clay,
eGhu"e! fro" the ruins of an Assyrian city, an! no on eGhibition in
the British >useu", is ascribe! to <i"rou!, the prototype of the
Grecian Hercules, an! of <i"ro!, the >ighty Hunter of the :l!
Testa"ent.
A<<8DE34A38E4 :5 4:&A3 W:34H8P.
The <ati#ity.
Applying the anni#ersaries inculcate! in the orship of Go! 4ol to his
i"aginary incarnations, the foun!ers of the ancient Astrolatry "a!e
the" refer to the se#eral stages of hu"an eGistence fro" infancy to
"ature age. Hence, co"paring the first !ay of infantile life to the
shortest !ay of the year, it oul! naturally be eGpecte! that they
oul! ha#e place! the anni#ersary of the <ati#ity eGactly at the Winter
solsticeI but, ha#ing concei#e! the i!ea that the sun stoo! still for
the space of three !ays at each of the car!inal points, an! "aking it
represent the figurati#e !eath of the genius of that lu"inary, they
fiGe! the !ate for its obser#ance three !ays later, or on the *1th of
(ece"ber. The Gnostic a!herents to the ancient solar orship, or those
ho ere con#ersant ith the teachings of the Esoteric philosophy,
knoing that the !ra"atis personae of the fable of incarnation ere
picture! ith stars upon the aAure #ault, recogniAe! the o"an ?clothe!
ith the sun, an! the "oon un!er her feet, an! upon her hea! a cron of
tel#e stars,? referre! to in 3e#elations Gii. ,, as the Dirgo of the
Bo!iacI they also kne that she as the true Jueen of hea#en an! "other
of Go!I an! that the infant, anciently represente! in her ar"s, an!
ith ho", in their !ay, she arose on the Eastern horiAon at "i!night
on the *-th of (ece"ber, as the sa"e of ho" the people ere taught to
sing at 7hrist"as ?;nto us a chil! is born this !ay.?
With the knole!ge of these facts e can rea!ily see that this is the
Dirgin an! chil! hich constitute! the originals of those eGJuisite
paintings, by the ol! "asters, knon as the >a!onna an! 7hil!.
Epiphany or Telfth (ay.
8n reference to the tel#e signs through hich the sun "akes his
apparent annual re#olution, the telfth !ay after 7hrist"as, ansering
to the )th of January, as obser#e! by the #otaries of the ancient
Astrolatry as the anni#ersary of the Epiphany or Telfth (ay. 8n the
solar fables, it as taught that a star appeare! in the hea#ens on that
!ay to "anifest the birthplace of the infant 4a#iour to the >agi or
Wise >en of the East, ho ca"e to pay hi" ho"age, an! to present hi"
ith the gifts of gol!, frankincense an! "yrrh, as relate! in >atthe
ii. ,,.
The reason for presenting these gifts is eGplaine! by the facts that of
the se#en "etals !e!icate! to the genii of the planets, gol! as the
one consecrate! to Go! 4olI an! frankincense an! "yrrh ere the gu"s
burne! in censers in his orship.
8n rea!ing the account of the >agiFs #isit to the infant 4a#iour, e
ha#e but to eGercise our thinking faculties to realiAe that it is
allegory instea! of literal history.
&ent or &enten 4eason.
8n the ancient solar fables it as taught that the persecutions to
hich the incarnate 4a#iours ere subjecte! hile passing through the
!o"inion of Go! 4ol as &or! of E#il, rage! ith greatest fury !uring
the forty !ays prece!ing the festi#al of Easter, hich perio!,
beginning hen the !ays ere perceptibly lengthening, as calle! &ent,
or the &enten season. 8t as !uring this season that the #otaries of
the ancient religion ere taught to "anifest their sy"pathy for the
4a#iour in his i"aginary conflict ith the (e#il by abstaining fro" all
festi#ities, an! by fasting an! prayerI an!, as that as the season in
hich the flocks an! her!s ere poor in flesh, hile the seas an!
ri#ers aboun!e! ith fish in goo! con!ition, the ancient priests,
"aking a #irtue of necessity, enjoine! a !iet principally of fish, an!
for that reason place! the constellation Pisces at the point in the
Bo!iac in hich the &enten season anciently beganI hich, ithout
regar! to the !ay of the eek, as alays obser#e! on the ,1th !ay of
5ebruary, the na"e of that "onth ha#ing been !eri#e! fro" the 5ebrua,
or feast of purification an! eGpiation of the ol! 3o"an calen!ar.
At the council of <ice the &enten season as "a!e to begin on the
fourth !ay of the eek, an! in reference to the ancient custo" of the
"ore !e#out sprinkling ashes upon their hea!s at the feast of the
5ebrua, it is calle! Ash We!nes!ay.
Hence e see that all years in hich Ash We!nes!ay !oes not co"e on the
,1th of 5ebruary, the &enten season "ust necessarily contain a greater
or lesser nu"ber than the original assign"ent of forty !ays.
Passion Week.
The last se#en !ays of &ent is calle! Passion Week, in reference to the
apparent passage of the sun across the 7elestial eJuator at the Dernal
EJuinoG or *,st of >archI the ancient astrologers ha#ing concei#e! the
i!ea that the sun stoo! still for the space of three !ays at each of
the car!inal points, an! "aking it represent the figurati#e !eath of
the genius of that lu"inary, it as obser#e! as the anni#ersary of the
Dernal crucifiGion or passion of the incarnate 4a#ioursI an! in
co""e"oration of their i"aginary sufferings an! !eath it as the custo"
to eGpose in the te"ples !uring the last three !ays of Passion Week
figures representing their !ea! bo!ies, o#er hich the #otaries of
solar orship, especially the o"en, "a!e great la"entation. 8t as in
reference to one of these i"ages, lai! out in the te"ple at Jerusale",
to hich the jealous Jeho#ah, consi!ering it a great abo"ination in his
on house, is "a!e to !irect the attention of EAekiel, the prophet,
ho, looking, behel! ?Wo"en eeping for Ta""uA? as recor!e! in the
eighth chapter. This !i#inity as the Phoenician prototype of the
Grecian A!onis, to ho" the o"en of Ju!ea preferre! to pay ho"age.
8t as !uring the last three !ays of Passion Week that the #otaries of
solar orship perfor"e! their se#erest penance. Besi!es fasting an!
prayer, the "ore !e#out flagellate! an! slashe! the"sel#es an! others
ith kni#es an! thongs, an! carrie! hea#y crosses up steep accli#ities.
8n all ultra%7atholic countries the priests, in i"itation of the
ancient custo", eGpose in the churches figures representing the !ea!
4a#iour, o#er hich the laity, especially the o"en, eep an! "ournI
an! the "ore !e#out "en cut an! slash the"sel#es, an! each other, ith
kni#es an! thongsI an!, in i"itation of the i"aginary tra"p of Jesus
ith his cross up 7al#aryFs rugge! si!e, bear hea#y crosses up steep
accli#ities.
Passion Plays.
Anciently !ra"as representing the passion of incarnate sa#iours, calle!
Passion plays, ere enacte! upon the stage. The "ost celebrate! of
these !i#ine trage!ies, knon as Pro"etheus Boun!, an! co"pose! by the
Greek poet AEschylus, as playe! at Athens 1++ years before the
beginning of the 7hristian era. To sho that this sin%atoning sa#iour
as not chaine! to a rock, hile #ultures preye! upon his #itals, as
popularly taught, but as naile! to a treeI e Juote front PotterFs
translation of the play, that passage hich, rea!ily recogniAe! as the
original of a 7hristian song, rea!s as follos'
?&o, strea"ing fro" the fatal tree,
His all atoning bloo!'
8s this the infiniteK FTis he%%
Pro"etheus an! a Go!.
Well "ight the sun in !arkness hi!e,
An! #eil his glories in,
When Go! the great Pro"etheus !ie!
5or "an, the creatureFs sin.?
The #eiling of the sun, as represente! in these plays, ha#ing reference
to the i"aginary sy"pathy eGpresse! by Go! 4ol for the sufferings of
his incarnate son, as shon upon the stage by sha!ing the lights. The
"onks of the >i!!le Ages enacte! plays representing the passion of the
7hristian 4a#iour, an! the Ba#arian peasantry, perpetuating this
custo", perfor" the play e#ery tenth year.
3esurrection an! Easter 5esti#al.
8n confor"ity to the ancient teachings, the incarnate sa#iours,
consi!ere! as figurati#ely !ea! for the space of three !ays at the
Dernal EJuinoG, or *,st of >arch, ere raise! to neness of life after
the eGpiration of that ti"e. Hence, the *1th of >arch, ithout regar!
to the !ay of the eek, as celebrate! as the anni#ersary of the Dernal
resurrection. :n the "orning of this !ay it as the custo" of the
astrologers to say to the "ourners asse"ble! in the te"ples, ?Be of
goo! cheer, sacre! ban! of initiatesI your Go! has risen fro" the !ea!,
his pains an! his sufferings shall be your sal#ation.? Another for" of
this a!"onition, Juote! fro" an ancient poe" in reference to the
Phoenician Ta""uA, rea!s as follos'
?Trust ye saints, your Go! restore!,
Trust ye in your risen &or!,
5or the pains hich he en!ure!,
$our sal#ation hath procure!.?
Then oul! begin the festi#ities of Easter, hich corrupte! fro"
Eostre, an! !eri#e! fro" the Teutonic "ythology, as one of the "any
na"es gi#en to the go!!ess of 4pring. 8n the obser#ance of this
festi#al the te"ples ere a!orne! ith floral offeringsI the Hilaries
sang their joyful laysI the fires upon the pyres, or the fire%altars,
ere eGtinguishe! an! rekin!le! ith ne fire, or sacre! fire of the
stars, hich the Astrologers taught as brought !on fro" hea#en by the
inge! genius Perseus, the constellation hich, anciently, as in
conjunction ith the Dernal EJuinoGI Paschal can!les, lit fro" the ne
fire, ere !istribute! to the faithful an! the Paschal feast, Easter
feast, or the feast of the passo#er, as eaten in co""e"oration of the
passion of the incarnate sa#iours, or, in other or!s, of the passage
of the sun across the celestial eJuator. 8n ultra%7atholic countries
the !escent of the sacre! fire is represente! by so"e secretly arrange!
pyrotechny, an! the cre!ulous laity, belie#ing they ha#e itnesse! a
"iraculous !isplay, eagerly solicit Paschal can!les lit fro" itI an! in
i"itation of the ancient festi#ities in honor of the return of spring,
all 7atholic churches, an! "ost of Protestant ones, are a!orne! ith
floers, the bells ring out their "erriest peals, an! ?Gloria in
EGcelsis? an! other jubilant songs, si"ilar to the lays of the ancient
Hilaries, are sung.
Annunciation.
The anni#ersary of the <ati#ity ha#ing been place! on the *1th of
(ece"ber, accor!ing to the course of nature, the *1th of >arch as
anciently celebrate! as the anni#ersary of the annunciation, an! is
still obser#e! on that !ay, an! the !uty of saluting the Dirgin LDirgoM
an! announcing her conception by the Holy Ghost or thir! person in the
Trinity as assigne! to the genius of 4pring. 8n the 7hal!ean #ersion
of the Gospel story the na"e of Gabriel as gi#en to this
personification, an! in the 7hristian #ersion of that story he is "a!e
to perfor" the sa"e officeI see &uke i. *)%61.
Ascension.
7elebrating the anni#ersary of the ascension forty !ays after Easter,
it as anciently obser#e! on the -th of >ay, an! it as taught that the
incarnate sa#iours ascen!e! bo!ily into hea#en, in a gol!en chariot
!ran by four horses caparisone! ith gil!e! trappings, all glittering
like fire in the fer#i! sunlight. Hence hen e rea! in 88. =ings ii.
,,, that ?There appeare! a chariot of fire an! horses of fire, . . .
an! Elijah ent up by a hirlin! into hea#en,? e "ust accept this
teGt as !escripti#e of the i"aginary ascension of one of the incarnate
sa#iours of ancient Ju!ais".
Assu"ption.
When the 4u""er solstice as in the sign of 7ancer, the sun as in that
of Dirgo in the "onth of August, an! the anni#ersary of the Assu"ption
as obser#e! on the ,1th of that "onth, an! is so obser#e! at the
present ti"e. The fact that the anni#ersary of the Ascension prece!es
that of the Assu"ption eGplains hy Jesus is "a!e to say to his "other
LDirgoM soon after his resurrection, ?Touch "e not' for 8 a" not yet
ascen!e! to "y 5ather.? John GG. ,C.
The &or!Fs 4upper.
8n the ancient solar orship the so%calle! or!inance of the &or!Fs
4upper as obser#e! just before the anni#ersary of the autu"nal
crucifiGionI an! consisting of brea! an! ine, in reference to the
"aturing of the crops an! co"pletion of the #intage, as, like the
"o!ern festi#al of the har!est ho"e, a season of thankfulness to the
&or! LGo! 4olM as the gi#er of all goo! gifts. Hence being obser#e! but
once a year, it as in reality not an or!inance but an anni#ersaryI an!
the fact that 7hristians partake of these e"ble"s so freJuently !uring
the year in!icates that the original signification of the &or!Fs 4upper
has been lost.
Transubstantiation,
or the con#ersion of the brea! an! ine into the #eritable bloo! an!
bo!y of 7hrist, is a !octrine of the 7atholic church hich as !eri#e!
fro" the ritual of the ancient solar orship.
8n the *)th chapter of >atthe e ha#e an account of the &or!
a!"inistering the last supper to his (isciples on the e#e of the
autu"nal crucifiGion, an! in #erse *C it rea!s that ?he took the cup,
an! ga#e thanks, an! ga#e it to the", saying, (rink ye all of it.? The
co"pilers of the "o!ern #ersion of the Gospel story "ust surely ha#e
ina!#ertently copie! this teGt as it rea! in the ancient #ersions of
that ol!, ol! story, hich, hen obser#e! in re"e"brance of ?:ur &or!
an! 4a#iour Bacchus,? as calle! the Bacchanalia, or feast, of Bacchus.
At these orgies the participants gi#e thanks for the ine by not only
!rinking all of one cup, but "any "oreI in fact they kept on !rinking
until they fell un!er the table.
Autu"nal 7rucifiGion.
The beneficent seasons of 4pring an! 4u""er co"ing to an en! at the
Autu"nal EJuinoG, the **! of 4epte"ber as "a!e the anni#ersary of the
Autu"nal 7rucifiGion. The #ernal resurrection an! Autu"nal 7rucifiGion,
representing the alternate triu"ph of the personifie! principles of
Goo! an! E#il, as "anifeste! in the !i#ersity of the seasonsI e fin!
appropriately eGpresse! in to religious pictures. 8n the one, the
4a#iour, appealing as a #igorous young "an, surroun!e! by a brilliant
halo, representing the rays of the all%conJuering 4un of 4pring, is
rising triu"phantly fro" the to"b, before ho" the !e"on of Winter, or
(e#il, is seen retreating in the backgroun!. 8n the other, the
#anJuishe! 4a#iour, represente! by the figure of a lean an! haggar!
"an, ith a cron of thorns upon his hea!, aroun! hich appears a faint
halo of the 4unFs !eclining rays, an! abo#e hich is placar!e! the
letters 8. <. 3. 8., the initial letters of &atin or!s, signifying the
life to co"e, or the eternal life, is suspen!e! upon the cross, at the
foot of hich his "other >ary LDirgoM is represente! as kneeling in a
"ourning attitu!e, an! by her si!e is seen a serpent an! a skull, the
e"ble"s of E#il an! of (eath.
.4ee plate1.gif N plate).gif2
>ichael"as.
8n the calen!ar of the ancient Astral Worship, the fourth !ay after the
Autu"nal EJuinoG as !e!icate! to the genius of Autu"n. 8n the 7hal!ean
allegories the na"e of >ichael as gi#en to this personification, an!
calle! >ichael"as, or feast of >ichael. 8n the 7atholic calen!ar this
anni#ersary is place! an the *Eth of 4epte"ber, instea! of the *)th of
that "onth, hile that of 4t. >atthe, the 7hristian genius of Autu"n,
hich shoul! be place! on the *)th of that "onth, is obser#e! on the
*,st.
Thus e ha#e shon that the anni#ersaries of the ancient Astral Worship
ere all fiGe!, an! fro" church history e learn that they ere so
obser#e! by the 7hristians until the 7ouncil of <ice in the year 6*1,
hen the Bishops asse"ble! at that celebrate! con#ocation, !esiring to
ha#e the festi#al of Easter celebrate! on 4un!ay, hich ha! been "a!e
the 4abbath by the e!ict of 7onstantine, in the year 6*,, or!ere! that
it shoul! be obser#e! on the 4un!ay of the full "oon, hich co"es on or
neGt after the Dernal EJuinoG. Hence, con#erting it into a "o#able
festi#al, its allie! feasts an! fast !ays ere also "a!e "o#able.
PE34:<8587AT8:<4 :5 THE (8D848:<4 :5 T8>E.
8n the ancient solar fables the se#eral !i#isions of ti"e ere
personifie! an! "a!e to pay ho"age to the Triune (eity, suppose! to be
enthrone! abo#e the fir"a"ent.
The Hours.
The genii of the hours ere !esignate! as El!ers, an! e fin! the"
!escribe! in the -th chapter of 3e#elation as sitting roun! about the
throne upon four an! tenty seats, clothe! in hite rai"ent, an! crons
of gol! upon their hea!s.
The (ays.
Each !ay of the year as appropriately personifie!, an! these genii of
the !ays constitute the saints of the 7hristian calen!ar. :f these e
ill refer to but one. Accor!ing to the ancient belief that the sun
stoo! still for the space of three !ays at each of the car!inal points,
the *-th of June as "a!e the first of the !ecreasing !aysI an!
!e!icating it to 4t. John the Baptist, he is "a!e to say in reference
to his opposite, Lthe genius of the *1th of (ece"ber, an! first of the
increasing !ays,M ?He "ust increase, but 8 "ust !ecrease.? This teGt,
foun! in John iii. 6+, si"ply "eans that the !ays of the one "ust
increase in length, hile the !ays of the other "ust !ecrease.
The >onths.
The fable of the tel#e labors ha#ing been superse!e! by others, in
hich the genii of the tel#e signs of the Bo!iac, correspon!ing to the
"onths, ere !esignate! as angels, an! "a!e to "inister to Go! 4ol
hile "aking his apparent annual re#olutionI but, hen constitute! the
atten!ants of the incarnate sa#iours !uring their i"aginary earth life,
they ere personifie! as "en an! calle! (isciples. :f these genii of
the "onths e ill refer only to the first an! the last. The first
"onth, !e!icate! to the genius knon in the "ythology as Janus, an!
fro" hich as !eri#e! the na"e January, as portraye! ith to faces,
the one of an ol! "an looking "ournfully backar! o#er the ol! year,
an! the other of a young "an looking joyfully forar! to the ne year.
This personification, "a!e the opener of the year, an! represente! as
hol!ing a pair of cross%keys, as calle! ?The carrier of the keys of
the king!o" of hea#en.? Hence, the Popes of 3o"e, clai"ing apostolic
succession fro" Peter, the Janus of the 7hristian tel#e, ear
cross%keys as the insignia of their office. 4o"eti"es a crosier, or
shepher!Fs crook, is substitute! for one of the keys, in reference to
his arrogate! office of the lea!er of the sheepO The authority for the
assu"ption that the Popes are PeterFs successors is foun! in >atthe
G#i. ,0, ,EI but its fallacy beco"es apparent hen e bear in "in! that
the scriptures are but collections of astrono"ical allegories, an! that
the Peter referre! to in the teGt as not a "an, but the "ythical
genius of the "onth of January.
8n reference to the last "onth, e fin! that the authors of the ancient
solar fables, e#er !oubting hether Go! 4ol, after inaugurating Winter
by his suppose! retreat fro" the earth, oul! return to re#i#ify nature
ith his life%gi#ing rays, ga#e to the genius of the telfth "onth the
title of the (oubter. 8n the 7hristian calen!ar this personification is
knon as Tho"as, an! a "ore specific !e!ication of the shortest !ay of
the year ha#ing been "a!e to hi", the *,st !ay of (ece"ber is calle!
4t. Tho"as !ay.
The 4easons.
When the car!inal points ere in the constellations &eo, Taurus,
AJuarius an! 4corpio, the astrologers, objecting to the signification
of the latter, substitute! the constellation in conjunction thereith,
hich is knon as AJuila LAk%e%laM or 5lying Eagle. 8n the allegorical
astrono"y of that re"ote perio! these genii of the seasons ere
!esignate! as beasts, an! as such e fin! the" referre! to in
3e#elation i#. C, hich rea!s as follos' ?An! the first beast as like
a lion L&eoM, an! the secon! beast like a calf LTaurus, the bull calfM,
an! the thir! beast ha! a face as a "an, LAJuarius, the ater"anM an!
the fourth beast as like a flying eagle LAJuilaM.? 8n the first chapter
of EAekiel, the prophet, the genii of the seasons are referre! to in
the sa"e "anner.
These genii of the seasons, stan!ing, i"aginarily, at the four corners
of the hea#ens, ere calle! corner%keepers, an! "aking the" itnesses
to Go! 4ol in his apparent annual re#olution, the foun!ers of the
Astral Worship !esignate! the" as Archangels, E#angelists, Go!%4pellers
or Gospel%Bearers, an! clai"ing inspiration fro" the", co"pose! four
!ifferent histories of the birth an! earth%life of the incarnate
sa#iour, to each of hich they attache! a na"e, an! calle! these
recor!s the Gospel story. 8n its 7hal!ean #ersion, the na"es of
Gabriel, >ichael, 3aphael an! ;riel ere gi#en the"I but hile the
first to of these are "entione! in the 7hristian Gospel story, its
authors ga#e to the E#angelists the na"es of >atthe, >ark, &uke an!
John. Thus knoing the true signification of the (isciples an!
E#angelists, the #ery pertinent Juestion presents itself' 8f they are
not the genii of the "onths an! the seasons, hy are there just tel#e
of the one an! four of the otherK
.4ee plateC.gif2
Half $ear of 8ncreasing (ays.
8n the ancient astrolatry, the half year of increasing !ays, eGten!ing
fro" the Winter to the 4u""er 4olstice, as personifie! by the
co"posite figure representing the constellations of Taurus an!
AJuarius, hich, constitute! of the inge! bo!y of a bull an! the hea!
an! bear! of a "an, as calle! the 7herubi". This personification e
fin! portraye! upon the Assyrian "arbles on eGhibition in the British
>useu".
Half $ear of (ecreasing (ays.
The half year of !ecreasing !ays, eGten!ing fro" the 4u""er to the
Winter 4olstice, as personifie! by the figure, hich, representing the
constellations of &eo an! AJuila, an! co"pose! of the inge! bo!y an!
li"bs of a lion, ith the hea! of an eagle, as calle! the 4eraphi".
These last to personifications constitute! the Archangels of the
ancient Astral Worship.
&ast Huarter of the $ear.
The last Juarter of the year as personifie! in the ancient allegories
as a !ecrepit ol! "an, ho, stung by a 4corpion L4corpioM, an! fatally
oun!e! by an arro fro" the Jui#er of an archer L4aggitariusM !ies at
the Winter 4olsticeI an!, after lying in the gra#e for the space of
three !ays, is brought to life again. 4uch as the personification
referre! to in the 7hristian Gospel%story as ha#ing been raise! fro"
the gra#e by the "an!ate, ?7o"e forth, &aAarus.? Thus ha#e e shon
that the el!ers an! the saintsI the angels, an! the ArchangelsI the
7herubi" an! 4eraphi"I an! also poor ol! &aAarus, are but
personifications of the se#eral !i#isions of ti"e.
B:(8A7A& 4$>B:&4 :5 4:&A3 W:34H8P.
Ha#ing shon that the foun!ers of the ancient astrolatry accor!e!
ho"age to Go! 4ol as &or! of E#il, un!er the sy"bol of the serpent, an!
"arke! the beginning of his reign, as such, by the constellation
?4erpens? place! in conjunction ith the Autu"nal EJuinoGI e ill no
!irect attention to the sy"bols un!er hich he as orshippe! as &or!
of Goo!, hich, correspon!ing to the for" of the constellation in hich
occurre! the Dernal EJuinoG, an! hich as change! to correspon! to the
for" of the succee!ing constellation as that 7ar!inal point passe! into
it, by that process, knon in Astrono"y, as the precession of the
EJuinoGes, its eGplanation beco"es essential to a correct un!erstan!ing
of our subject.
After long obser#ation, ai!e! by the telescope, of hich they ere
un!oubte!ly the original in#entors, the ancient Astrologers !isco#ere!
that the 4un, in "aking his apparent annual re#olution, !i! not return
to the sa"e point in the hea#ens, but fell behin! that of the prece!ing
year, at the rate of 1+ ,P- secon!s of a !egree annually. At this rate
of precession, hich "o!ern, calculation has confir"e!, it reJuires C,
*%6 years for the 7ar!inal points to pass through one !egree on the
Ecliptic, an! *,1+ years through thirty !egrees, or one sign of the
Bo!iac. The knole!ge of this process affor!ing an eGact chronology, e
are enable!, not only to !eter"ine the origin of these sy"bols, but to
approGi"ate, #ery nearly, to the respecti#e !ates of their a!option.
The 4phinG.
5ro" the teachings of Astrono"y e learn that the 4u""er 4olstice is
no occupying the point beteen the signs of Taurus an! Ge"ini, fro"
hich e kno that that 7ar!inal point has passe! through three hole
signs since it as beteen the signs of &eo an! Dirgo, an! e ha#e but
to "ultiply *,,1+ by 6 to !eter"ine that it has been about ),-1+ years
ago. Hence, the tourist to the <ile #alley, hen #ieing, near the base
of ol! 7heops, the great Egyptian pyra"i!, a colossal hea! an! bust of
a o"an, car#e! in stone, an! learns that it is attache! to a bo!y, in
the for" of a lion in a crouching attitu!e ,-) feet long, hi!!en
beneath the shifting san!s of the &ibyan !esertI if possesse! of the
knole!ge of the precession of the EJuinoGes, he ill be enable! to
sol#e the ri!!le of the 4phinG by recogniAing in that grotesJue
"onu"ent the "i!%su""er sy"bol of solar orship, hen the 4u""er
4olstice as beteen the signs of &eo an! Dirgo.
The (ragon.
When the 4u""er 4olstice as beteen the signs of &eo an! Dirgo, the
Winter 4olstice as beteen those of AJuarius an! Pisces, an! the
figure co"pose! of the bo!y of a "an ith the tail of a fish beca"e the
"i!%inter sy"bol of solar orship. 4uch as the for" of this sy"bol to
hich the ancient Phoenicians pai! ho"age to the &or! un!er the na"e of
(agon.
The Bull.
At the sa"e ti"e the 4u""er 4olstice entere! the sign of &eo, the
Dernal EJuinoG entere! that of Taurus, an! the bull beco"ing the spring
sy"bol of solar orship%%the &or! as !esignate! in the ancient
allegories as the bull of Go! hich taketh aay the sin of the orl!I
hich, shorn of its allegorical sense, signifies the sun in Taurus, or
sun of spring, hich taketh aay the e#il of Winter. 4uch is the
purport of hieroglyphical inscriptions upon papyrus rolls foun! in
Egypt, an! engra#e! upon obelisks erecte! in the <ile #alley, one of
hich has been recently brought to the 7ity of <e $ork an! set up in
7entral Park. 8n the East 8n!ies this sy"bol as represente! by the
figure of a bull ith the solar !isk beteen his hornsI an! the
Egyptians, ho ere of Hin!oo origin, perpetuating it in their ?Apis,?
it as repro!uce! in the gol!en calf of the ancient 8sraelites. The
Assyrians represente! this sy"bol by the figure of a inge! bull ith
the face an! bear! of a "anI the Phoenicians, in their ?Baal,? by the
figure of a "an ith a bullFs hea! an! hornsI an! the s"all sil#er
bullFs hea!s ith gol!en horns, recently !isco#ere! by (r. 4chlie"ann
in the ruins of >ycenae, ere jeels orn by the o"en of that ancient
city, hen the Dernal EJuinoG as in the sign of Taurus.
The 3a".
By !e!ucting *,,1+ years fro" ),-1+, e !eter"ine that about -,6++
yearsI ago the Dernal EJuinoG entere! the sign of Aries, an! the spring
sy"bol of solar orship, changing fro" the bull to the ra", as
represente! by ra"%hea!e! figures, to of hich, foun! in Egypt, are on
eGhibition in the British >useu". Then the teGt hich rea! the bull of
Go!, as change! to the 3a" of Go! hich taketh aay the sins of the
orl!.
The &a"b.
;lti"ately attaching a "eek an! loly !isposition to the i"aginary
incarnations of the "ythical genius of the sun, the sy"bol of the ra"
as change! to that of the la"b, an! the teGt in the allegories, hich
rea! the 3a" of Go!, as change! to rea! ?The &a"b of Go! hich taketh
aay the sin of the Worl!,? John i, *E. The eGplanation e ha#e gi#en
relati#e to the Bo!iacal 4y"bols of solar orship "akes the assurance
!oubly sure that the originals of the <e Testa"ent ere co"pose! hen
the Dernal EJuinoG as in the sign of Aries, as ill be shon
hereafter. Ha#ing a!opte! the sy"bol of the la"b, it as represente! by
se#eral for"s of hat is knon as Agnus (ei, or &a"b of Go!, one of
hich as in the for" of a blee!ing la"b ith a #ase attache! into
hich bloo! is floing, hich originate! in reference to the she!!ing
of bloo! as a #icarious atone"ent for sin. But the "ost co"prehensi#e
for" of this sy"bol in its astrono"ical signification, as represente!
by the figure of a la"b in a stan!ing attitu!e, supporting the circle
of the Bo!iac, !i#i!e! into Juarters to !enote the seasons. At each of
the car!inal points there as a s"all cross, an! the la"b hel! in its
uplifte! fore%foot a larger cross, the long ar" of hich as "a!e to
cut the celestial eJuator at the angle of *6 ,P* !egrees, the true
angle of obliJuity of the Ecliptic. This sy"bol is still retaine! in
the 7atholic 7hurch.
.4ee plate0.gif2
The 5ish.
By !e!ucting *,,1+ years fro" -,6++ e !eter"ine that about *,,1+ years
ago the Dernal EJuinoG entere! the sign of PiscesI an! although the
original #ersion of the <e Testa"ent as foun!e! upon the sy"bol of
the la"b, it is a historical fact that for centuries after the
beginning of our era, the 7hristians pai! ho"age to the &or! un!er the
sy"bol of the fishI but ulti"ately going into !esuetu!e, the la"b as
retaine! as the !istinguishing sy"bol of the 7hristian religion until
the year )0+, at hich !ate another as substitute!, as ill be shon
un!er our neGt hea!ing.
48G<4 :P THE 73:44.
A"ong the nu"erous sy"bols of solar orship, besi!es those e ha#e
alrea!y referre! to, there are three to hich e ill !irect attention.
To of these ere of astrono"ical signification' the one a!opte! hen
the 4pring EJuinoG as in the sign of Taurus an! shape! like the letter
T, as the "o!el after hich the ancient te"ples ere builtI an! the
other, shape! like the letter Q, in reference to the angle of *6 ,P*
!egrees "a!e by the crossing of the Ecliptic an! the 7elestial eJuator,
is knon as 4t. An!reFs 7ross. The thir!, an! "ost i"portant of all
the sy"bols of solar orship, in its relation to the 7hristian
religion, hich, ha#ing no astrono"ical signification, originate! in
Egypt, in reference to the annual inun!ation of the ri#er <ile. To "ark
the height to hich the ater shoul! rise to secure an abun!ant
har#est, posts ere plante! upon its banks to hich cross bea"s ere
attache! thus R. 8f the ater shoul! rise to the !esignate! height, it
as calle! ?the aters of life,? or ?ri#er of lifeI? an!, ulti"ately,
this for" of the cross as a!opte! as the sy"bol of the life to co"e,
or eternal lifeI an! the ancient astrologers ha! it engra#e! upon
stone, encircle! ith a hieroglyphical inscription to that effect, one
of hich as !isco#ere! in the ruins of the te"ple erecte! at
AleGan!ria, an! !e!icate! to ?our &or! an! 4a#iour 4erapis.?
But, if the ater faile! to rise to the reJuire! height, an! the
horrors of star#ation beco"ing the ine#itable result, it as the custo"
of the people to nail to these crosses sy"bolical personifications of
the (e"on of 5a"ine. To in!icate the sterility of the !o"ain o#er hich
he reigne!, he as represente! by the figure of a lean an! haggar! "an,
ith a cron of thorns upon his hea!I a ree! cut fro" the ri#erFs bank
as place! in his han!s, as his unreal sceptreI an!, consi!ering the
inhabitants of Ju!ea as the "ost sla#ish an! "ean%spirite! race in
their knole!ge, they placar!e! this figure ith the inscription' ?This
is the =ing of the Jes.? Thus, to the ancient Egyptians, this sign of
the cross as blesse! or accurse! as it as represente! ith, or
ithout, this figure suspen!e! upon it.
When the 3o"an, or "o!ern, for" of 7hristianity as institute!, the
hieroglyphical inscription signifying the life to co"e or eternal life
as substitute! by a placar! naile! to the cross ith the letters 8. <.
3. 8. inscribe! upon it, hich are the initials of the &atin or!s
con#eying the sa"e "eaning. But if e oul! learn ho the figure of a
"an ca"e to be suspen!e! upon this for" of the cross, e "ust refer to
>e!iae#al History, hich teaches that in the year )0+, un!er the
Pontificate of Agathon, an! !uring the reign of 7onstantine Pogonat, at
the siGth council of the church, an! thir! at 7onstantinople, it as
or!ere! in 7anon 0* that ?8nstea! of a la"b, the figure of a "an naile!
to a cross shoul! be the !istinguishing sy"bol of the 7hristian
religion.? <o, as this figure is represente! by that of a lean an!
haggar! "an, ith a cron of thorns upon his hea!, !oes it not look as
if the ol! Egyptian (e"on of 5a"ine as the "o!el after hich it as
constructe!K
5;T;3E 3EWA3(4 A<( P;<84H>E<T4.
8n the ancient Astrolatry, to !ifferent syste"s of future rear!s an!
punish"ents ere inculcate!I the :riental or East 8n!ian, an! the
:cci!ental or EgyptianI the for"er, ignoring the resurrection of the
bo!y, taught but one ju!g"ent i""e!iately after !eath, an! the latter
inculcate! an in!i#i!ual ju!g"ent i""e!iately after !eath, the
resurrection of the bo!y, an! a general ju!g"ent at the en! of the
orl!, or conclusion of the ,*,+++ year cycle.
The :riental 4yste".
7onsi!ering perfect happiness to consist in absolute rest, the :riental
astrologers concei#e! a state of eternal an! unconscious repose,
eJui#alent to soul absorption, to hich they ga#e the na"e of <ir#ana,
into hich they taught that, by the aar!s of the go!s, the souls of
the righteous, or those ho ha! li#e! hat they calle! ?the
conte"plati#e life,? oul! be per"itte! to enter i""e!iately after
!eath. But, for the souls of sinners, they in#ente! a syste" of
eGpiatory punish"ents hich, knon as the >ete"psychosis, or
trans"igration of souls, taught that they oul! be co"pelle! to
successi#ely ani"ate the bo!ies of beasts, bir!s, fishes, etc., for a
thousan! years before being per"itte! to enter the <ir#ana.
The :cci!ental 4yste".
8n concocting the !octrine of the first ju!g"ent the Egyptian
astrologers, ignoring the <ir#ana, inculcate! the future sentient
eGistence of the soulI an!, hile retaining the >ete"psychotial
eGpiations of the :riental syste", taught that its rear!s, an!
principal punish"ents, oul! be enjoye! or suffere! in the un!er or
nether orl!, the eGistence of hich they ha! concei#e! in constructing
their syste" of nature. This i"aginary region, knon to the Egyptians
as the A"enti, to the Greeks as Ha!es, an! to the Hebres as 4heol, as
!i#i!e! by an i"passable gulf into the to states of happiness an!
"isery hich ere !esignate! in the Grecian "ythology as the Elysiu",
or Elysian 5iel!s, an! the Tartarus. 8n the loer part of the latter
as locate! the Phlegethon, or lake of fire an! bri"stone, the s"oke
fro" hich ascen!e! into an upper apart"ent.
8n this syste" it as taught that the souls of the to eGtre"es of
society, constitute! of the righteous an! the great sinners, oul! be
consigne! i""e!iately after the first ju!g"ent, the one to the Elysiu",
an! the other to the Phlegethon, here they ere to re"ain until the
secon! or general ju!g"entI hile the souls of less #enial sinners,
constituting the greater "ass of "ankin!, before being per"itte! to
enter the Elysiu" oul! be co"pelle! to suffer the eGpiatory
punish"ents of the >ete"psychosis, or in the upper region, or ?s"oky
ro? of the Tartarus. 4uch as the Egyptian purgatory, an! its !eniAens
constitute! ?the spirits in prison? referre! to in 8. Peter iii. ,E,
fro" hich the astrologers clai"e! to ha#e the poer to release,
pro#i!e! their sur#i#ing frien!s pai! liberally for their propitiatory
officesI an!, fro" this assu"ption, the clergy of the 7atholic church
!eri#e! the i!ea of saying "asses for the repose of the soul. These
!octrines ere carrie! by Pythagoras fro" Egypt to Greece about 11+
years before the beginning of our eraI an! passing fro" thence to 3o"e,
the Greek an! &atin poets #ie! ith each other in portraying Ha!es an!
the joys an! terrors of its to states.
The 4econ! or General Ju!g"ent.
The Egyptian Astrologers, recogniAing the soul as a "aterial entity,
an! concei#ing the i!ea that in the future life it oul! reJuire a
"aterial organiAation for its perfect action, taught that at the
general ju!g"ent it oul! be re%unite! to its resurrecte! bo!y. 8n
confor"ity to this belief, Job is "a!e to say in chapter GiG. *1, *),
?8 kno that "y 3e!ee"er li#eth, an! that he shall stan! at the latter
!ay upon the earthI an! though or"s !estroy this bo!y, yet in "y flesh
shall 8 see Go!.? The higher class Egyptians, hoe#er, fearing that
their eGistence oul! continue to be of the sa"e sha!oy an! intangible
character after the secon! ju!g"ent, as they belie#e! it oul! be in
the A"enti, if or"s ere alloe! to !estroy their bo!ies, hope! to
preser#e the" until that ti"e by the process of e"bal"ing.
The i"aginary e#ents to occur in connection ith the secon! ju!g"ent,
hich, constituting the finale of the plan of re!e"ption, an!
inculcate! in hat are knon as the !octrines of 4econ! A!#entis", ere
to be inaugurate! by an archangel soun!ing a tru"pet su""oning the
Juick an! the !ea! to appear before the bar of the go!s to recei#e
their final aar!s. At the secon! ju!g"ent, !esignate! in the
allegories as ?the last !ay,? ?!ay of ju!g"ent,? ?great an! terrible
!ay of the &or!,? etc., it as taught that the tenth an! last sa#iour
oul! "ake his secon! a!#ent by !escen!ing upon the clou!s, an! after
the final aar!s, the elect being caught up ?to "eet the &or! in the
air? L8. Thes. i#. ,CM, the hea#en an! the earth oul! be re!uce! to
chaos through the agency of fire. 8n reference to that gran!
catastrophe e fin! it recor!e! in 88. Peter iii. ,+, that ?the hea#ens
shall pass aay ith a great noise an! the ele"ents shall "elt ith
fer#ent heat, the earth also an! the orks that are therein shall be
burne! up.?
After the organiAation of a ne hea#en an! a ne earth it as taught
that upon the latter oul! !escen! a beautiful city, ith pearly gates
an! gol!en streets, calle! the 7ity of Go!, the =ing!o" of Go!, the
=ing!o" of Hea#en or <e Jerusale", in hich the host of the re!ee"e!
oul!, ith their &or! an! 4a#iour, enjoy the >illenniu", or thousan!
years of happiness unalloye! ith e#ilI an! such as the =ing!o" for
the spee!y co"ing of hich the #otaries of Astral orship ere taught
to pray in hat is knon as the &or!Fs Prayer.
Accor!ing to the teachings of the Allegories, there ere to be no sun,
"oon or stars !uring the >illenniu", their authors ha#ing arrange! it
so that the light of those lu"inaries oul! not be nee!e!, as e fin!
recor!e! in 3e#. GGi. *6, an! GGii. 1' ?The city ha! no nee! of the
sun, neither of the "oon to shine in itI for the glory of Go! !i!
lighten it,? an! ?there shall be no night thereI an! they nee! no
can!le, neither the light of the sunI for the &or! Go! gi#eth the"
light.? 8t "ust be re"e"bere!, hen rea!ing the fanciful i!eas relati#e
to the 7ity of Go!, that they ere co"pose! by "en ho, li#ing in a
#ery ignorant age, ga#e free rein to fer#i! i"aginations.
JEW84H :3 A<78E<T 7H384T8A<8T$.
8t is our purpose to present the e#i!ences shoing that a syste" of
Astral orship, hich e !esignate as Jeish 7hristianity, as in
eGistence "ore than to centuries an! a half before the institution of
its "o!ern for". 8n #erification of this assertion e "ust fin! the
initial point of our inJuiry in ancient history, hich teaches that in
the !i#ision of the Grecian E"pire a"ong his generals, after the !eath
of AleGan!er the Great, ho !ie! 66* years before the beginning of our
era, the go#ernorship of Egypt an! a!jacent pro#inces as secure! by
Ptole"y &agus, or 4oter, ho, ha#ing subseJuently suppresse! a re#olt
in Ju!ea, re"o#e! fro" that country a large bo!y of its inhabitants to
people the ne city of AleGan!ria, hich ha! been lai! out by or!er of
an! na"e! after the great 7onJueror.
The Egyptian #ersion of the Gospel story, being "ore appropriate to the
<ile Dalley than to the region fro" hence they ca"e, the Greek
colonists of AleGan!ria a!opte! it, but preferring to pay ho"age to
4erapis, one of the ninth incarnations of Go! 4ol, hich they i"porte!
fro" Pontus, a Greek pro#ince of Asia >inor, they erecte! to his
orship that celebrate! te"ple knon as the Gran! 4erapiu"I an!,
transferring the culture an! refine"ent of Greece to the ne city, it
beca"e, un!er the Ptole"ian !ynasty, a great seat of learningI the arts
an! sciences flourishe!, an i""ense library as collecte!, the #arious
for"s of Astral orship ere represente! an! schools for the
!isse"ination of the se#eral phases of Grecian philosophy an! :riental
Gnosticis" ere foun!e!.
4uch being the en#iron"ent of the Jeish resi!ents of AleGan!ria, they
soon acJuire! the #ernacular an! a!opte! the religion of the Greeks,
ho, ha#ing e#er attache! to their incarnate sa#iours the title
signifying the 7hrist, or the anointe!, ere knon as 7hristians.
Encourage! by the liberal policy of Phila!elphus, the secon! Ptole"y, a
bo!y of their learne! "en, ho ha! been e!ucate! in the Greek schools,
foun!e! a college for the e!ucation of their on people, hich
institution as ulti"ately knon as the ;ni#ersity of AleGan!ria. ;n!er
the auspices of Phila!elphus the professors of that institution
ren!ere! their Hebre sacre! recor!s into the Greek language, hich
translation is knon as the 4eptuagint, or AleGan!rian #ersion of the
:l! Testa"ent.
Ha#ing acJuire! fro" the Egyptian astrologers the arts of healing,
thau"aturgy an! necro"ancy, an! teaching the" in their school, the
professors of the Jeish college of AleGan!ria assu"e! the title of
Essenes, or Therapeutae, the Egyptian an! Greek or!s signifying
(octors, Healers or Won!er Workers. Possesse! of the sa! an! gloo"y
characteristics of their race, they a!opte! the ?7onte"plati#e &ife,?
or asceticis" of the :riental Gnosticis", fro" hich they !eri#e! the
na"e of Ascetics. 5oun!ing a church for the propagation of their
peculiar tenets, those ho ere set apart for the "inistry assu"e! the
title of Ecclesiastics. 8nculcating rigi! te"perance an! self%!enial
a"ong their people, they ere knon as Enchratites, <aAarites or
AbstainersI an! the "ore !e#out a"ong the" retiring to "onasteries, or
to the solitu!e of ca#es an! other seclu!e! places, ere also
!esignate! as >onks, 7enobites, 5riars, Ere"ites, Her"its or
4olitaries.
The ti"e ha#ing arri#e!, accor!ing to the cyclic teachings of Astral
orship, for the "anifestation of the tenth an! last incarnation of Go!
4ol, or, in other or!s, to, gi#e a ne na"e to the "ythical genius of
the sun, the professors of the Jeish school of AleGan!ria is resol#e!
to inaugurate their on for" of orship. While retaining the sa"e title
un!er hich they ha! pai! ho"age to 4erapis an! knon as 7hristians,
Essenes or Therapeutae, they substitute! for their 7hrist the na"e of
the Grecian Bacchus, hich, co"pose! of the letters SGreek'
8:TA, ETA, 48G>AT, signifies $es, 8es or Jes. 8n co"posing their #ersion
of the Gospel story, ha#ing, like their race, no in#enti#e genius, they
appropriate! that of 4erapis as its basis an! lai! its scene in the
lan! of their ancestry, but inconsistently retaine! the sign of the
cross an! the phraseology connecte! there ith, hich, ha#ing special
reference to the <ile 3i#er an! its annual inun!ation, ha! no
application hate#er to the sterile lan! of Ju!ea. 4electing hat they
concei#e! to be the best fro" other #ersions of the Gospel story, an!
assu"ing the title of Eclectics, they !esignate! their syste" as the
Eclectic Philosophy. 8n proof of the eclectic character of the Gospel
an! Epistles of ancient 7hristianity, e refer to the Asceticis"
inculcate! therein, hich, !eri#e! fro" the :riental Gnosticis", e
fin! perpetuate! in the scriptures of "o!ern 7hristianityI e also
refer to the "iracle of con#erting ater into ine, taken fro" the
Gospel story of Bacchus, an! to the state"ents that the 4a#iour as the
son of a carpenter an! as hung beteen to thie#es, copie! fro" the
story of 7hristna, the Eighth, A#atar of the East 8n!ian astrolatry.
Thus e see that, although the scene of the Gospel story of ancient
7hristianity as lai! in the lan! of Ju!ea, its authors ha#ing a!opte!
a Greek #ersion of that story as its basis, gi#en a Greek title an!
na"e to their >essiah, perpetuate! a Greek na"e for their sect an!
Juote! eGclusi#ely fro" the 4eptuagint, or Greek #ersion of the :l!
Testa"ent, the facts sho conclusi#ely that it as not Jes of Ju!ea,
but HelleniAe! Jes of AleGan!ria, ho ere the real authors of the
ancient 7hristianity.
THE P3:PHE78E4.
The clergy ha#ing e#er clai"e! that the prophecies are (i#ine
re#elations of e#ents yet to occur, an! ha#ing incessantly agitate!
society by preaching their spee!y fulfill"ent, e propose to eGpose the
fallacy of their teachings by shoing that these scriptures are not the
recor!s of future e#ents, (i#inely rea#eale!, but that they originate!
ith the foun!ers of Astral orship, ho pre!icate! the" upon
pre!eter"ine! e#ents of their on concoction, relati#e to the general
ju!g"ent, an! setting up of the king!o" of hea#en, hich ere to occur
as the finale of the plan of re!e"ption an! fro" hich ere !eri#e! the
!octrines of secon! a!#entis"I an!, in !eter"ining the eGact ti"e hen
then ere to occur, e ha#e but to pro#e that it as coinci!ent ith
the conclusion of the last half of the gran! cycle of ,*,+++ years,
hich, as e ha#e shon, as !e!icate! to "an as the !uration of his
race on earth.
As e#i!ence that the foun!ers of the Jeish or ancient 7hristianity
belie#e!, like the #otaries of other for"s of Astral orship, that the
prophecies ere soon to be fulfille!, e fin! that the <e Testa"ent,
of the original #ersion of hich they ere the authors, is replete ith
such teGts as ?3epent, for the =ing!o" of Hea#en is at han!,? >att. i#.
,CI ?There be so"e stan!ing here hich shall not taste !eath till they
see the 4on of >an co"ing in His king!o",? >att. GGi. *0I ?The ti"e is
fulfille!, an! the =ing!o" of Go! is at han!,? >ark i. ,1. That the
original #ersion of the <e Testa"ent as co"pose! hen the Dernal
EJuinoG as in the sign of Aries e are assure! by reason of the fact
that it inculcates ho"age to the &or! un!er the sy"bol of the &a"bI an!
that it as !uring the last, or 6+th !egree of that sign, can rea!ily
be pro#en by appealing to history an! to astrono"y, the for"er of hich
teaches that the Jes ere re"o#e! fro" Ju!ea to AleGan!ria tenty%fi#e
years before the accession to the throne of Phila!elphus, the 4econ!
Ptole"y, to ho" e ha#e referre! in our prece!ing article, an! ho,
after reigning thirty%nine years, !ie! *-) years before the beginning
of our era. By reference to the 7elestial atlas e ill fin! that the
Dernal EJuinoG ill pass out of the sign of Pisces into that of
AJuarius, or in the year ,E++, an! e ha#e but to !e!uct that perio! of
ti"e fro" *,1+, the nu"ber of years reJuire! for the car!inal points to
pass through one hole sign, to !eter"ine that the 4pring EJuinoG
passe! out of the sign of Aries into that of Pisces *1+ years before
the beginning of our era, or about *,,++ years ago. <o, fro" the
projections of the astrological science, e are assure! that the last
half of the gran! cycle of ,*,+++ years, hich as allotte! to "an as
the !uration of his race on earth, as "a!e to begin at a ti"e
correspon!ing to the Autu"nal EJuinoG, hen that car!inal point as
passing out of the sign of Dirgo, an! that of necessity it ha! to co"e
to an en! at a ti"e correspon!ing to the Dernal EJuinoG, hen that
car!inal point as passing out of the sign of AriesI fro" hich e kno
hy, at the last ju!g"ent, the office of tru"peter as assigne! to the
Archangel Gabriel, the genius of 4pring, an! hy it as a ra"Fs horn
ith hich he as to ?toot the crack oF !oo".?
When the ti"e arri#e! for the fulfill"ent of the prophecies e can ell
i"agine that, fearing the rath of the &a"b, there ere eeping,
ailing an! gnashing of teeth a"ong the terror%stricken sinners, hile
those ho belie#e! they ha! "a!e their calling an! election sure ere
looking ith fe#erish eGpectancy for the secon! a!#ent of their &or!
an! 4a#iourI an!, !oubtless, clothe! ith their ascension robes, they
atche! an! aite!, ith ears alert, to hear the soun! of GabrielFs
tru"pet, su""oning the Juick, an! the !ea! to the general ju!g"ent. But
not a blast fro" the archangelFs ra"Fs horn as hear! re#erberating
along the skies, no &or! appeare! !escen!ing upon the clou!s to "eet
the elect in the air, an!, in the last act of the fearful !ra"a of
?ju!g"ent !ay,? the curtain refuse! to be rung !on upon a burning
orl!.
With the non%fulfill"ent of the prophecies, the "ore enlightene!
ele"ents of society began to scoff at the priests, ho ere te"porarily
!e"oraliAe!, but true to their !ecepti#e instincts, soon rallying ith
the plea of a "istake ha#ing been "a!e in the calculations base! upon
the prophecies, they un!oubte!ly concocte! scripture to "eet that #ery
e"ergency, for, to the taunts of the scoffers ho, in reference to the
secon! a!#ent of the &or!, enJuire! ?Where is the sign of His co"ingK
for, since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they ere
fro" the beginning of creation,? they ansere! that ?The &or! is not
slack concerning His pro"ise,? but ?as a thief in the night? he oul!
soon co"e an! all things be fulfille!. 4ee 88. Peter, chapter iii.
5olloing up the history of this interesting subject, e fin! that the
foun!ers of "o!ern 7hristianity, to hich e ill refer in our neGt
article, in co"posing their #ersion of the <e Testa"ent fro" that of
the Jeish, or ancient 7hristians, "a!e no change in its #erbiage
relati#e to the propheciesI but hen 7onstantine 8., E"peror of 3o"e,
beca"e the patron of the church, her hierarchy, tire! of figuring upon
the", secure! a long respite fro" that troubleso"e subject by clai"ing
to ha#e "a!e other calculations, hich put off the ti"e of fulfill"ent
to the year ,+++I an! fro" history e learn hen the ti"e arri#e! the
hole of 7hristen!o" as fearfully agitate! upon the subject' 4ince
then e#ery generation has been #eGe! ith the fallacies of secon!
a!#entis"I an! the facts of the case justify the charge that the
clergy, by teaching that the prophecies refer to e#ents yet to occur,
are perpetuating a "ost stupen!ous frau! upon 7hristen!o", an! an
earnest an! efficient protest shoul! be inaugurate! against the further
agitation of the "onstrous !elusion of secon! a!#entis", hich is
frightening thousan!s of eak%"in!e! people into insanity an! causing a
#ast a"ount of social !istress.
3:>A< :3 >:(E3< 7H384T8A<8T$.
Ha#ing presente! the e#i!ences that the Jeish, or ancient
7hristianity, originate! at the ;ni#ersity of AleGan!ria, un!er Greek
rule, e no propose to sho that its "o!ern for" e"anate! fro" the
sa"e source, un!er 3o"an ruleI but, before entering upon this
in#estigation, it is i"portant to beco"e con#ersant ith the senti"ents
"anifeste! toar!s religion by the culture! ele"ent of 3o"an society in
that enlightene! era, hich, !esignate! as the gol!en age of
literature, as a!orne! by such !istinguishe! orators, philosophers,
historians, poets an! naturalists as 7icero, Tacitus, Pliny, Horace an!
Dirgil. 8n reference to this subject, Gibbon, in his history of The
(ecline an! 5all of the 3o"an E"pire, #ol. 8., chapter *, says' ?The
#arious "o!es of orship hich pre#aile! in the 3o"an orl! ere all
consi!ere! by the people as eJually true, by the philosophers as
eJually false an! by the "agistrate as eJually useful. Both the
interests of the priests an! the cre!ulity of the people ere
sufficiently respecte!. 8n their ritings an! con#ersation the
philosophers of antiJuity asserte! the in!epen!ent !ignity of reason,
but they resigne! their actions to the co""an!s of la an! custo".
Dieing ith a s"ile of pity an! in!ulgence the #arious errors of the
#ulgar, they !iligently practice! the cere"onies of their fathers,
!e#outly freJuente! the te"ples of the go!s, an! so"eti"es
con!escen!ing to act a part on the theatre of superstition, they
conceale! the senti"ents of an atheist un!er the sacer!otal robe.
3easoners of such a te"per ere scarcely incline! to rangle about
their respecti#e "o!es of faith or of orship. 8t as in!ifferent to
the" hat shape the folly of the "ultitu!e "ight choose to assu"e, an!
they approache! ith the sa"e inar! conte"pt an! the sa"e eGternal
re#erence to the altars of the &ybian, the :ly"pian or the 7apitoline
Jupiter.? ;pon the sa"e subject >oshei", in his church history, Book
8., chapter ,, says that ?The iser part of "ankin!, about the ti"e of
7hristFs birth, looke! upon the hole syste" of religion as a just
object of conte"pt an! ri!icule.?
8n !eter"ining hy such a!#erse senti"ents ere entertaine! toar!s
religion by ?the iser part of "ankin!,? about the ti"e referre! to in
the foregoing Juotations, it ill be foun! to ha#e been oing to the
eGtensi#e sprea! of the Esoteric philosophy, hich taught, as
pre#iously state!, that the go!s ere "ythical an! the scriptures
allegorical. While attainable only through initiation, it as
necessarily confine! to a li"ite! nu"ber, but, ulti"ately getting
beyon! the control of the priests an! #ast nu"bers acJuiring the
knole!ge of its secrets ithout initiation, it beca"e e#i!ent that it
as but a Juestion of ti"e hen there oul! be no respectable ele"ent
left to sustain religion. At this juncture our attention is !irecte! to
the ;ni#ersity of AleGan!ria, hich, at that ti"e, as in a flourishing
con!ition. Ha#ing cease! to be an eGclusi#ely Jeish school, stu!ents
fro" all parts of the 3o"an E"pire, ithout regar! to nationality, ere
atten!ing it, an! its professors ere !ran fro" the ranks of both
Jeish an! Gentile scholars. 3ealiAing the hopelessness of re#i#ing the
ancient faith a"ong the enlightene! cle"ent of society, an! the
i"possibility of proselyting the" to a ne for" of superstition, these
professors resol#e! to institute a syste" of orship eGclusi#ely for
the Jes an! the loer an! neglecte! classes of Gentiles, inclu!ing the
sla#es an! cri"inals. To that en! they rerote the scriptures of the
Jeish or ancient 7hristianity, hich ha! been preser#e! a"ong the
secret archi#es of the ;ni#ersity. 3etaining their teachings relati#e
to the finale of the plan of re!e"ption, an! its "onasticis"I also the
lan! of Ju!ea as the scene of its #ersion of the Gospel story, an! the
na"e of its sa#iour, to hich they a!!e! the &atin ter"inal ?us,? thus
"aking it 8esus or Jesus, they perpetuate! the Greek na"e of
Bacchus%%the sa"e that as ulti"ately per#erte! into the "onogra"
hich, consisting of the 3o"an letters 8. H. 4., is foun! in all
7atholic churches, an! in so"e Protestant ones, is falsely suppose! to
stan! for Jesus Ho"inu" 4al#ator, or Jesus, 4a#iour of >en. 7onfor"ing
their #ersion of the Gospel story to the loly con!ition of its
eGpecte! #otaries, they attache! to the sa#iour the characteristics of
po#erty, an! "a!e it teach that he as born in a "anger, that his
!isciples ere but hu"ble fisher"en an! that the poor oul! be the only
elect in the king!o" of hea#en. (ropping the na"e of Essenes or
Therapeutae, an! retaining that of 7hristian, they incorporate! a
threa! of real history correspon!ing to the reign of Augustus, an!
arbitrarily "a!e the 7hristian era begin at that ti"e. Ha#ing thus
co"plete! their sche"e, they pru!ently !estroye! the original fro"
hich they co"pile! their scriptures, an! sen!ing out "issionaries to
all parts of the E"pire co""issione! the" to preach sal#ation only to
the Gentile rabble"ent an! to the Jes.
That the sacre! recor!s of the ancient Essenes or Therapeutae
constitute! the basis of the scriptures of "o!ern 7hristianity e ha#e
the authority of Eusebius, the church historian of the fourth century,
fro" ho" e learn nearly all that is reliable of its history !uring
the first three centuries. 8n his Ecclesiastical History, Book 88.
chapter ,C, he "akes the i"portant a!"ission that ?Those ancient
Therapeutae ere 7hristians, an! that their rittings are our Gospels
an! Epistles.? As further e#i!ence that "o!ern 7hristianity is but a
sur#i#al of the Eclectic philosophy of the ancient Therapeutae, e ha#e
another i"portant a!"ission by the sa"e historian, ho, in Juoting fro"
an apology a!!resse! to the 3o"an E"peror, >arcus Antoninus, in the
year ,C,, by >elito, Bishop of 4ar!is, in &y!ia, a pro#ince of Asia
>inor, "akes that apologist say, in reference to certain grie#ances to
hich the 7hristians ere subjecte!, that ?the philosophy hich e
profess truly flourishe! aforeti"e a"ong the barbarous nationsI but
ha#ing blosso"e! again in the great reign of thy ancestor, Augustus, it
pro#e! to be, abo#e all things, o"inous of goo! fortune to thy
king!o".? Thus e ha#e in!ubitable e#i!ence that it as the Eclectic
philosophy of the Jeish, or ancient 7hristianity, hich ?blosso"e!
again,? in its "o!ern for", !uring the reign of Augustus.
5ro" the testi"ony of Philo, as referre! to by Eusebius, an! fro" the
ritings of Josephus, the Jeish historian, e learn that, at the
beginning of our era, the !escen!ants of the ancient Essenes ere still
obser#ing the practices an! custo"s of "onasticis". But as Josephus
refers to the" only as !escen!ants of the ancient Essenes, an! "akes no
"ention of 7hrist or 7hristians%%eGcept in one paragraph hich has been
conce!e! by the best authorities to be an interpolation it is e#i!ent
that, at that ti"e, they ha! no connection ith the ;ni#ersity of
AleGan!ria, an! nothing hate#er to !o ith the institution of "o!ern
7hristianity. 8t is also apparent that the Jes of Ju!ea ha! no han! in
its organiAation, for, if they ha! institute! it, they oul! not ha#e
attache! to the >essiah the Greek title signifying the 7hrist, but,
riting their #ersion of the Gospel story in their on !ialect, oul!
ha#e use! the Hebre or! signifying the 4hiloh Lsee Gen. GliG. ,+MI
an! further"ore, ha#ing concei#e! the i!ea that he oul! "anifest
hi"self as a great te"poral prince, ho oul! re%establish the throne
of (a#i!, an! !eli#er the" fro" the oppression of foreign rulers, they
oul! not ha#e attache! to hi" the hu"ble characteristics of the 7hrist
of the ne Testa"ent. Again, if they ha! been the authors of "o!ern
7hristianity, it oul! ha#e been a "ost surprising inconsistency for
the" to turn right about an! reject its conceptions of a sa#ior,
especially hen that rejection resulte! in the !ire persecutions to
hich their race has e#er been subjecte! by the 7hristians. But the
Gentile riffraff, attracte! by the gracious pro"ises of enjoying in the
orl! to co"e the felicities !enie! the" in this, eagerly attache!
the"sel#es to the ne sect, hich rapi!ly increase! in nu"bers, an! its
#otaries, glorying in the opprobrious epithet of Ebionites, or nee!y
ones, "a!e the"sel#es so obnoGious by their aggression an! turbulent
!ispositions that, barely tolerate! by the Go#ern"ent an! con!e"ne! by
the culture! a!herents to the establishe! religion, "any of the",
courting the cron of "artyr!o", suffere! !eath at the han!s of the
ci#il authoritiesI an! thus as engen!ere! that spirit of hatre!
against their fancie! oppressors hich only aaite! the opportunity to
"anifest itself in !ee!s of rapine an!%bloo!she!.
The fanacticis" hich pre#aile! a"ong the earlier 7hristians as the
!irect result of their !ense ignorance, an! to this sole cause e "ay
ascribe all the trouble hich the 3o"an Go#ern"ent ha! ith the", an!
to beco"e con#ince! of this fact e ha#e but to stu!y church history.
8n reference to this subject >oshei", in his Ecclesiastical HistoryI
Dol. -, part *, chap. ,, says' ?8t is certain that the greatest part
both of the bishops an! presbyters ere "en entirely !estitute of
learning an! e!ucation. Besi!es, that sa#age an! illiterate party, ho
looke! upon all sorts of eru!ition, particularly that of a
philosophical kin!, as pernicious, an! e#en !estructi#e of true piety
an! religion, increase! both in nu"ber an! authority. The ascetics,
"onks an! her"its aug"ente! the strength of this barbarous faction, an!
not only the o"en, but also all ho took sole"n looks, sor!i!
gar"ents, an! a lo#e of solitu!e, for real piety, ere #ehe"ently
prepossesse! in their fa#or.? 8n al"ost any history of Englan! e ill
fin! it recor!e! that, e#en in the ninth century, =ing Alfre! la"ente!
that there as at that ti"e not a priest in his !o"inions ho
un!erstoo! &atinI an! e#en for so"e centuries after the bishops an!
prelates of the hole 7hristian co""unity ere "arks"en, i. e., they
supplie! by the sign of the cross the inability to rite their on
na"es. 8f the bishops an! priests ere so supre"ely ignorant hat can
be sai! in reference to the literary attain"ents of the laityK
The 7hristians ere alternately persecute! an! tolerate! by the 3o"an
E"perors until the first Juarter of the fourth century, hen certain
e#ents occurre! through hich the 7hurch of 3o"e beca"e the recipient
of 8"perial Patronage. 7onstantine 8., calle! the Great, ha#ing "a!e
hi"self sole E"peror by !estroying all other clai"ants to the throne,
applie! to 4opater, one of the priests of the establishe! religion, for
absolution, an! as infor"e! that his cri"es ere of such an atrocious
character that there as no absolution for hi". Belie#ing that the
Phlegethon, or lake of fire an! bri"stone, aaite! hi" in the future
life, unless he coul! obtain absolution, he beca"e #ery "uch !istresse!
hen one of his courtiers, learning the cause an! referring hi" to the
7hurch of 3o"e, he at once applie! to her Bishop, 4il#ester, ho,
rea!ily granting the !esire! absolution, he a!!e! another #icti" to his
butcher bill by or!ering the !eath of the honest priest ho ha! refuse!
to grant hi" absolution. The 7hristian sect ha#ing beco"e a poerful
an! !angerous faction, 7onstantine concei#e! the i!ea of strengthening
his usurpe! an! precarious position by attaching it to his interest,
an! to that en! he professe! hi"self a con#ert to its tenets, an!,
taking the 7hurch of 3o"e un!er his especial patronage, ele#ate! her
Bishop to the rank of a prince of the E"pire an! ga#e hi" one of his
palaces for a resi!ence.
The 7hristian hierarchy, knoing that it oul! be a potent "eans of
confir"ing the faith of the laity in the Gospel story as a literal
history to ha#e a to"b of the 4a#iour to hich pilgri"ages coul! be
"a!e, an! appealing to 7onstantine to pro#i!e one, he sent his "other,
Helena, to Ju!ea to fin! the place an!, of course, !isco#ering hat she
ent to look for, he ha! erecte!, un!er her super#ision, o#er the
!esignate! spot, that splen!i! e!ifice hich, knon as the church of
the Holy 4epulchre, re"ains to this !ay. Helena, goo! at fin!ing lost
things, also clai"e! to ha#e !isco#ere! the #eritable cross upon hich
the 4a#iour ha! been crucifie!I an! her son, orthy of such a "other,
clai"e!, as recor!e! by Eusebius, that he ha! seen ith his on eyes
the trophy of a cross of light in the hea#ens, abo#e the sun, bearing
the inscription' ?8n Hoc 4igno Dinces,? signifying ?;n!er this sign,
conJuer.? Those ere ti"es of re"arkable an! supernatural occurrences.
At the ti"e 7onstantine beca"e the patron of 7hristianity the bishops
an! presbyters of the se#eral churches, see"ingly ignorant of the
teachings of the Esoteric philosophy relati#e to the origin of the
Trinity, ere !i#i!e! into to factions in !iscussing the relation
beteen the 5ather an! the 4on. :ne party, hea!e! by Athanasius, a
presbyter of AleGan!ria, an! afterar!s bishop of that see, a!#ocate!
the ancient belief that the three persons in the go!hea! of 5ather, 4on
an! Holy Ghost is but one Go!, that 7hrist is consubstantial or
co%eternal ith the 5ather, an! that he beca"e "an to perfor" his
"ission of re!e"ption. 4uch, in brief, is hat is knon as the
Athanasian or Trinitarian 7ree!. The other party, hea!e!, by Arius,
another presbyter of AleGan!ria, a!#ocate! the belief in one Go! alone
an! that 7hrist, ha#ing no eGistence until begotten of the 5ather, is
not consubstantial or co%eternal ith hi". 4uch, in substance,
constitutes hat is knon to the Trinitarian or :rtho!oG 7hristians as
the Arian or ;nitarian heresy. 7oul! stronger e#i!ence be a!!uce! that
this contro#ersy as the result of ignorantly "aking a !istinction
here there is no !ifference, for hether Trinitarian or ;nitarian the
"ythical genius of the sun is the Go! to ho" they all pai! supre"e
a!oration, although the 7hristians of to%!ay oul! !eny it "ost
e"phatically.
The faction, a!#ocating the Trinitarian cree! ha#ing con#erte! the
E"peror to their belief, an! influencing hi" to enforce it as a
fun!a"ental !octrine of the 7hristian theology, he, in the year 6*1,
su""one!, at his on eGpense, a general council of bishops an! priests
to "eet at <ice, in Bithynia, a pro#ince of Asia >inor. When they ha!
asse"ble! he appeare! a"ong the", cla! in gorgeous attire, ith a
jeel%stu!!e! !ia!e" upon his royal bro, an!, seate! upon a gil!e!
chair, presi!e! o#er their !eliberations. A "inority of the", hol!ing
?"ost contu"aciously? to the Arian heresy, an! refusing to change their
#ies at the bi!!ing of the E"peror, he banishe! the" fro" their
respecti#e bishoprics, hile the "ajority a!opte! the Trinitarian
cree!, an! appealing to 7onstantine to suppress the ritings of Arius
he issue! an e!ict for that purpose, hich e present as follos'
?>oreo#er e thought that if there can be foun! eGtant any ork or book
co"pile! by Arius the sa"e shoul! be burne! to ashes, so that not only
his !a"nable !octrine "ay thereby be holly roote! out, but also that
no relic thereof "ay re"ain unto posterity. This e also straightay
co""an! an! charge, that if any "an be foun! to hi!e or conceal any
book "a!e by Arius, an! not i""e!iately bring forth such book, an!
!eli#er it up to be burne!, that the sai! offen!er for so !oing shall
!ie the !eath. 5or as soon as he is taken our pleasure is that his hea!
shall be stricken off fro" his shoul!ers.? 3ather a bloo!%thirsty,
e!ict to be issue! by the ?puissant, the "ighty an! noble E"peror,? an!
a #ery inconsistent one, consi!ering that he soon afterar!s rea!opte!
the ;nitarian faith an! restore! the banishe! bishops to their
respecti#e seesI but, regar!less of his action, the 7hurch of 3o"e
sustaine! the Trinitarian cree! an! enforce! the !og"a of the supre"e
!i#inity of 7hrist.
Thus e see that the history of 7hristianity, in the first half of the
fourth century, cannot be ritten ithout incorporating consi!erable
fro" the life of 7onstantine, hose ensanguine! recor! before his
preten!e! con#ersion "arks hi" as the "ost brutal tyrant that e#er
!isgrace! the i"perial purpleI but the appalling cri"es he perpetrate!
afterar!s, a"ong hich ere the scal!ing his inoffen!ing ife to !eath
in a bath of boiling ater, an! the "ur!ering, ithout cause, of siG
"e"bers of his fa"ily, one of hich as his on son, justify hat a
learne! riter sai! of hi", that ?The "ost unfortunate e#ent that e#er
befell the hu"an race as the a!option of 7hristianity by the
cri"son%han!e! cut%throat in the possession of unli"ite! poer,? an!
yet 7onstantine as canoniAe! by the Eastern church.
(uring the first three centuries, hen 7hristianity as but a eak
sect, her bishops a!!resse! nu"erous apologies to the 3o"an E"perors,
in hich they clai"e! tolerance fro" the go#ern"ent on the groun! that
their for" of orship as #irtually the sa"e as the establishe!
religion. But after 7onstantineFs preten!e! con#ersion its hierarchy
began to labor for the recognition of 7hristianity as the state
religion, an! to gi#e to their !e"an! so"e sho of consistency they
insiste! that their scriptures ere really historical, an! that there
as no rese"blance hate#er beteen the to for"s of orshipI hile
theirs as of (i#ine authenticity the Pagans as purely a hu"an
institution.
5or centuries after the con#ocation of the council of <ice the peace
an! har"ony of the se#eral churches ere !isturbe! by the rancorous
!iscussion of the sa"e ol! Juestions of Trintarianis" an! ;nitarianis",
the Western church a!hering to the for"er hile a "ajority of the
Eastern congregations "aintaine! their faith in the latterI but
ulti"ately the Trinitarian party, gaining the ascen!ency, an!
persecuting the a!herents of the ;nitarian faith, the greater part of
the" retire! into northern Arabia here they foun!e! nu"erous
"onasteriesI an! fro" history e learn that, ha#ing i"presse! their
;nitarian faith upon the populace of that country, it as ulti"ately
incorporate! into the =oran, the sacre! book of >oha""e!anis"I an!,
hile beco"ing #otaries of that for" of orship, still retaine! the
belief that 7hrist as but one of the prophets.
The culture! a!herents to the establishe! for" of orship, beco"ing
alar"e! at the groing poer an! influence of the 7hristians an! at the
prospect of such an ignorant an! #icious rabble obtaining control of
the go#ern"ent, regar!less of their ple!ge to keep the Gnosis secret,
publicly announce! that the Go!s ere "ythical an! the scriptures
allegorical, an! engage! in a heate! contro#ersy ith the 7hristians
upon the subjects. The character of their !iscussions is ell, although
supposititiously, eGpresse! by Geral! >assey, in his ork entitle!,
?The Historical Jesus an! the >ythical 7hristI? page ,CE, A"erican
e!ition, here he "akes the Gnostics say to the 7hristians, ?$ou poor
ignorant i!iotsI you ha#e "istaken the "ysteries of ol! for "o!ern
history, an! accepte! literally all that as only "eant "ystically.? To
hich the 7hristians respon!e!, ?$ou span of 4atan, you are "aking the
"ystery by con#erting our acco"plishe! facts into your "iserable
fablesI you are !issipating an! !ispersing into thin air our only bit
of soli! foothol! in the orl!, staine! ith the re! !rops of 7al#ary.
$ou are gi#ing a satanic interpretation of the or! of re#elation an!
falsifying the oracles of Go!. $ou are con#erting the soli! facts of
our history into your nefangle! allegoriesI? to hich the Gnostics
replie!, ?<ay, it is you ho ha#e taken the allegories of >ythology for
historical facts.?
But it as i"possible to ste" the rising ti!eI the lessons hich the
priesthoo! ha! taught the ignorant "asses ha! been too ell learne!.
They ere sure that their scriptures ere historicalI that Jesus 7hrist
as truly the incarnate sa#iour ho ha! !ie! an! rose again for the
sal#ation of the elect, an! that being the elect it oul! be
pre%e"inently just an! proper that the ol! Pagan for" of orship shoul!
be abrogate! an! theirs recogniAe! as the state religion. Thus the
conflict rage! until the year 60,, hen, un!er the reign of the E"peror
Theo!osius the Great, this !e"an! ha#ing been for"ally "a!e, an! the
4enate, fearing the tu"ult a refusal oul! eGcite, ith a sho of fair
!ealing or!ere! the presentation, before that bo!y, of the respecti#e
"erits of the to for"s of orship. 8n that "e"orable !iscussion, hich
laste! a hole eek, 4y""achus, a senator, a!#ocate! the ol! syste",
an! A"brose, Bishop of >ilan, the ne, hich resulting, as a foregone
conclusion, in the triu"ph of 7hristianity, a !ecree to that effect as
pro"ulgate!.
Then the long !eferre! opportunity ha#ing arri#e!, the #engeful
bishops, houn!ing on a no less #engeful laity, ruthlessly "ur!ere! the
priests of the ol! religion, an!, appropriating its e"olu"ents to their
on use, they seiAe! upon its te"ples, an! !e"olishing so"e, con#erte!
others into churches. With iconoclastic han!s they !estroye! so"e of
the statues representing the ancient !i#inities, or after "utilation
eGpose! others in public places to the !erision of the populace.
4ubjecting the a!herents to the ol!er for" of orship, ho" they
!esignate! as infi!els, to the "ost !iabolical in!ignities an!
persecutions, they !estroye! their orks of art, burne! their
libraries, suppresse! their schools of learning, an! either kille! or
eGile! their professors. A"ong the atrocious acts perpetrate! by these
fien!s in hu"an shape none as "ore barbarous than the one co""itte! in
AleGan!ria, in the year -,1, hen Hypatia, the beautiful an!
acco"plishe! !aughter of Theon, ho ha! succee!e! her father as
professor of "athe"atics an! philosophy in the AleGan!rian ;ni#ersity,
hile on her ay to !eli#er a lecture, as, by or!er of Bishop 7yril,
!ragge! fro" her chariot an! "ur!ere! in a "ost re#olting "anner.
:ne of the successors of Theo!osius justifie! hi"self in !ecreeing the
spoliation of the ol! religion upon the groun!s that ?8t as unbeco"ing
a 7hristian go#ern"ent to supply the infi!els ith the "eans of
perse#ering in their errors.? Another one of the E"perors, "ore Aealous
than his pre!ecessors, !ecree! the !eath penalty against all persons
!isco#ere! practicing any of the rites an! cere"onies of the ol!
religion. Thus the onslaught of 7hristian sa#agery obliterate! the
ci#iliAation of Greece an! 3o"e, an! inaugurate! that long reign of
intellectual night knon as the (ark Ages, hich, "aterially ai!ing in
effecting the !ecline an! fall of the 3o"an E"pire, "a!e it possible to
erect upon its ruins that 8talian :ligarchy, hich, since then, has
rule! the greater part of 7hristen!o".
The !og"atic ele"ent of the ancient astrolatry, as incorporate! into
the 7hristian cree!, un!erent no "aterial change until the
inauguration of the !ark ages, hen the bishops of the se#eral
churches, in the !eliriu" of "etaphysical speculation, concocte! the
pre#iously unhear! of !octrine of pre%eGistence of spirit, in
confor"ity to hich Go! as !eclare! to be purely a spiritual !eity,
ho, eGisting before "atter, create! the uni#erse of nothing. Being the
sole custo!ians of the scripturesI an! changing the siG perio!s of a
thousan! years each to the siG !ays of creation, they altere! Gen. i,
,, to rea!, ?8n the beginning Go! create! the hea#en an! the earth,?
hich in the original rea!' ?8n the beginning, hen the Go!s LElohi" or
Alehi"M ha! "a!e Lshape! or for"e!M this hea#en an! this earth.? These
ra!ical changes necessitating others, they "a!e to !istinct an!
in!epen!ent beings of the principles of Goo! an! E#il personifie! in
the Go! 4olI the for"er they e"bo!ie! in Jesus the 7hrist an! the
latter in the 7hristian (e#il, thus supplanting ol! PlutoI the
presi!ing genius of the un!er orl!.
3ejecting the ancient !octrines relati#e to the soul, an! teaching
that, ha#ing procee!e! fro" a purely spiritual !eity, it oul! eGist
eternally as an in!epen!ent spiritual entity, they substitute! for the
ancient syste" of li"ite! rear!s an! punish"ents the one inculcating
their en!less !uration. These changes in the cree!, hich ere
confir"e! at the general council of 7onstantinople, in the year 116,
necessitating further alterations of the scriptures, the righteous ere
pro"ise! ?eternal life? in the Para!ise of Go! beyon! the starsI an!,
While consigning great sinners to ?e#erlasting punish"ent? in the
Tartarian fires of the un!er orl!, the less #enial ere to eGpiate
their cri"es in the sa"e ol! Purgatory. Thus, ha#ing in#ente! an
en!less hea#en an! an en!less hell for purely spiritual souls, an!
neglecting to eGpunge the !octrines of the resurrection of the bo!y,
the setting up of the king!o" of hea#en upon a reorganiAe! earth an!
other "aterialistic teachings of the ancient religion, they "a!e of the
cree! an! scriptures such a conglo"eration of ?things ne an! ol!?
that, ithout the Astrological key, it oul! be i"possible to !eter"ine
hat they originally taught.
At the 3efor"ation in the ,)th century &uther an! his coa!jutors, hile
projecting into the Protestant cree! all the car!inal tenets of
7atholicis", eGcepting that of Purgatory, "a!e no change in the
#erbiage of the scriptures. Thus retaining the aful !octrine of
en!less hell, the refor"ers constructe! a cree! hich they inten!e! for
the go#ern"ent of Protestants for all ti"eI but, !oing hat ha! ne#er
been !one before in the history of the orl!, they ga#e the scriptures
to the laity, an!, hether or not they secure! the right of pri#ate
ju!g"ent or in!i#i!ual interpretation, it has been taken all the sa"eI
an! thus opening the !oor to in#estigation, it "ust ulti"ately result
not only in the abrogation of hell, but in the relegation to the li"bo
of obli#ion of the hole !og"atic ele"ent of religion.
As a fitting conclusion to this article, e again !irect the attention
of our rea!ers to the subject of the pri"ary source of religious
!og"as. Prior to the establish"ent of 7hristianity as the state
religion of the 3o"an E"pire, the philosophers ho rote against it
in#ariably "a!e the charge that its theology as !eri#e! fro" the
ancient Paganis". After its establish"ent as the state religion of the
E"pire, the hierarchy of the church, knoing that this charge as
unanserable, instigate! the E"peror Theo!osius 8. to pro"ulgate an
e!ict !ecreeing the !estruction of all books antagonistic to
7hristianity. This e!ict, !irecte! "ore particularly against the
ritings of 7elsus, as carrie! out so effectually that e kno nothing
of hat he rote, only as Juote! by :rigen, the !istinguishe! church
father of the thir! century, ho atte"pte! to anser in eight books
hat 7elsus ha! ritten in one, entitle! ?The True (iscourse.? 8n one
of his Juotations fro" 7elsusF ork he "akes that philosopher say ?that
the 7hristian religion contains nothing but hat 7hristians hel! in
co""on ith heathens, nothing that as ne or truly great.? 4ee
Bella"yFs translation, chapter -. (uring the earlier centuries the
7hristians ere !i#i!e! into nu"erous sects, entertaining #ery
!i#ergent #ies, an! each faction, hol!ing all others to be heretical,
charge! the" ith ha#ing !eri#e! their !octrines fro" the Pagan
religion. ;pon this subject e fin! that Epiphanius, a celebrate!
church father of the -th century, freely a!"its that all that !iffere!
fro" his on ere !eri#e! fro" the heathen "ythology. 4uch as the
position of all ortho!oG riters !uring the >i!!le Ages, an! since the
3efor"ation the Protestant clergy ha#e unifor"ly "a!e the sa"e charge
against the 7atholicI a fe Juotations fro" their ritings e present
for the e!ification of our rea!ers.
Jean (aille, a 5rench Protestant "inister of the ,Cth century, in his
treatise entitle! &a 3eligion 7atholiJue 3o"aine 8nstitute par <a"a
Po"pile, !e"onstrates that ?the Papists took their i!olatrous orship
of i"ages, as ell as all their cere"onies, fro" the ol! heathen
religion.? Bishop 4tillingfleet of the English church an! a riter of
consi!erable e"inence in the ,Cth century, sai!, in reference to the
co"plaisant spirit of the early church toar!s the Pagans, that ?it as
atten!e! by #ery ba! conseJuences, since 7hristianity beca"e at last,
by that "eans, nothing else but refor"e! Paganis", as to its !i#ine
orship.? 4ee 4tillingfleetFs !efense of the charge of i!olatry against
the 3o"anists, #ol. 1, page -1E. >. Turrentin, of Gene#a, 4itAerlan!,
a learne! Protestant riter of the ,Cth century, in one of his orations
!escribing the state of 7hristianity in the -th century, says ?that it
as not so "uch the E"pire that as brought o#er to the faith, as the
faith that as brought o#er to the E"pireI not the Pagans ho ere
con#erte! to 7hristianity, but the 7hristians ho ere con#erte! to
Paganis".? Thus, ha#ing shon that the 7atholics !eri#e! all their
car!inal tenets fro" the Pagan "ythology, the Protestants "ust surely
ha#e obtaine! theirs fro" the 7atholics, for they teach all of the"
eGcept that of Purgatory.
53EE>A4:<3$ A<( (3;8(84>.
The rites an! cere"onies of Astral orship, un!er the na"e of (rui!is",
ere pri"arily obser#e! in consecrate! gro#es by all peoplesI hich
custo" as retaine! by the 4can!ina#ian an! Ger"anic races, an! by the
inhabitants of Gaul an! the British 8slan!sI hile the East 8n!ians,
Assyrians, Egyptians, Grecians, 3o"ans, an! other a!jacent nations,
ulti"ately obser#e! their religious ser#ices in te"plesI an! e propose
to sho that the "o!ern societies of 5ree"asonry, an! ancient or!er of
(rui!s, are but perpetuations of the gro#e an! te"ple for"s of the
ancient astrolatry. 8n !eter"ining the fact that 5ree"asonry fin!s its
prototype in the te"ple orship of ancient Egypt, e ha#e but to stu!y
the >asonic ar"s, as illustrate! in 5ellosF chart, in hich are
picture!, as its objects of a!oration, the sun an! "oon, the se#en
stars, knon as Pleia!es in the sign of TaurusI the blaAing star
4irius, or (og%star, orshippe! by the Egyptians un!er the na"e of
Anubis, an! hose rising forearne! those people of the rising of the
<ile 3i#erI the se#en signs of the Bo!iac fro" Aries to &ibra,
inclusi#e, through hich the sun as suppose! to pass in "aking his
apparent annual re#olution, an! hich constitutes the 3oyal arch fro"
hich as !eri#e! the na"e of one of its higher !egreesI an! its
ar"orial bearings, consisting of pictures of the &ion, the Bull, the
Water"an, an! the 5lying Eagle, hich representing the signs at the
car!inal points, constitute! the genii of the seasons. Besi!es these,
e ha#e the checkere! flooring or "osaic ork, representing the earth
an! its #ariegate! face, hich as intro!uce! hen te"ple orship
succee!e! its gro#e for"I the to colu"ns representing the i"aginary
pillars of hea#en resting upon the earth at EJuinoctial points, an!
supporting the 3oyal archI also the letter ?G? stan!ing for Geo"etry,
the knole!ge of hich as of great i"portance to the nati#es of Egypt
in establishing the boun!aries of their lan!s re"o#e! by the
inun!ations of the <ile, the sJuare an! co"pass, being the instru"ents
through hich the ol! lan!"arks ere restore!, an! hich ulti"ately
beca"e the sy"bols of justice. The cornucopia, or horn of plenty,
!enote! the sun in the sign of 7apricorn, an! in!icate! the season hen
the har#est as gathere! an! pro#isions lai! up for Winter useI the
cenotaph or "ock coffin ith the sign of the cross upon its li!,
referre! to the sunFs crossing of the celestial eJuator at the Autu"nal
EJuinoG, an! to the figurati#e !eath of the genius of that lu"inary in
the loer he"isphereI hose resurrection at the Dernal EJuinoG is
typifie! by the sprig of acacia sprouting near the hea! of the coffin.
The serpent, issuing fro" the s"all #essel to the left, represente! the
sy"bol of the &or! of E#il un!er hose !o"inion as place! the seasons
of Autu"n an! WinterI an! the figure of a boG at the right han!,
represente! the sacre! ark in hich, anciently, the sy"bols of solar
orship ere !eposite!I but hich is no use! by the "asons as a
receptacle for their papers.
.4ee plateE.gif2
After, the pro"ulgation, in the fifth century, of the e!ict by one of
the E"perors of 3o"e, !ecreeing the !eath penalty against all persons
!isco#ere! practicing any of the rites an! cere"onies of the ancient
religion, a bo!y of its culture! a!herents, !eter"ining to obser#e the"
secretly, ban!e! the"sel#es together into a society for that purpose.
With the #ie to "asking their real object, they took a!#antage of the
fact that the sJuare an! co"pass, the plu"bline, etc., ere sy"bols of
speculati#e "asonry in the te"ple for" of Astral orship, they publicly
clai"e! to be only a tra!es%union for the prosecution of the arts of
architecture an! operati#e "asonryI but, a"ong the"sel#es, ere knon
as 5ree an! Accepte! >asons or 5ree"asons. 8n i"itation of the ancient
"ysteries they institute! loer an! higher !egreesI in the for"er they
taught the EGoteric cree!, an! in the latter the Esoteric philosophy,
as eGplaine! in our intro!uction. 8nculcating supre"e a!oration to the
solar !i#inity the can!i!ates for initiation ere "a!e to personate
that "ythical being an! subjecte! to the cere"onies representing his
figurati#e !eath an! resurrection, ere reJuire! to take fearful oaths
not to re#eal the secrets of the or!er. To enable the" to recogniAe
each other, an! to ren!er ai! to a brother in e"ergencies, they a!opte!
a syste" of grips, signs an! callsI an! to guar! against the intrusion
of their 7hristian ene"ies they statione! atch"en outsi!e of their
lo!ges to gi#e ti"ely arning of their approach. Thus as institute!
the original Gran! &o!ge of 5ree"asonry, fro" hich charters ere
issue! for the organiAation of subor!inate lo!ges in all the principal
cities throughout the 3o"an E"pire.
Beco"ing cogniAant of the true object of 5ree"asonry, the Hierarchy of
the 7hurch of 3o"e resol#e! to suppress the or!er, an! to that en!
"aintaine! such a strict espionage upon its "e"bers that, no longer
able to asse"ble in their lo!ges, they !eter"ine! to !efen! the"sel#es
by an appeal to ar"s, an! gathering together in stronghol!s, for a long
ti"e successfully resiste! the ar"ies of the churchI but ulti"ately,
being al"ost eGter"inate!, the resi!ue !isban!e!, an! e hear no "ore
of 5ree"asonry, as a secret or!er, until the conclusion of the (ark
Ages, hen the 3efor"ation, "aking it possible, a for" of the or!er,
recogniAing 7hristianity, as re#i#e! a"ong the ProtestantsI but the
7hurch of 3o"e, true to her tra!itions, has ne#er cease! to hurl
anathe"as against it an! all other secret societies outsi!e of her on
bo!y. Thus, ha#ing "a!e it apparent that 5ree"asonry, as pri"arily
institute!, as but a perpetuation of the te"ple for" of Astral
orship, e can rea!ily see that, hile so"e of its sy"bols are as ol!
as the ancient Egyptian religion, it !i! not, as a secret or!er, take
its rise until 7hristian persecution "a!e it necessary. Hence it cannot
justly lay clai" to a greater antiJuity than the fifth century of the
7hristian era.
Accor!ing to >asonic annals a Gran! &o!ge as organiAe! at $ork,
Englan!, early in the tenth century, but, like the lo!ges of 4outhern
Europe, as suppresse! by the 7hurch of 3o"e. 8n ,C,C a Gran! &o!ge as
organiAe! at &on!on, Englan!, an! soon afterar!s the ol! Gran! &o!ge
at $ork as re#i#e!, an! its "e"bers took the na"e of 5ree an! Accepte!
Ancient $ork >asons, fro" hich e"anate! the charter of the Gran! &o!ge
in the ;nite! 4tates, hich as organiAe! in Boston in ,C66. 8n ,0,6
the ri#alry beteen the Gran! &o!ges of $ork an! &on!on as
co"pro"ise!, an! the supre"acy of the for"er as conce!e!.
5ro" church history e learn that in the year 1E) of our era Pope
Gregory 8. !ispatche! Augustin, an! forty other "onks of the or!er of
4t. An!re, fro" 3o"e to Britain, to con#ert the nati#es to
7hristianityI but, hile the Anglo%4aGons e"brace! the ne faith, the
Britons rejecte! it, an!, being persecute! by the 7hristians, retire!
to the fastnesses of the country knon as Wales, here, for a long
perio!, they "aintaine! the obser#ance of the (rui!ical for" of
orshipI an! although that country has long since beco"e 7hristianiAe!,
the society of the Ancient :r!er of (rui!s has eGiste! ith an
uninterrupte! succession at Pout%y%pri!, here the Arch%(rui! resi!es,
an! fro", hence e"anate! the charter of the Gran! &o!ge of the or!er
in this country. 8n reference to the (rui!is" on the continent, history
recor!s the fact that hen one of the reigning kings beca"e a con#ert
to 7hristianity the hole of his subjects ere baptiAe! into the 7hurch
of 3o"e by 8"perial !ecree.
THE 4ABBATH.
8n !eter"ining the origin of the se#enth !ay 4abbath, e "ust of
necessity refer to that source of all religious or!inances, the ancient
astrolatry, the foun!ers of hich, ha#ing taught that Go! 4ol as
engage! in the reorganiAation of 7haos !uring the first siG perio!s of
the tel#e thousan! year cycle, correspon!ing to the "onths of 4pring
an! 4u""er, they concei#e! the i!ea that he cease! to eGert his
energies, or reste! fro" his labors on the se#enth perio!,
correspon!ing to the first of the Autu"n "onths. Hence, !eri#ing the
suggestion fro" the apparent septenary rest in nature, they taught that
Go! or!aine! the se#enth !ay of the eek as the 4abbath or rest !ay for
"an.
8n confor"ity to this or!inance the foun!ers of ancient Ju!ais"
enforce! the obser#ance of the se#enth !ay 4abbath in the fourth
co""an!"ent of the (ecalogue, hich, foun! in Gen. GG. 0%,,,.,2 rea!s
as follos, #iA' ?3e"e"ber the 4abbath !ay to keep it holy. 4iG !ays
shalt thou labor an! !o all thy orkI but the se#enth !ay is the
4abbath of the &or! thy Go!I in it thou shalt not !o any ork, thou,
nor thy son, nor thy !aughter, thy "an ser#ant, nor thy "ai! ser#ant,
nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is ithin thy gatesI for in siG
!ays the &or! "a!e hea#en an! earth, the sea an! all that in the" is,
an! reste! the se#enth !ayI herefore the &or! blesse! the 4abbath !ay
an! halloe! it.? Thus as the se#enth !ay of the eek "a!e the 4abbath
of the :l! Testa"entI but the authors of the Jeish or ancient
7hristianity, looking for the i""e!iate fulfill"ent of the prophecies
relati#e to the secon! ju!g"ent, ignore! its obser#ance, as "ay be seen
by reference to >ark ii. *6, *CI John #. *%,0I 3o"ans Gi#. 1I an! 7ol.
ii. ,)I an! the foun!ers of "o!ern 7hristianity, perpetuating the
belief in the spee!y fulfill"ent of those prophecies, "a!e no change
relati#e to the 4abbath in their #ersion of the <e Testa"ent.
After 7onstantineFs preten!e! con#ersion to 7hristianity, an! the ti"e
for the fulfill"ent of the prophecies ha! been put off to the year
,++++, as pre#iously state!, the hierarchy of the church appeale! to
the E"peror to gi#e the" a 4abbath, an! although they kne that the
se#enth !ay of the eek as the 4abbath of the :l! Testa"ent, an! that
4un!ay as the first of the siG orking !ays, accor!ing to the fourth
co""an!"ent, their hatre! to the Jes for refusing to accept their
7hrist as the 4a#iour in!uce! the" to ha#e it place! on the first !ay
of the eek. Hence that obliging potentate, in the year 6*,,
pro"ulgate! the "e"orable e!ict, hich, foun! in that (igest of 3o"an
la knon as the Justinian 7o!e, Book 888., Title ,*, 4ec. * an! 6,
rea!s as follos, #iA.' ?&et all ju!ges an! all people of the tons
rest an! all the #arious tra!es be suspen!e! on the #enerable !ay of
the 4un. Those ho li#e in the country, hoe#er, "ay freely an! ithout
fault atten! to the culti#ation of their fiel!s lest, ith the loss of
fa#orable opportunity, the co""o!ities offere! by (i#ine Pro#i!ence
shall be !estroye!.? Thus e see that the pri"ary "o#e"ent toar!s
enforcing the obser#ance of 4un!ay, or &or!Fs (ay, as the 4abbath, !i!
not originate in a (i#ine co""an!, but in the e!ict of an earthly
potentate.
This e!ict as ratifie! at the thir! council of :rleans, in the year
160I an! in or!er, ?that the people "ight not be pre#ente! fro"
atten!ing church, an! saying their prayers,? a resolution as a!opte!
at the sa"e ti"e reco""en!ing the obser#ance of the !ay by all classes.
5ro" "erely ?reco""en!ing,? the 7hurch of 3o"e soon began to enforce
the obser#ance of the !ayI but, in spite of all her efforts, it as not
until the ,*th century that its obser#ance ha! beco"e so uni#ersal as
to recei#e the !esignation of ?The 7hristian 4abbath.?
7ogniAant of the "anner in hich 4un!ay as "a!e the 4abbath, &uther
issue! for the go#ern"ent of the Protestant co""union the folloing
"an!ate' ?As for the 4abbath, or 4un!ay, there is no necessity for
keeping itI? see >icheletFs &ife of &uther, Book 8D., chapter *. &uther
also sai!, as recor!e! in Table Talk, ?8f anyhere the !ay L4un!ayM is
"a!e holy for the "ere !ayFs sakeI if anyhere anyone sets up its
obser#ance upon a Jeish foun!ation, then 8 or!er you to ork on it, to
!ance on it, to ri!e on it, to feast on it, an! to !o anything that
shall repro#e this encroach"ent on the 7hristian spirit of liberty.?
>elancthon, &utherFs chief coa!jutor in the ork of 3efor"ation,
!enie!, in the "ost e"phatic language, that 4un!ay as "a!e the 4abbath
by (i#ine or!ain"entI an! in reference thereto John >ilton, in reply to
the 4un!ay 4abbatarians, "akes the pertinent inJuiry' ?8f, on a plea of
(i#ine co""an!, you i"pose upon us the obser#ance of a particular !ay,
ho !o you presu"e, ithout the authority of a (i#ine co""an!, to
substitute another in its placeK?
(uring the reign of EliAabeth, Hueen of Englan!, a sect of fanatics,
knon as (issenters or <onconfor"ists, basing their action upon the
fallacious argu"ents !eri#e! fro" the fourth co""an!"ent, an! upon the
plea that the 4a#iour as raise! fro" the !ea! on the first !ay of the
eek, inaugurate! hat is knon as the Puritan 4abbath, hich ha#ing
been transferre! to our shores by the #oyagers in the >ayfloer, an!
enforce! by those statutory enact"ents knon as Blue &as, cause! the
people of <e Englan! to ha#e a blue ti"e of it hile the !elusion
laste!I an! no a large bo!y of Protestant clergy per#erting the
teachings of scripture, an!, ignoring the authority of the 3efor"ers,
are !isturbing the peace of society by their efforts to enforce the
co!e of sun!ry las, hich ere enacte! through their conni#ance. Thus
ha#e e shon that, originating ith the 7atholics an! a!opte! by the
Protestants, the 4un!ay 4abbath is purely an! entirely a hu"an
institution, an!, being such, e "ust recogniAe all 4un!ay las as
gra#e encroach"ents upon constitutional libertyI an! it behoo#es the
a!#ocates of in!i#i!ual rights to !e"an! their i""e!iate repealI for
unless a #igilant atch is kept upon the conspirators ho secure! their
enact"ent, our fair lan! ill soon be curse! by a union of church an!
4tate, the ten!ency in that !irection ha#ing been in!icate! by the
unprece!ente! opinion recently han!e! !on by one of the Justices of
the ;nite! 4tates 4upre"e 7ourt that this is a 7hristian Go#ern"ent.
P8:;4 53A;(4.
By clai"ing to be !i#inely appointe! for the propagation of a !i#inely
authenticate! religion, the priesthoo! of all for"s of orship ha#e
e#er labore! to !ecei#e an! ensla#e the ignorant "ultitu!eI an! in
support of these fallacious assu"ptions ha#e resorte! to all "anner of
pious frau!s, in reference to hich e Juote fro" both Pagan an!
7hristian sources ith the #ie to shoing that the "o!erns ha#e
faithfully folloe! the ancient eGa"ple. Euripe!es, an Athenian riter,
ho flourishe! about -1+ years before the beginning of our era,
"aintaine! that, ?in the early state of society, so"e ise "en insiste!
on the necessity of !arkening truth ith falsehoo! an! of persua!ing
"en that there is an i""ortal !eity ho hears an! sees an! un!erstan!s
our actions, hate#er e "ay think of that "atter oursel#es.? 4trabo,
the fa"ous geographer an! historian of Greek eGtraction, ho flourishe!
about the beginning of the 7hristian era, rote that ?8t is not
possible for a philosopher to con!uct by reasoning a "ultitu!e of o"en
an! the lo #ulgar, an! thus to in#ite the" to piety, holiness an!
faithI but the philosopher "ust "ake use of superstition an! not o"it
the in#ention of fables an! the perfor"ance of on!ers. 5or the
lightning an! the aegis an! the tri!ent are but fables, an! so all
ancient theology. But the foun!ers of states a!opte! the" as bugbears
to frighten the eak%"in!e!.? Darro, a learne! 3o"an scholar, ho also
flourishe! about the beginning of our era, rote that ?There are "any
truths hich it is useless for the #ulgar to kno, an! "any falsehoo!s
hich it is fit that the people shoul! not kno are falsehoo!s.?
4o "uch fro" Pagan authorities relati#e to the necessity of !ecei#ing
the ignorant "asses. We ill no present so"e 7hristian authorities
upon the sa"e subjectI an! first fro" 7hrist hi"self, ho in a!!ressing
his !isciples is "a!e to say, in >ark i#, ,,, ,*, ?;nto you it is gi#en
to kno the "ystery of the king!o" of Go!I but unto the" that are
ithout all these things are !one in parables, that seeing they "ay see
an! not percei#eI an! hearing they "ay hear an! not un!erstan!.? Paul,
in his fourteen Epistles, inculcates an! a#os the principle of
!ecei#ing the co""on people. He speaks of ha#ing been upbrai!e! by his
on con#erts ith being crafty an! catching the" ith guile an! of his
knon an! ilful lies aboun!ing to the glory of Go!. 4ee 3o"ans iii. C,
an! 88. 7or. Gii. ,). 8f 7hrist an! Paul ere guilty of !eception,
their folloers ha! goo! eGcuse for the sa"e course of con!uct. ;pon
this subject Beausobre, a #ery learne! ecclesiastical riter, ho
flourishe! about the beginning of the ,0th century, says' ?We see in
the history hich 8 ha#e relate! a sort of hypocrisy that has been,
perhaps, but too co""on at all ti"esI that church"en not only !o not
say hat they think, but they !o say the !irect contrary of hat they
think. Philosophers in their cabinetsI out of the" they are content
ith fables, though they ell kno that they are fables.? Historie !e
>anichee, #ol. *, page 1)0. Bishop 4ynesius, the !istinguishe! author
of religious literature an! 7hristian father of the 1th century, sai!'
?8 shall be a philosopher only to "yself, an! 8 shall alays be a
bishop to the people.? >oshei", the !istinguishe! author of
Ecclesiastical History, Dol. 8., page ,*+, says' ?The authors ho ha#e
treate! of the innocence an! sanctity of the pri"iti#e 7hristians ha#e
fallen into the error of supposing the" to ha#e been unspotte! "o!els
of piety an! #irtue, an! a gross error in!ee! it is, as the strongest
testi"onies too e#i!ently pro#e.? The sa"e author, in Dol. 8., page.
,E0, says in the fourth century ?it as an al"ost uni#ersally a!opte!
"aGi" that it as an act of #irtue to !ecei#e an! lie, hen by such
"eans the interest of the church "ight be pro"ote!.? 8n his
Ecclesiastical History, Dol. 88., page ,,, he says that ?as regar!s the
fifth century, the si"plicity an! ignorance of the generality in those
ti"es furnishe! the "ost fa#orable occasion for the eGercise of frau!I
an! the i"pu!ence of i"postors in contri#ing false "iracles as
artfully proportione! to the cre!ulity of the #ulgarI hile the
sagacious an! the ise, ho percei#e! these cheats, ere o#erae! into
silence by the !angers that threatene! their li#es an! fortunes if they
shoul! eGpose the artifice.? Tho"as Burnet, (.(., ho flourishe! about
the beginning of the ,0th century, in his treatise entitle! (e 4tatu
>ortuoru", purposely ritten in &atin that it "ight ser#e for the
instruction of the clergy only, an! not co"e to the knole!ge of the
laity, because, as he says, ?too "uch light is hurtful for eak eyes,?
not only justifies, but reco""en!s the practice of the "ost consu""ate
hypocrisy, an! that, too, on the "ost aful of all subjectsI an! oul!
ha#e his, clergy seriously preach an! "aintain the reality an! eternity
of hell tor"ents, e#en though they shoul! belie#e nothing of the sort
the"sel#es. 4ee page 6+-. Hugo Grotius, the e"inent riter of Hollan!
in the ,Cth century, says in his **! Epistle' ?He that rea!s
ecclesiastical history, rea!s nothing but the roguery an! folly of
bishops, an! church"en.? 8n the language of 3obert Taylor, fro" ho" e
ha#e taken "ost of the Juotations un!er this hea!ing, e assert that
?no "an coul! Juote higher authorities,? to pro#e ?the roguery an!
folly of bishops an! church"en.?
7:<7&;48:<.
Ha#ing presente! the e#i!ences in support of the apparently untenable
assertion that, notithstan!ing the nu"erous "o!es in hich "an has
"anifeste! his !e#otional procli#ities, the orl! has #irtually ha! but
the one religion foun!e! in the orship of personifie! nature, e are
necessitate! to recogniAe the facts that the 7hristian 4criptures like
the sacre! recor!s of other for"s of nature orship are, but a
collection of astrono"ical allegoriesI that the gospel story is truly
?the ol!, ol! story? hich ha! been tol! of a thousan! other 4a#iours
before it as applie! to the 7hristian >essiahI that Jesus is but one
of the "any na"es gi#en to i"aginary incarnations of the "ythical
genius of the sunI an! that the (isciples an! E#angelists are but the
genii of the "onths an! the seasons. 4uch being the facts, hich cannot
be successfully refute!, e "ust belie#e that the 7hristian religion,
instea! of being of (i#ine authenticity, as popularly clai"e!, is
purely an! entirely of hu"an origin, an! that all its teachings
relati#e to a future state are but priestly in#entions, concocte! for
the purpose of ensla#ing the ignorant "asses.
When e think of the thousan! "illions of !ollars in#este! in church
properties, an! esti"ate the cost of "aintaining "ore than a hun!re!
thousan! priests an! "inisters, in supporting foreign an! !o"estic
"issions an! in publishing religious literatureI besi!es the taGes
applie! to the care of the religious insane, an! realiAe the fact that
all of this #ast su" of "oney is abstracte! fro" the resources of the
people, e oul! not ha#e to go outsi!e of our on country to
appreciate the fact that religion is the bur!en of all bur!ens to
societyI an! hen e conte"plate the great !isturbance to the social
relation, resulting fro" sectarian strife, an! the al"ost uni#ersal
!isposition of 7hristians to persecute an! ostraciAe those ho !iffer
ith the" in opinion, e can rea!ily subscribe to the senti"ent
accre!ite! to one of our re#olutionary sires, that ?this oul! be a
goo! orl! to li#e in if there as no religion in it.?
8f the clergy ha! been laboring as faithfully to i"press the obser#ance
of ethical principles as they ha#e to in!octrinate the people ith the
superstitions of religion, e oul! not no be !eploring the great
!e"oraliAation of society. 8t is a gra#e arraign"ent of the clericals
to charge the" ith being, in!irectly, the cause of this la"entable
state of thingsI but it is a con!ition that "ight ha#e been eGpecte!,
for, hen entering the "inistry, they engage! the"sel#es, not so "uch
to teach ethics as to propagate faith in the !octrines of their
respecti#e sects. Thus ha"pere! they cannot !o the goo! to society
their better natures "ight !esire. Hence the only hope for i"pro#e"ent
is for the people to holly ignore the !og"atic ele"ent of religion,
an! refusing to longer support it, !e"an! that "oral training shall be
the gran! essential of e!ucation. 8f this course ere a!opte! an!
persistently folloe!, it oul! be but a Juestion of ti"e hen "ankin!
oul! co"e into being ith such a benign here!ity that cri"e oul! be
al"ost i"possible.
Then, since religion inculcates a sal#ation that !oes not sa#e, let us
rise superior to its false teachings an!, accepting science as the true
sa#iour of "ankin!, fin! our hole !uty in the co!e of natural
"orality, the spirit of hich is e"bo!ie! in that co"prehensi#e precept
knon as the gol!en rule, hich, being the outgroth of the !isco#ere!
necessities of association, ithout hich society coul! not eGist, it
necessarily constitute! "anFs sole rule an! gui!e long before priest or
te"pleI an! foun!e! in the eternal principles of right, truth an!
justice "ust re"ain as "anFs sole rule an! gui!e hen priest an! church
are nu"bere! a"ong the things that ere. 4pirit of progressO spee! the
!ay hen all "ankin!, re!ee"e! fro" the bon!age of superstition, ill
recogniAe the great truth that nature, go#erne! by her on inherent
forces, is all that has been, all that is an! all that shall beI an!
that, ceasing to in!ulge in the #ain hope of a blissful i""ortality in
a para!ise beyon! the stars, ill "ake a real para!ise of this ol!
earth of ours.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
.,2LE!itorial note' the original teGt erroneously attribute! this
Juote to Genesis *+'0%,,I actually it is fro" EGo!us *+'0%,,.M
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