In the catastrophe of the plot, his especially professed friend, Oceanus, the Fisherman-as his name Petræus indicates,'-being unable to prevail on him to make his peace with Jupiter, by throwing the cause of human redemption out of his hands,' forsook him and fled. None remained to be witness of his dying agonies but the chorus of ever-amiable and ever-faithful which also bewailed. and lamented him,' but were unable to subdue his inflexible philanthropy.*

In the words of Justin Martyr: "Suffering was common to all the sons of Jove." They were called the "Slain Ones," "Saviours," "Redeemers," &c.

Bacchus, the offspring of Jupiter and Semele,' was called the "Saviour." He was called the "Only Begotten Son," the "Slain One," the "Sin Bearer," the "Redeemer, 10 &c. Evil having spread itself over the earth, through the inquisitiveness of Pandora, the Lord of the gods is begged to come to the relief of mankind. Jupiter lends a willing ear to the entreaties, "and wishes that his son should be the redeemer of the misfortunes of the world; The Bacchus Saviour. He promises to the earth a Liberator The universe shall worship him, and shall praise in songs his blessings." In order to execute his purpose, Jupiter overshadows the beautiful young maiden-the virgin Semele-who becomes the mother of the Redeemer."

"It is I (says the lord Bacchus to mankind), who guides you; it is I who protects you, and who saves you; I who am Alpha and Omega."19

Hercules, the son of Zeus, was called "The Saviour." 19 The words "Hercules the Saviour were engraven on ancient coins and monuments." He was also called "The Only Begotten," and the "Universal Word." He was re-absorbed into God. He was said by Ovid to be the "Self-produced," the Generator and Ruler of all things, and the Father of time."

1 Petræus was an interchangeable synonym of the name Oceanus.

"Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying: Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee." (Matt. xvi. 22.)

"And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him." (Luke, xxiii. 27.)

See Taylor's Diegesis, pp. 193, 194, or Potter's Eschylus.

"They say that the god (Bacchus), the offspring of Zeus and Demeter, was torn to pieces." (Diodorus Siculus, in Knight, p. 156, note.)

• See Knight: Anct. Art and Mythology, p. 98, note. Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, 258. Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 102.

Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p.

xxii. note.

• Ibid.

Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 169. 10 Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 135. 11 Ibid.

12 Beausobre quotes the inscription on a monument of Bacchus, thus: "C'est moi, dit il, qui vous conduis. C'est moi, qui vous conserve, ou qui vous sauve; Je sui Alpha et Omega, &c." (See chap. xxxix this work.)

13 See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 322. Dupuis Origin of Religious Belief, p. 195. Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 152. Dunlap: Mysteries of Adoni, p. 94.

14 See Celtic Druids, Taylor's Diegesis, p. 153, and Montfaucon, vol. i.

15 See Mysteries of Adoni, p. 91, and Higgins: Anac., vol. i. p. 322.

Esculapius was distinguished by the epithet "The Saviour." The temple erected to his memory in the city of Athens was called: "The Temple of the Saviour."""

Apollo was distinguished by the epithet "The Saviour." In a hyinn to Apollo he is called: "The willing Saviour of distressed mankind.""

AC

Serapis was called "The Saviour." He was considered by Hadrian, the Roman emperor (117–138 A. D.), and the Gentiles, to be the peculiar god of the Christians. A cross was found under the ruins of his temple in Alexandria in Egypt.' Fig. No. 11 is a representation of this Egyptian Saviour, taken from Murray's "Manual of Mythology." It certainly resembles the pictures of "the peculiar God of the Christians." It is very evident that the pictures of Christ Jesus, as we know them to-day, are simply the pictures of some of the Pagan gods, who were, for certain reasons which we shall speak of in a subsequent chapter, always represented with long yellow or red hair, and a florid complexion. If such a person as Jesus of Nazareth ever lived in the flesh, he was undoubtedly a Jew, and would there fore have Jewish features; this his pictures do not betray."

FIG. 11

was

Mithras, who was "Mediator between God and man," called "The Saviour." He was the peculiar god of the Persians, who believed that he had, by his sufferings, worked their salvation, and on this account he was called their Saviour.10 He was also called "The Logos.""

The Persians believed that they were tainted with original sin, owing to the fall of their first parents who were tempted by the evil one in the form of a serpent."

They considered their law-giver Zoroaster to be also a Divine Messenger, sent to redeem men from their evil ways, and they always worshiped his memory. To this day his followers mention him. with the greatest reverence, calling him " The Immortal Zoroaster,”

264.

1 See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 153.

2 See the chapter on "Miracles of Jesus." See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p.

4 See Monumental Christianity, p. 186. See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 15. See Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 86.

See Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 15, and our chapter on Christian Symbols.

8 This subject will be referred to again in

chapter xxxix.

See Dunlap's Spirit Hist., pp. 237, 241, 242, and Mysteries of Adoni, p. 123, note.

10 See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 99. 11 See Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 20. "According to the most ancient tradition of the East-Iranians recorded in the ZendAvesta, the God of Light (Ormuzd) communicated his mysteries to some men through his Word." (Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 75.) 12 Wake: Phallism, &c., p. 47.

"The Blessed Zoroaster," "The First-Born of the Eternal One," &c.'

"In the life of Zoroaster the common mythos is apparent. He was born in innocence, of an immaculate conception, of a ray of the Divine Reason. As soon as he was born, the glory arising from his body enlightened the room, and he laughed at his mother. He was called a Splendid Light from the Tree of Knowledge, and, in fine, he or his soul was suspensus a lingo, hung upon a tree, and this was the Tree of Knowledge.'

992

How much this resembles "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints."

Hermes was called "The Saviour." On the altar of Pepi (B. C. 3500) are to be found prayers to Hermes-" He who is the good Saviour." He was also called "The Logos." The church fathers, Hippolytus, Justin Martyr, and Plutarch (de Iside et Osir) assert that the Logos is Hermes. The term "Logos" is Greek, and signifies literally" Word." He was also "The Messenger of God."

Dr. Inman says:

"There are few words which strike more strongly upon the senses of an inquirer into the nature of ancient faiths, than Salvation and Saviour. Both were used long before the birth of Christ, and they are still common among those who never heard of Jesus, or of that which is known among us as the Gospels."

He also tells us that there is a very remarkable figure copied in Payne Knight's work, in which we see on a man's shoulders a cock's head, whilst on the pediment are placed the words: "The Saviour of the World."

Besides the titles of "God's First-Born," "Only Begotten," the "Mediator," the "Shepherd," the "Advocate," the "Paraclete or Comforter," the "Son of God," the "Logos," &c.," being applied to heathen virgin-born gods, before the time assigned for the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, we have also that of Christ and Jesus.

1 Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 258, 259.

2 Maicom: Hist, Persia, vol. i. Ap. p. 494; Nimrod, vol. ii. p. 31. Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 649. • Col. i. 26.

* See Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 102.

See Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 39, marginal note.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John, i. 1.)

7 See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. 69 and 71. Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii, p. 652. Ibid. vol. i. p. 537. 10 See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 119. Knight's Ancient Art and Mythology, pp. xxii. and 98. Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 71, and Spirit History, pp. 183, 205, 206, 249. Bible for Learners, vol. ii. p. 25. Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. pp. 195, 237, 516, besides the authorities already cited.

Cyrus, King of Persia, was called the "Christ," or the "Anointed of God." As Dr. Giles says, "Christ" is " a name having no spiritual signification, and importing nothing more than an ordinary surname." The worshipers of Serapis were called Christians," and those devoted to Serapis were called "Bishops of Christ." Eusebius, the ecclesiastical historian, says, that the names of "Jesus" and "Christ," were both known and honored among the ancients."

Mithras was called the "Anointed" or the "Christ;" and Horus, Mano, Mithras, Bel-Minor, Iao, Adoni, &c., were each of them "God of Light," "Light of the World," the “Anointed,” or the "Christ."

It is said that Peter called his Master the Christ, whereupon "he straightway charged them (the disciples), and commanded them to tell no man that thing."

The title of "Christ" or "The Anointed," was held by the kings of Israel. "Touch not my Christ and do my prophets no harm," says the Psalmist."

The term "Christ" was applied to religious teachers, leaders of factions, necromancers or wonder-workers, &c. This is seen by the passage in Matthew, where the writer says:

"There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

The virgin-born Crishna and Buddha were incarnations of Vishnu, called Avatars. An Avatar is an Angel-Messiah, a Godman, a CHRIST; for the word Christ is from the Greek Christos, an Anointed One, a Messiah.

The name Jesus, which is pronounced in Hebrew Yezua, and is sometimes Grecized into Jason, was very common. After the Captivity it occurs quite frequently, and is interchanged with the name Joshua. Indeed Joshua, the successor of Moses, is called Jesus in the New Testament more than once," though the meaning of the two names is not really quite the same. We know of a Jesus, son of Sirach, a writer of proverbs, whose collection is

1 See Bunsen's Bible Chronology, p. 5. Keys of St. Peter, 125. Volney's Ruins, p. 168. 2 Giles Hebrew and Christian Records, p. 64, vol. ii.

Ibid. p. 86, and Taylor's Diegesis, pp. 203, 206, 407. Dupuis: p. 267.

Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. iv.
See Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 78.
See Ibid. p. 39.

7 Luke, iv. 21.

8 Psalm, cv. 15. The term "an Anointed One," which we use in English, is Christos in Greek, and Messiah in Hebrew. (See Bible for Learners, and Religion of Israel, p. 147.)

• Matthew, xxiv. 24.

10 Acts, vii. 45; Hebrews, iv. 8; compare Nehemiah, viii. 17.

preserved among the apocryphal books of the Old Testament. The notorious Barabbas' or son of Abbas, was himself called Jesus. Among Paul's opponents we find a magician called Elymas, the Son of Jesus. Among the early Christians a certain Jesus, also called Justus, appears. Flavius Josephus mentions more than ten distinct persons-priests, robbers, peasants, and others who bore the name of Jesus, all of whom lived during the last century of the Jewish state."

To return now to our theme-crucified gods before the time of Jesus of Nazareth.

The holy Father Minucius Felix, in his Octavius, written as late as A. D. 211, indignantly resents the supposition that the sign of the cross should be considered exclusively as a Christian symbol, and represents his advocate of the Christian argument as retorting on an infidel opponent. His words are:

"As for the adoration of crosses which you (Pagans) object against us (Christians), I must tell you, that we neither adore crosses nor desire them; you it is, ye Pagans . . who are the most likely people to adore wooden crosses for what else are your ensigns, flags, and standards, but crosses gilt and beautiful. Your victorious trophies not only represent a simple cross, but a cross with a man upon it."s

The existence, in the writings of Minucius Felix, of this passage, is probably owing to an oversight of the destroyers of all evidences against the Christian religion that could be had. The practice of the Romans, here alluded to, of carrying a cross with a man on it, or, in other words, a crucifix, has evidently been concealed from us by the careful destruction of such of their works as alluded to it. The priests had everything their own way for centuries, and to destroy what was evidence against their claims was a very simple matter.

It is very evident that this celebrated Christian Father alludes to some Gentile mystery, of which the prudence of his successors has deprived us. When we compare this with the fact that for centuries after the time assigned for the birth of Christ Jesus, he was not represented as a man on a cross, and that the Christians did not have such a thing as a crucific, we are inclined to think that the effigies of a black or dark-skinned crucified man, which were to be seen in many places in Italy even during the last century, may have had something to do with it.*

He who, it is said, was liberated at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. • See Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 60.

3 Octavius, c. xxix.

See Anacalypsis, vol fi. p. 116.