Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions by T. W. Doane

speaking of the authenticity of the Gospel miracles, makes the following damaging confession: "An important question is, whether there is any stronger evidence in favor of miracles, than there is in favor of witchcraft, or sorcery, or the re-appearance of the dead, of ghosts, of apparitions? Is not the evidence in favor of these as strong as any that can be adduced in favor of miracles? Have not these things been matters of universal belief? In what respect is the evidence in favor of the miracles of the Bible stronger than that which can be adduced in favor of witchcraft and sorcery? Does it differ in nature and degrees; and if it differs, is it not in favor of witchcraft and sorcery? Has not the evidence in favor of the latter been derived from as competent and reliable witnesses? Has it not been brought to us from those who saw the facts alleged? Has it not been subjected to a close scrutiny in the courts of justice, to cross-examination, to tortures? Has it not convinced those of highest legal attainments; those accustomed to sift testimony; those who understood the true principles of evidence? Has not the evidence in favor of witchcraft and sorcery had, what the evidence in favor of miracles has not had, the advantage of strict judicial investigation? and been subjected to trial, where evidence should be, before courts of law? Have not the most eminent judges in the most civilized and enlightened courts of Europe and America admitted the force of such evidence, and on the ground of it committed great numbers of innocent persons to the gallows and to the stake? _I confess that of all the questions ever asked on the subject of miracles, this is the most perplexing and the most difficult to answer._ It is rather to be wondered at that it has not been pressed with more zeal by those who deny the reality of miracles, and that they have placed their objections so extensively on other grounds." It was a common adage among the Greeks, "_Miracles for fools_," and the same proverb obtained among the shrewder Romans, in the saying: "_The common people like to be deceived--deceived let them be._" St. Chrysostom declares that "miracles are proper only to excite sluggish and vulgar minds, _men of sense have no occasion for them_;" and that "they frequently carry some untoward suspicion along with them;" and Saint Chrysostom, Jerome, Euthemius, and Theophylact, prove by several instances, that _real miracles_ had been performed by those who were not Catholic, but heretic, Christians.[271:1] Celsus (an Epicurean philosopher, towards the close of the second century), the first writer who entered the lists against the claims of the Christians, in speaking of the miracles which were claimed to have been performed by Jesus, says: "His miracles, _granted to be true_, were nothing more than the common works of those _enchanters_, who, for a few _oboli_, will perform greater deeds in the midst of the Forum, calling up the souls of heroes, exhibiting sumptuous banquets, and tables covered with food, which have no reality. Such things do not prove these jugglers to be sons of God; nor do Christ's miracles."[271:2] Celsus, in common with most of the Grecians, looked upon Christianity as a _blind faith_, that shunned the light of reason. In speaking of the Christians, he says: "They are forever repeating: 'Do not examine. _Only believe_, and thy _faith_ will make thee blessed. _Wisdom_ is a bad thing in life; _foolishness_ is to be preferred.'"[272:1] He jeers at the fact that _ignorant men_ were allowed to preach, and says that "weavers, tailors, fullers, and the most illiterate and rustic fellows," set up to teach strange paradoxes. "They openly declared that none but the ignorant (were) fit disciples for the God they worshiped," and that one of their rules was, "let no man that is learned come among us."[272:2] The _miracles_ claimed to have been performed by the Christians, he attributed to _magic_,[272:3] and considered--as we have seen above--their miracle performers to be on the same level with all Gentile magicians. He says that the "wonder-workers" among the Christians "rambled about to play tricks at fairs and markets," that they never appeared in the circles of the wiser and better sort, but always took care to intrude themselves among the ignorant and uncultured.[272:4] "The magicians in Egypt (says he), cast out evil spirits, cure diseases by a breath, call up the spirits of the dead, make inanimate things move as if they were alive, and so influence some uncultured men, that they produce in them whatever sights and sounds they please. But because they do such things shall we consider them the sons of God? Or shall we call such things the tricks of pitiable and wicked men?"[272:5] He believed that Jesus was like all these other wonder-workers, that is, simply a _necromancer_, and that he learned his magical arts in Egypt.[272:6] All philosophers, during the time of the Early Fathers, answered the claims that Jesus performed miracles, in the same manner. "They even ventured to call him a _magician_ and a deceiver of the people," says Justin Martyr,[272:7] and St. Augustine asserted that it was generally believed that Jesus had been initiated in _magical art_ in Egypt, and that he had written books concerning magic, one of which was called "_Magia Jesu Christi_."[272:8] In the Clementine Recognitions, the charge is brought against Jesus that he did not perform his miracles as a Jewish prophet, but as a magician, an initiate of the heathen temples.[272:9] The casting out of devils was the most frequent and among the most striking and the oftenest appealed to of the miracles of Jesus; yet, in the conversation between himself and the Pharisees (Matt. xii. 24-27), he speaks of it as one that was constantly and habitually performed by their own _exorcists_; and, so far from insinuating any difference between the two cases, _expressly puts them on a level_. One of the best proofs, and most unquestionable, that Jesus was accused of being a _magician_, or that some of the early Christians believed him to have been such, may be found in the representations of him performing miracles. On a _sarcophagus_ to be found in the _Museo Gregoriano_, which is paneled with bas-reliefs, is to be seen a representation of Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave. He is represented as a young man, beardless, and equipped with a _wand_ in the received guise of a _necromancer_, whilst the corpse of Lazarus is swathed in bandages exactly as an Egyptian mummy.[273:1] On other Christian monuments representing the miracles of Jesus, he is pictured in the same manner. For instance, when he is represented as turning the water into wine, and multiplying the bread in the wilderness, he is a necromancer with a _wand_ in his hand.[273:2] _Horus_, the Egyptian Saviour, is represented on the ancient monuments of Egypt, _with a wand in his hand raising the dead to life_, "just as we see Christ doing the same thing," says J. P. Lundy, "in the same way, to Lazarus, in our Christian monuments."[273:3] Dr. Conyers Middleton, speaking of the primitive Christians, says: "In the performance of their miracles, they were always charged with fraud and imposture, by their adversaries. Lucian (who flourished during the second century), tells us that whenever any crafty juggler, expert in his trade, and who knew how to make a right use of things, went over to the Christians, he was sure to grow rich immediately, by making a prey of their simplicity. And Celsus represents all the Christian wonder-workers as mere vagabonds and common cheats, who rambled about to play their tricks at fairs and markets; not in the circles of the wiser and the better sort, for among such they never ventured to appear, but wherever they observed a set of raw young fellows, slaves or fools, there they took care to intrude themselves, and to display all their arts."[273:4] The same charge was constantly urged against them by Julian, Porphyry and others. Similar sentiments were entertained by Polybius, the Pagan philosopher, who considered all miracles as fables, invented to preserve in the unlearned a due sense of respect for the deity.[273:5] Edward Gibbon, speaking of the miracles of the Christians, writes in his familiar style as follows: "How shall we excuse the supine inattention of the Pagan and philosophic world, to those evidences which were represented by the hand of Omnipotence, not to their reason, but to their senses? During the age of Christ, of his apostles, and of their first disciples, the doctrine which they preached was confirmed by innumerable prodigies. The lame walked, the blind saw, the sick were healed, the dead were raised, demons were expelled, and the laws of nature were frequently suspended for the benefit of the church. But the sages of Greece and Rome turned aside from the awful spectacle, and, pursuing the ordinary occupations of life and study, appeared unconscious of any alterations in the moral or physical government of the world."[274:1] The learned Dr. Middleton, whom we have quoted on a preceding page, after a searching inquiry into the miraculous powers of the Christians, says: "From these short hints and characters of the primitive wonder-workers, as given both by friends and enemies, we may fairly conclude, that the celebrated gifts of these ages were generally engrossed and exercised by the primitive Christians, chiefly of the laity, who used to travel about from city to city, to assist the ordinary pastors of the church, and preachers of the Gospel, in the conversion of Pagans, by the extraordinary gifts with which they were supposed to be indued by the spirit of God, and the miraculous works which they pretended to perform. . . . "We have just reason to suspect that there was some original fraud in the case; and that the strolling wonder-workers, by a dexterity of jugglery which art, not heaven, had taught them, imposed upon the credulity of the pious Fathers, whose strong prejudices and ardent zeal for the interest of Christianity would dispose them to embrace, without examination, whatever seemed to promote so good a cause. That this was really the case in some instances, is certain and notorious, and that it was so in all, will appear still more probable, when we have considered the particular characters of the several Fathers, on whose testimony the credit of these wonderful narratives depends."[274:2] Again he says: "The pretended miracles of the primitive church were all mere fictions, which the pious and zealous Fathers, partly from a weak credulity, and partly from reasons of policy, believing some perhaps to be true, and knowing all of them to be useful, were induced to espouse and propagate, for the support of a righteous cause."[274:3] Origen, a Christian Father of the third century, uses the following words in his answer to Celsus: "A vast number of persons who have left those horrid debaucheries in which they formerly wallowed, and have professed to embrace the Christian religion, shall receive a bright and massive crown when this frail and short life is ended, _though they don't stand to examine the grounds on which their faith is_ built, nor defer their conversion till they have a fair opportunity and capacity to apply themselves to rational and learned studies. And since our adversaries are continually making such a stir about our _taking things on trust_, I answer, that we, who see plainly and have found the vast advantage that the common people do manifestly and frequently reap thereby (who make up by far the greater number), I say, we (the Christian clergy), who are so well advised of these things, _do professedly teach men to believe without examination_."[275:1] Origen flourished and wrote A. D. 225-235, which shows that at that early day there was no rational evidence for Christianity, but it was professedly taught, and men were supposed to believe "_these things_" (_i. e._ the Christian legends) _without severe examination_. The primitive Christians were perpetually reproached for their gross credulity, by all their enemies. Celsus, as we have already seen, declares that they cared neither to receive nor give any reason for their faith, and that it was a usual saying with them: "Do not examine, but believe only, and thy faith will save thee;" and Julian affirms that, "the sum of all their wisdom was comprised in the single precept, '_believe_.'" Arnobius, speaking of this, says: "The Gentiles make it their constant business to laugh at our faith, and to lash our credulity with their facetious jokes." The Christian Fathers defended themselves against these charges by declaring that they did nothing more than the heathens themselves had always done; and reminds them that they too had found the same method useful with the uneducated or common people, who were not at leisure to examine things, and whom they taught therefore, to believe without reason.[275:2] This "believing without reason" is illustrated in the following words of Tertullian, a Christian Father of the second century, who reasons on the evidence of Christianity as follows: "I find no other means to prove myself to be impudent with success, and happily a fool, than by my contempt of shame; as, for instance--I maintain that the son of God was born: why am I not ashamed of maintaining such a thing? Why! but because it is a shameful thing. I maintain that the son of God died: well, _that_ is wholly credible because it is monstrously absurd. I maintain that after having been buried, he rose again: and _that_ I take to be absolutely true, because it was manifestly impossible."[275:3] According to the very books which record the miracles of Jesus, he never claimed to perform such deeds, and Paul declares that the great reason why Israel did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah was that "the Jews required a sign."[276:1] He meant: "Signs and wonders are the only proofs they will admit that any one is sent by God and is preaching the truth. If they cannot have this palpable, external proof, they withhold their faith." A writer of the second century (John, in ch. iv. 18) makes Jesus aim at his fellow-countrymen and contemporaries, the reproach: "Unless you see signs and wonders, you do not believe." In connection with Paul's declaration, given above, these words might be paraphrased: "The reason why the Jews never believed in Jesus was that they never saw him do signs and wonders." Listen to the reply he (Jesus) made when told that if he wanted people to believe in him he must first prove his claim by a miracle: "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a _sign_, and no sign shall be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonas."[276:2] Of course, this answer did not in the least degree satisfy the questioners; so they presently came to him again with a more direct request: "If the kingdom of God is, as you say, close at hand, show us at least some _one_ of the signs in heaven which are to precede the Messianic age." What could appear more reasonable than such a request? Every one knew that the end of the present age was to be heralded by fearful signs in heaven. The light of the sun was to be put out, the moon turned to blood, the stars robbed of their brightness, and many other fearful signs were to be shown![276:3] If any _one_ of these could be produced, they would be content; but if not, they must decline to surrender themselves to an idle joy which must end in a bitter disappointment; and surely Jesus himself could hardly expect them to believe in him on his bare word. _Historians_ have recorded miracles said to have been performed by other persons, but not a word is said by _them_ about the miracles claimed to have been performed by Jesus. Justus of Tiberias, who was born about five years after the time assigned for the crucifixion of Jesus, wrote a _Jewish History_. Now, if the miracles attributed to Christ Jesus, and his death and resurrection, had taken place in the manner described by the Gospel narrators, he could not have failed to allude to them. But Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, tells us that it contained "_no mention of the coming of Christ, nor of the events concerning him, nor of the prodigies he wrought_." As Theodore Parker has remarked: "The miracle is of a most _fluctuating_ character. The miracle-worker of to-day is a matter-of-fact juggler to-morrow. Science each year adds new wonders to our store. The master of a locomotive steam-engine would have been thought greater than Jupiter Tonans, or the Elohim, thirty centuries ago." In the words of Dr. Oort: "Our increased knowledge of nature has gradually undermined the belief in the possibility of miracles, and the time is not far distant when in the mind of every man, of any culture, all accounts of miracles will be banished together to their proper region--_that of legend_." What had been said to have been done in _India_ was said by the "_half Jew_"[277:1] writers of the Gospels to have been done in Palestine. The change of names and places, with the mixing up of various sketches of _Egyptian_, _Phenician_, _Greek_ and _Roman_ mythology, was all that was necessary. They had an abundance of material, and with it they built. A long-continued habit of imposing upon others would in time subdue the minds of the impostors themselves, and cause them to become at length the dupes of their own deception. FOOTNOTES: [252:1] Dr. Conyers Middleton: Free Enquiry, p. 177. [252:2] Indian Antiquities, vol. iii. p. 46. [253:1] Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 237. [253:2] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 331. [253:3] Ibid. p. 319. [254:1] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 320. Vishnu Parana, bk. v. ch. xx. [254:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 68. [254:3] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 269. [254:4] See Hardy's Buddhist Legends, and Eastern Monachism. Beal's Romantic Hist. Buddha. Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, and Huc's Travels, &c. [254:5] Hardy: Buddhist Legends, pp. xxi. xxii. [254:6] The Science of Religion, p. 27. [255:1] Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 246, 247. [255:2] Dhammapada, pp. 47, 50 and 90. Bigandet, pp. 186 and 192. Bournouf: Intro. p. 156. In Lillie's Buddhism, pp. 139, 140. [256:1] Hardy: Manual of Buddhism. [256:2] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 229. [256:3] See Tylor: Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 135, and Hardy: Buddhist Legends, pp. 98, 126, 137. [256:4] See Tylor: Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 135. [256:5] Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. p. 341. [256:6] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 240, and Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 460. [256:7] See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 34. [256:8] See Lundy: Monumental Christianity, pp. 303-405. [256:9] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief. [257:1] Quoted by Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig. Belief, vol. i. p. 397. [257:2] See Prichard's Mythology, p. 347. [257:3] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 404. [257:4] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, 258, and Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 102. Compare John, ii. 7. A _Grecian_ festival called THYIA was observed by the Eleans _in honor of Bacchus_. The priests conveyed three empty vessels into a chapel, in the presence of a large assembly, after which the doors were shut and _sealed_. "On the morrow the company returned, and after every man had looked upon his own seal, and seen that it was unbroken, the doors being opened, the vessels were found full of wine." The god himself is said to have appeared in person and filled the vessels. (Bell's Pantheon.) [257:5] Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 295. [257:6] Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 225. "And they laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison; but the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth." (Acts, v. 18, 19.) [258:1] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 28. [258:2] Eusebius: Life of Constantine, lib. 3, ch. liv. "_Æsculapius_, the son of Apollo, was endowed by his father with such skill in the healing art that he even restored the dead to life." (Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 246.) [258:3] Murray: Manual of Mythology, pp. 179, 180. [258:4] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 304. [258:5] Marinus: Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 151. [258:6] Pausanias was one of the most eminent Greek geographers and historians. [259:1] "And when Jesus departed thence, _two blind men_ followed him, crying and saying: thou son of David, have mercy on us. . . . And Jesus said unto them: Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying: According to your faith be it unto you, and their eyes were opened." (Matt. ix. 27-30.) [259:2] Middleton's Works, vol. i. pp. 63, 64. [259:3] Ibid. p. 48. [259:4] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 62. [259:5] See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 76. [260:1] See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 76. [260:2] "Nunc Dea, nunc succurre mihi, nam posse mederi Picta docet temptes multa tabella tuis." (Horace: Tibull. lib. 1, Eleg. iii. In Ibid.) [260:3] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Æsculapius." [260:4] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 180. [260:5] Apol. 1, ch. xxii. [260:6] Deane: Serp. Wor. p. 204. See also, Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 29. "There were numerous oracles of Æsculapius, but the most celebrated one was at Epidaurus. Here the sick sought responses and the recovery of their health by sleeping in the temple. . . . The worship of Æsculapius was introduced into Rome in a time of great sickness, and an embassy sent to the temple Epidaurus to entreat the aid of the god." (Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 397.) [261:1] Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p. 238. [261:2] Herodotus: bk. vi. ch. 61. [261:3] See Philostratus: Vie d'Apo. Gibbon, the historian, says of him: "Apollonius of Tyana, born about the same time as Jesus Christ. His life (that of the former) is related in so fabulous a manner by his disciples, that we are at a loss to discover whether he was a sage, an impostor, or a fanatic." (Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. p. 353, _note_.) What this learned historian says of Apollonius applies to Jesus of Nazareth. _His_ disciples have related his life in so fabulous a manner, that some consider him to have been an impostor, others a fanatic, others a sage, and others a GOD. [262:1] See Philostratus, p. 146. [262:2] Ibid. p. 158. [262:3] See Ibid. p. 182. [263:1] Compare Matt. ix. 18-25. "There came a certain ruler and worshiped him, saying: 'My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.' And Jesus arose and followed him, and so did his disciples. . . . And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them: 'Give peace, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.' And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, _and took her by the hand_, and the maid arose." [263:2] See Philostratus, pp. 285-286. [263:3] "He could render himself invisible, evoke departed spirits, utter predictions, and discover the thoughts of other men." (Hardy: Eastern Monachism, p. 380.) [263:4] "And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: 'Peace be unto you.' But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them: 'Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is myself; handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke, xxiv. 36-39.) [264:1] See Philostratus, p. 342. [264:2] Ibid. p. 5. [264:3] Justin Martyr's "_Quæst._" xxiv. Quoted in King's Gnostics, p. 242. [264:4] Acts, viii. 9, 10. [265:1] See Mosheim, vol. i. pp. 137, 140. [265:2] Irenæus: Against Heresies, bk. iii. ch. xi. The _authorship_ of the fourth gospel, attributed to John, has been traced to this same _Irenæus_. He is the _first_ person who speaks of it; and adding this fact to the statement that "it is impossible that there could be more or less than _four_," certainly makes it appear very suspicious. We shall allude to this again. [265:3] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist. lib. 2, ch. xiv. [265:4] Apol. 1, ch. xxiv. [266:1] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. pp. 241, 242. [266:2] According to Hieronymus (a Christian Father, born A. D. 348), Simon Magus applied to himself these words: "I am the Word (or Logos) of God; I am the Beautiful, I the Advocate, I the Omnipotent; I am all things that belong to God." (See "Son of the Man," p. 67.) [266:3] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 316, and Middleton's Free Inquiry, p. 62. [266:4] Eusebius: Ecc. Hist., lib. 3, ch. xiv. [266:5] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 54. [267:1] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 54. [267:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 312, and Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 10. [267:3] "The Egyptians call all men '_barbarians_' who do not speak the same language as themselves." (Herodotus, book ii. ch. 158.) "By '_barbarians_' the Greeks meant all who were not sprung from themselves--all foreigners." (Henry Cary, translator of _Herodotus_.) The Chinese call the English, and all foreigners from western countries, "_western barbarians_;" the Japanese were called by them the "_eastern barbarians_." (See Thornton's History of China, vol. i.) The Jews considered all who did not belong to their race to be _heathens_ and _barbarians_. The Christians consider those who are not followers of Christ Jesus to be _heathens_ and _barbarians_. The Mohammedans consider all others to be _dogs_, _infidels_, and _barbarians_. [267:4] "And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea." (Matt. xiv. 25.) [267:5] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 236. We have it on the authority of _Strabo_ that Roman priests walked barefoot over burning coals, without receiving the slightest injury. This was done in the presence of crowds of people. _Pliny_ also relates the same story. [267:6] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 236. [267:7] Athenagoras, Apolog. p. 25. Quoted in Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 62. [267:8] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. ii. p. 619. [268:1] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 75. [268:2] Jewish Antiquities, bk. viii. ch. ii. [268:3] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 68. [268:4] "And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring a _blind man_ unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand . . . _and when he had spit on his eyes_, . . . he looked up and said: 'I see men and trees,' . . . and he was restored." (Mark, viii. 22-25.) [268:5] "And behold there was a man _which had his hand withered_. . . . Then said he unto the man, 'Stretch forth thine hand;' and he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole, like as the other." (Matt. xii. 10-13.) [268:6] Tacitus: Hist., lib. iv. ch. lxxxi. [269:1] See Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Tacitus." [269:2] See The Bible of To-Day, pp. 273, 278. [269:3] See Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. pp. 539-541. [270:1] Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 102. See also, Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 16. [270:2] Dionysius of Halicarnassus, one of the most accurate historians of antiquity, says: "In the war with the Latins, Castor and Pollux appeared visibly on white horses, and fought on the side of the Romans, who by their assistance gained a complete victory. As a perpetual memorial of it, a temple was erected and a yearly festival instituted in honor of these deities." (Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 323, and Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 103.) [271:1] See Prefatory Discourse to vol. iii. Middleton's Works, p. 54. [271:2] See Origen: Contra Celsus, bk. 1, ch. lxviii. [272:1] See Origen: Contra Celsus, bk. 1, ch. ix. [272:2] Ibid. bk. iii. ch. xliv. [272:3] Ibid. [272:4] Ibid. bk. 1, ch. lxviii. [272:5] Ibid. [272:6] Ibid. [272:7] Dial. Cum. Typho. ch. lxix. [272:8] See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 148. [272:9] See Baring-Gould's Lost and Hostile Gospels. A knowledge of magic had spread from Central Asia into Syria, by means of the return of the Jews from Babylon, and had afterwards extended widely, through the mixing of nations produced by Alexander's conquests. [273:1] See King's Gnostics, p. 145. Monumental Christianity, pp. 100 and 402, and Jameson's Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. i. p. 16. [273:2] See Monumental Christianity, p. 402, and Hist. of Our Lord, vol. i. p. 16. [273:3] Monumental Christianity, pp. 403-405. [273:4] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 19. [273:5] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 59. [274:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. p. 588. An eminent heathen challenged his Christian friend Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, a champion of the Gospel, to show him but one person who had been raised from the dead, on the condition of turning Christian himself upon it. _The Christian bishop was unable to give him that satisfaction._ (See Gibbon's Rome, vol. i. p. 541, and Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 60.) [274:2] Middleton's Works, vol. i. pp. 20, 21. [274:3] Ibid. p. 62. The Christian Fathers are noted for their frauds. Their writings are full of falsehoods and deceit. [275:1] Contra Celsus, bk. 1, ch. ix. x. [275:2] See Middleton's Works, pp. 62, 63, 64. [275:3] On The Flesh of Christ, ch. v. [276:1] I. Corinthians, i. 22, 23. [276:2] Matt. xii. 29. [276:3] See for example, Joel, ii. 10, 31; iii. 15; Matt. xxiv. 29, 30; Acts, ii. 19, 20; Revelations, vi. 12, 13; xvi. 18, _et seq._ [277:1] The writers of the Gospels were "I know not what sort of _half_ Jews, not even agreeing with themselves." (Bishop Faustus.)