Part 37 (1/2)

[137:2] Not a _worldly Messiah_, as the Jews looked for, but an _Angel-Messiah_, such an one as always came at the end of a _cycle_. We shall treat of this subject anon, when we answer the question _why_ Jesus was believed to be an _Avatar_, by the Gentiles, and not by the Jews; why, in fact, the doctrine of _Christ incarnate_ in Jesus succeeded and prospered.

[137:3] ”This strong expression might be justified by the language of St. Paul (_G.o.d_ was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, &c. I. Timothy, iii. 16), but we are deceived by our modern Bibles. The word _which_ was altered to _G.o.d_ at Constantinople in the beginning of the sixth century: the true meaning, which is visible in the Latin and Syriac versions, still exists in the reasoning of the Greek, as well as of the Latin fathers; and this fraud, with that of the _three witnesses of St. John_ (I. John, v. 7), is admirably detected by Sir Isaac Newton.” (Gibbon's Rome, iv. 496, _note_.) _Dean Milman_ says: ”The weight of authority is so much against the common reading of both these points (_i. e._, I. Tim. iii. 16, and I. John, v. 7), that they are no longer urged by prudent controversialists.” (Note in Ibid.)

[138:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. pp. 492-497.

[138:2] See Chambers's Encyclopaedia, art. ”Apollinaris.”

[138:3] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. p. 498.

[138:4] That is, separate _him_ from G.o.d the Father, by saying that _he_, Jesus of Nazareth, was _not_ really and truly G.o.d Almighty himself in human form.

[139:1] See Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. p. 516.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.

Being born in a miraculous manner, as other great personages had been, it was necessary that the miracles attending the births of these virgin-born G.o.ds should be added to the history of Christ Jesus, otherwise the legend would not be complete.

The first which we shall notice is the story of the _star_ which is said to have heralded his birth, and which was designated ”_his_ star.” It is related by the _Matthew_ narrator as follows:[140:1]

”When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying: 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews?

for we have seen _his star_ in the east, and are come to wors.h.i.+p him.'”

Herod the king, having heard these things, he privately called the wise men, and inquired of them what time the star appeared, at the same time sending them to Bethlehem to search diligently for the young child. The wise men, accordingly, departed and went on their way towards Bethlehem.

”The star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came _and stood over_ where the young child was.”

The general legendary character of this narrative--its similarity in style with those contained in the apocryphal gospels--and more especially its conformity with those _astrological notions_ which, though prevalent in the time of the Matthew narrator, have been exploded by the sounder scientific knowledge of our days--all unite to stamp upon the story the impress of poetic or mythic fiction.

The fact that the writer of this story speaks not of _a star_ but of _his star_, shows that it was the popular belief of the people among whom he lived, that each and every person was born under a star, and that this one which had been seen was _his star_.

All ancient nations were very superst.i.tious in regard to the influence of the stars upon human affairs, and this ridiculous idea has been handed down, in some places, even to the present day. Dr. Hooykaas, speaking on this subject, says:

”In ancient times the Jews, like other peoples, might very well believe that there was some immediate connection between the stars and the life of man--an idea which we still preserve in the forms of speech that so-and-so was born under a lucky or under an evil star. They might therefore suppose that the birth of great men, such as Abraham, for instance, was announced in the heavens. In our century, however, if not before, all serious belief in astrology has ceased, and it would be regarded as an act of the grossest superst.i.tion for any one to have his horoscope drawn; for the course, the appearance and the disappearance of the heavenly bodies have been long determined with mathematical precision by science.”[141:1]

The Rev. Dr. Geikie says, in his _Life of Christ_:[141:2]

”The Jews had already, long before Christ's day, dabbled in astrology, and the various forms of magic which became connected with it. . . . They were much given to cast horoscopes from the numerical value of a name. Everywhere throughout the whole Roman Empire, Jewish magicians, dream expounders, and sorcerers, were found.

”'The life and portion of children,' says the _Talmud_, 'hang not on righteousness, but on _their_ star.' 'The planet of the day has no virtue, but the planet of the hour (of nativity) has much.' 'When the Messiah is to be revealed,' says the book _Sohar_, 'a star will rise in the east, s.h.i.+ning in great brightness, and _seven_ other stars round it will fight against it on every side.' 'A star will rise in the east, which is the star of the Messiah, and will remain in the east fifteen days.'”

The moment of every man's birth being supposed to determine every circ.u.mstance in his life, it was only necessary to find out in what mode the _celestial bodies_--supposed to be the primary wheels to the universal machine--operated at that moment, in order to discover all that would happen to him afterward.

The regularity of the risings and settings of the fixed stars, though it announced the changes of the seasons and the orderly variations of nature, could not be adapted to the capricious mutability of human actions, fortunes, and adventures: wherefore the astrologers had recourse to the planets, whose more complicated revolutions offered more varied and more extended combinations. Their different returns to certain points of the Zodiac, their relative positions and conjunctions with each other, were supposed to influence the affairs of men; whence daring impostors presumed to foretell, not only the destinies of individuals, but also the rise and fall of empires, and the fate of the world itself.[141:3]

The inhabitants of _India_ are, and have always been, very superst.i.tious concerning the stars. The Rev. D. O. Allen, who resided in India for twenty-five years, and who undoubtedly became thoroughly acquainted with the superst.i.tions of the inhabitants, says on this subject:

”So strong are the superst.i.tious feelings of many, concerning the supposed influence of the stars on human affairs, that some days are _lucky_, and others again are _unlucky_, that no arguments or promises would induce them to deviate from the course which these _stars_, signs, &c., indicate, as the way of safety, prosperity, and happiness. The evils and inconveniences of these superst.i.tions and prejudices are among the things that press heavily upon the people of India.”[142:1]