Part 124 (1/2)

[434:2] Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 17.

[434:3] Quoted in Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 51.

[434:4] Hieron ad Nep. Quoted Volney's Ruins, p. 177, _note_.

[434:5] See his Eccl. Hist., viii. 21.

[435:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. ii. pp. 79, 80.

[435:2] ”On voit dans l'histoire que j'ai rapportee une sorte d'hypocrisie, qui n'a peut-etre ete que trop commune dans tous les tems.

C'est que des ecclesiastiques, non-seulement ne disent pas ce qu'ils pensent, mais disent tout le contraire de ce qu'ils pensent. Philosophes dans leur cabinet, hors dela, ils content des fables, quoiqu'ils sachent bien que ce sont des fables. Ils font plus; ils livrent au bourreau des gens de biens, pour l'avoir dit. Combiens d'athees et de profanes ont fait bruler de saints personnages, sous pretexte d'heresie? Tous les jours des hypocrites, consacrent et font adorer l'hostie, bien qu'ils soient aussi convaincus que moi, que ce n'est qu'un morceau de pain.”

(Tom. 2, p. 568.)

[435:3] On the Use of the Fathers, pp. 36, 37.

[435:4] Quoted in Taylor's Syntagma, p. 170.

[435:5] Mosheim: vol. 1, p. 198.

[435:6] ”Postremo illud quoque me vehementer movet, quod videam primis ecclesiae temporibus, quam plurimos ext.i.tisse, qui facinus palmarium judicabant, caelestem veritatem, figmentis suis ire adjutum, quo facilius nova doctrina a gentium sapientibus admitteretur Officiosa haec mendacia vocabant bono fine exeogitata.” (Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 44, and Giles' Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 19.)

[436:1] See the Vision of Hermas, b. 2, c. iii.

[436:2] Mosheim, vol. i. p. 197. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 47.

[436:3] Dr. Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 99.

[436:4] ”Continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.” (Colossians, i. 23.)

[436:5] ”Being crafty, I caught you with guile.” (II. Cor. xii. 16.)

[436:6] ”For if the truth of G.o.d had more abounded _through my lie_ unto his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner.” (Romans, iii. 7.)

[437:1] ”Si me tamen audire velis, mallem te paenas has dicere indefinitas quam infinitas. Sed veniet dies, c.u.m non minus absurda, habebitur et odiosa haec opinio quam transubstantiatio hodie.” (De Statu Mort., p. 304. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 43.)

[437:2] Quoted in Taylor's Syntagma, p. 52.

Among the ancients, there were many stories current of countries, the inhabitants of which were of peculiar size, form or features. Our Christian saint evidently believed these tales, and thinking thus, sought to make others believe them. We find the following examples related by _Herodotus_: ”Aristeas, son of Caystrobius, a native of Proconesus, says in his epic verses that, inspired by Apollo, he came to the Issedones; that beyond the Issedones dwell the Arimaspians, _a people that have only one eye_.” (Herodotus, book iv. ch. 13.) ”When one has pa.s.sed through a considerable extent of the rugged country (of the Seythians), a people are found living at the foot of lofty mountains, _who are said to be all bald from their birth_, both men and women alike, and they are flat-nosed, and have large chins.” (Ibid. ch. 23.) ”These bald men say, what to me is incredible, that _men with goat's feet_ inhabit these mountains; and when one has pa.s.sed beyond them, other men are found, _who sleep six months at a time_, but this I do not at all admit.” (Ibid. ch. 24.) In the country westward of Libya, ”there are enormous serpents, and lions, elephants, bears, asps, and a.s.ses with horns, and monsters with dog's heads and without heads, _who have eyes in their b.r.e.a.s.t.s_, at least, as the Libyans say, and wild men and wild women, and many other wild beasts which are not fabulous.” (Ibid. ch.

192.)

[438:1] Nicodemus, Apoc., ch. xii.

[438:2] See Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. xiv.

[438:3] Socrates: Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. xiii.

[438:4] In year 1444, Caxton published the first book ever printed in England. In 1474, the then Bishop of London, in a convocation of his clergy, said: ”_If we do not destroy this dangerous invention, it will one day destroy us._” (See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 4.) The reader should compare this with Pope Leo X.'s avowal that, ”_it is well known how profitable this fable of Christ has been to us_;” and Archdeacon Paley's declaration that ”_he could ill afford to have a conscience_.”

[438:5] _Porphyry_, who flourished about the year 270 A. D., a man of great abilities, published a large work of fifteen books against the Christians. ”His objections against Christianity,” says Dr. Lardner, ”were in esteem with Gentile people for a long while; and the Christians were not insensible of the importance of his work; as may be concluded from the several answers made to it by Eusebius, and others in great repute for learning.” (Vol. viii. p. 158.) There are but fragments of these _fifteen_ books remaining, _Christian magistrates_ having ordered them to be destroyed. (Ibid.)

[438:6] _Hierocles_ was a Neo-Platonist, who lived at Alexandria about the middle of the fifth century, and enjoyed a great reputation. He was the author of a great number of works, a few extracts of which alone remain.