TheProjectGutenbergEBookofTheChristianFoundation,April,1880ThiseBookisfortheuseofanyoneanywhereatnocostandwithalmostnorestrictionswhatsoever.Youmaycopyit,giveitawayorre-useitunderthetermsoftheProjectGutenbergLicenseincludedwiththiseBookoronlineathttp://www.gutenberg.org/licenseTitle:TheChristianFoundation,April,1880ReleaseDate:February19,2009[Ebook28126]Language:English*T*H*ESTCAHRRTISOTIFATNHFEOPURNODJEACTITONG,UTAEPNRIBLE,R1G880E*B*O*OK
ehTChristianFoundation,,rOScientificandReligiousVol.1.No4.April,81.08Journal
ContentsIsThereACounterfeitWithoutAGenuine?........DesignInNature.......................AnAtheistIsAFool.....................BlunderOnAndBlunderOnItIsHumanToBlunder...Draper'sConflictBetweenReligionAndScience......FactsSpeakLouderThanWords,OrWhatChristianityHasDoneForCannibals.................AreWeSimplyAnimals?..................OurRelationsToTheAncientLawAndProphetsWhatAreThey?........................TheFuneralServicesOfTheNationalLiberalLeague...Huxley'sParadox.......................TheTriumphingReignOfLight...............213911262923304344464
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]221[IsThereACounterfeitWithoutAGenuine?Myobjectinthislessonistopresentthemyths,theancient,fictitiousandfancifulnarrativesconcerningthegods,insuchamannerastoenableyoutoseetheutterabsurdityoftheideathatthereligionoftheBibleisofmythicalorigin.Mythsarefictitiousnarratives,havingananalogymoreorlessremotetosomethingreal.Fromthisdefinitionyoudiscoverthatamythisalwaysacounterfeit,andassuchalwaysappearsinevidenceinfavorofsomethingmoreorlessremote,thatistrue.Now,iftheBiblehadamythicalorigin,itsustainssomeanalogytosomethingfoundinthemythicalorfictitiousandfancifulnarrativesconcerningthegods,andisthereforethemythofamyth;thecounterfeitofacounterfeit.Ifsuchbethetruthinthecase,wheredowefindtheoriginofthemythsfromwhichBiblemythshavedescended?IsitfoundinthetrueGodpresidingovertheelementsofnatureandthedestiniesofmen,aswellastheeventsofcreationandprovidence?Or,canitbepossiblethatwehavemanycounterfeitswithoutagenuine?Manymythssustainingnoanalogy,eithernearorremote,toanythingreal?Itisanabsurdity,destructiveofthetermemployed,becausemythsceasetobemythswithoutsomenearorremoterelationtorealities.Theymustsustainsomeanalogytosomethingreal.Andcounterfeitsalsoceasetobecounterfeitswhenitisshownthattheysustainnorelation,throughanalogyorlikeness,toanythingthatisgenuine.Inthemythicalsystemsofoldentimeswehave,inthemidstofavastdealoffalseandfancifulnarrativeconcerningsubordinateandsecondarygods,evidenceofasupremeGodpresidingoverallthings;andthesecondarygodsperformingmanythingswhich
IsThereACounterfeitWithoutAGenuine?3belongedtotheprovinceoftheAlmightyOne,withmanydegrading,vileandcorruptinghabits.AletterwrittenbyMaximus,aNumidian,toAugustin,readsthus:Now,thatthereisasovereignGod,whoiswithoutbeginning,andwho,withouthavingbegottenanythinglikeuntoHimself,is,nevertheless,theFatherandtheformerofallthings,whatmancanbegrossandstupidenoughtodoubt?Heitisofwhom,underdifferentnames,weadoretheeternalpowerextendingthrougheverypartoftheworld,thushonoringseparatelybydifferentsortsofworshipwhatmaybecalledHisseveralmembers,weadoreHimentirely.Maythosesubordinategodspreserveyouunderwhosenames,andbywhomallwemortalsuponearthadorethecommonFatherofgodsandmen.Inthisletterwehaveaclearpresentationofthemythicalsystemconcerningtheancientgods,andalsotheanalagousrelationtotheMasterGod.Eachgodhavinghisparticulardominionoverplaceorpassion,appearsbeforeusasarepresentativeofthesupreme,orMasterGod;andbyworshipingeachmemberorGodtheyclaimedtoadoreentirelythecommonFatherofgodsandmen.Augustinanswers,InyourpublicsquaretherearetwostatuesofMars,onenaked,theotherarmed;andclosebythefigureofamanwho,withthreefingersadvancedtowardsMars,holdsincheckthatdivinitysodangeroustothewholetown.WithregardtowhatyousayofsuchgodsbeingportionsoftheonlytrueGod,Itakethelibertyyougavemetowarnyounottofallintosuchasacrilege;forthatonlyGod,ofwhomyouspeak,isdoubtlessHewhoisacknowledgedbythewholeworld,andconcerningwhom,assomeoftheancientshavesaid,theignorantagreewiththelearned.Now,willyousaythatMars,whosestrengthisrepresentedbyaninanimateman,isaportionofthatGod?Thatistosay,thedeadstatuecontrolsMars,andMarsisasubordinategodrepresentingtheinfiniteGod,andis,therefore,apartofthatGod.Augustinadds,NotthePantheonandallthetemplesconsecratedtotheinferiorgods,noreven[]321
]421[4TheChristianFoundation,April,1880thetemplesconsecratedtothetwelvegreatergodspreventedDeusOptimusMaximus,Godmostgood,mostgreat,frombeingacknowledgedthroughouttheempire.Voltairesays,Inspiteofallthefolliesofthepeoplewhoveneratedsecondaryandridiculousgods,andinspiteoftheEpicurians,whoinrealityacknowledgednone,itisverifiedthatinalltimesthemagistratesandwiseadoredonesovereignGod.Secondarygodsweremyths,counterfeits,sustainingtherelationofcounterfeits.TheancientsattributedtheirownpassionstotheMasterGod,andhadsubordinategodsrepresentingpassions.TheyalsohadagodforeachpartofHisdominion;andthesegodstheycalledmembersofthetrueGod,andclaimedtoworshipHim,byworshipingallthemembersorgods.Marswasthegodofwar;Bacchuswasthegodofdrunkenness.Theyhadagodforthisandagodforthat.TheancientpagansseemedtothinkthatinfinitedivisibilitybelongedtothetrueGod,fortheydistinguishedbetweenpassions,anddivideduptheuniverseamongthegodsuntiltheyhaditcrammedfullofsubordinateandridiculousgods,eachoneamemberofJehovah,andeachmemberapartofthegreatmythicalsystem.Now,inordertoestablishthepropositionthatourreligionisofmythicalorigin,itisnecessarytoshow,first,thattheBiblewaswrittenthissideoforduringtheageofmyths,and,havingdonethis,itisnecessarytoshowthattheHebrewpeoplewereamythicalpeople;neitherofwhichcanbeaccomplished.ItwillnotbeamisstopresentinthisconnectionastatementgivenbyJustintotheGreeks.Hesays:Ofallyourteachers,whethersages,poets,historians,philosophers,orlaw-givers,byfartheoldest,astheGreekhistoriansshowus,wasMoses....ForinthetimesofOgygesandInachus,whomsomeofyourpoetshavesupposedtohavebeenearth-bornthatis,tohavesprungfromthesoil,andhenceoneoftheoldestinhabitantstheaborigines,MosesismentionedastheleaderandruleroftheJewishnation.Heismentionedasaveryancientandtime-honoredprincein
IsThereACounterfeitWithoutAGenuine?5theAthenian,AtticandGrecianhistories.Polemon,inhisfirstbookofHellenics,mentionsMosesastheleaderandruleroftheJewishnation.Ptolemæus,inhishistoryofEgypt,bearsthesametestimony.Apion,anEgyptianwriter,inhisbookagainsttheJews,saysMosesledthem.Dr.Shaw,amoderntraveler,saystheinhabitantsofCorondel,ontheeasternsideoftheRedSea,tothisdaypreservetheremembranceofthedeliveranceofthechildrenofIsraelfromtheirbondageinEgypt.Diodorus,themostrenownedGreekhistorian,whoemployedthirtyyearsepitomizingthelibraries,andtraveledoverAsiaandEuropeforthesakeofgreataccuracy,whowrotefortyvolumesofhistory,sayshelearnedfromtheEgyptianprieststhatMoseswasanancientlaw-giver.Itseemstousthat,nosaneman,whoisacquaintedwiththeancientmythicals,canregardthereligionoftheBibleasachildofmythicaldescent.Itisasdeadlyinitsinfluenceuponthosemyths,andallmythicalworship,asitcouldbemadebyaninfinitemind.Voltairesaysthecharacterofthemythicalgodsisridiculous;wewilladd,itisridiculousintheextreme.ListenHesiod,inhistheogony,says:Chronos,thesonofOuranos,orSaturn,sonofHeaven,inthebeginningslewhisfather,andpossessedhimselfofhisrule,and,beingseizedwithapaniclestheshouldsufferinthesameway,hepreferreddevouringhischildren,butCuretes,asubordinategod,bycraft,conveyedJupiterawayinsecretandafterwardsboundhisbrotherwithchains,anddividedtheempire,Jupiterreceivingtheair,andNeptunethedeep,andPlutoHades.Pros-er-pi-ne,Mella-nip-pe,Neptune,PlutoandJupiterareallsetforthinthemythicalwritingsasadulterers.Jupiterwasregardedasmorefrequentlyinvolvedinthatcrime,beingsetdownasguiltyinmanyinstances.FortheloveofSem-e-le,itissaidthatheassumedwingsandprovedhisownunchastityandherjealousy.Thesearesomeoftheexploitsofthesonsof21[]5
]621[6TheChristianFoundation,April,1880Saturn.Herculeswascelebratedbyhisthreenights,sungbythepoetsforhissuccessfullabors.ThesonofJupiterslewtheLion,anddestroyedthemany-headedHydra;wasabletokillthefleetman-eatingbirds,andbroughtupfromhadesthethree-headeddog,Cerberus;effectuallycleansedtheAugeanstablefromitsrefuse;killedthebullsandstagwhosenostrilsbreathedfire;slewthepoisonousserpentandkilledAch-e-lò-us.Theguest-slayingBu-sí-riswasdelightedwithbeingstunnedbythecymbalsoftheSat-yrs,andtobeconqueredwiththeloveofwomen;andatlast,beingunabletotakethecloakoffofNessus,hekindledhisownfuneralpileanddied.Sucharespecimensoftheancientmyths.TheircharacterissuchastoleaveanimpassiblegulfbetweenthemandthecharacteroftheGodrevealedinourreligion.Nodevelopmenttheory,seekingtheoriginofourreligionintheoldmythicalsystem,canbridgeacrossthischasm.Itisasdeepandbroadasthedistancebetweentheantipodes.ThereisnoanalogybetweenthesecounterfeitsormythsandthetrueGod,savethatremotepowerofGodwhichisdividedupandparceledoutamongthem.Theirmoralsweretheworst.ThewholemythicalsystemissimplyonegranddemonstrationofhumanapostacyfromthetrueGod.HomerintroducesZeusinlove,andbitterlycomplainingandbewailinghimself,andplottedagainstbytheothergods.Herepresentsthegodsassufferingatthehandsofmen.MarsandVenuswerewoundedbyDi-o-me-de.Hesays,GreatPluto'sselfthestingingarrowfeltwhenthatsamesonofJupiterassailedhimintheverygatesofhell,andwroughthimkeenestanguish.Piercedwithpain,tothehighOlympus,tothecourtsofJupitergroaninghecame.Thebittershaftremaineddeepinhisshoulderfixed,andgrievedhissoul.Inthemythicalsystemthegodsarenotpresentedascreatorsorfirstcauses.Homersays,Theywereinthebeginninggeneratedfromthewatersoftheocean,andthousandswereaddedbydeifyingdepartedheroesandphilosophers.Thethoughtofonesupreme
IsThereACounterfeitWithoutAGenuine?7Intelligence,theGodofGods,,runsthroughallthesystemofmyths.Itisfoundanteriortothemyths,and,therefore,couldnothavehaditsoriginwiththem.ThecharacterascribedtoourGod,inourscriptures,hasnoplaceamongtheancientmyths.TheyholdtheMasterGodbeforeusonlyinconnectionwithpower,beingaltogetherignorantofHistruecharacter.TheyevenwentsofarastoattributemuchtoHimthatwasridiculous.Oneoftheancientssaid,Theutmostthatamancandoistoattributetothebeingheworshipshisimperfectionsandimpurities,magnifiedtoinfinity,itmaybe,andthenbecomeworsebytheirreflexactionuponhisownnature.Thiswasverifiedintheancientmythicalreligion,withoutexception,andwithoutdoubt.Thecharacterofallthegodswassimplyhumancharacterextendedinallitspowers,appetites,lustsandpassions.ScholarssaythereisnolanguagecontainingwordsthatexpresstheScripturalideasofholinessandabhorrenceofsin,exceptthoseinwhichtheScripturesweregiven,orintowhichtheyhavebeentranslated.Theseattributesmustbeknowninordertosalvationfromsin,soGodrevealedHimselfandgavetheworldapurereligion,asastandardofrightandwrong,andguideinduty,andruleoflife.ThehistoryoftheancientnationsoftheearthgivesaunitedtestimonythattheiroriginalprogenitorspossessedaknowledgeoftheonetrueandlivingGod,whowasworshipedbythem,andbelievedtobeaninfinite,self-existentandinvisiblespirit.Thisnotionwasneverentirelyextinguishedevenamongtheidolatrousworshipers.GreekandLatinpoetsweregreatcorruptersoftheology,yetinthemidstofalltheirGodsthereisstilltobefound,intheirwritings,thenotionofonesupremeinpowerandrule,whomtheyconfoundwithJupiter.Theageofmythsbeganwiththetenthgenerationaftertheflood.TheevidenceofthisisgivenbyPlatofromoneoftheancientpoetsinthesewords:Itwasthegenerationthenthetenth,ofmenendowedwithspeech,sinceforththefloodhadburst]721[